and ,villate ,brown ,mc,kitrick ,,saturday ,,night ,,thoughts ,a ,series of ,dissertations on ,spiritual1 ,historical and ,philosophic ,themes ,,by ,,orson ,f4 ,,whitney ,of the ,council of the ,twelve1 ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints ,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah3 ,,the ,,deseret ,,news #aiba ,,foreword ,most of the contents of this volume appeared originally as a series of articles in ,saturday issues of the ,deseret ,evening ,news1 beginning ,october #bf1 #aiah1 and ending ,may #ca1 #aiai4 ,as stated by the ,news1 these articles were designed to fill in some degree a spiritual void and meet a special need of those who were in the habit of attending ,sunday services1 but were denied that privilege by the prevalence of the influenza epidemic4 ,that epidemic caused a suspension of public gatherings for several months1 and even made necessary the postponement of one ,general ,conference of the ,church4 ,it was during this period of suspension that these contributions to the ,church organ began4 ,they were given place on the editorial page1 and subsequently the ,news said of them3 ,these ',thoughts' have subserved a far more than temporary and passing purpose--they have stimulated study and deep reflection1 and they have been greatly enjoyed and prized by the thoughtful reader everywhere4 ,among those who uttered similar sentiments was ,president ,george ,h4 ,brimhall1 of the ,brigham ,young ,university1 who1 in a letter to the author1 expressed the hope that provision would be made for publication of the essays in book form1 thus adding one more choice volume to ,latter-day ,saint literature1 especially suited to the needs of students at home and missionaries abroad4 ,like expressions came from ,president ,heber ,j4 ,grant1 ,senator ,reed ,smoot1 ,president ,john ,a4 ,widtsoe1 of the ,university of ,utah1 and many other prominent people4 ,in response to this cordial1 widespread sentiment of appreciation1 and under the sanction of the ,general ,authorities of the ,church1 the ,saturday ,night ,thoughts were compiled for republication1 and the result is here presented4 ,may1 #aiba ,,the ,,author4 ,,contents ,part ,one--,our ,place ,in ,history ,article ,one3 ,the ,saturday ,evening of ,time ,article ,two3 ,the ,watch ,on ,the ,tower ,article ,three3 ,concerning ,names and ,vocations ,article ,four3 ,the ,choice ,seer ,article ,five3 ,the ,land of ,zion ,part ,two--,seership and ,prophecy ,article ,six3 ,what ,joseph ,beheld ,article ,seven3 ,what ,joseph ,foretold ,article ,eight3 ,looking ,westward ,article ,nine3 ,the ,place of ,safety ,part ,three4--,a ,marvel and a ,wonder ,article ,ten3 ,the ,wisdom ,that ,perishes ,article ,eleven3 ,the ,god ,story ,article ,twelve3 ,the ,great ,vicissitudes ,article ,thirteen3 ,the ,gospel ,dispensations ,part ,four4--,a ,glance ,down the ,ages ,article ,fourteen3 ,the ,adamic ,age ,article ,fifteen3 ,enoch and ,his ,city ,article ,sixteen3 ,noah and the ,deluge ,article ,seventeen3 ,abraham and the ,house of ,israel ,article ,eighteen3 ,moses and ,aaron ,article ,nineteen3 ,to the ,ends of the ,earth ,part ,five4--,in ,time's ,meridian ,article ,twenty3 ,the ,lamb of ,god ,article ,twenty-one3 ,the ,special ,witnesses ,part ,six4--,the ,era of ,restitution ,article ,twenty-two3 ,the ,call of the ,shepherd ,article ,twenty-three3 ,the ,zion of ,latter ,days ,article ,twenty-four3 ,redemption by ,power ,article ,twenty-five3 ,clearing the ,way ,article ,twenty-six3 ,god's ,hand ,upon the ,nations ,article ,twenty-seven3 ,the ,consummation ,part ,seven4--,powers and ,principles ,article ,twenty-eight3 ,the ,priesthood ,article ,twenty-nine3 ,church ,government ,article ,thirty3 ,the ,law of ,obedience ,article ,thirty-one3 ,the ,divine ,doorway ,article ,thirty-two3 ,the ,second ,birth ,article ,thirty-three3 ,meaning and ,mode of ,baptism ,article ,thirty-four3 ,the ,gospel's ,accessories ,article ,thirty-five3 ,what ,are ,miracles8 ,article ,thirty-six3 ,the ,mainspring of ,power ,part ,eight4--,beyond the ,horizon ,article ,thirty-seven3 ,the ,spirit ,world ,article ,thirty-eight3 ,spirit ,promptings ,article ,thirty-nine3 ,do the ,dead ,return8 ,article ,forty3 ,the ,goal ,eternal ,,names ,,and ,,abbreviations ,the usual ,bible abbreviations are retained4 ,hist4 ,ch4 stands for ,history of the ,church4 ,d4 ,c4 for ,doctrine and ,covenants4 ,nephi1 ,jacob1 ,omni1 ,mormon1 ,mosiah1 ,alma and ,ether1 will be recognized as names belonging to the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the ,book of ,moses1 shortened to ,moses1 and the ,book of ,abraham1 abbreviated to ,abr41 will be found within the lids of the ,pearl of ,great ,price4 ,other abbreviations1 such as vol4 for volume1 p4 or pp4 for page or pages1 v4 or vv4 for verse or verses and ib4 for ibid 7the same7 are in such common use as scarcely to require mention4 ,,part ,,one ,,our ,,place ,,in ,,history ,saturday ,night ,thoughts ,,article ,,one4 ,the ,saturday ,evening of ,time4 ,the ,sixth ,day4--,saturday1 in ,christian lands1 is a day set apart for house-cleaning1 a time for putting things to rights1 in preparation for the ,sabbath1 the sacred day of rest4 ,preliminary to the condition of purity1 order and quietness especially desirable on that day1 the house1 in domestic parlance1 is upset--turned topsy-turvy4 ,furniture is moved and dusted1 floors are scrubbed1 windows cleaned1 and stoves polished2 the body is bathed1 all rubbish burned1 and everything done that ought to be done1 so that when night is past and glorious morning dawns1 the rising sun can smile approvingly on a renovated1 sweet and wholesome scene1 and the ,lord's ,day be kept1 as ,he intended it should be1 in cleanliness1 which is next to godliness4 ,is there not something symbolical in all this--something suggestive of things higher8 ,all ,things ,symbolical4--,all things are in a scale1 says ,plato2 and begin where we will1 ascend and ascend4 ,all things are symbolical2 and what we call results are beginnings4 #a ,if this be true1 then is there a symbolism in small things as well as in great1 in endings as well as beginnings1 including the ending and beginning of the week4 ,saturday and ,sunday are both symbolical1 each suggesting and pointing to something above and beyond4 ,the ,world's ,sabbath4--,who among men first recognized in the seventh day a symbol of ,christ's ,millennial reign1 ,i know not4 ,the reign itself was the theme of a revelation as early as the days of ,enoch4 #b ,but it is obvious that the symbolism of the seventh day does not stand alone4 ,the idea of a greater ,sunday carries with it the idea of a greater ,saturday1 of which all lesser ,saturdays are typical2 a time of agitation1 of strenuous toil and strife1 during which all will be made ready for the blest sabbatic era1 the period of universal peace4 ,the ,world's ,saturday ,night must necessarily precede the ,world's ,sunday ,morning4 #c ,the ,apocalyptic ,book4--,the symbolism of the ,sabbath1 and the symbolism of other days as well1 is plainly indicated in the writings of ,joseph ,smith4 ,in one place he says--or the ,lord says through him3 ,all things have their likeness1 and are made to bear record of ,me4 #d ,we need not be surprised1 therefore1 to find among the ,prophet's teachings this--,i quote now from his ,key to the ,apocalypse3 ,what are we to understand by the book which ,john saw1 which was sealed on the back with seven seals8 #e ,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 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 work 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 things--unto the end of all things2 and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work in the beginning of the seventh thousand years--the preparing of the way before the time of his coming4 #f ,seven ,great ,days4--,the days here referred to were not ordinary days of twenty-four hours each1 based upon earth's diurnal revolutions4 ,he who made the world before placing man upon it1 had not then appointed unto ,adam his reckoning4 #g ,they were not man's days1 but ,god's days1 each having a duration of a thousand years4 ,the book which ,john saw represented the real history of the world--what the eye of ,god has seen1 what the recording angel has written2 and the seven thousand years1 corresponding to the seven seals of the ,apocalyptic volume1 are as seven great days during which ,mother ,earth will fulfill her mortal mission1 laboring six days and resting upon the seventh1 her period of sanctification4 ,these seven days do not include the period of our planet's creation and preparation as a dwelling place for man4 ,they are limited to ,earth's temporal existence1 that is1 to ,time1 considered as distinct from ,eternity4 ,according to ,kolob4--,the ,prophet's translation of the ,book of ,abraham explains that these greater days are after the time or according to the reckoning of ,kolob1 a mighty governing planet nearest the ,celestial ,throne1 a planet revolving once in a thousand years4 #h ,this period1 then1 is a day upon ,kolob4 ,one might well suppose such a day to have figured in the warning given to ,adam3 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die2 #i for ,adam1 after eating of the forbidden fruit1 lived on to the age of nine hundred and thirty years4 #aj ,st4 ,peter may have had the same thing in mind when he wrote3 ,one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day4 #aa ,at the ,week's ,end4--,according to received chronology--admittedly imperfect1 yet approximately correct--four thousand years1 or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its temporal existence1 had passed before ,christ was crucified2 while nearly two thousand years have gone by since4 ,consequently1 ,earth's long week is now drawing to a close1 and we stand at the present moment in the ,saturday ,evening of ,time1 at or near the end of the sixth day of human history4 ,is it not a time for thought1 a season for solemn meditation8 ,morning will break upon the ,millennium1 the thousand years of peace1 the ,sabbath of the ,world6 ,house-,cleaning in ,progress4--,marvel not1 therefore1 that all things are in commotion4 ,war1 famine1 pestilence1 earthquake1 tempest and tidal wave--these are among the predicted signs of the ,savior's second coming4 #ab ,tyranny and wickedness must be overthrown1 and the way prepared for ,him who1 though gracious and merciful to all1 and forgiving to sinners who repent1 cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance4 #ac ,earth must be freed from oppression and cleansed from all iniquity4 ,it is ,god's ,house2 and ,he is coming to live in it1 and to make of it a glorified mansion4 ,house-cleaning is in progress1 and ,saturday's work must be done and out of the way1 before the ,lord of the ,sabbath appears4 ,footnotes #a4 ,plato1 ,emerson's ,representative ,men1 ,altemus edition1 #ahie1 p4 #ga4 #b4 ,moses #g3dh1 #fa1 #fd4 #c4 ,rabbinical commentators have expressed the opinion that after six millenniums of years1 there will come a seventh1 with rest and peace4 ,paul 7#b ,thess4 #a3g7 points to the coming of ,christ as the time when the ,saints would find 'rest2' and he also argues 7,heb4 #d3a-aa7 that there remaineth a 'rest' to the people of ,god4 ,the word he uses means a 'sabbathism' or sabbath observance1 and he refers to the coming of the ,lord4--,j4 ,m4 ,sjodahl4 #d4 ,moses #f3fc4 #e4 ,rev4 #e and #f4 #f4 ,d4 and ,c4 #gg3f1 #ab4 #g4 ,abr4 #e3ac4 #h4 ,abr4 #c3d4 #i4 ,gen4 #b3ag4 #aj4 ,ib4 #e3e4 ,this1 of course1 refers to the temporal life4 ,adam died spiritually as soon as he had transgressed the divine command4 ,shut out from the ,heavenly ,presence1 he was dead as to the things of the ,spirit4 7,d4 and ,c4 #bi3dj1 #da47 #aa4 #b ,peter #c3h4 #ab4 ,matt4 #bd2 ,d4 and ,c4 #hg1 #hh4 #ac4 ,d4 and ,c4 #a3ca1 #cb4 ,,article ,,two4 ,the ,watch on the ,tower4 ,haunted ,houses4--,several years since1 a learned gentleman was lecturing in some of our ,utah towns1 taking for his theme ,haunted ,houses4 ,that was his way of describing the situation of those who put faith in prophets1 visions and revelations1 as among the means whereby ,god communicates with man4 ,he invited all such to come out of their haunted houses1 and build for their souls more stately mansions1 founded upon the rock of reason and scientific truth4 ,the lecturer had special reference1 of course1 to the followers of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,a ,fundamental ,belief4--,a belief in prophets and in spiritual gifts1 whereby come visions1 revelations1 and miraculous signs1 following and confirming full and true belief1 #a is fundamental with the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,we regard the founding of our ,church as a fulfillment of prophecy1 #b and recognize in the decadence of long established systems of religion1 a result of failure to be guided and governed by the teachings and warnings of men divinely inspired4 ,where there is no vision1 the people perish4 #c ,where there is no revelation1 spiritual darkness reigns4 ,not a ,chance ,world4--,we are not living in a world of chance4 ,things do not occur haphazardly1 without the care or cognizance of the omniscient and omnipotent ,ruler4 ,not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice4 ,design1 not accident1 governs the universe4 ,neither man nor ,satan1 though exercising to the full his free agency1 can possibly thwart the ,divine ,will4 ,with all their schemings and strivings1 they are powerless to destroy or disarrange ,god's ,plan1 or to hinder the fulfillment of prophecy4 ,all things1 both the evil and the good1 are overruled in a way to subserve one and the same great end--,what ,eternal ,wisdom decreed before the foundation of the world4 ,the ,function of ,prophecy4--,the need for prophecy must be evident to any pious and reflective mind4 ,prophets are as watchmen on the tower1 noting the time of night1 telling of the approaching dawn4 ,surely the ,lord ,god will do nothing1 but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets4 #d ,this means1 as ,i interpret it1 that the all-wise ,dispenser of human affairs will neither cause nor permit any event to take place1 concerning which the world need to have fore-knowledge1 until he has communicated with his chosen servants1 his oracles among men1 and has given them due notice of its approach4 ,to warn mankind of impending judgments2 to prepare ,his people1 and through them the world at large1 for changes that must come in the carrying out of the divine program--changes necessary to human progress--is the function of those who see into the future and make known the word and will of the ,universal ,father4 ,time for ,preparation4--,even without the ,prophet ,amos and his inspired utterance1 we have every reason to feel assured1 from what we know of the divine attributes1 that ,god1 in his dealings with man1 harbors no intent to take what is known as a snap judgment4 ,his object being to save1 not to destroy1 it is very far from his design that the world shall be caught unawares1 that men or nations shall be involved in trouble of which they have had no warning1 and for which1 consequently1 they could make no preparation4 ,the promised sending of ,elijah the ,prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the ,lord1 was in order that certain things might be done which1 if left undone1 would cause that coming to smite the earth with a curse4 #e ,not that the ,lord wishes to curse4 ,his object1 even in chastisement1 is to bless4 #f ,but a want of preparedness can change a blessing into a curse4 ,messiah's glorious appearing will be a wonderful blessing to the earth and its inhabitants1 provided they are made ready for it4 ,but a lack of readiness on their part would convert the boon into a calamity4 ,hence the need of preparation and of previous notice4 ,whether weal or woe is wending its way earthward1 it is only fair that men should be told of it in advance4 ,the ,supernatural ,discredited4--,but there is a proneness in human nature to discredit the ,heaven-sent messenger4 ,almost invariably the supernatural is discounted1 if not derided1 by ultra-practical minds4 ,all miracles are myths to the agnostic intellect4 ,the natural man is an enemy to ,god4 ,dead ,prophets ,preferred4--,even those who revere the prophets of the past are tempted to ignore the prophets of the present4 ,it seems natural to turn from ,what ,is and bow down to ,what ,has ,been4 ,not only prophets1 but poets1 philosophers1 and other wise and worthy teachers have been treated in this manner4 ,seven cities claimed the birth of ,homer1 dead1 ,through which the living ,homer begged for bread4 ,the ,savior reproved the pious unbelievers of his generation for garnishing the sepulchres of the righteous1 the dead seers and revelators1 and at the same time rejecting the living worthies1 as their fathers had done before them4 #g ,a professed reverence for ,moses and the old-time prophets was a prominent characteristic of those who spurned the greatest of all prophets1 the very ,son of ,god1 concerning whom ,moses and other seers had testified4 ,and this same spirit1 the spirit that crucified the ,christ1 has caused the martyrdom of ,his servants in all ages4 ,counterfeit and ,genuine4--,for the widely prevalent distrust felt toward men who come burdened with a message from on ,high1 false prophets and the mischief they have wrought are largely responsible4 ,but distrust1 no less than credulity1 can be overdone4 ,caution against imposition is commendable1 but doubt that rejects truth is to be deprecated and condemned4 ,all prophets are not false4 ,there can be no counterfeit without a genuine2 and to proclaim against the one is virtually to concede the existence of the other4 ,a ,test of ,prophecy4--,a simple and sure test of prophecy is furnished in the following passage of ,holy ,writ3 ,when a prophet speaketh in the name of the ,lord1 if the thing follow not nor come to pass1 that is the thing which the ,lord hath not spoken1 but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously4 #h ,by this standard of judgment can be tested all that prophetic inspiration has ever uttered4 ,given enough time1 the thing will clearly demonstrate whether or not it was spoken presumptuously4 ,a ,serious ,situation4--,ponder upon this1 ye who hear the testimonies of the ,elders of ,israel1 preaching the restored ,gospel of the ,kingdom as a final witness to the nations4 ,and when you see coming to pass1 in these days of war1 pestilence and calamity1 the predictions of ancient and modern seers1 give a thought1 a serious thought to the situation4 ,ask yourselves if you can afford to be classed1 either with those who look upon believers in spiritual gifts as deluded dupes living in haunted houses1 or with those who extol the prophets of former ages1 and persecute or ignore the prophets of the present time4 ,footnotes #a4 ,mark #af3ag4 #b4 ,isa4 #bi3ad4 #c4 ,prov4 #bi3ah4 #d4 ,amos #c3g4 #e4 ,mal4 #d3e1 #f4 #f4 ,prov4 #c3aa1 #ab4 #g4 ,matt4 #bc3bi4 #h4 ,deut4 #ah3bb4 ,,article ,,three4 ,concerning ,names and ,vocations4 ,is ,not ,this ,the ,farmer's ,son8--,some such paraphrase was probably in the mind1 possibly upon the lips1 of more than one opponent of the religion termed ,mormonism1 when its supposed author1 ,joseph ,smith1 started out upon his remarkable career4 ,and it was deemed by them1 no doubt1 a sufficient answer to his extraordinary claims4 ,true and ,false ,standards4--,a tree is known by its fruit4 ,this proverb1 accepted by the wise and just almost as a truism1 seems to have no place in the philosophy of some people1 especially when a servant of the ,lord is the object of their critical contemplation4 ,what do men say of him8 is frequently the only criterion by which such a character is judged4 ,and is it not manifestly unfair8 ,when a prophet comes from ,god with a message for mankind1 what matters the name given to that message1 or to that messenger1 by those unfriendly to the cause he represents8 ,the ,carpenter's ,son4--,those who rejected the ,man of ,nazareth when he proclaimed himself the ,son of ,god1 doubtless thought they had disposed of him effectually by referring to him sneeringly as ,the carpenter's son2 this slight1 with others put upon him by his neighbors1 causing ,jesus to remark3 ,a prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house4 #a ,effect of ,nearness4--,his nearness was against him4 ,there was no distance to lend enchantment to the view4 ,his name and humble vocation made his marvelous claims seem impossible4 ,it could not be that ,god would make a prophet out of a carpenter's son--a prophet mightier than ,moses or any of the ancient seers--and give to him such a common name as ,jesus1 another form of ,joshua4 #b ,it was unbelievable1 absurd1 to most4 ,therefore were they justified1 as they supposed1 in withholding from him recognition and honor4 ,and ,he did not many mighty works there1 because of their unbelief4 ,history ,repeats4--,as with the carpenter's1 so with the farmer's son--each was objected to upon similar grounds4 ,nor was it a new thing in human experience4 ,that which called forth criticism had occurred many times in other ages when ,god had raised up prophets and seers4 ,probably most of them were selected from among the plain people1 and were comparatively unknown to men when the ,lord called them4 ,moses an ,exception4--,moses was a signal exception4 ,he had been reared as a prince in the palace of the king of ,egypt2 but that was because ,pharaoh's daughter1 having found the homeless infant at the water's edge1 thenceforth had charge of him and his education4 ,prince he was1 regardless of that princely training2 but he was not the only prince in ,israel4 ,they were a nation of kings and priests1 though most of them walked in ways that were lowly4 ,a ,herdsman ,prophet4--,prophets are not chosen for their worldly culture or their social position4 ,a plain-going farmer1 no less than a college professor1 may be gifted with prophetic power and be called to exercise it for the good of his fellows4 ,amos1 according to his own statement1 was no prophet1 nor a prophet's son4 ,that is to say1 he had not been trained in any school of the prophets1 such as existed in ,old ,testament times4 #c ,he was not1 like ,jeremiah1 the son of a priest4 #d ,he was a herdsman and a fruit-gatherer when the word of the ,lord came to him3 ,go1 prophesy unto my people ,israel4 #e ,prophets ,foreordained4--,a prophet's name1 his place of birth1 and the character of his everyday calling1 are matters of little moment compared with other things pertaining to him4 ,what of his state and standing before he came on earth8 ,this is a far more important consideration4 ,god's prophets are chosen before they are born1 #f and are sent into the world as ,he needs them4 ,their aims are high and holy4 ,they desire the welfare and happiness of the race4 ,yet almost invariably their motives are misunderstood1 and they and their followers are opposed and persecuted4 ,the ,vital ,question4--,does this man come from ,god8 ,that is the only question worthy of immediate attention1 when a prophet1 or one professing to be such appears4 ,and his word alone need not be taken as conclusive4 ,there are ways and means of testing a prophet's claim--and that1 too1 without awaiting the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of some prediction by or concerning him4 ,honest1 prayerful men and women1 with even moderate discernment1 need not be deceived by any pious or impious pretender4 ,god would not leave his children at the mercy of imposters4 ,the sheep have a right to be protected from the wolves4 ,try the ,spirits4--,many false prophets are gone out into the world4 #g ,but there is a ,spirit that discerns between true and false1 between spurious and genuine1 and anyone who seeks it aright may have the inspiration of the ,almighty1 which giveth to the spirit of man understanding4 #h ,moreover1 the ,letter as well as the ,spirit is a guide4 ,what has been revealed in times past helps to interpret what is now revealed4 ,truth is always consistent with itself4 ,heaven-inspired men do not contradict one another4 ,their teachings harmonize and are dependable4 ,the spirit of contention is essentially evil4 #i ,to the law and to the testimony3 if they speak not according to this word1 it is because there is no light in them4 #aj ,old ,joe ,smith4--,were these tests applied to ,joseph ,smith in the early part of the nineteenth century8 ,yes1 by some2 and they received the promised testimony of the ,truth1 the absolute evidence of the divinity of this ,prophet's mission4 ,but by far the greater number of those to whom he fain would have ministered1 rejected him summarily and without investigation4 ,to them he was only ,joe ,smith--,old ,joe ,smith--old indeed in wisdom1 though young in earthly years1 yielding up his life as a martyr at the early age of thirty-eight4 ,his claim to being an oracle of ,god was deemed preposterous1 blasphemous2 and his religion1 the pure ,gospel of ,christ1 was denounced as the world's worst delusion and snare4 ,badges of ,honor4--,but bad names1 wrongly bestowed1 hurt the giver1 rather than the receiver4 ,blame and ridicule1 when applied to the righteous1 are badges of honor1 worn by true prophets and true principles in all ages4 ,it does not do away with a man of ,god to pelt him with nicknames and opprobrious epithets4 ,persecution may end his earthly career1 but it cannot confute his claim nor invalidate his testimony4 ,the name of the martyred modern ,seer1 despite the clouds of calumny enveloping it1 shines out from amidst the darkness that comprehended him not4 ,his glorious ,lord and ,master1 crucified as an imposter1 put to death for maintaining that he was more than the world believed him to be1 gave the only ,name given under heaven whereby men can be saved4 ,footnotes #a4 ,matt4 #ac3ee-eg4 #b4 ,jesus is the ,greek form of the ,hebrew ,joshua1 frequently met with in ,ezra and ,nehemiah4 ,it was pronounced ,joshua by the early ,jews4 ,other forms of the name are ,hosea or ,hoshea1 ,oshea and ,jehoshua4 #c4 #a ,sam4 #aj3aj2 #ai3bj4 #b ,kings #b3c2 #d3ch2 #f3a4 #d4 ,jer4 #a3a4 #e4 ,amos #g3ad1 #ae4 #f4 ,abr4 #c3bc2 ,jer4 #a3e4 #g4 #a ,john #d3a #h4 ,job #cb3h4 #i4 #c ,nephi #aa3bi1 #cj4 #aj4 ,isa4 #h3bj4 ,,article ,,four4 ,the ,choice ,seer4 ,a ,prenatal ,naming4--,let us now take a closer view of this marvelous man1 ,joseph ,smith1 the most extraordinary character that has appeared upon our planet in the past two thousand years4 ,his coming into the world fulfilled a prophecy uttered many centuries before his birth--a prophecy concerning a choice seer1 to be raised up out of the loins of ,joseph who was sold into ,egypt4 ,the seer's name was likewise to be ,joseph1 and this also was to be the name of his father4 #a ,that prophecy was fulfilled in ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 the founder of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,joseph the ,seer--so is he designated by divine revelation4 #b ,like great ,cyrus1 who liberated the ,jews from their captivity in ,babylon1 #c the ,lord's anointed in modern times1 raised up to begin the work of ,israel's final and complete redemption1 was named and his mission outlined long before he had tabernacled in the flesh4 ,why he came gifted with the power of seership1 was made manifest at the very beginning of his career4 ,birth and ,parentage4--,joseph the ,seer was born at ,sharon1 ,vermont1 two days before ,christmas1 in the year #ahje4 ,when only a lad1 living with his parents1 ,joseph and ,lucy ,smith1 honest farm folk in the backwoods of ,western ,new ,york1 his career as a prophet began4 ,in ,quest of ,wisdom4--,partly from the effects of a religious revival held in his neighborhood1 he became much concerned upon the subject of his soul's salvation1 but was bewildered and unable to make choice of a church or creed1 owing to the diverse and conflicting claims of the various ,christian sects4 ,while in this mood1 he chanced upon the following passage of scripture3 ,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not2 and it shall be given him4 #d ,deeply impressed with the sacred words1 he forthwith resolved to ask from ,god the wisdom of which he stood in need4 ,the ,first ,vision4--,retiring to a grove near his father's home1 he knelt in prayer to the ,most ,high2 but had scarcely begun his humble and earnest petition1 when he was seized upon by a power that filled his soul with horror and paralyzed his tongue so that he could no longer speak4 ,so terrible was the visitation1 that he almost gave way to despair4 ,yet he continued to pray--in thought1 with the soul's sincere desire--and just at the moment when he feared he must abandon himself to destruction1 he saw1 directly over his head1 a light more brilliant than the noonday sun4 ,in the midst of a pillar of glory he beheld two beings in human form1 one of whom1 pointing to the other1 said3 ,this is my beloved ,son1 hear ,him4 #e ,all ,churches ,astray4--,with the appearance of the ,light1 the boy found himself delivered from the fettering power of the ,evil ,one4 ,as soon as he could again command utterance1 he inquired of his heavenly visitants which of all the religious denominations was right--which one was the true ,church of ,christ8 ,to his astonishment1 he was told that none of them was right2 that they had all gone out of the way4 ,their creeds were an abomination1 and their professors corrupt4 ,they draw near to me with their lips1 but their hearts are far from me2 they teach for doctrine the commandments of men1 having a form of godliness1 but they deny the power thereof4 ,so spake the ,son of ,god concerning the churches4 #f ,he declared that he did not recognize any of them2 but was about to restore the ,everlasting ,gospel1 with the powers of the ,eternal ,priesthood1 and establish his ,church once more in the midst of mankind4 ,such was ,joseph ,smith's first vision and revelation4 ,it came in the spring of #ahbj1 when he was but a few months over fourteen years of age4 ,the ,divine ,personality4--,the greater part of this wonderful manifestation was the part that did not speak--the silent revealing of the personality of ,god2 a truth plainly taught in the ,scriptures1 but ignored or denied by modern ,christianity4 ,the object worshiped by the sects was defined in their theology as a being without body1 parts or passions4 #g ,that was the popular concept of ,deity throughout ,christendom when ,joseph ,smith and ,mormonism came forth4 ,in line with this tenet and teaching1 an ,english poet of the eighteenth century had represented ,god as a ,mind or ,soul that ,warms in the sun1 refreshes in the breeze1 ,glows in the stars1 and blossoms in the trees1 ,lives through all life1 extends through all extent1 ,spreads undivided1 operates unspent4 #h ,these beautiful couplets admirably describe the ,spirit of the ,lord--that all-pervading energy or essence which proceeds from the ,divine ,presence1 fills the immensity of space1 is everywhere present1 and is immanent in all creation4 ,but they give no adequate idea of the ,great ,creator1 the father of the spirits of men1 #i who sent into the world his ,beloved ,son1 the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person1 #aj that men might see in him the ,father and worship ,god aright4 ,the ,son of ,god1 walking as a man upon the earth1 plainly indicated what kind of a being ,god is2 and when his disciple1 ,philip1 said to him1 ,lord1 show us the ,father1 ,jesus replied3 ,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4 #aa ,could anything be plainer8 ,but these teachings were lost upon the modern ,christian world4 ,they had turned from the truth unto fables1 #ab forsaking the ,god of their fathers1 and substituting for him as an object of worship1 an ideal of their own creation4 ,and it devolved upon ,joseph ,smith to shatter the false doctrine of a bodiless1 passionless deity1 and bring back the lost knowledge of the true and living ,god4 ,the ,true and ,living ,god4--,what is meant by that8 ,who is the true and living ,god8 ,he is the ,god of the ,bible1 the ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 the ,god of ,adam1 of ,enoch1 of ,noah1 of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles of old--the ,god described by ,moses in the first chapter of ,genesis1 where it is written3 ,god created man in his own image1 in the image of ,god created he him1 male and female1 created he them4 ,this is equivalent to saying that ,god is in the form of man1 and that we have a ,mother as well as a ,father in ,heaven1 in whose image or likeness we are1 male and female4 ,of the divine ,three who hold supreme power and preside over the universe--three distinct personalities1 yet one ,god or ,godhead1 one in will1 wisdom1 power and authority--of these1 the ,father and the ,son1 according to ,joseph ,smith1 are personages of tabernacle4 ,they have bodies as tangible as man's2 while the ,holy ,ghost is a personage of spirit4 #ac ,the ,idol of the ,sects4--,proceeding forth from them1 is that all-pervading essence or influence which is immanent in all things--the light of the sun1 moon and stars1 the light also of the human understanding1 quickening and illumining1 in greater or less degree1 every man that cometh into the world4 ,in it we live1 move and have our being2 for it is the principle of life throughout creation4 ,this is what the poet was describing1 when he portrayed ,deity as a ,soul that warms in the sun1 refreshes in the breeze1 etc4 ,and this is what the ,christian sects were worshiping at the beginning of the nineteenth century4 ,not ,god1 but a spirit sent forth from ,god2 not ,divinity1 but an emanation from ,divinity4 ,in a word1 they were practicing idolatry--or something dangerously akin to it4 ,what ,constitutes ,idolatry8--,idolatry is every worship that stops short of the ,supreme4 #ad ,it is the paying of divine homage to false gods or images2 also1 adoration of created or imaginary beings or natural objects or forces4 #ae ,this is precisely what the ancient world was doing when the book of ,genesis was written4 ,the ,canaanites worshiped the sun and moon--,baal and ,ashtoreth--ascribing to them the powers of creation4 ,the ,egyptians adored the crocodile1 the bull1 the goat and the beetle 7scarabeus74 ,among the ,hindus the seasons were deified--spring1 summer1 autumn1 winter2 as were also the passions--love1 hate1 fear1 anger and revenge4 ,all these were revered as deities4 ,then came ,moses1 who had seen the living and true ,god1 and had conversed with him face to face1 receiving from him the ,decalogue or ,ten ,commandments unto ,israel4 ,the first commandment reads3 ,thou shalt have no other gods before me4 ,modern ,christendom's ,position4--,the world in ,joseph ,smith's day--the ,christian world at least--did not worship the heavenly bodies2 did not deify beasts and reptiles1 did not regard the seasons and passions as divine4 ,yet it had turned from the true ,god1 ignoring or misinterpreting what ,moses and the prophets had written concerning him4 ,according to its dictum1 the age of miracles was past2 prophets were out of date1 and angel messengers obsolete2 the heavens were sealed1 the canon of scripture was full1 and ,god would never again communicate with mortals4 ,then came the vision of the ,father and the ,son--two glorious beings in the form of man--and from the hour that the boy ,joseph beheld them1 there was at least one person upon this planet who knew what kind of a being ,god is4 ,it was a virtual reassertion of the first commandment in the ,decalogue3 ,thou shalt have no other gods before me4 ,to worship anything that ,god has made and given1 in lieu of the ,maker and ,giver1 is to worship an idol4 ,they who turn from the ,creator to the creature1 who forsake ,god and adore a gift or an emanation from ,god1 are idolaters1 almost as much as if they worshiped the sun and moon1 or bowed down to goats and crocodiles4 ,like to ,elijah4--,to restore the acceptable worship of ,jehovah1 and begin a work that would sweep away idolatry and all things connected therewith1 was the mission of ,joseph the ,seer4 ,against him1 as against ,elijah of old1 the priests of ,baal raged in impotent fury4 ,despite their tongues of slander and their weapons of violence1 he accomplished all that had been given him to do4 ,this time1 however1 the ,all-,wise permitted his servant to be sacrificed--to the end1 no doubt1 that his innocent blood1 affixing to his testimony the red seal of martyrdom1 might give added power to the great propaganda then and still in progress for ,israel's redemption--the gathering of the scattered sheep preparatory to the ,shepherd's coming4 ,footnotes #a4 #b ,nephi #c3f-ae4 #b4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ba3a4 ,see also headings to most of the sections in this book4 #c4 ,isa4 #dd3bh2 #de3a-e4 #d4 ,james #a3e4 #e4 ,hist4 ,ch41 ,vol4 #a1 ,chap4 #a1 p4 #e4 #f4 ,compare ,isa4 #bi3ac4 #g4 ,church of ,england ,articles of ,religion1 ,presbyterian ,confession of ,faith1 etc4 #h4 ,pope's ,essay on ,man1 ,epistle #a1 lines #bga-bgd4 #i4 ,heb4 #ab3i4 #aj4 ,ib4 #a3c2 ,gen4 #a3bf1 #bg2 ,philipp4 #b3f2 ,col4 #a3ae1 etc4 #aa4 ,john #ad3i4 #ab4 #b ,tim4 #d3d4 #ac4 ,d4 and ,c4 #acj3bb4 ,compare #a ,nephi #aa3aa4 #ad4 ,f4 ,h4 ,hedge1 ,ways of the ,spirit1 ,essay #h1 p4 #bae4 #ae4 ,f4 ,w4 ,standard ,dictionary4 ,,article ,,five4 ,the ,land of ,zion4 ,the ,angel ,moroni4--,three years after that wonderful vision in the ,grove1 the youthful ,seer received a visitation from an angel1 a messenger from the presence of the ,lord4 ,this ,angel gave his name as ,moroni1 and declared that while in mortal life he had ministered as a prophet to an ancient people called ,nephites1 a branch of the house of ,israel--not the ,lost ,tribes1 as is frequently asserted by the uninformed1 but a portion of the tribe of ,joseph1 mixed with a remnant of the tribe of ,judah4 ,the former had crossed over from ,jerusalem about the year #fjj ,b4 ,c42 the others a few years later4 ,these blended colonies had inhabited the ,americas down to about the beginning of the fourth century of the ,christian era1 when the civilized though degenerate ,nephites were destroyed by a savage faction known as ,lamanites1 ancestors of the ,american ,indians4 ,the ,book of ,mormon4--,the ,angel further stated that a record of the ,nephites would be found in a hill not far from ,joseph's home--a hill anciently called ,cumorah2 and upon that spot1 four years afterward1 ,moroni delivered the record into his hands4 ,it was a book of metallic plates having the appearance of gold1 and covered with strange characters1 small and beautifully engraved--characters known to the ,nephites as the reformed ,egyptian4 #a ,by means of interpreters1 discovered with the plates1 and consisting of two stones in silver bows1 the youth translated the unsealed portion of the record and1 with the assistance of a few friends1 published to the world the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it was so named for its compiler1 the ,nephite prophet ,mormon1 whose son and survivor1 ,moroni1 had buried the plates where ,joseph ,smith found them4 ,the date of discovery was ,september #bbnd1 #ahbc4 #b ,the ,hill ,cumorah is situated between ,palmyra and ,manchester1 in the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,for their belief in the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,latter-day ,saints were termed ,mormons1 and their religion ,mormonism4 ,it proclaims itself the restored fulness of the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,history and ,prophecy4--,the ,book of ,mormon is a sacred history of pre-historic ,america1 and a prophecy of the wondrous future of this chosen land4 ,it tells not only of the ,nephites and ,lamanites1 but also of a more ancient people1 the ,jaredites1 who came from the ,tower of ,babel at the time of the confusion of tongues4 ,becoming extinct1 the ,jaredites were succeeded by the ,israelitish colony1 led from ,jerusalem by a prophet named ,lehi1 whose sons ,nephi and ,laman became1 respectively1 the heads of the two nations that sprang from him and were called after their names4 ,the ,jewish remnant that mixt with the descendants of ,lehi was headed by ,mulek1 one of the sons of ,king ,zedekiah1 whom the ,babylonian conqueror1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 overthrew4 ,the ,new ,jerusalem4--,the ,jaredites1 as well as the ,nephites1 had a knowledge of the ,christ and of the principles of his ,gospel1 revealed to them prior to his coming4 ,to both these nations it was made known that ,america is the ,land of ,zion1 the place for the ,new ,jerusalem1 a holy city to be built unto the remnant of the seed of ,joseph4 #c ,likewise was it shown to them that the ,old ,jerusalem would be rebuilt unto the house of ,israel in the last days4 ,all this before the ,savior's second advent--the glorious mornbreak of the ,millennium4 ,a ,nursing ,mother4--,among the many interesting features of the ,book of ,mormon1 is an ancient prophecy of the discovery of ,america by ,columbus2 the migration of the ,pilgrim ,fathers and others to these western shores2 the war for ,american ,independence1 and the founding of the republic of the ,united ,states1 a nation destined long before its birth to play the part of a nursing mother to the restored ,church of ,christ4 #d ,and let me interject1 that whatever may be said of the persecutions suffered by the ,latter-day ,saints under the ,stars and ,stripes in various ,states of the ,union--persecutions inflicted1 not because of the ,flag1 nor of the ,constitution1 nor of the genius of the ,american ,government1 but in spite of them--persecutions inflicted by lawless force1 by mob violence1 ever to be execrated and condemned by every true patriot--whatever may be said of such deplorable happenings1 still must our noble ,nation be credited with what it has done in the direction of fulfilling its ,god-given mission4 ,it is extremely doubtful that in any other land1 or in any other nation upon this land1 would the ,lord's people have been treated with the same degree of consideration4 ,in no other country on earth1 without special divine interposition in its behalf1 would this great and marvelous work have been permitted to come forth4 ,a ,land of ,liberty4--,america1 according to ,nephite prophecy1 is to be a land of liberty to the ,gentiles--modern peoples1 not of ,israel1 now possessing it--provided they serve the ,god of the ,land1 who is ,jesus ,christ4 ,so long as they shall follow righteousness1 and maintain the pure principles upon which this ,government was founded1 just so long will they prosper and enjoy the favor of ,heaven4 ,america1 if true to her mission1 is promised divine protection1 and will be invulnerable to every foe4 ,god will fortify this land against all other nations1 and they who fight against ,zion shall perish4 #e ,the ,alternative4--,if1 however1 the ,gentiles1 lifted up in pride1 shall harden their hearts and reject the fulness of ,christ's ,gospel1 ,liberty's perfect law1 another destiny1 and a sad one1 awaits them4 ,no king but ,christ shall reign upon ,zion's ,land4 ,no people occupying this choice ground can practice evil with impunity4 ,the nation founded here must be a righteous nation1 or like the ,jaredites and the ,nephites1 who perished because of their wickedness1 it will be swept from the face of the land when the cup of its iniquity is full4 ,so the ,god of ,heaven hath decreed4 #f ,joseph's ,blessing4--,another name for ,america1 authorized by the ,book of ,mormon1 is the ,land of ,joseph1 referred to by the ,patriarch ,jacob in blessing his twelve sons1 #g and by the ,prophet ,moses in his farewell benediction upon the twelve tribes of ,israel4 #h ,jacob's allusion to ,joseph as a fruitful bough by a well1 whose branches run over the wall1 was fulfilled in the migration of ,lehi and his companions from ,asia to ,america over the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,it is hardly necessary to add1 in further exegetical comment1 that one of the main features of these western continents are those mighty mountain ranges1 the ,andes and the ,rockies1 well termed by the ,hebrew ,patriarch the everlasting hills1 nature's depositories for the precious things of the earth--gold1 silver1 and other minerals--and for the precious things of heaven--the sacred records that have already been discovered1 and others that are yet to come forth4 ,joseph and ,judah4--,the ,book of ,mormon has a divine mission in connection with the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions4 #i ,it is ,the ,stick of ,joseph1 referred to by the ,prophet ,ezekiel1 that was to be one with ,the ,stick of ,judah 7,the ,bible7 in the hand of ,ephraim4 ,they were also to be one in the hand of ,jehovah1 symbolizing the reunion of the two great branches of the ,israelitish race1 after many centuries of separation4 ,and ,i will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of ,israel1 saith the ,lord1 and ,david my servant shall be king over them4 #aj ,zion and ,jerusalem4--,david's ancient empire1 which parted in twain1 forming the ,kingdom of ,judah and the ,kingdom of ,israel1 may it not have been a foreshadowing of ,god's greater empire of the last days1 which will consist of two grand divisions--two in one8 ,here upon the ,land of ,zion1 a land choice above all other lands1 #aa the children of ,joseph1 the descendants of ,ephraim1 are even now assembling to make preparation for ,messiah's advent4 ,the ,jews will greet him at ,jerusalem4 ,christ's ,kingdom will have two capitals1 one in the ,old ,world1 one in the ,new2 one in ,america1 the other in ,palestine4 ,for out of ,zion shall go forth the law1 and the word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem4 #ab ,footnotes #a4 ,mormon #i3cb4 #b4 ,hist4 ,church1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #ae4 #c4 #c ,nephi #ba3bc1 #bd2 ,ether #ac3c-h4 #d4 #a ,nephi #ac3aj-ai2 #bb3g1 #h4 #e4 #b ,nephi #aj3aa-ac4 #f4 ,ether #b3h-ab4 #g4 ,gen4 #di3bb-bf4 #h4 ,deut4 #cc3ac-ae4 #i4 #b ,nephi #c3ab4 #aj4 ,ezek4 #cg3af-bd4 ,the king here mentioned is not ,david1 son of ,jesse1 but another by the name of ,david who is to be raised up out of his lineage4--,hist4 ,ch41 ,vol4 #f1 p4 #bec4 #aa4 ,ether #b3aj4 #ab4 ,isa4 #b3c4 ,,part ,,two ,,seership ,,and ,,prophecy4 ,,article ,,six4 ,what ,joseph ,beheld4 ,seer and ,prophet4--,seer and ,prophet are interchangeable terms1 supposed by many to signify one and the same thing4 ,strictly speaking1 however1 this is not correct4 ,a seer is greater than a prophet4 #a ,one may be a prophet without being a seer2 but a seer is essentially a prophet--if by prophet is meant not only a spokesman1 but likewise a foreteller4 ,joseph ,smith was both prophet and seer4 #b ,like ,unto ,moses4--,a seer is one who sees4 ,but it is not the ordinary sight that is meant4 ,the seeric gift is a supernatural endowment4 ,joseph was like unto ,moses2 and ,moses1 who saw ,god face to face1 explains how he saw him in these words3 ,now mine own eyes have beheld ,god2 yet 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 me2 and ,i beheld his face1 for ,i was transfigured before him4 ,such is the testimony of the ancient ,seer1 as brought to light by the ,seer of ,latter-days4 #c ,spirit ,eyes4--,let it not be supposed1 however1 that to see spiritually is not to see literally4 ,vision is not fancy1 not imagination4 ,the object is actually beheld1 though not with the natural eye4 ,we all have spirit eyes1 of which our natural or outward eyes are the counterpart4 ,all man's organs and faculties are firstly spiritual1 the body being but the clothing of the spirit4 ,in our first estate1 the spirit life1 we walked by sight4 ,therefore we had eyes4 ,but they were not our natural eyes1 for these are not given until the spirit tabernacles in mortality4 ,all men have a spirit sight1 but all are not permitted to use it under existing conditions4 ,even those thus privileged can only use it when quickened by the ,spirit of the ,lord4 #d ,without that1 no man can know the things of ,god1 because they are spiritually discerned4 #e ,much less can he look upon the ,highest unspiritually1 with carnal mind or with natural vision4 ,no man--no natural man--hath seen ,god at any time4 #f ,but men at divers times have seen him as ,moses saw him--not with the natural but with the spiritual eye1 quickened by the power that seeth and knoweth all things4 ,by the ,holy ,ghost4--,the seeric faculty1 possessed in greater degree by some than by others1 is the original spirit sight reinforced or moved upon by the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,by this means certain persons1 peculiarly gifted and sent into the world for that purpose1 are able1 even while in the flesh1 to see out of obscurity1 out of hidden darkness1 and behold the things of ,god pertaining both to time and to eternity4 ,joseph ,smith possessed this ability--this gift1 but it was the ,spirit of the ,lord that enabled him to use it4 ,by that ,spirit he beheld the ,father and the ,son2 and by that ,spirit1 operating through the same marvelous gift1 he translated the cryptic contents of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,how the ,book of ,mormon was ,translated4--,the reputed method of translation was as follows3 ,the ,seer1 scanning through the interpreters 7,urim and ,thummim7 the golden pages1 saw appear1 in connection with the strange characters engraved thereon1 their equivalent in ,english words4 ,these he repeated to his scribe--,oliver ,cowdery most of the time--and the latter wrote them4 ,it was a peculiarity of the process that1 until the writing was correct in every particular1 the words last given would not disappear2 but on the necessary correction being made1 they would immediately pass away and be succeeded by others4 #g ,the ,priesthood ,restored4--,the greater part of the ,book of ,mormon was translated at ,harmony1 ,pennsylvania1 the home of ,joseph's father-in-law1 ,isaac ,hale4 ,while the ,prophet and his scribe were thus employed 7,may #ae1 #ahbi7 ,john the ,baptist1 as an angel from heaven1 conferred upon them the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 #h ,soon afterward they were ordained to the higher or ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 by three other heavenly messengers1 the ,apostles ,peter1 ,james and ,john4 #i ,by virtue of this authority1 and pursuant to divine direction1 the two young men1 associated with a few others organized the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,petty ,persecution4--,during their sojourn in the little ,pennsylvania village1 ,joseph and ,oliver suffered considerable annoyance at the hands of mischievous persons who1 having no faith in their work and regarding it as a hoax1 seemed bent upon rendering their situation as disagreeable as possible4 ,learning of their unpleasant situation1 and desiring to help along the sacred task to which they were devoting themselves1 ,peter ,whitmer1 ,sr41 a farmer living at ,fayette1 ,seneca ,county1 ,new ,york1 sent his son ,david with a team and wagon to bring them to the ,whitmer home4 ,david ,whitmer's ,account4--,when ,i arrived at ,harmony1 says ,david ,whitmer1 ,joseph and ,oliver were coming towards me and met me at some distance from the house4 ,oliver told me that ,joseph had informed him when ,i started from home1 where ,i had stopped the first night1 how ,i read the sign at the tavern1 where ,i stopped the second night1 etc41 and that ,i would be there that day before dinner2 and this was why they had come out to meet me4 ,all of which was exactly as ,joseph had told ,oliver2 at which ,i was greatly astonished4 #aj ,it was at the ,whitmer farmhouse1 in ,fayette1 that the ,church was organized1 ,april #fth1 #ahcj4 ,newel ,k4 ,whitney and the ,stranger4--,another instance of ,joseph's use of the seeric gift connects with the occasion of his arrival at ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 where the ,church1 at an early day1 established its headquarters4 ,a few months prior to that time1 ,oliver ,cowdery and three other ,elders1 on their way to preach the ,gospel to the ,lamanites1 or ,indians1 had tarried for a season at ,kirtland1 where they converted a number of the white dwellers in that region4 ,among these were ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,newel ,k4 ,whitney1 and others who became prominent in the ,mormon community4 ,the ,saints in ,ohio1 learning that the ,church would probably move westward1 began to pray for the coming of the ,prophet4 ,the prayer was soon answered4 ,about the first of ,february1 #ahca1 a sleigh1 driven into ,kirtland from the ,east1 drew up in front of the mercantile store of ,gilbert and ,whitney4 ,a stalwart young man alighted and walked into the store4 ,approaching the junior partner and extending his hand cordially1 as if to an old and familiar acquaintance1 he saluted him thus3 ,newel ,k4 ,whitney1 thou art the man6 ,the merchant was astonished4 ,he had never seen this person before4 ,stranger1 said he1 ,you have the advantage of me2 ,i could not call you by name as you have me4 ,i am ,joseph the ,prophet1 said the stranger1 smiling4 ,you have prayed me here1 now what do you want of me8 ,joseph ,smith1 while in the ,state of ,new ,york1 had seen ,newel ,k4 ,whitney1 in the ,state of ,ohio1 praying for his coming to ,kirtland2 and therefore knew him when they met4 #aa ,the purpose of this vision1 in all probability1 was to pave the way for a meeting between the ,prophet and the man who was to have the honor of entertaining him during the first weeks after his arrival in ,ohio4 ,vision of the ,three ,glories4--,one of the most glorious manifestations ever vouchsafed to mortals1 came to ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon1 in the month of ,february1 #ahcb4 ,they were at ,hiram1 ,portage ,county1 ,ohio1 where the ,prophet1 assisted by ,elder ,rigdon1 who had been a ,campbellite preacher1 was occupied with revising the ,english translation of the ,hebrew ,bible--a circumstance that may have given rise to the oft-refuted story of ,rigdon's authorship of the ,book of ,mormon4 #ab ,the manifestation referred to was a vision of human destiny1 including the three general conditions of glorified man--celestial1 terrestrial1 and telestial4 ,concerning this marvelous vision1 ,joseph and ,sidney thus testify3 ,we1 ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 and ,sidney ,rigdon1 being in the ,spirit on the sixteenth of ,february1 in the year of our ,lord1 one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two1 by the power of the ,spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened1 so as to see and understand the things of ,god 4 4 4 4 ,of whom we bear record1 and the record which we bear is the fulness of the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 who is the ,son1 whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision4 #ac ,thus is furnished an additional proof that it is by the power of ,god1 and not of man1 that mortals behold the visions of eternity4 ,the ,greenville ,incident4--,in ,may of the same year1 ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church1 and ,newel ,k4 ,whitney1 ,bishop of ,kirtland1 were returning from a visit to ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri1 where1 since the summer of #ahca1 a ,mormon colony had been laying the foundations of the ,city of ,zion1 upon grounds consecrated by the ,prophet for that purpose4 ,the returning visitors were detained several weeks at ,greenville1 ,indiana2 the ,bishop having a broken leg1 caused by leaping from a runaway stage coach4 ,surrounded by unfriendly people1 some of whom he suspected of an attempt to poison him1 the ,prophet proposed that they forthwith leave that dangerous neighborhood4 ,his record goes on to say3 ,brother ,whitney had not had his foot moved from the bed for nearly four weeks1 when ,i went into his room1 after a walk in the grove1 and told him if he would agree to start for home in the morning1 we would take a wagon to the river about four miles1 and there would be a ferry-boat in waiting1 which would take us quickly across1 where we would find a hack which would take us directly to the landing1 where we should find a boat in waiting1 and we would be going up the river before ten o'clock1 and have a prosperous journey home4 ,he took courage and told me he would go2 we started the next morning and found everything as ,i had told him4 #ad ,a ,white ,lamanite4--,still another instance4 ,in #ahcd1 while the ,zion's ,camp expedition #ae was on its way to ,missouri1 some of the party exhumed from an ancient mound the skeleton of a man having a stone-pointed arrow between two of his ribs4 ,the ,prophet1 in a vision of the past1 discovered the identity of this skeleton1 and informed his brethren that the man's name was ,zelph1 that he was a white ,lamanite1 #af and had been killed in battle by the arrow found between his ribs4 #ag ,kirtland ,temple ,visions4--,by this same power ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 in the ,temple at ,kirtland1 ,ohio 7,april #crd1 #ahcf71 beheld ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel2 also ,moses1 ,elias and ,elijah1 who committed to them spiritual keys necessary for carrying on various phases of the ,lord's work4 #ah ,adam's ,altar4--,in #ahch1 after the main body of the ,church had moved to ,missouri1 the ,saints built several towns and projected others in ,caldwell and other counties of that ,state4 ,one of those towns was at ,spring ,hill1 ,davis ,county1 where the men who made the survey for a new settlement came upon the ruins of an ancient altar1 situated on a wooded hill overlooking the surrounding country4 ,straightway they reported to the ,prophet their interesting find4 ,he1 upon beholding it1 said to those who were with him3 ,there is the place where ,adam offered up sacrifice after he was cast out of the ,garden4 #ai ,the ,old-,new ,world4--,america1 according to ,joseph ,smith1 is the ,old ,world--not the ,new #bj4 ,the primeval ,garden was in the part now called ,jackson ,county4 ,our ,first ,parents1 after their expulsion from ,eden1 dwelt in the place where this altar stood4 ,the ,lord named it ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 because 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 #ba ,all this by the power of seership--all this and more2 for many other instances might be given4 ,but these will suffice to show the nature of this rare and precious gift1 and the manner of its exercise by the mighty ,seer and ,prophet holding the keys of this ,gospel dispensation4 ,footnotes #a4 ,mosiah #h3ae4 #b4 ,such men as ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson1 the ,american philosopher1 and ,count ,leo ,tolstoi1 the ,russian writer1 are sometimes referred to as seers2 it being thought by those who so designate them1 that the power to think profoundly and express wise and intelligent opinions1 especially on the future1 constitutes seership4 ,it is in this sense that the term vision is so much used4 ,but a great thinker is not necessarily a seer2 though a seer is apt to be a great thinker4 ,joseph ,smith was both2 not so ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson2 not so ,count ,tolstoi4 ,they were great philosophers1 but there is nothing in the life-work of either to indicate that he possessed the power of a seer4 #c4 ,moses #a3aa4 ,moses further declares that he could look upon ,satan in the natural man1 but1 says he3 ,i could not look upon ,god1 except his glory should come upon me and ,i was strengthened before him4 #d4 ,d4 and ,c4 #fg3aa4 #e4 #a ,cor4 #b3i-ad4 #f4 ,john #a3ah4 #g4 ,david ,whitmer's ,address to all ,true ,believers in ,christ4 p4 #ab2 and ,martin ,harris' ,statement to ,edward ,stevenson1 ,millennial ,star1 ,vol4 #dd1 pp4 #hf1 #hg4 #h4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ac4 #i4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a pp4 #ci-db1 ,note4 #aj4 ,david ,whitmer's ,statement to ,orson ,pratt and ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 #dj1 p4 #ggb4 #aa4 ,hist4 ,ch41 ,vol #a1 pp4 #ade1 #adf4 ,note4 #ab4 ,sidney ,ridgon had never so much as seen the ,book of ,mormon1 until several months after it was published1 when a copy of it was handed to him in ,northern ,ohio1 by ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 one of the ,elders of the ,lamanite ,mission4 ,parley and ,sidney corroborate each other in their separate accounts of this incident4 ,moreover ,sidney's acquaintance with ,joseph ,smith did not begin until almost a year after the ,book of ,mormon came forth4 ,yet he was charged with creating it1 with converting a religious history into a secular romance entirely dissimilar in character and style from the ,nephite record--a romance written by one ,solomon ,spaulding4 ,a full account of this discredited theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon may be found in ,george ,reynolds' ,myth of the ,manuscript ,found1 and in ,whitney's ,history of ,utah1 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #df-ef4 #ac4 ,d4 and ,c4 #gf3aa1 #ab1 #ad4 ,see also ,article ,forty1 this ,series4 #ad4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #bga1 #bgb4 #ae4 ,see ,article ,twenty-four4 #af4 #c ,nephi #b3ad-af4 #ag4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #b1 pp4 #gi1 #hj4 #ah4 ,d4 and ,c4 #aaj4 #ai4 ,life of ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 p4 #bbb2 ,taylor's ,mediation and ,atonement1 pp4 #fi1 #gj2 ,whitney's ,history of ,utah--,biography ,a4 ,o4 ,smoot1 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #ii4 #bj4 ,the ,prophet's inspired declaration to that effect finds confirmation in the writings of ,thomas ,jefferson1 ,alexander ,agassiz1 and ,john ,fiske4 #ba4 ,d4 and ,c4 #aaf4 ,,article ,,seven4 ,what ,joseph ,foretold4 ,the ,proof of ,prophecy4--,to prove one a prophet1 it is necessary to show1 not only that he prophesied1 but that things predicted by him came to pass4 ,measured by this standard1 ,joseph ,smith's claim to the title is clear and unimpeachable4 ,i shall not attempt to enumerate all his prophecies1 but will mention some of the more notable1 as demonstrating his possession of the wonderful power to unlock and reveal the future4 ,earliest ,predictions4--,the ,angel ,moroni's promise to the boy1 that he1 an obscure and unlettered country lad1 should live to do a work that would cause his name to be known among all nations1 #a has been often cited--too often to require extended comment here4 ,the same may be said of ,isaiah's familiar declaration1 that in the presence of ,god's wondrous work1 the wisdom of the wise should perish and the understanding of the prudent be hid4 #b ,these promises are fulfilling daily4 ,passing them by with this brief mention1 ,i take up one of the best known of ,joseph ,smith's predictions1 namely1 the ,revelation and ,prophecy on ,war4 ,an ,ominous ,christmas ,gift4--,this tremendous forecast1 relating not only to the fierce internecine struggle between the ,northern and ,southern ,states of the ,american ,union1 but to other and mightier upheavals as well1 some past and some yet future1 was launched at ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 on the #beth of ,december1 #ahcb4 ,it may be said1 therefore1 that it came as a solemn ,christmas gift to the inhabitants of the world1 warning them to prepare for terrible events4 ,war and ,other ,calamities4--,the ,prophet declared that war would be poured out upon all nations1 beginning at a certain place4 ,that place was ,south ,carolina4 ,the ,southern ,states1 divided against the ,northern ,states1 would call upon ,great ,britain1 and ,great ,britain would call upon other nations1 for defensive assistance against hostile powers4 ,slaves1 rising against their masters1 would be marshalled and disciplined for war2 and the red remnants left of the land would become exceeding angry and vex the ,gentiles with a sore vexation4 ,by bloodshed and famine1 plague1 earthquake and tempest1 the inhabitants of the earth would mourn and be made to feel the wrath and indignation and chastening hand of an ,almighty ,god4 ,the ,prophet exhorted his followers to stand in holy places and be not moved1 until the day of the ,lord come4 #c ,for nineteen years this prophecy remained in manuscript1 though copies of it were carried by ,mormon missionaries and read to their congregations in various parts of the world4 ,in #ahea it was published at ,liverpool1 the first edition of ,the ,pearl of ,great ,price containing it4 ,therefore1 it was a matter of public note and printed record long before the dire fulfillment began4 ,beginning of the ,fulfillment4--,the revelation had been in existence twenty-eight years1 three months1 and seventeen days1 when1 on the twelfth of ,april1 #ahfa1 the ,confederate batteries in ,charleston ,harbor1 ,south ,carolina1 opened fire on ,fort ,sumter1 thus precipitating the war between the ,north and the ,south4 ,as is well known1 it arose over the slave question1 a circumstance fulfilling another of ,joseph ,smith's predictions--one dated ,april #bnd1 #ahdc4 #d ,southern ,states call on ,great ,britain4--,how eleven of the ,southern ,states1 bent upon withdrawing from the ,union and establishing an independent government south of the ,mason and ,dixon ,line1 called upon ,great ,britain1 and were accorded a measure of encouragement by the ruling classes of that country1 need scarcely be told here4 ,the arrest and release of the ,confederate commissioners1 ,mason and ,slidell1 who had been sent across the ,atlantic to present the case of the seceding ,states at the ,court of ,st4 ,james2 and the subsequent payment by the ,british ,government of the ,alabama claims 7#ae1ejj1jjj71 for damages sustained by ,united ,states commerce at the hand of ,confederate privateers1 built and fitted out in ,british ports1 tell in part the story4 ,the ,negro and ,indian ,questions4--,it is also a matter of history1 that many of the negro slaves1 set free by ,president ,lincoln's edict of emancipation1 and trained as troops1 fought in the ,northern armies against their former masters4 ,whether or not this was a complete fulfillment of the forecast concerning the once enslaved people1 remains to be seen4 ,the race question was not entirely settled by the ,civil ,war2 it still hovers as a dark cloud on our national horizon4 ,as for ,indian troubles1 many of which have arisen since ,joseph ,smith prophesied concerning them1 while apparently they have ceased to vex1 more may yet be heard from that quarter before the problem is finally solved4 ,an ,effort to ,avert ,calamity4--,joseph ,smith's last public act of a political character was an effort to save his country from the awful calamity that he saw impending4 ,to some it may appear strange1 even inconsistent1 that a prophet1 after making a prediction1 would try to prevent it from coming to pass4 ,but it is only a seeming inconsistency4 ,it should be remembered that divine promises and prophecies are conditional4 ,there is always an alternative1 expressed or implied1 hinging upon a change of attitude or conduct on the part of the person or persons toward whom the prophecy is directed4 ,deem it not incongruous1 therefore1 that this ,prophet1 after predicting the ,civil ,war1 should endeavor to open a way of escape from the evils he had foreseen and foretold4 ,in ,january1 #ahdd1 only five months before his martyrdom1 ,joseph ,smith became a candidate for ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,one of the planks of his political platform was a proposition to free the slaves of the ,south--not by confiscation1 thereby despoiling their owners1 but by purchase1 making their freedom a gift from the ,general ,government2 the funds necessary for the purpose to be realized from the sale of public lands4 ,this just and humane proposition1 repeated eleven years later by ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson1 #e and favored also by ,abraham ,lincoln1 was ignored2 and it cost the ,nation a million of lives and billions of treasure to despise the counsel of a prophet of ,god1 and adopt instead what the hate-blinded politicians of that period deemed a more excellent way4 #f ,how ,stephen ,a4 ,douglas ,fulfilled ,prophecy4--,closely connected with events immediately preceding the ,civil ,war1 is another prophecy of ,joseph ,smith's1 uttered ,may #ah1 #ahdc1 and recorded at the time in the journal of his private secretary4 ,on the date given1 the ,prophet dined with ,stephen ,a4 ,douglas1 at the home of ,sheriff ,backenstos1 in ,carthage1 ,illinois1 the same town where the brothers ,joseph and ,hyrum afterwards met their tragic death4 ,judge ,douglas was holding court there4 ,the principal topic of conversation after dinner was the persecution of the ,latter-day ,saints in ,missouri1 not only the ,jackson ,county affair of #ahcc1 but the more sanguinary tragedy of #ahch-ahci1 culminating in the mid-winter expulsion of the entire ,church--then numbering twelve to fifteen thousand members--and its establishment in the adjoining ,state of ,illinois4 ,an account of these events1 at the ,judge's request1 the ,mormon leader gave4 ,his narrative included a recital of the ineffectual attempts made by him and his people to obtain from the ,federal government a redress of grievances4 ,douglas was deeply interested1 and strongly condemned the conduct of ,missouri4 ,he was very friendly with the ,prophet1 who1 continuing the conversation1 predicted trouble for the ,nation unless those wrongs were righted4 ,then1 addressing ,douglas1 he said3 ,judge1 you will aspire to the ,presidency of the ,united ,states2 and if you ever turn your hand against me or the ,latter-day ,saints1 you will feel the weight of the hand of the ,almighty upon you4 ,and you will live to see and know that ,i have testified the truth to you1 for the conversation of this day will stick to you through life4 #g ,god's ,hand ,against ,him4--,judge ,douglas reaped the full fruition of those fateful words4 ,the prophecy concerning him was first published in the ,deseret ,news1 at ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,september #bd1 #ahef1 and on ,february #bf1 #ahei1 it appeared in the ,millennial ,star1 at ,liverpool4 ,between those dates1 ,stephen ,a4 ,douglas1 then a ,united ,states ,senator--made such by the aid of ,mormon votes in ,illinois--turned his hand against his old-time friends and supporters4 ,joseph ,smith was dead1 but his followers1 driven from the confines of civilization1 were out in the wilderness1 laying the foundations of the ,state of ,utah4 ,in a political speech1 at ,springfield1 ,illinois1 ,june #ab1 #aheg1 ,senator ,douglas1 basing a reference to the ,mormons upon certain wild rumors afloat concerning them1 virtually accused them of all manner of crimes and abominations4 ,the speech was looked upon as a bid for popular favor4 ,then came the ,senator's race for the ,presidency4 ,his prospects at the outset were favorable4 ,his party held the preponderance of the national vote1 and he was the idol of his party4 ,in ,june1 #ahfj1 he was enthusiastically nominated by the ,democratic ,convention at ,baltimore4 ,men shouted for him1 worked for him1 and on election day voted for him2 but all in vain1 ,god's hand was against him6 ,his party1 torn by dissension1 divided its strength among three candidates1 and was overwhelmingly defeated4 ,the ,little ,giant was snowed under1 and his great rival1 ,abraham ,lincoln1 elevated to the ,presidential chair4 ,a few months later ,senator ,douglas died at his home in ,chicago4 ,he was only in the prime of life--aged forty-eight--but he had lived long enough to realize that ,god's prophets do not speak in vain4 ,footnotes #a4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #aa1 #ab4 #b4 ,isa4 #bi3ad4 #c4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hg4 #d4 ,ib4 #acj3ab1 #ac4 #e4 ,josiah ,quincy1 who visited ,joseph ,smith at ,nauvoo shortly before the martyrdom1 says of him and his views on slavery3 ,smith recognized the curse and iniquity of slavery1 though he opposed the methods of the ,abolitionists4 ,his plan was for the nation to pay for the slaves from the sale of the public lands4 ',congress1' he said1 'should be compelled to take this course1 by petitions from all parts of the country2 but the petitioners must disclaim all alliance with those who would disturb the rights of property recognized by the ,constitution and foment insurrection4' ,it may be worth while to remark that ,smith's plan was publicly advocated1 eleven years later1 by one who has mixed so much practical shrewdness with his lofty philosophy4 ,in #ahee1 when men's minds had been moved to their depths on the question of slavery1 ,mr4 ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson declared that it should be met in accordance 'with the interest of the ,south and with the settled conscience of the ,north4 ,it is not really a great task1 a great fight for this country to accomplish1 to buy that property of the planter1 as the ,british nation bought the ,west ,indian slaves4' ,he further says that the ',united ,states will be brought to give every inch of their public lands for a purpose like this4' ,we1 who can look back upon the terrible cost of the fratricidal war which put an end to slavery1 now say that such a solution of the difficulty would have been worthy a ,christian statesman4 ,but if the retired scholar was in advance of his time when he advocated this disposition of the public property in #ahee what shall ,i say of the political and religious leader who had committed himself1 in print1 as well as in conversation1 to the same course in #ahdd8 ,if the atmosphere of men's opinions was stirred by such a proposition when war-clouds were discernible in the sky1 was it not a statesmanlike word eleven years earlier1 when the heavens looked tranquil and beneficent4--,figures of the ,past1 pp4 #cig1 #cih4 #f4 ,president ,lincoln1 toward the close of the ,civil ,war1 wrote a message to ,congress1 proposing to pay the slaveholders #djj1jjj1jjj for their slaves1 if the ,south would only cease fighting4 ,all the ,cabinet objecting1 with a sigh he put the message in his drawer4 ,see article1 ,lincoln in ,victory1 by ,james ,morgan1 ,deseret ,news1 ,may #aj1 #aibj4 #g4 ,william ,clayton's ,journal1 ,may #ah1 #ahdc4 ,,article ,,eight4 ,looking ,westward4 ,why the ,mormons ,migrated4--,foreseeing that the ,nation would turn a deaf ear to his patriotic appeal for a peaceful and just settlement of the slave question1 the ,prophet began to contemplate the removal of the ,church from close proximity to the scenes of strife and carnage that were about to be enacted4 ,it was highly necessary that a people chosen for such a purpose--to prepare the world for the ushering in of the ,reign of ,righteousness--should remain upon earth to accomplish their mission4 ,in order to so remain1 they must be out of the way of the troubles that were imminent1 and1 so far as possible1 keep out of the way until the divine judgments predicted had gone forth and done their work4 ,this was one reason why the ,latter-day ,saints migrated to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,driven to their ,destiny4--,their cruel expulsion from ,missouri had indirectly contributed to their safety2 for when the war-cloud which had long been gathering finally burst1 it poured out much of its fury upon those very lands from which the ,saints had been driven4 #a ,and now1 their enforced pilgrimage into the all but untrodden wilderness of the ,great ,west likewise preserved them from many trials that would have fallen to their lot had they tarried within the area seriously affected by the stern events that followed4 ,fleeing the ,wrath to ,come4--,it was a next-best course that the fugitive people pursued4 ,originally they were cast for a very different role1 but not being ready to enact that role1 another part was assigned them1 one destined to prepare them for the greater performance that is yet to follow4 ,in order that the community might survive1 and accomplish1 when the time came1 the mighty task of redeeming ,zion1 it was imperative that they should flee the wrath to come4 ,the ,exodus ,foretold4--,the removal of the ,saints to the region of the ,rocky ,mountains1 was the theme of a prophecy uttered by ,joseph the ,seer nearly two years before his death1 and nearly four years prior to the beginning of the famous ,mormon ,exodus4 ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 where he then resided1 is on the east bank of the ,mississippi ,river1 and on the west bank1 just opposite1 is the little town of ,montrose4 ,from the ,prophet's personal history1 ,i now quote an entry of ,saturday1 ,august #fth #ahdb3 ,passed over the river to ,montrose1 ,iowa1 in company with ,general ,adams1 ,colonel ,brewer and others1 and witnessed the installation of the officers of the ,rising ,sun ,lodge1 ,ancient ,york ,masons1 at ,montrose1 by ,general ,james ,adams1 ,deputy ,grand ,master of ,illinois4 ,while the ,deputy ,grand ,master was engaged in giving the requisite instructions to the ,master-elect1 ,i had a conversation with a number of brethren in the shade of the building1 on the subject of our persecutions in ,missouri and the constant annoyance which has followed us since we were driven from that ,state4 ,i prophesied that the ,saints would continue to suffer much affliction1 and would be driven to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,many would apostatize1 others would be put to death by our persecutors or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease1 'and some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements1 build cities1 and see the ,saints become a mighty people in the midst of the ,rocky ,mountains4' #b ,anson ,call's ,narrative4--,one of the men who heard that prediction was ,anson ,call1 afterwards a prominent colonizer in various parts of the ,rocky ,mountain region4 ,his account1 descriptive of the ,montrose incident1 follows3 ,a block school-house had been prepared1 with shade in front1 under which was a barrel of ice water4 ,judge ,adams was the highest ,masonic authority in the ,state of ,illinois1 and had been sent there to organize this lodge4 ,he1 ,hyrum ,smith1 and ,j4 ,c4 ,bennett1 being high ,masons1 went into the house to perform some ceremonies which the others were not entitled to witness4 ,these1 including ,joseph ,smith1 remained under the bowery4 ,joseph1 as he was tasting the cold water1 warned the brethren not to be too free with it4 ,with the tumbler still in his hand1 he prophesied that the ,saints would yet go to the ,rocky ,mountains2 and1 said he1 'this water tastes much like that of the crystal streams that are running from the snow-capped mountains4' 4 4 4 4 ,i had before seen him in a vision 7i4e4 while having a vision71 and now saw1 while he was talking1 his countenance change to white--not the deadly white of a bloodless face1 but a living1 brilliant white4 ,he seemed absorbed in gazing upon something at a great distance1 and said3 ',i am gazing upon the valleys of those mountains4' #c ,the ,seeric ,power4--,joseph ,smith1 at that time1 was standing on the west bank of the ,mississippi ,river1 fifteen hundred miles from the ,rocky ,mountains2 yet he saw these grand old hills1 crowned with unmelting snows1 and seamed with rugged gorges down which the crystal torrents were flowing as they flow today4 ,he actually beheld1 with spirit vision1 these objects--beheld them so vividly1 that had he been permitted to carry out his partly formed purpose of leading his people to their new home in the wilderness1 he would have recognized this land1 and would have been able to say1 as ,brigham ,young said1 upon beholding ,salt ,lake ,valley3 ,this is the ,place4 #d ,another ,prophet and ,seer4--,but ,joseph did not live to accompany his people upon their historic journey4 ,another mighty leader was raised up to pilot modern ,israel to their promised land4 ,of ,brigham ,young it is related1 that while crossing the plains west of the ,missouri ,river1 in the spring and summer of #ahdg1 he had a vision of the region that he and his fellow pilgrims were about to inhabit4 ,he saw a tent settling down from heaven over the ,valley of the ,great ,salt ,lake1 and heard a voice proclaim3 ,this is the place where my people ,israel shall pitch their tents4 ,such is the testimony of ,erastus ,snow1 #e one of the principal men who came with ,president ,young to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,consequently when the great ,pioneer said1 ,this is the place1 he was repeating words that had been spoken to him--repeating them while viewing with natural eyes a scene that his spirit eyes had already beheld4 ,human ,wisdom vs4 ,divine ,guidance4--,what availed1 after that1 the pessimistic forebodings of the mountaineer1 ,james ,bridger1 who camped with the ,pioneers just after they passed the ,rocky ,mountains1 and whose laconic speech1 ,i would give a thousand dollars if ,i knew an ear of corn could ripen in ,salt ,lake ,valley1 has been often and variously quoted8 ,what availed the roseate account given of the ,california ,coast by the ultra-optimistic ,samuel ,brannan1 who1 after sailing with a ,mormon colony from ,new ,york and landing at the ,bay of ,san ,francisco1 crossed the ,sierra ,nevada1 met the ,pioneers on ,green ,river1 and endeavored to persuade them that the flowery slopes of the ,pacific were a better place of abode for the exiled people than the parched alkali wastes of ,the ,great ,american ,desert8 ,brigham ,young knew better than ,colonel ,bridger or ,elder ,brannan what was for the best4 ,looking past the present into the future1 he had for all such warnings and persuasions1 one reply3 ,this is the place4 ,prophecy ,fulfilled and ,vision ,verified4--,brigham ,young was not the man to ignore divine guidance4 ,his own vision was before him1 beckoning him on2 and ,joseph ,smith's prediction behind him1 urging him forward and pointing out the way4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints were to become a mighty people--not in ,california1 not along the ,pacific ,coast1 but in the midst of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,footnotes #a4 ,the history of guerilla warfare and its merciless suppression along the ,missouri-,kansas border1 amply bears out this assertion4 #b4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #he4 ,this prophecy began to be fulfilled early in ,february1 #ahdf1 when the first companies of the migrating ,saints left ,nauvoo for the ,west1 crossing the frozen ,mississippi on the ice4 ,about the middle of ,june they reached the ,missouri ,river1 then the frontier of the ,nation1 where their further progress was delayed for a whole season by the enlistment of the ,mormon ,battalion--five hundred men--who responded to a call from the ,government and volunteered to assist the ,united ,states in its war with ,mexico4 #c4 ,this was followed1 continues the ,call narrative1 by a vivid description of the scenery of these mountains as ,i have since become acquainted with it4 4 4 4 4 ,it is impossible to represent in words this scene which is still vivid in my mind--the grandeur of ,joseph's appearance1 his beautiful descriptions of this land1 and his wonderful prophetic utterances as they emanated from the glorious inspirations that overshadowed him4 ,there was a force and power in his exclamations of which the following is but a faint echo3 ',oh the beauty of those snow-capped mountains6 ,the cool refreshing streams that are running down through those mountain gorges4' ,then1 gazing in another direction1 as if there was a change of locality3 ',oh the scenes that this people will pass through6 ,the dead that will lie between here and there4' ,then1 turning in another direction1 as if the scene had again changed3 ',oh the apostasy that will take place before my brethren reach that land6 ,but1 he continued1 'the priesthood shall prevail over its enemies1 triumph over the devil1 and be established upon the earth1 never more to be thrown down4' ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 pp4 #he1 #hf4 ,note4 #d4 ,the journey of the ,pioneers began at ,winter ,quarters 7now ,florence1 ,nebraska7 about the middle of ,april1 #ahdg4 ,it ended on the shores of the ,great ,salt ,lake1 ,july #bdth of the same year4 ,the company1 led by ,president ,brigham ,young in person1 consisted originally of #adc men1 three women1 and two children4 ,the men were well armed and equipped1 and the company traveled mostly in covered wagons1 drawn by horses1 mules and oxen4 ,four large companies of emigrants followed immediately after the ,pioneers1 arriving in ,salt ,lake ,valley during the autumn4 #e4 ,see ,apostle ,snow's discourse of ,july #be1 #ahhj1 reproduced in the ,improvement ,era for ,june1 #aiac4 ,,article ,,nine4 ,the ,place of ,safety4 ,an ,inspired ,choice4--,who can doubt the wisdom of the choice that made the ,rocky ,mountains1 in lieu of the ,pacific ,coast1 a permanent home for the once homeless ,latter-day ,saints8 ,had they gone to ,california1 as ,elder ,brannan advised1 it would have meant1 in all probability1 their disruption and dispersion as a community1 or at all events another painful exodus in quest of peace and freedom4 ,it would have been to invite1 from the inhabitants of that region--fast filling up with immigrants from those very ,states where the persecuted people had experienced their sorest troubles--a repetition of the woes from which they were fleeing4 ,here in these mountain fastnesses1 a thousand miles from the frontiers of civilization1 they were safe from mobs and molestation4 ,better ,than ,elsewhere4--,better for them1 in every way1 that they should bide where ,providence placed them4 ,the coast country1 with all its attractions--and they are many--has no such rare climate as can be found in this more highly favored region4 ,the land once supposed to be worthless1 and to redeem which even in part from its ancient barrenness1 has required years on years of toil and privation1 turns out to be a veritable treasure-house of natural resources1 a self-sustaining empire2 and in periods of strife and turmoil1 when war rocks the world1 it is probably the safest place beneath the sun4 ,the ,great ,war4--,this mention again brings to the fore ,joseph ,smith's great ,prophecy on ,war4 ,it has been seen how the ,southern ,states1 when they endeavored to withdraw from the ,union1 called on ,great ,britain for recognition and assistance1 thus making good a portion of the ,prophet's prediction4 ,but when did ,great ,britain call upon other nations1 fulfilling in her own case the terms of the ,mormon leader's fateful forecast8 ,certainly not during the stormy period of the sixties1 nor for many decades thereafter4 ,but the time came eventually4 ,after the outbreak of the ,world ,war1 when the ,german hosts were overrunning ,belgium and ,northern ,france1 threatening even ,england herself1 ,great ,britain did call upon the nations with which she had made treaties1 for the help that she so sorely needed4 ,the visit to ,america1 before and after the ,united ,states declared war against ,germany1 of representatives of ,great ,britain and others of the ,allied nations1 appealing for military aid1 was a potent factor in inducing our ,government to send ships and troops across the ,atlantic1 to help beat back the ,teutonic invader4 ,only ,the ,beginning4--,very evident is it that the tempest of war foretold by ,joseph ,smith did not cease with the close of the conflict between the ,northern and the ,southern ,states4 ,the storm has continued intermittently to this time4 ,lulls there have been1 but no lasting cessation of the strife4 ,five years after the collapse of the ,southern ,confederacy1 came the ,franco-,prussian ,war1 foreshadowing ,germany's mad attempt to conquer the world4 ,the ,american ,civil ,war1 the ,franco-,prussian ,war1 and the more recent ,world ,war1 were all parts of the great outpouring predicted on that ominous ,christmas day4 ,and the same may be said of other conflicts that have since taken place4 ,equally true will it be of any future strife that may be necessary to help free the world from oppression and iniquity4 ,unless the wicked repent1 there is more--much more to come4 #a ,but in what way did the revolt of ,south ,carolina1 which began the ,civil ,war1 prove a beginning of wars for all nations8 ,this question is intelligently discussed in a pamphlet recently put forth by ,elder ,james ,h4 ,anderson1 of ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,that writer shows that with the outbreak of the ,southern-,northern conflict1 the whole system of modern warfare underwent a change1 and that since then it has experienced a complete revolution1 through the invention and use of machine guns1 airships1 submarines1 and other death-dealing instrumentalities1 absolutely unknown in previous military history1 and marking a distinct beginning1 such as the ,prophet indicated4 #b ,dangers ,upon the ,deep4--,one frightful feature of the unparalleled struggle that ended with the signing of the armistice 7,november #aa1 #aiah71 was the havoc wrought by the ,german ,u-boats1 otherwise known as submarines4 ,there had been1 before the coming of the ,u-boat1 dreadful dangers upon the waters1 as the fate of the ill-starred ,titanic--ripped open by an iceberg--testifies4 ,but the submarine1 the assassin of the ,lusitania1 multiplied those dangers a hundred fold4 ,did the proud world know that a prophet of ,god had foreseen these fearful happenings1 and had sounded a warning of their approach8 ,in ,august1 #ahca1 ,joseph ,smith1 with a party of friends1 returning from their first visit to ,zion in ,jackson ,county1 encamped on the bank of the ,missouri ,river1 at a place called ,mcllwair's 7or ,mcllwaine's7 ,bend4 ,there1 one of the party1 ,william ,w4 ,phelps1 saw in vision the ,destroyer riding in awful fury upon the river1 and the incident called forth a revelation in which the ,lord says3 ,behold1 there are many dangers upon the waters1 and more especially hereafter2 ,for ,i1 the ,lord1 have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters2 yea1 and especially upon these waters2 ,nevertheless1 all flesh is in mine hand1 and he that is faithful among you shall not perish by the waters4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,behold1 ,i1 the ,lord1 in the beginning blessed the waters1 but in the last days1 by the mouth of my servant ,john1 ,i cursed the waters4 ,wherefore1 the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters1 ,and it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of ,zion upon the waters1 but he that is upright in heart4 4 4 4 4 ,i1 the ,lord1 have decreed1 and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof1 and ,i revoke not the decree4 #c ,no ,flesh ,safe ,upon the ,waters4--,was not this condition almost realized during the darkest days of the ,great ,war8 ,perils undreamed of developed2 disasters without precedent1 unexampled in history1 were of frequent occurrence4 ,even upon the calm ,pacific no ship pursued consecutively the same track twice4 ,companies operating the great ocean-liners no longer announced the dates of departure from one port or of expected arrival at another4 ,they dared not2 the destroyer was abroad1 death was in the depths1 and the spirit of dread brooded upon the bosom of the waters4 ,and this upon the comparatively peaceful ,western ,ocean2 while upon the ,atlantic1 in the ,mediterranean1 and in the ,north ,sea1 the terrible submarine told the tale of danger and disaster4 ,the ,food ,question4--,another phase of the ,titanic struggle was the food question4 ,joseph ,smith had predicted famine2 #d and the famine came4 ,as early as ,october1 #ahgf1 the ,prophet's successor1 ,president ,brigham ,young1 placed upon the members of the ,relief ,society a special mission--that of gathering and storing grain against a day of scarcity2 and from that time the activities of the ,society were put forth largely in this direction4 ,some made light of the labors of these devoted women1 declaring that another famine could not be4 ,too vast an area of the earth's surface was under cultivation1 and the means of rapid transit and communication were too plentiful1 to permit of such a misfortune4 ,if famine threatened any part of the world1 word of it could come in the twinkling of an eye1 and millions on millions of tons of food-stuffs1 speedily transported to the scene1 would stave off the straitness and render the calamity impossible4 ,the ,spectre of ,famine44--,alas for those who put their trust in the arm of flesh6 ,in spite of the vast and ever-increasing productivity of the soil2 in spite of railroads1 steamships1 and telegraphs1 spreading a network of steel and electricity over the face of the planet1 this was1 and is still1 a famine-threatened world4 ,europe calls upon ,america for food2 ,america generously responds2 but as fast as she consigns her cargoes of foodstuffs to the needy nations1 the merciless and devouring submarine sends them to the bottom of the sea4 ,such indeed was the situation4 ,the floor of the ocean is strewn with the wrecks of transports whose mission was to carry bread to the starving millions of other lands4 ,and where was the man1 uninspired of ,heaven1 who could have anticipated such a catastrophe8 ,our nation became aroused to the necessity existing for the avoidance of ,waste and the conservation of food stuffs4 ,all civilized countries awakened to the same urgent call4 ,the ,mormon grain-storing movement was no longer a joke--a target for ridicule4 ,the gaunt spectre of ,famine had shown a glimpse of his face1 and the whole world trembled at the prospect4 ,the ,god of ,joseph and of ,brigham had vindicated the patient labors of ,his faithful handsmaids1 and fulfilled in part the solemn forebodings of prophecy4 ,mormon ,grain for the ,government4--,not the least item of interest connected with this subject1 is the fact that the ,united ,states ,government1 through its ,food ,administrator1 in ,may1 #aiah1 made request upon the authorities of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 for the turning in of all the ,relief ,society wheat then on hand1 for use in the war4 ,the request was cheerfully complied with1 #bbe1jjj bushels of wheat being promptly furnished by the ,church to the ,federal ,government4 ,the ,drought of #aiai4--;,how easily a famine could come1 was shown during the prolonged drought in the summer of #aiai1 when throughout the ,intermountain ,west and in regions beyond1 lands usually productive lay parching for many weeks under the torrid rays of the sun4 ,as a result1 millions of acres of growing grain1 especially in the dry-farming districts1 perished for want of moisture4 ,and yet there are men who deem human powers and earthly resources all-sufficient1 and who declare1 in the face of prophecy1 that famine and war are obsolete and never again can be4 ,a ,scholar's ,opinion4--,such a pronouncement1 as to war1 was made repeatedly1 in public1 only a short while before the ,world ,war broke out4 ,that splendid scholar and publicist1 ,david ,starr ,jordan1 expressed by tongue and pen his positive conviction that another great conflict1 in this advanced and cultured age1 was humanly impossible--it simply could not come4 #e ,but ,another had said1 two thousand years before3 ,such things must come4 #f ,and not long after the delivery of ,doctor ,jordan's optimistic1 well-meant prediction1 the greatest hell of conflict that this world has ever known burst forth and well-nigh wrapt the globe in a mantle of smoke and flame4 ,the ,one ,safe ,guide4--,men may come and men may go1 but ,god and ,truth go on forever4 ,heaven and ,earth may pass1 but the divine word1 by whomsoever spoken1 will endure unshaken amid the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds4 ,the sure word of prophecy1 flowing from the fountain of the ,spirit1 is the one safe guide through the chaos of the present and the mystical mazes of the future4 ,a ,prophet's ,voice4--,more firmly founded than the scholarly utterance in question1 was a prediction made by ,president ,wilford ,woodruff1 at ,brigham ,city1 ,utah1 in the summer of #ahid4 ,in the course of a public address1 referring to the near approach of the judgments of the last days1 the venerable leader said3 ,great changes are at our doors4 ,the next twenty years will see mighty changes among the nations of the earth4 ,and it was just twenty years1 or in the summer of #aiad1 when the terrible strife that has wrought so many mighty changes swept like a whirlwind over the nations4 ,other ,prophetic ,warnings4--,one could almost believe that ,president ,woodruff's fellow ,apostle1 ,orson ,pratt1 was gazing with seeric vision upon the same dreadful picture1 when he thundered into the ears of the world this solemn admonition3 ,a voice is heard unto the ends of the ,earth6 ,a sound of terror and dismay6 ,a sound of nations rushing to battle6 ,fierce and dreadful is the contest6 ,mighty kingdoms and empires melt away6 ,the destroyer has gone forth2 the pestilence that walketh in darkness2 the plagues of the last days are at hand2 and who shall be able to escape8 ,none but the righteous2 none but the upright in heart4 #g ,eight years later this same ,apostle1 then at ,liverpool1 about to embark for ,america1 issued to the inhabitants of ,great ,britain this ,prophetic ,warning3 ,if you will not repent and unite yourselves with ,god's ,kingdom1 then the days are near at hand when the righteous shall be gathered out of your midst4 ,and woe unto you when that day shall come1 for it shall be a day of vengeance upon the ,british nation6 4 4 4 4 ,your armies shall perish2 your maritime forces shall cease2 your cities shall be ravaged1 burned and made desolate1 and your strongholds shall be thrown down2 the poor shall rise against the rich1 and their storehouses and their fine mansions shall be pillaged1 their merchandise and their gold and their silver and their rich treasures shall be plundered4 ,then shall the lords and nobles and the merchants of the land1 and all in high places1 be brought down and shall sit in the dust and howl for the miseries that shall be upon them4 ,and they that trade by sea shall lament and mourn2 for their traffic shall cease4 #h ,saviors of the ,nation4--,to escape the judgments hanging over the wicked1 and find a place where they might worship ,god unmolested1 the ,latter-day ,saints fled to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,here1 and here only1 during the temporary isolation sought and found by them in the chambers of the everlasting hills1 could they hope to be let alone long enough to become strong enough to accomplish their greater destiny4 ,for there was more in that enforced exodus and the founding of this mountain-girl empire than the surface facts reveal4 ,if tradition can be relied upon1 ,joseph ,smith prophesied that the ,elders of ,israel would save this ,nation in the hour of its extremest peril4 ,at a time when anarchy would threaten the life of the ,government1 and the ,constitution would be hanging as by a thread1 the maligned and misunderstood ,mormons--always patriotic1 and necessarily so from the very genius of their religion--would stand firm upon ,freedom's rocky ramparts1 and as champions of law and order1 of liberty and justice1 call to their aid in the same grand cause kindred spirits from every part of the nation and from every corner of the world4 ,all this preparatory to a mighty movement that would sweep every form of evil from off the face of the land1 and rear the ,zion of ,god upon the spot consecrated for that purpose4 ,this traditional utterance of their martyred ,seer is deeply imbedded in the heart and hope of the ,mormon people4 ,mormonism's ,monument4--,the ,state of ,utah with its fringe of offspring settlements1 is no adequate monument to ,latter-day ,israel4 ,zion is their monument1 and it will stand in ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri4 ,ephraim is but getting ready for his mighty mission--the ,lion crouching before he springs4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 and ,c4 #e3ai2 #de3ca1 #fh1 #fi2 #fc3cc2 #hh3hg-ia2 #ig3bb1 #bc2 #aae3f4 #b4 ,see ,prophecies of ,joseph ,smith and their ,fulfillment1 by ,nephi ,l4 ,morris1 p4 #bj4 #c4 ,d4 and ,c4 #fa3d-f1 #ad-af1 #ai4 ,compare ,moses #g3ff and ,rev4 #af3c1 #d4 #d4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hg3f4 #e4 ,there is no war coming1 said ,doctor ,jordan to the press representatives who flocked to interview him on his return1 in #aiaj1 from ,europe1 where he had been lecturing on ,universal ,peace4 ,the only battle between ,england and ,germany will be on paper4 ,in his book1 ,war and ,waste1 published a few years later1 he said of the ,great ,war of ,europe which never comes3 ,the bankers will not find the money for such a fight1 the industries of ,europe will not maintain it1 the statesmen cannot4 4 4 4 4 ,there will be no general war until the masters direct the fighters to fight4 ,the masters have much to gain1 but vastly more to lose1 and their signal will not be given4 ,in ,august1 #aiab1 the ,doctor delivered a spoken address to the same effect in the ,salt ,lake ,tabernacle4 ,this was just two years before the war that could not come--came4 #f4 ,matt4 #bd3f4 #g4 ,the ,kingdom of ,god1 ,july1 #ahdi4 #h4 ,mill4 ,star ,oct4 #bd1 #aheg4 ,orson ,pratt1 then presiding over the ,european ,mission1 had been called home1 owing to a prospect of serious trouble between ,utah and the ,united ,states ,government4 ,a false report that the ,mormons were in rebellion against the ,federal authority had caused the ,government to send an army1 under ,general ,albert ,sidney ,johnston1 to put down the alleged insurrection4 ,brigham ,young1 ,governor of the ,territory 7now ,state7 of ,utah1 proclaimed martial law and made preparation to resist the invaders4 ,a part of the preparation was the withdrawal of all ,mormon missionaries from the outside world4 ,it remains but to say that ,the ,utah ,war ended by peaceable adjustment and without bloodshed4 ,,part ,,three ,a ,,marvel ,,and ,a ,,wonder4 ,,article ,,ten4 ,the ,wisdom ,that ,perishes4 ,the wisdom of their wise men shall perish1 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid4--,isaiah #bi3ad4 ,the ,wise and ,prudent4--,most strikingly have these prophetic words been realized by ,mormonism1 in its relations to the lofty and the learned who have endeavored in a worldly way and by means of human wisdom1 to account for and dispose of it4 ,strange it is that men and women1 intelligent1 educated and profound1 do not see in this great religious phenomenon something more than a topic to be treated lightly1 or in a spirit of harshness and intolerance4 ,giants in intellect as to other themes1 when they deal with the doctrines1 aims and attitude of the ,latter-day ,saints1 they seem suddenly changed into dwarfs1 mere children1 as powerless to cope with the mighty problem as were the learned ,rabbis in the ,temple with the youthful and divine ,son of ,god4 ,especially is this the case when they approach the question in a captious mood1 determined to find fault1 to berate and ridicule1 rather than to fairly investigate4 ,they cannot analyze1 cannot even grasp it1 and appear incapable of forming any just or adequate conception regarding it4 ,to reply to all the bitter assaults made upon my religion and my people would be impossible1 even were it worth while4 ,i shall not attempt the hopeless task4 ,it will suffice my purpose to consider here some of the more temperate judgments passed upon the subject1 giving to each such comment as may be deemed necessary4 ,a ,catholic ,opinion4--,many years ago there came to ,utah a learned doctor of divinity1 a member of the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,i became well acquainted with him1 and we conversed freely and frankly4 ,a great scholar1 with perhaps a dozen languages at his tongue's end1 he seemed to know all about theology1 law1 literature1 science and philosophy1 and was never weary of displaying his vast erudition4 ,one day he said to me3 ,you ,mormons are all ignoramuses4 ,you don't even know the strength of your own position4 ,it is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole ,christian world1 and that is the position of the ,catholic ,church4 ,the issue is between ,catholicism and ,mormonism4 ,if we are right1 you are wrong2 if you are right1 we are wrong2 and that's all there is to it4 ,the ,protestants haven't a leg to stand on4 ,if we are wrong1 they are wrong with us1 for they were a part of us and went out from us2 while if we are right1 they are apostates whom we cut off long ago4 ,if we really have1 as we claim1 the apostolic succession from ,st4 ,peter1 there was no need for ,joseph ,smith and ,mormonism2 but if we have not that succession1 then such a man as ,joseph ,smith was necessary1 and ,mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one4 ,it is either the perpetuation of the ,gospel from ancient times1 or the restoration of the ,gospel in latter days4 ,my reply was substantially as follows3 ,i agree with you1 ,doctor1 in nearly all that you have said1 but don't deceive yourself with the notion that we ,mormons are not aware of the strength of our position4 ,we are better aware of it than anyone else4 ,we have not all been to college2 we cannot all speak the dead languages2 we may be 'ignoramuses1' as you say2 but we know that we are right1 and we know that you are wrong4 ,i was just as frank with him as he had been with me4 ,an ,episcopal ,view4--,at a later period ,i conversed with another man of culture1 a bishop of the ,episcopal ,church4 ,he affirmed that if ,joseph ,smith1 at the beginning1 had become acquainted with that religious organization1 he would have been content1 and would have looked no further for spiritual light4 ,but1 said the ,bishop1 ,joseph encountered the ,methodists1 the ,baptists1 the ,presbyterians1 and other sects2 and their creeds failing to satisfy him1 he sought elsewhere4 ,now the ,episcopalians have an unbroken succession of authority all down the centuries1 and if ,joseph ,smith had only formed their acquaintance1 he would never have gone to the trouble of organizing another church4 ,a ,psychological ,notion4--,still another scholar1 a student of psychology and an applicant for a doctor's degree at ,yale ,university1 presented1 in a thesis forming the basis for the degree1 the theory that ,joseph ,smith was an epileptic1 and that this accounted for his mental attitude and marvelous assertions4 ,that is to say1 the ,seer did not actually behold the wonderful manifestations described by him1 but only imagined that he beheld them4 ,a distinct departure1 this1 from the charge of conscious duplicity1 usually flung at the founder of ,mormonism4 ,he was sincere1 then1 however much mistaken1 and was not guilty of intent to defraud4 ,so far1 so good4 ,but in the mind of the author of this remarkable hypothesis1 the magnificent organization of the ,mormon ,church1 conceded by intelligent observers of all creeds and parties to be one of the most perfect systems of government in existence1 to say nothing of its sublime doctrines1 replete with poetry and philosophy1 couched in logical and majestic phrasing--all this sprang from the diseased brain of a fourteen-year-old boy who had fallen in an epileptic fit6 ,self-evident absurdities need no argument4 ,they have only to be stated1 and they confute themselves4 #a ,learning's ,lack of ,knowledge4--,and these are some of the views that learned men take of ,mormonism4 ,with all their learning1 they are not able to come to a knowledge of the ,truth4 ,they do not begin to dream of the greatness of ,god's work1 the grandeur of ,christ's cause4 ,they comprehend but in part its real aims and attitude4 ,even the most conservative assume that ,joseph ,smith stumbled upon something of which he did not know the true value1 and that it was sheer luck which gave to this religion its vantage ground1 its recognized strength of position4 ,never was there a grosser error4 ,there are concepts as much higher than these1 as the heavens are higher than the earth4 ,the ,mormons are not the ignoramuses1 when it comes to a consideration of the ,gospel's mighty themes4 ,spiritual ,illumination4--,yet it is not because of native smartness--not because the followers of ,joseph ,smith are brainier than other people1 that they have a greater knowledge of ,god and are capable of loftier ideals in religion4 ,it is because they have received1 through the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 a perceptive power1 a spiritual illumination1 which the world1 with all its learning1 does not possess1 and without which no man can comprehend ,divinity or divine purposes4 ,it cannot be had from books or schools4 ,colleges and universities cannot impart it4 ,it comes only in one way--,god's way1 not man's4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints possess it because they have bowed to the will of ,heaven and rendered obedience to its laws1 thus making themselves worthy of the inestimable boon4 ,all men may have it upon precisely the same conditions4 ,still ,another ,misconception4--,my ,episcopalian friend said to me on another occasion3 ,my main objection to ,mormonism is its narrowness1 its illiberality4 ,you ,mormons are not interested in anything going on outside of your own social and religious system4 ,you are insulated1 wrapped up in yourselves1 you take no note of what other peoples are doing1 and you give them no credit for the good they accomplish4 ,for instance--he went on--the ,bible is retranslated1 with a view to making it plainer and more intelligible2 but you attach no importance to work of that kind4 ,ancient ruins are uncovered1 buried civilizations brought to light1 mystical inscriptions on old-time obelisks deciphered and interpreted1 in order to acquaint the present with the past2 but you put no value upon such enterprise4 ,hospitals are founded2 missions maintained2 ,christ's name is carried to the heathen2 the ,bible is published by millions of copies1 and persistent efforts are made to place one in every home4 ,but you take no account of these things2 you do not commend such labors--you deem them all vain and of no worth4 ,not ,narrow and ,illiberal4--,the ,bishop's remark surprised me4 ,i was astonished that one so well informed in other ways could entertain such an opinion of the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,there may be such a thing as a narrow ,mormon2 there may be such a thing as a narrow notion in the mind of some ,mormon2 but there never has been and never will be such a thing as a narrow ,mormonism4 ,to those who know it best1 it is a synonym for largeness and liberality1 another name for all that is generous charitable and sublime4 ,takes ,note of ,all4--,so far from ignoring what other peoples and other systems are doing1 the typical ,mormon takes careful note of all that happens2 and the spirit of his religion1 the ,spirit that searcheth all things1 enables him to assign events and achievements to their proper place in the universal scheme4 ,he appreciates and applauds every step in the march of progress4 ,if there is anything virtuous1 lovely1 or of good report1 or praiseworthy1 we seek after these things4 ,so says the ,church in its ,articles of ,faith4 ,the ,fruit of ,falsehood4--,how1 then1 do such gross misunderstandings arise8 ,they spring from prejudice and faulty inference4 ,they are the fruit of falsehood1 and of that propensity in most people for allowing themselves to be influenced by a one-sided statement--too often by mere rumor and hearsay4 ,confounding principle with practice1 they mistake the conduct and expressions of individuals connected with a cause1 for the cause itself1 its character1 its spirit1 and the ends at which it aims4 ,translation and ,discovery4--,contrary to my ,christian friend's erroneous deduction1 the ,latter-day ,saints are interested in the retranslation of the ,scriptures4 ,and why should they not be8 ,joseph ,smith was a translator4 ,did he not translate the ,book of ,mormon and the ,book of ,abraham8 ,we believe the ,bible to be the word of ,god only so far as it has been translated correctly4 ,our ,prophet also revised1 by the ,spirit of ,revelation1 the ,english version of the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 making it in many respects more comprehensible1 and at the same time restoring to it many plain and precious things that had been taken away4 #b ,why should we not attach importance to work of that kind8 ,as for archaeological discoveries1 we hail them with joy1 especially those that throw any light upon the ,book of ,mormon1 that silent witness whispering from the dust #c of ,america's buried civilizations4 ,christian ,endeavor and ,mormon ,propaganda4--,go on1 good ,christian brother6 ,build as many hospitals and found as many missions as you like4 ,spread the glad tidings over the world1 and sound the ,savior's name from pole to pole4 ,you cannot blazon the fame of ,jesus ,christ too far or too widely to suit us4 ,you cannot publish too many ,bibles1 nor place them in too many homes4 ,such enterprise makes the follow-up work of the ,mormon missionary just that much less difficult4 ,it virtually introduces the message that he comes to proclaim4 ,the ,stick of ,joseph and the ,stick of ,judah are one in the hand of ,ephraim1 #d ,latter-day ,israel1 chosen and commissioned to prepare the way before ,messiah's coming4 ,footnotes #a4 ,for further particulars of the epileptic theory1 see ,woodbridge ,riley's book1 ,the ,founder of ,mormonism1 and ,robert ,c4 ,webb's admirable answer thereto in ,chapter #bf of ,the ,real ,mormonism4 #b4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #acb4 #a ,nephi #ac3ce1 #dj4 #c4 ,isa4 #bi3d4 #d4 ,ezek4 #cg3af-ai4 ,,article ,,eleven4 ,the ,god ,story4 ,greater than it ,appears4--,mormonism is a much bigger thing than ,catholic scholars or ,episcopal bishops imagine4 ,it is only a nickname for the ,everlasting ,gospel1 restored to earth in the nineteenth century1 that it might be preached to every nation and kindred and tongue and people1 #a as a warning to the world that the end of wickedness is nigh1 that the ,kingdom of ,heaven is at hand1 and that the ,lord whom the righteous seek is about to come suddenly to his ,temple4 #b ,the ,antiquity of the ,gospel4--,the ,gospel originated in the heavens before this earth was formed1 and was revealed from ,god out of ,eternity at the very beginning of ,time4 ,it was the means whereby our great ancestor1 ,adam1 after his expulsion from ,eden1 regained the ,divine ,presence from which he had been banished2 and it is the means whereby his posterity1 such as are obedient to the ,gospel's requirements1 may follow him into the ,celestial ,kingdom4 ,the same ladder that he 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 also climb1 or they will never see the face of ,god in eternal glory4 ,the ,path to ,perfection4--,but the ,gospel is more than a means of escape from impending ills4 ,to all good ,christians it is as a life-boat1 or a fire-escape1 a way out of a perilous situation4 ,to the ,latter-day ,saints1 it is all this and more4 ,a divine plan for human progress1 the foreordained ,pathway to ,perfection--such is ,christ's ,gospel1 as revealed to and proclaimed by ,joseph the ,seer4 ,the ,word ,made ,flesh4--,the ,english word ,gospel comes from the ,anglo-,saxon ,godspell or ,god-story--the ,story of ,god4 ,it derives its significance from that great central idea of the ,christian faith1 the coming of ,god as the ,son of ,god to redeem and save mankind4 ,god himself shall come down among the children of men1 and shall redeem his people2 and because he dwelleth in flesh1 he shall be called the ,son of ,god4 #c ,the fulfillment of this and similar foretellings is recorded in the opening verses of the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john1 referring to ,the ,word that was in the beginning with ,god--the ,word that was ,god1 and was made flesh4 ,in ,him1 as ,paul affirms1 dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily4 #d ,basic ,principles4--,when we consider the ,gospel1 therefore1 we should bear in mind that the term means something more than faith1 repentance1 baptism1 and the laying on of hands for the gift 7giving7 of the ,holy ,ghost1 with other rituals and requirements in the ,church of ,christ4 ,we cannot separate 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 of no effect4 ,nor can the basic principles and powers that vitalize and make operative these 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 #e ,the ,complete ,story4--,the ,gospel1 in its fullest scope of meaning1 signifies everything connected with the wondrous career of that ,divine ,being who was known among men as ,jesus of ,nazareth1 but who was and is no other than ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel1 who came unto his own1 and was rejected by them1 crucified at their instigation1 and died to redeem the world4 #f ,the accounts given by ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john are properly termed gospels1 for they are narratives of the personal ministry of our ,lord4 ,but they are only parts of the complete ,god-,story4 #g ,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 redemption--these are all gospel features1 but not the ,gospel in its entirety4 ,the full ,story of the ,god who died that man might live1 involves events both past and future1 events pre-mortal 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 ,essentials to ,eternal ,progress4--,everything vitally connected with man's mortal pilgrimage was understood and arranged before that pilgrimage began4 ,earth's creation was but one of the pre-essentials4 #h ,the means of getting man down upon the earth1 and the means of redeeming him from the fall1 had also to be provided4 ,the ,gospel was instituted1 and an ,executor appointed to put it into effect2 the machinery constructed1 and the power then turned on4 ,eternal progress1 endless exaltation1 were the sublime objects in view1 and over the glad prospect1 despite the pain and sorrow that must necessarily intervene1 the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy4 #i ,elect of ,elohim4--,in the ,eternal ,councils1 while the creation of an earth was in contemplation1 the question arose as to who among the ,sons of ,deity should redeem man from the fall4 ,lucifer1 an angel of ,god who was in authority in the presence of ,god1 would fain have been selected for the mighty mission2 but his scheme for human redemption was of a compulsory character1 destructive of the free agency of man4 ,moreover1 this ,son of the ,morning had become darkened to that degree that he demanded1 in recompense for his proposed service1 the honor and glory that belong only to the ,highest4 #aj ,therefore was he rejected1 and1 rebelling1 was thrust down from the presence of ,god and the ,son1 and was called ,perdition1 for the heavens wept over him4 #aa ,and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away 4 4 4 4 because of their agency4 #ab ,the ,chosen of the ,father stood first among all the ,sons of ,god4 #ac ,he is the ,father's first-begotten in the spirit1 and his only-begotten in the flesh4 ,to him was assigned the role of ,earth's ,redeemer4 ,and while revelation is silent upon the subject1 or not so specific in their cases1 we have good reason to believe that the parts played by ,adam and ,eve and other noble and great ones in the mighty drama of ,eternal ,progression1 were cast at the same time4 #ad ,the ,perfect ,plan4--,the ,gospel1 ,christ's perfect plan1 unlike the defective scheme proposed by ,lucifer1 gives the right of choice between good and evil4 ,it saves men1 not in their sins1 but from their sins--liberates them from spiritual darkness1 the bondage of death and hell1 and lifts them into the joy and freedom of light and life eternal4 ,hence that splendid phrase1 that majestic synonym1 used by the ,apostle ,james in describing the ,gospel--,the ,perfect ,law of ,liberty4 #ae ,the ,purpose ,paramount4--,the grand object in view when that great ,law was instituted1 is clearly1 though briefly1 outlined in the following passage from the writings of ,joseph the ,seer3 ,the first principles of man are self-existent with ,god4 4 4 ,finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory1 because he was more intelligent 7he7 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 #af ,the ,benevolence of ,deity4--,and thus is shown the benevolence as well as the power of ,deity4 ,our ,heavenly ,father is no monopolist4 ,omnipotent and all-possessing1 he is likewise altruistic1 philanthropic4 ,he employed his superior intelligence1 which constitutes his glory1 #ag 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 stature1 and share with them the empire of the universe4 ,salvation and ,exaltation4--,the ,gospel of ,christ is termed by ,st4 ,paul the power of ,god unto salvation4 #ah ,paul might have gone further1 had he been so inclined1 or had it been timely4 ,he could have shown that the ,gospel is also the power of ,god unto exaltation1 a plan devised by omnipotent wisdom whereby the sons and daughters of ,deity may advance from stage to stage of soul development1 until they become like their heavenly parents1 the ,eternal ,father and ,mother1 inheriting endless thrones and dominions and receiving a fulness of joy4 #ai ,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 the idea or condition of redemption4 ,a soul may be redeemed--that is1 raised from the dead--and yet be condemned at the ,final ,judgment for evil deeds done in the body4 ,likewise may a soul be saved1 and yet come short of the glory that constitutes exaltation4 ,to redeem1 save and glorify1 is the threefold mission of the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,footnotes #a4 ,rev4 #ad3f4 #b4 ,mal4 #c3a4 #c4 ,mosiah #ae3a1 #b2 #c3e4 ,the joyful intelligence of the advent of the ,world's ,redeemer1 proclaimed by angels to the shepherds on the ,judean hills 7,luke #b3aj71 furnishes another name for the ,gospel--good tidings1 or1 as otherwise rendered1 glad tidings of great joy4 #d4 ,col4 #b3i4 ,compare ,ether #c3ad1 and ,alma #aa3ch1 #ci4 #e4 ,all fulness is relative1 as pertaining to the revealed word of ,god4 ,there can be no absolute fulness with man until everything is made known to him4 ,the fulness of the ,gospel1 as delivered to the ,nephites and other ancient peoples1 was not so complete as is the fulness enjoyed by the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,truth is always the same1 but more of its principles have been revealed in modern times than at any previous period4 ,and the end is not yet2 for1 as our ,prophet declares3 ,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 this1 the dispensation of the fulness of times4 7,d4 and ,c4 #abh3ah47 ,such an outpouring of truth and light can come only to a people prepared for it4 ,when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part shall be done away 7,i ,cor4 #ac3aj74 ,until then a comparative fulness1 or all that the finite mind can contain of infinite wisdom1 must suffice human aspiration and continue to be the lot even of the most enlightened4 #f4 ,d4 and ,c4 #aaj3a-d4 #g4 ,the book of ,isaiah is sometimes called the fifth gospel1 it having so much to say about the coming ,redeemer2 and just as fittingly might the third book of ,nephi be termed a gospel1 narrating as it does the risen ,christ's personal ministrations to the descendants of ,lehi4 #h4 ,abr4 #c3bd4 #i4 ,job #ch3g4 #aj4 ,moses #d3a-d4 #aa4 ,d4 and ,c4 #gf3be1 #bf4 #ab4 ,ib4 #bi3cf4 ,satan 7it is possible7 being opposed to the will of his ,father1 wished to avoid the responsibilities of this position4 4 4 4 4 ,he probably intended to make men atone for their own acts by an act of coercion and the shedding of their own blood as an atonement for their sins4--,the ,mediation and ,atonement1 by ,president ,john ,taylor1 pp4 #if1 #ig4 #ac4 ,rom4 #h3bi4 #ad4 ,abr4 #c3bc2 ,jer4 #a3e1 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #f1 p4 #cfd4 #ae4 ,james #a3be4 #af4 ,times and ,seasons1 ,aug4 #ae1 #ahdd2 ,improvement ,era1 ,jan41 #aiji4 ,our ,prophet's simple yet sublime setting forth is far more pointed and specific than the presentment made by ,plato of a doctrine somewhat similar4 ,the ,greek philosopher1 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 truth 7,plato1 ,emerson's ,representative ,men74 ,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 things1 as ,plato implies1 is not so clear4 ,that the lower animals1 and in fact all forms of life1 are to be perpetuated and glorified1 is more than an inference from the teachings of the ,prophet 7,d4 and ,c4 #bi3bd1 #be2 #gg3b-d74 ,but undoubtedly all will retain their identity in their respective orders and spheres4 ,no creature of ,god's excepting man can become like ,god in the fullest and highest sense4 #ag4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ic3cf4 #ah4 ,rom4 #a3af4 #ai4 ,d4 and ,c4 #gf3ej-gj2 #ic3cc2 ,abr4 #c3bf4 ,,article ,,twelve4 ,the ,great ,vicissitudes4 ,fall and ,redemption4--,the ,fall of ,man and the ,redemption from the ,fall1 are the great vicissitudes of human experience4 ,one is sequel to the other1 and both are steps in the march of eternal progress4 ,the ,gospel1 therefore1 embraces the fall as well as the redemption4 ,both were essential1 and both were preordained4 ,the one prepared the way before the other4 ,had there been no fall1 there could have been no redemption2 for the simple reason that there would have been nothing to redeem4 ,the ,creation4--,preliminary to the fall1 came the creation4 ,earth1 created as an abode and a place of probation for mortal man1 was not made out of nothing1 as human theology asserts1 but out of previously existing materials1 as divine revelation affirms4 ,millions of earths had been created in like manner before this planet rolled into existence4 #a ,to create does not mean to make something out of nothing4 ,such a doctrine is neither scientific nor scriptural4 ,nothing remains nothing1 of necessity2 and no power1 human or divine1 can make it otherwise4 ,creation is organization1 with materials at hand for the process4 ,joseph ,smith's position upon this point1 though combatted by doctors of divinity1 is confirmed by the most advanced scientists and philosophers of modern times4 ,the dogma that earth was made out of nothing is an attempt to glorify ,deity by ascribing to him the power to perform the impossible--to do that which cannot be done4 ,as if ,deity could be glorified with anything of that sort1 or had need of any such glorification4 ,it is also an effort to escape from what many religious teachers consider a dilemma1 the other horn of which would commit them to what they mistakenly deem a fallacy--namely1 the eternity and self-existence of matter4 #b ,eternity of ,matter4--,mormonism stands firm-footed upon this ground4 ,it holds matter to be uncreateable1 indestructible1 without beginning or end1 and consequently eternal4 #c ,as for modern science1 here are a few of its most recent conclusions upon the point at issue4 ,says ,herbert ,spencer3 ,the doctrine that matter is indestructible has become a commonplace4 ,all the apparent proofs that something can come out of nothing1 a wider knowledge has one by one canceled 7,first ,principles74 ,and ,john ,fiske confirms him in saying3 ,it is now inconceivable that a particle of matter should either come into existence1 or lapse into non-existence 7,cosmic ,philosophy74 ,robert ,k4 ,duncan clinches the argument with the emphatic pronouncement3 ,we cannot create something out of nothing 7,new ,knowledge74 ,spirit and ,element4--,but ,joseph ,smith proclaimed it first4 ,he declared the elements eternal2 #d and even went so far as to say3 ,all spirit is matter1 but it is more fine and pure1 and can only be discerned by purer eyes4 #e ,eternal spirit1 eternal element1 these are the materials out of which ,earth was created--not only as a temporary abode for man1 but as an eternal place of residence for the righteous4 ,the ,value of a ,body4--,man needed experience in mortality1 in the midst of rudimental conditions1 in order to acquire the experience that would fit him for spheres beyond4 ,first1 however1 he needed a body1 for purposes of increase and progression1 both in time and eternity4 ,the spirit without the body is incomplete2 it cannot propagate1 and it cannot go on to glory4 ,spirit and element1 inseparably connected1 receiveth a fulness of joy2 but when separated man cannot receive a fulness of joy4 #f ,it is a reasonable inference that our spirits advance as far as they can before they are given earthly bodies4 ,having received their bodies1 they are in a position1 by means of the ,gospel and the powers of the ,priesthood1 to make further progress toward perfection4 ,we came to this earth1 says ,joseph ,smith1 that we might have a body1 and present it pure before ,god in the celestial kingdom4 ,the great principle of happiness consists in having a body4 #g ,satan's ,punishment4--,the ,prophet thus continues3 ,the ,devil has no body1 and herein is his punishment4 4 4 ,all beings who have bodies have power over those who have not4 ,the reason why ,satan has no body is because he rebelled in the eternal councils when the ,redeemer of the ,world was chosen4 ,all who followed him shared a similar fate4 ,two thirds of the intelligences then populating the spirit world remained loyal1 and as a reward for their fidelity were permitted to tabernacle in the flesh4 ,one third1 rebelling with ,lucifer1 were doomed with him to perdition4 ,pending their final fate1 these unembodied fallen spirits are allowed to wander up and down the world1 tempting and trying its human inhabitants1 their evil activities being overruled in a way to subserve ,god's purpose in man's probation4 ,placed in ,eden4--,earth having been prepared for man1 ,adam and ,eve were placed in the ,garden of ,eden--placed there to become mortal1 that the ,lord's purpose might be accomplished4 ,the fall1 though planned1 was not compelled4 #h ,man still had his agency1 the right and power of choice4 ,innocent in the ,beginning4--,the ,great ,creator1 on the morning of creation1 pronounced good all that ,he had made4 #i ,in perfect keeping with this1 modern revelation declares that every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning4 #aj ,consequently1 had the spirits of men remained where they were before ,adam fell1 they would have had no need to exercise a saving faith1 no need to repent or to be baptized1 having no evil practices to turn from and no uncleanness to be washed away4 ,but they would have remained ignorant as well as innocent--ignorant of things necessary to their further progress4 ,without the fall1 they could have advanced no further1 but would have remained as they were1 having no joy1 for they knew no misery2 doing no good1 for they knew no sin4 4 4 4 4 ,adam fell that men might be2 and men are that they might have joy4 #aa ,the ,woman ,beguiled4--,when our ,first ,parents partook of the forbidden fruit1 it was the woman who was beguiled by the ,serpent 7,satan7 and induced to go contrary to the divine command4 ,the man was not deceived4 #ab ,what ,adam did was done knowingly and after full deliberation4 ,when ,eve had tasted of the fruit1 ,adam did likewise in order to carry out another command1 the first that ,god had given to this pair--the command to multiply and replenish the earth4 #ac ,eve1 by her act1 had separated herself from her husband1 and was now mortal1 while he remained in an immortal state4 ,it was impossible1 therefore1 unless he also became mortal1 for them to obey the original behest4 ,this was ,adam's motive4 ,this was his predicament4 ,he was facing a dilemma1 and must make choice between two divine commands4 ,he disobeyed in order to obey1 retrieving1 so far as he could1 the situation resulting from his wife's disobedience4 ,fully aware of what would follow1 he partook of the fruit of the inhibited tree1 realizing that in no other way could he become the progenitor of the human race4 ,adam and ,abraham4--,perhaps some will see a parallel in ,adam's case and ,abraham's1 each being directed to do a thing that could not be done unless a previous requirement were disregarded4 ,thus1 ,adam was warned not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree--the ,tree of ,knowledge of ,good and ,evil2 yet that was the only way for him to reach a condition where he would be able to replenish the earth4 ,abraham was forbidden to slay his son1 after being commanded to offer him4 #ad ,but there was this important difference in the two cases4 ,the second command to ,abraham superseded the first--canceled it4 ,not so with ,adam4 ,in his case the later law left unrepealed the earlier enactment4 ,both commandments were in force2 but ,adam could not obey both4 ,what was to be done8 ,why1 just what was done--the wisest thing possible under the circumstances4 ,malum ,prohibitum4--,adam's transgression1 though a sin1 because of the broken law1 should not be stressed as an act of moral turpitude4 ,in human law1 which is based upon divine law1 there are two kinds of offenses in general1 described in ,latin terms as malum per se and malum prohibitum4 ,malum per se means an evil in itself1 an act essentially wrong2 while malum prohibitum signifies that which is wrong because forbidden by law4 ,adam's transgression was malum prohibitum2 and the consequent descent from an immortal to a mortal condition1 was the ,fall4 ,a ,cause ,for ,rejoicing4--,adam and ,eve1 with their eyes open1 rejoiced over what had befallen them1 #ae evidently regarding it as part of a beneficent plan to people ,earth and afford to a world of waiting spirits--the loyal two-thirds who kept their first estate when ,lucifer fell--the long looked for opportunity of entering upon their second estate and beginning the great pilgrimage to perfection4 ,no ,license for ,sin4--,let it not be supposed1 however1 that disobedience to divine requirements is or ever can be justifiable4 ,on the contrary1 obedience is the great law upon which all blessings are predicated4 #af ,what was done by our ,first ,parents in an exceptional instance and for a special purpose1 constitutes no license for men to commit sin4 ,adam and ,eve1 having obeyed ,god's command to multiply and replenish1 reaped the reward of their obedience4 ,but they had to be punished for their disobedience in the matter of the forbidden fruit4 ,the wages of sin is death4 ,the fall was necessary1 but it had to be atoned for3 it could not be justified4 ,the ,lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance4 ,he can nullify its effects1 however1 and bring good out of evil4 ,redemption was also necessary1 and the ,atonement preordained2 but this did not make the murder of the innocent ,savior any the less heinous4 ,the perpetrators of that deed were guilty of a crime--the crime of crimes--and their punishment was inevitable4 ,were it otherwise1 ,god would not be just1 and would therefore cease to be ,god4 #ag ,fruits of the ,fall4--,the fall had a twofold direction--downward1 yet forward4 ,it brought man into the world and set his feet upon progression's highway4 ,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 undergo1 as a change preparatory to resurrection2 but eternal death--death of the spirit as well as the body4 ,there was no resurrection when ,adam fell--not upon this planet4 ,the ,world in ,pawn4--,hell had seemingly triumphed over man's--or rather over woman's weakness4 ,it was as if the world had been put in pawn4 ,death was the pawnbroker1 with a twofold claim upon all creation4 ,everything pertaining to ,earth was 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 though he was1 in the spirit2 for he was no other than ,michael the ,archangel1 leader of the heavenly host when ,lucifer and his legions were overthrown4 ,but that same puissant ,michael was now a weak mortal man1 under the penalty of a broken law1 powerless to repair the ruin he had wrought4 ,he and the race that was to spring from him were eternally lost1 unless ,omnipotence would intervene1 and do for them what they could not do for themselves4 ,where was ,redemption8--,redemption must come1 if at all1 through some being great enough and powerful enough to make an infinite atonement2 one completely covering the far-reaching effects of the original transgression4 ,the scales of ,eternal ,justice1 unbalanced by ,adam's act1 had to be repoised1 and the equilibrium of right restored4 ,who could do this8 ,who was able to mend the broken law1 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 typical8 ,the ,price ,paid4--,the life of a ,god was the price of the world's freedom2 and that price was paid by the ,god of ,israel 7,jesus on ,earth1 ,jehovah in ,heaven7 who descended from his glorious throne1 became mortal1 and by submitting to death1 broke the bands of death1 and made it possible for man to go on to his eternal destiny4 ,this spotless ,lamb1 the great ,antitype of the ,passover1 gave himself as an offering for sin1 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 ,christ's atonement1 offsetting ,adam's transgression1 brought redemption from the fall1 nullifying its evil results1 conserving its good results1 and making them effectual for man's eternal welfare4 ,we ,know in ,part4--,why the ,fall and the ,redemption had to be1 we1 know in part1 for ,god has revealed it4 ,but we do not know all4 ,that a divine law was broken1 in order that men might be2 and that reparation had to be made1 in order that men might have joy--this much is known4 ,but the great why and wherefore of it all is a deep that remains unfathomed4 ,why it was necessary to place ,adam and ,eve in a position so contradictory1 where they were commanded not to do the very thing that had to be done--why the divine purpose had to be carried out in just that way1 is one of those infinite problems that must remain to finite minds a mystery until the ,all-wise shall will to make it plain4 ,man cannot sit in judgment upon his ,maker1 nor measure by human standards divine dispensations4 ,all things have been done in the wisdom of ,him who knoweth all things4 ,god's ,greatest ,gift4--,the ,fall1 though essential to human progress1 dug man's grave and opened the portal to ,hades4 ,redemption unsealed the tomb and swung wide the gates to ,endless ,glory4 ,adam gave us mortal life4 ,eternal life1 our greatest boon1 is the gift of the ,redeemer and ,savior4 ,footnotes #a4 ,moses #a3d1 #ch2 #g3cj4 #b4 ,the ,reverend ,baden ,powell1 of ,oxford ,university1 quoted in ,kitto's ,cyclopedia of ,biblical ,literature1 says3 ,the idea of 'creation1' as meaning absolutely 'making out of nothing1' or calling into existence that which did not exist before1 in the strictest sense of the term1 is not a doctrine of scripture2 but it has been held by many on the grounds of natural theology1 as enhancing the ideas we form of the divine power1 and more especially since the contrary must imply the belief in the eternity and self-existence of matter4 #c4 ,the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews asserts nothing to the contrary when he says3 ,things which are seen were not made of things which do appear 7,heb4 #aa3c74 ,the things referred to 7the worlds that were framed by the word of ,god7 had existed before1 in other forms1 invisible to mortal eye and intangible to human touch4 #d4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ic3cc4 #e4 ,d4 and ,c4 #aca3g4 #f4 ,ib4 #ic3cc1 #cd4 #g4 ,compendium p4 #bhh2 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #djc4 #h4 ,moses #c3ag4 #i4 ,gen4 #a3ca4 #aj4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ic3ch4 #aa4 #b ,nephi #b3bb-be4 #ab4 #a ,tim4 #b3ad4 #ac4 ,gen4 #a3bh4 #ad4 ,some commentators hold that ,abraham misunderstood the ,lord's command to offer ,isaac1 and that the second command1 lay not thine hand upon the lad1 was given in explanation4 ,that the ,lord did not intend ,isaac to be slain1 is evidenced from what ensued2 but that ,abraham misunderstood the original behest does not follow4 ,in order to make the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit1 and merit the reward of his obedience1 it was necessary that ,abraham should interpret the command just as he did--as a commandment to slay4 ,the sacrifice required of ,abraham in the offering of ,isaac1 says ,joseph ,smith1 shows that if a man would attain to the keys of the kingdom of an endless life1 he must sacrifice all things 7,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #eee74 ,this was the principle that ,abraham was showing forth1 and it must have involved a real and terrible trial of his faith4 #ae4 ,moses #e3aj1 #aa4 #af4 ,d4 and ,c4 #acj3bj1 #ba4 #ag4 ,the principle involved in this discussion1 is tersely put in two lines of a well known hymn1 frequently sung in the religious assemblies of the ,latter-day ,saints3 ,sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven4 ,earth must atone for the blood of that man4 ,,article ,,thirteen4 ,the ,gospel ,dispensations4 ,only ,one ,gospel4--,there is but one ,gospel4 ,there never has been1 and there never will be1 another4 #a ,it is the ,everlasting ,gospel1 #b the same yesterday1 today and forever4 ,in order to comprehend it1 one must not limit his survey of the subject to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries--must not confine his calculations to any one ,gospel dispensation4 ,he must grasp the idea of a series of such dispensations1 inter-related and connected1 like the links of a mighty chain1 extending from the morning of ,creation down to the end of ,time4 ,mormonism stands for the ,gospel's restoration in the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times2 but that is not all4 ,it stands for the ,gospel itself in all the dispensations1 as those periods are termed during which ,god1 from the beginning1 has spoken to man and revealed from heaven these saving principles and powers4 ,for ,all ,time and for ,all ,men4--,the ,everlasting ,gospel does not belie its name4 ,it is not of any one time nor of any one place4 ,stretching from eternity to eternity1 it encompasses past1 present and future in its all-embracing fold4 ,neither is it for the benefit of any particular class1 to the exclusion of other classes4 ,it is for all men1 and was made simple and plain that all might understand it1 that its appeal might be universal4 ,no creed comprehensible only to a few1 no religion that mystifies the many1 can by any possibility represent ,him who died that the whole world might live4 ,there is but one ,savior1 and but one ,plan of ,salvation2 yet that ,savior has many servants1 saviors in a subordinate sense1 #c and ,his saving plan encompasses many truths1 apportioned to the several branches of the human family1 in measure large or small1 according to their capacity to receive1 and their ability to wisely use the knowledge meted out to them4 ,sublimest ,things are always the simplest4 ,this is preeminently true of the ,gospel--the simple1 sublime ,story of ,god4 ,a child can comprehend it2 and at the same time it is capable of taxing to the limit the powers of the highest human intellect4 ,it is the profoundest system of philosophy that the world has ever known4 ,all true principles of science are parts of it1 broken-off fragments of this grand ,rock of ,ages--or1 to change the figure1 pools caught in the hollows and clefts of ,time1 when the great flood of ,truth1 during one or more of its earthly visitations1 swept by on its way back to the ,eternal ,ocean4 ,all that is precious and exalting in religion springs from this ancient source of divine wisdom and intelligence4 ,who knows not this1 knows not the ,gospel4 ,why ,man-,made ,systems ,endure4--,every form of faith that has benefited its believers1 must have possessed at some time a portion of ,divine ,truth4 ,that is what perpetuated it--not the errors associated therewith4 ,these are as cobwebs and dust1 the accumulated rubbish of false tradition1 in which the jewel was wholly or in part hidden4 ,every creed1 ,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 ,heaven in one of those grand spiritual showers called dispensations of the ,gospel1 when the flood-gates of ,eternity were lifted1 that the world might be refreshed4 ,god's ,word ,apportioned4--,the ,book of ,mormon throws light upon this theme4 ,a ,nephite prophet says3 ,oh1 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 people2 4 4 4 4 ,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 4 4 4 4 ,i know that he granteth unto men according to their desires1 whether it be unto death or unto life2 yea1 ,i know that he allotteth unto men 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 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 were 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 have4 #d ,does that sound as if ,mormonism takes no cognizance of what is going on in the outside world8 ,how can any intelligent reader arise from a study of the ,mormon faith1 convinced that the ,latter-day ,saints are not interested in anything beyond the bounds of their own social and religious system8 ,that one selection from the ,book of ,mormon suffices to refute the false notion4 ,of ,their ,own ,nation and ,tongue4--,all down the ages1 men bearing the ,priesthood1 the authority to represent ,god1 have officiated for him and ministered in behalf of mankind4 ,and other good and great spirits1 not holding that authority1 but imbued with a desire to benefit and uplift their fellows1 have been sent into different nations1 to give them1 not the fulness of the ,gospel1 but that measure of truth and light that they had the power to appreciate and put to worthy use4 ,why came ,socrates1 ,confucius1 ,zoroaster and ,gautama8 ,why not ,christ alone8 ,truth answers3 ,graded are the ,master's teachings1 ,lest come wasteful overflowing1 ,with a swifter condemnation ,for indifference or rejection4 ,milk1 not meat1 for infant palates1 ,spirit babes1 though mental giants1 ,unprepared for strong nutrition1 ,ministered by agents mightier4 #e ,the ,arab and the ,caliph4--,but spirit waters1 like the waters of earth1 will lose their sweetness and purity1 if separated too far or too long from their ,fountain-head4 ,they will become stagnant and unwholesome1 like the drink carried 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 ,an ,oft-restored ,religion4--,man's proneness to depart from ,god and to mix with the clear precepts of divine truth his own muddy imaginings1 has made necessary more than one restoration of the primal and pure 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 generation1 who were astonished at his doctrine1 in reality it was older than all the ages1 older than ,earth itself4 ,originating in the heavens before this world was framed1 it had been revealed to man in a series of dispensations1 beginning with ,adam and extending down to ,christ4 ,the ,book with ,seven ,seals4--,revelation is silent as to the number of the ,gospel dispensations4 ,but there are those--and the present writer is among them--who incline to the belief that seven is the correct figure2 a belief partly founded upon the ,scriptural or symbolical character of that number1 and partly upon ,joseph ,smith's teachings relative to the seven great periods corresponding to the seven seals of the mystical book seen by ,john the ,revelator in his vision on ,patmos4 #f ,the ,world's ,hidden ,history4--,according to the ,prophet's exegesis1 the book mentioned in the ,apocalypse contains the revealed will1 mysteries and works of ,god--the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance or its temporal existence4 ,each thousand years is represented by one of the seals upon the book--the first seal containing the things of the first thousand years1 and the second also of the second thousand years1 and so on until the seventh4 #g ,the opening of these seals by the ,lamb of ,god signifies1 as ,i understand1 the revealing of a ,heaven-kept record of ,god's dealings with man upon this planet4 #h ,are ,they ,dispensations8--,these seven periods--millenniums--may or may not be ,gospel dispensations1 periods of religious enlightenment1 during which the ,plan of ,salvation and the powers of the ,priesthood have been among men1 alternating with seasons of spiritual darkness4 ,but whether or not they be so regarded1 it is interesting to think of them as covering the same ground1 paralleling those dispensations1 or extending through the same vast stretch of duration1 and dealing with events and epochs1 principles and personages1 connected therewith4 ,symbolical and ,prophetic4--,whatever their number1 or the names by which they may be properly known1 it is evident that the ,gospel dispensations are inter-related and progressive1 each preparing the way before its successor4 ,altogether1 they represent ,god's special dealings with man1 from the beginning down to the end of the world4 ,they are also symbolical and prophetic1 pointing forward to a great and wonderful ,consummation1 the long-heralded era of ,restitution1 when part will blend with perfect1 when past dispensations will all be gathered into one--the ,eternal ,present1 ,god's great ,today1 wherein is neither past nor future4 #i ,footnotes #a4 ,gal4 #a3f-i4 #b4 ,rev4 #ad3f4 #c4 ,rev4 #ad3a1 #d2 ,d4 and ,c4 #gg3aa4 #d4 ,alma #bi3a-h4 #e4 ,love and the ,light1 pp4 #gd1 #ge #f4 ,rev4 #e1 #f1 #h4 #g4 ,d4 and ,c4 #gg3f1 #g1 #ab4 #h4 ,rev4 #bj3ab4 #i4 ,alma #dj3h4 ,,part ,,four ,a ,,glance ,,down ,,the ,,ages ,,article ,,fourteen4 ,the ,adamic ,age4 ,dispensation ,defined4--,what is meant by dispensation4 ,the term has a variety of meanings4 ,to dispense is to deal out or distribute in portions1 as when the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper is dispensed to a religious congregation4 ,dispensations of ,providence is a phrase used to describe the ,creator's dealings with his creatures1 either for joy or sorrow4 ,in theology dispensation signifies the method or scheme whereby ,deity has at different times developed his purposes and revealed himself to man4 ,as ,i now use the term1 it stands for the opening of the heavens and the sending forth of the ,gospel and the ,priesthood for purposes of salvation4 ,it also denotes the period of time during which the saving and exalting principles thus sent forth1 continue operative in pristine power and purity4 ,the ,great ,patriarch4--,adam1 the patriarch of the human family1 is over all the ,gospel dispensations1 including the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times1 which is virtually all dispensations rolled into one4 ,nevertheless1 each has its own immediate presiding authority1 holding the keys of his particular period--holding them under ,adam1 the universal head4 #a ,distinctive ,features4--,each ,gospel ,dispensation has certain distinguishing characteristics1 and stands for some particular development of the ,divine ,purpose4 ,thus1 the ,first ,dispensation presents the following distinctive features3 #a4 ,the institution of the ,law of ,sacrifice1 foreshadowing the ,atonement that was to be made for the redemption of fallen man4 #b4 ,the introduction and earliest promulgation of the ,gospel1 for which the ,law of ,sacrifice had prepared the way4 #c4 ,the initial exercise of the ,patriarchal ,power1 in behalf of the whole human race4 ,the ,law of ,sacrifice4--,the ,law of ,sacrifice was revealed from ,heaven soon after our ,first ,parents were banished from ,eden4 ,god1 from whose presence they were shut out1 spoke from the way toward the ,garden1 commanding them to offer the firstlings of their flocks for an offering unto the ,lord4 ,adam obeyed1 and after many days an ,angel appeared to him1 saying3 ,why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the ,lord8 ,adam replied3 ,i know not1 save the ,lord commanded me4 ,the ,angel then said3 ,this thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the ,only ,begotten of the ,father4 ,wherefore 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 forevermore4 ,so runs the sacred story1 as rendered by ,joseph the ,seer4 #b ,the ,past ,obscured4--,it is not to be supposed1 however1 that this was ,adam's first knowledge of the sacrificial statute1 concerning which he must have known before it was revealed to him in mortal life4 ,adam was no ordinary man4 ,he was a great and wonderful character1 and the world has not seen the last of him4 ,undoubtedly he was among those who sat in the eternal councils when the ,gospel plan was instituted and its mighty ,executor chosen4 ,surely he knew about the ,lamb of ,god1 already slain in the spirit before the creation of the world1 and1 in ,adam's time1 yet to be slain literally in the world--an event symbolized by the very sacrifice that the first man was offering when the ,lord's messenger appeared to him4 ,but ,adam had lost the knowledge of his spirit past4 ,it had been temporarily taken from him in order that his agency might be free and untrammeled1 his conduct uninfluenced by any recollection of a former experience4 ,hence the need of the ,angel's coming to enlighten him1 and the further need of revelation by the ,holy ,spirit1 bringing things past to remembrance and showing things to come4 ,acceptable and ,unacceptable ,offerings4--,adam's worship was acceptable to ,god1 for he was in every way obedient to the divine instruction2 his offering truly symbolizing the heavenly ,lamb1 subsequently foretokened in the ,feast of the ,passover4 ,abel made a similar offering--of the firstlings of his flock2 and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering4 #c ,but ,abel's elder brother1 ,cain1 who also had been taught the ,law of ,sacrifice1 took it upon himself to deviate from the course marked out4 ,instead of a lamb1 he brought of the fruit of the ground--an offering in no way symbolical of the ,savior4 ,his offering was rejected2 #d for the ordinances must be kept in the very way ,god has appointed4 #e ,the ,gospel ,introduced4--,the way was now prepared for the introduction of the great redemptive scheme that was to lift fallen man and open to him the opportunities for endless increase and progression4 ,instead of preaching another gospel1 or inventing some new form of ordinance1 as the misguided ,cain might have done1 ,adam adhered to the ,gospel in its purity1 carrying out to the letter the instructions ,god had given4 ,he1 by his own voice1 commanded ,adam to believe1 to repent1 and to be baptized2 and1 as it is written3 ,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 water2 after which the ,spirit descended upon him1 and he heard a voice out of heaven1 saying3 ,thou art baptized with fire and with the ,holy ,ghost4 #f ,and thus the ,gospel began to be preached 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 ,adam by an holy ordinance1 and the ,gospel preached1 and a decree sent forth that it should be in the world until the end thereof4 #g ,seeming ,differences ,reconciled4--,apropos of that ancient decree1 ,i was once asked to reconcile the statement concerning it with the idea of a new dispensation4 ,the question came to me in this form3 ,if the ,gospel was to be 'in the world' from ,adam's time 'until the end1' what was the need of restoring it--bringing it back again8 ,i answered1 in substance3 ,the two propositions do not really contradict each other4 ,the ,gospel has been in the world from ,adam's day until now1 by a series of dispensations1 reaching through the entire range of human history4 ,the gaps between1 so wide to us1 count for little with ,deity1 to whom past1 present and future are one4 #h ,the finite mind is prone to take short and narrow views of things1 tangling itself up in little quibbling details that often give a great deal of trouble4 ,but the ,eternal sweeps the whole universe with infinite gaze1 and what seem mountains to men are less than mole-hills in ,his sight4 ,he has found it necessary1 at different times1 to withdraw the ,gospel and the ,priesthood from the midst of mankind2 and yet1 by repeated restorations1 forming a continuous chain of dispensations1 he has kept the ,gospel and the ,priesthood in the world from the beginning down to the present4 #i ,seth ,succeeds ,abel4--,abel fell a martyr to the ,truth4 ,slain by his envious brother #aj1 he was succeeded by ,seth1 another brother1 born subsequently4 ,seth was typical of the ,son of ,god1 not only because he was a perfect man1 but because 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 #aa ,adam-ondi-,ahman4--,says ,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 #ab ,the vision was of course retrospective1 having reference to the time when ,adam dwelt on earth4 ,the same event is more fully set forth as follows3 ,three years previous to the death of ,adam1 he called ,seth ,enos ,cainan ,mahalaleel ,jared ,enoch and ,methuselah1 who were all ,high ,priests1 with the residue of his posterity who were righteous1 into the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 and there 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 forever4 ,and ,adam stood up in the midst of the congregation1 and notwithstanding he was bowed down with age1 being full of the ,holy ,ghost1 predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation4 #ac ,ancient of ,days4--,but ,adam is to come again--is to come as the ,ancient of ,days1 fulfilling the prophecy of ,daniel4 #ad ,and he will come to the very place where1 bowed with the weight of more than nine centuries1 #ae he blessed his posterity before the ending of his earthy career4 ,in the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman #af will sit the ,ancient of ,days1 counseling his children--all who are worthy of that high privilege--and preparing them for the coming of the ,son of ,god4 ,a ,close ,relationship4--,i have said that the ,gospel dispensations are inter-related4 ,it need only be added that the mighty patriarchal blessing--the mightiest ever given--in which ,father ,adam forecast the history of the human race1 taken in connection with his prospective advent into the midst of his righteous descendants1 upon the precise spot where he bestowed his farewell benediction and uttered his wonderful world-covering prophecy1 indicates a very close relationship between the ,first and the ,final dispensations of the ,gospel4 ,footnotes #a4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol #d1 pp4 #bjh1 #bji4 ,in this connection we are told that ,adam's son ,abel holds the keys of his dispensation2 that is to say1 of the ,first ,dispensation1 the one in which ,abel figured 7,d4 and ,c4 #hd3af74 ,and yet it is called the ,adamic ,dispensation1 for ,adam also figured therein4 #b4 ,moses #e3d-h4 #c4 ,gen4 #d3d4 #d4 ,ib4 #d3e2 ,heb4 #aa3d4 #e4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 pp4 #bjh1 #bji4 #f4 ,moses #f3fd-ff4 #g4 ,ib4 #e3eh1ei4 #h4 ,alma #dj3h4 #i4 ,it might also be argued that in the spirit ,world1 which is a part of the planet that we inhabit1 the ,gospel has been preached for ages2 so that the dead or the departed might have opportunity to embrace it 7,i ,peter #d3f74 ,and the withdrawal of the ,gospel from this temporal sphere would not necessarily involve its withdrawal from that spiritual sphere4 ,thus1 the divine edict1 that the ,gospel should be in the world until the end thereof1 receives additional vindication4 #aj4 ,gen4 #d3h4 #aa4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3dc4 #ab4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #c1 p4#chh4 #ac4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3ec-ef4 #ad4 ,dan4 #g3i1 #ac1 #bb2 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #c1 p4 #chf4 #ae4 ,gen4 #e3e4 #af4 ,d4 and ,c4 #aaf4 ,,article ,,fifteen4 ,enoch and his ,city4 ,glorious things are sung of ,zion1 ,enoch's city seen of old1 ,where the righteous1 being perfect1 ,walked with ,god in streets of gold4 ,love and virtue1 faith and wisdom1 ,grace and gifts were all combined2 ,as himself each loved his neighbor1 ,all were of one heart and mind4 ,the ,seventh from ,adam4--,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam in patriarchal succession1 was contemporaneous with the father of the human family4 ,indeed1 he was ordained and blessed by ,adam1 and was with him in the historic ,valley where the future of the race was foretold by its venerable founder1 #a ,enoch's period was prolific of wonderful events1 but the two standing out most prominently are3 ,first3--,the successful practice of the ,law of ,consecration1 resulting in the founding of ,zion1 ,city of ,holiness1 which was sanctified through obedience to that high and holy principle1 and translated or taken into ,heaven without tasting of death4 #b ,second3--,enoch's vision of the future1 extending past the ,deluge1 past the ,crucifixion1 down even to the ,last ,days and the glorious coming of the ,christ4 ,the ,power of ,godliness4--,did the ,zion-builder of the ,adamic age stand at the head of a ,gospel dispensation8 ,whether he did or did not1 it is evident1 from what has been revealed concerning him and his ministry1 that the message of salvation was preached by him in mighty power and with marvelous success4 ,the world1 though young1 had grown old in wickedness1 and the need for repentance was urgent4 #c ,so great was the faith of ,enoch1 and so powerful the language that ,god had given him1 the earth trembled and the mountains fled1 even according to his command2 and the rivers of water were turned out of their course2 and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness2 and all nations feared greatly1 so powerful was the word of ,enoch4 #d ,the ,law of ,consecration4--,among warring nations and in the midst of sanguinary strife1 ,enoch1 inspired and directed by the ,almighty1 introduced and established a social order which cannot be better described than in the simple1 sublime phrasing of the ,book of ,moses1 the sacred volume just cited3 ,and the ,lord called his people ,zion1 because they were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness2 and there was no poor among them4 #e ,zion is ,fled4--,in process of time consecration brought sanctification1 and eventually translation1 to the ,city of ,enoch1 regarding which1 after its ascension1 went forth the saying3 ,zion is fled4 #f ,the ,tower of ,babel4--,the people who built the ,tower of ,babel are said to have done so in order that its top might reach unto heaven4 ,it was to prevent them from accomplishing this purpose1 that the ,lord confounded their language4 #g ,tradition credits ,joseph ,smith with the statement that the heaven they had in view was the translated city4 ,the ,jaredites4--,a righteous remnant of the people1 namely1 the ,jaredites1 had been exempted from the general curse of tongue confusion2 #h and through them the pure ,adamic language was preserved on earth4 #i ,the ,jaredites1 divinely led1 separated themselves from the other inhabitants of the land1 and migrated to ,north ,america4 ,here they flourished for many centuries1 and then fell1 a slaughtered race1 ruined by internal dissension4 #aj ,translation and ,resurrection4--,translation1 says the ,prophet ,joseph1 does not take men immediately into the presence of ,god4 ,for translated beings there is a terrestrial place of habitation1 where they are held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets1 and have not yet entered into so great a fulness as those who are resurrected from the dead4 ,enoch received from ,god an appointment to minister to beings of this character4 #aa ,the ,future ,unveiled4--,enoch walked with ,god1 and was shown the world for the space of many generations4 #ab ,he beheld the ,millennial ,dawn1 and the darkest hour before the dawn4 ,he saw great tribulations among the wicked1 and he also saw the sea1 that it was troubled4 #ac ,in a splendid outburst of epic poetry1 the inspired oracle tells how ,zion was taken up into heaven2 how ,satan veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness2 how he and his angels rejoiced2 how the ,god of heaven looked upon the residue of the people and wept2 and how the heavens wept also1 shedding their tears as the rain upon the mountains4 #ad ,enoch1 addressing the compassionate ,creator1 inquires3 ,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 creations1 and thy curtains are stretched out still4 4 4 4 4 ,and thou hast taken ,zion to thine own bosom from all thy creations1 from all eternity to all eternity2 and naught but peace1 justice 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 #ae ,the ,holy ,one answers1 portraying the impending doom1 the destruction of the wicked by the ,flood1 and their imprisonment in spirit dungeons until the coming of the ,christ1 bringing deliverance to the penitent4 #af ,the ,mother of ,men4--,enoch hears a voice from the depths of the ,earth3 ,wo1 wo is me1 the mother of men2 ,i am pained1 ,i am weary1 because of the wickedness of my children4 ,when shall ,i rest 4 4 4 4 when shall my ,creator sanctify me1 and righteousness for a season abide upon my face8 #ag ,the ,creator's ,covenant4--,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 fulfill the oath which ,i have made unto you concerning the children of ,noah4 ,and the day shall come that the earth shall rest4 ,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 men4 ,but my people will ,i preserve4 #ah ,another ,zion ,promised4--,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 their necks1 and they shall fall upon our necks1 and we will kiss each other3 ,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 #ai ,awaiting its ,return4--,according to these teachings1 the ,city of ,enoch is now on a terrestrial plane1 awaiting its return to ,earth1 when the season shall be ripe and the preparation complete for its reception4 ,the change wrought upon its inhabitants by translation not being equivalent to resurrection1 they will undergo a further change to prepare them for celestial glory4 ,the ,saints remaining on earth to meet the ,lord will likewise be changed1 not by the sleep of death1 but in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at the time of the ,savior's coming4 #bj ,when he comes1 ,enoch's ,city will come with him1 ,zion from above blending with ,zion from below1 as spirit and body in the resurrection4 ,the ,ancient ,types the ,modern4--,the ,ancient ,zion foreshadowed the ,zion of the ,last ,days1 with which it is destined to blend4 #ba ,in ,enoch's day the ,lord's people1 consecrating to ,him their all1 became equal in earthly as in heavenly things2 and the righteous unity resulting from that blest condition brought forth the peace and power of sanctity4 ,so shall it be and more when the ,lord brings again ,zion4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3dh1 #ec-ef4 #b4 ,heb4 #aa3e4 #c4 ,moses #f3bg1 #h4 #d4 ,ib4 #g3ac4 #e4 ,ib4 #g3ah4 ,compare ,acts #d3cb1 #cd1 #ce2 #d ,nephi #a3b1 #c4 #f4 ,moses #g3fi4 #g4 ,gen4 #aa3a-i4 #h4 ,ether #a3cc-cg4 #i4 ,orson ,pratt1 citing an unpublished revelation1 says3 ,what is the name of ,god in the pure language8 ,the answer says3 ',ahman4' ,what is the name of the ,son of ,god8 ,answer1 ',son ,ahman1 the greatest of all the parts of ,god1 excepting ,ahman4' ,what is the name of men8 ',sons ,ahman' is the answer4--,journal of ,discourses1 ,vol4 #b1 p4 #cdb4 #aj4 ,omni #a3ba1 #b2 ,mosiah #h3f-ab2 #bh3ag4 ,see also ,article ,five4 #aa4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 pp4 #bji1 #baj4 ,commenting upon that passage of scripture1 ,others were tortured1 not accepting deliverance1 that they might obtain a better resurrection 7,heb4 #aa3ce7 the ,prophet says3 ,translation obtains deliverance from the tortures and sufferings of the body2 but their existence will prolong as to the labors and toils of the ministry1 before they can enter into so great a rest and glory4 ,on the other hand those who were tortured not accepting deliverance1 received an immediate rest from their labors4 ,he also explains the difference between an angel and a ministering spirit--the one a resurrected or translated body1 with its spirit1 ministering to embodied spirits2 the other a disembodied spirit1 visiting or ministering to disembodied spirits4 4 4 4 4 ,translated beings1 designed for future missions1 cannot enter into rest until they have undergone a change equivalent to death4--,the ,mediation and ,atonement4 pp4 #ge1 #gf4 #ab4 ,moses #g3d4 #ac4 ,ib4 v4 #ff4 ,compare ,d4 and ,c4 #fa3d-f1 #ad-ai4 #ad4 ,moses #g3bf1 #bh4 #ae4 ,ib4 vv4 #bi-ca4 #af4 ,i ,peter #c3ah-bj2 #d3f4 #ag4 ,moses #g3dh4 #ah4 ,ib4 vv4 #fj1 #fa4 #ai4 ,moses #g3fb-fd4 #bj4 ,i ,cor4 #ae3ea4 #eb4 #ba4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hd3ii-ajb4 ,,article ,,sixteen4 ,noah and the ,deluge4 ,methuselah1 ,son of ,promise4--,god1 having shown to ,enoch the approaching utter destruction of ,earth's wicked inhabitants1 covenanted with the founder of the ,sacred ,city that the repeopler of the devastated globe should be of his lineage4 ,in order that this promise might not fail1 ,enoch's son1 ,methuselah1 distinguished among men as the one who attained to the greatest age in mortality1 #a was not taken when ,zion was translated1 but remained to become the father of ,lamech and grandfather of ,noah4 #b ,earth's ,baptism4--,the ,deluge was ,earth's baptism4 ,baptism symbolizes birth or creation4 ,in a certain sense1 our planet was born of water and of the ,spirit at the very beginning4 #c ,in ,noah's day1 which was reminiscent of that beginning1 it experienced a rebirth1 a washing of regeneration1 typical of a spiritual and fiery immersion yet to come4 ,like ,unto ,adam4--,it devolved upon ,noah to recommence1 after the ,flood1 the work begun by the great sire of the race under ,god's original command--the command to multiply and replenish the earth4 ,noah's time1 therefore1 typified the period of the ,creation4 ,he1 like ,adam1 was the father of all living in his day1 and to him was given the dominion4 #d ,the ,flood ,foretold4--,blest and ordained by ,methusaleh when but ten years old1 ,noah1 like his predecessors in the patriarchal line1 was a prophet and a preacher of righteousness4 ,the word of the ,lord came to him1 saying3 ,my spirit shall not always strive with man2 4 4 4 4 yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years2 and if men do not repent1 ,i will send in the floods upon them4 ,they hearkened not1 and ,god then decreed3 ,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 #e ,shem1 ,ham and ,japheth4--,noah had three sons1 ,shem1 ,ham and ,japheth--naming them in the order usually given4 ,japheth1 however1 was the eldest1 and ,ham the youngest1 of these brothers4 #f ,they were among the eight survivors of the ,deluge2 #g and of them was the whole earth overspread4 #h ,japheth peopled ,europe1 ,shem ,asia1 and ,ham ,africa4 ,noah's blessing upon ,shem and ,japheth1 and his curse upon ,canaan1 son of ,ham1 are thus recorded3 ,cursed be ,canaan2 a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren4 ,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 #i ,the ,curse upon ,canaan4--,part of the curse upon ,canaan was a blackness1 similar to that which had been placed upon the seed of ,cain4 #aj ,the curse also deprived the ,canaanites of the ,priesthood2 though they were blessed with the blessings of the earth and with the blessings of wisdom4 #aa ,ham's sin1 which brought the curse upon ,canaan--a sin vaguely hinted at in the sacred narrative--may not be fully known2 but even if it were1 there would still remain the unsolved problem of the punishment of a whole race for an offense committed by one of its ancestors4 ,it seems reasonable to infer that there was a larger cause1 that the sin in question was not the main issue4 ,tradition has handed down something to that effect1 but nothing conclusive of the question is to be found in the standard works of the ,church4 ,of one thing we may rest assured3 ,canaan was not unjustly cursed1 nor were the spirits who came through his lineage wrongly assigned4 ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 ,or1 putting it inversely3 ,whatsoever a man reaps1 that hath he sown4 ,this rule applies to spirit life1 as well as to life in the flesh4 ,israel and the ,gentiles4--,from ,shem came ,abraham and the ,house of ,israel2 from ,japheth1 the ,gentiles1 founders of the most civilized and enlightened nations of modern times1 including ,great ,britain1 ,france1 and the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,how wonderfully ,god has enlarged ,japheth1 the original ,gentile6 ,israel wields the powers of the ,priesthood1 and administers the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,these are his prerogatives4 ,but the children of ,japheth also have their mission--a mission in statecraft and commerce1 in science and art1 in discovery1 invention1 and kindred activities4 ,it was the ,gentiles who discovered and peopled ,america2 who fought for and won the freedom and independence of this chosen land1 an event preparatory--though they knew it not--to the founding of a government under which ,christ's work might come forth and not be crushed out by the tyranny of man4 ,the ,god of ,israel was with ,columbus1 with ,washington1 with the ,pilgrim ,fathers1 with the patriots who founded this republic #ab--;,gentiles all1 though probably of a mixed lineage1 having much of the blood of ,israel in their veins4 #ac ,he is with all good and great men whose hearts are set to do right and to uplift humanity--is with them1 whether they recognize it or not1 and he uses them as seemeth him good1 to effect his beneficent designs4 ,ham's ,descendants4--,the descendants of ,ham became eminent1 wealthy1 wise and powerful in ,egypt1 the cradle of civilization2 reaping the blessings of the earth and the blessings of wisdom1 richly realizing the heaven-inspired promises made to their forbears4 ,they have prospered also in other ,african countries4 ,but in ,europe1 ,america1 and other lands1 they were long held in slavery4 ,nor are the days of their bondage even now at end in ,africa and some parts of ,asia4 ,the ,ethiopian has served the ,gentile and the ,semite1 just as ,noah predicted4 ,japheth and ,the ,tents of ,shem4--,what are the tents of ,shem8 ,in the ,scriptures tent is a term used figuratively as well as literally4 ,the canopy of heaven is compared to a tent2 as is also the ,church of ,christ and the city of ,jerusalem4 #ad ,the word may therefore be applied to a country or a place of sojourn4 ,how ,japheth has dwelt in the tents of ,shem1 is partly shown by the history of ,palestine1 ,israel's original homeland1 long dominated by the ,saracens and ,turks--both ,gentile peoples--and only recently delivered from the ,moslem yoke by the military power of the ,british1 a racial blending of ,japheth and ,shem4 #ae ,japheth's remarkable blessing has also been realized in ,america1 the ,land of ,joseph1 which the ,gentiles now possess1 and where1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 they are to assist in gathering ,israel and in building the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,it is their privilege to share1 if they will1 in all the blessings of the chosen people1 and to be even as the seed of ,abraham4 #af ,the ,asiatic1 and especially the ,israelitish countries1 with ,north and ,south ,america--homes of ,god's people1 ancient and modern1 now inhabited by the children of ,japheth--these ,i think1 may be properly regarded as among the tents of ,shem4 ,as it ,was1 ,so it ,shall ,be4--,noah's period had a twofold significance4 ,pointing backward as well as forward1 it symbolized both the ,beginning and the ,end4 ,the reminiscent pointing has already been indicated4 ,the prophetic import is made plain by the words of the ,savior1 when weeping over ,jerusalem and predicting the downfall of the ,jewish commonwealth1 an event also typical of the final destruction of the wicked3 ,as the days of ,noe were1 so shall also the coming of the ,son of ,man be4 ,in ,noah's day a veil of darkness covered the earth4 ,a like condition is to characterize the ,last ,day1 thus foretokened4 #ag ,the disaster that overwhelmed the ,antediluvians1 destroying the wicked with water1 is to have as its sequel a more fearful calamity1 in which the unrighteous will be consumed by fire from ,heaven4 ,and as unexpectedly as came the regenerating ,flood wherein our planet was once immersed1 will come the purifying ,flame that shall cleanse it from all iniquity and prepare it for eternal glory4 ,footnotes #a4 ,gen4 #e3bg4 #b4 ,moses #h3b-i4 #c4 ,gen4 #a3b1 #i4 #d4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #c1 p4 #chf4 #e4 ,moses #h3ag1 #cj2 ,gen4 #f3c1 #c4 #f4 ,ib4 #h3ab2 ,gen4 #aj3ba4 #g4 ,i ,peter #c3bj4 #h4 ,gen4 #i3ai4 #i4 ,ib4 #i3bb-bg4 #aj4 ,ib4 #d3ae2 ,moses #g3h1 #b4 #aa4 ,abr4 #a3bf4 #ab4 ,i ,nephi #ac3ab-ai4 #ac4 ,the word ,gentile1 as used in ,mormon writings1 is not a term of reproach4 ,it comes from ,gentilis1 meaning of of a nation1 and is used in sacred history to designate the nations not of ,israel4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints themselves1 are ,gentiles in part2 for while they claim lineal descent from the ,hebrew patriarchs1 it is mostly through ,ephraim1 who mixed himself among the people 7,hosea #g3h7--that is1 among the peoples that have furnished proselytes to ,mormonism4 ,as a result of that racial mixture1 they also are of ,japheth's blood4 #ad4 ,isa4 #dj3bb2 #ed3b2 #cc3bj4 #ae4 ,the delivery of the ,holy ,land from the ,turks dates from ,december #aa1 #aiag1 when ,general ,allenby1 at the head of a ,british army1 entered and took possession of the ,city of ,jerusalem4 ,subsequently ,herbert ,samuel1 an ,english ,jew1 was made ,governor of ,palestine by the ,british ,government4 #af4 ,abr4 #b3aj4 #ag4 ,matt4 #bd3cg-ci4 #ah4 ,moses #g3bf1 ,,article ,,seventeen4 ,abraham and the ,house of ,israel4 ,the ,lord's ,lineage4--,the ,house of ,israel was established in order that the ,god of ,israel1 who became the ,savior of the ,world1 might have a proper lineage through which to come1 and a worthy medium whereby to promote ,his great and benevolent designs toward the human family4 ,prince of ,god4--,the name ,israel means ,prince of ,god1 and is first used in the ,scriptures as the surname of ,jacob1 from whom sprang the ,hebrew nation or the ,twelve ,tribes of ,israel4 ,jacob1 returning from ,padan-,aram1 whither he had fled from the jealous wrath of his brother ,esau1 came to the ford ,jabbok1 where there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of 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 visitant4 ,i will not let thee go1 replied ,jacob1 except thou bless me4 ,the ,man then blessed him and changed his name from ,jacob to ,israel2 for1 said he1 as a prince hast thou power with ,god and with men1 and hast prevailed4 #a ,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 #b ,the ,father of the ,faithful4--,but while this was the origin of the name ,israel as applied to ,jacob1 it was not the origin of the race of which he is the titular head4 ,it is written that ,jacob's wives1 ,rachel and ,leah1 did build the ,house of ,israel2 #c and build it they did1 through their children and the children of their handmaids1 ,bilhah and ,zilpah1 whom they had given to their husband as wives4 ,already1 however1 had the foundation of that house been laid by ,jacob's grandsire1 ,abraham1 the ,friend of ,god1 the ,father of the ,faithful4 ,jehovah's promises to ,jacob and to his father ,isaac concerning their posterity1 were virtual repetitions of promises made to their great ancestor4 ,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 show thee2 and ,i will make of thee a great nation2 and ,i will 4 4 4 4 bless them that bless thee1 and curse him that curseth thee2 and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed4 #d ,definition of ,hebrew4--,abram1 for so was he then1 called1 dwelt in ,ur of the ,chaldees1 a city of ,mesopotamia1 which signifies between the rivers4 ,the rivers were the ,tigris and the ,euphrates4 ,abram had to cross the ,euphrates in order to reach ,canaan1 the land that the ,lord showed him4 ,because of this circumstance1 he was called by the ,canaanites a ,hebrew1 meaning one from beyond the river4 ,the origin of the name is also traced to ,heber or ,eber1 one of the ancestors of ,abram4 ,mesopotamia was the fountain-head of idolatry in ,western ,asia2 and because the ,lord wished to raise up a people who would worship him and him only1 ,abraham was required to separate himself from his idolatrous surroundings4 #e ,meeting with ,melchizedek4--,following his arrival in ,canaan1 and a brief sojourn in ,egypt1 came the episode of ,abram's meeting with ,melchizedek1 ,king of ,salem and ,priest of the ,most ,high ,god4 ,to him ,abram gave a tenth part of the spoils that he had taken in battle with certain kings4 #f ,and ,melchizedek blessed ,abram and conferred upon him the ,priesthood4 #g ,the ,law of ,tithing4--,this is the first ,bible mention of the ancient ,law of ,tithing4 ,consider1 says the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 how great this man was1 unto whom even the ,patriarch ,abraham gave the tenth of the spoils4 #h ,so great indeed1 that the ,priesthood of the ,son of ,god was named for him1 and is now called the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek4 #i ,abram ,renamed4--,after this interview with the ,king of ,salem1 the ,lord appeared to ,abram1 established ,his covenant with him1 and changed his name to ,abraham1 which signifies1 father of a multitude4 #aj ,the ,offering of ,isaac4--,then followed the supreme trial of ,abraham's life--the offering1 at ,god's command1 of his son ,isaac1 an act foreshowing the sacrifice of the ,only ,begotten of the ,father1 who was to be slain for the world's redemption4 ,but ,abraham was not permitted to consummate the act4 #aa ,his integrity having been shown by his willingness to do as he had been directed1 a further mark of favor was given by ,jehovah to his tried and faithful ,friend4 ,the original promise1 ,in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed1 was now expanded to3 ,i will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven1 and as the sand which is upon the seashore2 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,why ,was ,abraham ,blessed8--,what had ,abraham done to merit this high distinction8 ,he must have done something4 ,god rewards men according to their works1 and not even an ,abraham would have received from ,him an honor unmerited4 ,it cannot be that he was chosen for so mighty a mission simply for migrating from his own to another country1 nor even for his willingness to offer up his beloved son4 ,as a matter of fact1 the original promise was given before the sacrifice was demanded4 ,undoubtedly these acts of obedience were greatly to ,abraham's credit1 but how could they be placed to the credit of his posterity1 the unborn millions who were to inherit the covenant and share in the great reward8 ,the ,problem ,solved4--,the ,patriarch himself helps us to a solution of the problem3 ,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 ones4 ,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 #ab ,the ,pre-,existence4--,abraham had been shown in vision the spirits of the pre-existent human race1 waiting for an earth to be made1 that they might come upon it and pass through a mortal probation4 ,here they were to obtain bodies1 thus becoming souls1 #ac capable of eternal increase and progression4 ,also1 they were to be tested as to their willingness to do all that the ,lord might require of them4 ,first and ,second ,estates4--,they who kept their first estate1 manifesting fidelity in the pre-mortal life while walking by sight1 were to be added upon--that is to say1 given bodies of flesh and blood1 with opportunities for education and development4 ,they who kept their second estate1 continuing loyal during their life on earth1 where men are required to walk by faith1 with knowledge of the past temporarily obscured1 would be glorified eternally4 #ad ,all were good1 but some better than others2 and all were to be added upon1 yet not all alike4 ,some were more deserving1 some nobler and greater than others2 and because of their superior merit and larger capacity1 they were to be made rulers over the rest4 ,abraham was one of these4 ,sowing and ,reaping4--,here is exemplified the great principle enunciated by ,st4 ,paul3 ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 #ae ,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 tabernacle in mortality4 ,satan and his dupes1 failing to keep their first estate1 were denied bodies1 #af while all the rest1 rewarded for keeping their first estate1 were given bodies1 with the promise of a glorious resurrection after death4 ,thus1 in a general way1 punishment and reward were both meted out before this life began4 ,a question put to the ,savior by his disciples3 ,master1 who did sin1 this man1 or his parents1 that he was born blind8 #ag--throws out a hint in the same direction4 ,this is not to say1 however1 that all who suffer in the flesh have merited their sad fate4 ,there are exceptions to the rule4 ,the ,savior's case is one of them2 and righteous ,job's another4 ,speaking generally1 however1 man's conduct in one life conditions him in the life that follows4 ,original ,excellence4--,what had given to ,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 superiority1 with varying degrees of intelligence among spirits1 is plainly taught in the ,book of ,abraham2 #ah and that all intelligence is capable of improvement1 needs no assertion4 ,i ,know ,abraham4--,when ,god said of ,abraham3 ,i know him1 #ai it is hardly probable that ,he was referring merely to a knowledge of him in the present life4 ,the founder of the ,hebrew nation must have been one of the foreknown and predestined1 mentioned by ,paul #bj and by ,alma #ba--must have been among those called and prepared from the foundation of the world1 on account of their exceeding faith and good works4 ,it was according to the foreknowledge of ,god2 but that foreknowledge1 that divine prescience1 was based upon experience1 and had history as well as prophecy for a foundation4 ,such characters as ,abraham were cast for their parts in life's drama long before the curtain rose on the first act of the play4 ,a ,spirit ,israel4--,there was a ,house of ,israel in heaven before there was a ,hebrew ,nation on earth4 ,else what does ,moses mean when he tells how the ,most ,high1 in the days of old1 in the years of many generations1 separated the sons of ,adam and set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of ,israel8 #bb ,he must have had in mind1 not a temporal ,israel1 unborn at the early period indicated1 but a spirit ,israel1 according to whose numbers1 known in heaven before they had taken bodies on earth1 the boundaries of the people were determined4 ,privileges and ,requirements4--,it was intended that this chosen nation should have room to dwell4 ,it was of the utmost consequence that a people upon whom rested so weighty a responsibility should be well placed1 with every facility for the accomplishment of the sacred mission unto which they had been called4 ,they were the oracles of ,god1 the custodians and dispensers of heavenly wisdom4 ,upon them devolved the high duty of keeping alive on earthly altars the fires of ,divine ,truth4 ,they were not to bow down to idols1 as did the heathen nations around them1 but worship the true ,god1 the invisible ,jehovah1 walking by faith where others1 less worthy1 walked by sight1 demanding to see before they would believe4 ,they were forbidden to intermarry with other nations1 lest they might worship the gods of those nations1 practice their vices1 and corrupt the noble lineage through which was to come the ,savior of the ,world4 ,the ,lamb of ,god had to be without blemish1 and that he was so1 physically and in every way1 was partly due1 no doubt1 to the choice ancestry and parentage provided for him4 ,gem and ,setting4--,jesus of ,nazareth1 a descendant in the flesh of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 fulfilled the divine promise made to those patriarchs1 that in their ,seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,but in contemplating the central fact of the ,savior's personal ministry1 we must not overlook the related facts that went before or followed after4 ,the gem has its setting4 ,christ redeemed mankind1 treading the wine press alone2 but the ,house of ,israel prepared the way for his coming1 and carried on the work that he began4 ,this is especially true of the prophets who foretold his advent1 and of the apostles who preached the ,gospel to ,jew and ,gentile4 ,there is only one ,savior1 but ,he has many brethren1 and they are preeminently the salt of the earth1 the preserving or saving element among men4 ,princes and ,servants4--,if the name ,israel means prince of ,god when applied to ,jacob1 may it not mean princes of ,god when applied to his posterity8 ,he was promised 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 known and appreciated on earth4 ,the ,greatest among them was not recognized even by ,his own4 ,the wise ,solomon was never wiser than when he said3 ,i have seen servants upon horses1 and princes walking as servants upon the earth4 #bc ,the mighty ,prince of ,peace1 the glorious ,king of ,heaven1 walked unknown and unhonored by his own servants in the dust of his own footstool4 ,footnotes #a4 ,gen4 #cb3bb-cj4 #b4 ,ib4 #ce3aj1 #aa4 #c4 ,ruth #d3aa4 #d4 ,gen4 #ab3a-c2 ,abr4 #b3c-aa4 #e4 ,geike1 ,hours with the ,bible1 ,vol4 #a1 ,ch4 #ac4 #f4 ,gen4 #ad3ah4 #g4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hd3ad4 #h4 ,heb4 #g3d4 #i4 ,d4 and ,c4 #ajg3a-d4 #aj4 ,gen4 #ag3c-f4 #aa4 ,ib4 #bb3a-ah4 #ab4 ,abr4 #c3bb1 #bc4 ,read also verses #bd-bf4 #ac4 ,gen4 #b3g2 ,moses #c3g1 #i2 ,d4 and ,c4 #hh3ae4 #ad4 ,manifestly1 the second estate is a greater test of integrity than the first1 and ought to result1 as it does to those who overcome1 in a far more glorious reward4 #ae4 ,gal4 #f3g4 #af4 ,see ,article ,twelve4 #ag4 ,john #i3b4 #ah4 ,abr4 #c3ah1 #ai4 #ai4 ,gen4 #ah3ai4 #bj4 ,rom4 #h3bi4 #ba4 ,alma #ac3c4 #bb4 ,deut4 #cb3g1 #h4 #bc4 ,eccl4 #aj3g4 ,,article ,,eighteen4 ,moses and ,aaron4 ,joseph in ,egypt4--,in the whole range of ,bible literature1 if we except what is told of the ,redeemer and ,savior1 there is nothing more beautiful than the story of ,joseph in ,egypt4 ,joseph the dreamer1 sold into slavery1 exalted to a throne1 and becoming1 by ,god's design1 a savior to his father's house4 ,who cannot see in this a prophetic likeness of the universal redemption wrought out by ,him who descended below all1 that ,he might rise above all1 and deliver the souls of men from spiritual famine and starvation8 ,the ,exodus4--,another foretokening of the same sublime event was ,israel's exodus from ,egypt1 after centuries of oppression4 ,egypt1 with its dusky population1 devoid of priesthood and of gospel light1 symbolized the sable bondage of sin and death4 ,moses1 leader of the ,exodus1 and reputedly the meekest of men1 #a was a type of the ,great ,deliverer1 like unto ,moses1 who led an enslaved universe out from the ,egypt of ,darkness into the ,promised ,land of ,freedom and ,light4 ,the ,passover4--,in commemoration of the ,egyptian exodus1 the ,feast of the ,passover was instituted1 an observance designed to perpetuate1 in the minds of the children of ,israel1 their liberation from slavery1 and at the same time prepare them to comprehend in due time1 the mightier ,redemption thus foreshadowed4 ,the ,passover was kept as follows3 ,obedient to ,god's command through ,moses1 each ,israelitish household1 on the eve of the departure out of ,egypt1 took a lamb1 spotless and without blemish1 and slew it1 sprinking its blood upon the posts and lintels of their doors4 ,it was promised that the ,angel of ,death1 sent to afflict the cruel nation for its mistreatment of the ,lord's people1 should1 while slaying the first-born of every ,egyptian family1 pass over every ,hebrew dwelling upon which the symbolic blood was found sprinkled in accordance with the divine command4 ,not a bone of the lamb was to be broken1 nor a fragment of it left to decay2 for it symbolized the ,lamb of ,god1 the ,holy ,one1 whose body was not to see corruption4 #b ,neither was any bone of ,him to be broken4 ,in the ,paschal ,feast the body of the lamb was spitted 7transfixt7 upon two pieces of wood placed cross-wise1 indicating prophetically the manner of the ,savior's death4 ,the flesh was then roasted and partaken of with bitter herbs and unleavened bread--flour and water hastily mixed2 the herbs typifying the bitterness of the bondage that was about to end1 also the bitterness of death2 and the hastily prepared meal the hurry of departure4 #c ,to further emphasize the idea of haste1 the members of each ,hebrew household1 while partaking of the feast1 were to be clad as if for a journey4 ,this solemn ceremonial was observed in ,israel until the coming of ,christ1 who fulfilled in his own person and experience the poetic-prophetic symbolism4 ,the ,ten ,commandments4-- ,sacred ,patterns4--,the children of ,israel1 after their miraculous passage of the ,red ,sea1 encamped at the foot of ,mount ,sinai4 ,there ,god gave to ,moses the tables of stone containing the ,ten ,commandments1 also the pattern of the ,ark or ,sanctuary1 the symbol of the covenant that ,jehovah had made with his people4 ,he likewise gave the pattern of the ,tabernacle or holy tent where the ,ark was to be deposited1 where the priest would offer sacrifices and make atonement for the sins of the nation1 and where the ,lord would communicate by angels or by ,urim and ,thummim with the men chosen to represent ,him in that sacred capacity4 ,the ,priesthood ,organized4--,moses was of the ,tribe of ,levi1 and son-in-law to ,jethro the ,midianite4 ,the ,midianites were descended from ,midian1 the fourth son of ,abraham by his wife ,keturah4 #d ,it was from ,jethro that ,moses received the ,melchizedek ,priesthood4 #e ,thus qualified1 the ,israelite leader organized1 by divine direction1 the ,lesser ,priesthood1 with his brother ,aaron at its head4 #f ,aaron's sons1 ,nadab1 ,abihu1 ,eleazer and ,ithamar1 were associated with him in the priest's office4 #g ,idolatry and ,expiation4--,just prior to their setting apart as priests1 and while ,moses1 with faithful ,joshua1 was up in the ,mount1 receiving the ,law and the ,testimony1 ,israel lapsed temporarily into idolatry4 ,in the golden calf1 which they persuaded ,aaron to make for them1 they worshiped the ,egyptian god ,apis1 or1 as ,dr4 ,geikie suggests1 the ox-headed god of the ,asiatics4 ,this sin demanded and received prompt punishment4 ,by command of ,moses1 the tribe of ,levi--every man of which responded to his loyal appeal1 ,who's on the ,lord's side8--slew with the sword three thousand males among the idolaters4 ,the stern expiation complete1 the work of organization proceeded4 ,the ,levites--,as an act coordinate with the destruction of ,egypt's first-born1 the ,lord had chosen the first-born males of all the families of ,israel1 and had set them apart for a special purpose4 ,he now took the tribe of ,levi1 instead1 and made of them the sacerdotal class of the nation2 a reward1 no doubt1 for the zeal they had displayed in wiping out the stain of idolatry from ,israel4 ,the laws of ,moses were then promulged and codified1 and the sublime system of heaven-revealed religion was set in motion4 ,a ,nation on the ,march4--,all being ready for the great march ,zionward1 the ,camp of ,israel struck its tents1 and1 guided by the ,cloud and ,pillar of ,fire1 moved majestically through the ,sinaitic desert toward the ,wilderness of ,paran4 ,the descendants of ,jacob numbered at that time nearly three million souls1 including an army of half a million4 ,they were divided into four camps of three tribes each1 exclusive of the ,levites2 ,joseph being twice numbered in ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 thus making up for the absence of the sacred class from the tribal count4 ,foremost rose aloft the lion standard of ,judah1 the future kingly power1 out of which was to come the ,savior-,king of ,israel4 ,then followed the tribes and armies of ,issachar and ,zebulon1 and after them 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 ,the ,ark then appeared1 borne in the very center of the moving host on the shoulders of the sons of ,kohath4 ,ephraim and ,manasseh followed2 then ,benjamin2 the tribes of ,dan1 ,ashur and ,naphtali bringing up the rear4 ,the ,camp at ,rest4--,when the ,cloud rested1 indicating their stopping place1 the tents were set surrounding the ,tabernacle of the ,congregation2 the ,levites encompassing it immediately about1 to prevent the unsanctified from approaching too near1 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 scattered6 ,when it rested1 he said3 ,return1 ,o ,lord1 unto the many thousands of ,israel6 ,a ,period of ,preparation4--,the ,chosen ,people no doubt cherished the hope of an early conquest of ,canaan1 the land which ,god had given to their forefathers2 a land inhabited at the time of the ,exodus by various tribes alien to ,jehovah and unfriendly to ,israel4 ,it was a case of hope deferred4 ,had the ,lord's people been ready1 the carrying out of the program of conquest and occupation would not have been delayed4 ,but they were not ready1 and the event was therefore postponed4 ,there had to be a season of waiting1 a period of preparation4 ,forty years were to elapse before that migrant host1 disciplined by inspired leaders under strict and wholesome laws1 would be in a state of preparedness to thrust in the sickle and reap the glorious harvest springing from the divine promises of the past4 ,the ,greater ,priesthood ,taken4--,so long as ,moses lived1 both the ,melchizedek and the ,aaronic priesthoods were present and operative in ,israel4 ,but with the passing of the great leader1 went likewise the authority of the higher priesthood1 without which the power of godliness is not manifest to men in the flesh4 ,nay1 without it no man can see the face of ,god1 even the ,father1 and live4 #h ,moses had taught this to his people1 seeking diligently to sanctify them that they might behold ,god face to face4 ,but they hardened their hearts1 and could not endure ,his presence4 ,therefore ,he took ,moses out of their midst1 and the ,holy ,priesthood also4 #i ,john the ,baptist4--,the ,lesser ,priesthood1 with the law of carnal commandments1 continued with the house of ,aaron among the children of ,israel until ,john the ,baptist1 in the ,meridian of ,time1 came to make straight the way of the ,lord4 #aj ,this same ,john the ,baptist1 as an angel of ,god1 came also in the ,fulness of ,times1 restoring the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 as a forerunner to the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek1 that there might be a preparation for the second appearing of the ,savior4 #aa ,an ,acceptable ,offering4--,moses represents the ,melchizedek ,priesthood2 ,aaron the ,aaronic2 and whose is faithful unto the obtaining of these two priesthoods 4 4 4 4 and the magnifying of their calling1 are sanctified by the ,spirit unto the renewing of their bodies4 ,they become the sons of ,moses and of ,aaron1 and the seed of ,abraham1 and the church and kingdom and the elect of ,god4 #ab ,moses and ,aaron were sons of ,levi1 and their sons are to offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the ,house of the ,lord1 which shall be built upon the consecrated spot in this generation4 ,such is the divine promise4 ,footnotes #a4 ,numbers #ab3c4 #b4 ,psalms #af3aj4 #c4 ,the observance thus described suggests ,latter-day conditions1 when1 like the plagues sent upon ,egypt1 terrible judgments are to be poured out upon the wicked1 so suddenly and so overwhelmingly that even the righteous will scarcely escape1 and when the ,lord1 in order to save some1 will cut short his work in righteousness4 #d4 ,gen4 #be3a1 #b2 #a ,chr4 #a3cb #a ,chr4 #a3cb4 #e4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hd3f4 #f4 ,ex4 #bh3a-c4 #g4 ,aaron1 ,nadab and ,abihu were probably ,elders acting as ,priests4 ,such an inference is warranted by the fact that they1 with ,moses and seventy of the ,elders of ,israel1 saw the ,god of ,israel 7,ex4 #bd3i1 #aj72 which they could not have done with safety had they held only the ,aaronic ,priesthood 7,d4 and ,c4 #hd3bb74 #h4 ,d4 and ,c4 #hd3ai-bb4 #i4 ,ib41 vv4 #bc-be4 #aj4 ,ib4 #hd3bf-bh4 #aa4 ,ib4 #ac4 #ab4 ,ib4 #hd3ca-cd4 ,,article ,,nineteen4 ,to the ,ends of the ,earth4 ,calamity's ,compensations4--,the compensations of calamity are apparent in some of the mightiest events that history chronicles4 ,the ,fall of ,man1 though it brought death into the world1 proved the means of peopling a planet in accordance with the ,creator's design4 ,the ,crucifixion of ,christ1 an overwhelming calamity to ,his terror-stricken disciples1 who were disconsolate until they looked upon the tragedy in its true light1 made effectual the predestined plan for man's salvation4 ,the ,dispersion of ,israel1 that heavy stroke and burden of affliction under which ,god's people have groaned for ages1 has been overruled to subserve the divine purpose1 fulfilling in part the ancient promise to the ,hebrew ,patriarchs1 that in their seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,a ,martyred ,nation4--,the history of the house of ,israel is the history of a martyred nation1 suffering for the welfare of other nations--whatever may be said of the immediate cause of their woes1 the transgressions that justified the ,shepherd in bringing upon his sheep troubles that were doubtless among the offenses that must needs come4 ,adam fell that man might be2 ,christ died to burst the bands of death2 and the chosen people were scattered over the world1 in order that ,gospel truth1 following the red track of their martyrdom1 might make its way more readily among the peoples with whom they were mingled4 ,moses ,predicts the ,dispersion4--,prophecies of ,israel's dispersion were made as early as the time of ,moses1 fifteen hundred years before the advent of the ,savior4 ,when the ,twelve ,tribes were about to possess themselves of the ,promised ,land1 their great leader1 who was soon to depart1 told them that so long as they served ,jehovah and honored his statutes1 they should be prospered and remain an independent nation4 ,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 #a ,a ,house ,divided4--,joshua1 succeeding ,moses1 conquered the land of ,canaan and apportioned it among the ,tribes of ,israel4 ,a season of prosperity and power was followed by decadence and ruin4 ,as early as the days of the ,judges the people began to depart from ,god and to invite by rebellious conduct the national calamity that had been predicted4 ,the glory of the reigns of ,david and ,solomon being past1 the curse1 long suspended1 fell1 and the ,israelitish ,empire hastened to decay4 ,the tribes in the northern part of the land revolted and set up the ,kingdom of ,israel1 distinct from the ,kingdom of ,judah1 over which ,solomon's son ,rehoboam continued to reign4 ,the tribe of ,benjamin and the half tribe of ,manasseh adhered to ,judah4 ,ahijah1 ,amos and ,hosea4--,jeroboam1 ,king of ,israel1 made idolatry the state religion4 ,during his reign the dispersion was again predicted1 ,ahijah the prophet thus 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 #b ,another prophet who foretold the same disaster was ,hosea2 #c still another1 ,amos1 who declared that ,israel should surely go into captivity and be sifted among all nations4 #d ,hosea's prophecy substitutes past for future1 thus3 ,ephraim1 he hath mixed himself among the people1 referring to the event in prospect as if it had already taken place4 ,possibly a prophetic vision--then past--had apprised this seer of what was coming1 or it may have been only a figure of rhetoric1 common even at the present day4 ,the ,wolf on the ,fold4--,about the year #gbe ,b4 ,c4 these prophecies began to have their fulfillment4 ,the ,assyrians came against the ,kingdom of ,israel and commenced the work of its destruction4 ,in a series of deportations they carried away the ,ten ,tribes--nine and a half1 to be exact--and1 as customary with conquerors in those days1 supplied their places with colonists from other parts4 ,the ,lost ,tribes4--,concerning the deported--the famous ,lost ,tribes--very little is now known4 ,josephus1 the ,jewish historian1 who wrote during the first century after ,christ1 states that they were then beyond the ,euphrates2 and ,esdras1 in the ,apocrypha1 declares that they went a journey of a year and a half into the north country4 ,scandinavian ,cairns4--,missionaries returning from ,scandinavia tell of rude monuments--cairns of piles of stones--yet to be seen in that northern region1 and concerning which tradition asserts 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 the rearing of such monuments1 in commemoration of notable events1 was an ,israelitish custom1 particularly as to the migratory movements of the nation4 ,the miraculous passage of the ,jordan by ,joshua and the host led by him into the land of ,canaan1 was thus commemorated4 #e ,other ,ancient ,remains4--,if it be objected that monuments built seven centuries before ,christ's birth could not have lasted down to this day1 it will be in order for the objector to explain the existence of the perfectly preserved monuments of ,assyria1 ,babylon1 ,egypt1 and other ancient empires1 whose remains have been uncovered by modern archaeological enterprise4 ,such a theory need not stagger the faith of a ,latter-day ,saint1 when he recalls that the ruins of ,adam's altar are still to be seen in that part of the ,old-,new ,world now known as the ,state of ,missouri1 where they were identified by ,joseph the ,seer in #ahch4 ,from the ,north ,country4--,at all events1 it is from the north country that the lost tribes are to return1 according to ancient and modern prophecy4 #f ,it is also a fact that from ,scandinavia and other nations of ,northern ,europe1 has come much of the blood of ,ephraim1 now to be found within the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,isaiah and ,jeremiah--,the ,babylonian ,captivity--,returning to the ,kingdom of ,israel4 ,the prophecies concerning it were supplemented by other predictions foretelling the fate of the ,kingdom of ,judah4 ,those great prophets1 ,isaiah and ,jeremiah1 figured during this period1 and both portrayed in fervid eloquence1 unparalleled for pathos and sublimity1 the impending doom of the ,jewish nation4 ,their government was destroyed1 and they were carried into captivity by the ,babylonians under ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,b4 ,c4 #ehh4 ,lehi and ,his ,colony4--,just prior to that catastrophe1 and while the ,prophet ,jeremiah was delivering his fateful message to king1 princes1 priests and people1 ,lehi and his companions1 ancestors of the ,nephites and ,lamanites1 #g warned of ,god1 left ,jerusalem and crossed over to this land--,america--which1 by them and by ,mulek's company that came later1 was thus peopled with descendants of ,joseph and of ,judah1 both represented1 though in a degenerate state1 by the savage red men whom ,columbus1 in ,a4 ,d4 #adib1 discovered and named ,indians4 #h ,jerusalem ,rebuilt--,ezekiel and ,zechariah4--,the ,babylonian captivity lasted for seventy years4 ,at the expiration of that period1 some of the ,jews1 under the permissive edict of ,cyrus the ,great1 who had conquered ,babylon1 returned and rebuilt their ,city and ,temple4 ,these1 however1 were only a remnant1 numbering fifty thousand1 led by ,zerubbabel and ,joshua4 ,the bulk of the nation remained in a scattered condition4 ,the ,jews who rebuilt ,jerusalem were those to whose descendants the ,christ came1 and predicted1 after their rejection of him1 that their ,house should be left unto them desolate4 #i ,meanwhile ,ezekiel and ,zechariah--the former in exile among the ,babylonians1 the latter at ,jerusalem after the restoration--had added their predictions to those already uttered relating to ,israel's dispersion4 ,the ,roman ,conquest4--,centuries later1 in ,apostolic times1 went forth the ,epistle of ,james1 with its greeting3 ,to the ,twelve ,tribes which are scattered abroad4 ,but the dispersion1 even then1 was not complete4 ,there were yet to be other painful experiences of the same kind4 ,one of the most notable occurred in ,a4 ,d4 #gj1 when ,titus the ,roman came against ,jerusalem1 captured the city1 and sold the inhabitants--such as had survived the horrors of the siege--into slavery1 or scattered them through different parts of the ,empire4 ,to follow the fortunes of this branch of the fated nation in all its subsequent migrations and wanderings1 would fill volumes4 ,what of the ,benefits8--,let us now consider the question3 ,in what way did these calamities upon ,israel prove a blessing to the human race8 ,how1 by the scattering of the children of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 was ,god's promise to those patriarchs in any degree fulfilled1 that in their seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed8 ,already ,i have answered these questions in part1 and will now answer them more fully4 ,the ,blood ,that ,believes4--,through these acts of deportation1 enforced exile1 and voluntary wandering1 the blood of ,israel1 the blood that believes1 with choice spirits answering to that blood1 and no doubt selected for the purpose1 were sent into those nations where the ,gospel has since been preached--spirits capable of recognizing and appreciating the ,truth1 and brave enough to embrace it1 regardless of consequences2 thus setting an example of heroism1 of obedience to the dictates of conscience1 that would naturally appeal to the noble and upright surrounding them1 and influence them in the same direction4 ,manifestly1 that was of far greater consequence than the carrying by the captive ,israelites of their laws1 traditions and customs into those nations2 though this also would help to prepare the way for the wonderful developments that were to follow4 ,rapid ,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 ,empire4 ,from ,jerusalem1 the tidings of ,christ and him crucified radiated to ,britain on the west1 to ,india on the east1 to ,scythia on the north1 and to ,ethiopia on the south--all within the short space of fifty years4 #aj ,many ,nations ,sprinkled4--,how could such things be1 if ,divine ,providence had not prepared the way by sending the blood and genius of ,israel into all nations1 prior to pouring out upon those nations the ,spirit of the ,gospel and the ,gathering8 ,others before ,abraham had shown their faith by their works2 but this does not disprove his claim to the title--,father of the ,faithful4 ,nor does it prove that the blood of faith1 wherever found1 is not his blood4 ,the ,moabite maiden ,ruth1 ancestor of ,jesus of ,nazareth2 the ,roman centurion1 whose faith caused even the ,savior to marvel2 ,cornelius and the ,woman of ,canaan--these were not of ,israel1 by recognized earthly descent2 yet their spirits were well worthy of such a lineage1 and in their veins was the believing blood with which ,god has sprinkled many nations4 ,footnotes #a4 ,deut4 #bh3fd4 #b4 ,i ,kings #ad3ae4 #c4 ,hos4 #g3h4 #d4 ,amos #g3aa2 #i3i4 #e4 ,joshua #d3a-i4 #f4 ,jer4 #ca3h2 ,d4 and ,c4 #aaj3aa2 #acc3bf4 #g4 ,see ,article ,five4 #h4 ,mark the features of the ,american ,indian4 ,are they not ,jewish8 ,quite as strikingly so1 as that many of his traditions and customs are ,israelitish4 ,who than the savage ,lamanite1 better understands the ,mosaic law of retaliation--an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth8 ,nor cares he to whom the eye or the tooth belongs1 whether to the person who injured him1 or to one of the latter's tribe or nation4 ,he is too much of an ,israelite to object to proxies and substitutes4 #i4 ,matt4 #bc3cg1 #ch4 #aj4 ,dean ,farrar1 in his ,life and ,work of ,st4 ,paul1 contributes this luminous passage as explanatory of the rapid spread of ,christianity3 7,i7 ,the immense field covered by the conquests of ,alexander gave to the civilized world a unity of language1 without which it would have been1 humanly speaking1 impossible for the earliest preachers to have made known the good tidings in every land which they traversed4 7,,ii7 ,the rise of the ,roman ,empire created a political unity which reflected in every direction the doctrines of the new faith4 7,,iii7 ,the dispersion of the ,jews prepared vast multitudes of ,greeks and ,romans for the unity of a pure morality and a monotheistic faith4 ,the ,gospel emanated from the capital of ,judea2 it was preached in the tongue of ,athens2 it was diffused through the empire of ,rome2 the feet of its earliest missionaries traversed the solid structure of undeviating roads by which the ,roman legionaries--'those massive hammers of the whole earth'--had made straight in the desert a highway for our ,god4 ,semite and ,aryan had been unconscious instruments in the hands of ,god for the spread of a religion which1 in its first beginnings1 both alike detested and despised4 ,a similar marvel is the spread of the restored ,gospel through the ,gentile nations of modern times1 a work yet in its infancy4 ,the proselyting success of the ,latter-day ,saints on both hemispheres1 their great pilgrimage from the ,mississippi ,river to the ,rocky ,mountains1 the redemption of a wilderness1 the founding of a ,state1 and the extraordinary attention attracted by the ,mormon people--altogether out of proportion to their numbers--these combined facts constitute a striking fulfillment of the prophetic picture drawn by the ,savior3 ,ye are as a city set upon a hill which cannot be hid4 ,,part ,,five ,,in ,,time',s ,,meridian ,,article ,,twenty4 ,the ,lamb of ,god4 ,a stranger ,star1 that came from far1 ,to filing 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 99 99 99 ,he wandered through the faithfulness world1 ,a ,prince in shepherd guise2 ,he called his scattered flock1 but few ,the ,voice did recognize2 ,for minds unborne by hollow pride1 ,or dimmed by sordid lust1 ,ne'er look for kings in beggar's garb1 ,for diamonds in the dust4 99 99 99 ,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 lightnings1 'thwart the gloom1 ,saw that unconquered ,spirit spurn ,the shackles of the tomb4 ,far-flaming falchion1 sword of light1 ,swift-flashing from its sheath1 ,it cleft the realms of darkness and ,dissolved the bands of death4 ,hell's dungeons burst6 ,wide open swung ,the everlasting bars1 ,whereby the ransomed soul shall win ,those heights beyond the stars6 #a ,the ,crucified and ,crowned4--,an attempt to tell1 even in brief1 the sublime story of the ,christ1 would be foreign to my present purpose1 ,even if space permitted1 what pen could do justice to the theme8 ,suffice it that the ,christ came1 in the ,meridian of ,time1 as ancient seers and prophets had foretold4 ,surrendering himself to to death1 that there might be no more death1 ,he arose from the grave and ascended on ,high1 glorified with that glory which the ,eternal ,son had with the ,eternal ,father before this world was formed4 ,the ,passover ,realized4--,in the ,savior's crucifixion1 the prophetic symbolism of the ,passover had a most remarkable realization4 ,in nothing was this more strikingly manifest than in certain incidents immediately following the ,death on ,calvary4 ,the commandment instituting the ,paschal ,feast required that no bone of the lamb should be broken1 and no fragment of it be left to decay1 representing as it did the body of the ,holy ,one1 which was not to see corruption4 #b ,mark now the exact fulfillment3 ,the ,savior had been crucified between two thieves1 and at sundown on the day of crucifixion the ,jewish ,sabbath began4 ,in order that the day might not be desecrated1 the ,rabbis prevailed upon the ,roman governor to have the three bodies taken down from the crosses and buried4 #c ,when the soldiers went to remove the bodies1 finding the two thieves still alive1 they put an end to them by breaking their legs2 but ,jesus was spared this further indignity1 he being dead already4 #d ,pierced with five wounds1 yet not a bone of him broken1 the ,lamb of ,god1 answering in every particular to the likeness of the paschal lamb1 was laid in the rocky tomb1 whence ,he came forth on the third day1 his perfectly preserved tabernacle glorified in immortality4 ,the ,lord's ,supper4--,the night before the ,crucifixion1 ,jesus1 having partaken of the ,passover with his disciples1 instituted in its stead the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 commanding them to observe it thenceforth4 #e ,the ,supper1 like the ,feast1 pointed to the ,atonement2 but in the ,passover the pointing was forward to an even that had not yet occurred1 while in the ,supper1 for the reverse reason1 the indication is backward4 ,it is said that the paschal lamb was offered in the ,temple at ,jerusalem about the same hour that ,christ died2 the substance and the shadow thus corresponding4 ,thereafter the ,passover was obsolete1 having fulfilled its purpose1 and as the type no longer typified1 it should have been discontinued4 ,the ,jews1 however1 perpetuated the old-time observance1 not recognizing in ,jesus their ,messiah4 ,it is ,finished4--,the ,savior's dying words1 as reported by the ,beloved ,disciple1 #f have been the subject of much controversy4 ,it is finished4 ,what did those words signify8 ,the notion has been entertained that ,christ's crucifixion completed his work1 so far as personal ministrations went1 and that after the opening of the so-called ,christian ,dispensation1 there was no further need of communication between ,god and man4 ,o most lame and impotent conclusion6 ,whatever construction be placed upon that final utterance of our ,lord's1 it is perfectly clear1 from what followed1 that it never was intended to convey such a meaning4 ,birth and ,death ,incidental4--,the ,death on ,calvary was no more the ending1 than the ,birth at ,bethlehem was the beginning1 of that ,divine ,career4 ,both were mere incidents4 ,the ,savior's work is universal1 extending from ,eternity into ,time1 and back again into ,eternity4 ,all the ,gospel dispensations1 from ,adam down to ,joseph ,smith1 are parts of the all-embracing mission of ,jesus ,christ4 ,not until the beginning of the seventh thousand years1 the ,morning of the ,resurrection1 will the ,lord ,god sanctify the earth and complete the salvation of man4 #g ,moreover1 sanctification will be succeeded by glorification1 still another phase of the work of ,him who bringeth to pass the immortality and eternal life of man4 ,the ,sacrifice ,complete4--,what1 then1 was finished by the ,death on the ,cross8 ,simply the pain and sorrow that the ,son of ,god had willed to undergo1 that ,he might ransom a lost creation1 and make it possible for redeemed man1 by faith and good works1 to lay hold upon eternal life4 ,the ,savior's self-imposed humiliation1 his voluntary sacrifice1 his mysterious all-comprehensive suffering1 the piled up agony of the human race1 endured by him vicariously1 to the end that his atonement might be infinite1 reaching to every son and daughter of ,adam #h--this was finished1 this was at an end2 not the work of ,god1 nor the continuous revelation of his word and will to man4 ,in the ,spirit4--,while the ,savior's body was lying in the tomb1 his spirit entered ,paradise1 and there preached to the spirits of the departed1 opening1 or causing to be opened1 the dungeons of the damned4 ,returning1 ,he took up his glorified body1 and appeared in it to his astonished1 half-doubting disciples4 ,on ,both ,hemispheres4--,christ died for all2 but all are not entitled to his personal ministrations4 ,the sheep1 however1 have the right to see their ,shepherd and to hear his voice4 ,accordingly1 after he had confirmed the faith of his ,jewish disciples1 had chosen twelve apostles1 and sent them forth to preach the ,gospel in the power and demonstration of the ,holy ,spirit1 he visited the ,nephites1 in ,america1 for a similar purpose4 ,they1 in common with all ,israel1 had been warned by prophets to prepare for his coming2 and the righteous were ready to receive him4 ,already they had the ,gospel and the ,priesthood1 and now the ,savior organized his ,church among them4 ,this done1 ,he visited other broken-off branches of the tame olive tree1 #i their whereabouts as unknown to ,lehi's descendants in the ,land ,bountiful1 as was the existence of the ,nephites to the inhabitants of ,judea4 ,the ,other ,sheep4--,jesus had said to his ,jewish followers3 ,other sheep ,i have1 which are not of this fold3 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear my voice4 #aj ,they inferred that ,he meant the ,gentiles2 but such was not his meaning4 ,his direct1 special errand was to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel4 #aa ,the ,gentiles were to be converted through the preaching of ,jewish-,christian evangels4 #ab ,the other sheep were the ,nephites1 to whom the ,savior explained his half-veiled utterance2 #ac also declaring that ,he had still other sheep1 not of the ,nephite fold nor of the ,jewish fold1 and that they likewise should see him and hear his voice4 #ad ,undoubtedly this allusion was to the ,lost ,tribes2 but not to them alone4 ,it included other ,hebrew remnants1 unknown to man1 but known to ,jehovah1 keeping watch above his own in the mystical and remote regions whither his judgments had driven them4 ,in ,remembrance of ,him4--,both in ,judea and in the ,land ,bountiful1 the ,savior instituted1 among those who had received the ,gospel1 the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 that memorial of his sacrifice1 once prospective1 now retrospective2 once a prophecy1 now a fulfillment4 ,but its institution among the ,nephites1 unlike its introduction among the ,jews1 was after his resurrection4 ,concerning the earlier incident1 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 it3 ,for this is my blood of the new testament1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins4 #ae ,the ,real ,presence4--,after the living oracles had departed1 and only the dead letter of the ,scriptures remained1 uninspired private interpretation #af conceived the notion that ,jesus1 when he said1 ,this is my body and my blood1 meant the words to be taken literally4 ,from that erroneous inference sprang the doctrine of transubstantiation1 with its twin heresy1 consubstantiation2 the former a ,roman ,catholic tenet1 the latter an unorthodox ,protestant tenet relating to the ,eucharist4 ,so insistent was the ,catholic ,church upon this point1 that men and women were condemned and punished as heretics1 for denying the real presence1 the actual flesh and blood of ,christ1 in the elements of the ,lord's ,supper4 #ag ,figurative1 not ,literal4--,the language of ,jesus1 when he instituted the ,lord's ,supper at ,jerusalem1 was undoubtedly figurative4 ,when ,he said1 of the bread and wine1 ,this is my body and my blood1 his body was intact1 his spirit in his body1 and his blood yet unsplit4 ,he was there in person1 whole1 complete4 ,this being the case1 how could he have meant to identify the bread and wine with the constituents of his mortal tabernacle8 ,these are the emblems of my body and blood--that was his meaning4 ,he made this clear to the ,nephites1 in saying3 ,this shall ye do in remembrance of my body4 ,remembrance presupposes absence4 ,because he would be absent in body thereafter1 they were to do this in remembrance of his body4 ,what need to remember him1 if he were present in person8 ,as well require faith from one having a perfect knowledge4 #ah ,use of ,wine ,forbidden4--,the ,latter-day ,saints have been criticized for using water in the ,sacrament2 the ,savior having sanctioned the use of wine both among the ,jews and the ,nephites4 ,the explanation for the change is simple4 ,the ,church of ,christ is not dependent upon books1 nor upon tradition4 ,it has an inspired ,priesthood1 led by immediate1 continuous and direct revelation4 ,the ,lord has commanded his people in these days not to use wine in the ,sacrament under existing conditions4 ,this is the word they are under obligation to obey--not the word given to other peoples in former dispensations4 #ai ,christ to ,come ,again4--,neither the ,savior's resurrection1 nor his ascension into ,heaven #bj signalized the end of his personal ministry1 the cessation of his labors in behalf of mankind4 ,after his resurrection1 ,he went in body to minister to translated and resurrected bodies2 #ba and with these ,he will return when ,enoch's ,city descends and all is ready for his glorious advent4 ,footnotes #a4 ,elias1 ,canto #c1 ,part #b4 #b4 ,psalms #af3aj4 #c4 ,the hypocrites6 ,they could commit murder1 could cause the death of the innocent1 and feel no compunction3 but they were horrified at the thought of a technical ,sabbath-day desecration4 ,could there be a more glaring instance of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel8 #d4 ,john #ai3cc4 #e4 ,matt4 #bf3ag-bj2 ,mark #ad3ab-be2 ,luke #bb3g-bj4 #f4 ,john #ai3cj4 #g4 ,d4 ,c4 #gg3ab4 #h4 ,ib4 #ai3af-ai4 ,such was the mission of him concerning whom ,nephi of old prophesied3 ,and he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice2 for behold1 he suffereth the pains of all men1 yea1 the pains of every living creature1 both men1 women1 and children1 who belong to the family of ,adam4 ,and he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men1 that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day4 7#b ,nephi #i3ba1 #bb47 #i4 ,jacob #e3c4 #aj4 ,john #aj3af4 #aa4 ,matt4 #ae3bd4 #ab4 ,nevertheless1 it was all the work of the ,lord2 for those evangels were his servants1 his messengers1 clothed with his authority and acting in his name and stead4 ,the subordinate is swallowed up in the principal4 ,it is the general of an army who wins victory or suffers defeat1 though millions of soldiers may have been fighting under his direction4 ,the ,roman myrmidons who nailed ,jesus to the cross were not so much to blame for the cruel deed1 as were ,pilate1 the ,procurator1 who permitted1 nay1 ordered it to be done1 and the ,jewish ,rabbis who instigated the judicial murder of the sinless ,son of ,god4 #ac4 #c ,nephi #ae3ba-bd4 #ad4 ,ib4 #af3a-c4 #ae4 ,matt4 #bf3bf-bh4 ,compare #c ,nephi #ah3a-g4 #af4 #b ,peter #a3bj4 #ag4 ,a fact sufficient1 of itself1 to show that the ,church was in an apostate condition4 #ah4 ,too much reliance upon either the literal or the figurative in language1 is apt to be misleading4 ,an attendant in an art gallery or other public place where statues or paintings are on exhibit1 might point out one and say to the visitor3 ,that is ,caesar or ,that is ,washington2 but the one addressed would not be likely to infer that ,caesar or ,washington was there in actual flesh and blood1 or that the attendant meant to be so understood4 ,nor would the visitor need to be told that the statue or the painting represented the original4 ,such an explanation would be superfluous4 ,the form of the ,savior's instruction on the ,sacrament--assuming that the correct translation has come down to us--may be accounted for in like manner4 ,he knew that his disciples would understand him--and they did4 ,they were not dependent upon the letter alone2 the interpreting ,spirit was with them to give it life4 #ai4 ,d4 ,c4 #bg3b-e4 #bj4 ,acts #a3aj1 #aa4 #ba4 ,mediation and ,atonement1 p4 #gf4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,one4 ,the ,special ,witnesses4 ,the ,men ,who ,knew4--,the ,twelve ,apostles were the special witnesses of ,jesus ,christ4 ,as such they had to know1 not merely believe that he had risen from the dead4 ,and they did know1 for they had seen him1 and heard him1 and had even been permitted to touch him1 that they might be convinced beyond all question that he was indeed what he proclaimed himself--the ,author of the ,resurrection1 the ,giver of eternal life4 ,it was their right to receive this rare evidence1 owing to the unique character of their mission4 ,but the world was required to believe what the ,apostles testified concerning ,him4 ,if men desired salvation1 which could come only through the ,savior1 they must receive in faith the message ,he had sent his servants to deliver4 ,the ,case of ,thomas4--,one of the ,twelve was absent when his brethren received their first visitation from the risen ,redeemer2 and when they said1 ,we have seen the ,lord1 he answered3 ,except ,i shall see in his hands the print of the nails1 and put my finger into the print of the nails1 and thrust my hand into his side1 ,i will not believe4 ,subsequently the ,savior appeared to this ,apostle 7,thomas7 saying3 ,behold my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into my side2 and be not faithless1 but believing4 ,my ,lord and my ,god6 exclaimed the doubter--and was convinced4 #a ,complete ,qualification4--,thomas has been censured for demanding to see and to feel before he would believe4 ,how much blame attaches to him for doubting1 ,i will not presume to say4 ,but this much seems clear3 ,he had the same right as the rest of the ,twelve to a personal appearing of the ,lord--the right to come in contact with ,him of whose resurrection he was required to testify4 ,the others had seen and heard--perhaps had even felt1 for ,jesus offered them that privilege4 #b ,why should not ,thomas share in the experience8 ,what else could completely qualify him as a special witness8 ,a ,peculiar ,position4--,sign-seeking is an abomination1 indicating an adulterous disposition4 #c ,it is blessed to believe without seeing1 #d since through the exercise of faith comes spiritual development2 while knowledge1 by swallowing up faith1 prevents its exercise1 thus hindering that development4 ,knowledge is power2 and all things are to be known in due season4 ,but premature knowledge--knowing at the wrong time--is fatal both to progress and to happiness4 ,the case of the ,apostles was exceptional4 ,they stood in a peculiar position4 ,it was better for them to know--nay1 absolutely essential1 in order to give the requisite force and power to their tremendous testimony4 ,the ,commission of the ,twelve4--,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature4 ,he that believeth and is baptized1 shall be saved2 but he that believeth not1 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 serpents2 and if they drink any deadly thing1 it shall not hurt them2 they shall lay hands on the sick1 and they shall recover4 #e ,go ye therefore and teach all nations1 baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost2 ,teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you2 and lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,amen4 #f ,the ,promised ,signs4--,thus we see that certain miraculous signs were promised to them that believe4 ,but these signs were intended to comfort the ,saints1 not to encourage the sign-seeker2 and they were to follow1 not precede1 belief4 ,it is not the sign1 but the seeking1 that the ,lord deprecates1 the motive being evil4 #g ,apostolic ,activities4--,obedient to the divine mandate1 the ,apostles at ,jerusalem1 having been endued with power from on high #h went forth with their fellows1 preaching4 ,christ and him crucified1 calling upon men to believe1 to repent1 and have their sins remitted by baptism1 that they might receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,great power accompanied their ministrations4 ,within the next half century the glad tidings borne by them had spread over the whole ,roman ,empire and into barbarian realms beyond4 ,equality and ,unity4--,the ,apostles must have known of ,enoch's wonderful work4 ,jude refers to ,enoch's prophecy of the ,lord's coming with ten thousand of his saints4 #i ,possibly the ,twelve had access to the ,book of ,enoch1 #aj one of the lost books of ,scripture4 ,at all events1 they sought to introduce1 among the earliest proselytes to the ,christian faith1 a similar order to that established in ,enoch's day4 ,concerning the later attempt to bring forth ,zion4 it is written3 ,and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul2 neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own2 but they had all things common4 4 4 4 4 ,neither was there any among them that lacked2 for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them 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 #aa ,how long this condition lasted with the ,jewish ,saints1 we are not told4 ,among their contemporaries1 the ,nephite followers of ,christ1 the splendid results flowing from the practice of the ,law of ,consecration are thus portrayed3 ,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 justly1 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 #ab ,the ,apostles ,taken4--,one by one the ,apostles were taken4 ,james was slain with the sword at ,jerusalem4 ,peter1 if the tradition be trustworthy1 was crucified at ,rome1 where ,paul likewise suffered martyrdom1 by decapitation4 ,all were put to death1 save one1 concerning whom ,peter had inquired of the ,lord3 ,what shall this man do8 ,and the ,lord had said3 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 ,then went this saying abroad among the brethren2 that that disciple should not die4 #ac ,john ,tarries4--,modern revelation confirms the ancient tradition that ,john the ,beloved did not taste of death1 but obtained from the ,lord a promise that he should remain in the flesh1 fortified against disease and dissolution1 and do a wondrous work4 ,he was to prophesy before nations1 kindred1 tongues and peoples1 and continue on earth until the ,lord came in his glory4 #ad ,it is traditional that an attempt was made upon ,john's life by throwing him into a cauldron of boiling oil2 but he escaped miraculously4 ,a ,falling-,away ,foreseen4--,in the ninety-sixth year of the ,christian era this ,apostle was on the ,isle of ,patmos1 in the ,aegean ,sea4 ,patmos served the ,romans very much as ,siberia has since served the ,russians4 ,to that desolate place the ,empire banished its criminals1 compelling them to work in the mines4 ,john was an exile for ,truth's sake4 ,but the ,lord had not forgotten his servant1 though men had rejected him and cast him out4 ,the ,heavens were opened to him1 and he was shown things that would come to pass thereafter1 also events that were even then taking place4 ,he beheld the sad spectacle of a paganized ,christendom1 the falling away that ,st4 ,paul had predicted4 #ae ,restoration and ,judgment4--,but ,john also looked forward to a time when the pure ,christian faith would be restored2 when an ,angel would fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth2 #af when ,israel would be called out from the nations2 #ag when the hour of ,god's judgment would come1 and the dead1 small and great1 would stand before the ,great ,white ,throne1 to give answer for the deeds done in the body4 #ah ,among the ,nephites4--,the experience of the ,church of ,christ on the ,western continents was in many respects a duplicate of its experience in ,oriental lands4 ,here as well as there1 special witnesses were chosen1 #ai and to three of the ,nephite ,twelve1 ,christ gave the same promise that he had given to the ,apostle ,john--a promise that they should remain in the body1 not subject to death1 and bring souls to ,him4 #bj ,a ,foretaste of the ,millennium4--,the ,nephite ,church had a marvelous career--even more marvelous than had the ,jewish ,church4 ,the people were all converted unto the ,lord1 and for two full centuries #ba a social condition similar to that which had characterized ,enoch's ancient commonwealth1 was the favored lot of this flourishing branch of the ,house of ,israel4 ,it was a foretaste of the ,millennium1 a foreshadowing of the great ,day of ,peace4 ,japheth ,smites ,jacob4--,then came pride1 the besetting sin of the ,nephite nation1 with class divisions1 envyings1 covetousness1 strife1 and--for the civilized portion of the once delightsome people--extermination4 ,darkened in body and in mind1 the degenerate ,lamanites were left to meet the on-rolling tide of over-seas immigration1 and be over whelmed thereby2 a remnant of ,jacob1 to be smitten and driven by the children of ,japheth1 until the times of the ,gentiles were fulfilled4 #bb ,footnotes #a4 ,john #bj3bd-bh4 #b4 ,luke #bd3ci4 #c4 ,matt4 #af3d4 #d4 ,john #bj3bi4 #e4 ,mark #af3ae-ah4 #f4 ,matt4 #bh3ai1 #bj4 #g4 ,says the ,prophet ,joseph3 ,when ,i was preaching in ,philadelphia1 a ,quaker called out for a sign4 ,i told him to be still4 ,after the sermon he again asked for a sign4 ,i told the congregation that the man was an adulterer2 4 4 4 4 that the ,lord had said to me in a revelation that any man who wanted a sign was an adulterous person4 ',it is true1' cried one1 'for ,i caught him in the very act1' which the man afterwards confessed when he was baptized4 7,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e p4 #bfh74 ,more than one ,mormon missionary1 pestered by sign-seekers1 has applied the test furnished by the ,prophet1 with invariable and complete success4 #h4 ,luke #bd3di2 ,acts #b3a-d4 #i4 ,jude #ad4 #aj4 ,d4 ,c4 #ajg3eg #aa4 ,acts #d3cb1 #cd1 #ce4 #ab4 #d ,nephi #a3b1 #c4 #ac4 ,john #ba3bj-bc4 #ad4 ,d4 ,c4 #g4 #ae4 ,thess4 #b3c2 #a ,tim4 #d3a2 #b ,tim4 #c3a-e2 ,rev4 ,chaps4 #ag1 #ah4 #af4 ,rev4 #ad3f4 #ag4 ,ib4 #ah3d4 #ah4 ,ib4 #bj3aa1 #ab4 #ai4 #c ,nephi #ai3d4 #bj4 ,ib4#bh3d-bc4 #ba4 #d ,ib4 #a3bb4 #bb4 ,though tramped upon for many generations1 the ,lamanites are not a dying race1 as is generally supposed4 ,according to ,doctor ,lawrence ,w4 ,white1 of the ,united ,states ,indian ,bureau1 the ,indian population in #ahgj1 when the first reliable census was made by the bureau1 was placed at #cac1gab4 ,it is now #ccc1gjb1 a number not exceeded1 thinks that expert1 by the total of aborigines in ,america at the time of its discovery by ,columbus4--,see editorial article1 ,indians ,reviving1 ,salt ,lake ,tribune1 ,february #ac1 #aibj4 ,,part ,,six ,,the ,,era ,,of ,,restitution4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,two ,the ,call of the ,shepherd4 ,come ,out of ,her1 ,my ,people4--,the ,dispersion of ,israel has for its complement the ,gathering of ,israel2 the prophets who predicted the one likewise foretelling the other4 ,the ,savior's personal visits to the various branches of the ,israelitish race1 before or after ,his resurrection1 were prophetic of a general restoration of the ,lord's people to their ancient lands1 and the folding of the scattered sheep into one great flock1 with him as the ,shepherd over all4 #a ,prophecies of the ,gathering4--,the more notable of the ,hebrew prophecies pertaining to the ,gathering are as here given3 ,isaiah4--,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 4 4 4 4 ,they shall fly upon the shoulders of the ,philistines toward the ,west4 4 4 4 4 ,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 #b ,jeremiah4--,i will take you one of a city1 and two of a family1 and ,i will bring you to ,zion4 4 4 4 4 ,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 liveth that brought up the children of ,israel from the 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 4 4 4 4 ,behold1 ,i will bring them from the north country1 and gather them from the coasts of the earth4 4 4 4 4 ,for ,i am a father to ,israel1 and ,ephraim is my first born4 ,hear 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 #c ,jesus ,christ4--,and again this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world1 for a witness unto all nations1 and then shall the end come1 or the destruction of the wicked4 #d ,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 #e ,the ,savior also predicted to the ,nephites the gathering of the ,house of ,israel2 #f and ,john the ,revelator foresaw the same event in his great vision on ,patmos4 #g ,the ,realization4--,how marvelously and how rapidly these predictions are being fulfilled1 the history of the past hundred years plainly tells4 ,the ,angel with the ,everlasting ,gospel has flown from heaven to earth1 and the message borne by him is being preached again in all the world1 as a final witness to the nations4 ,isaiah's reference to the setting up of an ,ensign for ,israel's gathering finds its fulfilment in the restoration of the ,gospel and the ,priesthood1 and in the organization of the ,church of ,christ in this dispensation4 #h ,then and there was raised a rallying standard for the sons and daughters of ,ephraim1 the first scions of ,jacob's household to be born again1 to embrace the ancient faith in modern times--the first of the broken off branches of ,israel's olive tree to be grafted in again and bear good fruit4 #i ,keys of the ,gathering ,restored4--,before there could be a complete gathering of the chosen people1 the ,keys of the ,gathering had to be restored4 ,accordingly1 when the time was ripe1 they were conferred upon the founder of the ,latter-day ,church4 ,moses1 who held those keys at the time of the ,exodus from ,egypt1 was the messenger who now restored them4 ,the place of restoration was the ,kirtland ,temple2 the time1 ,april1 #ahcf4 ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery testify that the veil was taken from their minds1 and they saw the ,lord1 even ,jehovah1 who proclaimed to them his identity with the ,savior of ,mankind4 ,the record then continues3 ,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 #aj ,first ,latter-day ,saints4--,then began the great work for which these keys had been restored4 ,all preceding it was but preparatory4 ,mormonism's first converts had been made in the region where the ,church arose--the farming districts of ,western ,new ,york and ,northern ,pennsylvania4 ,but ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 was the cradle of the ,kingdom4 ,there a ,temple was built1 and the ,priesthood more perfectly organized1 preliminary to the sending of the ,gospel to foreign nations1 and the gathering of scattered ,israel to the ,land of ,zion4 ,up to the summer of #ahcg the fishers of men were busy only in the ,united ,states and in ,canada4 ,now they crossed over the ,british ,isles1 and later to the continent of ,europe4 ,instant and marvelous was their success4 ,in parts of ,england--notably ,lancashire and ,herefordshire--whole villages and congregations were swept into the ,church by the unlettered yet divinely empowered ,apostles of the new dispensation4 #aa ,earliest ,immigrants4--,a small company of ,latter-day ,saints1 numbering but forty-one--the first to gather from abroad--sailed on the ship ,britannia from ,liverpool for ,new ,york1 in ,june1 #ahdj4 ,they were bound for ,nauvoo1 ,illinois4 ,each succeeding year added its quota to the fast growing nucleus of the ,savior's kingdom4 ,thus was set in motion the mighty tide of immigration which1 swelling the numbers of the ,saints in the ,mississippi ,valley1 eventually peopled with the skilled mechanics and hardy yeomanry of ,great ,britain1 ,scandinavia and other ,european countries1 the mountains and valleys of the ,great ,west4 ,the ,impelling ,motive4--,how different the motives impelling these people1 from the motives generally imputed to them6 ,it was not for gold and silver1 flocks and herds1 nor any of the good things of this world1 that they forsook home and country and gathered to the ,land of ,zion4 ,it was not to better their temporal condition1 that they abandoned comfort and in some cases affluence1 crossed the stormy ocean1 dragged rickety hand-carts over parching plains and snow-capt mountains1 to settle in a barren wilderness and endure hardships and privations innumerable1 while redeeming the waste and dotting it with cities1 farms and vineyards4 ,it was for ,god and his ,kingdom--nothing less2 and it was the love of ,truth that inspired and impelled them4 #ab ,character of the ,saints4--,utah's early settlers were stigmatized as ignorant and malicious4 ,it was ignorance or malice that so stigmatized them4 ,scum of the earth1 offscourings of civilization1 were some of the pet names bestowed upon them by their enemies4 ,how utterly unjust these epithets1 how grotesquely misapplied1 everyone must know who has any knowledge of the facts4 ,in reality1 they were among the best men and women of their time4 ,many of them were descended from the ,pilgrims and the ,patriots who founded this nation1 and in their veins1 as ,children of the ,covenant1 flowed the blood of priests and kings1 illustrious through a thousand generations4 #ac ,these modern ,zion-builders were not among those who wait for a cause to become popular before embracing it4 ,lowell little realized how admirably he was painting their portrait when he penned these lines3 ,then to side with ,truth is noble1 ,when we share her wretched crust1 ,ere her cause bring fame and profit1 ,and 'tis prosperous to be just4 ,then it is the brave man chooses1 ,while the coward stands aside1 ,doubting in his abject spirit ,till his ,lord is crucified1 ,and the multitude make virtue ,of the faith they had denied4 99 99 99 ,they are slaves who fear to speak ,for the fallen and the weak2 ,they are slaves who will not choose ,hatred1 scoffing and abuse1 ,rather than in silence shrink ,from the truth they needs must think2 ,they are slaves who dare not be ,in the right with two or three4 ,not slaves1 but free men and free women1 founded the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,they were of the sheep that knew the ,shepherd's voice1 and when put to the test1 they showed the mettle of their pasture4 ,one of a ,city and ,two of a ,family4--,jeremiah's prediction was uttered at a time when families 7tribes7 were much larger than they now are--large enough for one tribe to fill several cities4 #ad ,otherwise1 the prophet might have changed his wording to read3 ,one of a family and two of a city4 ,phrased either way1 the forecast has been literally fulfilled in the painful and pathetic experiences of many ,latter-day ,saints1 including women and children1 turned out-of-door by parents or guardians1 for daring to be one of a city or two of a family1 in identifying themselves with a people everywhere spoken against4 #ae ,the ,shoulders of the ,philistines4--,this phrase translates itself into the facilities for far and rapid transportation owned and operated by the ,gentiles1 but utilized by the ,god of ,jacob in bringing his people from foreign shores1 and up into the tops of the high mountains of ,israel4 #af ,they shall fly upon the shoulders of the ,philistines toward the ,west4 ,when ,isaiah wrote those words1 he was gazing with prophetic eye upon this very period4 ,he beheld the ships and railroads of the ,gentiles1 likewise the ,land of ,zion1 now occupied by the ,gentiles1 but formerly peopled by the ,nephites 7,joseph and ,judah7 and included in the lands that ,god gave to their forefathers4 #ag ,israel needs the help of the ,gentiles--their wealth1 their power1 their wonderful insight into and command over material things1 their intelligence and skill in manipulating temporalities4 ,how1 without the children of ,japheth1 could the children of ,jacob be gathered out from the nations8 #ah ,the ,lost ,tribes4--,it is maintained by some that the lost tribes of ,israel--those carried into captivity about #gbe ,b4 ,c4--are not longer a distinct people2 that they exist only in a scattered condition1 mixed with the nations among which they were taken by their captors1 the conquering ,assyrians4 ,if this be true1 and those tribes were not intact at the time ,joseph and ,oliver received the keys of the gathering1 why did they make so pointed a reference to the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north8 ,this1 too1 after a general allusion to the gathering of ,israel from the four parts of the earth4 ,what need to particularize as to the ,ten ,tribes1 if they were no longer a distinct people8 ,and why do our ,articles of ,faith give those tribes a special mention8 #ai ,the ,highway4--,isaiah's reference to the ,highway points directly to the lost tribes1 respecting whose return from ,the ,north ,country1 his fellow prophet1 ,jeremiah1 promises an event that shall so far eclipse in scope and grandeur ,israel's exodus from ,egypt1 that the latter will no more be mentioned4 ,joseph the ,seer must have had the same thing in mind when he wrote3 ,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 rocks and the ice shall flow down at their presence1 and an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep4 #bj ,already he had foretold the removal of the ,latter-day ,saints to the ,rocky ,mountains--then a desolate1 uninhabited region--and was evidently pondering that thought when he further declared3 ,and in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water2 and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land4 #ba ,ephraim and the ,returning ,tribes4--,it was ,ephraim who lifted the ,ensign for the ,gathering4 ,it is to ,ephraim that the returning tribes will bring forth their rich treasures1 receiving from him their spiritual blessings4 ,and the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence4 #bb ,judah and ,jerusalem4--,the same prophecy mentions the tribe of ,judah1 whose gathering place1 however1 is not the ,land of ,zion1 not the ,new ,jerusalem1 but ,jerusalem of old1 yet to be rebuilt upon a scale of magnificence paralleled only by the splendor of her sister city and twin capital of ,christ's ,kingdom4 #bc ,even as the ,waters4--,hear1 ,o ,israel6 ,children of ,jacob6 ,the night of dispersion is past4 ,the day of gathering has dawned4 ,the tempests that broke above the heads of your ancestors have spent their fury1 and the clouds have parted and are rolling away4 ,the barren ground1 refreshed by the fearful visitation1 has brought forth abundantly1 and a ripened harvest awaits the reaper's cycle4 ,the revivifying rains1 having fulfilled their mission1 must now return to the ocean whence they were taken4 ,such is the meaning1 the symbolism1 of the scattering and gathering of ,israel4 ,footnotes #a4 ,john #aj3af2 #c ,nephi #ae3ba2 #af3a-c2 #ba4 #b4 ,isa4 #aa3ab1 #ad1 #af4 ,see also #e3bf2 #ce3aj2 #dc3e1 #f4 ,the same ,prophet declares3 ,and it shall come to pass in the last days1 that the mountain of the ,lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains 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 paths3 for out of ,zion shall go forth the law1 and the word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem4 7,isa4 #b3b1 #c47 ,this prophecy1 however2 seems to refer1 not so much to a gathering of ,israel1 as to an ,israel already gathered1 unto whom the nations will come to learn the ways of the ,lord4 #c4 ,jer4 #c3ad2 #af3ad-af2 #ca3h-aj4 #d4 ,matt4 #bd3ca1 as rendered by ,joseph the ,seer1 ,pearl of ,great ,price1 p4#gh4 #e4 ,ib4 ,bible1 ,king ,james' version4 #f4 #c ,nephi #ba4 #g4 ,rev4 #ad3af2 #ah3d4 ,see also ,deut4 #cc3ag2 ,psalms #ej3e2 ,ezek4 #cd3ab-ad4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #aae3d1 #e2 #de3i2 #fd3db4 #i4 ,jacob #e and #f4 #aj4 ,d4 ,c4 #aaj3a-d1 #aa4 #aa4 ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 one of the ,twelve1 was placed at the head of the first foreign mission4 ,he was accompanied by ,orson ,hyde1 ,willard ,richards1 and other ,elders4 ,subsequently another apostolic mission1 headed by ,brigham ,young and including a majority of the ,twelve1 carried the ,gospel to all parts of the ,british ,isles4 #ab4 ,i was once asked by a gentleman1 friendly to the ,latter-day ,saints1 why they did not co-operate with the millionaire philanthropists who have endeavored in recent years to place upon arid lands poor ,jews taken out of large cities2 but whose efforts1 owing to inexperience in such enterprises1 have been more or less futile4 ,my questioner thought a copartnership between such capitalists and such colonists--one to furnish the money1 the other the knowledge and skill necessary for the undertaking--might work a splendid result4 ,he added with unction3 ,you could stipulate1 you know1 that every ,jew thus colonized should become a ,mormon--and just think how that would build up your ,church6 ,the intent was serious1 but the effect was to amuse4 ,it suggested the ,shakespearean court scene1 where the ,venetian ,duke decides that the ,jew ,shylock1 as part of his punishment for seeking the life of ,antonio1 shall presently become a ,christian4 7,merchant of ,venice1 ,act #d4 ,scene #a74 ,as if ,christians could be made by judicial decisions or ,mormons by contracts for colonization4 #ac4 ,talent and genius1 brain and brawn1 from every part of the world came in the early immigrations to ,salt ,lake ,valley--farmers1 laborers1 tradesmen1 mechanics1 merchants1 manufacturers and business men1 with a liberal sprinkling of artists1 musicians1 writers and other professional people4 ,in their degree the pick and flower of ,england1 was the comment passed upon a ship's company of ,mormon emigrants1 by ,charles ,dickens1 the great ,english author1 in his sketch ,the ,uncommercial ,traveler1 published in #ahfc4 #ad4 ,joshua #ba3da #ae4 ,acts #bh3bb #af4 ,ezek4 #cd3ad #ag4 ,jer4 #af3ae2 ,deut4 #cc3ac-af2 ,gen4 #di3bb-bf4 #ah4 ,the work is too vast1 too arduous1 for any one people to accomplish1 particularly a people who are a mere handful among earth's teeming millions4 ,god1 not man1 is doing this work1 and ,he is not limited in his choice of instruments to his own covenant people4 ,all men1 all nations1 knowingly or unknowingly1 are playing into his hands4 #ai4 ,the fact that ,arctic explorers have found no such people at the ,north ,pole--where some theorists have persisted in placing them--does not prove that the ,ten ,tribes have lost their identity4 ,it was tradition1 not revelation1 that located them at the ,north ,pole4 ,the north country1 ,the land of the north1 these are the scriptural designations of their unknown abode4 ,all the rest is inference4 ,those tribes could still be intact1 and yet much of their blood be found among the northern nations4 ,some of the pilgrims might easily have mixed with the people encountered by them while journeying toward their ultimate destination2 and that ,ephraim did so mix1 ,hosea the ,prophet 7#g3h7 declares4 #bj4 ,d4 ,c4 #acc3bf1 #bg4 #ba4 ,ib4 #acc3bi4 #bb4 ,ib4 vv4 #cj1cb4 #bc4 ,isa4 #b3c4 ,in ,april #ahdj1 ,orson ,hyde and ,john ,e4 ,page1 both ,apostles1 were sent from ,illinois on a mission to ,palestine1 to bless the soil1 that its barrenness might depart and the way be opened for the restoration of the ,jews to their ancient homeland4 ,john ,e4 ,page faltered and fell by the way1 but ,orson ,hyde accomplished his mission4 ,on the #bdth of ,october1 #ahda1 from the summit of the ,mount of ,olives1 overlooking ,jerusalem1 he offered to the ,god of ,israel1 a fervent and eloquent prayer in behalf of his down-trodden people4 ,he blessed the sterile land that in might once more become fruitful1 and that ,judah might repossess his heritage4 ,elder ,hyde afterwards predicted that the ,british nation would take an active part in the redemption of ,palestine2 a prophecy fulfilled during the ,world ,war4 ,in #ahgb1 ,president ,george ,a4 ,smith went with a party from ,salt ,lake ,city1 and again dedicated the ,holy ,land for the return of the ,jews and the rebuilding of ,jerusalem4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,three4 ,the ,zion of ,latter ,days4 ,a ,work of ,preparation4--,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints stands for the gathering of the ,house of ,israel and the building of the modern ,zion1 ,new ,jerusalem1 preparatory to the ,millennial reign of righteousness4 ,israel must be gathered1 because it is the ,god of ,israel who is coming to reign1 and the descendants of ,jacob are the only people who have the right to receive him when he appears4 ,and they must become pure in heart1 in order to be worthy of that high privilege4 ,to ,his ,own--,the ,christ is coming to his own1 as he came anciently2 but it will not be said again that his own received him not4 ,they are even now preparing to receive him1 as fast as circumstances will allow4 ,all of ,mormonism's varied activities--proselyting1 migrational1 colonizing1 commercial1 industrial and educational--have this as their paramount objective4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints claim lineal descent from the ,hebrew patriarchs4 ,they are literally of the seed of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob--mostly through ,ephraim1 the first-born in the divine process of gathering ,israel and bringing forth ,zion4 ,the ,ensign ,lifted4--,it developed upon ,joseph ,smith1 a lineal descendant of ,joseph of old1 to begin1 upon the ,land of ,joseph1 the gathering of ,god's people from the nations4 ,the organization of the ,church was the setting up of the prophetic ,ensign1 #a to assemble the outcasts of ,israel1 and gather together the dispersed of ,judah from the four corners of the earth4 ,joseph lived only long enough to assemble a portion of the half tribe of ,ephraim1 to which he belonged2 but the work begun by him will go on until all the tribes of ,israel are gathered1 and the way is fully prepared for the blest reign of the ,king of ,kings4 ,place and ,plan4--,the ,church1 organized on the sixth of ,april1 #ahcj1 was less than one year old when it removed from its birth-place1 ,fayette1 ,new ,york1 to ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 where its infancy was cradled4 ,there the ,prophet announced the place for the ,new ,jerusalem and the plan whereby the ,holy ,city was to be established4 ,western ,missouri was the place4 #b ,the plan became known as ,the ,united ,order4 #c ,the ,pure in ,heart4--,this is ,zion--the pure in heart4 #d ,so said ,joseph ,smith4 ,for ,zion is not only a place2 it is also a people and a condition4 ,blessed are the pure in heart2 for they shall see ,god4 #e ,they are the only ones who will be permitted to see ,him4 ,zion the place is where ,zion the people will assemble for that purpose4 ,in a general sense1 the whole of ,america1 ,north and ,south1 is the ,land of ,zion4 #f ,specially1 ,zion1 the place for the city1 is in ,jackson ,country1 ,missouri4 #g ,consecration4--,the ,zion of old--,enoch's commonwealth--was sanctified and translated through obedience to the ,law of ,consecration1 #h a heaven-revealed principle subsequently practiced by the followers of ,christ1 both ,jews and ,nephites4 #i ,the modern ,zion1 the perfection of beauty1 the joy of the whole earth1 #aj is to be brought forth upon precisely the same principle--every man seeking the interest of his neighbor1 and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of ,god4 #aa ,equality and ,unity4--,as a preliminary to the wonderful achievement in prospect1 the ,latter-day ,saints were required to consecrate all their properties to the ,lord4 ,this was done1 not to enrich any man nor any set of men1 but to establish equality in material possessions1 as a prerequisite to the unity and power necessary for the mighty undertaking4 ,equality--not of intelligence and capacity1 of course1 but of ownership and of opportunity to advance and achieve--this was the purpose in view4 ,the members of the community were to be equal in earthly things1 that they might be equal in obtaining heavenly things4 ,a ,celestial ,law4--,it was a law of the ,celestial ,kingdom--the ,zion of ,eternity--that the ,saints were required to obey1 to the end that the ,lord's will might be done on earth even as it is done in heaven--that ,earth might become a heaven1 in fact1 and they who made it so be prepared for a place in the celestial world4 #ab ,stewardships4--,it was not proposed to take from the people their possessions1 and demand all their time and service1 without making ample provision for their support4 ,they were not to be pauperized1 but enriched1 through obedience to ,god's law4 ,the properties they consecrated--farms1 printing offices1 mills1 work-shops1 money1 etc4--were to be returned to them as stewardships1 differing1 as talents1 aptitudes1 and the ability to handle much or little differ1 but all to be managed in the interest of the common cause4 ,all earnings were to go into a general fund1 from which each steward would derive a maintenance1 every man according to his wants and his needs1 inasmuch as his wants are just4 #ac ,first ,bishops4--,the introduction of this system was the occasion for the call of the first ,bishops4 ,the men chosen to manage1 under the direction of the ,first ,presidency1 the temporalities of the ,united ,order1 were ,edward ,partridge and ,newel ,k4 ,whitney4 ,the former1 as ,bishop in ,zion1 received consecrations1 ,missouri4 ,the latter officiated in a similar capacity at ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 the headquarters of a ,state of ,zion4 #ad ,against ,lawlessness4--,the ,united ,order did not encourage lawlessness4 ,it was the very antithesis of anarchy4 ,it stood for law and government1 for wise and good government--the government of ,god for the benefit of man4 ,sounding the death-knell of monopoly1 fraud1 and the misuse of power and privilege1 it proposed to do away with class distinctions1 founded on pride1 vanity and the worship of wealth4 ,it would abolish such conditions--not by violence1 but peacefully and by common consent4 ,doctrine1 not dynamite2 humility1 not self-assertion2 love of ,god and fellow man1 not hatred and strife1 were to effect the desired emancipation4 ,under the benign influence of the ,holy ,spirit--,god's gift to all who take upon them his name--envy and greed would give way to brotherly love and mutual helpfulness4 ,no ,drones in the ,hive4--,while philanthropic in the highest degree1 the ,united ,order was no mere alms-giving concern1 no eleemosynary institution4 ,every member of the community was expected to work1 to do that for which he or she might best be fitted4 ,there were to be no drones in the hive1 no idleness eating the bread of industry4 ,employment for all1 a place for everything and everything in its place--such was the ideal of this social-religious organization4 ,it stood1 in short1 for justice and fair-dealing1 with every man in the secure possession and full enjoyment of his own4 ,out of the righteous unity resulting from this ideal condition1 was to come the power to build up ,zion and prepare the way of the ,lord4 ,why the ,ideal ,was ,not ,realized4--,the ,united ,order was not permanently established2 nor did its original workings long continue4 ,selfishness within1 and persecution without1 were the two-fold cause4 ,the ,church1 driven from place to place1 found it impracticable1 with an imperfect acceptance by its members of the ,law of ,consecration1 to bring forth ,zion at that early day4 ,the great event1 however1 was only postponed4 ,the realization of the ideal is still in prospect4 ,the ,jackson ,county ,expulsion--,an attempt to rear the ,new ,jerusalem was made in the summer of #ahca1 a colony approximating fifteen hundred men1 women and children1 settling for that purpose in ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri1 #ae upon lands purchased from the ,federal ,government4 ,ground was consecrated1 and a ,city laid out1 including the site for a ,temple4 ,but a lack of the perfect unity necessary on the part of those selected for this sacred task1 prevented its accomplishment at that time4 ,there were jarrings and contentions1 and envyings and strifes1 and lustful and covetous desires among them2 therefore1 by these things they polluted their inheritances4 #af ,forewarned by the ,prophet of what would result if these evils were not corrected1 the colonists did not as a whole pay sufficient heed to the admonition1 and the ,lord permitted their enemies to come upon them and drive them from the goodly land4 ,persecuted and ,persecutors4--,the ,jackson ,county colonists1 whatever their faults1 were superior to the people who mobbed them and drove them from their homes1 misinterpreting their motives and falsely accusing them of unfriendly acts or intentions toward the earlier settlers4 ,the persecuted were better than the persecutors2 but not good enough to completely carry out the high and holy purposes of ,deity4 ,it was in the autumn of #ahcc that the ,mormon colony was expelled from ,jackson ,county4 #ag ,zion ,not ,moved4--,then1 and at a later period1 when similar and worse mobbings and drivings had taken place1 those who committed or countenanced the outrages were wont to say mockingly3 ,whenever the ,mormons are driven from one ,zion1 their ,prophet gets a revelation appointing ,zion somewhere else4 ,how utterly unfounded this assertion1 is best told in the language of a revelation given a few weeks after the ,jackson ,county expulsion4 ,therein the ,lord says3 ,zion shall not be moved out of her place1 notwithstanding her children are scattered2 ,they that remain1 and are pure in heart1 shall return1 and come to their inheritances1 they and their children1 with songs of everlasting joy1 to build up the waste places of ,zion4 4 4 4 4 ,and1 behold there is none other place appointed than that which ,i have appointed2 neither shall there be any other place appointed 4 4 4 4 for the work of the gathering of my saints1 ,until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them2 and then ,i have other places which ,i will appoint unto them1 and they shall be called stakes1 for the curtains or the strength of ,zion4 #ah ,stakes of ,zion4--,hear it1 ye ,gentiles6 ,hear it1 ,o ,house of ,israel6 ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri1 is the chosen site for the ,city of ,zion4 ,no other place has been or will be appointed for that purpose4 ,all other gathering places for ,god's people are ,stakes of ,zion1 holding the outside cords and curtains of the spiritual ,tabernacle of the ,lord4 ,zion's first ,stake was at ,kirtland1 ,ohio2 and other stakes were organized in ,missouri1 ,illinois1 and ,iowa4 ,all these have been abandoned2 but many others1 since established1 now flourish in the region of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,there was no stake organization in ,jackson ,county1 though that part is sometimes referred to as ,the ,center ,stake4 ,zion is there1 or will yet be there--the very ,city of ,god2 but no ,stake of ,zion4 #ai ,in ,abeyance4--,zion is greater than any of her ,stakes4 ,it will require the ,law of ,consecration to bring forth ,zion2 while a lesser law suffices for the creation of stakes1 ,when the building up of ,zion was postponed1 the ,law of ,consecration was suspended1 and the ,united ,order went into abeyance4 ,then was introduced the ,law of ,tithing1 #bj a law adapted to the undeveloped condition of the ,church4 ,since that time the work of founding and maintaining ,stakes of ,zion1 preparatory to the coming forth of ,zion proper1 has engrossed the attention of the gathered children of ,ephraim4 ,footnotes #a4 ,isa4 #aa3ab4 #b4 ,d4 ,c4 #de3fd-ga2 #eg3a-d4 #c4 ,ib4 #ajd3dh4 #d4 ,ib4 #ig3ba4 #e4 ,matt4 #e3h4 #f4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #f pp4 #cah1 #cai4 #g4 ,d4 ,c4 #eg3b4 #h4 ,moses #g3ah-ba4 #i4 ,acts #d3cb-ce2 #d ,nephi #a3b1 #c4 #aj4 ,psalms #ej3b1 #dh3b4 #aa4 ,d4 ,c4 #hb3ai4 #ab4 ,ib4 #gh3e-g4 #ac4 ,d4 ,c4 #hb3ag #ad4 ,ib4 #da3i2 #gb3h #ae4 ,d4 ,c4 #de3fd-ga4 #af4 ,ib4 #aja 3#f4 #ag4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #cij1 #dbf4 #ah4 ,d4 ,c4 #aja3ag1 #ah1 #j1 #a2 #aae3f4 #ai4 ,zion1 in sacred writ1 is symbolized by a tent or portable tabernacle1 such as the ,israelites carried with them in the ,wilderness4 ,evidently it was the custom then1 as it is now1 when setting up a tent1 to drive stakes and fasten cords thereto--cords stretched from the tent1 to make it firm and secure4 ,hence the phrase3 ,lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes1 a metaphor applied to ,zion by the ,prophet ,isaiah4 7#ed3b2 #cc3bj74 ,when a tent is erected1 no center stake is driven2 it would be in the way--an obstacle to stumble over4 ,figuratively and in a larger sense1 the same would be true of a ,center ,stake of ,zion4 ,there is no need for such a thing1 and it would spoil the symbolism of the picture4 #bj4 ,d4 ,c4 #aai4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,four4 ,redemption by ,power4 ,to ,redeem ,zion4--,the failure of the ,latter-day ,saints1 through lack of unity and obedience1 to build up ,zion in ,jackson ,county1 has been dwelt upon4 ,it remains to tell of an effort to redeem ,zion1 to reinstate the plundered people upon the lands of which they had been unlawfully and violently dispossessed4 ,this effort was put forth early in the year #ahcd1 when an expendition was organized in ,ohio for that purpose4 ,the ,zion's ,camp ,expendition4--,so was it styled4 ,the ,camp consisted of two hundred and five men1 led by ,joseph ,smith in person1 and including quite a number of ,elders subsequently called to positions of high prominence in the ,church4 ,the expendition failed of its object--its avowed object--for reasons similar to those which had caused the expulsion from ,jackson ,county4 ,disobedience and rebellion on the part of some members of the ,camp1 and the continued disregard1 by many of the exiles1 of the divine requirements made of them1 prevented their restoration to the homes and possessions of which they had been despoiled4 ,a ,want of ,preparedness4--,zion might have been redeemed1 even at that early day1 had the redemptive machinery been ready and in condition to do the necessary work4 #a ,but such a condition did not exist4 ,gather up the strength of my house1 the ,lord had said concerning those upon whom he proposed to lay the sacred duty of ,zion's redemption4 ,but the strength of his house did not hearken to the appeal1 #b and the few who enrolled themselves as members of that historic band were not all trained for the task nor equal to the trials that lay before them4 ,the ,redemption of ,zion ,must ,needs ,come by ,power4 #c--,so spake the ,divine ,oracle4 ,but power dwells in unity1 not in discord2 in humility1 not in pride2 in sacrifice1 not selfishness2 in obedience1 not rebellion4 #d ,had all the ,jackson ,county colonists borne this in mind and practiced accordingly1 no such catastrophe as that which occurred would have befallen them4 ,and if all who went to their relief had acted consistently with the same righteous principle1 they would have escaped the tribulation that came upon them as a chastisement4 ,transgression the ,cause4--,the failure to build the ,new ,jerusalem was due to transgression2 #e in other words1 to a lack of preparedness on the part of those selected for the sacred undertaking4 ,had the players been ready1 the play could have been staged and presented4 ,but nothing could compensate for the absence of readiness on their part4 ,there is no substitute for the qualities that men and women must possess who are chosen for so exalted an enterprise4 ,all ,not ,responsible4--,all members of the ,church were not responsible for the ,jackson ,county failure2 #f but all had to share in the consequences entailed4 ,the strength of a chain is proverbially the strength of its weakest link1 and the general average of the newly-formed and inexperienced community was not high enough to justify a better outcome4 ,not a ,complete ,failure4--,the ,camp of ,zion did not utterly fail4 ,indeed1 there are good reasons for believing that it accomplished everything expected of it under the circumstances4 ,and if this be true of the members of the ,camp1 it is also true of those whose relief and reinstatement were the announced purpose of the expedition4 ,all ,things ,foreseen4--,at all events1 what occurred must have been foreseen4 ,divine prescience extends to all things connected with the ,lord's work4 ,when ,he commanded his people to build the ,new ,jerusalem1 he knew how much1 or how little1 they were capable of accomplishing in that direction--knew it just as well before as he did after4 ,such a thing as surprise or disappointment on his part is inconceivable4 ,an all-wise1 all-powerful ,being who has created1 peopled1 redeemed and glorified millions of earths like this1 #g is not one to be astounded by anything that happens on our little planet4 #h ,the ,time ,not ,ripe4--,the ,all-knowing ,one knew in advance what those ,zion-builders would do1 or leave undone1 and he shaped his plans accordingly4 ,evidently the time was not ripe for ,zion's redemption4 ,the proof is in the trespasses committed by them against the divine laws ordained for their government4 ,a ,season of ,waiting4--,in consequence of the transgression of my people1 it is expedient in me that mine ,elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of ,zion4 ,so came the voice of the ,lord to ,zion's ,camp1 on ,fishing ,river1 ,missouri4 ,but this word of comfort came with it3 ,i have heard their prayers and will accept their offerings2 and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith4 #i ,a ,trial of ,their ,faith4--,such then1 was the real purpose of the call for that expendition4 ,more was not expected of the members of ,zion's ,camp1 than a manifestation of willingness to do all that the ,lord might require of them4 ,no ,endowments4--,another proof that ,zion's redemption was not intended for that time1 is found in another part of the same revelation3 ,and this cannot be brought to pass until mine elders are endowed with power from on high4 #aj ,take note that the ,church had no endowments in #ahcd4 ,there was no ,temple that early1 and the sacred ritual of the ,house of ,god1 even if revealed to the ,prophet1 had not been made known to the people4 ,whether this was the endowment referred to in the revelation1 or whether it meant something else1 it is evident that the blessing spoken of was in the future4 #aa ,zion could not be redeemed until the ,elders were endowed with power from on ,high4 ,and yet these same ,elders1 unendowed1 had been sent forth to redeem ,zion6 ,surely1 the ,lord did not design it then to be4 ,else would ,he not have endowed them beforehand8 ,this admitted1 and what becomes of their failure8 ,they were blameworthy for their disobedience1 but surely not for their failure to do what could not be done by men unendowed and consequently not equal to the undertaking4 ,left to the ,future4--,zion was not redeemed in that dav for precisely similar reasons to those which kept ancient ,israel wandering for forty years in the ,wilderness1 almost within sight of their coveted ,canaan1 which they were not permitted in that generation to possess4 #ab ,like ,moses1 these modern pilgrims beheld1 as from ,pisgah's top1 their promised land4 ,like ,moses1 on account of transgression1 they were not permitted to cross over4 ,there were ,calebs and ,joshuas in the ,camp who were worthy2 but the great event1 in the wisdom of the ,highest1 was not destined then to be4 ,it was left for a future generation and its ,joshua to go up in the might of the ,lord and redeem ,zion4 #ac ,with a ,stretched ,out ,arm4--,the ,lord made it plain to ,his people that they must prepare themselves for the great things awaiting them4 ,before they could hope to accomplish their glorious destiny1 they must become mighty1 not only in numbers and material influence1 but morally and spiritually mighty--mighty by the power of ,god1 descending upon them as an endowment from on ,high4 #ad ,when ready to redeem ,zion1 the way would be prepared for them1 angels and even the ,divine ,presence going on before4 ,they were not to use violence to secure their rights4 ,god would fight their battles4 ,they were the children of ,israel1 and of the seed of ,abraham1 and must needs be led out of bondage by power and with a stretched out arm4 #ae ,tried and ,proven4--,from the ranks of the survivors of ,zion's ,camp--decimated by cholera while on its way to ,jackson ,county--were chosen the first ,twelve ,apostles and the first quorums of ,seventy in this dispensation4 #af ,these men were deemed reliable4 ,they had been put to the test1 and had endured valiantly ,the trial of their faith was complete4 ,nigh at ,hand4--,when will end the little season of waiting8 ,when will the day of ,zion's redemption dawn8 ,i know not2 but this ,i know4 ,that day is rapidly approaching4 ,the ,order of ,unity and ,equality1 involving the consecration1 not only of properties1 but also of hearts and hands1 will yet be established and perpetuated4 ,it must be1 for ,zion cannot be built up without it3 #ag and until there is a ,zion on ,earth1 the ,lord1 the ,king of ,kings1 will not come4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 ,c4 #aje3b4 #b4 ,ib4 #ajc3cj2 #aje3af4 #c4 ,d4 ,c4 #ajc3ae4 #d4 ,life of ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 p4#gg4 #e4 ,d4 ,c4 #aje3b1 #i4 #f4 ,ib4 #aje3g4 #g4 ,moses #g3cj4 #h4 ,some may question this assertion1 and point to the passage1 ,it repented ,god that he had made man 7,gen4 #f3f71 as an instances of divine disappointment4 ,but it should be borne in mind that makers of ,scripture1 like all wise teachers1 adapt their language to the comprehension of those whom they teach1 speaking that they may naturally understand 7,d4 ,c4 #bi3cd2 #ai3f-ab74 ,whatever the dead letter may seem to say1 ,god is not man1 that ,he should repent 7#a ,sam4 #ae3bi71 or fail to foresee how his creatures will conduct themselves4 ,it was ,noah1 not ,god1 who repented1 in the case now under consideration4--,moses #h3be4 #i4 ,d4 ,c4 #aje3i1 #ai4 #aj4 ,ib4 v4 #aa4 #aa4 ,ib4 v4 #ah4 #ab4 ,compare ,article ,eighteen1 paragraph ,a ,period of ,preparation4 #ac4 ,d4 ,c4 #ajc3af4 #ad4 ,ib4 #aje3aa4 #ae4 ,ib4 #ajc3ag4 #af4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #b1 pp4 #ahj1 #bja4 #ag4 ,d4 ,c4 #aje3e4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,five4 ,clearing the ,way4 ,i ,will ,fight ,your ,battles4--,in a revelation1 already cited1 given through ,joseph the ,seer while ,zion's ,camp was resting on ,fishing ,river1 the ,lord says concerning the ,elders of his ,church3 ,i do not require at their hands to fight the battles of ,zion2 for1 as ,i said in a former commandment1 even so will ,i fulfill4 ,i will fight your battles4 ,behold1 the destroyer ,i have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies2 and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which ,i have consecrated for the gathering together of my ,saints4 #a ,war and ,deity4--,there are many good people who believe that anything of a war-like character1 anything involving violence and bloodshed1 is wholly incompatible with the benign disposition and benevolent purposes of ,deity4 ,according to their view1 ,god has nothing to do with wars4 ,from first to last they are the work of the ,evil ,one1 moving upon wicked men to stir up strife for selfish and sordid ends4 ,everything peaceful and pleasant comes from him who is the ,prince of ,peace2 everything of an opposite nature1 and especially war1 that prolific source of misery and sorrow1 is due entirely to the ,adversary4 ,it is all well meant1 of course1 the object being to forefend ,deity against the reproach that these good people fear would lie at his door1 if it were admitted that he had even a share in what they conceive to be an unmixt evil1 a thing absolutely wrong and unjustifiable4 ,but how can such views be reconciled with divine revelation and the history of ,god's dealings with man8 ,if war is always wicked1 and destruction ever at variance with the will and purposes of ,providence1 how are we to understand such passages of scripture as the foregoing1 wherein ,jehovah1 who is no other than ,jesus1 the meek and merciful1 assures his servants that he will fight their battles1 and assumes full responsibility for sending forth the destroyer to lay waste his enemies and theirs8 ,prince of ,peace and ,lord of ,hosts4--,the problem1 seemingly complex1 is in reality simple and easy of solution4 ,there are two sides to the ,divine ,character1 two distinct and differing phases of ,god's dealings with mortals4 ,the ,lion as well as the ,lamb plays a part in the stirring drama of human progress4 ,the same perfect ,being who counseled patience1 charity1 and the turning of the other cheek1 sternly rebuked hypocrisy1 denounced wickedness in unmeasured terms1 and with wrathful speech and thong of knotted cords1 drove the thieving moneychangers from the ,temple4 ,blessed are the merciful1 said the ,author of the ,beatitudes4 #b ,love your enemies1 enjoined the ,redeemer of the ,world4 #c ,but already ,he had proclaimed3 ,vengeance is mine--,i will repay2 #d and that high decree has never been revoked4 ,jehovah is both ,prince of ,peace and ,lord of ,hosts1 the ,god of ,sabaoth4 ,these are among the titles belonging to him4 ,why are they his1 if he has nothing to do with war--if such things are independently and exclusively the work of ,satan8 ,providence ,over ,all4--,the student of this problem must not lose sight of the fact that ,satan's sphere1 like man's1 is limited4 ,neither can do more than the ,most ,high is willing should be done2 and his willingness extends only to such things as contribute1 ultimately if not immediately1 to the carrying out of his beneficent designs4 ,the ,book of ,job is very plain upon this point4 ,only so far as the ,almighty would permit1 and it was deemed wise for that righteous man to be afflicted1 in order to test his integrity1 further develop the excellence of his character1 and endow future ages with a deathless example of godlike patience--only so far was ,satan allowed to go4 ,he seemed to be having his own way with ,job1 and up to a certain mark did have it2 but nothing beyond4 ,the ,lord had his way4 ,whatever he bade ,satan not to do4 ,satan had to leave undone4 ,the ,uses of ,adversity4--,job's case is a reminder of the fact that the wicked can be used as a means of developing and improving the righteous1 or of chastising and correcting people better than themselves4 ,the painful experiences of the ,latter-day4 ,saints furnish many cases in point4 ,in ,missouri1 for instance1 they were the victims of atrocious wrongs4 ,they had done nothing1 so far as their fellow men were concerned1 to justify the cruel treatment meted out to them4 ,but the ,lord1 in order to chasten his people and teach them wholesome lessons that they needed to learn1 allowed their enemies to drive and despoil them4 #e ,divinity ,always ,supreme4--,despite all appearances to the contrary1 the ,divine ,will reigns supreme4 ,to conclude otherwise is to mentally dethrone ,deity1 and allow that ,evil is stronger than ,good4 ,god is above ,satan1 and holds him in leash4 #f ,destruction ,essential4--,we are not to suppose1 however1 that the ,lord delights in war--that ,he prefers it to peace2 or that he would have aught to do with strife and devastation1 if his good and wise purposes could always be accomplished by other and milder means4 ,but if strife becomes necessary1 and destruction essential1 as when an old building is torn down to make room for a new one1 and if the ,all-wise be the doer or director of the deed1 who can question its rightfulness8 ,shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith8 ,or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it8 #g ,wars ,decreed4--,i have sworn in my wrath and decreed wars upon the face of the earth1 and the wicked shall slay the wicked4 #h ,so says the ,almighty to his servant ,joseph4 ,and there lies the problem in a nutshell4 ,god has decreed wars--decreed them for a purpose4 ,human iniquity brings down divine retribution1 and the wicked are permitted to slay one another--partly as a punishment for their sins1 but mainly to help clear the way for a higher and better order of things4 ,just and ,unjust ,wars4--,michael and the ,dragon4--,some wars are righteous and just2 others wrong and unjust4 ,all depends upon the purpose for which they are waged1 and whether or not the ,lord sanctions them4 ,all unrighteous wars are the work of ,satan and his minions4 ,but all wars are not unrighteous4 ,when ,michael and his angels fought against the ,dragon1 and overcame him1 #i surely the fight was a righteous one on ,michael's part4 ,as for the provocation--that springs another question4 ,it is undoubtedly true that there would have been no war in heaven1 if ,lucifer had not rebelled2 but1 having rebelled1 he had to be put down1 and a righteous war was waged for that purpose4 ,the conduct of those who make such wars necessary1 is not to be compared with the acts of those who rise up to vindicate right and vanquish wrong4 ,agnostic ,arguments4--,joshua's conquest of ,canaan--let us consider that4 #aj ,agnostic writers1 taking the view that all such wars are wicked1 affect to regard this event as a grave crime4 ,they brand ,joshua as a murderer1 and charge ,jehovah with being a violator of his own statutes--a greater murderer1 in short1 who1 after punishing the first slayer of his fellow man1 the fratricidal ,cain1 #aa and laying down the law to ,noah1 ,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4 #ab--;emphasizing it later with the commandment1 ,thou shalt not kill #ac--;directed the general of his armies to commit wholesale slaughter and extermination4 ,therefore was he a murderer and a lawbreaker4 ,such is the logic of ,robert ,g4 ,ingersoll and other writers of his class4 ,and what a wretched piece of sophistry it is4 ,how utterly shallow and vain4 ,as if the ,giver of life could not take back what he had given--the right to it having been forfeited--without committing a crime6 ,as if the ,author and ,ruler of the universe could not repeal or suspend one of his own enactments1 without being a law-breaker6 ,think of it3 ,colonel ,ingersoll1 an experienced lawyer1 a practitioner and devotee of the science of jurisprudence1 denying to the great ,law-,giver a right inherent in and exercised by the humblest legislative body on earth6 ,to such illogical extremes will men go1 when they presume to pass judgment upon ,providence4 ,the ,case of the ,canaanites4--,joshua's war upon the ,canaanites was a just war1 designed to rid the earth of a corrupt generation1 which had forfeited its right to longer remain1 encumbering the soil1 particularly that part which the ,creator and ,owner of the planet had given to a worthier people4 ,jehovah's command to clear the ground upon which he proposed erecting a national structure that should stand as a temple of wisdom and light for the welfare of all succeeding generations1 did not impinge upon any command of his previously given4 ,neither is the ,divine ,one amenable to human judgment4 ,thou shalt not kill was a commandment from ,god1 not to him4 ,his word is superior to all human enactments and to all man's notions of right and wrong4 ,the war waged by ,joshua and the hosts of ,israel against the wicked and usurping ,canaanites was in every respect justifiable1 so far as it was conducted according to ,jehovah's command4 #ad ,the ,king ,can ,do ,no ,wrong4--,this proverb1 when used by corrupt rulers to justify and cloak their crimes1 is flagrantly false and pernicious4 ,when applied to the ,king of ,heaven1 it is eminently and unquestionably true4 ,the ,author of life can send forth the destroyer and lay waste his enemies1 without blood-guiltiness or even the shadow of wrong-doing4 ,he can decree wars1 and allow the wicked to slay the wicked1 without partaking of their evil deeds or making himself responsible for their demon-inspired atrocities4 ,these must all be accounted for at the bar of ,eternal ,justice4 ,the ,american ,revolution4--,it was not ,satan who caused the heroic struggle of the ,american colonies1 giving them power to win their freedom and independence1 to the end that a nation might arise upon this chosen soil with a mission to foster and protect the infant and growing ,church of ,christ4 ,that was a righteous war1 and the divine inspiration for it rested upon the ,patriot ,fathers1 #ae who1 at the hazard of their lives1 signed the immortal ,declaration1 and drew their swords to defend and perpetuate that sublime annunciation of liberty and equal rights4 ,the ,world ,war4--,so with the great war that over-threw the ,german ,kaiser1 putting an end to the wicked strife that he was waging4 ,it was a righteous against an unrighteous exertion of military force4 ,what better motive could a nation have than that which actuated the ,american people in sending forth their armies and navies to check the on-rushing hordes that were bent upon crushing freedom and setting an iron heel on the neck of the world8 ,it was a holy war1 so far as ,america was concerned2 and a just war1 a war of self-defense1 on the part of her associated powers4 ,the ,god of ,justice was in it for the welfare of humanity4 ,who can doubt that ,he upheld and sustained the arms of those who carried it to a victorious conclusion8 ,and if the result shall be even a partial clearing of the way for the introduction or further spread of ,liberty's ,perfect ,law among spiritually benighted nations1 the mightiest and costliest of earth's conflicts will not have been in vain4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 ,c4 #aje3ad1 #ae4 #b4 ,matt4 #e3g4 #c4 ,ib4 #e3dd2 ,luke #f3bg1 #ce4 #d4 ,rom4 #ab3ai2 ,deut4 #cb3ce4 #e4 ,job saw the matter in a clear light 7#b3aj74 ,he did not charge ,deity with the authorship of evil--evil as well as good being self-existent4 ,he knew that ,god is a hater of iniquity 7,psalms #de3g2 ,heb4 #a3i72 but he also knew that evil is controlled by the divine ruler and made tributary to the success of his plans4 ,therefore he did what all should do--he acknowledged the hand of the ,lord in all things1 in adversity as well as prosperity4 #f4 ,president ,woodruff1 in his ,brigham ,city address1 ,june #bd1 #ahid1--;an address already cited in these pages--speaks thus of the ,latter-day judgments3 ,god has held the angels of destruction for many years1 lest they should reap down the wheat with the tares4 ,but ,i want to tell you now1 that these angels have left the portals of ,heaven1 and they stand over this people and this nation now1 waiting to pour out the judgments4 #g4 ,isa4 #aj3ae4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #fc3cc4 #i4 ,rev4 #ab3g-i4 #aj4 ,joshua #a-ab4 #aa4 ,gen4 #d3aa1 #ab4 #ab4 ,ib4 #i3f4 #ac4 ,ex4 #bj3ac4 #ad4 ,the same may be said of ,israel's war upon the ,amalekites1 in the days of ,king ,saul1 and of similar wars undertaken by the armies of the living ,god1 heaven-directed and divinely empowered4 ,samuel's hewing of ,agag in pieces before the ,lord1 was not a crime1 but an act of justice1 a righteous retribution upon an unrighteous ruler1 whose sword had made women childless4--#a ,sam4 #ae3cc4 #ae4 #a ,nephi #ac3af-ai4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,six4 ,god's ,hand ,upon the ,nations4 ,compelling ,situations4--,the ,lord will force no man to ,heaven1 nor permit ,satan to force any man to ,hell4 ,human agency remains inviolate4 ,but while there is no such thing in the ,gospel of ,christ as compulsion1 in the sense of fettering man's free will1 there is such a thing as a compelling situation1 the creating of conditions and shaping of circumstances that have often influenced men to do1 of their own volition1 what they would not have done if the situation had not changed1 if such conditions and circumstances had not arisen4 ,a simple illustration is furnished in the old-time anecdote of the boy up the farmer's apple tree--refusing to come down when kindly requested2 persisting in his refusal when sharply reprimanded and a handful of turf thrown2 but1 when pelted with stones1 scrambling down in a hurry--of his own accord4 ,that is my idea of a compelling situation2 the offender retaining his freedom1 exercising his right of choice1 but yielding to force of circumstances1 and changing his mind for his own behoof4 ,there's a divinity that shapes our ends1 ,rough hew them as we will4 ,the ,parable of the ,supper4--,force1 indirect compulsion1 applied without infringing upon man's agency1 is undoubtedly an element of the divine economy4 ,what else is the meaning of the ,savior's parable in which he likens the ,kingdom of ,heaven to a feast8 ,a certain man made a great supper1 and bade many3 ,and6 sent his servant at supper-time1 to say to them that were bidden1 ,come1 for all things are now ready4 ,and they all with one consent began to make excuse4 ,the first said unto him1 ,i have bought a piece of ground1 and ,i must needs go and see it3 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said1 ,i have bought five yoke of oxen1 and ,i go to prove them3 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said4 ,i have married a wife3 and therefore ,i cannot come4 ,so that servant came1 and showed his lord these things4 ,then the master of the house1 being angry1 said to his servant1 ,go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city1 and bring in hither the poor1 and the maimed1 and the halt1 and the blind4 ,and the servant said1 ,lord1 it is done as thou hast commanded1 and yet there is room4 ,and the lord said unto the servant1 ,go out into the highways and hedges1 and compel them to come in1 that my house may be filled4 #a ,the inference is1 that they were compelled to come in1 but not against their own freedom of choice4 ,fishers and ,hunters4--,the ,god of ,israel has set his hand to gather his elect and prepare the world for the sanctifying reign of righteousness4 ,he will accomplish what he has undertaken1 using for that purpose every means consistent and available4 ,christ died to save the souls of men1 and save them ,he will--by mild measures whenever these will avail2 but by stern methods1 if necessary1 after the mild have proved ineffectual4 ,first1 the fishers1 with gentle1 kind persuasion4 ,then the hunters--war1 commotion and destruction4 ,such is the divine program4 #b ,the ,day of ,wrath--,a ,refuge ,from the ,storm4--,joseph the ,seer prophesied that war would be poured out upon all nations4 ,zion1 the pure in heart1 are to be the only people that shall not be at war one with another4 #c ,and it shall come to pass1 among the wicked1 that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor1 must needs flee unto ,zion for safety4 #d ,to provide against these and other perils1 the ,church of ,christ was founded--a standard for the nations1 that the gathering together upon the land of ,zion and upon her stakes1 might be for a defense1 and for a refuge from the storm1 and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth4 #e ,other ,judgments4--,but war is not the only expression of divine wrath4 ,the strife of nation against nation is but one of many turmoils that the last days are destined to witness4 ,epidemics of sickness are to play a part in the great retribution4 #f ,john on ,patmos heard a voice from ,heaven say3 ,come out of her1 my people1 that ye receive not of her plagues4 #g ,through ,joseph in ,america1 the same dread oracle proclaimed a desolating scourge1 that shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth1 and shall continue to be poured out from time to time if they repent not1 until the earth is empty and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming4 #h ,divine ,participation4--,and who1 after reading what follows1 can doubt divine participation in these troubles3 ,for ,i the ,almighty have laid my hand upon the nations to scourge them for their wickedness2 and plagues shall go forth1 and they shall not be taken from the earth until ,i have completed my work1 which shall be cut short in righteousness4 ,until all shall know me1 who remain1 even from the least unto the greatest1 and shall be filled with the knowledge of the ,lord and shall see eye to eye4 #i ,after ,testimony1 ,indignation4--,the ,lord's servants were to go forth among the ,gentiles for the last time1 to bind up the law and seal up the testimony1 and prepare the ,saints for the hour of judgment4 ,and after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people4 ,for after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes that shall cause groanings in the midst of her1 and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand4 ,and also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings and the voice of lightnings1 and the voice of tempests1 and the voice of the waves of the sea1 heaving themselves beyond their bounds4 ,and all things shall be in commotion2 and surely1 men's hearts shall fail them2 for fear shall come upon all people4 #aj ,again3 ,the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man2 and the sun shall hide his face1 and shall refuse to give light1 and the moon shall be bathed in blood1 and the stars shall become exceeding angry1 and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree4 #aa ,the ,question of ,cause4--,who will cause these terrible calamities8 ,not man--that is certain2 though his conduct may justify them4 ,men can stir up strife and precipitate war4 ,they can even bring pestilence and famine4 ,but they cannot stir up tempests and earthquakes1 cause whirl winds and tidal-waves1 or govern the action of sun1 moon and stars4 ,these1 with other convulsions of nature1 no less than war1 famine and pestilence1 are among ,god's judgments upon the workers of iniquity4 ,satan1 prince of the powers of the air1 may be immediately responsible for these fearful disturbances2 #ab but he can do only what he is permitted to do by the ,all-just and ,all-merciful1 who looses him or holds him in check4 ,the ,divine ,purpose4--,and what is the purpose--the ultimate purpose of it all8 ,destruction8 ,no1 a thousand times no1 except in so far as destruction must at times precede reconstruction1 and is necessary to preserve what is worth preserving4 ,the world's welfare is the object in view4 ,god's wrath1 however fiercely it burns1 is not comparable to petty human anger4 ,his work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man1 #ac and if1 in the process1 ,he uses the powers of destruction1 as well as the powers of construction--for all power is his1 in heaven and in earth #ad--;it is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best4 ,however severe his chastisements1 we can rest assured of this3 ,hatred of humanity has no place in the heart of ,him who so loved the world that he gave his ,only ,begotten ,son to save it from eternal damnation4 ,why ,calamities ,come4--,calamities do not come up on the world merely to scourge the wicked and avenge the wrongs of the righteous4 ,the primal aim of ,divine ,punishment is to purify1 and if possible save those upon whom the ,great ,avenger lays a chastening hand4 ,the object is to bring sinners to repentance1 to throw down the barriers that prevent men from coming to ,christ1 and turn into the upward path those bent upon pursuing the downward road4 ,the ,gospel saves all who are willing to be saved1 and who show their willingness by their obedience1 their faith by their works4 ,it also aims to save the unwilling and disobedient--here if possible1 and if not here1 then hereafter4 ,wars and other woes are sent to put a stop to men's evil practices1 lest they add sin to sin and pile up guilt to their greater condemnation4 ,to be swept off the earth and ministered to in the spirit world1 is not the worst fate that can befall the wicked4 ,omnipotence wields the powers of destruction in such a way as to make of them instruments of salvation4 ,it may seem cruel1 but in reality it is kind4 ,safety ,with ,the ,priesthood4--,the ,almighty does not hurl the shafts of affliction against the righteous1 especially against helpless innocence2 but in pursuance of his benevolent designs1 and to effect the greatest good to the greatest number1 ,he permits the destroyer to exercise his agency in a world where good and bad1 old and young1 all classes and all qualities1 dwell4 ,some of the woes thus launched fall partly upon the choicest of ,god's children1 unless faith be there--as doubtless ,he intends--faith and the power of the ,priesthood1 to intervene for their preservation4 ,the just shall live by faith1 it is written1 and the ,priesthood is a shield to those who bear it and to those who honor its possessors4 #ae ,the ,chastening of the ,lord4--,my son1 says the ancient ,wise ,man1 despise not the chastening of the ,lord2 neither be weary of his correction3 ,for whom the ,lord loveth1 he correcteth2 even as a father the son in whom he delighteth4 #af ,bearing in mind this sapient admonition1 let us not be doubtful of the ,divine ,purpose in sending forth the destroyer1 whether in the shape of war1 pestilence and famine1 partly caused by human agency2 or in earthquakes1 cyclones1 and other fierce convulsions1 over which man has absolutely no control4 ,they are all phases of ,the ,battle of the ,great ,god1 #ag intent upon clearing the way for the coming of the ,perfect ,one1 bringing order out of chaos1 overthrowing wrong and establishing right1 to the end that the human race may be permanently blest and the righteous possess in peace the heritage prepared for them from the foundation of the world4 ,footnotes #a4 ,luke #ad3af-bc4 #b4 ,jer4 #af3af4 #c4 ,d4 ,c4 #hg3b4 #d4 ,ib4 #de3fh1 #fi4 #e4 ,ib4 #aae3d-f4 #f4 ,ib4 #de3ca4 ,an overflowing scourge--a desolating sickness1 to cover the land4 #g4 ,rev4 #ah3d4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #e3ai4 #i4 ,d4 ,c4 #hd3if-ih4 #aj4 ,ib4 #hh3hh-ia4 #aa4 ,ib4 #hh3hg4 #ab4 ,job #a3ai4 #ac4 ,moses #a3ci4 #ad4 ,matt4 #bh3ah4 #ae4 ,said ,president ,woodruff1 in his address upon the judgments3 ,can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities8 ,i'll tell you3 ,the priesthood of ,god who honor their priesthood1 and who are worthy of their blessings4 4 4 4 4 ,no other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments4 ,they are at our very doors2 not even this people will escape them entirely4 ,they will come down like the judgments of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury4 ,the ,president meant1 no doubt1 to include in this reference those who follow the servants of the ,lord and are guided by their counsels4 ,he was speaking to a general congregation1 and said1 in addition to the words just quoted3 ,if you do your duty1 and do my duty1 we shall have protection1 and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and safety4 #af4 ,prov4 #c3ab4 #ag4 ,d4 ,c4 #hh3aad4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,seven4 ,the ,consummation4 ,time1 mighty daughter of ,eternity6 ,mother of ages and of aeons past6 ,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 keys and powers1 ,from ,adam's fall unto ,messiah's reign-- ,a thousand years of rest1 a day with ,god1 ,while ,shiloh reigns1 and ,kolob once revolves4 #a ,gathering the ,gatherers4--,the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times is distinctively a gathering dispensation4 ,but it stands for more--far more than the assembling of the dispersed ,house of ,israel4 ,it is the spiritual harvest-time of all the ages1 the long-heralded ,era of ,restitution1 #b when the great ,garnerer of all things in ,christ will reveal himself in power and glory1 and place the capstone on the temple of heaven-inspired human achievement4 ,the gathering of ,israel is only the preface to the book1 only the prologue to the play4 ,the gathering of the gatherers--such is the meaning of the preliminary work now in progress1 a work in which ,gods1 angels and men have joined4 ,the ,final ,development4--,this great era of restoration was made necessary by the departure of the ,christian word from the faith delivered to the former-day ,saints4 ,but that is not its full significance4 ,in accordance with the foreknowledge of ,god1 and in consonance with his sublime1 far-reaching purposes1 this vast1 all-comprehending period was foreordained from the beginning as the final development of the ,divine ,plan--the winding-up scene of the ,creator's work pertaining to this planet4 #c ,all in ,one4--,joseph the ,seer1 referring to this mighty dispensation1 and the object for which it was ushered in says3 ,it is necessary 4 4 4 4 that a whole and complete and perfect union and welding-together of dispensations and keys and powers and glories should take place1 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 #d ,joseph ,smith's ,work4--,these words were uttered by the ,prophet less than two years before the tragic termination of his mortal life4 ,he had looked upon the face of ,god1 as did ,enoch1 ,moses1 and other seers in times of old4 ,he had communed with ,angels1 receiving from them the keys of the ,priesthood and the principles of the ,everlasting ,gospel4 ,thus empowered1 he had organized on earth the ,church of ,christ1 the forerunner of the ,kingdom that shall stand forever4 #e ,wrapt in celestial vision1 he had gazed upon the glories of ,eternity1 portraying in burning eloquence the destiny of the human race1 setting forth in vivid plainness the conditions of man's salvation and exaltation in worlds to come4 #f ,he had preached the ,gospel in various parts of his native land1 and had caused it to be preached in realms beyond the sea4 ,his glorious career1 which was about to end in martyrdom1 was signalized by the introduction and practice of sacred principles which he affirmed would bring forth ,zion and enable the pure in heart to see ,god and inherit celestial glory--the ultimate aim of all righteous endeavor4 ,the ,divine ,presence4--,this1 said the ,prophet1 is why ,adam blessed his posterity2 he wanted to bring them into the presence of ,god4 #g ,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 thing1 and there were ,eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories1 but1 did not obtain them4 ,but they prophesied of a day when this glory would be revealed1 4 4 4 4 when ,god would gather together all things in one4 #h ,keys ,committed4--,the ,prophet goes on to say that the ,angels who hold the keys of spiritual powers and blessings--authoritative characters--men in heaven having children on earth--will come down and join hand in hand in bringing about this work4 #i ,at the time of that utterance1 this phase of the ,latter-day ,work had begun1 the founder of the ,church having received from heavenly messengers the keys of authority and power held by them in past dispensations4 ,the ,aaronic ,priesthood had been conferred by ,john the ,baptist1 #aj and the ,melchizedek ,priesthood by ,peter1 ,james and ,john4 #aa ,without this divine authorization the ,church could not have been established1 the ,ensign could not have been raised for the gathering of scattered ,israel4 ,already have ,i related how the keys of the gathering were committed to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery in the ,kirtland ,temple4 ,elias and ,elijah--,but more was to follow4 ,in that wonderful record of visions manifested to these ,elders1 and testified of by them1 occurs this solemn affirmation3 ,elias appeared1 and committed the dispensation of the ,gospel of ,abraham1 saying that in us and our seed 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 us 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 ,therefore1 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 #ab ,the ,same ,yet ,not the ,same4--,elias1 considered as a name1 is the ,greek equivalent of the ,hebrew ,elijah4 ,compared references in the ,new and ,old ,testaments clearly establish their verbal identity4 #ac ,but ,joseph ,smith distinguished between the spirit of ,elias and the spirit of ,elijah1 the former a forerunner1 the latter holding the sealing powers necessary to complete the work of preparation for ,messiah's advent4 #ad ,elijah1 therefore1 is not to be confounded with ,elias--that is to say1 with the ,elias who committed the keys of the ,abrahamic dispensation4 ,there are many ,eliases1 in the sense of the lesser preparing the way before the greater2 and by one of them ,abraham's keys were restored1 in order that the blessings anciently pronounced upon the ,father of the ,faithful might be extended to his posterity in modern times4 ,why ,elijah8--,why send ,elijah8 asks the ,prophet2 and 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 states that ,elijah was the last prophet that held the keys of the ,priesthood4 #ae ,the ,restorer's ,mission4--,elijah's mission1 as made known by modern revelation1 represents the establishment of that condition of perfect unity referred to by ,joseph the ,seer1 whose comment thereon is quoted in the third paragraph of this article4 ,mormonism1 as already explained1 does not stand for one ,gospel dispensation alone1 but for all the ,gospel dispensations1 extending1 like the links of a mighty chain1 through the whole course of ,time4 ,the ,final ,dispensation1 made effective by the keys of ,elijah1 will bring together and weld in one the parted links of this universal chain4 ,the restitution of all things--the setting in order of the ,lord's ,house1 preparatory to his coming1 such is the significance of the mission of ,elijah1 who turns the hearts of the fathers 7in heaven7 to the children 7on earth71 and the hearts of the children to the fathers4 ,the ,welding ,link4--,but these hearts must not only be turned2 they must be bound together1 and beat as one4 ,that thought1 no less than the other1 was in the ,prophet's mind when1 from his place of retirement during a season of trouble1 he wrote repeatedly to the ,church regarding an all-important duty devolving upon its members4 ,said he3 ,the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other1 between the fathers and the children4 ,and what is it8 ,it is the baptism for the dead4 ,for we without them cannot be made perfect1 neither can they without us be made perfect4 #af ,without ,unity1 ,no ,perfection4--,perfection is the great end in view2 and without unity there can be no perfection4 ,to bring about this great consummation1 the ,gospel was instituted1 the ,savior chosen1 ,earth created1 and the human race placed upon this planet4 ,nothing imperfect can inherit the ,divine ,presence--the fulness of ,god's glory4 ,this important lesson is taught by the principle of marriage--celestial marriage--the sealing of the sexes1 not for time only1 but for all eternity4 ,the man is not without the woman1 nor the woman without the man1 in the ,lord4 #ag ,united1 they represent completeness1 perfection1 each being the complement of the other4 ,husband and wife1 parent and child1 the living and the dead1 must be one1 lest it be said of them at the celestial gates1 as it was said at the gates of ,verdun3 ,they shall not pass4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints build temples and officiate therein1 the living for the dead1 not only to save them1 but to bring them into that grand ,order of ,unity1 so necessary to the perfection of ,god's work4 ,the ,keys of ,preparation4--,past and present are related4 ,it is the relationship of parent and child4 ,neither is complete without the other4 ,what has been and what is must join1 before perfection can reign4 ,without unity and the perfecting power of righteousness1 the ,saints would be unprepared to receive the ,king of ,kings4 ,earth1 unable to endure the overpowering glory of his presence1 would vanish from before his face1 like hoar-frost in the rays of the rising sun4 #ah ,that there might be no such calamity1 no converting of an intended blessing into a consuming curse1 ,elijah restored the ,keys of ,preparation4 ,the ,universal ,gathering4--,the gathering of the ,house of ,israel is to be supplemented by a greater gathering--the bringing together of all the ,gospel dispensations1 with all the sacred powers and mighty personages connected therewith4 #ai ,there is to be a general assembly1 a universal union1 in which sainted souls from all glorified creations will join4 #bj ,all things that are ,christs's1 both in heaven and on earth1 will eventually be brought together1 and the divided and discordant parts attuned and blended into one harmonious ,whole4 ,footnotes #a4 ,elias1 ,canto #e1 p4 #cg1 annotative edition4 #b4 ,acts #c3ba4 #c4 ,d4 ,c4 #gg3ab4 #d4 ,ib4 #abh3ah4 #e4 ,dan4 #b3dd4 #f4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf4 #g4 ,d4 ,c4 #ajg3ef4 #h4 ,ib4 #hd3bc1 #bd4 #i4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #c1 pp4 #chh1 #chi4 #aj4 ,d4 ,c4 #ac4 #aa4 ,ib4 #bg3ab2 #abh3bj4 #ab4 ,d4 ,c4 #aaj3ab-af2 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #c1 p4 #cij4 #ac4 ,see ,luke #i3ed and #b ,kings #ah3ch2 also ,james #e3ag and #a ,kings #ag3a4 #ad4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #f1 pp4 #bdi1 #bed4 #ae4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #baa4 ,elijah the ,tishbite1 as he is called in ,scripture1 figured in the history of the ,kingdom of ,israel about nine centuries before the birth of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,it was a period of idolatry1 when the priests of ,baal 7whom ,elijah overthrew7 had ,ahab the king and his wife1 the wicked ,jezebel1 completely under their sinister influence4 ,regarding the great ,prophet of ,restoration1 ,dr4 ,geikie1 says3 ,the immense influence of ,elijah during his life is seen in the place he held in the memory of after generations in ,israel4 ,he takes rank along with ,samuel and ,moses2 not like the former1 as the apostle of a system yet undeveloped2 or as the founder of a religion1 like the latter2 but as the restorer of the old when it was almost driven from the earth4 ,the prophet ,malachi portrays him as the announcer of the great and terrible day of ,jehovah4 ,his reappearance was constantly expected as the precursor of the ,messiah4 ,so continually was he in the thoughts of the people of ,new ,testament times1 that both ,john the ,baptist and our ,lord were supposed to be no other than he4 ,the son of ,sirach 7,see ,apocrypha7 calls him a fire1 and says that his word burned like a torch1 and that it was he who was to gather together again the tribes of ,israel from the great dispersion 4 4 4 4 ,his final coming1 it is believed1 will be three days before that of the ,messiah1 and on each of the three he will proclaim peace1 happiness and salvation1 in a voice that will be heard over all the earth4 ,so firm1 indeed1 was the conviction of this in the days of the ,talmud1 that when goods were found which no owner claimed1 the common saying was1 ,put them by till ,elijah comes4--,hours with the ,bible1 ,vol4 #d1 pp4 #fe1ff4 #af4 ,d4 ,c4 #abg1 #abh4 #ag4 #a ,cor4 #aa3aa4 #ah4 ,mal4 #c3b2 #d3a4 #ai4 ,d4 ,c4 #bg3e-ad4 #bj4 ,ib4 #gf3fg2 ,moses #g3ca1 #fd4 ,,part ,,seven ,,powers ,,and ,,principles ,,article ,,twenty-,,eight4 ,the ,priesthood4 ,what ,priesthood ,means4--,divine authority1 or the right to rule1 inherent in the supreme ,source of all power--such is the primal meaning of ,priesthood4 ,it also signifies the men in whom that authority is vested--the servants of the ,lord1 who officiate for him and administer the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,why ,necessary4--,divine laws1 like human laws1 require officers and a government to administer them4 ,god1 being in the form of man1 cannot be everywhere present in his own person4 ,immanent by the spirit that proceeds from him1 omnipresent by his power1 influence and authority1 ,he cannot1 as a personage1 occupy two places at the same time1 any more than he can make something out of nothing or do aught else that is impossible4 ,to say that ,deity can do that which cannot be done1 is no glorification of ,deity4 ,it is sheer nonsense1 nothing more4 ,since the ,supreme ,being cannot be everywhere present in person1 cannot be in ,heaven and on ,earth simultaneously1 he requires representatives to carry on his work in this as in other parts of the universe4 ,herein is the prime reason1 the fundamental fact1 underlying the necessity for a ,priesthood and a ,church organization4 ,a ,twofold ,power4--,there are two priesthoods in the ,church of ,christ1 or1 more properly1 two grand divisions of priesthood1 namely1 the ,melchizedek and the ,aaronic1 the latter an appendage to the former4 #a ,this dualism is owing to the fact that ,divine ,government takes cognizance of and deals with things temporal as well as with things spiritual4 ,nevertheless1 all things are spiritual to ,deity4 #b ,as ,eternity includes ,time1 so the spiritual includes the temporal4 ,origin of ,names4--,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood was named for ,melchizedek1 king of ,salem4 #c ,the powers of this priesthood are unlimited4 ,it wields authority over all things4 ,holding the keys of the ,kingdom of ,god1 it is the divinely ordained channel through which every important matter is revealed from ,heaven4 #d ,the ,aaronic or ,lesser ,priesthood takes its name from ,aaron1 the brother of ,moses4 ,it operates within a limited sphere1 having a special calling to administer in temporal affairs1 in material things4 ,symbolized by the ,soul4--,the ,government of ,god1 with its two mighty wings of priestly power and authority1 corresponds to and is symbolized by the soul4 ,as spirit and body constitute the soul1 so the ,melchizedek and ,aaronic priesthoods constitute the government of the ,church of ,christ4 ,through the medium of the body1 with its various members and organs1 the things of this life are possessed and utilized1 while those pertaining to a higher state of existence are apprehended and made use of by means of the spiritual faculties4 ,even so1 by these two priesthoods1 differing in powers and prerogatives1 yet allied1 interwoven and harmonious in their mutual workings1 is carried on in all worlds the sublime work of ,omnipotence4 ,furthermore1 to extend the analogy1 it is the spirit or higher part of man that controls1 directs and supplies the motive power of the body1 being the vital mainspring of this wondrous piece of machinery1 whose functions are forwarded by the animation resulting from the union of the twain4 ,in like manner1 the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 holding the keys of presidency1 controls and directs the entire body of the ,church2 delegating1 however1 a portion of its authority to the ,lesser ,priesthood1 that it likewise may wield a legitimate influence and execute the purposes for which it was designed4 ,no ,man ,taketh ,this ,honor4--,men cannot constitute themselves servants of the ,lord4 ,they must be called by him--literally called and ordained1 or they are not qualified to speak and act in his name and stead4 ,while there is no ban upon doing good1 and all are free to promote truth and practice righteousness1 and will reap sure reward for so doing1 there is no such thing as heavenly sanction upon usurped office and authority4 ,the ,scriptures make this fact exceedingly plain4 #e ,god will not acknowledge that which he has not called1 ordained and chosen4 #f ,christ ,the ,head4--,jesus ,christ is the great ,apostle and ,high ,priest1 #g standing at the head of the priestly-kingly ,order of ,melchizedek4 ,it was originally styled ,the ,holy ,priesthood after the ,order of the ,son of ,god2 but this title was changed out of reverence for the ,supreme ,being1 to avoid the too frequent repetition of the all-sacred name4 ,melchizedek's name was substituted1 because he was such a great ,high ,priest4 #h ,apostle means ,messenger1 or one who is sent4 ,the use of the term1 as one of the titles of the ,savior1 is warranted by the fact that the ,son was sent forth by the ,father4 #i ,he was therefore the ,father's messenger4 ,in like manner1 those sent forth by the ,son are his apostles or messengers1 particularly the twelve special witnesses4 ,adam ,stands ,next4--,next to the ,savior in divine authority1 stands ,adam1 ,ancient of ,days1 the father of the whole human family4 ,so says ,joseph the ,prophet1 in his great discourse on ,priesthood4 ,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 44 before the world was formed4 4 ,he had dominion given him over every living creature4 ,he is ,michael the ,archangel4 #aj ,noah's ,position4--,then to ,noah1 who is ,gabriel2 he stands next in authority to ,adam in the ,priesthood4 ,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 earth and then in heaven4 #aa ,these inspired utterances regarding ,adam and ,noah ought to set at rest the question with which they deal4 ,they are a sufficient answer to the charge1 sometimes made1 that the ,latter-day ,saints rank ,joseph ,smith as next in dignity and power to ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is fitting that the ,prophet himself should supply the refutation4 ,an ,everlasting ,principle4--,he goes on to say3 ,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 #ab ,succession and ,descent4--,from ,adam1 the ,priesthood descended through the following line3 ,abel1 ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,melchizedek1 ,abraham1 ,esaias1 ,gad1 ,jeremy1 ,elihu1 ,caleb1 ,jethro and ,moses4 #ac ,says the ,prophet ,the ,savior1 ,moses and ,elias gave the keys to ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 on the ,mount1 when they were transfigured before him4 ,he then asks3 ,how have we come at the ,priesthood in the last days8--and answers thus3 ,it came down1 down1 in regular succession4 ,peter1 ,james and ,john had it given to them1 and they gave it to others4 ,the others include ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 the earliest ,elders of the ,latter-day ,church4 #ad ,agents of the ,almighty4--,inherent in the ,priesthood is the principle of representation4 ,so plenary and far-reaching are its powers1 that when those holding this authority are in the line of their duty1 and possess the spirit of their calling1 their official acts and utterances are as valid and as binding as if the ,lord himself were present1 doing and saying what his servants do and say for him4 ,this is what it means to bear the ,priesthood4 ,it constitutes men agents of the ,almighty1 transacting sacred business in the interest of the one who sent them4 ,these agents should represent their ,principal fairly and faithfully1 reflecting1 as far as possible1 his intelligence and goodness1 living so near to him that when their letter of instructions 7the written word7 falls short1 the ,spirit that indited it1 resting upon them as a continual benediction1 can give line upon line of revelation1 flash upon flash of inspired thought1 to illumine and make plain the path they are to tread4 ,and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the ,holy ,ghost 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 #ae ,no ,unrighteous ,dominion4--,a tremendous power for frail mortal man to wield6 ,yes1 and to guard against its abuse1 the exercise of this divine prerogative is hedged about with certain conditions and limitations4 ,thus3 ,no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ,priesthood1 only by persuasion1 by long suffering1 by gentleness and meekness1 and by love unfeigned2 by kindness and pure knowledge1 which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile1 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 enemy4 #af ,again3 ,the rights of the ,priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven1 and 44 the powers of heaven cannot be controlled or handled only upon the principles of righteousness 4 4 4 4 ,when we undertake to cover our sins1 or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men1 in any degree of unrighteousness1 behold1 the heavens withdraw themselves1 the ,spirit of the ,lord is grieved2 and when it is withdrawn1 ,amen to the ,priesthood or the authority of that man4 #ag ,an ,echo ,from the ,heights ,eternal1 where the ,gods1 in solemn council before the creation of the world1 decreed freedom1 not tyranny2 persuasion1 not compulsion2 charity1 not intolerance1 the platform upon which the ,lord's servants should stand4 ,there is no room in all the ,government of ,god for the exercise of unrighteous dominion4 ,the ,other ,side4--,but there is another side to the question4 ,if the men bearing this sacred authority confine themselves to the lawful use of the powers conferred upon them1 doing no other than the things enjoined by divine revelation or inspired by the ,holy ,spirit--what then8 ,in that event the responsibility shifts to other shoulders2 and just how weighty the responsibility is1 the ,savior himself shows in his parable of the ,last ,judgment1 where is indicated the standard or one of the standards by which ,he will judge the world4 #ah ,before the ,bar of ,god4--,when the ,son of ,man1 sitting upon the throne of his glory1 shall require of all nations and of all men a final accounting1 and shall put to them the crucial question3 ,how did you treat my servants whom ,i sent unto you8 happy the nation or the man who can reply3 ,lord1 ,i showed them the respect to which they were entitled--,i honored them as ,i would have honored ,thee4 ,warning and ,exhortation4--,grievous the sin and heavy the penalty incurred by those who mistreat the servants of the ,master4 ,but more grievous and more weighty still1 the sin and punishment of those who betray them4 ,see to it1 says the ,prophet to the ,elders of the ,church1 that ye 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 ,ghost and proving a traitor to the brethren4 #ai ,again that ancient admonition1 sounding down the centuries1 ,touch not mine anointed1 and do my prophets no harm6 blending with the ,savior's solemn warning to the world3 ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these1 my brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4 ,footnotes #a4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #bjg2 ,d4 ,c4 #ajg3a-bj4 #b4 ,d4 ,c4 #bi3cd1 #ce4 #c4 ,gen4 #ad3ah2 ,heb4 #g3a-ba4 #d4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 p4#bjg4 #e4 #a ,sam4 #ac3i-ad2 #b ,sam4 #f3f1 #g2 #b ,chron4 #bf3ah-ba2 ,heb4 #e3d4 #f4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d4 pp4 #bjh1 #bji4 #g4 ,heb4 #c3a4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #ajg3b-d4 #i4 ,abr4 #c3bg2 ,john #ad3bd4 #aj4 ,ib4 p4 #chf4 #aa4 ,ib4p4 #chf4 #ab4 ,ib4 p4 #chf4 #ac4 ,d4 ,c4 #hd3f-ag4 ,see also #ajg3dj-eb4 #ad4 ,d4 ,c4 #ac4 ,ib4 #abh3bj4 #ae4 ,ib4 #fh3d4 #af4 ,d4 ,c4 #aba3da-dc4 #ag4 ,ib4 vv4 #cf1cg4 #ah4 ,matt4 #be3ba-df4 #ai4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4#c1 p4 #che4 ,,article ,,twenty-,,nine4 ,church ,government ,an ,incomparable ,system4--,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints is conceded1 even by many outside its pale1 to be a most admirable and most thorough system of government4 ,it ought to be2 for it is a product of divine wisdom4 ,the ,church on ,earth is the counterpart1 so far as mortal conditions will permit1 of the ,church in ,heaven1 as beheld in vision by ,joseph the ,seer4 #a ,while the ,church founded by him is not yet perfect1 it is approximately so1 and is destined to attain that condition4 ,it is doubtful that the ,church of ,christ in any former age had so complete an organization as it possesses at the present time4 ,this wonderful scheme of spiritual-temporal government was revealed from above1 and established here below1 that the ,lord's will might be done on earth even as it is done in heaven4 ,earliest ,offices4--,the earliest offices in the ,church were those of ,elder1 ,priest1 ,teacher and ,deacon2 all1 excepting ,elder1 callings in the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 #b ,other offices1 mostly in the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek1 were evolved as fast as they became necessary4 #c ,the first ,bishops were ordained in #ahca1 the year after the ,church was organized4 ,there was no ,first ,presidency until #ahcc1 and no ,stake organization until #ahcd4 ,the ,twelve ,apostles and their assistants1 the ,seventies1 were not chosen until #ahce4 ,but all these offices and callings were inherent in the two priesthoods conferred upon the founder of the ,church before its organization4 ,first and ,second ,elders--,other ,titles4--,joseph ,smith was the first ,president of the ,church4 ,his original title was ,first ,elder2 ,oliver ,cowdery being the ,second ,elder4 ,the initial use of these titles--an anticipative use--was by ,john the ,baptist1 the angel who ordained ,joseph and ,oliver to the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 ,he told them of their future ordination to the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 and of their calling as ,elders thereunder4 #d ,as early as the date of the ,church's organization1 the titles of ,seer1 ,translator1 ,prophet and ,apostle1 were conferred upon ,joseph1 and that of ,apostle upon ,oliver1 by revelation4 #e ,puerile ,complaints4 ,in after years ,president ,joseph ,smith and his associates were criticised by seceders from the ,church1 because of additions made to the original list of offices1 as the result of growth and development on the part of the infant organization4 ,it was contended that since it came into existence with ,elders1 ,priests1 ,teachers and ,deacons as its governing powers1 and this by divine direction1 therefore these orders should have been deemed sufficient1 to the exclusion of ,high ,priest and other titles claimed to have been added by ambitious and spiritually blind leaders4 #f ,such objections are manifestly puerile4 ,the faultfinders would have been no more inconsistent1 had they contended that a new-born babe should remain a babe1 instead of growing up to manhood or womanhood and fulfilling the measure of its creation4 ,the ,correct ,view4--,president ,george ,a4 ,smith1 in speaking of the progress of the ,church1 was fond of using1 as a comparison1 the growth of a hill of corn--first1 a single blade of green shooting up from the soil2 then two or three such blades2 and afterwards a stalk1 with ears of corn and silken tassels pendant4 ,one who made no allowance for the growth of the hill1 might be mystified at beholding it in these various stages of development2 but those familiar with the changes incidental to such an evolution would see the matter in a clear light4 ,greater ,follows ,lesser4--,what more consistent1 more in harmony with correct principle and historical precedent1 than for the greater to follow the lesser1 as when the ,melchizedek ,priesthood came to ,joseph and ,oliver1 after their ordination to the ,aaronic ,priesthood8 ,the lesser prepares the way before the greater4 ,but according to the logic of the ,prophet's critics1 that first ordination should have been all-sufficient2 there should have been no second ordination1 and no further development of the ,lord's work4 ,it ought to have halted then and there1 when the keys of the ,lesser ,priesthood were given4 ,but the ,lord knew best1 and his inspired servants knew4 ,there was to be1 and there has been1 a great and mighty development1 as the present status of the ,church testifies4 ,it has had a wonderful history and a marvelous growth4 ,never so strong or so well equipped as now1 its future is bright with glorious promise4 ,offices in the ,aaronic ,priesthood4--,the offices of the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 graded upward1 are ,deacon1 ,teacher and ,priest4 ,the presidency of this priesthood is the ,bishopric4 ,the ,bishop has charge of the ,church property4 ,he receives and disburses1 under the direction of the higher authorities1 the tithes and offerings of the people4 ,a ,presiding ,bishopric of three have general charge of the funds provided for the support of the poor1 for the building of temples1 for the creation and maintenance of schools1 and for other purposes4 ,the ,church's general financial records are also in their keeping4 ,a bishop must be a lineal descendant of ,aaron--in which event he can serve without counselors--or else a high priest after the order of ,melchizedek1 #g having as his counselors two other high priests of that order4 ,under the jurisdiction of the ,presiding ,bishopric1 in temporal matters1 are the ward bishoprics4 ,wards and ,stakes4--,the ,ward is a division of the ,stake as the ,stake is a division of the ,church4 ,a stake1 in territorial extent1 frequently corresponds to a county1 though in populous districts one county may contain several stakes4 ,there are four stakes in ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,each stake has a presidency of three1 and a high council of twelve1 and these have jurisdiction over all members and organizations in the stake1 including the ward bishoprics4 ,each of the latter constitutes a tribunal for the trial of members who transgress the church laws and regulations4 ,from the decision of the ,bishop's ,court1 either party in a case may appeal to the ,high ,council1 and from a decision of this appellate court an appeal may be taken to the ,first ,presidency4 ,they review the evidence1 and if any injustice has been done1 the case is remanded for a new trial4 ,if a ,president of the ,church were tried1 it would be before ,the ,common ,council of the ,church1 assisted by twelve counselors of the high priesthood4 #h ,the extreme penalty imposed by any of the ,church tribunals is excommunication4 ,administration of ,ordinances4--,the ,aaronic ,priesthood administers in outward ordinances1 such as baptism1 and the sacrament of the ,lord's supper4 ,the higher ordinances--confirmations1 sealings1 adoptions1 and other temple ceremonies--must be administered by the ,priesthood of ,melchizedek4 ,offices in the ,high ,priesthood--,quorums and ,councils4--,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood comprises1 in an ascending scale1 the offices of ,elder1 ,seventy and ,high ,priest4 ,the ,patriarch1 the ,apostle1 and the ,president must all be high priests after this order4 ,each specific body of priesthood is called a quorum1 though most of the general priesthood organizations are termed councils4 ,the ,general ,authorities4--,the highest council in the ,church is the ,first ,presidency4 ,it is composed of three high priests1 one of whom is the ,president1 the others being his ,first and ,second counselors4 ,these three preside over the entire ,church4 ,the ,president is its ,prophet1 ,seer and ,revelator1 and also its ,trustee-in-,trust1 holding the legal title to its property4 ,next to the ,first ,presidency are the ,twelve ,apostles4 ,their special calling is to preach the ,gospel or to have it preached1 in all nations4 ,the ,twelve are equal in authority to the ,first ,presidency1 but they exercise the fulness of their powers only in the absence of the higher council4 ,they have the right to regulate and set in order the whole ,church1 but they act under the direction of the ,first ,presidency4 ,the death of the ,president dissolves that council1 and makes necessary a new organization thereof4 ,the ,apostles nominate the ,president1 who then chooses his ,counselors1 and the three are upheld and sustained by the ,church in its public assemblies1 called conferences4 ,the duty of the ,presiding ,patriarch is to bless the ,church1 give individual blessings to its members1 and comfort them with spiritual ministrations4 ,he also assists the ,apostles in visiting conferences and missions1 and performing other duties as required4 ,the ,first ,council of the ,seventy1 seven in number1 preside over the entire body of the ,seventies4 ,these1 however1 are divided into quorums of seventy1 each quorum having seven presidents of its own4 ,in the absence of the ,first ,presidency and the ,twelve1 the ,first ,council of the ,seventy would preside over the ,church1 associated with sixty-three others1 the senior presidents of the first sixty-three quorums of seventy4 ,the ,seventies labor under the direction of the ,twelve ,apostles4 ,they are independent of the stake presidencies and bishoprics1 as quorums1 but not as individual members4 ,they are the minute men of the ,church1 subject to sudden calls into the mission field4 ,the ,first ,presidency1 the ,twelve ,apostles1 the ,presiding ,patriarch1 the ,first ,council of the ,seventy1 and the ,presiding ,bishopric1 constitute the ,general ,authorities of the ,church4 ,their names are submitted to the ,general ,conference1 held twice a year1 to be voted upon by the members4 ,they are also presented at the stake conferences1 held quarterly1 to be voted upon1 with the stake officers1 in like manner4 ,high ,priests1 ,patriarchs and ,elders4--,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 presidency4 ,all the general authorities1 excepting the ,first ,council of the ,seventy1 must be high priests2 and the same is true of stake presidencies and ward bishoprics4 ,in each stake are one or more patriarchs1 performing1 when active1 duties similar to those of the ,presiding ,patriarch4 ,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 ,the 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 priest's quorum4 ,the ,elder's office is the lowest in the ,melchizedek ,priesthood4 ,the duties of an elder are similar to those of a seventy1 though intended to be exercised more at home than abroad4 ,the ,lesser ,quorums4--,the highest office in the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 except bishop1 is that of priest4 ,the bishop1 however1 is a priest1 and officiates as such when sitting as a judge2 when presiding over his ward1 it is by virtue of the higher priesthood held by him4 ,the priest may preach1 baptize and administer the ,sacrament1 but has not the right to lay on hands and give the ,holy ,ghost2 that being a function of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood4 ,the teacher is a peacemaker4 ,he settles difficulties arising between church members in his district2 or1 if he cannot settle them1 he reports them to the bishop4 ,two or more teachers labor regularly in each of the districts into which a ward is divided4 ,it is incumbent upon them to visit from house to house1 to see that no iniquity exists among the members1 and that they are attentive to their religious duties4 ,the teachers report monthly1 or as often as required1 to the ward bishopric4 ,the deacons have charge of the ward property1 and they assist the teachers1 as the teachers assist the priests4 ,auxiliaries--,church ,schools4 ,all the organizations named are strictly within the pale of the ,priesthood4 ,in addition1 there are a number of auxiliary organizations--helps to the ,priesthood in the government of the ,church--such as relief societies1 ,sabbath schools1 young peoples' mutual improvement associations1 primary associations1 and religion classes4 ,church schools1 of which the religion classes are an adjunct1 exist in many of the stakes4 ,the more notable of the schools are the ,brigham ,young ,university at ,provo1 the ,brigham ,young ,college at ,logan1 and the ,latter-day ,saints ,university at ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,for the maintenance of its splendid educational system1 the ,church makes an appropriation of nearly three quarters of a million dollars1 annually4 ,all branches of learning find place in the curricula of these institutions1 but religion is the principal feature2 the object being to develop the spiritual1 as well as the mental1 physical1 and moral faculties of the student--in short1 to make ,latter-day ,saints4 #i ,the ,present ,status4--,at the period of this writing there are eighty-five ,stakes of ,zion1 all located in the region of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,the ,church's twenty-four outside missions comprise most of the countries of the globe4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints1 in all the world1 number about half a million4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3ed2 #ajg3ic4 #b4 ,ib4 #bj3ch-fd4 #c4 ,ib4 vv4 #fe-fg4 ,note4 #d4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #dj1 #da1 #gg1 #gh4 #e4 ,d4 ,c4 #ba3a4 #f4 ,david ,whitmer1 one of the ,three ,witnesses to the ,book of ,mormon1 in a pamphlet published after his excommunication from the ,church1 put forth such a plea4 ,he also found fault with the ,prophet for receiving revelations without the aid of a seer-stone1 previously used by him1 but laid aside after he had fully mastered his gift1 which ,david seems to have regarded as of less consequence than the stone1 which was no longer needed4--,address to ,all ,true ,believers in ,christ1 by ,david ,whitmer1 #ahha4 #g4 ,d4 ,c4 #fh3ad-ba2 #ajg3af1 #ag1 #fi-gf4 #h4 ,ib4 #ajg3hb4 #i4 ,for further information on ,priesthood and ,church ,government1 the reader is referred to ,sections #bj1 #fh1 #hd1 #ajg1 #aab and #aad1 ,doctrine and ,covenants2 also to ,volume #c1 p4 #che and ,vol4 #d1 p4 #bjg1 ,history of the ,church4 ,,article ,,thirty4 ,the ,law of ,obedience4 ,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 predicated4--,joseph ,smith4 #a ,pope and ,his ,proverb4--,order is heaven's first law1 said ,alexander ,pope2 #b and many have accepted the poet's dictum as final4 ,it sounds well1 but is it true8 ,president ,george ,q4 ,cannon denied its truth1 affirming order to be an effect rather than a cause1 a result flowing from obedience1 without which order would be impossible4 ,obedience1 he maintained1 is heaven's first law1 and the order that reigns there1 a condition consequent4 ,manifestly this is a correct position4 ,human and ,divine ,government4--,that obedience is essential to order1 must be apparent even to a casual observer of the every-day life of men and nations4 ,all governments demand from their people obedience to the laws enacted for the general welfare4 ,without it there would be no peace1 no protection4 ,confusion would prevail1 and anarchy reign supreme4 ,this is readily conceded by most men as to human governments2 but some think it strange that divine government should be administered upon like principles1 and for similar though higher ends4 ,aliens ,must ,be ,naturalized4--,a friend of mine1 somewhat of a skeptic1 asked me3 ,why must ,i belong to a church1 or subscribe to a creed1 or undergo any particular ceremony1 in order to be saved8 ,i have always done what ,i thought was right--have been truthful1 honest1 virtuous and benevolent4 ,why is that not enough8 ,why will it not suffice to make my peace with ,god and pave my way to ,heaven8 ,i answered3 ,suppose you were an alien1 born in some country of ,europe1 or on some island of the sea1 and you came to ,america desiring to become a citizen of the ,united ,states4 ,when told that you must declare your intentions1 take out naturalization papers1 forswear allegiance to any 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 man2 ,i have always acted honorably2 am clean1 moral and upright in conduct and conversation4 ,why is that not sufficient to entitle me to vote1 to hold office1 take up 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 the ,government would see it and reject your application4 ,you would not expect to become a citizen of the ,united ,states on your own terms4 ,why1 then1 should you hope for admittance into the ,kingdom of ,heaven upon any conditions other than those which the ,king himself has laid down8 ,man's ,proper ,attitude4--,men must not count upon their personal qualities1 when applying for citizenship in the ,eternal ,commonwealth4 ,the proper attitude is one of humility1 not self-righteousness4 ,the ,pharisee who prayed1 thanking the ,lord that he was better than other men1 was less justified than the ,publican who also prayed1 but in a different spirit1 meekly murmuring3 ,god be merciful to me1 a sinner4 #c ,a disposition to laud self1 or dictate the terms upon which one is willing to be blest1 is anything but modest1 anything but reasonable4 ,truthfulness1 honesty1 virtue1 benevolence--these are precious qualities1 treasures enriching the soul under all conditions1 inside or outside the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,but they are not valuable enough to purchase a passport into that ,kingdom4 ,they go far1 but not far enough to secure salvation4 ,better ,than ,sacrifice4--,to obey is better than sacrifice4 ,so said obedient ,samuel to disobedient ,saul4 #d ,abraham's willingness to obey1 when the ,lord commanded him to offer up ,isaac1 was accepted in lieu of the offering4 ,a literal sacrifice was not necessary in that case2 but the offer to make it was necessary2 for thus was symbolized the most important event in all history--the offering by the ,eternal ,father of his beloved ,son for the redemption of the fallen human race4 ,the ,patriarch's willingness having been shown1 the ,lord1 who had directed ,abraham to offer up his son1 sent an angel with the countermanding order3 ,lay not thine hand upon the lad4 #e ,the offering had been accepted1 and he who made it was rewarded as abundantly as if the sacrifice had been consummated4 ,dead ,letter and ,living ,oracle4--,but what if ,abraham1 when commanded to offer up his son1 had refused1 citing in support of his position the divine law against homicide1 a law dating from the time of ,cain and ,abel--would that have justified him8 ,no2 ,god's word is his law1 and the word last spoken by him must have precedence over any earlier revelation on the same subject4 ,if ,abraham1 after being forbidden to slay his son1 had fanatically persisted in slaying him1 he would have been a transgressor1 just as much as if he had refused to obey in the first instance4 ,after receiving the second command1 he could not consistently plead that he was under obligation to carry out the first4 ,had he done so1 he would have placed himself in a false position1 that of honoring the dead letter above the living oracle4 ,the ,will for the ,deed4--,let me give this principle another application4 ,a soldier goes forth to fight the battles of his country1 goes with a willing heart1 offering his life that justice may prevail and freedom endure4 ,having done his duty1 he returns unscathed from the conflict where many went down to death4 ,is not his offering as acceptable as that of his comrade who makes what is called the supreme sacrifice8 ,he certainly offers as much1 the only difference being that not as much of his offering is taken4 ,all honor to those who1 during the dreadful war of recent years1 perished in the blood-soaked trenches1 or fell in the open field with ,prussian or ,austrian bullets in their breasts6 ,all honor to those who met death by accident or disease1 in training camp or at battle-front1 on land or on sea1 losing their lives while faithfully playing their part in the great world tragedy6 ,heroes1 every one6 ,but the gallant fellows who lived through it all1 patiently enduring hardships and privations1 dying daily by anticipation1 and by willingness to sacrifice all for the common good--be it not forgotten that in spirit they gave as much as any2 and the fact that their offering was not taken1 does not discount the motive that actuated them1 nor diminish the credit due4 ,as his part is that goeth down to the battle1 so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff2 they shall part alike4 #f ,the ,just and the ,unjust4--,all blessings come by obedience4 ,when the ,savior said of the ,father3 ,he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust4 #g he did not mean that no distinction is made between the two classes4 ,he meant that the ,great ,judge is just to both--just even to the unjust1 sending to them his rain and his sunshine1 causing their orchards to bloom and their vineyards to bear equally with those of the righteous1 provided similar conditions surround1 and both classes are equally obedient to the laws governing the culture of the soil4 ,they ,kept the ,first ,estate4--,but rain and sunshine1 like all other blessings1 are for those who merit them4 ,if the unjust 7unjust here7 had not kept their first estate1 had not manifested in a previous life some degree of obedience to divine law1 they would not have been given a second estate1 would not have been placed where the sunlight and the showers could reach them4 ,obedience ,must ,continue4--,in this life1 however1 further obedience is necessary1 in order that greater blessings may come4 ,god's gifts are both spiritual and temporal2 but whatever they are1 their bestowal is regulated by the great ,law of ,obedience4 ,a good man may be a poor farmer1 and thus fail to raise the full crop that he might have reaped had he been more skillful or more thorough in the practice of his vocation4 ,on the other hand1 a bad man may be an expert tiller of the soil1 realizing bounteous returns because of his strict observance of the law in that particular department of industry4 ,higher ,laws and ,higher ,blessings4--,there are greater blessings1 however1 than those pertaining to the harvest field and the workshop1 and they also are to be had only by obedience to the laws governing their bestowal and distribution4 ,one cannot become a member of the ,church of ,christ by being a successful merchant or stockraiser2 and one may hold church membership1 yet not be entitled to the privileges of the ,temple4 ,it takes more than the skill of a mechanic to get into the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,there is but one way into that kingdom1 and he who tries to pick the lock or climb over the wall1 will be treated as a trespasser or a robber4 ,rod and ,rock4--,obedience is the rod of power which smites the rock of divine resource1 causing it to flow with the waters of human weal4 ,and the most obedient are the most blest4 ,there are many mansions in the great ,house of ,god1 and the highest are for those who render unto the ,master of the ,house the fulness of their obedience4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 ,c4 #acj3bj1 #b4 ,essay on ,man1 ,epis #d1 line #di4 #c4 ,luke #ah3aj-ad4 #d4 #a ,sam4 #ae3bb4 #e4 ,gen4 #bb3ab4 #f4 #a ,sam4 #cj3bd4 #g4 ,matt4 #e3de4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,one4 ,the ,divine ,doorway4 ,the ,most ,important ,personage4--,what particular acts of obedience are required from man1 in order that the ,one who redeemed may likewise save and exalt him8 ,what must he do for himself1 to the end that he may profit by the great things done in his behalf8 ,in other words1 how shall the alien seeking citizenship in the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 obtain it8 ,what are the divine laws of naturalization8 ,the one who can answer such questions1 is easily the most important personage of his time4 ,such a one was ,peter1 the ,galilean fisherman1 chief of the twelve special witnesses of the ,savior4 ,the ,pentecostal ,proclamation4--,when ,peter1 on the ,day of ,pentecost1 preached ,christ and him crucified1 and the conscience-stricken multitude1 pricked in their heart1 cried out1 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 him--,what shall men do to be saved8 ,not so1 the ,galilean fisherman4 ,he knew1 and he told them straightway3 ,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 ,ghost4 #a ,the ,gospel ,unchangeable4--,these requirements have not changed4 ,they are in force today4 ,they will remain in force so long as the ,gospel is preached4 ,the ,apostle did not say that these were all the requirements4 ,but he answered the question put to him1 and it was the appropriate and sufficient reply for that occasion4 ,in the ,pit4--,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 knew not how to climb2 and even if they had known1 there was no means by which to ascend4 ,human endeavor1 unassisted1 could accomplish nothing in the way of deliverance4 ,man in his mortal condition needed revelation1 spiritual enlightenment1 having forgotten all that he had previously known4 ,he also needed a ladder4 ,the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ is the ladder to ,freedom and ,light4 ,without it there is no salvation1 no exaltation4 ,the ,tower of ,babel symbolizes the situation4 ,all man's efforts to reach ,heaven without divine assistance1 must end in confusion and failure4 ,self-,help ,necessary4--,before there was a ,ladder1 or while it was not within reach1 fallen man could not climb4 ,all his intelligence and skill were unavailing4 ,but the ladder having been let down1 if he will use his ,god-given powers and all the means provided for the purpose1 he can mount from ,earth to ,heaven1 round by round4 ,if he refuses to climb1 who but himself is to blame for his remaining at the bottom of the pit8 ,the ,gospel is not a substitute for self-help4 ,it does not supersede man's efforts in his own behalf4 ,it is the divinely appointed means whereby those efforts are made effectual4 ,it does for man what he cannot do for himself4 ,redemption by ,grace4--,the ,gospel of ,salvation rests upon the rock of ,christ's ,atonement--an act of grace1 a free gift from ,god to man1 to the wicked as well as to the righteous4 ,all profit by it1 for through that atonement1 all are brought forth from the grave4 ,this is eminently just4 ,adam's posterity were consigned to death for no deed of their own doing4 ,it is fitting1 therefore1 that their redemption should be unconditional4 ,salvation by ,obedience4--,but redemption is not salvation1 nor salvation exaltation4 ,men must work out their salvation1 #b and gain exaltation by continuous upward striving4 ,depending primarily upon the grace of ,god1 salvation and exaltation are likewise the fruits of man's acceptance of the ,gospel1 and of his steadfast adherence thereto1 until it shall have done for him its perfect work4 ,the ,first ,requirement4--,faith is the first requirement of the ,gospel4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,so the ,savior declared1 when he commissioned his ,apostles to go into all the world and preach the ,gospel to every creature4 #c ,peter's ,pentecostal sermon omitted faith from the list of essentials1 doubtless for the reason that those whom the ,apostle addressed already had faith1 a fact plainly shown by the question put to him4 ,evidently they believed what he had told them about the crucified ,redeemer2 else they would not have been pricked in their heart1 and would not have anxiously inquired1 ,what shall we do8 ,in like manner1 the ,savior1 when making his conditional promise of salvation1 left out repentance1 it being implied1 virtually included1 in the admonition to believe and be baptized2 since baptism is for the remission of sins--sins of which man has repented4 ,faith1 not repentance1 is the first essential--the initial requirement made of the seeker for salvation4 ,the ,second ,step4--,the first fruit of faith is repentance4 ,it 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 to repent2 and a desire to please him and become acceptable in his sight1 naturally leads the soul of faith to repentance4 ,sin ,no ,more4--,repentance is not that superficial sorrow felt by the wrongdoer when caught in the act--a sorrow not for sin1 but for sin's detection4 ,chagrin is not repentance4 ,mortification and shame alone bring no change of heart toward right feeling and right living4 ,even remorse is not all there is to repentance4 ,in highest meaning and fullest measure1 repentance is equivalent to reformation2 the beginning of the reformatory process being a resolve to sin no more4 ,by this ye may know that a man repenteth of his sins3 ,behold he will confess them and forsake them4 #d ,what is ,sin8--,sin is the transgression of divine law1 as made known through the conscience or by revelation4 ,a man sins when he violates his conscience1 going contrary to light and knowledge--not the light and knowledge that has come to his neighbor1 but that which has come to himself4 ,he sins when he does the opposite of what he knows to be right4 ,up to that point he only blunders4 ,one may suffer painful consequences for only blundering1 but he cannot commit sin unless he knows better than to do the thing in which the sin consists4 ,one must have a conscience before he can violate it4 ,where there is no law given1 there is no punishment 4 4 4 4 no condemnation4 #e ,he that knoweth not good from2 evil is blameless4 #f ,degrees of ,damnation4--,souls who know that they have sinned1 and who refuse to forsake their sins1 will be damned4 ,they damn themselves by that refusal4 ,damnation is no part of the ,gospel4 ,it is simply the sad alternative1 the inevitable consequence of rejecting the offer of salvation4 ,damnation 7condemnation7 is not necessarily permanent1 and it may exist in degrees1 the degree being determined by the measure of culpability in the one condemned4 ,even the damned can be saved if they repent4 ,the ,sin ,unpardonable4--,it is possible1 however1 to sin so far and so deeply that repentance is impossible4 ,shakespeare puts into the mouth of one of his characters--the guilty ,king ,claudius--this speech3 ,try what repentance can3 what can it not8 ,yet what can it when one cannot repent8 #g ,those who cannot repent are sons of perdition4 ,their sin is unpardonable1 involving utter recreancy to divine light and power previously possessed4 ,the ,washing of ,regeneration4--,sin must not only be repented of2 it must be blotted out4 ,the soul must be cleansed of it4 ,baptism is the soul-cleansing process1 the divinely instituted means whereby sins are remitted--that is1 forgiven and washed away4 ,immersion in water1 symbolizing birth1 or burial and resurrection1 is the true form of the baptismal ordinance4 ,baptism is the third principle of the ,gospel4 ,divine ,illumination4--,the soul cleansed from sin is in a condition to enjoy the abiding presence of the ,holy ,spirit1 which dwelleth not in unclean tabernacles4 ,through this precious gift comes the divine light that leads into all truth1 making manifest the things of ,god1 past1 present1 and to come4 ,there is a light that illumines1 in greater or less degree1 every soul that cometh into the world2 but the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 imparted by the laying on of hands of one divinely authorized to bestow it1 is a special endowment1 and only those having membership in the ,church of ,christ can possess it4 ,each is thus given a direct personal testimony of the ,truth1 and is founded upon the ,rock of ,revelation1 against which the ,gates of ,hell cannot prevail4 ,gospel ,principles ,eternal4--,the ,everlasting ,gospel is not an empty phrase4 ,it means just what it says4 ,the principles underlying it are eternal4 ,intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made1 neither indeed can be4 #h ,the same is true of faith and repentance4 ,god did not make them4 ,they are self-existent4 ,such ordinances as baptism by immersion for the remission of sins1 and the laying on of hands for the gift 7giving7 of the ,holy ,ghost1 might indeed be created1 and doubtless were2 but not the fundamental facts upon which they are based4 ,it did not require a divine edict to make washing 7baptism7 a prerequisite to cleanliness2 nor light 7the ,holy ,spirit7 the means of illumination4 ,a code or system of laws and ordinances can readily be conceived of as a creation4 ,not so the principles embodied therein4 ,the ,gospel1 like all other creations1 was organized out of materials already in existence--eternal principles adapted to the needs of man and the purposes of ,deity4 ,the ,supreme ,intelligence1 recognizing these principles as ennobling and exalting in their tendency1 created a plan embodying them as the most effectual means for man's uplift and promotion4 ,that plan1 the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 is the divinely appointed doorway into the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,footnotes #a4 ,acts #b3ch4 #b4 ,phil4 #b3ab4 #c4 ,mark #af3ae1 #f4 #d4 ,d4 ,c4 #eh3dc4 #e4 #b ,nephi #i3be4 #f4 ,alma #bi3e4 #g4 ,hamlet1 ,act4 #c1 ,scene #c4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #ic3bi4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,two4 ,the ,second ,birth4 ,the ,edict of the ,king4--,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 ,god4 #a ,so said the ,king of that ,kingdom1 the only one empowered to prescribe conditions upon which men may become his subjects1 or his fellow citizens in the ,eternal ,commonwealth4 ,nicodemus1 to whom ,jesus spoke those words1 was a ruler of the ,jews1 a ,pharisee1 and1 as some suppose1 a member of the ,sanhedrin1 or supreme ,jewish council4 ,favorably inclined toward the unpopular ,nazarene1 yet too politic to be seen associating with him openly1 this man sought him out 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 of baptism4 ,a ,subject of ,controversy4--,the meaning of the language in which the teaching was conveyed1 though perfectly 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 mystical ,second ,birth1 declared by the ,world's ,redeemer to be the portal of admittance into his ,kingdom4 ,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 it means baptism1 the ordinance whereby a person is initiated into the ,church4 ,but the meaning of baptism1 the significance1 form1 purpose and effects of the ordinance1 and whether or not it is necessary to salvation--these questions have furnished the backbone of the controversy2 questions easily answered1 problems readily solved1 if the ,holy ,spirit be taken for a guide1 and there be no wresting of the scriptures4 ,the ,savior's ,example4--,the words of ,jesus to ,nicodemus ought to set at rest the question of necessity4 ,but as a clincher we have the ,savior's declaration regarding his own baptism4 ,jesus came from ,galilee to ,jordan to be baptized by ,john4 ,the ,baptist1 deeming himself unworthy of that high honor1 demurred1 saying3 ,i have need to be baptized of thee1 and comest thou to me8 ,jesus1 answering1 said3 ,suffer it to be so now1 for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness4 ,then he suffered him4 #b ,now1 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--the baptism of water and of the ,spirit1 received by him at the river ,jordan nearly two thousand years ago4 ,king and ,subject4 ,there are those who contend that the baptism of ,jesus was all-sufficient2 that it answered for the whole human race1 thereby obviating the necessity of baptism in general4 ,to all such ,i put this question ,can you conceive of a kingdom in which the king is required to obey the laws ordained for its government1 while the 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 ,christ's ,kingdom are just and impartial4 ,they bear with equal pressure upon all4 ,the ,son doeth nothing but what he hath seen the ,father do1 #c nor does he require from men an obedience that he himself is not willing to render4 ,follow ,me1 is the watchword of his mission4 ,to ,fulfil ,all ,righteousness4--,true1 baptism is for the remission of sins1 #d and in the ,savior there was no sin to remit4 ,why1 then1 was he baptized8 ,john saw this point1 when ,jesus presented himself for baptism2 and that1 no doubt1 was one reason why he demurred to the request4 ,we cannot impute sin to the ,sinless1 but we are in duty bound to accept and obey his instruction4 ,he did not say3 ,thus it becometh ,me to fulfill all righteousness4 ,he put it in the plural1 thus giving it general application4 ,baptism ,not ,done ,away4--,christ's baptism1 whether for original sin--the sin of the world1 which he had assumed--or purely as an example1 did not do away with baptism1 any more than his endurance of the pangs of ,adam's race #e obviated human suffering4 ,men and women still suffer1 notwithstanding that infinite atonement4 ,all must be baptized for the remission of their own sins1 notwithstanding the baptism of the ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the sin of the world4 #f ,exempt ,from ,baptism4--,little children1 too young to have sinned1 and therefore without need of repentance1 are exempt from baptism1 and it is a sin to baptize them1 involving as it does the vain use of a sacred ordinance4 #g ,redeemed by the blood of ,christ from the foundation of the world1 their innocence and purity are typical of the saved condition of men and women1 who must become like them before entering into the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,as children advance in years1 however1 they become account-able1 and must then yield obedience to the requirements of the ,gospel4 #h ,eight years is the recognized age of accountability in the ,church of ,christ4 #i ,redeemed ,without ,law4--,there is another class mentioned in sacred writ1 for whom1 in the language of the ,book of ,mormon1 baptism availeth nothing4 ,the heathen nations1 who died without law1 are to be redeemed without law1 and shall have part in the first resurrection4 #aj ,these1 however1 are not heirs celestial4 ,theirs is the glory of the terrestrial in the great ,kingdom of the ,future4 ,vicarious ,ministrations4--,so necessary is baptism1 on the part of all capable of intelligent obedience1 that the ,gospel makes provision for the vicarious baptism of those who pass away without undergoing this ordinance for themselves4 ,work of this character1 when divinely authorized1 is acceptable to the ,lord2 a fact that should occasion little wonder in ,christian minds1 when it is remembered that the whole fabric of ,christianity rests upon the vicarious work wrought by ,jesus ,christ for the redemption of a world powerless to redeem itself4 ,men cannot answer by proxy for the deeds done in the body1 but there have always been sacred ceremonies that one person might perform for another4 ,baptism is among them4 #aa ,for the ,remission of ,sins4--,baptism is the divinely instituted process whereby sins are remitted4 ,all men have sinned1 and in order to bring them back into ,god's pure presence1 where nothing sinful can come1 it is necessary that they be first cleansed from sin4 ,water baptism is the beginning of the cleansing process4 ,means and ,accessories4--,water1 in and of itself1 cannot wash away sin2 but obedience1 typified by the water1 can and does1 when the ordinance is lawfully and properly administered4 #ab ,the case of ,naaman the ,syrian1 cleansed of leprosy by dipping seven times in the river ,jordan1 is often cited as an illustration4 #ac ,it was not the water that cured ,naaman1 but his obedience to the ,prophet who had told him to dip seven times in that particular stream4 ,had he dipped in any other stream1 or any other number of times but just seven1 his disease would still have clung to him4 ,but he did as he had been directed1 and his faith1 manifested by his obedience1 worked the cure1 bringing down the power of ,god for that purpose4 ,the water was only the medium through which the power operated4 ,likewise1 when ,christ anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay1 causing him to see1 it was faith that wrought the miracle1 not the clay1 which was only an accessory4 ,it is the same with consecrated oil1 as used in the healing ordinance of the ,church4 #ad ,effect of ,baptism4--,baptism cleanses and illumines the soul1 and it is by water and by ,spirit that the cleansing and illumination come4 ,they are indispensable in the process4 ,the sick can be healed without the use of consecrated oil1 or even without the laying on of hands4 ,but no sinner can be baptized--cleansed and illumined--without the water and the ,spirit4 ,children in ,christ4--,the effect of baptism is to make men and women childlike--not in ignorance1 nor in weakness1 but in innocence and humility4 ,of such is the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,by baptism1 following faith and repentance and administered by divine authority1 the soul is born again1 and is typical1 in its infant-like purity1 of the soul raised to immortality4 ,by baptism we are as effectually freed from sin1 as by death1 burial and resurrection1 the mortal is changed to immortal and ushered into a new existence4 ,hence1 baptism is termed the washing of regeneration4 ,regeneration means new birth4 ,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 post-apostolic ,fathers--the conviction that no soul could be saved without baptism was so firm that it led to pedobaptism--the baptism of infants--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 ,ghost1 ,for the promise is unto you and to your children4 #ae were construed to sustain infant baptism4 ,it was even assumed that the ,savior authorized it in saying1 ,suffer little children to come unto me4 ,pedobaptism4--,holders of such views have never explained why infant baptism did not become prevalent until two or three centuries after ,christ2 and why such eminent ,christians of the fourth century as ,gregory of ,nazianzum1 the son of a bishop2 ,basil the ,great of ,cappadocia2 ,chrysostom of ,antioch1 and ,augustine of ,numida--whose mothers were pious ,christians--were not baptized until they were over thirty years of age1 ,paul's affirmation that children are holy1 #af and the ,savior's declaration1 ,of such is the kingdom of ,god1 #ag 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 over-looked or were blind to 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 another4 ,martyrs who had shed their blood in defense of the ,church1 or for its sake1 but had never confessed ,christ nor been baptized--what of them8 ,for their benefit another doctrine was introduced4 ,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 this might have been obviated1 and the ,church spared much ridicule and skepticism1 the result of its rambling inconsistencies1 had it kept the key to the situation--,baptism for the ,dead4 ,gradual ,growth of a ,heresy4--,the idea that baptism is non-essential 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 in 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 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 ,church and of the orthodox ,protestant churches 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 ,footnotes #a4 ,john #c3c1 #e4 #b4 ,matt4 #c3ac4 #c4 ,john #e3ai4 #d4 ,mark #a3d2 ,acts #b3ch4 #e4 #b ,nephi #i3ba1 #bb4 #f4 ,john #a3bi4 #g4 ,moroni #h3h-aj1 #ai1 #bb4 #h4 ,moses #f3ee4 #i4 ,d4 ,c4 #fh3be-bg4 #aj4 ,mosiah #c3aa2 ,moroni #h3bb2 ,d4 ,c4 #de3ed2 ,ib4 #gf3gb4 #aa4 ,i ,cor4 #ae3bi4 #ab4 ,moses #f3fj4 #ac4 #b ,kings #e3a-ad4 #ad4 ,james #e3ad1 #ae4 #ae4 ,acts #b3bi4 #af4 #a ,cor4 #g3ad4 #ag4 ,mark #aj3ad2 ,luke #ah3af4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,three4 ,meaning ,and ,mode ,of ,baptism4 ,the ,lesser ,suggests the ,greater4--,when ,jesus told ,nicodemus that man must be born of ,water and of the ,spirit1 he virtually declared the meaning of baptism and prescribed the mode of its administration4 ,it was to prepare the way before a greater principle1 that ,christ taught and exemplified the principle of baptism4 ,he compared it to birth1 the entry into mortal life2 and this pointed to resurrection1 the entry into immortal glory4 ,men's minds1 therefore1 should be ready to receive something suggestive of birth and resurrection1 in the ceremony authorized by the ,son of ,god as the means of admission into his ,kingdom4 ,this suggestion is fully realized in the true form of the baptismal ordinance1 namely1 immersion--going down into the water and coming up out of the water1 in the similitude of burial and resurrection1 of birth into a higher life4 ,the ,proper ,form4--,that immersion was the form of the ordinance introduced by ,john the ,baptist1 submitted to by the ,savior1 and perpetuated by his ,apostles1 is a plain and reasonable inference from the teachings of the ,new ,testament4 ,jesus1 when about to be baptized1 must have gone down into the water2 for after baptism1 he went up straightway out of the water4 #a ,when ,philip baptized the ,eunuch1 they went down both into the water4 #b ,john baptized in ,aenon1 near to ,salim1 because there was much water there #c--;another proof presumptive of immersion1 the only mode requiring much water for its performance4 ,if this had not been the proper form1 ,paul would not have compared baptism to burial and resurrection2 #d nor would he have recognized as baptism the passage of the ,israelites through the ,red ,sea4 #e ,note also his words to the ,corinthians relative to vicarious baptism and in support of resurrection1 a doctrine that some of them denied3 ,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 #f ,in other words1 why use the symbol of the resurrection1 if there be no resurrection--if the symbol does not symbolize8 ,additional ,evidence4--,in addition to what the ,bible tells1 we have the statements of archaeologists and historians1 to the effect that baptism1 in the first ages of ,christianity1 was a dipping or submersion in water4 ,this1 in fact1 as philologists testify1 is the meaning of the ,greek word from which the ,english word baptism is derived4 ,ancient baptisteries and other monumental remains in ,asia1 ,africa and ,europe1 show that immersion was the act of baptism4 ,the ,christian churches of the ,orient--,greek1 ,russian1 ,armenian1 ,nestorian1 ,coptic and others1 have always practiced immersion and allow nothing else for baptism4 ,the ,western churches preserved this form for thirteen centuries1 and then gradually introduced pouring or sprinkling--ceremonies in no way symbolical of birth and resurrection1 and therefore not in harmony with the divine purpose for which baptism was instituted4 ,clinic ,baptism4--,baptisms by pouring or sprinkling were exceptional in the early ages of the ,christian ,church4 ,they were called clinic baptisms1 because administered as a rule to the sick1 who could not be taken from their beds to be immersed2 but they were rare1 and were regarded only as quasi-baptisms4 #g ,immersion ,made ,optional4--,baptism by immersion was practiced regularly in the ,roman ,catholic ,church 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 immersion until about the end of the thirteenth century when sprinkling came into common use4 ,luther and ,calvin4--,luther favored immersion and sought1 against the tendency of the times1 to restore it2 but ,calvin1 while admitting that the word baptism means immersion1 and that this was certainly the practice of the ancient ,church1 held that the mode was of no consequence4 ,a ,greater than ,calvin1 however1 had decreed otherwise1 and had set the example that all were to follow4 ,modern ,methods4--,pouring is the present practice in the ,roman ,catholic ,church2 sprinkling in the ,church of ,england and in the ,methodist ,church4 ,a choice of modes is permitted by the ,presbyterians1 though sprinkling is the regular form4 ,the ,baptists as their name implies1 are strong advocates of immersion4 ,the ,quakers repudiate baptism altogether4 ,the ,authorized ,practice4--,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints has but one form of baptism--the one authorized by the ,savior and practiced by his ,apostles1 namely1 baptism by immersion for the remission of sins4 #h ,the ,church derives its knowledge of this sacred ordinance1 not mainly from the ,bible1 nor from the ,book of ,mormon1 nor from any other record4 ,it came by direct revelation to ,joseph the ,seer1 restoring that which was lost4 ,brushing aside the dust and cobwebs of tradition concealing the precious jewel of truth1 he brought back the knowledge of the one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism of the ancients4 #i ,baptism and ,resurrection4--,baptism was made universal1 and became the doorway to the ,church of ,christ1 the ,kingdom of ,god on earth1 because it represents resurrection1 which is likewise universal and without which no man can enter into the ,celestial ,kingdom4 ,christ1 the great ,exemplar of baptism1 was the first to rise from the dead4 ,it was fitting1 therefore1 that he should undergo the ordinance symbolizing the mighty fact for which he stands--redemption from the grave and eternal life beyond4 ,symbolical of the ,soul4--,baptism is twofold1 corresponding to its subject1 the soul1 which is both spiritual and temporal4 ,the body is represented by the water2 the spirit by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,both are essential in the process1 since it is not the body alone1 nor the spirit alone1 that is baptized1 but body and spirit in one4 ,consequently1 baptism is administered in a temporal world1 where body and spirit can both be present1 and where the watery element abounds4 ,a person can believe and repent in the spirit world1 but cannot be baptized there4 ,this makes necessary baptism by proxy4 ,the ,blood that ,cleanseth4--,in reality there are three factors in baptism--the ,spirit1 the ,water and the ,blood4 ,only two of them are used in the ceremony4 ,but without the atoning blood of ,christ1 there could be no baptism of a saving character4 ,hence it is written3 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ cleanseth us from all sin4 #aj ,three in ,one4--,the ,water and the ,spirit1 representing earth and heaven1 are made effectual by the ,blood4 ,man and ,god are thus reconciled1 ,christ being the reconciler4 ,there are three that bear record in heaven--the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost2 and there are three that bear witness on earth--the ,spirit1 the ,water and the ,blood4 ,each group corresponds to the other2 each three agree in one4 ,therefore1 when a soul is baptized1 it must be by ,water and by ,spirit1 made effectual by ,blood1 and in the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,a ,divine ,exegesis--,the ,lord explained this principle to ,adam thus3 ,inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water and blood 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 water 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 glory3 ,for by the ,water ye keep the commandment2 by the ,spirit ye are justified1 and by the ,blood ye are sanctified4 #aa ,the ,mediator4--,spirit1 ,water and ,blood--the three elements of baptism--were combined in the person of ,jesus ,christ1 when baptized by ,john in the ,jordan4 ,standing upon the river's brink1 his sacred from 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 in order that the ,spirit might come in full force unto his disciples4 ,not until the ,mediator had hung between heaven and earth1 were the ,apostles endued with power from on ,high4 ,then it was that the ,spirit of ,god moved with full effect 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 ,immersion in the ,spirit4--,so much stress being laid upon immersion1 and upon the twofold character of baptism1 one may be led to inquire3 ,why is it not an immersion in the ,spirit as well as in the ,water8 ,to which ,i answer3 ,is it not so8 ,when ,john the ,baptist1 proclaiming the ,christ1 said1 ,i indeed have baptized you with water1 but he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost1 #ab it was baptism in each instance1 and baptism signifies immersion4 #ac ,the ,laying on of ,hands4--,the ,holy ,ghost is imparted by the laying on of hands4 #ad ,possibly this ceremony was intended to typify the glorious baptism that ,earth will undergo when the ,spirit is poured out upon her from on ,high4 ,the laying on of hands for the giving of the ,holy ,ghost was an ordinance in the ,christian ,church for centuries4 ,cyprian mentions it in the third century2 ,augustine in the fourth4 ,gradually1 however1 it began to be neglected1 until finally some of the sects discarded it1 while others1 retaining the form1 denied the power thereof4 ,the ,fathers ,understood4--,the ,greek fathers of the ,church held correct ideas concerning baptism4 ,they termed 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 also illumination and the gift of the ,lord4 #ae ,censured for ,truth's ,sake4--,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 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 ,augustine1 and ,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-enlightening process4 ,a ,symbol of ,creation4--,every baptism1 every resurrection1 implies a birth4 ,no seed germinates until it dies1 or appears to die1 and is buried4 ,the gardener plants that there may be a springing forth of new life from the germ of the old4 #af ,coming into this world involves departure out of a previous world1 and burial here implies birth hereafter4 ,the sun sets upon the ,eastern hemisphere to rise upon the ,western1 and sets upon the ,western to rise upon the ,eastern4 ,the setting and rising of the sun2 sleep followed by waking2 winter with its icy fetters and snowy shroud1 succeeded by spring in garments of green1 with bright flowers1 singing birds and laughing streams2 all these suggest baptism1 for they symbolize birth1 burial and resurrection4 ,begotten and ,born of ,god4--,we have a ,father and a ,mother in heaven1 in whose image we were created1 male and female4 ,we were begotten and born in the spirit before we were begotten and born in the flesh2 and we must be begotten and born again1 in the similitude of those earlier begettings and births1 or we cannot regain the presence of our eternal ,father and ,mother4 ,babes in ,christ4--,baptism signifies the creation of souls for the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,the one who baptizes is the spiritual progenitor of the one baptized4 ,this is why the ,apostles referred to those who received baptism at their hands as children of my begetting1 babes in ,christ1 to be fed the milk before the meat of the word4 #ag ,to baptize is to perform spiritually the functions of fatherhood4 ,motherhood is symbolized by the baptismal font4 ,hence1 baptism must be by divine authority1 must have ,god's sanction upon it4 ,heavenly and earthly powers must join1 must be wedded for the bringing forth of the redeemed soul2 otherwise1 the baptism will be unlawful1 the birth illegitimate1 the act of begetting a sin4 ,baptisms1 like marriages1 performed without divine authority1 will have no effect when men are dead4 ,suggestive ,symbolism4--,the significance of baptism and the very form of the ceremony are suggested by the career of that ,divine ,being whose descent from heaven to earth1 and whose ascent from earth to heaven1 are the sum and substance of the ,gospel ,story4 ,descending below and rising above--such was his experience from the time he left his celestial throne to the time he returned to his glorious exaltation4 ,it is not possible that the sacred ordinance of baptism was intended to symbolize that wonderful event--,god's merciful condescension for the sake of fallen man8 ,was it not instituted in anticipation and as a memorial of that mighty ,birth1 with its mortal burial and its immortal resurrection8 ,a ,watery ,world4--,moreover1 in the symbolism of the ,scriptures1 this world is represented by water4 #ah ,all things are water1 said the ,greek ,thales4 ,at the very dawn of creation1 ,spirit and ,water1 the two elements used in baptism1 were both present--the one creative1 the other createable4 #ai ,let the dry land appear6 ,the very words suggest baptism1 birth1 creation--the emergence of an infant planet from the womb of the waters4 ,and when the ,almighty was about to send the ,flood1 he said to ,noah1 concerning the wicked3 ,behold1 ,i will destroy them with the earth4 #bj ,did he mean the watery element which enters so largely into the composition of the earth8 ,a ,double ,doorway4--,water represents the temporal part of creation1 including the body or mortal part of man4 ,baptism therefore1 in its twofold character1 suggests the passing out from this watery world into the spirit world1 and thence by resurrection into eternal glory4 ,it is only a suggestion1 but it emphasizes for me 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 ,spirit4 ,footnotes #a4 ,matt4 #c3af4 #b4 ,acts #h3ch4 #c4 ,john #c3bc4 #d4 ,rom4 #f3c-e2 ,col4 #b3ab4 #e4 #a ,cor4 #aj3a1 #b4 #f4 ,ib4 #ae3bi4 #g4 ,the first recorded case of clinic baptism is mentioned by ,eusebius as having occurred in the third century4 #h4 #c ,nephi #aa3bc-bi4 #i4 ,eph4 #d3e4 #aj4 #a ,john #a3g4 #aa4 ,moses #f3ei1 #fj4 #ab4 ,mark #a3h4 #ac4 ,president ,lorenzo ,snow1 in describing the effect of the ,spirit upon himself1 after his baptism in water1 says3 ,it was a complete baptism--a tangible immersion in the heavenly principle or element1 the ,holy ,ghost4--,improvement ,era1 ,june1 #aiai1 p4 #fed4 #ad4 ,acts #h3ag4 #ae4 ,other synonyms 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 was the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper administered4 #af4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ce-dd4 #ag4 #a ,cor4 #c3a1b2 ,heb4 #e3ac1 #ad4 #ah4 ,dan4 #g2 ,rev4 #ac1 #ag4 #ai4 ,gen4 #a3b4 #bj4 ,ib4 #f3ac4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,four4 ,the ,gospel's ,accessories4 ,many ,ways to the ,heart4--,there is only one way into the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 but there are many ways into the human heart2 and the ,church of ,christ1 in its mission of promulgating truth and turning souls to righteousness1 has legitimate use for every avenue to that heart4 ,poetry1 music1 art in general1 as well as science and philosophy--all these can be utilized as auxiliaries in the carrying on of the ,lord's manifold work4 ,they may not be essential parts of the divine message1 but they prepare the way for its acceptance and are the forerunners of greater things4 ,this1 to my thinking1 is the main reason why they are in the world4 ,there is something purifying1 ennobling1 exalting1 in all true poetry1 true music1 real science and genuine philosophy4 ,the ,poet's ,mission4--,the poets of the world1 says the poetic ,dr4 ,holland1 are the prophets of humanity4 ,they forever reach after and foresee the ultimate good4 ,they are evermore building the paradise that is to be1 painting the millennium that is to come1 restoring the lost image of ,god in the human soul4 ,when the world shall reach the poet's ideal1 it will arrive at perfection2 and much good will it do the world to measure itself by this ideal and struggle to lift the real to its lofty level4 #a ,in the light of such a noble utterance1 how paltry the ordinary concept of the poet as a mere verse-builder4 ,his true mission is to exalt the ideal1 and encourage the listless or struggling real to advance toward it and eventually attain perfection4 ,dreamers and ,builders4--,in this age of money-worship1 the poet is often referred to1 and at times even ridiculed1 as a dreamer4 ,but the ridicule1 when applied to a real poet1 a true son or daughter of the ,muses1 is pointless4 ,the poet is a dreamer2 but so is the architect and the projector of railroads4 ,all creative minds are dreamful1 imaginative1 poetic4 ,were it otherwise1 nothing worth while would be created4 ,if there were no dreamers1 there would be no builders4 ,both are necessary to progress4 ,every art and every science has its share of poetic idealism1 of poetic enthusiasm1 and must have it1 in order to achieve best results4 ,well worthy of a place beside ,doctor ,holland's beautiful thought on poets and their ideals1 is the following sentiment on dreamers1 from the pen of the popular essayist1 ,james ,allen3 ,as the visible world is sustained by the invisible1 so men1 through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations1 are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers4 ,humanity cannot forget its dreamers2 it cannot let their ideals fade and die2 it lives in them2 it knows them as the realities which it shall one day see and know4 ,composer1 sculptor1 painter1 poet1 prophet1 sage1 these are the makers of the after-world1 the architects of heaven4 ,the world is beautiful because they have lived2 without them1 laboring humanity would perish4 #b ,poets and ,prophets4--,poets are prophets of a lesser degree2 and the prophets are the mightiest of the poets4 ,they hold the key to the symbolism of the universe1 and they alone are qualified to interpret it4 ,prophets1 mightiest of the poets1 ,they to whom the ,gods tell secrets1 ,doing naught till true revealings ,have made wise their trusted servants1 ,who in turn make wise the people2 ,bringing past and future present ,for the betterment of all men1 ,earth for every change preparing ,on her pilgrimage to glory4 #c ,rhymes and ,rhymesters4--,there are rhymesters who are neither poets nor prophets2 and there are prophets and poets who never build a verse nor make a rhyme4 ,rhyme is no essential element of poetry4 ,versification is an art used by the poet to make his thought more attractive4 ,the rhyme pleases the ear and helps the sentiment to reach the heart--a ticket of admission1 as it were4 ,a musical instrument is painted and gilded1 not to improve its melodic or harmonic powers1 but to make it beautiful to the eye1 while its music appeals to the ear and charms the soul4 ,rhyme sustains about the same relation to poetry1 as paint or gold leaf to the piano or organ4 ,clothing adds nothing to one's stature1 to one's mental or moral worth2 but it enables one to appear well in society4 ,the apparel may proclaim1 but it does not make the man4 ,neither does rhyme make poetry4 ,the ,essence of ,poetry4--,the essence of poetry is its idealism1 its symbolism4 ,the ,creator has built his universe upon symbols1 the lesser suggesting and leading up to the greater2 and the poetic faculty--possessed in fulness by the prophet--recognizes and interprets them4 ,all things have their likeness4' #d ,all creations testify of their creator4 ,they point to something above and beyond themselves4 ,that is why poetry of the highest order is always prophetic or infinitely suggestive2 and that is why the poet is a prophet1 and why there is such a thing as poetic prose4 ,consider the lilies of the field1 how they grow4 ,they toil not1 neither do they spin2 and yet ,i say unto you1 that even ,solomon1 in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these4 #e ,that is poetry1 real poetry1 full of rhythm1 yet having no rhyme4 ,above and ,beyond4--,anything is poetic that suggests something greater than itself4 ,the lilies of the field suggested to the ,savior's poetic mind the glory of ,solomon4 ,he used them as a means of instilling into the minds of his doubting disciples the great lesson of trust in ,providence4 ,man1 fashioned in the divine image1 suggests ,god1 and is therefore a symbol of ,god1 as ,carlyle affirms4 #f ,but ,joseph ,smith said it first and more fully4 ,he declared ,god to be ,an ,exalted ,man4 ,to narrow minds1 this is blasphemy4 ,to the broad-minded1 it is poetry--poetry of the sublimest type4 ,poetic ,ordinances4--,the bread and water used in the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 represent something greater than those emblems--something above and beyond4 ,the whole sacred ceremony is a poem in word and action4 ,the same is true of ,baptism1 which stands for birth1 creation1 burial and resurrection4 ,fatherhood and motherhood are both symbolized in the baptismal ordinance1 the true form of which is immersion4 ,any deviation from that mode destroys its poetic suggestiveness1 its symbolism4 ,the ,greatest ,poet and ,prophet4--,jesus ,christ1 the greatest of all prophets1 was likewise the greatest of all poets4 ,he comprehended the universe and its symbolism as no one else ever did or could4 ,he knew it through and through4 ,what wonder8 ,had he not created it1 and was it not made to bear record of him8 #g ,he taught in poetic parables1 taking simple things as types of greater things1 and teaching lessons that lead the mind upward towards the ideal1 towards perfection4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is replete with poetry4 ,it is one vast poem from beginning to end4 ,what of ,philosophy--,philosophy is the account which the human mind gives to itself of the constitution of the world4 ,so says that great modern philosopher1 ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson4 #h ,in ,article ,eleven ,i have pointed out the similarity between ,plato's concept of causes that produced the universe1 and ,joseph ,smith's teaching upon the origin and purpose of the great plan of eternal progression4 ,but ,joseph did not get his philosophy from ,plato4 ,he had it directly from the divine ,source of ,plato's inspiration4 ,there is no plagiarism in this semi-paralleling of a sublime thought4 ,in like manner ,confucius taught1 in a negative way1 the ,golden ,rule1 afterwards taught affirmatively and more fully by ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,truth1 whether uttered by ancient sage or by modern seer1 is worthy of all acceptance4 ,emerson on ,compensation4--,few things of a philosophic nature appeal to me more strongly than ,emerson's great essay on ,compensation4 ,says that master of thought and expression3 ,every excess causes a defect2 every defect an excess4 ,every sweet hath its sour1 every evil its good4 ,every faculty which is a receiver of pleasure1 has an equal penalty put on its abuse4 ,it is to answer for its moderation with its life4 ,nature hates monopolies and exceptions4 ,the waves of the sea do not more speedily seek a level from their loftiest tossing1 than the varieties of conditions tend to equalize themselves4 ,there is always some leveling circumstance that puts down the overbearing1 the strong1 the rich1 the fortunate1 substantially on the same ground with all others4 ,the farmer imagines power and place are fine things4 ,but the ,president has paid dear for his ,white ,house4 ,the cheat1 the defaulter1 the gambler1 cannot extort the benefit1 cannot extort the knowledge of material and moral nature which his honest care and pains yield to the operative4 ,the law of nature is1 ,do the thing1 and you shall have the power2 but they why do not the thing have not the power4 ,as the royal armies sent against ,napoleon1 when he approached1 cast down their colors and from enemies became friends1 so do disasters of all kinds1 as sickness1 offense1 poverty1 prove benefactors4 ,our strength grows out of our weakness4 ,not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at1 awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces4 ,blame is safter than praise4 ,the history of persecution is a history of endeavors to cheat nature1 to make water run up hill1 to twist a rope of sand4 ,the martyr cannot be dishonored4 ,every lash inflicted is a tongue of fame2 every prison a more illustrious abode2 every burned book or house enlightens the world4 ,it is the whipper who is whipped1 and the tyrant who is undone4 ,the changes which break up at short intervals the prosperity of men1 are advertisements of a nature whose law is growth4 ,we cannot part with our friends4 ,we cannot part our friends4 ,we cannot let our angels go4 ,we do not see that they only go out1 that archangels may come in4 ,the death of a dear friend1 wife1 brother1 lover1 which seemed nothing but privation1 somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius2 for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life1 terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed1 breaks up a wonted occupation1 or a household1 or style of living1 and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character4 ,and the man or woman who would have remained a sunny garden flower1 with no room for its roots and too much sunshine for its head1 by the falling of the walls and the neglect of the gardener1 is made the banian of the forest yielding shade and fruit to wide neighborhoods of men4 #i ,divers ,teachers4--,philosophy1 like poetry1 wins its way1 where ,truth's fulness1 preached in power1 might offend4 ,the plain blunt message of the prophet who comes proclaiming1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 repels and antagonizes many who will listen to and be impressed by the philosopher1 with his cogent reasoning2 or charmed by the poet1 with his melodious verse and appealing illustrations2 or won over by the scientist1 with his clear-cut1 convincing demonstrations4 ,all kinds of teachers go before the prophet1 preparing his way1 or follow after him1 confirming his testimony4 #aj ,the ,divine ,art4--,music softens the heart1 thus preparing the way before the ,gospel4 ,the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me1 saith the ,lord4 #aa ,nothing brings the good spirit into a meeting more quickly than sweet and soulful singing1 especially when choir and congregation join4 ,tourists come in a constant stream to listen to the organ and the choir in our great ,tabernacle4 ,the ,gospel is not always preached to them2 they do not always desire it4 ,but they are mellowed by the music1 and go away with kinder feelings toward1 and a better understanding of1 the people who build such instruments1 organize such choirs1 and rear such structures4 ,their works speak for them4 ,depraved wretches1 such as the majority of ,utah's people are falsely represented to be1 do not love music1 care nothing for poetry and philosophy1 do not cultivate the arts and sciences1 nor rear tabernacles and temples unto ,god4 ,seeing and ,hearing4--,in the year #ahge ,president ,ulysses ,s4 ,grant came to ,utah--the first ,executive of the ,nation to set foot within the ,territory1 now a ,state4 ,it was at a time when1 all over this broad land1 bitter prejudice against the ,latter-day ,saints prevailed4 ,it was freely asserted that the man who had finished with the ,south1 would make short work of ,utah and the ,mormons4 ,among the places visited by the ,president and his party during their stay1 was the ,salt ,lake ,tabernacle1 where he heard the organ played by ,joseph ,j4 ,daynes4 ,what the ,president thought of it1 ,i never learned2 but ,mrs4 ,grant1 her face streaming with tears1 turned to ,captain ,hooper1 who had been ,utah's delegate in ,congress1 and said with deep feeling3 ,i wish ,i could do something for these good ,mormon people4 ,the music had touched her heart1 and perhaps the heart of her noble husband2 for ,grant was noble1 though yielding at times to intense prejudice4 #ab ,no ,substitute for the ,gospel4--,let it not be supposed1 however1 that music1 poetry1 painting1 sculpture1 science1 or any other thing1 can take the place of the great uplifting ,plan whereby the world1 already redeemed1 is yet to be glorified4 ,no gift can vie with the ,giver1 no creature usurp the functions of the ,creator4 ,he will use everything true and good and beautiful to melt the hearts of men and prepare them to be saved2 but salvation itself comes only by one route--the ,gospel of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is the great ,ideal1 and it must be honored and maintained as such4 ,in dealing with it1 no ,procrustean process is permissible4 ,it must not be chopped off because men think it too long1 nor stretched out because they deem it too short4 ,it did not come into the world to be mutilated4 ,revelation cannot bow down to tradition4 ,truth is the standard--truth as ,heaven reveals it--and the opinions and theories of men must give way4 ,the ,gospel's accessories are no substitute for the ,gospel4 ,footnotes #a4 ,lessons in ,life1 by ,timothy ,titcomb 7,j4 ,g4 ,holland7--,lesson #bb1 ,the ,poetic ,test4 #b4 ,as a ,man ,thinketh1 ,visions and ,ideals4 #c4 ,love and the ,light1 p4 #fh4 #d4 ,moses #f3fc4 #e4 ,matt4 #f3bh1 #bi2 ,luke #ab3bg4 #f4 ,sartor ,resartus1 #c1 ,symbols4 #g4 ,moses #f3fc4 #h4 ,representative ,men1 ,plato1 p4 #ea4 #i4 ,emerson's ,essays1 #c1 ,compensation4 #aj4 ,a friend of mine1 a medical practitioner1 was conversing with a learned physician in the great city of ,london4 ,the subject was the ,word of ,wisdom 7,d4 ,c4 #hi7 wherein the ,lord1 after deprecating the use of strong drink1 tobacco and other things not good for man1 goes on to say that all wholesome herbs1 every fruit in the season thereof1 and all grains are ordained for man's use4 ,nevertheless1 wheat for man1 and corn for the ox1 and oats for the horse1 and rye for the fowls and for swine and for all beasts of the field and barley for all useful animals1 and for mild drinks1 etc4 ,the learned man asked3 ,where did ,joseph ,smith get this information8 ,these teachings are based upon scientific principles1 recognized as such by the medical profession2 but they are of comparatively recent discovery4 ,they were not known in ,joseph ,smith's time4 ,my friend1 being a ,latter-day ,saint1 did not lose the opportunity thus afforded of bearing testimony to ,joseph ,smith's mission as a prophet4 #aa4 ,d4 ,c4 #be3ab4 #ab4 ,before reaching the ,tabernacle1 ,president ,grant passed up ,south ,temple ,street1 lined on both sides with sabbath school children1 neatly and tastefully attired1 waving banners and mottoes of welcome in honor of the nation's chief4 ,riding in an open carriage1 and running the gauntlet of applause and cheers1 the honored guest turned to the ,governor of ,utah1 ,hon4 ,george ,w4 ,emery1 who sat beside him1 and inquired3 ,what children are these8 ,mormon children1 replied the ,governor4 ,the ,silent ,man mused for a moment1 and was then heard to murmur1 ,i have been deceived4 ,he never was deceived again--in the same way4 ,he could trust his eyes when he looked upon those beautiful children4 ,they were not the product of crime and depravity1 not the offspring of savages and criminals4 ,he could trust his ears1 too1 when he heard that choir and that organ4 ,no one could make him believe1 after his visit to the ,mormon ,city1 that its inhabitants were as black as they had been painted4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,five4 ,what ,are ,miracles8 ,not ,contrary to ,law4--,miracles are results flowing from superior means and methods of doing things4 ,they do not happen contrary to law4 ,they are in strict conformity therewith4 ,it could not be otherwise2 for the universe1 natural and supernatural1 is governed by law4 ,but there are greater laws and lesser laws1 and the greater have power to suspend the operation of the lesser4 ,when this occurs1 people exclaim3 ,a miracle6 ,others say3 ,it never happened1 for it is contrary to law4 ,and indeed it may seem contrary to ordinary law1 with the workings of which their everyday experience is familiar4 ,but that does not prove it contrary to some higher law concerning which they may know little or nothing4 ,elisha and the ,axe4--,when the ,prophet ,elisha relieved the distress of the young man who had lost an axe--a borrowed axe--in the stream on the bank of which he was hewing timber1 #a it may have been supposed1 by some skeptical on-looker1 that the man of ,god was working in opposition to law4 ,the account given states that he cut down a stick and cast it into the water1 and the iron did swim--in spite of the fact that it is the nature of iron to sink4 ,the law of gravitation required that the axe remain at the bottom of the stream1 unless1 by the application of some counter-force1 ordinary or otherwise1 it could be recovered4 ,the force applied in this case was extraordinary4 ,elisha invoked a law superior to the law of gravitation1 suspending its complete action upon that particular piece of iron4 #b ,scientific ,achievements4--,today1 iron ships are floating upon every sea4 ,while this is not a miracle such as ,elisha wrought1 it would have been deemed a miracle in earlier ages of the world1 before such wonders became commonplace4 ,the achievements of modern science1 compared with past conditions in the same field of thought and action1 ought to convince any reasonable mind that the days of miracles are not over4 ,light ,production4--,men once made light by briskly rubbing together two pieces of wood1 until friction generated flame4 ,gas light or electric light1 with the present means of producing them1 would have filled the souls of such men with fear and wonder4 ,to them it would have been a miracle4 ,and yet1 to press a button or turn a switch1 and thus obtain light1 is a very clumsy device--or will be so considered when men learn to make light as ,god made it on the morning of creation4 #c ,the ,earth ,moves4--,the telegraph1 the telephone1 the electric car1 the automobile1 the airship--these and a hundred other marvelous manifestations of scientific power1 now quite common1 would have been deemed visionary and impossible in former ages4 ,to have avowed even a belief in them would have imperiled one's life or deprived him of his liberty1 in the days when ,galileo was threatened with torture for declaring that the earth moves1 or when women1 in later times were hanged or burned as witches for nothing at all4 ,so dangerous is human prejudice1 in its fanatical opposition to things new and strange4 ,this1 of course1 refers only to former ages and to semibenighted peoples4 ,we would not have done as our forefathers did6 ,so each generation thinks4 ,let us be thankful that the earth does move1 and that the mind of man moves with it1 so that perils such as confronted ,galileo and others of his class are now less likely to show their ugly features4 ,the ,other ,extreme4--,but just a word of caution here4 ,we must not rush to the opposite extreme1 and become obsessed with that ultra-practical spirit which would make all things commonplace1 not only in manifestation1 but in origin4 ,miracles1 after all1 are facts1 not fictions1 and some of them have their causes far back of and beyond the known principles of science4 ,disbelief in ,divine ,interposition4--,but there is a disposition in these modern days to do away with everything savoring of the supernatural1 ,higher ,criticism1 so-called1 seems to regard this as its special mission4 ,some people1 even if they give credence to works of wonder1 invariably refer them to ordinary causes--anything rather than acknowledge divine interposition4 ,moses and the ,red ,sea4--,for instance1 when they read of ,moses parting the waters of the ,red ,sea1 they either deny the event in toto1 or set ,moses and the miracle aside1 and substitute some convulsion of nature as the accidental cause of the mighty deliverance1 when those waters1 after allowing the ,israelites to pass through in safety1 returned just in time to engulf their pursuing enemies1 the ,egyptians4 #d ,a very convenient earthquake1 truly6 ,nothing could have been more timely6 ,but why could not ,divine ,power have done it all--done it designedly1 in the manner and with the means specified in the sacred narrative8 #e ,is ,god impotent in the presence of ,nature--fettered by his own creation8 ,alas6 these learned theorists believe not in ,god1 and that is why they deny his works and put nature with its blind forces in his stead4 ,joshua and the ,sun4--,they laugh to scorn the idea of ,joshua commanding the sun to stand still1 deeming it a sin and a disgrace that such things should be preached and taught1 and denying1 of course1 that the miracle ever took place4 ,because1 forsooth1 the whole solar system would have come crashing down into chaos1 had the sun halted for one moment in its decreed course6 ,yes1 that might have happened1 such a calamity might have occurred--had there been no ,god to uphold the solar system and administer the law for its preservation4 ,the ,lord ,fought for ,israel4--,but there is a ,god1 and he was there as he is everywhere1 by his all-protective1 all-administrative power--the ,god to whom ,joshua prayed before uttering the sublime command3 ,sun1 stand thou still upon ,gibeon1 and thou1 ,moon1 in the valley of ,ajalon6 #f ,and the sun stood still1 and the moon stayed1 until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies2 4 4 4 4 for the ,lord fought for ,israel4 #g ,there you have it--it was the ,lord's doing4 ,joshua was merely the instrument1 just as ,moses had been4 ,but because such things are not happening every day1 and because doubt cannot do them1 therefore are they impossible to ,faith6 ,such is the logic of those who scoff at the power of ,deity and deny even the miracles of the ,savior4 ,nothing ,too ,difficult for ,omnipotence4--,for my part1 ,i see nothing inconsistent in these ,bible stories--nothing to justify doubt or denial4 ,a ,power that could create the sun and moon and set them whirling in their orbits1 could stop them in their decreed course--or stop the earth1 so that sun and moon would seem to be stayed--and at the same time uphold the universe1 while this part of it remained stationary4 ,of course1 man could not do it2 but human power is not the measure of ,omnipotence4 ,what ,our ,century ,needs4--,what the ,twentieth ,century needs1 more than anything else1 is an honest belief that there is actually a ,god in heaven1 and that his power is superior to man's4 ,the ,great ,creator has not let out his universe1 to be governed by law independently of the ,law-giver4 ,the ,god of ,israel is a ,god who answers prayer1 and who works miracles whenever the need arises and conditions warrant--works them according to law4 ,but ,he administers that law--it does not administer him4 ,greater and ,lesser ,laws4--,some laws are fundamental4 ,the ,almighty did not create them2 but he controls them and overrules their workings for the welfare of his creatures4 ,according to ,joseph ,smith1 certain laws were instituted at the beginning1 as a means for human progression4 ,these are eternal principles whereby our great and benevolent ,father proposes to save and exalt his children1 and give perpetuity to all things necessary for their happiness and glory4 ,who1 having faith in a ,maker of the universe1 can question his power to govern that universe1 the workmanship of his hands8 ,and if he controls the fundamental laws--those uncreatable1 self-existent principles which are as the ,constitution of ,eternity1 surely he can suspend the operation of lesser laws based thereon1 setting aside at will his own enactments4 ,an ,illustration4--,suppose a child to be lying at the point of death4 ,the family physician1 having done his best and failed1 informs the sad-hearted parents that their little one cannot live till morning4 ,medical science so decrees1 in accordance with the law under which the physician has been operating4 ,but1 bearing in mind the apostolic injunction1 ,is any sick among you8 ,let him call for the ,elders of the ,church1 #h the parents send for the ,elders4 ,they come and pray over the child1 and the prayer of faith saves the sick1 notwithstanding the good doctor's prognostication4 ,a miracle8 ,yes1 if one chooses to call it so4 ,in other words1 the suspension of a lesser law by a greater1 the former requiring the death of the child1 the latter permitting it to live2 the lower inoperative in the presence of the higher4 ,biggest ,things ,yet to ,be4--,miracles belong to no particular time or place4 ,whenever and wherever there is sufficient faith and a reasonable demand for its exercise1 ,divine ,power will act1 and marvels will result4 ,there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in human philosophy1 and the biggest things are yet to be4 ,god's work is progressive1 and the miracles of the future will cause the miracles of the past to pale4 ,divine ,adaptation4--,progression's highest methods cannot be employed in dealing with undeveloped man4 ,the ,all-wise adapts himself to the conditions environing those whom he aims to uplift and glorify4 ,all things are in a scale1 rendering necessary a diversity of laws and operations4 ,even the divine dictum1 ,let there be light6 does not represent the last word in light production4 ,god is ,light1 and has only to appear1 and all darkness will flee away4 ,when the sun rises1 the moon and stars must hide their diminished heads4 ,when ,god dawns upon the world1 not even the sun will shine4 ,footnotes #a4 #b ,kings #f3a-g4 #b4 ,what are the ,laws of ,nature8 asks ,carlyle1 and continues3 ,to me perhaps the rising of one from the dead were no violation of these laws1 but a confirmation1 if some far deeper law1 now first penetrated into1 and by spiritual force1 even as the rest have all been1 were brought to bear on us with its material force4 ',but is it not the deepest law of ,nature that she be constant8' cried an illuminated class3 ',is not the machine of the universe fixt to move by unalterable rules8' ,probable enough good friends4 4 4 4 4 ,and now of you1 too1 ,i make the old inquiry3 ,what those same unalterable rules1 forming the complete statute book of ,nature1 may possibly be8 ',they stand written in our works of science1' say you2 'in the accumulated record of man's experience4' ,was man with his experience present at the creation1 then1 to see how it all went on8 ,have any deepest scientific individuals yet dived down to the foundations of the universe1 and gauged everything there8 ,did the ,maker take them into his counsel1 that they read his ground-plan of the incomprehensible ,all1 and can say1 ,this stands marked therein1 and no more than this8 ,alas1 not in any wise6 4 4 4 4 ,to the minnow1 every cranny and pebble and quality and accident1 of its little native creek may have become familiar2 but does the minnow understand the ocean tides and periodic currents1 the trade winds and monsoons and moon's eclipses1 by all which the condition of its little creek is regulated1 and may1 from time to time 7unmiraculously enough7 be quite upset and reversed8 ,such a minnow is man2 his creek this planet earth2 his ocean the immeasurable ,all2 his monsoons and periodic currents the mysterious force of ,providence through aeons of aeons4--,sartor ,resartus1 ,natural ,supernaturalism1 pp4 #bge-bgh4 #c4 ,gen4 #a3c4 #d4 ,everybody recalls how the ,red ,sea was rolled aside in order that the ,isaraelites under ,moses might pass over safely2 how the river ,jordan1 a few later1 was driven back1 that ,joshua and his army might cross2 and how ,sodom and ,gomorrah were overwhelmed with fire and brimstone for their sins 4 4 4 4 ,geologists are now inclined to believe that the recession of the sea might have been caused by an earthquake pushing up a rock stratum under tremendous pressure4 ,the water would return in some degree upon the subsidence of the stratum4 ,the various miraculous events referred to occurred about the year #aejj ,b4 ,c41 and there is a curious similarity between them4 ,it now appears probable from scientific research that these occurrences were the last of a series of terrific earthquake disturbances that changed the entire surface of the globe4--,w4 ,h4 ,ballou1 ,d4 ,sc4 #e4 ,ex4 #ad3ba-ca4 #f4 ,joshua #aj3ab4 #g4 ,ib4 vv4 #ac1 #ad4 #h4 ,james #e3ad4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,six4 ,the ,mainspring of ,power4 ,the ,moving ,cause4--,all power springs from faith4 ,it is the moving cause of all action and the foundation of all righteousness4 #a ,god did not create the principle of faith1 but by means of it he created the worlds1 and by means of it he continues to exercise control and dominion over them4 ,it is the faith of ,omnipotence that upholds the universe4 ,a ,negative ,opinion4--,a ,christian minister1 not of the orthodox school1 with whom ,i was conversing on the subject of faith1 tried to convince me that it was anything but an admirable quality4 ,he even called it contemptible1 declaring that it consisted of a weak willingness to believe--to believe anything1 however improbable or absurd4 ,in short1 it was mere credulity1 nothing more4 ,a ,spiritual ,force4--,when ,i referred to faith as a spiritual force1 a principle of power1 he said ,i was attaching to the term a significance that it had never borne1 and for which there was no warrant4 ,i then reminded him of the ,savior's words3 ,if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed1 ye shall say unto this mountain1 ',remove hence to yonder place1' and it shall remove1 and nothing shall be impossible unto you4 #b ,whereupon he flippantly remarked3 ,oh1 it takes picks and shovels to move mountains4 ,picks and ,shovels4--,and so it does--if one has no better way of moving them4 ,but what about the faith necessary to handle pick and shovel8 ,all energy springs from faith1 and whether mountains are moved by man or by his ,maker1 it is faith that precedes the action and renders it possible4 ,yet here was a professed minister of ,christ1 ignoring the teachings of ,christ1 and denying what all true ,christians believe--that the smallest as well as the greatest acts of our lives spring from the exercise of faith4 ,misplaced ,confidence4--,in its incipient stages1 faith may at times resemble mere credulity4 ,the untutored savage who was told by one of the early settlers of ,new ,england1 that if he planted gunpowder it would grow gunpowder1 believed it1 not yet having learned that the white man could lie4 ,he therefore parted with his valuable furs1 in exchange for a small quantity of powder1 and planted it1 showing his confidence in the settler's word4 ,but of course the desired result did not follow2 for faith1 to be effectual1 must be rightly based1 must have a reasonable foundation4 ,the ,spirit of ,truth must inspire it4 ,this was not the case with the poor misguided ,indian4 ,he trusted in a falsehood1 and was deceived4 ,still1 some good came of it--he ascertained the falsity of the settler's statement4 ,if the planting did not produce powder1 it produced a wiser ,indian4 ,faith's ,possibilities4--,had the red man's faith been perfect--an intelligent1 rational1 heaven-inspired faith--he could have produced gunpowder or any other commodity from the all-containing elements around him4 ,and that1 too1 without planting a seed or employing any ordinary process of manufacture4 ,the miracles wrought by the ,savior--his turning of water into wine1 his miraculous feeding of the multitude1 his walking on the waves1 healing of the sick1 raising of the dead1 and other wonderful works--what were they but manifestations of an all-powerful faith1 to possess which is to have the power to move mountains1 without picks and shovels1 my skeptical friend to the contrary notwithstanding8 ,faith is not to confounded with blind ignorant credulity4 ,it is a divine energy1 operating upon natural principles and by natural processes--natural1 though unknown to the natural man1 and termed by him supernatural4 ,as a ,grain of ,mustard ,seed4--,when the ,savior spoke of the faith that moves mountains1 he was not measuring the quantity of the faith by the size of the mustard seed4 ,neither was it an ,oriental hyperbole4 ,jesus was speaking literally4 ,mountains had been moved before by the power of faith2 #c then why not now8 #d ,an ,impelling ,force4--,faith is the beating heart of the universe4 ,without it nothing was ever accomplished1 small or great1 commonplace or miraculous4 ,no work ever succeeded that was not backed by confidence in some power1 human or superhuman1 that impelled and pushed forward the enterprise4 ,those ,who ,believe4--,it was not doubt that drove ,columbus across the sea2 it was faith--the impelling force of the ,spirit of the ,lord4 #e ,it was not doubt that inspired ,jefferson1 ,franklin1 and the other patriot fathers to lay broad and deep the foundations of this mighty republic1 as a hope and a refuge for oppressed humanity4 ,it is not doubt that causes nations to rise and flourish1 that induces great and good men in all ages and in all climes to teach and toil and sacrifice for the benefit of their fellows4 ,it is faith that does such things4 ,doubt only hinders what faith would achieve4 ,the men and women who move the world are the men and women who believe4 ,mahomet and ,islam4--,carlyle1 in splendid phrasing1 depicts the wonderful change that came over the ,arabian people when they abandoned idolatry1 the insincere worship of sticks and stones1 and became a believing nation4 ,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 afterward ,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 #f ,achievements of ,christendom4--,the same philosophy1 with far greater emphasis1 applies to ,christendom and its glorious achievements all down the centuries4 ,what has caused ,christian nations to flourish so mightily8 ,what has enabled ,christianity1 in spite of its errors1 to survive the wreck of empires and to weather the storms of time8 ,faith in the ,christ1 imperfect though that faith has been4 ,the faith of any people--its trust in and reliance upon some power deemed by it divine--constitutes its main source of strength4 ,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 fall until she had ceased to worship sincerely the gods enshrined within her ,pantheon4 ,glorious ,greece did not succumb until her believers had become doubters1 until skeptical philosophy had supplanted religious enthusiasm1 and the worship of freedom1 grace and beauty had degenerated into 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 ,germany's ,mistake4--,the world in recent years has witnessed the sad spectacle of a great nation1 or the ruling powers of that nation1 turning from ,christ and substituting for ,christian faith a godless pagan philosophy4 ,discarding the just and merciful principles of the ,gospel1 and adopting the false notion that might makes right1 the fallen ,teutonic empire has shown1 by the revolting cruelties practiced in pursuance of that doctrine1 what science 7kultur7 is capable of1 when it parts company with ,god and morality4 ,the land of ,goethe and ,wagner1 and alas6 the land also of the ,hohenzollern and the ,hindenburg1 far from winning the place in the sun that she so coveted1 has lost the proud place already held by her when the mad ambition of her military chiefs plunged her into ruin4 ,the one thing that can now redeem her and lift her up out of the pit into which she has fallen1 is faith in the true ,god1 and the works by which that faith is made manifest4 ,according to ,their ,faith4--,god deals with men ac-according to their faith4 ,the ,savior wrought mighty miracles1 by his own faith1 but most of them were faith abounded in the hearts of the people4 ,in other places he did not do many mighty works1 because of their unbelief4 ,faith is a gift from ,god1 and they who serve him best have most of it4 ,faith is the soil that brings forth miracles4 ,all things are possible to them that believe4 ,footnotes #a4 ,d4 ,c4 ,lectures on ,faith1 ,lec4 #a1 pp4 #a1 #b2 ,see also ,heb4 #aa4 #b4 ,matt4 #ag3bj4 #c4 ,ether #ab3cj4 #d4 ,it is my belief that the ,savior1 in his reference to the mustard seed1 meant that if man would obey the divine law given for his government as faithfully as that tiny germ obeys the law given for its government1 he could wield infinitely more power than he now possesses4 ,solid stone pavements are upheaved and cracked asunder by the gradual growth or expansion of a seed or root buried underneath4 ,such things indicate a hidden force even in the lowliest creations4 ,it is written that the earth filleth the measure of its creation1 and transgresseth not the law4 7,d4 ,c4 #hh3be74 ,if man were that obedient1 he would have the power to move mountains4 #e4 #a ,nephi #ac3ab4 #f4 ,heroes and ,hero ,worship1 ,lec4 #b4 ,,part ,,eighth ,,beyond ,,the ,,horizon ,,article ,,thirty-,,seven4 ,the ,spirit ,world4 ,not ,heaven4--,that there is a ,spirit ,world1 and that it is closely connected with the material world--the one we now inhabit--has been a tenet in the religious philosophy of wise and good men all down the ages4 ,in the minds of many people1 the ,spirit ,world and ,heaven are synonymous terms1 indicating one and the same place4 ,but in reality there is a wide difference between them4 ,a ,state of rest1 such as the spirit life is understood to be for the righteous--though rest should not be interpreted as idleness or want of occupation--might easily pass for heaven1 when contrasted with this life of pain1 sorrow and trouble4 ,but that is only relative4 ,it is not saying too much--indeed it may be saying too little--to affirm that there is just as much difference between the spirit world and heaven1 as between the mortal and the spiritual phases of man's existence4 ,here on ,earth4--,according to ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 the ,spirit ,world is the spiritual part of this planet--or1 to use his exact language3 ,the earth and other planets of a like order have their inward or spiritual spheres1 as well as their outward or temporal4 ,the one is peopled by temporal tabernacles1 and the other by spirits4 ,as to its location1 he says1 it is here on the very planet where we were born4 #a ,all ,things ,before ,created4--,the proposition that ,earth has a spiritual as well as a temporal sphere is a reassertion of the doctrine of duality1 embodied in ancient and modern revelation1 and particularly emphasized by ,joseph the ,seer4 ,a careful reading of the ,book of ,genesis 7the ,king ,james version7 discloses1 though somewhat vaguely1 the fact of this duality1 as applied to the works of creation4 ,thus1 after giving an account of the earth and of all things connected therewith1 the sacred writer says3 ,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created1 in the day that the ,lord ,god made the earth and the heavens1 and every plant of the field before it was in the earth1 and every herb of the field before it grew3 for the ,lord ,god had not caused it to rain upon the earth1 and there was not a man to till the ground4 #b ,not a man to till the ground--and yet man had been created1 as well as the plants and herbs that existed before they grew4 ,the apparent contradiction--apparent though not real--was explained by the ,prophet when1 by the ,spirit of ,revelation1 he revised the ,scriptures1 giving a more ample account of the creation than the ordinary ,bible contains4 ,from that account the following sentences are taken3 ,for ,i the ,lord ,god created all things of which ,i have spoken1 spiritually1 before they were naturally upon the face of the earth4 4 4 4 4 ,and ,i the ,lord had created all the children of men2 and not yet a man to till the ground4 ,for in heaven created ,i them2 and there was not yet flesh upon the earth1 neither in the water1 neither in the air 4 4 4 4 ,nevertheless1 all things were before created4 #c ,first ,spiritual1 ,then ,temporal4--,in other words1 there were two creations--or rather1 the creation had two phases1 the first spiritual1 the second temporal4 ,when the ,creator made man and beast and fish and fowl1 he made them twice--first in the spirit1 then in the body2 and the same is true of the trees1 the shrubs1 the flowers1 and all other created things4 ,they were made spiritually and temporally1 the spirit and the body constituting the soul4 #d ,not ,far ,away4--,the ,spirit ,world is not a thing afar off4 ,our thoughts need not sail away millions of miles into space to find it4 ,according to the best evidence we possess1 it is near to us--right around us4 ,we have but to emerge from the body1 and we are in the spirit world4 ,out of it we came1 and unto it we shall return4 ,the spirits of the just1 says the ,prophet ,joseph1 are not far from us2 they know and understand our thoughts1 feelings and motions1 and are often pained therewith4 #e ,just and ,unjust4--,the spirits of the unjust likewise inhabit the spirit world1 though they are separated from the righteous1 and are not in a state of rest4 ,light and darkness divide that realm1 each domain having its appropriate population4 ,so far from being ,heaven1 part of the spirit world is ,hades or ,hell4 ,referring to the class who people that part1 the ,prophet says3 ,the great misery of departed spirits 444 is to know that they come short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed themselves2 and they are their own accusers4 #f ,jesus and the ,penitent ,thief4--,in the spirit world1 says ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 are all the varieties and grades of intellectual beings which exist in the present world4 ,for instance1 ,jesus ,christ and the thief on the cross both went to the same place4 ,that is to say1 they both went to the spirit world4 ,jesus1 it will be borne in mind1 had been crucified between two thieves1 one of whom derided him1 insulting his dying agonies4 ,the other1 being penitent1 prayed3 ,lord1 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom4 ,to him the ,savior said3 ,today shalt thou be with me in paradise4 #g ,because of this utterance--which ,joseph ,smith declared to be a mistranslation1 maintaining that paradise should read world of spirits #h--uninspired minds have drawn the conclusion that the penitent thief was promised immediate heavenly exaltation1 for repenting at the last moment and professing faith in the ,redeemer4 ,this notion is still entertained4 ,the criminal who has forfeited his life and is under sentence of death1 because unfit to dwell among his fallen fellow creatures1 is made to believe that by confessing ,christ1 even on the scaffold1 he is fitted at once for the society of ,gods and angels1 and will be wafted to never-ending bliss4 ,a ,false ,doctrine4--,jesus never taught such a doctrine1 nor did any authorized servant of the ,lord4 ,it is a man-made theory1 based upon faulty inference and misinterpretation4 ,the ,scriptures plainly teach that men will be judged according to their works1 #i and receive rewards as varied as their deeds4 #aj ,it was best for the thief1 of course1 to repent even at the eleventh hour2 but he could not be exalted until prepared for it1 if it took a thousand years4 ,when ,christ said3 ,i go to prepare a place for you1 that where ,i am there ye may be also1 #aa he was not speaking to murderers and malefactors1 but to his pure-minded1 right-living disciples1 those only to whom such a promise could consistently be given4 ,what ,goes on ,there4--,jesus ,christ and the thief both went to the world of spirits1 a place of rest for the righteous1 a place of correction for the wicked4 ,but1 as the ,apostle ,parley goes on to say1 the one was there in all the intelligence1 happiness1 benevolence and charity which characterize a teacher1 a messenger anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek1 to bind up the broken-hearted1 to comfort those who mourned1 to preach deliverance to the captive1 and open the prison to those who were bound2 or1 in other words1 to preach the ,gospel to the spirits in prison1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh2 while the other was there as a thief1 who had expired on the cross for crime1 and who was guilty1 ignorant1 uncultivated1 and unprepared for resurrection1 having need of remission of sins and to be instructed in the science of salvation4 ,thus is told in part what goes on in the spirit world4 ,it is a place1 continues our ,apostle1 where the ,gospel is preached1 where faith1 repentance and charity may be exercised1 a place of waiting for the resurrection or redemption of the body2 while to those who deserve it1 it is a place of punishment1 a purgatory or hell1 where spirits are buffeted until the day of redemption4 ,alma's ,teaching4--,to the foregoing should be added the testimony of ,alma the ,nephite1 upon the same subject3 ,now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection--,behold1 it has been made known unto me by an angel1 that the spirits of all men1 as soon as they are departed from this mortal body1 yea1 the spirits of all men1 whether they be good or evil1 are taken home to that ,god who gave them life4 ,and then shall it come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous1 are received into a state of happiness1 which is called paradise2 a state of rest2 a state of peace1 where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care1 and sorrow4 ,and then shall it come to pass1 that the spirits of the wicked1 yea1 who are evil--for behold1 they have no part nor portion of the ,spirit of the ,lord2 for behold1 they chose evil works rather than good2 therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them1 and take possession of their house--and these shall be cast out into outer darkness2 there shall be weeping1 and wailing1 and gnashing of teeth2 and this because of their own iniquity2 being led captive by the will of the devil4 ,now this is the state of the souls of the wicked1 yea1 in darkness1 and a state of awful1 fearful1 looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of ,god upon them2 thus they remain in this state1 as well as the righteous in paradise1 until the time of their resurrection4 #ab ,a ,vision of ,redemption4--,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 only a short while before his death1 saw in a vision of the redemption of the dead1 the ,savior's visit to the world of spirits1 as recorded in the first epistle of ,peter4 #ac ,the ,president's account of what he beheld follows3 ,i saw the hosts of the dead1 both small and great1 and there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just 444 ,they were filled with joy and gladness1 and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand444 ,the ,son of ,god appeared1 and preached to them the everlasting gospel4 ,i perceived that the ,lord went not in person among the wicked and disobedient who had rejected the truth1 to teach them2 but behold from among the righteous he organized his forces and appointed messengers1 clothed with power and authority1 and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness1 even to all the spirits of men4 ,i beheld that the faithful ,elders of this dispensation1 when they depart from mortal life1 continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel4444 among those who are in darkness and under bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead4 #ad ,personal and ,proxy ,ministrations4--,the new light here thrown upon the subject proceeds from the declaration that when the ,savior visited the inhabitants of the spirit world1 it was by proxy1 and not in person1 so far as the wicked were concerned4 ,he ministered to the righteous directly1 and to the unrighteous indirectly1 sending to the latter his servants1 bearing the authority of the ,priesthood1 and duly commissioned to speak and act for him4 ,president ,smith's pronouncement modifies the view commonly taken1 that the ,savior's personal ministry was to both classes of spirits4 #ae ,a ,temporary ,abode4--,thus we see that the ,spirit ,world is not ,heaven1 except in a relative sense1 and then only in part4 ,it is a temporary abode for ,god's children1 while undergoing processes of purification and development1 as a preparation for better things beyond4 ,heaven1 on the other hand--heaven in the highest degree--is the permanent home of the perfected and glorified4 ,footnotes #a4 ,key to ,theology4 ,chapt4 #ad4 #b4 ,gen4 #b3d1 #e4 #c4 ,moses #c3e1 #g4 #d4 ,d4 ,c4 #hh3ae2 ,moses #c3i4 #e4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #f1 p4 #eb4 #f4 ,ib4 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #dbe4 #g4 ,luke #bc3dc4 #h4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 pp4 #dbd1 #dbe4 #i4 ,rev4 #bj3ab1 #ac4 #aj4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf4 #aa4 ,john #ad3b1 #c4 #ab4 ,alma #dj3aa-ad4 #ac4 #a ,peter #c3ah-bj4 #ad4 ,gospel ,doctrine1 pp4 #eif-fja4 #ae4 ,compare #c ,nephi #ae3ba-bd2 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3aab4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,eight4 ,spirit ,promptings ,spirit ,memories4--,writing one day upon the subject of spirit memories1 and the influence exerted upon the affairs of this life by the awakened recollections of a former experience1 ,i found myself indulging in the following reflections3 ,why are we drawn toward certain persons1 and they toward us1 independently of any known previous acquaintance8 ,is it a fact1 or only a fancy1 that we and they were mutually acquainted and mutually attracted in some earlier period of our eternal existence8 ,is there something1 after all1 in that much abused term affinity1 and is this the basis of its claim8 ,more than once1 after meeting someone whom ,i had never met before on earth1 ,i have wondered why his or her face seemed so familiar4 ,many times1 upon hearing a noble sentiment expressed1 though unable to recall having heard it until then1 ,i have been thrilled by it1 and felt as if ,i had always known it4 ,the same is true of music1 some strains of which are like echoes from afar1 sounds falling from celestial heights1 notes struck from the vibrant harps of eternity4 ,i do not assert pre-acquaintance in all such cases1 but as one thought suggests another1 these queries arise in the mind4 ,the ,shepherd's ,voice4--,when it comes to the ,gospel1 ,i feel more positive4 ,why did the ,savior say3 ,my sheep know my voice8 ,can a sheep know the voice of its shepherd1 if it has never heard that voice before8 ,they who love ,truth1 and to whom it appeals most powerfully1 were they not its best friends in a previous state of existence8 ,i think so4 ,i believe that we knew the ,gospel before we came here1 and it is this knowledge1 this acquaintance1 that gives to it a familiar sound4 ,very much in the same vein1 ,i once wrote to ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith--he at the time in ,utah1 and ,i on a mission in ,europe4 ,here is his reply3 ,president ,smith's ,view4--,i heartily endorse your sentiments respecting congeniality of spirits4 ,our knowledge of persons and things before we came here1 combined with the divinity awakened within our souls through obedience to the gospel1 powerfully affects1 in my opinion1 all our likes and dislikes1 and guides our preferences in the course of this life1 provided we give careful heed to the admonitions of the ,spirit4 ,all those salient truths which come so forcibly to the head and heart seem but the awakening of the memories of the spirit4 ,can we know anything here that we did not know before we came8 ,are not the means of knowledge in the first estate equal those of this8 ,i think that the spirit1 before and after this probation1 possesses greater facilities1 aye1 manifold greater1 for the acquisition of knowledge1 than while manacled and shut up in the prison-house of mortality4 ,i believe that our ,savior possessed a foreknowledge of all the vicissitudes through which he would have to pass in the mortal tabernacle4 ,if ,christ knew beforehand1 so did we4 ,but in coming here1 we forgot all1 that our agency might be free indeed1 to choose good or evil1 that we might merit the reward of our own choice and conduct4 ,but by the power of the ,spirit1 in the redemption of ,christ1 through obedience1 we often catch a spark from the awakened memories of the immortal soul1 which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home4 #a ,a ,glance ,behind the ,curtain4--,closely akin to these reflections1 are some pointed and telling lines in which the poet ,lowell expresses his conviction regarding the influence of the unseen world upon the world visible4 ,the action of the poem from which the lines are taken deals with ,oliver ,cromwell and ,john ,hampden1 ,english patriots1 who are represented as about to flee from the tyranny of ,king ,charles the ,first1 and seek a new home overseas1 joining the little band of ,puritans who have already found a haven on western ,atlantic shores4 ,hampden urges flight1 but ,cromwell hesitates4 ,something within tells him not to go--tells him that ,freedom has a work for him to go--tells him that ,freedom has a work for him to do1 not in ,america1 but in his own land1 where he afterwards overthrew the royal tyrant1 became ,lord ,protector of the ,commonwealth1 and broadened and deepened the foundations of ,english liberty4 ,the opening verses of the poem contain the crux of the whole matter under discussion3 ,we see but half the causes of our deeds1 ,seeking them wholly in the outer life1 ,and heedless of the encircling spirit world1 ,which1 though unseen1 is felt1 and sows in us ,all germs of pure and world-wide purposes4 ,the fate of ,england and of freedom once ,seemed wavering in the heart of one plain man4 ,one step of his1 and the great dial-hand ,that marks the destined progress of the world ,in the eternal round from wisdom on ,to higher wisdom1 had been made to pause ,a hundred years4 ,that step he did not take-- ,he knew not why1 nor we1 but only ,god1 ,and lived to make his simple oaken chair ,more terrible and grandly beautiful1 ,more full of majesty than any throne1 ,before or after1 of a ,british king4 #b ,a ,well ,warranted ,conviction4--,how much of fact and how much of fiction1 are here interwoven1 matters not for the purpose of this argument4 ,it was the poet's belief that such things could be1 a belief shared by myriads of ,christian men and women1 and confirmed by a multiplicity of experiences4 ,columbus and ,the ,voice4--,in another poem--,columbus--,lowell sets forth the same idea1 that of whisperings or suggestions from beyond the veil hiding the spirit world from this world of flesh and blood4 ,the great mariner is supposed to be standing on the deck of his ocean-tossed vessel1 soliloquizing over the situation surrounding him3 ,a yet undiscovered country ahead1 a mutinous and grumbling crew behind1 threatening to put him in irons and turn the ship's prow toward ,spain1 if sight of the promised shore of ,india--for which ,columus set sail--came not with the break of dawn4 ,a world of care weighs him down1 a sense of solitude and utter loneliness1 but his soul hears the voice that errs not1 and is patient and trustful to the hour of complete triumph4 #c ,nephi and the ,spirit4--,that it was indeed the voice that errs not which inspired ,columbus1 upholding and urging him on to the consummation of the great enterprise he had undertaken1 we have sacred and indisputable evidence4 ,long before ,columbus crossed the ocean1 an ,american prophet and seer1 ,nephi by name1 looking down the vista of twenty centuries1 forecast the career of that man of destiny1 telling how the ,spirit of ,god would impel him to cross the many waters to this promised land2 and how the same ,spirit1 moving upon others1 would induce them to follow in the wake of the mighty explorer4 ,that prophet beheld in vision the war for ,american ,independence1 the successful struggle of the oppressed colonies against the mother country1 and the founding here of a free government1 a heaven-favored nation1 destined to foster and give protection to the growing work of ,god in after days4 ,and this revealing ,spirit--so ,nephi affirms--was more than an inward monitor3 ,i spake unto him as a man speaketh1 for ,i beheld that he was in the form of man2 yet1 nevertheless1 ,i knew that it was the ,spirit of the ,lord6 and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another4 #d ,the ,holy ,ghost4--,evidently it was the ,holy ,ghost who communed with ,nephi1 though he is here spoken of as the ,spirit of ,god1 and 'the ,spirit of the ,lord4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is a personage of spirit1 #e and though not in a tabernacle like the ,father or the ,son1 he is nevertheless in human form1 and ,nephi beheld him and conversed with him4 ,the ,unerring ,guide4--,the experience of ,columbus differed from that of ,nephi1 notably in this particular3 ,nephi beheld1 while ,columbus was moved upon--yet it was the same ,spirit in each instance4 ,it was of the ,holy ,ghost that the ,savior was speaking1 when he said to his disciples3 ,he will guide you into all truth4 #f ,the mission of the ,holy ,ghost is to make manifest the things of ,god1 past1 present and future1 explaining the purpose of this mortal life1 revealing to man his eternal origin and destiny1 and answering the otherwise unanswerable questions--whence8 whither8 and why8 ,wordsworth's ,intimation4--,it was this ,spirit that inspired the poet ,wordsworth1 bringing the forgotten past to his remembrance1 and prompting the utterance of the noble thoughts embodied in these lofty lines3 ,our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting2 ,the soul that rises with us1 our life's star1 ,hath had elsewhere its setting1 ,and cometh from afar2 ,not in entire forgetfulness1 ,and not in utter nakedness1 ,but trailing clouds of glory do we come ,from ,god who is our home4 #g ,truth and ,bigotry4--,the big thought was too broad for the narrow1 rigid orthodoxy of ,wordsworth's time1 which could allow for the pre-existence of the ,son of ,god1 but not for that of the race in general4 ,and now1 ,o ,father1 glorify thou me with thine own self1 with the glory which ,i had with thee before the world was4 #h ,this wonderful prayer from the lips of the ,savior was too plain to be misunderstood4 ,it was clear that ,jesus ,christ1 the ,word that was in the beginning with ,god1 and was ,god1 before he was made flesh1 #i had lived before this life4 ,but man1 mere man1 was an earth-worm1 made out of nothing1 and consequently had no pre-existence4 ,so ,christian orthodoxy maintained2 and ,wordsworth had to recant or half-way deny that his heaven-inspired intimation meant as much as his bigoted censors seemed to fear4 ,nevertheless1 ,got but the truth once uttered1 and 'tis like ,a star new-born1 that drops into its place1 ,and which1 once circling in its placid round1 ,not all the tumult of the earth can shake4 ,the truth uttered by the great poet of nature touching the previous life1 was probably accepted by thousands of advanced thinkers2 and their acceptance helped to prepare the way for a more positive and more complete presentation of the great doctrine of man's pre-existence4 ,in this connection the subjoined verses from the pen of a ,mormon poet1 tell their own eloquent story3 ,o my ,father1 thou that dwellest ,in the high and glorious place6 ,when shall ,i regain thy presence1 ,and again behold thy face8 ,in thy holy habitation ,did my spirit once reside2 ,in my first primeval childhood ,was ,i nurtured near thy side4 ,for a wise and glorious purpose ,thou hast placed me here on earth1 ,and withheld the recollection ,of my former friends and birth4 ,yet1 ofttimes a secret something ,whispered1 ,you're a stranger here1 ,and ,i felt that ,i had wandered ,from a more exalted sphere4 ,i had learned to call thee ,father1 ,through thy ,spirit from on high2 ,but until the ,key of ,knowledge ,was restored1 ,i knew not why4 ,in the heavens are parents single8 ,no1 the thought makes reason stare6 ,truth is reason-truth eternal ,tells me ,i've a ,mother there4 ,when ,i leave this frail existence1 ,when ,i lay this mortal by1 ,father1 ,mother1 may ,i meet you ,in your royal courts on high8 ,then1 at length1 when ,i've completed ,all you sent me forth to do1 ,with your mutual approbation ,let me come and dwell with you4 #aj ,how wonderfully clear and comprehensive6--past1 present and future circumscribed in brief compass1 the mystery of the former life unfolded1 the meaning of all existence made plain4 ,maeterlinck and ,the ,bluebird4--,maeterlinck1 the ,belgian poet1 author of ,the ,bluebird1 in that section of his dramatic masterpiece entitled ,the ,kingdom of the ,future1 deals with the pre-mortal life1 and with the spirits of little children waiting to be brought down to earth to be born here4 ,old ,father ,time is there with his barge1 gathering in the tiny passengers1 holding back some whose turn is not yet1 and permitting others whose birth-hour is about to strike4 ,the barge being filled1 he sails away1 and mingling with the sweet strains of children's voices1 hailing the distant planet that is to be their new abode1 rises from below the song of the mothers coming out to meet them4 ,when the poet's inspired mind conceived this beautiful creation1 had he heard of ,eliza ,r4 ,snow and her invocation to the ,eternal ,father and ,mother8 ,the ,same ,note4--,i do not impute plagiarism in such cases4 ,there is no monopoly of ,truth4 ,it reveals itself to whomsoever it will1 and sometimes it tells to several persons1 at different times and places1 the same thing4 ,suffice it1 that ,eliza ,r4 ,snow1 when she sang of the first primeval childhood1 sounded the identical note subsequently struck by ,maurice ,maeterlinck1 when portraying so tenderly and so tellingly the heavenly origin and earthly advent of the spirits that tabernacle in mortality4 ,fame's ,partiality4--,inspiration was kind to both poets1 but fame has been somewhat partial4 ,some day1 when bigotry is dead and prejudice no longer has power to blind men's eyes to the truth and pervert their judgment1 the just claims of all inspired teachers will be recognized1 if not recompensed4 ,meanwhile the world will go on glorifying one and crying down another1 as it always has done4 ,it will continue tossing high its ready cap in honor of ,maeterlinck1 the ,belgian poet1 for the beautiful truths set forth in his sublime symbolic drama2 little realizing that the ,american prophet1 ,joseph ,smith1 and some who sat at his feet learning wisdom from his lips1 taught the same and greater truths long before ,maeterlinck was born4 ,communications from the ,departed4--,many instances might be given of the action and influence of the other world upon this world ,the experiences of the ,latter-day ,saints alone would fill volumes4 ,i refer particularly to those connected with the gathering up of genealogies for use in temple work1 and the work itself done vicariously for the benefit of the departed4 ,by dreams and visions1 by voices and other manifestations1 spirits behind the veil have made known their wishes to surviving relatives in the flesh1 so that their left-over tasks might be done for them1 the records of their ancestors secured1 and they in like manner redeemed through sacred ordinances performed in their behalf and necessary to their progress and happiness in spheres beyond4 ,footnotes #a4 ,gospel ,doctrine1 pp4 #ae1 #af4 ,columbus4 #b4 ,j4 ,r4 ,lowell's ,poems1 ,a ,glance ,behind the ,curtain4 #d4 #a ,nephi #aa3aa2 #ac3aj3ai4 #e4 ,d4 ,c4 #acj3bb4 #f4 ,john #af3ac4 #g4 ,wordsworth's ,poems1 ,intimations of ,immortality1 first published in #ahjg4 #h4 ,john #ag3e4 #i4 ,ib4 #a3a-ad4 #aj4 ,eliza ,r4 ,snow's ,invocation1 ,l4 ,d4 ,s4 ,hymn ,book4 ,,article ,,thirty-,,nine4 ,do the ,dead ,return8 ,hamlet and the ,ghost4--,i had always thought it strange that a great ,christian poet like ,shakespeare1 after portraying1 as he does in ,hamlet1 an interview between the ,prince of ,denmark and his father's ghost1 should refer to the spirit world as that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns4 ,had not the ghost returned from that very country1 for the special purpose of this interview8 ,while deeming it contradictory1 my admiration and reverence for the immortal bard induced me to minimize and even excuse the apparent inconsistency4 ,in his behalf ,i argued that it was ,hamlet1 not ,shakespeare1 who interviewed the ,ghost at ,castle ,elsinore2 that it was the prince and not the poet who soliloquized relative to the non-returning traveler4 ,i took the ground that ,shakespeare1 in writing the play of ,hamlet1 was not presenting the author's autobiography1 and should not1 therefore1 be held responsible for the idiosyncrasies of the melancholy ,dane2 he being mad1 and mad people having the right to say what they please1 no matter how much they contradict themselves or speak and act inconsistently4 ,a ,better ,defense4--,but all the while there was a better defense for both ,shakespeare and ,hamlet--it a certain hypothesis be well founded1 the supporters of which would have us believe that the famed soliloquy1 ,to be or not be1 wherein the allusion to the spirit traveler occurs1 originally had place nearer the beginning of the play and before ,hamlet had seen the ,ghost4 ,not ,shakespeare1 therefore1 nor ,hamlet1 but some one who tampered with the poet's masterpiece after his death--a custom more honored in the breach than the observance--is to be held responsible for the incongruity4 ,such is the suggestion put forth by one or more literary savants4 ,allowing it to be true1 ,shakespeare and the ,bible are thus reconciled1 and ,hamlet is no longer in the attitude of disputing the sacred account of the risen ,savior's personal appearing to his disciples1 after his return from the spirit world4 #a ,belasco and ,peter ,grimm4--,that the creator of ,hamlet and ,macbeth believed in spirits1 and made plentiful use of them as part of his celestial machinery1 is evident from the works of the master dramatist2 and that his talented disciple1 ,david ,belasco1 likewise favors such usage1 is plainly shown in that intensely interesting book and play1 ,the ,return of ,peter ,grimm4 ,let me briefly review the story4 ,peter ,grimm1 an honest1 elderly ,dutch-,american1 carrying on the business of florist at ,grimm ,manor1 a suburb of ,new ,york ,city1 has a friend and family physician in ,alexander ,mc,pherson1 who1 ,i need not say1 is a ,scotchman4 ,he is also a spiritualist1 deeply interested in the laws of psychic phenomena1 and exceedingly tenacious of his occult views4 ,grim is bluntly skeptical upon the subject1 and he and his ,scotch friend have many a warm debate thereon4 ,finally ,mc,pherson proposes a compact to this effect3 ,whichever one of the twain shall pass away first1 his spirit will return1 if possible1 and communicate with the other1 making known the secrets of the after life4 ,grimm laughs at the idea1 even ridicules it1 but at last consents1 and with a flash of humor suggestive of his name1 says3 ,if ,i find ,i am wrong1 when ,i come back ,i will apologize4 ,a little later the florist dies suddenly of heart failure4 ,he passes into the spirit world1 and there obtains leave to revisit the glimpses of the moon1 as ,hamlet puts it2 in other words1 to return to ,grimm ,manor and rectify a mistake made by him while in the flesh--a mistake affecting the happiness of his adopted daughter ,kathrien1 who1 yielding to his insistence1 has given up the man she loved1 and has agreed to marry ,grimm's nephew1 ,frederic4 ,this young man is a villain1 whose unworthiness his uncle discovers after his arrival in the undiscovered country1 from which he now proposes to return and prevent the marriage previously planned4 ,the wrong is to be righted by the delivery of a message4 ,but how get the message across8 ,that is the problem of the play4 ,not every one can receive a communication from the spirit world4 ,so ,mc,pherson has said in one of his conversations with ,grimm1 adding that the receiver must be a sensitive1 a medium4 ,strange to say1 the old ,scotch physician is of no help whatever in the predicament now facing his departed friend4 ,he knows all about spirits--is saturated with the lore of the subject2 but he is not a sensitive1 and cannot therefore receive4 ,the spirit of ,grimm1 re-entering his old home1 makes persistent efforts to be seen or heard by some member of the household2 but all in vain4 ,none of his family1 none of his friends1 can behold him or hear his pathetic pleadings4 ,yes--there is one who can2 a little invalid boy1 ,frederick's illegitimate child1 who is wasting away with a fever4 ,the veil is thin between him and the spirit land1 to which he will accompany ,peter ,grimm1 after the latter's earthly errand is accomplished4 ,this little lad is a sensitive4 ,he sees the spirit1 receives the message1 and the threatened misalliance is averted1 ,kathrien and her worthy lover being happily reunited4 ,fiction and ,fact4--,such is the story of ,peter ,grimm and his return from the world of spirits4 ,it is pure fiction1 of course2 but fiction often supports fact1 and is even less strange1 as a well-worn proverb affirms4 ,nevertheless1 it will be seen from what follows that ,i am not in absolute harmony with ,belasco's ingenious presentation of the spiritualistic theme4 ,my views upon the subject are not based upon the theories of men2 they are founded upon the revelations of ,god4 ,spirits in ,prison4--,that the inhabitants of the spirit world1 or some of them1 return at times and communicate with mortals1 ,i am perfectly well assured4 ,but ,i am not convinced that any and every spirit is at liberty to return1 whatever the compacts that may have been entered into beforehand4 ,some spirits are in prison4 #b ,of what avail would a compact be in their case1 unless their jailor or some higher power were a party to it8 ,evidently the spirits that communicate with mortals are not of that class1 unless it be in exceptional cases1 where leave of absence has been granted for some special reason4 ,a ,house of ,order4--,god's house is a house of order1 and the spirit world is a room in that house4 ,this being the case1 it is only reasonable to conclude that before anything important or unusual can take place there1 the ,master of the ,mansion must first give consent4 ,otherwise confusion would prevail1 and the divine purpose for which the veil was dropped between the two worlds might be thwarted4 ,unembodied and ,disembodied ,spirits4--,spirits are of two kinds--the unembodied and the disembodied2 that is to say1 those who have not tabernacled in the flesh1 and those who after taking bodies on earth1 have passed out of them4 ,it matters not which class is considered2 in any case1 permission from the ,great ,father would have to be obtained before one of his children1 either an unembodied or a disembodied spirit1 could make itself manifest to mortals4 ,the ,question of ,receptivity4--,moreover1 as ,belasco1 through ,dr4 ,mc,pherson1 aims to show1 not every mortal is qualified to receive a message from the other side4 ,one must be fittingly endowed1 must have the proper gift1 in order to get a communication of that kind4 #c ,earthly ties would not necessarily govern4 ,other and higher relationships are involved4 ,there must be capacity as well as a desire to receive4 ,because men like ,moses and ,joseph ,smith saw ,god1 is no sign that any man can see him4 ,choice seers were they1 very different from ordinary men4 ,all human beings can obtain blessings from heaven1 but not always in the same way4 ,there are diversities of gifts and varying degrees of receptivity4 ,wireless telegraphy furnishes a hint in this connection4 ,unless there be a receiving station with an apparatus properly attuned1 a message launched upon the ether would find1 like ,noah's dove1 no rest for the sole of her foot4 #d ,future ,occupations4--,in one of the supposed conversations between ,peter ,grimm and ,doctor ,mc,pherson1 the subject of future occupations is discussed4 ,the compact having been entered into1 the ,doctor says3 ,i would like you to find out1 if you can1 what we do in the other world4 ,i would like to know if ,i have got to go on being a bone-setter throughout all eternity4 ,grimm's reply is characteristic3 ,well1 you would stand a better chance for success1 having practiced it all your life here1 than a novice who simply took it up there1 wouldn't you8 ,the florist's argument is logical1 but like the question that called it forth1 somewhat misapplied4 ,a spirit hath not flesh and bones4 #e ,bone-setting1 therefore1 does not belong to the spirit world4 ,nevertheless1 there must be occupations in the future life1 of which those in the present life may be regarded as typical1 or in the nature of a preparation1 leading up to loftier employments4 ,if a follower of ,joseph ,smith were asked3 ,how do you expect to spend eternity8 he would not agree with that clergyman who said1 in answer to the same question3 ,i expect to spend the first million years gazing upon the face of the ,savior4 ,the ,latter-day ,saint would be very apt to reply3 ,i expect to do hereafter what ,i have learned to do here1 but with more perfect means and in higher and better ways4 ,and every power find sweet employ ,in that eternal world of joy4 ,evil ,spirits at ,large4--,a very important question now arises3 ,how may good or bad spirits be known8 ,for every spirit is not good1 nor is every spiritual manifestation genuine4 ,there are frauds and counterfeits innumerable4 ,even if real spirits and actual manifestations are alone considered1 we must still be on our guard against deception4 ,there are many evil spirits in this world--spirits that have never had bodies4 ,they are here by permission or toleration of the ,most ,high1 against whom they rebelled when the ,savior was chosen4 ,satan and his legions1 those cast out of heaven1 are all wicked spirits1 and they wander up and down the world1 endeavoring to lead mortals astray4 ,wherever possible1 they take possession of the bodies of men and even of the lower animals4 #f ,therefore is power given to the ,priesthood to cast out devils4 #g ,against these fallen spirits1 mortals must be ever on the defensive1 lest their souls be ensnared4 ,temptation1 however1 is an important factor in man's probation2 for by resisting it1 the soul is developed and made stronger4 ,this is probably one reason why the pernicious activity of such spirits is tolerated4 ,punished in part by being denied bodies1 the full penalty for their misdeeds--the second death--is yet to be visited upon them4 ,spiritualism a ,reality4--,spiritualism is not altogether what some people imagine4 ,despite the frauds connected with it1 it is a reality1 and was recognized as such long before ,sir ,oliver ,lodge and ,sir ,a4 ,conan ,doyle proclaimed their conversion thereto1 thus lending to it the prestige of their illustrious names4 ,but all realities are not righteous4 ,because there is a devil--an actual demon and his dupes1 is no reason why we should associate with them1 confide in them1 or accept their evil communications4 ,how can ,we ,know8--,there are bad spirits as well as good1 and the vital question is3 ,how can we know the difference between them8 ,let us at this stage consult an expert--for there are such--one who came in contact with spiritual forces to a marvelous extent1 not only receiving messages from other worlds1 but also interviewing the messengers4 ,joseph ,smith knew the difference between good and evil communicants1 and here is his testimony concerning them3 ,expert ,testimony4--,when a messenger comes1 saying he has a message from ,god1 offer him your hand1 and request him to shake hands with you4 ,if he be an angel1 he will do so1 and you will feel his hand4 ,an angel is a resurrected being1 with a body as tangible as man's4 ,if he be the spirit of a just man made perfect1 he will come in his glory2 for that is the only way he can appear4 ,ask him to shake hands with you1 but he will not move1 because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive2 but he will still deliver his message4 ,if it be the ,devil as an angel of light1 when you ask him to shake hands1 he will offer you his hand1 and you will not feel anything he also being without a body4 ,you may therefore detect him4 #h ,in another place1 the ,prophet says3 ,wicked spirits have their bounds1 limits and laws1 by which they are governed2 and it is very evident that they possess a power that none but those who have the ,priesthood can control4 #i ,to his declaration that a man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge1 he adds that if men do not get knowledge1 including the knowledge of how to control evil spirits1 the latter will have more power than the former1 and thus be able to dominate them4 ,this is precisely the condition of the spirits in prison4 ,they are dominated by a power which they cannot control4 ,they are in ,hell1 and ,satan sways the scepter over his own dominion4 ,seek ,knowledge ,aright4--,to those in quest of spiritual light1 this word of counsel3 ,seek it only in the ,lord's appointed way4 ,follow the advice of the ,apostle ,james and the example of ,joseph the ,prophet4 #aj ,never go upon the ,devil's ground4 ,keep away from all deceptive influence4 ,one may believe in hypnotism1 without being a hypnotist1 without surrendering one's will to the will of the person exercising that power--a very dangerous power when wielded by an unprincipled possessor4 ,in like manner1 one may believe spiritualism real1 without becoming a spiritualist1 without attending seances1 without consulting mediums1 without putting trust in planchettes1 ouija boards1 automatic pencils1 false impersonations1 or in any way encouraging the advances of designing spirits1 who thus gain an ascendancy over their victims1 leading them into mazes of delusion1 and often into depths of despair4 ,go not after them2 and if they come to you1 put them to the test4 ,try the spirits4 #aa ,if they speak not according to revealed truth1 if they conform not to divine standards1 it is because there is no light in them4 #ab ,the ,great ,return4--,yes1 the dead1 or the departed1 do return4 ,they are no more dead than we are4 ,nay1 not so much4 ,the ,savior's reappearance after death to his amazed and incredulous disciples--what was that but a return1 a real return1 from the realm of the departed1 where in the interim between his crucifixion and resurrection1 he preached to the spirits in prison8 ,moreover1 the ascended ,lord promised another return1 or his angel promised it for him1 when the men of ,galilee stood gazing up into heaven1 after a cloud had received him out of their sight4 #ac ,that glorious return is nigh4 ,all the signs so indicate4 ,may the kingly ,traveler from heaven to earth meet a royal welcome when he appears6 ,footnotes #a4 ,luke #bd3cf-ci4 #b4 #a ,peter #c3ah-bj4 #c4 #a ,cor4 #ab3d-aa4 #d4 ,gen4 #h3i4 #e4 ,luke #bd3ci4 #f4 ,acts #ai3ac-af2 ,mark #e3ab1 #c4 #g4 ,ib4 #af3ag2 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #djc4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #abi3d-h4 #i4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #egf4 #aj4 ,james #a3e2 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #d1 #e4 #aa4 #a ,john #d3a4 #ab4 ,isa4 #h3bj4 #ac4 ,acts #a3i-aa4 ,,article ,,forty4 ,the ,goal ,eternal4 ,dante and the ,divine ,comedy4--,in the thirteenth century a great ,italian poet1 the immortal ,dante1 produced a wonderful work1 ,la ,divina ,comedia--in ,english1 ,the ,divine ,comedy4 ,in one part of the poem the author represents himself as passing through ,hades4 ,in the first circle of the infernal depths1 a region called ,limbo--described by a footnote in my copy of the work as a place containing the souls of unbaptized children and of those virtuous men and women who lived before the birth of our ,savior--he comes upon such characters as ,homer1 ,virgil1 ,plato and others of their class1 and the spirit guide who is conducting him through the realms of shade1 says3 --,inquirest thou not what spirits ,are these1 which thou beholdest8 ,ere thou pass ,farther1 ,i would thou know1 that these of sin ,were blameless2 and if aught they merited ,it profits not1 since baptism was not theirs1 ,the portal to thy faith4 ,if they before ,the ,gospel lived1 they served not ,god aright2 ,and among such am ,i4 ,for these defects ,and for no other evil1 we are lost2 ,only so far afflicted1 that we live ,desiring without hope4 #a ,and this was all that thirteenth century theology could say for worthies of that stamp--the best and brightest spirits of their times4 ,blameless1 and yet in hell1 desiring without hope1 simply because they had lived on earth when the ,gospel was not on earth1 and had not been baptized6 ,whether or not1 as some think1 it was the intent of the poet to covertly satirize such teachings1 is immaterial at the present time4 ,it is sufficient that he had such teachings to satirize4 ,truth's ,restoration ,imperative4--,if any reader of mine wishes to know why ,joseph ,smith and ,mormonism came into the world1 he need look no further to find one of the cardinal reasons4 ,it is furnished in those lines from ,dante's masterpiece1 setting forth the orthodox tenet and teaching of the ,christian ,church regarding the spirits of the good who depart this life without undergoing the baptismal ordinance4 ,this1 and that other man-made doctrine1 that half to be damned1 regardless of any good or evil done by them--little children being included in both classes--were widely preached in ,christendom at the time of the advent of ,mormonism4 ,it was imperative that a prophet should arise1 that the pure primitive faith should be restored1 and ,god's word go forth once more on its mission of justice and mercy4 ,according to ,their ,works4--,whatever ,christian theology may have taught1 or whatever it may teach1 in support of such doctrines1 the fact remains that the ,gospel of ,christ does not1 and never did dispose of men's precious souls in that unrighteous1 unreasonable1 unscriptural manner4 ,it does not prejudge1 nor save nor damn1 regardless of men's deserts4 ,rewarding all according to their works1 #b it gives to every creature1 living or dead1 the opportunity to accept or reject it before final judgment4 #c ,god is not trying to damn the world2 he is trying to save it--but not independently of the principles of truth and righteousness4 ,a ,nautical ,illustration4--,i was crossing the ,atlantic on an ocean-liner1 and had been fortunate enough to secure a first-cabin berth1 the only one remaining unsold when ,i made my purchase4 ,there were upwards of a hundred passengers in that part of the vessel4 ,the second-cabin compartment contained perhaps twice as many2 and in the steerage were several hundred more4 ,the first-cabin berths were the best furnished and the most favorably situated for comfort1 convenience and safety4 ,the passengers were shown every courtesy2 their food was of the choicest2 the captain and other officers were their associates1 and they enjoyed the full freedom of the ship4 ,they might go down onto the second-cabin deck1 or lower down1 into the steerage1 and return without hindrance or question4 ,they had paid for these privileges1 and were therefore entitled to them4 ,but it was different in the lower compartment4 ,there the food was not so good1 the berths were less comfortable1 and the privileges fewer4 ,the second-class passengers could descend into the steerage1 but were not permitted upon the first-cabin deck4 ,conditions in the steerage were even less favorable4 ,the food was still poorer1 and the restrictions were yet more rigid4 ,the occupants of that section were not allowed even second-class privileges4 ,they had to remain right where they were4 ,having paid only for steerage accommodations1 these were all that they could consistently claim4 ,a ,likeness of ,human ,destiny4--,i was struck with the analogy existing between the things that ,i beheld and the higher things which they seemed to symbolize4 ,i saw another illustration of the proverb1 ,the earthly typifies the heavenly1 and received fresh confirmation of the poetic truth3 ,all things have their likeness4 ,that ocean-going steamer was a likeness of human destiny1 projecting the eternal future of ,adam's race1 as made known by divine revelation4 ,all souls rewarded according to their works--their varied works--and saved and glorified in the many mansions of the ,father4 #d ,celestial ,glory--,the ,church of the ,first ,born4--,and this is the testimony of the gospel of ,christ concerning those who come forth in the resurrection of the just3 ,they are they who received the testimony of ,jesus1 and believed on his name1 and were baptized after the manner of his burial2 4 4 4 4 ,that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins1 and receive the ,holy ,spirit by the laying on the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power2 ,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 true 4 4 4 4 ,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 fulness and of his glory 4 4 4 4 ,wherefore1 as it is written1 they are ,gods1 even the sons of ,god-- ,wherefore1 all things are theirs1 whether life or death1 or things present or things to come1 all are theirs and they are ,christ's and ,christ is ,god's 4 4 4 4 ,these shall dwell in the presence of ,god and his ,christ forever and ever 4 4 4 4 ,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 ,these are they who are come unto ,mount ,zion1 and unto the city of the living ,god1 the heavenly place1 the holiest of all4 ,these are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels1 to the general assembly and church of ,enoch1 and of the first-born4 ,these are they whose names are written in heaven1 where ,god and ,christ are the judge of all4 ,these are they who are just men made perfect through ,jesus the mediator of the new covenant1 who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood4 ,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 #e ,in other words--if the maritime metaphor be allowed--they were first-cabin passengers over the sea of mortal life4 ,they gave to the great ,captain the fulness of their obedience1 and received from him the fulness of recognition and reward4 ,all privileges1 all possessions1 are theirs4 ,they associate with divine beings1 and are themselves divine4 ,terrestrial ,glory4--,concerning those who attain to a terrestrial sphere1 whose glory differs from that of the ,church of the ,first-,born1 as the moon differs from the sun1 the ,vision goes on to say3 ,behold1 these are they who died without law4 ,and also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison1 whom the ,son visited and preached the gospel unto them1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh4 ,who received not the testimony of ,jesus in the flesh1 but afterwards received it4 ,these are they who are honorable men of the earth who were blinded by the craftiness of men4 ,these are they who receive of his glory1 but not of his fulness4 ,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 #f ,continuing the comparison3 ,these voyagers paid only for second-rate privileges4 ,they drew the line1 giving a part but not all of their allegiance to ,him who hath said3 ,thou shalt have no other gods before me4 ,the things of this world were more precious in their eyes than the riches that perish not and that thieves cannot steal4 ,they loved ,truth1 but not whole-heartedly4 ,they loved money and pleasure more1 and strove for fame and the applause of this world1 rather than for the approval of heaven4 ,though clean of conduct and honorable in deal1 they were not zealous for ,christ1 and knew not the meaning of self-sacrifice4 ,these are worthy of the ,kingdom1 but not of the ,crown2 and they shine1 not like the golden sun1 but like the silvery moon1 with a diminished or secondary radiance1 with reflected rather than with original light4 ,telestial ,glory--,servants of the ,most ,high4--,as for those who inherit telestial conditions1 differing from the terrestrial as the stars differ from the moon--were they not symbolized by the steerage and its occupants8 ,these are they who are thrust down to hell4 ,these are they who shall not be redeemed from the ,devil1 until the last resurrection1 at the close of the ,millennial reign4 ,criminals of every type and grade1 they suffer the wrath of ,god until the fulness of times1 until ,christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet and shall have perfected his work4 ,they receive not of his fulness in the eternal world1 but of the ,holy ,spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial2 and the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial4 ,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 #g ,the heirs telestial are those who receive not the ,gospel1 neither the testimony of ,jesus1 neither the prophets1 neither the everlasting covenant4 ,according to the ,vision1 they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven1 or as the sands upon the seashore4 ,concerning this vast multitude1 the voice of the ,lord was heard1 saying3 ,these all shall bow the knee1 and every tongue shall confess to ,him who sits upon the throne forever and ever4 ,for they shall be judged according to their works1 and every man shall receive according to his own works his own dominion in the mansions which are prepared4 ,and they shall be servants of the ,most ,high1 but where ,god and ,christ dwell they cannot come1 worlds without end4 #h ,the ,damned ,can ,be ,saved4--,yes1 such is ,mormonism's astounding declaration--and not only saved1 but glorified1 if they will repent4 ,the glorified planets are ,god's kingdoms1 and all kingdoms have a law given--celestial1 terrestrial or telestial4 ,whosoever inherits any of these kingdoms1 must abide the law pertaining to that kingdom4 ,if he cannot abide the ,law of ,christ1 he must inherit a glory other than the celestial--even a terrestrial or a telestial glory4 ,if he cannot abide a telestial law1 he is not meet for a kingdom of glory2 and if he willeth to abide in sin1 and altogether abideth in sin1 then must he remain filthy still4 #i ,sons of ,perdition4--,one class alone remains outside salvation's pale1 permanently condemned--they who commit the unpardonable sin1 the sin against the ,holy ,ghost4 ,for them there is no forgiveness4 ,but one must receive the ,holy ,ghost before he can sin against it1 must have knowledge and power sufficient to entitle him to celestial exaltation2 and then prove utterly recreant to the great light that has come to him4 ,such a sin can be committed only by men equipped with every qualification for the highest degree of eternal glory4 ,it is an offense so heinous that the sinner cannot repent4 ,this is what makes his case hopeless2 salvation being predicated upon repentance4 ,if he could repent1 he could be forgiven2 but being unable to repent1 incapable of reformation1 he cannot be reached by the pardoning power4 ,they who commit the sin unpardonable are as first-cabin passengers who1 in the full enjoyment of every privilege and advantage pertaining to that highly favored condition1 wilfully throw all away1 and recklessly fling themselves overboard1 to go down in unfathomable depths4 ,sons of ,perdition1 these--the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power--the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the ,lord4 ,they deny the ,son1 after the ,father has revealed him4 ,wherefore1 he saves all except them4 #aj ,desires ,as ,well as ,deeds a ,basis of ,judgment4--,but the final word was not yet spoken4 ,at a date subsequent to that upon which ,joseph and ,sidney received this wonderful manifestation1 the heavens were again opened to the ,prophet1 and he beheld the glory--the transcendent glory of the ,celestial ,kingdom1 #aa ,he saw that little children1 those who die before they arrive at the years of accountability1 are saved in that kingdom4 ,he also saw his brother ,alvin--a good and worthy man1 but one who had not been baptized1 he having died before the ,gospel came--saw him in celestial glory6 ,joseph marveled at the sight1 wondering how ,alvin could have risen to so exalted a plane4 ,then came the voice of the ,lord to him1 saying3 ,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 kingdom2 for ,i1 the ,lord1 will judge all men according to their works1 according to the desire of their hearts4 #ab ,mormonism's ,magnanimity4--,and yet ,mormonism is said to be narrow1 small and illiberal4 ,narrow1 forsooth6 ,then where will you find breadth8 ,where find justice1 mercy1 magnanimity1 if not in a religion that saves the living1 redeems the dead1 rescues the damned1 and glorifies all who repent8 ,mormonism a small thing8 ,it's the biggest thing in the universe6 ,it is the ,everlasting ,gospel1 the mighty soul-ship of the dispensations1 launched in the days of ,adam upon the heaving ocean of the ages1 and now on its last voyage over the stormy billows of ,time to the beaconing coast of ,eternity4 ,footnotes #a4 ,hades or ,hell1 ,canto #d1 lines #bi-ci4 #b4 ,rev4 #bj3ab4 #c4 ,i ,peter #d3f4 #d4 ,john #ad3b4 #e4 ,vision of ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3ej-gj4 ,see also #aca3a4 ,compare #a ,cor4 #ae3dj-db4 #f4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3gb-gi4 #g4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3hd-hh4 #h4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3aaj-aab4 #i4 ,ib4 #hh3ba-dj4 #aj4 ,d4 ,c4 #gf3ca-dd4 #aa4 ,february #afth1 #ahcb1 was the date of ,joseph and ,sidney's vision2 ,january #bast1 #ahcf the date of the other manifestation4 #ab4 ,hist4 ,ch4 ,vol4 #b1 p4 #chj4 ,compare ,alma #bi3d1e4 ,we are not to infer that ,alvin ,smith or anyone else could inherit celestial glory1 without receiving the fulness of the ,gospel4 ,it was a prophetic vision1 showing what would be when ,alvin had done his part1 and the part that he could not do had been done for him4 ,the same vision showed the parents of the ,prophet--,joseph and ,lucy ,smith--in celestial glory2 and yet at that time they were still alive on earth4 ,we are not to infer that ,alvin ,smith or anyone else could inherit celestial glory1 without receiving the fulness of the ,gospel4 ,it was a prophetic vision1 showing what would be when ,alvin had done his part1 and the part that he could not do had been done for him4 ,the same vision showed the parents of the ,prophet--,joseph and ,lucy ,smith--in celestial glory2 and yet at that time they were still alive on earth4