,the ,seventy's ,course in ,theology    
,,first ,,year4    ,outline ,history of 
the ,seventy    ,,and    ,a ,survey of  
the ,books of ,holy ,scripture          
,,compiled ,,and ,,edited ,,by          
,,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,,roberts    ,of the    
,first ,council of the ,seventy      ,to
 become a ,seventy means mental         
activity1 intellectual development1  and
 the attainment of spiritual power      
,salt ,lake ,city    #aijg              
,,introduction4    ,to become a ,seventy
 means mental activity1 intellectual    
development1  and the attainment of     
spiritual power4    ,the first three    
opening lessons of this year's course of
 study are  devoted to the history1     
organization and duties of the ,seventy4
 ,they  should be thoroughly mastered by
 the present membership of the quorums1 
and as fast as new members are brought  
in their attention should be  called to 
these lessons1 and they be required to  
master them also that  all our          
,seventies may have a proper            

understanding of the dignity and        
importance and the responsibility of    
this office in the ,holy ,priesthood4   
,the body of the present year's course  
of study deals with the four  books of  
the scriptures1 recognized by the       
,church as the only  authoritative      
written embodiment of the doctrines of  
the ,church2  namely1 the ,bible1       
comprising the ,old and ,new ,testament1
 the ,american  volume of scripture1 the
 ,book of ,mormon1 modern revelation1   
contained  in the ,doctrine and         
,covenants1 and the ,pearl of ,great    
,price4 ,the year's  course of study is 
intended to be a rapid survey1 not an   
exhaustive  treatment1 of these books2  
and this in order that all our          
,seventies  may as soon as possible be  
made acquainted in a general1 even if   
only in a superficial way1 for the      
present1 with this body of sacred       
literature2 that they may know something
 of its history and character4  ,the    
dominating idea of the whole course     

being1    ,a ,workman ,should ,know ,his
 ,tools4    ,in the past1 a too         
exclusive adherence to merely text      
methods of  work has been followed4     
,that is to say1 there has been a       
selection  of separate and disconnected 
texts marshalled together in support  of
 a given subject without sufficient care
 being taken to know the  context and   
historical association of the scriptural
 utterances1 often  attended with great 
danger of forming misconceptions of such
 texts1  resulting in wrong deductions  
and conclusions4 ,the present aim is to 
make our ,seventies familiar with the   
spirit of the scriptures1 learning      
something of the individual books1 as a 
whole1 something of their  general      
import and their relationship one to    
another2 that from this  general        
acquaintance with the whole volume of   
scripture1 the ,seventies  may become   
more competent to use separate passages 
more intelligently  and effectively1 and
 with less likelihood of making         

mistakes4    ,the fear has been         
expressed that since so many lessons are
 devoted to  the ,bible1 nearly half the
 years' course1 there will be some      
danger of  the work becoming monotonous2
 but that fear is based upon the common 
misconception that the ,bible is one    
book1 instead of a collection of  books1
 thirty-nine in the ,old ,testament and 
twenty-seven in the ,new of  our common 
,english ,bibles4 ,since the books are  
so many and the time  period covered so 
great--about #bejj years1 from ,moses to
 ,st4 ,john--and  the books being       
composed by many writers--there is      
promise of plenty of  variety1 both as  
to books and subject matter4 ,it is the 
rapid survey of  a whole library of     
books that is contemplated1 rather than 
the study  of one book1 albeit the many 
books are bound together in one volume4 
,the consideration of the ,american     
volume of scripture1 the ,book of       
,mormon1 and of modern revelation in the
 ,doctrine and ,covenants and  ,pearl of

 ,great ,price1 in the latter part of   
the course1 together with  the suggested
 lectures and the special lessons on    
present day subjects1  scripture reading
 exercises1 etc41 etc41 will            
unquestionably give ample  variety to   
the year's work4    ,,the ,,class       
,,teachers4    ,the ,first ,council in  
its circular letter on the subject of   
the new  order of things in relation to 
,seventies' meetings1 course of study1  
etc41 has already suggested that the new
 plans of ,seventies' work would  make  
it necessary for the quorums to find the
 most efficient teachers  for their     
classes4 ,where the most efficient      
teachers are to be found  among the     
presidents of quorums1 says the circular
 letter1 of course  they will be given  
preference2 but where more efficient men
 can be  found in the quorum membership 
they should be selected as teachers and 
perform their duties under the direction
 of the ,council of the ,quorum1  which1
 of course1 will always be the presiding

 authority in all quorum  and class     
meetings1 and conduct all the exercises 
except the class  work4 ,it might be    
well to select the most proficient man  
for teacher1  and appoint one or more   
assistants who should prepare for the   
class  work1 and in the event of the    
teacher's absence1 and even occasionally
  when he is present1 they could conduct
 the exercises4    ,,manner ,,of        
,,lesson ,,treatment4    ,it is not     
desired that there shall be a too       
slavish adherence to the  letter of the 
lessons4 ,the lesson forms are merely   
suggestive4 ,nor is  it the intention to
 set forth a stereotyped method of      
treatment of  what is given4 ,much will 
depend upon the teachers4 ,some will    
prefer  to assign the whole lesson to   
the quorum in general and conduct the   
exercises as a class2 others may prefer 
to make special assignments of  topics  
from the subject matter of the lessons  
and have brief formal  lectures devoted 
to them1 followed by review questions1  

formulated  either in advance or in the 
course of the lesson exercises1 or at   
its  close by the one conducting the    
class4 ,either of these methods can be  
made satisfactory1 or a combination of  
them might be adopted4 ,it is  desirable
 that the quorums and class teachers    
exercise their freedom in  these        
matters1 only let them throw life and   
individuality into the work  and they   
will succeed4    ,the class meetings of 
the quorums can continue throughout the 
year  practically without interruption4 
,interruption will only be necessary  in
 order to attend the ,stake ,quarterly  
,conferences1 and the ward  conferences 
where the respective quorums are        
located1 and these  occasions will not  
exceed five in number4 ,there will be no
 occasion for  postponing class         
exercises in order to attend to the     
business affairs  of the quorum1 since  
half an hour of any regular session of  
the quorum  will be sufficient for the  
transaction of any business it may have 

to  do if prompt and business-like      
methods are employed4 ,if not1 a special
  meeting could be called4 ,it is       
expected1 of course1 that the council   
will continue to hold its council       
meetings apart from the quorum and      
class meetings1 but these1 too1 could be
 held on the ,sunday morning  either    
before or after the regular meeting4    
,,home ,,reading ,,and ,,preparation4   
,home reading and preparation outside of
 class hours should be insisted  upon4  
,it is not intended that the only mental
 work in connection with  our course of 
study shall be the two or three hours   
devoted to the work  on ,sunday morning4
 ,there must be reading through the     
week4 ,for example1  during the weeks   
that the ,pentateuch constitutes the    
lessons--three in  number and hence     
extending over three weeks of time--it  
is expected  that members will read the 
five books of ,moses through1 not a     
difficult  task2 and so on throughout   
all the lessons4 ,by reading about one  

hour a  day an average reader may       
complete in one year the reading of the 
four  books of scripture covered by the 
present year's lessons4 ,necessarily1   
this will be rapid reading1 but it      
should be remembered that we are  only  
reading the scriptures this time to get 
a general idea of their  contents1 and  
the relation of the parts to the whole4 
,the object now is  not to ponder deeply
 over texts and combine them            
subjectively1 or work  out doctrinal or 
historical themes1 hence we can read    
rapidly in this  first survey of the    
scriptures proposed in these lessons4   
,in addition  to reading the books of   
scripture themselves1 members should    
consult as  far as possible the         
references given on the various books   
and topics in  the lesson analysis4     
,these references are quite numerous and
 varied1  made so purposely1 so that if 
the members do not happen to have access
  to one of the ,dictionaries or ,helps 
or other works of reference1 they  might

 possibly have another--one at least out
 of the many1 and the  notes are given  
that all may be assured of some         
assistance in making  lesson            
preparations by consulting the          
utterances of those who are  recognized 
as authorities upon the subjects on     
which they are quoted4  ,if this is     
thought to be a rather heavy course of  
work let it be  remembered that it is to
 become a settled conviction with all   
that1  ,to be a ,seventy means mental   
activity1 intellectual development1 and 
the attainment of spiritual power1 and  
this may be done only by hard           
persistent work4    ,,scripture         
,,reading ,,and ,,special ,,texts4      
,at ,lesson ,,xiv1 ,part ,,ii1 it will  
be observed that scripture reading  is  
introduced as an exercise to be rendered
 immediately after the  opening         
exercises and before taking up the      
lesson proper4 ,the purpose  of this    
exercise is as follows3 ,it is well     
known that in some ,christian  families 

in the world1 it is the custom to make  
the reading of the  scriptures a part of
 the family worship1 and our ,elders    
when visiting  in such families are     
called upon to read the scripture lesson
 before  engaging in prayer--an example 
that could be followed with profit  in  
our own family worship4 ,the            
desirability of our ,elders being       
prepared to acquit themselves well on   
such occasions as named above1  is      
obvious1 and to do that each one should 
have in mind a number of  suitable      
chapters or parts of chapters of the    
scriptures with which he  is familiar1  
which are appropriate for inspiring the 
true spirit of  worship1 and which he   
can read effectively4 ,it is1 therefore1
 urged  that class teachers direct the  
members of the class1 when this exercise
  begins1 to select each for himself1   
such scriptures and practise the        
reading of them1 that when called upon  
to read before the class he may  be     
prepared4 ,both the reading and the     

appropriateness of the scriptures       
chosen should be subject to the         
criticism of the teacher at the time4   
,correct pronunciation should be taught 
and insisted upon and practiced  until  
it shall become habitual4 ,from the     
selections read before the  class1 and  
the suggestions from the teachers the   
readings will elicit1  each member in   
time will be able to build up a fine    
list of chapters or  parts of chapters  
that will be suitable for family worship
 and special  reading4 ,it is not       
expected that this exercise will occupy 
more than  ten minutes1 and usually     
should not occupy more than five4 ,an   
example  of such reading exercise is    
given in ,lesson ,,xiv1 ,part ,,ii4     
,the object of publishing a special text
 with each lesson1 is to bring  before  
the members of the class passages of    
striking beauty1 doctrinal  value1 or of
 spiritual power2 both that our         
,seventies may in this way  gradually   
build up a collection of striking texts1

 and also that they  themselves may form
 the habit while reading1 of noting such
 passages  and making them their own4   
,they will find the noting of such      
passages a  very fruitful and successful
 means of enriching their own language  
and  enlarging their powers of          
expression4    ,,lectures4              
,occasionally special lectures and      
papers are outlined in the lesson4      
,teachers should make assignments of    
these exercises two or three weeks      
before the time for them to be rendered1
 that there may be ample time  for      
thorough preparation1 with the view of  
making the lectures and  papers an      
intellectual treat to the quorums4      
,,subjects ,,of ,,present ,,day         
,,interest4    ,in the latter half of   
the course for the present year1        
subjects of  present day interest are   
introduced to give variety to1 and      
increase  the interest in the lessons4  
,it is suggested that these subjects be 
treated by having extemporaneous        

speaking upon the various topics in     
them4 ,that is to say1 let the subject  
be announced a week in advance  for     
general consideration by all the members
 of the quorum4 ,then when  assembled1  
the teacher conducting the exercise     
should call upon the  members without   
previous notice or warning to speak on  
some subdivision  or special topic      
associated with the subject matter of   
the lesson4 ,the  notes in these lessons
 comprise suggestions as to the         
construction  of speeches or lectures1  
and these should be considered and      
enlarged  upon1 as the notes are only   
hints in the direction of helpfulness   
to the young and inexperienced members  
of the class4 ,the purpose of           
introducing these subjects of present   
day interest is that the members  of the
 quorums may be trained a little in     
applying the revealed  principles of the
 ,gospel to our present day problems1   
which to know how  to do1 and to do it  
well1 is a matter of first rate         

importance4    ,neither in these        
extemporaneous exercises nor in any     
other of the  lessons should excuses or 
hesitancy be tolerated4 ,no member      
should be  allowed to refuse to make the
 effort to speak4 ,strict class         
discipline  should be maintained all    
along the line4 ,we are dealing with    
men1 not  children2 and1 moreover1 with 
men who of their own volition and desire
  have accepted the office of ,seventy1 
and are under the deepest moral         
obligation to bend every energy to      
qualify themselves for the high  duties 
pertaining to their office1 and         
therefore should be thoroughly  in      
earnest in these class exercises1 and in
 home study and preparation4  ,no       
foolish pride that shrinks from         
revealing one's ignorance or lack of    
training or ability should stand in the 
way of taking an active part in  class  
work4 ,he who would make progress in    
knowledge and the training  of mind     
faculties and polite and graceful       

deportment1 must know that a  humble    
attitude of mind that submits to        
correction and suggestion1 are          
conditions precedent to that progress4  
,we assemble in quorum capacity  for    
this training4 ,our quorums are to      
become our workshops for the  education 
of men1 and each should manifest the    
willingness to try1 and  no matter how  
complete the failure or how often it is 
repeated there  should be promptness and
 thoroughness and earnestness of effort 
and  willingness to try again whenever a
 member is called upon to take part  in 
class work4    ,,class ,,critics4       
,class critics may be appointed to      
criticize in kindness and in  fairness1 
but frankly and honestly1 the class     
exercises2 not  necessarily confining   
their criticism to defects alone4       
,excellence  may be noted and moderately
 praised1 but benefits will naturally   
arise chiefly from having defects in    
matter and manner pointed out  to the   
member rendering an exercise1 such as   

awkwardness in bearing1  unsuitableness 
of phraseology1 wrong use of words1     
errors in grammar1  mispronunciation of 
words1 misconceptions in ideas1 defects 
in logical  treatment1 inappropriateness
 of illustration--let all such things be
  subjects for fair but frank criticism1
 and submitted to willingly and  in good
 part1 for purposes of improvement1 and 
beyond a doubt such  criticism would be 
very helpful4    ,if the suggestion of  
the appointment of the critic be acted  
upon1 a  different one should be        
appointed1 say every month1 or not less 
seldom  than every two months4          
,,opening ,,exercises4    ,it will be   
observed that no suggestions are made in
 the lessons in  relation to opening    
exercises4 ,it was thought unnecessary  
to make any  since that can be easily   
managed as each quorum deems proper4 ,we
 do  suggest1 however1 that singing be  
made part of such exercise2 both on     
account of its being a very beautiful   
and appropriate exercise for  such      

meetings as we propose our quorum class 
meetings to become1 and  also for the   
reason that singing is a training that  
our ,elders very  much need to equip    
them for their mission work4 ,all1      
therefore1 should  be induced to        
participate in this exercise to the     
extent of their  abilities4             
,occasionally ten or fifteen minutes    
could be devoted to  practice in        
singing--right good earnest work1 until 
each quorum builds  up a repertoire of  
suitable hymns and spiritual songs4 ,it 
is quite  possible1 too1 for nearly     
every quorum to have a fine quartette or
 male  chorus1 and occasionally these   
could render special pieces to enliven  
the meetings and make glad the hearts of
 the brethren1 but not to the           
displacement of congregational or quorum
 singing4    ,and in the selection of   
hymns and songs1 and choruses1          
appropriateness  should be carefully    
considered4 ,let the strong1 stalwart   
hymns of the  present dispensation be   

practiced in the quorums1 and not the   
namby1  pamby1 childish hymns that      
sometimes find their way into the       
repertoire  of songs sung by our ,elders
 in the mission field4 ,let us have such
  hymns as1      ,the morning breaks1   
the shadows flee2       ,lo6 ,zion's    
standard is unfurled6    ,the dawning of
 a brighter day       ,majestic rises on
 the world4    ,a trumpet blast within  
itself4 ,such hymns as1      ,an angel  
from on high1       ,the long1 long     
silence broke1 etc4    ,also1           
,israel1 ,israel1 ,god is calling1      
,calling thee from lands of woe1 etc4   
,also1      ,if you could hie to ,kolob4
          ,in the twinkling of an eye1  
etc4    ,also1      ,o say1 what is     
,truth8 ',tis the fairest gem1 etc4     
,also1      ,israel1 awake from your    
long silent slumber6      ,shake off the
 fetters that bound thee so long1 etc4  
,these few indicate a class of our hymns
 that are peculiarly  ours--peculiarly  
,mormon hymns that are vibrant with the 

spirit of the  latter-day work because  
it produced them--inspired them1 and    
they are  more appropriate1 at least for
 ,seventies1 for missionaries1 than the 
half sectarian songs many of our youth  
are learning to cultivate a  taste for4 
,let us learn to sing ,mormonism as well
 as to preach it4  ,every ,elder who can
 sing at all should carefully select a  
set of hymns  that have the missionary  
spirit in them and learn to sing them4  
,,prayer4    ,a word on prayer4 ,if     
singing be considered important1 both in
 the  opening and closing exercises of  
our meetings1 and as an accomplishment  
of our ,seventies1 praying must be      
regarded as of far more importance4  ,as
 gold to brass2 as diamonds to pebbles2 
so is prayer to singing1  even1 so much 
more important is it4 ,yet how little   
attention is given  to prayer6 ,i mean  
to the cultivation of the gift of it2 to
 nourishing  the spirit of it4 ,after an
 elapse of two thousand years we still  
have  need of going to the ,master and  

saying1 ,lord teach us how to pray4 ,to 
attempt any extended suggestions on the 
subject here1 however1 would  be beyond 
the scope of this introduction2 all that
 can be done is to  call attention to   
the need of good taste being observed   
when addressing  the ,all ,father2      
appropriateness of our petitions to the 
occasion1  respectfulness and reverence 
in the manner of our address2 avoiding a
  frequent repetition of the divine name
 or titles2 and1 above all1 right       
feeling towards the ,good ,father when  
speaking to him4    ,,the ,,organ ,,of  
,,the ,,seventies4    ,the ,seventies   
are to be congratulated upon now having 
an organ through  which the ,first      
,council can communicate with them from 
time to time  without the inconvenience 
and expense of special circulars4 ,that 
the  ,seventies have an organ may be    
matter of surprise to them1 since  this 
is the first announcement of the fact1  
and there has been but  little agitation
 of the matter though it has been the   

proverbial long  felt want4 ,it came    
about in the following manner3 ,the     
,first ,council  suggested to ,president
 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith that the            
,improvement ,era1  now the organ of the
 ,young ,men's ,mutual ,improvement     
,associations1  could easily be extended
 in its scope so as to become also the  
organ  of the ,seventies4 ,its general  
literature is already1 in the main1 of  
the class our ,seventies would do well  
to read4 ,the ,era has been the  vehicle
 through which very many important      
doctrinal articles have been  published2
 and having become the organ of the     
,seventies1 as well as of  the ,young   
,men's association1 is a guarantee that 
it will continue that  line of work1 and
 perhaps more abundantly in the future  
than in the  past4 ,there will be a     
,seventies' department opened in the    
magazine1 of  several pages1 in which   
will be published each month suggestions
 and  directions relative to ,seventies'
 class work1 quorum discipline and      

general management4 ,of the advantages  
of such an arrangement little  need be  
urged since they must be obvious to all4
 ,hereafter1 then1 the  ,improvement    
,era will be known as the ,,organ ,,of  
,,the ,,seventies ,,and ,,the  ,,young  
,,men',s ,,mutual ,,improvement         
,,associations4    ,the ,first ,council 
bespeak for our organ the hearty support
 of all the  ,seventies4 ,its success   
has depended heretofore on the love and 
loyalty  of the ,young ,men's           
,association2 hereafter that will be    
supplemented by  the love and loyalty of
 the ,seventies' quorums4 ,the attention
 of the  members of the quorums should  
at once be called to this new adjunct in
  our work and they be invited to become
 subscribers to our magazine4 ,we       
suggest that one or two members in each 
quorum be appointed to solicit          
subscriptions within the quorum1 that   
each member be given the direct         
opportunity to become a subscriber4 ,the
 ,era1 it will be understood1 has  no   

other agents except those appointed by  
the ,young ,men's ,association  in the  
respective wards and branches of the    
,church1 and now1 of course1  those who 
will be appointed by our quorums4 ,the  
service is to be given  without         
remuneration--soliciting subscriptions  
within our quorums is to  be a work of  
love and interest4 ,the price is two    
dollars per year1 paid  in advance1 and 
subscriptions should be sent by the     
quorum agent to the  manager of the     
,era1 ,elder ,alpha ,j4 ,higgs1 ,era    
office1 #bad ,templeton  ,building1     
,salt ,lake ,city4 ,promptness and      
efficiency in dealing with  this matter 
is expected4    ,it is a fortunate      
circumstance that this inauguration of  
better working  conditions for the      
quorums of ,seventies1 and the beginning
 of the  volume of the ,era--volume     
,,xi--should start off together1 viz41  
in the  month of ,november4 ,but is it  
not a co-ordination of circumstances    
brought about by the operation of the   

,spirit of the ,lord upon the minds  of 
the brethren rather than a matter of    
good fortune8 ,so many things  have     
conjoined for this new movement among   
the ,seventies to augur  success that   
those of us who have been watching its  
development cannot  doubt but that      
,god ,wills ,it6    ,,conclusion4       
,and now1 brethren of the ,seventies1 in
 conclusion3 ,be earnest in this  work4 
,be thorough1 patient1 self-denying4 ,a 
great opportunity has come  to us--let  
us make the most of it1 and be grateful 
that it has come4  ,let no difficulties 
appall us4 ,we can overcome them4 ,let  
us say of  difficulties1 what ,napoleon 
said of the ,alps1 when the difficulty1 
if  not the impossibility1 of crossing  
them with an army was suggested1 he     
answered3                               
,there ,shall ,be ,no ,alps6            
,,remember6 ,to become a ,seventy means 
mental activity1 intellectual           
development1 and the attainment of      
spiritual power4    ,a ,,suggested      

,,list ,,of ,,books ,,of ,,reference4   
,the following named books of reference 
will be especially useful in  the       
present year's course of study4 ,it is  
not expected1 of course1  that all our  
,seventies will be able to secure the   
entire collection  suggested1 but it    
would be well for our members to        
purchase so many of  them as they can   
afford to buy as the beginning of a     
small personal  library4 ,the books     
recommended will not only be useful for 
the present  year's lessons1 but are    
standard books that will be useful in   
all the  courses of study yet to be     
prescribed4 ,inasmuch as individuals may
 not  be able to purchase these books1  
we suggest that it would be well for    
each quorum to take under consideration 
the propriety of the quorum  as a body  
obtaining this complete list as the     
foundation of a quorum  reference       
library1 that might be available to all 
for preparation4    #a4 ,the ,seventy's 
,indispensible ,library3 ,this consists 

of the  ,cambridge ,bible1 the ,book of 
,mormon1 ,the ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
,pearl of ,great ,price1 7bound in one  
volume7 and the ,richards-,little       
,compendium2 price1 post-paid1 #i4jj4   
,webster's ,new ,standard ,dictionary of
 the ,english ,language1 adapted  for   
,high ,school1 ,academic and ,collegiate
 ,courses2 price1 #a4ej4    ,the ,works 
of ,flavius-,josephus1 in one volume1 by
 ,william ,whiston1 ,a4  ,m41 ,david    
,mc,kay1 ,publisher1 #bc ,south ,ninth  
,street1 ,philadelphia1 #a4ej4          
,dictionary of the ,bible 7,dr4 ,william
 ,smith's74 ,the most desirable  edition
 of this work is the four volume edition
 of ,prof4 ,h4 ,b4 ,hackett1  ,d4 ,d41  
published by ,houghton-,mifflin  ,co41  
,boston4 ,it is a very  valuable work   
and contains1 by universal consent1 the 
fruit of the  ripest biblical           
scholarship of ,england1 and constitutes
 a library of  itself1 superceding the  
use of many books otherwise necessary4  
,the  price in leather binding1 #be4jj4 

,the ,seventies individually may not be 
able to purchase this edition1 but where
 quorums unite for the purchase  of     
books this is the edition that should be
 secured4    ,there is1 however1 a one  
volume edition of this work1 known as   
,smith's ,smaller ,dictionary of the    
,bible1 published by ,fleming ,h4       
,revell ,co41 ,new ,york and ,chicago1  
#a4be1 post-paid4    ,cyclopaedia of    
,biblical ,literature1 edited by ,john  
,kitto1 two  volumes1 ,s4 ,w4 ,green's  
,son1 ,publishers1 #gd1 #gf ,beekmen    
,st41 ,new ,york4  ,if ,smith's         
,dictionary is not secured then the work
 next in value is the  one here named4  
,a ,commentary ,critical and            
,explanatory of the ,old and ,new       
,testament1  ,jamieson-,fausset-,brown1 
,s4 ,s4 ,scranton  ,co41 ,hartford1     
,publishers4  ,this is a very excellent 
work1 and frequently quoted in the      
references  and also in the notes of the
 present year's course of study4 ,as    
remarked in one of the notes1 the       

,elders who make up our ministry  may   
not accept the doctrinal interpretation 
of this or any other  commentary1 yet   
its historical and critical treatises   
are among the  most recent and valuable4
    ,the ,old ,testament ,history1 by   
,william ,smith1 ,harper  ,brothers1    
,publishers1 ,new ,york2 price1 #b4jj4  
,this work is designed by the  compiler 
and editor as a manual in relation to   
,hebrew history and on a  par with the  
histories of ,greece and ,rome1         
generally used in our best  schools4 ,as
 a digest of ,biblical ,history1 it is a
 most valuable work4    ,dr4 ,smith's   
,new ,testament ,history1 with          
introduction1 connecting the  history of
 the ,old ,testament with the ,new1     
,harper ,brothers1 ,new ,york4  ,this   
work stands in the same relationship to 
the ,new ,testament ,history  that the  
previously mentioned work does to the   
,old4    ,illustrated ,bible ,treasury1 
edited by ,william ,wright1 ,d4 ,d4 ,to 
those who may have neither ,cambridge or

 ,oxford or ,nelson ,bible ,helps1  we  
recommend this as a very valuable       
collection of material1 including  a    
,concordance1 a ,dictionary and ,maps1  
and upwards of #cej illustrations1  on  
,bible subjects2 price1 post-paid1      
seventy-five cents4    ,as helps in the 
study of the ,book of ,mormon we        
recommend3    ,reynolds' ,dictionary of 
the ,book of ,mormon4    ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4
 ,a4 ,manuals1 ,nos4 #g1 #h and #i1     
containing ,elder ,roberts'  treatise on
 the ,book of ,mormon1 including a      
consideration of ,external  and         
,internal ,evidences1 price twenty-five 
cents per number4    ,defense of the    
,faith and the ,saints 7just out from   
the press71 price  #a4ej4    ,y4 ,m4 ,m4
 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual1 ,no4 #aj2 subject1    
,modern ,revelation1 especially         
valuable in the study of the ,doctrine  
and ,covenants2 price twenty-five       
cents4 ,manuals can be obtained from the
 ,era office1 ,templeton ,building1     
,salt ,lake ,city4    ,the ,book of     

,abraham4 ,its ,authenticity as a       
,divine and ,ancient ,record1  7,elder  
,george ,reynolds74    ,the ,improvement
 ,era1 organ of the ,seventies and ,y4  
,m4 ,m4 ,i4  ,associations1 for current 
literature1 comment and special articles
  on subjects of first year's           
,seventies' work1 price #b4jj per year1 
in  advance4        ,the ,seventy's     
,course in ,theology4    ,,first ,,year4
        ,,part ,i4    ,outline ,history 
of the ,seventy4        ,,lesson ,i4    
,,the ,,seventy ,,in ,,three            
,,dispensations4      ,,analysis4       
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,seventy in 
the ,mosaic ,dispensation4              
,exodus xxiv3xi2 ,number xi3#af1 #be4   
#a4 ,the ,seventy ,chosen4              
,note #a4          #b4 ,their ,spiritual
 ,powers4          #c4 ,was the         
,sanhedrin a perpetuation             of
 the ,seventy4      ,,ii4 ,the ,seventy 
of the ,christian ,dispensation4        
,luke x3#a-bd1 ,smith's           #a4   
,organization of ,quorums4              

,bible ,dictionary#a ,art4           #b4
 ,commission and ,spiritual ,powers4    
,seventy ,disciples4#b ,edersheim's     
,jesus the                              
,messias1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 ,chap4 v4         
,eccl4 ,hist41 ,eusebius1               
,chap4 xii4 ,students'                  
,eccl4 ,hist4 pp4 #ag1 #ah4             
,notes #b1 #c4      ,,iii4 ,the ,seventy
 in the ,dispensation of                
,notes #d1 #e1 #f1 #g4 ,also         the
 ,fulness of ,times4                    
,history of the ,church4       #a4 ,the 
,organization of the ,first             
,vol4 ,,ii1 #ahj-b and notes2           
,quorum4                                
,ibid4 ,chap4 xiii and       #b4 ,first 
,report to the ,prophet4                
notes4 ,ibid1 p4 #bba1 and       #c4    
,blessed in ,kirtland ,temple4          
note2 ,ibid1 p4 #cdf 7,first       #d4  
,they lead ,zion's ,camp to ,missouri4  
,report of to the ,prophet74       #e4  
,increase in the number of ,quorums     
,notes #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab4           

in ,nauvoo and the ,west1               
,present ,status4    ,,special ,,text3  
,god could not organize ,his kingdom    
with twelve men to  open the gospel door
 to the nations of the earth1 and with  
seventy men  under their direction to   
follow in their tracks1 unless he took  
them  from a body of men who had offered
 their lives1 and who had made as  great
 a sacrifice as did ,abraham4 ,now the  
,lord has got his ,twelve and  his      
,seventy1 and there will be other       
quorums of ,seventies called1 who  will 
make the sacrifice1 and those who have  
not made their sacrifices  and their    
offerings now1 will make them           
hereafter4--,,joseph ,,smith4           
,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,seventy of the    
,mosaic ,dispensation3 ,it is difficult 
to  determine just what the relationship
 of the ,seventy ,elders of ,exodus     
xxiv and #a1 and ,numb4 xi3 #af1 #be1   
occupied in the ,mosaic polity4         
,commenting on the passage in ,exodus1 a
 somewhat celebrated authority          

7,jamieson-,fausset-,brown's            
,commentary7 says3        ,an order of  
,seventy was to be created1 either by a 
selection from      the existing staff  
of ,elders1 or by the appointment of new
 ones1      empowered to assist him     
,moses by their collective wisdom and   
experience in the onerous cares of      
government4 ,the ,jewish writers        
say that this was the origin of the     
,sanhedrim1 or supreme appellate        
court of their nation4 ,but there is    
every reason to believe that it      was
 only a temporary expedient1 adopted to 
meet a trying exigency4    ,catholic    
commentators1 however1 positively assert
 that this appointment  of the ,seventy 
,elders was the first institution of the
 ,council or  ,senate1 called the       
,sanhedrim1 consisting of seventy or    
seventy-two  ,senators1 or ,counselors4 
7,douay ,bible1 foot-note1 ,numb4 xi3   
#af-be47    ,but ,dr4 ,william ,smith1  
in his ,old ,testament ,history1 says3  
,the appointment of the ,seventy ,elders

 has often been regarded as      the    
germ of the ,sanhedrim4 ,they seem      
rather to have been a ,senate1          
whose office was confined to assisting  
,moses in the government1      and      
ceased with the cessation of his        
leadership4 ,no trace of the            
,sanhedrim is found till the return from
 the ,babylonish captivity4      ,it is 
more certain that the manner of their   
consecration prefigured      the order  
of the ,prophets4 7,old ,testament      
,history1 p4 #ahe47    ,from all this it
 will be seen that much confusion exists
 among the  learned with reference to   
the exact nature of the office of the   
,seventy4 ,from the revelations of the  
,lord1 however1 to the ,prophet  ,joseph
 ,smith1 we learn that the ,priesthood  
existed in ,israel in the  days of      
,moses1 but that he took ,moses out of  
their midst and the  ,holy ,priesthood  
also1 but that the lesser ,priesthood   
continued1  which ,priesthood holdeth   
the key of the ministering of angels and

  the preparatory gospel only4 ,with    
this as a key1 that is1 with the        
knowledge that the ,holy ,priesthood1   
meaning by that the higher1 or          
,melchisedek ,priesthood1 existed in    
,israel in the days of ,moses1 it is    
fairly safe to conclude that the        
,seventy ,elders of the two passages in 
question were really a quorum of the    
,seventy as we know it1 and that        
perhaps the princes at the head of the  
twelve tribes of ,israel may have       
occupied a position somewhat analogous  
to1 if not identical with1 that  of the 
,twelve ,apostles in the later ,church1 
though it must be admitted  that the    
latter suggestion1 especially is merely 
conjecture4 ,the  conclusion with       
reference to the ,seventy1 however1     
takes on increased  probability when the
 spiritual powers exercised by the      
,seventy  described in ,numb4 xi3 #bd1  
#bi1 is taken into account2 powers that 
are so nearly akin to those of the      
,seventy in the ,meridian and later     

dispensations of the gospel4    #b4 ,the
 ,seventy of the ,new ,testament3 ,the  
opinions of ecclesiastical  writers with
 reference to the ,seventy mentioned in 
,luke x1 seem to be  as hopelessly      
inconclusive as those held with         
reference to the ,seventy  in the       
,mosaic polity44 ,some1 for instance1   
hold that no power or  authority was    
formally conferred upon the ,seventy1   
their mission being  only temporary1 and
 indeed for one divine purpose2 its     
primary object  was to prepare for the  
coming of the ,master in the places to  
which they  were sent2 and their        
selection was from a wider circle of    
disciples1  the number being now seventy
 instead of twelve4 ,so says ,edersheim 
7,jesus the ,messiah1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4    
#acf71 from which it appears that he    
does not regard the ,seventy as         
permanent officers in the ,church1      
because1 as he assumes1 their mission   
was temporary4    ,whereas1 on the other
 hand1 ,dr4 ,smith holds that their     

office did not  cease with the          
fulfillment of their immediate and      
temporary mission1  but was to continue4
 7,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1   
,vol4 ,,iv1  ,article1 ,seventy         
,disciples47                            
,jamieson-,fausset-,brown's ,commentary1
 on the passage1 says3        ,the      
mission i4 e41 of the ,seventy1 unlike  
that of the ,twelve1      was evidently 
quite temporary4 ,all the instructions  
are in keeping      with a brief and    
hasty pioneering mission1 intended to   
supply what      of general preparation 
for coming events1 the ,lord's own visit
      afterwards to the same cities and 
places would not from want of      time1
 now suffice to accomplish2 whereas the 
instructions to the      ,twelve1       
besides embracing all those of the      
,seventy1 contemplate      world-wide   
and permanent effects4 ,accordingly1    
after their return      from this single
 missionary tour1 we never again read of
 the      ,seventy4    ,we never again  

read of the ,seventy should be limited1 
however1 to  the books of the ,new      
,testament1 for in the ecclesiastical   
writers  which succeed the ,new         
,testament authors1 mention is made of  
individual  members of this body of     
,seventy1 and of their labors4 ,for     
instance1  ,eusebius has the following  
passage with reference to them4         
,the names of our ,savior's ,apostles   
are sufficiently obvious to      every  
one1 from his gospels2 but of the       
seventy disciples1 no      catalogue is 
given anywhere4 ,barnabas1 indeed1 is   
said to have been      one of them1 of  
whom there is distinguished notice in   
the ,acts of      the ,apostles2 and    
also in ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle to the    
,galatians4      ,sosthenes1 who sent   
letters with ,paul to the ,corinthians1 
is said      to have been one of these4 
,clement1 in the fifth of his           
,hypotyposes      or ,institutions1 in  
which he also mentions ,cephas1 of whom 
,paul      also says1 that he came to   

,antioch1 and that he withstood him to  
his face2#c--says1 that one who had the 
same name with ,peter      the ,apostle1
 was one of the ,seventy2 and that      
,matthias1 who was      numbered with   
the ,apostles in place of ,judas1 and he
 who had been      honored to be a      
candidate with him1 are also said to    
have been      deemed worthy of the same
 calling with the ,seventy4 ,they also  
say      that ,thaddeus was one of them2
 concerning whom ,i shall presently     
relate a narrative that has come down to
 us4 ,moreover1 if any one      observe 
with attention1 he will find more       
disciples of our ,savior      than the  
,seventy1 on the testimony of ,paul1 who
 says1 that he      appeared after his  
resurrection1 first to ,cephas1 then to 
the      ,twelve1 and after these to    
five hundred brethren at once4 ,of whom1
      he says1 some are fallen asleep1  
but the greater part were living      at
 the time he wrote4 7,eccl4 ,hist4      
,eusebius1 ,chap4 xii47    ,in the      

chapter following the one from which the
 foregoing quotation is  taken1         
,eusebius refers to ,thaddeus in the    
most positive manner as being  one of   
the ,seventy1 and that he was sent by   
,thomas1 the ,apostle1 to  visit ,king  
,agbarus4 7,see ,eusebius' ,eccl4       
,history1 ,chap4 xiii47    #c4 ,of      
,their ,being ,more ,than ,one ,quorum  
of ,seventy in the ,meridian            
,dispensation3 ,in all comments upon the
 ,seventy mentioned in ,st4  ,luke1     
chapter x1 one thing seems to have been 
strangely overlooked2  namely1 that     
,jesus had appointed other quorums of   
,seventy before those  mentioned by the 
third ,evangelist4 ,such is the plain   
implication of the  first verse in said 
chapter1 to-wit3    ,after these things 
the ,lord appointed other ,seventy also1
 and sent  them two and two before his  
face1 etc4 ,undoubtedly1 it is in their 
collective capacity that they are       
referred to here1 since the term        
,seventy is used in the singular2 and   

before the appointment of this  ,seventy
 mentioned in ,luke1 ,jesus had         
appointed other ,seventy1 or  quorums of
 ,seventy1 how many may not be          
determined4 ,in ,i ,cor43 xv1  where    
,paul described the appearances of      
,jesus after the resurrection1  it is   
said that he was seen of ,cephas        
7,peter71 then of the ,twelve1  after   
that he was seen of about five hundred  
brethren at once1 of whom  the greater  
part remain unto this present1 but some 
are fallen asleep4  ,now1 taking the    
close relationship between the ,twelve  
and the ,seventy1  the similarity of    
their mission and commission1 7compare  
,luke x with  ,matthew x71 and the fact 
that in the above quoted passage from   
,paul the  appearances of ,jesus is     
spoken of as being associated with      
,peter1 then  with the ,twelve1 and then
 of five hundred brethren at once1 may  
it not  be that those #ejj brethren were
 those who held similar authority with  
the ,twelve ,apostles1 namely1 the      

,seventy1 which would make1 allowing    
for slight discrepancy and perhaps the  
attendance of the ,twelve  ,apostles1   
among the five hundred1 seven quorums of
 ,seventy4 7,see ,doc4   ,cov4 ,sec4    
cvii3 #ie47 ,this is admittedly         
conjecture1 and yet conjecture  upon    
which strong probability attends4    #d4
 ,the ,prophet's ,vision of the ,order  
in ,church ,government3 ,it is  evident 
from the account given in the history of
 the ,prophet ,joseph  ,smith1 that the 
organization of the ,twelve and the     
,seventy grew out  of a vision he had   
concerning the order of ,church         
organization1 since  both in his history
 and also in the revelation contained in
 the ,doc4   ,cov4 ,sec4 #ajg1 he       
repeatedly makes mention of that vision4
 ,in the  minutes of the meeting at     
which the organization of the ,twelve   
began1  it is written that ,president   
,smith then stated that the meeting had 
been called because ,god had commanded  
it2 and it was made known to him  by    

vision and by the ,holy ,spirit4        
7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4
  #ahb1 also note47    ,in the          
revelation above referred to1 describing
 the order of the  ,seventy1 the        
,prophet says3 ,it is according to the  
vision1 showing the  order of the       
,seventy1 that there shall be seven     
presidents to preside  over them1 chosen
 out of the number of the ,seventy4     
#e4 ,the ,first ,quorums of ,seventy    
,chosen from ,zion's ,camp3 ,the first  
and second quorum of ,seventy was made  
up1 in the main1 from that band  of men 
who constituted ,zion's camp1 the camp1 
it will be remembered1  that went up to 
the deliverance of the ,saints who had  
been expelled  from ,jackson county in  
#ahcc4 ,in the meeting referred to in   
the  foregoing note1 at which the       
,twelve were organized1 it is stated    
that  the ,prophet related some of the  
circumstances attendant upon the        
journey of ,zion's camp2 its trials1    
sufferings1 etc41 and said1 ,god  had   

not designed all this for nothing1 but  
he had it in remembrance  yet2 and it   
was the will of ,god that those who went
 to ,zion 7i4 e41  ,missouri7 with the  
determination to lay down their lives if
 necessary1  should be ordained to the  
ministry and go forth to prune the      
vineyard  for the last time4 7,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 ii1 p4 #ahb47 ,in 
an  address to certain ,elders assembled
 in ,kirtland soon after the ,seventy   
were organized1 the ,prophet said3      
,brethren1 some of you are angry with   
me1 because you did not fight      in   
,missouri2 but let me tell you1 ,god did
 not want you to fight4 ,he      could  
not organize his kingdom with twelve men
 to open the gospel      door to the    
nations of the earth1 and with seventy  
men under their      direction to follow
 in their tracks1 unless he took them   
from a      body of men who had offered 
their lives1 and who had made as great  
a sacrifice as did ,abraham4 ,now the   
,lord has got his ,twelve and      his  

,seventy1 and there will be other       
quorums of ,seventies called1      who  
will make the sacrifice1 and those who  
have not made their      sacrifices and 
their offerings now1 will make them     
hereafter4      7,history of the        
,church1 ,vol44 ,,ii1 p4 #ahb in note47 
,from this1 it appears1 that the        
character of men who attain unto this   
high station in the ,priesthood of ,god 
should be men who have made  sacrifices 
for the work of ,god1 or who are        
perfectly willing to make  such         
sacrifices1 even to laying down their   
lives for the cause4    ,organization of
 the ,seventy in ,dispensation of the   
,fullness of ,times3  ,the organization 
of the ,seventies in the dispensation of
 the fulness  of times began on the     
#bhth of ,february1 #ahce1 when1        
according to the  ,history of the       
,prophet ,joseph1 ,the ,church in       
council assembled1  commenced selecting 
certain individuals to be ,seventies    
from the number  of those who went up to

 ,zion with me in the camp 7i4 e41      
,zion's camp72  and the following are   
the names of those who were ordained and
 blessed  at that time 7names omitted71 
to begin the organization of the first  
quorum of ,seventies1 according to the  
visions and revelations which ,i  have  
received4 ,the ,seventies are to        
constitute traveling quorums1 to go     
into all the earth1 whithersoever the   
,twelve ,apostles shall call them4      
7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4
 #bja-cjb4 ,see also notes on the text  
of those two pages47    #g4 ,president  
,joseph ,young's ,account of the        
,organization of the ,first  ,quorums of
 ,seventy3 ,the account of the          
organization of the ,seventy  given by  
the late ,joseph ,young1 brother of     
,president ,brigham ,young1 who  became 
the ,first ,president of the ,seventy in
 this dispensation1 is too  important to
 be omitted1 and therefore is given here
 in extenso3        ,on the #hth of     
,february1 in the year of our ,lord     

#ahce1 the ,prophet      ,joseph ,smith 
called ,elders ,brigham and ,joseph     
,young to the chamber      of his       
residence1 in ,kirtland1 ,ohio2 it being
 on the ,sabbath day4      ,after they  
were seated1 and he had made some       
preliminaries1 he      proceeded to     
relate a vision to these brethren1 of   
the state and      condition of those   
men who died in ,zion's ,camp1 in       
,missouri4 ,he      said1 ,brethren1 ,i 
have seen those men who died of the     
cholera      in our camp2 and the ,lord 
knows1 if ,i get a mansion as bright as 
theirs1 ,i ask no more4 ,at this        
relation he wept1 and for some time     
could not speak4 ,when he had relieved  
himself of his feelings1 in             
describing the vision1 he resumed the   
conversation1 and addressed      himself
 to ,brother ,brigham ,young4 ,said he  
to him1 ,i wish you to      notify all  
the brethren living in the branches1    
within a reasonable      distance from  
this place1 to meet at a ,general       

,conference on      ,saturday next4 ,i  
shall then and there appoint twelve     
special      witnesses1 to open the door
 of the gospel to foreign nations1 and  
you1 said he 7speaking to ,brother      
,brigham71 will be one of them4         
,he then proceeded to enlarge upon the  
duties of their calling4      ,the      
interest that was taken on the occasion 
of this announcement1      produced in  
the minds of the two ,elders present a  
great sensation1      and many          
reflections2 having previously notified 
,brother ,brigham      ,young that he   
would be one of the witnesses1 but said 
nothing to      ,joseph until he had    
exhausted much of his feelings in regard
 to the      ,twelve1 which took up some
 little time4        ,he then turned to 
,elder ,joseph ,young with quite an     
earnestness1      as though the vision  
of his mind was extended still further1 
and      addressing him1 said3 ,brother 
,joseph1 the ,lord has made you         
,president of the ,seventies4           

,they had heard of ,moses and seventy   
,elders of ,israel1 and of ,jesus       
appointing other ,seventies1 but had    
never heard of ,twelve ,apostles        
and of ,seventies being called in this  
,church before4 ,it was a      strange  
saying1 ,the ,lord has made you         
president of the ,seventies1      as    
though it had already taken place1 and  
it caused these brethren      to marvel4
        ,the ,prophet did not say that  
any others would be called to be the    
bearers of this message abroad1 but the 
inference might be clearly      drawn1  
that this was his meaning1 from the     
language he used at the      time4      
,agreeable to his request to ,elder     
,brigham ,young1 the branches were      
all notified1 and a meeting of the      
brethren in ,general ,conference        
was held in ,kirtland1 in the new school
 house1 under the printing      office1 
on the following ,saturday1 ,february   
#adth1 when the ,twelve      were       
appointed and ordained1 and the         

,conference adjourned for two           
weeks4        ,pursuant to this         
adjournment1 the ,conference convened on
 ,saturday1      the #bhth of that      
month1 when the first quorum of         
,seventies were      appointed and      
ordained1 under the hands of the        
,prophet1 his      ,counselors1 and     
others4        ,adjourned meetings were 
held from time to time1 and the second  
quorum of ,seventies were appointed and 
ordained4    #h4 ,the ,first ,report of 
the ,seventy3 ,the first report that the
  ,seventies made of their labors seems 
to have given very great  satisfaction  
to the ,prophet4 ,under date of         
,december #bh1 #ahce1 7less  than a year
 after their organization7 the ,prophet 
says3        ,this day the ,council of  
the ,seventy met to render an account   
of their travels and ministry1 since    
they were ordained to that              
,apostleship4 ,the meeting was          
interesting1 indeed1 and my heart was   
made glad while listening to the        

relation of those that had been         
laboring in the vineyard of the ,lord1  
with such marvelous success4      ,and  
,i pray ,god to bless them with an      
increase of faith and power1      and   
keep them all1 with the endurance of    
faith in the name of ,jesus      ,christ
 to the end4 7,history of the ,church1  
,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #cdf47    #i4 ,the       
,anointing of the ,seventy3 ,the        
,seventies were privileged  to receive  
their washings and anointings in the    
,kirtland ,temple  preparatory to its   
public dedication4 ,the ,presidency of  
the ,seventy  received their anointing  
and blessing under the hands of the     
,twelve  ,apostles on the #bbnd of      
,january1 #ahcf2 and had sealed upon    
their  heads power and authority to     
anoint their brethren--the members of   
their quorums4 7,history of the ,church1
 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #chc47 ,under date of   
the #cjth of ,january1 #ahcf1 members of
 the quorums were anointed and  blessed1
 of which circumstance the ,prophet     

says3        ,in the evening1 went to   
the upper room of the ,lord's house1 and
      set the different quorums in      
order4 ,instructed the presidents of    
the ,seventy concerning the order of    
their anointing1 and requested      them
 to proceed and anoint the ,seventy4    
7,history of the ,church1      ,vol4    
,,ii1 p4 #chh47    #aj4 ,the ,seventy   
,sustained as ,apostles3 ,during the    
dedicatory services  in the ,kirtland   
,temple1 ,march #bg1 #ahcf1 when the    
various officers of  the ,church were   
sustained1 the ,seventies were sustained
 as ,apostles  and special witnesses to 
the nations to assist the ,twelve1 etc4 
,i  quote the passage in full4        ,i
 then called upon the quorums and       
congregation of ,saints to              
acknowledge the ,twelve ,apostles1 who  
were present1 as ,prophets1      ,seers1
 ,revelators1 and special witnesses to  
all the nations of the      earth1      
holding the keys of the kingdom1 to     
unlock it1 or cause it      to be done1 

among them1 and uphold them by their    
prayers1 which      they assented to by 
rising4 ,i next called upon the quorums 
and      congregation of ,saints to     
acknowledge the presidents of ,seventies
      who act as their representatives1 
as ,apostles and special witnesses      
to the nations1 to assist the ,twelve in
 opening the gospel kingdom      among  
all people1 and to uphold them by their 
prayers1 which they      did by rising4 
7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4
 #dag-ah47    #aa4 ,the ,first ,council 
of ,seventy ,lead ,kirtland ,camp to    
,missouri3  ,perhaps the greatest work  
achieved by the ,first ,council of the  
,seventies in their organized capacity1 
was the organization of the  ,kirtland  
,camp1 and leading it from ,kirtland1   
,ohio1 to ,adam-ondi-,ahman1  ,missouri1
 a distance of #hfj miles4 ,the camp    
numbered #aje families1 #ebi  souls in  
all4 ,they left the vicinity of         
,kirtland on the #fth day of  ,july1    
#ahch1 and arriving at ,adam-ondi-,ahman

 on the #dth of ,october1 of  the same  
year4 ,a full history of the            
organization of this camp and its       
journey is to be found in the ,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 p44 #hg  to
 #adh4    #ab4 ,increase of ,quorums at 
,nauvoo3 ,at the ,october ,conference1  
#ahdd1  the number of the ,seventy was  
greatly increased4 ,on the third day of 
the conference1 ,elder ,george ,a4      
,smith moved that all in the ,elders'   
quorum under the age of thirty-five     
should be ordained into the             
,seventies'1 if they are in good        
standing1 and worthy1 and will accept   
it4 ,the motion was seconded and carried
 unanimously4 ,enough members  were     
added to make in all eleven quorums1 and
 forty more were ordained  to be part of
 the twelfth quorum4 7,see minutes of   
,conference1 ,times  and ,seasons1 ,vol4
 ,v1 p4 #fie-fif47 ,by the first of     
,january1 #ahde1 the  number of quorums 
had increased to fourteen1 and a        
,seventies' library  was started1 which 

caused the editor of the ,times and     
,seasons to  exclaim3        ,ten years 
ago but one ,seventy1 and now fourteen  
quorums of      ,seventies1 and the     
foundation for the best library in the  
world4 ,it      looks like old times    
when they had ',kirjath ,sapher1' the   
,city of      ,books4 7,times and       
,seasons1 ,vol4 ,v1 p4 #gfb-c47         
,meantime the ,seventies had built a    
large brick hall in ,nauvoo1 known as   
the ,seventies' ,hall1 and on the #bfth 
of ,december1 #ahdd1 this building  was 
dedicated with imposing ceremonies      
extending through an entire  week4 ,most
 of the members of the ,council of the  
,apostles participated  in the          
dedicatory services4 ,it may be of      
interest for the ,seventies to  know    
that the heroic hymn1 ,the ,seer1 the   
,seer1 ,joseph the ,seer1 by  the late  
,president ,john ,taylor1 was written   
for these services though  dedicated by 
the author to ,president ,brigham       
,young4 7,times and ,seasons1  ,vol4 ,v1

 p4 #gfg47 ,the arrangement was made for
 two quorums to be in  attendance at the
 dedication each day with their wives   
and children and  a number of invited   
guests4 ,by this time there were fifteen
 quorums  in existence4 ,by the #aith of
 ,january1 #ahdf1 the number of quorums 
had  increased to thirty4 7,times and   
,seasons1 ,vol4 ,,vi1 p4 #ajif47        
,whether or  not any more quorums than  
these were organized in ,nauvoo we do   
not know4    #ac4 ,status of the        
,quorums ,since ,nauvoo ,times3 ,for    
some time after the  settlement of the  
,church in ,utah some confusion existed 
in relation  to the quorums of ,seventy1
 and the members of the respective      
quorums  were so badly scattered that   
they convened in what were known as mass
  quorums1 consisting of all the        
,seventies living in a stake or ward1   
without regard to the particular quorum 
to which they belonged4 ,in  the year   
#ahhc1 however1 a movement was set on   
foot to put the quorums  in order1 and  

the ,presidency of the ,church issued   
the following  instructions on the      
subject of                       ,,the  
,,organization ,,of ,,the ,,seventy4    
,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,u4 ,t41 ,april   
#ac1 #ahhc4        ,in the organization 
of these quorums in ,october1 #ahdd1    
there were      ten quorums1 each       
provided with seven presidents1 which   
presidents      constituted the ,first  
,quorum of ,seventies1 and of which the 
,first      ,seven ,presidents of the   
,seventies were members1 and over which 
they presided4 ,but as the ,seventies   
have greatly increased1      these      
regulations will not apply to the       
present circumstances2      and         
furthermore1 the ,first ,quorum1        
according to the present                
organization1 has not acted in a quorum 
capacity1 but it would seem      there  
are duties devolving upon its members1  
as a quorum1 that may      require their
 official action4        ,the ,first    
,quorum of ,seventies may be composed of

 the ,first ,seven      ,presidents of  
the ,seventies1 and the senior president
 of the first      sixty-four quorums4  
,these may form the ,seventy referred to
 in the      ,book of ,doctrine and     
,covenants1 and may act in an official  
capacity      as the ,first ,quorum of  
,seventies4        ,the senior          
presidents of the other quorums1 over   
and above the      sixty-four1 may meet 
with the ,first ,quorum in their        
assemblies in      any other than an    
official capacity2 but in case of the   
absence of      any of the members of   
the ,first ,quorum1 they can act1 in the
 place      of such members with the    
,first ,quorum during such absence1 in  
any      cases of importance that may   
arise4        ,the headquarters of the  
different quorums1 and the records      
thereof1      may be distributed        
throughout the various ,wards and       
,stakes1 under      the direction of the
 ,first ,seven ,presidents1 as the      
number of the      ,priesthood residing 

in such localities may seem to justify  
and any      vacancies that exist1      
either in the presidency or membership  
of      the different quorums may be    
filled by the ordination of persons     
residing in the locality in which the   
respective quorums are      organized4  
,any of the members or presidents of    
other quorums who are in good           
standing may have the privilege of      
joining the quorum located in      the  
district in which they reside2 but in   
such cases they should      first obtain
 a certificate as to their standing in  
the quorum from      which they desire  
to withdraw2 to obtain which it would   
only be      necessary to procure a     
certificate of their good standing from 
the      ,bishop of the ,ward to which  
they belong1 provided their names are   
found upon the record of their quorum as
 in good standing4        ,the          
presidents of the quorums residing in   
the district where their      respective
 quorums are organized shall have a     

general supervision      of all the     
,seventies residing in their district4  
,in all cases where members of quorums  
are called in question1 a      majority 
of their respective quorums will have   
jurisdiction in all      cases involving
 their standing in the quorum1 but in   
case there      is not a majority       
residing in the district where the      
quorum is      organized1 or in the case
 of scattered members1 the members      
present      should investigate the     
matter and report their findings to the 
,first ,seven ,presidents4 ,any         
complaints regarding the presidents     
of quorums should be made to the ,first 
,seven ,presidents of the               
,seventies1 who may suspend such        
presidents1 if their conduct      seem  
to justify it1 pending the action of the
 ,first ,quorum4 ,any      presidents or
 members from whom fellowship has been  
withdrawn      by the quorums1 should be
 reported to the ,high ,council having  
jurisdiction4        ,the ,seventies1   

when abroad1 if anything should occur   
requiring      their supervision1 in the
 absence of other authorities1 may act  
upon the case of any delinquent         
belonging to the ,seventies1 and        
should report their decisions to the    
,first ,seven ,presidents of the        
,seventies4                             
,your ,brethren in the gospel1          
,,john ,,taylor1                        
,,george ,q4 ,,cannon1                  
,,joseph ,f4 ,,smith1      ,first       
,presidency of the ,church of ,jesus    
,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4    ,a   
revelation given through ,president     
,john ,taylor1 at ,salt ,lake ,city1    
,utah ,territory1 on ,saturday1 ,april  
#adth1 #ahhc1 in answer to the          
question3 ,show unto us thy will1 ,o    
,lord1 concerning the organization  of  
the ,seventies4        ,what ye have    
written is my will1 and is acceptable   
unto me3 and      furthermore1          
,thus saith the ,lord unto the ,first   
,presidency1 unto the ,twelve1      unto

 the ,seventies and unto all my holy    
,priesthood1 let not your      hearts be
 troubled1 neither be ye concerned about
 the management      and organization of
 my ,church and ,priesthood and the     
accomplishment      of my work4 ,fear me
 and observe my laws and ,i will reveal 
unto you1      from time to time1       
through the channels that ,i have       
appointed1      everything that shall be
 necessary for the future development   
and      perfection of my ,church1 for  
the adjustment and rolling forth of my  
kingdom1 and for the building up and the
 establishment of my ,zion4      ,for ye
 are my ,priesthood and ,i am your ,god4
 ,even so4 ,amen4    ,under the         
instructions given in the foregoing     
communication and  revelation1 the      
,first ,council of the ,seventy have    
proceeded with the  work of increasing  
the quorums and managing their affairs4 
,the quorums  now number #aea1 giving to
 the foreign ministry of the ,church a  
body of  men numbering about ten        

thousand4    ,footnotes    #a4 ,hackett 
edition1 in four volumes1 now and always
 quoted4    #b4 ,i take occasion here to
 remark that by making reference to     
works  such as ,edersheim's ,life of    
,jesus1 ,bible ,dictionaries            
,ecclesiastical  ,histories1 etc41 it   
must not be understood that in making   
such  references ,i approve the works1  
or even accept the correctness of  the  
passages indicated4 ,such references are
 made that the student  may consult the 
literature on a given point4 ,he must   
make his own  deductions as to the      
correctness of the statements and       
arguments  of such authors4 ,as for     
instance1 in this very passage cited    
from  ,edersheim's really great work1 ,i
 think him1 in the main1 wrong in his   
treatment of this subject of the        
,seventy1 but our ,seventies should know
  what so high an authority1 as         
,edersheim is generally accepted to be1 
has said upon the subject4    #c4 ,it   
will be observed from this statement    

that the ,cephas1 or  ,peter whom ,paul 
withstood to his face at ,antioch1 was  
not the  chief ,apostle ,peter1 but     
another ,cephas or ,peter1 one of the   
,seventy4 ,i fear1 however1 that the    
testimony in ,galatians ii1 as to  its  
being ,peter1 the chief ,apostle1 with  
whom ,paul had his unfortunate          
controversy1 is too strong to be        
overturned by this inference in         
,eusebius4        ,,lesson ,,ii4        
,,the ,,organization ,,and ,,duties ,,of
 ,,the ,,seventy4      ,,analysis4      
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,priesthood4
                                        
,note #a2 ,alma xiii2          #a4      
,definition1 and the ,grouping of       
,doc1  ,cov4 #hd2 ,sec4 #ajg2           
,powers and ,officers4                  
,compendium#a pp4 #fd-gc4               
,history of the ,church                 
,vol4 ,,ii1 ,chap4 #cc2 ,vol4 ,,iv1     
,chap4 #aa2 ,outlines ,eccl4            
,history1 ,part ,,iv1 ,sec4 v4          
,the ,gospel#b pp4 #baj-baf4      ,,ii4 

,the ,church3 ,defined4                 
,note #b4 ,i ,corinthians xii4          
#a4 ,the ,depository of ,revealed       
,articles of ,faith1                    
,truth4                                 
7,talmadge7 ,lecture ,,xi4           #b4
 ,of ,divine ,authority--,her           
,commission4              ,compendium   
pp4 #aeg-aeh4                           
,book of ,mormon1 ,mosiah #e3g-ab4      
,doc4  ,cov4 ,sec4 #gf2 #ej-gj4         
,the ,gospel pp4 #baf-bbg4      ,,iii4  
,the ,mission of the ,church4           
,note #c2 ,eph4 iv3#d-ag4            #a4
 ,proclamation of the ,truth4           
,the ,gospel pp4 #baf-bbg4              
#b4 ,perfecting the ,lives of ,those    
,history of the ,church                 
,who ,receive ,her ,truth4              
,vol4 ,,ii4 pp4 #dg4 #dgf-dhj4          
,,iv4 ,the ,foreign ,ministry4          
,note #d1 #e1 #f4 ,doc4  ,cov4          
#a4 ,the ,twelve ,apostles4             
,sec4 #ajg2 also ,sec4 #abd2            
#b4 ,the ,seventy4                      

#ach-adj4 ,history of           #c4     
,special ,duties of the ,seventy4       
the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1#c             
,chap4 xxvi4 ,luke x2                   
,outlines ,eccl4 ,history#d             
,sec4 v1 p4 #ccf-g1 p4 #cfj2            
also pp4 #cdc-f4 ,also note #g4         
,,special ,,text3 ,wherefore now1 let   
every man learn his duty1 and to act  in
 the office in which he is appointed1 in
 all diligence4 ,doc4 and  ,cov41 ,sec4 
#ajg4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,priesthood4   
,priesthood is authority which ,god     
gives to man1 by  which man is made an  
agent of ,god1 authorized to speak1 act1
 and  administer in the divine name1 and
 have his words and administrations  of 
binding effect as if done by the ,lord  
himself2 provided1 of course1  said     
administrations are in accordance with  
the divine directions or  instructions1 
within the limits of the authority      
confirmed upon the  agent1 performed in 
righteousness and relate to the matters 
for which  the divine authority was     

given to man4    ,necessarily this      
delegated authority is one in kind2#e it
 is simply  authority given of ,god to  
man by which man is authorized to act in
  ,god's stead in relation to certain   
things2 but its powers are grouped  in  
various ways for the purpose of         
facilitating the administration  of its 
government4 ,first1 its powers are      
grouped with reference  to temporal and 
spiritual affairs2 the division of the  
,priesthood  which has charge more      
especially of spiritual affairs is      
called  the ,melchisedek ,priesthood2   
that which has charge more especially   
of temporal affairs1 the ,aaronic       
,priesthood4 ,the officers of the       
,melchisedek ,priesthood are1 ,apostles1
 ,prophets1 ,patriarchs1 ,high          
,priests1 ,seventies1 ,elders2 of the   
,aaronic ,priesthood3 ,bishops 7who are 
,high ,priests1 ordained to be ,bishops 
and constitute the ,presidency of  the  
,aaronic ,priesthood71 ,priests1        
,teachers1 ,deacons4    ,while this     

division of the ,priesthood1 or this    
grouping of its officers  with reference
 to spiritual and temporal labors1      
assigns one to  spiritual and the other 
to temporal concerns1 it must not be    
thought  that there is anything rigid in
 said division of labor2 that the       
,aaronic ,priesthood is excluded from   
participation in spiritual labors2  or  
that the ,melchisedek ,priesthood is    
excluded from dealing with  temporal    
affairs4 ,the line of demarkation1#f as 
a matter of fact1 is  crossed by each   
division2 some of the duties of the     
,aaronic ,priesthood  are spiritual1 and
 some of the duties of the ,melchisedek1
 temporal4  ,this division then rests   
upon the fact that the duties assigned  
the ,aaronic priesthood are chiefly     
temporal1 and the duties of the         
,melchisedek chiefly spiritual4         
,another division of the ,priesthood may
 be said to exist within the            
,melchisedek ,priesthood1 which is also 
a division with reference to its        

labors1 viz41 the foreign ministry and  
the home ministry1 of which more  is to 
be said later4    #b4 ,the ,church4 ,the
 ,church may be said to arise from the  
,priesthood4  ,comprehensively defined  
it may be said to be an organization of 
people--including all officers and      
members--who believe in and  endeavor to
 incorporate in their lives ,god's      
,truth2 who have obeyed  the ordinances 
or sacraments appointed of ,god for     
salvation and  admission into his       
,church2 whose officers are of divine   
appointment and  commission1 7that is1  
possessed of divine authority1 the      
,priesthood7  guided by an ever present 
inspiration from ,god1 and walking      
within  reach of an ever present and    
continuous source of immediate          
revelation4    ,the ,church is the      
depository of ,god's revealed truth4    
,man may be able  by searching to find  
out many truths4 ,what he has learned by
 study1  by investigation1 aided by the 
inspiration of the ,lord--for there  is 

a spirit in man1 and the inspiration of 
the ,almighty giveth them               
understanding--amounts to very much2 but
 there are some things which  even by   
searching man may not learn4 ,canst thou
 by searching find  out ,god8 ,canst    
thou find out the ,almighty unto        
perfection8#g ,the  inference in the    
scripture is1 and the fact is1 that the 
answer must  be1 no4 ,god can not be    
perfectly known1 only as he reveals     
himself to  man2 man can know his       
relationship to ,god only as ,god is    
pleased to  reveal it2 man can only know
 the terms and means of his salvation as
  the ,lord reveals it2 and these       
revelations1 when he has one in the     
earth1 ,god gives to his ,church2 these 
truths which man by searching1  by his  
own wisdom1 may not find out in their   
perfection--,god deposits  with his     
,church--hence the ,church is the       
depository of ,god's revealed           
truth--she receives and is the custodian
 of the ,gospel4    ,and not only is the

 ,church the depository of revealed     
truth2 but she  is also the depository  
of the divine authority2 she1 in        
organized  capacity1 holds as content   
the ,holy ,priesthood2 and she has      
commission  and agency to dispense the  
truth and administer through her        
instrumentalities all the ordinances of 
the gospel4    #c4 ,the ,mission of the 
,church3 ,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ 
of  ,latter-day ,saints was brought into
 existence for the accomplishment  of   
two great things3 first1 the            
proclamation of the truth concerning    
man's salvation to all the world3 and   
second1 the perfecting of those  who    
accept that truth4 ,the ,church is      
organized with reference to the         
accomplishment of these two purposes1   
and has1 for the accomplishment  of     
those purposes1 a foreign ministry and a
 home ministry4 ,in defining  the duties
 of a ,seventy it is with the foreign   
ministry that we have to  deal4    #d4  
,the ,foreign ,ministry4 ,the business  

of the foreign ministry is to  make     
proclamation of the gospel in all the   
world1 and gather1 as soon  as wisdom   
dictates1 those who accept it into the  
organized stakes of  ,zion4 ,this       
foreign ministry1 strictly speaking1 is 
composed of the  ,twelve ,apostles and  
the quorums of the ,seventy4    #e4 ,the
 ,twelve3 ,the twelve traveling         
counselors are called to be the  ,twelve
 ,apostles1 or special witnesses of the 
name of ,christ in all the  world2 thus 
differing from other officers in the    
,church in the duties  of their calling4
 99 99 99 99 ,the ,twelve are a         
traveling presiding ,high  ,council1 to 
officiate in the name of the ,lord1     
under the direction of  the ,presidency 
of the ,church1 agreeable to the        
institution of heaven2  to build up the 
,church1 and regulate all the affairs of
 the same in all  nations2 first unto   
the ,gentiles1 and secondly unto the    
,jews4 99 99 99 99  ,the ,twelve being  
sent out1 holding the keys to open the  

door by the  proclamation of the gospel 
of ,jesus ,christ--and first unto the   
,gentiles  and then unto the ,jews4     
7,doc  ,cov41 ,sec4 cvii47 ,this is the 
special  calling of the ,twelve         
,apostles1 and the calling of the       
,seventy is like  unto it4    #f4 ,the  
,seventy3 ,the ,seventy are also called 
to preach the gospel1  and to be        
especial witnesses unto the ,gentiles   
and in all the world4  ,thus differing  
from other officers in the ,church in   
the duties of  their calling4 99 99 99  
99 ,the ,seventy are to act in the name 
of the ,lord1  under the direction of   
the ,twelve or the traveling ,high      
,council1 in  building up the ,church   
and regulating all the affairs of the   
same in  all nations--first unto the    
,gentiles and then to the ,jews4 99 99  
99 99 ,it  is the duty of the traveling 
,high ,council to call upon the         
,seventy1  when they need assistance1 to
 fill the several calls for preaching   
and  administering the gospel1 instead  

of any others4 99 99 99 99 ,and these   
,seventy 7the reference is to the whole 
body of that ,priesthood7 are  to be    
traveling ministers unto the ,gentiles  
first1 and also unto the  ,jews4 99 99  
99 99 ,whereas other officers of the    
,church1 who belong not unto  the       
,twelve1 neither to the ,seventy1 are   
not under the responsibility  to travel 
among all nations1 but are to travel as 
their circumstances  shall allow1       
notwithstanding they may hold as high   
and responsible  offices in the ,church4
 7,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 cvii47    ,when   
the ,church was set in order at ,nauvoo1
 in #ahda1 by direction of  a revelation
 7,doc4  ,cov42 ,sec4 cxxiv47 after     
naming the ,first ,seven  ,presidents1  
who were to preside over the quorums of 
,seventies1 the ,lord  said3 ,which     
quorum is instituted for traveling      
,elders to bear record  of my name in   
all the world1 whenever the traveling   
,high ,council1  my ,apostles1 shall    
send them to prepare a way before my    

face4 ,the  difference between this     
quorum and the quorum of ,elders is1    
that one is  to travel continually1 and 
the other is to preside over the        
churches  from time to time3 the one has
 the responsibility of presiding from   
time to time1 and the other has no      
responsibility of presiding1 saith  the 
,lord your ,god4    ,in these passages  
the special calling and duties of the   
,seventies  are so clearly set forth    
that neither comment nor amplification  
is  necessary1 since these foregoing    
quotations are the word of the ,lord1   
and evidence the fact that the ,twelve1 
with the ,seventy1 constitute  the      
foreign ministry of the ,church4 ,they  
are special witnesses of ,god  and      
,christ to the truth of the gospel1 and 
that is their special and  peculiar     
calling in the ,church4 ,not that the   
whole responsibility of  preaching the  
gospel rests upon the ,twelve and the   
,seventy alone4 ,that  responsibility   
rests upon the whole body of the        

,church4 ,these quorums1  the ,twelve   
and ,seventy1 are merely the            
instrumentality through which  the      
,church discharges its obligations to   
the people of the world in  making known
 to them the truth4    #g4 ,president   
,joseph ,f4 ,smith on the ,calling of   
the ,seventy3 ,we have  also in the     
,church today1 ,i am informed1 #adf     
quorums of ,seventy the  number in      
#aijd4 ,these constitute a body of      
,elders of somewhere in the             
neighborhood of #aj1jjj men1 whose      
special duty it is to respond to the    
call of the ,apostles to preach the     
gospel1 without purse or scrip1 to  all 
the nations of the earth4 ,they are     
minute men4 ,it is expected that  they  
will be ready1 whenever they are called1
 to go out in the world1  or to go out  
to the various organizations of the     
,church to fulfill  missions and to     
perform such duties as shall be required
 of them1 in  order that the work of the
 ,lord and the work of the ministry may 

be  upheld and sustained and carried on 
in the ,church and throughout the       
world4 ,these councils or quorums of    
,seventy are not always full1 a full    
council being #gj ,elders4 ,but there   
are approximately #aj1jjj ,elders who   
now hold that position in the ,church4  
,they are called to an apostolic        
calling4 ,they are required to be       
special witnesses of the ,lord ,jesus   
,christ4 ,it is expected of this body of
 men that they will have burning  in    
their souls the testimony of ,jesus     
,christ1 which is the spirit of         
prophecy2 that they will be full of     
light and of the knowledge of  the      
truth2 that they will be enthusiastic in
 their calling1 and in  the cause of    
,zion1 and that they will be ready at   
any moment1 when  required1 to go out   
into the world1 or anywhere throughout  
the ,church  and bear testimony of the  
truth1 preach the gospel of ,jesus      
,christ1 and  set examples before the   
world of purity1 love1 honesty1         

uprightness and  integrity to the truth4
 7,the ,general ,conference ,reports1   
,october #fth1  #aijd1 p4 #c47          
,footnotes    #a4 ,richards and         
,little's1 of ,the ,seventy's           
,indispensible ,library1  always meant4 
#b4 ,third edition always quoted4    #c4
 ,after all that has been said1 the     
greatest and most important duty  is to 
preach the ,gospel4--,joseph ,smith4    
#d4 ,third edition always quoted4    #e4
 ,there are two ,priesthoods spoken of  
in the ,scriptures1 viz41 the           
,melchisedek and the ,aaronic or        
,levitical4 ,although there are two     
,priesthoods1 yet the ,melchisedec      
,priesthood comprehends the ,aaronic  or
 ,levitical ,priesthood1 and is the     
grand head1 and holds the highest       
authority which pertains to the         
,priesthood1 and the keys of the        
,kingdom  of ,god in all ages of the    
world to the latest posterity on the    
earth1  and is the channel through which
 all knowledge1 doctrine1 the plan  of  

salvation1 and every important matter is
 revealed from heaven4  7,history of the
 ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #bjg1 et4     
seq47    ,therefore1 in viewing the     
,church as a whole1 we may strictly     
denominate it one ,priesthood4 7,history
 of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #dgh47  
#f4 ,the distinction in the terms       
temporal and spiritual are used  in     
connection with this subject that man   
may understand2 that is1  ,god adapts   
himself to man's terms1 but with ,god   
there is no such  distinction as        
temporal and spiritual1 but all things  
are spiritual4  7,see ,doc4  ,cov41     
,sec4 #bi3ca-ce47    #g4 ,job xi3 #g4   
,,lesson ,,iii4    ,,the ,,organization 
,,and ,,duties ,,of ,,the ,,seventy4    
7,continued47      ,,analysis4          
,,references4      ,i4 ,of ,other ,than 
the ,special ,labors of            ,note
 #a4 ,doc4  ,cov4            the        
,seventy4                               
,sec4 #ajg2 #h-aj1 #cd4 ,note #b4       
,,ii4 ,quorum ,organization4            

,note #c4 ,doc4  ,cov4           #a4    
,presidents4                            
,sec4 #ajg2 #ic-ih2 ,note #d1 #e4       
#b4 ,members4           #c4             
,effectiveness of the ,quorum           
,organization4      ,,iii4 ,the ,first  
,quorum of the ,seventy4                
,note #d4 ,doc4  ,cov4            #a4   
,jurisdiction--,local1 ,general4        
,sec4 #ajg2 #be1 #cca ,art4 of          
#b4 ,limitation in the ,choice of       
,presidents4 ,faith4 7,talmadge7 p4     
#bad4            #c4 ,distinction and   
,authority of the        ,outlines      
,eccl4 ,hist4 ,sec4               ,first
 ,quorum4                           v1  
p4 #cdd4               ,summary4        
,,iv4 ,the ,seventy to be an ,educated1 
,note #f4 ,doc4  ,cov4                  
,trained ,ministry4                     
,sec4 #hh2 #gg1 #h1 #aag1 #aah4 ,ibid4  
#a4 ,need of ,knowing the ,truth in     
,sec4 #acj2 #ah-ba4 ,sec4 #aca2         
,order to ,teach ,it4                   
#f4 ,brigham ,young on ,education1      

#b4 ,admonition of the ,lord to the     
,contributor ,vol4 ,x1                  
,elders4                                
pp4 #bha-bhc2 ,mormon                   
,point of ,view in ,education1          
,improvement ,era                       
,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #aai et seq4            
,doc4  ,cov4 ,sec4 #hd2 #he             
,note #g4    ,,special ,,text3 ,let it  
become a special conviction with all1   
that to  become a ,seventy means mental 
activity1 intellectual development1 and 
finally spiritual power4    ,all are to 
preach the gospel by the power and      
influence of the  ,holy ,ghost2 and no  
man can preach the gospel without the   
,holy  ,ghost4--,,joseph ,,smith4       
,,notes4    #a4 ,of ,labors ,other than 
,special that ,seventies ,may ,perform3 
,while  preaching the gospel unto all   
nations is the special business of the  
,twelve and ,seventy1 it must not be    
thought that that is the only  function 
which the ,seventy may discharge4 ,as on
 occasion the ,high  ,priests and       

,elders and members of the lesser       
,priesthood can be used  to assist in   
the work of the foreign ministry 7,doc4 
,cov41 ,sec4  #hd3ajf-aaa71 so also1    
when at home1 and not engaged in the    
special work  of their calling1 the     
,seventy may be employed in the home    
ministry1  and assist the standing      
ministry in the wards and stakes of     
,zion in  perfecting the ,saints and    
edifying the body of ,christ until they 
shall  all come unto a unity of the     
faith and the knowledge of the ,son of  
,god1  unto the measure of the stature  
of the fulness of ,christ4 ,paul1 in    
his most excellent description of the   
,church organization1 likens it  unto   
the body of a man4 ,accepting his       
illustration it may be said that  the   
foreign ministry may be regarded as the 
right arm of the ,church1  and the home 
ministry as the left arm4 ,now1 because 
one is the right  arm and one the left1 
shall either refuse to assist the other 
at need8  ,or shall this organization   

7the ,church71 which is said to be the  
body  of ,christ1 be as effectual in the
 performance of its functions as the    
natural body of man is1 and in every    
case of need have the right hand  come  
to the assistance of the left1 and vise 
versa8 ,right reason will  approve an   
affirmative answer4    #b4 ,power of the
 ,melchisedek ,priesthood3 ,the         
,melchisedek ,priesthood  holds the     
right of ,presidency1 and has power and 
authority over all  the offices in the  
,church in all ages of the world1 to    
administer in  spiritual things4 ,the   
,presidency of the ,high ,priesthood1   
after the  order of ,melchisedek1 have a
 right to officiate in all the offices  
in  the ,church4 ,high ,priests after   
the order of the ,melchisedek           
,priesthood1  have a right to officiate 
in their own standing1 under the        
direction  of the ,presidency1 in       
administering spiritual things2 and also
 in the  office of an ,elder1 ,priest1  
7of the ,levitical order71 ,teacher1    

,deacon1  and member4 7,doc4  ,cov4     
,sec4 #ajf3h-aj47    ,while the         
statements here made about the higher   
officers of the ,church  administering  
in the lower offices--a ,high ,priest   
officiating in  the office of ,elder1   
,priest1 ,teacher or ,deacon--are       
limited to ,high  ,priests1 yet the     
principle holds good as to ,seventies   
also4 ,besides  note the statement1 ,the
 ,melchisedek ,priesthood holds the     
right of  presidency and has power and  
authority over all the offices in the   
,church1 in all ages of the world1 to   
administer in spiritual things2  and as 
the ,seventy holds this ,melchisedek    
,priesthood1 he may1 under the          
direction of the presidency 7,see ,ibid 
verse #aj71 administer in any of  the   
offices of the ,church2 also this has   
always been the practice of  the        
,church2 and the practice of the        
,church1 generally speaking1 is the     
best interpretation of the scripture4   
#c4 ,organization of the ,seventy4 ,the 

quorums of ,seventy are organized  with 
special reference to their calling as   
the foreign ministry of  the ,church4   
,it will be observed that their         
organization is different  from that of 
every other quorum in the ,church1 for  
whereas in all  other quorums of the    
higher ,priesthood the presidency       
consists of  one president and two      
counselors1 in the quorum of the        
,seventy  there are seven presidents of 
equal power and authority4 ,that is to  
say1 there is not one president and six 
counselors1 but each of the  seven is a 
president and in power and authority is 
equal with his  fellow-presidents2 but  
for the sake of order the right of      
presidency  is recognized as being      
vested in the senior president by       
ordination4  ,and it is according to the
 vision1 showing the order of the       
,seventy1  that they should have seven  
presidents to preside over them1 chosen 
out  of the number of the ,seventy4 ,and
 the seventh president 7counting from   

the one last ordained7 of these         
presidents is to preside over the six4  
,in the absence of the senior president 
the next senior in ordination  becomes  
the acting president4 ,by this simple   
arrangement all confusion  as to the    
right of presiding is obviated1 for no  
sooner does the  council of a quorum or 
any part thereof convene1 than each     
president  knows at once upon whom the  
responsibility of presiding rests1 let  
them  meet where they may4    ,by virtue
 of having seven presidents a quorum of 
,seventy is not easily  disorganized1   
and this doubtless was one of the       
objects in view in this  arrangement4   
,one1 two1 three1 or even six of the    
presidents could be  sent abroad upon   
missions 7although that is not likely to
 be the case  at any one time7 and yet  
the quorum would have a president left1 
who1  with the quorum1 would be         
competent to transact whatever of       
business  might be necessary for that   
quorum4    ,other duties and advantages 

growing out of this organization are    
apparent on a little reflection4        
,suppose1 for instance1 that a quorum   
of ,seventy should be sent out bodily to
 preach the gospel1 as the  quorum of   
the ,twelve at times have been4 ,you    
would then have an  organization which  
could be broken up into seven groups of 
ten men  each1 with a president for each
 group4 ,these groups could be broken   
up into five pairs1 and the ,elders     
travel two and two1 as the law of  the  
gospel requires4 ,it can be readily seen
 that such a quorum could  be a flying  
column1 capable of being broken up1     
first into groups and  sent into        
different districts2 and the groups     
again broken up into  pairs and spread  
out over a wide area of country4 ,the   
pairs could be  called together in      
groups of ten for conference1 for       
adjustment and  rearrangement of        
traveling companions1 and the groups    
occasionally  brought together in quorum
 conference1 report1 or transact        

whatever  business might be necessary1  
and again be scattered into fields of   
labor4 ,in all of which there appears   
the very finest adaptation of  means to 
an end2 and also there appears more than
 mere human wisdom  displayed in this   
organization of the quorums of the      
foreign ministry4    #d4 ,of the ,first 
,quorum of the ,seventy3 ,in the        
revelation before  quoted it is said3   
,and it is according to the vision1     
showing the  order of the ,seventy1 that
 they should have seven presidents to   
preside  over them1 chosen out of the   
number of the seventy4 99 99 99 ,and    
these  seven presidents are to choose   
other ,seventy besides the first        
,seventy1  to whom they belong1 and are 
to preside over them2 and also other    
,seventy1 until seven times seventy1 if 
the labor in the vineyard of  necessity 
requires it4    ,it must not be         
understood that this passage limits the 
number of  quorums to seven times       
seventy1 for the ,prophet1 at the time  

the  quorums were being organized1      
stated that ,if the first ,seventy are  
all employed and there is a call for    
more laborers1 it will be the  duty of  
the seven presidents of the first       
,seventy to call and ordain  other      
,seventy1 and send them forth to labor  
in the vineyard1 until if  needs be1    
they set apart seven times seventy1 and 
even until there are  #add1jjj thus set 
apart for the ministry4 7,see ,church   
,history1 ,vol4 ,,ii3  #bba and ,notes47
    ,it will be observed in the         
quotation from the ,doctrine  ,covenants
  above that provision is made that the 
presidents of ,seventy are to  be chosen
 out of the number of the ,seventy4 ,it 
is because of this  special provision   
that when inadvertently ,high ,priests  
have been  selected for presidents of   
,seventy they have taken their place    
again  in the quorum of ,high ,priests  
and others from among the ,seventy1 as  
provided by the law of ,god1 chosen to  
fill their place4 ,it will also  be     

observed that the council of the ,first 
,seventy1 in addition to  presiding over
 their own quorum 7the first71 have a   
general presidency  over all the quorums
 of the ,church4 ,it is this first      
quorum1 members  and presidents         
together1 which constitutes what1 by way
 of explanation1  we may call the quorum
 of ,seventy1 the quorum of which it is 
said  that they are equal in authority  
to the quorum of the twelve special     
witnesses1 or ,apostles4    #e4         
,summary4 ,it may be said by way of     
recapitulation that the ,seventy  hold  
the ,melchisedek ,priesthood2 that with 
the ,twelve1 under whose  directions    
they labor1 they constitute the foreign 
ministry of the  ,church3 that their    
special calling is to travel and preach 
the gospel  in all nations1 first to the
 ,gentiles and then to the ,jews2 that  
they  can1 on occasion be employed in   
the work of the ministry at home1       
because their ,priesthood authorizes    
them to do good and bring to pass       

righteousness wherever they may be1 and 
when acting in order and under  the     
direction of the ,twelve ,apostles they 
may do whatever is necessary  to be done
 in order to accomplish the purposes of 
,god1 whose ministers  they are2 but    
their organization has particular       
reference to their  special work of     
preaching the ,gospel in all the world4 
#f4 ,an ,intelligent and ,informed      
,ministry ,contemplated in the ,church3 
,after this brief review of the         
organization and duties of the          
,seventies1 it must be clearly manifest 
that it is the imperative duty  of those
 holding this office in the ,priesthood 
to make careful and  thorough           
preparation to discharge the            
responsibilities of their high  calling 
as the ambassadors of the ,lord ,jesus4 
,being special witnesses  of the name of
 ,christ in all the world1 preachers 7i4
 e41 teachers7  of the gospel1 and      
authorized under the direction of the   
,twelve  ,apostles to act in the name of

 the ,lord in building up the ,church   
and  regulating all the affairs of the  
same in all nations 7,doc4  ,cov4  ,sec4
 cvii71 it behooves them to become      
witnesses who understand the  truth of  
which they testify1 skilled workman1    
ambassadors of whom the  ,master need   
not be ashamed4 ,it is evident that the 
,lord never designed  that his ministry 
should be an ignorant ministry2 for to  
the early  ,elders of his ,church1 in   
this last dispensation1 when instructing
 a  number of them to prepare for labor 
in the vineyard1 he said3        ,and ,i
 give unto you a commandment that you   
shall teach one another      the        
doctrine of the kingdom2 teach ye       
diligently and my grace shall           
attend you1 that you may be instructed  
more perfectly in theory1      in       
principle1 in doctrine1 in the law of   
the gospel1 in all things      that     
pertain unto the kingdom of ,god1 that  
are expedient for you      to           
understand4 ,of things both in heaven   

and in the earth1 and      under the    
earth2 things which have been1 things   
which are1 things      which must       
shortly come to pass2 things which are  
at home1 things      which are abroad2  
the wars and the perplexities of the    
nations1      and the judgments which   
are on the land1 and a knowledge also of
      countries and of kingdoms4 ,that  
ye may be prepared in all things        
when ,i shall send you again to magnify 
the calling whereunto ,i have           
called you1 and the mission with which  
,i have commissioned you4 99 99      99 
,therefore1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 my 
friends1 call your solemn      assembly1
 as ,i have commanded you2 and as all   
have not faith1 seek1      ye diligently
 and teach one another words of wisdom2 
yea1 seek ye      out of the best books 
words of wisdom2 seek learning even by  
study1      and also by faith4 7,doc4   
,cov4 ,sec4 #hh3gg1 #gh1 #hj and #aag1  
#aah47    ,the instructions then given  
to the ,elders of the ,church are still 

applicable to men engaged in the same   
ministry1 and charged with like         
responsibility4    ,elsewhere ,i have   
said1 on the foregoing passage from the 
,doctrine and  ,covenants3        ,i    
think ,i may safely challenge any one to
 point out a broader      field of      
knowledge than is here indicated4 ,it   
includes      all spiritual truth1 all  
scientific truth1 all secular           
knowledge--knowledge of the past1 of the
 present1 of the      future2 of the    
heavens1 and of the earth4 ,a knowledge 
of all      countries1 their geography1 
languages1 history1 customs1 laws       
and governments--everything in fact that
 pertains to them4 ,there      is       
nothing in the heights above or the     
depths below that is not      included  
in this field of knowledge into which   
the commandment      of ,god directs his
 servants to enter4 ,i may claim for it 
that      it includes the whole realm of
 man's intellectual activities4         
,and the doctrine that whatever         

principles of intelligence man          
attains unto in this life will rise with
 him in the morning of      the         
resurrection--this doctrine that nothing
 acquired in respect      of knowledge  
is ever lost1 must forever form the most
 powerful      incentive to intellectual
 effort that possibly can be conjured   
up by the wit of man4 ,so that1         
referring to the acquirement of         
knowledge1 and intellectual development1
 ,mormonism at once both      indicates 
the broadest field and furnishes the    
grandest incentive      to intellectual 
effort4 7,the ,mormon ,point of ,view in
 ,education1      ,improvement ,era1    
,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #aai47    ,commenting    
once upon the above passages from the   
,doctrine and  ,covenants1 the writer   
remarked3        ,i trust no one will   
receive the impression that ,i leave out
 of      consideration1 or have not     
attached proper importance to the part  
which the ,spirit of ,god takes in these
 things 7the preaching of      the      

gospel74 ,i think there is no one with  
whom ,i am acquainted      that believes
 more fervently than ,i do that in order
 to succeed in      preaching the gospel
 one must do so by the gift and by the  
power of      the ,holy ,ghost4 ,i know 
that the ,lord has given instruction to 
the      ,elders of the ,church that    
separates their methods of work1 as wide
      as day is separated from the      
night1 from those methods of preaching  
adopted by the world--,i know that he   
has said3 ,think not what      ye shall 
say1 but in the very hour that it is    
needed it shall be      given to you    
that which you shall say4 ,but while ,i 
remember that1      ,i remember also the
 admonition which he has given to the   
,elders in      the self same passage1  
to the effect that they should treasure 
up      continually the words of life1 a
 part of the instruction that ,i        
have sometimes thought is too much      
neglected4 ,i believe we shall      best
 succeed if1 when treasuring up the     

words of life1 we do it                 
systematically2 that instead of being   
like an unwise builder who      throws  
into one promiscuous heap lime1 sand1   
bricks and frames1      together with a 
hundred and one other materials that    
enter into      the construction of his 
building1 that each be placed by itself1
      carefully stored away where the   
workmen can readily find it and         
bring each part to the building as the  
builder has need4 ,so1 ,i      say1     
systematize your efforts in reading1 in 
thought1 in speech1      and after you  
have done all that1 ,i believe that you 
will have all      the more claim upon  
the ,spirit and blessing of ,god4 ,after
 you have      made the attempt to carry
 out the instructions which our ,father 
in      heaven has given in respect of  
storing your minds with the words       
of life1 you can then go to him saying3 
,father1 ,i have done all ,i      can   
with the powers thou hast placed at my  
command1 now help me by      thy grace2 

and bless all that ,i have done1 and the
 honor and praise      and the glory    
shall be thine4 ,under these            
circumstances1 if your      efforts be  
accompanied by secret prayer before     
,god1 who hears in      secret and      
rewards openly1 he will bless your      
ministry beyond all      your           
expectation4 7,preparation for the      
,ministry1 a discourse      delivered in
 ,salt ,lake ,tabernacle1 ,oct4 #bh1    
#ahid47      ,footnotes    #a4 ,compare 
verse #cc with verse #cb3 also verses   
#be and #bf1 with verses  #bc and #bd1  
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 #ajg4        ,,part 
,,ii4    ,a ,study of the ,hebrew       
,scriptures4---,the ,old ,testament4    
,,lesson ,i4    ,,the ,,antiquity1      
,,classification ,,and ,,character ,,of 
,,the ,,old ,,testament4                
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,definitions of  
the ,term ,bible4                       
,the ,seventies ,bible                  
,dictionary word1 ,bible2#a             

also other                              
,bible ,helps2 ,smith's                 
,dictionary of the ,bible2#b            
,cyclopaedia ,biblical                  
,literature1 7,kitto72                  
,the ,gospel1 7,roberts71               
,chap4 vi#c4      ,,ii4 ,antiquity of   
the ,old ,testament                     
,notes #a and #b4 ,josephus'            
,writings4                              
,antiquities of                         
the ,jews4 ,book ,,xx1                  
,chap4 x4 ,josephus' ,preface           
to ,antiquities of the                  
,jews2 ,commentary                      
,critical and ,explanatory2#d           
,the ,gospel1                           
7,roberts71 ,chap4 vi and               
vii1 ,book of ,mormon1 ,i ,nephi1       
chap4 v3#aj-ac2 ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4     
,manual1 #aijc-d1 on the ,book of       
,mormon1 ,part4 ,i4 ,chap4 ,i1          
,,ii4 ,pearl of ,great ,price1          
,chap4 #a2 ,history of the              
,church ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ih4      ,,iii4   

,classification of the ,old ,testament  
,josephus vs ,apion1 ,bk4               
,books4                                 
,i4 7,see note #a74 ,the ,gospel1       
7,roberts71 ,chap4 vi2            #a4   
,the ,law2                              
,dr4 ,smith's ,old ,testament           
#b4 ,the ,prophets2                     
,history1 ,appendix #a1            #c4  
,the ,writings or ,hagiographa2         
pp4 #fea-c4 ,the ,seventy's             
#d4 ,the ,apocrypha4                    
,bible ,dictionary1                     
,art4 ,bible1 subdivision               
,structure of the ,bible2               
,ibid4 ,art4 ,apocrypha4                
,oxford and other                       
,bible ,helps4    ,,special ,,text3     
,search the ,scriptures2 for in them ye 
think ye have  eternal life3 and they   
are they which testify of me4--,,jesus4 
,,notes4    #a4 ,antiquity of the       
,hebrew ,sacred ,books3 ,josephus in his
 first book  against ,apion ascribes the
 most ancient books of the ,hebrew      

race--the  ,pentateuch1 the five        
books--to ,moses1 and in contrasting the
 ,hebrew  literature with that of the   
,greeks1 he says3        ,we1 therefore1
 7who are ,jews7 must yield to the      
,grecian writers      as to language and
 eloquence of composition2 but then we  
shall      give them no such preference 
as to the verity of ancient history1    
and least of all as to that part which  
concerns the affairs of our      several
 countries4 ,as to the care of writing  
down the records from      the earliest 
antiquity among the ,egyptians and      
,babylonians2 that      the priests were
 intrusted therewith1 and employed a    
philosophical      concern about it2    
that they were the ,chaldean priests    
that did so      among the ,babylonians1
 and that the ,phoenicians1 who were    
mingled      among the ,greeks1 did     
especially make use of their letters    
both for      the common affairs of life
 and for the delivering down the history
      of common transactions1 ,i think  

,i may omit any proof1 because all      
men allow it so to be4 ,but now as to   
our forefathers1 that they      took no 
less care about writing such records1   
7for ,i will not say      they took     
greater care than the others ,i spoke   
of17 and that they      committed that  
matter to their high priests and to     
their prophets1      and that these     
records have been written all along down
 to our own      times with the utmost  
accuracy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for our       
forefathers did      not only appoint   
the best of these priests1 and those    
that attended      upon the divine      
worship1 for that design from the       
beginning1 but      made provision that 
the stock of the priests should continue
      unmixed and pure2 for he who is   
partaker of the ,priesthood must        
propagate of a wife of the same nation1 
without having regard to      money1 or 
any other dignities3 but he is to make a
 scrutiny1 and      take his wife's     
genealogy from the ancient tables1 and  

procure      many witnesses to it4 ,and 
this is our practice not only in ,judea1
      but wheresoever any body of men of
 our nation do live2 and even      there
 an exact catalogue of our priests'     
marriages is kept2 ,i mean      at      
,egypt and at ,babylon1 or in any other 
place of the rest of the      habitable 
earth1 whithersoever our priests are    
scattered2 for they      send to        
,jerusalem the ancient names of their   
parents in writing1      as well as     
those of their remoter ancestors1 and   
signify who are      the witnesses also4
 99 99 99 ,but what is the strongest    
argument of      our exact management in
 this matter is what ,i am now going to 
say4      ,that we have the names of our
 high priests from father to son set    
down in our records1 for the interval of
 two thousand years2 and      if any of 
these have been transgressors of these  
rules1 they are      prohibited to      
present themselves at the altar1 or to  
be partakers      of any other of our   

purifications2 and this is justly1 or   
rather      necessarily done1 because   
every one is not permitted of his own   
accord to be a writer1 nor is there any 
disagreement in what is      written2   
they being only prophets that have      
written the original      and earliest  
accounts of things1 as they learned them
 of ,god      himself by inspiration2   
and others have written what hath       
happened      in their own time1 and    
that in a very distinct manner also3    
,for we      have not an innumerable    
multitude of books among us1 disagreeing
      from and contradicting one        
another1 7as the ,greeks have17 but only
      twenty-two books1 which contain   
the records of all the past times1      
which are justly believed to be divine4 
,and of them1 five belong to            
,moses1 which contain his laws and the  
traditions of the origin of      mankind
 till his death4 ,this interval of time 
was little short of      three thousand 
years2 but as to the time from the death

 of ,moses      till the reign of       
,artaxerxes1 king of ,persia1 who       
reigned after      ,xerxes2 the         
prophets1 who were after ,moses1 wrote  
down what was      done in their times  
in thirteen books4 ,the remaining four  
books      contain hymns to ,god1 and   
precepts for the conduct of human life4 
,it is true1 our history hath been      
written since ,artaxerxes very          
particularly1 but hath not been esteemed
 of the like authority with      the    
former by our forefathers1 because there
 hath not been an exact      succession 
of prophets since that time2 and how    
firmly we have      given credit to     
these books of our own nation1 is       
evident by what      we do2 for during  
so many ages as have already passed1 no 
one hath      been so bold as either to 
add anything to them1 to take anything  
from them1 or to make any change in     
them2 but it is become natural      to  
all ,jews1 immediately and from their   
very birth1 to esteem these      books  

to contain divine doctrines1 and to     
persist in them1 and1 if      occasion  
be1 willingly to die for them4 ,for it  
is no new thing for      our captives1  
many of them in number1 and frequently  
in time1 to      be seen to endure racks
 and deaths of all kinds upon the       
theatres1      that they may not be     
obliged to say one word against our laws
 and      the records that contain them4
 7,antiquity of the ,jews1 ,flavius     
,josephus ,against ,apion1 ,book #a1 pp4
 #ehb-ehc47    #b4 ,the ,effect of      
,recent ,discoveries in ,chaldea and    
,egypt on the  ,authorship of the ,five 
,books in the ,bible ,ascribed to       
,moses3        ,the ,assyrian           
inscriptions which have been recently   
recovered and      given to the         
,english-speaking peoples by ,layard1   
,george ,smith1      ,sayce1 and others1
 show that in the ancient religions of  
,chaldea      and ,babylonia there was  
elaborated a narrative of the creation  
which1 in its most important features1  

must have been the source      of that  
in our own sacred books4 ,it has now    
become perfectly      clear that from   
the same sources which inspired the     
accounts of      the creation of the    
universe among the ,chaldee-,babylonian1
 the      ,assyrian1 the ,phoenician1   
and other ancient civilizations came the
      ideas which hold so prominent a   
place in the sacred books of the        
,hebrews4 99 99 99 99 ,from this idea of
 creation was evolved in time a         
somewhat nobler view4 ,ancient thinkers1
 and especially1 as is now      found1  
in ,egypt1 suggested that the main      
agency in creation was      not the     
hands and fingers of the ,creator1 but  
his voice4 ,hence was      mingled with 
the earlier1 cruder belief regarding the
 origin of the      earth and heavenly  
bodies by the ,almighty the more        
impressive idea      that he spake and  
they were made--that they were brought  
into      existence by his word4 7,a    
,history of the ,warfare of ,science    

with      ,theology in ,christendom1    
,vol4 #a1 pp4 #b-c74    ,referring again
 to the work of the noted               
,archaeologists mentioned  above1 with  
others1 ,mr4 ,white goes on to say that 
they have deciphered  a multitude of    
ancient texts1 especially the           
inscriptions found in the  great library
 of ,assurbanipal at ,nineveh1 and have 
discovered therein  an account of the   
origin of the world identical in its    
most important  features with the later 
accounts in our own book of ,genesis4   
,these  men have had the courage to     
point out these facts and to connect    
them  with the truth that these         
,chaldean and ,babylonian myths1        
legends1  and theories were far earlier 
than those of the ,hebrews1 which so    
strikingly resemble them1 and which we  
have in our sacred books2 and  they have
 also shown us how natural it was that  
the ,jewish accounts  of the creation   
should have been obtained at that remote
 period when  the earliest ,hebrews were

 among the ,chaldeans1 and how the great
  ,hebrew poetic accounts of creation   
were drawn either from the sacred       
traditions of these earlier peoples or  
from antecedent sources common  to      
various ancient nations4 7,a ,history of
 the ,warfare of ,science with          
,theology in ,christendom1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 
#bj47    ,there can be no doubt but what
 the accounts of creation found in these
  ,assyrian and ,egyptian sources are   
earlier than those written by ,moses1   
or that they are similar in import1 but 
because of these facts is it  necessary 
to discredit either the ,mosaic         
authorship of the five books  of the    
,bible accredited to that ,prophet1 or  
doubt the inspiration of  these         
accounts8 ,and yet this has been the    
result of these discoveries  on many    
minds4 ,the truth is1 that the outlined 
facts of the creation  have been known  
by our race from earliest times1 from   
the days of ,adam  in fact4 ,they were  
matters of common knowledge among the   

antediluvian  patriarchs1 and through   
the family of ,noah were preserved for  
the  families and races of men          
subsequent to the flood2 and variously  
distorted these creation facts were     
preserved by all people4 ,but all  this 
did not prevent the ,lord from revealing
 the creation history to  ,moses1 nor   
does it require us to doubt the         
inspiration which rested  upon him and  
that enabled him to weave into splendid 
coherent form  the fragmentary truths   
held among the ancient ,egyptians and   
,assyrian  peoples4 ,that there were    
pre-,mosaic documents containing        
accounts of  creation and the history of
 ,god's hand-dealings with ancient      
peoples1  we have abundant proof of in  
the ,book of ,abraham1 which so         
strangely  came into the possession of  
the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith 7,see       
,church  ,history1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4      
#bce-f1 #cdh-cej74 ,also that the ,lord 
revealed  the creation facts1 and also  
the early history of our race to ,moses1

  is confirmed by revelation to the     
,prophet of the nineteenth century1     
,joseph ,smith 7,see ,pearl of ,great   
,price1 ,book of ,moses1 pp4 #a-dh1 also
  ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 #ih
 et seq47    ,the student will find a   
well written article by ,professor ,a4  
,h4 ,sayce1  in ,the ,bible ,treasury1  
pp4 #cg-db1 that bears upon this        
subject4 ,the  matter is also discussed 
at some length in ,young ,men's ,manual 
for  #aijc-d 7,no4 #g741 chap4 ,i4      
,furthermore1 it should be noted that   
the writers of the ,new ,testament  bear
 emphatic testimony to the authenticity 
and divine authority of the  ,old       
,testament1 since these writers so      
frequently quoted it as a work of       
divine authority4 ,indeed1 says an      
accepted authority in this class  of    
literature1 the references are so       
numerous1 and the testimonies  so       
distinctly borne to the existence of the
 ,mosaic books throughout  the whole    
history of the ,jewish nation1 and the  

unity of character1  design and style   
pervading these books is so clearly     
perceptible1  notwithstanding the       
rationalistic assertions of their       
forming a series  of separate and       
unconnected fragments1 that it may with 
all safety be  said1 there is immensely 
stronger and more varied evidence in    
proof of  their being the authorship of 
,moses than of any of the ,greek or     
,roman  classics being the productions  
of the authors whose names they bear4   
7,commentary on the ,old and ,new       
,testaments1 ,jamieson-,fausset-,brown1 
preface47    #c4 ,hagiographa3          
,hagiographa--the ,greek name of the    
last of the three  ,jewish divisions of 
the ,old ,testament4 ,they are variously
 reckoned1  but usually comprise the    
,psalms1 ,proverbs1 ,job1 ,canticles1   
,ruth1  ,lamentations1 ,ecclesiastes1   
,esther1 ,daniel1 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 and 
,chronicles4 7,the ,century ,dictionary 
and ,cyclopaedia1 ,vol4 ,,ix47    #d4   
,the ,subdivisions of the ,old          

,testament--,its ,dignity and           
,authority3  ,the student will observe  
that the classification of the books in 
the  several authorities cited1 all vary
 somewhat in the grouping and           
subdivisions of them2 but ,i believe it 
will be found that the grouping  in the 
analysis of the ,seventies' ,bible      
,dictionary will be found most  complete
 and satisfactory4 ,one thing should be 
borne in mind with  reference to this   
whole volume of ancient ,hebrew         
scripture1 and that  is1 whatever the   
sub-division may be1 history1           
legislation1 poetry1  prophecy1         
biography1 or proverbs1 it is written   
under the inspiration  of ,god4 ,that   
does not mean that human elements are   
not to be found in  it1 but rather that 
a divine spirit is present in the midst 
of those  human elements giving forth   
light and truth and wisdom such as is to
 be  found in no merely human           
production4 ,there is a divine spirit   
always  present in these scripture      

narratives1 prophecies and poetry that  
make  the whole to contain a revelation 
of ,god1 and an account of his methods  
of doing things among men1 all of which 
gives to those writings an  authority   
that does not pertain to the ordinary   
writings of men4    ,footnotes    #a4   
,it will be understood that by          
,seventies' ,bible1 is meant  throughout
 the ,bible selected for the ,seventies'
 ,indispensible  ,library1 ,the         
,teacher's ,bible1 ,cambridge edition4  
#b4 ,hackett edition always quoted4     
#c4 ,third edition always quoted4    #d4
 ,this work will always be so quoted1 it
 is a recent work produced in           
collaboration by ,robert ,jamieson1 ,d4 
,d41 ,st4 ,paul's1 ,glasgow1 ,scotland2 
,a4 ,r4 ,fausset1 ,d4,d41 ,st4          
,cuthberts1 ,york1 ,england2 and ,david 
,brown1  ,d4,d41 ,professor of          
,theology1 ,aberdeen1 ,scotland4 ,it is 
one of the best  works of its kind1 and 
represents the latest orthodox          
interpretations  of the ,scriptures1 and

 while the ,elders which make up our    
ministry  may not accept the doctrinal  
interpretation of this or any other     
commentary1 its historical and critical 
treatise are among the most  recent and 
valuable4        ,,lesson               
,,ii--,,lectures4#a    ,,the ,,hebrew   
,,sacred ,,books--,,the ,,old           
,,testament4    ,,lectures4             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the             
,apocrypha4--,a ,paper#b                
,seventy's ,bible ,dictionary           
,art4 ,aprocrapha4                      
p4 #i2 also other ,bible                
,helps4 ,same title4 ,doc4  ,cov4       
,sec4 xci2 ,hist4 of                    
the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cca4         
,bible ,treasury1 ,art4                 
,aprocrypha1 pp4 #cea-c4                
,kitto's ,biblical ,literature1         
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #agf-agi4      ,,ii4 ,canon
 of the ,old ,testament4                
,note #a4 ,smith's ,old                 
,testament ,hist41 pp4 #fdd-f2          
note #b2 ,smith's                       

,bible ,dict41 ,art4 ,cannon1           
,vol ,i1 pp4 #cef-cgf2 ,bible           
,treasury1 pp4 #bh-cb4 ,seventy's       
,bible ,dictionary4                     
,art4 ,cannon2 ,the                     
,gospel1 7,roberts71 ,chaps4            
vi1 vii4 ,kitto's ,bible                
,lit41 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cgf-cha1          
and ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #gjf-gai4           
,,iii4 ,the ,history of the ,english    
,bible4                                 
,seventy's ,bible ,dictionary1          
,art4 ,bible1 ,english2                 
,bible ,treasury1 pp4 #ae-ai2           
,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1            
,article ,version1                      
,authorized1 ,vol4 ,,iv1                
pp4 #cdbd-cddd4 ,see                    
note #i4 ,encyclopaedia                 
,britannica1 ,art4 ,english             
,bible4    ,,special ,,text3 ,he that   
hath my word1 let him speak my word     
faithfully4  ,what is the chaff to the  
wheat1 saith the ,lord8--,,jeremiah4    
,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,apocrypha4 ,the   

collection of books to which this term  
is  popularly applied includes the      
following4 ,the order given is that in  
which they stand in the ,english        
version4 ,i4 ,esdras4 ,,ii4 ,esdras4    
,tobit4  ,judith4 ,the rest of the      
chapters of the ,book of ,esther1 which 
are found  neither in the ,hebrew nor in
 the ,chaldee4 ,the ,wisdom of ,solomon4
 ,the  ,wisdom of ,jesus the ,son of    
,sirach1 or ,ecclesiasticus4 ,baruch4   
,the ,song  of the ,three ,holy         
,children4 ,the ,history of ,susanna4   
,the ,history of the  ,destruction of   
,bel and the ,dragon4 ,the ,prayer of   
,manasseh1 ,king of  ,judah4 ,i4        
,maccabees4 ,,ii4 ,maccabees4#c    ,a   
brief treatise on each of the foregoing 
books of the ,apocrypha will  be found  
in the ,seventy's ,bible ,dictionary1   
,art4 ,apocrypha1 also in  ,bible       
,treasury1 pp4 #cea1 #cec2 ,tobias1     
,judith1 ,wisdom1 ,ecclesiasticus1      
,baruch1 ,i and ,,ii ,macabees will be  
found in the ,roman ,catholic ,english  

version1 known as the ,douay ,bible1 the
 ,roman ,church regarding them as  of   
equal authority with other books of the 
,old ,testament4    #b4 ,definition of  
,apocrypha3 ,the word ,apocrypha means  
secret  or hidden1 and is applied to a  
class of writings which have been       
definitely rejected from the books of   
the ,old and ,new ,testaments2 but  the 
reason why they were called secret      
books1 rather than private  or secondary
 books1 is not clear4 99 99 99 99       
,probably every attempt to  define the  
limits of canonical or inspired books   
will result in the  distinction of three
 classes of books3 7#a7 the ,canonical  
,scriptures1  about which every one is  
agreed2 7#b7 the disputed books1 about  
which  there is no general agreement2   
7#c7 the books which are universally    
rejected4 ,it is to the third class that
 the term ,apocrypha properly  applies1 
the intermediate class being more       
correctly known as  ,antilegomena1 or   
disputed books4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is   

commonly stated that  the reason for the
 rejection of the books referred to from
 the ,old  ,testament the ,apocrypha was
 that they were not found current in    
,hebrew1 but only in ,greek4 ,it is     
quite possible that in some cases  the  
reason why the books were not extant in 
,hebrew was that they had  been         
previously judged uncanonical4 ,a book  
soon disappears when it has  been       
condemned4 ,even the ,greek text of some
 parts of the ,apocrypha has            
perished--7e4 g4 ,,ii ,esdras74 ,we must
 not be surprised1 therefore1 if  some  
of the apocryphal books should turn out 
to have been at one time  extant in     
,hebrew4 7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #cea47   
#c4 ,attitude of the ,roman ,catholic   
,church ,respecting the ,apocrypha3     
,some ,catholic theologians previous to 
the ,council of ,trent1 #aede-aefc1     
were in doubt as to the inspiration of  
some of the books of the  ,apocrypha    
admitted into the ,catholic ,canon2 but 
,dr4 ,smith1 in his ,bible  ,dictionary1

 says3 ,the ,council of ,trent closed   
the question which had  been left open1 
and deprived its theologians of the     
liberty they had  hitherto              
enjoyed--extending the ,canon of        
,scripture so as to include all  the    
hitherto doubtful or deutero-canonical  
books1 with the exception  of the two   
books of ,esdras and the ,prayer of     
,manasseh1 the evidence  against which  
seemed too strong to be resisted 7,sess4
 ,,iv4 de ,can4  ,script74 ,in          
accordance with this decree1 the        
editions of the ,vulgate1  published by 
authority1 contained the books which the
 ,council had  pronounced canonical1 as 
standing on the same footing as those   
which  had never been questioned1 while 
the three which had been rejected were  
printed commonly in smaller type and    
stood after the ,new ,testament4        
7,dictionary p1 #abb47    ,catholics1   
however1 insisted that the list of      
canonical books agreeing  in substance  
with the list of divinely inspired      

books1 held by  ,catholics to the       
present day1 was authorized by the      
twenty-sixth  statute of the ,council of
 ,hippo1 held in ,africa in the year    
#cic1 and  the third ,council of        
,carthage #cig1 ,a44 ,d41 and the sixth 
,council of  ,carthage #dai1 ,a4 ,d41   
give the same list or canon of books as 
the  ,council of ,hippo4 ,although the  
inspiration of some of these books  was 
held to be doubtful by a few of the     
,fathers1 previous to these  two        
,councils1 the same ,fathers ceased to  
have any doubt upon it after  the       
decision of these ,councils2 so that1   
while some of the ,apocrypha  have been 
considered uninspired1 as the third and 
fourth of ,esdras1  and third and fourth
 of ,macabees1 some other of these books
 have been  recognized as inspired1 and 
are called by ,catholics                
,deutero-canonical4  ,these have1       
therefore1 the very same sanction and   
authority that all  the books of the    
,new ,testament have1 in addition to the

 long-standing  veneration of the       
,jewish ,church for them4 7,catholic    
,belief1 ,bruno1 pp4  #ac-ad47          
,catholics will be compelled1 however1  
to admit that several books of  the     
,apocrypha now accepted by them and     
published in the ,douay ,bible1  are not
 in the list given by the three         
,councils above mentioned4  ,moreover1  
in the list of ,general ,councils       
published in ,bruno's work1  in         
enumerating the achievement of the      
,council of ,trent1 he says3 ,the       
,catholic doctrine regarding the ,holy  
,scripture1 ,tradition1 ,original  ,sin1
 ,justification1 and the ,seven         
,sacraments1 was clearly explained4     
7,catholic ,belief1 ,bruno1 p4 #acj47   
,so that it was not until the ,council  
of ,trent1 #aede-aefc1 that the final   
word respecting the ,catholic canon  was
 spoken4    #d4 ,the ,protestant        
,attitude ,toward the ,apocrypha3 ,the  
,reformers of  ,germany and ,england 99 
99 99 influenced in part by the revival 

of the  study of ,hebrew and the        
consequent recognition of the authority 
of the  ,hebrew canon1 and subsequently 
by the reaction against this stretch of 
authority1 exercised by the ,council of 
,trent1 maintained the opinion  of      
,jerome and pushed it to its legitimate 
results which led to the  rejection of  
the books of the ,apocrypha as          
scripture4 ,luther spoke  of individual 
books among those in question with a    
freedom as great  as that of ,jerome1   
judging each on its own merits1 praising
 ,tobit  as a pleasant comedy and the   
,prayer of ,manasseh as a good model    
for penitents1 and rejecting the two    
books of ,esdras as containing          
worthless fables4 ,the example of       
collecting the doubtful books in a      
separate group had been set in the      
,strasburg edition of the ,septuagint1  
#aebf4 ,in ,luther's complete edition of
 the ,german ,bible 99 99 99 7#aecd7 the
  books 7,judith1 ,wisdom1 ,tobias1     
,sirach1 #a and #b ,maccabees1          

,additions to  ,esther and ,daniel1 and 
the ,prayer of ,manasseh7 were grouped  
together  under the general title of    
,apocrypha1 i4 e4 ',books which are not 
of  like worth with ,holy ,scripture1'  
yet are good and useful to be read4 ,in 
the history of the ,english ,church1    
,wicliffe showed himself in this as  in 
other points the forerunner of the      
,reformation1 and applied the term      
',apocrypha' to all but the             
'twenty-five' ,canonical books of the   
,old  ,testament4 ,the judgment of      
,jerome was formally asserted in the    
sixth  ,article4 ,the disputed books    
were collected and described in the same
  way in the printed ,english ,bible of 
#aeci 7,cranmer's71 and since then      
there has been no fluctuation as to the 
application of the word4 ,the  books to 
which the term is ascribed are in       
popular speech not merely  apocryphal1  
but the ,apocrypha4    #f4 ,attitude of 
the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of        
,latter-day ,saints on the  ,apocrypha3 

,see ,doctrine and ,covenants1 sec4 xci4
    #g4 ,definition of the ,term ,canon3
 ,the word ,canon in classical ,greek   
signifies properly a straight rod1 as a 
carpenter's rule2 and hence  is applied 
metaphorically to a testing rule in     
ethics or in art1 or  in language 7e4 g4
 the canons of ,grammar47 ,as applied to
 ,scripture1  the word indicates the    
rule by which the contents of the ,bible
 must be  determined1 and thus1         
secondarily1 an index of the constituent
 books4  ,the canon of ,scripture may be
 generally described as the collection  
of  books which forms the original and  
authoritative written rule of the  faith
 and practice of the ,church4 7,dr4     
,smith's ,old ,testament ,history1  p4  
#fde47    #h4 ,arrangement of the ,canon
 ,ascribed to ,ezra3 ,among the         
achievements  ascribed to ,ezra is the  
collection1 editing1 and arrangement of 
the  whole ,jewish ,scriptures in one   
canon1 under the threefold division of  
the ,law1 the ,prophets1 and the        

,hagiographa4 ,in performing this work1 
he  is assumed to have added those      
passages which can not have been written
  by the authors whose names the books  
bear2 such as the allusion to  kings of 
,israel in ,gen4 xxxvi3 #ca2 the account
 of the death and burial  of ,moses in  
the last chapter of ,deuteronomy2 and   
the many references  to the state of    
'things at this day4' 99 99 99 99 99    
,but the main question  is1 whether the 
present canon of the ,old ,testament    
was1 in substance1  the work of ,ezra4  
,it must be remembered that such a work 
involved much  more than the collection 
into one volume of books already        
existing in a  separate form2 it        
included the selection from the whole   
number of those  which bore1 and were to
 bear forever1 the stamp of divine      
authority3  for no one imagines that the
 ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament form
 a  complete collection of the ancient  
,hebrew literature4 ,that such a work1  
having such authority1 had been         

completed before the ,christian era1 is 
clear from the allusions to the ,holy   
,scriptures in the ,new ,testament2  and
 it was most probably accomplished      
during the ,persian domination1  which  
ended ,b4 ,c4 #cbc4 ,there is every     
reason for its having been  performed at
 as early a period as possible4 ,ezra's 
care to make the  people well acquainted
 with the word of ,god is as conspicuous
 as his  own knowledge of it4 ,no man   
could be more qualified1 as no time     
could  be more fit1 for a work which was
 most needful to establish the people   
in their faith4 ,that the work must have
 been performed by an inspired  man1 is 
an axiom lying at the foundation of the 
whole question1 unless  we believe1 on  
the one hand1 that the ,church is       
endowed in every age  with power to     
decide what ,scriptures are canonical1  
or unless1 on the  other hand1 we give  
up a canon1 in the proper sense of the  
word1 and  reduce the authority of      
,scripture to that which literary       

criticism can  establish for its        
separate books4 ,on this ground1 none   
but ,ezra can be  the author of the     
canon2 for no one has ever thought of   
ascribing the  work to ,nehemiah1 the   
civil governor and man of action2 and   
the only  claim made for ,malachi is the
 addition of his own prophecy to the    
canon  already framed by ,ezra1 and even
 this supposition we have seen to be    
unnecessary1 as ,ezra may have been the 
survivor4 ,the attempt to ascribe  the  
work to some unknown inspired person    
later than ,malachi is an  example of   
the argumentum ab ignorantia1 which has 
no weight against  the evidence of what 
is known4 7,dr4 ,smith's ,old ,testament
 ,history1 pp4  #fde-fdf47    #i4 ,the  
,authorized ,version3 ,the treatise on  
the ,authorized ,version  in ,smith's   
,bible ,dictionary is full1 and perhaps 
the best one extant2  and while praising
 highly the work of the ,english        
translators of the  ,a4 ,v41 exhibits   
quite clearly some of its defects1 and  

points out the  necessity for a new     
version4 ,how far the ,revised ,version 
of #ahgj-ahhe  corrected the defects of 
the ,a4 ,v4 may be known only to ,hebrew
 and  ,greek scholars2 but the fact that
 the work was undertaken and carried  to
 a conclusion at the expense of so much 
time1 and scholarly effort1  justifies  
the qualified acceptance of our ,english
 ,bible set forth in  one of our        
,articles of ,faith1 viz41 ,we believe  
the ,bible to be the  word of ,god1 as  
far as it is translated correctly4      
,footnotes    #a4 ,it has already been  
suggested in our ,introduction to these 
lessons  that excuses for               
non-preparation should not be tolerated2
 and we again  call attention of the    
quorums to this necessary attitude      
respecting  thorough preparation of     
lessons2 and now emphasize our          
suggestions by  applying them to these  
lectures4 ,those who are assigned to    
deliver the  lectures can receive their 
appointment two or three weeks before   

they  are called upon to deliver them1  
and it should be a matter of pride  with
 those so appointed to come to their    
tasks thoroughly prepared4  ,the        
lecturer is supposed to occupy about    
thirty minutes1 and the  assignments    
should be made with due regard to the   
difficulties of the  subject4    #b4 ,no
 better mental exercise exists than that
 of writing4 ,it leads to  very definite
 thinking1 and to exactness of          
expression1 and is an art  that should  
be cultivated by the ,seventies4 ,it is 
suggested1 therefore1  that at least one
 of the lectures1 when the quorum       
session is devoted  to such exercises1  
should be given in the form of a paper1 
a written  treatise4 ,the subject for   
the paper will be indicated as above4   
#c4 ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary4        
,,lesson ,,iii4    ,,the ,,pentateuch4  
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,authorship4     
,seventy's ,bible ,dictionary1          
,art4 ,pentateuch4                      

,the ,oxford and other                  
,bible ,helps1 same title2              
,bible ,treasury1 pp4 #cj1              
#cf1 #eb2 ,smith's ,old ,testament      
,history ,appendix                      
,i1 pp4 #fec-feh2 ,y4 ,m4               
,manual1 #aijc-d1 7,no4 #g71            
,chap4 i4 ,i ,nephi v3 #aj-af4          
,the ,gospel1 7,roberts71               
,chap4 vi4      ,,ii4 ,subject ,matter  
of the ,pentateuch3                     
,read during the consideration          
of this and           ,i4 ,historical3  
the two following lessons               
the books of ,genesis1                  
7a7 ,antediluvian ,history4             
,exodus1 ,leviticus1 ,numbers1          
7b7 ,postdiluvian ,history1 ,shem       
,deuteronomy4 ,see                  to  
,joshua4                                
also ,note #d2 ,seventy's               
,bible ,dictionary           ,,ii4      
,prophetical3                           
and other ,bible                        
,helps1 ,bible ,treasury1               

7a7 ,prophecy of the ,christ4           
,books of the ,pentateuch2              
7b7 ,prophecy in relation to            
also ,smith's ,bible                    
,israel4                                
,dictionary1 ,articles on               
the ,pentateuch1 ,old ,testament1       
and the ,separate                       
,books of it2 ,smith's                  
,old ,testament ,hist4 ,appendix        
,i2 also ,kitto's                       
,biblical ,literature1 same             
,articles and ,books4 ,the              
,gospel2 ,josephus' ,antiquities        
,books ,i to ,,iv                       
inclusive4 ,also ,pearl of              
,great ,price1 ,book of                 
,moses2 ,ibid ,book of                  
,abraham4 ,genesis1 ,chap4              
iii4 ,numbers xxi3 #h1                  
compare ,helaman1 viii3                 
#ac-ah4 ,deut1 xviii3 #ae1 #af4         
,compare ,acts iii3 #bb1 and            
,history of the ,church1                
,vol ,i1 pp4 #ab1 #ac4    ,,special     

,,text3 ,i will raise up a ,prophet from
 among their brethren1  like unto thee1 
and ,i will put my words in his mouth2  
and he shall  speak unto them all that  
,i shall command him4 ,and it shall come
 to pass  that whosoever will not harken
 unto my words which he shall speak in  
my  name1 ,i will require it of         
him4--,,the ,,lord ,,to ,,moses4        
,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,pentateuch3       
,definition3--,the ,pentateuch is the   
,greek name  given to the five          
books--commonly called the ,five ,books 
of ,moses4 ,in  the time of ,ezra and   
,nehemiah it was called the ,law of     
,moses1 or  the ,book of the ,law of    
,moses1 or simply the ,book of ,moses4  
,this  was beyond all reasonable doubt  
our existing pentateuch4 ,the book      
which was discovered in the ,temple in  
the reign of ,josiah1 and which  is     
entitled the ,book of the ,law of       
,jehovah by the hand of ,moses1 was     
substantially1 it would seem1 the same  
volume1 though it may afterward  have   

undergone some revision by ,ezra4 ,the  
present ,jews1 as we have  already seen1
 usually call the whole by the name of  
,torah1 i4 e41 the  ,law1 or ,torath    
,mosheh1 the ,law of ,moses4 7,smith's  
,old ,testament  ,history1 p44 #fed47   
#b4 ,greek ,titles of the ,books3 ,the  
division of the whole work into  five   
parts was probably made by the ,greek   
translators1 for the titles  of the     
several books are not of ,hebrew1 but of
 ,greek origin4 ,the ,hebrew  names are 
merely taken from the first words of    
each book1 and in the  first instance   
only designated particular sections1 and
 not whole  books4 7,dr4 ,smith's ,old  
,testament ,history1 p4 #fed47    #c4   
,the ,question of ,authorship3 ,till the
 middle of the last  century            
7eighteenth7 it was the general opinion 
of both ,jews and  ,christians that the 
whole of the ,pentateuch was written by 
,moses1  with the exception of a few    
manifestly later additions--such as the 
thirty-fourth chapter of ,deuteronomy1  

which gives the account of  ,moses'     
death4 ,the first attempt to call in    
question the popular belief  was made by
 ,astruc1 doctor and professor of       
medicine in the ,royal  ,college at     
,paris1 and court physician to ,louis   
,,xiv4 ,he had observed  that throughout
 the ,book of ,genesis1 and as far as   
the sixth chapter  of ,exodus1 traces   
were to be found of two original        
documents1 each  characterized by a     
distinct use of the names of ,god2 the  
one by the  name ,elohim1 and the other 
by the name ,jehovah4 ,besides these two
  principal documents1 he supposed      
,moses to have made use of ten others   
in the composition of the earlier part  
of his work4 ,the path traced  by       
,astruc has been followed by numerous   
,german writers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it  is 
sufficient here to state that there is  
sufficient evidence for  believing that 
the main bulk of the ,pentateuch1 at any
 rate1 was  written by ,moses1 though he
 probably availed himself of existing   

documents in the composition of the     
earlier part of the work4 ,some         
detached portions would appear to be of 
later origin2 and when we  remember how 
entirely during some periods of ,jewish 
history1 the ,law  seems to have been   
forgotten1 and again how necessary it   
would be after  the seventy years of    
exile to explain some of its archaisms1 
and to add  here and there short notes  
to make it more intelligible to the     
people1  nothing can be more natural    
than to suppose that such later         
additions  were made by ,ezra and       
,nehemiah4 7,dr4 ,smith's ,old          
,testament ,history1  pp4 #fec-fee47    
,the same conclusion is reached by      
,james ,robertson1 ,d4,d41 in the ,bible
  ,treasury2 and also by ,prof4 ,samuel 
,colcord ,bartlett1 ,d4,d41 of the      
,theological ,seminary1 ,chicago1 in    
,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 ,vol4 ,,iv1
  p4 #bdc4 ,the question is considered  
at some length in the ,young ,men's     
,manual1 #aijc-d 7,no4 #g71 chap4 ,i4   

#d4 ,prophecy of ,moses3 ,and when      
,moses had recapitulated whatsoever  he 
had done for the preservation of the    
people1 both in their wars  and in      
peace1 and had composed them a body of  
laws1 and procured them  an excellent   
form of government1 he foretold1 as ,god
 had declared to  him1 ,that if they    
transgressed that institution for the   
worship of  ,god1 they should experience
 the following miseries3 their land     
should  be full of weapons of war from  
their enemies1 and their cities should  
be overthrown1 and their temple should  
be burnt2 that they should be  sold for 
slaves to such men as would have no pity
 on them in their  afflictions3 that    
they would then repent1 when that       
repentance would no  way profit them    
under their sufferings4 ,yet 7said he7  
will that ,god who  founded your nation1
 restore your cities to your citizens1  
with their  temple also1 and you shall  
lose these advantages not once only1 but
  often4 7,josephus1 ,antiquities of the

 ,jews1 p4 #ig47    #e4 ,suggested      
,readings3 ,it is expected1 of course1  
that the student  will read all the     
books of the ,pentateuch during the     
weeks which the  lessons upon it will   
occupy2 and in addition to that1 so far 
as he  may have access to them1 read    
also the references given in the lesson 
analysis1 which1 in the main1 give      
summaries1 analyses1 literary           
criticism1 estimate theological and     
prophetical values of the separate      
books1 etc4 ,all the ,bibles having     
,helps1 published in connection  with   
the sacred text have analyses and       
comments upon the books of  the         
,pentateuch2 and these as far as        
possible should be read and  compared4  
,for their historical value the first   
four books of ,josephus'  ,antiquities  
should also be read4        ,,lesson    
,,iv4    ,,the ,,pentateuch4            
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,,ii4 ,subject       
,matter of the ,pentateuch4             

,all the references under               
7,continued47                           
subdivision ,,ii of           #c4       
,mosaic ,legislation3                   
,lesson ,,iii4                7a7 ,major
 ,legislation--the ,ten                 
,commandments2                7b7 ,minor
 ,legislation--the ,hebrew              
,civil ,code4           #d4 ,the        
,pentateuch as ,literature3             
7a7 ,the ,song of ,moses and ,miriam2   
,note #a1 #b1 #c4 ,exodus xv            
7b7 ,the ,story of ,joseph in           
and ,genesis xxxvi-xlviii4              
,egypt4                                 
,commentary ,critical and               
,explanatory on ,exodus    ,,iii4 ,the  
,gospel in the ,patriarchal ,age--from  
xv4 ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1        
,adam to ,noah4                         
,art4 ,law of                           
,moses1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #afjb-afab4     
,,iv4 ,the ,gospel in the ,mosaic       
,see ,note #f1 ,pearl                   
,dispensation--,relation of the ,gospel 

of ,great ,price1 ,chap4 v-viii4        
and the ,law4                           
,galatians iii4 ,the                    
,gospel1 7,roberts71 pp4 #bbh-bce4      
,alma xii3#bh-cg2                       
also ,alma ,chap4 xiii4    ,,special    
,,text3 ,i charged your judges at that  
time1 saying1 ,hear the  causes between 
your brethren1 and judge righteously    
between every  man and his brother1 and 
the stranger that is with him4 ,ye shall
 not  respect persons in judgment2 but  
ye shall hear the small as well as the  
great2 ye shall not be afraid of the    
face of man2 for the judgment is        
,god's4--,,moses4    ,,notes4    #a4    
,the ,nature of ,government ,established
 by ,moses3 ,then came the law  from    
,mount ,sinai4 ,god became the ,god of  
,israel1 everything done to  establish  
religion1 tabernacle made for his       
residence4 ,defection from  religion    
high treason4 ,hence complete separation
 from all nations4  ,moses was but a    
mediator between ,god and his people2   

proper title  legislator of the         
,israelites and their deliverer from the
 ,egyptians4  99 99 99 99 ,for          
administration of justice ,moses divided
 people in tens1  fifties1 hundreds1    
thousands1 and placed judges over each4 
,mode  taken from ,egypt4 ,amongst the  
higher of these judges there was much   
political power likewise4 99 99 99 99   
,each tribe had a sort of independent   
government1 with its own magistrates and
 representatives2 sometimes  acted      
without aid or sanction of others1 7e4  
g41 tribe of ,benjamin  protected       
criminals of ,gibeah and fought against 
others47 99 99 99 99 99  ,sometimes     
several tribes acted together without   
others4 99 99 99 99 99  ,what the       
influence of such a government8         
,exceedingly favorable to  development  
of character and individual energies4   
,not favorable for  harmony or          
tranquility4 7,ancient and ,modern      
,nations1 ,dew1 pp4 #ac-ad47    #b4 ,the
 ,law of ,moses3 ,though new in its     

general conception1 it was  probably not
 wholly new in its materials4 ,neither  
in his material nor  his spiritual      
providence does ,god proceed per saltum4
 ,there must  necessarily have been1    
before the ,law1 commandments and       
revelations  of a fragmentary character1
 under which ,israel had hitherto grown 
up4  ,indications of such are easily    
found1 both of a ceremonial and moral   
nature2 as1 for example1 in the         
penalties against murder1 adultery1  and
 fornication 7,gen4 ix4 #f2 xxxviii4    
#h71 in the distinction of clean  and   
unclean animals 7,gen4 viii4 #bj71 and  
probably in the observance of  the      
,sabbath 7,ex4 xvi4 #bc1 #bg1 #bi47     
,but1 even without such indications1    
our knowledge of the existence of       
,israel as a distinct community in      
,egypt would necessitate the conclusion1
 that it must have been guided  by some 
laws of its own1 growing out of the old 
patriarchal customs1  which would be    
preserved with oriental tenacity1 and   

gradually becoming  methodized by the   
progress of circumstances4 ,nor would it
 be possible  for the ,israelites to be 
in contact with an elaborate system of  
ritual  and law1 such as that which     
existed in ,egypt1 without being        
influenced  by its general principles1  
and1 in less degree1 by its minuter     
details4  ,as they approached nearer to 
the condition of a nation they would  be
 more and more likely to modify their   
patriarchal customs by the  adoption    
from ,egypt of laws which were fitted   
for national existence4  ,this being so1
 it is hardly conceivable that the      
,mosaic legislation  should have        
embodied none of these earlier          
materials4 ,it is clear1  even to human 
wisdom1 that the only constitution1     
which can be  efficient and permanent1  
is one which has grown up slowly1 and so
 been  assimilated to the character of a
 people4 ,it is the peculiar mark of    
legislative genius to mold by           
fundamental principles1 and animate by a

  higher inspiration1 materials         
previously existing in a cruder state4  
,the necessity for this lies in the     
nature1 not of the legislator1  but of  
the subjects2 and the argument therefore
 is but strengthened  by the            
acknowledgement in the case of ,moses of
 a divine and special  inspiration4 ,so 
far1 therefore1 as they were consistent 
with the  objects of the ,jewish law1   
the customs of ,palestine and the laws  
of  ,egypt would doubtless be traceable 
in the ,mosaic system4 7,smith's  ,bible
 ,dictionary1 p4 #afjb47    #c4 ,basic  
,principle of the ,law of ,moses3 ,the  
basis of human society  is ordinarily   
sought1 by law or philosophy1 either in 
the rights  of the individual1 and the  
partial delegation of them to political 
authorities2 or in the mutual needs of  
men1 and the relations which  spring    
from them2 or in the actual existence of
 power of man over man1  whether arising
 from natural relationship1 or from     
benefits conferred1  or from physical or

 intellectual ascendency4 ,the          
maintenance of society  is supposed to  
depend on a social compact between      
governors and  subjects2 a compact1 true
 as an abstract idea1 but untrue if     
supposed  to have been a historical     
reality4 ,the ,mosaic ,law seeks the    
basis  of its polity1 first1 in the     
absolute sovereignty of ,god1 next in   
the relationship of each individual to  
,god1 and through ,god to his           
countrymen4 ,it is clear that such a    
doctrine1 while it contradicts  none of 
the common theories1 yet lies beneath   
them all1 and shows  why each of them1  
being only a secondary deduction from an
 ultimate  truth1 cannot be in itself   
sufficient2 and1 if it claims to be the 
whole truth1 will become an absurdity4  
,it is the doctrine which is  insisted  
upon and developed in the whole series  
of prophecy2 and which  is brought to   
its perfection only when applied to that
 universal and  spiritual kingdom for   
which the ,mosaic system was a          

preparation4  7,smith's ,bible          
,dictionary1 p4 #afjg74    #d4 ,israel  
and the ,law3 ,it was indeed often      
neglected the ,law and  even forgotten4 
,its fundamental assertion of the       
,theocracy was violated  by the natural 
course of human selfishness 7,jer4      
xxxiv4 #ab-ag72 till  at last1 in the   
reign of ,josiah1 its very existence was
 unknown1 and  its discovery was to the 
king and the people as a second         
publication2  yet still it formed the   
standard from which they knowingly      
departed1  and to which they constantly 
returned2 and to it1 therefore1 all     
which  was peculiar in their national   
and individual character was due4 ,its  
direct influence was probably greatest  
in the periods before the  establishment
 of the kingdom1 and after the          
,babylonish captivity4 ,the  last act of
 ,joshua was to bind the ,israelites to 
it as the charter of  their occupation  
of the conquered land 7,josh4 xxiv4     
#bd-bg72 and1 in the  semi-anarchical   

period of the judges1 the ,law and the  
,tabernacle were  the only centers of   
anything like national unity4 ,the      
establishment of  the kingdom was due to
 an impatience of this position1 and a  
desire for  a visible and personal      
center of authority1 much the same in   
nature as  that which plunged them so   
often in idolatry4 ,the people were     
warned 7,i  ,sam4 xii4 #f-be7 that it   
involved much danger of their forgetting
 and  rejecting the main principle of   
the ,law--that ,jehovah their ,god was  
their ,king4 ,the truth of the          
prediction was soon shown4 ,even under  
,solomon1 as soon as the monarchy became
 one of great splendor and  power1 it   
assumed a heathenish and polytheistic   
character1 breaking the  ,law1 both by  
its dishonor towards ,god1 and its      
forbidden tyranny over  man4 7,smith's  
,bible ,dictionary1 p4 #afji47    #e4   
,the ,gospel and the ,law3 ,abraham     
received the ,priesthood from           
,melchisedek1 who received it through   

the lineage of his fathers1 even  till  
,noah2 99 99 99 99 ,this greater        
,priesthood administereth the gospel    
and holdeth the key of the mysteries of 
the kingdom1 even the key of  the       
knowledge of ,god4 ,therefore1 in the   
ordinances thereof1 the power  of       
godliness is manifest2 and without the  
ordinances thereof1 and the  authority  
of the ,priesthood1 the power of        
godliness is not manifest  unto men in  
the flesh2 for without this no man can  
see the face of  ,god1 even the ,father1
 and live4 ,now this ,moses plainly     
taught to the  children of ,israel in   
the wilderness1 and sought diligently to
 sanctify  his people that they might   
behold the face of ,god2 but they       
hardened  their hearts and could not    
endure his presence1 therefore the ,lord
 in  his wrath 7for his anger was       
kindled against them7 swore that they   
should not enter into his rest while in 
the wilderness1 which rest is  the      
fulness of his glory4 ,therefore he took

 ,moses out of their midst1  and the    
,holy ,priesthood also2 and the lesser  
,priesthood continued1  which           
,priesthood holdeth the key of the      
ministering of angels and the           
preparatory gospel4 7,doc4  ,cov4 ,sec4 
#hd47    ,the above quotation from the  
#hdth ,section of the ,doctrine and     
,covenants  throws much light1 not only 
upon the ,pentateuch1 but upon the whole
 of  the ,old ,testament1 the law of    
,moses1 and the whole polity and history
  of ,israel4 ,in the light of the truth
 the said quotation reveals1 it is  to  
be seen that when the ,lord took the    
children of ,israel from the  land of   
,egypt to make of them a people for     
himself1 he presented them  first with  
the gospel of ,christ1 with all its     
mercy and inspiring love  and           
gentleness2 but they would not live in  
accordance with its high  moral         
precepts1 nor reflect in their lives its
 spiritual excellence4  ,accordingly1 a 
less perfect law was given to ,israel2 a

 law which in  the ,new ,testament is   
called the law of carnal commandments2 a
 law  more in keeping with the status of
 their moral development2 a law which   
breathed less of mercy1 forgiveness and 
love1 and more of exacting1  relentless 
justice2 demanding an eye for an eye1   
and a tooth for a  tooth--and this was  
to be their schoolmaster1 to prepare    
them for the  more excellent law of the 
gospel of ,christ4 ,many things in that 
law  of the ,old ,testament are         
confessedly imperfect1 and must not be  
taken  as reflecting the full glory and 
excellence of the ,divine wisdom or     
goodness4 ,on the contrary it is plainly
 stated1 and that too by the  voice of  
inspiration in the ,new ,testament1 that
 it was a law carnal  and imperfect1 and
 yet1 withal1 demanding a higher        
excellence than the  people of those    
days seemed able to attain4    ,in proof
 that the gospel was first offered to   
ancient ,israel1 and then  because of   
transgression the law of carnal         

commandments1 ,i invite the  reader's   
attention to the following ,scriptures3 
,heb41 latter part of  chap4 iii1 in    
connection with ,heb4 iv3 #a1 #b2 ,i    
,cor4 x4 #a-d2 and ,gal4  iii2 also     
,doc4  ,cov41 sec4 #hd2 see also the    
chapter on ,history of the  ,gospel in  
,the ,gospel 7,roberts71 pp4 #hf1 #hg4  
#f4 ,the ,song of ,moses3 ,this song is 
some hundred years the oldest  poem in  
the world4 ,there is a sublimity and    
beauty in the language  that is         
unexampled4 ,but its unrivalled         
superiority arises not solely  from the 
splendor of the diction4 ,its poetical  
excellencies have often  drawn forth the
 admiration of the best judges1 while   
the character of  the event             
commemorated1 and its being prompted by 
divine inspiration1  contribute to give 
to it an interest and sublimity peculiar
 to itself4  7,commentary1 ,explanatory 
and ,critical1 p4 #ei47        ,,lesson 
,v4      ,,lectures4                    
,,references4      ,i4 ,abraham4        

7,paper47  7a7                          
,genesis xi-xxv4 ,pearl                 
of ,great ,price1 ,book of              
,abraham1 ,chaps4 vi-xvii4              
,note #a4      ,,ii4 ,joseph1 ,son of   
,jacob--,his ,place in                  
,genesis1 ,chaps1 xxxvii                
,israel4                                
to ,l4 ,deut4 xxxiii3#ac-ag4            
,young ,men's ,manual1                  
#aije-f 7,no4 #i74 ,chap4               
xxxv1 pp4 #cbi-cch4 ,see                
also ,defense of the                    
,faith and the ,saints1                 
,i ,mormon ,views of                    
,america-,,ii ,america1 ,the            
,land of ,zion and of                   
,joseph4 ,smith's ,bible                
,dictionary1 ,art4 ,joseph1             
,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #adfb-adgc4              
,,ii ,nephi1 ,chaps4 iii-iv4      ,,iii4
 ,moses1 the ,prophet and ,lawgiver4    
,bible--beginning with                  
,exodus to ,deuteronomy4                
,josephus#a ,antiquities of             

the ,jews1 pp4 #ca-gi4                  
,against ,apion ,bk4 ,,ii1 p4 #fjb4     
,art4 ,moses4 ,ditto                    
,smith's ,bible ,dictionary4            
,kitto's ,biblical ,literature4         
,pearl of ,great                        
,price4 ,the ,book of                   
,moses1 ,chaps4 i-v4 ,notes             
of this ,lesson4    ,,special ,,text3   
,and there arose not a prophet since in 
,israel like  unto ,moses1 whom the     
,lord knew face to face1 in all the     
signs and the  wonders which the ,lord  
sent him to do in the land of ,egypt to 
,pharoah1  and to all his servants1 and 
to all his land1 and in all that mighty 
hand1 and in all the great terror which 
,moses showed in the sight of  all      
,israel4--,,ezra 7supposedly74          
,,notes4    #a4 ,abraham3 ,he was a     
person of great sagacity1 both for      
understanding all things1 and persuading
 his hearers1 and not mistaken  in his  
opinions2 for which reason he began to  
have higher notions of  virtue than     

others had1 and he determined to renew  
and to change the  opinion all men      
happened then to have concerning ,god2  
for he was the  first that ventured to  
publish this notion1 that there was but 
,one  ,god1 the ,creator of the         
universe2 and that as to other 7gods71  
if  they contributed anything to the    
happiness of men1 that each of them     
afforded it only according to his       
appointment1 and not by their own       
power4 ,this his opinion was derived    
from the irregular phenomena that  were 
visible both at land and sea1 as well as
 those that happen to the  sun1 and     
moon1 and all the heavenly bodies2 thus1
 if 7said he7 these  bodies had power of
 their own1 they would certainly take   
care of their  own regular motions2 but 
since they do not preserve such         
regularity1  they make it plain that so 
far as they co-operate to our advantage1
  they do it not of their own abilities1
 but as they are subservient to  him    
that commands them1 to whom alone we    

ought justly to offer our  honor and    
thanksgiving4 ,for which doctrines1 when
 the ,chaldeans1 and  other people of   
,mesopotamia1 raised a tumult against   
him1 he thought  fit to leave that      
country2 and at the command1 and by the 
assistance  of ,god1 he came and lived  
in the land of ,canaan4 ,and when he was
 there  settled1 he built an altar1 and 
performed a sacrifice to ,god4 ,berosus 
mentions our father ,abram without      
naming him1 when he says thus3 ,in  the 
tenth generation after the flood1 there 
was among the ,chaldeans a  man1        
righteous and great1 and skilful in the 
celestial science4 ,but  ,hecataeus does
 more than mention him2 for he composed1
 and left behind  him1 a book concerning
 him4 ,and ,nicolaus of ,damascus1 in   
the fourth  book of his history1 says   
thus3 ',abram reigned at ,damascus1     
being a  foreigner1 who came with an    
army out of the land above ,babylon1    
called  the land of the ,chaldeans2 but1
 after a long time1 he got him up1 and  

removed from that country also1 with his
 people1 and went into the land  then   
called the land of ,canaan1 but now the 
land of ,judea1 and this  when his      
posterity were become a multitude2 as to
 which posterity of  his1 we relate     
their history in another work4 ,now the 
name of ,abram is  even still famous in 
the country of ,damascus2 and there is  
showed a  village named from him1 ',the 
habitation of ,abram4' 7,antiquities of 
the  ,jews1 ,josephus1 pp4 #ca-cb47     
#b4 ,the ,restoration of ,lands ,made by
 ,joseph3 ,however1 the famine          
increased among the ,egyptians2 99 99 99
 99 ,but when their money failed  them1 
they bought corn with their cattle1 and 
their slaves1 and if any  of them had a 
small piece of land1 they gave up that  
to purchase them  food1 by which means  
the king became the owner of all their  
substance2  and they were removed some  
to one place1 and some to another1 that 
so  the possession of their country     
might be firmly afforded to the king2   

excepting the lands of the priests for  
their country continued still in  their 
own possession4 ,and indeed this sore   
famine made their minds1 as  well as    
their bodies1 slaves3 and at length     
compelled them to procure  a sufficiency
 of food by such dishonorable means4    
,but when this misery  ceased1 and the  
river overflowed the ground1 and the    
ground brought  forth its fruits        
plentifully1 ,joseph came to every city1
 and gathered  the people thereto       
belonging together1 and gave them back  
entirely the  land which1 by their own  
consent1 the king might have possessed  
alone1  and alone enjoyed the fruits of 
it4 ,he also exhorted them to look on   
it as every one's own possession2 and to
 fall to their husbandry with           
cheerfulness2 and to pay as a tribute to
 the king1 the fifth part of  the fruits
 for the land which the king when it was
 his own restored to  them4 ,these men  
rejoiced upon their becoming            
unexpectedly owners of  their lands1 and

 diligently observed what was enjoined  
them4 ,and by  this means ,joseph       
procured to himself a greater authority 
among the  ,egyptians1 and greater love 
to the king from them4 ,now this law1   
that  they should pay the fifth part of 
their fruits as tribute1 continued      
until their latter kings4 7,josephus1   
,antiquities1 p4 #eb47    #c4 ,character
 of ,moses4 ,now ,moses lived in all one
 hundred and  twenty years2 a third part
 of which time1 abating one month1 he   
was  the people's ruler2 and he died on 
the last month of the year1 which  is   
called by the ,macedonians ',dystrus1'  
but by us ',adar1' on the first  day of 
the month4 ,he was one that exceeded all
 men that ever were1  in understanding1 
and made the best use of what that      
understanding  suggested to him4 ,he had
 a very graceful way of speaking1 in    
addressing  the multitude1 and as to his
 other qualifications1 he had such a    
full  command of his passions1 as if he 
hardly had any such in his soul1 and    

only knew them by their names1 as rather
 perceiving them in other men  than in  
himself4 ,he was also such a general of 
an army as is seldom  seen1 as well as  
such a prophet as was never known1 and  
this to such  a degree1 that whatsoever 
he pronounced you would think you heard 
the  voice of ,god himself4 ,so the     
people mourned for him thirty days3 nor 
did ever any grief so deeply affect the 
,hebrews as did this upon the  death of 
,moses2 nor were those that had         
experienced his conduct the  only       
persons that desired him1 but those also
 that perused the laws he  left behind  
him1 had a strong desire after him1 and 
by them gathered  the extraordinary     
virtue he was master of4 ,and this shall
 suffice  for the declaration of the    
manner of the death of ,moses4          
7,josephus1  ,antiquities of the ,jews1 
p4 #ih47    #d4 ,the ,greatness and     
,influence of ,moses4 ,where shall we   
find one  that combines in his          
personality so many greatnesses as      

,moses1 if ,i may  say so8 ,he was the  
liberator of his people1 but he spurned 
crowns and  scepters1 and did not1 as   
many others after him did1 put a new    
yoke  on the neck from which he had     
taken the old one4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and  
his  republic was not of short duration4
 ,it lasted through all the storms of   
barbaric wars and revolutions--hundreds 
of years1 down to the days of  ,samuel1 
that all-stout-hearted republican who   
could endure no kings4 99  99 99 99 ,but
 the republic he founded stands unique  
in the history of the  world1 for it was
 altogether based upon an idea--the idea
 of the unity  of ,god and the          
righteousness of his will4 ,think of it6
 ,among a nation  escaped from bondage1 
too degraded even to be led to war1 that
 needed  the education1 the hammering1  
as it were1 into a people for forty     
years1 to go among them with the        
sublimest truth that the human mind     
ever can conceive and to say of them3   
',though you are now benighted and      

enslaved1 any truth that ,i know is not 
too good for you nor any child  of ,god4
 99 99 99 99 ,as a teacher of morality  
why need ,i praise him8 ,as  a teacher  
of statecraft in the highest and best   
sense1 who surpassed  him8 ,the great   
wonder is that that man speaks the      
language of today4  ,the problems which 
we have not yet succeeded in solving    
were already  present to his mind1 and  
he founded a nation in which the        
difference  between the poor and the    
rich was almost abolished4 ,the laborer 
was  not only worthy but sure of his    
hire4 ,no aristocrat could rule over    
his subjects and no priesthood could    
ever assume the government which1  alas6
 according to history1 means the        
opposition of the nation4 ,how did  that
 man of that vast mind1 how did he      
combine all these great talents8  ,and  
yet that man1 how tender his heart was6 
,why1 friends1 it is a  thousand pities 
that you cannot hear the deep sorrow1   
the sadness that  is to be heard in his 

original words4 ,when an over-zealous   
disciple  came to him and told that they
 were prophesying in his name1 and they 
said3 ',hinder them1 master1 hinder     
them4 ,why1 if they prophesy what  will 
become of thine own authority8' ,i fancy
 ,i see his venerable head  sink upon   
his breast and he saying3 ',indeed art  
thou zealous for me8  ,would that all   
the people of ,god were prophets1 and   
that ,god gave his  ,spirit to them4'   
7,rabbi ,gottheil1 ,the ,world's        
,parliament of ,religions1  7,barrows71 
pp4 #fgd-e47    ,footnotes    #a4 ,see  
note b1 p4 #bg4        ,,lesson ,,vi4   
,,the ,,historical ,,books4             
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,pentateuch4#a   
,joshua i-xxiv2 ,seventy's    ,,ii4     
,book of ,joshua--,the ,hexateuch4      
,bible ,dictionary2        ,historical  
,events3                                
,oxford and other ,bible           #a4  
,the ,invasion of ,canaan4              
,helps4 ,bible ,treasury4           #b4 

,the ,conquest of ,canaan4              
,art4 ,book of ,joshua1 p4 #eb4         
#c4 ,distribution of the ,land by ,lot4 
,all the ,bible ,dictionaries           
#d4 ,literary ,character of the         
,book--,select                before    
quoted              passages that       
illustrate literature                   
under ,art4 ,book of              of    
beauty or power--one                    
,joshua1 and notes #a1 #b1              
of each4                                
#c1 #d1 #e1 #f4 ,same authorities       
#e4 ,authorship4                        
above cited on the term                 
,hexateuch4      ,,iii4 ,book of        
,judges4                                
,judges i-xxi4            #a4 ,period of
 ,history ,covered by the               
,all the ,bible ,dictionaries           
,reign of the ,judges4                  
and ,helps cited            #b4 ,general
 ,character of the ,government          
in ,previous ,lessons in                
,under the ,judges4                     

,part ,,ii under the ,title             
#c4 ,discuss the ,three ,most ,prominent
                     ,judges and ,book  
of               ,judges in ,israel1 and
 name                           ,judges4
 ,note #g4               ,their         
,specific ,achievements4      ,,iv4     
,book of ,ruth4           #a4 ,general  
,character1 and ,historical             
,ruth ,i3 iv4 ,all ,bible               
,value4                                 
,dictionaries and ,helps           #b4  
,literary ,beauty1 ,illustrated by      
cited in previous lessons               
,selected ,passages4                    
in ,part ,,ii1 under titles             
,ruth and ,book of                      
,ruth4    ,,special ,,text3 ,and        
,joshua1 the ,son of ,nun1 was full of  
the spirit of  wisdom1 for ,moses had   
laid his hands upon him2 and the        
children of  ,israel harkened unto him1 
and did as the ,lord commanded          
,moses4--,,ezra  7supposedly47          
,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,hexateuch3 ,the   

,book of ,joshua is sometimes associated
 with the  five books of ,moses and the 
collection is then called the           
,hexateuch1  a term meaning the six     
books4 ,the union is made on the ground 
that  the ,book of ,joshua is the proper
 continuation and consummation of the   
former five books as recording the      
,conquest of the ,land of ,canaan1 in   
fulfillment of the promise contained in 
the ,pentateuch2 the subject of  the    
whole six books being the election of   
,israel as a people to the  service of  
,jehovah1 and their settlement for this 
purpose in the ,land  of ,promise4      
#b4 ,israel ,under ,joshua3 ,israel     
served the ,lord all the days of        
,joshua4 ,the high and commanding       
character of this eminent leader  had   
given so decided a tone to the          
sentiments and manners of his           
contemporaries1 and the memory of his   
fervent piety and many virtues          
continued so vividly impressed on the   
memories of the people1 that the  sacred

 historian has recorded it to his       
immortal honor1 ',israel served  the    
,lord all the days of ,joshua1 and all  
the days of the elders that  overlived  
,joshua4' 7,commentary1 ,explanatory and
 ,critical1 p4 #aeh47    #c4            
,contemporaneous ,notices of ,joshua3   
,there occurs some references  to the   
deeds of ,joshua in other historians    
besides those of the ,bible4  ,procopius
 mentions a ,phoenecian inscription near
 the city of ,tingis in  ,mauritania1   
the sense of which in ,greek was3 ,we   
are those who fled  before the face of  
,joshua the robber1 the son of ,nun4    
,again ,suidas  says3 ,we are the       
,canaanites whom ,joshua the robber     
persecuted4 ,in a  letter of ,shaubech1 
king of ,armenia ,minor1 in the         
,samaritan book of  ,joshua 7chapter    
#bf71 styles ,joshua the murderous wolf2
 or1 according  to another reading1 the 
evening wolf4 7,condensed from ,kitto's 
,biblical ,literature1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4   
#aed47    #d4 ,authorship of the ,book  

of ,joshua3 ,viewing all the            
circumstances  together1 we consider it 
highly probable that the whole book of  
,joshua was composed by himself up to   
the twenty-eighth verse of the  last    
chapter2 to which a friendly hand       
subjoined some brief notices1  contained
 in verses #bi-cc1 concerning the death1
 age1 and burial  of ,joshua2 the       
continuance of his influence upon the   
people2 the  interment1 in ,shechem1 of 
the bones of ,joseph1 which the children
 of  ,israel had brought from ,egypt2   
and the death and burial of ,eleazar1   
the  son of ,aaron1 whom his son        
,phinehas interred in his allotment on  
,mount  ,ephraim4 7,cyclopaedia of      
,biblical ,literature1 ,kitto1 ,vol4    
,,ii1 p4 #aef47    #e4 ,roman ,catholic 
,view of ,authorship3 ,this book is     
called ,josue1  because it contains the 
history of what passed under him1 and   
according  to the common opinion was    
written by him4 ,the ,greeks call him   
,jesus2  for ,josue and ,jesus in the   

,hebrew are the same name1 and have the 
same  signification1 viz41 a savior4    
7,introduction to the ,book of ,josue47 
#f4 ,character of ,joshua3 ,so ,joshua1 
when he had thus discoursed to  them    
upon their obligations and duty to ,god1
 died1 having lived a  hundred and ten  
years2 forty of which he lived with     
,moses1 in order  to learn what might be
 for his advantage afterward4 ,he also  
became  their commander after his death 
for twenty-five years4 ,he was a man    
that wanted not wisdom nor eloquence to 
declare his intentions to the  people1  
but very eminent on both accounts4 ,he  
was of great courage and  magnanimity1  
in action and in dangers2 and very      
sagacious in procuring  the peace of the
 people1 and of great virtue at all     
proper seasons4 ,he  was buried in the  
city of ,timnah1 of the tribe of        
,ephraim4 ,about the  same time died    
,eleazar1 the high priest1 leaving the  
high priesthood  to his son ,phineas4   
,his monument also and sepulchre are in 

the city of  ,gabbatha4 7,josephus'     
,antiquities of the ,jews1 p4 #ajd47    
#g4 ,literature of ,power3 ,by          
literature of power is here meant that  
class of utterance that rests upon its  
own inherent strength for its  influence
 or acceptance as truth4 ,an ,american  
popular writer 7,hubbard7  in giving an 
illustration of this class of literature
 quoted this  passage from the ,bible3  
,the ,lord is in his holy temple3 let   
all the earth keep silence before  him4 
,explanation1 comment upon such a       
passage1 he argues1 would but mar it4   
,one feels a force1 a strength in it    
that admits of no doubt about its       
power1 or truth4 ,a still better example
 of the literature of power is  ,psalms 
xix1 also ,doctrine and ,covenants1     
,sec4 lxxxiv3 #ii-ajb4 ,it is  such a   
passage in ,joshua that the student is  
directed to find4    #g4 ,book of ,ruth3
 ,the ,book is called ,ruth1 from the   
name of the  person1 whose history is   
here recorded3 who being a ,gentile1    

became a  convert to the true faith1 and
 marrying ,boaz1 the great-grandfather  
of ,david1 was one of those from whom   
,christ sprung1 according to  the flesh1
 and an illustrious figure of the       
,gentile church4 ,it is  thought this   
book was written by the prophet ,samuel4
 7,douay ,bible1  ,introduction to the  
,book of ,ruth1 p4 #cjc47    ,footnotes 
#a4 ,the ,pentateuch ,historically has  
already been considered in ,lesson      
,,iii of ,part ,,ii2 and its historical 
character considered under  subdivision 
,,ii4 7a7 ,anti-diluvian ,history4 7b7  
,postdiluvian ,history1  bringing its   
historical events down to the death of  
,moses4 ,it is here  written into the   
analysis only that the student may be   
reminded that  the ,pentateuch is       
recognized as being classed with the    
historical books  of the ,bible4        
,,lesson ,,vii4    ,,the ,,historical   
,,books4--7,continued47      ,,analysis4
                                        
,,references4    ,i4 ,book of ,samuel ,i

 and ,,ii4                            ,i
 and ,,ii ,samuel4 ,seventy's           
#a4 ,historical ,period4                
,bible ,dictionary1          #b4        
,events3 ,transition from ,reign of     
,art4 ,samuel ,books of2                
,judges to ,monarchy2 ,reigns of        
,ibid ,articles ,samuel1                
,saul and ,david4                       
,saul1 ,david4 ,all          #c4        
,contrast of the ,government of         
other ,bible ,helps and                 
,judges and ,monarchy4                  
,dictionaries cited in ,previous        
#d4 ,authorship and ,date of the        
,lessons in ,part ,,ii                  
,books4                                 
on above topics4 ,also on               
,character of ,samuel1                  
also notes #a1 #b1 #c4      ,,ii4 ,the  
,books of kings ,i and ,,ii4            
,i and ,,ii ,kings4 ,all the            
#a4 ,historical ,period--,rebellion of  
,bible ,dictionaries1 ,helps            
,adonijah to ,final ,captivity of       

and ,commentaries cited                 
,judah--#ajae ,b4 ,c4-#ehg ,b4 ,c4      
in ,previous ,lessons in           #b4  
,historical3 7a7 ,solomon's ,reign      
,part ,,ii1 ,articles on ,i and         
and ,death4                             
,,ii ,kings1 also ,articles in          
7b7 ,the ,division of the ,kingdom4     
same work on ,samuel1                7c7
 ,rise and ,fall of the ,kingdom        
,saul1 ,david1 ,solomon1                
of ,israel--,captivity of               
etc4                   the ,ten ,tribes4
                7d7 ,the ,kingdom of    
,judah after                   the      
,division--,captivity                   
of ,judah4           #c4 ,authorship and
 ,literary ,character4    ,,special     
,,text3 ,and ,samuel said1 ,hath the    
,lord as great delight in  burnt        
offerings and sacrifices1 as in obeying 
the voice of the ,lord8  ,behold1 to    
obey is better than sacrifice1 and to   
hearken than the fat  of rams4--,i4     
,samuel xv3 #bb4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,the

 ,historic ,period ,covered by the      
,books of ,samuel3 ,the story  embraces 
a period of over one hundred years1 and 
extends from the end  of the time of the
 ,judges to the close of the reign of   
,david1 #ajae ,b4  ,c41 the connecting  
link being found in the civil judgeship 
of ,eli and  ,samuel4 ,the object of the
 narrative is to exhibit the kingdom as 
it  realized itself in view of a divine 
ideal2 and the prominence given  to the 
lives of ,samuel and ,david would seem  
to be due to a design to  portray the   
one as the type of the prophetic1 and   
the other as the type  of the kingly    
character--the king's counselor1 in this
 case1 selecting  the king1 and not1 as 
was the rule afterwards1 the king his   
counselor4  7,cambridge ,teacher's      
,bible ,helps1 p4 #ai47    #b4 ,books of
 ,samuel1 ,i and ,,ii4 ,protestant      
,view3 ,the two were1 by the  ancient   
,jews1 conjoined1 so as to make one     
book1 and in that form could  be called 
the ,book of ,samuel with more propriety

 than now1 the second  being wholly     
occupied with the relation of           
transactions that did not  take place   
till after the death of that eminent    
judge4 ,accordingly1  in the ,septuagint
 and the ,vulgate1 it is called the     
,first and ,second  ,book of ,kings4    
,the early portion of the ,first ,book1 
down to the end  of the twenty-fourth   
chapter1 was probably written by        
,samuel2 while  the rest of it1 and the 
whole of the ,second1 are commonly      
ascribed  to ,nathan and ,gad1 founding 
the opinion on ,i ,chronicles xxix3     
#bi44  ,commentators1 however1 are      
divided about this1 some supposing that 
the  statements in ,i ,samuel ii3 #bf2  
iii3 #a1 indicate the hand of the judge 
himself1 or a contemporary2 while some  
think1 from ,i ,samuel vi3 #ah2  xii3   
#e2 xxvii3 #f1 that the composition must
 be referred to a later age4  ,it is    
probable1 however1 that these supposed  
marks of an after period  were          
interpolations of ,ezra4 ,this          

uncertainty1 however1 as to the         
authorship does not affect the inspired 
authority of the book1 which is         
indisputable1 being quoted in the ,new  
,testament 7,acts xiii3 #bb2 ,hebrews   
i3 #e7 as well as in many of the        
,psalms4 7,commentary1 ,explanatory and 
,critical1 p4 #h47    #c4 ,catholic     
,view of the ,books of ,samuel3 ,this ,i
 ,samuel and the  following book ,,ii   
,samuel are called by the ,hebrews the  
books of  ,samuel1 because they contain 
the history of ,samuel1 and of the two  
kings1 ,saul and ,david1 whom he        
anointed4 ,they are more commonly named 
by the ,fathers the first and second    
book of kings4 ,as to the writer  of    
them1 the common opinion is that ,samuel
 composed the first book as  far as the 
twenty-fifth chapter2 and that the      
prophets ,nathan and ,gad  finished the 
first1 and wrote the second book4 ,see  
,i ,chronicles xxix3  #bi4              
7,introduction to the ,first ,book of   
,samuel1 ,douay ,bible1 p4 #cjh47    #d4

 ,the ,first and ,second ,books of      
,kings4 ,protestant ,view3 ,in the      
ancient copies of the ,hebrew ,bible1   
,first and ,second ,kings constitute    
one book4 ,various titles have been     
given to them2 in the ,septuagint  and  
the ,vulgate they are called the ,third 
and ,fourth ,books of ,kings4  ,the     
authorship of these books is unknown2   
but the prevailing opinion  is that they
 were compiled by ,ezra1 or one of the  
later prophets1 from  the ancient       
documents that are so frequently        
referred to in the course  of the       
history as of public and established    
authority4 ,their inspired  character   
was acknowledged by the ,jewish church1 
which ranked them in  the sacred canon2 
and1 besides1 is attested by our ,lord1 
who frequently  quotes from them 7cf4 ,i
 ,kings xvii3 #i2 ,,ii ,kings v3 #ad    
with ,luke iv3  #bd-bg2 ,i ,kings x3 #a 
with ,matthew xii3 #db74 7,commentary1  
,explanatory  and ,critical1 p4 #h47    
#e4 ,catholic ,view of ,books of ,kings3

 ,this the first ,book of ,kings  and   
the following the second ,book of ,kings
 book are called by the  holy fathers   
the third and fourth book of ,kings2 but
 by the ,hebrews  the first and second  
,malachim1 that is ,kings4 ,they contain
 the history  of the kingdoms of ,israel
 and ,juda1 from the beginning of the   
reign of  ,solomon1 to the captivity4   
,as to the writer of these books1 it    
seems  most probable they were not      
writen by one man1 nor at one time2 but 
as  there was all along a succession of 
prophets in ,israel1 who recorded1  by  
divine inspiration1 the most remarkable 
things that happened in  their days1    
these books seem to have been written by
 these prophets4  7,douay ,bible1 pp4   
#cha-b47    #f4 ,historical ,period of  
the ,books of ,kings3 ,the ,books of    
,kings  narrate the history from the    
rebellion of ,adonijah to the final     
captivity of ,judah1 including the whole
 history of the northern kingdom  from  
the separation till its disappearance in

 ,b4 ,c4 #gba4 ,the succession  of      
events will be found under ,chronology4 
,the books were compiled by  some       
unknown writer from a variety of written
 documents1 including the  state        
chronicles4 7,seventies' ,bible         
,dictionary1 p #id47    #g4 ,literary   
,features of the ,books of ,samuel and  
of ,kings3 ,the  literary form of the   
books of ,kings is quite different from 
that of the  books of ,samuel4 ,there is
 an almost stereotyped framework1       
resembling  that of the book of ,judges1
 within which the events of the         
successive  reigns are placed4 ,when the
 name of a new king is introduced1 it is
  stated how old he was when he came to 
the throne1 how many years he  reigned1 
and1 in regard to the kings of ,judah1  
what was his mother's  name4 ,then a    
general character is pronounced upon his
 reign1 the events  are recorded at     
greater or less length1 and at the close
 a reference is  usually given to       
another authority for fuller details4   

,when the divided  monarchy is to be    
treated1 the usual proceeding is to give
 the record  of the northern kingdom    
first1 and then the corresponding record
 for  the southern1 the history thus    
falling into periods longer or shorter4 
,and this course is followed so closely 
that sometimes the same event  is twice 
related1 if it concerns the two         
kingdoms4 ,these features make  it      
probable that the book is composed from 
other written materials1  or at least   
largely based upon them4 ,and the       
frequent references to  books of        
chronicles of the kings of ,judah or of 
,israel favor the  inference that state 
records of the respective kingdoms1     
containing  lists of officials1         
statistical matters1 and memoranda of   
events in  the different reigns were    
available for the purpose4 ,there were  
also1  in all probability1 narratives of
 the doings of ,elijah1 ,elisha1 and    
other prophets1 preserved in the        
prophetic circles1 which would furnish  

information of another kind4 ,a work    
extending over so long a period  could  
not be the expression of the direct     
personal knowledge of any one  writer1  
and could only be composed in the way   
indicated4 7,cambridge  ,bible1 p4 #fc47
        ,,lesson ,,viii4    ,,the       
,,historical ,,books4--7,continued47    
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,chronicles ,i   
and ,,ii4                               
,the ,books of ,chronicles4          #a4
 ,historical ,period4 7,note #a47       
,notes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d4          #b4     
,general ,character of the ,books4      
,also all ,bible ,dictionaries          
#c4 ,importance of in ,biblical         
,controversies4           and ,helps    
cited in                                
previous lessons in ,part ,,ii1         
under titles of                         
,chronicles and ,books                  
of ,chronicles4          #d4 ,consider  
,importance of ,special                 
,topic #d4 ,see ,y4 ,m4's               

,text as ,fixing the ,place of ,joseph  
,manual #aije-aijf1 pp4 #ccj-cch4       
in ,israel4                             
,defense of the ,faith                  
and the ,saints1 ,title1                
,america the ,land of                   
,zion and of ,joseph4    ,,special      
,,text3 ,now the sons of ,reuben1 the   
firstborn of ,israel1 7for  he was the  
firstborn2 but1 forasmuch as he defiled 
his father's bed1  his birthright was   
given unto the sons of ,joseph1 the son 
of ,israel2  and the genealogy is not to
 be reckoned after the birthright i4 e4 
of the first born1 ,reuben4 ,for ,judah 
prevailed above his brethren1  and of   
him came the chief ruler2 but the       
birthright was ,joseph's74 ,i           
,chronicles v3 #a1 #b4    ,,notes4      
#a4 ,books of ,chronicles3 ,the two     
,books of ,chronicles counted as  one in
 the ,hebrew canon4 ,they give a short  
history of events from  the creation    
down to the proclamation of ,cyrus1     
allowing the ,jews  to return to        

,palestine4 ,the books contain several  
references to the  sources whence       
information was derived1 e4 g41 the book
 of ,nathan  the prophet1 the prophecy  
of ,ahijah the ,shilonite1 and the      
visions of  ,iddo the seer1 7,,ii       
,chron4 ix3 #bi2 cf4 also ,,ii ,chron4  
xii3 #ae2 xiii3  #bb2 xx3 #cd2 xxvi3    
#bb2 xxxii3 #cb2 xxxiii3 #ah47 ,these   
passages make it  clear that1 from the  
earliest times of the kingdom1 writers  
living amid  the events described1 and  
generally of the prophetic order1       
recorded  the history of their own      
times4 ,these records along with ,samuel
 and  ,kings1 formed the materials out  
of which our ,books of ,chronicles were 
compiled1 the compilers choosing such   
portions as suited the purpose  of their
 composition4 ,though secular events are
 not excluded from the  compilations    
thus formed1 the writers dwell with most
 satisfaction  upon the ecclesiastical  
and religious aspects of the history1   
and the  progress of temple worship in  

,jerusalem4 ,the date of composition    
cannot  be fixed with certainty2 it was 
probably between #cjj and #bej ,b4 ,c4  
7,cambridge ,bible ,helps1 p4 #cb47     
#b4 ,catholic ,view of ,chronicles3     
,these books are called by the ,greek   
interpreters ,paralipomenon1 that is1   
'of things left out1 or omitted1'       
because they are a kind of a supplement 
of such things as were passed  over in  
the book of the ,kings4 ,the ,hebrews   
call them ,dibre ,hajamim1  that is1    
',the words of the days1' or ,the       
,chronicles4 ,not that they are  the    
books which are so often quoted in      
,kings1 under the title of the  ',words 
of the ,days of the ,kings of ,israel1  
and of the ,kings of ,juda2'  for the   
,books of ,paralipomenon were written   
after the ,books of ,kings2  but because
 in all probability they have been      
abridged from those  ancient ',words of 
the ,days1' by ,esdras or some other    
sacred writer4  7,introduction to       
,chronicles1 ,douay ,bible47    #c4     

,controversial ,value of the ,books of  
,chronicles3 ,the constant  tradition of
 the ,jews1 in which they have been     
followed by the great  mass of          
,christian commentators1 is that these  
books were for the most  part compiled  
by ,ezra2 and the one genealogy1 that of
 ,zerubbabel1 which  comes down to a    
later time1 is no objection to this     
statement1 without  recurring to the    
strange notion broached by the old      
commentators1 and  even sanctioned by   
,dr4 ,davidson 7in ,kitto's ,cyclo4 of  
,bibl4 ,lit41 art4  ,chronicles71 that  
the knowledge of these generations was  
communicated  to ,ezra by inspiration4  
,in fact1 the internal evidence as to   
the time  when the book of ,chronicles  
was compiled1 seems to tally remarkably 
with the tradition concerning its       
authorship4 ,notwithstanding this       
agreement1 however1 the authenticity of 
,chronicles has been vehemently         
impugned by ,de ,wette and other ,german
 critics1 whose arguments have  been    

successfully refuted by ,dahler1 ,keil1 
,movers1 and others4 ,it has  been      
clearly shown that the attack was       
grounded not upon any real  marks of    
spuriousness in the books themselves1   
but solely upon the  desire of the      
critics in question to remove a witness 
whose evidence  was fatal to their      
favorite theory as to the               
post-,babylonian origin of  the books of
 ,moses4 ,if the accounts in the books  
of ,chronicles of the  courses of       
priests and ,levites1 and the ordinances
 of divine service as  arranged by      
,david1 and restored by ,hezekiah and   
,josiah1 are genuine1  it necessarily   
follows that the ,levitical law1 as set 
forth in the  ,pentateuch1 was not      
invented after the return from the      
captivity4 ,hence  the successful       
vindication of the authenticity of      
,chronicles has a very  important       
bearing upon many of the very gravest   
theological questions4  7,smith's ,bible
 ,dictionary1 p4 #dbi47    #d4          

,compilation and ,spirit of the ,books  
of ,chronicles3 ,though the  latest of  
all the canonical writings1 it          
represents the workmanship  of many     
generations4 ,it resembles the structure
 of an ancient  cathedral1 with         
fragments of every style worked into the
 building  as it proceeded1--here a     
piece of the most hoary antiquity1 there
 a  precious relic of a lost hymn or    
genealogy of some renowned psalmist or  
warrior1--but all preserved1 and wrought
 together1 as by the workmen  of        
mediaeval times1 under the guidance of  
the same sacerdotal mind1  with the     
spirit of the same priestly order4 ,far 
below the prophetic  books of the ,kings
 in interest and solidity1 it yet       
furnishes a useful  counterpart by      
filling up the voids with materials     
which none but  the peculiar traditions 
and feelings of the ,levitical caste    
could  have supplied4 ,it is the        
culminating point of the purely         
,levitical  system1 both in what it     

relates1 in what it omits1 and the      
manner of  its relations and omissions4 
7,dean ,stanley1 quoted in ,smith's     
,bible  ,dictionary1 p4 #dcb47    #e4   
,the ,birth ,right to ,joseph3 ,it      
should be remembered that to  ,joseph1  
the son of ,jacob1 a double portion of  
honor was granted in  ,israel4 ,while no
 tribe is especially called by his name1
 yet two tribes  are his through his    
sons1 viz41 the tribe of ,ephraim and   
the tribe of  ,manasseh4 ,this came     
about in the following manner3 ,reuben1 
the first  born of ,jacob defiled his   
father's wife ,bilhah4 ,for which awful 
crime  he lost his place as a prince in 
the house of ,israel1 which place was   
given indirectly to ,joseph1 the son of 
,jacob1 by his wife ,rachel4 ,why  ,i   
say indirectly is because ,ephraim1     
,joseph's younger son1 was the one  who 
received the blessing of the first born 
from the patriarch ,jacob1  and it is   
for this reason that the ,lord was wont 
to say1 ,i am a father  to ,israel1 and 

,ephraim is my first born4 ,in proof see
 ,special ,text of  lesson2 also ,y4 ,m4
 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual #aije-f1 p4 #ccj4  
,,lesson ,,ix4    ,,the ,,historical    
,,books4--7,continued47      ,,analysis4
                                        
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,books of   
,ezra and ,nehemiah4                    
,books of ,ezra and         ,historical 
,period4                                
,nehemiah2 ,note #a4 ,also          #a4 
,book of ,ezra4                         
all ,bible ,dictionaries                
7a7 ,authorship4                        
and ,helps cited in previous            
7b7 ,character of ,contents4            
lessons in ,part ,,ii1          #b4     
,book of ,nehemiah4                     
under titles of ,ezra1               7a7
 ,authorship4                           
,nehemiah4               7b7 ,contents4 
,,ii4 ,the ,book of ,esther4            
,esther1 and ,purim1           #a4      
,authorship4                            
,book of ,esther1 ,chaps4           #b4 

,historical ,character4                 
,i to ,x4           #c4 ,the ,feast of  
,purim as ,witness of              ,its 
,historical ,character4           #d4   
,its omission of the name of ,god4      
,,special ,,text3 ,remember1 ,i beseech 
thee1 the word that thou commandest  thy
 servant ,moses1 saying1 ,if ye         
transgress1 ,i will scatter you abroad  
among the nations3 ,but if ye turn unto 
me1 and keep my commandments1  and do   
them2 though there were of you cast out 
unto the uttermost part  of the heaven1 
yet will ,i gather them from thence1 and
 will bring them  unto the place that ,i
 have chosen to set my name             
there4--,,nehemiah4    ,,notes4    #a4  
,historical ,period of ,ezra and        
,nehemiah3 ,the time covered by the  two
 books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah together  
is about a century2 for the  narrative  
of ,ezra begins in the first year of the
 reign of ,cyrus1 #ech  ,b4 ,c41 and    
that of ,nehemiah stops soon after the  
thirty-second year  of ,artaxerxes1 #dcb

 ,b4 ,c4 ,a great part of this space1   
however1 is left  without record2 and we
 may distinguish three periods3 #a4 ,the
 period  that elapsed from the first    
return of exiles to the completion of   
the  temple2 #b4 the time of ,ezra's    
activity as leader of the second colony 
of returned exiles2 and #c1 the period  
when ,ezra and ,nehemiah are seen       
together in the work of reformation at  
,jerusalem4 ,the first two periods  are 
embraced in the book of ,ezra2 the last1
 in the book of ,nehemiah4  7,bible     
,treasury1 p4 #fi47    #b4 ,book of     
,ezra4 ,protestant ,view3 ,the ,book of 
,ezra contains records  of events       
occurring about the termination of the  
,babylonian exile4 ,it  comprises       
accounts of the favors bestowed upon the
 ,jews by ,persian  kings2 of the       
rebuilding of the temple2 of the mission
 of ,ezra to  ,jerusalem1 and his       
regulations and reforms4 ,such records  
forming  the subject of the ,book of    
,ezra1 we must not be surprised that its

  parts are not so intimately connected 
with each other as we might  have       
expected if the author had set forth his
 intention to furnish  a complete       
history of his times4 99 99 99 99 ,the  
beginning of the book  of ,ezra agrees  
verbatum with the conclusion of the     
second book of  ,chronicles1 and        
terminates abruptly with the statement  
of the divorces  affected by his        
authority1 by which the marriages of    
,israelites with  foreign women were    
dissolved4 ,since the book of ,ezra has 
no marked  conclusion1 it was1 even in  
early times1 considered to form part  of
 the book of ,nehemiah1 the contents of 
which are of a similar  description4    
,as1 however1 the book of ,ezra is a    
collection of records  of remarkable    
events occurring at the conclusion of   
the exile and in  the times immediately 
following it1 attempting no display of  
the art  of book-making1 the mere want  
of an artificial conclusion cannot be   
considered a sufficient reason for      

regarding it as the first portion of    
,nehemiah4 ,it is1 however1 likely that 
the similarity of the contents  of the  
books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah was the    
cause of their being placed  together in
 the ,hebrew ,bible4 7,cyclopaedia of   
,biblical ,literature1  ,kitto1 p4      
#fij47    #c4 ,catholic ,view of the    
,books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah3    7a7   
,ezra1 called by ,catholics ,esdras3    
,this book taketh its name  from the    
writer3 who was a holy priest1 and      
doctor of the law4 ,he is  called by the
 ,hebrews ,ezra4    7b7                 
,nehemiah--,catholic form of name1      
,nehemias3 ,this book takes  its name   
from the writer1 who was cup-bearer to  
,artaxerxes 7surnamed  ,longimanus7 king
 of ,persia1 and was sent by him with a 
commission to  rebuild the walls of     
,jerusalem4 ,it is also called the      
,second ,book of  ,esdras2 because it is
 a continuation of the history1 begun by
 ,esdras1  of the state of the people of
 ,god after their return from captivity4

  7,introductions in ,douay ,bible to   
,first and ,second ,book of ,esdras47   
#d4 ,book of ,esther3 ,esther derives   
its name from the ,jewish lady1  who1   
having become wife of the king of       
,persia1 employed her royal  influence  
to effect a memorable deliverance for   
the persecuted  ,church of ,god4        
,various opinions are embraced and      
supported as to the  authorship of this 
book1 some ascribing it to ,ezra1 to    
,nehemiah1 and to  ,mordecai4 ,the      
preponderance of authorities is in favor
 of the last4  7,commentary1 ,critical  
and ,explanatory1 p #h47    #e4         
,historical ,character3 ,the historical 
character of the book of  ,esther is    
undoubted1 since1 besides many internal 
evidences1 its  authenticity is proved  
by the strong testimony of the feast of 
,purim1  the celebration of which can be
 traced up to the events which are      
described in this book4 ,its claim1     
however1 to canonical authority1 has    
been questioned on the ground that the  

name of ,god does not once occur  in it4
 ,but the uniform tradition both of the 
,jewish and the ,christian  churches    
supports this claim1 which nothing in   
the book tends to shake2  while it is a 
record of the superintending care of    
divine providence  over his chosen      
people1 with which it is of the utmost  
importance  the church should be        
furnished4 ,the name of ,god is         
strangely enough  omitted1 but the      
presence of ,god is felt throughout the 
history2 and  the whole tone and        
tendency of the book is so decidedly    
subservient  to the honor of ,god and   
the cause of true religion that it has  
been  generally received by the ,church 
in all ages into the sacred canon4      
7,commentary1 ,critical and             
,explanatory1 p4 #h47    #f4 ,purim3 ,a 
celebrated ,jewish festival instituted  
by ,mordecai1 at  the suggestion of     
,esther1 in the reign of ,ahasuerus1    
king of ,persia1  to commemorate the    
deliverance of the ,jews from the       

designs of ,haman4  ,it derived its name
 from the lots cast every day for twelve
 months in  presence of ,haman1 with the
 view of discovering an auspicious day  
for  the destruction of all the ,jews in
 the ,persian dominion2 when the lot    
fell on the #acth day of ,adar          
7,february and part of ,march74         
7,kitto's  ,biblical ,literature1 p4    
#ehh47    ,the fact that the feast of   
,purim has come down to us from time    
almost  immemorial1 says ,prof4 ,stuart1
 proves as certainly that the main      
events related in the book of ,esther   
happened1 as the ,declaration of        
,independence and the celebration of the
 ,fourth of ,july prove that  we        
separated from ,great ,britain1 and     
became an independent nation4  ,the book
 of ,esther was an essential document to
 explain the feast of  ,purim4 7,quoted 
in ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 p4      
#ggh47    #g4 ,omission of the ,name of 
,god in ,esther4 ,in respect to the     
omission  of the name of ,god in the    

book1 ,mr4 ,baumgarten remarks that it  
is the  less surprising1 because it     
occurs in a history which is so full of 
interpositions1 revealing the actual    
presence of him who presides over  the  
destiny of men and nations1 and also the
 power of that faith in the  unseen     
,one1 which made the actors in this     
drama so hopeful1 enduring1  and        
triumphant4 ,the historical credibility 
of the events related in the  book is   
well attested1 and at present generally 
acknowledged4 7,smith's  ,bible         
,dictionary1 p #ggh47        ,,lesson   
,x4    ,,historical ,,interim ,,between 
,,restoration ,,of ,,judah ,,and        
,,coming ,,of ,,messiah4                
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,status of       
,israel ,under ,ezra's and              
,books ,i and ,,ii of the               
,nehemiah's ,polity4                    
,maccabees4#a ,chronological    ,,ii4   
,palestine ,under ,persia4              
,tables1 ,seventy's    ,,iii4 ,palestine

 ,under ,macedonia1 i4 e41 ,alexander4  
,bible ,dictionary4 ,josephus'    ,,iv4 
,palestine ,under ,egypt4               
,antiquities    ,v4 ,revolt of the      
,maccabees4                             
,books ,,xi1 ,,xii1 ,,xiii1    ,,vi4    
,palestine ,under the ,romans4          
,,xiv1 ,,xv2 ,bible ,treasury1    ,,vii4
 ,birth of ,messiah4                    
pp4 #ahi1 #aij4 ,oxford                 
and other ,bible ,helps1                
generally give summary                  
of this period4 ,note #a4    ,,special  
,,text3 ,m4 ,k4 ,b4 ,i4 7,maccabees7    
,mi-,kamoka ,baelim1  ,ihovah--who is   
like unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 among the    
gods8--,,moses4    ,,notes4    #a4      
,history from ,ezra to ,messiah3 ,while 
the ,historical ,books of the  ,bible   
close with ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 and        
,esther1 it is thought proper to  carry 
the historical period through to the    
birth of ,messiah by this  tenth lesson4
 ,this for completeness in the outlines 
of the history of  ,israel given in the 

historical books of the ,bible1 plus the
 ,apocrypha4  ,also because of the      
importance of this too much neglected   
historical  period1 without a knowledge 
of which very much of the ,new          
,testament may  not be understood4 ',the
 ,new ,testament1' says ,prof4 ,j4 ,v4  
,bartlett1 in  the ,bible ,treasure1    
takes much for granted4 ,hence1 in      
reading the  ,gospels1 one is often     
forced to ask3 ,what is the exact point 
of so and  so8 ,we want1 in fact1 to    
become as one of ,christ's              
fellow-countrymen2  and this means      
steeping our thought in the story of the
 long years  which lie between the times
 of ,ezra and those of ,jesus the       
,christ4 ,they  must cease to be to us  
'ages of silence1' if we are to see just
 what is  meant by 'the tradition of the
 elders1' or to feel the full force of  
much that is found in the ,sermon on the
 ,mount4 ,the whole period of more  than
 four centuries falls into four         
epochs--the ,persian1 the ,greek1 the   

,maccabean and the ,roman4 7,bible      
,treasury1 p4 #ahi47    #b4 ,historical 
,summary of ,interval ,between ,old and 
,new ,testament3 ,the  following notes  
are abridged from ,oxford ,bible ,helps1
 ,summary of this  ,historical ,period  
7p4 #ae71 which summary itself is taken 
chiefly from  ,josephus' ,antiquities   
and the ,books of the ,maccabees4    #c4
 ,the ,persian ,period--#ecg-ccj ,b4    
,c43 ,ezra and ,nehemiah left a  settled
 form of government in ,palestine1 the  
center of which was  ,jerusalem4 ,here  
was established a council of elders and 
priests1 who  formed an ecclesiastical  
court1 interpreting the law1 and        
enforcing  its observance4 ,these were  
called the ,great ,synagogue4 ,they were
 to  the new settlement after the       
captivity what the 'elders that         
overlived  ,joshua' 7,josh4 xxiv3 #ca7  
were to the ,israelites who came out of 
,egypt4  ,it was the ,jewish theory that
 the law was given in a two-fold form1  
viz41 the written and the oral2 the     

former consisting of brief official     
enactments1 the latter of more copious  
details4 ,with the former code1         
immutably formalized by ,god1 they said 
the latter was orally taught to  ,moses 
on ,mount ,sinai by the same ,divine    
,author1 as the authoritative           
interpretation thereof1 with the command
 to commit the one to writing1  but to  
transmit the other only by word of      
mouth4 ,this oral law was  repeated by  
,moses to ,joshua1 who handed it on to  
the elders who  succeeded him1 and they 
to the prophets1 who1 in their turn1    
passed  it from one to another till it  
reached ,jeremiah1 who1 through the     
medium of ,baruch1 conveyed it to ,ezra1
 and he to the ,great ,synagogue1  whom 
,nehemiah also supplied with a library  
of all the sacred books he  could       
collect 7,,ii ,mac4 ii3 #ac74 ,this body
 of elders lasted about #aej  years1    
when it expired in its last survivor1   
the ,high ,priest ,simon the  ,just 7,b4
 ,c4 #bia74 99 99 99 99 ,ezra and       

,nehemiah also set up synagogues in     
country towns1 as places of worship on  
the ,sabbath1 and schools of            
instruction and for theological         
discussion during the week4 ,attached   
to each was a body of 'rulers1' who were
 both civil magistrates and             
ecclesiastical presbyters4 ,during all  
this time two hundred years  ,palestine 
was subject to ,persia1 and formed only 
part of a province  under the ,satrap of
 ,syria1 these elders administering the 
government  with the high priest as     
their responsible head4    #d4 ,greek   
,period--#ccj-afg ,b4 ,c43 ,after the   
victories of ,alexander  the ,great over
 ,persia1 he took possession of ,syria1 
allowing the ,jews  to retain           
self-government and their own religion2 
and when he built  ,alexandria1 he      
invited thither many ,jews1 giving them 
equal rights with  the rest of his      
subjects4 ,on ,alexander's death at an  
early age1 his  empire was divided      
amongst his four generals1 and ,syria   

was allotted  to ,egypt under ,ptolemy  
,lagos1 who transplanted many more ,jews
 to the  new colony at ,alexandria 7,b4 
,c4 #cbj71 and gave them many           
privileges1  so that they built a temple
 at ,jerusalem1 and restored the ritual 
of  ,solomon's time1 until ,alexandria  
became the center and metropolis of     
those ,jews who had migrated to ,asia   
,minor1 ,greece1 and ,italy1 and who    
are called in the ,acts of the ,apostles
 ,grecians 7 ,hellenists74 ,they  were  
more lax in morals1 liberal in views1   
and less exclusive than the  ,hebrews of
 ,jerusalem4 ,they used the ,greek      
language1 and eventually  7,b4 ,c4 #bhe7
 accepted as their scripture the        
,septuagint translation1  instead of the
 ,hebrew original4 ,it was at this      
period that ,simon the  ,just was high  
priest at ,jerusalem1 and by his wise   
administration  strengthened their      
position1 and brought them peace and    
prosperity4    #e4 ,the ,maccabees--,b4 
,c4 #aih3 ,after a series of contests   

,palestine  was taken from ,egypt by    
,antiochus the ,great1 annexed to       
,syria1 and  divided into five          
provinces1 viz41 ,judea1 ,samaria1      
,galilee 7,w4 of  ,jordan71 ,peraea1 and
 ,trachonitis 7,e4 of ,jordan74 ,from   
this time1 owing  to its position       
between the two great powers ,egypt and 
,syria1 this  country became a frequent 
prey to both1 until ,antiochus          
,epiphanes  took ,jerusalem 7,b4 ,c4    
#agj71 foully polluted the temple1 and  
compelled  the ,jews to sacrifice to    
idols4 ,he erected the statue of        
,jupiter on  the altar of               
burnt-offering1 committed all books of  
scripture to  the flames1 and prohibited
 the worship of ,god4 ,the high priests1
  corrupted by ,greek licentiousness1   
prepared the way for declension1  and   
encouraged the adoption of foreign      
customs4 ,but the attempt to  finally   
stamp out ,judaism produced a recoil4   
,it culminated in the  attempt of       
,antiochus to force the ,jews publicly  

to eat the flesh of  swine sacrificed on
 ,god's altar to the honor of ,jupiter4 
,one aged  scribe refused1 was followed 
by a mother and her seven sons1 who all 
suffered martyrdom with the extremes of 
torture4 ,this was followed by          
,mattathias1 a priest of the ,asmoaean  
family1 who killed both a renegade      
,jew1 when about to offer idolatrous    
sacrifice1 and the royal officer  who   
presided4 ,aided by his five sons1 he   
rallied the faithful round  him1 threw  
down the heathen altars1 fled to the    
mountains and raised  the standard of   
liberty1 on which were inscribed ,m4 ,k4
 ,b4 ,i41 the  initials of their ,hebrew
 war-cry1 ,mi-,kamoka ,baelim1 ,ihovah1 
',who is  like unto thee1 ,o ,lord1     
among the gods8 7,exodus xv3 #aa71 from 
which  the insurgents got the name of   
',maccabees1' whence the eldest son  and
 successor of ,mattathias is known in   
history as ,judas ,maccabaeus4  ,under  
him they were victorious4 ,antiochus    
died of a loathsome disease1  stricken  

by ,god4 ,the ,maccabees recovered      
,jerusalem1 purified the  temple1 and   
restored its worship1 holding for eight 
days 7in ,december1  ,b4 ,c4 #afe7 the  
first ,feast of ,dedication1 which      
continued to be  annually observed to   
our ,lord's time 7,john x3 #bb47    #f4 
,the ,roman ,period3 ,the ,maccabean    
family continued to hold the  main sway 
over the people1 who retained their     
local customs1 but were  obliged to make
 terms with the ,romans1 under whose    
protection they  retained considerable  
freedom4 ,although the ,israelites were 
scattered  over many countries1         
,jerusalem was still their religious and
 political  center1 and in its temple   
alone were sacrifices offered1 and to it
  flowed the poll-tax of half a shekel  
from ,jews all over the world4  ,the    
,roman government acknowledged and      
confirmed their independent  local      
administration1 as a peculiar imperium  
in imperio1 by  the following decrees3  
7,b4 ,c4 #dg47 ,julius ,caesar 7for     

services in  ,alexandrine war7 gave to  
,hyrcanus and his heirs all rights      
accorded to  high priests by law or     
courtesy2 all doubtful questions to be  
referred  to him personally4 ,also1 to  
,hyrcanus1 his heirs and ,ethnarch1 the 
privilege of being patroni of all ,jews 
that were aggrieved2 hence all  ,jews   
throughout the world had a direct appeal
 to ,caesar through the  high priest1   
whose ambassadors had everywhere a free 
passage4 ,also1  exemption from all     
tribute every seventh year1 'because    
they neither  sow nor reap4' ,also1     
peculiar liberty to 'meet and assemble  
together1  and comport themselves       
according to the custom of their        
fathers1 and  their own laws4' 7,b4 ,c4 
#dd74 ,on the death of ,caesar and      
,hyrcanus1  all the edicts of the       
former1 whether recorded in the         
,treasury or  not1 were confirmed by the
 senate1 in the ,consulate of ,dolabella
 and  ,antony4 ,thus the ,jews1 wherever
 they lived1 were exempt from taxation  

at certain times1 free from military    
service1 allowed to maintain  their     
peculiar customs1 and looked to their   
high priest in ,jerusalem  as their     
ecclesiastical and civil superior in all
 that related to  religious or          
ceremonial observances4 ,but1 for       
maintenance of order and  general       
political government1 a ,roman official1
 supported by military  organization1   
presided over all ,syria4 ,this official
 at first was one  allied to both       
interests1 and to whom was delegated the
 nomination to  the high priesthood1    
viz41 ,herod the ,great 7,b4 ,c4 #cg71  
an ,idumaean by  birth1 but descended   
from a ,philistine slave4 ,by aid of    
,roman troops  he deposed the last      
,asmonaean prince1 ,antigonus1 married  
his niece  ,mariamne 7granddaughter of  
,hyrcanus1 the high priest71 and became 
a  nominal sovereign1 subject to ,roms4 
7,oxford ,bible ,helps1 p4 #ae47        
,footnotes    #a4 ,the ,books of the    
,maccabees are to be found in the ,douay

 ,bible with  this explanatory note3 ,it
 is not known who was the author of     
these  books4 ,but as to their          
authority3 though they are not received 
by  the ,jews1 saith ,st4 ,augustine1   
,city of ,god1 ,i4 #ah4 c4 #cf1 they are
  received by the church3 who1 in       
settling her canon of the scriptures1   
chose rather to be directed by the      
tradition she had received from  the    
,apostles of ,christ1 than by that of   
the ,scribes and ,pharisees4            
7,introduction to the ,first ,book of   
,maccabees1 ,douay ,bible1 p4 #aabh47   
,,lesson ,,xi4      ,,lectures4         
,,references4      ,i4 ,samuel1 the     
,prophet4                               
,i ,samuel ,chaps4 ,i to                
,,xxv4 ,josephus' ,antiquities          
,book ,v1                               
,chaps4 ,x and ,,xi1 also               
,book ,,vi4      ,,ii4 ,david1 the      
,king4                                  
,i ,samuel ,chap4 ,,xvi-,,xxxi2         
also ,,ii ,samuel                       

,chaps4 ,i-,,xxiv4 ,i ,kings            
,chaps4 ,i-,,ii4 ,i ,chronicles         
,chaps4 ,x-,,xxix4 ,the                 
,psalms of ,david1 ,josephus'           
,antiquities1                           
,books ,,vi and ,,vii4      ,,iii4      
,maccabees1 the ,patriots1 their ,times 
,books of the ,maccabees                
and ,achievements4#a                    
,i and ,,ii 7found in                   
,douay ,bible74 ,josephus'              
,antiquities1 ,book ,,xii1              
,chaps4 ,,vi-,,xi4    ,,special ,,text3 
,i exhort you1 especially1 to agree with
 one another2  and in what excellency   
any one of you exceeds another1 to yield
 to  him so far1 and by that means to   
reap the advantage of everyone's own    
virtues4--,,mattathias1 ,father of the  
,maccabees1 to his sons4    ,,notes4    
#a4 ,suggestions in the ,formation of an
 ,unwritten ,lecture3 ,the  simplest    
formal address that can be constructed  
has three distinct  parts4 ,they may be 
named as follows3    #a4 ,the           

,introduction4    #b4 ,the ,discussion4 
#c4 ,the ,conclusion4    ,on this       
framework a speech-plan can be          
constructed simple enough for  any      
child4 ,and it is at the same time true 
that even a child1 with such  a plan1   
might speak appropriately who would     
otherwise not be able to  begin at all4 
,the ,introduction3 ,this is at once    
important and embarrassing4  ,first     
words are nearly always heard           
attentively1 and they do much  to       
determine the degree of attention that  
will be bestowed on the  remainder of   
the speech4 ,the young speaker should   
select something  as an introduction    
upon which his mind can fasten1 instead 
of  dwelling upon the frightful         
generality of the naked theme4 99 99 99 
99  ,the introduction should be simple1 
and1 above everything else1 easy  for   
the speaker to comprehend and remember4 
,if there is anything in  the whole     
world which he is sure he can talk about
 for a few moments1  and which can be   

made to have a moderate degree of       
connection with  his subject1 let that  
be chosen for an opening4 99 99 99 99   
,when the  introductory topic is        
selected it should be turned over in the
 mind  until the speaker knows just what
 he is going to say about it4 ,this     
process will have a wonderfully quieting
 effect upon his nerves4 ,he has  fairly
 mastered something1 and knows that at  
all events he can begin  his speech4 ,it
 is well to make a note of this         
introduction in a few  simple words1    
which will strongly fasten themselves in
 the memory4 ,no  effort toward         
elaboration should be made1 for that    
would naturally lead  to a memorized    
introduction1 and either require the    
whole speech to be  written1 or produce 
a painful and difficult transition4     
,the ,discussion3 ,this should deal     
directly with the subject or  central   
idea of the discourse4 ,here a clear    
statement of at least one  thought which
 the speaker can fully grasp should be  

made4 ,the pen 7or  pencil7 may be used 
in preparation without impropriety4 ,if 
but one idea  is thought of1 let that be
 written in the fewest and strongest    
words at  the students' command4 ,while 
doing this it is likely that another and
  related thought will spring into mind 
which can be treated in the same        
manner4 ,with diligent students there   
may even be a danger of getting  down   
too many seed-thoughts4 ,when this      
central division is completely  wrought 
out1 two other points claim attention4  
,how shall the transition  be made from 
the introduction to the discussion8 ,a  
little reflection  will show how to     
glide from one to the other1 and that   
process should  be conned over1 without 
writing1 until it is well understood4   
,it is  wonderful how many outlines of  
ideas the memory will retain without    
feeling burdened2 and this power of     
retention grows enormously through      
exercise4 ,after this1 the mode of      
gliding from the discussion to the      

conclusion may be treated in the same   
manner1 and with equal profit4    ,the  
,conclusion3 ,the conclusion itself is  
scarcely less material  than the        
introduction2 but there is much less    
range of choice in the  manner of       
closing than in that of beginning4 ,the 
subject is before  the audience1 and any
 wide departure from it seems like the  
beginning  of a new speech--something   
not usually well received4 ,there is    
this  distinction between the relative  
value of introduction and conclusion2  a
 good introduction adds most to a       
speaker's ease1 confidence1 and  power  
during the moment of speech2 but a good 
conclusion leaves  the deepest permanent
 impression upon the audience4 ,it is   
usually  remembered longer than any     
other part of the address4 7,extempore  
,speech1 ,pittenger1 pp4 #df-di47       
,footnotes    #a4 ,paper4               
,,lesson ,,xii4      ,,analysis4        
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,greater    
,prophets--,four4                       

,all ,bible ,dictionaries          #a4  
,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel1 ,daniel4  
and ,helps 7including ,bible    ,,ii4   
,the ,minor ,prophets--,twelve3         
,treasury71 ,heretofore           #a4   
,hosea1 ,joel1 ,amos1 ,obadiah1 ,jonah1 
cited in ,part ,,ii1                    
,micah1 ,nahum1 ,habakkuk1              
under title of ,prophets4               
,zephamiah1 ,haggai1 ,zechariah1        
,notes #a1 #b4              ,malachi4   
,,iii4 ,the ,prophetic ,calling4        
,see the ,dictionaries            #a4   
,distinction between major 7greater7    
and ,helps heretofore               and 
minor prophets4                         
cited1 as also ordinary            #b4  
,mission of the ,prophets4              
,dictionaries on ,inspiration1          
#c4 ,schools of the ,prophets4          
,revelation1                            
,prophecy1 ,prophets1                   
etc4                                    
,notes #c1 #d4    ,,special ,,text3 ,and
 if thou say in thine heart1 ,how shall 

we know the  word which the ,lord hath  
not spoken8 ,when a prophet speaketh in 
the  name of the ,lord1 if the thing    
follow not1 nor come to pass1 that is   
the thing which the ,lord hath not      
spoken1 but the prophet hath spoken  it 
presumptuously3 thou shalt not be afraid
 of him4--,deut4 xviii3 #bb4    ,,notes4
    #a4 ,of the ,term ,prophet4 ,the    
,hebrew word ,nabi is uniformly         
translated in our ,english ,bible by the
 word ,prophet4 ,in classical  ,greek1  
it is said by highest authority1 to     
signify 'one who speaks  for another1   
especially one who speaks for a ,god and
 so interprets  his will to man4'       
7,liddell and ,scott47 ,hence1 its      
essential meaning  is an interpreter4   
,in fact1 the ,english word 'prophet1'  
like the  word 'inspiration1' has always
 been used in a larger and in a closer  
sense4 ,in the larger sense our ,lord   
,jesus ,christ is a 'prophet1'  ,moses  
is a 'prophet1' ,mahomet is a 'prophet4'
 ,the expression means  that they       

proclaimed and published a new religious
 dispensation4 ,in  a similar though not
 identical sense1 the church is said to 
have a  'prophetical1' i4 e41 an        
expository and interpretative office4   
,but in  its closer sense the word1     
according to usage1 though not according
  to etymology1 involves the idea of    
foresight4 ,and this is and always  has 
been its more usual acceptation4 ,the   
different meanings1 or shades  of       
meaning1 in which the abstract noun is  
employed in scripture1 have  been drawn 
out by ,locke as follows3 ',prophecy    
comprehends three things3  prediction2  
singing by the dictate of the ,spirit2  
and understanding and  explaining the   
mysterious1 hidden sense of scripture1  
by an immediate  illumination and motion
 of the ,spirit4' 7,smith's ,bible      
,dictionary1  ,vol4 ,,iii1 pp4 #beia-b47
    #b4 ,school of the ,prophets1 or the
 ,prophetic ,order3 ,samuel1 himself a  
,levite1 of the family of ,kohath 7,i   
,chron4 vi3 #bh71 and almost certainly  

a priest1 was the instrument used at    
once for effecting a reform in the      
sacerdotal order 7,i ,chron4 ix3 #bb71  
and for giving to the prophets a        
position of importance which they had   
never before held4 99 99 99 99 ,samuel  
took measures to make his work of       
restoration permanent1 as well as       
effective for the moment4 ,for this     
purpose he instituted companies1  or    
,colleges of ,prophets4 ,one we find in 
his lifetime at ,ramah 7,i ,sam4  xix3  
#ai1 #bj72 others afterwards at ,bethel 
7,,ii ,kings ii3 #c71 ,jericho  7,,ii   
,kings ii3 #e71 ,gilgal 7,,ii ,kings iv3
 #ch71 and elsewhere 7,,ii ,kings  i74  
,their constitution and object were     
similar to those of ,theological        
,colleges4 ,into them were gathered     
promising students1 and here they  were 
trained for the office which they were  
afterwards destined to  fulfill4 ,so    
successful were these institutions1 that
 from the time of  ,samuel to the       
closing of the canon of the ,old        

,testament1 there seems  never to have  
been wanting a due supply of men to keep
 up the line of  official prophets4 ,the
 apocryphal books of the ,maccabees 7,i1
 iv3 #bf2  ix3 #bg1 xiv3 #da7 and of    
,ecclesiasticus 7xxvi3 #ae7 represent   
them as  extinct4 ,the colleges appear  
to have consisted of students differing 
in  number4 ,sometimes they were very   
numerous 7,i ,kings xviii3 #d2 xxii3 #f2
  ,,ii ,kings ii3 #af74 ,one elderly1 or
 leading prophet1 presided over them    
7,i ,sam4 xiv3 #bj71 called their father
 7,i ,sam4 x3 #ab71 or master 7,,ii     
,kings ii3 #c71 who was apparently      
admitted to his office by the ceremony  
of anointing 7,i ,kings xix3 #af2       
,isaiah lxi3 #a2 ,psalms cv3 #ae74 ,they
 were  called his sons4 ,their chief    
subject of study was1 no doubt1 the ,law
  and its interpretation2 oral1 as      
distinct from symbolical1 teaching      
being henceforward tacitly transferred  
from the priestly to the  prophetical   
order4 7,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1    

,vol4 ,,iii1 pp4 #beib-c47    #c4 ,the  
,prophetic ,gift3 ,we have been speaking
 of the ,prophetic ,order4  ,to belong  
to the prophetic order and to possess   
the prophetic gift are  not convertible 
terms4 ,there might be members of the   
prophetic order to  whom the gift of    
prophecy was not vouchsafed4 ,there     
might be inspired  prophets1 who did not
 belong to the prophetic order4         
,generally1 the  inspired prophet came  
from the ,college of the ,prophets1 and 
belonged  to the prophetic order2 but   
this was not always the case4 ,in the   
instance of the ,prophet ,amos1 the rule
 and the exception are both  manifested4
 ,when ,amaziah1 the idolatrous         
,israelitish priest1 threatens  the     
prophet1 and desires him to 'flee away  
into the land of ,judah1  and there eat 
bread and prophesy there1 but not to    
prophesy again any  more at ,bethel1'   
,amos in reply says1 ',i was no prophet1
 neither was  ,i a prophet's son2 but ,i
 was an herdsman1 and a gatherer of     

sycamore  fruit2 and the ,lord took me  
as ,i followed the flock1 and the ,lord 
said  unto me1 ,go prophesy unto my     
people ,israel' 7vii3 #ad74 ,that is1   
though  called to the prophetic office1 
he did not belong to the prophetic      
order2 and had not been trained in the  
prophetical colleges2 and this1  he     
indicates1 was an unusual occurrence4   
7,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1  ,vol4    
,,iii1 p4 #beic47    #d4 ,revelation and
 ,inspiration ,defined3 ,the word       
'revelation'  stands for the act of ,god
 in making truth known to men1 and then1
 in  a secondary sense1 for the truth   
itself1 which is thus made known4       
,inspiration is the name of the special 
divine influence under which  the       
writers of the ,bible worked4 ,we speak 
of the 'revelation' of ,god  in the     
,bible1 and of the 'inspiration' of the 
writers of the ,bible4  ,in order to    
understand the questions which have been
 raised on these  two subjects it is    
important that we should discriminate   

between  them in thought1 but in fact   
they are closely connected4 ,it is the  
association of the two that gives its   
supreme value to the ,bible4 ,this  is  
recognized as a book of unique          
character1 because1 as we have seen1  it
 is an inspired record of divine        
revelation4 7,teacher's ,bible ,helps1  
,bagster's ,bible1 p4 #b47 ,the whole   
article1 comprising several pages1      
should be studied4 ,also the article1   
,prophets1 in the ,seventy's ,bible     
,dictionary4        ,,lesson ,,xiii4    
,,the ,,prophetic ,,books ,,of ,,the    
,,old ,,testament4      ,i4 ,the book of
 ,isaiah4                               
,isaiah ,i-,,lxvi4 ,notes          #a4  
,historic ,period of ,isaiah4           
#a1 #b4 ,seventy's ,bible          #b4  
,general ,outline of ,his ,prophecies4  
,dictionary1 ,art4 ,isaiah1          #c4
 ,his ,prophecies of the ,messiah4      
,bible ,treasury ,ditto4          #d4   
,select ,readings from ,isaiah4         
,other ,bible ,helps and                

,dictionaries1 under                    
same title4                             
,messianic ,prophecies1                 
,chap4 ,,ix3 #f1 #g2 ,,xlix3 #a-ac2     
,,liii3 #a-ab2 ,,lxi3 #a-c4      ,,ii4  
,the ,book of ,jeremiah4                
,select ,readings--,fall           #a4  
,historic ,period4                      
of ,lucifer1 ,chap4 ,,xiv3 #ab-bi4      
#b4 ,general ,nature of ,his ,warnings  
,the ,apostasy1              to ,israel4
                                        
,,xxiv3 #a-f4 ,book of ,mormon1         
,,xxix3 #a-bd4 ,the                     
,gathering of ,israel1 ,,xi3 #aj-af4    
#c4 ,prophecies yet to be               
fulfilled--especially                   
,bible ,dictionaries and              on
 the restoration of                     
,helps as above1 ,art4                  
,israel4                                
,jeremiah1 ,book of1                    
etc4 ,warnings3 ,jeremiah               
,,xiv3 #a-bb1 and ,,xv3 #a-c4           
7,read as if is in one                  

chapter71 ,,xvii and                    
,,xviii2 also ,,xxi and                 
,,xxii4                                 
,prophecies 7in course                  
of fulfillment and those                
yet future74 ,chap4 ,,iii3 #ab-ai2      
,,xvi3 #ad-af2                          
,,xxxiii3 #a-ad4    ,,special ,,text3   
,and though the ,lord give you the bread
 of adversity1  and the water of        
affliction1 yet shall not thy teachers  
be removed  into a corner any more1 but 
thine eyes shall see thy teachers2 and  
thine ears shall hear a word behind     
thee1 saying1 ,this is the way1  walk ye
 in it1 when ye turn to the right hand1 
and when ye turn to the                 
left4--,,isaiah4    ,,notes4    #a4     
,isaiah1 7i4 e41 the ,lord is           
,salvation71 son of ,amoz1 a prophet in 
,jerusalem during #dj years1 7,b4 ,c4   
#gdj-gja47 ,he had great religious and  
political influence during the reign of 
,hezekiah1 whose chief adviser  he was4 
,tradition states that he was sawn      

asunder during the reign  of ,manasseh2 
for that reason he is often represented 
in art1 holding a  saw4 7,cambridge     
,bible1 p4 #hb47    #b4 ,character of   
,isaiah's ,prophet ,writings3 ,in       
,isaiah we see  prophetic authorship    
reaching its culminating point4         
,everything  conspired to raise him to  
an elevation to which no prophet either 
before or after could as a writer       
attain4 ,among the other prophets1  each
 of the more important ones is          
distinguished by some one particular    
excellence1 and some one peculiar       
talent3 in ,isaiah1 all kinds of  talent
 and all beauties of prophetic discourse
 meet together so as  mutually to temper
 and qualify each other2 it is not so   
much any  single feature that           
distinguishes him as the symmetry and   
perfection  of the whole4 99 99 99 99   
,he is not the especially lyrical       
prophet1 or  the especially elegiacal   
prophet1 or the especially oratorical   
and  hortatory prophet1 as we should    

describe a ,joel1 a ,hosea1 a ,micah1   
with  whom there is a greater prevalence
 of some particular color2 but1 just  as
 the subject requires1 he has readily at
 command every several kind  of style   
and every several change of delineation2
 and it is precisely  this that1 in     
point of language1 establishes his      
greatness1 as well  as in general forms 
one of his most towering points of      
excellence4  7,smith's ,bible           
,dictionary1 pp4 #aafb-c47    #c4       
,isaiah as a ,messianic ,prophet3 ,the  
following are the outlines of           
,messianic prophecies in the book of    
,isaiah3 ,a scion of ,david1 springing  
from his family1 after it has fallen    
into a very low estate1 but being  also 
of divine nature1 shall1 at first1 in   
lowliness1 but as a prophet  filled with
 the ,spirit of ,god1 proclaim the      
divine doctrine1 develope  the law in   
truth1 and render it the animating      
principle of national  life2 he shall1  
as high priest1 by his vicarious        

suffering and his  death1 remove the    
guilt of his nation1 and that of other  
nations1 and  finally rule as a mighty  
king1 not only over the covenant people1
  but over all nations of the earth who 
will subject themselves to his  peaceful
 sceptre1 not by violent compulsion1 but
 induced by love and  gratitude4 ,he    
will make both the moral and the        
physical consequences  of sin to cease2 
the whole earth shall be filled with the
 knowledge of  the ,lord1 and all       
enmity1 hatred1 and destruction shall be
 removed even  from the brute creation4 
,this is the survey of the ,messianic   
preaching  by ,isaiah1 of which he      
constantly renders prominent those      
portions  which were most calculated to 
impress the people under the then       
existing circumstances4 99 99 99 99     
,jesus ,sirach 7xlviii3 #bb-e7 bestows  
splendid praise upon ,isaiah1 and both  
,philo and ,josephus speak of him  with 
great veneration4 ,he attained the      
highest degree of authority  after the  

times of the ,new ,testament had proved 
the most important part  of his         
prophecies1 namely1 the ,messianic1 to  
be divine4 ,christ and the  ,apostles   
quote no prophecies so frequently as    
those of ,isaiah1 in order  to prove    
that he who had appeared was one and the
 same with him who had  been promised4  
,the fathers of the ,church abound in   
praises of ,isaiah4  7,kitto's ,biblical
 ,literature1 pp4 #di-ej47    #d4 ,the  
,first ,nephi on ,isaiah as the         
,messianic ,prophet4 ,and now ,i1       
,nephi1 write more of the words of      
,isaiah1 for my soul delighteth in his  
words4 ,for ,i will liken 7apply7 his   
words unto my people1 and ,i will  send 
them forth unto all my children1 for he 
verily saw my ,redeemer1  even as ,i    
have seen him4 ,and my brother ,jacob   
also has seen him as  ,i have seen him3 
wherefore ,i will send their words forth
 unto my  children1 to prove unto them  
that my words are true44 ,wherefore1 by 
the  words of three1 ,god hath said1 ,i 

will establish my word4 7,,ii ,nephi ii3
  #ac47    #e4 ,jeremiah1 ,book of4     
,arrangement3 ,the absence of any       
chronological  order in the present     
structure of the collection of          
,jeremiah's  prophecies is obvious at   
the first glance2 and this has led some 
writers 7,blayney1 ,pref4 of ,jeremiah7 
to the belief that1 as the book  now    
stands1 there is nothing but the wildest
 confusion--'a preposterous  jumbling   
together' of prophecies of different    
dates4 ,attempts to  reconstruct the    
book on a chronological basis have been 
made by  almost all commentators on it  
since the revival of criticism2 and the 
result of the labors of the more recent 
critics has been to modify  the somewhat
 hasty judgment of the ,english divine  
7,blayney74 ,whatever  points of        
difference there may be in the          
hypothesis of ,movers1 ,hitzig1  ,ewald1
 ,bunsen1 ,nagelsbach1 and others1 they 
agree in admitting traces  of an order  
in the midst of the seeming             

irregularity1 and endeavor  to account1 
more or less satisfactorily1 for the    
apparent anomalies4  ,the conclusion of 
the three last-named is that we have the
 book  substantially in the same state  
as that in which it left the hands of   
the prophet1 or his disciple ,baruch4   
7,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 p4        
#abfa47    #e4 ,jeremiah3 ,the author of
 the prophecies of this book was the son
  of ,hilkiah1 a priest1 and a native of
 the priestly city of ,anathoth1        
situated three miles north of           
,jerusalem4 ,he was early called to the 
prophetic office 7chap4 i3 #f71 and     
began his career as a prophet in his    
native place4 ,this he soon left1 to    
prosecute his calling in ,jerusalem2    
and here1 in the exercises of it1 he    
spent the greater part of his  life4    
,his ministry commenced seventy years   
after the close of ,isaiah's1  and      
extended from the thirteenth year of    
,josiah's reign to the eleventh  of     
,zedekiah's1 i4 e41 from #fbi to #ehh   

,b4 ,c41 thus embracing a period  of    
forty-one years4 ,it was a life-long    
protest against the iniquity  and folly 
of his countrymen1 and conceived in     
bitter foreboding of the  hopeless ruin 
they were bringing down upon their      
heads4 7,bagster's  ,bible ,helps1 p4   
#cg47    #f4 ,jeremiah and ,his         
,contemporaries3 ,jeremiah was          
contemporary with  ,zephiniah1          
,habakkuk1 ,ezekiel1 and ,daniel4 ,none 
of these1 however1  are in any          
remarkable way connected with him1      
except ,ezekiel4 ,the  writings and     
character of these two eminent prophets 
furnish many very  interesting points   
both of comparison and contrast4 ,both1 
during a  long series of years1 were    
laboring at the same time and for the   
same  object4 ,the representations of   
both1 far separated as they were from   
each other1 are in substance singularly 
accordant2 yet there is at the  same    
time a marked difference in their modes 
of statement1 and a still  more striking

 diversity in the character and natural 
disposition of  the two4 ,no one who    
compares them can fail to perceive that 
the mind  of ,jeremiah was of a softer  
and more delicate texture than that of  
his  illustrious contemporary4 ,his     
whole history convinces us that he was  
by  nature mild and retiring4 7,cycl4 of
 ,biblical ,literature1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4  
#hc47        ,,lesson ,,xiv4            
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise--,,note
 #c4    ,,the ,,prophetic ,,books ,,of  
,,the ,,old ,,testament4 7,continued47  
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,ezekiel1 the    
,prophet of the ,captivity4             
,book of ,ezekiel4 ,all          #a4    
,prophecies against ,jerusalem and      
the ,dictionaries1 ,bible               
the ,nation1 chaps4 i-xxiv4             
,helps1 ,bible ,treasury1          #b4  
,prophecies of the ,restoration of      
,kitto's ,biblical ,literature          
,israel1 chaps4 xxv-xxxix4              
previously quoted1          #c4 ,visions

 of the ,reconstruction of              
,art4 ,ezekiel4 ,note #a4               
the ,temple1 chaps4 xl-xlviii4          
#d4 ,prophecy of the ,resurrection1     
chap4 xxxvi3 #a-ad4    ,,ii4 ,daniel1   
,book of                                
,book of ,daniel ,i-,,xii4           #a4
 ,historical--i-vi4                     
,all the above ,dictionaries            
#b4 ,prophetical--the ,rise and ,fall of
              and ,bible ,helps1        
,empires1 vii-xii4                      
,encyclopaedias1 etc4                   
above cited4 ,art4 ,daniel4             
,church ,history                        
,vol4 ,i1 ,introduction1 pp4 xxxvi-xl4  
,note #b4    ,,special ,,text3 ,son of  
man1 ,i have made thee a watchman unto  
the  house of ,israel2 therefore hear   
the word at my mouth1 and give them     
warning from me4 ,when ,i say unto the  
wicked1 ,thou shalt surely die2  and    
thou givest him not warning1 nor        
speakest to warn the wicked from  his   
wicked way1 to save his life2 the same  

wicked man shall die in  his iniquity2  
but his blood will ,i require at thine  
hand4 ,yet if thou  warn the wicked1 and
 he turn not from his wickedness1 nor   
from his  wicked way1 he shall die in   
his iniquity2 but thou hast delivered   
thy  soul4--,,ezekiel4    ,,notes4      
#a4 ,ezekiel3 ,the author of this book  
was a native of ,jerusalem1  and1 like  
,jeremiah1 of priestly descent1 a member
 of a family of some  standing in the   
city4 ,when1 as would appear1 about     
twenty-five years  of age1 and after he 
had seen some service as a priest1 he   
was carried  away captive to ,babylon   
along with ,jehoiachin and other noble  
,jews in  #eii ,b4 ,c41 and before the  
destruction of ,jerusalem 7,,ii ,kings  
xxiv3  #ae74 ,he must have been a       
witness of the plundering of the temple 
by  ,nebuchadnezzar1 as recorded in ,,ii
 ,kings xxiv3 #ac1 and his prophecies   
give evidence of a familiar acquaintance
 with its structure 7chap4  viii3 #e-af1
 etc47 ,his place of banishment was     

,tel-,abib1 on the banks  of the river  
,chebar1 about #bjj miles north of      
,babylon4 ,here he settled  with his    
family1 and here he established himself 
as the prophet of the  captivity1 his   
house being the rendezvous of all who   
mourned over the  dispersion and sought 
for the restoration of ,israel4         
7,bagster ,bible  ,helps1 p4 #ci47      
#b4 ,the ,book of ,daniel4 ,perhaps no  
book of prophecy is more bitterly       
criticised than the ,book of ,daniel1   
and certainly no book is of more        
prophetic value44 ,its prophecies       
concerning the rise and fall of         
empires1 with the final supremacy of the
 kingdom of ,god as a universal  empire1
 renders it at once one of the most     
important of prophetic books4           
,porphyry1 the assailant of             
,christianity in the third century1     
asserted that the book of ,daniel was a 
forgery of the time of the  ,maccabees  
7#agj-afd ,b4 ,c471 a time when         
confessedly there were no  prophets1    

written after the events as to          
,antiochus ,epiphanes1 which  it        
professes to foretell2 so accurate are  
the details4 ,a conclusive  proof of    
,daniel's inspiration1 if his prophecies
 can be shown to have  been before the  
events4 ,now we know1 from ,josephus1   
that the ,jews in  ,christ's days1      
recognized ,daniel as in the canon4     
,zachariah1 ,ezra1 and  ,nehemiah1      
centuries before ,antiochus1 refer to   
it4 ,jesus refers to it  in his         
characteristic designation1 ',son of    
man1' ,matthew xxiv3 #cj2  ,daniel vii3 
#ac72 also expressly by name1 and as a  
prophet1 in ,matthew  xxiv3 #ae 7cf4    
,matthew xxiv3 #ba1 with ,daniel xii3   
#a1 etc472 and in the  moment that      
decided his life 7,matthew xxvi3 #fd7 or
 death1 when the high  priest adjured   
him by the living ,god4 ,also1 in ,luke 
#a3ai-bf1 ',gabriel'  is mentioned1     
whose name occurs nowhere else in       
scripture1 save ,daniel  viii3 #af2 ix3 
#ba4 ,besides the references to it in   

,revelation1 ,paul  confirms the        
prophetical part of it1 as to the       
blasphemous king 7,daniel  vii3 #h1 #be2
 xi3 #cf71 in ,i ,corinthians #f3b2 ,,ii
 ,thessalonians ii3 #c1 #d2  the        
narrative part1 as to the miraculous    
deliverances from 'the lions'  and 'the 
fire1' in ,hebrews xi3 #cc1 #cd4 ,thus  
the book is expressly  attested by the  
,new ,testament on the three points made
 the stumbling  block of neologists--the
 predictions1 the narratives of         
miracles1 and  the manifestations of    
angels4 7,commentary1 ,explanatory and  
,critical1  p4 #fbj47    ,a ,sample     
,scripture ,reading4 ,at this lesson we 
introduce the  scripture reading        
exercise referred to in our             
introduction1 and as an  illustration of
 what is meant we give the following as 
an example of  such reading3    ,the    
,reader says3 ,i have selected for this 
reading the first nine  verses of the   
#aith ,psalm of ,david1 universally     
conceded1 ,i think1 to  be one at least 

of the most beautiful psalms of this    
very remarkable  collection of ,hebrew  
poetry4 7,reading73        ,the heavens 
declare the glory of ,god2 and the      
firmament sheweth      his handywork4   
,day unto day uttereth speech1 and night
 unto night      sheweth knowledge4     
,there is no speech nor language where  
their      voice is not heard4 ,their   
line is gone out through all the earth1 
and their words to the end of the world4
 ,in them hath he set a      tabernacle 
for the sun1 which is as a bridegroom   
coming out of his      chamber1 and     
rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race4
 ,his going      forth is from the end  
of the heaven1 and his circuit unto the 
ends      of it2 and there is nothing   
hid from the heat thereof4        ,the  
law of the ,lord is perfect1 converting 
the soul2 the testimony      of the     
,lord is sure1 making wise the simple4  
,the statutes of the      ,lord are     
right1 rejoicing the heart2 the         
commandment of the ,lord      is pure1  

enlightening the eyes44 ,the fear of the
 ,lord is clean1      enduring forever2 
the judgments of the ,lord are true and 
righteous      altogether4    ,let us   
contemplate a little so much of this    
,psalm as we have read4        ,the     
heavens declare the glory of ,god2 and  
the firmament sheweth      his          
handywork4 ,day unto day uttereth       
speech1 and night unto night            
sheweth knowledge4    ,if that could be 
said  of the heavens in the days of     
,david1 how much  more abundantly can it
 be said now1 when the few thousand     
stars  visible to ,david's unaided      
vision1 our modern telescopes have to   
our  vision increased to more than forty
 millions of such stars6 ,each1 as  is  
supposed1 a sun1 the center of a        
planetary system--when thus we          
contemplate the heavens1 truly they     
declare the glory of ,god1 and the      
firmament sheweth his handywork6 and day
 unto day uttereth speech1  and night   
unto night sheweth knowledge6    ,mark  

how ,david notes that the heavens speak 
a universal  language3--there is no     
speech nor language1 where their voice  
is  not heard4 ,their line is gone out  
through all the earth1 and their  words 
to the end of the world4 ,the special   
revelation to the ,hebrews  might be    
locked up from some parts of our human  
race for centuries  in the mystery of   
the ,hebrew language2 but in the        
heavens1 as ,david  contemplated them1  
there is a universal language1 a world  
book--spread  out in glory for all men  
to read1 and somehow or other1 all men  
have  read it with more or less         
clearness1 and have arrived at the same 
conclusion with the ,hebrew             
prophet1--the heavens declare the glory 
of  ,god4 ,paul must have felt something
 of this when he exclaimed1 ,the        
invisible things of him from the        
creation of the world are clearly  seen1
 being understood by the things that are
 made1 even his eternal  power and      
,godhead4 ,so that he concludes that the

 ungodly are without  excuse1 by reason 
of this revelation found in the         
creations of ,god--the  heavens that    
declare ,god's glory4 ,then notice how  
,david glides from  the contemplation of
 the heavens to the contemplation of the
 law of  the ,lord--perfect1 converting 
the soul2 the testimony of the ,lord    
which is sure1 making wise the simple4  
,the statutes of the ,lord that  are    
right1 rejoicing the heart2 the         
commandment of the ,lord that is  pure1 
enlightening the eyes4 ,the fear of the 
,lord that is clean1  enduring forever2 
the judgments of the ,lord that are     
true1 and  righteous altogether4 ,such a
 scripture prepares the mind for        
devotion1  and is a worthy introduction 
to the act of worship4 7,end of         
reading47    ,this kind of exercise is  
intended to run through the remainder of
 the  lessons of this year1 and every   
week someone should be appointed to     
come to the following week's lesson     
prepared with a scripture reading1      

which should be delivered as above1 that
 is1 read with reflections1 and         
comments1 to which it gives rise4       
,,lesson ,,xv4    ,,scripture ,,reading 
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,prophetic ,,books
 ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,testament4          
7,continued47      ,i4 ,the ,twelve     
,minor ,prophets4                       
,note #a and #b4 ,each of          #a4  
,historical ,period of their ministry4  
the books of the #ab    ,,ii4 ,select   
,readings from ,zechariah3              
prophets should be read4           #a4  
,repentance4                            
,see also the summary of           #b4  
,prophecies ,yet ,future4               
each book in the ,bible                 
,helps1 ,dictionaries1 ,bible           
,treasury1 quoted in                    
previous lessons4                       
,readings1 ,zech4 #a3 #a-g4             
,chaps4 vii and viii4                   
,chaps4 xii1 xiii1 xiv4    ,,iii4       
,select ,readings from ,malachi3        
#a4 ,his ,arraignment of ,israel for    

,unfaithfulness4               ,mal4    
iii3 #g-ah4               ,the ,promise 
of               ,god's ,returning      
,favor4            #b4 ,the ,coming of  
,messiah's ,messenger4                  
,mal4 iii3 #a-f4            #c4         
,destruction of the ,wicked--,elijah's  
,mal4 iv3 #a-f4               ,mission4 
,,special ,,text3 ,execute true         
judgment1 and shew mercy and compassions
  every man to his brother2 and oppress 
not the widow1 nor the  fatherless1 the 
stranger1 nor the poor2 and let none of 
you imagine  evil against his brother in
 your heart4--,,zechariah4    ,,notes4  
#a4 ,the ,greater and ,minor ,prophets3 
,a review of the books as they  stand in
 our ,bible gives us first the ,greater 
,prophets1 and secondly  the ,minor     
,prophets4 ,it should be understood that
 this arrangement is  determined by the 
length of the books1 not by the         
comparative rank of  the writers4 ,the  
minor prophets are not to be regarded as
 necessarily  less important persons    

than the greater prophets4 ,amos may    
have been  a grander man than           
,ezekiel--yet ,amos is classed with the 
minor and  ,ezekiel with the greater    
prophets4 ,this simply means that we    
have less  of the writings of ,amos     
preserved than of those of ,ezekiel--and
 so of  the other minor prophets4       
7,cambridge ,bible ,helps1 p4 #cd47     
#b4 ,the ,historic ,period of the ,minor
 ,prophets3 ,the ,minor ,prophets  form 
in the ,hebrew canon one whole1 and go  
collectively under the  name of the     
,book of the ,twelve ,prophets4 ,they   
cover a period of four  hundred years1  
from the ninth to the fifth centuries   
before ,christ1 but  they are not       
arranged in the order of the time of    
their production4  7,cambridge ,bible   
,helps1 p4 #da47    #c4 ,passages from  
the ,prophets ,quoted by ,moroni to     
,joseph ,smith3  ,after telling me these
 things1 7concerning the ,book of       
,mormon7 he  commenced quoting the      
prophecies of the ,old ,testament4 ,he  

first quoted  part of the third chapter 
of ,malachi1 and he quoted also the     
fourth or  last chapter of the same     
prophecy1 though with a little variation
 from  the way it reads in our ,bibles4 
,instead of quoting the first verse as  
it reads in our books1 he quoted it     
thus3    ,for behold1 the day cometh    
that shall burn as an oven1 and all the 
proud1 yea1 and all that do wickedly    
shall burn as stubble2 for they  that   
come shall burn them1 saith the ,lord of
 hosts1 that it shall leave  them       
neither root nor branch4    ,and again1 
he quoted the fifth verse thus3         
',behold1 ,i will reveal unto you the   
,priesthood1 by the hand of ,elijah  the
 prophet1 before the coming of the great
 and dreadful day of the  ,lord4'    ,he
 also quoted the next verse differently3
    ',and he shall plant in the hearts  
of the children the promises made  to   
the fathers1 and the hearts of the      
children shall turn to their  fathers2  
if it were not so1 the whole earth would

 be utterly wasted at  his coming4'     
,in addition to these1 he quoted the    
eleventh chapter of ,isaiah1 saying     
that it was about to be fulfilled4 ,he  
quoted also the third chapter of  ,acts1
 twenty-second and twenty-third verses1 
precisely as they stand  in our ,new    
,testament4 ,he said that that ,prophet 
was ,christ1 but the  day had not yet   
come when they who would not hear his   
voice should be  cut off from among the 
people1 but soon would come4 ,he also   
quoted  the second chapter of ,joel1    
from the twenty-eighth verse to the     
last4  ,he also said that this was not  
yet fulfilled1 but was soon to be4  ,and
 he further stated that the fullness of 
the ,gentiles was soon to  come in4 ,he 
quoted many other passages of           
,scripture1 and offered many            
explanations which cannot be mentioned  
here4 7,history of the ,church1  ,vol4  
#a1 pp4 #ab1 #ac47        ,,lesson      
,,xvi4    ,,scripture ,,reading         
,,exercise4    ,,miscellaneous ,,books  

,,of ,,the ,,old ,,testament4      ,i4  
,poetical ,books3                       
,book of ,psalm1 ,lamentations          
#a4 ,psalms2 ,lamentations1 ,the ,song  
and ,song of             of ,solomon#a  
,songs4    ,,ii4 ,didactic ,books3      
,all the ,dictionaries           #a4    
,job1 dramatic4                         
,bible ,helps cited in    ,,iii4        
,sapiential3                            
previous lessons may be            #a4  
,proverbs1 gnomic4#b                    
consulted on the separate            #b4
 ,ecclesiastes1 ,speculative4#c         
books mentioned in this                 
lesson4    #a4 ,psalms1 ,book of3 ,this 
collection of sacred poetry received its
  name1 in consequence of the lyrical   
character of the pieces of which it     
consists1 as intended to be sung to     
stringed and other instruments of       
music4 ,the word is thus aptly defined  
by ,gregory of ,nyssa4 ,the ,hebrew     
title signifies hymns or praises1 and   
was probably adopted on account  of the 

use made of the collection in divine    
service1 though only a part  can be     
strictly called songs of praise1 not a  
few being lamentations  and prayers4    
7,cycl4 of ,biblical ,literature1       
,kitto1 p #cgg47    #b4 ,authors of the 
,psalms3 ,many of the ancients1 both    
,jews and  ,christians1 maintained that 
all the ,psalms were written by ,david2 
which  is one of the most striking      
proofs of their uncritical judgment4 ,so
 the  ,talmudists2 ,augustine1 who is   
never a good critic2 and ,chrysostom4   
,but  ,jerome1 as might be expected1    
held the opinion which now universally  
prevails4 ,the titles and the contents  
of the ,psalms most clearly  show that  
they were composed at different and     
remote periods1 by  several poets1 of   
whom ,david was only the largest and    
most eminent  contributor4 7,cycl4 of   
,biblical ,literature1 ,kitto1 p4 #ehj47
    #c4 ,character of the ,psalms4 ,the 
distinguishing feature of the ,psalms   
is their devotional character4 ,whether 

their matter be didactic1  historical1  
prophetical1 or practical1 it is made   
the ground or subject  of prayer1 or    
praise1 or both4 ,the doctrines of      
theology and precepts  of pure morality 
are here inculcated4 ,god's nature1     
attributes1  perfections1 and works of  
creation1 providence1 and grace1 are    
unfolded4 7,commentary1 ,critical and   
,explanatory1 p4 #cde47    #d4 ,song of 
,solomon1 or ,canticles1 called in      
,hebrews the ,song of ,songs  7i4 e4 the
 ,song of supreme excellence74 ,some    
regard it as a beautiful  romance in    
glorification of true love4 ,tennyson   
called it the most  perfect ,idyll of   
the faithful love of a country girl for 
her shepherd1  and of her resistances to
 the advances of a great king1 that ever
 was  written4 ,others see in it a      
parable of singular depth1 a revelation 
of the future of the ,church to the end 
of the world4 7,seventy's ,bible        
,dictionary1 p4 #add47    #e4 ,the ,age 
when ,job ,lived3 ,eusebius fixes it two

 ages before ,moses1  7i4 e41 about the 
time of ,isaac73 eighteen hundred years 
before  ,christ1 and six hundred after  
the ,deluge4 7,commentary1 critical and 
,explanatory1 p4 #cjh47    #f4 ,job a   
,real ,person3 ,it has been supposed by 
some that the ,book of  ,job is an      
allegory1 not a real narrative1 on      
account of the artificial  character of 
many of its statements4 ,thus the sacred
 numbers1 three  and seven1 often       
occur44 ,he had seven thousand sheep1   
seven sons1 both  before and after his  
trials2 his three friends sit down with 
him seven  days and seven nights2 both  
before and after his trials2 he had     
three  daughters4 ,so also the number   
and form of the speeches of the several 
speakers seem to be artificial4 ,the    
name of ,job1 too1 is derived from  an  
,arabic word signifying repentance4 ,but
 ,ezekiel #ad3ad 7cf4 v4 #af1 #bj7      
speaks of ,job in conjunction with ,noah
 and ,daniel1 real persons4  ,st4 ,james
 7#e3aa7 also refers to ,job as an      

example of patience1 which  he would not
 have been likely to do had ,job been   
only a fictitious  person4 ,also the    
names of persons and places are         
specified with a  particularity not to  
be looked for in an allegory4           
7,commentary1  ,critical and            
,explanatory1 p4 #cjh47    #g4 ,design  
of the ,book3 ,it is a public debate in 
poetic form on  an important question   
concerning the divine government2       
moreover  the prologue and epilogue1    
which are in prose1 shed the interest of
  a living history over the debate1     
which would otherwise be but a  contest 
of abstract reasoning4 99 99 99 99 ,the 
question to be solved1 as  exemplified  
in the case of ,job is1 ,why are the    
righteous afflicted  consistently with  
,god's justice8 ,the doctrine of        
retribution after  death1 no doubt1 is  
the great solution of the difficulty4   
,and to it ,job  plainly refers in      
chapter #ad3ad1 and chapter #ai3be4 ,the
 objection to  this1 that the           

explicitness of the language on the     
resurrection in ,job  is inconsistent   
with the obscurity on the subject in the
 early books of  the ,old ,testament1 is
 answered by the fact that ,job enjoyed 
the divine  vision 7chapter #ch3a2      
#db3e71 and therefore1 by inspiration1  
foretold  these truths4 7,commentary1   
,critical and ,explanatory1 p4 #cji47   
#h4 ,proverbs3 ,the ,hebrew title of    
this book is the ',mishele1' 7i4  e41   
the maxims7 'of ,solomon1' and it was in
 early ages1 sometimes  along with other
 similar portions of the ,bible1 often  
referred to as  ,wisdom1 in one instance
 specifically defined as the wisdom that
  respects virtuous conduct--as         
summarizing the teachings of wisdom  in 
their bearing on the conduct of life4   
,though ascribed to ,solomon1  these    
maxims are obviously not all of his     
composition1 or even his  collection1   
being of very varied authorship1 and the
 vintage of the  observation and        
experience of many wise men at different

 periods of  ,jewish history4           
7,cambridge ,bible ,helps1 p4 #cb47     
#i4 ,ecclesiastes3 ,this title1 which we
 receive through the ,vulgate1  is the  
translation into ,greek by the ,,lxx of 
the ,hebrew title  ,koheleth1 a word    
which is1 agreeably to ,jewish          
tradition1 rendered  'preacher1' but    
meant originally 'gatherer1 or summoner 
together1' and  means here one who1     
personifying ,wisdom 7for the word is   
feminine1 as  that for wisdom is71      
gathers men together to listen to her   
verdict4    #aj4 ,authorship and ,date  
of ,ecclesiastes3 ,this book was for    
long  accepted as the production of     
,solomon1 written in his old age1 and   
intended as a warning to others against 
sundry delusions of which he  had       
himself been the victim2 but it is now1 
from internal evidence1 and  by almost  
universal consent1 allowed to be the    
work of one who wrote  about the time of
 ,malachi 7i4 e41 about #djj ,b4 ,c471  
though in the name  of ,solomon1 and    

dramatically personifying the famous    
king4 7,cambridge  ,bible ,helps1 p4    
#cc47    ,footnotes    #a4 ,sometimes   
called the ,canticles--the ,song of     
,songs1 a superlative  meaning--the     
,matchless ,song4    #b4 ,sapiential3   
,marked by or consisting of             
,sapience--wisdom--profound  knowledge4 
#c4 ,gnomic--,expressed in              
maxims--gnomic poetry consists of       
observations on human life and society  
or generalizations respecting  conduct  
and character4        ,,part ,,iii4     
,a ,study of the ,christian             
,scriptures4---,the ,new ,testament4    
7note #a7        ,,lesson ,i4           
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4       
,,the ,,classification ,,of ,,the       
,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament4   
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,institutional   
and ,historical3                        
,notes #b1 #c4 ,also all the            
#a4 ,the ,gospels3 7a7 ,the ,synoptic   
,bible ,dictionaries1 ,helps            

,gospels1 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke2       
and ,bible ,treasury heretofore         
7b7 ,the ,supplemental ,gospel1         
cited in previous               ,john4  
lessons--,art4 ,new ,testament1         
#b4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4        
,bible--,canon1                         
etc4    ,,ii4 ,didactic3#a              
,notes #e1 #f1 #g1 #h4           #a4    
,the ,pauline ,epistles1 viz3 7a7       
,doctrinal1 7,addressed to              
,churches73 ,romans1 ,corinthians1      
,galatians1 ,ephesians1 ,philippians1   
,colossians1 ,thessalonians1 ,hebrews3  
7b7 ,pastorial1 7addressed              
to individuals73 ,timothy and ,titus4   
#b4 ,special3 ,philemon4           #c4  
,catholic ,epistles 7i4 e41 addressed   
to the ,church at large72 one of        
,james1 two of ,peter1 three of         
,john1 one of ,jude4    ,,iii4          
,prophetic1 ,the ,book of ,revelation4  
,,special ,,text3 ,fear not2 for1       
behold1 ,i bring you good tidings of    
great joy1 which shall be to all people4

 ,for unto you is born this day1  in the
 city of ,david1 a ,savior1 which is    
,christ1 the ,lord4--,,the ,,angel  to  
the ,shepherds4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,the 
,new ,testament--,definition3 ,this is  
the name given in the  ,western ,church1
 ever since the days of ,tertullian     
second century ,a4  ,d4 to the          
collection of sacred books that were    
written by certain  disciples of ,christ
 at different periods after the planting
 of the  ,christian ,church1 and that   
were afterwards accepted by the ,church 
as  the inspired record of the new      
dispensation of the grace of ,god to the
  world4 ,the expression ,new ,testament
 is the ,latin translation of the       
expression ,new ,covenant4 7,the        
,comprehensive ,teacher's ,bible ,helps1
 p4  #eg47    #b4 ,origin of the ,new   
,testament as ,scripture3 ,the          
institution of  the ,christian ,church  
was1 of course1 prior to any record of  
it4 ,that  institution was founded at   
first1 and for long rested1 on the      

merely  oral testimony of those who had 
witnessed1 or were otherwise assured    
of1 the life1 death1 and rising again of
 its founder1 ,jesus the ,son of  ,god  
and ,savior of the world 7,acts ii3 #bb 
seq42 xiii3 #ca1 #cb74 ,except  this    
oral testimony1 as confirmed1 moreover1 
by signs and wonders and  the testimony 
of the ,holy ,ghost1 the first          
,christian churches had no  other       
evidences of the character and certainty
 of the events on which  their faith was
 grounded1 unless we add the surprising 
correspondence  between these events and
 the predictions of prophecy--which1 in 
point  of fact1 we find to be the chief 
argument insisted on by the ,apostles   
in persuading their countrymen to accept
 ,jesus of ,nazareth as the  promised   
,messiah4 ,it was only when             
controversies arose affecting the  first
 principles of the faith1 and           
misapprehensions and irregularities     
began to show themselves in certain     
sections and quarters of the  ,church1  

that it was found necessary to have     
recourse to a literary  vehicle in the  
statement of the facts and doctrines of 
the gospel4  7,comprehensive ,teacher's 
,bible ,helps1 p4 #eg47    #c4 ,the     
,gospels4 ,the ,gospel narratives record
 in writing what had  previously been   
propagated by oral teaching respecting  
the sayings and  doings of ,christ2 and 
this history appears to have continued  
to be so  propagated till the time when 
the original ear and eye witnesses were 
beginning to die out1 and some          
uncertainty to attach to the traditional
  oral accounts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from   
all this we are not to conclude that the
  early ,christian ,church had no sacred
 scripture2 for they had and read  the  
,old ,testament scripture1 the          
authority1 as well as the significance  
and importance of which was so enhanced 
to them by the fulfilment it  had       
received in part in the facts of        
,christianity4 7,comprehensive          
,teacher's ,bible ,helps1 p4 #eg47      

#d4 ,origin of the ,new ,testament3 ,the
 twenty-seven books collected  in the   
,new ,testament were written by a number
 of authors1 eight at  least 7nine1 in  
case the ,epistle to the ,hebrews was   
not written by  ,paul74 ,for each book  
there was some special occasion1 each   
had its  distinct purpose1 and between  
the writing of the earliest and latest  
parts nearly half a century intervened4 
,the agreement1 under these             
circumstances1 is truly wonderful1 and  
the adaptation of a volume1 thus        
penned1 for all ages and classes is not 
less so4 ,nothing will account  for such
 agreement and adaptation save a        
supernatural element in the             
composition2 but we are now concerned   
with the human conditions which  called 
forth these writings4 ,christ wrote     
nothing2 but is himself the  book of    
life to be read by all4 ,he is written  
on the world's history  and on men's    
hearts1 and furnishes an unending theme 
of holy thoughts1  discourses1 and songs

 of praise4 ,so1 too1 the ,lord chose   
none of his  ,apostles1 ,paul excepted1 
from among the learned2 he did not train
 them  to literary authorship1 nor      
expressly command them to perform such  
labor4 ,they were to preach the glad    
tidings of salvation4 ,personal  oral   
teaching was the means used for first   
propagating the gospel and  founding the
 ,church2 as it is today the            
indispensable instrumentality4  ,no book
 of the ,new ,testament was written     
until about twenty years  after the     
resurrection of ,christ1 and more than  
half a century had  passed before ,john 
wrote the fourth ,gospel4               
7,international ,commentary1            
,introduction1#b p4 #h47    #e4 ,the    
,language in ,which the ,new ,testament 
was ,written3 ,the ,new  ,testament was 
written in ,hellenistic ,greek1 i4 e41  
in that idiom  of ,macedonian ,greek    
spoken by the ,jews of the ,dispersion  
7called  ,hellenists7 at the time of    
,christ4 ,it has a ,greek body1 a       

,hebrew soul1  and a ,christian spirit4 
7,international ,commentary1            
,introduction to  ,matthew1 p4 #i47     
#f4 ,the ,character of the ,new         
,testament3 ,the ,apostles all drew     
their  doctrine from personal contact   
with the divine human history of the    
crucified and risen ,savior1 and from   
the inward illumination of the  ,holy   
,spirit1 revealing the person and work  
of ,christ in them1 and  opening to them
 his discourses and acts4 ,this divine  
enlightenment is  inspiration1 governing
 not only the composition of the sacred 
writings1  but also the oral            
instructions of their authors2 not      
merely an act1  but a permanent state4  
,the ,apostles lived and moved          
continually in  the element of truth4   
,they spoke1 wrote1 and acted from the  
,spirit  of truth2 and this1 not as     
passive instruments1 but as conscious   
and  free agents4 ,for the ,holy ,spirit
 does not supercede the gifts and       
peculiarities of nature1 ordained by the

 ,lord2 it sanctifies them to  the      
service of the kingdom of ,god4 99 99 99
 99 99 ,while the ,new ,testament  forms
 one harmonious whole1 it was written by
 different men1 inspired  indeed1 and   
yet free and conscious agents4 ,the     
peculiar character1  education1 and     
sphere of the several writers1          
therefore1 necessarily  show themselves 
in their writings4 7,international      
,commentary and  ,introduction1 p4 #i47 
#g4 ,the ,chronological ,order of the   
,books3 ,this cannot be determined  with
 absolute certainty1 as no dates are    
given in the books  themselves4 ,some of
 the ,epistles of ,paul1 especially that
 to the  ,romans1 contain indications   
and allusions which enable us to assign 
them to a particular year4 ,the ,epistle
 of ,james1 and the ,epistles to  the   
,thessalonians were probably writen     
first1 the writings of ,john  last4 ,the
 three ,synoptic ,gospels must have been
 composed before the  destruction of    
,jerusalem 7,a4 ,d4 #gj71 which by them 

is predicted as a  future event4 ,the   
,acts were written after #fc1 yet before
 the death of  ,paul1 7which is supposed
 to have occurred #fh ,a4 ,d471 as they 
suddenly  close with his imprisonment in
 ,rome4 7,ibid1 pp4 #aj1 #aa47    #h4   
,unity of the ,new ,testament3 ,the ,new
 ,testament is a collection of          
twenty-seven distinct writings1 from    
eight 7or nine7 different hands4  ,of   
these writers1 four were ,apostles--,st4
 ,matthew1 ,st4 ,john1 ,st4 ,paul1  and 
,st4 ,peter2 two were companions of the 
,apostles--,st4 ,mark and ,st4  ,luke2  
two were our ,lord's brothers1 probably 
not ,apostles--,st4 ,james  and ,st4    
,jude4 ,the books are usually classed as
 ,historical 7five71  ,didactic         
7twenty-one71 ,prophetical 7one71 though
 the writings of the  first class       
include much more than one-half of the  
entire matter4 ,the  unity of the whole 
is remarkable2 all the books find their 
center in  ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4    
,the four ,gospels narrate his life on  

earth2  the fifth historical book tells 
how the new life1 that came from ,him   
through the ,holy ,spirit1 passed from  
,jerusalem to ,rome4 ,the epistles1     
written by men of varied personal       
character and temperament1 set forth    
the significance of the gospel facts1 as
 revealed to them1 according  to our    
,lord's promise 7,john xvi3 #ab1 #ac74  
,the single prophetical book1  however  
it is to be interpreted1 shows the ,lamb
 as ,king1 to become  ,victor on earth1 
where his church is preparing through   
conflict to  share his triumph4 7,bible 
,treasury1 p #abc47    #i4 ,order3 ,in  
our ,english ,bible the order is not    
chronological4 ,in  ancient manuscripts 
there was much variation in position2   
the seven  ,general ,epistles were      
usually placed immediately after ,acts1 
the  ,gospels coming first1 though not  
always in the order now universal4 ,the 
,pauline ,epistles seem to have been    
arranged according to length1 so  that  
the earliest and the latest stand       

together1 viz41 ,i and ,,ii ,thes4  with
 ,i and ,,ii ,timothy1 and ,titus4      
7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #abc47            
,footnotes    #a4 ,pertaining to or of  
the nature of teaching2 intended to     
instruct or  edify4 7,dictionary47      
#b4 ,the above and some of the following
 notes of this lesson are taken  from   
the ,international ,revision            
,commentary1 on the ,new ,testament4    
,the  comments are based upon the       
revised version of the ,new ,testament  
of  #ahha by ,english and ,american     
scholars4 ,the ,international           
,commentaries  were considered          
necessary1 owing to the ,anglo-,american
 revision of  the ,new ,testament4 ,for 
this revision it is claimed that it is  
based  upon a much older and purer text1
 and corrects several thousand  errors  
and inaccuracies which mar the          
excellence of the version of  #afaa4 ,it
 also claims to put the ,english reader 
as nearly as possible  into the position
 of the student of the ,greek           

,testament4 ,we shall  have occasion now
 and then to quote this work1 and it    
will always be  done under the title1   
,international ,commentary1 and must not
 be  confounded with the ,commentary1   
,critical and ,explanatory1 by ,messrs4 
,jamieson-,faussett-,brown1 already     
frequently quoted1 and still to be      
quoted in subsequent lessons4           
,,lesson ,,ii4    ,,scripture ,,reading 
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,books ,,of ,,the 
,,new ,,testament4      ,,analysis4     
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,gospel     
,according to ,st4 ,matthew3            
,notes #a1 #b1 #c4          #a4 ,author4
          #b4 ,date4          #c4 ,the  
,language and ,aim of the               
,notes #d1 #e1 #f4             ,book4   
,,ii4 ,the ,gospel ,according to ,st4   
,mark4             ,all the ,bible      
,helps1           #a4 ,author4          
,dictionaries1 ,encyclopedias1          
#b4 ,date4                              
,biblical ,literature1           #c4    
,purpose and style of the ,book4        

,bible ,treasuries1                     
,commentaries1 etc41 before             
cited may be consulted                  
under the title of                      
the books of this lesson4    ,,iii4 ,the
 ,gospel ,according to ,st4 ,luke4      
,notes #g1 #h1 #i4            #a4       
,author4                                
,notes #aj1 #aa1 #ab4            #b4    
,date4            #c4 ,purpose and      
style4    ,,special ,,text3 ,after these
 things the ,lord appointed other       
,seventy  also1 and sent them two and   
two before his face into every city and 
place1 whither he himself would come4   
,therefore said he unto them1 the       
harvest truly is great1 but the laborers
 are few2 pray ye therefore  the ,lord  
of the harvest1 that he would send forth
 laborers into his  harvest4--,,st4     
,,luke4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,name   
,gospels ,defined3 ,the word gospel     
7,god's spell1  good spell1 or story1   
message7 is the nearest ,english        
equivalent for  the ,greek 'evangelion1'

 and means 'good news1' 'glad tidings'  
of  salvation by ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is 
also applied to the four books of the   
,new ,testament1 which contain the      
fourfold authentic record of the one    
gospel of ,christ1 according to ,matthew
 ,mark1 ,luke1 ,john 7not the  ,gospel  
of ,matthew1 etc474 7,international     
,commentary1 ,intro4 #ab47    #b4       
,character and ,aim of the ,gospels3    
,the canonical ,gospels do not  assume  
to be full biographies of ,jesus1 but   
give only a selection of  the           
characteristic features of his life and 
work1 for the practical  purpose of     
leading the reader to a saving faith in 
,jesus as the  promised ,messiah and    
,son of ,god 7,john xx3 #ca74 ,they are 
not photographs  which represent the    
momentary image in a single attitude1   
but living  pictures from repeated      
sittings1 which represent a combination 
of the  varied expressions and aspects  
of ,christ's person4 7,international    
,commentary1 ,intro4 p4 #ab47    #c4    

,st4 ,matthew3 ,matthew 7or ,levi2 see  
,mark ii3 #ad2 ,luke v3 #bg1  #bi7 was a
 publican1 or tax-gatherer1 called by   
our ,lord from the  toll-booth1 near the
 ,sea of ,galilee1 where he was         
performing his  secular duty 7,matt4 ix3
 #i-ac74 ,the name is derived from the  
same word  as ,matthias 7,acts i3 #bc1  
#bf71 or ,theodore1 meaning gift of     
,god4 ,it  was probably adopted as his  
new ,christian name 7which ,jesus was   
wont to  give his disciples4 ,see ,simon
 ,peter-,cephas1 etc474 ,his former     
avocation  was regarded by the ,jews    
with contempt1 but gave him an extensive
  knowledge of human nature and accurate
 business habits1 which tended to  fit  
him for his great work as an evangelist4
 ,the topical arrangement  of his gospel
 may be largely due to the influence of 
his previous  occupation4 ,the ,new     
,testament is silent in regard to his   
special  labors4 ,tradition says he was 
murdered in ,ethiopia1 while at prayer2 
but according to the earlier statement  

of ,clement of ,alexandria1 he  died a  
natural death4 ,the first ,gospel is his
 immortal monument4 ,if he  had done    
nothing else1 he must be ranked among   
the most useful servants  of ,christ4   
,in this book he still preaches the     
gospel to all nations4  7xxviii3 #ai47  
7,international ,commentary1 ,intro41   
pp4 #ae1 #af47    #d4 ,time of ,writing 
the ,book of ,matthew3 ,from the ,gospel
 itself it is  plain that it was written
 before the destruction of ,jerusalem1  
but a  number of years after the        
resurrection 7xxvii3 #g2 xxviii3 #ae74  
,irenaeus  says it was written1 'when   
,peter and ,paul were preaching at      
,rome1'  which was certainly after #fa  
,a4 ,d42 though most of the fathers     
think  it was the first one written4    
,the very early date often assigned 7#de
  ,a4 ,d47 may be correct if applied to 
an ,aramaic original2 but the ,greek    
,gospel1 which we have should probably  
be assigned to a later date1  since1 on 
the theory that the ,synoptic ,gospels  

are independent of each  other1 this one
 could not have preceded by many years  
the two others4  ,all were probably     
written between #fj and #fd ,a4 ,d41 and
 that of ,st4  ,matthew may have been   
written about #fj ,a4 ,d4 7,bible       
,treasury1 p4 #abd47    #e4 ,the        
,language of the ,original ,text ,book  
of ,matthew3 ,there is some  controversy
 as to the language in which ,matthew   
first wrote his book4  ,the status of   
the controversy is well stated in the   
following quotation3    ,papias and     
,irenaeus1 both of whom lived in the    
second century1 state  that ,matthew    
wrote in the ,hebrew dialect 7,aramaic74
 ,the former uses  the word 'logia1' or 
oracles1 which was certainly used of    
writings  containing more than          
discourses1 and applied very early to   
books of  ,scripture4 ,but the earliest 
citations from the ,gospels1 some of    
them  in works of the earlier half of   
the second century1 give the exact      
words of the ,greek ,gospel we now have4

 ,no certain traces of a previous       
,aramaic ,gospel have been discovered1  
nor does the ,greek ,gospel show  any   
marks of being a translation4 ,it is    
therefore probable either that  there   
was no ,aramaic original1 or that it was
 superseded very soon by a  ,greek      
narrative which the ,apostle made1 or   
caused to be made4 ,as ,greek  was      
extensively spoken in ,palestine1 and a 
publican would necessarily  be familiar 
with that language1 a ,greek original is
 not improbable4  ,at all events1 we now
 have a well-attested ,greek ,gospel2   
and we are  not likely to discover in   
it1 or anterior to it1 traces of an     
,aramaic  original written by ,st4      
,matthew4 7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #abd47  
#f4 ,apparent ,aim of ,matthew3 ,the aim
 of this ,gospel is to show that  the   
,messiah promised in the ,old ,testament
 has appeared in ,jesus of              
,nazareth--in a form1 however1 which led
 to his rejection by the ,jews  and     
their consequent rejection by him1 to   

the eventual emancipation  and salvation
 of the ,gentile nations 7chap4 xxviii3 
#ai1 #bj74 ,it is the  author's         
justification1 as it was that of the    
,apostles generally1 for  missionary    
work among the heathen to the neglect of
 his own countrymen1  who had spurned   
his message4 7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p4
 #fj47    #g4 ,st4 ,mark and ,his ,book3
 ,the author of this ,gospel is the     
,john ,mark  spoken of in the ,acts1 and
 who accompanied first ,paul and then   
,barnabas  in their missionary journeys 
among the ,gentiles 7,acts xii3 #ab et  
seq41  xiii4 #e74 ,he was the son of    
,mary1 ,barnabas' sister1 apparently a  
woman  of some standing1 and of high    
repute among those that ministered to   
,christ1 and at whose house in          
,jerusalem the ,apostles used frequently
 to  assemble after the death and       
resurrection of their ,master4 ,he      
appears1  from ,i ,peter v3 #ac1 to have
 been a convert or spiritual child of   
,st4  ,peter1 who there calls him ,mark1

 my son2 and tradition alleges1 with    
great probability1 that the material for
 his ,gospel was furnished him  by that 
,apostle4 ,his ,gospel is certainly     
written from the standpoint of  the     
,apostle who most clearly recognized the
 divinity of ,christ 7,matt4  xvi3 #af72
 and it is an expanded narrative of the 
facts in ,christ's life  emphasized in  
,peter's own preaching1 e4 g41 in his   
speech at the house  of ,cornelius at   
,caesarea 7,acts x3 #cf-da74 ,according 
to ecclesiastical  tradition ,mark went 
as a missionary to ,egypt and other     
parts of ,africa1  where he suffered    
martyrdom for ,christ in #fb or #ff ,a4 
,d4    #h4 ,date of ,st4 ,mark3 ,the    
,gospel was1 according to ,iraneaus1    
composed  by ,mark after the death of   
,peter and ,paul4 ,it was probably      
written  after the year #fb1 when ,mary 
appears only as a relative of ,barnabas 
7see ,col4 iv3 #aj71 and before the     
destruction of ,jerusalem1 and is       
alleged to have been written in ,rome4  

,the language1 however1 in which  it was
 written was ,greek1 and not ,latin1 as 
some have supposed4  7,bagster ,bible   
,helps1 p4 #fa47    #i4 ,literary       
,character of ,st4 ,mark3 ,the presence 
in this ,gospel  of ,latin terms and    
also of ,aramaic words1 which are       
translated into  ,greek1 points to a    
,gentile circle of readers1 probably in 
,rome1 as  is generally held4 ,it       
exhibits ,christ in his power1 as a     
worker of  miracles1 producing amazement
 and fear44 ,the discourses are reported
  very briefly2 events are noted in     
their exact sequence2 many vivid        
details of gesture and action are       
introduced4 ,all these peculiarities    
suggest that an eye-witness was the     
source of information4 ,from the  days  
of ,papias it has been believed that    
,st4 ,peter was this source1  and       
internal phenomena favor this view4 ,no 
direct supervision by that  ,apostle can
 be affirmed1 though ,eusebius asserts1 
on the authority  of ,clement of        

,alexandria1 that it was submitted to   
him for approval4  ,this ,gospel        
contains few passages 7two miracles1 one
 parable1 and  the story of the young   
man near ,gethsemane7 peculiar to       
itself1 but  many details are mentioned 
which are not found elsewhere4 ,our     
,lord's  gestures are noted2 prominence 
is given to his power over evil spirits2
  the withdrawals are more frequently   
indicated4 ,the style is vivacious2  the
 present tense is often used in         
narrative2 the word straight way        
7variously rendered in the authorized   
version7 occurs more than forty  times4 
,this ,gospel could not have been an    
abridgement of that of ,st4  ,matthew1  
since it bears all the marks of         
originality4 7,bible ,treasury1  p4     
#abe47    #aj4 ,book of ,st4 ,luke3     
,luke was probably of ,gentile          
extraction 7,col4  iv3 #aj-ad71 born at 
,antioch1 and a faithful colleague of   
,paul4 ,his  superior education is      
proved by the philological excellence of

 his  writings 7viz4 the ,gospel and    
,acts of ,apostles1 which are but two   
volumes of one work74 ,his preface1 in  
pure ,greek1 implies previous  careful  
study of documentary and other evidence4
 ,he speaks of 'other  attempts' to     
write a ,life of ,christ1 which were    
unsatisfactory4 ,though  it is the same 
,gospel1 it is narrated with peculiar   
independence1  containing additional    
matter1 more accuracy in preserving the 
chronological order of events1 and      
complying with the requirements of      
history4 ,he tested tradition by        
documentary records 7e4 g41 i3 #e2 ii3  
#b2 iii3 #a72 by comparing the oral     
testimony of living witnesses 7i3  #b1  
#c72 and only when he had 'perfect      
understanding of all things from  the   
very first1' ventured to compile a      
',life of ,christ' as a perfect  man1   
restoring human nature1 and offering    
himself a sacrifice for all  mankind4   
7,oxford ,helps1 p4 #bf47    #aa4 ,date 
of ,st4 ,luke3 ,luke's ,gospel can be   

proved to have been in  use and         
familiarly known about #abj ,a4 ,d41 and
 to have been written  prior to the year
 #fc ,a4 ,d41 since it is at that date  
that the ,acts1  which continues the    
,gospel narrative by the same author1   
closes4 ,it is  not known where it was  
written1 though the ,acts was probably  
written at  ,rome4 7,bagster ,bible     
,helps1 p4 #fb47    #ab4 ,purpose and   
,literary ,style3 ,luke's ,gospel is    
written1 in the  first instance1 to     
confirm the faith of ,theophilus1 a     
native1 it is  thought1 of ,italy1 and  
probably of ,rome1 and a man of some    
social  position1 in whose spiritual    
edification and ,christian              
steadfastness1  as in all likelihood a  
convert of his own1 he took especial    
interest2  and its aim is to represent  
the ,gospel of ,christ as destined to   
bless  all mankind1 and ,jesus as the   
,savior at once of ,jew and ,gentile4   
,the  literary style is better than that
 of the other ,gospels1 as befits the   

writing of an educated1 professional    
man4 ,this ,gospel and the ,acts of  the
 ,apostles approach more nearly to the  
'classic' ,greek than the other  ,new   
,testament narratives4 7,bagster ,bible 
,helps1 p4 #fc47        ,,lesson ,,iii4 
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4       
,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament4   
7,continued47      ,,analysis4          
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,gospel     
,according to ,st4 ,john4               
,notes #a1 #b and #c4          #a4 ,the 
,author4          #b4 ,time of ,writing4
          #c4 ,style and ,purpose4      
,all ,bible ,dictionaries1              
,helps1 etc41 previously                
cited have articles on                  
,st4 ,john and the ,acts1    ,,ii4 ,the 
,acts of the ,apostles4                 
which should be consulted4           #a4
 ,authorship4           #b4 ,the        
,historical ,period ,covered by         
,notes #f1 #g4              ,its        
,narrative4                             
,see especially ,seventy's              

,acts of the ,apostles4    ,,special    
,,text3 ,in the beginning was the ,word1
 and the ,word was with  ,god1 and the  
,word was ,god4 ,the same was in the    
beginning with ,god4 ,all  things were  
made by him2 and without him was not any
 thing made1 that  was made4 ,in him was
 life2 and the life was the light of    
men4 ,and the  light shineth in         
darkness2 and the darkness comprehended 
it not4 99 99 99  99 ,and the ,word was 
made flesh1 and dwelt among us1 7and we 
beheld his  glory the glory as of the   
only begotten of the ,father71 full of  
grace  and truth4--,,john4    ,,notes4  
#a4 ,authorship of the ,gospel of ,st4  
,john3 ,it is the almost unanimous      
tradition of the church that the        
,apostle ,john wrote this ,gospel4  ,our
 earliest authorities for the fact are  
,theophilus of ,antioch 7,a4  ,d4 #age71
 ,irenaeus 7,a4 ,d4 #acj-bjj71 the      
,muratorian ,fragment 7,a4 ,d4          
#agj-ahj71 and ,clement of ,alexandria  
7,a4 ,d4 #afj-bbj74 ,the accounts  of   

these writers differ slightly from each 
other2 but all agree in  distinctly     
attributing our present ,gospel to      
,john2 while the fourth1  who is clearly
 independent of the other three1 draws a
 remarkable  distinction between it and 
the earlier ,gospels1 the later being   
spoken  of as containing 'the bodily    
things1' the former as 'a spiritual     
,gospel4' 7,international ,commentary1  
,intro41 p4 xiv47    #b4 ,the ,apostle  
,st4 ,john3 ,this ,apostle was the son  
of ,zebedee and  ,salome1 and younger1  
as there seems every reason to think1   
than his  brother ,james4 ,of ,zebedee  
we know little4 ,he was a fisherman upon
 the  ,sea of ,galilee1 who pursued his 
occupation in common with his sons1  and
 who continued it even after they had   
obeyed the summons of their  ,lord to   
follow him 7,matt4 iv3 #ba74 ,of ,salome
 we fortunately know more4  ,from ,john 
xix3 #be1 it would seem probable that   
she was a sister of the  ,virgin ,mary4 
7,international ,commentary1 p4 #h47    

,it is probable that he 7,john7 was born
 at ,bethsaida1 on the lake of          
,galilee4 ,his parents appear to have   
been in easy circumstances2 at  least1  
we find that ,zebedee employed hired    
servants 7,mark i3 #bj71 and  that      
,salome was among the number of those   
women who contributed to the            
maintenance of ,jesus 7,matt4 xxvii3    
#ef74 ,we also find that ,john received 
,mary into his house after the death of 
,jesus4 ,since this house seems to  have
 been situated at ,jerusalem it would   
appear that he was the owner  of two    
houses4 ,john's acquaintance1 also1 with
 the high priest 7xviii3  #ae7 seems to 
indicate that he lived at ,jerusalem1   
and belonged to the  wealthier class4   
7,cycl4 of ,biblical ,literature1       
,kitto1 pp4 #acj1 #aca47    #c4 ,the    
,pre-,ordained ,mission of ,st4 ,john3  
,of all the ,apostles ,st4 ,john  is the
 most interesting to the ,latter-day    
,saints1 and this because of  the light 
that is thrown upon his career and      

character by the ,book  of ,mormon4 ,in 
the great vision that was granted to the
 first ,nephi  concerning the birth1    
life and mission of ,jesus1 he comes to 
the point  where he beheld a man dressed
 in a white robe3        ,and the angel 
said unto me1 ,behold one of the ,twelve
 ,apostles of      the ,lamb6 ,behold1  
he shall see and write the remainder of 
these      things2 yea1 and also many   
things which have been2 and he shall    
also write concerning the end of the    
world2 wherefore the things      which  
he shall write1 are just and true2 and  
behold they are      written in the book
 which thou beheld in previous part of  
vision      proceeding out of the mouth 
of the ,jew2 99 99 99 99 99 ,and behold1
      the things which this ,apostle of 
the ,lamb shall write1 are many         
things which thou hast seen2 and behold1
 the remainder shalt thou      see2 but 
the things which thou shalt see         
hereafter1 thou shalt      not write2   
for the ,lord ,god hath ordained the    

,apostle of the ,lamb      of ,god1 that
 he should write them4 99 99 99 99 99   
,and ,i1 ,nephi1 heard      and bear    
record1 that the name of the ,apostle of
 the ,lamb was      ,john1 according to 
the word of the angel4 ,and behold1 ,i1 
,nephi1 am      forbidden that ,i should
 write the remainder of the things which
 ,i      saw and heard4 7,i ,nephi xiv47
    ,from the above1 it appears that    
,john1 the beloved disciple1 was        
foreordained to write the things we have
 in the ,jewish ,scripture from  his    
pen4 ,and so jealously guarded was the  
mission assigned to him in  his         
pre-existent state1 that a man living   
upon another continent and  six         
centuries before ,john's time1 was not  
permitted to trespass upon  that divine 
appointment4 ,and when the peculiar     
importance of the ,gospel  according to 
,st4 ,john is taken into account2 how   
that ,gospel more  specifically than any
 of the others that have been written1  
testifies  not only to the divinity of  

,jesus1 but to the deeper fact that he  
is  ,deity in his own right and person2 
and how that same ,gospel supplies so   
much in its account of the earth career 
of the ,messiah that was omitted  by the
 other evangelists1 it must be conceded 
that the character of  ,john's work     
bears out the idea of a specific        
appointment which the ,book  of ,mormon 
declares was given to him before he was 
born in the flesh4    #d4 ,date and     
,style of ,st4 ,john3 ,this ,gospel     
would appear to have been  written at   
,ephesus1 at the instance1 ,jerome      
alleges1 of the bishops of  the ,asiatic
 churches1 with a view to confirm the   
faith of the ,church  in the divinity of
 ,christ1 of which he was the special   
witness4 ,its  date must be long after  
the writing of the other ,gospels and   
towards  the end of the first century4  
,it is one of the latest books of the   
,new  ,testament--much later than the   
',revelation4' ,on this calculation1 it 
must have been composed after the       

destruction of ,jerusalem4 7,bagster    
,bible ,helps1 p4 #fd47    ,the time and
 place of writing was at ,ephesus1 as is
 generally held1  not long before the   
death of the ,apostle1 and probably at  
the request  of ,christians in that     
city1 ,ch4 xxi3 #bd 7',and we know that 
this  testimony is true'7 suggests that 
others desired to attest the truth  of  
the record as coming from the ,apostle4 
,this late date1 nearly a  generation   
after the writing of the other ,gospels1
 shows that the  leading facts about    
,jesus were already known to            
,christians4 ,this  ,gospel is          
therefore1 in a certain sense1          
supplementary2 but there is  no evidence
 that it was intended to supply         
omissions in the other  narratives4 ,the
 design is stated in the book itself1   
and the many  events and discourses     
found only in this ,gospel are in       
accordance with  it4 7,bible ,treasury1 
p4 #abi74    #e4 ,the ,purpose of       
,john's ,gospel3 ,contradictory opinions

 obtain  concerning the purpose for     
which the ,apostle ,john wrote his      
account of  the gospel4 ,eusebius quotes
 ,clement of ,alexandria as saying that 
,john1  perceiving that the bodily      
influence of ,jesus had been made known 
in  the ,gospels1 7i4 e41 supposedly    
,matthew1 ,mark and ,luke71 and being   
at the same time urged by his friends   
and borne along by the spirit1  wrote a 
spiritual ,gospel 7third century74 ,a   
still earlier authority1  the unknown   
author of the so-called ,muratorian     
,fragment 7,see ,apostolic  ,fathers1   
,rev4 ,george ,a4 ,jackson1 p4 #ahf71   
which most scholars agree  belongs to   
the second century and probably not     
later than ,a4 ,d4 #agj1 so  far agrees 
with the idea that ,john's ,gospel was  
intended to supplement  the other       
,gospels as to say1 that when ,john's   
fellow-disciples and  bishops exhorted  
him to write1 he said3 ,fast along with 
me three days  from today1 and let us   
relate the one to the other whatever has

 been  revealed to us4 ,the same night  
it was revealed to ,andrew1 the         
,apostle1  that ,john should in his own 
name1 write down the whole1 and that    
they  all should revise what he wrote4  
,another contention is1 and this is     
based on the authority of ,irenaeus     
7third century7 that ,john wrote to     
controvert the errors of the            
,nicholaitanes and ,cerinthus1 in other 
words1 that his aim was not so much     
supplementary as polemical4 ,in  the    
midst of the conflicting theories it is 
just as well that we accept  the simple 
and straight-forward statement of ,st4  
,john himself in the  last chapter but  
one of his famous ,gospel as to the     
purpose for which  he wrote his ,gospel1
 namely1 ,and many other signs truly did
 ,jesus in  the presence of his         
disciples which are not written in this 
book2 but  these are written1 that ye   
might believe that ,jesus is the        
,christ1 the  ,son of ,god2 and that1   
believing1 ye might have life through   

his name4    #f4 ,the ,acts of the      
,apostles3 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles  
is an account  of the conflicts and     
conquests of ,christianity from the     
ascension of  our ,lord to the          
imprisonment of ,paul in the city of    
,rome 7#cc-fc ,a4 ,d47  ,it is the      
earliest manual of ,church ,history1 and
 the only one treating  of the age of   
the ,apostles which has come down to us 
from the first  century4 ,its loss would
 leave a wide chasm between the ,gospels
 and the  ,epistles1 and involve the    
student in great ignorance of the       
progress  of events in the history of   
the ,church during the period           
intervening  between the close of our   
,lord's earthly activity and the        
destruction of  ,jerusalem 7#gj ,a4     
,d471 which the direct statements and   
the implications  of the ,epistles of   
the ,new ,testament and the ,apocalypse 
would only  partially illumine4 ,he1 in 
this case1 would know nothing of the    
outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit on the  

day of ,pentecost1 the testimony  and   
death of ,stephen1 the conversion of    
,cornelius1 the miraculous              
manifestation making ,saul a ,christian1
 or the stages in the advance of  the   
,church from ,jerusalem to ,rome and    
other occurrences hardly less           
important4 7,acts of the ,apostles1     
,intro41 p4 ix47    #g4 ,authorship of  
the ,acts3 ,this book1 according to     
internal and  external evidence1 was    
writen by ,luke1 and forms the sequel to
  his ,gospel4 ,it is the history of the
 foundation and spread of the           
,christian ,church--the former under    
,peter 7i-xii71 the latter under ,paul  
7vii-xxviii74 ,it was founded on the    
,day of ,pentecost2 its first sons  were
 ,jews 7hence it appeared only a ,jewish
 sect in ,judea71 and the  former part  
of the book is occupied with its        
establishment there1 with  arguments in 
its favor1 and with challenges to       
disprove the fundamental  fact of       
,christ's resurrection4 ,its first      

development into an organized           
community1 with official staff1 provoked
 the first persecution and  martyrdom1  
which precipitated its extension to     
,samaria and ,syria1  caused a new and  
more independent center of operations to
 be planted at  ,antioch1 whence under  
,paul 7the first converted persecutor7  
it spread  to ,asia ,minor1 ,greece1    
,rome1 and various parts of the ,gentile
 world4  ,the motive influence was the  
direct impulse of the ,holy ,spirit1 not
 any  preconceived plan of the          
,apostolic body 7ii3 #d2 xv3 #f1 #g1    
#i74 7,oxford  ,bible ,helps1 p4 #bf47  
,the ,completeness of the ,four         
,gospels3 ,much is made of the          
differences  between ,john and the first
 three ,gospels1 not only as to the     
facts  related1 but also with reference 
to the style of ,jesus' addresses4 ,but 
the difficulty disappears when we       
remember that ,matthew1 ,mark1 and      
,luke present the scenes of ,christ's   
,galilean ministry among the rude       

peasantry who were less acquainted with 
the law than their southern  brethren1  
and who needed simple and direct        
teaching2 on the other hand1  ,john sets
 forth mainly ,christ's ,judean ministry
 among those who were  conversant with  
the law and were accustomed to elaborate
 discussions4  ,the ministry of one year
 implied by the ,synoptists1 considered 
by  themselves1 does not exclude the    
three years' ministry which is derived  
from ,john's ,gospel1 for the four taken
 together supplement each other4  7,date
 of ,our ,gospels1 p4 #ce-f47           
,,lesson ,,iv4    ,,special ,,lesson4   
,,the ,,peculiar ,,force ,,of ,,moral   
,,duties ,,when ,,regarded ,,as         
,,commandments ,,of  ,,god4#a           
,illustrations3    7a7 ,observance of   
the ,lord's ,day4    7b7 ,honor thy     
,father and thy mother4    7c7 ,thou    
shalt not bear false witness4    7d7    
,thou shalt not steal4    7e7 ,thou     
shalt not covet4    7f7 ,thou shalt love
 the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 

and with all  thy soul1 and with all thy
 mind4 99 99 99 ,thou shalt love thy    
neighbor as  thyself4    ,,special      
,,text3 ,let us hear the conclusion of  
the whole matter3 fear  ,god and keep   
his commandments2 for this is the whole 
duty of man4    ,,notes4    #a4         
,suggestions in the ,formation of a     
,lecture3 ,in a previous lesson on      
lectures1 ,i made some suggestions in   
relation to the construction of  a      
lecture 7,lesson ,,xi1 ,part ,,ii71     
quoting from a little work by ,william  
,pittenger on ,extempore ,speech1       
calling attention to the simple         
framework of a lecture1 consisting of1  
#a4 ,the ,introduction22 #b4 ,the       
,discussion2 #c4 ,the ,conclusion4 ,i   
now give from the same work an  example 
in outline of such a speech4            
,subject--,the ,ocean4    #a4           
,introduction--,the vastness of the     
ocean4 ,no one person has seen  more    
than a small part of it4 ,power         
evidenced by storm and shipwrecks4      

#b4 ,discussion4--,five great divisions 
of the ocean4 ,use in nature1  watering 
and tempering the land2 in commerce1 as 
a highway2 in history1  by dividing and 
uniting nations2 its mystery1 etc4      
#c4 ,conclusion4--,proof of the         
,creator's power and wisdom found in the
  ocean4    ,,the ,,same ,,plan         
,,condensed4    ,subject--,the ,ocean4  
#a4 ,vastness and ,power4    #b4 ,parts1
 ,use1 and ,mystery4    #c4 ,evidence4  
,,dean ,,swift',s ,,sermon4             
7,illustrating above plan47    ,this    
eccentric clergyman once preached a     
sermon shorter than its own  text1 yet  
having all the three parts of which we  
have spoken4 ,the text  was ,prov4 xix3 
#bj3 ',he that pitieth the poor lendeth 
to the ,lord2 and  that which he hath   
given will he pay him again4'    ,the   
sermon was3    ',brethren1 you hear the 
condition2 if you like the security1    
down with  the dust4'    ,the collection
 is said to have been munificent4    ,in
 this short sermon the text with the    

word ',brethren' constitutes  the       
introduction2 the phrase1 'you hear the 
condition1' is a good  transition to the
 discussion contained in the next       
member1 'if you  like the security1'    
which assumes the truth of the text1    
makes its  general declarations present 
and personal1 and prepares the way for  
the  forcible and practical1 if not very
 elegant conclusion1 'down with the     
dust4' 7,extempore ,speech1 pp4 #ec1    
#ed47    ,extempore ,speech3 ,extempore 
speech does not lose its special        
character1 though some scattered        
quotations be read or repeated from     
memory4 ,to pick up a book1 in the midst
 of a speech1 and read a theme  or      
argument1 or the statement of another's 
position1 does not make the  discourse  
composite in character1 unless such     
reading be the principal  part of it4 99
 99 99 99 ,unwritten speech does not    
preclude the fullest  preparation4 ,the 
plans advocated in this volume will     
enable a speaker  to gather materials as

 widely1 arrange them as systematically1
 and hold  them as firmly in hand1 as if
 every word was written2 while at the   
same time he may have all the freedom   
and play of thought1 the rush of        
passion1 and the energy of delivery that
 comes in the happiest moment  of       
outgushing words4 7,extempore ,speech1  
,pittenger1 p4 #be-f47    ,preparation  
for ,extempore ,speech3 ,on all ordinary
 occasions a good  speech must result   
from a previous ingathering of          
materials--the  formation of a mental   
treasury in connection with a special   
subject4  ,the speaker works for days or
 weeks in collecting from all sources   
and  arranging in the happiest manner   
that which his hearers are to receive   
in an hour with no other labor than that
 of listening4 ,the great  advantage of 
writing is supposed to lie in this      
preparation4 ,today an  orator may write
 everything he knows about a subject2   
tomorrow1 by  means of reading1         
conversation1 or further thought1 he may

 have more  ideas to record2 and he may 
thus continue to widen and record his   
knowledge1 until his time1 or the       
subject itself1 is exhausted4 ,then  he 
may revise1 select what is most         
appropriate1 refine and polish his      
language1 and finally come before an    
audience confident that he holds  in his
 hand the very best that he can give    
them4 7,extempore ,speech1  ,pittenger1 
pp4 #bg-h47    ,footnotes    #a4 ,note  
to ,teacher4--,it would be well for the 
sake of giving variety  to our          
exercises1 as also for the excellence of
 the exercise itself1  to make no       
assignments of the sub-divisions of the 
subject of these  special lessons to    
individual members1 but let it be a     
subject for  general consideration by   
all the quorum during the week preceding
 its  treatment in the class2 and then  
call upon the members to speak to  the  
subject without previous warning or     
notification4 ,in a word1 let  it be an 
exercise in extemporaneous speaking4    

7,see suggestions in the                
,introduction47        ,,lesson ,v4     
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4       
,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament4   
7,continued47      ,,analysis4          
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,epistles of
 ,paul1--,general                       
,notes #a and #b4                       
,grouping4#a          #a4 ,doctrinal1   
,addressed to ,churches4                
,all ,bible ,dictionaries          #b4  
,pastoral1 ,addressed to ,individuals4  
and ,helps before quoted1               
,art4 ,pauline ,epistles4               
,coneybeare and ,howson's               
,life and ,epistles                     
of ,st4 ,paul4          #c4 ,special1   
,addressed to ,philemon4                
,notes #c1 #d1 #e1 #f4    ,,ii4 ,general
 ,character of the ,epistles4           
#a4 ,the ,author4                       
,students required to           #b4     
,general ,purpose4                      
read the whole of the           #c4     
,form and ,literary ,style4             

,epistles to the ,romans4    ,,iii4     
,doctrinal ,epistles--,romans4          
#a4 ,when and ,where ,written4          
,notes #g1 #h1 #i1 #aj4            #b4  
,outline of ,its ,purpose and ,doctrine4
            #c4 ,select ,readings from  
,romans4                   ,reading1    
,state of the                           
,pagan ,world2 ,chap4 i3 #ac-cb         
and ,chap4 ii3 #a-ac4                   
7,the passage should be                 
read without noting                     
chapter division47    ,,special ,,text3 
,whatsoever things were written afore   
time were  written for our learning1    
that we through patience and comfort of 
the  scripture1 might have              
hope4--,,paul4    ,,notes4    #a4       
,chronological ,order3 ,the arrangement 
of the ,epistles as found  in our       
,bibles and as followed in these        
lessons1 is not one of  chronological   
order4 ,as far as the chronological     
order can be followed  at all1 it is    
generally conceded to be about as       

follows3        #a4 ,i and ,,ii         
,thessalonians1 ,a4 ,d4 #ej1 #ea4       
#b4 ,i and ,,ii ,cor41 ,gal41 ,rom41 ,a4
 ,d4 #ee1 #ef4        #c4 ,phil41 ,col41
 ,eph41 ,philemon1 ,a4 ,d4 #fj1 #fa4    
#d4 #a and #b ,tim41 ,titus1 ,a4 ,d4    
#fd1 #fe4    ,as implied above1 there is
 some variation in these dates among    
authorities on the ,epistles4    #b4    
,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul3 ,st4 ,paul
 contrived1 in a remarkable  degree1 to 
maintain a connection with the churches 
he founded4 ,the  care of all the       
,gentile churches 7,,ii ,cor4 xi3 #bh7  
he exercised not  merely by occasional  
revisiting them1 but by letter4 ,of the 
letters  thus produced we possess       
thirteen4 ,the originals have indeed    
naturally  disappeared2 they were       
written by amanuenses1 and authenticated
 by the  addition of a paragraph in ,st4
 ,paul's own writing 7,gal4 vi3 #aa71 or
  by his signature 7,,ii ,thes4 iii3    
#ag74 ,with the exception of the three  
pastoral epistles to ,timothy and       

,titus1 which are still questioned by   
some critics1 the epistles ascribed to  
,st4 ,paul in our ,new ,testament  are  
generally and justly received as his4   
,these thirteen epistles all  belong to 
the later half of ,st4 ,paul's ministry4
 ,the first eighteen  years after his   
conversion give us not one epistle4 ,in 
the year #eb  or #ec ,a4 ,d4 the two    
epistles to the ,thessalonians were     
written4 ,then  follows another blank   
period till #eh1 when1 within the space 
of one  year1 the four great epistles to
 the ,corinthians1 ,galations1 and      
,romans  were produced4 ,again there    
occurs an interval of five years till   
#fc1  when the four ',prison ,epistles' 
appeared2 and finally1 yet another gap1 
until #ff-fh ,a4 ,d41 when he sent the  
pastoral letters to ,timothy and        
,titus4 ,in the character of these      
groups there is a marked difference1    
while within each group the epistles    
belonging to it resemble one  another4  
,in the earliest group there is a       

reflection of ,st4 ,paul's  preaching to
 the heathen1 in which the second coming
 and the kingdom of  ,christ are in the 
foreground4 ,the second group exhibits  
the doctrines  of grace in conflict with
 ,judaism1 and also shows us in detail  
the  difficulties ,christianity had to  
overcome in the social ideas and        
customs of the ,roman world4 ,the third 
group is characterized by a  calmer     
spirit1 a higher reach of ,christian    
thought1 more constructive  statements  
regarding ,christ's person4 ,in the     
fourth group we have  chiefly           
instructions regarding church order1    
interspersed with passages  of          
remarkable beauty and richness4 7,bible 
,treasury1 p4 #ace74    #c4 ,the        
,pastoral ,epistles3 ,the ,epistle to   
,timothy and ,titus are called  pastoral
 because they give directions for the   
training and governing  of the churches1
 the proper treatment of individual     
members1 old and  young1 official and   
unofficial1 back-sliders and heretics4  

,they treat  of practical wisdom1       
warning and encouragement1 rather than  
of doctrine4    #d4 ,their ,author3     
,paul1 originally called ,saul1 was born
 in ,tarsus1  the capital of ,cilicia1  
of parents who were ,jews1 apparently of
 a  strict type1 but he had the rights  
of ,roman citizenship4 ,he was sent     
when young to ,jerusalem1 where he      
studied at the feet of a great ,jewish  
doctor1 ,gamaliel1 and wrought at the   
trade of a tent-maker4 ,here he  became 
zealous for the law1 and distinguished  
himself by his enmity  against those    
,jews who had apostatized from the faith
 of their fathers4  ,he went about      
persecuting the ,christians everywhere1 
and dragging  them before the           
,sanhedrim1 that they might be put to   
death1 till1 on  the road near          
,damascus1 whither he was bound1 under  
commission from  the ,sanhedrim1 in the 
work of persecution1 he was arrested in 
his  course1 and suddenly converted1 by 
an apparition of the glorified ,christ  

himself1 into a disciple and preacher of
 the faith he had been seeking  to      
crush4 7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p4 #fi47
    #e4 ,the ,general ,purport of the   
,epistles3 ,the general purport of these
  epistles is to teach that salvation is
 not possible by the works of  the law1 
but is the free gift of ,god by and in  
,jesus ,christ2 and that  every man1    
,jew as well as ,gentile1 is equally in 
need1 as he is equally  capable of this 
salvation1 which is represented as      
experienced by faith  in ,christ        
crucified leading to death with ,christ1
 rising again with  ,christ1 and living 
with ,christ in the inner life4 ,this is
 the burden  of the epistles as it is   
the sum of ,paul's gospel1 and it is the
 exact  opposite of the ,pharisaic creed
 in which he had been brought up2 his   
antagonism to that creed now not only   
enabled him to define better the        
character of the new faith1 but to      
become the apostle of it to all  nations
 as a religion deriving its inspiration 

direct from ,christ1 and  alone adequate
 to the exigency of ,jew and ,gentile   
alike1 seeing 'all  had sinned and come 
short of the glory of ,god4' 7,bagster  
,bible ,helps1  p4 #fi47    #f4 ,the    
,style of the ,epistles3 ,the style of  
these letters shows a man  of an eager  
and impetuous temper1 who1 on that      
account1 as well as  through the fulness
 of his matter1 is impatient of         
dialectic restraint4  ,the theme is a   
pressing one1 and the writer is to      
intent to gain his  end to study his    
steps4 ,in his hurry to carry his       
thought forward he  sometimes forgets   
what he has been saying1 and passes on  
to another  point1 more urgent perhaps1 
leaving the original sentence           
unfinished2  while in his eagerness to  
express himself he is often careless of 
the  coherence of his thought4 ,may it  
not be that the defect here pointed  out
 can be accounted for by some of the    
passages being lost8 ,he has  no time to
 adjust himself to any formulae3 he must

 make his way at any  expense4 ,all     
forms are alike to him1 and he will use 
any or use none1  if only he can thereby
 gain his point4 7,bagster ,bible       
,helps1 p4 #fi47    #g4 ,date of the    
,epistle to the ,romans3 ,although this 
epistle stands  first among the ,pauline
 letters1 this position has been        
accorded to it1  not because it is the  
earliest in point of time1 but partly   
owing to  its doctrinal importance1 and 
mainly on account of its being addressed
  to the metropolis of the world4 ,its  
probable date is the early spring  of   
the year #eh ,a4 ,d4 7,bible ,treasury1 
p4 #ace47    #h4 ,its ,purpose3 ,st4    
,paul's primary purpose in writing to   
the ,romans  was to explain why during  
the many years of his missionary        
journeyings  he had never yet reached   
,rome1 and to pave the way for his      
intended  visit4 ,he had many friends   
among the ,christians of ,rome 7ch4     
#af71  and it is likely that in a       
friendly way they had been chiding him  

with attending so much to others1 and so
 little to them4 ,he assures  them that 
this was due to no oblivion of the      
claims of ,rome1 nor to  any intentional
 neglect on his part4 ,on the contrary1 
he1 himself a  ,roman citizen1 had      
intensely felt the attraction of ,rome1 
and had  'oftentimes' 7i3 #ac7 proposed 
to visit it1 and had only been hindered 
by work from which he could not escape4 
7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #ace47    #i4 ,the
 ,gospel ,according to ,st4 ,paul       
,expounded in ,romans3 ,st4 ,paul  takes
 the opportunity of presenting an       
exposition of his 'gospel'  more        
systematic than we have in any other of 
his letters4 ,why1 if he  expected so   
soon to see his friends in ,rome8       
,possibly because it was  said that he  
shrank from bringing his bare and simple
 gospel into the  trying light of the   
metropolis4 ,it is not this1 he says1   
that hinders  him from coming to ,rome4 
',i am not ashamed of the gospel of     
,christ4'  7i3 #af74 ,and having good   

reason to know the precariousness of    
life1  and the delays which may hinder  
and retard the best intentions1 he  at  
once proceeds to give the main outline  
of his habitual teaching4  ,it was      
natural that1 while proposing greatly to
 extend his mission1  he should wish to 
make clear to the church of the imperial
 city1 the  center of the ,gentile      
world1 what his gospel was1 and that it 
was  applicable to ,gentiles as well as 
to ,jews1 to metropolitans as well as   
to provincials4 ,the letter is a        
justification of his mission to the     
,gentiles4 7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #ace47 
#aj4 ,the ,church at ,rome3 ,the name of
 the original founder of  the ,roman    
,church has not been preserved to us by 
history1 nor  even celebrated by        
tradition4 ,this is a remarkable fact1  
when we  consider how soon the ,church  
of ,rome attained great eminence in the 
,christian world1 both from its numbers1
 and from the influence of its          
metropolitan rank4 ,had any of the      

,apostles laid its first foundation1    
the fact could scarcely fail to have    
been recorded4 ,it is1 therefore1       
probable that it was formed1 in the     
first instance1 of private  ,christians 
converted in ,palestine1 who had come   
from the eastern parts  of the ,empire  
to reside at ,rome1 or who had brought  
back ,christianity  with them1 from some
 of their periodical visits to          
,jerusalem1 as the  ',strangers of      
,rome1' from the great ,pentecost4      
,indeed1 among the  immense multitudes  
whom political and commercial reasons   
constantly  attracted to the metropolis 
of the world1 there could not fail to be
  representatives of every religion     
which had established itself in  any of 
the provinces4 ,on this hypothesis1 the 
earliest of the ,roman  ,christians were
 ,jews by birth1 who resided in ,rome1  
from some of the  causes above alluded  
to4 ,by their efforts1 others of their  
friends and  fellow countrymen 7who were
 very numerous at ,rome7 would have been

  led to embrace the ,gospel4 ,but the  
,church so founded1 though ,jewish  in  
its origin1 was remarkably free from the
 predominance of ,judaizing  tendencies4
 ,this is evident from the fact that so 
large a proportion of  it at this early 
period were already of ,gentile blood2  
and it appears  still more plainly from 
the tone assumed by ,st4 ,paul          
throughout the  ,epistle1 so different  
from that in which he addresses the     
,galatians1  although the subject-matter
 is often nearly identical4 7,the ,life 
and  ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul 7,conybeare
  ,howson71 p4 #edd47    ,a ,pen        
,picture of ,paul3 ,paul was small in   
size1 and his personal  appearance did  
not correspond with the greatness of his
 soul4 ,he was  ugly1 stout1 short1 and 
stooping1 and his broad shoulders       
awkwardly  sustained a little bald head4
 ,his sallow countenance was half hidden
  in a thick beard2 his nose was        
aquiline1 his eyes piercing1 and his    
eyebrows heavy and joined across his    

forehead4 ,nor was there anything       
imposing in his speech1 for his timid   
and embarrassed air gave but a  poor    
idea of his eloquence4 ,he shrewdly1    
however1 admitted his exterior  defects1
 and even drew advantage therefrom4 ,the
 ,jewish race possesses  the peculiarity
 of at the same time presenting types of
 the greatest  beauty1 and the most     
thorough ugliness2 but this ,jewish     
ugliness is  something quite apart by   
itself4 ,some of the strange visages    
which at  first excite a smile1 assume1 
when lighted up by emotion1 a sort of   
deep brilliancy and grandeur4 7,the     
,apostles1 ,renan1 pp4 #afe-f47 ,see    
also description of ,paul1 ,richards    
,little's ,compendium4    ,footnotes    
#a4 ,see ,seventy's ,bible ,dictionary1 
,art4 ,pauline ,epistles4 ,there  is a  
fine analysis and history of each       
,epistle2 they are grouped              
chronologically and the student would do
 well to read them in that  order4      
,,lesson ,,vi4    ,,scripture ,,reading 

,,exercise4    ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new 
,,testament4 7,continued74              
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,doctrinal       
,epistles--,i ,corinthians4             
,i ,corinthians4 ,the          #a4 ,the 
,city of ,corinth4                      
whole epistle for ,home          #b4    
,character of ,paul's ,converts4        
reading4 ,notes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d4         
#c4 ,subject ,matter of the ,epistles4  
,all ,bible ,helps and                  
,dictionaries before quoted1            
,art4 #a and ,,ii ,corinthians1         
and the other                           
,epistles of this lesson4               
,notes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d4                  
,coneybeare and ,howson's               
,life and ,epistles    ,,ii4 ,,ii       
,corinthians4                           
of ,st4 ,paul4           #a4 ,when and  
,where ,writen4                         
,notes #e1 #f4           #b4 ,purpose   
and ,character of the                   
,readings3              ,epistle4       

,against ,schisms in the           #c4  
,selected ,passages for ,readings4      
,church4 ,i ,cor4 ,chap4 i3 #aj-ca4     
,,iii4 ,galatians4#a                    
,spiritual ,gifts and            #a4 ,to
 ,whom ,addressed4                      
,church ,organization1 ,i ,cor4 xii3    
#a-ca4            #b4 ,galatia and ,its 
,people4                                
,charity1 ,i ,cor4 xiii3 #a-ac4         
#c4 ,object of the ,epistle4            
,epistle to the ,galatians--,all        
#d4 ,the ,nature of the ,controversy of 
of it should be               ,which ,it
 ,treats                                
studied4                                
,notes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d4                  
,all the ,bible ,helps and              
,dictionaries before cited              
,art4 ,galatians1 ,ephesians1           
etc4    ,,special ,,text3 ,do ye not    
know that they which minister about holy
  things live of the things of the      
temple8 and they which wait at the      
altar are partakers with the altar8     

,even so hath the ,lord ordained that   
they which preach the gospel should live
 of the gospel--,,paul4    ,,notes4     
#a4 ,corinth--the ,city3 ,corinth was   
the great center of commercial  traffic 
on the overland route from ,rome to the 
,east2 and also between  ,upper and     
,lower ,greece4 ,possessing the only    
good harbor in that  quarter1 and being 
the shortest and safest route1 small    
vessels were  dragged across the        
isthmus1 larger ones transhipped their  
cargoes1  and hence all the trade of the
 ,mediterranean flowed through it1 so   
that 'a perpetual fair was held there   
from year's end to year's end2'  to     
which were added the great annual       
gatherings of ,greeks at the  ',isthmian
 ,games' 7to which ,paul alludes1 ,i    
,cor4 ix3 #bd-bg74 ,hence it  was       
proverbial for wealth1 luxury1 and      
profligacy4 ,its population1 and  that  
of ,achaia1 was mainly foreign1 formed  
of colonists from ,caesar's  army1 and  
of manumitted slaves1 settlers from     

,asia ,minor1 returned  exiles from the 
islands1 and at this time a large influx
 of ,jews lately  expelled from ,rome4  
7,acts xviii3 #b47 7,oxford ,bible      
,helps1 p4 #bg47    #b4 ,character of   
,paul's ,disciples at ,corinth3 ,paul's 
disciples were  mostly of the lower     
order1 partly ,jews1 but mainly ,roman  
freedmen and  heathen ,greeks1 who      
became enthusiastic admirers of the     
,apostle4 ,here  he wrote the latter or 
both of his two epistles to the         
,thessalonians1  and one to the ,romans2
 immediately after which he returned to 
,ephesus1  and was succeeded in his     
mission by ,apollos1 who also made many 
converts4 ,the latter was imperfectly   
instructed in ,christianity1 but  was   
well versed in the ,jewish ,scriptures1 
and very eloquent4 7,oxford  ,bible     
,helps1 p4 #bg47    #c4 ,cause of       
,writing the ,first ,epistle to the     
,corinthians3 ,there  arose two         
factions1 in ,corinth1 a ,jewish1       
clinging to a ,pharisaic  attachment to 

the law2 a ,gentile1 prone to push      
evangelical freedom to  license2 while  
keeping the right faith1 claiming to    
indulge in even  heathen licentiousness4
 ,they joined freely in heathen         
sacrificial  feasts2 degraded the ,holy 
,communion into a festive banquet2 women
  threw off the usual eastern veil of   
modest attire2 and the ,greek  love of  
intellectual speculation and discussion 
ran riot on sacred  subjects1 till      
appeals on ,christian disputes were     
brought before  heathen tribunals and   
morality was scandalized by even        
incestuous  intercourse4 ,under such    
corruption1 during three years1 factions
  attained a formidable height4 ,paul   
was defamed by the ,jewish party1 and   
rumors of alarming disputes reached him1
 followed by a letter full of  inquiries
 on matters of morality and doctrine1   
brought by a deputation  of freedom4    
,under such circumstances the first     
epistle was written4  7,oxford ,bible   
,helps1 p4 #bg47    #d4 ,the ,character 

of the ,first ,epistle to the           
,corinthians3 ,the  letter is1 in its   
contents1 the most diversified of all   
,st4 ,paul's  epistles2 and in          
proportion to the variety of its topics1
 is the  depth of its interest for      
ourselves4 ,for by it we are introduced1
 as  it were1 behind the scenes of the  
,apostolic ,church1 and its minutest    
features are revealed to us under the   
light of daily life4 ,we see  the       
picture of a ,christian congregation as 
it met for worship in  some upper       
chambers1 such as the house of ,aquila1 
or of ,caius1 could  furnish4 ,we see   
that these seasons of pure devotion were
 not unalloyed  by human vanity and     
excitement2 yet1 on the other hand1 we  
behold the  heathen auditor pierced to  
the heart by the inspired eloquence of  
the  ,christian prophets1 the secrets of
 his conscience laid bare to him1  and  
himself constrained to fall down on his 
face and worship ,god2 we  hear the     
fervent thanksgiving echoed by the      

unanimous ,amen2 we see the             
administration of the ,holy ,communion  
terminating the feast of love4  ,again  
we become familiar with the perplexities
 of domestic life1 the  corrupting      
proximity of heathen immorality1 the    
lingering superstition1  the rash       
speculation1 the lawless perversion of  
,christian liberty2  we witness the     
strife of theological factions1 the     
party names1 the  sectarian animosities4
 ,we perceive the difficulty of the task
 imposed  upon the ,apostle1 who must   
guard from so many perils1 and guide    
through  so many difficulties1 his      
children in the faith1 whom else he had 
begotten in vain2 and we learn to       
appreciate more fully the magnitude  of 
that laborious responsibility under     
which he describes himself as  almost   
ready to sink1 'the care of all of the  
churches1' 7,the ,life and  ,epistles of
 ,st4 ,paul1 ,coneybeare  ,howson1 p4   
#dbd47    #a4 ,the ,persons ,addressed  
in ,galatians3 ,this alone among the    

,pauline  epistles is addressed1 not to 
an individual or to a single church1 but
  to a group of churches2 'unto the     
churches of ,galatia' 7i3 #b74    #b4   
,galatia3 ,the name ',galatia1' however1
 is ambiguous4 ,originally it  was      
restricted to the region possessed and  
inhabited by the descendants  of the    
invading ,gauls2 a tract of country     
separated from the ,black  ,sea by      
,bithynia and ,paphlagonia1 and bounded 
on the east by ,pontus  and ,cappadocia 
and on the south by ,phrygia4 ,this     
country had been  known as ,galatia     
since the beginning of the third century
 ,b4 ,c41 when  three tribes of ,gauls  
7,galatinas1 ,celts71 who had attempted 
to overrun  ,greece1 were driven back1  
and finally found a footing in this part
 of  ,asia ,minor4 ,in #ahi ,b4 ,c41    
,galatia became a ,roman dependency1 and
 in #be  ,b4 ,c4 ,augustus added to it  
,lycanonia1 ,pisidia1 ,pamphylia1 and a 
large  part of ,phrygia1 and constituted
 the whole into a ,roman province1 under

  the name ',galatia4' ,and it is not   
easy to determine whether we are to     
seek for the churches here addressed    
among the northern ,galatians1 or  in   
,antioch1 ,iconium1 ,lystra1 and ,derbe4
 ,perhaps1 on the whole1 the  evidence  
is somewhat in favor of the belief that 
,st4 ,paul addresses the  last-named    
churches4 ,of the founding of these we  
have a full account in  ,acts xiii3     
#ac-ad1 #bd4 7,bible ,treasury1 p4      
#aci47    #c4 ,object of the ,epistle3  
,during the absence of ,st4 ,paul from  
the  churches of ,galatia1 ,judaizing   
teachers had found access to them4      
,these  persistent enemies of the       
,apostle of the ,gentiles taught his    
young  churches that it was only through
 the gate of ,judaism any one could     
enter the ,christian fold4 ,they        
demanded that the ,gentile converts     
should be circumcised1 and should keep  
the whole law4 ,and they had  much that 
was plausible to advance in favor of the
 idea4 ,the law was a  divine           

institution1 and could not be abrogated4
 ,the promises had been  made to        
,abraham and to his seed4 ,the ,messiah 
was the ,messiah of the  ,jews4 ,jesus  
himself had been circumcised and had    
kept the whole law4  ,the original      
apostles followed his example4 ,besides1
 if the ,gentiles  were not enjoined to 
keep the law1 how were they to escape   
from the  immoralities in which they had
 been reared8 ,and who was ,paul1 that  
he should presume to introduce this     
novel doctrine8 ,he had not known       
,christ while on earth4 ,he was merely  
the messenger of the church at          
,antioch1 and had no commission from the
 apostolic circle at ,jerusalem4  ,and  
vehemently as he declaimed against      
circumcision1 he enjoined it  when it   
suited him2 witness the case of         
,timothy4 ,the very speciousness  of    
these arguments convinced ,st4 ,paul    
that a great crisis had arrived1  and   
that1 if ,christianity was to become the
 universal religion and  not a mere     

,jewish sect--if religion was to be     
spiritual and not mere  ritual--if union
 with ,christ really meant emancipation 
from bondage of  every kind1 then it was
 time that he should1 once for all1 make
 clear  the relation of ,christ to the  
law hence the epistle4 7,bible          
,treasury1  p4 #aci47    #d4 ,the ,case 
of the ,judaizing ,party against ,paul3 
,it is remarkable1  therefore1 that the 
,judaizing emissaries should so soon    
have gained so  great a hold over a     
church consisting mainly of ,gentile    
,christians2 and  the fact that they did
 so proves not only their indefatigable 
activity1  but also their skill in the  
arts of conciliation and persuasion4 ,it
  must be remembered1 however1 that they
 were by no means scrupulous  as to the 
means which they employed to effect     
their objects4 ,at any  cost of         
falsehood and detraction1 they resolved 
to loosen the hold  of ,st4 ,paul upon  
the affection and respect of his        
converts4 ,thus to  the ,galatians they 

accused him of want of uprightness in   
observing  the ,law himself whilst among
 the ,jews1 yet persuading the ,gentiles
 to  renounce it1 they argued that his  
motive was to keep his converts in a    
subordinate state1 excluded from the    
privileges of a full covenant with      
,god1 which was enjoyed by the          
circumcised alone2 they declared that he
  was an interested flatterer1 'becoming
 all things to all men1' that he  might 
make a party for himself2 and above all1
 they insisted that he  falsely         
represented himself as an ,apostle of   
,christ1 for that he had  not1 like the 
,twelve1 been a follower of ,jesus when 
he was on earth1  and had not received  
his commission2 that1 on the contrary1  
he was only  a teacher sent out by the  
authority of the ,twelve1 whose teaching
 was  only to be received so far as it  
agreed with theirs1 and was sanctioned  
by them2 whereas his doctrine 7they     
alleged7 was now in opposition to  that 
of ,peter and ,james1 and the other     

',pillars' of the ,church4 ,by such     
representations they succeeded1 to a    
great extent1 in alienating the         
,galatian ,christians from their father 
in the faith2 already many of the       
recent converts submitted to            
circumcision1 and embraced the party of 
their new teachers with the same zeal   
which they had formerly shown for  the  
,apostle of the ,gentiles2 and the rest 
of the ,church was thrown into  a state 
of agitation and division--hence the    
,epistle to the ,galations4  7,the ,life
 and ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul1 ,conybeare
 and ,howson1 p4 #ebb47    ,footnotes   
#a4 ,this could well be classed as a    
controversial epistle1 for it is1  one  
may say1 fiercely controversial in      
spirit throughout4 ,renan refers  to it 
as ,paul's terrible epistle4            
,,lesson ,,vii4    ,,scripture ,,reading
 ,,exercise4    ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new
 ,,testament47,continued47              
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,doctrinal       

,epistles--,ephesians4                  
,epistle to the ,ephesians4          #a4
 ,the ,city of ,ephesus4                
,notes #a1 #b4          #b4 ,occasion   
and ,object of the ,epistles4           
,coneybeare and ,howson's    ,,ii4      
,philippians4                           
,life and ,epistles           #a4 ,the  
,city of ,phillippi4                    
of ,st4 ,paul4 ,bible ,helps            
#b4 ,occasion and ,character of the     
and ,dictionaries under                 
,epistles4                              
,titles of ,ephesians1 and              
all the epistles of this                
lesson4 ,epistle to the                 
,philippians4                           
,notes #c1 #d1 #e4    ,,iii4            
,colossians4                            
,colossians4            #a4 ,the ,city  
of ,colossae4                           
,thessalonians ,i and ,,ii4             
#b4 ,character of the ,epistle4         
,note #aj4    ,,iv4 ,thessalonians ,i   
and ,,ii4           #a4 ,thessalonica1  

the ,city4           #b4 ,summary of the
 ,epistles ,i and ,,ii4    ,v4 ,epistle 
to the ,hebrews4                        
,hebrews1 the whole          #a4        
,authorship4                            
epistle4 ,a fine treatise          #b4  
,character of the ,epistle4             
on the subject is found          #c4    
,doctrinal ,outline4                    
on the ,life and ,epistles              
of ,st4 ,paul 7,coneybeare              
and ,howson71 ,chap4 xxviii4            
,notes #f1 #g1 #h4    ,,special ,,text3 
,god 99 99 99 hath in these last days   
spoken unto us by  his ,son1 whom he    
hath appointed heir of all things1 by   
whom also he  made the worlds2 who being
 the brightness of his glory1 and the   
express  image of his person1 and       
upholding all things by the word of his 
power1  when he had by himself purged   
our sins1 sat down on the right hand of 
the ,majesty on high4 ,,paul4           
,,notes4    #a4 ,ephesus3 ,capital of   
the ,roman province of ,asia and a great

  commercial center4 ,the province was  
governed by 'proconsuls1' while         
,ephesus1 as a 'free city1' had its town
 clerk1 or keeper of the  records1 its  
'asiarchs1' or officers appointed to    
preside over the  public games2 its     
court days1 and its popular assembly1   
was three miles  from the sea1 and was  
on the banks of the navigable river     
,cayster4 ,it  was an important business
 center1 much of the commerce between   
east and  west passing along the great  
highway which connected ,ephesus with   
the  ,euphrates4 ,it thus became a      
natural center for the ,christian       
,church in  ,asia ,minor4 ,the city was 
celebrated as the guardian of the image 
of  ,artemis or ,diana1 and there was a 
large manufacture of silver shrines  of 
the goddess4 ,the magnificence of her   
temple was proverbial4 ,a large  part of
 the site was excavated by ,mr4 ,j4 ,t4 
,wood1 #ahfc-ga1 who also  discovered   
the site of the theater1 a huge building
 capable of seating  #bd1ejj people4    

,some of the inscriptions are to be seen
 in the ,british  ,museum4 7,cambridge  
,bible ,helps1 p4 #ec47    #b4 ,occasion
 and ,object of the ,epistle3 ,the      
occasion of writing this  letter was the
 opportunity that offered in the mission
 of ,tychicus and  ,onesimus to the     
,church at ,colossae1 and the object is 
to show that the  ,gentiles had a       
standing in ,christ as well as the      
,jews2 that their call  into the ,church
 was no mere accident1 that it was the  
eternal purpose  of ,god to gather all  
into oneness1 or one body1 in ,christ1  
and that  except in this oneness the    
fulness of ,christ would not be         
revealed4  ,thus the epistle sets before
 us1 as has been said1 ,paul's doctrine 
of  the ,church1 the ,church in its     
unity1 'the completion of an edifice    
whose foundations had been laid in a    
past eternity1 and which was to  stand  
forever4 7,cambridge ,bible ,helps1 p4  
#gc47    #c4 ,the ,church at ,philippi3 
,philippi was a place of great          

importance4  ,surrounded by a fertile   
district1 and possessing valuable mines1
 it  also commanded the great highway   
from east to west1 and was on this      
account attractive to ,st4 ,paul4 ,the  
town which originally occupied the  site
 was known as ,krenides 7',fountains'72 
but ,philip ,,ii of ,macedonia  having  
improved it1 named it after himself4 ,in
 ,st4 ,paul's time it was a  ,roman     
'colony' 7,acts xvi3 #ab71 e4 g41 a     
settlement of veterans who had  served  
their time in the army4 7,bible         
,treasury1 p4 #adb47    #d4 ,occasion of
 the ,epistle3 ,epaphroditus had been   
the bearer of  some pecuniary aid sent  
to ,st4 ,paul by the ,philippians1 and  
had thrown  himself so vigorously into  
the work of ,christ in the metropolis   
that  he became alarmingly ill 7,phil4  
ii3 #cj74 ,on recovering1 and hearing   
how anxious his friends in ,philippi    
were1 he proposed to return to  them2   
and ,st4 ,paul felt that he could not   
allow him to go without  putting in his 

hands a written acknowledgement of their
 kindness4 ,hence  this letter was      
intended to be a simple letter of       
friendship4 7,bible  ,treasury1 p4      
#adb47    #e4 ,colossae and its ,church3
 ,colossae was situated in southwestern 
,phrygia1 but within the proconsular    
province of ,asia4 ,it lay on the  south
 bank of the river ,lycus1 and on the   
main road from ,ephesus to  the great   
plateau of ,asia ,minor4 ,in the fifth  
century ,b4 ,c41 it was  known as a     
great and prosperous city1 but the still
 more advantageous  position of its     
neighbor ,laodicea1 a few miles down the
 river1  gradually told on ,colossae2   
and in the time of ,st4 ,paul1 although 
a  large number of ,jews had been       
introduced into it1 and although the    
city  had become rather ,greek than     
,phrygian1 it yet had somewhat fallen   
from  its former grandeur and           
importance4 ,since the twelfth century1 
only  the ruins of the great church of  
,st4 ,michael have marked its site4  ,so

 completely was ,colossae forgotten1    
that the idea arose that the            
,colossians to whom ,st4 ,paul wrote his
 epistle were ,rhodians1 so called  from
 their famous ,colossus4 7,bible        
,treasury1 p4 #adc47    #f4 ,authorship 
of ,hebrews3 ,the origin and history of 
the ,epistle to  the ,hebrews was a     
subject of controversy even in the      
second century4  ,there is no portion of
 the ,new ,testament whose authorship is
 so  disputed1 nor any of which the     
inspiration is more indisputable4 ,the  
early ,church could not determine       
whether it was writen by ,barnabas1  by 
,luke1 by ,clement1 or by ,paul4 ,since 
the ,reformation1 still greater         
diversity of opinion has prevailed4     
,luther assigned it to ,apollos1        
,calvin to a disciple of the ,apostles4 
,the ,church of ,rome now maintains  by 
its infallibility the ,pauline          
authorship of the ,epistle1 which in    
the second1 third1 and fourth centuries1
 the same ,church1 with the same        

infallibility1 denied4 ,but             
notwithstanding these doubts concerning 
the  origin of this canonical book1 its 
inspired authority is beyond all  doubt4
 ,it is certain1 from internal evidence1
 that it was written by a  contemporary 
of the ,apostles1 and before the        
destruction of ,jerusalem2  that its    
writer was the friend of ,timotheus2 and
 that he was the  teacher of one of the 
,apostolic churches4 ,moreover1 the     
,epistle was  received by the ,oriental 
church as canonical from the first4     
,every  sound reasoner must agree with  
,st4 ,jerome1 that it matters nothing   
whether it were written by ,luke1 by    
,barnabas1 or by ,paul1 since it  is    
allowed to be the production of the     
,apostolic age1 and has been  read in   
the public service of the ,church from  
the earliest times4  ,those1 therefore1 
who conclude with ,calvin1 that it was  
not written  by ,st4 ,paul1 must also   
join with him in thinking the question  
of its  authorship a question of little 

moment1 and in 'embracing it without    
controversy as one of the ,apostolical  
,epistles4 7,life and ,epistles of  ,st4
 ,paul1 ,conybeare and ,howson1 p4      
#hdh47    #g4 ,summary ,respecting      
,hebrews3 ,the sum of all the           
controversy  respecting the ,epistles to
 the ,hebrews1 ,i think is well set     
forth  in the following quotation from  
the ,oxford ,bible notes on the ,new    
,testament3    ,the great weight of     
testimony favors the opinion that ,paul 
was the  author 7though probably ,luke  
was the writer7 of this ,epistle4 ,it   
was  probably composed by the former    
when in very strict custody1 either  at 
,caesarea1 or at ,rome 7,a4 ,d4 #fb-fd71
 just before his martyrdom 7,,ii        
,timothy iv3 #bf71 when denied writing  
materials1 and dictated by him to       
,luke1 who then committed it to writing 
from memory4 ,some think we have  only a
 ,greek translation of an original      
,hebrew text4 ,it was addressed         
specially to those ,aramaic ,christians 

of ,palestine1 who were exposed  to     
severe persecution from their           
fellow-countrymen1 who adhered to  the  
expected return of visible glory to     
,israel4 ,brought up in fond            
reminiscence of the glories of the past1
 they seemed in ,christianity to  be    
receding from their peculiar privileges 
of intercommunion with ,god1  as a      
favored people1 ,angels1 ,moses1 the    
,high ,priest1 were superseded by       
,jesus1 the peasant of ,nazareth2 the   
,sabbath of the ,lord's ,day1 the ,old  
,covenant by the ,new2 while temple and 
sacrifices were obsolete ,what1  they   
asked1 did ,christianity give in their  
place8 ,and ,paul answers1  ,christ2 i4 
e41 ,god for their ,mediator and        
,intercessor3 superior to  ,angels1     
because nearer to the ,father2 to       
,moses1 because a ,son1 not a  servant2 
more sympathizing than the ,high        
,priest1 and more powerful  in          
intercession1 because he pleads his own 
blood4 ,the ,sabbath is but  a type of  

rest in heaven1 the ,new ,covenant is   
the fulfillment of the  ,old4 7,oxford  
,bible ,helps1 p4 #bh47        ,,lesson 
,,viii4    ,,scripture ,,reading        
,,exercise4    ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new 
,,testament 7,concluded74               
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,paul's ,pastoral
 ,epistles4#a                      ,note
 #a4          #a4 ,general ,character4  
,i and ,,ii ,timothy ,titus2            
#b4 ,i ,timothy4                        
,bible ,helps and ,dictionaries         
#c4 ,,ii ,timothy4                      
previously cited4          #d4 ,titus4  
,articles1 the ,epistles of             
this lesson4    ,,ii4 ,special ,epistle4
                                 ,notes4
 ,philemon1 and           #a4 ,philemon4
                                        
,note #f4    ,,iii4 ,the ,catholic      
,epistles4                          ,all
 the ,epistles named            #a4     
,james4                                 
in the ,analysis4 ,notes            #b4 

,i and ,,ii ,peter4                     
and ,bible ,helps and ,dictionaries4    
#c4 ,i1 ,,ii and ,,iii ,john4           
#d4 ,jude4    ,,iv4 ,the ,apocalypse4   
,the ,book of ,revelation4           #a4
 ,the ,name and ,author4                
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 #gg3 #a-b4          
,y4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual4    ,,special   
,,text3 ,behold1 ,i stand at the door   
and knock2 if any man hear  my voice1   
and open the door1 ,i will come in to   
him1 and will sup with  him1 and he with
 me4 ,to him that overcometh will ,i    
grant to sit with me  in my throne1 even
 as ,i also overcame1 and am set down   
with my ,father  in his throne4--,,st4  
,,john4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,pastoral    
,epistles3 ,the ,pastoral ,epistles are 
three in  number--viz41 ,i ,timothy1    
,,ii ,timothy1 and ,titus4 ,they are so 
called  because they bear upon pastoral 
duties4 ,from the earliest times they   
have been ascribed to ,paul1 and        
received as of canonical authority  by  
the ,church4 ,they all belong to the    

same period1 and they were all  written 
towards the close of the ,apostle's     
life4 ,if the apostle had  been released
 from imprisonment for a time and then  
imprisoned a second  time1 the epistles 
belong to the interval between his      
release from his  first imprisonment in 
,rome and his death--an interval during 
which he  had paid a brief visit to the 
churches he had founded in the east4    
7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p4 #gf47    #b4
 ,timothy--,paul's ,disciple3 ,timothy  
resided at ,lystra 7,acts xvi3  #a74 ,he
 was the son of a ,greek father and a   
,jewish mother named ,eunice1  from     
whom1 as also from his grandmother1     
,lois1 he had received a  devout        
training in the ,old ,testament 7,,ii   
,tim4 i3 #e2 iii3 #ad1 #ae74 ,paul      
calls him his 'true son in the faith1'  
whence it is inferred that he  had      
received the gospel through ,paul's     
preaching during his first  sojourn in  
,lystra4 ,at all events1 on the         
apostle's second visit to  ,lystra1 he  

found the mother and son already        
converted1 although the  father         
continued an unbeliever4 ,as ,timothy   
was well reported of by  the brethren1  
,paul circumcised him and took him as   
one of his chosen  companions 7,acts    
xix3 #bb74 ,the connection continued    
intimate and  unbroken till the close of
 the apostle's career4 7,bible          
,treasury1 p4  #adf47    #c4 ,i         
,timothy3 ,the time and place of writing
 cannot be certainly  fixed4 ,the former
 must have been between the years #fd   
and #fg ,a4 ,d4  ,but the occasion and  
purport of the epistle are very plain4  
,heretical  teachers had arisen at      
,ephesus1 where ,timothy was stationed1 
and the  ,apostle gives directions which
 the young man required1 and which have 
a permanent value for all youthful      
ministers4 ,no systematic order of      
thought1 such as is found in ,romans and
 ,ephesians1 meets us here1 but  a free 
outpouring of the apostle's heart4 ,the 
letter has been justly  compared to     

pearls of varied size and color loosely 
strung on one  thread4 7,bible          
,treasury1 p4 #adf47    #d4 ,,ii        
,timothy3 ,this epistle was written from
 ,rome during ,paul's  second           
imprisonment1 probably about #fg ,a4    
,d41 and is the last of his  extant     
writings4 ,after the address and a      
fervent thanksgiving for  ,timothy's    
early training 7ch44 i3 #a-e71 he       
exhorts him to boldness and  fidelity   
7ver4 #f-ad71 adducing two examples--one
 of desertion1 the  other of            
faithfulness 7ver4 #ae-ah72 summons him 
to exercise fortitude  7ii3 #a-ac71 to  
reprove 'profane babblings' 7ver4       
#ad-ba71 and to guard  well his own     
conduct 7ver4 #bb-bf47 7,bible          
,treasury1 p4 #adf47    #e4 ,titus3 ,of 
,titus1 to whom this epistle is         
addressed1 we know  nothing1 except what
 we learn of him in ,galatians1 ,,ii    
,corinthians1  ,,ii ,timothy1 and this  
epistle1 for he is not once mentioned by
 name  in the ,acts of the ,apostles4   

,from these sources we conclude that he 
was a ,greek by birth1 and a convert of 
,paul1 that he accompanied  ,paul and   
,barnabas to the first ,council at      
,jerusalem 7,acts xv71 and  that he was 
one of those converts from heathenism on
 whose behalf  the council issued its   
decree exempting such from the          
obligation to  observe the ,mosaic law4 
,from the date of this event he appears 
to have  been a constant companion of   
,paul1 and to have been from time to    
time  sent by him on missions of        
importance to the infant churches 7comp4
  ,,ii ,cor4 vii3 #f-ac2 viii3 #f2 xii3 
#ah74 ,titus was with ,paul during  his 
imprisonment at ,rome1 and seems        
together with ,timothy1 to have         
accompanied him after his release in the
 brief visit he paid to the  churches in
 the ,east4 7,bagster's ,bible ,helps1  
p4 #gg47    #f4 ,the ,story of          
,onesimus3 ,it is remarkable how great  
the small  things of life sometimes     
become4 ,perhaps there is no letter or  

single  ,christian document that reveals
 so much of the character of the times  
of ,st4 ,paul as this brief personal    
note given to the runaway slave1        
,onesimus--meaning ,profitable--whom    
,paul is returning to his master  with  
so much courtesy4 ,the following account
 of the ,epistle by ,prof4  ,marcus     
,dodds1 in the ,bible ,treasury1 is     
worthy the space we here give  it3      
,it is interesting to find this short   
note1 on a merely domestic  matter1     
preserved among the epistles of ,st4    
,paul4 ,it was written to  intercede for
 a runaway slave with his master1 and it
 illustrates the  multifarious services 
the ,apostle was invited to render4 ,it 
is only  one sample of numberless       
letters which must have been written to 
his  many friends and disciples by one  
of ,st44 ,paul's eager temperament  and 
warm affections in the course of a long 
and chequered life4'  ,philemon was     
resident in ,colossae 7,col4 iv3 #i74   
,he had been brought  to the faith by   

,st4 ,paul 7,philem4 #ai7 and as it     
seems that as yet ,st4  ,paul had not   
visited ,colossae1 it is probable that  
,philemon had heard  him in ,ephesus4   
,he was a thorough-going ,christian     
7#d-g71 loving and  helpful1 and the    
disciples in ,colossae1 or a section of 
them1 met  in his house 7#b72 ,apphia   
was probably his wife1 and ,archippus   
his  son4 ,philemon's slave ,onesimus   
7or ',profitable1' a common name for a  
slave7 had run away1 not empty-handed   
7#ah72 and1 having found his way  to    
,rome1 and being somehow brought into   
contact with ,st4 ,paul he was  by him  
persuaded to abandon his old mind and   
his old ways 7#aj74 ,paul  had devoted  
and active friends around him in ,rome2 
but this energetic  slave1 trained to   
watch a master's wants and to execute   
promptly what  was entrusted to him1    
became almost indispensable to the      
,apostle 7#aa1  #ac74 ',profitable1' who
 was aforetime unprofitable to thee1 now
 is  profitable to thee and to me4'     

,paul would gladly have retained his    
services1 but he acknowledged the claim 
of his master1 and1 besides1  would not 
deprive ,philemon of the pleasure of    
voluntarily sending  him to minister to 
him 7#ad74 ,the note1 short as it is1 is
 valuable  in two respects3 #a4 ,it     
gives us a clear view of the uprightness
 and  courteousness of ,paul4 ,nothing  
could be more winning and persuasive1   
nothing more sympathetic and            
considerate1 than the terms he used  in 
restoring the runaway to his master's   
good graces4 #b4 ,but the  letter shows 
us ,christianity at work in connection  
with slavery4 ,no  institution was more 
deeply rooted in the ancient world1 and 
none more  alien to the spirit of       
,christ4 ,yet ,st4 ,paul does not set   
himself to  uproot it4 ,rather he might 
seem to give it his countenance by thus 
restoring a runaway to his master4 ,but 
,christianity 7and ,paul as its         
representative71 by admitting slaves to 
the brotherhood of the ,church1  and by 

appealing to the brotherly feeling of   
the masters1 introduced  principles     
which would not be stayed in their      
operation till slavery  was seen to be  
unchristian1 and abolished4 ,the        
,christian spirit does  not work the    
less surely because it works indirectly4
 7,bible ,treasury1  p4 #adf-g47    #g4 
,the ,catholic ,epistles--,general      
,view3 ,seven epistles are now          
designated 'general' or 'catholic4' ,the
 term was first applied to  three of    
these 7,james1 ,i ,peter1 and ,i ,john71
 and afterwards to ,,ii  ,peter and     
,jude1 the brief letters1 ,,ii and ,,iii
 ,john1 being finally  classed with the 
five others for convenience4 ,the       
designation implies  that the letter was
 originally addressed to a wider circle 
of readers  than the members of a single
 community of ,christians4 ,in ,greek   
,mss4  these epistles were usually      
placed immediately after the ,acts of   
the  ,apostles4 ,this group of writings 
presents great variety in style and     

diction1 in date1 and in maturity of    
doctrinal teaching4 7,bible  ,treasury1 
p4 #adi74    #h4 ,epistle of ,james3    
,james the ,less1 brother1 or near      
relation1 of  our ,lord1 an ,apostle1   
had the oversight of the ,church at     
,jerusalem  7,acts xv3 #ac71 where he   
remained until his martyrdom 7,a4 ,d4   
#fb74  ,this epistle1 generally         
attributed to him1 shows evident tokens 
of a  degeneracy in the tone of ,jewish 
,christians1 to whom it is addressed1   
stimulating them to the exercise of     
higher principles4 ,it reproves  the    
prevailing vices of his                 
countrymen1--hypocrisy1 presumption1    
censoriousness1 love of riches2 and     
insists that true faith  necessitates   
good works4 ,it is remarkable for its   
eminently practical  nature1 the        
homeliness and aptness of its           
illustration1 and the bold1             
plain-spoken rebukes of the wealthy     
oppressors of the poor4 ,it was         
probably written near the close of his  

life1 and is addressed to the  whole    
'twelve tribes4' 7,oxford ,bible ,helps1
 p4 #bi47    #i4 ,st4                   
,peter--,protestant ,view3 ,simon       
,peter1 son of ,jonas1 a  fisherman at  
,bethsaida1 was one of the foremost     
,apostles1 by whom three  thousand were 
converted on the ,day of ,pentecost     
7,acts ii71 and the  first ,gentile     
family admitted by baptism into         
,christianity 7,acts x3  #dg1 #dh74 ,he 
is said to have preached to the ,jews   
scattered throughout  ,pontus1 ,galatia1
 ,cappadocia1 ,asia1 and ,bithynia1 i4  
e41 the countries  of ,asia adjacent to 
the ,black ,sea1 to whom he addressed   
this epistle  from ,babylon1 probably   
about ,a4 ,d4 #fc4 ,its general design  
was to  comfort them under afflictions4 
7,oxford ,bible ,helps1 p4 #bi47    #aj4
 ,st4 ,peter--,catholic ,view3 ,the     
first ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter1 though   
brief1 containeth much doctrine         
concerning ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity1 
with divers instructions to all persons 

of what state or condition  soever4 ,the
 ,apostle commandeth submission to      
rulers and superiors1  and exhorteth all
 to the practice of a virtuous life in  
imitation of  ,christ4 ,this epistle is 
written with such apostolic dignity1 as 
to  manifest the supreme authority with 
which its writer1 the prince of the     
,apostles1 had been vested by his ,lord 
and master ,jesus ,christ4 ,he wrote  it
 at ,rome1 which figuratively he calls  
,babylon1 about fifteen years  after our
 ,lord's ,ascension4 7,douay ,bible1 p4 
#adha47    #aa4 ,i ,peter3 ,the date of 
the epistle is uncertain4 ,some place it
  in #fa ,a4 ,d441 before ,st4 ,paul's  
,roman imprisonment2 others1 in #fc or  
#fd ,a4 ,d41 after the release of that  
,apostle4 ,the probabilities are        
slightly in favor of the latter date4   
,it was addressed to ,christians  in    
certain regions of ,asia ,minor 7i3 #a74
 ,strictly interpreted1 the  language   
points to ,jewish ,christians1 but it is
 now generally held that  all           

,christians are included in the address4
 ,the occasion of the epistle  was      
impending trial1 probably not state     
persecution1 but social and  personal   
opposition and reproach4 ,hence the tone
 of consolation and  encouragement1 even
 in the exhortations4 ,as often         
remarked1 the keynote  is ',hope4'      
7,bible ,treasury1 p4 #aej47    #ab4    
,,ii ,peter3 ,the early evidence from   
,christian writers in support  of this  
epistle is not so strong as in the case 
of most of the ,new  ,testament books4  
,but1 as it claims to be written by the 
',apostle'  ,peter1 it must be regarded 
as genuine1 or as a wilful forgery4     
,internal  evidence disproves the latter
 view4 ,it differs but slightly from the
  first epistle in style and language1  
and these slight differences can  be    
accounted for from its purpose4 ,the    
superiority to all ,christian  writings 
of the post-apostolic age is evident4 ,a
 recent discovery  of parts of two      
apocryphal books attributed to ,st4     

,peter shows what  inferior literature  
the earliest forgers produced4 99 99 99 
99 ,apparently  addressed to the same   
readers as the first epistle1 this one  
has a  different purpose1 viz41 to warn 
against teachers of error1 and to       
enjoin an advance in knowledge as well  
as in holiness4 ,the false  teachers    
cannot be identified with those of the  
second century1 which  is another proof 
that ,st4 ,peter wrote the epistle4     
7,bible ,treasury1 p4  #aej47    #ac4   
,epistles of ,john3 ,the tract called   
the ,first ,epistle of ,john  seems     
rather to partake of the nature of a    
doctrinal discourse1  addressed to      
believers generally1 but more           
particularly to ,gentiles in  ,asia     
,minor1 probably in the neighborhood of 
its chief city1 ,ephesus4  ,its date is 
uncertain4 ,some place it before the    
destruction of  ,jerusalem1 others      
towards the end of ,cent4 i41 thinking  
it bears marks  of combating the        
,gnostic heresy4 ,this epistle contains 

only thirteen  verses1 eight of which   
are found in substance in the first4 ,it
 was  probably written about the same   
time1 but it is addressed 'to the ,elect
  ,lady' 7thought by some to mean the   
,church71 and 'her children2' or to     
'the ,lady ,electa1' a person so-called 
for her eminent piety4 ,they are        
exhorted to persevere in love1 faith1   
and godliness1 and to beware of  false  
teachers4 7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p4   
#cj47    #ad4 ,jude3 ,jude1 'brother of 
,james1' is supposed to be the ,apostle 
7surnamed ,thaddeaus and ,lebbaeus71 and
 a near relation of our ,lord  7,matt4  
x3 #c2 xiii3 #ee2 ,luke vi3 #af74 ,the  
epistle is remarkable for  the quotation
 of an otherwise unrecorded saying of   
,enoch 7ver4 #ad71  and a tradition of a
 dispute between ,michael the archangel 
and ,satan  regarding the body of ,moses
 7ver4 #i47 ,its date1 place1 and       
occasion1  are unknown2 but it seems to 
denounce the same false teachers as     
those  rebuked in ,,ii ,peter ii1 and in

 very similar language2 warning them by 
the example of the fallen angels1 of    
,cain1 the impenitent in the times  of  
,noah1 of the wicked cities of the      
plain1 of ,korah1 and ,balaam2          
asserting the certainty of the future   
judgment and punishment of the  wicked4 
7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p #cj47    #ae4
 ,revelation3 ,this is the only most    
largely prophetic book of  the ,new     
,testament1 and much of it remains still
 unfulfilled4 ,there is  satisfactory   
evidence of its being genuine4 ,justin  
,martyr1 living sixty  years after its  
supposed date1 ascribes it to ,john2    
,papias acknowledges  its inspiration2  
,irenaeus 7disciple of ,polycarp1 who   
was ,john's own  disciple7 testifies to 
his authorship1 and that he had himself 
received  the explanation of one passage
 in it from those who had conversed with
  the ,apostle about it4 ,to these may  
be added ,clement of ,alexandria1       
,theophilus1 ,tertullian1 ,origen1      
,cyprian1 ,jerome1 ,athanasius1 etc4    

7,bagster ,bible ,helps1 p4 #cj47 ,see  
,doctrine  ,covenants1 sec44 lxxvii2    
also ,y4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual for        
#ahih-i4    ,footnotes    #a4 ,see note 
#c1 ,lesson ,,iv4        ,,lesson ,,ix4 
,,great ,,new ,,testament               
,,characters--,,lectures4               
,,lectures4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,peter1 the      
,chief of the ,apostles4                
,the ,four ,gospels4 ,acts          #a4 
,early ,life of4                        
of the ,apostles1 ,,xv4          #b4    
,his ,call to the ,apostleship and      
,i and ,,ii ,peter1 ,commentary         
,companionship with ,jesus4             
,critical and ,explanatory          #c4 
,his life after the ,death of ,jesus4   
,introduction to          #d4 ,did ,he  
,establish the ,church at               
,i and ,,ii ,peter1 pp4 #did-ii4        
,rome8                                  
,smith's ,dictionary of the             
,bible ,art4 ,peter4 ,st4 ,peter        
as founder of the                       

,church at ,rome--,catholic             
,view--,catholic ,belief                
7,bruno71 pp4 #cjg-cba4                 
,protestant ,view1 ,milman's            
,history of ,christianity1              
,book ,,ii1 ,chaps4                     
,,ii and ,,iii2 also ,dr4 ,wm4 ,smith's 
,new ,testament                         
,history1 pp4 #fcd-fdc4    ,,ii4 ,st4   
,paul1 the ,apostle of the ,gentiles4   
,acts ,,viii-,,xxviii4 ,the             
#a4 ,birth and ,roman ,citizenship of4  
,pauline ,epistles4 ,all           #b4  
,his conversion to ,christianity4       
,bible ,helps and ,dictionaries         
#c4 ,his ,conception of the ,christian  
,art4 ,paul1 ,life           #d4 ,his   
,controversies with the ,judaizing      
and ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul1            
,party4                                 
,coneybeare and ,howson's           #e4 
,his ,death and ,influence on           
,christianity4              ,life of    
,st4 ,paul4    ,,notes4    #a4          
,suggestions in the ,construction of a  

,lecture3 ,referring again to  the      
construction of a lecture1 and holding  
in mind the framework given  in ,lesson 
#a2 namely3 #a4 ,the ,introduction2 #b4 
,the ,discussion2 #c4 ,the  ,conclusion4
 ,i am reminded of the only lesson in   
speech forming ever  given to me in     
,college days1 and that lesson was by a 
very inferior  public speaker1 but a    
very prince among teachers1 the late    
lamented  ,dr4 ,john ,r4 ,park1 whose   
name will forever be associated with our
 ,state  ,university4 ,he said3 ,be sure
 that your lecture has a beginning1  an 
ending1 and something between4 ,another 
form of introduction1  discussion and   
conclusion4    ,as an illustration of   
this indispensable framework1           
,pittenger1 whom ,i  before quoted1     
gives the following illustrations from  
,shakespeare3    ,among the many        
speeches found in ,shakespeare1 the     
existence of these  three essential     
parts may easily be noted4 ,the funeral 
speeches over  the dead body of ,julius 

,caesar afford an excellent example4    
,the merit  of the orations of ,brutus  
and ,antony are very unequal1 but both  
are  instructive4 ,we will analyze them 
in turn4 ,brutus speaks first4 ,he      
shows his want of appreciation of the   
true nature of persuasive  eloquence by 
declaring that this will be an          
advantage4 ,his introduction  is also   
too long and elaborate for the work he  
has in hand4 ,the central  thought with 
which he opens is in substance1 ,i am   
worthy of your  closest attention4 ,this
 cannot be considered a fortunate       
beginning1  and it would have been fatal
 for any one less highly esteemed by the
  people than the well-beloved ,brutus4 
,he says3    ,,brutus'                  
,,speech--,,introduction4    ',romans1  
countrymen1 and lovers6 hear me for my  
cause1 and be silent  that you may hear2
 believe me for mine honor1 and have    
respect to mine  honor that you may     
believe2 censure me in your wisdom1 and 
awake your  senses that you may the     

better judge4'    ,this introduction is 
a master-piece of ,shakespeare's art1   
because  it pictures so well the        
character of ,brutus in his dignity and 
blind  self-confidence2 but for ,brutus 
it is unfortunate1 because it puts him  
on the defensive and makes the people   
his judges4 ,he must now plead  well1 or
 they will condemn him4 ,in the         
discussion 7following7 the  thought     
simply is1 ',i was ,caesar's friend1 and
 therefore you may well  believe that ,i
 would not have killed him if he had not
 deserved death  because of his         
ambition4' ,this is the whole argument1 
and it is weak  because it does not     
prove the ambition of ,caesar1 or show  
that ambition  on ,caesar's part was a  
crime which ,brutus had a right to      
punish with  death4 ,the antithetic     
sentences lack both logic and passion4  
,as they  touch neither head nor heart1 
they can have but slight and momentary  
effect4 ,notice the discussion as an    
example of fine words which do not      

serve their purpose4    ,,the           
,,discussion4    ',if there be any in   
this assembly1 any dear friend of       
,caesar's1 to  him ,i say that ,brutus' 
love to ,caesar was no less than his4   
,if1 then1  that friend demand why      
,brutus rose against ,caesar1 this is my
 answer3  ,not that ,i loved ,caesar    
less1 but that ,i loved ,rome more4 ,had
 you  rather ,caesar were living1 and   
die all slaves1 than that ,caesar were  
dead1 to live all freemen8 ,as ,caesar  
loved me1 ,i weep for him2 as he  was   
fortunate1 ,i rejoice at it2 as he was  
valiant1 ,i honor him2 but  as he was   
ambitious1 ,i slew him4 ,there are tears
 for his love1 joy  for his fortune1    
honor for his valor1 and death for his  
ambition4 ,who  is here so base that    
would be a bondman8 ,if any1 speak2 for 
him have  ,i offended4 ,who is here so  
rude1 that would not be a ,roman8 ,if   
any1  speak2 for him have ,i offended4  
,who is here so vile that will not love 
his country8 ,if any1 speak2 for him    

have ,i offended4 ,i pause for a        
reply4'    ,as several citizens cry out1
 ',none1 ,brutus1 none1' he passes to   
the  conclusion1 which is as weak as the
 discussion4    ,,conclusion4    ',then 
none have ,i offended4 ,i have done no  
more to ,caesar1 than you  shall do to  
,brutus4 ,as ,i slew my best lover for  
the good of ,rome1 ,i  have the same    
dagger for myself1 when it1 shall please
 my country to  need my death4'    ,he  
has gained nothing by the whole speech1 
save the knowledge that  none of the    
citizens present care at that time to   
impeach him for his  crime2 but their   
minds were open to other influences4    
,shakespeare thus  shows how an able man
 might use all his powers in the        
perfection of  oratorical and rhetorical
 forms1 without producing a great or    
effective  speech4 ,antony now comes    
forward4 ,behold the contrast6          
,,antony',s ,,speech4    ,the           
introduction is like and unlike that of 
,brutus4 ,the same three  titles are    

used2 the same call for attention4 ,but 
there is no  repetition1 no egotism1 no 
elaboration4 ,the introduction is short1
  calling attention to his ostensible   
purpose1 and prepares for a  beautiful  
transition to the discussion4           
,,introduction4    ',friends1 ,romans1  
countrymen1 lend me your ears4 ,i come  
to bury  ,caesar1 not to praise him4'   
,there is not a superfluous word4 ,but  
how can ,antony glide into those        
praises of ,caesar1 which he has        
disclaimed1 but which are necessary to  
his purpose8 ,the next sentence solves  
the question3      ',the evil that men  
do lives after them2    ,the good is oft
 interred with their bones2    ,so let  
it be with ,caesar4'    ,this leads most
 naturally to the thought of the        
discussion1 which  is1 ',no event of    
,caesar's life shows guilty ambition2   
but many do  reveal love to the people  
and care for the general welfare4 ,he   
should1  therefore1 be mourned1 and--the
 next word is not supplied by the       

orator1 but forced from the hearts of   
the people--avenged6 ,we quote a  few   
only of the well-known words3    ,,the  
,,discussion4      ',the noble ,brutus  
,hath told you ,caesar was ambitious2   
,if it were so1 it were a grievous      
fault1    ,and grievously hath ,caesar  
answered it4    ,here1 under leave of   
,brutus and the rest1    7,for ,brutus  
is an honorable man1    ,so are they    
all1 all honorable men7    ,come ,i to  
speak in ,caesar's funeral4    ,he was  
my friend1 faithful and just to me2     
,but ,brutus says he was ambitious1     
,and ,brutus is an honorable man4    ,he
 hath brought many captives home to     
,rome1    ,whose ransom did the general 
coffers fill4    ,did this in ,caesar   
seem ambitious8    ,when that the poor  
hath cried ,caesar hath wept4           
,ambition should be made of sterner     
stuff4    ,yet ,brutus says he was      
ambitious1    ,and ,brutus is an        
honorable man4    ,you all did see1     
that1 on the ,lupercal1    ,i thrice    

presented him a kingly crown1    ,which 
he did thrice refuse4 ,was this         
ambition8'    ,the strongest argument   
against belief in guilty ambition on the
 part  of ,caesar and in favor of       
punishing his murderers is reserved by  
the  subtle ,antony for the last1 and   
then he manages to have the people      
demand it of him4 ,he proceeds very     
naturally and effectively from the  rent
 robe and the bleeding body to the will 
of ,caesar4 ,this instrument  gave the  
,romans each a large donation in money1 
and bestowed upon  them collectively    
'his walks1 his private arbors1 and 'new
 planted  orchards' as a public park4   
,the argument was irresistible1 and     
needed  no elaboration4 ,if his death   
was avenged as a murder1 the will would 
be  valid2 otherwise1 it would be set   
aside1 and his estate confiscated by    
the conspirators4 ,the people1 thus     
fired by the strongest motives of       
gratitude and interest themselves supply
 the conclusion1 and ,brutus had  to fly

 for his life4 ,the whole speech is     
worth study as an exhibition  of almost 
perfect eloquence4 ,shakespeare meant to
 draw in ,brutus the  picture of a      
scholar coming before the people with   
fine words1 and  producing little more  
than a literary effect4 ,in ,antony he  
pictures  the true orator in the        
plentitude of his power1 to whom words  
are  but servants in accomplishing his  
purpose of ,i suggest convincing        
persuading and inflaming the people4    
,the one speech reads as if it  might   
have been written out in the closet and 
memorized2 the other  gushes from the   
heart of the speaker as he watches the  
sea of upturned  faces1 adapting his    
words with exquisite skill to suit and  
swell the  passions written there4      
7,extempore ,speech1 pp4 #ed-ei47       
,,part ,,iv4    ,the ,ancient ,american 
,scripture4---,the ,book of ,mormon4    
,,lesson ,i4    ,,scripture ,,reading   
,,exercise4#a      ,,analysis4          
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,existence  

of the ,book of ,mormon                 
,pearl of ,great ,price1                
,revealed4                              
,writings of ,joseph          #a4 ,first
 ,visions and ,call of the              
,smith1 pp4 #ha-ajj1 ,history           
,prophet ,joseph ,smith4                
of the ,church ,vol4 ,i1          #b4   
,the ,visitation of ,moroni4            
,chaps4 i-ii-iii4 ,myth of          #c4 
,the ,book of ,mormon ,delivered        
the ,ms4 ,found1 7,geo4             to  
the ,prophet4                           
,reynolds74 ,chap4 viii4                
,note #a4 ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4           
,manual 7,no4 #g71 #aijc-d1             
,chap4 i4      ,,ii4 ,history of the    
,translation4                           
,history of the ,church           #a4   
,first ,attempts at ,translation4       
,vol4 ,i1 ,chaps4 iii1 iv1 v4           
#b4 ,martin ,harris and ,his ,visit to  
,myth of the ,ms4 ,found                
,professors ,mitchell and ,anthon--the  
7,reynolds71 ,chap4 ix4                 

lost ,mss4                              
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual ,no4 #g1    
#c4 ,oliver ,cowdery as ,amanuensis     
,chaps4 v1 vi1 viii4              and   
the ,completion of the ,translation4    
,wentworth ,letter 7,joseph             
,smith71 ,mill4 ,star ,vol4 ,,xix       
p4 #aag-abj1 ,cannon's                  
,life of the ,prophet1                  
,chaps4 iv-xi4      ,,iii4 ,the ,manner 
of ,translating the ,nephite            
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,manual                 
,record4                                
,no4 #g1 ,chap4 vii4 ,defense           
#a4 ,the ,prophet's ,description4       
of the ,faith and            #b4        
,whitmer and ,harris' ,account of       
the ,saints1#b ,division                
the ,manner of ,translation4            
on ,book of ,mormon ,controversies4     
#c4 ,the ,translation not a ,mechanical 
,note #f4               ,process4       
,,iv4 ,publication of the ,book4        
,history of the ,church           #a4   
,difficulties of ,finding a ,publisher4 

,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ge-f4 ,footnote4         
#b4 ,precautions ,against ,imposition4  
#c4 ,efforts to ,prevent ,publication4  
#d4 ,the ,prophet's ,success4           
,,special ,,text3 ,and it came to pass  
that ,i1 ,nephi1 said unto my father1   
,i will go and do the things which the  
,lord hath commanded1 for ,i know  that 
the ,lord giveth no commandments unto   
the children of men1 save he  shall     
prepare a way for them that they may    
accomplish the thing which  he          
commandeth them4--,,first ,,nephi4      
,,notes4    #a4 ,moroni's ,visit to the 
,prophet ,joseph3 ,on the evening of the
 #bast  of ,september1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahbc1   
while ,i was praying unto ,god1 and     
endeavoring  to exercise faith in the   
previous promises of ,scripture1 on a   
sudden  a light like that of day1 only  
of a far purer and more glorious        
appearance and brightness1 burst into   
the room1 indeed the first sight  was as
 though the house was filled with       
consuming fire2 the appearance  produced

 a shock that affected the whole body2  
in a moment a personage  stood before   
me1 surrounded with a glory yet greater 
than that with  which ,i was already    
surrounded4 ,this messenger proclaimed  
himself to  be an angel of ,god1 sent to
 bring the joyful tidings that the      
covenant  which ,god made with ancient  
,israel was at hand to be fulfilled1    
that  the preparatory work for the      
second coming of the ,messiah was       
speedily  to commence2 that the time was
 at hand for the ,gospel in all its     
fulness to be preached in power1 unto   
all nations1 that a people might  be    
prepared for the ,millennial reign4 ,i  
was informed that ,i was chosen  to be  
an instrument in the hands of ,god to   
bring about some of ,his  purposes in   
this glorious dispensation4    #b4      
,ancient ,america ,revealed3 ,i was also
 informed concerning the  aboriginal    
inhabitants of this country and shown   
who they were1 and  from whence they    
came2 a brief sketch of their origin1   

progress1  civilization1 laws1          
governments1 of their righteousness and 
iniquity1  and the blessings of ,god    
being finally withdrawn from them as a  
people1 was made known unto me2 ,i was  
also told where were deposited  some    
plates on which were engraven an        
abridgement of the records of  the      
ancient ,prophets that had existed on   
this continent4 ,the angel  appeared to 
me three times the same night and       
unfolded the same things4  ,after having
 received many visits from the angels of
 ,god unfolding the  majesty and glory  
of the events that should transpire in  
the last days1  on the morning of the   
#bbnd of ,september1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahbg1 the 
angel of the  ,lord delivered the       
records into my hands4 7,wentworth's    
,letter--,joseph  ,smith1 #ahdb47    #c4
 ,the ,wentworth ,letter3 ,the letter so
 designated1 and from which the         
foregoing notes of this lesson are      
taken1 was written at the request of    
,mr4 ,john ,wentworth1 editor and       

proprietor of the ,chicago ,democrat4   
,a friend of his1 ,mr4 ,bastow1 was     
engaged in writing a history of ,new    
,hampshire and evidently desired to make
 some mention of the rise of            
,mormonism1 and hence he enlisted the   
good offices of ,mr4 ,wentworth to  get 
a statement from the ,prophet ,joseph   
himself on that subject2 and  hence this
 letter was written4 ,it is one of the  
most valuable of our  original          
historical documents1 and gives in      
concise form the very best  statement   
possible of the rise1 progress and      
doctrines of the ,church  up to the time
 it was written2 namely1 ,march1 #ahdb4 
,in addition to the  statements         
concerning the ,book of ,mormon quoted  
in the foregoing notes1  it was in that 
document that the summary of doctrines  
believed in by  the ,church appears1    
commonly known as the ,articles of      
,faith4 ,the  ,wentworth letter entire  
is to be found in the ,millennial ,star1
 ,vol4 #ai1  pp4 #aag-abj4    #d4       

,precautions taken in ,printing the     
,book of ,mormon3 ,nothing is said  by  
the ,prophet in his ,history of the     
difficulties that arose whilst the      
,book of ,mormon was in the hands of the
 printer2 nor of the care that  was     
taken to prevent the manuscript falling 
into the hands of enemies  of the work4 
,it is proper1 however1 that these      
matters should be stated  at this point4
 ,it appears that when the arrangements 
were completed  with ,mr4 ,grandin for  
printing the ,book of ,mormon1 the      
,prophet went down  to ,harmony1 in     
,pennsylvania4 ,before taking his       
departure1 however1 it  was arranged3   
,first3 that ,oliver ,cowdery transcribe
 the whole manuscript2 hence it  came   
about that there were two manuscript    
copies of the ,book of ,mormon1  the    
original1 which was taken in charge by  
the ,prophet after the  publication of  
the book1 and the copy made by ,oliver  
,cowdery for the  printer's use1 and    
which finally was given by him into the 

custody of  ,david ,whitmer1 with whose 
family it remains to this day 7#aija47  
7,since  the above was written the      
custodian of the ,whitmer family has    
placed  the ,ms4 in the care of ,joseph 
,smith1 son of the ,prophet ,joseph47   
,second3 that the copy made by ,cowdery 
from the original manuscript  only      
should be taken to the printer's1 so    
that if that should be  destroyed the   
original would remain in the hands of   
the ,prophet and his  associates1 from  
which it could be replaced2 and even    
this copy was  supplied the printer in  
small quantities at a time1 usually     
enough only  for a single day's work of 
the printer4    ,third3 that in going to
 and from the office whoever carried the
  manuscript--usually it was ,oliver    
,cowdery--should always have a guard  to
 attend him4    ,fourth3 that a guard   
should be kept constantly upon the      
watch1 both  night and day1 about the   
house1 to protect the manuscript from   
malicious persons1 who might seek to    

destroy it4 7,the authorities for  the  
above are3 ,lucy ,smith's ,history of   
the ,prophet ,joseph1 ch4 xxxi2  the    
statements of ,stephen ,s4 ,harding1 who
 a number of times visited  ,grandin's  
establishment while the ,book of ,mormon
 was being printed2 his  statement is   
published in ,the ,prophet of ,palmyra1 
by ,thomas ,gregg1  pp4 #cd-ef47        
7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4  
#ge47    #e4 ,the ,wisdom of the        
,prophet's ,precautions ,vindicated3    
,notwithstanding all the precautions    
taken by the little group of  brethren  
engaged in publishing the book1 the     
,nephite record1 mutilated  by          
interlineations of human invention1     
omissions1 and added vulgarisms         
intended to destroy the work1 came      
nearly being given to the world  before 
the ,book of ,mormon itself was         
published4 ,this was the work of  one   
,esquire ,cole1 ex-justice of the peace1
 who undertook to publish the  ,book of 
,mormon1 in instalments1 in a weekly    

periodical called ,dogberry  ,paper on  
,winter ,hill4 ,cole obtained the use of
 ,grandin's press nights  and on        
,sundays1 and surely must have obtained 
the advanced sheets of  the printed     
forms of the ,book of ,mormon1 which he 
was using1 with the  knowledge of ,mr4  
,grandin2 at least it is difficult to   
conceive how he  could obtain and use   
them without his knowledge4 ,hyrum      
,smith1 feeling  uneasy concerning the  
security of that part of the ,book of   
,mormon in  the hands of the printer1   
induced ,oliver ,cowdery one ,sunday to 
go with  him to the printer's to see if 
all was well1 and there they found      
,squire ,cole at work on his ,dogberry  
paper1 and publishing mutilated         
extracts from the ,book of ,mormon4 ,he 
refused to desist from his  unlawful    
course2 but ,joseph was sent for and    
came up during that week  from ,harmony1
 and by firmly asserting his rights     
under the copyright  law1 and by        
threatening to prosecute those who      

infringed them1 ,cole was  induced to   
abandon his intention of publishing the 
,book of ,mormon in  his paper4 ,this   
difficulty past1 another arose4 ,the    
people of ,palmyra  and vicinity held a 
mass meeting and passed a resolution    
pledging  themselves not to purchase the
 ,book of ,mormon when published1 and to
  use their influence to prevent others 
from purchasing it4 ,this had the       
effect of causing ,mr4 ,grandin to      
suspend printing until he could obtain  
renewed assurances of receiving the     
amount agreed upon for printing the     
edition of five thousand4 ,again the    
,prophet was sent for1 and again  he    
made the journey from ,harmony to       
,palmyra1 quieted the fears of ,mr4     
,grandin by renewed assurances on the   
part of himself and ,martin ,harris     
that the amount agreed upon would be    
paid4 ,the work proceeded1 and at  last 
issued from the press1 notwithstanding  
all the difficulties it had             
encountered4 7,see ,lucy ,smith's       

,history of the ,prophet ,joseph1 ch4   
xxxiii47 7,history of the ,church1 ,vol4
 #a1 pp4 #ge-f47    #f4 ,the ,manner of 
,translating the ,book of ,mormon3 ,the 
sum of the whole  matter1 then1         
concerning the manner of translating the
 sacred record  of the ,nephites1       
according to the testimony of the only  
witnesses  competent to testify in the  
matter is3 ,with the ,nephite record was
  deposited a curious instrument1       
consisting of two transparent stones1   
set in the rim of a bow1 somewhat       
resembling spectacles1 but larger1      
called by the ancient ,hebrews ,urim and
 ,thummim1 but by the ,nephites         
,interpreters4 ,in addition to these    
,interpreters the ,prophet ,joseph  had 
a ,seer ,stone1 possessed of similar    
qualities to the ,urim and  ,thummim2   
that the prophet sometimes used one and 
sometimes the other of  these sacred    
instruments in the work of translation2 
that whether the  ,interpreters or the  
,seer ,stone was used the ,nephite      

characters with  the ,english           
interpretation appeared in the sacred   
instrument2 that the  ,prophet would    
pronounce the ,english translation to   
his scribe1 which  when correctly       
written would disappear and the other   
characters with  their interpretation   
take their place1 and so on until the   
work was  completed4 ,it should not be  
supposed1 however1 that this translation
  though accomplished by means of the   
,interpreters and ,seer ,stone1  as     
stated above1 was merely a mechanical   
procedure2 that no faith1 or  mental or 
spiritual effort was required on the    
prophet's part2 that  the instruments   
did all1 while he who used them did     
nothing but look  and repeat            
mechanically what he saw there          
reflected4 99 99 99 99 ,i repeat1  then1
 that the translation of the ,book of   
,mormon by means of the  ,interpreters  
and ,seer ,stone1 was not merely a      
mechanical process1  but required the   
utmost concentration of mental and      

spiritual force  possessed by the       
,prophet1 in order to exercise the gift 
of translation  through the means of the
 sacred instruments provided for that   
work4  ,this might be inferred from the 
general truth that ,god sets no premium 
upon mental and spiritual laziness2 for 
whatever means ,god may have  provided  
to assist man to arrive at the truth1 he
 has always made it  necessary for him  
to couple with those means his utmost   
endeavor of  mind and heart4 7,y4 ,m4   
,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual1 #aijc-e1 pp4       
#fh-i47    ,footnotes    #a4 ,let the   
selection be from the ,book of ,mormon  
throughout the ,book of  ,mormon section
 of the year's work4    #b4 ,this is a  
new work by ,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts1    
just issued from the  ,deseret ,news    
press1 and the question of the manner in
 which the ,book of  ,mormon was        
translated is discussed at great length4
        ,,lesson ,,ii4    ,,scripture   
,,reading ,,exercise4    ,,the ,,ancient
 ,,american ,,scripture--,,the ,,book   

,,of ,,mormon4 7,continued47            
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,nephite    
,plates4                                
,note #a4       #a4 ,dimensions4        
,wentworth ,letter1       #b4 ,weight   
and ,appearance4                        
,mill4 ,star ,vol4 ,,xix3 #aag4         
,,ii4 ,writers of the ,book of ,mormon4 
,see ,book of ,mormon           #a4     
,first ,group4                          
also ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual        
#b4 ,second ,group4                     
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 ix4      ,,iii4       
,purposes for ,which the ,book of       
,ibid 7,no4 #i71 ,chap4 xxxvii4         
,mormon was ,written4                   
,doc4  ,cov4 ,sec4 iii1                 
#af-bj4 ,book of ,mormon--,moroni's     
,preface ,title ,page4 ,book of         
,mormon1 ,chap4 v3 #ab-ae4 ,ibid        
vii1 #edj1 ,i ,nephi1 ,chap4 xiii4      
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual             
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 iii4      ,,iv4       
,original ,books of the ,nephite        

,record4                    ,note ,ibid4
           #a4 ,the ,small ,plates of   
,nephi4                           ,book 
of ,mormon1 pp4 #a-aeg4           #b4   
,the ,abridgement of ,mormon4--,nephite 
,words of ,mormon1                      
,history4                               
,chap4 i1 p4 #aeh2 pp4 #afj-edh4        
#c4 ,the ,abridgement of ,moroni--,the  
,book of ,mormon1 #egj-fjh4             
,jaredite ,history4                     
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual             
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 ix4                   
,myth of the ,ms ,found1                
,chap4 v4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,appearance
 and ,dimensions of the ,plates of the  
,book of ,mormon3  ,these records were  
engraven on plates which had the        
appearance of  gold1 each plate was six 
inches wide and eight inches long1 and  
not  quite so thick as common tin4 ,they
 were filled with engravings1 in        
,egyptian characters1 and bound together
 in a volume as the leaves of  a book1  
with three rings running through the    

whole4 ,the volume was  something near  
six inches in thickness1 a part of which
 was sealed4 ,the  characters on the    
unsealed part were small1 and           
beautifully engraved4  ,the whole book  
exhibited many marks of antiquity in its
 construction1  and much skill in the   
art of engraving4 7,joseph ,smith1      
,wentworth  ,letter47    #b4 ,summary of
 the ,book of ,mormon3 ,in this         
important and interesting  book the     
history of ancient ,america is unfolded1
 from its first  settlement by a colony 
that came from the ,tower of ,babel1 at 
the  confusion of languages to the      
beginning of the fifth century of the   
,christian ,era4 ,we are informed by    
these records that ,america in ancient  
times had been inhabited by two distinct
 races of people4 ,the first  were      
called ,jaredites1 and came directly    
from the ,tower of ,babel4  ,the second 
race came directly from the city of     
,jerusalem1 about six  hundred years    
before ,christ4 ,they were principally  

,israelites1 of the  descendants of     
,joseph4 ,the ,jaredites were destroyed 
about the time that  the ,israelites who
 succeeded them in the inheritance of   
the country1  came from ,jerusalem4 ,the
 principal nation of the second race    
fell in  battle towards the close of the
 fourth century4 ,the remnant are the   
,indians that now inhabit this country4 
,this book also tells us that our       
,savior made his appearance upon this   
the ,american continent after his       
resurrection2 that he planted the gospel
 here in all its fulness1 and  richness1
 and power1 and blessing2 that they had 
,apostles1 ,prophets1  ,pastors1        
,teachers1 and ,evangelists2 the same   
order the same ,priesthood1  the same   
ordinances1 gifts1 powers1 and          
blessings1 as were enjoyed on  the      
eastern continent2 that the people were 
cut off in consequence  of their        
transgressions2 that the last of their  
,prophets who existed  among them was   
commanded to write an abridgement of    

their prophecies1  history1 etc41 and to
 hide it up in the earth1 and that it   
should  come forth and be united with   
the ,bible for the accomplishment of the
  purposes of ,god in the last days4    
7,joseph ,smith1 ,wentworth ,letter47   
#c4 ,book of ,mormon ,writers3 ,as      
indicated in the lesson analysis1 the   
,book of ,mormon writers may be divided 
into two groups1 separated by a  period 
of nearly a thousand years4 ,the first  
group consists of nine  writers3    ,i  
,nephi1 who writes #abg #a_/b pages4    
,jacob1 brother of ,nephi1 #ba #a_/b    
pages4    ,zenos1 son of the above      
,jacob1 #b #a_/b pages4    ,jarom1 son  
of the above ,zenos1 #b pages4    ,in   
the book of ,omni there are but #c #a_/b
 pages1 but there are five  writers1    
each of whom records merely a few lines4
 ,the names follow3    ,omni1 son of the
 above ,omni4    ,amaron1 son of the    
above ,omni4    ,chemish1 brother of the
 above ,amaron4    ,abinadom1 son of    
,chemish4    ,ameleki1 son of the above 

,abinadom4    ,amaleki writes about #b  
#a_/b pages1 out of the three pages and 
a half  that comprise the ,book of      
,omni4    ,altogether this first group  
gives us #aeg pages4    ,the second     
group consists of ,mormon and his son   
,moroni4    ,mormon's abridgement of the
 various books written upon the large   
plates of ,nephi1 comprises #cij #a_/b  
pages4    ,mormon's personal account of 
events that occur in his own day1 #ad   
#a_/b  pages1 making a total of #dje    
pages4    ,moroni's writings1 consisting
 of the completion of his father's      
personal record1 the abridgement of the 
,jaredite history and his own  book1    
called the ,book of ,moroni1 #fa pages1 
making a total of #fbc pages  of our    
current editions4    #d4 ,purpose for   
which the ,book of ,mormon was ,written3
 ,the following  is a summary of the    
purposes for which the ,book of ,mormon 
was written1  gathered from the book    
itself and from the ,doctrine and       
,covenants4 7,see  references           

accompanying ,lesson analysis47         
,first1 to show unto the remnant of the 
house of ,israel what great  things the 
,lord has done for their fathers4       
,second1 to teach them the covenants of 
the ,lord made with their  fathers1 that
 the remnants may know that they are not
 cast off forever4    ,third1 that this 
record may convince both ,jews and      
,gentiles that ,jesus  is the ,christ1  
the ,eternal ,god1 and that he manifests
 himself to all  nations4    ,fourth1   
that the knowledge of a ,savior might   
come especially to the  remnants of the 
house of ,israel on the western         
hemisphere1 through  the testimony of   
the ,nephites and ,lamanites as well as 
through the  testimony of the ,jews1    
that they might more fully believe the  
gospel4    ,fifth1 that the ,jews might 
have the testimony of the ,nephites as  
well  as that of their fathers1 that    
,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the  
living ,god4    ,sixth1 and ,i think    
mainly1 to be a witness for the truth of

 the ,bible1  to establish its          
authenticity1 and its credibility by    
bringing other  witnesses to testify to 
the same great truths that are contained
  in the sacred pages of the ,bible2 to 
restore to the knowledge of  mankind    
many plain and precious truths          
concerning the gospel which  men have   
taken out of the ,jewish scriptures1 or 
obscured by their  interpretations2 for 
which cause many have stumbled and      
fallen into  unbelief4 ,in a word1 it is
 the mission of the book of ,mormon to  
be  a witness for ,jesus1 the ,christ2  
for the truth of the ,gospel as the     
power of ,god unto salvation2 for that  
purpose it was written1 preserved  from 
destruction and has now come forth to   
the children of men through  the        
goodness and mercy and power of ,god4   
7,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manuals1          
#aijc-aije1 p4 #bf-g47        ,,lesson  
,,iii4    ,,scripture ,,reading         
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,ancient          
,,american ,,scripture--,,the ,,book    

,,of ,,mormon4 7,continued47            
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,ancient         
,migrations to ,america4                
,myth of the ,ms ,found          #a4    
,the ,jaredite ,colony4                 
7,reynolds71 ,chap4 v4          #b4     
,lehi's ,colony4                        
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual          #c4
 ,colony of ,mulek4                     
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 x4                    
,notes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f4          
,,ii4 ,ancient ,nations of ,america4    
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual             
#a4 ,jaredite ,empire1 ,its ,center of  
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 xiii4 ,notes          
,national ,life--,form of ,government4  
#h1 #i1 #aj4           #b4 ,nephite     
,kingdom1 ,when and              ,how   
,established--,character of             
,government4           #c4              
,nephite--,zarahemla ,kingdom1          
,how ,formed1 ,nature of ,its ,laws4    
#d4 ,the ,nephite ,republic4            
,distinction              ,between this 

,form of ,government              and   
the ,monarchy4           #e4 ,lamanite  
,confederation1 ,evidence               
of such ,confederation--,its            
,extent and ,nature4    ,,notes4    #a4 
,jaredite ,colony3 ,the ,book of ,mormon
 contains the history of  two distinct  
races4 ,the first came from the ,tower  
of ,babel and was  destroyed a little   
less than six hundred years before      
,christ4 ,the story  of their national  
life is given very briefly1 but         
sufficient is said  to prove that they  
were one of the mightiest nations of    
antiquity1  and in the days of their    
righteousness a people highly blessed of
 the  ,lord4 ,their fall and final      
destruction were the result of their    
gross  wickedness and rejection of      
,god's ,prophets4 ,these people were    
called  the ,jaredites1 their history in
 the ,book of ,mormon is contained in   
the  ,book of ,ether4 ,ether was their  
last ,prophet1 and wrote his account of 
his people on twenty-four plates of     

gold4 7,the ,myth of the ,manuscript    
,found1 p4 #dc47    #b4 ,the ,nephite   
,colony3 ,the next race that inhabited  
this continent  was of ,israelitish     
origin1 the descendants of ,joseph and  
,judah4 ,the  ,nephites1 the ruling     
branch1 were principally the descendants
 of  ,manasseh 7and ,ephraim74 ,by      
divine guidance their first prophet and 
ruler1 ,lehi1 was brought out of        
,jerusalem with a small company of his  
relatives and friends1 eleven years     
before the ,babylonian captivity 7,b4   
,c4 #fjj74 ,they sailed from            
south-eastern ,arabia across the ,indian
 and  ,pacific oceans1 and landed on the
 ,american shore not far from where  the
 city of ,valparaiso now stands4 ,in the
 first year of the captivity  another   
small colony was led out from           
,jerusalem1 ,mulek1 one of the sons  of 
,king ,zedekiah1 being their nominal    
leader4 ,this party landed in  ,north   
,america some distance north of the     
,isthmus of ,darien1 and soon  after    

migrated into the northern portion of   
the southern continent1  where for      
nearly four centuries they grew in      
numbers1 but not in true  civilization4 
7,myth of the ,manuscript ,found1 p4    
#dd47    #c4 ,inter-,continental        
,movements3 ,in the meantime the        
descendants  of the colonists under     
,lehi had also grown numerous4 ,early in
 their  history they had separated into 
two nationalities2 the first1 called    
,nephites1 observing the laws of ,moses1
 the teachings of the prophets1  and    
developing in the decencies and comforts
 of civilized life2 the  others1 called 
,lamanites 7after the cruel1 rebellious 
elder brother  of ,nephi71 sank into    
barbarism and idolatry4 ,these latter   
gradually  crowded the ,nephites        
northward until the latter reached the  
land  occupied by the descendants of    
,mulek's colony1 now called the people  
of ,zarahemla1 with whom they coalesced 
and formed one nation4 ,from  their     
national birth to ,b4 ,c4 #ia1 the      

,nephites had been ruled by kings1  but 
at that time the form of government was 
changed and a republic  founded4 ,the   
nation was then ruled by judges elected 
by the people 7the  ,nephite ,republic74
 ,this portion of the history of the    
,nephites is a  very varied one4        
,one-third of their time they were      
engaged in actual  war with the         
,lamanites1 and at other times they were
 distracted with  internal convulsions  
and rebellions4 ,about ,a4 ,d44 #cj1 the
 republic was  overthrown and the people
 split up into numerous independent     
tribes4  7,myth of the ,manuscript      
,found1 p4 #dd47    #d4 ,time of the    
,departure of ,jaredite ,colony3 ,the   
colony of ,jared1  according to the     
,book of ,mormon1 departed from the     
,tower of ,babel about  the time of the 
confounding of the people's language2   
which1 if the  ,hebrew chronology of the
 ,bible be accepted1 was an event that  
took  place #b1bdg ,b4 ,c4 ,through a   
special favor to the family of ,jared   

and  his brother1 ,moriancumer1 the     
language of these families1 and that of 
a few of their friends was not          
confounded4 ,under divine direction they
  departed from ,babel northward into a 
valley called ,nimrod1 and thence  were 
led by the ,lord across the continent of
 ,asia eastward until they  came to the 
shore of the great sea--,pacific        
,ocean--which divided the  lands4 ,here 
they remained four years2 and then by   
divine appointment  constructed eight   
barges in which to cross the mighty     
ocean to a land  of promise1 to which   
,god had covenanted to bring them2 to a 
land which  was choice above all other  
lands1 which the ,lord ,god had reserved
 for  a righteous people44 ,after a     
severely stormy passage--continuing for 
#cdd days1 the colony landed on the     
western coast of ,north ,america1       
probably south of the ,gulf of          
,california4 ,soon after their arrival  
the people of the colony began to spread
 out upon the face of the land1  and    

multiply1 and till the earth2 and they  
did wax strong in the  land4 ,previous  
to the demise of ,moriancumer and       
,jared1 the people were  called together
 and a kingly government founded1       
,orihah1 the youngest  son of ,jared    
being anointed king4    #e4 ,composition
 and ,number of ,lehi's ,colony3 ,lehi  
was one of the many  prophets at        
,jerusalem who predicted the calamities 
which befell the  ,jewish nation on the 
second invasion of ,judea by ,king      
,nebuchadnezzar1  early in the sixth    
century ,b4 ,c4 ,lehi incurred the wrath
 of that  ungodly people and was warned 
of ,god in a vision to depart from      
,jerusalem with his family1 and was also
 promised that inasmuch as  he would    
keep the commandments of ,god he should 
be led to a land  of promise4 ,from the 
wilderness where ,lehi temporarily      
dwelt1 two  expeditions to the fated    
city were made by his sons3 one1 to     
obtain a  genealogy of his fathers1 and 
the ,jewish scriptures 7which resulted  

also in adding one more to the colony in
 the person of ,zoram1 a servant  of one
 ,laban1 a keeper of the ,jewish        
records72 the second1 to induce  one    
,ishmael and his family to join ,lehi's 
,colony in their exodus from  ,jerusalem
 and journey to the promised land4 ,in  
both these expeditions  they were       
successful in achieving their object4   
,the colony now  consisted of some      
eighteen adult persons and a number of  
children4    #f4 ,direction of ,travel  
and ,landing ,place of ,lehi's ,colony3 
,from the  ,book of ,mormon and the word
 of the ,lord to the prophet ,joseph    
,smith1  it is learned that ,lehi's     
,colony traveled from ,jerusalem nearly 
a  southeast direction until they came  
to the #aith degree north latitude2     
thence nearly east to the sea of        
,arabia4 ,here the colony built a ship  
in which to cross the great waters1     
which as yet separated them from  the   
land of promise4 ,they sailed in a      
southeasterly direction1 and  landed on 

the continent of ,south ,america in     
about #cj degrees south  latitude4      
#g4 ,conditions in ,jerusalem at the    
,departure of ,lehi's ,colony3 ,the     
story of ,zedekiah's reign in           
,jerusalem1 the conditions that obtained
  among the people1 and the warnings    
which ,god sent by many prophets  7,lehi
 among the rest7 is thus told in ,,ii   
,chronicles1 chapter xxxvi3  ,zedekiah  
was one and twenty years old when he    
began to reign2 and  reigned eleven     
years in ,jerusalem4 ,and he did that   
which was evil in  the sight of the     
,lord his ,god1 and humbled not himself 
before ,jeremiah  the prophet1 speaking 
from the mouth of the ,lord4 ,and he    
also rebelled  against ,king            
,nebuchadnezzar1 who had made him swear 
by ,god3 but he  stiffened his neck1 and
 hardened his heart from turning unto   
the ,lord  ,god of ,israel4 ,moreover1  
all the chief of the priests1 and the   
people1  transgressed very much1 after  
all the abominations of the heathen1 and

  polluted the house of the ,lord which 
he had hallowed in ,jerusalem4 ,and  the
 ,lord ,god of their fathers sent to    
them by his messengers1 rising  up      
betimes1 and sending2 because he had    
compassion on his people1 and  on his   
dwelling places3 ,but they mocked the   
messengers of ,god1 and  despised his   
words1 and misused his prophets1 until  
the wrath of the  ,lord arose against   
his people1 till there was no remedy4   
#h4 ,mulek's ,colony3 ,according to the 
,bible narrative of ,king  ,zedekiah's  
reign1 when ,jerusalem fell into the    
hands of the king of  ,babylon 7#ehh ,b4
 ,c471 ,king ,zedekiah himself well nigh
 made his escape4  ,for when the city   
was broken up1 and all the men of war   
fled by night1  by the way of the gate  
between two walls1 which is by the      
king's  garden1 the king went the way   
toward the plain4 ,but his flight being 
betrayed by an enemy among his own      
people1 the army of the ,chaldeans      
pursued ,zedekiah early in the morning  

and overtook him in the plain  near     
,jericho4 ,the king's army was scattered
 from him at the time he  was captured2 
for those friends and captains of       
,zedekiah who had fled  out of the city 
with him1 when they saw their enemies   
near them1 they  left him1 and dispersed
 themselves1 some one way and some      
another1  and every one resolved to save
 himself2 so the enemy took ,zedekiah   
alive1 when he was deserted by all but a
 few1 with his children and  his wives4 
,the unfortunate king was taken before  
the king of ,babylon1  whose            
headquarters were then at ,riblah1 in   
,syria1 where they gave  judgment upon  
him4 ,the sons of ,zedekiah were slain  
in his presence2  after which his eyes  
were put out2 he was bound in fetters   
and carried  to ,babylon1 where         
subsequently he died4 ,but among the    
king's friends  who escaped1 were a     
number who carried with them one of     
,zedekiah's  sons1 named ,mulek2 and    
according to the ,book of ,mormon1 this 

company  journeyed in the wilderness and
 were brought by the hand of the ,lord  
across the great waters1 into the       
western hemisphere4 ,it is learned  by  
an incidental remark in the ,book of    
,mormon that the colony of ,mulek       
landed somewhere in the north continent 
of the western hemisphere2 and  for that
 reason the north continent was called  
,mulek1 by the ,nephites2  and the south
 continent1 ,lehi2 and this for the     
reason that the ,lord  brought the      
colonies bearing these names to the     
north and south land  respectively4     
#i4 ,the ,government of the ,jaredites3 
,of the nature of ,jaredite  government 
little can be learned beyond the fact   
that after the  election of the first   
king1 ,orihah1 the hereditary principle 
was  recognized2 and although there were
 frequent contestants for the  throne1  
and occasional usurpations of the kingly
 authority1 the  legitimate line of     
hereditary monarchs seems to have been  
reasonably  well maintained4 ,it appears

 not to have been part of the           
constitution  of the government1        
however1 that the rights of heredity in 
the royal  house should descend to the  
eldest son4 ,it frequently happened that
 the  son born in the old age of the    
reigning monarch succeeded to the kingly
  power1 a course which perhaps accounts
 for the occasional rebellions of  their
 brothers1 though the rights of the     
first born are never urged as  the cause
 of the quarrels4    #aj4 ,the ,nephite 
,kingdom3 ,what the nature of this      
kingly government  was1 what secondary  
officers existed in it1 and what means  
were  employed for the administration of
 its laws cannot be learned from the    
,nephite record4 ,for some time the     
community over which the established    
government held sway was but a small    
one1 hence the kingly office had  no    
such dignity as attaches to it in more  
extensive governments2 but  was most    
likely akin to the petty kingdoms which 
existed in ,judea  at various times and 

with which ,nephi and some few of those 
who had  accompanied him from ,jerusalem
 were acquainted4 ,the ,nephites had the
  scriptures containing the law of      
,moses1 and were taught to some extent  
in some of the customs of the ,jews1 but
 not in all of them4 ,and these         
customs1 and the law of ,moses          
administered with no very great amount  
of machinery1 ,i apprehend constituted  
the character of the ,nephite           
government4 ,under it the ,nephites     
lived for a period of more than four    
hundred and fifty years4    #aa4 ,the   
,nephite ,republic3 ,the transition from
 a kingly form of  government to what   
may be called a democracy was made at   
the death of  ,mosiah ,,ii2 #eji years  
from the time ,lehi left ,jerusalem1 or 
#ia years ,b4  ,c4 ,the ,israelitish    
genius in matters of government inclines
 them to the  acceptance of what men    
commonly call a theocracy1 which is     
defined as  meaning literally a state   
governed in the name of ,god4 ,the      

election  of this form of government by 
,israelites as most desirable1 grows out
  of the fact of the ,mosaic            
legislation2 for ,moses received the law
 by  which ,israel was governed direct  
from ,jehovah2 its regulations were     
carried out in ,jehovah's name by the   
administration of judges1 both  during  
the life time of ,israel's great prophet
 and also after his  demise4 ,living    
thus under the divine law1 administered 
in the name of  ,jehovah by judges      
divinely appointed1 was to be governed  
of ,god4    #ab4 ,civilization and      
,government ,among the ,lamanites3 ,the 
,lamanites  in respect of these matters 
should not be overlooked4 ,it is true   
that  they were idle2 that they loved   
the wilderness and dwelt in tents2  that
 they depended upon the fruits of the   
chase and such products of  the earth as
 the rich lands they occupied produced  
without the labor  of man1 as the       
principal means of their sustenance2    
still they came  in contact now and then

 with ,nephite civilization1 which must 
have  modified somewhat their           
inclination to utter barbarism4 99 99 99
 99 99 ,that  there was some system and 
regularity in ,lamanite government must 
be  apparent from the degree of         
efficiency to which it must have arisen 
in  order to conduct the protracted wars
 with the ,nephites4 ,the largeness  of 
their armies1 the length of the wars1   
and the extensive scale on  which they  
were projected1 would indicate the      
existence of some strong1  central      
government capable of making its        
authority respected4 ,that such  a      
government existed among the ,lamanites 
is disclosed through the facts  that are
 brought to light by the mission of the 
young ,nephite princes1  the sons of    
,mosiah ,,ii41 in the century preceding 
the birth of ,messiah4  ,it appears that
 at that time what ,i shall venture to  
call the ,lamanite  ,empire was divided 
into a number of petty kingdoms whose   
kings1 as it  always the case among     

semi-civilized peoples1 were possessed  
of great  and arbitrary power2 but these
 in turn seem to have been subject to a 
central ruler whose dominion extended   
over all1 and whose power in his  larger
 sphere was as absolute as that of the  
petty kings in the smaller  states4     
,,lesson ,,iv4    ,,scripture ,,reading 
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,ancient          
,,american ,,scripture--,,the ,,book    
,,of ,,mormon4      ,,analysis4         
,,references4      ,i4 ,civilization in 
,ancient ,america4                 ,book
 of ,mormon4 ,book          #a4         
,jaredite1 ,extent and ,nature of4      
of ,ether4          #b4 ,nephite1       
,character of4          #c4 ,lamanite   
,civilization1 ,extent and              
,character of4    ,,ii4 ,religion ,among
 the ,ancient ,nations               ,y4
 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual           of   
,america4                               
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 xiii4           #a4   
,among the ,jaredites4                  
,notes #a1 #b1 #c4           #b4 ,the   

,nephites4           #c4 ,the ,people of
 ,zarahemla4           #d4 ,the         
,lamanites4    ,,special ,,text3 ,fools 
mock1 but they shall mourn2 and my grace
 is  sufficient for the meek4 99 99 99  
99 ,and if men will come unto me ,i will
  show unto them their weaknesses4 ,i   
give unto men weaknesses that they  may 
be humble2 and my grace is sufficient   
for all men that humble  themselves     
before me4--,,the ,,lord ,,to ,,moroni4 
,,notes4    #a4 ,religion of the        
,jaredites3 ,relative to the religion   
that obtained  among the ,jaredites1 we 
are left in well nigh as much ignorance 
as  we are concerning the nature of the 
subordinate features of their           
government4 ,the two brothers1          
,moriancumr and ,jared1 seem to have    
been  among the righteous people of     
,babel2 so much so in fact that         
,moriancumr  was a very great prophet of
 ,god1 and had direct access to the     
source of  revelation2 99 99 99 99 ,he  
so far prevailed with ,god through faith

 that he  beheld him face to face1 and  
talked with him as a man speaks with his
  friend4 ,that is1 he saw and talked   
with the pre-existent spirit of the     
,lord ,jesus4 99 99 99 99 99 ,moriancumr
 was commanded1 however1 not to suffer  
the things he had seen and heard to go  
into the world until the ,lord  ,jesus  
should have lived in the flesh4 ,he was 
commanded to write what  he had both    
seen and heard1 and seal it up that it  
might be preserved  to come forth in due
 time to the children of men4 ,while    
,moriancumr  was prohibited from making 
known to his people the great things    
thus  revealed to him1 his knowledge of 
the things of ,god must have given  him 
wonderful power and influence in        
teaching his people the righteous       
truths which are fundamental and        
universal4 99 99 99 99 ,the fifth       
monarch1  ,emer1 possessed such faith   
that he1 like ,moriancumr1 had the      
blessed  privilege of seeing the ,son of
 ,righteousness1 and did rejoice and    

glory in his day4 ,and of the whole     
people it is said1 never could  there be
 a people more blessed than were they1  
and more prospered by  the hand of the  
,lord4 ,all of which is good evidence   
that the ,jaredites  at this time 7in   
the reign of ,lib1 the sixteenth        
monarch7 were a  righteous people2 and  
this righteousness was doubtless brought
 about by  the preaching of faith in    
,god and his laws as only ,moriancumr   
and other  prophets whom ,god raised up 
to the ,jaredite nation could preach it4
    #b4 ,the ,religion of the ,nephites3
 ,religion among the ,nephites          
consisted in the worship of the true and
 living ,god1 the ,jehovah of  the      
,jews1 whose revelations to the children
 of ,israel through ,moses  and all the 
prophets to ,jeremiah were brought with 
them into the new  world4 ,they         
therefore accepted into their faith all 
the ,bible truths1  and in its          
historical parts they had before them   
the valuable lessons  which ,bible      

history teaches4 ,they looked forward   
also to the coming  of ,messiah1 through
 ,prophecy2 and when he finally came and
 taught the  gospel in its fulness they 
accepted it and thus became ,christians4
    #c4 ,religion of the ,lamanites3    
,the religion of ,lamanites is more     
difficult to determine than their       
government4 ,it is chiefly the  absence 
of religion and of its influence that   
must be spoken of4  ,taught to believe  
that the traditions of their fathers    
respecting ,god1  the promised ,messiah1
 and the belief in a future life were   
untrue2  persuaded to believe that their
 fathers had been induced to leave      
fatherland1 and their rich possessions  
therein because of the dreams  of the   
visionary ,lehi2 firm in their          
conviction that the elder sons  of ,lehi
 had been defrauded of their right to   
govern the colony by  the younger son1  
,nephi1 and that through the force of   
the religious  influence he learned to  
wield by following the spiritual example

 7to  them1 perhaps1 the trickery7 of   
his father--it was in the spirit of     
hatred of religion that the ,lamanites  
waged wars upon the ,nephites1 to       
subvert religion and free men from its  
influence4 ,but the ,lamanites  were    
true to human instincts4 ,they freed    
themselves1 as they supposed1  from one 
superstition1 only to plunge into others
 that were really  contemptible--the    
superstition of idolatry2 for they were 
an idolatrous  people4 ,this remark1    
however1 must be understood in a general
 sense1  and as applying to the         
,lamanites proper previous to the coming
 of  ,messiah--of the followers1 and the
 descendants of the followers1 of the   
elder brothers of the first ,nephi1     
,laman and ,lemuel4 ,after the coming   
of ,messiah1 when in the third century1 
,a4 ,d41 the old distinctions of        
,nephite and ,lamanite were revived1    
after the long period of peace and      
righteousness following the advent of   
,christ1 they had no reference  to race 

or family distinctions1 as they had when
 first employed2 but  were strictly     
party distinctions2 used1 when adopted  
again in the  period named1 to indicate 
the ,church or religious party1 and the 
anti-religious party1 respectively4     
#d4 ,the ,priesthood of the ,nephites3  
,in order to offer sacrifices and       
administer in the other ordinances of   
the law of ,moses 7which the  ,nephites 
were commanded to observe71 it was      
necessary1 of course1 that  they have a 
priesthood1 and this they had2 but not  
the priesthood  after the order of      
,aaron2 for that was a priesthood that  
could only  properly be held by ,aaron's
 family and the tribe of ,levi2 while   
,lehi  was of the tribe of ,manasseh4   
,lehi held the priesthood1 however1 the 
higher priesthood1 which was after the  
order of ,melchisedek1 and was a        
prophet and minister of righteousness4  
,this he conferred upon his son  ,nephi1
 and ,nephi shortly after his separation
 from his elder brothers  on the land of

 promise1 consecrated his two younger   
brothers1 ,jacob  and ,joseph1 to be    
priests and teachers unto his people4   
,jacob1 when  explaining his calling to 
his brethren1 states that he had been   
called  of ,god1 and ordained after the 
manner of his holy order4 ,what the     
significance of the phrase his holy     
order means1 is learned very  distinctly
 from other parts of the ,book of       
,mormon4 ,alma1 for instance1  before   
giving up the chief judgeship of the    
land1 is represented as  confining      
himself wholly to the holy priesthood of
 the holy order  of ,god1 to the        
testimony of the word1 according to the 
spirit of  revelation and prophecy4     
,again ,alma explains1 ,i am called 99  
99 99 99  according to the holy order of
 ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus1 yea1 
,i am  commanded to stand and testify   
unto this people4 ,all of which is made 
still clearer by what ,alma says later4 
,having given an explanation of  the    
plan of redemption which was laid for   

man's salvation1 and which  he          
represents as having been understood    
from earliest times1 he adds3  ,i would 
that ye should remember that the ,lord  
,god ordained priests  after his holy   
order1 which was after the order of his 
,son 7meaning  ,jesus ,christ71 to teach
 these things unto the people4 99 99 99 
99 ,this holy  priesthood being after   
the order of his ,son1 which order was  
from the  foundation of the world1 or in
 other words1 being without beginning of
  days or end of years1 being prepared  
from eternity to all eternity4  99 99 99
 99 ,thus they become the high priests  
forever after the order of  the ,son1   
the only begotten of the ,father1 who is
 full of grace1 equity  and truth4 ,alma
 then admonishes his people to be humble
 even as the  people in the days of     
,melchisedek1 who was also a high priest
 after  the same order 7of which he had 
spoken74 99 99 99 99 ,and he was the    
same  ,melchisedek to whom ,abraham paid
 tithes4 ,the ,nephite priesthood1      

then1 was not a priesthood after        
,aaron's order1 but of a higher order1  
even the priesthood after the order of  
the ,son of ,god2 the same kind  of     
priesthood held by ,melchisedek1 by     
,moses1 by ,lehi1 and many other        
prophets in ,israel4 ,that this higher  
priesthood was competent to act  in     
administering the ordinances under what 
is known as the law of  ,moses is       
evident from the fact that it so        
administered before the  ,aaronic or    
,levitical priesthood proper was given2 
and the fact that  there was given the  
household of ,aaron and the tribe of    
,levi a special  priesthood1 by no means
 detracts from the right and power of   
the higher  or ,melchisedek priesthood  
to officiate in the ordinances of the   
law  of ,moses2 for certainly the higher
 order of priesthood may officiate  in  
the functions of the lower1 when        
necessity requires it4 ,all the         
sacrifices and ordinances under the law 
of ,moses1 administered by the  ,nephite

 priesthood1 ,i say again1 were observed
 with due appreciation  of the fact that
 they were of virtue only as they       
shadowed forth the  things to be done by
 ,messiah when he should come to earth1 
in the  flesh1 on his great mission of  
atonement4 7,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4         
,manuals1  #aijc-e1 pp4 #acg-h47        
,,lesson ,v4    ,,scripture ,,reading   
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,ancient          
,,american ,,scripture--,,the ,,book    
,,of ,,mormon4 7,continued47            
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,value of   
the ,book of ,mormon4                   
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual             
7,no4 #g71 ,chap4 ii4          #a4 ,as a
 ,witness to the ,authenticity          
,the ,gospel1 ,chap4 vii             and
 ,credibility of the ,bible4            
and viii4             7a7 ,of ,parts of 
the ,old ,testament4                 ,i 
,nephi1 v3 #aj-af1 and             7b7  
,of ,parts of the ,new ,testament4      
,comments ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4           

7c7 ,of the ,whole ,gospel ,story4      
,manual 7,no4 #g71 pp4 #ad1 #ae4        
,note4          #b4 ,as ,contributing   
,larger ,views of                       
,,ii ,nephi1 xxix4 ,alma1               
the ,justice and ,mercy of ,god in      
xxxix3 #a-h4 ,see also ,defence         
,his ,hand-,dealings with the ,human    
of the ,faith and             ,race in  
,respect of ,revelation4                
the ,saints ,art4 ,revelation           
7a7 ,with the ,ancient                  
,americans--,jaredite           and     
,inspiration1 also                 and  
,nephites4                              
note4             7b7 ,with the         
,gentiles4             7c7 ,with ,all   
,nations and ,races                 of  
,men4    ,,special ,,text3 ,i ought not 
to harrow up in my desires the firm     
decree  of a just ,god1 for ,i know that
 he granteth unto men according to their
  desires1 whether it be unto death or  
unto life2 yea1 ,i know that he         
alloteth unto men1 according to their   

wills2 whether they be unto  salvation  
or unto destruction4--,,alma4           
,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,witness of the    
,western ,hemisphere3 ,a writer 7,rev4  
,john  ,watson--,ian ,maclaren7 held    
much in esteem by the orthodox          
,christian  world--and deservedly so--in
 a noble work1 ,the ,life of the        
,master1  issued from the press1 #aija1 
said3        ,were a parchment          
discovered in an ,egyptian mound1 six   
inches      square1 containing fifty    
words which were certainly spoken by    
,jesus1 this utterance would count more 
than all the books which      have been 
published since the first century4 ,if a
 veritable picture      of the ,lord    
could be unearthed from a catacomb1 and 
the world could      see with its own   
eyes what like he was1 it would not     
matter that      its colors were faded1 
and that it was roughly drawn1 that     
picture      would have at once a       
solitary place amid the treasures of    
art4    ,if this be true1 and ,i think  

no one will or can question it1 then how
  valuable indeed must be this whole    
volume of scripture1 the ,book of       
,mormon6 ,containing not fifty1 but many
 hundred works spoken by ,jesus6        
,containing also an account of the hand 
dealings of ,god with the people        
inhabiting the western hemisphere1 from 
earliest times to the fourth  century   
after ,christ4 ,wherein also are found  
his revelations to those  peoples2 his  
messages by angels sent directly from   
his presence to  declare his word to    
them2 his instructions1 admonitions1    
reproofs1 and  warnings to them through 
men inspired by his holy spirit2 and    
last of  all1 the account of ,messiah's 
appearance and ministry among the       
people1  his very words repeated1 and1  
in some instances1 rightly divided for  
us1 that we may the better understand   
what of his teaching is general1  and   
what special2 what universal and        
permanent1 and what local and           
transient4 ,how insignificant all the   

discoveries in ,egypt1 in ancient       
,babylon1 ,palestine1 and the ,sinaitic 
,peninsula are in comparison with  this 
,new ,witness of the western world6 ,how
 paltry1 valuable though  they are in   
themselves1 seem the ,rosetta ,stone1   
the ,moabite ,stone and  the library of 
brick tablets from old ,nineveh1 in     
comparison with this  ,nephite          
record--this volume of scripture6 ,how  
feeble the voice of  the testimony of   
those monuments of the ,east to the     
authenticity and  credibility of the    
,bible and the truth of the gospel1 in  
comparison  with the testimony found in 
the ,book of ,mormon--the voice of      
departed  nations and empires of people 
speaking through their records for the  
truth of ,god--for the verity of the    
gospel of ,jesus ,christ--a voice       
sufficient to overwhelm unbelief and    
forever make sure the foundations  of   
faith6 ,it was mainly for this purpose  
that the ,nephite records were  written1
 preserved1 and finally brought forth to

 the world4 7,y4 ,m4 ,m4  ,i4 ,a4       
,manual1 ,no4 #g1 p4 #ba47    #b4 ,the  
,hand ,dealings of ,god with ,all ,men  
in ,relation to ,revelation3  ,the      
following appears in the ,book of       
,mormon1 with reference to ,god's       
course in making known his mind and will
 to the children of men3        ,i 7the 
,lord7 command all men1 both in the east
 and in the west1      and in the north1
 and in the south1 and in the islands of
 the sea1      that they shall write the
 words which ,i speak unto them2 for out
 of      the books which shall be writen
 ,i will judge the world1 every man     
according to his works1 according to    
that which is written4 ,for      behold1
 ,i will speak unto the ,jews1 and they 
shall write it2 and ,i      will also   
speak unto the ,nephites1 and they shall
 write it2 and ,i      will also speak  
unto the other tribes of the house of   
,israel1 which      ,i have led away1   
and they shall write it2 and ,i will    
also speak      unto all nations of the 

earth1 and they shall write it4    ,then
 the ,lord proceeds to tell how in the  
dispensation of the fulness  of times he
 will bring together and unite in       
testimony the words that  he has spoken 
to these various peoples and nations4   
,again1 it is writen in the same book3  
,behold1 the ,lord doth grant unto all  
nations1 of their own nation      and   
tongue1 to teach his word2 yea1 in      
wisdom1 all that he seeth      fit that 
they should have2 therefore we see that 
the ,lord doth      counsel in wisdom1  
according to that which is just and     
true4    ,this is the ,mormon theory of 
,god's revelation to the children of    
men4  ,while the ,church of ,jesus      
,christ of ,latter-day ,saints is       
established  for the instruction of men2
 and is one of ,god's instrumentalities 
for  making known the truth1 yet he is  
not limited to that institution for     
such purposes1 neither in time nor      
place4 ,god raises up wise men and      
prophets here and there among all the   

children of men1 of their own  tongue   
and nationality1 speaking to them       
through means that they can  comprehend2
 not always giving a fulness of truth   
such as may be found  in the fulness of 
the gospel of ,jesus ,christ2 but always
 giving that  measure of truth that the 
people are prepared to receive4         
,mormonism  holds1 then1 that all the   
great teachers among all nations and in 
all ages1 are servants of ,god4 ,they   
are inspired men1 appointed to  instruct
 ,god's children according to the       
conditions in the midst of  which he    
finds them4 ,hence it is not obnoxious  
to ,mormonism to  regard ,confucius1 the
 great ,chinese philosopher and         
moralist1 as a  servant of ,god1        
inspired to a certain degree by him to  
teach those  great moral maxims which   
have governed those millions of ,god's  
children  for lo6 these many centuries4 
,it is willing to regard ,gautama1      
,buddha  as an inspired servant of ,god1
 teaching a measure of the truth1 at    

least giving to these people that       
twilight of truth by which they may     
somewhat see their way4 ,so with the    
,arabian prophet1 that wild spirit  that
 turned the ,arabians from worshiping   
idols to a conception of  the ,creator  
of heaven and earth that was more       
excellent than their  previous          
conception of ,deity4 ,and so the sages 
of ,greece and of  ,rome4 ,so the       
reformers of early ,protestant times4   
,wherever ,god finds  a soul            
sufficiently enlightened and pure2 one  
with whom his ,spirit  can communicate1 
he makes of him a teacher of men4 ,while
 the path of  sensuality and darkness   
may be that which most men tread1 a few1
 to  paraphrase the words of a moral    
philosopher of high standing1 have  been
 led along the upward path2 a few in all
 countries and generations  have been   
wisdom seekers1 or seekers of ,god4     
,they have been so because  the ,divine 
,word of ,wisdom has looked upon them1  
choosing them for the  knowledge and    

service of himself4 7,defense of the    
,faith and the ,saints1  ,art4          
,revelation and ,inspiration47    #c4   
,the ,book of ,mormon ,ensemble a       
,witness for the ,truth of the ,hebrew  
and ,christian ,revelation3 ,it is1     
however1 the ,book of ,mormon as a      
whole in which its greatest value as a  
witness for the truth of the  ,bible1   
and the truth of the gospel of ,jesus   
,christ1 most appears4 ,i  mean the     
,book of ,mormon apart from its         
reference to an abridgement  of the     
ancient record of the ,jaredites2 and   
the transcriptions from  the ancient    
record on brass plates carried by       
,lehi's colony to the  western world4   
,in the ,book of ,mormon so considered  
we have the record  of the hand-dealings
 of ,god with the peoples that inhabited
 the western  hemisphere4 ,we have in it
 the record of those things which       
occurred  in a branch of the house of   
,israel that ,god was preparing for the 
same great event for which he was       

training the house of ,israel in the    
eastern world1 viz41 the advent of the  
,messiah1 and the acceptance  of the    
gospel through which all mankind are to 
be saved4 ,this branch  of the house of 
,israel1 broken from the parent tree and
 planted in  the western hemisphere1    
brought with them the traditions and    
hopes of  ,israel2 they brought with    
them as we have already seen1 the       
scriptures1  the writings of ,moses and 
the prophets down to the reign of       
,zedekiah1  king of ,judah2 but what is 
more important than all this they came  
to the western world with the favor and 
blessing of ,israel's ,god  upon them1  
and ,israel's peculiar privilege of     
direct communication  with ,god through 
inspired dreams1 the visitation of      
angels1 and the  voice of ,god4 ,lehi's 
colony was led to the western world by  
prophets1  inspired of the ,lord1 their 
journey being marked by many and        
peculiar  manifestations of his presence
 among them4 ,after their arrival in the

  western world1 to them a land of      
promise1 the ,lord from time to time    
raised up prophets among them1 who      
instructed them in the ways of the      
,lord2 who reproved them when overtaken 
in transgression2 who announced         
judgements against them when persuasion 
was of no avail for their  correction2  
who warned them by the spirit of        
prophecy of approaching  disasters2 and 
who held continually before them the    
hope of ,israel1 the  advent of the     
,messiah1 who1 by his suffering and     
death on the cross1  would redeem       
mankind4    ,it was much in this manner 
and for the same purpose that ,god dealt
 with  his people in the eastern world2 
and the fact that his course with the   
people on the western hemisphere was    
substantially the same as that  followed
 with those of the ,east1 establishes at
 once his justice and  mercy towards his
 children1 and bears testimony to the   
great truths  that indeed ,god is no    
respecter of persons1 and that in every 

land he  raises up for himself witnesses
 of his power and goodness4             
,,lesson ,,vi4    ,,scripture ,,reading 
,,exercise4    ,,the ,,ancient          
,,american ,,scripture--,,the ,,book    
,,of ,,mormon4 7,continued47            
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,value of   
the ,book of ,mormon                    
7,continued47          #a4 ,as ,giving a
 ,supplementary and                     
,book of ,ether1 ,chap4 iii4            
a ,very ,definite ,revelation of        
,,iii ,nephi--the whole                 
,jesus ,christ4                         
book4#a             7a7 ,to the ,brother
 of ,jared4             7b7 ,to the     
,nephites4          #b4 ,as ,revealing  
,very ,great and ,important             
,doctrines4#b             7a7 ,the      
,reason for ,man's ,fall4               
,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a4 ,manual             
7b7 ,the ,purpose of ,man's ,existence4 
7,no4 #i71 chap4 vii4 ,the              
7c7 ,the ,true ,immortality of          

whole chapter is devoted                
,man4                                   
to ,book of ,mormon ,doctrines4         
7d7 ,the ,agency of ,man4               
,,ii ,nephi1 ii4 ,alma xli1             
7e7 ,the ,antiquity of the ,gospel4     
vlii4             7f7 ,the ,necessity   
of--,opposite                           
,existences4    ,,special ,,text3 ,do   
not suppose1 because it has been spoken 
concerning  restoration1 that ye shall  
be restored from sin to happiness while 
remaining in sin4 ,behold ,i say unto   
you1 wickedness never was  happiness4   
,,alma4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,the ,book of
 ,mormon ,doctrine of the ,fall of      
,adam3 ,here1 then1  stands the truth so
 far as it may be gathered from ,god's  
word and the  nature of things3 ,there  
is in man an eternal1 uncreated1        
self-existing  entity1 call it          
intelligence1 mind1 spirit1 soul--what  
you  will1 so long as you recognize it1 
and regard its nature as eternal4       
,there came a time when in the progress 

of things1 7which is only  another way  
of saying in the nature of things7 an   
earth-career1 or  earth existence1      
because of the things it has to teach1  
was necessary  to the enlargement1 to   
the advancement of these intelligences1 
these  spirits1 souls4 ,hence an earth  
is prepared2 and one sufficiently       
advanced and able1 by the nature of him 
to bring to pass the event1 is  chosen1 
through whom this earth-existence 99 99 
99 99 may be brought to  pass4 ,he comes
 to earth with his appointed spouse4 ,he
 comes primarily  to bring to pass man's
 earth-life4 ,he comes to the earth with
 the  solemn injunction upon him3 ,be   
fruitful and multiply1 and replenish    
the earth1 and subdue it4 ,but he comes 
with the knowledge that this            
earth-existence of eternal              
,intelligences is to be lived under     
circumstances that will contribute to   
their enlargement1 to their             
advancement4 ,they are to experience joy
 and sorrow1 pain and pleasure2  witness

 the effect of good and evil1 and       
exercise their agency in the  choice of 
good or of evil4 ,to accomplish this    
end1 the local or earth  harmony of     
things must be broken4 ,evil to be seen1
 and experienced1  must enter the world1
 which can only come to pass through the
 violation  of law4 ,the law is         
given--of the tree of the knowledge of  
good and  evil1 thou shalt not eat of   
it3 for in the day thou eatest of it    
thou  shalt surely die4 ,the woman1     
forgetful of the purpose of the earth   
mission of herself and spouse is led by 
flattery and deceit into a  violation of
 that law1 and becomes subject to its   
penalty--merely  another name for its   
effect4 ,but the man1 not deceived1 but 
discerning  clearly the path of duty1   
and in order that earth existence may be
  provided for the great host of spirits
 to come to earth under the  conditions 
prescribed--he also transgresses the    
law1 not only that  men might be1 but   
that they might have that being under   

the very  circumstances deemed essential
 to the enlargement1 to the progress of 
eternal ,intelligences4 ,adam did not   
sin because deceived by another4  ,he   
did not sin maliciously1 or with evil   
intent2 or to gratify an  inclination to
 rebellion against ,god1 or to thwart   
the ,divine purposes1  or to manifest   
his own pride4 ,had his act of sin      
involved the taking  of life rather than
 eating a forbidden fruit1 it would be  
regarded  as a sacrifice rather than a  
murder4 ,this to show the nature of     
,adam's transgression4 ,it was a        
transgression of the law--for sin is    
the transgression of the law--that      
conditions deemed necessary to the      
progress of eternal ,intelligences might
 obtain4 ,adam sinned that men  might   
be1 and not only be1 but have that      
existence under conditions  essential to
 progress4    #b4 ,book of ,mormon      
,doctrine of the ,atonement3 ,the       
atonement1 its  effects and operation1  
is dealt with at length in ,,ii ,nephi  

ii1 and in  ,alma xli and xlii4         
,according to the doctrine there set    
down the effect  of ,adam's             
transgression was to destroy the harmony
 of the world4 ,man as  a consequence of
 his fall was banished from the presence
 of ,god1 and  made subject also to a   
temporal death--the separation of the   
spirit  and body--which conditions would
 have remained eternally fixed1 the     
nature of inexorable law--called the    
justice of ,god--admitting of  nothing  
less4 ,but this was justice untempered  
by mercy3 ,and thus  we see that all    
mankind were fallen1 and they were in   
the grasp of  justice2 yea1 the justice 
of ,god1 which consigned them forever to
 be  cut off from his presence4 ,but    
mercy must in some way be made to  reach
 man1 and that without destroying       
justice3 ,and now the plan of  mercy    
could not be brought about1 except an   
atonement should be made2  therefore    
,god himself atoneth for the sins of the
 world1 to bring  about the plan of     

mercy1 to appease the demands of        
justice1 that ,god  might be a perfect1 
just ,god1 and a merciful ,god also4    
7,alma xlii3  #ad47 ,the atonement      
brings to pass the resurrection of the  
dead2 and  the resurrection of the dead 
bringeth back men into the presence of  
,god4 ,in other words1 the atonement    
redeems men from the effects of  ,adam's
 moral transgression2 and also brings   
the element of mercy into  ,god's moral 
economy respecting man's earth-life4    
,that is to say1 the  atonement frees   
man from the consequences of ,adam's    
transgression2  leaves him free to      
choose good or evil--both of which are  
in the  world--as he shall elect2 but he
 is responsible for the consequences  of
 that individual choice1 which is only  
another way of saying that  man is      
responsible for his own sins4 ,still    
under the operation of  ,mercy1 which   
has been brought into this world's moral
 economy through  the atonement of      
,christ1 man may obtain forgiveness of  

sin through  repentance2 for mercy      
claimeth the penitent4 ,a law is given1 
and a  punishment affixed1 but a        
repentance is granted2 which repentance 
mercy claimeth2 otherwise justice       
claimeth the creature1 and executeth    
the law1 and the law inflicteth the     
punishment4 7,alma xlii3 #bc47 7,y4  ,m4
 ,manual1 ,no4 #i1 chap1 vii47    #c4   
,the ,book of ,mormon ,doctrine of      
,opposite ,existences3 ,of this same    
class of ideas is what ,i shall call the
 ,book of ,mormon doctrine of  opposite 
existences1 what the scholastics would  
call antinomies4  ,be not disheartened  
at this statement of the subject2 the   
,book of  ,mormon presentation of it    
will be much simpler2 that simplicity in
  fact is part of its originality1 an   
evidence of its being inspired4  ,the   
statement of the doctrine in question   
occurs in a discourse of  ,lehi's on the
 subject of the atonement4 ,the aged    
prophet represents  happiness or misery 
as growing out of the acceptance or     

rejection of  the atonement of the      
,christ1 and adds that the misery       
consequent upon  its rejection is in    
opposition to the happiness which is    
affixed to  its acceptance3 ,for it must
 needs be1 he continues1 that there is  
an opposition in all things4 ,if it were
 not so 99 99 99 99 righteousness  could
 not be brought to pass2 neither        
wickedness2 neither holiness  nor       
misery2 neither good nor bad4 ,wherefore
 that is1 if this fact  of opposites did
 not exist1 all things must needs be a  
compound in  one2 wherefore1 if it the  
sum of things should be one body1 it    
must  needs remain as dead1 having no   
life neither death1 nor corruption nor  
incorruption1 happiness nor misery1     
neither sense nor insensibility4        
,wherefore1 it must needs have been     
created for a thing of naught2          
wherefore there would have been no      
purpose in the end of its creation4     
,wherefore this thing i4 e4 the absence 
of opposite existences which  ,lehi is  

supposing must needs destroy the wisdom 
of ,god1 and his  eternal purposes2 and 
also the power1 and the mercy1 and the  
justice of  ,god4 ,this may be regarded 
as a very bold setting forth of the     
doctrine  of antinomies1 and yet ,i     
think the logic of it1 and the          
inevitableness  of the conclusion       
unassailable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as there  
can be no good  without the antinomy of 
evil1 so there can be no evil without   
its  antinomy1 or antithesis--good4 ,the
 existence of one implies the  existence
 of the other2 and1 conversely1 the     
non-existence of the later  would imply 
the non-existence of the former4 ,it is 
from this basis that  ,lehi reached the 
conclusion that either his doctrine of  
antinomies1 or  the existence of        
opposites1 is true1 or else there are no
 existences4  ,that is to say--to use   
his own words--,if ye shall say there is
 no  law1 ye shall also say there is no 
sin4 ,if ye shall say there is no  sin1 
ye shall also say there is no           

righteousness4 ,and if there be no      
righteousness1 there be no happiness4   
,and if there be no righteousness  nor  
happiness1 there be no punishment nor   
misery44 ,and if these things  are not1 
there is no ,god1 and if there is no    
,god1 we are not1 neither  the earth2   
for there could have been no creation of
 things1 neither  to act nor to be acted
 upon3 wherefore1 all things must have  
vanished  away4    ,but as things have  
not vanished away1 as there are real    
existences1  the whole series of things 
for which he contends are verities4 ,for
  there is a ,god1 he declares1 and he  
hath created all things1 both the       
heavens and the earth1 and all things   
that in them are3 both things to  act1  
and things to be acted upon4 7,,ii      
,nephi ii4 ,for a larger treatment  of  
the theme see ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,a44      
,manual1 ,no4 #i1 chap4 xxxix47         
,footnotes    #a4 ,this book has been   
called the ,fifth ,gospel1 and          
deservedly so1  though he who first used

 the term tried to disprove its claims4 
,it  richly deserves the title1 however4
 ,also it has been called the  ,american
 ,gospel1 see ,defense of the ,faith and
 the ,saints1 ,art4 ,the  ,fifth        
,gospel4    #b4 ,the references under   
this subdivision1 and the notes of this 
lesson  are not intended to be          
considered as doctrines to be mastered  
here4 ,the  references and notes are    
given just to be read with a view to    
fixing  in the mind of the student the  
fact that the ,book of ,mormon deals    
with  these important subjects and is of
 value for that reason4 ,the class is   
not dealing with doctrine now but with  
the ,book of ,mormon as ,nephite        
literature2 hence teachers will not     
allow their class to linger over  these 
very attractive subjects1 now4          
,,lesson ,,vii4    ,,scripture ,,reading
 ,,exercise4    7,,special              
,,lesson--,,two ,,subjects47 ,note4 ,i4 
,,subjects4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,conditions 

on ,which the ,gentile                  
,i ,nephi1 xiii1 also ,chap4 xiv1       
,races ,may ,continue ,their            
,chap4 xxii4          ,freedom and      
,prosperity in the                      
,,ii ,nephi1 ,chap4 i1 and              
,americas--the ,land of ,zion4          
,chap4 x4          #a4 ,the ,land of    
,america a ,choice                      
,,iii ,nephi1 xxi4 ,book of             
and ,promised ,land4                    
,ether1 ,chap4 ii4 ,defense          #b4
 ,the ,inheritance ,rights of the       
of the ,faith and the                   
,gentiles in the ,land of ,zion4        
,saints ,art4 ,mormon          #c4 ,the 
,decrees of ,god ,concerning            
,views of ,america4             the     
,land of ,zion4    ,,ii4 ,meet the      
,charge of ,mormon ,disloyalty          
from ,book of ,mormon ,premises4        
,,special ,,text3 ,righteousness        
exalteth a nation1 but sin is a reproach
  to any people4--,,solomon4    ,,notes4
    #a4 ,extempore ,speech3 ,we are     

again arrived at our exercise which     
requires extemporaneous speaking--the   
method enjoined upon us by the  word of 
the ,lord4 ,for he says neither take ye 
thought before hand what  ye shall      
say--he adds in the very same paragraph1
 however--treasure  up in your mind     
continually the words of life1 and it   
shall be given  you in the very hour    
that portion which shall be meted to    
every  man4 7,doc4  ,cov4 ,sec4 lxxxiv3 
#he74 ,if this counsel is followed the  
teaching ministry of the church 7as it  
does7 will employ the method  of        
extempore speech4 ,but that method does 
not mean that materials  shall not be   
gathered from the fields of knowledge1  
and hived with  the studious years1 to  
be used in the very hour that one has   
need  to use it4 ,extempore speech does 
not mean speech without thought1        
without knowledge1 of the matter to be  
presented4 ,it may even be said  that it
 requires more thorough knowledge of a  
subject than the written  method or the 

memorized method of speech4             
,extemporaneous speech to be  successful
 must be speech from a fullness of      
knowledge of the subject4  ,and as      
connected with the teaching of the      
,gospel must be speech arising  out of  
having treasured up continually the     
words of life4 ,the true  extemporaneous
 method of speech is not the lazy man's 
method1 on  the contrary it requires    
that those who follow it1 shall have    
their  knowledge of things most         
carefully digested1 and their           
intellectual  powers most carefully     
trained4    #b4 ,st4 ,augustine's       
,advice to the ,preacher3 ,comparing the
 advantages  of extempore speech with   
other forms1 ,mr4 ,pittenger1 in his    
work  already quoted several times1     
relates the following of the great      
,christian teacher of the sixth century3
        ,augustine1 the great ,christian
 writer and preacher1 has not left      
us in ignorance as to which mode of     
address he preferred4 ,he      enjoins  

the ,christian teacher to make his      
hearers comprehend what      he says--to
 read in the eyes and countenances of   
his auditors      whether they          
understand him or not1 and to repeat the
 same thing1      by giving it different
 terms1 until he perceives it is        
understood1      an advantage those     
cannot have who1 by a servile dependence
 upon      their memories1 learn their  
sermons by heart and repeat them as     
so many lessons4 ,let not the preacher1 
he continues1 become the      servant of
 words2 rather let words be servants to 
the preacher4      7,extempore ,speech1 
p4 #cd-e47    #c4 ,w4 ,e4 ,gladstone on 
,methods of ,preparation3 ,mr4          
,pittenger1  our author above quoted1   
asked the late ,mr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,gladstone  
for a  statement of his method of       
preparation for public speaking1 and in 
a  very courteous letter that gentleman 
replied1 from which ,i quote the        
following1 which is all he says on the  
subject of preparation3        ,i       

venture to remark1 first1 that your     
countrymen1 so far as a very            
limited intercourse and experience can  
enable me to judge1 stand      very     
little in need of instruction or advice 
as to public speaking      from this    
side of the water4 99 99 99 99 ,suppose1
 however1 ,i was to      make the       
attempt1 ,i should certainly found      
myself mainly on a      double basis1   
compounded as follows3 ,first1 of a wide
 and thorough      general education1   
which ,i think gives a suppleness and   
readiness      as well as firmness of   
tissue to the mind not easily to be had 
without this form of discipline4        
,second1 of the habit of constant       
and searching reflection on the subject 
of any proposed discourse4      ,such   
reflection will naturally clothe itself 
in words1 and of the      phrases it    
supplies many will spontaneously rise to
 the lips4 ,i      will not say that no 
other forms of preparation can be       
useful1 but      ,i know little of them1

 and it is on those1 beyond all doubt1  
that ,i      should advise the young    
principally to rely4 7,extempore        
,speech1 p4      #db47        ,,part ,v4
    ,the ,modern ,scriptures4--7,a7 ,the
 ,book of ,doctrine and                 
,covenants4--7,b7  ,the ,pearl of ,great
 ,price4        ,,lesson ,i4            
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4#a     
7,a7 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,doctrine ,,and 
,,covenants4      ,,analysis4           
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,first of   
,direct ,modern ,revelations--,joseph   
,history of the ,church1                
,smith's ,first ,vision4                
,vol #a1 ,chap4 #a4 ,pearl of    ,,ii4  
,the ,first ,compilation of ,modern     
,great ,price1 pp4 #ha-g4               
,revelations--,the ,book of             
,commandments4          ,note #a4       
,preface of ,book                       
of ,commandments4 ,history              
of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1               
pp4 #bba-bbf4 ,ibid #bcd-bcf1           
#bgj4 ,new ,witness for                 

,god1 ,chap4 x4 ,note #b and            
#c4    ,,iii4 ,the ,book of ,doctrine   
and ,covenants4            #a4 ,history 
of the ,book4                           
,history of the ,church1            #b4 
,character of the ,book1 its            
,composition4        ,vol #aa1 ,chap4   
xviii4            #c4 ,testimonies      
respecting it4                     ,y4  
,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,manual 7,no4 #aj71         
pp4 #ba-bg4    ,,special ,,text2        
,behold1 ,i am ,god and have spoken it2 
these commandments  are of me1 and were 
given unto my servants in their         
weakness1 after the  manner of their    
language1 that they might come to       
understanding4 ,and  inasmuch as they   
erred it might be made known3 and       
inasmuch as they  sought wisdom they    
might be instructed2 and inasmuch as    
they sinned  they might be chastened1   
that they might repent2 and inasmuch as 
they  were humble they might be made    
strong1 and blessed from on high1 and   
receive knowledge from time to          

time4--,,the ,,lord ,,to ,,joseph       
,,smith4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,the        
,far-reaching ,effect of the ,first     
,direct ,revelation 7,called  ,joseph   
,smith's ,first ,vision7 in ,modern     
,times3 ,how little that  fair-haired   
boy1 standing there in the unpruned     
forest1 with the  sunlight stealing     
through the trees about him1 realized   
the burden  placed upon his shoulders   
that morning by reason of the visitation
 he  received in answer to his prayer6  
,here is not the place for argument1    
that is to come later2 but let us       
consider the wide-sweeping effect of    
this boy's vision upon the accepted     
theology of ,christendom4 ,first1 it    
was a flat contradiction to the         
assumption that revelation had ceased1  
that ,god had no further communication  
to make to man4 ,second1 it  reveals the
 errors into which men had fallen       
concerning the personages  of the       
,godhead4 ,it makes it manifest that    
,god is not an incorporeal  being       

without form or body1 or parts2 on the  
contrary he appeared to  the ,prophet in
 the form of a man1 as he did to the    
ancient prophets4  ,thus after centuries
 of controversy the simple truth of the 
scriptures  which teach that man was    
created in the likeness of ,god--hence  
,god  must be the same in form as       
man--was re-affirmed2 ,third1 it        
corrected  the error of the theologians 
respecting the oneness of the persons of
  the ,father and the ,son4 ,instead of 
being one person as the theologians     
teach1 they are distinct persons1 as    
much so as any father and son on  earth2
 and the oneness of the ,godhead        
referred to in the scriptures1  must    
have reference to unity of purpose and  
of will2 the mind of the  one being the 
mind of the other1 and so as to the will
 and other  attributes4 ,the            
announcement of these truths1 coupled   
with that other  truth proclaimed by the
 ,son of ,god1 viz41 that none of the   
sects and  churches of ,christendom were

 acknowledged as the church or kingdom  
of  ,god1 furnish the elements for a    
religious revolution that will affect   
the very foundations of modern          
,christian theology4 ,in a moment all   
the rubbish concerning theology which   
had accumulated through all the         
centuries since the gospel and authority
 to administer its ordinances  had been 
taken from the earth1 was grandly swept 
aside--the living  rocks of truth were  
made bare upon which the ,church of     
,christ was to be  founded--a ,new      
,dispensation of the gospel was about to
 be committed to  the earth--,god had   
raised up a witness for himself among   
the children  of men4 7,new ,witness for
 ,god1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #agc-d47    #b4    
,the ,book of ,commandments3 ,by the    
middle of ,september1 #ahca1 the        
revelations which had been received by  
the ,prophet for the direction  of      
individuals and the ,church had amounted
 to quite a number2 and as  the ,church 
about that time assembled in ,conference

 at ,hiram1 ,portage  ,county1 ,ohio1   
and authorized ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps to       
purchase a printing press  to be set up 
at ,independence1 ,missouri1 it was     
resolved to make a  collection of these 
revelations and publish them in book    
form under  the title ,the ,book of     
,commandments4 ,a special conference was
 held on  this business on the first of 
,november1 at ,hiram1 on which occasion 
the  ,lord's ,preface to the ,book of   
,commandments was received by revelation
  through the ,prophet4 7,this is now   
the ,lord's ,preface to the ,book of    
,doctrine and ,covenants1 and stands as 
section #a47 ,the ,prophet asked  the   
conference what testimony they were     
willing to attach to this  ,book of     
,commandments1 which would shortly be   
sent to the world4 ,a  number of the    
brethren arose and said that they were  
willing to testify  to the world that   
they knew that the revelations were of  
the ,lord1  and on the succeeding       
day--for the conference continued       

through two  days--the brethren arose in
 turn and bore witness of the truth of  
the  ,book of ,commandments4 7,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bbb1      
note47  ,the ,prophet also received by  
inspiration the formal testimony which  
it  was the intention evidently to have 
the brethren in attendance at the       
conference sign1 7see note #c71 but as  
the book was never completely  printed1 
this testimony was not published1 and   
its publication seems  to have been     
neglected in subsequent collections and 
publications  of the revelations4 ,it   
was also resolved by the conference that
 the  number of copies in the first     
edition to be printed at ,independence1 
,missouri1 should be #aj1jjj1 but       
finally in #ahcb1 when the printing was 
begun1 it was considered prudent only to
 print an edition of #c1jjj4  7,church  
,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bgj47 ,the work 
of printing began and was  continued    
until #afj pages had been printed1 when1
 on the #bjth day of  ,july1 #ahcc1 mob 

violence broke out at ,independence1 the
 house of ,w4 ,w4  ,phelps1 which       
contained the printing establishment1   
was thrown down  and the printing       
materials taken possession of by the    
mob4 ,many papers  were destroyed1 and  
the family furniture thrown out of      
doors4 ,a number  of copies of the ,book
 of ,commandments1 however1 so far as   
printed1  was saved by members of the   
,church1 and one of these coming into   
the  possession of the late ,president  
,wilford ,woodruff1 he deposited it with
  the ,church ,historian1 in whose      
possession it now is1 and accounted  as 
among the precious documents of the     
collection of rare books and            
manuscripts in the ,historian's office4 
#c4 ,the ,testimony to the ,truth of the
 ,book of ,commandments3 ,the  testimony
 of the witnesses to the book of the    
,lord's commandments1  which he gave to 
his ,church through ,joseph ,smith1     
,jun41 who was  appointed by the voice  
of the ,church for this purpose2 we     

therefore  feel willing to bear         
testimony to all the world of mankind1  
to every  creature upon the face of all 
the earth and upon the islands of the   
sea1 that the ,lord has borne record to 
our souls through the ,holy  ,ghost1    
shed forth upon us1 that these          
commandments were given by  inspiration 
of ,god1 and are profitable for all men1
 and are verily  true4 ,we give this    
testimony unto the world1 the ,lord     
being our helper2  and it is through the
 grace of ,god1 the ,father1 and his    
,son1 ,jesus  ,christ1 that we are      
permitted to have this privilege of     
bearing this  testimony unto the world1 
that the children of men may be profited
  thereby4 7,history of the ,church1    
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bbf47    #d4 ,the         
,doctrine and ,covenants3 ,having been  
hindered by their enemies  from         
completing the publication of the ,book 
of ,commandments1 the  ,church renewed  
its efforts to publish the revelations  
in ,kirtland1  ,ohio4 ,in ,september1   

#ahcd1 a committee on compilation and   
arrangement  was appointed consisting of
 ,joseph ,smith1 the ,prophet1 ,oliver  
,cowdery1  ,sidney ,rigdon and          
,frederick ,g4 ,williams4 ,about one    
year later this  committee completed its
 labors1 and on the #agth of ,august1   
#ahce1 a  general assembly of the       
,church convened in ,kirtland1 the      
quorums of  the priesthood were arranged
 in the order of their standing as then 
understood4 ,president ,joseph ,smith   
and ,frederick ,g4 ,williams were       
absent in ,michigan1 and the ,twelve    
were absent in the ,east1 visiting  the 
churches4 ,the ,doctrine and ,covenants 
was presented to the quorums  separately
 for their acceptance1 and voted upon by
 them2 after which it  was presented to 
and accepted by the general assembly by 
unanimous vote  as the ,doctrine and    
,covenants of their faith4    ,after    
this action1 ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps presented  
an article 7not a revelation7  on       
,marriage1 and ,oliver ,cowdery one on  

,government and ,laws in  ,general1 both
 of which were ordered printed in the   
book of ,doctrine  and ,covenants4      
,there was also printed in the book a   
series of ,seven  ,lectures on ,faith1  
that had previously been delivered      
before a  theological class in          
,kirtland4 ,so that the ,doctrine and   
,covenants then  comprised the ,articles
 of ,faith1 seven in number1 the two    
,articles on  ,marriage and ,government 
and a collection of ,revelations1 7not  
all that  had been given1 by the way17  
the last forming the body and greater   
part  of the book4 7,see ,history of the
 ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 chapter xviii47   
#e4 ,in ,what ,light the ,various ,parts
 of the ,doctrine and ,covenants are  to
 be ,regarded3 ,it is only the          
,revelations of ,god that are to be     
regarded as setting forth the absolute  
truth1 the final word1 so far as  it is 
written1 as the doctrine and the        
covenants of the ,church4 ,hence  the   
parts of the ,doctrine and ,covenants   

that are not revelations are  not of the
 same rank with the revelations1 and are
 only of binding  force as they are in  
agreement with these revelations4 ,the  
following  note on these ,lectures on   
,faith is from the ,history of the      
,church1  ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #agf3          
,these ',lectures on ,theology' here    
referred to were afterwards             
prepared by the ,prophet 7see page      
#ahj71 and published in the             
,doctrine and ,covenants under the title
 ',lectures on ,faith4' ,they      are  
seven in number1 and occupy the first   
seventy-five pages in the      current  
editions of the ,doctrine and           
,covenants4 ,they are not to      be    
regarded as of equal authority in       
matters of doctrine with the            
revelations of ,god in the ,doctrine and
 ,covenants1 but as stated by           
,elder ,john ,smith1 who1 when the book 
of ,doctrine and ,covenants was         
submitted to the several quorums of the 
,priesthood for acceptance      7,august

 #ag1 #ahce71 speaking in behalf of the 
,kirtland ,high ,council1      'bore    
record that the revelations in said book
 were true1 and      that the lectures  
were judicially written and compiled1   
and were      profitable for doctrine4  
,the distinction which ,elder ,john     
,smith      here makes should be        
observed as marking the difference      
between the      ,lectures on ,faith and
 the revelations of ,god in the         
,doctrine and      ,covenants4 7,history
 of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #agf47  
#f4 ,testimony of the ,twelve ,apostles3
 ,as stated in note #d1 the ,twelve     
,apostles were not present at the       
general assembly of the ,church1 held   
on the #agth of ,august1 #ahce1 at which
 time the ,doctrine  ,covenants  was    
accepted by the ,church1 but previous to
 their departure on their  missions to  
the churches in the ,east1 their        
testimony to the truth of  the          
revelations was written and read by ,w4 
,w4 ,phelps to the ,saints in           

conference assembled1 and stands as     
follows3        ,the testimony of the   
,witnesses to the ,book of the ,lord's  
,commandments1 which commandments he    
gave to his ,church through      ,joseph
 ,smith1 ,jun41 who was appointed1 by   
the voice of the ,church1      for this 
purpose4        ,we therefore feel      
willing to bear testimony to all the    
world of      mankind1 to every creature
 upon the face of all the earth1 that   
the      ,lord has borne record to our  
souls1 through the ,holy ,ghost shed    
forth upon us1 that these ,commandments 
were given by inspiration of      ,god1 
and are profitable for all men1 and are 
verily true4 ,we give      this         
testimony unto the world1 the ,lord     
being our helper2 and it is      through
 the grace of ,god the ,father1 and his 
,son ,jesus ,christ1 that      we are   
permitted to have this privilege of     
bearing this testimony      unto the    
world1 in the which we rejoice          
exceedingly1 praying the      ,lord     

always that the children of men may be  
profited thereby4        ,the ,twelve   
,apostles of the ,church at the time    
were3 ,thomas ,b4      ,marsh1 ,david   
,w44 ,patten1 ,brigham ,young1 ,heber   
,c4 ,kimball1 ,orson      ,hyde1 ,wm4   
,e4 ,mc,lellin1 ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1     
,luke ,s4 ,johnson1 ,william            
,smith1 ,orson ,pratt1 ,john ,f4        
,boynton1 ,lyman ,e4 ,johnson4 7,history
 of      the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4    
#bde47    ,footnotes    #a4 ,the reading
 should now be from the ,doctrine and   
,covenants1 and so  continued through   
the lessons dealing with that book4     
,,lesson ,,ii4    ,,scripture ,,reading 
,,exercise4    7,a7 ,,the ,,book ,,of   
,,doctrine ,,and ,,covenants4           
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the             
,revelations--,classification#a as      
,doctrine  ,covenants--all          to  
,whom ,given4                           
the ,revelations4          7a7 ,to      
,individuals4                           

,revelations to ,individuals4           
7b7 ,to the ,church4                    
7a7 ,secs4 #c1 #e1 #f1 #ab1 #ad1        
7c7 ,to ,groups of ,elders4             
#ae1 #ai1 #abf4b          7d7 ,to the   
world4                                  
7b7 ,secs4 #a1 #de1 #df4                
7c7 ,secs4 #hd1 #eh1 #bi1 #fa4          
7d7 ,sec4 #gf4    ,,ii4 ,classification 
as to ,how ,they were                   
,received4           7a7 ,direct ,word  
of ,mouth from the                  7a7 
,the ,first ,vision1                    
,lord4                                  
,history of the ,church1           7b7  
,by ,urim and ,thummim4                 
,vol4 ,i1 ,chap4 i2 ,doc4  ,cov41       
7c7 ,by ,direct ,communication of       
,angels4             ,sec4 #aaj4        
7d7 ,by the operations of the ,spirit of
             7b7 ,doc4  ,cov41 ,secs4   
,god on the ,prophet's ,mind4           
#c1 #f1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 #ad1 #af1 #ag4   
7c7 ,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4                 
#aaj4                                   

7d7 ,the greater number                 
of the ,revelations in the              
,doctrine and ,covenants4    ,,iii4     
,classification as to ,subject ,matter4 
7a7 ,didactic ,revelation1              
7a7 ,didactic1 ,instruction or          
,direction            ,doc4  ,cov41     
,secs4 #ba1 #bd1                to      
,individuals1 to the ,elders1 to        
#be1 #bf1 #bh1 #fh4                the  
,church4                                
7b7 ,revelation on ,organization--,secs4
            7b7 ,on ,organization of the
 ,church                 #bj1 #hd1 #ajb1
 #ajg1 #abd4                and         
,priesthood4                            
7c7 ,doctrinal1 ,secs1 #ai1             
7c7 ,doctrinal4                         
#bj1 #ba1 #db1 #gf1 #hd1 #hh1 #ic4      
,,special ,,text3 ,behold1 ,i will tell 
you in your mind and in your heart1  by 
the ,holy ,ghost1 which shall come upon 
you and which shall dwell in  your      
heart4 ,now behold this is the ,spirit  
of revelation2 behold this is  the      

,spirit by which ,moses brought the     
children of ,israel through the  ,red   
,sea1 on dry ground44--,,the ,,lord ,,to
 ,,oliver ,,cowdery4    ,,notes4    #a4 
,how the ,revelations were ,received3   
,the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith  received  
revelations in every way that the ,lord 
communicates his mind  and will to man4 
,like ,moses he knew the ,lord face to  
face1 stood in  his very presence1 and  
heard his voice1 as in the first        
communication  the ,lord made to him1   
usually called the ,prophet's first     
vision 7,see  ,history of the ,church1  
,vol4 ,i1 chapter #a1 also ,pearl of    
,great ,price1 p4  #he71 as also in the 
vision given in the ,kirtland ,temple   
where he and  ,oliver ,cowdery saw the  
,lord standing on the breastwork of the 
pulpit  and heard him speak to them4 ,he
 received communications from angels as 
in the case of ,moroni1 who revealed to 
him the ,book of ,mormon2 ,john  the    
,baptist1 who restored the ,aaronic     
,priesthood2 and ,peter1 ,james and     

,john1 who restored the ,melchisedek    
priesthood2 also the communications  of 
the angels mentioned in what is usually 
called1 the ,kirtland ,temple  ,vision4 
7,see ,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 #aaj47    ,he 
received communications through ,urim   
and ,thummim1 for by that  means he     
translated the ,book of ,mormon and     
received a number of the  revelations in
 the ,doctrine and ,covenants1 among    
others sections  #c1 #f1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 
#ad1 #af1 #ag4 ,he received divine      
intelligence by  open visions1 such     
intelligence as is contained in section 
#gf1 and  section #ajg4 ,he also        
received revelations through the        
inspiration of  ,god1 operating upon his
 mind2 and indeed the larger number of  
the  revelations in the ,doctrine and   
,covenants were received in this manner4
  ,speaking of the revelations which    
were compiled preparatory to the        
publication of the ,book of             
,commandments1 he desired that the      
labors of  himself and brethren who had 

been associated with him from the early 
days of the ,church up to that time     
should be acknowledged and made a       
matter of record1 saying1 ,if this      
conference thinks these things worth    
according to the mind of the spirit1 for
 by it these things the  collected      
revelations were put into my heart1     
which ,i know to be the  ,spirit of     
truth4 ,this indicates the medium       
through which most of the  revelations  
came--from the inspired mind of the     
,prophet4 7,see also ,doc4   ,cov4      
,secs4 #h1 #i47    #b4 ,the ,manner of  
,inditing ,revelations3 ,elder ,parley  
,p4 ,pratt gives  the following         
description of the manner in which a    
revelation was given  through the       
,prophet in his presence4        ,after 
we had joined in prayer in his          
translating room he dictated      in our
 presence the following revelation3     
,each sentence was      uttered slowly  
and very distinctly1 and with a pause   
between each1      sufficiently long for

 it to be recorded1 by an ordinary      
writer1 in      long hand4 ,this was the
 manner in which all his written        
revelations      were dictated and      
written4 ,there was never any           
hesitation1      reviewing1 or reading  
back1 in order to keep the run of the   
subject2 neither did any of these       
communications undergo revisions1       
interlinings1 or corrections4 ,as he    
dictated them so they stood1 so      far
 as ,i have witnessed2 and ,i was       
present to witness the dictation      of
 several communications of several pages
 each4 7,autobiography of      ,parley  
,p4 ,pratt1 pp4 #fe-f47    ,the         
statement of ,elder ,pratt needs        
modifying1 at least to the extent  of   
saying1 that additions were made        
sometimes to the revelations1 as  a     
comparison between the revelations as   
they appeared in so much of  the ,book  
of ,commandments as was published at    
,independence1 in #ahcc1  and the same  
revelations as they stand in the ,book  

of ,doctrine and  ,covenants4 ,indeed in
 the ,doctrine and ,covenants additions 
are sometimes  noted 7see section #bj1  
verses #fe-fg1 and foot-note1 also      
section #bg1  introduction2 also sec4   
#db1 verses #ca and #cd and footnote74  
,in the  main1 however1 the statement of
 ,elder ,pratt may be taken as not only 
applying to the revelations which he    
witnessed the dictation of1 but to  all 
that the ,prophet received4    #c4 ,the 
,divers ,manners in which ,revelations  
were ,given in ,ancient  ,times3 ,as to 
the various ways in which the prophets  
in olden times  received revelations1   
7agreeing with the various ways in which
 ,god  communicated his mind and will to
 ,joseph ,smith7 ,i quote the following 
from the ,annotated ,bible1 published in
 #ahei4        ,the divine              
communications were made to the prophets
 in divers      manners2 ,god seems     
sometimes to have spoken to them in     
audible      voice2 occasionally        
appearing in human form4 ,at other times

 he      employed the ministry of       
angels1 or made known his purposes by   
dreams4 ,but he most frequently revealed
 his truth to the prophets      by      
producing that supernatural state of the
 sentient1 intellectual1      and moral 
faculties which the scriptures call     
'vision4' ,hence      prophetic         
announcements are often called          
'visions1' i4 e41 things      seen2 and 
the prophets themselves are called      
'seers4' ,although the      visions     
which the prophet beheld and the        
predictions of the future      which he 
announced were wholly announced by the  
divine ,spirit1 yet      the form of the
 communication1 the imagery in which it 
is clothed1      the illustrations by   
which it is cleared up and impressed1   
the      symbols employed to bring it   
more graphically before the mind--in    
short1 all that may be considered as its
 garb and dress1 depends      upon the  
education1 habits1 association1 feelings
 and the whole      mental1 intellectual

 and spiritual character of the prophet4
 ,hence      the style of some is purer1
 more sententious1 more ornate1 or more 
sublime than others4    ,also the       
,reverend ,joseph ,armitage ,robinson1  
,d4 ,d41 ,dean of ,westminster  and     
,chaplain of ,king ,edward ,,vii of     
,england1 respecting the manner in      
which the message of the ,old ,testament
 was received and communicated to  man1 
said1 as late as #aije3        ,the     
message of the ,old ,testament was not  
written by the divine      hand1 nor    
dictated by an outward compulsion2 it   
was planted in the      hearts of men1  
and made to grow in a fruitful soil4    
,and then they      were required to    
express it in their own language1 after 
their      natural methods1 and in      
accordance with the stage of knowledge  
which their time had reached4 ,their    
human faculties were purified      and  
quickened by the divine ,spirit2 but    
they spoke to their time      in the    
language of their time2 they spoke a    

spiritual message1      accommodated to 
the experience of their age1 a message  
of faith in      ,god1 and of           
righteousness as demanded by a righteous
 ,god4 7,defense      of the ,faith and 
the ,saints1 p4 #bff-g47    #d4 ,the    
,spirit of ,revelation3 ,in one of the  
revelations there is given  a           
description as to the manner in which   
revelations are given through  the      
operation of the spirit of the ,lord    
upon the mind of man1 for1  verily1 as  
,job puts it1 there is a spirit in man  
and the inspiration  of the ,lord giveth
 them understanding4 ,the revelation    
alluded to1 is  one given to ,oliver    
,cowdery in relation to his having the  
privilege of  translating ancient       
records1 by means of ,urim and ,thummim4
 ,the ,lord  said concerning such       
translation3        ,behold1 ,i will    
tell you in your mind and in your heart1
 by the      ,holy ,ghost1 which shall  
come upon you and which shall dwell in  
your      heart4 ,now1 behold1 this is  

the ,spirit of revelation2 behold1 this 
is the ,spirit by which ,moses brought  
the children of ,israel through      the
 ,red ,sea on dry ground4 7,doc4  ,cov4 
,sec4 #h47    ,oliver's faith1 however1 
seems to have failed him in the matter1 
and in  explanation of that failure1 the
 ,lord said to him3        ,and1 behold1
 it is because that you did not continue
 as you      commenced1 when you began  
to translate1 that ,i have taken away   
this      privilege from you4 ,do not   
murmur1 my son1 for it is wisdom in me  
that ,i have dealt with you after this  
manner4 ,behold1 you have not           
understood2 you have supposed that ,i   
would give it unto you1 when      you   
took no thought1 save it was to ask me2 
but1 behold1 ,i say      unto you1 that 
you must study it out in your mind2 then
 you must      ask me if it be right1   
and if it is right ,i will cause that   
your      bosom shall burn within you2  
therefore1 you shall feel that it is    
right2 but if it be not right1 you shall

 have no such feelings1 but      you    
shall have a stupor of thought1 that    
shall cause you to forget      the thing
 which is wrong2 therefore you cannot   
write that which is      sacred1 save it
 be given you from me4 7,doc4  ,cov44   
,sec4 #h47    ,from this1 it appears1   
that the co-operation of the mind of man
  by mighty effort is necessary to the  
obtaining of the spirit of  revelation4 
,prophets are not mere automations1 who 
repeat1 machine  like1 what is given    
them4 ,there must be striving for the   
,spirit of  truth1 and the power to     
express it4    ,footnotes    #a4 ,the   
sections cited in this and the following
 classification do not  give all the    
revelations of the respective classes1  
only a few as  illustrations4    #b4    
,see note #a4        ,,lesson ,,iii4    
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4       
7,a7 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,doctrine ,,and 
,,covenants4      ,,analysis4           
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,great      
,doctrinal ,revelations4#a              

,joseph ,smith's ,vision          #a4   
,doctrines in ,relation to ,god1 to     
,history of the ,church1                
,christ and the ,atonement4             
,vol4 ,i1 ,chap4 i4 ,pearl of           
7a7 ,in ,relation to ,god1 and the      
,great ,price1 p4 #he1 p4 7,note #a71   
,god-head4                              
,doc4  ,cov41             7b7 ,in       
,relation to ,god1 the ,son4            
,sec4 xx3 #ag1 #ai1 #bh2 ,sec4          
7c7 ,the ,atonement1 ,redemption1       
cxxi3 #cb2 ,sec4 cxxx3 #bb4             
and ,resurrection4                      
,sec4 xx3 #ba-bh2 ,sec4                 
lxxv3 #bj-bd2 xciii3 #a-ba4             
,sec4 xx3 #ba-cf2 xix3 #a-bj2           
xviii3 #aa1 #ab4          #b4 ,doctrines
 in ,relation to ,man and               
,his ,earth ,mission4             7a7   
,the ,nature of ,man1 and ,relationship 
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 xciii3 #ba1         
to ,god4                                
#bc1 #bi1 #ca1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce4      
7b7 ,the ,agency of ,man and ,purpose   

,sec4 xxix3 #cd1 #ce1 #ci2              
of ,earth ,life4                        
lvii3 #bf-ch2 xciii3 #bi-cb2            
xxix3 #dc2 civ3 #ag-ah4             7c7 
,the ,future of ,man in varying         
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 lxxvi1              
degrees of his development1             
and ,sec4 lxxxviii3 #ad-ce4             
of ,glory4                              
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 xxix2               
7d7 ,the ,eternity of the ,marriage     
,sec4 cxxxii4                 ,relation4
             7e7 ,the ,nature of ,angels
 and                     ,sec4 cxxxi3   
#a-d1 #ba1 #bc1                         
,ministering ,spirits4                  
#bi1 #ca1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce4                
,sec4 cxxx4          #c4 ,doctrines in  
,relation to ,things4                   
,doc4  ,cov41 xiv3 #i1 #ca1             
7a7 ,creation of the ,earth1 the        
#cb4 ,sec4 lxxv3 #bc1 #bd2 xciii3 #h-aj2
                 ,mission of1 the       
,future of4                   lxx3 #a1  
#f-ae2 lxxxviii3 #ag-bf4             7b7

 ,the ,existence of ,other              
lxxxviii3 #cf-fb1 and the               
,planetary ,systems ,than               
foot notes of ,elder ,orson             
,ours1 that are the ,habitat of         
,pratt4                                 
,intelligencies--the ,children          
of ,god4             7c7 ,the ,doctrine 
of ,parallel ,existences--of      ,doc4 
,cov41 ,sec4                 ,limitless 
,extension                              
lxxxviii3 #cf1 #cg4                     
7space71 and ,everywhereness            
,ibid1 #cg2 xciii3 #cc-ce2 also         
of matter4                              
,pearl of ,great ,price1             7d7
 ,the ,definition of ,truth4            
,book of ,abraham1 also             7e7 
,the ,iminence of ,god in               
,book of ,moses1 ,chap4 i4              
the ,universe4                          
,new ,witness for ,god1                 
,chaps1 xxviii-xxx4                     
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 xciii2              
also ,y4 ,m4 ,m4 ,i4 ,manual            

7,no4 #i71 ,chap4 vii1 p4 #cic4         
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4                     
lxxxviii3 #g-ac1 #de1 et seq4           
,sec4 xciii3 #ce4    ,,special ,,text3  
,intelligence1 or the light of truth1   
was not created or  made1 neither indeed
 can be4 ,all truth is independent in   
that sphere  in which ,god has placed   
it1 to act for itself1 as all           
intelligence  also1 otherwise there is  
no existence4--,,the ,,lord ,,to        
,,joseph ,,smith4    ,,notes4    #a4    
,doctrinal ,dominating ,influence of    
,joseph ,smith's ,first ,vision3  ,any  
exposition of ,mormon views of ,deity   
must necessarily begin with  this       
vision1 as it is the very beginning and 
foundation of the ,mormon  doctrine of  
,god4 ,it establishes the great truth   
that ,god is a person1  in the sense    
that he is an individual1 in whose      
likeness man was made4  ,it clearly sets
 forth that ,jesus is also a person in  
the same sense and  distinct from the   
,father4 ,and it follows that the       

oneness of ,god must  be a moral and    
spiritual oneness1 not a physical       
identity4 7,see note  #a1 part v74 ,the 
facts set forth in this vision or       
deducible from it  must dominate all    
,mormon ideas upon the subject of ,god1 
and be present  in all interpretations  
of ,doctrine and ,covenant passages4    
7,see ,mormon  ,doctrine of ,deity1     
chapter #a47 ,hence1 although this great
 revelation1  so fundamental to ,mormon 
,doctrine1 is not given a place in the  
,doctrine  and ,covenants 7and why has  
always been a mystery to the writer71 it
  is given in the references that it may
 stand in its place of first  importance
 among our doctrines4    #b4 ,the       
,literary ,style of the ,doctrine and   
,covenants3 ,the literary  style of the 
revelations in the ,doctrine and        
,covenants is wholly  unique4 ,from the 
nature of some of the revelations1 the  
style  necessarily is purely didactic1  
but even in such revelations the style  
is particularly striking and impressive4

 ,in some of the great doctrinal        
revelations the style rises to sublimity
 worthy of the psalms or of ,st4  ,john4
 ,what could be more impressively       
beautiful1 for example1 than the        
opening paragraphs of section #gf3      
,hear ,o ye heavens1 and give ear ,o    
earth1 and rejoice ye      inhabitants  
thereof1 for the ,lord is ,god1 and     
beside him there is      no ,savior3    
,great is his wisdom1 marvelous are his 
ways1 and the      extent of his doings 
none can find out2 his purposes fail    
not1      neither are there any who can 
stay his hand2 from eternity to         
eternity he is the same1 and his years  
never fail4 ,for thus said      the     
,lord1 ,i1 the ,lord1 am merciful and   
gracious unto those who fear      me1   
and delight to honor those who serve me 
in righteousness and in      truth unto 
the end2 great shall be their reward and
 eternal shall      be their glory4     
7,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 #gf47    ,the      
language and imagery of the whole       

revelation is surpassingly  beautiful4  
,prophets quite universally are conceded
 to be akin to poets1  and very         
naturally the language of inspiration   
takes on the poetic  spirit1 and        
examples of this are frequent in the    
revelations4 ,take for  instance1 the   
following passage1 as an example both of
 sublime poetry  and the literature of  
power4 7,see note #g1 p4 #de47        ,i
 the ,almighty1 have laid my hands upon 
the nations1 to scourge      them for   
their wickedness3        ,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      righteousness2            
,until all shall know me1 who remain1   
even from the least unto the            
greatest2        ,and shall be filled   
with the knowledge of the ,lord1 and    
shall      see eye to eye1 and shall    
lift up their voice1 and with the voice 
together sing this new song1 saying3    
,the ,lord hath brought again ,zion2    

,the ,lord hath redeemed his people1    
,israel1    ,according to the election  
of grace1    ,which was brought to pass 
by the faith    ,and covenant of their  
fathers4      ,the ,lord hath redeemed  
his people1    ,and ,satan is bound and 
time is no longer3    ,the ,lord hath   
gathered all things in one2    ,the     
,lord hath brought down ,zion from      
above4    ,the ,lord hath brought up    
,zion from beneath4      ,the earth hath
 travailed and brought forth her        
strength3    ,and truth is established  
in her bowels3    ,and the heavens have 
smiled upon her3    ,and she is clothed 
with the glory of her ,god3    ,for he  
stands in the midst of his people3      
,glory1 and honor1 and power1 and might1
    ,be ascribed to our ,god2 for he is 
full of mercy1    ,justice1 grace and   
truth1 and peace1    ,for ever and ever1
 ,amen4    7,section #hd47    ,students 
should search out such passages and make
 them their own4    #c4 ,the ,best      
,manner of ,studying the ,revelations3  

,the student will  find it most         
profitable to read the revelations of   
the ,doctrine and  ,covenants in        
connection with the circumstances under 
which they were  given4 ,this can be    
done by securing ,vol4 ,i of the        
,history of the  ,church1 in which      
volume #aja out of a possible #acd      
revelations1 are  to be found published 
in there historical association4 ,some  
of the  revelations1 or parts of them1  
can only be understood by reading them  
in the manner here suggested4 ,for      
example the revelation in section #df   
opens in this manner3        ,hearken1  
,o ye people of my ,church1 for verily  
,i say unto you1 that      these things 
were spoken unto you for your profit and
 learning2 ,but      notwithstanding    
those things which are written1 it      
always has been      given to the       
,elders of my ,church from the          
beginning1 and ever shall      be to    
conduct all meetings as they are        
directed and guided by the      ,holy   

,spirit2 nevertheless ye are commanded  
never to cast any one      out from your
 public meetings1 which are held before 
the world1      etc41 etc4 7,history of 
the ,church1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #afc-d47      
,now1 reading this revelation in the    
,doctrine  ,covenants no  understanding 
can be had from it as to what things are
 referred  to in this opening paragraph1
 that are spoken for your profit and    
learning1 but when we learn1 as we do   
from the footnote 7p4 #afc1  ,vol4 #a1  
,church ,history7 that in the beginning 
of the ,church1 while  yet in her       
infancy1 the disciples used to exclude  
unbelievers1 which  caused some to      
marvel and converse of this matter      
because of the things  written in the   
,book of ,mormon 7,,iii ,nephi xvii3    
#bb-cd72 wherein it is  learned that the
 ,nephite church was forbidden to       
exclude unbelievers  from their ,church 
gatherings1 and sacramental meetings1   
whereupon  it was thought and urged by  
some that the practice of the ,saints in

  ,kirtland was contrary to the revealed
 will of the ,lord respecting this      
matter2 therefore the ,saints took the  
passages from the ,book of ,mormon  to  
the ,prophet and desired to know the    
will of the ,lord respecting this       
custom4 ,therefore the ,lord deigned to 
speak on this subject1 that his  people 
might come to understanding1 and said   
that he had always given  to his ,elders
 to conduct all meetings as they were   
led by the ,spirit4  7,history of the   
,church1 note1 p4 #afc47 ,knowing these 
circumstances the  whole matter becomes 
perfectly plain4 ,we know what is meant 
when the  revelation starts out by      
saying1 ,these things were spoken unto  
you for  your profit and learning1 etc4 
,as it is in this case so it is in many 
others1 the clear understanding of the  
revelation depends on knowing  the      
circumstances which called forth the    
revelation4    ,footnotes    #a4 ,some  
of the great ,doctrinal ,revelations    
have already been  designated4 ,a more  

complete list would be sections #ai1    
#bj1 #ba1 #db1  #gf1 #hd1 #hh1 #hi1 #ic1
 #abg1 #abh1 #abi1 #acj1 #acb4 ,of      
course in all the  revelations there is 
more or less of doctrine2 even in those 
that may  be esteemed the least some    
great principle is present1 if not by   
direct  announcement1 then in           
application or illustration4 ,but the   
foregoing  are designated1 because they 
are pre-eminently doctrinal in          
character1  and by grouping them1 as in 
the analysis1 they may be the more      
readily  consulted4 ,it should be       
remembered that we are not in this      
lesson to  attempt any treatise upon    
these great doctrines as such1 we are   
merely  calling attention to them       
now--locating them for the student1     
merely  calling attention to their      
existence in our modern revelations that
  they may be read4 ,thorough           
consideration of them will come later in
 the  ,seventy's course in ,theology4   
,,lesson ,,iv4    ,,scripture ,,reading 

,,exercise4    ,,special ,,lesson--,,two
 ,,subjects4      ,,subject4            
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,law of the 
,lord as ,expressed                     
,law of ,tithing1 ,doc4  ,cov41         
in ,tithing and                         
,fast-,offerings--,applied              
,sec4 cxix4 ,among          to ,poverty 
,problems1 ,local                       
the ,ancients3 ,gen4 xiv3 #ag-bj4       
and ,national4                          
,heb4 vii3 #e-i4 ,numbers1              
xviii3 #be-cb4 ,deut41                  
xii3 also chap4 xiv2 also               
,chap4 xxvi3 #ab-af2 ,,ii ,chronicles1  
xxxi2 ,neb41                            
xii3 #dd2 also ,chap4 xiii3 #e-ab1      
and ,chap4 x3 #cg1 #ch4                 
,matt41 xxiii3 #bc2 ,luke1 xi3 #db2     
also ,chap4 xvii3 #i-ad2                
especially ,malachi iii--whole          
chapter4    ,,ii4 ,the ,law of the ,lord
 as ,expressed                          
,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 xlii3 #bi-ci4       
in the ,doctrine of ,consecration       

,sec4 lxx2 lxxii4 ,sec4           and   
,stewardship--,applied to the           
civ4 ,new ,witness for ,god             
,world's ,industrial ,problems4         
,chap4 xxvii4    ,,special ,,text3 ,for 
the earth is full1 and there is enough  
and to  spare2 yea1 ,i prepared all     
things1 and have given unto the children
 of  men to be agents unto themselves4  
,therefore1 if any man shall take of    
the abundance which ,i have made1 and   
impart not his portion1 according  to   
the law of my gospel1 unto the poor and 
the needy1 he shall1 with  the wicked1  
lift up his eyes in hell1 being in      
torment4 7,doc4  ,cov41  ,sec4 #ajd1    
#ag-ah47    ,,notes4    #a4 ,collecting 
,materials3 ,the most difficult thing in
 the treatment  of a subject is the     
gathering of                            
material--thought-gathering4 ,you  must 
have material1 data4 ,then if the       
student would be anything more  than a  
mere repeater of other men's thoughts1 a
 mere mouth for other  men's ideas1 this

 data must be thought upon1 considered  
in every  possible light that it may    
give birth to new ideas in his own mind1
  that he may bring some gift1 born of  
his own intellectual effort1 to  the    
subject in hand4 ,take for example the  
two subjects of this lesson2  merely    
announce the subjects without giving any
 references to material  treating upon  
them1 and doubtless some of our younger 
members would  be at a loss to know how 
to go about gathering the materials for 
a  treatise upon these subjects4 ,the   
references1 however1 are given1 and  now
 the student is supposed to consult     
every passage given and read it  with   
care4 ,but he should not be content with
 reading just the passage  cited1 let   
him read the context4 ,search for other 
passages bearing  upon the same general 
subject1 and there are many of them2 for
 our  references never exhaust the      
material2 they are intended only to     
barely  give enough to help start the   
student upon the subject4 ,then let     

there  be reflection upon what is read1 
out of which there will grow new        
thoughts--at least new to the           
student--and these combined after his   
own  fashion with the ideas of the      
passages consulted and works read1 will 
constitute his material for his address 
or paper4 ,the note following  this on  
thought-gathering is a propos and might 
be regarded as a  continuation of this4 
7,read also in this connection note --1 
,lesson --47    #b4 ,thought-,gathering3
 ,after the subject upon which we are to
  speak has been determined1 the logical
 order of preparation is1  first1       
gathering material2 second1 selecting   
what is most fitting and  arranging the 
whole into perfect order2 third1 fixing 
this in the mind  so that it may be     
available for the moment of use4 ,these 
processes are  not always separated in  
practice1 but they may be best          
considered in  the order indicated4     
,when the subject is chosen and the mind
 fastened  upon it1 that subject becomes

 a center of attraction and naturally   
draws all kindred ideas toward it4 ,old 
memories that had become dim  from the  
lapse of time are slowly hunted out and 
grouped around the  parent thought4     
,each hour of contemplation that        
elapses1 even if there  is not direct   
study1 adds to the richness and variety 
of our available  mental stores4 ,the   
relations between different and widely  
separated  truths become visible1 just  
as new stars are seen when we gaze      
intently  toward the evening sky4 ,all  
that lies within our knowledge is       
subjected  to a rigid scrutiny and all  
that appears to have any connection with
  the subject is brought into view4     
,usually a considerable period of  time 
is needed for this process1 and the     
longer it is continued the  better1 if  
interest in the subject is not suffered 
to decline in the  meanwhile4 ,but it is
 somewhat difficult to continue at this 
work  long enough without weariness4    
,the capacity for great and continuous  

reaches of thought constitute a         
principal element in the superiority of 
one mind over another4 ,even the        
mightiest genius cannot1 at a single    
impulse1 exhaust the ocean of truth that
 opens around every object of  man's    
contemplation4 ,it is only by viewing a 
subject in every aspect  that           
superficial and one-sided impressions   
can be guarded against4  ,but the       
continuous exertion and toil this       
implies are nearly always  distasteful1 
and the majority of men can only        
accomplish it by a stern  resolve4      
,whether acquired or natural1 the       
ability to completely think  out a      
subject is of prime necessity2 the young
 student at the outset  should learn to 
finish every investigation he begins and
 continue  the habit during life4 ,doing
 this or not doing it will generally be 
decisive of his success or failure from 
an intellectual point of view4  ,thought
 is a mighty architect1 and if you keep 
him fully employed1  he will build up   

with slow and measured strokes a        
gorgeous edifice  upon any territory at 
all within your mental range4 ,you may  
weary  of his labor and think that the  
wall rises so slowly that it will  never
 be completed2 but wait4 ,in due time1  
if you are patient1 all  will be        
finished and will then stand as no      
ephemeral structure1 to be  swept away  
by the first storm that blows1 but will 
be established and  unshaken on the     
basis of eternal truth4 7,extempore     
,speech1 ,pittenger1  pp4 #aei-afa47    
#c4 ,referring again to our suggestions 
for the frame work of a speech1         
consisting of3    ,introduction1        
,discussion1    ,conclusion1    ,i      
desire to point out how well this idea  
is carried out in ,paul's               
soul-thrilling and successful speech    
before ,king ,agrippa1 recorded in      
,acts xxvi3    ,the audience is august2 
there is ,porcius ,festus1 ,roman       
procurator of  ,judea2 ,agrippa1 a ,king
 and ,grandson of ,herod the ,great1 and

 ,bernice1  sister of ,agrippa2 there   
were also present the chief captains    
attendant  upon these high officers1 and
 the principal men of the city of       
,caesarea  gathered in the place of     
hearing1 with great pomp4 ,into this    
presence  ,paul is brought in chains and
 introduced4 ,the cause of his          
imprisonment  is briefly stated with the
 fact that he had appealed to ,caesar1  
and now  ,paul is informed by ,agrippa  
that he may speak for himself4    ,,the 
,,introduction4    ,paul 7stretching    
forth his hand7--,i think myself happy1 
,king  ,agrippa1 because ,i shall answer
 for myself this day before thee        
touching all the things whereof ,i am   
accused of the ,jews3 especially        
because ,i know thee to be expert in all
 customs and questions which are  among 
the ,jews2 wherefore ,i beseech thee to 
hear me patiently4    ,,discussion4     
,my manner of life from my youth1 which 
was at the first among mine  own nation 
at ,jerusalem1 know all the ,jews2 which

 knew me from the  beginning1 if they   
would testify1 that after the most      
straitest sect of  our religion ,i lived
 a ,pharisee4 ,and now ,i stand and am  
judged for the  hope of the promise made
 of ,god unto our fathers2 unto which   
promise  our twelve tribes1 instantly   
serving ,god day and night hope to come4
  ,for which hope's sake1 ,king         
,agrippa1 ,i am accused of the ,jews4   
,why should it be thought a thing       
incredible with you1 that ,god should   
raise the dead8 ,i verily thought with  
myself1 that ,i ought to do many  things
 contrary to the name of ,jesus of      
,nazareth4 ,which thing ,i also  did in 
,jerusalem3 and many of the ,saints did 
,i shut up in prison1  having received  
authority from the chief priests2 and   
when they were  put to death1 ,i gave my
 voice against them4 ,and ,i punished   
them oft in  every synagogue1 and       
compelled them to blaspheme2 and being  
exceedingly  mad against them1 ,i       
persecuted them even unto strange       

cities4 ,whereupon  as ,i went to       
,damascus with authority and commission 
from the chief  priests1 at midday1 ,o  
king1 ,i saw in the way a light from    
heaven1  above the brightness of the    
sun1 shining round about me and them    
which  journeyed with me4 ,and when we  
were all fallen to the earth1 ,i heard  
a voice speaking unto me1 and saying in 
the ,hebrew tongue1 ,saul1  ,saul1 why  
persecutest thou me8 it is hard for thee
 to kick against  the pricks4 ,and ,i   
said1 ,who art thou1 ,lord8 and he said1
 ,i am ,jesus  whom thou persecutest4   
,but rise1 and stand upon thy feet2 for 
,i have  appeared unto thee for this    
purpose1 to make thee a minister and a  
witness both of these things which thou 
hast seen1 and of those things  in the  
which ,i will appear unto thee2         
delivering thee from the people1  and   
from the ,gentiles1 unto whom now ,i    
send thee1 to open their eyes1  and to  
turn them from darkness to light1 and   
from the power of ,satan  unto ,god1    

that they may receive forgiveness of    
sins1 and inheritance  among them which 
are sanctified by faith that is in me4  
,whereupon1 ,o ,king ,agrippa1 ,i was   
not disobedient unto the heavenly       
vision3 but shewed first unto them of   
,damascus1 and at ,jerusalem1 and       
throughout all the coasts of ,judea1 and
 then to the ,gentiles1 that they       
should repent and turn to ,god1 and do  
works meet for repentance4 ,for  these  
causes the ,jews caught me in the       
temple1 and went about to kill  me4     
,having therefore obtained help of ,god1
 ,i continue unto this day1  witnessing 
both to small and great1 saying none    
other things than those  which the      
prophets and ,moses did say should come3
 ,and to the ,gentiles--    ,festus 7in 
a loud voice7--,paul1 thou art beside   
thyself2 much  learning doth make thee  
mad4    ,,conclusion4    ,paul--,i am   
not mad1 most noble ,festus2 but speak  
freely3 for ,i am  persuaded that none  
of these things are hidden from him2 for

 this thing  was not done in a corner4  
,king ,agrippa1 believest thou the      
prophets8 ,i  know that thou believest4 
,agrippa--,almost thou persuadest me to 
be a ,christian4    ,paul--,i would to  
,god that not only thou1 but also all   
that hear me  this day1 were both       
almost1 and altogether such as ,i am1   
except these  bonds4        ,,lesson ,v4
    ,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4   
,,the ,,modern ,,scriptures--#a ,,the   
,,pearl ,,of ,,great ,,price4           
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,origin of the   
,pearl of ,great ,price4                
,millennial ,star1 ,vol4          #a4   
,date and ,circumstances of             
,publication4        ,,xiii 7#ahea71 pp4
 #baf1 #bag2          #b4 ,contents of  
the ,first ,edition4                also
 ,vol4 ,,xlix1 p4 #cif et               
seq4 ,new ,witness for                  
,god1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #caf4 ,note          
#a4    ,,ii4 ,the ,chief ,original      
,documents4                    ,pearl of

 ,great ,price1           #a4 ,the      
,writings of ,moses4                    
pp4 #a-di4 ,history of the           #b4
 ,the ,book of ,abraham4                
,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ih4           #c4
 ,the ,writings of ,joseph ,smith4      
,pearl of ,great ,price1                
pp4 #ej-gd4 ,history of the             
,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #bcf1          
#bhf1 #cdi1 #cej4 ,times and            
,seasons1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 ,nos4 #i         
and #aj4 ,new ,witness for              
,god1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ddc-dec4           
7#ahdb74 ,divine ,authenticity          
of the ,book of ,abraham                
7,reynolds74                            
,pearl of ,great ,price1                
pp4 #ge-ajc4 ,history of the            
,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 ,chaps4              
i-v4    ,,special ,,text3 ,and it came  
to pass as the voice was still speaking1
  ,moses cast his eyes and beheld the   
earth1 yea1 even all of it1 and  there  
was not a particle of it which he did   
not behold1 discerning it  by the       

,spirit of ,god1 and he beheld also the 
inhabitants thereof1 and  there was not 
a soul which he beheld not1 and he      
discerned them by the  ,spirit of ,god4 
,and their numbers were great1 even     
numberless as the  sand upon the        
sea-shore4 ,and he beheld many lands1   
and each land was  called earth1 and    
there were inhabitants on the face      
thereof4 ,and it  came to pass that     
,moses called upon ,god1 saying1 tell me
 ,i pray thee1  why these things are so4
 99 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord ,god said   
unto ,moses1  for mine own purpose have 
,i made these things ,here is wisdom and
 it  remaineth with me4 99 99 99 99 ,and
 worlds without number have ,i created1 
and ,i also created them for mine own   
purpose1 and by the ,son ,i created     
them1 which is mine only begotten4 99 99
 99 99 ,,for ,,behold ,,this ,,is ,,my  
,,work  ,,and ,,my ,,glory ,,to ,,bring 
,,to ,,pass ,,the ,,immortality ,,and   
,,eternal ,,life ,,of  ,,man4--,,book   
,,of ,,moses4    ,,notes4    #a4        

,compilation and ,contents3 ,the ,pearl 
of ,great ,price was compiled  and      
published by the late ,elder ,franklin  
,d4 ,richards1 of the ,council  of the  
,twelve ,apostles1 in ,liverpool1       
,england1 #ahea4 ,elder ,richards at    
the time was presiding over the ,british
 mission4 ,its title page ran as        
follows3        ,the ,,pearl ,,of       
,,great ,,price ,being a ,choice        
,selection from the      ,revelations1  
,translations1 and ,narrations of       
,,joseph ,,smith1 ,first      ,prophet1 
,seer1 and ,revelator to the ,church of 
,jesus ,christ of      ,latter-day      
,saints4    ,in addition to the         
,articles now published in the current  
and authorized  version of the tract1 it
 also contained a number of extracts    
from the  ,revelations of the ,doctrine 
and ,covenants1 including a key to the  
revelations of ,st4 ,john 7,doc4 and    
,cov4 ,sec4 #gg72 commandments to the   
,church concerning baptism 7,doc4       
,cov41 ,sec4 #bj72 on the method of     

administering the ,sacrament of the     
,lord's ,supper 7,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4    
#bj72 the duties of the ,elders1        
,priests1 ,teachers1 and ,deacons and   
members of the ,church 7,doc4  ,cov41   
,sec4 #bj72 on ,priesthood 7,doc4       
,cov41 ,sec4 #hd72 the calling and      
duties of the ,twelve ,apostles 7,doc4  
,cov4 ,sec4 #ajg72 an extract from the  
revelation given ,july1 #ahcj1  7,doc44 
,cov41 ,sec4 #bg72 extract from the     
revelation on the rise of  the ,church  
of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints
 7,doc4  ,cov41 ,sec4 #a72  ,john       
,jaques' splendid hymn1 entitled ,truth1
 7,hymn-book1 p4 #ga71 and  last but not
 least1 the revelation and prophecy on  
war1 7,doc4  ,cov41  ,sec4 #hg74 ,from  
this enumeration of articles omitted    
from this choice  collection in the     
later editions of the work1 it is seen  
that nothing  is omitted but what is now
 published in the ,doctrine and         
,covenants or  ,hymn-book2 and the      
eliminations were made to avoid         

duplicating the  publication of the     
articles in several books4    ,reverting
 to the revelation and prophecy on war1 
,i call attention to  the fact that the 
preface of the ,pearl of ,great ,price  
bears the date  of ,july #aa1 #ahea1 and
 the work was published in that year2   
but it was  not until the morning of the
 #abth of ,april1 #ahfa1 that the first 
gun in  the great ,rebellion was fired  
on ,fort ,sumter by ,general            
,beaureguard1 so  that this remarkable  
prophecy made by the ,prophet in #ahcb  
was actually  in print and widely       
published in ,england and the ,united   
,states nearly  ten years before the war
 of the ,rebellion broke out4    ,from a
 copy of the #ahea edition now on file  
in the ,historian's office1  we take the
 following paragraph from the ,preface1 
which explains the  reasons for         
publishing this collection of precious  
gems from the  revelations of ,god to   
the great modern ,prophet3        ,the  
following compilation has been induced  

by the repeated      solicitations of   
several friends of the publisher1 who   
are      desirous to be put in          
possession of the very important        
articles      contained therein4 ,most  
of the revelations composing this work  
were      published at early periods of 
the ,church1 when the circulation of    
its journals was so very limited as to  
render them comparatively      unknown  
at present1 except to a few who have    
treasured up the      productions of the
 ,church with great care from the       
beginning4 ,a      smaller portion of   
this work has never before appeared in  
print2      and altogether it is        
presumed1 that true believers in the    
divine      mission of the ,prophet     
,joseph ,smith will appreciate this     
little      collection of precious      
truths as a ,pearl of ,great ,price1    
that will      increase their ability to
 maintain and to defend the holy faith  
by      becoming possessors of it4      
#b4 ,book of ,moses3 ,the ,book of      

,moses published in the ,pearl of ,great
  ,price1 is a revelation of the ancient
 prophet's writings to ,joseph  ,smith1 
which began to be given to the prophet  
in ,june1 #ahcj1 just after  the        
,prophet and the disciples of the       
,church he was founding had passed      
through the very trying period of       
persecution1 and in his history the     
,prophet introduces it in the following 
language3        ,amid all the trials   
and tribulations we had to wade through1
      the ,lord1 who well knew our      
infantile and delicate situation1       
vouchsafed for us a supply of strength  
and granted us line upon      line of   
knowledge1 here a little and there a    
little1 of which the      following was 
a precious morsel4    ,then follows part
 of the ,book of ,moses1 published in   
the ,pearl of ,great  ,price1 ,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #ih-aja4  
,another fragment from  the ,book of    
,moses appears in the same work at pp4  
#acc to #aci1 being an  extract called  

the ,prophecy of ,enoch4 ,the ,prophet  
,joseph at this time  was engaged in the
 revision 7sometimes called a           
translation7 of the  ,hebrew            
,scriptures4 ,referring to those        
revelations concerning historical       
events of ancient times1 he remarks3    
,the ,lord greatly encouraged and       
strengthened the faith of his           
little flock1 which had embraced the    
fulness of the everlasting      gospel1 
as revealed to them in the ,book of     
,mormon1 by giving some      more       
extended information upon the           
scriptures1 a translation of      which 
had already commenced4 ,much conjecture 
and conversation      frequently        
occurred among the ,saints1 concerning  
the books      mentioned1 and referred  
to1 in various places in the ,old and   
,new      ,testaments1 which were now   
nowhere to be found4 ,the common remark 
was1 ',they are lost books2' but it     
seems the ,apostolic ,church had        
some of these writings1 as ,jude        

mentions or quotes the prophecy of      
,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam4 ,to the 
joy of the little flock1 which      in  
all1 from ,colesville to ,canadaigua1   
,new ,york1 numbered about      seventy 
members1 did the ,lord reveal the       
following doings of olden      times1   
from the prophecy of ,enoch4 7,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 #a1      pp4      
#aca-acc47    ,i know of no revelation  
within the same compass that contains so
 much  valuable information in regard to
 historical events and doctrinal        
principles as this ,book of ,moses4 ,the
 information conveyed by it1 both  in   
history and doctrine1 becomes a unifying
 force in the history of the  world and 
the gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,i hope   
this will be apparent in  the analysis  
of this book to be found in ,lesson     
,,vi4    #c4 ,the ,book of ,abraham3    
,the ,book of ,abraham is a translation 
from  certain ,egyptian papyrus which   
fell into the hands of the ,prophet in  
the following manner4 ,the account is   

condensed from the story as told  by the
 ,prophet in the ,history of the        
,church1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #cdh-cej4      
,in #ahca the celebrated ,french        
traveler1 ,antonio ,sebolo1 penetrated  
,egypt as far as the ancient city of    
,thebes1 under a license procured  from 
,mohemet ,ali--then ,viceroy of         
,egypt--through the influence of        
,chevalier ,drovetti1 the ,french       
consul4 ,sebolo employed four hundred   
and thirty-three men for four months and
 two days1 either ,turkish or  ,egyptian
 soldiers1 paying them from four to six 
cents a day per man4  ,they entered the 
,catacombs near ancient ,thebes on the  
seventh of ,june1  #ahca1 and procured  
eleven mummies4 ,these were shipped to  
,alexandria1  and from there the great  
traveler started with his treasures for 
,paris4  ,but en route for the ,french  
capital1 ,sebolo put in at ,trieste1    
where  he was taken sick1 and after an  
illness of ten days1 died4 ,this was  in
 #ahcb4 ,previous to his death he willed

 his ,egyptian treasures to  his nephew1
 ,michael ,h4 ,chandler1 who was then   
living in ,philadelphia1  ,pennsylvania1
 but whom ,sebolo believed to be in     
,dublin1 to which city  he ordered the  
mummies shipped4 ,mr4 ,chandler ordered 
the mummies  forwarded to ,new ,york    
from ,dublin1 where he took possession  
of them4  ,here the coffins for the     
first time were opened1 and in them were
  found two rolls of papyrus covered    
with engravings4 ,while still in the    
customs house1 ,mr4 ,chandler was       
informed by a gentleman1 a stranger to  
him1 that no one in the city could      
translate the characters2 but was       
referred to ,joseph ,smith1 who1 the    
stranger informed him1 possessed  some  
kind of gift or power by which he had   
previously translated  similar          
characters4 ,joseph ,smith was then     
unknown to ,mr4 ,chandler4  ,the mummies
 were shipped to ,philadelphia2 and from
 there ,mr4 ,chandler  traveled through 
the country1 exhibited them and the     

rolls of papyrus1  reaching ,kirtland in
 ,july1 #ahce1 where some of the ,saints
 purchased the  mummies and the two     
rolls of papyrus1 one of which proved to
 be the  writings of ,abraham1 and the  
other of ,joseph1 who was sold into     
,egypt4    ,with the assistance of      
,oliver ,cowdery1 and ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps as
 scribes  the ,prophet began the work of
 translating this record1 which so      
singularly came into his possession2 but
 it was not finally published  until    
,march1 #ahdb1 at ,nauvoo4 ,it will be  
found as we now have it in  the ,pearl  
of ,great ,price1 given with the        
fac-similies of certain pages  of the   
papyrus in the ,times and ,seasons1     
,vol4 ,,iii1 ,nos4 #i and #aj4  ,it is a
 revelation of exceedingly great value1 
both on account of the  historical and  
doctrinal data which it contains1 as    
appears in the  analysis for ,lesson    
,,vi4 ,for still further items of       
interest in relation  to the ,book of   
,abraham1 see ,history of the ,church1  

,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #cdh-cej  and footnotes4
    #d4 ,the ,writings of ,joseph ,smith
 in the ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,of    
the writings of ,joseph ,smith in the   
,pearl of ,great ,price little need  be 
said as they speak for themselves4 ,it  
is the ,prophet's simple yet  attractive
 and powerful narrative of those events 
which pertain to the  beginning of the  
great ,latter-day work1 the opening of  
the ,dispensation  of the ,fulness of   
,times4 ,it is comprised within a very  
few pages--#bc  in all--and merely gives
 the story of the ,prophet's birth and  
first  call by heavenly vision to the   
restoration of the ,priesthood by the   
administration of ,john the ,baptist1 in
 the month of ,may1 in the  year #ahbi1 
and a quotation from the ,wentworth     
,letter 7,see ,note --7  comprising the 
,articles of ,faith4 ,yet brief and     
limited as are these  writings1 they are
 invaluable because of their            
authenticity1 their  beautiful          
simplicity1 and the spirit of truth that

 pervades them and  infuses them with a 
convincing power4    ,footnotes    #a4  
,the readings for this exercise and for 
the remaining lessons should  be        
selected from the ,pearl of ,great      
,price4        ,,lesson ,,vi4           
,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4       
,,the ,,modern ,,scriptures--7,b7 ,,the 
,,pearl ,,of ,,great ,,price4           
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,important  
,items of ,history and                  
,doctrine in the ,book of ,moses4       
7a7 ,that the ,revelation to ,moses on  
7a7 ,note #b2 ,book of                  
,creation was ,limited to ,our          
,moses1 ,chap4 i3 #ab-cf2               
,earth and ,its ,heavens--was           
,chap4 ii3 #a4 ,mormon ,doctrine        
,local4                                 
of ,diety1 pp4 #aei-fj4          7b7    
,the ,limitless ,creations of ,god in   
,immortality of ,man1                   
,ever-changing ,processes4              
,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 ,x1            

pp4 #dac1 #dad1 foot note4              
7b7 ,chap4 i3 #bg-ch2 vii3 #cj4         
7c7 ,the ,purpose of ,god in ,creation4 
7c7 ,chap4 ii3 #ci2 vi3 #ee1 #ef4       
7d7 ,the ,council in ,heaven ,previous  
7d7 ,chap4 iv3 #a-d4              to    
,man's ,existence in the earth2         
the ,choice of a ,redeemer for          
,man2 ,lucifer's ,rebellion4            
7e7 ,the ,meaning of ,sacrifice--the    
7e7 ,chap4 ,v1 #a-aa2 vi3 #dc-fh4       
,gospel ,revealed to ,adam1 the         
,joy of ,adam and ,eve in ,their        
,earth ,existence ,under the ,gospel4   
7f7 ,the ,beginning of ,scripture4      
7f7 ,chap4 vi3 #d-f4          7g7 ,the  
,establishment of ,seers4               
7g7 ,chap4 vi3 #cb-cf4          7h7 ,the
 ,zion of ,enoch--,translation4         
7h7 ,chap4 vii3 #ad-fi4    ,,special    
,,text3 ,and it repented ,noah1 and his 
heart was pained1 that  the ,lord had   
made man on the earth1 and it grieved   
him at his heart  7compare ,gen4 vi3#f74
 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord said1 ,i will  

destroy man whom ,i  have created from  
the face of the earth 99 99 99 99 for it
 repenteth ,noah  that ,i have created  
them4--,,moses1 ,,in ,,book ,,of        
,,moses4    ,,notes4    #a4 ,purpose of 
the ,lesson3 ,it is not intended in this
 lesson to  attempt any treatise on the 
very great doctrines indicated in the   
analysis4 ,the purpose is to locate     
them2 to call attention to the  fact of 
their existence in the ,pearl of ,great 
,price to make their  acquaintance only 
in a general way now1 with a view of    
learning their  nature and importance as
 doctrines later in the course4    #b4  
,the ,book of ,moses3 ,it must not be   
thought that all the doctrines  either  
in the ,book of ,moses or the ,book of  
,abraham are indicated in the  lesson   
analysis and references4 ,these are but 
the principal ones2 and  when taken into
 account1 when thought upon1 how great  
and fundamental  they are6 ,what        
extended views of the creations of ,god 
for instance  are found in the          

passages--and worlds without number have
 ,i created2  behold1 there are many    
worlds that have passed away by the word
 of  my power1 and there are many that  
now stand2 99 99 99 the heavens they    
are many and cannot be numbered unto    
man6 ,but they are numbered unto  me1   
for they are mine4 ,and this from       
,enoch's talk with ,god--,were it       
possible that man could number the      
particles of the earth1 yea millions  of
 earth's like this1 it would not be a   
beginning to the number of thy          
creations2 and thy curtains are         
stretched out still6 ,what splendor1    
too1 is seen in the endless processes of
 creation described in these  words of  
the ,lord--,as one earth shall pass     
away1 and the heavens  thereof1 even so 
shall another come1 and there is no end 
to my works4  ,science settles to its   
sure foundations in that doctrine4 ,it  
is1  in a way1 and within certain       
limits--to put it in modern phrase--a   
sort of evolution and devolution1 with  

each succeeding wave in the  process of 
the evolution rising to still higher    
states of excellence  and grandeur and  
glory4 ,and then as to the purposes of  
,god in all  these creations--,for mine 
own purpose have ,i made these things2  
99 99  99 99 for behold1 this is my work
 and my glory--to bring to pass the     
immortality and eternal life of man6    
,where else are these things said  so   
well8 ,again3 ,the controversy in heaven
 concerning the means of  man's         
redemption2 ,lucifer's plan with its    
agency-destroying effect on  man1 and   
its glory destroying effect on ,god4    
,behold1 said this proud  spirit--this  
,light-bearer--,behold1 here am ,i1 send
 me1 ,i will be thy  son1 and ,i will   
redeem all mankind1 that one soul shall 
not be lost1  and surely ,i will do it1 
wherefore give me thine honor4 ,but1    
behold1  my beloved ,son1 which was my  
,beloved and ,chosen from the beginning1
  said unto me--,father1 thy will be    
done1 and the glory be thine forever4   

,wherefore1 because that ,satan rebelled
 against me1 and sought to  destroy the 
agency of man1 which ,i1 the ,lord ,god1
 had given him1 and  also1 that ,i      
should give unto him mine own power2 by 
the power of mine  ,only ,begotten1 ,i  
caused that he should be cast down2 and 
he became  ,satan1 yea1 even the devil1 
the father of all lies1 to deceive and  
to  blind men1 and to lead them captive 
at his will1 even as many as would  not 
hearken unto my voice4 7,book of ,moses1
 pp44 #ae1 #af74    ,then historically  
there is the fact of the gospel being   
taught to ,adam1  both by the ,lord and 
through the ministration of angels2     
involving the  explanation of the       
sacrifices man had been commanded to    
offer unto the  ,lord1 prefiguring the  
redemption of the race through the      
atonement to  be made by the ,ouly      
,begotten of the ,father2 the joy of    
,adam and his  spouse1 even at the fall 
when its true significance is made known
 to  them--,inasmuch as thy children are

 conceived in sin1 even so when  they   
begin to grow up1 sin conceiveth in     
their hearts and they taste  the bitter1
 that they may know how to prize the    
good4 ,with this  truth clear to his    
understanding--,blessed be the name of  
,god1 said  the great ,patriarch of our 
race1 for because of my transgression my
  eyes are opened and in this life ,i   
shall have joy1 and again in the  flesh 
,i shall see ,god4 ,and ,eve1 his wife1 
heard all these things and  was glad1   
saying3 ,were it not for our            
transgression we never should  have had 
seed1 and never should have known good  
and evil1 and the joy  of our           
redemption1 and the eternal life which  
,god giveth unto all the  obedient4 ,and
 ,adam and ,eve blessed the name of     
,god1 and they made all  things known   
unto their sons and daughters4 7,book of
 ,moses1 pp4 #bj-ba47    ,then1 too1 the
 mission and preaching of ,enoch1 the   
establishment of  ,zion1 and its        
translation into heaven1 in all which   

there is much  knowledge of ancient     
times restored to man4    #c4 ,the ,date
 of the ,revelation of the ,book of     
,moses3 ,the time at which  the ,book of
 ,moses was given to the ,church by the 
,prophet should also be  remembered1    
,june1 #ahcj4 ,the ,prophet was then    
only in his twenty-sixth  year2 yet had 
his soul reached so far into the things 
of ,god that he  came to the ,church    
with these precious1 because            
fundamental1 universal  and yet to be   
world-moving truths4 ,whence came the   
,prophet's knowledge  of these deep     
things of ,god1 save by the revelations 
of ,god8 ,the writer  is reminded here  
of an incident which came under his     
observation in his  missionary          
experience in the south4 ,one of the    
traveling ,elders of the  ,church had   
succeeded in arousing the interest of a 
very intelligent  lady in the message he
 was sent to deliver to the world1 and  
had her  reading the ,book of ,mormon1  
the ,doctrine and ,covenants1 and other 

,church works4 ,learning which1 certain 
,christian ministers began calling  upon
 her with the view of dissuading her    
from such investigation1  and in        
connection with their protests gave her 
a tract setting forth  the old ,solomon 
,saulding theory of the origin of the   
,book of ,mormon4  ,calling upon her a  
few days later1 after she had had time  
to read  their tract1 the ministers     
inquired what she thought of the ,book  
of  ,mormon now4 ,well1 gentlemen1 said 
she1 of course ,i am not able as  yet to
 say whether the ,spaulding theory or   
,joseph ,smith's story of the  origin of
 the ,book of ,mormon is true1 but ,i   
have something else to show  you4 ,here 
is this ,mormon book1 the ,doctrine and 
,covenants1 claiming  to be a collection
 of revelations received by ,joseph     
,smith at first  hand from the ,lord4 ,i
 believe there is no contention about   
his being  the author of these          
revelations1 and ,i find in them more   
evidences of  divine inspiration than in

 the ,book of ,mormon1 or in any other  
book  ,i have ever read4 ,will you      
explain away the evidence of divinity in
  these revelations of which ,joseph    
,smith is undoubtedly the author8 ,to   
this proposition there was no           
forthcoming answer1 and much confused   
the ministers departed4 ,i think the    
same idea may be applied to these  books
 in the ,pearl of ,great ,price--the    
,book of ,moses1 and the ,book of       
,abraham--for in them1 too1 the same    
evidences of divine inspiration         
exist--bringing forth knowledge far     
beyond anything that the unaided  mind  
of ,joseph ,smith could conceive4    #d4
 ,the ,revelations of ,scripture ,local3
 ,the fact that the revelations  of our 
,bible and other scriptures relate1 in  
the main1 to matters  pertaining to our 
,god1 our earth and its heavens1 as set 
forth in  the ,book of ,moses1 ,i regard
 as very important in relation both to  
the  phraseology and meaning of all the 
scriptures4 ,for when the scripture     

says3 ,in the beginning ,god created the
 heaven and the earth1 etc42  and thus  
the heavens and the earth were finished 
and all the hosts of  them1 he has      
reference not to any absolute beginning1
 or absolute  finishing1 but only to the
 beginning and finishing as pertaining  
to our earth and the order of creation  
with which it is connected2 and  the    
hosts that pertain to our order of      
existence1 not absolutely to  all       
existences4 ,the revelations we have    
received of ,god1 let it be  said again1
 are local1 they relate to us and our   
order of existence2  they may not at    
all1 except in the most casual and      
general way1 refer  to that order of    
worlds connected with and governed by   
the ,pleiades1  or of ,orion1 much less 
to the further removed constellations   
and their  systems of worlds4 ,we learn 
from the ,pearl of ,great ,price that   
when the  ,lord gave those revelations  
to ,moses by which the prophet was      
enabled  to write the creation history  

of our earth1 the local character of    
those revelations was expressly stated4 
7,see ,book of ,moses1 chap4 i3#ce1     
#dj2 chap ii3#a47        ,,lesson ,,vii4
    ,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4   
,,the ,,modern ,,scriptures--7,b7 ,,the 
,,pearl ,,of ,,great ,,price4           
,,analysis4                             
,,references4      ,i4 ,history and     
,doctrine in the ,book of               
,abraham4          #a4 ,the ,priesthood 
of ,abraham from                7a7     
,book of ,abraham1             the      
,fathers4                               
,chap4 i2 #a-d2 #be-ca4          #b4    
,origin of the ,egyptians4              
7b7 ,chap4 i3 #ba-bh4          #c4      
,domination of ,egyptian ,religious     
7c7 ,chap4 i4             ,ideas2       
,chaldea in ,abraham's                  
,times4          #d4 ,abraham's         
,knowledge of ,astronomy                
7d7 ,chap4 iii3 #a-ah4 ,new             
through ,urim and ,thummim4             
,witness for ,god1 ,vol4 ,i1            

pp4 #ddc-dec4          #e4 ,the         
,pre-,existence of ,spirits and         
7e7 ,chap4 iii3 #af-bf4             the 
,eternal ,existence of ,intelligences4  
#f4 ,the ,purpose in ,man's ,earth      
,probation1         7f7 ,chap4 iii3     
#bb-bh4             ,choice of the      
,redeemer4          #g4 ,creation ,story
 ,revealed to ,abraham--,plurality 7g7  
,chaps4 iv-v4             of ,gods4     
,,special ,,text3 ,if two things exist1 
and there be one above the other1  there
 shall be greater things above them4 99 
99 99 99 ,now1 if there be two  things1 
one above the other1 and the moon be    
above the earth1 then it  may be that a 
planet or a star may exist above it2 99 
99 99 99 as also if  there be two       
spirits1 and one shall be more          
intelligent than the other1  yet those  
two spirits notwithstanding one is more 
intelligent than  the other1 have no    
beginning2 they existed before1 they    
shall have no  end1 they shall exist    
after1 for they are gnolaum1 or eternal4

 99 99 99 99  ,these two facts do exist1
 that there are two spirits1 one being  
more  intelligent than the other2 there 
shall be another more intelligent  than 
they2 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 ,i am   
more intelligent than them  all4--,,the 
,,lord ,,to ,,abraham4    ,,notes4      
#a4 ,the ,book of ,abraham3 ,the ,book  
of ,abraham1 no less than the ,book of  
,moses1 is immensely rich in doctrine   
and historical incident4 ,of the  latter
 the fact of the large influence 7if not
 identity7 of ,egyptian  religious ideas
 in ,chaldea in the days of ,abraham2   
the descent of the  cursed or black race
 from ,cain1 the first murderer2 their  
preservation  through the flood by the  
wife of ,ham--,egyptus1 which in the    
,chaldean  signifies ',egypt1' which    
signifies that which is forbidden1      
implying  that ,ham had married into    
that race which was forbidden to the    
sons of  ,god1 and were cursed as       
pertaining to the ,priesthood2 the      
origin also  of the ,egyptians--these   

things constitute the chief historical  
items  that are contributed by the book4
 ,as to doctrines1 perhaps the most     
important are the pre-existence of      
spirits1 and the eternal existence1  yet
 varying grades of intelligences1 7chap4
 iii72 the choice of the  more noble    
spirits as ,god's rulers in the earth   
7,ibid72 the purpose  of the earth life 
of these eternal intelligences1 viz41 to
 be added  upon1 which means growth1    
increase of knowledge through           
experience1  enlarged wisdom1 broader   
intelligence1 increased power and glory1
  ,moses' tasting the bitter that they  
may know how to prize the good  7,book  
of ,moses1 chap4 vi3#ee72 and the       
plurality of ,gods implied in the  fact 
that in his creation story ,abraham uses
 the plural form throughout  in         
reference to the divine ,beings engaged 
in the work of creation--,and  the ,gods
 said let there be light1--and the ,gods
 called the light day1  etc4 ,we might  
claim for this book also the revelation 

of scientific  truth in the ,abrahamic  
system of astronomy1 but that is too    
large a  subject for treatment in a     
note2 and therefore the student is      
referred  to the very excellent work of 
,elder ,geo4 ,reynolds1 ,the ,book of   
,abraham3 ,its ,authenticity            
,established as a ,divine and ,ancient  
,record4  ,and also ,new ,witnesses for 
,god1 ,vol4 ,i1 chapters xxviii1 xxix1  
and xxx4  ,it should be said that it is 
more than sixty years since the         
,abrahamic  system was first announced  
by the ,prophet2 and it is interesting  
to  note the fact that though the       
heavens have been constantly searched by
  powerful telescopes during that time1 
nothing has yet been discovered  which  
at all conflicts with it4 ,on the       
contrary much has been learned  which   
tends to confirm it4 ,what ,god revealed
 on this most important  and interesting
 branch of knowledge far outstripped at 
the time it was  published1 what        
scientists had learned or speculative   

philosophers had  conjectured2 and with 
confidence those who accept that        
revelation may  watch the slow but      
important discoveries of astronomers    
which will  yet demonstrate the truth of
 that system which ,god has revealed4   
,it  represents the universe as planned 
on a scale so magnificent that it  is   
worthy of the intelligence of a ,god as 
its ,creator4 ,such ideas of  the       
construction of the universe that they  
are worthy of revelation2  they carry   
with them by the very force of their    
grandeur the evidence  of their truth2  
and when it is remembered that they were
 brought forth  by a young man wholly   
separated from the centers of scientific
 thought1  unacquainted with the        
speculations of philosophers1 and       
without any  previous knowledge of      
astronomy1 it is not difficult to       
believe that  he received his knowledge 
of them from the writings of one        
inspired  or taught of ,god2 and that he
 himself was gifted with divine power to

  translate those ancient writings1 and 
hence himself a prophet and seer        
inspired of ,god4    #b4 ,astronomy in  
,ancient ,egypt3 ,the more carefully one
 studies the  great work of ,copernicus 
the father of modern astronomy the more 
surprised he will be to find how        
completely ,ptolemy the ,egyptian       
furnished him both ideas and material4  
,if we seek the teachers and            
predecessors of ,hipparchus1 the ,greek1
 7#afj-abe ,b4 ,c47 we find only  the   
shadowy forms of ,egyptian and          
,babylonian priests1 whose names and    
writings are all entirely lost4 ,in the 
earliest historic ages1 men  knew that  
the earth was round2 that the sun       
appeared to make an annual  revolution  
among the stars2 and that eclipses were 
cause by the moon  entering the shadow  
of the earth1 or the earth that of the  
moon4  7,popular ,astronomy1 ,simon     
,newcomb1 ,introduction1 p #b47 ,it is  
not at all  improbable that among the   
,egyptian and ,babylonian priests above 

spoken  of1 whose names and writings are
 all entirely lost1 that ,abraham may   
have had a place4    #c4 ,the ,influence
 of ,abraham on ,egyptian ,thought3     
,that ,abraham was in  ,egypt is clear  
both from the ,bible and the writings of
 ,josephus4 ,the  latter after relating 
all that the ,bible does1 only in       
greater detail1  adds to the account    
that the ,egyptian king made ,abraham a 
large present  in money2 and gave him   
leave to enter into conversation with   
the most  learned among the ,egyptians2 
from which conversation1 his virtue and 
his reputation became more conspicuous  
than they had been before4 ,for  whereas
 the ,egyptians were formerly addicted  
to different customs1 and  despised one 
another's sacred and accustomed rites1  
and were very angry  one with another on
 that account1 ,abraham conferred with  
each of them1  and confuted the         
reasonings they made use of1 every one  
for his own  practices2 he demonstrated 
that such reasonings were vain1 and void

  of truth2 whereupon he was admired by 
them1 in those conferences1 as  a very  
wise man1 and one of great sagacity1    
when he discoursed on any  subject he   
undertook2 and this was not only in     
understanding it1 but  in persuading    
other men also to assent to him4 ,he    
communicated to them  arithmetic1 and   
delivered to them the science of        
astronomy2 for before  ,abraham came    
into ,egypt1 they were unacquainted with
 those parts of  learning2 for that     
science came from the ,chaldeans into   
,egypt1 and from  thence to the ,greeks 
also4 7,antiquities of the ,jews1 ,bk   
,i1 chap4 xiii47        ,,lesson ,,viii4
    ,,scripture ,,reading ,,exercise4   
7,,special ,,lesson47    ,,the ,,law    
,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,in ,,ancient ,,and  
,,modern ,,revelation ,,applied ,,to    
,,the  ,,american ,,negro ,,race        
,,problem4      ,,subject4              
,,references4      ,i4 ,the ,american   
,negro ,race ,problem4                  
,history of the ,united          #a4    

,advent of the ,negro ,race in          
,states by ,alexander                   
,america4                               
,stephens1 pp4 #cf1 #hh1 #cff4          
#b4 ,slavery and the ,abolition of ,it4 
,same ,author's1 ,war                   
,between the ,states4 ,old              
,virginia and ,her ,neighbors           
7,john ,fiske71 ,vol4 ,i1               
p4 #ah1 #ai1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #g1        
#bi1 #da1 #agb-bbb1 #bbh-bca1 #bce-f4   
#c4 ,political ,enfranchisement of the  
,emancipation ,proclamation             
,black ,race--,its ,wisdom or ,unwisdom4
                     7,abraham          
,lincoln71                              
,war ,between the ,states1              
,vol4 ,,ii4 ,appendix to ,papers        
and ,messages of the                    
,presidents' ,vol4          #d4 ,present
 ,status of the ,negro ,race            
,for ,present ,status of                
,problem4                               
the question see ,the                   
,color ,line1 ,wm4 ,benjamin ,smith1    

,mc,clure                               
,phillips  ,co41 ,n4 ,y4    ,,ii4 ,the  
,law of the ,lord as ,affecting         
,book of ,moses--,pearl           the   
,negro ,race ,problem4                  
of ,great ,price1 ,chap4 v1             
#a4 ,the ,progenitor of the ,race4      
verses #e-h1 #bb2 ,chap4 viii3          
verses #h1 #b2 ,chap4 viii3 #ab-ae4     
,gen4 ix3 #ah-bg4           #b4 ,the    
,manner of ,its ,preservation           
,book of ,abraham1              through 
the ,flood4                             
,chap4 i3 #i-aa1 #ba-bh4 ,compare       
#c4 ,the ,curse ,put ,upon it by ,noah4 
,gen4 ix3 #ah-bg2 also           #d4 ,in
 what ,respects a ,forbidden            
,the ,book of ,abraham--,a              
,race4                                  
,divine and ,ancient           #e4 ,from
 all the ,foregoing ,deduce             
,record1 7,reynolds71 p4 #f1            
the ,law of ,god in the ,question4      
#g4 ,smith's ,old ,testament            
,history1 ,chap4 iii4    ,,special      

,,text3 ,let not man join together what 
,god hath put  asunder4--,,the ,,color  
,,line1 chap4 i4    ,,notes4    #a4     
,introduction of ,african ,slavery into 
,america3 ,some time anterior  to this  
period 7i4 e41 #afbj ,a4 ,d47 the       
,spaniards and ,portuguese had  bought  
from the chiefs on the coast of ,africa 
negro captives1 and had  carried them to
 other parts of the world1 especially to
 ,south ,america  and the ,west ,indies1
 and had sold them as slaves4 ,this     
traffic they had  continued without     
intermission1 and in the year #afbj a   
,dutch vessel  brought to ,jamestown    
twenty of these unfortunate beings and  
sold them  to the colonists of          
,virginia4 ,this was the introduction of
 ,african  slavery in the ,british      
,american colonies1 which has been the  
source of  so much subsequent trouble1  
as we shall see4 ,by the close of the   
year  #afbj the population of the colony
 amounted to nearly two thousand4  ,upon
 the subject of the introduction of     

,african slavery in ,virginia1  and     
afterwards in all the other ,british    
colonies1 out of which so much  trouble 
and strife subsequently arose1 it is    
quite proper here to state  that a      
majority of the colonists at ,jamestown 
were very much opposed  to this         
introduction in their community of these
 supposed descendants  of ,ham as       
bondsmen and bondswomen for life4 ,their
 opposition arose1  however1 perhaps    
more from considerations looking to the 
best interests  and future welfare of   
the colony1 in its progress in moral and
 material  development1 than from any   
feelings of humanity towards the        
unfortunate  victims of this species of 
commerce4 ,the ,african slave trade was 
at  that time not only tolerated by all 
civilized nations1 but actively  engaged
 in for profit by many of the most      
distinguished ,christian  monarchs4     
7,stephens' ,history of the ,united     
,states1 p4 #cf47    #b4 ,the ,first    
,american ,slave ,ship3 ,in #afcf was   

built at ,marblehead1  in               
,massachusetts1 the first ,american     
slave-ship2 it was called the  ,desire1 
and was intended for the ,african       
slave-trade1 in which most  of the      
,european nations were then engaged     
directly or indirectly4 ,the  first     
cargo of ,african slaves brought into   
,massachusetts was by the  ,desire1 on  
the #bjth of ,may1 #afch4 ,many of the  
most prominent men  purchased slaves out
 of this cargo2 so that ,massachusetts  
was a few  years only behind ,virginia  
in the introduction within the ,english 
settlements on this continent of this   
unfortunate race of slaves4  7,history  
of the ,united ,states1 ,stephens1 p4   
#hh47    #c4 ,the ,beginning of         
,abolition3 ,on the #abth of ,february1 
#agij1 a  petition1 invoking the        
,federal authorities to adopt measures  
with a  view to the ultimate abolition  
of ,african slavery1 as it then existed 
in the respective ,states1 was sent to  
,congress1 headed by ,dr4 ,franklin1    

who had been a very distinguished1      
though not a very active leader1  owing 
to his age1 in the ranks of the         
,nationals1 in the ,philadelphia        
convention4 ,there were then in the     
,united ,states #fig1hig negro slaves4  
,they had been introduced into all the  
,states1 as we have seen1 but most  of  
them were at this time in the ,southern 
,states4 ,this movement was  looked upon
 with alarm everywhere by the true      
friends of the federal  system1 as it   
invoked the exercise of powers not      
delegated by the  ,states to ,congress4 
,after a thorough discussion on the     
#bcrd of ,march1  #agij1 in the ,house  
of ,representatives1 the question was   
quieted for the  time by the passage of 
a resolution ,that ,congress have no    
authority to  interfere in the          
emancipation of slaves1 or in the       
treatment of them  within any of the    
,states2 it remaining with the several  
,states alone  to provide any           
regulations therein1 which humanity and 

true policy may  require4 7,history of  
the ,united ,states1 ,stephens1 p4      
#cfg47 ,the act of  emancipation did not
 come until #ahfc1 in the midst of the  
,civil war1  and then it was regarded   
merely as a war measure4    #d4 ,the    
,race ,question as ,affecting the       
,southern ,states3 ,perhaps the  most   
convincing book in justification of the 
,south in denying to the  negro race    
social equality with the white race is  
the one written by  ,william ,benjamin  
,smith1 entitled ,the ,color ,line1 ,a  
,brief in ,behalf of  the ,unborn1 from 
which the following is a quotation3     
,here1 then1 is laid bare the nerve of  
the whole matter3 ,is the      south    
justified in this absolute denial of    
social equality to the      negro1 no   
matter what his virtues or abilities or 
accomplishments8        ,we affirm1     
then1 that the south is entirely right  
in thus keeping      open at all times1 
at all hazards1 and at all sacrifices an
      impassible social chasm between   

black and white4 ,this she must do      
in behalf of her blood1 her essence1 of 
the stock of her ,caucasian      race4  
,to the writer the correctness of this  
thesis seems as clear      as the       
sun--so evident as almost to forestall  
argument2 nor can      he quite         
comprehend the frame of mind that can   
seriously dispute      it4 ,but let us  
look at it closely4 ,is there any doubt 
whatever as      to the alternative8 ,if
 we sit with negroes at our tables1 if  
we      entertain them as our guests and
 social equals1 if we disregard      the
 color line in all other relations1 is  
it possible to maintain      it fixedly 
in the sexual relation1 in the marriage 
of our sons      and daughters1 in the  
propagation of our species8             
,unquestionably1      ,no6 ,it is       
certain as the rising of tomorrow's sun1
 that1 once the      middle wall of     
social partition is broken down1 the    
mingling of      the tides of life would
 begin instantly and proceed steadily4  

,of      course1 it would be gradual1   
but none the less sure1 none the less   
irresistible4 ,it would make itself felt
 at first most strongly in      the     
lower strata of the white population2   
but it would soon invade      the middle
 and menace insidiously the very        
uppermost4 ,many bright      mulattoes  
would ambitiously woo1 and not a few    
would win1 well-bred      women         
disappointed in love or goaded by       
impulse or weary of the      stern      
struggle for existence4 ,as a race1 the 
,southern ,caucasian      would be      
irrevocably doomed4 ,for no possible    
check could be given      to this       
process once established44 ,remove the  
barrier between two      streams flowing
 side by side--immediately they begin to
 mingle      their molecules2 in vain   
you attempt to replace it4 99 99 99 99  
,the      moment the bar of absolute    
separation is thrown down in the ,south1
      that moment the bloom of her      
spirit is blighted forever1 the         

promise of her destiny is annulled1 the 
proud fabric of her future      slips   
into dust and ashes4 ,no other          
conceivable disaster that      might    
befall the ,south could1 for an instant1
 compare with such      miscegenation   
within her borders4 ,flood and fire1    
fever and famine      and the           
sword--even ignorance1 indolence1 and   
carpet-baggery--she      may endure and 
conquer while her blood remains pure2   
but once taint      the well-spring of  
her life1 and all is lost--even honor   
itself4      ,it is this immediate jewel
 of her soul that the ,south watches    
with such a dragon eye1 that she guards 
with more than vestal      vigilance1   
with a circle of perpetual fire4 ,the   
blood thereof is      the life thereof2 
he who would defile it would stab her in
 her      heart of hearts1 and she      
springs to repulse him with the fiercest
      instinct of self-preservation4 ,it
 may not be that she is distinctly      
conscious of the immeasurable interests 

at stake or of the real      grounds of 
her roused antagonism2 but the instinct 
itself is none      the less just and   
true and the natural bulwark of her     
life4        ,at this point we hear some
 one exclaim1 ',not so fast6 ,to sit at 
table1 to mingle freely in society with 
certain persons1 does      not imply you
 would marry them4 ,certainly not1 in   
every case4      ,we may recognize      
socially those whom we personally abhor4
 ,this      matters not1 however2 for   
wherever social commingling is admitted1
      there the possibility of          
intermarriage must be also admitted4    
,it becomes a mere question of personal 
preference1 of like and      dislike4   
,now1 there is no accounting for tastes4
 ,it is ridiculous      to suppose that 
no negroes would prove attractive to any
 white4      ,the possible would become 
actual--as certainly as you will throw  
double-double sixes in dice1 if only you
 keep on throwing4 ,to be      sure1    
where the number of negroes is almost   

vanishingly small1 as      in the north 
and in ,europe1 there the chances of    
such mesalliances      are              
proportionally divided2 some may even   
count them negligible4      ,but in the 
,south1 where in many districts the     
black outnumbers      the white1 they   
would be multiplied immensely1 and      
crosses would      follow with          
increasing frequency44 99 99 99 ,but    
some may deny that      the             
mongrelization of the ,southern people  
would offend the race      notion--would
 corrupt or degrade the ,southern stock 
of humanity4 ,if      so1 then such a   
one has yet to learn the largest-writ   
lessons of      history and the most    
impressive doctrines of biological      
science4      ,that the negro is        
markedly inferior to the ,caucasian is  
proved      both craniologically and by 
six thousand years of planet-wide       
experimentation2 and that the           
commingling of inferior with superior   
must lower the higher is just as certain

 as that the half-sum of      two and   
six is only four4    ,a ,final ,word on 
,speech ,building3 ,in the notes that   
have accompanied  these special lessons1
 which we have suggested be treated in  
extempore  speeches1 we have gradually  
developed one single lesson in the      
matter  of constructing a lecture or    
speech4 ,the plan has been simple1 and  
the illustrations abundant4 ,the lesson 
in speech structure was based  upon the 
simple principle of the speech having an
 ,introduction1 a  ,discussion1 and a   
,conclusion1 accompanied by several     
illustrations  of noted speeches4 ,a    
word was said with reference to the     
gathering of  material for such an      
address1 and the manner of delivering it
 in the  form of extempore speech4 ,and 
now at the conclusion of the lesson1 ,i 
desire to say one more thing1 and to say
 it as emphatically as it is  possible  
for it to be said4    ,let every speech1
 lecture1 or discourse by a ,seventy be 
an honest  one4 ,let it be his own1     

good1 bad1 or indifferent4 ,a poor      
speech that  is one's own is more to    
one's credit than a good one stolen1 and
  repeated as his4 ,plagiarism is       
defined to be an act appropriating the  
ideas1 writings1 or inventions of       
another without due acknowledgment2     
specifically1 the stealing of passages1 
either word for word or in  substance1  
from the writings of another and        
publishing them as one's  own2 literary 
or artistic theft4 99 99 99 ,a writing1 
utterance1 or  invention stolen from    
another4 7,dictionary1 ,funk            
,wagnall's47    ,i desire to call the   
attention of our ,seventies to the fact 
that the  ugly words1 stolen1 theft1    
stealing1 are used as describing  this  
act1 and in literary ethics the act is  
just as despicable as  those acts in    
commercial life that go under similar   
descriptive  titles1 stealing1 theft1   
robbery4 ,and indeed1 there is more     
excuse for such acts in commercial life 
than in literature4 ,of all  despicable 

characters in the literary world1 the is
 regarded as the  most contemptible1 and
 yet there have not been wanting among  
us in  the ministry of the ,church 7due 
to their ignorance of the ethics of     
literature1 of course7 those who have   
advocated the appropriation  of sermons 
and lectures prepared by others2 and    
have advocated the  repetition of these 
stolen sermons in the preaching of the  
gospel6  ,i know of nothing that should 
be so completely repudiated in the      
,seventies' class work and their        
subsequent ministry as this course1 or  
anything that smacks of it4 ,it is as   
bad as wearing stolen clothes4  ,it is  
asking one to shine not even by         
borrowed1 but by stolen light4  ,it will
 result in mental laziness4 ,it is a    
confession of one's own  inability to   
think for himself and work out from the 
mass of materials  that lie before him  
in the revelations of ,god1 the         
deductions and  conclusions that make   
for the establishment of faith and      

righteousness  in the lives of others4  
,a few ideas hammered out on the anvil  
of one's  own thought1 even though they 
be crudely and haltingly expressed1  if 
they are one's own1 that is a better    
beginning and more hopeful  than the    
most glowing declamation of the sermon  
that has been stolen  from another1 or  
plagiarised from some book or tract44 ,i
 beg of you  to adhere to this counsel4 
,of all things have your discourses     
honest  before ,god and before men4     
,of course1 ,i know the excuse that is  
made to justify plagiarism among  some  
of our young and inexperienced ,elders4 
,some of our young brethren  are        
conscious of their unpreparedness to    
immediately begin their work  when      
called to the ministry1 and they feel   
the necessity of beginning  at once2 for
 they are called upon to speak          
immediately on arriving  in their       
missions1 and they are overwhelmed with 
the sense of having  nothing to say1 and
 either through wrong suggestion of     

others1 or  misconception of the        
proprieties in the premises1 they commit
 to memory  the discourse of a          
companion1 or a tract 7,see ,editor's   
,table of ,era1  ,september1 #aijg71 or 
parts of books and deliver such         
memorized tracts  or discourses as their
 own4 ,that is plagiarism1 which is     
always  dishonest and not in harmony    
with the ,spirit of truth1 which is the 
,spirit of the gospel4 ,to meet such an 
emergency of unpreparedness  supposed to
 justify the kind of plagiarism referred
 to above1 ,i suggest  that it would be 
better for the ,elder to confess his    
inability to set  forth the doctrine or 
message for the present1 but say that he
 had in  his possession a tract or book 
that did so1 and with permission of     
those who had gathered he would read    
some passages from it that would  set   
forth some of the doctrines of our      
faith2 and then read so much as  might  
be necessary for the occasion4 ,or he   
might say that on a given  occasion he  

had heard his companion set forth a     
certain doctrine or  part of the message
 they were sent to deliver in a manner  
that appealed  to him1 and as his       
companion had not referred to it1 or was
 not likely  to refer to it on this     
occasion he would take the liberty of   
doing  so2 being careful to credit his  
companion throughout1 and especially  at
 points peculiarly striking4 ,by taking 
this course1 he preserves  the          
consciousness of his own honesty1 and by
 diligence will soon work  himself out  
of the necessity of reading or repeating
 the ideas and  language of others4     
,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith's         
,benediction on1 and ,instructions to   
the  ,seventies3    ,i feel like        
blessing the quorums of the ,priesthood1
 every one of them1  from the ,high     
,priests to the ,deacons4 ,i pray ,god1 
my ,heavenly ,father  to remember them  
in their organizations1 to help them1   
that they may  magnify the ,priesthood  
they hold and do the will of the        

,father2 that  the ,seventies may be    
minute men1 instant in season and out of
 season1  ready and willing to respond  
to the calls that are made upon them to 
go  and preach the gospel to the world4 
,gather in from the ,elders' quorums    
those who have proven themselves worthy 
and who have gained experience1  and    
make ,seventies of them1 so that the    
quorum of the ,seventies may  be        
replenished2 and the aged ones1 whose   
physical condition will not  permit them
 any longer to do missionary duty in the
 world1 let them  be ordained ,high     
,priests and ,patriarchs1 to bless the  
people and to  minister at home4 ,gather
 in the strong1 the vigorous1 the young1
 the  able-bodied1 who have the spirit  
of the gospel in their hearts1 to fill  
up the ranks of the ,seventies1 that we 
may have ministers to preach the  gospel
 to the world4 ,they are needed4 ,we    
cannot now meet the demand4             
7,conference ,reports1 ,october1 #aije1 
p4 #ie47