,gospel ,themes ,a ,treatise on ,salient ,features of ,,mormonism ,written for1 and ,dedicated to1 the ,high ,priests1 ,seventies and ,elders of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints ,by ,,elder ,,orson ,f4 ,,whitney ,of the ,council of the ,twelve ,apostles ,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah #aiad ,,preface ,,and ,,dedication4 ,this little book was written and compiled at the request of the ,general ,priesthood ,committee1 under the sanction of the ,first ,presidency of the ,church1 for the use and benefit of the ,priesthood ,classes1 throughout the ,stakes and ,wards of ,zion4 ,the treatise1 ,gospel ,themes1 represents the best effort ,i could make under the circumstances in which that effort was put forth4 ,many interruptions occurred1 consequent upon the performance of other duties1 and ,i had no opportunity to submit the manuscript to a committee of revision1 prior to publication2 the usual course with works of this character4 ,i was barely able to get it ready for the printer within the time allotted for its preparation4 ,but ,i tried to be accurate1 and am not aware that ,i made any mistakes4 ,while lacking the help of a revisory committee1 ,i received1 and hereby gratefully acknowledge1 valuable suggestions from ,elders ,david ,o4 ,mc,kay and ,edward ,h4 ,anderson1 members of the ,priesthood ,committee1 and from others whom ,i consulted4 ,moreover1 ,brother ,anderson was with me in proof-reading the work1 and in engineering it through the press4 ,my aim has been1 not to give exhaustive treatment to any subject1 but to throw in sight certain themes1 and dwell briefly upon points of doctrine1 prophecy1 history1 and illustration1 that ,i thought would be helpful to the brethren of the ,priesthood--those who are studying the ,gospel at home1 and those who are preaching it abroad4 ,to both classes this volume is affectionately dedicated4 ,,the ,,author4 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,christmas1 #aiac4 ,,contents4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,god4 ,chapter #a4--;,a ,divine ,plan for ,human ,progress ,chapter #b4--;,eternal ,nature of ,gospel ,principles ,chapter #c4--,the ,fall and ,redemption ,chapter #d4--,the ,gods in ,council ,chapter #e4--;,creation of the ,earth ,chapter #f4--;,elect of ,elohim ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,salvation4 ,chapter #a4--,the ,law of ,obedience ,chapter #b4--;,faith ,chapter #c4--;,faith 7,continued7 ,chapter #d4--,repentance ,chapter #e4--,water and ,spirit ,birth ,chapter #f4--,purpose and ,effects of ,baptism ,chapter #g4--,mode and ,cleaning of ,baptism ,,priesthood ,,and ,,church ,,government4 ,chapter #a4--;,divine ,authority ,chapter #b4--;,divine ,authority 7,continued7 ,chapter #c4--,the ,church ,organization ,,the ,,gospel ,,dispensations4 ,chapter #a4--;,introductory ,chapter #b4--,the ,adamic ,period ,chapter #c4--;,enoch and ,zion ,chapter #d4--,noah and the ,deluge ,chapter #e4--;,abraham ,chapter #f4--,moses and ,aaron ,chapter #g4--,the ,lamb of ,god ,chapter #h4--;,dawn of the ,last ,dispensation ,,dispersion ,,and ,,gathering ,,of ,,israel4 ,chapter #a4--;,a ,chosen ,people ,chapter #b4--;,israel's ,mission ,chapter #c4--,to the ,ends of the ,earth ,chapter #d4--,the ,call of the ,shepherd ,chapter #e4--,the ,author to the ,reader ,,gospel ,,themes4 ,the ,story of ,god4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,divine ,plan for ,human ,progress4 ,the ,gospel ,defined4--,the ,english word ,gospel comes from the ,anglo-,saxon ,godspell1 or ,god-story--the story of ,god4 ,it derives its significance from that great central idea of the ,christian faith--the coming of ,god as the ,son of ,god to redeem and save mankind4 ,the joyful intelligence of the advent of the world's ,redeemer1 proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds on the ,judean hills 7,luke #b3aj71 furnishes another name for the gospel--good tidings1 or1 as it is otherwise rendered1 glad tidings of great joy4 ,god the ,savior4--,god himself shall come down among the children of men1 and shall redeem his people1 and because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the ,son of ,god 7,mosiah #ae3a1b74 prediction by ,abinadi the prophet1 centuries before the birth of the ,savior1 had been preceded by a ,this similar prophecy from ,king ,benjamin1 another ,nephite seer 7,mosiah #c3e74 ,the fulfilment of these foretellings is recorded in the opening verses of the gospel according to ,st4 ,john1 where reference is made to the ,word that was in the beginning with ,god--the ,word that was ,god1 and was made flesh and dwelt among men4 ,in him1 as ,paul affirms1 dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily 7,col4 #b3i74 ,foundation and ,superstructure4--,when we speak of the gospel1 therefore1 we should bear in mind that the term means something more than faith1 repentance1 baptism1 the laying on of hands for the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 and other rituals and requirements in the ,church of ,christ4 ,we must not isolate the laws and ordinances of the gospel from the basic principles upon which they rest--the mighty foundation stones of sacrifice and redemption1 without which all this sacred legislation would be aimless and of no effect4 ,nor can the basic principles which make operative those laws and ordinances be dissociated from the idea of eternal progression1 the great and paramount purpose for which the gospel code was framed1 the gospel in its fulness instituted4 ,fulness of the ,gospel4--,the phrase1 fulness of the gospel1 should be understood in a relative sense1 as pertaining to the revealed will of ,god4 ,there can be no absolute fulness1 with man1 until all things are made known to him4 ,the fulness of the gospel as delivered to the ,nephites and other ancient peoples1 and told of in the inspired records that have come down to us1 differed from1 in that it was not so complete as is the fulness of the gospel which the ,latter-day ,saints enjoy4 ,truth is always the same2 it never contradicts itself2 but more of its principles have been revealed in modern times than at any previous period4 ,never before1 upon this earth1 has there been such a gospel fulness as that delivered to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,and the end is not yet2 for1 as he himself said in one of his latest recorded utterances3 ,those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world1 but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent1 shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulness of times 7,d,c #abh3ah74 ,it may help the reader to understand how there can be more than one fulness of the gospel by bearing in mind what has been made known concerning the final judgment1 or the various awards of glory to be meted out to redeemed souls after the resurrection4 ,their glory shall be that by which their bodies are quickened1 and whether quickened by a portion of the celestial1 the terrestrial1 or the telestial glory1 they shall receive of the same1 even a fulness 7,d,c #hh3bh-ca74 ,but one fulness can differ from another1 even as differ the glories1 and even as capacities differ--the power to receive and contain4 ,the absolute fulness of the gospel can only come to a people prepared to receive and make a wise use of it4 ,until the ,latter-day ,saints are in that condition1 they must be content with a comparative fulness1 or all that they can contain of the divine wisdom4 ,paul the apostle was contemplating this subject when he wrote3 ,for we know in part1 and we prophesy in part4 ,but when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part shall be done away 7#a ,cor4 #ac3i1aj74 ,gospel ,features4--,the gospel1 in its fullest sense1 signifies everything connected with the redemptive career of that glorious and divine ,being known among men as ,jesus of ,nazareth1 but who was and is no other than ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel 7,d,c #aaj3a-d71 who came unto his own and was rejected by them1 was crucified at their instigation1 and died to redeem the world4 ,the accounts given by ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john1 are properly termed gospels1 because they are narratives of the personal ministry of our ,lord2 but they are only parts of the complete ,god-story4 ,the ,savior's life1 death1 resurrection and ascension1 with the conditions prescribed by him upon which fallen man might profit further from his sacrifice for human redemption1--these are all gospel features1 but not the gospel in its entirety4 ,the full story of the ,redeemer and ,savior--the ,god who died that man might live--involves events both past and future1 events premortal and post-mortal1 scenes in which he was chosen to play his mighty part in the great tragedy of human experience1 and scenes yet to come in which he will make another and a more glorious appearing upon the stage of time1 enacting the illustrious role of ,king of kings and reigning over the earth a thousand years4 ,salvation and ,exaltation4--,paul defines the ,gospel of ,christ as the power of ,god unto salvation 7,rom4 #a3af74 ,he might have gone further1 had he so desired1 or had it been timely1 and shown that the ,gospel of ,christ is the power of ,god unto exaltation--a plan devised by ,omnipotent ,wisdom whereby man1 the child of ,god1 may advance from stage to stage of soul development1 until eventually he becomes like unto his ,heavenly ,parent1 inheriting eternal thrones and dominions1 and receiving a fulness of joy4 ,this is exaltation4 ,it is more than salvation1 being an extension of that idea or condition--salvation added upon2 just as salvation is an extension of1 or an addition to1 redemption4 ,a soul may be redeemed--that is1 raised from the dead1 and yet condemned at the final judgment for evil deeds done in the body4 ,likewise may a soul be redeemed and saved1 and yet come short of the glory that constitutes exaltation4 ,to redeem1 save1 and glorify1 is the threefold purpose of the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,origin and ,antiquity of the ,gospel4--,the gospel originated in the heavens1 before this earth was organized1 and was revealed to man1 out of eternity1 at the very beginning of time4 ,it was the means by which ,adam1 our great ancestor1 after his expulsion from ,eden1 regained the divine presence from which he had been banished4 ,it is the means by which his posterity1 such as are obedient to the gospel's requirements1 have been or will yet be able to follow him into the heavenly kingdom4 ,the same ladder that ,adam climbed1 until beyond the reach of the fatal consequences of his transgression1 the whole human race1 inheriting from him the effects of the fall1 must likewise climb1 or they will never see the face of ,god in eternal glory4 ,the ,paramount ,purpose4--,let us keep in mind1 however1 that the gospel1 even in a limited sense1 is more than a means of escape from impending ills4 ,it is the way of progress1 the path to perfection1 and as such was devised by the wisdom of the ,gods1 before this world rolled into existence4 ,the origin of the gospel1 and the grand purpose for which it was instituted1 are briefly yet clearly outlined by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith in the following language3 ,eternal ,progression4--,the first principles of man are self-existent with ,god4 ,god himself1 finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory1 because he was more intelligent1 saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself4 ,the relationship we have with ,god places us in a situation to advance in knowledge4 ,he has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences1 that they may be exalted with himself1 so that they may have one glory upon another4--7,times and ,seasons1 ,august #ae1 #ahdd2 ,improvement ,era1 ,january1 #aiji47 ,power and ,benevolence of ,deity4--,here are pointed out both the power and the benevolence of ,deity4 ,our ,father in heaven is no monopolist4 ,while omnipotent and all-possessing1 he is likewise altruistic and philanthropic4 ,instead of keeping to himself the glory that he found himself possessed of1 he used his superior intelligence to institute laws whereby the lesser spirits surrounding him might advance toward the lofty plane that he occupies4 ,he proposed to lift them to his own spiritual stature and share with them the empire of the universe4 ,plato's ,view4--,our prophet's simple yet sublime setting forth of the divine power and benevolence1 as exemplified in the establishment of a plan for man's eternal progress1 is far more pointed and specific than the presentment made by ,plato1 the ,greek philosopher1 of a doctrine somewhat similar4 ,plato1 as quoted by ,emerson1 says3 ,let us declare the cause which led the ,supreme ,ordainer to produce and compose the universe4 ,he was good2 and he who is good has no kind of envy4 ,exempt from envy1 he wished that all things should be as much as possible like himself4 ,whosoever1 taught by wise men1 shall admit this as the prime cause of the origin and foundation of the world1 will be in the truth4--7,representative ,men1 ,lecture ,,ii47 ,man's ,destiny4--,there is a fitness1 a propriety1 in man's becoming like his ,maker--,god's child1 fashioned in his image and endowed with divine attributes1 developing to the fulness of the parental stature1 as taught by ,joseph2 but how the same can be predicated of all things--beasts1 fish1 fowl1 trees1 plants1 etc41 as ,plato implies1 is not so clear4 ,that the lower animals1 as well as man1 in fact all forms of life1 animate and inanimate1 are to be perpetuated and glorified1 is a plain inference from the teachings of the prophet 7,d,c #gg3b-d7 but undoubtedly all will retain their identity1 in their respective orders and spheres4 ,no creature of ,god's1 except man1 is destined to become like ,god1 in the fullest and highest sense4 ,as much as possible is a saving clause1 however1 and ,plato1 therefore1 is not committed to any contradictory proposition4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,eternal ,nature of ,gospel ,principles4 ,gospel ,code and ,fundamentals4--,the gospel1 as a code or ,system of laws and ordinances1 is a creation1 a work of ,god2 but like all other creations it was organized out of materials already existing4 ,intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made1 neither indeed can be 7,d,c #ic3bi74 ,truth1 eternal1 unchanged1 evermore--such is the gospel in its fundamental principles4 ,these were never created4 ,god did not make them2 he instituted them1 recognizing their worth1 their utility1 their adaptability to the purposes which he had in view4 ,he saw that these principles were ennobling and exalting in their nature and tendency1 and he therefore created a plan embodying them as the most effectual means for man's promotion4 ,faith4--,take1 for instance1 faith--the first principle4 ,can you conceive of its creation as a principle8 ,i cannot3 but ,i can grasp the idea of its existence as a law1 as an essential force1 its adoption by divine wisdom1 and its adaptation to the purposes of ,deity4 ,i can conceive of its bestowal upon man as an endowment from ,god1 its assimilation1 cultivation1 growth and increase1 as illustrated in the ,book of ,mormon1 where it is compared to a seed germinating in the soul 7,alma #cb3bh74 ,but ,i cannot think of it1 in its essential1 fundamental nature1 as having been called into existence4 ,faith is a gift from ,god1 both as a law and a manifestation of spiritual power3 but it is not a creation--not as a basic principle4 ,the gospel code containing this law1 however1 may readily be conceived as the work of a divine ,creator and ,law-giver4 ,repentance4--,what is true of faith in this respect1 is true also of repentance4 ,god did not create repentance as a principle2 it already existed as an essential to progress2 but he made it obligatory upon sinful man1 if he would be saved and put upon the road to perfection1 to practice this principle--to turn away from evil and sin no more4 ,baptism4--,as for baptism1 the idea of washing in order to be come clean is plain enough for a child's comprehension4 ,it is this idea that underlies the baptismal ordinance4 ,god did not create the fact that washing maketh clean--that is fundamental2 but he instituted baptism for the remission of sins and made it a part of the gospel plan1 because no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven4 ,holy ,ghost4--,divine ,wisdom did not create the ,holy ,ghost3 he is eternal1 without beginning or end--he is ,god4 ,nor did it decree light necessary to illumination2 that is a self-evident1 self-existent truth4 ,but ,divine ,wisdom instituted the laying on of hands for the gift 7giving7 of the ,holy ,ghost1 and included it in the great progressive plan1 because1 without the illumination that comes from the ,spirit of the ,lord1 man cannot be led into all truth4 ,thus we might go on1 taking up other features of the gospel1 and in each one pointing out some underlying principle upon which this law or that ordinance has been based4 ,the same philosophy will apply to them all4 ,these fundamental principles are not creations--they are eternal truths1 applied or adapted to ends foreseen and predestined by the all-wise ,ordainer and ,giver4 ,the gospel was instituted for the advancement of ,god's children1 who had probably progressed as far as they could in the spirit at that time1 before they were given bodies2 and it was made effective for their further progress by the ,atonement of ,christ1 offsetting the fall of ,adam1 and nullifying the deadly effects of the original transgression4 ,the ,fall4--,right here let me suggest that ,adam's transgression1 while technically a sin1 because of the broken law1 should be stressed as the means whereby those spirits obtained their bodies1 rather than as an act of moral turpitude4 ,in law1 crimes are of two general classes--malum per se and malum prohibitum4 ,malum per se means an evil in itself--an act essentially wrong2 while malum prohibitum signifies that which is wrong because forbidden by law4 ,adam's transgression was malum prohibitum1 and the consequent descent from an immortal to a mortal condition was ,,the ,,fall4 ,a ,prearranged ,plan4--,it is evident from the revelations of ,god1 particularly in modern times1 that everything connected with man's mortal pilgrimage was understood and arranged before that pilgrimage began4 ,not alone was the gospel instituted3 an executor was appointed to put it into effect4 ,in other words1 the machinery was constructed1 and the power then turned on4 ,the fall being foreseen1 the redemption was ordained4 ,eternal progress and everlasting glory were the objects in view1 and over the glad prospect1 in spite of the pain and sorrow that must necessarily intervene1 the ,morning ,stars sang together1 and all the ,sons of ,god shouted for joy 7,job #ch3g74 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,fall and ,redemption4 ,essentials to ,progress4--,the story of ,god embraces the fall as well as the redemption of man4 ,both these mighty vicissitudes are steps in the march of human progress4 ,the fall was just as necessary as the redemption1 in order to make operative and effective the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 ,in other words1 the fall prepared the way for the redemption4 ,how could redemption have been1 had there been nothing to redeem8 ,of what use were a gospel of salvation where nothing needed to be saved8 ,innocent ,ignorance4--,had the spirits of men1 all innocent in the beginning1 remained where they were and just as they were1 they would have had no need to exercise faith unto salvation4 ,they would have had no need to repent or to be baptized1 having no evil practices to turn away from1 and no uncleanness to be washed away4 ,but they would have remained ignorant as well as innocent1 and without any further progression4 ,the following passage from the ,book of ,mormon illustrates this point3 ,and now1 behold1 if ,adam had not transgressed1 he would not have fallen2 but he would have remained in the ,garden of ,eden4 ,and all things which were created must have remained in the same state which they were after they were created2 and they must have remained forever and had no end4 ,and they would have had no children2 wherefore1 they would have remained in a state of innocence1 having no joy1 for they knew no misery2 doing no good1 for they knew no sin4 ,but behold1 all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things4 ,adam fell that men might be2 and men are1 that they might have joy 7#b ,ne4 #b3bb-be74 ,this passage1 of course1 refers directly to ,adam's condition in the ,garden of ,eden1 and not to the spirit life preceding that period of innocent ignorance4 ,but the fact remains that man1 in the spirit life1 needed experience in mortality1 in order to become wiser1 as much as he needed a body for purposes of progression and eternal increase4 ,adam ,not ,deceived4--,when ,adam and ,eve partook of the forbidden fruit1 it was the woman who was beguiled by ,satan and induced to go contrary to the divine command4 ,the man was not deceived4 ,adam was but telling the truth when he answered the ,lord1 ,the woman whom thou gavest to be with me1 she gave me of the tree1 and ,i did eat 7,gen4 #c3ab74 ,those who satirize ,father ,adam for this reply1 imputing to him an unworthy motive1 a desire to evade responsibility and hide behind the woman in the case1 take but a superficial view of the subject4 ,adam was not trying to evade the issue3 he was simply stating the fact4 ,the ,lord wanted the truth1 and no fable would suffice1 however polite1 in the opinion of shallow wits or would-be chivalrous wisacres1 it might have been to invent one1 in order to shield the fair transgressor4 ,a ,deliberate ,transgression4--,adam1 after ,eve had transgressed1 did likewise in order to carry out a divine command previously given--the command to multiply and replenish the earth 7,gen4 #a3bh74 ,eve1 by her act1 had separated herself from her husband1 and made it impossible1 unless he followed her and also became mortal1 to carry out ,god's original behest4 ,this was ,adam's motive4 ,he was facing a dilemma4 ,he must make choice between two divine commands1 and doubtless felt that he could not consistently do otherwise than as he did4 ,he disobeyed in order to obey1 retrieving1 so far as he possibly could1 the situation resulting from ,eve's disobedience4 ,he did it wittingly1 deliberately1 undeceived as to the consequences1 realizing that in no other way could he carry out ,god's first command and become the progenitor of the human race4 ,adam and ,eve1 with their eyes open1 rejoiced over what had befallen them1 recognizing it as part of a preordained plan to people the earth with their posterity1 and afford to a world of waiting spirits the opportunity1 long anticipated1 of taking earthly tabernacles and starting out upon their great pilgrimage to perfection4 ,adam and ,eve ,rejoice4--,and in that day ,adam blessed ,god and was filled1 and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth1 saying3 ,blessed be the name of ,god1 for because of my transgression my eyes are opened1 and in this life ,i shall have joy1 and again in the flesh ,i shall see ,god4 ,and ,eve1 his wife1 heard all these things and was glad1 saying3 ,were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed1 and never should have known good and evil1 and the joy of our redemption1 and the eternal life which ,god giveth unto all the obedient4--7,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,book of ,moses1 #e3aj1aa47 ,adam fell that man might be1 and man is that he might have joy4 ,but there would be no joy1 no progress1 no eternal life for fallen man--only pain1 sorrow1 and everlasting banishment from ,god's presence1 had ,christ not died to nullify the ill effects of ,adam's act1 and lift man up from his fallen condition4 ,human ,standards and ,divine ,dispensations4--,why1 it may be asked1 did ,god place ,adam and ,eve in so seemingly contradictory a position8 ,why were they forbidden to do what they had manifestly come to do1 and which had to be done in order to carry out the divine purpose8 ,for that is the problem in a nutshell1 as it appears to human eyes4 ,i can only answer in the words of ,nephi3 ,all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things4 ,man cannot sit in judgment upon his ,maker1 nor measure by human standards divine dispensations4 ,the ,god who gives life1 and takes it1 without committing murder1 can command today and countermand tomorrow1 and yet remain consistent and unchangeable4 ,in a world where faith is necessary to progress1 and where premature knowledge would prevent progress by swallowing up faith1 by destroying the opportunity for its exercise1 man must not expect to know all things4 ,that calamities and sacrifices bring forth blessings1 is apparent to observation and experience2 but the deep why and wherefore of it all remains a mystery4 ,adam's fall and ,christ's atonement were fearful calamities1 from the human point of view2 but wonderful benefits and advantages accrued therefrom4 ,just why such sacrifices have to be made1 however1 in order that such blessings may come1 is too profound a problem for the finite mind to solve4 ,spiritual and ,temporal ,death4--,the fall brought man into the world--into this state of mortality2 but it also brought death1 with all its sad concomitants4 ,not such a death as the righteous now contemplate1 and such as both righteous and unrighteous must undergo1 as a change preparatory to resurrection4 ,there was no resurrection when ,adam fell--not upon this planet--nothing but death1 resting like a pall over the prospective human race4 ,adam and ,eve1 after the fall1 were spiritually dead1 and were doomed to the temporal death as well--the dissolution of the body--and they had entailed this fate upon their posterity4 ,hell had triumphed over man's1 or rather woman's1 weakness4 ,life was dead1 death reigned1 and demons held high carnival4 ,the ,world in ,pawn4--,adam's transgression had put the world in pawn4 ,the name of the pawnbroker was death1 and his claim was twofold4 ,death held all things in his grasp1 and there was no help for it this side of heaven4 ,no part of what had been pledged could be used as the means of redemption4 ,adam could not redeem himself1 great and mighty as he was--in the spirit2 for he was no other than ,michael the archangel1 leader of the hosts of heaven4 ,but this puissant ,michael was now a weak1 frail1 mortal man1 under the penalty of a broken law1 and powerless to repair the injury that had been wrought4 ,he and the race that was to spring from him were utterly lost1 unless the ,almighty ,one would intervene1 and do for them what they could not do for themselves4 ,if man could have redeemed himself1 it would have been required of him2 but because self-redemption was impossible1 a ,redeemer had to be provided4 ,the ,redemption4--,redemption must come1 if at all1 through some ,being high enough and powerful enough to make an infinite atonement1 one fully covering the far-reaching effects of the original transgression4 ,the scales of eternal justice1 unbalanced by ,adam's act1 had to be repoised1 and right's equilibrium restored4 ,who could do this8 ,who could retrieve the situation1 bring good out of evil1 mould failure into success1 and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat8 ,where was the ,moses for such an exodus8 ,where the deliverance from this worse than ,egyptian bondage--a bondage of which ,egypt's slavery was but typical8 ,the life of a ,god was the price of the world's freedom1 and that price was paid by the ,god of ,israel1 who descended from his glorious throne1 made himself mortal1 an exile of eternity1 walked in the dust of his own footstool1 and by submitting to death1 broke the bands of death1 and made it possible for man to live again1 and go on to the goal of endless glory4 ,he was the ,lamb without spot or blemish1 typified by the lamb of the ,passover1 and preordained for sacrifice1 to take away the sins of the world4 ,he gave himself as an offering1 as a ransom for human redemption1 and by the shedding of his own blood1 paid the debt of the universe1 took the world out of pawn1 and became the ,author of ,salvation for all mankind4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,the ,gods in ,council4 ,fore-ordination4--,the parts played by ,adam and ,eve in this sublime tragedy were doubtless cast at the same time that the pre-eminent role was assigned to the ,redeemer and ,savior4 ,likewise1 is it just as reasonable to infer that other great ones were forechosen for service in the cause of humanity4 ,it is more than an inference2 it is a revealed fact4 ,what other meaning can be attached to the word of the ,lord to ,jeremiah 7#a3e73 ,before ,i formed thee in the belly ,i knew thee2 and before thou camest forth out of the womb ,i sanctified thee1 and ,i ordained thee a prophet unto the nations8 ,if this be true of ,jeremiah1 why not true of other prophets1 both ancient and modern8 ,joseph ,smith is on record as saying that men who have such callings to minister to the inhabitants of the world1 were ordained to that very purpose in the grand council of heaven before this world was 7,compendium1 p4 #bhe74 ,two ,plans ,proposed4--,in that same ,grand ,council--the congregation of the mighty 7,ps4 #a3e7--there were two candidates1 if we may so designate them1 for the redeemership4 ,one was like unto the ,father1 desiring for the pure love of ,god's children to uplift them1 and at the same time glorify the ,great ,head1 by the sacrifice that he proposed to make4 ,the other was proud1 self-willed1 and bent upon personal aggrandizement1 regardless of consequences4 ,the former stood for freedom--man's agency--and the rewarding of all souls according to their works4 ,the latter proposed coercion1 so that not one soul should be lost2 thinking1 perhaps1 that his demanded compensation for proposed service might be made in that way all the more abundant4 ,lucifer ,rebels4--,the first was chosen2 the second rebelled1 and was cast out1 with a third of those then populating the spirit world4 ,that third1 following ,lucifer1 who became ,satan1 were doomed with him to wander up and down the earth1 as fallen spirits1 tempting and trying the children of men--those who1 as a reward for keeping their first estate1 where they walked by sight1 were given a second estate--the privilege of taking tabernacles1 and walking by faith through the shadowed experiences of mortality4 ,upon this subject the ,prophet ,joseph says3 ,the contention in heaven was3 ,jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved2 and the devil said he could save them all1 and laid his plans before the grand council1 who gave their vote in favor of ,jesus ,christ4 ,so the devil rose up in rebellion against ,god1 and was cast down with all who put up their heads for him 7,compendium1 page #bhe74 ,advantage of ,having a ,body4--,our prophet likewise affirms3 ,at the first organization in heaven we were all present1 and saw the ,savior chosen and appointed1 and the plan of salvation made1 and we sanctioned it4 ,we came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before ,god in the celestial kingdom4 ,the great principle of happiness consists in having a body4 ,the devil has no body1 and herein is his punishment4 ,he is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man1 and when cast out by the ,savior he asked to go into the herd of swine1 showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none4 ,all beings who have bodies have power over those who have not 7,ibid1 page #bhh74 ,testimony of ,moses4--,the following passages from our sacred writings will here find place3 ,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 spake unto ,moses1 saying3 ,that ,satan1 whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine ,only ,begotten1 is the same which was from the beginning1 and he came before me1 saying--,behold1 here am ,i1 send me1 ,i will be thy son1 and ,i will redeem all mankind1 that one soul shall not be lost1 and surely ,i will do it2 wherefore give me thine honor4 ,but1 behold1 my ,beloved ,son1 which was my ,beloved and ,chosen from the beginning1 said unto me--,father1 thy will be done1 and the glory be thine forever4 ,wherefore1 because that ,satan rebelled against me1 and sought to destroy the agency of man1 which ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 had given him1 and also1 that ,i should give unto him mine own power3 by the power of mine ,only ,begotten ,i caused that he should be cast down2 ,and he became ,satan1 yea1 even the devil1 the father of all lies1 to deceive and to blind men1 and to lead them captive at his will1 even as many as would not hearken unto my voice4 7,moses #d3a-d47 ,testimony of ,abraham4--,still more comprehensive are the appended paragraphs of a similar glorious revelation3 ,now the ,lord had shown unto me1 ,abraham1 the intelligences that were organized before the world was2 and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones2 ,and ,god saw these souls that they were good1 and he stood in the midst of them1 and he said3 ,these ,i will make my rulers2 for he stood among those that were spirits1 and he saw that they were good2 and he said unto me3 ,abraham1 thou art one of them2 thou wast chosen before thou wast born4 ,and there stood one among them that was like unto ,god1 and he said unto those who were with him3 ,we will go down1 for there is space there1 and we will take of these materials1 and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell2 ,and we will prove them herewith1 to see if they will do all things whatsoever the ,lord their ,god shall command them2 ,and they who keep their first estate shall be added upon3 and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate3 and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever4 ,and the ,lord said3 ,whom shall ,i send8 ,and one answered like unto the ,son of man3 ,here am ,i1 send me4 ,and another answered and said3 ,here am ,i1 send me4 ,and the ,lord said3 ,i will send the first4 ,and the second was angry1 and kept not his first estate3 and1 at that day1 many followed after him4 7,book of ,abr4 #c3bb-bh47 ,truth ,speaks for ,itself4--,what a sublime presentation6 ,what a wealth of doctrine6 ,what a wonderful scope of prophecy6 ,the whole divine scheme for human progress revealed at a glance6 ,surely the ,book of ,abraham1 whose authenticity has recently been assailed by ,christian scholars1 and defended by ,mormon writers and speakers1 can stand upon its own merits in refutation of any argument brought against it as a divine record4 ,who but ,god could reveal such principles as this marvelous book contains8 ,who but one inspired of heaven could teach them in so pure a spirit and in such majestic terms8 ,truth--eternal truth--speaks for itself3 it is not dependent upon books or translators4 ,these are but some of the means used in making it known to the world4 ,it is not limited to time and place4 ,whether in the catacombs of ,egypt1 or in the mounds of ,america1 whether spoken anciently or modernly1 ,truth is truth1 where'er 'tis found1 ,on ,christian or on heathen ground4 ,mormon ,philosophy4--,note the sound philosophy of this revelation--the divine proposition to make an earth1 not out of nothing--an absurdity put forth by ,christian theologians in their teachings relative to the creation--but out of materials already in existence1 eternal spirit and eternal matter1 as never-ending as space and duration4 ,then ask yourself1 reader1 if the ,mormon doctrine1 set forth in the ,book of ,abraham1 is not the only logical1 scientific1 common-sense presentation possible or conceivable in the premises4 ,note also that it was the design to make an earth2 the inference being that this was not the only earth that had been created1 nor would it be the last4 ,and then the ,lord said3 ,let us go down4 ,and they went down at the beginning1 and they1 that is the ,gods1 organized and formed the heavens and the earth 7,abr4 #d3a74 ,,chapter ,v4 ,creation of the ,earth4 ,two ,creations4--,there were two creations--the first spiritual1 the second temporal4 ,this truth is taught inferentially in the first and second chapters of ,genesis1 ,king ,james's ,translation2 but more plainly and pointedly in the ,book of ,moses1 a reproduction of the ,book of ,genesis1 revised and amplified by the spirit of revelation in ,joseph the ,seer4 ,here is the modern rendering of the passages bearing directly upon this point3 ,as ,related in the ,book of ,moses4--,and now1 behold1 ,i say unto you1 that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth1 when they were created1 in the day that ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 made the heaven and the earth4 ,and every plant of the field before it was in the earth1 and every herb of the field before it grew4 ,for ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 created all things1 of which ,i have spoken1 spiritually1 before they were naturally upon the face of the earth4 ,for ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth4 ,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 had created all the children of men2 and not yet a man to till the ground2 for in heaven created ,i them2 and there was not yet flesh upon the earth1 neither in the water1 neither in the air2 ,but ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 spake1 and there went up a mist from the earth1 and watered the whole face of the ground4 ,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 formed man from the dust of the ground1 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 and man became a living soul1 the first flesh upon the earth1 the first man also2 nevertheless1 all things were before created2 but spiritually were they created and made according to my word4 7,moses #c3d-g47 ,adam's ,incarnation4--,in the ,book of ,abraham the incarnation of ,adam is thus described3 ,and the ,gods formed man from the dust of the ground1 and took his spirit 7that is1 the man's spirit7 and put it into him2 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life1 and man became a living soul 7,abr4 #e3g74 ,plurality of ,worlds4--,regarding this earth and other creations1 the ,lord said to ,moses3 ,and worlds without number have ,i created2 and ,i also created them for mine own purpose2 and by the ,son ,i created them1 which is mine ,only ,begotten4 ,and the first man of all men have ,i called ,adam1 which is many4 ,but only an account of this earth1 and the inhabitants thereof1 give ,i unto you4 ,for behold1 there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power4 ,and there are many that now stand1 and innumerable are they unto man2 but all things are numbered unto me1 for they are mine and ,i know them4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord ,god spake unto ,moses1 saying3 ,the heavens they are many1 and they cannot be numbered unto man2 but they are numbered unto me1 for they are mine4 ,and as one earth shall pass away1 and the heavens thereof1 even so shall another come2 and there is no end to my works2 neither to my words4 ,for behold1 this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man4--,moses #a3cc-ci4 ,purposes of ,earth ,life4--,god's purpose1 primarily1 in placing man upon the earth1 is to give him a body1 a mortal tabernacle1 which is rendered immortal through death and the resurrection4 ,the spirit and the body constitute the soul4 ,it is the soul that is redeemed from the grave 7,d,c #hh3ae1af74 ,it is the soul that goes on to perfection4 ,man is here also for experience1 that he may advance from stage to stage of growth and development1 approximating nearer and nearer to the divine ideal voiced by the ,savior3 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect4--,matthew #e3dh4 ,man on ,probation4--,there is still another purpose in man's mortal existence1 and it is referred to in the ,book of ,abraham1 where the ,creator1 after announcing to those who were with him the proposed making of an earth whereon these may dwell1 says3 ,and we will prove them herewith1 to see if they will do all things whatsoever the ,lord their ,god shall command4 ,thus we are shown that man while here is on probation1 that he may demonstrate his worthiness to inherit the great things held in reserve for the righteous4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,elect of ,elohim4 ,in solemn council sat the ,gods2 ,from ,kolob's height supreme1 ,celestial light blazed forth afar ,o'er countless kokaubeam2 ,and faintest tinge1 the fiery fringe ,of that resplendent day1 ',lumined the dark abysmal realm ,where earth in chaos lay4 ,silence4 ,that awful hour was one ,when thought doth most avail2 ,of worlds unborn the destiny ,hung trembling in the scale4 ,silence self-spelled1 and there arose1 ,those kings and priests among1 ,a power sublime1 than whom appeared ,none nobler 'mid the throng4 ,a stature mingling strength with grace1 ,of meek though ,god-like mien2 ,the glory of whose countenance ,outshone the noonday sheen4 ,whiter his hair than ocean spray1 ,or frost of ,alpine hill4 ,he spake2--attention grew more grave1 ,the stillness e'en more still4 ,father6--the voice like music fell1 ,clear as the murmuring flow ,of mountain streamlet trickling down ,from heights of virgin snow4 ,father1 it said1 since one must die1 ,thy children to redeem1 ,from spheres all formless now and void1 ,where pulsing life shall teem3 ,and mighty ,michael foremost fall1 ,that mortal man may be2 ,and chosen ,savior yet must send1 ,lo1 here am ,i--send me6 ,i ask1 ,i seek no recompense1 ,save that which then were mine2 ,mine be the willing sacrifice1 ,the endless glory ,thine6 ,give me to lead to this lorn world1 ,when wandered from the fold1 ,twelve legions of the noble ones ,that now thy face behold2 ,tried souls1 'mid untried spirits found1 ,that captained these may be1 ,and crowned the dispensations all ,with powers of ,deity4 ,who blameless bide the spirit state ,shall clothe in mortal clay1 ,the stepping-stone to glories all1 ,if man will ,god obey1 ,believing where he cannot see1 ,till he again shall know1 ,and answer give1 reward receive1 ,for all deeds done below4 ,the love that hath redeemed all worlds ,all worlds must still redeem2 ,but mercy cannot justice rob-- ,or where were ,elohim8 ,freedom--man's faith1 man's work1 ,god's grace-- ,must span the great gulf o'er2 ,life1 death1 the guerdon or the doom1 ,rejoice we or deplore4 ,still rang that voice1 when sudden rose ,aloft a towering form1 ,proudly erect as lowering peak ',lumed by the gathering storm2 ,a presence bright and beautiful1 ,with eye of flashing fire1 ,a lip whose haughty curl bespoke ,a sense of inward ire3 ,send me6--coiled 'neath his courtly smile ,a scarce concealed disdain-- ,and none shall hence1 from heaven to earth1 ,that shall not rise again2 ,my saving plan exception scorns4 ,man's will8--,nay1 mine alone4 ,as recompense1 ,i claim the right ,to sit on yonder throne6 ,ceased ,lucifer4 ,the breathless hush ,resumed and denser grew4 ,all eyes were turned2 the general gaze ,one common ,magnet drew4 ,a moment there was solemn pause-- ,listened ,eternity1 ,while rolled from lips ,omnipotent ,the ,father's firm decree3 ,jehovah1 thou my ,messenger6 ,son ,ahman1 thee ,i send2 ,and one shall go thy face before1 ,while twelve thy steps attend2 ,and many more on that far shore1 ,the pathway shall prepare1 ,that ,i1 the ,first1 the last may come1 ,and earth my glory share4 ,after and ere thy going down1 ,an army shall descend-- ,the host of ,god1 and house of him ,whom ,i have named my friend4 ,through him1 upon ,idumea1 ,shall come1 all life to leaven1 ,the guileless ones1 the sovereign ,sons1 ,throned on the heights of heaven4 ,go forth1 thou ,chosen of the ,gods1 ,whose strength shall in thee dwell6 ,go down betime and rescue earth1 ,dethroning death and hell1 ,on thee alone man's fate depends1 ,the fate of beings all4 ,thou shalt not fail1 though thou art free-- ,free1 but too great to fall4 ,by arm divine1 both mine and thine1 ,the lost thou shalt restore1 ,and man1 redeemed1 with ,god shall be1 ,as ,god forevermore4 ,return1 and to the parent fold ,this wandering planet bring1 ,and ,earth shall hail thee ,conqueror1 ,and ,heaven proclaim thee ,king4 ',twas done4 ,from congregation vast ,tumultuous murmurs rose2 ,waves of conflicting sound1 as when ,two meeting seas oppose2 ',twas finished4 ,but the ,heavens wept2 ,and still their annals tell ,how one was ,choice of ,elohim1 ,o'er one who fighting fell4 7,elias1 ,canto ,,iii1 ,part ,one47 ,the ,way of ,salvation4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,law of ,obedience4 ,man ,helpless4--,when ,adam and ,eve had transgressed the divine command by partaking of the forbidden fruit1 it was as if the human race had fallen into a pit1 from which they were powerless1 by any act of their own1 to emerge4 ,they could not climb out1 for they did not know how to climb2 and even had they known1 there was no means by which to climb4 ,human endeavor1 unassisted1 could accomplish nothing in the way of deliverance4 ,man in his mortal condition needed spiritual enlightenment1 having forgotten all that he had previously known4 ,in other words1 he needed a ladder1 that he might climb out of the pit1 and that ladder was furnished in the revelation1 of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,without it there is no salvation1 no exaltation4 ,the ,tower of ,babel symbolizes the situation3 ,all man's efforts to reach heaven1 without divine assistance1 must end in confusion and failure4 ,redemption by ,grace4--,the gospel ladder rests upon the rock of ,christ's atonement--an act of grace1 a free gift from ,god to all mankind--the wicked as well as the righteous4 ,all profit by it1 for1 as the result of that atonement1 all are brought forth from the grave4 ,and this is eminently just3 ,adam's posterity were consigned to death for no deed of their own doing4 ,it is fitting1 therefore1 that their redemption should come unconditionally4 ,salvation by ,obedience4--,but redemption is not salvation1 nor salvation exaltation1 as already explained4 ,men must work out their salvation 7,phillipians #b3ab71 and gain exaltation by continuous upward striving4 ,salvation and exaltation1 while depending primarily upon the grace of ,god1 are also the fruits of man's acceptance of the gospel1 and his steadfast adherence thereto1 until it shall have done for him its perfect work4 ,there are degrees of glory--many mansions in the great house of ,god1 and the highest are reserved for those who render to the ,master of the house the fulness of their obedience4 ,salvation means a man's being placed beyond the power of all his enemies4 99 99 99 ,until a man can triumph over death1 he is not saved4 99 99 99 ,to get salvation we must not only do some things1 but everything which ,god has commanded 7,joseph ,smith's ,teachings1 pp4 #adf-aej74 ,heaven's ,first ,law4--,order is heaven's first law1 says human wisdom4 ,not so1 says divine inspiration1 obedience is heaven's first law1 and order follows as the result4 ,a ,without obedience1 spiritual growth1 eternal progress1 is impossible4 ,says ,joseph the prophet3 ,there is a law1 irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of this world1 upon which all blessings are predicated2 and when we obtain any blessing from ,god1 it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated 7,d,c #acj3bj1ba74 ,illustrations of ,obedience4--,that obedience is required from those who become and remain members of the ,church of ,christ1 should not surprise any intelligent student of political science1 nor even a casual observer of the everyday life of men and nations4 ,all governments demand from their people obedience to the laws enacted for the general welfare4 ,without such obedience1 there would be no peace1 no protection4 ,this is readily conceded by most men as to human governments2 but some people think it strange that divine government should be administered upon like principles1 and for similar1 though higher1 ends4 ,a friend of mine once said to me3 ,why do ,i need to belong to a church1 to subscribe to a creed1 or to undergo any ordinance1 in order to be saved8 ,i have always been truthful1 honest1 virtuous1 benevolent--why will this not suffice to make my peace with ,god and pave my way to heaven8 ,aliens and ,naturalization4--,i answered on this wise3 ,let me use a comparison to illustrate the point4 ,suppose you were an alien1 born in ,great ,britain1 in ,scandinavia1 or in some other foreign land1 and you came to ,america desiring to become a citizen of the ,united ,states4 ,when told that you must take out citizenship papers1 forswear allegiance to every foreign power1 and honor and uphold the ,constitution and laws of this ,republic1 suppose you were to reply3 ,why1 what is the need of all that8 ,i am a good man1 ,i have always done right1 and am clean1 moral1 and upright in conduct and conversation--why is that not sufficient to entitle me to vote1 to hold office1 pre-empt land1 and enjoy all the rights and privileges of an ,american freeman8' ,do you think such a plea would avail8 ,no1 you do not4 ,you see its inconsistency as quickly as would the government unto whom it might be made4 ,you would not expect to become a citizen of the ,united ,states upon your own terms4 ,why1 then1 should you hope for admittance into ,god's kingdom upon any other conditions than those which the ,king himself has laid down8 ,man's ,proper ,attitude4--,truthfulness1 honesty1 virtue1 and benevolence are precious possessions1 inestimable treasures4 ,they enrich the soul under all conditions1 outside or inside the kingdom of ,god2 but they are not valuable enough to purchase a passport into that kingdom4 ,we must not count upon our personal qualities1 however admirable and commendable1 to gain us admission into the divine presence4 ,man's proper attitude1 as a seeker for salvation1 is one of humility1 not of self-righteousness4 ,when the ,pharisee and the ,publican prayed in the ,temple at ,jerusalem1 the former thanking the ,lord that he was better than other men1 and the latter meekly murmuring3 ,god be merciful to me1 a sinner1 the ,savior1 pointing to the ,publican1 said3 ,that man is justified1 rather than the other1 for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased1 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted 7,luke #ah3ac1ad74 ,obedience ,better ,than ,sacrifice4--,obedience is better than sacrifice4 ,so said obedient ,samuel to disobedient ,saul4 ,adam's obedience in offering sacrifice without knowing why1 simply because the ,lord had commanded him 7,moses #e3f7 ,abraham's obedience in offering ,isaac--for the same reason--was far more precious in the sight of heaven than the sacrifice itself4 ,in ,abraham's case the will was taken for the deed1 and the ,father of the ,faithful was blessed as abundantly as if the sacrifice had been consummated4 ,dead ,letter and ,living ,oracle4--,suppose1 however1 that ,abraham had not obeyed the ,lord's second command1 ,lay not thy hand upon the lad4 ,in that event he would have been in transgression1 and could not have been blessed any more than if he had disobeyed in the first instance4 ,in the face of that second command1 he could not have pleaded consistently that he was under obligation to obey the first4 ,my word is my law1 saith the ,lord1 and his latest word1 even though it seem to contradict an earlier behest from the same source1 must always be given precedence4 ,the choice in such a case is between the dead letter and the living oracle4 ,all ,blessings ,come by ,obedience4--,it is the rod of power which smites the rock of divine providence1 causing it to flow with the waters of human weal4 ,the ,justice of ,god4--,when the ,savior uttered his exhortation3 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect1 and added1 ,for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust 7,matt4 #e3de71 he did not mean that the ,lord makes no distinction between the two classes2 but meant that he is just to both--just even to the unjust1 upon whom he sends his rain and sunshine1 causing their orchards to bloom and their vineyards to bear equally with those of the righteous4 ,nevertheless1 all who receive such blessings must merit them4 ,if the unjust 7unjust here7 had not kept their first estate1 thereby showing some degree of obedience to divine law1 they would not have been given a second estate1 where the sunlight and the rains could reach them4 ,in this second estate1 however1 further obedience is requisite1 in order that greater benefits may follow4 ,blessings ,bestowed by ,law4--,god's blessings are temporal as well as spiritual1 and their bestowal is regulated by law4 ,a bad man may be a good farmer or a good artisan1 and reap reward for obedience to the law of industry in the exercise of his vocation4 ,but there are greater blessings than those which come from the workshop and the harvest field2 and they can be had only by obedience to the higher laws governing their distribution4 ,one cannot become a member of the ,church of ,christ by being an expert tiller of the soil4 ,it requires more than the skill of a mechanic to get into the kingdom of heaven4 ,there is but one way into that kingdom--a way pointed out by the finger of ,god--and any person who tries to get in by picking the lock or by climbing over the wall1 will be treated as a trespasser1 as a would-be thief and robber4 ,what ,must ,man ,do for ,himself8--,what particular acts of obedience are required of man1 in order that ,god1 who redeemed him1 may likewise save and exalt him8 ,what must he do for himself1 that he may profit fully by the great things done in his behalf8 ,how shall this alien become naturalized8 ,the ladder having been let down into the pit1 how shall the fallen avail himself of the divine assistance offered8 ,the answer is plain3 ,he must climb1 if he would get out4 ,while there was no ladder1 he could not1 and all his intelligence and skill were unavailing4 ,but now1 if he will use his ,god-given powers and the means provided1 he may climb from earth to heaven1 round by round4 ,if he refuses to climb1 who but himself is responsible for his remaining in the pit8 ,the ,most ,important ,personage4--,this gospel code--this way into the kingdom--what is it8 ,what does it consist of8 ,what are the divine laws of naturalization8 ,what requirements are made of those who would be identified with the ,church of ,christ--who would be saved in this world and in the world to come8 ,the man who can answer1 to the spiritually unenlightened1 such questions as these1 is easily the most important personage of his generation4 ,such a man was the ,apostle ,peter1 and such another was the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,the ,pentecostal ,proclamation4--,when ,peter1 on the day of ,pentecost1 preached ,christ and him crucified1 and the conscience-stricken multitude cried out3 ,men and brethren1 what shall we do8 a question was propounded which the most learned philosophers of that age could not answer4 ,caesar1 sitting upon the throne of the world1 would have been mystified had the question been put to him3 ,what shall men do to be saved8 ,not so ,peter1 the ,galilean fisherman4 ,he knew what men must do1 and he straightway told them what to do3 ,repent1 and be baptized1 every one of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost 7,acts #b3ch74 ,footnote ,a3 ,an idea advanced by ,president ,george ,q4 ,cannon4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,faith4 ,the ,first ,requirement4--,faith1 however1 not repentance1 is the first requirement4 ,the probable reason why ,peter omitted to mention faith at that time1 was because he perceived that the multitude already had faith1 already believed what he had told them of the crucified ,redeemer4 ,had it been otherwise1 they would not have been pricked in their heart4 and would not have anxiously inquired1 ,what shall we do8 ,belief was the first requirement made by the ,savior1 through his chosen twelve1 when he sent them into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature 7,mark #af3af74 ,he declared salvation dependent on faith and works3 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved1 and he that believeth not shall be damned4 ,for faith is shown by works 7,james #b3ah71 and each is dead without the other4 ,the ,foundation of ,all ,righteousness4--,faith1 according to the ,doctrine and ,covenants1 is the first principle in revealed religion1 and the foundation of all righteousness4 ,there are few things more lucid in our literature than the ,lectures on ,faith which form the fore part of that sacred volume--one of the four doctrinal standards of the ,church2 the other three being the ,bible1 the ,book of ,mormon1 and the ,pearl of ,great ,price4 ,beginning with the text1 ,now faith is the substance assurance of things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen 7,heb4 #aa3a71 the lecturer goes on to say3 ,the ,moving ,cause of ,all ,action4--,if men were duly to consider themselves1 and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds1 they would readily discover that it is faith1 and faith only1 which is the moving cause of all action in them2 that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity1 and all their exertions would cease1 both physical and mental4 ,were this class to go back and reflect upon the history of their lives1 from the period of their first recollection1 and ask themselves what principle excited them to action1 or what gave them energy and activity in all their lawful avocations1 callings1 and pursuits1 what would be the answer8 ,would it not be that it was the assurance which they had of the existence of things which they had not seen as yet8 ,was it not the hope which you had in consequence of your belief in the existence of unseen things1 which stimulated you to action and exertion in order to obtain them8 ,are you not dependent on your faith1 or belief1 for the acquisition of all knowledge1 wisdom1 and intelligence8 ,would you exert yourselves to obtain wisdom and intelligence1 unless you did believe that you could obtain them8 ,would you have ever sown1 if you had not believed that you would reap8 ,would you ever planted1 if you had not believed that you would gather8 ,would you have ever asked1 unless you had believed that you would receive8 ,would you have ever sought1 unless you had believed that you would have found8 ,or1 would have been opened unto you8 ,in a word1 is there anything that you would have done1 either physical or mental1 if you had not previously believed8 ,are not all your exertions of every kind1 dependent on your faith8 ,or1 may we not ask1 what have you1 or what do you possess which you have not obtained by reason of your faith8 ,your food1 your raiment1 your lodgings1 are they not all by reason of your faith8 ,reflect1 and ask yourselves if these things are not so4 ,turn your thoughts on your own minds1 and see if faith is not the moving cause of all action in yourselves2 and1 if the moving cause in you1 is it not in all other intelligent beings8 99 99 99 99 ,a ,principle of ,power4--,as we receive by faith all temporal blessings that we do receive1 so we in like manner receive by faith all spiritual blessings that we do receive4 ,but faith is not only the principle of action1 but of power also1 in all intelligent beings1 whether in heaven or on earth4 ,thus says the author of the epistle to the ,heb4 #aa3c3 ,through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of ,god2 so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear4' ,had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed1 neither would man have been formed of the dust4 ,it is the principle by which ,jehovah works1 and through which he exercises power over all temporal as well as eternal things4 ,take this principle or attribute--for it is an attribute--from the ,deity1 and he would cease to exist4 ,who cannot see1 that if ,god framed the worlds by faith1 that it is by faith that he exercises power over them1 and that faith is the principle of power8 ,and if the principle of power1 must be so in man as well as in the ,deity8 ,this is the testimony of all the sacred writers1 and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man4 99 99 99 99 ,it was by faith that the worlds were framed4 ,god spake1 chaos heard1 and worlds came into order by reason of the faith there was in him4 ,so with man also2 he spake by faith in the name of ,god and the sun stood still1 the moon obeyed1 mountains removed1 prisons fell1 lions' mouths were closed1 the human heart lost its enmity1 fire its violence1 armies their power1 the sword its terror1 and death its dominion2 and all this by reason of the faith which was in him4 ,had it not been for the faith which was in men1 they might have spoken to the sun1 the moon1 the mountains1 prisons1 the human heart1 fire1 armies1 the sword1 or to death1 in vain6 ,faith1 then1 is the first great governing principle which has power1 dominion1 and authority over all things2 by it they exist1 by it they remain1 agreeable to the will of ,god4 ,without it there is no power1 and without power there could be no creation nor existence6 ,a ,negative ,opinion4--,a ,christian minister 7a ,unitarian7 once tried to convince me that faith was anything but an admirable quality4 ,he called it contemptible1 declaring that it consisted simply of a willingness to believe anything1 however improbable or absurd3 it was mere credulity1 nothing more4 ,when ,i spoke of faith as a spiritual force1 he said ,i was attaching to the term a significance that it had never borne1 and for which there was no warrant4 ,i reminded him of the ,savior's words in ,matt4 #ag3ai1bj3 ,if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed1 ye shall say unto this mountain1 remove hence to yonder place1 and it shall remove2 and nothing shall be impossible unto you4 ,whereupon he answered flippantly3 ,oh1 it takes picks and shovels to move mountains4 ,the ,positive ,view4--,i presume he would have conceded1 had ,i pursued the subject further1 that there are other ways of removing mountains4 ,i fancy he would have admitted the power of the earthquake in the premises2 though he might not have agreed with me that all intelligent action1 human or divine1 is the result of faith1 and that whether mountains are moved with pick-axes or with earthquakes1 by man or by his ,maker1 it is faith that precedes the action and renders it possible4 ,this professed minister of ,christ1 who denied what ,christ had taught1 overlooked the fact that the smallest as well as the greatest acts of our lives spring from the exercise of faith4 ,faith ,fundamental4--,god made faith the first principle of the gospel1 because that is its proper place4 ,it is the bottom round in the ladder of salvation1 the first step in the stairway to perfection4 ,all things are possible to them that believe4 ,as a ,grain of ,mustard ,seed4--,when the ,savior spoke of the faith that removes mountains1 he was not measuring1 either satirically or hyperbolically1 the quantity of the faith by the size of the mustard seed4 ,he probably meant that if man would obey the divine law given for his government1 as faithfully as the mustard seed obeys the divine law given for its government1 he would have infinitely more power than he now possesses4 ,how difficult it seems for man1 the noblest work of ,god1 to live in obedience to the highest principles revealed from heaven for his guidance4 ,yet the earth1 we are told1 abideth the law of a celestial kingdom1 for it filleth the measure of its creation1 and transgresseth not the law 7,d,c #hh3be74 ,faith and ,credulity4--,faith1 in its incipient stages1 may resemble at times mere credulity4 ,the untutored savage who was told by one of the early settlers of ,new ,england that if he planted grass seed it would produce gunpowder1 believed it1 not yet having learned that the white man would lie4 ,he therefore parted with his valuable furs1 in exchange for some of the seed1 showing that he had faith in the settler's word4 ,but it did not bring the desired result4 ,faith1 to be effectual1 must be based upon truth1 and though higher than reason1 must have a reasonable foundation4 ,the spirit of truth must inspire it4 ,this was not the case with the poor1 misguided ,indian2 he trusted in a falsehood and was deceived4 ,but some good came of it4 ,he ascertained the falsity of the settler's statement4 ,his faith induced him to plant the seed1 and though it did not produce gunpowder--that being contrary to its nature--it produced a growth of grass-and a wiser ,indian4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,faith1 ,continued4 ,faith ,founded on ,evidence4--,the second of the ,lectures on ,faith is a discussion of the object upon which faith should rest2 that object being ,god1 the evidences of whose existence1 as the foundation of all rational belief1 are abundantly shown4 ,lecture ,third contains these paragraphs1 pertinent to the point now raised3 ,essentials for a ,perfect ,faith4--,three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in ,god unto life and salvation4 ,first1 the idea that he actually exists4 ,second1 a correct idea of his character1 perfections1 and attributes4 ,third1 an actual knowledge that the course of life which he man is pursuing is according to his ,god's will4 ,for without an acquaintance with these three important facts1 the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive2 but with this understanding it can become perfect and fruitful1 abounding in righteousness1 unto the praise and glory of ,god the ,father1 and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,possibilities of ,faith4--,had the ,indian's faith been properly founded--had it been a perfect faith1 intelligent1 rational1 heaven-inspired1 he could have produced gunpowder or any other commodity from the all-containing elements around him2 and that1 too1 without planting a seed or employing an ordinary process of manufacture4 ,the turning of water into wine1 the miraculous feeding of the multitude1 the walking upon the waves1 the healing of the sick1 the raising of the dead1 and other wonderful works wrought by the ,savior1 the apostles1 and the ancient prophets--what were they but manifestations of an all-powerful faith1 to possess which is to have the power to remove mountains--without picks and shovels1 my skeptical ,unitarian to the contrary notwithstanding4 ,such a faith is not mere credulity2 it is a divine energy1 operating upon natural laws and by natural processes--natural1 though unknown to the natural man1 and termed by him supernatural4 ,the ,universal ,mainspring4--,faith is the beating heart of the universe--the incentive1 the impulse1 to all action1 the mainspring of all achievement4 ,nothing was ever accomplished1 small or great1 commonplace or miraculous1 that was not backed up by confidence in some power1 human or superhuman1 that impelled and pushed forward the enterprise4 ,an ,impelling ,force4--,it was not doubt that drove ,columbus across the sea2 it was faith--the impelling force of the ,spirit of the ,lord 7#a ,ne4 #ac3ab74 ,it was not doubt that nerved the arm and fired the soul of ,washington1 inducing him and his ragged regiments to fight on through heat1 frost1 and hunger of seven long years1 to win their country's freedom4 ,it was not doubt that inspired ,hamilton1 ,jefferson1 ,franklin1 and the other patriot fathers1 to lay broad and deep the foundations of this mighty republic4 ,it is not doubt that has caused nations to rise and flourish1 and raised up great men in all ages and in all climes1 to teach1 toil1 and sacrifice for the benefit of mankind4 ,it is faith that does such things4 ,doubt undoes1 or hinders1 what faith achieves4 ,the men and women who have moved this world were men and women who believed1 who were earnest and sincere1 even if in part mistaken4 ,mahomet and ,islam4--,carlyle portrays vividly the wondrous transition from weakness to strength that came over the descendants of ,ishmael1 when they became a believing nation1 abandoning idolatry1 and accepting ,allah as their god1 with ,mahomet as his prophet3 ,to the ,arab nation it was as a birth from darkness into light2 ,arabia first became alive by means of it4 ,a poor shepherd people roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world2 a hero-prophet was sent down to them with a word they could believe2 see1 the unnoticed becomes world-notable1 the small has become world-great2 within one century afterwards ,arabia is at ,granada on this hand1 at ,delhi on that--glancing in valor and splendor and the light of genius1 ,arabia shines through long ages over a great section of the world4 ,belief is great1 life-giving4 ,the history of a nation becomes fruitful1 soul-elevating1 great1 so soon as it believes4 ,these ,arabs1 the man ,mahomet1 and that one century--is it not as if a spark had fallen1 one spark1 on a world of what seemed black1 unnoticeable sand2 but lo1 the sand proves explosive powder1 blazes heaven-high from ,delhi to ,granada6 ,i said1 the great man was always as lightning out of heaven2 the rest of men waited for him like fuel1 and then they too would flame4--7,heroes and ,hero ,worship1 ,lecture ,,ii47 ,achievements of ,christendom4--,who can doubt that this same philosophy applies to ,christendom and its marvelous achievements1 all down the centuries8 ,is it not faith in the divine ,nazarene that has caused ,christian nations to thrive1 that has enabled ,christianity1 in spite of its errors1 to flourish1 to survive the wreck of empires and weather the storms of time8 ,was not ,christ indeed as lightning out of heaven1 sent down to kindle and illumine the world1 and has not the world been warmer and brighter for his coming8 ,is it not the faith of any nation1 its trust in and reliance upon some power deemed by it divine1 that constitutes its main strength8 ,faith ,must ,be ,genuine4--,but faith must be genuine4 ,pretense and formalism will not avail4 ,hypocrisy is the worst form of unbelief4 ,honest idolatry is infinitely preferable to dishonest worship4 ,better burn incense to ,diana1 believing it to be right1 than bow down to ,christ in hollow-hearted insincerity4 ,mighty ,rome did not fall1 until she had ceased to worship sincerely the gods enshrined within her ,pantheon4 ,glorious ,greece did not succumb1 until she had proved false to her ancient faith1 until her believers had become doubters1 until skeptical philosophy had supplanted religious enthusiasm1 and the worship of freedom1 grace1 and beauty had degenerated to unbridled license and groveling sensuality4 ,no nation ever crumbled to ruin until false to itself1 false to the true principles of success1 the basic one of which is to believe4 ,the ,articles of ,faith4--,what should ,latter-day ,saints believe8 ,i can think of no better answer to this question than is contained in the ,articles of ,faith1 formulated by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith soon after the ,church of ,christ was organized in this dispensation3 #a4 ,we believe in ,god the ,eternal ,father1 and in his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 and in the ,holy ,ghost4 #b4 ,we believe that men will be punished for their own sins1 and not for ,adam's transgression4 #c4 ,we believe that through the atonement of ,christ all men may be saved1 by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 #d4 ,we believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are3--,first1 faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 second1 repentance2 third1 baptism by immersion for the remission of sins2 fourth1 laying on of hands for the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 #e4 ,we believe that a man must be called of ,god by prophecy1 and by the laying on of hands1 by those who are in authority1 to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof4 #f4 ,we believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church1 viz43 apostles1 prophets1 pastors1 teachers1 evangelists1 etc4 #g4 ,we believe in the gift of tongues1 prophecy1 revelation1 visions1 healing1 interpretation of tongues1 etc4 #h4 ,we believe the ,bible to be the word of ,god1 as far as it is translated correctly2 we also believe the ,book of ,mormon to be the word of ,god4 #i4 ,we believe all that ,god has revealed1 all that he does now reveal1 and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of ,god4 #aj4 ,we believe in the literal gathering of ,israel and in the restoration of the ,ten ,tribes2 that ,zion will be built upon this continent2 that ,christ will reign personally upon the earth3 and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory4 #aa4 ,we claim the privilege of worshiping ,almighty ,god according to the dictates of our own conscience1 and allow all men the same privilege1 let them worship how1 where1 or what they may4 #ab4 ,we believe in being subject to kings1 presidents1 rulers and magistrates1 in obeying1 honoring and sustaining the law4 #ac4 ,we believe in being honest1 true1 chaste1 benevolent1 virtuous1 and in doing good to all men2 indeed1 we may say that we follow the admonition of ,paul1 ,we believe all things1 we hope all things1 we have endured many things1 and hope to be able to endure all things4 ,if there is anything virtuous1 lovely1 or of good report or praiseworthy1 we seek after these things4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,repentance4 ,the ,first ,fruit of ,faith4--,the first fruit of faith is repentance4 ,repentance follows faith as naturally as kindness follows love1 as obedience springs from reverence1 as a desire to be congenial with1 succeeds admiration for1 one whose example is deemed worthy of emulation4 ,god commands all men everywhere to repent4 ,a desire to please him and become acceptable in his sight1 leads the soul of faith of repentance4 ,a ,gift from ,god4--,no repentance is possible1 however1 without the ,spirit of the ,lord1 which giveth light to every man that cometh into the world 7,d,c #hd3de-dg74 ,this is what makes repentance1 no less than faith1 a gift from ,god4 ,when his ,spirit ceases to strive with men1 they no longer desire to repent1 and are delivered over to the buffetings of ,satan4 ,they deliver themselves over to those buffetings4 ,they make their choice between the spirit of good and the spirit of evil1 both of which are in the world1 influencing the spirit of man1 and they receive their wages from the master whom they list to obey4 ,the ,spirit of ,god and the ,holy ,ghost4--,a distinction should be drawn between the ,spirit that enlighteneth every man1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 whose gifts are given to members of the ,church of ,christ4 ,the former is an influence1 proceeding from the ,divine ,presence2 the latter a personage1 one of the ,godhead1 concerning whom the ,prophet ,joseph says3 ,the ,father has a body of flesh and bones1 as tangible as man's2 the ,son also2 but the ,holy ,ghost is a personage of ,spirit4 ,were it not so the ,holy ,ghost could not dwell in us 7,d,c #acj3bb74 ,the ,prophet says further upon this subject3 ,there is a difference between the ,holy ,ghost and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,cornelius received the ,holy ,ghost before he was baptized1 which was the convincing power of ,god unto him of the truth of the gospel1 but he could not receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 until after he was baptized4 ,had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him1 the ,holy ,ghost which convinced him of the truth of ,god would have left him4--7,joseph ,smith's ,teachings1 p4 #fi47 ,real ,repentance4--,repentance is not that superficial sorrow felt by a criminal when caught in the act of wrong-doing--a sorrow not for sin1 but for sin's detection1 for being taken in transgression4 ,chagrin is not repentance4 ,mortification and shame1 alone1 bring no change of heart toward right living or right feeling4 ,repentance involves remorse2 but even remorse is not all there is to repentance4 ,in its highest meaning and fullest measure1 repentance is equivalent to reformation--a resolve to sin no more1 backed by conduct consistent with such a determination4 ,repentance is a thing that cannot be trifled with every day4 ,daily transgression and daily repentance is not that which is pleasing in the sight of ,god 7,joseph ,smith's ,teachings1 p4 #acf74 ,by this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins4 ,behold1 he will confess them and forsake them 7,d,c #eh3dc74 ,this is a real1 genuine repentance4 ,all who truly repent can be forgiven4 ,these1 and these alone1 are ready for the cleansing process--baptism for the remission of sins4 ,without repentance1 there is no forgiveness1 and consequently no remission of sins4 ,damnation ,no ,part of the ,gospel4--,damnation is no part of the gospel4 ,damnation or condemnation is simply the sad alternative1 the inevitable consequence of rejecting the means of escape4 ,when men hear the gospel and refuse to obey it1 the come under condemnation4 ,this cannot be helped4 ,god would save them1 but they will not be saved4 ,they are free agents1 and they damn themselves4 ,says ,joseph the prophet3 ,when ,god offers knowledge or a gift to a man1 and he refuses to receive it1 he will be damned4 ,not because ,god wishes to damn him1 but because damnation is inevitable when one rejects the offer of salvation4 ,sin1 a ,wilful ,transgression of ,law4--,a man sins when he goes contrary to light and knowledge--that is1 contrary to the light and knowledge that has come to him4 ,one may blunder in ignorance1 and suffer painful consequences2 but one does not sin unless one knows better than to do the thing in which the sin consists4 ,carlyle on ,repentance4--,of all acts1 says ,carlyle1 is not1 for a man1 repentance the most divine8 ,the deadliest sin1 ,i say1 were that same supercilious consciousness of no sin2--that is death2 the heart so conscious is divorced from sincerity1 humility and fact2 is dead3 it is 'pure' as dead dry sand is pure4--,heroes and ,hero-,worship1 ,lecture ,,ii4 ,condemnation ,measured by ,culpability4--,they who refuse to repent will be damned2 they damn themselves by that refusal4 ,but damnation is not necessarily permanent1 and like salvation or exaltation1 it exists in degrees4 ,the degree of condemnation is according to the measure of culpability in those condemned4 ,even the damned1 who repent1 can be saved4 ,some ,souls ,incapable of ,repentance4--,some sinners cannot repent4 ,their sins are of such a heinous character as to preclude it4 ,the spirit of repentance cannot lay hold upon them4 ,t heir conduct has so grieved it1 that it is completely withdrawn4 ,consequently they cannot repent1 and that is what makes their case hopeless4 ,if they could repent1 they could be forgiven2 but not being able to repent1 the pardoning power cannot reach them4 ,there would be no unpardonable sin if all sinners were capable of repentance4 ,those who cannot repent1 who have committed the sin unpardonable1 are called sons of perdition4 ,a ,hint from ,shakespeare4--,apropos of the inability to repent1 ,shakespeare gives a philosophic hint in his tragedy of ,hamlet4 ,claudius1 brother to the king of ,denmark1 has murdered the king in order to obtain his crown and queen4 ,but remorse gnaws at the murderer's conscience--not a godly remorse1 leading to repentance1 but the terror that guilty souls feel at the prospect of judgment and retribution4 ,claudius kneels to pray1 but can only pray with his lips1 his heart being far from ,god4 ,it is therefore no prayer at all4 ,the soul's sincere desire is lacking4 ,my words fly up1 my thoughts remain below2 ,words without thoughts never to heaven go4 ,so says the murderous monarch1 as he rises from his knees4 ,prior to his ineffectual attempt to supplicate the ,throne of ,grace1 he thus soliloquizes3 ,my fault is past4 ,but ,o what form of prayer ,can serve my turn8 ',forgive me my foul murder8' ,that cannot be1 since ,i am still possessed ,of those effects for which ,i did the murder1 ,my crown1 mine own ambition1 and my queen4 ,may one be pardoned and retain the offense8 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,try what repentance can3 what can it not8 ,yet what can it when one can not repent8 7,hamlet1 ,act4 ,,iii1 ,scene ,,iii47 ,the unpardonable sin involves utter recreancy to divine light and power previously possessed4 ,it is the sin against the ,holy ,ghost2 but one must first receive the ,holy ,ghost before he is capable of sinning against it4 ,such a sin can be committed only by men who have been equipped with every qualification for celestial glory4 ,the ,sons of ,perdition4--,thus saith the ,lord1 concerning all those who know my power1 and have been made partakers there of1 and suffered themselves1 through the power of the devil1 to be overcome1 and to deny the truth and defy my power-- ,they are they who are the sons of perdition1 of whom ,i say that it had been better for them never to have been born1 ,for they are vessels of wrath1 doomed to suffer the wrath of ,god1 with the devil and his angels in eternity2 ,concerning whom ,i have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come1 ,having denied the ,holy ,spirit after having received it1 and having denied the ,only ,begotten ,son of the ,father--having crucified him unto themselves1 and put him to an open shame4 ,they are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone1 with the devil and his angels1 ,and the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power2 ,wherefore1 he saves all except them4 7,d4,c4 #gf3ca-cg1dd47 ,the ,saved and ,glorified4--,but the saved are rewarded according to their works4 ,the glorified differ like the sun1 moon1 and stars1 typifying1 respectively1 celestial1 terrestrial1 and telestial conditions4 ,they who cannot abide any of these conditions1 are not meet for a kingdom of glory1 and the utterly disobedient1 who will to abide in sin1 are fated to remain filthy still 7,d,c #hh3bb-ce74 ,the ,celestial ,glory4--,the inheritors of celestial exaltation1 the highest degree of glory1 are they who render to the ,great ,giver the fulness of their obedience1 manifesting a willingness to lay all upon the altar at his bidding4 ,in short1 to do all things whatsoever the ,lord their ,god shall command them 7,abr4 #c3be74 ,they are they who received the testimony of ,jesus1 and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial1 being buried in the water in his name1 and this according to the commandment which he has given1 ,that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins1 and receive the ,holy ,spirit by the laying on of hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power4 ,and who overcome by faith1 and are sealed by the ,holy ,spirit of promise1 which the ,father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true4 ,they are they who are the ,church of the first born4 ,they are they into whose hands the ,father has given all things-- ,they are they who are ,priests and ,kings1 who have received of his fulness1 and of his glory1 ,and are ,priests of the ,most ,high1 after the order to ,melchizedek1 which was after the order of ,enoch1 which was after the order of the ,only ,begotten ,son2 ,wherefore1 as it is written1 they are ,gods1 even the sons of ,god-- ,wherefore all things are theirs1 whether life or death1 or things present1 or things to come1 all are theirs and they are ,christ's and ,christ is ,god's4 99 99 99 ,these shall dwell in the presence of ,god and his ,christ for ever and ever4 ,these are they whom he shall bring with him1 when he shall come in the clouds of heaven1 to reign on the earth over his people4 ,these are they who shall have part in the first resurrection4 ,these are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just4 99 99 99 ,these are they whose bodies are celestial1 whose glory is that of the sun1 even the glory of ,god1 the highest of all1 whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical4--7,d4,c4 #gf3ea-ei1 #fb-fe1 #gj47 ,the ,terrestrial ,glory4--,they who receive not the gospel here1 but receive it hereafter2 they who die without law2 also honorable men of the earth1 blinded by the craftiness of men2-- ,these are they who receive of his glory1 but not of his fulness2 ,these are they who receive of the presence of the ,son1 but not of the fulness of the ,father2 ,wherefore they are bodies terrestrial1 and not bodies celestial1 and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun4 ,these are they who are not valiant in the testimony of ,jesus2 wherefore they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our ,god4 7,d4 ,c4 #gf3gf-gi47 ,the ,telestial ,world4--,concerning the inhabitants of the telestial world1 it is written3 ,these are they who received not the gospel of ,christ1 neither the testimony of ,jesus4 ,these are they who deny not the ,holy ,spirit4 ,these are they who are thrust down to hell4 ,these are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil1 until the last resurrection1 until the ,lord1 even ,christ the ,lamb1 shall have finished his work4 ,these are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world1 but of the ,holy ,spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial3 ,and also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them1 or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them1 for they shall be heirs of salvation4 99 99 99 ,these are they who are liars1 and sorcerers1 and adulterers and whoremongers1 and whosoever loves and makes a lie4 ,these are they who suffer the wrath of ,god on the earth4 ,these are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire4 ,these are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of ,almighty ,god1 until the fulness of times when ,christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet1 and shall have perfected his work4 99 99 99 ,and they shall be servants of the ,most ,high1 but where ,god and ,christ dwell they cannot come1 worlds without end4 7,d4,c4 #gf3hb-hh1 #ajc-ajf1 #aab47 ,and the glory of the celestial is one1 even as the glory of the sun is one4 ,and the glory of the terrestrial is one1 even as the glory of the moon is one4 ,and the glory of the telestial is one1 even as the glory of the stars is one1 for as one star differs from another star in glory1 even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world4 7,d4,c4 #gf3if-ih2 #a ,cor4 #ae3dj1da47 ,a ,nautical ,illustration4--,thirty years ago ,i was crossing the ,atlantic on an ocean liner4 ,i was a first cabin passenger1 and besides myself there were forty or fifty others in that part of the vessel4 ,the second cabin had about twice as many passengers1 and in the steerage were several hundred more4 ,i found that the first cabin berths--secured by a fortunate few--were not only the best furnished1 but the most favorably situated for comfort1 convenience1 and safety4 ,the food was of the choicest1 every possible courtesy was shown to the passengers1 and they had the full freedom of the ship4 ,they might go down into the second cabin1 or lower down1 into the steerage1 at will1 and return without hindrance or question4 ,they had paid for these privileges1 and were therefore entitled to them4 ,the captain and other officers were their associates4 ,it was different in the second cabin4 ,there the food was not so good1 the berths were not so comfortable1 and the privileges were fewer4 ,the passengers there might descend into the steerage1 but were not permitted upon the upper deck4 ,in the steerage1 conditions were even less favorable4 ,the food was still poorer1 and the restrictions yet more rigid4 ,the occupants of that section were not allowed even in the second cabin4 ,having paid only for steerage accommodations1 these were all they could consistently claim4 ,viewing the situation1 ,i said to myself1 ,what a striking analogy of the final destiny of the human race1 as set forth in the revelations of ,god6 ,all men rewarded according to their works1 and saved according to their merits in the eternal mansions of the ,father6 ,and ,i then and there resolved anew that ,i would be a first cabin passenger on the good ship ,zion1 over the ocean of life1 into the haven of celestial glory4 ,men's ,desires a ,basis of ,judgment4--,at a date subsequent to ,february #af1 #ahcb1 when ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon received that wonderful vision1 portraying the celestial1 terrestrial and telestial glories1 the heavens were again opened to the ,prophet1 who thus describes what he saw3 ,i beheld the celestial kingdom of ,god1 and the glory thereof1 whether in the body or out ,i cannot tell4 ,i saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter1 which was like unto circling flames of fire2 also the blazing throne of ,god1 whereon was seated the ,father and the ,son4 ,i saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom1 which had the appearance of being paved with gold4 ,i saw ,fathers ,adam and ,abraham1 and my father and mother1 my brother1 ,alvin1 that has long since slept1 and marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom1 seeing that he had departed this life before the ,lord had set ,his hand to gather ,israel the second time1 and had not been baptized for the remission of sins4 ,thus came the voice of the ,lord unto me1 saying-- ,all who have died without a knowledge of this gospel1 who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry1 shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of ,god2 also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it1 who would have received it with all their hearts1 shall be heirs of that kingdom1 for ,i1 the ,lord1 will judge all men according to their works1 according to the desire of their hearts4 ,and ,i also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability1 are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven4 7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 #b1 p4 #chj47 ,grades of ,celestial ,glory4--,the ,prophet also taught that there are grades of glory1 even in the celestial kingdom2 his exact language being3 ,in the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees 7,d,c #aca3a74 ,,chapter ,v4 ,water and ,spirit ,birth4 ,the ,initial ,ceremony4--,as faith is the first principle of the gospel of ,christ1 so baptism is the initial ceremony4 ,baptism is twofold1 corresponding to the soul1 its subject1 which is both spiritual and temporal4 ,it signifies for that soul rebirth and illumination4 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god 7,john #c3c1e74 ,so said the ,king of that kingdom1 the only ,one empowered to prescribe conditions upon which men might become his subjects1 or his fellow citizens1 in that heavenly common-wealth where he shines first and foremost among the sons of ,god4 ,jesus to ,nicodemus4--,jesus1 when he uttered those words1 was speaking to ,nicodemus1 a ruler of the ,jews1 a ,pharisee1 and1 as some suppose1 a member of the ,sanhedrim4 ,favorably inclined toward the unpopular ,nazarene1 yet too politic to be seen associating with him openly1 ,nicodemus came to him by night1 avowing a belief that he was a teacher come from ,god4 ,in response to this confession of faith1 ,jesus taught ,nicodemus the doctrine embodied in the lines ,i have quoted4 ,a ,subject of ,controversy4--,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,probably no theme connected with the gospel of ,christ has caused more controversy than this positive and important declaration1 the meaning of which1 however plain to ,christians anciently1 has been a matter of uncertainty to their successors all down the centuries4 ,from the days of the early ,greek fathers of the ,christian ,church1 to the days of ,st4 ,augustine1 the great theologian of the ,western or ,roman ,catholic division of that church2 from his time to the time of ,luther and ,calvin1 and thence on into the present age1 men have disputed over the significance of those sacred words1 over the mystical birth of water and of spirit1 declared by the world's ,redeemer to be the doorway to his ,church1 the portal of admittance into his kingdom4 ,what is ,baptism8--,over the general meaning of the phrase1 born of water and of the ,spirit1 there may have been no serious contention4 ,in all or most of the ,christian denominations1 ,catholic and ,protestant1 that phrase means baptism1 the ordinance whereby a person is initiated into the ,church4 ,but what does baptism mean8 ,that is the problem4 ,the significance1 form1 purpose1 and effects of the ordinance1 and whether or not it is necessary to salvation--these questions have furnished the backbone of the controversy4 ,and yet they are questions easily answered1 problems readily solved1 if we take the ,holy ,spirit for our guide1 and wrest not the ,scriptures4 ,the ,savior's ,example4--,the ,new ,testament teaches plainly the necessity of baptism4 ,the words of ,jesus1 already quoted1 may be reinforced by the following passages3 ,then cometh ,jesus from ,galilee to ,jordan unto ,john1 to be baptized of him4 ,but ,john forbade ,him1 saying1 ,i have need to be baptized of thee1 and comest thou to me8 ,and ,jesus1 answering1 said unto him3 ,suffer it to be so now1 for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness4 ,then he suffered him4 7,matthew #c3ac-ae47 ,a ,universal ,requirement4--,if it was becoming in the ,son of ,god to be baptized1 it is becoming in all who follow in his footsteps and hope to be with him hereafter4 ,they must be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with--not only the baptism of suffering1 through which the captain of our salvation was made perfect1 but the baptism of water and of spirit1 received by him at the ,river ,jordan1 nineteen centuries ago4 ,king and ,subject4--,can you conceive of a kingdom in which the king is required to obey the laws ordained for its government1 while his subjects are not required to obey them8 ,far more likely1 is it not1 that the king1 rather than the subject1 would be exempt from such obedience8 ,but the laws of ,god's kingdom are just and impartial1 bearing with equal pressure upon all4 ,the ,son doeth nothing but what he hath seen the ,father do2 nor does he require of us what he himself is not willing to render4 ,follow me1 is the watchward of his mission1 and it applies to baptism as much as to anything4 ,to ,fulfil ,all ,righteousness4--,true1 baptism is for the remission of sins 7,mark #a3d2 ,acts #b3ch7 and ,jesus grew up without sin unto salvation4 ,hence1 there was no sin in him to remit4 ,why1 then1 was he baptized8 ,john saw this point when ,jesus presented himself for baptism3 ,i have need to be baptized of thee1 and comest thou to me8 ,while we cannot impute sin to the sinless1 and say that ,jesus was baptized1 like an ordinary man1 for the remission of his sins1 we can and should take him at his word1 that it was becoming in him1 and is becoming in us1 to be baptized1 in order to fulfil all righteousness4 ,necessity of ,baptism ,not ,obviated by ,christ's ,baptism4--,some hold that ,jesus was baptized vicariously for original sin1 the sin of the world1 resulting from the transgression of ,adam4 ,that load of guilt1 it is argued1 had to be remitted1 and hence the ,savior1 who had taken the burden upon him1 was baptized that it might be washed away4 ,i cannot vouch for the correctness of that view2 but this ,i know3 ,the baptism of ,jesus did not obviate the necessity of baptism1 any more than his suffering of the pangs of every man1 woman and child 7#b ,ne4#i3ba1 #bb71 did away with human suffering4 ,men still suffer1 notwithstanding that infinite atonement--necessary1 in order that the resurrection might pass upon all men4 ,and they must still be baptized for the remission of their own sins1 notwithstanding the baptism of the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world 7,john #a3bi74 ,christ plainly taught1 after his own baptism1 the necessity of baptism as a universal requirement1 obligatory upon all capable of faith and repentance4 ,little ,children ,exempt4--,the only class exempt are infants1 or children young enough to be without sin4 ,obviously they cannot repent1 and are therefore not fit subjects for baptism4 ,jesus said3 ,suffer the little children to come unto me1 and forbid them not1 for of such is the kingdom of heaven4 ,again3 ,except ye humble yourselves and become as this little child1 ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,this shows not only that little children are sinless1 but that they are types of the innocence and purity required of men and women1 who1 because not sinless1 must be baptized and have their sins remitted1 before they can enter into that kingdom where no sin1 no uncleanness1 can come4 ,for this cause--that men and women must become as little children before entering there--baptism1 the doorway1 is compared to a birth1 the entry of an infant into life4 ,for this reason also1 converts to ,christ in ancient times were referred to as new-born babes4 ,peter so styled them 7#b3b72 and the first principles of the gospel1 those easiest to comprehend1 to mentally digest1 were termed both by him and by ,paul1 the milk of the word1 in contradistinction to the meat of the word--advanced principles and mysteries 7#a ,pet4 #b3b2 ,heb4 #e3ab-ad2 #a ,cor4 #c3b74 ,the effect of baptism is to make men childlike1 not in ignorance1 nor in physical weakness1 but in innocence and humility4 ,mormon to ,moroni4--,upon this theme ,mormon writes thus to his son ,moroni1 voicing the word of the ,lord3 ,listen to the words of ,christ1 your ,redeemer1 your ,lord and your ,god4 ,behold1 ,i came into the world not to call the righteous1 but sinners to repentance2 the whole need no physician1 but they that are sick2 wherefore little children are whole1 for they are not capable of committing sin2 wherefore the curse of ,adam is taken from them in me1 that it hath no power over them2 and the law of circumcision is done away in me4 ,and after this manner did the ,holy ,ghost manifest the word of ,god unto me2 wherefore my beloved son1 ,i know that it is solemn mockery before ,god1 that ye should baptize little children4 ,behold1 ,i say unto you1 that this thing shall ye teach1 repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin2 yea1 teach parents that they must repent1 and be baptized1 and humble themselves as their little children4 99 99 99 ,little children cannot repent2 wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of ,god unto them1 for they are alive in him because of his mercy4 99 99 99 ,the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law2 wherefore1 he that is not condemned1 or he that is under no condemnation1 cannot repent2 and unto such baptism availeth nothing4 7,moroni #h3h-aj1 #ai1 #bb47 ,children ,become ,accountable4--,as children advance in years1 however1 they become accountable1 and then1 like adults1 they must yield obedience to the requirements of the gospel4 ,the ,lord explained this matter to ,adam in these words3 ,inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin1 even so when they begin to grow up1 sin conceiveth in their hearts1 and they taste the bitter1 that they may know to prize the good4 ,and it is given unto them to know good from evil2 wherefore they are agents unto themselves1 and ,i have given unto you another law and commandment4 ,wherefore teach it unto your children1 that all men1 everywhere1 must repent1 or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of ,god1 for no unclean thing can dwell there1 or dwell in his presence2 for1 in the language of ,adam1 ,man of ,holiness is his name1 and the name of his ,only ,begotten is the ,son of ,man1 even ,jesus ,christ1 a righteous ,judge1 who shall come in the meridian of time4 ,therefore ,i give unto you a commandment1 to teach these things freely unto your children1 saying3 ,that by reason of transgression cometh the fall1 which fall bringeth death1 and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water and blood1 and the spirit1 which ,i have made1 and so became of dust a living soul1 even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven1 of water1 and of the ,spirit1 and be cleansed by blood1 even the blood of mine ,only ,begotten2 that ye might be sanctified from all sin1 and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world1 and eternal life in the world to come1 even immortal glory2 ,for by the water ye keep the commandment2 by the ,spirit ye are justified1 and by the blood ye are sanctified4 7,moses #f3ee-fj47 ,early ,christian ,views4--,the earliest ,christians did not doubt the necessity of baptism4 ,on the contrary1 they strongly insisted upon it1 as indispensable to a saved condition4 ,during the ,patristic age--that of the early fathers1 following the apostles--the conviction that no soul could be saved without baptism was so firm that it led to pedobaptism--the baptism of infants1 and to other innovations upon the primitive faith4 ,it was seen that infants could not believe in ,christ1 nor repent of sins that they had not committed2 but it was held that the church1 or those who stood sponsor for the little ones1 could believe for them1 and they were baptized for original sin1 the sin of ,adam1 which they were supposed to have inherited4 ,peter's words in promising the ,holy ,ghost3 ,for the promise is unto you and to your children 7,acts #b3ci71 were construed to sustain infant baptism4 ,it was even assumed that the ,savior authorized it in saying1 ,suffer little children to come unto me1 the inference being that they could come unto him only by baptism4 ,pedobaptism4--,holders of these ideas have never explained why infant baptism did not become prevalent until two or three centuries after ,christ1 and why such eminent ,christians of the fourth century as ,gregory1 of ,nazianzum1 the son of a bishop2 ,basil the ,great1 of ,cappadocia2 ,chrysostom of ,antioch1 and ,augustine of ,numidia--whose mothers were the most pious of ,christians--were not baptized until they were over thirty years of age4 ,paul's affirmation that children are holy 7#a ,cor4 #g3ad71 the ,savior's declaration1 ,of such is the kingdom of heaven1 and ,mormon's words to ,moroni1 already cited1 are a sufficient answer to the assumption that children under the age of accountability have need to be baptized4 ,those who introduced the practice of baptizing infants for original sin1 overlooked the fact that ,christ atoned for original guilt1 and that men are accountable for their own sins and not for ,adam's transgression4 ,other ,innovations4--,one innovation led to another1 though the next related to adults4 ,what was to become of martyrs1 who had shed their blood in defense of the church1 or for its sake1 but had never confessed ,christ nor been baptized8 ,were they to be damned8 ,oh1 no2 for their benefit another doctrine was introduced2 they were held to have been baptized in their own blood4 ,finally1 out of deference to the claims of a far more numerous class--worthy men and women1 many of whom had lived and died before the ,christian ,church was founded1 while others1 though living contemporaneously with it1 were never reached by its missionaries--the idea gradually obtained that baptism was not essential to salvation4 ,all of which might have been obviated1 and the ,church spared much ridicule and skepticism--the result of its ramblings and inconsistencies--had it kept the key to the situation--namely1 baptism for the dead4 ,gradual ,growth of a ,heresy4--,the idea that baptism is nonessential did not become fixed and popular until many centuries after the apostles fell asleep4 ,saint ,augustine1 who figured in the latter part of the fourth and the first half of the fifth century after ,christ1 and who advanced the notion that water baptism was the outward sign of an inward grace1 the external emblem of internal sanctification1 held1 nevertheless1 that no soul could be saved without it--not even infants2 though their condemnation1 resulting from non-baptism1 would be of the mildest character4 ,augustine's concept of baptism1 with some modifications1 is the doctrine of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 and of the orthodox ,protestant churches1 at the present time4 ,luther held baptism to be essential to salvation2 ,calvin and ,zwingli did not2 and there1 in the sixteenth century1 it appears1 began the schism of opinion concerning it that divides ,christendom today4 ,baptism for the ,dead4--,that baptism is required from all capable of exercising faith and manifesting repentance is shown by the fact that provision is made in the gospel for the baptism of those who pass away without being baptized for themselves4 ,in the spirit world1 where the gospel is preached and the powers of the priesthood are exercised1 faith and repentance are possible--but baptism is not1 it being an outward ordinance1 having to do with a temporal element--water--and therefore to be administered in a temporal world4 ,since it is the soul that is baptized1 not the spirit alone1 baptism is impracticable in the world of spirits4 ,spirits in ,prison4--,peter's testimony concerning ,christ's preaching to the spirits in prison during the interval between his death and resurrection--spirits disobedient in the days of ,noah1 swept off by the deluge1 and immured in eternal dungeons to await a day of deliverance2 the apostle's figurative use of the ark and flood as symbols of baptism1 that doth also now save us2 and his further statement that for this cause was the gospel also preached to them that are dead1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh1 but live according to ,god in the spirit1 are too well known to need dwelling upon 7#a ,pet4#c3ah-ba2d3f74 ,vicarious ,baptism ,during and ,after ,paul's ,time4--,that baptism for the dead was practiced in the ,church of ,christ during ,paul's time is evident from his oft-quoted words3 ,else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead1 if the dead rise not at all8 ,why are they then baptized for the dead8 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bi74 ,that the practice continued after ,paul's time1 among some of the ,christians of ,asia1 we learn from ,epiphanius1 a writer of the fourth century4 ,it was forbidden by the ,council of ,carthage1 ,a4 ,d4 #cig4 ,vicarious work1 when authorized of ,god1 is acceptable to him4 ,this should not startle the ,christian mind1 when it is remembered that the whole fabric of ,christianity rests upon the vicarious work done by ,jesus ,christ for the redemption and salvation of those who were powerless to redeem and save themselves4 ,men cannot answer by proxy for the deeds done in the body1 but there have always been ceremonies in the ,church of ,christ that one person might perform for another4 ,the priest who ministers in behalf of the people is a type of the ,great ,mediator1 our only access unto ,god4 ,if baptism had not been essential to salvation1 ,christ would not have told ,nicodemus what he did2 the apostles would not have been sent to baptize all nations2 ,peter1 ,paul1 and other servants of ,god1 would not have commanded ,jews and ,gentiles to be baptized1 nor would they have emphasized the necessity of baptism in their writings4 ,moreover1 they would not have troubled themselves about baptism for the dead1 had it not been necessary for man's eternal welfare4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,purpose and ,effects of ,baptism4 ,for the ,remission of ,sins4--,baptism is the divinely instituted process by which sins1 when truly repented of1 are remitted2 that is1 forgiven and washed away4 ,all men have sinned2 and in order to bring them back into his pure presence1 where nothing sinful can come1 it is necessary that they first be cleansed from sin4 ,water baptism is the beginning of the cleansing process4 ,means and ,accessories4--,water1 of itself1 cannot1 of course1 wash away sin4 ,it was not water that cleansed ,naaman of his leprosy4 ,it was his obedience to the prophet who directed him to go and dip seven times in the ,jordan4 ,had he dipped but once1 or but six times1 his leprosy would still have clung to him4 ,but he did as he was told--dipped seven times1 and his faith1 shown by his obedience1 worked the cure1 bringing down the power of ,god for that purpose4 ,the water was the medium through which the power operated4 ,likewise1 when ,christ anointed the eyes of the blind man1 causing him to see1 it was faith--the power of ,god--that wrought the miracle2 but the clay used was an accessory1 as consecrated oil was 7,james #e3ad1ae7 and is still1 in the healing ordinance of the ,church4 ,water and ,spirit4--,baptism cleanses and illumines the soul1 and the water and the spirit are divinely appointed means by which the cleansing and the illumination come4 ,and they are indispensable in the process4 ,the sick may be healed without the use of oil1 without even the laying on of hands2 for it is faith that heals1 not instrumentalities employed2 but no sinner can be baptized1 without the ,water and the ,spirit4 ,by baptism we are as effectually freed from sin1 and our moral status changed1 as by death1 burial and resurrection we are liberated from mortality and ushered into a new existence4 ,hence baptism is termed the washing of regeneration4 ,regeneration means new birth4 ,two fold ,nature of ,baptism4--,baptism1 as already explained1 is twofold1 corresponding to the soul of man4 ,the body or fleshly part is represented by the water1 and the spirit by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the water and the spirit are both essential in baptism1 because1 as previously stated1 it is not the body alone1 nor the spirit alone1 that is baptized1 but the soul1 body and spirit in one4 ,the body1 ,i say1 is represented by the water4 ,science tells us that most of the human body is water4 ,hamlet's plaintive wish that his too1 too1 solid flesh would melt--thaw and resolve itself into a dew1 was not so very extravagant1 therefore1 from a scientific viewpoint4 ,spirit baptism illumines the soul1 making manifest the things of ,god4 ,eye hath not seen nor ear heard1 neither have entered into the heart of man1 the great things which ,god hath prepared for them that love him4 ,but ,god hath revealed them unto us by his ,spirit2 for the ,spirit searcheth all things1 yea1 the deep things of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #b3i1aj74 ,thus ,paul explains the office of the ,holy ,ghost1 in one of its most important functions4 ,the ,savior had reference to the same subject when he promised to his disciples the ,spirit of ,truth1 to reveal things past1 explain the present1 and show things to come4 ,the importance of this mighty ,agent1 and the part played by it in baptism1 was plainly pointed out by ,jesus1 when he said3 ,except a man be born again1 he can not see the kingdom of ,god4 ,the ,atoning ,blood of ,christ4--,but there are three factors1 not merely two1 in the process of the soul's regeneration--the spirit1 the water1 and the blood4 ,by these three man is born into the world1 and by these three he is born again into the kingdom of ,god4 ,ordinarily but two of them are mentioned in connection with baptism1 for only two are actually used in baptism2 but without the third1 the atoning blood of ,christ1 there would be no baptism for salvation4 ,if his blood had not been shed1 there would be no redemption from the fall2 the banishment of ,adam and ,eve and their posterity would have been perpetual1 and the grave's victory eternal4 ,there would be no baptism1 no remission of sins1 no resurrection1 but for the shedding of the blood of the ,lamb of ,god4 ,hence ,john the apostle says3 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ cleanseth us from all sin 7#a ,john #a3g74 ,the ,mediator4--,the water and the spirit1 representing1 respectively1 earth and heaven1 are made effectual by the blood4 ,man and ,god are thus reconciled2 ,christ being the ,mediator and ,reconciler4 ,there are three that bear record in heaven--the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there are three that bear witness on earth--the spirit1 the water1 and the blood4 ,each group corresponds to the other2 each three agree in one4 ,hence1 when a soul is baptized1 it must be by water and by spirit1 made effectual by blood1 and in the name of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,three in ,one4--,spirit1 water1 and blood-the three elements of baptism--were combined in the person of ,jesus when he was baptized by ,john in the ,jordan4 ,standing upon the river's brink1 his sacred form dripping with the waters from which he had just emerged1 he was crowned with the ,holy ,ghost1 descending upon him from above4 ,yet it was necessary that his blood should be shed1 that the ,spirit might come unto his disciples4 ,not until the ,mediator had hung between heaven and earth1 did the ,holy ,ghost1 as the witness of his consummated sacrifice1 appear upon the scene4 ,not till then were the apostles endued with power from on high4 ,not till then did the ,spirit of ,god move upon the waters of this world1 coming1 as in the first instance1 that there might be a creation1 a new birth1 a regeneration for the human race4 ,the ,fathers ,understood4--,the ,greek fathers of the ,christian ,church held correct ideas concerning baptism4 ,this is shown in the terms used by them to describe it--initiation1 from its introductory character2 regeneration1 from its being regarded as a new birth2 the great circumcision1 because it was held to have superseded the circumcision of the ,mosaic law2 illumination1 and the gift of the ,lord1 with reference to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,other synonyms for the sacred ceremonial were consecration and consummation4 ,those baptized were understood to have consecrated their lives to ,god1 and to have consummated or completed their preparation for communion with the ,church of ,christ4 ,only to such as had been baptized was the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper administered4 ,early ,greek ,christians4--,the ,greek ,christians of the early centuries1 like the ,saints of ,new ,testament times1 baptized for the remission of sins4 ,they have been censured by modern critics for magnifying the importance of water baptism1 and at the same time insisting on the purely ethical or spiritual nature of the rite2 for confounding the sign with the thing signified1 the action of the water with the action of the ,spirit1 in the process of regeneration4 ,but they were not any more insistent upon these points than the apostles themselves4 ,augustine's ,theory4--,st4 ,augustine is complimented by the same critics for formulating the first strict scientific theory of the nature and effects of baptism4 ,he drew a sharp distinction between what he called the outward sign--water baptism--and the inward change of heart resulting from the operation of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,yet even he is charged with laying too much stress upon the value of the outward sign1 which he held to be essential to salvation4 ,protestant theologians have been commended for keeping the sign in due subordination to the thing signified1 for justifying themselves by faith1 and ignoring to a great extent outward ordinances4 ,but the ,greek ,christians1 whatever their defects1 were nearer right than ,st4 ,augustine2 and the ,catholic ,st4 ,augustine was nearer right than the ,protestant theologians who followed him4 ,baptism1 as taught in the ,new ,testament1 is not the mere outward sign of an inward grace4 ,the action of the water and the action of the ,spirit are not to be separated in any analysis of the nature and effects of baptism4 ,both are essential in the soul-cleansing1 soul-enlightening1 process1 modern critics to the contrary notwithstanding4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,mode and ,meaning of ,baptism4 ,use of the ,figurative4--,when ,jesus told ,nicodemus that a man must be born again--born of water and of the ,spirit--he virtually declared the meaning of the ordinance and prescribed the mode of its administration4 ,our ,savior was not a mere rhetorician1 ornamenting his speech for the mere sake of ornament4 ,a true son of the ,orient1 naturally given to the use of figurative language1 he was not a flourisher of phrases1 a flaunter of vain show4 ,his parables are poems1 but they teach the truth in plainness to the wise2 and because he recognized1 as all great teachers do1 the power of poetic symbolism to illustrate and impress the truth1 he used it as a medium of instruction4 ,but symbols are not arbitrarily invented by those who use them4 ,they are already in existence1 awaiting recognition4 ,poetic genius recognizes and applies them--that is all4 ,god has built his universe upon symbols4 ,in every department of creation the lesser symbolizes the greater and leads up to its comprehension4 ,like ,suggests ,like4--,what said the ,lord to ,moses8 ,all things have their likeness1 and all things are created and made to bear record of me1 both things which are temporal1 and things which are spiritual2 things which are in the heavens above1 and things which are on the earth1 and things which are in the earth1 and things which are under the earth1 both above and beneath3 all things bear record of me 7,moses #f3fc74 ,man is a symbol of ,god1 and is destined to become ,god2 ,earth is typical of heaven1 and will yet be converted into a heaven4 ,if two things exist1 and there be one above the other1 there shall be greater things above them 7,abraham #c3af74 ,plato grasped the idea3 ,all things are in a scale1 and begin where we will1 ascend and ascend1 and what we call results are beginnings4 ,the ,resurrection ,foreshadowed4--,it was to prepare the way before a greater and higher principle1 that ,christ taught and exemplified the principle of baptism4 ,that greater and higher principle was the resurrection1 a doctrine difficult for even the apostles to comprehend1 and one that he repeatedly impressed upon them1 both before and after he arose from the dead4 ,hence he compared baptism to a birth--the entry1 and the only one1 into mortal life2 and this pointed forward to the resurrection--the entry1 and the only one1 into immortal glory4 ,men should therefore be prepared for something suggestive of a birth1 of a resurrection1 in the ordinance prescribed by him as the means of admittance into his kingdom4 ,that suggestion is fully realized in the true form of the baptismal ordinance--immersion4 ,why the ,savior was ,baptized4--,baptism was made universal1 and became the doorway to the ,church of ,christ1 the kingdom of ,god on earth1 because it symbolizes the resurrection1 which is also universal1 and without which no man can enter into the heavenly ,church and ,kingdom4 ,here we touch1 ,i think1 the real reason1 or at least one of the principal reasons1 why ,jesus was baptized4 ,he was the ,exemplar of the ,resurrection--the first to rise from the grave3 and as baptism represents the resurrection1 it was fitting and appropriate that he should also undergo that sacred ordinance4 ,immersion4--,born of water means to come out of the water1 and coming out of the water1 presupposes going into the water4 ,this is why we are baptized by immersion1 which means sinking1 dipping1 burying1 plunging4 ,immersion is the only mode of baptism that symbolizes a birth4 ,jesus was baptized by immersion4 ,he must have gone down into the water1 for when he was baptized he went up straightway out of the water 7,matt4 #c3af74 ,when ,philip baptized the ,eunuch1 they went down both into the water4 ,john baptized in ,anon1 near to ,salim1 because there was much water there1 a proof presumptive of baptism by immersion1 that being the only mode requiring much water for its performance4 ,paul's ,concept4--,paul compared baptism to burial and resurrection3 ,buried with him ,christ in baptism1 wrote he to the ,colossians 7#b3ab71 wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of ,god1 who hath raised him from the dead4 ,again--this time to the ,romans3 ,know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into ,jesus ,christ were baptized into his death8 ,therefore1 we are buried with him by baptism into death3 that like as ,christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 even so we also should walk in newness of life4 ,for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death1 we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection 7,rom4 #f3c-e74 ,note also ,paul's words to the ,corinthians1 already quoted3 ,else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead1 if the dead rise not at all8 ,why are they then baptized for the dead8 ,in other words1 why use the symbol of the resurrection1 if there be no resurrection--if the symbol does not symbolize8 ,paul discovered1 by symbolical reasoning1 or had it revealed to him more directly1 that the children of ,israel1 our fathers1 were all baptized in passing through the ,red ,sea1 on their way to ,canaan 7#a ,cor4 #a3b73 an idea which suggests that the ,brother of ,jared and his colony may have been baptized in like manner1 for they underwent a similar experience in passing through ocean deeps on the way to their promised land 7,ether #f3f74 ,the ,new ,testament ,mode4--,that immersion was the mode instituted by ,john the ,baptist and perpetuated by the apostles1 is a plain and reasonable inference from the teachings of the ,new ,testament4 ,but1 in addition1 we have the statements of philologists1 archeologists1 and historians1 who declare that baptism1 in the early ages of ,christianity1 was a dipping or submersion in water4 ,the ,english word baptize comes from a ,greek word meaning to immerse4 ,monumental remains in ,asia1 ,africa1 and ,europe show that immersion was the act of baptism4 ,the many ancient baptisteries now remaining on those continents were built and used for the purpose of immersion4 ,the ,mode ,changed4--,the ,christian churches of the ,orient--,greek1 ,russian1 ,armenian1 ,nestorian1 ,coptic1 and others1 have always practiced immersion1 and allow nothing else for baptism4 ,the western churches preserved this form of the ordinance for thirteen centuries1 and then gradually introduced pouring or sprinkling4 ,clinic ,baptism4--,baptisms of this kind were exceptional in the early ages of the ,christian ,church4 ,they were called clinic baptisms1 because administered1 as a rule1 to the sick1 who could not be taken from their beds to be immersed3 but they were rare1 and were regarded only as quasi baptisms4 ,the first recorded case of clinic baptism is mentioned by ,eusebius as having occurred in the third century4 ,immersion ,made ,optional4--,baptism by immersion was practiced regularly in the ,roman ,catholic church1 until the year #acaa1 when the ,council of ,ravenna authorized a change1 leaving it optional with the officiating minister to baptize either by immersion or by sprinkling4 ,even infants were baptized by immersion1 until about the end of the thirteenth century1 when sprinkling came into common use4 ,luther and ,calvin ,disagree4--,luther sided with the immersionists1 and sought1 against the tendency of the times1 to restore immersion2 but ,calvin held that the mode of baptism was of no consequence4 ,even he admitted1 however1 that the word baptism signifies immersion2 and he said3 ,it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient ,church4 ,methods in ,various ,churches4--,pouring is the present practice in the ,roman ,catholic church2 sprinkling in the ,church of ,england1 and in the ,methodist church4 ,a choice of modes is permitted by the ,presbyterians1 though sprinkling is the regular form4 ,the ,baptists1 as their name implies1 are strong advocates of immersion4 ,the ,quakers repudiate baptism altogether4 ,it was the custom in early ages to immerse the candidate three times--once for each name in the ,godhead2 but heretics took advantage of this practice to argue against the unity of the ,trinity1 and the three-fold immersion was abolished4 ,authorized ,practice4--,the practice of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints in baptism is indicated by the following passages from the ,book of ,mormon3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words1 and desireth to be baptized in my name1 on this wise shall ye baptize them3 behold1 ye shall go down and stand in the water1 and in my name ye shall baptize them4 ,and now behold1 these are the words which ye shall say1 calling them by name1 saying1 ,having authority given me of ,jesus ,christ1 ,i baptize you in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4 ,and then shall ye immerse them in the water1 and come forth again out of the water4 ,and after this manner shall ye baptize in my name1 for behold1 verily ,i say unto you1 that the ,father1 and the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 are one2 and ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me1 and the ,father and ,i are one4 ,and according as ,i have commanded you thus shall ye baptize4 ,and there shall be no disputations among you1 as there hath hitherto been2 neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine1 as there hath hitherto been2 ,for verily1 verily ,i say unto you1 he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me1 but is of the devil1 who is the father of contention1 and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger1 one with another4 7,,iii ,nephi #aa3bc-bi47 ,modern ,revelation4--,the ,latter-day ,saints derive their knowledge of baptism not mainly from the ,bible1 nor from the ,book of ,mormon1 nor from any other ancient record of ,god's dealings with man4 ,that knowledge came directly to ,joseph ,smith4 ,through him was restored that which was lost4 ,he brushed aside the cobwebs and dust concealing the precious jewel of ,truth1 and by new revelation brought back the knowledge of the one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism of the ancients4 ,it was the fifteenth of ,may1 #ahbi4 ,joseph ,smith1 with his scribe1 ,oliver ,cowdery1 at the little town of ,harmony1 ,susquehanna county1 ,pennsylvania1 was translating the plates of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,coming upon a passage referring to baptism for the remission of sins--a doctrine well-nigh obsolete in ,christendom--they inquired of the ,lord concerning it1 retiring into a grove for that purpose4 ,while they were praying1 a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light1 and laying his hands upon their heads1 spoke these words3 ,upon you1 my fellow servants1 in the name of ,messiah1 ,i confer the ,priesthood of ,aaron1 which holds the keys of the ministering of angels1 and of the gospel of repentance1 and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins2 and this shall never be taken again from the earth1 until the sons of ,levi do offer again an offering unto the ,lord in righteousness 7,d,c #ac74 ,restoration of the ,priesthood4--,the heavenly messenger told the two young men that he was ,john the ,baptist1 and that he acted under the direction of the ,apostles ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 who held the keys of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 which should in due time be conferred upon them4 ,the ,aaronic ,priesthood gave them authority to baptize with water1 but the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 which was greater1 would give them authority to baptize with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,agreeable to the angel's direction1 ,joseph and ,oliver immersed each other in water1 for the remission of their sins4 ,subsequently they received1 under the hands of ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 the higher priesthood1 and were themselves ordained apostles and baptized with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,they in turn baptized others1 and this was the beginning of divinely-authorized baptismal work in this dispensation4 ,the ,church ,law4--,the standing law to the ,church upon this subject is as follows3 ,inasmuch as parents have children in ,zion1 or in any of her stakes which are organized1 that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance1 faith in ,christ the ,son of the living ,god1 and of baptism and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost by the laying on of the hands1 when eight years old1 the sin be upon the heads of the parents2 ,for this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of ,zion1 or in any of her stakes which are organized2 ,and their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old1 and receive the laying on of the hands4 7,d4 ,c4#fh3be-bg47 ,the ,laying ,on of ,hands4--,the laying on of hands is the divinely-authorized method of administering spirit baptism1 in other words1 imparting the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is plainly taught in the ,scriptures4 ,for instance3 ,then laid they their hands on them1 and they received the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and when ,simon saw that through laying on of the apostle's hands the ,holy ,ghost was given1 he offered them money1 ,saying1 ,give me also this power1 that on whomsoever ,i lay hands1 he may receive the ,holy ,ghost4 7,acts #h3ag-ai47 ,the laying on of hands for the gift of the ,holy ,ghost was an ordinance in the ,christian church for centuries4 ,the ordinance remained with the church much longer than did the ,holy ,ghost4 ,cyprian mentions it in the third century2 ,augustine in the fourth4 ,gradually1 however1 it began to be neglected1 until finally some of the sects repudiated it1 while others1 retaining the form of godliness1 denied the power thereof4 ,so much stress having been laid upon immersion1 as the proper mode of baptism1 one might be led to inquire1 ,why are we not immersed in the ,spirit1 as well as in the water8 ,i answer3 ,how know you that we are not8 ,to which the reply may be3 ,we see the water1 and are put under it by the priest3 but when we are confirmed or baptized with the ,spirit1 the elders lay their hands upon our heads and say1 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there is no immersion about that2 we are not dipped or plunged3 the ,spirit is poured upon us4 ,be not too sure that there is no immersion about it4 ,the fact that you do not see it is no conclusive argument against the proposition4 ,we see the water because it is a temporal element3 but spiritual things are discerned by the ,spirit4 ,as to the pouring process--may not enough of an element be poured upon a person to bury him therein8 ,or must that in which a person is buried necessarily come from beneath8 ,it was not so in the days of ,noah1 when it rained forty days and forty nights that the earth might be buried in water4 ,as much water came from above as from beneath at that time4 ,john the ,baptist1 when proclaiming the ,christ1 said3 ,there cometh ,one mightier than ,i after me1 the latchet of whose shoes ,i am not worthy to stoop down and unloose4 ,i indeed have baptized you with water2 but he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost 7,mark #a3g1h74 ,more than one baptism is here mentioned1 but it is baptism in each case2 and baptism signifies immersion4 ,the candidate for baptism cannot well be dipped or plunged in the ,spirit1 since the ,spirit is above1 while the water is beneath2 but he may be covered by or clothed upon with the ,holy ,ghost1 nevertheless4 ,the essential point in baptism is not the dipping or plunging1 but the burying and bringing forth4 ,baptism1 a ,symbol of ,creation4--,baptism symbolizes creation4 ,earth1 created for ,adam and his seed1 was baptized--born again--for ,noah and his posterity4 ,baptized with water in that day1 it will yet be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire4 ,the laying on of hands and the descent of the ,spirit from above1 may possibly typify the glorious baptism that earth will yet undergo1 when the ,spirit is poured out upon her from on high1 and she is covered therewith as completely as with water in the days of ,noah4 ,i will pour out my ,spirit upon all flesh1 said the ,lord by the ,prophet ,joel 7#b3bh74 ,when that prophecy is fulfilled1 earth will receive her spirit baptism1 and in due time be ready for her baptism of fire4 ,fire and the ,holy ,ghost4--,god dwells in eternal fire 7,joseph ,smith's ,teachings1 p4 #hb71 where no mortal could approach him unconsumed4 ,but mortals may receive the ,holy ,ghost with safety4 ,again3 the inhabitants of the telestial world receive the ,holy ,spirit through the ministrations of the terrestrial2 but where ,god and ,christ dwell they cannot come1 worlds without end4 ,by her fiery baptism1 earth will be consumed2 her mortal elements will melt with fervent heat1 and the purified remains1 immortal and in a state of resurrection1 will be converted into a celestial sphere1 a glorified abode for the righteous4 ,baptism ,symbolizes ,birth4--,every resurrection is a birth1 and every birth implies a previous burial4 ,no seed germinates till it dies1 or appears to die1 and is buried4 ,the farmer plants that there may be a springing forth of new life from the germ of the old4 ,every seed sown in the likeness of ,christ's death shall be in the likeness of his resurrection2 that is1 if it be a good seed1 properly buried in good ground4 ,every birth1 ,i say1 implies a previous burial4 ,this is true of time in its relations to eternity4 ,coming into this life involves departure out of a previous life1 and burial in this life implies birth into the next4 ,the sun1 setting upon the western hemisphere1 rises upon the eastern2 and sets upon the eastern to rise upon the western4 ,the setting and rising of the sun2 sleep followed by waking2 winter with its icy fetters and shroud of snow1 succeeded by spring in garments of green1 with its bright flowers1 singing birds1 and laughing streams2 all these suggest burial1 and resurrection--and consequently baptism4 ,born of ,god4--,to be born of ,god literally means to come forth from ,god4 ,born of woman has a like significance4 ,we have a ,father and a ,mother in heaven1 in whose image man was created1 male and female4 ,we came forth from them--were begotten and born of them in the spirit1 as much so as we were afterwards begotten and born in the flesh2 and we must be begotten and born again1 in the similitude of those other begettings and births1 or we cannot regain the presence of our eternal ,father and ,mother4 ,children of ,my ,begetting4--,baptism signifies the creation of souls for the kingdom of ,god4 ,the priest who immerses1 or the elder who confirms1 is the spiritual progenitor of the person baptized4 ,children of my begetting1 ,paul terms those receiving the gospel through his instrumentality4 ,to baptize is to perform1 in a spiritual way1 the functions of fatherhood4 ,motherhood is the sacred symbol of the baptismal font4 ,hence1 baptism must be by divine authority--must have the sanction of heaven upon it4 ,there must first be a marriage1 a union between heavenly powers and earthly agents2 otherwise the baptism will be unlawful1 the birth illegitimate1 the act of begetting a crime6 ,baptisms1 like marriages1 performed without divine authority1 will have no effect when men are dead4 ,suggestive ,symbolism4--,the significance of baptism is suggested by the very career of that ,divine ,being whose descent from heaven to earth1 and whose ascent from earth into heaven1 is the sum and substance of the ,gospel story4 ,his experience from the time he left his celestial throne1 to the time he returned thither1 was it not a descending below1 and a rising above1 all things8 ,did he not lay down his life and take it up again1 as the ,father had done before him8 ,is it not just possible that baptism was instituted to symbolize this mighty birth1 this mortal burial1 with its immortal resurrection8 ,when the ,gods sat in council to consider the creation and redemption of this planet1 what was their great thought and the theme of their deliberations8 ,was it not a going down and a coming back--not only on their part1 for creative and redemptive purposes1 but also on the part of their offspring1 for purposes of experience and progression8 ,what wonder1 then1 if in the gospel plan1 whereby the spirits of men and women might accomplish this foreordained descent into1 and ascent out of1 the world1 there should be an ordinance symbolical of the vast vicissitude8 ,moreover1 in the symbolism of the scriptures this world is represented by water4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth1 and the earth was without form and void1 and darkness was upon the face of the deep1 and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,here1 at the very dawn of creation1 are the two principles or elements--spirit and water--with which baptisms are performed--one creative1 the other creatable2 one representing heaven1 the other1 earth4 ,note the reference in ,daniel 7#g7 to beasts1 representing earthly governments1 coming up from the sea4 ,note the ,savior's parable1 likening the kingdom of heaven to a net cast into the sea2 the sea symbolizing the world1 the fishes1 the souls drawn out of the world4 ,note also ,revelation 7#ac7 where a beast representing anti-,christ1 rises out of the sea3 and 7#ag7 where a woman1 the ,mother of ,harlots1 representing a great city reigning over the kings of the earth1 is described as sitting upon many waters--the waters signifying peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues4 ,much of the body of this world--the physical frame of a spiritual creation--is water1 even parts of it that seem solid4 ,science so affirms1 and who can gainsay it8 ,walt ,whitman1 that eccentric poetic genius1 speaks of the slumbering and liquid trees4 ,thales1 the founder of ,greek philosophy1 started out with the proposition3 ,all things are water4 ,he ascribed to water the powers of creation1 supposing that he had found in it the primal element1 or great first cause4 ,he omitted the real creative principle--the ,spirit of ,god1 which in the beginning moved upon the face of the waters1 or as ,milton says1 dove-like sat brooding on the vast abyss4 ,thales being a physicist1 took no account of the spiritual4 ,geology asserts that the earth was once submerged in water4 ,the scriptures also declare it1 and without reference to the deluge4 ,let the dry land appear6--the very words suggest baptism1 birth1 creation--the emergence of a primitive planet from the womb of the waters4 ,water1 symbolically if not literally1 represents the temporal part of creation1 including the body or mortal part of man4 ,is not baptism1 therefore1 in its two-fold character and significance1 suggestive of the soul's passing out from this watery world1 into the spirit world1 and thence1 by resurrection1 into eternal glory8 ,it is only a suggestion1 but it seems to emphasize1 for me1 the reason why the doorway to the ,church and ,kingdom of ,god is a double doorway1 a dual birth1 a baptism of ,water and of the ,spirit8 ,priesthood and ,church ,government4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,divine ,authority4 ,priest ,defined4--,the ,english word ,priest is generally derived from the ,new ,testament term presbyter 7,elder71 which means to preside4 ,aristotle's definition of ,priest is1 presiding over things relating to the gods4 ,similar to this is ,paul's understanding of the term1 as expressed in ,heb4 #e3a3 ,every high priest taken from among men is constituted on the behalf of men1 with respect to their concerns with ,god1 that he may present both gifts and sacrifices for sins4 ,in ,arabic1 the word denotes to prophesy1 to foretell1 as a soothsayer1 also to act as a mediator or middle person in any business4 ,in the earliest families of the race of ,shem1 the offices of priest and prophet were united1 so that the word originally meant both4 ,the ,hebrew idiom kept one part of the idea1 and the ,arabic another4 ,the primary meaning of the ,hebrew word is regarded to be the rendering of honorable and dignified service1 like that of ministers of state to their sovereign4 ,meaning of ,priesthood4--,priesthood is the office or character of a priest4 ,the term also denotes the execution of that office1 and signifies a class of priests1 or the order of men set apart for sacred offices--priests collectively4 ,so much for human wisdom1 and what it has gleaned upon this subject from the literary fields of the past4 ,to the ,latter-day ,saints1 who owe most of their knowledge concerning it to modern revelation1 ,priesthood means divine authority1 conferred upon men chosen of ,god to officiate in his name and in his stead4 ,it also signifies the men bearing that authority1 the possession of which constitutes them legal representatives of the ,almighty4 ,no man taketh this honor unto himself1 but he that is called of ,god1 as was ,aaron4 7,hebrews #e3d47 ,necessity for a ,priesthood4--,the necessity for a priesthood is as obvious as the necessity for a gospel4 ,the laws of ,god1 like the laws of man1 require officers and a government to administer them4 ,god cannot be everywhere in person4 ,he is omnipresent by his ,spirit1 his power1 his authority1 and his influence4 ,but in person1 being in the form of man1 he is subject to certain limitations1 imposed by eternal law and the very nature of things4 ,there are some things that even the ,omnipotent cannot do4 ,i speak it with all reverence1 and for a good purpose--the teaching of the truth in plainness4 ,for instance1 he cannot make something out of nothing1 though many pious people ascribe to him that power--the power to perform the impossible and absurd4 ,he cannot be in two or more places1 at precisely one and the same time--not in person4 ,therefore1 to carry on his work throughout the universe1 he must have agents to represent him1 and this is the fundamental fact underlying the necessity for a ,priesthood and a ,church organization4 ,president ,smith's ,definition4--,when we speak of ,priesthood we mean ,god's authority1 and the men holding that authority1 to administer the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 ,let me cite here some remarks made by ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 at a general conference of the ,church4 ,said he3 ,what is ,priesthood8 ,it is nothing more nor less than the power of ,god delegated to man1 by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family1 in the name of the ,father and the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost2 and act legitimately in assuming that authority--an authority that has been given in this day in which we live1 by ministering angels and spirits from above1 direct from the presence of ,almighty ,god1 who have come to the earth and administered the priesthood to the children of men4 99 99 99 ,it is the same power and priesthood that was committed to the disciples of ,christ while he was upon the earth2 that whatever should be bound on earth should be bound in heaven1 and whatever should be loosed on earth should be loosed in heaven4 ,the ,principle of ,representation4--,inherent in the ,priesthood is the principle of representation4 ,priesthood1 as ,president ,smith affirms1 is the delegated authority of ,god1 and so plenary and far-reaching are its powers1 that when those holding that authority are in the line of their duty1 and have the spirit of their calling1 their official acts and utterances are as valid as if ,god himself were personally present1 doing and saying what his servants do and say for him4 ,a ,soul-,searching ,admonition4--,a tremendous power for frail mortal man to wield6 ,yes2 and to guard against its abuse1 the exercise of this divine prerogative by weak human beings is hedged about with certain conditions and limitations1 as indicated by the following inspired admonition from the lips of ,joseph the ,seer3 ,behold1 there are many called1 but few are chosen4 ,and why are they not chosen8 ,because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world1 and aspire to the honors of men1 that they do not learn this one lesson-- ,that the rights of the ,priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven1 and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness4 ,that they may be conferred upon us1 it is true2 but when we undertake to cover our sins1 or to gratify our pride1 our vain ambition1 or to exercise control1 or dominion1 or compulsion1 upon the souls of the children of men1 in any degree of unrighteousness1 behold1 the heavens withdraw themselves2 the ,spirit of the ,lord is grieved2 and when it is withdrawn1 ,amen to the ,priesthood1 or the authority of that man4 ,behold6 ere he is aware1 he is left unto himself1 to kick against the pricks2 to persecute the saints1 and to fight against ,god4 ,we have learned1 by sad experience1 that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men1 as soon as they get a little authority1 as they suppose1 they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion4 ,hence many are called1 but few are chosen4 ,no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ,priesthood1 only by persuasion1 by long suffering1 by gentleness1 and meekness1 and by love unfeigned2 ,by kindness1 and pure knowledge1 which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy1 and without guile4 ,reproving betimes with sharpness1 when moved upon by the ,holy ,ghost1 and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved1 lest he esteem thee to be his enemy2 ,that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death2 ,let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men1 and to the household of faith1 and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly1 then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of ,god1 and the doctrine of the ,priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven4 ,the ,holy ,ghost shall be thy constant companion1 and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth1 and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion1 and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever4--7,d4 and ,c4 #aba3cd-df47 ,an ,echo from ,eternity4--,can anyone1 enlightened by the ,holy ,spirit1 doubt the heavenly origin of such wise and sublime instructions8 ,are they not virtually an echo from the heights of eternity1 where the ,gods sat in council before the foundation of the world1 and decreed freedom1 not tyranny2 persuasion1 not compulsion2 charity1 not intolerance1 to be the platform upon which the servants of ,god should stand8 ,wherefore1 because that ,satan rebelled against me1 and sought to destroy the agency of man1 which ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 had given him1 and also that ,i should give unto him mine own power1 by the power of mine ,only ,begotten ,i caused that he should be cast down4 7,moses #d3c47 ,a ,gold and ,silver ,shield4--,but there is another side to the question4 ,it is a gold and silver shield that we are contemplating4 ,if those bearing the priesthood are careful to confine themselves to the lawful and legitimate exercise of the sacred powers conferred upon them1 acting as men of ,god should act1 and doing no other things than those commanded by divine revelation or inspired by the ,holy ,spirit2 what then8 ,in that event the responsibility shifts to other shoulders1 and just how weighty the responsibility is1 the ,savior himself tells in the following prophetic parable3 ,how ,god ,will ,judge the ,world4--,when the ,son of ,man shall come in his glory1 and all the holy angels with him1 then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory3 ,and before him shall be gathered all nations3 and he shall separate them one from another1 as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats3 ,and he shall set the sheep on his right hand1 but the goats on the left4 ,then shall the ,king say unto them on his right hand1 ,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world3 ,for ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me meat2 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took me in3 ,naked1 and ye clothed me3 ,i was sick1 and ye visited me3 ,i was in prison1 and ye came unto me4 ,then shall the righteous answer him1 saying1 ,lord1 when saw we thee an hungered1 and fed thee8 or thirsty1 and gave thee drink8 ,when saw we thee a stranger1 and took thee in8 or naked1 and clothed thee8 ,or when saw we thee sick1 or in prison1 and came unto thee8 ,and the ,king shall answer and say unto them1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these1 my brethren1 ye have done it unto me4 ,then shall he say also unto them on the left hand1 ,depart from me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels3 ,for ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me no meat2 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me no drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took me not in3 naked1 and ye clothed me not3 sick1 and in prison1 and ye visited me not4 ,then shall they also answer him1 saying1 ,lord1 when saw we thee an hungered1 or athirst1 or a stranger1 or naked1 or sick1 or in prison1 and did not minister unto thee8 ,then shall he answer them1 saying4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these1 ye did it not to me4 ,and these shall go away into everlasting punishment2 but the righteous into life eternal4 7,matthew #be3ca-df47 ,this1 then1 is one of the moral standards by which men and nations will be judged3 ,how have you treated my servants whom ,i sent unto you8 ,happy the man or the nation who can truthfully reply to the ,just and ,righteous ,one in that day3 ,lord1 ,i rendered unto thy servants the same respect and obedience that ,i would have shown unto thee1 hadst thou been present in person4 ,warning and ,exhortation4--,the ,savior's solemn warning to the world may well be supplemented by his servant ,joseph's impressive exhortation to the ,priesthood and the ,church in general4 ,he was addressing the apostles and some of the seventies1 prior to their mission to ,europe1 in the summer of #ahci3 ,o ye ,twelve6 and all ,saints6 profit by this important key--that in all your trials1 troubles1 temptations1 afflictions1 bonds1 imprisonments and death1 see to it1 that you do not betray ,heaven2 that you do not betray ,jesus ,christ2 that you do not betray the brethren2 that you do not betray the revelations of ,god1 whether in the ,bible1 ,book of ,mormon1 or ,doctrine and ,covenants1 or any other that ever was or ever will be given and revealed unto man in this world or that which is to come4 ,yea1 in all your kicking and flounderings1 see to it that you do not this thing1 lest innocent blood be found upon your skirts1 and you go down to hell4 ,all other sins are not to be compared to sinning against the ,holy ,ghost1 and proving a traitor to the brethren4 7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #che47 ,such warnings give added weight to an ancient admonition that comes sounding through the centuries3 ,touch not mine anointed2 do my prophets no harm4 ,agents of the ,almighty4--,what it means to bear the ,priesthood and to officiate therein1 is made clear to the comprehension by considering men clothed upon with divine authority as agents of ,god1 sent forth to transact business in his name and in his interest4 ,what kind of men ought they to be1 and what is required of them by ,him who sent them forth8 ,such a question can have but one consistent answer3 ,they should be men who will represent him truly and faithfully4 ,they should reflect his intelligence1 his goodness1 his benevolence1 and as diligent1 upright agents of the ,one who commissioned and empowered them to carry on his work1 follow closely the instructions that he has given1 doing conscientiously and thoroughly what they sincerely believe he would do were he present in his own proper person4 ,such men should live so near to the ,lord1 that when the letter--the revealed word--falls short1 the ,spirit that inspired it1 resting upon them as a continual benediction1 can readily give line upon line of revelation1 flash upon flash of inspiration1 to illumine and make plain the path they are to tread4 ,this is what it means to be an agent of the ,almighty1 a representative of ,god4 ,and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the ,holy ,ghost1 shall be scripture1 shall be the will of the ,lord1 shall be the mind of the ,lord1 shall be the word of the ,lord1 shall be the voice of the ,lord1 and the power of ,god unto salvation4 7,d4 and ,c4 #fh3d47 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,divine ,authority1 ,continued4 ,a ,twofold ,power4--,in an article on ,priesthood1 prepared by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and read at a conference of the ,church in ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 ,october1 #ahdj1 the following sentences occur3 ,there are two ,priesthoods spoken of in the scripture1 viz41 the ,melchizedek and the ,aaronic or ,levitical4 ,although there are two ,priesthoods1 yet the ,melchizedek ,priesthood comprehends the ,aaronic or ,levitical ,priesthood1 and is the grand head1 and holds the highest authority which pertains to the ,priesthood1 and the keys of the kingdom of ,god1 in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth1 and is the channel through which all knowledge1 doctrine1 the plan of salvation1 and every important matter is revealed from heaven4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 p4 #bjg47 ,spiritual and ,temporal4--,why there are two priesthoods1 or1 more properly speaking1 two grand divisions of the ,priesthood1 is because the ,church of ,christ has to do with temporal as well as with spiritual things4 ,all things1 however1 are spiritual unto ,god4 ,the laws and commandments that emanate from him are of that character4 ,he gives no temporal commandment4 ,all his laws are spiritual4 ,as eternity includes time1 so the spiritual includes the temporal4 ,a ,divided ,jurisdiction4--,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood has general authority and jurisdiction over all things1 spiritual and temporal3 while the ,aaronic or lesser ,priesthood1 which is an appendage to the higher power1 has a limited jurisdiction1 its special calling being to administer in temporal things4 ,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood holds the right of presidency1 and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world1 to administer in spiritual things4 ,the second priesthood is called the priesthood of ,aaron1 because it was conferred upon ,aaron and his seed1 throughout all their generations4 ,why it is called the lesser priesthood1 is because it is an appendage to the greater or the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 and has power in administering outward ordinances4 ,the power and authority of the ,higher or ,melchizedek ,priest hood1 is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church4 99 99 99 ,the power and authority of the ,lesser1 or ,aaronic ,priesthood1 is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels1 and to administer in outward ordinances1 the letter of the gospel--the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins1 agreeable to the covenants and commandments4--7,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3h1 #ac1 #ad1 #ah-bj47 ,the ,government of ,god4--,the ,government of ,god1 with its two great wings of authority1 corresponds to the duality of the soul3 and the saving of souls1 here and hereafter1 is the grand purpose for which this government1 the ,church of ,christ1 was organized4 ,the necessity for a church1--which some people question1 just as some question the necessity for a civil government1 or a government of any sort1--ought to be apparent at a glance4 ,it is as plain as that twice two make four4 ,two men1 united1 are more capable than one man1 the powers possessed by them being equal4 ,individuals1 working separately1 however good their intentions1 can never accomplish as much as a community of men and women1 imbued with a common purpose1 and pushing forward the same enterprise4 ,the difference between a single shot and a whole volley1 between one rifleman and a regiment1 may serve as a sufficient illustration4 ,the ,priesthood and the ,soul4--,as the spirit and the body constitute the soul1 so the ,melchizedek and ,aaronic priesthoods constitute the government of the ,church4 ,as through the medium of the mortal body1 with its various members and organs1 the tangible things of this life are grasped and utilized1 while things pertaining to a higher state of existence are perceived1 comprehended1 and made practical1 by means of the spiritual faculties2 so1 by this twain of powers1 differing in their prerogatives1 yet allied1 interwoven1 and harmonious in their mutual workings1 is carried on1 in this world and in all worlds1 the great cause of truth and righteousness1 for the salvation and never-ending progress of ,god's children4 ,furthermore1 to continue the analogy1 it is the spirit1 or higher part of man1 that controls1 directs1 and supplies the motive power for the body1 being the vital mainspring of that wondrous piece of machinery1 whose functions are forwarded by the animation resulting from union and normal operation4 ,even so is it the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 holding the right of presidency1 which controls1 influences1 and directs the entire body of the ,church1 delegating1 however1 a portion of its authority to the ,lesser ,priesthood1 that it likewise may possess and wield its legitimate powers1 and execute fully the purposes for which it was designed4 ,the ,channel of ,revelation4--,speaking of the eternity of the ,priesthood1 the ,prophet ,joseph says3 ,its institution was prior to the foundation of this earth1 or the morning stars sang together1 or the ,sons of ,god shouted for joy1' and is the highest and holiest ,priesthood1 and is after the order of the ,son of ,god1 and all other priesthoods are only parts1 ramifications1 powers and blessings belonging to the same1 and are held1 controlled1 and directed by it4 ,it is the channel through which the ,almighty commenced revealing his glory at the beginning of the creation of this earth1 and through which he has continued to reveal himself to the children of men to the present time1 and through which he will make known his purposes to the end of time4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 p4 #bjg47 ,adam's ,position4--,in another place1 the ,prophet thus continues3 ,the ,priesthood was first given to ,adam2 he obtained the ,first ,presidency1 and held the keys of it from generation to generation4 ,he obtained it in the creation1 before the world was formed that is1 in the spiritual creation1 before the temporal world was formed4 ,he had dominion given him over every living creature4 ,he is ,michael the ,archangel1 spoken of in the scriptures4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 pp4 #che1 #chf47 ,noah ,next to ,adam4--,then to ,noah1 who is ,gabriel2 he stands next in authority to ,adam in the ,priesthood2 he was called of ,god to this office1 and was the father of all living in his day1 and to him was given the dominion4 ,these men held keys first on earth1 and then in heaven4--7,ibid1 p4 #chf47 ,an ,everlasting ,principle4--,the ,priesthood is an everlasting principle1 and existed with ,god from eternity1 and will to eternity1 without beginning of days or end of years4 ,the keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the gospel is sent4 ,when they are revealed from heaven1 it is by ,adam's authority4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,succession and ,descent4--,the ,savior1 ,moses1 and ,elias gave the keys to ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 on the mount1 when they were transfigured before ,him4 99 99 99 ,how have we come at the ,priesthood in the last days8 ,it came down1 down1 in regular succession4 ,peter1 ,james and ,john had it given to them1 and they gave it to others4 ,christ is the ,great ,high ,priest3 ,adam next4--7,ibid1 #chf-chh47 ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery4--,peter1 ,james and ,john--not as mortal men1 but as ministering angels1 sent from heaven for the purpose--gave the ,melchizedek ,priesthood to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery2 and prior to the coming of that ,priesthood1 they received the ,aaronic ,priesthood from ,john the ,baptist1 also acting as an angel4 ,the exact date of the restoration of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood is not given in the ,church records1 but the event must have taken place between ,may #ae1 #ahbi1 when the ,aaronic ,priesthood was conferred upon ,joseph and ,oliver1 and ,april #f1 #ahcj1 the date of the ,church's organization1 when they were sustained1 respectively1 as the ,first and ,second ,elders thereof4 ,spirits ,foreordained4--,in view of the fact that these ordinations were subsequent to the ,prophet's vision1 in the spring of #ahbj1 when the ,father and the ,son appeared to him1 some have found it difficult to interpret the divine declaration1 that no man without the ,melchizedek ,priesthood can see the face of ,god1 even the ,father1 and live4 7,d,c #hd3ai-bb47 ,but the problem is easy of solution1 in the light of the ,prophet's teachings4 ,did he not give the key to it when he said that certain men1 called to minister to the inhabitants of this world1 were ordained to that very purpose before the world was8 7,compendium1 p4 #bhe47 ,i have already cited the examples of ,abraham and ,jeremiah1 who were chosen and ordained before they were born4 ,that ,joseph ,smith was likewise preordained1 seems to me a necessary inference1 in view of the facts presented4 ,for if no man without the ,melchizedek ,priesthood can see the face of ,god the ,father and live1 and ,joseph ,smith1 nine years before he received either of the ,priesthoods from those heavenly messengers1 looked upon the faces of both the ,father and the ,son and survived1 it indicates1 in accordance with his own statement and the examples given1 that certain spirits are ordained to certain callings before they tabernacle in the flesh1 and that he himself held the ,melchizedek ,priesthood when he saw the face of ,god at the opening of the last gospel dispensation4 ,an ordination in the flesh1 after an ordination in the spirit1 seems perfectly consistent2 for the body was not present when the spirit was ordained1 and it is the soul1 spirit and body1 that ,god is dealing with and acting through1 in this stage of existence4 ,that supplemental ordinations are sometimes in order1 is evident from the fact that ,joseph and ,oliver ordained each other1 after they had been ordained by the angel1 or angels2 and that1 too1 by divine commandment4--7,pearl of ,great ,price1--,writings of ,joseph ,smith1 #b3ga47 ,natural and ,spiritual ,eyes4--,there is another interpretation1 which holds that the necessity for the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 in the case of those who look upon the countenance of ,deity1 applies only to such as behold him with the natural eye1 and that it has no reference to those who see ,god by means of the spiritual vision4 ,joseph's experience1 when he beheld the ,father and the ,son1 was probably a parallel to that of ,moses1 when he saw ,god face to face1 and testified as follows3 ,mine own eyes have beheld ,god2 but not my natural1 but my spiritual eyes2 for my natural eyes could not have beheld2 for ,i should have withered and died in his presence2 but his glory was upon me1 and ,i beheld his face2 for ,i was transfigured before him4--7,moses #a3aa47 ,that this was the way in which ,joseph saw ,god1 is virtually affirmed in the following passage3 ,we1 ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 and ,sidney ,rigdon1 being in the ,spirit1 99 99 99 by the power of the ,spirit our eyes were opened1 and our understandings were enlightened1 so as to see and understand the things of ,god 99 99 99 whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision4--7,d4 and ,c4 #gf3aa1 #ab1 #ad47 ,in other words1 ,joseph and ,sidney saw ,god 7,jesus ,christ7 with their spiritual eyes 7the eyes of their spirits71 reinforced by the all-revealing ,spirit of ,god4 ,qualifications for the ,priesthood4--,the qualifications required in those whom the ,lord ordained to the ,melchizedek ,priesthood are thus outlined in the ,book of ,mormon3 ,my brethren1 it is the ,prophet ,alma who is speaking4 ,i would that ye should remember that the ,lord ,god ordained priests1 after his holy order1 which was after the order of his ,son1 to teach these things unto the people4 ,and those priests were ordained after the order of his ,son1 in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his ,son for redemption4 ,and this is the manner after which they were ordained3 being called and prepared from the foundation of the world1 according to the foreknowledge of ,god1 on account of their exceeding faith and good works3 in the first place being left to choose good or evil3 therefore they having chosen good1 and exercising exceeding great faith1 are called with a holy calling1 99 99 99 while others would reject the ,spirit of ,god on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds1 while1 if it had not been for this1 they might had as great privilege as their brethren4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,now they were ordained after this manner3 ,being called with a holy calling1 and ordained with a holy ordinance1 and taking upon them the ,high ,priesthood of the holy order1 which calling and ordinance and ,high ,priesthood is without beginning or end3 ,thus they become ,high ,priests for ever1 after the order of the ,son1 the ,only ,begotten of the ,father4 99 99 99 99 ,now as ,i said concerning the holy order of this ,high ,priesthood3 there were many who were ordained and became ,high ,priests of ,god3 and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance1 and their righteousness before ,god4--7,alma #ac3a-aj47 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,church ,organization4 ,an ,incomparable ,system4--,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints is conceded to be an almost perfect system1 even by men outside its pale4 ,such a one has said of it3 ,it is the most perfect organization in existence1 except the ,german army4 ,the eulogy involves an anticlimax--as if one were to affirm3 ,the sun is the brightest luminary in the heavens--except the moon4 ,the ,german army represents1 perhaps1 the quintessence of human military wisdom3 but like the moon1 it borrows its brilliance4 ,the case is different with the ,church of ,god4 ,like the sun1 it shines with original light1 with divine intelligence1 of which it is the product4 ,between it and any creation of man's1 no comparison is possible4 ,a ,counterpart of the ,church in ,heaven4--,the ,church of ,christ on earth is a counterpart1 so far as conditions will permit1 of the ,church of ,christ in heaven4 ,how it came hither was indicated by ,joseph the ,seer while giving direction for the organization of the various councils and quorums of the ,priesthood4 ,thus3 ,and it is according to the vision1 showing the order of the seventy1 that they should have seven presidents to preside over them4--7,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3ic47 ,mark the words1 ,it is according to the vision4 ,evidently the ,prophet organized the ,priesthood after some model that he had seen in vision3 and what more probable than that this model was the ,church of the ,first ,born1 as it exists in all its perfection in the celestial worlds8 ,while the ,church on earth is not yet as perfect as it will one day be1 it is approximating toward that perfection1 and is destined to attain it4 ,it is doubtful that the ,church1 in any former dispensation1 had so perfect an organization as it possesses at the present time4 ,this admirable and wonderful scheme of spiritual-temporal government was revealed from above and established here below1 that the will of ,god might be done on earth even as it is done in heaven4 ,the ,original ,offices4--,the original offices of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints were elder1 priest1 teacher1 and deacon2 all1 except elder1 callings in the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 ,other offices1 pertaining to the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek1 were evolved as fast as they became necessary4 ,for instance1 the first bishops were ordained in #ahca1 nearly a year after the ,church was organized4 ,there was no ,first ,presidency until #ahcb1 and no stake organization until #ahcd4 ,the twelve apostles were not chosen until #ahce1 nor the first quorums of seventy4 ,but all these offices and callings were inherent in the ,priesthood1 conferred upon ,joseph ,smith before the ,church had any organization at all4 ,they who find fault with the ,church1--as some who have left it do1--on the ground that the ,lord organized it with elders1 priests1 teachers and deacons1 and that men have added such titles and dignities as high priest1 president1 patriarch1 etc41 would be no more inconsistent were they to criticize a human being for not remaining a child1 for growing up to manhood or womanhood and fulfiling their measure of creation4 ,first ,lesser1 then ,greater4--,as already shown1 the first priesthood that came to earth in this dispensation was the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 conferred upon ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 ,may #ae1 #ahbi4 ,according to the critical wiseacre1 that should have ended the matter3 there should have been no further ordination1 no organization of the ,church1 no further development in the work of the ,lord4 ,but there was to be1 nevertheless4 ,as in the case of ,john the ,baptist1 who ordained ,joseph and ,oliver1 it is the mission of the ,lesser ,priesthood to go before the ,greater1 preparing the way4 ,in due time came the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 conferred by ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 and under this dual authorization the ,church was organized1 on the sixth of ,april1 #ahcj4 ,it has had a marvelous history1 and a wonderful growth4 ,never so strong1 or so well equipped1 as now1 its future is rife with glorious promise4 ,epitome of ,church ,government4--,the ,aaronic ,priesthood administers in all outward ordinances1 such as baptism1 the sacrament of the ,lord's supper1 etc4 ,the higher ordinances1 such as confirmations1 sealings1 adoptions1 and other ceremonies of the ,temple1 must be administered by the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek4 ,the offices of the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 graded upward1 are deacon1 teacher and priest1 and the presidency of that priesthood is the bishopric4 ,the bishop has charge of the ,church property1 and he receives and disburses the tithes1 fast offerings1 and other revenues1 under the direction of the higher authorities4 ,there is a presiding bishopric1 who have general charge of the funds provided for the support of the poor1 for the building of temples1 and for other purposes4 ,they also have in custody the general financial records of the ,church4 ,a bishop must either be a lineal descendant of ,aaron1 in which event he can act without counselors1 or he must be a high priest after the order of ,melchizedek1 having as his counselors two other high priests of that order4 ,under the jurisdiction of the presiding bishopric1 in temporal matters1 are the bishoprics of the wards4 ,the ward is a division of the stake1 as the stake is a division of the ,church4 ,a stake1 in territorial extent1 often corresponds to a county1 though in populous districts there may be several stakes in one county4 ,there are four stakes in ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,each stake has a presidency of three and a high council of twelve1 and these have jurisdiction over all members and organizations in the stake1 including the ward bishoprics4 ,the ward bishopric constitutes a court for the trial of members who transgress the ,church laws and regulations4 ,from the decision of the bishop's court either party in the case may appeal to the high council2 and from a decision of the high council an appeal may be taken to the ,first ,presidency1 who review the evidence1 and if any injustice has been done1 they remand the case for a new trial4 ,if a ,president of the ,church were tried1 it would have to be before the common council of the ,church1 assisted by twelve counselors of the high priesthood4 ,the extreme penalty imposed by any ,church tribunal is excommunication4 ,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood comprises1 in an ascending scale1 the offices of elder1 seventy1 and high priest4 ,there are also the callings of patriarch1 apostle1 and president1 who must all be high priests after this order4 ,each specific body of high priests1 seventies1 elders1 priests1 teachers1 or deacons1 is called a quorum1 but most of the general priesthood organizations are termed councils4 ,the ,council of the ,first ,presidency is composed of three1 one of them the ,president1 and the other two his first and second counselors4 ,these three high priests preside over the entire ,church4 ,the ,president is prophet1 seer and revelator1 and likewise trustee-in-trust for the ,church1 holding the legal title to its property4 ,next in authority to the ,first ,presidency is the council of the twelve apostles1 whose special mission is to preach the gospel1 or cause it to be preached1 in all nations4 ,the apostles have the right to regulate and set in order the ,church throughout the world1 but they act under the direction of the ,first ,presidency1 and exercise presidential power only in the absence of the higher council4 ,the death of the ,president of the ,church dissolves the ,first ,presidency1 rendering necessary a new organization of that council4 ,it is the privilege of the apostles to nominate the ,president of the ,church1 who then chooses his two counselors4 ,next to the twelve apostles stands the presiding patriarch2 it is his duty to bless the ,church1 to give individual blessings to its members1 and comfort them with spiritual ministrations4 ,he also assists the apostles in visiting the stakes1 attending conferences1 and performing other duties as required4 ,presiding over the great body of the seventies1 are seven presidents1 known as the first council of the seventy4 ,they are next in authority to the council of the twelve4 ,these seven1 with the senior presidents of the first sixty-three quorums of seventy1 form a council equal in authority to either of the two higher councils3 but they can exercise authority to the extent of presiding over the ,church1 only in the absence of the ,first ,presidency and the twelve apostles4 ,next comes the presiding bishopric1 already mentioned1 composed of three high priests1 having jurisdiction over the temporalities of the ,church4 ,the ,first ,presidency1 the twelve apostles1 the presiding patriarch1 the first council of the seventy1 and the presiding bishopric1 constitute the general authorities4 ,the names of all general officers1 from the ,president down1 are submitted to the general conference1 held twice a year1 to be voted upon by the members of the ,church4 ,they are also presented at the stake conferences1 held quarterly1 to be voted upon1 with the stake officers1 in like manner4 ,under the presidency and high council of each stake1 are one or more patriarchs1 whose ministry1 so far as blessings are concerned1 is similar to that of the presiding patriarch4 ,they minister1 however1 only in their own stakes4 ,each stake has a quorum of high priests1 indefinite in number1 presided over by three of its members4 ,the high priesthood holds the inherent right of presidency1 and it is from the high priests that presidencies are selected1 such as the ,first ,presidency1 the council of the twelve1 a stake presidency1 or a bishopric4 ,while the seventies1 as an entire body1 are presided over by their first council1 they are divided into quorums of seventy1 each quorum having seven presidents of its own4 ,the special duty of the seventies is to assist the apostles in preaching the gospel1 and they labor under the direction of the twelve4 ,unlike the high priests1 elders1 and lesser priesthood1 the seventies are independent of the jurisdiction of the stake presidency1 as quorums1 though not as individual members4 ,they are the minute men of the ,church1 subject to sudden calls into the mission field4 ,a stake has one or more quorums of elders1 each composed of ninety-six members1 three of whom preside4 ,each ward should have one or more quorums of priests 7forty-eight71 teachers 7twenty-four71 and deacons 7twelve71 each with a presidency of three4 ,a ward bishopric presides in a general way over all the quorums of the ,aaronic ,priesthood in the ward1 and over all ,church members1 as individuals1 residing therein4 ,the bishop of the ward is ex-officio president of the priests' quorum4 ,the elder's office is the lowest in the ,melchizedek ,priesthood proper4 ,the duties of an elder are similar to those of a seventy1 though they are exercised more at home than abroad4 ,next under the office of elder1 is that of priest1 the high est office in the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 excepting the bishop1 who1 however1 is a priest1 and officiates as such when sitting as a judge1 but as a high priest1 in presiding over his ward4 ,the priest may preach1 baptize1 and administer the sacrament1 but has not the right to lay on hands for the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,that is a function of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 to be exercised only by the elders and those above them4 ,the teacher is a peace-maker4 ,it is his duty to settle difficulties arising between ,church members in his district1 or1 if he cannot settle them1 to report them to the bishop under whose jurisdiction he labors4 ,a ward is divided into districts1 and in each district two or more teachers labor regularly4 ,it is incumbent upon them to visit from house to house1 to see that no iniquity shall exist among the members1 that they attend their meetings faithfully1 and do all things required by the laws and regulations of the ,church4 ,the teachers report monthly1 or as often as required1 to the bishopric4 ,the deacons have charge of the ward property1 and are to assist the teachers1 as the teachers assist the priests1 when necessary4 ,there are at present sixty-five stakes of ,zion1 all located in the region of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,two of these stakes are in ,canada1 and until recently there was another in ,mexico4 ,the stakes organized in ,ohio1 ,missouri1 ,illinois and ,iowa1 were abandoned when the ,saints were compelled to flee from their former homes4 ,in addition to the sixty-five stakes1 there are twenty-one outside missions1 comprising most of the countries of the globe4 ,there is also a central bureau of information1 at ,salt ,lake ,city1 the headquarters of the ,church4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints1 in all the world1 number about half a million4 ,all the organizations named are strictly within the place of the ,priesthood3 but in addition there are auxiliary organizations1 such as ,relief ,societies1 ,sabbath ,schools1 ,young ,men's and ,young ,ladies' ,mutual ,improvement ,associations1 ,primary ,associations1 and ,religion ,classes4 ,the ,relief ,societies1 which form a vast net-work over all the stakes1 wards1 and most of the missions1 are women's organizations1 for the care and comfort of the sick and the needy4 ,the ,deseret ,sunday ,school ,union has a membership of over #aej1jjj4 ,the ,mutual ,improvement ,associations are what their name implies3 the sexes meet separately1 except in monthly conjoint sessions1 and study systematically religion1 history1 philosophy1 and the arts and sciences4 ,the ,primaries are for the training of children too young for membership in the ,mutuals2 and the ,religion ,classes are for special instruction to the youth of both sexes4 ,church schools exist in many of the stakes1 the most notable being the ,brigham ,young ,university of ,provo1 the ,brigham ,young ,college of ,logan1 and the ,latter-day ,saints ,university of ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,old folks' committees1 for the entertainment of the aged1 regardless of sect or creed1 are another institution of the ,church1 and are found in most of the stakes and wards throughout ,zion4 ,for further information on ,priesthood and ,church government1 the reader is referred to ,d,c #bj1fh1hd1ajg1aab1 and #aad of the ,doctrine and ,covenants2 also to the ,history of the ,church1 ,volume ,,iii1 page #che3 and ,volume ,,iv1 page #bjg4 ,the ,gospel ,dispensations ,,chapter ,i4 ,introductory ,one ,plan of ,salvation4--,as there is but one ,savior1 so is there but one plan of salvation4 ,there never was1 and there never can be1 another ,i marvel1 wrote ,paul to the back-sliding ,galatians1 that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of ,christ1 unto another gospel2 which is not another2 but there be some that trouble you1 and would pervert the gospel of ,christ4 ,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you1 let him be accursed4--7,galatians #a3f-h47 ,for ,all ,men4--,the ,gospel of ,christ is not of any one place1 nor of any one period4 ,neither is it for the salvation of any class1 to the exclusion of other classes4 ,it is for all men1 and was made plain and simple1 that it might appeal to all4 ,at the same time1 it is the mightiest1 the sublimest1 and the most profound system of philosophy that the world has ever known4 ,it is not a child of earth1 nor a product of human wisdom4 ,it came out of eternity1 from the very bosom of ,god1 and has been upon the earth at different times and places4 ,it is the ,everlasting ,gospel1 the same yesterday1 today1 and forever1 and all true principles of religion1 science1 or philosophy1 now popular in the world1 are but parts of it--broken off fragments of this grand ,rock of ,ages4 ,or1 to change the figure1 they are as pools of water1 caught in the clefts and hollows of time1 when the great flood of ,truth1 in one or more of its visitations1 swept by on its way back to the eternal ocean4 ,all ,truth ,divine4--,every religion in existence that has benefited its believers1 must have possessed at some period a portion of divine truth2 and that truth is what perpetuated it1 not the errors associated therewith4 ,these are as cobwebs and dust1 the accumulated rubbish of false tradition1 in which the precious jewel is wholly or in part concealed4 ,yes1 every religion1 ,christian or ,pagan1 that has proved a real blessing to its votaries1 is as a cistern holding within it waters once wholesome and pure1--waters that fell originally from heaven1 in one of those grand spiritual showers1 called dispensations of the gospel1 when the flood gates of eternity were lifted1 that the world might be refreshed4 ,the ,arab and the ,caliph4--,but spiritual waters1 like the waters of earth1 will lose their sweetness and purity1 if separated too far and too long from their fountain-head4 ,they will become stagnant and unwholesome1 like the water carried for many days by the poor ,arab in his leathern bottle1 from the sparkling spring in the desert to the distant palace of the ,caliph1 who magnanimously rewarded the giver1 not for the rank draught presented for his acceptance1 but for the goodness of his motive1 the sincerity of his soul4 ,god's ,word ,apportioned4--,how every tribe and nation receives its portion of the divine word1 is thus told in the ,nephite record3 ,o that ,i were an angel1 and could have the wish of mine heart1 that ,i might go forth and speak with the trump of ,god1 with a voice to shake the earth1 and cry repentance unto every people3 ,yea1 ,i would declare unto every soul1 as with the voice of thunder1 repentance1 and the plan of redemption1 that they should repent and come unto our ,god1 that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth4 ,but behold1 ,i am a man1 and do sin in my wish2 for ,i ought to be content with the things which the ,lord hath allotted unto me4 ,i ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just ,god1 for ,i know that he granteth unto men according to their desire1 whether it be unto death or unto life2 yea1 ,i know that he allotteth unto men1 according to their wills2 whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction4 ,yea1 and ,i know that good and evil have come before all men2 or he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless2 but he that knoweth good and evil1 to him it is given according to his desires2 whether he desireth good or evil1 life or death1 joy or remorse of conscience4 ,now seeing that ,i know these things1 why should ,i desire more than to perform the work to which ,i have been called8 ,why should ,i desire that ,i was an angel1 that ,i could speak unto all the ends of the earth8 ,for behold1 the ,lord doth grant unto all nations1 of their own nation and tongue1 to teach his word2 yea1 in wisdom1 all that he seeth fit that they should have2 therefore we see that the ,lord doth counsel in wisdom1 according to that which is just and true4--7,alma #bi3a-h47 ,an ,oft-,restored ,religion4--,the ,gospel of ,christ did not make its first appearance upon this planet at the time of the ,savior's crucifixion4 ,while it seemed a new thing to that generation--for they were astonished at the doctrine of the ,nazarene1 who taught them the return of good for evil as a better rule of conduct than the ,mosaic law of retaliation--in reality it was older than all the ages1 older than the earth itself4 ,it might have said1 with its divine ,author3 ,before ,abraham was ,i am--with reference to the mortal life of ,abraham4 ,originating in the heavens1 before this world was created1 the gospel1 prior to its preaching in the meridian of time1 had been revealed to man in a series of dispensations1 beginning with ,adam and extending down to that day4 ,the ancient apostles of our ,lord preached a restored gospel1 just as much as do the apostles1 seventies1 and elders of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,dispensation ,defined4--,it is time to ask1 and to more fully answer the question1 ,what is meant by the term dispensation8 ,to dispense is to deal out or distribute1 as when the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper is dispensed to a congregation4 ,dispensation of ,providence is a phrase used to describe some dealing of ,god with man1 either for joy or sorrow to the object of the visitation4 ,in theology the term ,dispensation signifies the method or scheme by which ,god has at different times developed his purposes and revealed himself to man4 ,it also denotes a period marked by some particular development of the divine purpose and revelation1 such as the ,mosaic dispensation1 lasting from ,moses to ,christ3 or the ,christian dispensation1 ending in a universal apostasy which rendered necessary the latter-day restoration of the gospel and the ,priesthood4 ,seven ,periods4--,it is held by many that there are seven gospel dispensations1 seven distinct periods1 during which the plan of salvation1 restored from heaven to earth1 has been administered to the children of men2 the intervals of spiritual darkness between those periods of light resulting from the world's unworthiness4 ,revelation1 so far as ,i am aware1 is silent as to the number of the dispensations2 but ,i am among those who incline to the belief that seven is correct2 a belief probably founded1 in part1 upon the scriptural or symbolical character of that number1 and upon the ,prophet ,joseph's teaching relative to the seven periods1 answering to the seven seals of the mystical book seen by ,john the ,revelator in his vision on ,patmos4--7,rev4 #e and #f47 ,the ,apocalyptic ,book4--,section ,seventy-,seven of the ,doctrine and ,covenants is a key to ,john's revelation1 consisting of a series of questions and answers2 those germane to this subject being as follows3 ,what are we to understand by the book which ,john saw1 which was sealed on the back with seven seals8 ,we are to understand that it contains the revealed will1 mysteries1 and works of ,god2 the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance1 or its temporal existence4 ,what are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed8 ,we are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years1 and the second also of the second thousand years1 and so on until the seventh4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,what are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets1 mentioned in the #hth chapter of ,revelations8 ,we are to understand that as ,god made the world in six days1 and on the seventh day he finished his work1 and sanctified it1 and also formed man out of the dust of the earth2 even so1 in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the ,lord ,god sanctify the earth1 and complete the salvation of man1 and judge all things1 and shall redeem all things1 except that which he hath not put into his power1 when he shall have sealed all things2 and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels1 are the preparing and finishing of his work1 in the beginning of the seventh thousand years2--the preparing of the way before the time of his coming4 ,whether or not these seven periods are looked upon as gospel dispensation1 it is interesting to consider them as covering the same ground1 paralleling1 or extending through1 the same mighty stretch of duration1 and dealing with events1 epochs1 personages and principles connected with those dispensations4 ,the ,world's ,real ,history4--,concerning the book which ,john saw1 the ,prophet says in effect that it represents the real history of the world--what the eye of ,god has seen1 what the recording angel has written4 ,the seven thousand years1 corresponding to the seven seals1 are as seven great days1 during which ,mother ,earth will fulfil her mortal mission or probation1 laboring six days1 and resting upon the seventh1 her period of sanctification4 ,we are not to understand1 however1 that these seven thousand years include the time during which the earth was in process of creation and of preparation for man4 ,the phrase temporal existence shows that the reckoning began1 not before1 but after1 time had been decreed4 ,earth ,obedient to ,law4--,that this planet is indeed upon probation1 and capable of obeying law1 is plainly taught in modern revelation3 ,and again1 verily ,i say unto you1 the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom1 for it filleth the measure of its creation1 and transgresseth not the law4 ,wherefore it shall be sanctified2 yea1 notwithstanding it shall die1 it shall be quickened again1 and shall abide the power by which it is quickened1 and the righteous shall inherit it4--7,d4 and ,c4 #hh3be-bf47 ,the ,sea of ,glass4--,the key to the ,apocalypse1 already quoted1 begins with this question concerning earth's glorious future3 ,what is the sea of glass spoken of by ,john1 #dth chapter1 and #fth verse1 of the ,revelation8 ,and the answer is3 ,it is the earth1 in its sanctified1 immortal1 and eternal state4 ,one ,day as a ,thousand ,years4--,that the seven thousand years are indeed as seven great days1 is virtually set forth in the ,book of ,abraham1 where the patriarch1 who was deeply learned in astronomy1 and taught that science to the ,egyptians1 tells of a mighty governing planet nearest to the throne of ,god--a planet named ,kolob1 revolving once in a thousand years4 7,abr4 #c47 ,it is evident that such a day figured in the warning given to ,adam3 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 7,gen4 #b3ag7 for ,adam1 having eaten of the forbidden fruit1 lived on to the age of #icj years4 ,in the ,book of ,abraham 7#e3ac71 it is explained that the day in question was after the time of ,kolob2 for as yet the ,gods had not appointed unto ,adam his reckoning4 ,the ,saturday ,evening of ,time4--,according to received chronology1 four thousand years1 or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its temporal continuance1 had passed before ,christ came1 while nearly two thousand years have gone by since4 ,so that the sixth day is now drawing to a close1 and we stand at the present moment in the ,saturday evening of human history4 ,morning will break upon the ,millennium1 the thousand years of peace1 the ,sabbath of the world4 ,dispensations ,inter-,related4--,whatever their number1 or the names by which they may be properly known1 it is certain that the gospel dispensations are inter-related4 ,they are as the links of a mighty chain1 representing ,god's dealings with man1 and extending from the dawn of creation down to and beyond the present time4 ,symbolical and ,prophetic4--,those dispensations are likewise symbolical and prophetic in character1 pointing forward and finding their culmination1 their prospective and complete fulfilment1 in the great and final dispensation that is destined to bring about the restitution of all things4 ,this is ,mormonism's mission upon earth--,mormonism1 a nick-name for the ,everlasting ,gospel1 brought back once more for the purpose of completing the ,lord's work as pertaining to this planet1 binding in one the dispensations1 and merging them into the last and greatest of all--the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,adamic ,period ,adam ,holds the ,keys4--,the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith treats thus the theme of the ,gospel dispensations3 ,commencing with ,adam1 who was the first man1 99 99 99 the first and father of all1 not only by progeny1 but the first to hold the spiritual blessings1 to whom was made known the plan of ordinances for the salvation of his posterity unto the end1 and to whom ,christ was first revealed1 and through whom ,christ has been revealed from heaven1 and will continue to be revealed from henceforth2--,adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fulness of times2 i4e41 the dispensation of all the times have been and will be revealed through him from the beginning to ,christ1 and from ,christ to the end of all the dispensations that are to be revealed4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #bjg1 #bjh47 ,all ,things in ,christ4--,having cited ,paul 7,ephesians #a3i1aj71 as showing how ,god purposed in himself1 that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in ,christ1 both which are in heaven and which are on earth1 the ,prophet goes on to say3 ,now the purpose of himself1 in the winding up scene of the last dispensation1 is that all things pertaining to that dispensation should be conducted precisely in accordance with the preceding dispensations4 ,and again1 ,god purposed in himself that there should not be an eternal fulness until every dispensation should be fulfiled and gathered together in one1 and that all things whatsoever that should be gathered together in one in those dispensations unto the same fulness and eternal glory1 should be in ,christ ,jesus2 therefore he set the ordinances to be the same forever and ever1 and set ,adam to watch over them1 to reveal them from heaven to man1 or to send angels to reveal them4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,this1 then1 is the nature of the ,priesthood3 every man holding the presidency of his dispensation1 and one man holding the presidency of them all1 even ,adam2 and ,adam receiving his presidency and authority from the ,lord1 but cannot receive a fulness until ,christ shall present the kingdom to the ,father1 which shall be at the end of the last dispensation4--7,ibid1 pp4 #bjh-bji47 ,distinctive ,features4--,each dispensation stands for some particular development of ,god's work4 ,each period possess certain distinguishing characteristics1 to point out which1 rather than to give an exhaustive narration of events and happenings1 is the aim of the present article4 ,in the ,adamic dispensation1 or the period during which ,adam lived upon the earth1 in addition to the ,creation and the ,fall1 already treated in previous chapters1 we find the following distinctive features3 7#a7 ,the institution of the law of sacrifice1 foreshadowing the ,atonement that was to be made by the ,lamb of ,god4 7#b7 ,the introduction and first promulgation of the ,gospel1 as a means of redeeming mankind from the effects of the ,fall4 7#c7 ,the original exercise of the evangelical power and authority by ,father ,adam1 the patriarch of the human family4 ,sacrifice ,instituted4--,respecting the law of sacrifice1 it is written3 ,and ,adam and ,eve1 his wife1 called upon the name of the ,lord1 and they heard the voice of the ,lord from the way toward the ,garden of ,eden1 speaking unto them1 and they saw him not2 for they were shut out from his presence4 ,and he gave unto them commandments1 that they should worship the ,lord their ,god1 and should offer the firstlings of their flocks1 for an offering unto the ,lord4 ,and ,adam was obedient unto the commandments of the ,lord4 ,and after many days an angel of the ,lord appeared unto ,adam1 saying3 ,why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the ,lord8 ,and ,adam said unto him3 ,i know not1 save the ,lord commanded me4 ,and then the angel spake1 saying3 ,this thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the ,only ,begotten of the ,father1 which is full of grace and truth4 ,wherefore1 thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the ,son1 and thou shalt repent and call upon ,god in the name of the ,son for evermore4--7,moses #e3d-h47 ,revelation ,necessary4--,adam knew all about the law of sacrifice--knew all about it in the spirit2 for he was one of those who had sat in the eternal councils1 where the plan of salvation was framed1 and the choice made of a ,redeemer and ,savior4 ,he helped to form that plan1 and to choose the ,one who would put it into effect4 ,adam knew all about the ,lamb of ,god1 slain in theory from the foundation of the world1 and yet to be slain literally upon the earth1 an event symbolized by the sacrifice that he was in the very act of offering1 perhaps1 when the angel accosted him4 ,but he had forgotten it all1 so great is the change that comes over the spirit in passing from pre-mortal into mortal conditions4 ,hence the necessity of such a visitation1 to enlighten him4 ,hence1 also1 the necessity of revelation by the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,comforter1 bringing things past to remembrance1 showing things to come4 ,the ,gospel's ,introduction4--,the introduction of the ,gospel is thus narrated3 ,and the ,lord ,god called upon men by the ,holy ,ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent4--7,moses #e3ad47 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and he called upon our father ,adam by his own voice1 saying3 ,i am ,god2 ,i made the world1 and men before they were in the flesh4 ,and he also said unto him3 ,if thou wilt turn unto me1 and hearken unto my voice1 and believe1 and repent of all thy transgressions1 and be baptized1 even in water1 in the name of mine ,only ,begotten ,son1 who is full of grace and truth1 which is ,jesus ,christ1 the only name which shall be given under heaven whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men1 ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost2 asking all things in ,his name1 and whatsoever ye shall ask1 it shall be given you4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now1 behold1 ,i say unto you3 ,this is the plan of salvation unto all men1 through the blood of mine ,only ,begotten1 who shall come in the meridian of time4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and it came to pass1 when the ,lord had spoken with ,adam1 our father1 that ,adam cried unto the ,lord1 and he was caught away by the ,spirit of the ,lord1 and was carried down into the water1 and was laid under the water1 and was brought forth out of the water4 ,and thus he was baptized1 and the ,spirit of ,god descended upon him1 and thus he was born of the ,spirit1 and became quickened in the inner man4 ,and he heard a voice out of heaven1 saying3 ,thou art baptized with fire1 and with the ,holy ,ghost4--7,moses #f3ea1 #eb1 #fb1 #fd-ff47 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and thus the ,gospel began to be preached1 from the beginning1 being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of ,god1 and by his own voice1 and by the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and thus all things were confirmed unto ,adam1 by an holy ordinance1 and the ,gospel preached1 and a decree sent forth1 that it should be in the world1 until the end thereof2 and thus it was4 ,amen4--7,moses #e3eh1 #ei47 ,adam as ,patriarch4--,concerning ,adam's patriarchal ministry1 we are thus enlightened by ,joseph the ,seer3 ,i saw ,adam in the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman4 ,he called together his children and blessed them with a patriarchal blessing4 ,the ,lord appeared in their midst1 and he 7,adam7 blessed them all and foretold what should befall them to the latest generation4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #chh47 ,patriarchal ,order and ,descent4--,respecting the patriarchal order1 the ,lord says3 ,the order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son1 and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed1 to whom the promises were made4 ,this order was instituted in the days of ,adam1 and came down by lineage in the following manner3 ,from ,adam to ,seth1 who was ordained by ,adam at the age of #fi years1 and was blessed by him three years previous to his 7,adam's7 death1 and received the promise of ,god by his father1 that his posterity should be the chosen of the ,lord1 and that they should be preserved unto the end of the earth4 ,because he 7,seth7 was a perfect man1 and his likeness was the express likeness of his father's1 insomuch that he seemed to be like unto his father in all things1 and could be distinguished from him only by his age4 ,enos was ordained at the age of #acd years and four months by the hand of ,adam4 ,god called upon ,cainan in the wilderness1 in the fortieth year of his age1 and he met ,adam in journeying to the place ,shedolamak4 ,he was #hg years old when he received his ordination4 ,mahalaleel was #dif years and seven days old when he was ordained by the hand of ,adam1 who also blessed him4 ,jared was #bjj years old when he was ordained under the hand of ,adam1 who also blessed him4 ,enoch was #be years old when he was ordained under the hand of ,adam1 and he was #fe and ,adam blessed him4 ,and he saw the ,lord1 and he walked with him1 and was before his face continually2 and he walked with ,god #cfe years1 making him #dcj years old when he was translated4 ,methuselah was #ajj years old when he was ordained under the hand of ,adam4 ,lamech was #cb years old when he was ordained under the hand of ,seth4 ,noah was #aj years old when he was ordained under the hand of ,methuselah4 ,three years previous to the death of ,adam1 he called ,seth1 ,enos1 ,cainan1 ,mahalaleel1 ,jared1 ,enoch1 and ,methuselah1 who were all ,high ,priests1 with the residue of his posterity who were righteous1 into the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 and the re bestowed upon them his last blessing4 ,and the ,lord appeared unto them1 and they rose up and blessed ,adam1 and called him ,michael1 the ,prince1 the ,archangel4 ,and the ,lord administered comfort unto ,adam1 and said unto him1 ,i have set thee to be at the head--a multitude of nations shall come of thee1 and thou art a prince over them for ever4 ,and ,adam stood up in the midst of the congregation1 and not withstanding he was bowed down with age1 being full of the ,holy ,ghost1 predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation4--7,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3dj-ef47 ,the ,ancient of ,days4--,here is given1 by the ,prophet1 a glimpse of the glorious sequel3 ,daniel1 in his seventh chapter1 speaks of the ,ancient of ,days2 he means the oldest man1 our ,father ,adam1 ,michael2 he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the ,son of ,man4 ,he 7,adam7 is the father of the human family1 and presides over the spirits of all men1 and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council4 ,this may take place before some of us leave this stage of action4 ,the ,son of ,man stands before him1 and there is given him glory and dominion4 ,adam delivers up his stewardship to ,christ1 that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe1 but retains his standing as head of the human family4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #chf47 ,place of the ,council4--,the place of the council mentioned in the foregoing paragraph1 is thus pointed out by the finger of the ,lord3 ,revelation to ,joseph the ,seer1 given near ,wight's ,ferry1 at a place called ,spring ,hill1 ,davis ,county1 ,missouri1 ,may #aith1 #ahch1 wherein ,spring ,hill is named by the ,lord1 ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 because1 said he1 it is the place where ,adam shall come to visit his people1 or the ,ancient of ,days shall sit1 as spoken of by ,daniel the prophet4--7,d4 and ,c4 #aaf47 ,adam-ondi-,ahman4--,at that very spot1 ,spring ,hill1 ,davis ,county1 ,missouri1 in the year #ahch1 the ,latter-day ,saints1 by direction of the ,prophet1 began to build a city1 naming it ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 afterwards abbreviated to ,diahman4 ,while engaged in making the survey1 some of the brethren came upon the ruins of an ancient altar1 which the ,prophet1 on beholding1 declared to be the identical altar upon which ,adam offered sacrifices after he was expelled from ,eden4 ,the ,garden of ,eden1 ,joseph said1 was in ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri1 from which part the ,saints had been driven1 as if to typify reminiscently the original expulsion4 ,in both instances1 the tree of disobedience bore the same bitter fruit4 ,in ,jackson ,county the ,new ,jerusalem is to be built1 and a people prepared for the glorious coming of the ,lord4 ,that ,america is the ,old ,world1 not the ,new1 science now affirms2 but the fact was first proclaimed by revelation1 whose other name1 in this case1 is ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet4 ,cain and ,abel4--,adam's offering of sacrifice was acceptable to the ,lord1 being in accordance with the divine command1 and because it truly symbolized the ,lamb of ,god1 who was to come4 ,abel1 ,adam's son1 offered a similar sacrifice--the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof1 and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering 7,gen4 #d3d74 ,but ,cain1 ,abel's eldest brother1 who had also been taught the law of sacrifice1 took it upon himself to deviate from the divine instruction1 and instead of a lamb1 he brought of the fruit of the ground1 an offering in no way typical of the ,savior4 ,hence1 his offering was rejected4 ,the ,prophet ,joseph1 commenting upon these facts1 says3 ,god will not acknowledge that which ,he has not called1 ordained1 and chosen4 ,he quotes ,paul 7,heb4 #aa3d73 ,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain1 by which he obtained witness that he was righteous1 ,god testifying of his gifts2 and by it he being dead1 yet speaketh--and then asks3 ,how doth he yet speak8 ,why1 he magnified the priesthood which was conferred upon him1 and died a righteous man1 and therefore has become an angel of ,god by receiving his body from the dead1 holding still the keys of his dispensation2 and was sent down from heaven unto ,paul to minister consoling words1 and to commit unto him a knowledge of the mysteries of godliness4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the power1 glory and blessings of the priesthood could not continue with those who received ordination only as their righteousness continued2 for ,cain also being authorized to offer sacrifice1 but not offering it in righteousness1 was cursed4 ,it signifies1 then1 that the ordinances must be kept in the very way ,god has appointed2 otherwise their priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a blessing4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #bjh1 #bji47 ,inter-,relation ,shown4--,it was after the episode of ,cain and ,abel1 including the murder of the latter by the former1 that ,adam called the righteous residue of his posterity into the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 and there gave them his farewell benediction1 foretelling what should befall the human race down to the end of time4 ,that great patriarchal blessing1 considered in connection with ,adam's coming as the ,ancient of ,days1 to call his children before him in a grand council upon the precise spot where he uttered his wonderful world-covering prediction1 clearly shows the relationship between the ,first ,dispensation and the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,enoch and ,zion ,the ,seventh from ,adam4--,enoch was contemporaneous with ,adam1 and was ordained and blessed by him 7,d,c #ajg3dh74 ,the period in which ,enoch figured was prolific of wonderful events1 but the two standing out most prominently are3 7#a7 ,the successful practice of the law of consecration1 resulting in the founding of ,zion1 the ,city of ,holiness1 which was taken into heaven by translation4 7#b7 ,enoch's vision of the future--past ,noah and the deluge1 past ,christ and the crucifixion1 down even to the last days1 when the coming of the ,lord in his glory would usher in the millennial reign of rest4 ,what ,enoch ,beheld4--,some of the sweetest and sublimest passages in the writings of ,moses1 as reproduced by ,joseph the ,prophet1 are those in which he tells the story of ,enoch and his city1 and portrays the marvelous events made visible to the eye of the ancient ,seer4 ,here are some of the more notable passages3 ,and the ,lord called his people ,zion1 because they were of one heart and one mind1 and dwelt in righteousness2 and there was no poor among them4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and it came to pass that the ,lord showed unto ,enoch all the inhabitants of the earth2 and he beheld1 and lo1 ,zion1 in process of time1 was taken up into heaven4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,enoch3 ,behold mine abode forever4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and it came to pass that the ,god of heaven looked upon the residue of the people1 and he wept2 and ,enoch bore record of it1 saying3 ,how is it that the heavens weep1 and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains8 ,and ,enoch said unto the ,lord3 ,how is it that thou canst weep1 seeing thou art holy1 and from all eternity to all eternity8 ,and were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth1 yea millions of earths like this1 it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations2 and thy curtains are stretched out still2 and yet thou art there1 and thy bosom is there2 and also thou art just2 thou art merciful and kind forever2 ,and thou hast taken ,zion to thine own bosom1 from all thy creations1 from all eternity to all eternity2 and nought but peace1 justice1 and truth is the habitation of thy throne2 and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end2 how is it thou canst weep8 ,the ,lord said unto ,enoch3 ,behold these 99 99 99 99 which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods2 and behold1 ,i will shut them up2 a prison have ,i prepared for them4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and ,enoch also saw ,noah1 and his family2 that the posterity of all the sons of ,noah should be saved with a temporal salvation4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and behold1 ,enoch saw the days of the coming of the ,son of ,man1 even in the flesh2 and his soul rejoiced1 saying3 ,the ,righteous is lifted up1 and the ,lamb is slain from the foundation of the world2 and through faith ,i am in the bosom of the ,father1 and behold1 ,zion is with me4 ,and it came to pass that ,enoch looked upon the earth2 and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof1 saying3 ,wo1 wo is me1 the mother of men2 ,i am pained1 ,i am weary1 because of the wickedness of my children4 ,when shall ,i rest1 and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me8 ,when will my ,creator sanctify me1 that ,i may rest1 and righteousness for a season abide upon my face8 ,and when ,enoch heard the earth mourn1 he wept1 and cried unto the ,lord1 saying3 ,o ,lord1 wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth8 ,wilt thou not bless the children of ,noah8 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord said unto ,enoch3 ,as ,i live1 even so will ,i come in the last days1 in the days of wickedness and vengeance1 to fulfil the oath which ,i have made unto you concerning the children of ,noah3 ,and the day shall come that the earth shall rest1 but before that day the heavens shall be darkened1 and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth2 and the heavens shall shake1 and also the earth2 and great tribulations shall be among the children of men1 but my people will ,i preserve2 ,and righteousness will ,i send down out of heaven1 and truth will ,i send forth out of the earth1 to bear testimony of mine ,only ,begotten2 his resurrection from the dead2 yea1 and also the resurrection of all men2 and righteousness and truth will ,i cause to sweep the earth as with a flood1 to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth1 unto a place which ,i shall prepare1 an ,holy ,city1 that my people may gird up their loins1 and be looking forth for the time of my coming2 for there shall be my tabernacle1 and it shall be called ,zion1 a ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,enoch3 ,then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there1 and we will receive them into our bosom1 and they shall see us2 and we will fall upon our necks1 and we will kiss each other2 ,and there shall be mine abode1 and it shall be ,zion1 which shall come forth out of all the creations which ,i have made2 and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest4 ,and it came to pass that ,enoch saw the day of the coming of the ,son of ,man1 in the last days1 to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years4--7,moses #g3ah-fd47 ,a fuller account of ,enoch's ministry as prophet1 seer1 and preacher of righteousness1 may be found in that chapter of the ,book of ,moses from which the foregoing paragraphs are taken4 ,a ,terrestrial ,ministry4--,now this ,enoch1 says the ,prophet ,joseph1 ,god reserved unto himself1 that he should not die at that time1 and appointed unto him a ministry unto terrestrial bodies1 of whom there has been but little revealed4 ,he is reserved also unto the presidency of a dispensation4 99 99 99 ,he appeared unto ,jude1 as ,abel did unto ,paul 7,jude #ad1ae74 99 99 99 ,paul was also acquainted with this character1 and received instructions from him3 ,by faith ,enoch was translated1 that he should not see death1 and was not found1 because ,god had translated him 7,heb4 #aa3e74 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,now the doctrine of translation is a power which belongs to this ,priesthood4 ,there are many things which belong to the powers of the ,priesthood and the keys thereof1 that have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world2 they are hid from the wise and prudent to be revealed in the last times4 ,many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of ,god1 and into an eternal fulness1 but this is a mistaken idea4 ,their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order1 and a place prepared for such characters1 he held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets1 and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #bji1 #baj47 ,enoch's ,city to ,return4--,enoch's city1 according to this teaching1 is now in terrestrial glory1 awaiting its return to earth1 when the season is ripe1 and preparations are complete for its reception4 ,the change wrought upon its inhabitants by translation not being equivalent to resurrection1 they will have to undergo a further change1 to prepare them for celestial glory4 ,doubtless their case is similar to that of the ,saints mentioned by ,paul1 who will not sleep in death1 but be changed in the twinkling of an eye to complete immortality1 at the time of the coming of the ,son of ,god4--7,i ,cor4 #ae3ea1 #eb47 ,zion ,above and ,zion ,beneath4--,the ,zion of ,enoch was undoubtedly a foreshadowing of the ,zion of the last days1 with which it will blend1 and the following glorious picture then be realized3 ,the ,lord hath brought again ,zion3 ,the ,lord hath redeemed his people1 ,israel1 ,according to the election of grace1 ,which was brought to pass by the faith ,and covenant of their fathers4 ,the ,lord hath redeemed his people1 ,and ,satan is bound and time is no longer3 ,the ,lord hath gathered all things in one3 ,the ,lord hath brought down ,zion from above4 ,the ,lord hath brought up ,zion from beneath4 ,the earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength3 ,and truth is established in her bowels3 ,and the heavens have smiled upon her3 ,and she is clothed with the glory of her ,god3 ,for he stands in the midst of his people3 ,glory1 and honor1 and power1 and might1 ,be ascribed to our ,god2 for he is full of mercy1 ,justice1 grace and truth1 and peace1 ,for ever and ever4 ,amen4--7,d4 and ,c4 #hd3ii-ajb47 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,noah and the ,deluge ,the ,son of ,lamech4--,noah was the son of ,lamech1 who was a grandson of ,enoch1 and after him the next great grand patriarch who held the keys of the priesthood4 ,lamech was ordained under the hand of ,seth1 the third son of ,adam1 who received from his father a blessing similar to the one afterwards pronounced upon ,abraham1 to the effect that his posterity should be the chosen of the ,lord4 ,seth seems to have succeeded to the position held by ,abel1 whom ,cain slew 7,gen4 #d3be74 ,he is described as a perfect man1 the express likeness of his father4 ,noah's patriarchal ordination came from ,methuselah1 the father of ,lamech4 ,noah was but ten years old when his grandfather thus blessed and ordained him4--7,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3 #db1 #dc1 #dh1 #ea1 #eb47 ,and ,noah was four hundred and fifty years old1 and begat ,japheth2 and forty-two years afterward he begat ,shem of her who was the mother of ,japheth2 and when he was five hundred years old he begat ,ham4 ,and it came to pass that ,noah prophesied1 and taught the things of ,god1 even as it was in the beginning4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,noah3 ,my ,spirit shall not always strive with man1 for he shall know that all flesh shall die2 yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years2 and if men do not repent1 ,i will send in the floods upon them4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord ordained ,noah after his own order1 and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his gospel unto the children of men1 even as it was given unto ,enoch4 ,and it came to pass that ,noah called upon the children of men that they should repent1 but they hearkened not unto his words2 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and ,god saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth2 and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart1 being only evil continually4 ,and it came to pass that ,noah continued his preaching unto the people1 saying3 ,hearken1 and give heed unto my words2 ,believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 even as our fathers1 and ye shall receive the ,holy ,ghost1 that ye may have all things made manifest2 and if ye do not this1 the floods will come in upon you2 nevertheless they hearkened not4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and ,god said unto ,noah3 ,the end of all flesh is come before me1 for the earth is filled with violence1 and behold ,i will destroy all flesh from off the earth4--7,moses #h3ab1 #af1 #ag1 #ai1 #bj1 #bb-bd1 #cj47 ,end of the ,world ,foreshadowed4--,noah's period was prophetic of the end of the world4 ,this is apparent from the words of the ,savior1 when prophesying over ,jerusalem1 and foretelling the end of the ,jewish commonwealth1 an event also typical of the final destruction of the wicked4 ,speaking of the social conditions that prevailed while ,noah was preaching the ,gospel and delivering his warning message1 ,jesus said3 ,as the days of ,noe were1 so shall also the coming of the ,son of ,man be4 ,for as in the days that were before the flood1 they were eating and drinking1 marrying and giving in marriage1 until the day that ,noe entered into the ark4 ,and knew not until the flood came1 and took them all away2 so shall also the coming of the ,son of ,man be4--7,matt4 #bd3c #g-ci47 ,earth's ,baptism of ,fire4--,the deluge that destroyed the wicked with the earth 7that is1 with water1 representing the earth7 and which ,god covenanted with ,noah never to repeat1 is to be paralleled by another deluge1 in which the wicked will be consumed by fire from heaven2 and as unexpectedly as came the watery flood in which our planet was once immersed1 will come the fiery baptism that is destined to cleanse it from all unrighteousness and prepare it for celestial glory4 ,a ,second ,adam4--,noah1 who is ,gabriel1 and stands next to ,adam1 or ,michael1 in the priesthood1 typifies the great patriarch1 in that through him and his immediate family--eight souls in all--,earth was repeopled after the flood4 ,hence ,noah is sometimes called the second ,adam4 ,japheth1 ,shem and ,ham4--,noah's eldest son1 ,japheth1 peopled ,europe2 ,shem1 ,asia2 and ,ham1 ,africa4 ,noah's blessing upon ,shem and ,japheth1 and his curse upon ,ham1 through ,canaan1 ,ham's son1 are thus recorded in the ,hebrew scriptures3 ,and he said1 ,cursed be ,canaan2 a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren4 ,and he said1 ,blessed be the ,lord ,god of ,shem2 and ,canaan shall be his servant4 ,god shall enlarge ,japheth1 and he shall dwell in the tents of ,shem2 and ,canaan shall be his servant4--7,gen4 #i3be-bg47 ,noah's ,curse ,upon ,canaan4--,part of the curse that fell upon ,canaan was a blackness1 which came upon all his posterity1 causing them to be despised among all people 7,moses #g3h7--;a blackness similar to that which had been placed upon the seed of ,cain 7,moses #g3bb74 ,the curse also deprived the ,canaanites of the priesthood4--7,abraham #a3bf47 ,just why a whole race had to be punished for a sin committed by one of its ancestors1 is a mystery almost as great as that of the vicarious atonement1 demanded by eternal justice for ,adam's transgression4 ,we may be sure1 however1 that right was vindicated in both cases1 and revelation will eventually make the matter plain4 ,every effect has a cause4 ,canaan was not cursed1 nor his posterity deprived of the priesthood1 for nothing4 ,it must be that the spirits taking those dark bodies1 and passing through the experiences ordained for them1 have done something to merit their fate4 ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 ,this principle applies to the spirit life1 no less than to the mortal life4 ,shem's and ,japheth's ,blessing4--,from ,shem came ,abraham1 the ,father of the ,faithful2 and from ,japheth sprang the ,gentiles1 the founders of the most civilized and enlightened nations of modern times1 including ,great ,britain and the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,let me add1 here1 that the term ,gentile is not an opprobrious epithet1 as some suppose4 ,it comes from ,gentilis1 signifying of a nation1 and is used in sacred history to designate the people that were not of ,israel4 ,ham1 through ,canaan1 was the progenitor of the negro race1 long held in slavery in this and in other ,gentile countries4 ,the ,ethiopian also served the ,semite1 just as ,noah had predicted4 ,the ,tents of ,shem4--,how ,japheth has dwelt in the tents of ,shem1 is partly shown by the history of ,palestine1 which has long been dominated by the ,gentiles1 particularly the ,turks1 who still possess it4 ,japheth's remarkable blessing has also been realized in the history of our own country1 ,america1 the land of ,joseph1 which the ,gentiles now inhabit1 and where1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 they are to assist in gathering ,israel and building the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,it is their privilege to share1 if they will1 in all the blessings promised to the chosen people4 ,the ,gentiles who receive the gospel1 and are faithful to its requirements1 shall be as the seed of ,abraham 7,abraham #b3i-aa74 ,the tents of ,shem may be interpreted to mean the lands of ,israel1 the homes of the people of ,god1 who are lineally descended from ,shem1 through ,abraham4 ,another ,parallel4--,as it was in the days of ,noah1 so it shall be also at the coming of the ,son of ,man4 ,for this1 his own rendering of ,matt4 #bd3da1 the ,prophet ,joseph finds another fulfilment thus3 ,he ,jehovah continued to him ,noah the keys1 the covenants1 the power and the glory with which he blessed ,adam at the beginning2 and the offering of sacrifice1 which also shall be continued at the last time2 for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the ,priesthood1 under the directions and commandments of the ,almighty in any of the dispensations1 shall all be had in the last dispensation2 therefore1 all things had under the authority of the ,priesthood at any former period1 shall be had again1 bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #baj1 #baa47 ,,chapter ,v4 ,abraham ,the ,house of ,israel4--,the ,abrahamic period was signalized by the founding of the house of ,israel1 of which ,abraham is the earthly head2 ,christ1 or ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel1 being its heavenly head4 ,this house was established upon the earth that the ,savior of the world might have a fitting lineage through which to come1 and that the ,lord might have a worthy people through whom to promote his wise and benevolent purposes toward the whole human family4 ,the ,israelitish subject is reserved for fuller treatment in future pages4 ,i shall merely point out here some of the greater events for which the dispensation of ,abraham is distinguished4 ,the ,law of ,tithing--,melchizedek4--,in connection with the career of the ,hebrew patriarch1 the first mention is made in the ,bible of the law of tithing1 and also of the high priest1 ,melchizedek1 to whom ,abraham gave tithes3 ,and ,melchizedek1 king of ,salem1 brought forth bread and wine2 and he was the priest of the most high ,god4 ,and he blessed him1 and said1 ,blessed be ,abram of the most high ,god1 which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand4 ,and he gave him tithes of all4--7,gen4 #ad3ah-bj47 ,paul refers to the same event in the following language3 ,for this ,melchizedek1 king of ,salem1 priest of the most high ,god1 who met ,abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings1 and blessed him2 ,to whom also ,abraham gave a tenth part of all2 first being by interpretation king of righteousness1 and after that also king of ,salem1 which is king of peace2 ,without father1 without mother1 without descent1 having neither beginning of days1 nor end of life2 but made like unto the ,son of ,god2 abideth a priest continually4 ,now consider how great this man was1 unto whom even the patriarch ,abraham gave the tenth of the spoils4--7,heb4 #g3a-d47 ,the ,priesthood ,renamed4--,so great was he that the ,priesthood was renamed for him4 ,before his time1 it was called ,the ,priesthood after the ,order of the ,son of ,god4 ,its present name1 the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 was bestowed1 as we are informed1 for reverential reasons1 to avoid a too frequent repetition of the name of ,deity4--7,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3a-d47 ,abraham's ,test4--,the offering of ,isaac1 ,abraham's son of promise1 symbolized the offering1 by the ,eternal ,father1 of his ,only ,begotten ,son1 for the redemption and salvation of mankind4 ,this crucial trial of ,abraham's faith is thus related by the sacred historian3 ,and it came to pass after these things1 that ,god did tempt ,abraham1 and said unto him1 ,abraham2 and he said1 ,behold1 here ,i am4 ,and he said1 ,take now thy son1 thine only son ,isaac1 whom thou lovest1 and get thee into the land of ,moriah2 and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which ,i will tell thee of4 ,and ,abraham rose up early in the morning1 and saddled his ass1 and took two of his young men with him1 and ,isaac his son1 and clave the wood for the burnt offering1 and rose up1 and went into the place of which ,god had told him4 ,then on the third day ,abraham lifted up his eyes1 and saw the place afar off4 ,and ,abraham said unto his young men1 ,abide ye here with the ass2 and ,i and the lad will go yonder and worship1 and come again to you4 ,and ,abraham took the wood of the burnt offering1 and laid it upon ,isaac his son2 and he took the fire in his hand1 and a knife2 and they went both of them together4 ,and ,isaac spake unto ,abraham his father1 and said1 ,my father3 and he said1 ,here am ,i1 my son1 ,and he said1 ,behold the fire and the wood2 but where is the lamb for a burnt offering8 ,and ,abraham said1 ,my son1 ,god will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering2 so they went both of them together4 ,and they came to the place which ,god had told him of2 and ,abraham built an altar there1 and laid the wood in order1 and bound ,isaac his son1 and laid him on the altar upon the wood4 ,and ,abraham stretched forth his hand1 and took the knife to slay his son4 ,and the angel of the ,lord called unto him out of heaven1 and said1 ,abraham1 ,abraham3 and he said1 ,here am ,i4 ,and he said1 ,lay not thine hand upon the lad1 neither do thou any thing unto him2 for now ,i know that thou fearest ,god1 seeing thou hast not withheld thy son1 thine only son from me4 ,and ,abraham lifted up his eyes1 and looked1 and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns2 and ,abraham went and took the ram1 and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son4--7,gen4 #bb3a-ac47 ,jehovah's ,promise to ,his ,friend4--,then followed the ,lord's promise to the tried and proven ,father of the ,faithful3 ,in blessing ,i will bless thee1 and in multiplying ,i will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven1 and as the sand which is upon the sea shore2 and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies2 ,and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed 7,ibid1 #ag1 #ah74 ,how that promise was fulfiled1 will be shown in the concluding part of this volume4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,moses and ,aaron ,the sons of ,moses1 and also the sons of ,aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the ,lord1 which house shall be built unto the ,lord in this generation1 upon the consecrated spot1 as ,i the ,lord have appointed2 ,and the sons of ,moses and of ,aaron shall be filled with the glory of the ,lord1 upon ,mount ,zion in the ,lord's house1 whose sons are ye2 and also many whom ,i have called and sent forth to build up my church2 ,for whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which ,i have spoken1 and the magnifying their calling1 are sanctified by the ,spirit unto the renewing of their bodies2 ,they become the sons of ,moses and of ,aaron and the seed of ,abraham1 and the church and kingdom1 and the elect of ,god4--7,d4 and ,c4 #hd3ca-cd47 ,israel and the ,exodus4--,the principal events of the ,mosaic dispensation were the exodus from ,egypt and the establishment of ,israel as an independent nation1 under the leadership of their great prophet and lawgiver1 ,moses4 ,both these events foreshadowed greater ones1 namely3 the world's deliverance from the bondage of sin and death1 and the establishment upon earth of the ,kingdom that shall stand forever4 ,the ,passover4--,the exodus was commemorated by the ,feast of the ,passover1 instituted to perpetuate in the minds and hearts of the children of ,israel their deliverance from slavery1 and at the same time to foreshow the mightier redemption of which that exodus was typical4 ,the ,passover was kept as follows3 ,on the night before the departure out of ,egypt1 each ,israelitish household1 obedient to ,god's command through ,moses1 took a lamb without blemish1 and slew it1 sprinkling the blood upon the posts and lintels of their doors4 ,it was promised that the ,angel of ,death1 who had been sent to afflict the cruel nation for its oppression of the ,lord's people1 by slaying the first-born of every ,egyptian household1 would pass over every ,israelitish dwelling upon which this blood was sprinkled4 ,not a bone of the lamb was to be broken1 nor a fragment of it left to decay2 for it was intended to symbolize the ,lamb of ,god1 whose body was not to see corruption 7,ps4 #af3aj74 ,neither was any bone of him to be broken4 ,symbolism ,realized4--,in a most remarkable manner was this symbolism realized2 for when the ,roman soldiers came to ,calvary to remove the three bodies from the crosses erected there1 they put an end to both the malefactors by breaking their legs2 but finding ,jesus already dead1 this additional indignity was not put upon him4 ,pierced with five wounds1 yet not a bone of him broken1 the ,lamb of ,god answered to the prophetic likeness of the paschal lamb1 and was laid away in the rocky tomb1 from which he came forth upon the third day1 his perfectly preserved body--the tabernacle of the ,holy ,one--glorified in immortality4 ,the ,paschal ,ceremony4--,in the ceremonial of the ,passover1 the flesh of the lamb was roasted1 and partaken of with bitter herbs and with unleavened bread1 or bread hastily prepared2 the former typifying the bitterness of the bondage that was about to end1 and the latter the haste attendant upon the departure out of ,egypt4 ,to emphasize this fact still further1 the members of the family1 while partaking of the feast1 then and thereafter1 were clad as if for a journey4--7,exodus #ab47 ,shadow and ,substance4--,this sacred memorial1 a reminder to ,god's people of what he had done1 and would yet do1 was observed in ,israel1 by divine appointment1 until the coming of ,christ4 ,the night before he was sacrificed1 he1 the great ,paschal ,lamb1 after partaking of the ancient feast with his disciples1 instituted in its stead the ,lord's ,supper1 commanding them to observe it thenceforth4 ,the ,supper and the ,passover were both designed to commemorate the ,savior's atonement2 but in the ,passover the pointing was forward1 to an event yet to come1 while in the ,supper the indication is backward1 to an event that has already taken place4 ,it was about the same hour of the day when the paschal lamb was offered in the temple at ,jerusalem1 that ,christ died on ,calvary1 the substance and the shadow thus corresponding4 ,the ,great ,deliverer4--,the lamb of the ,passover symbolized the ,lamb of ,god1 the universal ,deliverer1 and ,moses1 who led the ,lord's people out of ,egypt1 was also a type of the world's ,redeemer4 ,jesus1 whose mission the career of ,moses foreshadowed1 is repeatedly described in the sacred writings as like unto ,moses2 and ,moses1 the type of ,christ1 was reputedly the meekest of men4 ,how ,moses ,obtained the ,priesthood4--,moses was of the tribe of ,levi1 and son-in-law to ,jethro1 from whom he received the ,priesthood4 ,and ,jethro received it under the hand of ,caleb2 ,and ,caleb received it under the hand of ,elihu2 ,and ,elihu under the hand of ,jeremy2 ,and ,jeremy under the hand of ,gad2 ,and ,gad under the hand of ,esaias2 ,and ,esaias also lived in the days of ,abraham1 and was blessed of him-- ,which ,abraham received the ,priesthood from ,melchizedek1 who received it through the lineage of his fathers1 even till ,noah2 ,and from ,noah till ,enoch1 through the lineage of their fathers2 ,and from ,enoch to ,abel1 who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother1 who received the ,priesthood by the commandments of ,god1 by the hand of his father ,adam1 who was the first man4--7,d4 and ,c4 #hd3g-af47 ,jethro1 ,priest of ,midian4--,an account of the relations between ,moses and his father-in-law1 ,jethro the ,midianite1 may be found in the second1 third and eighteenth chapters of ,exodus4 ,the ,midianites were descendants of ,ishmael1 son of ,abraham4 ,the ,call of ,aaron4--,moses1 having received the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 organized1 by divine direction1 the ,lesser ,priesthood1 with ,aaron1 his brother1 at its head4 ,it was in the wilderness of ,sinai1 fourteen hundred and ninety-one years before the coming of the ,savior4 ,the children of ,israel1 in their exodus from ,egypt1 after the miraculous passage of the ,red ,sea1 whose retiring waters had rolled over the heads of their enemies1 were encamped at the foot of the famous eminence1 ever since a sacred way-mark in the history of the ,hebrew nation4 ,the ,lord came down upon ,mount ,sinai1 in the sight of all the people1 and from the midst of thunders1 lightnings and thick clouds1 which caused the mountain to quake and obscured his glorious presence from the gaze of the unsanctified multitude1 he summoned ,moses up into the top of the ,mount1 and delivered unto him1 among other charges1 the following3 ,take thou unto thee ,aaron thy brother1 and his sons with him1 from among the children of ,israel1 that he may minister unto me in the priest's office1 even ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu1 ,eleazer and ,ithamar1 ,aaron's sons4 ,and thou shalt make holy garments for ,aaron thy brother1 for glory and for beauty4 ,and thou shalt put them upon ,aaron thy brother1 and his sons with him2 and shalt anoint them1 and consecrate them1 and sanctify them1 that they may minister unto me in the priest's office4--7,exodus #bh3a-c47 ,the ,ten ,commandments--,sacred ,patterns4--,the ,lord also gave to ,moses the ,ten ,commandments1 which ,he had previously spoken in the hearing of all ,israel1 with other parts of the ,law1 afterwards embodied by the prophet in his famous code4 ,also the pattern of the ,ark or ,sanctuary1 the symbol of the covenant that ,god had made with his people2 and of the ,tabernacle or holy tent where the ,ark was deposited1 where the priests offered sacrifice and made atonement for the sins of the nation1 and where the ,lord communicated by angels or by ,urim and ,thummim with those chosen to represent him in that sacred capacity4 ,he instructed him minutely as to the fashioning of the priestly robes1 the materials to be used in them1 and the persons who should make them1 likewise prescribing the manner in which these things should all be consecrated to his service4 ,elders in ,israel4--,it seems that there were more elders than one in ,israel1 at the time ,aaron and his sons were called to minister in the priest's office2 a fact shown by the following reference to an event somewhat earlier than the one in question3 ,then went up ,moses1 and ,aaron1 ,nadab1 and ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders of ,israel3 ,and they saw the ,god of ,israel2 and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone1 and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness4 ,and upon the nobles of the children of ,israel he laid not his hand2 also they saw ,god1 and did eat and drink4--7,exodus #bd3i-aa47 ,i assume1 of course1 that the title elder had the same significance then that it has now--that it was an office in the ,melchizedek ,priesthood4 ,if this be correct1 and ,i see no reason why it should be doubted1 then there were at least seventy elders in ,israel at that time4 ,nay1 more1 for these seventy were of the elders of ,israel1 one of whom1 of course1 was ,moses1 who had doubtless ordained the others4 ,it is even probable that ,aaron and his sons likewise held the ,melchizedek ,priesthood when they were called to act as priests2 for they were among those who saw ,god1 which they could not have done1 with safety1 had they held only the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 ,aaron's call to preside over the priests1 was probably similar to a call that might now be made upon a high priest to officiate as presiding bishop4 ,the ,golden ,calf4--,how were ,aaron and his sons1 on the eve of their setting apart to these sacred honors1 conducting themselves1 during the absence of their leader8 ,forty days and nights had passed since ,moses1 accompanied by faithful ,joshua1 went up into the ,mount to commune with the ,almighty4 ,alarmed at his protracted stay1 unable to account for it1 and no doubt apprehensive as to their own safety without super-natural guidance1 the people1 not yet free from taint of contact with idolatrous ,egypt1 and forgetful of the covenant they had made with ,god on the day the ,ten ,commandments were thundered from the mountain top1 gathered themselves together unto ,aaron1 and said unto him3 ,up1 make us gods which shall go before us2 for as for this ,moses1 the man that brought us up out of the land of ,egypt1 we wot not what is become of him4--7,exodus #cb3a47 ,obedient to their wishes1 and perhaps fearful of consequences if he refused1 ,aaron took of their golden earrings and made for them a molten calf1 after the ,egyptian god ,apis1 and having finished it1 and built an altar before it1 he proclaimed3 ,these be thy gods1 ,o ,israel1 which have brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt4 ,he also announced a feast to the ,lord in its honor on the morrow4 ,who's on the ,lord's ,side8--,in this sensuous and blasphemous worship the ,israelites were engaged1 when ,moses came down from the ,mount4 ,the shouts of revelry had reached his ears far up the height1 insomuch that ,joshua1 who was still with him1 suggested a noise of war in the camp4 ,moses1 however1 recognized the sound of singing4 ,he had been warned by the ,lord of what was taking place1 and on coming nearer the whole revolting truth burst upon him4 ,the golden god on high--the people1 chosen ,israel1 feasting and dancing before it in their nakedness6 ,such was the soul-sickening spectacle presented to his gaze4 ,in his hands he held the tables of the testimony--the divine decalogue1 written by the finger of ,god4 ,before his eyes was being violated the very first of those ten commandments4 ,his righteous anger knew no bounds4 ,casting from him the stone tablets1 which shattered as they fell1 he burst like a storm upon the guilt-stricken idolators4 ,demolishing their idol1 grinding it to powder1 and scattering it to the winds and waters1 he called for all who were on the ,lord's side to rally round him4 ,expiation for ,idolatry4--,the sons of ,levi responded to a man4 ,moses1 directed by the ,lord1 commanded them to take their swords and go in and out from gate to gate1 and slay every man his son1 brother and neighbor2 that they might consecrate themselves before the ,lord1 and make atonement for the great sin that had been committed4 ,the stern behest was obeyed1 and there fell that day in ,israel about three thousand male souls4 ,organization and ,consecration4--,the expiation complete1 ,moses proceeded to organize the priesthood1 as he had been directed1 and also to construct the tabernacle and the ark according to the pattern that ,god had shown him4 ,the garments of the priests and the appurtenances of the sanctuary were fashioned to conform with the divine instruction1 and ,aaron and his sons1 the ark1 the tabernacle1 and everything connected with the sacred ceremonial1 were then sanctified and dedicated1 with solemn and impressive ceremonies1 to the service of the ,god of ,israel4 ,the ,levites4--,prior to the false worship of ,apis1 the ,lord had chosen unto himself the firstborn males of every household in ,israel1 as a parallel act to the destruction of the firstborn throughout the land of ,egypt1 and had sanctified and set them apart for some peculiar purpose4 ,he now altered his original design1 and taking the tribe of ,levi1 instead1 made of them the sacerdotal class of the nation4 ,this selection was no doubt a recognition and a reward for the zeal they had displayed in wiping out the stain of idolatry from ,israel4 ,and the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,bring the tribe of ,levi near1 and present them before ,aaron the priest1 that they may minister unto him4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and thou shalt give the ,levites unto ,aaron and to his sons3 they are wholly given unto him out of the children of ,israel4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,behold1 ,i have taken the ,levites from among the children of ,israel1 instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of ,israel2 therefore the ,levites shall be mine2 ,because all the firstborn are mine1 for on the day that ,i smote all the firstborn in the land of ,egypt1 ,i hallowed unto me all the firstborn in ,israel1 both man and beast2 mine they shall be2 ,i am the ,lord4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and thou shalt take the ,levites for me 7,i am the ,lord71 instead of all the firstborn among the children of ,israel2 and the cattle of the ,levites1 instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of ,israel4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and three score and thirteen1 of the firstborn of the children of ,israel1 which are more than the ,levites3 ,thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll1 after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them2 the shekel is twenty gerahs4 ,and thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed1 unto ,aaron and to his sons4 ,and ,moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the ,levites4 ,and ,moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto ,aaron1 and to his sons1 according to the word of the ,lord1 as the ,lord commanded ,moses4--7,numbers #c47 ,thus were the ,levites given as a gift for the ,lord1 to have charge of the tabernacle and the sanctuary--though not to officiate there as did the priests--and to do the service of the congregation4 ,so that ,aaron1 who was now high priest1 or bishop over the lesser priesthood1 had under him1 not only his sons1 in the priests' quorum1 but also a great body of ,levites 7were they not as teachers and deacons87 to officiate in the minor quorums4 ,hence the origin of the term ,levitical1 as applied to this priesthood4 ,slain for ,offering ,strange ,fire4--,soon after this organization and selection1 ,nadab and ,abihu were slain by the ,lord for offering strange fire before him1 or officiating when he commanded them not1 and ,eleazer1 ,aaron's third son1 then took the senior's place4 ,he was made chief over the chief of the ,levites1 having oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary4 ,thus1 while ,eleazer presided over the ,levites1 ,aaron presided over both priests and ,levites2 ,moses1 by virtue of his superior calling1 retaining the controlling power or presidency over the whole4 ,the ,law and the ,testimony4--,eleven months and twenty days the ,israelites had sojourned in ,sinai4 ,during this period they had celebrated their second ,passover1 or feast of unleavened bread4 ,two other annual feasts they were commanded to keep1 namely the feast of ,pentecost1 or the promulgation of the law1 and the feast of ,tabernacles1 or tents1 commemorating their sojourn in the wilderness4 ,the laws of ,moses were now promulged and codified2 the tables of the testimony1 having been renewed1 were placed1 with other sacred relics1 in the ark for safe keeping2 and the sublime system of heaven-revealed religion was set in motion4 ,on to ,canaan6--,the civil and military wings of this nomadic power1 springing as if by magic from an unorganized rabble1 without laws1 institutions1 or prescribed method of worship1 into a compact and powerful nation1 were now in full equipment and discipline4 ,on to ,canaan6 was the national cry4 ,and so1 on the twentieth day of their second year1 or about ,may #bj1 #adij ,b4 ,c41 the ,camp of ,israel struck their tents1 and guided by the cloud and pillar of ,god1 which had been with them since the memorable night when the fetters of two centuries were stricken off and the power of ,egypt submerged1 they began their march through the ,sinaitic desert toward the wilderness of ,paran4 ,a ,nation on the ,march4--,the order of this remarkable procession was as follows3 ,foremost1 rose aloft the standard of ,judah1 the future kingly power of the tribes1 and following them were the tribes and armies of ,issachar and ,zebulon4 ,then came the sons of ,gershon and ,merari 7first and third sons of ,levi71 bearing the components of the ,tabernacle1 which it was their duty to set up and take down1 as the camp rested or resumed its journey4 ,the standard of ,reuben was next advanced1 and immediately in his rear marched ,simeon and ,gad4 ,then the ,ark of ,god appeared1 borne in the center of the moving host1 on the shoulders of the sons of ,kohath4 ,the half tribes of ,joseph--,ephraim and ,manasseh--went next1 the standard of ,ephraim being their rallying center1 and also for the sons and daughters of ,benjamin4 ,then set forward the standard of ,dan2 his tribe and the tribes of ,asher and ,naphtali bringing up the rear4 ,the ,camps of ,israel4--,this mighty host1 comprising an army of over half a million1 and a total population of nearly three million souls1 was divided into four camps1 of three tribes each1 exclusive of the ,levites2 ,joseph being twice numbered1 in ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 to make up1 in the tribal count1 for the absence of the sacred class from secular enumeration4 ,when the cloud rested1 indicating their stopping place1 the tents were set surrounding the ,tabernacle of the ,congregation2 the camp of ,judah on the east1 that of ,reuben on the south1 ,ephraim on the west1 and ,dan upon the north4 ,the ,levites encompassed the tabernacle immediately about1 to prevent the unsanctified from approaching too near and purposely or inadvertently defiling it--an offense punishable by death4 ,when the ark set forward1 ,moses exclaimed3 ,rise up1 ,o ,lord1 and let thine enemies be scattered2 and let them that hate thee flee before thee6 ,when it rested1 he said3 ,return1 ,o ,lord1 unto the many thousands of ,israel6 ,the ,two ,leaders4--,thus it was that ,moses and ,aaron became the leaders of ,israel1 representing1 respectively1 the two priesthoods that administer the government of ,god2 the lesser priesthood1 confirmed upon ,aaron and his seed1 throughout all their generations1 and the greater priesthood1 which is after the holiest order of ,god4 ,power of the ,greater ,priesthood4--,and this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom1 even the key of the knowledge of ,god2 ,therefore1 in the ordinances thereof1 the power of godliness is manifest2 ,and without the ordinances thereof1 and the authority of the priesthood1 the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh2 ,for without this no man can see the face of ,god1 even the ,father1 and live4 ,now this ,moses plainly taught to the children of ,israel in the wilderness1 and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of ,god2 ,but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence1 therefore the ,lord in his wrath 7for his anger was kindled against them7 swore that they should not enter into his rest1 while in the wilderness1 which rest is the fulness of his glory4 ,therefore he took ,moses out of their midst1 and the holy priesthood also4--7,d4 ,c4 #hd3ai-be47 ,from ,moses ,until ,john4--,and the lesser priesthood continued1 which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel2 ,which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism1 and the remission of sins1 and the law of carnal commandments1 which the ,lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of ,aaron among the children of ,israel until ,john1 whom ,god raised up1 being filled with the ,holy ,ghost from his mother's womb3 ,for he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood1 and was ordained by the angel of ,god at the time he was eight days old unto this power1 to overthrow the kingdom of the ,jews1 and to make straight the way of the ,lord before the face of his people1 to prepare them for the coming of the ,lord1 in whose hand is given all power4--7,ibid1 #bf-bh47 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,lamb of ,god ,a stranger ,star that came from far ,to fling its silver ray ,where1 cradled in a lowly cave1 ,a lowlier ,infant lay2 ,and led by soft sidereal light1 ,the ,orient sages bring ,rare gifts of gold and frankincense1 ,to greet the homeless ,king4 ,o wondrous grace6 ,will ,gods go down ,thus low that men may rise8 ,imprisoned here the ,mighty ,one1 ,who reigned in yonder skies8 ,hark to that chime6--,what tongue sublime ,now tells the hour of noon8 ,o dying world1 art welcoming ,life's life--,light's sun and moon8 ,proclaim him1 prophet harbinger6 ,make plain the ,mightier's way1 ,thou sharer of his martyrdom6 ,elias8 ,yea and ,nay4 ,the crescent ,moon1 that knew the ,sun ,ere ,stars had learned to shine2 ,the waning ,moon1 that bathed in blood ,ere sank the ,sun divine4 ,glory to ,god1 good will to man6-- ,peace1 peace6 triumphal tone4 ,why peace8 ,is discord then no more8 ,are ,earth and ,heaven as one8 ,peace to the soul that serveth him1 ,the ,monarch manger-born2 ,there1 ruler of unnumbered realms2 ,here1 throneless and forlorn4 ,he wandered through the faithless world1 ,a ,prince in shepherd guise2 ,he called his scattered flock1 but few ,the ,voice did recognize2 ,for minds upborne by hollow pride1 ,or dimmed by sordid lust1 ,ne'er look for kings in beggar's garb1 ,for diamonds in the dust4 ,wept he above a city doomed1 ,her temple1 walls1 and towers1 ,o'er palaces where recreant priests ,usurped unhallowed powers4 ,i am the ,way1 the ,life1 the ,light6 ,alas6 'twas heeded not4 ,ignored--nay1 mocked2 ,god scorned by man6 ,and spurned the truth he taught4 ,o bane of damning unbelief6 ,when1 when till now1 so rife8 ,thou stumbling stone1 thou barrier 'thwart ,the gates of endless life6 ,o love of self1 and ,mammon's lust1 ,twin portals to despair1 ,where bigotry1 the blinded bat1 ,flaps through the midnight air6 ,through these1 gloom-wrapt ,gethsemane6 ,thy glens of guilty shade ,grieved o'er the sinless ,son of ,god1 ,by gold-bought kiss betrayed2 ,beheld him unresisting dragged1 ,forsaken1 friendless1 lone1 ,to halls where dark-browed hatred sat ,on judgment's lofty throne4 ,as sheep before his shearers1 dumb1 ,those patient lips were mute2 ,the clamorous charge of taunting tongues ,he deigned not to dispute4 ,they smote with cruel palm a face ,which felt yet bore the sting2 ,then crowned with thorns his quivering brow1 ,and1 mocking1 hailed him ,king6 ,transfixt he hung--,o crime of crimes6-- ,the ,god whom worlds adore4 ,father forgive them6 ,drained the dregs2 ,immanuel--no more4 ,no more where thunders shook the earth1 ,where lightnings tore the gloom1 ,saw that unconquered ,spirit spurn ,the shackles of the tomb4 ,far-flaming light1 a sword of might1 ,a falchion from its sheath1 ,it cleft the realms of darkness1 and ,dissolved the bands of ,death2 ,hell's dungeons burst1 wide open swung ,the everlasting bars1 ,whereby the ransomed soul shall win ,those ,heights beyond the ,stars4 --7,elias1 ,canto ,three1 ,part ,one47 ,the ,consummation4--,it was finished6--not the work of the ,lord1 nor the revelation of his word and will to man2 but the sacrifice1 the immolation of the ,spotless ,one1 whose acceptable offering1 the ransom of a lost creation1 made it possible for redeemed humanity1 by faith and good works1 to lay hold upon eternal life1 the greatest gift that ,divinity can bestow4 ,commission of the ,twelve ,apostles4--,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that believeth not shall be damned4 ,and these signs shall follow them that believe3 in my name shall they cast out devils2 they shall speak with new tongues2 ,they shall take up serpents3 and if they drink any deadly thing1 it shall not hurt them2 they shall lay hands on the sick1 and they shall recover4--7,mark #af3ae-ah47 ,all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth4 ,go ye therefore1 and teach all nations1 baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you2 and1 lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,amen4--7,matt4 #bh3ah-bj47 ,such was the commission given by the ,savior to the chosen ,twelve1 after his resurrection1 and prior to his ascension into heaven4 ,knowledge and ,belief4--,the ,twelve ,apostles were the special witnesses of the risen ,redeemer4 ,they knew that he had risen1 for they had seen and heard him4 ,they had even been permitted to feel of him1 that they might know beyond all question that he was indeed the ,resurrection and the ,life4 ,this was their privilege1 but not the privilege of all men4 ,the world at large was required to believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that salvation might come to them2 they were to believe what the apostles told them regarding his resurrection1 and the principles he had taught4 ,they were to receive in faith from his servants the message he had commanded them to deliver4 ,the ,case of ,thomas4--,thomas1 one of the ,twelve1 believed because he had seen 7,john #bj3bi7 and as a special witness1 he had the right to see1 in order that he might know1 not merely believe1 whereof he and his brethren testified4 ,but blessed are they1 said the ,savior1 who have believed and have not seen4 ,why8 ,for the reason1 no doubt1 that this life was instituted for the exercise of faith4 ,mortal man must walk by faith4 ,the just shall live by faith1 reaching after ,god1 as a flower after the sunlight4 ,exercise of faith brings spiritual development--a factor1 and the most important one1 in man's eternal progress4 ,knowledge swallows up faith1 removing the opportunity for its exercise1 thus hindering the process of advancement4 ,therefore1 until faith shall have done its perfect work1 it is better to believe than to know4 ,premature knowledge is fatal to joy1 and fetters progress4 ,a ,message ,simple and ,sublime4--,obedient to their ,lord's behest1 the apostles and their fellow laborers1 having been endued with power from on high 7,acts #b71 went forth to preach the gospel to every creature4 ,christ and him crucified1 was the slogan they sounded2 faith1 repentance1 baptism1 and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 the principles they proclaimed4 ,a simple message1 plain enough for a child to comprehend4 ,and behold in this one proof of its divinity6 ,christ died for all men1 and his gospel is for all men1 not merely for a clique1 a cult1 a school1 or a coterie1 learned or otherwise4 ,it had to be plain1 that the common people might understand it1 that the poor and lowly1 as well as the high and mighty1 might be attracted to it1 and be saved by it4 ,it is at once simple and sublime1 capable of making men godlike1 and of lifting them to the highest heaven1 if they will receive it and live it as a little child4 ,on ,both ,hemispheres4--,the plan of salvation was proclaimed1 and the ,church of ,christ organized1 on both hemispheres2 the risen ,savior1 after confirming the faith of his ,jewish disciples1 visiting the ,nephites for a similar purpose1 and departing thence to pay like visits to other branches of the house of ,israel1 whose whereabouts were as unknown to the descendants of ,lehi as was the existence of the latter to their brethren in and around ,jerusalem4--7,,iii ,ne4 #ae1 #af47 ,unto ,his ,own4--,jesus ,christ is the ,savior of the whole world1 but not to every people in the world are vouchsafed his personal ministrations4 ,the ,god of ,israel came unto his own--that is1 unto the house of ,israel1 and through ,israel he ministers for the salvation of mankind4 ,that is why he appeared to the ,jews1 to the ,nephites1 and to the other sheep not of those folds2 while the ,gentiles were visited by the ,holy ,ghost1 which the ,son of ,god had promised to his disciples1 and which came1 first to the ,jews1 and then to the ,gentiles1 after he had re-ascended into heaven4 ,the ,lord's ,supper4--,both in ,judea and in the ,land ,bountiful1 the ,savior instituted1 among those who had received his gospel1 the ,lord's ,supper1 superseding the ,passover1 as a memorial of his sacrifice1 once prospective1 now retrospective1 once a prophecy1 and now a fulfilment4 ,it was while eating the ,passover1 just before his crucifixion1 that ,jesus instituted the ,supper4 ,concerning this incident the ,new ,testament says3 ,as they were eating1 ,jesus took bread and blessed it1 and brake it1 and gave it to the disciples1 and said1 ,take1 eat2 this is my body4 ,and he took the cup1 and gave thanks1 and gave it to them1 saying1 ,drink ye all of it2 ,for this is my blood of the new testament1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins4--7,matthew #bf3bf-bh47 ,the institution of the ,sacrament among the ,nephites1 unlike its institution among the ,jews1 was after the ,redeemer's resurrection4 ,it is thus described in the ,book of ,mormon3 ,and it came to pass that ,jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him4 ,and while they were gone for bread and wine1 he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth4 ,and when the disciples had come with bread and wine1 he took of the bread1 and brake and blessed it2 and he gave unto the disciples1 and commanded that they should eat4 ,and when they had eaten and were filled1 he commanded that they should give unto the multitude4 ,and when the multitude had eaten and were filled1 he said unto the disciples1 behold there shall one be ordained among you1 and to him will ,i give power that he shall break bread1 and bless it1 and give it unto the people of my church1 unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name4 ,and this shall ye always observe to do1 even as ,i have done1 even as ,i have broken bread1 and blessed it1 and gave it unto you4 ,and this shall ye do in remembrance of my body1 which ,i have shewn unto you4 ,and it shall be a testimony unto the ,father1 that ye do always remember me4 ,and if ye do always remember me1 ye shall have my ,spirit to be with you4--7,,iii ,ne4 #ah3a-g47 ,the ,real ,presence4--,uninspired private interpretation has maintained1 and still maintains1 that when ,jesus said1 ,eat1 this is my body2 drink1 this is my blood1 he intended his words to be taken literally2 and from this has sprung the doctrine of transubstantiation1 with its twin heresy1 consubstantiation1 the former a ,roman ,catholic1 the latter an unorthodox ,protestant1 tenet relating to the ,eucharist4 ,men and women have been condemned as heretics1 and put to death1 in ages past1 for denying the real presence--the actual flesh and blood of ,christ--in the elements of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,figurative1 not ,literal4--,but no ,latter-day ,saint need go astray as pertaining to this matter2 for the ,spirit that inspired the writing of the ,scriptures is present in the ,church of ,christ to interpret them2 and by that ,spirit1 the source of all divine revelation1 we know that the language of ,jesus1 when he instituted the ,lord's ,supper at ,jerusalem1 was not literal1 but figurative4 ,when he said1 of the bread and wine1 ,this is my body and my blood1 he simply meant1 ,these are the emblems of my body and my blood4 ,to ,illustrate4--,in elucidation of this subject1 ,i have known the following comparison to be used4 ,suppose one were to go into an art gallery1 and the attendant in charge1 pointing to a statue of ,julius ,caesar1 should remark1 ,this is ,caesar2 or1 indicating a portrait of ,george ,washington1 should say1 ,that is ,washington2 would the visitor be apt to conclude that ,caesar and ,washington were actually there before him8 ,would he be under any obligation to think so1 even if a priest were to tell him it was true8 ,instead of that1 would he not infer1 and would it not be his right and duty to maintain1 if need be1 that the statue and the painting were merely representations of those august personages8 ,then why strain the simple metaphor1 ,this is my body1 in an ineffectual attempt to make it mean more or less than the ,savior intended it should mean8 ,water ,instead of ,wine4--,in ancient days wine was used in the ,sacrament1 though some of the early ,christians used water instead4 ,the ,savior authorized the use of wine1 both among the ,jews and among the ,nephites4 ,but the ,latter-day ,saints have been commanded of ,god not to use wine under present conditions2 water is used instead4 ,it mattereth not what ye shall eat1 or what ye shall drink1 when ye partake of the sacrament1 if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory2 remembering unto the ,father my body which was laid down for you1 and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins2 ,wherefore1 a commandment ,i give unto you1 that you shall not purchase wine1 neither strong drink1 of your enemies2 ,wherefore1 you shall partake of none1 except it is made new among you2 yea1 in this my ,father's kingdom which shall be built up on the earth4 ,behold1 this is wisdom in me2 wherefore1 marvel not1 for the hour cometh that ,i will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth4--7,d4 and ,c4 #bg3b-e47 ,meanwhile the use of water1 and the disuse of wine1 must continue1 until the change predicted in this revelation shall have been divinely ordered2 for that is the law governing the ,latter-day ,saints in this matter--not the law given to other peoples in former dispensations4 ,signs of the ,second ,coming4--,jesus prophesied to the ,nephites1 as he had prophesied to the ,jews1 concerning the last days and the signs of his second coming4 ,those who would be wise upon this subject1 or who desire to refresh their memories in relation thereto1 should read the twenty-fourth chapter of ,matthew1 especially ,joseph ,smith's rendering1 as it appears in the ,pearl of ,great ,price4 ,read also the fifteenth1 sixteenth1 twentieth1 and twenty-first chapters of ,third ,nephi4 ,consecration4--,the ,savior having ascended into heaven1 his servants1 bearing the priesthood1 and filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 carried forward the mighty work he had inaugurated4 ,the ,gospel was preached1 and the ,church built up1 as he had commanded1 upon both hemispheres4 ,among ,jews and among ,nephites was introduced and practiced the law of consecration1 the permanent establishment of which1 in the days of ,enoch1 had resulted so gloriously4 ,the ,jewish record tells us3 ,and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul2 neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own2 but they had all things common4 99 99 99 ,neither was there any among them that lacked3 for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them1 and brought the prices of the things that were sold1 ,and laid them down at the apostles' feet2 and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need4--7,acts #d3 #cb1 #cd1 #ce74 ,the ,book of ,mormon thus testifies3 ,and it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year1 the people were all converted unto the ,lord1 upon all the face of the land1 both ,nephites and ,lamanites1 and there were no contentions and disputations among them1 and every man did deal justly one with another2 ,and they had all things common among them1 therefore they were not rich and poor1 bond and free1 but they were all made free1 and partakers of the heavenly gift4--7,,iv ,ne4 #a3b1 #c47 ,the ,apostasy4--,then came the universal apostasy--a departure from the pure1 primitive faith1 as general and as worldwide as the known promulgation of its principles2 and the ,gospel and the ,priesthood were taken back to heaven1 to await the decreed time of their final restoration4 ,this apostasy1 foretold by ,paul and other apostles1 is represented symbolically in the ,revelation of ,st4 ,john1 the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of which are particularly pertinent in this connection4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,dawn of the ,last ,dispensation ,,the ,,messenger ,,of ,,morn4 ,wake1 slumbering world6 ,vain dreamer1 dream no more6 ,the shadows lift1 and o'er night's dusky beach ,ripple the white waves of morn4 ,awake6 ,arise6 ,ocean of dispensations--rivers1 rills1 ,roll to your source6 ,end1 to thine origin6 ,and ,israel1 to the rock whence ye were hewn6 ,for ,he that scattered1 gathereth his flock1 ,his ancient flock1 and plants their pilgrim feet ,on ,joseph's mountain top and ,judah's plains2 ,recalls the ,children of the ,covenant ,from long dispersion o'er the ,gentile world1 ,mingling their spirits with the mystic sea ,which sent them forth as freshening showers to save ,the parched and withered wastes of unbelief4 ,japheth6 thy planet pales1 it sinks1 it sets2 ,henceforth 't is ,jacob's star must rise and reign4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,time1 mighty daughter of ,eternity6 ,mother of centuries--seventy1 seven-crowned6 ,assemble now thy children at thy side1 ,and ere thou diest teach them to be one4 ,link to its link rebind the broken chain ,of dispensations1 glories1 keys1 and powers1 ,from ,adam's fall unto ,messiah's reign2 ,a thousand years of rest1 a day with ,god1 ,while ,shiloh reigns and ,kolob once revolves6 ,six days thou1 ,earth1 hast labored2 and the seventh1 ,thy ,sabbath1 comes apace6--,night's sceptre wanes1 ,and in the ,east the silvery ,messenger ,gives silent token of the golden dawn4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,a living ,prophet unto dying ,time1 ,heralding the ,dispensation of the ,end1 ,when ,christ once more his vineyard comes to prune1 ,when potent weak confound the puny strong1 ,threshing the nations by the ,spirit's power1 ,rending the kingdoms with a word of flame2 ,that here the ,father's work may crown the ,son's1 ,and ,earth be joined a holy bride to ,heaven1 ,a queen 'mid queens1 crowned1 throned1 and glorified4 ,wherefore a ,noble of the ,skies came down1 ,in strength divine1 a stirring role to play ,in ,time's tense tragedy1 whose acts are seven4 ,his part to fell the false1 replant the true1 ,to clear away the debris of the past1 ,the ashes of its dead and dying creeds1 ,and kindle newly on earth's ancient shrine ,the ,light that points to ,life unerringly2 ,crowning what has been with what now must be1 ,a mighty still bespeaking ,mightier4 ,earth rose from wintry sleep1 baptized and cleansed1 ,and on her tranquil brow1 that seemed to feel ,the holy and confirming hand of ,heaven1 ,the warm light in a wealth of glory streamed2 ,nature's great floor green-carpeting anew ,for some glad change1 some joyful happening1 ,told in the countless carolling of birds1 ,gilding the foliage1 brightening the flowers1 ,mirroring mingled hues of earth and sky4 ,glad happening1 in sooth1 for ne'er before1 ,since burst the heavens when ,judah's star-lit hills ,heard angel choristers peal joy's refrain ,above the mangered ,babe of ,bethlehem1 ,had earth such scene beheld1 as now within ,the bosom of a sylvan solitude1 ,hard by the borders of a humble home1 ,upon that fair and fateful morn was played4 ,players1 immortal ,twain1 and mortal one1 ,standing but fourteen steps upon life's stair2 ,boy and yet man1 thinker of thoughts profound1 ,boy and yet man1 dreamer of lofty dreams4 ,not solemn1 save betimes1 when hovered near ,some winged inspiration from far worlds1 ,some great idea's all-subduing spell2 ,not melancholy--mirthful1 loving life1 ,and brimming o'er with health and wholesome glee4 ,a stalwart spirit in a sturdy frame1 ,maturing unto future mightiness4 ,bowing to ,god1 yet bending to no creed1 ,adoring not a loveless deity1 ,that saved or damned regardless of desert1 ,ne'er reckoning the good or evil done2 ,loving and worshiping the ,god of love1 ,the gracious ,god of reason and of right1 ,long-suffering and just and merciful1 ,meting to every work fit recompense1 ,yet giving more1 far more1 than merit's claim2 ,bowing to ,him1 but not to man-made gods1 ,and shunning shameful strife where peace should dwell1 ,he holds aloof from those degenerate sects1 ,bewildering ,babel of conflicting creeds1 ,and pondering the apostolic line1 ,let any lacking wisdom1 wisdom ask1 ,in childlike faith1 godlike humility1 ,resolves to prove the promise by the test4 ,what pen can paint the marvel that befell8 ,what tongue the wondrous miracle portray8 ,than theirs1 the ,vision's own1 what voice proclaim ,whose dual presence dimmed the noonday beam1 ,communing with him there1 as friend with friend1 ,and giving to that prayer reply of peace8 ,tell how1 as ,moses on the unknown ,mount1 ,from whom in rage fled baffled ,lucifer1 ,who fain had guised him as the ,son of ,god1 ,and won the worship of that prophet pure2-- ,tell how with gloom he strove ere glory dawned1 ,and black despair met bright deliverance4 ,tell how1 in heart of that sweet solitude1 ,within the silent grove1 sequestered shade1 ,while spirit hosts unseen spectators stood1 ,watching the simple scene's sublimity1 ,eternity high converse held with ,time4 ,time1 parent of the hovering centuries1 ,mother of dispensations1 travailing1 ,and bringing forth her last and mightiest child2 ,heaven's awful ,sire1 through him both ,sire and ,son1 ,there blazoning the beginning of the ,end4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ',twas from below6 ,thus ,bigotry in rage4 ,nay1 from above1 ,faith's simple1 firm reply4 ,no vision is there now--the time is past4 ,but ,i have seen1 affirms the youthful ,seer4 ,god is a mystery1 unknowable4 ,god is a man--,i saw ,him1 talked with ,him4 ,man8 ,ay1 of holiness--,exalted ,man4 ,a strife of words1 of warring tongues1 now waged1 ,and weapons vied with words the truth to slay2 ,nor truth alone1 but her brave oracle1 ,a boy1 by men1 by neighborhoods1 oppressed4 ,the wrangling sects forgave--well nigh forgot ,their former feuds and fears and jealousies2 ,and1 joining hands1 as ,pilate ,herod joined1 ,one guilty day when ,god stood man-condemned1 ,in friendly reconcilement's cordial clasp1 ,they doomed to death and hell this heresy4 ,none sought1 from ,satan's wile1 a soul's reclaim1 ,but all were bent his humble name to blast2 ,and pious1 would-be murder led the van ,of common hatred and hostility4 ,but ,truth1 thou mother of the living thought1 ,the deathless word1 the everduring deed6 ,what puny hand thy giant arm can stay8 ,when crushed1 or backward held1 thine hour beyond8 ,can bigot frown or tyrant fetter quell ,thy high revolt1 ,o light omnipotent6 ,when ,god would speak with man1 who tells him nay8 ,can hell prevent1 when heaven and earth would join8 ,still through his soul the solemn warning rang2 ,still from his mouth the startling message flamed3 ,no church the ,christ's6 ,none1 therefore1 can ,i join4 ,all sects and creeds have wandered from the way4 ,priestcraft1 in lieu of ,priesthood1 sits enthroned1 ,dead forms deny the power of godliness4 ,men worship with their lips1 their hearts afar4 ,none serve acceptably in sight of heaven4 ,wherefore a work of wonder shall be wrought1 ,and perish all the wisdom of the wise4 --7,elias1 ,canto ,v47 ,a ,decreed ,consummation4--,the ,gospel dispensation introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith was rendered necessary by the apostasy of the ,christian world from the ancient ,faith1 as delivered to the ,saints in the ,meridian of ,time4 ,nevertheless1 according to the foreknowledge of ,god1 and in consonance with his all-wise purposes1 this great1 all-comprehending dispensation had been preordained from the beginning1 as the winding up scene1 or final development1 in the divine plan1 having for its object the salvation of the sons and daughters of ,adam4 ,it is necessary1 in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times2 which dispensation is now beginning to usher in1 that a whole and complete and perfect union1 and welding together of dispensations1 and keys1 and powers1 and glories1 should take place and be revealed from the days of ,adam even to the present time2 and not only this1 but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world1 but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent1 shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulness of times4--7,d4 and ,c4 #abh3ah47 ,joseph ,smith's ,work4--,so wrote the ,prophet1 in the month of ,september1 #ahdb1 less than two years prior to his martyrdom4 ,he had looked upon the face of ,god1 as did ,enoch1 ,moses1 and other seers1 in times of old4 ,he had communed with angels1 and received the ,everlasting ,gospel1 as taught in the ,book of ,mormon1 as well as in the ,bible and in other ancient records of ,god's dealings with man4 ,empowered by the ,priesthood1 he had organized1 after the heavenly pattern1 the ,church of ,christ1 the forerunner of the ,kingdom never to be thrown down nor given to another people4 ,he had gazed upon the glories of eternity1 and portrayed in burning eloquence the final destiny of the human race1 setting forth at the same time the conditions of salvation and exaltation in worlds to come4 ,he had preached1 and caused to be promulgated1 in the two greatest nations of modern times1 the ,united ,states and ,great ,britain1 the ,gospel message1 for the gathering of ,israel1 the redemption of ,zion1 the building of the ,new ,jerusalem1 and the preparation of a people to greet the coming of the ,lord4 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god4 ,so declared the ,savior of mankind4 ,zion is the pure in heart1 said ,joseph ,smith--every man seeking the interest of his neighbor1 and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of ,god4 ,he had written concerning the ultimate goal of all righteous endeavor3 ,this is why ,adam blessed his posterity2 he wanted to bring them into the presence of ,god4 99 99 99 ,moses sought to bring the children of ,israel into the presence of ,god1 through the power of the ,priesthood1 but he could not4 ,in the first ages of the world they tried to establish the same thing2 and there were ,eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories1 but did not obtain them2 but they prophesied of a day when this glory would be revealed4 ,paul spoke of the dispensation of the fulness of times1 when ,god would gather together all things in one1 etc42 and those men to whom these keys have been given1 will have to be there2 and they without us cannot be made perfect4 99 99 99 ,all these authoritative characters will come down and join hand in hand in bringing about this work4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 pp4 #chh1 #chi47 ,keys ,committed4--,already1 when the ,prophet wrote those words1 had this phase of the ,latter-day work begun2 he having received1 under the hands of heavenly messengers1 the keys held by them as presiding authorities over past dispensations4 ,the following record of visions manifested to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 in the ,kirtland ,temple1 ,april #c1 #ahcf1 tells its own wonderful story3 ,the vail was taken from our minds1 and the eyes of our understanding were opened4 ,we saw the ,lord standing upon the breast work of the pulpit1 before us1 and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber4 ,his eyes were as a flame of fire1 the hair of his head was white like the pure snow1 his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun1 and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters1 even the voice of ,jehovah1 saying-- ,i am the first and the last1 ,i am he who liveth1 ,i am he who was slain1 ,i am your advocate with the ,father4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,after this vision closed1 the heavens were again opened unto us1 and ,moses appeared before us1 and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of ,israel from the four parts of the earth1 and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north4 ,after this1 ,elias appeared1 and committed the dispensation of the gospel of ,abraham1 saying1 that in us1 and our seed1 all generations after us should be blessed4 ,after this vision had closed1 another great and glorious vision burst upon us1 for ,elijah the prophet1 who was taken to heaven without tasting death1 stood before us1 and said-- ,behold1 the time has fully come1 which was spoken of by the mouth of ,malachi1 testifying that he 7,elijah7 should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the ,lord come1 ,to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children1 and the children to the fathers1 lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse4 ,therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands1 and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the ,lord is near1 even at the doors4--7,d4 and ,c4 #aaj3a-d1 #aa-af47 ,elijah's ,mission4--,why send ,elijah8 asks the ,prophet1 and he answers his own question thus3 ,because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the ,priesthood2 and without the authority is given1 the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness4 ,in the same connection he informs us that ,elijah was the last prophet who held the keys of the ,priesthood4--7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 p4 #baa47 ,salvation for the ,dead4--,the mission of ,elijah--the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children1 and the hearts of the children to the fathers1 to the end that past and present might be bound together1 and the dead as well as the living saved and glorified1 was the all-engrossing thought in the mind of the ,prophet1 as his last day on earth drew near4 ,from his place of retirement1 during a period of trouble and persecution1 he wrote thus to the ,saints upon this all-important theme3 ,verily thus saith the ,lord1 let the work of my temple1 and all the works which ,i have appointed unto you1 be continued on and not cease4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,when any of you are baptized for your dead1 let there be a recorder1 and let him be eye witness of your baptisms3 let him hear with his ears1 that he may testify of the truth1 saith the ,lord4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,you may think this order of things to be very particular1 but let me tell you1 that it is only to answer the will of ,god1 by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the ,lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world1 for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,whatsoever you record on earth1 shall be recorded in heaven2 and whatsoever you do not record on earth1 shall not be recorded in heaven2 for out of the books shall your dead be judged1 according to their own works1 whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona1 or by means of their own agents4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water1 is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead1 in coming forth out of their graves2 hence this ordinance was instituted to form a relationship with the ordinance of baptism for the dead1 being in likeness of the dead4 ,consequently the baptismal font was instituted as a simile of the grave1 and was commanded to be in a place underneath where the living are wont to assemble4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now1 in relation to the baptism for the dead1 99 99 99 ,i will give you a quotation from one of the prophets1 who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the ,priesthood1 the glories to be revealed in the last days1 and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel1 viz41 the baptism for the dead2 for ,malachi says1 last chapter1 verses #eth and #fth1 ',behold1 ,i will send you ,elijah the prophet1 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the ,lord2 and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children1 and the heart of the children to their fathers1 lest ,i come and smite the earth with a curse4' ,i might have rendered a plainer translation to this1 but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands4 ,it is sufficient to know1 in this case1 that the earth will be smitten with a curse1 unless there is a welding link of some kind or other1 between the fathers and the children1 upon some subject or other1 and behold what is that subject8 ,it is the baptism for the dead4 ,for we without them cannot be made perfect2 neither can they without us be made perfect4--7,d4 and ,c4 #abg1 #abh47 ,a ,gathering ,dispensation4--,the mission of the ,everlasting ,gospel in the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times is the gathering together of all things in ,christ--things in heaven1 and things upon the earth2 the consummation decreed concerning the sanctification and glorification of this planet4 ,it is distinctively the day of gathering--the spiritual harvest--time of all the ages4 ,the ,ensign ,lifted4--,the founding of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints lifted the ,ensign for the gathering of scattered ,israel1 a step preliminary to the mightier achievements that are to follow2 and it devolved upon ,joseph ,smith1 a lineal descendant of ,joseph of old1 to raise the standard and begin the work1 particularly that portion of it affecting the fortunes of the children of ,ephraim4 ,for thus saith the ,lord3 ,i ,,am ,a ,,father ,,unto ,,israel1 ,,and ,,ephraim ,,is ,,my ,,first ,,born4 ,dispersion and ,gathering of ,israel4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,chosen ,people4 ,history and ,destiny4--,he that scattered ,israel will gather him1 and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock4 ,in these words of ,jeremiah the ,prophet1 are summarized the past and future1 the history and destiny1 of ,god's chosen people2 a people from whom the ,latter-day ,saints claim lineal descent4 ,prince of ,god4--,the name ,israel means ,prince of ,god1 and is first used in the ,scriptures as the surname of ,jacob1 grandson of ,abraham1 and father of the twelve patriarchs1 from whom sprang the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,returning from ,padan-,aram1 whither he had fled from the jealous wrath of his brother ,esau1 ,jacob came to the ford ,jabbok1 where there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day4 ,we are left to infer that ,jacob believed this man to be ,god2 for he called the name of the place ,peniel1 saying1 ,i have seen ,god face to face4 ,let me go1 demanded the heavenly visitant1 for the day breaketh4 ,i will not let thee go1 said ,jacob1 except thou bless me4 ,the man then blessed him1 and changed his name from ,jacob to ,israel1 for1 said he1 as a prince hast thou power with ,god and with men1 and hast prevailed4--7,genesis #cb3bh47 ,jacob's ,blessing ,confirmed4--,subsequently the name ,israel was confirmed upon ,jacob at ,bethel1 where the ,lord appeared to him and blessed him1 promising that a nation and a company of nations should be of him1 and that kings should come out of his loins4--7,gen4 #ce3aj1 #aa47 ,the ,father of the ,faithful4--,but while this was the origin of the name ,israel1 as applied to ,jacob1 it was not the origin of the race of which he was the titular head4 ,it was the four wives of ,jacob1 with their twelve sons1 that did build the house of ,israel2 but the foundation of that house had already been laid by ,abraham1 the ,father of the ,faithful ,jehovah's promises to ,jacob and to his father ,isaac1 concerning their posterity1 were virtually repetitions of promises that had been made to their great ancestor4 ,those promises are couched in the following language of scripture3 ,now the ,lord had said unto ,abram1 ,get thee out of thy country1 and from thy kindred1 and from thy father's house1 unto a land that ,i will shew thee3 ,and ,i will make of thee a great nation1 and ,i will bless thee1 and make thy name great2 and thou shalt be a blessing3 ,and ,i will bless them that bless thee1 and curse him that curseth thee2 and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed4--7,gen4 #ab3a-c47 ,definition of ,hebrew4--,abraham1 or1 as he was then called1 ,abram1 was a dweller in ,ur of the ,chaldees1 a city of ,mesopotamia1 which means between the rivers4 ,one of these rivers was the ,tigris1 and the other the ,euphrates4 ,abram had to cross the ,euphrates in order to reach ,canaan1 the land that the ,lord showed him4 ,because he came from beyond the ,euphrates1 he was called by the ,canaanites a ,hebrew1 which signifies one from beyond the river4 ,some of the ,jews1 however1 hold that the name ,hebrew comes from ,heber1 or ,eber1 one of the ancestors of ,abraham4 ,god's ,promise to ,abraham4--,mesopotamia was the fountainhead of idolatry in ,western ,asia4 ,on that account1 and because the ,lord wished to raise up a people who would worship him1 and him only1 ,abram was required to separate himself from his idolatrous surroundings4 ,after his removal from ,chaldea to ,canaan1 and the trial of his faith in the offering of ,isaac1 the ,lord gave to him this promise3 ,in blessing ,i will bless thee1 and in multiplying ,i will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven1 and as the sand which is upon the sea shore2 and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies3 ,and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4--7,gen4 #bb3ag1 #ah47 ,why was ,abraham ,blessed8--,it will be observed that the blessing formerly pronounced1--,in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed1--is here expanded to3 ,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,before showing how this great promise was fulfiled1 let us inquire into the cause or causes why it was made4 ,why was ,abraham1 with his seed1 chosen for such a mission8 ,what had he done to deserve it8 ,for he must have done something3 ,god rewards men according to their works1 and not even an ,abraham would have received from him an honor that was unmerited4 ,some may suppose that the sacrifice involved in the offering of ,isaac was the sole and sufficient reason2 and it is proverbially true that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven4 ,but this promise was made to ,abraham before he had offered ,isaac1 and was repeated and enlarged after the offering had been made4 ,others may hold that it was ,abraham's fidelity to ,god among the idolatrous inhabitants of ,chaldea1 and his obedience to the divine behest to leave his country and kindred and migrate to another land1 that caused him to be chosen4 ,because thou hast obeyed my voice1 is a reason assigned by the ,almighty for his promise4 ,such acts were undoubtedly to ,abraham's credit2 but how could they be placed to the credit of his posterity8--not merely ,isaac and ,jacob1 but the millions that were to come of them4 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the families or nations of the earth be blessed4 ,his posterity1 as well as himself1 must have deserved well of the ,lord in this connection4 ,the ,problem ,solved4--,the patriarch himself helps us to a solution of the problem4 ,in the ,book of ,abraham it is written3 ,now the ,lord had shown unto me1 ,abraham1 the intelligences that were organized before the world was2 and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones2 ,and ,god saw these souls that they were good1 and he stood in the midst of them1 and he said3 ,these ,i will make my rulers2 for he stood among those that were spirits1 and he saw that they were good2 and he said unto me3 ,abraham1 thou art one of them3 thou wast chosen before thou wast born4--7,abraham #c3bb1 #bc47 ,noble and ,great4--,here1 then1 is given the reason1 the main reason1 why ,abraham was chosen2 the time1 also1 when the divine choice was made4 ,he was chosen before he was born1 and it was because of his nobility and greatness--manifested1 of course1 by obedience1 the only principle upon which blessings can come to anyone4 ,pre-,mortal ,judgment4--,the intelligences shown unto ,abraham were the pre-existent spirits of the human race1 waiting for an earth to be made1 that they might pass through a mortal probation2 a step necessary to their further progress and development4 ,they were to be rewarded according to their works--not only after this life1 but in this life1 at its very beginning4 ,for rewards and punishments are not all deferred until the final judgment at the end of the world4 ,there is a judgment passed upon the spirits of men before they are permitted to tabernacle in mortality4 ,did this man sin1 or his parents1 that he was born blind8--asked the disciples of the ,savior1 who had probably taught them the principle involved in the question--namely1 the possibility of sinning in a former state of existence4 ,sowing and ,reaping4--,whatsoever a man soweth1 in this world or in any other1 that shall he also reap4 ,justice was not done away in ,christ1 who taught it1 with emphasis1 even while inculcating charity and mercy4 ,vengeance is mine1 saith the ,lord1 ,i will repay4 ,we are required to forgive all men1 for our own sakes1 since hatred retards spiritual growth2 but all men must answer1 just the same1 for the deeds done in the body or out of it2 justice and mercy each claiming its own4 ,the principle of sowing and reaping is plainly taught in other passages of the ,book of ,abraham3 ,and there stood one among them that was like unto ,god1 and he said unto those who were with him3 ,we will go down1 for there is space there1 and we will take of these materials1 and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell2 ,and we will prove them herewith1 to see if they will do all things whatsoever the ,lord their ,god shall command them2 ,and they who keep their first estate shall be added upon2 and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate2 and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever4--7,abraham #c3bd-bf47 ,first and ,second ,estates4--,the first estate1 as already explained1 means the pre-existence1 in which the spirits of men walked by sight2 while the second estate signifies life on earth1 where these same spirits--added upon by being given mortal bodies1 with opportunities for development1 are required to walk by faith1 with their knowledge of the past temporarily obscured2 a greater test of integrity1 and one that results1 to those who overcome1 in a far more glorious reward than any previously bestowed4 ,reward and ,punishment4--,in my opening theme1 ,the ,story of ,god1 it was shown how ,lucifer and his legions rebelled over the choice of the ,christ1 and were cast down4 ,failing to keep their first estate1 they could not be added upon4 ,this was their punishment--that they should not have bodies1 by means of which spirits become souls1 capable of eternal progression4 ,all the rest--two-thirds of the population of the spirit world--were given bodies as a reward for keeping their first estate1 and were promised a glorious resurrection after death1 as a further reward1 if they succeeded in keeping their second estate4 ,all ,not ,alike4--,all who kept the first estate were added upon2 but not all alike4 ,the rewards were not the same in every case1 though they were undoubtedly just and appropriate4 ,some of those intelligences were more deserving than others2 some nobler and greater than others2 and because of their superior merit and larger capacity1 they were made rulers over the rest4 ,and ,abraham1 thou art one of them3 thou wast chosen before thou wast born--chosen to bear the priesthood1 the divine right to rule1 and to stand at the head of a dispensation1 ministering in holy things for the salvation of mankind4 ,such is ,mormonism's presentation1 in part1 of the ,abrahamic or ,israelitish problem4 ,original ,excellence4--,what had given ,abraham his superior standing in the heavens8 ,had he always been noble and great8 ,was it an original or an acquired excellence1 or both8 ,that there is such a thing as original excellence1 with different degrees of intelligence among pre-existent spirits1 appears from the teachings in this very ,book of ,abraham--not only the passages cited1 but others1 in which the ,lord is represented as saying3 ,if there be two spirits1 and one shall be more intelligent than the other1 yet these two spirits1 notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other1 have no beginning2 they existed before1 they shall have no end2 they shall exist after1 for they are gnolaum1 or eternal4 99 99 99 ,these two facts do exist1 that there are two spirits1 one being more intelligent than the other2 there shall be another more intelligent than they2 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 ,i am more intelligent than they all4--7,abraham #c3ah1 #ai47 ,i ,know ,abraham4--,was it not ,abraham's worthy conduct in a previous life that caused the ,lord to say of him while in the flesh3 ,i know him1 that he will command his children and his household after him1 and they shall keep the way of the ,lord1 to do justice and judgment2 that the ,lord may bring upon ,abraham that which he hath spoken of him8--7,gen4 #ah3ai47 ,who can doubt that the ,father of the ,faithful was one of the choice spirits whom ,alma had in mind when he said concerning the priests whom the ,lord ,god ordained3 ,and this is the manner after which they were ordained2 being called and prepared from the foundation of the world1 according to the foreknowledge of ,god1 on account of their exceeding faith and good works2 in the first place being left to choose good or evil2 therefore1 they1 having chosen good1 and exercised exceeding great faith1 are called with a holy calling4--7,alma #ac3c47 ,the ,foreknowledge of ,god4--,the authors and compilers of ,the ,compendium1 ,elders ,franklin ,d4 ,richards and ,james ,a4 ,little1 commenting upon these words of ,alma1 relative to the priests thus ordained1 have this to say3 ,their calling and preparation from the foundation of the world1 was evidently based on their faith and good works previous to their being called1 and not on the possibilities of their future good conduct4 ,in other words1 the foreknowledge of ,god has history as well as prophecy for a foundation4 ,abraham ,not ,alone4--,abraham was not the only priest called and prepared in that manner4 ,there were many of the noble and great ones4 ,israel was a kingdom of priests1 a holy nation1 and as such must have been called and prepared even as was ,abraham4 ,we have seen that ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel1 the great ,high ,priest of our profession1 was fore-ordained to be the ,savior2 and that his servant ,jeremiah1 before being formed in the flesh1 was known to ,god in the spirit1 and sanctified and ordained a prophet unto the nations4 ,undoubtedly the same could be said of others1 and ,paul doubtless had them in mind when he wrote3 ,for whom he did fore-know1 he also did predestinate1 to be conformed to the image of his ,son1 that he might be the first born among many brethren4--7,romans #h3bi47 ,princes and ,servants4--,if the name ,israel means prince of ,god1 when applied to ,jacob1 may it not mean princes of ,god1 when applied to his posterity8 ,jacob was told that kings should come out of his loins4 ,and have they not come8--princes and priests and kings1 the nobility of heaven1 though not always recognized and honored upon the earth4 ,the greatest among them was not recognized even by his own2 for when he came unto them1 they received him not4 ,the wise ,solomon was never wiser than when he said3 ,i have seen servants upon horses1 and princes walking as servants upon the earth 7,ecc4 #aj3g74 ,even the ,god of heaven1 the mighty4 ,prince of ,peace1 walked unknown1 unhonored1 by his own servants1 in the dust of his own footstool4 ,degrees of ,greatness4--,there are degrees of greatness in heaven as upon earth1 choice spirits and choicer4 ,but all ,god's servants are noble4 ,no position in the ,church of ,christ is insignificant4 ,david was right in saying3 ,i would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my ,god1 than to dwell in the tents of wickedness4 ,it is greater1 infinitely greater1 to hold the humblest office in the priesthood1 than to reign1 an alien from ,god1 over all the kingdoms of the world4 ,israel's ,pre-existence4--,in view of what the prophets have spoken1 are we not justified in believing that the house of ,israel was chosen in the heavens for the mission it had to perform1 and is still performing1 upon the earth8 ,what other inference can be drawn from these words of ,moses3 ,remember the days of old1 consider the years of many generations3 99 99 99 ,when the ,most ,high divided to the nations their inheritance1 when he separated the sons of ,adam1 he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of ,israel4--7,deut4 #cb3g-h47 ,the period here mentioned1 when the sons of ,adam were separated1 and the nations received their inheritance1 evidently antedated by many generations the times of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,those events were probably much earlier1 and certainly no later1 than the days of ,japheth1 ,shem1 and ,ham1 by whose families the nations were divided in the earth after the flood 7,gen4 #aj3cb74 ,it looks very much as if ,moses1 when he wrote those words1 had in mind1 not a temporal ,israel1 unborn at the early period indicated1 but a spiritual ,israel1 according to whose numbers1 known in the heavens before they had taken bodies upon the earth1 the boundaries of the people were determined4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,israel's ,mission4 ,privileges and ,requirements4--,it was intended that the children of ,israel should have room to dwell2 and it was of the utmost consequence that they should have4 ,they were to be the oracles of ,god1 the custodians and dispensers of heavenly wisdom4 ,upon them devolved the high duty of keeping alive on faith's altar the fire of divine truth4 ,they were not to worship idols1 as did the heathen nations around them1 but were to worship the true ,god1 the invisible ,jehovah1 walking by faith1 where others1 less worthy1 walked by sight1 believing only when they could see4 ,the children of ,israel were not to intermarry with other nations1 lest they might worship their gods1 practice their vices1 and pollute the noble lineage through which was to come1 in due time1 the ,savior of the world4 ,the ,lamb of ,god1 when he came1 was without spot or blemish1 physically as well as spiritually2 a condition partly due1 no doubt1 to the choice parentage and ancestry that had been provided for him4 ,christ the ,seed of ,abraham4--,this brings us again to the divine promise given to ,abraham3 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,undoubtedly that promise was fulfiled in the coming of the ,son of ,god as the ,redeemer and ,savior4 ,in the body he was a descendant of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 and in more ways than one he has been a blessing to all nations4 ,the ,gem and ,its ,setting4--,in treating this great theme1 however1 it is not enough to consider that such a personage as ,jesus of ,nazareth lived and labored and died4 ,we must not separate the gem from its setting4 ,we must not isolate the central fact of the ,savior's personal ministry from the related facts that went before and followed after4 ,christ came to save the world2 but the house of ,israel prepared the way for his coming1 gave him a proper lineage through which to come1 and after his crucifixion carried on the work he had inaugurated4 ,this is especially true of the patriarchs1 the prophets1 the apostles1 and others bearing the ,priesthood2 but it is also true1 in a general way1 of the whole house of ,israel4 ,the ,salt of the ,earth4--,while there is but one ,savior in a universal sense1 and in the sense of the atonement and the resurrection1 that ,savior has many assistants1 sent to play subordinate parts in the great drama of salvation4 ,did not ,jesus tell his disciples that they were the salt of the earth--the saving or preserving element among men8 ,and did he not warn them against allowing the salt to lose its savor--its power to save and preserve8 ,for how could they save others1 if their own feet were not firmly planted upon the ,rock of ,salvation8 ,followers of the ,lamb4--,john of ,patmos saw a ,lamb standing upon the ,mount ,zion1 and with him an hundred forty and four thousand1 having his ,father's name written in their foreheads 7,rev4 #ad3a74 ,and he heard a voice from heaven saying1 ,these are they which follow the ,lamb whithersoever he goeth4 ,then they follow him in the work of salvation1 not only in this world1 but also in the spirit world1 where he ministered while his body was lying in the tomb4 ,who are these #add1jjj8 ,they are not the whole house of ,israel1 which numbers millions2 but they are of all the tribes of the children of ,israel1 twelve thousand of every tribe4 ,the ,prophet ,joseph says3 ,they are high priests1 ordained unto the holy order of ,god1 to administer the ,everlasting ,gospel2 for they are they who are ordained out of every nation1 kindred1 tongue1 and people1 by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth1 to bring as many as will come to the ,church of the ,first ,born 7,d,c #gg3aa74 ,they are not the entire army of the ,lord1 but might well be termed the flower of that army1 the body-guard of the great ,captain of ,salvation4 ,keystone and ,arch4--,christ is the keystone of an arch1 and that arch is1 or is in1 the house of ,israel2 a circlet of gold upon the forearm of ,omnipotence1 a setting of satellite gems1 from the midst of which the supreme jewel1 the ,signet of ,salvation1 sends forth its lustre4 ,overruling ,providence4--,under ,jesus ,christ1 the ,savior1 the great house of which he is the spiritual head also has a mission of salvation4 ,and1 strangely enough1 the children of ,israel have accomplished that mission1 not only when obedient to ,god1 but while disobedient and suffering the consequent calamities that came upon them4 ,a notable instance of the power of overruling ,providence1 bringing order out of chaos1 light out of darkness1 success and victory from seeming failure and defeat4 ,calamity and ,compensation4--,the compensations of calamity--a theme treated philosophically by ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson1 in one of his noblest essays--are apparent in some of the mightiest events of human history4 ,for instance1 to ,adam it was said3 ,the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die4 ,he ate1 and death came into the world2 a terrible calamity1 but not without its compensation2 for the fall of man proved to be the means of peopling the earth1 according to a divine plan1 ordained before the creation of the world4 ,christ's martyrdom1 the preordained means of man's salvation1 was an overwhelming calamity to his terror-stricken disciples1 who were disconsolate until they looked upon it in its true light1 acknowledging ,god's hand in the awful tragedy4 ,even so1 ,israel's dispersion1 that dire calamity under which the chosen people have suffered for ages1 and from which they are just beginning to emerge1 has been overruled for good1 and made the means of fulfiling the ,lord's purpose and promise in the blessing of all nations4 ,moses ,predicts the ,dispersion4--,prophecies of this calamity were made as early as the time of ,moses1 fifteen hundred years before the coming of the ,savior4 ,the twelve tribes1 the most notable of whom were ,judah and ,joseph--the latter represented in ,ephraim and ,manasseh--had been in ,egypt for several centuries when ,moses led them out of bondage and brought them to the borders of ,canaan1 the land which the ,lord had given to their forefathers when he promised to make of them a great nation4 ,the leader of ,israel told his people1 who were about to possess themselves of the land of ,canaan1 that so long as they served ,jehovah and kept his commandments1 they should be prospered and remain an independent nation2 but if they forsook ,jehovah and served other gods1 ,he would scatter them among all people1 from one end of the earth even unto the other4--7,deut4 #bh3fd47 ,a ,martyred ,nation4--,they were commanded1 as ,adam and ,eve had been1 not to do a certain thing1 and a punishment was to come upon them if they disobeyed2 and yet it must have been foreseen1 as in the case of our first parents1 that they would disobey1 and the transgression was overruled for good4 ,the dispersion of ,israel1 like the fall of ,adam1 like the crucifixion of ,christ1 seems to have been part of a mighty plan for the progress and salvation of the human race4 ,adam fell that man might be2 ,christ died to burst the bands of death2 and ,israel was scattered among all nations1 that the gospel of the ,redeemer1 which was to follow1 might make its way more readily among those nations4 ,as in the fall1 as in the crucifixion1 and in every instance where some great service has been rendered to humanity1 there was sacrifice1 suffering1 martyrdom1 in order that blessings might come4 ,the history of the house of ,israel is the history of a martyred nation1 suffering for the good of other nations--whatever may be said of transgressions that justified ,god in bringing upon his chosen people the calamities that were doubtless among the offenses that must needs come4 ',tis sorrow builds the shining ladder up1 ,whose golden rounds are our calamities4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,to the ,ends of the ,earth4 ,a ,decadent ,empire4--,joshua1 succeeding ,moses as the leader of ,israel1 conquered the land of ,canaan and divided it among the twelve tribes4 ,then followed the reigns of the ,judges1 during which period ,israel began to depart from ,god1 and to invite1 by rebellious conduct1 the national calamity that had been predicted4 ,the glories of the monarchy founded by ,saul1 ,david and ,solomon being past1 the curse1 long suspended1 fell1 and the ,israelitish empire hastened to its decay4 ,ahijah's ,prophecy4--,in the reign of ,rehoboam1 the successor to ,solomon1 ten of the twelve tribes revolted1 and choosing ,jeroboam to be their ruler1 set up the kingdom of ,israel 7in the north71 distinct from the kingdom of ,judah 7in the south71 over which ,rehoboam continued to reign4 ,during the days of ,jeroboam1 who had made idolatry the state religion of the northern kingdom1 the dispersion of ,israel was again predicted2 the prophet ,ahijah then voicing the word of the ,lord to his disobedient people3 ,the ,lord shall smite ,israel1 as a reed is shaken in the water1 and he shall root up ,israel out of this good land1 which he gave to their fathers1 and shall scatter them beyond the river4--7,i ,kgs4 #ad3ae47 ,amos and ,hosea4--,another prophet who foretold the dispersion was ,amos1 who said that ,israel should surely go into captivity1 and be sifted among all nations 7#g3aa1 #ag2 #i3i74 ,still another was ,hosea1 who1 substituting rhetorically the past for the future1 said3 ,ephraim1 he hath mixed himself among the people 7#g3h74 ,beginning of the ,scattering4--,in the year #gba ,b4 ,c41 soon after the time of ,hosea's prophecy1 and while a monarch of the same name was reigning over the kingdom of ,israel1 the ,assyrians1 under ,shalmaneser1 came against that kingdom and began to destroy it4 ,in a series of deportations they carried away the ten tribes 7,ephraim and all7 into captivity4 ,the ,lost ,tribes4--,these are the famous lost tribes1 concerning whom very little is known4 ,josephus1 the ,jewish historian1 who wrote during the first century after ,christ1 says that the ten tribes were then beyond the ,euphrates1 the river referred to by ,ahijah in his prophecy4 ,esdras1 in the ,apocrypha1 declares that those tribes went a journey of a year and a half into the north country4 ,the ,cairns of ,scandinavia4--,missionaries of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 returning from ,scandinavia1 have told of rude monuments--cairns or piles of stones--in that northern region1 concerning which tradition says that they were erected many centuries ago by a migrating people4 ,whether or not these were the tribes of the ,assyrian captivity1 it is interesting to reflect that it was an ,israelitish custom to raise such monuments in commemorating events1 especially the migratory movements of the nation4 ,other ,ancient ,monuments4--,if it be objected that monuments erected by the ,ten ,tribes1 #gba ,b4 ,c41 could not have lasted down to this day1 how will the objector account for the perfectly preserved monuments of ,assyria1 ,babylon1 ,egypt1 and other ancient empires1 whose remains have been uncovered by modern archaeology8 ,such a theory will not stagger the faith of the ,latter-day ,saints1 when they recollect that the ruins of ,adam's altar are still to be seen in the ,state of ,missouri1 where they were identified by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahch4 ,to ,return from the ,north4--,at all events1 it is from the north country that the ten tribes are to return1 according to ancient and modern prophecy2 and it is also a fact that from ,scandinavia and the nations of ,northern ,europe has come much of the blood of ,israel--the blood of ,ephraim now within the pale of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,are the ,ten ,tribes ,intact8--,a much mooted question among our people1 particularly since the discovery of the ,north ,pole1 where theorists have insisted upon locating the ten tribes1 is whether or not those tribes have lost their identity4 ,the fact that no such people were found at the pole by ,peary and other explorers1 shatters the exact location theory2 but does it dispose of the main issue--the supposed existence of the ten tribes as a distinct people1 somewhere in the land of the north8 ,such a supposition might be well founded1 and yet much of the blood of ,ephraim be among certain northern nations4 ,some of the pilgrims might easily have mixed with peoples encountered on the way1 while journeying to their ultimate destination4 ,beyond this suggestion1 ,i have no theory to advance4 ,a tradition of the ,church has assigned to ,john the ,revelator the mission of leading the ten tribes from the land of the north4--7,d4 and ,c4 #gg3ad47 ,the ,babylonian ,captivity4--,after the predictions of ,amos1 ,hosea1 and others1 in relation to the kingdom of ,israel1 came the prophecies of ,isaiah and ,jeremiah1 foretelling the fate of the kingdom of ,judah4 ,this kingdom1 about #ehe ,b4 ,c41 was destroyed by the ,babylonians under ,nebuchadnezzar1 and the ,jews were carried into captivity4 ,lehi and ,his ,colony4--,just before that disaster1 ,lehi and his colony left ,jerusalem1 and crossed over to this land--,america--which1 by them and by ,mulek's colony that came later1 was peopled with the descendants of ,joseph and of ,judah1 both of whom are represented1 in a degenerate state1 by the ,american ,indians4 ,israelitish ,characteristics4--,look at the features of the ,indian4 ,are they not ,jewish8 ,quite as strikingly so as that many of his customs and traditions are ,israelitish4 ,who1 than the savage ,lamanite1 better understands the ,mosaic law of retaliation--an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth8 ,nor does he care whose eye or whose tooth it is1 whether that of the person who injured him1 or one of the latter's tribe or nation4 ,he is too much of an ,israelite to object to proxies and substitutes4 ,jerusalem ,rebuilt4--,the ,babylonian captivity lasted seventy years4 ,some of the ,jews1 under the permissive edict of ,cyrus1 then returned and rebuilt their city and temple4 ,only a remnant came back1 however1 a colony of fifty thousand1 led by ,zerubbabel and ,joshua4 ,the rest remained in their scattered condition4 ,the ,jews who rebuilt ,jerusalem were those to whose descendants ,christ came1 and predicted1 after their rejection of him1 that their house should be left unto them desolate 7,matt4 #bc3cg1 #ch74 ,twelve ,tribes ,scattered4--,before the ,savior's time1 however1 the prophets ,ezekiel and ,zachariah1--the former in exile among the ,babylonians1 the latter at ,jerusalem after the restoration by ,cyrus1--had added their predictions to those already uttered relating to the dispersion of ,israel4 ,that the fated nation was pretty well dispersed in the days of the apostles1 is evident from the ,epistle of ,james1 who addresses himself to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad4 ,dispersion by ,titus4--,but there were to be other acts of dispersion4 ,one of the most notable occurred in the year #gj ,a4 ,d41 when ,titus the ,roman came against ,jerusalem1 besieged and captured it1 and sold the inhabitants1 such as had survived the horrors of the siege1 into slavery1 or scattered them through different parts of the empire4 ,to follow the fortunes of this branch of the house of ,israel1 in all their subsequent wanderings and scatterings1 would fill volumes4 ,the ,blood that ,believes4--,next1 let us consider the question3 ,in what way did these calamities upon ,israel prove a blessing to the human race8 ,how1 by the dispersion of the children of ,abraham1 was the promise to the patriarch fulfiled1 that in him and in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed8 ,i answer1 that by this dispersion the blood of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob--the blood of faith1 the blood that believes--with choice spirits1 answering to that blood1 and selected for that purpose1 were sent into those nations where the ,gospel was afterwards preached2 spirits capable of recognizing the truth1 and brave enough to embrace it regardless of consequences2 thus setting an example to others and influencing them in the same direction4 ,manifestly this was of far more importance than the carrying by the captive ,israelites of their laws and traditions into those nations2 though this would also help to prepare the way for greater blessings to follow4 ,spread of ,christianity4--,and such things told in after years4 ,one of the marvels of history is the rapid spread of ,christianity in the days of the apostles1 who1 unlettered as most of them were1 and in the midst of the fiercest persecution1 planted the gospel standard in all the principal cities of the ,roman ,empire1 spreading the tidings of ,christ crucified1 from ,india on the ,east to ,britain on the ,west1 and from ,scythia on the ,north to ,ethiopia on the ,south2 all within the short space of fifty years4 ,mormonism's ,growth4--,a similar marvel is the spread of ,mormonism--ancient ,christianity restored--through the ,gentile nations of modern times1 a work yet in its infancy4 ,villages and congregations converted at a sweep1 as in ,lancashire and ,herefordshire1 ,england2 in ,america the gospel preached to white men and red1 and the ,church established in the tops of the ,rocky ,mountains1 with nearly half a million souls for a nucleus1 and others continually coming from the various nations of the earth4 ,and then--the extraordinary attention attracted by the ,latter-day ,saints--altogether out of proportion to their numbers2 for after all1 they are only a handful1 compared with the hundreds of millions of earth's inhabitants4 ,what more strikingly fulfils the prophetic picture drawn by the ,savior3 ,ye are as a city set upon a hill1 which can not be hid4 ,how could such things be1 had not ,divine ,wisdom prepared the way by sending the blood of ,israel1 with spirits answering to that blood1 among all nations1 prior to pouring out upon them the spirit of the gospel and of the gathering8 ,many ,nations ,sprinkled4--,others before ,abraham had shown their faith by their works2 but this does not invalidate his claim to the title1 ,father of the ,faithful4 ,neither does it prove that the believing blood1 even in the veins of the ,gentiles1 is not ,abraham's blood1 with which ,god has sprinkled many nations4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints themselves are of a mixed lineage--,gentile and ,israelitish2 most of them having descended from ,ephraim1 who mixed himself among the people4 ,the ,centurion's ,faith4--,was not the blood of ,abraham in the veins of the ,roman centurion1 whose faith caused even the ,savior to marvel8 ,the centurion's daughter was sick nigh unto death1 and her father said to ,jesus3 ,lord1 ,i am not worthy that you should enter beneath my roof1 but speak the word and my daughter shall live4 ,be it according to thy faith1 was the reply1 and straightway she was healed4 ,this incident caused the ,son of ,god to say3 ,such faith ,i have not found in ,israel4 ,moreover1 it formed the basis of a prediction1 that many should come from the ,east and from the ,west1 and sit down with ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob in the kingdom of ,god1 while the children of the kingdom1 such as were degenerate1--salt that had lost its savor1--would be cast into outer darkness4 ,other ,gentile ,believers4--,other cases in point are those of ,cornelius and the woman of ,samaria--,gentiles1 in whose veins was the blood that believes1 the salt of the earth1 sprinkled over the world for its preservation4 ,the ,moabite maiden1 ,ruth1 who was numbered among the ancestors of ,jesus ,christ1 is another example of the same kind4 ,they are of ,abraham who do the works of ,abraham4 ,according to ,their ,faith4--,god works among men according to their faith4 ,jehovah1 as ,jesus1 came unto his own1 and his own received him not4 ,he could not do many mighty works among the ,jews1 because of their unbelief1 at which he marveled1 as much1 no doubt1 as he marveled over the faith of some of the ,gentiles4 ,and so1 leaving the latter to be converted by the ,holy ,ghost1 he who had been sent to the lost sheep of ,israel1 turned from ,judah unto ,joseph1 from the ,jews unto the ,nephites1 whose faith was greater1 and among whom1 in consequence1 more if not mightier miracles were performed4 ,the ,other ,sheep4--,from the ,nephites1 the ,savior went to other sheep1 not of the ,nephite fold1 nor of the ,jewish fold1 but still of the house of ,israel1 and therefore entitled to his personal ministry4 ,these may have been the lost tribes1 or they may have been other scattered sheep1 unknown to man1 but known unto ,god1 keeping watch above his own1 in the mystical and remote regions whither his judgments had driven them4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,the ,call of the ,shepherd4 ,come out of her1 my people4--7,rev4 #ah3d47 ,all in ,christ4--,the ,savior's personal visits to the various branches of the house of ,israel were preliminary to a general gathering of the sheep into one fold1 with himself as the ,shepherd over all4 ,the prophets who predicted the dispersion1 likewise foretold the return of ,god's people to their own lands1 after the times of the ,gentiles should be fulfiled4 ,it was to be in the latter days1 when ,god has purposed to gather together in one all things in ,christ4 ,the most notable prophecies pertaining to the gathering of ,israel are here presented3 ,moses4--,the ,lord thy ,god will turn thy captivity1 and have compassion upon thee1 and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the ,lord thy ,god hath scattered thee4--7,deut4 #cj3c47 ,david4--,gather my ,saints together unto me2 those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice4--7,psalms #ej3e47 ,isaiah4--,and it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the ,lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains1 and shall be exalted above the hills2 and all nations shall flow unto it4 ,and many people shall go and say1 ,come ye1 and let us go up to the mountain of the ,lord1 to the house of the ,god of ,jacob2 and he will teach us of his ways1 and we will walk in his paths2 for out of ,zion shall go forth the law1 and the word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem4--7,isaiah #b3b1 #c47 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1 that the ,lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people1 which shall be left1 from ,assyria1 and from ,egypt1 and from ,pathros1 and from ,cush1 and from ,elam1 and from ,shinar1 and from ,hamath1 and from the islands of the sea4 ,and he shall set up an ensign for the nations1 and shall assemble the outcasts of ,israel1 and gather together the dispersed of ,judah from the four corners of the earth4 ,the envy also of ,ephraim shall depart1 and the adversaries of ,judah shall be cut off2 ,ephraim shall not envy ,judah1 and ,judah shall not vex ,ephraim4 ,but they shall fly upon the shoulders of the ,philistines to ward the west4--7,ibid1 #aa3aa-ad47 ,and there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people1 which shall be left1 from ,assyria2 like as it was to ,israel in the day that he came up out of the land of ,egypt4--7,ibid1 #aa3af47 ,fear not3 for ,i am with thee3 ,i will bring thy seed from the east1 and gather thee from the west2 ,i will say to the north1 ,give up2 and to the south1 ,keep not back2 bring my sons from far1 and my daughters from the ends of the earth4--7,ibid1 #dc3e1 #f47 ,and the ,gentiles shall come to thy light1 and kings to the brightness of thy rising4 ,lift up thine eyes round about1 and see3 all they gather themselves together1 they come to thee3 thy sons shall come from far1 and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side4--7,ibid1 #fj3c1 #d47 ,the ,ensign4--,according to the faith of the ,latter-day ,saints1 the ensign referred to by ,isaiah was set up1 when the ,church of ,christ was organized on the sixth of ,april1 #ahcj4 ,thus far1 however1 only a portion of the half tribe of ,ephraim has been gathered out from the nations4 ,shoulders of the ,philistines4--,the shoulders of the ,philistines are understood to be the steamships1 railroads1 and other facilities of the ,gentiles1 whereby the gathering ,saints have been and are being carried westward to ,american shores and into the tops of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,the ,highway4--,and there shall be a highway1 etc4 ,this part of ,isaiah's prophecy seems to have reference to the tribes that were carried into captivity by the ,assyrians1 and in connection with whose return a miracle is promised similar to the dividing of the waters of the ,red ,sea1 in the days of ,moses1 that ,israel might go over dry shod4 ,jeremiah4--,turn1 ,o backsliding children1 saith the ,lord2 for ,i am married unto you2 and ,i will take you one of a city1 and two of a family1 and ,i will bring you to ,zion2 ,and ,i will give you pastors according to mine heart1 which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding4--7,jeremiah #c3ad1 #ae47 ,therefore1 behold1 the days come1 saith the ,lord1 that it shall no more be said1 ,the ,lord liveth1 that brought up the children of ,israel out of the land of ,egypt2 ,but1 ,the ,lord liveth1 that brought up the children of ,israel from land of the north1 and from all the lands whither he had driven them2 and ,i will bring them again into their land that ,i gave unto their fathers4 ,behold1 ,i will send for many fishers1 saith the ,lord1 and they shall fish them2 and after will ,i send for many hunters1 and they shall hunt them from every mountain1 and from every hill1 and out of the holes of the rocks4 ,for mine eyes are upon all their ways2 they are not hid from my face4 ,the ,gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth1 and shall say1 ,surely our fathers have inherited lies1 vanity1 and things wherein there is no profit4--7,ibid1 #af3ad-ag1 #ai47 ,behold1 ,i will bring them from the north country1 and gather them from the coasts of the earth1 and with them the blind and the lame1 the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together2 a great company shall return thither4 ,they shall come with weeping1 and with supplications will ,i lead them3 ,i will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way1 wherein they shall not stumble2 for ,i am a father to ,israel1 and ,ephraim is my firstborn4 ,here the word of the ,lord1 ,o ye nations1 and declare it in the isles afar off1 and say1 ,he that scattered ,israel will gather him1 and keep him1 as a shepherd doth his flock4--7,ibid1 #ca3h-aj47 ,one of a ,city4--,jeremiah's prediction concerning one of a city and two of a family has been literally fulfiled in the experience of many ,latter-day ,saints1 turned out of doors by their own parents or guardians1 despised and persecuted by former friends and associates1 because they dared to be one of a city1 or two of a family1 in espousing so unpopular a cause4 ,a ,stanza on ,freedom4--,a few lines from an ,american poet--,james ,russell ,lowell--seem appropriate here4 ,the poem from which they are taken is entitled ,stanzas on ,freedom3 ,they are slaves who fear to speak ,for the fallen and the weak2 ,they are slaves who will not choose ,hatred1 scoffing1 and abuse1 ,rather than in silence shrink ,from the truth they needs must think2 ,they are slaves who dare not be ,in the right1 with two or three4 ,a ,marvel and a ,wonder4--,wonderful as has been the work of the gathering1 thus far1 judging from the words of ,jeremiah1 it is destined to be more marvelous still4 ,ezekiel4--,as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered2 so will ,i seek out my sheep1 and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day4 ,and ,i will bring them out from the people1 and gather them from the countries1 and will bring them to their own land1 and feed them upon the mountains of ,israel by the rivers1 and in all the inhabited places of the country4 ,i will feed them in a good pasture1 and upon the high mountains of ,israel shall their fold be4--7,ezekiel #cd3ab-ad47 ,the ,christ4--,and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations2 and then shall the end come4--7,matthew #bd3ad47 ,and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet1 and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds1 from one end of heaven to the other4--7,ibid1 #bd3ca47 ,john the ,revelator4--,and ,i saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth1 and to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people4--7,rev4 #ad3f47 99 99 99 ,and ,i heard another voice from heaven1 saying1 ,come out of her1 my people1 that ye be not partakers of her sins1 and that ye receive not of her plagues4--7,ibid1 #ah3d47 ,enoch4--,one of the most ancient prophecies on the gathering1 is that recorded in the ,book of ,moses--a portion of the ,lord's word to ,enoch concerning the latter days3 ,and righteousness and truth will ,i cause to sweep the earth as with a flood1 to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth1 unto a place which ,i shall prepare1 an ,holy ,city1 that my people may gird up their loins1 and be looking forth for the time of my coming2 for there shall be my tabernacle1 and it shall be called ,zion1 a ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,enoch3 ,then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there 99 99 99 and there shall be mine abode4--7,moses #g3fb-fd47 ,keys of the ,gathering ,restored4--,moses held the keys of ,israel's gathering1 and he committed them to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 in the ,kirtland ,temple1 ,april #c1 #ahcf4 7,d4 and ,c4 #aaj3aa47 ,the record says3 ,moses appeared before us1 and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of ,israel from the four parts of the earth1 and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the ,north4 ,query4--,why this explicit reference to the ten tribes1 following a general allusion to the gathering of ,israel from the four parts of the earth1 if the ten tribes are no longer a distinct people8 ,joseph ,smith4--,and they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the ,lord1 and their prophets shall hear his voice1 and shall no longer stay themselves1 and they shall smite the rocks1 and the ice shall flow down at their presence4 ,and an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep4 ,their enemies shall become a prey unto them1 ,and in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water2 and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land4 ,and they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of ,ephraim my servants4 ,and the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence4 ,and there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory1 even in ,zion1 by the hands of the servants of the ,lord1 even the children of ,ephraim3 ,and they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy4 ,behold1 this is the blessing of the everlasting ,god upon the tribes of ,israel1 and the richer blessing upon the head of ,ephraim and his fellows4 ,and they also of the tribe of ,judah1 after their pain1 shall be sanctified in holiness before the ,lord to dwell in his presence1 day and night1 for ever and ever4--7,d4 and ,c4 #acc3bf-ce47 ,book of ,mormon ,predictions4--,the ,book of ,mormon contains many predictions of the gathering of ,israel2 the more notable being those of ,ether the ,jaredite1 and of first1 second1 and third ,nephi4 ,we learn from them that the ,city of ,zion1 ,new ,jerusalem1 to which1 as well as to ,old ,jerusalem1 the children of ,israel will gather1 is to be built upon this continent2 the precise place1 as pointed out by the ,prophet ,joseph1 being ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri4 ,there1 in the summer of #ahca1 a site for the ,new ,jerusalem was consecrated4 ,there shall yet stand the ,city of ,god1 the central point for the gathering of the tribes of ,israel1 all except ,judah1 which tribe1 with its fellows1 are to reinhabit the land of ,palestine4 ,until ,zion is redeemed and the city built at the place appointed1 the gathering will continue unto the ,stakes of ,zion4 ,jesus to the ,nephites4--,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i give unto you a sign1 that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place1 that ,i shall gather in from their long dispersion1 my people1 ,o house of ,israel1 and shall establish again among them my ,zion4--7,,iii ,nephi #ba3a47 ,therefore1 when these works1 and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter1 shall come forth from the ,gentiles1 unto your seed1 which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity3 ,for thus it behoveth the ,father that it should come forth from the ,gentiles1 that he may shew forth his power unto the ,gentiles1 for this cause1 that the ,gentiles1 if they will not harden their hearts1 that they may repent and come unto me1 and be baptized in my name1 and know of the true points of my doctrine1 that they may be numbered among my people1 ,o house of ,israel2 ,and when these things come to pass1 that thy seed shall begin to know these things1 it shall be a sign unto them1 that they may know that the work of the ,father hath already commenced unto the fulfiling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of ,israel4 ,and when that day shall come1 it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths2 for that which had not been told them shall they see2 and that which they had not heard shall they consider4 ,for in that day1 for my sake1 shall the ,father work a work1 which shall be a great and marvelous work among them2 and there shall be among them who will not believe it1 although a man shall declare it unto them4 ,but behold1 the life of my servant shall be in my hand2 therefore they shall not hurt him1 although he shall be marred because of them4 ,yet ,i will heal him1 for ,i will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil4 ,therefore it shall come to pass1 that whosoever will not believe in my words1 who am ,jesus ,christ1 whom the ,father shall cause him to bring forth unto the ,gentiles1 and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the ,gentiles1 7it shall be done even as ,moses said17 they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant4 ,and my people who are a remnant of ,jacob1 shall be among the ,gentiles1 yea1 in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest1 as a young lion among the flocks of sheep1 who1 if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces1 and none can deliver4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,but if they will repent1 and hearken unto my words1 and harden not their hearts1 ,i will establish my church among them1 and they shall come in unto the covenant1 and be numbered among this the remnant of ,jacob1 unto whom ,i have given this land for their inheritance4 ,and they shall assist my people1 the remnant of ,jacob1 and also1 as many of the house of ,israel as shall come1 that they may build a city1 which shall be called the ,new ,jerusalem2 ,and then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in1 who are scattered upon all the face of the land1 in unto the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and then shall the power of heaven come down among them2 and ,i also will be in the midst2 ,and then shall the work of the ,father commence at that day1 even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 at that day shall the work of the ,father commence among all the dispersed of my people2 yea1 even the tribes which have been lost1 which the ,father hath led away out of ,jerusalem4 ,yea1 the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people1 with the ,father1 to prepare the way whereby they come unto me1 that they may call on the ,father in my name2 ,yea1 and then shall the work commence1 with the ,father1 among all nations1 in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance4--7,,iii ,nephi #ba3e-ab1 #bb-bh47 ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,author to the ,reader4 ,and now1 a word to the brethren--particularly the young brethren--who will read this book4 ,i have endeavored to impress upon you the relationship that you bear to heaven and to earth1 the duty that you owe to ,god and to your fellow men4 ,you are among the chosen spirits that constitute the house of ,israel4 ,you are of the seed of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and consequently lawful heirs to all the promises made to your great progenitors4 ,you are of ,ephraim1 most of you--,ephraim1 the first born1 the first branch of the ,israelitish tree to bear the fruits of faith and obedience in modern days2 the first to receive the ,gospel1 and to officiate as its ministers in the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times4 ,your lineage is noble--,i care not how obscure your earthly origin1 how meager your possessions1 how limited your opportunities for education and advancement4 ,you are of a royal race1 and your conduct should be royal to comport with it4 ,this does not mean that you should be proud and arrogant4 ,pride and arrogance are no proofs of gentility2 they betoken the upstart2 they are the badges of the base-born4 ,faith and humility must be your watchwords1 and the insignia of your mission1 as saviors of mankind4 ,much is required of you1 for much has been committed to you4 ,as children of ,abraham1 you must do the works of ,abraham1 and keep yourselves unspotted from the sins and follies of a sordid1 pleasure-loving1 money-worshiping generation4 ,you must not bow down to the gods of the ,gentiles1 nor pander to the lusts of the flesh4 ,it is not given unto you to live after the manner of the world4 ,whenever tempted to intermarry with those not of your faith1 and to wander away from the fold1 think of the great purpose for which you were placed upon the earth2 remember that you are children of the covenant1 and that these are the days of the gathering1 not the scattering1 of the blood of ,israel4 ,the same general obligations now resting upon you1 rested up on your ancestors2 and neglect and disobedience brought upon them all the calamities that befell them as a nation4 ,the salt1 sent to preserve1 lost its savor1 and was therefore cast out and trodden under foot of men4 ,invite not a repetition of those evils4 ,what was done in the green tree1 must not be done in the dry4 ,there is no time1 no necessity1 for another dispersion of ,israel4 ,it would be as inappropriate and superfluous as the flooding of soil already soaked by the waters of irrigation1 or the sowing of a field already white unto the harvest1 waiting for the reaper's sickle4 ,no good could come of it--nothing but waste and destruction4 ,the children of the covenant have been called home1 and the blood that believes must now flow back to its fountain4 ,hearken to me1 ye that follow after righteousness1 ye that seek the ,lord3 look unto the rock whence ye are hewn1 and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged4 ,look unto ,abraham your father1 and unto ,sarah that bare you3 for ,i called him alone1 and blessed him1 and increased him4 ,for the ,lord shall comfort ,zion3 he will comfort all her waste places2 and he will make her wilderness like ,eden1 and her desert like the garden of the ,lord2 joy and gladness shall be found therein1 thanksgiving1 and the voice of melody4--7,isaiah #ea3a-c47 ,the night of dispersion is past2 the day of gathering has dawned4 ,the tempests that broke above the heads of our ancestors have spent their fury1 and the clouds have parted and rolled away4 ,the barren ground1 refreshed by the fearful visitation1 is clothed with verdure and covered with flowers4 ,the freshening and revivifying rains1 having fulfiled their mission1 must now return to the ocean whence they came4 ,this is the meaning1 the symbolism1 of the dispersion and gathering of ,israel4