{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_59993/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_59993","id":"gutenberg_59993","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59993","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"],"text":"Produced by the Mormon Texts Project\n(MormonTextsProject.org), with thanks to Renah Holmes and\nAndy Hobbs\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL\n\n\nBY OSBORNE J. P. WIDTSOE, A. M.\n\nPrincipal of the Latter-day Saints' High School\n\nSalt Lake City, Utah\n\n\nAN INTRODUCTION BY JOSEPH F. SMITH, JR.\n\n_Of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles_\n\n\nSALT LAKE CITY, UTAH\n\n1912\n\n\nTO MY DEAR MOTHER, WHO LED ME TO THE LAND OF THE RESTORATION, THIS BOOK\nIS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.\n\n\n\nFOREWORD.\n\nThe following chapters on the subject of the _Restoration_ are the\noutcome of an invitation to write, during the winter of 1910-11, a\nseries of lessons for the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association.\nChapters two to nineteen, inclusive, were written for the Association\nand were printed, substantially as they appear in this book, in\nthe Young Woman's Journal. Chapters one, twenty, twenty-one and\ntwenty-three, were prepared especially for this volume. Chapter\ntwenty-two appeared as an independent article in the _Improvement Era_\nsome years ago.\n\nThe brief treatment of the Restoration of the Gospel herewith\npresented to the public is not intended to be in any wise a history\nof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is at most a\nstory of the Restoration. It presumes at the outset that something\nhas been restored. It relates how this something was restored. Every\nmissionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has\nmet these two questions when he has preached abroad the Gospel of\nthe Restoration:--What was restored? How was it restored? These\ntwo questions the following chapters attempt to answer in part.\nThey consider the actual restoring of the necessary priesthood and\nauthorities to officiate for God, in God's stead; they consider the\norganizing of the Church, of the quorums of the priesthood, of the\nauxiliary associations, and of community and family life. Indeed,\nthese chapters are essentially the story of the restoration of divine\nauthority and correct organization. With these things restored, it\nbecame necessary to set the world right in its knowledge of God, and\nin its conception of the duties of man, and his relationship to the\nkingdom of God. But these questions concern another phase of the story\nof the restoration and must be left to a later book.\n\nIt is with pleasure that I acknowledge here my grateful appreciation\nof the encouragement and assistance given me by my friends. The\nGeneral Board of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations\nand the Guide Committee read the original manuscript. Elders Rulon\nS. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin, the Journal Committee appointed by\nthe First Presidency, also read and criticized the original manuscript.\nFinally, Elders Charles W. Penrose, George F. Richards, and Joseph\nF. Smith, Jr., read, by appointment of the First Presidency, the\ncomplete manuscript as it was prepared to appear in book form. I wish\nto thank all these brethren and sisters for their generous assistance\nand invaluable suggestions. But while these committees have read the\nmanuscript and have passed favorable judgment upon it, it must be\nremembered that the author alone is responsible for all errors here to\nbe found. Finally, I wish publicly to acknowledge my gratitude to my\nbrother. Dr. John A. Widtsoe, and to my mother, Mrs. Anna K. Widtsoe,\nfor much valuable help; and to my wife for her untiring devotion and\nzeal in reading and correcting and perfecting. Were it not for the\nencouragement of these many friends, I should not dare venture to put\nforth the following chapters in book form.\n\nO. J. P. W.\n\nSalt Lake, Utah. Jan. 21, 1912.\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\nForeword\n\nIntroduction\n\nI. A Religious Revival\n\nII. A Vision of the Father and the Son\n\nIII. Seven Marks of the Great Apostasy\n\nIV. The Restoration Predicted\n\nV. An Angel Flying\n\nVI. Hidden Gospel Records\n\nVII. The Lesser Priesthood\n\nVIII. The Higher Priesthood\n\nIX. The Church of Jesus Christ\n\nX. The Gospel Ordinances\n\nXI. The Plan of Government\n\nXII. The Spiritual Gifts\n\nXIII. Sacred Writings of Old\n\nXIV. A Sacred Book of Today\n\nXV. The Keys of Gathering\n\nXVI. The Fathers and the Children\n\nXVII. The Gospel Brotherhood\n\nXVIII. A New and Everlasting Covenant\n\nXIX. The Vision of Glories\n\nXX. In the Mouths of Witnesses\n\nXXI. Further Witnesses to the Restoration\n\nXXII. The Test of Section Sixty-seven\n\nXXIII. The Testimony of the Martyrdom\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION.\n\nWas there any need during the early part of the nineteenth century of\nthe Christian era for a restoration of the Gospel? Was there at that\ntime any need for a re-establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ?\nThese are vital questions that mean everything to the people of the\nworld. If the Gospel, as it was established by the Son of God, remained\non the earth from that day until the present, there was no necessity\nfor, and there could not have been, a restoration. If the Church of\nJesus Christ remained on the earth intact from the days of the Savior's\nministry when He commissioned His Apostles and sent them into all the\nworld to preach the Gospel, until the present day, it could not have\nbeen reestablished. If the Church did remain, undefiled--the guardian\nand advocate of the Gospel--then there was no need of the so-called\n\"reformation\" of the middle ages. If the Church was taken away from\nthe earth, and the Gospel replaced by another which was a perverted,\ndefiled, and man-made system, nothing short of a restoration would\nbring back to mankind that which was lost. Protestantism and the\n\"reformation\" did not and could not remedy the evil.\n\nThat there was a need of a restoration of the Gospel and a\nre-establishment of the Church, with the accompanying Priesthood and\npower, is attested both by the pages of history and the doctrines and\npractices of the religious world; for these things point unmistakably\nto the fact of a universal departure from the Gospel and the Church\nestablished by the Redeemer. That such a condition would be, was\nclearly pointed out by many of the ancient prophets, who also foretold\nthe restoration that should take place previous to the second coming\nof the Son of God. How any intelligent person can read and reflect\nupon the many events that have taken place since the days of the\nestablishment of the Church by our Lord, to the present time, and not\nfully realize that there was a universal departure from the true faith,\nis a mystery. The strife, bloodshed, murders, bigotry and superstition,\nthat prevailed in the name of the Christian religion, point\nconclusively to a departure from the faith. The pomp, the pride, the\nimproper exercise of authority, the changed ordinances and the weaving\nof pagan philosophy into the religion of the people, the creation of\nnew offices in the ministry, and a thousand and one other things in the\npractices and worship of those who professed to be followers of the\nLord, prove beyond reasonable question, the departure from the Gospel\nthat has been established by our Savior in the days of his Apostles,\nand the absolute necessity of a restoration.\n\nFor many ages following the departure from the Gospel as it was\nintroduced by the Author of our Salvation, the world was under the\nbondage of sin. All mankind, both clergy and laity, were united in the\nfallacious belief that the canon of scripture was full and complete;\nand, notwithstanding the predictions of those scriptures to the\ncontrary, had declared that there was to be no more revelation, neither\nministering of angels nor other heavenly manifestation of divine will.\nSuch things, said they, were no longer needed and had been done away.\nThe people, surrounded by spiritual darkness, were dependent upon\nthe dead letter or the written word, as that word was interpreted by\nman-appointed and worldly-taught priests. Men who denied the authority\nand power of the holy Priesthood had taken honor unto themselves,\nchanging the law and ordinances to suit their own convenience. There\nwas no vision, and the people were perishing because none were sent\nwith authority to teach them the order of heavenly things. The Holy\nSpirit that was promised the true disciples by the Lord, as a guide\ninto all truth and which should show them things to come, and would\ntestify of the Father and the Son, had been withdrawn from mankind\nbecause of iniquity and transgression. Spiritual darkness was supreme.\nPernicious superstitions and false traditions possessed the hearts\nof the people. For a long time, principally during the \"dark ages,\"\nindividuals were forbidden even on pain of death, the sacred and divine\nright of free thought and action. They were even denied their inherent\nright to approach the throne of grace, read the scriptures, or give\nvent to their heartfelt desires before the Lord in any manner not\napproved by the ruling power that had fettered all men with its chains.\nThe least expression of free thought, of suspicion, of heretical\nbelief, even if it was without foundation in fact, was sufficient to\ncommit the offending person to the torture of the rack or perchance\nthe burning stake. Thousands upon thousands died martyrs at the hands\nof bigotry and superstition, wrongfully in the name of the Christian\nfaith. Secret and individual prayers offered in a way not prescribed\nby the priests of religion who controlled absolutely in such things,\nwere considered a menace to the welfare of the Church. For there was a\nchurch; one of great wealth and splendor that held sway over all the\nChristian world. Rulers of powerful nations paid homage to it, and at\ntimes were publicly humiliated by its head whom they had angered, for\nby him kings were made or dethroned at will, so great was his worldly\npower. But this church was without divine authority. It had no divinely\nappointed Priesthood. Its doctrines were perverted, and before it the\npeople bowed in submission in fear and trembling.\n\nThis awful state of affairs brought about the \"reformation,\" when the\nLord raised up courageous men to shatter these fetters of bondage, that\nfreedom might be given to the people and the way prepared in part for\nthe re-establishment of truth, when the proper time should come. But\nLuther and the other \"reformers\" were without the power and authority\nto act in the name of the Lord. They, themselves, interpreting the\nscriptures according to their human understandings, fell into many\ngrievous errors and established conflicting creeds until the world was\nfilled with churches and with priests who drew near to the Lord with\ntheir lips, but were far removed from Him in their practices.\n\nThis was the condition of the religious world early in the nineteenth\ncentury when the Lord revealed Himself to the youthful prophet, Joseph\nSmith.\n\nJoseph Smith did not come into the world merely as a reformer of false\nreligious forms and practices. He came in fulfilment of prophecy, as a\nrestorer of the true faith and worship of the Master, and to prepare\nthe way before His second coming. He came to usher in the glorious\ndispensation of the Fulness of Times; that dispensation of the Gospel\nspoken of by the prophets of old as the \"time of restitution of all\nthings.\" The time, as Paul said to the Ephesian Saints, when \"He [the\nLord] might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are\nin heaven and which are on earth even in Him.\" He came to organize\nthe Church with the same officers, power, gifts and blessings that\nit possessed in the primitive days. He came to prepare the way for\nthe millennial reign of universal peace by establishing anew the Holy\nPriesthood with all its offices and powers--that authority by which\nmen officiate in the name of the Lord and their acts are valid in the\nheavens. For, unlike the reformers, he was duly commissioned with this\nauthority which he received under the hands of heavenly messengers\nwho rightfully held it and were sent to bestow it upon his head. Like\nthe ancient prophets, he had the right to point out flagrant and\npersistent errors in the doctrines of the churches, and the power to\nteach them the true form of worship. He was commanded of the Lord and\ncommissioned to preach the Gospel and baptize the repentant believer\nfor the remission of his sins. He came as a new witness for the Father\nand the Son, and testified afresh to all the world that Jesus was the\nChrist, the only begotten Son of the eternal Father, who came to redeem\nthe world from sin. For he beheld the Father and the Son, and was\ncommanded to bear witness that they live. He shattered the notion which\nuniversally prevailed that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,\nconstitute one being, \"without body, parts or passions.\" He taught man\nthat he was formed in the image of the Father, and that the Father and\nthe Son were personages with bodies that were as tangible as man's. He\ndestroyed the falsehood that little children were not redeemed through\nthe blood of Christ without baptism and went to eternal torment if\nthey died without being christened by a minister. He taught the world\nthat infants were without sin. He taught that baptism was for the\nremission of sins and was immersion in water, and to be valid must\nbe performed by one who was properly commissioned to administer that\nsacred ordinance. He overthrew the prevalent belief that sprinkling or\npouring of water on the head was recognized by the Lord as baptism.\nHe taught that a man could not be saved without repentance--that\nconfession of belief in the Savior was not enough to save him. He,\nwith others, received the keys of authority held by all the ancient\nprophets in their various dispensations, by the laying on of their\nhands, in fulfillment of the promise that there should be a restoration\nof all things. Among these prophets of old who came to him was Elijah,\nwho committed unto him the keys of his dispensation as spoken of by\nMalachi, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the\nhearts of the children to their fathers, lest the whole earth be\nsmitten with a curse at the coming of the great and dreadful day of\nthe Lord. Thus was introduced into the world again the doctrine of\nuniversal salvation--the doctrine that the dead also may hear the\ntruth and be redeemed from sin on condition of their repentance and\nacceptance of the ordinances performed by the living in their behalf.\nHe taught the eternity of the marriage covenant, and the perpetual\nunion of the family in the Celestial Kingdom of our Father, when the\ncontracting parties are sealed by the spirit of promise by one holding\nthe divine authority to officiate in these sacred ordinances. He taught\nthe literal gathering of Israel and the restoration of a remnant of the\nJews to their promised land and the rebuilding of Jerusalem as a holy\ncity. He gave to the world the Book of Mormon, a sacred history of the\nancient inhabitants of America, which contains the everlasting Gospel\nas it was taught to them. He overturned the long-cherished error that\nthe heavens were as brass and no more revelation was to be received\nfrom on high. Many other marvelous truths he taught to mankind as he\nreceived them through divine revelation, correcting false beliefs and\nplacing again in the reach of the people the means of escape from their\nsins and the judgment to come on condition of their repentance. Great\nwas the work that he performed under the direction and inspiration of\nthe Lord who commissioned him and ordained him to stand at the head of\nthe Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, holding the keys of power\nand authority on the earth to officiate in Jesus' name.\n\nHe should have been heralded by all the world as its greatest\nbenefactor since the days that redemption was made by the Son of\nGod. For he did more for the salvation of men in this world than\nany other man, save Jesus only. Yet he was reviled, persecuted, and\nfinally martyred by wicked men and sealed his testimony with his\nblood which testament is of force and will stand against all who\nreject his message, at the last day at the judgment bar of God.\nNotwithstanding the opposition that was made against him and his work\nand the persecution he received from bigoted men, his teachings and\nthe work that he accomplished still live and are triumphant over every\nopposition and attack that has been made against them. It must be\nso, for it is the truth from heaven that he established, and it will\nprevail and flourish until it conquers all things and fills the earth\nto the universal praise and glory of the Father.\n\nThis book, prepared by Elder Osborne J. P. Widtsoe, dealing with the\nimportant subject of the restoration of the everlasting Gospel, should\nbe read and its contents carefully considered by those who are seeking\nafter truth. It treats the restoration clearly, and places before the\npeople many things that have not been generally considered heretofore.\nIt will be a means of strengthening the faith of the youth of Israel\nand will impart information that is invaluable. May the spirit of truth\naccompany the work and rest upon all those who diligently read it with\na desire to learn of and profit by the restoration of the Gospel!\n\nJoseph F. Smith, Jr.\n\n\n\nThe Restoration of the Gospel\n\n\n\nI.\n\nA RELIGIOUS REVIVAL.\n\nThe Smiths little thought when they moved in 1818 to the township\nof Manchester, that their name would soon become known for good or\nfor ill the world over. The years before had been years of honor and\ndistinction in the community where they had lived. Robert Smith--the\nfirst of the family in America--had emigrated from England in the year\n1638; and for four generations his posterity lived in the little town\nof Topsfield,[A] Massachusetts. They tilled the soil with faithfulness\nand prospered, and were respected by their neighbors. All of them were\npatriots, devoted to the cause of American liberty; some of them served\nwith courage and distinction in the great War of Independence. But\nwhen the war was over, they retired to their farms--to their daily,\nhonorable toil. The head of the Smith family in 1818 was born in\nTopsfield, too, in the year 1771. When a young man, however, he moved\nwith his father to Tunbridge, Vermont. There, young Smith acquired\na farm of his own, and married. There, through the trickery of his\nassociates in a commercial enterprise, he failed. But he paid honestly\nevery debt. He sold his farm; he sold his horses and his cattle; he\nsold all that he had, and set out empty-handed for Palmyra, New York,\nto start life anew. Two hundred acres of forest land he cleared and put\nunder cultivation. Then, in common with many others who were pioneering\nin New York, Smith lost the newly broken farm because he could not meet\nthe final payment. Nothing daunted, however, Mr. Smith moved with his\nfamily to Manchester township. There he secured a comfortable farm of\nsixteen acres, and prepared to continue the quiet life of honest toil\nand prosperity that had characterized his family since Robert Smith\nfirst set foot on American soil. There was nothing about the Smiths in\n1818 to indicate that their name would ever become known beyond their\nimmediate neighborhood.\n\n[Footnote A: Robert Smith purchased two hundred eighty acres of land\npartly in Boxford township, partly in Topsfield. For this reason he was\ncalled Robert Smith of Boxford.]\n\nIn the spring of 1820, however, Manchester, with other parts of\nwestern New York, was swept by a wave of religious revival. Religious\nrevivals were not uncommon in the century that is past. The people of\nthe Christian world were then more susceptible to religious emotion\nthan they are today. Those of the American frontier were especially\nvery generally devoted to the cause of religion. They read the Bible\nprayerfully, and they attended to the worship of God on the Sabbath\nday. But they did not, of course, understand perfectly the Gospel of\nthe Lord Jesus. Disputes arose often among them--disputes on questions\nof doctrine between the votaries of the various denominational sects.\nFor then, as now, there existed an unauthorized number of differing\ncreeds. And these disputes led often to unfortunate defections. Truly,\nthe house of God should not be a house of turmoil; when strife and\nconfusion arose, it is no wonder that many, who looked for peace and\norder, should become indifferent to the affairs the Church. When there\nwas but one accepted Christian church, and that one universal in its\nauthority, it was still sufficiently difficult to secure faithful\nobservance of church ritual. When the Christian world became broken\ninto hundreds of contending sects--and no one of them nearly universal\nin its authority--it became measurably more difficult to hold the\nreligious interest of the people. It was, then, when there occurred a\nkind of apostasy from spiritual things that religious revivals were\nheld such as that which came to Manchester in the spring of 1820.\n\nThe revival movement of that year seems to have originated with the\nMethodists in the winter of 1819. Rapidly, however, it spread from\nsect to sect, and from village to village, until every denomination\nin western New York was affected by it. The ministers--most prominent\namong whom were the Reverend Mr. Stockton of the Presbyterian church\nand the Reverend Mr. Lane of the Methodist church--united in the\neffort to bring about a spiritual awakening. They did what lay in\ntheir power to do to inspire religious enthusiasm. They professed\nthat they cared not with what sect a man might later ally himself, so\nonly he \"got religion\" and became \"converted.\" Thus, the Methodists,\nthe Presbyterians, the Baptists, and all other denominations there\nrepresented, seemed to co-operate unitedly, and in love, to bring about\nthe greatest good for the people concerned.\n\nAnd the people responded encouragingly to the efforts of the\nministerial body. Those who lived in the cities attended the revival\nmeetings in throngs; those who lived far away flocked to the larger\ncenters to take part in the spiritual awakening. The leaders preached\neloquent, emotional sermons. They marshaled their arguments with\nmasterly skill. They wrought upon the fears of the people till they\nbecame stirred to the very depths of their souls. Often these revival\nmeetings were productive of marvelous manifestations. The great revival\nof Kentucky, in 1800, seems to have been in a way the beginning and\ninspiration of a long series of revivals in following years. The\nmeetings held there were typical of the revival in general; we turn to\ndescriptions of them to learn how they were conducted, and how they\nwere characterized. Professor J. B. Turner of Illinois College says,\n\"The people were accustomed to assemble, sometimes to the number of ten\nor twelve thousand, and they often continued together, in devotional\nexercises, for several days and nights. Here the people were sometimes\nseized with general tremor, the pulse grew weaker, their breathing\ndifficult, and, at long intervals, their hands and feet became cold,\nand finally they fell, and both pulse and breath, and all symptoms of\nlife forsook them for nearly an hour, during which time they suffered\nno pain, and were perfectly conscious of their condition and knew what\nwas passing around them.\n\n\"At one time during service, several shrieks were uttered, and people\nfell in all directions. Not less than one thousand fell at one meeting.\nTheir outward expressions of devotion consisted in alternate singing,\ncrying, laughing, shouting, and every variety of violent motion, of\nwhich the muscular system is capable. These violent motions they soon\nbecame unable to resist. They were violently thrown upon the ground by\nthe convulsions, where their motions 'resembled those of a fish upon\nland.' This disease lasted through several years, in some cases, _and\npropagated itself by sympathetic imitation, from one to another_,[B]\nwith astonishing rapidity; in crowds, and often in small assemblies.\"[C]\n\n[Footnote B: The italics are the present writer's.]\n\n[Footnote C: Turner, \"Mormonism in All Ages\" (1842), pp. 272,273.]\n\nAnother professor, writing of the same remarkable phenomena, says,\n\"It happened that in the summer of 1799 two McGee brothers, William,\na Presbyterian, and John, a Methodist, when crossing the pine barrens\nin Ohio, determined to turn aside and visit a sacramental solemnity\nat Red River. * * * Several preachers spoke. First John McGee, the\nMethodist, and never, as he says himself, did he preach with more light\nand liberty. Then his Presbyterian brother and the Rev. Mr. Hodge spoke\nwith much animation and power. While the latter was discoursing, a\nwoman in the east end of the house, unable to repress the violence of\nher emotions, gave vent to them with shoutings loud and long. At the\nclose of the sermon the other ministers went out, but the two McGees\nand the people seemed loath to depart. 'William felt such a power\ncome over him that _he quit his seat and sat down on the floor of the\npulpit, I suppose not knowing what he did_. A power which caused me to\ntremble was upon me. There was a solemn weeping all over the house.\nAt length I rose up and exhorted them to let the Lord God Omnipotent\nreign in their hearts, and submit to Him, and their souls should live.\nMany broke silence. The woman in the east end of the house shouted\ntremendously. I left the pulpit and went through the audience shouting\nand exhorting with all possible ecstasy and energy, and the floor was\nsoon covered with the slain.' * * * Upon the return home, they rushed\ninto the arms of their friends, shouting and telling what wonderful\nthings God had done for their souls.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: Davenport, \"Primitive Traits in Religious Revivals,\" pp.\n69, 70--Resume of a letter written by John McGee.]\n\nIt was such a revival movement as this that came to Palmyra and\nManchester in 1820. \"The seriousness began at Palmyra,\" we are told.\n\"The youth and children seem to be roused up to enquire, _What\nmust we do to be saved?_ A few drops from the cloud of glory have\nfallen upon Pittstown. There is uncommon attention to public worship\nin Canandaigua. It has been difficult during the winter to get\nplaces large enough to accommodate, or even contain the people. The\ncountenance of many show how anxious their minds are to know how they\nmay flee from the wrath to come.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: J. H. Hotchkin, \"A History of the Purchase and Settlement\nof Western New York,\" pp. 36, 37.]\n\nAnd thus the revival progressed from day to day, the ministers working\nharmoniously together in the common purpose of waking the spiritual\ninterests of the people. When, however, the time came for those who\nhad \"experienced religion\" to profess their party allegiance, it\nbecame apparent that the seeming good-will between the sects did not\nextend below the surface. The ministers began then to contend one\nwith another. The noise and confusion of the sometimes fanatic gospel\nmeetings had been great; but the confusion that followed now was\ngreater and of a more serious kind. Standing in their tent-doors, as it\nwere, the ministers cried to the sorely perplexed new converts, \"Lo,\nhere is Christ!\" \"Lo, here.\" \"The Reverend Mr. Stockton * * * insisted\nthat the work done was largely Presbyterian work as he had been a\ndominating influence in the movement, and presided at the meetings.\nThe Reverend Mr. Lane of the Methodist church preached a sermon on\nthe subject, 'What Church Shall I Join?' He quoted the golden text of\nJames, 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to\nall men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.'\"[F]\nAnd to the confusion of the scene was added bitterness; for, not\nonly did the newly converted not know with what church to associate\nthemselves, but the pseudoministers of God strove among themselves, the\none maligning the other. From a well-meant spiritual revival, begun\nin religious zeal and conducted apparently in brotherly love, there\nresulted finally bitterness and contention because there was no unity\namong the professing followers of Christ. The newly converted were\nhardly better off after their conversion than they were before it.\n\n[Footnote F: B. H. Roberts, \"History of the Mormon Church,\" in\nAmericana. Vol. IV, No. 6, p. 614.]\n\nMeanwhile, there was present during this strenuous religious revival in\nManchester, a rather serious-minded boy of some fourteen years of age.\nHe was the fourth child of the Smiths. The Smiths themselves were in\nthe main attracted by the doctrines of the Presbyterians. But Joseph\ndid not know what he should do. He attended the revival meetings. He\nwitnessed the violent manifestations of religious emotion. Undoubtedly,\nhe was deeply affected at times by the excessive demonstrations of\nhis associates and friends. But through it all, he maintained a\nperfect self-control. Never once was he so overcome by his emotions\nthat he took part in the excitement of his friends. He stood calmly,\nthoughtfully by--a spectator, puzzled, perplexed. \"During this time\nof great excitement,\" he wrote in his manhood, \"my mind was called up\nto serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings\nwere deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these\nparties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion\nwould permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the\nMethodist sect; but so great were the confusion and strife among the\ndifferent denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I\nwas, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain\nconclusion who was right and who was wrong. My mind at times was\ngreatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The\nPresbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists,\nand used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their\nerrors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On\nthe other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally\nzealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all\nothers.\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 3,4.]\n\nUnder such conditions it is hardly to be wondered at that the boy was\ntroubled in mind. The wonder is that he, too, was not overcome by the\nemotional excitement of the day. Perhaps no fact of psychology is\nbetter established than this, that the mental and nervous organizations\nof like-minded people \"respond in like ways to the same stimuli.\" With\nthe religious folk of the Manchester revival this boy was undoubtedly\nsympathetically like-minded. Yet, he did not yield to the emotional\nimpulses that seized upon his friends; and that, too, in spite of\nthe fact further asserted by psychologists and sociologists, that\nsympathetically like-minded people \"are not likely to have their\nprimitive and instinctive nervous tendencies and mental traits under\nthe governance of the higher inhibitory centers;\" and that \"the\nnervously unstable, the suggestible, the _inexperienced_[H] [are]\naffected by the highly emotional revival earlier than the dignified and\nintelligent people of judgment and standing.\"[I] This boy of fourteen\nyears was inexperienced; his standing in the eyes of the world was nil;\nyet, his primitive and instinctive tendencies and mental traits seemed\nto be well under the governance of the higher inhibitory centers.\n\n[Footnote H: Italics are present writer's.]\n\n[Footnote I: Davenport, \"Primitive Traits in Religious Revivals,\" pp.\n2, 3.]\n\nProfessor Frederick Morgan Davenport, whom I have already quoted,\nsays further in his treatise of the primitive traits of religious\nrevivals, that, \"we must bear in mind constantly that the effect of a\nsympathetic religious movement is greatly increased by the massing of\nmen and women in a psychological 'crowd,' a camp meeting for instance.\n* * The natural result of the assembling of men in crowds, especially\nwhen skilful speakers engage their attention and play upon the chords\nof imagination and emotion, seems to be the weakening of the power of\ninhibition in each individual, and the giving of free reign to feeling\nand imitation. * * * This will be most in evidence among primitive,\nsuperstitious and unlettered people, of course, for civilization\nshows itself in nothing more clearly than in the growing capacity for\nindividual self-control, but they will also appear in the relatively\nhigh stages of culture and experience if the combination of conditions,\nphysical, mental and social, is strong enough to develop them. In fact\nthere is no population, there are comparatively few individuals in any\npopulation who cannot be swept from the moorings of reason and balanced\njudgment if brought under the mysterious and potent influence of the\npsychological 'crowd.'\" [J]\n\n[Footnote J: Davenport, \"Primitive Traits in Religious Revivals,\" pp.\n9, 10.]\n\nThe boy, Joseph Smith, was present in the massing of men and women,\nin a \"psychological crowd,\" so-called, in a camp-meeting even. There\nwere skilful speakers present to engage the attention and to play upon\nthe chords of imagination and emotion. While he was neither wholly\nprimitive, nor very superstitious, he was, to be sure, unlettered.\nHe had certainly not passed through the higher stages of culture\nand experience. Indeed, there was present in him a combination of\nconditions--physical, mental, and social--that would lead one to expect\nin him the usual display of emotional excitement in a sympathetic\nreligious movement. Yet, he displayed unusual self-restraint through\nit all. He was not \"brought under the mysterious and potent influence\nof the psychological 'crowd.'\" He confesses to experiencing feelings\nboth deep and poignant, and to becoming excited at times; yet he\nkept himself aloof from all the contending parties. He seemed to\npossess a strongly developed \"capacity for individual self-control.\"\nHe became somewhat partial to the Methodists; but since he could not\ndetermine, amid such scenes of confusion and strife, whether or not\nthey were wholly right, he refrained from allying himself with any\nsect. While his friends and associates lost themselves in a kind of\nreligious frenzy, this boy, scarce fourteen years of age, asserted his\nindependence of thought and feeling, and held himself aloof from the\nreligious excitement of his day.\n\nHowever, it must not be forgotten that his mind was exercised over\nreligious conditions. He longed to know the truth. He sought earnestly\nto find it out. And in a condition of calmness, clearness of vision and\nperfect self-control--perplexed in mind, but not weakened by emotion or\nexcitement--Joseph Smith, Junior, sought the Lord in prayer.\n\nFrom that moment, almost, the name of the Smiths became known the world\nover for good or for ill.\n\n\n\nII.\n\nA VISION OF THE FATHER AND THE SON.\n\nIt was a clear, beautiful morning in the early spring. Joseph Smith,\nthe boy, awoke from his slumbers with an insistent desire to know\nwhat church he should join. The revival was drawing to a close. If\nhe were to be \"converted\" during the progress of the revival, he\nmust \"get religion\" soon. Yet, he could not determine which of the\ncontending sects was right. Only one thing seemed indelibly impressed\nupon his mind. It was the sermon of his friend, the Rev. Mr. Lane of\nthe Methodist church, and the golden text of James. That, especially,\nseemed to weigh upon him. He found the text in his own Bible, and read\nagain the golden words,\n\n\"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men\nliberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.\"\n\nThe words sank deep into the boy's heart. He pondered them earnestly.\nSurely, he lacked wisdom; for he did not know what he would best do to\nserve the Lord. Then, if the Lord gave freely to those who asked, and\nupbraided not, why should he not ask? The question recurred again and\nagain. At length, he determined that he must forever remain ignorant\nof the truth, or he must seek the Lord in prayer according to the\nadmonition of James. On this beautiful morning in the spring of 1820,\nthen, Joseph Smith retired into the nearby wood to pray. It was the\nfirst time in his life that he had made such a venture. \"Amidst all my\nanxieties,\" he wrote in the story of his life, \"I had never yet made\nthe attempt to pray vocally.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: \"Pearl of Great Price,\" p. 84.]\n\nWhat followed in the sacred grove is best described in the Prophet's\nown words:\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 an astonishing influence over me as\nto bind 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 sudden\ndestruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver\nme out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the\nvery moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to\ndestruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual\nbeing: from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had\nnever before felt in any being--just at this moment of great alarm, I\nsaw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the\nsun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.\n\n\"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the\nenemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two\npersonages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing\nabove me in the air. One of them spoke to me, calling me by name, and\nsaid, pointing to the other--\n\n\"'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM!'\n\n\"My object in going to enquire of the Lord was to know which of all the\nsects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore,\ndid I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked\nthe personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects\nwas right--and which I should join. I was answered that I must join\nnone of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed\nme said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that\nthose professors were all corrupt; that 'they draw near me with their\nlips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the\ncommandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the\npower thereof.' He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many\nother things did He say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.\nWhen I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking\nup into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but\nsoon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the\nfireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, 'Never mind,\nall is well--I am well enough off.' I then said to my mother, 'I have\nlearned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.'\"\n\nSuch was the first vision--a vision of the Father and the Son. It\nwas the first act in the great drama of the Restoration. Of course,\nJoseph's friends could scarcely believe that anything so wonderful had\nhappened to him. He related the strange experience to the ministers;\nbut they scoffed at the suggestion of a new revelation. Moreover, they\nbecame suddenly possessed of a bitter and inexplicable hatred of the\nyoung seer. They made him a public butt of ridicule; they maligned\nhim in their discourses; and they persecuted him when he came among\nthem. For having exercised a remarkable \"capacity for individual\nself-control\"; for having sought from the Lord Himself to know the\ntruth; for testifying that he had received the truth in a vision--the\nboy seer was cast off by his fellow-men and doomed to stand alone. But\n\"I had actually seen a light,\" he wrote in after years, \"and in the\nmidst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak\nto me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen\na vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling\nme, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I\nwas led to say in my heart. Why persecute me for telling the truth? * *\n* For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and\nI could not deny it, neither dared I do it, at least I knew that by so\ndoing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 6-8.]\n\nAnd what really was the significance of this first vision? Of what\nconsequence was a boy's prophetic sight that the world should take\ncognizance of it? What great far-reaching truths did the vision\ncontain, that the religious world should still writhe under it?\n\nIn the first place, the experience of the boy-prophet demonstrated the\nfact that the word of God is good; it holds for anyone who approaches\nHim in faith. The sectarian world had come to look upon the Holy Bible\nas little more than any other book. It was to be read, but not to be\nbelieved, so to say. But Joseph took seriously the word of God as\nannounced by the prophet James. The boy prayed earnestly and honestly;\nand in answer to his prayer came the glorious vision of the Father and\nthe Son. The word of God is truth, not fiction.\n\nSecondly, this first experience of the prophet revealed the fact that\nspiritual gifts may be enjoyed even in this day by those who seek the\nLord in truth. Anciently, men dreamed dreams, saw visions, spoke in\ntongues, healed the sick, and did many other strange things by the\npower of the Lord. Just such things may men do now by the exercise of\nproper faith. It was thus that Joseph gained the spiritual blessings of\nthe first vision.\n\nThen, in this vision was first announced the fact of the great\napostasy. Jesus Himself denounced all the denominations of the world,\nsaying that they worshiped Him with their lips but their hearts were\nfar from Him. He admonished the young boy who had sought Him in prayer\nto join no one of them. Moreover, it appears on analysis of the\nvision, that Jesus could accept none of the ministers who purported to\nserve Him. They taught for doctrine the precepts of men. They held no\nauthority from Jesus. And to preach in His name, surely the preacher\nshould hold authority from Him.\n\nThen, this glorious first vision demonstrated the fact of the\npersonality of God. Two heavenly beings appeared before the prophet.\nThey were in form and bearing like men. The one raised His hand and\npointed to the other and spoke. The other instructed the boy, as a\ntutor might instruct his pupil. Moreover, in this same vision was\nclearly demonstrated the fact that the members of the Godhead are\nseparate and distinct persons.\n\nFinally, the vision established the fact that God can and will speak\nto man whenever He chooses so to do, in any age. Indeed, when the\nChurch of Christ is upon the earth, there must also be revelation, or\ncommunication with God. When revelation ceases, the true church also\nceases, for it drifts like a rudderless ship from its course.\n\nThese points, then, are demonstrated by the first vision of Joseph\nSmith:--the word of God is to be relied upon; spiritual gifts will\nattend the faithful even at the present day; the Christian churches\nof the world are without authority; the God of heaven is a God of\npersonal, tangible form; the members of the Godhead are separate and\ndistinct in person; and, finally, the Church of Christ must be favored\nwith continued revelation, else it must suffer spiritual death. But\nall these points were contrary to the doctrines of both Catholic and\nProtestant churches. In upholding them, the boy-prophet aroused against\nhimself the opposition of the whole religious world. Is it a matter of\nwonder, then, that the name of Joseph Smith is known the world over\nfor good or for ill? Is it a matter of wonder that the religious world\nshould take cognizance of the boy's prophetic sight, or that it should\nwrithe under the arraignment of the first vision? Is it not rather a\nmatter of wonder and admiration, that the boy, scarce fourteen years\nold, evilly spoken of and persecuted, should still persist in his\ntestimony that he had seen a vision? And from that first vision what\nfurther has grown adds further to the wonder and admiration of the boy\nselected to usher in another dispensation.\n\n\n\nIII.\n\nSEVEN MARKS OF THE GREAT APOSTASY.\n\nPerhaps the most important count in the arraignment of Joseph Smith's\nfirst vision is that the Christian world has departed from the simple\nGospel of the Lord Jesus. \"They draw near me with their lips, but their\nhearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of\nmen: having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof,\" the\nLord said to the prophet in speaking of the Christian denominations.\nAnd, surely, the tumult, the strife, the confusion of such religious\nrevivals as that of 1820, are sufficient evidence that the words of the\nSavior were true. \"One Lord, one faith, one baptism\"[A] had been the\ndoctrine of Jesus and the apostles. In 1820, there were many faiths,\nand many baptisms.\n\n[Footnote A: Eph. 4:1-13.]\n\nThat this condition should exist in the religious world of the\nnineteenth century, was only a natural consequence in the course of\nhistory. Jesus and the apostles had taught in early times the Gospel in\nits pure simplicity. Soon after the passing of the apostles, however,\nthe Christian church had departed from the orthodox doctrines of the\nLord, and had become corrupt in many ways. Persecution, waged by both\nthe Jews and the Gentiles, was in part responsible for the great\napostasy; but possibly prosperity, and the adoption of Christianity\nas the state form of worship, were even more productive of a general\nabandonment of the religious doctrines taught by Jesus and the\napostles. In a general way, there are seven points in which the\napostasy of the early Christian church is marked.\n\nIn the first place, the doctrine of the Godhead became greatly\nchanged soon after the apostolic age. It had been taught that man\nwas made in the image of God; that, therefore, God was a person of\nbody and parts. Jesus, the one perfect man to take upon Him flesh,\nwas in the express image of God the Father.[B] There soon grew in the\nchurch, however, diverse opinions of the nature of God. He became\nan inconceivable immateriality with boundless power. The result in\nmodern doctrine is a kind of divine nonentity, everywhere present\nyet nowhere to be found--an impossible being with neither shape nor\ndimension, with neither parts nor passions, but who, nevertheless,\nabides in an undefined place called Heaven, and loves the children of\nearth. Moreover, the doctrine of the unity, or the trinity, of the\nGodhead also became perverted in the early church. It had been taught\nthat there were three beings in the Godhead--the Father, the Son, and\nthe Holy Ghost; separate and distinct in person, but one--that is\nunited--in purpose and action. After the passing of the apostles it was\ntaught that these three were only one:--\"the Father is God, the Son is\nGod, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet they are not three Gods but one\nGod.\"[C]\n\n[Footnote B: Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1-3; Heb. 1:1-3.]\n\n[Footnote C: Athanasian Creed.]\n\nIn the second place, the doctrine of the necessity of divine authority\nbecame wholly ignored. The men of old understood that they might not\nassume of their own accord to officiate in the things of God. Jesus\nstated the doctrine tersely when He said to His apostles, \"Ye have not\nchosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you.\"[D] In later times,\nhowever, it became popular for men to elect the office of priest or\nminister. At the present time men choose the calling of preacher as\nthey do that of lawyer or doctor. They seek positions that confer upon\nthe holders worldly recognition and riches.\n\n[Footnote D: Heb. 4; II Pet. 1:21; John 15:16-19.]\n\nIn the third place, the organization and government of the primitive\nchurch became corrupted. In the church of Christ there had been\napostles, prophets, evangelists, seventies, elders, bishops, priests,\nteachers, and deacons.[E] These officers were maintained as long as\nthe apostles lived; there are many references to them during the\nfirst century of the Christian era. Soon thereafter, however, many\nof these officers were dropped as unnecessary. Today, there is not a\ndenomination descended from the old Catholic church that maintains in\nits organization all the officers provided by the great Master; nor\ndoes the Catholic church itself do so. And with the church organization\ncorrupted, it follows that the church government must be incomplete and\ninadequate.\n\n[Footnote E: Eph. 4:11 ff; I Cor. 12:12-29.]\n\nIn the fourth place, it was not very long after the passing of the\napostles, before the outward ordinances of the church became changed\nto suit the convenience of men. Baptism had been administered by\nimmersion, as the word indicates.[F] The custom arose, however, merely\nto sprinkle the applicant for baptism; or, at most, to pour a little\nwater on him. Furthermore, while the ordinance was meant only for\nadults, or for young people that had reached years of accountability,\nit was applied, after the time of Christ, to babes, who could neither\nknow nor confess Him. The sacrament of the Lord's supper, too, was\nburdened with ceremony, and changed materially.[G] The ordinance of\nadministration to the sick was dismissed as useless.[H] In fact, there\nremains in the churches today hardly an ordinance that has not been\nchanged to suit the whims of men.\n\n[Footnote F: Matt. 3:13-17.]\n\n[Footnote G: Luke 22; Matt. 26; I Cor. 11:23-26.]\n\n[Footnote H: Jas. 5:14, 15.]\n\nIn the fifth place, the church ritual became perverted under the\nadministration of those who professed to follow after Jesus and His\napostles. Nothing could be simpler or purer than the church service\ninstituted by the Savior. After the third century, the simplicity was\ngone forever. To gain the good will and the favor of the pagans, many\nof their customs and ceremonies were adopted by the Christian church.\nSo far was this done that the Christian worship of today is sometimes\nmore nearly akin to the pagan worship of old, than it is to the simple\nworship of the Church of Christ.\n\nIn the sixth place, the spiritual gifts--so common in the days of the\napostles--became wholly lost to the later Christian church. Prophecy,\nhealing, speaking in tongues, and other marvelous blessings, are\nenumerated by the Apostle Paul. He makes clear the fact that these\ngifts _will_ be manifest whenever the authorized church operates.\nUnfortunately, belief in the spiritual gifts is rare in the modern\nChristian church.\n\nFinally, the body of church doctrine became corrupted in the third,\nfourth, and fifth centuries. To consider all the changes in church\ndoctrine would require more space than can be allowed in this brief\nsummary. Suffice it to say that besides the changes in doctrine already\nnamed, there was departure from the truth in many essential ways;\nas, for example, the introduction of the doctrine that infants if\nunsprinkled would be eternally damned; that condemnation for sin meant\neternal condemnation, without hope of relief, worlds without end; that\nthere may be two standards of morality in this life, and so forth. In\nshort, though it may appear to be a bold and a very general statement,\nit seems to be true that only a few doctrines concerning the salvation\nof man, from the time of his advent into this world to the time of the\ngreat judgment, remain today as they were taught by Jesus.\n\nFrom these seven points, then--the corruption of the doctrine of God\nand the Godhead; the rejection of the doctrine of Divine Authority;\nthe distortion of the doctrine of church organization and church\ngovernment; the changing of the outward ordinances; the perversion\nof the simple church ritual; the loss of spiritual gifts; and the\ncorruption of the body of church doctrines,--from these seven points,\nit is indisputably evident that the great apostasy from the primitive\nChristian church is an accomplished fact. Although there followed in\nthe middle ages a period of reformation--or revolution--yet there\nwas effected no return to the primitive faith. There came no new\nrevelation, and therefore there could come no authorized church. The\nchurches of the Protestants were merely broken off from the mother\nCatholic church, which they themselves believed to be apostate.\nEach new religious teacher as he arose placed his own personal\ninterpretation upon the word of God. Thus there came to be many creeds;\nand since these creeds differed materially in essential points,\ncontention and strife became inevitably common among the sects.\n\nSuch was the condition of the world in the spring of 1820. Although,\nfor the purposes of a revival meeting, the ministers of the Protestant\nchurches might unite for a time in a general effort to waken the people\nto spiritual life, yet there lay beneath the surface feelings of\nantagonism and bitterness the one toward the other. The seven marks of\nthe apostasy make them alien to Christ.[I]\n\n[Footnote I: For a full consideration of the apostasy and the so-called\nreformation, see B. H. Roberts' \"Outlines of Ecclesiastical History,\"\nand J. E. Talmage's \"The Great Apostasy.\"]\n\n\n\nIV.\n\nTHE RESTORATION PREDICTED.\n\nThe great universal apostasy we have thus briefly described was\nforetold by many of the ancient prophets. In both the New and the Old\nTestament may be found pertinent references to a general falling-away;\nfor the prophets of old--specially chosen men who spoke as they were\nmoved by the Holy Ghost--foresaw clearly that even the simple words of\nJesus would become corrupted, though the fact of His ministry might be\naccepted.\n\nAnd just as the prophets of old foresaw the falling away, so, too, they\nforesaw and predicted the glorious restoration. The blissful condition\nto be desired at the time of the restoration was described by the Lord\nto Jeremiah. The Lord God would make a new covenant with His people.\nIt was to be a time when the law of the Lord should be put in the\n\"inward parts\" of the people, and they should \"teach no more every man\nhis neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord\"; for\nthey should all know Him, from the least of them to the greatest of\nthem.[A] How far we are in the modern religious world from realizing\nthe condition here described, it is needless to say. The promised new\ncovenant has certainly not been generally accepted. The time remains\nyet to come when creeds shall cease contending one with another,\nsaying, \"Know the Lord.\" The time is not yet to come, however, when the\nnew covenant shall be introduced. It is here.\n\n[Footnote A: Jer. 31:31-34.]\n\nKing Nebuchadnezzar had one night a wonderful dream. He saw standing\nbefore him a great image of excellent brightness, but terrible form.\nThe head of the image was of gold; the breast and the arms were of\nsilver; the belly and the thighs were of brass; the legs were of iron;\nand the feet were part of iron and part of clay. As the image stood\nbefore the dreamsight of the king, there appeared a stone cut without\nhands, which smote the feet of the image and broke it to pieces. The\nclay, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, of which the image was\nmade became like chaff and were scattered in the winds of heaven; but\nthe little stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.\n\nTo the Hebrew prophet Daniel was given the interpretation of\nNebuchadnezzar's dream. The four parts made of gold, and silver, and\nbrass, and iron, represented, he said, four great world kingdoms that\nshould arise. In fact, the first of them--that represented by the\nhead of gold--was Nebuchadnezzar's own, the kingdom of Babylon. After\nit should arise another inferior to it--the kingdom of the Medes and\nPersians--typified by the breast and arms of silver. There should come\nin succession two others--the kingdom of Alexander, a kingdom of brass\nto bear rule over the whole earth; and the empire of Rome, an empire of\niron, strong, to break in pieces and subdue all things. Finally, after\nthe fall of these four world empires, the earth should be divided into\nmany kingdoms, some strong and some weak, as the feet and toes of the\nimage were part of iron and part of potter's clay. Then, in the days of\nthese kingdoms, said the prophet Daniel, \"shall the God of heaven set\nup a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not\nbe left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all\nthese kingdoms and it shall stand forever.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Dan. 2:31-45.]\n\nPlainly, the stone cut without hands stands for the Church of Christ,\nthe Kingdom of God. In the day of the petty governments that sprang\nfrom the ruins of Rome, the stone should appear. At some time after\nthe fall of Rome, the kingdom of God should be established. But that\nday and time are modern day and time; and modern time is now. In our\nday, then, according to the vision of King Nebuchadnezzar, interpreted\nby the prophet Daniel, the God of heaven should establish His kingdom\namong men. Here is a clear prediction of the restoration of the Church\nof God.\n\nAgain, in the book of the prophet Malachi, occur passages that point\nunmistakably to a time of restoration. The Lord promises to send a\nmessenger, before He shall come suddenly to His temple. Then only\nthe righteous shall stand, for He shall be like a refiner's fire,\nand like fuller's soap.[C] Again, before the great and dreadful day\nof the Lord--when all the proud and all that do wickedly shall burn\nas stubble--the Lord promises to send Elijah, to \"turn the heart of\nthe fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their\nfathers,\" that the earth may not be smitten with a curse.[D] These,\ntoo, are clear predictions of a restoration, setting forth some things\nto be accomplished. And it is evidently then--for it has not been\nbefore--that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established\nin the top of the mountains, and the nations shall come to it to learn\nof the ways of the Lord.[E]\n\n[Footnote C: Mal. 3:1-3.]\n\n[Footnote D: Mal. 4:1-6.]\n\n[Footnote E: Micah 4:1-2.]\n\nNow, it may be objected that these prophecies were all fulfilled in the\nministry of the Lord Jesus. The objection is, however, untenable. The\nconditions described in the predictions did not exist at the time of\nChrist. In the first place, that was not the great and terrible day of\nthe Lord, when the proud and the wicked should burn as stubble. Next,\nthe Lord did not then come suddenly to His temple; nor did He sit as\na refiner and purifier of silver. Furthermore, at the time of Christ,\nRome was still in her glory. The feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar's\nimage had not yet grown forth. It was too soon for the stone to roll\nforth from the mountain. Then again, it was predicted by Daniel\nthat the kingdom of Christ which he saw established should never be\ndestroyed nor given to another people. Jesus Himself, however, said\nto the people of His day, because of their unbelief, \"The kingdom of\nGod shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the\nfruits thereof.\"[F] If, therefore, the kingdom of God typified by the\nstone were established in the days of Jesus, then either Daniel or\nJesus must fall as a false prophet. Since, however, both were holy\nmen of God--and one a God Himself--it must be that Daniel's prophecy\nremained yet to be fulfilled. Examine the scriptures from any point\nof view, the conclusion remains the same: Although Jesus established\nHis Church while upon the earth, yet it was not the establishment that\nshould never be changed nor be given to other people. In the economy\nof God, there remained yet another period when His kingdom should be\nestablished for the last time, when the righteous should gain the\nvictory over sin, and when the God of Glory should finally come as King\nof kings to rule over His own.\n\n[Footnote F: Matt. 21:42, 43.]\n\nThat other period was seen in splendid vision by the beloved disciple\nof Jesus. John was on the Isle of Patmos. It was long after the Lord\nhad been crucified. The falling-away had already begun. In terrible\nvision, John had been shown how the Church should be persecuted by its\nenemies, and how, finally, it should flee into the wilderness to be\nseen no more for a long period by man. Then, after the apostasy had\nbeen fully accomplished, and the world had been prepared, should come\nthe restoration. Six mighty angels had John seen, each with his special\nmission to perform. Then there appeared the seventh. Of him John writes:\n\n\"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the\neverlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to\nevery nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud\nvoice. Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is\ncome: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the\nfountains of waters.\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: Rev. 12, 13, 14 chapters.]\n\nNaturally, if there had been no apostasy, there would have been no\nneed of another angel flying in the midst of heaven to restore the\ngospel,--neither to a community, nor to every nation, and kindred,\nand tongue, and people. Naturally, too, since this condition was seen\nin vision by John while on the Isle of Patmos, it could not have been\nfulfilled in the ministry of the Savior. It belonged to a future time,\nto a time subsequent to that of John. It confirms the prediction of\nDaniel, that the kingdom of God should be established at some time\nafter the fall of Rome. And it reveals the manner of the restoration:\nthere should come an angel flying, having the everlasting gospel to\npreach to them that dwell upon the earth.\n\nIn conclusion, it may be observed that the restoration was, according\nto the prophets, to be a restoration in very deed--a restitution of all\nthings. In the sermon delivered on Solomon's porch, Peter predicted\n\"the time of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by\nthe mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.\"[H] Peter\nunderstood that there must be a period of restoration before the end\nof the world--before, indeed, Jesus the Christ could come again.\nUndoubtedly, it was the same thing Jesus had in mind, when He said,\n\"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for\na witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote H: Acts 3:21.]\n\n[Footnote I: Matt. 24:14.]\n\nThe restoration was, then, a part of the general plan, as well as\nthe apostasy. It must of necessity follow after the apostasy. Not\nonly the great falling-away, but the splendid restoration also, was\nclearly foreseen and predicted by the ancient prophets. The time of\nthe restoration was to be the time of the kings that should follow the\nfourth great world-empire--that is, it was to be modern time. And the\nact of the restoration was to come through no human means, but should\nbe like a stone cut out of the mountain without hands. It was to be\nbrought about by the ministry of angels.\n\n\n\nV.\n\nAN ANGEL FLYING.\n\nThree and a half years passed silently by after Joseph Smith received\nthe vision of the Father and the Son. During that time there was no\nfurther communication from heaven. That he had received one vision,\nJoseph stoutly and fearlessly maintained. Neither persuasion nor\npersecution could break the testimony he had borne, nor dispel the\nknowledge he had divinely gained. The vision he had seen was real; the\nknowledge he had gained was real. He could not deny it. For three and\na half years after this vision, however, he was apparently shut out\nfrom the presence of God. The young seer was left to himself. It was a\nperiod of silence.\n\nTwo things are notable in the conduct of Joseph's life during these\nyears. First, he manifested the same self-control and absence of\nemotion or excitement, that he possessed when he went into the\nwood to pray. Had he been a victim of the \"potent influence of the\npsychological 'crowd'\"[A] he would undoubtedly have suffered from the\nreligious disease and fanaticism common to revival movements. The\nexcitement of the revival would have remained with him--as it did with\neveryone else--for an extended period of time. With the conviction\nof the glorious vision of the Father and the Son upon his mind, the\nboy would undoubtedly have felt still further emotional excitement,\nand would have been led to see further visions after the first one.\nMoreover, had he become subject to any derangement of mind, or diseased\ncondition like epilepsy, as has been claimed by some of his defamers,\nhe would have become even more liable to visionary manifestations.\nIt was not so, however. His health was perfect; his self-control,\ncomplete. For three and a half years the heavens were shut above him.\nFor three and a half years the God of heaven spoke no further word to\nhim. For three and a half years he was left alone to ponder what he had\nseen, and to bear persecution unaided for testifying to truth. Always\nhe was calm, unruffled, unaffected by religious passion or frenzy.\n\n[Footnote A: The term \"psychological crowd\" is used in this chapter and\nelsewhere in the sense in which it is used by Prof. Davenport in the\nquotation in the first chapter of this book.]\n\nNext, Joseph Smith manifested no desire, even though he had seen\nand talked with God Himself, to arrogate to himself any authority\nwhatsoever. Many others in the history of the world claim to have\nseen visions. Mohammed, when forty years of age, saw in vision--he\nsays--the angel Gabriel, and was commanded to preach a new religion.\nThe authority to do so, he assumed at once. Joan of Arc, in response to\nthe alleged heavenly voice which spoke to her, hurried to the side of\nthe dauphin of France. Emmanuel Swedenborg, after years of scientific\nactivity, began suddenly to herald a new church, and to interpret the\nword of God in a score of theological works--for, he claimed, the Lord\nhad appeared to him in vision. With Joseph Smith, however, it was\ndifferent. While he maintained stoutly, against the ridicule of friends\neven, that he had beheld a vision of the Father and the Son, he did not\npresume therefore to promulgate a new doctrine, or to establish a new\nchurch. He continued in the routine of his daily labor. He meditated\nwhat the Lord had said to him. He had been told that the sectarian\nchurches of the world were wrong. He might have proceeded to establish\na church that should be right. But Joseph had not yet received a full\ncommission. He did not presume to do what undoubtedly he would have\ndone had he been merely a victim of the \"psychological crowd.\" For\nthree and a half years, he waited for further instructions from the God\nof heaven.\n\nOn the evening of the twenty-first of September, 1823, Joseph Smith\napproached the Lord God again in secret prayer. This time it was in\nhis private chamber. Fearing that he had offended God, that he had not\nwalked so circumspectly as he should have done in the light of the\nrevelation he had received, the youth, now in his eighteenth year,\nbesought the Almighty for forgiveness of sin, and for a manifestation\nthat he might know his standing before God. In his own account of what\nhappened there, Joseph says,\n\n\"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God I discovered a light\nappearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was\nbrighter than at noon-day, when immediately a personage appeared\nat my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the\nfloor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a\nwhiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe\nthat any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and\nbrilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the\nwrist; so also were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above\nthe ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he\nhad no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could\nsee into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his\nwhole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly\nlike lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright\nas immediately around his person.\n\n\"When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.\nHe called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent\nfrom the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni, that God\nhad a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and\nfor evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should\nbe both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was\na book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the\nformer inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they\nsprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was\ncontained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;\nalso, that there were two stones in silver bows--and these stones,\nfastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and\nThummim--deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these\nstones were what constituted 'Seers' in ancient or former times; and\nthat God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 11, 12.]\n\nThere followed then further instructions based upon the Holy\nScriptures. The angel read and explained portions of the third and\nfourth chapters of Malachi. The third chapter predicts the sending of a\nmessenger to prepare the way of the Lord when He shall come suddenly to\nHis temple. The coming will be attended with much glory; and the Lord\nHimself shall purify Israel, and purge it of iniquity. The time of the\nfulfillment of this prophecy, said the angel, was at hand.\n\nThe fourth chapter of Malachi, is particularly interesting as quoted by\nthe angel. The first verse he rendered thus:\n\n\"For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the\nproud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble, for they\nthat come shall burn them, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave\nthem neither root nor branch.\"\n\nThe fifth and sixth verses, he read thus:\n\n\"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah\nthe prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the\nLord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises\nmade to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to the\nfathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at\nhis coming.\"\n\nThese predictions, too, said the angel, were about to be fulfilled.\n\nMoroni then quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah. It predicts a day\nof peace and righteousness, when an ensign shall be set up for the\nGentiles, and when the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to\ngather His scattered people. This time was at hand, and was about to be\nfulfilled.\n\nNext the angel read from the sermon of Peter on Solomon's Porch:\n\n\"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your\nGod raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye\nhear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall\ncome to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be\ndestroyed from among the people.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Acts 3:22, 23.]\n\nThis prophecy, also, was about to have a complete fulfillment.\n\nFinally, among many other scriptures, the angel quoted from the great\nprophecy of Joel. Before the great and terrible day of the Lord,\naccording to this wonderful prediction, the old men shall dream dreams,\nand the young men shall see visions, and wonders shall appear in the\nheaven and the earth. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the\nmoon into blood; but whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord\nshall be delivered.[C] This same prophecy was referred to by Peter on\nthe day of Pentecost, and was possibly in part accomplished then. But\nthe prediction refers unmistakably to the last days--before the great\nand terrible day of the Lord. Now is the day of Joel's great prophecy,\nand now, said the angel Moroni, it is about to be fulfilled.\n\n[Footnote C: Joel 2:28-32.]\n\nThereupon, the vision was closed. Gradually the light assembled from\nthe room about the person of the angel. Then he disappeared into\nheaven, leaving the room in total darkness. The youth to whom had been\ngiven this marvelous manifestation lay wide awake on his bed. Sleep was\ndriven from his eyes. He was filled with amazement at the singularity\nof the vision, and at the doctrines that had been explained to him.\nThen suddenly, in the midst of his wonder and meditation, the heavenly\nmessenger appeared again. He stood again in the air by the bedside, and\nrepeated minutely all the instructions he had given before. He added\npredictions concerning the great judgments that should come to the\nearth, with desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence--and all these\nthings should come during the present generation.\n\nAgain the vision closed. Again the light centered in the angel as\nhe disappeared and left the room in darkness. The youth lay again\nwondering at the marvelous vision, when, to his astonishment, the same\ndivine messenger appeared the third time, and repeated all that he had\nsaid before. \"After this third visit,\" writes the Prophet, \"he again\nascended in heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the\nstrangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately\nafter the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time, the\ncock crowed, and I found that day was approaching.\"[D] Thus ended the\nsecond act in the great drama of the Restoration.\n\n[Footnote D: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 14.]\n\nNow, what is the significance of this second vision--or of this series\nof visions? Of what importance is it in the story of man's relationship\nto God? What bearing has it on the story of the Restoration?\n\nFirst, it was declared that the Lord God had a work for Joseph to do.\nIn the first vision nothing is recorded of the boy's future mission. He\nhad been told merely to join none of the contending churches striving\nto win his favor. They were corrupt. Now, the life-work of the boy is\nbriefly outlined. He is to raise an ensign to the nations, and become\nan instrument in the hands of God in bringing about the gathering of\nIsrael. God is to set His hand a second time to recover His people.\nMoreover, Joseph is to become a prophet to reveal the word and the law\nof the Lord. His name, therefore, shall become known for good or for\nevil the whole world over.\n\nNext, a book, written in a strange tongue on golden plates, is to be\ndelivered to the boy for him to translate. This book contains the\nhistory of the inhabitants of the American continent, and will reveal\nthe mysteries of the origin of the American Indian, and of the relics\nof ancient civilization. Moreover, this book of golden plates contains\nthe fulness of the everlasting Gospel as it was taught to the Nephites.\nIt was taught by Jesus Himself to the ancient inhabitants of this\ncontinent. Now, when the world has departed from the truth, it is to be\nrestored by an angel to a divinely chosen prophet of God.\n\nThen the priesthood is to be revealed to Joseph Smith by the hand of\nElijah. The keys of the dispensation of \"turning the hearts of the\nfathers to the children and the children to the fathers\" are to be\ncommitted into the hands of the Prophet Joseph. This work of which\nElijah appears to be the director, is of a particular kind. He shall\nplant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers,\nand the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were\nnot so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at the coming of the\nLord.\n\nAgain, wonderful signs shall appear in heaven and in earth in the days\nof these things. Dreams and visions shall be given to the old and to\nthe young. The earth shall be troubled, and the sun shall be darkened,\nwhile the moon shall be turned to the color of blood. Blood, and fire,\nand pillars of smoke, shall come to plague; but whosoever shall call\nupon the name of the Lord shall be delivered. Finally, great judgments\nshall come upon the earth--judgments of sword, and of famine, and of\npestilence. And all these things shall come in the present generation.\n\nIn this remarkable vision, then, are revealed again seven remarkable\ntruths:--a great work is appointed for the young man, Joseph Smith,\nto do, and his name is to become known the world over for good or for\nill; a book of golden plates containing an account of the ancient\ninhabitants of America is to be given him to translate; this book,\nmoreover, will contain a fulness of the everlasting gospel which\nhe will be required to teach to the nations; the priesthood will\nbe revealed to him by the hand of Elijah, the prophet; through the\noperation of the power thus to be committed to the Prophet Joseph,\nthe hearts of the children will be turned to the fathers; in these\ndays, strange signs will appear in heaven and in earth; and, finally,\nthe great and terrible day of the Lord will then speedily come, when\njudgments of sword, and of famine, and of pestilence, shall visit the\nearth.\n\nThus did the angel bear a wonderful message to the eighteen-year-old\nboy, and thus was the great prediction of an angel flying, in part\nfulfilled.[E] The far-reaching character of the visions will appear as\nthe story proceeds. Already the boy has received in brief something\nof most of the great saving principles that distinguish the Gospel of\nChrist.\n\n[Footnote E: Rev. 14:6, 7.]\n\n\n\nVI.\n\nHIDDEN GOSPEL RECORDS.\n\nOn Monday, the twenty-second of September, 1823, Joseph Smith was weary\nfrom the vigil of the night before. He went into the field to work\nwith his father, but was too nearly exhausted to carry on his part of\nthe labor. The father observed that Joseph was ill, and advised him\nto return to the house to rest. On the way, however, while climbing a\nfence, the boy fell helpless to the ground, and remained so for some\ntime. \"The first thing that I can recollect,\" wrote the Prophet later,\n\"was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and\nbeheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as\nbefore. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the\nprevious night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the\nvision and commandments which I had received.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 39-42.]\n\nJoseph obeyed. He returned to his father and related the whole matter\nto him. Joseph Smith, Sr., was himself a serious and spiritual man. He\nrecognized the ring of truth in the words of his son. \"It is of God,\"\nhe said; and thereupon he advised his son to go and do as the angel\ncommanded him. Immediately, therefore, Joseph departed for the sacred\nhill that had been shown him in vision.\n\nNot far from the town of Manchester, New York, stands a hill of\nconsiderable size. It is the largest elevation of the kind in the\nneighborhood. The north end of the hill rises abruptly from the plain\nto a height of some one hundred fifty feet. The southern end, however,\nrises gradually from the plain near Manchester, and ascends by easy\ngrade until it meets the high elevation of the north. It was in the\nwest side of the hill, not far from the top, that the golden plates\nwere hidden. So distinctly had the Prophet seen the place in vision,\nthat he recognized it the moment he reached it. The top of a rounded\nstone was exposed to view. When the earth was cleared away, the stone\nproved to be a kind of convex cover, thick through the middle, thinner\nat the edges, and flat underneath. With a lever, the Prophet pried off\nthis lid. There, under the cover, was a box made of slabs of stone laid\nin cement. And there, in the box, resting on cross-pieces of stone, lay\nthe golden plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breast-plate.\n\nIt is perhaps impossible to imagine the exhilaration of soul\nexperienced by the young Prophet at that moment. The Father and the\nSon had deigned to appear to him and speak to him personally. An angel\nfrom heaven had appeared to him four times in succession, had given\nhim great promises, and had instructed him in a life-work for which\nhe had been chosen by the God of heaven Himself. Now he stood before\nthe visible, tangible evidence that what he had seen and heard was no\ndelusion. Before him lay indeed the golden book. There, too, were the\nsacred interpreters by means of which he should be able to translate\nit. There, undoubtedly, lay the Scripture containing the fulness of\nthe Gospel. Enraptured--filled with the ecstasy of supreme joy--the\nboy reached forth his hand to take the sacred relics from their\nhiding-place.\n\nBut the hour had not yet come when these things should be revealed\nto the world. As Joseph stretched forth his hand to take the sacred\nplates, the holy angel appeared again, the fifth time, and forbade\nhis touching them. He explained to Joseph that the time was not\nyet ripe for bringing the records forth. Four years were yet to\npass before the plates could be delivered to him. During those four\nyears, Joseph should come to the sacred hill on each succeeding\ntwenty-second of September. The angel would meet him there and give him\nneedful instruction for the consummation of his great life-mission.\n\"Accordingly, as I had been commanded,\" writes the Prophet, \"I went\nat the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger\nthere, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of\nour interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and\nin what manner His kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 16.]\n\nIt is remarkable how deliberately the acts of the Restoration were\nbrought about. In the spring of 1820, in answer to the boy's prayer,\nthe great God of heaven and earth appeared Himself with His Son, Jesus\nChrist, to the Prophet Joseph Smith; but that glorious vision bore\nno further immediate fruit than the restraining of Joseph Smith from\njoining any of the denominations then contending for new converts. For\nthree and a half long years, he held no further converse with heaven.\nHe was nearly eighteen years of age, and he knew no more of many of\nthe purposes of the Lord than did those who persecuted him for his\ntestimony. Then a special messenger from heaven appeared to him. Three\ntimes during the night, and twice the following day, did the angel\nvisit the boy and instruct him. Those instructions, it would seem,\ncovered the ground of the purpose, the mission, and the government of\nthe Kingdom of God. Surely now, the young man was prepared and might\nbe sent forth to accomplish the work divinely appointed him. But\nno; yet another period of four years must pass--a period of careful\npreparation--before the sacred record containing the fulness of the\nGospel could be delivered to the young prophet. Even then, after four\nyears, with the golden book in the Prophet's hands, the time would not\nyet be fully come, as we shall see, for the restoration of the Church\nof Christ.\n\nThe four years passed quickly by. It was the twenty-second of\nSeptember, 1827. Joseph Smith, now a young man of nearly twenty-two,\nstood once more before the uncovered stone box in which lay the sacred\ntreasures of a former people. The angel, too, was there. The young\nprophet's four-year course of training was ended. The angel took the\nsacred plates, and the Urim and Thummim, and the breast-plate, and\ndelivered them to the Prophet enjoining him to be careful of them.\nIf he should let them go carelessly, or should lose them through\nany neglect of his, he should be cut off; but if he would use every\nendeavor to preserve them till the angel should call for them, they\nshould be protected.[C] And so the ninth vision of the angel Moroni\nclosed. Holding the sacred records carefully in his arms, the Prophet\nreturned to his home, elated, thrilled with joy at the confidence\nreposed in him by his God.\n\n[Footnote C: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 18.]\n\nThe work of translation proved a long and difficult task. The golden\nbook was engraved in ancient Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic\ncharacters. Two men came, through the providence of God, to the\nassistance of the Prophet Joseph: first, Martin Harris; later, Oliver\nCowdery. These men acted as scribes, while the Prophet read them the\nEnglish translation of the strange engravings on the plates. Joseph\nSmith was far from being a scholar. He knew but little about his\nown mother-tongue, let alone the ancient languages. It is not to be\nwondered at, then, if the labor of translation became at times tedious,\neven with the help of the inspiration of the Lord. The method of\ntranslation, as explained to Oliver Cowdery, is thus described by the\nLord Himself:\n\n\"Behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then\nyou must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that\nyour bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is\nright; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but\nyou shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget the\nthing which is wrong: therefore you cannot write that which is sacred,\nsave it be given you from me.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. & Cov. 9:8, 9.]\n\nThe translation of the sacred record was spread over the better part of\ntwo and a half years. The whole book was written out in long-hand; and\na copy was carefully made, before any of it was sent to the printer.\nAs the young boy had been persecuted for asserting that he had beheld\na vision of the Father and the Son, so now he was persecuted for\nasserting that he had in his possession a sacred record of an ancient\npeople, and that he had translated the record through the inspiration\nand power of God. Many attempts were made by the Prophet's enemies to\nsteal the plates; but they were protected and preserved as the angel\nhad promised. When the translation was finished, the enemies of the\nProphet tried again to destroy his work. They secured from the printer\nadvance sheets of the printed work, and published garbled versions of\nit. In this, however, they were finally restrained by fear of the law.\nJoseph Smith had secured a copyright of the book before he sent it\nto the press. Trial and persecution did not cease, however, but grew\nrather greater and more severe. Yet, the work of printing went steadily\non, and was finally completed. In the early part of the year 1830--ten\nyears after the first vision--the inspired translation of the ancient\nrecord was published under the title \"The Book of Mormon.\" Thus was\naccomplished another act in the great drama of the Restoration.\n\nAnd what is the \"Book of Mormon?\" First, it is an abridgment of certain\nextensive records made by the ancient civilized peoples of America.\nThe abridgment was made by a prophet called Mormon, hence the name\n\"Book of Mormon.\" The people to whom Mormon belonged are known in the\nbook as Nephites. The record is, then, mainly the story of the ancient\npossession of South and North America by the Nephites. Besides, the\nbook tells of the Lamanites--the brother-descendants of the Nephites\nwho remain to the present as the American Indians; the Mulekites,\na colony from Jerusalem that became afterwards merged with the\nNephites; and the Jaredites, a company of people led by divine power\nto the promised land of America from the Tower of Babel. The Nephites\nthemselves, whose history forms by far the greater part of the book,\nwere descended from an Israelitish family led from Jerusalem by the\nprophet Lehi, 600 years before Christ.\n\nBut the \"Book of Mormon\" is more than history. The angel that John the\nRevelator saw fly in the midst of heaven, had the everlasting gospel\nto preach to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. That is why\nthe \"Book of Mormon\" is more than history. It contains the fulness of\nthe everlasting Gospel as delivered to the Nephites. It is so simple\nthat the child will read its pages with interest, yet it contains a\nprofound treatment of the philosophy of the Gospel. In the restoration\nof this sacred record, the prediction of the Apostle John was indeed\nbeautifully fulfilled. Besides the Holy Bible, there was now given to\nman another volume of Scriptures equally sacred--a monumental volume,\nfree from the doctrines of men, in which the Gospel is treated fully\nand simply.\n\nThis sacred book could not be a product of religious frenzy. Ten long\nyears passed by after the vision of the Father and the Son, before\nthe Book of Mormon was given to the world. Those ten years were years\nof simplicity of life. There was no \"psychological crowd,\" or other\nemotional excitement to disturb the quiet of the Prophet's life.\nWhatever \"deep and often poignant\" feelings he may have experienced\nduring the spring of 1820, had certainly passed away during the ten\nyears that followed. The \"Book of Mormon,\" then, came not as a result\nof the religious frenzy of 1820.\n\nNor is the assertion tenable that Joseph Smith was an epileptic, as\nhas been asserted by some would-be scientific investigators, or an\nhypnotic, or a mere impostor. In the first place, the book which he\ntranslated and gave to the world is wholly consistent and credible\nwithin its covers. Anyone who has endeavored to write a book, or even\na magazine article, can testify how the problem of consistency often\nstares one out of countenance. But here is a book which purports to be\na sacred record--a book, inspired by the Spirit of God. It contains\nprophecies and it relates history of war and of peace; it expounds the\nsimplest and the profoundest principles of human salvation; it records\nthe very words of the Lord,--yet it does not once contradict itself,\nnor is it once inconsistent with itself. Surely, this is a condition of\nfact that epilepsy, or mere imposition could not achieve.\n\nMoreover, the history of the American continent as set forth in the\n\"Book of Mormon\" is corroborated by all that has been discovered of\nAmerican archaeology. Before 1830, little was known of the ancient\ninhabitants of America. It was not until several years after the\nappearance of the \"Book of Mormon,\" that American archaeologists began\nto determine matters of great moment. And from the first to the last,\nthe discoveries of American archaeology have not only not conflicted\nwith the statements of the \"Book of Mormon\" but have borne them out\nin a remarkable way. Even the most recent researches in American\nantiquities serve only to strengthen faith in the divine authenticity\nof the \"Book of Mormon.\" Such harmony, again, imposition could not\nachieve.\n\nFurthermore, the \"Book of Mormon\" is a far greater work than the native\nability and education of a boy like Joseph Smith could have produced\nunaided. He was not yet twenty-five years old when the book was\npublished. He was not ignorant; but he was, at that time, untrained in\nthe wisdom of the world. He could read, and write, and cipher; he had\na good mind, and he could think hard and long; but he knew little of\nlanguages, or of history, or of philosophy, or of science, or of any\nlearned branch of the world's knowledge. He did not possess, in short,\nthe information and the training to write unaided such a book as the\n\"Book of Mormon.\" Yet, he produced a book that is above criticism even\nfrom a sane and catholic literary point of view. Once more, such an\nachievement, imposition--or frenzy--could not have accomplished.\n\nFinally, the \"Book of Mormon\" is one of the best authenticated books\nknown to the world. The angel Moroni delivered the plates of the book\nto Joseph Smith and instructed him. But the angel did not appear to him\nonly. Some time in June, 1829, the same heavenly messenger appeared\nto three other men, with Joseph Smith, turned the metal leaves of the\ngolden book before their eyes, explained to them what the book was,\nand bore testimony to its divine nature. None of these three men was\nrelated in any way to Joseph Smith. They all joined the Church when it\nwas founded; but they all left the Church. Yet no one of them, at any\ntime, whether while he was in the Church or out of it, could be made\nto deny the testimony which he bore after the visit of the angel. This\ntestimony is found in every copy of the \"Book of Mormon,\" and reads\nthus:\n\n\"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom\nthis work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and\nour Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record,\nwhich is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites,\ntheir brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the\ntower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been\ntranslated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared\nit unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And\nwe also testify that we have seen the engravings 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, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that\nwe beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon: and we know\nthat it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,\nthat we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is\nmarvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded\nus that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto\nthe commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we\nknow that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of\nthe blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat\nof Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the\nhonor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is\none God. Amen.\n\nOLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.\n\nBesides the testimony of these three men, there is also the testimony\nof eight others. To the eight the plates of the \"Book of Mormon\" were\nshown by the Prophet himself. They all handled the plates and examined\nthem. Many of them afterwards forsook the Prophet and his teachings;\nbut no one of them ever denied the testimony he had borne. This\ntestimony is also found in every copy of the \"Book of Mormon\" and reads\nas follows:\n\n\"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom\nthis work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this\nwork, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which\nhave the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said\nSmith has translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw\nthe engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient\nwork, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of\nsoberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and\nhefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of\nwhich we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness\nunto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing\nwitness of it.\n\nCHRISTIAN WHITMER, JACOB WHITMER, PETER WHITMER, JUN., JOHN WHITMER,\nHIRAM PAGE, JOSEPH SMITH, SEN., HYRUM SMITH, SAMUEL H. SMITH.\n\nThus far in the story of the Restoration two important facts appear.\nNothing is done in haste; the acts of the restoration are brought about\nin a slow, deliberate manner. There is no excitement, no frenzy, at any\nmoment. Moreover, this third, important step--which confirms the two\nbefore it--is attested by eleven reputable witnesses. Their testimony\nhas never been impeached. Many of them died outside the pale of the\nChurch. Yet, on their death-beds, they affirmed stoutly as ever that\ntheir testimonies were true.[C]\n\n[Footnote C: For a further discussion of the testimony of the witnesses\nsee chapter XX.]\n\n\n\nVII.\n\nTHE LESSER PRIESTHOOD.\n\nWhen Martin Luther, after years of serious meditation in the monastery,\nbecame convinced of the doctrine of justification by faith, he\nproceeded to promulgate that doctrine among his countrymen. When,\nlater, he became aroused by the monstrous traffic in indulgences, and\nthrough the indignation then aroused, finally led in a general revolt\nagainst the Catholic church, he proceeded with his friends to organize\na new church. A large part of Teutonic Europe came under the influence\nof Luther's teaching.\n\nIt is noteworthy, however, that Martin Luther did not receive, nor\ndid he apparently expect to receive, revelation from God. After years\nof the severest rigor, he came finally no longer to rely on his own\n\"good works,\" but to trust in \"justification by faith\" alone. Yet,\nthere had been given--either to him, or to another--no revelation\nrevising or changing the well-known doctrine that faith without works\nis dead. Through a righteous indignation at the reckless claims made\nby the hawkers of indulgences, Luther was led to protest against the\nwicked practice of the Catholic church, and finally to establish a\nchurch of his own. Yet, he had received no special commission to\ninstitute the Church of Christ. His protest against the Catholic church\nwas unquestionably well taken; but he had received no appointment\nto establish a new church. The only authority he possessed was that\nbestowed upon him as a priest by the church from which he seceded. The\nchurch bearing his name is therefore man-appointed.\n\nSo it is also with all the Protestant creeds. As with Martin Luther, so\nit was with John Calvin, and the Presbyterian church; so it was with\nHenry VIII., \"the English Pope,\" and \"the Church of England as by law\nestablished;\" so it was with Wesley who organized the independent sect\nof Methodists; and so it was with all the religious reformers from the\nfirst to the last. They recognized evils in the mother church. They\nappreciated the necessity of reform. But no one of them received divine\nappointment to accomplish the work they endeavored to do. Indeed, they\nheld no authority whatever, except such authority as had been conferred\nupon them by the church which they declared to be apostate, and that\nauthority certainly could not be called divine.\n\nJudging then, from the many examples set before the time of Joseph\nSmith, we are justified in saying that he, too, might have organized\nan independent church of his own. He, too, recognized the evils in the\nChristian sects. He, too, felt the need of reform. Moreover, he had\nreceived divine manifestations; he had been told that the churches\nof the world were all corrupt, and he had translated by divine\ninspiration a volume of sacred records attested by eleven men of good\nrepute. And moreover, still, the heavenly being who had visited him\nhad specifically told him that God had a great work for him to do.\nNotwithstanding these many manifestations, however, Joseph Smith made\nno attempt to establish a new church, or to reform those churches\nalready established. He had received no commission so to do. As yet, he\nhad been given no authority to act in God's stead.\n\nIt was, not until the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that the young\nProphet received authority to officiate in some of the ordinances\nof the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and his scribe, Oliver\nCowdery, had been engaged as usual on the translation of the sacred\nplates. On that day, they happened upon a passage referring to\nbaptism. Since they knew nothing of the ordinance they became eager to\nunderstand. They went out into the wood to pray for light. Together\nthey knelt upon the sod. United in their one great desire, they pleaded\nwith the God of heaven to give them understanding. \"While we were thus\nemployed,\" writes the Prophet in his simple way, \"praying and calling\nupon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light,\nand having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:\n\n\"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the\nPriesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels,\nand of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the\nremission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth,\nuntil the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in\nrighteousness.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 15.]\n\nThe messenger who appeared thus to Joseph and Oliver said that he was\nJohn the Baptist, and that he held the keys of the Aaronic priesthood\nfrom the dispensation of Christ. He explained further that this\npriesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the\nHoly Ghost. He commanded them to baptize each other, and to re-ordain\neach other after the pattern set them by him. Immediately Joseph and\nOliver went to attend to the holy ordinance. First the Prophet baptized\nOliver, then Oliver baptized the Prophet. The Prophet then laid his\nhands upon Oliver's head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood;\nand afterwards, Oliver ordained the Prophet. Both of them received\nthereupon glorious manifestations from heaven. They prophesied of\nthings that were to be. They were filled with the Holy Ghost. And thus\nwas consummated another act in the story of the Restoration.\n\nAnd what was this Priesthood restored by the heavenly messenger,\nJohn the Baptist? Priesthood is the authority to act in God's stead.\nSince the powers of God are infinite, so also must His priesthood be\ninfinite. Therefore, what a man may or may not do in representing God,\nwill depend upon the degree of authority he has received from the\nGreat Master. One who has been commissioned with great authority may\nundertake great responsibilities for God; whereas one who has been\ncommissioned with but little, can do but little. The principle of\nauthority will not permit a man to attempt responsibilities greater\nthan his priesthood, though he may feel himself otherwise competent\nto do them fully as well as does the man who holds the necessary\nauthority. Thus divine authority--or priesthood--becomes a power highly\nto be respected.\n\nNow, the Holy Priesthood has two divisions--the Lesser and the\nGreater. It was the Lesser Priesthood that John the Baptist conferred\nupon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It is also called the Aaronic\nPriesthood since Aaron was the great representative of old bearing\nthis authority. The powers and limitations of this division of\npriesthood--or Divine Authority--are indicated in the words of\nordination and the instructions of John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and\nOliver Cowdery.\n\nFirst, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the ministering of\nangels. One who has received this degree of authority has the right\nto receive revelation and instruction from the angels of heaven.\nThey may minister to him, inspire him, and guide him, in his labors.\nMoreover, the authority of this priesthood may call down upon man the\nministration of holy angels when it shall be necessary so to do.\n\nSecondly, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the gospel of\nrepentance. One who holds this degree of authority may cry repentance\nto his fellowmen. He may preach the Gospel of Jesus to them that they\nmay follow in His ways.\n\nMoreover, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of baptism by\nimmersion for the remission of sins. The preaching of one having\nauthority may be effective. Those hearing it may be converted. They\nmay confess their past sins and repent of them with a Godly sorrow. It\nbecomes necessary then to administer the ordinance of baptism to them.\nThis, one who holds the authority of the Aaronic priesthood may do. By\nvirtue of the delegated power which he holds, he may lead the candidate\nfor baptism into the water, and immerse him in the name of the Father,\nand of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\n\nFinally, the Priesthood of Aaron may be said to hold the keys of all\ntemporal ministrations. Those holding this authority may look after the\nneeds of the poor, and the afflicted. They may care for the temporal\nwelfare of the Church. They may attend to such duties as will make for\nthe peace and comfort of worshipers. And they may attend to the sacred\nordinance of the sacrament, or the Lord's Supper.\n\nNow, what is the significance of this glorious vision of John the\nBaptist? It means, first, that man must have authority to act for\nGod; secondly, that the religious world in the time of this vision\nhad no authority to act for God. It is unreasonable to suppose that\nany one should presume, without authority, to take another's place in\nthe business affairs of this world; or that any one would, without\nprotest, permit another to usurp his place and authority in the\nbusiness transactions of this world. And if this is so with finite\nmen, how much more unready will the God of heaven be to approve His\ncreatures' usurping His power and authority? How displeasing will it\nnot be to him that one to whom He has never delegated authority of any\nkind or degree, shall presume to represent Him, and officiate in His\nname? Certainly God will no more recognize the acts of men who arrogate\nauthority and dominion, than will an earthly monarch.\n\nBut the Priesthood held by men of old is not possessed by the sectarian\nchurches of today. The Lesser, or Aaronic, Priesthood finds no place\nin their creeds. John the Baptist would have had no need to ordain\nJoseph and Oliver, had the Aaronic Priesthood been held by anyone on\nearth. All those who assumed, then, to organize churches, both before\nand after the appearance of John the Baptist in this age of the world,\ndid so without the necessary authority. These two men--Joseph Smith\nand Oliver Cowdery--were the only mortals on earth at that time who\nheld any degree of Priesthood--Divine Authority--from God. And the\npriesthood that they held did not yet give them power to organize the\nChurch of Christ or to confer the Holy Ghost.\n\nThese facts are apparent, then: In answer to earnest prayer, a heavenly\nbeing giving his name as John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith\nand Oliver Cowdery; he conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood,\nwhich holds certain definite keys, or powers; the possession of\nPriesthood--or Divine Authority--is absolutely necessary to one who\nwould officiate in God's stead; the religious world at large has\nlost entirely the Aaronic Priesthood; with this order of Priesthood\nconferred upon them Joseph and Oliver became authorized to perform\ncertain duties for God; but even now they could not officiate in the\nhigher ordinances of the Gospel, therefore they could not yet establish\nthe Church of Christ with authority.\n\n\n\nVIII.\n\nTHE HIGHER PRIESTHOOD.\n\nIn the days of Abraham, there lived in Palestine a great king and\n\"priest of the most high God,\" named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was\nking of Salem. To him Abraham paid tithes of all that he had. Now,\nMelchizedek was approved of God, and was ordained a high priest after\nthe order of the Son of God; \"which order came,\" we are told, \"not\nby man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither\nby beginning of days nor end of years; but of God.\"[A] And ever\nafterwards, Melchizedek was distinguished as a great high priest.\n\n[Footnote A: Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version, Gen. 14:28; Compare\nHeb. 7:1-3.]\n\nIn after years the Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God--the\nPriesthood that Melchizedek held as a great high priest--came to be\nnamed after Melchizedek. In the one hundred tenth psalm, King David\nbursts forth in triumphant praise of the Lord who is to come. \"The Lord\nhath sworn,\" he says, \"and will not repent, 'Thou art a priest forever\nafter the order of Melchizedek.'\"[B] Again, a thousand years later,\nPaul revives the memory of Melchizedek in a remarkable argument for the\nsaving power of the Lord's high-priesthood. \"Though he were a Son,\"\nwrites the great apostle, \"yet learned he obedience by the things which\nhe suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal\nsalvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest\nafter the order of Melchizedek.\"[C] So, from generation to generation,\namong the ancients, an order of priesthood called the Priesthood after\nthe Order of Melchizedek was undoubtedly well-known. It was this\npriesthood--or Divine Authority--by virtue of which Jesus Himself\noperated. It represented the power delegated to Him from God the Father.\n\n[Footnote B: Psalms 110:4.]\n\n[Footnote C: Read Hebrews, chs. 5, 6. 7.]\n\nMoreover, it was the authority of this same priesthood by virtue of\nwhich the apostles of Jesus, and all the divinely-appointed disciples,\nofficiated in Jesus' name. At some time during the second year of His\npublic ministry, Jesus went up into a mountain, and called to Him\ncertain of His disciples. He ordained twelve to be His apostles and\nspecial witnesses, and gave them power similar to His own.[D] When\nthe labors of the ministry became too extensive for the twelve alone,\nthe Lord appointed other seventy and sent them two and two into every\ncity.[E] The authority of judgment was committed to the Son; and He\nappointed to His disciples a kingdom, as His Father had appointed to\nHim, that they might judge the twelve tribes of Israel.[F] To one\nof the apostles the Savior gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven,\nthat whatsoever he should bind on earth should be bound in heaven.[G]\nAfterwards, he gave the same binding and loosing power to all the\ntwelve.[H] Then, after His crucifixion, the Lord appeared again to the\neleven and conveyed to them a commission similar to that on which He\nHimself had acted:\n\n[Footnote D: Mark 3:13-14.]\n\n[Footnote E: Luke 10.]\n\n[Footnote F: Luke 22:29-30.]\n\n[Footnote G: Matt. 16:19.]\n\n[Footnote H: Matt. 18:18.]\n\n\"As my father hath sent me, even so send I you.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote I: John 20:21.]\n\nBut the power and priesthood of Jesus was unquestionably that known\nby the name of Melchizedek. He was called of God, says St. Paul, to\nthat order of priesthood; he was appointed of God \"a priest forever\nafter the order of Melchizedek.\" Then, when He imparted to His chosen\ndisciples the authority that He held Himself, it cannot be otherwise\nconstrued than that He conferred upon them the Holy Priesthood after\nthe order of Melchizedek.\n\nWhat became of that priesthood after the passing of the apostles?\nDuring their ministry we have repeated references to the officers\ndivinely appointed to carry on the work of the Church. The apostles\nthemselves, as they traveled from church to church, ordained elders\nand set apart officers for the continuance of the great gospel work.\nAnd, of course, they could impart only what they had received. They had\nreceived the Holy Priesthood called after the name of Melchizedek; this\npriesthood, then, they conferred upon those appointed to preside and to\nlabor in the Church. Indeed, it follows but naturally that one could\nnot rightfully officiate in the Church unless he had been divinely\ncalled and appointed by this priesthood.\n\nAfter the passing of the apostles, however, the Priesthood after the\nOrder of Melchizedek, like that of Aaron, became lost. The officers\nof the priesthood dropped out one by one. At the present day, neither\nthe Melchizedekian nor the Aaronic Priesthood is recognized in the\nsectarian world as having existence even, let alone their being\nessential to the complete organization of the Church. In a time of the\nrestitution of all things, then,--such as was spoken of by the holy\nprophets--the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek as well as that\nof Aaron must be restored to the earth.\n\nJohn the Baptist had promised that the Higher Priesthood should be\nrestored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Not long after his own\nvisitation the promise was fulfilled. Joseph and Oliver were in the\nwilderness on the Susquehanna river. To them appeared the ancient\napostles Peter, James, and John, who declared that they possessed the\nkeys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the Fulness of Times.\nThey laid their hands upon Joseph and Oliver, conferred upon them the\nHoly Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, ordained them to be\napostles and special witnesses of Jesus the Lord, and bestowed upon\nthem the keys of power which they themselves possessed.[J] Therefore,\nJoseph and Oliver became known as Apostles of Jesus Christ, the first\nand second elders of the Church.[K] In after years, the Prophet Joseph\nwrote ecstatically of the event, saying:\n\n[Footnote J: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 40, 41.]\n\n[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 20:2, 3; 18:9.]\n\n\"And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an\nangel from heaven, declaring the fulfillment of the prophets--the book\nto be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette,\nSeneca County, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the\nbook. The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting\nthe devil when he appeared as an angel of light. The voice of Peter,\nJames and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county,\nand Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring\nthemselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the\ndispensation of the fulness of times.\"[L]\n\n[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 128:20.]\n\nAnd Oliver Cowdery, too, bears record of the same marvelous event. He\nsays in a signed statement:\n\n\"John the Baptist, holding the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter,\nJames and John, holding the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood have\nalso ministered for those who shall be heirs of salvation, and with\nthese administrations, ordained men to the same Priesthood. These\nPriesthoods with their authority, are now and must continue to be\nin the body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * *\n* Accept assurances, dear brother, of the unfeigned prayer of him\nwho, in connection with Joseph, the Seer, was blessed with the above\nadministrations.\"[M]\n\n[Footnote M: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 42, footnote.]\n\nThis statement was written in 1849, nearly twenty years after the\nevent, and nearly five years after the martyrdom of the Prophet.\n\nAnd so was consummated another act in the great drama of\nthe Restoration. The chosen prophet, Joseph Smith, and his\ndivinely-appointed associate, Oliver Cowdery, possessed now the higher\norder of priesthood--the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek.\nAfter many centuries the priesthood of the great king was restored\nagain to the earth finally, never again to be taken away while the\nearth shall stand.\n\nHow does this Higher Priesthood differ from the Lesser? Briefly, the\ndifference is mainly one of degree. Both are divisions of the great\nPriesthood after the Order of the Son of God. But the Lesser Priesthood\ndeals with lesser, and temporal things; whereas the Higher Priesthood\ndeals with spiritual things. Says the Lord in a revelation to the\nProphet Joseph:\n\n\"The power and authority of the Higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is\nto hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church--to have\nthe privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven--to\nhave the heavens opened unto them--to commune with the general assembly\nand Church of the first born, and to enjoy the communion and presence\nof God the Father, and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant.\"[N]\n\n[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. 107:18, 19.]\n\nIt appears, then, that one holding the Priesthood of Melchizedek may\nlay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; he may administer to\nthe sick that they may be restored; he may rebuke evil and cast out\ndevils in the name of Jesus the Christ; he may bless, and confirm, and\nanoint with holy oil; he may, in short, call down the richest blessings\nof heaven in his administration,--for he holds \"the keys of all the\nspiritual blessings.\"\n\nHe may possess the rights and powers of revelation, to learn the\nmysteries of heaven, to look into the heavens themselves, and to\ncommune with heavenly beings. He may enjoy the communion, and the very\npresence of God the Father and of Jesus Christ. Moreover, one holding\nthe Higher Priesthood has power and authority over all the lesser\noffices of the Church. These are great and wonderful blessings. Yet,\nthey are really no greater than one should expect to find operative in\nthe true Church of Christ. For how can a church fulfill the measure of\nits existence unless it possess the very powers here ascribed to the\nPriesthood after the order of Melchizedek?\n\nIt is really a matter of wonder that Joseph Smith, an unlearned\nyouth--for he was less than twenty-four years of age at the time of\nthe restoration of the Melchizedekian Priesthood--should have felt\nhimself unauthorized fully to represent God until the two orders of\npriesthood were conferred upon him. The so-called reformers were nearly\nall learned men. They knew the scriptures not only in translation but\nin the original tongue. They knew, too, the history and the customs\nof Israel and surrounding nations. Of most of these things, Joseph\nSmith as a young man was ignorant. Yet, the Protestant reformers never\nonce recognized the necessity of possessing the old order of Divine\nAuthority. They read the scriptures and claimed to understand them;\nsome even translated the Holy Bible; yet, not one of them seemed to\ncomprehend the meaning of Priesthood, nor the necessity of Divine\nAuthority. To Joseph Smith alone, of all the modern religious leaders,\nbelongs the credit of waiting till he was commissioned before he\nattempted to act in God's stead. It is a striking testimony of his\ndivine inspiration.\n\n\n\nIX.\n\nTHE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nEmpowered with the authority of both the Lesser and the Higher\nPriesthood, Joseph Smith was in a position to act in all things for\nthe Great Giver of that authority. Indeed, it would appear that\nthere was nothing, in righteousness, that Joseph Smith might not do\nas the representative of God. Yet, he waited patiently, always, to\nreceive God's word before he ventured to act in any important matter.\nDuring these early days of his experience, enemies continued to\narray themselves against him, and persecution waxed fiercer and more\nfrequent. But the young Prophet was not required to stand absolutely\nalone. Not only enemies, but friends also increased in numbers. It\nwas very generally known, long before the publication of the \"Book of\nMormon,\" that Joseph was engaged in the translation of such a book.\nMany men whose curiosity, and interest, had been aroused, sought out\nthe Prophet, and learned from his own lips the nature of his strange\nmessage to the world. These men remained in most cases among the\nProphet's staunchest friends. They could not doubt the sincerity of\nthat testimony which alone withstood maligning and persecution. They\ncould not break the impregnable testimony to the divine authenticity of\nthe \"Book of Mormon.\" They could not controvert the sober affirmations\nof the two men who, without worldly gain in view, declared that they\nhad received by special ordination divine authority from heaven to\nre-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. And, fortunately for the young\nseer, his own family were among those who began early to repose faith\nin him. His brother Samuel H. Smith was, according to the recorded\nhistory, the third person in this dispensation to be baptized; and\nshortly thereafter Hyrum Smith, another brother, also accepted the\ntruth. Thus, the followers of the Prophet increased in number, and his\nfriends multiplied. There was, however, no organization by which they\nwere bound together.\n\nNear the middle of the year 1829, before the Higher Priesthood was\nrestored, the Prophet and his friends became anxious to effect a\npermanent organization. The heavenly messengers that had visited the\nProphet had promised him that the true Church of Christ should be\nestablised in due time. And it was expedient--even necessary--that\nthere should be an organization effected. It may be urged that a\nperson can be as good out of an organization as in it, and that\nthe mere fact of organization can produce no improvement either\nspiritually or otherwise. But there can be no system where there is\nno organization. There can be no one particularly to look to, where\nthere is no organization. There can be no division of responsibility\nwhere there is no organization. There can be no order where there is no\norganization. Order, it has been said, is a fundamental law of heaven.\nBut organization means order. We have not space here to delve into\nthe philosophy of organization; but it is surely evident to every one\nthat if we had not organization, the world--physically, spiritually,\nmentally, socially--would still be in the same chaotic condition it was\nin when God first said, \"Let there be light.\" In order to accomplish\nthe purposes of God, then, it was necessary to do more than merely to\nrestore the authority to act in His name. It became necessary to effect\nan organization.\n\nNear the middle of the year 1829, the Prophet and his friends became\nanxious to realize the promise of John the Baptist that they should\nreceive the Higher Priesthood, and to effect a permanent organization.\nThey assembled in Peter Whitmer's house to beg of the Lord what they so\nearnestly desired. \"And here,\" writes the Prophet, \"to our unspeakable\nsatisfaction, did we realize the truth of the Savior's promise--'Ask,\nand it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it\nshall be opened unto you'--for we had not long been engaged in solemn\nand fervent prayer, when the word of the Lord came unto us in the\nchamber.\"[A] It is undoubtedly this manifestation that the Prophet has\nin mind when he writes in an address to the Church, \"And again what do\nwe hear? * * * The voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer,\nin Fayette, Seneca County.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 60.]\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 128:21.]\n\nThe voice of the Lord in this assembly gave to the Prophet many\nimportant directions as to how he should proceed in organizing the\nChurch. He was instructed to ordain Oliver Cowdery an elder in the\nChurch of Jesus Christ. Then, Oliver Cowdery should ordain Joseph;\nand afterwards they should ordain others, as they should be directed\nby revelation. These ordinations, however, were to be deferred until\nsuch time as all those who had been baptized could be assembled in a\ngeneral meeting. And even then, the young Prophet, to whom these great\nrevelations had been made, should not force himself upon his followers;\nbut they were to show by free and voluntary vote whether or not they\nwere willing to receive him as their spiritual teacher and leader.\nAfter the vote had been taken, these first Elders of the Church were\nto bless bread and break it with those assembled, and bless wine and\ndrink it with them. Then, such as should be indicated by the Spirit\nof God should be ordained to the priesthood, and those who had been\nbaptized should be confirmed by the laying on of hands for the gift\nof the Holy Ghost.[C] In order further to instruct his servants, the\nLord gave in addition a revelation to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and\nDavid Whitmer, explaining further the nature of their calling to the\npriesthood, making known that there should be twelve apostles called\nat some future time, and imparting other instructions relative to the\nbuilding up of the Church of Christ, according to the fulness of the\nGospel.[D]\n\n[Footnote C: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 61.]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. sec. 18.]\n\nNot very long afterwards, another revelation was given specifying the\nday on which the organization should be effected, and outlining the\nduties of Church members. The Lord, in this revelation, says:\n\n\"The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one\nthousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord\nand Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized\nand established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and\ncommandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the\nmonth, which is called April.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 20:1.]\n\nThen the revelation proceeds to explain doctrine, and to define the\nduties of those holding the priesthood, also of lay members. Thus was\nthe day fixed by divine revelation when the Church should be organized.\n\nAccordingly on Tuesday, the sixth of April, 1830, Joseph Smith and\nhis friends met at the house of Peter Whitmer, Sr., in Fayette Seneca\nCounty, New York. The laws of the State of New York required that there\nshould be at least six members of any religious body to effect an\norganization. There were already more than six baptized followers of\nJoseph Smith. Since, however, no more than six were required, only six\nwere chosen for the purpose of organization. They were, Oliver Cowdery,\nJoseph Smith, Jr., Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Samuel H. Smith and\nDavid Whitmer.[F] The Prophet writes:\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 76, footnote.]\n\n\"Having opened the meeting by solemn prayer to our heavenly Father, we\nproceeded, according to previous commandment, to call on our brethren\nto know whether they accepted us as their teachers in the things of\nthe kingdom of God, and whether they were satisfied that we should\nproceed and be organized as a Church, according to said commandment\nwhich we had received. To these several propositions they consented\nby a unanimous vote. I then laid my hands upon Oliver Cowdery, and\nordained him an Elder of the 'Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day\nSaints;' after which he ordained me also to the office of an Elder of\nsaid Church. We then took bread, blessed it, and brake it with them;\nalso wine, blessed it, and drank it with them. We then laid our hands\non each individual member of the Church present, that they might\nreceive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and be confirmed members of the\nChurch of Christ. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon us to a very great\ndegree--some prophesied, whilst we all praised the Lord, and rejoiced\nexceedingly.\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 75-79.]\n\nWhile the members were thus enjoying the manifestations of the Holy\nGhost, another revelation pertaining to the organization of the Church\nwas given to the Prophet Joseph. It is preserved in the Book of\nDoctrine and Covenants as section twenty-one.\n\n\"We now proceeded to call out and ordain some others of the brethren to\ndifferent offices of the Priesthood, according as the Spirit manifested\nunto us; and after a happy time spent in witnessing and feeling for\nourselves the powers and blessings of the Holy Ghost, through the grace\nof God bestowed upon us, we dismissed with the pleasing knowledge that\nwe were now individually members of, and acknowledged of God, 'The\nChurch of Jesus Christ,' organized in accordance with commandments and\nrevelations given by Him to ourselves to the order of the Church as\nrecorded in the New Testament.\"[H]\n\n[Footnote H: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 79.]\n\nThus was accomplished, fully ten years after the glorious vision of the\nFather and the Son, the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints. It was the consummation of another great act in the\ndrama of the Restoration. Gradually, the story has been building up to\nthis climax. Gradually, the chosen servants of God have been trained,\nand prepared for the great responsibility of organization. Gradually,\nthe \"marvelous work and a wonder\" has itself grown and made friends,\nthat it might bear fruit in membership. And now the number of those\nwho can testify to the divine origin of the great work is materially\nincreased. It is not Joseph Smith alone; nor is it he alone with his\nassociate Oliver; nor is it they alone with the three witnesses; nor\nyet is it they alone with the eight witnesses. It is now the Church\nmembership. On them was poured the abundance of the Holy Ghost this\nmomentous day. And though there were but six in the legal organization,\nall those assembled experienced the rich blessings of the Spirit.\nMoreover, from that day forth, the Church began to grow rapidly. On\nthat very day, indeed, many became converted and were baptized, among\nothers the father and the mother of the Prophet. At about the same\ntime, Martin Harris, also, and Orrin Porter Rockwell received baptism.\nAnd thus the Church has increased from six to tens; from tens to tens\nof thousands, and from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands,--all\nbearing witness that Joseph Smith received divine authority and special\nappointment to establish anew the Church of Christ upon the earth.\n\n\n\nX.\n\nTHE GOSPEL ORDINANCES.\n\nIn the preceding chapter it was said that order is a fundamental law\nof heaven. Without order there is no system. Without order there is no\nmethod. Without order, in short, chaos is come again.\n\nHaving then, organized the Church--and organization, it was said,\nmeans order--the God of heaven would certainly require that all things\npertaining to Church membership and to Church ritual should be done\nin an orderly way. He would certainly restore the ancient rules and\nordinances for the accomplishment of certain ends--not that obedience\nto the rules, nor the performance of the ordinances, would alone bring\nsalvation; but that the required observance of the prescribed word\nwould establish order.\n\nThere is a right way and a wrong way to do all things. It is the\nfollowing of the right way that brings reward. For example, a company\nof soldiers is ordered by their captain to charge up the steep side of\na hill and engage with the enemy at the top. Any other side of the hill\nis more easy of ascent than the one designated by the captain. In fact,\nthat particular one seems almost inaccessible. The soldiers, therefore,\nact upon their own judgments and desires. They scatter, and charge up\nthe hill from all sides. Of course, they may all come finally to the\ntop of the hill; but they come in broken line and are easily repelled.\nThe day is lost to them. But why? Is not one ascent as good as another?\nSurely, when one is climbing for pleasure. But when one is acting under\norganization, there can be but one ascent. The soldiers who chose the\nother way, reached the summit of the hill, but in disorder, broken, and\ndisunited. Moreover, by choosing their own road, they missed the very\npoint and purpose for which the captain ordered them to charge together\nup the steepest way. And what was even worse, by breaking to follow\ntheir own desires, they brought confusion, chaos even, into their ranks.\n\nIt may be that the appointed way will not appear to be our way. But\nit is for the Master of the organization, for Him who has established\norder, to say how we shall proceed, that order, peace and harmony may\npersist. With a Church organization restored we should expect to find\nrestored also the ordinances and ceremonies divinely prescribed for the\ncontinuance of the organization.\n\nFirst, then, to belong to the Church of Christ, it becomes necessary to\nmake covenant with Him in His chosen way. That way is baptism. It is\nthe outward ordinance in covenant of the new condition existing between\nthe Savior and the saved. This it was that Paul had in mind when he\nwrote to the Romans: \"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized\nunto Jesus Christ were baptized unto His death? Therefore we are buried\nwith Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from\nthe dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in\nnewness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness\nof his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.\"[A]\nAnd again he wrote to the Galatians: \"For ye are all the children of\nGod by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized\ninto Christ have put on Christ.\"[B] It is evident, then, that baptism\nis the ordinance of initiation into the Church of Christ; and further,\nthat that ordinance must be by immersion since it is in the likeness of\nthe burial of Christ.\n\n[Footnote A: Rom. 6:3-5.]\n\n[Footnote B: Gal. 3:26, 27.]\n\nWhen John the Baptist, in the glorious appearance to Joseph Smith and\nOliver Cowdery, restored to them the Priesthood of Aaron, he explained\nthat it held the keys \"of baptism by immersion for the remission of\nsins.\"[C] With this priesthood conferred upon them, Joseph and Oliver\nbecame endued with authority to baptize in the name of the Father. John\nthe Baptist instructed them to baptize each other. Afterwards, as we\nhave already learned, they were instructed that they should baptize\nall who wished to join with them in the Church of Christ. Before the\nday the Church was organized, further specific instructions were given\nconcerning the sacred ordinance of baptism.\n\n[Footnote C: Doc. and Cov. sec. 13.]\n\n\"And again, by way of commandment to the Church concerning the manner\nof baptism,\" we read in an early revelation, \"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 him\nto the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received\nof the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be\nreceived by baptism into his Church.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. 20:37.]\n\n\"Baptism,\" says the Lord further, \"is to be administered in the\nfollowing manner unto all those who repent:--The person who is called\nof God, and has authority from Jesus to baptize, shall go down into the\nwater with the person who has presented him or herself for baptism,\nand shall say, calling him or her by name--Having been commissioned of\nJesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son,\nand of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the\nwater, and come forth again out of the water.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 20:72-74.]\n\nAfter being baptized, the new convert received anciently the gift of\nthe Holy Ghost. \"Men and brethren,\" cried the assembled Jews on the\nday of Pentecost, \"what shall we do?\" Peter answered, \"Repent and\nbe baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the\nremission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.\"[F]\nAnd this gift of the Holy Ghost was conferred by the laying on of hands\nof those having authority so to do. At one time, when the apostles at\nJerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the Gospel they\nsent to Samaria Peter and John. These two apostles prayed with the new\nconverts that they might receive the Holy Ghost. \"Then they laid their\nhands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.\" There was present\none Simon, a magician. \"And when Simon saw that through laying on of\nthe apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,\nsaying. Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands,\nhe may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money\nperish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be\npurchased with money.\"[G]\n\n[Footnote F: Acts 2:37-39.]\n\n[Footnote G: Acts 8:14-20.]\n\nIt was to be expected, then, that, having restored the proper form\nof baptism, the Lord would restore also the proper way of conferring\nthe gift of the Holy Ghost. Accordingly, the word of God declares, in\nthe revelation given during the organization meeting of the Chuch,\nthat--\"An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize. * * *\nAnd to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying\non of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to\nthe scriptures.\"[H] And again, the Lord says to His elders: \"Ye shall\nremember the church articles and covenants to keep them; and whoso\nhaving faith you shall confirm in my church by the laying on of the\nhands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. 20:38-41.]\n\n[Footnote I: Doc. and Cov. 33:14, 15.]\n\nThus were the essential ordinances of baptism by immersion for the\nremission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy\nGhost restored in this dispensation. Baptism, however, is applicable\nonly to those who have reached years of accountability. It may be\nadministered only to those who are capable of understanding, of\nbelieving, of repenting, and of confessing. This, little children\ncannot do; nor have they need so to do, for little children are without\nsin.\n\nOnce, the devoted parents of Israel brought their children to the\nMaster, that He might touch them. The disciples, careful of their\nbeloved Master, rebuked the parents; but He said in His divine way:\n\"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for\nof such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you. Whosoever shall\nnot receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter\ntherein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and\nblessed them.\"[J]\n\n[Footnote J: Mark 10:13-16.]\n\nThese, then, who were young and without sin--like whom are those in the\nkingdom of God--the Master did not lead into the waters of baptism.\nHe took them in His arms and blessed them. And in accordance with\nthis pattern, the following instructions were given to the Prophet,\nrespecting the manner of receiving little children: \"Every member of\nthe Church of Christ having children, is to bring them unto the elders\nbefore the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of\nJesus Christ, and bless them in his name.\"[K]\n\n[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 20:70.]\n\nAgain, in the same comprehensive revelation given at the organization\nof the Church, the Lord gave specific directions for the administration\nof the sacrament. As He Himself did when He met with His disciples at\nthe Last Supper, so He would have His people continue to do. The Lord\nsays in the modern revelation: \"It is expedient that the church meet\ntogether often, to partake of bread and wine in remembrance of the Lord\nJesus; and the elder or priest shall administer it--he shall kneel with\nthe church and call upon the Father in solemn prayer, saying--'O God,\nthe eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ,\nto bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake\nof it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and\nwitness unto thee, O God, the eternal Father, that they are willing to\ntake upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep\nhis commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his\nSpirit to be with them. Amen.'\"\n\nAfterwards the wine should be administered in the following way: \"He\nshall take the cup also, and say--'O God, the eternal Father, we ask\nthee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this\nwine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in\nremembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they\nmay witness unto thee, O God the eternal Father, that they do always\nremember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.'\"[L]\n\n[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 20:75-79.]\n\nNot only, however, was the manner of performing the ordinance thus\nexplained, but important instructions were given also to the saints\nthat they should not partake of this Holy Sacrament unworthily. For, as\nsaid the Apostle Paul, \"whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this\ncup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood\nof the Lord.\"[M] Moreover, the Lord gave directions also as to what\nshould be used in the ordinance. The Prophet Joseph was on his way, one\nevening, to purchase wine for the sacrament. Suddenly, he was met by a\nheavenly messenger, and received the following instructions:\n\n[Footnote M: I Cor. 11:27.]\n\n\"Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God, and your\nRedeemer, whose word is quick and powerful. For, behold, I say unto\nyou, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink,\nwhen ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an\neye single to my glory; remembering unto the Father my body which was\nlaid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of\nyour sins: wherefore a commandment I give unto you, that you shall\nnot purchase wine neither strong drink of your enemies, wherefore you\nshall partake of none, except it is made new among you; yea, in this my\nFather's kingdom, which shall be built up on the earth.\"[N] For this\nreason, water came to be used by the saints in the ordinance of the\nsacrament, and has been in general use ever since.\n\n[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. 27:1-4.]\n\nFinally, we may notice one other important ordinance restored through\nthe ministry of Joseph Smith. Anciently, the Apostle James wrote to\nthe saints \"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the\nchurch; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name\nof the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the\nLord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be\nforgiven him.\"[O]\n\n[Footnote O: Jas. 5:14, 15.]\n\nIn like manner, the Lord directed the latter-day Prophet, on the ninth\nof February, 1831, in the presence of twelve elders of the Church.\nSaid the Lord in revelation: \"Whosoever among you are sick and have\nnot faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all\ntenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an\nenemy. And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called,\nand shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if\nthey die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto\nme.\"[P] Hence, it is the custom in the Church to pray for the sick, and\nto administer to them, anointing them with oil, and laying hands upon\nthem in faith; and many thousands bear witness that the promises of the\nLord have been bountifully fulfilled in this modern age.\n\n[Footnote P: Doc. and Cov. 42:43.]\n\nThus, through the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints, the essential outward ordinances of the Gospel, lost\nlong ago through the great apostasy, were restored for the blessing and\nthe salvation of the children of men.\n\n\n\nXI.\n\nTHE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT.\n\nAt the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,\non April 6th, 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were\naccepted and unanimously sustained as the spiritual teachers and\nleaders of the Church. It appears that there was no further attempt\nat that time to perfect the organization. Indeed, while the Church\nnumbered but few members it was unnecessary to have more officers\nthan those indicated. The few members were banded together for mutual\nbenefit; and for the time being, a leader was all they needed. In the\nrevelation given during the organization meeting, a recorder is also\nnamed, and the official position of the young Prophet is pointed out.\nThe Lord declares:\n\n\"Behold, there shall be a record kept among you, and in it thou [i.\ne., Joseph Smith] shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an\napostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God\nthe Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, being inspired of\nthe Holy Ghost to lay the foundation thereof, and to build it up unto\nthe most holy faith.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. 22:1, 2.]\n\nIt was not long, however, before the Church grew to such proportions\nthat more working officers were needed than those two or three first\nappointed. As it was in the days of the Savior, when He called the\ntwelve, and the seventy, and other workers, so it was in latter\ndays. The phenomenal growth of the Church demanded the completing\nof the organization. And \"completing\" of the organization is all\nthat was needed. The nature and extent of the organization were\nthemselves already made plain. In the invaluable revelation on Church\ngovernment,[B] the officers of the priesthood are named in order. There\nthe Lord speaks of apostles, high priests, elders, bishops, priests,\nteachers, deacons, high councilors, and so forth. At an earlier date\neven than that of the revelation on Church government, the Lord made\nknown to the Prophet Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer,\nthat there should be in due time twelve apostles.[C] But the plan of\nChurch organization and government was perfected gradually as the\ngrowth of the Church demanded.\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. sec. 20.]\n\n[Footnote C: Doc. and Cov. sec. 18.]\n\nAt a conference of the Church held at Amherst, Ohio, January 25, 1832,\nand again at a general council held at Independence, Missouri, April\n26, 1832, the Prophet Joseph was acknowledged and sustained as the\nPresident of the High Priesthood. The Presidency of the Church of Jesus\nChrist of Latter-day Saints, consisting of three members, was not\neffected, however, until March 18, 1833. Ten days before, on March 8th,\nthe Prophet had received a revelation in which it was commanded that he\nshould continue in the ministry and the presidency. Moreover, the Lord\nsaid:\n\n\"Verily, I say unto thy brethren, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G.\nWilliams, their sins are forgiven them also, and they are accounted as\nequal with thee in holding the keys of this last kingdom. * * * that\nthrough your [the Prophet's] administration they may receive the word,\nand through their administration, the word may go forth unto the ends\nof the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they\nshall turn unto the Jews.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. 90:6-9.]\n\nAccordingly, on the eighteenth of the month, Sidney Rigdon and\nFrederick G. Williams were ordained to be first and second counselors\nto President Joseph Smith. Thus was the earthly presidency of the\nChurch established in the dispensation of the fulness of times.\n\nOther quorums and positions of presidency were likewise organized as\nneed demanded. On December 18, 1833, Joseph Smith, Sr., father of the\nProphet, was ordained patriarch of the Church, by the Prophet Joseph,\nOliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. And less than\ntwo years later it was decreed in a special revelation on Priesthood\nthat--\"It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the\nchurch, to ordain evangelical ministers (patriarchs) as they shall be\ndesignated unto them by revelation. The order of this Priesthood was\nconfirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to\nthe literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were\nmade.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 107:39, 40.]\n\nLittle less than two years after the organization of the Presidency\nof the Church, the promise that there would be appointed a quorum of\ntwelve apostles was fulfilled. It was Sunday, February 8, 1835. Brigham\nand Joseph Young had come to visit the Prophet. They sang to him, and\nworshiped together. The Spirit of God was poured out upon them, and the\nProphet declared that he wanted to see together the brethren who had\ngone to Missouri the summer before in Zion's Camp.[F] He had a blessing\nfor them, he said. Accordingly, a meeting was appointed for Saturday,\nFebruary 14, 1835. When the men of Zion's Camp were assembled, the\nProphet addressed them at length. He declared that there was a divine\npurpose in the trials and hardships endured in the march to Zion and\nreturn. In the afternoon session of the meeting, the Prophet directed\nthat the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon should proceed to select\ntwelve men to be ordained apostles of the Lord Jesus. Accordingly,\nOliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were blessed by the\npresidency of the Church. Then they proceeded to select from among\nthe men of Zion's Camp twelve men to be ordained apostles of the Lord\nJesus. The twelve men were named in the following order: Lyman E.\nJohnson, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, David W. Patten,\nLuke S. Johnson, William E. M'Lellin, John F. Boynton, Orson Pratt,\nWilliam Smith, Thomas B. Marsh, and Parley P. Pratt. The first three\nnamed were then ordained to the apostleship that same day, February 14,\n1835. The next six were ordained the following day, Sunday, February\n15. Parley P. Pratt was ordained on February 21. And Orson Pratt and\nThomas B. Marsh, who were absent on missions, were ordained in April,\n1835. Thus was the quorum of Twelve apostles--like that appointed\nby the Savior during His personal ministry--again organized in this\ndispensation.[G]\n\n[Footnote F: Zion's Camp was the name given to a company of volunteers\nwho set out from the Eastern States to carry assistance to the Saints\nin Missouri. In the fall of the year 1833, the Saints who lived in\nJackson county, Missouri, were driven from that county by a lawless\nmob, and all their lands were confiscated. The exiles found refuge in\nClay county. From there, Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight were sent\nto Kirtland to report to the Prophet the condition of the Saints in\nthe West. The Prophet was distracted by the news. He enquired of the\nLord to learn how Zion might be redeemed, and received a revelation\nin which he was instructed to call for volunteers from the strength\nof the Church--young men and middle-aged--to march to Zion to redeem\nit. This band of volunteers was not to exceed five hundred, nor was it\nto consist of fewer than one hundred (Doc. and Cov. 103). Immediately\nthe brethren in Kirtland began to prepare for the work of redemption.\nRecruiting officers and solicitors were sent to all the branches of\nthe Church. By the latter part of April, 1834, volunteers began to\nassemble in Kirtland. On May first, the first advance was made in the\neventful thousand-miles march. A little more than twenty men, with four\nbaggage wagons, proceeded from Kirtland to New Portage. Not many days\nlater, the Prophet with the rest of the recruits at Kirtland, joined\nthe camp at New Portage. There the now famous Zion's Camp was organized\ninto companies of twelve, with a suitable division of responsibility\nfor a long march. From there the march proceeded through the states\nof Indiana and Illinois, picking up recruits on the way, until there\nwere in the company two hundred five strong and faithful men, with\ntwenty-five baggage wagons. Naturally, such a march of a thousand miles\nwas full of trial and hardship. It was a march well designed to test\nthe faith and the characters of those who made it. Some were found\nwanting in the sterling qualities necessary for the leaders of a Chosen\nPeople. Others never lost sight of the noble purpose of their mission,\nand therefore retained their spirits unruffled till the last. It was\nfitting that such men as theses should be chosen later to lead Zion.\nZion's Camp was disbanded June twenty-fifth, 1834, at Rush Creek, Clay\ncounty, Missouri.]\n\n[Footnote G: At a grand council held May second, 1835, the newly\nchosen apostles were arranged according to seniority. The official\norganization of the first quorum of apostles was then as follows: 1\nThomas B. Marsh 7 Parley P. Pratt 2 David w. Patten 8 Luke S. Johnson 3\nBrigham Young 9 William Smith 4 Heber C. Kimball 10 Orson Pratt 5 Orson\nHyde 11 John F. Boynton 6 William E. McLellin 12 Lyman E. Johnson]\n\nAt some time before the calling of the Twelve, the Prophet had seen in\nvision, not only the organization of the quorum of apostles, but also\nthe organization of the quorums of seventies.[H] The Church had made\nsuch phenomenal progress, and the missionary labor was so extensive,\nthat more busy workers were needed even after the calling of the\nTwelve. Therefore, on the 28th of February, 1835, the Church assembled\nin council, began to select from the faithful ones left from the Zion's\nCamp expedition, certain men to become Seventies. Seven men were\nordained presidents of the quorum, and sixty-three others, members.\nThese Seventies, said the Prophet, \"are to constitute traveling\nquorums, to go into all the earth whithersoever the Twelve Apostles\nshall send them.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote H: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, pp. 202, 182.]\n\n[Footnote I: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, p. 202.]\n\nThe quorums of authority thus far re-established may be considered, in\na way, as dealing primarily with the spiritual affairs of the Church.\nEven the First Presidency, while they may advise in temporal matters,\nand take active part in them, seem to have it as their first duty to\nstand between God and the Church, administering in spiritual things.\nIt was not the intention of the Lord, however, to provide only for the\nspiritual welfare of His people. The temporal welfare of the people\nwas also necessary to the satisfactory fulfillment of their missions\nupon the earth. Therefore, the Lord restored also the authorities whose\nprincipal duty it is to take care of temporal affairs. In a revelation\ngiven February 4, 1831, while the Prophet was visiting in Kirtland,\nOhio, the Lord said:\n\n\"I have called my servant Edward Partridge, and give a commandment,\nthat he should be appointed by the voice of the church, and ordained a\nbishop unto the church, to leave his merchandise and to spend all his\ntime in the labors of the church: to see to all things as it shall be\nappointed unto him, in my laws in the day that I shall give them.\"[J]\n\n[Footnote J: Doc. and Cov. 41:9, 10.]\n\nEdward Partridge was a prosperous merchant of Kirtland. The Prophet\nsaid of him, \"He was a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord's great\nmen, known by his steadfastness and patient endurance to the end.\"[K]\nElder Partridge accepted the call of the Lord, forsook his merchandise,\nand was ordained on the very day of the revelation, the first bishop\nof the Church. And in the following November, several elders came to\nthe Prophet seeking to know the will of the Lord concerning them.\nThe Prophet received for them a revelation, containing not only\ninstructions to them, but also \"certain items * * in addition to the\ncovenants and commandments.\" There, among other things, the Lord says:\n\"There remaineth hereafter, in the due time of the Lord, other bishops\nto be set apart unto the church, to minister even according to the\nfirst.\"[L]\n\n[Footnote K: Quoted by Roberts in \"Outlines of Ecclesiastical History,\"\np. 316.]\n\n[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 68:14.]\n\nThe following month, Newel K. Whitney was called by revelation to be\nbishop over the Church in Kirtland.[M] Since that day, other bishops\nhave been called as need has arisen, until there are in the Church at\nthe present writing more than seven hundred acting bishops.\n\n[Footnote M: Doc. and Cov. 72:8.]\n\nThus the quorums of authority and presidency in the Church were\nrestored as the growth of the Church demanded. Each one in turn was\nappointed by special revelation, until the organization was completed.\nBesides the important revelations on Church government already noted,\ntwo other revelations were given dealing particularly with the history\nand duties of priesthood.[N] From these we learn that twelve deacons\nconstitute a quorum of deacons; twenty-four teachers a quorum of\nteachers; and forty-eight priests a quorum of priests; that the bishop,\nbesides presiding in a general way over the district where he is\nappointed, presides particularly over the Lesser or Aaronic Priesthood.\nFrom these, also, we learn that ninety-six elders constitute a quorum\nof elders; seventy seventies, a quorum of seventies; and all the\nhigh-priests of a district the quorum of high-priests in that district.\nThus, from the First Presidency to the deacon, the organization of the\nPriesthood is complete and perfect in its operation.\n\n[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. secs. 84, 107.]\n\nBesides this perfect organization of the Priesthood, there are other\nhelpful divisions and organizations that have been called forth by the\ngrowth of the Church. The most we can do with them here, however, is\nmerely to mention them in closing. First is the territorial division\nof the Church. For convenience in government, the Church is divided\nterritorially into stakes, wards, branches, missions, and conferences.\nKirtland was undoubtedly the first stake of Zion to be appointed in the\nhistory of the Church. Concerning Kirtland, the Lord said in 1832:\n\n\"For I have consecrated the land of Shinehah (Kirtland) in mine own due\ntime for the benefit of the saints of the Most High, and for a stake of\nZion.\"[O]\n\n[Footnote O: Doc. and Cov. 82:13.]\n\nIn the dedicatory prayer offered in the Kirtland Temple, 1836, the\nProphet Joseph Smith said:\n\n\"We ask thee to appoint unto Zion other Stakes, besides this one\nwhich thou hast appointed, that the gathering of thy people may roll\non in great power and majesty, that thy work may be cut short in\nrighteousness.\"[P]\n\n[Footnote P: Doc. and Cov. 109:59.]\n\nOther stakes were appointed. Today, the Church numbers more than sixty\nstakes, each presided over by a presidency of three high priests, and\na high council of twelve high priests, with several alternate high\ncouncilmen.\n\nAs the Church is divided into stakes, so the stakes are divided into\nwards, each presided over by a bishop and two counselors. And the world\nat large, not included in the boundaries of the organized stakes, is\ndivided into missions, each presided over by a president. The missions\nin turn are divided into conferences, presided over by conference\npresidents, and the conferences are divided into branches, likewise\npresided over by branch presidents.\n\nThe Church grew rapidly to such dimensions, however, that it needed\neven more assistance than these organizations and divisions could\nrender. There has grown up in the Church, therefore, a number of\nauxiliary associations. The Relief Society, an organization of women,\nwas organized under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1842.\nThe Sunday School was organized under the patronage of Brigham Young in\n1849. The Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association was organized\nas a retrenchment society, under the supervision of President Brigham\nYoung in 1869. A similar organization of the young men was effected in\n1875, though there had been such an organization in Nauvoo. The Primary\nAssociation for children was organized in 1878. The Religion Class was\norganized in 1890. All these auxiliary organizations serve to lighten\nthe labors of the priesthood, and of the home, in instructing the\nchildren of the saints.\n\nGradually, then, another act in the great drama of the Restoration was\naccomplished--an act of many scenes. But the achievements of the act\nhave aroused, and continue to arouse, the wonder and the admiration\nof the civilized world. In the Church organization every point is\ncarefully wrought out, from the highest and most important office\nto the lowest and least. Indeed, the perfection of the institution\nprecludes the thought that it was devised by man alone. Not another so\nnearly perfect organization is to be found in the history of the world.\n\n\n\nXII.\n\nTHE SPIRITUAL GIFTS.\n\nLess than a month after the organization of the Church in 1830,\nthere happened at Colesville, New York, one of the most remarkable\nmanifestations in the history of the modern world. Joseph Smith had\ngone to Colesville to visit at the home of Joseph Knight. The Knights\nwere Universalists. They were interested, however, in the message\nof the young prophet. One of them, particularly--a son named Newel\nKnight--seemed to be much affected by the Prophet's teachings. Says the\nProphet in his simple narrative:\n\n\"He and I had many serious conversations on the important subject of\nman's eternal salvation. We got into the habit of praying much at our\nmeetings, and Newel had said that he would try and take up his cross,\nand pray vocally during meeting; but when we again met together, he\nrather excused himself. I tried to prevail upon him. * * * He replied\nthat * * * he would wait until he could get into the woods by himself,\nand there he would pray. Accordingly, he deferred praying until next\nmorning, when he retired into the woods; where, according to his\nown account afterwards, he made several attempts to pray, but could\nscarcely do so, feeling that he had not done his duty, in refusing\nto pray in the presence of others. He began to feel uneasy, and\ncontinued to feel worse both in mind and body, until, upon reaching\nhis own house, his appearance was such as to alarm his wife very much.\nHe requested her to go and bring me to him. I went, and found him\nsuffering very much in his mind, and his body acted upon in a very\nstrange manner; his visage and limbs distorted and twisted in every\nshape and appearance possible to imagine; and finally he was caught up\noff the floor of the apartment, and tossed about most fearfully.\n\n\"His situation was soon made known to his neighbors and relatives,\nand in a short time as many as eight or nine grown persons had got\ntogether to witness the scene. After he had thus suffered for a time, I\nsucceeded in getting hold of him by the hand, when almost immediately\nhe spoke to me, and with great earnestness requested me to cast the\ndevil out of him, saying that he knew he was in him, and that he also\nknew I could cast him out.\n\n\"I replied, 'If you know that I can, it shall be done;' and then almost\nunconsciously I rebuked the devil, and commanded him in the name of\nJesus Christ to depart from him; when immediately Newel spoke out and\nsaid that he saw the devil leave him and vanish from his sight. This\nwas the first miracle which was done in the Church, or by any member\nof it, and it was done not by man, nor by the power of man, but it was\ndone by God, and by the power of godliness; therefore, let the honor\nand the praise, the dominion and the glory, be ascribed to the Father,\nSon and Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 82, 83.]\n\nConcerning the truth of this ungarnished account there can be no doubt.\nIt has appeared in print for many years, and has never been called in\nquestion. Moreover, the miracle was witnessed by several adult persons,\nand was strongly attested by Newel Knight himself. Without question,\nthen, with the very beginning of the Church, the gifts of healing, so\ncommon with Jesus and His disciples, were restored to those holding the\nHoly Priesthood.\n\nNot more than a year and a half after the performance of this\nremarkable miracle, there was performed another which the Prophet\npassed over in his narrative with scarcely a notice. He says, \"About\nthis time\" (September 12, 1831), \"Ezra Booth came out as an apostate.\nHe came into the Church upon seeing a person healed of an infirmity of\nmany years' standing.\"[B] That is all. Fortunately, however, there is\npreserved for us an account of this case of healing; and it is the more\nvaluable because it is written by a Campbellite historian, who did not\naccept the message of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The historian says:\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 215.]\n\n\"Ezra Booth, of Mantua, a Methodist preacher of much more than ordinary\nculture, and with strong natural abilities, in company with his wife,\nMr. and Mrs. Johnson, and some other citizens of this place [Hiram,\nOhio] visited Smith at his home in Kirtland, in 1831. Mrs. Johnson had\nbeen afflicted for some time with a lame arm, and was not at the time\nof the visit able to lift her hand to her head. The party visited Smith\npartly out of curiosity, and partly to see for themselves what there\nmight be in the new doctrine. During the interview the conversation\nturned on the subject of supernatural gifts, such as were conferred\nin the days of the apostles. Some one said, 'Here is Mrs. Johnson\nwith a lame arm; has God given any power to men now on earth to cure\nher?' A few moments later, when the conversation had turned in another\ndirection. Smith rose, and walking across the room, taking Mrs. Johnson\nby the hand, said in the most solemn and impressive manner: 'Woman,\nin the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command thee to be whole,'\nand immediately left the room. The company were awe-stricken at the\ninfinite presumption of the man, and the calm assurance with which he\nspoke. The sudden mental and moral shock--I know not how better to\nexplain the well-attested fact--electrified the rheumatic arm--Mrs.\nJohnson at once lifted it up with ease, and on her return home the next\nday she was able to do her washing without difficulty or pain.\"[C]\n\n[Footnote C: Hayden's \"History of the Disciples,\" pp. 250, 251; quoted\nin \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 215, 216, footnote.]\n\nWe can easily believe that the company was amazed at the manifestation\nof such power. It was not the will of God, however, that the great\nProphet alone should possess the gift to heal the sick. On the\ncontrary, it was bestowed through faith upon many others. From the\nfirst the elders had practiced the order of anointing the sick and\npraying for them. But in 1832, a little more than two years after the\norganization of the Church, the Lord gave a revelation in which He\ndeclared to the elders that certain signs should follow the operation\nof faith. The words of the Lord are these:\n\n\"As I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again that every soul who\nbelieveth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of\nsins, shall receive the Holy Ghost; and these signs shall follow them\nthat believe:\n\n\"In my name they shall do many wonderful works:\n\n\"In my name they shall cast out devils;\n\n\"In my name they shall heal the sick;\n\n\"In my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears\nof the deaf;\n\n\"And the tongue of the dumb shall speak;\n\n\"And if any man shall administer poison unto them it shall not hurt\nthem;\n\n\"And the poison of a serpent shall not have power to hurt them.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. 84:63-72.]\n\nThus wonderfully did the Lord repeat the promise made to the apostles\nof old;[E] and the promise has been fulfilled in an equally wonderful\nmanner. The number of miraculous healings since 1832 is far too large\nto bear detailing here. But from that day to the present, there have\nbeen wonderful healings, wherever the Church has been established.\nAnd hundreds of thousands testify that the gift of healing is indeed\noperative among the Latter-day Saints.\n\n[Footnote E: See Mark 16:16-18.]\n\nThe gift of healing is not the only divine gift, however, that has been\nrestored in latter days: \"About the 8th of November,\" writes Joseph\nSmith, \"I received a visit from Elders Joseph Young, Brigham Young, and\nHeber C. Kimball of Mendon, Monroe county, New York. They spent four or\nfive days in Kirtland, during which we had many interesting moments. At\none of our interviews, Brother Brigham Young and John P. Greene spoke\nin tongues, which was the first time I had heard this gift among the\nbrethren: others also spoke, and I received the gift myself.\"[F]\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 296, 97.]\n\nSo briefly does the Prophet mention the reappearance of the strange\ngift of tongues. Fortunately, however, we have again another and fuller\naccount. Writing of the same incident, President Brigham Young says,\n\"A few weeks after my baptism I was at Brother Kimball's house one\nmorning, and while family prayer was being offered up, Brother Alpheus\nGifford commenced speaking in tongues. Soon the Spirit came on me, and\nI spoke in tongues, and we thought only of the day of Pentecost, when\nthe apostles were clothed upon with cloven tongues of fire.\n\n\"In September, 1832, Brother Heber C. Kimball took his horse and wagon.\nBrother Joseph Young and myself accompanying him, and started for\nKirtland to see the Prophet Joseph. We visited many friends on the way,\nand some branches of the Church. We exhorted them and prayed with them,\nand I spoke in tongues. Some pronounced it genuine and from the Lord,\nand others pronounced it from the devil.\n\n\"We proceeded to Kirtland and stopped at John P. Greene's, who had\njust arrived there with his family. We rested a few minutes, took some\nrefreshment, and started to see the prophet. * * *\n\n\"In the evening a few of the brethren came in, and we conversed\ntogether upon the things of the kingdom. He called upon me to pray; in\nmy prayer I spoke in tongues. As soon as we arose from our knees the\nbrethren flocked around him, and asked his opinion concerning the gift\nof tongues that was upon me. He told them that it was the pure Adamic\nlanguage. Some said to him they expected he would condemn the gift\nBrother Brigham had, but he said, 'No, it is of God.'\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: \"Millennial Star,\" Vol. 25, p. 439; also quoted in part in\n\"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 297, footnote.]\n\nSince the incident here related, many hundreds of the Saints of God\nhave been blessed with this divine gift. Some are given to speak in\ntongues and others to interpret. The miracle comes to those who have\nfaith, to strengthen their faith. Again, however, the number of these\nmiraculous manifestations is far too large to be considered here.\nHundreds of thousands bear witness to the restoration of the marvelous\ngift. And it is the fact of restoration about which we are most\nconcerned.\n\nBesides the gift of performing miracles and of healing, and the gift of\nspeaking in tongues and of interpreting tongues, there are yet other\ndivine gifts restored in this dispensation. To Joseph Smith was given\nvery early the gift of prophecy. In the book of Doctrine and Covenants\nmay be found many remarkable predictions made by him. All these\npredictions have been literally fulfilled, in so far as the time has\ncome for their fulfillment; and the fulfillment happened in many cases\nlong after the martyrdom of the great Prophet. Not only Joseph Smith,\nhowever, but many others in the Church have been blessed with the same\ngift of prophecy. All the presidents of the Church have displayed the\ndivine gift. Many men in exalted position, and many men of low degree,\nhave likewise manifested the prophetic inspiration of the Holy Ghost.\nThe gift of prophecy is common among the restored gifts of the Church.\nSo also is the gift of discernment, and the gift of wisdom, and the\ngift of knowledge, and the gift of faith. Indeed, through the ministry\nof the Prophet Joseph Smith have been restored to man all the spiritual\ngifts known to the saints of old. To the great modern Church of Christ\nhave been given the things enumerated by the Apostle Paul.\n\n\"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you\nignorant,\" wrote Paul to the Corinthians. \"Ye know that ye were\nGentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.\nWherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit\nof God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is\nthe Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts,\nbut the same Spirit. And there are diversities of administrations, but\nthe same Lord. And there are diversities of operations but it is the\nsame God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit\nis given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the\nSpirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the\nsame Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gift\nof healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to\nanother prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another divers\nkinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all\nthese worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man\nseverally as he will.\"[H]\n\n[Footnote H: I Cor. 12:1-11.]\n\n\n\nXIII.\n\nSACRED WRITINGS OF OLD.\n\n_The Inspired Version_.\n\nIn December, 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation in\nwhich was contained an important promise pertaining to the sacred\nrecords of the Church. The Church had been in existence little more\nthan six months. During those months it had grown phenomenally in\nnumbers. And during those months, too, many discussions had been\ninevitably provoked concerning the infallibility of the scriptures.\nThe Prophet who lived and moved among them, the saints accepted as the\nliving oracle of God; and when they thirsted for the Water of Life,\nhe was abundantly able to give it them. But the sacred writings of\nthe Jews--the Bible--had not the power so to satisfy them as had the\nquick word of the Prophet. Some of the words of the ancients were not\nclear. It seemed that there were mistranslations, omissions, and even\ninterpolations in the Holy Book. Moreover, some valuable scriptures\nseemed to have been lost. They appeared in the Book in name only; their\ninvaluable contents were unknown. In view of these conditions, it is\nnot surprising that the young Church should desire to know how much\nof the Sacred Word of God, as it had been preserved to them, might be\naccepted with authority. And what they longed to know was divinely\ngiven to them. In a revelation received by the young Prophet in\nDecember, 1830, the Lord said to Sidney Rigdon, \"A commandment I give\nunto thee, that thou shalt write for him [i. e., Joseph Smith]; and the\nScriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the\nsalvation of mine own elect.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. 35:20.]\n\nThis promise, with commandment, evidently signifies that the Lord\npurposed to make clear dark sayings of Scripture, which some of the\nsaints were questioning. In support of this fact may be cited another\nrevelation, given only two months later, in which the Lord renews\nthe promise. \"Thou shalt ask,\" He said to the Prophet Joseph, \"and\nmy scriptures shall be given as I have appointed, and they shall be\npreserved in safety.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 42:56.]\n\nAlready, however, six months or so before the promise was made in\nrevelation, the Lord had prepared for its fulfillment. In June, 1830,\nonly two months after the organization of the Church, the Prophet had\nreceived the revelation known as the \"Words of Moses.\"[C] It is a\nkind of introduction to the book of Genesis; it tells how Moses came\nto know the story of the creation, and the relation of man to God. No\nfiner introductory chapter to the book of beginnings could possibly\nbe conceived. Again, in the same month in which the revelation with\npromise was given, the Lord revealed certain \"doings of olden times,\nfrom the prophecy of Enoch. \"[D] \"Much conjecture and conversation\nfrequently occurred among the Saints,\" writes the Prophet, \"concerning\nthe books mentioned, and referred to, in various places in the Old and\nNew Testaments, which were now nowhere to be found. The common remark\nwas, 'They are lost books;' but it seems the Apostolic Church had some\nof these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the prophecy of Enoch,\nthe seventh from Adam.\"[E] To the joy of the congregation, extracts\nfrom this prophecy of Enoch were revealed to the Prophet Joseph, and\nadded to the growing treasure-house of scripture. Already, too, the\nProphet had begun to make a revision of the Bible. Before the close of\nthe year 1830, this revision was well under way.\n\n[Footnote C: Pearl of Great Price.]\n\n[Footnote D: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 133.]\n\n[Footnote E: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 132.]\n\nBefore the close of the year, however, the Prophet was commanded to\ndesist from further translating until he should go to Ohio.[F] Again,\nin December, 1831, the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were commanded to\ngo upon a mission preaching the gospel.[G] Of necessity, the work\nof \"revision\" must rest while the Seer and the scribe were about\nthese other duties. Except for such interruptions as these, however,\nthe \"revision\" of the Bible made fair progress. And in addition to\nthe textual \"translation,\" there were received by the Prophet other\nrevelations bearing upon the Holy Word. Thus, in January, 1832, there\nwas received an explanation of I Cor. 7:14.[H] In February, of the same\nyear, there came to the translators, while they were engaged with the\nGospel of St. John, a wonderful vision of the glories hereafter.[I] The\nfollowing March, the Prophet received explanations of some parts of\nthe revelation to St. John.[J] One year later, there came a revelation\non the authenticity of the Apocrypha.[K] Thus, by the spirit of\ninspiration and revelation, the sacred records of old were made plain.\nThe mistakes of men were corrected; and important words that had been\nlost, were supplied. The first \"revision\" of the New Testament was\nfinished February 2, 1833, and that of the Old Testament, July 2 of the\nsame year.\n\n[Footnote F: Doc. and Cov. 37:1.]\n\n[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. 71:1-11.]\n\n[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. sec. 74.]\n\n[Footnote I: Doc. and Cov. sec. 76.]\n\n[Footnote J: Doc. and Cov. sec. 77.]\n\n[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. sec. 91.]\n\nThe inspired revision of the Hebrew Scriptures was not published during\nthe lifetime of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He intended to continue\nthe work of revision, by going over the entire work again, before it\nshould be given to the world. In the year 1840, he expressed a desire\nto shift much of the arduous responsibility resting upon him to the\nshoulders of the Twelve and other officers, that he might resume the\nwork of translation and revision. In a memorial presented June 18,\n1840, the Prophet wrote, \"The Church have erected an office where\nhe [Joseph Smith, the memorialist] can attend to the affairs of the\nChurch without distraction, he thinks, and verily believes, that the\ntime has now come, when he should devote himself exclusively to those\nthings which relate to the spiritualities of the Church, and commence\nthe work of translating the Egyptian records, the Bible, and wait\nupon the Lord for such revelations as may be suited to the conditions\nand circumstances of the Church.\"[L] Up to the time of his martyrdom,\nhowever, the Prophet found no time in which fully to carry out his\ndesign. Therefore, the inspired version of the Holy Scriptures, a\nmanuscript copy of which is preserved in the Historian's Office at Salt\nLake City, has never been given to the world by proper authority. A\nvolume purporting to be the inspired version has appeared on the public\nmarket; but it is not recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints, because it has never received the careful revision\nintended by the Prophet. The authorized version of King James remains\nthe standard Bible of the Church.\n\n[Footnote L: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. IV, p. 137.]\n\n_The Book of Abraham_.\n\nIn July, 1835, there came into the hands of the Prophet, Joseph Smith,\nother invaluable records of the times of the patriarchs. It appears\nthat in the year 1828, a French explorer named Antonio Sebolo, secured\npermission from Mehemet Ali, the viceroy of Egypt, to explore for\nantiquities. Three years later, in 1831, Sebolo entered some catacombs\nnear the place where stood formerly the ancient city of Thebes. Eleven\nof the mummies, found in a perfect state of preservation, he carried\naway with him to Paris. On the way to the French capital, however, M.\nSebolo put in at Trieste, where he died after an illness of several\ndays. The mummies were then directed to a nephew named Chandler. Mr.\nChandler lived in Philadelphia, Pa., though it was supposed that his\nhome was in Ireland. After a devious course, the mummies came finally\nto New York, addressed to Michael H. Chandler. There the caskets were\nfirst opened, and the contents examined. \"On opening the coffins,\" the\nProphet tells us, \"he (Mr. Chandler) discovered that in connection\nwith two of the bodies, was something rolled up with the same kind of\nlinen, saturated with the same bitumen, which when examined, proved\nto be two rolls of papyrus.\" These rolls of papyrus were beautifully\nwritten \"with black, and a small part red, ink or paint, in perfect\npreservation.\"[M]\n\n[Footnote M: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, pp. 348-350.]\n\nA stranger standing near at the time of the discovery recommended\nto Mr. Chandler that he seek out the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith,\nas probably the only man who could render a correct translation of\nthe ancient manuscripts. Mr. Chandler, however, began to exhibit\nthe mummies in the larger cities of the United States. They very\nsoon became objects of peculiar interest. Mr. Chandler was assured\nby the learned men of the land that both mummies and papyrus were\ngenuine. Indeed, from some he received certificates testifying to the\ngenuineness of his display and to the characters of the papyrus. It was\nnot until July 3, 1835, that Mr. Chandler reached Kirtland with the\nEgyptian mummies. Immediately, it appears, he sought out the Prophet\nJoseph Smith. \"There were four human figures,\" the latter writes in\nhis history, \"together with hieroglyphic figures and devices. As Mr.\nChandler had been told I could translate them, he brought me some\nof the characters, and I gave him the interpretation, and like a\ngentleman, he gave me the following certificate:\n\n\"'Kirtland, July 6, 1835. \"'This is to make known to all who may\nbe desirous, concerning the knowledge of Mr. Joseph Smith, Jun.,\nin deciphering the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic characters in my\npossession, which I have, in many eminent cities, showed to the most\nlearned; and, from the information that I could ever learn, or meet\nwith, I find that of Mr. Joseph Smith, Jun., to correspond in the most\nminute matters.\n\n\"'MICHAEL H. CHANDLER,\n\n\"'Traveling with, and proprietor of Egyptian mummies.'\"[N]\n\n[Footnote N: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, P. 235.]\n\nSoon after receiving this certificate from Mr. Chandler some of the\nSaints in Kirtland purchased from him the mummies and the papyrus.\nThereupon, the Prophet, with William W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery\nas scribes, began to translate the strange hieroglyphics. To their\ninfinite joy, they found that one of the rolls contained writings of\nAbraham, whereas the other contained writings of Joseph, who was sold\ninto Egypt. The first of these the Prophet translated, in part. It\nrecounts the trials of Abraham in the idolatrous home of his fathers,\nand his miraculous deliverance. It tells also of the creation of the\nworld, and of the spirits before, and reveals the system of astronomy\nunderstood by the ancient patriarch. The Book of Abraham, an invaluable\nand truly authentic record translated by divine inspiration, forms now\nan important part of the Pearl of Great Price.\n\nIt appears that the papyrus-roll containing the writings of Joseph\nwas never translated. The Saints retained possession of the mummies,\nand carried them along in their wanderings, until they became settled\nin their new home--Nauvoo, the Beautiful. There, the mummies were\ndisplayed in the Nauvoo Mansion, built by the Prophet. After the death\nof the Prophet, however, the mummies and the papyrus-rolls fell into\nthe hands of the Prophet's family, and were sold. For some time they\nwere exhibited by a syndicate in St. Louis. Thence, they were sold to\na museum in Chicago. When the great fire swept Chicago in 1870, the\nmuseum was destroyed; and with it, presumably, the historic mummies and\nthe sacred records of old. All that we have preserved to us, then, of\nthese interesting papyrus records is contained in the Pearl of Great\nPrice.\n\nThus the knowledge of the Saints was extended, the hand-dealings of God\nwith His ancient people were made known, and many sacred writings were\nadded to the scripture already possessed by the Church. The King James\nversion of the Bible was already accepted \"as far as it was translated\ncorrectly.\" The Book of Moses deals with the beginnings--with the\nfundamentals. It reveals how man came first to know of God, of His\nSon, Jesus Christ, and of the divine plan of salvation. It supplies\nthe living truth of man's relationship to God, which the Authorized\nVersion--through the interference of the opinions of men--states but\nobscurely. It looks hopefully forward to the future, when the King\nof glory shall come in. Without that portion of inspired scripture\ncontained in the Book of Moses, we should lack much in our knowledge of\nthe history of God and of man.\n\nIn like manner, the Book of Abraham supplies valuable information\nconcerning the wonderful works of God. Independent of the Book of\nMoses, it corroborates all that is taught there. And it goes further.\nFrom it we learn important truths concerning a pre-existent state;\nand from it we learn more fully, too, of the worlds, and the creation\nof worlds. The science of creation is perhaps nowhere else so fully\nexplained as in the Book of Abraham. There, too, are outlined some of\nthe important principles of the New Astronomy, principles fast coming\nto be recognized as true by scientific men. Without this record we\nshould lack much in our knowledge of the history of God and of man.\n\nAnother act, then, in the great drama of the Restoration has been\naccomplished. To knowledge has been added knowledge. To the sacred\nrecord contained in the Bible was added that of the Book of Mormon. And\nnow, to both of these, are added two others, briefer than either of the\nfirst, but wanting nothing in significance to the people of God.\n\n\n\nXIV.\n\nA SACRED BOOK OF TODAY.\n\nWhen the Lord God called Miriam and Aaron to task for speaking against\ntheir brother Moses, He said to them, \"Hear now my words: If there be\na prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a\nvision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not\nso, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to\nmouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of\nthe Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak\nagainst my servant Moses?\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: Num. 12:1-8.]\n\nSo it was also with the Prophet Joseph Smith. From the day of the first\nsplendid vision of the Father and the Son, the Lord spoke often to the\nyoung prophet, and clearly. Particularly close was the communion of\nthe Prophet with his God after the re-establishment of the Church upon\nthe earth. As often as he felt the need of direction or encouragement,\nso often did the young man seek God; and God always answered him, and\nspoke to him, and gave him what was needful for him in that hour. It\nhappened, then, that in a very short time the Prophet had accumulated\na fairly large number of revelations. For each time the Lord spoke to\nhim, either he himself or one of his scribes recorded the revelation\nas it was given. Afterwards, copies were made and circulated among the\nSaints that were most nearly concerned.\n\nIf we had lived with the Saints in Kirtland, in the year 1832, we\nshould have been thrilled with them when the Prophet received the\nmomentous revelation now numbered eighty-eight in the Book of Doctrine\nand Covenants. This remarkable and important revelation was circulated\namong the Saints in manuscript form. It came to be called the \"Olive\nLeaf.\" And the \"Olive Leaf\" is an example of how the revelations were\nfirst circulated among the Saints. Of course, the method was very\nunsatisfactory in a day of modern advancement. The people began soon\nto desire the word of God, as given to them directly, in printed\nform. Indeed, so early did this desire manifest itself that in July,\n1830, only three months after the organization of the Church, the\nProphet Joseph Smith was already engaged on the compilation of the\nrevelations.[B] This was the beginning of the book of modern scripture.\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 104.]\n\nThe work of compilation seems, however, to have progressed slowly.\nSomewhat over a year after the task was begun, a special conference was\nconvened in Hiram, Ohio. This was November 1st, 1831.[C] The conference\nwas called to consider the publication of the revelations received by\nthe Prophet Joseph Smith. It was decided to issue an edition of 10,000\ncopies; and during the afternoon of the first day of the conference,\nthe Prophet \"received by inspiration,\" the preface to the proposed\nbook. It appears now as section first in the Book of Doctrine and\nCovenants. It is a model of literary construction. The same afternoon,\ntoo, the brethren assembled bore testimony to the divine inspiration\nof the revelations. \"Brother Joseph Smith, Jun.,\" we read, \"said that\ninasmuch as the Lord had bestowed a great blessing upon us in giving\ncommandments and revelations, he asked the conference what testimony\nthey were willing to attach to these commandments which would shortly\nbe sent to the world. A number of the brethren arose and said that they\nwere willing to testify to the world that they knew that they were of\nthe Lord.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote C: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 221.]\n\n[Footnote D: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 222, footnote.]\n\nOn the second day of the conference, \"the revelation (of the evening\nbefore) was read by the moderator (this was Oliver Cowdery). The\nbrethren then arose in turn and bore witness to the truth of the Book\nof Commandments.\" The elders present at this special conference were\nJoseph Smith, Jun., Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, John Whitmer, Peter\nWhitmer, Jun., Sidney Rigdon, William E. McLellin, Orson Hyde, Luke\nJohnson and Lyman E. Johnson.\n\nWith the confidence and the testimonies of the elders thus expressed,\nJoseph Smith proceeded further to prepare the revelations for\npublication. It was decided by the conference that Oliver Cowdery\nshould carry the commandments and revelations to Independence, Mo.,\nwhere the printing press of the Church was located. The Prophet\nshould prepare and arrange the revelations by the time Elder Cowdery\nleft--\"which was to be by--or, if possible, before--the 15th of\nthe month\" (November).[E] In due time, the work of compilation was\naccomplished; the volume of modern scripture was dedicated by prayer\nto the service of the Almighty, the Prophet himself performing the\nordinance;[F] John Whitmer was appointed to accompany Oliver Cowdery\nthrough the wild frontier to Independence; and the sacred record was\nsent on its way to Zion.\n\n[Footnote E: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 290.]\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 234.]\n\nThe printing of the sacred book did not progress rapidly. On the\ntwenty-fifth of June, 1833, more than a year after the holding of the\nspecial conference, Sidney Rigdon wrote a long letter, in behalf of the\nPresidency of the Church, to W. W. Phelps and others in Zion. \"We have\nreceived your last,\" he writes, \"containing a number of questions which\nyou desire us to answer. * * *\n\n\"First as respects getting the Book of Commandments bound we think it\nis not necessary. They will be sold well without binding, and there is\nno book-binder to be had that we know of, nor are there materials to be\nhad for biding, without keeping the books too long from circulation.\"\n\nLater in the same letter, the writer says, \"We have received some\nrevelations within a short time back, which you will obtain in due\nseason.\" And a little later, still, in the same letter, the writer\ncalls attention to some typographical errors in the fortieth and\nforty-fourth chapters of the forthcoming book.[G] Evidently, then,\nthe work of printing the sacred book had progressed so far that\npreparations had to be made for binding the book; yet, there was still\ntime apparently to add new revelations and to make corrections.\n\n[Footnote G: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 362-364.]\n\nA little less than a month after writing the letter mentioned above,\nSidney Rigdon wrote another in behalf of the Presidency. In the latter\nletter he writes, \"Consign the box of the Book of Commandments to N.\nK. Whitney & Co., Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, care of Kelly and\nWalworth, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.\"[H] Evidently, the first\nedition of the Book of Commandments was nearing completion. The Sacred\nBook of today was soon to be sent out into the world.\n\n[Footnote H: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 369.]\n\nUnfortunately, however, the shipment was never made. On July 20th,\n1833, a mob collected near the Church printing office in Independence,\nand demanded that the printing office and the store be closed, and that\nall mechanical labors cease.[I] The Church leaders in Zion refused to\ncomply with these unreasonable demands. Thereupon, the mob rushed upon\nthe building, destroyed papers and publications, seized materials of\nvalue, turned the family of Wm. W. Phelps out of doors, and razed the\nbuilding to the ground. Only a few copies of that edition of the Book\nof Commandments as far as printed were saved from destruction.[J]\n\n[Footnote I: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 390.]\n\n[Footnote J: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 411, 412.]\n\nSomewhat over a year later, the Church prepared again to publish\nthe revelations. A printing house had been established in Kirtland,\nOhio. The conditions seemed favorable for the putting forth of the\nBook of Commandments. On September 24, 1834, at a meeting of the High\nCouncil, at Kirtland, a committee was appointed \"to arrange the items\nof the doctrine of Jesus Christ, for the government of the Church of\nLatter-day Saints, which Church was organized and commenced its rise\non the 6th of April, 1830. These items are to be taken from the Bible,\nBook of Mormon, and the revelations which have been given to the Church\nup to this date, or that shall be given until such arrangements are\nmade.\" President Joseph Smith, Jun., Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and\nFrederick G. Williams were appointed the committee.[K]\n\n[Footnote K: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, p. 165.]\n\nThis committee, it seems, worked with energy at the task of compiling\nand printing. On August 17, 1835, a little less than a year after\ntheir appointment, the committee finished their appointed labor,\nand a general assembly of the priesthood was called to accept the\nvolume of sacred scripture. In the afternoon session of the assembly\nOliver Cowdery introduced to the priesthood the \"Book of Doctrine and\nCovenants of the Church of the Latter-day Saints.\" William W. Phelps\nand John Whitmer voluntarily testified to the divine authenticity of\nthe new volume of Scripture. Thereafter, the presidents of the High\nCouncils of Kirtland and Missouri, and the presidents of the several\nquorums of the priesthood bore testimony that the revelations in the\nbook were true and that the book should become \"a law and a rule of\nfaith and a practice to the Church.\" Finally, the general authorities\nand the whole assembly accepted the book by unanimous vote as the\ndoctrine and covenants of their faith. William W. Phelps read also the\nfollowing testimony of the twelve apostles to the truth of the Book of\nDoctrine and Covenants:\n\n_\"The testimony of the Witnesses to the Book of the Lord's\ncommandments, which commandments He gave to His Church through Joseph\nSmith Jun., who was appointed, by the voice of the Church, for this\npurpose_.\n\n\"We therefore feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of\nmankind, to every creature upon the face of all the earth, that the\nLord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth\nupon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration of God, and\nare profitable for all men, and are verily true. We give this testimony\nunto the world, the Lord being our helper; and it is through the grace\nof God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, that we are permitted to\nhave this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world, in the\nwhich we rejoice exceedingly, praying the Lord always that the children\nof men may be profited thereby.[L] (Signed)\n\n\"THOMAS B. MARSH, DAVID W. PATTEN, BRIGHAM YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL,\nORSON HYDE, WM. E. MCLELLIN, PARLEY P. PRATT, LUKE S. JOHNSON, WILLIAM\nSMITH, ORSON PRATT, JOHN F. BOYNTON, LYMAN E. JOHNSON.\"[M]\n\n[Footnote L: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, pp. 243-45.]\n\n[Footnote M: In this testimony of the Twelve to the Book of Doctrine\nand Covenants, as published in the History of Joseph Smith in the\n\"Millennial Star,\" the names of the Apostles were not appended, but\nit is thought proper that they should be inserted here in the order\nin which they stood in the quorum. The document was undoubtedly\nprepared before the departure of the Twelve for the East, as it was\nwell known that the work of the committee on selection and compilation\nwould present the Doctrine and Covenants to a general assembly before\nthe Twelve would return.--\"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, p. 245,\nfootnote.]\n\nThus was the \"Book of Doctrine and Covenants\" accepted by the Church\nas a divinely inspired work. And what is the \"Book of Doctrine and\nCovenants\"? First, there appears in the book a series of seven\n\"Lectures on Faith,\" prepared during the year 1835. \"They are not\nto be regarded,\" we are told, \"as of equal authority in matters of\ndoctrine with the revelations of God in the Doctrine and Covenants,\"\nbut as judiciously written and compiled, and as profitable doctrine.[N]\nThere follow one hundred thirty-six sections, or chapters, of the book\nproper. One of these, section 136, is a revelation to Brigham Young.\nNine others, sections 102, 121, 123, 127, 128, 130, 131, 134, and\n135--are not direct revelations in the usually accepted sense, but\nare minutes of important meetings, prayers and prophecies, addresses\nto the Saints, letters, instructions, and so forth, containing\nimportant doctrines. The rest--one hundred twenty-six sections in\nall--are revelations from the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith\nto the Church, or to individuals in the Church. In these one hundred\nthirty-six sections may be found instructions that pertain to the\norganization of the Church and to the doctrines of the Church. While\nthere have been many revelations received since the first Book of\nDoctrine and Covenants was published--while, indeed, the Church leaders\ntoday are prophets, seers, and revelators--yet the early revelations\nare so replete with doctrinal instruction, that we may find there\nsufficient directions for the establishment and the building up of the\nChurch of Christ.\n\n[Footnote N: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, p. 176. footnote.]\n\nThe Doctrine and Covenants meets conditions, not of two thousand years\nor more before Christ, but of the present day. It gives specific\ndirections for the establishing and the maintaining of the Church of\nChrist, not among an oriental people in a primitive age, but among an\nactive people in a progressive age. The living oracle of God is of far\nmore value than the breathless letter. The living prophet is the oracle\nof God; and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants--the Sacred Book of\ntoday--is the record of the revelations received today for the people\nof today.\n\n\n\nXV.\n\nTHE KEYS OF GATHERING.\n\nSunday, the 3rd of April, 1836, was a momentous day in the history of\nthe Church. Since the day of its organization, the Church had increased\nand had prospered in all things. The first conference of the Church\nwas held June 9th, 1830. It is estimated that the membership then was\ntwenty-seven. On the twenty-sixth of September of the same year, the\nsecond conference of the Church was held. There were then sixty-two\ndevotees of the restored Gospel. In January of the following year,\n1831, the Prophet moved to Kirtland, Ohio. His followers then could not\nhave numbered more than eighty, since he wrote in the previous month\nthat the Church \"from Colesville to Canandagua, New York, numbered\nabout seventy members.\" In Kirtland the restored faith soon took root\nand grew rapidly. A conference was held there from the third to the\nsixth of June, 1831, and the \"congregation at this conference numbered\ntwo thousand souls.\" Thus the Church increased in membership from\nyear to year until it soon numbered ten thousand and more. But it was\nnot in increased membership only that the Church showed prosperity.\nIn temporal matters the blessings of the Lord soon became abundantly\nmanifest. The Saints acquired lands, and built houses; and they began\nto take possession of the promised land of Zion. In spiritual matters,\ntoo, the Saints were made to feel that the Lord was near at hand. Many\nrevelations were given to them through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And in\nthe year 1836, a Temple was completed in Kirtland. It was eighty feet\nlong, sixty feet wide, fifty feet high to the top of the walls, with a\ntower one hundred ten feet high. On Sunday, March twenty-seventh, this\ntemple was dedicated to the Lord; and one week later, Sunday, April\n3rd, there were given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery some of the\nmost glorious manifestations recorded in the annals of history.\n\nThe day had been devoted to service in the Lord's House. Joseph Smith\nhad taken part in the ceremonies of the day, and had listened to\ndiscourses delivered by the brethren. After the administration of the\nLord's supper in the afternoon service, \"I retired to the pulpit,\"\nwrites the Prophet, \"the veils being dropped, and bowed myself,\nwith Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer.\"[A] After rising\nfrom prayer, the visions of heaven burst open before these divinely\nappointed men. First appeared to them the Lord Jesus Himself. He stood\nupon the breast-work of the pulpit. Under His feet appeared a paved\nwork of pure gold in color like amber. His eyes shone like a flame of\nfire. His hair was white, like pure snow. His countenance was more\nradiant than the sun. His voice was like the rushing of great waters.\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. II, p. 435.]\n\n\"I am the first and the last,\" he said, \"I am he who liveth, I am he\nwho was slain, I am your advocate with the Father. * * * Behold, I have\naccepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest\nmyself to my people in mercy in this house. * * * Yea, the hearts of\nthousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence\nof the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endownent with\nwhich my servants have been endowed in this house; and the fame of this\nhouse shall spread to foreign lands, and this is the beginning of the\nblessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even\nso. Amen.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 110:1-10.]\n\nIn this wise did the Lord Jesus accept the work of His servants. In\nthis wise did He appear personally before them. And in this wise did\nHe inaugurate marvelous manifestations fraught with blessings to the\nSaints. Twice before in this dispensation it is recorded that the\nLord manifested Himself in vision to His chosen Prophet. Once He had\nappeared together with the Father in answer to the boy's earnest\nprayer. Again He had appeared to the Prophet and his associate, Sidney\nRigdon, to declare the glories of the world to come. And now He comes\nagain, to approve the labor accomplished by His servants, and to\ninaugurate the actual work of redemption for both the living and the\ndead.\n\nImmediately after the vision of the Savior there opened to the seer\nanother vision of heaven. Ages before, the Lord God had selected the\nchildren of Israel to become His chosen people. The divine plan of\nsalvation for the human race anticipated a fall from grace and an\natonement. Through the fall came death to all men; and through the\natonement came eternal life. As the fall came through the sin of one,\nso the atonement came through the voluntary sacrifice of another. But\nthat this Savior might become the living hope of the world, it became\nnecessary to designate the people--even the family--from among whom He\nshould spring. Hence the Chosen people--Israel--to whom the promise of\nMessiah was made. All might have been well with Israel had they not\nbeen a stiff-necked people. But through their perverseness of heart,\nthey called down upon them the wrath of God. Along with promises\nof deliverance and salvation, came predictions of evil to follow\ndisobedience. And Israel was disobedient. Finally, when the Savior had\ncome as predicted to redeem the world, and the iniquity of Israel was\nfull, the Chosen People was broken; the nation to whom the Savior had\ncome became scattered, and was sifted like dust among the peoples of\nthe earth. It was the punishment foretold. To consummate the plan of\nsalvation, must come a gathering of the dispersed tribes of Israel.\n\nAccordingly, the vision that followed upon that of the Savior on the\nmemorable 3rd of April, 1836, revealed to Joseph and Oliver, Moses, the\nProphet of the deliverance of old. \"After this vision was closed,\" we\nread, \"the heavens were again opened unto us, and Moses appeared before\nus, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the\nfour parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the\nland of the north.\"[C]\n\n[Footnote C: Doc. and Cov. 110:11.]\n\nThe nature of this commission is plain. First, the great Prophet Moses,\nto whom had been committed the authority of restoring once before a\ncaptive Israel to their promised land and freedom, now commits those\nkeys of gathering and restoration to the Prophet Joseph Smith and\nhis associate Oliver Cowdery. Then, with the power of this authority\nconferred upon them, Joseph and Oliver may commission others; the story\nof the restoration of the Gospel may be carried to the scattered house\nof Jacob; the actual work of redeeming Israel may be begun. This,\nas the Lord had said in the vision before, was the beginning of the\nblessing which should be poured out upon the heads of His people.\n\nBut it was not the house of Israel alone that should profit by the\nrestoration of the Gospel. Even before the twelve sons of Jacob had\nbeen chosen to become the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, the\nGod of heaven had promised that the blessing of a Savior should attend\nall the children of the world.\n\n\"I will make of thee a great nation,\" the Lord had said to Abraham,\n\"and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be\na blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him\nthat curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be\nblessed.\"[D] Not only to the children of Abraham, then, should the\nGospel be preached, but to all people, and through obedience to the\nGospel they should become the children of Abraham. If the restored\nGospel were, then, to become the power of God unto salvation to all the\nearth-children of God, there must needs be a restoration, not only of\nthe authority to gather and to redeem Israel, but also of the authority\nto preach the Gospel to the world at large.\n\n[Footnote D: Gen. 12:2, 3.]\n\nAccordingly, after the vision of Moses was closed, there appeared\nanother glorious vision to the two young chosen prophets. \"After this,\"\nwe read, \"Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the Gospel\nof Abraham, saying, that in us, and our seed, all generations after us\nshould be blessed.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 110:12.]\n\nThe nature of this commission, too, is plain. It becomes the sacred\nmission of the Saints to do all in their power, not to save Israel\nalone, but to become a blessing to all generations of all men--to cry\nthe Gospel of repentance to the world, that all men, whether Jew or\nGentile, may hear it and obey it. Elias--a prophet of whom we know\nbut little[F]--apparently held last the keys of the dispensation of\nthe Gospel of Abraham. In proper time he comes, in harmony with the\ndivine plan, and commits those keys to the men who are to carry off the\nlabors of the dispensation of the fulness of times. This, again--as the\nLord had said in the vision before--was the beginning of the blessing\nwhich should be poured out upon the heads of His people. And thus was\nconsummated another act in the great drama of the Restoration. The\nauthority for accomplishing the salvation of the living was restored in\nfull. The story of the restoration of the authority for the salvation\nof the dead we must leave for another chapter.\n\n[Footnote F: Doc. and Cov. 27:6, 7.]\n\n\n\nXVI.\n\nTHE FATHERS AND THE CHILDREN.\n\nThe glorious visions in which had appeared Moses and Elias were closed.\nJoseph and Oliver stood before the pulpit of the temple waiting. But\nwhy should they wait for further manifestations? What more could they\nnow expect? Or, what more, indeed, could now be given them? All the\nliving children of the world were provided for. Authority to preach and\nto baptize Joseph and Oliver had held before the appearance of Moses\nand Elias. But Israel was a special people. Upon Israel had been passed\na special sentence. Moses was the great lawgiver and deliver of ancient\nIsrael. Therefore, that everything might be done in order, Moses\ncame to restore the special authority of redeeming and gathering the\nchosen people. In like manner, Elias was he who held particularly the\nauthority of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham. Accordingly, in\nthe last days, that everything might be done in order, the authority\nof the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham was restored by him who\nheld it to the great American prophet, though he held already the full\nauthority of the Priesthood of the Son of God. Thus, the redemption and\nthe salvation, not of living Israel alone, but of all the living human\nfamily were provided for. What more could the Prophet and his companion\nawait?\n\nIt is said in the Jewish Scripture that every tongue shall confess\nthat Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[A] But the\nvery fact that the keys of authority are restored to preach the gospel\nto the living presupposes a loss of that authority, and a departure\nfrom the true doctrine of the Christ. There have died many hundreds of\nthousands who have not confessed Jesus. Indeed, even at the present\ntime, there die daily in the best Christian lands thousands of persons\nwho have never heard the joyful sound of the Gospel of the Lord. Yet,\nonly through obedience to the Gospel, may mortals be saved. The living\nmay by good chance hear it; but what provision has been made for the\ndead?\n\n[Footnote A: Phil. 2:11.]\n\nDuring the visions of the night of September 21st, 1823, the Angel\nMoroni read to the Prophet Joseph these words of Malachi: \"Behold I\nwill reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet,\nbefore the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he\nshall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the\nfathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers;\nif it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at its\ncoming.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. sec 2.]\n\nThe words of the prophet predict undoubtedly a plan for the salvation\nof the dead. And that the unconverted dead shall have the opportunity\nof being saved becomes absolutely necessary to the accomplishment of\nthe great scheme of redemption. The Gospel was not designed to save\nonly a few. The whole human family, both the living and the dead--and\nthose yet to be, as well--may gain eternal life through obedience to\nthe Gospel. The world hereafter will be a kingdom of glories, and\na glory of kingdoms. Each one who has lived upon the earth will be\nawarded the degree of exaltation he merits. The children of the great\nFather of all will be assigned in His kingdom of glories to places\nthey have earned; and each in his place will inherit, to the glory\nof the Father, a position equal to his earthly achievement. All this\nseems simple enough. But the kingdoms of the Father will include all\nHis earth-children; and the more that have proved themselves worthy of\nexaltation and blessing, the greater will be His eternal joy. So also\nwith each of the children, in turn. In the celestial glory each one's\nkingdom will comprise those of one's own family; and thus the glory of\nkingdoms will increase from generation to generation, each bound to\nthe other--and all to the great Father--by the ties of kindred. The\nperfecting of the ties of kindred through a work done by the living for\nthe dead, is undoubtedly what Paul had in mind when he said, speaking\nof the fathers of Israel, that \"they without us should not be made\nperfect;\"[C] and again, \"for to this end Christ both died, and rose and\nrevived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.\"[D] Hence,\nit becomes a matter of first importance to provide for the salvation of\nthe dead. Hence, too, Joseph and Oliver might well wait, after they had\nbeen commissioned with authority to save the living, to learn if the\nLord had further keys of authority to confer upon them.\n\n[Footnote C: Heb. 11:49.]\n\n[Footnote D: Rom. 14:9.]\n\nAnd the Lord had further authority to confer upon them. After the\nvision of Elias was closed, the promise given nearly thirteen years\nbefore was fulfilled. Another glorious vision opened before the seers.\n\"For Elijah, the prophet,\" we read, \"who was taken to heaven without\ntasting death, stood before us and said: Behold the time has fully\ncome, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that\nhe (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the\nLord came, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the\nchildren to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse.\nTherefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands,\nand by this ye may know the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near,\neven at the doors.\"[E] Thus, the necessary authority for performing\nsaving ordinances for the dead was restored in this dispensation by him\nwho held it. Another important act in the drama of the Restoration was\naccomplished.\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 110:13-16.]\n\nDuring the years following immediately upon the vision of Elijah, not\na great deal was accomplished in the great work of salvation for the\ndead. In after years, however, the subject grew on the Prophet's mind.\nIt was ever present with him. He wrote about it, and he spoke about\nit. In 1841, in a general conference of the Church held at Nauvoo, he\nsaid, \"There is never a time, when the spirit is too old to approach\nGod. All are within reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed\nthe unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world,\nnor in the world to come. There is a way to release the spirits of the\ndead! that is by the power and authority of the Priesthood--by binding\nand loosing on earth. This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it\nexhibits the greatness of divine compassion and benevolence in the\nextent of the plan of human salvation.\n\n\"This glorious truth is well calculated to enlarge the understanding\nand to sustain the soul under troubles, difficulties, and distresses.\nFor illustration, suppose the case of two men, brothers, equally\nintelligent, learned, virtuous, and lovely, walking in uprightness and\nin all good conscience, so far as they have been able to discern from\nthe muddy stream of tradition, or from the blotted page of the book of\nnature.\n\n\"One dies and is buried, having never heard the gospel of\nreconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears\nand embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one\nbecome the partaker of glory and the other be consigned to hopeless\nperdition? Is there no chance for his es cape? Sectarianism answers\n'none.' Such an idea is worse than atheism. The truth shall break down\nand dash in pieces all such bigoted Pharisaism; the sects shall be\nsifted, the honest in heart brought out, and their priests left in the\nmidst of the corruption.\n\n\"This doctrine presents in a clear light the wisdom and mercy of God in\npreparing an ordinance for the salvation of the dead, being baptized by\nproxy, their names recorded in heaven and they judged according to the\ndeeds done in the body. This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures.\nThose Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do\nit at the peril of their own salvation.\"[F]\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. IV, pp. 425-6.]\n\nAgain, in September of the year following, while he was in hiding\nfrom his enemies who pursued him without cause, the Prophet wrote two\nepistles to the Church.[G] In these he confesses that the subject of\nsalvation for the dead is uppermost in his mind. He gives detailed\ninstructions for the proper recording of the vicarious work of those\nwho have gone before. He shows by scriptural evidence why it is\nnecessary to preserve an accurate record of all that is done upon the\nearth. He reviews with spirit the whole of the sublime doctrine of the\nsalvation of the dead. And, finally, he bursts into a beautiful modern\npsalm[H] praising the King Immanuel, who ordained before the world was\na means whereby the uninitiated dead might be redeemed.\n\n[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. secs. 127, 128.]\n\n[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. 128:22-24.]\n\n\"It is sufficient to know,\" he says, discussing the prediction that\nElijah should come, \"that the earth will be smitten with a curse,\nunless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the\nfathers and the children, upon some subject or other, and behold what\nis that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them\ncannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.\nNeither can they or we, be made perfect without those who have died\nin the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the\ndispensation of the fulness of times; which dispensation is now\nbeginning to usher in, that a whole and complete, and perfect union and\nwelding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories\nshould take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the\npresent time.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote I: Doc. and Cov. 128:18.]\n\nThe restoration of the special authority to perform vicarious work\nfor the dead occurred, it will be remembered, in the Kirtland Temple,\nApril 3rd, 1836. In the Kirtland Temple there were no provisions made,\nhowever, for performing ordinances for the dead. It was not erected for\nthat purpose. During the years, then, before suitable accommodations\nwere provided in the Temple, the saving ordinance of baptism for the\ndead was performed, in compliance with instructions received by the\nProphet, in the Mississippi river.\n\nBut in a revelation given January 19th, 1841, the Prophet Joseph was\ncommanded to build the temple at Nauvoo.[J] For this temple the Lord\nmade known by revelation what was necessary for performing the great\nwork of redeeming the dead. Moreover, the Lord declared that the\nordinance of baptism for the dead belongs to His Holy House, and cannot\nbe acceptable to Him when performed elsewhere, except during the days\nof poverty of the Church. An appointed time was named; \"and if you do\nnot these things at the end of the appointment, [i. e., perform the\nwork for the dead], ye shall be rejected as a Church, with your dead,\nsaith the Lord your God.\"[K] The period of the appointment expired,\nit would seem, the same year; for at the conference held October 2nd,\n1841, the Prophet announced, \"There shall be no more baptism for the\ndead, until the ordinance can be attended to in the Lord's House; and\nthe Church shall not hold another General Conference until they can\nmeet in said house. _For thus saith the Lord_.\"[L]\n\n[Footnote L: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. IV, p. 426.]\n\n[Footnote J: Doc. and Cov. sec. 124.]\n\n[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 124:32.]\n\nSince that day, the great work of salvation of the dead has been\nperformed in specially built temples, or houses of the Lord.\n\n\n\nXVII.\n\nTHE GOSPEL BROTHERHOOD.\n\nThere is a very interesting kind of community life mentioned in the\nbook of the Acts of the Apostles. On Pentecost, after the resurrection\nof the Lord, Peter preached a powerful sermon to the Jews assembled\nin Jerusalem from all parts of the world. The hearts of the multitude\nwere touched. \"Men and brethren,\" they cried, \"what shall we do?\" Peter\ninstructed them. There were added to the Church in that day about\nthree thousand souls. \"And all that believed were together,\" we read,\n\"and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and\nparted them to all men, as every man had need.\"[A] Again, not very long\nthereafter, Peter and John were imprisoned for preaching of Jesus in\nJerusalem. Since, however, there was no charge against them on which\nthey might be punished, the apostles were released. Then they returned\nto their own company and united with them in prayer. And this company\nof believers had all things common. \"Neither was there any among them\nthat lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold\nthem, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid\nthem down at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to every man\naccording as he had need.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote A: Acts 2:41-45.]\n\n[Footnote B: Acts 4:31-35.]\n\nThis custom of having all things common was by no means original with\nthe Apostolic Church. Thousands of years before a similar principle had\nbeen observed in a select patriarchal community. Enoch, also, organized\nthose who followed him into a kind of \"united order.\" They had all\nthings in common, and finally were translated as a community because of\ntheir righteousness.[C] \"Thus Enoch (the seventh from Adam) instituted\nan order of things among his people, in their business and financial\nrelations, which so revolutionized their temporalities that they had no\npoor among them, and all rejoiced together in equal hope of the life\nand exaltation offered to them in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Only\nBegotten of the Father.\"[D]\n\n[Footnote C: Pearl of Great Price.]\n\n[Footnote D: Compendium, pp. 263, 264.]\n\nThis order of life did not persist, however, after apostolic times. It\nwas wholly unknown to the Christian churches of the nineteenth century.\nSince, however, it was one of the governing principles of the Church of\nChrist, we should look to see it restored in the Dispensation of the\nFulness of Times.\n\nThe Prophet Joseph Smith received, as early as January second, 1831,\nsome instructions concerning the united order of community life. This\nwas only about nine months after the organization of the Church.\n\"Wherefore,\" says the Lord in a revelation given then, \"for this\ncause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio;\nand there I will give unto you my law.\"[E] By the \"law\" is meant\nundoubtedly the law of consecration, which is the basic principle\nof the United Order. Accordingly, only one month later, on February\n9th, 1831, the Lord gave to Joseph Smith, at Kirtland, Ohio, another\nrevelation, explaining this law of the Church. Twelve of the elders of\nthe Church were present when this revelation was received. In it the\nmembers of the Church were instructed to consecrate of their properties\nfor the support of the poor, and for the purchasing of lands, the\nbuilding of temples and houses of worship, and the establishing of the\nNew Jerusalem. The method of consecration is outlined in a general\nway.[F]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 38:32.]\n\n[Footnote F: Doc. and Cov. 42:30-39; read the whole revelation.]\n\nAfter this, the prophet received several revelations on the subject\nof the United Order, or the Order of Enoch, explaining the principle\nmore fully. He was instructed to organize the Saints \"by a bond or\neverlasting covenant that cannot be broken,\" \"for the benefit of the\nChurch of the living God, that every man may improve upon his talent,\nthat every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be\ncast into the Lord's storehouse, to become the common property of the\nwhole Church.\"[G] He was given by revelation the rules governing the\nassigning of stewardships.[H] Twice he received specific commandments\nand directions for organizing the principal communities of the Church\ninto suitable orders for the care of the poor; for establishing\nequality among the rich and the poor; and for securing the independence\nof the Church upon the earth.[I] He was told what provision should\nbe made for widows and orphans.[J] He was directed to appoint clerks\nand treasurers, and have their duties specifically defined.[K] He\nreceived special revelations on the subject for the enlightenment of\ncertain persons.[L] He was told what should be the punishment of those\nnot enrolled in the book of remembrance.[M] And in frequent inspired\ncommunications he received instructions that the commandments which\nhad been given concerning Zion and her law should be executed and\nfulfilled.[N]\n\n[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. secs. 78, 82.]\n\n[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. 51:1-20.]\n\n[Footnote I: Doc. and Cov. secs. 78, 82.]\n\n[Footnote J: Doc. and Cov. 83:1-6.]\n\n[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 85:1-5; 104:1-86.]\n\n[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 92:1-2; 96:9.]\n\n[Footnote M: Doc. and Cov. 85:9-12.]\n\n[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. 105:34.]\n\nIn a measure, some of the Saints of the early days of the Church\nendeavored to carry out the commandments concerning the United Order of\ncommunity life. As soon as the principles of the order were thoroughly\nunderstood, some of the members of the Church were organized according\nto them, and each person belonging to the organization consecrated\nhis property to the Order. The law of consecration and stewardship\nrequires that the person who wishes to comply with it shall transfer\nhis possessions to the bishop of the Church. The transfer shall be by\ndeed and covenant that cannot be broken. In order that the person so\nconsecrating his properties shall have claim upon the bishop for a\nstewardship, the consecration must be full and complete. There must be\nno part of the property withheld.\n\nThereafter, the steward is held accountable for his stewardship. The\nsurplus income--all over and above what he needs to support himself\nand his family--is consecrated to the general storehouse of the Lord,\nas was all his property at the first. Each steward has a common claim\non the general storehouse for all that he may need; and as long as he\nproves a faithful steward, the treasurer of the storehouse must honor\nhis demands.\n\nThe successful operation of such an order as this is predicated, of\ncourse, upon obedience to specific laws. Any violation of the basic\nprinciples of the law must necessarily bring disorganization to the\norder. The law of Consecration, or the United Order of God, was\nobserved for a while in both Kirtland and Independence. Indeed, the\nacquiring successfully of the lands of Jackson county depended upon\nthe righteous fulfillment of the principles of the United Order. \"For\nI, the Lord,\" we read in one of the revelations, \"have decreed in my\nheart, that inasmuch as any man belonging to the order, shall be found\na transgressor, or, in other words, shall break the covenant with which\nye are bound, he shall be cursed in his life, and shall be trodden down\nby whom I will.\"[O] But the people of Zion did not \"hearken altogether\nunto the precepts and commandments which I [the Lord] gave unto\nthem.\"[P] Their enemies came down upon them and drove them from the\nlands they had purchased, and the homes they had provided by tireless\nlabor. Twelve thousand or more, in number, they were forced out of the\ncountry of their desire. Four years before their banishment the Lord\nhad said in revelation:\n\n[Footnote O: Doc. and Cov. 104:5.]\n\n[Footnote P: Doc. and Cov. 103:4.]\n\n\"Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my\npeople, speaking concerning the Church and not individuals, they might\nhave been redeemed even now, but, behold, they have not learned to\nbe obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are\nfull of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as\nbecometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them and are not\nunited according to the union required by the law of the celestial\nkingdom; and Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of\nthe law of the celestial kingdom, otherwise I cannot receive her unto\nmyself.\"[Q]\n\n[Footnote Q: Doc. and Cov. 105:2-5.]\n\nIn this way was revealed another act in the drama of the Restoration.\nSince the time of the revelation quoted above, the United Order has\nnever been successfully practiced in the Church. But the fault lies\nwith the Church members, not with the revelation. To meet our lower\npossibilities, there must be given a lower law to train us to the\nhigher.\n\nThe lower law revealed to succeed the law of consecration is the law\nof tithing. It cannot take the place of the higher law. That law is\neternal; and will supersede the lower law when we shall become prepared\nfor it. Like the law of Moses, the law of tithing is a schoolmaster to\nlead us to Christ. This law was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith\nJuly 8, 1838, and requires that every Church member shall pay into the\nstorehouse of the Church one-tenth of all his interest annually. The\nrevelation on tithing reads as follows:\n\n\"Revelation given through Joseph, the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri,\nJuly 8, 1838, in answer to the question, Lord, show unto thy servants\nhow much thou requirest of the properties of the people for a tithing?\n\n\"Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property\nto be put into the hands of the bishop of my Church of Zion, for the\nbuilding of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion\nand for the Priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my\nChurch; and this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people;\nand after that, those who have thus been tithed, shall pay one-tenth of\nall their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them\nfor ever, for my holy Priesthood, saith the Lord.\n\n\"Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass, that all those who\ngather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus\nproperties, and shall observe this law, or they shall not be found\nworthy to abide among you.\n\n\"And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it\nholy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my\nstatutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most\nholy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion\nunto you; and this shall be an ensample unto all the Stakes of Zion.\nEven so. Amen.\"[R]\n\n[Footnote R: Doc. and Cov. sec. 119.]\n\nIt will be observed that this remarkable revelation provides two\nthings: First, \"all those who gather unto the land of Zion shall be\ntithed of their surplus properties;\" secondly, \"those who have thus\nbeen tithed, shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually.\" The\nfund so established is the revenue of the Church. With it the expenses\nof Church organization are met; Church schools are maintained; lands\nare purchased for the public good; public buildings are erected;\ntemples and meetinghouses are built; the borders of Zion are extended;\nthe wants of the poor are supplied; and the Gospel is published abroad\namong the nations of the earth.\n\nBut the law of tithing, like the law of the United Order, is not\noriginal with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was\npracticed by holy men of God in very ancient times. For example, we\nread in the Hebrew Scriptures that Abram paid Melchizedek tithes of all\nthat he had;[S] that Jacob covenanted with his God to pay Him a tenth\nof all his increase;[T] and that even the Scribes and the Pharisees in\nthe days of Jesus knew and practiced the law of tithing.[U] Moreover,\nit is quite evident that the law of tithing was considered a sacred\ncommandment with a promise. Said the Lord, through the prophet Malachi,\n\"Bring ye all the tithes unto the storehouse, that there may be meat in\nmine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I\nwill not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing,\nthat there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke\nthe devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of\nyour ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in\nthe field, saith the Lord of hosts.\"[V] On the other hand, disobedience\nto the law of tithing was known to arouse the righteous indignation of\nthe Lord. Said the Lord again, through the prophet Malachi, rebuking\nthe disobedient children of Israel, \"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have\nrobbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and\nofferings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this\nwhole nation.\"[W]\n\n[Footnote S: Genesis 14.]\n\n[Footnote T: Genesis 28:22.]\n\n[Footnote U: Matt. 23:23.]\n\n[Footnote V: Malachi 3:10, 11.]\n\n[Footnote W: Malachi 3:8, 9.]\n\nSo, also, in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, the law of\ntithing is a sacred commandment with a promise and a penalty. \"Behold,\nnow it is called today (until the coming of the Son of man), and verily\nit is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people! for\nhe that is tithed shall not be burned\" [at His coming].[X] Moreover,\nin the revelation on tithing itself, the Lord declares that if His\npeople \"observe not this law to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify\nthe land of Zion. * * * it shall not be a land of Zion\" unto them.\nObedience to the law of tithing is therefore required of every member\nof the Church. A man cannot be in full fellowship with his God and with\nhis fellow-worshipers if he neglects to observe the law. \"While the\nliving of any one law of the gospel adds to one's power to live and\nenjoy every other law, the living of no one law will secure salvation.\nFaithful tithe-paying makes the humble wage earner and the drawer of\nlarge dividends, equal on the Lord's ledger. Each has fulfilled the\nlaw; neither has done more. While tithe paying alone is not sufficient\nto keep a man in the Church, yet he cannot retain his standing to the\nend without it.\"[Y]\n\n[Footnote X: Doc. and Cov. 64:23.]\n\n[Footnote Y: George H. Brimhall, \"Tithing,\" p. 3.]\n\nThe paying honestly, then, into the storehouse of the Lord of one-tenth\nof one's interest annually, is a sacred duty not to be considered\nlightly. Until we shall have reached a stage sufficiently near\nperfection to enable us to live the higher law of the United Order, we\nare under divine command to observe the lesser law of tithing. It, too,\nis a means of establishing the eternal brotherhood of man.\n\n\n\nXVIII.\n\nA NEW AND EVERLASTING COVENANT.\n\nIt is a remarkable feature of the message of the Prophet Joseph Smith,\nthat, it is broad and comprehensive in its purpose of saving the human\nrace, yet it is applicable to the struggling life of the poorest of\nGod's children. Indeed, therein lies in part at least the superiority\nof the restored Gospel over every other creed or system of philosophy\nknown to man. It does not center its efforts toward reform in the\ncommunity at large, though its principles of reform comprehend the\ncommunity; but it strikes at the individual and sets him right, knowing\nthat with the individual right the community cannot be wrong. This, I\ntake it, is the basic principle of the Gospel Brotherhood of the United\nOrder of God. To collect a number of unrepentant sinners and convicts;\nto organize them into an ideal brotherhood; to hope that they will\nlearn as a community to know the ways of God--is indeed Utopian. The\nhope cannot be realized. But to convert the individual; to gather the\nconverted individuals, to organize them in a United Order; to hope then\nthat there will develop an ideal community--is anything but Utopian.\nWhen the individual is right, the community must be right. If the\ncommunity fails, the fault lies with the individual.\n\nIt becomes of first importance, then, in the Church of Christ, to\ninspire every member of it with ideals of purity, honor, and integrity.\nFor that reason, the new revelation taught faith in God and in His Son\nJesus Christ; a sincere repentance, or turning away from evil; baptism\nby immersion for the remission of sins, in token of one's humility\nand integrity of purpose; the imposition of hands by those holding\ndivine authority, to confirm the candidate a member of the Church and\nto entitle him to the presence and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost;\nand, ever afterwards, a careful observance of the great commandments,\n\"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy\nsoul, and with all thy mind. * * * Thou shalt love thy neighbor as\nthyself.\"[A] Thus the proper spiritual condition of the individual was\nwell provided for. It is only because the love of self remains stronger\nthan the love of God and the love of neighbor, that the perfect law of\nthe Order of Enoch fails in its operation.\n\n[Footnote A: Matt. 22:37-39.]\n\nBut the individual seldom, if ever, lives alone. While it is true that\nthe individual must be right if the community is to be right, yet\nthe individual is after all not the center of influence in community\nlife. That center is to be found rather in the home. There, two are\nbound together by sacred ties of love and worship; and others, by\nendearing bands of kinship. In the home, the spiritual conditions of\nthe father and the mother--the directing individuals of a community\nin miniature--determine in large measure the lives of the children.\nAs these children are trained in the home--nay, as the father and\nmother hold sacred the marriage relation--so will the family wield an\ninfluence for good or evil in the whole community life. This truth\nwas recognized by the prophets of old. And when the Gospel came to be\nrestored, we should expect to find revealed wonderful, sublime truths\nconcerning the sanctity of the family relationship.\n\nIt is not to be wondered at if Joseph Smith began early to consider\nthe question of family life and marriage. In the years 1830 and 1831,\nvery soon after the Church was organized, he began the inspired\n\"translation\" of the Scriptures. He met there the histories of the\nancient patriarchs and prophets. He observed in these histories--as in\nthat of Jacob and his twelve sons, for example--how the family life was\nheld sacred, and the family relationship in honor. Naturally, in this\ncase as in so many others in the story of the Restoration, questions\nwere aroused in the mind of the Prophet. What is the nature of the\nmarriage relationship in the sight of God? What will be the condition\nof men and women in the future life? Of what importance is the family\nrelationship either here or hereafter?\n\nThere is abundant evidence that the Prophet Joseph Smith received\nprobably as early as 1831 revelations on these important questions.\nBecause, however, the people were not yet prepared to receive the great\ntruths that had been revealed to him, the revelations were withheld for\nmany years. In a revelation of the year 1831, the Prophet said only,\nconcerning marriage, \"that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of\nGod, for marriage is ordained of God unto man; wherefore it is lawful\nthat he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and\nall this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 49:15-17.]\n\nIt was not until July 12, 1843,[C] that the glorious truths concerning\nthe sanctity and eternity of the marriage covenant--long before\nrevealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith--were committed to writing and\nread by his friends. Even then, not all that had been given to him was\nrevealed to his followers. But in the publication of as much as he\ngave, another step in the great drama of the Restoration was enacted.\nOwing to the persecutions to which the early Saints were subjected, the\nrevelation was not officially published until 1852, five years after\nthe wearisome tramp across the plains to the Rocky Mountains.\n\n[Footnote C: At the conference held August 17, 1835, in which the Book\nof Doctrine and Covenants was adopted, an article on marriage was read\nby William W. Phelps. This article was accepted by the vote of the\nconference and was printed in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The\narticle was not a revelation, however, nor indeed was it so received by\nthe general assembly of the Priesthood. The Prophet Joseph Smith knew\nnothing of the article. He was absent, in Canada, when it was accepted\nby the conference.]\n\nAnd what is this famous Section 132 of the Book of Modern Scripture? On\nanalysis the revelation falls into twelve distinct parts, as follows:\n\n(a.) The introduction. The revelation is given in response to inquiry.\nThe Lord is about to reveal a new and everlasting covenant. Verses 1 to\n6.\n\n(b.) The New and Everlasting Covenant is defined. Marriage is not only\nfor time but for all eternity. Verses 7 to 14.\n\n(c.) An illustration. The condition of those married by civil authority\nonly, is explained. Verses 15 to 18.\n\n(d.) An illustration. The condition of those married by the authority\nof the Holy Priesthood, is explained. Verses 19 to 20.\n\n(e.) A warning. Those who do not observe this law of the Priesthood\ncannot attain a fulness of God's glory. The unpardonable sin is\ndefined. Verses 21 to 27.\n\n(f.) The acts of Abraham and other patriarchs of old are justified.\nVerses 28 to 39.\n\n(g.) The sin of adultery is defined. Verses 40 to 45.\n\n(h.) The sealing power of the Priesthood is explained. Verses 46 to 50.\n\n(i.) Special instructions are given to Emma Smith, the wife of the\nProphet. Verses 51 to 57.\n\n(j.) The law of the Priesthood respecting plurality of wives is stated.\nVerses 58 to 64.\n\n(k.) The duty of the husband to the wife, and the wife to the husband\nin this law of the Priesthood is explained. Verses 64 to 65.\n\n(l.) Conclusion. More will be revealed hereafter. Verse 66.\n\nIt will be observed that the basic thought in this revelation is that\nmarriage shall be, not only for a time, but for all eternity. This is\nthe principle of the New and Everlasting Covenant. \"All covenants,\ncontracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections,\nassociations, or expectations, that are not made, and entered into, and\nsealed, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as\nwell for time and for all eternity--are of no efficacy, virtue or force\nin and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that\nare not made unto this end, have an end when men are dead.\"[D] Applied\nto the doctrine of marriage, this statement means that when two are\nunited in marriage outside of the authority of the Church, their union\ncan last only till death parts them. They are then not bound by any law\nwhen they are out of the world. And in that other world which is to\ncome, they will be appointed angels, or ministering servants, to those\nwho are worthy of a greater glory. The marriage ceremony belongs to\nthis earth and must be accomplished here.\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. 132:7.]\n\nIf, however, a man marry a wife by the new and everlasting\ncovenant--and is sealed to her and she to him by the authority of the\nholy priesthood--the covenant and contract between them will be of\nforce worlds without end. Death may part them for a passing time, but\nit cannot separate them. In the resurrection they will meet again.\nIn the life to come they will resume their happy, sacred relations\nas husband and wife. They will inherit the thrones and kingdoms,\nprincipalities and powers, promised to the faithful. And they will\n\"pass by the angels, and the Gods, who are set there, to their\nexaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their\nheads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds\nfor ever and ever.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 132:19.]\n\nIt must be remembered, however, that these promises can be claimed\nonly on the evidence of unimpeachable faithfulness. \"The blasphemy\nagainst the Holy Ghost,\" says the Lord in one part of the revelation\non marriage, \"which shall not be forgiven in the world, nor out of the\nworld, is in that ye commit murder, wherein ye shed innocent blood, and\nassent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting\ncovenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law, can in\nno wise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.\"[F]\n\n[Footnote F: Doc. and Cov. 132:27.]\n\nBy the word of the Lord Himself, then, murder is placed as the most\nawful crime that a man who has entered into this covenant can commit.\nAnd coming close after it is the sin of infidelity to the marriage\ncovenant. The new and everlasting covenant prescribes a perfectly\nmoral and faithful relationship in marriage. The Lord defines the\nsin of adultery, and condemns it. Nor does He allow in the least a\ndouble standard of morality. The new and everlasting order of marriage\nprescribes purity of the home, and sacred fidelity to the marriage\ncovenant. The great promises of future glory can be realized only\nthrough a faithful observance of the new and everlasting covenant.\n\nNo more sublime principle has ever been given to man than this of the\nsanctity and eternity of the marriage contract. Through it, the home\nbecomes more than ever the center of community life. The father and the\nmother, if they continue faithful, are bound together by everlasting\nties. And their children, too, become theirs throughout eternity. Death\ncan have no fears for them. The grave has lost its victory. For they\nknow they shall rise again from death and the grave; and then they\nshall mingle again as father and mother and children, and the relations\nso happily begun here will be continued forever there. In such a home\nmay be found true happiness. But to gain such happiness, both parties\nto the marriage contract must have faith in the divine ordinance; it\nmust be performed by the authority of the priesthood of God. If the\nordinance be not so performed, neither the man nor the woman can attain\nthe fulness of the glory of God. \"In the celestial glory there are\nthree heavens or degrees,\" we read in the revelation numbered section\n131; \"and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this\norder of the Priesthood (meaning the New and Everlasting Covenant of\nmarriage).\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. 131:1, 2.]\n\nIt will be observed, further, that the revelation on marriage\ncontemplates a plurality of wives. The practice of plural marriage\nbrought bitter persecution upon the Church, however. The Congress\nof the United States took action against the practice and demanded\nthat it cease. Accordingly every effort has been put forth, and that\nstrenuously, to suppress plural marriages. The solemnization of plural\nmarriage in the Church has been entirely discontinued. The Lord has\nsaid that when we strive to do His will and our enemies prevent us, He\nwill accept our endeavor.\n\nMeanwhile, the basic principle of the sanctity and eternity of the\nmarriage covenant remains unimpugned. It is still fundamental in the\nsocial organization of the Church. While the world goes on marrying\nand divorcing, and committing a thousand violations of the laws of\nboth God and man, the children of the Latter-day Saints are born in\npurity, reared in holiness, and trained in the fear of God. They are\ntaught that marriage is a sacred relationship; that the ordinance of\nuniting two in marriage should be performed in a sacred place with the\nsanction and by the authority of Almighty God; that then the marriage\nrelationship does not end with this life, but continues through the\ncountless ages yet unborn. How can children so reared look with the\nleast degree of favor upon the social evil--divorce? How can they wink\nat even the mildest forms of immorality and vice so common in the world\ntoday? Their watchword is evermore:\n\n\"For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of\nallowance.\"[H]\n\n[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. 1:31.]\n\n\n\nXIX.\n\nTHE VISION OF GLORIES.\n\nIt is related by the Venerable Bede that, when King Edwin became\npersuaded by the Christian missionary, Paulinus, to adopt the new faith\nof the Christ, he called a council of his wise men and asked of every\none what he thought of the new doctrine. One of the king's chief men,\napproving the king's actions, as also his words, said:\n\n\"The present life of man, O king, seems to me, in comparison of that\ntime which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow\nthrough the room wherein you sit at supper in winter, with your\ncommanders and ministers, and a good fire in the midst, whilst the\nstorms of rain and snow prevail abroad; the sparrow, I say, flying in\nat one door, and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is\nsafe from the wintry storm; but after a short space of fair weather, he\nimmediately vanishes out of your sight, into the dark winter from which\nhe had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but of\nwhat went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly ignorant. If,\ntherefore, this new doctrine contains something more certain, it seems\njustly to deserve to be followed.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: Bede's Ecclesiastical History, bk. II, ch. 3.]\n\nCertainly, Christianity had something more satisfying concerning both\nthe herebefore and the hereafter than had the pagan worship of the\nbarbarous tribes of England. Those tribes became Christian, therefore;\nand as they became Christian, so the whole civilized world has become\nChristian.\n\nBut the question raised by the king's chief man of old is little better\nanswered now than it was then. To a multitude of Christian men, life\nis still as the flight of a sparrow from the outer storm and darkness,\nthrough a lighted hall, and out into the unknowable darkness again.\nTrue, Christianity explained originally both what was before and what\nwas to come. But much of what was first taught has been lost. The word\nof the Lord to Jeremiah, \"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew\nthee, and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee;\nI have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations,\"[B]--is a dark saying\nto the world. So also is the word of Jesus, \"In my Father's house are\nmany mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to\nprepare a place for you.\"[C]\n\n[Footnote B: Jeremiah 1:5.]\n\n[Footnote C: John 14:2.]\n\nThese questions are now again clearly answered in the story of the\nRestoration. As early as June, 1830, only two months after the Church\nwas organized, the question of the previous state of man was clearly\nanswered by the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was then that he received the\nrevelation known as the \"Visions of Moses.\" The Prophet was told that\nGod created all things spiritually before they were formed naturally\nupon the earth; that the spirits of all men were present with God\nfrom the beginning, and convened in council with Him to consider the\ncreation of the earth; and that the children of God shouted for joy\nwhen the earth was formed, and given shape, and appointed to become\nthe home of man.[D] In like manner, the Book of Abraham, translated by\nthe power of God, teaches the same divine truths. There, too, God is\nrepresented as standing in the midst of the spirits of heaven. Some of\nthem are great and noble. These, the Father selects to become prophets,\nkings, and leaders to him, in the earth-life.[E] Thus, are the dark\nsayings of the Jewish scriptures, referring to a pre-existent state\nmade plain.\n\n[Footnote D: Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, chs. 1-5.]\n\n[Footnote E: Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham, chs. 3, 4, 5.]\n\nThe earth-life, then, is no longer like the flight of a sparrow from\nan unknown outer darkness into a lighted hall. We know whence we came.\nOur advent here is but the process of graduation, or promotion, from a\nlower life to a higher. There, we had progressed in the experience of\nthe spirit. To advance further, we must pass from the spiritual state\nto the temporal state, and gain experiences unattainable there. The\npresent life is in continuation of the life before. And there is yet to\ncome in continuation a life hereafter.\n\nAs the Prophet Joseph Smith revealed the condition of man in the life\nbefore this, so he revealed also the condition of man when this life\nshall be ended. Early in the year 1832, the Prophet had attended a\nconference of the Church held at Amherst. On his return home from that\nconference, he resumed the translation of the Scriptures, which had\noccupied him for nearly two years. Undoubtedly, many questions arose\nin his mind as the work progressed. Among others came to him also the\nquestion of man's future state.\n\n\"From sundry revelations which had been received,\" he writes, \"it was\napparent that many important points touching the salvation of man, had\nbeen taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared\nself-evident from what truths were left that if God rewarded every one\naccording to the deeds done in the body the term 'Heaven' as intended\nfor the Saints' eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one.\"[F]\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 245.]\n\nOn February 16, 1832, the word of the Lord came with power. Joseph was\naccompanied this time by Sidney Rigdon. Suddenly the visions of heaven\nopened before them, and they were permitted to see both the damnation\nand the exaltation of men hereafter. They were commanded to write the\nvision as they saw it. It forms now Section 76 of the Doctrine and\nCovenants. As a revelation, it is one of the noblest sections in the\nsacred Book of Today. Analyzed, the section falls naturally into eleven\nparts.\n\n1. The introduction. The Lord will reveal His mysteries to the\nfaithful. Verses 1 to 10.\n\n2. Explanation. The circumstances under which the vision was given are\nstated. Verses 11 to 18.\n\n3. The beginning of the vision. Joseph and Sidney behold the glory of\nthe Son on the right hand of God. Verses 19 to 24.\n\n4. Lucifer, a Son of the Morning, is cast out of heaven. The Elders are\ncommanded to write the vision. Verses 25 to 30.\n\n5. The vision of the sons of perdition. They are they who crucify\nChrist unto themselves. The special mission of the Christ is explained.\nVerses 31 to 49.\n\n6. The resurrection of the just. The condition of those who come forth\nin this resurrection is explained. The celestial glory. Verses 50 to 70.\n\n7. Terrestrial world. The condition of those who attain the second\nglory is described. Verses 71 to 80.\n\n8. The glory of the telestial. The condition of those who attain the\ntelestial is described. Verses 81 to 89.\n\n9. A summary. The degrees of glory are compared. Verses 90 to 98.\n\n10. The glory of the telestial. The condition of those who attain the\nthird glory is further described. Verses 99 to 113.\n\n11. Conclusion. Many things revealed which cannot be written. Verses\n114 to 119.\n\nIt appears from the doctrine of this revelation that all God's children\nwill ultimately be saved, except the sons of perdition. Fortunately it\nis not easy to become a son of perdition. To become a son of perdition,\none must deny the fulness of the light of the everlasting Gospel after\nhaving experienced it; one must defy the power of God after having\nknown it and partaken of it; one must deny the Holy Spirit after having\nreceived it; one must consent to the crucifixion of the only Begotten\nSon of the Father, and to the putting of Him to open shame. On such a\none only shall the second death have power. \"For all the rest shall\nbe brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph\nand the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the\nFather, before the worlds were made.\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. 76:39.]\n\nHowever, \"all the rest\" shall not come forth to equal glory. As\nthere are three degrees of brilliancy in the heavens, represented\nfiguratively by the sun, the moon, and the stars, so there are three\ndegrees of glory in the future life; and as the stars in heaven differ\nin magnitude, so do the degrees of exaltation within the glories differ\nthe one from the other. \"In my Father's house,\" said Jesus, \"are\nmany mansions.\" Each of the children of God will be assigned in the\nfuture life to the mansion for which he has qualified. In other words,\nmen will be judged by the deeds done while in the body, and will be\nrewarded according to their works.\n\nThus, those only will attain the celestial glory who have been faithful\nin all things. They have kept the commandments of God, and have been\nsealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. They are the Church of the First\nBorn; they are priests and kings who receive of the fulness of His\nglory. \"They are Gods, even the sons of God\" and \"shall dwell in the\npresence of God and His Christ for ever and ever.\"\n\nThe terrestrial world, however, consists of those who have not been\nvaliant in the testimony of Jesus, as have those of the celestial. They\nare those who died without law, \"who received not the testimony of\nJesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.\" They are honorable men\nof the earth, who could not see the light for the craftiness of men.\nThey are men who were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; therefore,\nthey could not obtain the crown over the kingdom of God. These receive\nthe presence of the Son, but do not receive the fulness of the Father.\n\nFinally, even those who have violated the commandments of God will\nbe saved in the telestial glory, so only they have not committed the\nunpardonable sin. These are men who did not receive the everlasting\nGospel when the opportunity was at hand, but who did not deny the Holy\nSpirit. They are sinners and breakers of the law, and are cast in\npunishment to the depths of hell. Thence they can be redeemed only at\nthe last resurrection. But in the end they will be saved, and exalted\naccording to their merits, in the telestial kingdom. There they do not\nreceive the administration of the Father or the Son, \"but of the Holy\nSpirit through the ministration of the terrestrial.\" Theirs is the\nlowest order of salvation.\n\nEvery man, then, will receive the reward for which he qualifies. Either\nwe shall be lost, with the sons of perdition, or we shall be saved\nin one of the kingdoms of glory. And if we are saved we may continue\nfurther to grow. As in this life we must go either forward or backward,\nso in the future life, we must either advance or retrograde. There is\nno such thing as standing still. There is no level plain, the summit\nof all things, above which ascend no heights. There is no end to\nadvancement. Eternal progression is the principle upon which the gospel\nis based. Eternal progression was an active principle when the words\nbegan; it is active still; it will continue to be active worlds without\nend. When we shall be graduated, then, from this life into the future\none, we shall not pass merely from a field of endeavor and profitable\nactivity into one of lethargic idleness. There will be work for us\nstill to do. We shall find our time happily occupied. The principle of\neternal progression will require of us all eternal, ceaseless activity.\n\nThese principles, together with those in the previous chapters, are\namong the most noble ever given to man. The announcement of them places\nJoseph Smith far and away above the heads of the philosophers of the\nworld. It is a crowning act in the great drama of the Restoration.\n\n\n\nXX.\n\nIN THE MOUTHS OF WITNESSES.\n\nIt is wonderful how the Lord of heaven has safe-guarded every act in\nthe story of the Restoration, that there may be no question as to\nits actuality. That Joseph Smith was a great prophet there can be\nno question. He will remain forever the divinely appointed leader\nof the dispensation of the fulness of times. His work is sufficient\nto establish his claim as a prophet. The far-reaching results that\nhave followed his ministry are sufficient evidence of his divine\ninspiration. Founded in the midst of the age of science and progress,\nthe system he introduced is \"a marvelous work and a wonder.\" There are,\nhowever, enemies innumerable to the restoration who do not hesitate\nto cast doubt upon it. \"How shall we know,\" ask the opponents of the\nProphet, \"that he really saw a vision, or that he received authority\nfrom heaven? Is it not possible that he was himself deceived about\nthose things? Or is it not possible even that he lied deliberately\nabout them? The word of the Prophet alone may be sufficient for you who\nhave been converted to believe in him; but to us who do not believe\nin him, what evidence can be given to us that we may know that he was\nneither deceived nor deceiving?\" The question is fair, and to it can be\nmade a fair answer:--Not a single important step in the progress of the\nrestoration was taken without corroborative testimony or the presence\nof witnesses.\n\nThis assertion may seem both broad and rash. On that beautiful morning\nin the early spring of 1820, when the boy, Joseph Smith, went into the\ngrove to pray, he went alone. He took no boon companion with him, nor\ndid he even reveal to his mother the purpose of his visit to the grove.\nAnd when the Father and the Son appeared to him in glorious vision,\nhe was still alone. No other mortal was present during that wonderful\nappearance. How, then can anyone bear corroborative testimony of the\nactuality of that vision?\n\nJoseph Smith claims to have seen no further visions for some three and\na half years. But when he retired on the evening of the twenty-first\nof September, 1823, he prayed earnestly to the Lord to vouchsafe him\nsome further word as to the nature of his mission upon earth. Joseph\nSmith was alone then. He had no friend with him in his room. He sent\nfor neither father, nor mother, nor brother, nor sister. In the privacy\nof his own chamber he prayed, pouring out his heart to his God. And in\nanswer to the fervent prayer, an angel of heaven appeared in another\nglorious vision. It was Moroni, a Nephite, a resurrected being. Three\ntimes he appeared to the boy that night and once in the forenoon of\nthe following day. Four times, then, in about twelve hours, the angel\nMoroni--so the Prophet claims--appeared to him, and each time the boy\nwas alone. No other living mortal was near. Again it may be asked,\nHow can anyone bear corroborative testimony to the actuality of these\nvisions?\n\nOn the day following the visions of the night, Joseph told his father\nwhat he had seen. The father believed the story told by his son. He\ncounseled the boy to do whatever the angel had commanded him to do.\nNow, the angel Moroni had shown Joseph, in vision, a low hill not very\nfar from his own home. In that hill were buried the sacred records of\nthe Nephites, and Joseph was required to visit the hill to see the\nsacred treasure. Accordingly, following his father's counsel, Joseph\nSmith set out near midday of September twenty-second, 1823, to visit\nthe hill, Cumorah, shown him in vision. But he went alone; he took no\ncompanion with him. When he had reached the place of the vision, and\nhad uncovered the golden plates, the angel Moroni appeared again, the\nfifth time. He instructed the boy in his life-work, and required that\nhe should return to the hill annually, on the same day of the month,\nfor four years, that he might be further instructed in the work he had\nto do. Accordingly, Joseph Smith went to the same place on the hill,\nCumorah, on the twenty-second of September, for four consecutive years.\nEach time he went alone. He was accompanied by neither friend nor\nfoe. And each time the angel, Moroni, appeared to him and instructed\nhim. The last time, September twenty-second, 1827, the plates of the\nNephite record were delivered to the young man, and he was commanded to\ntranslate it. Thus, the Prophet claims that the angel, Moroni, appeared\nto him five different times on the hill Cumorah, and instructed him in\nhis work. But each time the Prophet was alone. How, then, can anyone\nbear corroborative testimony of the actuality of these visions? Ten\nvisions the Prophet saw alone, at the beginning of his very interesting\ncareer. Never was he accompanied at any of these visions by mortal man.\nIt seems then that the assertion must fail, that not a single important\nstep in the progress of the restoration was taken without corroborative\ntestimony or the presence of witnesses.\n\nHowever, the work of the young prophet went steadily on. By 1829 the\nNephite record was translated, and during that year it was published\nunder the caption, \"The Book of Mormon.\" Before the book was given to\nthe world the Lord had said in revelation that there should be three\nspecial witnesses to the book.[A] In the book itself, too, three\nwitnesses were predicted.[B] Moreover, it was further said that there\nshould be other witnesses--\"a few according to the will of God, to bear\ntestimony to His word to the children of men.\"[C] In June, 1829, the\nthree special witnesses were appointed by revelation.[D] And some time\nafterwards, eight others were selected to bear testimony to the fact\nthat Joseph Smith was in actual possession of the plates of the Book\nof Mormon. It will be interesting to examine the testimonies of these\neleven men, to learn how they affect the early visions of the Prophet,\nas well as the book itself and the later work of the Church.\n\n[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. 5:11-15.]\n\n[Footnote B: II Nephi 11; Ether 5:4.]\n\n[Footnote C: II Nephi 27:12-13.]\n\n[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. 17.]\n\nThe three witnesses called by revelation to testify to the divine\nauthenticity of the Book of Mormon were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer,\nand Martin Harris. All three men became associated with the Prophet\nsoon after he began the translation of the Nephite record. Martin\nHarris and Oliver Cowdery had acted as scribes for the Prophet; and\nDavid Whitmer had rendered much material assistance and encouragement.\nIt was many days after the receiving of the revelation that named the\nthree witnesses that they agreed, with the Prophet, to retire to the\nwood, \"and try to obtain, by fervent and humble prayer, the fulfillment\nof the promises given in the * * * revelation--that they should have a\nview of the plates.\"[E] Accordingly they retired to a grove near David\nWhitmer's house and began their supplications to the Lord to fulfill\nthe promise made to them.\n\n[Footnote E: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 54.]\n\nIt seemed at first, however, that their prayers were ineffectual. The\nheavens were as brass above their heads. No manifestation of divine\nfavor appeared to encourage them. Each one of the four prayed earnestly\nand fervently, as his turn came, but without avail. A second time\nthey prayed in rotation, but still without result. What could be the\nmatter that their prayers were not answered? Some time before this,\nMartin Harris had prevailed upon the Prophet to allow him to take a\nnumber of pages of the manuscript translation of the Nephite record\nto show them to certain members of his own family. Harris had bound\nhimself by sacred covenant not to exceed the privilege specified, and\nto return the manuscript uninjured. Unfortunately, however, Martin\nHarris had lost the manuscript entrusted to him. The loss had caused\ngreat embarrassment to the Prophet, and had brought upon Harris for a\ntime the disfavor of the Lord.[F] When now the fervent prayers of the\nProphet and the special witnesses remained unanswered, Martin Harris\nsuggested that he would perhaps better withdraw, since undoubtedly it\nwas because of his presence that their efforts were fruitless.\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 21.]\n\nThe three remaining ones then knelt again in prayer. \"[We] had not been\nmany minutes engaged in prayer,\" writes the Prophet, \"when presently\nwe beheld a light above us in the air, of exceeding brightness; and\nbehold, an angel stood before us. In his hands he held the plates\nwhich we had been praying for these to have a view of. He turned over\nthe leaves one by one, so that we could see them, and discern the\nengravings thereon distinctly. He then addressed himself to David\nWhitmer, and said, 'David, blessed is the Lord, and he that keeps His\ncommandments;' when, immediately afterwards, we heard a voice from out\nof the bright light above us, saying, 'These plates have been revealed\nby the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God.\nThe translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command\nyou to bear record of what you now see and hear.'\"[G]\n\n[Footnote G: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, pp. 54, 55.]\n\nThe vision was ended. David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery had obtained\ntheir desire. They had beheld the plates in the hands of an angel; and\nthey had heard the voice of the angel, and another voice from heaven\ndeclaring the correctness of the translation made by the Prophet. It\nwas a marvelous manifestation; these men could not but testify of what\nthey had seen and heard.\n\nIn the meantime, Martin Harris was in another part of the wood\npleading with the Lord. Earlier in the day, the Prophet had said to\nhim solemnly, \"Martin Harris, you have got to humble yourself before\nyour God this day, that you may obtain a forgiveness of your sins. If\nyou do, it is the will of God that you should look upon the plates in\ncompany with Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer.\"[H] But Martin Harris\nhad not sufficiently humbled himself. The testimony from heaven was not\ngiven until Martin had withdrawn from his friends. He began then more\nfully to appreciate his unworthiness. He retired some distance from his\nbrethren, and began there to supplicate the Lord, striving earnestly so\nto abase the pride of his spirit that he might receive the divine favor.\n\n[Footnote H: Lucy Smith, \"History of the Prophet Joseph Smith,\" ch. 31.]\n\nIt was in this frame of mind, and thus occupied, that the Prophet found\nhim at the close of the angelic visit. The spirit of Martin Harris was\nthoroughly humbled. He besought the Prophet earnestly to join him in\nhis supplications. He craved earnestly the sublime testimony that had\nbeen given his associates. Accordingly, the Prophet knelt again with\nhim in prayer. \"And ultimately [we] obtained our desires,\" writes the\nProphet, \"for before we had yet finished the same vision was opened\nto our view, at least it was again opened to me, and I once more\nbeheld and heard the same things; whilst at the same moment, Martin\nHarris cried out, apparently in an ecstasy of joy, ''Tis enough; 'tis\nenough; mine eyes have beheld; mine eyes have beheld;' and jumping\nup, he shouted, 'Hosanna,' blessing God, and otherwise rejoiced\nexceedingly.\"[I]\n\n[Footnote I: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 55.]\n\nThe three chosen witnesses to the Book of Mormon had, then, all\nreceived their testimonies by divine manifestation. The fact that\nMartin Harris experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining the\ntestimony, and that he overcame that difficulty is significant. It adds\nmaterially to the reality and the value of the testimony, that the\nthree, though separated in the actual seeing of the vision, can yet\nbear testimony to the same manifestation in every detail. And all three\ndid bear testimony. Just after the title-page, in the Book of Mormon,\nappears \"The Testimony of Three Witnesses.\"[J] This testimony is\ndeclared \"with words of soberness;\" and those who gave it to the world\nnever once faltered in its defense.\n\n[Footnote J: See Chapter VI.]\n\nBesides these three, there were others also who were favored to see\nand handle the original plates of the Book of Mormon. These others,\nhowever, were not shown the plates by divine manifestation. It was\nsoon after the testimony of three witnesses had been obtained through\nthe ministrations of an angel. The Prophet, Joseph Smith, had gone\nfrom Fayette to Manchester to arrange for the printing of the Book of\nMormon. He was accompanied by Hiram Page, and several of the Whitmers.\nAt Manchester, he was joined by Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and\nSamuel H. Smith. The company thus consisted of the Prophet, with\nChristian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer,\nHiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith. The\nProphet himself showed to the eight witnesses the original plates of\nthe Nephite record. It was a plain, matter-of-fact exhibition. The\nwitnesses not only saw the plates, but handled them, and examined the\nengravings on them. And \"with words of soberness\" they, too, testified\nof what they had seen.\n\nIt is small wonder that, in the light of the evidence here presented,\nit is asserted that the \"Book of Mormon\" is the best authenticated\nsacred record of which the history of the world can boast. Eleven\nwitnesses, on their honor, testify that they have seen and examined\nthe plates from which the translation was made. Three of them testify\nfurther that an angel appeared before them and assured them that the\ntranslation of the engravings on the plates was accomplished by the\npower of God, and was correct. What better or stronger testimony\ncould be required? In the case of the \"Book of Mormon,\" at least, the\nassertion is true, that not a single important step in the progress\nof the restoration was taken without corroborative testimony or the\npresence of witnesses.\n\nIt will be interesting now to return briefly to the first ten visions,\nand learn what effect the testimonies of the eleven witnesses have upon\nthem. Unquestionably, the nine visits of the angel, Moroni, looked to\nthe translation of the sacred plates as well as to the restoration of\nthe fulness of the gospel. On the first night of his appearance to the\nboy-prophet, the angel showed the boy in vision the hill Cumorah, and\nthe place where the plates were hidden. The next day he met the boy\non the sacred hill. Once a year for four years thereafter, the angel\nand the boy met at the place where the plates lay concealed. And at\nevery meeting of the two, the theme between them was largely the coming\nforth of the Book of Mormon. It is true that at each ministration\nof the Angel Moroni, Joseph Smith was alone with him. There were no\neyewitnesses. Yet, in the light of the testimony borne by the three,\nthere can be no doubt that the angel did visit the prophet; and in\nthe light of the additional testimony of the eight, there can be no\nreasonable doubt that the plates were delivered to him. The testimony\nof the eleven witnesses confirm the story of the visits of the angel\nMoroni. In this case, too, then, the assertion holds: Not a single\nimportant step in the progress of the restoration was taken without\ncorroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.\n\nIn a similar way, the testimonies of the eleven witnesses corroborate\nthe story of the first glorious vision of the Father and the Son. It\nwas in that vision that the boy-prophet first received his call. It\nwas then that he learned that the religious world had gone astray,\nand that the God of heaven had a great work for him to do. That work\nwas to restore the fulness of the Gospel. But the restoration of\nthe Gospel involved the revelation of the \"Book of Mormon,\" and the\ntranslation of the sacred record. Neither the revelation of the book\nnor the translation of it, could have been accomplished had the first\nvision been a delusion. In fact, the full subsequent history of the\nrestoration depends upon the authenticity of that vision. It is not\ntoo much to say again then, that in the case of the first vision also,\nthe assertion is establised, that, not a single important step in the\nprogress of the restoration was taken without corroborative testimony\nor the presence of witnesses.\n\nGreat weight is thus laid upon the testimonies of the three and the\neight. Their solemn declarations confirm the words of the Prophet\nconcerning the opening acts of the restoration. Now, there are those\nwho question the value of the testimonies of these eleven men. They\nassert that the witnesses were under the influence of the young\nProphet--hypnotized by him; or that they were themselves parties to\na tremendous fraud. It will be interesting to consider briefly what\nbecame of each one of these eleven men, and to learn how they viewed in\nlater life the testimonies they had published to the world.\n\nOliver Cowdery was born at Wells, Rutland County, Vermont, in October,\n1805. He met the Prophet, Joseph Smith, April 5th, 1829, became his\nscribe during the translation of the Book of Mormon, and was baptized\nwith the Prophet in June, 1829. Oliver Cowdery rose to great prominence\nin the new Church. It appears, however, that he was possessed of\nserious weaknesses. In 1838, certain charges were preferred against\nhim before the High Council at Far West. Some of the charges were\nsustained, and since he did not make satisfactory amends, Oliver\nCowdery was excommunicated from the Church. He went thereupon to\nMichigan to practice law. Once, a fellow practitioner said to him,\n\"Mr. Cowdery, I see your name is attached to this book [the 'Book of\nMormon']. If you believe it to be true, why are you in Michigan?\" After\nreading the names of the witnesses, he continued, \"Mr. Cowdery, do you\nbelieve this book?\"\n\n\"No, sir,\" responded Mr. Cowdery, quickly.\n\n\"But your name is attached to it,\" protested his fellow-lawyer, \"and\nyou declare here that you saw an angel, and also the plates from which\nthe book purports to be translated; and now you say you don't believe\nit. Which time did you tell the truth?\"\n\n\"My name is attached to that book, and what I there have said is true,\"\nreplied Oliver Cowdery with emphasis. \"I did see this; I know I saw\nit, and faith has nothing to do with it, as a perfect knowledge has\nswallowed up the faith which I had in the work, knowing, as I do, that\nit is true.\"[K]\n\n[Footnote K: \"Historical Record,\" pp. 200, 201.]\n\nAnd so it was always: Oliver Cowdery never wavered in his testimony.\nSurely, if he had been under the influence of Joseph Smith at the time\nof the angelic ministration, he was from under it now. Or if he had\nconnived with Joseph Smith at a monstrous fraud, he was not concerned\nin it now that he had been cast off by the Church. This one bit of\nunwilling testimony is alone sufficient to establish the truth of the\nwhole testimony of the three. Oliver Cowdery repented and joined the\nChurch again in 1848, during the troublous days of the expulsion of\nthe Church from Nauvoo. It is worthy of note that these were days of\nsevere tribulation to the Church. Oliver Cowdery could gain nothing by\nrejoining it then. Moreover, the Prophet was dead. What Oliver Cowdery\ndid in 1848, he did because of the deep conviction of his own soul, and\nnot because of the influence of Joseph Smith. Oliver Cowdery died in\n1850. His dying words were a changeless testimony of the divine truth\nof the \"Book of Mormon.\"\n\nDavid Whitmer, too, testified unchangeably to the truth of the\ntestimony he had signed and given to the world. David Whitmer was\nborn near Harrisburg, Pa., January 7th, 1805. He was baptized, June,\n1829. Like Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer rose to prominence in the\nChurch. Like Oliver Cowdery, he became estranged from the Church. On\nApril thirteenth, 1838, several charges were preferred against him and\nsustained. Accordingly he was excommunicated from the Church. David\nWhitmer never at any time returned his allegiance to the Church. Yet,\nhe bore an unchangeable, undying testimony to the divine truth of the\n\"Book of Mormon.\"\n\nIn 1881, one John Murphy asserted that David Whitmer had denied his\ntestimony as one of the three witnesses to the \"Book of Mormon.\" David\nWhitmer immediately published in the Conservator of Richmond, Missouri,\na refutation of the lie:\n\n\"That the world may know the truth,\" he wrote, \"I wish now, standing as\nit were in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for\nall to make this public statement:\n\n\"That I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part\nthereof, which has so long since been published with that book, as\none of the Three Witnesses. Those who know me best, well know that I\nhave always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled\nor doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do again affirm the\ntruth of all my statements as then made and published.\"[L]\n\n[Footnote L: Quoted in \"Historical Record,\" pp. 210, 211.]\n\nThe Prophet, Joseph Smith, had been dead nearly forty years when this\nrenewed testimony was published by David Whitmer. It would be the\ngrossest kind of folly to assume that after more than forty years\nof independent life and thinking--apart from the Church founded by\nthe Prophet, with the Prophet himself removed--David Whitmer was\nstill under \"hypnotic,\" or other, influence of the Prophet. With his\ntestimony so firm and unshaken, after so many years, it would be the\nheight of folly to assume that David Whitmer was under any psychic\nsubjection to the Prophet even at the time of the angelic ministration.\nAnd other false reason for subscribing to such a testimony there could\nbe none. David Whitmer was not related to Joseph Smith. He was not\ninterested with him in any business venture. He received no worldly\nbenefits from his association with the new Church. In short, there was\nno reason under heaven why he should have abetted fraudulent purposes\nof Joseph Smith, had he been an impostor. David Whitmer's testimony,\nthen, like Oliver Cowdery's, must remain forever unimpeached, the\nstronger for the reason that it remained as firm, as steadfast, after\nDavid Whitmer left the Church, as it ever was before. Whitmer died at\nRichmond, Mo., January twenty-fifth, 1888. On his deathbed he bore a\nlast, irrefragable testimony to the divine authenticity of the \"Book\nof Mormon,\" and the truth and integrity of the Testimony of the Three\nWitnesses.\n\nMartin Harris was one of Joseph Smith's earliest and closest friends.\nYet, his relations to the Prophet, like those of Oliver and David,\nbecame strained before the martyrdom of the Prophet. Martin Harris\nwas born at Easttown, New York, May eighteenth, 1783. He met the\nyoung Prophet for the first time in 1827, soon after the Prophet had\nreceived from the angel the plates of the \"Book of Mormon.\" He was\nbaptized soon after the organization of the Church, in 1830. Martin\nHarris, too, was honored in the new Church. He held several positions\nof distinction, and as long as the Saints lived in Kirtland, he was\nactive in the performance of his duties. When, however, the Saints\nmoved to Missouri, Harris remained in Ohio. Rumors spread that he had\napostatized. Martin Harris never wavered, however, in his testimony to\nthe \"Book of Mormon.\" After the martyrdom of the Prophet, Martin Harris\ncame under the influence of the apostate leader, James J. Strang. While\nunder that influence, he went to England, in 1846, ostensibly to oppose\nthe Mormon elders laboring there, and to misrepresent the Church. It\nseems, however, that he did no harm to anyone. In 1870, Harris came to\nUtah, and located in Smithfield. Five years later, in 1875, he died at\nClarkston, nearly ninety-three years of age.\n\nThirty-one years had passed since the Prophet was slain, and forty-six\nyears had passed since the miraculous manifestation in which Martin\nHarris saw the angel and the plates. Many things had happened during\nthe long life. While Martin Harris had never actually left the Church,\nhe had become estranged, and was not in full fellowship for many years.\nYet, in spite of his varied experiences, his testimony never faltered.\nAnd like Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, his dying words were in\nconfirmation of the testimony he had given forty-six years before.\n\n\"[Martin Harris] was taken sick a week ago yesterday,\" writes Martin\nHarris, Jr., under date of July ninth, 1875, \"with some kind of stroke,\nor life became so weak and exhausted, that he has no use in his limbs.\nHe cannot move, only by our aid. * * * He has continued to talk about\nand testify to the truth of the \"Book of Mormon,\" and was in his\nhappiest mood when he could get somebody to listen to his testimony; if\nhe felt dull and weary at times, and some one would come in and open\nup a conversation and give him an opportunity of talking, he would\nimmediately revive and felt like a young man for a little while.\"[M] In\nthis mood he passed away, brightening the last moments of his long life\nwith the fervor of his testimony to the truth of the \"Book of Mormon.\"\n\n[Footnote M: Quoted in \"Historical Record,\" p. 214.]\n\nAll three of the special witnesses to the divinity of the \"Book of\nMormon,\" became estranged from the Prophet and his work. In spite of\nall estrangement, however, and even bitterness, they were steadfast\nto the last in affirming the truth of their great testimony. Not one\nof them wavered; not one of them weakened; not one of them gave that\ntestimony the lie, either while in the Church or while out of it. And\nas the three were true to the last, so also were the eight.\n\nChristian Whitmer died November twenty-seventh, 1835, in full\nfellowship in the Church. Jacob Whitmer withdrew from the Church in\n1838, and died April twenty-first, 1856, without returning to it.\nPeter Whitmer, Jr., died September twenty-second, in full fellowship\nin the Church. John Whitmer was excommunicated from the Church March\ntenth, 1838. He died out of the Church July eleventh, 1878. Hiram Page\nwithdrew from the Church in 1838. He died outside of the faith August\ntwelfth, 1852. Joseph Smith, Sr., died in full fellowship in the Church\nSeptember fourteenth, 1840. Hyrum Smith died a martyr to the cause of\nTruth June twenty-seventh, 1844. Samuel Harrison Smith died in full\nmembership, July thirtieth, 1844.\n\nThree of the eight witnesses left the Church and died out of it. It is\na remarkable fact, however, that not only the five who remained true to\nthe Church, but the other three also, remained true to the testimony\nthey had borne to the Book of Mormon. No one of them ever denied a\nword of that testimony. Most of them survived the Prophet many years.\nWhatever influence he had exerted over them in life was surely removed\nby death. But after his death, as well as during his life, these eight\nwitnesses were firm in their assertion that they had seen the plates of\nthe \"Book of Mormon,\" and had examined them. No amount of persecution\never made them swerve from that direct truth. No amount of temptation\never won them to a denial of the testimony. That one truth was so fixed\nin their minds that they could never deny it. And each one, as his turn\ncame to meet grim Death, testified to the last that what he had said\nand affirmed so long was verily true.\n\nThe testimonies of the eleven witnesses have never been broken.\nThese testimonies never can be broken. In the wisdom of the Lord the\ntestimonies have been strengthened by the very defections revealed in\nthe lives of the witnesses. By their lives and their testimonies they\nbear witness, not only to the truth of the \"Book of Mormon\" and the\nactuality of the visions that inaugurated the great latter-day work,\nbut also to the truth of their own testimonies. It is really remarkable\nthat the three special witnesses to the \"Book of Mormon\" became\nestranged from the Church, and that three of the eight--making six out\nof eleven--forsook the Church. The testimonies of those who left the\nChurch were made stronger by their apostasy. Had there been delusion\nor fraud about the restoration, these men would have revealed it. Not\none of the witnesses who apostatized was related to Joseph Smith.\nIn their positions as apostates, therefore, they added testimony to\ntheir own testimony, as well as to the divine authority of the Prophet\nJoseph Smith. Even in the case of the witnesses themselves, it may be\nre-affirmed with assurance, that, not a single important step in the\nprogress of the restoration was taken without corroborative testimony,\nor the presence of witnesses.\n\n\n\nXXI.\n\nFURTHER WITNESSES TO THE RESTORATION.\n\nThe Latter-day Saints lay claim to so much, and there are so many\nimpostures in the world, that it is more than fortunate to have the\nmission of the American prophet attested, not only by the marvelous\nresults of his works, but also by the words of witnesses. It is\nasserted by the Latter-day Saints that they, and they alone of all the\nreligious denominations in the world, possess the gospel of the Lord\nJesus in its purity and in its fulness. The sects may promulgate small\nportions of the \"law of liberty;\" they may teach truth in part. It\nis not claimed by the Latter-day Saints that they have a monopoly of\nTruth. Indeed, every sect that survives the vicissitudes of time must\npossess some of the fabric of truth in its structure. No organization\ncan persist on a foundation of absolute falsehood. But whereas the\nsectarian creeds present the \"power of God unto salvation\" in part\nonly, the Mormon creed presents it in full, in its natural simplicity,\nand not perverted by the doctrines of men.\n\nIt is asserted by the Latter-day Saints that they, and they alone of\nall the religious denominations in the world, possess a correct Church\norganization, patterned after that of the primitive Church of Christ\nand the apostles. Other Church organizations retain parts of the\noriginal form. But each one has lost some part or other of the perfect\nbody. One member has wasted away from disuse here and another there,\nuntil the process of atrophy has left but few of the original officers\nand duties of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day\nSaints, however, has a perfect organization. All the officers of the\nprimitive Church may be found in it, and their several duties are\nthoroughly understood.\n\nMoreover, it is asserted by the Latter-day Saints, that, not only do\nthey alone possess the Gospel in its fullness and the correct Church\norganization, but they alone have authority from heaven to officiate in\nthe ordinances and ceremonies of the Church. Other preachers, pastors,\nand ministers may presume to present themselves as servants of the\nMost High. But they possess no divine appointment; they have received\nno ordination by divine authority. The Elders of the Church of Jesus\nChrist alone are endowed with the divine right to preach the Gospel and\nto administer in its ordinances.\n\n\"Few things about Jesus are more striking or unquestionable than his\nsense of authority,\" says a noted theological student.[A] To Latter-day\nSaints this statement is of peculiar interest. They believe that \"a\nman must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands,\nby those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer\nin the ordinances thereof.\"[B] A ceremony performed by a man not so\ncalled and ordained can be of no authoritative effect. The sense of\nauthority, then, found so strikingly present in the ministry of Jesus,\nis but the divine appreciation and the divine manifestation of the\nnecessity of authority. \"I am not come of myself,\"[C] He was wont to\nsay; \"I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another\nshall come in his own name, him ye will receive.\"[D] That appreciation\nof the necessity of divine authority was so strongly marked in the\nministry of Jesus, that He called attention to it even in the sending\nforth of His apostles. It was not enough that He should be called of\nGod; they, too, must receive the call and be ordained. \"Ye have not\nchosen me,\" He said, emphasizing the fact that a man cannot choose of\nhimself to become an apostle of the Lord, \"but I have chosen you, and\nordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit;\"[E] for \"as my\nFather hath sent me, even so send I you.\"[F] And the apostles in their\nturn learned so well to understand the principle of divine authority\nthat they challenged the ministry of any man who was not authorized by\nJesus. \"A man can receive nothing,\" explained John the Baptizer when\nhis disciples complained that Jesus drew all men to Him, \"except it be\ngiven him from heaven.\"[G] And Paul explained that no man can take the\nhonor of the priesthood to himself, \"but he that is called of God as\nwas Aaron.\"[H]\n\n[Footnote A: Prof. Samuel Dickey, \"The Significance of the Baptism of\nJesus for His Conception of His Ministry,\" in \"Biblical World,\" June,\n1911.]\n\n[Footnote B: Fifth Article of Faith.]\n\n[Footnote C: John 7:28.]\n\n[Footnote D: John 5:43.]\n\n[Footnote E: John 15:16.]\n\n[Footnote F: John 20:21.]\n\n[Footnote G: John 3:27.]\n\n[Footnote H: Heb. 5:4.]\n\nThis appreciation of the necessity of divine authority was not peculiar\nto Jesus and His apostles. Holy men of God have felt it in every\nage. Only those who have been divinely called have been qualified\nto speak in the name of the Lord. This statement is as true for the\nmodern Prophet as it is for the prophets of old. For it may be said\nwith truth, that few things about Joseph Smith are more striking or\nunquestionable than his sense of the necessity of authority. He had\nseen the Father and the Son in vision; he had been visited repeatedly\nby an angel of heaven; he had translated a sacred record by the power\nof God,--yet, he did not presume to promulgate the restored Gospel, or\nto send others to do so, or to organize a Church. He felt that he had\nnot yet divine authority to do these things. He waited till authority\nshould be given him. Was he an impostor? Had he been so he might easily\nhave assumed authority. He might have proclaimed to the world that he\nhad received authority, and trusted that the world would believe his\nstatement. Certainly, had he been an impostor, he would have called in\nno man to witness the imposture he was foisting upon the world. What\ndid Joseph Smith do? In the previous chapter, we have learned how the\nopening visions of the New Dispensation--the revelations that form\nthe foundation stone of the Church--are attested by the testimony of\nwitnesses. It has been said that the Latter-day Saints lay claim to\nso much, and that there are so many impostures in the world, that it\nis more than fortunate to have the mission of the American prophet\nattested, not only by the marvelous results of his work, but also\nby the words of witnesses. It will be interesting now to recall the\nway in which Joseph Smith received authority from heaven. It will be\ninteresting further to learn whether or not there were witnesses to\nthe fact. It will not be too much again to assert that not a single\nimportant step in the progress of the Restoration was taken without\ncorroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.\n\nThe Prophet Joseph Smith, teaches that there are two divisions of\nthe priesthood of God; and he asserts that he received the authority\nof both divisions by the direct ministration of heavenly beings. He\ndoes more than assert that he received the Holy Priesthood by divine\nordination. An impostor might do so much. Joseph Smith describes the\nmanner in which the priesthood was conferred upon him; and he provides\na witness who, after many years confirms by his solemn testimony the\nwords of the Prophet. Such a procedure is contrary to the methods of an\nimpostor.\n\nThe Aaronic priesthood--the lesser division of the priesthood of\nGod--was restored through the ministration of one heavenly being. It\nappears that John the Baptizer was the man of presiding authority to\nhold that division of the priesthood during the dispensation of the\nMeridian of Time. When it became necessary to restore the Aaronic\nPriesthood, in the new Gospel dispensation, John the Baptizer came to\nperform the important ceremony. Joseph Smith relates how this great\nforerunner of Messiah came down from heaven, and in awe-inspiring\nwords, conferred upon him the Holy Priesthood after the order of Aaron.\nThe relation is plain, ungarnished. There is no comment; there is no\nargument; there is no embellishment; there is no ecstatic eloquence. It\nis a matter of fact that has happened, and the Prophet states it in his\nusual, simple, matter of fact way. The Holy Priesthood after the Order\nof Aaron had been restored, May fifteenth, 1829.\n\nBut the Aaronic priesthood did not endow the Prophet with full\nauthority to establish the Church of Christ, or even to officiate\nin the higher ordinances of the Church. The authority of the Higher\nPriesthood was still necessary to the full accomplishment of the\nmission of the Prophet. That authority was not long in coming. Less\nthan two months after the appearance of John the Baptizer, Peter, James\nand John appeared on the banks of the Susquehanna river, and conferred\nupon the Prophet the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Peter,\nJames, and John constituted the presidency of the primitive Church\nafter the crucifixion of Jesus. They formed the presidency of the\nPriesthood after the Order of Melchizedek before the dispensation of\nthe fulness of times. When it became necessary in the new dispensation\nto restore this Priesthood, Peter, James, and John attended personally\nto the holy ordinance. Again the narrative is plain and simple. The\nProphet, however, comes nearer to ecstatic utterance in speaking of the\nsublime manifestation than is customary with him. Yet, it is after all\na matter-of-fact narration of a matter of fact. The Holy Priesthood\nafter the order of Melchizedek was restored through the ministration of\nPeter, James, and John.\n\nCan Joseph Smith be believed in these assertions? Fortunately, he was\nnot alone in these two marvelous manifestations, as he had been in\nthose earlier visions that laid the foundation for the superstructure\nof the Church. When Joseph Smith went into the wood to pray on May\nfifteenth, 1829, that he might get light on the ordinance of baptism,\nOliver Cowdery was with him. When John the Baptizer appeared, it was\nnot Joseph Smith alone who saw him. Oliver Cowdery saw him as well. And\nwhen the Baptizer restored officially the Aaronic Priesthood, it was\nnot Joseph Smith alone whom he ordained. Oliver Cowdery received the\nsame ordination with the Prophet. And Oliver Cowdery has described the\nevent in words of power and vividness.\n\n\"These were days never to be forgotten--to sit under the sound of\na voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost\ngratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to\nwrite from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or\nas the Nephites would have said, 'Interpreters,' the history or record\ncalled 'The Book of Mormon.'\n\n\"To notice, in even few words, the interesting account given by Mormon\nand his faithful son Moroni, of a people once beloved and favored of\nheaven, would supersede my present design; I shall therefore defer\nthis to a future period, and, as I said in the introduction, pass\nmore directly to some few incidents immediately connected with the\nrise of this Church, which may be entertaining to some thousands who\nhave stepped forward amid the frowns of bigots and the calumny of\nhypocrites, and embraced the Gospel of Christ.\n\n\"No men, in their sober senses, could translate and write the\ndirections given to the Nephites from the mouth of the Savior, of the\nprecise manner in which men should build up His Church, and especially\nwhen corruption had spread an uncertainty over all forms and systems\npracticed among men, without desiring a privilege of showing the\nwillingness of the heart by being buried in the liquid grave, to answer\na 'good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'\n\n\"After writing the account given of the Savior's ministry to the\nremnant of the seed of Jacob, upon this continent, it was easy to be\nseen, as the prophet said would be, that darkness covered the earth\nand gross darkness the minds of the people. On reflecting further it\nwas easy to be seen, that amid the great strife and noise concerning\nreligion, none had authority from God to administer the ordinances\nof the Gospel. For the question might be asked, have men authority\nto administer in the name of Christ, who deny revelations, when His\ntestimony is no less than the spirit of prophecy and His religion\nbased, built, and sustained by immediate revelations in all ages of the\nworld when He has had a people on earth? If these facts were buried,\nand carefully concealed by men whose craft would have been in danger\nif once permitted to shine in the faces of men, they were no longer to\nus; and we only waited for the commandment to be given 'Arise and be\nbaptized.'\n\n\"This was not long desired before it was realized. The Lord who is\nrich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of\nthe humble, after we had called upon Him in a fervent manner, aside\nfrom the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us His will. On a\nsudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake\npeace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down\nclothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message,\nand the keys of the Gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what\namazement! While the world was racked and distracted--while millions\nwere groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting\nupon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld, our ears heard,\nas in the 'blaze of day;' yes, more--above the glitter of the May\nsunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then\nhis voice, though mild, pierced to the centre, and his words, 'I am\nthy fellow-servant,' dispelled every fear. We listened, we gazed, we\nadmired! 'Twas the voice of an angel from glory, 'twas a message from\nthe Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled\nupon our souls, and we were wrapt in the vision of the Almighty! Where\nwas room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt, had sunk no\nmore to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever!\n\n\"But, dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled\nour hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would\nnot have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under\nhis hand the Holy Priesthood as he said, 'Upon you my fellow-servants,\nin the name of Messiah, I confer this Priesthood and this authority,\nwhich shall remain upon earth, till the sons of Levi may yet offer an\noffering unto the Lord in righteousness!'\n\n\"I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor\nthe majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but\nyou will believe me when I say, the earth, nor men, with the eloquence\nof time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime\na manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give\nthe joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was\ncontained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the\nHoly Spirit! Man may deceive his fellow-man, deception may follow\ndeception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce\nthe foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and\nthe fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave;\nbut one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from\nthe upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the\nbosom of eternity strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it\nforever from the mind! The assurance that we were in the presence of an\nangel; the certainty that we heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth\nunsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will\nof God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this\nexpression of the Savior's goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while\nI am permitted to tarry; and in those mansions where perfection dwells\nand sin never comes, I hope to adore in that DAY which shall never\ncease!\"[I]\n\n[Footnote I: \"Times and Seasons,\" p. 201.]\n\nThis description and fervent testimony was written in 1834. Four years\nlater, however, Oliver Cowdrey was excommunicated from the Church. He\nleft the state where the Church was located, and never again returned\nto the Saints during the lifetime of the Prophet Joseph Smith. But he\nremained true to his testimony to the last. There was no doubt in his\nmind as to the reality of the vision he had beheld. He had felt the\nhands of the angels upon his head; there was no denying the fact that\nhad taken place. His steadfastness in this testimony included also the\nministration of Peter, James, and John.\n\nOliver Cowdery returned to the Church at Kanesville, Iowa, in 1848.\nHe had been out of the Church for eleven years. On his re-admittance\ninto the Church, he delivered a public discourse, in which he said,\n\"I was present with Joseph when an holy angel from God came down\nfrom heaven and conferred on us, or restored, the lesser or Aaronic\nPriesthood, and said to us, at the same time, that it should remain\nupon the earth while the earth stands. I was also present with Joseph\nwhen the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood was conferred by the holy\nangels from on high. This Priesthood, we then conferred on each other\nby the will and commandment of God.\"[J] Less than three months later,\nunder date January thirteenth, 1849, Oliver Cowdery gave a signed\nstatement to Samuel W. Richards. In that statement Cowdery said, \"John\nthe Baptist, holding the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter, James,\nand John, holding the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, have also\nministered for those who shall be heirs to salvation, and with these\nadministrations ordained men to the same Priesthood. These Priesthoods,\nwith their authority, are now, and must continue to be in the body of\nthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * * Accept assurances,\ndear brother, of the unfeigned prayer of him who, in connection with\nJoseph, the Seer, was blessed with the above administrations.\"[K]\n\n[Footnote J: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 41, footnote.]\n\n[Footnote K: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. I, p. 42, footnote.]\n\nThus did Oliver Cowdery testify to the last--as he did to the testimony\nof the Book of Mormon--that he was with the Prophet when the Holy\nPriesthood was restored, and shared the restoration with him. It is\ncertainly significant that the great manifestations in which John the\nBaptizer, and the apostles, Peter, James, and John, appeared to restore\nthe Holy Priesthood, did not happen to Joseph Smith alone. A mere\nimpostor would undoubtedly have had them so occur. Oliver Cowdery also\nreceived the Aaronic Priesthood. He, too, was ordained an apostle. He\nbecame the second elder in the Church--almost a joint president with\nthe Prophet himself. Although he became estranged from the Prophet, he\nremained true to his testimony; and at the last, he returned to the\nfold. Not a single important step in the progress of the Restoration\nwas taken without corroborative testimony or the presence of\nwitnesses.[L]\n\n[Footnote L: Since these chapters were written, the following\ninvaluable testimony has appeared in the _Improvement Era_, for March,\n1912. The testimony was written by Jacob F. Gates, of Salt Lake City,\nwhose father, Jacob Gates, was in his day a member of the First Council\nof Seventy:\n\n\"My father, Jacob Gates, while on his way to England, in 1849, stopped\nat the town of Richmond, where lived at that time Oliver Cowdery.\nHearing that Oliver was in poor health, and wishing to renew old\nacquaintance as they had been friends in earlier days, father called on\nhim at his home. Their conversation, during the visit drifted to early\nChurch history, and to their mutual experiences during the troublous\ntimes in Missouri and Illinois. Finally father put this question to\nhim: 'Oliver,' said he, 'I want you to tell me the whole truth about\nyour testimony concerning the Book of Mormon--the testimony sent forth\nto the world over your signature and found in the front of that book.\nWas your testimony based on a dream, was it the imagination of your\nmind, was it an illusion, a myth--tell me truthfully?'\n\n\"To question him thus seemed to touch Oliver very deeply. He answered\nnot a word, but arose from his easy chair, went to the book case, took\ndown a Book of Mormon of the first edition, turned to the testimony of\nthe Three Witnesses, and read in the most solemn manner the words to\nwhich he had subscribed his name, nearly twenty years before. Facing my\nfather, he said: 'Jacob, I want you to remember what I say to you. I am\na dying man, and what would it profit me to tell you a lie? I know,'\nsaid he, 'that this Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power\nof God. My eyes saw, my ears heard, and my understanding was touched,\nand I know that whereof I testified is true. It was no dream, no vain\nimagination of the mind--it was real.'\n\n\"Then father asked him about the angel under whose hands he received\nthe Priesthood, to which he made answer thus: 'Jacob, I felt the hand\nof the angel on my head as plainly as I could feel yours, and could\nhear his voice as I now hear yours.'\n\n\"Then father asked this question: 'If all that you tell me is true, why\ndid you leave the Church?' Oliver made only this explanation; said he:\n'When I left the Church, I felt wicked, I felt like shedding blood, but\nI have got all over that now.'\n\n\"State of Utah, County of Salt Lake,\n\n\"Jacob F. Gates, of Salt Lake City, being first duly sworn, deposes\nand says that he is a citizen of the United States, of the age of\nfifty-seven years, and that he is the son of Jacob Gates, who, prior to\nhis death, related to affiant a conversation which he had with Oliver\nCowdery, at the town of Richmond, State of Missouri, and that the above\nand foregoing is a true and correct statement of said conversation as\ngiven to aim by his father.\n\n\"JACOB F. GATES.\n\n\"Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th day of January, 1912.\n\n\"ARTHUR WINTER, Notary Public. \"My commission expires December 3,\n1915.\"]\n\nThe Gospel restored through the ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith\nwas not only for the living, but also for the dead. Those who had\npassed away before the Gospel was restored must also have the privilege\nof obeying it. The first great message of the Angel Moroni to the\nyoung Seer, was that the fathers can not be made perfect without the\nchildren, nor the children without the fathers. Even after receiving\nthe Holy Priesthood, then, it became necessary further to receive\ndivine commission to promulgate the Gospel among the living--among\nboth Jew and Gentile--and divine authority to officiate vicariously\nfor the dead. Joseph Smith tells in revelation that both commission\nand authority to perform these duties were conferred in a divine\nmanifestation in Kirtland temple. Moses committed the keys of the\ngathering of Israel; Elias committed the dispensation of the gospel\nof Abraham; and Elijah restored authority to perform vicarious work\nfor the dead. Moreover, Jesus Himself appeared in the holy house, and\ncommended the work of His servant, the Prophet. That these holy men did\nactually appear and commit the keys of authority to perform special\nlabors, Joseph Smith affirms in all seriousness.[M]\n\n[Footnote M: Doc. and Cov. 110.]\n\nHappily, again, Joseph Smith was not alone in receiving these divine\nmanifestations. Oliver Cowdery was once more with him. And once again,\nOliver Cowdery bears corroborative testimony. More than that, he was an\neyewitness and a partaker of the blessings. He bears direct testimony\nto the reality of the visions. And as with the Testimony of Three\nWitnesses, and the visits of John the Baptizer, and Peter, James, and\nJohn, so also now, Oliver Cowdery bears his testimony faithfully to the\nlast. Not a single important step in the progress of the Restoration\nwas taken without corroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.\n\nThe chain of evidence is thus complete. The authority necessary for the\npromulgation of the Gospel and the establishment of the Church, and\nall the working principles of the Gospel, have been restored. Every\nimportant act of restoration is attested by belief-worthy witnesses.\nThese witnesses are eleven in number, eight of whom are not in any\nway related to the Prophet. Their testimony has never been impeached.\nIf such an array of evidence and worthy testimony were presented in a\nfederal court, the jury would hardly need to retire for consultation.\nThey might hand in a unanimous verdict at once. Yet, the evidence here\npresented for the reality of the divine acts of the Restoration is\noften called into question. The student at school accepts with perfect\nfaith principles of science that he cannot himself demonstrate, and is\nwilling almost to lay down his life in defense of those principles. He\nis told, for example--for he cannot prove it himself--that there is\nan attractive or repulsive force operative in the universe, and that\nthat force varies directly as the product of the masses between which\nit is operating, and inversely as the square of the distance between\nthem. This is the law of gravitation, laid down by Sir Isaac Newton.\nThe student believes it, as he believes a thousand other principles\npresented to him in more or less arbitrary fashion. Yet, many of the\nestablished principles of science are not half so well authenticated\nas are the acts of the Restoration of the Gospel in the Dispensation\nof the Fulness of Times. In His divine wisdom, the Lord God has\nwonderfully safeguarded every act in the story of the Restoration, so\nthat there can be no reasonable question as to its reality. Says the\nApostle Paul, \"In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word\nbe established.\"\n\nNote:--There is still another important witness to the reality of the\nrevelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This witness does not testify,\nhowever, to the restoration of any authority of the Gospel. Section\n76 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants relates the wonderful vision\nof glories. Joseph Smith was accompanied in this vision by Sidney\nRigdon. Sidney Rigdon was excommunicated Sept. 8, 1844. Like the other\nwitnesses, however, Rigdon remained true to the testimony that he had\nseen a vision. Sidney Rigdon died out of the Church. His son John W.\nRigdon, testifies as follows:--\"When I went to father just before his\ndeath, and told him that if he knew anything regarding the coming forth\nof the Book of Mormon, that had not been told, he owed it as a duty to\nhimself and his family, to tell it, he reiterated that he had but one\nstory to tell, and that was the story told him by the Prophet, Joseph\nSmith, that the records from which the book was taken were engraved on\ngold plates. Father then testified to me that Joseph was a prophet of\nGod, and that an angel had handed him the plates from which was taken\nthe Book of Mormon\" (\"Improvement Era,\" Vol. III, p. 697).\n\n\n\nXXII.\n\nTHE TEST OF SECTION SIXTY-SEVEN.\n\nWhatever Joseph Smith was or was not, he was certainly fearless in\nall his assertions of divine inspiration. We have learned that, at a\ntime when high religious excitement proclaimed belief in an immaterial\nGod, and in the actual unity of an immaterial trinity, the boy-prophet\ndeclared that he had beheld a vision in which the Father and the Son,\nhad appeared to him, as two separate beings, and as beings of tangible\nexistence in the form of man. Greatly elated over this incomparable\nvision, the young boy hastened to communicate the things he had learned\nto a distinguished friend, a sectarian minister; but to his utter\nastonishment, the boy was ridiculed and called a fool, maligned and\npersecuted. Yet he had seen a vision, and fearlessly he remained true\nto that assertion.\n\nAgain, not many years after, an angel visited him. Angels were, in\nChristian theology, however, supernatural beings of a bygone age. No\none believed in them when Moroni came to Joseph. Yet, Joseph declared\nin soberness that an angel had visited him, and had restored the gospel\nof Christ. And for that fearless assertion, the young man was further\npersecuted.\n\nThen Joseph published a book in his young manhood. He called it the\nBook of Mormon, and said it was a translation of certain ancient\nAmerican records, revealed to him by divine power. The world stood\naghast at his audacity. It tried to prove the book of spurious\nworkmanship. It tried to prove the book merely a feeble effort of a\nliterary quack. It tried in every way to throw discredit upon the book.\nBut Joseph Smith remained undaunted. The world could not intimidate\nhim, and so it persecuted him.\n\nThen, in his maturity, this remarkable man declared himself to be a\nprophet of God. He claimed to hold divine communion with the Creator\nof the world, and issued revelation upon revelation to the Church\nand to its individual members. Unbelievers laughed in derision;\nenemies protested indignantly against such blasphemy; and even some\nfollowers of the daring prophet began to doubt his inspiration. But\nintrepid as ever, the prophet maintained that he was divinely called,\nand fearlessly gave to all the world an infallible test by which his\nrevelations could be tried to the uttermost.\n\nIt was in the year 1831. A conference had been convened to\nconsider the advisability of compiling and publishing the numerous\nrevelations--professedly given by God to Joseph Smith--which had\nhitherto been preserved only in manuscript form. The conference deemed\nit proper, and even necessary, to publish these revelations; but a\ndiscussion arose concerning the language in which they were expressed.\nJoseph Smith was not a master of elegant English. His education had not\ntrained him in artistic expression. There were some men in the Church\nfar better educated than the Prophet. They criticized his language,\nand thought, apparently, that the revelations ought to be revised and\ncouched in a more nearly correct, and certainly a more lofty, style.\nThen the Prophet again declared that he had received divine direction\nfrom God.\n\n\"And now I, the Lord,\" said the great I Am, \"give unto you a testimony\nof the truth of these commandments which are lying before you. Your\neyes have been upon my servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., and his language you\nhave known, and his imperfections you have known; and you have sought\nin your hearts knowledge that you might express beyond his language;\nthis you also know. Now seek ye out of the book of commandments, even\nthe least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise\namong you; if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it,\nthen ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true;\nbut if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye\ndo not bear record that they are true.\"[A]\n\n[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. 67:4-8.]\n\nIt was a daring revelation to give to a body of enlightened followers.\nIt was even a hazardous thing to throw such a gauntlet before men\nlike Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon and William E. M'Lellin. Think of\nJoseph Smith--the poor son of an impoverished farmer, who had learned\nin school little more than to read common print and to write his own\nname--daring. William E. M'Lellin--who had taught school successfully\nin five states of the Union, and who was noted for a ready flow\nof good language--to write a single section like the least of the\nrevelations in the book of commandments! Was it unparalleled conceit\nand presumption that prompted such fearlessness, or was it implicit\nconfidence in the unique quality of the revelations dictated by divine\ninspiration? Would not so bold a declaration tempt even men of superior\nwisdom to pit themselves against the reputed man of God? Certainly, one\nman, at least, was brought low in the dust of humiliation because he\npresumed to apply the test and write a revelation in the name of the\nLord.\n\n\"After the foregoing was received,\" writes the Prophet, \"William\nE. M'Lellin, as the wisest man, in his ow estimation, having more\nlearning than sense, endeavored to write a commandment like unto one\nof the least of the Lord's, but failed; it was an awful responsibility\nto write in the name of the Lord. The Elders and all present that\nwitnessed this vain attempt of a man to imitate the language of Jesus\nChrist, renewed their faith in the fulness of the Gospel, and in the\ntruth of the commandments and revelations which the Lord had given\nto the Church through my instrumentality; and the Elders signified a\nwillingness to bear testimony to their truth to all the world.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol.]\n\nThus was the test applied in the lifetime of Joseph, and thus was his\ndeclaration of divine inspiration vindicated. No one since the day of\nWilliam E. M'Lellin has seen fit to make an attempt like his. Yet, the\ntest was not for M'Lellin's day only. When the book of Doctrine and\nCovenants was finally printed, in 1835, the revelation prescribing the\ndivinely appointed test was included as Section Sixty-seven. And the\nsection has retained its place from that day to this. Not a word has\nbeen changed; not one element of the meaning has been altered. As a\ntest, it is just as applicable at present, and just as forceful, as in\nthe time of William E. M'Lellin. Any one who doubts may apply the test\ntoday, tomorrow, or at any time; though, some one has very wisely said,\n\"it is a most dangerous thing to do.\"\n\nAs a revelation containing an applicable test, section sixty-seven\nis, then, of especial interest and value to us. The value is evident\nand important, even without making an actual application of the test.\nLet us suppose for a moment that Joseph Smith was never at any time\ndivinely inspired--that he was nothing better than an unscrupulous\nimpostor. It must be conceded then that he was a man of remarkable\nability, though his education was limited. The Book of Mormon alone\nis a monumental work. In all its pages, from the lesser plates of\nNephi, from Mormon's abridgment of the greater plates, from the record\nof Zeniff, from the story of Jared and his brother, and from other\ninterpolated parts, to the end, there is not a single contradiction,\nnot a single absurd doctrine or conclusion. On the other hand, the\nbook shows a steady growth and development of the story; it reveals a\nphilosophic system of theology; it displays perfect harmony between it\nand the Holy Bible. Again, in the many revelations contained in the\nbook of Doctrine and Covenants, there are no contradictory statements,\nthere is no obscuration of the doctrine of the Christ, there is no\nconfusion in the duties of officers or members. On the contrary,\nthe book is so clear that the whole Church is built up after its\ndirections. There is no essential point of Church doctrine that was not\nrevealed by Joseph Smith; there is no point of Church organization or\ndiscipline that was not provided for by Joseph Smith. Certainly then,\nif he were an impostor, he must have been a man of clear insight, of\nremarkable analytical power, of wonderful executive ability.\n\nNow, if an impostor possessed the capability of successfully producing\na work so complicated as the Book of Mormon, and of foisting upon the\nworld a system of philosophy so nearly perfect as \"Mormonism,\" and\nfurther, of effecting a Church organization far more perfect than that\nof the German army,--is it credible that he would throw into the face\nof the world a test of his labors so simple, and yet so infallible, as\nthat contained in section sixty-seven of the Doctrine and Covenants?\nConsider again the fact that Joseph Smith was an unlettered man, that\nhe had little skill in literary art. Remember further, that many of\nhis followers, in his own day, were far more highly gifted in the\nway of the world than he. Would he then dare these men of superior\nliterary ability to write a single revelation equal to the least of\nhis? Remember also that we of today have better educational advantages\nthan even the most favorably situated of Joseph's day. Would then\nan impostor, so farsighted as Joseph Smith seems to have been, have\nleft on record a challenge for all succeeding generations to write\na single revelation equal to the least of his? Would not, rather,\nan intelligent impostor refrain from calling undue attention to his\npurported revelations? Would he not certainly exercise the utmost care\nnot to prescribe any test whereby those revelations might be detected\nas false? And if by chance some foolish test had been allowed to creep\ninto the would-be sacred word, would not the impostor or his friends\neagerly seize the first opportunity to expunge that test, and even the\nwhole revelation in which it was contained? Certainly, a man who had\nplanned his work so well as Joseph Smith--were he an impostor--planned\nhis, would not be guilty of so gross an oversight as to leave among his\nprinted revelations so easy a test as that in section sixty-seven.\n\nThe conclusion of the whole matter has, of course, been long\nself-evident. We are grateful to Joseph Smith for fearlessly giving\nthe unbelieving world a test that may be applied to his work at any\ntime. But the fair-minded man will see that an application of the\ntest is unnecessary. The very fearlessness of Joseph's assertion that\nno uninspired man can write a revelation equal to the least of his,\nis evidence of his good faith and of his divine assurance. No mere\nimpostor would dare place so unqualified a challenge before all the\nworld.\n\n\n\nXXIII.\n\nTHE TESTIMONY OF MARTYRDOM.\n\nThursday, the twenty-seventh of June, 1844, was a day of gloom for the\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Less than a quarter of a\ncentury had passed since the boy-prophet, Joseph Smith, had seen his\nfirst vision in the Sacred Grove. Scarce twenty-one years had passed\nsince the angel, Moroni, had first appeared to him. Only fourteen\nyears had passed since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\nhad been organized. Yet, during those few years, how much had been\naccomplished! And during those few years, too, how severe had been the\npersecution to which the Prophet and his followers had been subjected!\nSince the day that he had first divulged the fact that he had seen a\nvision, the Prophet had known hardly a moment of peace. He had been\nevilly spoken of even by those who had been numbered among his friends.\nHe had been haled before courts of law near half a hundred times on\nthe foresworn oaths of men who themselves should have been condemned\nby law. He had been thrown vilely into prison, and had endured all\nthe indignities of the common felon. He had been hounded from cover\nto cover, as the fated stag is hunted by unleashed dogs. His devoted\nfollowers had been ruthlessly driven from their homes to build anew\nin the wilderness and in the desert. Always, however, the courts had\nbeen forced to admit, that, while the Prophet and his friends were\ncompelled to pay much more than a reasonable penalty for the offenses\nof which they were accused, yet they were in every case perforce\ndismissed as innocent. Not a single charge could be sustained against\nthem. But now, at last, the malignant hatred of his enemies prevailed\nagainst the Prophet. On Thursday, the twenty-seventh of June, 1844, the\nProphet Joseph Smith, and his brother, the patriarch, Hyrum Smith, were\nbrutally mobbed and shot to death, in the upper room of the old jail,\nat Carthage, Illinois.\n\nNo more flagrant act of mob-violence can be shown in the history of\nthe modern religious world than this which brought Joseph Smith to a\nbrutal and untimely death. It would not be appropriate, however, to\ntake up here a detailed, critical study of the events that led up to\nthe martyrdom. We need to know the sad story only in its outlines. On\nFriday, the seventh of June, 1844, there appeared in Nauvoo the first\nand only number of a weekly periodical called the _Nauvoo Expositor_.\nThe _Expositor_ had been founded, according to its own prospectus,[A]\nfor the avowed purpose, amongst others, of advocating, through its\ncolumns, \"the unconditional repeal of the Nauvoo city charter,\" and\nof instigating the people of Nauvoo and adjacent parts to unite in\npersecuting the Prophet Joseph Smith and his friends. The first and\nonly number of the _Nauvoo Expositor_ was true to the promises of the\nprospectus.\n\n[Footnote A: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, pp. 443, 444.]\n\nIt is needless to say that the people of Nauvoo resented the vicious\nslanders published in the _Expositor_. They resented, moreover, the\nunrighteous purposes for which it was founded. The matter of this new\nperiodical, the _Nauvoo Expositor_, was brought to the attention of\nthe city council of Nauvoo. After several days' careful investigation,\nthe council passed an ordinance declaring the _Nauvoo Expositor_ a\nnuisance, and issued an order to the mayor, Joseph Smith, to have the\nnuisance abated. On the night of Monday, June tenth, 1844, the city\nmarshal, accompanied by the major-general of the Nauvoo Legion and\nthe members of the Legion, carried the press, the type, the printed\npaper, and the fixtures of the _Nauvoo Expositor_, into the street and\ndestroyed them.\n\nThis summary action of the city council of Nauvoo against the _Nauvoo\nExpositor_ was the beginning of the final trouble that led to the\nmartyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. There was raised such a hue and\ncry by the apostate publishers of the short-lived _Nauvoo Expositor_,\nthat the whole state of Illinois was roused to attention. Mass-meetings\nwere held in which the action of the city council of Nauvoo was\ndenounced. Joseph Smith was arrested for riot. His case was heard\nbefore a non-Mormon justice. On June twelfth, he was acquitted. But\nthe enemies of the Prophet had become thoroughly aroused. They banded\nthemselves together, and determined to do him to death. He was arrested\na second time for the _Expositor_ affair, and was again acquitted. But\nthe disturbance continued to grow worse. The spirit of mobocracy took\npossession of the defamers of the Prophet. They began to clamor for\nhis blood, and for the blood of those that should dare to remain loyal\nto him. Their frenzy had grown to such uncontrollable proportions that\nnothing short of the shedding of blood could satisfy them. The _Nauvoo\nExpositor_, though dead, was bringing to pass the very results for\nwhich it was first given life.\n\nIt was with the affair reduced thus to utter hopelessness, that the\nProphet decided finally to try to save the situation by taking himself\naway from the seat of trouble. It was the evening of Saturday, June\ntwenty-second, 1844. The Prophet had met with several men in an\nupper room of his house. The subject of discussion was naturally the\nserious difficulties that had grown out of the destruction of the\n_Nauvoo Expositor_--an act that had been twice justified by properly\nconstituted courts of law.\n\n\"Brethren,\" said the Prophet, \"here is a letter from the Governor which\nI wish to have read.\"\n\nThe letter was read.\n\nThen the Prophet spoke again, sorrowfully, \"There is no mercy--no mercy\nhere.\"\n\n\"No,\" replied his brother Hyrum; \"Just as sure as we fall into their\nhands we are dead men.\"\n\n\"Yes,\" said Joseph; \"what shall we do, Brother Hyrum ?\"\n\nAnd Hyrum answered, \"I don't know.\"\n\nThen suddenly, with the light of inspiration brightening his\ncountenance, the Prophet exclaimed, \"The way is open. It is clear to my\nmind what to do. All they want is Hyrum and myself; then tell everybody\nto go about their business, and not to collect in groups, but to\nscatter about. There is no doubt they will come here and search for us.\nLet them search; they will not harm you in person or property, and not\neven a hair of your head. We will cross the river tonight, and go away\nto the West.\"\n\nThe plan seemed to be good. It was accepted by the men assembled. The\nProphet gave several instructions for carrying the plan into effect.\nThen he recorded, as the last words in his own simple, direct narrative\nof his life these words: \"I told Stephen Markham that if I and Hyrum\nwere ever taken again we should be massacred, or I was not a prophet of\nGod. I want Hyrum to live to avenge my blood, but he is determined not\nto leave me.\"[B]\n\n[Footnote B: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, pp. 545, 546.]\n\nWith this complete appreciation of the seriousness of the situation,\nand with this sentence of death passed upon his own head, in case he\nshould ever again be taken by the mob, Joseph Smith set out with his\nbrother, Hyrum, for the Rocky Mountains.[C] Had he been permitted to\ngo he might possibly have lived many years more to bless his people.\nBut undoubtedly his days's work was done. He was called now to bear\ntestimony to his great life-work with his blood. Joseph and Hyrum,\nwith a few friends, had proceeded only as far as Montrose, Iowa, when\nmessengers reached them from the wife of the Prophet. The people had\nbecome alarmed in the absence of their leader. They entreated him to\nreturn to them. They expressed their fears that if he did not return to\nNauvoo-and, of course, to imprisonment--the city would be guarded by\ntroops till he was found, \"if it took three years to do it.\" Several\nof the brethren assembled at Montrose joined, too, in the plea that he\nshould return. They accused him of cowardice, saying that it was now as\nin the fable: when the wolves came the shepherd fled from the flock,\nand left the sheep to be devoured.\n\n[Footnote C: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, p. 547. The thought\nof going to the Rocky Mountains was not a new one with the Prophet\nJoseph Smith. Nearly two years before this, in August, 1842, he made\nthe following entry in his journal:--\"I prophesied [at Montrose,\nIowa, while conversing with several brethren] that the saints would\ncontinue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky\nMountains, many would apostatize, others would be put to death by our\npersecutors, or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease;\nand some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements, and\nbuild cities and see the saints become a mighty people in the midst\nof the Rocky Mountains.\" In February and March, 1844, a company was\nactually organized to explore the Rocky Mountain region, and Congress\nwas memorialized to assist in the exploration of the West. When, a\nfew months later, it became necessary for the Prophet to seek a place\nof refuge, it was but natural that he should turn his eyes in the\ndirection of his great prediction.]\n\nThe Prophet, it need not be said, was sorely hurt. \"If my life is of no\nvalue to my friends,\" said he, \"it is of none to myself.\"\n\nThereupon he turned to Porter Rockwell, and asked, \"What shall I do?\"\n\nRockwell answered, \"You are the oldest, and ought to know best; and as\nyou make your bed, I will lie with you.\"\n\nStill perturbed in mind, the Prophet turned to Hyrum and asked,\n\"Brother Hyrum, you are the oldest, what shall we do?\"\n\nAnd Hyrum counseled, \"Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the\nthing out.\"\n\nIt was a serious step to take. This was a question of life and death.\nThe Prophet considered the counsel awhile, then said, \"If you go back I\nwill go with you, but we shall be butchered.\"\n\n\"No, no,\" cried Hyrum; \"let us go back and put our trust in God, and we\nshall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we\nwill be reconciled to our fate.\"\n\nThese were brave words. They revealed the fearless heart of the\ntrustful man of God. But Joseph was not deceived. He knew that if he\nreturned to Nauvoo, he should be slain. Yet, after considering the\nquestion again for awhile, he turned to Reynolds Cahoon and instructed\nhim to have a boat ready that evening to take them back over the river.\nThe Prophet had decided to return to his fate.\n\nPerhaps nothing is more striking in the events of the next few days\nthan the Prophet's foreknowledge that he was going to a violent death.\nOn the way from Montrose to the river he fell behind the company\nwith Porter Rockwell. Those in advance shouted to them to hurry. But\nJoseph answered, \"It is of no use to hurry, for we are going back to\nbe slaughtered.\" At five-thirty the company re-crossed the river and\nentered again the city of Nauvoo.\n\nEarly on Monday, June twenty-fourth, the Prophet and his company\nstarted for Carthage, Illinois. When the company reached the Nauvoo\nTemple, the Prophet paused. He looked with admiration at the Temple,\nthen at the city of Nauvoo, the Beautiful, nestling in the bend of the\nriver below them. The beautiful morning view seemed to affect him. He\nbecame again oppressed with the foreknowledge of certain death. \"This\nis the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens,\" he\ncried; \"little do they know the trials that await them.\" And as the\ncompany passed out of the city limits, the Prophet called on Daniel H.\nWells. \"Squire Wells,\" said the Prophet, on parting, \"I wish you to\ncherish my memory, and not think me the worst man in the world either.\"\nFour miles west of Carthage, the Prophet's company met Captain Dunn,\nwho had been sent to take possession of the arms of the Nauvoo Legion,\nwith sixty mounted militia. Some of the Prophet's associates seemed to\nbecome alarmed at the sight of the soldiers. But Joseph quieted their\nfears with the rather doubtful comfort, \"Do not be alarmed, brethren,\nfor they cannot do more to you than the enemies of truth did to the\nancient Saints--they can only kill the body.\" And only a few moments\nlater, he made the startling statement, \"I am going like a lamb to the\nslaughter, but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience\nvoid of offense toward God and toward all men. If they take my life, I\nshall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for\nvengeance, and it shall be said of me, 'He was murdered in cold blood\n!'\"[D]\n\n[Footnote D: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, p. 555.]\n\nAnd that there was real cause for anxiety was proved by the testimony\nof Abram C. Hodge. While the arms of the Nauvoo Legion were being\ncollected at Nauvoo for Capt. Dunn, Hodge had been sent to Carthage by\nHyrum Smith, to learn what was the situation there. At Carthage, Hodge\nmet a Rev. Mr. Dodge, a friend of Hyrum's. He warned Hodge that if\nJoseph and Hyrum came to Carthage they would be killed. Hodge also met\nHamilton, the innkeeper, who pointed out the Carthage Greys and said,\n\"Hodge, there are the boys that will settle you Mormons.\" Returning\nfrom Carthage, Hodge met the Prophet and his friends. Hodge reported\nwhat he had heard at Carthage, and said, \"Brother Hyrum, you are now\nclear, and if it was my duty to counsel you, I would say, do not go\nanother foot, for they say they will kill you, if you go to Carthage.\"\n\nBut Hyrum and Joseph were both possessed of a splendid courage. There\nwas only one thing now to do to save Nauvoo from massacre by a lawless\nmob. The Prophet and his brother continued fearlessly on their way to\nCarthage--into the very arms of death. Indeed, perhaps equally striking\nwith the Prophet's foreknowledge of certain death was his unflinching\ncourage in facing that death. It was just a little before midnight, on\nthe twenty-fourth of June, that the company reached Carthage, and put\nup at Hamilton's tavern. The temper of the mob-militia assembled at\nCarthage was displayed by the outcries of the Carthage Greys and the\ngeneral mob while the Prophet and his friends were passing the public\nsquare.\n\n\"Where is the damned prophet?\"\n\n\"Stand away, you McDonough boys, and let us shoot the damned Mormons.\"\n\n\"Clear the way and let us have a view of Joe Smith, the prophet of God.\nHe has seen the last of Nauvoo. We'll use him up now, and kill all the\ndamned Mormons.\"\n\nIf the mob had hoped to daunt the noble spirit of the Prophet by this\nmanifestation of insatiable, bloodthirsty hatred, they were sorely\ndisappointed. Joseph Smith continued calmly, fearlessly on his way. He\nknew that he was going like a lamb to the slaughter; but his spirit\nwas, as he had said, calm as a summer's morning. There was no thought\nof fear in his heart. There was no thought of wavering there. He had\nset his hand to the plow; he did not look back.\n\nIt is needless to follow in detail the shameful proceedings of the next\nfew days at Carthage. Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were again arrested\non a charge based on the destruction of the _Nauvoo Expositor_. They\nwere violently dragged to prison by the Carthage Greys, without\nexamination, on an illegal _mittimus_ prepared by Justice Robert F.\nSmith. The next day they were dragged forth from the jail, again by\nthe Carthage Greys, though the _mittimus_ had ordered that they should\nremain imprisoned \"until released by due course of law.\" And again,\nwithout examination, they were returned to the jail and thrust into\nclose confinement. There was no attempt at a fair, legal trial. On the\ncontrary, every effort was made to pervert the courts, to detain the\nwitnesses for the defense, to delay proper proceedings, and otherwise\nto divert the course of justice. The mob leaders declared openly, \"The\nlaw is too short for these men, but they must not be suffered to go\nat large\"--\"if the law will not reach them, powder and ball must.\"\nIn short, Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were overcome\nfinally, not by the just decisions of a properly constituted court of\nlaw, but by the bloodthirsty passion of an infuriated mob. As with\nthe lowly Nazarene, so with the humble American Prophet, the law\nwould have washed its hands of the case, for it found in the Prophet\nan innocent man void of offense; but the lawless, passion-ruled mob\nwould not have it so. They set aside the decisions of the courts.\nThey revolted from the mild governance of the chief executive of the\nstate. The final scene in the drama of the Restoration is a scene of\nmob-violence and murder. It occurred not long before sun-down on the\neventful twenty-seventh of June, 1844. True to the threats that had\nbeen uttered; true to the determination that had been formed; true to\nthe bitter, though unjust, hatred that had been aroused against the\nProphet,--a mob of frenzied, lawless men rushed upon Carthage jail to\nfulfil their predictions of violence. When they fled precipitately into\nthe woods a few minutes later, terrified by the grossness of their own\nbrutality, they had accomplished their murderous resolve. The Prophet,\nJoseph Smith, and the Patriarch, Hyrum Smith, lay dead.\n\nThree points are clearly manifest: first, the Prophet and the Patriarch\nwere brutally mobbed, and murdered, without justifiable cause; second,\nthe Prophet foreknew, by the spirit of inspiration, that he was going\nto a violent death; third, in the face of the violent death which\nhe knew to be coming to him, the Prophet displayed a never-failing\nfearlessness--a complete reliance upon the righteousness of his cause.\nWhile his sworn enemies were seeking to destroy him, he was himself\ngiving proof, by his humility and his uprightness, by his courage and\nhis manliness, and by his unswerving devotion to his trust, that he\nwas far and away removed from guilt, and that he was indeed a prophet\nof the living God. Before he was committed to prison, several of the\nofficers of the troops at Carthage, curious to see the Prophet, visited\nhim in his room at the inn. The Prophet asked them if they could detect\nanything in his appearance that would indicate that he was so desperate\na character as his defamers represented him to be.\n\nThe visitors replied, \"No, sir; your appearance would indicate the\nvery contrary. General Smith, but we cannot see what is in your heart,\nneither can we tell what are your intentions.\"\n\n\"Very true, gentlemen,\" returned the Prophet, \"you cannot see what is\nin my heart, and you are therefore unable to judge me or my intentions;\nbut I can see what is in your hearts, and will tell you what I see.\nI can see that you thirst for blood, and nothing but my blood will\nsatisfy you. It is not for crime of any description that I and my\nbrethren are thus continually persecuted and harassed by our enemies,\nbut there are other motives, and some of them I have expressed, so far\nas relates to myself; and inasmuch as you and the people thirst for\nblood, I prophesy, in the name of the Lord, that you shall witness\nscenes of blood and sorrow to your entire satisfaction. Your souls\nshall be perfectly satiated with blood, and many of you who are now\npresent shall have an opportunity to face the cannon's mouth from\nsources you think not of; and those people that desire this great evil\nupon me and my brethren, shall be filled with regret and sorrow because\nof the scenes of desolation and distress that await them. They shall\nseek for peace, and shall not be able to find it. Gentlemen, you shall\nfind what I have told you to be true.\"[E]\n\n[Footnote E: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, p. 566.]\n\nThe events of the next two days proved that the Prophet's declaration\nof what was in the hearts of his, visitors was right. And the visitors\nhad not long to live after the martyrdom of the Prophet to see a\nterrible fulfillment of all that he had predicted in the name of the\nLord. The hearts of many of them were rent at the scenes of distress,\nof desolation, and of blood, that they witnessed before they were\nthemselves taken away.\n\nAt the prison, the Prophet and his friends manifested the same\nfearless spirit, the same degree of divine inspiration, and the same\ndevotion to the cause of Truth. Joseph Smith, and Hyrum Smith, and\ntheir associates, took turns preaching to the guards. These noble men\nexplained to their keepers the true nature of their missions upon\nearth, and bore irrefragable testimonies to the truth of the Gospel\nthat they preached. Now, the guards were themselves poisoned by\nbigotry, by prejudice, by bitter hatred. Many of them belonged to the\nmob-militia that was sworn to murder the Prophet. Yet, some of them\nwere so affected by the preaching of the prisoners that they asked to\nbe relieved before their watch was out. Many of them admitted freely\nthat they had been imposed upon. Frequently, one of them was heard\nto call to the others, \"Let us go home, boys, for I will not fight\nany longer against these men.\" So evident was the innocence of the\nprisoners, that, had they been given a fair, legal trial, the court\nwould have acquitted them without question, and would have given them,\nmoreover, the full protection of the law. It was the knowledge of this\nfact that led the Prophet's persecutors to say, \"If the law will not\nreach them powder and ball must.\"\n\nDuring the last night in Carthage jail, the brethren testified again\nof the divinity of their missions. There were present in the prison\nthat night Willard Richards, John Taylor, John S. Fullmer, Stephen\nMarkham, Dan Jones, Hyrum Smith, and Joseph Smith. Elder John Taylor\nprayed. After the prayer, Patriarch Hyrum Smith read from the \"Book of\nMormon.\" He selected certain passages relating cases of imprisonment of\nthe servants of God for the Gospel's sake, and telling how they were\nmiraculously delivered. Evidently, Hyrum still entertained hope that he\nand his brother would be delivered from their enemies. When Hyrum had\nfinished his comments on the passages he had read, the Prophet himself\naddressed his friends and the guards. This address in Carthage jail was\nin the nature of a sermon--the last sermon delivered by the Prophet in\nmortal life. He bore a powerful testimony to the divine authenticity of\nthe \"Book of Mormon.\" He testified to the actuality of the restoration\nof the Gospel, with all its authorities and blessings. He alarmed\nsolemnly that the restoration of the Gospel had been effected through\nthe ministration of angels. He declared that the kingdom of God was\nagain established upon the earth. He claimed that it was for the\nGospel's sake that he was imprisoned, and not because he had violated\nany law either of God or of man. Thus devotedly, fearlessly, did the\ngreat Prophet, with the certain foreknowledge of death in his heart,\ntestify to the divinity of his mission to earth.\n\nOn the day that he was foully murdered, it was reported to the Prophet\nthat the mob had solemnly determined to kill him before sundown. He\nretained, however, his serene composure. Above all, he remained to\nthe last true to the trust God had reposed in him. It did not once\noccur to him that he could save his own life by denying his claims to\ndivine inspiration. On the contrary, on this last day of their life\nupon earth, with the certainty of death apparent undoubtedly to both\nof them, \"Joseph and Hyrum bore a faithful testimony to the Latter-day\nwork, and the coming forth of the 'Book of Mormon,' and prophesied of\nthe triumph of the Gospel over all the earth, exhorting the brethren\npresent to faithfulness and persevering diligence in proclaiming the\nGospel, building up the Temple, and performing all the duties connected\nwith our holy religion.\"[F] Almost with his dying breath the Prophet\ntestified to the truth. And when he fell, it was with a cry to his God,\nwho had appointed him to labor and to suffer.\n\n[Footnote F: \"History of the Church,\" Vol. VI, p. 610.]\n\nIt was undoubtedly in the wise economy of God that Joseph Smith was\ncalled upon to sacrifice his life. The Prophet was tried to the\nuttermost. Let us suppose again for a moment that Joseph Smith was an\nimposter--that he was trying to foist upon the world a monstrous fraud.\nUndoubtedly he would have been willing to endure much for the success\nof his undertaking. He might have yielded willingly to imprisonment,\nand might have paid gracefully any penalty, short of death, imposed\nby courts of law. But it is only fair to assume that life would have\nbeen as dear to him as to anyone else. It is not probable that he would\nhave laid down his life for a mere imposture. It is not probable that\nhe would have been willing to make so rich a sacrifice, had it been\npossible for him to recant--to deny what was an untruth anyway. More\nprobably, if he had been an imposter, Joseph Smith would have saved\nhis life, at the last, by avowing the imposture he had attempted to\nestablish. But Joseph Smith did not deny his divine, prophetic calling.\nOn the contrary, in the very presence of death, he testified to the\ndivinity of the great latter-day work which he had inaugurated. Neither\ndeath nor the fear of death could break the assertion he had made many\nyears before, \"I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew\nit, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it.\" This fact forms\nanother link in the chain of cumulative evidence. It does not prove\nthat Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; but it does prove that he was\nsincere, that he was no mere imposter. Added to what has gone before,\nit strengthens the evidence that there was something more than earthly\ninspiration in the life-work of Joseph Smith.\n\nMoreover, through the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the world is left\nwithout excuse. If the Prophet's mission had run smoothly; if there\nhad been no opposition; if there had been no persecution; if there had\nbeen no imprisonments; if there had been finally no martyrdom,--then\nthe world might have justly derided the claims of the Prophet. He\ncould then never have been tried; his own conviction of his divinely\nappointed mission could never have been tested. It could not then have\nbeen known how the fervent testimonies of either the Prophet or his\nfollowers would have withstood trial and tribulation. But the mission\nof the Prophet did not run smoothly. Opposition began immediately\nwhen he revealed the fact of the first vision, and followed him to\nhis death. Malignation and persecution pursued him relentlessly. Mobs\nwreaked vengeance upon him for his Godliness, in acts of violence.\nPerjured judges committed him to prison, not for any criminal act, but\nfor testifying of the Lord Jesus. Finally, he sacrificed his life, not\nfor any offense small or great against the law of the land, but for\nbeing a prophet of the living God. He sealed his testimony with his\nblood. Is there left to the world any excuse for not accepting his\ntestimony?\n\nIt appears then, that, throughout the terrible strain of those last\ndays of his life, Joseph Smith had a strange foreknowledge of the\ncoming martyrdom. Throughout those days, he faced fearlessly the death\nhe knew to be awaiting him. In the presence of that violent death, he\nbore an unwavering testimony to the divine authority of the Church he\nhad been appointed by God to establish. He saw the chief executive of\nthe state of Illinois become faithless to his pledge of protection.\nHe saw the mob rush upon the prison where he was lodged. He saw his\ndevoted brother, Hyrum, fall dead before him. He knew what death was.\nHe knew that he had no power against it--unless it were to declare\nhimself an imposter and to deny his divine calling. This he could not\ndo. Through all the years his testimony had not been broken. It was not\nbroken now even by the fear of death. Could he have been an imposter?\n\nNo!\n\nThe fame of him has spread the world over. His followers are numbered\nby the hundreds of thousands. Everywhere he is spoken of for good or\nfor ill. Gradually his friends are increasing. The good that is said of\nhim is growing; the evil is diminishing. Already many declare that he\nwas murdered in cold blood. The evidence of his great life-work is fast\nestablishing him in the hearts of men as a true Prophet of God.","title":"The Restoration of the Gospel","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":61064}