{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_60235/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_60235","id":"gutenberg_60235","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60235","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education","Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines","Latter Day Saints"],"text":"_The Seventy's Course in Theology_\n\n\nFIRST YEAR.\n\n_Outline History of the Seventy_\n\nAND\n\n_A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture_\n\n\nCOMPILED AND EDITED BY\n\n_ELDER B. H. ROBERTS_\n\nOf the First Council of the Seventy\n\n\n_To become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development,\nand the attainment of spiritual power_\n\nSalt Lake City\n\n1907\n\n\n\n_INTRODUCTION._\n\n_To become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development,\nand the attainment of spiritual power_.\n\nThe first three opening lessons of this year's course of study are\ndevoted to the history, organization and duties of the Seventy. They\nshould be thoroughly mastered by the present membership of the quorums,\nand as fast as new members are brought in their attention should be\ncalled to these lessons, and they be required to master them also that\nall our Seventies may have a proper understanding of the dignity and\nimportance and the responsibility of this office in the Holy Priesthood.\n\nThe body of the present year's course of study deals with the four\nbooks of the scriptures, recognized by the Church as the only\nauthoritative written embodiment of the doctrines of the Church;\nnamely, the Bible, comprising the Old and New Testament, the American\nvolume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, modern revelation, contained\nin the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The year's\ncourse of study is intended to be a rapid survey, not an exhaustive\ntreatment, of these books; and this in order that all our Seventies\nmay as soon as possible be made acquainted in a general, even if\nonly in a superficial way, for the present, with this body of sacred\nliterature; that they may know something of its history and character.\nThe dominating idea of the whole course being,\n\n_A Workman Should Know His Tools_.\n\nIn the past, a too exclusive adherence to merely \"text methods\" of\nwork has been followed. That is to say, there has been a selection\nof separate and disconnected texts marshalled together in support\nof a given subject without sufficient care being taken to know the\ncontext and historical association of the scriptural utterances, often\nattended with great danger of forming misconceptions of such texts,\nresulting in wrong deductions and conclusions. The present aim is to\nmake our Seventies familiar with the spirit of the scriptures, learning\nsomething of the individual books, as a whole, something of their\ngeneral import and their relationship one to another; that from this\ngeneral acquaintance with the whole volume of scripture, the Seventies\nmay become more competent to use separate passages more intelligently\nand effectively, and with less likelihood of making mistakes.\n\nThe fear has been expressed that since so many lessons are devoted to\nthe Bible, nearly half the years' course, there will be some danger of\nthe work becoming monotonous; but that fear is based upon the common\nmisconception that the Bible is one book, instead of a collection of\nbooks, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New of\nour common English Bibles. Since the books are so many and the time\nperiod covered so great--about 2500 years, from Moses to St. John--and\nthe books being composed by many writers--there is promise of plenty of\nvariety, both as to books and subject matter. It is the rapid survey of\na whole library of books that is contemplated, rather than the study\nof one book, albeit the many books are bound together in one volume.\nThe consideration of the American volume of scripture, the Book of\nMormon, and of modern revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants and\nPearl of Great Price, in the latter part of the course, together with\nthe suggested lectures and the special lessons on present day subjects,\nscripture reading exercises, etc., etc., will unquestionably give ample\nvariety to the year's work.\n\n_THE CLASS TEACHERS_.\n\nThe First Council in its circular letter on the subject of the new\norder of things in relation to Seventies' meetings, course of study,\netc., has already suggested that the new plans of Seventies' work would\nmake it necessary for the quorums to find the most efficient teachers\nfor their classes. \"Where the most efficient teachers are to be found\namong the presidents of quorums,\" says the circular letter, \"of course\nthey will be given preference; but where more efficient men can be\nfound in the quorum membership they should be selected as teachers and\nperform their duties under the direction of the Council of the Quorum,\nwhich, of course, will always be the presiding authority in all quorum\nand class meetings, and conduct all the exercises except the class\nwork. It might be well to select the most proficient man for teacher,\nand appoint one or more assistants who should prepare for the class\nwork, and in the event of the teacher's absence, and even occasionally\nwhen he is present, they could conduct the exercises.\n\n_MANNER OF LESSON TREATMENT_.\n\nIt is not desired that there shall be a too slavish adherence to the\nletter of the lessons. The lesson forms are merely suggestive. Nor is\nit the intention to set forth a stereotyped method of treatment of\nwhat is given. Much will depend upon the teachers. Some will prefer\nto assign the whole lesson to the quorum in general and conduct the\nexercises as a class; others may prefer to make special assignments of\ntopics from the subject matter of the lessons and have brief formal\nlectures devoted to them, followed by review questions, formulated\neither in advance or in the course of the lesson exercises, or at its\nclose by the one conducting the class. Either of these methods can be\nmade satisfactory, or a combination of them might be adopted. It is\ndesirable that the quorums and class teachers exercise their freedom in\nthese matters, only let them throw life and individuality into the work\nand they will succeed.\n\nThe class meetings of the quorums can continue throughout the year\npractically without interruption. Interruption will only be necessary\nin order to attend the Stake Quarterly Conferences, and the ward\nconferences where the respective quorums are located, and these\noccasions will not exceed five in number. There will be no occasion for\npostponing class exercises in order to attend to the business affairs\nof the quorum, since half an hour of any regular session of the quorum\nwill be sufficient for the transaction of any business it may have to\ndo if prompt and business-like methods are employed. If not, a special\nmeeting could be called. It is expected, of course, that the council\nwill continue to hold its council meetings apart from the quorum and\nclass meetings, but these, too, could be held on the Sunday morning\neither before or after the regular meeting.\n\n_HOME READING AND PREPARATION_.\n\nHome reading and preparation outside of class hours should be insisted\nupon. It is not intended that the only mental work in connection with\nour course of study shall be the two or three hours devoted to the work\non Sunday morning. There must be reading through the week. For example,\nduring the weeks that the Pentateuch constitutes the lessons--three in\nnumber and hence extending over three weeks of time--it is expected\nthat members will read the five books of Moses through, not a difficult\ntask; and so on throughout all the lessons. By reading about one hour a\nday an average reader may complete in one year the reading of the four\nbooks of scripture covered by the present year's lessons. Necessarily,\nthis will be rapid reading, but it should be remembered that we are\nonly reading the scriptures this time to get a general idea of their\ncontents, and the relation of the parts to the whole. The object now is\nnot to ponder deeply over texts and combine them subjectively, or work\nout doctrinal or historical themes, hence we can read rapidly in this\nfirst survey of the scriptures proposed in these lessons. In addition\nto reading the books of scripture themselves, members should consult as\nfar as possible the references given on the various books and topics in\nthe lesson analysis. These references are quite numerous and varied,\nmade so purposely, so that if the members do not happen to have access\nto one of the Dictionaries or Helps or other works of reference, they\nmight possibly have another--one at least out of the many, and the\nnotes are given that all may be assured of some assistance in making\nlesson preparations by consulting the utterances of those who are\nrecognized as authorities upon the subjects on which they are quoted.\nIf this is thought to be a rather heavy course of work let it be\nremembered that it is to become a settled conviction with all that,\n_To be a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development, and\nthe attainment of spiritual power, and this may be done only by hard\npersistent work_.\n\n_SCRIPTURE READING AND SPECIAL TEXTS_.\n\nAt Lesson XIV, Part II, it will be observed that \"scripture reading\"\nis introduced as an exercise to be rendered immediately after the\nopening exercises and before taking up the lesson proper. The purpose\nof this exercise is as follows: It is well known that in some Christian\nfamilies in the world, it is the custom to make the reading of the\nscriptures a part of the family worship, and our Elders when visiting\nin such families are called upon to read the scripture lesson before\nengaging in prayer--an example that could be followed with profit\nin our own family worship. The desirability of our Elders being\nprepared to acquit themselves well on such occasions as named above,\nis obvious, and to do that each one should have in mind a number of\nsuitable chapters or parts of chapters of the scriptures with which he\nis familiar, which are appropriate for inspiring the true spirit of\nworship, and which he can read effectively. It is, therefore, urged\nthat class teachers direct the members of the class, when this exercise\nbegins, to select each for himself, such scriptures and practise the\nreading of them, that when called upon to read before the class he may\nbe prepared. Both the reading and the appropriateness of the scriptures\nchosen should be subject to the criticism of the teacher at the time.\nCorrect pronunciation should be taught and insisted upon and practiced\nuntil it shall become habitual. From the selections read before the\nclass, and the suggestions from the teachers the readings will elicit,\neach member in time will be able to build up a fine list of chapters or\nparts of chapters that will be suitable for family worship and special\nreading. It is not expected that this exercise will occupy more than\nten minutes, and usually should not occupy more than five. An example\nof such reading exercise is given in Lesson XIV, Part II.\n\nThe object of publishing a special text with each lesson, is to bring\nbefore the members of the class passages of striking beauty, doctrinal\nvalue, or of spiritual power; both that our Seventies may in this way\ngradually build up a collection of striking texts, and also that they\nthemselves may form the habit while reading, of noting such passages\nand making them their own. They will find the noting of such passages a\nvery fruitful and successful means of enriching their own language and\nenlarging their powers of expression.\n\n_LECTURES_.\n\nOccasionally special lectures and papers are outlined in the lesson.\nTeachers should make assignments of these exercises two or three weeks\nbefore the time for them to be rendered, that there may be ample time\nfor thorough preparation, with the view of making the lectures and\npapers an intellectual treat to the quorums.\n\n_SUBJECTS OF PRESENT DAY INTEREST_.\n\nIn the latter half of the course for the present year, subjects of\npresent day interest are introduced to give variety to, and increase\nthe interest in the lessons. It is suggested that these subjects be\ntreated by having extemporaneous speaking upon the various topics in\nthem. That is to say, let the subject be announced a week in advance\nfor general consideration by all the members of the quorum. Then when\nassembled, the teacher conducting the exercise should call upon the\nmembers without previous notice or warning to speak on some subdivision\nor special topic associated with the subject matter of the lesson. The\nnotes in these lessons comprise suggestions as to the construction\nof speeches or lectures, and these should be considered and enlarged\nupon, as the notes are only hints in the direction of helpfulness\nto the young and inexperienced members of the class. The purpose of\nintroducing these subjects of present day interest is that the members\nof the quorums may be trained a little in applying the revealed\nprinciples of the Gospel to our present day problems, which to know how\nto do, and to do it well, is a matter of first rate importance.\n\nNeither in these extemporaneous exercises nor in any other of the\nlessons should excuses or hesitancy be tolerated. No member should be\nallowed to refuse to make the effort to speak. Strict class discipline\nshould be maintained all along the line. We are dealing with men, not\nchildren; and, moreover, with men who of their own volition and desire\nhave accepted the office of Seventy, and are under the deepest moral\nobligation to bend every energy to qualify themselves for the high\nduties pertaining to their office, and therefore should be thoroughly\nin earnest in these class exercises, and in home study and preparation.\nNo foolish pride that shrinks from revealing one's ignorance or lack of\ntraining or ability should stand in the way of taking an active part in\nclass work. He who would make progress in knowledge and the training\nof mind faculties and polite and graceful deportment, must know that a\nhumble attitude of mind that submits to correction and suggestion, are\nconditions precedent to that progress. We assemble in quorum capacity\nfor this training. Our quorums are to become our workshops for the\neducation of men, and each should manifest the willingness to try, and\nno matter how complete the failure or how often it is repeated there\nshould be promptness and thoroughness and earnestness of effort and\nwillingness to try again whenever a member is called upon to take part\nin class work.\n\n_CLASS CRITICS_.\n\nClass critics may be appointed to criticize in kindness and in\nfairness, but frankly and honestly, the class exercises; not\nnecessarily confining their criticism to defects alone. Excellence\nmay be noted and moderately praised, but benefits will naturally\narise chiefly from having defects in matter and manner pointed out\nto the member rendering an exercise, such as awkwardness in bearing,\nunsuitableness of phraseology, wrong use of words, errors in grammar,\nmispronunciation of words, misconceptions in ideas, defects in logical\ntreatment, inappropriateness of illustration--let all such things be\nsubjects for fair but frank criticism, and submitted to willingly and\nin good part, for purposes of improvement, and beyond a doubt such\ncriticism would be very helpful.\n\nIf the suggestion of the appointment of the critic be acted upon, a\ndifferent one should be appointed, say every month, or not less seldom\nthan every two months.\n\n_OPENING EXERCISES_.\n\nIt will be observed that no suggestions are made in the lessons in\nrelation to opening exercises. It was thought unnecessary to make any\nsince that can be easily managed as each quorum deems proper. We do\nsuggest, however, that singing be made part of such exercise; both on\naccount of its being a very beautiful and appropriate exercise for\nsuch meetings as we propose our quorum class meetings to become, and\nalso for the reason that singing is a training that our Elders very\nmuch need to equip them for their mission work. All, therefore, should\nbe induced to participate in this exercise to the extent of their\nabilities. Occasionally ten or fifteen minutes could be devoted to\npractice in singing--right good earnest work, until each quorum builds\nup a repertoire of suitable hymns and spiritual songs. It is quite\npossible, too, for nearly every quorum to have a fine quartette or male\nchorus, and occasionally these could render special pieces to enliven\nthe meetings and make glad the hearts of the brethren, but not to the\ndisplacement of congregational or quorum singing.\n\nAnd in the selection of hymns and songs, and choruses, appropriateness\nshould be carefully considered. Let the strong, stalwart hymns of the\npresent dispensation be practiced in the quorums, and not the namby,\npamby, childish hymns that sometimes find their way into the repertoire\nof songs sung by our Elders in the mission field. Let us have such\nhymns as,\n\n  \"The morning breaks, the shadows flee;\n     Lo! Zion's standard is unfurled!\n  The dawning of a brighter day\n     Majestic rises on the world.\"\n\nA trumpet blast within itself. Such hymns as,\n\n  \"An angel from on high,\n     The long, long silence broke,\" etc.\n\nAlso,\n\n  \"Israel, Israel, God is calling,\n     Calling thee from lands of woe,\" etc.\n\nAlso,\n\n  \"If you could hie to Kolob.\n        In the twinkling of an eye,\" etc.\n\nAlso,\n\n  \"O say, what is Truth? 'Tis the fairest gem,\" etc.\n\nAlso,\n\n  \"Israel, awake from your long silent slumber!\n    Shake off the fetters that bound thee so long,\" etc.\n\nThese few indicate a class of our hymns that are peculiarly\nours--peculiarly Mormon hymns that are vibrant with the spirit of the\nlatter-day work because it produced them--inspired them, and they are\nmore appropriate, at least for Seventies, for missionaries, than the\nhalf sectarian songs many of our youth are learning to cultivate a\ntaste for. Let us learn to sing Mormonism as well as to preach it.\nEvery Elder who can sing at all should carefully select a set of hymns\nthat have the missionary spirit in them and learn to sing them.\n\n_PRAYER_.\n\nA word on prayer. If singing be considered important, both in the\nopening and closing exercises of our meetings, and as an accomplishment\nof our Seventies, praying must be regarded as of far more importance.\nAs gold to brass; as diamonds to pebbles; so is prayer to singing,\neven, so much more important is it. Yet how little attention is given\nto prayer! I mean to the cultivation of the gift of it; to nourishing\nthe spirit of it. After an elapse of two thousand years we still have\nneed of going to the Master and saying, \"Lord teach us how to pray.\" To\nattempt any extended suggestions on the subject here, however, would\nbe beyond the scope of this introduction; all that can be done is to\ncall attention to the need of good taste being observed when addressing\nthe All Father; appropriateness of our petitions to the occasion,\nrespectfulness and reverence in the manner of our address; avoiding a\nfrequent repetition of the divine name or titles; and, above all, right\nfeeling towards the Good Father when speaking to him.\n\n_THE ORGAN OF THE SEVENTIES_.\n\nThe Seventies are to be congratulated upon now having an organ through\nwhich the First Council can communicate with them from time to time\nwithout the inconvenience and expense of special circulars. That the\nSeventies have an organ may be matter of surprise to them, since\nthis is the first announcement of the fact, and there has been but\nlittle agitation of the matter though it has been the proverbial \"long\nfelt want.\" It came about in the following manner: The First Council\nsuggested to President Joseph F. Smith that the \"Improvement Era,\"\nnow the organ of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations,\ncould easily be extended in its scope so as to become also the organ\nof the Seventies. Its general literature is already, in the main, of\nthe class our Seventies would do well to read. The Era has been the\nvehicle through which very many important doctrinal articles have been\npublished; and having become the organ of the Seventies, as well as of\nthe Young Men's association, is a guarantee that it will continue that\nline of work, and perhaps more abundantly in the future than in the\npast. There will be a Seventies' department opened in the magazine, of\nseveral pages, in which will be published each month suggestions and\ndirections relative to Seventies' class work, quorum discipline and\ngeneral management. Of the advantages of such an arrangement little\nneed be urged since they must be obvious to all. Hereafter, then, the\nImprovement Era will be known as the \"ORGAN OF THE SEVENTIES AND THE\nYOUNG MEN'S MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS.\"\n\nThe First Council bespeak for our organ the hearty support of all the\nSeventies. Its success has depended heretofore on the love and loyalty\nof the Young Men's Association; hereafter that will be supplemented by\nthe love and loyalty of the Seventies' quorums. The attention of the\nmembers of the quorums should at once be called to this new adjunct in\nour work and they be invited to become subscribers to our magazine. We\nsuggest that one or two members in each quorum be appointed to solicit\nsubscriptions within the quorum, that each member be given the direct\nopportunity to become a subscriber. The Era, it will be understood, has\nno other agents except those appointed by the Young Men's Association\nin the respective wards and branches of the Church, and now, of course,\nthose who will be appointed by our quorums. The service is to be given\nwithout remuneration--soliciting subscriptions within our quorums is to\nbe a work of love and interest. The price is two dollars per year, paid\nin advance, and subscriptions should be sent by the quorum agent to the\nmanager of the Era, Elder Alpha J. Higgs, Era office, 214 Templeton\nBuilding, Salt Lake City. Promptness and efficiency in dealing with\nthis matter is expected.\n\nIt is a fortunate circumstance that this inauguration of better working\nconditions for the quorums of Seventies, and the beginning of the\nvolume of the Era--volume XI--should start off together, viz., in the\nmonth of November. But is it not a co-ordination of circumstances\nbrought about by the operation of the Spirit of the Lord upon the minds\nof the brethren rather than a matter of good fortune? So many things\nhave conjoined for this new movement among the Seventies to augur\nsuccess that those of us who have been watching its development cannot\ndoubt but that\n\n                          _\"God Wills It!\"_\n\n_CONCLUSION_.\n\nAnd now, brethren of the Seventies, in conclusion: Be earnest in this\nwork. Be thorough, patient, self-denying. A great opportunity has come\nto us--let us make the most of it, and be grateful that it has come.\nLet no difficulties appall us. We can overcome them. Let us say of\ndifficulties, what Napoleon said of the Alps, when the difficulty, if\nnot the impossibility, of crossing them with an army was suggested, he\nanswered:\n\n                      \"There Shall Be No Alps!\"_\n\nREMEMBER! _To become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual\ndevelopment, and the attainment of spiritual power_.\n\n_A SUGGESTED LIST OF BOOKS OF REFERENCE_.\n\nThe following named books of reference will be especially useful in\nthe present year's course of study. It is not expected, of course,\nthat all our Seventies will be able to secure the entire collection\nsuggested, but it would be well for our members to purchase so many of\nthem as they can afford to buy as the beginning of a small personal\nlibrary. The books recommended will not only be useful for the present\nyear's lessons, but are standard books that will be useful in all the\ncourses of study yet to be prescribed. Inasmuch as individuals may not\nbe able to purchase these books, we suggest that it would be well for\neach quorum to take under consideration the propriety of the quorum\nas a body obtaining this complete list as the foundation of a quorum\nreference library, that might be available to all for preparation.\n\n1. _\"The Seventy's Indispensible Library:\"_ This consists of the\nCambridge Bible, the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants,\nPearl of Great Price, (bound in one volume) and the Richards-Little\nCompendium; price, post-paid, $9.00.\n\n_Webster's New Standard Dictionary of the English Language_, adapted\nfor High School, Academic and Collegiate Courses; price, $1.50.\n\n_The Works of Flavius-Josephus,_ in one volume, by William Whiston, A.\nM., David McKay, Publisher, 23 South Ninth Street, Philadelphia, $1.50.\n\n_Dictionary of the Bible_ (Dr. William Smith's). The most desirable\nedition of this work is the four volume edition of Prof. H. B. Hackett,\nD. D., published by Houghton-Mifflin & Co., Boston. It is a very\nvaluable work and contains, \"by universal consent, the fruit of the\nripest biblical scholarship of England, and constitutes a library of\nitself, superceding the use of many books otherwise necessary.\" The\nprice in leather binding, $25.00. The Seventies individually may not be\nable to purchase this edition, but where quorums unite for the purchase\nof books this is the edition that should be secured.\n\nThere is, however, a one volume edition of this work, known as\n\n_Smith's Smaller Dictionary of the Bible,_ published by Fleming H.\nRevell Co., New York and Chicago, $1.25, post-paid.\n\n_Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature,_ edited by John Kitto, two\nvolumes, S. W. Green's Son, Publishers, 74, 76 Beekmen St., New York.\nIf Smith's Dictionary is not secured then the work next in value is the\none here named.\n\n_\"A Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Old and New Testament,\"_\nJamieson-Fausset-Brown, S. S. Scranton & Co., Hartford, Publishers.\nThis is a very excellent work, and frequently quoted in the references\nand also in the notes of the present year's course of study. As\nremarked in one of the notes, the Elders who make up our ministry\nmay not accept the doctrinal interpretation of this or any other\ncommentary, yet its historical and critical treatises are among the\nmost recent and valuable.\n\n_The Old Testament History,_ by William Smith, Harper & Brothers,\nPublishers, New York; price, $2.00. This work is designed by the\ncompiler and editor as a manual in relation to Hebrew history and on a\npar with the histories of Greece and Rome, generally used in our best\nschools. As a digest of Biblical History, it is a most valuable work.\n\n_Dr. Smith's New Testament History,_ with introduction, connecting the\nhistory of the Old Testament with the New, Harper Brothers, New York.\nThis work stands in the same relationship to the New Testament History\nthat the previously mentioned work does to the Old.\n\n_\"Illustrated Bible Treasury,\"_ edited by William Wright, D. D. To\nthose who may have neither Cambridge or Oxford or Nelson Bible Helps,\nwe recommend this as a very valuable collection of material, including\na Concordance, a Dictionary and Maps, and upwards of 350 illustrations,\non Bible subjects; price, post-paid, seventy-five cents.\n\nAs helps in the study of the Book of Mormon we recommend:\n\n_Reynolds' Dictionary of the Book of Mormon._\n\n_Y. M. M. I. A. Manuals, Nos. 7, 8 and 9,_ containing Elder Roberts'\ntreatise on the Book of Mormon, including a consideration of External\nand Internal Evidences, price twenty-five cents per number.\n\n_Defense of the Faith and the Saints_ (just out from the press), price\n$1.50.\n\n_Y. M. M. I. A. Manual, No. 10;_ subject, Modern Revelation, especially\nvaluable in the study of the Doctrine and Covenants; price twenty-five\ncents. Manuals can be obtained from the Era office, Templeton Building,\nSalt Lake City.\n\n_The Book of Abraham._ Its Authenticity as a Divine and Ancient Record,\n(Elder George Reynolds).\n\n_The Improvement Era, organ of the Seventies and Y. M. M. I.\nAssociations,_ for current literature, comment and special articles\non subjects of first year's Seventies' work, price $2.00 per year, in\nadvance.\n\n\n\n_The Seventy's Course in Theology._\n\n__FIRST YEAR_._\n\n\n\n_PART I._\n\n_Outline History of the Seventy._\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\n_THE SEVENTY IN THREE DISPENSATIONS._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                      REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Seventy in the Mosaic Dispensation._               Exodus xxiv:xi; Number xi:16, 25.\n        1. The Seventy Chosen.                               Note 1.\n        2. Their Spiritual Powers.\n        3. Was the Sanhedrin a perpetuation\n           of the Seventy.\n\n  _II. The Seventy of the Christian Dispensation._           Luke x:1-24, Smith's\n         1. Organization of Quorums.                         Bible Dictionary[1] Art.\n         2. Commission and Spiritual Powers.                 \"Seventy Disciples.\"[2] Edersheim's\n                                                             \"Jesus the\n                                                             Messias,\" Vol. II, Chap. v.\n                                                             Eccl. Hist., Eusebius,\n                                                             Chap. xii. Students'\n                                                             Eccl. Hist. pp. 17, 18.\n                                                             Notes 2, 3.\n\n  _III. The Seventy in the Dispensation of                   Notes 4, 5, 6, 7. Also\n       the Fulness of Times._                                History of the Church.\n     1. The Organization of the First                        Vol. II, 180-2 and notes;\n        Quorum.                                              Ibid. Chap. xiii and\n     2. First Report to the Prophet.                         notes. Ibid, p. 221, and\n     3. Blessed in Kirtland Temple.                          note; Ibid, p. 346 (First\n     4. They lead Zion's Camp to Missouri.                   Report of to the Prophet).\n     5. Increase in the number of Quorums                    Notes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.\n        in Nauvoo and the West,\n        Present Status.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"God could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to\nopen the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men\nunder their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them\nfrom a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as\ngreat a sacrifice as did Abraham. Now the Lord has got his Twelve and\nhis Seventy, and there will be other quorums of Seventies called, who\nwill make the sacrifice, and those who have not made their sacrifices\nand their offerings now, will make them hereafter.\"_--JOSEPH SMITH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Seventy of the Mosaic Dispensation:_ It is difficult to\ndetermine just what the relationship of the Seventy Elders of Exodus\nxxiv and 1, and Numb. xi: 16, 25, occupied in the Mosaic polity.\nCommenting on the passage in Exodus, a somewhat celebrated authority\n(Jamieson-Fausset-Brown's Commentary) says:\n\n    \"An order of Seventy was to be created, either by a selection from\n    the existing staff of Elders, or by the appointment of new ones,\n    empowered to assist him [Moses] by their collective wisdom and\n    experience in the onerous cares of government. The Jewish writers\n    say that this was the origin of the Sanhedrim, or supreme appellate\n    court of their nation. But there is every reason to believe that it\n    was only a temporary expedient, adopted to meet a trying exigency.\"\n\nCatholic commentators, however, positively assert that this appointment\nof the Seventy Elders \"was the first institution of the Council or\nSenate, called the Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy or seventy-two\nSenators, or Counselors.\" (Douay Bible, foot-note, Numb. xi: 16-25.)\n\nBut Dr. William Smith, in his Old Testament History, says:\n\n    \"The appointment of the Seventy Elders has often been regarded as\n    the germ of the Sanhedrim. They seem rather to have been a Senate,\n    whose office was confined to assisting Moses in the government,\n    and ceased with the cessation of his leadership. No trace of the\n    Sanhedrim is found till the return from the Babylonish captivity.\n    It is more certain that the manner of their consecration prefigured\n    the order of the Prophets.\" (Old Testament History, p. 185.)\n\nFrom all this it will be seen that much confusion exists among the\nlearned with reference to the exact nature of the office of the\nSeventy. From the revelations of the Lord, however, to the Prophet\nJoseph Smith, we learn that the Priesthood existed in Israel in the\ndays of Moses, but that \"he took Moses out of their midst and the\nHoly Priesthood also,\" but that \"the lesser Priesthood continued,\nwhich Priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and\nthe preparatory gospel\" only. With this as a key, that is, with the\nknowledge that the \"Holy Priesthood,\" meaning by that the higher, or\nMelchisedek Priesthood, existed in Israel in the days of Moses, it is\nfairly safe to conclude that the Seventy Elders of the two passages in\nquestion were really a quorum of the Seventy as we know it, and that\nperhaps the princes at the head of the twelve tribes of Israel may have\noccupied a position somewhat analogous to, if not identical with, that\nof the Twelve Apostles in the later Church, though it must be admitted\nthat the latter suggestion, especially is merely conjecture. The\nconclusion with reference to the Seventy, however, takes on increased\nprobability when the spiritual powers exercised by the Seventy\ndescribed in Numb. xi: 24, 29, is taken into account; powers that\nare so nearly akin to those of the Seventy in the Meridian and later\ndispensations of the gospel.\n\n2. _The Seventy of the New Testament:_ The opinions of ecclesiastical\nwriters with reference to the Seventy mentioned in Luke x, seem to be\nas hopelessly inconclusive as those held with reference to the Seventy\nin the Mosaic polity.. Some, for instance, hold that \"no power or\nauthority was formally conferred upon the Seventy, their mission being\nonly temporary, and indeed for one divine purpose; its primary object\nwas to prepare for the coming of the Master in the places to which they\nwere sent; and their selection was from a wider circle of disciples,\nthe number being now seventy instead of twelve.\" So says Edersheim\n(Jesus the Messiah, Vol. II, p. 136), from which it appears that he\ndoes not regard the Seventy as permanent officers in the Church,\nbecause, as he assumes, their mission was temporary.\n\nWhereas, on the other hand, Dr. Smith holds that \"their office did not\ncease with the fulfillment of their immediate and temporary mission,\nbut was to continue.\" (Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. IV,\nArticle, Seventy Disciples.)\n\nJamieson-Fausset-Brown's Commentary, on the passage, says:\n\n    \"The mission [i. e., of the Seventy], unlike that of the Twelve,\n    was evidently quite temporary. All the instructions are in keeping\n    with a brief and hasty pioneering mission, intended to supply what\n    of general preparation for coming events, the Lord's own visit\n    afterwards to the same \"cities and places\" would not from want of\n    time, now suffice to accomplish; whereas the instructions to the\n    Twelve, besides embracing all those of the Seventy, contemplate\n    world-wide and permanent effects. Accordingly, after their return\n    from this single missionary tour, we never again read of the\n    Seventy.\"\n\n\"We never again read of the Seventy\" should be limited, however, to\nthe books of the New Testament, for in the ecclesiastical writers\nwhich succeed the New Testament authors, mention is made of individual\nmembers of this body of Seventy, and of their labors. For instance,\nEusebius has the following passage with reference to them.\n\n    \"The names of our Savior's Apostles are sufficiently obvious to\n    every one, from his gospels; but of the seventy disciples, no\n    catalogue is given anywhere. Barnabas, indeed, is said to have been\n    one of them, of whom there is distinguished notice in the Acts of\n    the Apostles; and also in St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians.\n    Sosthenes, who sent letters with Paul to the Corinthians, is said\n    to have been one of these. Clement, in the fifth of his Hypotyposes\n    or Institutions, in which he also mentions Cephas, of whom Paul\n    also says, that he came to Antioch, and \"that he withstood him to\n    his face;\"[3]--says, that one who had the same name with Peter\n    the Apostle, was one of the Seventy; and that Matthias, who was\n    numbered with the Apostles in place of Judas, and he who had been\n    honored to be a candidate with him, are also said to have been\n    deemed worthy of the same calling with the Seventy. They also say\n    that Thaddeus was one of them; concerning whom I shall presently\n    relate a narrative that has come down to us. Moreover, if any one\n    observe with attention, he will find more disciples of our Savior\n    than the Seventy, on the testimony of Paul, who says, that \"he\n    appeared after his resurrection, first to Cephas, then to the\n    Twelve, and after these to five hundred brethren at once.\" Of whom,\n    he says, \"some are fallen asleep,\" but the greater part were living\n    at the time he wrote.\" (Eccl. Hist. Eusebius, Chap. xii.)\n\nIn the chapter following the one from which the foregoing quotation is\ntaken, Eusebius refers to Thaddeus in the most positive manner as being\none of the Seventy, and that he was sent by Thomas, the Apostle, to\nvisit King Agbarus. (See Eusebius' Eccl. History, Chap. xiii.)\n\n3. _Of Their Being More Than One Quorum of Seventy in the Meridian\nDispensation:_ In all comments upon the Seventy mentioned in St.\nLuke, chapter x, one thing seems to have been strangely overlooked;\nnamely, that Jesus had appointed other quorums of Seventy before those\nmentioned by the third Evangelist. Such is the plain implication of the\nfirst verse in said chapter, to-wit:\n\n\"After these things the Lord appointed _other_ Seventy also, and sent\nthem two and two before his face,\" etc. Undoubtedly, it is in their\ncollective capacity that they are referred to here, since the term\n\"Seventy\" is used in the singular; and before the appointment of this\nSeventy mentioned in Luke, Jesus had appointed \"other Seventy,\" or\nquorums of Seventy, how many may not be determined. In I Cor.: xv,\nwhere Paul described the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection,\nit is said \"that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the Twelve,\nafter that he was seen of about five hundred brethren at once, of whom\nthe greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.\"\nNow, taking the close relationship between the Twelve and the Seventy,\nthe similarity of their mission and commission, (compare Luke x with\nMatthew x), and the fact that in the above quoted passage from Paul the\nappearances of Jesus is spoken of as being associated with Peter, then\nwith the Twelve, and then of five hundred brethren at once, may it not\nbe that those 500 brethren were those who held similar authority with\nthe Twelve Apostles, namely, the Seventy, which would make, allowing\nfor slight discrepancy and perhaps the attendance of the Twelve\nApostles, among the five hundred, seven quorums of Seventy. (See Doc. &\nCov. Sec. cvii: 95.) This is admittedly conjecture, and yet conjecture\nupon which strong probability attends.\n\n4. _The Prophet's Vision of the Order in Church Government:_ It is\nevident from the account given in the history of the Prophet Joseph\nSmith, that the organization of the Twelve and the Seventy grew out\nof a vision he had concerning the order of Church organization, since\nboth in his history and also in the revelation contained in the Doc.\n& Cov. Sec. 107, he repeatedly makes mention of that vision. In the\nminutes of the meeting at which the organization of the Twelve began,\nit is written that \"President Smith then stated that the meeting had\nbeen called because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him\nby vision and by the Holy Spirit.\" (History of the Church, Vol. II, p.\n182, also note.)\n\nIn the revelation above referred to, describing the order of the\nSeventy, the Prophet says: \"It is according to the vision, showing the\norder of the Seventy, that there shall be seven presidents to preside\nover them, chosen out of the number of the Seventy.\"\n\n5. _The First Quorums of Seventy Chosen from Zion's Camp:_ The first\nand second quorum of Seventy was made up, in the main, from that band\nof men who constituted Zion's camp, the camp, it will be remembered,\nthat went up to the deliverance of the Saints who had been expelled\nfrom Jackson county in 1833. In the meeting referred to in the\nforegoing note, at which the Twelve were organized, it is stated that\nthe Prophet related some of the circumstances attendant upon the\njourney of Zion's camp; its trials, sufferings, etc., and said, \"God\nhad not designed all this for nothing, but he had it in remembrance\nyet; and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion (i. e.,\nMissouri) with the determination to lay down their lives if necessary,\nshould be ordained to the ministry and go forth to prune the vineyard\nfor the last time.\" (History of the Church, Vol. ii, p. 182.) In an\naddress to certain Elders assembled in Kirtland soon after the Seventy\nwere organized, the Prophet said:\n\n    \"Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight\n    in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He\n    could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel\n    door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their\n    direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a\n    body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great\n    a sacrifice as did Abraham. Now the Lord has got his Twelve and\n    his Seventy, and there will be other quorums of Seventies called,\n    who will make the sacrifice, and those who have not made their\n    sacrifices and their offerings now, will make them hereafter.\"\n    (History of the Church, Vol.. II, p. 182 in note.)\n\nFrom this, it appears, that the character of men who attain unto this\nhigh station in the Priesthood of God should be men who have made\nsacrifices for the work of God, or who are perfectly willing to make\nsuch sacrifices, even to laying down their lives for the cause.\n\n_Organization of the Seventy in Dispensation of the Fullness of Times:_\nThe organization of the Seventies in the dispensation of the fulness\nof times began on the 28th of February, 1835, when, according to the\nHistory of the Prophet Joseph, \"The Church in council assembled,\ncommenced selecting certain individuals to be Seventies from the number\nof those who went up to Zion with me in the camp (i. e., Zion's camp);\nand the following are the names of those who were ordained and blessed\nat that time (names omitted), to begin the organization of the first\nquorum of Seventies, according to the visions and revelations which I\nhave received. The Seventies are to constitute traveling quorums, to go\ninto all the earth, whithersoever the Twelve Apostles shall call them.\"\n(History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 201-302. See also notes on the text\nof those two pages.)\n\n7. _President Joseph Young's Account of the Organization of the First\nQuorums of Seventy:_ The account of the organization of the Seventy\ngiven by the late Joseph Young, brother of President Brigham Young, who\nbecame the First President of the Seventy in this dispensation, is too\nimportant to be omitted, and therefore is given here in extenso:\n\n    \"On the 8th of February, in the year of our Lord 1835, the Prophet\n    Joseph Smith called Elders Brigham and Joseph Young to the chamber\n    of his residence, in Kirtland, Ohio; it being on the Sabbath day.\n    After they were seated, and he had made some preliminaries, he\n    proceeded to relate a vision to these brethren, of the state and\n    condition of those men who died in Zion's Camp, in Missouri. He\n    said, \"Brethren, I have seen those men who died of the cholera\n    in our camp; and the Lord knows, if I get a mansion as bright as\n    theirs, I ask no more.\" At this relation he wept, and for some time\n    could not speak. When he had relieved himself of his feelings, in\n    describing the vision, he resumed the conversation, and addressed\n    himself to Brother Brigham Young. Said he to him, \"I wish you to\n    notify all the brethren living in the branches, within a reasonable\n    distance from this place, to meet at a General Conference on\n    Saturday next. I shall then and there appoint twelve special\n    witnesses, to open the door of the gospel to foreign nations, and\n    you,\" said he (speaking to Brother Brigham), \"will be one of them.\"\n\n    He then proceeded to enlarge upon the duties of their calling.\n    The interest that was taken on the occasion of this announcement,\n    produced in the minds of the two Elders present a great sensation,\n    and many reflections; having previously notified Brother Brigham\n    Young that he would be one of the witnesses, but said nothing to\n    Joseph until he had exhausted much of his feelings in regard to the\n    Twelve, which took up some little time.\n\n    \"He then turned to Elder Joseph Young with quite an earnestness,\n    as though the vision of his mind was extended still further, and\n    addressing him, said: \"Brother Joseph, the Lord has made you\n    President of the Seventies.\"\n\n    \"They had heard of Moses and seventy Elders of Israel, and of Jesus\n    appointing other Seventies, but had never heard of Twelve Apostles\n    and of Seventies being called in this Church before. It was a\n    strange saying, \"The Lord has made you president of the Seventies,\"\n    as though it had already taken place, and it caused these brethren\n    to marvel.\n\n    \"The Prophet did not say that any others would be called to be the\n    bearers of this message abroad, but the inference might be clearly\n    drawn, that this was his meaning, from the language he used at the\n    time.\n\n    \"Agreeable to his request to Elder Brigham Young, the branches were\n    all notified, and a meeting of the brethren in General Conference\n    was held in Kirtland, in the new school house, under the printing\n    office, on the following Saturday, February 14th, when the Twelve\n    were appointed and ordained, and the Conference adjourned for two\n    weeks.\n\n    \"Pursuant to this adjournment, the Conference convened on Saturday,\n    the 28th of that month, when the first quorum of Seventies were\n    appointed and ordained, under the hands of the Prophet, his\n    Counselors, and others.\n\n    \"Adjourned meetings were held from time to time, and the second\n    quorum of Seventies were appointed and ordained.\"\n\n8. _The First Report of the Seventy:_ The first report that the\nSeventies made of their labors seems to have given very great\nsatisfaction to the Prophet. Under date of December 28, 1835, (less\nthan a year after their organization) the Prophet says:\n\n    \"This day the Council of the Seventy met to render an account\n    of their travels and ministry, since they were ordained to that\n    Apostleship. The meeting was interesting, indeed, and my heart was\n    made glad while listening to the relation of those that had been\n    laboring in the vineyard of the Lord, with such marvelous success.\n    And I pray God to bless them with an increase of faith and power,\n    and keep them all, with the endurance of faith in the name of Jesus\n    Christ to the end.\" (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 346.)\n\n9. _The Anointing of the Seventy:_ The Seventies were privileged\nto receive their washings and anointings in the Kirtland Temple\npreparatory to its public dedication. The Presidency of the Seventy\nreceived their anointing and blessing under the hands of the Twelve\nApostles on the 22nd of January, 1836; and had sealed \"upon their\nheads power and authority to anoint their brethren\"--the members of\ntheir quorums. (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 383.) Under date of\nthe 30th of January, 1836, members of the quorums were anointed and\nblessed, of which circumstance the Prophet says:\n\n    \"In the evening, went to the upper room of the Lord's house, and\n    set the different quorums in order. Instructed the presidents of\n    the Seventy concerning the order of their anointing, and requested\n    them to proceed and anoint the Seventy.\" (History of the Church,\n    Vol. II, p. 388.)\n\n10. _The Seventy Sustained as Apostles:_ During the dedicatory services\nin the Kirtland Temple, March 27, 1836, when the various officers of\nthe Church were sustained, the Seventies were sustained as \"Apostles\nand special witnesses to the nations to assist the Twelve,\" etc. I\nquote the passage in full.\n\n    \"I then called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to\n    acknowledge the Twelve Apostles, who were present, as Prophets,\n    Seers, Revelators, and special witnesses to all the nations of the\n    earth, holding the keys of the kingdom, to unlock it, or cause it\n    to be done, among them, and uphold them by their prayers, which\n    they assented to by rising. I next called upon the quorums and\n    congregation of Saints to acknowledge the presidents of Seventies\n    who act as their representatives, as Apostles and special witnesses\n    to the nations, to assist the Twelve in opening the gospel kingdom\n    among all people, and to uphold them by their prayers, which they\n    did by rising.\" (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 417-18.)\n\n11. _The First Council of Seventy Lead Kirtland Camp to Missouri:_\nPerhaps the greatest work achieved by the First Council of the\nSeventies in their organized capacity, was the organization of the\nKirtland Camp, and leading it from Kirtland, Ohio, to Adam-ondi-Ahman,\nMissouri, a distance of 860 miles. The camp numbered 105 families, 529\nsouls in all. They left the vicinity of Kirtland on the 6th day of\nJuly, 1838, and arriving at Adam-ondi-Ahman on the 4th of October, of\nthe same year. A full history of the organization of this camp and its\njourney is to be found in the History of the Church, Vol. III, p.. 87\nto 148.\n\n12. _Increase of Quorums at Nauvoo:_ At the October Conference, 1844,\nthe number of the Seventy was greatly increased. On the third day of\nthe conference, \"Elder George A. Smith moved that all in the Elders'\nquorum under the age of thirty-five should be ordained into the\nSeventies', if they are in good standing, and worthy, and will accept\nit. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.\" Enough members\nwere added to make in all eleven quorums, and forty more were ordained\nto be part of the twelfth quorum. (See minutes of Conference, \"Times\nand Seasons,\" Vol. V, p. 695-696.) By the first of January, 1845, the\nnumber of quorums had increased to fourteen, and a Seventies' library\nwas started, which caused the editor of the \"Times and Seasons\" to\nexclaim:\n\n    \"Ten years ago but one Seventy, and now fourteen [quorums of]\n    Seventies, and the foundation for the best library in the world. It\n    looks like old times when they had 'Kirjath Sapher,' the City of\n    Books.\" (Times and Seasons, Vol. V, p. 762-3.)\n\nMeantime the Seventies had built a large brick hall in Nauvoo, known as\nthe \"Seventies' Hall,\" and on the 26th of December, 1844, this building\nwas dedicated with imposing ceremonies extending through an entire\nweek. Most of the members of the Council of the Apostles participated\nin the dedicatory services. It may be of interest for the Seventies to\nknow that the heroic hymn, \"The Seer, the Seer, Joseph the Seer,\" by\nthe late President John Taylor, was written for these services though\ndedicated by the author to President Brigham Young. (Times and Seasons,\nVol. V, p. 767.) The arrangement was made for two quorums to be in\nattendance at the dedication each day with their wives and children and\na number of invited guests. By this time there were fifteen quorums\nin existence. By the 19th of January, 1846, the number of quorums had\nincreased to thirty. (Times and Seasons, Vol. VI, p. 1096.) Whether or\nnot any more quorums than these were organized in Nauvoo we do not know.\n\n13. _Status of the Quorums Since Nauvoo Times:_ For some time after the\nsettlement of the Church in Utah some confusion existed in relation\nto the quorums of Seventy, and the members of the respective quorums\nwere so badly scattered that they convened in what were known as \"mass\nquorums,\" consisting of all the Seventies living in a stake or ward,\nwithout regard to the particular quorum to which they belonged. In\nthe year 1883, however, a movement was set on foot to put the quorums\nin order, and the Presidency of the Church issued the following\ninstructions on the subject of\n\n                   THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SEVENTY.\n\n                                 SALT LAKE CITY, U. T., April 13, 1883.\n\n    In the organization of these quorums in October, 1844, there were\n    ten quorums, each provided with seven presidents, which presidents\n    constituted the First Quorum of Seventies, and of which the First\n    Seven Presidents of the Seventies were members, and over which\n    they presided. But as the Seventies have greatly increased,\n    these regulations will not apply to the present circumstances;\n    and furthermore, the First Quorum, according to the present\n    organization, has not acted in a quorum capacity, but it would seem\n    there are duties devolving upon its members, as a quorum, that may\n    require their official action.\n\n    The First Quorum of Seventies may be composed of the First Seven\n    Presidents of the Seventies, and the senior president of the first\n    sixty-four quorums. These may form the Seventy referred to in the\n    Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and may act in an official capacity\n    as the First Quorum of Seventies.\n\n    The senior presidents of the other quorums, over and above the\n    sixty-four, may meet with the First Quorum in their assemblies in\n    any other than an official capacity; but in case of the absence of\n    any of the members of the First Quorum, they can act, in the place\n    of such members with the First Quorum during such absence, in any\n    cases of importance that may arise.\n\n    The headquarters of the different quorums, and the records thereof,\n    may be distributed throughout the various Wards and Stakes, under\n    the direction of the First Seven Presidents, as the number of the\n    Priesthood residing in such localities may seem to justify and any\n    vacancies that exist, either in the presidency or membership of\n    the different quorums may be filled by the ordination of persons\n    residing in the locality in which the respective quorums are\n    organized.\n\n    Any of the members or presidents of other quorums who are in good\n    standing may have the privilege of joining the quorum located in\n    the district in which they reside; but in such cases they should\n    first obtain a certificate as to their standing in the quorum from\n    which they desire to withdraw; to obtain which it would only be\n    necessary to procure a certificate of their good standing from the\n    Bishop of the Ward to which they belong, provided their names are\n    found upon the record of their quorum as in good standing.\n\n    The presidents of the quorums residing in the district where their\n    respective quorums are organized shall have a general supervision\n    of all the Seventies residing in their district.\n\n    In all cases where members of quorums are called in question, a\n    majority of their respective quorums will have jurisdiction in all\n    cases involving their standing in the quorum, but in case there\n    is not a majority residing in the district where the quorum is\n    organized, or in the case of scattered members, the members present\n    should investigate the matter and report their findings to the\n    First Seven Presidents. Any complaints regarding the presidents\n    of quorums should be made to the First Seven Presidents of the\n    Seventies, who may suspend such presidents, if their conduct\n    seem to justify it, pending the action of the First Quorum. Any\n    presidents or members from whom fellowship has been withdrawn\n    by the quorums, should be reported to the High Council having\n    jurisdiction.\n\n    The Seventies, when abroad, if anything should occur requiring\n    their supervision, in the absence of other authorities, may act\n    upon the case of any delinquent belonging to the Seventies, and\n    should report their decisions to the First Seven Presidents of the\n    Seventies.\n\n                                       Your Brethren in the gospel,\n                                                 JOHN TAYLOR,\n                                                 GEORGE Q. CANNON,\n                                                 JOSEPH F. SMITH,\n    First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.\n\n_A revelation given through President John Taylor, at Salt Lake City,\nUtah Territory, on Saturday, April 14th, 1883, in answer to the\nquestion: \"Show unto us thy will, O Lord, concerning the organization\nof the Seventies.\"_\n\n    What ye have written is my will, and is acceptable unto me: and\n    furthermore,\n\n    Thus saith the Lord unto the First Presidency, unto the Twelve,\n    unto the Seventies and unto all my holy Priesthood, let not your\n    hearts be troubled, neither be ye concerned about the management\n    and organization of my Church and Priesthood and the accomplishment\n    of my work. Fear me and observe my laws and I will reveal unto you,\n    from time to time, through the channels that I have appointed,\n    everything that shall be necessary for the future development and\n    perfection of my Church, for the adjustment and rolling forth of my\n    kingdom, and for the building up and the establishment of my Zion.\n    For ye are my Priesthood and I am your God. Even so. Amen.\n\nUnder the instructions given in the foregoing communication and\nrevelation, the First Council of the Seventy have proceeded with the\nwork of increasing the quorums and managing their affairs. The quorums\nnow number 151, giving to the foreign ministry of the Church a body of\nmen numbering about ten thousand.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Hackett edition, in four volumes, now and always quoted.\n\n2. I take occasion here to remark that by making reference to works\nsuch as Edersheim's Life of Jesus, Bible Dictionaries Ecclesiastical\nHistories, etc., it must not be understood that in making such\nreferences I approve the works, or even accept the correctness of\nthe passages indicated. Such references are made that the student\nmay consult the literature on a given point. He must make his own\ndeductions as to the correctness of the statements and arguments\nof such authors. As for instance, in this very passage cited from\nEdersheim's really great work, I think him, in the main, wrong in his\ntreatment of this subject of the Seventy, but our Seventies should know\nwhat so high an authority, as Edersheim is generally accepted to be,\nhas said upon the subject.\n\n3. It will be observed from this statement that the \"Cephas,\" or\n\"Peter\" whom Paul \"withstood to his face\" at Antioch, was not the\nchief Apostle Peter, but another \"Cephas\" or \"Peter,\" one of the\nSeventy. I fear, however, that the testimony in Galatians ii, as to\nits being Peter, the chief Apostle, with whom Paul had his unfortunate\ncontroversy, is too strong to be overturned by this inference in\nEusebius.\n\n\n\nLESSON II.\n\n_THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE SEVENTY._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                        REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Priesthood._                                        Note 1; Alma xiii;\n        1. Definition, and the Grouping of                    Doc, & Cov. 84; Sec. 107;\n           Powers and Officers.                               Compendium[1] pp. 64-73.\n                                                              History of the Church\n                                                              Vol. II, Chap. 33; Vol. IV,\n                                                              Chap. 11; Outlines Eccl.\n                                                              History, Part IV, Sec. v.\n                                                              The Gospel[2] pp. 210-216.\n\n  _II. The Church: Defined._                                  Note 2. I Corinthians xii.\n         1. The Depository of Revealed                        Articles of Faith,\n            Truth.                                            (Talmadge) Lecture XI.\n         2. Of Divine Authority--Her Commission.              Compendium pp. 157-158.\n                                                              Book of Mormon, Mosiah 5:7-12.\n                                                              Doc. & Cov. Sec. 76; 50-70.\n                                                              The Gospel pp. 216-227.\n\n  _III. The Mission of the Church._                           Note 3; Eph. iv:4-17.\n          1. Proclamation of the Truth.                       The Gospel pp. 216-227.\n          2. Perfecting the Lives of Those                    History of the Church\n             Who Receive Her Truth.                           Vol. II. pp. 47. 476-480.\n\n  _IV. The Foreign Ministry._                                 Note 4, 5, 6. Doc. & Cov.\n         1. The Twelve Apostles.                              Sec. 107; also Sec. 124;\n         2. The Seventy.                                      138-140. History of\n         3. Special Duties of the Seventy.                    the Church, Vol. III,[3]\n                                                              Chap. xxvi. Luke x;\n                                                              Outlines Eccl. History[4]\n                                                              Sec. v, p. 336-7, p. 360;\n                                                              also pp. 343-6. Also note 7.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Wherefore now, let every man learn his duty, and to act\nin the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.\" Doc. and\nCov., Sec. 107_.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Priesthood._ Priesthood is authority which God gives to man, by\nwhich man is made an agent of God, authorized to speak, act, and\nadminister in the divine name, and have his words and administrations\nof binding effect as if done by the Lord himself; provided, of course,\nsaid administrations are in accordance with the divine directions or\ninstructions, within the limits of the authority confirmed upon the\nagent, performed in righteousness and relate to the matters for which\nthe divine authority was given to man.\n\nNecessarily this delegated authority is one in kind;[5] it is simply\nauthority given of God to man by which man is authorized to act in\nGod's stead in relation to certain things; but its powers are grouped\nin various ways for the purpose of facilitating the administration\nof its government. First, its powers are grouped with reference\nto temporal and spiritual affairs; the division of the Priesthood\nwhich has charge more especially of spiritual affairs is called\nthe Melchisedek Priesthood; that which has charge more especially\nof temporal affairs, the Aaronic Priesthood. The officers of the\nMelchisedek Priesthood are, Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs, High\nPriests, Seventies, Elders; of the Aaronic Priesthood: Bishops (who are\nHigh Priests, ordained to be Bishops and constitute the Presidency of\nthe Aaronic Priesthood), Priests, Teachers, Deacons.\n\nWhile this division of the Priesthood, or this grouping of its officers\nwith reference to spiritual and temporal labors, assigns one to\nspiritual and the other to temporal concerns, it must not be thought\nthat there is anything rigid in said division of labor; that the\nAaronic Priesthood is excluded from participation in spiritual labors;\nor that the Melchisedek Priesthood is excluded from dealing with\ntemporal affairs. The line of demarkation,[6] as a matter of fact, is\ncrossed by each division; some of the duties of the Aaronic Priesthood\nare spiritual, and some of the duties of the Melchisedek, temporal.\nThis division then rests upon the fact that the duties assigned\nthe Aaronic priesthood are chiefly temporal, and the duties of the\nMelchisedek chiefly spiritual.\n\nAnother division of the Priesthood may be said to exist within the\nMelchisedek Priesthood, which is also a division with reference to its\nlabors, viz., the foreign ministry and the home ministry, of which more\nis to be said later.\n\n2. _The Church._ The Church may be said to arise from the Priesthood.\nComprehensively defined it may be said to be an organization of\npeople--including all officers and members--who believe in and\nendeavor to incorporate in their lives God's Truth; who have obeyed\nthe ordinances or sacraments appointed of God for salvation and\nadmission into his Church; whose officers are of divine appointment and\ncommission, (that is, possessed of divine authority, the Priesthood)\nguided by an ever present inspiration from God, and walking within\nreach of an ever present and continuous source of immediate revelation.\n\nThe Church is the depository of God's revealed truth. Man may be able\nby searching to find out many truths. What he has learned by study,\nby investigation, aided by the inspiration of the Lord--for \"there\nis a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them\nunderstanding\"--amounts to very much; but there are some things which\neven by searching man may not learn. \"Canst thou by searching find\nout God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?\"[7] The\ninference in the scripture is, and the fact is, that the answer must\nbe, no. God can not be perfectly known, only as he reveals himself to\nman; man can know his relationship to God only as God is pleased to\nreveal it; man can only know the terms and means of his salvation as\nthe Lord reveals it; and these revelations, when he has one in the\nearth, God gives to his Church; these truths which man by searching,\nby his own wisdom, may not find out in their perfection--God deposits\nwith his Church--hence the Church is the depository of God's revealed\ntruth--she receives and is the custodian of the Gospel.\n\nAnd not only is the Church the depository of revealed truth; but she\nis also the depository of the divine authority; she, in organized\ncapacity, holds as content the Holy Priesthood; and she has commission\nand agency to dispense the truth and administer through her\ninstrumentalities all the ordinances of the gospel.\n\n3. _The Mission of the Church:_ The Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints was brought into existence for the accomplishment\nof two great things: first, the proclamation of the truth concerning\nman's salvation to all the world: and second, the perfecting of those\nwho accept that truth. The Church is organized with reference to the\naccomplishment of these two purposes, and has, for the accomplishment\nof those purposes, a foreign ministry and a home ministry. In defining\nthe duties of a Seventy it is with the foreign ministry that we have to\ndeal.\n\n4. _The Foreign Ministry._ The business of the foreign ministry is to\nmake proclamation of the gospel in all the world, and gather, as soon\nas wisdom dictates, those who accept it into the organized stakes of\nZion. This foreign ministry, strictly speaking, is composed of the\nTwelve Apostles and the quorums of the Seventy.\n\n5. _The Twelve:_ \"The twelve traveling counselors are called to be the\nTwelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the\nworld; thus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties\nof their calling. * * * * The Twelve are a traveling presiding High\nCouncil, to officiate in the name of the Lord, under the direction of\nthe Presidency of the Church, agreeable to the institution of heaven;\nto build up the Church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all\nnations; first unto the Gentiles, and secondly unto the Jews. * * * *\nThe Twelve being sent out, holding the keys to open the door by the\nproclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ--and first unto the Gentiles\nand then unto the Jews.\" (Doc & Cov., Sec. cvii.) This is the special\ncalling of the Twelve Apostles, and the calling of the Seventy is like\nunto it.\n\n6. _The Seventy:_ \"The Seventy are also called to preach the gospel,\nand to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world.\nThus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties of\ntheir calling. * * * * The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord,\nunder the direction of the Twelve or the traveling High Council, in\nbuilding up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in\nall nations--first unto the Gentiles and then to the Jews. * * * * It\nis the duty of the traveling High Council to call upon the Seventy,\nwhen they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and\nadministering the gospel, instead of any others. * * * * And these\nSeventy (the reference is to the whole body of that Priesthood) are\nto be traveling ministers unto the Gentiles first, and also unto the\nJews. * * * * Whereas other officers of the Church, who belong not unto\nthe Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are not under the responsibility\nto travel among all nations, but are to travel as their circumstances\nshall allow, notwithstanding they may hold as high and responsible\noffices in the Church.\" (Doc. & Cov., Sec. cvii.)\n\nWhen the Church was set in order at Nauvoo, in 1841, by direction of\na revelation (Doc. & Cov.; Sec. cxxiv.) after naming the First Seven\nPresidents, who were to preside over the quorums of Seventies, the Lord\nsaid: \"Which quorum is instituted for traveling Elders to bear record\nof my name in all the world, whenever the traveling High Council,\nmy Apostles, shall send them to prepare a way before my face. The\ndifference between this quorum and the quorum of Elders is, that one is\nto travel continually, and the other is to preside over the churches\nfrom time to time: the one has the responsibility of presiding from\ntime to time, and the other has no responsibility of presiding, saith\nthe Lord your God.\"\n\nIn these passages the special calling and duties of the Seventies\nare so clearly set forth that neither comment nor amplification is\nnecessary, since these foregoing quotations are the word of the Lord,\nand evidence the fact that the Twelve, with the Seventy, constitute\nthe foreign ministry of the Church. They are special witnesses of God\nand Christ to the truth of the gospel, and that is their special and\npeculiar calling in the Church. Not that the whole responsibility of\npreaching the gospel rests upon the Twelve and the Seventy alone. That\nresponsibility rests upon the whole body of the Church. These quorums,\nthe Twelve and Seventy, are merely the instrumentality through which\nthe Church discharges its obligations to the people of the world in\nmaking known to them the truth.\n\n7. _President Joseph F. Smith on the Calling of the Seventy:_ We have\nalso in the Church today, I am informed, 146 quorums of Seventy [the\nnumber in 1904]. These constitute a body of Elders of somewhere in the\nneighborhood of 10,000 men, whose special duty it is to respond to the\ncall of the Apostles to preach the gospel, without purse or scrip, to\nall the nations of the earth. They are minute men. It is expected that\nthey will be ready, whenever they are called, to go out in the world,\nor to go out to the various organizations of the Church to fulfill\nmissions and to perform such duties as shall be required of them, in\norder that the work of the Lord and the work of the ministry may be\nupheld and sustained and carried on in the Church and throughout the\nworld. These councils or quorums of Seventy are not always full, a full\ncouncil being 70 Elders. But there are approximately 10,000 Elders who\nnow hold that position in the Church. They are called to an apostolic\ncalling. They are required to be special witnesses of the Lord Jesus\nChrist. It is expected of this body of men that they will have burning\nin their souls the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of\nprophecy; that they will be full of light and of the knowledge of\nthe truth; that they will be enthusiastic in their calling, and in\nthe cause of Zion, and that they will be ready at any moment, when\nrequired, to go out into the world, or anywhere throughout the Church\nand bear testimony of the truth, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and\nset examples before the world of purity, love, honesty, uprightness and\nintegrity to the truth. (The General Conference Reports, October 6th,\n1904, p. 3.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Richards and Little's, of \"The Seventy's Indispensible Library,\"\nalways meant.\n\n2. Third edition always quoted.\n\n3. \"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty\nis to preach the Gospel.\"--Joseph Smith.\n\n4. Third edition always quoted.\n\n5. \"There are two Priesthoods spoken of in the Scriptures, viz., the\nMelchisedek and the Aaronic or Levitical. Although there are two\nPriesthoods, yet the Melchisedec Priesthood comprehends the Aaronic\nor Levitical Priesthood, and is the grand head, and holds the highest\nauthority which pertains to the Priesthood, and the keys of the Kingdom\nof God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth,\nand is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan\nof salvation, and every important matter is revealed from heaven.\"\n(History of the Church, Vol. IV, pp. 207, _et. seq_.)\n\n\"Therefore, in viewing the Church as a whole, we may strictly\ndenominate it one Priesthood.\" (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 478.)\n\n6. The distinction in the terms \"temporal\" and \"spiritual\" are used\nin connection with this subject that man may understand; that is,\nGod adapts himself to man's terms, but with God there is no such\ndistinction as temporal and spiritual, but all things are spiritual.\n(See Doc. & Cov., Sec. 29:31-35.)\n\n7. Job xi: 7.\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\n_THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE SEVENTY. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                             REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Of Other Than the Special Labors of            Note 1. Doc. & Cov.\n          the Seventy._                              Sec. 107; 8-10, 34. Note 2.\n\n  _II. Quorum Organization._                         Note 3. Doc. & Cov.\n         1. Presidents.                              Sec. 107; 93-98; Note 4, 5.\n         2. Members.\n         3. Effectiveness of the Quorum Organization.\n\n  _III. The First Quorum of the Seventy._            Note 4. Doc. & Cov.\n          1. Jurisdiction--Local, General.           Sec. 107; 25, 33[1] Art. of\n          2. Limitation in the Choice of Presidents. Faith. (Talmadge) p. 214.\n          3. Distinction and Authority of the        Outlines Eccl. Hist. Sec.\n             First Quorum.                           v, p. 344.\n             Summary.\n\n  _IV. The Seventy to be an Educated,                Note 6. Doc. & Cov.\n            Trained Ministry._                       Sec. 88; 77, 8, 117, 118. Ibid.\n         1. Need of Knowing the Truth in             Sec. 130; 18-21. Sec. 131;\n            Order to Teach It.                       6. Brigham Young on Education,\n         2. Admonition of the Lord to the            Contributor Vol. X,\n            Elders.                                  pp. 281-283; Mormon\n                                                     Point of View in Education,\n                                                     Improvement Era\n                                                     Vol. II, pp. 119 et seq.\n                                                     Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84; 85\n                                                     Note 7.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: Let it become a special conviction with all, that to\nbecome a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development, and\nfinally spiritual power._\n\n_\"All are to preach the gospel by the power and influence of the\nHoly Ghost; and no man can preach the gospel without the Holy\nGhost.\"_--JOSEPH SMITH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Of Labors Other than Special that Seventies May Perform:_ While\npreaching the gospel unto all nations is the special business of the\nTwelve and Seventy, it must not be thought that that is the only\nfunction which the Seventy may discharge. As on occasion the High\nPriests and Elders and members of the lesser Priesthood can be used\nto assist in the work of the foreign ministry (Doc. & Cov., Sec.\n84:106-111), so also, when at home, and not engaged in the special work\nof their calling, the Seventy may be employed in the home ministry,\nand assist the standing ministry in the wards and stakes of Zion in\nperfecting the Saints and edifying the body of Christ until they shall\nall come unto a unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God,\n\"unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.\" Paul, in\nhis most excellent description of the Church organization, likens it\nunto the body of a man. Accepting his illustration it may be said that\nthe foreign ministry may be regarded as the right arm of the Church,\nand the home ministry as the left arm. Now, because one is the right\narm and one the left, shall either refuse to assist the other at need?\nOr shall this organization (the Church), which is said to be the \"body\nof Christ,\" be as effectual in the performance of its functions as the\nnatural body of man is, and in every case of need have the right hand\ncome to the assistance of the left, and _vise versa_? Right reason will\napprove an affirmative answer.\n\n2. _Power of the Melchisedek Priesthood:_ The Melchisedek Priesthood\nholds the right of Presidency, and has power and authority over all\nthe offices in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in\nspiritual things. The Presidency of the High Priesthood, after the\norder of Melchisedek, have a right to officiate in all the offices in\nthe Church. High Priests after the order of the Melchisedek Priesthood,\nhave a right to officiate in their own standing, under the direction\nof the Presidency, in administering spiritual things; and also in the\noffice of an Elder, Priest, (of the Levitical order), Teacher, Deacon,\nand member. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 106:8-10.)\n\nWhile the statements here made about the higher officers of the Church\nadministering in the lower offices--a High Priest officiating in\nthe office of Elder, Priest, Teacher or Deacon--are limited to High\nPriests, yet the principle holds good as to Seventies also. Besides\nnote the statement, \"The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of\npresidency and has power and authority over all the offices in the\nChurch, in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things;\"\nand as the Seventy holds this Melchisedek Priesthood, he may, under the\ndirection of the presidency (See Ibid verse 10), administer in any of\nthe offices of the Church; also this has always been the practice of\nthe Church; and the practice of the Church, generally speaking, is the\nbest interpretation of the scripture.\n\n3. _Organization of the Seventy._ The quorums of Seventy are organized\nwith special reference to their calling as the foreign ministry of\nthe Church. It will be observed that their organization is different\nfrom that of every other quorum in the Church, for whereas in all\nother quorums of the higher Priesthood the presidency consists of\none president and two counselors, in the quorum of the Seventy\nthere are seven presidents of equal power and authority. That is to\nsay, there is not one president and six counselors, but each of the\nseven is a president and in power and authority is equal with his\nfellow-presidents; but for the sake of order the right of presidency\nis recognized as being vested in the senior president by ordination.\n\"And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy,\nthat they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out\nof the number of the Seventy. And the seventh president (counting from\nthe one last ordained) of these presidents is to preside over the six.\"\nIn the absence of the senior president the next senior in ordination\nbecomes the acting president. By this simple arrangement all confusion\nas to the right of presiding is obviated, for no sooner does the\ncouncil of a quorum or any part thereof convene, than each president\nknows at once upon whom the responsibility of presiding rests, let them\nmeet where they may.\n\nBy virtue of having seven presidents a quorum of Seventy is not easily\ndisorganized, and this doubtless was one of the objects in view in this\narrangement. One, two, three, or even six of the presidents could be\nsent abroad upon missions (although that is not likely to be the case\nat any one time) and yet the quorum would have a president left, who,\nwith the quorum, would be competent to transact whatever of business\nmight be necessary for that quorum.\n\nOther duties and advantages growing out of this organization are\napparent on a little reflection. Suppose, for instance, that a quorum\nof Seventy should be sent out bodily to preach the gospel, as the\nquorum of the Twelve at times have been. You would then have an\norganization which could be broken up into seven groups of ten men\neach, with a president for each group. These groups could be broken\nup into five pairs, and the Elders travel two and two, as the law of\nthe gospel requires. It can be readily seen that such a quorum could\nbe a flying column, capable of being broken up, first into groups and\nsent into different districts; and the groups again broken up into\npairs and spread out over a wide area of country. The pairs could be\ncalled together in groups of ten for conference, for adjustment and\nrearrangement of traveling companions, and the groups occasionally\nbrought together in quorum conference, report, or transact whatever\nbusiness might be necessary, and again be scattered into fields of\nlabor. In all of which there appears the very finest adaptation of\nmeans to an end; and also there appears more than mere human wisdom\ndisplayed in this organization of the quorums of the foreign ministry.\n\n4. _Of the First Quorum of the Seventy:_ In the revelation before\nquoted it is said: \"And it is according to the vision, showing the\norder of the Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside\nover them, chosen out of the number of the seventy. * * * And these\nseven presidents are to choose other Seventy besides the first Seventy,\nto whom they belong, and are to preside over them; and also other\nSeventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor in the vineyard of\nnecessity requires it.\"\n\nIt must not be understood that this passage limits the number of\nquorums to seven times seventy, for the Prophet, at the time the\nquorums were being organized, stated that \"If the first Seventy are\nall employed and there is a call for more laborers, it will be the\nduty of the seven presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain\nother Seventy, and send them forth to labor in the vineyard, until if\nneeds be, they set apart seven times seventy, and even until there are\n144,000 thus set apart for the ministry.\" (See Church History, Vol. II:\n221 and Notes.)\n\nIt will be observed in the quotation from the Doctrine & Covenants\nabove that provision is made that the presidents of Seventy are to\nbe \"chosen out of the number of the Seventy.\" It is because of this\nspecial provision that when inadvertently High Priests have been\nselected for presidents of Seventy they have taken their place again\nin the quorum of High Priests and others from among the Seventy, as\nprovided by the law of God, chosen to fill their place. It will also\nbe observed that the council of the First Seventy, in addition to\npresiding over their own quorum (the first), have a general presidency\nover all the quorums of the Church. It is this first quorum, members\nand presidents together, which constitutes what, by way of explanation,\nwe may call _the_ quorum of Seventy, the quorum of which it is said\nthat they are equal in authority to the quorum of the twelve special\nwitnesses, or Apostles.\n\n5. _Summary._ It may be said by way of recapitulation that the Seventy\nhold the Melchisedek Priesthood; that with the Twelve, under whose\ndirections they labor, they constitute the foreign ministry of the\nChurch: that their special calling is to travel and preach the gospel\nin all nations, first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews; that they\ncan, on occasion be employed in the work of the ministry at home,\nbecause their Priesthood authorizes them to do good and bring to pass\nrighteousness wherever they may be, and when acting in order and under\nthe direction of the Twelve Apostles they may do whatever is necessary\nto be done in order to accomplish the purposes of God, whose ministers\nthey are; but their organization has particular reference to their\nspecial work of preaching the Gospel in all the world.\n\n6. _An Intelligent and Informed Ministry Contemplated in the Church:_\nAfter this brief review of the organization and duties of the\nSeventies, it must be clearly manifest that it is the imperative duty\nof those holding this office in the Priesthood to make careful and\nthorough preparation to discharge the responsibilities of their high\ncalling as the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus. Being special witnesses\nof the name of Christ in all the world, preachers (i. e., teachers)\nof the gospel, and authorized under the direction of the Twelve\nApostles to act in the name of the Lord in \"building up the Church and\nregulating all the affairs of the same in all nations\" (Doc. & Cov.\nSec. cvii), it behooves them to become witnesses who understand the\ntruth of which they testify, skilled workman, ambassadors of whom the\nMaster need not be ashamed. It is evident that the Lord never designed\nthat his ministry should be an ignorant ministry; for to the early\nElders of his Church, in this last dispensation, when instructing a\nnumber of them to prepare for labor in the vineyard, he said:\n\n    \"And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another\n    the doctrine of the kingdom; teach ye diligently and my grace shall\n    attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory,\n    in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things\n    that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you\n    to understand. Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and\n    under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things\n    which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things\n    which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations,\n    and the judgments which are on the land, and a knowledge also of\n    countries and of kingdoms. That ye may be prepared in all things\n    when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have\n    called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. * *\n    * Therefore, verily, I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn\n    assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek,\n    ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye\n    out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study,\n    and also by faith.\" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 88:77, 78, 80 and 117, 118.)\n\nThe instructions then given to the Elders of the Church are still\napplicable to men engaged in the same ministry, and charged with like\nresponsibility.\n\nElsewhere I have said, on the foregoing passage from the Doctrine and\nCovenants:\n\n    \"I think I may safely challenge any one to point out a broader\n    field of knowledge than is here indicated. It includes\n    all spiritual truth, all scientific truth, all secular\n    knowledge--knowledge of the past, of the present, of the\n    future; of the heavens, and of the earth. A knowledge of all\n    countries, their geography, languages, history, customs, laws\n    and governments--everything in fact that pertains to them. There\n    is nothing in the heights above or the depths below that is not\n    included in this field of knowledge into which the commandment\n    of God directs his servants to enter. I may claim for it that\n    it includes the whole realm of man's intellectual activities.\n    And the doctrine that whatever principles of intelligence man\n    attains unto in this life will rise with him in the morning of\n    the resurrection--this doctrine that nothing acquired in respect\n    of knowledge is ever lost, must forever form the most powerful\n    incentive to intellectual effort that possibly can be conjured\n    up by the wit of man. So that, referring to the acquirement of\n    knowledge, and intellectual development, Mormonism at once both\n    indicates the broadest field and furnishes the grandest incentive\n    to intellectual effort.\" (\"The Mormon Point of View in Education,\"\n    Improvement Era, Vol. II, p. 119.)\n\nCommenting once upon the above passages from the Doctrine and\nCovenants, the writer remarked:\n\n    \"I trust no one will receive the impression that I leave out of\n    consideration, or have not attached proper importance to the part\n    which the Spirit of God takes in these things (the preaching of\n    the gospel). I think there is no one with whom I am acquainted\n    that believes more fervently than I do that in order to succeed in\n    preaching the gospel one must do so by the gift and by the power of\n    the Holy Ghost. I know that the Lord has given instruction to the\n    Elders of the Church that separates their methods of work, as wide\n    as day is separated from the night, from those methods of preaching\n    adopted by the world--I know that he has said: \"Think not what\n    ye shall say, but in the very hour that it is needed it shall be\n    given to you that which you shall say.\" But while I remember that,\n    I remember also the admonition which he has given to the Elders in\n    the self same passage, to the effect that they should \"treasure up\n    continually the words of life,\" a part of the instruction that I\n    have sometimes thought is too much neglected. I believe we shall\n    best succeed if, when treasuring up the words of life, we do it\n    systematically; that instead of being like an unwise builder who\n    throws into one promiscuous heap lime, sand, bricks and frames,\n    together with a hundred and one other materials that enter into\n    the construction of his building, that each be placed by itself,\n    carefully stored away where the workmen can readily find it and\n    bring each part to the building as the builder has need. So, I\n    say, systematize your efforts in reading, in thought, in speech,\n    and after you have done all that, I believe that you will have all\n    the more claim upon the Spirit and blessing of God. After you have\n    made the attempt to carry out the instructions which our Father in\n    heaven has given in respect of storing your minds with the words\n    of life, you can then go to him saying: \"Father, I have done all I\n    can with the powers thou hast placed at my command, now help me by\n    thy grace; and bless all that I have done, and the honor and praise\n    and the glory shall be thine.\" Under these circumstances, if your\n    efforts be accompanied by secret prayer before God, who hears in\n    secret and rewards openly, he will bless your ministry beyond all\n    your expectation.\" (\"Preparation for the Ministry,\" a discourse\n    delivered in Salt Lake Tabernacle, Oct. 28, 1894.)\n\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Compare verse 33 with verse 32: also verses 25 and 26, with verses\n23 and 24, Doc. & Cov., Sec. 107.\n\n\n\n_PART II._\n\n_A Study of the Hebrew Scriptures.---The Old Testament._\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\n_THE ANTIQUITY, CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                         REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Definitions of the Term \"Bible.\"_                         The Seventies Bible\n                                                                Dictionary word, \"Bible;\"[1]\n                                                                also other\n                                                                Bible Helps; \"Smith's\n                                                                Dictionary of the Bible;\"[2]\n                                                                \"Cyclopaedia Biblical\n                                                                Literature,\" (Kitto);\n                                                                \"The Gospel,\" (Roberts),\n                                                                Chap. vi[3].\n\n  _II. Antiquity of the Old Testament                           Notes 1 and 2. Josephus'\n           Writings._                                           Antiquities of\n                                                                the Jews. Book XX,\n                                                                Chap. x. Josephus' Preface\n                                                                to Antiquities of the\n                                                                Jews; \"Commentary\n                                                                Critical and Explanatory;\"[4]\n                                                                The Gospel,\n                                                                (Roberts), Chap. vi and\n                                                                vii, Book of Mormon, I Nephi,\n                                                                chap. v:10-13; Y. M. M. I. A.\n                                                                Manual, 1903-4, on the Book of\n                                                                Mormon, Part. I. Chap. I,\n                                                                II. Pearl of Great Price,\n                                                                Chap. 1; History of the\n                                                                Church Vol. I, p. 98.\n\n  _III. Classification of the Old Testament                     Josephus vs Apion, Bk.\n             Books._                                            I. (See note 1). The Gospel,\n                                                                (Roberts), Chap. vi;\n          1. The Law;                                           Dr. Smith's Old Testament\n          2. The Prophets;                                      History, Appendix 1,\n          3. The Writings or Hagiographa;                       pp. 651-3. The Seventy's\n          4. The Apocrypha.                                     Bible Dictionary,\n                                                                Art. Bible, subdivision\n                                                                \"Structure of the Bible;\"\n                                                                Ibid. Art. Apocrypha.\n                                                                Oxford and other\n                                                                Bible Helps.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have\neternal life: and they are they which testify of me.\"_--JESUS.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Antiquity of the Hebrew Sacred Books:_ Josephus in his first book\nagainst Apion ascribes the most ancient books of the Hebrew race--the\nPentateuch, the five books--to Moses, and in contrasting the Hebrew\nliterature with that of the Greeks, he says:\n\n    \"We, therefore, (who are Jews) must yield to the Grecian writers\n    as to language and eloquence of composition; but then we shall\n    give them no such preference as to the verity of ancient history,\n    and least of all as to that part which concerns the affairs of our\n    several countries. As to the care of writing down the records from\n    the earliest antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that\n    the priests were intrusted therewith, and employed a philosophical\n    concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did so\n    among the Babylonians, and that the Phoenicians, who were mingled\n    among the Greeks, did especially make use of their letters both for\n    the common affairs of life and for the delivering down the history\n    of common transactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all\n    men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they\n    took no less care about writing such records, (for I will not say\n    they took greater care than the others I spoke of,) and that they\n    committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets,\n    and that these records have been written all along down to our own\n    times with the utmost accuracy. * * * * * For our forefathers did\n    not only appoint the best of these priests, and those that attended\n    upon the divine worship, for that design from the beginning, but\n    made provision that the stock of the priests should continue\n    unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the Priesthood must\n    propagate of a wife of the same nation, without having regard to\n    money, or any other dignities: but he is to make a scrutiny, and\n    take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables, and procure\n    many witnesses to it. And this is our practice not only in Judea,\n    but wheresoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even\n    there an exact catalogue of our priests' marriages is kept; I mean\n    at Egypt and at Babylon, or in any other place of the rest of the\n    habitable earth, whithersoever our priests are scattered; for they\n    send to Jerusalem the ancient names of their parents in writing,\n    as well as those of their remoter ancestors, and signify who are\n    the witnesses also. * * * But what is the strongest argument of\n    our exact management in this matter is what I am now going to say.\n    That we have the names of our high priests from father to son set\n    down in our records, for the interval of two thousand years; and\n    if any of these have been transgressors of these rules, they are\n    prohibited to present themselves at the altar, or to be partakers\n    of any other of our purifications; and this is justly, or rather\n    necessarily done, because every one is not permitted of his own\n    accord to be a writer, nor is there any disagreement in what is\n    written; they being only prophets that have written the original\n    and earliest accounts of things, as they learned them of God\n    himself by inspiration; and others have written what hath happened\n    in their own time, and that in a very distinct manner also: For we\n    have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing\n    from and contradicting one another, (as the Greeks have,) but only\n    twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times,\n    which are justly believed to be divine. And of them, five belong to\n    Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of\n    mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of\n    three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses\n    till the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, who reigned after\n    Xerxes; the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was\n    done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books\n    contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life.\n    It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very\n    particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with\n    the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact\n    succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have\n    given credit to these books of our own nation, is evident by what\n    we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one hath\n    been so bold as either to add anything to them, to take anything\n    from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural\n    to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteem these\n    books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if\n    occasion be, willingly to die for them. For it is no new thing for\n    our captives, many of them in number, and frequently in time, to\n    be seen to endure racks and deaths of all kinds upon the theatres,\n    that they may not be obliged to say one word against our laws and\n    the records that contain them.\" (Antiquity of the Jews, Flavius\n    Josephus Against Apion, Book 1, pp. 582-583.)\n\n2. _The Effect of Recent Discoveries in Chaldea and Egypt on the\nAuthorship of the Five Books in the Bible Ascribed to Moses:_\n\n    \"The Assyrian inscriptions which have been recently recovered and\n    given to the English-speaking peoples by Layard, George Smith,\n    Sayce, and others, show that in the ancient religions of Chaldea\n    and Babylonia there was elaborated a narrative of the creation\n    which, in its most important features, must have been the source\n    of that in our own sacred books. It has now become perfectly\n    clear that from the same sources which inspired the accounts of\n    the creation of the universe among the Chaldee-Babylonian, the\n    Assyrian, the Phoenician, and other ancient civilizations came the\n    ideas which hold so prominent a place in the sacred books of the\n    Hebrews. * * * * From this idea of creation was evolved in time a\n    somewhat nobler view. Ancient thinkers, and especially, as is now\n    found, in Egypt, suggested that the main agency in creation was\n    not the hands and fingers of the Creator, but his voice. Hence was\n    mingled with the earlier, cruder belief regarding the origin of the\n    earth and heavenly bodies by the Almighty the more impressive idea\n    that \"he spake and they were made\"--that they were brought into\n    existence by his word.\" (A History of the Warfare of Science with\n    Theology in Christendom, Vol. 1, pp. 2-3).\n\nReferring again to the work of the noted Archaeologists mentioned\nabove, with others, Mr. White goes on to say that they \"have deciphered\na multitude of ancient texts, especially the inscriptions found in the\ngreat library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh, and have discovered therein\nan account of the origin of the world identical in its most important\nfeatures with the later accounts in our own book of Genesis. These\nmen have had the courage to point out these facts and to connect them\nwith the truth that these Chaldean and Babylonian myths, legends,\nand theories were far earlier than those of the Hebrews, which so\nstrikingly resemble them, and which we have in our sacred books; and\nthey have also shown us how natural it was that the Jewish accounts\nof the creation should have been obtained at that remote period when\nthe earliest Hebrews were among the Chaldeans, and how the great\nHebrew poetic accounts of creation were drawn either from the sacred\ntraditions of these earlier peoples or from antecedent sources common\nto various ancient nations.\" (A History of the Warfare of Science with\nTheology in Christendom, Vol. 1, p. 20.)\n\nThere can be no doubt but what the accounts of creation found in these\nAssyrian and Egyptian sources are earlier than those written by Moses,\nor that they are similar in import, but because of these facts is it\nnecessary to discredit either the Mosaic authorship of the five books\nof the Bible accredited to that Prophet, or doubt the inspiration of\nthese accounts? And yet this has been the result of these discoveries\non many minds. The truth is, that the outlined facts of the creation\nhave been known by our race from earliest times, from the days of Adam\nin fact. They were matters of common knowledge among the antediluvian\npatriarchs, and through the family of Noah were preserved for the\nfamilies and races of men subsequent to the flood; and variously\ndistorted these creation facts were preserved by all people. But all\nthis did not prevent the Lord from revealing the creation history to\nMoses, nor does it require us to doubt the inspiration which rested\nupon him and that enabled him to weave into splendid coherent form\nthe fragmentary truths held among the ancient Egyptians and Assyrian\npeoples. That there were pre-Mosaic documents containing accounts of\ncreation and the history of God's hand-dealings with ancient peoples,\nwe have abundant proof of in the Book of Abraham, which so strangely\ncame into the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith (See Church\nHistory, Vol. II, pp. 235-6, 348-350). Also that the Lord revealed\nthe creation facts, and also the early history of our race to Moses,\nis confirmed by revelation to the Prophet of the nineteenth century,\nJoseph Smith (See Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, pp. 1-48, also\nHistory of the Church, Vol. I, 98 et seq.)\n\nThe student will find a well written article by Professor A. H. Sayce,\nin \"The Bible Treasury,\" pp. 37-42, that bears upon this subject. The\nmatter is also discussed at some length in Young Men's Manual for\n1903-4 (No. 7)., chap. I.\n\nFurthermore, it should be noted that the writers of the New Testament\nbear emphatic testimony to the authenticity and divine authority of the\nOld Testament, since these writers so frequently quoted it as a work of\ndivine authority. \"Indeed,\" says an accepted authority in this class\nof literature, \"the references are so numerous, and the testimonies\nso distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaic books throughout\nthe whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character,\ndesign and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible,\nnotwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their forming a series\nof separate and unconnected fragments, that it may with all safety be\nsaid, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidence in proof of\ntheir being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman\nclassics being the productions of the authors whose names they bear.\"\n(Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown,\npreface.)\n\n3. _Hagiographa:_ Hagiographa--the Greek name of the last of the three\nJewish divisions of the Old Testament. They are variously reckoned,\nbut usually comprise the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth,\nLamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and\nChronicles. (The Century Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Vol. IX.)\n\n4. _The Subdivisions of the Old Testament--Its Dignity and Authority:_\nThe student will observe that the classification of the books in the\nseveral authorities cited, all vary somewhat in the grouping and\nsubdivisions of them; but I believe it will be found that the grouping\nin the analysis of the Seventies' Bible Dictionary will be found most\ncomplete and satisfactory. One thing should be borne in mind with\nreference to this whole volume of ancient Hebrew scripture, and that\nis, whatever the sub-division may be, history, legislation, poetry,\nprophecy, biography, or proverbs, it is written under the inspiration\nof God. That does not mean that human elements are not to be found in\nit, but rather that a divine spirit is present in the midst of those\nhuman elements giving forth light and truth and wisdom such as is to be\nfound in no merely human production. There is a divine spirit always\npresent in these scripture narratives, prophecies and poetry that make\nthe whole to contain a revelation of God, and an account of his methods\nof doing things among men, all of which gives to those writings an\nauthority that does not pertain to the ordinary writings of men.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. It will be understood that by \"Seventies' Bible,\" is meant\nthroughout the Bible selected for the \"Seventies' Indispensible\nLibrary,\" \"The Teacher's Bible,\" Cambridge edition.\n\n2. Hackett edition always quoted.\n\n3. Third edition always quoted.\n\n4. This work will always be so quoted, it is a recent work produced in\ncollaboration by Robert Jamieson, D. D., St. Paul's, Glasgow, Scotland;\nA. R. Fausset, D.D., St. Cuthberts, York, England; and David Brown,\nD.D., Professor of Theology, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the best\nworks of its kind, and represents the latest orthodox interpretations\nof the Scriptures, and while the Elders which make up our ministry\nmay not accept the doctrinal interpretation of this or any other\ncommentary, its historical and critical treatise are among the most\nrecent and valuable.\n\n\n\nLESSON II--LECTURES.[1]\n\n_THE HEBREW SACRED BOOKS--THE OLD TESTAMENT._\n\nLECTURES. REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Apocrypha.--A Paper_[2]                                          Seventy's Bible Dictionary\n                                                                           Art. Aprocrapha.\n                                                                           p. 9; also other Bible\n                                                                           Helps. Same title. Doc. & Cov.\n                                                                           Sec. xci; Hist. of\n                                                                           the Church, Vol. I, p. 331.\n                                                                           Bible Treasury, Art.\n                                                                           Aprocrypha, pp. 351-3.\n                                                                           Kitto's Biblical Literature,\n                                                                           Vol. I, p. 176-179.\n\n  _II. Canon of the Old Testament._                                        Note 1. Smith's Old\n                                                                           Testament Hist., pp. 644-6;\n                                                                           note 2; Smith's\n                                                                           Bible Dict., Art. Cannon,\n                                                                           Vol I, pp. 356-376; Bible\n                                                                           Treasury, pp. 28-32. Seventy's\n                                                                           Bible Dictionary.\n                                                                           Art. \"Cannon\"; The\n                                                                           Gospel, (Roberts), Chaps.\n                                                                           vi, vii. Kitto's Bible\n                                                                           Lit., Vol. I, pp. 376-381,\n                                                                           and Vol. II, pp. 706-719.\n\n  _III. The History of the English Bible._                                 Seventy's Bible Dictionary,\n                                                                           Art. Bible, English;\n                                                                           Bible Treasury, pp. 15-19;\n                                                                           Smith's Bible Dictionary,\n                                                                           Article \"Version,\n                                                                           Authorized,\" Vol. IV,\n                                                                           pp. 3424-3444. See\n                                                                           note 9. \"Encyclopaedia\n                                                                           Britannica,\" Art. \"English\n                                                                           Bible.\"\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.\nWhat is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?\"_--JEREMIAH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Apocrypha._ \"The collection of books to which this term is\npopularly applied includes the following. The order given is that in\nwhich they stand in the English version. I. Esdras. II. Esdras. Tobit.\nJudith. The rest of the chapters of the Book of Esther, which are found\nneither in the Hebrew nor in the Chaldee. The Wisdom of Solomon. The\nWisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. Baruch. The Song\nof the Three Holy Children. The History of Susanna. The History of the\nDestruction of Bel and the Dragon. The Prayer of Manasseh, King of\nJudah. I. Maccabees. II. Maccabees.\"[3]\n\nA brief treatise on each of the foregoing books of the Apocrypha will\nbe found in the Seventy's Bible Dictionary, Art. Apocrypha, also in\n\"Bible Treasury,\" pp. 351, 353; Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus,\nBaruch, I and II Macabees will be found in the Roman Catholic English\nversion, known as the Douay Bible, the Roman Church regarding them as\nof equal authority with other books of the Old Testament.\n\n2. _Definition of Apocrypha:_ \"The word Apocrypha means \"secret\"\nor \"hidden,\" and is applied to a class of writings which have been\ndefinitely rejected from the books of the Old and New Testaments; but\nthe reason why they were called secret books, rather than private\nor secondary books, is not clear. * * * * Probably every attempt to\ndefine the limits of canonical or inspired books will result in the\ndistinction of three classes of books: (1) the Canonical Scriptures,\nabout which every one is agreed; (2) the disputed books, about which\nthere is no general agreement; (3) the books which are universally\nrejected. It is to the third class that the term Apocrypha properly\napplies, the intermediate class being more correctly known as\nAntilegomena, or disputed books. * * * * * It is commonly stated that\nthe reason for the rejection of the books referred to from the Old\nTestament [the Apocrypha] was that they were not found current in\nHebrew, but only in Greek. It is quite possible that in some cases\nthe reason why the books were not extant in Hebrew was that they had\nbeen previously judged uncanonical. A book soon disappears when it has\nbeen condemned. Even the Greek text of some parts of the Apocrypha has\nperished--(e. g. II Esdras). We must not be surprised, therefore, if\nsome of the apocryphal books should turn out to have been at one time\nextant in Hebrew.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 351.)\n\n3. _Attitude of the Roman Catholic Church Respecting the Apocrypha:_\nSome Catholic theologians previous to the Council of Trent, 1545-1563,\nwere in doubt as to the inspiration of some of the books of the\nApocrypha admitted into the Catholic Canon; but Dr. Smith, in his Bible\nDictionary, says: \"The Council of Trent closed the question which had\nbeen left open, and deprived its theologians of the liberty they had\nhitherto enjoyed--extending the Canon of Scripture so as to include all\nthe hitherto doubtful or deutero-canonical books, with the exception\nof the two books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh, the evidence\nagainst which seemed too strong to be resisted (Sess. IV. de Can.\nScript). In accordance with this decree, the editions of the Vulgate,\npublished by authority, contained the books which the Council had\npronounced canonical, as standing on the same footing as those which\nhad never been questioned, while the three which had been rejected were\nprinted commonly in smaller type and stood after the New Testament.\"\n(Dictionary p, 122.)\n\nCatholics, however, insisted that the list of canonical books agreeing\n\"in substance with the list of divinely inspired books, held by\nCatholics to the present day,\" was authorized by the twenty-sixth\nstatute of the Council of Hippo, held in Africa in the year 393, and\nthe third Council of Carthage 397, A.. D., and the sixth Council of\nCarthage 419, A. D., give the same list or canon of books as the\nCouncil of Hippo. \"Although the inspiration of some of these books\nwas held to be doubtful by a few of the Fathers, previous to these\ntwo Councils, the same Fathers ceased to have any doubt upon it after\nthe decision of these Councils; so that, while some of the Apocrypha\nhave been considered uninspired, as the third and fourth of Esdras,\nand third and fourth of Macabees, some other of these books have been\nrecognized as inspired, and are called by Catholics Deutero-canonical.\nThese have, therefore, the very same sanction and authority that all\nthe books of the New Testament have, in addition to the long-standing\nveneration of the Jewish Church for them.\" (Catholic Belief, Bruno, pp.\n13-14.)\n\nCatholics will be compelled, however, to admit that several books of\nthe Apocrypha now accepted by them and published in the Douay Bible,\nare not in the list given by the three Councils above mentioned.\nMoreover, in the list of General Councils published in Bruno's work,\nin enumerating the achievement of the Council of Trent, he says: \"The\nCatholic doctrine regarding _the Holy Scripture_, Tradition, Original\nSin, Justification, and the Seven Sacraments, was clearly explained.\"\n(Catholic Belief, Bruno, p. 130.) So that it was not until the Council\nof Trent, 1545-1563, that the final word respecting the Catholic canon\nwas spoken.\n\n4. _The Protestant Attitude Toward the Apocrypha:_ \"The Reformers of\nGermany and England * * * influenced in part by the revival of the\nstudy of Hebrew and the consequent recognition of the authority of the\nHebrew canon, and subsequently by the reaction against this stretch of\nauthority, [exercised by the Council of Trent], maintained the opinion\nof Jerome and pushed it to its legitimate results [which led to the\nrejection of the books of the Apocrypha as scripture]. \"Luther spoke\nof individual books among those in question with a freedom as great\nas that of Jerome, judging each on its own merits, praising Tobit\nas a \"pleasant comedy\" and the Prayer of Manasseh as a \"good model\nfor penitents,\" and rejecting the two books of Esdras as containing\nworthless fables. The example of collecting the doubtful books in a\nseparate group had been set in the Strasburg edition of the Septuagint,\n1526. In Luther's complete edition of the German Bible * * * (1534) the\nbooks (Judith, Wisdom, Tobias, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Additions to\nEsther and Daniel, and the Prayer of Manasseh) were grouped together\nunder the general title of \"Apocrypha, i. e. 'Books which are not of\nlike worth with Holy Scripture,' yet are good and useful to be read. In\nthe history of the English Church, Wicliffe showed himself in this as\nin other points the forerunner of the Reformation, and applied the term\n'Apocrypha' to all but the 'twenty-five' Canonical books of the Old\nTestament. The judgment of Jerome was formally asserted in the sixth\nArticle. The disputed books were collected and described in the same\nway in the printed English Bible of 1539 (Cranmer's), and since then\nthere has been no fluctuation as to the application of the word. The\nbooks to which the term is ascribed are in popular speech not merely\napocryphal, but the Apocrypha.\"\n\n6. _Attitude of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the\nApocrypha:_ See Doctrine and Covenants, sec. xci.\n\n7. _Definition of the Term Canon:_ \"The word Canon in classical Greek\nsignifies properly a straight rod, as a carpenter's rule; and hence\nis applied metaphorically to a testing rule in ethics or in art, or\nin language (e. g. the canons of Grammar.) As applied to Scripture,\nthe word indicates the rule by which the contents of the Bible must be\ndetermined, and thus, secondarily, an index of the constituent books.\nThe canon of Scripture may be generally described as \"the collection of\nbooks which forms the original and authoritative written rule of the\nfaith and practice of the Church.\" (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History,\np. 645.)\n\n8. _Arrangement of the Canon Ascribed to Ezra:_ \"Among the achievements\nascribed to Ezra is the collection, editing, and arrangement of the\nwhole Jewish Scriptures in one canon, under the threefold division of\nthe Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa. In performing this work, he\nis assumed to have added those passages which can not have been written\nby the authors whose names the books bear; such as the allusion to\nkings of Israel in Gen. xxxvi: 31; the account of the death and burial\nof Moses in the last chapter of Deuteronomy; and the many references\nto the state of 'things at this day.' * * * * * But the main question\nis, whether the present canon of the Old Testament was, in substance,\nthe work of Ezra. It must be remembered that such a work involved much\nmore than the collection into one volume of books already existing in a\nseparate form; it included the selection from the whole number of those\nwhich bore, and were to bear forever, the stamp of divine authority:\nfor no one imagines that the Scriptures of the Old Testament form a\ncomplete collection of the ancient Hebrew literature. That such a work,\nhaving such authority, had been completed before the Christian era, is\nclear from the allusions to the Holy Scriptures in the New Testament;\nand it was most probably accomplished during the Persian domination,\nwhich ended B. C. 323. There is every reason for its having been\nperformed at as early a period as possible. Ezra's care to make the\npeople well acquainted with the word of God is as conspicuous as his\nown knowledge of it. No man could be more qualified, as no time could\nbe more fit, for a work which was most needful to establish the people\nin their faith. That the work must have been performed by an inspired\nman, is an axiom lying at the foundation of the whole question, unless\nwe believe, on the one hand, that the Church is endowed in every age\nwith power to decide what Scriptures are canonical, or unless, on the\nother hand, we give up a canon, in the proper sense of the word, and\nreduce the authority of Scripture to that which literary criticism can\nestablish for its separate books. On this ground, none but Ezra can be\nthe author of the canon; for no one has ever thought of ascribing the\nwork to Nehemiah, the civil governor and man of action; and the only\nclaim made for Malachi is the addition of his own prophecy to the canon\nalready framed by Ezra, and even this supposition we have seen to be\nunnecessary, as Ezra may have been the survivor. The attempt to ascribe\nthe work to some unknown inspired person later than Malachi is an\nexample of the _argumentum ab ignorantia_, which has no weight against\nthe evidence of what is known.\" (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, pp.\n645-646.)\n\n9. _The Authorized Version:_ The treatise on the Authorized Version\nin Smith's Bible Dictionary is full, and perhaps the best one extant;\nand while praising highly the work of the English translators of the\nA. V., exhibits quite clearly some of its defects, and points out the\nnecessity for a new version. How far the \"Revised Version\" of 1870-1885\ncorrected the defects of the A. V. may be known only to Hebrew and\nGreek scholars; but the fact that the work was undertaken and carried\nto a conclusion at the expense of so much time, and scholarly effort,\njustifies the qualified acceptance of our English Bible set forth in\none of our Articles of Faith, viz., \"We believe the Bible to be the\nword of God, as far as it is translated correctly.\"\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. It has already been suggested in our Introduction to these lessons\nthat excuses for non-preparation should not be tolerated; and we again\ncall attention of the quorums to this necessary attitude respecting\nthorough preparation of lessons; and now emphasize our suggestions by\napplying them to these lectures. Those who are assigned to deliver the\nlectures can receive their appointment two or three weeks before they\nare called upon to deliver them, and it should be a matter of pride\nwith those so appointed to come to their tasks thoroughly prepared.\nThe lecturer is supposed to occupy about thirty minutes, and the\nassignments should be made with due regard to the difficulties of the\nsubject.\n\n2. No better mental exercise exists than that of writing. It leads to\nvery definite thinking, and to exactness of expression, and is an art\nthat should be cultivated by the Seventies. It is suggested, therefore,\nthat at least one of the lectures, when the quorum session is devoted\nto such exercises, should be given in the form of a paper, a written\ntreatise. The subject for the paper will be indicated as above.\n\n3. Smith's Bible Dictionary.\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\n_THE PENTATEUCH._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                    REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Authorship._                                        Seventy's Bible Dictionary,\n                                                          Art. Pentateuch.\n                                                          The Oxford and other\n                                                          Bible Helps, same title;\n                                                          Bible Treasury, pp. 30,\n                                                          36, 52; Smith's Old Testament\n                                                          History Appendix\n                                                          I, pp. 653-658; Y. M.\n                                                          Manual, 1903-4, (No. 7),\n                                                          Chap. i. I Nephi v: 10-16.\n                                                          The Gospel, (Roberts),\n                                                          Chap. vi.\n\n  _II. Subject Matter of the Pentateuch:_                 Read during the consideration\n                                                          of this and\n         I. Historical:                                   the two following lessons\n                                                          the books of Genesis,\n              (a) Antediluvian History.                   Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,\n              (b) Postdiluvian History, Shem              Deuteronomy. See\n                to Joshua.                                also Note 4; Seventy's\n                                                          Bible Dictionary\n         II. Prophetical:                                 and other Bible\n                                                          Helps, Bible Treasury,\n              (a) Prophecy of the Christ.                 Books of the Pentateuch;\n              (b) Prophecy in relation to                 also Smith's Bible\n                Israel.                                   Dictionary, Articles on\n                                                          the Pentateuch, Old Testament,\n                                                          and the Separate\n                                                          Books of it; Smith's\n                                                          Old Testament Hist. Appendix\n                                                          I; also Kitto's\n                                                          Biblical Literature, same\n                                                          Articles and Books. The\n                                                          Gospel; Josephus' Antiquities\n                                                          Books I to IV\n                                                          inclusive. Also Pearl of\n                                                          Great Price, Book of\n                                                          Moses; Ibid Book of\n                                                          Abraham. Genesis, Chap.\n                                                          iii. Numbers xxi: 8,\n                                                          compare Helaman, viii:\n                                                          13-18. Deut, xviii: 15, 16.\n                                                          Compare Acts iii: 22, and\n                                                          History of the Church,\n                                                          Vol I, pp. 12, 13.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren,\nlike unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall\nspeak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass\nthat whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my\nname, I will require it of him.\"_--THE LORD TO MOSES.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Pentateuch:_ Definition:--\"The Pentateuch is the Greek name\ngiven to the five books--commonly called the Five Books of Moses. In\nthe time of Ezra and Nehemiah it was called \"the Law of Moses,\" or\n\"the Book of the Law of Moses,\" or simply \"the Book of Moses.\" This\nwas beyond all reasonable doubt our existing pentateuch. The book\nwhich was discovered in the Temple in the reign of Josiah, and which\nis entitled \"the Book of the Law of Jehovah by the hand of Moses,\" was\nsubstantially, it would seem, the same volume, though it may afterward\nhave undergone some revision by Ezra. The present Jews, as we have\nalready seen, usually call the whole by the name of Torah, i. e., \"the\nLaw,\" or Torath Mosheh, \"the Law of Moses.\" (Smith's Old Testament\nHistory, p.. 654.)\n\n2. _Greek Titles of the Books:_ \"The division of the whole work into\nfive parts was probably made by the Greek translators, for the titles\nof the several books are not of Hebrew, but of Greek origin. The Hebrew\nnames are merely taken from the first words of each book, and in the\nfirst instance only designated particular sections, and not whole\nbooks.\" (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, p. 654.)\n\n3. _The Question of Authorship:_ \"Till the middle of the last\ncentury (eighteenth) it was the general opinion of both Jews and\nChristians that the whole of the Pentateuch was written by Moses,\nwith the exception of a few manifestly later additions--such as the\nthirty-fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, which gives the account of\nMoses' death. The first attempt to call in question the popular belief\nwas made by Astruc, doctor and professor of medicine in the Royal\nCollege at Paris, and court physician to Louis XIV. He had observed\nthat throughout the Book of Genesis, and as far as the sixth chapter\nof Exodus, traces were to be found of two original documents, each\ncharacterized by a distinct use of the names of God; the one by the\nname Elohim, and the other by the name Jehovah. Besides these two\nprincipal documents, he supposed Moses to have made use of ten others\nin the composition of the earlier part of his work. The path traced\nby Astruc has been followed by numerous German writers. * * * * * It\nis sufficient here to state that there is sufficient evidence for\nbelieving that the main bulk of the Pentateuch, at any rate, was\nwritten by Moses, though he probably availed himself of existing\ndocuments in the composition of the earlier part of the work. Some\ndetached portions would appear to be of later origin; and when we\nremember how entirely during some periods of Jewish history, the Law\nseems to have been forgotten, and again how necessary it would be after\nthe seventy years of exile to explain some of its archaisms, and to add\nhere and there short notes to make it more intelligible to the people,\nnothing can be more natural than to suppose that such later additions\nwere made by Ezra and Nehemiah.\" (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History,\npp. 653-655.)\n\nThe same conclusion is reached by James Robertson, D.D., in the Bible\nTreasury; and also by Prof. Samuel Colcord Bartlett, D.D., of the\nTheological Seminary, Chicago, in Smith's Bible Dictionary, Vol. IV,\np. 243. The question is considered at some length in the Young Men's\nManual, 1903-4 (No. 7), chap. I.\n\n4. _Prophecy of Moses:_ \"And when Moses had recapitulated whatsoever\nhe had done for the preservation of the people, both in their wars\nand in peace, and had composed them a body of laws, and procured them\nan excellent form of government, he foretold, as God had declared to\nhim, That if they transgressed that institution for the worship of\nGod, they should experience the following miseries: their land should\nbe full of weapons of war from their enemies, and their cities should\nbe overthrown, and their temple should be burnt; that they should be\nsold for slaves to such men as would have no pity on them in their\nafflictions: that they would then repent, when that repentance would no\nway profit them under their sufferings. Yet (said he) will that God who\nfounded your nation, restore your cities to your citizens, with their\ntemple also, and you shall lose these advantages not once only, but\noften.\" (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, p. 97.)\n\n5. _Suggested Readings:_ It is expected, of course, that the student\nwill read all the books of the Pentateuch during the weeks which the\nlessons upon it will occupy; and in addition to that, so far as he\nmay have access to them, read also the references given in the lesson\nanalysis, which, in the main, give summaries, analyses, literary\ncriticism, estimate theological and prophetical values of the separate\nbooks, etc. All the Bibles having \"Helps,\" published in connection\nwith the sacred text have analyses and comments upon the books of\nthe Pentateuch; and these as far as possible should be read and\ncompared. For their historical value the first four books of Josephus'\nAntiquities should also be read.\n\n\n\nLESSON IV.\n\n_THE PENTATEUCH._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                   REFERENCES.\n\n  _II. Subject Matter of the Pentateuch.                   All the references under\n            (Continued.)_                                  subdivision II of\n         3. Mosaic Legislation:                            Lesson III.\n              (a) Major Legislation--the Ten\n                 Commandments;\n              (b) Minor Legislation--the Hebrew\n                 Civil Code.\n         4. The Pentateuch as Literature:\n              (a) The Song of Moses and Miriam;            Note 1, 2, 3. Exodus xv\n              (b) The Story of Joseph in                   and Genesis xxxvi-xlviii.\n                 Egypt.                                    Commentary Critical and\n                                                           Explanatory on Exodus\n  _III. The Gospel in the Patriarchal Age--from            xv. Smith's Bible Dictionary,\n              Adam to Noah._                               Art. \"Law of\n                                                           Moses,\" Vol. II, pp. 1602-1612.\n  _IV. The Gospel in the Mosaic                            See Note 6, Pearl\n              Dispensation--Relation of the \"Gospel\"       of Great Price, Chap. v-viii.\n              and the Law._                                Galatians iii. The\n                                                           Gospel, (Roberts), pp. 228-235.\n                                                           Alma xii:28-37;\n                                                           also Alma Chap. xiii.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the\ncauses between your brethren, and judge righteously between every\nman and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not\nrespect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the\ngreat; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is\nGod's.\"_--MOSES.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Nature of Government Established by Moses:_ \"Then came the law\nfrom Mount Sinai. God became the God of Israel, everything done to\nestablish religion, tabernacle made for his residence. Defection from\nreligion high treason. Hence complete separation from all nations.\nMoses was but a mediator between God and his people; proper title\nlegislator of the Israelites and their deliverer from the Egyptians.\n* * * * For administration of justice Moses divided people in tens,\nfifties, hundreds, thousands, and placed judges over each. Mode\ntaken from Egypt. Amongst the higher of these judges there was much\npolitical power likewise. * * * * Each tribe had a sort of independent\ngovernment, with its own magistrates and representatives; sometimes\nacted without aid or sanction of others, (e. g., tribe of Benjamin\nprotected criminals of Gibeah and fought against others.) * * * * *\nSometimes several tribes acted together without others. * * * * *\nWhat the influence of such a government? Exceedingly favorable to\ndevelopment of character and individual energies. Not favorable for\nharmony or tranquility.\" (Ancient and Modern Nations, Dew, pp. 13-14.)\n\n2. _The Law of Moses:_ \"Though new in its general conception, it was\nprobably not wholly new in its materials. Neither in his material nor\nhis spiritual providence does God proceed _per saltum_. There must\nnecessarily have been, before the Law, commandments and revelations\nof a fragmentary character, under which Israel had hitherto grown up.\nIndications of such are easily found, both of a ceremonial and moral\nnature; as, for example, in the penalties against murder, adultery,\nand fornication (Gen. ix. 6; xxxviii. 8), in the distinction of clean\nand unclean animals (Gen. viii. 20), and probably in the observance of\nthe Sabbath (Ex. xvi. 23, 27, 29.) But, even without such indications,\nour knowledge of the existence of Israel as a distinct community in\nEgypt would necessitate the conclusion, that it must have been guided\nby some laws of its own, growing out of the old patriarchal customs,\nwhich would be preserved with oriental tenacity, and gradually becoming\nmethodized by the progress of circumstances. Nor would it be possible\nfor the Israelites to be in contact with an elaborate system of ritual\nand law, such as that which existed in Egypt, without being influenced\nby its general principles, and, in less degree, by its minuter details.\nAs they approached nearer to the condition of a nation they would\nbe more and more likely to modify their patriarchal customs by the\nadoption from Egypt of laws which were fitted for national existence.\nThis being so, it is hardly conceivable that the Mosaic legislation\nshould have embodied none of these earlier materials. It is clear,\neven to human wisdom, that the only constitution, which can be\nefficient and permanent, is one which has grown up slowly, and so been\nassimilated to the character of a people. It is the peculiar mark of\nlegislative genius to mold by fundamental principles, and animate by a\nhigher inspiration, materials previously existing in a cruder state.\nThe necessity for this lies in the nature, not of the legislator,\nbut of the subjects; and the argument therefore is but strengthened\nby the acknowledgement in the case of Moses of a divine and special\ninspiration. So far, therefore, as they were consistent with the\nobjects of the Jewish law, the customs of Palestine and the laws of\nEgypt would doubtless be traceable in the Mosaic system.\" (Smith's\nBible Dictionary, p. 1602.)\n\n3. _Basic Principle of the Law of Moses:_ \"The basis of human society\nis ordinarily sought, by law or philosophy, either in the rights\nof the individual, and the partial delegation of them to political\nauthorities; or in the mutual needs of men, and the relations which\nspring from them; or in the actual existence of power of man over man,\nwhether arising from natural relationship, or from benefits conferred,\nor from physical or intellectual ascendency. The maintenance of society\nis supposed to depend on a \"social compact\" between governors and\nsubjects; a compact, true as an abstract idea, but untrue if supposed\nto have been a historical reality. The Mosaic Law seeks the basis\nof its polity, first, in the absolute sovereignty of God, next in\nthe relationship of each individual to God, and through God to his\ncountrymen. It is clear that such a doctrine, while it contradicts\nnone of the common theories, yet lies beneath them all, and shows\nwhy each of them, being only a secondary deduction from an ultimate\ntruth, cannot be in itself sufficient; and, if it claims to be the\nwhole truth, will become an absurdity. It is the doctrine which is\ninsisted upon and developed in the whole series of prophecy; and which\nis brought to its perfection only when applied to that universal and\nspiritual kingdom for which the Mosaic system was a preparation.\"\n(Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 1607).\n\n4. _Israel and the Law:_ \"It was indeed often neglected [the Law] and\neven forgotten. Its fundamental assertion of the Theocracy was violated\nby the natural course of human selfishness (Jer. xxxiv. 12-17); till\nat last, in the reign of Josiah, its very existence was unknown, and\nits discovery was to the king and the people as a second publication;\nyet still it formed the standard from which they knowingly departed,\nand to which they constantly returned; and to it, therefore, all which\nwas peculiar in their national and individual character was due. Its\ndirect influence was probably greatest in the periods before the\nestablishment of the kingdom, and after the Babylonish captivity. The\nlast act of Joshua was to bind the Israelites to it as the charter of\ntheir occupation of the conquered land (Josh. xxiv. 24-27); and, in the\nsemi-anarchical period of the judges, the Law and the Tabernacle were\nthe only centers of anything like national unity. The establishment of\nthe kingdom was due to an impatience of this position, and a desire for\na visible and personal center of authority, much the same in nature as\nthat which plunged them so often in idolatry. The people were warned (I\nSam. xii. 6-25) that it involved much danger of their forgetting and\nrejecting the main principle of the Law--that \"Jehovah their God was\ntheir King.\" The truth of the prediction was soon shown. Even under\nSolomon, as soon as the monarchy became one of great splendor and\npower, it assumed a heathenish and polytheistic character, breaking the\nLaw, both by its dishonor towards God, and its forbidden tyranny over\nman.\" (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 1609.)\n\n5. _The Gospel and the Law:_ \"Abraham received the Priesthood from\nMelchisedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even\ntill Noah; * * * * This greater Priesthood administereth the gospel\nand holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of\nthe knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power\nof godliness is manifest; and without the ordinances thereof, and the\nauthority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest\nunto men in the flesh; for without this no man can see the face of\nGod, even the Father, and live. Now this Moses plainly taught to the\nchildren of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify\nhis people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened\ntheir hearts and could not endure his presence, therefore the Lord in\nhis wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they\nshould not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is\nthe fulness of his glory. Therefore he took Moses out of their midst,\nand the Holy Priesthood also; and the lesser Priesthood continued,\nwhich Priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the\npreparatory gospel.\" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84.)\n\nThe above quotation from the 84th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants\nthrows much light, not only upon the Pentateuch, but upon the whole of\nthe Old Testament, the law of Moses, and the whole polity and history\nof Israel. In the light of the truth the said quotation reveals, it is\nto be seen that \"when the Lord took the children of Israel from the\nland of Egypt to make of them a people for himself, he presented them\nfirst with the gospel of Christ, with all its mercy and inspiring love\nand gentleness; but they would not live in accordance with its high\nmoral precepts, nor reflect in their lives its spiritual excellence.\nAccordingly, a less perfect law was given to Israel; a law which in\nthe New Testament is called \"the law of carnal commandments;\" a law\nmore in keeping with the status of their moral development; a law which\nbreathed less of mercy, forgiveness and love, and more of exacting,\nrelentless justice; demanding an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a\ntooth--and this was to be their schoolmaster, to prepare them for the\nmore excellent law of the gospel of Christ. Many things in that law\nof the Old Testament are confessedly imperfect, and must not be taken\nas reflecting the full glory and excellence of the Divine wisdom or\ngoodness. On the contrary it is plainly stated, and that too by the\nvoice of inspiration in the New Testament, that it was a law carnal\nand imperfect, and yet, withal, demanding a higher excellence than the\npeople of those days seemed able to attain.\n\nIn proof that the gospel was first offered to ancient Israel, and then\nbecause of transgression the law of carnal commandments, I invite the\nreader's attention to the following Scriptures: Heb., latter part of\nchap. iii, in connection with Heb. iv: 1, 2; I Cor. x. 1-4; and Gal.\niii; also Doc. & Cov., sec. 84; see also the chapter on \"History of the\nGospel\" in The Gospel (Roberts), pp. 86, 87.\n\n6. _The Song of Moses:_ \"This song is some hundred years the oldest\npoem in the world. There is a sublimity and beauty in the language\nthat is unexampled. But its unrivalled superiority arises not solely\nfrom the splendor of the diction. Its poetical excellencies have often\ndrawn forth the admiration of the best judges, while the character of\nthe event commemorated, and its being prompted by divine inspiration,\ncontribute to give to it an interest and sublimity peculiar to itself.\"\n(Commentary, Explanatory and Critical, p. 59.)\n\n\n\nLESSON V.\n\n  LECTURES.                                                     REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Abraham. (Paper.)  (a)_                                 Genesis xi-xxv. Pearl\n                                                              of Great Price, Book of\n                                                              Abraham, Chaps. vi-xvii.\n                                                              Note 1.\n\n  _II. Joseph, Son of Jacob--His Place in                     Genesis, Chaps, xxxvii\n            Israel._                                          to L. Deut. xxxiii:13-17.\n                                                              Young Men's Manual,\n                                                              1905-6 (No. 9). Chap.\n                                                              xxxv, pp. 329-338. See\n                                                              also Defense of the\n                                                              Faith and the Saints,\n                                                              I Mormon Views of\n                                                              America-II America, The\n                                                              Land of Zion and of\n                                                              Joseph. Smith's Bible\n                                                              Dictionary, Art. Joseph,\n                                                              Vol. II, p. 1462-1473.\n                                                              II Nephi, Chaps. iii-iv.\n\n  _III. Moses, the Prophet and Lawgiver._                     Bible--beginning with\n                                                              Exodus to Deuteronomy.\n                                                              Josephus[1] Antiquities of\n                                                              the Jews, pp. 31-79.\n                                                              Against Apion Bk. II, p. 602.\n                                                              Art. Moses. Ditto\n                                                              Smith's Bible Dictionary.\n                                                              Kitto's Biblical Literature.\n                                                              Pearl of Great\n                                                              Price. The Book of\n                                                              Moses, Chaps. i-v. Notes\n                                                              of this Lesson.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like\nunto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the\nwonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharoah,\nand to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty\nhand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of\nall Israel.\"_--EZRA _(supposedly)_.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Abraham:_ \"He was a person of great sagacity, both for\nunderstanding all things, and persuading his hearers, and not mistaken\nin his opinions; for which reason he began to have higher notions of\nvirtue than others had, and he determined to renew and to change the\nopinion all men happened then to have concerning God; for he was the\nfirst that ventured to publish this notion, that there was but One\nGod, the Creator of the universe; and that as to other (gods), if\nthey contributed anything to the happiness of men, that each of them\nafforded it only according to his appointment, and not by their own\npower. This his opinion was derived from the irregular phenomena that\nwere visible both at land and sea, as well as those that happen to the\nsun, and moon, and all the heavenly bodies; thus, \"if (said he) these\nbodies had power of their own, they would certainly take care of their\nown regular motions; but since they do not preserve such regularity,\nthey make it plain that so far as they co-operate to our advantage,\nthey do it not of their own abilities, but as they are subservient to\nhim that commands them, to whom alone we ought justly to offer our\nhonor and thanksgiving.\" For which doctrines, when the Chaldeans, and\nother people of Mesopotamia, raised a tumult against him, he thought\nfit to leave that country; and at the command, and by the assistance\nof God, he came and lived in the land of Canaan. And when he was there\nsettled, he built an altar, and performed a sacrifice to God. Berosus\nmentions our father Abram without naming him, when he says thus: \"In\nthe tenth generation after the flood, there was among the Chaldeans a\nman, righteous and great, and skilful in the celestial science.\" But\nHecataeus does more than mention him; for he composed, and left behind\nhim, a book concerning him. And Nicolaus of Damascus, in the fourth\nbook of his history, says thus: 'Abram reigned at Damascus, being a\nforeigner, who came with an army out of the land above Babylon, called\nthe land of the Chaldeans; but, after a long time, he got him up, and\nremoved from that country also, with his people, and went into the land\nthen called the land of Canaan, but now the land of Judea, and this\nwhen his posterity were become a multitude; as to which posterity of\nhis, we relate their history in another work. Now the name of Abram is\neven still famous in the country of Damascus; and there is showed a\nvillage named from him, 'The habitation of Abram.'\" (Antiquities of the\nJews, Josephus, pp. 31-32.)\n\n2. _The Restoration of Lands Made by Joseph:_ \"However, the famine\nincreased among the Egyptians; * * * * But when their money failed\nthem, they bought corn with their cattle, and their slaves, and if any\nof them had a small piece of land, they gave up that to purchase them\nfood, by which means the king became the owner of all their substance;\nand they were removed some to one place, and some to another, that so\nthe possession of their country might be firmly afforded to the king;\nexcepting the lands of the priests for their country continued still in\ntheir own possession. And indeed this sore famine made their minds, as\nwell as their bodies, slaves: and at length compelled them to procure\na sufficiency of food by such dishonorable means. But when this misery\nceased, and the river overflowed the ground, and the ground brought\nforth its fruits plentifully, Joseph came to every city, and gathered\nthe people thereto belonging together, and gave them back entirely the\nland which, by their own consent, the king might have possessed alone,\nand alone enjoyed the fruits of it. He also exhorted them to look on\nit as every one's own possession; and to fall to their husbandry with\ncheerfulness; and to pay as a tribute to the king, the fifth part of\nthe fruits for the land which the king when it was his own restored to\nthem. These men rejoiced upon their becoming unexpectedly owners of\ntheir lands, and diligently observed what was enjoined them. And by\nthis means Joseph procured to himself a greater authority among the\nEgyptians, and greater love to the king from them. Now this law, that\nthey should pay the fifth part of their fruits as tribute, continued\nuntil their latter kings.\" (Josephus, Antiquities, p. 52.)\n\n3. _Character of Moses._ \"Now Moses lived in all one hundred and\ntwenty years; a third part of which time, abating one month, he was\nthe people's ruler; and he died on the last month of the year, which\nis called by the Macedonians 'Dystrus,' but by us 'Adar,' on the first\nday of the month. He was one that exceeded all men that ever were,\nin understanding, and made the best use of what that understanding\nsuggested to him. He had a very graceful way of speaking, in addressing\nthe multitude, and as to his other qualifications, he had such a full\ncommand of his passions, as if he hardly had any such in his soul, and\nonly knew them by their names, as rather perceiving them in other men\nthan in himself. He was also such a general of an army as is seldom\nseen, as well as such a prophet as was never known, and this to such\na degree, that whatsoever he pronounced you would think you heard the\nvoice of God himself. So the people mourned for him thirty days: nor\ndid ever any grief so deeply affect the Hebrews as did this upon the\ndeath of Moses; nor were those that had experienced his conduct the\nonly persons that desired him, but those also that perused the laws he\nleft behind him, had a strong desire after him, and by them gathered\nthe extraordinary virtue he was master of. And this shall suffice\nfor the declaration of the manner of the death of Moses.\" (Josephus,\nAntiquities of the Jews, p. 98.)\n\n4. _The Greatness and Influence of Moses._ \"Where shall we find one\nthat combines in his personality so many greatnesses as Moses, if I may\nsay so? He was the liberator of his people, but he spurned crowns and\nscepters, and did not, as many others after him did, put a new yoke\non the neck from which he had taken the old one. * * * * * And his\nrepublic was not of short duration. It lasted through all the storms of\nbarbaric wars and revolutions--hundreds of years, down to the days of\nSamuel, that all-stout-hearted republican who could endure no kings. *\n* * * But the republic he founded stands unique in the history of the\nworld, for it was altogether based upon an idea--the idea of the unity\nof God and the righteousness of his will. Think of it! Among a nation\nescaped from bondage, too degraded even to be led to war, that needed\nthe education, the hammering, as it were, into a people for forty\nyears, to go among them with the sublimest truth that the human mind\never can conceive and to say of them: 'Though you are now benighted and\nenslaved, any truth that I know is not too good for you nor any child\nof God.\" * * * * As a teacher of morality why need I praise him? As\na teacher of statecraft in the highest and best sense, who surpassed\nhim? The great wonder is that that man speaks the language of today.\nThe problems which we have not yet succeeded in solving were already\npresent to his mind, and he founded a nation in which the difference\nbetween the poor and the rich was almost abolished. The laborer was\nnot only worthy but sure of his hire. No aristocrat could rule over\nhis subjects and no priesthood could ever assume the government which,\nalas! according to history, means the opposition of the nation. How did\nthat man of that vast mind, how did he combine all these great talents?\nAnd yet that man, how tender his heart was! Why, friends, it is a\nthousand pities that you cannot hear the deep sorrow, the sadness that\nis to be heard in his original words. When an over-zealous disciple\ncame to him and told that they were prophesying in his name, and they\nsaid: 'Hinder them, master, hinder them. Why, if they prophesy what\nwill become of thine own authority?' I fancy I see his venerable head\nsink upon his breast and he saying: 'Indeed art thou zealous for me?\nWould that all the people of God were prophets, and that God gave his\nSpirit to them.'\" (Rabbi Gottheil, The World's Parliament of Religions,\n(Barrows), pp. 674-5.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. See note b, p. 27.\n\n\n\nLESSON VI.\n\n_THE HISTORICAL BOOKS._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                        REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Pentateuch._[1]\n                                                                  Joshua i-xxiv; Seventy's\n  _II. Book of Joshua--The Hexateuch._                            Bible Dictionary;\n      _Historical Events:_                                        Oxford and other Bible\n         1. The Invasion of Canaan.                               Helps. Bible Treasury.\n         2. The Conquest of Canaan.                               Art. Book of Joshua, p. 52.\n         3. Distribution of the Land by Lot.                      All the Bible Dictionaries\n         4. Literary Character of the Book--Select                before quoted\n            passages that illustrate literature                   under Art. \"Book of\n            of beauty or power--one                               Joshua,\" and notes 1, 2,\n            of each.                                              3, 4, 5, 6. Same authorities\n         5. Authorship.                                           above cited on the term\n                                                                  \"Hexateuch.\"\n\n  _III. Book of Judges._                                          Judges i-xxi.\n          1. Period of History Covered by the                     All the Bible Dictionaries\n             Reign of the Judges.                                 and Helps cited\n          2. General Character of the Government                  in Previous Lessons in\n             Under the Judges.                                    Part II under the Title\n          3. Discuss the Three Most Prominent                     \"Judges\" and \"Book of\n             Judges in Israel, and name                           Judges.\" Note 7.\n             Their Specific Achievements.\n\n  _IV. Book of Ruth._\n         1. General Character, and Historical                     Ruth I: iv. All Bible\n            Value.                                                Dictionaries and Helps\n         2. Literary Beauty, Illustrated by                       cited in previous lessons\n            Selected Passages.                                    in Part II, under titles\n                                                                  \"Ruth and Book of\n                                                                  Ruth.\"\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: And Joshua, the Son of Nun, was full of the spirit of\nwisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the children of\nIsrael harkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.\"_--EZRA\n_(supposedly.)_\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Hexateuch:_ The Book of Joshua is sometimes associated with the\nfive books of Moses and the collection is then called the Hexateuch,\na term meaning \"the six books.\" The union is made on the ground that\nthe Book of Joshua is the proper continuation and consummation of the\nformer five books as recording the Conquest of the Land of Canaan, in\nfulfillment of the promise contained in the Pentateuch; the subject of\nthe whole six books being \"the election of Israel as a people to the\nservice of Jehovah, and their settlement for this purpose in the Land\nof Promise.\"\n\n2. _Israel Under Joshua:_ \"Israel served the Lord all the days of\nJoshua.\" The high and commanding character of this eminent leader\nhad given so decided a tone to the sentiments and manners of his\ncontemporaries, and the memory of his fervent piety and many virtues\ncontinued so vividly impressed on the memories of the people, that the\nsacred historian has recorded it to his immortal honor, 'Israel served\nthe Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that\noverlived Joshua.'\" (Commentary, Explanatory and Critical, p. 158.)\n\n3. _Contemporaneous Notices of Joshua:_ There occurs some references\nto the deeds of Joshua in other historians besides those of the Bible.\nProcopius mentions a Phoenecian inscription near the city of Tingis in\nMauritania, the sense of which in Greek was: \"We are those who fled\nbefore the face of Joshua the robber, the son of Nun.\" Again Suidas\nsays: \"We are the Canaanites whom Joshua the robber persecuted.\" In a\nletter of Shaubech, king of Armenia Minor, in the Samaritan book of\nJoshua (chapter 26), styles Joshua \"the murderous wolf; or, according\nto another reading, \"the evening wolf.\" (Condensed from Kitto's\nBiblical Literature, Vol. II, p. 154.)\n\n4. _Authorship of the Book of Joshua:_ \"Viewing all the circumstances\ntogether, we consider it highly probable that the whole book of\nJoshua was composed by himself up to the twenty-eighth verse of the\nlast chapter; to which a friendly hand subjoined some brief notices,\ncontained in verses 29-33, concerning the death, age, and burial\nof Joshua; the continuance of his influence upon the people; the\ninterment, in Shechem, of the bones of Joseph, which the children of\nIsrael had brought from Egypt; and the death and burial of Eleazar, the\nson of Aaron, whom his son Phinehas interred in his allotment on Mount\nEphraim.\" (Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, Kitto, Vol. II, p. 156.)\n\n5. _Roman Catholic View of Authorship:_ \"This book is called Josue,\nbecause it contains the history of what passed under him, and according\nto the common opinion was written by him. The Greeks call him Jesus;\nfor Josue and Jesus in the Hebrew are the same name, and have the same\nsignification, viz., a savior.\" (Introduction to the Book of Josue.)\n\n6. _Character of Joshua:_ \"So Joshua, when he had thus discoursed to\nthem [upon their obligations and duty to God], died, having lived a\nhundred and ten years; forty of which he lived with Moses, in order\nto learn what might be for his advantage afterward. He also became\ntheir commander after his death for twenty-five years. He was a man\nthat wanted not wisdom nor eloquence to declare his intentions to the\npeople, but very eminent on both accounts. He was of great courage and\nmagnanimity, in action and in dangers; and very sagacious in procuring\nthe peace of the people, and of great virtue at all proper seasons. He\nwas buried in the city of Timnah, of the tribe of Ephraim. About the\nsame time died Eleazar, the high priest, leaving the high priesthood\nto his son Phineas. His monument also and sepulchre are in the city of\nGabbatha.\" (Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, p. 104.)\n\n7. _Literature of Power:_ By \"literature of power\" is here meant that\nclass of utterance that rests upon its own inherent strength for its\ninfluence or acceptance as truth. An American popular writer (Hubbard)\nin giving an illustration of this class of literature quoted this\npassage from the Bible:\n\n\"The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before\nhim.\"\n\nExplanation, comment upon such a passage, he argues, would but mar it.\nOne feels a force, a strength in it that admits of no doubt about its\npower, or truth. A still better example of the literature of power is\nPsalms xix, also Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. lxxxiv: 99-102. It is\nsuch a passage in Joshua that the student is directed to find.\n\n7. _Book of Ruth:_ \"The Book is called Ruth, from the name of the\nperson, whose history is here recorded: who being a Gentile, became a\nconvert to the true faith, and marrying Boaz, the great-grandfather\nof David, was one of those from whom Christ sprung, according to\nthe flesh, and an illustrious figure of the Gentile church. It is\nthought this book was written by the prophet Samuel.\" (Douay Bible,\nIntroduction to the Book of Ruth, p. 303.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. The Pentateuch Historically has already been considered in Lesson\nIII of Part II; and its historical character considered under\nsubdivision II. (a) Anti-diluvian History. (b) Postdiluvian History,\nbringing its historical events down to the death of Moses. It is here\nwritten into the analysis only that the student may be reminded that\nthe Pentateuch is recognized as being classed with the historical books\nof the Bible.\n\n\n\nLESSON VII.\n\n_THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.--(Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                    REFERENCES.\n  _I. Book of Samuel I and II._                            I and II Samuel. Seventy's\n        1. Historical Period.                              Bible Dictionary,\n        2. Events: Transition from Reign of                Art. \"Samuel Books of\";\n           Judges to Monarchy; Reigns of                   Ibid Articles \"Samuel,\"\n           Saul and David.                                 \"Saul,\" \"David.\" All\n        3. Contrast of the Government of                   other Bible Helps and\n           Judges and Monarchy.                            Dictionaries cited in Previous\n        4. Authorship and Date of the                      Lessons in Part II\n           Books.                                          on above topics. Also on\n                                                           Character of Samuel,\n                                                           also notes 1, 2, 3.\n\n  _II. The Books of kings I and II._                       I and II Kings. All the\n         1. Historical Period--Rebellion of                Bible Dictionaries, Helps\n            Adonijah to Final Captivity of                 and Commentaries cited\n            Judah--1015 B. C.-587 B. C.                    in Previous Lessons in\n         2. Historical: (a) Solomon's Reign                 Part II, Articles on I and\n            and Death.                                     II Kings, also Articles in\n              (b) The Division of the Kingdom.             same work on \"Samuel,\"\n              (c) Rise and Fall of the Kingdom             \"Saul,\" \"David,\" \"Solomon,\"\n                 of Israel--Captivity of                   etc.\n                 the Ten Tribes.\n              (d) The Kingdom of Judah after\n                 the Division--Captivity\n                 of Judah.\n         3. Authorship and Literary Character.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in\nburnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?\nBehold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat\nof rams.\"--I. Samuel xv: 22._\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Historic Period Covered by the Books of Samuel:_ \"The story\nembraces a period of over one hundred years, and extends from the end\nof the time of the Judges to the close of the reign of David, 1015 B.\nC., the connecting link being found in the civil judgeship of Eli and\nSamuel. The object of the narrative is to exhibit the kingdom as it\nrealized itself in view of a divine ideal; and the prominence given\nto the lives of Samuel and David would seem to be due to a design to\nportray the one as the type of the prophetic, and the other as the type\nof the kingly character--the king's counselor, in this case, selecting\nthe king, and not, as was the rule afterwards, the king his counselor.\"\n(Cambridge Teacher's Bible Helps, p. 19.)\n\n2. _Books of Samuel, I and II. Protestant View:_ \"The two were, by the\nancient Jews, conjoined, so as to make one book, and in that form could\nbe called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second\nbeing wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not\ntake place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly,\nin the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second\nBook of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end\nof the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while\nthe rest of it, and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed\nto Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on I Chronicles xxix: 29..\nCommentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the\nstatements in I Samuel ii: 26; iii: 1, indicate the hand of the judge\nhimself, or a contemporary; while some think, from I Samuel vi: 18;\nxii: 5; xxvii: 6, that the composition must be referred to a later age.\nIt is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after period\nwere interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the\nauthorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is\nindisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (Acts xiii: 22; Hebrews\ni: 5) as well as in many of the Psalms.\" (Commentary, Explanatory and\nCritical, p. 8.)\n\n3. _Catholic View of the Books of Samuel:_ \"This [I Samuel] and the\nfollowing book [II Samuel] are called by the Hebrews the books of\nSamuel, because they contain the history of Samuel, and of the two\nkings, Saul and David, whom he anointed. They are more commonly named\nby the Fathers the first and second book of kings. As to the writer\nof them, the common opinion is that Samuel composed the first book as\nfar as the twenty-fifth chapter; and that the prophets Nathan and Gad\nfinished the first, and wrote the second book. See I Chronicles xxix:\n29.\" (Introduction to the First Book of Samuel, Douay Bible, p. 308.)\n\n4. _The First and Second Books of Kings. Protestant View:_ \"In the\nancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, First and Second Kings constitute\none book. Various titles have been given to them; in the Septuagint\nand the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings.\nThe authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion\nis that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from\nthe ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course\nof the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired\ncharacter was acknowledged by the Jewish church, which ranked them in\nthe sacred canon; and, besides, is attested by our Lord, who frequently\nquotes from them (cf. I Kings xvii: 9; II Kings v: 14 with Luke iv:\n24-27; I Kings x: 1 with Matthew xii: 42).\" (Commentary, Explanatory\nand Critical, p. 8.)\n\n5. _Catholic View of Books of Kings:_ \"This [the first Book of Kings]\nand the following [the second Book of Kings] book are called by the\nholy fathers the third and fourth book of Kings; but by the Hebrews\nthe first and second Malachim, that is Kings. They contain the history\nof the kingdoms of Israel and Juda, from the beginning of the reign of\nSolomon, to the captivity. As to the writer of these books, it seems\nmost probable they were not writen by one man, nor at one time; but as\nthere was all along a succession of prophets in Israel, who recorded,\nby divine inspiration, the most remarkable things that happened in\ntheir days, these books seem to have been written by these prophets.\"\n(Douay Bible, pp. 381-2.)\n\n6. _Historical Period of the Books of Kings:_ \"The Books of Kings\nnarrate the history from the rebellion of Adonijah to the final\ncaptivity of Judah, including the whole history of the northern kingdom\nfrom the separation till its disappearance in B. C. 721. The succession\nof events will be found under Chronology. The books were compiled by\nsome unknown writer from a variety of written documents, including the\nstate chronicles.\" (Seventies' Bible Dictionary, p 94.)\n\n7. _Literary Features of the Books of Samuel and of Kings:_ \"The\nliterary form of the books of Kings is quite different from that of the\nbooks of Samuel. There is an almost stereotyped framework, resembling\nthat of the book of Judges, within which the events of the successive\nreigns are placed. When the name of a new king is introduced, it is\nstated how old he was when he came to the throne, how many years he\nreigned, and, in regard to the kings of Judah, what was his mother's\nname. Then a general character is pronounced upon his reign, the events\nare recorded at greater or less length, and at the close a reference is\nusually given to another authority for fuller details. When the divided\nmonarchy is to be treated, the usual proceeding is to give the record\nof the northern kingdom first, and then the corresponding record for\nthe southern, the history thus falling into periods longer or shorter.\nAnd this course is followed so closely that sometimes the same event\nis twice related, if it concerns the two kingdoms. These features make\nit probable that the book is composed from other written materials,\nor at least largely based upon them. And the frequent references to\nbooks of chronicles of the kings of Judah or of Israel favor the\ninference that state records of the respective kingdoms, containing\nlists of officials, statistical matters, and memoranda of events in\nthe different reigns were available for the purpose. There were also,\nin all probability, narratives of the doings of Elijah, Elisha, and\nother prophets, preserved in the prophetic circles, which would furnish\ninformation of another kind. A work extending over so long a period\ncould not be the expression of the direct personal knowledge of any one\nwriter, and could only be composed in the way indicated.\" (Cambridge\nBible, p. 63.)\n\n\n\nLESSON VIII.\n\n_THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.--(Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                      REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Chronicles I and II._                                   The Books of Chronicles.\n        1. Historical Period. (Note 1.)                       Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.\n        2. General Character of the Books.                    Also all Bible Dictionaries\n        3. Importance of in Biblical Controversies.           and Helps cited in\n                                                              previous lessons in Part II,\n                                                              under titles of\n                                                              \"Chronicles\" and Books\n                                                              of Chronicles.\n        4. Consider Importance of Special                     Topic 4. See Y. M.'s\n           Text as Fixing the Place of Joseph                 Manual 1905-1906, pp. 330-338.\n           in Israel.                                         Defense of the Faith\n                                                              and the Saints, Title,\n                                                              \"America the Land of\n                                                              Zion and of Joseph.\"\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, (for\nhe was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed,\nhis birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel;\nand the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright [i. e.\nof the first born, Reuben]. For Judah prevailed above his brethren,\nand of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's)\". I\nChronicles v: 1, 2._\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Books of Chronicles:_ \"The two Books of Chronicles counted as\none in the Hebrew canon. They give a short history of events from\nthe creation down to the proclamation of Cyrus, allowing the Jews\nto return to Palestine. The books contain several references to the\nsources whence information was derived, e. g., \"the book of Nathan\nthe prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of\nIddo the seer,\" (II Chron. ix: 29; cf. also II Chron. xii: 15; xiii:\n22; xx: 34; xxvi: 22; xxxii: 32; xxxiii: 18.) These passages make it\nclear that, from the earliest times of the kingdom, writers living amid\nthe events described, and generally of the prophetic order, recorded\nthe history of their own times. These records along with Samuel and\nKings, formed the materials out of which our Books of Chronicles were\ncompiled, the compilers choosing such portions as suited the purpose\nof their composition. Though secular events are not excluded from the\ncompilations thus formed, the writers dwell with most satisfaction\nupon the ecclesiastical and religious aspects of the history, and the\nprogress of temple worship in Jerusalem. The date of composition cannot\nbe fixed with certainty; it was probably between 300 and 250 B. C.\"\n(Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 32.)\n\n2. _Catholic View of Chronicles:_ \"These books are called by the Greek\ninterpreters Paralipomenon, that is, 'of things left out, or omitted,'\nbecause they are a kind of a supplement of such things as were passed\nover in the book of the Kings. The Hebrews call them Dibre Hajamim,\nthat is, 'The words of the days,' or The Chronicles. Not that they are\nthe books which are so often quoted in Kings, under the title of the\n'Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel, and of the Kings of Juda;'\nfor the Books of Paralipomenon were written after the Books of Kings;\nbut because in all probability they have been abridged from those\nancient 'Words of the Days,' by Esdras or some other sacred writer.\"\n(Introduction to Chronicles, Douay Bible.)\n\n3. _Controversial Value of the Books of Chronicles:_ \"The constant\ntradition of the Jews, in which they have been followed by the great\nmass of Christian commentators, is that these books were for the most\npart compiled by Ezra; and the one genealogy, that of Zerubbabel, which\ncomes down to a later time, is no objection to this statement, without\nrecurring to the strange notion broached by the old commentators, and\neven sanctioned by Dr. Davidson (in Kitto's Cyclo. of Bibl. Lit., art.\nChronicles), that the knowledge of these generations was communicated\nto Ezra by inspiration. In fact, the internal evidence as to the time\nwhen the book of Chronicles was compiled, seems to tally remarkably\nwith the tradition concerning its authorship. Notwithstanding this\nagreement, however, the authenticity of Chronicles has been vehemently\nimpugned by De Wette and other German critics, whose arguments have\nbeen successfully refuted by Dahler, Keil, Movers, and others. It has\nbeen clearly shown that the attack was grounded not upon any real\nmarks of spuriousness in the books themselves, but solely upon the\ndesire of the critics in question to remove a witness whose evidence\nwas fatal to their favorite theory as to the post-Babylonian origin of\nthe books of Moses. If the accounts in the books of Chronicles of the\ncourses of priests and Levites, and the ordinances of divine service as\narranged by David, and restored by Hezekiah and Josiah, are genuine,\nit necessarily follows that the Levitical law, as set forth in the\nPentateuch, was not invented after the return from the captivity. Hence\nthe successful vindication of the authenticity of Chronicles has a very\nimportant bearing upon many of the very gravest theological questions.\"\n(Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 429.)\n\n4. _Compilation and Spirit of the Books of Chronicles:_ \"Though the\nlatest of all the canonical writings, it represents the workmanship\nof many generations. It resembles the structure of an ancient\ncathedral, with fragments of every style worked into the building\nas it proceeded,--here a piece of the most hoary antiquity, there a\nprecious relic of a lost hymn or genealogy of some renowned psalmist or\nwarrior,--but all preserved, and wrought together, as by the workmen\nof mediaeval times, under the guidance of the same sacerdotal mind,\nwith the spirit of the same priestly order. Far below the prophetic\nbooks of the Kings in interest and solidity, it yet furnishes a useful\ncounterpart by filling up the voids with materials which none but\nthe peculiar traditions and feelings of the Levitical caste could\nhave supplied. It is the culminating point of the purely Levitical\nsystem, both in what it relates, in what it omits, and the manner of\nits relations and omissions.\" (Dean Stanley, quoted in Smith's Bible\nDictionary, p. 432.)\n\n5. _The Birth Right to Joseph:_ \"It should be remembered that to\nJoseph, the son of Jacob, a double portion of honor was granted in\nIsrael. While no tribe is especially called by his name, yet two tribes\nare his through his sons, viz., the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of\nManasseh. This came about in the following manner: Reuben, the first\nborn of Jacob defiled his father's wife Bilhah. For which awful crime\nhe lost his place as a prince in the house of Israel, which place was\ngiven indirectly to Joseph, the son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel. Why\nI say indirectly is because Ephraim, Joseph's younger son, was the one\nwho received the blessing of the first born from the patriarch Jacob,\nand it is for this reason that the Lord was wont to say, \"I am a father\nto Israel, and Ephraim is my first born.\" In proof see Special Text of\nlesson; also Y. M. M. I. A. Manual 1905-6, p. 330.\n\n\n\nLESSON IX.\n\n_THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.--(Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                   REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah._                      Books of Ezra and\n       _Historical Period._                                 Nehemiah; Note 1. Also\n        1. Book of Ezra.                                    all Bible Dictionaries\n             (a) Authorship.                                and Helps cited in previous\n             (b) Character of Contents.                     lessons in Part II,\n        2. Book of Nehemiah.                                under titles of \"Ezra,\"\n             (a) Authorship.                                \"Nehemiah.\"\n             (b) Contents.\n\n  _II. The Book of Esther._                                 \"Esther,\" and \"Purim,\"\n         1. Authorship.                                     Book of Esther, Chaps.\n         2. Historical Character.                           I to X.\n         3. The Feast of Purim as Witness of\n            Its Historical Character.\n         4. Its omission of the name of God.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandest\nthy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad\namong the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments,\nand do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part\nof the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them\nunto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.\"_--NEHEMIAH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Historical Period of Ezra and Nehemiah:_ \"The time covered by the\ntwo books of Ezra and Nehemiah together is about a century; for the\nnarrative of Ezra begins in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, 538\nB. C., and that of Nehemiah stops soon after the thirty-second year\nof Artaxerxes, 432 B. C. A great part of this space, however, is left\nwithout record; and we may distinguish three periods: 1. The period\nthat elapsed from the first return of exiles to the completion of the\ntemple; 2. the time of Ezra's activity as leader of the second colony\nof returned exiles; and 3, the period when Ezra and Nehemiah are seen\ntogether in the work of reformation at Jerusalem. The first two periods\nare embraced in the book of Ezra; the last, in the book of Nehemiah.\"\n(Bible Treasury, p. 69.)\n\n2. _Book of Ezra. Protestant View:_ \"The Book of Ezra contains records\nof events occurring about the termination of the Babylonian exile. It\ncomprises accounts of the favors bestowed upon the Jews by Persian\nkings; of the rebuilding of the temple; of the mission of Ezra to\nJerusalem, and his regulations and reforms. Such records forming\nthe subject of the Book of Ezra, we must not be surprised that its\nparts are not so intimately connected with each other as we might\nhave expected if the author had set forth his intention to furnish\na complete history of his times. * * * * The beginning of the book\nof Ezra agrees verbatum with the conclusion of the second book of\nChronicles, and terminates abruptly with the statement of the divorces\naffected by his authority, by which the marriages of Israelites with\nforeign women were dissolved. Since the book of Ezra has no marked\nconclusion, it was, even in early times, considered to form part\nof the book of Nehemiah, the contents of which are of a similar\ndescription. As, however, the book of Ezra is a collection of records\nof remarkable events occurring at the conclusion of the exile and in\nthe times immediately following it, attempting no display of the art\nof book-making, the mere want of an artificial conclusion cannot be\nconsidered a sufficient reason for regarding it as the first portion of\nNehemiah. It is, however, likely that the similarity of the contents\nof the books of Ezra and Nehemiah was the cause of their being placed\ntogether in the Hebrew Bible.\" (Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature,\nKitto, p. 690.)\n\n3. _Catholic View of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah:_\n\n(a) _Ezra_, called by Catholics \"Esdras:\" \"This book taketh its name\nfrom the writer: who was a holy priest, and doctor of the law. He is\ncalled by the Hebrews Ezra.\"\n\n(b) _Nehemiah_--Catholic form of name, \"Nehemias:\" \"This book takes\nits name from the writer, who was cup-bearer to Artaxerxes (surnamed\nLongimanus) king of Persia, and was sent by him with a commission to\nrebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It is also called the Second Book of\nEsdras; because it is a continuation of the history, begun by Esdras,\nof the state of the people of God after their return from captivity.\"\n(Introductions in Douay Bible to First and Second Book of Esdras.)\n\n4. _Book of Esther:_ \"Esther derives its name from the Jewish lady,\nwho, having become wife of the king of Persia, employed her royal\ninfluence to effect a memorable deliverance for the persecuted\nChurch of God. Various opinions are embraced and supported as to the\nauthorship of this book, some ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, and to\nMordecai. The preponderance of authorities is in favor of the last.\"\n(Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p 8.)\n\n5. _Historical Character:_ \"The historical character of the book of\nEsther is undoubted, since, besides many internal evidences, its\nauthenticity is proved by the strong testimony of the feast of Purim,\nthe celebration of which can be traced up to the events which are\ndescribed in this book. Its claim, however, to canonical authority, has\nbeen questioned on the ground that the name of God does not once occur\nin it. But the uniform tradition both of the Jewish and the Christian\nchurches supports this claim, which nothing in the book tends to shake;\nwhile it is a record of the superintending care of divine providence\nover his chosen people, with which it is of the utmost importance\nthe church should be furnished. The name of God is strangely enough\nomitted, but the presence of God is felt throughout the history; and\nthe whole tone and tendency of the book is so decidedly subservient\nto the honor of God and the cause of true religion that it has been\ngenerally received by the Church in all ages into the sacred canon.\"\n(Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p. 8.)\n\n6. _Purim:_ \"A celebrated Jewish festival instituted by Mordecai, at\nthe suggestion of Esther, in the reign of Ahasuerus, king of Persia,\nto commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from the designs of Haman.\nIt derived its name from the lots cast every day for twelve months in\npresence of Haman, with the view of discovering an auspicious day for\nthe destruction of all the Jews in the Persian dominion; when the lot\nfell on the 13th day of Adar (February and part of March).\" (Kitto's\nBiblical Literature, p. 588.)\n\n\"The fact that the feast of Purim has come down to us from time almost\nimmemorial,\" says Prof. Stuart, \"proves as certainly that the main\nevents related in the book of Esther happened, as the Declaration of\nIndependence and the celebration of the Fourth of July prove that\nwe separated from Great Britain, and became an independent nation.\nThe book of Esther was an essential document to explain the feast of\nPurim.\" (Quoted in Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 778.)\n\n7. _Omission of the Name of God in Esther._ \"In respect to the omission\nof the name of God in the book, Mr. Baumgarten remarks that it is the\nless surprising, because it occurs in a history which is so full of\ninterpositions, revealing the actual presence of him who presides over\nthe destiny of men and nations, and also the power of that faith in the\nunseen One, which made the actors in this drama so hopeful, enduring,\nand triumphant. The historical credibility of the events related in the\nbook is well attested, and at present generally acknowledged.\" (Smith's\nBible Dictionary, p 778.)\n\n\n\nLESSON X.\n\n_HISTORICAL INTERIM BETWEEN RESTORATION OF JUDAH AND COMING OF MESSIAH._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                       REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Status of Israel Under Ezra's and                         Books I and II of the\n             Nehemiah's Polity._                                Maccabees.[1] Chronological\n  _II. Palestine Under Persia._                                 Tables, Seventy's\n  _III. Palestine Under Macedonia, i. e., Alexander.            Bible Dictionary. Josephus'\n  _IV. Palestine Under Egypt.                                   Antiquities\n  _V. Revolt of the Maccabees._                                 Books XI, XII, XIII,\n  _VI. Palestine Under the Romans._                             XIV, XV; Bible Treasury,\n  _VII. Birth of Messiah._                                      pp. 189, 190. Oxford\n                                                                and other Bible Helps,\n                                                                generally give summary\n                                                                of this period. Note 1.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"M. K. B. I.\" (Maccabees) \"Mi-Kamoka Baelim,\nIhovah\"--\"who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?\"_--MOSES.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _History from Ezra to Messiah:_ \"While the Historical Books of the\nBible close with Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, it is thought proper to\ncarry the historical period through to the birth of Messiah by this\ntenth lesson. This for completeness in the outlines of the history of\nIsrael given in the historical books of the Bible, plus the Apocrypha.\nAlso because of the importance of this too much neglected historical\nperiod, without a knowledge of which very much of the New Testament may\nnot be understood. 'The New Testament,' says Prof. J. V. Bartlett, in\nthe \"Bible Treasure,\" \"takes much for granted. Hence, in reading the\nGospels, one is often forced to ask: What is the exact point of so and\nso? We want, in fact, to become as one of Christ's fellow-countrymen;\nand this means steeping our thought in the story of the long years\nwhich lie between the times of Ezra and those of Jesus the Christ. They\nmust cease to be to us 'ages of silence,' if we are to see just what is\nmeant by 'the tradition of the elders,' or to feel the full force of\nmuch that is found in the Sermon on the Mount. The whole period of more\nthan four centuries falls into four epochs--the Persian, the Greek, the\nMaccabean and the Roman.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 189.)\n\n2. _Historical Summary of Interval Between Old and New Testament:_ The\nfollowing notes are abridged from Oxford Bible Helps, Summary of this\nHistorical Period (p. 15), which summary itself is taken chiefly from\nJosephus' Antiquities and the Books of the Maccabees.\n\n3. _The Persian Period--537-330 B. C.:_ \"Ezra and Nehemiah left a\nsettled form of government in Palestine, the center of which was\nJerusalem. Here was established a council of elders and priests, who\nformed an ecclesiastical court, interpreting the law, and enforcing\nits observance. These were called the \"Great Synagogue.\" They were to\nthe new settlement after the captivity what the 'elders that overlived\nJoshua' (Josh. xxiv: 31) were to the Israelites who came out of Egypt.\nIt was the Jewish theory that the law was given in a two-fold form,\nviz., the written and the oral; the former consisting of brief official\nenactments, the latter of more copious details. With the former code,\nimmutably formalized by God, they said the latter was orally taught to\nMoses on Mount Sinai by the same Divine Author, as the authoritative\ninterpretation thereof, with the command to commit the one to writing,\nbut to transmit the other only by word of mouth. This oral law was\nrepeated by Moses to Joshua, who handed it on to the elders who\nsucceeded him, and they to the prophets, who, in their turn, passed\nit from one to another till it reached Jeremiah, who, through the\nmedium of Baruch, conveyed it to Ezra, and he to the Great Synagogue,\nwhom Nehemiah also supplied with a library of all the sacred books he\ncould collect (II Mac. ii: 13). This body of elders lasted about 150\nyears, when it expired in its last survivor, the High Priest Simon the\nJust (B. C. 291). * * * * Ezra and Nehemiah also set up synagogues in\ncountry towns, as places of worship on the Sabbath, and schools of\ninstruction and for theological discussion during the week. Attached\nto each was a body of 'rulers,' who were both civil magistrates and\necclesiastical presbyters. During all this time [two hundred years]\nPalestine was subject to Persia, and formed only part of a province\nunder the Satrap of Syria, these elders administering the government\nwith the high priest as their responsible head.\"\n\n4. _Greek Period--330-167 B. C.:_ \"After the victories of Alexander\nthe Great over Persia, he took possession of Syria, allowing the Jews\nto retain self-government and their own religion; and when he built\nAlexandria, he invited thither many Jews, giving them equal rights with\nthe rest of his subjects. On Alexander's death at an early age, his\nempire was divided amongst his four generals, and Syria was allotted\nto Egypt under Ptolemy Lagos, who transplanted many more Jews to the\nnew colony at Alexandria (B. C. 320), and gave them many privileges,\nso that they built a temple [at Jerusalem], and restored the ritual of\nSolomon's time, until Alexandria became the center and metropolis of\nthose Jews who had migrated to Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy, and who\nare called in the Acts of the Apostles \"Grecians\" ( Hellenists). They\nwere more lax in morals, liberal in views, and less exclusive than the\n\"Hebrews\" of Jerusalem. They used the Greek language, and eventually\n(B. C. 285) accepted as their scripture the Septuagint translation,\ninstead of the Hebrew original. It was at this period that Simon the\nJust was high priest at Jerusalem, and by his wise administration\nstrengthened their position, and brought them peace and prosperity.\"\n\n5. _The Maccabees--B. C. 198:_ \"After a series of contests Palestine\nwas taken from Egypt by Antiochus the Great, annexed to Syria, and\ndivided into five provinces, viz., Judea, Samaria, Galilee (W. of\nJordan), Peraea, and Trachonitis (E. of Jordan). From this time, owing\nto its position between the two great powers Egypt and Syria, this\ncountry became a frequent prey to both, until Antiochus Epiphanes\ntook Jerusalem (B. C. 170), foully polluted the temple, and compelled\nthe Jews to sacrifice to idols. He erected the statue of Jupiter on\nthe altar of burnt-offering, committed all books of scripture to\nthe flames, and prohibited the worship of God. The high priests,\ncorrupted by Greek licentiousness, prepared the way for declension,\nand encouraged the adoption of foreign customs. But the attempt to\nfinally stamp out Judaism produced a recoil. It culminated in the\nattempt of Antiochus to force the Jews publicly to eat the flesh of\nswine sacrificed on God's altar to the honor of Jupiter. One aged\nscribe refused, was followed by a mother and her seven sons, who all\nsuffered martyrdom with the extremes of torture. This was followed by\nMattathias, a priest of the Asmoaean family, who killed both a renegade\nJew, when about to offer idolatrous sacrifice, and the royal officer\nwho presided. Aided by his five sons, he rallied the faithful round\nhim, threw down the heathen altars, fled to the mountains and raised\nthe standard of liberty, on which were inscribed M. K. B. I., the\ninitials of their Hebrew war-cry, Mi-Kamoka Baelim, Ihovah, 'Who is\nlike unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?\" (Exodus xv: 11), from which\nthe insurgents got the name of 'Maccabees,' whence the eldest son\nand successor of Mattathias is known in history as Judas Maccabaeus.\nUnder him they were victorious. Antiochus died of a loathsome disease,\nstricken by God. The Maccabees recovered Jerusalem, purified the\ntemple, and restored its worship, holding for eight days (in December,\nB. C. 165) the first \"Feast of Dedication,\" which continued to be\nannually observed to our Lord's time (John x: 22.)\"\n\n6. _The Roman Period:_ \"The Maccabean family continued to hold the\nmain sway over the people, who retained their local customs, but were\nobliged to make terms with the Romans, under whose protection they\nretained considerable freedom. Although the Israelites were scattered\nover many countries, Jerusalem was still their religious and political\ncenter, and in its temple alone were sacrifices offered, and to it\nflowed the poll-tax of half a shekel from Jews all over the world.\nThe Roman government acknowledged and confirmed their independent\nlocal administration, as a peculiar _\"imperium in imperio,\"_ by\nthe following decrees: (B. C. 47.) Julius Caesar (for services in\nAlexandrine war) gave to Hyrcanus and his heirs all rights accorded to\nhigh priests by law or courtesy; all doubtful questions to be referred\nto him personally. Also, to Hyrcanus, his heirs and Ethnarch, the\nprivilege of being patroni of all Jews that were aggrieved; hence all\nJews throughout the world had a direct appeal to Caesar through the\nhigh priest, whose ambassadors had everywhere a free passage. Also,\nexemption from all tribute every seventh year, 'because they neither\nsow nor reap.' Also, peculiar liberty to 'meet and assemble together,\nand comport themselves according to the custom of their fathers, and\ntheir own laws.' (B. C. 44). On the death of Caesar and Hyrcanus,\nall the edicts of the former, whether recorded in the Treasury or\nnot, were confirmed by the senate, in the Consulate of Dolabella and\nAntony. Thus the Jews, wherever they lived, were exempt from taxation\nat certain times, free from military service, allowed to maintain\ntheir peculiar customs, and looked to their high priest in Jerusalem\nas their ecclesiastical and civil superior in all that related to\nreligious or ceremonial observances. But, for maintenance of order and\ngeneral political government, a Roman official, supported by military\norganization, presided over all Syria. This official at first was one\nallied to both interests, and to whom was delegated the nomination to\nthe high priesthood, viz., Herod the Great (B. C. 37), an Idumaean by\nbirth, but descended from a Philistine slave. By aid of Roman troops\nhe deposed the last Asmonaean prince, Antigonus, married his niece\nMariamne (granddaughter of Hyrcanus, the high priest), and became a\nnominal sovereign, subject to Roms.\" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 15.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. The Books of the Maccabees are to be found in the Douay Bible with\nthis explanatory note: \"It is not known who was the author of these\nbooks. But as to their authority: though they are not received by\nthe Jews, saith St. Augustine, City of God, I. 18. c. 36, they are\nreceived by the church: who, in settling her canon of the scriptures,\nchose rather to be directed by the tradition she had received from\nthe Apostles of Christ, than by that of the Scribes and Pharisees.\"\n(Introduction to the First Book of Maccabees, Douay Bible, p. 1128.)\n\n\n\nLESSON XI.\n\n  LECTURES.                                                          REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Samuel, the Prophet._                                        I Samuel Chaps. I to\n                                                                   XXV. Josephus' Antiquities\n                                                                   Book V,\n                                                                   Chaps. X and XI, also\n                                                                   Book VI.\n\n  _II. David, the King._                                           I Samuel Chap. XVI-XXXI;\n                                                                   also II Samuel\n                                                                   Chaps. I-XXIV. I Kings\n                                                                   Chaps. I-II. I Chronicles\n                                                                   Chaps. X-XXIX. The\n                                                                   Psalms of David, Josephus'\n                                                                   Antiquities,\n                                                                   Books VI and VII.\n\n  _III. Maccabees, the Patriots, their Times                       Books of the Maccabees\n              and Achievements._[1]                                I and II (found in\n                                                                   Douay Bible). Josephus'\n                                                                   Antiquities, Book XII,\n                                                                   Chaps. VI-XI.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"I exhort you, especially, to agree with one another;\nand in what excellency any one of you exceeds another, to yield to\nhim so far, and by that means to reap the advantage of everyone's own\nvirtues.\"_--MATTATHIAS, _Father of the Maccabees, to his sons._\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Suggestions in the Formation of an Unwritten Lecture:_ \"The\nsimplest formal address that can be constructed has three distinct\nparts. They may be named as follows:\n\n1. _The Introduction_.\n\n2. _The Discussion_.\n\n3. _The Conclusion_.\n\nOn this framework a speech-plan can be constructed simple enough for\nany child. And it is at the same time true that even a child, with such\na plan, might speak appropriately who would otherwise not be able to\nbegin at all.\n\n_The Introduction:_ \"This is at once important and embarrassing.\nFirst words are nearly always heard attentively, and they do much\nto determine the degree of attention that will be bestowed on the\nremainder of the speech. The young speaker should select something\nas an introduction upon which his mind can fasten, instead of\ndwelling upon the frightful generality of the naked theme. * * * *\nThe introduction should be simple, and, above everything else, easy\nfor the speaker to comprehend and remember. If there is anything in\nthe whole world which he is sure he can talk about for a few moments,\nand which can be made to have a moderate degree of connection with\nhis subject, let that be chosen for an opening. * * * * When the\nintroductory topic is selected it should be turned over in the mind\nuntil the speaker knows just what he is going to say about it. This\nprocess will have a wonderfully quieting effect upon his nerves. He has\nfairly mastered something, and knows that at all events he can begin\nhis speech. It is well to make a note of this introduction in a few\nsimple words, which will strongly fasten themselves in the memory. No\neffort toward elaboration should be made, for that would naturally lead\nto a memorized introduction, and either require the whole speech to be\nwritten, or produce a painful and difficult transition.\n\n_The Discussion:_ \"This should deal directly with the subject or\ncentral idea of the discourse. Here a clear statement of at least one\nthought which the speaker can fully grasp should be made. The pen (or\npencil) may be used in preparation without impropriety. If but one idea\nis thought of, let that be written in the fewest and strongest words at\nthe students' command. While doing this it is likely that another and\nrelated thought will spring into mind which can be treated in the same\nmanner. With diligent students there may even be a danger of getting\ndown too many seed-thoughts. When this central division is completely\nwrought out, two other points claim attention. How shall the transition\nbe made from the introduction to the discussion? A little reflection\nwill show how to glide from one to the other, and that process should\nbe conned over, without writing, until it is well understood. It is\nwonderful how many outlines of ideas the memory will retain without\nfeeling burdened; and this power of retention grows enormously through\nexercise. After this, the mode of gliding from the discussion to the\nconclusion may be treated in the same manner, and with equal profit.\n\n_The Conclusion:_ \"The conclusion itself is scarcely less material\nthan the introduction; but there is much less range of choice in the\nmanner of closing than in that of beginning. The subject is before\nthe audience, and any wide departure from it seems like the beginning\nof a new speech--something not usually well received. There is this\ndistinction between the relative value of introduction and conclusion;\na good introduction adds most to a speaker's ease, confidence, and\npower during the moment of speech; but a good conclusion leaves\nthe deepest permanent impression upon the audience. It is usually\nremembered longer than any other part of the address.\" (Extempore\nSpeech, Pittenger, pp. 46-49.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Paper.\n\n\n\nLESSON XII.\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                        REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Greater Prophets--Four._                              All Bible Dictionaries\n        1. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel.                   and Helps (including Bible\n  _II. The Minor Prophets--Twelve:_                             Treasury), Heretofore\n         1. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,                  cited in Part II,\n            Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,                             under title of \"Prophets.\"\n            Zephamiah, Haggai, Zechariah,                       Notes 1, 2.\n            Malachi.\n  _III. The Prophetic Calling._                                 See the Dictionaries\n          1. Distinction between major (greater)                and Helps heretofore\n             and minor prophets.                                cited, as also ordinary\n          2. Mission of the Prophets.                           Dictionaries on \"Inspiration,\"\n          3. Schools of the Prophets.                           \"Revelation,\"\n                                                                \"Prophecy,\" \"Prophets,\"\n                                                                etc.\n                                                                Notes 3, 4.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the\nword which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the\nname of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is\nthe thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken\nit presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.\"--Deut. xviii: 22._\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Of the Term Prophet._ \"The Hebrew word _\"Nabi\"_ is uniformly\ntranslated in our English Bible by the word \"Prophet.\" In classical\nGreek, it is said by highest authority, to signify 'one who speaks\nfor another, especially one who speaks for a God and so interprets\nhis will to man.' (Liddell and Scott.) Hence, its essential meaning\nis \"an interpreter.\" In fact, the English word 'prophet,' like the\nword 'inspiration,' has always been used in a larger and in a closer\nsense. In the larger sense our Lord Jesus Christ is a 'prophet,'\nMoses is a 'prophet,' Mahomet is a 'prophet.' The expression means\nthat they proclaimed and published a new religious dispensation. In\na similar though not identical sense, the church is said to have a\n'prophetical,' i. e., an expository and interpretative office. But in\nits closer sense the word, according to usage, though not according\nto etymology, involves the idea of foresight. And this is and always\nhas been its more usual acceptation. The different meanings, or shades\nof meaning, in which the abstract noun is employed in scripture, have\nbeen drawn out by Locke as follows: 'Prophecy comprehends three things:\nprediction; singing by the dictate of the Spirit; and understanding and\nexplaining the mysterious, hidden sense of scripture, by an immediate\nillumination and motion of the Spirit.'\" (Smith's Bible Dictionary,\nVol. III, pp. 2591-2.)\n\n2. _School of the Prophets, or the Prophetic Order:_ \"Samuel, himself a\nLevite, of the family of Kohath (I Chron. vi: 28), and almost certainly\na priest, was the instrument used at once for effecting a reform in the\nsacerdotal order (I Chron. ix: 22), and for giving to the prophets a\nposition of importance which they had never before held. * * * * Samuel\ntook measures to make his work of restoration permanent, as well as\neffective for the moment. For this purpose he instituted companies,\nor Colleges of Prophets. One we find in his lifetime at Ramah (I Sam.\nxix: 19, 20); others afterwards at Bethel (II Kings ii: 3), Jericho\n(II Kings ii: 5), Gilgal (II Kings iv: 38), and elsewhere (II Kings\ni). Their constitution and object were similar to those of Theological\nColleges. Into them were gathered promising students, and here they\nwere trained for the office which they were afterwards destined to\nfulfill. So successful were these institutions, that from the time of\nSamuel to the closing of the canon of the Old Testament, there seems\nnever to have been wanting a due supply of men to keep up the line of\nofficial prophets. The apocryphal books of the Maccabees (I, iv: 26;\nix: 27, xiv: 41) and of Ecclesiasticus (xxvi: 15) represent them as\nextinct. The colleges appear to have consisted of students differing in\nnumber. Sometimes they were very numerous (I Kings xviii: 4; xxii: 6;\nII Kings ii: 16). One elderly, or leading prophet, presided over them\n(I Sam. xiv: 20), called their father (I Sam. x: 12), or master (II\nKings ii: 3), who was apparently admitted to his office by the ceremony\nof anointing (I Kings xix: 16; Isaiah lxi: 1; Psalms cv: 15). They were\ncalled his sons. Their chief subject of study was, no doubt, the Law\nand its interpretation; oral, as distinct from symbolical, teaching\nbeing henceforward tacitly transferred from the priestly to the\nprophetical order.\" (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Vol. III, pp. 2592-3.)\n\n3. _The Prophetic Gift:_ \"We have been speaking of the Prophetic Order.\nTo belong to the prophetic order and to possess the prophetic gift are\nnot convertible terms. There might be members of the prophetic order to\nwhom the gift of prophecy was not vouchsafed. There might be inspired\nprophets, who did not belong to the prophetic order. Generally, the\ninspired prophet came from the College of the Prophets, and belonged\nto the prophetic order; but this was not always the case. In the\ninstance of the Prophet Amos, the rule and the exception are both\nmanifested. When Amaziah, the idolatrous Israelitish priest, threatens\nthe prophet, and desires him to 'flee away into the land of Judah,\nand there eat bread and prophesy there, but not to prophesy again any\nmore at Bethel,' Amos in reply says, 'I was no prophet, neither was\nI a prophet's son; but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore\nfruit; and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said\nunto me, Go prophesy unto my people Israel' (vii: 14). That is, though\ncalled to the prophetic office, he did not belong to the prophetic\norder; and had not been trained in the prophetical colleges; and this,\nhe indicates, was an unusual occurrence.\" (Smith's Bible Dictionary,\nVol. III, p. 2593.)\n\n4. _Revelation and Inspiration Defined:_ \"The word 'revelation'\nstands for the act of God in making truth known to men, and then, in\na secondary sense, for the truth itself, which is thus made known.\nInspiration is the name of the special divine influence under which\nthe writers of the Bible worked. We speak of the 'revelation' of God\nin the Bible, and of the 'inspiration' of the writers of the Bible.\nIn order to understand the questions which have been raised on these\ntwo subjects it is important that we should discriminate between\nthem in thought, but in fact they are closely connected. It is the\nassociation of the two that gives its supreme value to the Bible. This\nis recognized as a book of unique character, because, as we have seen,\nit is an inspired record of divine revelation.\" (Teacher's Bible Helps,\nBagster's Bible, p. 2.) The whole article, comprising several pages,\nshould be studied. Also the article, \"Prophets,\" in the Seventy's Bible\nDictionary.\n\n\n\nLESSON XIII.\n\n_THE PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._\n\n  _I. The book of Isaiah._                                            Isaiah I-LXVI. Notes\n        1. Historic Period of Isaiah.                                 1, 2. Seventy's Bible\n        2. General Outline of His Prophecies.                         Dictionary, Art. \"Isaiah,\"\n        3. His Prophecies of the Messiah.                             Bible Treasury Ditto.\n        4. Select Readings from Isaiah.                               Other Bible Helps and\n                                                                      Dictionaries, under\n                                                                      same title.\n                                                                      \"Messianic Prophecies,\"\n                                                                      Chap. IX: 6, 7; XLIX: 1-13;\n                                                                      LIII: 1-12; LXI: 1-3.\n\n  _II. The Book of Jeremiah._                                         Select Readings--Fall\n         1. Historic Period.                                          of Lucifer, Chap. XIV: 12-29.\n         2. General Nature of His Warnings                            The Apostasy,\n            to Israel.                                                XXIV: 1-6. Book of Mormon,\n                                                                      XXIX: 1-24. The\n                                                                      Gathering of Israel, XI: 10-16.\n         3. Prophecies yet to be fulfilled--especially                Bible Dictionaries and\n            on the restoration of                                     Helps as above, Art.\n            Israel.                                                   \"Jeremiah, Book of,\"\n                                                                      etc. Warnings: Jeremiah\n                                                                      XIV: 1-22, and XV: 1-3.\n                                                                      (Read as if is in one\n                                                                      chapter), XVII and\n                                                                      XVIII; also XXI and\n                                                                      XXII.\n                                                                      Prophecies (in course\n                                                                      of fulfillment and those\n                                                                      yet future). Chap. III: 12-19;\n                                                                      XVI: 14-16;\n                                                                      XXXIII: 1-14.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity,\nand the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed\ninto a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers; and\nthine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way,\nwalk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the\nleft.\"_--ISAIAH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Isaiah,_ (i. e., the Lord is Salvation), son of Amoz, a prophet in\nJerusalem during 40 years, (B. C. 740-701.) He had great religious and\npolitical influence during the reign of Hezekiah, whose chief adviser\nhe was. Tradition states that he was \"sawn asunder\" during the reign\nof Manasseh; for that reason he is often represented in art, holding a\nsaw.\" (Cambridge Bible, p. 82.)\n\n2. _Character of Isaiah's Prophet Writings:_ \"In Isaiah we see\nprophetic authorship reaching its culminating point. Everything\nconspired to raise him to an elevation to which no prophet either\nbefore or after could as a writer attain. Among the other prophets,\neach of the more important ones is distinguished by some one particular\nexcellence, and some one peculiar talent: in Isaiah, all kinds of\ntalent and all beauties of prophetic discourse meet together so as\nmutually to temper and qualify each other; it is not so much any\nsingle feature that distinguishes him as the symmetry and perfection\nof the whole. * * * * He is not the especially lyrical prophet, or\nthe especially elegiacal prophet, or the especially oratorical and\nhortatory prophet, as we should describe a Joel, a Hosea, a Micah, with\nwhom there is a greater prevalence of some particular color; but, just\nas the subject requires, he has readily at command every several kind\nof style and every several change of delineation; and it is precisely\nthis that, in point of language, establishes his greatness, as well\nas in general forms one of his most towering points of excellence.\"\n(Smith's Bible Dictionary, pp. 1162-3.)\n\n3. _Isaiah as a Messianic Prophet:_ The following are the outlines of\nMessianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah: A scion of David, springing\nfrom his family, after it has fallen into a very low estate, but being\nalso of divine nature, shall, at first, in lowliness, but as a prophet\nfilled with the Spirit of God, proclaim the divine doctrine, develope\nthe law in truth, and render it the animating principle of national\nlife; he shall, as high priest, by his vicarious suffering and his\ndeath, remove the guilt of his nation, and that of other nations, and\nfinally rule as a mighty king, not only over the covenant people,\nbut over all nations of the earth who will subject themselves to his\npeaceful sceptre, not by violent compulsion, but induced by love and\ngratitude. He will make both the moral and the physical consequences\nof sin to cease; the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of\nthe Lord, and all enmity, hatred, and destruction shall be removed even\nfrom the brute creation. This is the survey of the Messianic preaching\nby Isaiah, of which he constantly renders prominent those portions\nwhich were most calculated to impress the people under the then\nexisting circumstances. * * * * Jesus Sirach (xlviii: 22-5) bestows\nsplendid praise upon Isaiah, and both Philo and Josephus speak of him\nwith great veneration. He attained the highest degree of authority\nafter the times of the New Testament had proved the most important part\nof his prophecies, namely, the Messianic, to be divine. Christ and the\nApostles quote no prophecies so frequently as those of Isaiah, in order\nto prove that he who had appeared was one and the same with him who had\nbeen promised. The fathers of the Church abound in praises of Isaiah.\n(Kitto's Biblical Literature, pp. 49-50.)\n\n4. The First Nephi on Isaiah as the Messianic Prophet. \"And now I,\nNephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his\nwords. For I will liken (apply) his words unto my people, and I will\nsend them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer,\neven as I have seen him. And my brother Jacob also has seen him as\nI have seen him: wherefore I will send their words forth unto my\nchildren, to prove unto them that my words are true.. Wherefore, by the\nwords of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.\" (II Nephi ii:\n13.)\n\n5. _Jeremiah, Book of. Arrangement:_ \"The absence of any chronological\norder in the present structure of the collection of Jeremiah's\nprophecies is obvious at the first glance; and this has led some\nwriters (Blayney, Pref. of Jeremiah) to the belief that, as the book\nnow stands, there is nothing but the wildest confusion--'a preposterous\njumbling together' of prophecies of different dates. Attempts to\nreconstruct the book on a chronological basis have been made by\nalmost all commentators on it since the revival of criticism; and the\nresult of the labors of the more recent critics has been to modify\nthe somewhat hasty judgment of the English divine (Blayney). Whatever\npoints of difference there may be in the hypothesis of Movers, Hitzig,\nEwald, Bunsen, Nagelsbach, and others, they agree in admitting traces\nof an order in the midst of the seeming irregularity, and endeavor\nto account, more or less satisfactorily, for the apparent anomalies.\nThe conclusion of the three last-named is that we have the book\nsubstantially in the same state as that in which it left the hands of\nthe prophet, or his disciple Baruch.\" (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p.\n1261.)\n\n5. _Jeremiah:_ \"The author of the prophecies of this book was the son\nof Hilkiah, a priest, and a native of the priestly city of Anathoth,\nsituated three miles north of Jerusalem. He was early called to the\nprophetic office (chap. i: 6), and began his career as a prophet in his\nnative place. This he soon left, to prosecute his calling in Jerusalem;\nand here, in the exercises of it, he spent the greater part of his\nlife. His ministry commenced seventy years after the close of Isaiah's,\nand extended from the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign to the eleventh\nof Zedekiah's, i. e., from 629 to 588 B. C., thus embracing a period\nof forty-one years. It was a life-long protest against the iniquity\nand folly of his countrymen, and conceived in bitter foreboding of the\nhopeless ruin they were bringing down upon their heads.\" (Bagster's\nBible Helps, p. 37.)\n\n6. _Jeremiah and His Contemporaries:_ \"Jeremiah was contemporary with\nZephiniah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. None of these, however,\nare in any remarkable way connected with him, except Ezekiel. The\nwritings and character of these two eminent prophets furnish many very\ninteresting points both of comparison and contrast. Both, during a\nlong series of years, were laboring at the same time and for the same\nobject. The representations of both, far separated as they were from\neach other, are in substance singularly accordant; yet there is at the\nsame time a marked difference in their modes of statement, and a still\nmore striking diversity in the character and natural disposition of\nthe two. No one who compares them can fail to perceive that the mind\nof Jeremiah was of a softer and more delicate texture than that of his\nillustrious contemporary. His whole history convinces us that he was by\nnature mild and retiring.\" (Cycl. of Biblical Literature, Vol. II, p.\n83.)\n\n\n\nLESSON XIV.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE--NOTE 3.\n\n_THE PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._ _(Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                  REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Ezekiel, the Prophet of the Captivity._              Book of Ezekiel. All\n        1. Prophecies against Jerusalem and                the Dictionaries, Bible\n           the Nation, chaps. i-xxiv.                      Helps, Bible Treasury,\n        2. Prophecies of the Restoration of                Kitto's Biblical Literature\n           Israel, chaps. xxv-xxxix.                       previously quoted,\n        3. Visions of the Reconstruction of                Art. \"Ezekiel.\" Note 1.\n           the Temple, chaps. xl-xlviii.\n        4. Prophecy of the Resurrection,\n           chap. xxxvi: 1-14.\n  _II. Daniel, Book of_                                    Book of Daniel I-XII.\n         1. Historical--i-vi.                              All the above Dictionaries\n         2. Prophetical--the Rise and Fall of              and Bible Helps,\n            Empires, vii-xii.                              Encyclopaedias, etc.\n                                                           above cited. Art. \"Daniel.\"\n                                                           Church History\n                                                           Vol. I, Introduction, pp. xxxvi-xl.\n                                                           Note 2.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the\nhouse of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them\nwarning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die;\nand thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from\nhis wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in\nhis iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou\nwarn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his\nwicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy\nsoul.\"_--EZEKIEL.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Ezekiel:_ \"The author of this book was a native of Jerusalem,\nand, like Jeremiah, of priestly descent, a member of a family of some\nstanding in the city. When, as would appear, about twenty-five years\nof age, and after he had seen some service as a priest, he was carried\naway captive to Babylon along with Jehoiachin and other noble Jews in\n599 B. C., and before the destruction of Jerusalem (II Kings xxiv:\n15). He must have been a witness of the plundering of the temple by\nNebuchadnezzar, as recorded in II Kings xxiv: 13, and his prophecies\ngive evidence of a familiar acquaintance with its structure (chap.\nviii: 5-16, etc.) His place of banishment was Tel-Abib, on the banks\nof the river Chebar, about 200 miles north of Babylon. Here he settled\nwith his family, and here he established himself as the prophet of the\ncaptivity, his house being the rendezvous of all who mourned over the\ndispersion and sought for the restoration of Israel.\" (Bagster Bible\nHelps, p. 39.)\n\n2. _The Book of Daniel._ Perhaps no book of prophecy is more bitterly\ncriticised than the Book of Daniel, and certainly no book is of more\nprophetic value.. Its prophecies concerning the rise and fall of\nempires, with the final supremacy of the kingdom of God as a universal\nempire, renders it at once one of the most important of prophetic books.\n\n\"Porphyry, the assailant of Christianity in the third century,\nasserted that the book of Daniel was a forgery of the time of the\nMaccabees (170-164 B. C.), a time when confessedly there were no\nprophets, written after the events as to Antiochus Epiphanes, which\nit professes to foretell; so accurate are the details. A conclusive\nproof of Daniel's inspiration, if his prophecies can be shown to have\nbeen before the events. Now we know, from Josephus, that the Jews in\nChrist's days, recognized Daniel as in the canon. Zachariah, Ezra, and\nNehemiah, centuries before Antiochus, refer to it. Jesus refers to it\nin his characteristic designation, 'Son of man,' Matthew xxiv: 30;\nDaniel vii: 13); also expressly by name, and as a prophet, in Matthew\nxxiv: 15 (cf. Matthew xxiv: 21, with Daniel xii: 1, etc.); and in the\nmoment that decided his life (Matthew xxvi: 64) or death, when the high\npriest adjured him by the living God. Also, in Luke 1:19-26, 'Gabriel'\nis mentioned, whose name occurs nowhere else in scripture, save Daniel\nviii: 16; ix: 21. Besides the references to it in Revelation, Paul\nconfirms the prophetical part of it, as to the blasphemous king (Daniel\nvii: 8, 25; xi: 36), in I Corinthians 6:2; II Thessalonians ii: 3, 4;\nthe narrative part, as to the miraculous deliverances from 'the lions'\nand 'the fire,' in Hebrews xi: 33, 34. Thus the book is expressly\nattested by the New Testament on the three points made the stumbling\nblock of neologists--the predictions, the narratives of miracles, and\nthe manifestations of angels.\" (Commentary, Explanatory and Critical,\np. 620.)\n\n_A Sample Scripture Reading._ At this lesson we introduce the\nscripture reading exercise referred to in our introduction, and as an\nillustration of what is meant we give the following as an example of\nsuch reading:\n\nThe Reader says: \"I have selected for this reading the first nine\nverses of the 19th Psalm of David, universally conceded, I think, to\nbe one at least of the most beautiful psalms of this very remarkable\ncollection of Hebrew poetry. (Reading):\n\n    \"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth\n    his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night\n    sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their\n    voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth,\n    and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a\n    tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his\n    chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going\n    forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends\n    of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.\n\n    The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony\n    of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the\n    Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord\n    is pure, enlightening the eyes.. The fear of the Lord is clean,\n    enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous\n    altogether.\"\n\nLet us contemplate a little so much of this Psalm as we have read.\n\n    \"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth\n    his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night\n    sheweth knowledge.\"\n\nIf that could be said\nof the heavens in the days of David, how much\nmore abundantly can it be said now, when the few thousand stars\nvisible to David's unaided vision, our modern telescopes have to our\nvision increased to more than forty millions of such stars! Each, as\nis supposed, a sun, the center of a planetary system--when thus we\ncontemplate the heavens, truly they \"declare the glory of God, and the\nfirmament sheweth his handywork!\" and \"day unto day uttereth speech,\nand night unto night sheweth knowledge!\"\n\nMark how David notes that the heavens speak a universal\nlanguage:--\"there is no speech nor language, where their voice is\nnot heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their\nwords to the end of the world.\" The special revelation to the Hebrews\nmight be locked up from some parts of our human race for centuries\nin the mystery of the Hebrew language; but in the heavens, as David\ncontemplated them, there is a universal language, a world book--spread\nout in glory for all men to read, and somehow or other, all men have\nread it with more or less clearness, and have arrived at the same\nconclusion with the Hebrew prophet,--\"the heavens declare the glory of\nGod.\" Paul must have felt something of this when he exclaimed, \"The\ninvisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly\nseen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal\npower and Godhead.\" So that he concludes that the ungodly are without\nexcuse, by reason of this revelation found in the creations of God--the\nheavens that declare God's glory. Then notice how David glides from\nthe contemplation of the heavens to the contemplation of the law of\nthe Lord--\"perfect, converting the soul;\" the \"testimony\" of the Lord\nwhich is \"sure, making wise the simple.\" The \"statutes of the Lord that\nare right, rejoicing the heart;\" the \"commandment of the Lord\" that is\n\"pure, enlightening the eyes.\" The \"fear of the Lord\" that is \"clean,\nenduring forever;\" the \"judgments of the Lord\" that \"are true, and\nrighteous altogether.\" Such a scripture prepares the mind for devotion,\nand is a worthy introduction to the act of worship. (End of reading.)\n\nThis kind of exercise is intended to run through the remainder of the\nlessons of this year, and every week someone should be appointed to\ncome to the following week's lesson prepared with a scripture reading,\nwhich should be delivered as above, that is, read with reflections, and\ncomments, to which it gives rise.\n\n\n\nLESSON XV.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._ _(Continued.)_\n\n  _I. The Twelve Minor Prophets._                                        Note 1 and 2. Each of\n        1. Historical Period of their ministry.                          the books of the 12\n  _II. Select Readings from Zechariah:_                                  prophets should be read.\n         1. Repentance.                                                  See also the summary of\n         2. Prophecies Yet Future.                                       each book in the Bible\n                                                                         Helps, Dictionaries, Bible\n                                                                         Treasury, quoted in\n                                                                         previous lessons.\n                                                                         Readings, Zech. 1: 1-7.\n                                                                         Chaps. vii and viii.\n                                                                         Chaps. xii, xiii, xiv.\n  _III. Select Readings from Malachi:_\n          1. His Arraignment of Israel for Unfaithfulness.               Mal. iii: 7-18.\n             The Promise of\n             God's Returning Favor.\n          2. The Coming of Messiah's Messenger.                          Mal. iii: 1-6.\n          3. Destruction of the Wicked--Elijah's                         Mal. iv: 1-6.\n             Mission.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions\nevery man to his brother; and oppress not the widow, nor the\nfatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine\nevil against his brother in your heart.\"_--ZECHARIAH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Greater and Minor Prophets:_ \"A review of the books as they\nstand in our Bible gives us first the Greater Prophets, and secondly\nthe Minor Prophets. It should be understood that this arrangement is\ndetermined by the length of the books, not by the comparative rank of\nthe writers. The minor prophets are not to be regarded as necessarily\nless important persons than the greater prophets. Amos may have been\na grander man than Ezekiel--yet Amos is classed with the minor and\nEzekiel with the greater prophets. This simply means that we have less\nof the writings of Amos preserved than of those of Ezekiel--and so of\nthe other minor prophets.\" (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 34.)\n\n2. _The Historic Period of the Minor Prophets:_ \"The Minor Prophets\nform in the Hebrew canon one whole, and go collectively under the\nname of the Book of the Twelve Prophets. They cover a period of four\nhundred years, from the ninth to the fifth centuries before Christ, but\nthey are not arranged in the order of the time of their production.\"\n(Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 41.)\n\n3. _Passages from the Prophets Quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith:_\n\"After telling me these things, (concerning the Book of Mormon) he\ncommenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted\npart of the third chapter of Malachi, and he quoted also the fourth or\nlast chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from\nthe way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as\nit reads in our books, he quoted it 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\n\"And again, he quoted the fifth verse 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.'\n\n\"He also quoted the next verse differently:\n\n\"'And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made\nto the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their\nfathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at\nhis coming.'\n\n\"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying\nthat it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of\nActs, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand\nin our New Testament. He said that that Prophet was Christ, but the\nday had not yet come when \"they who would not hear his voice should be\ncut off from among the people,\" but soon would come. He also quoted\nthe second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last.\nHe also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be.\nAnd he further stated that the fullness of the Gentiles was soon to\ncome in. He quoted many other passages of Scripture, and offered many\nexplanations which cannot be mentioned here.\" (History of the Church,\nVol. 1, pp. 12, 13.)\n\n\n\nLESSON XVI.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._\n\n  _I. Poetical Books:_                                          Book of Psalm, Lamentations\n        1. Psalms; Lamentations, The Song                       and Song of\n           of Solomon[1]                                        Songs.\n  _II. Didactic Books:_                                         All the Dictionaries\n         1. Job, dramatic.                                      Bible Helps cited in\n  _III. Sapiential:_                                            previous lessons may be\n          1. Proverbs, gnomic.[2]                               consulted on the separate\n          2. Ecclesiastes, Speculative.[3]                      books mentioned in this\n                                                                lesson.\n\n1. _Psalms, Book of:_ \"This collection of sacred poetry received its\nname, in consequence of the lyrical character of the pieces of which it\nconsists, as intended to be sung to stringed and other instruments of\nmusic. The word is thus aptly defined by Gregory of Nyssa. The Hebrew\ntitle signifies hymns or praises, and was probably adopted on account\nof the use made of the collection in divine service, though only a part\ncan be strictly called songs of praise, not a few being lamentations\nand prayers. (Cycl. of Biblical Literature, Kitto, p 377.)\n\n2. _Authors of the Psalms:_ \"Many of the ancients, both Jews and\nChristians, maintained that all the Psalms were written by David; which\nis one of the most striking proofs of their uncritical judgment. So the\nTalmudists; Augustine, who is never a good critic; and Chrysostom. But\nJerome, as might be expected, held the opinion which now universally\nprevails. The titles and the contents of the Psalms most clearly\nshow that they were composed at different and remote periods, by\nseveral poets, of whom David was only the largest and most eminent\ncontributor.\" (Cycl. of Biblical Literature, Kitto, p. 580.)\n\n3. _Character of the Psalms._ \"The distinguishing feature of the Psalms\nis their devotional character. Whether their matter be didactic,\nhistorical, prophetical, or practical, it is made the ground or subject\nof prayer, or praise, or both. The doctrines of theology and precepts\nof pure morality are here inculcated. God's nature, attributes,\nperfections, and works of creation, providence, and grace, are\nunfolded.\" (Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p. 345.)\n\n4. _Song of Solomon,_ or Canticles, called in Hebrews the Song of Songs\n(i. e. the Song of supreme excellence). Some regard it as a beautiful\nromance in glorification of true love. Tennyson called it \"the most\nperfect Idyll of the faithful love of a country girl for her shepherd,\nand of her resistances to the advances of a great king, that ever was\nwritten.\" Others see in it a parable of singular depth, a revelation\nof the future of the Church to the end of the world.\" (Seventy's Bible\nDictionary, p. 144.)\n\n5. _The Age when Job Lived:_ \"Eusebius fixes it two ages before Moses,\n(i. e., about the time of Isaac): eighteen hundred years before\nChrist, and six hundred after the Deluge.\" (Commentary, critical and\nExplanatory, p. 308.)\n\n6. _Job a Real Person:_ \"It has been supposed by some that the Book of\nJob is an allegory, not a real narrative, on account of the artificial\ncharacter of many of its statements. Thus the sacred numbers, three\nand seven, often occur.. He had seven thousand sheep, seven sons, both\nbefore and after his trials; his three friends sit down with him seven\ndays and seven nights; both before and after his trials; he had three\ndaughters. So also the number and form of the speeches of the several\nspeakers seem to be artificial. The name of Job, too, is derived from\nan Arabic word signifying repentance. But Ezekiel 14:14 (cf. v. 16, 20)\nspeaks of \"Job\" in conjunction with \"Noah and Daniel,\" real persons.\nSt. James (5:11) also refers to Job as an example of \"patience,\" which\nhe would not have been likely to do had Job been only a fictitious\nperson. Also the names of persons and places are specified with a\nparticularity not to be looked for in an allegory.\" (Commentary,\nCritical and Explanatory, p. 308.)\n\n7. _Design of the Book:_ \"It is a public debate in poetic form on\nan important question concerning the divine government; moreover\nthe prologue and epilogue, which are in prose, shed the interest of\na living history over the debate, which would otherwise be but a\ncontest of abstract reasoning. * * * * The question to be solved, as\nexemplified in the case of Job is, Why are the righteous afflicted\nconsistently with God's justice? The doctrine of retribution after\ndeath, no doubt, is the great solution of the difficulty. And to it Job\nplainly refers in chapter 14:14, and chapter 19:25. The objection to\nthis, that the explicitness of the language on the resurrection in Job\nis inconsistent with the obscurity on the subject in the early books of\nthe Old Testament, is answered by the fact that Job enjoyed the divine\nvision (chapter 38:1; 42:5), and therefore, by inspiration, foretold\nthese truths.\" (Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p. 309.)\n\n8. _Proverbs:_ \"The Hebrew title of this book is the 'Mishele,' (i.\ne., the maxims) 'of Solomon,' and it was in early ages, sometimes\nalong with other similar portions of the Bible, often referred to as\n\"Wisdom,\" in one instance specifically defined as the \"wisdom that\nrespects virtuous conduct\"--as summarizing the teachings of wisdom\nin their bearing on the conduct of life. Though ascribed to Solomon,\nthese maxims are obviously not all of his composition, or even his\ncollection, being of very varied authorship, and the vintage of the\nobservation and experience of many wise men at different periods of\nJewish history.\" (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 32.)\n\n9. _Ecclesiastes:_ \"This title, which we receive through the Vulgate,\nis the translation into Greek by the LXX of the Hebrew title\n\"Koheleth,\" a word which is, agreeably to Jewish tradition, rendered\n'preacher,' but meant originally 'gatherer, or summoner together,' and\nmeans here one who, personifying Wisdom (for the word is feminine, as\nthat for wisdom is), gathers men together to listen to her verdict.\"\n\n10. _Authorship and Date of Ecclesiastes:_ \"This book was for long\naccepted as the production of Solomon, written in his old age, and\nintended as a warning to others against sundry delusions of which he\nhad himself been the victim; but it is now, from internal evidence, and\nby almost universal consent, allowed to be the work of one who wrote\nabout the time of Malachi (i. e., about 400 B. C.), though in the name\nof Solomon, and dramatically personifying the famous king.\" (Cambridge\nBible Helps, p. 33.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Sometimes called the Canticles--the \"Song of Songs,\" a superlative\nmeaning--\"the Matchless Song.\"\n\n2. \"Sapiential: \"Marked by or consisting of Sapience--wisdom--profound\nknowledge.\"\n\n3. Gnomic--Expressed in maxims--\"gnomic poetry consists of\nobservations on human life and society or generalizations respecting\nconduct and character.\"\n\n\n\n_PART III._\n\n_A Study of the Christian Scriptures.---The New Testament. (note 1)_\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                       REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Institutional and Historical:_                          Notes 2, 3. Also all the\n        1. The Gospels: (a) The Synoptic                      Bible Dictionaries, Helps\n           Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke;                      and Bible Treasury heretofore\n           (b) The Supplemental Gospel,                       cited in previous\n             John.                                            lessons--Art. \"New Testament,\"\n        2. The Acts of the Apostles.                          \"Bible\"--\"Canon,\"\n                                                              etc.\n  _II. Didactic:_[1]                                          Notes 5, 6, 7, 8.\n         1. The Pauline Epistles, viz: (a)\n            Doctrinal, (Addressed to\n            Churches): Romans, Corinthians,\n            Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,\n            Colossians, Thessalonians, Hebrews:\n            (b) Pastorial, (addressed\n            to individuals): Timothy and Titus.\n         2. Special: Philemon.\n         3. Catholic Epistles (i. e., addressed\n            to the Church at large); one of\n            James, two of Peter, three of\n            John, one of Jude.\n  _III. Prophetic, The Book of Revelation._\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of\ngreat joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day,\nin the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord._--THE ANGEL\n_to the Shepherds_.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The New Testament--Definition:_ \"This is the name given in the\nWestern Church, ever since the days of Tertullian [second century A.\nD.] to the collection of sacred books that were written by certain\ndisciples of Christ at different periods after the planting of the\nChristian Church, and that were afterwards accepted by the Church as\nthe inspired record of the new dispensation of the grace of God to the\nworld. The expression New Testament is the Latin translation of the\nexpression New Covenant.\" (The Comprehensive Teacher's Bible Helps, p.\n57.)\n\n2. _Origin of the New Testament as Scripture:_ \"The institution of\nthe Christian Church was, of course, prior to any record of it. That\ninstitution was founded at first, and for long rested, on the merely\noral testimony of those who had witnessed, or were otherwise assured\nof, the life, death, and rising again of its founder, Jesus the Son of\nGod and Savior of the world (Acts ii: 22 seq.; xiii: 31, 32). Except\nthis oral testimony, as confirmed, moreover, by signs and wonders [and\nthe testimony of the Holy Ghost], the first Christian churches had no\nother evidences of the character and certainty of the events on which\ntheir faith was grounded, unless we add the surprising correspondence\nbetween these events and the predictions of prophecy--which, in point\nof fact, we find to be the chief argument insisted on by the Apostles\nin persuading their countrymen to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the\npromised Messiah. It was only when controversies arose affecting the\nfirst principles of the faith, and misapprehensions and irregularities\nbegan to show themselves in certain sections and quarters of the\nChurch, that it was found necessary to have recourse to a literary\nvehicle in the statement of the facts and doctrines of the gospel.\"\n(Comprehensive Teacher's Bible Helps, p. 57.)\n\n3. _The Gospels._ The Gospel narratives record in writing what had\npreviously been propagated by oral teaching respecting the sayings and\ndoings of Christ; and this history appears to have continued to be so\npropagated till the time when the original ear and eye witnesses were\nbeginning to die out, and some uncertainty to attach to the traditional\noral accounts. * * * * * From all this we are not to conclude that the\nearly Christian Church had no sacred scripture; for they had and read\nthe Old Testament scripture, the authority, as well as the significance\nand importance of which was so enhanced to them by the fulfilment it\nhad received [in part] in the facts of Christianity. (Comprehensive\nTeacher's Bible Helps, p. 57.)\n\n4. _Origin of the New Testament:_ The twenty-seven books collected\nin the New Testament were written by a number of authors, eight at\nleast (nine, in case the Epistle to the Hebrews was not written by\nPaul). For each book there was some special occasion, each had its\ndistinct purpose, and between the writing of the earliest and latest\nparts nearly half a century intervened. The agreement, under these\ncircumstances, is truly wonderful, and the adaptation of a volume, thus\npenned, for all ages and classes is not less so. Nothing will account\nfor such agreement and adaptation save a supernatural element in the\ncomposition; but we are now concerned with the human conditions which\ncalled forth these writings. Christ wrote nothing; but is himself the\nbook of life to be read by all. He is written on the world's history\nand on men's hearts, and furnishes an unending theme of holy thoughts,\ndiscourses, and songs of praise. So, too, the Lord chose none of his\nApostles, Paul excepted, from among the learned; he did not train them\nto literary authorship, nor expressly command them to perform such\nlabor. They were to preach the glad tidings of salvation. Personal\noral teaching was the means used for first propagating the gospel and\nfounding the Church; as it is today the indispensable instrumentality.\nNo book of the New Testament was written until about twenty years\nafter the resurrection of Christ, and more than half a century had\npassed before John wrote the fourth Gospel.\" (International Commentary,\nIntroduction,[2] p. 8.)\n\n5. _The Language in Which the New Testament was Written:_ The New\nTestament was written in Hellenistic Greek, i. e., in that idiom\nof Macedonian Greek spoken by the Jews of the Dispersion (called\nHellenists) at the time of Christ. It has a Greek body, a Hebrew soul,\nand a Christian spirit.\" (International Commentary, Introduction to\nMatthew, p. 9.)\n\n6. _The Character of the New Testament:_ The Apostles all drew their\ndoctrine from personal contact with the divine human history of the\ncrucified and risen Savior, and from the inward illumination of the\nHoly Spirit, revealing the person and work of Christ in them, and\nopening to them his discourses and acts. This divine enlightenment is\ninspiration, governing not only the composition of the sacred writings,\nbut also the oral instructions of their authors; not merely an act,\nbut a permanent state. The Apostles lived and moved continually in\nthe element of truth. They spoke, wrote, and acted from the Spirit\nof truth; and this, not as passive instruments, but as conscious and\nfree agents. For the Holy Spirit does not supercede the gifts and\npeculiarities of nature, ordained by the Lord; it sanctifies them to\nthe service of the kingdom of God. * * * * * While the New Testament\nforms one harmonious whole, it was written by different men, inspired\nindeed, and yet free and conscious agents. The peculiar character,\neducation, and sphere of the several writers, therefore, necessarily\nshow themselves in their writings.\" (International Commentary and\nIntroduction, p. 9.)\n\n7. _The Chronological Order of the Books:_ This cannot be determined\nwith absolute certainty, as no dates are given in the books\nthemselves. Some of the Epistles of Paul, especially that to the\nRomans, contain indications and allusions which enable us to assign\nthem to a particular year. The Epistle of James, and the Epistles to\nthe Thessalonians were probably writen first, the writings of John\nlast. The three Synoptic Gospels must have been composed before the\ndestruction of Jerusalem (A. D. 70), which by them is predicted as a\nfuture event. The Acts were written after 63, yet before the death of\nPaul, (which is supposed to have occurred 68 A. D.), as they suddenly\nclose with his imprisonment in Rome.\" (Ibid, pp. 10, 11.)\n\n8. _Unity of the New Testament:_ The New Testament is a collection of\ntwenty-seven distinct writings, from eight (or nine) different hands.\nOf these writers, four were Apostles--St. Matthew, St. John, St. Paul,\nand St. Peter; two were companions of the Apostles--St. Mark and St.\nLuke; two were our Lord's brothers, probably not Apostles--St. James\nand St. Jude. The books are usually classed as Historical (five),\nDidactic (twenty-one), Prophetical (one), though the writings of the\nfirst class include much more than one-half of the entire matter. The\nunity of the whole is remarkable; all the books find their center in\nJesus Christ our Lord. The four Gospels narrate his life on earth;\nthe fifth historical book tells how the new life, that came from Him\nthrough the Holy Spirit, passed from Jerusalem to Rome. The epistles,\nwritten by men of varied personal character and temperament, set forth\nthe significance of the gospel facts, as revealed to them, according\nto our Lord's promise (John xvi: 12, 13). The single prophetical book,\nhowever it is to be interpreted, shows the Lamb as King, to become\nVictor on earth, where his church is preparing through conflict to\nshare his triumph. (Bible Treasury, p 123.)\n\n9. _Order:_ In our English Bible the order is not chronological. In\nancient manuscripts there was much variation in position; the seven\nGeneral Epistles were usually placed immediately after Acts, the\nGospels coming first, though not always in the order now universal. The\nPauline Epistles seem to have been arranged according to length, so\nthat the earliest and the latest stand together, viz., I and II Thes.\nwith I and II Timothy, and Titus.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 123.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. \"Pertaining to or of the nature of teaching; intended to instruct or\nedify.\" (Dictionary.)\n\n2. The above and some of the following notes of this lesson are taken\nfrom the \"International Revision Commentary,\" on the New Testament. The\ncomments are based upon the revised version of the New Testament of\n1881 by English and American scholars. The International Commentaries\nwere considered necessary, owing to the Anglo-American revision of\nthe New Testament. For this revision it is claimed that it is based\nupon a much older and purer text, and corrects several thousand\nerrors and inaccuracies which mar the excellence of the version of\n1611. It also claims to put \"the English reader as nearly as possible\ninto the position of the student of the Greek Testament.\" We shall\nhave occasion now and then to quote this work, and it will always be\ndone under the title, \"International Commentary,\" and must not be\nconfounded with the \"Commentary, Critical and Explanatory,\" by Messrs.\nJamieson-Faussett-Brown, already frequently quoted, and still to be\nquoted in subsequent lessons.\n\n\n\nLESSON II.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                               REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Gospel According to St. Matthew:_           Notes 1, 2, 3.\n        1. Author.\n        2. Date.\n        3. The Language and Aim of the                Notes 4, 5, 6.\n           Book.\n  _II. The Gospel According to St. Mark._             All the Bible Helps,\n         1. Author.                                   Dictionaries, Encyclopedias,\n         2. Date.                                     Biblical Literature,\n         3. Purpose and style of the Book.            Bible Treasuries,\n                                                      Commentaries, etc., before\n                                                      cited may be consulted\n                                                      under the title of\n                                                      the books of this lesson.\n  _III. The Gospel According to St. Luke._            Notes 7, 8, 9.\n          1. Author.                                  Notes 10, 11, 12.\n          2. Date.\n          3. Purpose and style.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: After these things the Lord appointed other Seventy\nalso, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and\nplace, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, the\nharvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore\nthe Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his\nharvest.\"_--ST. LUKE.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Name \"Gospels\" Defined:_ \"The word \"gospel\" (God's spell,\ngood spell, or story, message) is the nearest English equivalent for\nthe Greek 'evangelion,' and means 'good news,' 'glad tidings' of\nsalvation by Jesus Christ. It is also applied to the four books of the\nNew Testament, which contain the fourfold authentic record of the one\ngospel of Christ, _according_ to Matthew Mark, Luke, John (not the\nGospel _of_ Matthew, etc.).\" (International Commentary, Intro. 12.)\n\n2. _Character and Aim of the Gospels:_ \"The canonical Gospels do not\nassume to be full biographies of Jesus, but give only a selection of\nthe characteristic features of his life and work, for the practical\npurpose of leading the reader to a saving faith in Jesus as the\npromised Messiah and Son of God (John xx: 31). They are not photographs\nwhich represent the momentary image in a single attitude, but living\npictures from repeated sittings, which represent a combination of the\nvaried expressions and aspects of Christ's person.\" (International\nCommentary, Intro. p. 12.)\n\n3. _St. Matthew:_ \"Matthew (or Levi; see Mark ii: 14; Luke v: 27,\n29) was a publican, or tax-gatherer, called by our Lord from the\ntoll-booth, near the Sea of Galilee, where he was performing his\nsecular duty (Matt. ix: 9-13). The name is derived from the same word\nas Matthias (Acts i: 23, 26), or Theodore, meaning \"gift of God.\" It\nwas probably adopted as his new Christian name (which Jesus was wont to\ngive his disciples. See Simon Peter-Cephas, etc.). His former avocation\nwas regarded by the Jews with contempt, but gave him an extensive\nknowledge of human nature and accurate business habits, which tended to\nfit him for his great work as an evangelist. The topical arrangement\nof his gospel may be largely due to the influence of his previous\noccupation. The New Testament is silent in regard to his special\nlabors. Tradition says he was murdered in Ethiopia, while at prayer;\nbut according to the earlier statement of Clement of Alexandria, he\ndied a natural death. The first Gospel is his immortal monument. If he\nhad done nothing else, he must be ranked among the most useful servants\nof Christ. In this book he still preaches the gospel to all nations.\n(xxviii: 19.)\" (International Commentary, Intro., pp. 15, 16.)\n\n4. _Time of Writing the Book of Matthew:_ \"From the Gospel itself it is\nplain that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, but a\nnumber of years after the resurrection (xxvii: 7; xxviii: 15). Irenaeus\nsays it was written, 'when Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome,'\nwhich was certainly after 61 A. D.; though most of the fathers think\nit was the first one written. The very early date often assigned (45\nA. D.) may be correct if applied to an Aramaic original; but the Greek\nGospel, which we have should probably be assigned to a later date,\nsince, on the theory that the Synoptic Gospels are independent of each\nother, this one could not have preceded by many years the two others.\nAll were probably written between 60 and 64 A. D., and that of St.\nMatthew may have been written about 60 A. D.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 124.)\n\n5. _The Language of the Original Text Book of Matthew:_ There is some\ncontroversy as to the language in which Matthew first wrote his book.\nThe status of the controversy is well stated in the following quotation:\n\n\"Papias and Irenaeus, both of whom lived in the second century, state\nthat Matthew wrote in the Hebrew dialect (Aramaic). The former uses\nthe word 'logia,' or oracles, which was certainly used of writings\ncontaining more than discourses, and applied very early to books of\nScripture. But the earliest citations from the Gospels, some of them\nin works of the earlier half of the second century, give the exact\nwords of the Greek Gospel we now have. No certain traces of a previous\nAramaic Gospel have been discovered, nor does the Greek Gospel show\nany marks of being a translation. It is therefore probable either that\nthere was no Aramaic original, or that it was superseded very soon by a\nGreek narrative which the Apostle made, or caused to be made. As Greek\nwas extensively spoken in Palestine, and a publican would necessarily\nbe familiar with that language, a Greek original is not improbable.\nAt all events, we now have a well-attested Greek Gospel; and we are\nnot likely to discover in it, or anterior to it, traces of an Aramaic\noriginal written by St. Matthew.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 124.)\n\n6. _Apparent Aim of Matthew:_ \"The aim of this Gospel is to show that\nthe Messiah promised in the Old Testament has appeared in Jesus of\nNazareth--in a form, however, which led to his rejection by the Jews\nand their consequent rejection by him, to the eventual emancipation\nand salvation of the Gentile nations (chap. xxviii: 19, 20). It is the\nauthor's justification, as it was that of the Apostles generally, for\nmissionary work among the heathen to the neglect of his own countrymen,\nwho had spurned his message.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 60.)\n\n7. _St. Mark and His Book:_ \"The author of this Gospel is the John Mark\nspoken of in the Acts, and who accompanied first Paul and then Barnabas\nin their missionary journeys among the Gentiles (Acts xii: 12 et seq.,\nxiii. 5). He was the son of Mary, Barnabas' sister, apparently a woman\nof some standing, and of high repute among those that ministered to\nChrist, and at whose house in Jerusalem the Apostles used frequently to\nassemble after the death and resurrection of their Master. He appears,\nfrom I Peter v: 13, to have been a convert or spiritual child of St.\nPeter, who there calls him Mark, my son; and tradition alleges, with\ngreat probability, that the material for his Gospel was furnished him\nby that Apostle. His Gospel is certainly written from the standpoint of\nthe Apostle who most clearly recognized the divinity of Christ (Matt.\nxvi: 16); and it is an expanded narrative of the facts in Christ's life\nemphasized in Peter's own preaching, e. g., in his speech at the house\nof Cornelius at Caesarea (Acts x: 36-41). According to ecclesiastical\ntradition Mark went as a missionary to Egypt and other parts of Africa,\nwhere he suffered martyrdom for Christ in 62 or 66 A. D.\"\n\n8. _Date of St. Mark:_ \"The Gospel was, according to Iraneaus, composed\nby Mark after the death of Peter and Paul. It was probably written\nafter the year 62, when Mary appears only as a relative of Barnabas\n(see Col. iv: 10), and before the destruction of Jerusalem, and is\nalleged to have been written in Rome. The language, however, in which\nit was written was Greek, and not Latin, as some have supposed.\"\n(Bagster Bible Helps, p. 61.)\n\n9. _Literary Character of St. Mark:_ \"The presence in this Gospel\nof Latin terms and also of Aramaic words, which are translated into\nGreek, points to a Gentile circle of readers, probably in Rome, as\nis generally held. It exhibits Christ in his power, as a worker of\nmiracles, producing amazement and fear.. The discourses are reported\nvery briefly; events are noted in their exact sequence; many vivid\ndetails of gesture and action are introduced. All these peculiarities\nsuggest that an eye-witness was the source of information. From the\ndays of Papias it has been believed that St. Peter was this source,\nand internal phenomena favor this view. No direct supervision by that\nApostle can be affirmed, though Eusebius asserts, on the authority\nof Clement of Alexandria, that it was submitted to him for approval.\nThis Gospel contains few passages (two miracles, one parable, and\nthe story of the young man near Gethsemane) peculiar to itself, but\nmany details are mentioned which are not found elsewhere. Our Lord's\ngestures are noted; prominence is given to his power over evil spirits;\nthe withdrawals are more frequently indicated. The style is vivacious;\nthe present tense is often used in narrative; the word \"straight way\"\n(variously rendered in the authorized version) occurs more than forty\ntimes. This Gospel could not have been an abridgement of that of St.\nMatthew, since it bears all the marks of originality.\" (Bible Treasury,\np. 125.)\n\n10. _Book of St. Luke:_ \"Luke was probably of Gentile extraction (Col.\niv: 10-14), born at Antioch, and a faithful colleague of Paul. His\nsuperior education is proved by the philological excellence of his\nwritings (viz. the Gospel and Acts of Apostles, which are but two\nvolumes of one work). His preface, in pure Greek, implies previous\ncareful study of documentary and other evidence. He speaks of 'other\nattempts' to write a Life of Christ, which were unsatisfactory. Though\nit is the same Gospel, it is narrated with peculiar independence,\ncontaining additional matter, more accuracy in preserving the\nchronological order of events, and complying with the requirements of\nhistory. He tested tradition by documentary records (e. g., i: 5; ii:\n2; iii: 1); by comparing the oral testimony of living witnesses (i:\n2, 3); and only when he had 'perfect understanding of all things from\nthe very first,' ventured to compile a 'Life of Christ' as a perfect\nman, restoring human nature, and offering himself a sacrifice for all\nmankind.\" (Oxford Helps, p. 26.)\n\n11. _Date of St. Luke:_ \"Luke's Gospel can be proved to have been in\nuse and familiarly known about 120 A. D., and to have been written\nprior to the year 63 A. D., since it is at that date that the Acts,\nwhich continues the Gospel narrative by the same author, closes. It is\nnot known where it was written, though the Acts was probably written at\nRome.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 62.)\n\n12. _Purpose and Literary Style:_ \"Luke's Gospel is written, in the\nfirst instance, to confirm the faith of Theophilus, a native, it is\nthought, of Italy, and probably of Rome, and a man of some social\nposition, in whose spiritual edification and Christian steadfastness,\nas in all likelihood a convert of his own, he took especial interest;\nand its aim is to represent the Gospel of Christ as destined to bless\nall mankind, and Jesus as the Savior at once of Jew and Gentile. The\nliterary style is better than that of the other Gospels, as befits the\nwriting of an educated, professional man. This Gospel and the Acts of\nthe Apostles approach more nearly to the 'classic' Greek than the other\nNew Testament narratives.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 63.)\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                        REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Gospel According to St. John._                       Notes 1, 2 and 3.\n        1. The Author.\n        2. Time of Writing.\n        3. Style and Purpose.                                  All Bible Dictionaries,\n                                                               Helps, etc., previously\n                                                               cited have articles on\n                                                               St. John and the Acts,\n  _II. The Acts of the Apostles._                              which should be consulted.\n         1. Authorship.\n         2. The Historical Period Covered by                   Notes 6, 7.\n            Its Narrative.                                     See especially Seventy's\n                                                               Acts of the Apostles.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with\nGod, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All\nthings were made by him; and without him was not any thing made, that\nwas made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the\nlight shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. * * *\n* And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his\nglory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace\nand truth.\"_--JOHN.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Authorship of the Gospel of St. John:_ \"It is the almost unanimous\ntradition of the church that the Apostle John wrote this Gospel.\nOur earliest authorities for the fact are Theophilus of Antioch (A.\nD. 175), Irenaeus (A. D. 130-200), the Muratorian Fragment (A. D.\n170-180), and Clement of Alexandria (A. D. 160-220). The accounts\nof these writers differ slightly from each other; but all agree in\ndistinctly attributing our present Gospel to John; while the fourth,\nwho is clearly independent of the other three, draws a remarkable\ndistinction between it and the earlier Gospels, the later being spoken\nof as containing 'the bodily things,' the former as 'a spiritual\nGospel.'\" (International Commentary, Intro., p. xiv.)\n\n2. _The Apostle St. John:_ This Apostle was the son of Zebedee and\nSalome, and younger, as there seems every reason to think, than his\nbrother James. Of Zebedee we know little. He was a fisherman upon the\nSea of Galilee, who pursued his occupation in common with his sons,\nand who continued it even after they had obeyed the summons of their\nLord to follow him (Matt. iv: 21). Of Salome we fortunately know more.\nFrom John xix: 25, it would seem probable that she was a sister of the\nVirgin Mary. (International Commentary, p. 8.)\n\n\"It is probable that he (John) was born at Bethsaida, on the lake of\nGalilee. His parents appear to have been in easy circumstances; at\nleast, we find that Zebedee employed hired servants (Mark i: 20), and\nthat Salome was among the number of those women who contributed to the\nmaintenance of Jesus (Matt. xxvii: 56). We also find that John received\nMary into his house after the death of Jesus. Since this house seems to\nhave been situated at Jerusalem it would appear that he was the owner\nof two houses. John's acquaintance, also, with the high priest (xviii:\n15) seems to indicate that he lived at Jerusalem, and belonged to the\nwealthier class.\" (Cycl. of Biblical Literature, Kitto, pp. 130, 131.)\n\n3. _The Pre-Ordained Mission of St. John:_ Of all the Apostles St. John\nis the most interesting to the Latter-day Saints, and this because of\nthe light that is thrown upon his career and character by the Book\nof Mormon. In the great vision that was granted to the first Nephi\nconcerning the birth, life and mission of Jesus, he comes to the point\nwhere he beheld a man dressed in a white robe:\n\n    \"And the angel said unto me, Behold one of the Twelve Apostles of\n    the Lamb! Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these\n    things; yea, and also many things which have been; and he shall\n    also write concerning the end of the world; wherefore the things\n    which he shall write, are just and true; and behold they are\n    written in the book which thou beheld [in previous part of vision]\n    proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; * * * * * And behold,\n    the things which this Apostle of the Lamb shall write, are many\n    things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou\n    see; but the things which thou shalt see hereafter, thou shalt\n    not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the Apostle of the Lamb\n    of God, that he should write them. * * * * * And I, Nephi, heard\n    and bear record, that the name of the Apostle of the Lamb was\n    John, according to the word of the angel. And behold, I, Nephi, am\n    forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I\n    saw and heard.\" (I Nephi xiv.)\n\nFrom the above, it appears that John, the beloved disciple, was\nforeordained to write the things we have in the Jewish Scripture from\nhis pen. And so jealously guarded was the mission assigned to him in\nhis pre-existent state, that a man living upon another continent and\nsix centuries before John's time, was not permitted to trespass upon\nthat divine appointment. And when the peculiar importance of the Gospel\naccording to St. John is taken into account; how that Gospel more\nspecifically than any of the others that have been written, testifies\nnot only to the divinity of Jesus, but to the deeper fact that he is\nDeity in his own right and person; and how that same Gospel supplies so\nmuch in its account of the earth career of the Messiah that was omitted\nby the other evangelists, it must be conceded that the character of\nJohn's work bears out the idea of a specific appointment which the Book\nof Mormon declares was given to him before he was born in the flesh.\n\n4. _Date and Style of St. John:_ This Gospel would appear to have been\nwritten at Ephesus, at the instance, Jerome alleges, of the bishops of\nthe Asiatic churches, with a view to confirm the faith of the Church\nin the divinity of Christ, of which he was the special witness. Its\ndate must be long after the writing of the other Gospels and towards\nthe end of the first century. It is one of the latest books of the New\nTestament--much later than the 'Revelation.' On this calculation, it\nmust have been composed after the destruction of Jerusalem.\" (Bagster\nBible Helps, p. 64.)\n\n\"The time and place of writing was at Ephesus, as is generally held,\nnot long before the death of the Apostle, and probably at the request\nof Christians in that city, Ch. xxi: 24 ('And we know that this\ntestimony is true') suggests that others desired to attest the truth\nof the record as coming from the Apostle. This late date, nearly a\ngeneration after the writing of the other Gospels, shows that the\nleading facts about Jesus were already known to Christians. This\nGospel is therefore, in a certain sense, supplementary; but there is\nno evidence that it was intended to supply omissions in the other\nnarratives. The design is stated in the book itself, and the many\nevents and discourses found only in this Gospel are in accordance with\nit.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 129).\n\n5. _The Purpose of John's Gospel:_ Contradictory opinions obtain\nconcerning the purpose for which the Apostle John wrote his account of\nthe gospel. Eusebius quotes Clement of Alexandria as saying that John,\nperceiving that the bodily influence of Jesus had been made known in\nthe Gospels, (i. e., supposedly Matthew, Mark and Luke), and being\nat the same time urged by his friends and borne along by the spirit,\nwrote a spiritual Gospel (third century). A still earlier authority,\nthe unknown author of the so-called Muratorian Fragment (See Apostolic\nFathers, Rev. George A. Jackson, p. 186), which most scholars agree\nbelongs to the second century and probably not later than A. D. 170, so\nfar agrees with the idea that John's Gospel was intended to supplement\nthe other Gospels as to say, that when John's fellow-disciples and\nbishops exhorted him to write, he said: \"Fast along with me three days\nfrom today, and let us relate the one to the other whatever has been\nrevealed to us. The same night it was revealed to Andrew, the Apostle,\nthat \"John should in his own name, write down the whole, and that they\nall should revise\" what he wrote. Another contention is, and this is\nbased on the authority of Irenaeus (third century) that John wrote to\ncontrovert the errors of the Nicholaitanes and Cerinthus, in other\nwords, that \"his aim was not so much supplementary as polemical.\" In\nthe midst of the conflicting theories it is just as well that we accept\nthe simple and straight-forward statement of St. John himself in the\nlast chapter but one of his famous Gospel as to the purpose for which\nhe wrote his Gospel, namely, \"And many other signs truly did Jesus in\nthe presence of his disciples which are not written in this book; but\nthese are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the\nSon of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.\"\n\n6. _The Acts of the Apostles:_ \"The Acts of the Apostles is an account\nof the conflicts and conquests of Christianity from the ascension of\nour Lord to the imprisonment of Paul in the city of Rome (33-63 A. D.)\nIt is the earliest manual of Church History, and the only one treating\nof the age of the Apostles which has come down to us from the first\ncentury. Its loss would leave a wide chasm between the Gospels and the\nEpistles, and involve the student in great ignorance of the progress\nof events in the history of the Church during the period intervening\nbetween the close of our Lord's earthly activity and the destruction of\nJerusalem (70 A. D.), which the direct statements and the implications\nof the Epistles of the New Testament and the Apocalypse would only\npartially illumine. He, in this case, would know nothing of the\noutpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the testimony\nand death of Stephen, the conversion of Cornelius, the miraculous\nmanifestation making Saul a Christian, or the stages in the advance of\nthe Church from Jerusalem to Rome and other occurrences hardly less\nimportant.\" (Acts of the Apostles, Intro., p. ix.)\n\n7. _Authorship of the Acts:_ \"This book, according to internal and\nexternal evidence, was writen by Luke, and forms the sequel to\nhis Gospel. It is the history of the foundation and spread of the\nChristian Church--the former under Peter (i-xii), the latter under Paul\n(vii-xxviii). It was founded on the Day of Pentecost; its first sons\nwere Jews (hence it appeared only a Jewish sect in Judea), and the\nformer part of the book is occupied with its establishment there, with\narguments in its favor, and with challenges to disprove the fundamental\nfact of Christ's resurrection. Its first development into an organized\ncommunity, with official staff, provoked the first persecution and\nmartyrdom, which precipitated its extension to Samaria and Syria,\ncaused a new and more independent center of operations to be planted at\nAntioch, whence under Paul (the first converted persecutor) it spread\nto Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, and various parts of the Gentile world.\nThe motive influence was the direct impulse of the Holy Spirit, not any\npreconceived plan of the Apostolic body (ii: 4; xv: 6, 7, 9).\" (Oxford\nBible Helps, p. 26.)\n\n_The Completeness of the Four Gospels:_ Much is made of the differences\nbetween John and the first three Gospels, not only as to the facts\nrelated, but also with reference to the style of Jesus' addresses. But\nthe difficulty disappears when we remember that Matthew, Mark, and\nLuke present the scenes of Christ's Galilean ministry among the rude\npeasantry who were less acquainted with the law than their southern\nbrethren, and who needed simple and direct teaching; on the other hand,\nJohn sets forth mainly Christ's Judean ministry among those who were\nconversant with the law and were accustomed to elaborate discussions.\nThe ministry of one year implied by the Synoptists, considered by\nthemselves, does not exclude the three years' ministry which is derived\nfrom John's Gospel, for the four taken together supplement each other.\n(Date of Our Gospels, p. 35-6.)\n\n\n\nLESSON IV.\n\nSPECIAL LESSON.\n\n_THE PECULIAR FORCE OF MORAL DUTIES WHEN REGARDED AS COMMANDMENTS OF\nGOD._[1]\n\n_Illustrations:_\n\n(a) Observance of the \"Lord's Day.\"\n\n(b) Honor thy Father and thy mother.\n\n(c) Thou shalt not bear false witness.\n\n(d) Thou shalt not steal.\n\n(e) Thou shalt not covet.\n\n(f) \"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all\nthy soul, and with all thy mind. * * * Thou shalt love thy neighbor as\nthyself.\"\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear\nGod and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.\"_\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Suggestions in the Formation of a Lecture:_ In a previous lesson on\nlectures, I made some suggestions in relation to the construction of\na lecture (Lesson XI, Part II), quoting from a little work by William\nPittenger on \"Extempore Speech,\" calling attention to the simple\nframework of a lecture, consisting of, 1. _The Introduction;_; 2. _The\nDiscussion_; 3. _The Conclusion_. I now give from the same work an\nexample in outline of such a speech.\n\n\"Subject--The Ocean.\n\n\"1. _Introduction_--The vastness of the ocean. No one person has seen\nmore than a small part of it. Power evidenced by storm and shipwrecks.\n\n\"2. _Discussion_.--Five great divisions of the ocean. Use in nature,\nwatering and tempering the land; in commerce, as a highway; in history,\nby dividing and uniting nations; its mystery, etc.\n\n\"3. _Conclusion_.--Proof of the Creator's power and wisdom found in the\nocean.\n\n\"THE SAME PLAN CONDENSED.\n\n\"Subject--The Ocean.\n\n\"1. _Vastness and Power_.\n\n\"2. _Parts, Use, and Mystery_.\n\n\"3. _Evidence_.\n\n\"DEAN SWIFT'S SERMON.\n\n\"(Illustrating above plan.)\n\n\"This eccentric clergyman once preached a sermon shorter than its own\ntext, yet having all the three parts of which we have spoken. The text\nwas Prov. xix: 20: \"'He that pitieth the poor lendeth to the Lord; and\nthat which he hath given will he pay him again.'\n\n\"The sermon was:\n\n\"'Brethren, you hear the condition; if you like the security, down with\nthe dust.'\n\n\"The collection is said to have been munificent.\n\n\"In this short sermon the text with the word 'Brethren' constitutes\nthe introduction; the phrase, 'you hear the condition,' is a good\ntransition to the discussion contained in the next member, 'if you\nlike the security,' which assumes the truth of the text, makes its\ngeneral declarations present and personal, and prepares the way for the\nforcible and practical, if not very elegant conclusion, 'down with the\ndust.'\" (Extempore Speech, pp. 53, 54.)\n\n_Extempore Speech:_ Extempore speech does not lose its special\ncharacter, though some scattered quotations be read or repeated from\nmemory. To pick up a book, in the midst of a speech, and read a theme\nor argument, or the statement of another's position, does not make the\ndiscourse composite in character, unless such reading be the principal\npart of it. * * * * Unwritten speech does not preclude the fullest\npreparation. The plans advocated in this volume will enable a speaker\nto gather materials as widely, arrange them as systematically, and hold\nthem as firmly in hand, as if every word was written; while at the\nsame time he may have all the freedom and play of thought, the rush of\npassion, and the energy of delivery that comes in the happiest moment\nof outgushing words. (Extempore Speech, Pittenger, p. 25-6.)\n\n_Preparation for Extempore Speech:_ On all ordinary occasions a good\nspeech must result from a previous ingathering of materials--the\nformation of a mental treasury in connection with a special subject.\nThe speaker works for days or weeks in collecting from all sources and\narranging in the happiest manner that which his hearers are to receive\nin an hour with no other labor than that of listening. The great\nadvantage of writing is supposed to lie in this preparation. Today an\norator may write everything he knows about a subject; tomorrow, by\nmeans of reading, conversation, or further thought, he may have more\nideas to record; and he may thus continue to widen and record his\nknowledge, until his time, or the subject itself, is exhausted. Then\nhe may revise, select what is most appropriate, refine and polish his\nlanguage, and finally come before an audience confident that he holds\nin his hand the very best that he can give them. (Extempore Speech,\nPittenger, pp. 27-8.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. _Note to Teacher_.--It would be well for the sake of giving variety\nto our exercises, as also for the excellence of the exercise itself,\nto make no assignments of the sub-divisions of the subject of these\nspecial lessons to individual members, but let it be a subject for\ngeneral consideration by all the quorum during the week preceding its\ntreatment in the class; and then call upon the members to speak to\nthe subject without previous warning or notification. In a word, let\nit be an exercise in extemporaneous speaking. (See suggestions in the\n_Introduction._)\n\n\n\nLESSON V.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                    REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Epistles of Paul,--General                        Notes 1 and 2.\n          Grouping._[1]\n        1. Doctrinal, Addressed to Churches.                All Bible Dictionaries\n        2. Pastoral, Addressed to Individuals.              and Helps before quoted,\n                                                            Art. \"Pauline\" Epistles.\n                                                            Coneybeare and Howson's\n                                                            Life and Epistles\n                                                            of St. Paul.\n        3. Special, Addressed to Philemon.                  Notes 3, 4, 5, 6.\n  _II. General Character of the Epistles._\n         1. The Author.                                     Students required to\n         2. General Purpose.                                read the whole of the\n         3. Form and Literary Style.                        Epistles to the Romans.\n  _III. Doctrinal Epistles--Romans._\n          1. When and Where Written.                        Notes 7, 8, 9, 10.\n          2. Outline of Its Purpose and Doctrine.\n          3. Select Readings from Romans.                   Reading, State of the\n                                                            Pagan World; Chap. i: 13-32\n                                                            and Chap. ii: 1-13.\n                                                            (The passage should be\n                                                            read without noting\n                                                            chapter division.)\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Whatsoever things were written afore time were\nwritten for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the\nscripture, might have hope.\"_--PAUL.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Chronological Order:_ The arrangement of the Epistles as found\nin our Bibles and as followed in these lessons, is not one of\nchronological order. As far as the chronological order can be followed\nat all, it is generally conceded to be about as follows:\n\n    1. I and II Thessalonians, A. D. 50, 51.\n\n    2. I and II Cor., Gal., Rom., A. D. 55, 56.\n\n    3. Phil., Col., Eph., Philemon, A. D. 60, 61.\n\n    4. 1 and 2 Tim., Titus, A. D. 64, 65.\n\nAs implied above, there is some variation in these dates among\nauthorities on the Epistles.\n\n2. _The Epistles of St. Paul:_ \"St. Paul contrived, in a remarkable\ndegree, to maintain a connection with the churches he founded. The\ncare of all the Gentile churches (II Cor. xi: 28) he exercised not\nmerely by occasional revisiting them, but by letter. Of the letters\nthus produced we possess thirteen. The originals have indeed naturally\ndisappeared; they were written by amanuenses, and authenticated by the\naddition of a paragraph in St. Paul's own writing (Gal. vi: 11), or\nby his signature (II Thes. iii: 17). With the exception of the three\npastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus, which are still questioned by\nsome critics, the epistles ascribed to St. Paul in our New Testament\nare generally and justly received as his. These thirteen epistles all\nbelong to the later half of St. Paul's ministry. The first eighteen\nyears after his conversion give us not one epistle. In the year 52\nor 53 A. D. the two epistles to the Thessalonians were written. Then\nfollows another blank period till 58, when, within the space of one\nyear, the four great epistles to the Corinthians, Galations, and Romans\nwere produced. Again there occurs an interval of five years till 63,\nwhen the four 'Prison Epistles' appeared; and finally, yet another gap,\nuntil 66-68 A. D., when he sent the pastoral letters to Timothy and\nTitus. In the character of these groups there is a marked difference,\nwhile within each group the epistles belonging to it resemble one\nanother. In the earliest group there is a reflection of St. Paul's\npreaching to the heathen, in which the second coming and the kingdom of\nChrist are in the foreground. The second group exhibits the doctrines\nof grace in conflict with Judaism, and also shows us in detail the\ndifficulties Christianity had to overcome in the social ideas and\ncustoms of the Roman world. The third group is characterized by a\ncalmer spirit, a higher reach of Christian thought, more constructive\nstatements regarding Christ's person. In the fourth group we have\nchiefly instructions regarding church order, interspersed with passages\nof remarkable beauty and richness.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 135).\n\n3. _The Pastoral Epistles:_ The Epistle to Timothy and Titus are called\npastoral because they give directions for the training and governing\nof the churches, the proper treatment of individual members, old and\nyoung, official and unofficial, back-sliders and heretics. They treat\nof practical wisdom, warning and encouragement, rather than of doctrine.\n\n4. _Their Author:_ \"Paul, originally called Saul, was born in Tarsus,\nthe capital of Cilicia, of parents who were Jews, apparently of a\nstrict type, but he had the rights of Roman citizenship. He was sent\nwhen young to Jerusalem, where he studied at the feet of a great Jewish\ndoctor, Gamaliel, and wrought at the trade of a tent-maker. Here he\nbecame zealous for the law, and distinguished himself by his enmity\nagainst those Jews who had apostatized from the faith of their fathers.\nHe went about persecuting the Christians everywhere, and dragging\nthem before the Sanhedrim, that they might be put to death, till, on\nthe road near Damascus, whither he was bound, under commission from\nthe Sanhedrim, in the work of persecution, he was arrested in his\ncourse, and suddenly converted, by an apparition of the glorified Christ\nhimself, into a disciple and preacher of the faith he had been seeking\nto crush.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 69.)\n\n5. _The General Purport of the Epistles:_ The general purport of these\nepistles is to teach that salvation is not possible by the works of\nthe law, but is the free gift of God by and in Jesus Christ; and that\nevery man, Jew as well as Gentile, is equally in need, as he is equally\ncapable of this salvation, which is represented as experienced by faith\nin Christ crucified leading to death with Christ, rising again with\nChrist, and living with Christ in the inner life. This is the burden\nof the epistles as it is the sum of Paul's gospel, and it is the exact\nopposite of the Pharisaic creed in which he had been brought up; his\nantagonism to that creed now not only enabled him to define better the\ncharacter of the new faith, but to become the apostle of it to all\nnations as a religion deriving its inspiration direct from Christ, and\nalone adequate to the exigency of Jew and Gentile alike, seeing 'all\nhad sinned and come short of the glory of God.'\" (Bagster Bible Helps,\np. 69.)\n\n6. _The Style of the Epistles:_ The style of these letters shows a man\nof an eager and impetuous temper, who, on that account, as well as\nthrough the fulness of his matter, is impatient of dialectic restraint.\nThe theme is a pressing one, and the writer is to intent to gain his\nend to study his steps. In his hurry to carry his thought forward he\nsometimes forgets what he has been saying, and passes on to another\npoint, more urgent perhaps, leaving the original sentence unfinished;\nwhile in his eagerness to express himself he is often careless of the\ncoherence of his thought. [May it not be that the defect here pointed\nout can be accounted for by some of the passages being lost?] He has\nno time to adjust himself to any formulae: he must make his way at any\nexpense. All forms are alike to him, and he will use any or use none,\nif only he can thereby gain his point.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 69.)\n\n7. _Date of the Epistle to the Romans:_ Although this epistle stands\nfirst among the Pauline letters, this position has been accorded to it,\nnot because it is the earliest in point of time, but partly owing to\nits doctrinal importance, and mainly on account of its being addressed\nto the metropolis of the world. Its probable date is the early spring\nof the year 58 A. D.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)\n\n8. _Its Purpose:_ St. Paul's primary purpose in writing to the Romans\nwas to explain why during the many years of his missionary journeyings\nhe had never yet reached Rome, and to pave the way for his intended\nvisit. He had many friends among the Christians of Rome (ch. 16),\nand it is likely that in a friendly way they had been chiding him\nwith attending so much to others, and so little to them. He assures\nthem that this was due to no oblivion of the claims of Rome, nor to\nany intentional neglect on his part. On the contrary, he, himself a\nRoman citizen, had intensely felt the attraction of Rome, and had\n'oftentimes' (i: 13) proposed to visit it, and had only been hindered\nby work from which he could not escape.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)\n\n9. _The Gospel According to St. Paul Expounded in Romans:_ \"St. Paul\ntakes the opportunity of presenting an exposition of his 'gospel'\nmore systematic than we have in any other of his letters. Why, if he\nexpected so soon to see his friends in Rome? Possibly because it was\nsaid that he shrank from bringing his bare and simple gospel into the\ntrying light of the metropolis. It is not this, he says, that hinders\nhim from coming to Rome. 'I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.'\n(i: 16). And having good reason to know the precariousness of life,\nand the delays which may hinder and retard the best intentions, he\nat once proceeds to give the main outline of his habitual teaching.\nIt was natural that, while proposing greatly to extend his mission,\nhe should wish to make clear to the church of the imperial city, the\ncenter of the Gentile world, what his gospel was, and that it was\napplicable to Gentiles as well as to Jews, to metropolitans as well as\nto provincials. The letter is a justification of his mission to the\nGentiles.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)\n\n10. _The Church at Rome:_ \"The name of the original founder of\nthe Roman Church has not been preserved to us by history, nor\neven celebrated by tradition. This is a remarkable fact, when we\nconsider how soon the Church of Rome attained great eminence in the\nChristian world, both from its numbers, and from the influence of its\nmetropolitan rank. Had any of the Apostles laid its first foundation,\nthe fact could scarcely fail to have been recorded. It is, therefore,\nprobable that it was formed, in the first instance, of private\nChristians converted in Palestine, who had come from the eastern parts\nof the Empire to reside at Rome, or who had brought back Christianity\nwith them, from some of their periodical visits to Jerusalem, as the\n'Strangers of Rome,' from the great Pentecost. Indeed, among the\nimmense multitudes whom political and commercial reasons constantly\nattracted to the metropolis of the world, there could not fail to be\nrepresentatives of every religion which had established itself in\nany of the provinces. On this hypothesis, the earliest of the Roman\nChristians were Jews by birth, who resided in Rome, from some of the\ncauses above alluded to. By their efforts, others of their friends and\nfellow countrymen (who were very numerous at Rome) would have been\nled to embrace the Gospel. But the Church so founded, though Jewish\nin its origin, was remarkably free from the predominance of Judaizing\ntendencies. This is evident from the fact that so large a proportion of\nit at this early period were already of Gentile blood; and it appears\nstill more plainly from the tone assumed by St. Paul throughout the\nEpistle, so different from that in which he addresses the Galatians,\nalthough the subject-matter is often nearly identical.\" (The Life and\nEpistles of St. Paul (Conybeare & Howson), p. 544.)\n\n_A Pen Picture of Paul:_ Paul was small in size, and his personal\nappearance did not correspond with the greatness of his soul. He was\nugly, stout, short, and stooping, and his broad shoulders awkwardly\nsustained a little bald head. His sallow countenance was half hidden\nin a thick beard; his nose was aquiline, his eyes piercing, and his\neyebrows heavy and joined across his forehead. Nor was there anything\nimposing in his speech, for his timid and embarrassed air gave but a\npoor idea of his eloquence. He shrewdly, however, admitted his exterior\ndefects, and even drew advantage therefrom. The Jewish race possesses\nthe peculiarity of at the same time presenting types of the greatest\nbeauty, and the most thorough ugliness; but this Jewish ugliness is\nsomething quite apart by itself. Some of the strange visages which at\nfirst excite a smile, assume, when lighted up by emotion, a sort of\ndeep brilliancy and grandeur. (The Apostles, Renan, pp. 165-6.) See\nalso description of Paul, Richards & Little's Compendium.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. See Seventy's Bible Dictionary, Art. \"Pauline Epistles.\" There\nis a fine analysis and history of each Epistle; they are grouped\nchronologically and the student would do well to read them in that\norder.\n\n\n\nLESSON VI.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued)._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                      REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Doctrinal Epistles--I Corinthians._                      I Corinthians. The\n        1. The City of Corinth.                                whole epistle for Home\n        2. Character of Paul's Converts.                       reading. Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.\n        3. Subject Matter of the Epistles.                     All Bible Helps and\n                                                               Dictionaries before quoted,\n                                                               Art. 1 and II Corinthians,\n                                                               and the other\n                                                               Epistles of this lesson.\n                                                               Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.\n                                                               Coneybeare and Howson's\n                                                               Life and Epistles\n  _II. II Corinthians._                                        of St. Paul.\n         1. When and Where Writen.                             Notes 5, 6.\n         2. Purpose and Character of the                       Readings:\n            Epistle.                                           Against Schisms in the\n         3. Selected Passages for Readings.                    Church. I Cor. Chap. i: 10-31.\n  _III. Galatians._[1]                                         Spiritual Gifts and\n          1. To Whom Addressed.                                Church Organization, I Cor. xii: 1-31.\n          2. Galatia and Its People.                           Charity, I Cor. xiii: 1-13.\n          3. Object of the Epistle.                            Epistle to the Galatians--All\n          4. The Nature of the Controversy of                  of it should be\n             Which It Treats                                   studied.\n                                                               Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.\n                                                               All the Bible Helps and\n                                                               Dictionaries before cited\n                                                               Art. \"Galatians,\" \"Ephesians,\"\n                                                               etc.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy\nthings live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the\naltar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that\nthey which preach the gospel should live of the gospel\"_--PAUL.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Corinth--the City:_ \"Corinth was the great center of commercial\ntraffic on the overland route from Rome to the East; and also between\nUpper and Lower Greece. Possessing the only good harbor in that\nquarter, and being the shortest and safest route, small vessels were\ndragged across the isthmus, larger ones transhipped their cargoes,\nand hence all the trade of the Mediterranean flowed through it, so\nthat 'a perpetual fair was held there from year's end to year's end;'\nto which were added the great annual gatherings of Greeks at the\n'Isthmian Games' (to which Paul alludes, I Cor. ix: 24-27). Hence it\nwas proverbial for wealth, luxury, and profligacy. Its population, and\nthat of Achaia, was mainly foreign, formed of colonists from Caesar's\narmy, and of manumitted slaves, settlers from Asia Minor, returned\nexiles from the islands, and at this time a large influx of Jews lately\nexpelled from Rome. (Acts xviii: 2.)\" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 27.)\n\n2. _Character of Paul's Disciples at Corinth:_ \"Paul's disciples were\nmostly of the lower order, partly Jews, but mainly Roman freedmen and\nheathen Greeks, who became enthusiastic admirers of the Apostle. Here\nhe wrote the latter or both of his two epistles to the Thessalonians,\nand one to the Romans; immediately after which he returned to Ephesus,\nand was succeeded in his mission by Apollos, who also made many\nconverts. The latter was imperfectly instructed in Christianity, but\nwas well versed in the Jewish Scriptures, and very eloquent.\" (Oxford\nBible Helps, p. 27.)\n\n3. _Cause of Writing the First Epistle to the Corinthians:_ \"There\narose two factions, in Corinth, a Jewish, clinging to a Pharisaic\nattachment to the law; a Gentile, prone to push evangelical freedom to\nlicense; while keeping the right faith, claiming to indulge in even\nheathen licentiousness. They joined freely in heathen sacrificial\nfeasts; degraded the Holy Communion into a festive banquet; women\nthrew off the usual eastern veil of modest attire; and the Greek\nlove of intellectual speculation and discussion ran riot on sacred\nsubjects, till appeals on Christian disputes were brought before\nheathen tribunals and morality was scandalized by even incestuous\nintercourse. Under such corruption, during three years, factions\nattained a formidable height. Paul was defamed by the Jewish party, and\nrumors of alarming disputes reached him, followed by a letter full of\ninquiries on matters of morality and doctrine, brought by a deputation\nof freedom. Under such circumstances the first epistle was written.\"\n(Oxford Bible Helps, p. 27.)\n\n4. _The Character of the First Epistle to the Corinthians:_ \"The\nletter is, in its contents, the most diversified of all St. Paul's\nepistles; and in proportion to the variety of its topics, is the\ndepth of its interest for ourselves. For by it we are introduced, as\nit were, behind the scenes of the Apostolic Church, and its minutest\nfeatures are revealed to us under the light of daily life. We see\nthe picture of a Christian congregation as it met for worship in\nsome upper chambers, such as the house of Aquila, or of Caius, could\nfurnish. We see that these seasons of pure devotion were not unalloyed\nby human vanity and excitement; yet, on the other hand, we behold the\nheathen auditor pierced to the heart by the inspired eloquence of the\nChristian prophets, the secrets of his conscience laid bare to him,\nand himself constrained to fall down on his face and worship God; we\nhear the fervent thanksgiving echoed by the unanimous Amen; we see the\nadministration of the Holy Communion terminating the feast of love.\nAgain we become familiar with the perplexities of domestic life, the\ncorrupting proximity of heathen immorality, the lingering superstition,\nthe rash speculation, the lawless perversion of Christian liberty;\nwe witness the strife of theological factions, the party names, the\nsectarian animosities. We perceive the difficulty of the task imposed\nupon the Apostle, who must guard from so many perils, and guide through\nso many difficulties, his children in the faith, whom else he had\nbegotten in vain; and we learn to appreciate more fully the magnitude\nof that laborious responsibility under which he describes himself as\nalmost ready to sink, 'the care of all of the churches,'\" (The Life and\nEpistles of St. Paul, Coneybeare & Howson, p. 424.)\n\n1. _The Persons Addressed in Galatians:_ \"This alone among the Pauline\nepistles is addressed, not to an individual or to a single church, but\nto a group of churches; 'unto the churches of Galatia' (i: 2).\"\n\n2. _Galatia:_ \"The name 'Galatia,' however, is ambiguous. Originally it\nwas restricted to the region possessed and inhabited by the descendants\nof the invading Gauls; a tract of country separated from the Black\nSea by Bithynia and Paphlagonia, and bounded on the east by Pontus\nand Cappadocia and on the south by Phrygia. This country had been\nknown as Galatia since the beginning of the third century B. C., when\nthree tribes of Gauls (Galatinas, Celts), who had attempted to overrun\nGreece, were driven back, and finally found a footing in this part of\nAsia Minor. In 189 B. C., Galatia became a Roman dependency, and in 25\nB. C. Augustus added to it Lycanonia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, and a large\npart of Phrygia, and constituted the whole into a Roman province, under\nthe name 'Galatia.' And it is not easy to determine whether we are to\nseek for the churches here addressed among the northern Galatians, or\nin Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Perhaps, on the whole, the\nevidence is somewhat in favor of the belief that St. Paul addresses the\nlast-named churches. Of the founding of these we have a full account in\nActs xiii: 13-14, 24.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 139.)\n\n3. _Object of the Epistle:_ During the absence of St. Paul from the\nchurches of Galatia, Judaizing teachers had found access to them. These\npersistent enemies of the Apostle of the Gentiles taught his young\nchurches that it was only through the gate of Judaism any one could\nenter the Christian fold. They demanded that the Gentile converts\nshould be circumcised, and should keep the whole law. And they had\nmuch that was plausible to advance in favor of the idea. The law was a\ndivine institution, and could not be abrogated. The promises had been\nmade to Abraham and to his seed. The Messiah was the Messiah of the\nJews. Jesus himself had been circumcised and had kept the whole law.\nThe original apostles followed his example. Besides, if the Gentiles\nwere not enjoined to keep the law, how were they to escape from the\nimmoralities in which they had been reared? And who was Paul, that\nhe should presume to introduce this novel doctrine? He had not known\nChrist while on earth. He was merely the messenger of the church at\nAntioch, and had no commission from the apostolic circle at Jerusalem.\nAnd vehemently as he declaimed against circumcision, he enjoined it\nwhen it suited him; witness the case of Timothy. The very speciousness\nof these arguments convinced St. Paul that a great crisis had arrived,\nand that, if Christianity was to become the universal religion and\nnot a mere Jewish sect--if religion was to be spiritual and not mere\nritual--if union with Christ really meant emancipation from bondage of\nevery kind, then it was time that he should, once for all, make clear\nthe relation of Christ to the law\" hence the epistle. (Bible Treasury,\np. 139.)\n\n4. _The Case of the Judaizing Party against Paul:_ \"It is remarkable,\ntherefore, that the Judaizing emissaries should so soon have gained so\ngreat a hold over a church consisting mainly of Gentile Christians; and\nthe fact that they did so proves not only their indefatigable activity,\nbut also their skill in the arts of conciliation and persuasion. It\nmust be remembered, however, that they were by no means scrupulous\nas to the means which they employed to effect their objects. At any\ncost of falsehood and detraction, they resolved to loosen the hold\nof St. Paul upon the affection and respect of his converts. Thus to\nthe Galatians they accused him of want of uprightness in observing\nthe Law himself whilst among the Jews, yet persuading the Gentiles to\nrenounce it, they argued that his motive was to keep his converts in a\nsubordinate state, excluded from the privileges of a full covenant with\nGod, which was enjoyed by the circumcised alone; they declared that he\nwas an interested flatterer, 'becoming all things to all men,' that he\nmight make a party for himself; and above all, they insisted that he\nfalsely represented himself as an Apostle of Christ, for that he had\nnot, like the Twelve, been a follower of Jesus when he was on earth,\nand had not received his commission; that, on the contrary, he was only\na teacher sent out by the authority of the Twelve, whose teaching was\nonly to be received so far as it agreed with theirs, and was sanctioned\nby them; whereas his doctrine (they alleged) was now in opposition to\nthat of Peter and James, and the other 'Pillars' of the Church. By such\nrepresentations they succeeded, to a great extent, in alienating the\nGalatian Christians from their father in the faith; already many of the\nrecent converts submitted to circumcision, and embraced the party of\ntheir new teachers with the same zeal which they had formerly shown for\nthe Apostle of the Gentiles; and the rest of the Church was thrown into\na state of agitation and division\"--hence the Epistle to the Galations.\n(The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, Conybeare and Howson, p. 522.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. This could well be classed as a controversial epistle, for it is,\none may say, fiercely controversial in spirit throughout. Renan refers\nto it as Paul's \"terrible epistle.\"\n\n\n\nLESSON VII.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.(Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                 REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Doctrinal Epistles--Ephesians._                    Epistle to the Ephesians.\n        1. The City of Ephesus.                          Notes 1, 2.\n        2. Occasion and Object of the Epistles.          Coneybeare and Howson's\n  _II. Philippians._                                     Life and Epistles\n         1. The City of Phillippi.                       of St. Paul. Bible Helps\n         2. Occasion and Character of the                and Dictionaries under\n            Epistles.                                    Titles of Ephesians, and\n                                                         all the epistles of this\n                                                         lesson. Epistle to the\n                                                         Philippians.\n                                                         Notes 3, 4, 5.\n  _III. Colossians._                                     Colossians.\n          1. The City of Colossae.                       Thessalonians I and II.\n          2. Character of the Epistle.                   Note 10.\n  _IV. Thessalonians I and II._\n         1. Thessalonica, the City.\n         2. Summary of the Epistles I and II.\n  _V. Epistle to the Hebrews._                           Hebrews, the whole\n        1. Authorship.                                   epistle. A fine treatise\n        2. Character of the Epistle.                     on the subject is found\n        3. Doctrinal Outline.                            on the Life and Epistles\n                                                         of St. Paul (Coneybeare\n                                                         and Howson), Chap. xxviii.\n                                                         Notes 6, 7, 8.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"God * * * hath in these last days spoken unto us by\nhis Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he\nmade the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express\nimage of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,\nwhen he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of\nthe Majesty on high.\"_ PAUL.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Ephesus:_ Capital of the Roman province of Asia and a great\ncommercial center. The province was governed by 'proconsuls,' while\nEphesus, as a 'free city,' had its town clerk, or keeper of the\nrecords, its 'asiarchs,' or officers appointed to preside over the\npublic games; its court days, and its popular assembly, was three miles\nfrom the sea, and was on the banks of the navigable river Cayster. It\nwas an important business center, much of the commerce between east and\nwest passing along the great highway which connected Ephesus with the\nEuphrates. It thus became a natural center for the Christian Church in\nAsia Minor. The city was celebrated as the guardian of the image of\nArtemis or Diana, and there was a large manufacture of silver shrines\nof the goddess. The magnificence of her temple was proverbial. A large\npart of the site was excavated by Mr. J. T. Wood, 1863-71, who also\ndiscovered the site of the theater, a huge building capable of seating\n24,500 people. Some of the inscriptions are to be seen in the British\nMuseum.\" (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 53.)\n\n2. _Occasion and Object of the Epistle:_ The occasion of writing this\nletter was the opportunity that offered in the mission of Tychicus and\nOnesimus to the Church at Colossae, and the object is to show that the\nGentiles had a standing in Christ as well as the Jews; that their call\ninto the Church was no mere accident, that it was the eternal purpose\nof God to gather all into oneness, or one body, in Christ, and that\nexcept in this oneness the fulness of Christ would not be revealed.\nThus the epistle sets before us, as has been said, Paul's doctrine of\nthe Church, the Church in its unity, 'the completion of an edifice\nwhose foundations had been laid in a past eternity, and which was to\nstand forever.\" (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 73.)\n\n3. _The Church at Philippi:_ \"Philippi was a place of great importance.\nSurrounded by a fertile district, and possessing valuable mines, it\nalso commanded the great highway from east to west, and was on this\naccount attractive to St. Paul. The town which originally occupied the\nsite was known as Krenides ('Fountains'); but Philip II of Macedonia\nhaving improved it, named it after himself. In St. Paul's time it was a\nRoman 'colony' (Acts xvi: 12), e. g., a settlement of veterans who had\nserved their time in the army.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 142.)\n\n4. _Occasion of the Epistle:_ \"Epaphroditus had been the bearer of\nsome pecuniary aid sent to St. Paul by the Philippians, and had thrown\nhimself so vigorously into the work of Christ in the metropolis that\nhe became alarmingly ill (Phil. ii: 30). On recovering, and hearing\nhow anxious his friends in Philippi were, he proposed to return to\nthem; and St. Paul felt that he could not allow him to go without\nputting in his hands a written acknowledgement of their kindness. Hence\nthis letter was intended to be a simple letter of friendship.\" (Bible\nTreasury, p. 142.)\n\n5. _Colossae and its Church:_ \"Colossae was situated in southwestern\nPhrygia, but within the proconsular province of Asia. It lay on the\nsouth bank of the river Lycus, and on the main road from Ephesus to\nthe great plateau of Asia Minor. In the fifth century B. C., it was\nknown as a great and prosperous city, but the still more advantageous\nposition of its neighbor Laodicea, a few miles down the river,\ngradually told on Colossae; and in the time of St. Paul, although a\nlarge number of Jews had been introduced into it, and although the city\nhad become rather Greek than Phrygian, it yet had somewhat fallen from\nits former grandeur and importance. Since the twelfth century, only\nthe ruins of the great church of St. Michael have marked its site.\nSo completely was Colossae forgotten, that the idea arose that the\nColossians to whom St. Paul wrote his epistle were Rhodians, so called\nfrom their famous Colossus.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 143.)\n\n6. _Authorship of Hebrews:_ \"The origin and history of the Epistle to\nthe Hebrews was a subject of controversy even in the second century.\nThere is no portion of the New Testament whose authorship is so\ndisputed, nor any of which the inspiration is more indisputable. The\nearly Church could not determine whether it was writen by Barnabas,\nby Luke, by Clement, or by Paul. Since the Reformation, still greater\ndiversity of opinion has prevailed. Luther assigned it to Apollos,\nCalvin to a disciple of the Apostles. The Church of Rome now maintains\nby its infallibility the Pauline authorship of the Epistle, which in\nthe second, third, and fourth centuries, the same Church, with the same\ninfallibility, denied. But notwithstanding these doubts concerning the\norigin of this canonical book, its inspired authority is beyond all\ndoubt. It is certain, from internal evidence, that it was written by a\ncontemporary of the Apostles, and before the destruction of Jerusalem;\nthat its writer was the friend of Timotheus; and that he was the\nteacher of one of the Apostolic churches. Moreover, the Epistle was\nreceived by the Oriental church as canonical from the first. Every\nsound reasoner must agree with St. Jerome, that it matters nothing\nwhether it were written by Luke, by Barnabas, or by Paul, since it\nis allowed to be the production of the Apostolic age, and has been\nread in the public service of the Church from the earliest times.\nThose, therefore, who conclude with Calvin, that it was not written\nby St. Paul, must also join with him in thinking the question of its\nauthorship a question of little moment, and in 'embracing it without\ncontroversy as one of the Apostolical Epistles.\" (Life and Epistles of\nSt. Paul, Conybeare and Howson, p. 848.)\n\n7. _Summary Respecting Hebrews:_ The sum of all the controversy\nrespecting the Epistles to the Hebrews, I think is well set forth\nin the following quotation from the Oxford Bible notes on the New\nTestament:\n\n\"The great weight of testimony favors the opinion that Paul was the\nauthor (though probably Luke was the writer) of this Epistle. It was\nprobably composed by the former when in very strict custody, either\nat Caesarea, or at Rome (A. D. 62-64), just before his martyrdom (II\nTimothy iv: 26), when denied writing materials, and dictated by him to\nLuke, who then committed it to writing from memory. Some think we have\nonly a Greek translation of an original Hebrew text. It was addressed\nspecially to those Aramaic Christians of Palestine, who were exposed\nto severe persecution from their fellow-countrymen, who adhered to\nthe expected return of visible glory to Israel. Brought up in fond\nreminiscence of the glories of the past, they seemed in Christianity to\nbe receding from their peculiar privileges of intercommunion with God,\nas a favored people, Angels, Moses, the High Priest, were superseded by\nJesus, the peasant of Nazareth; the Sabbath of the Lord's Day, the Old\nCovenant by the New; while temple and sacrifices were obsolete What,\nthey asked, did Christianity give in their place? And Paul answers,\nChrist; i. e., God for their Mediator and Intercessor: superior to\nAngels, because nearer to the Father; to Moses, because a Son, not a\nservant; more sympathizing than the High Priest, and more powerful\nin intercession, because he pleads his own blood. The Sabbath is but\na type of rest in heaven, the New Covenant is the fulfillment of the\nOld.\" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 28.)\n\n\n\nLESSON VIII.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (Concluded)._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                 REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Paul's Pastoral Epistles._[1]                      Note 1.\n        1. General Character.                            I and II Timothy Titus;\n        2. I Timothy.                                    Bible Helps and Dictionaries\n        3. II Timothy.                                   previously cited.\n        4. Titus.                                        Articles, the Epistles of\n                                                         this lesson.\n  _II. Special Epistle._                                 Notes. Philemon, and\n         1. Philemon.                                    Note 6.\n  _III. The Catholic Epistles._                          All the Epistles named\n          1. James.                                      in the Analysis. Notes\n          2. I and II Peter.                             and Bible Helps and Dictionaries.\n          3. I, II and III John.\n          4. Jude.\n  _IV. The Apocalypse._                                  The Book of Revelation.\n         1. The Name and Author.                         Doc. & Cov., Sec. 77: 1-2.\n                                                         Y. M. I. A. Manual.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear\nmy voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with\nhim, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me\nin my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father\nin his throne.\"_--ST. JOHN.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Pastoral Epistles:_ \"The Pastoral Epistles are three in\nnumber--viz., I Timothy, II Timothy, and Titus. They are so called\nbecause they bear upon pastoral duties. From the earliest times they\nhave been ascribed to Paul, and received as of canonical authority\nby the Church. They all belong to the same period, and they were all\nwritten towards the close of the Apostle's life. If the apostle had\nbeen released from imprisonment for a time and then imprisoned a second\ntime, the epistles belong to the interval between his release from his\nfirst imprisonment in Rome and his death--an interval during which he\nhad paid a brief visit to the churches he had founded in the east.\"\n(Bagster Bible Helps, p. 76.)\n\n2. _Timothy--Paul's Disciple:_ \"Timothy resided at Lystra (Acts xvi:\n1). He was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice,\nfrom whom, as also from his grandmother, Lois, he had received a\ndevout training in the Old Testament (II Tim. i: 5; iii: 14, 15). Paul\ncalls him his 'true son in the faith,' whence it is inferred that he\nhad received the gospel through Paul's preaching during his first\nsojourn in Lystra. At all events, on the apostle's second visit to\nLystra, he found the mother and son already converted, although the\nfather continued an unbeliever. As Timothy was well reported of by\nthe brethren, Paul circumcised him and took him as one of his chosen\ncompanions (Acts xix: 22). The connection continued intimate and\nunbroken till the close of the apostle's career.\" (Bible Treasury, p.\n146.)\n\n3. _I Timothy:_ \"The time and place of writing cannot be certainly\nfixed. The former must have been between the years 64 and 67 A. D.\nBut the occasion and purport of the epistle are very plain. Heretical\nteachers had arisen at Ephesus, where Timothy was stationed, and the\nApostle gives directions which the young man required, and which have\na permanent value for all youthful ministers. No systematic order of\nthought, such as is found in Romans and Ephesians, meets us here, but\na free outpouring of the apostle's heart. The letter has been justly\ncompared to pearls of varied size and color loosely strung on one\nthread.\" (Bible Treasury, p. 146.)\n\n4. _II Timothy:_ \"This epistle was written from Rome during Paul's\nsecond imprisonment, probably about 67 A. D., and is the last of his\nextant writings. After the address and a fervent thanksgiving for\nTimothy's early training (ch.. i: 1-5), he exhorts him to boldness and\nfidelity (ver. 6-14), adducing two examples--one of desertion, the\nother of faithfulness (ver. 15-18); summons him to exercise fortitude\n(ii: 1-13), to reprove 'profane babblings' (ver. 14-21), and to guard\nwell his own conduct (ver. 22-26.)\" (Bible Treasury, p. 146.)\n\n5. _Titus:_ \"Of Titus, to whom this epistle is addressed, we know\nnothing, except what we learn of him in Galatians, II Corinthians,\nII Timothy, and this epistle, for he is not once mentioned by name\nin the Acts of the Apostles. From these sources we conclude that he\nwas a Greek by birth, and a convert of Paul, that he accompanied\nPaul and Barnabas to the first Council at Jerusalem (Acts xv), and\nthat he was one of those converts from heathenism on whose behalf\nthe council issued its decree exempting such from the obligation to\nobserve the Mosaic law. From the date of this event he appears to have\nbeen a constant companion of Paul, and to have been from time to time\nsent by him on missions of importance to the infant churches (comp.\nII Cor. vii: 6-13; viii: 6; xii: 18). Titus was with Paul during\nhis imprisonment at Rome, and seems together with Timothy, to have\naccompanied him after his release in the brief visit he paid to the\nchurches in the East.\" (Bagster's Bible Helps, p. 77.)\n\n6. _The Story of Onesimus:_ It is remarkable how great the small\nthings of life sometimes become. Perhaps there is no letter or single\nChristian document that reveals so much of the character of the times\nof St. Paul as this brief personal note given to the runaway slave,\nOnesimus--meaning \"Profitable\"--whom Paul is returning to his master\nwith so much courtesy. The following account of the Epistle by Prof.\nMarcus Dodds, in the Bible Treasury, is worthy the space we here give\nit:\n\n\"It is interesting to find this short note, on a merely domestic\nmatter, preserved among the epistles of St. Paul. It was written to\nintercede for a runaway slave with his master, and it illustrates the\nmultifarious services the Apostle was invited to render. It is only\none sample of numberless letters which must have been written to his\nmany friends and disciples by one of St.. Paul's eager temperament\nand warm affections in the course of a long and chequered life.'\nPhilemon was resident in Colossae (Col. iv: 9). He had been brought\nto the faith by St. Paul (Philem. 19) and as it seems that as yet St.\nPaul had not visited Colossae, it is probable that Philemon had heard\nhim in Ephesus. He was a thorough-going Christian (4-7), loving and\nhelpful, and the disciples in Colossae, or a section of them, met\nin his house (2); Apphia was probably his wife, and Archippus his\nson. Philemon's slave Onesimus (or 'Profitable,' a common name for a\nslave) had run away, not empty-handed (18); and, having found his way\nto Rome, and being somehow brought into contact with St. Paul he was\nby him persuaded to abandon his old mind and his old ways (10). Paul\nhad devoted and active friends around him in Rome; but this energetic\nslave, trained to watch a master's wants and to execute promptly what\nwas entrusted to him, became almost indispensable to the Apostle (11,\n13). 'Profitable,' who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, now is\nprofitable to thee and to me.' Paul would gladly have retained his\nservices, but he acknowledged the claim of his master, and, besides,\nwould not deprive Philemon of the pleasure of voluntarily sending\nhim to minister to him (14). The note, short as it is, is valuable\nin two respects: 1. It gives us a clear view of the uprightness and\ncourteousness of Paul. Nothing could be more winning and persuasive,\nnothing more sympathetic and considerate, than the terms he used\nin restoring the runaway to his master's good graces. 2. But the\nletter shows us Christianity at work in connection with slavery. No\ninstitution was more deeply rooted in the ancient world, and none more\nalien to the spirit of Christ. Yet St. Paul does not set himself to\nuproot it. Rather he might seem to give it his countenance by thus\nrestoring a runaway to his master. But Christianity (and Paul as its\nrepresentative), by admitting slaves to the brotherhood of the Church,\nand by appealing to the brotherly feeling of the masters, introduced\nprinciples which would not be stayed in their operation till slavery\nwas seen to be unchristian, and abolished. The Christian spirit does\nnot work the less surely because it works indirectly.\" (Bible Treasury,\np. 146-7.)\n\n7. _The Catholic Epistles--General View:_ \"Seven epistles are now\ndesignated 'general' or 'catholic.' The term was first applied to\nthree of these (James, I Peter, and I John), and afterwards to II\nPeter and Jude, the brief letters, II and III John, being finally\nclassed with the five others for convenience. The designation implies\nthat the letter was originally addressed to a wider circle of readers\nthan the members of a single community of Christians. In Greek Mss.\nthese epistles were usually placed immediately after the Acts of the\nApostles. This group of writings presents great variety in style and\ndiction, in date, and in maturity of doctrinal teaching.\" (Bible\nTreasury, p. 149).\n\n8. _Epistle of James:_ \"James the Less, brother, or near relation, of\nour Lord, an Apostle, had the oversight of the Church at Jerusalem\n(Acts xv: 13), where he remained until his martyrdom (A. D. 62).\nThis epistle, generally attributed to him, shows evident tokens of a\ndegeneracy in the tone of Jewish Christians, to whom it is addressed,\nstimulating them to the exercise of higher principles. It reproves\nthe prevailing vices of his countrymen,--hypocrisy, presumption,\ncensoriousness, love of riches; and insists that true faith\nnecessitates good works. It is remarkable for its eminently practical\nnature, the homeliness and aptness of its illustration, and the bold,\nplain-spoken rebukes of the wealthy oppressors of the poor. It was\nprobably written near the close of his life, and is addressed to the\nwhole 'twelve tribes.'\" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 29.)\n\n9. _St. Peter--Protestant View:_ \"Simon Peter, son of Jonas, a\nfisherman at Bethsaida, was one of the foremost Apostles, by whom three\nthousand were converted on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii), and the\nfirst Gentile family admitted by baptism into Christianity (Acts x:\n47, 48). He is said to have preached to the Jews scattered throughout\nPontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, i. e., the countries\nof Asia adjacent to the Black Sea, to whom he addressed this epistle\nfrom Babylon, probably about A. D. 63. Its general design was to\ncomfort them under afflictions.\" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 29.)\n\n10. _St. Peter--Catholic View:_ \"The first Epistle of St. Peter, though\nbrief, containeth much doctrine concerning Faith, Hope, and Charity,\nwith divers instructions to all persons of what state or condition\nsoever. The Apostle commandeth submission to rulers and superiors,\nand exhorteth all to the practice of a virtuous life in imitation of\nChrist. This epistle is written with such apostolic dignity, as to\nmanifest the supreme authority with which its writer, the prince of the\nApostles, had been vested by his Lord and master Jesus Christ. He wrote\nit at Rome, which figuratively he calls Babylon, about fifteen years\nafter our Lord's Ascension.\" (Douay Bible, p. 1481.)\n\n11. _I Peter:_ \"The date of the epistle is uncertain. Some place it\nin 61 A. D.., before St. Paul's Roman imprisonment; others, in 63 or\n64 A. D., after the release of that Apostle. The probabilities are\nslightly in favor of the latter date. It was addressed to Christians\nin certain regions of Asia Minor (i: 1). Strictly interpreted, the\nlanguage points to Jewish Christians, but it is now generally held that\nall Christians are included in the address. The occasion of the epistle\nwas impending trial, probably not state persecution, but social and\npersonal opposition and reproach. Hence the tone of consolation and\nencouragement, even in the exhortations. As often remarked, the keynote\nis 'Hope.'\" (Bible Treasury, p. 150.)\n\n12. _II Peter:_ \"The early evidence from Christian writers in support\nof this epistle is not so strong as in the case of most of the New\nTestament books. But, as it claims to be written by the 'Apostle'\nPeter, it must be regarded as genuine, or as a wilful forgery. Internal\nevidence disproves the latter view. It differs but slightly from the\nfirst epistle in style and language, and these slight differences can\nbe accounted for from its purpose. The superiority to all Christian\nwritings of the post-apostolic age is evident. A recent discovery\nof parts of two apocryphal books attributed to St. Peter shows what\ninferior literature the earliest forgers produced. * * * * Apparently\naddressed to the same readers as the first epistle, this one has a\ndifferent purpose, viz., to warn against teachers of error, and to\nenjoin an advance in knowledge as well as in holiness. The false\nteachers cannot be identified with those of the second century, which\nis another proof that St. Peter wrote the epistle.\" (Bible Treasury, p.\n150.)\n\n13. _Epistles of John:_ \"The tract called the First Epistle of John\nseems rather to partake of the nature of a doctrinal discourse,\naddressed to believers generally, but more particularly to Gentiles in\nAsia Minor, probably in the neighborhood of its chief city, Ephesus.\nIts date is uncertain. Some place it before the destruction of\nJerusalem, others towards the end of Cent. i., thinking it bears marks\nof combating the Gnostic heresy. This epistle contains only thirteen\nverses, eight of which are found in substance in the first. It was\nprobably written about the same time, but it is addressed 'to the Elect\nLady' (thought by some to mean the Church), and 'her children;' or to\n'the Lady Electa,' a person so-called for her eminent piety. They are\nexhorted to persevere in love, faith, and godliness, and to beware of\nfalse teachers.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 30.)\n\n14. _Jude:_ \"Jude, 'brother of James,' is supposed to be the Apostle\n(surnamed Thaddeaus and Lebbaeus), and a near relation of our Lord\n(Matt. x: 3; xiii: 55; Luke vi: 16). The epistle is remarkable for\nthe quotation of an otherwise unrecorded saying of Enoch (ver. 14),\nand a tradition of a dispute between Michael the archangel and Satan\nregarding the body of Moses (ver. 9.) Its date, place, and occasion,\nare unknown; but it seems to denounce the same false teachers as those\nrebuked in II Peter ii, and in very similar language; warning them by\nthe example of the fallen angels, of Cain, the impenitent in the times\nof Noah, of the wicked cities of the plain, of Korah, and Balaam;\nasserting the certainty of the future judgment and punishment of the\nwicked.\" (Bagster Bible Helps, p 30.)\n\n15. _Revelation:_ \"This is the only [most largely] prophetic book of\nthe New Testament, and much of it remains still unfulfilled. There is\nsatisfactory evidence of its being genuine. Justin Martyr, living sixty\nyears after its supposed date, ascribes it to John; Papias acknowledges\nits inspiration; Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp, who was John's own\ndisciple) testifies to his authorship, and that he had himself received\nthe explanation of one passage in it from those who had conversed with\nthe Apostle about it. To these may be added Clement of Alexandria,\nTheophilus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Jerome, Athanasius, etc.\"\n(Bagster Bible Helps, p. 30.) See Doctrine & Covenants, sec.. lxxvii;\nalso Y. M. I. A. Manual for 1898-9.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. See note 3, Lesson IV.\n\n\n\nLESSON IX.\n\n_GREAT NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS--LECTURES._\n\n  LECTURES.                                                         REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Peter, the Chief of the Apostles._                          The Four Gospels. Acts\n        1. Early Life of.                                         of the Apostles, XV.\n        2. His Call to the Apostleship and                        I and II Peter, Commentary\n           Companionship with Jesus.                              Critical and Explanatory\n        3. His life after the Death of Jesus.                     Introduction to\n        4. Did He Establish the Church at                         I and II Peter, pp. 494-99.\n           Rome?                                                  Smith's Dictionary of the\n                                                                  Bible Art. Peter. St. Peter\n                                                                  as founder of the\n                                                                  Church at Rome--Catholic\n                                                                  View--\"Catholic Belief\"\n                                                                  (Bruno), pp. 307-321.\n                                                                  Protestant View, Milman's\n                                                                  History of Christianity,\n                                                                  Book II, Chaps.\n                                                                  II and III; also Dr. Wm. Smith's\n                                                                  New Testament\n                                                                  History, pp. 634-643.\n  _II. St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles._                    Acts VIII-XXVIII. The\n         1. Birth and Roman Citizenship of.                       Pauline Epistles. All\n         2. His conversion to Christianity.                       Bible Helps and Dictionaries\n         3. His Conception of the Christian                       Art. \"Paul,\" Life\n         4. His Controversies with the Judaizing                  and Epistles of St. Paul,\n            Party.                                                Coneybeare and Howson's\n         5. His Death and Influence on Christianity.              Life of St. Paul.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Suggestions in the Construction of a Lecture:_ Referring again to\nthe construction of a lecture, and holding in mind the framework given\nin Lesson 1; namely: 1. The Introduction; 2. The Discussion; 3. The\nConclusion. I am reminded of the only lesson in speech forming ever\ngiven to me in College days, and that lesson was by a very inferior\npublic speaker, but a very prince among teachers, the late lamented\nDr. John R. Park, whose name will forever be associated with our State\nUniversity. He said: \"Be sure that your lecture has a beginning,\nan ending, and something between.\" Another form of introduction,\ndiscussion and conclusion.\n\nAs an illustration of this indispensable framework, Pittenger, whom I\nbefore quoted, gives the following illustrations from Shakespeare:\n\n\"Among the many speeches found in Shakespeare, the existence of these\nthree essential parts may easily be noted. The funeral speeches over\nthe dead body of Julius Caesar afford an excellent example. The merit\nof the orations of Brutus and Antony are very unequal, but both are\ninstructive. We will analyze them in turn. Brutus speaks first. He\nshows his want of appreciation of the true nature of persuasive\neloquence by declaring that this will be an advantage. His introduction\nis also too long and elaborate for the work he has in hand. The central\nthought with which he opens is in substance, \"I am worthy of your\nclosest attention.\" This cannot be considered a fortunate beginning,\nand it would have been fatal for any one less highly esteemed by the\npeople than \"the well-beloved Brutus.\" He says:\n\nBRUTUS' SPEECH--INTRODUCTION.\n\n'Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent\nthat you may hear; believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine\nhonor that you may believe; censure me in your wisdom, and awake your\nsenses that you may the better judge.'\n\n\"This introduction is a master-piece of Shakespeare's art, because\nit pictures so well the character of Brutus in his dignity and blind\nself-confidence; but for Brutus it is unfortunate, because it puts him\non the defensive and makes the people his judges. He must now plead\nwell, or they will condemn him. In the discussion (following) the\nthought simply is, 'I was Caesar's friend, and therefore you may well\nbelieve that I would not have killed him if he had not deserved death\nbecause of his ambition.' This is the whole argument, and it is weak\nbecause it does not prove the ambition of Caesar, or show that ambition\non Caesar's part was a crime which Brutus had a right to punish with\ndeath. The antithetic sentences lack both logic and passion. As they\ntouch neither head nor heart, they can have but slight and momentary\neffect. Notice the discussion as an example of fine words which do not\nserve their purpose.\n\nTHE DISCUSSION.\n\n\"'If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to\nhim I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. If, then,\nthat friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:\nNot that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you\nrather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were\ndead, to live all freemen? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he\nwas fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but\nas he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears for his love, joy\nfor his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition. Who\nis here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have\nI offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any,\nspeak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love\nhis country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a\nreply.'\n\n\"As several citizens cry out, 'None, Brutus, none,' he passes to the\nconclusion, which is as weak as the discussion.\n\nCONCLUSION.\n\n\"'Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar, than you\nshall do to Brutus. As I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I\nhave the same dagger for myself, when it, shall please my country to\nneed my death.'\n\n\"He has gained nothing by the whole speech, save the knowledge that\nnone of the citizens present care at that time to impeach him for his\ncrime; but their minds were open to other influences. Shakespeare thus\nshows how an able man might use all his powers in the perfection of\noratorical and rhetorical forms, without producing a great or effective\nspeech. Antony now comes forward. Behold the contrast!\n\nANTONY'S SPEECH.\n\n\"The introduction is like and unlike that of Brutus. The same three\ntitles are used; the same call for attention. But there is no\nrepetition, no egotism, no elaboration. The introduction is short,\ncalling attention to his ostensible purpose, and prepares for a\nbeautiful transition to the discussion.\n\nINTRODUCTION.\n\n\"'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury\nCaesar, not to praise him.'\n\n\"There is not a superfluous word. But how can Antony glide into those\npraises of Caesar, which he has disclaimed, but which are necessary to\nhis purpose? The next sentence solves the question:\n\n  \"'The evil that men do lives after them;\n  The good is oft interred with their bones;\n  So let it be with Caesar.'\n\n\"This leads most naturally to the thought of the discussion, which\nis, 'No event of Caesar's life shows guilty ambition; but many do\nreveal love to the people and care for the general welfare. He should,\ntherefore, be mourned, and--the next word is not supplied by the\norator, but forced from the hearts of the people--avenged! We quote a\nfew only of the well-known words:\n\nTHE DISCUSSION.\n\n  \"'The noble Brutus\n  Hath told you Caesar was ambitious;\n  If it were so, it were a grievous fault,\n  And grievously hath Caesar answered it.\n  Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,\n  (For Brutus is an honorable man,\n  So are they all, all honorable men)\n  Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.\n  He was my friend, faithful and just to me;\n  But Brutus says he was ambitious,\n  And Brutus is an honorable man.\n  He hath brought many captives home to Rome,\n  Whose ransom did the general coffers fill.\n  Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?\n  When that the poor hath cried Caesar hath wept.\n  Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.\n  Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,\n  And Brutus is an honorable man.\n  You all did see, that, on the Lupercal,\n  I thrice presented him a kingly crown,\n  Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?'\n\n\"The strongest argument against belief in guilty ambition on the part\nof Caesar and in favor of punishing his murderers is reserved by the\nsubtle Antony for the last, and then he manages to have the people\ndemand it of him. He proceeds very naturally and effectively from the\nrent robe and the bleeding body to the will of Caesar. This instrument\ngave the Romans each a large donation in money, and bestowed upon\nthem collectively 'his walks, his private arbors, and 'new planted\norchards' as a public park. The argument was irresistible, and needed\nno elaboration. If his death was avenged as a murder, the will would be\nvalid; otherwise, it would be set aside, and his estate confiscated by\nthe conspirators. The people, thus fired by the strongest motives of\ngratitude and interest themselves supply the conclusion, and Brutus had\nto fly for his life. The whole speech is worth study as an exhibition\nof almost perfect eloquence. Shakespeare meant to draw in Brutus the\npicture of a scholar coming before the people with fine words, and\nproducing little more than a literary effect. In Antony he pictures\nthe true orator in the plentitude of his power, to whom words are\nbut servants in accomplishing his purpose of [I suggest convincing]\npersuading and inflaming the people. The one speech reads as if it\nmight have been written out in the closet and memorized; the other\ngushes from the heart of the speaker as he watches the sea of upturned\nfaces, adapting his words with exquisite skill to suit and swell the\npassions written there.\" (Extempore Speech, pp. 54-59.)\n\n\n\nPART IV.\n\n_The Ancient American Scripture.---The Book of Mormon._\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.[1]\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                  REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Existence of the Book of Mormon                 Pearl of Great Price,\n          Revealed._                                      Writings of Joseph\n        1. First Visions and Call of the                  Smith, pp. 81-100, History\n           Prophet Joseph Smith.                          of the Church Vol. I,\n        2. The Visitation of Moroni.                      Chaps. i-ii-iii. Myth of\n        3. The Book of Mormon Delivered                   the Ms. Found, (Geo.\n           to the Prophet.                                Reynolds). Chap. viii.\n                                                          Note 1. Y. M. M. I. A.\n                                                          Manual (No. 7), 1903-4,\n                                                          Chap. i.\n\n  _II. History of the Translation._                       History of the Church\n         1. First Attempts at Translation.                Vol. I, Chaps. iii, iv, v.\n         2. Martin Harris and His Visit to                Myth of the Ms. Found\n            Professors Mitchell and Anthon--the           (Reynolds), Chap. ix.\n            lost Mss.                                     Y. M. M. I. A. Manual No. 7,\n         3. Oliver Cowdery as Amanuensis                  Chaps. v, vi, viii.\n            and the Completion of the Translation.        Wentworth Letter (Joseph\n                                                          Smith), Mill. Star Vol. XIX\n                                                          p. 117-120, Cannon's\n                                                          Life of the Prophet,\n                                                          Chaps. iv-xi.\n\n  _III. The Manner of Translating the Nephite             Y. M. M. I. Manual\n          Record._                                        No. 7, Chap. vii. \"Defense\n          1. The Prophet's Description.                   of the Faith and\n          2. Whitmer and Harris' Account of               the Saints,\"[2] Division\n             the Manner of Translation.                   on Book of Mormon Controversies.\n          3. The Translation not a Mechanical             Note 6.\n             Process.\n\n  _IV. Publication of the Book._                          History of the Church\n         1. Difficulties of Finding a Publisher.          Vol. I, pp. 75-6. Footnote.\n         2. Precautions Against Imposition.\n         3. Efforts to Prevent Publication.\n         4. The Prophet's Success.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father,\nI will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know\nthat the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he\nshall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which\nhe commandeth them.\"_--FIRST NEPHI.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Moroni's Visit to the Prophet Joseph:_ \"On the evening of the 21st\nof September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring\nto exercise faith in the previous promises of Scripture, on a sudden\na light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious\nappearance and brightness, burst into the room, indeed the first sight\nwas as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance\nproduced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage\nstood before me, surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with\nwhich I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to\nbe an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant\nwhich God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that\nthe preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily\nto commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its\nfulness to be preached in power, unto all nations, that a people might\nbe prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen\nto be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His\npurposes in this glorious dispensation.\n\n2. _Ancient America Revealed:_ \"I was also informed concerning the\naboriginal inhabitants of this country and shown who they were, and\nfrom whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress,\ncivilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity,\nand the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a\npeople, was made known unto me; I was also told where were deposited\nsome plates on which were engraven an abridgement of the records of\nthe ancient Prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel\nappeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things.\nAfter having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the\nmajesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days,\non the morning of the 22nd of September, A. D. 1827, the angel of the\nLord delivered the records into my hands.\" (Wentworth's Letter--Joseph\nSmith, 1842.)\n\n3. _The Wentworth Letter:_ The letter so designated, and from which the\nforegoing notes of this lesson are taken, was written at the request of\nMr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the _Chicago Democrat_.\nA friend of his, Mr. Bastow, was engaged in writing a history of New\nHampshire and evidently desired to make some mention of the rise of\nMormonism, and hence he enlisted the good offices of Mr. Wentworth to\nget a statement from the Prophet Joseph himself on that subject; and\nhence this letter was written. It is one of the most valuable of our\noriginal historical documents, and gives in concise form the very best\nstatement possible of the rise, progress and doctrines of the Church\nup to the time it was written; namely, March, 1842. In addition to the\nstatements concerning the Book of Mormon quoted in the foregoing notes,\nit was in that document that the summary of doctrines believed in by\nthe Church appears, commonly known as the \"Articles of Faith.\" The\nWentworth letter entire is to be found in the Millennial Star, Vol. 19,\npp. 117-120.\n\n4. _Precautions taken in Printing the Book of Mormon:_ Nothing is said\nby the Prophet in his History of the difficulties that arose whilst the\nBook of Mormon was in the hands of the printer; nor of the care that\nwas taken to prevent the manuscript falling into the hands of enemies\nof the work. It is proper, however, that these matters should be stated\nat this point. It appears that when the arrangements were completed\nwith Mr. Grandin for printing the Book of Mormon, the Prophet went down\nto Harmony, in Pennsylvania. Before taking his departure, however, it\nwas arranged:\n\nFirst: that Oliver Cowdery transcribe the whole manuscript; hence it\ncame about that there were two manuscript copies of the Book of Mormon,\nthe original, which was taken in charge by the Prophet after the\npublication of the book, and the copy made by Oliver Cowdery for the\nprinter's use, and which finally was given by him into the custody of\nDavid Whitmer, with whose family it remains to this day (1901.) (Since\nthe above was written the custodian of the Whitmer family has placed\nthe Ms. in the care of Joseph Smith, son of the Prophet Joseph.)\n\nSecond: that the copy made by Cowdery from the original manuscript\nonly should be taken to the printer's, so that if that should be\ndestroyed the original would remain in the hands of the Prophet and his\nassociates, from which it could be replaced; and even this copy was\nsupplied the printer in small quantities at a time, usually enough only\nfor a single day's work of the printer.\n\nThird: that in going to and from the office whoever carried the\nmanuscript--usually it was Oliver Cowdery--should always have a guard\nto attend him.\n\nFourth: that a guard should be kept constantly upon the watch, both\nnight and day, about the house, to protect the manuscript from\nmalicious persons, who might seek to destroy it. (The authorities for\nthe above are: Lucy Smith's \"History of the Prophet Joseph,\" ch. xxxi;\nthe statements of Stephen S. Harding, who a number of times visited\nGrandin's establishment while the Book of Mormon was being printed; his\nstatement is published in \"The Prophet of Palmyra,\" by Thomas Gregg,\npp. 34-56.) (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. 75.)\n\n5. _The Wisdom of the Prophet's Precautions Vindicated:_\nNotwithstanding all the precautions taken by the little group of\nbrethren engaged in publishing the book, the Nephite record, mutilated\nby interlineations of human invention, omissions, and added vulgarisms\nintended to destroy the work, came nearly being given to the world\nbefore the Book of Mormon itself was published. This was the work of\none Esquire Cole, ex-justice of the peace, who undertook to publish the\nBook of Mormon, in instalments, in a weekly periodical called Dogberry\nPaper on Winter Hill. Cole obtained the use of Grandin's press nights\nand on Sundays, and surely must have obtained the advanced sheets of\nthe printed forms of the Book of Mormon, which he was using, with the\nknowledge of Mr. Grandin; at least it is difficult to conceive how he\ncould obtain and use them without his knowledge. Hyrum Smith, feeling\nuneasy concerning the security of that part of the Book of Mormon in\nthe hands of the printer, induced Oliver Cowdery one Sunday to go with\nhim to the printer's to see if all was well, and there they found\nSquire Cole at work on his Dogberry paper, and publishing mutilated\nextracts from the Book of Mormon. He refused to desist from his\nunlawful course; but Joseph was sent for and came up during that week\nfrom Harmony, and by firmly asserting his rights under the copyright\nlaw, and by threatening to prosecute those who infringed them, Cole was\ninduced to abandon his intention of publishing the Book of Mormon in\nhis paper. This difficulty past, another arose. The people of Palmyra\nand vicinity held a mass meeting and passed a resolution pledging\nthemselves not to purchase the Book of Mormon when published, and to\nuse their influence to prevent others from purchasing it. This had the\neffect of causing Mr. Grandin to suspend printing until he could obtain\nrenewed assurances of receiving the amount agreed upon for printing the\nedition of five thousand. Again the Prophet was sent for, and again\nhe made the journey from Harmony to Palmyra, quieted the fears of Mr.\nGrandin by renewed assurances on the part of himself and Martin Harris\nthat the amount agreed upon would be paid. The work proceeded, and at\nlast issued from the press, notwithstanding all the difficulties it had\nencountered. (See Lucy Smith's \"History of the Prophet Joseph,\" ch.\nxxxiii.) (History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 75-6.)\n\n6. _The Manner of Translating the Book of Mormon:_ The sum of the whole\nmatter, then, concerning the manner of translating the sacred record\nof the Nephites, according to the testimony of the only witnesses\ncompetent to testify in the matter is: With the Nephite record was\ndeposited a curious instrument, consisting of two transparent stones,\nset in the rim of a bow, somewhat resembling spectacles, but larger,\ncalled by the ancient Hebrews \"Urim and Thummim,\" but by the Nephites\n\"Interpreters.\" In addition to these \"Interpreters\" the Prophet Joseph\nhad a \"Seer Stone,\" possessed of similar qualities to the Urim and\nThummim; that the prophet sometimes used one and sometimes the other of\nthese sacred instruments in the work of translation; that whether the\n\"Interpreters\" or the \"Seer Stone\" was used the Nephite characters with\nthe English interpretation appeared in the sacred instrument; that the\nProphet would pronounce the English translation to his scribe, which\nwhen correctly written would disappear and the other characters with\ntheir interpretation take their place, and so on until the work was\ncompleted. It should not be supposed, however, that this translation\nthough accomplished by means of the \"Interpreters\" and \"Seer Stone,\"\nas stated above, was merely a mechanical procedure; that no faith, or\nmental or spiritual effort was required on the prophet's part; that\nthe instruments did all, while he who used them did nothing but look\nand repeat mechanically what he saw there reflected. * * * * I repeat,\nthen, that the translation of the Book of Mormon by means of the\n\"Interpreters\" and \"Seer Stone,\" was not merely a mechanical process,\nbut required the utmost concentration of mental and spiritual force\npossessed by the Prophet, in order to exercise the gift of translation\nthrough the means of the sacred instruments provided for that work.\nThis might be inferred from the general truth that God sets no premium\nupon mental and spiritual laziness; for whatever means God may have\nprovided to assist man to arrive at the truth, he has always made it\nnecessary for him to couple with those means his utmost endeavor of\nmind and heart.\" (Y. M. M. I. A. Manual, 1903-5, pp. 68-9.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Let the selection be from the Book of Mormon throughout the Book of\nMormon section of the year's work.\n\n2. This is a new work by Elder B. H. Roberts, just issued from the\nDeseret News press, and the question of the manner in which the Book of\nMormon was translated is discussed at great length.\n\n\n\nLESSON II.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                      REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Nephite Plates._                                       Note 1.\n     1. Dimensions.                                              Wentworth Letter,\n     2. Weight and Appearance.                                   Mill. Star Vol. XIX: 117.\n\n  _II. Writers of the Book of Mormon._                           See Book of Mormon\n         1. First Group.                                         also Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n         2. Second Group.                                        (No. 7), Chap. ix.\n\n  _III. Purposes for Which the Book of                           Ibid (No. 9), Chap. xxxvii.\n             Mormon was Written._                                Doc. & Cov. Sec. iii,\n                                                                 16-20. Book of Mormon--Moroni's\n                                                                 Preface Title Page. Book of\n                                                                 Mormon, Chap. v: 12-15. Ibid\n                                                                 vii, 540, I Nephi, Chap. xiii.\n                                                                 Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n                                                                 (No. 7), Chap. iii.\n\n  _IV. Original Books of the Nephite Record._                    Note Ibid.\n         1. The Small Plates of Nephi.                           Book of Mormon, pp. 1-157.\n         2. The Abridgement of Mormon.--Nephite                  Words of Mormon,\n            History.                                             Chap. i, p. 158; pp. 160-548.\n         3. The Abridgement of Moroni--The                       Book of Mormon, 570-608.\n            Jaredite History.                                    Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n                                                                 (No. 7), Chap. ix.\n                                                                 Myth of the Ms Found,\n                                                                 Chap. v.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Appearance and Dimensions of the Plates of the Book of Mormon:_\n\"These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of\ngold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not\nquite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in\nEgyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of\na book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was\nsomething near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The\ncharacters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved.\nThe whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction,\nand much skill in the art of engraving.\" (Joseph Smith, Wentworth\nLetter.)\n\n2. _Summary of the Book of Mormon:_ \"In this important and interesting\nbook the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first\nsettlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel, at the\nconfusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the\nChristian Era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient\ntimes had been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first\nwere called Jaredites, and came directly from the Tower of Babel.\nThe second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six\nhundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the\ndescendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that\nthe Israelites who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country,\ncame from Jerusalem. The principal nation of the second race fell in\nbattle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the\nIndians that now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our\nSavior made his appearance upon this [the American] continent after his\nresurrection; that he planted the gospel here in all its fulness, and\nrichness, and power, and blessing; that they had Apostles, Prophets,\nPastors, Teachers, and Evangelists; the same order the same Priesthood,\nthe same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessings, as were enjoyed on\nthe eastern continent; that the people were cut off in consequence\nof their transgressions; that the last of their Prophets who existed\namong them was commanded to write an abridgement of their prophecies,\nhistory, etc., and to hide it up in the earth, and that it should\ncome forth and be united with the Bible for the accomplishment of the\npurposes of God in the last days.\" (Joseph Smith, Wentworth Letter.)\n\n3. _Book of Mormon Writers:_ As indicated in the lesson analysis, the\nBook of Mormon writers may be divided into two groups, separated by a\nperiod of nearly a thousand years. The first group consists of nine\nwriters:\n\nI Nephi, who writes 127 1/2 pages.\n\nJacob, brother of Nephi, 21 1/2 pages.\n\nZenos, son of the above Jacob, 2 1/2 pages.\n\nJarom, son of the above Zenos, 2 pages.\n\nIn the book of Omni there are but 3 1/2 pages, but there are five\nwriters, each of whom records merely a few lines. The names follow:\n\nOmni, son of the above Omni.\n\nAmaron, son of the above Omni.\n\nChemish, brother of the above Amaron.\n\nAbinadom, son of Chemish.\n\nAmeleki, son of the above Abinadom.\n\nAmaleki writes about 2 1/2 pages, out of the three pages and a half\nthat comprise the Book of Omni.\n\nAltogether this first group gives us 157 pages.\n\nThe second group consists of Mormon and his son Moroni.\n\nMormon's abridgement of the various books written upon \"the large\nplates of Nephi,\" comprises 390 1/2 pages.\n\nMormon's personal account of events that occur in his own day, 14 1/2\npages, making a total of 405 pages.\n\nMoroni's writings, consisting of the completion of his father's\npersonal record, the abridgement of the Jaredite history and his own\nbook, called the Book of Moroni, 61 pages, making a total of 623 pages\nof our current editions.\n\n4. _Purpose for which the Book of Mormon was Written:_ The following\nis a summary of the purposes for which the Book of Mormon was written,\ngathered from the book itself and from the Doctrine and Covenants. (See\nreferences accompanying Lesson analysis.)\n\nFirst, to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great\nthings the Lord has done for their fathers.\n\nSecond, to teach them the covenants of the Lord made with their\nfathers, that the remnants may know that they are not cast off forever.\n\nThird, that this record may convince both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus\nis the Christ, the Eternal God, and that he manifests himself to all\nnations.\n\nFourth, that the knowledge of a Savior might come especially to the\nremnants of the house of Israel on the western hemisphere, through\nthe testimony of the Nephites and Lamanites as well as through the\ntestimony of the Jews, that they might more fully believe the gospel.\n\nFifth, that the Jews might have the testimony of the Nephites as well\nas that of their fathers, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the\nliving God.\n\nSixth, and I think mainly, to be a witness for the truth of the Bible,\nto establish its authenticity, and its credibility by bringing other\nwitnesses to testify to the _same great truths_ that are contained\nin the sacred pages of the Bible; to restore to the knowledge of\nmankind many plain and precious truths concerning the gospel which\nmen have taken out of the Jewish scriptures, or obscured by their\ninterpretations; for which cause many have stumbled and fallen into\nunbelief. In a word, it is the mission of the book of Mormon to be\na witness for Jesus, the Christ; for the truth of the Gospel as the\npower of God unto salvation; for that purpose it was written, preserved\nfrom destruction and has now come forth to the children of men through\nthe goodness and mercy and power of God. (Y. M. M. I. A. Manuals,\n1903-1905, p. 26-7.)\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                       REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Ancient Migrations to America._                         Myth of the Ms Found\n        1. The Jaredite Colony.                               (Reynolds), Chap. v.\n        2. Lehi's Colony.                                     Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n        3. Colony of Mulek.                                   (No. 7), Chap. x.\n                                                              Notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.\n\n  _II. Ancient Nations of America._                           Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n         1. Jaredite Empire, Its Center of                    (No. 7), Chap. xiii. Notes\n            National Life--Form of Government.                8, 9, 10.\n         2. Nephite Kingdom, When and\n            How Established--Character of\n            Government.\n         3. Nephite--Zarahemla Kingdom,\n            How Formed, Nature of Its Laws.\n         4. The Nephite Republic. Distinction\n            Between this Form of Government\n            and the Monarchy.\n         5. Lamanite Confederation, Evidence\n            of such Confederation--Its\n            Extent and Nature.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Jaredite Colony:_ The Book of Mormon contains the history of\ntwo distinct races. The first came from the Tower of Babel and was\ndestroyed a little less than six hundred years before Christ. The story\nof their national life is given very briefly, but sufficient is said\nto prove that they were one of the mightiest nations of antiquity,\nand in the days of their righteousness a people highly blessed of the\nLord. Their fall and final destruction were the result of their gross\nwickedness and rejection of God's Prophets. These people were called\nthe Jaredites, their history in the Book of Mormon is contained in \"the\nBook of Ether.\" Ether was their last Prophet, and wrote his account of\nhis people on twenty-four plates of gold.\" (The Myth of the Manuscript\nFound, p. 43.)\n\n2. _The Nephite Colony:_ The next race that inhabited this continent\nwas of Israelitish origin, the descendants of Joseph and Judah. The\nNephites, the ruling branch, were principally the descendants of\nManasseh (and Ephraim). By divine guidance their first prophet and\nruler, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem with a small company of his\nrelatives and friends, eleven years before the Babylonian captivity (B.\nC. 600). They sailed from south-eastern Arabia across the Indian and\nPacific oceans, and landed on the American shore not far from where\nthe city of Valparaiso now stands. In the first year of the captivity\nanother small colony was led out from Jerusalem, Mulek, one of the sons\nof King Zedekiah, being their nominal leader. This party landed in\nNorth America some distance north of the Isthmus of Darien, and soon\nafter migrated into the northern portion of the southern continent,\nwhere for nearly four centuries they grew in numbers, but not in true\ncivilization. (Myth of the Manuscript Found, p. 44.)\n\n3. _Inter-Continental Movements:_ In the meantime the descendants\nof the colonists under Lehi had also grown numerous. Early in their\nhistory they had separated into two nationalities; the first, called\nNephites, observing the laws of Moses, the teachings of the prophets,\nand developing in the decencies and comforts of civilized life; the\nothers, called Lamanites (after the cruel, rebellious elder brother\nof Nephi), sank into barbarism and idolatry. These latter gradually\ncrowded the Nephites northward until the latter reached the land\noccupied by the descendants of Mulek's colony, now called the people\nof Zarahemla, with whom they coalesced and formed one nation. From\ntheir national birth to B. C. 91, the Nephites had been ruled by kings,\nbut at that time the form of government was changed and a republic\nfounded. The nation was then ruled by judges elected by the people (the\nNephite Republic). This portion of the history of the Nephites is a\nvery varied one. One-third of their time they were engaged in actual\nwar with the Lamanites, and at other times they were distracted with\ninternal convulsions and rebellions. About A. D.. 30, the republic was\noverthrown and the people split up into numerous independent tribes.\n(Myth of the Manuscript Found, p. 44.)\n\n4. _Time of the Departure of Jaredite Colony:_ The colony of Jared,\naccording to the Book of Mormon, departed from the Tower of Babel about\nthe time of the confounding of the people's language; which, if the\nHebrew chronology of the Bible be accepted, was an event that took\nplace 2,247 B. C. Through a special favor to the family of Jared and\nhis brother, Moriancumer, the language of these families, and that of\na few of their friends was not confounded. Under divine direction they\ndeparted from Babel northward into a valley called Nimrod, and thence\nwere led by the Lord across the continent of Asia eastward until they\ncame to the shore of the great sea--Pacific Ocean--which divided the\nlands. Here they remained four years; and then by divine appointment\nconstructed eight barges in which to cross the mighty ocean to a land\nof promise, to which God had covenanted to bring them; to a land \"which\nwas choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had reserved for\na righteous people..\" After a severely stormy passage--continuing for\n344 days, the colony landed on the western coast of North America,\n\"probably south of the Gulf of California.\" Soon after their arrival\nthe people of the colony began to spread out upon the face of the land,\nand multiply, and till the earth; \"and they did wax strong in the\nland.\" Previous to the demise of Moriancumer and Jared, the people were\ncalled together and a kingly government founded, Orihah, the youngest\nson of Jared being anointed king.\n\n5. _Composition and Number of Lehi's Colony:_ Lehi was one of the many\nprophets at Jerusalem who predicted the calamities which befell the\nJewish nation on the second invasion of Judea by King Nebuchadnezzar,\nearly in the sixth century B. C. Lehi incurred the wrath of that\nungodly people and was warned of God in a vision to depart from\nJerusalem with his family, and was also promised that inasmuch as\nhe would keep the commandments of God he should be led to a land\nof promise. From the wilderness where Lehi temporarily dwelt, two\nexpeditions to the fated city were made by his sons: one, to obtain a\ngenealogy of his fathers, and the Jewish scriptures (which resulted\nalso in adding one more to the colony in the person of Zoram, a servant\nof one Laban, a keeper of the Jewish records); the second, to induce\none Ishmael and his family to join Lehi's Colony in their exodus from\nJerusalem and journey to the promised land. In both these expeditions\nthey were successful in achieving their object. The colony now\nconsisted of some eighteen adult persons and a number of children.\n\n6. _Direction of Travel and Landing Place of Lehi's Colony:_ From the\nBook of Mormon and the word of the Lord to the prophet Joseph Smith,\nit is learned that Lehi's Colony traveled from Jerusalem nearly a\nsoutheast direction until they came to the 19th degree north latitude;\nthence nearly east to the sea of Arabia. Here the colony built a ship\nin which to cross the great waters, which as yet separated them from\nthe land of promise. They sailed in a southeasterly direction, and\nlanded on the continent of South America in about 30 degrees south\nlatitude.\n\n7. _Conditions in Jerusalem at the Departure of Lehi's Colony:_ The\nstory of Zedekiah's reign in Jerusalem, the conditions that obtained\namong the people, and the warnings which God sent by many prophets\n(Lehi among the rest) is thus told in II Chronicles, chapter xxxvi:\n\"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and\nreigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in\nthe sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah\nthe prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled\nagainst King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he\nstiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord\nGod of Israel. Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people,\ntransgressed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and\npolluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And\nthe Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising\nup betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and\non his dwelling places: But they mocked the messengers of God, and\ndespised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the\nLord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.\"\n\n8. _Mulek's Colony:_ According to the Bible narrative of King\nZedekiah's reign, when Jerusalem fell into the hands of the king of\nBabylon (588 B. C.), King Zedekiah himself well nigh made his escape.\nFor when the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night,\nby the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's\ngarden, the king went the way toward the plain. But his flight being\nbetrayed by an enemy among his own people, the army of the Chaldeans\npursued Zedekiah early in the morning and overtook him in the plain\nnear Jericho. The king's army was scattered from him at the time he\nwas captured; for \"those friends and captains of Zedekiah who had fled\nout of the city with him, when they saw their enemies near them, they\nleft him, and dispersed themselves, some one way and some another,\nand every one resolved to save himself; so the enemy took Zedekiah\nalive, when he was deserted by all but a few, with his children and\nhis wives.\" The unfortunate king was taken before the king of Babylon,\nwhose headquarters were then at Riblah, in Syria, where \"they gave\njudgment upon him.\" The sons of Zedekiah were slain in his presence;\nafter which his eyes were put out; he was bound in fetters and carried\nto Babylon, where subsequently he died. But among the king's friends\nwho escaped, were a number who carried with them one of Zedekiah's\nsons, named Mulek; and according to the Book of Mormon, this company\n\"journeyed in the wilderness and were brought by the hand of the Lord\nacross the great waters,\" into the western hemisphere. It is learned\nby an incidental remark in the Book of Mormon that the colony of Mulek\nlanded somewhere in the north continent of the western hemisphere; and\nfor that reason the north continent was called Mulek, by the Nephites;\nand the south continent, Lehi; and this for the reason that the Lord\nbrought the colonies bearing these names to the north and south land\nrespectively.\n\n9. _The Government of the Jaredites:_ Of the nature of Jaredite\ngovernment little can be learned beyond the fact that after the\nelection of the first king, Orihah, the hereditary principle was\nrecognized; and although there were frequent contestants for the\nthrone, and occasional usurpations of the kingly authority, the\nlegitimate line of hereditary monarchs seems to have been reasonably\nwell maintained. It appears not to have been part of the constitution\nof the government, however, that the rights of heredity in the royal\nhouse should descend to the eldest son. It frequently happened that the\nson born in the old age of the reigning monarch succeeded to the kingly\npower, a course which perhaps accounts for the occasional rebellions of\ntheir brothers, though the rights of the first born are never urged as\nthe cause of the quarrels.\n\n10. _The Nephite Kingdom:_ What the nature of this kingly government\nwas, what secondary officers existed in it, and what means were\nemployed for the administration of its laws cannot be learned from the\nNephite record. For some time the community over which the established\ngovernment held sway was but a small one, hence the kingly office had\nno such dignity as attaches to it in more extensive governments; but\nwas most likely akin to the petty kingdoms which existed in Judea\nat various times and with which Nephi and some few of those who had\naccompanied him from Jerusalem were acquainted. The Nephites had the\nscriptures containing the law of Moses, and were taught to some extent\nin some of the customs of the Jews, but not in all of them. And these\ncustoms, and the law of Moses administered with no very great amount\nof machinery, I apprehend constituted the character of the Nephite\ngovernment. Under it the Nephites lived for a period of more than four\nhundred and fifty years.\n\n11. _The Nephite Republic:_ The transition from a kingly form of\ngovernment to what may be called a democracy was made at the death of\nMosiah II; 509 years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem, or 91 years B.\nC. The Israelitish genius in matters of government inclines them to the\nacceptance of what men commonly call a theocracy, which is defined as\nmeaning literally \"a state governed in the name of God.\" The election\nof this form of government by Israelites as most desirable, grows out\nof the fact of the Mosaic legislation; for Moses received the law by\nwhich Israel was governed direct from Jehovah; its regulations were\ncarried out in Jehovah's name by the administration of judges, both\nduring the life time of Israel's great prophet and also after his\ndemise. Living thus under the divine law, administered in the name of\nJehovah by judges divinely appointed, was to be governed of God.\n\n12. _Civilization and Government Among the Lamanites:_ The Lamanites\nin respect of these matters should not be overlooked. It is true that\nthey were idle; that they loved the wilderness and dwelt in tents;\nthat they depended upon the fruits of the chase and such products of\nthe earth as the rich lands they occupied produced without the labor\nof man, as the principal means of their sustenance; still they came\nin contact now and then with Nephite civilization, which must have\nmodified somewhat their inclination to utter barbarism. * * * * * That\nthere was some system and regularity in Lamanite government must be\napparent from the degree of efficiency to which it must have arisen in\norder to conduct the protracted wars with the Nephites. The largeness\nof their armies, the length of the wars, and the extensive scale on\nwhich they were projected, would indicate the existence of some strong,\ncentral government capable of making its authority respected. That such\na government existed among the Lamanites is disclosed through the facts\nthat are brought to light by the mission of the young Nephite princes,\nthe sons of Mosiah II., in the century preceding the birth of Messiah.\nIt appears that at that time what I shall venture to call the Lamanite\nEmpire was divided into a number of petty kingdoms whose kings, as it\nalways the case among semi-civilized peoples, were possessed of great\nand arbitrary power; but these in turn seem to have been subject to a\ncentral ruler whose dominion extended over all, and whose power in his\nlarger sphere was as absolute as that of the petty kings in the smaller\nstates.\n\n\n\nLESSON IV.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                 REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Civilization in Ancient America._                 Book of Mormon. Book\n        1. Jaredite, Extent and Nature of.              of Ether.\n        2. Nephite, Character of.\n        3. Lamanite Civilization, Extent and\n           Character of.\n  _II. Religion Among the Ancient Nations               Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n         of America._                                   (No. 7), Chap. xiii.\n         1. Among the Jaredites.                        Notes 1, 2, 3.\n         2. The Nephites.\n         3. The People of Zarahemla.\n         4. The Lamanites.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is\nsufficient for the meek. * * * * And if men will come unto me I will\nshow unto them their weaknesses. I give unto men weaknesses that they\nmay be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble\nthemselves before me.\"_--THE LORD TO MORONI.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Religion of the Jaredites:_ \"Relative to the religion that obtained\namong the Jaredites, we are left in well nigh as much ignorance as\nwe are concerning the nature of the subordinate features of their\ngovernment. The two brothers, Moriancumr and Jared, seem to have been\namong the righteous people of Babel; so much so in fact that Moriancumr\nwas a very great prophet of God, and had direct access to the source of\nrevelation; * * * * He so far prevailed with God through faith that he\nbeheld him face to face, and talked with him as a man speaks with his\nfriend. That is, he saw and talked with the pre-existent spirit of the\nLord Jesus. * * * * * Moriancumr was commanded, however, not to suffer\nthe things he had seen and heard to go into the world until the Lord\nJesus should have lived in the flesh. He was commanded to write what\nhe had both seen and heard, and seal it up that it might be preserved\nto come forth in due time to the children of men. While Moriancumr\nwas prohibited from making known to his people the great things thus\nrevealed to him, his knowledge of the things of God must have given\nhim wonderful power and influence in teaching his people the righteous\ntruths which are fundamental and universal. * * * * The fifth monarch,\nEmer, possessed such faith that he, like Moriancumr, had the blessed\nprivilege of seeing \"the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and\nglory in his day.\" And of the whole people it is said, \"never could\n[there] be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by\nthe hand of the Lord.\" All of which is good evidence that the Jaredites\nat this time (in the reign of Lib, the sixteenth monarch) were a\nrighteous people; and this righteousness was doubtless brought about by\nthe preaching of faith in God and his laws as only Moriancumr and other\nprophets whom God raised up to the Jaredite nation could preach it.\n\n2. _The Religion of the Nephites:_ Religion among the Nephites\nconsisted in the worship of the true and living God, the Jehovah of\nthe Jews, whose revelations to the children of Israel through Moses\nand all the prophets to Jeremiah were brought with them into the new\nworld. They therefore accepted into their faith all the Bible truths,\nand in its historical parts they had before them the valuable lessons\nwhich Bible history teaches. They looked forward also to the coming\nof Messiah, through Prophecy; and when he finally came and taught the\ngospel in its fulness they accepted it and thus became Christians.\n\n3. _Religion of the Lamanites:_ The religion of Lamanites is more\ndifficult to determine than their government. It is chiefly the\nabsence of religion and of its influence that must be spoken of.\nTaught to believe that the traditions of their fathers respecting God,\nthe promised Messiah, and the belief in a future life were untrue;\npersuaded to believe that their fathers had been induced to leave\nfatherland, and their rich possessions therein because of the dreams\nof the visionary Lehi; firm in their conviction that the elder sons\nof Lehi had been defrauded of their right to govern the colony by\nthe younger son, Nephi, and that through the force of the religious\ninfluence he learned to wield by following the spiritual example (to\nthem, perhaps, the trickery) of his father--it was in the spirit of\nhatred of religion that the Lamanites waged wars upon the Nephites, to\nsubvert religion and free men from its influence. But the Lamanites\nwere true to human instincts. They freed themselves, as they supposed,\nfrom one superstition, only to plunge into others that were really\ncontemptible--the superstition of idolatry; for they were an idolatrous\npeople. This remark, however, must be understood in a general sense,\nand as applying to the Lamanites proper previous to the coming of\nMessiah--of the followers, and the descendants of the followers, of the\nelder brothers of the first Nephi, Laman and Lemuel. After the coming\nof Messiah, when in the third century, A. D., the old distinctions of\nNephite and Lamanite were revived, after the long period of peace and\nrighteousness following the advent of Christ, they had no reference\nto race or family distinctions, as they had when first employed; but\nwere strictly party distinctions; used, when adopted again in the\nperiod named, to indicate the Church or religious party, and the\nanti-religious party, respectively.\n\n4. _The Priesthood of the Nephites:_ In order to offer sacrifices and\nadminister in the other ordinances of the law of Moses (which the\nNephites were commanded to observe), it was necessary, of course, that\nthey have a priesthood, and this they had; but not the priesthood\nafter the order of Aaron; for that was a priesthood that could only\nproperly be held by Aaron's family and the tribe of Levi; while Lehi\nwas of the tribe of Manasseh. Lehi held the priesthood, however, the\nhigher priesthood, which was after the order of Melchisedek, and was a\nprophet and minister of righteousness. This he conferred upon his son\nNephi, and Nephi shortly after his separation from his elder brothers\non the land of promise, consecrated his two younger brothers, Jacob\nand Joseph, to be priests and teachers unto his people. Jacob, when\nexplaining his calling to his brethren, states that he had been called\nof God, \"and ordained after the manner of his holy order.\" What the\nsignificance of the phrase \"his holy order\" means, is learned very\ndistinctly from other parts of the Book of Mormon. Alma, for instance,\nbefore giving up the chief judgeship of the land, is represented as\nconfining himself \"wholly to the holy priesthood of the holy order\nof God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of\nrevelation and prophecy.\" Again Alma explains, \"I am called * * * *\naccording to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus, yea, I am\ncommanded to stand and testify unto this people.\" All of which is made\nstill clearer by what Alma says later. Having given an explanation of\nthe plan of redemption which was laid for man's salvation, and which\nhe represents as having been understood from earliest times, he adds:\n\"I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests\nafter his holy order, which was after the order of his Son (meaning\nJesus Christ), to teach these things unto the people. * * * * This holy\npriesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the\nfoundation of the world, or in other words, being without beginning of\ndays or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity.\n* * * * Thus they become the high priests forever after the order of\nthe Son, the only begotten of the Father, who is full of grace, equity\nand truth.\" Alma then admonishes his people to be humble \"even as the\npeople in the days of Melchisedek, who was also a high priest after\nthe same order (of which he had spoken). * * * * And he was the same\nMelchisedek to whom Abraham paid tithes.\" The Nephite priesthood,\nthen, was not a priesthood after Aaron's order, but of a higher order,\neven the priesthood after the order of the Son of God; the same kind\nof priesthood held by Melchisedek, by Moses, by Lehi, and many other\nprophets in Israel. That this higher priesthood was competent to act\nin administering the ordinances under what is known as the law of\nMoses is evident from the fact that it so administered before the\nAaronic or Levitical priesthood proper was given; and the fact that\nthere was given the household of Aaron and the tribe of Levi a special\npriesthood, by no means detracts from the right and power of the higher\nor Melchisedek priesthood to officiate in the ordinances of the law\nof Moses; for certainly the higher order of priesthood may officiate\nin the functions of the lower, when necessity requires it. All the\nsacrifices and ordinances under the law of Moses, administered by the\nNephite priesthood, I say again, were observed with due appreciation\nof the fact that they were of virtue only as they shadowed forth the\nthings to be done by Messiah when he should come to earth, in the\nflesh, on his great mission of atonement.\" (Y. M. M. I. A. Manuals,\n1903-5, pp. 137-8.)\n\n\n\nLESSON V.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                   REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Value of the Book of Mormon._                       Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n                                                              (No. 7), Chap. ii.\n        1. As a Witness to the Authenticity                   The Gospel, Chap. vii\n           and Credibility of the Bible.                      and viii.\n           (a) Of Parts of the Old Testament.                 I Nephi, v: 10-16, and\n           (b) Of Parts of the New Testament.                 Comments Y. M. M. I. A.\n           (c) Of the Whole Gospel Story.                     Manual (No. 7), pp. 14, 15.\n                                                              Note.\n        2. As Contributing Larger Views of                    II Nephi, xxix. Alma,\n           the Justice and Mercy of God in                    xxxix: 1-8. See also \"Defence\n           His Hand-Dealings with the Human                   of the Faith and\n           Race in Respect of Revelation.                     the Saints\" Art. Revelation\n           (a) With the Ancient Americans--Jaredite           and Inspiration, also\n               and Nephites.                                  note.\n           (b) With the Gentiles.\n           (c) With All Nations and Races\n               of Men.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree\nof a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their\ndesires, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he\nalloteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto\nsalvation or unto destruction.\"_--ALMA.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Witness of the Western Hemisphere:_ A writer (Rev. John\nWatson--\"Ian Maclaren\") held much in esteem by the orthodox Christian\nworld--and deservedly so--in a noble work, \"The Life of the Master,\"\nissued from the press, 1901, said:\n\n    \"Were a parchment discovered in an Egyptian mound, six inches\n    square, containing fifty words which were certainly spoken by\n    Jesus, this utterance would count more than all the books which\n    have been published since the first century. If a veritable picture\n    of the Lord could be unearthed from a catacomb, and the world could\n    see with its own eyes what like he was, it would not matter that\n    its colors were faded, and that it was roughly drawn, that picture\n    would have at once a solitary place amid the treasures of art.\"\n\nIf this be true, and I think no one will or can question it, then how\nvaluable indeed must be this whole volume of scripture, the Book of\nMormon! Containing not fifty, but many hundred works spoken by Jesus!\nContaining also an account of the hand dealings of God with the people\ninhabiting the western hemisphere, from earliest times to the fourth\ncentury after Christ. Wherein also are found his revelations to those\npeoples; his messages by angels sent directly from his presence to\ndeclare his word to them; his instructions, admonitions, reproofs, and\nwarnings to them through men inspired by his holy spirit; and last of\nall, the account of Messiah's appearance and ministry among the people,\nhis very words repeated, and, in some instances, rightly divided for\nus, that we may the better understand what of his teaching is general,\nand what special; what universal and permanent, and what local and\ntransient. How insignificant all the discoveries in Egypt, in ancient\nBabylon, Palestine, and the Sinaitic Peninsula are in comparison with\nthis New Witness of the western world! How paltry, valuable though\nthey are in themselves, seem the Rosetta Stone, the Moabite Stone and\nthe library of brick tablets from old Nineveh, in comparison with this\nNephite record--this volume of scripture! How feeble the voice of\nthe testimony of those monuments of the East to the authenticity and\ncredibility of the Bible and the truth of the gospel, in comparison\nwith the testimony found in the Book of Mormon--the voice of departed\nnations and empires of people speaking through their records for the\ntruth of God--for the verity of the gospel of Jesus Christ--a voice\nsufficient to overwhelm unbelief and forever make sure the foundations\nof faith! It was mainly for this purpose that the Nephite records were\nwritten, preserved, and finally brought forth to the world. (Y. M. M.\nI. A. Manual, No. 7, p. 21.)\n\n2. _The Hand Dealings of God with All Men in Relation to Revelation:_\nThe following appears in the Book of Mormon, with reference to God's\ncourse in making known his mind and will to the children of men:\n\n    \"I (the Lord) command all men, both in the east and in the west,\n    and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea,\n    that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of\n    the books which shall be writen I will judge the world, every man\n    according to his works, according to that which is written. \"For\n    behold, I will speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; and I\n    will also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I\n    will also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which\n    I have led away, and they shall write it; and I will also speak\n    unto all nations of the earth, and they shall write it.\"\n\nThen the Lord proceeds to tell how in the dispensation of the fulness\nof times he will bring together and unite in testimony the words that\nhe has spoken to these various peoples and nations.\n\nAgain, it is writen in the same book:\n\n    \"Behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation\n    and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth\n    fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth\n    counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.\"\n\nThis is the \"Mormon\" theory of God's revelation to the children of men.\nWhile the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established\nfor the instruction of men; and is one of God's instrumentalities for\nmaking known the truth, yet he is not limited to that institution for\nsuch purposes, neither in time nor place. God raises up wise men and\nprophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own\ntongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can\ncomprehend; not always giving a fulness of truth such as may be found\nin the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; but always giving that\nmeasure of truth that the people are prepared to receive. \"Mormonism\"\nholds, then, that all the great teachers among all nations and in\nall ages, are servants of God. They are inspired men, appointed to\ninstruct God's children according to the conditions in the midst of\nwhich he finds them. Hence it is not obnoxious to \"Mormonism\" to\nregard Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher and moralist, as a\nservant of God, inspired to a certain degree by him to teach those\ngreat moral maxims which have governed those millions of God's children\nfor lo! these many centuries. It is willing to regard Gautama, Buddha\nas an inspired servant of God, teaching a measure of the truth, at\nleast giving to these people that twilight of truth by which they may\nsomewhat see their way. So with the Arabian prophet, that wild spirit\nthat turned the Arabians from worshiping idols to a conception of\nthe Creator of heaven and earth that was more excellent than their\nprevious conception of Deity. And so the sages of Greece and of\nRome. So the reformers of early Protestant times. Wherever God finds\na soul sufficiently enlightened and pure; one with whom his Spirit\ncan communicate, he makes of him a teacher of men. While the path of\nsensuality and darkness may be that which most men tread, a few, to\nparaphrase the words of a moral philosopher of high standing, have\nbeen led along the upward path; a few in all countries and generations\nhave been wisdom seekers, or seekers of God. They have been so because\nthe Divine Word of Wisdom has looked upon them, choosing them for the\nknowledge and service of himself. (Defense of the Faith and the Saints,\nArt. \"Revelation and Inspiration.\")\n\n3. _The Book of Mormon Ensemble a Witness for the Truth of the Hebrew\nand Christian Revelation:_ It is, however, the Book of Mormon as a\nwhole in which its greatest value as a witness for the truth of the\nBible, and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, most appears. I\nmean the Book of Mormon apart from its reference to an abridgement\nof the ancient record of the Jaredites; and the transcriptions from\nthe ancient record on brass plates carried by Lehi's colony to the\nwestern world. In the Book of Mormon so considered we have the record\nof the hand-dealings of God with the peoples that inhabited the western\nhemisphere. We have in it the record of those things which occurred\nin a branch of the house of Israel that God was preparing for the\nsame great event for which he was training the house of Israel in the\neastern world, viz., the advent of the Messiah, and the acceptance\nof the gospel through which all mankind are to be saved. This branch\nof the house of Israel, broken from the parent tree and planted in\nthe western hemisphere, brought with them the traditions and hopes of\nIsrael; they brought with them as we have already seen, the scriptures,\nthe writings of Moses and the prophets down to the reign of Zedekiah,\nking of Judah; but what is more important than all this they came\nto the western world with the favor and blessing of Israel's God\nupon them, and Israel's peculiar privilege of direct communication\nwith God through inspired dreams, the visitation of angels, and the\nvoice of God. Lehi's colony was led to the western world by prophets,\ninspired of the Lord, their journey being marked by many and peculiar\nmanifestations of his presence among them. After their arrival in the\nwestern world, to them a land of promise, the Lord from time to time\nraised up prophets among them, who instructed them in the ways of the\nLord; who reproved them when overtaken in transgression; who announced\njudgements against them when persuasion was of no avail for their\ncorrection; who warned them by the spirit of prophecy of approaching\ndisasters; and who held continually before them the hope of Israel, the\nadvent of the Messiah, who, by his suffering and death on the cross,\nwould redeem mankind.\n\nIt was much in this manner and for the same purpose that God dealt with\nhis people in the eastern world; and the fact that his course with the\npeople on the western hemisphere was substantially the same as that\nfollowed with those of the East, establishes at once his justice and\nmercy towards his children, and bears testimony to the great truths\nthat indeed God is no respecter of persons, and that in every land he\nraises up for himself witnesses of his power and goodness.\n\n\n\nLESSON VI.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                       REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Value of the Book of Mormon\n        (Continued.)_\n        1. As Giving a Supplementary and                          Book of Ether, Chap. iii.\n           a Very Definite Revelation of                          III Nephi--the whole\n           Jesus Christ.                                          book.[1]\n           (a) To the Brother of Jared.\n           (b) To the Nephites.\n        2. As Revealing Very Great and Important\n           Doctrines.[2]\n           (a) The Reason for Man's Fall.                         Y. M. M. I. A. Manual\n           (b) The Purpose of Man's Existence.                    (No. 9), chap. vii. The\n           (c) The True Immortality of                            whole chapter is devoted\n               Man.                                               to Book of Mormon Doctrines.\n           (d) The Agency of Man.                                 II Nephi, ii. Alma xli,\n           (e) The Antiquity of the Gospel.                       vlii.\n           (f) The Necessity of--Opposite\n               Existences.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning\nrestoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness [while\nremaining in sin]. Behold I say unto you, wickedness never was\nhappiness.\"_ ALMA.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Book of Mormon Doctrine of the Fall of Adam:_ Here, then,\nstands the truth so far as it may be gathered from God's word and the\nnature of things: There is in man an eternal, uncreated, self-existing\nentity, call it \"intelligence,\" \"mind,\" \"spirit,\" \"soul\"--what you\nwill, so long as you recognize it, and regard its nature as eternal.\nThere came a time when in the progress of things, (which is only\nanother way of saying in the \"nature of things\") an earth-career, or\nearth existence, because of the things it has to teach, was necessary\nto the enlargement, to the advancement of these \"intelligences,\" these\n\"spirits,\" \"souls.\" Hence an earth is prepared; and one sufficiently\nadvanced and able, by the nature of him to bring to pass the event, is\nchosen, through whom this earth-existence * * * * may be brought to\npass. He comes to earth with his appointed spouse. He comes primarily\nto bring to pass man's earth-life. He comes to the earth with the\nsolemn injunction upon him: \"Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish\nthe earth, and subdue it.\" But he comes with the knowledge that this\nearth-existence of eternal \"Intelligences\" is to be lived under\ncircumstances that will contribute to their enlargement, to their\nadvancement. They are to experience joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure;\nwitness the effect of good and evil, and exercise their agency in the\nchoice of good or of evil. To accomplish this end, the local or earth\nharmony of things must be broken. Evil to be seen, and experienced,\nmust enter the world, which can only come to pass through the violation\nof law. The law is given--\"of the tree of the knowledge of good and\nevil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day thou eatest of it thou\nshalt surely die.\" The woman, forgetful of the purpose of the earth\nmission of herself and spouse is led by flattery and deceit into a\nviolation of that law, and becomes subject to its penalty--merely\nanother name for its effect. But the man, not deceived, but discerning\nclearly the path of duty, and in order that earth existence may be\nprovided for the great host of \"spirits\" to come to earth under the\nconditions prescribed--he also transgresses the law, not only that\nmen might be, but that they might have that being under the very\ncircumstances deemed essential to the enlargement, to the progress of\neternal Intelligences. Adam did not sin because deceived by another.\nHe did not sin maliciously, or with evil intent; or to gratify an\ninclination to rebellion against God, or to thwart the Divine purposes,\nor to manifest his own pride. Had his act of sin involved the taking\nof life rather than eating a forbidden fruit, it would be regarded\nas a \"sacrifice\" rather than a \"murder.\" This to show the nature of\nAdam's transgression. It was a transgression of the law--\"for sin is\nthe transgression of the law\"--that conditions deemed necessary to the\nprogress of eternal Intelligences might obtain. Adam sinned that men\nmight be, and not only \"be,\" but have that existence under conditions\nessential to progress.\n\n2. _Book of Mormon Doctrine of the Atonement:_ The atonement, its\neffects and operation, is dealt with at length in II Nephi ii, and in\nAlma xli and xlii. According to the doctrine there set down the effect\nof Adam's transgression was to destroy the harmony of the world. Man as\na consequence of his fall was banished from the presence of God, and\nmade subject also to a temporal death--the separation of the spirit\nand body--which conditions would have remained eternally fixed, the\nnature of inexorable law--\"called the justice of God\"--admitting of\nnothing less. But this was justice untempered by mercy: \"And thus\nwe see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of\njustice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be\ncut off from his presence.\" But mercy must in some way be made to\nreach man, and that without destroying justice: \"And now the plan of\nmercy could not be brought about, except an atonement should be made;\ntherefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring\nabout the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God\nmight be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.\" (Alma xlii:\n14.) The atonement brings to pass \"the resurrection of the dead; and\nthe resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of\nGod.\" In other words, the atonement redeems men from the effects of\nAdam's moral transgression; and also brings the element of mercy into\nGod's moral economy respecting man's earth-life. That is to say, the\natonement frees man from the consequences of Adam's transgression;\nleaves him free to choose good or evil--both of which are in the\nworld--as he shall elect; but he is responsible for the consequences\nof that individual choice, which is only another way of saying that\nman is responsible for his own sins. Still under the operation of\nMercy, which has been brought into this world's moral economy through\nthe atonement of Christ, man may obtain forgiveness of sin through\nrepentance; for \"mercy claimeth the penitent.\" \"A law is given, and a\npunishment affixed,\" but \"a repentance [is] granted; which repentance\nmercy claimeth; otherwise justice claimeth the creature, and executeth\nthe law, and the law inflicteth the punishment.\" (Alma xlii: 23.) (Y.\nM. Manual, No. 9, chap, vii.)\n\n3. _The Book of Mormon Doctrine of Opposite Existences:_ Of this same\nclass of ideas is what I shall call the Book of Mormon doctrine of\n\"opposite existences,\" what the scholastics would call \"antinomies.\"\nBe not disheartened at this statement of the subject; the Book of\nMormon presentation of it will be much simpler; that simplicity in\nfact is part of its originality, an evidence of its being inspired.\nThe statement of the doctrine in question occurs in a discourse of\nLehi's on the subject of the atonement. The aged prophet represents\nhappiness or misery as growing out of the acceptance or rejection of\nthe atonement of the Christ, and adds that the misery consequent upon\nits rejection is in opposition to the happiness which is affixed to\nits acceptance: \"For it must needs be,\" he continues, \"that there is\nan opposition in all things. If [it were] not so * * * * righteousness\ncould not be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness\nnor misery; neither good nor bad. Wherefore [that is, if this fact\nof opposites did not exist], all things must needs be a compound in\none; wherefore, if it [the sum of things] should be one body, it must\nneeds remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor\nincorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.\nWherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught;\nwherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.\nWherefore this thing [i. e. the absence of opposite existences which\nLehi is supposing] must needs destroy the wisdom of God, and his\neternal purposes; and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of\nGod.\" This may be regarded as a very bold setting forth of the doctrine\nof antinomies, and yet I think the logic of it, and the inevitableness\nof the conclusion unassailable. * * * * * As there can be no good\nwithout the antinomy of evil, so there can be no evil without its\nantinomy, or antithesis--good. The existence of one implies the\nexistence of the other; and, conversely, the non-existence of the later\nwould imply the non-existence of the former. It is from this basis that\nLehi reached the conclusion that either his doctrine of antinomies, or\nthe existence of opposites, is true, or else there are no existences.\nThat is to say--to use his own words--\"If ye shall say there is no\nlaw, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no\nsin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no\nrighteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness\nnor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery.. And if these things\nare not, there is no God, and if there is no God, we are not, neither\nthe earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither\nto act nor to be acted upon: wherefore, all things must have vanished\naway.\"\n\nBut as things have not vanished away, as there are real existences,\nthe whole series of things for which he contends are verities. \"For\nthere is a God,\" he declares, \"and he hath created all things, both the\nheavens and the earth, and all things that in them are: both things to\nact, and things to be acted upon.\" (II Nephi ii. For a larger treatment\nof the theme see Y. M. M. I. A.. Manual, No. 9, chap. xxxix.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. This book has been called the \"Fifth Gospel,\" and deservedly so,\nthough he who first used the term tried to disprove its claims. It\nrichly deserves the title, however. Also it has been called the\n\"American Gospel,\" see _Defense of the Faith and the Saints_, Art. \"The\nFifth Gospel.\"\n\n2. The references under this subdivision, and the notes of this lesson\nare not intended to be considered as doctrines to be mastered here. The\nreferences and notes are given just to be read with a view to fixing\nin the mind of the student the fact that the Book of Mormon deals with\nthese important subjects and is of value for that reason. The class is\nnot dealing with doctrine now but with the Book of Mormon as Nephite\nliterature; hence teachers will not allow their class to linger over\nthese very attractive subjects, now.\n\n\n\nLESSON VII.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_(SPECIAL LESSON--TWO SUBJECTS.) Note. I._\n\n  SUBJECTS.                                                   REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Conditions on Which the Gentile                     I Nephi, xiii, also Chap. xiv,\n        Races May Continue Their                              Chap. xxii.\n        Freedom and Prosperity in the                         II Nephi, Chap. i, and\n        Americas--the Land of Zion._                          Chap. x.\n        1. The Land of America a Choice                       III Nephi, xxi. Book of\n           and Promised Land.                                 Ether, Chap. ii. \"Defense\n        2. The Inheritance Rights of the                      of the Faith and the\n           Gentiles in the Land of Zion.                      Saints\" Art. Mormon\n        3. The Decrees of God Concerning                      Views of America.\n           the Land of Zion.\n  _II. Meet the Charge of Mormon Disloyalty\n         from Book of Mormon Premises._\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach\nto any people._--SOLOMON.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Extempore Speech:_ We are again arrived at our exercise which\nrequires extemporaneous speaking--the method enjoined upon us by the\nword of the Lord. For he says \"neither take ye thought before hand what\nye shall say\"--he adds in the very same paragraph, however--\"treasure\nup in your mind continually the words of life, and it shall be given\nyou in the very hour that portion which shall be meted to every\nman.\" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. lxxxiv: 85). If this counsel is followed the\nteaching ministry of the church (as it does) will employ the method\nof extempore speech. But that method does not mean that materials\nshall not be gathered from the fields of knowledge, and hived with\nthe studious years, to be used \"in the very hour\" that one has need\nto use it. Extempore speech does not mean speech without thought,\nwithout knowledge, of the matter to be presented. It may even be said\nthat it requires more thorough knowledge of a subject than the written\nmethod or the memorized method of speech. Extemporaneous speech to be\nsuccessful must be speech from a fullness of knowledge of the subject.\nAnd as connected with the teaching of the Gospel must be speech arising\nout of having \"treasured up continually the words of life.\" The true\nextemporaneous method of speech is not the lazy man's method, on\nthe contrary it requires that those who follow it, shall have their\nknowledge of things most carefully digested, and their intellectual\npowers most carefully trained.\n\n2. _St. Augustine's Advice to the Preacher:_ Comparing the advantages\nof extempore speech with other forms, Mr. Pittenger, in his work\nalready quoted several times, relates the following of the great\nChristian teacher of the sixth century:\n\n    \"Augustine, the great Christian writer and preacher, has not left\n    us in ignorance as to which mode of address he preferred. He\n    enjoins the \"Christian teacher\" to make his hearers comprehend what\n    he says--\"to read in the eyes and countenances of his auditors\n    whether they understand him or not, and to repeat the same thing,\n    by giving it different terms, until he perceives it is understood,\n    an advantage those cannot have who, by a servile dependence upon\n    their memories, learn their sermons by heart and repeat them as\n    so many lessons. Let not the preacher,\" he continues, \"become the\n    servant of words; rather let words be servants to the preacher.\"\n    (Extempore Speech, p. 34-5.)\n\n3. _W. E. Gladstone on Methods of Preparation:_ Mr. Pittenger,\nour author above quoted, asked the late Mr. W. E. Gladstone for a\nstatement of his method of preparation for public speaking, and in a\nvery courteous letter that gentleman replied, from which I quote the\nfollowing, which is all he says on the subject of preparation:\n\n    \"I venture to remark, first, that your countrymen, so far as a very\n    limited intercourse and experience can enable me to judge, stand\n    very little in need of instruction or advice as to public speaking\n    from this side of the water. * * * * Suppose, however, I was to\n    make the attempt, I should certainly found myself mainly on a\n    double basis, compounded as follows: First, of a wide and thorough\n    general education, which I think gives a suppleness and readiness\n    as well as firmness of tissue to the mind not easily to be had\n    without this form of discipline. Second, of the habit of constant\n    and searching reflection on the subject of any proposed discourse.\n    Such reflection will naturally clothe itself in words, and of the\n    phrases it supplies many will spontaneously rise to the lips. I\n    will not say that no other forms of preparation can be useful, but\n    I know little of them, and it is on those, beyond all doubt, that I\n    should advise the young principally to rely.\" (Extempore Speech, p.\n    42.)\n\n\n\n_PART V._\n\n_The Modern Scriptures.--(A) The Book of Doctrine and Covenants.--(B)\nThe Pearl of Great Price._\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.[1]\n\n_(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                   REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The First of Direct Modern Revelations--Joseph        History of the Church,\n        Smith's First Vision._                              Vol 1, Chap. 1. Pearl of\n  _II. The First Compilation of Modern                      Great Price, pp. 81-7.\n         Revelations--The \"Book of Commandments.\"_          Note 1. Preface of Book\n                                                            of Commandments. History\n                                                            of the Church, Vol. I,\n                                                            pp. 221-226. Ibid 234-236,\n                                                            270. New Witness for\n                                                            God, Chap. x. Note 2 and\n                                                            3.\n  _III. The Book of Doctrine and Covenants._\n          1. History of the Book.                           History of the Church,\n          2. Character of the Book, its Composition.        Vol 11, Chap. xviii.\n          3. Testimonies respecting it.                     Y. M. M. I. Manual (No. 10),\n                                                            pp. 21-27.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT; Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments\nare of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the\nmanner of their language, that they might come to understanding. And\ninasmuch as they erred it might be made known: and inasmuch as they\nsought wisdom they might be instructed; and inasmuch as they sinned\nthey might be chastened, that they might repent; and inasmuch as they\nwere humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and\nreceive knowledge from time to time.\"_--THE LORD TO JOSEPH SMITH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Far-reaching Effect of the First Direct Revelation (Called\nJoseph Smith's First Vision) in Modern Times:_ How little that\nfair-haired boy, standing there in the unpruned forest, with the\nsunlight stealing through the trees about him, realized the burden\nplaced upon his shoulders that morning by reason of the visitation he\nreceived in answer to his prayer! Here is not the place for argument,\nthat is to come later; but let us consider the wide-sweeping effect of\nthis boy's vision upon the accepted theology of Christendom. First, it\nwas a flat contradiction to the assumption that revelation had ceased,\nthat God had no further communication to make to man. Second, it\nreveals the errors into which men had fallen concerning the personages\nof the Godhead. It makes it manifest that God is not an incorporeal\nbeing without form or body, or parts; on the contrary he appeared to\nthe Prophet in the form of a man, as he did to the ancient prophets.\nThus after centuries of controversy the simple truth of the scriptures\nwhich teach that man was created in the likeness of God--hence God\nmust be the same in form as man--was re-affirmed; Third, it corrected\nthe error of the theologians respecting the oneness of the persons of\nthe Father and the Son. Instead of being one person as the theologians\nteach, they are distinct persons, as much so as any father and son on\nearth; and the oneness of the Godhead referred to in the scriptures,\nmust have reference to unity of purpose and of will; the mind of the\none being the mind of the other, and so as to the will and other\nattributes. The announcement of these truths, coupled with that other\ntruth proclaimed by the Son of God, viz., that none of the sects and\nchurches of Christendom were acknowledged as the church or kingdom of\nGod, furnish the elements for a religious revolution that will affect\nthe very foundations of modern Christian theology. In a moment all\nthe rubbish concerning theology which had accumulated through all the\ncenturies since the gospel and authority to administer its ordinances\nhad been taken from the earth, was grandly swept aside--the living\nrocks of truth were made bare upon which the Church of Christ was to be\nfounded--a New Dispensation of the gospel was about to be committed to\nthe earth--God had raised up a witness for himself among the children\nof men. (New Witness for God, Vol. I, pp. 173-4.)\n\n2. _The Book of Commandments:_ By the middle of September, 1831, the\nrevelations which had been received by the Prophet for the direction\nof individuals and the Church had amounted to quite a number; and as\nthe Church about that time assembled in Conference at Hiram, Portage\nCounty, Ohio, and authorized W. W. Phelps to purchase a printing press\nto be set up at Independence, Missouri, it was resolved to make a\ncollection of these revelations and publish them in book form under\nthe title \"The Book of Commandments.\" A special conference was held on\nthis business on the first of November, at Hiram, on which occasion the\n\"Lord's Preface\" to the Book of Commandments was received by revelation\nthrough the Prophet. (This is now the Lord's Preface to the Book of\nDoctrine and Covenants, and stands as section 1.) The Prophet asked\nthe conference what testimony they were willing to attach to this\n\"Book of Commandments,\" which would shortly be sent to the world. A\nnumber of the brethren arose and said that they were willing to testify\nto the world that they knew that the revelations were of the Lord,\nand on the succeeding day--for the conference continued through two\ndays--the brethren arose in turn and bore witness of the truth of the\nBook of Commandments. (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. 222, note.)\nThe Prophet also received by inspiration the formal testimony which it\nwas the intention evidently to have the brethren in attendance at the\nconference sign, (see note 3), but as the book was never completely\nprinted, this testimony was not published, and its publication seems\nto have been neglected in subsequent collections and publications\nof the revelations. It was also resolved by the conference that the\nnumber of copies in the first edition to be printed at Independence,\nMissouri, should be 10,000, but finally in 1832, when the printing was\nbegun, it was considered prudent only to print an edition of 3,000.\n(Church History, Vol. I, p. 270.) The work of printing began and was\ncontinued until 160 pages had been printed, when, on the 20th day of\nJuly, 1833, mob violence broke out at Independence, the house of W. W.\nPhelps, which contained the printing establishment, was thrown down\nand the printing materials taken possession of by the mob. Many papers\nwere destroyed, and the family furniture thrown out of doors. A number\nof copies of the Book of Commandments, however, so far as printed,\nwas saved by members of the Church, and one of these coming into the\npossession of the late President Wilford Woodruff, he deposited it with\nthe Church Historian, in whose possession it now is, and accounted\nas among the precious documents of the collection of rare books and\nmanuscripts in the Historian's office.\n\n3. _The Testimony to the Truth of the Book of Commandments:_ \"The\ntestimony of the witnesses to the book of the Lord's commandments,\nwhich he gave to his Church through Joseph Smith, Jun., who was\nappointed by the voice of the Church for this purpose; we therefore\nfeel willing to bear testimony to all the world of mankind, to every\ncreature upon the face of all the earth and upon the islands of the\nsea, that the Lord has borne record to our souls through the Holy\nGhost, shed forth upon us, that these commandments were given by\ninspiration of God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily\ntrue. We give this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper;\nand it is through the grace of God, the Father, and his Son, Jesus\nChrist, that we are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this\ntestimony unto the world, that the children of men may be profited\nthereby.\" (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. 226.)\n\n4. _The Doctrine and Covenants:_ Having been hindered by their enemies\nfrom completing the publication of the \"Book of Commandments,\" the\nChurch renewed its efforts to publish the revelations in Kirtland,\nOhio. In September, 1834, a committee on compilation and arrangement\nwas appointed consisting of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery,\nSidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. About one year later this\ncommittee completed its labors, and on the 17th of August, 1835, a\ngeneral assembly of the Church convened in Kirtland, the quorums of\nthe priesthood were arranged in the order of their standing as then\nunderstood. President Joseph Smith and Frederick G. Williams were\nabsent in Michigan, and the Twelve were absent in the East, visiting\nthe churches. The \"Doctrine and Covenants\" was presented to the quorums\nseparately for their acceptance, and voted upon by them; after which it\nwas presented to and accepted by the general assembly by unanimous vote\nas the \"Doctrine and Covenants\" of their faith.\n\nAfter this action, W. W. Phelps presented an article (not a revelation)\non \"Marriage,\" and Oliver Cowdery one on \"Government and Laws in\nGeneral,\" both of which were ordered printed in the book of \"Doctrine\nand Covenants.\" There was also printed in the book a series of Seven\nLectures on Faith, that had previously been delivered before a\ntheological class in Kirtland. So that the Doctrine and Covenants then\ncomprised the Articles of Faith, seven in number, the two Articles on\nMarriage and Government and a collection of Revelations, (not all that\nhad been given, by the way,) the last forming the body and greater part\nof the book. (See History of the Church, Vol. II, chapter xviii.)\n\n5. _In What Light the Various Parts of the Doctrine and Covenants are\nto be Regarded:_ It is only the Revelations of God that are to be\nregarded as setting forth the absolute truth, the final word, so far as\nit is written, as the doctrine and the covenants of the Church. Hence\nthe parts of the \"Doctrine and Covenants\" that are not revelations are\nnot of the same rank with the revelations, and are only of binding\nforce as they are in agreement with these revelations. The following\nnote on these Lectures on Faith is from the History of the Church,\nVol. II, p. 176:\n\n    \"These 'Lectures on Theology' here referred to were afterwards\n    prepared by the Prophet (see page 180), and published in the\n    Doctrine and Covenants under the title 'Lectures on Faith.' They\n    are seven in number, and occupy the first seventy-five pages in the\n    current editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. They are not to\n    be regarded as of equal authority in matters of doctrine with the\n    revelations of God in the Doctrine and Covenants, but as stated by\n    Elder John Smith, who, when the book of Doctrine and Covenants was\n    submitted to the several quorums of the Priesthood for acceptance\n    (August 17, 1835), speaking in behalf of the Kirtland High Council,\n    'bore record that the revelations in said book were true, and\n    that the lectures were judicially written and compiled, and were\n    profitable for doctrine.\" The distinction which Elder John Smith\n    here makes should be observed as marking the difference between the\n    Lectures on Faith and the revelations of God in the Doctrine and\n    Covenants.\" (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 176.)\n\n6. _Testimony of the Twelve Apostles:_ As stated in note 4, the Twelve\nApostles were not present at the general assembly of the Church, held\non the 17th of August, 1835, at which time the Doctrine & Covenants\nwas accepted by the Church, but previous to their departure on their\nmissions to the churches in the East, their testimony to the truth of\nthe revelations was written and read by W. W. Phelps to the Saints in\nconference assembled, and stands as follows:\n\n    _\"The testimony of the Witnesses to the Book of the Lord's\n    Commandments, which commandments he gave to his Church through\n    Joseph Smith, Jun., who was appointed, by the voice of the Church,\n    for this purpose_.\n\n    \"We therefore feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of\n    mankind, to every creature upon the face of all the earth, that the\n    Lord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed\n    forth upon us, that these Commandments were given by inspiration of\n    God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily true. We give\n    this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper; and it is\n    through the grace of God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, that\n    we are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this testimony\n    unto the world, in the which we rejoice exceedingly, praying the\n    Lord always that the children of men may be profited thereby.\"\n\n    The Twelve Apostles of the Church at the time were: Thomas B.\n    Marsh, David W.. Patten, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson\n    Hyde, Wm. E. McLellin, Parley P. Pratt, Luke S. Johnson, William\n    Smith, Orson Pratt, John F. Boynton, Lyman E. Johnson. (History of\n    the Church, Vol. II, p. 245.)\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. The reading should now be from the Doctrine and Covenants, and so\ncontinued through the lessons dealing with that book.\n\n\n\nLESSON II.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                     REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Revelations--Classification[1] as                 Doctrine & Covenants--all\n        to Whom Given._                                     the Revelations.\n        (a) To Individuals.                                 Revelations to Individuals.\n        (b) To the Church.                                  (a) Secs. 3, 5, 6, 12, 14,\n        (c) To Groups of Elders.                            15, 19, 126.[2]\n        (d) To the world.                                   (b) Secs. 1, 45, 46.\n                                                            (c) Secs. 84, 58, 29, 61.\n                                                            (d) Sec. 76.\n  _II. Classification as to How They were\n         Received._\n         (a) Direct Word of Mouth from the                  (a) The First Vision,\n             Lord.                                          History of the Church,\n         (b) By Urim and Thummim.                           Vol. I, Chap. i; Doc. & Cov.,\n         (c) By Direct Communication of Angels.             Sec. 110.\n         (d) By the operations of the Spirit of             (b) Doc. & Cov., Secs.\n             God on the Prophet's Mind.                     3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17.\n                                                            (c) Doc. & Cov., Sec.\n                                                            110.\n                                                            (d) The greater number\n                                                            of the Revelations in the\n                                                            Doctrine and Covenants.\n  _III. Classification as to Subject Matter._               (a) Didactic Revelation,\n          (a) Didactic, Instruction or Direction            Doc. & Cov., Secs. 21, 24,\n              to Individuals, to the Elders, to             25, 26, 28, 68.\n              the Church.                                   (b) Revelation on Organization--Secs.\n          (b) On Organization of the Church                 20, 84, 102, 107, 124.\n              and Priesthood.                               (c) Doctrinal, Secs, 19,\n          (c) Doctrinal.                                    20, 21, 42, 76, 84, 88, 93.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart,\nby the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in\nyour heart. Now behold this is the Spirit of revelation; behold this is\nthe Spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the\nRed Sea, on dry ground..\"_--THE LORD TO OLIVER COWDERY.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _How the Revelations were Received:_ The Prophet Joseph Smith\nreceived revelations in every way that the Lord communicates his mind\nand will to man. Like Moses he knew the Lord face to face, stood in\nhis very presence, and heard his voice, as in the first communication\nthe Lord made to him, usually called the Prophet's first vision (See\nHistory of the Church, Vol. I, chapter 1, also Pearl of Great Price, p.\n85), as also in the vision given in the Kirtland Temple where he and\nOliver Cowdery saw the Lord standing on the breastwork of the pulpit\nand heard him speak to them. He received communications from angels as\nin the case of Moroni, who revealed to him the Book of Mormon; John\nthe Baptist, who restored the Aaronic Priesthood; and Peter, James and\nJohn, who restored the Melchisedek priesthood; also the communications\nof the angels mentioned in what is usually called, the Kirtland Temple\nVision. (See Doc. & Cov., Sec. 110.)\n\nHe received communications through Urim and Thummim, for by that\nmeans he translated the Book of Mormon and received a number of the\nrevelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, among others sections\n3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17. He received divine intelligence by\nopen visions, such intelligence as is contained in section 76, and\nsection 107. He also received revelations through the inspiration of\nGod, operating upon his mind; and indeed the larger number of the\nrevelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were received in this manner.\nSpeaking of the revelations which were compiled preparatory to the\npublication of the Book of Commandments, he desired that the labors of\nhimself and brethren who had been associated with him from the early\ndays of the Church up to that time should be acknowledged and made a\nmatter of record, saying, \"If this conference thinks these things worth\naccording to the mind of the spirit, _for by it these things_ [the\ncollected revelations] _were put into my heart_, which I know to be the\nSpirit of truth.\" This indicates the medium through which most of the\nrevelations came--from the inspired mind of the Prophet. (See also Doc.\n& Cov. Secs. 8, 9.)\n\n2. _The Manner of Inditing Revelations:_ Elder Parley P. Pratt gives\nthe following description of the manner in which a revelation was given\nthrough the Prophet in his presence.\n\n    \"After we had joined in prayer in his translating room he dictated\n    in our presence the following revelation: Each sentence was\n    uttered slowly and very distinctly, and with a pause between each,\n    sufficiently long for it to be recorded, by an ordinary writer, in\n    long hand. This was the manner in which all his written revelations\n    were dictated and written. There was never any hesitation,\n    reviewing, or reading back, in order to keep the run of the\n    subject; neither did any of these communications undergo revisions,\n    interlinings, or corrections. As he dictated them so they stood, so\n    far as I have witnessed; and I was present to witness the dictation\n    of several communications of several pages each. (Autobiography of\n    Parley P. Pratt, pp. 65-6.)\n\nThe statement of Elder Pratt needs modifying, at least to the extent\nof saying, that additions were made sometimes to the revelations, as\na comparison between the revelations as they appeared in so much of\nthe \"Book of Commandments\" as was published at Independence, in 1833,\nand the same revelations as they stand in the Book of Doctrine and\nCovenants. Indeed in the Doctrine and Covenants additions are sometimes\nnoted (see section 20, verses 65-67, and foot-note, also section 27,\nintroduction; also sec. 42, verses 31 and 34 and footnote). In the\nmain, however, the statement of Elder Pratt may be taken as not only\napplying to the revelations which he witnessed the dictation of, but to\nall that the Prophet received.\n\n3. _The Divers Manners in which Revelations were Given in Ancient\nTimes:_ As to the various ways in which the prophets in olden times\nreceived revelations, (agreeing with the various ways in which God\ncommunicated his mind and will to Joseph Smith) I quote the following\nfrom the \"Annotated Bible,\" published in 1859.\n\n    \"The divine communications were made to the prophets in divers\n    manners; God seems sometimes to have spoken to them in audible\n    voice; occasionally appearing in human form. At other times he\n    employed the ministry of angels, or made known his purposes by\n    dreams. But he most frequently revealed his truth to the prophets\n    by producing that supernatural state of the sentient, intellectual,\n    and moral faculties which the scriptures call 'vision.' Hence\n    prophetic announcements are often called 'visions,' i. e., things\n    seen; and the prophets themselves are called 'seers.' Although the\n    visions which the prophet beheld and the predictions of the future\n    which he announced were wholly announced by the divine Spirit, yet\n    the form of the communication, the imagery in which it is clothed,\n    the illustrations by which it is cleared up and impressed, the\n    symbols employed to bring it more graphically before the mind--in\n    short, all that may be considered as its garb and dress, depends\n    upon the education, habits, association, feelings and the whole\n    mental, intellectual and spiritual character of the prophet. Hence\n    the style of some is purer, more sententious, more ornate, or more\n    sublime than others.\"\n\nAlso the Reverend Joseph Armitage Robinson, D. D., Dean of Westminster\nand Chaplain of King Edward VII of England, respecting the manner in\nwhich the message of the Old Testament was received and communicated to\nman, said, as late as 1905:\n\n    \"The message of the Old Testament was not written by the divine\n    hand, nor dictated by an outward compulsion; it was planted in the\n    hearts of men, and made to grow in a fruitful soil. And then they\n    were required to express it in their own language, after their\n    natural methods, and in accordance with the stage of knowledge\n    which their time had reached. Their human faculties were purified\n    and quickened by the divine Spirit; but they spoke to their time\n    in the language of their time; they spoke a spiritual message,\n    accommodated to the experience of their age, a message of faith in\n    God, and of righteousness as demanded by a righteous God.\" (Defense\n    of the Faith and the Saints, p. 266-7.)\n\n4. _The Spirit of Revelation:_ In one of the revelations there is given\na description as to the manner in which revelations are given through\nthe operation of the spirit of the Lord upon the mind of man, \"for,\nverily,\" as Job puts it, \"there is a spirit in man and the inspiration\nof the Lord giveth them understanding.\" The revelation alluded to, is\none given to Oliver Cowdery in relation to his having the privilege of\ntranslating ancient records, by means of Urim and Thummim. The Lord\nsaid concerning such translation:\n\n    \"Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the\n    Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your\n    heart. Now, behold, this is the Spirit of revelation; behold, this\n    is the Spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through\n    the Red Sea on dry ground.\" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 8.)\n\nOliver's faith, however, seems to have failed him in the matter, and in\nexplanation of that failure, the Lord said to him:\n\n    \"And, behold, it is because that you did not continue as you\n    commenced, when you began to translate, that I have taken away this\n    privilege from you. Do not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me\n    that I have dealt with you after this manner. Behold, you have not\n    understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when\n    you took no thought, save it was to ask me; but, behold, I say\n    unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must\n    ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your\n    bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is\n    right; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but\n    you shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget\n    the thing which is wrong; therefore you cannot write that which is\n    sacred, save it be given you from me.\" (Doc. & Cov.. Sec. 8.)\n\nFrom this, it appears, that the co-operation of the mind of man\nby mighty effort is necessary to the obtaining of the spirit of\nrevelation. Prophets are not mere automations, who repeat, machine\nlike, what is given them. There must be striving for the Spirit of\ntruth, and the power to express it.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. The sections cited in this and the following classification do not\ngive all the revelations of the respective classes, only a few as\nillustrations.\n\n2. See note [1].\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                      REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Great Doctrinal Revelations._[1]                  Joseph Smith's Vision\n        1. Doctrines in Relation to God, to                 History of the Church,\n           Christ and the Atonement.                        Vol. I, Chap. i. Pearl of\n           (a) In Relation to God, and the                  Great Price, p. 85, p. (Note 1),\n               God-head.                                    Doc. & Cov.,\n           (b) In Relation to God, the Son.                 Sec. xx: 17, 19, 28; Sec.\n           (c) The Atonement, Redemption,                   cxxi: 32; Sec. cxxx: 22.\n               and Resurrection.                            Sec. xx: 21-28; Sec.\n                                                            lxxv: 20-24; xciii: 1-21.\n                                                            Sec. xx: 21-36; xix: 1-20;\n                                                            xviii: 11, 12.\n        2. Doctrines in Relation to Man and\n           His Earth Mission.\n           (a) The Nature of Man, and Relationship          Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii: 21,\n               to God.                                      23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35.\n           (b) The Agency of Man and Purpose                Sec. xxix: 34, 35, 39;\n               of Earth Life.                               lvii: 26-38; xciii: 29-32;\n                                                            xxix: 43; civ: 17-18.\n           (c) The Future of Man in varying                 Doc. & Cov., Sec. lxxvi,\n               degrees of his development,                  and Sec. lxxxviii: 14-35.\n               of Glory.                                    Doc. & Cov., Sec. xxix;\n           (d) The Eternity of the Marriage                 Sec. cxxxii.\n               Relation.\n           (e) The Nature of Angels and                     Sec. cxxxi: 1-4, 21, 23,\n               Ministering Spirits.                         29, 31, 33, 34, 35.\n                                                            Sec. cxxx.\n        3. Doctrines in Relation to Things.                 Doc. & Cov., xiv: 9, 31,\n           (a) Creation of the Earth, the                   32. Sec. lxxv: 23, 24; xciii: 8-10;\n               Mission of, the Future of.                   lxx: 1, 6-15; lxxxviii: 17-26.\n           (b) The Existence of Other                       lxxxviii: 36-62, and the\n               Planetary Systems Than                       foot notes of Elder Orson\n               Ours, that are the Habitat of                Pratt.\n               Intelligencies--the Children\n               of God.\n           (c) The Doctrine of Parallel Existences--of      Doc. & Cov., Sec.\n               Limitless Extension                          lxxxviii: 36, 37.\n               (space), and Everywhereness                  Ibid, 37; xciii: 33-35; also\n               of matter.                                   Pearl of Great Price,\n           (d) The Definition of Truth.                     Book of Abraham, also\n           (e) The Iminence of God in                       Book of Moses, Chap. i.\n               the Universe.                                New Witness for God,\n                                                            Chaps, xxviii-xxx.\n                                                            Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii;\n                                                            also Y. M. M. I. Manual\n                                                            (No. 9), Chap. vii, p. 393.\n                                                            Doc. & Cov., Sec.\n                                                            lxxxviii: 7-13, 45, et seq.\n                                                            Sec. xciii: 35.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or\nmade, neither indeed can be.\" All truth is independent in that sphere\nin which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence\nalso, otherwise there is no existence.\"_--THE LORD TO JOSEPH SMITH.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Doctrinal Dominating Influence of Joseph Smith's First Vision:_\nAny exposition of Mormon views of Deity must necessarily begin with\nthis vision, as it is the very beginning and foundation of the Mormon\ndoctrine of God. It establishes the great truth that God is a person,\nin the sense that he is an individual, in whose likeness man was made.\nIt clearly sets forth that Jesus is also a person in the same sense and\ndistinct from the Father. And it follows that the \"oneness\" of God must\nbe a moral and spiritual oneness, not a physical identity. (See note\n1, part v). The facts set forth in this vision or deducible from it\nmust dominate all Mormon ideas upon the subject of God, and be present\nin all interpretations of Doctrine and Covenant passages. (See Mormon\nDoctrine of Deity, chapter 1.) Hence, although this great revelation,\nso fundamental to Mormon Doctrine, is not given a place in the Doctrine\nand Covenants (and why has always been a mystery to the writer), it\nis given in the references that it may stand in its place of first\nimportance among our doctrines.\n\n2. _The Literary Style of the Doctrine and Covenants:_ The literary\nstyle of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants is wholly\nunique. From the nature of some of the revelations, the style\nnecessarily is purely didactic, but even in such revelations the style\nis particularly striking and impressive. In some of the great doctrinal\nrevelations the style rises to sublimity worthy of the psalms or of St.\nJohn. What could be more impressively beautiful, for example, than the\nopening paragraphs of section 76:\n\n    \"Hear O ye heavens, and give ear O earth, and rejoice ye\n    inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is\n    no Savior: Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the\n    extent of his doings none can find out; his purposes fail not,\n    neither are there any who can stay his hand; from eternity to\n    eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. For thus said\n    the Lord, I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear\n    me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in\n    truth unto the end; great shall be their reward and eternal shall\n    be their glory.\" (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 76.)\n\nThe language and imagery of the whole revelation is surpassingly\nbeautiful. Prophets quite universally are conceded to be akin to poets,\nand very naturally the language of inspiration takes on the poetic\nspirit, and examples of this are frequent in the revelations. Take for\ninstance, the following passage, as an example both of sublime poetry\nand the literature of power. (See note 7, p. 45.)\n\n    \"I the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge\n    them for their wickedness:\n\n    \"And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the\n    earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in\n    righteousness;\n\n    \"Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the\n    greatest;\n\n    \"And shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall\n    see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice\n    together sing this new song, saying:\n\n  \"The Lord hath brought again Zion;\n  The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,\n  According to the election of grace,\n  Which was brought to pass by the faith\n  And covenant of their fathers.\n\n  \"The Lord hath redeemed his people,\n  And Satan is bound and time is no longer:\n  The Lord hath gathered all things in one;\n  The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.\n  The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.\n\n  \"The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength:\n  And truth is established in her bowels:\n  And the heavens have smiled upon her:\n  And she is clothed with the glory of her God:\n  For he stands in the midst of his people:\n\n  \"Glory, and honor, and power, and might,\n  Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,\n  Justice, grace and truth, and peace,\n  For ever and ever, Amen.\"\n  (Section 84.)\n\nStudents should search out such passages and make them their own.\n\n3. _The Best Manner of Studying the Revelations:_ The student will\nfind it most profitable to read the revelations of the Doctrine and\nCovenants in connection with the circumstances under which they were\ngiven. This can be done by securing Vol. I of the History of the\nChurch, in which volume 101 out of a possible 134 revelations, are\nto be found published in there historical association. Some of the\nrevelations, or parts of them, can only be understood by reading them\nin the manner here suggested. For example the revelation in section 46\nopens in this manner:\n\n    \"Hearken, O ye people of my Church, for verily I say unto you, that\n    these things were spoken unto you for your profit and learning; But\n    notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been\n    given to the Elders of my Church from the beginning, and ever shall\n    be to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the\n    Holy Spirit; nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one\n    out from your public meetings, which are held before the world,\"\n    etc., etc. (History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 163-4.)\n\nNow, reading this revelation in the Doctrine & Covenants no\nunderstanding can be had from it as to what \"things\" are referred\nto in this opening paragraph, that are \"spoken for your profit and\nlearning,\" but when we learn, as we do from the footnote (p. 163,\nVol. 1, Church History) that \"in the beginning of the Church, while\nyet in her infancy, the disciples used to exclude unbelievers, which\ncaused some to marvel and converse of this matter because of the things\nwritten in the Book of Mormon\" (III Nephi xvii: 22-34); wherein it is\nlearned that the Nephite church was forbidden to exclude unbelievers\nfrom their Church gatherings, and sacramental meetings, whereupon\nit was thought and urged by some that the practice of the Saints in\nKirtland was contrary to the revealed will of the Lord respecting this\nmatter; therefore the Saints took the passages from the Book of Mormon\nto the Prophet and desired to know the will of the Lord respecting this\ncustom. \"Therefore the Lord deigned to speak on this subject, that his\npeople might come to understanding, and said that he had always given\nto his Elders to conduct all meetings as they were led by the Spirit.\"\n(History of the Church, note, p. 163.) Knowing these circumstances the\nwhole matter becomes perfectly plain. We know what is meant when the\nrevelation starts out by saying, \"These things were spoken unto you for\nyour profit and learning,\" etc. As it is in this case so it is in many\nothers, the clear understanding of the revelation depends on knowing\nthe circumstances which called forth the revelation.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. Some of the great Doctrinal Revelations have already been\ndesignated. A more complete list would be sections 19, 20, 21, 42,\n76, 84, 88, 89, 93, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132. Of course in all the\nrevelations there is more or less of doctrine; even in those that may\nbe esteemed the least some great principle is present, if not by direct\nannouncement, then in application or illustration. But the foregoing\nare designated, because they are pre-eminently doctrinal in character,\nand by grouping them, as in the analysis, they may be the more readily\nconsulted. It should be remembered that we are not in this lesson to\nattempt any treatise upon these great doctrines as such, we are merely\ncalling attention to them now--locating them for the student, merely\ncalling attention to their existence in our modern revelations that\nthey may be read. Thorough consideration of them will come later in the\nSeventy's course in Theology.\n\n\n\nLESSON IV.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_SPECIAL LESSON--TWO SUBJECTS._\n\n  SUBJECT.                                                        REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Law of the Lord as Expressed                           Law of Tithing, Doc. & Cov.,\n        in Tithing and Fast-Offerings--Applied                   Sec. cxix. Among\n        to Poverty Problems, Local                               the Ancients: Gen. xiv: 17-20.\n        and National._                                           Heb. vii: 5-9. Numbers,\n                                                                 xviii: 25-32. Deut.,\n                                                                 xii: also chap. xiv; also\n                                                                 Chap. xxvi: 12-16; II Chronicles,\n                                                                 xxxi; Neb.,\n                                                                 xii: 44; also Chap. xiii: 5-12,\n                                                                 and Chap. x: 37, 38.\n                                                                 Matt., xxiii: 23; Luke, xi: 42;\n                                                                 also Chap. xvii: 9-14;\n                                                                 especially Malachi iii--whole\n                                                                 chapter.\n  _II. The Law of the Lord as Expressed                          Doc. & Cov., Sec. xlii: 29-39.\n         in the Doctrine of Consecration                         Sec. lxx; lxxii. Sec.\n         and Stewardship--Applied to the                         civ. New Witness for God\n         World's Industrial Problems._                           Chap. xxvii.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to\nspare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of\nmen to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of\nthe abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according\nto the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with\nthe wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.\" (Doc. & Cov.,\nSec. 104, 17-18.)_\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Collecting Materials:_ The most difficult thing in the treatment\nof a subject is the gathering of material--\"thought-gathering.\" You\nmust have material, data. Then if the student would be anything more\nthan a mere repeater of other men's thoughts, a mere mouth for other\nmen's ideas, this data must be thought upon, considered in every\npossible light that it may give birth to new ideas in his own mind,\nthat he may bring some gift, born of his own intellectual effort, to\nthe subject in hand. Take for example the two subjects of this lesson;\nmerely announce the subjects without giving any references to material\ntreating upon them, and doubtless some of our younger members would\nbe at a loss to know how to go about gathering the materials for a\ntreatise upon these subjects. The references, however, are given, and\nnow the student is supposed to consult every passage given and read it\nwith care. But he should not be content with reading just the passage\ncited, let him read the context. Search for other passages bearing\nupon the same general subject, and there are many of them; for our\nreferences never exhaust the material; they are intended only to barely\ngive enough to help start the student upon the subject. Then let there\nbe reflection upon what is read, out of which there will grow new\nthoughts--at least new to the student--and these combined after his own\nfashion with the ideas of the passages consulted and works read, will\nconstitute his material for his address or paper. The note following\nthis on \"thought-gathering\" is _a propos_ and might be regarded as a\ncontinuation of this. (Read also in this connection note --, Lesson --.)\n\n2. _Thought-Gathering:_ \"After the subject upon which we are to\nspeak has been determined, the logical order of preparation is,\nfirst, gathering material; second, selecting what is most fitting and\narranging the whole into perfect order; third, fixing this in the mind\nso that it may be available for the moment of use. These processes are\nnot always separated in practice, but they may be best considered in\nthe order indicated. When the subject is chosen and the mind fastened\nupon it, that subject becomes a center of attraction and naturally\ndraws all kindred ideas toward it. Old memories that had become dim\nfrom the lapse of time are slowly hunted out and grouped around the\nparent thought. Each hour of contemplation that elapses, even if there\nis not direct study, adds to the richness and variety of our available\nmental stores. The relations between different and widely separated\ntruths become visible, just as new stars are seen when we gaze intently\ntoward the evening sky. All that lies within our knowledge is subjected\nto a rigid scrutiny and all that appears to have any connection with\nthe subject is brought into view. Usually a considerable period of\ntime is needed for this process, and the longer it is continued the\nbetter, if interest in the subject is not suffered to decline in the\nmeanwhile. But it is somewhat difficult to continue at this work\nlong enough without weariness. The capacity for great and continuous\nreaches of thought constitute a principal element in the superiority of\none mind over another. Even the mightiest genius cannot, at a single\nimpulse, exhaust the ocean of truth that opens around every object of\nman's contemplation. It is only by viewing a subject in every aspect\nthat superficial and one-sided impressions can be guarded against.\nBut the continuous exertion and toil this implies are nearly always\ndistasteful, and the majority of men can only accomplish it by a stern\nresolve. Whether acquired or natural, the ability to completely \"think\nout\" a subject is of prime necessity; the young student at the outset\nshould learn to finish every investigation he begins and continue\nthe habit during life. Doing this or not doing it will generally be\ndecisive of his success or failure from an intellectual point of view.\nThought is a mighty architect, and if you keep him fully employed,\nhe will build up with slow and measured strokes a gorgeous edifice\nupon any territory at all within your mental range. You may weary\nof his labor and think that the wall rises so slowly that it will\nnever be completed; but wait. In due time, if you are patient, all\nwill be finished and will then stand as no ephemeral structure, to be\nswept away by the first storm that blows, but will be established and\nunshaken on the basis of eternal truth.\" (Extempore Speech, Pittenger,\npp. 159-161.)\n\n3. Referring again to our suggestions for the frame work of a speech,\nconsisting of:\n\n_Introduction_,\n\n_Discussion_,\n\n_Conclusion_,\n\nI desire to point out how well this idea is carried out in Paul's\nsoul-thrilling and successful speech before King Agrippa, recorded in\nActs xxvi:\n\nThe audience is august; there is Porcius Festus, Roman procurator of\nJudea; Agrippa, a King and Grandson of Herod the Great, and Bernice,\nsister of Agrippa; there were also present the chief captains attendant\nupon these high officers, and the principal men of the city of Caesarea\ngathered in the place of hearing, \"with great pomp.\" Into this presence\nPaul is brought in chains and introduced. The cause of his imprisonment\nis briefly stated with the fact that he had appealed to Caesar, and now\nPaul is informed by Agrippa that he may speak for himself.\n\nTHE INTRODUCTION.\n\n_Paul_ (stretching forth his hand)--\"I think myself happy, King\nAgrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee\ntouching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: especially\nbecause I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are\namong the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.\n\nDISCUSSION.\n\nMy manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine\nown nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the\nbeginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of\nour religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the\nhope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise\nour twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night hope to come.\nFor which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.\n\nWhy should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should\nraise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many\nthings contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also\ndid in Jerusalem: and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison,\nhaving received authority from the chief priests; and when they were\nput to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in\nevery synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly\nmad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon\nas I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief\npriests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven,\nabove the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which\njourneyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard\na voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul,\nSaul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against\nthe pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus\nwhom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have\nappeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a\nwitness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things\nin the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people,\nand from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes,\nand to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan\nunto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance\namong them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.\n\nWhereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly\nvision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and\nthroughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they\nshould repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For\nthese causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill\nme. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,\nwitnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those\nwhich the prophets and Moses did say should come: And to the Gentiles--\n\n_Festus_ (in a loud voice)--\"Paul, thou art beside thyself; much\nlearning doth make thee mad.\n\nCONCLUSION.\n\n_Paul_--\"I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak freely: for I am\npersuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing\nwas not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I\nknow that thou believest.\n\nAgrippa--\"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.\"\n\n_Paul_--\"I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me\nthis day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these\nbonds.\"\n\n\n\nLESSON V.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE MODERN SCRIPTURES--[1] THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                  REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. Origin of the Pearl of Great Price._               Millennial Star, Vol.\n        1. Date and Circumstances of Publication.        XIII (1851), pp. 216, 217;\n        2. Contents of the First Edition.                also Vol. XLIX, p. 396 et\n                                                         seq. New Witness for\n                                                         God, Vol. I, p. 316. Note\n                                                         1.\n  _II. The Chief Original Documents._                    Pearl of Great Price,\n         1. The Writings of Moses.                       pp. 1-49. History of the\n         2. The Book of Abraham.                         Church, Vol. I, p. 98.\n         3. The Writings of Joseph Smith.                Pearl of Great Price,\n                                                         pp. 50-74. History of the\n                                                         Church, Vol. II, pp. 236,\n                                                         286, 349, 350. Times and\n                                                         Seasons, Vol. III, Nos. 9\n                                                         and 10. New Witness for\n                                                         God, Vol. I, pp. 443-453.\n                                                         (1842). Divine Authenticity\n                                                         of the Book of Abraham\n                                                         (Reynolds).\n                                                         Pearl of Great Price,\n                                                         pp. 75-103. History of the\n                                                         Church, Vol. I, Chaps.\n                                                         i-v.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And it came to pass as the voice was still speaking,\nMoses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it, and\nthere was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it\nby the Spirit of God, and he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and\nthere was not a soul which he beheld not, and he discerned them by the\nSpirit of God. And their numbers were great, even numberless as the\nsand upon the sea-shore. And he beheld many lands, and each land was\ncalled earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof. And it\ncame to pass that Moses called upon God, saying, tell me I pray thee,\nwhy these things are so. * * * * And the Lord God said unto Moses,\nfor mine own purpose have I made these things Here is wisdom and it\nremaineth with me. * * * * And worlds without number have I created,\nand I also created them for mine own purpose, and by the Son I created\nthem, which is mine only begotten._ * * * * FOR BEHOLD THIS IS MY WORK\nAND MY GLORY TO BRING TO PASS THE IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE OF\nMAN.\"--BOOK OF MOSES.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Compilation and Contents:_ The Pearl of Great Price was compiled\nand published by the late Elder Franklin D. Richards, of the Council\nof the Twelve Apostles, in Liverpool, England, 1851. Elder Richards at\nthe time was presiding over the British mission. Its title page ran as\nfollows:\n\n    The PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Being a Choice Selection from the\n    Revelations, Translations, and Narrations of JOSEPH SMITH, First\n    Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of\n    Latter-day Saints.\n\nIn addition to the Articles now published in the current and authorized\nversion of the tract, it also contained a number of extracts from the\nRevelations of the Doctrine and Covenants, including a key to the\nrevelations of St. John (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 77); commandments to the\nChurch concerning baptism (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 20); on the method of\nadministering the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Doc. & Cov., Sec.\n20); the duties of the Elders, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons and\nmembers of the Church (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 20); on Priesthood (Doc. &\nCov., Sec. 84); the calling and duties of the Twelve Apostles (Doc.\n& Cov. Sec. 107); an extract from the revelation given July, 1830,\n(Doc.. & Cov., Sec. 27); extract from the revelation on the rise of\nthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 1);\nJohn Jaques' splendid hymn, entitled \"Truth,\" (Hymn-book, p. 71), and\nlast but not least, the revelation and prophecy on war, (Doc. & Cov.,\nSec. 87). From this enumeration of articles omitted from this choice\ncollection in the later editions of the work, it is seen that nothing\nis omitted but what is now published in the Doctrine and Covenants or\nHymn-book; and the eliminations were made to avoid duplicating the\npublication of the articles in several books.\n\nReverting to the revelation and prophecy on war, I call attention to\nthe fact that the preface of the Pearl of Great Price bears the date\nof July 11, 1851, and the work was published in that year; but it was\nnot until the morning of the 12th of April, 1861, that the first gun in\nthe great Rebellion was fired on Fort Sumter by General Beaureguard, so\nthat this remarkable prophecy made by the Prophet in 1832 was actually\nin print and widely published in England and the United States nearly\nten years before the war of the Rebellion broke out.\n\nFrom a copy of the 1851 edition now on file in the Historian's office,\nwe take the following paragraph from the Preface, which explains the\nreasons for publishing this collection of precious gems from the\nrevelations of God to the great modern Prophet:\n\n    \"The following compilation has been induced by the repeated\n    solicitations of several friends of the publisher, who are\n    desirous to be put in possession of the very important articles\n    contained therein. Most of the revelations composing this work were\n    published at early periods of the Church, when the circulation of\n    its journals was so very limited as to render them comparatively\n    unknown at present, except to a few who have treasured up the\n    productions of the Church with great care from the beginning. A\n    smaller portion of this work has never before appeared in print;\n    and altogether it is presumed, that true believers in the divine\n    mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith will appreciate this little\n    collection of precious truths as a Pearl of Great Price, that will\n    increase their ability to maintain and to defend the holy faith by\n    becoming possessors of it.\"\n\n2. _Book of Moses:_ The Book of Moses published in the Pearl of Great\nPrice, is a revelation of the ancient prophet's writings to Joseph\nSmith, which began to be given to the prophet in June, 1830, just after\nthe Prophet and the disciples of the Church he was founding had passed\nthrough the very trying period of persecution, and in his history the\nProphet introduces it in the following language:\n\n    \"Amid all the trials and tribulations we had to wade through,\n    the Lord, who well knew our infantile and delicate situation,\n    vouchsafed for us a supply of strength and granted us line upon\n    line of knowledge, here a little and there a little, of which the\n    following was a precious morsel.\"\n\nThen follows part of the Book of Moses, published in the Pearl of Great\nPrice, History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 98-101. Another fragment from\nthe Book of Moses appears in the same work at pp. 133 to 139, being an\nextract called the Prophecy of Enoch. The Prophet Joseph at this time\nwas engaged in the revision (sometimes called a translation) of the\nHebrew Scriptures. Referring to those revelations concerning historical\nevents of ancient times, he remarks:\n\n    \"The Lord greatly encouraged and strengthened the faith of his\n    little flock, which had embraced the fulness of the everlasting\n    gospel, as revealed to them in the Book of Mormon, by giving some\n    more extended information upon the scriptures, a translation of\n    which had already commenced. Much conjecture and conversation\n    frequently occurred among the Saints, concerning the books\n    mentioned, and referred to, in various places in the Old and New\n    Testaments, which were now nowhere to be found. The common remark\n    was, 'They are lost books;' but it seems the Apostolic Church had\n    some of these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the prophecy of\n    Enoch, the seventh from Adam. To the joy of the little flock, which\n    in all, from Colesville to Canadaigua, New York, numbered about\n    seventy members, did the Lord reveal the following doings of olden\n    times, from the prophecy of Enoch.\" (History of the Church, Vol. 1,\n    pp. 131-133.)\n\nI know of no revelation within the same compass that contains so much\nvaluable information in regard to historical events and doctrinal\nprinciples as this Book of Moses. The information conveyed by it, both\nin history and doctrine, becomes a unifying force in the history of the\nworld and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope this will be apparent in\nthe analysis of this book to be found in Lesson VI.\n\n3. _The Book of Abraham:_ The Book of Abraham is a translation from\ncertain Egyptian papyrus which fell into the hands of the Prophet in\nthe following manner. The account is condensed from the story as told\nby the Prophet in the History of the Church, Vol. II, pp. 348-350.\n\nIn 1831 the celebrated French traveler, Antonio Sebolo, penetrated\nEgypt as far as the ancient city of Thebes, under a license procured\nfrom Mohemet Ali--then Viceroy of Egypt--through the influence of\nChevalier Drovetti, the French consul. Sebolo employed four hundred\nand thirty-three men for four months and two days, either Turkish or\nEgyptian soldiers, paying them from four to six cents a day per man.\nThey entered the Catacombs near ancient Thebes on the seventh of June,\n1831, and procured eleven mummies. These were shipped to Alexandria,\nand from there the great traveler started with his treasures for Paris.\nBut en route for the French capital, Sebolo put in at Trieste, where\nhe was taken sick, and after an illness of ten days, died. This was\nin 1832. Previous to his death he willed his Egyptian treasures to\nhis nephew, Michael H. Chandler, who was then living in Philadelphia,\nPennsylvania, but whom Sebolo believed to be in Dublin, to which city\nhe ordered the mummies shipped. Mr. Chandler ordered the mummies\nforwarded to New York from Dublin, where he took possession of them.\nHere the coffins for the first time were opened, and in them were\nfound two rolls of papyrus covered with engravings. While still in the\ncustoms house, Mr. Chandler was informed by a gentleman, a stranger to\nhim, that no one in the city could translate the characters; but was\nreferred to Joseph Smith, who, the stranger informed him, possessed\nsome kind of gift or power by which he had previously translated\nsimilar characters. Joseph Smith was then unknown to Mr. Chandler.\nThe mummies were shipped to Philadelphia; and from there Mr. Chandler\ntraveled through the country, exhibited them and the rolls of papyrus,\nreaching Kirtland in July, 1835, where some of the Saints purchased the\nmummies and the two rolls of papyrus, one of which proved to be the\nwritings of Abraham, and the other of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt.\n\nWith the assistance of Oliver Cowdery, and W. W. Phelps as scribes\nthe Prophet began the work of translating this record, which so\nsingularly came into his possession; but it was not finally published\nuntil March, 1842, at Nauvoo. It will be found as we now have it in\nthe Pearl of Great Price, given with the fac-similies of certain pages\nof the papyrus in the _Times and Seasons_, Vol. III, Nos. 9 and 10.\nIt is a revelation of exceedingly great value, both on account of the\nhistorical and doctrinal data which it contains, as appears in the\nanalysis for Lesson VI. For still further items of interest in relation\nto the Book of Abraham, see History of the Church, Vol. II, pp. 348-350\nand footnotes.\n\n4. _The Writings of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price:_ Of\nthe writings of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price little need\nbe said as they speak for themselves. It is the Prophet's simple yet\nattractive and powerful narrative of those events which pertain to the\nbeginning of the great Latter-day work, the opening of the Dispensation\nof the Fulness of Times. It is comprised within a very few pages--23\nin all--and merely gives the story of the Prophet's birth and first\ncall by heavenly vision to the restoration of the Priesthood by the\nadministration of John the Baptist, in the month of May, in the\nyear 1829, and a quotation from the Wentworth Letter (See Note --)\ncomprising the Articles of Faith. Yet brief and limited as are these\nwritings, they are invaluable because of their authenticity, their\nbeautiful simplicity, and the spirit of truth that pervades them and\ninfuses them with a convincing power.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1. The readings for this exercise and for the remaining lessons should\nbe selected from the Pearl of Great Price.\n\n\n\nLESSON VI.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE MODERN SCRIPTURES--(B) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                  REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The Important Items of History and\n        Doctrine in the Book of Moses._\n        (a) That the Revelation to Moses on              (a) Note 2; Book of\n            Creation was Limited to Our                  Moses, Chap. i: 12-36;\n            Earth and Its Heavens--was                   Chap. ii: 1. Mormon Doctrine\n            Local.                                       of Diety, pp. 159-60.\n        (b) The Limitless Creations of God in            \"Immortality of Man,\"\n            Ever-changing Processes.                     Improvement Era, Vol. X,\n                                                         pp. 413, 414, foot note.\n                                                         (b) Chap. i: 27-38; vii: 30.\n        (c) The Purpose of God in Creation.              (c) Chap. ii: 39; vi: 55, 56.\n        (d) The Council in Heaven Previous               (d) Chap. iv: 1-4.\n            to Man's Existence in the earth;\n            the Choice of a Redeemer for\n            Man; Lucifer's Rebellion.\n        (e) The Meaning of Sacrifice--the                (e) Chap. V, 1-11; vi: 43-68.\n            Gospel Revealed to Adam, the\n            Joy of Adam and Eve in Their\n            Earth Existence Under the Gospel.\n        (f) The Beginning of Scripture.                  (f) Chap. vi: 4-6.\n        (g) The Establishment of Seers.                  (g) Chap. vi: 32-36.\n        (h) The Zion of Enoch--Translation.              (h) Chap. vii: 14-69.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained, that\nthe Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart\n(compare Gen. vi:6). * * * And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I\nhave created from the face of the earth * * * * for it repenteth Noah\nthat I have created them.\"_--MOSES, IN BOOK OF MOSES.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Purpose of the Lesson:_ It is not intended in this lesson to\nattempt any treatise on the very great doctrines indicated in the\nanalysis. The purpose is to locate them; to call attention to the\nfact of their existence in the Pearl of Great Price to make their\nacquaintance only in a general way now, with a view of learning their\nnature and importance as doctrines later in the course.\n\n2. _The Book of Moses:_ It must not be thought that all the doctrines\neither in the Book of Moses or the Book of Abraham are indicated in the\nlesson analysis and references. These are but the principal ones; and\nwhen taken into account, when thought upon, how great and fundamental\nthey are! What extended views of the creations of God for instance\nare found in the passages--\"and worlds without number have I created;\nbehold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of\nmy power, and there are many that now stand; * * * the heavens they\nare many and cannot be numbered unto man! But they are numbered unto\nme, for they are mine.\" And this from Enoch's talk with God--\"Were it\npossible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions\nof earth's like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy\ncreations; and thy curtains are stretched out still!\" What splendor,\ntoo, is seen in the endless processes of creation described in these\nwords of the Lord--\"As one earth shall pass away, and the heavens\nthereof, even so shall another come, and there is no end to my works.\"\nScience settles to its sure foundations in that doctrine. It is,\nin a way, and within certain limits--to put it in modern phrase--a\nsort of \"evolution and devolution,\" with each succeeding wave in the\nprocess of the \"evolution\" rising to still higher states of excellence\nand grandeur and glory. And then as to the purposes of God in all\nthese creations--\"For mine own purpose have I made these things; * *\n* * for behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the\nimmortality and eternal life of man!\" Where else are these things said\nso well? Again: The controversy in heaven concerning the means of\nman's redemption; Lucifer's plan with its agency-destroying effect on\nman, and its glory destroying effect on God. \"Behold,\" said this proud\nspirit--this \"Light-bearer\"--\"Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy\nson, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost,\nand surely _I_ will do it, wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold,\nmy beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning,\nsaid unto me--Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.\nWherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to\ndestroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and\nalso, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine\nOnly Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; and he became\nSatan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to\nblind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would\nnot hearken unto my voice.\" (Book of Moses, pp.. 15, 16).\n\nThen historically there is the fact of the gospel being taught to Adam,\nboth by the Lord and through the ministration of angels; involving the\nexplanation of the sacrifices man had been commanded to offer unto the\nLord, prefiguring the redemption of the race through the atonement to\nbe made by the Ouly Begotten of the Father; the joy of Adam and his\nspouse, even at the fall when its true significance is made known to\nthem--\"Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when\nthey begin to grow up, _sin conceiveth in their hearts and they taste\nthe bitter, that they may know how to prize the good.\"_ With this\ntruth clear to his understanding--\"Blessed be the name of God,\" said\nthe great Patriarch of our race, \"for because of my transgression my\neyes are opened and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the\nflesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and\nwas glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should\nhave had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy\nof our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the\nobedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all\nthings known unto their sons and daughters.\" (Book of Moses, pp. 20-21.)\n\nThen, too, the mission and preaching of Enoch, the establishment of\nZion, and its translation into heaven, in all which there is much\nknowledge of ancient times restored to man.\n\n3. _The Date of the Revelation of the Book of Moses:_ The time at which\nthe Book of Moses was given to the Church by the Prophet should also be\nremembered, June, 1830. The Prophet was then only in his twenty-sixth\nyear; yet had his soul reached so far into the things of God that he\ncame to the Church with these precious, because fundamental, universal\nand yet to be world-moving truths. Whence came the Prophet's knowledge\nof these deep things of God, save by the revelations of God? The writer\nis reminded here of an incident which came under his observation in his\nmissionary experience in the south. One of the traveling Elders of the\nChurch had succeeded in arousing the interest of a very intelligent\nlady in the message he was sent to deliver to the world, and had her\nreading the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and other\nChurch works. Learning which, certain Christian ministers began calling\nupon her with the view of dissuading her from such investigation,\nand in connection with their protests gave her a tract setting forth\nthe old Solomon Saulding theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon.\nCalling upon her a few days later, after she had had time to read\ntheir tract, the ministers inquired what she thought of the Book of\nMormon now. \"Well, gentlemen,\" said she, \"of course I am not able as\nyet to say whether the Spaulding theory or Joseph Smith's story of the\norigin of the Book of Mormon is true, but I have something else to show\nyou. Here is this Mormon book, the Doctrine and Covenants, claiming\nto be a collection of revelations received by Joseph Smith at first\nhand from the Lord. I believe there is no contention about his being\nthe author of these revelations, and I find in them more evidences of\ndivine inspiration than in the Book of Mormon, or in any other book\nI have ever read. Will you explain away the evidence of divinity in\nthese revelations of which Joseph Smith is undoubtedly the author?\" To\nthis proposition there was no forthcoming answer, and much confused\nthe ministers departed. I think the same idea may be applied to these\nbooks in the Pearl of Great Price--the Book of Moses, and the Book of\nAbraham--for in them, too, the same evidences of divine inspiration\nexist--bringing forth knowledge far beyond anything that the unaided\nmind of Joseph Smith could conceive.\n\n4. _The Revelations of Scripture Local:_ The fact that the revelations\nof our Bible and other scriptures relate, in the main, to matters\npertaining to \"our God,\" \"our earth and its heavens,\" as set forth in\nthe Book of Moses, I regard as very important in relation both to the\nphraseology and meaning of all the scriptures. For when the scripture\nsays: \"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,\" etc.;\nand \"thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the hosts of\nthem,\" he has reference not to any absolute \"beginning,\" or absolute\n\"finishing,\" but only to the \"beginning\" and \"finishing\" as pertaining\nto our earth and the order of creation with which it is connected; and\nthe \"hosts\" that pertain to our order of existence, not absolutely to\nall existences. The revelations we have received of God, let it be\nsaid again, are local, they relate to us and our order of existence;\nthey may not at all, except in the most casual and general way, refer\nto that order of worlds connected with and governed by the Pleiades,\nor of Orion, much less to the further removed constellations and their\nsystems of worlds. We learn from the Pearl of Great Price that when the\nLord gave those revelations to Moses by which the prophet was enabled\nto write the creation history of our earth, the local character of\nthose revelations was expressly stated. (See Book of Moses, chap. i:35,\n40; chap ii:1.)\n\n\n\nLESSON VII.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n_THE MODERN SCRIPTURES--(B) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE._\n\n  ANALYSIS.                                                  REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. History and Doctrine in the Book of\n        Abraham._\n        1. The Priesthood of Abraham from                (a) Book of Abraham,\n           the Fathers.                                  Chap. i; 1-4; 25-31.\n        2. Origin of the Egyptians.                      (b) Chap. i: 21-28.\n        3. Domination of Egyptian Religious              (c) Chap. i.\n           Ideas; Chaldea in Abraham's\n           Times.\n        4. Abraham's Knowledge of Astronomy              (d) Chap. iii: 1-18. New\n           through Urim and Thummim.                     Witness for God, Vol. I,\n                                                         pp. 443-453.\n        5. The Pre-Existence of Spirits and              (e) Chap. iii: 16-26.\n           the Eternal Existence of Intelligences.\n        6. The Purpose in Man's Earth Probation,         (f) Chap. iii: 22-28.\n           Choice of the Redeemer.\n        7. Creation Story Revealed to Abraham--Plurality (g) Chaps. iv-v.\n           of Gods.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"If two things exist, and there be one above the other,\nthere shall be greater things above them. * * * * Now, if there be two\nthings, one above the other, and the moon be above the earth, then it\nmay be that a planet or a star may exist above it; * * * * as also if\nthere be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other,\nyet those two spirits notwithstanding one is more intelligent than\nthe other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no\nend, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. * * * *\nThese two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more\nintelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent\nthan they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than them\nall.\"_--THE LORD TO ABRAHAM.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _The Book of Abraham:_ The Book of Abraham, no less than the Book of\nMoses, is immensely rich in doctrine and historical incident. Of the\nlatter the fact of the large influence (if not identity) of Egyptian\nreligious ideas in Chaldea in the days of Abraham; the descent of the\ncursed or black race from Cain, the first murderer; their preservation\nthrough the flood by the wife of Ham--\"Egyptus, which in the Chaldean\nsignifies 'Egypt,' which signifies that which is forbidden,\" implying\nthat Ham had married into that race which was forbidden to the \"sons of\nGod,\" and were cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood; the origin also\nof the Egyptians--these things constitute the chief historical items\nthat are contributed by the book. As to doctrines, perhaps the most\nimportant are the pre-existence of spirits, and the eternal existence,\nyet varying grades of intelligences, (chap. iii); the choice of the\nmore noble spirits as God's rulers in the earth (Ibid); the purpose\nof the earth life of these eternal intelligences, viz., to be \"added\nupon,\" which means growth, increase of knowledge through experience,\nenlarged wisdom, broader intelligence, increased power and glory,\nMoses' \"tasting the bitter that they may know how to prize the good\"\n(Book of Moses, chap. vi:55); and the plurality of Gods implied in the\nfact that in his creation story Abraham uses the plural form throughout\nin reference to the divine Beings engaged in the work of creation--\"And\nthe Gods said let there be light,\"--and the Gods called the light day,\"\netc. We might claim for this book also the revelation of scientific\ntruth in the Abrahamic system of astronomy, but that is too large a\nsubject for treatment in a note; and therefore the student is referred\nto the very excellent work of Elder Geo. Reynolds, \"The Book of\nAbraham: Its Authenticity Established as a Divine and Ancient Record.\"\nAnd also New Witnesses for God, Vol. I, chapters xxviii, xxix, and xxx.\nIt should be said that it is more than sixty years since the Abrahamic\nsystem was first announced by the Prophet; and it is interesting to\nnote the fact that though the heavens have been constantly searched by\npowerful telescopes during that time, nothing has yet been discovered\nwhich at all conflicts with it. On the contrary much has been learned\nwhich tends to confirm it. What God revealed on this most important\nand interesting branch of knowledge far outstripped at the time it was\npublished, what scientists had learned or speculative philosophers had\nconjectured; and with confidence those who accept that revelation may\nwatch the slow but important discoveries of astronomers which will\nyet demonstrate the truth of that system which God has revealed. It\nrepresents the universe as planned on a scale so magnificent that it\nis worthy of the intelligence of a God as its Creator. Such ideas of\nthe construction of the universe that they are worthy of revelation;\nthey carry with them by the very force of their grandeur the evidence\nof their truth; and when it is remembered that they were brought forth\nby a young man wholly separated from the centers of scientific thought,\nunacquainted with the speculations of philosophers, and without any\nprevious knowledge of astronomy, it is not difficult to believe that\nhe received his knowledge of them from the writings of one inspired\nor taught of God; and that he himself was gifted with divine power to\ntranslate those ancient writings, and hence himself a prophet and seer\ninspired of God.\"\n\n2. _Astronomy in Ancient Egypt:_ \"The more carefully one studies the\ngreat work of Copernicus [the father of modern astronomy] the more\nsurprised he will be to find how completely Ptolemy [the Egyptian]\nfurnished him both ideas and material. If we seek the teachers and\npredecessors of Hipparchus, the Greek, (160-125 B. C.) we find only\nthe shadowy forms of Egyptian and Babylonian priests, whose names and\nwritings are all entirely lost. In the earliest historic ages, men\nknew that the earth was round; that the sun appeared to make an annual\nrevolution among the stars; and that eclipses were cause by the moon\nentering the shadow of the earth, or the earth that of the moon.\"\n(Popular Astronomy, Simon Newcomb, Introduction, p 2.) It is not at all\nimprobable that among the Egyptian and Babylonian priests above spoken\nof, \"whose names and writings are all entirely lost,\" that Abraham may\nhave had a place.\n\n3. _The Influence of Abraham on Egyptian Thought:_ That Abraham was in\nEgypt is clear both from the Bible and the writings of Josephus. The\nlatter after relating all that the Bible does, only in greater detail,\nadds to the account that the Egyptian king made Abraham a large present\nin money; \"and gave him leave to enter into conversation with the most\nlearned among the Egyptians; from which conversation, his virtue and\nhis reputation became more conspicuous than they had been before. For\nwhereas the Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs, and\ndespised one another's sacred and accustomed rites, and were very angry\none with another on that account, Abraham conferred with each of them,\nand confuted the reasonings they made use of, every one for his own\npractices; he demonstrated that such reasonings were vain, and void\nof truth; whereupon he was admired by them, in those conferences, as\na very wise man, and one of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any\nsubject he undertook; and this was not only in understanding it, but\nin persuading other men also to assent to him. He communicated to them\narithmetic, and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for before\nAbraham came into Egypt, they were unacquainted with those parts of\nlearning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from\nthence to the Greeks also.\" (Antiquities of the Jews, Bk I, chap. xiii.)\n\n\n\nLESSON VIII.\n\nSCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.\n\n(SPECIAL LESSON.)\n\n_THE LAW OF THE LORD IN ANCIENT AND MODERN REVELATION APPLIED TO THE\nAMERICAN NEGRO RACE PROBLEM._\n\n  SUBJECT.                                                          REFERENCES.\n\n  _I. The American Negro Race Problem._                           History of the United\n        1. Advent of the Negro Race in                            States by Alexander\n           America.                                               Stephens, pp. 36, 88, 366.\n        2. Slavery and the Abolition of It.                       Same Author's, \"War\n                                                                  Between the States. Old\n                                                                  Virginia and Her Neighbors\n                                                                  (John Fiske), Vol. I,\n                                                                  p. 18, 19, Vol. II, pp. 7,\n                                                                  29, 41, 172-222, 228-231, 235-6.\n        3. Political Enfranchisement of the                       Emancipation Proclamation\n          Black Race--Its Wisdom or Unwisdom.                     (Abraham Lincoln),\n                                                                  War Between the States,\n                                                                  Vol. II. Appendix to Papers\n                                                                  and Messages of the\n                                                                  Presidents' Vol.\n        4. Present Status of the Negro Race                       For Present Status of\n           Problem.                                               the question see \"The\n                                                                  Color Line,\" Wm. Benjamin Smith,\n                                                                  McClure\n                                                                  Phillips & Co., N. Y.\n  _II. The Law of the Lord as Affecting                           Book of Moses--Pearl\n         the Negro Race Problem._                                 of Great Price, Chap. v,\n         1. The Progenitor of the Race.                           verses 5-8, 22; Chap. viii:\n                                                                  verses 8, 2; Chap. viii: 12-15.\n                                                                  Gen. ix: 18-27.\n         2. The Manner of Its Preservation                        Book of Abraham,\n            through the Flood.                                    Chap. i: 9-11, 21-28. Compare\n         3. The Curse Put Upon it by Noah.                        Gen. ix: 18-27; also\n         4. In what Respects a Forbidden                          \"The Book of Abraham--A\n            Race.                                                 Divine and Ancient\n         5. From all the Foregoing Deduce                         Record,\" (Reynolds), p. 6,\n            the Law of God in the Question.                       7. Smith's Old Testament\n                                                                  History, Chap. iii.\n\n_SPECIAL TEXT: \"Let not man join together what God hath put\nasunder.\"_--\"THE COLOR LINE,\" _chap. i_.\n\n_NOTES._\n\n1. _Introduction of African Slavery into America:_ \"Some time anterior\nto this period (i. e., 1620 A. D.) the Spaniards and Portuguese had\nbought from the chiefs on the coast of Africa negro captives, and had\ncarried them to other parts of the world, especially to South America\nand the West Indies, and had sold them as slaves. This traffic they had\ncontinued without intermission, and in the year 1620 a Dutch vessel\nbrought to Jamestown twenty of these unfortunate beings and sold them\nto the colonists of Virginia. This was the introduction of African\nslavery in the British American colonies, which has been the source of\nso much subsequent trouble, as we shall see. By the close of the year\n1620 the population of the colony amounted to nearly two thousand.\nUpon the subject of the introduction of African slavery in Virginia,\nand afterwards in all the other British colonies, out of which so much\ntrouble and strife subsequently arose, it is quite proper here to state\nthat a majority of the colonists at Jamestown were very much opposed\nto this introduction in their community of these supposed descendants\nof Ham as \"bondsmen and bondswomen\" for life. Their opposition arose,\nhowever, perhaps more from considerations looking to the best interests\nand future welfare of the colony, in its progress in moral and material\ndevelopment, than from any feelings of humanity towards the unfortunate\nvictims of this species of commerce. The African slave trade was at\nthat time not only tolerated by all civilized nations, but actively\nengaged in for profit by many of the most distinguished Christian\nmonarchs.\" (Stephens' History of the United States, p. 36.)\n\n2. _The First American Slave Ship:_ \"In 1636 was built at Marblehead,\nin Massachusetts, the first American slave-ship; it was called the\n_Desire_, and was intended for the African slave-trade, in which most\nof the European nations were then engaged directly or indirectly. The\nfirst cargo of African slaves brought into Massachusetts was by the\n_Desire_, on the 20th of May, 1638. Many of the most prominent men\npurchased slaves out of this cargo; so that Massachusetts was a few\nyears only behind Virginia in the introduction within the English\nsettlements on this continent of this unfortunate race of slaves.\"\n(History of the United States, Stephens, p. 88.)\n\n3. _The Beginning of Abolition:_ \"On the 12th of February, 1790, a\npetition, invoking the Federal authorities to adopt measures with a\nview to the ultimate abolition of African slavery, as it then existed\nin the respective States, was sent to Congress, headed by Dr. Franklin,\nwho had been a very distinguished, though not a very active leader,\nowing to his age, in the ranks of the \"Nationals,\" in the Philadelphia\nconvention. There were then in the United States 697,897 negro slaves.\nThey had been introduced into all the States, as we have seen, but most\nof them were at this time in the Southern States. This movement was\nlooked upon with alarm everywhere by the true friends of the federal\nsystem, as it invoked the exercise of powers not delegated by the\nStates to Congress. After a thorough discussion on the 23rd of March,\n1790, in the House of Representatives, the question was quieted for the\ntime by the passage of a resolution \"That Congress have no authority to\ninterfere in the emancipation of slaves, or in the treatment of them\nwithin any of the States; it remaining with the several States alone\nto provide any regulations therein, which humanity and true policy may\nrequire.\" (History of the United States, Stephens, p. 367.) The act of\nemancipation did not come until 1863, in the midst of the Civil war,\nand then it was regarded merely as a war measure.\n\n4. _The Race Question as Affecting the Southern States:_ Perhaps the\nmost convincing book in justification of the South in denying to the\nnegro race social equality with the white race is the one written by\nWilliam Benjamin Smith, entitled \"The Color Line, A Brief in Behalf of\nthe Unborn,\" from which the following is a quotation:\n\n    \"Here, then, is laid bare the nerve of the whole matter: Is the\n    south justified in this absolute denial of social equality to the\n    negro, no matter what his virtues or abilities or accomplishments?\n\n    \"We affirm, then, that the south is entirely right in thus keeping\n    open at all times, at all hazards, and at all sacrifices an\n    impassible social chasm between black and white. This she must do\n    in behalf of her blood, her essence, of the stock of her Caucasian\n    race. To the writer the correctness of this thesis seems as clear\n    as the sun--so evident as almost to forestall argument; nor can\n    he quite comprehend the frame of mind that can seriously dispute\n    it. But let us look at it closely. Is there any doubt whatever as\n    to the alternative? If we sit with negroes at our tables, if we\n    entertain them as our guests and social equals, if we disregard\n    the color line in all other relations, is it possible to maintain\n    it fixedly in the sexual relation, in the marriage of our sons\n    and daughters, in the propagation of our species? Unquestionably,\n    No! It is certain as the rising of tomorrow's sun, that, once the\n    middle wall of social partition is broken down, the mingling of\n    the tides of life would begin instantly and proceed steadily. Of\n    course, it would be gradual, but none the less sure, none the less\n    irresistible. It would make itself felt at first most strongly in\n    the lower strata of the white population; but it would soon invade\n    the middle and menace insidiously the very uppermost. Many bright\n    mulattoes would ambitiously woo, and not a few would win, well-bred\n    women disappointed in love or goaded by impulse or weary of the\n    stern struggle for existence. As a race, the Southern Caucasian\n    would be irrevocably doomed. For no possible check could be given\n    to this process once established.. Remove the barrier between two\n    streams flowing side by side--immediately they begin to mingle\n    their molecules; in vain you attempt to replace it. * * * * The\n    moment the bar of absolute separation is thrown down in the South,\n    that moment the bloom of her spirit is blighted forever, the\n    promise of her destiny is annulled, the proud fabric of her future\n    slips into dust and ashes. No other conceivable disaster that\n    might befall the South could, for an instant, compare with such\n    miscegenation within her borders. Flood and fire, fever and famine\n    and the sword--even ignorance, indolence, and carpet-baggery--she\n    may endure and conquer while her blood remains pure; but once taint\n    the well-spring of her life, and all is lost--even honor itself.\n    It is this immediate jewel of her soul that the South watches\n    with such a dragon eye, that she guards with more than vestal\n    vigilance, with a circle of perpetual fire. The blood thereof is\n    the life thereof; he who would defile it would stab her in her\n    heart of hearts, and she springs to repulse him with the fiercest\n    instinct of self-preservation. It may not be that she is distinctly\n    conscious of the immeasurable interests at stake or of the real\n    grounds of her roused antagonism; but the instinct itself is none\n    the less just and true and the natural bulwark of her life.\n\n    \"At this point we hear some one exclaim, 'Not so fast! To sit at\n    table, to mingle freely in society with certain persons, does\n    not imply you would marry them.\" Certainly not, in every case.\n    We may recognize socially those whom we personally abhor. This\n    matters not, however; for wherever social commingling is admitted,\n    there the possibility of intermarriage must be also admitted.\n    It becomes a mere question of personal preference, of like and\n    dislike. Now, there is no accounting for tastes. It is ridiculous\n    to suppose that no negroes would prove attractive to any white.\n    The possible would become actual--as certainly as you will throw\n    double-double sixes [in dice], if only you keep on throwing. To be\n    sure, where the number of negroes is almost vanishingly small, as\n    in the north and in Europe, there the chances of such mesalliances\n    are proportionally divided; some may even count them negligible.\n    But in the South, where in many districts the black outnumbers\n    the white, they would be multiplied immensely, and crosses would\n    follow with increasing frequency.. * * * But some may deny that\n    the mongrelization of the Southern people would offend the race\n    notion--would corrupt or degrade the Southern stock of humanity. If\n    so, then such a one has yet to learn the largest-writ lessons of\n    history and the most impressive doctrines of biological science.\n    That the negro is markedly inferior to the Caucasian is proved\n    both craniologically and by six thousand years of planet-wide\n    experimentation; and that the commingling of inferior with superior\n    must lower the higher is just as certain as that the half-sum of\n    two and six is only four.\"\n\n_A Final Word on Speech Building:_ In the notes that have accompanied\nthese special lessons, which we have suggested be treated in extempore\nspeeches, we have gradually developed one single lesson in the matter\nof constructing a lecture or speech. The plan has been simple, and\nthe illustrations abundant. The lesson in speech structure was based\nupon the simple principle of the speech having an _Introduction_, a\n_Discussion_, and a _Conclusion_, accompanied by several illustrations\nof noted speeches. A word was said with reference to the gathering of\nmaterial for such an address, and the manner of delivering it in the\nform of extempore speech. And now at the conclusion of the lesson, I\ndesire to say one more thing, and to say it as emphatically as it is\npossible for it to be said.\n\nLet every speech, lecture, or discourse by a Seventy be an honest\none. Let it be his own, good, bad, or indifferent. A poor speech that\nis one's own is more to one's credit than a good one stolen, and\nrepeated as his. Plagiarism is defined to be an act \"appropriating the\nideas, writings, or inventions of another without due acknowledgment;\nspecifically, the stealing of passages, either word for word or in\nsubstance, from the writings of another and publishing them as one's\nown; literary or artistic theft. * * * A writing, utterance, or\ninvention stolen from another. (Dictionary, Funk & Wagnall's.)\n\nI desire to call the attention of our Seventies to the fact that the\nugly words, \"stolen,\" \"theft,\" \"stealing,\" are used as describing\nthis act, and in literary ethics the act is just as despicable as\nthose acts in commercial life that go under similar descriptive\ntitles, \"stealing,\" \"theft,\" \"robbery.\" And indeed, there is more\nexcuse for such acts in commercial life than in literature. Of all\ndespicable characters in the literary world, the is regarded as the\nmost contemptible, and yet there have not been wanting among us in\nthe ministry of the Church (due to their ignorance of the ethics of\nliterature, of course) those who have advocated the appropriation\nof sermons and lectures prepared by others; and have advocated the\nrepetition of these stolen sermons in the preaching of the gospel!\nI know of nothing that should be so completely repudiated in the\nSeventies' class work and their subsequent ministry as this course, or\nanything that smacks of it. It is as bad as wearing stolen clothes.\nIt is asking one to shine not even by borrowed, but by stolen light.\nIt will result in mental laziness. It is a confession of one's own\ninability to think for himself and work out from the mass of materials\nthat lie before him in the revelations of God, the deductions and\nconclusions that make for the establishment of faith and righteousness\nin the lives of others. A few ideas hammered out on the anvil of one's\nown thought, even though they be crudely and haltingly expressed,\nif they are one's own, that is a better beginning and more hopeful\nthan the most glowing declamation of the sermon that has been stolen\nfrom another, or plagiarised from some book or tract.. I beg of you\nto adhere to this counsel. Of all things have your discourses honest\nbefore God and before men.\n\nOf course, I know the excuse that is made to justify plagiarism among\nsome of our young and inexperienced Elders. Some of our young brethren\nare conscious of their unpreparedness to immediately begin their work\nwhen called to the ministry, and they feel the necessity of beginning\nat once; for they are called upon to speak immediately on arriving\nin their missions, and they are overwhelmed with the sense of having\nnothing to say, and either through wrong suggestion of others, or\nmisconception of the proprieties in the premises, they commit to memory\nthe discourse of a companion, or a tract (See Editor's Table of _Era_,\nSeptember, 1907), or parts of books and deliver such memorized tracts\nor discourses _as their own_. That is plagiarism, which is always\ndishonest and not in harmony with the Spirit of truth, which is the\nSpirit of the gospel. To meet such an emergency of unpreparedness\nsupposed to justify the kind of plagiarism referred to above, I suggest\nthat it would be better for the Elder to confess his inability to set\nforth the doctrine or message for the present, but say that he had in\nhis possession a tract or book that did so, and with permission of\nthose who had gathered he would read some passages from it that would\nset forth some of the doctrines of our faith; and then read so much as\nmight be necessary for the occasion. Or he might say that on a given\noccasion he had heard his companion set forth a certain doctrine or\npart of the message they were sent to deliver in a manner that appealed\nto him, and as his companion had not referred to it, or was not likely\nto refer to it on this occasion he would take the liberty of doing\nso; being careful to credit his companion throughout, and especially\nat points peculiarly striking. By taking this course, he preserves\nthe consciousness of his own honesty, and by diligence will soon work\nhimself out of the necessity of reading or repeating the ideas and\nlanguage of others.\n\n_President Joseph F. Smith's Benediction on, and Instructions to the\nSeventies:_\n\n\"I feel like blessing the quorums of the Priesthood, every one of them,\nfrom the High Priests to the Deacons. I pray God, my Heavenly Father\nto remember them in their organizations, to help them, that they may\nmagnify the Priesthood they hold and do the will of the Father; that\nthe Seventies may be minute men, instant in season and out of season,\nready and willing to respond to the calls that are made upon them to go\nand preach the gospel to the world. Gather in from the Elders' quorums\nthose who have proven themselves worthy and who have gained experience,\nand make Seventies of them, so that the quorum of the Seventies may\nbe replenished; and the aged ones, whose physical condition will not\npermit them any longer to do missionary duty in the world, let them\nbe ordained High Priests and Patriarchs, to bless the people and to\nminister at home. Gather in the strong, the vigorous, the young, the\nable-bodied, who have the spirit of the gospel in their hearts, to fill\nup the ranks of the Seventies, that we may have ministers to preach the\ngospel to the world. They are needed. We cannot now meet the demand.\"\n(Conference Reports, October, 1905, p. 95.)","title":"The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":80648}