{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_42238/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_42238","id":"gutenberg_42238","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42238","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines","Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines","Latter Day Saints"],"text":"Transcriber's note:\n\nText enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).\n\nText enclosed by = is in bold (=bold=).\n\nSmall capital text has been replaced with all capitals.\n\nVariations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained\nexcept in obvious cases of typographical error.\n\nPage vi. The transcriber has changed the page number in the table of\ncontents for \"LECTURE VIII, ARTICLE 4\" from 160 to 164 to match the\nactual beginning page of the section.\n\nPage 51: The close quote mark has been added: sacrificed by being laid\nin the heated arms and burned\".\n\nPage 234: The open quote mark has been added: by the authority of\n\"Beelzebub the prince of devils.\"[727]\n\nPage 245: \"Then, a century later, Malachi,[747] the last of the\nprophets\"--A footnote anchor was missing and has been inserted by the\ntranscriber.\n\nPage 306: 7. follows \"5. Mexican Tradition concerning the Savior.\" The\nbook has no number 6.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n[Illustration: coverpage]\n\n[Illustration: titlepage]\n\n  THE\n\n  ARTICLES OF FAITH\n\n  A SERIES OF LECTURES ON THE\n  PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES OF\n\n  THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF\n  LATTER-DAY SAINTS\n\n  BY\n\n  JAMES E. TALMAGE,\n  One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church\n\n  PREPARED BY APPOINTMENT, AND PUBLISHED BY THE CHURCH\n\n  Eleventh Edition in English\n  INCLUDING THE FIFTY-SECOND THOUSAND\n\n  THE DESERET NEWS,\n  SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.\n  1919\n\n\n\n\n  ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS\n  IN THE YEAR 1890,\n  BY JAMES E. TALMAGE,\n  IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF\n  CONGRESS, AT WASHINGTON.\n\n  COPYRIGHT 1913\n  BY JOSEPH F. SMITH\n  TRUSTEE-IN-TRUST FOR THE CHURCH OF\n  JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.\n\n\nThe lectures herewith presented have been prepared in accordance with\nthe request and appointment of the First Presidency of the Church. The\ngreater number of the addresses were delivered before the Theology\nClass of the Church University; and, after the close of the class\nsessions, the lectures were continued before other Church\norganizations engaged in the study of theology. To meet the desire\nexpressed by the Church authorities,--that the lectures be published\nfor use in the various educational institutions of the Church,--the\nmatter has been revised, and is now presented in this form.\n\nIn anticipation of probable question or criticism regarding the\ndisparity of length of the several lectures, it may be stated that\neach of the addresses occupied two or more class sessions, and that\nthe present arrangement of the matter in separate lectures is rather\none of compilation than of original presentation.\n\nThe author's thanks are due and are heartily rendered to the members\nof the committee appointed by the First Presidency, whose painstaking\nand efficient examination of the manuscript prior to the delivery of\nthe lectures, has inspired some approach to confidence in the\nprospective value of the book among members of the Church. The\ncommittee here referred to consisted of Elders Francis M. Lyman,\nAbraham H. Cannon, and Anthon H. Lund, of the Quorum of the Twelve\nApostles; Elder George Reynolds, one of the Presidents of the\nPresiding Quorum of Seventy; Elder John Nicholson, and Dr. Karl G.\nMaeser.\n\nThe lectures are now published by the Church, and with them goes the\nhope of the author that they may prove of some service to the many\nstudents of the scriptures among our people, and to other earnest\ninquirers into the doctrines and practices of the Church of Jesus\nChrist of Latter-day Saints.\n\n  JAMES E. TALMAGE.\n\nSalt Lake City, Utah, April 3, 1899.\n\n\nPREFACE TO THE TENTH EDITION.\n\nThis issue of \"The Articles of Faith\" presents some departures from\nthe earlier imprints in wording, in the substitution of several\nrewritten paragraphs, and in the introduction of numerous additions to\nthe notes and references. This entire edition is printed on India\npaper. Since the issuance of the last preceding edition, translations\nof the work have been published in Dutch and Japanese.\n\n  JAMES E. TALMAGE.\n\nSalt Lake City, Utah, February, 1917.\n\n\nPUBLISHERS' NOTE TO ELEVENTH EDITION\n\nThis edition of Dr. James E. Talmage's valuable work \"The Articles of\nFaith\" is printed from the electrotype plates used for the last\npreceding edition, which was the first India paper issue.\n\nSalt Lake City Utah, October, 1919.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n\n\n  LECTURE I.\n\n  Introductory.\n\n  Importance of theological study.--What is Theology?--Extent\n    of the Science.--Theology and religion.--Origin of the\n    \"Articles of Faith.\"--Standard works of the Church.--Joseph\n    Smith, the Prophet.--His parentage and youth.--His search\n    for truth and the result.--First vision.--Angelic\n    visitations.--Later developments, the martyrdom.--\n    Authenticity of his mission                                   1-26\n\n\n  LECTURE II, ARTICLE 1.\n\n  God and the Godhead.\n\n  The existence of God.--Attested by general assent of\n    humanity.--Evidence of history and tradition.--Evidence\n    supplied by human reason.--Evidence of direct\n    revelation.--The Godhead, a Trinity.--Unity of the\n    Godhead.--Unauthorized dogmas refuted.--Personality of\n    each member of the Godhead.--Some of the Divine\n    attributes.--Idolatry and atheism.--Immaterialism a\n    variety of atheism.--God in nature                           27-53\n\n\n  LECTURE III, ARTICLE 2.\n\n  Transgression and the Fall.\n\n  Man's free agency recognized by the Lord.--Man's\n    responsibility.--Sin.--Sins committed in ignorance.--\n    Punishment for sin natural and necessary.--Duration of\n    punishment.--Refutation of the false doctrine of unending\n    torment.--Satan, his former position and his fall.--Our\n    first parents in Eden.--The temptation and the Fall.--Adam's\n    wise choice.--The expulsion from the Garden.--The Tree of\n    Life guarded.--Results of the Fall.--The Fall fore-ordained\n    and essential.--The blessed heritage of mortality            54-75\n\n\n  LECTURE IV, ARTICLE 3.\n\n  The Atonement, and Salvation.\n\n  Nature of the Atonement.--Reconciliation.--A vicarious\n    sacrifice.--Voluntary and love-inspired.--The atonement\n    fore-ordained and fore-told.--Extent of the atonement.--\n    General salvation.--Individual salvation.--Salvation and\n    exaltation.--Degrees of glory.--Celestial, Terrestrial,\n    and Telestial kingdoms                                       76-97\n\n\n  LECTURE V, ARTICLE 4.\n\n  Faith and Repentance.\n\n  Nature of faith.--Faith, belief, and knowledge compared.--\n    Belief among the devils.--The foundation of faith.--Faith a\n    principle of power.--A condition of living faith.--Faith\n    essential to salvation.--A gift from God.--Faith and\n    works.--Nature of repentance.--Conditions for securing\n    forgiveness.--Repentance essential to salvation.--Repentance\n    a gift from God.--Not always possible to repent.--Perils\n    of procrastinating the day of repentance.--Repentance\n    beyond the grave.                                           98-121\n\n\n  LECTURE VI, ARTICLE 4.\n\n  Baptism.\n\n  Nature of the ordinance.--Its establishment.--The baptism of\n    Adam.--The special purpose of baptism.--Fit candidates.--\n    Infant Baptism.--History of this erratic practice.--\n    Pedo-baptism unsupported by the Bible, and forbidden by\n    other scriptures.--Baptism essential to salvation.--The\n    baptism of Christ.--\"To fulfil all righteousness\"          122-138\n\n\n  LECTURE VII, ARTICLE 4.\n\n  Baptism.--Continued.\n\n  Importance of proper method in administering the ordinance.--\n    Derivation of the word \"baptize,\" and early usage of the\n    original.--Immersion the only true mode.--The sacred\n    symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other mode.--\n    Immersion the only mode practised in early days.--Baptism\n    by immersion among the Nephites.--Modern baptism.--\n    \"Re-baptism\" not a distinct ordinance.--\"Re-baptisms\"\n    recorded in scripture are few and exceptional.--Baptism for\n    the dead.--Christ's ministry among the departed.--The\n    spirits in prison.--Vicarious work of the living for the\n    dead.--Elijah's heavenly message.--Temples, ancient and\n    modern                                                     139-161\n\n\n  LECTURE VIII, ARTICLE 4.\n\n  The Holy Ghost.\n\n  The promised Comforter.--The Holy Ghost a Member of the\n    Godhead.--His distinct personality.--His powers.--His\n    office in ministering to mankind.--To whom given.--\n    Exceptional instances of His visitation before baptism.--\n    The ordinance of bestowal.--Power of the priesthood\n    requisite.--Gifts of the Spirit.--Laying on of hands\n    characteristic of sacred ordinances                        162-174\n\n\n  LECTURE IX, IN CONNECTION WITH ARTICLE 4.\n\n  The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.\n\n  Meaning of the term Sacrament.--The Lord's Supper.--\n    Institution of the ordinance among the Jews.--Also\n    among the Nephites.--Fit partakers of the sacrament.--\n    Purpose of the ordinance, and associated promises.--\n    The sacramental emblems.--Manner of administration.--\n    The Passover and the Sacrament.--Errors concerning the\n    Sacrament                                                  175-183\n\n\n  LECTURE X, ARTICLE 5.\n\n  Authority in the Ministry.\n\n  Men called of God.--Scriptural examples.--Ordination to the\n    ministry.--The authorized imposition of hands.--Sacrilege\n    of attempted ministrations without authority.--Instances\n    of Divine wrath.--Teachers, true and false.--Divine\n    authority in the present dispensation.--Restoration of the\n    Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist.--And of the\n    Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John.--\n    Fore-ordination of men to special callings.--Christ's\n    fore-ordination.--Pre-existence of spirits.--Our primeval\n    childhood                                                  184-200\n\n\n  LECTURE XI, ARTICLE 6.\n\n  The Church and its Plan of Organization.\n\n  The Church In former and latter days.--The Primitive\n    Church.--Apostasy from the Primitive Church.--The great\n    apostasy was foretold.--Restoration of the Church in\n    the dispensation of the Fulness of Times.--Plan of\n    Government in the restored Church.--Orders and offices in\n    the priesthood.--The Aaronic, including the Levitical.--The\n    Melchizedek order.--Specific offices in the priesthood.--\n    Deacons, Teachers, Priests.--Elders, Seventies, High\n    Priests.--Patriarchs, or Evangelists.--Apostles.--The\n    First Presidency.--The Twelve Apostles.--The Presiding\n    Quorum of Seventy.--The Presiding Bishopric.--Local\n    organizations, Stakes and Wards.--Stake Presidency.--High\n    Council.--Ward Bishopric.--Helps in Government             201-218\n\n\n  LECTURE XII, ARTICLE 7.\n\n  Spiritual Gifts.\n\n  Spiritual gifts characteristic of the Church.--Nature\n    of these gifts.--Miracles.--Partial enumeration of\n    the gifts.--Tongues and Interpretation.--Healing.--\n    Visions and Dreams.--Prophecy.--Revelation.--The\n    testimony of miracles not an infallible guide.--\n    Imitations of spiritual gifts.--Miracles wrought by\n    evil powers.--Devils working miracles.--Spiritual\n    gifts to-day                                               219-239\n\n\n  LECTURE XIII, ARTICLE 8.\n\n  The Bible.\n\n  The first of our standard works.--The name \"Bible.\"--The\n    Old Testament.--Its origin and growth.--Language of the\n    Old Testament.--The Septuagint.--Pentateuch.--Historical\n    books.--Poetical books.--Books of the prophets.--\n    Apocrypha.--The New Testament.--Its origin and\n    authenticity.--Classification of its books.--Early\n    versions of the Bible.--Modern versions.--Genuineness\n    and authenticity.--Book of Mormon testimony concerning\n    Bible                                                      240-260\n\n\n  LECTURE XIV, ARTICLE 8.\n\n  The Book of Mormon.\n\n  Description and origin.--Moroni's visit to Joseph Smith.--\n    The inspired title-page.--The Nephite nation.--The\n    Jaredites.--The ancient plates.--Mormon's abridgment of\n    the plates of Nephi.--The translation of the record.--\n    Classification and arrangement of the books.--Genuineness\n    of the Book of Mormon.--Testimony of the witnesses.--\n    Theories of its origin.--\"The Spaulding Story\"             261-280\n\n\n  LECTURE XV, ARTICLE 8.\n\n  The Book of Mormon.--Continued.\n\n  Authenticity of the Book of Mormon.--The Book of Mormon and\n    the Bible.--Ancient prophecy fulfilled in the coming forth\n    of the Book of Mormon.--Consistency of the book.--Its\n    contained prophecies.--External evidence.--Archeological\n    evidence of the early occupation of America.--Israelitish\n    origin of the American aborigines.--Common origin of all\n    the native \"races.\"--Language of the Book of Mormon\n    compared with the language of the ancient Americans.--\n    Survival of the Egyptian and the Hebrew.--Testimony of\n    investigators                                              281-307\n\n\n  LECTURE XVI, ARTICLE 9.\n\n  Revelation, past, present, and future.\n\n  What is revelation?--Revelation and inspiration.--God's\n  means of communication.--Ancient revelators.--Christ, a\n  Revelator.--Doctrine of continual revelation.--\n  Well-established, scriptural, and reasonable.--Alleged\n  scriptural objections met and answered.--Modern\n  revelation.--Without revelation there can be no true\n  Church.--Revelation yet awaited                              308-325\n\n\n  LECTURE XVII, ARTICLE 10.\n\n  The Dispersion of Israel.\n\n  Israel.--Brief History of the nation.--Dispersion\n  fore-told.--Biblical prophecies.--Book of Mormon\n  predictions.--Fulfillment of these dire prophecies.--\n  Fate of the kingdom of Israel.--Scattering of Judah.--\n  The lost Tribes                                              326-340\n\n\n  LECTURE XVIII, ARTICLE 10.\n\n  The Gathering of Israel.\n\n  Predictions of the gathering.--Prophecies in Bible and\n  Book of Mormon.--Modern revelation concerning the\n  gathering.--Extent and purpose of the gathering.--Israel\n  a chosen people.--All nations blessed through Israel.--\n  Restoration of the Ten Tribes.--Zion to be first\n  established.--Gathering now in progress                      341-355\n\n\n  LECTURE XIX, ARTICLE 10.\n\n  Zion.\n\n  Two gathering places designated.--Jerusalem and the New\n    Jerusalem.--Meaning of \"Zion.\"--The Zion of Enoch.--The\n    Lord's definition of \"Zion.\"--Modern revelation concerning\n    Zion.--Establishment delayed.--Center-place in Missouri.--\n    The founding of Zion in the last days                      356-366\n\n\n  LECTURE XX, ARTICLE 10.\n\n  Christ's Reign on Earth.\n\n  Christ's first and second advents compared.--Predictions of\n    His second coming.--Signs described.--Modern revelation on\n    the matter.--Precise time not known.--Christ's reign.--The\n    Kingdom of God.--The Kingdom of Heaven.--Kingdom and\n    Churh.--Millennium.--Satan's power to be curtailed         367-383\n\n\n  LECTURE XXI, ARTICLE 10.\n\n  Regeneration and Resurrection.\n\n  The earth under the curse.--Regeneration of the earth.--The\n    earth during and after the Millennium.--Absence of evidence\n    from science.--Resurrection of the body.--Predictions.--Two\n    general resurrections, first and final.--Resurrection of the\n    just.--And that of the unjust.--Christ's resurrection and\n    that immediately following.--Resurrection at Christ's second\n    coming.--The heathen in the first resurrection.--Resurrection\n    after Millennium                                           384-405\n\n\n  LECTURE XXII, ARTICLE 11.\n\n  Religious Liberty and Toleration.\n\n  What is worship?--Freedom in worship an inalienable\n    right.--Religious intolerance sinful.--Toleration\n    does not imply acceptance.--Man's accountability.--\n    Results of his acts.--Degrees of glory provided.--\n    The Celestial glory.--The Terrestrial.--The Telestial.--\n    Gradation within the Kingdoms.--The Sons of Perdition      406-423\n\n\n  LECTURE XXIII, ARTICLE 12.\n\n  Submission to Secular Authority.\n\n  Scriptural recognition of secular powers.--Examples set by\n    Christ and His apostles.--Apostolic teachings.--Modern\n    revelation regarding duty to laws of the land.--People\n    of God are of necessity law abiding.--Teachings of the\n    Church to-day                                              424-440\n\n\n  LECTURE XXIV, ARTICLE 13.\n\n  Practical Religion.\n\n  Religion has to do with daily life.--Comprehensiveness of\n    our faith.--Benevolence enjoined.--Free-will offerings.--\n    Fast-offerings.--Tithing.--Consecration and stewardship.--\n    The United Order.--Social order within the Church.--\n    Marriage.--Celestial marriage.--Unlawful association of\n    the sexes.--The sanctity of the body                       441-461\n\n  APPENDIX: Outline for class review of the Lectures           463-477\n\n  INDEX                                                        479-485\n\n\n\n\nTHE ARTICLES OF FAITH\n\nOF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.\n\n\n1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus\nChrist, and in the Holy Ghost.\n\n2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not\nfor Adam's transgression.\n\n3. We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be\nsaved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.\n\n4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel\nare:--(1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) Repentance; (3) Baptism\nby immersion for the remission of sins; (4) Laying on of Hands for the\nGift of the Holy Ghost.\n\n5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by\nthe laying on of hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the\nGospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.\n\n6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive\nChurch, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.\n\n7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions,\nhealing, interpretation of tongues, etc.\n\n8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is\ntranslated correctly; We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the\nword of God.\n\n9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal,\nand we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things\npertaining to the Kingdom of God.\n\n10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the\nrestoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this [the\nAmerican] continent; That Christ will reign personally upon the earth;\nand, That the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal\nglory.\n\n11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the\ndictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege,\nlet them worship how, where or what they may.\n\n12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and\nmagistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.\n\n13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous,\nand in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the\nadmonition of Paul. We believe all things, we hope all things, we have\nendured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If\nthere is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy,\nwe seek after these things.--Joseph Smith.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURES\n\nON\n\nTHE ARTICLES OF FAITH\n\nOF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE I.\n\nINTRODUCTORY.\n\n\n=1. Importance of Theological Study.=--In the short period of time\nthat measures the span of mortal existence, it is not possible for man\nto explore any considerable portion of the vast realm of knowledge; it\nbecomes, therefore, the part of wisdom to select for study the\nbranches that promise to prove of the greatest worth. All truth is of\nvalue--above price indeed in its place; yet with respect to their\npossible application, some truths are of incomparably greater worth\nthan are others. A knowledge of the principles of trade is essential\nto the success of the merchant; an acquaintance with the laws of\nnavigation is demanded of the mariner; familiarity with the relation\nof soil and crops is indispensable to the farmer; an understanding of\nthe profound principles of mathematics is necessary to the engineer\nand the astronomer; so too is a practical knowledge of God essential\nto the salvation of every human soul that has attained to powers of\njudgment and discretion. The value of theological knowledge,\ntherefore, ought not to be under-rated; it is doubtful if its\nimportance can in any way be over-estimated.\n\n=2. What is Theology?=--The word \"theology\" is of Greek origin; it\ncomes to us from _Theos_, meaning God, and _logos_--a treatise, or\ndiscourse, signifying by derivation, therefore, collated knowledge of\nDivinity, or the science that teaches us of God, implying also the\nrelation existing between the Supreme Being and His creatures. The\nterm is of very ancient usage, and may be traced to pagan sources.\nPlato and Aristotle speak of theology as the doctrine of Deity and\ndivine things. Concisely defined, theology \"is that revealed science\nwhich treats of the being and attributes of God, His relations to us,\nthe dispensations of His providence, His will with respect to our\nactions, and His purposes with respect to our end.\"[1]\n\n  [1] See Doc. & Cov. supplement to Lecture I on Faith; Buck's\n  Theological Dictionary, p. 582.\n\n=3.= It has been held by some as a truth, that theological knowledge\nis not properly a subject for analytical and otherwise scientific\ntreatment on the part of man; that inasmuch as a true conception of\nDeity, with which theology has primarily to deal, must necessarily be\nbased upon revelation from the source divine, we can but receive such\nknowledge as it is graciously given; and that to attempt critical\ninvestigation thereof by the fallible powers of human judgment would\nbe to apply as a measure of the doings of God the utterly inadequate\nwisdom of man. Many truths are beyond the scope of unaided human\nreason, and theological facts have been declared to be above reason;\nthis is true so far as the same remark might be applied to any other\nkind of truth; for all truth, being eternal, is superior to reason in\nthe sense of being manifest to reason, but not a creation of reason;\nnevertheless truths are to be estimated and compared by the exercise\nof reason.\n\n=4. The Extent of Theology.=--Who can survey the boundaries of this\nscience? It deals with Deity--the fountain of knowledge, the source of\nwisdom; with the proofs of the existence of a Supreme Being, and of\nother supernatural personalities; with the conditions under which, and\nthe means by which, divine revelation is imparted; with the eternal\nprinciples governing the creation of worlds; with the laws of nature\nin all their varied manifestations. Primarily, theology is the science\nof God and religion; it seeks to present \"the systematic exhibition of\nrevealed truth, the science of Christian faith and life.\" But in a\nmore general sense, theology has to do with other truths than those\nwhich are specifically called spiritual; its domain is co-extensive\nwith that of truth.\n\n=5.= The industrial pursuits that benefit mankind, the arts that\nplease and refine, the sciences that enlarge and exalt the mind, are\nbut fragments of the great though yet uncompleted volume of truth that\nhas come to earth from a source of eternal and infinite supply. The\ncomprehensive study of theology, therefore, would embrace all known\ntruths. God has constituted Himself as the great teacher;[2] by\npersonal manifestations or through the ministrations of His appointed\nservants, He instructs His mortal children. To Adam He introduced the\nart of agriculture,[3] and even taught by example that of\ntailoring;[4] to Noah and Nephi He gave instructions in ship\nbuilding;[5] Lehi and Nephi were taught of Him in the arts of\nnavigation;[6] and for their guidance on the water, as in their\njourneyings on land, He prepared for them the Liahona.[7] a compass\noperated by a force more effective than that of terrestrial\nmagnetism; furthermore, Moses received divine instructions in\narchitecture.[8]\n\n  [2] See Key to Theology, by Parley P. Pratt, chap. i.\n\n  [3] Gen. ii, 8; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 15.\n\n  [4] Gen. iii, 21; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iv, 27.\n\n  [5] Gen. vi, 14: I Nephi xvii, 8; xviii, 1-4.\n\n  [6] I Nephi xviii, 12, 21.\n\n  [7] I Nephi xvi, 10, 16, 26-30; xviii, 12, 21; Alma xxxvii, 38.\n\n  [8] Exo. xxv, xxvi, xxvii.\n\n=6. Theology and Religion=, though closely related, are by no means\nidentical. A person may be deeply versed in theological lore, and yet\nbe lacking in religious, and even in moral traits. Theology may be\ncompared to theory, while religion represents practice; if theology be\nprecept, then religion is example. Each should be the complement of\nthe other; theological knowledge should strengthen religious faith and\npractice. As accepted by the Latter-day Saints, theology comprehends\nthe whole plan of the gospel. \"Theology is ordered knowledge,\nrepresenting in the region of the intellect what religion represents\nin the heart and life of man.\"[9] Knowledge may have to do with the\nintellect only, and however sublime its import, it may fail to affect\nthe hardened heart.\n\n  [9] W. E. Gladstone.\n\n=7. The \"Articles of Faith.\"=--The beliefs and prescribed practices of\nmost religious sects are usually set forth in formal creeds. The\nLatter-day Saints announce no creed as a complete code of their faith;\nfor while they hold that the precepts of eternal life are\nunchangeable, they accept the principle of continuous revelation as a\ncharacteristic feature of their belief. However, when asked for a\nconcise presentation of the principal religious views of his people,\nJoseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church in the present\ndispensation, announced as a declaration of belief the \"Articles of\nFaith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.\" These\ninclude the more essential and characteristic features of the gospel\nas accepted by this Church; but they are not complete as an exposition\nof our belief, for by one of the Articles it is declared, \"We believe\nall that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we\nbelieve that He will yet reveal many great and important things\npertaining to the Kingdom of God.\" From the time of their first\npromulgation, the Articles of Faith have been accepted by the\npeople,[10] and on October 6, 1890, the Latter-day Saints, in general\nconference assembled, re-adopted the Articles as part of their guide\nin faith and conduct. As these Articles of Faith present the leading\ntenets of the Church in systematic order, they suggest themselves as a\nconvenient outline for our plan of study.\n\n  [10] See Note 1.\n\n=8. The Standard Works of the Church= form our written authority in\ndoctrine; but they are by no means our only sources of information and\ninstruction on the theology of the Church. We believe that God is as\nwilling to-day as He ever has been to reveal His mind and will to man,\nand that He does so through chosen and appointed channels. We rely\ntherefore on the teachings of the living oracles of God as of equal\nvalidity with the doctrines of the written word, the men in chief\nauthority being acknowledged and accepted by the Church as prophets\nand revelators, and as being in possession of the power of the holy\nPriesthood. The written works adopted by the vote of the Church as\nauthoritative guides in faith and doctrine are four,--the Bible, the\nBook of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great\nPrice. Other works have been and are being issued by officers and\nmembers of the Church, and many such books are unreservedly sanctioned\nby the people and their ecclesiastical authorities; but the four\npublications named are the only regularly constituted standard works\nof the Church. Of the doctrine treated in the authorized standards,\nthe Articles of Faith may be regarded as a fair, though necessarily\nbut an incomplete epitome.\n\n\nJOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET.\n\n=9. Joseph Smith=, whose name is appended to the Articles of Faith,\nwas the prophet through whom the Lord restored to earth in these the\nlast days the Gospel, and this in accordance with predictions made in\nprevious dispensations. The question of the divine authenticity of\nthis man's mission is an all-important one to earnest investigators of\nLatter-day Saint doctrines. If his claims to a God-given appointment\nbe false, forming, as they do, the foundation of the Church in the\nlast dispensation, the superstructure cannot be stable; if, however,\nhis purported ordination under the hands of heavenly personages be a\nfact, one need search no further for the cause of the phenomenal\nstrength and growing power of the restored Church. The circumstances\nof the divine dealings with Joseph Smith, the marvelous development of\nthe work instituted by this modern prophet, the fulfilment through his\ninstrumentality of many of the grandest predictions of old, and his\nown prophetic utterances with their literal realizations, will yet be\nwidely acknowledged as proof conclusive of the validity of his\nministry.[11] The exalted claims maintained for him and his life's\nwork, the fame that has made his name known for good or evil among\nmost of the civilized nations of the earth, the vitality and growing\nstrength of the religious and social systems which owe their origin as\nnineteenth-century establishments to the ministrations of this man,\ngive to him an individual importance warranting at least a passing\nconsideration.\n\n  [11] See Note 3.\n\n=10. His Parentage and Youth.=--Joseph Smith, the third son and fourth\nchild in a family of ten, was born December 23d, 1805, at Sharon,\nWindsor County, Vermont. He was the son of Joseph and Lucy Mack\nSmith--a worthy couple, who though in poverty lived happily amid\ntheir home scenes of industry and frugality. When the boy, Joseph, was\nten years old, the family left Vermont and settled in the State of New\nYork, first at Palmyra, and later at Manchester, Ontario County. At\nthe place last named, the future prophet spent most of his boyhood\ndays. In common with his brothers and sisters, he had but little\nschooling; and for the simple rudiments of an education, which by\nearnest application he was able to gain, he was mostly indebted to his\nparents, who followed the rule of devoting a portion of their limited\nleisure to the teaching of the younger members of the household.\n\n=11.= In their religious inclinations, the family favored the\nPresbyterian church, the mother and three or four of the children\nhaving united themselves with that sect; but Joseph, while at one time\nfavorably impressed by the Methodist creed, kept himself free from all\nsectarian membership, being greatly perplexed over the strife and\ndissensions manifesting themselves among the churches of the time. He\nhad a right to expect that in the Church of Christ there would be\nunity and harmony; yet in place of such he saw among the wrangling\nsects only confusion. When Joseph was in his fifteenth year, the\nregion of his home was visited by a storm of fierce religious\nexcitement, which, beginning with the Methodists, soon became general\namong all the sects; there were revivals and protracted meetings, and\nthe manifestations of sectarian rivalry were many and varied. These\nconditions added much to the distress of the young searcher after\ntruth.\n\n=12. His Search for Truth and the Result.=--Here is Joseph's own\naccount of his course of action:--\n\n     \"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I\n     often said to myself, what is to be done? who of all these\n     parties are right? or, are they all wrong together? If any one\n     of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?\n\n     \"While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by\n     the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day\n     reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse,\n     which reads, '_If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,\n     that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it\n     shall be given him._'[12] Never did any passage of scripture come\n     with more power to the heart of man than did this at this time to\n     mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of\n     my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any\n     person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not\n     know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, would\n     never know, for the teachers of religion of the different sects\n     understood the same passage so differently as to destroy all\n     confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At\n     length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in\n     darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that\n     is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ask of\n     God, concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked\n     wisdom, and would give liberally and not upbraid, I might\n     venture. So, in accordance with this my determination to ask of\n     God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the\n     morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of 1820. It\n     was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt,\n     for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt\n     to pray vocally.\n\n  [12] James i, 5.\n\n\"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to\ngo, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down\nand began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely\ndone so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which\nentirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to\nbind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered\naround me, and it seemed to me, for a time, as if I were doomed to\nsudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to\ndeliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me,\nand at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and\nabandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin, but to the\npower of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a\nmarvelous power as I had never before felt in any being; just at this\nmoment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly above my head,\nabove the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it\nfell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from\nthe enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw\ntwo personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description,\nstanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me calling me by\nname, and said (pointing to the other), '_This is my beloved Son, hear\nHim._'\"[13]\n\n  [13] Pearl of Great Price: Extr. Hist. of Jos. Smith, 10-17.\n\n=13.= In answer to his prayer for guidance as to which of the sects\nwas right, he was told to join none of them, for all were wrong, with\ntheir creeds which are an abomination in the sight of God, and their\nprofessors who are corrupt, in that they draw near with their lips\nwhile their hearts are far from the Lord, teaching for doctrine the\ncommandments of men, having a form of godliness while denying the\npower thereof.\n\n=14.= Such knowledge as has been communicated in this unprecedented\nrevelation was not to be held secret within the heart of the youth. He\nhesitated not to impart the glorious truths, first to the members of\nhis family, who received his testimony with reverence, and then to the\nsectarian ministers, who had labored so diligently to convert him to\ntheir several creeds. To his surprise, these professed teachers of\nChrist treated his statements with the utmost contempt, declaring that\nthe day of revelation from God had long since passed away; and that\nthe manifestation, if indeed he had received any such at all, was\nsurely from Satan. Nevertheless, the ministers exerted themselves,\nwith a unity of purpose strangely at variance with their former\nhostility toward one another, to ridicule the young man, and to\ndenounce his testimony. The neighborhood was aroused; persecution,\nbitter and vindictive, was waged against him and his family; he was\nactually fired upon by a would-be assassin: yet through it all he was\npreserved from bodily injury; and in spite of increasing opposition he\nremained faithfully steadfast to his testimony of the heavenly\nvisitation.[14] In this condition of trial, he continued without\nfurther manifestation for three years, constantly expecting, but never\nreceiving the additional light and added instructions for which he\nyearned. He was keenly sensitive of his own frailty and conscious of\nhuman weaknesses. He pleaded before the Lord, acknowledging his errors\nand craving help.\n\n  [14] See Note 2.\n\n=15. Angelic Visitations.=--On the night of September 21st, 1823,\nwhile praying for forgiveness of sins and for guidance as to his\nfuture course, he was blessed with another heavenly manifestation.\nThere appeared in his room a brilliant light, in the midst of which\nstood a personage clothed in white, and with a countenance of radiant\npurity and loveliness. The celestial visitor announced himself as\nMoroni, a messenger sent from the presence of God; and then he\nproceeded to instruct the youth as to some of the Divine purposes in\nwhich Joseph was to take a most important part. The angel said that\nthrough Joseph as the earthly instrument the true Church would be\nagain established upon the earth; that his name would be known among\nall nations and tongues, honored by the good, reviled by the wicked;\nthat a record, engraven on plates of gold, giving a history of the\nnations that had formerly lived upon the western continent and an\naccount of the Savior's ministrations among the people on this land,\nwas hidden in a hill near by; that with the plates were two sacred\nstones, known as Urim and Thummim, by the use of which, men in olden\ntimes had become seers, and that through those instruments God would\nenable Joseph to translate the record engraved on the plates.\n\n=16.= The angelic messenger then repeated several prophecies which are\nrecorded in the ancient scriptures; some of the quotations were given\nwith variations from our Bible readings. Of the words of Malachi the\nfollowing were quoted: \"For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as\nan oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn\nas stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of\nHosts, and it shall leave them neither root nor branch.\"[15] And\nfurther:--\"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand\nof Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day\nof the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the\npromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall\nturn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be\nutterly wasted at his coming.\"[16] Among other scriptures, Moroni\ncited the prophecies of Isaiah relating to the restoration of\nscattered Israel, and the promised reign of righteousness on\nearth,[17] saying that the predictions were about to be fulfilled;\nalso the words of Peter to the Jews, concerning the prophet who Moses\nsaid would be raised up, explaining that the prophet referred to was\nChrist, and that the day was near at hand when all who rejected the\nwords of the Savior would be cut off from among the people.[18]\n\n  [15] Compare Malachi iv, 1.\n\n  [16] Compare Malachi iv, 5-6.\n\n  [17] See Isaiah xi.\n\n  [18] Compare Acts iii, 22-23.\n\n17. Having delivered his message, the angel departed, the light in the\nroom seeming to condense about his person, and disappearing with him.\nBut the heavenly visitant returned a second and a third time during\nthe night, each time repeating the instructions, with additional\nadmonitions as to the requirements, and warnings regarding temptations\nthat would assail the youthful seer. On the following day, Moroni\nappeared to Joseph again, reciting anew the instructions and cautions\nof the preceding night, and telling him to acquaint his father with\nall he had heard and seen. This the boy did, and the father promptly\ntestified that the communications were from God.\n\n=18.= Joseph soon repaired to the hill described to him in the vision.\nHe recognized the spot indicated by the angel, and with some labor\nlaid bare a stone box containing the plates and other things spoken of\nby Moroni. The heavenly messenger again stood beside him, and forbade\nthe removal of the contents at that time, saying that four years were\nto elapse before the plates would be committed to his care, and that\nit would be his duty to visit the spot at yearly intervals. On the\noccasion of each of these visits the angel instructed the young man\nmore fully regarding the great work awaiting him.\n\n=19.= It is not the purpose of the present lecture to review in detail\nthe life and ministry of Joseph Smith;[19] so much attention has been\ngiven to the opening scenes of his divinely-appointed mission, in view\nof the unusual importance associated with the ushering in of the\nmodern or new dispensation of God's providence. The bringing forth of\nthe plates from their resting-place of centuries, their translation by\ndivine power, and the publication of the record as the Book of Mormon,\nshall receive attention on a later occasion; for the present it is\nsufficient to say that the ancient record has been translated; that\nthe Book of Mormon has been given to the world; and that the volume is\naccepted as scripture by the Latter-day Saints.\n\n  [19] See Note 5.\n\n=20. Later Developments: the Martyrdom.=--In due time, the Church of\nJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, the Priesthood having\nbeen restored through the ordination of Joseph Smith by those who had\nheld the keys of that authority in former dispensations. From an\ninitial membership of but six persons, the Church grew to include\nthousands during the life-time of the Prophet Joseph; and the growth\nhas continued with phenomenal rapidity and stability until the present\ntime. One by one the powers and authorities possessed by the Church of\nold were restored through the man who was chosen and ordained to be\nthe first elder of the latter-day dispensation. With the spread of the\nChurch, persecution increased, and the effect of evil opposition\nreached a climax in the cruel martyrdom of the prophet, and his\nbrother Hyrum, then patriarch of the Church, June 27, 1844. The\nincidents leading up to and culminating in the foul murder of these\nmen at Carthage, Illinois, are matters of common history. Suffice it\nto say that prophet and patriarch gave the sacred seal of their life's\nblood to the testimony of the truth, which they had valiantly\nmaintained in the face of intolerant persecution for nearly a quarter\nof a century.[20]\n\n  [20] See Note 4.\n\n=21. Authenticity of Joseph Smith's Mission.=--The evidence of divine\nauthority in the work established by Joseph Smith, and of the\njustification of the claims made by and for the man, may be summarized\nas follows:\n\nI. Ancient prophecy has been fulfilled in the restoration of the\ngospel and the re-establishment of the Church upon the earth through\nhis instrumentality.\n\nII. He received by direct ordination and appointment, at the hands of\nthose who held the power in former dispensations, the authority to\nminister in the various ordinances of the gospel.\n\nIII. His possession of the power of true prophecy, and of other\nspiritual gifts, is shown by the results of his ministry.\n\nIV. His doctrines are both true and scriptural.\n\nEach of these classes of evidence will receive attention and find\nample demonstration in the course of our study of the Articles of\nFaith; and a detailed consideration will not be attempted at this\nstage of our investigation; a few illustrations, briefly stated,\nhowever, may not be out of place.\n\n=22. I. The Fulfilment of Prophecy=, wrought through the life work of\nJoseph Smith, is abundantly shown. John the Revelator, from his\nprophetic vision of the latter-day dispensation, understood and\npredicted that the gospel would be again sent from the heavens, and be\nrestored to the earth through the direct ministration of an\nangel:--\"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having\nthe everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,\nand to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.\"[21] A\npartial fulfilment of this prediction is claimed in the manifestation\nof the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith, as already described, whereby the\nrestoration of the gospel was announced, and the speedy realization of\nother ancient prophecies was promised; and a record, described in part\nas containing \"the fulness of the everlasting gospel,\" was committed\nto his care for translation and publication among all nations,\nkindred, and tongues. The remainder of John's fateful utterance,\nregarding the authorized call for repentance and the execution of\nGod's judgment preparatory to the awful scenes of the last days, is\nnow in process of rapid and literal fulfilment.\n\n  [21] Rev. xiv, 6. See Note 9.\n\n=23.= Malachi predicted the coming of Elijah specially commissioned\nwith power to inaugurate the work of co-operation between the fathers\nand the children, and announced this mission as a necessary\npreliminary to the advent of \"the great and dreadful day of the\nLord.\"[22] The angel Moroni confirmed the truth and significance of\nthis prediction in an emphatic reiteration.[23] Joseph Smith and his\nassociate in the ministry, Oliver Cowdery, solemnly testify that they\nwere visited by Elijah the prophet, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio,\non the third day of April, 1836; on which occasion the heavenly\nmessenger declared that the day spoken of by Malachi had fully come;\n\"Therefore,\" continued he, \"the keys of this dispensation are\ncommitted into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and\ndreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.\"[24] The\nparticular nature of the union of the fathers and the children, upon\nwhich both Malachi and Moroni laid great stress, has been explained as\nconsisting in the work of vicarious ordinances, including baptism for\nthe dead who have passed from earth without a knowledge of the gospel.\nIn teaching this doctrine, and in complying with its behests, the\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands to-day alone\namongst all the sects professing Christianity.\n\n  [22] Mal. iv, 5-6.\n\n  [23] See page 11.\n\n  [24] Doc. & Cov. cx, 13-16.\n\n=24.= The ancient scriptures are teeming with prophecies concerning\nthe restoration of Israel in the last days, and the gathering of the\nchosen people from among the nations and from the lands into which\nthey have been led or driven as a penalty for their waywardness and\nsin.[25] Such prominence and importance are attached to this work of\ngathering, in the predictions of olden times, that from the days of\nIsrael's exodus, the last days have been characterized in sacred writ\nas a gathering dispensation. The return of the tribes after their long\nand wide dispersion is made a preliminary work to the establishment of\nthe predicted reign of righteousness with Christ on the throne of the\nworld; and its accomplishment is given as a sure precursor of the\nmillennium. Jerusalem is to be re-established as the City of the Great\nKing on the eastern Hemisphere; and Zion, or the New Jerusalem, is to\nbe built on the western continent; the Ten Tribes are to be brought\nback from their hiding place in the north; and the curse is to be\nremoved from Israel.[26] From the early days of Joseph Smith's\nministry, he taught the doctrine of the gathering as imposing a\npresent duty upon the Church; and this phase of the Latter-day Saint\nlabor is one of its most characteristic features. Joseph Smith and\nOliver Cowdery declare that the authority for prosecuting this work\nwas committed to the Church through them by Moses, who held the keys\nof authority as Israel's leader in former times. Their testimony is\nthus stated, in the description given of manifestations in the\nKirtland Temple, April 3, 1836:--\"Moses appeared before us, and\ncommitted unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four\nparts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of\nthe north.\"[27] As to the earnestness with which this labor has been\nbegun, and the fair progress already made therein, consider the\nhundreds of thousands belonging to the families of Israel already\ngathered in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, about the house of the\nLord, now established; and hear the hymn of the chosen seed among the\nnations, chanted to the accompaniment of effective deeds, \"Come, and\nlet us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God\nof Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His\npaths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord\nfrom Jerusalem.\"[28]\n\n  [25] See Lectures on Article 10, pp. 326-366.\n\n  [26] See pp. 326-383.\n\n  [27] Doc. & Cov. cx, 11.\n\n  [28] Micah iv, 1-2.\n\n=25.= The bringing forth of the Book of Mormon is held by the\nLatter-day Saints to be a direct fulfilment of prophecy.[29] In\npredicting the humiliation of Israel, to whom had been committed the\npower of the priesthood in early days, Isaiah gave voice to the word\nof the Lord in this wise:--\"And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt\nspeak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust,\nand thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of\nthe ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.\"[30] The\nBook of Mormon is verily the voice of a people brought low, speaking\nfrom the dust, for from the dust the book was literally taken. The\nvolume professes to be the history of but a small division of the\nhouse of Israel,--a part of the family of Joseph indeed, who were led\nby a miraculous power to the western continent six centuries prior to\nthe Christian era. Of the record of Joseph, and its coming forth as a\nparallel testimony to that of Judah, or the Bible in part, the Lord\nthus spake through the prophet Ezekiel:--\"Moreover, thou son of man,\ntake thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the\nchildren of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write\nupon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of\nIsrael his companions: And join them one to another into one stick;\nand they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy\npeople shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou\nmeanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I\nwill take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and\nthe tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even\nwith the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be\none in mine hand.\"[31] The succeeding verses declare that the\ngathering and restoration of Israel would immediately follow the\nunited testimony of the records of Judah and Joseph. The two records\nare before the world, a unit in their testimony of the everlasting\nGospel; and the work of gathering is in effective progress.\n\n  [29] See Lectures on \"Book of Mormon,\" Article 8, pp. 261-307.\n\n  [30] Isa. xxix, 4; see also II Nephi iii, 19.\n\n  [31] Ezek. xxxvii, 16-19.\n\n=26.= It is further evident from the scriptures, that the dispensation\nof the Gospel in the latter days is to be one of restoration and\nrestitution, a \"dispensation of the fulness of times\" in very truth.\nPaul declares it to be the good pleasure of the Lord, \"That in the\ndispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one\nall things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on\nearth; even in him.\"[32] This prediction finds a parallel in an\nutterance of the prophet Nephi:--\"Wherefore all things which have been\nrevealed unto the children of men, shall at that day be revealed.\"[33]\nAnd in accord with this is the teaching of Peter: \"Repent ye\ntherefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when\nthe times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And\nhe shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom\nthe heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things,\nwhich God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the\nworld began.\"[34] Now comes Joseph Smith with the declaration that\nunto him has been given the authority to open up this, the\ndispensation of fulness, restitution, and restoration; and that\nthrough him the Church has been endowed with all the keys and powers\nof the priesthood, held and exercised in earlier periods: Unto the\nChurch \"is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days, and\nfor the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fulness of\ntimes, which power you hold in connection with all those who have\nreceived a dispensation at any time from the beginning of\ncreation.\"[35] The actual possession of these combined and unified\npowers is sufficiently proved by the comprehensive work of the Church\nin its present scope of operation.\n\n  [32] Eph. i, 9-10.\n\n  [33] II Nephi xxx, 18.\n\n  [34] Acts iii, 19-21.\n\n  [35] Doc. & Cov. cxii, 30-32.\n\n=27. II. Joseph Smith's Authority= was conferred upon him by direct\nministrations of heavenly beings, each of whom had once exercised the\nsame power upon the earth. We have already seen how the angel Moroni,\nformerly a mortal prophet among the Nephites, transmitted to Joseph\nthe appointment to bring forth the record which he, Moroni, had buried\nin the earth over fourteen hundred years before. We learn further,\nthat on the 15th of May, 1829, the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood was\nconferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by the hand of John the\nBaptist,[36] who came in his immortalized state with that particular\norder of priesthood which comprises the keys of the ministrations of\nangels, the doctrine of repentance and of baptism for the remission of\nsins. This was the same John who, with the voice of one crying in the\nwilderness, had preached the self-same doctrine, and had administered\nthe same ordinance in Judea as the immediate forerunner of the\nMessiah. In delivering his message, John the Baptist stated that he\nwas acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, apostles of\nthe Lord, in whose hands reposed the keys of the higher or Melchizedek\nPriesthood, which in time would also be given. This promise was\nfulfilled a month or so later, when the apostles named manifested\nthemselves to Joseph and Oliver, ordaining them to the apostleship,[37]\nwhich comprises all the offices of the higher order of priesthood,\nand which carries authority to minister in all the established\nordinances of the Gospel.\n\n  [36] Doc. & Cov. xiii.\n\n  [37] Doc. & Cov. xxvii, 12.\n\n=28.= Then, some time after the Church had been duly organized,\nauthority for certain special functions was given, the appointing\nmessenger being in each case the one whose right it was so to\nofficiate by virtue of the commission which he had held in the days of\nhis mortality. Thus, as has been seen, Moses conferred the authority\nto prosecute the work of gathering; and Elijah, who, not having tasted\ndeath, held a peculiar relation to both the living and the dead,\ndelivered the authority of vicarious ministry for the departed. To\nthese appointments by heavenly authority should be added that given by\nElias, who appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and \"committed\nthe dispensation of the gospel of Abraham,\" saying as was said of the\nFather of the Faithful and his descendants in olden times, that in\nthem and in their seed should all succeeding generations be\nblessed.[38]\n\n  [38] Doc. & Cov. cx, 12.\n\n=29.= It is evident, then, that the claims made by the Church with\nrespect to its authority are complete and consistent as to the source\nof the powers professed, and the channels through which such have been\ndelivered again to earth. Scripture and revelation, both ancient and\nmodern, support as an unalterable law the principle that no one can\ndelegate to another an authority which the giver does not possess.\n\n=30. III. Joseph Smith was himself a true Prophet.=--This statement,\nif fully substantiated, would be of itself sufficient proof of the\nvalidity of the claims of this modern prophet, and the test is not\ndifficult of application. In the days of ancient Israel, an effective\nmethod of trying the claims of a professed prophet was prescribed:--\n\"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow\nnot, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not\nspoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not\nbe afraid of him.\"[39] Conversely, if the words of the prophet are\nmade good by fulfilment, there is at least proof presumptive of his\ngenuineness. Of the many predictions uttered by Joseph Smith and\nalready fulfilled or awaiting the set time of their realization, a few\ncitations will suffice for our present purpose.\n\n  [39] Deut. xviii, 22.\n\n=31.= One of the earliest prophecies declared by him, which, while not\nhis independent utterance but that of the angel Moroni, was\nnevertheless given to the world by Joseph Smith, had special reference\nto the Book of Mormon, of which the angel said: \"The knowledge that\nthis record contains will go to every nation, and kindred, and tongue,\nand people, under the whole heaven.\"[40] This declaration was made\nfour years before the work of translation was begun, and fourteen\nyears before the elders of the Church began their missionary labor in\nforeign lands. Since that time the Book of Mormon has been translated\ninto seventeen foreign languages, and is published in fifteen tongues;\nand the work is still in progress.\n\n  [40] Times and Seasons, Vol. II, No. 13.\n\n=32.= In August, 1842, while the Church was suffering persecution in\nIllinois, and when the western part of the continent was but little\nknown and only as the territory of an alien nation, Joseph Smith\nprophesied \"that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction,\nand would be driven to the Rocky Mountains,\" and that while many then\nprofessing allegiance to the Church would apostatize, and others,\nfaithful to their testimony, would meet the martyr's fate, some would\nlive to \"assist in making settlements and build cities and see the\nSaints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky\nMountains.\"[41] The literal fulfilment of this prediction, uttered in\n1842, and it may be added, foreshadowed by an earlier prophecy in\n1831,[42] the one five, the other sixteen years before the migration\nof the Church to the West, is attested by the common history of the\nsettlement and development of this once inhospitable region. Even the\nskeptic and the pronounced opponents of the Church admit the miracle\nof the establishment of a mighty commonwealth in the valleys of the\nRocky Mountains.\n\n  [41] Millennial Star, Vol. XIX, p. 630. Also Hist. of the Ch.,\n  Vol. V, p. 85.\n\n  [42] Doc. and Cov. xlix, 24-25.\n\n=33.= A most remarkable prediction regarding national affairs was\nuttered by Joseph Smith, December 25th, 1832; it was soon thereafter\npromulgated among the members of the Church, and was preached by the\nelders, but did not appear in print until 1851.[43] The revelation\nreads in part as follows:--\"Verily thus saith the Lord, concerning the\nwars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of\nSouth Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and\nmisery of many souls. The days will come that war will be poured out\nupon all nations, beginning at that place; For, behold, the Southern\nStates shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern\nStates will call on other nations, even the nation of Great\nBritain; ... And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall\nrise up against their masters, who shall be marshalled and disciplined\nfor war.\" Every student of United States history is acquainted with\nthe facts establishing a complete fulfilment, even to the minutest\ndetail, of this astounding prophecy. In 1861, more than twenty-eight\nyears after the foregoing prediction was recorded, and ten years after\nits publication in England, the Civil War broke out, beginning in\nSouth Carolina. The ghastly records of that fratricidal strife sadly\nsupport the prediction concerning \"the death and misery of many\nsouls.\" It is well known that slaves deserted the South and were\nmarshalled in the armies of the North, and that the Confederate States\nsolicited aid of Great Britain. While no open alliance between the\nSouthern States and England was effected, the British government gave\nindirect assistance and substantial encouragement to the South, and\nthis in such a way as to produce serious international complications.\nVessels were built and equipped at British ports in the interests of\nthe Confederacy; and the results of this violation of the laws of\nneutrality cost Great Britain the sum of fifteen and a half millions\nof dollars, which sum was awarded the United States at the Geneva\narbitration in settlement of the \"Alabama claims.\" The Confederacy\nappointed commissioners to Great Britain and France; these appointees\nwere forcibly taken by United States officers from the British steamer\non which they had embarked. This act, which the United States\ngovernment had to admit as overt, threatened for a time to precipitate\na war between this nation and Great Britain.\n\n  [43] See Pearl of Great Price, British edition of 1851, and\n  Millennial Star, Vol. XLIX, p. 396. The prophecy is now a part of\n  the Doctrine and Covenants, see section lxxxvii.\n\n=34.= The revelation cited, as given through Joseph Smith, contained\nother predictions, some of which are yet awaiting fulfilment.[44] The\nevidence presented is sufficient to prove that Joseph Smith is\nprominent among men by reason of his instrumentality in fulfilling\nprophecies uttered by the Lord's representatives in former times, and\nthat his own claim to the rank of prophet is abundantly vindicated.\nBut the endowment of prophecy so richly bestowed upon this Elias of\nthe last days, and so freely yet unerringly exercised by him, is but\none of the many spiritual gifts by which he, in common with a host of\nothers who have received the priesthood from him, was distinguished.\nThe scriptures declare that certain signs shall attend the Church of\nChrist, among them the gifts of tongues, healing, immunity from\nthreatening death, and the power to control evil spirits.[45] The\nexercise of these powers, resulting in what are ordinarily termed\nmiracles, is by no means an infallible proof of divine authority; for\nmany true prophets have wrought no such wonders, and men have been\nknown to work miracles at the instigation of evil spirits.[46]\nNevertheless, the possession of the power implied by the working of\nmiracles is an essential characteristic of the Church; and when such\nacts are wrought in the accomplishment of holy purposes, they serve as\nconfirmatory evidence of divine authority. Therefore we may expect to\nfind, as find we do, in the ministry of Joseph Smith and in that of\nthe Church in general, the attested record of miracles, comprising\nmanifestations of all the promised gifts of the Spirit. This subject\nwill be further considered on another occasion.[47]\n\n  [44] See Doc. and Cov. lxxxvii, 5-7.\n\n  [45] Mark xvi, 16-18; Luke x, 19, etc.; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv,\n  65-72.\n\n  [46] Exo. vii, 11, 22: viii, 7, 18; Rev. xiii, 13-15: xvi, 13-14.\n\n  [47] See Lecture on Article 7, pp. 219-239.\n\n=35. IV. The Doctrines Taught by Joseph Smith= and by the Church\nto-day are true and scriptural. To sustain this statement we must\nexamine the principal teachings of the Church in separate order. The\nArticles of Faith furnish us a convenient summary of many of the\ndoctrines pertaining to the latter-day work; and these we will proceed\nto study in the course of the lectures that are to follow.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. The \"Articles of Faith\"= date from March 1, 1841. They\n     constitute a portion of a letter from the Prophet Joseph Smith to\n     a Mr. Wentworth, of Chicago. The \"Articles\" were published in the\n     History of Joseph Smith: (See _Millennial Star_, vol. XIX, p.\n     120; also _Times and Seasons_, vol. III, p. 709.) As stated\n     elsewhere, the Articles have been formally adopted by the Church\n     as an authorized summary of its principal doctrines.\n\n     =2. Joseph Smith's Early Persecution.=--The Prophet wrote as\n     follows concerning the persecution of his boyhood days, which\n     dated from the time of his first mention of his vision of the\n     Father and the Son:--\"It has often caused me serious reflection,\n     both then and since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy,\n     a little over fourteen years of age, and one too who was doomed\n     to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily\n     labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to\n     attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects\n     of the day, so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest\n     persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and was\n     often cause of great sorrow to myself. However, it was,\n     nevertheless, a fact that I had had a vision. I have thought\n     since that I felt much like Paul when he made his defense before\n     King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when\n     he saw a light and heard a voice, but still there were but a few\n     who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was\n     mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled; but all this did not\n     destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew\n     he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it\n     otherwise; ... So it was with me; I had actually seen a light,\n     and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did\n     in reality speak unto me, or one of them did; and though I was\n     hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it\n     was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and\n     speaking all manner of evil against me, falsely, for so saying, I\n     was led to say in my heart, Why persecute for telling the truth?\n     I had actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand\n     God?\" _Pearl of Great Price_:--Extracts from the History of\n     Joseph Smith: 23-25.\n\n     =3. Tribute to Joseph Smith.=--While few people outside the\n     Church have had much to say in commendation of this modern\n     prophet, it is interesting to note that there are some honorable\n     exceptions to the rule. Josiah Quincy, a prominent American, made\n     the acquaintance of Joseph Smith a short time before the latter's\n     martyrdom; and after the tragic event he wrote: \"It is by no\n     means improbable that some future text-book, for the use of\n     generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like\n     this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has\n     exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his\n     countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to\n     that interrogatory may be thus written: _Joseph Smith, the Mormon\n     Prophet_. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men\n     now, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants. History\n     deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this. The\n     man who establishes a religion in this age of free debate, who\n     was and is today accepted by hundreds of thousands as a direct\n     emissary from the Most High,--such a rare human being is not to\n     be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets....\n     The most vital questions Americans are asking each other today\n     have to do with this man and what he has left us.... Burning\n     questions they are, which must give a prominent place in the\n     history of the country to that sturdy self-asserter whom I\n     visited at Nauvoo, Joseph Smith, claiming to be an inspired\n     teacher, faced adversity, such as few men have been called to\n     meet, enjoyed a brief season of prosperity, such as few men have\n     ever attained, and, finally, forty-three days after I saw him,\n     went cheerfully to a martyr's death. When he surrendered his\n     person to Governor Ford, in order to prevent the shedding of\n     blood, the Prophet had a presentiment of what was before him. 'I\n     am going like a lamb to the slaughter,' he is reported to have\n     said, 'but I am as calm as a summer's morning. I have a\n     conscience void of offence, and shall die innocent.'\" _Figures of\n     the Past_ by Josiah Quincy, p. 376.\n\n     =4. The Seal of Martyrdom.=--\"The highest evidence of sincerity\n     that a man can give his fellow-men,--the highest proof that he\n     has spoken the truth in any given case--is that he perseveres in\n     it unto death, and seals his testimony with his blood.... So\n     important did such a testimony become in the estimation of Paul,\n     that he said 'Where a testament is there must also of necessity\n     be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after\n     men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the\n     testator liveth.' (Heb. ix, 16-17.) In the light of this\n     principle, and when the importance of the great testimony which\n     he bore to the world is taken into account, it is not to be\n     wondered at that Joseph Smith was called upon to affix the broad\n     seal of martyrdom to his life's work. Something of\n     incompleteness in his work would likely have been complained of\n     had this been lacking; but now, not so; his character of prophet\n     was rounded out to complete fulness by his falling a martyr under\n     the murderous fire of a mob at Carthage in the State of\n     Illinois.\"--Elder B. H. Roberts, in \"_A New Witness for God_,\"\n     pp. 477-478.\n\n     =5. Joseph Smith; Further References.=--For biography, see \"_The\n     Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet_,\" by Pres. George Q. Cannon.\n     See also \"_Divine Authority, or the question, Was Joseph Smith\n     Sent of God?_\" a pamphlet by Apostle Orson Pratt; \"_Joseph\n     Smith's Prophetic Calling_;\" _Millennial Star_, Vol. XLII, pp.\n     164, 187, 195, 227. _Letters_, by Elder Orson Spencer to Rev. Wm.\n     Crowell; No. 1; \"_A New Witness for God_,\" by Elder B. H.\n     Roberts.\n\n     =6. Joseph Smith's Descent.=--\"Joseph Smith was of humble birth.\n     His parents and their progenitors were toilers, but their\n     characters were godly and their names unstained. Near the middle\n     of the seventeenth century Robert Smith, a sturdy yeoman of\n     England, emigrated to the New World, the land of promise. With\n     his wife, Mary, he settled in Essex, Massachusetts. The numerous\n     descendants of these worthy people intermarried with many of the\n     staunchest and most industrious families of New England. Samuel,\n     the son of Robert and Mary, born January 26th, 1666, wedded\n     Rebecca Curtis, January 25th, 1707. Their son, the second Samuel,\n     was born January 26th, 1714; he married Priscilla Gould, and was\n     the father of Asael, born March 1st, 1744. Asael Smith took to\n     wife Mary Duty, and their son Joseph was born July 12th, 1771. On\n     the 24th of January, 1796, Joseph married Lucy Mack at Tunbridge\n     in the State of Vermont. She was born July 8th, 1776, and was the\n     daughter of Solomon and Lydia Mack, and was the granddaughter of\n     Ebenezer Mack.\"--_The Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet_, by\n     George Q. Cannon; Chapter I. Joseph the Prophet was the third son\n     and fourth child of Joseph and Lucy (Mack) Smith; he was born at\n     Sharon, Vermont, December 23d, 1805.\n\n     =7. The Standard Works of the Church.=--The Bible and the Book of\n     Mormon--the first two of the standard works of the Church--are to\n     receive attention in later lectures (see pp. 240-307). The\n     Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of modern revelations as\n     given to the Church in the present dispensation. The _Pearl of\n     Great Price_ comprises the visions and writings of Moses as\n     revealed to Joseph Smith, the Book of Abraham--a translation by\n     Joseph Smith from certain ancient papyri--and some of the\n     writings of Joseph Smith.\n\n     =8. History of the Restored Church.=--Further information\n     regarding the life work of Joseph Smith, and the growth of the\n     Church of Jesus Christ as restored to earth through his\n     instrumentality, may be found in the \"History of the Church of\n     Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,\" Salt Lake City, Utah. For a\n     brief synopsis of Church history see \"The Story of Mormonism,\" by\n     James E. Talmage, Liverpool, 1907; Salt Lake City, 1910.\n\n     =9. Restoration of the Gospel.=--Plainly the vision-prophecy of\n     John (Rev. xiv, 6, 7), relating to the restoration of the gospel\n     to earth, could not refer to the gospel record preserved in the\n     Holy Bible, for that record has remained in the possession of\n     mankind. As stated in our text (page 14) a partial fulfilment is\n     found in the visitation of Moroni and the restoration of the Book\n     of Mormon, which is to us of modern times a new scripture, and\n     one containing a fuller record of \"the everlasting gospel.\"\n     However, a record of the gospel is not the gospel itself.\n     Authority to administer in the saving ordinances of the gospel is\n     essential to the effective preaching and administration thereof;\n     this was restored through John the Baptist, who brought the\n     Aaronic Priesthood, and through Peter, James, and John who\n     brought again to earth the Melchizedek Priesthood (see pp. 193,\n     194 herein). For commentary on Rev. xiv, 6, 7, see \"The Great\n     Apostasy,\" p. 168.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE II.\n\nGOD AND THE GODHEAD.\n\n     =Article 1.=--We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His\n     Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.\n\n\n=1. The Existence of God.=--Since faith in God constitutes the\nfoundation of religious belief and practice, and inasmuch as a\nknowledge of the attributes and character of Deity is essential to an\nintelligent exercise of faith in Him, this subject claims first place\nin our study of the doctrines of the Church.\n\n=2.= The existence of God is scarcely a question of rational dispute;\nnor does it call for proof by the feeble demonstrations of man's\nlogic, for the fact is admitted by the human family practically\nwithout question, and the consciousness of subjection to a supreme\npower is an inborn quality of mankind. The early scriptures are in no\nsense devoted to a primary demonstration of God's existence, nor to\nattacks on the sophistries of atheism; and from this fact we may infer\nthat the errors of doubt developed in some period later than the\nfirst. The universal assent of mankind to the existence of God is at\nleast a strongly corroborative truth. There is a filial passion within\nhuman nature which flames toward heaven. Every nation, every tribe,\nevery individual, yearns for some object of reverence. It is natural\nfor man to worship; his soul is unsatisfied till it finds a deity.\nWhen men through transgression first fell into darkness concerning the\ntrue and living God, they established for themselves other deities;\nand so arose the abominations of idolatry. And yet, terrible as these\npractices are, even the most revolting idolatries testify to the\nexistence of a God by declaring man's hereditary passion for worship.\nPlutarch has wisely remarked of ancient conditions: \"If you search the\nworld, you may find cities without walls, without letters, without\nkings, without money; but no one ever saw a city without a deity,\nwithout a temple, or without prayers.\" This general assent to a belief\nin the existence of Deity is testimony of a high order; and in this\nconnection the words of Aristotle may be applied:--\"What seems true to\nsome wise men is somewhat probable; what seems true to most or all\nwise men is very probable; what most men, both wise and unwise, assent\nto, still more resembles truth; but what men generally consent in has\nthe highest probability, and approaches so near to demonstrated truth,\nthat it may pass for ridiculous arrogance and self-conceitedness, or\nfor intolerable obstinacy and perverseness, to decry it.\"[48]\n\n  [48] See Notes 1, 2, and 3.\n\n=3.= The multiplicity of evidence upon which mankind rest their\nconviction regarding the existence of a Supreme Being, may be\nclassified, for convenience of consideration, under the three\nfollowing heads:\n\nI. The evidence of history and tradition.\n\nII. The evidence furnished by the exercise of human reason.\n\nIII. The conclusive evidence of direct revelation from God Himself.\n\n=4. I. History and Tradition.=--History as written by man, and\ntradition as transmitted from generation to generation prior to the\ndate of any written record now extant, give evidence of the actuality\nof Deity, and of close and personal dealings between God and man in\nthe first epochs of human existence. One of the most ancient records\nknown, the Bible, names God as the Creator of all things,[49] and\nmoreover, declares that He revealed Himself to our first earthly\nparents and to many other holy personages in the early days of the\nworld. Adam and Eve heard His voice[50] in the Garden, and even after\ntheir transgression they continued to call upon God and to sacrifice\nto Him. It is plain, therefore, that they carried with them from the\nGarden a knowledge of God. After their expulsion they heard \"the voice\nof the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden,\" though they saw\nHim not; and He gave unto them commandments, which they obeyed. Then\ncame to Adam an angelic messenger, and the Holy Ghost inspired the man\nand bare record of the Father and the Son.[51]\n\n  [49] Genesis i; see also Pearl of Great Price, Moses ii, 1.\n\n  [50] Genesis iii, 8; and Pearl of Great Price, Moses iv, 14.\n\n  [51] Pearl of Great Price, Moses v, 6-9.\n\n=5.= Cain and Abel learned of God from the teachings of their parents,\nas well as from personal ministrations. After the acceptance of Abel's\noffering, and the rejection of that of Cain followed by Cain's\nterrible crime of fratricide, the Lord talked with Cain, and Cain\nanswered the Lord.[52] Cain must, therefore, have taken a personal\nknowledge of God from Eden into the land where he went to dwell.[53]\nAdam lived to be nine hundred and thirty years old and many children\nwere born unto him. Them he instructed in the fear of God, and many of\nthem received direct ministrations. Of Adam's descendants, Seth, Enos,\nCainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech the father of\nNoah, each representing a distinct generation, were all living during\nAdam's lifetime. Noah was born but a hundred and twenty-six years\nafter the time of Adam's death, and moreover lived nearly six hundred\nyears with his father Lamech, by whom he was doubtless instructed in\nthe traditions concerning God's personal manifestations, which Lamech\nhad learned from the lips of Adam. Through the medium of Noah and his\nfamily, a knowledge of God by direct tradition was carried beyond the\nflood; and Noah held direct communication with God,[54] and lived to\ninstruct ten generations of his descendants. Then followed Abraham,\nwho also enjoyed direct communion with the Creator,[55] and after him\nIsaac, and Jacob or Israel, among whose descendants the Lord wrought\nsuch wonders through the instrumentality of Moses. Thus, had there\nbeen no written records, tradition would have preserved and\ntransmitted a knowledge of God.\n\n  [52] Genesis iv, 9-16; Pearl of Great Price, Moses v, 22, 34-40.\n\n  [53] Genesis iv, 16; Pearl of Great Price, Moses v, 41.\n\n  [54] Genesis vi, 13, and succeeding chapter.\n\n  [55] Genesis xii, and succeeding chapters.\n\n=6.= But even if the accounts of the earliest of man's personal\ncommunion with God had become dimmed with time, and therefore weakened\nin effect, they could but give place to other traditions founded on\nlater manifestations of the Divine personality. Unto Moses the Lord\nmade Himself known, not alone from behind the curtain of fire and the\nscreen of clouds,[56] but by direct face to face communication,\nwhereby the chosen high-priest beheld even \"the similitude\" of his\nGod.[57] This account of direct communion between Moses and God, in\npart of which the people were permitted to share,[58] as far as their\nfaith and purity permitted, has been preserved by Israel through all\nthe generations of the past. And from Israel the traditions of God's\nexistence have spread throughout the world; so that we find traces of\nthis ancient knowledge even in the most fanciful and perverted\nmythologies of heathen nations.\n\n  [56] Exo. iii, 4; xix, 18; Numb. xii, 5.\n\n  [57] Numb. xii, 8; see also Pearl of Great Price, Moses i, 1-2.\n\n  [58] Exo. xix, 9, 11, 17-20.\n\n=7. II. Human Reason=, operating upon observations of the things of\nnature, strongly declares the existence of God. The mind, already\nimbued with the historical truths of the Divine existence and its\nclose relationship with man, will find confirmatory evidence in nature\non every side; and even to him who rejects the testimony of the past,\nand assumes to set up his own judgment as superior to the common\nbelief of ages, the multifarious evidences of design in nature appeal.\nEvery observer must be impressed by the proofs of order and system\namong created things, and by the absence of superfluities in nature.\nHe notes the regular succession of day and night providing alternate\nperiods of work and rest for man, animals, and vegetables; the\nsequence of the seasons, each with its longer periods of labor and\nrecuperation, the mutual dependence of animals and plants, the\ncirculation of water from sea to cloud, from cloud to earth again,\nsustaining the fertility of the soil. As man proceeds to the closer\nexamination of things, he finds that by study and scientific\ninvestigation these proofs are multiplied many fold. He may learn of\nthe laws by which earth and its associated worlds are governed in\ntheir orbits; by which satellites are held subordinate to planets, and\nplanets to suns; he may behold the marvels of vegetable and animal\nanatomy, and the surpassing mechanism of his own body; and with such\nappeals to his reason increasing at every step, his wonder as to who\nmade all this gives place to inexpressible admiration for the Creator\nwhose presence and power are thus so forcibly proclaimed; and the\nobserver becomes a worshiper.\n\n=8.= Everywhere in nature is the evidence of cause and effect; on\nevery side is the demonstration of means adapted to end. But such\nadaptations, says a thoughtful writer, \"indicate contrivance for a\ngiven purpose, and contrivance is the evidence of intelligence, and\nintelligence is the attribute of mind, and the intelligent mind that\nbuilt the stupendous universe is God.\"[59] To admit the existence of\na designer in the evidence of design, to say there must be a contriver\nin a world of intelligent contrivance, to believe in an adapter when\nman's life is directly dependent upon the most perfect adaptations\nconceivable, is but to accept self-evident truths. These axioms of\nnature ought to require no demonstration; the burden of proof as to\nthe non-existence of a God ought to be placed upon him who questions\nthe solemn truth. \"Every house is builded by some man, but he that\nbuilt all things is God.\" So spake the Apostle of old,[60] and plain\nas is the truth expressed in these simple words, there are among men a\nfew who profess to doubt the evidence of reason, and who deny the\nAuthor of their own being. Strange, is it not, that here and there\none, who finds in the contrivance exhibited by the ant in building her\nhouse, in the architecture of the honey-comb, and in the myriad\ninstances of orderly instinct among the least of living things, a\nproof of intelligence from which man may learn and be wise, will yet\nquestion the operation of intelligence in the creation of worlds and\nin the constitution of the universe?[61]\n\n  [59] Cassell's Bible Dictionary, p. 481.\n\n  [60] Paul in Heb. iii, 4.\n\n  [61] See Note 4.\n\n=9.= Man's inborn consciousness tells him of his own existence; his\nordinary powers of observation prove the existence of others of his\nkind, and of uncounted orders of organized beings; from this he\nconcludes that something must have existed always, for had there been\na time of no existence, a period of nothingness, existence could never\nhave begun, for from nothing, nothing can be derived. The eternal\nexistence of something, then, is a fact beyond dispute; and the\nquestion requiring answer is, what is that eternal something--that\nexistence which is without beginning and without end? The skeptic may\nanswer, \"Nature; matter has always existed, and the universe is but a\nmanifestation of matter organized by forces operating upon it;\nhowever, Nature is not God.\" But matter is neither vital nor active,\nnor is force intelligent; yet vitality and ceaseless activity are\ncharacteristic of created things, and the effects of intelligence are\nuniversally present. True, nature is not God; and to mistake the one\nfor the other is to call the edifice the architect, the fabric the\ndesigner, the marble the sculptor, and the thing the power that made\nit. The system of nature is the manifestation of that order which\nargues a directing intelligence; and that intelligence is of an\neternal character, coeval with existence itself. Nature herself is a\ndeclaration of a superior Being, whose will and purpose she portrays\nin all her varied aspects. Beyond and above nature, stands nature's\nGod.\n\n=10.= While existence is eternal, and therefore to being there never\nwas a beginning, never shall be an end, in a relative sense each stage\nof organization must have had a beginning, and to every phase of\nexistence as manifested in each of the countless orders and classes of\ncreated things, there was a first, as there will be a last; though\nevery ending or consummation in nature is but the beginning of another\nstage of advancement. Thus, man's ingenuity has invented theories to\nillustrate, if not to explain, a possible sequence of events by which\nthe earth has been brought from a state of chaos to its present\nhabitable condition; but by those hypotheses, this globe was once a\nbarren ball, on which none of the innumerable forms of life that now\ntenant it could have existed. The theorist therefore must admit a\nbeginning to earthly life, and such a beginning is explicable only on\nthe assumption of some creative act, or a contribution from outside\nthe earth. If he admit the introduction of life upon the earth from\nsome other and older sphere, he does but extend the limits of his\ninquiry as to the beginning of vital existence; for to explain the\norigin of a rose-bush in our own garden by saying that it was\ntransplanted as an offshoot from a rose-tree growing elsewhere, is no\nanswer to the question concerning the origin of roses. Science of\nnecessity assumes a beginning to vital phenomena on this planet, and\nadmits a finite duration of the earth in its current course of\nprogressive change; and in this respect, the earth is a representative\nof the heavenly bodies in general. The eternity of existence, then, is\nno more positive as an indication of an eternal Ruler than is the\nendless sequence of change, each stage of which has both beginning and\nend. The origination of created things, the beginning of an organized\nuniverse, is utterly inexplicable on any assumption of spontaneous\nchange in matter, or of fortuitous and accidental operation of its\nproperties.\n\n=11.= Human reason, so liable to err in dealing with subjects of\nlesser import even, may not of itself lead its possessor to a full\nknowledge of God; yet its exercise will aid him in his search,\nstrengthening and confirming his inherited instinct toward his\nMaker.[62] \"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.\"[63] In\nthe scriptures, the word fool[64] is used to designate a wicked man,\none who has forfeited his wisdom by a long course of wrongdoing,\nbringing darkness over his mind in place of light, and ignorance\ninstead of knowledge. By such a course, the mind becomes depraved and\nincapable of appreciating the finer arguments in nature. A wilful\nsinner grows deaf to the voice of reason in holy things, and loses the\nprivilege of communing with his Creator, thus forfeiting the strongest\nmeans of attaining a knowledge of God.\n\n  [62] See Note 5.\n\n  [63] Psalms xiv, 1.\n\n  [64] Proverbs i, 7; x, 21; xiv, 9.\n\n=12. III. Revelation= gives to man his fullest knowledge of God. We\nare not left wholly to the exercise of fallible reasoning powers, nor\nto the testimony of others for a knowledge of the Divine Creator; we\nmay know Him for ourselves. Instances of God manifesting Himself to\nHis prophets in olden as in later times are so numerous as to render\nimpossible any detailed consideration here; moreover, we will have\nopportunity of examining many examples in connection with our study of\nthe ninth of the Articles of Faith; for the present, therefore, brief\nmention must suffice. We have already noted, as the foundation of many\ntraditions relating to the existence and personality of God, His\nrevelations of Himself to Adam and other ante-diluvian patriarchs;\nthen to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. An example but briefly\nmentioned in the Jewish scriptures is that of Enoch, the father of\nMethuselah; of him we read that he walked with God.[65] From the\n\"Writings of Moses\" we learn that the Lord manifested Himself with\nspecial favor to this chosen seer,[66] revealing unto him the course\nof events until the time of Christ's appointed ministry in the flesh,\nthe plan of salvation through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten, and\nthe scenes that were to follow until the final judgment.\n\n  [65] Gen. v, 18-24; see also Jude 14.\n\n  [66] Pearl of Great Price, Moses vi, vii.\n\n=13.= Of Moses we read that he received a manifestation from God, who\nspoke to him from the midst of the burning bush in Mount Horeb,\nsaying: \"I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of\nIsaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid\nto look upon God.\"[67] Unto Moses and assembled Israel God appeared in\na cloud, with the terrifying accompaniment of thunders and lightnings,\non Sinai: \"And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the\nchildren of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from\nheaven.\"[68] Of a later manifestation we are told:--\"Then went up\nMoses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of\nIsrael: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet\nas it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body\nof heaven in his clearness.\"[69]\n\n  [67] Exodus iii, 6.\n\n  [68] Ex. xx, 18-22.\n\n  [69] Ex. xxiv, 9-10.\n\n=14.= On through the time of Joshua and the judges to the kings and\nthe prophets, the Lord declared His presence and His power. Isaiah saw\nthe Lord enthroned in the midst of a glorious company, and cried out,\n\"Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I\ndwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have\nseen the King, the Lord of hosts.\"[70]\n\n  [70] Isa. vi, 1-5.\n\n=15.= At a subsequent period, when Christ emerged from the waters of\nbaptism, the voice of the Father was heard declaring \"This is my\nbeloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\"[71] And on the occasion of\nour Lord's transfiguration, the same voice repeated this solemn and\nglorious acknowledgment.[72] While Stephen was suffering martyrdom at\nthe hands of his cruel and bigoted countrymen, the heavens were\nopened, and he \"saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right\nhand of God.\"[73]\n\n  [71] Matt. iii, 16-17; Mark i, 11.\n\n  [72] Matt. xvii, 1-5; Luke ix, 35.\n\n  [73] Acts vii, 54-60.\n\n=16.= The Book of Mormon is replete with instances of communication\nbetween God and His people, mostly through vision and by the\nministration of angels, but also through direct manifestation of the\nDivine presence. Thus, we read of a colony of people leaving the Tower\nof Babel and journeying to the western hemisphere, under the\nleadership of one who is known in the record as the brother of Jared.\nIn preparing for the voyage across the great deep, the leader prayed\nthat the Lord would touch with His finger, and thereby make luminous,\ncertain stones, that the voyagers might have light in the ships. In\nanswer to this petition, the Lord stretched forth His hand and touched\nthe stones, revealing His finger, which the man was surprised to see\nresembled the finger of a human being. Then the Lord, pleased with the\nman's faith, made Himself visible to the brother of Jared, and\ndemonstrated to him that man was formed literally after the image of\nthe Creator.[74] To the Nephites who inhabited the western continent,\nChrist revealed Himself after His resurrection and ascension. To these\nsheep of the western fold, He testified of His commission received\nfrom the Father; showed the wounds in His hands, feet, and side, and\nministered unto the believing multitudes in many ways.[75]\n\n  [74] Book of Mormon, Ether iii.\n\n  [75] Book of Mormon, III Nephi xi-xxviii.\n\n=17.= In the present dispensation, God has revealed, and does still\nreveal himself to His people. We have seen how by faith and sincerity\nof purpose Joseph Smith, while yet a youth, won for himself a\nmanifestation of God's presence, being privileged to behold both the\nFather and Christ the Son.[76] His testimony of the existence of God\nis not dependent upon tradition or studied deduction; he declares to\nthe world that both the Father and Christ the Son live, for he has\nbeheld their persons, and has heard their voices. In addition to the\nmanifestation cited, Joseph Smith and his fellow servant, Sidney\nRigdon, state that on the 16th of February, 1832, they saw the Son of\nGod, and conversed with Him in heavenly vision. In describing this\nmanifestation they say: \"And while we meditated upon these things,\nthe Lord touched the eyes of our understandings, and they were\nopened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about; and we beheld the\nglory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of His\nfulness; and saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before\nHis throne, worshiping God and the Lamb, who worship Him forever and\never. And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of\nHim, this is the testimony last of all which we give of Him, that He\nlives, for we saw Him.\"[77]\n\n  [76] See page 9.\n\n  [77] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 11-24.\n\n=18.= Again, on the 3rd of April, 1836, in the temple at Kirtland,\nOhio, the Lord manifested Himself to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery,\nwho say of the occasion:--\"We saw the Lord standing upon the\nbreastwork of the pulpit before us, and under His feet was a paved\nwork of pure gold in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of\nfire, the hair of His head was white like the pure snow, His\ncountenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and His voice was\nas the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of\nJehovah, saying,--I am the first and the last; I am He who liveth; I\nam He who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.\"[78]\n\n  [78] Doc. and Cov. cx, 1-4.\n\n=19.= These are a few of the testimonies establishing the fact of\ndirect revelation from God unto men in ancient and modern times. The\nprivilege of communing with our Maker is restricted to none; true\nfaith, sincerity of purpose, and purity of soul will win, for every\none who seeks the boon, the blessing of God's favor and the light of\nHis presence.\n\n=20. The Godhead: The Trinity.=--Three personages composing the great\npresiding council of the universe have revealed themselves to man: (1)\nGod the Eternal Father; (2) His Son, Jesus Christ; and (3) the Holy\nGhost. That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct\nfrom each other, is very plainly proved by the accepted records of\nthe divine dealings with man. On the occasion of the Savior's baptism\nbefore cited, John recognized the sign of the Holy Ghost; he saw\nbefore him in a tabernacle of flesh the Christ, upon whom he had\nperformed the holy ordinance; and he heard the voice of the\nFather.[79] The three personages of the Godhead were present,\nmanifesting themselves each in a different way, and each distinct from\nthe others. The Savior promised His disciples that the Comforter,[80]\nwhich is the Holy Ghost, should be sent unto them by His Father; here\nagain are the three members of the Godhead distinctly referred to.\nStephen, at the time of his martyrdom, was blessed with the power of\nheavenly vision, and he saw Jesus standing on the right hand of\nGod.[81] Joseph Smith, while calling upon the Lord in fervent prayer\nfor wisdom to guide him in his religious professions, saw the Father\nand the Son, standing in the midst of light which shamed the\nbrightness of the sun; one of these declared of the other, \"This is my\nbeloved Son, hear Him.\"[82] Each of the members of the Trinity is\ncalled God,[83] together they constitute the Godhead.\n\n  [79] Matt. iii, 16-17; Mark i, 9-11; Luke iii, 21-22.\n\n  [80] John xiv, 26; xv, 26.\n\n  [81] Acts vii, 55-56.\n\n  [82] See page 9.\n\n  [83] I Cor. viii, 6; John i, 1-14; Matthew iv, 10; I Tim. iii, 16;\n  I John v, 7; Mosiah xv, 1, 2.\n\n=21. Unity of the Godhead.=[84]--The Godhead is a type of unity in the\nattributes, powers, and purposes of its members. Jesus, while on\nearth[85] and in manifesting Himself to His Nephite servants,[86] has\nrepeatedly testified of the unity existing between Himself and the\nFather, and between them both and the Holy Ghost. By some this has\nbeen construed to mean that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost\nare one in substance and in person, that the names in reality\nrepresent the same individual under different aspects. A single\nreference to prove the error of this view may suffice:--Immediately\nbefore His betrayal, Christ prayed for His disciples, the Twelve, and\nother converts, that they should be preserved in unity,[87] \"that they\nall may be one\" as the Father and the Son are one. It is absurd to\nthink that Christ desired His followers to lose their individuality\nand become one person, even if a change so directly opposed to the\nlaws of nature were possible. Christ desired that all should be united\nin heart, and spirit, and purpose; for such is the unity between His\nFather and Himself, and between themselves and the Holy Ghost.\n\n  [84] See Note 11.\n\n  [85] John x, 30, 38; xvii, 11, 22.\n\n  [86] III Nephi xi, 27, 36; xxviii, 10; see also Alma xi, 44.\n\n  [87] John xvii, 11-21.\n\n=22.= This unity is a type of completeness; the mind of any one member\nof the Trinity is the mind of the others; seeing as each of them does\nwith the eye of purity and perfection, they see and understand alike;\nunder similar conditions and circumstances each would act in the same\nway, guided by the same principles of unerring justice and equity. The\none-ness of the Godhead, to which the scriptures so abundantly\ntestify, implies no mystical union of substance, nor any unnatural and\ntherefore impossible blending of personality; Father, Son, and Holy\nGhost are as distinct in their persons and individualities as are any\nthree personages in the flesh. Yet their unity of purpose and\noperation is such as to make their edicts one, and their will the will\nof God. To see one is to see all; therefore said Christ when\nimportuned by Philip to show them the Father: \"Have I been so long\ntime with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath\nseen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the\nFather? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in\nme? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the\nFather that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am\nin the Father, and the Father in me.\"[88]\n\n  [88] John xiv, 9-11.\n\n=23. Personality of Each Member of the Godhead.=--From the evidence\nalready presented, it is clear that the Father is a personal Being,\npossessing a definite form, with bodily parts, and spiritual passions.\nJesus Christ, who was with the Father[89] in spirit before coming to\ndwell in the flesh, and through whom the worlds were made,[90] lived\namong men as a man, with all the physical characteristics of a human\nbeing; after His resurrection He appeared in the same form;[91] in\nthat form He ascended into heaven;[92] and in that form He has\nmanifested Himself to the Nephites, and to modern prophets. Now we are\nassured that Christ was in the express image of His Father,[93] after\nwhich image man also has been created.[94] Therefore we know that both\nthe Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of\nthem possesses a tangible body, infinitely pure and perfect, and\nattended by transcendent glory, yet a body of flesh and bones.[95]\n\n  [89] John xvii, 5.\n\n  [90] John i, 3; Heb. i, 2; Eph. iii, 9; Col. i, 16.\n\n  [91] John xx, 14-15, 19-20, 26-27; xxi, 1-14; Matt, xxviii, 9;\n  Luke xxiv, 15-31, 36-44.\n\n  [92] Acts i, 9-11.\n\n  [93] Heb. i, 3; Col. i, 15; II Cor. iv, 4.\n\n  [94] Genesis i, 26-27; James iii, 8-9.\n\n  [95] Doc. and Cov. cxxx, 22.\n\n=24.= The Holy Ghost, called also Spirit, and Spirit of the Lord,[96]\nSpirit of God,[97] Comforter,[98] and Spirit of Truth,[99] is not\ntabernacled in a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of\nspirit;[100] yet we know that the Spirit has manifested Himself in\nthe form of a man.[101] It is by the ministrations of the Spirit that\nthe Father and the Son operate in their dealings with mankind;[102]\nthrough Him knowledge is communicated,[103] and by Him the purposes of\nthe Godhead are achieved.[104] The Holy Ghost is the witness of the\nFather and the Son,[105] declaring to man their attributes, bearing\nrecord of the other personages of the Godhead.[106]\n\n  [96] I Nephi iv, 6; xi, 8; Mos. xiii, 5. Acts ii, 4; viii, 29; x,\n  19; Rom. viii, 10, 26; I Thess. v, 19.\n\n  [97] Matt, iii, 16; xii, 28; I Nephi xiii, 12.\n\n  [98] John xiv, 16.\n\n  [99] John xv, 26; xvi, 13.\n\n  [100] Doc. and Cov. cxxx, 22.\n\n  [101] I Nephi xi, 11.\n\n  [102] Neh. ix, 30; Isa. xlii, 1; Acts x, 19; Alma xii, 3; Doc. and\n  Cov. cv, 36; xcvii, 1.\n\n  [103] John xvi, 13; I Nephi x, 19; Doc. and Cov. xxxv, 13; 1, 10.\n\n  [104] Gen. i, 2; Job xxvi, 13; Psalms civ, 30; Doc. and Cov. xxix,\n  31.\n\n  [105] John xv, 26; Acts v, 32; xx, 23; I Cor. ii, 11; xii, 3; III\n  Nephi xi, 32.\n\n  [106] For a fuller treatment of the Holy Ghost, His personality\n  and attributes, see Lecture viii, p. 162.\n\n=25. Some of the Divine Attributes.=--_God is Omnipresent_: There is\nno part of creation, however remote, into which He cannot penetrate;\nthrough the medium of the Spirit the Godhead is in direct\ncommunication with all things at all times. It has been said,\ntherefore, that God is everywhere present at the same time; but it is\nunreasonable to suppose that the actual person of any one member of\nthe Godhead can be in more than one place at one time. The senses of\nGod are of infinite power, His mind of unlimited capacity; His eye can\npenetrate all space, His ear can comprehend every sound; His powers of\ntransferring Himself from place to place are not limited; plainly,\nhowever, His person cannot be in more than one place at any one time.\nAdmitting the personality of God, we are compelled to accept the fact\nof His materiality; indeed, an \"immaterial being,\" under which\nmeaningless name some have sought to designate the condition of God,\ncannot exist, for the very expression is a contradiction in terms. If\nGod possesses a form, that form is of necessity of definite\nproportions and therefore of limited extension in space. It is\ntherefore impossible for Him to occupy at one time more than one space\nof such limits; and it is not surprising therefore to learn from the\nscriptures that He moves from place to place. Thus we read in\nconnection with the account of the Tower of Babel, \"And the Lord came\ndown to see the city and the tower.\"[107] Again, God appeared to\nAbraham, and having declared Himself to be \"the Almighty God,\" He\ntalked with the patriarch, and established a covenant with him; then\nwe read \"And He left off talking with him, and God went up from\nAbraham.\"[108]\n\n  [107] Gen. xi, 5.\n\n  [108] Gen. xvii, 1, 22.\n\n=26.= _God is Omniscient._--By Him matter has been organized and\nenergy directed. He is therefore the Creator of all things that are\ncreated; and \"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of\nthe world.\"[109] His power and His wisdom are alike incomprehensible\nto man, for they are infinite. Being Himself eternal and perfect, His\nknowledge cannot be otherwise than infinite. To comprehend Himself, an\ninfinite Being, He must possess an infinite mind. Through the agency\nof angels and ministering servants, He is in continuous communication\nwith all parts of creation, and may personally visit as He may\ndetermine.\n\n  [109] Acts xv, 18; see also Pearl of Great Price: Moses i, 6, 35;\n  I Nephi ix, 6.\n\n=27.= _God is Omnipotent._--He is properly called the Almighty. Man\ncan discern proofs of the Divine omnipotence on every side, in the\nforces that control the elements of earth, and that guide the orbs of\nheaven in their prescribed courses; all are working together for the\ncommon good. There can be no limits to the powers of God; whatever His\nwisdom indicates as fit to be done He can and will do. The means\nthrough which He operates may not be of infinite capacity in\nthemselves; but they are directed by an infinite power. A rational\nconception of His omnipotence is power to do all that He may will to\ndo.\n\n=28.= _God is kind_, _benevolent_, _and loving_, tender, considerate,\nand long-suffering, bearing patiently with the frailties of His\nwayward children. He is just, yet merciful in judgment,[110] showing\nfavor to all alike, and yet combining with these gentler qualities a\nfirmness, almost amounting to fierceness, in avenging wrongs.[111] He\nis jealous[112] of His own power and the reverence paid to Him by His\nchildren; that is to say, He is zealous for the principles of truth\nand purity, which are nowhere exemplified in a higher degree than in\nHis personal attributes. This Being is the Author of our existence,\nHim we are permitted to approach as Father. Our faith will increase in\nHim as we learn of Him.[113]\n\n  [110] Deut. iv, 31; II Chron. xxx, 9; Exo. xxxiv, 6; Neh. ix, 17,\n  31; Psalms cxvi, 5; ciii, 8; lxxxvi, 15; Jer. xxxii, 18; Exo. xx,\n  6.\n\n  [111] Exo. xx, 5; Deut. vii, 21; x, 17; Psa. vii, 11.\n\n  [112] Exo. xx, 5; xxxiv, 14; Deut. iv, 24; vi, 14, 15; Josh. xxiv,\n  19, 20.\n\n  [113] See Note 12.\n\n=29. Idolatry and Atheism.=--From the abundant evidence of the\nexistence of Deity, the idea of which is so generally held by the\nhuman family, there would seem to be little ground on which man could\nrationally assert and maintain a disbelief in God; and in view of the\nmany proofs of the benignant nature of the Divine attributes and\ndisposition, there ought to be little tendency to turn aside after\nfalse and unworthy objects of worship. Yet the history of the race\nshows that theism, which is the doctrine of belief in and acceptance\nof, God as the rightful Ruler, is opposed by many varieties of\natheism;[114] and that man is prone to belie his boast as a creature\nof reason, and to render his worship at idolatrous shrines. Atheism is\nprobably a development of later times, whilst idolatry asserted itself\nas one of the early sins of the race. Even at the time of Israel's\nexodus from Egypt, God deemed it proper to command by statute, \"Thou\nshalt have no other gods before me;\"[115] yet even while He wrote\nthose words on the stony tablets, His people were bowing before the\ngolden calf which they had fashioned after the pattern of the Egyptian\nidol.\n\n  [114] See Note 6.\n\n  [115] Exo. xx, 3.\n\n=30.= It has been stated that man possesses an instinct for worship,\nthat he craves and will find some object of adoration. When man fell\ninto the darkness of continued transgression, and forgot the Author of\nhis being, and the God of his fathers, he sought for other deities.\nSome among men came to regard the sun as the type of the supreme, and\nbefore that luminary they prostrated themselves in supplication.\nOthers selected for adoration earthly phenomena; they marvelled over\nthe mystery of fire, and, recognizing the beneficent effects of that\nphenomenon, they worshiped the flame. Some saw, or thought they saw,\nin water the emblem of the pure and the good, and they rendered their\ndevotions by running streams. Others, awed into reverence by the\ngrandeur of towering mountains, repaired to these natural temples, and\nworshiped the altar instead of Him in whose honor and by whose power\nit had been raised. Another class, more strongly imbued with a\nreverence for the emblematic, sought to create for themselves\nartificial objects of adoration. They made images and worshiped them;\nthey hewed uncouth figures from tree trunks, and chiseled strange\nforms in stone, and to these they bowed.[116]\n\n    \"Nations, ignorant of God,\n    Contrive a wooden one.\"\n\n=31.= Idolatrous practices in some of their phases came to be\nassociated with rites of horrible cruelties, as in the custom of\nsacrificing children to Moloch, and, among the Hindoos, to the Ganges;\nas also in the wholesale slaughtering of human beings, under Druidical\ntyranny. The gods that human-kind have set up for themselves are\nheartless, pitiless, cruel.[117]\n\n  [116] See Note 7.\n\n  [117] See Note 8.\n\n=32.= Atheism, as before stated, is the denial of the existence of\nGod; in a milder form it may consist in the mere ignoring of Deity.\nBut the professed atheist, in common with his believing\nfellow-mortals, is subject to man's universal passion for worship;\nthough he refuse to acknowledge the true and the living God, he\nconsciously or unconsciously deifies some law, some principle, some\npassion of the human soul, or perchance some material creation; and to\nthis he turns, to seek, in contemplation of the unworthy object, a\nsemblance of the comfort which the believer finds in rich abundance\nbefore the throne of his Father and God. I doubt the existence of a\nthorough atheist,--one who with the sincerity of a settled conviction\ndenies in his heart the existence of an intelligent Supreme Power. The\nidea of God is an essential characteristic of the human soul. The\nphilosopher recognizes the necessity of such an element in his\ntheories of being. He may shrink from the open acknowledgment of a\npersonal Deity, yet he assumes the existence of a \"governing power,\"\nof a \"great unknown,\" of the \"unknowable,\" the \"illimitable,\" the\n\"unconscious.\" Oh, man of learning though not of wisdom! why reject\nthe privileges extended to you by the omnipotent, omniscient Being to\nwhom you owe your life, yet whose name you will not acknowledge? No\nmortal can approach Him while contemplating His perfections and might\nwith aught but awe and speechless reverence; regarding Him only as\nCreator and God, we are abashed in thought of Him; but He has given us\nthe right to approach Him as His children, to call upon Him by the\nendearing name of Father! And even the atheist feels, in the more\nsolemn moments of his life, a yearning of the soul toward a spiritual\nParent, as naturally as his human affections turn toward the father\nwho gave him mortal life. The atheism of to-day is but a species of\nidolatry after all.\n\n=33. Sectarian View of the Godhead.=--The consistent, simple, and\nauthentic doctrine respecting the character and attributes of God,\nsuch as was taught by Christ and the apostles, gave way as revelation\nceased, and as the darkness incident to the absence of authority fell\nupon the world, after the apostles and their priesthood had been\ndriven from the earth; and in its place there appeared numerous\ntheories and dogmas of men, many of which are utterly incomprehensible\nin their mysticism and inconsistency. In the year 325 A.D., the\nCouncil of Nice was convened by the emperor Constantine, who sought\nthrough this body to secure a declaration of Christian belief which\nwould be received as authoritative, and be the means of arresting the\nincreasing dissension incident to the general disagreement regarding\nthe nature of the Godhead, and other theological subjects. The Council\ncondemned some of the theories then current; among them that of Arius,\nwhich asserted a separate individuality for each member of the\nTrinity; and promulgated a new code of belief known as the Nicene\nCreed. A statement of this doctrine, supposedly as announced by\nAthanasius, is as follows:--\"We worship one God in trinity, and\ntrinity in unity; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the\nsubstance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son,\nand another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, Son, and\nHoly Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such\nas the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The\nFather uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The\nFather incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost\nincomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy\nGhost eternal. And yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal.\nAs also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated;\nbut one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father\nis almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty, and yet\nthere are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is\nGod, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not\nthree Gods, but one God.\" It would be difficult to conceive of a\ngreater number of inconsistencies and contradictions, expressed in\nwords as few.\n\n=34.= The Church of England teaches the present orthodox view of God\nas follows:--\"There is but one living and true God, everlasting,\nwithout body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and\ngoodness.\" The immateriality of God as asserted in these declarations\nof sectarian faith is entirely at variance with the scriptures, and\nabsolutely contradicted by the revelations of God's person and\nattributes, as shown by the citations already made.\n\n=35.= We affirm that to deny the materiality of God's person is to\ndeny God; for a thing without parts has no whole, and an immaterial\nbody cannot exist.[118] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day\nSaints proclaims against the incomprehensible God, devoid of \"body,\nparts, and passions,\" as a thing impossible of existence, and asserts\nits belief in and allegiance to the true and living God of scripture\nand revelation.\n\n  [118] See Note 9.\n\n     NOTES.\n\n     =1. Natural to Believe in a God.=--\"The great and primary truth\n     'that there is a God' has obtained among men almost universally\n     and in all ages; so that the holy scriptures, which speak of God\n     in every page, and which advert to the sentiments of mankind for\n     the period of about four thousand years, always assume this truth\n     as admitted. In the early ages of the world, indeed, there is no\n     positive evidence that speculative theism had any advocates; and\n     if, at a subsequent period, the 'fool said in his heart, There is\n     no God,' the sentiment appears more prominent in his affections\n     than in his judgment; and, withal, had so feeble an influence\n     over the minds of men, that the sacred writers never deemed it\n     necessary to combat the error, either by formal arguments, or by\n     an appeal to miraculous operations. Polytheism, not atheism, was\n     the prevailing sin; and therefore the aim of inspired men was not\n     so much to prove the existence of one God, as the non-existence\n     of others,--to maintain His authority, to enforce His laws, to\n     the exclusion of all rival pretenders.\"...\n\n     \"So clear, full, and overpowering is the evidence of God's\n     existence, that it has commanded general belief in all ages and\n     countries,--the only exceptions being a few savage tribes of a\n     most degraded type, among whom the idea of God has faded and\n     disappeared with every vestige of civilization; and a few\n     eccentric would-be philosophers who affect to doubt everything\n     which others believe, and question the truth of their own\n     intuitions, so that the general assent to the being of a God\n     might be added as a testimony of no small weight in this\n     argument.\"--_Cassell's Bible Dictionary; article \"God.\"_\n\n     =2. Importance of Belief in God.=--\"The existence of a Supreme\n     Being is, without doubt, the sublimest conception that can enter\n     the human mind, and, even as a scientific question, can have no\n     equal, for it assumes to furnish the cause of causes, the great\n     ultimate fact in philosophy, the last and sublimest\n     generalization of scientific truth. Yet this is the lowest demand\n     it presents for our study; for it lies at the very foundation of\n     morality, virtue, and religion; it supports the social fabric,\n     and gives cohesion to all its parts; it involves the momentous\n     question of man's immortality and responsibility to supreme\n     authority, and is inseparably connected with his brightest hopes\n     and highest enjoyments. It is, indeed, not only a fundamental\n     truth, but the grand central truth of all other truths. All other\n     truths in science, ethics, and religion radiate from this. It is\n     the source from which they all flow, the center to which they all\n     converge, and the one sublime proposition to which they all bear\n     witness. It has, therefore, no parallel in its solemn grandeur\n     and momentous issues.\"--_The same._\n\n     =3. Belief in God, Natural and Necessary.=--Dr. Joseph Le Conte,\n     Professor of Geology and Natural History in the University of\n     California, and a scientist of world-wide renown, has spoken as\n     follows:--\"_Theism_, or a belief in God or in gods, or in a\n     supernatural agency of some kind, controlling the phenomena\n     around us, is the fundamental basis and condition of all\n     religion, and is therefore universal, necessary, and intuitive. I\n     will not, therefore, attempt to bring forward any proof of that\n     which lies back of all proof, and is already more certain than\n     anything can be made by any process of reasoning. The ground of\n     this belief lies in the very nature of man; it is the very\n     foundation and groundwork of reason. It is this and this only\n     which gives significance to Nature; without it, neither religion\n     nor science, nor indeed human life, would be possible. For,\n     observe what is the characteristic of man in his relation to\n     external Nature. To the brute, the phenomena of Nature are\n     nothing but sensuous phenomena; but man, just in proportion as he\n     uses his human faculties, instinctively ascends from the\n     phenomena to their cause. This is inevitable by a law of our\n     nature, but the process of ascent is different for the cultured\n     and uncultured races. The uncultured man, when a phenomenon\n     occurs, the cause of which is not immediately perceived, passes\n     by one step from the sensuous phenomenon to the first cause;\n     while the cultured, and especially the scientific man, passes\n     from the sensuous phenomena through a chain of secondary causes\n     to the first cause. The region of second causes, and this only,\n     is the domain of science. Science may, in fact, be defined, as\n     the _study of the modes of operation of the first cause_. It is\n     evident, therefore, that the recognition of second causes cannot\n     preclude the idea of the existence of God.... Thus, Theism is\n     necessary, intuitive, and therefore universal. We cannot get rid\n     of it if we would. Push it out, as many do, at the front door,\n     and it comes in again, perhaps unrecognized, at the back door.\n     Turn it out in its _nobler forms_ as revealed in Scripture, and\n     it comes in again in its _ignoble forms_, it may be as magnetism,\n     electricity, or gravity, or some other supposed efficient agent\n     controlling Nature. In some form, noble or ignoble, it will\n     become a guest in the human heart. I therefore repeat, _Theism\n     neither requires nor admits of proof_. But in these latter times,\n     there is a strong tendency for Theism to take the form of\n     _Pantheism_, and thereby religious belief is robbed of all its\n     power over the human heart. It becomes necessary, therefore, for\n     me to attempt to show, not the existence indeed, but the\n     _personality of Deity_.... Among a certain class of cultivated\n     minds, and especially among scientific men, there is a growing\n     sentiment, sometimes openly expressed, sometimes only vaguely\n     felt, that what we call God is only a universal, all-pervading\n     principle animating Nature,--a general principle of evolution--an\n     unconscious, impersonal life-force under which the whole cosmos\n     slowly develops. Now, this form of Theism may possibly satisfy\n     the demands of a purely speculative philosophy, but cannot\n     satisfy the cravings of the human heart.... The argument for the\n     personality of Deity is derived from the evidences of intelligent\n     contrivance and design in Nature, or in the adjustment of parts\n     for a definite, and an intelligent purpose. It is usually called\n     '_the argument from design_.' The force of this argument is felt\n     at once intuitively by all minds, and its effect is irresistible\n     and overwhelming to every plain, honest mind, unplagued by\n     metaphysical subtleties.\"--Prof. Joseph Le Conte: in _Religion\n     and Science_, pp. 12-14.\n\n     =4. God in Nature.=--Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most critical\n     of scientific workers, in writing to his friend Dr. Bentley in\n     1692, said in reference to the natural universe: \"To make such a\n     system, with all its motions, required a Cause which understood\n     and compared together the quantities of matter in the several\n     bodies of the sun and planets, and the gravitating powers\n     resulting from them, the several distances of the primary planets\n     from the sun, and of the secondary ones from Saturn, Jupiter, and\n     the earth; and the velocities with which these planets could\n     revolve about those quantities of matter in the central bodies;\n     and to compare and adjust all these things together in so great a\n     variety of bodies argues the Cause to be not blind and\n     fortuitous, but very well skilled in mechanics and geometry.\"\n\n     =5. Natural Indications of God's Existence.=--\"It may not be, it\n     is not likely, that God can be found with microscope and scalpel,\n     with test-tube or flask, with goniometer or telescope; but with\n     such tools, the student earnestly working, cannot fail to\n     recognize a power beyond his vision, yet a power of which the\n     pulses and the motions are unmistakable. The extent of our solar\n     system once seemed to man more limited than it does at present;\n     and the discovery of the most distant of the planetary family was\n     due to a recognition of an attractive force inexplicable except\n     on the supposition of the existence of another planet. The\n     astronomer, tracing known bodies along their orbital paths, could\n     feel the pull, could see the wire that drew them from a narrower\n     course; he saw not Neptune as he piled calculations sheet on\n     sheet; but the existence of that orb was clearly indicated, and\n     by heeding such indications he sought for it, and it was found.\n     Theory alone could never have revealed it, though theory was\n     incomplete, unsatisfactory without it; but the practical search,\n     instigated by theory, led to the great demonstration. And what is\n     all science but theory compared to the practical influence of\n     prayerful reliance on the assistance of an omnipotent, omniscient\n     power? Disregard not the indications of your science work,--the\n     trembling of the needle that reveals the magnetic influence; the\n     instinct within that speaks of a life and a Life-Giver, far\n     beyond human power of explanation or comprehension. As you sit\n     beneath the canopied vault, pondering in the silence of night\n     over the perturbations, the yearnings which the soul cannot\n     ignore, turn in the direction indicated by those impulses, and\n     with the penetrating, space-annihilating, time-annulling glass of\n     prayer and faith, seek the source of that pervading force.\"--The\n     Author in _Baccalaureate Sermon_, Utah University Quarterly,\n     Sept., 1895.\n\n     =6. Theism; Atheism, etc.=--According to current usage, _Theism_\n     signifies a belief in God,--the acceptance of one living and\n     eternal Being who has revealed Himself to man. _Deism_ implies a\n     professed belief in God, but denies to Deity the power to reveal\n     Himself, and asserts a disbelief in Christianity; the term is\n     used in different senses, prominent among which are:--(1) belief\n     in God as an intelligent and eternal Being, with a denial of all\n     providential care: (2) belief in God, with denial of a future\n     state of the soul: (3) as advocated by Kant, denial of a personal\n     God, while asserting belief in an infinite force, inseparably\n     associated with matter, and operating as the first great cause.\n     _Pantheism_ regards matter and mind as one, embracing everything\n     finite and infinite, and calls this universal existence God. In\n     its philosophical aspect, pantheism \"has three generic forms with\n     variations: (1) _one-substance pantheism_ which ascribes to the\n     universal being the attributes of both mind and matter, thought\n     and extension, as in Spinoza's system: (2) _materialistic\n     pantheism_ which ascribes to it only the attributes of matter, as\n     in the system of Strauss: (3) _idealistic pantheism_ which\n     ascribes to it only the existence of mind as in Hegel's system.\"\n     In its doctrinal aspect, pantheism comprises \"the worship of\n     nature and humanity founded on the doctrine that the entire\n     phenomenal universe, including man and nature, is the\n     ever-changing manifestation of God.\" _Polytheism_ is the doctrine\n     of a plurality of gods, who are usually regarded as\n     personifications of forces or phenomena of nature. _Monotheism_\n     is the doctrine that there is but one God. _Atheism_ signifies\n     disbelief in God, or the denial of God's existence; _dogmatic\n     atheism_ denies, while _negative atheism_ ignores, the existence\n     of a God. _Infidelity_ is sometimes used as synonymous with\n     atheism, though specifically the term signifies a milder form of\n     unbelief, manifesting itself in scepticism on matters religious,\n     a disbelief in the religion of the Bible, and of course a\n     rejection of the doctrines of Christianity. _Agnosticism_ holds\n     that God is unknown and unknowable; that His existence can\n     neither be proved nor disproved; it neither affirms nor denies\n     the existence of a personal God; it is the doctrine of \"We do not\n     know.\"--_See Standard Dictionary._\n\n     =7. Idolatrous Practices in General.=--The soul of man, once\n     abandoned to depravity, is strongly prone to depart from God and\n     his institutions. \"Hence,\" says Burder, \"have arisen the altars\n     and demons of heathen antiquity, their extravagant fictions, and\n     abominable orgies. Hence we find among the Babylonians and\n     Arabians, the adoration of the heavenly bodies, the earliest\n     forms of idolatry; among the Canaanites and Syrians, the worship\n     of Baal, Tammuz, Magog, and Astarte; among the Phoenicians, the\n     immolation of children to Moloch; among the Egyptians, divine\n     honors bestowed on animals, birds, insects, leeks, and onions;\n     among the Persians, religious reverence offered to fire; and\n     among the polished Greeks, the recognition in their system of\n     faith of thirty thousand gods. Hence, moreover, we find at the\n     present time, among most Pagan tribes, the deadliest\n     superstitions, the most cruel and bloody rites, and the most\n     shocking licentiousness and vice, practiced under the name of\n     religion.\"--_History of all Religions_, p. 12.\n\n     =8. Examples of Atrocious Idolatry.=--The worship of Moloch is\n     generally cited as an example of the cruelest and most abhorrent\n     idolatry known to man. Moloch, called also Molech, Malcham,\n     Milcom, Baal-melech, etc., was an Ammonite idol: it is mentioned\n     in scripture in connection with its cruel rites (Lev. xviii, 21;\n     xx, 2-5; see also I Kings xi, 5, 7, 33; II Kings xxiii, 10, 13;\n     Amos v, 26; Zephaniah i, 5; Jeremiah xxxii, 35). Keil and\n     Delitzsch describe the idol as being \"represented by a brazen\n     statue which was hollow, and capable of being heated, and formed\n     with a bull's head, and with arms stretched out to receive the\n     children to be sacrificed.\" While the worship of this idol did\n     not invariably include human sacrifice, it is certain that such\n     hideous rites were characteristic of this abominable shrine. The\n     authors last quoted say: \"From the time of Ahaz, children were\n     slain at Jerusalem in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and then\n     sacrificed by being laid in the heated arms and burned.\" (II Kings\n     xxiii, 10; xvi, 3; xvii, 17; xxi, 6; Jer. xxxii, 35; Ezek. xvi,\n     20, 21; xx, 31; compare Psalms cvi, 37, 38.) Many authorities\n     state that the sacrifice of children to this hideous monster long\n     ante-dated the time of Ahaz. \"The offering of living victims was\n     probably the climax of enormity in connection with this system,\n     and it is said that Tophet, where it was to be witnessed, was so\n     named from the beating of drums to drown the shrieks and groans\n     of those who were burned to death. The same place was called the\n     Valley of Hinnom, and the horrible associations connected with it\n     led to both Tophet and Gehenna ('valley of Hinnom') being adopted\n     as names and symbols of future torment.\" For foregoing facts, and\n     others, _see \"The Pentateuch\" by Keil and Delitzsch, and\n     Cassell's Bible Dictionary_.\n\n     Scarcely less horrible were the practices of voluntary suicide\n     under the car of the idol Juggernaut, and the drowning of\n     children in the sacred Ganges as found among the Hindoos.\n     According to Burder (\"History of all Religions\"), the ponderous\n     and hideous image Juggernaut, was, on festival days, usually\n     placed on a movable tower resting on wheels; and, thus mounted,\n     was drawn through the streets by enthusiastic worshipers. As the\n     car moved along, some of the most zealous of the devotees threw\n     themselves under the wheels and were crushed to death; and such\n     acts were \"hailed with the acclamations of the multitude as the\n     most acceptable sacrifices.\" The same author thus describes the\n     rite of child-sacrifice to the sacred river, as formerly\n     practiced in India:--\"People in some parts of India, particularly\n     the inhabitants of Orissa, and of the eastern parts of Bengal,\n     frequently offer their children to the goddess Gunga. The\n     following reason is assigned for this practice: When a woman has\n     been long married, and has no children, it is common for the man,\n     or his wife, or both of them, to make a vow to the goddess Gunga,\n     that if she will bestow the blessing of children upon them, they\n     will devote the firstborn to her. If, after this vow, they have\n     children, the eldest is nourished till a proper age, which may be\n     three, four, or more years, according to circumstances when, on a\n     particular day, appointed for bathing in any part of the river,\n     they take the child with them and offer it to the goddess: the\n     child is encouraged to go farther and farther into the water,\n     till it is carried away by the stream, or is pushed off by its\n     inhuman parents.\"--_History of all Religions_, pp. 745-746.\n\n     The practices of Druidism among the ancient Britons furnish\n     another example of degradation in religion through the absence of\n     authoritative guidance and the light of revelation. The Druids\n     professed a veneration for the oak, and performed most of their\n     distinctive ceremonies in sacred groves. Human sacrifices were\n     offered as a feature of their system. Of their temples, some,\n     e.g. Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, and others in\n     Kent, still remain. These circular enclosures, which were open to\n     the sky, were called _doom-rings_: near the center of each was an\n     altar (_dolmen_) on which victims were sacrificed. The horrible\n     ceremonies included on special occasions the burning alive of\n     large numbers of human beings, enclosed in immense cages of\n     wicker-work.\n\n     =9. Immaterialists are Atheists.=--\"There are two classes of\n     atheists in the world. One class denies the existence of God in\n     the most positive language; the other denies his existence in\n     duration or space. One says 'There is no God;' the other says\n     'God is not _here_ or _there_, any more than he exists _now_ and\n     _then_.' The infidel says 'God does not exist anywhere.' The\n     immaterialist says 'He exists _nowhere_.' The infidel says 'There\n     is no such substance as God.' The immaterialist says 'There is\n     such a substance as God, but it is _without parts_.' The atheist\n     says 'There is no such substance as _spirit_.' The immaterialist\n     says 'A spirit, though he lives and acts, occupies no room, and\n     fills no space in the same way and in the same manner as matter,\n     not even so much as does the minutest grain of sand.' The atheist\n     does not seek to hide his infidelity; but the immaterialist,\n     whose declared belief amounts to the same thing as the atheist's,\n     endeavors to hide his infidelity under the shallow covering of a\n     few words.... The immaterialist is a religious atheist; he only\n     differs from the other class of atheists by clothing an\n     indivisible unextended _nothing_ with the powers of a God. One\n     class believes in no God; the other believes that _Nothing_ is\n     god and worships it as such.\"--Orson Pratt, in pamphlet\n     _Absurdities of Immaterialism_, p. 11.\n\n     =10. Atheism, a Fatal Belief.=--\"During the Reign of Terror, the\n     French were declared by the National Assembly to be a nation of\n     atheists; but a brief experience convinced them that a nation of\n     atheists could not long exist. Robespierre then 'proclaimed in\n     the convention, that belief in the existence of God was necessary\n     to those principles of virtue and morality upon which the\n     republic was founded; and on the 7th of May, the national\n     representatives, who had so lately prostrated themselves before\n     the Goddess of Reason, voted by acclamation that the French\n     people acknowledged the existence of the Supreme Being, and the\n     immortality of the soul.'\"--_Students' France, xxvii, 6_; quoted\n     by Rev. Charles E. Little, in _Historical Lights_, pp. 280-281.\n\n     =11. The Trinity.=--\"'Mormonism' affirms its unqualified belief\n     in the Godhead as the Holy Trinity, comprising Father, Son, and\n     Holy Ghost; each of the three a separate and individual\n     personage; the Father and the Son each a personage of spirit and\n     of immortalized body; the Holy Ghost a personage of spirit. The\n     unity of the Godhead is accepted in the literal fulness of\n     scriptural declaration--that the Three are one in purpose, plan,\n     and method; alike in all their Godly attributes; one in their\n     Divine omniscience and omnipotence; yet as separate and distinct\n     in their personality as are any three inhabitants of earth.\n     'Mormonism' claims that scripture passages declaring the oneness\n     of the Trinity admit of this interpretation; that such indeed is\n     the natural interpretation, and that the conception is in accord\n     with reason.\"--_The Philosophy of \"Mormonism_,\" by The Author:\n     Improvement Era, vol. iv, p. 463.\n\n     =12. The Father and the Son.=--In the treatment of the\n     \"Personality of Each Member of the Godhead\" (p. 41) and \"Divine\n     Attributes\" (p. 42) no attempt has been made to segregate the\n     references made to The Father and to The Son. It is to be\n     remembered that the Personage most generally designated in the\n     Old Testament as God or the LORD, is He who in the mortal state\n     was known as Jesus Christ, and in the antemortal state as\n     Jehovah. See the author's work, \"Jesus the Christ,\" chap. iv.\n     That Jesus Christ or Jehovah is designated in certain scriptures\n     as the Father in no wise justifies an assumption of identity\n     between Him and His Father, Elohim. This matter has been\n     explained in a publication dated June 30, 1916, entitled \"The\n     Father and The Son; a Doctrinal Exposition by the First\n     Presidency and the Twelve.\" This appeared in _Improvement Era_,\n     August, 1916, and in a pamphlet of earlier issue. Excerpts\n     therefrom follow: \"The term 'Father' as applied to Deity occurs\n     in sacred writ with plainly different meanings. Each of the four\n     significations specified in the following treatment should be\n     carefully segregated.\n\n     \"1. _'Father' as Literal Parent._... Jesus Christ is the Son of\n     Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say,\n     Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and\n     also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in\n     the flesh....\n\n     \"2. _'Father' as Creator._ A second scriptural meaning of\n     'Father' is that of Creator, e.g. in passages referring to any\n     one of the Godhead as 'The Father of the heavens and of the\n     earth.'... With this meaning, as the context shows in every case,\n     Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ the Son of Elohim, is called 'the\n     Father.'...\n\n     \"3. _Jesus Christ the 'Father' of those who abide in His\n     Gospel\"._ See Doc. and Cov. xxxiv, 1-3; xxxv, 1, 2; xxxix, 1-4;\n     Mosiah xv, 10-13.\n\n     \"4. _Jesus Christ the 'Father' by Divine Investiture of\n     Authority\"._ See John x. 30; xvii, 11, 22; compare xiv. 28; see\n     further v, 43; x, 26; III Nephi xx, 35; xxviii, 10; and Doc. and\n     Cov. 1, 43.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE III.\n\nTRANSGRESSION AND THE FALL.\n\n     =Article 2.=--We believe that men will be punished for their own\n     sins, and not for Adam's transgression.\n\n\nTRANSGRESSION AND ITS RESULTS.\n\n=1. Man's Free Agency.=--The Church holds and teaches as a strictly\nscriptural doctrine, that man has inherited among the inalienable\nrights conferred upon him by his divine Father, absolute freedom to\nchoose the good or the evil in life as he may elect. This right cannot\nbe guarded with more jealous care than is bestowed upon it by God\nHimself; for in all His dealings with man, He has left the mortal\ncreature free to choose and to act, with no semblance of compulsion or\nrestraint, beyond the influences of paternal counsel and loving\ndirection.[119] True, He has given commandments, and has established\nstatutes, with promises of blessings for compliance and dire penalties\nfor infraction; but in the choice of these, God's children are\nuntrammeled. In this respect, man is no less free than are the angels\nand the Gods, except as he has fettered himself with the bonds of sin,\nand forfeited his power of will and force of soul. The individual has\nas full a measure of liberty to violate the laws of health, the\nrequirements of nature, and the commandments of God in matters both\ntemporal and spiritual, as he has to obey all such; in the one case he\nbrings upon himself the sure penalties that belong to the broken law;\nas in the other he inherits the specific blessings and the added\nfreedom that attend a law-abiding life. Obedience to law is the habit\nof the free man; 'tis the transgressor who fears the law, for he\nbrings upon himself deprivation and restraint, not because of the law,\nwhich would have protected him in his freedom, but because of his\nantagonism to law.\n\n  [119] See Note 1.\n\n=2.= The predominant attribute of justice, recognized as part of the\nDivine nature, forbids the thought that man should receive promises of\nreward for righteousness, and threats of punishment for evil deeds, if\nhe possessed no power of independent action. It is no more a part of\nGod's plan to compel men to work righteousness, than it is His purpose\nto permit evil powers to force His children into sin. In the days of\nEden, the first man had placed before him commandment and law,[120]\nwith an explanation of the penalty which would follow a violation of\nthat law. No law could have been given him in righteousness had he not\nbeen free to act for himself. \"Nevertheless thou mayest choose for\nthyself, for it is given unto thee, but remember that I forbid\nit,\"[121] said the Lord God to Adam. Concerning His dealings with the\nfirst patriarch of the race, God has declared in this day, \"Behold, I\ngave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself.\"[122]\n\n  [120] Genesis ii, 17; Pearl of Great Price, Moses ii, 27-29; iii,\n  15-17.\n\n  [121] Pearl of Great Price, Moses iii, 17.\n\n  [122] Doctrine and Covenants, xxix, 35.\n\n=3.= When the brothers Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices before\nthe Lord, the elder one became angry because his offering was\nrejected; then the Lord reasoned with Cain, and endeavored to teach\nhim that he must expect results of his actions to follow in kind, good\nor evil, as he might elect:--\"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be\naccepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.\"[123]\n\n  [123] Genesis iv, 7.\n\n=4.= A knowledge of good and evil is essential to the advancement\nwhich God has made possible for His children to achieve; this\nknowledge can be best gained by actual experience, with the contrasts\nof good and its opposite before the eyes; therefore has man been\nplaced upon the earth subject to the influence of good and wicked\npowers, with a knowledge of the conditions surrounding him, and the\nheaven-born right to choose for himself. The words of the prophet,\nLehi, are particularly explicit: \"Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto\nman that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for\nhimself, save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the\nother.... Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all\nthings are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free\nto choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all\nmen, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and\npower of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable\nlike unto himself.\"[124]\n\n  [124] II Nephi ii, 16 and 27; x, 23. See also Alma iii, 26; xii,\n  31; xxix, 4, 5; xxx, 9; Hel. xiv, 30.\n\n=5.= Alma, another Nephite prophet, in speaking of those who had died,\nsaid they had gone \"that they might reap their rewards, according to\ntheir works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap\neternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which\nthey listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one; For\nevery man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this\naccording to the words of the spirit of prophecy.\"[125]\n\n  [125] Alma iii, 26-27.\n\n=6.= Samuel, the converted Lamanite, upon whom the spirit of the\nprophets had fallen, admonished his wayward fellows in this wise: \"And\nnow remember, remember my brethren, that whosoever perisheth,\nperisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto\nhimself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for\nyourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge, and He\nhath made you free; He hath given unto you that ye might know good\nfrom evil, and He hath given unto you that ye might choose life or\ndeath.\"[126]\n\n  [126] Helaman xiv, 30-31.\n\n=7.= When the plans for creating and peopling the earth were under\ndiscussion in heaven, Satan sought to destroy the free agency of man,\nby obtaining power to force the human family to do his will, promising\nthe Father that by such means he would redeem all mankind, and that\nnot one of them should be lost.[127] This proposition was rejected,\nwhile the original purpose of the Father,--to use persuasive\ninfluences of wholesome precept and sacrificing example with the\ninhabitants of the earth, then to leave them free to choose for\nthemselves, was agreed upon, and the Only Begotten Son was chosen as\nthe chief instrument in carrying that purpose into effect.\n\n  [127] Moses iv. 1; see also Abraham iii, 27-28; and \"Jesus the\n  Christ,\" ch. ii.\n\n=8. Man's Responsibility= for his individual acts is as complete as is\nhis agency to elect for himself. The natural result of good deeds is\nhappiness; the consequence of evil is misery; these follow in every\nman's life by inviolable laws. There is a plan of judgment[128]\ndivinely fore-ordained, by which every man will be called to answer\nfor his deeds; and not for deeds alone but for his words also, and\neven for the thoughts of his heart. \"But I say unto you, that every\nidle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the\nday of judgment.\"[129] These are the words of the Savior Himself. \"And\nlet none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and\nlove no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the\nLord.\"[130] John the Revelator was permitted to learn in vision\nsomething of the scenes connected with the last judgment; he says:\n\"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books\nwere opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life;\nand the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the\nbooks, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which\nwere in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in\nthem: and they were judged every man according to their works.\"[131]\n\n  [128] Matt. x, 15; xi, 22; II Peter ii, 9; iii, 7; I John iv, 17.\n\n  [129] Matt. xii, 36.\n\n  [130] Zech. viii, 17.\n\n  [131] Rev. xx, 12, 13.\n\n=9.= The judgment of God is not always made to follow immediately the\nacts of men; good deeds may not be at once rewarded, evil is rarely\nperemptorily punished; and this is according to Divine wisdom; were it\nappointed otherwise, the test of individual nature, and the trial of\nhuman faith, for which purposes this mortal probation was primarily\nordained, would be greatly lessened; for the certainty of immediate\npleasure or pain would almost universally determine human acts to\nsecure the one and to avoid the other. Judgment, therefore, is\npostponed, that every one may fully prove his nature, the good man\nincreasing in righteousness, and the evil doer possessing opportunity\nof repentance and reparation before the great and terrible day. On\nrare occasions, speedy judgment of a temporal nature has been\nexecuted, the physical results of worldly blessing for good,[132] and\ncalamity for evil deeds[133] following swiftly upon the acts. Whether\nsuch retribution entirely satisfies the claims of justice, or a\nfurther visitation of judgment is to take place beyond this world,\nmatters not. Such acts are exceptional in the Divine administration.\n\n  [132] Job xlii, 10-17.\n\n  [133] Numbers xii, 1-2; 10-15; xv, 32-36; xvi; xxi, 4-6; I Sam.\n  vi, 19; II Sam. vi, 6-7; Acts v, 1-11.\n\n=10.= It is the prerogative of Jesus Christ[134] to judge the\nchildren of men, and He will do it as His own purposes, which are\nlikewise the purposes of His Father, may be best served. John records\nthe words of Christ: \"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath\ncommitted all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son\neven as they honor the Father.\"[135] And Peter, while expounding the\ngospel to the devout Gentile, Cornelius, declared concerning Jesus\nChrist, that \"it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of\nquick and dead.\"[136] Of the dread fate of the wicked reserved for the\njudgment day, many prophets have borne record[137] and the presiding\nJudge of that awful tribunal has given in His own words\ndescriptions[138] so vivid and forceful, as to leave no shadow of\ndoubt that every living soul will be called to acknowledge the record,\nand to accept the results of his acts. The Lord's words and those of\nHis prophets are unequivocal, that He is no respecter of persons,[139]\nand that any species of favor foreign to justice is unknown to Him.\nThis judgment none but the unrepentant wicked need fear; to the\nrighteous it is a time of triumph.[140]\n\n  [134] John v, 22-27; Acts x, 42; xvii, 31; Rom. ii, 16; II Cor. v,\n  10; II Tim. iv, 1, 8; Doc. and Cov. cxxxiii, 2.\n\n  [135] John v, 22.\n\n  [136] Acts x, 42.\n\n  [137] Dan. vii, 9; II Thess. i, 7, 8; III Nephi xxvi, 3-5; Doc.\n  and Cov. lxxvi, 31-49; 103-106.\n\n  [138] Matt. xxv, 31-46; Doc. and Cov. i, 9-12.\n\n  [139] Acts x, 34, 35; Rom. ii, 11; Eph. vi, 9; Colos. iii, 25.\n\n  [140] II Tim. iv, 8.\n\n=11. Sin.=--What is the nature of sin? To this question the Apostle\nJohn replies, \"Sin is the transgression of the law.\"[141] In the\noriginal language of the Bible records, many words occur for which our\nsingle term sin is used, all however conveying the common idea of\nopposition to the Divine will.[142] As God is the embodiment of purity\nand perfection, such opposition is a rebellion against the principles\nof advancement, and an acceptance of the practices that lead to\ndegradation. Sin is any condition, whether consisting in omission of\nthings required, or in commission of acts forbidden, which tends to\nprevent or hinder the development of the human soul. As a righteous\ncourse leads to eternal life, so sin tends toward the darkness of the\nsecond death. Sin was introduced to the world by the arch-fiend\nSatan;[143] yet it is by Divine permission that mankind is brought in\ncontact with sin, the contrast between evil and good thus being\nlearned.\n\n  [141] I John iii, 4.\n\n  [142] See Note 2.\n\n  [143] Pearl of Great Price: Moses iv, 4; Genesis iii.\n\n=12.= According to the technical definition of sin, it consists in the\nviolation of law, and in this strict sense sin may be committed\ninadvertently or in ignorance. It is plain, however, from the\nscriptural doctrine of human responsibility, and the unerring justice\nof God, that in his transgressions as in his righteous deeds, man will\nbe judged according to his ability to comprehend law. To him who has\nnever been made acquainted with a higher law, the requirements of that\nlaw do not apply in their fulness. For sins committed without\nknowledge,--that is, for laws violated in ignorance, a propitiation\nhas been provided in the atonement wrought through the sacrifice of\nthe Savior; and sinners of this class do not stand condemned.\n\n=13.= Nephi, prophesying to the ancient inhabitants of the western\ncontinent, taught them this doctrine:--\"Where there is no law given,\nthere is no punishment; and where there is no punishment, there is no\ncondemnation; and where there is no condemnation, the mercies of the\nHoly One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for\nthey are delivered by the power of him; For the atonement satisfieth\nthe demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given\nto them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and\nhell and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone which is\nendless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them\nbreath, which is the Holy One of Israel.\"[144] And then, in contrast\nwith the lot of those who are thus pardonable, the prophet adds:--\"But\nwo unto him that has the law given; yea, that has all the commandments\nof God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth\nthe days of his probation, for awful is his state!\"[145] This is in\nstrict agreement with the teachings of Paul to the Romans, \"For as\nmany as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as\nmany as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.\"[146] And\nthe word of modern scripture is to the same effect, for we are told\nthrough recent revelation to the Church, that among those who are to\nreceive the blessings of redemption are \"they who died without\nlaw.\"[147] These will include the heathen nations, whose redemption is\npromised, with the added declaration that \"they that knew no law shall\nhave part in the first resurrection.\"[148]\n\n  [144] II Nephi ix, 25-26.\n\n  [145] The same, paragraph 27.\n\n  [146] Rom. ii, 12.\n\n  [147] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 72.\n\n  [148] Doc. and Cov. xiv, 54. See p. 404, Note 4.\n\n==14. Punishment for Sin.--As rewards for righteous deeds are\nproportionate to deserving acts, so the punishment prescribed for sin\nis made adequate to the offence.[149] Punishment is inflicted upon the\nsinner, for disciplinary and reformatory purposes, and in support of\njustice. There is nothing of vindictiveness or of desire to cause\nsuffering in the Divine nature; on the contrary, our Father is\ncognizant of every pang, and permits such to afflict for beneficent\npurposes only. God's mercy is declared in the retributive pains which\nHe allows, as in the blessings of peace which issue from His hand. It\nis scarcely profitable to speculate as to the exact nature of the\nspiritual suffering imposed as punishment for sin. Comparison with\nphysical pain,[150] such as the tortures of fire, in a sulphurous\nlake, serve to show that the human mind is incapable of comprehending\nthe depth of these dread penalties. The sufferings entailed by the\nawful fate of condemnation are more to be feared than are any possible\ninflictions of purely physical torture; the mind, the spirit, the\nwhole soul is doomed to suffer, and the extent of the torment no man\nknoweth.\n\n  [149] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 82-85; lxxxii, 21; civ, 9; lxiii, 17;\n  II Nephi i, 13; ix, 27; xxviii, 23.\n\n  [150] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 36, 44; Jacob vi, 10; Alma xii, 16-17;\n  III Nephi xxvii, 11-12.\n\n=15.= Consider the word of the Lord regarding those whose sin is the\nunpardonable one, whose transgression has carried them beyond the\npresent horizon of possible redemption; those who have sunk so low in\ntheir wickedness as to have lost the power and even the desire to\nattempt reformation.[151] \"Sons of Perdition\" is the terrible\ndesignation by which they are known. These are they who, having\nlearned the power of God, afterward renounce it; those who sin\nwilfully, in the light of knowledge; those who open their hearts to\nthe Holy Spirit, and then put the Lord to a mockery and a shame by\ndenying Him; and those who commit murder, wherein they shed innocent\nblood;[152] these are they of whom the Savior has declared that it\nwould be better for them had they never been born.[153] These are to\nshare the punishment of the devil and his angels--punishment so\nterrible that the knowledge is withheld from all except those who are\nconsigned to this dread doom, though a momentary glance at the awful\npicture is permitted to some.[154] These sinners are the only ones\nover whom the second death hath power, \"Yea, verily, the only ones\nwho shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord.\"[155]\n\n  [151] See Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 26, 32, 43.\n\n  [152] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii, 27.\n\n  [153] John xvii, 12; II Thess. ii, 3; Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 32.\n\n  [154] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 45-48.\n\n  [155] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 38-39.\n\n=16. The Duration of Punishment.=--As to the duration of such\npunishment, we may take assurance that it will be graded according to\nthe sin; and that the popular interpretation of scriptural passages to\nthe effect that every sentence for misdeeds is interminable, is\nentirely false.[156] Great as is the effect of this life upon the\nhereafter, and terrible as is the responsibility of opportunities lost\nfor repentance, God holds the power to pardon beyond the grave. And\nyet the scriptures speak of eternal and endless punishment. Any\npunishment ordained of God is eternal, for He is eternal.[157] His is\na system of endless punishment, for it will always exist as a place or\ncondition prepared for disobedient spirits; yet the infliction of the\npenalty will have an end in every case of willing repentance and\nattempted reparation. And repentance is not impossible in the spirit\nworld.[158] Yet, as seen, there are some sins so terrible that their\nconsequent punishments are not made known to man;[159] these extreme\npenalties are reserved for the \"Sons of Perdition.\"\n\n  [156] Doc. and Cov. xix, 6-12; lxxvi, 36, 44.\n\n  [157] Doc. and Cov. xix, 10-12.\n\n  [158] I Peter iii, 18-20; iv, 6; Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 73. See p.\n  119.\n\n  [159] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 44.\n\n=17.= The false doctrine that the punishment to be visited upon the\nerring souls is endless, that every sentence for sin is of\ninterminable duration, must be regarded as one of the most pernicious\nresults of unenlightened sectarianism. It is but a dogma of\nunauthorized and erring churches, at once unscriptural, unreasonable,\nand revolting to one who loves mercy and honors justice. True, the\nscriptures speak of everlasting burnings, eternal damnation, and the\nvengeance of eternal fire,[160] as characteristics of the judgment\nprovided for the wicked; yet in no instance is there justification for\nthe inference that the individual sinner will have to suffer the wrath\nof offended justice forever and ever. The punishment in any case is\nsufficiently severe without the added and supreme horror of unending\ncontinuation. Justice must have her due; but when \"the uttermost\nfarthing\" is paid, the prison doors shall open and the captive be\nfree. But the prison remains, and the law prescribing punishment for\noffences will not be repealed.\n\n  [160] Matt. xviii, 8; xxv, 41, 46; II Thess. i, 9; Mark iii, 29;\n  Jude 7.\n\n=18.= So general were the ill-effects of the commonly-accepted\ndoctrine, unscriptural and untrue though it was, regarding the endless\ntorment awaiting every sinner, that even before the Church had been\nformally organized in the present dispensation, God gave a revelation\nthrough the Prophet Joseph Smith, touching this matter, in which we\nread:--\"And surely every man must repent or suffer; for I, God, am\nendless: wherefore I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but\nwoes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea to\nthose who are found on my left hand; nevertheless it is not written\nthat there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless\ntorment. Again it is written eternal damnation ... for behold, I am\nendless, and the punishment which is given from my hand, is endless\npunishment, for Endless is my name; wherefore, eternal punishment is\nGod's punishment. Endless punishment is God's punishment.[161]\"\n\n  [161] Revelation given March, 1830; Doc. and Cov. xix, 4-12.\n\n=19. Satan.=--We have had occasion to refer frequently to the author\nof evil among men. This is Satan,[162] the adversary or opponent of\nthe Lord, the chief of all evil spirits, called also the Devil,[163]\nBeelzebub,[164] or the Prince of Devils, Perdition,[165] and\nBelial.[166] The figurative appellations Dragon and Serpent are\napplied to Satan, when reference is made to his fall.[167] We learn\nfrom the revealed word[168] that Satan was once an angel of light; he\nwas then known as Lucifer, a Son of the Morning, but his uncontrolled\nambition prompted him to aspire to the glory and power of the Father,\nto secure which he made the unjust proposition to redeem the human\nfamily by compulsion; failing in this purpose, he headed an open\nrebellion against the Father and the Son, drawing a third of the hosts\nof heaven into his impious league.[169] These rebellious spirits were\nexpelled from heaven, and have since followed the impulses of their\nwicked natures by seeking to lead human souls to their own condition\nof darkness. They are the Devil and his angels. The right of free\nagency, maintained and vindicated by the fateful strife in heaven,\nprevents the possibility of compulsion being employed in this fiendish\nwork of degradation; but the powers of these malignant spirits to\ntempt and persuade are used to their utmost limits. Satan tempted Eve\nto transgress the law of God;[170] it was he who imparted the secret\nof murder to the fratricide, Cain.[171]\n\n  [162] Job i, 6-22; ii, 1-7; Zech. iii, 1-2.\n\n  [163] Matt. iv, 5, 8, 11; I Peter v, 8.\n\n  [164] Matt. xii, 24.\n\n  [165] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 26.\n\n  [166] II Cor. vi, 15.\n\n  [167] Rev. xii, 9; xx, 2.\n\n  [168] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 25-27.\n\n  [169] Doc. and Cov. xxix, 36-37; see also Pearl of Great Price:\n  Moses iv, 3-7; Abraham iii, 27-28; \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 8, 9.\n\n  [170] Genesis iii, 4-5, and Pearl of Great Price: Moses iv, 6-11.\n\n  [171] Pearl of Great Price: Moses v, 29-33.\n\n=20.= Satan exerts a mastery over the spirits that have been corrupted\nby his practices; he is the foremost of the angels who were thrust\ndown, and the instigator of the ruin of those who fall in this life;\nhe seeks to molest and hinder mankind in good efforts, by tempting to\nsin; it may be by imposing sickness,[172] or possibly death. Yet in\nall these malignant doings, he can go no farther than the\ntransgressions of the victim may enable him, or the wisdom of God may\npermit him to go, and he may at any time be checked by the superior\npower. Indeed, even the operations of his utmost malice may be turned\nto the accomplishment of Divine purposes. The scriptures prove to us\nthat the days of Satan's power are already numbered,[173] his doom has\nbeen pronounced, and in the Lord's own time he will be completely\novercome. He is to be bound during the millennial reign,[174] and\nafter that thousand years of blessed peace, he will be loosed for a\nlittle season; then his defeat will be made complete, and his power\nover the children of God will be entirely destroyed.\n\n  [172] Luke xiii, 16; Job i.\n\n  [173] John xii, 31; xvi, 11.\n\n  [174] Rev. xx, 1-10.\n\n\nTHE FALL.\n\n=21. Our First Parents in Eden.=[175]--The crowning scene of the great\ndrama of creation was the forming of man in the image of his spiritual\nFather, God.[176] For the reception of the first man, the Creator had\nspecially prepared a choice region of earth, and had embellished it\nwith natural beauties calculated to gladden the heart of its royal\npossessor. \"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden,[177] and\nthere he put the man whom he had formed.\"[178] Soon after man's advent\nupon the earth the Lord created for him a companion or help-meet,\ndeclaring that it was not good that man should be alone,[179] Thus,\nmale and female, Adam and his wife Eve, were placed in the Garden.\nThey had been given dominion \"over the fish of the sea, and over the\nfowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the\nearth.\"[180] With this great power were associated certain special\ncommands, the first of which in point of importance was that they \"be\nfruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it;\" then,\nthat they refrain from eating or even touching the fruit of a certain\ntree, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which grew in the midst\nof the Garden, though of all other fruits they were permitted to\nfreely partake. The words of God concerning this command and its\npenalty are:--\"And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying, of\nevery tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of\nthe knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; nevertheless\nthou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee, but\nremember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou\nshalt surely die.\"[181]\n\n  [175] Read Genesis, chapters ii and iii; Pearl of Great Price:\n  Moses iii, iv: Abraham v, 7-21.\n\n  [176] Genesis i, 26; Pearl of Great Price: Moses ii, 27.\n\n  [177] See Note 3.\n\n  [178] Genesis ii, 8-9.\n\n  [179] Genesis ii, 18; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 18, 21-24.\n\n  [180] Genesis i, 28; Pearl of Great Price: Moses ii, 28; Abraham\n  iv, 28.\n\n  [181] Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 16-17; see also Genesis ii,\n  16-17.\n\n=22. The Temptation= to disobey this command soon came. Satan\npresented himself before Eve in the Garden, and, speaking by the mouth\nof the serpent, questioned her about the commands which God had given\nrespecting the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve answered that\nthey were forbidden even to touch the fruit of that tree, under\npenalty of death. Satan then sought to beguile the woman,\ncontradicting the Lord's statement, and declaring that death would not\nfollow a violation of the Divine injunction; but that, on the other\nhand, by doing that which the Lord had forbidden, she and her husband\nwould become like unto the gods, knowing good and evil for themselves.\nThe woman was captivated by these representations; and, being eager to\npossess the advantages pictured by Satan, she disobeyed the command of\nthe Lord, and partook of the fruit forbidden. She feared not evil,\nfor she knew it not. Then, telling Adam what she had done, she urged\nhim to do likewise.\n\n=23.= Adam found himself in a position that impelled him to disobey\none of the requirements of God. He and his wife had been commanded to\nmultiply and replenish the earth. Adam was still immortal; Eve had\ncome under the penalty of mortality; and in such dissimilar\nconditions, the two could not remain together, and therefore could not\nfulfill the Divine requirement. On the other hand, Adam would be\ndisobeying another command by yielding to his wife's request. He\ndeliberately and wisely decided to stand by the first and greater\ncommandment; and, therefore, with a full comprehension of the nature\nof his act, he also partook of the fruit that grew on the Tree of\nKnowledge. The fact that Adam acted understandingly in this matter is\naffirmed by the scriptures. Paul, in writing to Timothy, explained\nthat \"Adam was not deceived; but the woman, being deceived, was in the\ntransgression.\"[182] The prophet Lehi, in expounding the scriptures to\nhis sons, declared \"Adam fell that man might be, and men are that they\nmight have joy.\"[183]\n\n  [182] I Timothy ii, 14. See Note 8.\n\n  [183] II Nephi ii, 25.\n\n=24. The Tree of Life.=--There was another tree of special virtues in\nEden; its fruit insured life to all who ate of it. While Adam and Eve\nlived in innocent immortality, this tree had not been forbidden them;\nthe celestial fruit indeed was fitting food for their sinless state.\nNow that they had transgressed, however, now that the Divine decree\nhad issued, fixing death as their lot, it was not proper that the\nfruit of the Tree of Life should be longer within their reach. They\nwere, therefore, expelled from the Garden, and cherubim with a flaming\nsword guarded the way, that man might not return in an unregenerate\nstate. By the act of transgression, our first parents acquired a\nknowledge, which in their condition of pristine innocence they had not\npossessed,--the experimental knowledge of good and evil. The result of\nthe Fall could have been of none but ill effect had the fallen ones\nbeen immediately restored to a condition of immortality, without\nrepentance, without atonement. In the despair that followed their\nrealization of the great change that had come upon them, and in the\nlight of the knowledge gained at such cost as to the virtues of the\nfruit that grew on the Tree of Life, it would have been but natural\nfor them to seek the seeming advantages of an immediate escape, by\npartaking of the celestial food. It was in mercy that they were\ndeprived of the means of so doing.\n\n=25.= The words of the Creator are unmistakable as to the necessity of\nbanishing His first earthly children from Eden:--\"And the Lord God\nsaid, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:\nand now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of\nlife, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth\nfrom the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.\nSo he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of\nEden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the\nway of the tree of life.\"[184]\n\n  [184] Gen. iii, 22-24; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iv, 31.\n\n=26.= Alma, the Nephite prophet, comprehended the result that would\nhave followed had Adam and his wife eaten of the Tree of Life; he thus\nexplained the matter:--\"Now we see that the man had become as God,\nknowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take\nalso of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God\nplaced Cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of\nthe fruit; And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to\nrepent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. For\nbehold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partook of the\ntree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of\nGod, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God\nwould have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been\nfrustrated.\"[185]\n\n  [185] Alma xlii, 3-5.\n\n=27. The Immediate Result of the Fall= was the substitution of\nmortality, with all its attendant frailties, for the vigor of the\nprimeval deathless state. Adam felt directly the effects of\ntransgression, in finding a barren and dreary earth, with a sterile\nsoil, instead of the beauty and fruitfulness of Eden. In place of\npleasing and useful plants, thorns and thistles sprang up; and he had\nto labor arduously under the conditions of physical fatigue and\nsuffering, to cultivate the soil that he might obtain necessary food.\nUpon Eve fell the penalty of bodily infirmity; the pains and sorrows,\nwhich since have been regarded as the natural lot of womankind, came\nupon her, and she was made subject to her husband. Having now lost\ntheir sense of former innocence, they became ashamed of their\nnakedness, and the Lord made for them garments of skins. And upon both\nthe man and the woman was visited the penalty of spiritual death; for\nin that very day they were banished from Eden, and cast out from the\npresence of the Lord. The serpent, having served the purposes of\nSatan, was made a subject of Divine displeasure, being doomed to crawl\nforever in the dust, and to suffer from the enmity which it was\ndecreed should be placed in the hearts of Eve's children.[186]\n\n  [186] See Note 4.\n\n=28. Atonement was Provided for.=--God left not His now mortal\nchildren without hope. He gave other commandments to Adam, requiring\nhim to offer sacrifices in the name of the Only Begotten Son, and\npromising redemption unto him and all his descendants who would comply\nwith the conditions prescribed. The opportunity of winning the\nvictor's reward by overcoming evil was explained to our parents, and\nthey rejoiced. Adam said, \"Blessed be the name of God, for because of\nmy transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have\njoy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.\" Eve was glad and\ndeclared, \"Were it not for our transgression we never should have had\nseed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our\nredemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the\nobedient.\"[187]\n\n  [187] Pearl of Great Price: Moses v 10-11; see Note 6.\n\n=29. The Fall came not by Chance.=--It would be unreasonable to\nsuppose that the transgression of Eve and Adam came as a surprise to\nthe Creator. By His infinite fore-knowledge, God knew what would be\nthe result of Satan's temptation to Eve, and what Adam would do under\nthe conditions. And further, it is evident that the Fall was foreseen,\nto be a means whereby man could be brought face to face with both good\nand evil; that of his own agency he might elect the one or the other,\nand thus be prepared by the experiences of a mortal probation for the\nexaltation provided in the glorious plan of his creation:--\"For\nbehold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality\nand eternal life of man;\"[188] thus spake the Lord unto Moses. It was\nthe purpose of God to place within the reach of the spirits begotten\nby Him in the heavens the means of individual effort, and the\nopportunity of winning, not merely redemption from death but also\nsalvation and even exaltation, with the powers of eternal progression\nand increase. Hence, it was necessary that the spiritual offspring of\nGod should leave the mansions of their primeval childhood, and enter\nthe school of mortal experience, meeting, contending with, and\novercoming evil, according to their several degrees of faith and\nstrength. Adam and Eve could never have been the parents of a mortal\nposterity had they not themselves become mortal; mortality, as before\nstated, was an essential element in the Divine plan respecting the\nearth and its appointed inhabitants; and as a means of introducing\nmortality the Lord placed before the progenitors of the race a law,\nknowing full well that transgression would follow.\n\n  [188] Pearl of Great Price: Moses i 39; see Note 7.\n\n=30.= Eve was fulfilling the foreseen purposes of God by the part she\ntook in the great drama of the Fall; yet she did not partake of the\nforbidden fruit with that object in view, but with the intent to\nviolate the Divine command, being deceived by the sophistries of the\nserpent-fiend. Satan also, for that matter, furthered the purposes of\nthe Creator, in tempting Eve; yet his design was to thwart the Lord's\nplan. We are definitely told that \"he knew not the mind of God,\nwherefore he sought to destroy the world.\"[189] Yet, his diabolical\neffort, far from being the initiatory step toward destruction,\ncontributed to the plan of man's eternal exaltation. Adam's part in\nthe great event was essentially different from that of his wife; he\nwas not deceived; on the contrary he deliberately decided to do as Eve\ndesired, that he might carry out the purposes of his Maker with\nrespect to the race of men, whose first patriarch he was ordained to\nbe.\n\n  [189] Pearl of Great Price: Moses iv, 6.\n\n=31.= Even the transgressions of man may be turned to the\naccomplishment of high purposes. As will be shown, the sacrifice of\nChrist was ordained from before the foundation of the world,[190] yet\nJudas who betrayed, and the blood-thirsty Jews who brought about the\ncrucifixion of the Son of God, are none the less guilty of the awful\ncrime.\n\n  [190] See Lecture iv, p. 76.\n\n=32.= It has become a common practice with mankind to heap reproaches\nupon the progenitors of the family, and to picture the supposedly\nblessed state in which we would be living but for the Fall; whereas\nour first parents are entitled to our deepest gratitude for their\nlegacy to posterity,--the means of winning glory, exaltation, and\neternal lives, on the battlefield of mortality. But for the\nopportunity thus given, the spirits of God's offspring would have\nremained forever in a state of innocent childhood; sinless through no\neffort of their own; negatively saved, not from sin, but from the\nopportunity of meeting sin; incapable of winning the honors of victory\nbecause prevented from taking part in the battle. As it is, they are\nheirs to the birthright of Adam's descendants,--mortality, with its\nimmeasurable possibilities and its God-given freedom of action. From\nFather Adam we have inherited all the ills to which flesh is heir; but\nsuch are necessarily incident to the knowledge of good and evil, by\nthe proper use of which knowledge man may become even as the\nGods.[191]\n\n  [191] See Note 5.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Man's Agency is God-given.=--The following is an extract from\n     a discourse delivered by President Brigham Young, July 5, 1855.\n     (See Journal of Discourses of that date, and Millennial Star,\n     vol. xx, p. 43.) \"What is the foundation of the rights of man?\n     The Lord Almighty has organized man for the express purpose of\n     becoming an independent being like unto Himself, and has given\n     him his individual agency. Man is made in the likeness of his\n     Creator, the great archetype of the human species, who bestowed\n     upon him the principles of eternity, planting immortality within\n     him, and leaving him at liberty to act in the way that seemeth\n     good unto him;--to choose or refuse for himself, to be a\n     Latter-day Saint or a Wesleyan Methodist, to belong to the Church\n     of England, the oldest daughter of the Mother Church, to the old\n     Mother herself, to her sister the Greek Church, or to be an\n     infidel and belong to no church. When the kingdom of God is fully\n     set up and established on the face of the earth, and takes the\n     pre-eminence over all other nations and kingdoms, it will protect\n     the people in the enjoyment of all their rights, no matter what\n     they believe, what they profess, or what they worship.\"\n\n     =2. The Nature of Sin.=--The English word \"sin\" represents a very\n     great variety of terms occurring in the original languages, the\n     literal translation of which bear to one another a very great\n     similarity. Thus, in the Old Testament, the following terms among\n     others occur:--_setim_ (referred to in Psalms ci, 3), signifying\n     \"to deviate from the way;\" _shegagah_ (Lev. iv, 2; Num. xv, 27),\n     \"to err in the way;\" _avon_, \"the crooked, or perverted;\" _avel_,\n     \"to turn aside.\" In the New Testament we find, _hemartia_, \"the\n     missing of a mark;\" _parabasis_, \"the transgressing of a line;\"\n     _parakoe_, \"disobedience to a voice;\" _paraptoma_, \"falling from\n     uprightness; \"_agnoema_, \"unjustifiable ignorance;\" _hettema_,\n     \"giving only partial measure;\" _anomia_, \"non-observance of law;\"\n     _plemmeleia_, \"a discord.\" The above illustrations are taken\n     mainly from M\u00fcller and French. In all these expressions, the\n     predominant idea is that of departure from the way of God, of\n     separation from His companionship by opposition to the Divine\n     requirements. Sin was introduced into the world from without; it\n     was not a natural product of earth. The seed of disobedience was\n     planted in the mind of Eve by the arch-fiend: that seed took\n     root; and much fruit, of the nature that we, with unguarded\n     words, call calamity, is the result. From these thorns and\n     thistles of mortality, a Savior has been prepared to deliver us.\n\n     =3. Eden.=--In the Hebrew tongue, from which our word \"Eden\" is\n     taken, this term signifies something particularly delightful,--a\n     place of pleasantness; the place is also called \"the garden of\n     the Lord.\" One particular spot in the land of Eden was prepared\n     by the Lord as a garden; this was situated eastward in Eden. From\n     the garden, the parents of the race were expelled after the Fall,\n     though it is reasonable to suppose that they still dwelt in the\n     land or region of Eden. We read that at a later date, Cain, the\n     first murderer, \"went out from the presence of the Lord, and\n     dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden\" (Gen. iv, 16).\n     Though there is no uniform belief among Christian scholars as to\n     the geographical location of Eden, the majority claim that it was\n     in Persia; however, the most radical among the advocates of this\n     view fail to prove any marked resemblance between the region at\n     present and the place described in the Bible. The Latter-day\n     Saints have more exact knowledge on the matter, a revelation\n     having been given through Joseph Smith, at Spring Hill, Mo., May\n     19, 1838, in which that place is named by the Lord\n     \"Adam-ondi-Ahman, because, said he, it is the place where Adam\n     shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit,\n     as spoken of by Daniel the prophet\" (Doc. and Cov. cxvi). From\n     another revelation we learn (Doc. and Cov. cvii, 52-53) that\n     three years before his death, Adam called together in the valley\n     of Adam-ondi-Ahman those of his sons who had been made High\n     Priests, together with the rest of his righteous posterity, and\n     there bestowed upon them his patriarchal blessings, the event\n     being marked by special manifestations from the Lord (see also\n     Doc. and Cov. cxvii, 8). The Lord has pointed out in this day the\n     exact location of the altar upon which Adam offered sacrifices\n     after his expulsion from the Garden (see Contributor, Vol. vii,\n     page 314). There is no authentic record of the human race having\n     inhabited the Eastern Hemisphere until after the flood. The\n     Western Continent, called now the New World, comprises indeed the\n     oldest inhabited regions of earth. The west, not the east, is the\n     \"cradle of nations.\"\n\n     =4. The Serpent=, as stated, having aided the purposes of Satan,\n     received from the Lord a special curse (see Genesis iii, 13, 15,\n     and the Pearl of Great Price, p. 16). The creature was doomed to\n     a life of degradation. Even from the standpoint of anatomy, the\n     serpent is a degraded type. Though a vertebrate,--a member of the\n     highest sub-kingdom of animals, it is devoid even of external\n     limbs, and its means of locomotion are of no higher order than\n     are those of the worm and the caterpillar. In the scriptures, the\n     serpent is made the symbol of craft, subtlety, cunning, and\n     danger.\n\n     =5. Mortality Essential.=--President John Taylor, after\n     discussing the succession of events leading up to the Fall,\n     says--\"Thus it would appear that if any of the links of this\n     great chain had been broken, it would have interfered with the\n     comprehensive plan of the Almighty pertaining to the salvation\n     and eternal exaltation of those spirits who were His sons, and\n     for whom principally the world was made: that they, through\n     submission to the requirements of the eternal principle and law\n     governing those matters, might possess bodies, and those bodies\n     united with the spirits might become living souls, and being the\n     sons of God, and made in the image of God, they through the\n     atonement might be exalted, by obedience to the law of the\n     Gospel, to the Godhead.\"--_Mediation and Atonement_, p. 135.\n\n     =6. Beneficent Results of the Fall.=--\"'Honor thy father and thy\n     mother.' This was one of the ten special commandments given to\n     Israel, during a grand display of God's power and glory on Mount\n     Sinai. In the past centuries of darkness it appears to have lost\n     its significance with the Christian world. They do not appear to\n     realize that honor is due to the first parents of the human race.\n     They have been long taught that Adam and Eve were great\n     transgressors, and have mourned over the fact that they partook\n     of the forbidden fruit and brought death into the world. There is\n     no possibility that the fall of man was an accident or chance,\n     any more than was his creation. If an accident, then why was\n     Christ prepared from before the foundation of the world as a\n     propitiation for sin, and to open up the way for man to\n     immortality? Christ's mediation was a sequence of the fall\" (see\n     Acts v, 31). \"Without the fall there would have been no broken\n     law, and therefore nothing to repent of; and there could be no\n     forgiveness of sin without the atonement of Christ. The Book of\n     Mormon makes this subject very plain: 'And now, behold, if Adam\n     had not transgressed, he would not have fallen; but he would have\n     remained in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were\n     created, must have remained in the same state which they were\n     after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and\n     had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they\n     would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for\n     they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin' (II\n     Nephi ii, 22-23).... We, the children of Adam, have no right to\n     bring accusations against the Patriarch of the race. But rather,\n     we should rejoice with them, that through their fall and the\n     atonement of Jesus Christ, the way of eternal life has been\n     opened up to us.\"--_A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel_:\n     F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, pp. 3-4.\n\n     =7. The Fall Fore-known.=--\"'Mormonism' accepts the doctrine of\n     the Fall, and the account of the transgression in Eden, as set\n     forth in Genesis; but it affirms that none save Adam shall ever\n     have to account for Adam's disobedience; that mankind in general\n     are absolutely absolved from the responsibility for that\n     'original sin,' and that each shall answer for his own\n     transgressions alone. That the Fall was foreknown of God,--that\n     it was the accepted means by which the necessary condition of\n     mortality should be inaugurated; and that a Redeemer was provided\n     before the world was. That general salvation, in the sense of\n     redemption from the effects of the Fall, comes to all without\n     their seeking it; but that individual salvation or rescue from\n     the effects of personal sins is to be acquired by each for\n     himself, by faith and good works through the redemption wrought\n     by Jesus Christ.\"--_The Philosophy of Mormonism_: The Author;\n     Improvement Era, Vol. IV, pp. 465-466.\n\n     =8. The Fall a Process of Physical Degeneracy.=--For a concise\n     treatment of this topic see \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 19 and 29.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE IV.\n\nTHE ATONEMENT, AND SALVATION.\n\n     =Article 3.=--We believe that through the atonement of Christ,\n     all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances\n     of the gospel.\n\n\nTHE ATONEMENT.\n\n=1. The Atonement of Christ= is taught as a leading doctrine by all\nsects professing Christianity. The expression is so common a one, and\nthe essential point of its signification is so generally admitted,\nthat definitions may appear to be superfluous; nevertheless, there is\na peculiar importance attached to the use of the word atonement, in a\ntheological sense. The doctrine of the atonement comprises proof of\nthe divinity of Christ's earthly ministry; and the vicarious nature of\nHis death, as a fore-ordained and voluntary sacrifice, intended for\nand efficacious as a propitiation for the sins of mankind, thus\nbecoming the means whereby salvation may be obtained.\n\n=2.= The New Testament, which is properly regarded as the scripture of\nChrist's mission among men, is imbued throughout with the doctrine of\nsalvation through the work of atonement wrought by the Savior; and yet\nthe word atonement, occurs but once in the whole record; and in that\nsingle instance, according to the opinion of most biblical\nauthorities, it is confessedly misused. The instance referred to is\nfound in the words of Paul addressed to the saints at Rome:--\"But we\nalso joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now\nreceived the atonement.\"[192] The marginal rendering gives, instead of\natonement, reconciliation, and of this word a related form is used in\nthe preceding verse. A consistent translation, giving a full\nagreement between the English and the Greek, would make the verse\nquoted, and that immediately preceding it, read in this way:--\"For if,\nwhen we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his\nSon; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And\nnot only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by\nwhom we have now received the reconciliation.\"[193] The term atonement\noccurs repeatedly in the Old Testament, and with marked frequency in\nthree of the books of the Pentateuch, viz.: Exodus, Leviticus, and\nNumbers; and the sense in which it is employed is invariably that of a\nsacrifice of propitiation, usually associated with the death of an\nacceptable victim, whereby reconciliation was to be effected between\nGod and His creatures.\n\n  [192] Romans v, 11.\n\n  [193] Romans v, 10-11.\n\n=3.= The structure of the word in its present form is suggestive of\nthis, the true meaning; it is literally _at-one-ment_, \"denoting\nreconciliation, or the bringing into agreement of those who have been\nestranged.\"[194] And such is the significance of the saving sacrifice\nof the Redeemer, whereby He expiated the transgression of the Fall,\nthrough which came death into the world, and provided ready and\nefficient means for man's attainment of immortality through\nreconciliation with God.\n\n  [194] Standard Dictionary, under _propitiation_.\n\n=4. Nature of the Atonement.=--The atonement wrought by Jesus Christ\nis a necessary sequence of the transgression of Adam; and, as the\ninfinite foreknowledge of God made clear to Him the one even before\nAdam was placed on earth, so the Father's boundless mercy prepared a\nSavior for mankind before the world was framed. Through the Fall, Adam\nand Eve have entailed the conditions of mortality upon their\ndescendants; therefore all beings born of earthly parents are subject\nto bodily death. The sentence of banishment from the presence of God\nwas in the nature of a spiritual death; and that penalty, which was\nvisited upon our first parents in the day of their transgression, has\nlikewise followed as the common heritage of humanity. As this penalty\ncame into the world through an individual act, it would be manifestly\nunjust to cause all to eternally suffer therefrom, without a chance of\ndeliverance. Therefore was the promised sacrifice of Jesus Christ\nordained as a propitiation for broken law, whereby Justice could be\nfully satisfied, and Mercy be left free to exercise her beneficent\ninfluence over the souls of mankind.[195] All the details of the\nglorious plan, by which the salvation of the human family is assured,\nmay not lie within the understanding of man; but surely man has\nlearned, from his futile attempts to fathom the primary cause of the\nphenomena of nature, that his powers of comprehension are limited; and\nhe will admit, that to deny an effect because of his inability to\nelucidate its cause, would be to forfeit his claims as an observing\nand reasoning being.\n\n  [195] See Note 1.\n\n=5.= Simple as is the plan of redemption in its general features, it\nis confessedly a mystery to the finite mind in detail. President John\nTaylor has written in this wise:--\"In some mysterious, incomprehensible\nway, Jesus assumed the responsibility which naturally would have\ndevolved upon Adam; but which could only be accomplished through the\nmediation of Himself; and by taking upon Himself their sorrows,\nassuming their responsibilities, and bearing their transgressions or\nsins. In a manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, He bore the\nweight of the sins of the whole world, not only of Adam, but of his\nposterity; and in doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven, not only\nto all believers and all who obeyed the law of God, but to more than\none half of the human family who die before they come to years of\nmaturity, as well as to the heathen, who, having died without law,\nwill through His mediation be resurrected without law, and be judged\nwithout law, and thus participate, according to their capacity, works,\nand worth, in the blessings of His atonement.\"[196]\n\n  [196] Pres. John Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, pp. 148-149.\n\n=6.= But, however incomplete may be our comprehension of the scheme of\nredemption through Christ's vicarious sacrifice in all its parts, we\ncannot reject it without becoming infidel; for it stands as the\nfundamental doctrine of all scripture, the very essence of the spirit\nof prophecy and revelation, the most prominent of all the declarations\nof God unto man.\n\n=7. The Atonement a Vicarious Sacrifice.=--It is to many a matter of\nsurpassing wonder that the voluntary sacrifice of a single being could\nbe made to operate as a means of ransom for the rest of mankind. In\nthis, as in other things, the scriptures are explicable only by the\nspirit of scriptural interpretation. The sacred writings of ancient\ntimes, the words of modern prophets, the traditions of mankind, the\nrites of sacrifice, and even the sacrileges of heathen idolatries,\ninvolve the idea of vicarious atonement. God has never refused to\naccept an offering made by one who is authorized on behalf of those\nwho are in any way incapable of doing the required service themselves.\nThe scape-goat,[197] and the altar victim[198] of ancient Israel, if\noffered with repentance and contrition, were accepted by the Lord in\nmitigation of the sins of the people. It is interesting to note, that\nwhile the ceremonies of sacrifice formed so large and so essential a\npart of the Mosaic requirements, these rites long ante-dated the\nestablishment of Israel as a distinct people; for, as already shown,\naltar sacrifice was rendered by Adam.[199] The symbolism of the\nsacrificing of animals as a prototype of the great sacrifice to follow\non Calvary was thus instituted with the beginning of human history.\n\n  [197] Lev. xvi, 20-22.\n\n  [198] Lev. iv.\n\n  [199] See page 70.\n\n=8.= The many kinds of sacrifice prescribed by the Mosaic law are\nclearly classified under the headings bloody and bloodless. Offerings\nof the first order only, involving the infliction of death, were\nacceptable in propitiation or atonement for sin, and the victim had to\nbe clean, healthy, and without spot or blemish. And so for the great\nsacrifice, the effects of which were to be infinite, only an innocent\nsubject could be accepted. It was Christ's right, as the only sinless\nBeing on earth, and as the Only Begotten of the Father, and above all\nas the One ordained to this mission in the heavens, to be the Redeemer\nof mankind; and though the exercise of this right involved a\nsacrifice, the extent of which man cannot comprehend, yet Christ made\nthat sacrifice willingly and voluntarily. To the last He had the means\nof terminating the tortures of His persecutors, by a simple exercise\nof His powers as one of the Godhead.[200] In some way, though that way\nmay be inexplicable to us, Christ took upon Himself the sins of\nmankind. The means may be to our finite minds a mystery, yet the\nresults are our salvation.\n\n  [200] Matt. xxvi, 53-54; John x, 17-18.\n\n=9.= Something of the Savior's agony as He groaned under this load of\nguilt, which to Him, as a type of purity, must have been in itself\nrepulsive, He has told us through the prophet's words in this day:\n\"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they\nmight not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent\nthey must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself, even God,\nthe greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every\npore, and to suffer both body and spirit; and would that I might not\ndrink the bitter cup, and shrink:--Nevertheless, glory be to the\nFather, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children\nof men.\"[201] Further instances of the validity of vicarious service\nare found in the ordinances of baptism for the dead[202] as taught in\napostolic and modern times, and in the institution of other temple\nceremonies[203] in the present dispensation.\n\n  [201] Doc. and Cov. xix, 16-19. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp.\n  610-614.\n\n  [202] I Cor. xv, 29. See Lectures vi and vii.\n\n  [203] Doc. and Cov. cxxvii, 4-9; cxxviii.\n\n=10. Christ's Sacrifice was Voluntary and Love-inspired.=--We have\nnoted in passing that Christ gave His life willingly and voluntarily\nfor the redemption of mankind. He offered Himself, in the great\nCouncil of the Gods, as the subject of the atoning sacrifice made\nnecessary by the fore-seen transgression of the first man; and the\nfree agency shown and exercised in this, the early stage of His saving\nmission, was retained to the very last of the agonizing fulfillment of\nthe accepted plan. Though He lived on earth a man in every particular\nthat concerns us in our regard for Him as an example of Godliness in\nhumanity, yet it is to be remembered that, though born of a mortal\nmother, he was begotten by an immortal Sire; and so had combined\nwithin His being the capacity to die, and the power to set death at\ndefiance. He gave His life; it was not taken from Him. Note the\nsignificance of His own declaration:--\"Therefore doth my Father love\nme, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No man\ntaketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it\ndown, and I have power to take it again.\"[204] On another occasion\nJesus testified of Himself in this way:--\"For as the Father hath life\nin himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and\nhath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the\nSon of man.\"[205] And then amid the tragic scenes of the betrayal,\nwhen one who had been a professed follower and friend gave Him with a\ntraitorous kiss to His persecutors, when Peter, with a rashness\nprompted by righteous zeal, drew and used the sword in His defence,\nthe Master said:--\"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,\nand he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But\nhow then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must\nbe?\"[206] And on to the bitter end, marked by the expiring though\ntriumphant cry \"It is finished,\" the incarnated God held in subjection\nwithin Himself the power to thwart His murderers, had He so willed.\n\n  [204] John x, 17-18. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 22, 23, 81, 418.\n\n  [205] John v, 26-27.\n\n  [206] Matt. xxvi, 53-54.\n\n=11.= The motive inspiring and sustaining Him through all the scenes\nof His mission, from the time of His primeval ordination to the moment\nof victorious consummation on the cross, was two-fold; first, the\ndesire to do His Father's will, in accomplishing the salvation of man;\nsecond, His love for humanity, of whose welfare and destiny He had\nassumed charge. Far from cherishing the least feeling of\nvindictiveness against those, who, in defiance of the laws of God and\nman, put Him to ignominious death, He entertained for them compassion\nto the last. Hear Him in the hour of supreme agony, praying aloud,\n\"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.\"[207] Not less\nis the Father's love, as shown by His accepting the Son's offer, and\npermitting Him whom He delighted to call His Beloved, to suffer as\nonly a God could suffer:--\"For God so loved the world, that he gave\nhis only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not\nperish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the\nworld to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be\nsaved.\"[208] And further, we hear the teaching of the apostle, whom\nthe Savior loved so well, \"In this was manifested the love of God\ntoward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world\nthat we might live through him.\"[209]\n\n  [207] Luke xxiii, 34.\n\n  [208] John iii, 16-17.\n\n  [209] I John iv, 9. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" chs. ii and iii.\n\n=12. The Atonement Fore-ordained and Fore-told.=--As already shown,\nthe plan of the Father to open a way for the redemption of mankind,\nthen to leave all men free to exercise their own agency, was adopted\nby the Council in heaven to the rejection of Lucifer's plan of\ncompulsion. Even at that remote period, Christ was thus ordained as a\nMediator for all mankind; in fact, \"a covenant was entered into\nbetween Him and His Father, in which He agreed to atone for the sins\nof the world, and He thus, as stated, became a 'Lamb slain from before\nthe foundation of the world.'\"[210] The prophets of old, many of whom\nlived centuries before the time of Christ's coming in the flesh,\ntestified of Him and of the great work He had been ordained to\nperform. These men of God had been permitted to behold in prophetic\nvisions many of the scenes incident to the Savior's earthly mission;\nand they solemnly bore record of the manifestations. Indeed, the\ntestimony of Christ is the spirit of prophecy, and without it no\nperson can rightly claim the distinction of being a prophet of God.\nAdam's despair, on being driven from Eden, was changed to joy when,\nthrough revelation, he learned of the plan of redemption to be wrought\nby the Son of God in the flesh.[211] Righteous Enoch taught the same\ntruths, which had been declared to him from the heavens.[212] This\ntestimony was borne by Moses,[213] Job,[214] David,[215]\nZechariah,[216] Isaiah,[217] and Micah.[218] The same declaration was\nmade by John the Baptist,[219] the prophet of the Highest, designated\nby the Savior as more than a prophet; he it was who baptized the\nChrist, and who witnessed the Father's words associated with the\nvisible sign of the Holy Ghost, concerning the mission of the Son.\n\n  [210] Pres. John Taylor, in Mediation and Atonement, p. 97.\n\n  [211] See page 71. Moses v, 9-11.--For general treatment see\n  \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. v. See also Note 6.\n\n  [212] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, 51-68.\n\n  [213] Deut. xviii, 15, 17-19.\n\n  [214] Job xix, 25-27.\n\n  [215] Psalms ii, 1-12.\n\n  [216] Zech. ix, 9; xii, 10; xiii, 6.\n\n  [217] Isaiah vii, 14; ix, 6-7.\n\n  [218] Micah v, 2.\n\n  [219] Matt. iii, 11.\n\n=13.= Should there be any doubt as to the application of such\nprophecies, we have the conclusive testimony of Christ that they refer\nto Himself. On that memorable day, immediately following His\nresurrection, while walking incognito with two of His disciples on the\nroad to Emmaus, He taught them the scriptures that had been written\nconcerning the Son of God; \"Beginning at Moses, and all the prophets,\nhe expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning\nhimself.\"[220] A few hours after this event, the Lord appeared to the\nEleven at Jerusalem. He operated upon their minds \"that they might\nunderstand the scriptures; and said unto them, Thus it is written, and\nthus it behoved Christ to suffer,\"[221] in this way testifying that He\nwas fulfilling a previously ordained plan. Peter, one of the Savior's\nmost intimate earthly associates, refers to Him as \"a Lamb without\nblemish and without spot, who verily was fore-ordained before the\nfoundation of the world.\"[222] In his epistle to the Romans, Paul\ncharacterizes Christ as the one \"Whom God hath set forth to be a\npropitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness\nfor the remission of sins that are past.\"[223] These are but a few of\nthe biblical evidences of Christ's appointment and fore-ordination;\nboth Old and New Testament[224] writings abound in proofs of the\nMessiah's great work.\n\n  [220] Luke xxiv, 27.\n\n  [221] Luke xxiv, 45-46. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 685-690.\n\n  [222] I Peter i, 19-20.\n\n  [223] Romans iii, 25.\n\n  [224] See Rom. xvi, 25-26; Eph. iii, 9-11; Col. i, 24-26; II Tim.\n  i, 8-10; Titus i, 2-3; Rev. xiii, 8.\n\n=14.= Book of Mormon prophets are characterized by their full\ntestimonies concerning the Messiah. Because of his purity of faith,\nthe brother of Jared was permitted to behold the Savior of mankind,\ntwenty-two centuries prior to the meridian of time, and to be shown\nthat man was created after the image of the Lord, at the same time\nbeing taught of the Father's purpose that the Son take upon Himself\nflesh and dwell on earth.[225] Note the personal declaration of the\nfore-ordained Redeemer to this prophet:--\"Behold, I am he who was\nprepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold,\nI am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all\nmankind have light, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on\nmy name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.\"[226]\n\n  [225] Ether iii, 13-14; see also xiii, 10-11.\n\n  [226] Ether iii, 14; read also 8-16. See Note 12, p. 53.\n\n=15.= Nephi records the prophecy of his father Lehi concerning the\nfuture appearing of the Son in the flesh, His baptism, death, and\nresurrection; this prophetic utterance specifies the exact date of the\nSavior's birth, viz., six hundred years after the time of Lehi's\nexodus from Jerusalem. The mission of John the Baptist is described,\nand even the place of baptism is designated.[227] Shortly after the\ntime of Lehi's vision, Nephi was shown by the Spirit the same things,\nas also many others, some of which he has written, but the greater\npart of which he was forbidden to write, as another, the Apostle\nJohn, had been ordained to set them forth in a book which should form\npart of the Bible. But, from his partial account of his vision, we\nlearn that he saw in Nazareth, Mary the Virgin, first alone, and\nshortly afterward with a child in her arms; the demonstrator of the\nvision informed him that the infant was the Lamb of God, the Son of\nthe Eternal Father. Then Nephi beheld the Son ministering among the\nchildren of men, proclaiming the word, healing the sick, and working\nmany other wondrous miracles; he saw John, the prophet of the\nwilderness, going before Him; he beheld the Savior baptized of John,\nand the Holy Ghost descending upon Him with the visible sign of the\ndove. Then he saw and prophesied that twelve chosen apostles would\nfollow the Savior in His ministry; that the Son would be taken and\njudged of men, and finally be slain. Piercing the future, even beyond\nthe time of the crucifixion, Nephi beheld the strife of the world\nagainst the apostles of the Lamb, and the final triumph of God's\ncause.[228]\n\n  [227] I Nephi x, 3-11.\n\n  [228] I Nephi xi, 14-35; see also II Nephi ii, 3-21; xxv, 20-27;\n  xxvi, 24.\n\n=16.= Jacob, the brother of Nephi, prophesied to his brethren that\nChrist would appear in the flesh among the Jews, and that He would be\nscourged and crucified of them.[229] King Benjamin lifted his voice in\nsupport of the same testimony, and preached unto his people the\nrighteous condescension of God.[230] So also declared Abinadi,[231]\nAlma,[232] Amulek,[233] and Samuel the Lamanite prophet.[234] The\nliteral fulfillment of these prophecies furnishes unquestionable proof\nof their truth. The wondrous signs indicative of Christ's birth[235]\nand death were all realized,[236] and after His death and ascension\nthe Savior manifested Himself among the Nephites, as the Father\nannounced Him to the multitude.[237]\n\n  [229] II Nephi vi, 8-10; ix, 5-6.\n\n  [230] Mosiah iii, 5-27; iv, 1-8.\n\n  [231] Mosiah xv, 6-9; xvi.\n\n  [232] Alma vii, 9-14.\n\n  [233] Alma xi, 35-44.\n\n  [234] Hela. xiv, 2-8.\n\n  [235] Hela. xiv, 2-5; 21-27.\n\n  [236] III Nephi i, 5-21; viii, 3-25.\n\n  [237] III Nephi xi, 1-17. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. xxxix.\n\n=17.= The ancient scriptures, then, are plain in declaring that Christ\ncame upon the earth to do a work previously allotted. He lived,\nsuffered and died, in accordance with a plan which was framed in\nrighteousness for the redemption of the children of Adam, even before\nthe world was. Equally important and explicit is the word of modern\nrevelation through which the Son has declared Himself as Alpha and\nOmega, the beginning and the end, man's Advocate with the Father, the\nuniversal Redeemer.[238] Let us consider a single citation from the\nmany revelations concerning Christ given in the present\ndispensation:--\"Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha\nand Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal\nround, the same today as yesterday and forever. I am Jesus Christ, the\nSon of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many\nas will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even\none in me as I am in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we\nmay be one.\"[239]\n\n  [238] See Doc. and Cov. vi, 21; xiv, 9; xviii, 10-12; xix, 1-2,\n  24; xxi, 9; xxix, 1; xxxiii; xxxiv, 1-3; xxxv, 1-2; xxxviii, 1-5;\n  xxxix, 1-3; xlv, 3-5; xlvi, 13-14; lxxvi, 1-4, 12-14, 19-24, 68;\n  xciii, 1-6, 12-17, 38.\n\n  [239] Doc. and Cov. xxxv, 1-2.\n\n=18. The Extent of the Atonement= is infinite, applying alike to all\ndescendants of Adam. Even the unbeliever, and the heathen, and the\nchild who dies before reaching the years of discretion, are redeemed\nby the Savior's self-sacrifice from all the consequences of the\nFall.[240] It is conclusively proved by the scripture that the\nresurrection of the body is one of the victories achieved by Christ\nthrough His atoning sacrifice. He Himself proclaimed the eternal\ntruth, \"I am the resurrection and the life;\"[241] and He among men\ncame first forth from the grave,--\"the first fruits of them that\nslept.\"[242] Now, the scriptures leave no room for doubt concerning\nthe fact that the resurrection will be universal. The Savior announced\nto his apostles the beginning of this work of deliverance from the\ntomb; hear His words, \"Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in\nthe which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall\ncome forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life,\nand they that done evil unto the resurrection of damnation;\"[243] or,\nas the latter part of the declaration has been rendered through\ninspiration in the present day, \"They who have done good, in the\nresurrection of the just: and they who have done evil in the\nresurrection of the unjust.\"[244]\n\n  [240] See Note 2.\n\n  [241] John xi, 25.\n\n  [242] I Cor. xv, 20; see Acts xxvi, 23.\n\n  [243] John v, 28-29.\n\n  [244] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 17.\n\n=19.= Paul refers to the doctrine of a universal resurrection as being\nso well proved that even his accusers had to admit the truth, \"that\nthere shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and\nunjust.\"[245] On another occasion he said \"For as in Adam all die,\neven so in Christ shall all be made alive.\"[246] Furthermore, John the\nRevelator testifies of his vision concerning futurity, \"And I saw the\ndead, small and great, stand before God.... And the sea gave up the\ndead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which\nwere in them.\"[247] Thus it is plain that the effect of the atonement,\nas far as it applies to the victory over temporal or bodily death,\ninvolves the entire race. It is equally clear that the release from\nAdam's legacy of spiritual death, or banishment from the presence of\nGod, will be similarly universal; so that if any man lose salvation,\nsuch loss will be due to himself, and in no way be dependent upon the\nFall. The doctrine that the gift of redemption through Christ is free\nto all men, was specifically taught by the apostles of old. Thus Paul\nsays:--\"Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all\nmen to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift\ncame upon all men to the justification of life.\"[248] And\nfurther:--there is \"one mediator between God and men, the man Christ\nJesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.\"[249] John spoke of the\nRedeemer's sacrifice, saying:--\"And he is the propitiation for our\nsins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole\nworld.\"[250]\n\n  [245] Acts xxiv, 15.\n\n  [246] I Cor. xv, 22.\n\n  [247] Rev. xx, 12-13.\n\n  [248] Rom. v, 18.\n\n  [249] I Tim. ii, 5-6.\n\n  [250] I John ii, 2.\n\n=20.= The same great truths were taught among the Nephites. Benjamin,\nthe righteous king, preached of \"the atonement which was prepared from\nthe foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were ever\nsince the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto\nthe end of the world.\"[251] In revelation of the present day we read\nof Christ's having come into the world, to suffer and to die, \"That\nthrough him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power\nand made by him.\"[252]\n\n  [251] Mos. iv, 7.\n\n  [252] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 42.\n\n=21.= But besides this universal application of the atonement, whereby\nall men are redeemed from the effects of Adam's transgression, both\nwith respect to the death of the body and the taint of inherited sin,\nthere is a special application of the same great sacrifice, as a means\nof propitiation for individual sins, through the faith and good works\nof the sinner. This two-fold effect of the atonement is implied in the\narticle of our faith now under consideration. The first effect is to\nsecure to all mankind alike, exemption from the otherwise terrible\neffects of the Fall, thus providing a plan of _General Salvation_. The\nsecond effect is to open a way for _Individual Salvation_ whereby\nmankind may secure forgiveness of personal sins. As these sins are the\nresult of individual acts, it is just that forgiveness for them should\nbe conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed\nrequirements,--\"obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.\"\n\n=22. The General Effect of the Atonement=, so far as it applies to all\nwho have arrived at years of accountability and judgment, has been\nmade sufficiently clear perhaps from the scriptures already quoted.\nIts application to children may properly receive our further\nattention. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches as\na doctrine founded on reason, justice, and scripture, that all\nchildren are innocent in the sight of God, and that, until they reach\nan age of personal responsibility, baptism is not requisite or proper\nin their behalf; that, in short, they are saved through the atonement\nof Christ. To a degree, children are born heirs to the good or evil\nnatures of their parents; the effects of heredity in determining\ncharacter are readily recognized. Good and evil tendencies, blessings\nand curses, are transmitted from generation to generation. Through\nthis divinely appointed order, the justice of which is plain in the\nrevealed light of knowledge concerning the pre-existent state of the\nspirits of mankind, the children of Adam are natural heirs to the\ncalamities of mortality; but through Christ's atonement they are all\nredeemed from the curses of this fallen state; the debt, which comes\nto them as a legacy, is paid for them, and thus are they left free.\nChildren who die free of sin are entirely innocent in the eyes of God,\neven though they be the offspring of transgressors. We read in the\nBook of Mormon:--\"Little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful\nwickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all\nalive in him because of his mercy.... For behold that all little\nchildren are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the\nlaw. For the power of redemption cometh on all that have no law.\"[253]\n\n  [253] Moroni viii, 19-22.\n\n=23.= The prophet Mormon writing to his son Moroni expressed in the\nfollowing manner his conviction of children's innocence:--\"Listen to\nthe words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I\ncame into the world not to call the righteous, but sinners to\nrepentance: the whole need no physician, but they that are sick;\nwherefore little children are whole, for they are not capable of\ncommitting sin; wherefore, the curse of Adam is taken from them in me,\nthat it hath no power over them.... Behold I say unto you, That this\nthing shall ye teach, repentance and baptism unto those who are\naccountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that\nthey must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their\nlittle children, and they shall all be saved with their little\nchildren. And their little children need no repentance, neither\nbaptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the\ncommandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive\nin Christ even from the foundation of the world.\"[254]\n\n  [254] Moroni viii, 8-12.\n\n=24.= And in a revelation through the prophet Joseph Smith in this\ndispensation, the Lord has said:--\"But behold I say unto you, that\nlittle children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through\nmine Only Begotten; wherefore they cannot sin, for power is not given\nunto Satan to tempt little children until they begin to become\naccountable before me.\"[255] President John Taylor, after citing\ninstances of Christ's affection for little children, and proofs of the\ninnocent condition in which they are regarded in heaven,\nsays:--\"Without Adam's transgression, those children could not have\nexisted; through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation\nwithout any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the\nopinion of statisticians, more than one half of the human family, who\ncan attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of\nthe Savior.\"[256]\n\n  [255] Doc. and Cov. xxix, 46-47.\n\n  [256] Mediation and Atonement, page 148. See Note 3.\n\n=25. The Special or Individual Effect of the Atonement= makes it\npossible for any and every soul to obtain absolution from the dread\neffect of personal sins, through the mediation of Christ; but such\nsaving intercession is to be invoked by individual effort as\nmanifested through faith, repentance, and continued works of\nrighteousness. The laws under which individual salvation is obtainable\nhave been prescribed by Christ, whose right it is to say how the\nblessings of His own sacrifice shall be administered. All men are in\nneed of the Savior's mediation, for all are transgressors. So taught\nthe apostles of old:--\"For all have sinned, and come short of the\nglory of God.\"[257] And again:--\"If we say that we have no sin we\ndeceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.\"[258] Now, that the\nblessing of redemption from individual sins, while free for all to\nattain, is nevertheless conditioned on individual effort, is as\nplainly declared as is the truth of unconditional redemption from the\neffects of the Fall. There is a judgment ordained for all, and all\nwill be judged \"according to their works.\" The free agency of man\nenables him to choose or reject, to follow the path of life, or the\nroad that leads to destruction; it is but just that he be held to\nanswer for the exercise of his freedom, and that he meet the results\nof his acts.\n\n  [257] Rom. iii, 23.\n\n  [258] I John i, 8.\n\n=26.= Hence the justice of the scriptural doctrine that salvation\ncomes to the individual only through obedience. \"He became the author\nof eternal salvation unto all them that obey him\"[259] said Paul of\nthe Christ. And further:--God \"will render to every man according to\nhis deeds: To them who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for\nglory and honor and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are\ncontentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,\nindignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man\nthat doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory,\nhonor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first,\nand also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with\nGod.\"[260] To these may be added the words of the risen Lord, \"He that\nbelieveth, and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not,\nshall be damned.\"[261]\n\n  [259] Heb. v, 9.\n\n  [260] Rom. ii, 6-11.\n\n  [261] Mark xvi, 16.\n\n=27.= Consider further the prophecy of King Benjamin proclaimed to the\nNephite multitude:--Christ's blood \"atoneth for the sins of those who\nhave fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died, not knowing\nthe will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. But\nwo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God; for\nsalvation cometh to none such, except it be through repentance and\nfaith on the Lord Jesus Christ.\"[262] But why multiply scriptural\ncitations when the whole tenor of sacred writ supports the doctrine?\nWithout Christ no man can be saved, and the salvation provided at the\ncost of Christ's sufferings and bodily death is offered upon certain\nclearly defined conditions only; and these are summarized under\n\"obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.\"\n\n  [262] Mosiah iii, 11-12.\n\n=28. Salvation and Exaltation.=--Some degree of salvation will come to\nall who have not forfeited their right to it; exaltation is given to\nthose only who by active labors have won a claim to God's merciful\nliberality by which it is bestowed. Of the saved, not all will be\nexalted to the higher glories; rewards will not be bestowed in\nviolation of justice; punishments will not be meted out to the\nignoring of mercy's claims. No one can be admitted to any order of\nglory, in short, no soul can be saved until justice has been satisfied\nfor violated law. Our belief in the universal application of the\natonement implies no supposition that all mankind will be saved with\nlike endowments of glory and power. In the kingdom of God there are\nnumerous degrees or gradations provided for those who are worthy of\nthem; in the house of our Father there are many mansions, into which\nonly those who are prepared are admitted. The old sectarian idea, that\nin the hereafter there will be but two places for the souls of\nmankind,--heaven and hell, with the same glory in all parts of the\none, and the same terrors throughout the other,--is wholly untenable\nin the light of divine revelation. Through the direct word of the Lord\nwe learn of varied degrees of glory.\n\n=29. Degrees of Glory.=--The revelations of God have defined the\nfollowing principal kingdoms or degrees of glory, as prepared through\nChrist for the children of men:\n\nI. _The Celestial Glory._[263]--There are some who have striven to\nobey all the Divine commandments, who have accepted the testimony of\nChrist, and received the Holy Spirit; these are they who have overcome\nevil by godly works, and who are therefore entitled to the highest\nglory; these belong to the Church of the First Born, unto whom the\nFather has given all things; they are made Kings and Priests of the\nMost High, after the order of Melchisedek; they possess celestial\nbodies, \"whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the\nhighest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as\nbeing typical;\" they indeed are admitted to the celestial company,\nbeing crowned with the celestial glory, which makes them Gods.\n\n  [263] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 50-70.\n\nII. _The Terrestrial Glory._[264]--We read of those who receive glory\nof a secondary order, differing from the highest as \"the moon differs\nfrom the sun in the firmament;\" these are they who, though honorable,\nwere still in darkness, blinded by the craftiness of men, and unable\nto receive and obey the higher laws of God, they proved \"not valiant\nin the testimony of Jesus,\" and therefore are not entitled to the\nfulness of glory.\n\n  [264] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 71-80.\n\nIII. _The Telestial Glory._--We learn of a still lower kind of glory,\ndiffering from the higher orders as the stars differ from the brighter\norbs of the firmament; this is given to those who received not the\ntestimony of Christ, but who still did not deny the Holy Spirit; who\nhave led lives exempting them from the heaviest punishment, yet whose\nredemption will be delayed till the last resurrection. In the\ntelestial world there are innumerable degrees of glory, comparable to\nthe varying lustre of the stars.[265] Yet all who receive of any one\nof these orders of glory are at last saved, and upon them Satan will\nfinally have no claim. Even the telestial glory, as we are told by\nthose who have been permitted to gaze upon it, \"surpasses all\nunderstanding; and no man knows it except him to whom God has revealed\nit.\"[266] Then there are those who have lost all claim upon the\nimmediate mercy of God; whose deeds have numbered them with Perdition\nand his angels.[267]\n\n  [265] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 81-86.\n\n  [266] The same, paragraphs 89-90.\n\n  [267] See page 62; also pages 416-422.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. The Atonement Proved by Evidence.=--\"It is often asked: 'How\n     is it that through the sacrifice of one who is innocent salvation\n     may be purchased for those under the dominion of death?' We\n     observe in passing that what should most concern man is not so\n     much how it is that such is the case, but is it a fact?... To\n     that question the blood sprinkled upon a thousand Jewish altars,\n     and the smoke that darkened the heavens for ages from burnt\n     offerings, answer yes.... Even the mythology of heathen nations\n     retains the idea of an atonement that either has been, or is to\n     be made for mankind. Fantastic, distorted, confused, buried under\n     the rubbish of savage superstition it may be, but it nevertheless\n     exists. So easily traced, so distinct is this feature of heathen\n     mythology, that some writers have endeavored to prove that the\n     gospel plan of redemption was derived from heathen mythology.\n     Whereas the fact is that the gospel was understood and\n     extensively preached in the earliest ages; men retained in their\n     tradition a knowledge of those principles or parts of them, and\n     however much they have been distorted, traces of them may still\n     be found in nearly all the mythologies of the world. The prophets\n     of the Jewish scriptures answer the question in the affirmative.\n     The writers of the New Testament make Christ's atonement the\n     principal theme of their discourses and epistles. The Book of\n     Mormon, speaking as the voice of an entire continent of people\n     whose prophets and righteous men sought and found God, testifies\n     to the same great fact. The revelations of God as given through\n     the Prophet Joseph Smith are replete with passages confirming\n     this doctrine.\"--Roberts' _Outlines of Ecclesiastical History_,\n     Section viii, 6.\n\n     =2. Redemption from the Fall Universal and Unconditional.=--\"We\n     believe that through the sufferings, death, and atonement of\n     Jesus Christ all mankind, without one exception, are to be\n     completely and fully redeemed, both body and spirit, from the\n     endless banishment and curse to which they were consigned by\n     Adam's transgression; and that this universal salvation and\n     redemption of the whole human family from the endless penalty of\n     the original sin, is effected without any conditions whatever on\n     their part; that is, they are not required to believe or repent,\n     or be baptized, or do anything else, in order to be redeemed from\n     that penalty; for whether they believe or disbelieve; whether\n     they repent or remain impenitent, whether they are baptized or\n     unbaptized, whether they keep the commandments or break them,\n     whether they are righteous or unrighteous, it will make no\n     difference in relation to their redemption, both soul and body,\n     from the penalty of Adam's transgression. The most righteous man\n     that ever lived on the earth, and the most wicked wretch of the\n     whole human family, were both placed under the same curse without\n     any transgression or agency of their own, and they both alike\n     will be redeemed from that curse, without any agency or\n     conditions on their part.\"--Apostle Orson Pratt in _Remarkable\n     Visions_.\n\n     =3. Christ the Author of our Salvation.=--President John Taylor\n     speaks of the death of Christ as an expiatory sacrifice, and\n     adds:--\"The Savior thus becomes master of the situation,--the\n     debt is paid, the redemption made, the covenant fulfilled,\n     justice satisfied, the will of God done, and all power is now\n     given into the hands of the Son of God,--the power of the\n     resurrection, the power of the redemption, the power of\n     salvation, the power to enact laws for the carrying out and\n     accomplishment of this design.... The plan, the arrangement, the\n     agreement, the covenant was made, entered into and accepted,\n     before the foundation of the world; it was prefigured by\n     sacrifices, and was carried out and consummated on the Cross.\n     Hence, being the Mediator between God and man, He becomes by\n     right the Dictator and Director on earth and in heaven for the\n     living and for the dead, for the past, the present, and the\n     future, pertaining to man as associated with this earth or the\n     heavens, in time or eternity, the Captain of our salvation, the\n     Apostle and High Priest of our profession, the Lord and Giver of\n     life.\"--_Mediation and Atonement_, Pres. John Taylor, p. 171.\n\n     =4. The Atonement Inaugurated by Christ.=--\"The Apostle Paul\n     quite comprehensively sums up the results of Christ's death and\n     resurrection: 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become\n     the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death,\n     by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all\n     die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (I Cor. xv,\n     21-22). That is, death having come on all men through the\n     disobedience of Adam, so must all be raised to immortality and\n     eternal life through the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul\n     also asserted that 'the last enemy that shall be destroyed is\n     death' (verse 26). John the Revelator declares that he saw death\n     and hell cast into the lake of fire (Rev. xx, 14). The atonement,\n     as wrought out by Jesus Christ, further signifies that He has\n     opened up the way for man's redemption from his own sins, through\n     faith in Christ's sufferings, death, and resurrection. The\n     Apostle Paul well expresses this: 'For all have sinned, and come\n     short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace\n     through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set\n     forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare\n     his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,\n     through the forbearance of God' (Romans iii, 23-26). These\n     passages evidence that redemption from death, through the\n     sufferings of Christ, is for all men, both the righteous and the\n     wicked; for this earth, and for all things created upon it. The\n     whole tenor of the scriptures assures us that, while they may be\n     sure of resurrection from death, regardless of their personal\n     acts, yet they will be rewarded for their works, whether they be\n     good or evil, and that redemption from personal sins can only be\n     obtained through obedience to the requirements of the Gospel, and\n     a life of good works. The transgression of Adam being infinite in\n     its consequences, those consequences cannot be averted, except\n     through an infinite atonement.\"--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards &\n     J. A. Little, pp. 8-9.\n\n     =5. The Atonement Necessary.=--\"In the economy of God and the\n     plan proposed by the Almighty, it was provided that man was to be\n     placed under a law apparently simple in itself, yet the test of\n     that law was fraught with the gravest consequences. The\n     observance of that law would secure eternal life, and the penalty\n     for the violation of that law was death.... If the law had not\n     been broken, man would have lived; but would man thus living have\n     been capable of perpetuating his species, and of thus fulfilling\n     the designs of God in preparing tabernacles for the spirits which\n     had been created in the spirit world? And further, could they\n     have had the need of a mediator, who was to act as a propitiation\n     for the violation of this law, which it would appear from the\n     circumstances was destined to be broken; or could the eternal\n     increase and perpetuity of man have been continued, and his high\n     exaltation to the Godhead been accomplished, without the\n     propitiatory atonement and sacrifice of the Son of\n     God?\"--_Mediation and Atonement_, Pres. John Taylor, pp. 128-129.\n\n     =6. The Need of a Redeemer.=--For special treatment of this topic\n     see \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 17-31.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE V.\n\nFAITH AND REPENTANCE.\n\n     =Article 4.=--We believe that the first principles and ordinances\n     of the Gospel are (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; (2)\n     Repentance; ...\n\n\nFAITH.\n\n=1. Nature of Faith.=--The predominating sense in which the term faith\nis used throughout the scriptures is that of full confidence and trust\nin the being, purposes, and words of God. Such trust, if it be\nimplicit, will remove all doubt concerning things accomplished or\npromised of God, even though such things be not apparent to or\nexplicable by the ordinary senses of mortality; hence arises the\ndefinition of faith given by Paul: \"Now faith is the substance [i.e.\nconfidence, or assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence\n  [i.e. the demonstration or proof] of things not seen.\"[268] It is\n  plain that such a feeling of trust may exist in different persons\n  in varying degrees; indeed, faith may manifest itself from the\n  incipient feeble state which is little more than mere belief,\n  scarcely free from hesitation and fear, to the strength of abiding\n  confidence that sets doubt and sophistry at defiance.\n\n  [268] Heb. xi, 1.\n\n=2. Belief, Faith, and Knowledge=, while intimately related and\nofttimes regarded as one, are in reality not identical. The terms\nfaith and belief are sometimes used as synonyms, nevertheless each of\nthem has a specific and definite meaning in our language, although in\nearly English there was virtually no distinction between them, and\ntherefore the words are used interchangeably in the ancient\nscriptures. Belief may consist in a merely intellectual assent, whilst\nfaith implies such confidence and conviction as will impel to action.\nDictionary authority justifies us in drawing a distinction between the\ntwo, according to present usage in English; and this authority defines\nbelief as a simple assent to the truth or actuality of anything,\nexcluding however the moral element of responsibility through such\nassent, which is embraced by faith. Belief is in a sense passive,--a\nmental agreement or acceptance only; faith is active and\npositive,--such a reliance and confidence as will lead to works. Faith\nin Christ comprises belief in Him, combined with trust in Him. One\ncannot have faith without belief; yet he may believe and still lack\nfaith. Faith is vivified, vitalized, living belief.\n\n=3.= Certainly there is a great difference in degree, even if no\nessential distinction in kind be admitted between the two. As shall be\npresently demonstrated, faith in the Godhead is requisite to\nsalvation; it is indeed a saving power, leading its possessor in the\npaths of godliness; surely a mere belief in the existence and\nattributes of Deity is no such power. Mark the words of the Apostle\nJames.[269] In his general epistle to the Saints, he chided his\nbrethren for certain empty professions. Said he in effect:--You take\npride and satisfaction in declaring your belief in God; you boast of\nbeing distinguished from the idolaters and the heathen because you\naccept one God; you do well to so profess, and so believe; but,\nremember, others do likewise; even the devils believe; and so firmly\nthat they tremble at thought of the fate which that belief makes plain\nto them.--What, do devils believe in Christ? Aye, their belief amounts\nto certain knowledge, as to who He is, and as to what constitutes His\npart, past, present, and to come, in the Divine plan of human\nexistence and salvation. Call to mind the case of the man possessed by\nevil spirits, in the land of the Gadarenes; a man so grievously\ntormented as to be a terror to all who came near him; he could be\nneither tamed nor bound; people were afraid to approach him; yet when\nhe saw Christ, he ran to Him and worshiped, and the wicked spirit\nwithin him begged for mercy at the hands of that Righteous One,\ncalling Him \"Jesus, Son of the Most High God.\"[270] Again, an unclean\nspirit in the synagogue at Jerusalem implored Christ not to use His\npower, crying in fear and agony, \"I know thee, who thou art, the Holy\nOne of God.\"[271] And then, we are told that Christ was once followed\nby a multitude made up of people from Idum\u00e6a and Jerusalem, from Tyre\nand Sidon; among them were many who were possessed of evil spirits,\nand these, when they saw Him, fell down in the attitude of worship,\nexclaiming: \"Thou art the Son of God.\"[272] Was there ever mortal\nbeliever who confessed more unreservedly a knowledge of God and His\nSon Jesus Christ than did these same followers of Satan? The evil one\nknows God and Christ; remembers, perchance, somewhat concerning the\nposition which he once occupied as a Son of the Morning[273]; yet with\nall such knowledge he is Satan still. Neither belief nor its\nsuperior,--actual knowledge,--is efficient to save; for neither of\nthese is faith. Belief may be a product of the mind, faith is of the\nheart; belief is founded on reason; faith largely on intuition.\n\n  [269] See James ii, 19.\n\n  [270] See Mark v, 1-18; also Matt. viii, 28-34.\n\n  [271] See Mark i, 24.\n\n  [272] Mark iii, 8-11. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 181, 310-312.\n\n  [273] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 25-27.\n\n=4.= We frequently hear it said that faith is imperfect knowledge;\nthat the first disappears as the second takes its place; that now we\nwalk by faith but some day we will walk by the sure light of\nknowledge. In a sense this is true; yet it must be remembered that\nknowledge may be as dead and unproductive in good works as is\nfaithless belief. Those confessions of the devils, that Christ was the\nSon of God, were founded on knowledge; yet the great truth which they\nknew did not change their evil natures. How different was their\nacknowledgment of the Savior from that of Peter, who, to the Master's\nquestion \"Whom say ye that I am?\" replied in practically the words\nused by the unclean spirits before cited, \"Thou art the Christ, the\nSon of the living God.\"[274] Peter's faith had already shown its vital\npower; it had caused him to forsake much that had been dear, to follow\nhis Lord through persecution and suffering, and to put away\nworldliness with all its fascinations, for the sacrificing godliness\nwhich his faith made so desirable. His knowledge of God as the Father,\nand of the Son as the Redeemer, was perhaps no greater than that of\nthe unclean spirits; but while to them that knowledge was but an added\ncause of condemnation, to him it was a means of salvation.\n\n  [274] Matt. xvi, 15-16; see also Mark viii, 29; Luke ix, 20.\n\n=5.= The mere possession of knowledge gives no assurance of benefit\ntherefrom. An illustration may perhaps be here allowed. During an\nepidemic of cholera in a large city, a scientific man proved to his\nown satisfaction, by chemical and microscopical tests, that the water\nsupply was infected, and that through it contagion was being spread.\nHe proclaimed the great truth throughout the city, and warned all\nagainst the use of unboiled water. Many of the people, although\nincapable of comprehending his methods of investigation, far less of\nrepeating such for themselves, had faith in his warning words,\nfollowed his instructions, and escaped the death to which their\ncareless and unbelieving fellows succumbed. Their faith was a saving\none. To the man himself, the truth by which so many lives had been\nspared was a matter of knowledge. He had actually seen, under the\nmicroscope, the death-dealing germs in the water; he had tested their\nvirulence; he knew of what he spoke. Nevertheless, in a moment of\nforgetfulness he drank of the unpurified water, and soon thereafter\ndied a victim to the plague. His knowledge did not save him, complete\nthough it was; yet others, whose reliance was only that of faith in\nthe truth which he declared, escaped the threatening destruction.\nTruly he had knowledge; but, was he wise? Knowledge is to wisdom what\nbelief is to faith; one an abstract principle, the other a living\napplication. Not possession merely, but the proper use of knowledge\nconstitutes wisdom. Of belief compared with faith it may be said, as\nit has been taught of knowledge and wisdom:--\n\n    \"Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one,\n    Have oft-times no connection....\n    Knowledge, a rude unprofitable mass,\n    The mere material with which wisdom builds,\n    Till smoothed and squared and fitted to its place,\n    Does but encumber whom it seems to enrich.\"\n\n=6. The Foundation of Faith.=--In a theological sense, we understand\nby faith as already outlined, a living, inspiring confidence in God,\nand an acceptance of His will as our law, and of His words as our\nguide, in life. Faith in God is possible only as we come to know, or\nat least to believe, that He exists, and moreover, that He is a Being\nof worthy character and attributes. The grounds upon which man founds\nhis belief or knowledge respecting the existence of God, have been\nexamined in a previous lecture;[275] some of the Divine attributes, as\nmade known through God's dealings with mankind, have been likewise\nspecified. A restatement of the principal facts relating to the\ncharacter of the Supreme Being may be in place here, inasmuch as some\nknowledge concerning the attributes of Deity is essential to the\nexercise of faith in Him. Let us adopt the summary of facts as set\nforth by the prophet, Joseph Smith; he presents, on the testimony of\nscripture, the following statements respecting the character of God.\n\n  [275] Lecture II, page 28.\n\n\"(1.) That He was God before the world was created, and the same God\nthat He was after it was created.\n\n\"(2.) That He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in\ngoodness, and that He was so from everlasting, and will be to\neverlasting.\n\n\"(3.) That He changes not, neither is there variableness with Him; but\nthat He is the same from everlasting to everlasting, being the same\nyesterday, to-day, and for ever; and that His course is one eternal\nround, without variation.\n\n\"(4.) That He is a God of truth and cannot lie.\n\n\"(5.) That He is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that\nfears God and works righteousness is accepted of Him.\n\n\"(6.) That He is love.\"[276]\n\n  [276] Doc. and Cov., Lectures on Faith, iii, 13-18.\n\n=7.= A knowledge of these comprehensive features of the Divine nature\nwill enable one to exercise rational and intelligent faith in God. And\nupon such knowledge of God's existence, the worthiness of His\ncharacter, and the perfection of His attributes, is man's faith in Him\nestablished. Faith then cannot be exercised in the absence of all\nknowledge; yet even the benighted heathen show some of the fruits of\nfaith; but they have at least the conviction that arises from man's\nnatural intuition regarding a supreme power, which has been described\nas a common heritage of humanity. In every human soul, even in that of\nthe savage, there is some basis for faith, however limited and\nimperfect the darkness of heredity or of wilful sin may have made it.\nEvery child of God is born with the capacity for faith inherent within\nhis own nature; and all yearn in some degree for the strength and aid\nwhich only faith can give. We shall yet learn:--\n\n                \"That in all ages\n    Every human heart is human;\n    That in even savage bosoms\n    There are longings, yearnings, strivings,\n    For the good they comprehend not.\n    That the feeble hands and helpless,\n    Groping blindly in the darkness,\n    Trust God's right hand in that darkness,\n    And are lifted up and strengthened.\"[277]\n\n  [277] Longfellow.\n\nThe heathen's faith may be imperfect and weak, for his ability to\nrecognize the evidence upon which belief in God depends may be small.\nWhile the first promptings of faith toward God may be the result of\nnatural intuition,--a faint echo of the songs of praise which were so\ncommon during the state of primeval childhood,--the later development\nwill be largely the result of unprejudiced and prayerful investigation\nand search for truth.\n\n=8.= From trustworthy evidence, rightly interpreted, true faith will\nspring; from false evidence, only distorted and misplaced faith can\narise.[278] Our conclusions concerning any question under test will be\ngoverned largely by the number and credibility of the witnesses, if it\nso be that we cannot investigate the alleged facts for ourselves; and\nin either case, by the amount and quality of the evidence obtainable.\nNow, however improbable a declaration may appear to us, if the truth\nof it be affirmed by witnesses in whom we have confidence, we are led\nto admit the statement, at least provisionally, as true. If many\ncredible witnesses testify, and moreover, if collateral evidence\nsuggest itself through facts in our possession, we may consider the\nstatement as proved; although we would be unable to affirm the truth\nof it on the strength of our personal knowledge, until we had seen and\nheard for ourselves, until in fact each of us had become a competent\nwitness through personal observation. To illustrate: of the citizens\nof this country but a comparative few perhaps have visited the seat of\ngovernment; the masses know nothing by actual observation of the\nCapitol, the executive mansion, and other buildings of national\ninterest and importance; very few have personally met the President\nwho resides there. How does any one of the multitudes who have not\nseen for themselves, know of the city of Washington, of the Capitol,\nand of the President? Solely through the testimony of others. He may\nhave among his acquaintances one or many who have been in the capital\nof our country and whose statements he accepts as true; assuredly he\nhas heard or read of those who do know for themselves. Then he hears\nof laws being framed there, and of edicts issuing from the nation's\nheadquarters; his studies in school, his use of maps and books, and\nmany other incidents add to the evidence which soon becomes decisive.\nHis inferences multiply, and develop into a positive conviction. He\nacquires a faith in the existence of a center of national government,\nand a regard for the laws which emanate therefrom.\n\n  [278] See Note 1.\n\n=9.= Let us take another illustration: Astronomers tell us that the\nearth is of a kind with certain of the stars; that it is one of a\nfamily of planets which revolve about the sun in concentric orbits;\nand that some of those planets are many times the size of our globe.\nWe may not be skilled in astronomers' methods of observation and\ncalculation, and may therefore be unable to test the truth of these\nstatements for ourselves; but we find such a mass of evidence\nresulting from the united testimony of those in whose skill as\nscientific workers we have confidence, that the conclusions are\naccepted by us as fully proved.\n\n=10.= So too concerning the existence, authority, and attributes of\nGod, the testimonies of many holy men in ancient and modern\ntimes,--prophets whose credibility is established by the fulfillment\nof their predictions,--have come to us in united declaration of the\nsolemn truths, and nature furnishes corroborative testimony on every\nside. To reject without disproving such evidence is to ignore the most\napproved methods of investigation and research known to man. The\ndevelopment of faith from evidence is illustrated in the scenes of a\ncertain memorable Pentecost celebration, on which occasion thousands\nof Jews, imbued with a preconceived prejudice that Jesus was an\nimpostor, heard the apostles' testimonies, and witnessed the attendant\nsigns: three thousand of them were convinced of the truth and became\nfollowers of the Son of God, their prejudice giving place to belief,\nand their belief developing into faith with its accompanying\nworks.[279] The foundation of faith in God then is a sincere belief in\nor knowledge of Him, as sustained by evidence and testimony, tested\nand proved by earnest, prayerful search.\n\n  [279] See Acts ii.\n\n=11. Faith a Principle of Power.=--In its widest sense, faith,--the\nassurance of things for which we hope, and the evidence of things not\ndiscernible through our senses,--is the motive principle that impels\nmen to resolve and to act. Without its exercise, we would make no\nexertion the results of which are future: without faith that he may\ngather in the autumn, man would not plant in the spring; neither would\nhe essay to build, did he not have confidence that he would finish the\nstructure and enjoy its use; had the student no faith in the\npossibility of successfully following his studies, he would not enter\nupon his courses. Faith thus becomes to us the foundation of hope,\nfrom which spring all our aspirations, ambitions, and confidences for\nthe future. Remove man's faith in the possibility of any desired\nsuccess, and you rob him of the incentive to strive. He would not\nstretch forth his hand to seize did he not believe in the possibility\nof securing that for which he reaches. This principle becomes\ntherefore the impelling force by which men struggle for excellence,\noftentimes enduring vicissitudes and suffering that they may achieve\ntheir purposes. Faith is the secret of ambition, the soul of heroism,\nthe motive power of all effort.\n\n=12.= The exercise of faith is pleasing unto God, and thereby His\ninterposition may be secured. It was through faith that the Israelites\nin their exodus from Egypt followed their dauntless leader into the\nbed of the sea; and through the protecting agencies of God, which that\nfaith drew forth, they were saved, while the Egyptians met destruction\nin attempting to follow.[280] With full confidence in the instructions\nand promises of God, Joshua and his intrepid followers laid siege to\nJericho; and the walls of that city of sin fell before the faith of\nthe besiegers without the use of battering rams, or other engines of\nwar.[281] By the same power Joshua gained the assistance of the\nluminaries of heaven, in his work of victory over the Amorites.[282]\nPaul cites[283] us also to the instances of Gideon,[284] Barak,[285]\nSamson,[286] Jephthah,[287] David,[288] Samuel,[289] and the prophets,\n\"who, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained\npromises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire,\nescaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong.\" It\nwas by faith that Alma and Amulek were delivered from captivity, while\nthe prison walls which had previously held them were rent and\ndemolished.[290] By faith, Nephi and Lehi[291] the sons of Helaman\nwere protected from their Lamanite foes, even by fire, though they\nwere not burned; and a still greater work was wrought in the hearts of\ntheir persecutors, for they became enlightened, and accepted the\ntestimony of truth. Through the operation of faith even the waves of\nthe sea may be subdued,[292] trees are subject to the voice of Him who\ncommands by faith;[293] mountains may be removed for the\naccomplishment of righteous purposes,[294] the sick may be\nhealed,[295] evil spirits may be cast out,[296] and the dead may be\nraised to life.[297] All things are wrought through faith.[298]\n\n  [280] Exo. xiv, 22-29; Heb. xi, 29.\n\n  [281] Josh. vi, 20; Heb. xi, 30.\n\n  [282] Josh. x, 12.\n\n  [283] Heb. xi, 32-34; Doc. and Cov., Lecture i, 20.\n\n  [284] Judges vi, 11.\n\n  [285] Judges iv, 6.\n\n  [286] Judges xiii, 24.\n\n  [287] Judges xi, 1; xii, 7.\n\n  [288] I Sam. xvi, 1, 13; xvii, 45.\n\n  [289] I Sam. i, 20; xii, 20.\n\n  [290] Alma xiv, 26-29; Doc. and Cov., Lecture on Faith, i, 19.\n\n  [291] Helaman v, 20-52; Doc. and Cov., Lecture on Faith, i, 19.\n\n  [292] Matt. viii, 23-27; Mark iv, 36-41; Luke viii, 22-25; Matt.\n  xiv, 24-32; Mark vi, 47-51, John vi, 17-21.\n\n  [293] Matt. xxi, 17-21; Mark xi, 12-13, 20-24; Book of Jacob iv,\n  6.\n  [294] Matt. xvii, 20; Mark xi, 23-24; Ether xii, 30; Jacob iv, 6;\n  Doc. and Cov., Lecture on Faith, i, 19.\n\n  [295] Luke xiii, 11; xiv, 2; xvii, 11; xxii, 50; Matt. viii, 2, 5,\n  14, 16, etc.\n\n  [296] Matt. viii, 28; xvii, 18; Mark i, 23.\n\n  [297] Luke vii, 11-16; John xi, 43-45; I Kings xvii, 17-24.\n\n  [298] Matt. xvii, 20; Mark ix, 23; Eph. vi, 16; I John v, 4.\n\n=13.= But, it may be argued that faith of itself is not a source of\npower; that its effect is due to an external interposition of Divine\naid, which faith merely secured; and the skeptic may add that an\nomniscient God, if truly loving and kind, would act independently and\ngive without waiting to be invoked through faith or prayer. A\nsufficient answer is found in the abundant proof furnished by the\nscriptures, that the Almighty operates in accordance with law; and\nthat arbitrary and capricious action is foreign to His nature. However\nthe laws of heaven may have been formulated, the application of their\nbeneficent provisions to humanity is dependent on the faith and\nobedience of the mortal subjects. Consider the defeat of Israel by the\nmen of Ai; a law of righteousness had been violated, and things that\nwere accursed had been introduced into the camp of God's people this\ntransgression stopped the current of Divine help, and until the people\nhad sanctified themselves, the power was not renewed unto them.[299]\nChrist was influenced, and to some extent controlled in His miracles\namong men by the faith or lack of faith of the people. The common\nbenediction, \"Thy faith hath made thee whole,\" with which He announced\nthe healing interposition, is evidence of the fact. Then we learn that\nin His own country He could do no mighty work, being restrained by the\nunbelief of the people.[300]\n\n  [299] Joshua vii-viii.\n\n  [300] Matt. xiii, 58; Mark vi, 5 6.\n\n=14. A Condition of Living Faith.=--A condition essential to the\nexercise of a living, growing, sustaining faith in Deity, is the\nconsciousness on man's part that he is at least endeavoring to live in\naccordance with the laws of God as he has learned them. A knowledge\nthat he is wilfully and wantonly sinning against the truth will\ndeprive him of sincerity in prayer and faith, and will surely estrange\nhim from his Father. He must feel that the trend of his life's course\nis acceptable to God, that with due allowance for mortal weakness and\nhuman frailty he is in some measure approved of the Lord, or he can\nnever approach the throne of grace with confidence. The consciousness\nof earnest effort toward godly walk and conduct is a power of itself,\nstrengthening its possessor in sacrifice and under persecution, and\nsustaining him in all good works. It was this knowledge of assured\ncommunion with God that enabled the saints of olden time to endure as\nthey did, though their sufferings were appalling. Of them we read that\nsome \"were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain\na better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and\nscourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned,\nthey were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they\nwandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute,\nafflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they\nwandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the\nearth.\"[301] As in former days so in the present, the saints have been\nsustained through all their sufferings by the sure knowledge of Divine\napproval; and the faith of righteous men has ever grown through a\nconsciousness of their good endeavors.\n\n  [301] Heb. xi, 35-38; see also Doc. and Cov., Lectures on Faith,\n  vi.\n\n=15. Faith Essential to Salvation.=--Inasmuch as salvation is\nattainable only through the mediation and atonement of Christ, and\nsince this is made applicable to individual sin only in the cases of\nthose who obey the laws of righteousness, faith in Jesus Christ is\nindispensable to salvation. But no one can believe in Jesus Christ,\nand at the same time doubt the existence and authority of either the\nFather or the Holy Ghost; therefore faith in the entire Godhead is\nessential to salvation. Paul declares that without faith it is\nimpossible to please God, \"for he that cometh to God must believe that\nHe is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek\nHim.\"[302] The scriptures abound in assurances of salvation to those\nwho exercise faith in God, and obey the requirements which that faith\nmakes plain. Christ's words on the matter are conclusive, \"He that\nbelieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not\nshall be damned;\"[303] and again, \"He that believeth on the Son hath\neverlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see\nlife, but the wrath of God abideth on him.\"[304] And similar doctrines\ndid His apostles teach after His death all the days of their\nministry.[305] A natural result of implicit faith in the Godhead will\nbe a growing confidence in the scriptures as containing the word of\nGod, and in the words and works of His authorized servants, who speak\nas the living oracles of heaven.\n\n  [302] Heb. xi, 6.\n\n  [303] Mark xvi, 16.\n\n  [304] John iii, 36. See also John iii, 15; iv, 42; v, 24; xi, 25;\n  Gal. ii, 20; I Nephi x, 6, 17; II Nephi xxv, 25; xxvi, 8; Enos i,\n  8; Mos. iii, 17; III Nephi xxvii, 19; Hel. v, 9; Doc. and Cov.\n  xiv, 8.\n\n  [305] Acts ii, 38; x, 42; xvi, 31; Rom. x, 9; Heb. iii, 19; xi, 6;\n  I Pet. i, 9; I John iii, 23; v, 14.\n\n=16. Faith a Gift of God.=--Though within the reach of all who\ndiligently strive to gain it, faith is nevertheless a Divine gift, and\ncan be obtained only from God.[306] As is fitting for so priceless a\npearl, it is given to those only who show by their sincerity that they\nare worthy of it, and who give promise of abiding by its dictates.\nAlthough faith is called the first principle of the gospel of Christ,\nthough it be in fact the foundation of all religion, yet even faith is\npreceded by sincerity of disposition and humility of soul, whereby the\nword of God may make an impression upon the heart.[307] No compulsion\nis used in bringing men to a knowledge of God; yet, as fast as we open\nour hearts to the influences of righteousness, the faith that leads to\nlife eternal will be given us of our Father.\n\n  [306] Matt. xvi, 17; John vi, 44, 65; Eph. ii, 8; I Cor. xii, 9;\n  Rom. xii, 3; Moroni x, 11.\n\n  [307] See Rom. x, 17.\n\n=17. Faith and Works.=--Faith in a passive sense, that is, as mere\nbelief, is inefficient as a means of salvation. This truth was clearly\nset forth both by Christ and the apostles, and the vigor with which it\nwas declared may be an indication of the early development of a most\npernicious doctrine,--that of justification by belief alone. The\nSavior taught that works were essential to the validity of profession\nand the efficacy of faith. Mark his words:--\"Not every one that sayeth\nunto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he\nthat doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.\"[308] \"He that\nhath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and\nhe that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,\nand will manifest myself to him.\"[309] The instructions of the\nApostle James are particularly explicit:--\"What doth it profit, my\nbrethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can\nfaith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of\ndaily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye\nwarmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which\nare needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it\nhath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast\nfaith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I\nwill shew thee my faith by my works.\"[310] And to this may be added\nthe words of John:--\"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we\nkeep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his\ncommandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso\nkeepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby\nknow we that we are in him.\"[311]\n\n  [308] Matt. vii, 21.\n\n  [309] John xiv, 21.\n\n  [310] James ii, 14-18.\n\n  [311] I John ii, 3-5.\n\n=18.= To these teachings may be added many inspired utterances from\nNephite scriptures[312] and from modern revelation,[313] all affirming\nthe necessity of works, and denying the saving efficacy of mere\nbelief. Yet in spite of the plain word of God, sectarian dogmas have\nbeen promulgated to the effect that by faith alone man may achieve\nsalvation, and that a mere profession of belief shall open the doors\nof heaven to the sinner.[314] The scriptures cited and man's inherent\nsense of justice furnish a sufficient refutation of these false\nteachings.\n\n  [312] See I Nephi xv, 33; II Nephi xxix, 11; Mosiah v, 15; Alma\n  vii, 27; ix, 28; xxxvii, 32-34; xli, 3-5.\n\n  [313] Doc. and Cov. throughout.\n\n  [314] See Note 2.\n\n\nREPENTANCE.\n\n=19. Nature of Repentance.=--The term repentance is used in the\nscriptures with several different meanings, but, as representing the\nduty required of all who would obtain forgiveness for transgression,\nit indicates a godly sorrow for sin, producing a reformation of life,\nand embodies (1) a conviction of guilt; (2) a desire to escape the\nhurtful effects of sin; and (3) an earnest determination to forsake\nsin and to accomplish good. Repentance is a result of contrition of\nsoul, which springs from a deep sense of humility, and this in turn is\ndependent upon the exercise of an abiding faith in God. Repentance\ntherefore properly ranks as the second principle of the gospel,\nclosely associated with and immediately following faith. As soon as\none has come to recognize the existence and authority of God, he feels\na respect for Divine laws, and a conviction of his own unworthiness.\nHis wish to please the Father, whom he has so long neglected, will\nimpel him to forsake sin; and this impulse will acquire added strength\nfrom the sinner's natural and commendable desire to escape, if\npossible, the dire results of his own waywardness. With the zeal\ninspired by fresh conviction, he will crave an opportunity of showing\nby good works the sincerity of his newly developed faith; and he will\nregard the remission of his sins as the most desirable of blessings.\nThen he will learn that this gift of mercy is granted on certain\nspecific conditions only.[315] The first step toward the blessed state\nof forgiveness consists in the sinner confessing his sins; the second,\nin his forgiving others who have sinned against him; and the third in\nhis showing his acceptance of Christ's atoning sacrifice by obeying\nthe Divine requirements.\n\n  [315] See Note 3.\n\n=20. (1.) Confession of Sins= is essential, for without it repentance\nis incomplete. The Apostle John tells us, \"If we say that we have no\nsin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess\nour sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to\ncleanse us from all unrighteousness.\"[316] We read also, \"He that\ncovereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and\nforsaketh them shall have mercy.\"[317] And unto the Saints in this\ndispensation the Lord has said, \"Verily I say unto you, I, the Lord,\nforgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask\nforgiveness, who have not sinned unto death.\"[318] And that this act\nof confession is included in repentance is shown by the Lord's words:\n\"By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins: Behold he will\nconfess them and forsake them.\"[319]\n\n  [316] I John i, 8-9; see also Psalms xxxii, 5; xxxviii, 18; Mosiah\n  xxvi, 29-30.\n\n  [317] Prov. xxviii, 13.\n\n  [318] Doc. and Cov. lxiv, 7.\n\n  [319] Doc. and Cov. lviii, 43.\n\n=21. (2.) The Sinner Must be Willing to Forgive Others=, if he hopes\nto obtain forgiveness. Surely his repentance is but superficial if his\nheart be not softened to the degree of tolerance for the weaknesses of\nhis fellows. In teaching His hearers how to pray, the Savior\ninstructed them to supplicate the Father: \"Forgive us our debts as we\nforgive our debtors.\"[320] He led them not to hope for forgiveness if\nin their hearts they forgave not one another: \"For,\" said He, \"if ye\nforgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive\nyou; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your\nFather forgive your trespasses.\"[321] And forgiveness between man and\nman, to be acceptable before the Lord, must be unbounded. In answering\nPeter's question, \"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and\nI forgive him--till seven times?\" the Master said, \"I say not unto\nthee, until seven times; but until seventy times seven;\" clearly\nintending to teach that man must ever be ready to forgive. On another\noccasion He taught the disciples, saying, \"If thy brother trespass\nagainst thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. And if he\ntrespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day\nturn again to thee saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.\"[322]\n\n  [320] Matt. vi, 12; see also Luke xi, 4.\n\n  [321] Matt. vi, 14-15; III Nephi xiii, 14-15.\n\n  [322] Luke xvii, 3-4.\n\n=22.= Illustrating further the Divine purpose to mete unto men the\nmeasure they mete unto their fellows,[323] the Savior put forth to His\ndisciples a parable of a king, to whom one of his subjects owed an\nenormous sum of money, ten thousand talents; but when the debtor\nhumbled himself and pleaded for mercy, the compassionate heart of the\nking was moved and he forgave his servant the debt. But the same\nservant, going out from the presence of the king, met a fellow-servant\nwho was indebted to him in a paltry sum; forgetting the mercy so\nrecently shown unto himself, he seized his fellow-servant and cast him\ninto prison till he would pay the debt. Then the king, hearing of\nthis, sent for the wicked servant, and, denouncing him for his lack of\ngratitude and consideration, handed him over to the tormentors.[324]\nThe Lord will not listen to petitions nor accept an offering from one\nwho has bitterness in his heart toward others; \"First be reconciled to\nthy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.\"[325] In His revealed\nword to the Saints in this day, the Lord has placed particular stress\nupon this necessary condition: \"Wherefore I say unto you that ye ought\nto forgive one another, for he that forgiveth not his brother his\ntrespasses, standeth condemned before the Lord, for there remaineth\nin him the greater sin;\"[326] and to remove all doubt as to the proper\nsubjects for human forgiveness, it is added:--\"I, the Lord, will\nforgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all\nmen.\"\n\n  [323] Matt. vii, 2; Mark iv, 24; Luke vi, 38.\n\n  [324] Matt. xviii, 23-35. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 392-395.\n\n  [325] Matt. v, 23-24: III Nephi xii, 23-24.\n\n  [326] Doc. and Cov. lxiv, 9-10.\n\n=23. (3.) Confidence in Christ's Atoning Sacrifice= constitutes the\nthird essential condition in obtaining remission of sins. The name of\nChrist is the only name under heaven whereby men may be saved;[327]\nand we are taught to offer our petitions to the Father in the name of\nHis Son. Adam received this instruction from the mouth of an\nangel,[328] and the Savior personally instructed the Nephites to the\nsame effect.[329] But no person can truthfully profess faith in\nChrist, and refuse to obey His commandments; therefore obedience is\nessential to remission of sin; and the repentant sinner will eagerly\nseek to learn what is further required of him.\n\n  [327] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, 52.\n\n  [328] Pearl of Great Price: Moses v, 6-8.\n\n  [329] III Nephi xxvii, 5-7.\n\n=24.= Repentance, to be worthy of its name, must comprise something\nmore than a mere self-acknowledgment of error; it does not consist in\nlamentations and wordy confessions, but in the heart-felt recognition\nof guilt, which carries with it a horror for sin, and a resolute\ndetermination to make amends for the past and to do better in the\nfuture. If such a conviction be genuine, it is marked by that godly\nsorrow which, as Paul has said, \"worketh repentance to salvation, not\nto be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.\"[330]\nApostle Orson Pratt has wisely said:--\"It would be of no use for a\nsinner to confess his sins to God, unless he were determined to\nforsake them; it would be of no benefit to him to feel sorry that he\nhad done wrong, unless he intended to do wrong no more; it would be\nfolly for him to confess before God that he had injured his\nfellow-man, unless he were determined to do all in his power to make\nrestitution. Repentance, then, is not only a confession of sins, with\na sorrowful, contrite heart, but a fixed, settled purpose to refrain\nfrom every evil way.\"\n\n  [330] II Cor. vii. 10.\n\n=25. Repentance Essential to Salvation.=--This evidence of sincerity,\nthis beginning of a better life, is required of every candidate for\nsalvation. In the obtaining of Divine mercy, repentance is as\nindispensable as faith, it must be as extensive as sin. Where can we\nfind an absolutely sinless mortal? Sagely did the Preacher of old\ndeclare \"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and\nsinneth not.\"[331] Who, therefore, has no need of forgiveness? who is\nexempt from the requirements of repentance? God has promised\nforgiveness unto those who truly repent before Him, it is unto such\nthat the advantages of individual salvation, through the atonement of\nChrist, are extended. Isaiah thus admonishes to repentance, with\nassuring promises of forgiveness: \"Seek ye the Lord while he may be\nfound, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his\nway, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the\nLord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will\nabundantly pardon.\"[332]\n\n  [331] Eccl. vii, 20; see also Rom. iii, 10; I John i, 8.\n\n  [332] Isa. iv, 6-7; see also II Nephi ix, 24; Alma v, 31-36,\n  49-56; ix, 12; Doc. and Cov. i, 32-33; xix, 4; xx, 29; xxix, 44;\n  cxxxiii, 16.\n\n=26.= The burden of inspired teachers in every age has been the call\nto repentance. To this effect was heard the voice of John crying in\nthe wilderness, \"Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at\nhand.\"[333] And the Savior followed with \"Repent ye and believe the\ngospel,\"[334] for \"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise\nperish.\"[335] So too proclaimed the apostles of old, that God\n\"commandeth all men everywhere to repent.\"[336] And in the present\ndispensation has come the word, \"We know that all men must repent, and\nbelieve on the name of Jesus Christ ... or they cannot be saved in the\nkingdom of God.\"[337]\n\n  [333] Matt. iii, 2.\n\n  [334] Mark i, 15.\n\n  [335] Luke xiii, 3.\n\n  [336] Acts xvii, 30.\n\n  [337] Doc. and Cov. xx, 29.\n\n=27. Repentance, a Gift from God.=--Repentance is a means of pardon,\nand is therefore one of God's great gifts to man. It is not to be had\nfor the careless asking; it may not be found upon the highway, it is\nnot of earth, but a treasure of heaven, and is given with care, yet\nwith boundless liberality unto those who have brought forth works that\nwarrant its bestowal.[338] That is to say, all who prepare themselves\nfor repentance will, by the humbling and softening influence of the\nHoly Spirit, be led to the actual possession of this great gift. When\nPeter was charged by his fellow-worshipers with a breach of law in\nthat he had associated with Gentiles, he told his hearers of the\nDivine manifestations he had so recently received; they believed and\ndeclared \"Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto\nlife.\"[339] Paul also, in writing to the Romans, teaches that\nrepentance comes through the goodness of God.[340]\n\n  [338] Matt. iii, 7-8; Acts xxvi, 20.\n\n  [339] Acts xi, 18.\n\n  [340] Rom. ii, 4; see also II Tim. ii, 25.\n\n=28. Repentance not always Possible.=--The gift of repentance is\nextended to men as they humble themselves before the Lord, it is the\ntestimony of the Spirit in their hearts; if they hearken not unto the\nmonitor it will again leave them, for the Spirit of God strives not\never with man.[341] Repentance becomes more difficult as the sin is\nmore wilful; it is by humility and contrition of the heart that\nsinners may increase their faith in God, and so obtain from Him the\npriceless gift of repentance. As the time of repentance is\nprocrastinated, the ability to repent grows weaker; neglect of\nopportunity in holy things brings a forfeit of the chance. In giving\ncommandment to Joseph Smith, in the early days of the present Church,\nthe Lord said, \"For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least\ndegree of allowance; nevertheless, he that repents and does the\ncommandments of the Lord shall be forgiven, and he that repents not,\nfrom him shall be taken even the light which he has received, for my\nSpirit shall not always strive with man saith the Lord of Hosts.\"[342]\n\n  [341] Gen. vi, 3; Doc. and Cov. i, 33.\n\n  [342] Doc. and Cov. i, 31-33.\n\n=29. Repentance Here and Hereafter.=--The Nephite prophet, Alma,\ndescribed the period of earthly existence as a probationary state,\ngranted unto man for repentance;[343] yet we learn from the scriptures\nthat repentance may be obtained, under certain conditions, beyond the\nvail of mortality. Between the times of His death and resurrection,\nChrist \"preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were\ndisobedient when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of\nNoah;\"[344] these the Son visited, and unto them He preached the\nGospel, \"that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, who\nreceived not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards\nreceived it.\"[345]\n\n  [343] Alma xii, 24; xxxiv, 32; xiii, 4.\n\n  [344] I Peter iii, 19-20.\n\n  [345] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 73-74. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch.\n  xxxvi.\n\n=30.= Yet no soul is justified in postponing his efforts to repent\nbecause of this assurance of God's long-suffering and mercy. We know\nnot on what terms repentance will be obtainable in the hereafter, but\nit is unreasonable to suppose that the soul who has wilfully rejected\nthe opportunity of repentance in this life will find it easy to repent\nthere. To procrastinate[346] the day of repentance is to deliberately\nplace ourselves in the power of the adversary. As Amulek taught and\nadmonished the multitude of old: \"For behold this life is the time for\nmen to prepare to meet God, ... therefore I beseech of you that ye do\nnot procrastinate the day of your repentance unto the end.... Ye\ncannot say when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will\nrepent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for\nthat same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go\nout of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your\nbody in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the\nday of your repentance, even until death, behold ye have become\nsubjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his.\"[347]\n\n  [346] Alma xxxiv, 33.\n\n  [347] Alma xxxiv, 32-35.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Example of False Faith.=--\"When Europeans first began their\n     explorations in the New World, the Indians whom they met were\n     much amazed at the power and explosive properties of gun-powder,\n     and asked many questions respecting the manner in which it was\n     produced. The Europeans, taking advantage of the ignorance of the\n     savages, and seeing an opportunity to increase their wealth by\n     the deception, told the Indians that it was the seed of a plant\n     which grew in the lands they had come from, and doubtless it\n     would thrive in their land also. The Indians, of course, believed\n     this statement, and purchased the supposed seed, giving in\n     exchange for it large quantities of gold. In implicit faith they\n     carefully planted the supposed seed, and anxiously watched for\n     its sprouting and the appearance of the plant; but it never came.\n     They had faith in the statements made to them by the Europeans,\n     but as these statements were false, and therefore the evidence on\n     which the Indians based their belief untrue, their faith was\n     vain.\"--Orson Pratt.\n\n     =2. The Sectarian Dogma of Justification by Faith alone= has\n     exercised an influence for evil since the early days of\n     Christianity. The idea upon which this pernicious doctrine was\n     founded was at first associated with that of an absolute\n     predestination, by which man was fore-doomed to destruction, or\n     to an utterly undeserved salvation. Thus, Luther taught as\n     follows:--\"The excellent, infallible, and sole preparation for\n     grace is the eternal election and predestination of God.\" \"Since\n     the fall of man, free-will is but an idle word.\" \"A man who\n     imagines to arrive at grace by doing all that he is able to do,\n     adds sin to sin, and is doubly guilty.\" \"That man is not\n     justified who performs many works; but he who without works has\n     much faith in Christ.\" (For these and other doctrines of the\n     so-called \"Reformation,\" see D'Aubign\u00e9's _History of the\n     Reformation_, vol. i, pp. 82, 83, 119, 122.) In Miller's _Church\n     History_ (vol. iv, p. 514) we read: \"The point which the reformer\n     [Luther] had most at heart in all his labors, contests, and\n     dangers, was the justification by faith alone.\" Melanchthon\n     voices the doctrine of Luther in these words: \"Man's\n     justification before God proceeds from faith alone. This faith\n     enters man's heart by the grace of God alone;\" and further, \"As\n     all things which happen, happen necessarily according to the\n     divine predestination, there is no such thing as liberty in our\n     wills\" (D'Aubign\u00e9, vol. iii, p. 340). It is true that Luther\n     strongly denounced, and vehemently disclaimed responsibility for,\n     the excesses to which this teaching gave rise, yet he was not\n     less vigorous in proclaiming the doctrine. Note his words:--\"I,\n     Doctor Martin Luther, unworthy herald of the gospel of our Lord\n     Jesus Christ, confess this article, that faith alone without\n     works justifies before God; and I declare that it shall stand and\n     remain forever in despite of the emperor of the Romans, the\n     emperor of the Turks, the emperor of the Persians,--in spite of\n     the pope and all the cardinals, with the bishops, priests, monks,\n     and nuns,--in spite of kings, princes, and nobles, and in spite\n     of all the world and of the devils themselves; and that if they\n     endeavor to fight against this truth they will draw the fires of\n     hell upon their heads. This is the true and holy gospel, and the\n     declaration of me, Doctor Luther, according to the teachings of\n     the Holy Ghost\" (D'Aubign\u00e9, vol. i, p. 70).\n\n     Fletcher (_End of Religious Controversy_, p. 90) illustrates the\n     vicious extreme to which this evil doctrine led, by accusing one\n     of its adherents with having said, \"Even adultery and murder do\n     not hurt the pleasant children, but rather work for their good.\n     God sees no sin in believers, whatever sin they may commit.... It\n     is a most pernicious error of the schoolmen to distinguish sins\n     according to the fact, and not according to the person. Though I\n     blame those who say, let us sin that grace may abound, yet\n     adultery, incest, and murder, shall upon the whole, make me\n     holier on earth, and merrier in heaven.\"\n\n     A summary of the medi\u00e6val controversy regarding the means of\n     grace, including the doctrines of Luther and others, is presented\n     in Roberts' _Outlines of Ecclesiastical History_, part iii,\n     section ii, to which the student is referred. The quotations\n     given above are incorporated therein.\n\n     =3. Forgiveness not always Immediate.=--\"On account of the\n     magnitude of sins committed, repentance is not always followed by\n     forgiveness and restoration. For instance, when Peter was\n     preaching to the Jews, who had slain Jesus and taken His blood on\n     themselves and their children, he did not say, repent and be\n     baptized for the remission of sins; but, 'Repent ye therefore,\n     and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the\n     times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and\n  [when] He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto\n  you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of the\n  restitution of all things' (Acts iii, 19-21). That is, repent now,\n  and believe in Jesus Christ, that you may be forgiven when He whom\n  you have slain shall come again in the days of the restitution of\n  all things; and prescribe to you the terms on which you may be\n  saved.\"--_Compendium_, p. 28.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE VI.\n\nBAPTISM.\n\n     =Article 4.=--We believe that the first principles and ordinances\n     of the Gospel are:--... (3) Baptism by immersion for the\n     remission of sins; ...\n\n\n=1. Nature of Baptism.=--Among the Latter-day Saints, water baptism\nranks as the third principle, and the first essential ordinance, of\nthe gospel. Baptism is the gateway leading into the fold of Christ,\nthe portal to the Church, the established rite of naturalization in\nthe kingdom of God. The candidate for admission into the Church and\nkingdom, having obtained and professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,\nand having sincerely repented of his sins, is properly required to\ngive evidence of this spiritual sanctification by some outward\nordinance, prescribed by authority as the sign or symbol of the new\nprofession. The initiatory ordinance is baptism by water, to be\nfollowed by the higher baptism of the Holy Spirit; and, as a result of\nthis act of obedience, remission of sins is granted.\n\n=2.= How simple are the means thus ordained for admission into the\nfold; they are within the reach of the poorest and weakest, as also of\nthe rich and powerful! What symbol more expressive of a cleansing from\nsin could be given, than that of baptism in water? Baptism is made a\nsign of the covenant entered into between the repentant sinner and his\nMaker, that thereafter he will seek to observe the Divine commands.\nConcerning this fact, the Prophet Alma thus admonished and instructed\nthe people of Gideon:--\"Yea, I say unto you, come and fear not, and\nlay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you\ndown to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God\nthat ye are willing to repent of your sins, and enter into a covenant\nwith him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day,\nby going into the waters of baptism.\"[348]\n\n  [348] Alma vii, 15.\n\n=3.= The humbled sinner, convicted of his transgression, through the\nbestowal of God's good gifts of faith and repentance, will hail most\njoyfully any means of cleansing himself from pollution, now so\nrepulsive in his eyes; all such will cry out as did the stricken\nJewish multitude at Pentecost, \"What shall we do?\" Unto such comes the\nanswering voice of the Spirit, through the medium of scripture, or by\nthe mouths of the Lord's appointed servants, \"Repent and be baptized\nevery one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of\nsins.\"[349] Springing forth as a result of contrition of soul, baptism\nhas been very appropriately called the first fruits of repentance.[350]\n\n  [349] Acts ii, 37-38.\n\n  [350] Moroni viii, 25.\n\n=4. The Establishment of Baptism= dates from the time of the earliest\nhistory of the race. When the Lord manifested Himself to Adam after\nthe expulsion from the Garden of Eden, He promised the patriarch of\nthe race, \"If thou wilt turn unto me and hearken unto my voice, and\nbelieve, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even\nin water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace\nand truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given\nunder heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men,\nye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in His\nname, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.... And it\ncame to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that\nAdam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the\nLord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the\nwater, and was brought forth out of the water. And thus he was\nbaptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was\nborn of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.\"[351] Enoch\npreached the doctrine of repentance and baptism, and did baptize the\npeople, and as many as accepted these teachings and submitted to the\nrequirements of the gospel, became sanctified and holy in the sight of\nGod.\n\n  [351] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, 52-65.\n\n=5. The Special Purpose of Baptism= is to afford admission to the\nChurch of Christ with remission of sins. What need of more words to\nprove the worth of this divinely appointed ordinance? What gift could\nbe offered the human race greater than a ready means of obtaining\nforgiveness for transgression? Justice forbids the granting of\nuniversal and unconditional pardon for sins committed, except through\nobedience to ordained law; but means simple and effective are\nprovided, whereby the penitent sinner may enter into a covenant with\nGod, sealing that covenant with the sign that commands recognition in\nheaven, that he will submit himself to the laws of God; thus he places\nhimself within the reach of Mercy, under whose protecting influence he\nmay win eternal life.\n\n=6.= _Biblical Proofs_, that baptism is designed as a means of\nsecuring to man a remission of his sins, are abundant. John the\nBaptist was the special preacher of this doctrine in the days\nimmediately preceding the Savior's ministry in the flesh; and the\nvoice of this priest of the desert stirred Jerusalem and reverberated\nthrough all Jud\u00e6a, proclaiming remission of sins as the fruits of\nacceptable baptism.[352]\n\n  [352] Mark i, 4; Luke iii, 3.\n\n=7.= Saul of Tarsus, a zealous persecutor of the followers of Christ,\nwhile journeying to Damascus, intent on a further exercise of his\nill-directed zeal, received a special manifestation of the power of\nGod, and was converted with signs and wonders. He heard and answered\nthe voice of Christ, and thus became a special witness of his Lord.\nYet even this unusual demonstration of Divine favor was insufficient.\nBlinded through the glory that had been manifested unto him, humbled\nand earnest, awakening to the terrible fact that he had been\npersecuting his Redeemer, he exclaimed in anguish of soul, \"What shall\nI do, Lord?\" He was directed to go to Damascus, there to learn more of\nGod's will concerning him. Gladly did he receive the Lord's messenger,\ndevout Ananias, who ministered unto him so that he regained his sight,\nand then taught him baptism as a means of obtaining forgiveness.[353]\n\n  [353] Acts xxii, 1-16.\n\n=8.= And Saul, known now as Paul, thereafter a preacher of\nrighteousness, and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, taught to\nothers the same great saving principle, that by baptism in water comes\nregeneration from sin.[354] In forceful language, and attended with\nspecial evidences of Divine power, Peter declared the same doctrine to\nthe penitent multitude. Overcome with grief at the recital of what\nthey had done to the Son of God, they cried out \"Men and brethren,\nwhat shall we do?\" Promptly came the answer, with apostolic authority,\n\"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ\nfor the remission of sins.\"[355]\n\n  [354] Titus iii, 5.\n\n  [355] Acts ii, 36-37; see also I Peter iii, 21.\n\n=9.= _Book of Mormon prophets_ gave the same testimony to the western\nfold of Christ. To this effect were the words of Nephi, the son of\nLehi, addressed to his brethren:--\"For the gate by which ye should\nenter, is repentance, and baptism by water; and then cometh a\nremission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost.\"[356] So did\nAlma teach the people of Gideon, as already quoted.[357] Nephi, the\ngrandson of Helaman, immediately preceding Christ's advent upon earth,\nwent forth amongst his people, baptizing unto repentance, from which\nfollowed \"a great remission of sins.\"[358] Nephi ordained assistants\nin the ministry, \"that all such as should come unto them, should be\nbaptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God,\nand unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission\nof their sins.\"[359] Mormon adds his own testimony, as commissioned of\nChrist, exhorting the people to forsake their sins and be baptized for\nremission thereof.[360]\n\n  [356] II Nephi xxxi, 17.\n\n  [357] Alma vii, 14-15; see page 122.\n\n  [358] III Nephi i, 23.\n\n  [359] III Nephi vii, 24-26.\n\n  [360] III Nephi xxx, 2.\n\n=10.= _Modern Revelation_, concerning baptism and its object, shows\nthat the same importance is ascribed by the Lord to the ordinance\ntoday as in earlier times. That there may be no question as to the\napplication of this doctrine to the Church in the present\ndispensation, the principle has been re-stated, the law has been\nre-enacted for our guidance. The elders of the Church are commissioned\nto preach the remission of sins as obtainable through the means of\nauthorized baptism.[361]\n\n  [361] Doc. and Cov. xix, 31; lv, 2; lxviii, 27; lxxvi, 51, 52;\n  lxxxiv, 27, 74.\n\n=11. Fit Candidates for Baptism.=--The prime object of baptism being\nadmission to the Church, with remission of sins, and this coming only\nthrough the exercise of faith in God and true repentance before Him,\nit naturally follows that baptism can in justice be required of those\nonly who are capable of exercising faith and of working\nrepentance.[362] In a revelation on Church government given through\nJoseph the Prophet, April, 1830, the Lord specifically states the\nconditions under which persons may be received into the Church\nthrough baptism: these are His words:--\"All those who humble\nthemselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with\nbroken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the Church that\nthey have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take\nupon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve\nhim to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have\nreceived of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins,\nshall be received by baptism into his Church.\"[363]\n\n  [362] See Note 1.\n\n  [363] Doc. and Cov. xx, 37.\n\n=12.= Such conditions exclude all who have not arrived at the age of\ndiscretion and responsibility; and by special commandment the Lord has\nforbidden the Church to receive any who have not attained to such\nage.[364] By revelation, the Lord has designated eight years as the\nage at which children may be properly baptized into the Church, and\nparents are required to prepare their children for the ordinances of\nthe Church, by teaching them the doctrines of faith, repentance,\nbaptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Failure in this requirement\nis accounted by the Lord as a sin resting upon the heads of the\nparents.[365]\n\n  [364] Doc. and Cov. xx, 71.\n\n  [365] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 25-27.\n\n=13. Infant Baptism.=--The Latter-day Saints are opposed to the\npractice of infant baptism, which indeed they believe to be sacrilege\nin the eyes of God. No one having faith in the word of God can look\nupon the child as impure; such an innocent being needs no initiation\ninto the fold, for it has never strayed therefrom; it needs no\nremission of sins, for it is sinless; and should it die before it has\nbecome contaminated by the sins of earth, it will be received again,\nwithout baptism, into the presence of its God. Yet there are many\nprofessedly Christian teachers who declare that as all children are\nborn into a wicked world, they are themselves wicked, and must be\ncleansed in the waters of baptism to be made acceptable to God. How\nheinous is such a doctrine!--the child to whom the Savior pointed as\nan example of emulation of those even who had received the holy\napostleship,[366] the Lord's selected type of the kingdom of heaven,\nthe favored spirits whose angels stand forever in the presence of the\nFather, faithfully reporting all that may be done unto their sacred\ncharges[367]--such souls are to be rejected and cast into torment\nbecause their earthly guardians failed to have them baptized! To teach\nsuch a doctrine is sin.\n\n  [366] Matt. xviii, 1-6.\n\n  [367] Verse 10.\n\n=14. The History of Infant Baptism= is instructive, as throwing light\nupon the origin of this erratic practice. It is certain that the\nbaptism of infants, or pedobaptism (Greek _paidos_, child, and\n_baptismos_, baptism) as it is styled in theological lore, was not\ntaught by the Savior, nor by His apostles. Some point to the incident\nof Christ blessing little children, and rebuking those who would\nforbid the little ones coming unto Him,[368] as an evidence in favor\nof infant baptism; but, as has been wisely and tersely remarked:--\"From\nthe action of Christ's blessing infants, to infer they are to be\nbaptized, proves nothing so much as that there is a want of better\nargument; for the conclusion would with more probability be derived\nthus: Christ blessed infants, and so dismissed them, but baptized them\nnot; therefore infants are not to be baptized.\"\n\n  [368] Matt. xix, 13; Mark x, 13; Luke xviii, 15.\n\n=15.= There is no authentic record of infant baptism having been\npracticed during the first two centuries after Christ, and the custom\nprobably did not become general till the fifth century; from the\nlast-named time until the Reformation, however, it was accepted by the\ndominant church organization. But even during that dark age, many\ntheological disputants raised their voices against this unholy\nrite.[369] In the early part of the sixteenth century, a sect rose\ninto prominence in Germany, under the name of Anabaptists (Greek\n_ana_, again, and _baptizo_, baptize), distinguished for its\nopposition to the practice of infant baptism, and deriving its name\nfrom the requirement made of all its members who had been baptized in\ninfancy that they be baptized again. This denomination, commonly\ncalled the Baptists, has become greatly divided by internal disputes;\nbut in general, the Baptists have maintained a unity of belief in\nopposing the baptism of irresponsible children.\n\n  [369] See Note 2.\n\n=16.= Some pedobaptists have attempted to prove an analogy between\nbaptism and circumcision; but for such position there is no scriptural\nwarrant. Circumcision was made the mark of a covenant between God and\nHis chosen servant Abraham,[370] a symbol regarded by the posterity of\nAbraham as indicative of their freedom from the idolatry of the times,\nand of God's acceptance of them; and nowhere is circumcision made a\nmeans for remission of sins. That rite was applicable to males only;\nbaptism is administered to both sexes. Circumcision was to be\nperformed on the eighth day after birth, even though such should fall\non the Sabbath.[371] In the third century a council of bishops was\nheld under the presidency of Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, at which it\nwas gravely determined, that to postpone baptism until the eighth day\nafter birth was dangerous, and consequently not to be allowed.\n\n  [370] Gen. xvii, 1-14.\n\n  [371] John vii, 22-23.\n\n=17. Infant Baptism is Forbidden in the Book of Mormon=, from which\nfact we know that disputation upon this subject must have arisen among\nthe Nephites. Mormon, having received special revelation from the\nLord concerning the matter, wrote an epistle thereon to his son\nMoroni, in which he denounces the practice of infant baptism, and\ndeclares that any one who supposeth that little children need baptism\nis in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity, denying\nthe mercies of Christ, and setting at naught His atonement and the\npower of His redemption.[372]\n\n  [372] Moroni viii. Read the entire epistle.\n\n=18. Baptism Essential to Salvation.=--Most of the proofs concerning\nthe object of baptism apply with equal force to the proposition that\nbaptism is necessary for salvation; for, inasmuch as remission of sins\nconstitutes a special purpose of baptism, and as no soul can be saved\nin the kingdom of God with unforgiven sins, it is plain that baptism\nis essential to salvation. Salvation is promised to man on condition\nof his obedience to the commands of God; and, as the scriptures\nconclusively prove, baptism is one of the most important of such\nrequirements. Baptism, being commanded of God, must be essential to\nthe purpose for which it is instituted, for our Father deals not with\nunnecessary forms. Baptism is required of all who have attained to\nyears of accountability; none are exempt.\n\n=19.= Even Christ, standing as a man without sin in the midst of a\nsinful world, was baptized, \"to fulfill all righteousness,\"[373] such\nbeing the purpose, as declared by the Savior Himself to the hesitating\npriest, who, zealous as he was for his great mission, yet demurred\nwhen asked to baptize One whom he considered sinless. Centuries before\nthe great event, Nephi, prophesying among the people in the western\nworld, fore-told the baptism of the Savior, and beautifully explained\nhow righteousness would be thereby fulfilled:[374]--\"And now if the\nLamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water\nto fulfill all righteousness, O, then, how much more need have we,\nbeing unholy, to be baptized?\"\n\n  [373] Matt. iii, 15.\n\n  [374] II Nephi xxxi, 5-8.\n\n=20.= The words of the Savior, spoken while He ministered in the\nflesh, declare baptism to be essential to salvation. One of the rulers\nof the Jews, Nicodemus, came to Christ by night and made a profession\nof confidence in the instructions of the Savior, whom he designated as\n\"a teacher come from God.\" Seeing his faith, Jesus taught unto him one\nof the chief laws of heaven, saying: \"Except a man be born again, he\ncannot see the kingdom of God.\" A question by Nicodemus called forth\nfrom the Savior the additional declaration, \"Verily, verily I say unto\nthee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter\ninto the kingdom of God.\"[375] It is practically indisputable, that\nthe watery birth here referred to as essential to entrance into the\nkingdom is baptism. We learn further, concerning Christ's attitude\ntoward baptism, that He required the ordinance of those who professed\nto become His disciples.[376] When appearing to the Eleven in His\nresurrected state, giving them His farewell blessing and final\ncommission, He commanded them: \"Go ye, therefore, and teach all\nnations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and\nof the Holy Ghost;\"[377] and, concerning the results of baptism, He\ntaught them, that \"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,\nbut he that believeth not shall be damned.\"[378]\n\n  [375] John iii, 1-5.\n\n  [376] John iv, 1-2.\n\n  [377] Matt. xxviii, 19.\n\n  [378] Mark xvi, 16.\n\n=21.= Plain as seems the spirit of these instructions and promises,\nthere are nevertheless many who, while professing to teach the\ndoctrine of the Redeemer, evade the meaning of His precepts, and\ndeclare that because He said \"he that believeth not shall be damned,\"\ninstead of \"he that is not baptized shall be damned,\" baptism is after\nall not an essential, but a mere convenience or simple propriety, in\nthe plan of salvation. It is a mockery of faith to profess belief in\nChrist while refusing to abide by His commandments. To believe the\nword of God and do it not, is to increase our culpability; such a\ncourse but adds hypocrisy to other sin. Surely the full penalty\nprovided for wilful unbelief will fall to the lot of the professed\nbeliever who refuses to yield obedience to the very principles in\nwhich he boasts of having faith. And what can be said of the sincerity\nof one who refuses to obey the Divine commands except there be\nspecific penalties provided for disobedience? Can such a one's\nrepentance be sincere, when he now is submissive only through fear of\npunishment? However, in stating this principle for the government of\nthe Saints in the present dispensation, the Lord's words are more\nparticular and specific, \"And he that believeth and is baptized shall\nbe saved, and he that believeth not, and is not baptized, shall be\ndamned.\"[379]\n\n  [379] Doc. and Cov. cxii, 29.\n\n=22.= The same doctrine concerning the necessity of baptism was\npreached by the disciples of Christ, particularly those who were\nimmediately associated with Him in the ministry. John the Baptist\ntestifies that he had been appointed to baptize with water,[380] and,\nconcerning those who accepted John's teachings, the Savior declared\nthat they, even though they were publicans, justified God, while the\nPharisees and lawyers who refused to be baptized, \"rejected the\ncounsels of God against themselves,\"[381] thereby, most assuredly\nforfeiting their claim to salvation. As already pointed out, Peter,\nthe chief of the apostles, had but one answer to give to the eager\nmultitude seeking to know the essentials of salvation, \"Repent and be\nbaptized, every one of you.\"[382]\n\n  [380] John i, 33.\n\n  [381] Luke vii, 30.\n\n  [382] Acts ii, 38; see also I Peter iii, 21.\n\n=23.= Christ's humble compliance with the will of His Father, by\nsubmitting to baptism even though He stood sinless, surely declares to\nthe world in language more forceful than words that none are exempt\nfrom this condition, that baptism indeed is a requisite for salvation.\nSo, no evidence of Divine favor, no bestowal of heavenly gifts,\nexcuses man from obedience to this and other requirements of the\ngospel. Some illustrations of this fact have been given in connection\nwith the purpose of baptism. Saul of Tarsus, though permitted to hear\nthe voice of His Redeemer, could only enter the Church of Christ\nthrough the portals of baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost.[383]\nAfterward he preached baptism, declaring that by that ordinance may\n\"we put on Christ,\" becoming the children of God. Cornelius, the\ncenturion, was acknowledged of God through prayers and alms, and an\nangel came to him, and instructed him to send for Peter, who would\ntell him what to do. The apostle, having been specially prepared by\nthe Lord for this mission, entered the house of the penitent Gentile,\nthough to do such, was to violate the customs of the Jews; and taught\nhim and his family of Christ Jesus. Even while Peter was speaking, the\nHoly Ghost fell upon his hearers, so that they testified by the gift\nof tongues, and greatly glorified God.[384] Yet the bestowal of such\ngreat gifts in no degree exempted them from compliance with the law of\nbaptism; and Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the\nLord.\n\n  [383] Acts ix, 1-18; xxii, 1-16.\n\n  [384] Acts x, 30-48.\n\n=24.= Christ's ministers on the western continent were not less\nenergetic in promulgating the doctrine of baptism. Lehi[385] and his\nson Nephi,[386] each testified of the baptism of the Savior, and of\nthe absolute necessity of baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost on\nthe part of all seekers after salvation. Nephi beautifully compares\nrepentance and baptism by water and the Spirit to the gate leading\ninto the fold of Christ.[387] Alma the first preached baptism as\nindispensable to salvation, calling upon the people to witness unto\nthe Lord by their observance of this principle, that they covenanted\nto keep His commandments. The second Alma, son of the former,\nproclaimed baptism as a means of salvation, and consecrated ministers\nto baptize.[388]\n\n  [385] I Nephi x, 7-10.\n\n  [386] II Nephi xxxi, 4-14.\n\n  [387] II Nephi xxxi, 17.\n\n  [388] Mos. xviii, 8-17; Alma v, 61, 62; ix, 27.\n\n=25.= During the last century preceding the birth of Christ, the work\nof God among the Lamanites was begun, by the preaching of faith,\nrepentance, and baptism; Ammon declared this doctrine to King Lamoni\nand his people.[389] Helaman preached baptism;[390] and in the time of\nhis ministry, less than half a century before Christ's advent on\nearth, we read that tens of thousands united themselves with the\nChurch, by baptism. So also preached Helaman's sons,[391] and his\ngrandson Nephi.[392] These baptisms were performed in the name of the\nMessiah who was to come; but when He came to His western flock, He\ndirected that they should be baptized in the name of the Father, and\nof the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and bestowed upon twelve chosen\nservants the authority to officiate in the ordinance,[393] promising\nthe riches of Heaven unto all who would comply with His law, and unto\nsuch only.\n\n  [389] Alma xix, 35.\n\n  [390] Alma lxii, 45.\n\n  [391] Hel. v, 14-19.\n\n  [392] III Nephi i, 23.\n\n  [393] III Nephi xi, 22-25; xii, 1-2.\n\n=26.= Evidence is abundant that the Savior regarded the baptized state\nas an essential condition of membership in His Church; thus, when\ninstituting the sacrament among the Nephites, He instructed His\ndisciples to administer it unto those only who had been properly\nbaptized.[394] Further, we are informed that those who were baptized\nas Jesus had directed, were called the Church of Christ.[395] True to\nthe Savior's promise, the Holy Ghost came to those who were baptized\nby His ordained authority, thus adding to water-baptism the higher\nbaptism of fire and the Holy Ghost;[396] and many of them received\nwonderful manifestations of the Divine approval, seeing and hearing\nunspeakable things, not lawful to be written. The faith of the people\nshowed itself in good works,[397] in prayers and fasting,[398] in\nacknowledgment of which Christ reappeared, this time manifesting\nHimself to the Disciples whom He had called to the ministry; and unto\nthem he reiterated the former promises regarding all who were baptized\nof Him; and to this He added, that, provided they endured to the end,\nthey should be held guiltless in the day of judgment.[399] On that\noccasion, He repeated the commandment through obedience to which\nsalvation is promised:--\"Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come\nunto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the\nreception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at\nthe last day.\"[400]\n\n  [394] III Nephi xviii, 5, 11, 23-30.\n\n  [395] III Nephi xxvi, 21.\n\n  [396] III Nephi xxvi, 17-18; xxviii, 18; IV Nephi i, 1.\n\n  [397] III Nephi xxvi, 19-20.\n\n  [398] III Nephi xxvii, 1-2.\n\n  [399] III Nephi xxvii, 16.\n\n  [400] III Nephi xxvii, 20.\n\n=27.= Nearly four centuries later, we hear the same proclamation from\nthe lips of Mormon.[401] And Moroni, his son, the solitary\nrepresentative of a once mighty people, while mourning the\ndestruction of his kindred, leaves what at the time he supposed would\nbe his farewell testimony to the truth of this doctrine;[402] then\nbeing spared contrary to his expectations, he reverts again to the\nsacred theme, realizing the incalculable worth of the doctrine unto\nany and all who would read his pages; and in what might be regarded as\nhis last words, he testifies to baptism by water and the Spirit as the\nmeans of salvation.[403]\n\n  [401] Mormon vii, 8-10.\n\n  [402] Mormon ix, 22-23.\n\n  [403] Moroni vi, 1-4.\n\n=28.= And this great principle, proclaimed of old, remains unaltered\ntoday; it is truth and changes not. The elders of the Church today\nhave been commissioned in almost the same words as were used in\nauthorizing the apostles of old:--\"Go ye into all the world, preach\nthe gospel to every creature, acting in the authority which I have\ngiven you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of\nthe Holy Ghost; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,\nand he that believeth not shall be damned.\"[404] And again, hear the\nword of the Lord through Joseph the Prophet unto the elders of the\nChurch:--\"Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you\nagain, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by\nwater for the remission of sins shall receive the Holy Ghost.\" But,\n\"verily, verily I say unto you, they who believe not on your words,\nand are not baptized in water, in my name, for the remission of their\nsins, that they may receive the Holy Ghost, shall be damned, and shall\nnot come into my Father's kingdom where my Father and I am.\"[405] In\nobedience to these commands, the elders of this Church have continued\nto proclaim the gospel among the nations, preaching faith, repentance,\nand baptism by water and the Holy Ghost, as essential to salvation.\n\n  [404] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 8-9.\n\n  [405] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 64, 74; see also cxii, 28-29.\n\n=29.= We have examined the doctrines concerning baptism current among\nthe Jews, the Nephites, and the Church of Jesus Christ in this age,\nand have found the principles taught to be ever the same. Indeed, we\nhave gone farther back, even to the earliest history of the human\nrace, and have learned that baptism was announced as a saving\nprinciple by which Adam was promised forgiveness and salvation. No one\nhas reason to hope for salvation except by complying with the law of\nGod, of which baptism is an essential part.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Preparation for Baptism.=--The doctrine that baptism, to be\n     acceptable, must be preceded by efficient preparation, was\n     generally taught and understood in the days of Christ, as also in\n     the so-called apostolic period, and the time immediately\n     following. But this belief gradually fell away, and baptism came\n     to be regarded as an outward form, the application of which\n     depended little, if at all, on the candidates' appreciation, or\n     conception of its purpose; and, as stated in the test, the Lord\n     deemed it wise to re-announce the doctrine in the present\n     dispensation. Concerning the former belief a few evidences are\n     here given:\n\n     \"In the first ages of Christianity, men and women were baptized\n     on a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.\"--_Canon\n     Farrar._ \"But as Christ enjoins them (Mark, xvi, 15-16) to teach\n     before baptizing, and desires that none but believers shall be\n     admitted to baptism, it would appear that baptism is not properly\n     administered unless when it is preceded by faith.\"... In the\n     apostolic age \"no one is found to have been admitted to baptism\n     without a previous profession of faith and\n     repentance.\"--_Calvin._ \"You are not first baptized, and then\n     begin to receive the faith, and have a desire; but when you are\n     to be baptized, you make known your will to the Teacher, and make\n     a full confession of your faith with your own\n     mouth.\"--_Arnobius_--a rhetorician who wrote in the latter half\n     of the third century.\n\n     \"In the primitive church, instruction preceded baptism, agreeable\n     to the order of Jesus Christ--'Go, teach all nations, baptizing\n     them,' etc.\"--_Saurin_ (a French protestant; 1677-1730.)\n\n     \"In the first two centuries, no one was baptized, except, being\n     instructed in the faith and acquainted with the doctrine of\n     Christ, he was able to profess himself a believer; because of\n     those words, 'He that believeth and is baptized.'\"--_Salmasius_\n     (a French author; 1588-1653).\n\n     =2. Historical Notes on Infant Baptism.=--\"The baptism of\n     infants, in the first two centuries after Christ, was altogether\n     unknown.... The custom of baptizing infants did not begin before\n     the third age after Christ was born. In the former ages no trace\n     of it appears; and it was introduced without the command of\n     Christ.\"--_Curcellaeus._\n\n     \"It is certain that Christ did not ordain infant baptism.... We\n     cannot prove that the apostles ordained infant baptism. From\n     those places where baptism of a whole family is mentioned (as in\n     Acts xvi, 33; I Cor. i, 16) we can draw no such conclusion,\n     because the inquiry is still to be made, whether there were any\n     children in the families of such an age that they were not\n     capable of any intelligent reception of Christianity; for this is\n     the only point on which the case turns.... As baptism was closely\n     united with a conscious entrance on Christian communion, faith\n     and baptism were always connected with one another; and thus it\n     is in the highest degree probable that baptism was performed only\n     in instances where both could meet together, and that the\n     practice of infant baptism was unknown at this (the apostolic)\n     period.... That not till so late a period as (at least certainly\n     not earlier than) Iren\u00e6us, a trace of infant baptism appears; and\n     that it first became recognized as an apostolic tradition in the\n     course of the third century, is evidence rather against than for\n     the admission of its apostolic origin.\"--_Johann Neander_ (a\n     German theologian who flourished in the first half of the present\n     century).\n\n     \"Let them therefore come when they are grown up--when they can\n     understand--when they are taught whither they are to come. Let\n     them become Christians when they can know Christ.\"--_Tertullian_\n     (one of the Latin \"Christian Fathers\"; he lived from 150 to 220\n     A. D.) Tertullian's almost violent opposition to the practice of\n     pedobaptism is cited by Neander as \"a proof that it was then not\n     usually considered an apostolic ordinance; for in that case he\n     would hardly have ventured to speak so strongly against it.\"\n\n     Martin Luther, writing in the early part of the sixteenth\n     century, declared: \"It cannot be proven by the sacred scriptures\n     that infant baptism was instituted by Christ, or begun by the\n     first Christians after the apostles.\"\n\n     \"By _tekna_ the Apostle understands, not infants, but posterity;\n     in which signification the word occurs in many places of the New\n     Testament (see among others John viii, 39); whence it appears\n     that the argument which is very commonly taken from this passage\n     for the baptism of infants, is of no force, and good for\n     nothing.\"--_Limborch_ (a native of Holland, and a theologian of\n     repute; he lived 1633-1712).\n\n     =3. Baptism Necessary.=--\"That Gospel baptism is necessary to\n     salvation, is abundantly evidenced in the sacred writings.\n     Christ, the highest authority known to man, asserted this most\n     emphatically when He said to Nicodemus: 'Verily, verily, I say\n     unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he\n     cannot enter into the kingdom of God' (John iii, 5). So important\n     did the Savior consider baptism, that when He went to John to be\n     baptized, and John forbade Him, He replied to him: 'Suffer it to\n     be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness'\n     (Matt. iii, 13-15). In this he taught John the doctrine that a\n     fulness of righteousness, or salvation, could not be received\n     without it. The prophet Nephi, who lived nearly six hundred years\n     before the birth of our Savior, clearly understood the necessity\n     of baptism. Said he: 'And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy,\n     should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all\n     righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy,\n     to be baptized, yea, even by water?' (II Nephi xxxi, 5). The\n     prophet Mormon, who lived nearly one thousand years after Nephi,\n     also taught the necessity of following the example of our Savior\n     in being baptized, first by water (Mormon vii,\n     10).\"--_Compendium_, p. 32. See also: Doc. and Cov. v, 16;\n     lxviii, 8; lxxvi, 51; cxii, 29; cxxviii, 12; Book of Mormon: II\n     Nephi xxxi, 11, 17; Alma v, 62; ix, 27; III Nephi xviii, 5;\n     xxviii, 18; Mormon ix, 29; Moroni vi, 1-4; viii, 4-22.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE VII.\n\nBAPTISM.--Continued.\n\n     =Article 4.=--We believe that the first principles and ordinances\n     of the Gospel are:--... (3) Baptism by immersion for the\n     remission of sins; ...\n\n\nMODE OF BAPTISM.\n\n=1. Method of Administering Baptism Important.=--In considering the\nobject and the necessity of baptism, much has been said and inferred\nconcerning the importance which the Lord attaches to this initiatory\nrite; it is natural that the mode of administering the ordinance\nshould also be specifically prescribed. Many Christian sects have some\nestablished rite of initiation, in which water figures as a necessary\nelement; though with some the ceremony consists in nothing more than\nthe placing of the priest's moistened finger on the forehead of the\ncandidate; or in the pouring or sprinkling of water on the face; while\nothers consider immersion of the whole body as requisite. The\nLatter-day Saints hold that the scriptures are devoid of ambiguity\nregarding the acceptable mode of baptism; and they boldly declare\ntheir belief that bodily immersion by a duly authorized servant or\nrepresentative of the Savior is the only true form. Their reasons for\nthis belief may be summed up as follows: (1) The derivation and former\nusage of the word baptism, and its cognates, betoken immersion. (2)\nThe symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other form. (3)\nScriptural authority, the revealed word of God through the mouths of\nancient and modern prophets, prescribes immersion as the true form of\nbaptism.\n\n=2. (1.) The Word \"Baptism=,\" as is generally admitted by\nphilologists, is derived from the Greek _bapto_, _baptizo_, meaning\nliterally to dip, or to immerse. As is true in the case of every\nliving language, words may undergo great changes of meaning; and some\nwriters declare that the term in question may be as applicable to\npouring or sprinkling with water as to actual immersion. It becomes\ninteresting, therefore, to inquire as to the current meaning of the\nterm at or near the time of Christ; for, as the Savior evidently\ndeemed it unnecessary, in the course of His instructions concerning\nbaptism, to modify or in any way to enlarge upon the meaning of the\nterm, the word \"baptize\" evidently conveyed a very definite meaning to\nthose who received His teachings. From the use made of the original\nterm by the Latin and Greek authors,[406] it is plain that they\nunderstood an actual immersion in water as the only true\nsignification. The modern Greeks understand baptism to mean a burial\nin water, and therefore, as they adopt the profession of Christianity,\nthey practice immersion as the only proper form in baptism.[407]\nConcerning this kind of argument, it should be remembered that\nphilological evidence is not of the most decisive order. Let us pass\nthen to the consideration of other and stronger reasons.\n\n  [406] See Note 1.\n\n  [407] See Note 2.\n\n=3. (2.) The Symbolism of the Baptismal Rite= is preserved in no form\nother than immersion. The Savior compared baptism to a birth, and\ndeclared such to be essential to the life that leads to the kingdom of\nGod.[408] Surely none can say that a birth is represented by a simple\nsprinkling of water on the face or head. Not the least of the\ndistinctions which have contributed to Christ's pre-eminence as a\nteacher of teachers, consists in His precise and forceful use of\nlanguage; His comparisons are always strong, His metaphors ever\nexpressive, His parables convincing; and so inappropriate a comparison\nas is implied in such a false representation of birth, would be\nentirely foreign to the Great Teacher's methods.\n\n  [408] John iii, 3, 5.\n\n=4.= Baptism has also been very impressively compared to a burial,\nfollowed by a resurrection; and in this symbol of the bodily death and\nresurrection of His Son has God promised to grant remission of sins.\nIn writing to the Romans, Paul says:--\"Know ye not, that so many of us\nas were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?\nTherefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as\nChrist was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so\nwe also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted\ntogether in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the\nlikeness of his resurrection.\"[409] And again, the same apostle\nwrites: \"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with\nhim through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him\nfrom the dead.\"[410] Among all the varied forms of baptism practiced\nby man, immersion alone typifies a birth, marking the beginning of a\nnew career; or the sleep of the grave, with subsequent victory over\ndeath.\n\n  [409] Rom. vi, 3-5.\n\n  [410] Col. ii, 12.\n\n=5. (3.) Scriptural Authority= warrants none other form than\nimmersion. Christ Himself was baptized by immersion. We read that\nafter the ceremony, He \"went up straightway out of the water.\"[411]\nThat the baptism of the Savior was acceptable before His Father is\nabundantly proved by the manifestations immediately following the\nordinance--in the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the declaration,\n\"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\" John, surnamed,\nbecause of his Divine commission, the Baptist, baptized in the river\nJordan;[412] and shortly afterward we hear of him baptizing in \u00c6non,\nnear to Salim, \"because there was much water there;\"[413] yet had he\nbeen baptizing by sprinkling, a small quantity of water would have\nsufficed for a multitude.\n\n  [411] Matt. iii, 16-17; Mark i, 10-11.\n\n  [412] Mark i, 4, 5.\n\n  [413] John iii, 23.\n\n=6.= We read of baptism following the somewhat speedy conversion of\nthe Ethiopian eunuch, treasurer to the queen, Candace. To him Philip\npreached the doctrine of Christ, as they rode together in the\nEthiopian's chariot; the eunuch, believing the words of his inspired\ninstructor, desired baptism, and Philip consenting, \"he commanded the\nchariot to stand still, and they both _went down into the water_, both\nPhilip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come\n_up out of the water_, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that\nthe eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.\"[414]\nSurely the record in this case is explicit, that immersion was the\nmode practiced by Philip.\n\n  [414] Acts viii, 26-39.\n\n=7. History, other than Scriptural=, proves that for more than two\ncenturies after Christ, immersion was the only mode of baptism\ngenerally practiced by professed Christians; and not indeed till near\nthe close of the thirteenth century did other forms become\ngeneral.[415] Distortions of ordinances instituted by authority may be\nexpected, if the outward form of such ordinances be attempted after\nthe authority to minister in them has been taken away; yet such\ndistortions are of gradual growth; deformities resulting from\nconstitutional ailments do not develop in a day; we may with reason,\ntherefore, look for the closest imitation of the true form of baptism,\nas indeed of any other ordinance instituted by Christ, in the period\nimmediately following His personal ministry, and that of His\napostles. Then, as the darkness of unbelief deepened, the authority\ngiven of Christ having been taken from the earth with His martyred\nservants, many innovations appeared, dignitaries of the various\nchurches becoming a law unto themselves and to their adherents. Early\nin the third century, the Bishop of Carthage decided that persons of\nweak health might be acceptably baptized by sprinkling; and with the\nlicense thus given, the true form of baptism gradually fell into\ndisfavor, and unauthorized practices devised by man took its place.\n\n  [415] See Note 3.\n\n=8. Baptism among the Nephites= was performed by immersion only. The\nwide extent to which baptism was preached and practiced among the\npeople from Lehi to Moroni has been already shown. When the Savior\nappeared to His people on this hemisphere, He gave them very explicit\ninstructions as to the method of procedure in administering the\nordinance. These are his words:--\"Verily I say unto you, that whoso\nrepenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized\nin my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, ye shall go\ndown and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And\nnow behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by\nname, saying, _Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize\nyou in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:\nAmen._ And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth\nagain out of the water.\"[416]\n\n  [416] III Nephi xi, 23-27.\n\n=9. Modern Baptism=, as prescribed by revelation, is after the same\npattern. The first baptisms in the present dispensation were those of\nJoseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who baptized each other according to\nthe directions of the heavenly messenger from whom they had received\nauthority to administer in this holy ordinance, and who was none other\nthan John the Baptist of a former dispensation, the forerunner of the\nMessiah. Joseph Smith thus describes the event:--\"Accordingly we went\nand were baptized; I baptized him [Oliver Cowdery] first, and\nafterwards he baptized me.... Immediately on our coming up out of the\nwater after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious\nblessings.\"\n\n=10.= In a revelation concerning Church government, dated April, 1830,\nthe Lord prescribed the exact mode of baptism as He desires the\nordinance administered in the present dispensation. He said: \"Baptism\nis to be administered in the following manner unto all those who\nrepent:--The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus\nChrist to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who\nhas presented him or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him\nor her by name--_Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize\nyou in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\nAmen._ Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth\nagain out of the water.\"[417]\n\n  [417] Doc. and Cov. xx, 72-74.\n\n=11.= The Lord would not have prescribed the words of this ceremony\ndid He not desire them used, and therefore elders and priests of the\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no personal authority\nto change the form given of God, by additions, omissions, or\nalterations of any kind.\n\n\nBAPTISM AND \"RE-BAPTISM.\"\n\n=12. A Repetition of the Baptismal Ordinance= on the same individual\nis allowable under certain specific conditions. Thus, if one, having\nentered the Church by baptism, withdraws from it, or is excommunicated\ntherefrom, and afterwards repents and desires to regain his standing\nin the Church, he can do so only through baptism. However, such is a\nrepetition of the initiatory ordinance as previously administered.\nThere is no ordinance of \"re-baptism\" in the Church distinct in\nnature, form, or purpose, from other baptism; and, therefore, in\nadministering baptism to a subject who has been formerly baptized, the\nform of the ceremony is exactly the same as in first baptisms. The\nexpression, \"I re-baptize you,\" in place of \"I baptize you,\" and the\nadditions \"for the renewal of your covenants,\" or \"for the remission\nof your sins,\" though such have been used by officiating elders and\npriests of the Church, are not authorized. The dictates of reason\nunite with the voice of the presiding authorities of the Church in\ndiscountenancing any erratic departures from the course prescribed by\nthe Lord; changes in ceremonies given by authority can be effected\nonly by authority, and we must look for direction in these matters to\nthose who hold the keys of power in the Church.\n\n=13.= A \"re-baptism,\" that is, a repetition of the simple ordinance as\nat first performed, may be allowed under particular circumstances,\nwhich seemingly warrant this extraordinary step. Thus, in the early\ndays of the Church in Utah, its members having come hither through\nmuch tribulation, long and toilsome journeyings, accompanied in many\ninstances by prolonged suspension of Church gatherings and other\nformal religious observances, it was wisely suggested by President\nYoung that the members of the Church renew the witness of their\nallegiance to the cause of God, by each one seeking baptism. Then, as\nother companies of immigrants continued to arrive, the same conditions\nof long travel and rough experience applying in their cases, and\nfurther, as many of them hailed from foreign branches of the Church,\nstill incompletely organized, through which circumstances the actual\nstanding of the members could not be readily proved, the same rite of\na second baptism was allowed to them. However, it was never intended\nthat such a practice should become general; far less that it should be\nestablished as a permanent rule of action in the Church. The\nLatter-day Saints do not profess to be Anabaptists.\n\n=14. \"Re-baptisms\" Recorded in Scripture= are very few; and in every\ninstance, the existence of special circumstances justifying the action\nare readily seen. Thus, we read of Paul baptizing certain professed\ndisciples at Ephesus though they had already been baptized after the\nmanner of John's baptism.[418] But in this case, the apostle was\nevidently, and with good reason, suspicious that the baptism of which\nthese spoke had been performed by unauthorized hands, or at least\nwithout the proper preliminary education of the candidates; for when\nhe tested the efficacy of their baptism by asking \"Have ye received\nthe Holy Ghost since ye believed?\" they answered him, \"We have not so\nmuch as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.\" Then asked he in\nsurprise, \"Unto what then were ye baptized?\" and they replied, \"Unto\nJohn's baptism.\" But Paul knew, as we know, that John preached the\nbaptism of repentance by water, but always declared that such was but\na preliminary to the greater baptism by fire, which Christ should\nbring. Therefore, in view of such unsatisfactory evidence concerning\nthe validity of their baptism, Paul had baptism in the name of the\nLord Jesus administered unto these twelve devout Ephesians, after\nwhich he laid his hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.\n\n  [418] Acts xix, 1-6.\n\n=15.= The baptism instituted by Christ among the Nephites,[419] was\nvery largely a \"re-baptism;\" for as we have already seen, the doctrine\nof baptism had been taught and practiced among the people from the\ntime of Lehi; and surely, Nephi, the first to whom the Savior gave\nauthority to baptize after His departure, had been previously\nbaptized, for he and his co-laborers in the ministry had been most\nzealous in declaring the necessity of baptism.[420] Yet in this case\nalso, there had probably arisen much impropriety in the manner, and\nperhaps in the spirit, of administering the ordinance; for the Savior\nin giving minute directions concerning the form of baptism, reproved\nthem for the spirit of contention and disputation that had previously\nexisted among them regarding the ordinance.[421] Therefore, the\nbaptism of these people was made valid by an authoritative\nadministration after the manner prescribed of God.\n\n  [419] III Nephi xi, 21-28.\n\n  [420] III Nephi vii, 23-26, etc.\n\n  [421] III Nephi xi, 27-30.\n\n=16.= Incidentally, our attention is arrested by the fact that in\nthese cases of re-baptism among the Nephites, the same ritual was used\nas in first baptism, and this by explicit instructions of the Lord,\ncoupled with an impressive warning against disputation. Why should the\npriests in this day seek to alter the form to suit the case of a\ncandidate who has formerly been baptized?\n\n=17. Repeated Baptisms of the Same Person= are not sanctioned in the\nChurch. It is easy to fall into the error of believing that baptism\noffers a ready means of gaining forgiveness of sins however oft\nrepeated. Such a belief tends rather to excuse than to prevent sin,\ninasmuch as the hurtful effects seem to be so easily averted. Neither\nthe written law of God, nor the instructions of His living Priesthood,\ndesignate baptism as a means of securing forgiveness by those who are\nalready within the fold of Christ. Unto such, forgiveness of all sin,\nif not unto death, has been promised on confession, and repentance\nwith full purpose of heart; of them a repetition of the baptismal rite\nhas not been required and, were subjects of this class repeatedly\nbaptized, unto them remission of sins would in no wise come, except\nthey repent most sincerely. The frailties of mortality and our\nproneness to sin lead us continually into error; but if we covenant\nwith the Lord at the waters of baptism, and thereafter seek to observe\nHis law, He is merciful to pardon our little transgressions, through\nrepentance sincere and true; and without such repentance, baptism,\nhowever oft repeated, would avail us nothing.\n\n\nBAPTISM FOR THE DEAD.\n\n=18. Baptism Required of All.=--The universal applicability of the law\nof baptism has been already dwelt upon. Compliance with the ordinance\nhas been shown to be essential to salvation, and this condition\napplies to all mankind. Nowhere in scripture is a distinction made in\nthis regard between the living and the dead. The dead are those who\nhave lived in mortality upon earth; the living are mortals who yet\nshall pass through the ordained change which we call death. All are\nchildren of the same Father, all to be judged and rewarded or punished\nby the same unerring justice, with the same interpositions of\nbenignant mercy. Christ's atoning sacrifice was offered, not alone for\nthe few who lived upon the earth while He was in the flesh, nor for\nthose who were to be born in mortality after His death, but for all\ninhabitants of earth then past, present, and future. He was ordained\nof the Father to be a judge of both quick and dead;[422] He is Lord\nalike of living and dead,[423] as men speak of dead and living, though\nall are to be placed in the same position before Him; there will be\nbut a single class, for all live unto Him.[424]\n\n  [422] Acts x, 42; II Tim. iv, 1; I Peter iv, 5.\n\n  [423] Rom. xiv, 9.\n\n  [424] Luke xx, 36, 38.\n\n=19. The Gospel yet Unknown to Many.=--Of the multitudes of human\nbeings who have existed on the earth, but few have heard and fewer\nhave obeyed, the law of the gospel. In the course of the world's\nhistory there have been long periods of spiritual darkness, when the\ngospel was not preached upon the earth; when there was no authorized\nrepresentative of the Lord officiating in the saving ordinances of the\nkingdom. Such a condition has never existed except as the result of\nthe unbelief and waywardness of the people. When mankind have\npersistently trodden the pearls of truth into the mire, and have\nsought to slay and rend the bearers of the jewels, in justice not more\nthan in mercy these treasures of heaven have been taken and withheld\nuntil a more appreciative posterity could be raised up. It may very\nproperly be asked, What provisions are made in the economy of God for\nthe eventual salvation of those who have thus neglected the\nrequirements of the Word, and for those who have never heard the\ngospel tidings?\n\n=20.= According to certain dogmas that have prevailed among many\nso-called Christian sects during the obscurity of the spiritual night,\nand which are yet zealously promulgated, never-ending punishment or\ninterminable bliss, unchanging in kind or degree, shall be the lot of\nevery soul; the award being made according to the condition of the\nspirit at the time of bodily death; a life of sin being thus entirely\nnullified by a death-bed repentance; and an honorable career, if\nunmarked by ceremonies of the established sects, being followed by the\ntortures of hell without the hope of relief. Such a belief must rank\nwith the dread heresy which proclaims the condemnation of innocent\nbabes who have not been sprinkled by man's assumed authority.\n\n=21.= It is blasphemous to thus attribute caprice and vindictiveness\nto the Divine nature. In the justice of God, no soul shall be\ncondemned under any law which has not been made known unto him. It is\ntrue, eternal punishment has been decreed as the lot of the wicked;\nbut the true meaning of this terrible expression has been given by the\nLord Himself:[425] eternal punishment is God's punishment; endless\npunishment is God's punishment, for \"Endless\" and \"Eternal\" are among\nHis names, and the words are descriptive of His attributes. No soul\nwill be kept in prison or continued in torment beyond the time\nrequisite to work the needed reformation and to vindicate justice, for\nwhich ends alone punishment is imposed. And no one will be permitted\nto enter any kingdom of glory to which he is not entitled through\nobedience to law.\n\n  [425] See page 63; Doc. and Cov. xix, 10-12.\n\n=22. The Gospel to be Preached to the Dead.=--It is plain, then, that\nthe gospel must be proclaimed in the spirit world; and that such work\nis provided for, the scriptures abundantly prove. Peter, describing\nthe mission of his Redeemer, thus declares this truth:--\"For this\ncause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they\nmight be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to\nGod in the spirit.\"[426] The inauguration of this work among the dead\nwas effected by Christ in the interval between His death and\nresurrection. While His body lay in the tomb, His spirit ministered to\nthe spirits of the departed:--\"By which also he went and preached unto\nthe spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient when once the\nlong-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a\npreparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by\nwater.\"[427]\n\n  [426] I Peter iv, 6.\n\n  [427] I Peter iii, 18-20.\n\n=23.= Other scriptures sustain the position, that while in a\ndisembodied state, Christ went elsewhere than to the place usually\ntermed heaven,--the abode of His Father; and that He labored among\nthe dead, who greatly needed His ministry. One of the malefactors who\nsuffered crucifixion by His side, through humility won from the dying\nSavior the promise, \"To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.\"[428]\nAnd three days afterward, the Lord, then a resurrected Being, declared\nto the sorrowing Magdalene, \"I have not yet ascended to my\nFather.\"[429]\n\n  [428] Luke xxiii, 39-43.\n\n  [429] John xx, 17.\n\n=24.= If it was deemed proper and just that the gospel be carried to\nthe spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah, is it not\nreasonable to conclude that like opportunities shall be placed within\nthe reach of others who have rejected the word at different times? For\nthe same spirit of neglect and disobedience that characterized the\ntime of Noah has ever existed.[430] And further, if, in the plan of\nGod, provisions be made for the redemption of the wilfully\ndisobedient, of those who actually spurn the truth, can we believe\nthat the still greater multitudes of spirits who have never heard the\nGospel are to be left in punishment eternally? No; God has decreed\nthat even the heathen nations, and those that knew no law, shall be\nredeemed.[431] The good gifts of the Father are not confined to this\nsphere of action, but will be distributed in justice throughout\neternity. Upon all who reject the word of God in this life shall fall\nthe penalties provided for such act; but after the debt has been paid,\nthe prison doors shall be opened, and the spirits once confined in\nsuffering, now chastened and clean, shall come forth to partake of the\nglory provided for their class.\n\n  [430] Luke xvii, 26.\n\n  [431] Doc. and Cov. xlv, 54.\n\n=25. Christ's Work among the Dead was Foretold.=--Centuries before\nChrist came in the flesh, the prophets rejoiced in the knowledge that\nthrough Him would salvation be carried to the dead as well as to the\nliving. Speaking of the punishment to be brought upon the proud and\nhaughty of the earth, Isaiah declares: \"And they shall be gathered\ntogether, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up\nin the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.\"[432] The\nsame great prophet thus testifies concerning the work of the coming\nRedeemer; He is \"to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners\nfrom the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison\nhouse.\"[433] And David, singing to the music of inspiration concerning\nthe redemption from the grave, exclaims: \"Therefore my heart is glad,\nand my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou\nwilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy\nOne to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy\npresence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for\nevermore.\"[434]\n\n  [432] Isa. xxiv, 22.\n\n  [433] Isa. xlii, 6-7.\n\n  [434] Psa. xvi, 9-11.\n\n=26. Work of the Living for the Dead.=--The redemption of the dead\nwill be effected in strict accordance with the law of God, which is\nwritten in justice and framed in mercy. It is alike impossible for any\nspirit, in the flesh or disembodied, to obtain even the promise of\neternal glory, except on condition of obedience to the laws and\nordinances of the gospel. And, as baptism is essential to the\nsalvation of the living, it is likewise indispensable to the salvation\nof the dead. This was known by the Saints of old, and hence the\ndoctrine of baptism for the dead was taught among them. In an epistle\naddressed to the Saints at Corinth, Paul expounded the principles of\nthe resurrection, whereby the bodies of the dead are to be brought\nforth from the graves. \"Christ the first fruits, and afterward they\nthat are Christ's,\" and as proof that this doctrine of the\nresurrection was included in the gospel as they had received and\nprofessed it, the apostle asks: \"Else what shall they do which are\nbaptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then\nbaptized for the dead?\"[435] These words are unambiguous, and the fact\nthat they are presented without explanation or comment argues that the\nprinciple of baptism for the dead was understood among the people to\nwhom the letter was addressed.\n\n  [435] I Cor. xv, 29. See \"The House of the Lord,\" p. 92.\n\n=27.= The necessity of vicarious work is here shown,--the living\nlaboring in behalf of the dead; the children doing for their\nprogenitors what is beyond the power of the latter to do for\nthemselves. Many and various are the interpretations rendered by\nerring human wisdom on this plain statement of Paul's; yet the simple\nand earnest seeker after truth finds little difficulty in\ncomprehending the meaning. In words which form the closing sentences\nof the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi predicted the great work to\nbe carried on in behalf of the dead during the latter days: \"Behold, I\nwill send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and\ndreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers\nto the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest\nI come and smite the earth with a curse.\"[436] It is a current belief\namong many Bible students, that this prophecy had reference to the\nbirth and ministry of John the Baptist,[437] upon whom indeed rested\nand remained the spirit and power of Elias, as the angel had\nforetold;[438] but we have no record of Elijah ministering unto John;\nand moreover the results of the latter's ministry warrant no\nconclusion that in him did the prophecy find its full realization.\n\n  [436] Mal. iv, 5-6.\n\n  [437] Matt. xi, 14; xvii, 11; Mark ix, 11; Luke i, 17.\n\n  [438] Luke i, 17; Doc. and Cov. xxvii, 7.\n\n=28.= We must therefore look to a later date in the world's history\nfor a fulfillment of Malachi's prediction. On the 21st of September,\n1823, Joseph Smith[439] received a visitation of a heavenly being who\nannounced himself as Moroni, sent from the presence of God. In the\ncourse of his instructions to the chosen youth, this heavenly\npersonage quoted the prophecy of Malachi, already referred to, but in\nlanguage slightly different from, and certainly more expressive than,\nthat appearing in the ordinary translation of the scriptures; the\nangel's version is as follows: \"For behold the day cometh that shall\nburn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly,\nshall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the\nLord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.\nBehold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the\nprophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.\nAnd he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to\nthe fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their\nfathers; if it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at\nHis coming.\"[440]\n\n  [439] See page 10.\n\n  [440] Compare verses 1, 5, and 6, Mal. iv.\n\n=29.= In a glorious manifestation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery,\ngiven in the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836, there appeared unto them\nElijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death; he\ndeclared unto them: \"Behold, the time has fully come which was spoken\nof by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent\nbefore the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts\nof the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, lest\nthe whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this\ndispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know\nthat the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the\ndoors.\"[441]\n\n  [441] Doc. and Cov. cx, 13-16.\n\n=30. The Fathers and the Children Mutually Dependent.=--One of the\ngreat principles underlying the doctrine of salvation for the dead is\nthat of the mutual dependence of the fathers and the children. As the\nProphet Joseph taught the Saints,[442] but for the establishment of a\nconnecting link between the departed fathers and the living children,\nthe earth would be smitten with a curse. The plan of God provides that\nneither the children nor the fathers can alone be made perfect; and\nthe necessary union is effected through baptism and associated\nordinances for the dead. The manner in which the hearts of the\nchildren and those of the fathers are turned toward one another is\nmade plain through these scriptures. As the children learn that\nwithout the aid of their progenitors they cannot attain perfection,\nassuredly will their hearts be opened, their faith will be kindled,\nand good works will be attempted, for the redemption of their dead;\nand the departed, learning from the ministers of the gospel laboring\namong them, that they must depend upon their children as vicarious\nsaviors, will seek to sustain their still mortal representatives with\nfaith and prayer for the perfecting of those labors of love.\n\n  [442] Doc. and Cov. cxxviii, 18; see also this entire section and\n  sec. cxxvii.\n\n=31.= And love, which is a power in itself, is thus intensified. Aside\nfrom the emotions which are stirred within the soul by the presence of\nthe Divine, there are few feelings stronger and purer than the love\nfor kindred. Heaven would not be all we wish were family love unknown\nthere.[443] Affection there will differ from its earthly type, in\nbeing deeper, stronger, purer. And thus in the mercy of God, His\nerring, mortal children, who have taken upon themselves the name of\nChrist on earth, may become, in a limited sphere, each a savior in the\nhouse of his fathers, and that too by vicarious labor and sacrifice,\nrendered in humility, and, as represented in the baptismal ordinance,\ntypical of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Redeemer.\n\n  [443] See Note 4.\n\n=32. The Labor for the Dead is Two-fold.=--That performed on earth\nwould be incomplete but for its supplement and counterpart beyond the\nvail. Missionary labor is in progress there, whereby the tidings of\nthe gospel are carried to the departed spirits, who thus learn of the\nwork done in their behalf on earth. What glorious possibilities\nconcerning the purposes of God are thus presented to our view! How the\nmercy of God is magnified by these evidences of His love! How often do\nwe behold friends and loved ones, whom we count among earth's fairest\nand best, stricken down by the shafts of death, seemingly in spite of\nthe power of faith and the ministrations of the Priesthood of God! Yet\nwho of us can tell but that these may be permitted to minister in the\nlabor of redemption beyond, preaching perhaps the gospel to the\nspirits of their forefathers, while others of the same family are\nofficiating in a similar behalf on earth?\n\n=33.= As far as the Divine will has been revealed, it requires that\nthe outward ordinances, such as baptism in water, the laying on of\nhands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, and the higher endowments\nthat follow, be attended to on earth, a proper representative in the\nflesh acting as proxy for the dead. The results of such labors are to\nbe left with God. It is not to be supposed that by these ordinances\nthe departed are in any way compelled to accept the obligation, nor\nthat they are in the least hindered in the exercise of their free\nagency. They will accept or reject, according to their condition of\nhumility or hostility in respect to things divine; but the work so\ndone for them on earth will be of avail when wholesome argument and\nreason have shown them their true position.\n\n\nTEMPLES.\n\n=34. Temples or Other Sacred Places= are required for the performance\nof these holy ordinances. Whenever an organization of the priesthood\nhas existed on earth, the Lord has required the preparation of places\nsuited to His use, where the rites of His Church could be performed.\nIt is but proper that such a structure should be the result of the\npeople's best efforts, inasmuch as it is made by them an offering unto\nthe Lord. In every age of the world, the chosen people have been a\ntemple-building people. Shortly after Israel's deliverance from the\nbondage of Egypt, the Lord called upon the people to construct a\nsanctuary to His name, the plan of which He minutely specified. Though\nthis was but a tent, it was elaborately furnished and appointed, the\nchoicest possessions of the people being used in its construction.[444]\nAnd the Lord accepted this offering of His wandering people, by\nmanifesting His glory therein, and there revealing Himself.[445] When\nthe people had settled in the promised land, the Tabernacle of the\ncongregation was given a more permanent resting place;[446] yet it\nstill was honored for its sacred purpose, until superseded by the\nTemple of Solomon as the sanctuary of the Lord.\n\n  [444] Exo. xxv; xxxv, 22. See \"The House of the Lord,\" ch. ii.\n\n  [445] Exo. xl, 34-38.\n\n  [446] Josh. xviii, 1.\n\n=35.= This temple, one of the most gorgeous structures ever erected by\nman for sacred service, was dedicated with imposing ceremonies; but\nits splendor was of short duration; for, within less than forty years\nfrom the time of its completion, its glory declined, and finally it\nfell a prey to the flames. A partial restoration of the temple was\nmade after the Jews returned from their captivity; and through the\nfriendly influence of Cyrus and Darius, the temple of Zerubbabel was\ndedicated.[447] That the Lord accepted this effort of His people to\nmaintain a sanctuary to His name, is fully shown by the spirit that\nactuated its officers, among whom were Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi.\nThis temple remained standing for nearly five centuries; and, but a\nfew years before the birth of the Savior, the reconstruction of the\nedifice was begun by wicked Herod the Great, and the term \"Temple of\nHerod\" passed into history.[448] The veil of this temple was rent at\nthe time of the crucifixion,[449] and in the year 70 A. D. the\ndestruction of the building was accomplished by Titus.\n\n  [447] I Kings vi, viii.\n\n  [448] Ezra i, iii, vi.\n\n  [449] Matt. xxvii, 50.\n\n=36. Modern Temples.=--From that time until the present dispensation,\nno other temples have been reared on the eastern continent. It is\ntrue, imposing edifices have been erected for the purposes of worship;\nbut a colossal structure does not necessarily constitute a temple. A\ntemple is more than a church-building, a meeting-house, a tabernacle,\nor a synagogue; it is a place specially prepared by dedication unto\nthe Lord, and marked by His acceptance, for the performing of the\nordinances pertaining to the Holy Priesthood. The Latter-day Saints,\ntrue to the characteristics of the chosen of God,[450] have been from\nthe first a temple-building people. Only a few months after the\norganization of the Church in the present dispensation, the Lord made\nreference to a temple which was to be built.[451] In July, 1831, the\nLord designated a spot in Independence, Mo., as the site of a future\ntemple;[452] but the work of construction thereon has not yet been\nconsummated, as is likewise the case with the temple site at Far West,\non which the corner-stones were laid July 4, 1838, and relaid April\n26, 1839.\n\n  [450] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39. See \"The House of the Lord.\"\n\n  [451] Doc. and Cov. xxxvi, 8.\n\n  [452] Doc. and Cov. lvii, 3.\n\n=37.= The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has constructed\ntemples, each an imposing and costly structure, at Kirtland, Ohio;\nNauvoo, Illinois; St. George, Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City, Utah;\nCardston, Canada; and Laie, Hawaiian Islands. The temples at Kirtland\nand Nauvoo were abandoned as the members of the Church who had built\nthem through sacrifice yet untold were driven westward by the force of\npersecution. The building at Kirtland is now used as an ordinary\nmeeting-house by a small sect that is but little known and that\nevinces no activity in the sacred labors for which temples are built.\nThe temple at Nauvoo was destroyed through malicious incendiarism. The\nmagnitude and grandeur of the sacred labors accomplished in the\ntemples of the present dispensation, for the salvation of both the\nliving and the dead, give assurance of the Lord's gracious\nacceptance.[453]\n\n  [453] For a comprehensive treatment see the author's work. \"The\n  House of the Lord\"--a study of holy sanctuaries, ancient and\n  modern: 336 pp. with illustrations.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Usage of the Term \"Baptize\" in Ancient Times.=--The following\n     instances show the ordinary meaning attached to the Greek term\n     from which our word \"baptize\" is derived. In all, the idea of\n     immersion is plainly intended.--(For these and other examples,\n     see Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 687-688.)\n\n     Polybius, a writer of history, who flourished during the second\n     century before Christ, uses the following expressions: In\n     describing a naval conflict between the Carthaginian and Roman\n     fleets off the shores of Sicily he says, \"If any were hard\n     pressed by the enemy they withdrew safely back, on account of\n     their fast sailing into the open sea: and then turning round and\n     falling on those of their pursuers who were in advance, they gave\n     them frequent blows and 'baptized' many of their vessels.\"--Book\n     I, ch. 51.\n\n     The same writer thus refers to the passage of the Roman soldiers\n     through the river Trebia: \"When the passage of the river Trebia\n     came on, which had risen above its usual current, on account of\n     the rain which had fallen, the infantry with difficulty crossed\n     over, being 'baptized' up to the chest.\"--Book III, ch. 72.\n\n     Describing a catastrophe which befell the Roman ships at\n     Syracuse, Polybius states: \"Some were upset, but the greater\n     number, their prow being thrown down from a height, were\n     'baptized' and became full of sea.\"\n\n     Strabo, who lived during the time of Christ, used the term\n     \"baptized\" in the same sense. He thus describes an instrument\n     used in fishing: \"And if it fall into the sea it is not lost:\n     for it is compacted of oak and pine wood: so that even if the oak\n     is 'baptized' by its weight, the remaining part floats and is\n     easily recovered.\"\n\n     Strabo refers to the buoyancy of certain saline waters thus:\n     \"These have the taste of salt water, but a different nature, for\n     even persons who cannot swim are not liable to be 'baptized' in\n     them, but float like logs on the surface.\"\n\n     Referring to a salt spring in Tatta, the same writer says: \"So\n     easily does the water form a crust round everything 'baptized'\n     into it that if persons let down a circlet of rushes they will\n     draw up wreaths of salt.\"\n\n     Speaking of a species of pitch from the lake Sirbonis, Strabo\n     says: \"It will float on the surface owing to the nature of the\n     water, which, as we said, is such as to render swimming\n     unnecessary, and such that one who walks upon it is not\n     'baptized.'\"\n\n     Dio Cassius, speaking of the effects of a severe storm near Rome\n     says: \"The vessels which were in the Tiber, which were lying at\n     anchor near the city, and to the river's mouth, were 'baptized.'\"\n\n     The same author thus alludes to the fate of some of Curio's\n     soldiers while fleeing before the forces of Juba: \"Not a few of\n     these fugitives perished, some being knocked down in their\n     attempts to get on board the vessels, and others, even when in\n     the boats, being 'baptized' through their weight.\"\n\n     Alluding to the fate of the Byzantians who endeavored to escape\n     the siege by taking to the sea, he says: \"Some of those, from the\n     extreme violence of the wind, were 'baptized.'\"\n\n     =2. Baptism among the Greeks.=--\"The native Greeks must\n     understand their own language better than foreigners, and they\n     have always understood the word baptism to signify dipping; and\n     therefore from their first embracing of Christianity to this day\n     they have always baptized, and do yet baptize, by\n     immersion.\"--_Robinson._\n\n     =3. Early Form of Christian Baptism.=--History furnishes ample\n     proof that in the first century after the death of Christ,\n     baptism was administered solely by immersion. Tertullian thus\n     refers to the immersion ceremony common in his day: \"There is no\n     difference whether one is washed in a sea or in a pool, in a\n     river or in a fountain, in a lake or in a channel: nor is there\n     any difference between those whom John dipped in Jordan, and\n     those whom Peter dipped in the Tiber.... We are immersed in the\n     water.\"\n\n     The following are but a few of the instances on record (see\n     Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 769-770):\n\n     Justin Martyr describes the ceremony as practiced by himself.\n     First describing the preparatory examination of the candidate, he\n     proceeds: \"After that they are led by us to where there is water,\n     and are born again in that kind of new birth by which we\n     ourselves were born again. For upon the name God, the Father and\n     Lord of all, and of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and of the Holy\n     Spirit, the immersion in water is performed, because the Christ\n     hath also said, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into\n     the kingdom of heaven.'\"\n\n     Bishop Bennet says concerning the practices of the early\n     Christians: \"They led them into the water and laid them down in\n     the water as a man is laid in a grave; and then they said those\n     words, 'I baptize (or wash) thee in the name of the Father, Son,\n     and Holy Ghost'; then they raised them up again, and clean\n     garments were put on them; from whence came the phrases of being\n     baptized into Christ's death, of being buried with Him by baptism\n     into death, of our being risen with Christ, and of our putting on\n     the Lord Jesus Christ, of putting off the old man, and putting on\n     the new.\"\n\n     \"That the apostles immersed whom they baptized there is no\n     doubt.... And that the ancient church followed their example is\n     very clearly evinced by innumerable testimonies of the\n     fathers.\"--_Vossius._\n\n     \"Burying as it were the person baptized in the water, and raising\n     him out again, without question was anciently the more usual\n     method.\"--_Archbishop Secker._\n\n     \"'Immersion' was the usual method in which baptism was\n     administered in the early Church.... Immersion was undoubtedly a\n     common mode of administering baptism, and was not discontinued\n     when infant baptism prevailed.... Sprinkling gradually took the\n     place of immersion without any formal renunciation of the\n     latter.\"--_Canon Farrar._\n\n     =4. The Fathers and the Children.=--\"The revelation in our day of\n     the doctrine of baptism for the dead may be said to have\n     constituted a new epoch in the history of our race. At the time\n     the Prophet Joseph received that revelation, the belief was\n     general in Christendom that at death the destiny of the soul was\n     fixed irrevocably and for all eternity. If not rewarded with\n     endless happiness, then endless torment was its doom, beyond all\n     possibility of redemption or change. The horrible and monstrous\n     doctrine, so much at variance with every element of Divine\n     justice, was generally believed, that the heathen nations who had\n     died without a knowledge of the true God, and the redemption\n     wrought out by His Son Jesus Christ, would all be eternally\n     consigned to hell. The belief upon this point is illustrated by\n     the reply of a certain Bishop to the inquiry of the king of the\n     Franks, when the king was about to submit to baptism at the hands\n     of the bishop. The king was a heathen, but had concluded to\n     accept the form of religion then called Christianity. The thought\n     occurred to him that if baptism were necessary for his salvation,\n     what had become of his dear ancestors who had died heathens? This\n     thought framed itself into an inquiry which he addressed to the\n     bishop. The prelate, less politic than many of his sect, bluntly\n     told him they had gone to hell. 'Then, by Thor, I will go there\n     with them,' said the king, and thereupon refused to accept\n     baptism or become a Christian.\"--Geo. Q. Cannon's _Life of Joseph\n     Smith_, p. 510.\n\n     =5. Temples and Sacred Places.=--\"When the Lord brought Israel\n     out of Egypt, determined to make that people a nation to Himself,\n     as soon as they had arrived at a safe distance from surrounding\n     peoples, He required them to build a Tabernacle, which is\n     sometimes called the Temple, wherein He could institute certain\n     ordinances and regulations for their guidance and worship. This,\n     at the commencement of their pilgrimage in the wilderness, was\n     made portable, and of the costliest and best material within\n     their reach; and one of the tribes was set apart to have charge\n     of it and its appurtenances. Such has ever been the purpose of\n     the Lord. This served them through their journey and in the\n     promised Canaan, until suitable wealth enabled Solomon to erect a\n     magnificent Temple on Mount Moriah, since called 'The Hill of\n     Zion,' to which all Israel came annually to worship or attend\n     conference. The Lord has informed us (Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39)\n     that His people are always commanded to build Temples, or holy\n     houses, unto His holy name. This accounts for our reading in the\n     Book of Mormon of so many Temples having been erected on this\n     continent. It also explains why the Prophet Joseph so early\n     taught the commencement of a Temple in every important location\n     of the Saints.\"--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little,\n     pp. 301-302. Consult: Exo. xxv-xxviii; I Kings vi-viii; Ezra vi;\n     II Nephi v, 16; and compare Jacob i, 17; ii, 2-11; Mosiah i, 18;\n     ii, 6-7; Alma xvi, 13; xxiii, 2; xxvi, 29; Helaman iii, 9; x, 8;\n     Doc. and Cov. i, 7-9; lxxxiv, 3-5, 31; xcvii, 10; cxxiv, 29-51,\n     55. See also _Temples_, J. M. Sjodahl, Salt Lake City, 1892. See\n     \"The House of the Lord, a Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and\n     Modern,\" by James E. Talmage, Salt Lake City, 1912.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE VIII.\n\nTHE HOLY GHOST.\n\n     =Article 4.=--We believe that the first principles and ordinances\n     of the Gospel are:--... (4) Laying on of hands for the gift of\n     the Holy Ghost.\n\n\n=1. The Holy Ghost Promised.=--John the Baptist, proclaiming in the\nwilderness repentance and baptism by water, foretold a second higher\nbaptism, which he characterized as being of fire and the Holy Ghost;\nthis was to follow his administration,[454] and was to be given by\nthat Mightier One whose shoes the Baptist considered himself unworthy\nto bear. That the holder of this superior authority was none other\nthan the Christ is proved by John's solemn record:--\"Behold the Lamb\nof God.... This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is\npreferred before me.... And I knew him not, but he that sent me to\nbaptize with water, the same said unto me: Upon whom thou shalt see\nthe Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which\nbaptizeth with the Holy Ghost.\"[455]\n\n  [454] Matt. iii, 2-3, 11; Mark i, 8; Luke iii, 16.\n\n  [455] John i, 29-33.\n\n=2.= In declaring to Nicodemus[456] the necessity of baptism, the\nSavior did not stop with a reference to the watery birth alone, that\nbeing incomplete without the quickening influence of the Spirit; born\nof water and of the Spirit is the necessary condition of him who is to\ngain admittance to the kingdom. Many of the scriptural passages quoted\nin proof of the purpose and necessity of baptism, show baptism by fire\nand the Holy Ghost to be closely associated with the prescribed\nordinance of immersion in water.\n\n  [456] John iii, 3-5.\n\n=3.= Christ's instructions to His apostles comprise repeated promises\nconcerning the coming of the \"Comforter,\" and the \"Spirit of\nTruth,\"[457] by which expressive terms the Holy Ghost is designated.\nIn His last interview with the apostles, at the termination of which\nHe ascended into heaven, the Lord repeated these assurances of a\nspiritual baptism, which was then soon to take place.[458] The\nfulfillment of this great prediction was realized at the succeeding\nPentecost, when the apostles, having assembled together, were endowed\nwith mighty power from heaven,[459] being filled with the Holy Ghost\nso that they spake in tongues other than their own as the Spirit gave\nthem utterance. Among other manifestations of this heavenly gift, may\nbe mentioned the appearance of flames of fire like unto tongues, which\nrested upon each of them. The promise so miraculously fulfilled upon\nthemselves was repeated by the apostles to those who sought their\ninstruction. Peter, addressing the Jews on that same day, declared, on\nthe condition of their acceptable repentance and baptism, \"Ye shall\nreceive the gift of the Holy Ghost.\"[460]\n\n  [457] John xiv, 16-17, 26; xv, 26; xvi, 7, 13.\n\n  [458] Acts i, 5.\n\n  [459] Acts ii, 1-4.\n\n  [460] Acts ii, 38.\n\n=4.= Book of Mormon evidence is not less conclusive regarding the Holy\nSpirit's visitation unto those who obey the requirements of water\nbaptism. Nephi, Lehi's son, bore solemn record of this truth,[461] as\nmade known to him by the voice of God. And the words of the\nresurrected Savior to the Nephites come in plainness indisputable, and\nwith authority not to be questioned, proclaiming the baptism of fire\nand the Holy Ghost unto all those who obey the preliminary\nrequirements.[462]\n\n  [461] II Nephi xxxi, 8, 12-14, 17.\n\n  [462] III Nephi xi, 36; xii, 2.\n\n=5.= Unto the Saints in the dispensation of the fulness of times, the\nsame great promise has been made. \"I say unto you again,\" spake the\nLord in addressing certain elders of the Church, \"that every soul that\nbelieveth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of\nsins shall receive the Holy Ghost.\"[463]\n\n  [463] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 64.\n\n=6. Personality and Powers of the Holy Ghost.=--The Holy Ghost is\nassociated with the Father and the Son in the Godhead. In the light of\nrevelation, we are instructed as to the distinct personality of the\nHoly Ghost. He is a Being endowed with the attributes and powers of\nDeity, and not a mere thing, force, or essence. The term Holy Ghost\nand its common synonyms, Spirit of God,[464] Spirit of the Lord, or\nsimply, Spirit,[465] Comforter,[466] and Spirit of Truth,[467] occur\nin the scriptures with plainly different meanings, referring in some\ncases to the person of God, the Holy Ghost, and in other instances to\nthe power or authority of this great Being. The context of such\npassages will show which of these significations applies.\n\n  [464] Matt. iii, 16; xii, 28; I Nephi xiii, 12.\n\n  [465] I Nephi iv, 6; xi, 8; Mos. xiii, 5; Acts ii, 4; viii, 29; x,\n  19: Rom. viii, 10, 26; I Thess. v, 19.\n\n  [466] John xiv, 16-26; xv, 26.\n\n  [467] John xv, 26; xvi, 13.\n\n=7.= The Holy Ghost undoubtedly possesses personal powers and\naffections; these attributes exist in Him in perfection. Thus, He\nteaches and guides,[468] testifies of the Father and the Son,[469]\nreproves for sin,[470] speaks, commands, and commissions,[471] makes\nintercession for sinners,[472] is grieved,[473] searches and\ninvestigates,[474] entices,[475] and knows all things.[476] These are\nnot mere figurative expressions, but plain statements of the\nattributes and characteristics of this great Personage. That the Holy\nSpirit is capable of manifesting Himself in the true form and figure\nof God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated by the wonderful\ninterview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which He revealed Himself\nto the prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief,\ninstructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the\nman. \"I spake unto him,\" says Nephi, \"as a man speaketh; for I beheld\nthat he was in the form of a man, yet nevertheless I knew that it was\nthe Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh to\nanother.\"[477] However, the Holy Ghost does not possess a tangible\nbody of flesh and bones, as do both the Father and the Son, but is a\npersonage of spirit.[478]\n\n  [468] John xiv, 26; xvi, 13.\n\n  [469] John xv, 26.\n\n  [470] John xvi, 8.\n\n  [471] Acts x, 19; xiii, 2; Rev. ii, 7; I Nephi iv, 6; xi, 2-8.\n\n  [472] Rom. viii, 26.\n\n  [473] Eph. iv, 30.\n\n  [474] I Cor. ii, 4-10.\n\n  [475] Mos. iii, 19.\n\n  [476] Alma vii, 13.\n\n  [477] I Nephi xi, 11.\n\n  [478] Doc. and Cov. cxxx, 22.\n\n=8.= Much of the confusion existing in our human conceptions\nconcerning the nature of the Holy Ghost arises from the common failure\nto segregate our ideas of His person and powers. Plainly, such\nexpressions as being filled with the Holy Ghost,[479] and the Spirit\nfalling upon men, have reference to the powers and influences which\nemanate from God, and which are characteristic of Him; for the Holy\nGhost may in this way operate simultaneously upon many persons, even\nthough they be widely separated; whereas the actual person of the Holy\nGhost cannot be in more than one place at a time. Yet we read that\nthrough the power of the Spirit, the Father and the Son operate in\ntheir creative acts and in their general dealings with the human\nfamily.[480] The Holy Ghost may be regarded as the minister of the\nGodhead, carrying into effect the decisions of the Supreme Council.\n\n  [479] Luke i, 15, 67; iv, 1; Acts vi, 3; xiii, 9; Alma xxxvi, 24;\n  Doc. and Cov. cvii, 56.\n\n  [480] Gen. i, 2; Neh. ix, 30; Job xxvi, 13; Psalms civ, 30; Isa.\n  xlii, 1; Acts x, 19; I Nephi x, 19; Alma xii, 3; Doc. and Cov. cv,\n  36; xcvii, 1.\n\n=9.= In the execution of these great purposes, the Holy Ghost directs\nand controls the numerous forces of Nature, of which indeed a few, and\nthese perhaps of the minor order, wonderful as even the least of them\nseems to man, have thus far been made known to the human mind.\nGravitation, sound, heat, light, and the still more mysterious,\nseemingly supernatural power of electricity, are but the common\nservants of the Holy Spirit in His operations. No earnest thinker, no\nsincere investigator supposes that he has yet learned of all the\nforces existing in and operating upon matter; indeed, the observed\nphenomena of nature, yet wholly inexplicable to him, far outnumber\nthose for which he has devised even a partial explanation. There are\npowers and forces at the command of God, compared with which,\nelectricity, the most occult of all the physical agencies controlled\nin any degree by man, is as the pack-horse to the locomotive, the foot\nmessenger to the telegraph, the raft of logs to the ocean steamer. Man\nhas scarcely glanced at the enginery of creation; and yet the few\nforces known to him have brought about miracles and wonders, which but\nfor their actual realization would be beyond belief. These mighty\nagencies, and the mightier ones still to man unknown, and many,\nperhaps, to the present condition of the human mind unknowable, do not\nconstitute the Holy Ghost, but the mere means ordained to serve Divine\npurposes.\n\n=10.= Subtler, mightier, and more mysterious still than any or all of\nthe physical forces of nature, are the powers that operate upon\nconscious organisms, the means by which the mind, the heart, the soul\nof man may be affected. In our ignorance of the true nature of\nelectric energy, we speak of it as a fluid; and so by analogy the\nforces through which the mind is governed have been called spiritual\nfluids. The true nature of these higher powers is unknown to us, for\nthe conditions of comparison and analogy, so necessary to our frail\nhuman reasoning, are wanting; still the effects are experienced by\nall. As the conducting medium in an electric current is capable of\nconveying but a limited current, the maximum strength depending upon\nthe resistance offered by the conductor, and, as separate circuits of\ndifferent degrees of conductivity may carry currents of widely varying\nintensity, so human souls are of varied capacity with respect to the\ndiviner powers. But as the medium is purified, as the obstructions are\nremoved, so the resistance to the energy decreases, and the forces\nmanifest themselves with greater perfection. By analogous processes of\npurification, may our spirits be made more susceptible to the power of\nlife, which is an emanation from the Spirit of God. Therefore are we\ntaught to pray by word and action for a constantly increasing portion\nof the Spirit, that is, the power of the Spirit, which is a measure of\nthe favor of God unto us.\n\n=11. The Office of the Holy Ghost= in His ministrations among men is\nvery fully described in scripture. He is a Teacher sent from the\nFather;[481] and unto those who are entitled to His tuition He will\nreveal all things necessary for the soul's advancement. Through the\ninfluences of the Holy Spirit, the powers of the human mind may be\nquickened and increased, so that things past may be brought to\nremembrance. He will serve as a guide in things divine unto all who\nwill obey Him,[482] enlightening every man,[483] in proportion to his\nhumility and obedience;[484] unfolding the mysteries of God,[485] as\nthe knowledge thus revealed may tend to spiritual growth; conveying\nknowledge from God to man;[486] sanctifying those who have been\ncleansed through obedience to the requirements of the gospel;[487]\nmanifesting all things;[488] and bearing witness unto men concerning\nthe existence and infallibility of the Father and the Son.[489]\n\n  [481] John xiv, 26.\n\n  [482] Doc. and Cov. xlv, 57.\n\n  [483] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 45-47.\n\n  [484] Doc. and Cov. cxxxvi, 33.\n\n  [485] I Nephi x, 19.\n\n  [486] Doc. and Cov. cxxi, 43.\n\n  [487] Alma xiii, 12.\n\n  [488] Doc. and Cov. xviii, 18.\n\n  [489] John xv, 26; Acts v, 32; xx, 23; I Cor. ii, 11; xii, 3; III\n  Nephi xi, 32.\n\n=12.= And not alone does the Holy Ghost bring to mind the past, and\nexplain the things of the present, but His power is manifested\nlikewise in prophecy concerning the future;--\"He shall show you things\nto come,\" declared the Savior to the Apostles in promising the advent\nof the Comforter. Adam, the first prophet of earth, under the\ninfluence of the Holy Ghost \"predicted whatsoever should befall his\nposterity unto the latest generation.\"[490]\n\n  [490] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 56.\n\n=13.= The power of the Holy Ghost then is the spirit of prophecy and\nrevelation; His office is that of enlightenment of the mind,\nquickening of the intellect, and sanctification of the soul.\n\n=14. To Whom is the Holy Ghost given?= Not to all indiscriminately.\nThe Redeemer declared to the apostles of old, \"I will pray to the\nFather and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with\nyou forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,\nbecause it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.\"[491] Clearly, then, a\ncertain condition of the candidate is requisite before the Holy Ghost\ncan be bestowed, that is to say, before the person can receive a right\nto the company and ministrations of the Spirit. God grants the Holy\nGhost unto the obedient; and the bestowal of this gift follows faith,\nrepentance, and baptism by water.\n\n  [491] John xiv, 16, 17.\n\n=15.= The apostles of old promised the ministration of the Holy Ghost\nunto those only who had received baptism by water for the remission of\nsins;[492] John the Baptist gave assurances of the visitation of the\nHoly Ghost to those only who were baptized unto repentance.[493] The\ninstance of Paul's rebaptizing the twelve disciples at Ephesus before\nhe conferred upon them the Holy Ghost, on account of a probable lack\nof propriety or of authority in their first baptism,[494] has already\nbeen dwelt upon. We read of a remarkable manifestation of power among\nthe people of Samaria,[495] to whom Philip went and preached the Lord\nJesus; the people with one accord accepted his testimony and sought\nbaptism. Then came unto them Peter and John, through whose\nministrations the Holy Ghost came upon the new converts, whereas upon\nnone of them had the Spirit previously fallen, though all had been\nbaptized.\n\n  [492] Acts ii, 38.\n\n  [493] Matt. iii, 11; Mark i, 8.\n\n  [494] Acts xix, 1-7; see page 146.\n\n  [495] Acts viii, 5-8, 12, 14-17.\n\n=16.= The Holy Ghost dwells not in tabernacles unfit and unworthy.\nPaul makes the sublime declaration that the body of man when filled\nwith the power of the Holy Ghost becomes a temple of this spirit; and\nthe apostle specifies the penalty prescribed for defiling a structure\nsanctified by so holy a presence.[496] Faith in God leads to\nrepentance of sin, this is followed by baptism in water for the\nremission of sins, and this in turn by the bestowal of the Holy Ghost,\nthrough whose power come sanctification and the specific gifts of God.\n\n  [496] I Cor. iii, 16. See also vi, 19; II Cor. vi, 16; Doc. and\n  Cov. xciii, 35.\n\n=17. An Exception to the Prescribed Order= is shown in the case of\nthe devout Gentile, Cornelius, unto whom, together with his family,\ncame the Holy Ghost, with such power that they spake with new tongues\nto the glorification of God, and this before their baptism.[497] But\nsufficient reason for this departure from the usual order is seen in\nthe prejudice that existed among the Jews toward other nations, which,\nbut for the Lord's direct instructions to Peter, would have hindered,\nif indeed it did not prevent, the apostle from ministering unto the\nGentiles; as it was, his act was loudly condemned by his own people;\nbut he answered their criticisms with a recital of the lesson given\nhim of God, and the undeniable evidence of the Divine will as shown in\nthe reception of the Holy Ghost by Cornelius and his family before\nbaptism.\n\n  [497] Acts x.\n\n=18.= And in another sense the Holy Ghost has frequently operated for\ngood through persons that are unbaptized; indeed, some measure of this\npower is given to all mankind; for, as seen already, the Holy Spirit\nis the power of intelligence, of wise direction, of development, of\nlife. Manifestation of the power of God, as made plain through the\noperations of the Spirit, are seen in the triumphs of ennobling art,\nthe discoveries of true science, and the events of history; with all\nof which the carnal mind may believe that God takes no direct concern.\nNot a truth has ever been made the property of human kind except\nthrough the power of that great Spirit who exists to do the bidding of\nthe Father and the Son. And yet the actual companionship of the Holy\nGhost, the divinely-bestowed right to His ministrations, the\nsanctifying baptism with fire, are given as a permanent possession\nonly to the faithful, repentant, baptized candidate for salvation; and\nwith all such this gift shall abide, unless it be forfeited through\ntransgression.\n\n=19. The Bestowal of the Holy Ghost= is effected through the ordinance\nof an oral blessing, pronounced upon the candidate by the proper\nauthority of the Priesthood, accompanied by the imposition of hands by\nhim or those officiating. That this was the mode followed by the\napostles of old is evident from the Jewish scriptures; that it was\npracticed by the early Christian Fathers is proved by history; that it\nwas the acknowledged method among the Nephites is plainly shown by the\nBook of Mormon records; and for the same practice in the present\ndispensation authority has come direct from heaven.\n\n=20.= Among the instances recorded in the New Testament, we may\nmention the following: Peter and John conferred the Holy Ghost upon\nPhilip's converts at Samaria, as already noted, and the ordinance was\nperformed by prayer and the laying on of hands.[498] Paul operated in\nthe same manner on the Ephesians whom he had caused to be baptized;\nand \"when he had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on\nthem, and they spake with tongues and prophesied.\"[499] Paul also\nrefers to this ordinance in his admonition to Timothy not to neglect\nthe gift so bestowed.[500] The same apostle, in enumerating the\ncardinal principles and ordinances of the Church of Christ, includes\nthe laying on of hands as following baptism.[501]\n\n  [498] Acts viii, 14-17. Read the account of Simon, the magician,\n  in the same chapter.\n\n  [499] Acts xix, 2-6.\n\n  [500] II Tim. i, 6.\n\n  [501] Heb. vi, 1-2.\n\n=21.= Alma so invoked the power of the Holy Ghost in behalf of his\nco-laborers:[502]--\"He clapped his hands upon all them who were with\nhim. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them they were filled\nwith the Holy Spirit.\" The Savior gave authority to the twelve chosen\nNephites,[503] by touching them one by one; they were thus\ncommissioned to bestow the Holy Ghost.\n\n  [502] Alma xxxi, 36.\n\n  [503] III Nephi xviii, 36, 37.\n\n=22.= In this dispensation, it has been made a duty of the Priesthood\n\"to confirm those who are baptized into the Church by the laying on of\nhands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.\"[504] The Lord has\npromised that the Holy Ghost shall follow these authoritative acts of\nHis servants.[505] The ceremony of laying on of hands for the bestowal\nof the Holy Ghost is associated with that of confirmation in the\nChurch. The officiating elder acting in the name and by the authority\nof Jesus Christ, says, \"_Receive ye the Holy Ghost_;\" and \"_I confirm\nyou a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints_.\"\nEven these words are not prescribed, but their meaning should be\nexpressed in the ceremony; and to such may be added other words of\nblessing and invocation as the Spirit of the Lord may dictate to the\nofficiating elder. This act completes the outward form of the baptism\nso indispensable to salvation--the birth of water and of the Spirit.\n\n  [504] Doc. and Cov. xx, 41, 43.\n\n  [505] Doc. and Cov. xxxv, 6; xxxix, 6, 23; xlix, 11-14.\n\n=23.= The authority to so bestow the Holy Ghost belongs to the higher\nor Melchizedek Priesthood,[506] whereas water-baptism may be\nadministered by a priest, officiating in the ordinances of the lesser\nor Aaronic order of priesthood.[507] This order of authority, as made\nknown through revelation, explains that while Philip had authority to\nadminister the ordinance of baptism to the converted Samaritans,\nothers who held the higher priesthood had to be sent to confer upon\nthem the Holy Ghost.[508]\n\n  [506] Doc. and Cov. xx, 38-43.\n\n  [507] Doc. and Cov. xx, 46, 50.\n\n  [508] See Acts viii, 5-17.\n\n=24. Gifts of the Spirit.=--As already pointed out, the special office\nof the Holy Ghost is to enlighten and ennoble the mind, to purify and\nsanctify the soul, to incite to good works, and to reveal the things\nof God. But, beside these general blessings, there are certain\nspecific endowments promised in connection with the gifts of the Holy\nGhost. Said the Savior, \"These signs shall follow them that believe:\nIn my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new\ntongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly\nthing it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick and\nthey shall recover.\"[509]\n\n  [509] Mark xvi, 17-18; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 65-78.\n\n=25.= These gifts of the Spirit are distributed in the wisdom of God\nfor the exaltation of His children. Paul thus discourses concerning\nthem: \"Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you\nignorant.... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same\nSpirit.... But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man\nto profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of\nwisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. To\nanother faith by the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing by\nthe same Spirit. To another the working of miracles; to another\nprophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of\ntongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these\nworketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man\nseverally as he will.\"[510] No man is without some gift from the\nSpirit; one person may possess several.\n\n  [510] I Cor. xii, 8; see also Moroni x, 8-18.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Effect of the Holy Ghost on the Individual.=--\"An intelligent\n     being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute,\n     sense, sympathy, affection, of will, wisdom, love, power and\n     gift, which is possessed by God Himself. But these are possessed\n     by man in his rudimental state in a subordinate sense of the\n     word. Or, in other words, these attributes are in embryo, and are\n     to be gradually developed. They resemble a bud, a germ, which\n     gradually develops into bloom, and then, by progress, produces\n     the mature fruit after its own kind. The gift of the Holy Spirit\n     adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all\n     the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and\n     purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them\n     by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires,\n     develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies,\n     joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It\n     inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and\n     charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It\n     tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It\n     develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and\n     intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to\n     the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy\n     to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to\n     the whole being.\"--Parley P. Pratt, _Key to Theology_, pp. 96-97\n     (4th ed.).\n\n     =2. The Laying on of Hands.=--From the scriptures cited, it is\n     plain that the usual ceremony of bestowing the gift of the Holy\n     Ghost consisted in part in the imposition of hands by those in\n     authority (Acts viii, 17; ix, 17; xix, 2-6; Alma xxxi, 36; III\n     Nephi xviii, 36-37; Doc. and Cov. xx, 41). The same outward sign\n     has marked other authoritative acts: for example, ordination to\n     the priesthood; and administration to the sick. It is probable\n     that Paul had reference to Timothy's ordination when he exhorts\n     him thus: \"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given\n     thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the\n     presbytery\" (I Tim. iv, 14). And again, \"Stir up the gift of God,\n     which is in thee by the putting on of my hands\" (II Tim. i, 6).\n     The first ordination to the priesthood in latter times was done\n     by the imposition of hands by John the Baptist (Doc. and Cov.\n     xiii). That Christ in healing the sick sometimes laid His hands\n     upon the afflicted ones is certain (Mark vi, 5); and He left with\n     His apostles a promise that healing should follow the\n     authoritative laying on of hands (Mark xvi, 15, 18). The same\n     promise has been repeated in this day (Doc. and Cov. xlii,\n     43-44). Yet, notwithstanding the importance given to this sign of\n     authority, the laying on of hands is but exceptional among the\n     practices of the many sects professing Christianity to-day.\n\n     =3. Operation of the Holy Ghost.=--The means through which the\n     Holy Ghost operates are no more truly the Holy Ghost in person\n     than are the light and heat and actinic energy of the sun, the\n     sun itself. The influence, spirit, or power of the Holy Ghost is\n     that of enlightenment and progression, and this is given unto men\n     in proportion to their receptiveness and worthiness; but the\n     right to the special ministrations of the third member of the\n     Godhead is obtainable only through compliance with the\n     preliminary requirements of the Gospel--faith, repentance, and\n     baptism.\n\n     =4. Mode of Conferring the Holy Ghost.=--Questions have arisen as\n     to the ceremony of confirmation and the bestowal of the Holy\n     Ghost, particularly as to the propriety of saying: _Receive ye\n     the Holy Ghost_; or _Receive ye the Gift of the Holy Ghost._.\n     Since the companionship of the Holy Ghost embraces all the\n     spiritual graces and gift in so far as such are deserved by and\n     appropriate to the person, the Church teaches that officiating\n     Elders in confirming baptized candidates should use the form:\n     _Receive ye the Holy Ghost_.\n\n     In explaining the reception of the Holy Ghost by the apostles of\n     old, the First Presidency of the Church issued an instructive\n     statement Feb. 5, 1916. See DESERET NEWS of that date, and\n     _Improvement Era_, March, 1916; and for excerpt from same see\n     \"Jesus the Christ\" (third and later editions), p. 720.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE IX.\n\nTHE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.\n\nIn connection with Article 4.\n\n\n=1. The Sacrament.=--In the course of our study of the principles and\nordinances of the Gospel, as specified in the fourth of the Articles\nof Faith, the subject of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper[511] very\nproperly claims attention, the observance of this ordinance being\nrequired of all who have become members of the Church of Christ\nthrough compliance with the requirements of faith, repentance, and\nbaptism by water and by the Holy Ghost.\n\n  [511] See Notes 1 and 2.\n\n=2. Institution of the Sacrament among the Jews.=--The sacrament of\nthe Lord's Supper dates from the night of the Passover feast[512]\nimmediately preceding the crucifixion of the Savior. On that solemn\noccasion, Christ and His apostles were assembled in Jerusalem, keeping\nthe feast in an upper room, which had been made ready by His express\ncommand.[513] As a Jew, Christ appears to have been ever loyal to the\nestablished usages of His people; and it must have been with most\nextraordinary feelings that He entered upon this commemorative feast,\nthe last of its kind bearing the significance of the type of a future\nsacrifice, as well as a reminder of God's favor in the past. Knowing\nwell the terrible experiences immediately awaiting Him, He communed\nwith the Twelve at the paschal board in anguish of soul, prophesying\nconcerning His betrayal, which was soon to be accomplished by the\nagency of one who there ate with Him. Then He took bread, and blessed\nit and gave it to His disciples, saying, \"Take, eat; this is my\nbody;\"[514] \"this do in remembrance of me.\"[515] Afterward, taking the\ncup, He blessed its contents and administered it to them with the\nwords, \"Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament,\nwhich is shed for many for the remission of sins.\"[516] It is\ninteresting to note that the account of the sacrament and its purport\nas given by Paul[517] resembles so closely as to be almost identical\nwith the descriptions recorded by the evangelists. The designation of\nthe Sacrament as the Lord's Supper is used by no biblical writer other\nthan Paul.\n\n  [512] See Note 3.\n\n  [513] Luke xxii, 8-13.\n\n  [514] Matt. xxvi, 26.\n\n  [515] Luke xxii, 19; see also Mark xiv, 22-25.\n\n  [516] Matt. xxvi, 27-28. See \"The Great Apostasy,\" pp. 119, 120.\n\n  [517] I Cor. xi, 23-25.\n\n=3. Institution of the Sacrament among the Nephites.=--On the occasion\nof His visit to the Nephites, which occurred shortly after His\nresurrection, Christ established the sacrament among this division of\nHis flock. He requested the disciples whom He had chosen to bring Him\nbread and wine; then taking the bread, He brake it, blessed it, and\ngave it to the disciples with the command that they should eat and\nafterward distribute to the people. The authority to administer this\nordinance He promised to leave with the people. \"And this shall ye\nalways observe to do,\" said He, \"even as I have done.... And this\nshall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shewn unto you.\nAnd it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember\nme. And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my Spirit to be\nwith you.\"[518] The wine was administered in the same order, first to\nthe disciples, then by them to the people. This also was to be part of\nthe standing ordinance among the people:--\"And ye shall do it in\nremembrance of my blood which I have shed for you, that ye may\nwitness unto the Father that ye do always remember me.\" Then followed\na reiteration of the great promise, \"And if ye do always remember me,\nye shall have my Spirit to be with you.\"[519]\n\n  [518] III Nephi xviii, 6, 7.\n\n  [519] III Nephi xviii. 11. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. xxxix.\n\n=4. Fit Partakers of the Sacrament.=--The Divine instructions\nconcerning the sacredness of this ordinance are very explicit; and the\nconsequent need of scrupulous care being exercised lest it be engaged\nin unworthily is apparent. In addressing the Corinthian Saints, Paul\nutters solemn warnings against hasty or unworthy action in partaking\nof the sacrament, and declares that the penalties of sickness, and\neven death, are visited upon those who violate the sacred\nrequirements.--\"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,\nye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall\neat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be\nguilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine\nhimself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For\nhe that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation\nto himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are\nweak and sickly among you, and many sleep.\"[520]\n\n  [520] I Cor. xi, 26-30.\n\n=5.= When instructing the Nephites, Jesus laid great stress upon the\nfitness of those who partook of the sacrament; and moreover He placed\nmuch responsibility upon the officers of the Church whose duty it was\nto administer it, that they should permit none whom they knew to be\nunworthy to take part in the ordinance:--\"And now behold, this is the\ncommandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one\nknowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall\nminister it; for whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood\nunworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore, if\nye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood,\nye shall forbid him.\"[521]\n\n  [521] III Nephi xviii, 28, 29.\n\n=6.= The direct word of the Lord unto the Saints in this dispensation\ninstructs them to permit no one who has committed trespass to partake\nof the sacrament until reconciliation has been made; nevertheless the\nSaints are commanded to exercise abundant charity toward their erring\nfellows, not casting them out from the assemblies, yet carefully\nwithholding the sacrament from them.[522] In our system of Church\norganization, the local ecclesiastical officers are charged with the\nresponsibility of administering the sacrament, and the people are\nrequired to keep themselves worthy to partake of the sacred emblems.\n\n  [522] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 4. See also III Nephi xviii, 30.\n\n=7.= There is an entire absence of scriptural sanction for giving the\nsacrament to any who are not members in full fellowship in the Church\nof Christ. Christ administered the ordinance on the eastern continent\nto His apostles only; and we have record of their giving it to those\nonly who had assumed the name of Christ. Amongst His western fold,\nChrist established the law that only the actual members of His Church\nshould partake. In promising to ordain one among them with power to\nofficiate in the sacrament, the Savior specified that the one so\nchosen should give it unto the people of His Church, unto all those\nwho believed and were baptized in His name.[523] Only those indeed who\nhad been so baptized were called the Church of Christ.[524] Continuing\nHis instructions to the disciples concerning the sacrament, the Savior\nsaid: \"This shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in\nmy name.\"[525]\n\n  [523] III Nephi xviii, 5.\n\n  [524] III Nephi xxvi, 21.\n\n  [525] III Nephi xviii, 11.\n\n=8.= And the same law is applicable to-day; it is the members of the\nChurch[526] who are admonished to meet together often for the\nobservance of the sacrament; and the Church comprises none of mature\nyears who have not been baptized by the authority of the Holy\nPriesthood.[527]\n\n  [526] Doc. and Cov. xx, 75.\n\n  [527] Doc and Cov. xx, 87.\n\n=9. Purpose of the Sacrament.=--From the scriptural references already\nmade, it is plain that the sacrament is administered to commemorate\nthe atonement of the Lord Jesus, as consummated in His agony and\ndeath; it is a testimony before God, that we are mindful of His Son's\nsacrifice made in our behalf; and that we still profess the name of\nChrist and are determined to strive to keep His commandments, in the\nhope that we may ever have His Spirit to be with us. Partaking of the\nsacrament worthily may be regarded therefore as a means of renewing\nour covenants before the Lord, of acknowledgment of mutual fellowship\namong the members, and of solemnly witnessing our claim and profession\nof membership in the Church of Christ. The sacrament has not been\nestablished as a specific means of securing remission of sins; nor for\nany other special blessing, aside from that of a fresh endowment of\nthe Holy Spirit, which, however, comprises all needful blessings. Were\nthe sacrament ordained for the remission of sins, it would not be\nforbidden to those who are in greatest need of special forgiveness;\nyet participation in the ordinance is restricted to those whose\nconsciences are void of serious offense, those, therefore, who are\nacceptable before the Lord; those indeed who are in as little need of\nspecial forgiveness as mortals can be.\n\n=10. The Sacramental Emblems.=--In instituting the sacrament among\nboth the Jews and the Nephites, Christ used bread and wine as the\nemblems of His body and blood;[528] and in this, the dispensation of\nthe fulness of times, He has revealed His will that the Saints meet\ntogether often to partake of bread and wine in this commemorative\nordinance.[529] But the Lord has also shown that other forms of food\nand drink may be used in place of bread and wine. Very soon after the\nChurch was organized in the present dispensation, the Prophet Joseph\nwas about to purchase some wine for sacramental purposes, when a\nspecial messenger from God appeared to him, and delivered the\nfollowing instructions: \"For, behold, I say unto you, that it\nmattereth not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, when ye\npartake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single\nto my glory; remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down\nfor you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.\nWherefore, a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase\nwine, neither strong drink, of your enemies: Wherefore you shall\npartake of none except it is made new among you; yea in this my\nFather's kingdom which shall be built up upon the earth.\"[530] Upon\nthis authority, the Latter-day Saints administer water in their\nsacramental service, in preference to wine concerning the purity of\nwhich they are not assured. However, in the vineyard districts of the\nChurch territory, wine has been generally used.\n\n  [528] Matt. xxvi, 27-29; III Nephi xviii, 1, 8.\n\n  [529] Doc. and Cov. xx, 75.\n\n  [530] Doc. and Cov. xxvii, 2-4.\n\n=11. Manner of Administering the Sacrament.=--It is customary with the\nLatter-day Saints in all wards or regularly organized branches of the\nChurch, to hold sacramental meetings every Sabbath. The authority of\nthe priest of the Aaronic order of priesthood is requisite in\nconsecrating the emblems; and, as a matter of course, any one holding\nthe higher order of priesthood has authority to officiate in this\nordinance. The bread is first to be broken into small pieces, and\nplaced in suitable receptacles on the sacramental table; and then,\naccording to the Lord's direction, the elder or priest shall\nadminister it, after this manner:--\"He shall kneel with the Church and\ncall upon the Father in solemn prayer, saying:--\n\n\"_O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus\nChrist, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who\npartake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy\nSon, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are\nwilling to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember\nhim, and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may\nalways have his Spirit to be with them. Amen._\"[531]\n\n  [531] Doc. and Cov. xx, 76, 77; compare Moroni iv.\n\n=12.= After the bread has been distributed to the congregation, in\nwhich labor the teachers and deacons may take part, under the\ndirection of the officiating priest, the wine or water is consecrated\nin this manner:--\n\n\"_O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son,\nJesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine [or water] to the souls\nof all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of\nthe blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness\nunto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember\nhim, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen._\"[532]\n\n  [532] Doc. and Cov. xx, 78-79; compare Moroni v.\n\n=13.= The plainness of the Lord's instructions to the Saints regarding\nthis ordinance, leaves no excuse for disputation concerning the\nceremony, for assuredly no one who officiates in these holy rites can\nfeel that he is authorized to change the forms even by the alteration\nof a word. If ever the Lord desires a change in this ordinance, He\nwill doubtless make it known through His established channels of the\npriesthood. The records of the Nephites clearly prove that the manner\nof administering the sacrament as practiced in their day,[533] was the\nsame as revealed for the guidance of the Saints in the dispensation of\nthe fulness of times.\n\n  [533] Moroni iv; v.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. The Term \"Sacrament\"= is commonly used in both a general and\n     a specific sense; according to its derivation, it signifies a\n     sacred thing or holy ceremony, and with this meaning it is\n     applied by different sects to several ceremonies of their\n     churches. Thus, the Protestants speak of two sacraments,--baptism\n     and the Lord's Supper; the Roman and Greek Catholics recognize\n     seven sacraments,--the two named above, and also confirmation,\n     matrimony, the bestowal of church orders, penance, and extreme\n     unction. Some sections of the Greek church are said to exclude\n     confirmation and extreme unction from among the seven sacraments.\n     With even greater latitude, the term is applied to any miraculous\n     or spiritual manifestation; it is so used by Bishop Jeremy Taylor\n     when he says, \"God sometime sent a light of fire, and pillar of a\n     cloud ... and the sacrament of a rainbow, to guide His people\n     through their portion of sorrows.\" Specifically, however, the\n     word sacrament denotes the Lord's Supper, and in this sense alone\n     does the word occur in Latter-day Saint theology. Eucharist and\n     Holy Communion are terms employed in certain churches as\n     synonymous with the sacrament of the Lord's supper. From the\n     custom of regarding the ceremony of communion, that is, the\n     partaking of the sacrament, as an evidence of standing in any\n     church, and from the rule which withholds this privilege from\n     those who are judged to be unworthy of fellowship, comes the term\n     _excommunicate_, as applied to deprivation of church fellowship,\n     meaning literally to cast out from communion.\n\n     =2. The Lord's Supper.=--As stated, this designation of the\n     sacrament occurs but once in the Bible. The \"Lord's Supper\" is\n     referred to by Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians. In\n     all probability this name was used because the rite was first\n     administered at the time of the evening meal. It must be\n     remembered that the _deipnon_ or evening supper among the Jews\n     was the principal meal of the day, and really corresponded to our\n     dinner.\n\n     =3. The Passover and the Sacrament.=--The feast of the passover\n     was the chief of the annual ceremonials of the Jews, and derived\n     its name from the circumstances of its origin. In setting His\n     hand to deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt, the Lord\n     wrought many miracles and wonders before Pharaoh and his\n     idolatrous house; and, as the last of the ten terrible plagues to\n     which the Egyptians were subjected, the first born of every\n     household was smitten with death during a single night. By\n     previous command, the Israelites had marked the posts and lintels\n     of their doorways with the blood of a lamb slain for the\n     occasion, the blood having been sprinkled by means of a bunch of\n     hyssop. In His passage through the land, the Lord passed over the\n     houses so marked (Exodus xii, 12, 13); while in all the Egyptian\n     homes the stroke of death was felt. Hence arises the name\n     Passover, from _pasach_--to pass by. The flesh of the paschal\n     lamb was eaten amid the haste of departure. To commemorate their\n     deliverance from bondage, the Lord required of the Israelites an\n     annual celebration of this event, the occasion being known as the\n     \"Feast of the Passover,\" also as the \"Feast of Unleavened Bread,\"\n     the latter name arising from the Lord's command that during the\n     specified time of the observance no leaven should be found in the\n     houses of the people (Ex. xii, 15); and the occasion of the feast\n     was to be taken advantage of for instructing the children\n     concerning the merciful dealings of God with their forefathers\n     (Ex. xii, 26. 27). But aside from its commemorative purpose, the\n     passover became to the people a type of the sacrifice on Calvary.\n     Paul says, \"Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us\" (I Cor.\n     v, 7). As being typical of the future atoning death of Christ,\n     the passover lost part of its significance by the crucifixion,\n     and was superseded by the sacrament. There is perhaps no closer\n     relation between the two ordinances than this. Surely the\n     sacrament was not designed to fully supplant the passover, for\n     the latter was established as a perpetually recurring\n     feast:--\"And the day shall be unto you for a memorial: and ye\n     shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye\n     shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever\" (Ex. xii, 14).\n\n     =4. Errors Concerning the Sacrament=, and its signification, and\n     the manner of administering it, grew rapidly in the\n     professed-Christian churches during the early centuries of the\n     Christian era. As soon as the power of the priesthood had\n     departed, much disputation arose in matters of ordinance, and the\n     observance of the sacrament became distorted. Theological\n     teachers strove to foster the idea that there was much mystery\n     attending this naturally simple and most impressive ordinance;\n     that all who were not in full communion with the Church should be\n     excluded, not only from participation in the ordinance, which was\n     justifiable, but from the privilege of witnessing the service,\n     lest they profane the mystic rite by their unhallowed presence.\n     Then arose the heresy of transubstantiation,--which held that the\n     sacramental emblems by the ceremony of consecration lost their\n     natural character of simple bread and wine, and became in reality\n     flesh and blood,--actually parts of the crucified body of Christ.\n     Argument against such dogmas is useless. Then followed the\n     veneration of the emblems by the people, the bread and\n     wine--regarded as part of Christ's tabernacle, being elevated in\n     the mass for the adoration of the people; and later, the custom\n     of suppressing half of the sacrament was introduced. By the\n     innovation last mentioned, only the bread was administered, the\n     dogmatic assertion being that both the body and the blood were\n     represented in some mystical way in one of the \"elements.\"\n     Certain it is, that Christ required his disciples to both eat and\n     drink in remembrance of Him.\n\n     =5. Sacrament Administered to Unbaptized Children.=--Questions\n     have been raised as to the propriety of administering the\n     sacrament to children below the age specified as that of baptism\n     into the Church. As indicated in a preceding lecture (pp.\n     127-130), children born in the Church are members thereof without\n     baptism until they arrive at the age of accountability. There is\n     seemingly no violation of law in administering the sacrament to\n     such innocent subjects, and as the living authorities of the\n     Church have directed the practice, the question of propriety is\n     answered. Nevertheless, children should be taught that after they\n     have been baptized and confirmed in the Church, the partaking of\n     the sacrament has to them an added significance, in that it marks\n     a renewal of the covenants they made at the waters of baptism.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE X.\n\nAUTHORITY IN THE MINISTRY.\n\n     =Article 5.=--We believe that a man must be called of God, by\n     prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in\n     authority, to preach the Gospel, and administer in the ordinances\n     thereof.\n\n\nMEN CALLED OF GOD.\n\n=1. Scriptural Examples.=--It is not less agreeable to the dictates of\nhuman reason, than it is conformable to the plan of perfect\norganization which characterizes the Church of Christ, that all who\nminister in the ordinances of the Gospel should be called and\ncommissioned for their sacred duties by the authority of heaven. The\nscriptures sustain this view most thoroughly; they present to us an\narray of men whose Divine callings are specially attested, and whose\nmighty works declare a power greater than that of man. On the other\nhand, not an instance is set down in holy writ of anyone taking to\nhimself the authority to officiate in sacred ordinances, and being\nacknowledged of the Lord in such administration.\n\n=2.= Consider the case of Noah, who \"found grace in the eyes of the\nLord\"[534] in the midst of a wicked world. Unto him the Lord spake,\nannouncing His displeasure with the wicked inhabitants of earth, and\nthe Divine intention concerning the deluge; and instructed him in the\nmanner of building and stocking the ark. That Noah declared the word\nof God unto his perverse contemporaries is shown in Peter's\ndeclaration of Christ's mission in the spirit world,--that the Savior\npreached to those who had been disobedient during the period of God's\nlong suffering in the days of Noah, and who had in consequence\nendured the privations of the prison house in the interval.[535]\nSurely none can question the Divine source of Noah's authority, nor\nthe justice of the retributive punishment following the wilful\nrejection of his teachings, for his words were the words of God.\n\n  [534] Gen. vi, 8.\n\n  [535] I Peter iii, 19-20.\n\n=3.= So also with Abraham, the father of the faithful; the Lord called\nhim[536] and made covenant with him for all the generations of his\nposterity. Isaac[537] was similarly distinguished; likewise\nJacob,[538] to whom, as he rested upon his pillow of stones in the\ndesert, the Lord appeared. Unto Moses[539] came the voice of God\namidst the fierceness of fire, calling and commissioning the man to go\ninto Egypt and deliver therefrom the people whose cries had come up\nwith such effect before the throne of heaven. In this great work\nAaron[540] was called to assist his brother; and later, Aaron and his\nsons[541] were chosen by Divine direction from the midst of the\nchildren of Israel to minister in the priest's office. When Moses[542]\nsaw that his days were numbered, he solicited the Lord to appoint a\nsuccessor in his holy station; and by special command, Joshua, the son\nof Nun, was so selected.\n\n  [536] Gen. xii-xxv; Pearl of Great Price: Book of Abraham.\n\n  [537] Gen. xxvi, 2-5.\n\n  [538] Gen. xxviii, 10-15.\n\n  [539] Exo. iii, 2-10.\n\n  [540] Exo. iv, 14-16, 27.\n\n  [541] Exo. xxviii, 1.\n\n  [542] Numb, xxvii, 15-23.\n\n=4.= Samuel, who became so great a prophet in Israel, commissioned to\nconsecrate, command, and rebuke kings, to direct armies, and to serve\nas the oracle of God unto the people, was chosen while yet a boy, and\ncalled by the voice of the Lord.[543] And such was the power that\nfollowed this call, that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that\nSamuel was established a prophet of the Lord.[544] Time fails to\npermit the mention of many other men of might, who received their\npower from God, whose histories portray the honor with which the Lord\nregarded His chosen ministers. Think of the heavenly vision by which\nIsaiah was called and directed in the duties of his prophetic\noffice;[545] of Jeremiah, to whom the word of the Lord came in the\ndays of Josiah;[546] of the priest Ezekiel, who first received the\nDivine message in the land of the Chaldeans,[547] and subsequently on\nother occasions; of Hosea,[548] and all the rest of the prophets to\nZechariah[549] and Malachi.[550]\n\n  [543] I Sam. iii, 4-14.\n\n  [544] I Sam. iii, 20.\n\n  [545] Isa. i, 1; ii, 1; vi, 8-9.\n\n  [546] Jer. i, 2-10.\n\n  [547] Ezek. i, 1.\n\n  [548] Hos. i, 1.\n\n  [549] Zech. i, 1.\n\n  [550] Mal. i, 1.\n\n=5.= The apostles of the Lord were called by His own voice in the days\nof His ministry; and surely the Savior's authority is beyond question,\nvindicated as it is by the mighty works of the atonement, wrought\nthrough pain and the anguish of death, and by the authoritative\ndeclaration of the Father at the time of Christ's baptism. Peter, and\nAndrew his brother, while casting their nets into the sea, were called\nwith the instruction,--\"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of\nmen;\"[551] and soon after, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were\nsimilarly called. So with all of the chosen Twelve who ministered with\nthe Master; and unto the Eleven who had remained faithful, He appeared\nafter His resurrection, giving them special commissions for the work\nof the kingdom.[552] Christ specifically declares that He had chosen\nHis apostles, and that He had ordained them in their exalted\nstations.[553]\n\n  [551] Matt. iv, 18-20.\n\n  [552] Matt. xviii, 19-20; Mark xvi, 15.\n\n  [553] John vi, 70; xv, 16.\n\n=6.= In the period immediately following that of Christ's earthly\nmission, the ministers of the Gospel were all designated and set apart\nby unquestionable authority. Even Saul of Tarsus, afterward Paul the\nApostle, who was converted with marvelous signs and wondrous\nmanifestations,[554] had to be formally commissioned for the labor\nwhich the Lord desired him to perform; and we are told that the Holy\nGhost spake to the prophets and teachers of the Church at Antioch,\nwhile they fasted before the Lord, saying, \"Separate me Barnabas and\nSaul for the work whereunto I have called them.\"[555]\n\n  [554] Acts ix.\n\n  [555] Acts xiii, 1-2.\n\n=7. The Ordination of Men to the Ministry=, as sanctioned by\nscriptural precedent, and established by direct revelation of God's\nwill, is to be effected through the gift of prophecy, and by the\nimposition of hands by those who are in authority. By prophecy is\nmeant the right to receive, and the power to interpret, manifestations\nof the Divine will. That the laying on of hands is usual as a part of\nthe ceremony is seen in several of the instances already cited;\nnevertheless the scriptures record numerous ordinations to the offices\nof the priesthood, with no specific statement concerning the\nimposition of hands, nor indeed any other details of the ceremony.\nSuch instances do not warrant the conclusion that the laying on of\nhands was not actually performed; and indeed in the light of modern\nrevelation it is clear that the imposition of hands was a usual\naccompaniment of ordination, as it was also a part of the ceremony of\nconfirming blessings,[556] and of bestowing the Holy Ghost.[557]\n\n  [556] Gen. xlviii, 14-19. Compare II Kings v, 11; Matt. viii, 15;\n  Mark vi, 5; xvi, 15-18.\n\n  [557] See Lecture viii, pp. 162-174.\n\n=8.= Thus, the priesthood descended from Adam to Noah, under the\nhands of the fathers;[558] Enos was ordained by the hand of Adam; and\nthe same was true of Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah. Lamech\nwas ordained under the hand of Seth; Noah received his authority from\nthe hand of Methuselah. And so may the priesthood be traced, bestowed\nas the spirit of prophecy directed by the hand of one upon another,\ntill the time of Moses. Melchizedek, who conferred this authority upon\nAbraham, received his own through the direct lineage of his fathers,\nfrom Noah. Esaias, a contemporary of Abraham, received his ordination\nunder the hand of God. Through the hand of Esaias, the authority\npassed to Gad, thence by the same means to Jeremy, Elihu, Caleb, and\nJethro, the priest of Midian, under whose hand Moses was\nordained.[559] Joshua the son of Nun was set apart as directed of God,\nthrough the imposition of hands by Moses.[560]\n\n  [558] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 40-52.\n\n  [559] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 6-14.\n\n  [560] Numb. xxvii, 18; Deut. xxxiv, 9.\n\n=9.= In the days of the apostles, circumstances rendered it expedient\nto appoint special officers in the Church, to care for the poor and\nattend to the distribution of supplies; these were selected with care,\nand were set apart through prayer and laying on of hands.[561] Timothy\nwas similarly ordained, as witness the admonitions given him by\nPaul:--\"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by\nprophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery,\"[562] and\nagain, \"Stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of\nmy hands.\"[563] The Lord has bound Himself by solemn covenant to\nacknowledge the acts of His authorized servants. Unto whomsoever the\nelders give promise after baptism the Holy Ghost will come.[564]\nWhatever the priesthood shall bind or loose on earth, is to be\nsimilarly bound or loosed in heaven;[565] the sick upon whom the\nelders lay their hands, are to recover;[566] and many other signs are\nto follow them that believe. And so jealous is the Lord of the power\nto officiate in His name, that at the judgment, all who have aided or\npersecuted His servants, are to be rewarded or punished as if they had\ndone those things unto Christ Himself.[567]\n\n  [561] Acts vi, 1-6.\n\n  [562] I Timothy iv, 14.\n\n  [563] II Tim. i, 6.\n\n  [564] Acts ii, 38; III Nephi xi, 35; xii, 2; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv,\n  64.\n\n  [565] Matt. xvi, 19; Doc. and Cov. i, 8; cxxviii, 8-11.\n\n  [566] Mark xvi, 15-18.\n\n  [567] Matt. xviii, 4-6; xxv, 31-46; Doc. and Cov. lxxv, 19-22;\n  lxxxiv, 88-90.\n\n=10. Unauthorized Ministrations= in priestly functions are not alone\ninvalid, they are indeed grievously sinful. In His dealings with\nmankind, God has ever recognized and honored the priesthood\nestablished by His direction; and has never countenanced any\nunauthorized assumption of authority. A terrible lesson is taught in\nthe case of Korah and his associates, in their rebellion against the\nauthority of the priesthood,--in that they falsely professed the right\nto minister in the priest's office. The Lord promptly visited them for\ntheir sins, causing the ground to cleave asunder, and to swallow them\nup with all their belongings.[568]\n\n  [568] Numbers xvi.\n\n=11.= And think of the affliction that fell upon Miriam, the sister of\nMoses, a prophetess among the people.[569] She, with Aaron, railed\nagainst Moses, and they said, \"Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by\nMoses? hath He not spoken also by us? and the Lord heard it.\"[570] He\ncame at once in a cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle,\ndenouncing their presumption, and vindicating the authority of His\nchosen oracle, Moses. When the cloud passed from the tabernacle,\nMiriam was seen to be leprous, white as snow; and according to the\nlaw, she was shut out of the camp of Israel. However, through the\nearnest entreaties of Moses, the Lord healed the woman, and she was\nsubsequently permitted to return to the company.\n\n  [569] Exo. xv, 21.\n\n  [570] Numbers xii.\n\n=12.= Consider the fate of Uzza, the Israelite who met sudden death\nthrough the anger of God, because he put forth his hand to steady the\nark of the covenant lest it fall.[571] This he did in spite of the law\nthat none but the priests might touch the sacred accompaniments of the\nark; we read that not even the appointed bearers of the vessel were\nallowed to touch its holy parts, on pain of death.[572]\n\n  [571] I Chron. xiii, 10.\n\n  [572] Num. iv, 15.\n\n=13.= Think also of Saul the King of Israel, who had been called from\nthe farm to be made a monarch favored of God. When the Philistines\nwere marshalled against Israel in Michmash, Saul waited for\nSamuel,[573] under whose hand he had received his kingly\nanointing,[574] and to whom he had looked in the days of his humility\nfor guidance; he asked that the prophet come and offer sacrifices to\nthe Lord in behalf of the people. But, growing impatient at Samuel's\ndelay, Saul prepared the burnt offering himself, forgetting that\nthough he occupied the throne, wore the crown, and bore the sceptre,\nthese insignia of kingly power gave him no right to officiate even as\na door-keeper in the house of God; and for this and other instances of\nhis unrighteous presumption, he was rejected of God and another was\nchosen in his place.\n\n  [573] I Sam. xiii, 5-14.\n\n  [574] I Sam. x.\n\n=14.= A striking instance of Divine jealousy concerning holy functions\nis shown in the dreadful experience of Uzziah, king of Judah. He was\nplaced upon the throne when but sixteen years old; and, as long as he\nsought the Lord, he was greatly prospered, so that his name became a\nterror unto his enemies. But he allowed pride to grow in his heart,\nand indulged the delusion that in his kingship he was supreme. He\nentered the temple and essayed to burn incense on the altar. Shocked\nat his blasphemous action, Azariah, the chief priest of the temple,\nand fourscore priests with him, forbade the king, saying:--\"It\nappertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but\nto the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn\nincense; go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed.\" At this\nrebuke and condemnation from his subjects, though they were priests of\nthe living God, the king became angry; but immediately the dread\nscourge of leprosy fell upon him; the signs of the horrible disease\nappeared in his forehead; and, being now physically an unclean\ncreature, his presence tended the more to defile the holy place. So\nAzariah and his associate priests thrust the king out from the temple,\nand he, a smitten thing, fled from the house of God never again to\nenter its sacred precincts. Concerning the rest of his punishment we\nread, \"And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and\ndwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the\nhouse of the Lord.\"[575]\n\n  [575] II Chron. xxvi.\n\n=15.= A forceful illustration of the futility of false ceremonies, or\nof the mere form of sacred ordinances when the authority is absent, is\nshown in the New Testament record of the seven sons of Sceva. These in\ncommon with others had seen, and had marveled at, the miraculous power\nexhibited by Paul, whom the Lord so blessed in his apostleship that\nthrough contact with handkerchiefs or aprons sent by him the sick were\nhealed, and their evil spirits were cast out. Sceva's sons, who are\ncounted by the sacred chronicler among the exorcists and the vagabond\nJews, sought also to expel an evil spirit: \"We adjure you by Jesus\nwhom Paul preacheth,\" said they; but the evil spirit derided them for\ntheir lack of authority, exclaiming: \"Jesus I know, and Paul I know,\nbut who are ye?\" Then the afflicted person, in whom the evil spirit\ndwelt, leaped upon them and overcame them, so that when they escaped\nfrom the house they were naked and wounded.[576]\n\n  [576] Acts xix, 13-17.\n\n=16. Teachers True and False.=--None but those who are duly authorized\nto teach can be regarded as true expounders of the word. The remarks\nof Paul concerning the high priests are alike applicable to every\noffice of the priesthood: \"No man taketh this honor to himself, but he\nthat is called of God, as was Aaron.\"[577] And Aaron, as we have\nalready seen, was called through Moses unto whom the Lord revealed His\nwill in the matter. This authority to act in the name of the Lord is\ngiven to those only who are chosen of God; it is not to be had for the\nmere asking; it is not to be bought with gold. We read of Simon, the\nsorcerer, who coveted the power possessed by the apostles; he offered\nthese ministers of Christ money, saying, \"Give me also this power that\non whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Ghost.\" But Peter\nanswered him with righteous indignation, \"Thy money perish with thee,\nbecause thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with\nmoney; thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is\nnot right in the sight of God.\"[578]\n\n  [577] Heb. v, 4.\n\n  [578] Acts viii, 18-24.\n\n=17.= It was known to the apostles of old that men would seek to\narrogate unto themselves the right to officiate in things divine, thus\nbecoming servants of Satan. In addressing a conference of the elders\nat Ephesus, Paul prophesied of these ill events, and warned the\nshepherds of the flock to look well to their charge.[579] In an\nepistle to Timothy, the apostle reiterates this prophecy; encouraging\nto diligence in preaching the word, he declares, \"For the time will\ncome when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own\nlusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and\nthey shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned\nunto fables.\"[580] Peter's declarations on the same subject are no\nless plain. Addressing himself to the Saints of his time, he refers to\nthe false prophets of old, and adds:--\"There shall be false teachers\namong you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies; even denying\nthe Lord that bought them.... And many shall follow their pernicious\nways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken\nof.\"[581]\n\n  [579] Acts xx, 28-30.\n\n  [580] II Tim. iv, 2-4.\n\n  [581] II Pet. ii, 1-3.\n\n=18. Divine Authority in the Present Dispensation.=--The Latter-day\nSaints claim to possess authority to administer in the name of God,\nand that this right has been conferred in this day under the hands of\nthose who held the same power in former dispensations. That the\nauthority of the holy priesthood was to be taken from the earth as the\napostles of old were slain, and that it would of necessity have to be\nrestored from heaven before the Church could be re-established, may be\nshown by scripture. On the 15th day of May, 1829, while Joseph Smith\nand Oliver Cowdery were engaged in earnest prayer for instruction\nconcerning baptism for the remission of sins, mention of which they\nhad found in the plates from which they were then engaged in\ntranslating the Book of Mormon, a messenger from heaven descended in a\ncloud of light. He announced himself as John, called of old the\nBaptist, and said he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and\nJohn, who held the keys of the higher priesthood. The messenger laid\nhis hands upon the two young men and ordained them to authority,\nsaying, \"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I\nconfer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the\nministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism\nby immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken\nagain from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an\noffering unto the Lord in righteousness.\"[582]\n\n  [582] Pearl of Great Price: Extr. Hist. of Joseph Smith, 69. Doc.\n  and Cov. xiii.\n\n=19.= A short time after this event, Peter, James, and John appeared\nto Joseph and Oliver, and ordained the two to the higher or\nMelchizedek priesthood, bestowing upon them the keys of the\napostleship, which these heavenly messengers had held and exercised in\nthe former gospel dispensation. This order of priesthood holds\nauthority over all the offices in the Church, and includes power to\nadminister in spiritual things;[583] consequently all the authorities\nand powers necessary to the establishment of the Church were by this\nvisitation restored to earth.\n\n  [583] Doc. and Cov. cvii.\n\n=20.= No one is authorized to officiate in any of the ordinances of\nthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unless he has been\nordained to that calling by those holding the power; thus, no man\nreceives the priesthood except under the hand of one who holds that\npriesthood himself; that one must have obtained it from others\npreviously commissioned; and so every holder of the priesthood to-day\ncan trace his authority to the hands of Joseph the Prophet, who, as\nalready stated, received his ordination under the hands of heavenly\nmessengers clothed with power divine. That men who are called of God\nto the authority of the ministry on earth may have been selected for\nsuch appointment even before they took mortal bodies is evident from\nthe scriptures. This matter may properly claim attention in the\npresent connection; and its consideration leads us to the subjects\nwhich follow.\n\n\nFORE-ORDINATION AND PRE-EXISTENCE.\n\n=21. Fore-ordination.=--In a wonderful interview with Abraham, the\nLord revealed many things ordinarily withheld from mortal eyes. Said\nthe patriarch:--\"Now the Lord had shewn unto me, Abraham, the\nintelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all\nthese there were many of the noble and great ones; and God saw these\nsouls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he\nsaid, These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were\nspirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me, Abraham,\nthou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born.\"[584]\nThis is one of the many scriptural proofs that the spirits of mankind\nexisted prior to their earthly probation:--a condition in which these\nintelligences lived and exercised their free agency before they\nassumed bodily tabernacles. Surely then the natures, dispositions, and\ntendencies of men are known to the Father of their spirits, even\nbefore these beings are born in mortality; and He needs not to wait\ntill they develop and prove their capacities on earth before they are\nappointed to special labors in the fulfillment of Divine purposes.\n\n  [584] Pearl of Great Price: Abraham iii, 22-23; see also Jer. i,\n  4-5.\n\n=22.= Evidence is abundant that Christ was chosen and ordained to be\nthe Redeemer of the world, even from the beginning. We read of His\nforemost position amongst the sons of God in offering Himself as a\nsacrifice to carry into effect the will of the Father.[585] He it was,\n\"Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the\nworld.\"[586]\n\n  [585] See page 83.\n\n  [586] I Peter i, 20. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. ii.\n\n=23.= Paul taught the doctrine of Divine selection and pre-appointment\nthus:--\"For whom he did fore-know, he also did predestinate to be\nconformed to the image of his Son.... Moreover, whom he did\npredestinate, them he also called.\"[587] And again:--\"God hath not\ncast away his people which he foreknew.\"[588]\n\n  [587] Rom. viii, 29-30.\n\n  [588] Rom. xi, 2.\n\n=24.= Alma, the Nephite prophet, spoke of the priests who had been\nordained after the order of the Son, and added:--\"And this is the\nmanner after which they were ordained: being called and prepared from\nthe foundation of the world, according to the fore-knowledge of God,\non account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place\nbeing left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good,\nand exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling,\nyea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to,\na preparatory redemption for such.\"[589]\n\n  [589] Alma xiii, 3; also 10, 11.\n\n=25. Fore-ordination does not Imply Compulsion.=--The doctrine of\nabsolute predestination, resulting in a nullification of man's free\nagency, has been advocated with various modifications by different\nsects. Nevertheless, such teachings are wholly unjustified by both the\nletter and the spirit of sacred writ. God's fore-knowledge concerning\nthe natures and capacities of His children enables Him to see the end\nof their earthly career even from the first:--\"Known unto God are all\nhis works from the beginning of the world.\"[590] Many people have been\nled to regard this fore-knowledge of God as a sure predestination\nwhereby souls are assigned to glory or condemnation, even before their\nbirth in the flesh, and independently of any merits or demerits of\ntheir own. This heretical doctrine seeks to rob Deity of every trait\nof mercy, of justice, and of pure love; it makes the Father appear\ncapricious and selfish, directing and creating all things for His own\nglory alone, caring not for the consequent suffering of the victims of\nHis injustice. How dreadful, how inconsistent is such an idea of God!\nIt leads to the absurd conclusion that the mere knowledge of coming\nevents must act as a determining influence in bringing about those\noccurrences. God's knowledge of spiritual and of human nature enables\nHim to conclude with certainty as to the actions of any of His\nchildren under given conditions; yet such knowledge has surely no\ndetermining effect upon the creature.[591]\n\n  [590] Acts xv, 18.\n\n  [591] See \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp. 18, 28.\n\n=26.= Doubtless He knows of some spirits that they await only the\nopportunity of choice between good and evil to choose the latter and\nto accomplish their own destruction; these are they as spoken of by\nJude, \"who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.\"[592] To\navert the fate of such, their free agency would have to be taken away;\nthey can be saved by force alone; and compulsion is forbidden by the\nlaws of heaven, for salvation and for condemnation alike. There are\nothers whose integrity and faithfulness have been demonstrated in\ntheir pristine state; the Father knows how unreservedly they may be\ntrusted, and many of them are called even in their mortal youth to\nspecial and exalted labors as chosen servants of the Most High.\n\n  [592] Jude 4.\n\n=27. Pre-existence of Spirits.=--The facts already presented\nconcerning fore-ordination furnish proof that the spirits of mankind\npassed through a stage of existence prior to the earthly probation.\nThis antemortal period is oft-times spoken of as the stage of\n\"primeval childhood\" or \"first estate.\" That these spirits existed as\norganized intelligences, and exercised their free agency during that\nprimeval stage, is clear from the declaration of the Lord to\nAbraham:--\"And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon,\nand they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the\nsame kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep\ntheir second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever\nand ever.\"[593]\n\n=28.= No Christian doubts the pre-existence of the Savior, or\nquestions His position as one of the Godhead before He came to earth\nas Mary's Son. The common interpretation given to the opening words of\nJohn's Gospel sustains the view of Christ's primeval God-ship:--\"In\nthe beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word\nwas God.\" We read further, \"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt\namong us.\"[594] The sayings of the Redeemer Himself support this\ntruth. When His disciples dissented concerning His doctrine of\nHimself, He said, \"What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up\nwhere he was before?\"[595] On another occasion He spoke in this\nwise:--\"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world;\nagain, I leave the world and go to the Father.\"[596] And His\ndisciples, pleased with this plain declaration confirming the belief\nwhich, perchance, they already entertained at heart, rejoined, \"Lo,\nnow speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb ... by this we\nbelieve that thou camest forth from God.\"[597] To the wicked Jews who\nboasted of their descent from Abraham, and sought to hide their sins\nunder the protecting mantle of the great patriarch's name, the Savior\ndeclared:--\"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I\nam.\"[598] In a solemn prayer to His Father, the Son implored, \"And\nnow, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory\nwhich I had with thee before the world was.\"[599] Yet Christ was born\na child among mortals; and it is fair to infer, that if His earthly\nbirth was the union of a pre-existent or antemortal spirit with a\nmortal body, such also is the birth of every member of the human\nfamily.\n\n  [593] Pearl of Great Price: Abraham iii, 26.\n\n  [594] John i, 1, 14.\n\n  [595] John vi, 62.\n\n  [596] John xvi, 28.\n\n  [597] Verses 29-30.\n\n  [598] John viii, 58. See \"Jesus the Christ.\" pp. 37, 411.\n\n  [599] John xvii, 5. See also II Nephi ix, 5; xxv, 12; Mos. iii, 5;\n  xiii, 33-34; xv, 1.\n\n=29.= But we are not left to mere inference on a basis of analogy\nonly; the scriptures plainly teach that the spirits of mankind are\nknown and numbered unto God before their earthly advent. In his\nfarewell administration to Israel Moses sang, \"Remember the days of\nold.... When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance,\nwhen he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people\naccording to the number of the children of Israel.\"[600] From this we\nlearn that the earth was allotted to the nations, according to the\nnumber of the children of Israel; it is evident therefore that the\nnumber was known prior to the existence of the Israelitish nation in\nthe flesh; this is most easily explained on the assumption of a\nprevious existence in which the spirits of the future nation were\nknown.\n\n  [600] Deut. xxxii, 7-8.\n\n=30.= No chance is possible therefore in the number or extent of the\ntemporal creations of God.[601] The population of the earth is fixed\naccording to the number of spirits appointed to take tabernacles of\nflesh upon this sphere; when these have all come forth in the order\nand time decreed of God, then, and not till then, shall the end come.\n\n  [601] See Note, this page.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Spiritual Creations.=--The pre-existent condition is not\n     characteristic of human souls alone; all things of earth have a\n     spiritual being, of which the temporal structure forms but the\n     counterpart. We read of the creation of \"every plant of the field\n     before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it\n     grew\" (Gen. ii, 5). This is set forth with greater fulness in\n     another revelation to Moses:--\"These are the generations of the\n     heaven and the earth when they were created, in the day that I,\n     the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth, and every plant of\n     the earth before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field\n     before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things of which\n     I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the\n     face of the earth.... And I, the Lord God, had created all the\n     children of men, and not yet a man to till the ground; for in\n     heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the\n     earth, neither in the water, neither in the air: but I, the Lord\n     God, spake, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered\n     the whole face of the ground. And I, the Lord God, formed man\n     from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the\n     breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh\n     upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were\n     before created, but spiritually were they created and made\n     according to my word.\"--(Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 4-7.)\n\n     =2. Authority Given of God.=--\"The most comprehensive evidence\n     that Joseph Smith received the authority and power of the Holy\n     Priesthood, is that the works of John the Baptist, of Jesus and\n     His apostles, are being again done on the earth by his\n     administration. To receive the powers of this Priesthood, it is\n     necessary that men should obey the laws and ordinances of the\n     Gospel. The Lord has personally appeared to some men, and\n     covenanted with them as He did with Abraham (see Gen. xii, 1-3;\n     xiii, 14-17). The Lord also personally called and authorized His\n     twelve Jewish apostles. So fully were they authorized to labor\n     for Him, and act in His name, that He said to them: 'He that\n     receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth\n     him that sent me' (Matt. x, 40). More generally, it is from the\n     prophets and apostles of Christ that men receive the Priesthood.\n     Many received it under the hands of the apostles of the first\n     Gospel dispensation. Those who have received it in this\n     latter-day dispensation, have received it from Joseph Smith and\n     Oliver Cowdery; and, in doing so, have received it through a\n     legitimate channel from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.\n     Those who have received this Priesthood have covenanted with God\n     the Father, and He with them. This is evidently the view taken of\n     the subject in the above passage quoted from Matthew. The\n     doctrine is more fully illustrated in Doc. and Cov.: 'All they\n     who receive this Priesthood receiveth me, saith the Lord; for he\n     that receiveth my servants receiveth me; and he that receiveth me\n     receiveth my Father; and he that receiveth my Father, receiveth\n     my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be\n     given unto him, and this is according to the oath and covenant\n     which belongeth to the Priesthood' (Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv,\n     35-39).\"--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, p. 67.\n\n     =3. Fore-ordination.=--\"'Known unto God are all his works from\n     the beginning of the world' (Acts xv, 18). The knowledge that we\n     have of the beginning of the world is principally derived from\n     the history of its creation in the Bible Genesis, and in the\n     writings of Moses and of Abraham, as given in the Pearl of Great\n     Price.... These writings make it plain that man existed in a\n     spiritual condition prior to coming here, and also quite as\n     evident that in that pre-existence he exercised his free\n     agency.... God may have called and chosen men in their first\n     estate, or spiritual existence, but whether they will accept that\n     call and fill it, by repentance and good works in this life, is a\n     matter in which it is their privilege to exercise their free\n     agency.... Men exercised their free agency in the first or\n     spiritual estate, as well as in this. That the character of their\n     works in that estate shaped their destiny in this is\n     evident.\"--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, pp.\n     138-140.\n\n     See also: Acts ii, 23; Romans viii, 29-30; xi, 2, 28; Isaiah\n     xlviii, 12; I Chron. xxix, 1; Book of Mormon: Alma xiii, 3-7;\n     Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 34, 99.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XI.\n\nTHE CHURCH AND ITS PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.\n\n     =Article 6.=--We believe in the same organization that existed in\n     the primitive Church, viz: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers,\n     evangelists, etc.\n\n\nTHE CHURCH IN FORMER AND LATTER DAYS.\n\n=1. The Primitive Church.=--In the dispensation of the Savior's\nministry, Christ established His Church upon the earth, appointing\ntherein the officers necessary for the carrying out of the Father's\npurposes. As shown in the last lecture, every person so appointed was\ndivinely commissioned with authority to officiate in the ordinances of\nhis calling; and, after Christ's ascension, the same organization was\ncontinued, those who had received authority ordaining others to the\nvarious offices of the priesthood. In this way were given unto the\nChurch, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors,[602] high\npriests,[603] seventies,[604] elders,[605] bishops,[606] priests,[607]\nteachers,[608] and deacons.[609]\n\n  [602] Eph. iv, 11.\n\n  [603] Heb. v, 1-5.\n\n  [604] Luke x, 1-11.\n\n  [605] Acts xiv, 23; xv, 6; I Peter v, 1.\n\n  [606] I Tim. iii, 1; Titus 1, 7.\n\n  [607] Rev. i, 6.\n\n  [608] Acts xiii, 1.\n\n  [609] I Tim. iii, 8-12.\n\n=2.= Besides these specific offices in the priesthood, there were\nother callings of a more temporal nature, to which men were also set\napart by authority: such for instance was the case of the seven men of\nhonest report who, in the days of the apostles, were chosen and\nappointed to minister to the poor, thus leaving the Twelve freer to\nattend to the particular duties of their office.[610] This special\nappointment illustrates the nature of the helps and governments[611]\nset in the Church, to assist in the work under the direction of the\nregular officers of the priesthood.\n\n  [610] Acts vi, 1-6.\n\n  [611] I Cor. xii, 28.\n\n=3.= The ministers so appointed, and the members among whom they\nlabor, constitute the Church of Christ, which has been impressively\ncompared to a perfect body, the individuals typifying the separate\nmembers, each with its special function, all co-operating for the\nwelfare of the whole.[612] Every office so established, every officer\nso commissioned, is necessary to the development of the Church and to\nthe accomplishment of the work of God. An organization established of\nGod comprises no superfluities; the eye, the ear, the hand, the foot,\nevery organ of the body, is essential to the symmetry and perfection\nof the physical structure; in the Church no officer can rightly say to\nanother, \"I have no need of thee.\"[613]\n\n  [612] I Cor. xii, 12-27; Rom. xii, 4-5; Eph. iv, 16.\n\n  [613] I Cor. xii, 21.\n\n=4.= The existence of these officers, and particularly their operation\nwith accompaniments of Divine assistance and power, may be taken as a\ndistinguishing characteristic of the Church in any age of the\nworld,--a crucial test, whereby the validity or falsity of any claim\nto Divine authority may be determined. The gospel of Christ is the\neverlasting gospel; its principles, laws, and ordinances, and the\nChurch organization founded thereon, must be ever the same. In\nsearching for the true Church, therefore, one must look for an\norganization comprising the offices established of old, the callings\nof apostles, prophets, evangelists, high priests, seventies, pastors,\nbishops, elders, priests, teachers, deacons; not men bearing these\nnames merely, but ministers able to vindicate their claim to position\nas officers in the Lord's service, through the evidences of power and\nauthority accompanying their ministry.\n\n=5. Apostasy from the Primitive Church.=--The question may fairly\narise in the mind of the earnest investigator, have these authorities\nand powers, together with their associated gifts of the Spirit,\nremained with men from the apostolic age to the present; in short, has\nthere been a Church of Christ upon the earth during this long\ninterval? In answer, let these facts be considered: Since the period\nimmediately following the ministrations of the apostles of old, and\nuntil the present century, no organization has maintained a claim to\ndirect revelation from God; in fact, the teachings of the professed\nministers of the gospel for centuries have been to the effect that\nsuch gifts of God have ceased, that the days of miracles have gone,\nand that the present depends for its guiding code wholly upon the\npast. A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there\nhas been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by\nthe Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ.[614]\nScarcely had the Church been organized by the Savior, whose name it\nbears, before the powers of darkness arrayed themselves for conflict\nwith the organized body. Even in the days of Christ, persecution was\nbitterly waged against the disciples; commencing with the Jews, and\ndirected first against the Master Himself and His few immediate\nassociates, this tide of opposition soon enveloped every known\nfollower of the Savior; so that the very name Christian became an\nepithet of derision.\n\n  [614] See Notes 1 and 2. See \"The Great Apostasy, Considered in\n  the Light of Scriptural and Secular History,\" by James E. Talmage,\n  Salt Lake City, 1909.\n\n=6.= In the first quarter of the fourth century, however, a change in\nthe attitude of paganism toward Christianity was marked by the\nconversion of Constantine the Great, under whose patronage the\nChristian profession grew in favor, and became in fact the religion of\nthe state. But what a profession, what a religion was it by this\ntime! Its simplicity had departed; earnest devotion and\nself-sacrificing sincerity were no longer characteristic of the\nChurch's ministers; these professed followers of the humble Prophet of\nNazareth, these self-styled associates of the meek and lowly Jesus,\nthese loudly-proclaimed lovers of the Man of Sorrow, lived amid\nconditions strangely inconsistent with the life of their great\nExemplar. Church offices were sought after for the distinction of\nhonor and wealth accompanying them; ministers of the gospel affected\nthe state of worldly authority; bishops sought the pomp of princes,\narchbishops lived as kings, and popes like emperors. With these\nunauthorized and unscriptural innovations came many changes in the\nordinances of the so-called church: the rites of baptism were\nperverted; the sacrament was altered; public worship became an\nexhibition of art; men were canonized; martyrs were made subjects of\nadoration; blasphemy grew apace, in that men without authority essayed\nto exercise the prerogatives of God in calling others to what still\nbore the name of spiritual office. Ages of darkness came upon the\nearth; the power of Satan seemed almost supreme.\n\n=7.= For a special consideration of the evidence of a general apostasy\nfrom the Church of Christ, the student must consult authorities on\necclesiastical history. While the fact of the apostasy is admitted by\nbut few such writers, the historical events which they chronicle\nsuggest the awful truth. We may trace, from the days of the apostles\ndown to near the close of the tenth century, a constantly changing\nform of Church organization, which, at the later time named, bore but\nlittle semblance to the Church established by the Savior. This falling\naway is admitted by some historians, and as we shall presently see, it\nwas definitely foretold by authoritative prophecy.\n\n=8.= John Wesley, founder of a powerful sect, declared that the\ndistinctive gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer with the church,\nhaving been taken away on account of the unworthiness of professing\nChristians, whom he characterized indeed as heathen, with only a dead\nform of worship.[615] In the Church of England \"Homily Against Peril\nof Idolatry\" we read \"So that laity and clergy, learned and unlearned,\nall ages, sects, and degrees of men, women, and children of whole\nChristendom--an horrible and most dreadful thing to think--have been\nat once drowned in abominable idolatry; of all other vices most\ndetested of God, and most damnable to man; and that by the space of\neight hundred years and more.\" Milner, an author on church history,\nadmits a pitiable condition of the Church in the tenth century, and\nfinds in that sad state a fulfillment of scriptural predictions.\n\n  [615] John Wesley's Works, vii, pp. 26-27. See Note 4, following\n  Lecture xii, in connection with Article 7, \"Spiritual Gifts,\" page\n  238.\n\n=9. This Great Apostasy was Foretold.=--The infinite fore-knowledge of\nGod made plain to Him even from the beginning this falling away from\nthe truth; and, through inspiration, the prophets of old uttered\nsolemn warnings of the approaching dangers. Surely Isaiah was gazing\nupon the era of spiritual darkness when he declared, \"The earth also\nis defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have\ntransgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting\ncovenant.\"[616] And how deeply impressive is the declaration of\nJeremiah, \"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken\nme, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken\ncisterns that can hold no water.\"[617]\n\n  [616] Isa. xxiv, 5.\n\n  [617] Jer. ii, 13.\n\n=10.= The prophecies of the apostles relative to the false teachers so\nsoon to trouble the flock, already quoted,[618] declare the apostasy\nthen rapidly approaching. Paul warned the Saints of Thessalonica that\nthey be not deceived by those who cried that the second coming of\nChrist was then at hand, \"For,\" said the apostle, \"that day shall not\ncome except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be\nrevealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself\nabove all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God\nsitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.\"[619]\nThis falling away had begun even in the days of the apostles:--\"Even\nnow,\" says John, \"are there many anti-Christs.\"[620] And Paul, in\naddressing the Galatians, declared, \"There be some that trouble you,\nand would pervert the gospel of Christ.\"[621]\n\n  [618] See pages 192-193.\n\n  [619] II Thess. ii, 3-4.\n\n  [620] I John ii, 18. See further II Peter ii, 1-3; Jude 17, 18.\n\n  [621] Gal. i, 7; also Acts xx, 29, 30; I Tim. iv, 1-3; II Tim. iv,\n  1-4.\n\n=11.= Not less conclusive are the prophecies contained in the Book of\nMormon relating to this great falling away. Nephi, son of Lehi,\npredicted the oppression of the North American Indians at the hands of\nthe Gentiles, and declared that at that time the people will be lifted\nup in self-pride, having departed from the ordinances of God's house;\ntrue, they will build to themselves many churches, but in these they\nwill preach their own wisdom, with envyings, and strife, and malice,\ndenying however the power and miracles of God.[622]\n\n  [622] II Nephi xxvi, 19-22; see also xxvii, 1; xxviii, 3, 6; xxix,\n  3; I Nephi xiii, 5; xxii 22-23.\n\n=12. Restoration of the Church.=--From the facts already stated, it is\nevident that the Church was literally driven from the earth; in the\nfirst ten centuries immediately following the ministry of Christ, the\nauthority of the priesthood was lost from among men, and no human\npower could restore it. But the Lord in His mercy provided for the\nre-establishment of His Church in the last days, and for the last\ntime; and prophets of olden time fore-saw this era of renewed\nenlightenment, and sang in joyous tones of its coming.[623] It has\nbeen already shown that this restoration was effected by the Lord\nthrough the Prophet Joseph Smith, who, together with Oliver Cowdery,\nin 1829 received the Aaronic Priesthood under the hands of John the\nBaptist; and later the Melchizedek Priesthood under the hands of the\nformer-day apostles, Peter, James, and John. By the authority thus\nbestowed, the Church has been again organized with all its former\ncompleteness, and mankind once more rejoices in the priceless\nprivileges of the counsels of God. The Latter-day Saints declare their\nhigh claim to the true Church organization, similar in all essentials\nto the organization effected by Christ among the Jews; this people of\nthe last days profess to have the Priesthood of the Almighty, the\npower to act in the name of God, which power commands respect both on\nearth and in heaven. Let us consider the organization of the\npriesthood as it exists to-day.\n\n  [623] Dan. ii, 44-45; vii, 27; Matt. xxiv, 14; Rev. xiv, 6-8.\n\n\nPLAN OF GOVERNMENT IN THE RESTORED CHURCH.\n\n=13. Orders and Offices in the Priesthood.=--The Church of Jesus\nChrist of Latter-day Saints recognizes two orders of priesthood, the\nlesser called the Aaronic, the greater known as the Melchizedek order.\n_The Aaronic Priesthood_ is named after Aaron, who was given to Moses\nas his mouth-piece, to act under his direction in the carrying out of\nGod's purposes respecting Israel.[624] For this reason, it is\nsometimes called the Lesser Priesthood; but though lesser, it is\nneither small nor insignificant. While Israel journeyed in the\nwilderness, Aaron and his sons were called by prophecy and set apart\nfor the duties of the priest's office.[625]\n\n  [624] Exo. iv, 14-16.\n\n  [625] Exo. xxviii, 1.\n\n=14.= At a subsequent period of Israel's history, the Lord chose the\ntribe of Levi to assist Aaron in the priestly functions, the special\nduties of the Levites being to keep the instruments and attend to the\nservice of the tabernacle. The Levites thus chosen of the Lord were to\ntake the place of the first-born throughout the tribes, whom the Lord\nhad claimed for His service from the time of the last dread plague in\nEgypt, whereby the first-born in every Egyptian house was slain, while\nthe eldest in every Israelitish house was hallowed and spared.[626]\nThe commission thus given to the Levites is sometimes called the\n_Levitical Priesthood_;[627] it is to be regarded as an appendage to\nthe priesthood of Aaron, not comprising the highest priestly powers.\nThe Aaronic Priesthood, as restored to the earth in this dispensation,\ncomprises the Levitical order.[628] This priesthood holds the keys of\nthe ministering of angels, and the authority to attend to the outward\nordinances, the letter of the gospel;[629] it comprises the offices of\ndeacon, teacher, and priest, with the bishopric holding the keys of\npresidency.\n\n  [626] Numb. iii, 12-13, 39, 44-45, 50-51.\n\n  [627] Heb. vii, 11.\n\n  [628] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 1.\n\n  [629] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 20.\n\n=15.= The greater or _Melchizedek Priesthood_ is named after the king\nof Salem, a great High Priest of God;[630] before his day it was known\nas \"the Holy Priesthood, after the order of the Son of God, but out of\nrespect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the\ntoo frequent repetition of His name, they, the Church, in ancient\ndays, called that Priesthood after Melchizedek.\"[631] This priesthood\nholds the right of presidency in all the offices of the Church; its\nspecial functions lie in the administration of spiritual things:\ncomprising as it does the keys of all spiritual blessings of the\nChurch, the right \"to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune\nwith the general assembly and Church of the First Born, and to enjoy\nthe communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the Mediator\nof the new covenant.\"[632] The special offices of the Melchizedek\nPriesthood are those of apostle, patriarch or evangelist, high priest,\nseventy, and elder. Revelation from God has defined the duties\nassociated with each of these callings; and the same high authority\nhas directed the establishment of presiding officers growing out of,\nor appointed from among those who are ordained to the several offices\nin these two priesthoods.[633]\n\n  [630] Gen. xiv, 18; Heb. vii, 1-17.\n\n  [631] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 2-4.\n\n  [632] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 8, 18-19.\n\n  [633] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.\n\n=16. Specific Duties in the Priesthood.--The Office of Deacon= is the\nfirst or lowest in the Aaronic Priesthood. The duties of this calling\nare generally of a temporal nature, pertaining to the care of the\nhouses of worship and the comfort of the worshipers. In all things,\nhowever, the Deacon may be called to assist the Teacher in his\nlabors.[634] Twelve deacons form a quorum;[635] such a body is to be\npresided over by a president and counselors, selected from among their\nnumber.\n\n  [634] Doc. and Cov. xx, 57; cvii, 85.\n\n  [635] =Quorum.=--This term has acquired a special meaning among\n  the Latter-day Saints. It signifies, not alone a majority or such\n  a number of persons of any organized body as is requisite for\n  authoritative action, but the organized body itself. The Church\n  regards a quorum as \"a council or an organized body of the\n  priesthood,\" e. g. _an elders' quorum; the quorum of the Twelve\n  Apostles_, etc. (See Standard Dictionary.)\n\n=17. Teachers= are local officers, whose function it is to mingle with\nthe Saints, exhorting them to their duties, and strengthening the\nChurch by their constant ministry; they are to see that there is no\niniquity in the Church; that the members do not cherish ill-feelings\ntoward one another; but that all observe the law of God respecting\nChurch duties. They may take the lead of meetings when no Priest or\nhigher officer is present. Both Teachers and Deacons may preach the\nword of God when properly directed so to do; but they have not the\npower to independently officiate in any spiritual ordinances, such as\nbaptizing, administering the sacrament, or laying on of hands.[636]\nTwenty-four Teachers constitute a quorum; from among such a body a\npresident and counselors are to be chosen.\n\n  [636] Doc. and Cov. xx, 53-59; cvii, 86.\n\n=18. The Priests= are appointed to preach, teach, expound the\nscripture, to baptize, to administer the sacrament, to visit the\nhouses of the members, exhorting them to diligence. When properly\ndirected, the Priest may ordain Deacons, Teachers, and other Priests;\nand he may be called upon to assist the Elder in his work. A quorum of\nPriests comprises forty-eight members; such an organization is to be\npresided over by a Bishop.\n\n=19. Elders= are empowered to officiate in any or all duties connected\nwith lower callings in the priesthood; and in addition, they may\nordain other Elders; confirm as members of the Church candidates who\nhave been properly baptized, and confer upon them the Holy Ghost.\nThese officers have authority to bless children in the Church, and to\ntake charge of all meetings, conducting the same as they are led by\nthe Holy Ghost.[637] The Elder may officiate in the stead of the High\nPriest when the latter is not present. Ninety-six Elders form a\nquorum; three of these constitute the presidency of the quorum.[638]\n\n  [637] Doc. and Cov. xx, 38-45, 70; cvii, 11-12.\n\n  [638] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 89.\n\n=20. Seventies= are traveling ministers, ordained to promulgate the\nGospel among the nations of the earth, \"unto the Gentiles first, and\nalso unto the Jews.\" They are to act under the direction of the\nApostles in this exalted labor.[639] A full quorum comprises seventy\nmembers, including seven presidents.\n\n  [639] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 34-35, 97-98.\n\n=21. High Priests= are ordained with power to officiate when properly\ndirected in all the ordinances and blessings of the Church. They may\ntravel as do the Seventies, carrying the Gospel to the nations; but\nthey are not specially charged with this duty, their specific calling\nbeing that of standing presidency. The High Priests of any stake of\nthe Church may be organized into a quorum, and this without limit as\nto number; over such a quorum, three of the members may be chosen to\npreside, as president and counselors.[640]\n\n  [640] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 10; cxxiv, 134-135.\n\n=22. Patriarchs=, or =Evangelists=, are charged with the special duty\nof blessing the Church; of course they have authority to officiate\nalso in other ordinances. There is one \"Patriarch to the Church,\" with\ngeneral jurisdiction throughout the whole organization; he holds the\nkeys of the patriarchal office, and unto him the promise is given\n\"that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall\nbe cursed, that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in\nheaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in\nheaven.\"[641]\n\n  [641] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 92-93.\n\n=23.= Concerning the patriarchal authority, the Lord has said: \"The\norder of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father\nto son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen\nseed to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the\ndays of Adam, and came down by lineage.\"[642] But, beside this office\nof general patriarchal power, there are a number of local Patriarchs\nappointed in the branches of the Church, all subject to counsel and\ndirection at the hands of the \"Patriarch to the Church;\" yet\npossessing the same privileges in their district as belong to him\nthroughout the Church. It is made a duty of the Twelve Apostles to\nordain evangelical ministers, or Patriarchs, in all large branches of\nthe Church, the selection to be made through the power of\nrevelation.[643]\n\n  [642] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 40-57.\n\n  [643] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39.\n\n=24. Apostles= are called to be special witnesses of the name of\nChrist in all the world;[644] they are empowered to build up and\norganize the branches of the Church; and may officiate in any or all\nof the sacred ordinances. They are to travel among the Saints,\nregulating the affairs of the Church wherever they go, but\nparticularly where there is no complete local organization. They are\nauthorized to ordain Patriarchs and other officers in the priesthood,\nas they may be directed by the Spirit of God.[645]\n\n  [644] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23.\n\n  [645] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39, 58; xx, 38-44.\n\n=25. Presidency and Quorum Organizations.=--The revealed word of God\nhas provided for the establishment of presiding officers \"growing out\nof, or appointed from among those who are ordained to the several\noffices in these two priesthoods.\"[646] In accordance with the\nprevailing principles of order so characteristic of all His work, the\nLord has directed that the bearers of His priesthood shall be\norganized into quorums, the better to aid them in learning the duties\nof their stations. Some of these quorums are general in extent and\nauthority; others are local in their jurisdiction. All quorums in\nauthority and all presiding officers are to be sustained in their\nseveral positions by the vote of the people over whom they are\nappointed to preside. Local officers are thus voted upon by the local\norganizations, general authorities by the Church in conference\nassembled. Conferences of the Church are held at semi-annual\nintervals, on which occasions the names of all the general officers\nare submitted for the vote of the people. In like manner the\nauthorities of stakes and wards are sustained by vote at local\nconferences held for these and other purposes. The principle of common\nconsent is thus observed in all the organizations of the Church.\n\n  [646] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.\n\n=26. The First Presidency= constitutes the presiding quorum of the\nChurch. By Divine direction, a president is appointed from among the\nmembers of the High Priesthood to preside over the entire Church. He\nis known as President of the High Priesthood of the Church, or\nPresiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.[647] He\nis called \"to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet,\nhaving all the gifts of God which He bestows upon the head of the\nChurch.\"[648] His station is compared by the Lord to that of Moses of\nold, who stood as the mouth-piece of God unto Israel. In his exalted\nlabors among the Church, this Presiding High Priest is assisted by two\nothers holding the same priesthood, and these three High Priests, when\nproperly appointed and ordained, and upheld by the confidence, faith,\nand prayers of the Church, \"form a quorum of the Presidency of the\nChurch.\"[649]\n\n  [647] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 64-68.\n\n  [648] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 91-92.\n\n  [649] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 22.\n\n=27. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.=--Twelve men holding the\napostleship, properly organized, constitute the quorum of the\nApostles. These the Lord has designated as the twelve traveling\ncounselors;[650] they form the traveling presiding High Council, to\nofficiate under the direction of the First Presidency in all parts of\nthe world. They constitute a quorum, whose unanimous decisions are\nequally binding in power and authority with those of the First\nPresidency of the Church.[651] When the quorum of the First Presidency\nis disorganized through the death or disability of the President, the\ndirecting authority in government reverts at once to the quorum of the\nTwelve Apostles, by whom the nomination to the Presidency is made.\nThere may be apostles in the Church who are not members of this quorum\nof Twelve; but such have no place in the sittings of the quorum.\n\n  [650] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23, 33.\n\n  [651] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 24.\n\n=28. The Presiding Quorum of Seventy.=--The first quorum of Seventies\nform a body whose unanimous decisions are equally binding with those\nof the Twelve Apostles. Many quorums of Seventies may be required in\nthe work of the Church; already there have been effected approximately\ntwo hundred of such organizations; each quorum is presided over by\nseven presidents. The seven presidents of the First Quorum of\nSeventies, however, preside over all the other quorums and their\npresidents.[652]\n\n  [652] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 25-26, 34, 93-97.\n\n=29. The Presiding Bishopric=, as at present constituted, comprises\nthe Presiding Bishop of the Church, and two Counselors. This quorum\nholds jurisdiction over the duties of other Bishops in the Church, and\nof all organizations pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood. The oldest\nliving representative among the sons of Aaron is entitled to this\noffice of presidency, provided he be in all respects worthy and\nqualified; he must be designated and ordained by the First Presidency\nof the Church.[653] If such a literal descendant of Aaron be found and\nordained, he may act without counselors, except when he sits in\njudgment in a trial of one of the presidents of the High Priesthood,\nin which case he is to be assisted by twelve High Priests.[654] But in\nthe absence of any direct descendant of Aaron properly qualified, a\nHigh Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood may be called and set apart\nby the First Presidency of the Church to the office of Presiding\nBishop; he is to be assisted by two other High Priests properly\nordained as his counselors.[655]\n\n  [653] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 18-20.\n\n  [654] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 82-83.\n\n  [655] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 19.\n\n=30. Local Organizations of the Priesthood.=--Where the Saints are\npermanently located Stakes of Zion are organized, each Stake\ncomprising a number of wards or branches. Over each Stake is placed a\n_Stake Presidency_, consisting of a president and two counselors, who\nare High Priests properly chosen and set apart to this office. The\nStake Presidency is assisted in judicial function by a _Standing High\nCouncil_, composed of twelve High Priests chosen and ordained to the\noffice. This Council is presided over by the Stake Presidency, and\nforms the highest judicial tribunal of the Stake.\n\n=31.= The presidents of stakes and bishops of wards are properly\nregarded as pastors to the fold; their duties are doubtless analogous\nto those of the pastors of former dispensations. The High Priests and\nthe Elders in each Stake are organized into quorums as already\ndescribed; the former without limitation as to number, the latter\nforming one or more quorums, each of ninety-six members, as their\nnumber may warrant. _Patriarchs_ are also set apart to officiate in\ntheir holy office among the people of the Stake.\n\n=32. A Ward Bishopric= is established in every fully organized Ward of\nthe Church. This body consists usually of three High Priests set apart\nas a Bishop and Counselors. If, however, a literal descendant of Aaron\nbe called to the bishopric, it is his privilege to act without\ncounselors, as was stated in the case of the Presiding Bishop. The\nBishop has jurisdiction over the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood in\nhis Ward, and also over holders of the Higher Priesthood as members of\nhis Ward; but he has no direct presidency over quorums of the\nMelchizedek order, as such, which may be embraced within his domain.\nAs a presiding High Priest, he properly presides over his entire Ward.\nThe ward organization comprises quorums of Priests, Teachers, and\nDeacons, one or more of each as the numerical extent of the Ward may\ndetermine.\n\n=33. Helps in Government.=--Beside these constituted authorities and\noffices in the priesthood, there are a number of secondary or special\norganizations established among the people for educational and\nbenevolent purposes. Among these, the following are of such importance\nas to call for special mention.\n\n(1.) _Primary Associations._--These provide for the moral instruction\nand training of young children.\n\n(2.) _Mutual Improvement Associations._--These comprise separate\norganizations for the sexes, and are designed for the education and\ntraining of the youth, in subjects of general and theological\ninterest. Instruction is provided in theology, literature and history,\nscience and art, the laws of health, and numerous other branches of\nuseful knowledge.\n\n(3.) _Sunday Schools_ comprise graded classes for the study of the\nscriptures, and for training in theology, in moral and religious\nduties, and in the discipline of the Church. Sunday schools, while\nprimarily designed for the young, are open to all.\n\n(4.) _Church Schools._--These institutions provide for both secular\nand religious instruction, and range from the grade of the\nkindergarten to that of the college.\n\n(5.) _Religion Classes._--In these is provided a course of graded\ninstruction in theology and religion, which is offered as a supplement\nand complement to the purely secular teachings of the non-denominational\nschools.\n\n(6.) _Relief Societies._--These are composed of women whose\nself-imposed duties relate to the care of the poor, and the relief of\nsuffering among the afflicted.\n\n=34.= Most of these auxiliary organizations exist in each ward.\nIndeed, with the exception of Church Schools, which usually rank as\nstake institutions, or even as of wider scope, all of the secondary\norganizations named are regarded as essential to the complete\nequipment of any ward. Officers are appointed to preside over the\nseveral organizations in each ward; and while such officers are\nsubject in a general way to the local authorities in the priesthood,\nthey look for specific instructions regarding the plan and method of\ntheir particular work, to the stake and general authorities of the\nspecial organizations. In accordance with the principle of common\nconsent which characterizes the Church in general, the officers of the\nauxiliary institutions, while they are nominated by, or at least with\nthe consent of the established authorities in the priesthood, are\ninstalled and retained in office by the vote of the members in the\nlocal or general organization within which they are appointed to\nlabor.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Degeneracy of Worship Incident to the Apostasy.=--That, as\n     the priesthood disappeared from the earth after the apostolic\n     period, the forms of worship were perverted, while many pagan\n     influences and practices crept in, may be reasonably inferred\n     from the records of history. Mosheim, an authority of note in\n     ecclesiastical history, has this to say regarding pagan\n     innovations during the fourth century:--\"The Christian bishops\n     introduced, with but slight alterations, into the Christian\n     worship, those rites and institutions by which, formerly, the\n     Greeks and Romans and other nations had manifested their piety\n     and reverence towards their imaginary deities; supposing that the\n     people would more readily embrace Christianity, if they saw that\n     the rites handed down to them from their fathers still existed\n     unchanged among the Christians, and perceived that Christ and the\n     martyrs were worshiped in the same manner as formerly their gods\n     were. There was, of course, little difference, in these times,\n     between the public worship of the Christians and that of the\n     Greeks and Romans. In both alike, there were splendid robes,\n     mitres, tiaras, wax tapers, crosiers, processions, illustrations,\n     images, golden and silver vases, and numberless other things.\"\n\n     Of the form of professedly Christian worship in the fifth\n     century, the same authority says:--\"Public worship everywhere\n     assumed a form more calculated for show and for the gratification\n     of the eye. Various ornaments were added to the sacerdotal\n     garments, in order to increase the veneration of the people for\n     the clerical order.... In some places it was appointed that the\n     praises of God should be sung perpetually night and day, the\n     singers succeeding each other without interruption: as if the\n     Supreme Being took pleasure in clamor and noise, and in the\n     flatteries of men. The magnificence of the temples knew no\n     bounds. Splendid images were placed in them; ... the image of the\n     Virgin Mary holding her infant in her arms occupied the most\n     conspicuous place.\"\n\n     =2. Early Beginning of the Apostasy.=--Orson Pratt, an apostle of\n     the present age, has written as follows concerning the early\n     falling away from the authorized practices of the Church:--\"The\n     great apostasy of the Christian church commenced in the first\n     century, while there were yet inspired apostles and prophets in\n     their midst; hence Paul, just previous to his martyrdom,\n     enumerates a great number who had 'made shipwreck of their\n     faith,' and 'turned aside into vain jangling,' teaching 'that the\n     resurrection was already past;' giving 'heed to fables and\n     endless genealogies;' 'doubting about questions and strifes of\n     words whereof come envyings, railings, evil surmisings, perverse\n     disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,\n     supposing that gain is godliness.' This apostasy had become so\n     general that Paul declares to Timothy 'that all they which are in\n     Asia be turned away from me;' and again he says, 'at my first\n     answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me;' he further\n     states that 'there are many unruly, and vain talkers, deceivers,'\n     'teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.'\n     These apostates, no doubt, pretended to be very righteous, 'for,'\n     says the apostle, 'they profess that they know God, but in works\n     they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every\n     good work reprobate.'\"\n\n     =3. The Rule of the Priesthood.=--That the power of the\n     Priesthood is to be exercised in the spirit of patience and love,\n     and not in opposition to individual free agency, is apparent from\n     many scriptures, among which is the following:--\"Behold, there\n     are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?\n     Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this\n     world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn\n     this one lesson--That the rights of the Priesthood are\n     inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the\n     powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the\n     principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us,\n     it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to\n     gratify our pride, or vain ambition, or to exercise control, or\n     dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men,\n     in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw\n     themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is\n     withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood, or the authority of that man.\n     Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against\n     the pricks; to persecute the saints; and to fight against God. We\n     have learned, by sad experience, that it is the nature and\n     disposition of almost all men: as soon as they get a little\n     authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to\n     exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence, many are called, but few\n     are chosen. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained\n     by virtue of the Priesthood, only by persuasion, by\n     long-suffering, by gentleness, and meekness, and by love\n     unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly\n     enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile; Reproving\n     betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and\n     then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom\n     thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he\n     may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of\n     death. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men,\n     and to the household of faith; and let virtue garnish thy\n     thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the\n     presence of God, and the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distil\n     upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be\n     thy constant companion, and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of\n     righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting\n     dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee\n     forever and ever.\"--Doc. and Cov. cxxi, 34-46.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XII.\n\nSPIRITUAL GIFTS.\n\n     =Article 7.=--We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy,\n     revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.\n\n\n=1. Spiritual Gifts Characteristic of the Church.=--It has been\nalready affirmed, that all men who would officiate with propriety in\nthe ordinances of the Gospel must be commissioned for their exalted\nduties by the power and authority of heaven. When so divinely\ninvested, these servants of the Lord will not be lacking in proofs of\nthe Master's favor; for it has ever been characteristic of the\ndealings of God with His people, to manifest His power by the bestowal\nof a variety of ennobling graces, which are properly called gifts of\nthe Spirit. These are oft-times exhibited in a manner so different\nfrom the usual order of things as to be called miraculous and\nsupernatural. In this way did the Lord make Himself known in the early\ntimes of scriptural history; and from the days of Adam until the\npresent, prophets of God have generally been endowed with such power.\nWhenever the priesthood has operated through an organized Church on\nthe earth, the members of the flock have been strengthened in their\nfaith, and otherwise blessed in numerous related ways, by the\npossession of these graces within the Church. We may safely regard the\nexistence of these spiritual powers as one of the essential\ncharacteristics of the true Church; where they are not, the priesthood\nof God does not operate.\n\n=2.= Mormon[656] solemnly declares that the days of miracles will not\npass from the Church, as long as there shall be a man upon the earth\nto be saved; \"For,\" says he, \"it is by faith that miracles are\nwrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men;\nwherefore if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men,\nfor it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.\" And Moroni, standing\non the threshold of the grave, bears an independent testimony that the\ngifts and graces of the Spirit will never be done away as long as the\nworld shall stand, except it be through the unbelief of mankind.[657]\n\n  [656] Moroni vii, 35-37.\n\n  [657] Moroni x, 19, 23-27.\n\n=3.= Hear the words of this prophet addressed to those \"who deny the\nrevelations of God and say that they are done away, that there are no\nrevelations nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with\ntongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Behold I say unto you, he\nthat denieth these things knoweth not the Gospel of Christ; yea he has\nnot read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. For do we\nnot read that God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, and in\nhim there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if\nye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in him\nthere is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves\na god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a\nGod of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and\nthe God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and\nthe earth, and all things that in them are.\"[658]\n\n  [658] Mormon ix, 7-11.\n\n=4. Nature of Spiritual Gifts.=--The gifts here spoken of are\nessentially endowments of power and authority, through which the\npurposes of God are accomplished, sometimes with accompanying\nconditions that appear to be supernatural. By such the sick may be\nhealed, malignant influences overcome, spirits of darkness subdued,\nthe Saints, humble and weak, may proclaim their testimonies and\notherwise utter praises unto God in new and strange tongues, and\nothers may interpret these words; the feeble human intellect may be\ninvigorated by the heavenly touch of spiritual vision and blessed\ndreams, to see and comprehend things ordinarily withheld from mortal\nsenses; direct communication with the fountain of all wisdom may be\nestablished, and the revelations of the Divine will may be obtained.\n\n=5.= These gifts have been promised of the Lord unto those who believe\nin His name;[659] they are to follow obedience to the requirements of\nthe Gospel. Among believers, they are to serve for encouragement, and\nas incentives to higher communion with the Spirit.[660] They are not\ngiven as signs to gratify carnal curiosity; nor to satisfy a morbid\ncraving for the wonderful. Men have been led to the light through\nmanifestations of the miraculous; but events in the lives of these\nshow that they are either such as would have found a knowledge of the\ntruth in some other way, or they are but superficially affected, and\nas soon as the novelty of the new sensation has exhausted itself they\nwander again into the darkness from which they had for the time\nescaped. Miracles are not primarily intended, surely they are not\nneeded, to prove the power of God; the simpler occurrences, the more\nordinary works of creation do that. But unto the heart already\nsoftened and purified by the testimony of the truth, to the mind\nenlightened through the Spirit's power and conscious of obedient\nservice in the requirements of the gospel, the voice of miracles comes\nwith cheering tidings of a loving Parent's continued favor, with fresh\nand more abundant evidences of the magnanimity of an all-merciful\nGod.[661]\n\n  [659] Mark xvi, 16; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 64-73.\n\n  [660] Matt, xii, 38, 39; xvi, 1-4; Mark viii, 11, 12; Luke xi,\n  16-30.\n\n  [661] See Note 6.\n\n=6.= Yet even to the unbeliever, the testimony of miracles should\nappeal, at least to the extent of argument favoring an investigation\nof the power through which these acts are wrought; in such cases\nmiracles are as \"a loud voice addressed to those who are hard\nof hearing.\" The purpose of spiritual gifts in the Church is\nexplicitly set forth in a revelation from the Lord through Joseph\nSmith:--\"Wherefore, beware lest ye be deceived; and that ye may not be\ndeceived, seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for\nwhat they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the\nbenefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him\nthat seeketh so to do, that all may be benefited that seeketh or that\nasketh of me, that asketh and not for a sign that he may consume it\nupon his lusts.\"[662]\n\n  [662] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 8, 9.\n\n=7. Miracles= are commonly regarded as supernatural occurrences,\ntaking place in opposition to the laws of nature. Such a conception is\nplainly erroneous, for the laws of nature are inviolable. However, as\nhuman understanding of these laws is at best but imperfect, events\nstrictly in accordance with natural law may appear contrary thereto.\nThe entire constitution of nature is founded on system and order; the\nlaws of nature, however, are graded as are the laws of man. The\napplication of a higher law in any particular case does not destroy\nthe efficacy or validity of an inferior one; the lower law is as fully\napplicable as before to the case for which it is framed. For example,\nsociety has enacted a law forbidding, on peril of heavy penalties, any\nman appropriating the property of another; yet oftentimes officers of\nthe law forcibly seize the possessions of their fellow-men, against\nwhom judgments may have been rendered; and such acts are done to\nsatisfy, not to violate justice. Jehovah commanded \"Thou shalt not\nkill,\" and mankind has re-enacted the law, prescribing penalties for\nviolation thereof. Yet sacred history testifies, that, in certain\ncases, the Lawgiver Himself has directly commanded His servants to\nvindicate justice by taking human life. The judge who passes the\nextreme sentence upon a convicted murderer, and the executioner who\ncarries into effect that dread mandate, act not in opposition to \"Thou\nshalt not kill,\" but actually in support of this decree.\n\n=8.= With some of the principles upon which the powers of nature\noperate, we are in a degree acquainted; and in contemplating them we\nare no longer surprised, though deeper reflection may show that even\nthe commonest occurrence is wonderful and strange. But any event\nbeyond the ordinary is pronounced miraculous, supernatural, if not\nindeed unnatural, and we are more or less awe-stricken by the\nsame.[663] When the prophet Elisha caused the axe to float in the\nriver,[664] he brought to his service, through the exercise of the\nauthority of the priesthood, a power superior to that of gravity.\nWithout doubt, the iron was heavier than the water; yet by the\noperation of this higher force it was supported, suspended, or\notherwise sustained at the surface, as if it were held there by a\nhuman hand, or rendered sufficiently buoyant by attached floaters.\n\n  [663] See Note 1.\n\n  [664] II Kings vi, 5-7.\n\n=9.= Wine ordinarily consists of about four-fifths water, the rest\nbeing a variety of chemical compounds the elements of which are\nabundantly present in the air and soil. The ordinary method--what we\nterm the natural method--of bringing these elements into proper\ncombination is by planting the grape, then cultivating the vine till\nthe fruit is ready to yield its juice in the press. But by the\nexercise of a power not within purely human reach, the Savior, at the\nmarriage in Cana,[665] called those elements together, and brought\nabout a chemical transformation within the water-pots of stone,\nresulting in the production of pure wine. So, too, when the multitudes\nwere fed, under His priestly touch and authoritative blessing the\nbread and fishes increased in substance, as if the seasons of years\nhad been consumed in their growth according to what we consider the\nnatural order. In healing the leprous, the palsied, and the infirm,\nthe disordered bodily parts were brought again into their normal and\nhealthful state; the impurities operating as poisons in the tissues\nwere removed by means more rapid and effectual than those which depend\nupon the action of drugs and medicine.\n\n  [665] John ii, 1-11. See \"Miracles\" in \"Jesus the Christ,\" pp.\n  147, 151.\n\n=10.= No earnest observer, no reasoning mind, can doubt the existence\nof intelligences and organisms which the senses of man do not reveal.\nThis world seems but the temporal embodiment of things spiritual. The\nCreator has told us that He formed all things spiritual before they\nwere made temporal.[666] The flowers that flourish and die on earth\nare perhaps represented above by imperishable blossoms of transcendent\nbeauty and entertaining fragrance. Man is shaped after the image of\nDeity; his mind, though darkened by custom and weakened by injurious\nhabit, is still a fallen type of immortal thought and Divine reason;\nand though the space separating the human and the Divine in thought,\ndesire, and action, be as wide as that between sea and sky, for as the\nstars are above the earth so are the ways of God above those of man,\nyet we may affirm a strict analogy between the spiritual and the\ntemporal. When the eyes of Elisha's servant were opened, the man saw\nthe hosts of heavenly warriors covering the mountains about\nDothan,--footmen, horsemen, and chariots, armed for fight against the\nSyrians.[667] When Israel encompassed Jericho,[668] may we not\nbelieve that the Captain of the Lord's host[669] and his heavenly\ntrain were there, and that before their angelic powers, sustained by\nthe faith and obedience of the mortal army, the walls were leveled?\n\n  [666] See Note, page 199.\n\n  [667] II Kings vi, 13-18.\n\n  [668] Josh. vi.\n\n  [669] Josh. v, 13, 14.\n\n=11.= Some of the latest and highest achievements of man in the\nutilization of natural forces approach the conditions of spiritual\noperations. To count the ticking of a watch a hundred miles away; to\nspeak in but an ordinary tone and be heard across the country; to\nsignal from one hemisphere and be understood on the other though\noceans roll and roar between; to bring the lightning into our homes\nand make it serve as fire and torch;--are not these miracles? The\npossibility of such would not have been received with credence before\ntheir actual accomplishment. The President of the Republic, sitting in\nhis chair of state at the nation's capital, talks with all parts, even\nwith the ends of this great country; and if the apparatus be in order,\nif operators and officials be true, he is rightly informed of every\nmovement of importance anywhere in the land. The orbs of the universe\nare as truly connected by a system of inter-communication,\nsurprisingly perfect in its action and adaptation. These and the other\ninnumerable miracles of creation are accomplished in strict accordance\nwith the laws of nature, which are the laws of God. But we must return\nto a further consideration of the specific manifestations of spiritual\ngifts within the Church.\n\n=12. An Enumeration of the Gifts of the Spirit= cannot be made\ncomplete by man, so numerous, so extensive are the blessings of the\nFather for His children. Yet the more common of these spiritual\nmanifestations have been specified by inspired scriptural writers, and\nby the sure word of revelation. Paul writing to the Corinthian\nSaints,[670] Moroni inditing his last appeal to the Lamanites,[671]\nand the voice of the Lord directed to the people of His Church in this\ndispensation,[672] each names many of the great gifts of the Spirit.\nFrom these scriptures, we learn that every man has received some gift\nfrom God; and in the great diversity of gifts all do not receive the\nsame. \"To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences\nof administration.... And again it is given by the Holy Ghost to some\nto know the diversities of operations whether it be of God, that the\nmanifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit\nwithal. And again, verily I say unto you, to some it is given by the\nSpirit of God, the word of wisdom; to another it is given the word of\nknowledge, that all may be taught to be wise, and to have knowledge.\nAnd again to some it is given to have faith to be healed; and to\nothers it is given to have faith to heal. And again to some it is\ngiven the working of miracles, and to others it is given to prophesy,\nand to others the discerning of spirits. And again, it is given to\nsome to speak with tongues; and to another it is given the\ninterpretation of tongues; and all these gifts cometh from God for the\nbenefit of the children of God.\"[673]\n\n  [670] I Cor. xii, 4-11.\n\n  [671] Moroni x, 7-19.\n\n  [672] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 8-29.\n\n  [673] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 11-26; see also I Cor. xii, 4-11.\n\n=13. The Gift of Tongues and Interpretation.=--The gift of tongues\nconstituted one of the first miraculous manifestations of the Holy\nGhost unto the apostles of old. It was included by the Savior among\nthe special signs appointed to follow the believer; \"In my name,\" said\nHe, \"they shall speak with new tongues.\"[674] The early fulfillment of\nthis promise in the case of the apostles themselves was realized on\nthe succeeding Pentecost, when they, having assembled in one place,\nwere filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in strange\ntongues.[675] When the door of the Gospel was first opened to the\nGentiles, the converts rejoiced in the Holy Ghost which had fallen\nupon them and which gave them utterance in tongues.[676] This gift\nwith others manifested itself among certain disciples at Ephesus,[677]\non the occasion of their receiving the Holy Ghost. In the present\ndispensation, this gift, again promised to the Saints, finds frequent\nexercise. Its chief employment is in the function of praise rather\nthan that of instruction and preaching; and this is agreeable to\nPaul's teaching, \"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh\nnot unto men but unto God.\"[678] An unusual manifestation of the gift\nwas witnessed on the occasion of the Pentecostal conversion of the\nJews, already referred to, when the apostles addressing the multitude,\nwere understood by all the diversified company, each listener hearing\ntheir teachings in his own tongue.[679] This special gift was here\nassociated with higher endowments of power; the occasion was one of\ninstruction, admonition, and prophecy. The gift of interpretation may\nbe possessed by the one speaking in tongues, though more commonly the\nseparate powers are exercised by different persons.\n\n  [674] Mark xvi, 17.\n\n  [675] Acts ii, 4.\n\n  [676] Acts x, 46.\n\n  [677] Acts xix, 6.\n\n  [678] I Cor. xiv, 2.\n\n  [679] Acts ii, 6-12.\n\n=14. The Gift of Healing= was exercised extensively in the\ndispensation of the Savior and His apostles; indeed, healing\nconstituted by far the greater part of the miracles wrought at that\ntime. By authoritative ministrations, the eyes of the blind were\nopened; the dumb were made to speak; the deaf to hear; the lame leaped\nfor joy; afflicted mortals, bowed with infirmity, were lifted erect\nand enjoyed the vigor of youth; the palsied were made well; lepers\nwere cleansed; impotence was banished; and fevers were assuaged. In\nthis, the dispensation of the fulness of times, this power is\npossessed by the Church, and its manifestation is of frequent\noccurrence among the Saints. Thousands of blessed recipients can\ntestify to the fulfillment of the Lord's promise, that if His servants\nlay hands on the sick, they shall recover.[680]\n\n  [680] Mark xvi, 18; see also Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 68.\n\n=15.= The usual method of administering to the sick is by the\nimposition of hands of those who possess the requisite authority of\nthe priesthood;--this being agreeable to the Savior's instructions in\nformer days,[681] and according to Divine revelation in the present\nday.[682] This part of the ordinance is usually preceded by an\nanointing with oil previously consecrated. The Latter-day Saints\nprofess to abide by the counsels of James of old,[683] \"Is any sick\namong you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them\npray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the\nprayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;\nand if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.\"\n\n  [681] The same; see also James v, 14, 15.\n\n  [682] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 43-44.\n\n  [683] James v, 14, 15.\n\n=16.= Though the authority to administer to the sick belongs to the\nelders of the Church in general, some possess this power in an unusual\ndegree, having received it as a special endowment of the Spirit.\nAnother gift, allied to this, is the power of exercising faith to be\nhealed;[684] which is manifested in varying degrees. Not always are\nthe administrations of the elders followed by immediate healings; the\nafflicted may be permitted to suffer in body, perhaps for the\naccomplishment of Divine purposes,[685] and in the time appointed of\nthe Lord, His children pass through bodily death. But let the counsels\nof God be observed in administering to the afflicted; then if they\nrecover, they live unto the Lord; and the assuring promise is added\nthat those who die under such conditions die unto the Lord.[686]\n\n  [684] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 19; xlii, 48-51; see also Acts xiv, 9;\n  Matt, viii, 10; ix, 28, 29.\n\n  [685] See instances of Job.\n\n  [686] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 44-46.\n\n=17. Visions and Dreams= have constituted a means of communication\nbetween God and His children in every dispensation of the priesthood.\nIn general, visions are manifested to the waking senses, whilst dreams\nare given during sleep. In the vision, however, the senses may be so\naffected as to render the person practically unconscious, at least\noblivious to ordinary occurrences, while he is able to discern the\nheavenly manifestation. In the earlier dispensations, the Lord very\nfrequently communicated through dreams and visions, often-times\nrevealing to His prophets the events of the future even to the latest\ngenerations. From the multitude of instances recorded, let us select a\nfew. Consider the case of Enoch,[687] unto whom the Lord spake face to\nface, showing him the course of the human family until and beyond the\nsecond coming of the Savior. The brother of Jared[688] because of his\nrighteousness was so blessed of God as to be shown all the inhabitants\nof the earth, both those who had previously existed and those who were\nto follow. Unto Moses the will of God was made known with the visual\nmanifestation of fire.[689] Lehi received his instructions to leave\nJerusalem[690] through dreams; and on many subsequent occasions the\nLord communicated with this patriarch of the western world by visions\nand by dreams. The Old Testament prophets were generally so favored;\ne. g., Jacob the father of all Israel,[691] Job the patient\nsufferer,[692] Jeremiah,[693] Ezekiel,[694] Daniel,[695]\nHabakkuk,[696] Zechariah.[697]\n\n  [687] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, 27-39.\n\n  [688] Ether iii.\n\n  [689] Exo. iii, 2.\n\n  [690] I Nephi ii, 2-4.\n\n  [691] Gen. xlvi, 2.\n\n  [692] Job iv, 12-21.\n\n  [693] Jer. i, 11-16.\n\n  [694] Ezek. i; ii, 9, 10; iii, 22, 23; viii; xxxvii, 1-10, etc.\n\n  [695] Dan. vii; viii.\n\n  [696] Hab. ii, 2, 3.\n\n  [697] Zech. i, 8-11; 18-21; ii, 1, 2; iv; v; vi, 1-8.\n\n=18.= The dispensation of Christ and His apostles was marked by\nsimilar manifestations. The birth of John the Baptist was fore-told to\nhis father while he was officiating in priestly functions.[698]\nJoseph, betrothed to the Virgin, received through an angel's\nvisit[699] tidings of the Christ yet to be born; and on subsequent\noccasions he received warnings and instructions in dreams concerning\nthe welfare of the Holy Child.[700] The Magi, returning from their\npilgrimage of worship, were warned in dreams of Herod's treacherous\ndesigns.[701] Saul of Tarsus was shown in a vision the messenger whom\nGod was about to send to him to minister in the ordinances of the\npriesthood;[702] and other visions followed.[703] Peter was prepared\nfor the ministry to the Gentiles through a vision;[704] and John was\nso favored of God in this respect that the book of Revelation is\noccupied by the record.\n\n  [698] Luke i, 5-22.\n\n  [699] Matt. i, 20.\n\n  [700] Matt. ii, 13, 19, 22.\n\n  [701] Matt. ii, 12.\n\n  [702] Acts ix, 12.\n\n  [703] Acts xvi, 9; xviii, 9, 10; xxii, 17-21.\n\n  [704] Acts x, 10-16; xi, 5-10.\n\n=19.= Most of the visions and dreams recorded in scripture have been\ngiven to the chosen people through the ministering priesthood; but\nthere are exceptional instances of such manifestations unto some, who,\nat the time, had not entered the fold. Such, for example, was the case\nwith Saul and Cornelius; but in these instances the Divine\nmanifestations were immediately preliminary to conversion. Dreams\nwith special import were given to Pharaoh,[705] Nebuchadnezzar,[706]\nand others; but it required a higher power than their own to interpret\nthem; and Joseph and Daniel were called to officiate. The dream given\nto the Midianite soldier, and its interpretation by his fellow,[707]\nbetokening the victory of Gideon, were true manifestations; as also\nthe dream of Pilate's wife,[708] in which she learned of the innocence\nof the accused Christ.\n\n  [705] Gen. xli; see other instances in Gen. xl.\n\n  [706] Dan. ii.\n\n  [707] Jud. vii, 13, 14.\n\n  [708] Matt. xxvii, 19.\n\n=20. The Gift of Prophecy= distinguishes its possessor as a\nprophet,--literally, one who speaks for another; specifically, one who\nspeaks for God,[709] It is distinguished by Paul as one of the most\ndesirable of spiritual endowments, and its pre-eminence over the gift\nof tongues he discusses at length.[710] To prophesy is to receive and\ndeclare the word of God, and the statement of His will to the people.\nThe function of prediction, often regarded as the sole essential of\nprophecy, is but one among many characteristics of this divinely given\npower. The prophet may have as much concern with the past as with the\npresent or the future; he may exercise his gift in teaching through\nthe light of, and by the experience of preceding events, as in\nfore-telling occurrences. The prophets of God have ever been in\nspecial favor with Him, being privileged to learn of His will and\ndesigns; indeed, the promise is made that the Lord will do nothing\nexcept He reveal His secret purposes unto His servants, the\nprophets.[711] These chosen oracles stand as mediators between God and\nmortals, pleading for or against the people.[712]\n\n  [709] See note 2.\n\n  [710] I Cor. xiv, 1-9.\n\n  [711] Amos iii, 7.\n\n  [712] I Kings xviii, 36, 37; Rom. xi, 2, 3; James v, 16-18; Rev.\n  xi, 6.\n\n=21.= No special ordination in the priesthood is essential to man's\nreceiving the gift of prophecy; bearers of the Melchizedek order,\nAdam, Noah, Moses, and a multitude of others were truly prophets, but\nnot more truly so than were many who exercised the Aaronic functions\nonly--as for example most of the Old Testament priests subsequent to\nthe time of Moses, and John the Baptist.[713] The ministrations of the\nprophetesses Miriam[714] and Deborah[715] show that this gift may be\npossessed by women also. In the time of Samuel, the prophets were\norganized into a special order, to aid their purposes of study and\nimprovement.[716]\n\n  [713] Matt. xi, 8-10.\n\n  [714] Exo. xv, 20.\n\n  [715] Jud. iv, 4.\n\n  [716] See Note 3.\n\n=22.= In the present dispensation, this great gift is enjoyed in a\nfulness equal to that of any preceding time. The Lord's will\nconcerning present duties is made known to His people through the\nmouths of prophets; and events of great import are fore-told.[717] The\nvery fact of the present existence and growing condition of the Church\nis an undeniable testimony of the power and reliability of modern\nprophecy. The Latter-day Saints constitute a body of witnesses,\nnumbering hundreds of thousands, to the effect of this, one of the\ngreat gifts of God.\n\n  [717] Doc. and Cov. i, 4; lxxxvii.\n\n=23. Revelation= is the means through which the will of God is\ndeclared directly and in fulness to man. Under circumstances best\nsuiting the Divine purposes, through the dreams of sleep or in waking\nvisions of the mind, by voices without visional appearance, or by\nactual manifestations of the Holy Presence before the eye, God makes\nknown His designs, and charges His chosen vessels to bear the sacred\nmessages so imparted. Under the influence of inspiration, or its more\npotent manifestation--revelation, man's mind is enlightened, and his\nenergies quickened to the accomplishment of wonders in the work of\nhuman progress; touched with a spark from the heavenly altar, the\ninspired instrument cherishes the holy fire within his soul, and\nimparts it to others as he may be led to do; he is the channel through\nwhich the will of God is conveyed. The words of him who speaks by\nrevelation in its highest form, are not his own; they are the words of\nGod Himself; the mortal mouth-piece is but the trusted conveyer of\nthese heavenly messages. With the authoritative, \"Thus saith the\nLord,\" the revelator delivers the burden intrusted to his care.\n\n=24.= The Lord strictly observes the principles of order and propriety\nin giving revelation to His servants. Though it is the privilege of\nany person to live so as to merit this gift in the affairs of his\nspecial calling, only those appointed and ordained to the offices of\npresidency are to be revelators to the people at large. Concerning the\nPresident of the Church, who at the time of the revelation here\nreferred to was the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has said to the\nelders of the Church:--\"And this ye shall know assuredly, that there\nis none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and\nrevelations until he be taken, if he abide in me.... And this shall be\na law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall\ncome before you, as revelations or commandments. And this I give unto\nyou that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of\nme.\"[718]\n\n  [718] Doc. and Cov. xliii, 3, 5, 6.\n\n=25. The Testimony of Miracles.=--The Savior's promise in a former\nday[719] as in the present dispensation[720] is definite, to the\neffect that specified gifts of the Spirit are to follow the believer\nas signs of Divine favor. The possession and exercise of such gifts\nmay be taken therefore as essential features of the Church of\nChrist.[721] Nevertheless we are not justified in regarding the\nevidence of miracles as infallible testimony of authority from heaven;\non the other hand, the scriptures furnish abundant proof that\nspiritual powers of the baser sort have wrought miracles, and will\ncontinue so to do, to the deceiving of many who lack discernment. If\nmiracles be accepted as infallible evidence of godly power, the\nmagicians of Egypt, through the wonders which they accomplished in\nopposition to the ordained plan for Israel's deliverance, have as good\na claim to our respect as has Moses.[722] John the Revelator saw in\nvision a wicked power working miracles, and thereby deceiving many;\ndoing great wonders, even bringing fire from heaven.[723] Again, he\nsaw three unclean spirits, whom he knew to be \"the spirits of devils\nworking miracles.\"[724]\n\n  [719] Mark xvi, 17-18.\n\n  [720] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 65-73.\n\n  [721] See Notes 4 and 5.\n\n  [722] Exo. vii-xi.\n\n  [723] Rev. xiii, 11-18.\n\n  [724] Rev. xvi, 13-14.\n\n=26.= Consider, in connection with this, the prediction made by the\nSavior:--\"There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and\nshall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were\npossible, they shall deceive the very elect.\"[725] The invalidity of\nmiracles as a proof of righteousness is declared in an utterance of\nChrist Jesus regarding the events of the great judgment:--\"Many will\nsay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?\nand in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many\nwonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you;\ndepart from me, ye that work iniquity.\"[726] The Jews, to whom these\nteachings were addressed, knew that wonders could be wrought by evil\npowers; for they charged Christ with working miracles by the authority\nof \"Beelzebub the prince of devils.\"[727]\n\n  [725] Matt. xxiv, 24.\n\n  [726] Matt. vii, 22-23.\n\n  [727] Matt. xii, 22-30; Mark iii, 22; Luke xi, 15. See \"Jesus the\n  Christ,\" p. 265.\n\n=27.= If the working of miracles were a distinctive characteristic of\nthe holy priesthood, we would look for the testimony of wondrous\nmanifestations in connection with the work of every prophet and\nauthorized minister of the Lord; yet we fail to find a record of\nmiracles in the case of Zechariah, Malachi, and other prophets of old;\nwhile of John the Baptist, whom Christ declared to be more than a\nprophet,[728] it was plainly said that he did no miracle;[729]\nnevertheless, in rejecting John's doctrine, the unbelievers were\nignoring the counsel of God against their own souls.[730] To be valid\nas a testimony of truth, miracles must be wrought in the name of\nChrist, and to His honor, in furtherance of the plan of salvation. As\nstated, they are not given to satisfy the curious and the lustful, nor\nas a means of gaining notoriety for him through whom they are\naccomplished. These gifts of the true Spirit are manifested in support\nof the message from heaven, and in corroboration of the words spoken\nby authority.\n\n  [728] Matt. xi, 9.\n\n  [729] John x, 41.\n\n  [730] Luke vii, 30.\n\n=28. Imitations of Spiritual Gifts.=--The proofs already cited of\nmiraculous achievements by powers other than of God, and the\nscriptural predictions concerning such deceptive manifestations in the\nlast days, ought to be our warning against spurious imitations of the\ngifts of the Holy Spirit. Satan has shown himself to be an\naccomplished strategist and a skilful imitator; the most deplorable of\nhis victories are due to his simulation of good, whereby the\nundiscerning have been led captive. Let us not be deluded with the\nthought that any act, the immediate result of which appears to be\nbenign, is necessarily productive of permanent good. It may serve the\ndark purposes of man's arch-enemy to play upon the human sense of\ngoodness, even to the extent of healing the body, and apparently of\nthwarting death.\n\n=29.= The restoration of the priesthood to earth in this age of the\nworld was followed by a phenomenal growth of the vagaries of\nspiritualism, whereby many have been led to put their trust in Satan's\ncounterfeit of God's eternal power. The development of the healing\ngift in the Church today is imitated in a degree comparable to that\nwith which the magicians simulated the miracles of Moses, by the\nvaried faith cures and their numerous modifications. For those to whom\nmiraculous signs are all-sufficient, the imitation will answer as well\nas would the real; but the soul who regards the miracle in its true\nnature as but one element of the system of Christ, possessing value as\na positive criterion only as it is associated with the numerous other\ncharacteristics of the Church, will not be deceived.\n\n=30. Spiritual Gifts in the Church Today.=--The Latter-day Saints\nclaim to possess within the Church all the sign-gifts promised as the\nheritage of the believer. They point to the unimpeached testimonies of\nthousands who have been blessed with direct and personal\nmanifestations of heavenly power; to the once blind, and dumb, halt,\nand weak in body, who have been freed from their infirmities through\ntheir faith and by the ministrations of the priesthood; to a multitude\nwho have voiced their testimony in tongues with which they were\nnaturally unfamiliar; or who have demonstrated their possession of the\ngift by a phenomenal mastery of foreign languages, when such was\nnecessary to the discharge of their duties as preachers of the word of\nGod; to many who have enjoyed communion with heavenly beings; to\nothers who have prophesied in words that have found their speedy\nvindication in literal fulfillment; and to the Church itself, whose\ngrowth has been guided by the voice of its Divine Leader, made known\nthrough the gift of revelation.[731]\n\n  [731] Sec Note 7.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. A Seeming Miracle.=--A few years ago, Herr Werner Siemens, a\n     German scientist of note, visited the pyramid of Gizeh, and,\n     accompanied by a couple of Arab guides, climbed to the top. He\n     observed that the atmospheric conditions were very favorable to\n     electric manifestations. Fastening a large brass button to an\n     empty water-gourd in the hands of one of the Arabs, and then\n     placing his knuckle within a short distance from the button, he\n     drew therefrom a succession of brilliant sparks, accompanied of\n     course by the crackling noises characteristic of electric\n     discharges. The guides viewed this exhibition of supernatural\n     powers with amazement and terror, which reached a climax when\n     their master stretched his staff above his head, and the stick\n     was surmounted by a beautiful St. Elmo's flame. This spectacle\n     was more than the superstitious Bedouins could bear, they\n     trembled before an enchanter who could play with lightning and\n     fire as with a toy, and who carried miniature thunder in his coat\n     pocket; so they fled down the steps with dangerous precipitation,\n     and soon disappeared in the desert.\n\n     =2. The Term \"Prophet\"= appears in the English Bible as the\n     translation of a number of ancient terms, the most usual of which\n     is _nabhi_ (Hebrew), signifying \"to bubble forth like a\n     fountain.\" Another of the original words is _rheo_ (Greek),\n     meaning \"to flow,\" and by derivation \"to speak forth,\" \"to\n     utter,\" \"to declare.\" A prophet, then, is one from whom flow\n     forth the words of a higher authority. Aaron is spoken of as a\n     prophet or spokesman to Moses (Exo. vii, 1); but in the usual\n     sense, the prophet is the representative of God. Closely allied\n     with the calling of the prophet is that of the seer; indeed, at a\n     time prior to that of Samuel, the common designation of the\n     oracle of God was seer: \"for he that is now called a prophet was\n     beforetime called a seer\" (I Sam. ix, 9). The seer was permitted\n     to behold the visions of God, the prophet to declare the truths\n     so learned; the two callings were usually united in the same\n     person. Unto the prophet and seer the Lord usually communicated\n     in visions and dreams; but an exception to this order was made in\n     the case of Moses, who was so faithful and so great in all things\n     good, that the Lord discarded the usual means and declared\n     Himself to His servant face to face (Num. xii, 6-8).\n\n     =3. Prophets Organized.=--The prophet's office existed among men\n     in the earliest periods of history. Adam was a prophet (Doc. and\n     Cov. cvii, 53-56); as also were Enoch (Jude 14; P. of G. P.,\n     Moses vi, 26), Noah (Gen. vi, vii; P. of G. P., Moses viii, 19;\n     II Peter ii, 5), Abraham (Gen. xx, 7), Moses (Deut. xxxiv, 10),\n     and a multitude of others who ministered at intermediate and\n     subsequent times. Samuel, who was established in the eyes of all\n     Israel as a prophet of the Lord (I Sam. iii, 19, 20), organized\n     the prophets into a society for common instruction and\n     edification. He established schools for the prophets, theological\n     colleges, where men were trained in things pertaining to holy\n     offices; the students were generally called \"sons of the\n     prophets\" (I Kings xx, 35; II Kings ii, 3, 5, 7; iv, 1, 38; ix,\n     1). Such schools were established at Ramah (I Sam. xix, 19, 20),\n     Bethel (II Kings ii, 3), Jericho (II Kings ii, 5), Gilgal (II\n     Kings iv, 38). The members seem to have lived together as a\n     society (II Kings vi, 1-4). In the present dispensation, a\n     similar organization was effected under the direction of the\n     prophet Joseph Smith; this also received the name of the School\n     of the Prophets.\n\n     =4. The Decline of Spiritual Gifts in former days= is admitted by\n     many authorities on ecclesiastical history and Christian\n     doctrine. As an instance of this kind of testimony to the\n     departure of the spiritual graces from the apostate church, the\n     following words of John Wesley may be applied:--\"It does not\n     appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were\n     common in the church for more than two or three centuries. We\n     seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the emperor\n     Constantine called himself a Christian, and from a vain\n     imagination of promoting the Christian cause thereby, heaped\n     riches and power and honor upon Christians in general, but in\n     particular upon the Christian clergy. From this time they almost\n     totally ceased; very few instances of the kind were found. The\n     cause of this was not as has been supposed because there was no\n     more occasion for them,--because all the world was become\n     Christians. This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of\n     it was then nominally Christian. The real cause of it was the\n     love of many, almost all Christians, so called, was waxed cold.\n     The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other\n     heathens. The Son of Man, when he came to examine His Church,\n     could hardly find faith upon the earth. This was the real cause\n     why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to\n     be found in the Christian Church--because the Christians were\n     turned heathens again, and only had a dead form left.\"--Wesley's\n     Works, vii, 89; 26-27.\n\n     =5. Sectarian Views concerning Continuance or Decline of\n     Spiritual Gifts.=--\"Protestant writers insist that the age of\n     miracles closed with the fourth or fifth century, and that after\n     that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost must not be looked\n     for. Catholic writers, on the other hand, insist that the power\n     to perform miracles has always continued in the Church; yet those\n     spiritual manifestations which they describe after the fourth and\n     fifth centuries savor of invention on the part of the priests,\n     and childish incredulity on the part of the people; or else, what\n     is claimed to be miraculous falls far short of the power and\n     dignity of those spiritual manifestations which the primitive\n     church was wont to witness. The virtues and prodigies, ascribed\n     to the bones and other relics of the martyrs and saints, are\n     puerile in comparison with the healings by the anointing with oil\n     and the laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, interpretations,\n     prophecies, revelations, casting out devils in the name of Jesus\n     Christ; to say nothing of the gifts of faith, wisdom, knowledge,\n     discernment of spirits, etc.--common in the Church in the days of\n     the apostles (I Cor. xii, 8-10). Nor is there anything in the\n     scriptures or in reason that would lead one to believe that they\n     were to be discontinued. Still this plea is made by modern\n     Christians--explaining the absence of these spiritual powers\n     among them--that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were\n     only intended to accompany the proclamation of the gospel during\n     the first few centuries, until the church was able to make its\n     way without them, and they were to be done away. It is sufficient\n     to remark upon this, that it is assumption pure and simple, and\n     stands without warrant either of scripture or right reason; and\n     proves that men had so far changed the religion of Jesus Christ\n     that it became a form of godliness without the power\n     thereof.\"--Elder B. H. Roberts, _Outlines of Ecclesiastical\n     History_, part ii, sec. v, 6-8.\n\n     =6. Miracles an Aid to Spiritual Growth.=--Apostle Orson Pratt,\n     commenting on the utterances of Paul concerning the passing away\n     of certain spiritual gifts (I Cor. xiii), writes in part as\n     follows:--\"The church in its militant and imperfect state,\n     compared with its triumphant, immortal, and perfect state, is (in\n     the 11th verse) represented by the two very different states of\n     childhood and manhood. 'When,' says St. Paul, 'I was a child, I\n     spake as a child, understood as a child, I thought as a child;\n     but when I became a man I put away childish things.' In the\n     various stages of education from childhood to manhood, certain\n     indispensable rules, and diagrams, and scientific instruments are\n     employed for the use and benefit of the pupil, that he may\n     acquire a correct knowledge of the sciences, and be perfected in\n     his studies. When the principles have been once acquired, and the\n     student has been perfected in every branch of education, he can\n     dispense with many of his maps, charts, globes, books, diagrams,\n     etc.; as being, like childish things, no longer necessary; they\n     were useful before his education was perfected, in imparting the\n     desired knowledge, but having fulfilled their purposes, he no\n     longer needs their assistance.... So it is with the Church in\n     relation to spiritual gifts. While in this state of existence it\n     is represented as a child: prophecy, revelations, tongues, and\n     other spiritual gifts are the instruments of education. The\n     child, or church, can no more be perfected in its education\n     without the aid of these gifts as instruments, than the chemist\n     could in his researches if he were deprived of the necessary\n     apparatus for experiments. As the chemist needs his laboratory\n     for experiments, as long as there remains any undiscovered truths\n     in relation to the elements and compounds of our globe, so does\n     the Church need the great laboratory of spiritual\n     knowledge--namely, revelation and prophecy,--as long as it knows\n     only in part.... As a human being, when a child, speaks as a\n     child, understands as a child, and thinks as a child, so does the\n     Church in this state of existence know only in part; but as the\n     child, when it becomes a man, puts away childish things, so will\n     the Church put away such childish things as 'prophecy in part,'\n     'knowledge in part,' and 'seeing in part,' when it grows up,\n     through the aid of these things, to a perfect man in Christ\n     Jesus; that which is in part will be done away or merged into the\n     greater fulness of knowledge which there reigns.\"--_Divine\n     Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_, i, 15.\n\n     But none of these gifts will be done away as long as the occasion\n     for their exercise continues. That this was the conviction of\n     Apostle Orson Pratt, whose words are quoted above, is evident\n     from the following utterances by the same authority:--\"The\n     affliction of devils, the confusion of tongues, deadly poisons\n     and sickness, are all curses which have been introduced into the\n     world by the wickedness of man. The blessings of the gospel are\n     bestowed to counteract these curses. Therefore, as long as these\n     curses exist, the promised signs [Mark xvi, 16-18; Doc. and Cov.\n     lxxxiv, 65-72] are needed to counteract their evil consequences.\n     If Jesus had not intended that the blessings should be as\n     extensive and unlimited in point of time as the curses, He would\n     have intimated something to that effect in His word. But when He\n     makes a universal promise of certain powers, to enable every\n     believer in the gospel throughout the world to overcome certain\n     curses, entailed upon man because of wickedness, it would be the\n     rankest kind of infidelity not to believe the promised blessing\n     necessary, as long as the curses abound among men.\"\n\n     =7. Modern Manifestations.=--The official and incidental\n     publications of the Church abound in instances of miraculous\n     manifestations during the current dispensation. A number of\n     authenticated accounts with many cases are to be found as\n     follows:--Orson Pratt's \"Divine Authenticity of the Book of\n     Mormon,\" chapter v; B. H. Roberts' \"A New Witness for God,\"\n     chapter xviii.\n\n     For a brief treatment of \"The Attitude of Science towards\n     Miracles\" see in \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 151, Note 7, summary of\n     an article published by the Victoria Institute or Philosophical\n     Society of Great Britain.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XIII.\n\nTHE BIBLE.\n\n     =Article 8.=--We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far\n     as it is translated correctly....\n\n\n=1. Our Acceptance of the Bible.=--The Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints accepts the Bible as the first and foremost of her\nstandard works, chief among the books which have been proclaimed as\nher written guides in faith and doctrine. In the respect and sanctity\nwith which the Latter-day Saints regard the Bible, they are of like\nprofession with Christian denominations in general, but differ from\nthem in the additional acknowledgment of certain other scriptures as\nauthentic and holy, which others are in harmony with the Bible, and\nserve to support and emphasize its facts and doctrines. There is,\ntherefore, no specifically \"Mormon\" treatment of the Bible to be\npresented. The historical and other data, upon which is based the\ncurrent Christian faith as to the genuineness of the biblical record,\nare accepted as unreservedly by the Latter-day Saints as by the\nmembers of any sect; and in literalness of interpretation this Church\nprobably excels.\n\n=2.= Nevertheless, the Church announces a reservation in the case of\nerroneous translation, which may occur as a result of human\nincapacity; and even in this measure of caution we are not alone, for\nbiblical scholars generally admit the presence of errors of the kind,\nmany of them self-apparent. The Latter-day Saints believe the original\nrecords to be the word of God unto man, and, as far as these records\nhave been translated correctly, the translations are regarded as\nequally authentic. The English Bible professes to be a translation\nmade through the wisdom of man; in its preparation the most scholarly\nmen have been enlisted; yet not a version has been published in which\neven the unlearned cannot perceive errors. However, an impartial\ninvestigator has cause to wonder more at the paucity of errors than\nthat errors are to be found at all.\n\n=3.= There will be, there can be, no absolutely reliable translation\nof these or other scriptures, unless it be effected through the gift\nof translation, as one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost. The\ntranslator must have the spirit of the prophet if he would render in\nanother tongue the prophet's words; and human wisdom leads not to that\npossession. Let the Bible then be read reverently, and with prayerful\ncare, the reader ever seeking the light of the Spirit that he may\ndiscern between truth and the mistakes of men.\n\n=4. The Name \"Bible.\"=--In present usage, the term _Holy Bible_\ndesignates the collection of sacred writings otherwise known as the\nJewish scriptures, containing an account of the dealings of God with\nthe human family; which account is confined wholly, except in the\nrecord of ante-diluvian events, to the eastern hemisphere. The word\n_Bible_, though singular in form, is the English representative of a\nGreek plural, _Biblia_, signifying literally _the books_. The use of\nthe word probably dates from the fourth century, at which time we find\nChrysostom[732] employing the term to designate the scriptural books\nthen accepted as canonical by the Greek Christians. It is to be noted,\nthat the idea of a collection of books predominates in all early\nusages of the word _Bible_; the scriptures were, as they are, composed\nof the special writings of many authors, widely separated in time;\nand, from the striking harmony and unity prevailing throughout these\ndiverse productions, strong evidence of their authenticity may be\nadduced.\n\n  [732] See Note 1.\n\n=5.= The word _Biblia_ was thus endowed with a special meaning in the\nGreek, signifying _the books_, that is to say the holy books as\ndistinguishing the sacred scriptures from all other writings; and the\nterm soon became current in the Latin, in which tongue it was used\nfrom the first in its special sense. Through Latin usage, perhaps\nduring the thirteenth century, the word came to be regarded as a\nsingular noun signifying _the book_; this departure from the plural\nmeaning, invariably associated with the term in the Greek original,\nled up to the popular error of regarding the Bible as having been a\nunified volume from the first. Hence we meet with the reputed\nderivation of the word from the Greek singular noun _Biblos_ meaning\n_the book_, but this is declared by a preponderance of good authority\nto be founded on a traditional misconception. It may appear that the\nderivation of a word is of trifling importance; yet in this case, the\noriginal form and first use of the title now current as that of the\nsacred volume must be of instructive interest, as throwing some light\nupon the compilation of the book in its present form.\n\n=6.= It is evident that the name _Bible_ is not of itself a biblical\nterm; its use as a designation of the Jewish scriptures is wholly\nexternal to those scriptures themselves. In its earliest application,\nwhich dates from post-apostolic times, it was made to embrace most if\nnot all the books of the Old and the New Testament. Prior to the time\nof Christ, the books of the Old Testament were known by no single\ncollective name, but were designated in groups as (1) the Pentateuch,\nor five books of the Law; (2) the Prophets; and (3) the Hagiographa,\ncomprising all sacred records not included in the other divisions. But\nwe may the better consider the parts of the Bible by taking the main\ndivisions separately. A very natural division of the biblical record\nis effected by the earthly work of the Savior; the written productions\nof pre-Christian times came to be known as the Old Covenant; those of\nthe days of the Savior and the years immediately following, as the New\nCovenant.[733] The term _testament_ gradually grew in favor until the\ndesignations Old and New Testaments became common.\n\n  [733] I Cor. xi, 25; see also Jer. xxxi, 31.\n\n\nTHE OLD TESTAMENT.\n\n=7. Its Origin and Growth.=--At the time of our Lord's ministry in the\nflesh, the Jews were in possession of certain scriptures which they\nregarded as canonical or authoritative. There can be little doubt as\nto the authenticity of those works, for they were frequently quoted by\nboth Christ and the apostles, by whom they were designated as \"the\nscriptures.\"[734] The Savior specifically refers to them under their\naccepted terms of classification as \"the law of Moses, the prophets,\nand the psalms.\"[735] The books thus accepted by the people in the\ntime of Christ are sometimes spoken of as the Jewish canon of\nscripture. The term _canon_, now generally current, suggests not books\nthat are merely credible, authentic, or even inspired, but such books\nas are recognized as authoritative guides in profession and practice.\nThe term is instructive in its derivation. Its Greek original,\n_kanon_, signified a straight measuring rod, and hence it came to mean\nan authoritative standard of comparison, a rule, or test, as applied\nto moral subjects as well as to material objects.\n\n  [734] John v, 39; Acts xvii, 11.\n\n  [735] Luke xxiv, 44.\n\n=8.= As to the formation of the Jewish canon, or the Old Testament, we\nread that Moses wrote the first part of it, viz. the Law; and that he\ncommitted it to the care of the priests, or Levites, with a command\nthat they preserve it in the ark of the covenant,[736] to be a witness\nagainst Israel in their transgressions. Fore-seeing that a king would\nsome day govern Israel, Moses commanded that the monarch should make a\ncopy of the Law for his guidance.[737] Joshua, successor of Moses, as\nleader and law-giver of Israel, wrote further of the dealings of God\nwith the people, and of the Divine precepts; and this writing he\nevidently appended to the Law as recorded by Moses.[738] Three\ncenturies and a half after the time of Moses, when the theocracy had\nbeen replaced by a monarchy, Samuel, the approved prophet of the Lord,\nwrote of the change \"in a book, and laid it up before the Lord.\"[739]\nAnd thus we see the law of Moses was augmented by later authoritative\nrecords. From the writings of Isaiah, we learn that the people had\naccess to the \"Book of the Lord;\" for the prophet admonished them to\nseek it out, and read it.[740] It is evident, then, that in the time\nof Isaiah the people had a written authority in doctrine and practice.\n\n  [736] Deut. xxxi, 9, 24-26.\n\n  [737] Deut. xvii, 18.\n\n  [738] Joshua xxiv, 26.\n\n  [739] I Sam. x, 25.\n\n  [740] Isaiah xxxiv, 16.\n\n=9.= Nearly four centuries later (640-630 B. C.), while the righteous\nking Josiah occupied the throne of Judah as a part of divided Israel,\nHilkiah the high priest and father of the prophet Jeremiah found in\nthe temple \"a book of the law of the Lord,\"[741] which was read before\nthe kings.[742] Then, during the fifth century B. C., in the days of\nEzra, the edict of Cyrus permitted the captive people of Judah, a\nremnant of once united Israel, to return to Jerusalem,[743] there to\nrebuild the temple of the Lord, according to the law[744] of God then\nin the hand of Ezra. From this we may infer that the written law was\nthen known; and to Ezra is usually attributed the credit of compiling\nthe books of the Old Testament as far as completed in his day, to\nwhich he added his own writings.[745] In this work of compilation he\nwas probably assisted by Nehemiah and the members of the Great\nSynagogue,--a Jewish college of a hundred and twenty scholars.[746]\nThe book of Nehemiah, which gives a continuation of the historical\nstory as recorded by Ezra, is supposed to have been written by the\nprophet whose name it bears, in part at least during the life of Ezra.\nThen, a century later, Malachi,[747] the last of the prophets of note\nwho flourished before the opening of the dispensation of Christ, added\nhis record, completing, and virtually closing the pre-Christian canon,\nwith a prophetic promise of the Messiah and of the messenger whose\ncommission would be to prepare the way of the Lord.\n\n  [741] II Chron. xxxiv, 14-15; see also Deut. xxxi, 26.\n\n  [742] II Kings xxii.\n\n  [743] Ezra i, 1-3.\n\n  [744] See Ezra vii, 12-14.\n\n  [745] The Book of Ezra.\n\n  [746] This historical information is given in certain of the\n  apocryphal works; see II Esdras.\n\n  [747] Mal. iii, iv.\n\n=10.= Thus, it is evident that the Old Testament grew with the\nsuccessive writings of authorized and inspired scribes from Moses to\nMalachi, and that its compilation was a natural and gradual process,\neach addition being deposited, or, as the sacred record gives it,\n\"laid up before the Lord,\" in connection with the previous writings.\nUndoubtedly there were known to the Jews many other books, not\nincluded in our present Old Testament; references to such are abundant\nin the scriptures themselves, which references prove that many of\nthose extra-canonical records were regarded as of great authority. But\nconcerning this we will enquire further in connection with the\nApocrypha. The recognized canonicity of the Old Testament books is\nattested by the numerous references in the latter to the earlier\nbooks, and by the many quotations from the Old Testament occurring in\nthe New. About two hundred and thirty quotations or direct references\nhave been listed; and in addition to these, hundreds of less direct\nallusions occur.\n\n=11. Language of the Old Testament.=--It is highly probable, almost\ncertain indeed, that nearly all the books of the Old Testament were\noriginally written in Hebrew. Scholars profess to have found evidence\nthat small portions of the books of Ezra, Daniel, and Jeremiah were\nwritten in the Chaldee language; but the prevalence of Hebrew as the\nlanguage of the original scriptures has given to the Old Testament the\ncommon appellation, Hebrew or Jewish canon. Of the Pentateuch, two\nversions have been recognized,--the Hebrew proper and the\nSamaritan,[748] the latter of which was preserved in the most ancient\nof Hebrew characters by the Samaritans, between whom and the Jews\nthere was lasting enmity.\n\n  [748] See Note 2.\n\n=12. The Septuagint.=--Passing over the Peshito or early Syriac\nversion of the Old Testament as of minor significance, we recognize as\nthe first important translation of the Hebrew canon that known as the\n_Septuagint_.[749] This was a Greek version of the Old Testament,\ntranslated from the Hebrew at the instance of an Egyptian monarch,\nprobably Ptolemy Philadelphus, about 286 B. C. The name _Septuagint_\nsuggests the number seventy, and is said to have been given because\nthe translation was made by a body of seventy-two elders (in round\nnumbers seventy); or, as other traditions say, because the work was\naccomplished in seventy, or seventy-two days; or, according to yet\nother stories, because the version received the sanction of the Jewish\necclesiastical council, the Sanhedrin, which comprised seventy-two\nmembers. Certain it is that the Septuagint (sometimes indicated by the\nnumerals LXX) was the current version among the Jews in the days of\nChrist's ministry, and was quoted by the Savior and the apostles in\ntheir references to the old canon. It is regarded as the most\nauthentic of the ancient versions, and is accepted at the present time\nby the Greek Christians and other eastern churches. It is evident,\nthen, that from a time nearly three hundred years before Christ, the\nOld Testament has been current in both Hebrew and Greek: this\nduplication has been an effective means of protection against\nalterations.\n\n  [749] See Note 3.\n\n=13. The Present Compilation= recognizes thirty-nine books in the Old\nTestament: these were originally combined as twenty-two books,\ncorresponding to the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The thirty-nine\nbooks as at present constituted may be conveniently classified as\nfollows:\n\n  (1.) The Pentateuch or Books of the Law       5\n  (2.) The Historical Books                    12\n  (3.) The Poetical Books                       5\n  (4.) The Books of the Prophets               17\n\n=14.= (1.) =The Books of the Law.=--The first five books in the Bible\nare collectively designated as the _Pentateuch_ (_pente_--five,\n_teuxos_--volume); and were known among the early Jews as the _Torah_,\nor the law. Their authorship is traditionally ascribed to Moses,[750]\nand in consequence the \"Five Books of Moses\" is another commonly used\ndesignation. They give the history, brief though it be, of the human\nrace from the creation to the flood, and from Noah to Israel; then a\nmore particular account of the chosen people through their period of\nEgyptian bondage; thence during the journey of four decades in the\nwilderness to the encampment on the farther side of Jordan.\n\n  [750] Ezra vi, 18; vii, 6; Neh. viii, 1; John vii, 19.\n\n=15.= (2.) =The Historical Books=, twelve in number, comprise the\nfollowing: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, I\nand II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. They tell the story of the\nIsraelites entering the land of promise, and their subsequent career\nthrough three distinct periods of their existence as a people:--(1) as\na theocratic nation, with a tribal organization, all parts cemented by\nties of religion and kinship; (2) as a monarchy, at first a united\nkingdom, later a nation divided against itself; (3) as a partly\nconquered people, their independence curtailed by the hand of their\nvictors.\n\n=16.= (3.) =The Poetical Books= number five: Job, Psalms, Proverbs,\nEcclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. They are frequently spoken of\nas the doctrinal or didactic works, and the Greek designation\nHagiographa (_hagios_--holy, and _graphe_--a writing) is still\napplied.[751] These are of widely different ages, and their close\nassociation in the Bible is probably due to their common use as guides\nin devotion amongst the Jewish churches.\n\n  [751] As stated, the Hagiographa, or \"sacred writings,\" are\n  generally understood to include the five poetical works of the Old\n  Testament. By some authorities, the list is extended to include\n  all the books mentioned in the Talmud as hagiographa; viz., Ruth,\n  Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs,\n  Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, and Daniel.\n\n=17.= (4.) =The Books of the Prophets= comprise the five larger works\nof Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and\nDaniel, commonly known as the works of the _Major Prophets_; and the\ntwelve shorter books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah,\nNahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, known to\nBible scholars as the books of the _Minor Prophets_. These give the\nburden of the Lord's word to His people, encouragement, warning and\nreproof, as suited their condition, before, during, and after their\ncaptivity.[752]\n\n  [752] See Note 4.\n\n=18. The Apocrypha= comprise a number of books of doubtful\nauthenticity, though such have been at times highly esteemed. Thus,\nthey were added to the Septuagint, and for a time were accorded\nrecognition among the Alexandrine Jews. However, they have never been\ngenerally admitted, being of uncertain origin. They are not quoted in\nthe New Testament. The designation apocryphal (meaning hidden, or\nsecret) was first applied to the books by Jerome, because, said he,\n\"the church doth read [them] for example of life and instruction of\nmanners, but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine.\"\nThe Roman church professes to acknowledge them as scripture, action to\nthis end having been taken by the council of Trent (1546); though the\ndoubt of the authenticity of the works seems still to exist even among\nthe Roman Catholic authorities. The sixth article in the Liturgy of\nthe Church of England defines the orthodox views of the church as to\nthe meaning and intent of Holy Scripture; and, after specifying the\nbooks of the Old Testament which are regarded as canonical, proceeds\nin this wise:--\"And the other books (as Hierome [Jerome]\nsaith) the church doth read for example of life and instruction of\nmanners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine;\nsuch are these following:--The Third Book of Esdras; The Fourth Book\nof Esdras; The Book of Tobias; The Book of Judith; The rest of the\nBook of Esther; The Book of Wisdom; Jesus, the Son of Sirach; Baruch\nthe Prophet; The Song of the Three Children; The Story of Susanna; Of\nBel and the Dragon; The Prayer of Manasses; The First Book of\nMaccabees; The Second Book of Maccabees.\"\n\n\nTHE NEW TESTAMENT.\n\n=19. Its Origin and Authenticity.=--Since the latter part of the\nfourth century of our present era, there has arisen scarcely a single\nquestion of importance regarding the authenticity of the books of the\nNew Testament as at present constituted. From that time until the\npresent, the New Testament has been accepted as an unquestioned canon\nof scriptures by all professed Christians.[753] In the fourth century,\nthere were generally current several lists of the books of the New\nTestament as we now have them; of these may be mentioned the\ncatalogues of Athanasius, Epiphanius, Jerome, Rufinus, and Augustine\nof Hippo, and the list announced by the third Council of Carthage. To\nthese may be added four others, which differ from the foregoing in\nomitting the Revelation of John in three cases, and the same with the\nEpistle to the Hebrews in one.\n\n  [753] See Notes 5 and 6.\n\n=20.= This superabundance of evidence relating to the constitution of\nthe New Testament canon in the fourth century is a result of the\nanti-Christian persecution of that period. At the beginning of the\ncentury in question, the oppressive measures of Diocletian, emperor of\nRome, were directed not alone against the Christians as individuals\nand as a sect, but against their sacred writings, which the fanatical\nand cruel monarch sought to destroy. Some degree of leniency was\nextended to those persons who yielded up the holy books that had been\ncommitted to their care; and not a few embraced this opportunity of\nsaving their lives. When the rigors of persecution were lessened, the\nchurches sought to judge their members who had weakened in their\nallegiance to the faith, as shown by their surrender of the\nscriptures, and all such were anathematized as traitors. Inasmuch as\nmany books that had been thus given up under the pressure of\nthreatening death were not at that time generally accepted as holy, it\nbecame a question of first importance to decide just which books were\nof such admitted sanctity that their betrayal would make a man a\ntraitor.[754] Hence we find Eusebius designating the books of the\nMessianic and apostolic days as of two classes:--(1) Those of\nacknowledged canonicity, viz:--the gospels, the epistles of Paul,\nActs, I John, I Peter, and probably the Apocalypse. (2) Those of\ndisputed authenticity, viz:--the epistles of James, II Peter, II and\nIII John, and Jude. To these classes he added a third class, including\nbooks that were admittedly spurious.[755]\n\n  [754] See Tregelles' \"Historic Evidence of the Origin ... of the\n  Books of the New Testament,\" p. 12--.\n\n  [755] See Eusebius, \"Ecclesiastical History,\" iii, 25.\n\n=21.= As stated, the list published by Athanasius, which dates from\nnear the middle of the fourth century, gives the constitution of the\nNew Testament as we now have it; and at that time all doubts as to the\ncorrectness of the enumeration seem to have been put to rest; and we\nfind the Testament of common acceptance by professing Christians in\nRome, Egypt, Africa, Syria, Asia Minor, and Gaul. The testimony of\nOrigen, who flourished in the third century, and that of Tertullian,\nwho lived during the second, were tested and pronounced conclusive by\nthe later writers in favor of the canonicity of the gospels and the\napostolic writings. Each book was tested on its own merits, and all\nwere declared by common consent to be authoritative and binding on the\nchurches.\n\n=22.= If there be need to go farther back, we may note the testimony\nof Iren\u00e6us, distinguished in ecclesiastical history as Bishop of\nLyons; he lived in the latter half of the second century, and is known\nas a disciple of Polycarp, who was personally associated with the\nRevelator, John. His voluminous writings affirm the authenticity of\nmost of the books of the New Testament, and define their authorship as\nat present admitted. To these testimonies may be added those of the\nSaints in Gaul, who wrote to their fellow-sufferers in Asia, quoting\nfreely from gospels, epistles, and the Apocalypse;[756] the\ndeclarations of Melito, Bishop of Sardis, who journeyed to the East to\ndetermine which were the canonical books, particularly of the Old\nTestament;[757] and the solemn attest of Justin Martyr, who embraced\nChristianity as a result of his earnest and learned investigations,\nand who suffered death for his convictions. In addition to individual\ntestimony, we have that of ecclesiastical councils and official\nbodies, by whom the question of authenticity was tried and decided. In\nthis connection may be mentioned the Council of Nice, 325 A. D.; the\nCouncil of Laodicea, 363 A. D.; the Council of Hippo, 393 A. D.; the\nthird and the sixth Councils of Carthage, 397 and 419 A. D.\n\n  [756] See Eusebius, book iv.\n\n  [757] Eusebius iv, 26.\n\n=23.= Since the date last named, no dispute as to the authenticity of\nthe New Testament has claimed much attention; surely the present is\ntoo late a time, and the separating distance today is too vast, to\nwarrant the reopening of the question. The New Testament must be\naccepted for what it claims to be; and though, perhaps, many precious\nparts have been suppressed or lost, while some corruptions of the\nsacred texts may have crept in, and errors have been inadvertently\nintroduced through the incapacity of translators, the volume as a\nwhole must be admitted as authentic and credible, and as an essential\npart of the holy scriptures.[758]\n\n  [758] Compare John v, 39.\n\n=24. Classification of the New Testament.=--The New Testament\ncomprises twenty-seven books, conveniently classified as:--\n\n  (1.) Historical      5\n  (2.) Didactic       21\n  (3.) Prophetic       1\n\n=25.= (1.) =The Historical Books= include the four Gospels and the\nActs of the Apostles. The authors of these works are spoken of as the\nevangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; to Luke is ascribed the\nauthorship of the Acts.\n\n=26.= (2.) =The Didactic Books= comprise the epistles; and these we\nmay arrange thus: (_1._) _The Epistles of Paul_, comprising (_a_) his\ndoctrinal letters addressed to Romans, Corinthians, Galatians,\nEphesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Hebrews; (_b_) his\npastoral communications to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (_2._) _The\nGeneral Epistles_ of James, Peter, John, and Jude.\n\n=27.= (3.) =The Prophetic Works=, consisting of the Revelation of\nJohn, commonly known as the Apocalypse.\n\n\nTHE BIBLE AS A WHOLE.\n\n=28. Early Versions of the Bible.=--Many versions of the Old Testament\nand of the combined Testaments have appeared at different times. The\nHebrew text with the Samaritan duplication of the Pentateuch, and the\nGreek translation, or the Septuagint (LXX), have been already noted.\nRevisions and modified translations competed for favor with the\nSeptuagint during the early ages of the Christian era; Theodotian,\nAquila, and Symmachus each issued a new version. One of the first\ntranslations into Latin was the _Italic version_, probably prepared in\nthe second century; this was later improved and amended, and then\nbecame known as the _Vulgate_; and this is still held by the church of\nRome to be the authentic version. This version included both Old and\nNew Testaments.\n\n=29. Many Modern Versions in English=, some fragmentary, others\ncomplete, have appeared since the beginning of the thirteenth century.\nAbout 1380 A. D., Wycliffe presented an English translation of the New\nTestament, made from the Vulgate; the Old Testament was afterward\nadded. About 1525 A. D., Tyndale's translation of the New Testament\nappeared; this was included in Coverdale's Bible, printed in 1535,\nwhich constituted the first version of the complete Bible. Matthew's\nBible dates from 1537; Taverner's Bible from 1539, and Cranmer's Great\nBible from the same year. In 1560 the Geneva Bible appeared; in 1568\nthe Bishops' Bible, the first English version having chapter and verse\ndivisions; and in 1611 the so-called Authorized English Version, or\nKing James' translation, this being a new translation of Old and New\nTestaments from the Hebrew and Greek, made by forty-seven scholars at\nthe command of King James I. This has superseded all earlier versions,\nand is the form now in current use among Protestants. But even this\nlatest and supposedly best version was found to contain many and\nserious errors; and in 1885 a revised version was issued, which,\nhowever, has not yet been accorded general acceptance.\n\n=30. Genuineness and Authenticity of the Bible.=--However interesting\nand instructive these historical and literary data of the Jewish\nscriptures may be, the consideration of such is subordinate to that of\nthe authenticity of the books; for as we, in common with the rest of\nthe Christian world, have accepted them as the word of God, it is\neminently proper that we should inquire into the genuineness of the\nrecords upon which our faith is so largely founded. All evidences\nfurnished by the Bible itself, such as its language, historical\ndetails, and the consistency of its contents, unite in supporting its\nclaim to genuineness as the actual works of the authors to whom the\nseparate parts are ascribed. In a multitude of instances, comparisons\nare easy between the biblical record and contemporary history not\nscriptural, particularly in regard to biography and genealogy, and, in\nall such cases, striking agreement has been found.[759] Further\nargument exists in the individuality maintained by each writer,\nresulting in a marked diversity of style; while the wondrous unity\npervading the whole declares the operation of some single guiding\ninfluence throughout the ages of the record's growth; and this can be\nnothing less than the power of inspiration which operated upon all who\nwere accepted as instruments in the Divine Hand to prepare this book\nof books. Tradition, contemporary history, literary analysis, and\nabove and beyond all these, the test of prayerful research and\ntruth-seeking investigation, unite to prove the authenticity of this\nwondrous volume, and to point the way, defined within its covers,\nleading men back to the Eternal Presence.\n\n  [759] See Note 7.\n\n=31. Book of Mormon Testimony regarding the Bible.=--As declared in\nthe eighth of the Articles of Faith now under consideration, the\nLatter-day Saints accept the Book of Mormon as a volume of sacred\nscripture, which, like the Bible, embodies the word of God. In the\nnext lecture the Book of Mormon will receive our special attention;\nbut it may be profitable to refer here to the collateral evidence\nfurnished by that work regarding the authenticity of the Jewish\nscriptures, and of the general integrity of these latter in their\npresent form. According to the Book of Mormon record, the Prophet\nLehi, with his family and some others, left Jerusalem by the command\nof God, about 600 B. C., during the first year of King Zedekiah's\nreign. Before finally forsaking the land of their nativity, the\ntravelers secured certain records, which were engraved on plates of\nbrass. Among these writings were a history of the Jews and some of the\nscriptures then accepted as authentic.\n\n=32.= Lehi examined the brazen record--\"And he beheld that they did\ncontain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation\nof the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;\nand also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the\ncommencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; and also the\nprophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the\ncommencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which\nhave been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.\"[760] This direct reference\nto the Pentateuch and to certain of the Jewish prophets is valuable\nexternal evidence concerning the authenticity of those parts of the\nbiblical record.\n\n  [760] I Nephi v, 10-13.\n\n=33.= In a vision, Nephi, the son of Lehi, learned of the future of\nGod's plan regarding the human family; and saw that a book of great\nworth, containing the word of God and the covenants of the Lord with\nIsrael, would go forth from the Jews to the Gentiles.[761] It is\nfurther stated that Lehi's company, who, as we shall see, were led\nacross the waters to the western continent, whereon they established\nthemselves and afterward grew to be a numerous and powerful people,\nwere accustomed to study the scriptures engraved on the plates of\nbrass; and, moreover, their scribes embodied long quotations therefrom\nin their own growing record.[762] So much for Book of Mormon\nrecognition of the Old Testament, or at least of such parts of the\nJewish canon as had been completed when Lehi's migrating colony left\nJerusalem, during the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah.\n\n  [761] See I Nephi xiii, 21-23.\n\n  [762] I Nephi xx-xxi; II Nephi vii-viii; xii-xxiv.\n\n=34.= But further, concerning the New Testament scriptures this voice\nfrom the western world is not silent. In prophetic vision, many of the\nNephite teachers saw and fore-told the ministry of Christ in the\nmeridian of time, and recorded predictions concerning the principal\nevents of the Savior's life and death, with striking fidelity and\ndetail. This testimony is recorded of Nephi,[763] Benjamin,[764] who\nwas both prophet and king, Abinadi,[765] Samuel the converted\nLamanite,[766] and others. In addition to these and many other\nprophecies regarding the mission of Christ, all of which agree with\nthe New Testament record of their fulfillment, we find in the Book of\nMormon an account of the risen Lord's ministrations among the Nephite\npeople, during which He established His Church with them, after the\npattern recorded in the New Testament; and, moreover, He gave them\nmany instructions in words almost identical with those of His\nteachings among the Jews in the east.[767]\n\n  [763] I Nephi x, 4-5; xi-xiii; xiv; II Nephi ix, 5; x, 3; xxv, 26;\n  xxvi, 24.\n\n  [764] Mosiah iii; iv, 3.\n\n  [765] Mosiah xiii-xvi.\n\n  [766] Helaman xiv, 12.\n\n  [767] III Nephi ix-xxvi; compare for New Testament references with\n  Matthew v-vii etc.; and for Old Testament mention with Isaiah liv;\n  Malachi iii-lv.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. John Chrysostom=, one of the Greek \"Christian Fathers,\"\n     flourished during the latter half of the fourth century; he was\n     patriarch of Constantinople, but was deposed and exiled some time\n     before his death which occurred in 407. His use of the term\n     _biblia_ to designate the scriptural canon is among the earliest\n     applications of the sort yet found, He entreated his people to\n     avail themselves of the riches of inspired works in this\n     wise:--\"Hear, I exhort, all yet in secular life, and purchase\n     _biblia_, the medicine of the soul.\" Speaking of the Jewish\n     Christians, he says, \"They have the _biblia_, but we have the\n     treasures of the _biblia_; they have the letters, we have the\n     letters and the understanding.\"\n\n     =2. The Samaritan Copy of the Pentateuch.=--In his valuable\n     course of lectures on Bible subjects, Elder David McKenzie\n     presents the following, with references to the writings of\n     Horne:--\"Nine hundred and seventy years before Christ, the nation\n     of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. Both retained the same\n     book of the law. Rivalry prevented either of them from altering\n     or adding to the law. After Israel was carried into Assyria,\n     other nations occupied Samaria. These received the Pentateuch.\n     (II Kings xvii, 26-28.) The language being Hebrew or Phoenician,\n     whereas the Jewish copy was changed into Chaldee, corruption or\n     alteration was thus made impracticable, yet the texts remain\n     almost identical.\"\n\n     =3. Versions of the Bible or of Parts Thereof.=--_The\n     Septuagint_:--\"Various opinions have been put forth to explain\n     its appellation of _Septuagint_; some say that Ptolemy\n     Philadelphus requested of Eleazer the High Priest a copy of the\n     Hebrew scriptures, and six learned Jews from each tribe (together\n     seventy-two), competent to translate it into Greek; these were\n     shut up in the isle of Pharos, and in seventy-two days they\n     completed their task: as they dictated it, Demetrius Phalereus,\n     the king's chief librarian, transcribed it: but this is now\n     considered a fable. Others say that these same interpreters,\n     having been shut up in separate cells, wrote each one a\n     translation; and so extraordinarily did they all coincide\n     together in words as well as sentiment, that evidence was thus\n     afforded of their inspiration by the Holy Spirit; this opinion\n     has also been set aside as too extravagant. It is very possible\n     that seventy-two writers were employed in the translation; but it\n     is more probable that it acquired the name of _Septuagint_ from\n     having received the approbation of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which\n     consisted of seventy-two persons. Some affirm it to have been\n     executed at different times; and Horne says it is most probable\n     that this version was made during the joint reigns of Ptolemy\n     Lagus and his son Philadelphus, about 285 or 286 B. C.\"\n\n     _The Vulgate._--\"There was a very ancient version of the Bible\n     translated from the Septuagint into Latin, but by whom and when\n     is unknown. It was in general use in the time of Jerome, and was\n     called the _Itala_ or _Italic Version_. About the close of the\n     fourth century, Jerome began a new translation into Latin from\n     the Hebrew text, which he gradually completed. It at last gained\n     the approbation of Pope Gregory I, and has been used ever since\n     the seventh century. The present Vulgate, declared authentic by\n     the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, is the ancient\n     Italic version, revised and improved by the corrections of Jerome\n     and others; and is the only one allowed by the Church of Rome.\"\n\n     _The \"Authorized Version.\"_--\"Certain objections having been made\n     to the _Bishops' Bible_ at the Hampton Court conference in A. D.\n     1603, King James I directed a new translation to be made.\n     Forty-seven persons, eminent for their piety and biblical\n     learning, were chosen to this end; they were divided into six\n     committees, two to sit at Oxford, two at Cambridge, and two at\n     Westminster; and each committee had a certain portion of the\n     scriptures assigned to it. They began their task in A. D. 1607,\n     and the whole was completed and in print in A. D. 1611. This is\n     called the _Authorized English Version_ and is the one now in\n     use.\"--From _Analysis of Scripture History_, by Pinnock; pp. 3,\n     5; (6th ed.).\n\n     =4. The Prophetical Books= of the Old Testament are arranged with\n     little or no regard to their chronological order, the extent of\n     the contained matter placing the larger works first. The\n     chronological arrangement would probably be Jonah, Joel, Amos,\n     Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah:--all of these prophesied\n     previous to the captivity; then follow Jeremiah, Habakkuk,\n     Ezekiel, and Daniel, who wrote during the captivity; then Haggai,\n     Zechariah, and Malachi, after the return of the Jews from\n     captivity.\n\n     =5. Manuscript Copies of the New Testament.=--Three manuscripts\n     of New Testament writings now in existence are regarded as\n     authentic. These are known as the _Vatican_ (now in Rome), the\n     _Alexandrian_ (now in London), and the _Sinaitic_ (now in the St.\n     Petersburg library). The last named or Sinaitic is considered to\n     be the oldest copy of the New Testament in existence. The\n     manuscript was discovered in 1859 among the archives of a\n     monastery on Mount Sinai, hence its name. It was found by\n     Tischendorf, and is now in the imperial library at St.\n     Petersburg.\n\n     =6. Concerning the Genuineness of Parts of the New\n     Testament.=--In answer to objections that have been urged by\n     critics in the matter of genuineness or authenticity of certain\n     books of the New Testament, the following array of testimony may\n     be considered. The items are presented here as collated by Elder\n     David McKenzie, and as used by him in his instructive lectures on\n     the Bible.\n\n     (_I_) _The Four Gospels._--_1. Matthew._ Papias, Bishop of\n     Hierapolis, was a hearer of the Apostle John. With respect to St.\n     Matthew's Gospel, Eusebius quotes him as saying:--\"Matthew\n     composed the Oracles In the Hebrew tongue, and each one\n     interpreted them as he could.\"--(Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. iii, 39.)\n\n     _2. Mark._ Of Mark's writing, Papias also says:--\"Mark having\n     become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately everything\n     that he remembered, without, however, recording in order what was\n     either said or done by Christ. For neither did he hear the Lord,\n     nor follow Him, but afterward attended Peter, who adapted his\n     instructions to the needs of his hearers, but had no design of\n     giving a connected account of the Lord's oracles (or\n     discourses).\"--(Bishop Lightfoot's translations, in \"Contemporary\n     Review,\" August, 1875.)\n\n     _3. Luke._ Internal evidence shows that Luke's Gospel and the\n     Acts of the Apostles were composed by the same author. St. Paul\n     speaks of Luke as a physician; and Dr. Hobart, in 1882, published\n     at London a treatise on \"The Medical Language of St. Luke,\" and\n     points out the frequent use of medical terms in Luke's writings,\n     permeating the entire extent of the third Gospel, and the Acts of\n     the Apostles. Even M. Renan makes a similar admission. He\n     says:--\"One point which is beyond question is that the Acts are\n     by the same author as the third Gospel, and are a continuation of\n     that Gospel. One need not stop to prove this proposition, which\n     has never been seriously contested. The prefaces at the\n     commencement of each work, the dedication of each to Theophilus,\n     the perfect resemblance of style and of ideas, furnish on this\n     point abundant demonstrations.\" \"A second proposition is that the\n     author of the Acts is a disciple of Paul, who accompanied him for\n     a considerable part of his travels.\"--(M. Renan, \"The Apostles\";\n     see preface.)\n\n     _4. John._ Iren\u00e6us, Bishop of Lyons, about 177 A. D., a pupil of\n     Polycarp who was martyred in 155 or 156, relates in a letter to a\n     fellow-pupil his recollections of what he had heard Polycarp say\n     about his intercourse with John, and with the rest who had seen\n     the Lord; and about the Lord, and about His miracles, and about\n     His teaching. All these he would relate altogether in accordance\n     with _the Scriptures_. (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist, v, 20.) That\n     Iren\u00e6us meant by \"the Scriptures,\" Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,\n     is evident from the text. Besides, he urges \"not only that four\n     Gospels alone have been handed down from the beginning, but that\n     in the nature of things there could not be more nor less than\n     four. There are four regions in the world, and four principal\n     winds, and the Church therefore, as destined to be conterminous\n     with the world, must be supported by four Gospels as four\n     pillars.\"--(Contemporary Review, August, 1876, p. 413.) [The forced\n     analogy assumed by Iren\u00e6us between the _four_ Gospels and\n     the _four_ winds, etc., is of course without foundation, and\n     its use appears literally absurd; nevertheless the fact that he\n     noted it furnishes evidence of the acceptance of the four Gospels\n     in his day.--J. E. T.]\n\n     (_II_) _The Pauline Epistles._--The following extracts from the\n     testimony of the T\u00fcbingen critics on four of Paul's epistles, are\n     instructive.\n\n     De Wette says, in his introduction to the \"Books of the New\n     Testament\" (123, a.):--\"The letters of Paul bear the marks of his\n     powerful genius. The most important of them are raised above all\n     contradiction as to their authenticity; they form the solid\n     kernel of the book of the New Testament.\"\n\n     Baur says, in his \"Apostle Paul\" (1, 8):--\"Not only has no\n     suspicion of the authenticity of these Epistles even arisen, but\n     they bear so incontestably the seal of the originality of Paul,\n     that one cannot comprehend for what reason critics could raise\n     any objection to them.\"\n\n     Weizs\u00e6ker writes (Apost. Zeitalter, 1866, p. 190):--\"The letters\n     to the Galatians and the Corinthians are, without doubt, from the\n     hand of the Apostle; from his hand also came incontestably the\n     Epistle to the Romans.\"\n\n     Holtzmann says (\"Einleit in's N. T.,\" p. 224):--\"These four\n     Epistles are the Pauline Homologoumena (books universally\n     received) in the modern acceptation of the word. We can realize,\n     with respect to them, the proof of authenticity undertaken by\n     Paley against the free-thinkers of his time.\"\n\n     M. Renan in _The Gospels_ (pp. 40, 41), thus expresses\n     himself:--\"The epistles of Paul have an unequaled advantage in\n     this history--that is, their absolute authenticity.\" Of the\n     Epistles to the Corinthians, the Galatians, and the Romans, Renan\n     speaks as \"indisputable and undisputed;\" and adds, \"The most\n     severe critics, such as Christian Baur, accept them without\n     objection.\"\n\n     =7. Archeological Evidence Confirming the Bible.=--Prof. A. H.\n     Sayce, M. A., sums up his learned treatise on the testimony of\n     the ancient monuments, thus:--\"The critical objections to the\n     truth of the Old Testament, once drawn from the armory of Greek\n     and Latin writers, can never be urged again; they have been met\n     and overthrown once for all. The answers to them have come from\n     papyrus and clay and stone, from the tombs of ancient Egypt, from\n     the mounds of Babylonia, and from the ruined palaces of the\n     Assyrian kings.\"\n\n     =8. Missing Scripture.=--Those who oppose the doctrine of\n     continual revelation between God and His Church, on the ground\n     that the Bible is complete as a collection of sacred scriptures,\n     and that alleged revelation not found therein must therefore be\n     spurious, may profitably take note of the many books not included\n     in the Bible, yet mentioned therein, generally in such a way as\n     to leave no doubt that they were once regarded as authentic.\n     Among these extra-biblical scriptures, the following may be\n     named; some of them are in existence to-day, and are classed with\n     the Apocrypha; but the greater number are unknown. We read of the\n     Book of the Covenant (Exo. xxiv, 7); Book of the Wars of the Lord\n     (Numb. xxi, 14); Book of Jasher (Josh. x, 13); Book of the\n     Statutes (I Sam. x, 25); Book of Enoch (Jude 14); Book of the\n     Acts of Solomon (I Kings xi, 41); Book of Nathan the Prophet, and\n     that of Gad the Seer (I Chron. xxix, 29); Book of Ahijah the\n     Shilonite, and visions of Iddo, the Seer (II Chron. ix, 29); Book\n     of Shemaiah (II Chron. xii, 15); Story of the Prophet Iddo (II\n     Chron. xiii, 22); Book of Jehu (II Chron. xx, 34); the Acts of\n     Uzziah, by Isaiah, the son of Amoz (II Chron. xxvi, 22); Sayings\n     of the Seers (II Chron. xxxiii, 19); a missing epistle of Paul to\n     the Corinthians (I Cor. v, 9); a missing epistle to the Ephesians\n     (Eph. iii, 3); missing epistle to the Colossians, written from\n     Laodicea (Col. iv, 16); a missing epistle of Jude (Jude 3); a\n     declaration of belief mentioned by Luke (i, 1).\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XIV.\n\nTHE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n     =Article 8.=--... We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the\n     word of God.\n\n\nDESCRIPTION AND ORIGIN.\n\n=1. What is the Book of Mormon?=--The claims made for the Book of\nMormon affirm it to be a divinely inspired record, made by the\nprophets of the ancient peoples who inhabited the American continent\nfor centuries before and immediately after the time of Christ; which\nrecord has been translated in the present generation through the gift\nof God and by His special appointment. The authorized and inspired\ntranslator of these sacred scriptures, through whose instrumentality\nthey have been given to the world in modern language, is Joseph Smith,\nwhose first acquaintance with the plates was mentioned in the first\nlecture.[768] As stated, on the 21st of September, 1823, Joseph Smith\nreceived, in answer to fervent prayer, a visitation from an angelic\npersonage, who gave his name as Moroni; subsequent revelations showed\nhim to be the last of a long line of prophets whose translated\nwritings constitute the Book of Mormon; by him the ancient records had\nbeen closed; by him the graven plates had been deposited in the earth;\nand through his ministration they were brought into the possession of\nthe modern prophet and seer whose work of translation is now before\nus.\n\n  [768] See pages 10, 17.\n\n=2.= On the occasion of Moroni's first visit to Joseph Smith, the\nangelic visitor declared the existence of the record, which, he said,\nwas engraved on plates of gold, at that time lying buried in the side\nof a hill near Joseph's home. The hill, which was known by one\ndivision of the ancient peoples as Cumorah, by another as Ramah, is\nsituated near Palmyra in the county of Wayne, State of New York. The\nprecise spot where the plates lay was shown to Joseph in vision; and\nhe had no difficulty in finding it on the day following the visitation\nreferred to. Joseph's statement of Moroni's declaration concerning the\nplates is as follows:--\"He said there was a book deposited, written\nupon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this\ncontinent, and the source from which they sprang. He also said that\nthe fulness of the everlasting gospel was contained in it, as\ndelivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants. Also, that there\nwere two stones in silver bows, (and these stones, fastened to a\nbreastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim),\ndeposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones\nwas what constituted Seers in ancient or former times; and that God\nhad prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.\"[769]\n\n  [769] Pearl of Great Price: Extr. Hist. of Joseph Smith, 34-35.\n\n=3.= Joseph found a large stone at the indicated spot on the hill\nCumorah; beneath the stone was a box, also of stone; the lid of this\nhe raised by means of a lever; then he saw within the box the plates,\nand the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, as described by the\nangel. As he was about to remove the contents of the box, Moroni again\nappeared before him, and forbade him taking the sacred things at that\ntime, saying that four years must pass before they would be committed\nto his personal care; and that, in the meantime, Joseph would be\nrequired to visit the place at yearly intervals; this the youthful\nrevelator did, receiving on each occasion additional instruction\nconcerning the record and God's purposes with it. On the 22nd of\nSeptember, 1827, Joseph received from the angel Moroni the plates and\nthe Urim and Thummim with the breastplate. He was instructed to guard\nthem with strict care, and was promised that if he used his best\nefforts to protect them they would be preserved inviolate in his\nhands; and that on the completion of the labor of translation, Moroni\nwould visit him again, and receive the plates.\n\n=4.= The reason prompting the angelic caution regarding Joseph's care\nof the treasures soon appeared; thrice in the course of his short\njourney homeward with the sacred relics, he was attacked; but by\nDivine aid he was enabled to withstand his assailants and finally\nreached his home with the plates and other articles unharmed. These\nattacks were but the beginning of a siege of persecution which was\nrelentlessly waged against him by the powers of evil as long as the\nplates remained in his custody. News that he had the golden record in\nhis possession soon spread; and numerous attempts, many of them\nviolent, were made to wrest the plates from his hands. But they were\npreserved; and, slowly, with many hindrances incident to persecution\nby the wicked, and to the conditions of his own poverty which made it\nnecessary for him to toil and left little leisure for the appointed\nlabor, Joseph proceeded with the translation; and in 1830 the Book of\nMormon was first published to the world.\n\n=5. The Title Page of the Book of Mormon.=--Our best answer to the\nquestion: What is the Book of Mormon? is found on the title page to\nthe volume. Thereon we read:\n\n     \"The Book of Mormon: an account written by the hand of Mormon,\n     upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi. Wherefore it is an\n     abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the\n     Lamanites; written to the Lamanites who are a remnant of the\n     house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile: written by way of\n     commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of\n     revelation. Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that\n     they might not be destroyed; to come forth by the gift and power\n     of God unto the interpretation thereof: sealed by the hand of\n     Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by\n     the way of Gentile; the interpretation thereof by the gift of\n     God.\n\n     \"An abridgment taken from the book of Ether also; which is a\n     record of the people of Jared; who were scattered at the time the\n     Lord confounded the language of the people when they were\n     building a tower to get to heaven; which is to show unto the\n     remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath\n     done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of\n     the Lord, that they are not cast off forever; and also to the\n     convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the\n     Eternal God, manifesting Himself unto all nations. And now, if\n     there are faults, they are the mistakes of men: wherefore condemn\n     not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the\n     judgment seat of Christ.\"\n\nThis combined title and preface is a translation from the last page of\nthe plates, and was presumably written by Moroni, who, as before\nstated, sealed and hid up the book in former days.[770]\n\n  [770] See Note 1.\n\n=6. Main Divisions of the Book.=--From the title page, we learn that\nin the Book of Mormon we have to deal with the histories of two great\nnations, who flourished in America as the descendants of small\ncolonies brought hither from the eastern continent by Divine\ndirection. Of these we may conveniently speak as the Nephites and the\nJaredites.\n\n=7. The Nephite Nation= was the later, and in point of the fulness of\nthe records, the more important. The progenitors of this nation were\nled from Jerusalem 600 B. C., by Lehi, a Jewish prophet of the tribe\nof Manasseh. His immediate family, at the time of their departure from\nJerusalem, comprised his wife Sariah, and their sons Laman, Lemuel,\nSam, and Nephi; at a later stage of the history, daughters are\nmentioned, but whether any of these were born before the family exodus\nwe are not told. Beside his own family, the colony of Lehi included\nZoram and Ishmael, the latter an Israelite of the tribe of Ephraim.\nIshmael, with his family, joined Lehi in the wilderness; and his\ndescendants were numbered with the nation of whom we are speaking. The\ncompany journeyed somewhat east of south, keeping near the borders of\nthe Red Sea; then, changing their course to the eastward, crossed the\npeninsula of Arabia; and there, on the shores of the Arabian Sea,\nbuilt and provisioned a vessel in which they committed themselves to\nDivine care upon the waters. Their voyage carried them eastward across\nthe Indian Ocean, then over the south Pacific Ocean to the western\ncoast of South America, whereon they landed (590 B. C.). The landing\nplace is not described with such detail as to warrant definite\nconclusions.\n\n=8.= The people established themselves on what to them was the land of\npromise; many children were born, and in the course of a few\ngenerations a numerous posterity held possession of the land. After\nthe death of Lehi, a division occurred, some of the people accepting\nas their leader Nephi, who had been duly appointed to the prophetic\noffice; while the rest proclaimed Laman, the eldest of Lehi's sons, as\ntheir chief. Henceforth the divided people were known as Nephites and\nLamanites respectively. At times they observed toward each other\nfairly friendly relations; but generally they were opposed, the\nLamanites manifesting implacable hatred and hostility toward their\nNephite kindred. The Nephites advanced in the arts of civilization,\nbuilt large cities, and established prosperous commonwealths; yet they\noften fell into transgression; and the Lord chastened them by\npermitting their foes to be victorious. They spread northward,\noccupying the northern part of South America; then, crossing the\nIsthmus, they extended their domain over the southern, central, and\neastern portions of what is now the United States of America. The\nLamanites, while increasing in numbers, fell under the curse of\ndarkness; they became dark in skin and benighted in spirit, forgot the\nGod of their fathers, lived a wild nomadic life, and degenerated into\nthe fallen state in which the American Indians,--their lineal\ndescendants,--were found by those who re-discovered the western\ncontinent in later times.\n\n=9.= The final struggles between Nephites and Lamanites were waged in\nthe vicinity of the hill Cumorah, in what is now the state of New\nYork, resulting in the entire destruction of the Nephites, about 400\nA. D. The last Nephite representative was Moroni, who, wandering for\nsafety from place to place, daily expecting death from the victorious\nLamanites, who had decreed the absolute extinction of their white\nkindred, wrote the concluding parts of the Book of Mormon, hid the\nrecord in Cumorah, and soon thereafter died. It was this same Moroni\nwho, as a resurrected being, gave the records into the hands of Joseph\nSmith in the present dispensation.\n\n=10. The Jaredite Nation.=--Of the two nations whose histories\nconstitute the Book of Mormon, the first in order of time consisted of\nthe people of Jared, who followed their leader from the Tower of Babel\nat the time of the confusion of tongues. Their history was written on\ntwenty-four plates of gold by Ether, the last of their prophets, who,\nfore-seeing the destruction of his people because of their wickedness,\nhid away the historical plates. They were afterward found, B. C. 123,\nby an expedition sent out by King Limhi, a Nephite ruler. The record\nengraved on these plates was subsequently abridged by Moroni, and the\ncondensed account was attached by him to the Book of Mormon record;\nit appears in the modern translation under the name of the Book of\nEther.\n\n=11.= The first and chief prophet of the Jaredites is not mentioned by\nname in the record as we have it; he is known only as the brother of\nJared. Of the people, we learn that, amid the confusion of Babel,\nJared and his brother importuned the Lord that He would spare them and\ntheir associates from the impending disruption. Their prayer was\nheard, and the Lord led them with a considerable company, who, like\nthemselves, were free from the taint of idolatry, away from their\nhomes, promising to conduct them to a land choice above all other\nlands. Their course of travel is not given with exactness; we learn\nonly that they reached the ocean, and there constructed eight vessels,\ncalled barges, in which they set out upon the waters. These vessels\nwere small and dark within; but the Lord made luminous certain stones,\nwhich gave light to the imprisoned voyagers. After a passage of three\nhundred and forty-four days, the colony landed on the western shore of\nNorth America, possibly south of the Gulf of California, and north of\nthe Isthmus of Panama.\n\n=12.= Here they became a flourishing nation; but, giving way in time\nto internal dissensions, they divided into factions, which warred with\none another until the people were totally destroyed. This destruction,\nwhich occurred near the hill Ramah, afterward known among the Nephites\nas Cumorah, probably took place at about the time of Lehi's landing in\nSouth America,--590 B. C. The last representative of the ill-fated\nrace was Coriantumr, the former king, concerning whom Ether had\nprophesied that he should survive all his subjects, and live to see\nanother people in possession of the land. This prediction was\nfulfilled in that the king, whose people had become extinct, came, in\nthe course of his solitary wanderings, to a region occupied by the\npeople of Mulek, who are to be mentioned here as the third ancient\ncolony of emigrants from the eastern continent.\n\n=13.= _Mulek_, we are told, was the son of Zedekiah, king of Judah, an\ninfant at the time of his brothers' violent deaths and his father's\ncruel torture at the hands of the king of Babylon.[771] Eleven years\nafter Lehi's departure from Jerusalem, another colony was led from the\ncity, amongst whom was Mulek. His name has been given to the people,\nprobably on account of his recognized rights of leadership by virtue\nof his lineage. The Book of Mormon record concerning Mulek and his\npeople is scant; we learn, however, that the colony was brought across\nthe waters, to a landing on the northern part of the continent. The\ndescendants of this colony were discovered by the Nephites under\nMosiah; they had grown numerous, but, having had no scriptures for\ntheir guidance, had fallen into a condition of spiritual darkness.\nThey joined the Nephites, and their history is merged into that of the\ngreater nation.[772] The Nephites gave to North America the name Land\nof Mulek.\n\n  [771] See II Kings xxv, 7.\n\n  [772] Omni i, 12-19.\n\n\nTHE ANCIENT PLATES AND THE MODERN TRANSLATION.\n\n=14. The Plates of the Book of Mormon= as delivered by the angel\nMoroni to Joseph Smith, according to the description given by the\nmodern prophet, were of gold, of uniform size, each about seven inches\nwide by eight inches long; in thickness a little less than ordinary\nsheet tin; they were fastened together by three rings running through\nthe plates near one edge; together they formed a book nearly six\ninches in thickness, but not all has been translated, a part being\nsealed. Both sides of the plates were engraved with small and\nbeautiful characters, described by those who examined them as of\ncurious workmanship, with the appearance of ancient origin.\n\n=15.= Three classes of plates are mentioned on the title page of the\nBook of Mormon, viz:--\n\n(1.) _The Plates of Nephi_, which, as will be shown, were of two\nkinds:--(a) the larger plates; (b) the smaller plates.\n\n(2.) _The Plates of Mormon_, containing an abridgment from the plates\nof Nephi, with additions made by Mormon and his son Moroni.\n\n(3.) _The Plates of Ether_, containing, as we have seen, the history\nof the Jaredites.\n\nTo these may be added another set of plates, as being mentioned in the\nBook of Mormon, viz:\n\n(4.) _The Brass Plates of Laban_, brought by Lehi's people from\nJerusalem, and containing Jewish scriptures and genealogies, many\nextracts from which appear in the Nephite records. We have now to\nconsider more particularly the plates of Nephi, and Mormon's\nabridgment thereof.\n\n=16. The Plates of Nephi= are so named from the fact that they were\nprepared, and their record was begun, by Nephi, the son of Lehi. These\nplates were of two kinds,[773] which may be distinguished as the\n\"larger plates\" and the \"smaller plates.\" Nephi began his labors as a\nrecorder by engraving on plates of gold a historical account of his\npeople, from the time his father left Jerusalem. This account recited\nthe story of their wanderings, their prosperity and their distress,\nthe reigns of their kings, and the wars and contentions of the people;\nthe record was in the nature of a secular history. These plates were\nhanded from one recorder to another throughout the generations of the\nNephite people; so that, at the time they were abridged by Mormon, the\nrecord covered a period of about a thousand years, dating from 600 B.\nC., the time of Lehi's exodus from Jerusalem. Although these plates\nbore the name of their maker, who was also the first of the writers,\nthe separate work of each recorder is known in general by his specific\nname, so that the record is made up of many distinct books.\n\n  [773] I Nephi ix; xix, 1-5; II Nephi v, 30; Jacob i, 1-4; Words of\n  Mormon i, 3-7.\n\n=17.= By command of the Lord, Nephi made other plates, upon which he\nrecorded particularly the ecclesiastical history of his people, citing\nonly such instances of other events as seemed necessary to the proper\nsequence of the narrative. \"I have received a commandment of the\nLord,\" says Nephi, \"that I should make these plates for the special\npurpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my\npeople.\"[774] The object of this double line of history was unknown to\nNephi, it was enough for him that the Lord required the labor; that it\nwas for a wise purpose will be shown.\n\n  [774] I Nephi ix, 3.\n\n=18. Mormon's Abridgment.=--In the course of time the records that had\naccumulated as the history of the people grew fell into the hands of\nMormon;[775] and he undertook to make an abridgment of these extensive\nworks, upon plates made with his own hands.[776] By such a course, a\nrecord was prepared more concise and more nearly uniform in style,\nlanguage, and treatment than could possibly be the case with the\nvaried writings of so many authors as had contributed to the great\nhistory during the thousand years of its growth. Mormon recognizes and\ntestifies to the inspiration of God by which he was moved to undertake\nthe great labor.[777] In preparing this shorter history, Mormon\npreserved the division of the record into books according to the\narrangement of the originals; and thus, though the language may be\nthat of Mormon, except in cases of quotations from the plates of\nNephi, which are indeed numerous, we find the Books of Nephi, the Book\nof Alma, the Book of Helaman, etc., the form of speech known as the\nfirst person being generally preserved.\n\n  [775] Words of Mormon i, 11; Mormon i, 1-4; iv, 23.\n\n  [776] III Nephi v, 8-11.\n\n  [777] III Nephi v, 14-19.\n\n=19.= When Mormon, in the course of his abridgment, had reached the\ntime of King Benjamin's reign, he was deeply impressed with the record\nengraved on the smaller plates of Nephi,--the history of God's\ndealings with the people during the period of about four centuries,\nextending from the time of Lehi's exodus from Jerusalem down to the\ntime of King Benjamin. This record, comprising so much of prophecy\nconcerning the mission of the Savior, was regarded by Mormon with more\nthan ordinary favor. Of these plates he attempted no transcript, but\nincluded the originals with his own abridgment of the larger plates,\nmaking of the two one book. The record as compiled by Mormon\ncontained, therefore, a double account of the descendants of Lehi for\nthe first four hundred years of their history,--the brief secular\nhistory condensed from the larger plates, and the full text on the\nsmaller plates. In solemn language, and with an emphasis which\nsubsequent events have shown to be significant, Mormon declares the\nhidden wisdom of the Divine purpose in this duplication:--\"And I do\nthis for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the\nworkings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not\nknow all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come;\nwherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.\"[778]\n\n  [778] Words of Mormon i, 7.\n\n=20. The Lord's Purpose= in the matter of preparing and of preserving\nthe smaller plates as testified of by Mormon, and also by Nephi,[779]\nis rendered plain from certain circumstances in this dispensation\nattending the translation of the records by Joseph Smith. When the\nprophet had prepared a translation of the first part of the writings\nof Mormon, the manuscript was won from his care through the\nunrighteous solicitations of Martin Harris, to whom he considered\nhimself in a degree indebted for financial assistance in the work of\npublication. This manuscript, in all 116 pages, was never returned to\nJoseph; but, through the dark schemes of evil powers, it fell into the\nhands of enemies, who straightway laid a wicked plan to ridicule the\ntranslator and thwart the purposes of God. This evil design was that\nthey wait until Joseph had re-translated the missing matter, when the\nstolen manuscript, which in the meantime had been altered so that the\nwords were made to express the contrary from the true record, would be\nset forth as a proof that the prophet was unable to translate the same\npassages twice alike. But the Lord's wisdom interposed to bring to\nnaught these dark designs.\n\n  [779] I Nephi ix, 5.\n\n=21.= Having chastened the prophet by depriving him for a season of\nhis gift to translate, as also of the custody of the sacred records,\nand this for his dereliction in permitting the writings to pass into\nunappointed hands, the Lord graciously restored His penitent servant\nto favor, and revealed to him the designs of his enemies;[780] at the\nsame time showing how these evil machinations should be made to fail.\nJoseph was instructed, therefore, not to attempt a re-translation of\nthat part of Mormon's abridgment, the first translation of which had\nbeen stolen; but instead, to translate the record of the same events\nfrom the plates of Nephi,--the set of smaller plates which Mormon had\nincorporated with his own writings. The translation so made was\ntherefore published as the record of Nephi, and not as the writing of\nMormon; and thus no second translation was made of the parts from\nwhich the stolen manuscript had been prepared.\n\n  [780] Doctrine and Covenants, x.\n\n=22. The Translation of the Book of Mormon= was effected through the\npower of God manifested in the bestowal of the gift of revelation. The\nbook professes not to be dependent upon the wisdom or learning of man;\nits translator was not versed in linguistics; his qualifications were\nof a different and of a far more efficient order. With the plates,\nJoseph Smith received from the angel other sacred treasures, including\na breastplate, to which were attached the Urim and Thummim,[781]\ncalled by the Nephites _Interpreters_; and by the use of these he was\nenabled to render the ancient records in our modern tongue. The\ndetails of the work of translation have not been authentically\nrecorded beyond the statement that the translator examined the\nengraved characters by means of the sacred instruments, and then\ndictated to the scribe the English sentences.\n\n  [781] Doc. and Cov. x. 1; xvii, 1; cxxx, 8, 9; Mos. viii, 13-19;\n  Ether iii, 23-28.\n\n=23.= Joseph began his work with the plates by patiently copying a\nnumber of characters, adding to some of the pages thus prepared the\ntranslations. The prophet's first assistant in the labor, Martin\nHarris, obtained permission to take away some of these transcripts,\nwith the purpose of submitting them to the examination of men learned\nin ancient languages. He placed some of the sheets before Professor\nCharles Anthon, of Columbia College, who, after careful examination,\ncertified that the characters were in general of the ancient Egyptian\norder, and that the accompanying translations appeared to be correct.\nHearing how this ancient record came into Joseph's hands, Professor\nAnthon requested Mr. Harris to bring the original book for\nexamination, stating that he would undertake the translation of the\nentire work; then, learning that a part of the book was sealed, he\nremarked, \"I cannot read a sealed book\"; and thus unwittingly did this\nman fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the coming forth of the\nvolume:--\"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a\nbook that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying,\nread this, I pray thee, and he saith, I cannot, for it is\nsealed.\"[782] Another linguist, a Dr. Mitchell, of New York, having\nexamined the characters, gave concerning them a testimony in all\nimportant respects corresponding to that of Prof. Anthon.\n\n  [782] Isaiah xxix, 11.\n\n=24. Arrangement of the Book of Mormon.=--The Book of Mormon comprises\nfifteen separate parts, commonly called books, distinguished by the\nnames of their principal authors. Of these, the first six books, viz.,\nI and II Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom, and Omni, are literal translations\nfrom corresponding portions of the smaller plates of Nephi. The body\nof the volume, from the Book of Mosiah to Mormon, chapter vii,\ninclusive, is the translation of Mormon's abridgment of the larger\nplates of Nephi. Between the books of Omni and Mosiah \"The Words of\nMormon\" occur, connecting the record of Nephi, as engraved on the\nsmaller plates, with Mormon's abridgment of the larger plates for the\nperiods following. The Words of Mormon may be regarded as a brief\nexplanation of the preceding portions of the work, and a preface of\nthe parts then to follow. The last part of the Book of Mormon, from\nthe beginning of Mormon viii to the end of the volume, is in the\nlanguage of Moroni, the son of Mormon, who first proceeds to finish\nthe record of his father, and then adds an abridgment of a set of\nplates which contained an account of the Jaredites; this appears as\nthe Book of Ether.[783]\n\n  [783] See page 266.\n\n=25.= At the time of Moroni's writing he stood alone,--the sole\nsurviving representative of his people. The last of the terrible wars\nbetween Nephites and Lamanites had resulted in the annihilation of the\nformer as a people; and Moroni supposed that his abridgment of the\nBook of Ether would be his last literary work; but, finding himself\nmiraculously preserved at the conclusion of that undertaking, he added\nthe parts known to us as the Book of Moroni, containing accounts of\nthe ceremonies of ordination, baptism, administration of the\nsacrament, etc., and a record of certain utterances and writings of\nhis father Mormon.\n\n\nTHE GENUINENESS OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n=26.= The earnest student of the Book of Mormon will be most concerned\nin his consideration of the reliability of the great record; and this\nsubject may be conveniently considered under two headings: 1st, the\ngenuineness and integrity of the Book of Mormon, i. e., the evidence\nthat the book is what it professes to be,--an actual translation of\nancient records; 2nd, the authenticity of the original writings, as\nshown by internal and external evidence.\n\n=27. The Genuineness of the Book= will appear to anyone who undertakes\nan impartial investigation into the circumstances attending its coming\nforth. The many so-called theories of its origin, advanced by\nprejudiced opponents to the work of God, are in general too\ninconsistent, and in most instances too thoroughly puerile, to merit\nserious consideration. Such fancies as are set forth in\nrepresentations of the Book of Mormon as the production of a single\nauthor or of men working in collusion, as a work of fiction, or in any\nmanner as a modern composition, are their own refutation.[784] The\nsacred character of the plates forbade their display as a means of\ngratifying personal curiosity; nevertheless a number of reputable\nwitnesses examined them, and these men have given to the world their\nsolemn testimony of the fact. In June, 1829, the prophecies respecting\nthe witnesses by whose testimony the word of God as set forth in the\nBook of Mormon was to be established,[785] saw its fulfillment in a\nmanifestation of Divine power, demonstrating the genuineness of the\nrecord to three men, whose affirmations accompany all editions of the\nbook.\n\n  [784] See Note 2.\n\n  [785] II Nephi xi, 3; xxvii, 12-13; Ether v, 3-4; see also Doc.\n  and Cov. v, 11-15; xvii, 1-9.\n\n=28. The Testimony of Three Witnesses.=--Be it known unto all nations,\nkindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we,\nthrough the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have\nseen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the\npeople of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also\nof the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been\nspoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift\nand power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us,[786]\nwherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also\ntestify that we have seen the engravings[787] which are upon the\nplates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not\nof man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God\ncame down from heaven[788] and he brought and laid before our eyes,\nthat we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we\nknow that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus\nChrist, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and\nit is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord\ncommanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be\nobedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these\nthings. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid\nour garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the\njudgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the\nheavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the\nHoly Ghost, which is one God. Amen.\n\n  OLIVER COWDERY,\n  DAVID WHITMER,\n  MARTIN HARRIS.\n\n  [786] Doc. and Cov. xvii, 6; xx, 8.\n\n  [787] II Nephi v, 32; Alma lxiii, 12; Mormon i, 3.\n\n  [788] See History of Joseph Smith, June, 1829.\n\n=29.= The testimony so declared was never revoked, nor even modified\nby any one of the witnesses whose names are subscribed to the\nforegoing,[789] though all of them withdrew from the Church, and\ndeveloped feelings amounting almost to hatred toward Joseph Smith. To\nthe last of their lives, they maintained the same solemn declaration\nof the angelic visit, and of the testimony that had been implanted in\ntheir hearts. Shortly after the witnessing of the plates by the three,\nother eight persons were permitted to see and handle the ancient\nrecords; and in this also was prophecy fulfilled, in that it was of\nold declared, that beside the three, \"God sendeth more witnesses,\"[790]\nwhose testimony would be added to that of the three. It was presumably\nin July, 1829, that Joseph Smith showed the plates to the eight whose\nnames are attached to the following certificate.\n\n=30. The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.=--Be it known unto all nations,\nkindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that\nJoseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the\nplates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold;\nand as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did\nhandle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of\nwhich has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship.\nAnd this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith\nhas shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety\nthat the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we\ngive our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we\nhave seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.\n\n  CHRISTIAN WHITMER,\n  JACOB WHITMER,\n  PETER WHITMER, JUN.,\n  JOHN WHITMER,\n  HIRAM PAGE,\n  JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.,\n  HYRUM SMITH,\n  SAMUEL H. SMITH.\n\n  [789] See Note 3.\n\n  [790] II Nephi xi, 3.\n\n=31.= Three of the eight witnesses died out of the Church, yet not one\nof the whole number ever was known to deny his testimony concerning\nthe Book of Mormon.[791] Here, then, are proofs of varied kinds\nregarding the reliability of this volume. Learned linguists pronounce\nthe characters genuine; eleven men of honest report make solemn oath\nof the appearance of the plates; and the nature of the book itself\nsustains the claim that it is nothing more nor less than a translation\nof ancient records.\n\n  [791] See Note 4.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Book of Mormon Title Page.=--\"I wish to mention here that the\n     title page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken\n     from the very last leaf on the left hand side of the collection\n     or book of plates, which contained the record which has been\n     translated, the language of the whole running the same as all\n     Hebrew writing in general; and that said title page is not by any\n     means a modern composition, either of mine or any other man who\n     has lived or does live in this generation.\"--_Joseph Smith_, \"Ch.\n     Hist.,\" Vol. I, p. 71.\n\n     =2. Theories concerning the Origin of the Book of Mormon. The\n     Spaulding Story.=--The true account of the origin of the Book of\n     Mormon was rejected by the public in general, who thus assumed\n     the responsibility of explaining in some plausible way the source\n     of the record. Many vague theories, based on the incredible\n     assumption that the book was the work of a single author, were\n     put forward; of these the most famous, and, indeed, the only one\n     that lived long enough in public favor to be discussed, is the so\n     called \"Spaulding Story.\" Solomon Spaulding, a clergyman of\n     Amity, Pa., wrote a romance to which no title other than\n     \"Manuscript Story\" was prefixed. Twenty years after the author's\n     death, one Hurlburt, an apostate from the Church of Jesus Christ\n     of Latter-day Saints, announced a resemblance between the story\n     and the Book of Mormon, and expressed his conviction that the\n     work presented to the world by Joseph Smith was nothing but\n     Spaulding's romance revised and amplified. The manuscript was\n     lost for a time, and, in the absence of proof to the contrary,\n     stories of the parallelism between the two works multiplied. But,\n     by a fortunate circumstance, in 1884 President James H. Fairchild\n     of Oberlin College, Ohio, and a literary friend, one Mr. Rice, in\n     examining a heterogeneous collection of old papers that had been\n     purchased by Mr. Rice, found the original story. The gentlemen\n     made a careful comparison of the manuscript and the Book of\n     Mormon; and, with the sole desire of subserving the purposes of\n     truth, made public their results. Pres. Fairchild published an\n     article in the _New York Observer_, Feb. 5, 1885, in which he\n     said:--\"The theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon in the\n     traditional manuscript of Solomon Spaulding will probably have to\n     be relinquished.... Mr. Rice, myself, and others compared it [the\n     Spaulding manuscript] with the Book of Mormon and could detect no\n     resemblance between the two.... Some other explanation of the\n     Book of Mormon must be found, if any explanation is required.\"\n\n     The manuscript was deposited in the library of Oberlin College,\n     where it now reposes. Still, the theory of the \"Manuscript\n     Found,\" as Spaulding's story has come to be known, is\n     occasionally pressed into service in the cause of anti-\"Mormon\"\n     zeal, by some whom we will charitably believe to be ignorant of\n     the facts set forth by Pres. Fairchild. A letter of more recent\n     date, written by that honorable gentleman in reply to an\n     enquiring correspondent, was published in the _Millennial Star_,\n     Liverpool, Nov. 3, 1898, and is as follows:\n\n  OBERLIN COLLEGE, OHIO,\n  October 17, 1895.\n\n     _J. R. Hindley, Esq._,\n\n     DEAR SIR:--We have in our College Library an original manuscript\n     of Solomon Spaulding--unquestionably genuine.\n\n     I found it in 1884 in the hands of Hon. L. L. Rice of Honolulu,\n     Hawaiian Islands. He was formerly State Printer at Columbus, O.,\n     and before that, publisher of a paper in Painesville, whose\n     preceding publisher had visited Mrs. Spaulding and obtained the\n     manuscript from her. It had lain among his old papers forty years\n     or more, and was brought out by my asking him to look up\n     anti-slavery documents among his papers.\n\n     The manuscript has upon it the signatures of several men of\n     Conneaut, O., who had heard Spaulding read it and knew it to be\n     his. No one can see it and question its genuineness. The\n     manuscript has been printed twice at least--once by the Mormons\n     of Salt Lake City, and once by the Josephite Mormons of Iowa. The\n     Utah Mormons obtained the copy of Mr. Rice at Honolulu, and the\n     Josephites got it of me after it came into my possession.\n\n     This manuscript is not the original of the Book of Mormon.\n\n  Yours very truly,\n  JAS. H. FAIRCHILD.\n\n     Printed copies of the \"Manuscript Found\" are obtainable, and any\n     enquirer may examine for himself. For further information see\n     _The Myth of the Manuscript Found_, by Elder George Reynolds,\n     Salt Lake City; Whitney's _History of Utah_, Vol. I, pp. 46-56;\n     Elder George Reynolds' preface to the story as issued by the\n     Deseret News Company, Salt Lake City, 1886; and the story itself.\n     See also three articles by Pres. Joseph F. Smith in \"Improvement\n     Era,\" Vol. III, pp. 241, 377, 451.\n\n     =3. The Three Witnesses.=--Oliver Cowdery.--Born at Wells,\n     Rutland Co., Vermont, October, 1805; baptized May 15, 1829; died\n     at Richmond, Mo., March 3, 1850.\n\n     David Whitmer.--Born near Harrisburg, Pa., January 7, 1805;\n     baptized June, 1829; excommunicated from the Church, April 13,\n     1838; died at Richmond, Mo., January 25, 1888.\n\n     Martin Harris.--Born at East-town, Saratoga Co., New York, May\n     18, 1783; baptized 1830; removed to Utah, August, 1870, and died\n     at Clarkston, Cache Co., Utah, July 10, 1875.\n\n     =4. The Eight Witnesses.=--Christian Whitmer.--Born January 18,\n     1798; baptized April 11, 1830; died in full fellowship in the\n     Church, Clay County, Missouri, November 27, 1835. He was the\n     eldest son of Peter Whitmer.\n\n     Jacob Whitmer.--Second son of Peter Whitmer; born in\n     Pennsylvania, January 27, 1800; baptized April 11, 1830; died\n     April 21, 1856, having previously withdrawn from the Church.\n\n     Peter Whitmer, Jr.--Born September 27, 1809; fifth son of Peter\n     Whitmer; baptized June, 1829; died a faithful member of the\n     Church, at or near Liberty, Clay Co., Missouri, September 22,\n     1836.\n\n     John Whitmer.--Third son of Peter Whitmer; born August 27, 1802;\n     baptized June, 1829; excommunicated from the Church March 10,\n     1838; died at Far West, Missouri, July 11, 1878.\n\n     Hiram Page.--Born in Vermont, 1800; baptized April 11, 1830;\n     withdrew from the Church, 1838; died in Ray Co., Missouri, August\n     12, 1852.\n\n     Joseph Smith, Sen.--The Prophet Joseph's father; born at\n     Topsfield, Essex Co., Mass., July 12, 1771; baptized April 6,\n     1830; ordained Patriarch to the Church, December 18, 1833; died\n     in full fellowship in the Church at Nauvoo, Ill., Sept. 14, 1840.\n\n     Hyrum Smith.--Second son of Joseph Smith, Sen., born at\n     Tunbridge, Vt., February 9, 1800; baptized June, 1829; appointed\n     one of the First Presidency of the Church November 7, 1837;\n     Patriarch to the Church January 19, 1841; martyred with his\n     brother, the Prophet, at Carthage, Ill., June 27, 1844.\n\n     Samuel Harrison Smith.--Born Tunbridge, Vt., March 13, 1808;\n     fourth son of Joseph Smith, Sen., baptized May 15, 1829; died\n     July 30, 1844.\n\n     =5. Consistency of the Book of Mormon.=--\"If the historical parts\n     of the Book of Mormon be compared with what little is known from\n     other sources, concerning the history of ancient America, there\n     will be found much evidence to substantiate its truth; but there\n     cannot be found one truth among all the gleanings of antiquity\n     that clashes with the historical truths of the Book of Mormon. If\n     the prophetical part of this wonderful book be compared with the\n     prophetical declarations of the Bible, there will be found much\n     evidence in the latter to establish the truth of the former. But\n     though there are many predictions in the Book of Mormon, relating\n     to the great events of the last days, which the Bible gives us no\n     information about, yet there is nothing in the predictions of the\n     Bible that contradicts in the least the predictions of the Book\n     of Mormon. If the doctrinal part of the Book of Mormon be\n     compared with the doctrines of the Bible, there will be found the\n     same perfect harmony which we find on the comparison of the\n     prophetical parts of the two books. Although there are many\n     points of the doctrine of Christ that are far more plain and\n     definite in the Book of Mormon than in the Bible, and many things\n     revealed in relation to doctrine that never could be fully\n     learned from the Bible, yet there are not any items of doctrine\n     in the two sacred books that contradict each other or clash in\n     the least. If the various books which enter into the collection\n     called the Book of Mormon be carefully compared with each other,\n     there will be found nothing contradictory in history, in\n     prophecy, or in doctrine.... If we compare the historical,\n     prophetical, and doctrinal parts of the Book of Mormon with the\n     great truths of science and nature, we find no contradictions--no\n     absurdities--nothing unreasonable. The most perfect harmony\n     therefore exists between the great truths revealed in the Book of\n     Mormon and all other known truths, whether religious, historical,\n     or scientific.\"--Apostle Orson Pratt in _Divine Authenticity of\n     the Book of Mormon_, p. 56.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XV.\n\nTHE BOOK OF MORMON.--Continued.\n\n     =Article 8.=--... We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the\n     word of God.\n\n\nAUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n=1. The Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon= constitutes our\nmost important consideration of the work. This subject is one of vital\ninterest to every earnest investigator of the ways of God, to every\nsincere searcher after truth. Claiming to be, as far as the present\ndispensation is concerned, a new scripture, presenting prophecies and\nrevelations not heretofore recognized in modern theology, announcing\nto the world the message of a departed people, written by way of\ncommandment, and by the spirit of prophecy and revelation--this volume\nis entitled to the most thorough and impartial examination. Nay, more,\nnot alone does the Book of Mormon merit such consideration, it claims,\neven demands the same; for surely no one professing the most cursory\nbelief in the power and authority of God can receive with unconcern\nthe announcement of a new revelation, having the seal of Divine\nauthority upon it. The question of the authenticity of the Book of\nMormon is therefore one in which the world is interested.\n\n=2.= The Latter-day Saints base their belief in the authenticity and\ngenuineness of the book on the following proofs:--\n\n     I. The general agreement of the Book of Mormon with the Bible.\n\n     II. The fulfillment of ancient prophecies accomplished by the\n     bringing forth of the Book of Mormon.\n\n     III. The strict agreement and consistency of the Book of Mormon\n     with itself.\n\n     IV. The evident truth of its contained prophecies.\n\nTo these may be added certain external, or extra-scriptural evidences,\namongst which are:--\n\n     V. The strongly corroborative evidence furnished by modern\n     discoveries in the field of archeological and ethnological\n     science.\n\n\nI. THE BOOK OF MORMON AND THE BIBLE.\n\n=3. The Nephite and the Jewish Scriptures= are found to agree in all\nmatters of tradition, history, doctrine, and prophecy upon which both\nthe separate records treat. These two volumes of scripture were\nprepared on opposite hemispheres, under conditions and circumstances\nwidely diverse; yet between them there exists a surprising harmony,\nconfirmatory of Divine inspiration in both. The Book of Mormon\ncontains a number of quotations from the ancient Jewish scriptures, a\ncopy of which, as far as they had been compiled at the time of Lehi's\nexodus from Jerusalem, was brought to the western continent, as part\nof the record engraved on the plates of Laban. In the case of such\npassages, there is no essential difference between Bible and Book of\nMormon versions, except in instances of probable error in\ntranslation,--usually apparent through inconsistency or lack of\nclearness in the Bible reading. There are, however, numerous minor\nvariations in corresponding parts of the two volumes; and between\nsuch, examination usually demonstrates the superior perspicuity of the\nNephite scripture.\n\n=4.= In a careful comparison of the prophecies of the Bible with\ncorresponding predictions contained in the Book of Mormon, e. g. those\nrelating to the birth, earthly ministry, sacrificial death, and second\ncoming of Christ Jesus; with others referring to the scattering and\nsubsequent gathering of Israel; and with such as relate to the\nestablishment of Zion and the re-building of Jerusalem in the last\ndays, each of the records will be seen to be corroborative of the\nother. True, there are many predictions in one which are not found in\nthe other; but in no instance has a contradiction or an inconsistency\nbetween the two been pointed out. Between the doctrinal parts of the\ntwo volumes of scripture the same perfect harmony is found to prevail.\n\n=5.= Of the agreement of the Book of Mormon with the Bible and with\nother standards of comparison, Apostle Orson Pratt has forcefully and\ntruthfully written:--\"If the miracles of the Book of Mormon be\ncompared with the miracles of the Bible, there cannot be found in the\nformer anything that would be more difficult to believe, than what we\nfind in the latter. If we compare the historical, prophetical, and\ndoctrinal parts of the Book of Mormon with the great truths of science\nand nature, we find no contradictions, no absurdities, nothing\nunreasonable. The most perfect harmony, therefore, exists between the\ngreat truths revealed in the Book of Mormon, and all other known\ntruths, whether religious, historical, or scientific.\"[792]\n\n  [792] _Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_, Orson Pratt's\n  Works, p. 236 (1891, Utah ed.)\n\n\nII. ANCIENT PROPHECY REGARDING THE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n=6. Ancient Prophecy= has been literally fulfilled in the coming forth\nof the Book of Mormon. One of the earliest prophetic utterances\ndirectly bearing upon this subject is that of Enoch, the ante-diluvian\nprophet, unto whom the Lord revealed His purposes for all time.\nWitnessing in vision the corruption of mankind, after the ascension of\nthe Son of Man, Enoch cried unto his God, \"Wilt thou not come again on\nthe earth?\" \"And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I\ncome in the last days.... And the day shall come that the earth shall\nrest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of\ndarkness shall cover the earth, and the heavens shall shake and also\nthe earth, and great tribulations shall be among the children of men;\nbut my people will I preserve, and righteousness will I send down out\nof heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear\ntestimony of Mine Only Begotten.... and righteousness and truth will I\ncause to sweep the earth as with a flood to gather out mine own elect\nfrom the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall\nprepare.\"[793] The Latter-day Saints regard the coming forth of the\nBook of Mormon, together with the restoration of the Priesthood by the\ndirect ministration of heavenly messengers, as a fulfillment of this\nprophecy, and of similar predictions contained in the Bible.\n\n  [793] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 59-62.\n\n=7. Biblical Prophecies and their Fulfillment.=--David, who sang his\npsalms over a thousand years before the \"Meridian of Time,\" declared,\n\"Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look\ndown from heaven.\"[794] And so also declared Isaiah.[795] Ezekiel saw\nin vision[796] the coming together of the stick of Judah, and the\nstick of Joseph, signifying, as the Latter-day Saints affirm, the\nBible and the Book of Mormon. The passage last referred to reads, in\nthe words of Ezekiel:--\"The word of the Lord came again unto me,\nsaying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon\nit, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then\ntake another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of\nEphraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions; And join them\none to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine\nhand.\"\n\n  [794] Psalms lxxxv, 11.\n\n  [795] Isa. xiv, 8.\n\n  [796] Ezek. xxxvii, particularly verses 15-20.\n\n=8.= When we call to mind the ancient custom in the making of\nbooks,--that of writing on long strips of parchment and rolling the\nsame on rods or sticks, the use of the word \"stick\" as equivalent to\n\"book\" in the passage becomes at once apparent,[797] At the time of\nthis utterance, the Israelites had divided into two nations known as\nthe people of Judah, and that of Israel, or Ephraim. There would seem\nto be little room for doubt that the records of Judah and of Joseph\nare here referred to.[798] Now, as we have seen, the Nephite nation\ncomprised the descendants of Lehi of the tribe of Manasseh, of Ishmael\nan Ephraimite, and of Zoram whose tribal relation is not definitely\nstated. The Nephites were then of the tribes of Joseph; and their\nrecord or \"stick\" is as truly represented by the Book of Mormon as is\nthe \"stick\" of Judah by the Bible.\n\n  [797] See a corresponding use of the word \"roll\" in Jeremiah\n  xxxvi, 1, 2; and its synonym \"book\" in verses 8, 10, 11, and 13.\n\n  [798] Compare with Lehi's prediction made to his son Joseph, II\n  Nephi iii, 12.\n\n=9.= That the coming forth of the record of Joseph or Ephraim is to be\naccomplished through the direct power of God is evident from the\nLord's interpretation of the vision of Ezekiel, wherein He\nsays:--\"Behold, _I will take_ the stick of Joseph ... and will put\nthem with him, even with the stick of Judah.\"[799] And that this union\nof the two records is to be a characteristic of the latter days is\nevident from the prediction of an event which is to follow\nimmediately, viz., the gathering of the tribes from the nations among\nwhich they had been dispersed.[800] Comparison with other prophecies\nrelating to the gathering will conclusively prove that the great event\nis to take place in the latter times, preparatory to the second coming\nof Christ.[801]\n\n  [799] Ezek. xxxvii, 19.\n\n  [800] Verse 21.\n\n  [801] See lecture on \"Gathering\" in connection with Article 10,\n  page 341.\n\n=10.= Reverting to the writings of Isaiah, we find that prophet\nvoicing the Lord's threatenings against Ariel, or Jerusalem, \"the city\nwhere David dwelt.\" Ariel was to be distressed, burdened with\nheaviness and sorrow; then the prophet refers to some people, other\nthan Judah, who occupied Jerusalem, for he makes comparison with the\nlatter, saying \"And it shall be unto me _as_ Ariel.\" As to the fate\ndecreed against this other people we read:--\"And thou shalt be brought\ndown, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low\nout of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a\nfamiliar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out\nof the dust.\"[802]\n\n  [802] Isaiah xxix, 4--read verses 1-6.\n\n=11.= Of the fulfillment of these and associated prophecies, a modern\napostle has written:--\"These predictions of Isaiah could not refer to\nAriel, or Jerusalem, because their speech has not been 'out of the\nground,' or 'low out of the dust'; but it refers to the remnant of\nJoseph who were destroyed in America upwards of fourteen hundred years\nago. The Book of Mormon describes their downfall, and truly it was\ngreat and terrible. At the crucifixion of Christ, 'the multitude of\ntheir terrible ones,' as Isaiah predicted, 'became as chaff that\npasseth away,' and it took place as he further predicts, 'at an\ninstant suddenly.'... This remnant of Joseph in their distress and\ndestruction became _as_ Ariel. As the Roman army lay siege to Ariel,\nand brought upon her great distress and sorrow, so did the contending\nnations of ancient America bring upon each other the most direful\nscenes of blood and carnage. Therefore the Lord could, with the\ngreatest propriety, when speaking in reference to this event, declare\nthat, 'It shall be unto me _as_ Ariel.'\"[803]\n\n  [803] Orson Pratt, _Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_,\n  pp. 293-294 (Utah ed., 1891). For details of fulfillment of part\n  of the prophecy, see III Nephi viii-ix.\n\n=12.= Isaiah's striking prediction that the nation thus brought down\nshould \"speak out of the ground,\" with speech \"low out of the dust\"\nwas literally fulfilled in the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon,\nthe original of which was taken out of the ground, and the voice of\nthe record is as that of one speaking from the dust. In continuation\nof the same prophecy we read:--\"And the vision of all is become unto\nyou as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver unto one\nthat is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I\ncannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered unto him that is\nnot learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not\nlearned.\"[804] The fulfillment of this prediction is claimed in the\npresentation of the transcript from the plates,--\"the words of a\nbook,\" not the book itself, to the learned Prof. Anthon, whose reply\nalmost in the words of the text has been cited;[805] and in the\ndelivery of the book itself to the unfettered lad, Joseph Smith.\n\n  [804] Isaiah xxix, 11-12.\n\n  [805] See pp. 273-274.\n\n\nIII. CONSISTENCY OF STYLE AND MATTER IN THE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n=13. The Consistency of the Book of Mormon= sustains belief in its\nDivine origin. The parts bear evidence of having been written at\ndifferent times, and under widely varying conditions. The style of the\ncomponent books is in harmony with the times and circumstances of\ntheir production. The portions which were transcribed from the plates\nbearing Mormon's abridgment contain numerous interpolations as\ncomments and explanations of the transcriber; but in the first six\nbooks, which, as already explained, are the verbatim record of the\nsmaller plates of Nephi, no such interpolations occur. The book\nmaintains strict consistency throughout all its parts; no\ncontradictions, no disagreements have been pointed out.\n\n=14. A Marked Diversity of Style= characterizes the several\nparts.[806] From what has been said regarding the classes of plates\nwhich constitute the original records of the Book of Mormon, it is\nevident that the volume contains the compiled writings of a long line\nof inspired scribes extending through a thousand years, this\ntime-range being exclusive of the earlier years of Jaredite history.\nUnity of style is not to be expected under such conditions; and,\nindeed, did such occur, it would be fatal to the claims made for the\nvolume.\n\n  [806] See Note 1.\n\n\nIV. THE BOOK OF MORMON SUSTAINED BY THE FULFILLMENT OF ITS CONTAINED\nPROPHECIES.\n\n=15. Book of Mormon Predictions= are numerous and important. Amongst\nthe most conclusive proofs of the authenticity of the book is that\nfurnished by the demonstrated truth of its contained prophecies.\nProphecy is best proved in the light of its own fulfillment. The\npredictions contained within the Book of Mormon may be classed as\n(_a_) Prophecies relating to the time covered by the book itself, the\nfulfillment of which is recorded therein; and (_b_) Prophecies\nrelating to times beyond the limits of the history chronicled in the\nbook.\n\n=16.= _Prophecies of the First Class_ named, the fulfillment of which\nis attested by the Book of Mormon record, are of but minor value as\nproof of the authenticity of the work; for, had the book been written\naccording to a plot devised by man, both prediction and fulfillment\nwould have been provided for with equal care and ingenuity.\nNevertheless, to the studious and conscientious reader, the\ngenuineness of the book will be apparent; and the account of the\nliteral realization of the numerous and varied predictions relating\nto the fate then future of the people whose history is given in the\nrecord, as also of those concerning the details of the birth and death\nof the Savior, and of His appearing in a resurrected state, must, by\ntheir accuracy and consistency, appeal with force as evidence of\ninspiration and authority in the record.\n\n=17.= _Prophecies of the Second Class_, relating to a time which to\nthe writers was far future, are numerous and explicit: many of them\nhave special reference to the last days,--the dispensation of the\nfulness of times,--and of these, some have been already literally\naccomplished, others are now in process of actual realization, while\nyet others are awaiting fulfillment under specified conditions which\nseem now to be rapidly approaching. Among the most remarkable of the\nBook of Mormon predictions incident to the last dispensation are those\nthat relate to its own coming forth and the effect of its publication\namongst mankind. Ezekiel's biblical prophecy concerning the coming\ntogether of the \"sticks,\" or records, of Judah and of Ephraim has\nreceived attention. Consider the promise made to Joseph who was sold\ninto Egypt, repeated by Lehi to his son Joseph--a prediction which\ncouples the prophecy concerning the book with that of the seer through\nwhose instrumentality the miracle was to be accomplished:--\"But a seer\nwill I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I\ngive power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins; and not\nto the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the\nconvincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among\nthem. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of\nthe loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the\nfruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit\nof the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of\nfalse doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing\npeace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge\nof their fathers in the latter days; and also to the knowledge of my\ncovenants, saith the Lord. And out of weakness he shall be made\nstrong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people,\nunto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.\"[807] The\nliteral fulfillment of these utterances in the bringing forth of the\nBook of Mormon through Joseph Smith is of itself apparent.\n\n  [807] II Nephi iii, 11-13.\n\n=18.= Unto Nephi the Lord showed the effect of the new publication,\ndeclaring that in the day of Israel's gathering,--plainly then the day\nof the fulness of times, as attested by the Jewish scriptures,--the\nwords of the Nephites should be given to the world, and should \"hiss\nforth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard\" unto the house of\nIsrael; and that then the Gentiles, forgetting even their debt to the\nJews from whom they have received the Bible in which they profess such\nfaith, would revile and curse that branch of the covenant people, and\nwould reject the new scripture, exclaiming, \"A Bible! a Bible! we have\ngot a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.\"[808] Is this not the\nburden of the frenzied objections raised by the Gentile world against\nthe Book of Mormon,--that it is of necessity void because new\nrevelation is not to be expected?\n\n  [808] II Nephi xxix, 3; read the chapter.\n\n=19.= Now, in olden times, two witnesses were required to establish\nthe truth of any allegation; and, says the Lord concerning the dual\nrecords witnessing of Himself:--\"Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye\nshall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two\nnations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one\nnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one\nnation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run\ntogether, the testimony of the two nations shall run together\nalso.\"[809]\n\n  [809] Verse 8.\n\n=20.= Associated with these predictions of the joint testimony of\nJewish and Nephite scriptures is another prophecy, the consummation of\nwhich is now eagerly awaited by the faithful. Other scriptures are\npromised; note this word of God:--\"Wherefore, because that ye have a\nBible, ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need\nye suppose that I have not caused more to be written: ... For behold,\nI shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; and I shall also\nspeak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I shall also\nspeak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led\naway, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations\nof the earth, and they shall write it. And it shall come to pass that\nthe Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall\nhave the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have\nthe words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel\nshall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.\"[810]\n\n  [810] Verses 10 and 12.\n\n\nV. CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE FURNISHED BY MODERN DISCOVERIES.\n\n=21. The Archeology and Ethnology= of the western continent contribute\nvaluable corroborative evidence in support of the Book of Mormon.\nThese sciences are confessedly unable to explain in any decisive\nmanner the origin of the native American races; nevertheless,\ninvestigation in this field has yielded some results that are fairly\ndefinite, and with the most important of these the Book of Mormon\naccount is in general accord. Among the most prominent of the\ndiscoveries respecting the aboriginal inhabitants, are the\nfollowing:--\n\n     I. That America was inhabited in very ancient times, probably\n     soon after the building of the Tower of Babel.\n\n     II. That the continent has been successively occupied by\n     different peoples, at least by two classes, or so-called \"races\"\n     at widely separated periods.\n\n     III. That the aboriginal inhabitants came from the east, probably\n     from Asia, and that the later occupants, or those of the second\n     period, were closely allied to, if not identical with, the\n     Israelites.\n\n     IV. That the existing native races of America have sprung from a\n     common stock.\n\n=22.= From the outline already given of the historical part of the\nBook of Mormon, it is seen that each of these discoveries is fully\nattested by that record. Thus it is stated therein:--\n\nI. That America was settled by the Jaredites, who came direct from the\nscenes of Babel.\n\nII. That the Jaredites occupied the land for about eighteen hundred\nand fifty years, during which time they spread over a great part of\nNorth and South America; and that at about the time of their\nextinction (near 590 B. C.), Lehi and his company came to this\ncontinent, where they developed into the segregated nations Nephites\nand Lamanites, the former becoming extinct near 385 A. D., about a\nthousand years after Lehi's arrival on these shores; the latter\ncontinuing in a degenerate condition until the present, being\nrepresented by the Indian tribes of to-day.\n\nIII. That Lehi, Ishmael, and Zoram, the progenitors of both Nephites\nand Lamanites, were undoubtedly Israelites, Lehi being of the tribe of\nManasseh while Ishmael was an Ephraimite, and that the colony came\ndirect from Jerusalem, in Asia.\n\nIV. That the existing Indian tribes are all direct descendants of\nLehi and his company, and that therefore they have sprung from men all\nof whom were of the house of Israel.\n\nNow let us examine some of the evidence bearing on these points\npresented by individual investigators, most of whom knew nothing of\nthe Book of Mormon, and none of whom accept the book as\nauthentic.[811]\n\n  [811] =Acknowledgments.=--Many of the citations which follow, used\n  in connection with the extra-scriptural evidence supporting the\n  Book of Mormon, have been brought together by writers among our\n  people, particularly by Elder George Reynolds (see his lectures as\n  specified where quoted); also series of articles entitled\n  \"American Antiquities,\" in Millennial Star, Liverpool, vol. xxi,\n  by Moses Thatcher (see a series of articles on \"The Divine Origin\n  of the Book of Mormon,\" in _Contributor_, Salt Lake City, vol.\n  ii); and by Elder Edwin F. Parry (see tract, \"A Prophet of\n  Latter-days,\" Liverpool, 1898).\n\n=23. I. Concerning the very Ancient Period at which America was\nInhabited.=--A recognized authority on American antiquities gives the\nfollowing evidence and inference:--\"One of the arts known to the\nbuilders of Babel was that of brick making. This art was also known to\nthe people who built the works in the west. The knowledge of copper\nwas known to the people of the plains of Shinar; for Noah must have\ncommunicated it, as he lived a hundred and fifty [350] years among\nthem after the flood. Also copper was known to the ante-diluvians.\nCopper was also known to the authors of the western monuments. Iron\nwas known to the ante-diluvians. It was also known to the ancients of\nthe west. However, it is evident that very little iron was among them,\nas very few instances of its discovery in their works have occurred;\nand for this very reason we draw a conclusion that they came to this\ncountry soon after the dispersion.\"[812]\n\n  [812] Priest, _American Antiquities_, 1834, p. 219.\n\n=24.= Lowry, in his \"Reply to official inquiries respecting the\nAborigines of America,\" concludes concerning the peopling of the\nwestern continent, \"that the first settlement was made shortly after\nthe confusion of tongues at the building of the Tower of Babel.\"[813]\n\n  [813] Schoolcraft's _Ethnological Researches_, vol. iii (1853).\n\n=25.= Prof. Waterman of Boston says of the progenitors of the American\nIndians:--\"When and whence did they come? Albert Galatin, one of the\nprofoundest philologists of the age, concluded that, so far as\nlanguage afforded any clue, the time of their arrival could not have\nbeen long after the dispersion of the human family.\"[814]\n\n  [814] Extract from lecture by Prof. Waterman, delivered in\n  Bristol, England, 1849; quoted in pamphlet by Edwin F. Parry, _A\n  Prophet of Latter Days_ (Liverpool, 1898).\n\n=26.= Pritchard says of America's ancient inhabitants, that \"the era\nof their existence as a distinct and isolated race must probably be\ndated as far back as that time which separated into nations the\ninhabitants of the old world, and gave to each branch of the human\nfamily its primitive language and individuality.\"[815]\n\n  [815] Pritchard, _National History of Man_ (London, 1845).\n\n=27.= A native Mexican author, Ixtilxochitl, \"fixes the date of the\nfirst peopling of America about the year 2000 B. C.; this closely\naccords with that given by the Book of Mormon, which positively\ndeclares that it occurred at the time of the dispersion, when God in\nHis anger scattered the people upon the face of the whole earth.\"[816]\n\"Referring to the quotations from Ixtilxochitl, seventeen hundred and\nsixteen years are said to have elapsed from the creation to the flood.\nMoses places it sixteen hundred and fifty-six, a difference of only\nsixty years.[817] They agree exactly as to the number of cubits,\nfifteen, which the waters prevailed over the highest mountains. Such a\ncoincidence can lead to but one conclusion, the identity of origin of\nthe two accounts.\"[818]\n\n  [816] Moses Thatcher, _Contributor_, vol. ii, p. 227, Salt Lake\n  City, 1881.\n\n  [817] See Note 2.\n\n  [818] Moses Thatcher, _Contributor_, vol. ii, p. 228.\n\n=28.= Prof. Short, quoting from Clavigero, says: \"The Chiapanese have\nbeen the first peoplers of the New World, if we give credit to their\ntraditions. They say that Votan, the grandson of that respectable old\nman who built the great ark to save himself and family from the\ndeluge, and one of those who undertook the building of that lofty\nedifice, which was to reach up to heaven, went by express command of\nthe Lord to people that land. They say also that the first people came\nfrom the quarter of the north, and that when they arrived at\nSoconusco, they separated, some going to inhabit the country of\nNicaragua, and others remaining at Chiapas.\"[819]\n\n  [819] John T. Short, _North Americans of Antiquity_, p. 204\n  (Harper Bros., New York; 2nd ed., 1888). See also _Contributor_\n  (Salt Lake City, vol. ii, p 259).\n\n=29. II. Concerning the Successive Occupation of America by Different\nPeoples in Ancient Times.=--It has been declared by eminent students\nof American archeology that two distinct classes, by some designated\nas separate races, of mankind inhabited this continent in early times:\nProf. F. W. Putnam[820] is even more definite in his assertion that\none of these ancient races spread from the north, the other from the\nsouth. This is in agreement with the Book of Mormon record, which\ndescribes the occupation of the continent by the Jaredites and the\nNephites in turn, the former having established themselves first in\nNorth America, the latter in South America. H. C. Walsh, in an article\nentitled \"Copan, a City of the Dead,\"[821] gives many interesting\ndetails of excavation and other work prosecuted by Gordon under the\nauspices of the Peabody expedition; and adds, \"All this points to\nsuccessive periods of occupation, of which there are other\nevidences.\"[822]\n\n  [820] Putnam, _Prehistoric Remains in the Ohio Valley_, Century\n  Magazine, March 1890.\n\n  [821] See _Harper's Weekly_ (New York), October, 1897; article by\n  Henry C. Walsh.\n\n  [822] See Note 3.\n\n=30. III. Concerning the Advent of at least One Division of the\nAncient Americans from the East, probably from Asia; and their\nIsraelitish Origin.=--Confirmatory evidence of the belief that the\naboriginal Americans sprang from the peoples of the eastern hemisphere\nis found in the similarity of record and tradition on the two\ncontinents, regarding the creation, the deluge, and other great events\nof history. Boturini,[823] who is quoted by most writers on American\narcheology says: \"There is no Gentile nation that refers to primitive\nevents with such certainty as the Indians do. They give us an account\nof the creation of the world, of the deluge,[824] of the confusion of\nlanguages at the Tower of Babel, and of all other periods and ages of\nthe world, and of the long peregrinations which their people had in\nAsia representing the specific years by their characters; and in the\nseven Conejos (rabbits) they tell us of the great eclipse that\noccurred at the death of Christ, our Lord.\"\n\n  [823] Chevalier Boturini; he spent several years investigating the\n  antiquities of Mexico and Central America, and collected many\n  valuable records, of most of which he was despoiled by the\n  Spanish; he published a work on the subject of his studies in\n  1746.\n\n  [824] See Note 4.\n\n=31.= Similar evidence of the common source of eastern and western\ntraditions of great events in primitive times is furnished in the\nwritings of Short, already quoted, and by Baldwin,[825]\nClavigero,[826] Kingsborough,[827] Sahagun,[828] Prescott,[829]\nSchoolcraft,[830] Squiers,[831] Adair,[832] and others.[833]\n\n  [825] Baldwin, _Ancient America_ (Harper Bros., New York, 1871).\n\n  [826] Clavigero, quoted by Prof. Short in _North Americans of\n  Antiquity_.\n\n  [827] Lord Kingsborough, _Mexican Antiquities_ (1830-37.)\n\n  [828] Bernardo de Sahagun, _Historia Universal de Nueva Espana_.\n\n  [829] W. H. Prescott, _Conquest of Mexico_ (see pp. 463-64).\n\n  [830] Schoolcraft, _Ethnological Researches_ (1851); see vol. i.\n\n  [831] Squiers, _Antiquities of the State of New York_, 1851.\n\n  [832] Adair, _History of the American Indians_, London, 1775.\n\n  [833] See Bancroft's _Native Races_, etc., vols, iii and v;\n  Donnelly's _Atlantis_, p. 391 (1882).\n\n=32.= Prof. Short adds his testimony to the evidence of the\naboriginal inhabitants of America being of \"Old World origin,\" but\nadmits his inability to determine when or whence they came to this\ncontinent.[834] Waterman, before cited, says: \"This people could not\nhave been created in Africa, for its inhabitants were widely\ndissimilar from those of America; nor in Europe, which was without a\nnative people agreeing at all with American races; then to Asia alone\ncould they look for the origin of the Americans.\"[835]\n\n  [834] John T. Short, _North Americans of Antiquity_ (1888).\n\n  [835] Extract from lecture by Prof. Waterman, delivered in\n  Bristol, England, 1849; quoted in pamphlet by Edwin F. Parry, _A\n  Prophet of Latter Days_, Liverpool, 1898.\n\n=33.= It has been demonstrated that the aboriginal tribes were\naccustomed to practice under certain conditions the rites of\ncircumcision,[836] baptism, and animal sacrifice.[837] Herrera, a\nSpanish writer of three centuries ago, states that among the primitive\ninhabitants of Yucatan baptism was known by a name that meant to be\nborn again.[838]\n\n  [836] Lord Kingsborough.\n\n  [837] Donnelly's _Atlantis_, p. 144.\n\n  [838] Tract, _A Prophet of Latter Days_, by Edwin F. Parry, p.\n  106.\n\n=34.= But it is not alone in the matter of custom and tradition\nrelating to pre-Christian times that so marked a resemblance is found\nbetween the peoples of the old and the new world. Many traditions and\nsome records, telling of the pre-destined Christ and His atoning\ndeath, were current among the native races of this continent long\nprior to the advent of Christian discoverers in recent centuries.\nIndeed, when the Spaniards first invaded Mexico, their Catholic\npriests found a native knowledge of Christ and the Godhead, so closely\ncorresponding with the doctrines of orthodox Christianity, that they,\nin their inability to account for the same, invented the theory that\nSatan had planted among the natives of the country an imitation gospel\nfor the purpose of deluding the people. A rival theory held that\nThomas, the apostle, had visited the western continent, and had taught\nthe gospel of Christ.[839]\n\n  [839] See Pres. John Taylor's _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 201.\n\n=35.= Lord Kingsborough, in his comprehensive and standard work,\nrefers to a manuscript by Las Casas the Spanish Bishop of Chiapa,\nwhich writing is preserved in the convent of St. Dominic; in this the\nBishop states that a very accurate knowledge of the Godhead was found\nto exist among the natives of Yucatan. One of the bishop's emissaries\nwrote that \"he had met with a principal lord, who informed him that\nthey believed in God, who resided in heaven, even the Father, the Son,\nand the Holy Spirit. The Father was named Yeona, the Son Bahab, who\nwas born of a virgin, named Chibirias, and that the Holy Spirit was\ncalled Euach. Bahab, the Son, they said, was put to death by Eupuro,\nwho scourged Him, and put on His head a crown of thorns, and placed\nHim with His arms stretched upon a beam of wood; and that, on the\nthird day, He came to life, and ascended into heaven, where He is with\nthe Father; that immediately after, the Euach. came as a merchant,\nbringing precious merchandise, filling those who would with gifts and\ngraces, abundant and divine.\"[840]\n\n  [840] Kingsborough's _Antiquities of Mexico_.\n\n=36.= Rosales affirms a tradition among the Chileans to the effect\nthat their forefathers were visited by a wonderful personage, full of\ngrace and power, who wrought many miracles among them, and taught them\nof the Creator who dwelt in heaven in the midst of glorified\nhosts.[841] Prescott refers to the symbol of the cross which was\nfound, by the Catholics who accompanied Cortez, to be common among\nthe natives of Mexico and Central America. In addition to this sign of\na belief in Christ, a ceremony akin to that of the Lord's Supper was\nwitnessed with astonishment by the invaders. The Aztec priests were\nseen to prepare a cake of flour, mixed with blood, which they\nconsecrated and distributed among the people, who, as they ate,\n\"showed signs of humiliation and sorrow, declaring it was the flesh of\nDeity.\"[842]\n\n  [841] Rosales, _History of Chile_. See Pres. Taylor's _Mediation\n  and Atonement_, p. 202.\n\n  [842] Prescott, _Conquest of Mexico_, p. 465.\n\n=37.= The Mexicans recognize a Deity in Quetzalcoatl, the traditional\naccount of whose life and death is closely akin to our history of the\nChrist, so that, says President John Taylor, \"we can come to no other\nconclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being.\"[843]\nLord Kingsborough speaks of a painting of Quetzalcoatl, \"in the\nattitude of a person crucified, with the impression of nails in his\nhands and feet, but not actually upon the cross.\" The same authority\nfurther says: \"The seventy-third plate of the Borgian MS. is the most\nremarkable of all, for Quetzalcoatl is not only represented there as\ncrucified upon a cross of Greek form, but his burial and descent into\nhell are also depicted in a very curious manner.\" And again:--\"The\nMexicans believe that Quetzalcoatl took human nature upon him,\npartaking of all the infirmities of man, and was not exempt from\nsorrow, pain, or death, which he suffered voluntarily to atone for the\nsins of man.\"[844]\n\n  [843] _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 201; see Note 5.\n\n  [844] Lord Kingsborough, _Antiquities of Mexico_; see quotations\n  by Pres. John Taylor, _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 202.\n\n=38.= The source of this knowledge of Christ and the Godhead, to\naccount for which gave such trouble to the Catholic invaders and\ncaused them to resort to extreme and unfounded theory, is plainly\napparent to the student of the Book of Mormon. We learn from that\nsacred scripture, that the progenitors of the native American races,\nfor centuries prior to the time of Christ's birth, lived in the light\nof direct revelation, which, coming to them through their authorized\nprophets, showed the purposes of God respecting the redemption of\nmankind; and, moreover, that the risen Redeemer ministered unto them\nin person, and established His Church among them with all its\nessential ordinances. The people have fallen into a state of spiritual\ndegeneracy; many of their traditions are sadly distorted, and\ndisfigured by admixture of superstition and human invention; yet the\norigin of their knowledge is plainly authentic.\n\n=39. IV. Concerning the Common Origin of the Native Races on this\nContinent.=--That the many tribes and nations among the Indians and\nother \"native races\" of America are of common parentage is very\ngenerally admitted; the conclusion is based on the evident close\nrelationship in their languages, traditions, and customs. \"Mr. Lewis\nH. Morgan finds evidence that the American aborigines had a common\norigin in what he calls 'their system of consanguinity and affinity.'\nHe says, 'The Indian nations from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains,\nand from the Arctic sea to the Gulf of Mexico, with the exception of\nthe Esquimaux, have the same system. It is elaborate and complicated\nin its general form and details; and, while deviations from uniformity\noccur in the systems of different stocks, the radical features are in\nthe main constant. This identity in the essential characteristics of a\nsystem so remarkable tends to show that it must have been transmitted\nwith the blood to each stock from a common original source. It affords\nthe strongest evidence yet obtained of unity in origin of the Indian\nnations within the regions defined.'\"[845]\n\n  [845] Baldwin's _Ancient America_, p. 56; see citations of\n  conclusions regarding the characteristics of aboriginal Americans\n  by Bradford, in the same work.\n\n=40.= Baldwin further quotes Bradford's summary of conclusions\nregarding the origin and characteristics of the ancient Americans,\namongst which we read:--\"That they were all of the same origin,\nbranches of the same race, and possessed of similar customs and\ninstitutions.\"[846] Adair writes:--\"All the various nations of Indians\nseem to be of one descent;\" and in support of this conclusion he\npresents abundant evidence of similarity of language, habits, and\ncustoms, religious ceremonies, modes of administering justice,\netc.[847]\n\n  [846] The same.\n\n  [847] Adair's _History of the American Indians_, London, 1775.\n\n=41. Written Language of the Ancient Americans.=--To these secular, or\nextra-scriptural, evidences of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon\nmay be added the agreement of the record with recent discoveries\nregarding the written language of these ancient peoples. The prophet\nNephi states that he made his record on the plates in \"the language of\nthe Egyptians,\"[848] and we are further told that the brazen plates of\nLaban were inscribed in the same.[849] Mormon, who abridged the\nvoluminous writings of his predecessors, and prepared the plates from\nwhich the modern translation was made, employed also the Egyptian\ncharacters. His son Moroni, who completed the record, declares this\nfact; but, recognizing a difference between the writing of his day and\nthat on the earlier plates, he attributed the change to the natural\nmutation through time, and speaks of his own record and that of his\nfather, Mormon, as being written in the \"reformed Egyptian.\"[850]\n\n  [848] I Nephi i, 2.\n\n  [849] Mosiah i, 4.\n\n  [850] Mormon ix, 32.\n\n=42.= Now consider the testimony of Dr. Le Plongeon, announcing his\ndiscovery of a sacred alphabet among the Mayas of Central America,\nwhich he declares to be practically identical with the Egyptian\nalphabet. He states that the structure of the Maya sacred language\nclosely resembles that of the Egyptians; and he boldly proclaims his\nconviction that the two nations derived their written language from\nthe same source.[851] Another authority says:--\"The eye of the\nantiquarian cannot fail to be both attracted and fixed by evidence of\nthe existence of two great branches of the hieroglyphical\nlanguage,--both having striking affinities with the Egyptian, and yet\ndistinguished from it by characteristics perfectly American.\"[852]\n\n  [851] Dr. August Le Plongeon, in _Review of Reviews_, July, 1895.\n\n  [852] _Quarterly Review_, October, 1836; abstracted in _Millennial\n  Star_, vol. xxi, p. 467.\n\n=43.= But the Egyptian is not the only eastern language found to be\nrepresented in the relics of American antiquities; the Hebrew occurs\nin this connection with at least equal significance. That the Hebrew\ntongue should have been used by Lehi's descendants is most natural,\ninasmuch as they were of the House of Israel, transferred to the\nwestern continent directly from Jerusalem. That the ability to read\nand write in that language continued with the Nephites until the time\nof their extinction is evident from Moroni's statement regarding the\nlanguage used on the plates of Mormon:--\"And now behold, we have\nwritten this record according to our knowledge, in the characters\nwhich are called among us the reformed Egyptian being handed down and\naltered by us according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had\nbeen sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the\nHebrew hath been altered by us also.\"[853]\n\n  [853] Mormon ix, 32-33. In connection with this important subject\n  see articles entitled \"A Study in American-Hebraic Names\" by Thos.\n  W. Brookbank, _Improvement Era_, vol. xx.\n\n=44.= The following instances are taken from an instructive array of\nsuch, brought together by Elder George Reynolds.[854] Several of the\nearly Spanish writers claim that the natives of some portions of the\nland were found speaking a corrupt Hebrew. \"Las Casas so affirms with\nregard to the inhabitants of the island of Hayti. Lafitu wrote a\nhistory wherein he maintained that the Caribbee language was radically\nHebrew. Isaac Nasci, a learned Jew of Surinam, says of the language of\nthe people of Guiana, that all their substantives are Hebrew.\" Spanish\nhistorians record the early discovery of Hebrew characters on the\nwestern continent. \"Malvenda says that the natives of St. Michael had\ntombstones, which the Spaniards digged up, with several ancient Hebrew\ninscriptions upon them.\"\n\n  [854] Reynolds' lecture, _The Language of the Book of Mormon_.\n\n=45.= In all such writings, the characters and the language are allied\nto the most ancient form of Hebrew, and show none of the vowel signs\nand terminal letters which were introduced into the Hebrew of the\neastern continent after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian\ncaptivity. This is consistent with the fact that Lehi and his people\nleft Jerusalem shortly before the captivity, and therefore prior to\nthe introduction of the changes in the written language.[855]\n\n  [855] See an instructive series of articles in _Improvement Era_,\n  Salt Lake City, vol. xvii, by Thomas W. Brookbank, entitled\n  \"Hebrew Idioms and Analogies in the Book of Mormon.\"\n\n=46. Another Test.=--Let not the reader of the Book of Mormon content\nhimself with such evidences as have been cited concerning the Divine\nauthenticity of this reputed scripture. There is promised a surer and\na more effectual means of ascertaining the truth or falsity of this\nmarvelous volume. Like other scriptures, the Book of Mormon is to be\ncomprehended through the spirit of the scriptures, and this is\nobtainable only as a gift from God. But this gift, priceless though it\nbe, is promised unto all who would seek for it. Then to all let us\ncommend the counsel of the last writer in the volume, Moroni, the\nsolitary scribe who sealed the book, afterward the angel of the record\nwho brought it forth:--\"And when ye shall receive these things, I\nwould exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the\nname of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with\na sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will\nmanifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and\nby the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all\nthings.\"[856]\n\n  [856] Moroni x, 4-5.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Diversity of Literary Style in the Book of Mormon.=--\"There\n     is a marked difference in the literary style of Nephi and some of\n     the other earlier prophets from that of Mormon and Moroni. Mormon\n     and his son are more direct and take fewer words to express their\n     ideas than did the earlier writers; at least their manner is, to\n     most readers, the more pleasing. Amos, the son of Jacob, has also\n     a style peculiar to himself. There is another noticeable fact\n     that when original records or discourses, such as the record of\n     Limhi, the sermons of Alma, Amulek, etc., the epistles of\n     Helaman, and others, are introduced into Mormon's abridgment,\n     words and expressions are used that appear nowhere else in the\n     Book of Mormon. This diversity of style, expression, and wording\n     is a very pleasing incidental testimony to the truth of the claim\n     made for the Book of Mormon,--that it is a compilation of the\n     work of many writers.\"--From Lectures on the Book of Mormon, by\n     Elder George Reynolds.\n\n     =2. Mexican Date of the Deluge.=--In speaking of the time of the\n     Deluge as given by the Mexican author, Ixtilxochitl, Elder George\n     Reynolds says:--There is a remarkable agreement between this\n     writer's statements and the Book of Genesis. The time from the\n     Fall to the Flood only differs sixty, possibly only five years,\n     if the following statement in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants\n     (cvii, 49) regarding Enoch lengthens the chronology: \"And he saw\n     the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face\n     continually; and he walked with God 365 years, making him 430\n     years old when he was translated.\" The same statement is made in\n     the Pearl of Great Price, Moses vii, 67.--From lecture on\n     _External Evidences of the Book of Mormon_, by Elder George\n     Reynolds.\n\n     =3. Ancient Civilization in America.=--\"That a civilization once\n     flourished in these regions [Central America and Mexico] much\n     higher than any the Spanish conquerors found upon their arrival,\n     there can be no doubt. By far the most important work that has\n     been done among the remains of the old Maya civilization has been\n     carried on by the Peabody Museum of Harvard College, through a\n     series of expeditions it has sent to the buried city now called\n     Copan, in Spanish Honduras. In a beautiful valley near the\n     borderland of Guatemala, surrounded by steep mountains and\n     watered by a winding river, the hoary city lies wrapped in the\n     sleep of ages. The ruins at Copan, although in a more advanced\n     state of destruction than those of the Maya cities of Yucatan,\n     have a general similarity to the latter in the design of the\n     buildings, and in the sculptures, while the characters in the\n     inscriptions are essentially the same. It would seem, therefore,\n     that Copan was a city of the Mayas; but if so it must have been\n     one of their most ancient settlements, fallen into decay long\n     before the cities of Yucatan reached their prime. The Maya\n     civilization was totally distinct from the Aztec or Mexican; it\n     was an older and also a much higher civilization.\"--Henry C.\n     Walsh, in article, _Copan--a City of the Dead_, Harper's Weekly,\n     October, 1897.\n\n     Baldwin in his valuable work \"Ancient America\" incorporates the\n     conclusions announced by Bradford in regard to the ancient\n     occupants of North America, as follows:--\n\n     \"That they were all of the same origin, branches of the same\n     race, and possessed of similar customs and institutions.\n\n     \"That they were populous, and occupied a great extent of\n     territory.\n\n     \"That they had arrived at a considerable degree of civilization,\n     were associated in large communities, and lived in extensive\n     cities.\n\n     \"That they possessed the use of many of the metals, such as lead,\n     copper, gold, and silver, and probably the art of working in\n     them.\n\n     \"That they sculptured in stone, and sometimes used that material\n     in the construction of their edifices.\n\n     \"That they had the knowledge of the arch of receding steps; of\n     the art of pottery, producing urns and utensils formed with\n     taste, and constructed upon the principles of chemical\n     composition; and the art of brick-making.\n\n     \"That they worked the salt springs, and manufactured salt.\n\n     \"That they were an agricultural people, living under the\n     influence and protection of regular forms of governments.\n\n     \"That they possessed a decided system of religion, and a\n     mythology connected with astronomy, which, with its sister\n     science, geometry, was in the hands of the priesthood.\n\n     \"That they were skilled in the art of fortification.\n\n     \"That the epoch of their original settlement in the United States\n     is of great antiquity; and that the only indications of their\n     origin to be gathered from the locality of their ruined\n     monuments, point toward Mexico.\"--Baldwin, _Ancient America_, p.\n     56.\n\n     =4. American Traditions concerning the Deluge.=--\"Don Francisco\n     Munoz de la Vega, the Bishop of that diocese (Chiapas), certifies\n     in the prologue to his 'Diocesan Constitutions,' declaring that\n     an ancient manuscript of the primitive Indians of that province,\n     who had learned the art of writing, was in his record office, who\n     retained the constant tradition that the father and founder of\n     their nation was named Teponahuale, which signifies lord of the\n     hollow piece of wood; and that he was present at the building of\n     the Great Wall, for so they named the Tower of Babel; and beheld\n     with his own eyes the confusion of language; after which event,\n     God, the Creator, commanded him to come to these extensive\n     regions, and to divide them amongst mankind.\"--Lord Kingsborough,\n     _Mexican Antiquities_, vol. viii, p. 25.\n\n     \"It is found in the histories of the Toltecs that this age and\n     first world, as they call it, lasted 1,716 years: that men were\n     destroyed by tremendous rains and lightnings from the sky, and\n     even all the land, without the exception of anything, and the\n     highest mountains, were covered up and submerged in water fifteen\n     cubits (caxtolmolatli); and here they added other fables of how\n     men came to multiply from the few who escaped from this\n     destruction in a 'toptlipetlocali;' that this word nearly\n     signifies a close chest; and how, after men had multiplied, they\n     erected a very high 'zacuali,' which is to-day a tower of great\n     height, in order to take refuge in it should the second world\n     (age) be destroyed. Presently their languages were confused, and,\n     not being able to understand each other, they went to different\n     parts of the earth.\"--The same, vol. ix, p. 321.\n\n     \"The most important among the American traditions are the\n     Mexican, for they appear to have been definitely fixed by\n     symbolic and mnemonic paintings before any contact with\n     Europeans. According to these documents, the Noah of the Mexican\n     cataclysm was Coxcox, called by certain people Teocipactli or\n     Tezpi. He had saved himself, together with his wife Xochiquetzal,\n     in a bark, or, according to other traditions, on a raft made of\n     cypress-wood (_Cypressus disticha_). Paintings retracing the\n     deluge of Coxcox have been discovered among the Aztecs, Miztecs,\n     Zapotecs, Tlascaltecs, and Mechoacaneses. The tradition of the\n     latter is still more strikingly in conformity with the story as\n     we have it in Genesis, and in Chaldean sources. It tells how\n     Tezpi embarked in a spacious vessel with his wife, his children,\n     and several animals, and grain, whose preservation was essential\n     to the subsistence of the human race. When the great god\n     Tezcatlipoca decreed that the waters should retire, Tezpi sent a\n     vulture from the bark. The bird, feeding on the carcases with\n     which the earth was laden, did not return. Tezpi sent out other\n     birds, of which the humming bird only came back, with a leafy\n     branch in its beak. Then Tezpi, seeing that the country began to\n     vegetate, left his bark on the mountain of\n     Colhuacan.\"--Donnelly's _Atlantis_, p. 99.\n\n     The tradition of a Deluge \"was the received notion, under some\n     form or other, of the most civilized people in the Old World, and\n     of the barbarians of the New. The Aztecs combined with this some\n     particular circumstances of a more arbitrary character,\n     resembling the accounts of the east. They believed that two\n     persons survived the Deluge, a man named Coxcox and his wife.\n     Their heads are represented in ancient painting, together with a\n     boat floating on the waters at the foot of a mountain. A dove is\n     also depicted, with a hieroglyphical emblem of language in his\n     mouth, which he is distributing to the children of Coxcox, who\n     were born dumb. The neighboring people of Michoacan, inhabiting\n     the same high plains of the Andes, had a still further tradition,\n     that the boat in which Tegpi, their Noah, escaped, was filled\n     with various kinds of animals and birds. After some time a\n     vulture was sent out from it, but remained feeding on the dead\n     bodies of the giants which had been left on the earth as the\n     waters subsided. The little humming bird, _huitzitzilin_, was\n     then sent forth, and returned with a twig in his mouth. The\n     coincidence of both these accounts with the Hebrew and Chaldean\n     narratives is obvious.\"--Prescott, _Conquest of Mexico_, pp.\n     463-64.\n\n     =5. Mexican Tradition concerning the Savior.=--\"The story of the\n     life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles\n     that of the Savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no\n     other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same\n     being. But the history of the former has been handed down to us\n     through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured\n     and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the\n     Savior's life and ministry. Regarding this god, Humboldt writes,\n     'How truly surprising is it to find that the Mexicans, who seem\n     to have been unacquainted with the doctrine of the migration of\n     the soul and the Metempsychosis _should have believed in the\n     incarnation of the only Son of the supreme God, Tomacateuctli_.\n     For Mexican mythology, speaking of no other Son of God except\n     Quetzalcoatl, who was born of Chimelman, the virgin of Tula\n     (without man), by His breath alone, by which may be signified His\n     word or will, when it was announced to Chimelman, by the\n     celestial messenger whom He despatched to inform her that she\n     should conceive a son, it must be presumed this was Quetzalcoatl,\n     who was the only son. Other authors might be adduced to show that\n     the Mexicans believe that this Quetzalcoatl was both God and man;\n     that He had, previously to His incarnation, existed from\n     eternity, and that He had been the Creator both of the world and\n     man; and that He had descended to reform the world by endurance,\n     and being King of Tula, was crucified for the sins of mankind,\n     etc., as is plainly declared in the tradition of Yucatan, and\n     mysteriously represented in the Mexican paintings.'\"--Pres. John\n     Taylor, _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 201.\n\n     =7. Survival of the Hebrew Language among American Tribes.=--\"It\n     is claimed that such survivals are numerous in the religious\n     songs and ceremonies of many of the tribes. A number of writers\n     who visited or resided among the tribes of the northern\n     continent, assert that the words Yehovah, Yah, Ale, and\n     Hallelujah, could be distinctly heard in these exercises. Laet\n     and Escarbotus assure us that they often heard the South American\n     Indians repeat the sacred word Hallelujah.\"--Elder George\n     Reynolds, _The Language of the Book of Mormon_.\n\n     =8. \"The Origin of the Pre-Columbian Civilization of\n     America.\"=--Under this title an instructive article by G. Elliot\n     Smith appeared in _Science_ vol. xliv, pp. 190-195 (August 11,\n     1916). As to the interest accorded to the subject, the author\n     says: \"In the whole range of ethnological discussion perhaps no\n     theme has evoked livelier controversies and excited more\n     widespread interest than the problems involved in the mysteries\n     of the wonderful civilization that revealed itself to the\n     astonished Spaniards on their first arrival in America.\n\n     \"During the last century, which can be regarded as covering the\n     whole period of scientific investigation in anthropology, the\n     opinions of those who have devoted attention to such inquiries\n     have undergone the strangest fluctuations. If one delves into the\n     anthropological journals of forty or fifty years ago they will be\n     found to abound in careful studies on the part of many of the\n     leading ethnologists of the time, demonstrating, apparently in a\n     convincing and unquestionable manner, the spread of curious\n     customs or beliefs from the Old World to the New.\" The writer\n     decries the fallacy of assuming that similarities in customs and\n     culture of widely separated peoples can be explained on any other\n     basis than that of a common origin, and proceeds as follows: \"Why\n     then, it will be asked, in the face of the overwhelming mass of\n     definite and well-authenticated evidence clearly pointing to the\n     sources in the Old World from which American civilization sprung,\n     do so many ethnologists refuse to accept the clear and obvious\n     meaning of the facts and resort to such childish subterfuges as I\n     have mentioned? Putting aside the influence of Darwin's work, the\n     misunderstanding of which, as Huxley remarked, 'led shallow\n     persons to talk nonsense in the name of anthropological science,'\n     the main factor in blinding so many investigators to appreciate\n     the significance of the data they themselves so laboriously\n     collect results from a defect incidental to the nature of their\n     researches.... The failure to recognize the fact, recently\n     demonstrated so convincingly by Dr. Rivers, that useful arts are\n     often lost is another, and perhaps the chief, difficulty that has\n     stood in the way of an adequate appreciation of the history of\n     the spread of civilization.\" Dr. Smith presents an impressive\n     array of evidence pointing to the Old World and specifically to\n     Egypt, as the source of many of the customs by which the American\n     aborigines are distinguished. The article is accompanied by a map\n     showing probable routes of travel from the Old World to the New,\n     and two landing places on the west coast, one in Mexico and\n     another near the boundary common to Peru and Chile, from which\n     places the immigrants spread.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XVI.\n\nREVELATION, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.\n\n     =Article 9.=--We believe all that God has revealed, all that He\n     does now reveal; and we believe that He will yet reveal many\n     great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.\n\n\n=1. What is Revelation?=--In a theological sense, the term\n_revelation_ signifies the making known of Divine truth by\ncommunication from the heavens. The Greek--_apocalypsis_, which in\nmeaning closely corresponds with our word _revelation_, expresses an\nuncovering, or a disclosure of that which had been wholly or in part\nhidden,--the drawing aside of a veil. An Anglicized form of the Greek\nterm--_Apocalypse_--is sometimes used to designate the particular\nRevelation given to John upon the Isle of Patmos, the record of which\nforms the last book of the New Testament as at present compiled.\nDivine revelation, as illustrated by numerous examples in scripture,\nmay consist of disclosures or declarations concerning the attributes\nof Deity, or of an expression of the Divine will regarding the affairs\nof men.\n\n=2.= The word _inspiration_ is sometimes invested with a signification\nalmost identical with that of _revelation_, though by its origin and\nearly usage it possessed a distinctive meaning. To inspire is\nliterally to animate with the spirit; a man is inspired when under the\ninfluence of a power other than his own. Divine inspiration may be\nregarded as a lower or less comprehensive manifestation of the\nheavenly influence upon man than is shown in revelation. The\ndifference therefore is rather one of degree than of kind. By neither\nof these directing processes does the Lord deprive the human subject\nof agency or individuality;[857] as is proved by the marked\npeculiarities of style and method characterizing the several books of\nholy writ. Yet, in the giving of revelation, a more direct influence\nis exercised upon the human recipient of the God-given message than is\nthe case under the lesser, though no less truly Divine, effect of\ninspiration.\n\n  [857] See Notes 1 and 3.\n\n=3.= The directness and plainness with which God may communicate with\nman is dependent upon the purity and general fitness of the person.\nOne may be susceptible to inspiration in its lower and simpler phases\nonly; another may be so thoroughly responsive to this power as to be\ncapable of receiving direct revelation; and this higher influence\nagain may manifest itself in varying degrees, and with a greater or\nlesser shrouding of the Divine personality. Consider the Lord's words\nto Aaron and Miriam, who had been guilty of disrespect toward Moses\nthe chosen revelator:--\"And the Lord came down in the pillar of the\ncloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and\nMiriam: and they both came forth. And He said, Hear now my words: If\nthere be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto\nhim in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses\nis not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak\nmouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the\nsimilitude of the Lord shall he behold.\"[858]\n\n  [858] Numb. xii, 5-8.\n\n=4.= We have seen that among the most conclusive proofs of the\nexistence of a Supreme Being is that afforded by direct revelation\nfrom God Himself; and that some knowledge of the attributes and\npersonality of God is essential to any rational exercise of faith in\nHim. We can but imperfectly respect an authority whose very existence\nis a matter of uncertainty and conjecture with us; therefore, if we\nare to implicitly trust and truly love our Creator, we must know\nsomething of Him. Though the veil of mortality, with all its thick\nobscurity, may shut the light of the Divine presence from the sinful\nheart, that separating curtain may be drawn aside and the heavenly\nlight may shine into the righteous soul. By the listening ear, attuned\nto the celestial music, the voice of God has been heard, declaring His\npersonality and will; to the eye that is freed from the motes and\nbeams of sin, single in its search after truth, the hand of God has\nbeen made visible; within the soul properly purified by devotion and\nhumility, the mind of God has been revealed.\n\n=5. Revelation is God's Means of Communication.=--We have no record of\na period of time during which an authorized minister of Christ has\ndwelt on earth, when the Lord did not make known to that servant the\nDivine will concerning the people. As has been shown, no man can take\nupon himself, by his own act alone, the honor and dignity of the\nministry. To become an authorized minister of the Gospel, \"a man must\nbe called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those\nwho are in authority,\" and \"those in authority\" must have been\nsimilarly called. When thus commissioned, the chosen one speaks by a\npower greater than his own, in preaching the gospel and in\nadministering the ordinances thereof; he may verily become a prophet\nunto the people. The Lord has consistently recognized and honored his\nservants so appointed. He has magnified their office in proportion to\ntheir own worthiness, making them living oracles of the Divine will.\nThis has been true of every dispensation of the work of God.\n\n=6.= It is a privilege of the Holy Priesthood to commune with the\nheavens, and to learn the immediate will of the Lord; this communion\nmay be effected through the medium of dreams and visions, through the\nvisitation of angels, or by the higher endowment of face to face\ncommunication with the Lord.[859] The inspired utterances of men who\nspeak by the power of the Holy Ghost are scripture unto the\npeople.[860] In specific terms the promise has been given that the\nLord would recognize the medium of prophecy through which to make His\nwill and purposes known unto man:--\"Surely the Lord God will do\nnothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the\nprophets.\"[861] Not all men may attain the position of special\nrevelators:--\"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and\nhe will show them his covenant.\"[862] Such men are oracles of truth;\nprivileged counselors, friends of God.[863]\n\n  [859] See pp. 35-38 and Lecture xii.\n\n  [860] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 4.\n\n  [861] Amos iii, 7; see also I Nephi xxii, 2.\n\n  [862] Psalms xxv, 14.\n\n  [863] John xv, 14-15.\n\n=7. Revelation in Ancient Times.=--Unto Adam, the patriarch of the\nrace, to whom were committed the keys of the first dispensation, God\nrevealed His will and gave commandments.[864] While living in a state\nof child-like innocence prior to the Fall, Adam had direct\ncommunication with the Lord; then, through transgression the man was\ndriven from Eden; but he took with him some remembrance of his former\nhappy state, including a personal knowledge of the existence and\nattributes of his Creator. While sweating under the penalty fore-told\nand fulfilled upon him, tilling the earth in a struggle for bread, he\ncontinued to call upon the Lord. As Adam and his wife, Eve, prayed and\ntoiled, \"they heard the voice of the Lord from the way towards the\ngarden of Eden, speaking unto them; and they saw him not, for they\nwere shut out from his presence; and he gave unto them commandments.\"[865]\n\n  [864] Gen. ii, 15-20; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 16.\n\n  [865] Pearl of Great Price: Moses v, 4-5; see also Doc. and Cov.,\n  Lect. on Faith ii, 19-25.\n\n=8.= The patriarchs who succeeded Adam were blessed with the gift of\nrevelation in varying degrees; Enoch, the seventh in the line of\ndescent, was particularly endowed. We learn from the Old Testament\nthat Enoch \"walked with God,\" and that when he had reached the age of\n365 years \"he was not, for God took him.\"[866] From the New Testament\nwe learn something more regarding his ministry;[867] and the Pearl of\nGreat Price gives us a fuller account of the Lord's dealings with this\nchosen Seer.[868] Unto him were made known the plan of redemption, and\nthe prospective history of the race down to the meridian of time,\nthence to the millennium and the final judgment. Unto Noah, the Lord\nrevealed His intentions regarding the impending deluge; by this\nprophetic voice the people were warned and urged to repent;\ndisregarding it and rejecting the message, they were destroyed in\ntheir iniquity. With Abraham, God's covenant was established; unto him\nwas revealed the course of the creative events.[869] And this covenant\nwas confirmed unto Isaac and Jacob.\n\n  [866] Gen. v, 18-24.\n\n  [867] Jude 14.\n\n  [868] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, vii.\n\n  [869] Gen. xvii, xviii; Pearl of Great Price: Book of Abraham.\n\n=9.= Through revelation, God commissioned Moses to lead Israel from\nbondage. From the burning bush on Horeb, the Lord declared to the man\nthus chosen, \"I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God\nof Isaac, and the God of Jacob.\"[870] In all the troublous scenes\nbetween Moses and Pharaoh, the Lord continued His communications unto\nHis servant, who appeared amidst the glory of the Divine endowment, a\nveritable God unto the heathen king.[871] And throughout the wearisome\nforty years' journeying in the wilderness, the Lord ceased not to\nhonor His chosen prophet. So may we trace the line of revelators,--men\nwho have stood, each in his time, as the medium between God and the\npeople, receiving instruction from the source Divine, and transmitting\nit to the masses,--from Moses to Joshua, and on through the Judges to\nDavid and Solomon, thence to John, who was the immediate fore-runner\nof the Messiah.\n\n  [870] Exodus iii, 2-6.\n\n  [871] Exodus iv, 16; vii, 1.\n\n=10. Christ Himself was a Revelator.=--Notwithstanding His personal\nauthority, God though He had been and was, while the Christ lived as a\nman among men, He declared His work to be that of One greater than\nHimself, by whom He had been sent, and from whom He received\ninstructions. Note His words:--\"For I have not spoken of myself; but\nthe Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say,\nand what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life\neverlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said\nunto me, so I speak.\"[872] Further: \"I can of mine own self do\nnothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek\nnot mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent\nme.\"[873] And again, \"The words that I speak unto you I speak not of\nmyself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.... And\nas the Father gave me commandment, even so do I.\"[874]\n\n  [872] John xii, 49-50.\n\n  [873] John v, 30.\n\n  [874] John xiv, 10, 31.\n\n=11. The Apostles likewise=, left to bear the burden of the Church\nafter the departure of the Master, looked to heaven for guidance,\nexpected and received the word of revelation to direct them in their\nexalted ministry. Paul writing to the Corinthians said:--\"But God hath\nrevealed them [divine truths] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit\nsearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man\nknoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?\neven so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now\nwe have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is\nof God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of\nGod.\"[875]\n\n  [875] I Corinthians ii, 10-12.\n\n=12.= John, also, declares that the book which is known specifically\nas the _Revelation_ was not written of his own wisdom, but that it\nis:--\"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew\nunto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent\nand signified it by his angel unto his servant John.\"[876]\n\n  [876] Rev. i, 1.\n\n=13. Continual Revelation Necessary.=--The scriptures are conclusive\nas to the fact that, from Adam to John the Revelator, God directed the\naffairs of His people by personal communication through chosen\nservants. As the written word--the record of revelation previously\ngiven--grew with time, that became a law unto the people; but in no\nperiod was that deemed sufficient. While the revelations of the past\nhave ever been indispensable as guides to the people, showing forth,\nas they do, the plan and purpose of God's dealings under particular\nconditions, they may not be universally and directly applicable to the\ncircumstances of succeeding times. Many of the revealed laws are of\ngeneral application to all men in all ages; e.g., the commandments\n\"Thou shalt not steal,\" \"Thou shalt not kill,\" \"Thou shalt not bear\nfalse witness,\" and other injunctions regarding the duty of man toward\nhis fellows, most of which are so plainly just as to be approved by\nthe human conscience, even without the direct word of Divine command.\nOther laws may be equally general in application, yet they derive\ntheir validity as Divine ordinances from the fact that they have been\nauthoritatively instituted as such; as examples of this class, we may\nconsider the requirements concerning the sanctity of the Sabbath; the\nnecessity of baptism as a means of securing forgiveness of sins; the\nordinances of confirmation, the sacrament, etc. Revelations of yet\nanother kind are on record, such as have been given to meet the\nconditions of particular times; these may be regarded as special, or\ncircumstantial revelations; e.g., the instructions to Noah regarding\nthe building of the ark and the warning of the people; the requirement\nmade of Abraham that he leave the land of his nativity and sojourn in\na strange country; the command to Moses, and through him to Israel,\nrelative to the exodus from Egypt; the revelations given to Lehi\ndirecting the departure of his company from Jerusalem, their\njourneying in the wilderness, the building of a ship, and their voyage\non the great waters to another hemisphere.\n\n=14.= It is at once unreasonable, and directly contrary to our\nconception of the unchangeable justice of God, to believe that He will\nbless the Church in one dispensation with a present living revelation\nof His will, and in another leave the Church, to which He gives His\nname, to live as best it may according to the laws of a by-gone age.\nTrue, through apostasy, the authority of the priesthood may have been\ntaken from the earth for a season, leaving the people in a condition\nof darkness, with the windows of heaven shut against them; but at such\ntimes, God has recognized no earthly Church as His own, nor any\nprophet to declare with authority \"Thus saith the Lord.\"\n\n=15.= In support of the doctrine that revelation specially adapted to\nexisting conditions is characteristic of God's dealings with His\npeople, we have the fact of laws having been ordained and subsequently\nrepealed, when a more advanced stage of the Divine plan had been\nreached. Thus, the law of Moses[877] was strictly binding upon Israel\nfrom the time of the exodus to that of Christ's ministry; but its\nrepeal was declared by the Savior Himself,[878] and a higher law than\nthat \"of carnal commandments,\" which had been given \"because of\ntransgression,\" was instituted in its stead.\n\n  [877] Exo. xxi; Lev. i; Deut. xii.\n\n  [878] Matt. v, 17-48.\n\n=16.= From the scriptures cited, and from numerous other assurances of\nholy writ, it is evident that continual revelation has ever been\ncharacteristic of the living Church. It is equally plain that\nrevelation is essential to the existence of the Church in an organized\nstate on the earth. If to have authority to preach the Gospel, and\nadminister in the ordinances of the same, a man must be called of God,\n\"by prophecy\"[879] it is evident that in the absence of direct\nrevelation, the Church would be left without authorized officers, and\nwould, in consequence, become extinct. The prophets and patriarchs of\nold, the judges, the priests, and every authorized servant from Adam\nto Malachi, were called by direct revelation manifested through the\nspecial word of prophecy. This was true also of John the Baptist,[880]\nof Christ Himself, and of the apostles,[881] and lesser officers[882]\nof the Church, as long as an organization recognized of God remained\non the earth. Without the gift of continual revelation there can be no\nauthorized ministry on the earth; and without officers duly\ncommissioned there can be no Church of Christ.\n\n  [879] See Lecture x, page 184.\n\n  [880] Luke i, 13-18.\n\n  [881] John xv; Acts i, 12-26.\n\n  [882] Acts xx, 28; I Tim. iv, 14; Titus i, 5.\n\n=17.= Revelation is essential to the Church, not only for the proper\ncalling and ordination of its ministers, but also that the officers so\nchosen may be guided in their ministrations:--to teach with authority\nthe doctrines of salvation; to admonish, to encourage, and if\nnecessary to reprove the people; and to declare unto them by prophecy\nthe purposes and will of God respecting the Church, present and\nfuture. The promise of salvation is not limited by time, place, or\npersons. So taught Peter on Pentecost day, assuring the multitude of\ntheir eligibility to blessing:--\"For the promise is unto you,\" said\nhe, \"and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many\nas the Lord our God shall call.\"[883] Salvation, with all the gifts of\nGod, was of old for Jew and Greek alike;[884] the same Lord over all,\nrich unto those that call upon Him, without difference.[885]\n\n  [883] Acts ii, 39.\n\n  [884] Rom. x, 12; Gal. iii, 28; Col. iii, 11.\n\n  [885] Rom. iii, 22.\n\n=18. Alleged Objections in Scripture.=--The opponents of the doctrine\nof continual revelation quote, with gross perversion of meaning,\ncertain scriptural passages to sustain their heresy; among such\nscriptures are the following. The words of John with which he\napproaches the conclusion of his book are these:--\"For I testify unto\nevery man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any\nman shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues\nthat are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the\nwords of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out\nof the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things\nwhich are written in this book.\"[886] To apply these sayings to the\nBible as it was afterward compiled is wholly unjustified, for surely\nJohn did not write with a knowledge that his book would be the\nconcluding section of any such compilation of the scriptures as we now\npossess in our Bible. John had reference to his own words, which,\nhaving come to him by revelation, were sacred; and to alter such, by\nomission or addition, would be to modify the words of God. The sin of\naltering any other part of the revealed word would be equally great.\nMoreover, in this oft-quoted passage, no intimation is given that the\nLord may not add to or take from the word therein revealed; the\ndeclaration is that no man shall change the record and escape the\npenalty.\n\n  [886] Rev. xxii, 18-19; see also Doc. and Cov. xx, 35.\n\n=19.= A similar injunction against altering the message of Divine\ncommand was uttered by Moses, over fifteen centuries before the date\nof John's writing;[887] and with a similarly restricted application.\nAnother alleged objection to modern revelation is offered in Paul's\nwords to Timothy, regarding the holy scriptures \"which are able to\nmake thee wise unto salvation,\"[888] and which are \"profitable for\ndoctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in\nrighteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly\nfurnished unto all good works.\"[889] And the remarks of the apostle to\nthe elders at Ephesus are quoted with the same intent; the passage\nreads: \"Ye know ... how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto\nyou, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house\nto house.... For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the\ncounsel of God.\"[890] It is argued that if the scriptures known to\nTimothy were all-sufficient to make him \"wise unto salvation,\" and the\nman of God \"perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,\" the\nsame scriptures are sufficient for all men to the end of time; and\nthat if the doctrines preached to the Ephesian elders represented \"all\nthe counsel of God,\" no further counsel is to be expected. In reply,\nit is perhaps sufficient to say that the objectors to continued\nrevelation who defend their unscriptural position by strained\ninterpretation of such passages, if consistent, would be compelled to\nreject all revelation given through the apostles after the date of\nPaul's utterances, including even the Revelation of John.\n\n  [887] Deut. iv, 2; xii, 32.\n\n  [888] II Tim. iii, 15.\n\n  [889] II Tim. iii, 16-17.\n\n  [890] Acts xx, 18-27.\n\n=20.= Equally absurd is the assertion that Christ's dying exclamation,\n\"It is finished,\" meant that revelation was at an end; for we find the\nsame Jesus afterward revealing Himself, as the resurrected Lord, to\nHis apostles, promising them further revelation,[891] and assuring\nthem that He would be with them even unto the end.[892] And, moreover,\nwere the words of the Crucified One susceptible of any such intent,\nthe apostles who taught by revelation as long as they lived must be\nclassed as impostors.\n\n  [891] Luke xxiv, 49.\n\n  [892] Matt. xxviii, 20; see also Mark xvi, 20.\n\n=21.= To justify the anathema with which the opponents of modern\nrevelation seek to persecute those who believe in the continual flow\nof God's word to His Church, the following prophecy of Zechariah is\nquoted:--\"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of\nhosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and\nthey shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets\nand the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to\npass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother\nthat begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou\nspeakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother\nthat begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it\nshall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed\nevery one of his vision, when he hath prophesied.\"[893] The day here\nspoken of appears to be yet future, for surely the \"idols\" and the\n\"unclean spirits\" still have influence; and, moreover, the fact that\nthe \"prophets\" here intended are false ones is shown by Zechariah's\nassociating them with idols and unclean spirits.\n\n  [893] Zech. xiii, 2-4.\n\n=22.= Such attempts to oppose the doctrine of continued revelation as\nhave been made on the authority of the foregoing scriptures are\npitiably futile; they carry their own refutation, and leave untouched\nthe truth, that belief in modern revelation is wholly reasonable and\nstrictly scriptural.[894]\n\n  [894] See Note 2.\n\n=23. Modern Revelation.=--In the light of our knowledge concerning the\nconstancy of revelation as an essential characteristic of the Church,\nit is as reasonable to look for new revelation today as to believe in\nthe existence of the gift during ancient times. \"Where there is no\nvision the people perish,\"[895] was declared of old; and surely it is\nproper to include with vision, revelation also, since the latter gift\nis often manifested through dreams and visions. Nevertheless, in spite\nof abundant and most explicit testimony of scripture, the so-called\nChristian sects of the day are practically a unit in declaring that\nrevelation ceased with the apostles, or even before their time; that\nfurther communication from the heavens is unnecessary; and that to\nexpect such is unscriptural. In assuming this position, the discordant\nsects of the day are but following the path that was trodden by\nunbelievers in earlier times. The recreant Jews rejected the Savior,\nbecause He came to them with a new revelation. Had they not Moses and\nthe prophets to guide them? what more could they need? They openly\nboasted \"We are Moses' disciples,\" and added \"We know that God spake\nunto Moses; as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.\"[896]\n\n  [895] Prov. xxix, 18.\n\n  [896] John ix, 28-29.\n\n=24.= The scriptures, far from predicting a cessation of revelation in\nlatter times, expressly declare the continuation of that gift among\nthe people of the Lord. John foresaw the restoration of the gospel in\nthe last days, through angelic ministration:--\"And I saw another angel\nfly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach\nunto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,\nand tongue, and people.\"[897] He knew further that the voice of God\nwould be heard in the last days, calling His people from Babylon to a\nplace of safety:--\"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come\nout of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that\nye receive not of her plagues.\"[898]\n\n  [897] Rev. xiv, 6.\n\n  [898] Rev. xviii, 4.\n\n=25.= The Book of Mormon is not less explicit in declaring that direct\nrevelation shall abide as a blessing upon the Church in the latter\ndays. Note the prediction given through Ether the Jaredite; the\ncontext shows that the time spoken of is that of the last\ndispensation:--\"And in that day, they [the Gentiles] shall exercise\nfaith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that\nthey may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the\nthings which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them\nall my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of\nthe heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.... But\nhe that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit\nwith the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear\nrecord.\"[899]\n\n  [899] Ether iv, 7, 11.\n\n=26.= Lehi, instructing his sons, quoted a prophecy of Joseph the son\nof Jacob, which is not recorded in the compilation of books known as\nthe Bible; it has special reference to the work of Joseph the modern\nprophet:--\"Yea, Joseph truly said, Thus saith the Lord unto me: A\nchoice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he\nshall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him\nwill I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy\nloins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to\nthe bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have\nmade with thy fathers.\"[900]\n\n  [900] II Nephi iii, 7.\n\n=27.= Nephi, the son of Lehi, spoke by prophecy of the last days, in\nwhich the Gentiles should receive a testimony of Christ with many\nsigns and wondrous manifestations:--\"He manifesteth himself unto all\nthose who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto\nevery nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles,\nsigns, and wonders, among the children of men, according to their\nfaith. But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days;\nconcerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth\nunto the children of men.\"[901]\n\n  [901] II Nephi xxvi, 13-14.\n\n=28.= The same prophet, apostrophizing with warning words the\nunbelievers of the last days, predicted the coming forth of additional\nscriptures:--\"And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring\nforth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of\nthem which have slumbered. And behold the book shall be sealed: and in\nthe book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the\nworld to the ending thereof.\"[902]\n\n  [902] II Nephi xxvii, 6-7.\n\n=29.= The Savior, addressing the Nephites, repeated the prediction of\nMalachi concerning the revelation to be given through Elijah, before\nthe day of the Lord's second coming:--\"Behold, I will send you Elijah\nthe prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the\nLord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and\nthe heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the\nearth with a curse.\"[903]\n\n  [903] III Nephi xxv, 5-6; see also Mal. iv, 5, 6; pp. 11, 153-154\n  this book; and for the fulfillment, Doc. and Cov. cx, 13.\n\n=30.= By revelation in the present day, the Lord has confirmed and\nfulfilled His early promises, and has specifically rebuked those who\nwould close His mouth, and estrange Him from His people. His voice is\nheard to-day, \"proving to the world that the Holy Scriptures are true,\nand that God does inspire men and call them to His holy work in this\nage and generation, as well as in generations of old, thereby showing\nthat He is the same God, yesterday, to-day, and forever.\"[904]\n\n  [904] Doc. and Cov. xx, 11-12. See also i, 11; xi, 25; xx, 26-28;\n  xxxv, 8; xlii, 61; l, 35; lix, 4; lxx, 3; and the entire volume,\n  as evidence of the continuation of revelation in the Church today.\n\n=31. Revelation Yet Future.=--In view of the demonstrated facts that\nrevelation between God and man has ever been and is a characteristic\nof the Church of Christ, it is reasonable to await with confident\nexpectation the coming of other messages from heaven, even until the\nend of man's probation on earth. The Church is, and will continue to\nbe, as truly founded on the rock of revelation as it was in the day of\nChrist's prophetic blessing upon Peter, who by this gift of God was\nable to testify of his Lord's divinity.[905] Current revelation is\nequally plain with that of former days, in predicting the yet future\nmanifestations of God through this appointed channel.[906] The canon\nof scripture is still open; many lines, many precepts, are yet to be\nadded; revelation, surpassing in importance and glorious fulness any\nthat has been recorded, will yet be given to the Church and be\ndeclared to the world.\n\n  [905] Matt. xvi, 16-19; Mark viii, 27-30; Luke ix, 18-20; John vi,\n  69.\n\n  [906] Doc. and Cov. xx, 35; xxxv, 8; and the Doc. and Cov.\n  references last cited.\n\n=32.= What shadow of justification or pretense of consistency can man\nclaim for denying the power and purposes of God to reveal Himself and\nHis will in these days as He assuredly did in former times? In every\ndepartment of human knowledge and activity, in everything for which\nman arrogates to himself glory, he prides himself in the\npossibilities of enlargement and growth; yet in the Divine science of\ntheology, he holds that progress is impossible, and advancement\nforbidden. Against such heresy and blasphemous denial of the Divine\nprerogatives and power, God has proclaimed His edict in words of\nterrible import:--\"Wo be unto him that shall say We have received the\nword of God, and we need no more of the word of God for we have\nenough.\"[907] \"Deny not the spirit of revelation, nor the spirit of\nprophecy, for wo unto him that denieth these things.\"[908]\n\n  [907] II Nephi xxviii, 29; see also 30, and xxix, 6-12.\n\n  [908] Doc. and Cov. xi, 25.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Freedom under Inspiration.=--Faussett has this to say of\n     man's agency under the influence of inspiration:--\"Inspiration\n     does not divest the writers of their several individualities of\n     style, just as the inspired teachers in the early Church were not\n     passive machines in prophesying (I Cor. xiv, 32). 'Where the\n     Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty' (II Cor. iii, 17). Their\n     will became one with God's will; His Spirit acted on their\n     spirit, so that their individuality had full play in the sphere\n     of His inspiration. As to religious truths, the collective\n     Scriptures have unity of authorship; as to other matters, their\n     authorship is palpably as manifold as the writers. The variety is\n     human, the unity Divine. If the four evangelists were mere\n     machines, narrating the same events in the same order and words,\n     they would cease to be independent witnesses. Their very\n     discrepancies (only _seeming_ ones) disprove collusion.... The\n     slight variations in the decalogue between Exo. xx and its\n     repetition Deut. v, and in Ps. xviii compared with II Sam. xxii,\n     in Ps. xiv compared with Ps. liii, and in New Testament\n     quotations of Old Testament (sometimes from the Septuagint, which\n     varies from the Hebrew, sometimes from neither in every word),\n     all prove the spirit-produced independence of the sacred writers,\n     who, under Divine guidance and sanction, presented on different\n     occasions the same substantial truths under different aspects,\n     the one complementing the other.\"--_Bible Cyclopedia_, A. R.\n     Faussett, p. 308.\n\n     =2. The Doctrine of no Further Revelation, New and False.=--\"The\n     history of the people of God, from the earliest ages, shows that\n     _continued revelation_ was the only way by which they could\n     possibly learn all their duties, or God's will concerning them.\n     They never once thought that the revelations given to previous\n     generations were sufficient to guide them into every duty. A\n     doctrine which rejects new revelation is a new doctrine, invented\n     by the devil and his agents during the second century after\n     Christ; it is a doctrine in direct opposition to the one believed\n     in and enjoyed by the saints in all ages. Now, to subvert and do\n     away a doctrine four thousand years old, and introduce a new one\n     in its stead can only be done by divine authority.... As the\n     doctrine, then, of continued revelation is one that was always\n     believed by the saints, it ought not to be required of any man to\n     prove the necessity of the continuation of such a doctrine. If it\n     were a new doctrine, never before introduced into the world, it\n     would become necessary to establish its divine origin; but\n     inasmuch as it is only the continuation of an old doctrine,\n     established thousands of years ago, and which has never ceased to\n     be believed and enjoyed by the saints, it would be the greatest\n     presumption to call it in question at this late period; and hence\n     it would seem almost superfluous to undertake to prove the\n     necessity of its continuance. Instead of being required to do\n     this, all people have the right to call upon the new-revelation\n     deniers of the last seventeen centuries to bring forward their\n     strong reasonings and testimonies for breaking in upon the\n     long-established order of heaven, and introducing a new doctrine\n     so entirely different from the old. If they wish their new\n     doctrine to be believed, let them demonstrate it to be of divine\n     origin, or else all people will be justified in rejecting it, and\n     clinging to the old.\"--Orson Pratt, _Divine Authenticity of the\n     Book of Mormon_, I (2) 15, 16.\n\n     =3. Inspiration a Sure Guide.=--\"Inspiration has been defined to\n     be the 'actuating energy of the Holy Spirit, in whatever degree\n     or manner it may have been exercised, guided by which the human\n     agents chosen by God have officially proclaimed his will by word\n     of mouth or have committed to writing the several portions of the\n     Bible.' By _plenary inspiration_ we mean that this energy was so\n     fully and perfectly exercised, as to make the teaching of the\n     sacred writers to be, in the most literal sense of the words,\n     God's teaching, as proceeding from him, truly expressing his\n     mind, and bearing with it the sanction of his authority. By\n     _verbal inspiration_ we mean that this energy was not exhausted\n     in suggesting to the writers the matter of Scripture, and then\n     leaving them to themselves to convey, in their own manner and\n     after an exclusively human sort, what had been supernaturally\n     suggested; but that they were assisted and guided in the\n     conveyance of the truth received.... When the doctrine of plenary\n     and verbal inspiration is thus disentangled from the\n     misapprehensions which have been entertained of it, it presents\n     in no point of view any just ground of objection. It is\n     consistent with all the conclusions relative to the Word which\n     modern scholarship has succeeded in establishing; for the dreams\n     of the 'higher criticism' are little more than the vagaries of\n     arbitrary caprice; and it is much to be regretted that they have\n     been honored with a deference wholly undeserved, and have been\n     rashly placed side by side with the valuable and precious results\n     of genuine criticism. These results, in many respects, point\n     decisively in the direction of plenary inspiration, when the\n     doctrine itself is rightly understood, as supplying the only\n     consistent and logical ground on which the authority of the\n     canonical writings can be safely based.\"--Cassell's _Bible\n     Dictionary_, pp. 559, 561.\n\n     =4.= \"Is it unreasonable, is it unphilosophical, thus to look for\n     additional light and knowledge? Shall religion be the one\n     department of human thought and effort in which progression is\n     impossible? What would we say of the chemist, the astronomer, the\n     physicist, or the geologist, who would proclaim that no further\n     discovery or revelation of scientific truth is possible, or who\n     would declare that the only occupation open to students of\n     science is to con the books of by-gone times and to apply the\n     principles long ago made known, for none others shall ever be\n     discovered? The chief motive impelling to research and\n     investigation is the conviction that to knowledge and wisdom\n     there is no end. 'Mormonism' affirms that all wisdom is of God,\n     that the halo of his glory is intelligence, and that man has not\n     yet learned all there is to learn of him and his ways. We hold\n     that the doctrine of continuous revelation from God is not less\n     philosophical and scientific than scriptural.\"--_The Philosophy\n     of \"Mormonism._\" The Author, in _Improvement Era_, Vol. iv, p.\n     468.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XVII.\n\nTHE DISPERSION OF ISRAEL.\n\n     =Article 10.=--We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and\n     in the restoration of the Ten Tribes, etc.\n\n\n=1. Israel.=--The term _Israel_, in its original sense, expressed the\nthought of one who had succeeded in his supplication before the Lord;\n\"soldier of God,\" \"one who contends with God,\" \"a prince of God,\" are\namong the common English renderings. The name first appears in sacred\nwrit as a title conferred by the Lord upon Jacob, when the latter\nprevailed in his determination to secure a blessing from his heavenly\nvisitor in the wilderness, receiving the promise \"Thy name shall be\ncalled no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with\nGod and with men, and hast prevailed.\"[909] We read further:--\"And God\nappeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed\nhim, and God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be\ncalled anymore Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his\nname Israel.\"[910]\n\n  [909] Gen. xxxii, 28.\n\n  [910] Gen. xxxv, 9-10.\n\n=2.= But the combined name and title thus bestowed under conditions of\nsuch solemn dignity soon acquired a wider application, and came in\ncourse of time to represent the entire posterity of Abraham, through\nIsaac and Jacob,[911] with each of whom the Lord had covenanted, that\nthrough his descendants should all nations of the earth be\nblessed.[912] The name of the individual patriarch thus grew into the\ndesignation of a nation, including the twelve tribes; who delighted in\nthe title Israelites, or children of Israel. By such names they were\ncollectively known during the dark days of their Egyptian\nbondage;[913] throughout the four decades of the exodus and the\njourney to the land of promise;[914] so on through the period of their\nexistence as a powerful people under the government of the judges; and\nas a united nation during the hundred and twenty years comprised in\nthe successive reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.[915]\n\n  [911] I Sam. xxv, 1; Isa. xlviii, 1; Rom ix, 4; xi, 1.\n\n  [912] Gen. xii, 1-3; xvii, 1-8; xxvi, 3-4. xxviii, 13-15.\n\n  [913] Exo. i, 1, 7; ix, 6-7; xii, 3, etc.\n\n  [914] Exo. xii, 35, 40; xiii, 19; xv, 1; xxxv, 20, 30; Lev. i, 2;\n  Numb, xx, 1, 19, 24, etc.\n\n  [915] See references in great number throughout the books of\n  Judges, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings.\n\n=3.= At the death of Solomon, probably about 975 B. C., the kingdom\nwas divided; the tribe of Judah and part of the tribe of Benjamin\naccepted Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, as their king;\nwhile the rest of the people, usually spoken of as the ten tribes,\nrevolted against Rehoboam, thus breaking their allegiance with the\nhouse of David; they chose Jeroboam as their king. The ten tribes\nunder Jeroboam retained the title _Kingdom of Israel_, though the\nkingdom was likewise known by the name of Ephraim,[916] from its most\nprominent tribe; while Rehoboam and his subjects were known as the\n_Kingdom of Judah_. For about two hundred and fifty years the two\nkingdoms maintained a separate existence; after which (721 B. C.), the\nindependent status of the kingdom of Israel was destroyed, and the\npeople were brought into captivity by the Assyrians under Shalmanezer.\nThe Kingdom of Judah was recognized for over a century longer, after\nwhich it was brought to an end by Nebuchadnezzar, who inaugurated the\nBabylonian captivity. For about seventy years the people remained in\nsubjection, which fact was in accordance with the prophecy of\nJeremiah,[917] then the Lord softened the hearts of the ruling kings,\nand the work of emancipation was begun by Cyrus the Persian. The\nHebrew people were permitted to return to Judea, and to rebuild the\ntemple at Jerusalem.\n\n  [916] Isa. xi, 13; xvii, 3; Ezek. xxxvii, 16-22; Hos. iv, 17.\n\n  [917] Jer. xxv, 11-12; xxix, 10.\n\n=4.= The people, then commonly known as Hebrews, or Jews,[918]\nretained as the name of their nation the designation Israel, though\nthey scarcely comprised two complete tribes out of the twelve. The\nname Israel, thus held with commendable pride by the remnant of a once\nmighty people, was used in a figurative manner to designate the chosen\nand accepted ones who constituted the Church of Christ;[919] and in\nthat sense it is still employed. The people of Israel, as first we\nmeet them in history, were a united people. That we may comprehend the\ntrue import of the gathering to which reference is made in the tenth\nof the Articles of Faith, it is necessary that we first consider the\ndispersions and scattering to which the people have been subjected.\nThe scriptures abound in predictions concerning such dispersions; holy\nscripture and history in general unite in testimony of the fulfillment\nof these prophecies.\n\n  [918] See Notes 1 and 2.\n\n  [919] Rom. ix, 6; Gal. vi, 16.\n\n=5. The Dispersion of Israel Foretold.=--It has been said, that \"if a\ncomplete history of the house of Israel were written, it would be the\nhistory of histories, the key of the world's history for the past\ntwenty centuries.\"[920] Justification for this sweeping statement is\nfound in the fact that the Israelites have been so completely\ndispersed among the nations as to give to this scattered people a\nplace of importance as a factor in the rise and development of almost\nevery large division of the human family. This work of dispersion was\nbrought about by many stages, and extended through millenniums. It was\nforeseen by the early prophets among the chosen people; and the\nspiritual leaders of every generation prior to and immediately\nfollowing the Messianic era predicted the scattering of the people, as\nan ordained result of their increasing wickedness, or referred to the\nfulfillment of former prophecies regarding the dispersion, then\nalready accomplished, and foretold a further and more complete\ndisruption of the nation.\n\n  [920] Compendium, p. 85 (1884 ed.).\n\n=6. Biblical Prophecies.=--In the course of Israel's troubled journey\nfrom Egypt, where they had dwelt as in a \"house of bondage,\" to\nCanaan, the land of their promised inheritance, the Lord gave them\nmany laws, and established ordinances for their government in temporal\nand spiritual affairs. He arrayed for their contemplation blessings\nbeyond the power of the unaided mind of man to conceive, predicating\nthese upon their obedience to the laws of righteousness, and their\nallegiance to Himself as God and King. In contrast with this picture\nof blessed prosperity, the Lord described with terrible distinctness,\nand soul-harrowing detail, a state of abject misfortune and blighting\nsuffering, into which they would surely fall if they departed from the\npath of rectitude and adopted the sinful practices of the heathen\npeoples with whom they would have dealings. The darkest parts of this\ndread picture were those that depicted the prospective breaking up of\nthe nation, and the scattering of the people among those who knew not\nGod. These extreme calamities, however, were to befall Israel only\nafter less severe chastisements had proved ineffective.[921]\n\n  [921] Read the fateful predictions in Leviticus xxvi, 14-33.\n\n=7.= When the journey following the exodus was nearing its close, as\nthe Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan and to take\npossession of the land of promise; when Moses, patriarch, law-giver,\nand prophet, was about to ascend Nebo, from which he was to look over\nthe goodly land and then die there; he repeated the story of\ncontrasted blessings and cursings which formed the condition of God's\ncovenant with the people. \"The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten\nbefore thine enemies\"[922] was declared unto them; and again:--\"The\nLord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee,\nunto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there\nshalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou shalt become an\nastonishment, a proverb, and a by-word, among all nations whither the\nLord shall lead thee.\"[923] And yet further:--\"The Lord shall bring a\nnation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as\nthe eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a\nnation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the\nold, nor shew favor to the young:[924] ... And the Lord shall scatter\nthee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the\nother; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor\nthy fathers have known, even wood and stone.\"[925]\n\n  [922] Deut. xxviii, 25.\n\n  [923] Verses 36-37.\n\n  [924] Verses 49, 50.\n\n  [925] Verse 64.\n\n=8.= As the sacred record progresses, the fact is made plain that\nIsrael had chosen the evil alternative, forfeiting the blessings and\nreaping the curses. When the son of sinful Jeroboam lay sick almost\nunto death, the troubled king sent his wife in disguise to Ahijah, the\nblind prophet of Israel, to inquire concerning the fate of the child.\nThe prophet, seeing beyond the physical blindness of his old age,\npredicted the child's death and the overthrow of the house of\nJeroboam; and declared further:--\"For the Lord shall smite Israel, as\na reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this\ngood land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them\nbeyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the\nLord to anger.\"[926]\n\n  [926] I Kings xiv, 15.\n\n=9.= Through Isaiah the Lord justifies His judgment upon the people,\nlikening them to an unprofitable vineyard,[927] which, in spite of\nprotecting hedge and fullest care, had yielded out wild grapes, and\nwhich was fit only for spoliation; \"therefore,\" He continues, \"my\npeople have gone into captivity.\"[928] And yet other tribulations were\nto follow, against which the people were warned lest they alienate\nthemselves entirely from the God of their fathers:--\"And what will ye\ndo in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come\nfrom far? to whom will ye flee for help?\"[929] The prophet directs the\nattention of his erring people to the fact that their tribulations are\nfrom the Lord:--\"Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers?\ndid not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not\nwalk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore\nhe has poured upon them the fury of his anger, and the strength of\nbattle.\"[930]\n\n  [927] Isa. v, 1-7.\n\n  [928] Verse 13.\n\n  [929] Isa. x, 8.\n\n  [930] Isa. xiii, 24-25.\n\n=10.= After the captivity of Ephraim, or the kingdom of Israel,\nspecifically so called, the people of Judah needed yet other\nadmonishings and threatenings. Through Jeremiah the fate of their\nbrethren was brought to their remembrance;[931] then, as a result of\ntheir continued and increasing wickedness, the Lord said:--\"And I will\ncast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even\nthe whole seed of Ephraim.\"[932] Their land was to be despoiled; all\nthe cities of Judah were to be consigned to desolation,[933] and the\npeople were to be scattered among the kingdoms of the earth.[934]\nOther prophets[935] revealed the Lord's words of anger and dire\nwarning; and the Divine decree is recorded:--\"I will sift the house of\nIsrael among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve;\"[936] and\nagain: \"I will sow them among the people, and they shall remember me\nin far countries.\"[937]\n\n  [931] Jer. vii, 12.\n\n  [932] Verse 15.\n\n  [933] Jer. ix, 11; x, 22.\n\n  [934] Jer. xxxiv, 17.\n\n  [935] Ezek. xx, 23; xxii, 15; xxxiv, 6; xxxvi, 19; Amos vii, 17;\n  ix, 9; Micah iii, 12.\n\n  [936] Amos ix, 9.\n\n  [937] Zech. x, 9.\n\n=11. Book of Mormon Predictions.=--The record made by that division of\nthe house of Israel which took its departure from Jerusalem and made\nits way to the western hemisphere about 600 B. C., contains many\nreferences to the dispersions that had already taken place, and to the\ncontinuation of the scattering which was to the writers of the Book of\nMormon yet future. In the course of the journey to the coast, the\nprophet Lehi, while encamped with his family and other followers in\nthe valley of Lemuel on the borders of the Red Sea, declared what he\nhad learned by revelation of the future \"dwindling of the Jews in\nunbelief,\" of their crucifying the Messiah, and of their scattering\n\"upon all the face of the earth.\"[938] He compared Israel to an olive\ntree,[939] the branches of which were to be broken off and\ndistributed; and he recognized the exodus of his colony, and their\njourneying afar as an incident in the general plan of dispersion.[940]\nNephi, the son of Lehi, also beheld in vision the scattering of the\ncovenant people of God, and on this point added his testimony to that\nof his prophet-father.[941] He saw also that the seed of his brethren,\nsubsequently known as the Lamanites, were to be chastened for their\nunbelief, and that they were destined to become subject to the\nGentiles, and to be scattered before them.[942] Down the prophetic\nvista of years, he saw also the bringing forth of sacred records,\nother than those then known, \"unto the convincing of the Gentiles, and\nthe remnant of the seed of my brethren,[943] and also the Jews who\nwere scattered upon all the face of the earth.\"[944]\n\n  [938] I Nephi x, 11-12.\n\n  [939] Verse 12; xv, 12, 13; see also Jacob v and vi.\n\n  [940] I Nephi x, 13.\n\n  [941] I Nephi xiv, 14.\n\n  [942] I Nephi xiii, 11-14.\n\n  [943] The division of Lehi's posterity, known at a later date as\n  Lamanites.\n\n  [944] I Nephi xiii, 39.\n\n=12.= After their arrival on the promised land, the colony led by Lehi\nreceived further information regarding the dispersion of Israel. The\nprophet Zenos,[945] quoted by Nephi, had predicted the unbelief of the\nhouse of Israel, in consequence of which these covenant ones of God\nwere to \"wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a\nby-word, and be hated among all nations.\"[946] The brothers of Nephi,\nskeptical in regard to these teachings, asked whether the things of\nwhich he spake were to come to pass in a spiritual sense, or more\nliterally; and were informed that \"the house of Israel, sooner or\nlater, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also\namong all nations\"; and further, in reference to dispersions then\nalready accomplished, that \"the more part of all the tribes have been\nled away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the\nsea\";[947] and then, by way of prediction concerning further division\nand separation, Nephi adds that the Gentiles shall be given power over\nthe people of Israel, \"and by them shall our seed be scattered.\"[948]\nThough an ocean lay between the country of their nativity and the land\nto which they had been miraculously led, the children of Lehi learned\nthrough revelation by the mouth of Jacob, Nephi's brother, of the\ncaptivity of the Jews whom they had left at Jerusalem.[949] By Nephi\nthey were further told of troubles then impending over the city of\ntheir birth,[950] and of a further dispersion of their kindred, the\nJews.[951]\n\n  [945] See Note 3.\n\n  [946] I Nephi xix, 12-14.\n\n  [947] I Nephi xxii, 1-4.\n\n  [948] I Nephi xxii, 7.\n\n  [949] II Nephi vi, 8.\n\n  [950] II Nephi xxv, 14-15.\n\n  [951] Verse 15.\n\n=13.= The Lamanites, a division of Lehi's colony, were also to be\ndisrupted and scattered, as witness the words of Samuel, a prophet of\nthat benighted people.[952] Nephi, the third prophet of that name,\ngrandson of Helaman, emphasizes the dispersion of his people by\ndeclaring that their \"dwellings shall become desolate.\"[953] Jesus\nHimself, after His resurrection, while ministering to the division of\nHis flock on the western hemisphere, refers solemnly to the remnant of\nthe chosen seed who are to be \"scattered forth upon the face of the\nearth because of their unbelief.\"[954]\n\n  [952] Helaman xv, 12.\n\n  [953] III Nephi x, 7.\n\n  [954] III Nephi xvi, 4.\n\n=14.= From these references it is plain that the followers of Lehi,\nincluding his own family, and Zoram,[955] together with Ishmael and\nhis family,[956] from whom sprang the mighty peoples the Nephites, who\nsuffered extermination because of their unfaithfulness, and the\nLamanites, who, now known as the American Indians, have continued in\ntroubled existence until the present day, were informed by revelation\nof the dispersion of their former compatriots in the land of\nPalestine, and of their own certain doom as a result of their\ndisobedience to the laws of God. We have said that the transfer of\nLehi and his followers from the eastern to the western hemisphere was\nitself a part of the general dispersion. It should be remembered that\nanother colony of Jews came to the western hemisphere, the start\ndating about eleven years after the time of Lehi's departure. This\nsecond company was led by Mulek, a son of Zedekiah the last king of\nJudah; they left Jerusalem immediately after the capture of the city\nby Nebuchadnezzar, about 588 B. C.[957]\n\n  [955] I Nephi iv, 20-26, 30-37.\n\n  [956] I Nephi vii, 2-6, 19, 22; xvi, 7.\n\n  [957] Omni i, 14-19; Mos. xxv, 2-4; Alma xxii, 30-32; Hel. vi, 10;\n  viii, 21; p. 268.\n\n=15. The Fulfillment of these Prophecies.=--The sacred scriptures, as\nwell as other writings for which the claim of direct inspiration is\nnot asserted, record the literal fulfillment of prophecy in the\ndesolation of the house of Israel. The dividing of the nation into the\nseparate kingdoms of Judah and Israel led to the downfall of both. As\nthe people grew in their disregard for the laws of their fathers,\ntheir enemies were permitted to triumph over them. After many minor\nlosses in war, the kingdom of Israel met an overwhelming defeat at the\nhands of the Assyrians, in or about the year 721 B. C. We read that\nShalmanezer IV, king of Assyria, besieged Samaria, the third and last\ncapital of the kingdom,[958] and that after three years the city was\ntaken by Sargon, Shalmanezer's successor. The people of Israel were\ncarried captive into Assyria, and distributed among the cities of the\nMedes.[959] Thus was the dread prediction of Ahijah to the wife of\nJeroboam fulfilled. Israel was \"scattered beyond the river,\"[960]\nprobably the Euphrates, and from the time of this event the ten tribes\nare entirely lost to history.\n\n  [958] Shechem was the first capital of the kingdom of Israel (I\n  Kings xii, 25); later, Tirzah became the capital: it was famous\n  for its beauty (I Kings xiv, 17; xv, 33; xvi, 8,17, 23; Song of\n  Sol. vi, 4); and lastly Samaria (1 Kings xvi, 24).\n\n  [959] II Kings xvii, 5-6; xviii, 9-11.\n\n  [960] I Kings xiv, 15.\n\n=16.= The sad fate of the kingdom of Israel had some effect in\npartially awakening among the people of Judah a sense of their own\nimpending doom. Hezekiah reigned as king for nine and twenty years,\nand proved himself a bright exception to a line of wicked rulers who\nhad preceded him. Of him we are told that \"he did that which was\nright in the sight of the Lord.\"[961] During his reign, the Assyrians\nunder Sennacherib invaded the land; but the Lord's favor was in part\nrestored to the people, and Hezekiah roused them to a reliance upon\ntheir God, bidding them take courage and fear not the Assyrian king\nnor his hosts, \"for\" said this righteous prince, \"there be more with\nus than with him; With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord\nour God, to help us and to fight our battles.\"[962] The Assyrian army\nwas miraculously destroyed.[963] But Hezekiah died, and Manasseh ruled\nin his stead; this king did evil in the sight of the Lord,[964] and\nthe wickedness of the people continued for half a century or more,\nbroken only by the good works of one righteous king, Josiah.[965]\n\n  [961] II Kings xviii, 1-3; II Chron. xxix, 1-11.\n\n  [962] II Chron. xxxii, 7-8.\n\n  [963] II Chron. xxxii, 21-22.\n\n  [964] II Chron. xxxiii, 1-10; II Kings xxi, 1-9.\n\n  [965] II Kings xxii, 1; II Chron. xxxiv, 1.\n\n=17.= While Zedekiah occupied the throne, Nebuchadnezzar, king of\nBabylon, laid siege to Jerusalem,[966] took the city about 588 B. C.,\nand soon thereafter led the people captive into Babylon, thus\nvirtually putting an end to the kingdom of Judah. The people were\nscattered among the cities of Asia; and groaned under the vicissitudes\nof the Babylonian captivity for nearly seventy years,[967] after which\nthey were given permission by Cyrus the Persian, who had subdued the\nBabylonians, to return to Jerusalem. Multitudes of the exiled Hebrews\navailed themselves of this opportunity, though many remained in the\nland of their captivity; and while those who did return earnestly\nsought to re-establish themselves on a scale of their former power,\nthey were never again truly an independent people. They were assailed\nby Syria and Egypt, and later became tributary to Rome, in which\ncondition they were during the personal ministry of Christ among them.\n\n  [966] II Kings xxv, 1-3; II Chron. xxxvi, 17.\n\n  [967] See pp. 327-328.\n\n=18.= Jeremiah's prophecy still lacked a complete fulfillment, but\ntime proved that not a word was to fail. \"Judah shall be carried away\ncaptive, all of it; it shall be wholly carried away captive;\"[968]\nthis was the prediction. A rebellious disturbance among the Jews gave\na semblance of excuse for a terrible chastisement to be visited upon\nthem by their Roman masters, which culminated in the destruction of\nJerusalem, A. D. 71. The city fell after a six months' siege before\nthe Roman arms led by Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian. Josephus,\nthe famous historian, to whom we owe most of our knowledge as to the\ndetails of the struggle, was himself a resident in Galilee and was\ncarried to Rome among the captives. From his record we learn that more\nthan a million Jews lost their lives through the famine incident to\nthe siege; many more were sold into slavery, and uncounted numbers\nwere forced into exile. The city was utterly destroyed, and the site\nupon which the temple had stood was plowed up by the Romans in their\nsearch for treasure. Thus literally were the words of Christ\nfulfilled, \"There shall not be left here one stone upon another that\nshall not be thrown down.\"[969]\n\n  [968] Jer. xiii, 19.\n\n  [969] Matt. xxiv, 1-2; see also Luke xix, 44. See \"Jesus the\n  Christ,\" pp. 563, 567, 586.\n\n=19.= Since the destruction of Jerusalem and the final disruption of\nthe organized people, the Jews have been wanderers upon the face of\nthe earth, outcasts among the nations, a people without a country, a\nnation without a home. The prophecy uttered by Amos of old has had its\nliteral fulfillment: truly have Israel been sifted among all nations\n\"like as corn is sifted in a sieve;\"[970] let it be remembered,\nhowever that coupled with this dread prediction was the promise, \"Yet\nshall not the least grain fall upon the earth.\"\n\n  [970] Amos ix, 9.\n\n=20. The Lost Tribes.=--As already stated, in the division of the\nIsraelites after the death of Solomon, ten tribes established\nthemselves as an independent kingdom. This, the kingdom of Israel, was\nterminated, as far as history is concerned, by the Assyrian captivity,\n721 B. C. The people were led into Assyria; and later disappeared so\ncompletely that they have been called the Lost Tribes. They seem to\nhave departed from Assyria, and while we lack definite information as\nto their final destination and present location, there is abundant\nevidence that their journey was toward the north.[971] The Lord's Word\nthrough Jeremiah promises that the people shall be brought back \"from\nthe land of the north,\"[972] and a similar declaration has been made\nthrough Divine revelation during the present dispensation.[973]\n\n  [971] Jer. iii, 12.\n\n  [972] Jer. xvi, 15; xxiii, 8; xxxi, 8.\n\n  [973] Doc. and Cov. cxxxiii, 26-27.\n\n=21.= In the writings of Esdras or Ezra, which, however, are not\nincluded among the canonical books of the Bible, but are known as\napocryphal, we find references to the north-bound migration of the ten\ntribes, which they undertook in accordance with a plan to escape the\nheathen by going to \"a further country where never man dwelt, that\nthey might there keep their statutes which they never kept in their\nown land.\"[974] The same writer informs us further that they journeyed\na year and a half into the north country; but he gives us evidence\nthat many remained in the land of their captivity.\n\n  [974] II Esdras xiii. See Note 4.\n\n=22.= The resurrected Christ, while ministering among the Nephites on\nthis hemisphere, specifically mentioned \"the other tribes of the house\nof Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land;\"[975] and\nagain He referred to them as \"other sheep which are not of this land,\nneither of the land of Jerusalem; neither in any parts of that land\naround about, whither I have been to minister.\"[976] Christ announced\na commandment of the Father that He should reveal Himself to them. The\npresent location of the Lost Tribes has not been accurately revealed.\n\n  [975] III Nephi xv, 15.\n\n  [976] III Nephi xvi, 1.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Hebrews.=--Shem is called \"the father of all the children of\n     Eber,\" as Ham is called father of Canaan. The Hebrews and\n     Canaanites were often brought into contact, and exhibited the\n     respective characteristics of the Shemites and the Hamites. The\n     term \"Hebrews\" thus is derived from \"Eber\" (Gen. x, 21; comp.\n     Numb, xxiv, 24).--_Bible Cyclopedia_, by Fausset.\n\n     The writer of the article \"Hebrew\" in Cassell's Bible Dictionary\n     questions the evidence on which the derivation of \"Hebrew\" from\n     \"Eber\" or \"Heber\" is asserted, and says: \"All that can be\n     confidently affirmed is that the term is employed of Abraham, and\n     of the descendants of Jacob in general. The interest attaching to\n     the word, coupled with its obscure origin, suffices to account\n     for the many speculations in regard to it. It may be added that\n     some scholars have found the name 'Hebrews,' a little changed, on\n     the monuments of Egypt. If this interpretation is verified, it\n     will be of value, as showing that when the Egyptians called\n     Joseph a Hebrew, they employed the designation which was accepted\n     among them.\"\n\n     =2. Jews.=--The term properly signifies \"a man of Judah,\" or a\n     descendant of Judah, but the word came to be applied to all those\n     who were otherwise designated 'Hebrews.' It does not appear to\n     have come into use until long after the revolt of Jeroboam and\n     the ten tribes, and so long as the kingdom stood, it was\n     naturally employed of the citizens of the kingdom of Judah (II\n     Kings xvi, 6; xxv, 25); but it rarely occurs in this sense. After\n     the exile it took the extension of meaning which it has to the\n     present day. It was adopted by the remnants of all the tribes,\n     and was the one name by which the descendants of Jacob were known\n     throughout the ancient world; certainly it was far more common\n     than 'Hebrew.' It occurs in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther,\n     Daniel, etc., is found in the Apocrypha; and is common in\n     Josephus, and in the New Testament.\"--_Cassell's Bible\n     Dictionary_.\n\n     \"Under the theocracy they were known as Hebrews, under the\n     monarchy as Israelites, and during foreign domination as Jews.\n     The modern representatives of this stock call themselves Hebrews\n     in race and language, and Israelites in religion, but Jews in\n     both senses.\"--_Standard Dictionary_.\n\n     =3. Zenos.=--\"A Hebrew prophet, often quoted by the Nephite\n     servants of God. All we are told of his personal history is that\n     he was slain because he testified boldly of what God revealed to\n     him. That he was a man greatly blessed of the Lord with the\n     spirit of prophecy is shown by that wonderful and almost\n     incomparable parable of the Vineyard, given at length by Jacob\n     (Jacob, chap. v). His prophecies are also quoted by Nephi (I\n     Nephi xix, 10, 12, 16), Alma (Alma xxxiii, 3, 13, 15), Amulek,\n     Alma (xxxiv, 7), Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman xv, 11), and Mormon\n     (III Nephi x, 16).\"--_Dictionary of the Book of Mormon_, by Elder\n     George Reynolds.\n\n     =4. The Journeyings of the Lost Tribes.=--Esdras, whose books, as\n     stated in the text, are classed among the apocrypha, describes a\n     vision, in the course of which the Ten Tribes are noticed in this\n     way:--\"Those are the tribes which were carried away captives out\n     of their own land in the time of Oseas [Hosea] the king, whom\n     Shalmanezer, the king of the Assyrians, took captive, and crossed\n     them beyond the river; so were they brought into another land.\n     But they took counsel to themselves, that they would leave the\n     multitude of the heathen, and go forth unto a further country\n     where never man dwelt, that they there might keep their statutes,\n     which they never kept in their own land. And they entered in at\n     the narrow passage of the river Euphrates. For the Most High then\n     showed them signs, and stayed the springs of the flood till they\n     were passed over. For through the country there was a great\n     journey, even of a year and a half, and the same region is called\n     Arsareth (or Ararah). Then dwelt they there until the latter\n     time, and when they come forth again, the Most High shall hold\n     still the springs of the river again, that they may go\n     through.\"--II Esdras xiii.\n\n     Concerning the journeyings of the Ten Tribes toward the north,\n     Elder George Reynolds, in his little work _Are We of Israel?_\n     says:--\"They determined to go to a country 'where never man\n     dwelt,' that they might be free from all contaminating\n     influences. That country could only be found in the north.\n     Southern Asia was already the seat of a comparatively ancient\n     civilization; Egypt flourished in northern Africa; and southern\n     Europe was rapidly filling with the future rulers of the world.\n     They had therefore no choice but to turn their faces northward.\n     The first portion of their journey was not however north;\n     according to the account of Esdras, they appear to have at first\n     moved in the direction of their old home; and it is possible that\n     they originally started with the intention of returning thereto;\n     or probably, in order to deceive the Assyrians, they started as\n     if to return to Canaan, and when they crossed the Euphrates and\n     were out of danger from the hosts of Medes and Persians, then\n     they turned their journeying feet toward the polar star. Esdras\n     states that they entered in at the narrow passage of the river\n     Euphrates, the Lord staying the springs of the flood until they\n     were passed over. The point on the river Euphrates at which they\n     crossed would necessarily be in its upper portion, as lower down\n     would be too far south for their purpose. The upper course of the\n     Euphrates lies among lofty mountains; near the village of Pastash\n     it plunges through a gorge formed by precipices more than a\n     thousand feet in height, and so narrow that it is bridged at the\n     top; it shortly afterward enters the plain of Mesopotamia. How\n     accurately this portion of the river answers to the description\n     of Esdras of the 'Narrows' where the Israelites crossed!\"\n\n     \"The tribes shall come; they are not lost unto the Lord; they\n     shall be brought forth as hath been predicted; and I say unto you\n     there are those now living--aye, some here present--who shall\n     live to read the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel, which\n     shall be made one with the record of the Jews, or the Holy Bible,\n     and the record of the Nephites, or the Book of Mormon, even as\n     the Lord hath predicted; and those records, which the tribes lost\n     to man but yet to be found again shall bring, shall tell of the\n     visit of the resurrected Christ to them, after He had manifested\n     Himself to the Nephites upon this continent.\" From address by the\n     author October 8, 1916, see Proceedings of 87th Semi-annual\n     Conference of the Church.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XVIII.\n\nTHE GATHERING OF ISRAEL.\n\n     =Article 10.=--We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and\n     in the restoration of the Ten Tribes, etc.\n\n\n=1. The Gathering Predicted.=--Terrible as was the chastisement\ndecreed on Israel for their waywardness and sin, amounting, as it did,\nto their dissolution as a nation, and to a virtual expulsion from the\nsight of the Lord's favor; fearful as has been their denunciation by\nHim who delighted to call them His people; through all their\nsufferings and deprivations, while wandering as outcasts among alien\nnations who have never ceased to treat them with contumely and insult,\nwhen their very name has been made a hiss and a byword in the\nearth;--they have ever been sustained by the sure word of Divine\npromise, that a day of glorious deliverance and blessed restoration\nawaits them. Associated with the curses under which they writhed and\ngroaned, were assurances of blessings. From the heart of the people,\nas from the soul of their mighty king in the day of his deserved\naffliction, has poured forth a song of tearful rejoicing:--\"Thou wilt\nnot leave my soul in hell.\"[977] The sufferings of Israel have been\nbut necessary chastening by a grieved yet loving Father, who planned\nby these effective means to purify His sin-stained children. To them\nHe has freely told His purpose in thus afflicting them, and in His\npunishments they have seen His love, \"For whom the Lord loveth he\nchasteneth,\"[978] and \"Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, O\nLord.\"[979]\n\n  [977] Psa. xvi, 10; Acts ii, 27.\n\n  [978] Heb. xii, 6.\n\n  [979] Psa. xciv, 12; see also Prov. iii, 12; James i, 12; Rev.\n  iii, 19.\n\n=2.= Though smitten of men, a large part of them gone from a knowledge\nof the world, Israel are not lost unto their Father; He knows whither\nthey have been led or driven; toward them His heart still yearns with\npaternal love; and surely will He bring them forth, in due time and by\nappointed means, into a condition of favor and power, befitting His\nchosen and covenant people. In spite of their sin, and the\ntribulations which they would assuredly bring upon themselves, the\nLord said:--\"And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their\nenemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to\ndestroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the\nLord their God.\"[980] As complete as was the scattering, so will be\nthe gathering of Israel.\n\n  [980] Levit. xxvi, 44; see also Deut. iv, 27-31.\n\n=3. Bible Prophecies concerning the Gathering.=--We have examined a\nfew of the biblical predictions concerning the dispersion of Israel;\nin all cases the blessing of eventual restoration was associated with\nthe curse. Among the early prophecies, we hear the Lord declaring that\nit shall come to pass that when thou, Israel, \"shalt return unto the\nLord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command\nthee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with\nall thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and\nhave compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all\nthe nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of\nthine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will\nthe Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and\nthe Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers\npossessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and\nmultiply thee above thy fathers.\"[981]\n\n  [981] Deut. xxx, 2-5.\n\n=4.= Nehemiah pleads in fasting and prayer that the Lord would\nremember His promise of restoration if the people would turn unto\nrighteousness.[982] Isaiah speaks with no uncertain words of the\nassured return and re-union of scattered Israel, saying:--\"And it\nshall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again\nthe second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be\nleft.... And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall\nassemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of\nJudah from the four corners of the earth.\"[983]\n\n  [982] Neh. i, 9.\n\n  [983] Isaiah xi, 11-12.\n\n=5.= The restoration is to be complete; there shall be a united\npeople, no longer two kingdoms, each at enmity with the other; for,\n\"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah\nshall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not\nvex Ephraim.\"[984] With the words of a fond Father, the Lord thus\nspeaks of His treatment of Israel and brightens their desolation with\npromises:--\"For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great\nmercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee\nfor a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,\nsaith the Lord thy Redeemer.\"[985]\n\n  [984] Verse 13; see also Ezek. xxxvii, 21.\n\n  [985] Isa. liv, 7-8.\n\n=6.= After giving a terrible recital of the people's sins and the\npenalties to follow, Jeremiah thus voices the will and purpose of God,\nconcerning the subsequent deliverance:--\"Therefore, behold, the days\ncome, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth,\nthat brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but,\nThe Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land\nof the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and\nI will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their\nfathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and\nthey shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they\nshall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of\nthe holes of the rocks.\"[986] And again:--\"Behold, I will bring them\nfrom the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the\nearth.... Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in\nthe isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him,\nand keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed\nJacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than\nhe. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and\nshall flow together to the goodness of the Lord.\"[987]\n\n  [986] Jer. xvi, 12-16.\n\n  [987] Jer. xxxi, 7-8, 10-12.\n\n=7.= \"Backsliding Israel,\" \"treacherous Judah,\" are the terms of\nreproof with which the Lord addressed His recreant children; then He\ncommanded the prophet, saying: \"Go and proclaim these words toward the\nnorth, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I\nwill not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith\nthe Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine\niniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and\nhast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and\nye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding\nchildren, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take\nyou one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:\nAnd I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed\nyou with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when\nye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the\nLord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord:\nneither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither\nshall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time\nthey shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations\nshall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem;\nneither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil\nheart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of\nIsrael, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to\nthe land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.\"[988]\n\n  [988] Jer. iii, 12-18; see also xxiii, 8; xxv, 34; xxx, 3; xxxii,\n  37.\n\n=8.= To Ezekiel the Lord also declared the plan of Israel's\nrestoration:--\"Thus saith the Lord God; behold, I will take the\nchildren of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and\nwill gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:\nAnd I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of\nIsrael: and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no\nmore two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any\nmore at all.\"[989]\n\n  [989] Ezek. xxxvii, 21-22; see also xi, 17; xx, 34-42; xxviii, 25;\n  xxxiv, 11, 31.\n\n=9.= That the re-establishment is to be a permanent one is evident\nfrom the revelation given through Amos, wherein we read that the Lord\nsaid:--\"And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel,\nand they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they\nshall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also\nmake gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon\ntheir land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land\nwhich I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.\"[990]\n\n  [990] Amos ix, 14-15.\n\n=10.= As a fitting close to our selection of biblical prophecies, let\nthe words of Jesus of Nazareth be read, spoken while He lived among\nmen: \"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,\nand they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one\nend of heaven to the other.\"[991]\n\n  [991] Matt. xxiv, 31.\n\n=11. Book of Mormon Prophecies.=--The gathering of Israel claimed the\nattention of many prophets whose teachings are recorded in the Book of\nMormon, and not a little direct revelation concerning the subject is\npreserved within the pages of that volume. We have noted Lehi's\ndiscourse in the valley of Lemuel, in which that patriarch-prophet\ncompared the house of Israel to an olive tree, the branches of which\nwere to be broken off and scattered; now may we add his prediction\nregarding the subsequent grafting-in of the branches. He taught that,\n\"after the house of Israel shall be scattered, they should be gathered\ntogether again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the\nfulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the\nremnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to a\nknowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.\"[992]\n\n  [992] I Nephi x, 14; see also Jacob v.\n\n=12.= Nephi, quoting the words of the prophet Zenos,[993] emphasizes\nthe declaration that, when purified by suffering, Israel shall come\nagain into the favor of the Lord, and then shall they be gathered from\nthe four quarters of the earth, and the isles of the sea shall be\nremembered.[994] Jacob, the brother of Nephi, testified to the truth\nof the prophecies of Zenos, and indicated the time of the gathering as\na characteristic sign of the last days. Consider his words:--\"And in\nthe day that he shall set his hand again the second time, to recover\nhis people, is the day, yea, even the last time that the servants of\nthe Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his\nvineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.\"[995]\n\n  [993] See Note 3, p. 340.\n\n  [994] I Nephi xix, 16; see also I Nephi xxii, 11, 12, 25; II Nephi\n  vi, 8-11.\n\n  [995] Jacob vi, 2.\n\n=13.= Among the most comprehensive predictions regarding the\nrestoration of the Jews is the following utterance of Nephi:--\"Wherefore,\nthe Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon\nshall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other\nnations; and after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath\nscourged them by other nations, for the space of many generations,\nyea, even down from generation to generation, until they shall be\npersuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement,\nwhich is infinite for all mankind; and when that day shall come, that\nthey shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with\npure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another\nMessiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs to\nbe expedient that they should believe these things, and the Lord will\nset his hand again the second time to restore his people from their\nlost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous\nwork and a wonder among the children of men.\"[996]\n\n  [996] II Nephi xxv, 15-17.\n\n=14.= Nephi, commenting on the words of Isaiah regarding the\nsufferings and subsequent triumph of the people of Israel, states the\ncondition upon which their gathering is predicated, and says of\nGod:--\"That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy\nprophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation,\nuntil the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church\nand fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of\ntheir inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of\npromise.\"[997]\n\n  [997] II Nephi ix, 2; see also I Nephi xv, 19; xix, 13-16; II\n  Nephi xxv, 16, 17, 20; III Nephi v, 21-26; xxi, 26-29; xxix, 1-8;\n  Mormon v, 14.\n\n=15.= It is evident from these and many other passages that the time\nof the Jews' return is to be determined by their acceptance of Christ\nas their Lord. When that time comes, they are to be gathered to the\nland of their fathers; and in the work of gathering, the Gentiles are\ndestined to take a great and honorable part, as witness the further\nwords of Nephi:--\"But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day\ncometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I\ncovenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the\nflesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance. And it\nshall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long\ndispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the\nearth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of\nme, saith God, in carrying them forth to the land of their\ninheritance. Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers\nunto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore,\nthe promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath\nspoken it, and who can dispute?\"[998]\n\n  [998] II Nephi x, 7-9; xxx, 7; see also Isaiah xlix, 23; III Nephi\n  v, 26; xx, 29.\n\n=16.= The assistance which the Gentiles are to give in the preparation\nof the Jews, and of the remnant of the house of Israel established on\nthe western continent, is affirmed by several Book of Mormon prophets;\nand, moreover, the blessings which the Gentiles may thus bring upon\nthemselves are described in detail.[999] A single quotation must\nsuffice for our present purpose; and this the declaration of the risen\nLord, during His brief ministration among the Nephites:--\"But if they\n[the Gentiles] will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not\ntheir hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall\ncome in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of\nJacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance, and\nthey shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also, as many\nof the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city,\nwhich shall be called the New Jerusalem; and then shall they assist my\npeople that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the\nface of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the power\nof heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst; and\nthen shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this\ngospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I\nsay unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among\nall the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes which have been\nlost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work\nshall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father,\nto prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call\non the Father in my name; yea, and then shall the work commence, with\nthe Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people\nmay be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.\"[1000]\n\n  [999] III Nephi xxi, 21-27; Ether xiii, 8-10.\n\n  [1000] III Nephi xxi, 22-28.\n\n=17. Modern Revelation Concerning the Gathering.=--We have found\nabundant proof of the severely literal fulfilment of prophecies\nrelating to Israel's dispersion. The predictions relative to the\ngathering have been but partly fulfilled; for, while the work of\nconcentration has been well begun, and is now in active progress, the\nconsummation of the labor is yet future. It is reasonable, then, to\nlook for revelation and prophecy concerning the subject, in modern\nscripture as well as in the inspired writings of former times.\nSpeaking to the elders of the Church in this dispensation, the Lord\ndeclares His purpose to gather His people \"even as a hen gathereth her\nchickens under her wings,\"[1001] and adds: \"And ye are called to\nbring to pass the gathering of mine elect, for mine elect hear my\nvoice, and harden not their hearts; wherefore the decree hath gone\nforth from the Father, that they shall be gathered in unto one place\nupon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in\nall things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent\nforth upon the wicked.\"[1002]\n\n  [1001] Revelation given 1830, Doc. and Cov. xxix, 2; see also x,\n  65; xliii, 24.\n\n  [1002] Doc. and Cov. xxix, 7-8; see also xxxi, 8; xxxiii, 6;\n  xxxviii, 31; cxxxiii, 7; xlv, 25; lxxvii, 14; lxxxiv, 2.\n\n=18.= Hear further the word of the Lord unto the people of His Church\nin the present day, not only predicting the gathering of the Saints to\nZion, but announcing that the hour for the gathering has\ncome:--\"Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify\nyourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my Church.... Yea,\nverily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the\nLord is unto you, go ye out of Babylon, gather ye out from among the\nnations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the\nother.\"[1003]\n\n  [1003] Doc. and Cov. cxxxiii, 4, 7.\n\n=19. Extent and Purpose of the Gathering.=--Some of the prophecies\nalready cited have special reference to the restoration of the Ten\nTribes; others relate to the return of the people of Judah to the land\nof their inheritance; yet others refer to the re-establishment of\nIsrael in general, without mention of tribal or other divisions; while\nmany passages in the revelations of the present dispensation deal with\nthe gathering of the Saints who have numbered themselves with the\nChurch of Christ as re-established. It is evident that the plan of\ngathering comprises:--\n\n1. Return of the Jews to Jerusalem.\n\n2. Restoration of the Ten Tribes.\n\n3. Assembling in the land of Zion of the people of Israel from the\nnations of the earth.\n\n=20.= The sequence of these subdivisions as here presented, is that of\nconvenience only, and has no significance as to the order in which the\nwork is to be done. The division last named constitutes the present\ngreat work of the Church, though the labor of assisting in the\nrestoration of the Lost Tribes is included. We are informed by\nrevelation, given in the Kirtland Temple, that the appointment to and\nthe authority for this work were solemnly committed to the Church. And\nthrough whom should such authority be expected to come? Surely through\nhim who had received it by Divine commission in a former dispensation\nof united Israel. Moses, who was the chief representative of Israel's\nGod when the Lord set His hand the first time to lead His people to\nthe land of their appointed inheritance, has come in person and has\ncommitted to the latter-day Church the authority to minister in the\nwork now that the Lord has \"set his hand the second time\" to recover\nHis people.\n\n=21.= Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, each of whom had been duly\nordained to the apostleship, testify of the manifestations made to\nthem, in these words:--\"The heavens were again opened unto us, and\nMoses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the\ngathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading\nof the ten tribes from the land of the north.\"[1004] The importance of\nthe work thus required of the Church was emphasized by a later\nrevelation, in which the Lord gave this command:--\"Send forth the\nelders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the\nislands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all\nnations; firstly upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And\nbehold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord\nunto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion.... Let them,\ntherefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion. And let them who\nbe of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountain of the Lord's\nhouse. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the\nmidst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.\"[1005]\n\n  [1004] Doc. and Cov. cx, 11.\n\n  [1005] Doc. and Cov. cxxxiii, 8-9, 12-14.\n\n=22.= The last sentence of the foregoing quotation expresses the\npurpose for which this work of gathering the Saints from the nations\nof the earth has been ordained. The Lord would have His people\nseparate themselves from the sins of the world, and depart from\nspiritual Babylon, that they may learn the ways of God and serve Him\nthe more fully. John the Revelator, while in exile on Patmos, saw in\nvision the fate of the sinful world. An angel came down from heaven,\n\"and he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great\nis fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the\nhold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful\nbird.... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of\nher, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye\nreceive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and\nGod hath remembered her iniquities.\"[1006]\n\n  [1006] Rev. xviii, 2, 4-5.\n\n=23.= The faith of the Saints teaches that in the day of the Lord's\nrighteous fury, safety will be found in Zion. The importance which the\nLatter-day Saints associate with the work of gathering, and the\nfidelity with which they seek to discharge the duty enjoined upon them\nby Divine authority in the matter of warning the world of the\nimpending dangers, as described in the Revelator's vision, are\nsufficiently demonstrated by the great extent of the missionary labor\nas at present prosecuted by this people.[1007]\n\n  [1007] See Note 1.\n\n=24. Israel a Chosen People.=--It is evident that the Lord has\nconferred the choicest of blessings upon His people Israel.[1008] With\nAbraham, the patriarch of the nation, God entered into a covenant and\nsaid:--\"I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and\nmake thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless\nthem that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee\nshall all families of the earth be blessed.\"[1009] This was to be an\neverlasting covenant.[1010] It was confirmed upon Isaac,[1011] and in\nturn upon Jacob who was called Israel.[1012] The promises regarding\nthe multitudinous posterity, among whom were to be counted many of\nroyal rank, have been literally fulfilled. No less certain is the\nrealization of the second part of the prediction, that in and through\nAbraham's descendants should all nations of the earth be blessed. For,\nby a world-wide dispersion, the children of Israel have been mingled\nwith the nations; and the blood of the chosen seed has been sprinkled\namong the peoples.[1013] And now, in this the day of gathering, when\nthe Lord is again bringing His people together to honor and bless them\nabove all that the world can give, every nation with the blood of\nIsrael in the veins of its members will partake of the blessings.\n\n  [1008] See Note 2.\n\n  [1009] Gen. xii, 1-2; see also Gal. iii, 14, 16.\n\n  [1010] Gen. xvii, 6-8.\n\n  [1011] Gen. xxvi, 3-4.\n\n  [1012] Gen. xxxv, 11-12.\n\n  [1013] See Note 3.\n\n=25.= But there is another and a more striking proof of blessings\nflowing to all nations through the house of Israel. Was not the\nRedeemer born in the flesh through the lineage of Abraham? Surely the\nblessings of that Divine birth are extended, not only to the nations\nand families of the earth collectively, but to every individual in\nmortality.\n\n=26. Restoration of the Ten Tribes.=--From the scriptural passages\nalready considered, it is plain that, while many of those belonging to\nthe Ten Tribes were dispersed among the nations, a sufficient number\nto justify the retention of the original name were led away as a body,\nand are now in existence in some place where the Lord has hidden\nthem. To them Christ went to minister after His visit to the Nephites,\nas before stated.[1014] Their return constitutes a very important part\nof the gathering, characteristic of the dispensation of the fullness\nof times.\n\n  [1014] Pp. 338-339.\n\n=27.= To the scriptures already quoted as relating to their return,\nthe following should be added: As a feature of the work of God in the\nday of restoration we are told:--\"And they who are in the north\ncountries shall come in remembrance before the Lord, and their\nprophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves,\nand they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their\npresence. And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great\ndeep. Their enemies shall become a prey unto them. And in the barren\ndeserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched\nground shall no longer be a thirsty land. And they shall bring forth\ntheir rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim my servants. And the\nboundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.\nAnd there shall they fall down, and be crowned with glory, even in\nZion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of\nEphraim; and they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.\nBehold this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of\nIsrael, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his\nfellows.\"[1015]\n\n  [1015] Doc. and Cov. cxxxiii, 26-34.\n\n=28.= From the express and repeated declaration, that in their exodus\nfrom the north the Ten Tribes are to be led to Zion, there to receive\nhonor at the hands of some of the children of Ephraim, who necessarily\nare to have previously gathered there, it is plain that Zion is to be\nfirst established. The establishment of Zion will receive attention in\nthe next lecture.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Gathering Now in Progress.=--The Latter-day Saints \"are\n     building up stakes of Zion in the Rocky Mountain valleys, and in\n     this way are fulfilling predictions of the ancient prophets.\n     Isaiah hath it written, 'And it shall come to pass in the last\n     days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established\n     in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the\n     hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall\n     go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the\n     Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of\n     his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go\n     forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem' (Isaiah\n     ii, 2-3). It is remarkable how minutely the Latter-day Saints are\n     fulfilling the terms of this prophecy: 1. They are building the\n     temples of God in the tops of the mountains, so that the house of\n     the Lord is truly where Isaiah saw it would be. 2. The Saints\n     engaged in this work are people gathered from nearly all the\n     nations under heaven, so that all nations are flowing unto the\n     house of the Lord in the top of the mountains. 3. The people who\n     receive the gospel in foreign lands joyfully say to their\n     relatives and friends: Come ye, and let us go up to the house of\n     the Lord, and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in\n     his paths.\"--Roberts' _Outlines of Ecclesiastical History_, p.\n     409.\n\n     =2. Israel a Chosen People.=--\"The promise to Abram that he\n     should become a great nation, has been fulfilled in his chosen\n     seed occupying the land of Palestine, as such, for fifteen\n     hundred years. It will again be fulfilled when they become a\n     nation on that land forever. The history of the eastern\n     hemisphere for the two thousand years which intervened between\n     the calling of Abraham and the destruction of Jerusalem by the\n     Romans, witnesses that every nation that fought against Israel,\n     or in any way oppressed them, passed away. Time will show the\n     same general result from the destruction of Jerusalem to the\n     millennium. The Prophet Isaiah, speaking of the time when the\n     Lord should favor Israel, said, 'All they that were incensed\n     against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as\n     nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish' (xli, 11).\n     'I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and\n     they shall be drunken with their own blood' (xlix, 27). 'I have\n     taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of\n     the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink of it again: but I\n     will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have\n     said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over.'\"--_A Compendium\n     of the Doctrines of the Gospel_, by Elders Franklin D. Richards\n     and James A. Little, pp. 246-247.\n\n     =3. Israel Among the Nations.=--\"When we reflect that it is\n     thirty-two centuries since the enemies of Israel began to oppress\n     them in the land of Canaan, that about one-third of the time they\n     were a people in that land they were more or less in bondage to\n     their enemies; that seven hundred years before the coming of\n     Christ the ten tribes were scattered throughout western Asia;\n     that we have no record that any have as yet returned to the land\n     of their inheritance; that nearly six hundred years before\n     Christ, the Babylonish captivity took place, and that, according\n     to the Book of Esther, only a small part of the Jews ever\n     returned, but were scattered through the 127 provinces of the\n     Persian empire; that Asia was the hive from which swarmed the\n     nomadic tribes who over-ran Europe; that at the destruction of\n     Jerusalem by the Romans the Jews were scattered over the known\n     world; we may well ask the question, Does not Israel to-day\n     constitute a large proportion of the human\n     family?\"--_Compendium_, by Elders F. D. Richards and James A.\n     Little, p. 90.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XIX.\n\nZION.\n\n     =Article 10.=--We believe ... That Zion will be built upon this\n     [the American]\ncontinent, etc.\n\n\n=1. Two Gathering Places.=--Some of the passages quoted in connection\nwith the dispersion and the subsequent re-union of Israel, make\nreference to Jerusalem which is to be re-established, and Zion which\nis to be built. True, the latter name is in many cases used as a\nsynonym of the first, owing to the fact that a certain hill within the\nJerusalem of old was known specifically as Zion, or Mount Zion; and\nthe name of a part is often used figuratively to designate the whole;\nbut in other passages, the separate and distinctive meaning of the\nterms is clear. The prophet Micah, who ministered during the seventh\ncentury before the birth of Christ, \"full of power by the spirit of\nthe Lord, and of judgment, and of might,\"[1016] predicted the\ndestruction of Jerusalem and its associated Zion, the former to\n\"become heaps,\" and the latter to be \"plowed as a field;\"[1017] and\nthen announced a new condition which is to exist in the last days,\nwhen another \"mountain of the house of the Lord\" is to be established,\nand this is to be called Zion.[1018] The two places are mentioned\nseparately in the prophecy:--\"For the law shall go forth of Zion, and\nthe word of the Lord from Jerusalem.\"[1019]\n\n  [1016] Micah iii, 8.\n\n  [1017] Micah iii, 12; see also page 337 of this book.\n\n  [1018] Micah iv, 1.\n\n  [1019] Micah iv, 2; Isaiah ii, 2-3.\n\n=2.= Joel adds this testimony regarding the two places from which the\nLord shall rule over His people:--\"The Lord also shall roar out of\nZion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem.\"[1020] Zephaniah breaks\nforth into song, with the triumph of Israel as his theme, and\naddresses the daughters of both cities:--\"Sing, O daughter of Zion;\nshout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of\nJerusalem.\"[1021] Then, the prophet predicts separately of each\nplace:--\"In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and\nto Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.\"[1022] Furthermore, Zechariah\nrecords the revealed will in this way:--\"And the Lord shall yet\ncomfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.\"[1023]\n\n  [1020] Joel iii, 16.\n\n  [1021] Zeph. iii, 14.\n\n  [1022] Verse 16.\n\n  [1023] Zech. i, 17; See also ii, 7-12.\n\n=3.= When the people of the house of Jacob are prepared to receive the\nRedeemer as their rightful king, when the scattered sheep of Israel,\nhave been sufficiently humbled through suffering and sorrow to know\nand to follow their Shepherd, then, indeed, will He come to reign\namong them. Then a literal kingdom will be established, wide as the\nworld, with the King of Kings on the throne; and the two capitals of\nthis mighty empire will be, Jerusalem on the eastern hemisphere, and\nZion on the western. Isaiah speaks of the glory of Christ's kingdom in\nthe latter days, and ascribes separately to Zion and to Jerusalem the\nblessings of triumph:[1024]--\"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get\nthee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good\ntidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid;\nsay unto the cities of Judah, behold your God.\"[1025]\n\n  [1024] Isa. iv, 3-4.\n\n  [1025] Isa. xl, 9.\n\n=4. The Name \"Zion\"= is used in several distinct senses. By\nderivation, the word _Zion_, or, as written by the Greeks, _Sion_,\nprobably meant _bright_, or _sunny_; but this commonplace\nsignification is lost in the deeper and more affecting meaning which\nthe word as a name and title came to acquire. As stated, a particular\nhill within the site of the city of Jerusalem was called Zion. When\nDavid gained his victory over the Jebusites, he captured and occupied\nthe \"stronghold of Zion,\" and named it the city of David.[1026] \"Zion\"\nthen was the name of a place; and it has been applied as follows:\n\n  [1026] II Sam. v, 6-7; see also I Kings ii, 10, and viii, 1.\n\n     1. To the hill itself, or Mount Zion, and, by extension of\n     meaning, to Jerusalem.\n\n     2. To the location of the \"mountain of the house of the Lord,\"\n     which Micah predicts shall be established in the last days,\n     distinct from Jerusalem. To these we may add another application\n     of the name as made known through modern revelation, viz.:\n\n     3. To the city of Holiness, founded by Enoch, the seventh\n     patriarch in descent from Adam, and called by him Zion.[1027]\n\n  [1027] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 18-21.\n\n4. Yet another use of the term is to be noted--viz.: a metaphorical\none--by which the Church of God is called Zion, comprising, according\nto the Lord's own definition, the pure in heart.[1028]\n\n  [1028] Doc. and Cov. xcvii, 21.\n\n=5. Jerusalem.=--As a fitting introduction to our study regarding the\nnew Zion, yet to be built, as we shall presently see, on the western\nhemisphere, let us briefly consider the history and destiny of\nJerusalem,[1029] the Zion of the eastern continent. The word Jerusalem\nis generally believed to mean by derivation the _foundation_ or _city\nof peace_. We meet it for the first time as Salem, the abode of\nMelchizedek, high-priest and king, to whom Abram paid tithes, in the\nnineteenth century before Christ.[1030] We find a direct statement\nconcerning the identity of Salem and Jerusalem by Josephus.[1031] As\nnoted, the city was wrested from the Jebusites by David;[1032] this\nwas about 1048 B.C. During the reigns of David and Solomon, the city\nas the capital of the kingdom of undivided Israel acquired great fame\nfor its riches, beauty, and strength, its chief attraction being the\nmarvelous temple of Solomon which adorned Mount Moriah.[1033] After\nthe division of the kingdom, Jerusalem remained the capital of the\nsmaller kingdom of Judah.\n\n  [1029] See Note 1.\n\n  [1030] Gen. xiv, 18-20.\n\n  [1031] Ant. of the Jews I, chapter x.\n\n  [1032] II Sam. v, 6-7.\n\n  [1033] I Kin. v-viii; II Chron. ii-vii.\n\n=6.= Among its many and varied vicissitudes incident to the fortunes\nof war,[1034] may be mentioned:--the destruction of the city and the\nenslaving of the inhabitants by Nebuchadnezzar, 588-585 B.C.;[1035]\nits re-establishment at the close of the Babylonian captivity[1036]\n(about 515 B.C.); and its final overthrow at the disruption of the\nJewish nation by the Romans, 70-71 A.D. In importance, and in the love\nof the Jews, the city was the very heart of Jewry: and in the\nestimation of Christians, it has ever been invested with sanctity. It\noccupied an important place in the earthly mission of the Redeemer,\nand was the scene of His death, resurrection, and ascension. The\nSavior's high regard for the chief city of His people is beyond\nquestion. He forbade that any should swear by it, \"for it is the city\nof the great King;\"[1037] and because of its sins, He lamented over it\nas a father for a wayward child.[1038]\n\n  [1034] I Kings xiv, 25; II Kings xiv, 13-14; xxv; II Chron. xii,\n  2-5; xxxvi, 14, 21; Jer. xxxix, 5-8.\n\n  [1035] Jer. lii, 12-15.\n\n  [1036] Ezra i-iii; Neh. ii.\n\n  [1037] Matt. v, 35; see also Psa. xlviii, 2; lxxxvii, 3.\n\n  [1038] Matt. xxiii, 37; Luke xiii, 34.\n\n=7.= But, great as is Jerusalem's past, a yet greater future awaits\nher. Again will the city become a royal seat, her throne that of the\nKing of Kings, with permanency of glory assured.\n\n=8. The Latter-day Zion; New Jerusalem.=--The biblical statements\nconcerning the Zion of the last days as separate from the ancient or\nthe re-established Jerusalem of the east, are silent regarding the\ngeographical location of this second and modern capital of Christ's\nkingdom. We learn something, however, from the Bible as to the\nphysical characteristics of the region wherein Zion is to be built.\nThus, Micah, after predicting the desolation of the hill, Mount Zion,\nand of Jerusalem in general, describes in contrast the new Zion,\nwherein the house of the Lord is to be built in the last days. These\nare his words:--\"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the\nmountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of\nthe mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people\nshall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and\nlet us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God\nof Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his\npaths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord\nfrom Jerusalem.\"[1039]\n\n  [1039] Micah iv, 1-2.\n\n=9.= The prophecy of Isaiah is not less explicit regarding the\nmountainous character of the country of modern Zion;[1040] and,\nfurthermore, this writer assures us that the righteous man only shall\nbe able to dwell amid the fiery splendor of this new abode; and of him\nthe prophet says:--\"He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall\nbe the munitions of rocks;\" and adds the statement that the land shall\nbe very far off.[1041] In another passage, he mentions a gathering\nplace \"beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,\" and, \"on the mountains\" where\nthe Lord is to \"set up an ensign\" to the world.[1042]\n\n  [1040] Isa. ii, 2-3.\n\n  [1041] Isa. xxxiii. 15-17.\n\n  [1042] Isa. xviii, 1-3.\n\n=10.= The teachings of the Book of Mormon, and the truths made known\nthrough revelation in the present dispensation, regarding the Zion of\nthe last days, while agreeing with the biblical record as to the general\ndescription of the situation, and the glories of the city, are more\nexplicit in regard to the location. In these scriptures, the names\nZion and New Jerusalem are used synonymously, the latter designation\nbeing given in honor of the Jerusalem of the east. John the Revelator\nsaw in vision a New Jerusalem as characteristic of the latter times.[1043]\nEther, writing 600 B.C. as a prophet among the Jaredites,--a people\nwho had inhabited parts of North America for centuries before Lehi and\nhis followers came to this hemisphere,[1044]--foretold the\nestablishment of the New Jerusalem on this continent, and emphasized\nthe distinction between that city and the Jerusalem of old.\n\n  [1043] Rev. xxi, 2.\n\n  [1044] See page 266.\n\n=11.= The Nephite prophet, Moroni, in the synopsis of the writings of\nEther, says of the latter, that he saw concerning the land of North\nAmerica, \"That it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should\ncome down out of heaven, and the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord.\" And\nadds: \"Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a\nnew Jerusalem, upon this land; And he spake also concerning the house\nof Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it\nshould be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the\nLord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a\ntime of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city\nof the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel: And that\na New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of\nthe seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type: For as\nJoseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died\nthere; wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out\nof the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of\nJoseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the\nfather of Joseph, that he should perish not; Wherefore the remnant of\nthe house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a\nland of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto\nthe Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be\nconfounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away.\"[1045]\n\n  [1045] Book of Mormon, Ether xiii, 3-8.\n\n=12.= Jesus Christ visited the Nephites in North America soon after\nHis resurrection, and in the course of His teachings said:--\"And\nbehold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling\nof the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a\nNew Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this\npeople; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.\"[1046] Our Savior\npredicted further, as set forth in a previous lecture,[1047] that the\nGentiles, if they would repent of their sins, and not harden their\nhearts, should be included in the covenant, and be permitted to assist\nin the building of a city to be called the New Jerusalem.[1048]\n\n  [1046] III Nephi xx, 22.\n\n  [1047] See pp. 348-349.\n\n  [1048] III Nephi xxi, 22-24.\n\n=13.= Ether the Jaredite, and John the Revelator, separated by more\nthan six centuries of time and prophesying on opposite hemispheres,\neach saw the New Jerusalem come down from heaven, \"prepared,\" says the\nJewish apostle, \"as a bride adorned for her husband.\"[1049] We have\nalready spoken of the Zion of Enoch,[1050] a city once situated on the\nNorth American continent, whose inhabitants were so righteous that\nthey too were called Zion, \"because they were of one heart and one\nmind.\"[1051] They, with their patriarch leader, were translated from\nthe earth, or, as we read, \"it came to pass that Zion was not, for\nGod received it up into His own bosom, and from thence went forth the\nsaying, 'Zion is fled.'\"[1052] But before this event, the Lord had\nrevealed unto Enoch the Divine purpose in regard to humanity, even\nunto the last of time. Great events are to mark the latter days; the\nelect are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth to a\nplace prepared for them; the tabernacle of the Lord is to be\nestablished there, and the place \"shall be called Zion, a New\nJerusalem.\" Then Enoch and his people are to return to earth and meet\nthe gathered elect in the holy place.\n\n  [1049] Rev. xxi, 2.\n\n  [1050] Page 358.\n\n  [1051] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 18.\n\n  [1052] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 69; Doc. and Cov. xxxviii,\n  4; xlv, 11-12; lxxxiv, 99-100.\n\n=14.= We have seen that the names Zion and New Jerusalem are used\ninterchangeably; and, furthermore, that righteous people as well as\nsanctified places are called Zion; for, by the Lord's special word,\nZion to Him means \"the pure in heart.\"[1053] The Church in this day\nteaches that the New Jerusalem seen by John, and by the prophet Ether,\nas descending from the heavens in glory, is the return of exalted\nEnoch and his righteous people; and that the people or Zion of Enoch,\nand the modern Zion, or the gathered elect on the western continent,\nwill become one people.\n\n  [1053] Doc. and Cov. xcvii, 21; Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii,\n  18; also Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 100.\n\n=15.= The Book of Mormon is explicit in foretelling the establishment\nof Zion on the western continent; but the precise location was not\nrevealed until after the restoration of the priesthood in the present\ndispensation. In 1831, the Lord commanded the elders of His Church in\nthis wise:--\"Go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the\ninhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up\nchurches unto me; and with one heart and with one mind, gather up your\nriches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be\nappointed unto you; and it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land\nof peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the\nMost High God; and the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the\nterror of the Lord shall also be there, insomuch that the wicked will\nnot come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.\"[1054]\n\n  [1054] Doc. and Cov. xiv, 64-67; read further, verses 68-71.\n\n=16.= Later revelations called the elders of the Church to assemble in\nwestern Missouri,[1055] and designated that place as the land\nappointed and consecrated for the gathering of the Saints.[1056]\n\"Wherefore this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of\nZion.\"[1057] The town of Independence was named as \"the center place,\"\nand the site for the temple was designated, the Saints being counseled\nto purchase land there, \"that they may obtain it for an everlasting\ninheritance.\"[1058] On August 3rd, 1831, the temple site thus named\nwas solemnly dedicated by the prophet, Joseph Smith, and his\nassociates in the priesthood.[1059] The region round about was also\ndedicated, that it might be a gathering place for the people of God.\n\n  [1055] Doc. and Cov. lii, 2-3; see Note 2.\n\n  [1056] Doc. and Cov. lvii, 1-2\n\n  [1057] Verse 2.\n\n  [1058] Verses 4-5.\n\n  [1059] See Note 3.\n\n=17.= Such, then, is the belief of the Latter-day Saints; such are the\nteachings of the Church. But the plan of building up Zion has not yet\nbeen consummated. The Saints were not permitted to enter into\nimmediate possession of the land, which was promised them as an\neverlasting inheritance. Even as years elapsed between the time of the\nLord's promise to Israel of old that Canaan should be their\ninheritance, and the time of their entering into possession\nthereof,--years devoted to the people's toilsome and sorrowful\npreparation for the fulfilment,--so in these latter-days, the Divine\npurpose is held in abeyance, while the people are being sanctified\nfor the great gift, and for the greater responsibilities associated\nwith it. In the meantime, the honest in heart are gathering to the\nvalleys of the Rocky Mountains; and here, in the tops of the\nmountains, exalted above the hills, temples have been erected, and all\nnations are flowing unto this region. But Zion shall yet be\nestablished on the chosen site; she \"shall not be moved out of her\nplace,\" and the pure in heart shall surely return, \"with songs of\neverlasting joy to build up the waste places of Zion.\"[1060]\n\n  [1060] Doc. and Cov. ci, 17-18; see also ci, 43, 74, 75; ciii, 1,\n  11, 13, 15; cv, 1, 2, 9, 13, 16, 34; cix, 47; cxxxvi, 18.\n\n=18.= But gathered Israel cannot be confined to the \"center place,\"\nnor to the region immediately adjacent; other places have been and\nwill be appointed, and these are called Stakes of Zion.[1061] Many\nstakes have been established in the regions inhabited by the\nLatter-day Saints, and these are to be permanent possessions; and\nthence will go those who are appointed from among the worthy to\nreceive possession of their inheritances. Zion is to be chastened, but\nonly for a little season,[1062] then will come the time of her\nredemption.\n\n  [1061] Doc. and Cov. ci, 21; see page 215.\n\n  [1062] Doc. and Cov. c, 13.\n\n=19.= That time will be appointed of God, yet it is to be determined\naccording to the faithfulness of the people. Their wickedness causeth\nthe Lord to tarry; for, saith He:--\"Therefore, in consequence of the\ntransgression of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders\nshould wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion.\"[1063] And\nagain,--\"Zion shall be redeemed in mine own due time.\"[1064] But the\nLord's time in giving blessings unto His people is dependent upon\nthem. As long ago as 1834 came the word of the Lord unto the\nChurch:--\"Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions\nof my people ... they might have been redeemed even now.\"[1065]\n\n  [1063] Doc. and Cov. cv, 9; also cxxxvi, 31.\n\n  [1064] Doc. and Cov. cxxxvi, 18.\n\n  [1065] Doc. and Cov. cv, 1-2.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Jerusalem.=--\"The city has, in different ages, borne a\n     variety of names, and even in the Bible it has several\n     designations. Salem, mentioned in Gen. xiv, 18, was perhaps its\n     name in the time of Melchizedek, and it is certainly so called in\n     Psa. lxxvi, 2. Isaiah (xxix, 1, 7) calls it Ariel. Jebus, or\n     Jebusi, the city of the Jebusites, was its name in the days of\n     Joshua and the Judges (Josh. xv, 8; xviii, 16, 28; Judges xix,\n     10, 11), and this name continued in use till David's time (I\n     Chron. xi, 4, 5). Some have thought that Jerusalem is itself a\n     corruption of Jebus-Salem, but it is a theory unsupported by\n     facts. Jerusalem is also termed 'the city of David,' 'the city of\n     Judah,' 'the holy city,' 'the city of God' (II Kings xiv, 20; II\n     Chron. xxv, 28; Neh. xi, 18; Psa. lxxxvii, 3). To this day it is\n     called el-Kuds, or 'the holy,' in most countries of the East. No\n     city in the world has received more honorable appellations; our\n     Savior himself called it 'the city of the great King.'\"--_Bible\n     Dictionary_, Cassell & Co., p. 600.\n\n     =2. The Founding of Zion in Missouri.=--\"... A company of Saints\n     known as the Colesville Branch--from their having lived at\n     Colesville, Broome County, New York--had arrived in Missouri, and\n     having received instructions to purchase the lands in the regions\n     around about Zion, they secured a tract of land in a fertile\n     prairie some ten or twelve miles west of Independence, in Kaw\n     township, not far from the present location of Kansas City. On\n     the 2nd of August [1831]--the day preceding the dedication of the\n     temple site--in the settlement of the Colesville Saints, the\n     first log was laid for a house as the foundation of Zion. The log\n     was carried by twelve men, in honor of the Twelve Tribes of\n     Israel; and Elder Sidney Rigdon consecrated and dedicated the\n     land of Zion for the gathering of the Saints.\"--_Outlines of\n     Ecclesiastical History_, by Elder B. H. Roberts, p. 352.\n\n     =3. Temple Site, Independence, Jackson County,\n     Missouri.=--\"Taking the road running west from the Court House\n     for a scant half mile, you come to the summit of a crowning hill,\n     the slope of which to the south and west is quite abrupt, but\n     very gradual toward the north and east.... This is the temple\n     site. It was upon this spot on the third day of August, 1831,\n     that Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps,\n     Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe, and another person\n     whose name I cannot learn, for there were eight in all--men in\n     whom the Lord was well pleased, assembled to dedicate this place\n     as the temple site in Zion. The eighty-seventh psalm was read.\n     Joseph [the prophet] then dedicated the spot, where is to be\n     built a temple on which the glory of God shall rest. Yea, the\n     great God hath so decreed it, saying: 'Verily this generation\n     shall not pass away, until an house shall be built unto the Lord,\n     and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the\n     glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.... And the sons of\n     Moses, and also the sons of Aaron, shall offer an acceptable\n     offering, and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house\n     shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the\n     consecrated spot as I have appointed.'--(Doc. and Cov. sec.\n     lxxxiv, 5, 31.)\"--Elder B. H. Roberts, _Missouri Persecutions_.\n     See \"The House of the Lord,\" by James E. Talmage, Chapter V.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XX.\n\nCHRIST'S REIGN ON EARTH.\n\n     =Article 10.=--We believe ... That Christ will reign personally\n     upon the earth, etc.\n\n\n=1. Christ's First and Second Advents.=--The facts of Christ's birth\nin the flesh, of His thirty and three years of life among mortals, of\nHis ministry, sufferings, and death, are universally accepted as\nattested history. Not alone do the records that the Christian world\nregards as sacred and inspired bear testimony concerning these facts,\nbut the history written by man, and, in contrast, called profane, is\ngenerally in harmony with the biblical account. Even those who reject\nthe doctrine of Christ's divinity, even they who refuse to accept Him\nas their Redeemer, admit the historical facts of His marvelous life,\nand acknowledge the incalculable effect of His precepts and example\nupon the human family.\n\n=2.= In the \"Meridian of Time\" Christ was born to earth, amid humble\nsurroundings,--in obscurity, indeed, to all except the faithful few\nwho had been watching for the expected advent. His coming had been\nheralded through the previous centuries, even from the dawn of human\nexistence; every prophet of God had borne record of the great events\nwhich were to characterize His advent. Every important incident\nconnected with His birth, life, death, triumphal resurrection, and\nultimate glory as King, Lord, and God, had been predicted; and even\nthe details of the circumstances were given with exactness. Judah and\nIsrael had been told to prepare for the coming of the Anointed\nOne;[1066] yet, behold, when He came to His own they received Him\nnot. Persecuted and despised, He trod the thorny path of duty, \"a, man\nof sorrows and acquainted with grief;\" and, finally condemned by His\npeople, who clamored to an alien power for authority to execute their\nown diabolical sentence upon their Lord, He went to the death\nprescribed for malefactors.\n\n  [1066] See Note 1.\n\n=3.= To human judgment, it surely seemed that the Divine mission of\nChrist had been nullified, that His work had failed, and that the\npowers of darkness had become triumphant. Blind, deaf, and hard of\nheart were those who refused to see, hear, and comprehend the purport\nof the Savior's mission. Similarly benighted are they who reject the\nprophetic evidence of His second coming, and who fail to read the\nsigns of the times, which declare the event, at once so terrible and\nglorious, to be near at hand. Both before and after His death, Christ\nprophesied of His appointed reappearance upon the earth; and His\nfaithful followers are to-day waiting and watching for the signs of\nthe great fulfillment. The heavens are flaming with those signals, and\nthe burden of inspired teaching is again heard,--Repent, repent, for\nthe kingdom of heaven is at hand.\n\n=4. Christ's Second Coming Predicted; and Signs Described. Bible\nProphecies.=--The prophets of the Old Testament, and those of Book of\nMormon record who lived and wrote before the era of Christ, had little\nto say regarding the second coming of the Lord, little indeed in\ncomparison with their numerous and explicit predictions concerning His\nfirst advent. As they looked into the sky of futurity, and with\nprophetic power read the story of the heavenly orbs, their vision was\ndazzled with the brilliancy of the Meridian Sun, and they saw little\nof the glorious luminary beyond, whose proportions and radiance were\nveiled by the mists of distance. A few of them saw and so testified,\nas the following passages show: The Psalmist sang:--\"Our God shall\ncome, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and\nit shall be very tempestuous round about him.\"[1067] These devouring\nand tempestuous conditions did not attend the coming of Bethlehem's\nBabe.\n\n  [1067] Psalms l, 3.\n\n=5.= Isaiah cries:--\"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be\nstrong, fear not; behold your God will come with vengeance, even God\nwith a recompense; he will come and save you.\"[1068] Aside from the\nevident fact that these conditions did not attend the first coming of\nChrist, the context of the prophet's words shows that he applied them\nto the last days, the time of restitution, the day of the \"ransomed of\nthe Lord,\" and of the triumph of Zion.[1069] Again Isaiah\nspeaks:--\"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm\nshall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work\nbefore him.\"[1070]\n\n  [1068] Isa. xxxv, 4.\n\n  [1069] Verses 5-10.\n\n  [1070] Isa. xl, 10.\n\n6. The prophet Enoch, who lived twenty centuries before the first of\nthose whose words are given above, spoke with vigor on the subject.\nHis teachings do not appear under his own name in the Bible, though\nJude, a New Testament writer, cites them.[1071] From the Book of Moses\nin the Pearl of Great Price, we learn concerning the revelation given\nto Enoch:--\"And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I\ncome in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to\nfulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of\nNoah.\"[1072]\n\n  [1071] Jude 14-15.\n\n  [1072] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 60.\n\n7. Jesus taught the disciples that His mission in the flesh was to be\nof short duration, and that he would come again to earth, for we find\nthem enquiring in this wise, \"Tell us when shall these things be? And\nwhat shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the\nworld?\"[1073] In reply, our Lord detailed many of the signs of the\nlatter times, the last and greatest of which He thus stated:--\"And\nthis gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a\nwitness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.\"[1074] With\ngreat clearness, Jesus spoke of the worldliness in which the children\nof men had continued to indulge, even on the eve of the Deluge, and on\nthe day of the fiery destruction which befell the Cities of the\nPlains, and added:--\"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of\nman is revealed.\"[1075]\n\n  [1073] Matt. xxiv, 3. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. xxxii.\n\n  [1074] Verse 14.\n\n  [1075] Luke xvii, 26-30.\n\n=8.= Another of our Lord's predictions concerning His second coming is\nas follows; His citation of the signs by which the approach of the\nevent may be known is so impressive that we should read the\ndescription in its entirety:--\"And they [the disciples] asked him,\nsaying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will\nthere be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed\nthat ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am\nChrist; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But\nwhen ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these\nthings must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then\nsaid he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom\nagainst kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and\nfamines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall\nthere be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands\non you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and\ninto prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's\nsake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in\nyour hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will\ngive you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be\nable to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents,\nand brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they\ncause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my\nname's sake.... And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,\nand in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with\nperplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them\nfor fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the\nearth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they\nsee the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And\nwhen these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up\nyour heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.\"[1076]\n\n  [1076] Luke xxi, 7-28; see also Mark xiii, 14-26; Rev. vi, 12-17.\n\n=9.= Again, by way of warning, the Lord said:--\"Whosoever therefore\nshall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful\ngeneration, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he\ncometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.\"[1077]\n\n  [1077] Mark viii, 38.\n\n=10.= At the time of the Ascension, as the apostles stood gazing into\nthe firmament, where a cloud had hidden their resurrected Lord from\nsight, they became aware of the presence of two heavenly visitors, who\nsaid:--\"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this\nsame Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in\nlike manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.\"[1078] Paul instructed\nthe churches in the doctrines of Christ's second advent, and described\nthe glory of His coming.[1079] So also did others of the\napostles.[1080]\n\n  [1078] Acts i, 11. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 695.\n\n  [1079] I Thess. iv, 16; II Thess. i, 7-8; Heb. ix, 28.\n\n  [1080] I Peter iv, 13; I John ii, 28; iii, 2.\n\n=11. Among Book of Mormon Prophecies= concerning our present subject,\nwe find the teachings of Christ Himself at the time of His\nministrations to the Nephites in His resurrected state. To the\nmultitude He explained many matters, \"even from the beginning until\nthe time that He should come in his glory.\"[1081] In promising the\nthree disciples the desire of their hearts, which was that they might\nbe spared in the flesh to continue the work of the ministry, the Lord\nsaid to them:--\"Ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father,\nunto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled,\naccording to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory,\nwith the powers of heaven.\"[1082]\n\n  [1081] III Nephi xxvi, 3; see also xxv, 5.\n\n  [1082] III Nephi xxviii, 7; see also 8. See \"Jesus the Christ,\"\n  ch. xxxix.\n\n=12. The Word of Modern Revelation= is no less sure regarding the\nappointed advent of the Redeemer. To servants, specially commissioned,\ninstructions were given to this effect:--\"Wherefore, be faithful,\npraying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with\nyou,[1083] that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom. For\nbehold, verily, verily, I say unto you that I come quickly.\"[1084] And\nagain, this instruction is given:--\"Cry repentance unto a crooked and\nperverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second\ncoming; for behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon\nat hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great\nglory.\"[1085]\n\n  [1083] An allusion to the parable of the Ten Virgins; see Matt.\n  xxv, 1-13.\n\n  [1084] Doc. and Cov. xxxiii, 17.\n\n  [1085] Doc. and Cov. xxxiv, 6-7.\n\n=13.= In a revelation to the people of the Church, March 7, 1831, the\nLord speaks of the signs of His coming, and counsels diligence.\nConsider His words:--\"Ye look and behold the fig-trees, and ye see\nthem with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and\ntheir leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand; even so\nit shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then\nshall they know that the hour is nigh. And it shall come to pass that\nhe that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the\nLord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of man; and\nthey shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the\nheavens above, and in the earth beneath; and they shall behold blood\nand fire, and vapors of smoke; and before the day of the Lord shall\ncome, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood,\nand stars fall from heaven; and the remnant shall be gathered unto\nthis place, and then they shall look for me, and behold I will come;\nand they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and\ngreat glory, with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me\nshall be cut off.\"[1086]\n\n  [1086] Doc. and Cov. xiv, 37-44; see also paragraphs 74-75.\n\n=14.= The distinctive characteristic of the revelations as given in\nthe present dispensation, regarding the second coming of our Lord, is\nthe emphatic and oft-repeated declaration that the event is near at\nhand.[1087] The call is, \"Prepare ye, prepare ye, for that which is to\ncome, for the Lord is nigh.\" Instead of the cry of one man in the\nwilderness of Judea, the voice of thousands is heard authoritatively\nwarning the nations, and inviting them to repent and flee to Zion for\nsafety. The fig tree is rapidly putting forth its leaves; the signs in\nheaven and earth are increasing; surely the great and dreadful day of\nthe Lord is near.\n\n  [1087] See the numerous references in connection with Doc. and\n  Cov. i, 12. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" ch. xlii.\n\n=15. The Precise Time of Christ's Coming= has not been made known to\nman. By learning to comprehend the signs of the times, by watching the\ndevelopment of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the\nrapid fulfillment of significant prophecies, we may perceive the\nprogressive evidence of the approaching event, \"But the hour and the\nday no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know\nuntil he comes.\"[1088] His coming will be a surprise to those who have\nrejected His warnings, and who have failed to watch. \"Like a thief in\nthe night\"[1089] will be the coming of the day of the Lord unto the\nwicked. \"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour\nwherein the Son of man cometh.\"[1090]\n\n  [1088] Doc. and Cov. xlix, 7.\n\n  [1089] II Peter iii, 10; I Thess. v, 2, etc.\n\n  [1090] Matt, xxv, 13; see also xxiv, 42, 44; Mark xiii, 33, 35;\n  Luke xii, 40.\n\n=16. Christ's Reign: The Kingdom.=--We have seen that, according to\nthe words of holy prophets ancient and modern, Christ is to come, in a\nliteral sense, and so manifest Himself in person in the last days. He\nis to dwell among His Saints. \"Yea, even I will be in the midst of\nyou,\"[1091] He declared to the people on this continent, whom He\npromised to establish in the land of the New Jerusalem; and similar\nassurances were given through the prophets of the east.[1092] In this\nprospective ministration among His gathered Saints, Christ is to be at\nonce their God and their King. His government is to be that of a\nperfect theocracy; the laws of righteousness will be the code, and\ncontrol will be administered under one authority, undisputed because\nindisputable.\n\n  [1091] III Nephi xx, 22; see also xxi, 25.\n\n  [1092] Ezek. xxxvii, 26-27; Zech. ii, 10, 11; viii, 3; II Cor. vi,\n  16.\n\n=17.= The scriptures abound with declarations that the Lord will yet\nreign among his people. To this effect sang Moses before the hosts of\nIsrael after their miraculous passage through the Red Sea,--\"The Lord\nshall reign for ever and ever;\"[1093] and the psalmist echoes the\nrefrain, \"The Lord is King for ever and ever.\"[1094] Jeremiah calls\nHim \"an everlasting king,\" before whose wrath the earth shall tremble,\nand the nations yield;[1095] and Nebuchadnezzar, humbled through\ntribulation, rejoiced in honoring the King of Heaven, \"whose dominion\nis an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to\ngeneration.\"[1096]\n\n  [1093] Exo. xv, 18.\n\n  [1094] Psa. x, 16 see also xxix, 10; cxlv, 13; cxlvi, 10.\n\n  [1095] Jer. x, 10.\n\n  [1096] Dan. iv, 34-37.\n\n=18.= Even chosen Israel were not always willing to accept God as\ntheir king. Remember how they protested that Samuel, the anointed\nprophet and judge, was old,--a poor excuse for their claim, as the old\nman ministered with vigor among them for thirty-five years beyond that\ntime,--and how they cried for a king to rule them, that they might be\nlike other nations.[1097] Note the pathetic words with which the Lord\nreplied to Samuel's prayer regarding this demand of the people, and\nthe sorrow with which He granted them their wish:--\"Hearken unto the\nvoice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not\nrejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over\nthem.\"[1098] But the Lord will not be ever rejected by His people; at\nthe time appointed He will come with power and great glory, and will\nassume His rightful place of authority as King of earth.\n\n  [1097] I Sam. viii, 5.\n\n  [1098] Verse 7; see also x, 19; Hosea xiii, 10-11.\n\n=19.= Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, and spoke of the\nmany kingdoms and divisions of kingdoms which were to be established,\nthen added:--\"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven\nset up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom\nshall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and\nconsume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.\"[1099]\nTouching the extent of the great kingdom to be established the same\nprophet declared:--\"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of\nthe kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of\nthe saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,\nand all dominions shall serve and obey him.\"[1100]\n\n  [1099] Dan. ii, 44.\n\n  [1100] Dan. vii, 27.\n\n=20.= Speaking of the restoration of Judah and Israel in the last\ndays, Micah prophesies:--\"And the Lord shall reign over them in mount\nZion from henceforth, even for ever.\"[1101] In the annunciation to the\nVirgin, the angel said of the unborn Christ:--\"He shall reign over the\nhouse of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no\nend.\"[1102] In the visions of Patmos, the Apostle John saw the\nglorious consummation, and a universal recognition of the eternal\nKing:--\"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in\nheaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of\nour Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and\never.\"[1103] Modern revelation is rich in evidence of an approaching\nreign of righteousness, with Christ as King; witness the\nfollowing:--\"And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and\nshall reign in their midst.\"[1104] \"For in my own due time will I come\nupon the earth in judgment, and my people shall be redeemed and shall\nreign with me on earth.\"[1105]\n\n  [1101] Micah iv, 7; see also Isa. xxiv, 23.\n\n  [1102] Luke i, 33.\n\n  [1103] Rev. xi, 15.\n\n  [1104] Doc. and Cov. i, 36.\n\n  [1105] Doc. and Cov. xliii, 29; see also lxxxiv, 119.\n\n=21. Kingdom and Church.=--In the Gospel according to Matthew, the\nphrase \"kingdom of heaven\" is of frequent occurrence; while in the\nbooks of the other evangelists, and throughout the epistles, the\nexpression is \"kingdom of God,\" \"kingdom of Christ,\" or simply\n\"kingdom.\" It is evident that these expressions may be used\ninterchangeably without violence to the true meaning. However, the\nterm kingdom is used in more senses than one, and a careful study of\nthe context in each instance may be necessary to a proper\ncomprehension of the writers intent. The most common usages are\ntwo:--1. An expression synonymous with \"the Church,\" having reference\nto the followers of Christ without distinction as to their temporal or\nspiritual organizations. 2. The designation of the literal kingdom\nover which Christ is to reign on earth in the last days.\n\n=22.= When we contemplate the Kingdom in the latter and more general\nsense, the Church must be regarded as a part thereof; an essential\nindeed, for it is the germ from which the Kingdom is to be developed,\nand the very heart of the perfected organization. The Church has\nexisted and now continues in an organized form, without the Kingdom as\na visibly established power with temporal authority in the world; but\nthe Kingdom cannot be maintained without the Church.\n\n=23.= In modern revelation, the expressions \"kingdom of God\" and\n\"kingdom of heaven\" are sometimes used with distinctive meanings,--the\nformer phrase signifying the Church, and the latter the literal\nkingdom which is to supersede and comprise all existing national\ndivisions. In this sense, the kingdom of God has been set up already\nin these the last days; its beginning in and for the present\ndispensation was the establishment of the Church on its latter-day and\npermanent foundation. This is consistent with our conception of the\nChurch as the vital organ of the Kingdom in general. The powers and\nauthority committed to the Church are then the keys of the Kingdom.\nSuch meaning is made clear in the following revelation to the\nChurch:--\"The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the\nearth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of\nthe earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without\nhands[1106] shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth....\nCall upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that\nthe inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days\nto come, in the which the Son of man shall come down in heaven,\nclothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God\nwhich is set up on the earth; wherefore may the kingdom of God go\nforth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest\nbe glorified in heaven, so on earth, that thy enemies may be subdued;\nfor thine is the honor, power and glory for ever and ever.\"[1107]\n\n  [1106] Allusion to Daniel's interpretation of the dream of\n  Nebuchadnezzar; see Dan. ii, 34, 44.\n\n  [1107] Doc. and Cov. lxv, 2, 5-6.\n\n=24.= At the time of His glorious advent, Christ will be accompanied\nby the hosts of righteous ones who have already passed from earth; and\nthe Saints who are still alive on earth are to be quickened and caught\nup to meet Him, and to descend with Him as partakers of His\nglory.[1108] With Him too will come Enoch and his band of the pure in\nheart;[1109] and a union will be effected with the Kingdom of God, or\nthat part of the Kingdom of Heaven previously established as the\nChurch of Christ on earth; and the Kingdom on earth will be one with\nthat in heaven. Then will be realized a complete fulfillment of the\nLord's own prayer, given as a pattern to all who pray:--\"Thy kingdom\ncome, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\"[1110]\n\n  [1108] Doc. and Cov. lxxxviii, 91-98.\n\n  [1109] See pp. 358, 362-363.\n\n  [1110] Matt. vi, 10; Luke xi, 2.\n\n=25.= The disputed question, \"Is the Kingdom already set up on earth\nor are we to wait for its establishment until the time of the future\nadvent of Christ, the King?\" may properly receive answer either\naffirmative or negative, according to the sense in which the term\nkingdom is understood. The Kingdom of God as identical with the Church\nof Christ has assuredly been established; its history is that of the\nChurch in these the last days; its officers are divinely commissioned,\ntheir power is that of the holy priesthood. They claim an authority\nwhich is spiritual, but also temporal in dealing with the members of\nthe organization,--Church or Kingdom as you may choose to call\nit,--but they make no attempt, nor do they assert the right, to\nmodify, assail, or in any way interfere with, existing governments;\nfar less to subdue nations or to set up rival systems of control. The\nKingdom of Heaven, including the Church, and comprising all nations,\nwill be set up with power and great glory when the triumphant King\ncomes with His heavenly retinue to personally rule and reign on the\nearth which He has redeemed at the sacrifice of His own life.\n\n=26.= As seen, the Kingdom of Heaven will comprise more than the\nChurch. The honorable and honest among men will be accorded protection\nand the privileges of citizenship under the perfect system of\ngovernment which Christ will administer; and this will be their happy\nlot whether they are actually members of the Church or not.\nLaw-breakers and men of impure heart will meet the judgment of\ndestruction according to their sin; but those who live according to\nthe truth as they have been able to receive and comprehend it, will\nenjoy the fullest liberty under the benign influences of a perfect\nadministration. The special privileges and blessings associated with\nthe Church, the right to hold and exercise the priesthood with its\nboundless possibilities and eternal powers, will be, as now they are,\nfor those only who enter into the covenant and become part of the\nChurch of the Redeemer.\n\n=27. The Millennium.=--In connection with scriptural mention of\nChrist's reign on earth, a duration of a thousand years is frequently\nspecified. While we cannot regard this as indicating a time limit to\nthe Kingdom's existence, or a measure of the Savior's administration\nof power, we are justified in the belief that the thousand years\nimmediately following the establishment of the Kingdom are to be\nspecially characterized, so as to be different from both preceding and\nsucceeding time. The gathering of Israel and the establishment of an\nearthly Zion are to be effected, preparatory to His coming. His advent\nis to be marked by a destruction of the wicked, and by the\ninauguration of an era of peace. The Revelator saw the souls of the\nmartyrs, and of other righteous men, in power, living and reigning\nwith Christ a thousand years.[1111] At the beginning of this period\nSatan is to be bound, \"that he should deceive the nations no more\nuntil the thousand years should be fulfilled.\"[1112] Certain of the\ndead are not to live again until the thousand years are passed;[1113]\nwhile the righteous \"shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall\nreign with him a thousand years.\"[1114] Among the most ancient of\nrevelations regarding the Millennium is that given to Enoch:--\"And it\ncame to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man,\nin the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space\nof a thousand years.\"[1115]\n\n  [1111] Rev. xx, 4; see also 6.\n\n  [1112] Rev. xx, 2-3.\n\n  [1113] Verse 5.\n\n  [1114] Verse 6.\n\n  [1115] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 65.\n\n=28.= It is evident, then, that in speaking of the Millennium we have\nto consider a definite period, with important events marking its\nbeginning and its close, and conditions of unusual blessedness\nextending throughout. It will be a sabbatical era,[1116]--a thousand\nyears of peace. Enmity between man and beast shall cease; the\nfierceness and venom of the brute creation shall be done away,[1117]\nand love shall rule.[1118] A new condition of affairs will prevail,\nas was declared in the word of the Lord to Isaiah:--\"For behold, I\ncreate new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be\nremembered nor come into mind.\"[1119]\n\n  [1116] See Note 2.\n\n  [1117] Isa. xi, 6-9; lxv, 25.\n\n  [1118] See Notes 3 and 4.\n\n  [1119] Isa. lxv, 17.\n\n=29.= Concerning the state of peace, prosperity, and duration of human\nlife, characteristic of that period, we read:--\"There shall be no more\nthence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his\ndays: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner\nbeing an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build\nhouses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the\nfruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall\nnot plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of\nmy people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.\nThey shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they\nare the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with\nthem. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer:\nand while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb\nshall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock:\nand dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy\nin all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.\"[1120]\n\n  [1120] Verses 20-23.\n\n=30.= The Lord's voice is heard to-day declaring the same prophetic\ntruths, as is shown in the revelations touching the Millennium given\nin the present dispensation of the Church.[1121] In 1831, the Lord\naddressed the elders of His Church, and said:--\"For the great\nMillennium, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall\ncome; for Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again, he shall\nonly reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the\nearth.\"[1122] On another occasion these words were spoken:--\"For I\nwill reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all\nthe hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a\nthousand years, and the wicked shall not stand.... And again, verily,\nverity, I say unto you, that when the thousand years are ended, and\nmen again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for\na little season, and the end shall come.\"[1123]\n\n  [1121] Doc. and Cov. lxiii, 49-51.\n\n  [1122] Doc. and Cov. xliii, 30-31.\n\n  [1123] Doc. and Cov. xxix, 11, 22-23.\n\n=31.= The Millennium then is to precede the events usually indicated\nby the scriptural phrase, \"the end of the world.\" During that period,\nall conditions will be propitious for righteousness; Satan's power\nwill be suspended; and men, relieved to some extent from temptation,\nwill be zealous in the service of their reigning Lord. Nevertheless,\nsin will not be wholly abolished, nor will death be banished; though\nchildren will live to reach maturity in the flesh, and then may be\nchanged to a condition of immortality in the \"twinkling of an\neye.\"[1124] Both mortal and immortal beings will tenant the earth, and\ncommunion with the heavenly powers will be common. The Latter-day\nSaints believe that during that millennial era they will be privileged\nto continue the vicarious work for the dead, which constitutes so\nimportant and so characteristic a feature of their duty,[1125] and\nthat the facilities for direct communication with the heavens will\nenable them to carry on their labor of love without hindrance. When\nthe thousand years are passed, Satan will again assert his power, and\nthose who are not then numbered among the pure in heart will yield to\nhis influence. But the liberty thus recovered by \"the prince of the\npower of the air\"[1126] will be of short duration; his final doom will\nspeedily follow, and with him will go to the punishment that is\neverlasting, all who are his. Then the earth will pass to its\ncelestial condition, and become a fit abode for the glorified sons and\ndaughters of our God.\n\n  [1124] Doc. and Cov. lxiii, 50-51.\n\n  [1125] See pp. 148-159.\n\n  [1126] Eph. ii, 2.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. \"The Anointed One.\"=--\"Christ, the official name of the\n     Redeemer of mankind, as Jesus, or in the Hebrew, _Joshua_,\n     'Savior,' was His natural name. Christ means 'anointed,' from\n     _chrio_, 'to anoint.' Under the Old Testament dispensation, high\n     priests, kings, and prophets were appointed to their office by\n     the pouring of the sacred oil upon their heads. The rite was\n     performed by the recognized officer of Jehovah, and was an\n     outward testimony that their appointment proceeded direct from\n     God himself, as the source of all authority, and as being under\n     the ancient covenant, in a peculiar way, the governor of his\n     people. The oil used in the consecration of priests, and the\n     anointing of the tabernacle and sacred vessels, was a special\n     preparation of myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia (Exo. xxx,\n     23-25), which the Jews were forbidden to apply to the body, or to\n     copy under pain of death. It was no doubt intended to typify the\n     gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit.\"--Cassell's _Bible\n     Dictionary_, p. 257.\n\n     =2. The Seventh Thousand Years.=--\"As each _seventh_ year was\n     Israel's year of remission, so of the world's seven thousands,\n     the seventh shall be its sabbatism.\"--Fausset's _Bible\n     Cyclopedia_, p. 685. \"There remaineth therefore a rest to the\n     people of God\"; or, as given by marginal reference, instead of\n     \"rest,\" the \"keeping of a sabbath.\"--Heb. iv, 9.\n\n     =3. Millennial Peace.=--\"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,\n     and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the\n     young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall\n     lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones\n     shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the\n     ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and\n     the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They\n     shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth\n     shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover\n     the sea.\"--Isa. xi, 6-9; see also lxv, 25.\n\n     =4. The Earth before, during, and after the Millennium.=--\"There\n     are three conditions of the earth spoken of in the inspired\n     writings,--the present, in which everything pertaining to it must\n     go through a change which we call death; the millennial\n     condition, in which it will be sanctified for the residence of\n     purer intelligences, some mortal and some immortal; and the\n     celestial condition, spoken of in the twenty-first and\n     twenty-second chapters of Revelation, which will be one of\n     immortality and eternal life.\"--_Compendium_, by Elders F. D.\n     Richards and James A. Little, p. 202.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XXI.\n\nREGENERATION AND RESURRECTION.\n\n     =Article 10.=--We believe ... That the earth will be renewed and\n     receive its paradisiacal glory.\n\n\nRENEWAL OF THE EARTH.\n\n=1. The Earth Under the Curse.=--The blessed conditions, under which\nthe earth shall exist and man shall live during the millennial era,\nare almost beyond human powers of comprehension, so different are they\nfrom all to which history testifies and which experience confirms. A\nreign of righteousness throughout the earth has never yet been known\nto the fallen race of man. So marked has been the universal curse, so\ngreat the power of the tempter; so bitter the selfish and ungodly\nstrife betwixt man and man, and between nation and nation; so general\nhas been the enmity of the animal creation, among its own members, and\ntoward the being who, though in a degraded state, yet holds the Divine\ncommission to the authority of dominion; so prolific has been the soil\nin bringing forth thorns, briers, and noxious weeds, that the\ndescription of Eden is to us as the story of another world, an orb of\na higher order of existence, wholly unlike this dreary sphere. Yet, we\nlearn that Eden was truly a feature of our planet, and that the earth\nis destined to become a celestialized body,--fit for the abode of the\nmost exalted intelligences. The millennium, with all its splendor, is\nbut a more advanced stage of preparation, by which the earth and its\ninhabitants will approach the fore-ordained perfection.\n\n=2. Regeneration of the Earth.=--The term regeneration (translated\nfrom the Greek _palingenesia_, and signifying a new birth, or, more\nliterally, one who is born again) occurs twice[1127] in the New\nTestament; while other expressions of equivalent meaning are used in\nmany places. However, the terms are usually applied to the renewal of\nthe soul of man through the spiritual birth, by which salvation is\nmade obtainable; though our Lord's use of the term, in the promise of\nfuture glory which He confirmed upon the apostles, has probable\nreference to the rejuvenation of the earth, its inhabitants and their\ninstitutions, in connection with the millennial era:--\"I say unto you,\nThat ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of\nman shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon\ntwelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.\"[1128]\n\n  [1127] Matt. xix, 28; Titus iii, 5.\n\n  [1128] Matt. xix, 28.\n\n=3.= A time of restitution is foretold. Consider the words of Peter,\nspoken to the people who had come together in Solomon's porch,\nmarveling over the miraculous healing of the lame beggar at the gate\nBeautiful:--\"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may\nbe blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the\npresence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was\npreached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of\nrestitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all\nhis holy prophets since the world began.\"[1129]\n\n  [1129] Acts iii, 19.\n\n=4.= That the change to a state more nearly approaching perfection is\nto affect both nature and man is evident from the teachings of Paul,\nas recorded in his letter to the Romans:--\"Because the creature itself\nalso shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the\nglorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole\ncreation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not\nonly they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the\nSpirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the\nadoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.\"[1130]\n\n  [1130] Rom. viii, 21-23.\n\n=5.= This work of regeneration has already begun. As a necessary\npreliminary, whereby the curse that would otherwise afflict the earth\nmight be averted, Elijah the prophet was to visit the earth, bringing\nwith him the keys and authority of a great work; concerning which\nevent, while yet future, the Lord said:--\"Behold, I will send you\nElijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of\nthe Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,\nand the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite\nthe earth with a curse.\"[1131]\n\n  [1131] Mal. iv, 5-6; see also III Nephi xxv.\n\n=6.= The Latter-day Saints solemnly declare that this prophecy has had\na literal fulfillment, in that on the third day of April, A.D. 1836,\nElijah visited the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, in the\nnewly dedicated temple at Kirtland, Ohio, announced his mission as\nthat spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, declared that the day for the\nfulfillment of the prediction had come, and committed the keys of this\nwork of the last dispensation to the Church, that the labor of\nrestoration might be carried on; and moreover, as a sign \"that the\ngreat and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.\"[1132]\nThroughout the Millennium, this process of regeneration will be\ncontinued. Society shall be purified; nations shall exist in peace;\nwars shall cease; the ferocity of beasts shall be subdued; the earth,\nescaping in a great measure the curse of the Fall, shall yield\nbounteously to the husbandman; and the planet shall be redeemed.\n\n  [1132] Doc. and Cov. cx, 14-16; p. 154, this book.\n\n=7.= The final stages of this regeneration of nature will not be\nreached until the Millennium has run its blessed course. Describing\nthe events to take place after the completion of the thousand years,\nJohn the Revelator says:--\"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for\nthe first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was\nno more sea.... And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,\nBehold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with\nthem, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with\nthem, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their\neyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,\nneither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed\naway.\"[1133] A similar prediction was made by Ether the Jaredite, six\nhundred years before Christ was born:--\"And there shall be a new\nheaven, and a new earth: and they shall be like unto the old, save the\nold have passed away, and all things have become new.\"[1134] This\nevent is to follow the scenes of the Millennium, as the context makes\nplain.\n\n  [1133] Rev. xxi, 1, 3-4.\n\n  [1134] Book of Mormon, Ether xiii, 9.\n\n=8.= In the year 1830 of our present era, the Lord said:--\"When the\nthousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then\nwill I spare the earth but for a little season; and the end shall\ncome, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away,\nand there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, for all old things\nshall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and\nthe earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls\nof the air and the fishes of the sea: and not one hair, neither mote,\nshall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand.\"[1135]\n\n  [1135] Doc. and Cov. xxix, 22-25.\n\n=9.= According to the scriptures, the earth has to undergo a change\nanalogous to death, and to be regenerated in a manner comparable to a\nresurrection. References to the elements melting with heat, and to the\nearth being consumed and passing away, such as occur in many\nscriptures already cited, are suggestive of death; and the new earth,\nreally the renewed or regenerated planet, which is to result, may be\ncompared with a resurrected organism. The change has been likened unto\na transfiguration.[1136] Every created thing has been made for a\npurpose; and everything that fills the measure of its creation is to\nbe advanced in the scale of progression, be it an atom or a world, an\nanimalcule, or man--the direct and literal offspring of Deity. In\nspeaking of the degrees of glory provided for His creations, and of\nthe laws of regeneration and sanctification, the Lord, in a revelation\ndated 1832, speaks plainly of the approaching death and subsequent\nquickening of the earth. These are His words:--\"And again, verily, I\nsay unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it\nfilleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law.\nWherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die,\nit shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is\nquickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.\"[1137]\n\n  [1136] Doc. and Cov. lxiii, 20-21.\n\n  [1137] Doc. and Cov. lxxxviii, 25-26.\n\n=10.= During the Millennium, the earth, while preparing for the final\nchange, will be tenanted by both mortal and immortal beings; but after\nthe regeneration is complete, death will no longer be known among its\ninhabitants. Then the Redeemer of earth \"shall deliver up the kingdom,\nand present it unto the Father spotless, saying, I have\novercome.\"[1138] Before victory is thus achieved and triumph won, the\nenemies of righteousness must be subdued; the last foe to be\nvanquished is death. Thus saith Paul the Apostle:--\"Then cometh the\nend, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the\nFather; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and\npower. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.\nThe last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all\nthings under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put under\nhim, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things\nunder him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall\nthe Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under\nhim, that God may be all in all.\"[1139]\n\n  [1138] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 107.\n\n  [1139] I Cor. xv, 24-26.\n\n=11.= The following partial description of the earth in its\nimmortalized condition has been given by the Prophet Joseph Smith in\nthis dispensation:--\"This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state,\nwill be made like unto crystal, and will be a Urim and Thummim[1140]\nto the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to\nan inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be\nmanifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be\nChrist's.\"[1141]\n\n  [1140] See page 273.\n\n  [1141] Doc. and Cov. cxxx, 9.\n\n=12. Absence of Evidence from Science.=--Attempts have been made to\ndemonstrate an agreement between the teachings of science concerning\nthe destiny of the earth, and the scriptural predictions regarding the\nordained regeneration of our planet, by which it is to be made fit for\nthe abode of immortal souls. Without considering the details of the\nalleged evidence of mutual support between science and the revealed\nword in this matter, it may suffice to say that the so-called\nevidence is unsatisfactory, and that science is practically silent on\nthe subject. The geologist views the earth as a body in process of\ncontinual change, its surface a heterogeneous mass of fragmental\nmaterial; he reads, in the record inscribed on its stony pages, the\nstory of past development through many successive stages of progress,\neach making the globe more fit for habitation by man; he witnesses the\nwork of constructive and destructive agencies now in operation, land\nmasses yielding to the lowering action of air and water, and by their\ndestruction furnishing material for other formations now in process of\nconstruction;--the general effect of all such being to level the\nsurface by degrading the hills and raising the valleys. On the other\nhand, he observes volcanic agencies operating to increase the\ninequality of level by violent eruption and crustal elevation. He\nconfesses inability, from his observations of the present, and his\ndeductions concerning the past of the earth, to predict even a\nprobable future. So futile have been his efforts to ascertain the\norigin or determine the destiny of the globe, that he has generally\nabandoned the attempt. The epoch-making declaration of an acknowledged\nleader in the science has now become proverbial:--Geology furnishes\n\"no traces of a beginning, no prospect of an end.\"[1142]\n\n  [1142] James Hutton.\n\n=13.= The astronomer, studying the varied conditions of other worlds,\nmay seek by analogy to learn of the probable fate of our own. Gazing\ninto space with greatly augmented vision, he sees, within the system\nto which the earth belongs, spheres exhibiting a great range of\ndevelopment,--some in their formative stage, seemingly unfit for the\nabode of beings constituted as are we; others in a state more nearly\nresembling that of the earth: and yet others seemingly old and\nlifeless. Of the mighty systems beyond the comparatively small company\nunder control of our own sun, he knows nothing but the existence of\nthese central orbs. But, nowhere has he discovered a celestialized\nworld. Think you that mortal eye could discern such even if it were\nwithin the limits of vision as determined by distance alone?\n\n=14.= The poet has written:--\n\n    \"Nor think though men were not,\n    That heaven would want spectators,\n    God want praise!\n    Millions of spiritual beings\n    Walk the earth\n    Unseen both when we wake,\n    And when we sleep.\"\n\nIf this thought be founded on truth, and the Christian soul will\nhardly doubt it, we may as readily believe in the existence of other\nworlds than those of structure so gross as to be visible to our dull\neyes. I repeat, that in regard to the revealed word concerning the\nregeneration of earth, and the acquirement of a celestial glory by our\nplanet, science has nothing to offer, either by way of support or\ncontradiction. Let us not because of this, disparage science, or decry\nthe labors of its votaries. No one realizes more fully than does the\ntruly scientific man how much we do not know.\n\n\nRESURRECTION OF THE BODY.\n\n=15. The Resurrection from the Dead.=--Closely associated with, and\nanalogous to, the ordained rejuvenation of earth, whereby our planet\nis to pass from its present dreary and broken state to a condition of\nglorified perfection, is the resurrection of the bodies of all beings\nwho have had an existence upon its surface. The Church of Jesus Christ\nof Latter-day Saints teaches the doctrine of a literal resurrection;\nan actual re-union of departed spirits and the tabernacles with which\nthey were clothed during mortal probation; and a transition from\nmortality to immortality in the case of some who will be in the flesh\nat the time of the great change, and who, because of individual\nrighteousness, are to be spared the sleep of the grave. But in such\nteachings, the Church is not essentially different from most Christian\nsects, except perhaps in the literalness of the bodily resurrection as\ntaught by it, and in the belief concerning the nature of the\nresurrected state. The Bible is replete with evidence regarding the\nquickening of the dead. Human knowledge of the resurrection rests\nwholly upon revelation. Pagan peoples have therefore no conception of\nan actual coming forth of the dead unto life.[1143]\n\n  [1143] See Note 1.\n\n=16.= In accepting the doctrine of a resurrection, we are to be guided\nby faith; which, however, is supported by abundant revelation, given\nin a manner unequivocal and sure. Science, the result of human\nresearch, fails to afford us any indication of such an event in the\nhistory of living things, and men have sought in vain for an analogy\nin external nature. True, comparisons have been made, metaphors have\nbeen employed, and similes pressed into service, to show in nature\nsome counterpart or semblance of the immortalizing change to which the\nChristian soul looks forward with unwavering confidence; but all such\nfigures of speech are defective in the application, and untrue in\ntheir professed analogies.\n\n=17.= The return of spring after the death-like sleep of winter; the\npassing of the crawling caterpillar into the corpse-like chrysalis,\nand the subsequent emergence of the winged butterfly; the coming forth\nof a living bird from the tomb-like recess of the egg; these and other\nnatural processes of development have been used as illustrative of the\nresurrection. Each of them is defective, for in no instance of such\nawakening has there been an actual death. If the tree die, it will not\nresume its leafage with the return of the sun; if the pupa within the\nchrysalis, or the life-germ within the egg be killed, no butterfly or\nbird will emerge. When we indulge such figurative illustrations\nwithout most thorough caution, we are apt to conceive the thought that\nthe body predestined to resurrection is not truly dead; and that\ntherefore the quickening which is to follow, is not what the revealed\nword declares it to be. Observation proves that the separation of the\nspirit from the body leaves the latter an inanimate mass, no longer\nable to resist the processes of physical and chemical dissolution. The\nbody, deserted by its immortal tenant, is literally dead; it resolves\nitself into its natural components, and its substance enters again\nupon the round of universal circulation of matter. Yet the\nresurrection from the dead is assured; the faith of those who trust in\nthe word of revealed truth will be vindicated,[1144] and the Divine\ndecree will be carried into full effect.\n\n  [1144] See Note 2.\n\n=18. Predictions concerning the Resurrection.=--The prophets in the\npast dispensations of the world's history have foreseen and foretold\nthe final conquest of death. Some of them testified specifically of\nChrist's victory over the tomb; others have dwelt upon the\nresurrection in a general way. Job, the man of patience under\ntribulation, sang joyously even in his agony:--\"For I know that my\nRedeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the\nearth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my\nflesh shall I see God.\"[1145] Enoch, to whom the Lord revealed His\nplan for the redemption of mankind, foresaw the resurrection of\nChrist, the coming forth of the righteous dead with Him, and the\neventual resurrection of all men.[1146]\n\n  [1145] Job. xix, 25-26; see also Isa. xxvi, 19; Ezek. xxxvii,\n  11-14; Hos. xiii, 14.\n\n  [1146] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 56-57.\n\n=19.= Nephi testified to his brethren that the Redeemer's death was a\nfore-ordained necessity, provided in order that resurrection from the\ndead might be given to man. These are his words:--\"For as death hath\npassed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator\nthere must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must\nneeds come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason\nof transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from\nthe presence of the Lord; ... And this death of which I have spoken,\nwhich is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which\nspiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up\ntheir dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the\ngrave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the\nspirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the\npower of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. O how great the\nplan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must\ndeliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the\nbody of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to\nitself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they\nare living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the\nflesh; save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.\"[1147]\n\n  [1147] II Nephi ix, 6, 12-13.\n\n=20.= Samuel, the Lamanite prophet, predicted the Savior's birth,\nministry, death, and resurrection, and explained the resulting\nresurrection of mankind:--\"For behold, he surely must die, that\nsalvation may come; yea, it behoveth him, and becometh expedient that\nhe dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby\nmen may be brought into the presence of the Lord; Yea, behold this\ndeath bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind\nfrom the first death--that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the\nfall of Adam, being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are\nconsidered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things\nspiritual. But, behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind,\nyea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the\nLord.\"[1148]\n\n  [1148] Helaman xiv, 15-17; see also Mosiah xv, 20-24; and Alma xl,\n  2, 16.\n\n=21.= The New Testament furnishes abundant evidence that the doctrine\nof the resurrection was very generally understood during the time of\nChrist's earthly mission, and in the succeeding apostolic era.[1149]\nThe Master Himself proclaimed these teachings. In reply to the\nhypercritical Sadducees,[1150] He said:--\"But as touching the\nresurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto\nyou by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and\nthe God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the\nliving.\"[1151] the Jews who sought His life because of His deeds and\ndoctrine He spoke in this way:--\"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He\nthat heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath\neverlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed\nfrom death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is\ncoming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of\nGod: and they that hear shall live.\"[1152]\n\n  [1149] Matt. xiv, 1-2; John xi, 24.\n\n  [1150] See Note 3.\n\n  [1151] Matt. xxii, 31-32; see also Luke xiv, 14.\n\n  [1152] John v, 24-25; see also verse 21, and xi, 23-25.\n\n=22.= That Christ fully comprehended the purpose of His approaching\nmartyrdom, and the resurrection which was to follow, is abundantly\nproved by His own utterances while yet in the flesh. To Nicodemus He\nsaid:--\"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so\nmust the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him\nshould not perish, but have eternal life.\"[1153] And to Martha, who\nwas bewailing the death of her brother Lazarus, he declared: \"I am\nthe resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he\nwere dead, yet shall he live.\"[1154] Of His own resurrection He\nprophesied freely; specifying the time during which His body would be\nentombed.[1155]\n\n  [1153] John iii, 14-15.\n\n  [1154] John xi, 25.\n\n  [1155] Matt. xii, 40; xvi, 21; xvii, 23; xx, 19.\n\n=23. Two General Resurrections= are mentioned in the scriptures: these\nmay be specified as first and final, or as the resurrection of the\njust and the resurrection of the unjust. The first was inaugurated by\nthe resurrection of Jesus Christ; immediately following which, many of\nthe departed Saints came forth from their graves; a continuation of\nthis, the resurrection of the just, has been in operation,[1156] and\nwill be brought to pass in a general way in connection with the coming\nof Christ in His glory, and will be incident therefore to the\nbeginning of the Millennium. The final resurrection will be deferred\nuntil the end of the thousand years of peace, and will be in\nconnection with the last judgment.\n\n  [1156] Note the fact that Moroni, the last of the Nephite\n  prophets, who died in the first quarter of the fifth century A.D.,\n  appeared as a resurrected being to Joseph Smith in 1823 (see pp.\n  10-12).\n\n=24. The First Resurrection.--Christ's Resurrection, and that\nimmediately following.=--The facts of Christ's resurrection from the\ndead are attested by such an array of scriptural proofs that no doubt\nof the reality finds place in the mind of any believer in the inspired\nrecords. To the women who came early to the sepulchre, the angel, who\nhad rolled the stone from the door of the tomb, spoke, saying:--\"He is\nnot here, for he is risen, as he said.\"[1157] Afterward the\nresurrected Lord showed Himself to many[1158] during the forty days'\ninterval between His resurrection and ascension.[1159] Subsequent to\nthe ascension He manifested Himself to the Nephites on the western\nhemisphere, as already noted in another connection.[1160] The\napostles, as we shall see, ceased not to testify of the genuineness of\ntheir Lord's resurrection, nor did they fail to proclaim the\nresurrections of the future.\n\n  [1157] Matt. xxviii, 6. See \"Jesus the Christ.\" ch. xxxvii.\n\n  [1158] Matt. xxviii, 9, 16; Mark xvi, 14; Luke xxiv, 13-31, 34;\n  John xx, 14-17, 19, 26; xxi, 1-4; I Cor. xv, 5-8.\n\n  [1159] Luke xxiv, 49-51; Acts i, 1-11.\n\n  [1160] See page 37.\n\n=25.= Christ, \"the first-fruits of them that slept,\"[1161] was the\nfirst among men to come forth from the grave in an immortalized body;\nbut we read that, soon after His resurrection, many of the Saints were\nbrought from their tombs:--\"And the graves were opened; and many\nbodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves\nafter his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto\nmany.\"[1162]\n\n  [1161] I Cor. xv, 20, 23; see also Acts xxvi, 23; Col. i, 18; Rev.\n  i, 5.\n\n  [1162] Matt. xxvii, 52-53.\n\n=26.= Alma, the Nephite prophet, whose writings antedate by nearly a\ncentury the birth of Christ, clearly understood that there would be no\nresurrection prior to that of the Redeemer, for he said:--\"Behold I\nsay unto you, that there is no resurrection; or, I would say, in other\nwords, that this mortal does not put on immortality; this corruption\ndoes not put on incorruption, until after the coming of Christ.\"[1163]\nAnd furthermore, he foresaw a general resurrection in connection with\nChrist's coming forth from the dead, as the context of the foregoing\nquotation clearly proves.[1164] Inspired men among the Nephites spoke\nof the death and resurrection of Christ[1165] even during the time of\nHis actual ministry in the flesh; and their teachings were speedily\nconfirmed by the appearance of the risen Lord among them,[1166] as had\nbeen foretold by their earlier prophets.[1167]\n\n  [1163] Alma xl, 2.\n\n  [1164] The same. Paragraph 16.\n\n  [1165] III Nephi vi, 20.\n\n  [1166] III Nephi xi.\n\n  [1167] I Nephi xii, 6; II Nephi xxvi, 1, 9; Alma xvi, 20; III\n  Nephi xi. 12.\n\n=27.= In the latter-days, the Lord has again manifested Himself,\ndeclaring the facts of His death and resurrection:--\"For behold, the\nLord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered\nthe pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And\nhe hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto\nhim on conditions of repentance.\"[1168]\n\n  [1168] Doc. and Cov. xviii, 11-12.\n\n=28. Resurrection at the Time of Christ's Second\nComing.=--Immediately, after the departure of Christ from the earth,\nthe apostles, upon whom then devolved the direct responsibility of the\nChurch, were found preaching the doctrine of a future and universal\nresurrection. This teaching appears to have formed a very prominent\nfeature of their instructions; for it was made a special cause of\ncomplaint by the Sadducees, who assailed the apostles, even within the\nsacred confines of the temple, the accusers \"being grieved that they\n[the apostles] taught the people, and preached through Jesus the\nresurrection from the dead.\"[1169] Paul gave offense by the zeal with\nwhich he preached the resurrection which was to come; as witness his\ncontention with certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the\nStoics; in the course of which some said:--\"What will this babbler\nsay? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods:\nbecause he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.\"[1170] The\ndiscussion was continued at Areopagus, or Mars' Hill, where Paul\npreached the gospel of the true and living God, including the tenets\nof the resurrection. \"And when they heard of the resurrection of the\ndead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this\nmatter.\"[1171] He declared the same truth to Felix, the governor of\nJudea;[1172] and when brought in bonds before Agrippa, the king, he\nasked, as if dealing with one of the principal accusations against\nhim, \"Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God\nshould raise the dead?\"[1173]\n\n  [1169] Acts iv, 2; see also Matt. xxii, 23, 31-32, and Acts xxiii,\n  8.\n\n  [1170] Acts xvii, 18.\n\n  [1171] Verse 32.\n\n  [1172] Acts xxiv, 15.\n\n  [1173] Acts xxvi, 8.\n\n=29.= The resurrection appears to have been a favorite theme with\nPaul; in his epistles to the Saints, he gives it a prominent\nplace.[1174] From him, also, we learn that an order of precedence is\nto be observed in the resurrection:--\"But now is Christ risen from the\ndead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man\ncame death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in\nAdam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man\nin his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are\nChrist's at his coming.\"[1175]\n\n  [1174] Rom. vi, 5; viii, 11; I Cor. xv; II Cor. iv, 14; Phil. iii,\n  21; Col. iii, 4; I Thess. iv, 14; Heb. vi, 2.\n\n  [1175] I Cor. xv, 20-23; the entire chapter should be studied.\n\n=30.= It is expressly declared that many graves shall yield up their\ndead at the time of Christ's advent in glory, and the just who have\nslept, together with many who have not died, will be caught up to meet\nthe Lord. Paul thus wrote to the Saints in Thessalonica:--\"Even so\nthem also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.... For the\nLord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of\nthe archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall\nrise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up\ntogether with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.\"[1176]\n\n  [1176] I Thess. iv, 14-17.\n\n=31.= To the three Nephite disciples, who had asked the blessing of\nJohn the beloved apostle, Christ said:--\"And ye shall never endure the\npains of death; but when I shall come in my glory, ye shall be changed\nin the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality.\"[1177]\n\n  [1177] III Nephi xxviii, 8.\n\n=32.= Through the medium of latter-day revelation, the Lord has\nsaid:--\"Behold I will come, and they shall see me in the clouds of\nheaven, clothed with power and great glory, with all the holy angels;\nand he that watches not for me shall be cut off. But before the arm of\nthe Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the Saints\nthat have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud.\"[1178] Of\nthe many signs and wonders which shall attend the Lord's glorious\ncoming we have this partial description:--\"And the face of the Lord\nshall be unveiled: and the saints that are upon the earth, who are\nalive, shall be quickened, and be caught up to meet him. And they who\nhave slept in their graves shall come forth; for their graves shall be\nopened, and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of\nthe pillar of heaven. They are Christ's, the first-fruits; they who\nshall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in\ntheir graves, who are first caught up to meet him.\"[1179]\n\n  [1178] Doc. and Cov. xlv, 44-45.\n\n  [1179] Doc. and Cov. lxxxviii, 95-98.\n\n=33.= Such are some of the glories to attend the first resurrection;\nin which only the righteous are to have part. But the company of the\nrighteous will include all who have faithfully lived according to the\nlaws of God as made known to them; children who have died in their\ninnocence; and even the just among the heathen nations who have lived\nin comparative darkness while groping for light, and who have died in\nignorance.[1180] This doctrine is made plain by modern revelation:--\"And\nthen shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law\nshall have part in the first resurrection.\"[1181] The Millennium then\nis to be inaugurated by a glorious deliverance of the just from the\npower of death; and of this company of the redeemed it is\nwritten:--\"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first\nresurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall\nbe priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand\nyears.\"[1182]\n\n  [1180] See Note 4.\n\n  [1181] Doc. and Cov. xlv, 54; see also Ezek. xxxvi, 23-24; xxxvii,\n  28; xxxix, 7, 21, 23.\n\n  [1182] Rev. xx, 6.\n\n=34. The Final Resurrection.=--\"But the rest of the dead lived not\nagain until the thousand years were finished.\"[1183] So said the\nRevelator after having described the glorious blessings of the just,\nwho are given part in the first resurrection. The unworthy will be\ncalled to the judgment of condemnation, when the regenerated world is\nready to be presented to the Father.[1184]\n\n  [1183] Rev. xx, 5.\n\n  [1184] See Note 5.\n\n=35.= The contrast between those whose part in the first resurrection\nis assured, and those whose doom it is to wait until the time of final\njudgment, is a strong one, and in no case do the scriptures lighten\nit. We are told that it is proper for us to weep over bereavement by\ndeath, \"and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious\nresurrection.\"[1185] In the present day, the voice of the Mighty One\nis heard in solemn warning:--\"Hearken ye, for, behold, the great day\nof the Lord is nigh at hand. For the day cometh that the Lord shall\nutter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake, and the earth\nshall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud,\nand shall say to the sleeping nations, Ye saints arise and live; ye\nsinners stay and sleep until I shall call again.\"[1186]\n\n  [1185] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 45.\n\n  [1186] Doc. and Cov. xliii, 17-18.\n\n=36.= The vision of the final scene is thus described by John:--\"And I\nsaw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were\nopened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and\nthe dead were judged out of those things which were written in the\nbooks, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which\nwere in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in\nthem: and they were judged every man according to their works.\"[1187]\nThis stage marks the completion of the work of resurrection. As the\nscriptures conclusively prove, the resurrection will be universal;\nwhile it is true that the dead will be brought forth in order, each as\nhe is prepared for the first or the final stage, yet everyone who has\ntabernacled in the flesh will again assume his body and with such be\njudged.\n\n  [1187] Rev. xx, 12-13.\n\n=37.= The Book of Mormon is explicit in the description of the literal\nand universal resurrection:--\"Now, there is a death which is called a\ntemporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this\ntemporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death; The\nspirit and the body shall be re-united again in its perfect form; both\nlimb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now\nare at this time, and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing\neven as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.\nNow this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond\nand free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and\neven there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but all\nthings shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the\nbody, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ\nthe Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one eternal\nGod, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or\nwhether they be evil. Now, behold, I have spoken unto you, concerning\nthe death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of\nthe mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an\nimmortal body; that is from death; even from the first death unto\nlife.\"[1188]\n\n  [1188] Alma xi, 42-45.\n\n=38.= Consider also the following:--\"The death of Christ bringeth to\npass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an\nendless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awoke by the power of\nGod when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small\nand great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and\nloosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal\ndeath; And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them, and\nthen cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and\nhe that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall\nbe happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.\"[1189]\n\n  [1189] Mormon ix, 13-14.\n\n=39.= So far has the word of revealed truth extended our knowledge\nregarding the destiny of the children of God. Beyond the regeneration\nof the earth, and the final judgment of the just and the wicked, we\nknow little except that a plan of eternal progression has been\nprovided.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Pagan Ignorance Concerning the Resurrection.=--In connection\n     with the statement that human knowledge of the resurrection is\n     based on revelation, the following is of interest:--\"Whatever\n     heathen philosophers may have _guessed_ as to the immortality of\n     the soul, even admitting that this was really the result of their\n     own speculations, and not at all due to the relics of tradition,\n     it is certain that they never reached so far as the doctrine of a\n     bodily resurrection. Pliny, when enumerating the things which it\n     was not even in the power of God to do, specified these two--the\n     endowment of mortals with an eternal existence, and the recalling\n     of the departed from the grave (ii, c, vii). A similar opinion is\n     enunciated by \u00c6schylus in the 'Eumenides' (647, 648). The utmost\n     to which they attained in their ethical speculations was a\n     conception of the possible continuance of life, in some new forms\n     and conditions, beyond the grave; but this was all. A\n     resurrection in the scripture sense of the word they never\n     imagined.\"--Cassell's _Bible Dictionary_, p. 936.\n\n     =2. General Belief in a Resurrection.=--\"This great event of the\n     future, like the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ, is so\n     entirely a cardinal truth, that there never has been a time in\n     which it has not been an article of the Christian creed, the only\n     difference between the ancient creeds and our own, being that the\n     latter has the phrase 'resurrection of the body' whereas the\n     former invariably uses the form 'resurrection of the flesh.' The\n     reason for the ancient mode of expression is stated by Jerome to\n     be, that since there are spiritual bodies, some might readily\n     accept a resurrection of the body in that sense, who would deny\n     the actual resurrection of the flesh.\"--Cassell's _Bible\n     Dictionary_, p. 935.\n\n     =3. The Sadducees=, when mentioned in the New Testament, are\n     usually represented as being in opposition to the Pharisees, the\n     two classes constituting the most influential of the sects\n     existing among the Jews at the time of Christ. The two differed\n     on many fundamental matters of belief and practice, including\n     pre-existence of spirits; the reality of spiritual punishment and\n     future retribution for sin; the necessity of self-denial in\n     individual life; the immortality of the soul; and the\n     resurrection from the dead; in all of which the Pharisees stood\n     for the affirmative, while the Sadducees denied. Josephus\n     says:--\"The doctrine of the Sadducees is that the soul and body\n     perish together; the law is all that they are concerned to\n     observe\" (Ant. xviii, 1, 4). The sect consisted mainly of members\n     of the aristocracy. Special mention of the Sadducees here is\n     suggested by their determined opposition to the doctrine of the\n     resurrection, which they sought to assail by arrogant assumption\n     or to belittle by ridicule. Cassell's _Bible Dictionary_ gives\n     place to the following:--\"The Sadducees are never mentioned in\n     John's Gospel. The only occasion on which they are spoken of in\n     the Gospels of Mark and Luke is that referred to also by St.\n     Matthew, on which they attempted to ridicule the doctrine of the\n     resurrection, by asking our Lord's opinion as to whose wife a\n     woman would be in the future world, who had been married to\n     several in this world (Matt. xxii, 23-32; Mark xii, 18-27; Luke\n     xx, 27-38). Their question proceeded on the assumption that the\n     levirate law, as promulgated by Moses (Deut. xxv, 5-6), implied\n     that the Jewish law-giver had no resurrection of the dead in\n     view. Our Lord's answer explained the difficulty, affirmed the\n     resurrection of the dead, and asserted the existence of angels,\n     which the Sadducees also denied (Matt. xxii, 30; Mark xii, 25;\n     Luke xx, 35, 36; compare with Acts xxiii, 8). He also quoted the\n     divine announcement,--'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,\n     and the God of Jacob' (Exod. iii, 6, 15, 16), and founded thereon\n     by inference an argument not only for immortality, but also for\n     the resurrection. The words quoted must have been regarded by our\n     Lord as implying that the patriarchs, as parties to the covenant,\n     were still in a state of conscious relation to God.\"\n\n     =4. Heathen in the First Resurrection.=--The statement that the\n     heathen dead will have place in the first resurrection is\n     sustained by the word of scripture, and by a consideration of the\n     principles of true justice according to which humanity is to be\n     judged. Man will be accounted blameless or guilty, according to\n     his deeds as interpreted in the light of the law under which he\n     is required to live. It is inconsistent with our conception of a\n     just God, to believe Him capable of inflicting condemnation upon\n     any one for noncompliance with a requirement of which the person\n     had no knowledge. Nevertheless, the laws of the Church will not\n     be suspended even in the case of those who have sinned in\n     darkness and ignorance; but it is reasonable to believe that the\n     plan of redemption will afford such benighted ones an opportunity\n     of learning the laws of God; and surely, as fast as they so\n     learn, will obedience be required on pain of the penalty. Note\n     the following passages in addition to the citations in the text:\n\n     \"And if there was no law given if men sinned, what could justice\n     do, or mercy either; for they would have no claim upon the\n     creature?\"--Alma xlii, 21.\n\n     \"Wherefore he has given a law; and where there is no law given,\n     there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment, there\n     is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation, the\n     mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because\n     of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of\n     him.\"--II Nephi ix, 25.\n\n     \"And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come, when the\n     knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation,\n     kindred, tongue, and people. And behold, when that time cometh,\n     none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little\n     children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the\n     Lord God Omnipotent.\"--Mos. iii, 20-21. See also Helaman xv,\n     14-15.\n\n     =5. The Intermediate State of the Soul; Paradise.=--The condition\n     of the spirits of men between death and the resurrection is a\n     subject of great interest, and one concerning which much dispute\n     has arisen. The scriptures prove, that at the time of man's final\n     judgment he will stand before the bar of God, clothed in his\n     resurrected body, and this, irrespective of his condition of\n     purity or guilt. While awaiting the time of their coming forth,\n     disembodied spirits exist in an intermediate state, of happiness\n     and rest or of suffering and suspense, according to their works\n     in mortality. The prophet Alma said:--\"Now concerning the state\n     of the soul between death and the resurrection. Behold, it has\n     been made known unto me, by an angel, that the spirits of all\n     men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body; yea, the\n     spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home\n     to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass\n     that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a\n     state of happiness, which is called paradise; a state of rest; a\n     state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and\n     from all care, and sorrow, etc. And then shall it come to pass,\n     that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil; for behold,\n     they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for\n     behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the\n     spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of\n     their house; and these shall be cast out into outer darkness;\n     there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and\n     this because of their own iniquity; being led captive by the will\n     of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked;\n     yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking, for the\n     fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain\n     in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise until the\n     time of their resurrection.\"--Alma xl, 11-14.\n\n     Reference to paradise, as a place prepared for righteous spirits\n     while awaiting the resurrection, is made also by the first Nephi\n     (II Nephi ix, 13), by a later prophet of the same name (IV Nephi\n     14), and by Moroni (Moroni x, 34). New Testament mention supports\n     the same (Luke xxiii, 43; II Cor. xii, 4; Rev. ii, 7). Paradise,\n     then, is not the place of final glory; for such the thief who\n     died with Christ was assuredly not prepared, yet we cannot doubt\n     the fulfillment of our Lord's promise that the penitent\n     malefactor should be with Him in paradise that day; and,\n     moreover, the declaration of the risen Savior to Mary Magdalene,\n     three days later, that He had not at that time ascended to His\n     Father, is proof of His having spent the intermediate time in\n     paradise.\n\n     The word \"paradise,\" by its derivation through the Greek from the\n     Persian, signifies a pleasure ground.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XXII.\n\nRELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND TOLERATION.\n\n     =Article 11.=--We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God\n     according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all\n     men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they\n     may.\n\n\n=1. Man's Right to Freedom in Worship.=--The Latter-day Saints\nproclaim their unqualified allegiance to the principles of religious\nliberty and religious toleration. Freedom to worship Almighty God as\nthe conscience may dictate, they claim as one of the inherent and\ninalienable rights of humanity. The inspired framers of our charter of\nnational independence proclaimed to the world, as a self-evident\ntruth, that the common birthright of humanity gives to every man a\nclaim to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is\nforeign, liberty but a name, and life a disappointment to him who is\ndenied the freedom to worship as he may desire. No person possessing a\nregard for Deity and a sense of duty toward that power Divine, can be\nhappy if he be restricted in the performance of the highest duty of\nhis existence. Could one be happy, though he were housed in a palace,\nsurrounded with all material comforts and provided with every facility\nfor intellectual enjoyment, if he were cut off from communion with the\nbeing whom he loved the most? To the man who has learned to know his\nDivine Father, freedom of worship is preferable even to life.\n\n=2. What is Worship?=--The derivation of the term suggests an answer.\nIt comes to us as the lineal descendant of a pair of Anglo-Saxon words\n(_weorth_, meaning worthy, and _scipe_, the old form of _ship_,\nsignifying condition or state), and conveys the thought of\n_worthy-ship_. The worship of which one is capable depends upon his\ncomprehension of the worthiness characterizing the object of his\nreverence. Man's capacity for worship is a measure of his\ncomprehension of God. The fuller the acquaintance, the closer the\ncommunion between the worshiper and his Deity, the more thorough and\nsincere will be his homage. When we say of one, in figurative speech,\nthat he is a worshiper of the good, the beautiful, the true, we affirm\nthat he possesses a deeper and a more complete conception of worth in\nthe object of his adoration, than has another whose perception does\nnot lead him to reverence those ennobling qualities.\n\n=3.= Man, then, will worship God according to his conception of the\nDivine attributes and powers; and this conception approaches the\ncorrect one in proportion to the spiritual light that has come to him.\nTrue worship cannot exist where there is no reverence or love for the\nobject. This reverence may be ill-founded; the adoration may be a\nspecies of idolatry; the object may be in fact unworthy; yet of the\ndevotee it must be said that he worships if his conscience clothe the\nidol with the attribute of worthy-ship. We have spoken of \"true\nworship;\" the expression is a pleonasm. Worship, as has been affirmed,\nis the heart-felt adoration that is rendered as a result of a sincere\nconception of worthiness on the part of the object; any manifestation\nof reverence prompted by a conviction inferior to this is but a\ncounterfeit of worship. Call such \"false worship\" if you choose, but\nlet it be remembered that worship is necessarily true, the word\nrequires no adjective to extend its meaning, nor to attest its\ngenuineness. Worship is not a matter of form, any more than is prayer.\nIt consists not in posture nor in gesture, in ritual nor in creed.\nWorship most profound may be rendered with none of the artificial\naccessories of ritualistic service; for altar, the stone in the\ndesert may serve; the peaks of the everlasting hills are temple\nspires; the vault of heaven is of all the grandest cathedral dome.\n\n=4.= Man is at heart an inferior pattern of that which he worships.\nThe savage, who knows no triumph greater than that of bloody victory\nover his enemy, who regards prowess and physical strength as the most\ndesirable qualities of his race, and who looks upon revenge and\nvindictiveness as the sweetest gratifications of life, will assuredly\nascribe such attributes to his deity; and will offer his profoundest\nreverence in sacrifices of blood. All the revolting practices of\nidolatry are traceable to perverted and fiendish conceptions of human\nexcellence, and these are reflected in the hideous creations of\nman-made, devil-inspired deities. On the other hand, the man whose\nenlightened soul has received the impress of love, pure and undefiled,\nwill ascribe to his God the attributes of gentleness and affection,\nand will say in his heart, \"God is love.\" He alone who has acquired a\nproper understanding of the glory and responsibility of parenthood,\ncan intelligently use the Son's title of invocation, \"Our Father.\"\nKnowledge, therefore, is essential to worship; man cannot adequately\nserve God in ignorance; and the greater his knowledge of the Divine\npersonality, the fuller, truer, will be his adoration; he may learn to\nknow the Father, and the Son who was sent; and such knowledge is man's\nguarantee to eternal life.\n\n=5.= Worship is the voluntary homage of the soul. Under compulsion, or\nfor the hypocritical purposes of effect, one may insincerely perform\nall the outward ceremonies of an established style of adoration; he\nmay voice words of prescribed prayers; his lips may profess a creed;\nyet his effort is but a mockery of worship, and its indulgence a sin.\nOur Father desires no reluctant homage nor unwilling praise. Formalism\nin worship is acceptable only so far as it is accompanied by an\nintelligent devoutness; and it is of use only as an aid to the\nspiritual devotion which leads to communion with Deity. The spoken\nprayer is but empty sound if it be anything less than an index to the\nvolume of the soul's righteous desire. Communications addressed to the\nthrone of Grace must bear the stamp of sincerity if they are to reach\ntheir high destination. The most acceptable form of worship is that\nwhich rests on an unreserved compliance with the laws of God as the\nworshiper has learned their purport.\n\n=6. Religious Intolerance.=--The Church holds, that the right to\nworship according to the dictates of conscience has been conferred\nupon man by an authority higher than any of earth; and that, in\nconsequence, no worldly power can justly interfere with its exercise.\nThe Latter-day Saints accept as inspired the constitutional provision,\nby which religious liberty within our own nation is professedly\nguarded, that no law shall ever be made \"respecting an establishment\nof religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;\"[1190] and they\nconfidently believe that, with the spread of enlightenment throughout\nthe world, a similar guarantee will be acquired by every nation.\nIntolerance has been the greatest hindrance to true progress in every\nperiod of time; yet under the sable cloak of perverted zeal for\nreligion, nations while boasting of their civilization, and professed\nministers of the gospel of Christ, have stained the pages of the\nworld's history with the record of such unholy deeds of persecution as\nto make the heavens weep. In this respect, so-called Christianity\nought to bow its head in shame before the record of even pagan\ntoleration. Rome, while arrogantly, though none the less effectively,\nposing as the mistress of the world, granted to her vanquished\nsubjects the rights of free worship, requiring of them only that they\nrefrain from molesting others or one another in the exercise of such\nfreedom.\n\n  [1190] Constitution of the United States, first amendment.\n\n=7.= But as soon as the gospel of Christ was established upon the\nearth, its devout adherents immediately, and its more pretentious\nthough less sincere devotees of a later day, came to regard themselves\nas of such sanctity and excellence that all who believed and professed\nnot as did they, were wholly unworthy of consideration. Nay, even long\nprior to the advent of the Teacher of Love, Israel, knowing the\ncovenant of Divine favor under which they had flourished, counted\nthemselves sure of an exalted station, and looked upon all who were\nnot of the chosen seed as unworthy. Christ, in His ministry among the\nJews, saw with compassionate sorrow the spiritual and intellectual\nbondage of the times, and declared unto them the saving word, saying,\n\"The truth shall make you free.\" At this, those self-righteous\nchildren of the covenant became angry, and boastfully answered, \"We be\nAbraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou,\nYe shall be made free?\" Then the Master reproved them for their\nbigotry:--\"I know that ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me,\nbecause my word has no place in you.\"[1191]\n\n  [1191] John viii, 32-45; see also Matt. iii, 9. See \"Jesus the\n  Christ,\" p. 408.\n\n=8.= There is little cause for wonder in the fact that the early\nChristians, zealous for the new faith unto which they had been\nbaptized, and newly converted from idolatrous practices and pagan\nsuperstitions, should consider themselves superior to the rest of\nhumanity still sitting in darkness and ignorance. Even John, now known\nas the Apostle of Love, but surnamed by the Christ, he and his brother\nJames, Boanerges, or Sons of Thunder,[1192] was intolerant and\nresentful toward those who followed not his path; and more than once\nhe had to be rebuked by his Master. Note this incident:--\"And John\nanswered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy\nname, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him because he followeth\nnot us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which\nshall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For\nhe that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you\na cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ,\nverily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.\"[1193] And again,\nwhile traveling with their Lord through Samaria, the apostles James\nand John were incensed at the Samaritans' neglect shown toward the\nMaster; and they craved permission to call fire from heaven to consume\nthe unbelievers, but their revengeful desire was promptly rebuked by\nthe Lord, who said, \"Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For\nthe Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save\nthem.\"[1194]\n\n  [1192] Mark iii, 17.\n\n  [1193] Mark ix, 38-41; see also Luke ix, 49-50, and compare Numb.\n  xi, 27-29.\n\n  [1194] Luke ix, 51-56; see also John iii, 17, and xii, 47.\n\n=9. Intolerance is Unscriptural.=--The teachings of our Lord breathe\nthe spirit of forbearance and love even to enemies. He tolerated,\nthough he could not approve, the practices of the heathen in their\nidolatry, the Samaritans with their mongrel and unorthodox customs of\nworship, the luxury-loving Sadducees, and the law-bound Pharisees.\nHatred was not countenanced even toward foes. His instructions\nwere:--\"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them\nthat hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and\npersecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in\nheaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and\nsendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.\"[1195] The Twelve were\ncommanded to salute with their blessing every house at which they\napplied for hospitality. True, if the people rejected them and their\nmessage, retribution was to follow; but this visitation of cursing was\nto be reserved as a Divine prerogative for the judgment day. In His\nParable of the Tares, Christ taught the same lesson of forbearance;\nthe hasty servants wanted to pluck out the weeds straightway, but they\nwere forbidden lest they root up the wheat also; and were assured that\na separation would be effected in the time of harvest.[1196]\n\n  [1195] Matt. v, 44-45.\n\n  [1196] Matt. xiii, 24-30.\n\n=10.= In spite of the prevailing spirit of toleration and love which\npervades the teachings of the Savior and His apostles, attempts have\nbeen made to draw from the scriptures justification for intolerance\nand persecution.[1197] Paul's stinging words, addressed to the\nGalatians, have been given a meaning wholly foreign to the spirit\nwhich prompted them. Warning the Saints of false teachers, he\nsaid:--\"As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any\nother gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be\naccursed.\"[1198] With such an utterance, self-styled ministers of\nChrist, who, if the whole truth were considered, are perhaps preaching\ndoctrines foreign to the apostolic precepts, seek to justify their\nsectarian hatred and unchristian cruelty; forgetting that vengeance\nand recompense belong to the Lord.[1199]\n\n  [1197] See Note 1.\n\n  [1198] Gal. i, 9; also 8.\n\n  [1199] Deut. xxxii, 35; Psa. xciv, 1; Rom. xii, 19; Heb. x, 30.\n\n=11.= The intent of John's words of counsel to the Elect Lady has been\nperverted, and his teachings have been made a cover of refuge for\npersecutors and bigots. Warning her of the ministers of Antichrist who\nwere industriously disseminating their heresies, the apostle\nwrote:--\"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,\nreceive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed: for he\nthat biddeth him God-speed is partaker of his evil deeds.\"[1200] By no\nrightful interpretation can these words be made to sanction\nintolerance, persecution, and hatred.\n\n  [1200] II John, 10-11.\n\n=12.= The apostle's true meaning has been set forth with clearness and\nforce by a renowned Christian writer of the present day, who, after\ndeploring the \"narrow intolerance of an ignorant dogmatism,\"\nsays:--\"The Apostle of Love would have belied all that is best in his\nown teaching if he had consciously given an absolution, nay, an\nincentive, to furious intolerance.... Meanwhile, this incidental\nexpression of St. John's brief letter will not lend itself to these\ngross perversions. What St. John really says and really means, is\nsomething wholly different. False teachers were rife, who, professing\nto be Christians, robbed the nature of Christ of all which gave its\nefficacy to the atonement, and its significance to the incarnation.\nThese teachers, like other Christian missionaries, traveled from city\nto city; and, in the absence of public inns, were received into the\nhouses of Christian converts. The Christian lady to whom St. John\nwrites is warned, that if she offers her hospitality to these\ndangerous emissaries, who were subverting the central truth of\nChristianity, she is expressing a public sanction of them; and by\ndoing this, and offering them her best wishes, she is taking a direct\nshare in the harm they do. This is common sense, nor is there anything\nuncharitable in it. No one is bound to help forward the dissemination\nof teaching what he regards as erroneous respecting the most essential\ndoctrines of his own faith. Still less would it have been right to do\nthis in the days when Christian communities were so small and weak.\nBut, to interpret this as it has in all ages been practically\ninterpreted--to pervert it into a sort of command to exaggerate the\nminor variations between religious opinions, and to persecute those\nwhose views differ from our own--to make our own opinions the\nconclusive test of heresy, and to say with Cornelius-a-Lapide, that\nthis verse reprobates 'all conversations, all intercourse, all\ndealings with heretics'--is to interpret scripture by the glare of\npartisanship and spiritual self-satisfaction, not to read it under the\nlight of holy love.\"[1201]\n\n  [1201] Canon Farrar. _The Early Days of Christianity_, pp. 587,\n  588.\n\n=13. Toleration is not Acceptance.=--The human frailty of running to\nextremes in thought and action finds few more glaring examples than\nare presented in man's dealings with his fellows on matters religious.\nOn the one hand, he is prone to regard the faith of others as not\nmerely inferior to his own, but as utterly unworthy of his respect;\nor, on the other, he brings himself to believe that all sects are\nequally justified in their professions and practices, and that\ntherefore there is no distinctively true order of religion. It is in\nno wise inconsistent for Latter-day Saints to boldly proclaim the\nconviction, that their own Church is the accepted one, the only one\nentitled to the designation \"Church of Jesus Christ,\" and the sole\nearthly repository of the eternal priesthood in the present age; and\nyet to willingly accord kind treatment and a recognition of sincerity\nof purpose to every soul or sect honestly professing Christ, or merely\nshowing a respect for truth, and manifesting a sincere desire to walk\naccording to the light received. My allegiance to the Church of my\nchoice is based on a conviction of the validity and genuineness of its\nhigh claim to distinction, as the one and only Church possessing a\nGod-given charter of authority; nevertheless, I count the sects as\nsincere until they demonstrate that they are otherwise, and am\nprepared to defend them in their rights.\n\n=14.= Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the last dispensation, while\nreproving certain of his brethren for intolerance toward the cherished\nbeliefs of other men, taught that even idolaters ought to be\nprotected in their worship; that, while it would be the strict duty of\nany Christian to direct his efforts toward enlightening such benighted\nminds, he would not be justified in forcibly depriving even the\nheathen of their rights of adoration. In the pure eyes of God,\nidolatry is one of the most heinous of sins; yet He is tolerant of\nthose who, knowing Him not, yield to their inherited instinct for\nworship by rendering homage even to stocks and stones. Deadly as is\nthe sin of idolatrous worship on the part of him to whom light has\ncome, it may represent in the savage the sincerest reverence of which\nhe is capable. And, as set forth in a preceding lecture,[1202] the\nvoice of the Eternal One has declared that the heathen who have known\nno law shall have part in the first resurrection.\n\n  [1202] See page 61.\n\n=15.= What justification can man find for intolerance toward his\nfellow, when God, who is grieved over every sin, manifests so marked a\nforbearance? The free agency of the human soul is sacred to Deity.\n\n    \"Know this, that every soul is free,\n    To choose his life, and what he'll be;\n    For this eternal truth is given,\n    That God will force no man to heaven.\n    He'll call, persuade, direct aright,\n    Bless him with wisdom, love, and light,\n    In nameless ways be good and kind,\n    But never force the human mind.\"\n\n=16. Man is strictly Answerable for his Acts.=--The unbounded\nliberality and true tolerance with which the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints regards other religious denominations, and the\nteachings of the Church respecting the assurance of final redemption\nfor all men except the few who have fallen so far as to have committed\nthe unpardonable sin, thereby becoming Sons of Perdition, may suggest\nthe erroneous conclusion, that we believe that all so redeemed shall\nbe admitted to equal powers, privileges, and glories in the Heaven of\nour God. Far from this, the Church proclaims the doctrine of many and\nvaried degrees of glory, which the redeemed will inherit in strict\naccordance with their merits.[1203] We believe in no general plan of\nuniversal forgiveness or reward, by which sinners of high and low\ndegree shall be exempted from the effects of their deeds, while the\nrighteous are ushered into heaven as a dwelling place in common, all\nglorified in the same measure. As stated, the heathen whose sins are\nthose of ignorance, are to come forth with the just in the first\nresurrection; but this does not imply that those children of the lower\nraces are to inherit the glory provided for the able, the valiant, and\nthe true, in the cause of God on earth.\n\n  [1203] See pp. 94-95.\n\n=17.= Our condition in the world to come will be strictly a result of\nthe life we lead in this probation, as, by the light of revealed truth\nregarding the pre-existent state,[1204] we perceive our present\ncondition to be determined by the fidelity with which we kept our\nfirst estate. The scriptures repeatedly declare that man will reap the\nnatural harvest of his works in life, be such good or evil; in the\neffective language with which the Father encourages and warns his\nfrail children, every one will be rewarded or punished according to\nhis works.[1205] In eternity, man will enjoy or loath the \"fruit of\nhis doing.\"\n\n  [1204] See pp. 195-198.\n\n  [1205] Job xxxiv, 11; Psal. lxii, 12; Jer. xvii, 10; xxxii, 19;\n  Matt. xvi, 17; Rom. ii, 6-12; xiv, 12; I Cor. iii, 8; II Cor. v,\n  10; Rev. ii, 23; xx, 12; xxii, 12.\n\n=18. Degrees of Glory.=--That the privileges and glories of heaven are\ngraded to suit the various capacities of the blessed, is indicated in\nChrist's teachings. To His apostles He said:--\"In my Father's house\nare many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to\nprepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I\nwill come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there\nye may be also.\"[1206]\n\n  [1206] John xiv, 1-3.\n\n=19.= This utterance is supplemented by that of Paul, who speaks of\nthe graded glories of the resurrection as follows:--\"There are also\ncelestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the\ncelestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There\nis one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another\nglory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.\nSo also is the resurrection of the dead.\"[1207]\n\n  [1207] I Cor. xv, 40-42.\n\n=20.= A fuller knowledge of this subject has been imparted in the\npresent dispensation. From a revelation given in 1832[1208] we learn\nthe following:--Three great kingdoms or degrees of glory are\nestablished for the future habitation of the human race; these are\nknown as the Celestial, the Terrestrial, and the Telestial. Far below\nthe last and least of these, is the state of eternal punishment\nprepared for the Sons of Perdition.\n\n  [1208] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi.\n\n=21. The Celestial Glory= is provided for those who merit the highest\nhonors of heaven. In the revelation referred to, we read of\nthem:--\"They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and\nbelieved on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial,\nbeing buried in the water in his name, and this according to the\ncommandment which he has given, that by keeping the commandments they\nmight be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy\nSpirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed\nunto this power, and who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy\nSpirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are\njust and true. They are they who are the Church of the First-born.\nThey are they into whose hands the Father has given all things,--they\nare they who are Priests and Kings, who have received of his fulness,\nand of his glory, and are Priests of the Most High, after the order of\nMelchisedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the\norder of the Only Begotten Son; wherefore, as it is written, they are\nGods, even the sons of God;--wherefore all things are theirs, whether\nlife or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs,\nand they are Christ's, and Christ is God's.... These shall dwell in\nthe presence of God and his Christ for ever and ever. These are they\nwhom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of\nheaven, to reign on the earth over his people. These are they who\nshall have part in the first resurrection. These are they who shall\ncome forth in the resurrection of the just.... These are they who are\njust men made perfect through Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,\nwho wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own\nblood. These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that\nof the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the\nsun of the firmament is written of as being typical.\"[1209]\n\n  [1209] The same: Paragraphs 51-70.\n\n=22. The Terrestrial Glory.=--This, the next lower degree, will be\nattained by many whose works do not merit the highest reward. We read\nof them:--\"These are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory\ndiffers from that of the Church of the First-born who have received\nthe fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the\nsun in the firmament. Behold, these are they who died without law, and\nalso they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son\nvisited, and preached the Gospel unto them, that they might be judged\naccording to men in the flesh, who received not the testimony of Jesus\nin the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are\nhonorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.\nThese are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These\nare they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the\nfulness of the Father; wherefore they are bodies terrestrial, and not\nbodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the\nsun. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus;\nwherefore they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our\nGod.\"[1210]\n\n  [1210] The same: Paragraphs 71-79.\n\n=23. The Telestial Glory.=--The revelation continues:--\"And again, we\nsaw the glory of the telestial,[1211] which glory is that of the\nlesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory\nof the moon in the firmament. These are they who received not the\ngospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. These are they who\ndeny not the Holy Spirit. These are they who are thrust down to hell.\nThese are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil, until the\nlast resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb shall have\nfinished his work.\"[1212] We learn further that the inhabitants of\nthis kingdom are to be graded among themselves, comprising as they do\nthe unenlightened among the varied opposing sects and divisions of\nmen, and sinners of many types, whose offences are not those of utter\nperdition;--\"For as one star differs from another star in glory, even\nso differs one from another in glory in the telestial world; for these\nare they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are\nthey who say they are some of one and some of another--some of Christ,\nand some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of\nEsaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; but received not the\ngospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither\nthe everlasting covenant.\"[1213] Evidently a considerable part of the\nhuman family will fail of all glory beyond that of the telestial\nkingdom, for we are told,--\"But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and\nthe inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable\nas the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the\nseashore.\"[1214] They are thus not wholly rejected; their every merit\nwill be respected. \"For they shall be judged according to their works,\nand every man shall receive according to his own works, his own\ndominion in the mansions which are prepared; and they shall be\nservants of the Most High, but where God and Christ dwell, they cannot\ncome, worlds without end.\"[1215]\n\n  [1211] See Note 2.\n\n  [1212] Paragraphs 81-86.\n\n  [1213] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 98-101.\n\n  [1214] The same: Par. 109.\n\n  [1215] The same: Par. 111-112.\n\n=24. The Kingdoms with Respect to One Another.=--The three kingdoms of\nwidely differing glories are themselves organized on an orderly plan\nof gradation. We have seen that the telestial kingdom comprises a\nmultitude of subdivisions; this also is the case, we are told, with\nthe celestial;[1216] and, by analogy, we conclude that a similar\ncondition prevails in the terrestrial. Thus the innumerable degrees of\nmerit amongst mankind are provided for in an infinity of graded\nglories. The Celestial kingdom is supremely honored by the personal\nministrations of the Father and the Son.[1217] The Terrestrial kingdom\nwill be administered through the higher, without a fullness of glory.\nThe Telestial is governed through the ministrations of the\nTerrestrial, by \"angels who are appointed to minister for them.\"[1218]\n\n  [1216] Doc. and Cov. cxxxi, 1; see also II Cor. xii, 1-4.\n\n  [1217] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 68.\n\n  [1218] Par. 86, 88.\n\n=25.= It is reasonable to believe, in the absence of direct\nrevelation by which alone absolute knowledge of the matter could be\nacquired, that, in accordance with God's plan of eternal progression,\nadvancement from grade to grade within each of the three specified\nkingdoms will be provided for. But if the recipients of a lower glory\nbe enabled to advance, surely the intelligences of higher rank shall\nnot be stopped in their progress; and thus we may conclude that\ndegrees and grades will ever characterize the kingdoms of our God.\nEternity is progressive; perfection is relative; the essential feature\nof God's living purpose is its associated power of eternal increase.\n\n=26. The Sons of Perdition.=--We learn of another class of souls whose\nsins are such as to place them beyond the present possibility of\nredemption. These are called Sons of Perdition; children of the fallen\nangel, once a Son of the Morning, now Lucifer, or Perdition.[1219]\nThese are they who have violated truth in the full blaze of the light\nof knowledge; who, having received the testimony of Christ, and having\nbeen endowed by the Holy Spirit, then deny the same and defy the power\nof God, crucifying the Lord afresh, and putting Him to an open shame.\nThis, the unpardonable sin, can be committed by those only who have\nreceived the knowledge and the sacred conviction of the truth, against\nwhich they then rebel. Their sin is comparable to the treason of\nLucifer, by which he sought to usurp the power and glory of his God.\nConcerning them and their dreadful fate, the Almighty has said:--\"I\nsay that it had been better for them never to have been born; for they\nare vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the\ndevil and his angels in eternity; concerning whom I have said, there\nis no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come.... They\nshall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless\npunishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and\nhis angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is\nnot quenched, which is their torment; And the end thereof, neither the\nplace thereof, nor their torment, no man knows; neither was it\nrevealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man, except to\nthem who are made partakers thereof: Nevertheless I, the Lord, show it\nby vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again; wherefore the\nend, the width, the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, they\nunderstand not, neither any man except them who are ordained unto this\ncondemnation.\"[1220]\n\n  [1219] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 25-27.\n\n  [1220] Doc. and Cov. lxxvi, 31-48, see also Heb. vi, 4-6; Alma\n  xxxix, 6. For other references see page 62.\n\n=27.= Surely the doctrines of the Church are explicit in defining the\nrelationship between the mortal probation and the future state, and in\nteaching the individual accountability and the free agency of man. The\nChurch affirms that in view of the terrible responsibility under which\nevery man rests, as the unrestrained director of his own course, he\nmust be and is free to choose in all things, from the life that leads\nto the celestial home, to the career that is but the introduction to\nthe miseries of perdition. Freedom to worship, or to refuse to\nworship, is a God-given right.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Intolerance among Christians To-day.=--\"It must be\n     said--though I say it with the deepest sorrow--that the cold\n     exclusiveness of the Pharisee, the bitter ignorance of the\n     self-styled theologian, the usurped infallibility of the\n     half-educated religionist, have been ever the curse of\n     Christianity. They have imposed 'the senses of men upon the words\n     of God, the special senses of men on the general words of God;'\n     and have tried to enforce them on all men's consciences with all\n     kinds of burnings and anathemas under equal threats of death and\n     damnation. And thus they incurred the terrible responsibility of\n     presenting religion to mankind in a false and repellent guise. Is\n     theological hatred still to be a proverb for the world's just\n     contempt? Is such hatred--hatred in its bitterest and most\n     ruthless form--to be regarded as the legitimate and normal\n     outcome of the religion of love? Is the spirit of peace never to\n     be brought to bear on religious opinions? Are such questions\n     always to excite the most intense animosities, and the most\n     terrible divisions?... Is the world to be forever confirmed in\n     its opinion that theological partisans are less truthful, less\n     candid, less high-minded, less honorable even than the partisans\n     of political and social causes, who make no profession as to the\n     duty of love? Are the so-called 'religious' champions to be\n     forever as they now are, the most unscrupulously bitter, the most\n     conspicuously unfair? Alas! they might be so with far less danger\n     to the cause of religion if they would forego the luxury of\n     'quoting scripture for their purpose.'\"--Canon Farrar, _The Early\n     Days of Christianity_, pp. 584-585.\n\n     =2. \"Telestial.\"=--The adjective \"telestial\" has not become\n     current in the language; its use is at present confined to the\n     theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It\n     is applied as a distinguishing term to the lowest of the three\n     kingdoms of glory provided for the redeemed. The only English\n     word approaching it in form is the adjective \"telestic,\" which is\n     defined thus:--\"tending toward the end or final accomplishment;\n     tending to accomplish a purpose.\"\n\n     =3. Toleration.=--\"'Mormonism' offers no modified or conditional\n     claims as to the necessity of compliance with the laws and\n     ordinances of the gospel by every independent inhabitant of earth\n     unto whom salvation shall come. It distinguishes not between\n     enlightened and heathen nations, nor between men of high or low\n     intelligence; nor even between the living and the dead. No human\n     being who has attained years of accountability in the flesh, may\n     hope for salvation in the kingdom of God until he has rendered\n     obedience to the requirements of Christ, the Redeemer of the\n     world. But while thus decisive, 'Mormonism' is not exclusive. It\n     does not claim that all who have failed to accept and obey the\n     gospel of eternal life shall be eternally and forever damned.\n     While boldly asserting that the Church of Jesus Christ of\n     Latter-day Saints is the sole repository of the Holy Priesthood\n     as now restored to earth, it teaches and demands the fullest\n     toleration for all individuals, and organizations of individuals,\n     professing righteousness; and holds that each shall be rewarded\n     for the measure of good he has wrought, to be adjudged in\n     accordance with the spiritual knowledge he has gained. And for\n     such high claims combined with such professions of tolerance, the\n     Church has been accused of inconsistency. Let it not be\n     forgotten, however, that toleration is not acceptance. I may\n     believe with the utmost fulness of my soul's powers that I am\n     right and my neighbor is wrong concerning any proposition or\n     principle; but such conviction gives me no semblance of right for\n     interfering with his exercise of freedom. The only bounds to the\n     liberty of an individual are such as mark the liberty of another,\n     or the rights of the community. God himself treats as sacred, and\n     therefore as inviolable, the freedom of the human soul.\n     'Mormonism' contends that no man or nation possesses the right to\n     forcibly deprive even the heathen of his right to worship his\n     deity. Though idolatry has been marked from the earliest ages\n     with the seal of divine disfavor, it may represent in the\n     benighted mind the sincerest reverence of which the person is\n     capable. He should be taught better, but never compelled. There\n     is no claim of universal forgiveness; no unwarranted\n     glorification of Mercy to the degrading or neglect of Justice; no\n     thought that a single sin of omission or of commission shall fail\n     to leave its wound or scar. In the great future there shall be\n     found a place for every soul, whatever his grade of spiritual\n     intelligence may be.\"--_The Philosophy of Mormonism_: The Author,\n     in _Improvement Era_, vol. iv, pp. 502-504.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XXIII.\n\nSUBMISSION TO SECULAR AUTHORITY.\n\n     =Article 12.=--We believe in being subject to kings, presidents,\n     rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the\n     law.\n\n\n=1. Introductory.=--It is but reasonable to expect of a people\nprofessing the Gospel of Christ, and claiming membership in the one\naccepted and divinely invested Church, that they manifest in practice\nthe virtues which their precepts inculcate. True, we may look in vain\nfor perfection among those even who make the fullest and most\njustifiable claims to orthodoxy; but we have a right to expect in\ntheir creed ample requirements concerning the most approved course of\naction, and in their lives, sincere and earnest effort toward the\npractical realization of their professions. Religion, to be of service\nand at all worthy of acceptance, must be of wholesome influence in the\nindividual lives and the temporal affairs of its adherents. Among\nother virtues, the Church in its teachings should impress the duty of\na law-abiding course; and the people should show forth the effect of\nsuch precepts in their excellence as citizens of the nation, and as\nindividuals in the community of which they are part.\n\n=2.= The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes emphatic\ndeclaration of its belief and precepts regarding the duty of its\nmembers toward the laws of the land; and sustains its position by the\nauthority of specific revelation in ancient as in present times.\nMoreover, the people are confident, that when the true story of their\nrise and progress as an established body of religious worshipers is\nwritten, the loyalty of the Church and the patriotic devotion of its\nmembers will be vindicated and extolled by the world in general, as\nnow are these virtues recognized by the few unprejudiced investigators\nwho have studied with honest purpose the history of this remarkable\norganization.\n\n=3. Obedience to Authority Enjoined by Scripture.--=During the\npatriarchal period, when the head of the family possessed virtually\nthe power of judge and king over his household, the authority of the\nruler and the rights of the family were respected. Consider the\ninstance of Hagar, the \"plural\" wife of Abram, and the handmaid of\nSarai. Jealousy and ill-feeling had arisen between Hagar and her\nmistress, the senior wife of the patriarch. Abram listened to the\ncomplaint of Sarai, and, recognizing her authority over Hagar, who,\nthough his wife, was still the servant of Sarai, said:--\"Behold thy\nmaid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee.\" Then, as the\nmistress dealt harshly with her servant, Hagar fled into the\nwilderness; there she was visited by an angel of the Lord, who\naddressed her thus:--\"Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou, and\nwhither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my\nmistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy\nmistress, and submit thyself under her hands.\"[1221] Observe that the\nheavenly messenger recognized the authority of the mistress over the\nbond-woman, even though the latter had been given the rank of wifehood\nin the family.\n\n  [1221] Gen. xvi, 1-9. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 397, Note 6.\n\n=4.= The ready submission of Isaac to the will of his father, even to\nthe extent of offering his life[1222] on the altar of bloody\nsacrifice, is evidence of the sanctity with which the authority of the\nfamily ruler was regarded. It may appear, as indeed it has been\nclaimed, that the requirement which the Lord made of Abraham as a test\nof faith, in the matter of giving his son's life as a sacrifice, was a\nviolation of existing laws, and therefore opposed to stable\ngovernment. The claim is poorly placed in view of the fact, that the\npatriarchal head was possessed of absolute authority over the members\nof his household, the power extending even to judgment of life or\ndeath.[1223]\n\n  [1222] Gen. xxii, 1-10.\n\n  [1223] See Gen. xxxviii, 24.\n\n=5.= In the days of the exodus, when Israel were ruled by a theocracy,\nthe Lord gave divers laws and commandments for the government of His\nchosen people; among them we read:--\"Thou shalt not revile the gods,\nnor curse the ruler of thy people.\"[1224] Judges were appointed by\nDivine direction to exercise authority amongst Israel. Moses, in\nreiterating the Lord's commands, charged the people to this\neffect:--\"Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates,\nwhich the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes; and they\nshall judge the people with just judgment.\"[1225]\n\n  [1224] Exo. xxii, 28. The word \"gods\" in this passage is rendered\n  by some translators \"judges.\" (See marginal reference, Bible.) See\n  \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 501, Note 8.\n\n  [1225] Deut. xvi, 18; see also i, 16; I Chron. xxiii, 4; xxvi, 29.\n\n=6.= When the people wearied of God's direct control, and clamored for\na king, the Lord yielded to their desire, and gave the new ruler\nauthority by a holy anointing.[1226] David, even though he had been\nanointed to succeed Saul on the throne, recognized the sanctity of the\nking's person, and bitterly reproached himself because on one occasion\nhe had mutilated the robe of the monarch. True, Saul was at that time\nseeking David's life, and the latter sought only a means of showing\nthat he had no intent to kill his royal enemy; yet we are told:--\"That\nDavid's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he\nsaid unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto\nmy master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against\nhim, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.\"[1227]\n\n  [1226] I Sam. viii, 6-7, 22; ix, 15-16; x, 1.\n\n  [1227] I Sam, xxiv, 5-6, 10; see also xxvi, 9-12, 16.\n\n=7.= Note, further, the following scriptural adjurations as recorded\nin the Old Testament:--\"My son, fear thou the Lord, and the\nking.\"[1228] \"I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that\nin regard of the oath of God.\"[1229] \"Curse not the king, no not in\nthy thought.\"[1230]\n\n  [1228] Prov. xxiv, 21.\n\n  [1229] Eccles. viii, 2.\n\n  [1230] Eccles. x, 20. Note 5.\n\n=8. Examples Set by Christ and His Apostles.=--Our Savior's work on\nearth was marked throughout by His acknowledgment of the existing\npowers of the land, even though the authority had been won by cruel\nconquest, and was exercised unjustly. When the tax-collector called\nfor the tribute money demanded by the hierarchy, Christ, though not\nadmitting the justice of the claim, directed that the tax be paid, and\neven invoked a miraculous circumstance whereby the money could be\nprovided. Of Peter he asked:--\"What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do\nthe kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children,\nor of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto\nhim, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should\noffend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the\nfish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou\nshall find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and\nthee.\"[1231]\n\n  [1231] Matt. xvii, 24-27. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 382.\n\n=9.= At the instigation of certain wicked Pharisees, a treacherous\nplot was laid to make Christ appear as an offender against the ruling\npowers. They sought to catch Him by the hypocritical question,--\"What\nthinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto C\u00e6sar or not?\" His\nanswer was an unequivocal endorsement of submission to the laws. To\nHis questioners He replied:--\"Shew me the tribute money. And they\nbrought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image\nand superscription? They say unto him, C\u00e6sar's. Then saith he unto\nthem, Render therefore unto C\u00e6sar the things which are C\u00e6sar's; and\nunto God the things that are God's.\"[1232]\n\n  [1232] Matt. xxii, 15-21; see also Mark xii, 13-17; Luke xx,\n  20-25. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 546.\n\n=10.= Throughout the solemnly tragic circumstances of His trial and\ncondemnation, Christ maintained a submissive demeanor even toward the\nchief priests and elders who were plotting His death. These officers,\nhowever unworthy of their priestly power, were nevertheless in\nauthority, and had a certain measure of jurisdiction in secular as in\necclesiastical affairs. When He stood before Caiaphas, laden with\ninsult and accused by false witnesses, He maintained a dignified\nsilence. To the high priest's question,--\"Answereth thou nothing? What\nis it these witness against thee?\" He deigned no reply. Then the high\npriest added:--\"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us\nwhether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.\"[1233] To this solemn\nadjuration, spoken with official authority, the Savior gave an\nimmediate answer; thus recognizing the office of the high priest,\nhowever unworthy the man.\n\n  [1233] Matt. xxvi, 57-64; Mark xiv, 55-62.\n\n=11.= A similar respect for the high priest's office was shown by Paul\nwhile a prisoner before the tribunal. His remarks displeased the high\npriest, who gave immediate command to those who stood near Paul to\nsmite him on the mouth.[1234] This angered the apostle, and he cried\nout:--\"God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to\njudge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to\nthe law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high\npriest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high\npriest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of\nthy people.\"[1235]\n\n  [1234] See Note 1.\n\n  [1235] Acts xxiii, 1-5.\n\n=12. Teachings of the Apostles.=--Paul, writing to Titus, who had been\nleft in charge of the Church among the Cretans, warns him of the\nweaknesses of his flock, and urges him to teach them to be orderly and\nlaw-abiding:--\"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and\npowers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.\"[1236] In\nanother place, Paul is emphatic in declaring the duty of the Saints\ntoward the civil power, such authority being ordained of God. He\npoints out the necessity of secular government, and the need of\nofficers in authority, whose power will be feared by evil-doers only.\nHe designates the civil authorities as ministers of God; and justifies\ntaxation by the state, with an admonition that the Saints fail not in\ntheir dues.\n\n  [1236] Titus iii, 1.\n\n=13.= These are his words addressed to the Church at Rome:--\"Let every\nsoul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of\nGod: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore\nresisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that\nresist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a\nterror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of\nthe power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the\nsame: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do\nthat which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain:\nfor he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him\nthat doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for\nwrath, but also for conscience sake. For, for this cause pay ye\ntribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually\nupon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to\nwhom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor\nto whom honor.\"[1237]\n\n  [1237] Rom. xiii, 1-7.\n\n=14.= In a letter to Timothy, Paul teaches that in the prayers of the\nSaints, kings and all in authority should be remembered, adding that\nsuch remembrance is pleasing in the sight of God:--\"I exhort\ntherefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,\nand giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that\nare in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all\ngodliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of\nGod our Savior.\"[1238]\n\n  [1238] I Tim. ii, 1-3.\n\n=15.= The duty of willing submission to authority is elaborated in the\nepistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians; and illustrations are\napplied to the relations of social and domestic life. Wives are taught\nto be submissive to their husbands,--\"For the husband is the head of\nthe wife, even as Christ is the head of the church;\" but this duty\nwithin the family is reciprocal, and therefore husbands are instructed\nas to the manner in which authority ought to be exercised. Children\nare to obey their parents; yet the parents are cautioned against\nprovoking or otherwise offending their little ones. Servants are told\nto render willing and earnest service to their masters, recognizing in\nall things the superior authority; and masters are instructed in their\nduty toward their servants, being counseled to abandon threatening and\nother harsh treatment, remembering that they also will have to answer\nto a Master greater than themselves.[1239]\n\n  [1239] Eph. v, 22-23; vi, 1-9; Col. iii, 18-22; iv, 1.\n\n=16.= Peter is not less emphatic in teaching the sanctity with which\nthe civil power should be regarded;[1240] he admonishes the Saints in\nthis wise:--\"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the\nLord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors,\nas unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers,\nand for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God,\nthat with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish\nmen: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness,\nbut as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear\nGod. Honor the king.\"[1241]\n\n  [1240] See Note 2.\n\n  [1241] I Peter ii, 13-17.\n\n=17.= These general rules, relating to submission to authority, he\napplies, as did Paul similarly, to the conditions of domestic life.\nServants are to be obedient, even though their masters be harsh and\nsevere:--\"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God\nendure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye\nbe buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but if, when you do\nwell, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with\nGod.\"[1242] Wives also, even though their husbands be not of their\nfaith, are not to vaunt themselves and defy authority, but to be\nsubmissive, and to rely upon gentler and more effective means of\ninfluencing those whose name they bear.[1243] He gives assurance of\nthe judgment which shall overtake evil doers, and specifies as fit\nsubjects for condemnation, \"chiefly them that walk after the flesh in\nthe lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are\nthey, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of\ndignities.\"[1244]\n\n  [1242] Verses 19-20.\n\n  [1243] I Peter iii, 1-7.\n\n  [1244] II Peter ii, 10.\n\n=18.= Doubtless there existed excellent reason for these explicit and\nrepeated counsels against the spirit of revolt, with which the\napostles of old sought to lead and strengthen the Church. The Saints\nrejoiced in their testimony of the truth, that had found place in\ntheir hearts,--the truth that was to make them free,--and it would\nhave been but natural for them to regard all others as inferior to\nthemselves, and to rebel against all authority of man in favor of\ntheir allegiance to a higher power. There was constant danger that\ntheir zeal would lead them to acts of indiscretion, and thus furnish\nexcuse, if not reason, for the assaults of persecutors, who would have\ndenounced them as law-breakers and workers of sedition. Even\nhalf-hearted submission to the civil powers would have been unwise at\nleast, in view of the disfavor with which the new sect had come to be\nregarded by their pagan contemporaries. The voice of their inspired\nleaders was heard, therefore, in timely counsel for humility and\nsubmission. But there were then, as ever have there been, weightier\nreasons than such as rest on motives of policy, requiring submission\nto the established powers. Such is no less the law of God than of man.\nGovernments are essential to human existence; they are recognized,\ngiven indeed, of the Lord; and His people are in duty bound to sustain\nthem.\n\n=19. Book of Mormon Teachings= concerning the duty of the people as\nsubjects of the law of the land are abundant throughout the volume.\nHowever, as the civil and the ecclesiastical powers were usually\nvested together, the king or chief judge being also the high priest,\nthere are comparatively few admonitions of allegiance to the civil\nauthority as distinct from that of the priesthood. From the time of\nNephi, son of Lehi, to that of the death of Mosiah,--a period of\nnearly five hundred years, the Nephites were ruled by a succession of\nkings; during the remaining time of their recorded history,--more than\nfive hundred years, the people were subject to judges of their own\nchoosing. Under each of these varieties of government, the secular\nlaws were rigidly enforced, the power of the state being supplemented\nand strengthened by that of the Church. The sanctity with which the\nlaws were regarded is illustrated in the judgment pronounced by Alma\nupon Nehor, a murderer, and a promoter of sedition and priestcraft:--\"Thou\nart condemned to die,\" said the judge, \"according to the law which has\nbeen given us by Mosiah, our last king; and they have been\nacknowledged by this people; therefore, this people must abide by the\nlaw.\"[1245]\n\n  [1245] Alma i, 14.\n\n=20. Modern Revelation= requires of the Saints in the present\ndispensation a strict allegiance to the civil laws. In a communication\ndated August 1, 1831, the Lord said to the Church:--\"Let no man break\nthe laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need\nto break the laws of the land, Wherefore, be subject to the powers\nthat be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all\nenemies under his feet.\"[1246] At a later date, August 6, 1833, the\nvoice of the Lord was heard again on this matter, saying:--\"And now,\nverily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land, it is my will\nthat my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command\nthem; and that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting\nthat principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges,\nbelongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me; Therefore, I,\nthe Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending\nthat law which is the constitutional law of the land.\"[1247]\n\n  [1246] Doc. and Cov. lviii, 21-22.\n\n  [1247] Doc. and Cov. xcviii, 4-6.\n\n=21.= A question has many times been asked of the Church and of its\nindividual members, to this effect:--In the case of a conflict between\nthe requirements made by the revealed word of God, and those imposed\nby the secular law, which of these authorities would the members of\nthe Church be bound to obey? In answer, the words of Christ may be\napplied:--it is the duty of the people to render unto C\u00e6sar the things\nthat are C\u00e6sar's, and unto God the things that are God's. At the\npresent time, the Kingdom of Heaven as an earthly power, with a\nreigning King exercising direct and personal authority in temporal\nmatters, has not been established upon the earth; the branches of the\nChurch as such, and the members composing the same, are subjects of\nthe several governments within whose separate realms the Church\norganizations exist. In this day of comparative enlightenment and\nfreedom, there is small cause for expecting any direct interference\nwith the rights of private worship and individual devotion; in all\ncivilized nations the people are accorded the right to pray, and this\nright is assured by what may be properly called a common law of\nhuman-kind. No earnest soul is cut off from communion with his God;\nand with such an open channel of communication, relief from burdensome\nlaws and redress for grievances may be sought from the Power that\nholds control of nations.\n\n=22.= Pending the over-ruling by Providence in favor of religious\nliberty, it is the duty of the Saints to submit themselves to the laws\nof their country. Nevertheless, they should use every proper method,\nas citizens or subjects of their several governments, to secure for\nthemselves and for all men the boon of freedom in religious duties. It\nis not required of them to suffer without protest imposition by\nlawless persecutors, or through the operation of unjust laws; but\ntheir protests should be offered in legal and proper order. The Saints\nhave practically demonstrated their acceptance of the doctrine that it\nis better to suffer evil than to do wrong by purely human opposition\nto unjust authority. And if by thus submitting themselves to the laws\nof the land, in the event of such laws being unjust and subversive of\nhuman freedom, the Saints be prevented from doing the work appointed\nthem of God, they are not to be held accountable for the failure to\nact under the higher law. The word of the Lord has been given\nexplicitly defining the position and duty of the people in such a\ncontingency:--\"Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a\ncommandment to any of the sons of men, to do a work unto my name, and\nthose sons of men go with all their might, and with all they have, to\nperform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies\ncome upon them, and hinder them from performing that work; behold, it\nbehoveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of\nmen, but to accept of their offerings; And the iniquity and\ntransgression of my holy laws and commandments, I will visit upon the\nheads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth\ngeneration, so long as they repent not and hate me, saith the Lord\nGod.\"[1248]\n\n  [1248] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 49-50; see Note 3.\n\n=23. An Illustration= of such suspension of Divine law is found in the\naction of the Church regarding the matter of plural or polygamous\nmarriage. The practice referred to was established as a result of\ndirect revelation,[1249] and many of those who followed the same felt\nthat they were divinely commanded so to do. For ten years after plural\nmarriage had been introduced into Utah as a Church observance, no law\nwas enacted in opposition to the practice. Beginning with 1862,\nhowever, Federal statutes were framed declaring the practice unlawful\nand providing penalties therefor. The Church claimed that these\nenactments were unconstitutional, and therefore void, inasmuch as they\nviolated the provision in the national constitution which denies the\ngovernment power to make laws respecting any establishment of\nreligion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.[1250] Many\nappeals were taken to the national court of final resort, and at last\na decision was rendered sustaining the anti-polygamy laws as\nconstitutional and therefore binding. The Church, through its chief\nofficer, thereupon discontinued the practice of plural marriage, and\nannounced its action to the world; solemnly placing the responsibility\nfor the change upon the nation by whose laws the renunciation had been\nforced. This action has been approved and confirmed by the official\nvote of the Church in conference assembled.[1251]\n\n  [1249] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii.\n\n  [1250] Article I, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the\n  United States.\n\n  [1251] See Note 4.\n\n=24. Teachings of the Church Today.=--Perhaps there can be presented\nno better summary of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints regarding its relation to the civil power, and the\nrespect due to the laws of the land, than the official declaration of\nbelief which was issued by the Prophet Joseph Smith, and which has\nbeen incorporated in the Doctrine and Covenants,--one of the standard\nworks of the Church, adopted by vote of the Church as one of the\naccepted guides in faith, doctrine, and practice.[1252] It reads as\nfollows:--\n\n  [1252] Doc. and Cov. cxxxiv.\n\n\n\"OF GOVERNMENTS AND LAWS IN GENERAL.\n\n\"1. We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit\nof man, and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation\nto them, either in making laws or administering them, for the good and\nsafety of society.\n\n\"2. We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws\nare framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the\nfree exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and\nthe protection of life.\n\n\"3. We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers\nand magistrates to enforce the laws of the same, and that such as will\nadminister the law in equity and justice, should be sought for and\nupheld by the voice of the people (if a republic), or the will of the\nsovereign.\n\n\"4. We believe that religion is instituted of God, and that men are\namenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their\nreligious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and\nliberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right\nto interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences\nof men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the\ncivil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience;\nshould punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.\n\n\"5. We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the\nrespective governments in which they reside, while protected in their\ninherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and\nthat sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus\nprotected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all\ngovernments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgment\nare best calculated to secure the public interest, at the same time,\nhowever, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.\n\n\"6. We believe that every man should be honored in his station: rulers\nand magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the\ninnocent, and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws, all\nmen owe respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would\nbe supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for\nthe express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and\nnations, between man and man, and divine laws given of heaven,\nprescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both\nto be answered by man to his Maker.\n\n\"7. We believe that rulers, states, and governments have a right, and\nare bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free\nexercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they\nhave a right in justice, to deprive citizens of this privilege, or\nproscribe them in their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence\nare shown to the laws, and such religious opinions do not justify\nsedition nor conspiracy.\n\n\"8. We believe that the commission of crime should be punished\naccording to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery,\ntheft, and the breach of the general peace, in all respects, should\nbe punished according to their criminality, and their tendency to evil\namong men, by the laws of that government in which the offense is\ncommitted; and for the public peace and tranquillity, all men should\nstep forward and use their ability in bringing offenders against good\nlaws to punishment.\n\n\"9. We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil\ngovernment, whereby one religious society is fostered, and another\nproscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of\nits members as citizens, denied.\n\n\"10. We believe that all religious societies have a right to deal with\ntheir members for disorderly conduct according to the rules and\nregulations of such societies, provided that such dealing be for\nfellowship and good standing; but we do not believe that any religious\nsociety has authority to try men on the right of property or life, to\ntake from them this world's goods, or to put them in jeopardy of\neither life or limb, neither to inflict any physical punishment upon\nthem; they can only excommunicate them from their society, and\nwithdraw from them their fellowship.\n\n\"11. We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of\nall wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted, or the\nright of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as\nwill protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in\ndefending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government,\nfrom the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons, in times\nof exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and\nrelief afforded.\n\n\"12. We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the\nearth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption\nof the world; but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond\nservants, neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them, contrary to\nthe will and wish of their masters, nor to meddle with or influence\nthem in the least, to cause them to be dissatisfied with their\nsituations in this life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men; such\ninterference we believe to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to\nthe peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in\nservitude.\"\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Insults to Paul and to Christ.=--See Acts xxiii, 1-5.\n     \"Scarcely had the apostle uttered the first sentence of his\n     defense, when, with disgraceful illegality, Ananias ordered the\n     officers of the court to smite him on the mouth. Stung by an\n     insult so flagrant, an outrage so undeserved, the naturally\n     choleric temperament of Paul flamed into that sudden sense of\n     anger which ought to be controlled, but which can hardly be\n     wanting in a truly noble character. No character can be perfect\n     which does not cherish in itself a deeply-seated, though\n     perfectly generous and forbearing, indignation against\n     intolerable wrong. Smarting from the blow, 'God shall smite\n     thee,' he exclaimed, 'thou whitewashed wall! What! Dost thou sit\n     there judging me according to the Law, and in violation of law\n     biddest me to be smitten?' The language has been censured as\n     unbecoming in its violence, and has been unfavorably compared\n     with the meekness of Christ before the tribunal of his enemies.\n     [See John xviii, 19-23.]\n'Where,' asks St. Jerome, 'is that patience of the Savior, who--as a\nlamb led to the slaughter opens not his mouth--so gently asks the\nsmiter, \"If I have spoken evil, bear witness to the evil; but if well,\nwhy smitest thou me?\" We are not detracting from the apostle, but\ndeclaring the glory of God, who, suffering in the flesh, reigns above\nthe wrong and frailty of the flesh.' Yet we need not remind the reader\nthat not once or twice only did Christ give the rein to righteous\nanger, and blight hypocrisy and insolence with a flash of holy wrath.\nThe bystanders seemed to have been startled by the boldness of St.\nPaul's rebuke, for they said to him, 'Dost thou revile the high priest\nof God?' The apostle's anger had expended itself in that one outburst,\nand he instantly apologized with exquisite urbanity and self-control.\n'I did not know,' he said, 'brethren, that he is the high priest';\nadding that, had he known this, he would not have addressed to him the\nopprobrious name of 'whited wall,' because he reverenced and acted\nupon the rule of scripture, 'Thou shalt not speak ill of a ruler of\nthy people.'\"--Farrar, _The Life and Work of St. Paul_, pp. 539-540.\n\n=2. Peter's Teaching's Regarding Submission to Law.=--A special \"duty\nof Christians in those days was due respect in all things lawful, to\nthe civil government.... Occasions there are--and none knew this\nbetter than an apostle who had himself set an example of splendid\ndisobedience to unwarranted commands [Acts iii, 19, 31; v, 28-32;\n40-42]--when 'we must obey God rather than men.' But those occasions\nare exceptional to the common rule of life. Normally, and as a whole,\nhuman law is on the side of divine order, and, by whomsoever\nadministered, has a just claim to obedience and respect. It was a\nlesson so deeply needed by the Christians of the day that it is taught\nas emphatically by St. John [John xix, 11], and by St. Peter, as by\nSt. Paul himself. It was more than ever needed at a time when\ndangerous revolts were gathering to a head in Judea; when the hearts\nof Jews throughout the world were burning with a fierce flame of\nhatred against the abominations of a tyrannous idolatry; when\nChristians were being charged with 'turning the world upside-down'\n[Acts xvii, 6]; when some poor Christian slave, led to martyrdom or\nput to the torture, might easily relieve the tension of his soul by\nbursting into apocalyptic denunciations of sudden doom against the\ncrimes of the mystic Babylon; when the heathen, in their impatient\ncontempt, might wilfully interpret a prophecy of the final\nconflagration as though it were a revolutionary and incendiary threat;\nand when Christians at Rome were, on this very account, already\nsuffering the agonies of the Neronian persecution. Submission,\ntherefore, was at this time a primary duty of all who wished to win\nover the heathen, and to save the Church from being overwhelmed in\nsome outburst of indignation which would be justified even to\nreasonable and tolerant pagans as a political necessity.... 'Submit,\ntherefore,' the apostle says, 'to every human ordinance, for the\nLord's sake, whether to the emperor as supreme [the name \"king\" was\nfreely used of the emperor in the provinces], or to governors, as\nmissioned by him for punishment of malefactors and praise to\nwell-doers; for this is the will of God, that by your well-doing ye\nshould gag the stolid ignorance of foolish persons; as free, yet not\nusing your freedom for a cloak of baseness, but as slaves of God.\n'Honor all men' as a principle; and as your habitual practice, 'love\nthe brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King.'\" [See I Peter ii,\n13-17.]--Farrar, _Early Days of Christianity_, pp. 89-90.\n\n=3. The Law of God, and the Law of Man.=--The teaching of the Church\nof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints respecting the duty of its\nmembers in obeying the laws of the land wherein they live, is more\ncomprehensive and definite than is that of many other Christian sects.\nIn January, 1899, an association of the free Evangelical churches of\nEngland officially published \"a common statement of faith in the form\nof a new catechism.\" Touching the relation between church and state,\nthe following formal questions and prescribed answers occur:--\n\n\"36. Q.--What is a free church? A.--A church which acknowledges none\nbut Jesus Christ as Head, and, therefore, exercises its right to\ninterpret and administer His laws without restraint or control by the\nstate.\n\n\"37. Q.--What is the duty of the church to the state? A.--To observe\nall the laws of the state unless contrary to the teachings of Christ,\"\netc.\n\nAccording to the report of the committee in charge of the work of\npublication, the catechism \"represents, directly or indirectly, the\nbeliefs of not less, and probably many more, than sixty millions of\navowed Christians in all parts of the world.\"\n\n=4. Discontinuance of Plural Marriage.=--The official act terminating\nthe practice of plural marriage among the Latter-day Saints was the\nadoption by the Church, in conference assembled, of a manifesto\nproclaimed by the President of the Church. The language of the\ndocument illustrates the law-abiding character of the people and the\nChurch, as is shown by the following clause:--\"Inasmuch as laws have\nbeen enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have\nbeen pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort, I\n[President Wilford Woodruff] hereby declare my intention to submit to\nthose laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church\nover which I preside to have them do likewise.\" In the course of a\nsermon immediately following the proclaiming of the manifesto,\nPresident Woodruff said regarding the action taken:--\"I have done my\nduty, and the nation of which we form a part must be responsible for\nthat which has been done in relation to that principle\" (i.e., plural\nmarriage).\n\n=5. A Striking Instance of Submission to Secular\nAuthority.=--\"Governments are instituted of God, sometimes by His\ndirect interposition, sometimes by His permission. When the Jews had\nbeen brought into subjection by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the\nLord commanded through the prophet Jeremiah (xxvii, 4-8) that the\npeople render obedience to their conqueror, whom He called His\nservant; for verily the Lord had used the pagan king to chastise the\nrecreant and unfaithful children of the covenant. The obedience so\nenjoined included the payment of taxes and extended to complete\nsubmission.\" See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 564, Note 2.\n\n\n\n\nLECTURE XXIV.\n\nPRACTICAL RELIGION.\n\n     =Article 13.=--We believe in being honest, true, chaste,\n     benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we\n     may say that we follow the admonition of Paul,--We believe all\n     things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope\n     to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous,\n     lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these\n     things.\n\n\n=1. Religion of Daily Life.=--In this article of their faith, the\nLatter-day Saints declare their acceptance of a practical religion; a\nreligion that shall consist, not alone of professions in spiritual\nmatters, and belief as to the conditions of the hereafter, of the\ndoctrine of original sin and the actuality of a future heaven and\nhell, but also, and more particularly, of present and every-day\nduties, in which respect for self, love for fellow-men, and devotion\nto God are the guiding principles. Religion without morality,\nprofessions of godliness without charity, church-membership without an\nadequate responsibility as to individual conduct in daily life, are\nbut as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals--noise without music, the\nwords without the spirit of prayer. \"Pure religion and undefiled\nbefore God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows\nin their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the\nworld.\"[1253] Honesty of purpose, integrity of soul, individual\npurity, absolute freedom of conscience, willingness to do good to all\nmen even enemies, pure benevolence,--these are some of the fruits by\nwhich the religion of Christ may be known, far exceeding in importance\nand value the promulgation of dogmas, and the enunciation of theories.\nYet a knowledge of things more than temporal, doctrines of spiritual\nmatters, founded on revelation and not resting on the sands of man's\nfrail hypotheses, are likewise characteristic of the true Church.\n\n  [1253] James i, 27.\n\n=2. The Comprehensiveness of Our Faith= must appeal to every earnest\ninvestigator of the principles taught by the Church, and still more to\nthe unprejudiced observer of the results as manifested in the course\nof life characteristic of the Latter-day Saints. Within the pale of\nthe Church there is a place for all truth,--for everything that is\npraiseworthy, virtuous, lovely, or of good report. The liberality with\nwhich the Church regards other religious denominations; the\nearnestness of its teaching that God is no respecter of persons, but\nthat He will judge all men according to their deeds; the breadth and\ndepth of its precepts concerning the state of immortality, and the\ngradations of eternal glory awaiting the honest in heart of all\nnations, kindred, and churches, civilized and heathen, enlightened and\nbenighted, have been set forth in preceding lectures. We have seen\nfurther, that the belief of this people carries them forward, even\nbeyond the bounds of all knowledge thus far revealed, and teaches them\nto look with unwavering confidence for other revelation, truths yet to\nbe added, glories grander than have yet been made known, eternities of\npowers, dominions, and progress, beyond the mind of man to conceive or\nthe soul to contain. We believe in a God who is Himself progressive,\nwhose majesty is intelligence; whose perfection consists in eternal\nadvancement; the perpetual work of whose creation stands \"finished,\nyet renewed forever;\"[1254]--a Being who has attained His exalted\nstate by a path which now His children are permitted to follow; whose\nglory it is their heritage to share. In spite of the opposition of all\nthe sects, in the face of direct charges of blasphemy, the Church\nproclaims the eternal truth, \"_As man is, God once was; as God is, man\nmay become._\" With such a future, well may man open his heart to the\nstream of revelation, past, present, and to come; and truthfully\nshould we be able to say of every enlightened child of God, that he\n\"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth\nall things.\"[1255] As incidental to the declaration of belief embodied\nin this article of faith, many topics relating to the organization,\nprecepts, and practice of the Church suggest themselves. Of these the\nfollowing may claim our present attention.\n\n  [1254] Bryant.\n\n  [1255] I Cor. xiii, 7.\n\n=3. Benevolence.=--Benevolence is founded on love for fellow-men; it\nembraces, though it far exceeds charity, in the ordinary sense in\nwhich the latter word is used. By the Divine Teacher it was placed as\nsecond only to love for God. On one occasion, certain Pharisees came\nto Christ, tempting Him with questions on doctrine, in the hope that\nthey could entangle Him, and so make Him an offender against the\nJewish law. Their spokesman was a lawyer; note his question and the\nSavior's answer:--\"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?\nJesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy\nheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first\nand great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love\nthy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law\nand the prophets.\"[1256] The two commandments, here spoken of as first\nand second, are so closely related as to be virtually one, and that\none:--\"Thou shalt love.\" He who abideth one of the two will abide\nboth. For without love for our fellows, it is impossible to please\nGod. Hence wrote John,--the Apostle of Love,--\"Beloved, let us love\none another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of\nGod, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is\nlove.... If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a\nliar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he\nlove God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him,\nThat he who loveth God love his brother also.\"[1257]\n\n  [1256] Matt. xxii, 36-40; see also Luke x, 25-27.\n\n  [1257] I John iv, 7-8, 20-21.\n\n=4.= But perhaps the grandest and most sublime of the apostolic\nutterances concerning the love that saves, is found in the epistle of\nPaul to the Saints at Corinth.[1258] In our current English\ntranslation of the Bible, the virtue which the apostle declares\nsuperior to all the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and which is to\ncontinue after all the rest have passed away, is designated as\n_charity_; but the original word meant _love_; and surely Paul had in\nmind something grander than mere alms-giving, as is evident from his\nexpression:--\"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, ...\nand have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.\"[1259] Though a man\nspeak with the tongue of angels; though he possess the power of\nprophecy--the greatest of the ordinary gifts; though he be versed in\nknowledge and understand all mysteries; though his faith enable him to\nmove mountains; and though he give his all, including even his\nlife,--yet without love is he nothing. Charity, or alms-giving, even\nthough it be performed with the sincerest of motives, devoid of all\ndesire for praise or hope of return, is but a feeble manifestation of\nthe love that is to make one's neighbor as dear to him as himself; the\nlove that suffers long; that envies not others; that vaunts not\nitself; that knows no pride; that subdues selfishness; that rejoices\nin the truth. When \"that which is perfect\" is come, the gifts which\nhave been bestowed in part only will be superseded. \"Perfection will\nthen swallow up imperfection; the healing power will then be done\naway, for no sickness will be there; tongues and interpretations will\nthen cease, for one pure language alone will be spoken; the casting\nout of devils and power against deadly poisons will not then be\nneeded, for in heaven circumstances will render them unnecessary. But\ncharity, which is the pure love of God, never faileth; it will sit\nenthroned in the midst of the glorified throng, clothed in all the\nglory and splendor of its native heaven.\"[1260] If man would win\neternal life, he cannot afford to neglect the duty of love to his\nfellow, for \"Love is the fulfilling of the law.\"[1261]\n\n  [1258] I Cor. xiii; see also Alma xxxiv, 28-29; Mosiah iv, 16-24.\n\n  [1259] Verse 3.\n\n  [1260] Orson Pratt, _Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_,\n  i, 15-16.\n\n  [1261] Rom. xiii, 10; see also Gal. v, 14; I Peter iv, 8.\n\n=5. Benevolence Manifested by the Church.=--The Church of the present\nday can point to a stupendous labor of benevolence already\naccomplished and still in progress. One of the most glorious monuments\nof its work is seen in the missionary labor which has ever been a\ncharacteristic feature of its activities. Actuated by no other motives\nthan pure love for humanity and a desire to fulfil the commands of God\nrespecting such, the Church sends out every year hundreds of\nmissionaries to proclaim the gospel of eternal life to the world,\nwithout money or price. Multitudes of these devoted servants have\nsuffered contumely and insult at the hands of those whom they seek to\nbenefit; and not a few have given their lives with the seal of the\nmartyr upon their testimony and work. The charity that manifests\nitself in material giving is not neglected in the Church; indeed this\nform of benevolence is impressed as a sacred duty upon every\nLatter-day Saint. While each one is urged to impart of his substance\nto the needy in his individual capacity, a system of orderly giving\nhas been developed within the Church; and of this some features are\nworthy of special consideration.\n\n=6. Free-will Offerings.=--It has ever been characteristic of the\nChurch and people of God, that they take upon themselves the care of\nthe poor, if any such exist among them. To subserve this purpose, as\nalso to foster a spirit of liberality, kindness, and benevolence,\nvoluntary gifts and free-will offerings have been asked of those who\nprofess to be living according to the law of God. In the Church today,\na systematic plan of giving for the poor is in operation. Thus, in\nalmost every ward or branch, an organization among the women, known as\nthe Relief Society,[1262] is in existence. Its purpose is in part to\ngather from the society and from the members of the Church in general,\ncontributions of money and other property, particularly the\ncommodities of life, and to distribute such to the deserving and\nneedy, under the direction of the local officers in the priesthood.\nBut the Relief Society operates also on a plan of systematic\nvisitation to the houses of the afflicted, extending aid in nursing,\nadministering comfort in bereavement, and seeking in every possible\nway to relieve distress. The good work of this organization has won\nthe admiration of many who profess no connection with the Church; its\nmethods have been followed by other benevolent associations, and the\nSociety has been accorded a national status in the United States.\n\n  [1262] See page 216.\n\n=7. The Fast Offerings= represent a still more general system of\ndonation. The Church teaches the efficacy of continual prayer and of\nperiodical fasting, as a means of acquiring the humility that is meet\nfor Divine approval; and a monthly fast-day has been appointed for\nobservance throughout the Church. For many years, the first Thursday\nin each month was so observed; but, with the object of securing a\nmore general attendance at the fast-service, a beneficial change has\nbeen introduced, and at present the first Sunday of the month is so\ndevoted. The Saints are asked to manifest their sincerity in fasting\nby making an offering on that day for the benefit of the poor; and, by\ncommon consent, the giving of at least an equivalent of the meals\nomitted by the fasting of the family is expected. These offerings may\nbe made in money, food, or other usable commodity; they are received\nby the bishopric or its representatives, and by the same authority are\ndistributed to the worthy poor of the ward or branch. In these and in\nnumerous other ways do the Latter-day Saints contribute of their\nsubstance to the needy, realizing that the poor among them may be the\nLord's poor; and that, irrespective of worthiness on the part of the\nrecipient, want and distress must be alleviated. The people believe\nthat the harmony of their prayers will become a discord if the cry of\nthe poor accompany their supplications to the throne of Grace.\n\n=8. Tithing.=--The Church recognizes today the doctrine of\ntithe-paying, similar in its general provision to that taught and\npracticed of old. Before considering the present authorized practice\nin this matter, it may be instructive to study the ancient practice of\ntithe-paying. Strictly speaking, a tithe is a tenth, and such a\nproportion of individual possessions appears to have been formerly\nregarded as the Lord's due. The institution of tithing antedates even\nthe Mosaic dispensation, for we find both Abraham and Jacob paying\ntithes. Abraham, returning from a victorious battle, met Melchizedek\nking of Salem and \"priest of the most high God;\" and, recognizing his\npriestly authority, \"gave him tithes of all.\"[1263] Jacob made a\nvoluntary vow with the Lord to render a tenth of all that should come\ninto his possession.[1264]\n\n  [1263] Gen. xiv, 18-20; see also Heb. vii, 1-3, 5, and Alma xiii,\n  13-16.\n\n  [1264] Gen. xxviii, 22.\n\n=9.= The Mosaic statutes are explicit in requiring tithes:--\"And all\nthe tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the\nfruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord.... And\nconcerning the tithe of the herd, even of whatsoever passeth under the\nrod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.\"[1265] The tenth was to be\npaid as it came, without search for good or bad; under some\nconditions, however, a man could redeem the tithe by paying its value\nin some other way, but in such a case he had to add a fifth of the\ntithe. The tenth of all the property in Israel was to be paid to the\nLevites, as an inheritance given in acknowledgment of their service in\nthe labor of the tabernacle; and they in turn were to pay tithing on\nwhat they received, and this tithe of the tithe was to go to the\npriests.[1266] A second tithe was demanded of Israel to be used for\nthe appointed festivals.[1267] It is evident, that while no specific\npenalty for neglect of the law of tithing is recorded, the proper\nobservance of the requirement was regarded as a sacred duty. In the\ncourse of the reformation by Hezekiah, the people manifested their\nrepentance by an immediate payment of tithes;[1268] and so liberally\ndid they give, that a great surplus accumulated; observing which,\nHezekiah enquired as to the source of such plenty:--\"And Azariah the\nchief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, since the\npeople began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we\nhave had enough to eat, and have left plenty; for the Lord hath\nblessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.\"\nNehemiah took care to regulate the tithe-paying of the people;[1269]\nand both Amos[1270] and Malachi[1271] chided the people for their\nneglect of this duty. Through the prophet last named, the Lord charged\nthe people with having robbed Him; but promised them blessings beyond\ntheir capacity to receive if they would return to their allegiance to\nHim: \"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein\nhave we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a\ncurse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the\ntithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and\nprove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you\nthe windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall\nnot be room enough to receive it.\"[1272] In visiting the Nephites\nafter His resurrection, the Savior told them of these sayings of\nMalachi, repeating the words of the Jewish prophet.[1273] The\nPharisees, at the time of Christ's ministry, were particularly\nscrupulous in the matter of tithe paying,--even to the neglect of the\n\"weightier matters of the law,\"--and for this inconsistency they were\nseverely rebuked by the Master.[1274]\n\n  [1265] Lev. xxvii, 30-34.\n\n  [1266] Numb. xviii, 21-28.\n\n  [1267] Deut. xii, 5-17; xiv, 22-23.\n\n  [1268] II Chron. xxxi, 5-6.\n\n  [1269] Neh. x, 37; xii, 44.\n\n  [1270] Amos iv, 4.\n\n  [1271] Mal. iii, 10.\n\n  [1272] Mal. iii, 8-10; see also III Nephi xxiv, 7-12.\n\n  [1273] III Nephi xxiv, 7-10.\n\n  [1274] Matt, xxiii, 23; Luke xi, 42. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p.\n  556.\n\n=10.= In the present dispensation, the law of tithing has been given a\nplace of great importance; and particular blessings have been promised\nfor its faithful observance. This day has been called by the Lord, \"a\nday of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that\nis tithed shall not be burned.\"[1275] In a revelation, given through\nthe Prophet Joseph Smith, July 8, 1838, the Lord has explicitly set\nforth His requirement of the people in this matter.[1276]\n\n  [1275] Doc. and Cov. lxiv, 23-24; see also lxxxv, 3.\n\n  [1276] Doc. and Cov. cxix. See the author's \"The Law of the\n  Tithe,\" 20 pp.\n\n=11. Consecration and Stewardship.=--The law of tithing, as accepted\nand professedly observed by the Church today, is after all but a\nlesser law, given by the Lord in consequence of the human weaknesses,\nselfishness, covetousness, and greed, which prevented the Saints from\naccepting the higher principles, according to which the Father would\nhave His children live. Specific requirements regarding the payment of\ntithes were made through revelation in 1838; but seven years prior to\nthat time, the voice of the Lord had been heard on the subject of\nconsecration,[1277] or the dedication of all one's property, together\nwith his time, talents, and natural endowments, to the service of God,\nto be used as occasion may require. This again is not new; to the\npresent dispensation the law of consecration is given as a\nre-enactment; it was recognized and observed with profit in olden\ntimes.[1278] But even in the apostolic period, the doctrine of\nconsecration of property and common ownership was old; thirty-four\ncenturies before that time, the same principle had been practiced by\nthe patriarch Enoch and his people, and with such success that \"the\nLord came and dwelt with his people; ... And the Lord called his\npeople Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in\nrighteousness; and there was no poor among them.\"[1279] In each of the\ninstances cited,--that of the people of Enoch, and that of the Saints\nin the early part of the Christian era,--we learn of the unity of\npurpose and consequent power acquired by the people who lived in this\nsocial order; they were \"of one heart and one mind.\" Through the\nspiritual strength so attained, the apostles were able to perform many\nmighty works;[1280] and of Enoch and his followers we read that the\nLord took them unto Himself.[1281]\n\n  [1277] Doc. and Cov. xiii, 71.\n\n  [1278] Acts iv, 32, 34-35; see also ii, 44-46.\n\n  [1279] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 16-18.\n\n  [1280] Acts ii, 43.\n\n  [1281] See pp. 362-363.\n\n=12.= The people of whom the Book of Mormon gives us record also\nattained to the blessed state of equality, and with corresponding\nresults. The disciples, whom Christ had personally commissioned,\ntaught with power, and \"they had all things common among them, every\nman dealing justly, one with another.\"[1282] Further, we read of a\ngeneral conversion by which the people came to a condition of ideal\npeace; \"there were no contentions or disputations among them.... And\nthey had all things common among them, therefore they were not rich\nand poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of\nthe heavenly gift.\"[1283] They were so blessed, that of them the\nprophet said:--\"Surely there could not be a happier people among all\nthe people who had been created by the hand of God.\"[1284] But after\nnearly two centuries of this happy condition, the people gave way to\npride; some of them yielded to a passion for costly apparel; then they\nrefused to longer have their goods in common; and straightway many\nclasses came into existence; dissenting sects were established; and\nthen began a rapid course of disruption, which led to the extinction\nof the Nephite nation.[1285]\n\n  [1282] III Nephi xxvi, 19.\n\n  [1283] IV Nephi i, 2-3.\n\n  [1284] Verse 16.\n\n  [1285] Verse 24, etc. See \"Jesus the Christ,\" p. 741.\n\n=13. Stewardship in the Church Today.=--A system of unity in temporal\nmatters has been revealed to the Church in this day; such is currently\nknown as the Order of Enoch,[1286] or the United Order,[1287] and is\nfounded on the law of consecration. As already stated, in the early\ndays of the modern Church the people demonstrated their inability to\nabide this law in its fulness, and, in consequence, the lesser law of\ntithing was given; but the Saints confidently await the day in which\nthey will devote, not merely a tithe of their substance, but all that\nthey have, and all that they are, to the service of their God; a day\nin which no man will speak of mine and thine, but all things shall be\ntheirs and the Lord's.\n\n  [1286] Doc. and Cov. lxxviii.\n\n  [1287] Doc. and Cov. civ, 48.\n\n=14.= In this expectation, they indulge no vague dream of communism,\nencouraging individual irresponsibility, and giving the idler an\nexcuse for hoping to live at the expense of the thrifty; but rather, a\ncalm trust that in the promised social order which God can approve,\nevery man will be a steward in the full enjoyment of liberty to do as\nhe will with the talents committed to his care; but with the sure\nknowledge that an account of his stewardship will be required at his\nhands. As far as the plan of this prospective organization has been\nrevealed, it provides that a person entering the order shall\nconsecrate to the Lord all that he has, be it little or much, giving\nto the Church a deed of his property sealed with a covenant that\ncannot be broken.[1288] The person thus having given his all, is to be\nmade a steward over a part of the property of the Church, according to\nhis ability to use it. The varying grades of occupation will still\nexist; there will be laborers, whose qualifications fit them best for\ncommon toil; and managers who have proved their ability to lead and\ndirect; some who can serve the cause of God best with the pen, others\nwith the plow; there will be engineers and mechanics, artisans and\nartists, farmers and scholars, teachers, professors, and\nauthors;--every one laboring as far as practicable in the sphere of\nhis choice, but each required to work, and to work where and how he\ncan be of the greatest service. His stewardship is to be assured him\nby written deed, and as long as he is faithful to his charge, no man\ncan take it from him.[1289] Of the proceeds of his labors, every man\nmay use as he requires for the support of himself and his family; the\nsurplus is to be rendered to the Church for public and general works,\nand for the assistance of those who are worthily deficient.[1290] As\nfurther illustrative of the uses to which the surplus is to be\ndevoted, we read:--\"All children have claim upon their parents for\ntheir maintenance until they are of age. And after that they have\nclaim upon the Church, or in other words, upon the Lord's storehouse,\nif their parents have not wherewith to give them inheritances. And the\nstorehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the Church, and\nwidows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor.[1291] Any\nfaithful steward, requiring additional capital for the improvement of\nhis work, has a claim for such upon the custodians of the general\nfund, they in turn being held accountable for their management, which\nconstitutes their stewardship.[1292] Equal rights are to be secured to\nall. The Lord said:--'And you are to be equal, or, in other words, you\nare to have equal claims on the properties, for the benefit of\nmanaging the concerns of your stewardships, every man according to his\nwants, and his needs, inasmuch as his wants are just; and all this for\nthe benefit of the Church of the living God, that every man may\nimprove upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea,\neven an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord's storehouse, to become\nthe common property of the whole church.'\"[1293]\n\n  [1288] Doc. and Cov. xiii, 30.\n\n  [1289] Doc. and Cov. ii, 4-5.\n\n  [1290] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 32-35.\n\n  [1291] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiii, 4-6.\n\n  [1292] Doc. and Cov. civ, 70-77.\n\n  [1293] Doc. and Cov. lxxxii, 17-18.\n\n=15.= Freedom of agency is to be secured to every individual; if he be\nunfaithful he will be dealt with according to the prescribed rules of\nchurch discipline. A corresponding power of self-government will be\nexercised by the several stakes or other divisions of the Church, each\nhaving independent jurisdiction over its own store-houses and its\naffairs of administration,[1294] all being subject to the general\nauthorities of the Church. Only the idler would suffer in such an\norder as is here outlined; he shall surely meet the results of his\nnegligence. Against him the edict of the Almighty has gone forth. We\nread in the revelations:--\"Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle\nshall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer.\"[1295]\n\"The idler shall not have place in the church except he repents and\nmends his ways.\"[1296] \"And the inhabitants of Zion, also, shall\nremember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor in all\nfaithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the\nLord.\"[1297]\n\n  [1294] Doc. and Cov. li, 10-18, 18.\n\n  [1295] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 42; see also lx, 13; lxxv, 3.\n\n  [1296] Doc. and Cov. lxxv, 29.\n\n  [1297] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 30; see also lxxxviii, 124.\n\n=16. Social Order of the Saints.=--In view of the prevailing\nconditions of social unrest, of the loud protest against existing\nsystems, whereby the distribution of wealth is becoming more and more\nunequal,--the rich growing richer from the increasing poverty of the\npoor, the hand of oppression resting more and more heavily upon the\nmasses, the consequent dissatisfaction with governments, and the\nhalf-smothered fires of anarchy discernible in almost every\nnation,--may we not take comfort in the God-given promise of a better\nplan--a plan which seeks without force or violence to establish a\nnatural equality, to take the weapons of despotism from the rich, to\naid the lowly and the poor,[1298] and to give every man an opportunity\nto live and to labor in the sphere to which he is adapted? From the\ntyranny of wealth, as from every other form of oppression, the truth\nwill make men free. To be partakers of such freedom, mankind must\nsubdue selfishness, which is one of the most potent enemies of\ngodliness.\n\n=17.= The Church teaches the necessity of proper social organization,\nin harmony with the laws of the land; the sanctity of the institution\nand covenant of marriage as essential to the stability of society; the\nfulfillment of the Divine law with respect to the perpetuation of the\nhuman family; and the importance of strictest personal purity.\n\n  [1298] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 39.\n\n=18. Marriage.=--The teachings of the scriptures concerning the\nnecessity of marriage are numerous and explicit. \"The Lord God said,\nIt is not good that the man should be alone;\"[1299] this comprehensive\ndeclaration was made concerning Adam, immediately after his location\nin Eden; Eve was given unto him, and the man recognized the necessity\nof a continued association of the sexes in marriage, and\nsaid:--\"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and\nshall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.\"[1300]\nNeither of the sexes is complete in itself as a counterpart of God. Of\nthe creation of human kind we read:--\"So God created man in his own\nimage, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he\nthem.\"[1301] The purpose of this dual creation is set forth in the\nnext verse of the sacred narrative:--\"And God blessed them; and God\nsaid unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the\nearth.\"[1302] Such a command would have been meaningless and void if\naddressed to either of the sexes alone; for only by the union of both\nis the propagation of the species possible. And without the power of\nperpetuating his kind, how insignificant would appear the glory and\nmajesty of man! How little can be accomplished by the individual\nwithin the limited range of a single mortal existence!\n\n  [1299] Gen. ii, 18.\n\n  [1300] Verse 24.\n\n  [1301] Gen. i, 27; see also v, 2.\n\n  [1302] Verse 28; see also ix, 1, 7; Lev. xxvi, 9.\n\n=19.= Grand as may seem the achievements of a man who is truly great,\nthe culmination of his glorious heritage lies in the possibility of\nhis leaving offspring from his own being to continue, perchance, the\ntriumphs of their sire. And if such be true of mortals with respect to\nthe things of earth, how transcendently greater is the power of\neternal increase, as viewed in the light of revealed truth concerning\nthe un-ending progression of the future state! Truly the apostle was\nwise when he said, \"Neither is the man without the woman, neither the\nwoman without the man, in the Lord.\"[1303]\n\n  [1303] I Cor. xi, 11.\n\n=20.= The Latter-day Saints accept the doctrine that marriage is\nhonorable,[1304] and apply it as a requirement to all who are not\nprevented by physical or other disability from assuming the sacred\nresponsibilities of the wedded state. They consider, as part of the\nbirthright of every worthy man, the privilege and duty to stand as the\nhead of a household, the father of a posterity, which by the blessing\nof God may never become extinct; and equally strong is the right of\nevery worthy woman to be a wife and a mother in the family of mankind.\nIn spite of the simplicity, reasonableness, and naturalness of these\nteachings, false teachers have arisen among men, declaring the\npernicious doctrine that the married state is but a carnal necessity,\ninherited by man as an incident of his degraded nature; and that\ncelibacy is a mark of a higher state, more acceptable in the pure\nsight of God. Concerning such the Lord has spoken in this day:--\"Whoso\nforbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained\nof God unto man ... that the earth might answer the end of its\ncreation; and that it might be filled with the measure of man,\naccording to his creation before the world was made.\"[1305]\n\n  [1304] Heb. xiii, 4.\n\n  [1305] Doc. and Cov. xlix. 15-17.\n\n=21. Celestial Marriage.=--Marriage, as regarded by the Latter-day\nSaints, is ordained of God and designed to be an eternal relationship\nof the sexes. With this people it is not merely a temporal contract to\nbe of effect on earth during the mortal existence of the parties, but\na solemn agreement which is to extend beyond the grave. In the\ncomplete ceremony of marriage, as prescribed by the Church, the man\nand the woman are placed under covenant of mutual fidelity, not \"until\ndeath do you part,\" but \"for time and for all eternity.\" A contract as\nfar reaching as this, extending not only throughout time, but into the\ndomain of the hereafter, requires for its validation an authority\nsuperior to that of earth; and such an authority is found in the holy\npriesthood, which, given of God, is eternal. Any power less than this,\nwhile perchance of effect in this life, is assuredly void as to the\nstate of the human soul beyond the grave. As the Lord has said:--\"All\ncovenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances,\nconnections, associations, or expectations, that are not made, and\nentered into, and sealed, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is\nanointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too\nmost holy, by revelation, and commandment, through the medium of mine\nanointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power, ...\nare of no efficacy, virtue, or force, in and after the resurrection\nfrom the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end, have\nan end when men are dead.\"[1306] And, as touching the application of\nthe principle of earthly authority for things of earth, and eternal\nauthority for things beyond the grave, to the sacred contract of\nmarriage, the revelation continues:--\"Therefore, if a man marry him a\nwife in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my word, and he\ncovenant with her so long as he is in the world, and she with him,\ntheir covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and\nwhen they are out of the world; therefore they are not bound by any\nlaw when they are out of the world; Therefore, when they are out of\nthe world, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are\nappointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to\nminister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and\nan eternal weight of glory; For these angels did not abide my law,\ntherefore they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly,\nwithout exaltation in their saved condition, to all eternity, and from\nhenceforth are not Gods, but are angels of God, for ever and\never.\"[1307]\n\n  [1306] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii, 7.\n\n  [1307] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii, 15-17. See \"The House of the Lord,\"\n  p. 101.\n\n=22.= This system of holy matrimony, involving covenants as to time\nand eternity, is known distinctively as Celestial Marriage,--the order\nof marriage that exists in the celestial worlds. The sacred ordinance\nof celestial marriage is permitted to those members of the Church only\nwho are adjudged worthy of participation in the special blessings of\nthe House of the Lord; for this ordinance, together with others of\neternal validity, is to be performed in the temples which are reared\nand dedicated for such holy service.[1308] Children who are born of\nparents thus married are natural heirs to the priesthood; \"children of\nthe covenant\" they are called; they require no ceremony of adoption or\nsealing to insure them place in the posterity of promise. But the\nChurch sanctions marriages for earthly time only, and bestows upon\nsuch the seal of the priesthood, among those who are not admitted to\nthe temples of the Lord, or who voluntarily prefer the lesser and\ntemporal order of matrimony.\n\n  [1308] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 30-40.\n\n=23. Unlawful Associations of the Sexes= have been designated by the\nLord as among the most heinous of sins; and the Church today regards\nindividual purity in the sexual relation as an indispensable\ncondition of membership. The teachings of the Nephite prophet, Alma,\nconcerning the enormity of offences against virtue and chastity, are\naccepted by the Latter-day Saints without modification; and such are\nto the effect:--\"That these things are an abomination in the sight of\nthe Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins, save it be the shedding\nof innocent blood, or denying the Holy Ghost.\"[1309] The\ncommand:--\"Thou shalt not commit adultery,\"--once written by the\nfinger of God amid the thunders and lightnings of Sinai, has been\nrenewed as a specific injunction in these the last days; and the\npenalty of excommunication has been prescribed for the offender.[1310]\nMoreover, the Lord regards any approach to sexual sin as inconsistent\nwith the professions of those who have received the Holy Spirit, for\nHe has declared that \"he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or\nif any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the\nSpirit, but shall deny the faith.\"[1311]\n\n  [1309] Alma xxxix, 5.\n\n  [1310] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 24, 80-83; lxiii, 16-17.\n\n  [1311] Doc. and Cov. lxiii, 16; see also xlii, 23.\n\n=24. Sanctity of the Body.=--The Church counsels its members that each\nregard his body as \"the temple of God;\"[1312] and that he maintain its\npurity and sanctity as such. He is taught that the Spirit of the Lord\ndwells not in unclean tabernacles; and that, therefore, he is required\nto live according to the laws of health, which constitute part of the\nlaw of God. For the special guidance of His Saints, the Lord has\nrevealed a \"Word of Wisdom\"[1313] unto the people; in accordance with\nwhich they are counseled to eat wholesome food only; to abstain from\nstrong drink, hot drinks, and all kinds of stimulants and narcotics;\nto eat flesh but sparingly, and to maintain in all respects a\nhealthful state of the physical organism. And, on condition of their\ncompliance with these behests, the Saints have been promised, that all\n\"Who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to\nthe commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow in\ntheir bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge,\neven hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk\nand not faint; And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the\ndestroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel.\"[1314]\n\n  [1312] I Cor. iii, 16; see also vi, 19; II Cor. vi, 16; Doc. and\n  Cov. xciii, 35.\n\n  [1313] Doc. and Cov. lxxxix; read the revelation entire.\n\n  [1314] Doc. and Cov. lxxxix, 18-21.\n\n\nNOTES.\n\n     =1. Love, the Fulfilling of the Law.=--\"Peter says, 'Above all\n     things have fervent love [charity] among yourselves' [I Peter iv,\n     8]. _Above all things._ And John goes farther, 'God is love' [I\n     John iv, 8]. And you remember the profound remark which Paul\n     makes elsewhere, 'Love is the fulfilling of the law' [Rom. xiii,\n     10; Gal. v, 14]. Did you ever think what he meant by that? In\n     those days men were working their passage to heaven by keeping\n     the ten commandments, and the hundred and ten other commandments\n     which they had manufactured out of them. Christ said, I will show\n     you a more simple way. If you do one thing, you will do these\n     hundred and ten things without ever thinking about them. If you\n     love, you will unconsciously fulfil the whole law.... Take any of\n     the commandments, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' If a\n     man love God you will not require to tell him that. Love is the\n     fulfilling of that law. 'Take not his name in vain.' Would he\n     ever dream of taking his name in vain if he loved him? 'Remember\n     the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' Would he not be too glad to\n     have one day in seven to dedicate more exclusively to the object\n     of his affection? Love would fulfil all these laws regarding God.\n     And so if he loved man, you would never think of telling him to\n     honor his father and mother. He could never do anything else. It\n     would be preposterous to tell him not to kill. You could only\n     insult him if you suggested that he should not steal,--how could\n     he steal from those he loved? It would be superfluous to beg him\n     not to bear false witness against his neighbor. If he loved him\n     it would be the last thing he would do. And you would never dream\n     of urging him not to covet what his neighbors had. He would\n     rather they possessed it than himself. In this way 'Love is the\n     fulfilling of the law.'\"--Drummond: _The Greatest Thing in the\n     World_.\n\n     =2. Charity and Love.=--\"According to the etymology and original\n     usage, _beneficence_ is the doing well, _benevolence_ the wishing\n     or willing well to others; but _benevolence_ has come to include\n     _beneficence_ and to displace it.... _Charity_, which originally\n     meant the purest love for God and man (as in I Cor. xiii), is now\n     almost universally applied to some form of _alms-giving_ and is\n     much more limited in meaning than _benevolence_.\"--_Standard\n     Dictionary._\n\n     _Charity_ means \"properly, love, and hence acts of kindness. The\n     word never occurs in the Old Testament; in the New Testament it\n     is always, with one exception, synonymous with love, and in every\n     case the love of man toward his fellow man, and to that which is\n     good (see especially I Cor. xiii). The 'feasts of charity' in\n     Jude 12, are commonly understood to be the _agap\u00e6_, or\n     'love-feasts,' which were prevalent in the early church, and\n     which consisted in a simple fraternal meeting for worship, and an\n     equally simple social repast.\"--_Bible Dictionary_, Cassell.\n\n     \"Charity is only a little bit of love; one of the innumerable\n     avenues of love, and there may even be, and there is a great deal\n     of charity without love. It is a very easy thing to toss a copper\n     to a beggar on the street; it is generally an easier thing than\n     not to do it.... We purchase relief from the sympathetic feelings\n     roused by the spectacle of misery, at the copper's cost. It is\n     too cheap--too cheap for us, and often too dear for the beggar.\n     If we really loved him, we would either do more for him or\n     less.\"--Drummond: _The Greatest Thing in the World_.\n\n     =3. Man's Relationship to God.=--\"'Mormonism' claims an actual\n     and literal relationship of parent and child between the Creator\n     and man--not in the figurative sense in which the engine may be\n     called the child of its builder; not the relationship of a thing\n     mechanically made to the maker thereof; but the connection\n     between father and offspring. In short it is bold enough to\n     declare that man's spirit being the offspring of Deity, and man's\n     body though of earthy components yet being in the very image and\n     likeness of God, man even in his present degraded--aye, fallen\n     condition--still possesses, if only in a latent state, inherited\n     traits, tendencies and powers that tell of his more than royal\n     descent; and that these may be developed so as to make him, even\n     while mortal, in a measure Godlike.\n\n     \"But 'Mormonism' is bolder yet. It asserts that in accordance\n     with the inviolable law of organic nature--that like shall beget\n     like, and that multiplication of numbers and perpetuation of\n     species shall be in compliance with the condition 'each after his\n     kind,' the child may achieve the former status of the parent, and\n     that in his mortal condition man is a God in embryo. However far\n     in the future it may be, what ages may elapse, what eternities\n     may pass before any individual now a mortal being may attain the\n     rank and sanctity of godship, nevertheless man carries in his\n     soul the possibilities of such achievement; even as the crawling\n     caterpillar or the corpse-like chrysalis holds the latent\n     possibility, nay, barring destruction in an earlier stage, the\n     certainty indeed, of the winged imago in all the glory of\n     maturity.\n\n     \"'Mormonism' claims that all nature, both on earth and in heaven,\n     operates on a plan of advancement; that the very Eternal Father\n     is a progressive Being; that his perfection, while so complete as\n     to be incomprehensible by man, possesses this essential quality\n     of true perfection--the capacity of eternal increase. That\n     therefore, in the far future, beyond the horizon of eternities\n     perchance, man may attain the status of a God. Yet this does not\n     mean that he shall be then the equal of the Deity we worship, nor\n     that he shall ever overtake those intelligences that are already\n     beyond him in advancement; for to assert such would be to argue\n     that there is no progression beyond a certain stage of\n     attainment, and that advancement is a characteristic of low\n     organization and inferior purpose alone. We believe that there\n     was more than the sounding of brass or the tinkling of wordy\n     cymbals in the fervent admonition of the Christ to his\n     followers--'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is\n     in heaven is perfect.'\"--_The Philosophy of Mormonism_: The\n     Author, in _Improvement Era_, vol. iv, pp. 464-465.\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\n\n=Note.=--In view of the expressed wish of the Church authorities, by\nwhose direction this work is published, that the Lectures on the\n\"Articles of Faith\" be used as a text-book and work of reference in\nthe various theological organizations of the Church, a series of\nquestions and suggestive exercises, for the work of class review, is\nherewith presented.\n\n\nLECTURE I.\n\nIntroductory.\n\n=1.= What is Theology? (State, 1, derivation of the word; 2, extent of\nthe science.)\n\n=2.= Compare Theology and Religion.\n\n=3.= Define the \"Articles of Faith.\" (Give:--1, circumstance of their\norigin, see note, p. 24; 2, their readoption by the Church; 3, their\nnecessary incompleteness as an expression of our belief.)\n\n=4.= Name the standard works of the Church.\n\n=5.= State the principal incidents connected with the parentage,\nbirth, and youth of the Prophet Joseph Smith.\n\n=6.= Give the circumstances of Joseph Smith's prayerful search for\ntruth.\n\n=7.= Describe his first vision.\n\n=8.= What prominent feature of modern sectarian teaching, regarding\nthe personality of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, was disproved\nby this vision?\n\n=9.= How was Joseph's statement of his vision received by sectarian\nteachers of that time?\n\n=10.= Describe the visitations of Moroni to Joseph Smith. (Give:--1,\ndates; 2, most important messages delivered by the angel.)\n\n=11.= Describe the re-establishment of the Church through the ministry\nof Joseph Smith in the present dispensation.\n\n=12.= Relate the circumstances of the martyrdom of Joseph and his\nbrother Hyrum.--(Doc. and Cov. cxxxv.)\n\n=13.= Show the importance of the Divine authenticity of Joseph Smith's\ncalling, in respect to the claims made for the Church of Jesus Christ\nof Latter-day Saints.\n\n=14.= Summarize the evidence of Divine authority in the work\naccomplished by Joseph Smith.\n\n=15.= Give instances of the fulfillment of ancient prophecy in his\nwork.\n\n=16.= Show the Divine source of Joseph Smith's authority in the\npriesthood.\n\n=17.= Show the validity of the claim made, that he was a true prophet.\n(Give:--1, the Lord's test of a true prophet; 2, give instances of\nimportant prophecies uttered by Joseph Smith and already fulfilled.)\n\n\nLECTURE II, ARTICLE 1.\n\nGod and the Godhead.\n\n=1.= Show that the exercise of faith in God is dependent upon a\nknowledge of His existence.\n\n=2.= State what you know of the general belief of mankind as to the\nexistence of God.\n\n=3.= Summarize the evidence on which our belief in the existence of\nGod is founded.\n\n=4.= Give evidence drawn from human history and tradition.\n\n=5.= Show how the exercise of reason affords evidence of the same.\n\n=6.= Give the evidence of revelation (1, instances recorded in the\nBible; 2, Book of Mormon instances; 3, examples from modern\nrevelation).\n\n=7.= Show that the Godhead is a Trinity.\n\n=8.= What do you understand by the scriptural declarations concerning\nthe unity of the Godhead?\n\n=9.= Give evidence of the personality of each member of the Godhead\n(with scriptural references).\n\n=10.= Summarize the most important of the Divine attributes as\nattested by scripture.\n\n=11.= Define:--1, Idolatry; 2, Atheism; 3, Theism, with its varied\nmodifications.\n\n=12.= Show that atheism is of comparatively modern development.\n\n=13.= Show that a belief in God is natural and necessary amongst\nhuman-kind. (See pp. 49, 53.)\n\n=14.= In what way does the idolatry of heathen nations support a\nbelief in the existence of God?\n\n=15.= Show the close relationship between atheism and immaterialism.\n\n\nLECTURE III, ARTICLE 2.\n\nTransgression.\n\n=1.= Give the principal scriptural proofs of man's free agency (quote\nevidence from each of the standard works of the Church).\n\n=2.= Show that man's accountability for his acts is just, in view of\nhis rights of free agency.\n\n=3.= What is sin? (1, Compare wilful sins with those committed in\nignorance; 2, give scriptural evidence of the Lord's plan of dealing\nin the two cases.)\n\n=4.= Show that punishment for sin is ordained of God.\n\n=5.= Give a statement of scriptural teachings regarding the duration\nof punishment in the hereafter. (State the Lord's definition of\nendless and eternal punishment.)\n\n=6.= Give scriptural proofs of the personality of Satan (1, his former\nposition in heaven; 2, his title before his fall; 3, his expulsion\nfrom heaven; 4, his present opposition to the purposes of God; 5, his\npredicted fate).\n\nThe Fall.\n\n=7.= Describe the condition of our first parents in Eden.\n\n=8.= What important commands were given them by the Lord?\n\n=9.= Give the scriptural statements concerning Satan tempting Eve.\n\n=10.= Show that Adam understood the nature of his act in partaking of\nthe forbidden fruit.\n\n=11.= What is known of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?\n\n=12.= Show that the expulsion of our first parents from Eden was a\nnecessity after their transgression.\n\n=13.= What were the immediate results of the Fall?\n\n=14.= Give scriptural proof that the Fall was necessary and\nfore-ordained.\n\n=15.= Show that mortality is a blessed heritage to mankind.\n\n=16.= State the doctrine of the Atonement as declared to Adam after\nthe Fall.\n\n=17.= Describe the joy of Adam and Eve when they learned of the effect\nof the Fall and the Atonement provided.\n\n\nLECTURE IV, ARTICLE 3.\n\nThe Atonement and Salvation.\n\n=1.= Define \"atonement\" in its scriptural usage. (Compare its meaning\nwith that of \"reconciliation,\" as the latter term occurs in the New\nTestament.)\n\n=2.= State what you know of the nature of the Atonement.\n\n=3.= Show that the Atonement is a necessary sequence of the Fall.\n\n=4.= What is meant by a vicarious sacrifice? (Give scriptural\ninstances of such as recorded in the Old Testament.)\n\n=5.= Show that Christ's sacrifice was, 1, vicarious; 2, voluntary on\nHis part; 3, love inspired.\n\n=6.= Give scriptural proofs (from each of the standard works) that the\nAtonement was fore-ordained and fore-told.\n\n=7.= Show:--1, the general, and 2, the individual effect of the\nAtonement amongst mankind.\n\n=8.= Define:--1, \"salvation;\" 2, \"exaltation.\"\n\n=9.= Name the \"Degrees of Glory\" in their order, as revealed of God.\n\n=10.= Give a summary of the scriptural descriptions of:--1, the\nCelestial kingdom of glory; 2, the Terrestrial; 3, the Telestial.\n\n\nLECTURE V, ARTICLE 4.\n\nFaith.\n\n=1.= State the nature of faith.\n\n=2.= Define the terms \"faith,\" \"belief,\" and \"knowledge,\" in their\nrelation to one another.\n\n=3.= Give scriptural instances of belief in Christ, which had no\nsaving power.\n\n=4.= What do you regard as the essential foundation of faith in God?\n\n=5.= Give Joseph Smith's summary of facts respecting the character and\nattributes of God.\n\n=6.= Show how misplaced faith may result from false evidence.\n\n=7.= What is meant by the statement that faith is a principle of\npower? (Give scriptural instances.)\n\n=8.= Prove that faith is essential to salvation.\n\n=9.= Show from the scriptures that faith is a gift from God.\n\n=10.= Show that faith, to be effective, must be accompanied by good\nworks.\n\nRepentance.\n\n=11.= What is meant by true repentance?\n\n=12.= State the conditions under which forgiveness of sins is\npromised.\n\n=13.= Prove that repentance is essential to salvation.\n\n=14.= Show that repentance is a gift from God.\n\n=15.= How may this gift be lost or forfeited?\n\n=16.= What evidence have we that repentance is possible in the\nhereafter?\n\n=17.= Give a summary of the teachings of Amulek regarding the danger\nof procrastination in the matter of repentance.\n\n\nLECTURES VI AND VII, ARTICLE 4.\n\nBaptism.\n\n=1.= State what you know of the earliest revelation from God regarding\nbaptism.\n\n=2.= What is the special purpose of baptism? (Give proofs, 1, from the\nBible; 2, from the Book of Mormon; 3, from modern revelation.)\n\n=3.= Who are fit subjects for Baptism?\n\n=4.= Show that infant baptism is unscriptural (1, that it is\nunsustained by the Bible; 2, that it is forbidden in the Book of\nMormon, and by modern revelation).\n\n=5.= Give a brief account of the history of infant baptism.\n\n=6.= Define:--\"Pedobaptists;\" \"Anabaptists.\" (Give derivation of the\nterms and their present meanings.)\n\n=7.= Prove by scriptural evidence that baptism is essential to\nsalvation (1, from the Bible; 2, from the Book of Mormon; 3, from the\nDoctrine and Covenants).\n\n=8.= Why was Christ's baptism a necessity?\n\n=9.= Give a summary of the reasons upon which the Latter-day Saints\nbase their belief that immersion is the only true mode of baptism.\n\n=10.= Show what evidence is furnished by the derivation of the word\n\"baptize,\" and its early usage.\n\n=11.= Show how the symbolism of the baptismal rite is best preserved\nby immersion.\n\n=12.= Give scriptural and other historical evidence that immersion is\nthe only form sanctioned by the Lord.\n\n=13.= Give the revealed formula for baptism (1, among the Nephites; 2,\nin the present dispensation).\n\n=14.= Under what conditions may baptism be repeated on the same\nperson?\n\n=15.= Give instances of \"re-baptism\" mentioned in scripture, and\nallowed in the present dispensation, showing the special or\nexceptional nature of such repetitions of the ordinance.\n\n=16.= Show the impropriety of repeated baptisms of the same person.\n\n=17.= Demonstrate the necessity of baptism for the dead.\n\n=18.= What evidence have we that the gospel is preached to the dead?\n\n=19.= Cite scriptural predictions of Christ's ministry amongst the\ndead.\n\n=20.= Prove that the vicarious work of the living for the dead in the\nlast dispensation was fore-told.\n\n=21.= Show that the authority for this labor has been already given to\nthe Church.\n\n=22.= Explain the two-fold nature of this vicarious labor for the\ndead.\n\n=23.= What is a temple?\n\n=24.= Give a brief account of ancient temples accepted by the Lord.\n\n=25.= Describe the work of temple-building already accomplished by the\nChurch in the present dispensation.\n\n\nLECTURE VIII, ARTICLE 4.\n\nThe Holy Ghost.\n\n=1.= Cite biblical promises concerning the advent of the Holy Ghost.\n\n=2.= Give other scriptural proof (1, from the Book of Mormon; 2, from\nthe record of modern revelation), that the Holy Ghost is to minister\nunto all who have been properly baptized.\n\n=3.= Give the principal names and titles by which the Holy Ghost is\ndescribed in scripture.\n\n=4.= What is the special office of the Holy Ghost as a member of the\nGodhead?\n\n=5.= Give scriptural proofs of the Holy Ghost's personality.\n\n=6.= Describe the office of the Holy Ghost in His ministrations among\nmen.\n\n=7.= To whom is the Holy Ghost promised?\n\n=8.= Give instances of the Holy Ghost's ministrations unto sincere\nbelievers who had not been baptized; explain such exceptional\ninstances.\n\n=9.= Describe the ordinance of conferring the Holy Ghost in the case\nof those who have been baptized.\n\n=10.= Show that the authoritative laying-on of hands was a feature of\nthe ordinance in former days (1, among the Jews; 2, among the\nNephites).\n\n=11.= To which order of priesthood does the authority to confer the\nHoly Ghost belong? (Give scriptural proofs.)\n\n=12.= Show that the imposition of hands by those in authority is\ncharacteristic of other ordinances in the Church.\n\n=13.= What is meant by \"Gifts of the Spirit\"?\n\n\nLECTURE IX, IN CONNECTION WITH ARTICLE 4.\n\nThe Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.\n\n=1.= Define the term \"sacrament\" in its general and specific uses.\n\n=2.= Describe the institution of the Sacrament by the Savior (1, among\nthe Jews; 2, among the Nephites).\n\n=3.= Who are fit partakers of the Sacrament?\n\n=4.= Cite scriptural caution: 1, against partaking of the Sacrament\nunworthily; 2, against knowingly administering it to the unfit.\n\n=5.= What is the purpose of the Sacrament?\n\n=6.= What did Christ administer as the emblems of His body and blood?\n\n=7.= What justification has the Church for using water instead of wine\nunder certain conditions?\n\n=8.= Give the prescribed prayers of consecration: 1, for the bread; 2,\nfor the wine or water.\n\n=9.= What grade of authority in the priesthood is requisite in\nconsecrating the sacramental emblems?\n\n=10.= What relationship exists between the Sacrament and the Jewish\nPassover?\n\n\nLECTURE X, ARTICLE 5.\n\nAuthority in the Ministry.\n\n=1.= Give scriptural examples of men who were called of God by special\nrevelation or by personal ministration: 1. before the \"Meridian of\nTime\"; 2, in the days of Christ; 3, in the apostolic period; 4, in the\n\"Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.\"\n\n=2.= In what manner is the priesthood conferred?\n\n=3.= Name the principal holders of the priesthood from Adam to Moses.\n\n=4.= Cite instances of God's disapproval of unauthorized\nministrations. (Give the circumstances in the following cases: 1,\nKorah and his associates; 2, Miriam and Aaron; 3, Uzza; 4, Saul; 5,\nUzziah; 6, sons of Sceva.)\n\n=5.= Give scriptural predictions concerning false teachers who would\narise.\n\n=6.= Prove the existence of the priesthood in the Church today.\n\n=7.= Give an account of the restoration of: 1, the Aaronic, and, 2,\nthe Melchizedek priesthood, in the present dispensation.\n\nFore-ordination and Pre-existence.\n\n=8.= How was the fact of fore-ordination made known to Abraham?\n\n=9.= Give scriptural proofs of Christ's fore-ordination as the\nRedeemer of mankind.\n\n=10.= Cite other scriptures supporting the doctrine of fore-ordination\n(1, New Testament; 2, Book of Mormon).\n\n=11.= Show that fore-ordination does not infringe upon free agency.\n\n=12.= Give scriptural proofs of the pre-existence of spirits.\n\n\nLECTURE XI, ARTICLE 6.\n\nChurch Organization.\n\n=1.= What is the Church? (Sustain your definition by scriptural\nrecords.)\n\n=2.= What is meant by the Primitive Church?\n\n=3.= What evidence have you that a general apostasy from the Primitive\nChurch occurred?\n\n=4.= Show by the scriptures that this apostasy was fore-told. (Give\nevidence: 1, from the Old Testament; 2, from the New Testament; 3,\nfrom the Book of Mormon.)\n\n=5.= Show that the restoration of the Church to earth was fore-told.\n\n=6.= Define \"priesthood.\"\n\n=7.= Name the principal orders of priesthood as revealed.\n\n=8.= What relationship exists between the Aaronic and the Levitical\npriesthood?\n\n=9.= Name the special offices in the Aaronic priesthood, in order,\nwith a statement of the specific duties and authority of each.\n\n=10.= Name the special offices in the Melchizedek priesthood, in\norder, describing the authority and duties of each.\n\n=11.= Describe the constitution and authority of each of the following\npresiding \"quorums\" in the priesthood:--1, The First Presidency; 2,\nThe Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; 3. The Presiding Quorum of Seventy;\n4, The Presiding Bishopric.\n\n=12.= Define \"branch,\" \"ward,\" and \"stake,\" as used to designate\ndivisions of the Church.\n\n=13.= Explain the constitution, authority, and special duties of:--1,\nStake Presidency; 2, Standing High Council; 3, Ward Bishopric.\n\n=14.= What ordination in the priesthood is requisite in the case of\nmembers of the presiding organizations last named?\n\n=15.= Define \"quorum\" in its special sense as used by the Latter-day\nSaints.\n\n=16.= What is a Patriarch? (1. Define in this connection the term\n\"evangelist\"; 2. show in what respect succession to the presiding\npatriarchal office differs from that in other offices and callings in\nthe priesthood.)\n\n=17.= Name the auxiliary organizations which operate as \"helps in\ngovernment\" within the Church.\n\n=18.= Give the special duties of each of these. (Named on p. 216.)\n\n=19.= Show how the principle of common consent is observed in\nappointments to office within the Church.\n\n\nLECTURE XII, ARTICLE 7.\n\nSpiritual Gifts.\n\n=1.= Show that the existence of spiritual gifts has ever been\ncharacteristic of the priesthood.\n\n=2.= Give scriptural proof that such gifts will always be found in the\nChurch.\n\n=3.= What is a miracle?\n\n=4.= Why are miracles called, by some, supernatural occurrences?\n\n=5.= For what purpose are spiritual gifts manifested in the Church?\n\n=6.= Show that miraculous manifestations are not an infallible\nindication of the operation of the priesthood.\n\n=7.= Name the spiritual gifts specifically mentioned in the\nscriptures.\n\n=8.= Describe the usual manifestation characterizing each of the\nfollowing gifts, with scriptural illustrations of each:--1, The gift\nof tongues and interpretation; 2, of healing, and the gift of faith to\nbe healed; 3, of visions; 4, of dreams; 5, of prophecy; 6, of\nrevelation.\n\n=9.= Cite scriptural promises that certain sign-gifts of the Spirit\nshall follow the believer.\n\n=10.= Give instances of miracles wrought by evil powers.\n\n=11.= Cite the predictions of John the Revelator regarding such\nimitations of the gifts of the Spirit, which are to characterize the\nwork of God in the last days.\n\n=12.= What did Christ say about signs and wonders that would be\nwrought by wicked men?\n\n=13.= What evidence have you of the existence of spiritual gifts in\nthe Church today?\n\n\nLECTURE XIII, ARTICLE 8.\n\nThe Bible.\n\n=1.= What position does the Bible occupy among the standard works of\nthe Church?\n\n=2.= What reservation does the Church make in accepting the modern\nversions of the Bible as the unchanged word of God?\n\n=3.= Define \"Bible.\" (1, Give the derivation of the word; and, 2, its\nmodern usage.)\n\n=4.= Show that the division into Old and New Testaments is natural and\nself-suggestive.\n\n=5.= Explain the term \"canon of scripture\" as applied to the Bible.\n\n=6.= Explain, with scriptural references, the growth of the Old\nTestament from the time of Moses to that of Malachi.\n\n=7.= State what you know of the language in which the books of the Old\nTestament were originally written.\n\n=8.= What is the Septuagint? (1, Give the meaning of the term; 2,\ndescribe the origin of the book.)\n\n=9.= Classify the books of the Old Testament as at present compiled.\n\n=10.= What classification of Old Testament writings was recognized in\nthe days of the Savior's ministry?\n\n=11.= What is the Pentateuch? (1, Define the term; 2, enumerate the\nbooks comprised; 3, state what you know of their authorship; 4, give\nan account of the copies or versions possessed by the Jews and the\nSamaritans anciently.)\n\n=12.= Name the Historical books in order.\n\n=13.= Name the Poetical books. (In this connection, define the term\n\"Hagiographa.\")\n\n=14.= Name the Prophetical books. (1, In their order as at present\ncompiled; 2, in the probable order of their production.)\n\n=15.= What is meant by the Apocrypha?\n\n=16.= What is the New Testament?\n\n=17.= Give the principal historical evidence of investigation\nregarding the authenticity of the New Testament books.\n\n=18.= Name and classify the books of the New Testament.\n\n=19.= What is the Vulgate?\n\n=20.= Specify the principal modern versions of the Bible.\n\n=21.= Give evidence supporting belief in the genuineness and\nauthenticity of the Bible.\n\n=22.= State the principal items of evidence from the book of Mormon,\ncorroborating the authenticity of the Bible.\n\n=23.= Give the important conclusions of biblical scholars regarding\nthe genuineness of the New Testament or of parts thereof.\n\n=24.= Give the principal biblical references to scriptures not\ncontained in the Bible.\n\n\nLECTURE XIV, ARTICLE 8.\n\nThe Book of Mormon.\n\n=1.= What is the Book of Mormon?\n\n=2.= How was the ancient record brought to modern notice?\n\n=3.= What do we learn from the title-page of the Book of Mormon as to\nthe nations or peoples whose history is dealt with in the volume?\n\n=4.= Which was the earliest of the nations, mentioned in the Book of\nMormon, which established itself on the American continent?\n\n=5.= Give an account of the journey of Lehi and his colony from\nJerusalem to America. (State: 1, the Divine instructions directing\nLehi to leave; 2, time of this occurrence; 3, the course of their\noverland journey; 4, journey across the ocean; 5, place of landing in\nAmerica.)\n\n=6.= Describe the origin of Nephites and Lamanites respectively.\n\n=7.= Who were the Jaredites? (1, Why so named; 2, time and manner of\ntheir migration to this continent; 3, brief statement of their\nhistory.)\n\n=8.= How came the record of the Jaredites to be incorporated with the\nNephite writings?\n\n=9.= What is known of Mulek and his people?\n\n=10.= Name the classes of plates referred to in the Book of Mormon (1,\non the title page; 2, elsewhere in the volume).\n\n=11.= State what is known of the plates of Nephi (1, their origin; 2,\nthe \"larger\" as distinguished from the \"smaller\" plates; 3, method by\nwhich the record grew).\n\n=12.= What is Mormon's abridgment of the plates of Nephi?\n\n=13.= Which of the plates of Nephi did Mormon include with his own\nabridgment?\n\n=14.= What great purpose of the Lord was subserved by this duplication\nof part of the ancient record?\n\n=15.= Describe the circumstances resulting in the plates coming into\nthe custody of Joseph Smith (1, his first information regarding their\nexistence; 2, his first view of the plates; 3, his four years of\nprobation; 4, his possession of the plates).\n\n=16.= What other sacred articles were buried with the plates?\n\n=17.= What is meant by the Urim and Thummim?\n\n=18.= What purpose did these instruments serve in the work\ntranslation?\n\n=19.= Give an outline of the circumstances attending the translation\nand publication of the Book of Mormon (1, difficulties attending the\nwork; 2, date of first publication).\n\n=20.= What is the testimony of the learned regarding the characters of\nparts of the original record?\n\n=21.= Summarize the evidence of the genuineness of the Book of Mormon.\n(Show the distinction between genuineness and authenticity.)\n\n=22.= Who were the three witnesses to the genuineness of the book?\nGive an outline of their testimony.\n\n=23.= Name the eight witnesses. To what did they testify?\n\n=24.= What is the so-called \"Spaulding Story\" of the origin of the\nBook of Mormon? Show its absurdity.\n\n=25.= Explain the arrangement of the several parts of the Book of\nMormon.\n\n\nLECTURE XV, ARTICLE 8.\n\nAuthenticity of the Book of Mormon.\n\n=1.= Summarize the proofs of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.\n\n=2.= Show that the Book of Mormon and the Bible corroborate each other\nin matters on which they treat in common.\n\n=3.= Demonstrate the fulfillment of ancient prophecy in the coming\nforth of the Book of Mormon (1, of prophecies contained in the Pearl\nof Great Price; 2, of Old Testament prophecies, specifically those of\nIsaiah and Ezekiel).\n\n=4.= State what you know of the consistency of the Book of Mormon in\nstyle and matter.\n\n=5.= Give examples of Book of Mormon prophecies, the fulfillment of\nwhich is recorded therein.\n\n=6.= Give examples of Book of Mormon prophecies, the fulfillment of\nwhich has taken place since the closing of the record.\n\n=7.= State what you know of Book of Mormon prophecy yet awaiting\nfulfillment.\n\n=8.= Summarize the general results of modern investigation and\nresearch with which the Book of Mormon is in striking accord.\n\n=9.= Give evidence that America was inhabited at a very ancient period\n(1, cite the conclusions of investigators; and 2, compare with the\nBook of Mormon account).\n\n=10.= Give the principal evidence of the successive occupation of the\nAmerican continent by different peoples in ancient times, confirm by\nthe Book of Mormon account.\n\n=11.= Give the principal conclusions of investigators concerning the\nAsiatic origin of the first colonies who came to America.\n\n=12.= Summarize the evidence indicating their Israelitish origin.\n\n=13.= State in a general way the traditions of America's native people\nconcerning:--1, The Deluge; 2, the Divinity of Christ, and His\ncrucifixion.\n\n=14.= Show the resemblance of certain religious ceremonies as\npracticed by the Jews, and by some of the native American peoples.\n\n=15.= What evidence is there, external to the Book of Mormon,\nindicating the common origin of all the American \"races\"?\n\n=16.= Confirm the foregoing conclusions (11 to 15) by the Book of\nMormon record.\n\n=17.= What is known of the written languages current among the\nNephites? In what language were the plates of Nephi and those of\nMormon inscribed?\n\n=18.= What external evidence is there of the Egyptian language having\nbeen known among the American peoples?\n\n=19.= Give evidence of the survival of the Hebrew language among the\nnative tribes.\n\n=20.= What test of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is given by\nthe last of the writers?\n\n\nLECTURE XVI, ARTICLE 9.\n\nRevelation, Past, Present, and Future.\n\n=1.= What is revelation? Compare with inspiration.\n\n=2.= Show that revelation is God's chosen method of communication\nthrough the priesthood.\n\n=3.= What is known of God's revelations to:--1, Adam; 2, Enoch; 3,\nNoah; 4, Abraham; 5, Isaac; 6, Jacob; 7, Moses?\n\n=4.= Give examples of Divine revelation through other Old Testament\nprophets.\n\n=5.= Show that Christ was a revelator, while He dwelt among men.\n\n=6.= Give scriptural evidence of revelation having been given through\nthe apostles of old.\n\n=7.= Show that the doctrine of continual revelation is reasonable.\n\n=8.= Show that it is scriptural.\n\n=9.= Show that continual revelation has ever been characteristic of\nthe operations of the priesthood.\n\n=10.= Cite the principal objections to this doctrine, professedly\nfounded on scripture. Show their unscriptural foundation.\n\n=11.= Give specific scriptures predicting that revelation is to\ncharacterize the Church in the last dispensation (1, from the Bible;\n2, from the Book of Mormon).\n\n=12.= Give instances of modern revelation. Cite promises of the Lord\nin this dispensation assuring the continuation of revelation in the\nChurch.\n\n=13.= Show the reasonableness of expecting yet further revelation.\n\n=14.= Show that the doctrine of no further revelation is comparatively\nmodern, and unscriptural.\n\n=15.= Show that inspiration does not deprive man of his freedom or\nindividuality.\n\n\nLECTURE XVII, ARTICLE 10.\n\nThe Dispersion of Israel.\n\n=1.= Explain the term \"Israel\" (1, derivation of the word; 2, bestowal\nof the title on Jacob; 3, its use as the name of Jacob's posterity; 4,\nas a name of one of the kingdoms after the division of the nation; 5,\nas a title of the chosen people of God in a collective sense).\n\n=2.= Give a general outline of the Israelites' history from the time\nof Jacob receiving the name Israel, to the time of the first king.\n\n=3.= Outline the history of Israel as a united nation under the kings.\n\n=4.= State the circumstances attending the division of the nation.\n\n=5.= Outline the history of the kingdom of Judah after the division.\n\n=6.= The same of the kingdom of Israel. By what other name is this\ndivision of the people sometimes known?\n\n=7.= Define the terms \"Hebrew\" and \"Jew.\"\n\n=8.= Show that the dispersion of Israel was fore-told by their\nprophets from very early times.\n\n=9.= On what conditions was this dispersion predicated?\n\n=10.= Cite Book of Mormon predictions concerning the dispersion. State\nspecifically the prophecies of Zenos. Who was he?\n\n=11.= Give historical evidences of the fulfillment of these prophecies\nof dispersion in the case of the kingdom of Judah. What part did\nNebuchadnezzar take in the work of dispersion? At what time? Give an\naccount of the Babylonian captivity. How did Titus contribute to the\nwork of dispersion?\n\n=12.= Give historical evidence of the fulfillment of prophecy relating\nto the dispersion of the kingdom of Israel. How did Shalmanezer and\nSargon contribute to the dispersion? At what time? Show the literal\nfulfillment of Ahijah's prophecy to the wife of Jeroboam.\n\n=13.= Explain the term \"Lost Tribes.\"\n\n=14.= What is known of the journeyings of the Lost Tribe?\n\n\nLECTURE XVIII, ARTICLE 10.\n\nThe Gathering of Israel.\n\n=1.= Cite Bible promises of the gathering associated with predictions\nof the dispersion; specifically those by, 1, Moses; 2, Nehemiah; 3,\nIsaiah; 4, Jeremiah; 5, Ezekiel; 6, Amos.\n\n=2.= Give Book of Mormon prophecies regarding the gathering,\nespecially those uttered, 1, by Lehi; 2, by Nephi, his son; 3, by\nChrist in the course of His ministrations among the Nephites.\n\n=3.= Cite instances of modern revelation concerning the gathering.\n\n=4.= What does the plan of the gathering of Israel in the last days\ncomprise?\n\n=5.= Show that the authority for prosecuting the work of gathering has\nbeen given to the Church in this dispensation.\n\n=6.= What is the purpose of the gathering?\n\n=7.= Give an account of the work as now in progress.\n\n=8.= In what respect are the people of Israel a chosen people?\n\n=9.= Show how the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, that\nthrough his descendants all nations of the earth should be blessed,\nhas been brought about through the dispersion of Israel.\n\n=10.= Give another evidence of the fulfillment of that prediction,\nbased on the lineage of Christ.\n\n=11.= Give scriptural prophecies relating to the restoration of the\nTen Tribes.\n\n=12.= Show that the establishment of Zion is to precede the\nrestoration of the Ten Tribes.\n\n\nLECTURE XIX, ARTICLE 10.\n\nZion.\n\n=1.= Show from the scriptures that two gathering places are to be\nestablished in the last dispensation.\n\n=2.= Define \"Zion\" (1, meaning of the term; 2, its varied\napplications).\n\n=3.= Give an outline of the history of Jerusalem from the time of its\nfirst mention in scripture to that of its overthrow by the Romans.\n\n=4.= Cite scriptural promises relating to the future glory of\nJerusalem.\n\n=5.= Explain the application of the term \"New Jerusalem.\"\n\n=6.= Show from Book of Mormon and modern scripture that the Zion of\nthe western continent and the New Jerusalem are identical.\n\n=7.= Cite the prophecy of Christ to the Nephites that a New Jerusalem\nshall be established on the western continent.\n\n=8.= Give the prediction of Ether the Jaredite relating to the\nestablishment of the New Jerusalem.\n\n=9.= What is meant by the Zion of Enoch? (1, Give outline of the\nhistory of the ancient people so designated; 2, cite promises of the\nreturn of Enoch and his people.)\n\n=10.= What is known through modern revelation as to the location of\nZion or the New Jerusalem?\n\n=11.= What is meant by Stakes of Zion?\n\n=12.= What conditions will determine the time of the redemption of\nZion in the present dispensation?\n\n\nLECTURE XX, ARTICLE 10.\n\nChrist's Reign on Earth.\n\n=1.= Compare the conditions attending Christ's first advent, with\nthose predicted for His second coming.\n\n=2.= Cite scriptural prophecies regarding the second coming of Christ,\nwith attendant signs (1, Biblical; 2, Book of Mormon; 3, modern).\n\n=3.= What evidence have you to prove that the predicted second coming\nof Christ is near at hand?\n\n=4.= What is known as to the time of his coming?\n\n=5.= Show by scripture that Christ is to reign as King on earth.\n\n=6.= Demonstrate the relation between the Kingdom of God and the\nChurch of Christ.\n\n=7.= Show the distinctive sense in which the Kingdom of God and the\nKingdom of Heaven are spoken of in modern revelation.\n\n=8.= What will be the position of honest and honorable men who are not\nmembers of the Church when the Kingdom of Heaven is established?\n\n=9.= What is the Millennium?\n\n=10.= Give scriptural authority for your belief as to the conditions\nthat are to characterize the Millennium.\n\n=11.= What will be the condition of Satan during and after the\nMillennium?\n\n\nLECTURE XXI, ARTICLE 10.\n\nRegeneration and Resurrection.\n\n=1.= Explain the statement that the earth is under a curse.\n\n=2.= What is meant by the predicted regeneration of the earth?\n\n=3.= When will this change be completed?\n\n=4.= What is known as to the future condition of the earth in its\nregenerated state?\n\n=5.= What is the attitude of science regarding the earth's\nregeneration?\n\n=6.= What is meant by the resurrection of the body?\n\n=7.= What are the teachings of the Church regarding the literalness of\nthe resurrection?\n\n=8.= Upon what does our belief in the doctrine of the resurrection\ndepend?\n\n=9.= Give scriptural evidence supporting belief in the resurrection\n(1, Old Testament; 2, New Testament; 3, Book of Mormon; 4, modern).\n\n=10.= Specify the general resurrections spoken of in the scriptures.\n\n=11.= How was the first resurrection inaugurated?\n\n=12.= Give an account of the resurrection of the just immediately\nfollowing the resurrection of Christ.\n\n=13.= Cite Book of Mormon prophecy regarding the resurrection of\nChrist and that of the righteous immediately following.\n\n=14.= Give a summary of the teachings by the apostles of old,\nregarding the resurrection at the time of Christ's second coming.\n\n=15.= Cite modern revelation on the same subject.\n\n=16.= Compare the scriptural descriptions of the first resurrection,\nor the resurrection of the just, with those of the second, or the\nresurrection of the unjust.\n\n=17.= Show that the resurrection is to be universal, applying both to\nrighteous and wicked.\n\n=18.= What will be the lot of the heathen in the resurrection?\n(Support your answer by scripture.)\n\n=19.= What is known of the intermediate state of the soul, between\ndeath and the resurrection?\n\n=20.= Define \"Paradise.\" Show that Paradise is not the place of final\nglory.\n\n\nLECTURE XXII, ARTICLE 11.\n\nReligious Liberty and Toleration.\n\n=1.= What is worship?\n\n=2.= Show that man's ability to worship rightly is a measure of his\nconception of God's attributes and powers.\n\n=3.= Show that worship, to be valid, must be voluntary.\n\n=4.= Demonstrate man's right to freedom in worship.\n\n=5.= Explain the intolerance, in matters of worship, characterizing\nearly and modern times.\n\n=6.= Show that intolerance is unscriptural.\n\n=7.= Demonstrate that tolerance is not necessarily acceptance.\n\n=8.= Show that man, being free to choose for himself, is justly held\naccountable for his acts.\n\n=9.= Explain Christ's expression, \"In my Father's house are many\nmansions.\"\n\n=10.= What kingdoms or degrees of glory are specified in the revealed\nword?\n\n=11.= Who are to inherit the Celestial glory?\n\n=12.= For whom is the Terrestrial glory provided?\n\n=13.= Who will be consigned to the Telestial kingdom?\n\n=14.= What is known of the gradation of glory within each of the\nkingdoms specified?\n\n=15.= Who are the Sons of Perdition? What is known of their fate?\n\n\nLECTURE XXIII, ARTICLE 12.\n\nSubmission to the Law of the Land.\n\n=1.= What are the teachings of the Church regarding the duties of its\nmembers with respect to the secular law?\n\n=2.= Cite instances recorded in the Old Testament of Divine approval\nand admonition regarding the secular laws.\n\n=3.= Give examples from the life of the Savior.\n\n=4.= What were the teachings of the apostles of old regarding the\nobservance of the law of the land by the members of the Church?\n\n=5.= Cite the word of the Lord as given through modern revelation\nregarding the attitude of members of the Church toward the governments\nunder which they live.\n\n=6.= What has the Lord said as to His judgment concerning those who\nare effectually prevented by their enemies from a strict compliance\nwith His requirements?\n\n=7.= Give a modern instance of an abandonment by the Church, under\npressure of secular law, of a Divine requirement.\n\n=8.= Show that secular authority is recognized of God as necessary to\nthe government of mankind, and that the officers of the law are\ntherefore to be obeyed.\n\n=9.= Summarize the declarations of belief regarding the duty of the\nChurch toward the law of the land, as formulated by Joseph Smith, and\nas adopted by the Church.\n\n\nLECTURE XXIV, ARTICLE 13.\n\nPractical Religion.\n\n=1.= Give James' definition of pure religion.\n\n=2.= Show that religion is not theological formula, but practical\napplication of recognized principles of right.\n\n=3.= What is the teaching of the Church regarding man's relationship\nto God?\n\n=4.= Show that benevolence is enjoined by scripture. (Give, 1,\ninstances from the teachings of the Savior; 2, those of His apostles;\n3, those of modern requirement.)\n\n=5.= Specify the means of donation for benevolent purposes, provided\nby the Church today.\n\n=6.= Outline the modern Church plan of, 1, free-will offerings; 2,\nfast offerings as a modification of the foregoing.\n\n=7.= Explain the advantages of fast-day observance, and\nfast-offerings, among members of the Church.\n\n=8.= What is tithing?\n\n=9.= Cite biblical authority for the observance of the law of tithing\nin ancient times.\n\n=10.= State the requirements made by revelation for the tithing of the\npeople today.\n\n=11.= What is meant by consecration and stewardship?\n\n=12.= Give scriptural instances of God's people having lived in the\nUnited Order. (Cite, 1, from Pearl of Great Price; 2, from Bible; 3,\nfrom Book of Mormon.)\n\n=13.= Explain the United Order, or the Order of Enoch, as provided for\nthe Church through modern revelation.\n\n=14.= Show that individual freedom is provided for in the plan of the\nUnited Order.\n\n=15.= Cite scriptural instances of the Lord's denunciation of the\nidler.\n\n=16.= What is the teaching of the Church regarding the propriety and\nnecessity of marriage?\n\n=17.= What has the Lord said through revelation of those who forbid\nmarriage?\n\n=18.= What is Celestial Marriage?\n\n=19.= Show that the authority of the priesthood is necessary in the\nmaking of contracts that are to be of effect after the death of the\nparties.\n\n=20.= What does the Church teach regarding the enormity of the sin of\nunlawful association of the sexes? Cite the declaration of Alma in\nthis connection.\n\n=21.= State the provisions of the revelation known as the Word of\nWisdom.\n\n\n\n\nINDEX.\n\n\n  Aaron, literal descendants of, 214.\n\n  Aaronic priesthood, 207;\n    restored to earth in this dispensation, 19.\n\n  Adam, his part in the Fall, 68.\n\n  Agency of man, 54;\n    God-given, 73.\n\n  America, ancient civilization in, 305.\n\n  America, ancient occupation of, 293.\n\n  America, successive occupation of, 295.\n\n  American Indians (Lamanites), 300.\n\n  American peoples, native, Asiatic origin, 296;\n    common origin of all, 300;\n    Israelitish origin of, 296.\n\n  Ancient Americans, traditions of, 305;\n    written language of, 301.\n\n  Ancient prophecy concerning Book of Mormon, 283.\n\n  Anointed One (Christ), 383.\n\n  Apocrypha, 249.\n\n  Apostasy from the Primitive Church, 203;\n    degeneracy incident to the, 217;\n    early beginning, 218;\n    foretold, 205.\n\n  Apostle, office of, 212.\n\n  Apostles, Quorum of the Twelve, 213.\n\n  Appendix, 463.\n\n  Archeological evidence regarding the Bible, 260.\n\n  Archeology and ethnology, evidence supporting Book of Mormon, 291.\n\n  Articles of Faith, origin of, 4, 24.\n\n  Associations, Mutual Improvement, 216.\n\n  Associations, Primary, 216.\n\n  Atheism and idolatry, 44;\n    atheism, definition of, 51;\n    a fatal belief, 53;\n    atheism and immaterialism, 53.\n\n  Atonement of Christ, 76;\n    a sequence of the Fall, 70, 77;\n    confidence in, essential to salvation, 116;\n    extent of, 87;\n    fore-ordained and foretold, 83;\n    general effect of, 90;\n    individual effect of, 92;\n    nature of, 77;\n    proved by evidence, 96;\n    vicarious sacrifice, 79;\n    voluntary, 81.\n\n  Attributes of God, 42, 103.\n\n  Authenticity and genuineness of the Bible, 254.\n\n  Authenticity of Book of Mormon, 281.\n\n  Authority, Divine, in present dispensation, 193.\n\n  Authority in the ministry, 184.\n\n  Authority, secular, submission to, 424.\n\n\n  Baptism; among Greeks, 160;\n    among Nephites, 143;\n    early Christian, 160;\n    essential to salvation, 130;\n    establishment of, on earth, 123;\n    first modern, 143;\n    fit candidates for, 126; for the dead, 148;\n    of infants, 127, 128, 129, 137;\n    meaning of the term, and early usage, 139, 159;\n    mode of (by immersion), 139;\n    nature of the ordinance, 122;\n    preparation for, 137;\n    purpose of, 124;\n    \"re-baptism,\" 144;\n    repeated baptisms, 147;\n    required of all, 148;\n    symbolism of, 140.\n\n  Belief, faith, and knowledge, 98.\n\n  Belief in God, natural, necessary, 48-49.\n\n  Benevolence, 443.\n\n  Bible, acceptance of by the Church, 240;\n    authenticity and genuineness of, 254;\n    Book of Mormon testimony concerning, 255;\n    the name, 241;\n    Old Testament, 243;\n    New Testament, 249, 258;\n    versions of, 253, 257.\n\n  Bishop, the Presiding, 214;\n    of ward, 215.\n\n  Bishopric, Presiding, 214;\n    Ward, 215.\n\n  Body, sanctity of, 459.\n\n  Book of Mormon, 261;\n    authenticity of, 281,\n    biblical prophecies concerning, 284;\n    compared with Bible, 255, 282;\n    classification and arrangement of, 274;\n    consistency of, 287;\n    contained prophecies, 288;\n    divisions of, 264;\n    external evidences concerning, 291;\n    genuineness of, 275;\n    plates of, 10, 269;\n    prophecies concerning, 283;\n    \"Spaulding Story\" of, 278;\n    testimony of witnesses concerning, 276, 277, 279;\n    theories concerning, 278;\n    title page of, 263, 278;\n    translation of, 273.\n\n\n  Celestial kingdom, or glory, 94, 417.\n\n  Celestial marriage, 457.\n\n  Charity and love, 444, 460, 461.\n\n  Children, innocent before God, 90-92.\n\n  Children and the fathers, mutually dependent, 156, 161.\n\n  Chosen people, Israel, 352, 355.\n\n  Christ, the \"Anointed One,\" 383;\n    atonement wrought by (see \"Atonement of Christ\");\n    Church of, 376;\n    first advent of, 367;\n    second coming, 367-368;\n    time of second coming, 373;\n    ministry of, among the dead, 150;\n    reign of, 367, 374;\n    resurrection of, 396.\n\n  Church of England, teachings regarding God, 48.\n\n  Church of Christ, 376.\n\n  Church and Kingdom, 376.\n\n  Church, apostasy from the primitive, 203;\n    apostasy from, foretold, 205;\n    the primitive, 201.\n\n  Church organization, plan of, 201;\n    restoration of, 206;\n    standard works of, 5.\n\n  Church-schools, 216.\n\n  Civil war,--predicted by Joseph Smith, 22.\n\n  Class review, exercises for, 463.\n\n  Classes, Religion, 216.\n\n  Commandments, The Ten,--found among relics of ancient Americans,\n        297, 303.\n\n  Confession necessary to forgiveness, 113.\n\n  Consecration and stewardship, 449.\n\n  Continual revelation, doctrine of, 314, 324;\n    alleged scriptural objections to, 317.\n\n  Council, Standing High, 215.\n\n  Council, Traveling High, 213.\n\n  Covenants for eternity, 457.\n\n  Creations, spiritual, 199.\n\n  Creed, the Nicene, 47.\n\n\n  Deacon, office of, 209.\n\n  Dead, baptism for the, 148;\n   Christ's ministry among the, 151;\n   to have the gospel preached to them, 150;\n   vicarious labor in behalf of, 152, 156.\n\n  Decline of spiritual gifts, incident to the apostasy, 238.\n\n  Degrees of glory, 94.\n\n  Didactic books of New Testament, 253.\n\n  Discontinuance of plural marriage, 435, 440.\n\n  Dispersion of Israel, 326-339.\n\n  Divine authenticity of Book of Mormon, 281.\n\n  Dreams and visions, 229.\n\n  Druidical sacrifices, 52.\n\n\n  Earth, during and after Millennium, 383;\n    regeneration of, 385;\n    under the curse, 384.\n\n  Eden, Garden of, 66, 74.\n\n  Egyptian language among ancient American peoples, 301.\n\n  Elders, office of, and quorum organization, 210.\n\n  Elijah, confers authority for vicarious labor for dead, 20, 154.\n\n  Enoch, order of, 451;\n    Zion of, 358.\n\n  Eternal covenants, 457.\n\n  Ethnology and archeology, testimony supporting Book of Mormon, 291.\n\n  Evangelists, or patriarchs, 211.\n\n  Evidence supporting faith, 104-105.\n\n  Exaltation and salvation, 94.\n\n  External evidence regarding Book of Mormon, 291.\n\n\n  Fairchild, James H., on \"Spaulding Story,\" 279.\n\n  Faith, Articles of, 4, 24.\n\n  Faith, a condition of, 109;\n    compared with belief and knowledge, 98;\n    essential to salvation, 110;\n    foundation of, 102;\n    a gift from God, 111;\n    justification by, 120;\n    nature of, 98;\n    misplaced, example of, 120;\n    a principle of power, 106;\n    incomplete without works, 111;\n    supported by evidence, 104-105.\n\n  Fall, the, 54, 66;\n    fore-ordained and necessary, 71, 75;\n    immediate results of, 70.\n\n  False teachers, prophesied of, 193.\n\n  Fast-day observance, 446.\n\n  Fast-offerings, 446.\n\n  Fathers and children, mutually dependent, 155, 161.\n\n  Final resurrection, 401.\n\n  First resurrection, 396-400.\n\n  Fore-ordination and pre-existence, 195.\n\n  Fore-ordination does not imply compulsion, 196.\n\n  Forgiveness of sins, to obtain, 113;\n    not always immediate, 121.\n\n  Forgiving others their trespasses, 114.\n\n  Free agency of man, 54.\n\n  Free-will offerings, 446.\n\n  Future revelation expected, 323.\n\n\n  Garden of Eden, 66.\n\n  Gathering of Israel, 341;\n    extent and purpose of, 350;\n    two places appointed, 356;\n    in progress now, 355;\n    predicted, 341.\n\n  General resurrections, two, 396.\n\n  General salvation, 90.\n\n  Genuineness and authenticity of Bible, 254;\n    of parts of New Testament, 258;\n    of Book of Mormon, 275.\n\n  Ghost, Holy; see \"Holy Ghost.\"\n\n  Gift of God, faith a, 111;\n    repentance a, 118.\n\n  Gift of healing, 227;\n    of prophecy, 231;\n    of revelation, 232;\n    of tongues and interpretation, 226;\n    of visions and dreams, 229.\n\n  Gifts of the Spirit, see \"Spiritual gifts.\"\n\n  Gifts, spiritual, imitation of, 235.\n\n  Glory, Degrees of, 94, 416, 420;\n    Celestial, 94, 417;\n    Terrestrial, 95, 418;\n    Telestial, 95, 419, 423.\n\n  God and the Godhead, 27.\n\n  God, attributes of, 42, 103;\n    belief in, natural, 48;\n    and necessary, 49;\n    importance of belief in, 49;\n    existence of, 27;\n    evidence from history and tradition, 28;\n    evidence from reason, 30;\n    evidence from revelation, 35;\n    in nature, 50;\n    natural indications of, 50;\n    personality of, 41.\n\n  Godhead, personality of each member of, 41;\n    a Trinity, 38;\n    unity of, 39;\n    sectarian view of, 46.\n\n  Gospel to be preached to the dead, 150.\n\n  Government, Church, helps in, 216.\n\n  Governments, secular, obedience to, 424.\n\n  Greeks, baptism among, 160.\n\n\n  Hagiographa, 248.\n\n  Hands, imposition of, in ordinances, 174, 187.\n\n  Healing, gift of, 227.\n\n  Heathen, in first resurrection, 404.\n\n  Hebrew language, survival of among American aborigines, 302, 307.\n\n  Hebrews, 339.\n\n  Helps in church government, 216.\n\n  High Council, The Standing, 215;\n    The Traveling (quorum of the Twelve Apostles), 213.\n\n  High Priesthood, President of the, 213.\n\n  High Priest, office of, and quorum organization, 211;\n    Presiding, 213.\n\n  Historical books, of Old Testament, 248;\n    of New Testament, 252.\n\n  History and tradition, supporting evidence of God's existence, 28.\n\n  Holy Ghost, bestowal of, 170;\n    effect of, on the individual, 173;\n    exceptional visitations, 169;\n    gifts of, see \"Spiritual Gifts\";\n    office of, 167;\n    personality and powers of, 164;\n    promised, 163;\n    scriptural titles of, 41-42;\n    to whom given, 168.\n\n  Holy Spirit, see \"Holy Ghost.\"\n\n\n  Idolatry and atheism, 44;\n    idolatry, examples of atrocious, 51;\n    practices in general, 51.\n\n  Imitations of spiritual gifts, 235.\n\n  Immaterialism and atheism, 53.\n\n  Immersion, the proper mode of baptism, 139.\n\n  Importance of belief in God, 49.\n\n  Imposition of hands, in ordinances, 174, 187.\n\n  Improvement Associations, Mutual, 216.\n\n  Indians, American (Lamanites), 300.\n\n  Individual salvation, 90, 92.\n\n  Infant Baptism, see \"Baptism.\"\n\n  Inspiration and revelation, 308, 324.\n\n  Intermediate state of the soul (Paradise), 405.\n\n  Interpretation of tongues, gift of, 226.\n\n  Intolerance, in religion, 409, 414, 422.\n\n  Innocence of children, 90-92.\n\n  Israel, 326; a chosen people, 352, 355;\n    dispersion of, 326-328, 329, 332, 355;\n    gathering of, 341;\n    gathering of, now in progress, 351, 355;\n    kingdom of, 327.\n\n\n  Jaredite nation, 266.\n\n  Jerusalem, history of, 358, 359, 366.\n\n  Jerusalem, The New (Zion), 360.\n\n  Jews, 339.\n\n  John the Baptist, conferred the Aaronic priesthood, 19, 193.\n\n  Joseph Smith, authenticity of his mission, 13;\n    authority received by, 19;\n    parentage, youth, etc., 6;\n    his first vision, 9;\n    visited by Moroni, 10;\n    persecution of, 21;\n    a true prophet, 20;\n    tribute to, 25;\n    martyrdom of, 13, 25;\n    references to life of, 26.\n\n  Journeyings of the Ten Tribes, 340.\n\n  Judah, kingdom of, 327.\n\n  Justification by faith alone, dogma of, 120.\n\n\n  Kingdom of God, 374-377;\n    and Church of Christ, 376.\n\n  Kingdom of Heaven, 377-379.\n\n  Kingdom of Israel, 327.\n\n  Kingdom of Judah, 327.\n\n  Knowledge compared with faith and belief, 98.\n\n\n  Lamanites, 265, 292.\n\n  Language of ancient Americans, 301;\n    of Book of Mormon record, 301;\n    of Old Testament original, 246.\n\n  Latter-day Church, 206.\n\n  Laws of the land, submission to, 424-438.\n\n  Laying-on of hands, in ordinances, 171, 174.\n\n  Levitical priesthood, 208.\n\n  Life, Tree of, 68.\n\n  Lord's Supper, see \"Sacrament.\"\n\n  Love and Charity, 444, 460, 461.\n\n  Luther, Martin, on Justification by faith, 121.\n\n\n  Man, accountability of, 57, 415;\n    free agency of, 54;\n    responsibility of, 57.\n\n  Marriage, 455;\n    Celestial, 457;\n    plural, discontinuance of, 435, 440.\n\n  Martyrdom, seal of (Joseph Smith), 25.\n\n  Martin Luther, on justification by faith, 121.\n\n  Mayas, sacred language of, 302.\n\n  Melchizedek priesthood, 208;\n    restored to earth, 19, 194.\n\n  Members of the Godhead, personality of 41.\n\n  Men called of God, 184.\n\n  Mexican traditions concerning the Savior, 307.\n\n  Millennium, 379, 383.\n\n  Ministrations, unauthorized, 189.\n\n  Ministry, authority in, 184;\n    ordination to, 187.\n\n  Miracles, 222;\n    an aid to spiritual growth, 238;\n    testimony of, not infallible, 233;\n    wrought by evil powers, 234.\n\n  Missing Scripture, mentioned in Bible, 260.\n\n  Mode of baptism, 139.\n\n  Modern revelation, 320.\n\n  Moloch, horrible worship of, 52.\n\n  Mormon, Book of, see \"Book of Mormon.\"\n\n  Moroni, the angel, visits Joseph Smith, 10-12, 261.\n\n  Moses, conferred authority on Joseph Smith, 20, 351.\n\n  Mutual Improvement Associations, 216.\n\n\n  Nature, God in, 50.\n\n  Nature, proofs from, regarding theism, 31.\n\n  Natural indications of God, 50.\n\n  Naturalness of belief in God, 48.\n\n  Necessity of belief in God, 49.\n\n  Nephites, 264;\n    baptism among, 143;\n    sacrament instituted among, 176;\n    visited by Christ, 143, 176.\n\n  New Jerusalem (Zion), 360.\n\n  New Testament, 249;\n    authenticity and origin of, 249;\n    classification of, 252;\n    didactic books, 253;\n    genuineness of, 258;\n    historical books, 252;\n    prophetical books, 253.\n\n  Nicene Creed, 47.\n\n\n  Obedience to law, 424-440.\n\n  Offerings, fast, 446;\n    free-will, 446;\n    and tithes, 446-447.\n\n  Ordination to the ministry, 187.\n\n  Old Testament, 243;\n    its origin and growth, 243;\n    original language of, 246;\n    Historical books, 248;\n    Pentateuch, 247, 257;\n    Poetical books, 248;\n    Prophetical books, 248, 258;\n    Septuagint version of, 246.\n\n  Omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence of God, 42-43.\n\n\n  Pagan ignorance of resurrection, 403.\n\n  Paradise, 405.\n\n  Passover and sacrament, 182.\n\n  Patriarchs, or evangelists, 211.\n\n  Patriarchal office, succession in the, 211.\n\n  Pentateuch, 247;\n    Samaritan copy of the, 257.\n\n  Perdition, Sons of, 62, 421.\n\n  Persecution of Joseph Smith, 24.\n\n  Personality of the Godhead, 41;\n    of the Holy Ghost, 164.\n\n  Peter, James, and John confer the Melchisedek priesthood, 194.\n\n  Plates of Book of Mormon, 10, 269;\n    of Nephi, 269;\n    of Mormon, 269, 270.\n\n  Plural marriages, discontinuance of, 435, 440.\n\n  Poetical books of Old Testament, 248.\n\n  Power, through faith, 106.\n\n  Practical religion, 441.\n\n  Pre-existence of spirits, 197.\n\n  Presidency in the priesthood, 212.\n\n  Presidency, The First, 213.\n\n  Presidency of Stakes, 215.\n\n  President of the High Priesthood, 213.\n\n  Presiding Bishopric, 214.\n\n  Presiding quorum of Seventy, 214.\n\n  Priesthood, Aaronic, 207;\n    local organizations of, 215;\n    Levitical, 208;\n    Melchisedek, 208;\n    quorum organizations of, 212;\n    orders of, 207;\n    restoration to earth, 206;\n    specific duties in, 209.\n\n  Priests, 210.\n\n  Priests, High, 211.\n\n  Primary Associations, 216.\n\n  Primitive Church, 201;\n    apostasy from, 203, 205.\n\n  Prophecy, concerning Book of Mormon, 283;\n    biblical, concerning Book of Mormon, 284;\n    gift of, 231.\n\n  Prophet, usage of the term, 237.\n\n  Prophets, of old, organized, 237.\n\n  Prophets, School of the, 237.\n\n  Prophetical books, Old Testament, 248;\n    New Testament, 253.\n\n  Punishment for sin, 61;\n    duration of, 63;\n    \"endless\" and \"eternal,\" 63.\n\n\n  Quorum organizations, 212;\n    of deacons, 209;\n    of elders, 210;\n    of high priests, 211;\n    of the First Presidency, 213;\n    of the Twelve Apostles, 213;\n    of teachers, 210;\n    of seventies, 210;\n    of seventies, the Presiding Quorum of, 214.\n\n  Quorum, special usage of term, 209.\n\n\n  Reason, supporting theism, 30.\n\n  \"Re-baptism,\" 145;\n    \"re-baptisms\" recorded in Scripture, 146.\n\n  Redemption from the Fall, universal, 96;\n    see \"Atonement.\"\n\n  Regeneration of earth, 385.\n\n  Reign of Christ on earth, 367, 374.\n\n  Relief Society, The, 216.\n\n  Religion and Theology, 4.\n\n  Religion classes, among the Latter day Saints, 216.\n\n  Religion, practical, 441.\n\n  Religious liberty and toleration, 406;\n    intolerance, 409, 414, 422.\n\n  Remission of sins, to obtain, 113\n\n  Renewal of the earth, 385.\n\n  Repentance, essential to salvation, 117;\n    a gift from God, 118;\n    here and hereafter, 119;\n    nature of, 113;\n    not always possible, 118.\n\n  Responsibility of man, 57.\n\n  Restoration of the Church, 206.\n\n  Restoration of the Ten Tribes, 353.\n\n  Results of the Fall, 70.\n\n  Resurrection of the body, 391;\n    inaugurated, 396;\n    the first, 396;\n    heathen in the first, 404;\n    the final, 401;\n    of Christ, 396;\n    and the general resurrection immediately following, 396;\n    predicted, 393;\n    at second coming of Christ, 398;\n    pagan ignorance concerning, 403.\n\n  Resurrections, two general, of just and of unjust, 396.\n\n  Revelation, 308;\n    ancient, 311;\n    continual, 314;\n    alleged scriptural objections to continual revelation, 317;\n    gift of, 232;\n    future, expected, 323;\n    God's means of communication, 310;\n    revelation and inspiration, 308, 324;\n    modern, 320; supporting theism, 35.\n\n  Review exercises for class, 463.\n\n\n  Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 175;\n    errors, concerning, 183;\n    emblems used in, 179;\n    fit partakers of, 177;\n    institution of, among Jews, 175;\n    among Nephites, 176;\n    manner of administering, 180;\n    purpose of, 179;\n    sacrament and passover, 182;\n    usage of term \"sacrament,\" 182.\n\n  Sadducees, 404.\n\n  Salvation, general, 90;\n    individual, 90;\n    and exaltation, 94.\n\n  Sanctity of the body, 459.\n\n  Satan, 57, 64, 382.\n\n  Schools, Church, 216;\n    Sunday, 216.\n\n  School of the Prophets, 237.\n\n  Scripture missing, mentioned in Bible, 260.\n\n  Seal of martyrdom, Joseph Smith, 25.\n\n  Secular authority, submission to, 424-438.\n\n  Septuagint, 246, 257.\n\n  Serpent, curse on, 74.\n\n  Seventies, office of, and quorum organization, 210.\n\n  Sexes, unlawful association of, 459.\n\n  Sin, 59;\n    commission of, in ignorance, 60;\n    forgiveness for, 113;\n    punishment for, 61;\n    unpardonable, 62.\n\n  Smith, Joseph, see \"Joseph Smith.\"\n\n  Society, the Relief, 216.\n\n  Sons of Perdition, 62, 421.\n\n  \"Spaulding Story\" of the Book of Mormon, 278.\n\n  Spirit, Holy, see \"Holy Ghost.\"\n\n  Spiritual creations, 199.\n\n  Spiritual gifts, 219;\n    characteristic of the Church, 219;\n    decline of, incident to the apostasy, 238;\n    exist in Church today, 236;\n    partial enumeration of, 225;\n    imitations of, 235;\n    modern manifestations, 239;\n    nature of, 220.\n\n  Stakes of Zion, 215.\n\n  Stake Presidency. 215.\n\n  Standard works of the Church, 5.\n\n  Stewardship and consecration, 449, 450.\n\n  Submission to laws of the land, 424-438.\n\n  Succession in patriarchal office, 211.\n\n  Sunday schools, 216.\n\n\n  Teachers, false, 192.\n\n  Teacher, grade of, in Aaronic priesthood, 209.\n\n  Telestial glory, 95, 419, 423.\n\n  Temples, ancient and modern, 157.\n\n  Temptation of Eve, 67.\n\n  Ten Commandments, The, found among relics of ancient\n        Americans, 303.\n\n  Terrestrial glory, 95, 418.\n\n  Testament, New, see \"New Testament.\"\n\n  Testament, Old, see \"Old Testament.\"\n\n  Testimony of miracles, not infallible, 233.\n\n  Theism, modifications of, defined, 51.\n\n  Theology, 2;\n    extent of, 3;\n    importance of study, 1;\n    and religion, 4.\n\n  Theories of Origin of Book of Mormon, 278.\n\n  Thousand years of peace (Millennium), 379, 383.\n\n  Time of Christ's coming, 373.\n\n  Tithing, law of, 447, 449.\n\n  Title page of Book of Mormon, 263. 278.\n\n  Toleration, religious, 406;\n    does not imply acceptance, 414.\n\n  Tongues, gift of, 226;\n    interpretation of, 226.\n\n  Tradition and history supporting theism, 28.\n\n  Traditions among American aborigines, confirming Book\n        of Mormon, 305.\n\n  Tradition, Mexican, regarding the Savior, 307.\n\n  Transgression, 54.\n\n  Translation of the Book of Mormon, 273.\n\n  Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, 68.\n\n  Tree of Life, 68.\n\n  Tribes, The Ten, or The Lost, 335, 338;\n    journeyings of, 340;\n    restoration of, 353.\n\n  Trinity, The, 38.\n\n\n  Unauthorized ministrations, 189.\n\n  United Order, 451.\n\n  Unity of the Godhead, 39.\n\n  Universal and unconditional redemption from effects of the\n        Fall, 96.\n\n  Unlawful association of the sexes, 459.\n\n  Unpardonable sin, 62.\n\n\n  Versions of Old Testament, 246.\n\n  Versions of Bible, 246, 253, 257.\n\n  Vicarious nature of the atonement, 79.\n\n  Visions and dreams, 229.\n\n\n  Ward, organization, and officers of, 215.\n\n  Ward Bishopric, 215.\n\n  Witnesses to Book of Mormon, Testimony of, the Three, 276;\n    the Eight, 277;\n    notes concerning, 279.\n\n  Works of the Church, standard, 5.\n\n  Written language of ancient Americans, 301.\n\n\n  Zion, 356;\n    the name, 357;\n    founding of in Missouri, 366;\n    Zion of Enoch, 358;\n    the New Jerusalem, 360.","title":"The Articles of Faith: A Series of Lectures on the Principal Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":174219}