TRUTH NEVER CHANGES
A PUBLICATION IN THE SPIRIT AND TRADITON OF TRUTH MAGAZINE
Y VOLUME 14 WINTER
2011 NUMBER 01 Y
TRAINING
OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Elder Marriner W. Merrill,
General Conference,
Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT
Friday, April 6, 1894
General Conference,
Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT
Friday, April 6, 1894
I am pleased, my brethren and
sisters, to be here this morning, and glad to see with us President Woodruff
and so many of the Council of the Apostles.
The people who come from a distance to the conference have an anxiety to
see and hear the Presidency of the Church, especially President Woodruff, who
is so loved and honored by all the Latter-day Saints. This is the sixty-fourth annual conference of
the Church. When the first was held the
majority of us were in the spirit world.
We had not been born. But in the providence of the Lord, we are here and
associated with this work which He has revealed and established through the
medium of His appointed ones.
IN THIS ISSUE:
TRAINING
OF YOUNG PEOPLE……………………...…………………………01
DUTY
OF PARENTS TO CHILDREN……………………………………….……04
THE
RESURRECTION………………………………………………………………..06
ANCIENT
AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS AND THEIR LESSONS……...23
RECOMMENDED
SITES……………………………………………………………30
STATEMENT……………………………………………………………………………30
EDITORIAL……………………………………………………………………………...31
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We are very fortunate indeed to
have a part in this glorious work of the Lord, and He has so arranged that none
need walk in the dark, but that each member of the Church may have the light
and inspiration and testimony of the Holy Spirit. Every member of the Church, according to my
view, is entitled to an evidence of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph,
and it is within his reach to have a testimony relative to the Apostles and
Prophets that direct the affairs of the Church now. Not that it is our right or prerogative to
have revelation directing the affairs of the Church; but we may have the
revelations of the Spirit of God for ourselves, that we may be firm and stand
upon the rock, that when the winds come and the storms rage we may not be
moved. We have seen occasionally
unfortunate people that presumed to have revelations to direct other
people. We have seen men rise up in the
midst of the people, having a feeling that they were important ones and had a
right, in some instances, to direct the affairs of the Church. Sensible and thinking people will look upon
that class with pity. The Lord has His
work organized. He has His servants
appointed to labor in the various callings of the Priesthood, and He has given
minute directions how and upon whom the Priesthood shall be conferred. All the
quorums have their presidencies, and the Lord has given these things in
detail. I have thought sometimes that,
as Stakes and Wards, we did not give this matter the consideration that was
necessary. There are young men who have
been born and reared in the Church, and of goodly parents, who seemingly have
been neglected with regard to the callings in the Priesthood. I believe that the Lord designed that the
brethren should come up in their regular order in the ordinations of the
Priesthood; first, deacons; secondly, teachers; thirdly, priests; fourthly,
Elders, and so on.
Wherefore,
from deacon to teacher, and from teacher to priest, and from priest to elder,
severally as they are appointed, according to the covenants and commandments of
the church (D&C 107:63).
We
have found sometimes young men coming into the Temple to receive their
blessings who have never been ordained to the office of a Deacon and have never
had any experience in the callings of the Lesser Priesthood, and of necessity
they then have to be ordained Elders. I
believe if this were properly considered by the Stakes and Wards in Zion, these
young men would be brought into the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood in their
youth; and as a rule they are willing, if there is someone to look after them
and give them a little experience in their callings. We should give more attention to this, that
our young men may grow up and become valiant in the testimony of the work of
God. We read in the Book of Mormon of an
incident that should be a lesson to us in this connection. The ancient inhabitants of this land at that
time had frequent wars, and on one occasion two thousand young men took up arms
in defense of their country. They were
young men who had been taught, under the direction of their mothers, to believe
in God, and they had mighty faith in Him; and when they went to battle they
fought with miraculous strength, and so great was their faith in God that not
one of them was slain. This faith had sprung
up into their hearts as a result of their early training and education. This is a good example for us to
follow. As parents, we have anxiety
relative to our sons and daughters. We
want to see them valiant in the work of God and full of faith. We want to see them willing when called upon
to go on a mission to preach the Gospel, and we are very sorry if we hear them
make any excuse. This being the case, it
is important that we should consider the condition and circumstances of our
children while they are under our care.
When they go from us, we lose more or less of our influence over them;
but while they are with us we should endeavor to teach them all along the line
the principles of the Gospel, here a little and there a little, as their minds
are capable of understanding the doctrines of the Church. When we fail to do this relative to our young
people, we fail thus far to do our duty, and peradventure we may have sorrow
and regret because of our negligence in teaching and instructing as the Lord
has directed we should do. The Lord has
not been unmindful of this; for He has given us His word that "inasmuch as
parents have children in Zion, or in any of her Stakes which are organized,
that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ
the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the
laying on of hands when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the
parents" (D&C 68:25). I know
there is a feeling in the midst of our people (how extensive it is I do not
know) to let children remain without baptism until they come to years of
accountability, when they can choose for themselves. The Lord says this is wrong. God has entrusted these children to us, and
we are supposed to exercise control or jurisdiction over them and to teach them
in all the ways of the Lord. I have
frequently heard remarks of this kind, and I have thought that such parents
have yet failed to receive the testimony of the Spirit of God relative to the
divinity of this work, because if we have this testimony in our hearts, then
oh! the anxiety we have that our offspring may be honorable men and women in
the Church of Christ. I believe we are
held responsible to a degree in regard to the training and educating the young
people. I believe in some cases we are
willing that they should go to excesses in amusements. We let them go to the extreme in many things
that are not pleasant in the sight of the Lord.
Nowadays
there seems to be a mania among the people for card-playing. We often see in the newspapers that So-an-So
had a nice card party, and they tell of the different games played. Now, I do not know really that there is any
particular wrong in a game of cards. I
am not a judge in this matter, because I have never yet learned to distinguish
one card from another. I am quite
ignorant to talk about cards when I do not know anything about them, am I
not? But I have had some experience in
considering this matter and studying the results of this social game of card
playing. Perhaps it is not in the game
itself, but in the fascination that results from it. People become fascinated with the game. I have known in my experience where young
people would wake up in the night and get out of bed to have a game of
cards. I believe that it leads to evil,
and I do not think it a good thing for our people to indulge in to the excess
that it has been and is being indulged in throughout the Church at the present
time. We ought to exercise our judgment
and consider the welfare of our children; for because of this some have turned
out to be gamblers. We would not have to
go far to find such cases. They have
lost their faith, as well as their money, and many have died in disgrace. I am
not prepared, my brethren and sisters, to condemn this amusement in toto; but I
say where it goes to excess it is a bad thing.
Where people sit up to unusual hours in the night to indulge in these
games, I tell you it is a bad thing, because the wine and the beer have to be
brought forward, that the players may be stimulated to continue the game, and
whenever that occurs you may set it down that it is wrong. I believe we can run to excess in these
amusements that the Lord has kindly permitted us to indulge in. We can go to excess in round dancing, for instance. It is all right and proper for people to have
social gatherings and amusements; but let us see to it, my brethren and
sisters, that we do not go to excess in these things. When we do, we grieve the Spirit of the Lord,
and it will take its departure, "and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the
Priesthood or the authority of that man.
Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the
pricks; to persecute the Saints, and to fight against God."--(D&C
121:37-38).
We
should be considerate in these matters and look well after the welfare and the
proper training of our children, because we want to see them honorable men and
women in the earth. Our hearts are
swelled with joy when they go abroad to preach the Gospel and they write back and
tell how prosperous they are and how the Lord has listened to their
prayers. What a joy it brings to the
soul of the father and mother and kindred!
We ought to have an anxiety in this direction. Instead of feeling, when our sons are called
to go abroad, "Oh! I don't know where to raise the means, now how to send
him," we ought to feel like making every effort to send our sons agreeable
to the commandments of the Lord. I
believe the great majority of the people do feel this way.
The
Lord has called us to build up Zion and to establish His kingdom. He has called us to labor in the
ministry. He did not call us here to
aggrandize ourselves. Here we have
veterans before us that have labored a lifetime to build up Zion. They have gone on missions, without food or
raiment being left for their families; but God has sustained them. They have not labored for the wealth of this
world; but they have labored for the salvation of the souls of men. Now God is honoring them; He is lifting them
up before the Saints and the world, and giving them blessing and glory, and
eventually will give them eternal lives.
And this will be the case if we labor with all our might to sustain Zion
and the work of God. I hope this may be
our lot, in name of Jesus. Amen.
DUTY OF
PARENTS TO CHILDREN
Elder Heber J. Grant,
General Conference,
Salt Lake City, UT
Friday, April 6, 1894
General Conference,
Salt Lake City, UT
Friday, April 6, 1894
It is always a pleasure to me to
have the opportunity of meeting with the Latter-day Saints, and I rejoice in
being present here today. I have rejoiced
in the counsels that have been given, and I earnestly desire that while I may
stand before you this afternoon I may have the benefit of your faith and
prayers to assist me in speaking. I rejoice exceedingly in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ that has been revealed in this day, and I earnestly desire that I may be
able, in connection with the rest of the Latter-day Saints, to so order my life
that my mind may never become darkened, that I may never depart from the truth
or break any of the covenants which I have made with the Lord. I earnestly wish to know the mind and will of
my Heavenly Father and to have the ability and strength of character to carry
the same out in my life. I have this
same desire for all of the Latter-day Saints.
I appreciate fully the fact that in proportion to our diligence,
faithfulness and humility in keeping the commandments of God, He will bless us
and assist us in our labors; and it is the duty of every one to seek earnestly
of the Lord to learn His ways.
When
I heard Brother Merrill this morning say that he had met many of the Latter-day
Saints who thought it was not obligatory upon them to teach their children the
plan of salvation, and to baptize them when eight years of age, but who
proposed to allow their children to grow to years of accountability and then to
present to them the Gospel and allow them to receive or reject it--I could not
help but feel that all such individuals placed their judgment and their ideas
as superior to the commandments of God; that they lacked faith in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and that they did not have an abiding testimony of the divinity
of the work in which they are engaged. A
man who has a testimony that we are engaged in the work of God values that testimony
more than life itself; and I believe I am safe in saying that the most earnest
desire of every true Latter-day Saint is that his children may grow up in the
nurture and the admonition of the Gospel, keeping the commandments of God, so
that they may be saved in His kingdom. It is simply absurd to imagine that if a
child has the seed of falsehood and evil sown in its mind through life, you
will all at once be able to sow in that mind one crop of truth and have it
bring forth a harvest of truth. I remember
remarking recently at a conference that we would look upon a farmer as a
natural born idiot who would call upon everybody who passed his farm to throw
in a few seeds of weeds, to do this for a period of twenty-one years, and then
expect he could sow a crop of grain and expect to get a good harvest. I may know the multiplication table, and my
wife may also, but I cannot on that account expect my children to be born with
a knowledge of the multiplication table in their heads. I may know that the Gospel is true, and my
wife may know it; but I do not imagine for one moment that my children will be
born with this knowledge. We receive a
testimony of the Gospel by obeying the laws and ordinances thereof; and our
children will receive that knowledge exactly the same way; and if we do not
teach them, and they do not walk in the straight and narrow path that leads to
eternal life, they will never receive this knowledge. I have heard people say that their children
were born heirs to all the promises of the new and everlasting covenant, and
that they would grow up in spite of themselves, with a knowledge of the
Gospel. I want to say to you that this
is not a true doctrine, and it is in direct opposition to the commandment of
our Heavenly Father. We find that it is
laid down to the Latter-day Saints, not as an entreaty, but as a law, that they
should teach their children:
And
again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her Stakes which
are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance,
faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the
Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands when eight years old; the sin be upon
the heads of the parents; For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion,
or in any of her Stakes which are organized; And their children shall be
baptized for the remission of their sins
when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands, And they
shall also teach their children to pray and to walk uprightly before the Lord.
And the inhabitants of Zion shall, also, observe the Sabbath day to keep it
holy. And the inhabitants of Zion, also,
shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all
faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord.
Now,
I the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are
idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they
also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity; but their eyes are full of
greediness.
These
things ought not to be, and must be done away from among them.
And
again: Who am I, saith the Lord, that
have promised and have not fulfilled? I
command, and man obeys not. I revoke,
and they receive not the blessings. Then
they say in their hearts, This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises
are not fulfilled. But woe unto such,
for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.
The
Lord has given us a commandment that we shall teach our children the principles
of the Gospel and have them baptized when they are eight years of age. If we fail to keep this commandment, the
blessings that are promised to us by the Lord will be revoked, and we will have
mourning and sorrow in seeing our children grow up without a desire to serve
God; and in after years, when we endeavor to instil into their minds the
principles of the Gospel, we will make a failure of it. It is boasted by the Catholics that if they
can have the training of a child until it is twelve years of age, they will
defy the world to turn that child from Catholicism. If we do our duty in teaching our children
the principles of the Gospel, we ought to be able to defy the world to turn
them away from the truth, if the Catholics can defy the world to turn them away
from error. Every father who loves the
Gospel is ready and willing to go to the ends of the earth to preach it, and
one of the greatest joys that any man can have is to be found in bringing souls
to a knowledge of the truth. It ought to
be a greater joy to us to train our children in the plan of salvation,
realizing that by so doing we will be able to save and exalt them in the
kingdom of God. May the Lord bless
you. Amen.
T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N
____________________
DISCOURSE Delivered by Joseph E. Taylor,
as part of the Logan Temple Lectures, held in the Logan Temple,
as part of the Logan Temple Lectures, held in the Logan Temple,
June 2nd, 1888
There is no one subject involving
consequences of greater moment to the human family than that of the
resurrection; and, considering its vast importance, perhaps no other subject is
so poorly comprehended by humanity generally.
This may be due to the fact that, without the aid of revelation, it is
impossible to understand the correctness of this principle in any degree
whatever; and the tendency in the present age is to deny revelation rather than
accept it. Consequently, large numbers
of otherwise intelligent men look upon the doctrine of the resurrection as a
myth, a chimera of the brain, altogether contrary to the principles of true
philosophy, and, as scientifically demonstrated, an utter impossibility. In support of this the most ingenious and
seemingly logical arguments are used, embodying physiological and chemical
proofs which are considered incontrovertible.
It
is not my purpose in this lecture to discuss the subject of the resurrection
with unbelievers; for in the language of Paul, "If Christ be not risen"--to
which may be added, "If there is no resurrection"--"then is our faith
vain, and we are yet in our sins."
Every
true Latter-day Saint accepts the doctrine of the resurrection, and views it as
an assured fact; for every religious labor they perform, together with every
ordinance they receive (and more especially those that pertain to Holy
Temples), points directly and bears a close relationship to our resurrection
from the dead. Prominent among them may
be mentioned our marriages for eternity as well as time, making possible the
continuation of the seeds throughout endless ages; thus preserving and
perpetuating that patriarchal order which was established by heaven in the
early periods of this earth's existence, and which is the pattern of family
relationship in the heavens.
It
has been remarked, and truly too, that after the fall we were temporally and
spiritually dead, and must for ever have remained in that condition but for the
atonement wrought out by our elder brother; which atonement made possible, or,
in other words, brought to pass, the resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all died, even so in Christ
all were made alive.
Our
father Adam realized this when he prophesied concerning the families of the
earth, saying, "In this life I shall have joy, and in the flesh I shall see
God" (Pearl of Great Price, page 10); while Eve rejoiced over the prospect
of redemption and the eternal life promised them for their posterity. This could not have been realized but for the
fall, by which the evil and the good were made manifest, and their children
were left free from that time to choose for themselves.
Assuming, then at the outset the
doctrine of the resurrection to be an established fact, we will launch at once
upon the broad ocean that lies before us, and in our researches into some of
its details will go no farther than the light of revelation will justify. There is so much pertaining to this subject that
has not, as yet, been revealed, and there is such an intense desire to learn
more in relation thereto as to provoke considerable speculation in theory,
which is always dangerous as applying to heavenly things.
It
must be remembered that in our mortal state, without the aid of a quickening
power, we cannot at all comprehend the glorified condition of a reunion of the
constituent elements of the mortal tabernacle and the immortal spirit which
have been separated by death; and we shall never fully realize that condition
until after the powers of the resurrection have been brought to bear upon
us. For experience alone will furnish
full and complete knowledge either as to the glories of a resurrection to
eternal life, or the sufferings and torments of the sons of perdition. The revelation says concerning the latter,
"And the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment no man
knows; neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man,
except those who are made partakers thereof."
Nevertheless,
I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up
again. Wherefore the end, the width, the
height, the depth, and the misery thereof they understand not, neither any man except
those who are ordained unto this condemnation.
It
is also undoubtedly wisdom in the Almighty to hide from us the glories of a
resurrected state; for such knowledge would unquestionably have a tendency to
make us dissatisfied with our present condition, there being no genuine joy
upon this earth; neither can there be separate from anticipations of a glorious
future--not merely in spirit life in the paradise of God, but more especially
after the resurrection from the dead.
Paul sensed this when he exclaimed, "If in this life only we have
hope, we are of all men most miserable."
The
vision which the prophet Joseph had of the glories of the three kingdoms makes
very plain Paul's statement that "There is one glory of the sun, and
another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars;" and that the
glory of the stars is as varied as the stars themselves vary in brightness. Joseph's description is more minute than
Paul's; and it would seem that he had at this and other times a more extended
view than Paul. He remarked at one time
that, "Paul said he knew a man who was caught up to the third
heaven." "But," said he,
"I know a man who was caught up to the seventh heaven." That man I have always believed to be Joseph
himself, for the reason that no man living could supersede him.
Therefore,
if it was not himself who was thus caught up, it must have been one of the
ancients with whom he had conversed.
Seeing that Joseph held the keys of the last dispensation, his
privileges were certainly equal to those who had heretofore held similar
authority and power. This being the dispensation
when everything is to be revealed, who so likely as the head of the
dispensation to become possessed of this knowledge, seeing that he is made the
channel of communication to us?
We
may, therefore, fully rely upon what he saw in vision on various occasions in
regard to the future, and we presume to say that these visions were often
before him when in after times he spake upon the subject of the future. His words may consequently be accepted as
unquestionable authority.
There
are different periods spoken of when a resurrection from the dead should take
place; and although very little is said concerning the resurrection of any
other since our Savior's ascension (this being the commencement of the first
resurrection), yet any subsequent resurrection would simply prove that the
first resurrection was continued after His ascension.
We will speak further upon this
as we proceed, for we wish now to consider the death of our great progenitor.
It
is recorded in the 5th chapter of Genesis that Adam died at the advanced age of
930 years. But it is often asked,
"Did Adam lie in the grave until he was redeemed therefrom through the
death and resurrection of the Only Begotten?" I will ask a question in reply: "Did Jesus have power to lay down His
life and take it up again?" He so
declared (John x:18). It might be well at
this point to enquire who was the Savior of the world; and what relation did He
bear to our father Adam? For the veil of
the mysterious past has been lifted just a little to enable us to see
within. I will first quote from a discourse
preached by President B. Young, in Salt Lake City, April 9th, 1852, (see
Journal of Discourses Vol. 1, page 50):
The
question has been often asked who it was that begot the Son of the Virgin
Mary? I will tell you how it is. Our Father in heaven begat all the spirits
that ever were or ever will be upon this earth, and they were born spirits in
the eternal world. Then the Lord by His
power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We were made first spiritual and afterwards
temporal. Now hear it, Oh! ye
inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saints and sinner. When our Father Adam came into the Garden of
Eden he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives,
with him. He helped to make and organize
this earth. He is Michael, the ancient
of days, and about whom holy men have
written and spoken. He is our Father and
our God, and the only God with whom we have to do.
Every
man upon the earth, whether professing or non-professing Christian, must hear it and will know it
sooner or later. They came here,
organized the raw material, and arranged in their order the herbs of the field,
the trees also. The seed was brought
from another sphere, and planted in this earth.
The thistle, the thorn, the briar, and the obnoxious weed did not appear
until after the earth was cursed.
When
Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit their bodies became mortal from
its effects; and therefore their offspring were mortal. When the Virgin Mary conceived the child
Jesus, the Father had begotten Him in His own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.
And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family. When he took a tabernacle it was begotten by
His Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel,
and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. From the fruits of the earth the first
earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so on in succession.
I
could say much more about this, but were I to tell you the whole truth,
blasphemy would be nothing compared to it in the estimation of the
superstitious and over-righteous of mankind.
However, I have told you the truth so far as I have gone.
It
is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, viz.:
Eloheim, Jehovah and Michael. These three
formed a quorum as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing elements
perfectly represented in the Deity,
as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Jesus our
elder brother was begotten in the flesh by the same character as was in the
Garden of Eden, and who is our Father in heaven. Let all who may hear these doctrines pause
before they make light of them or treat them with indifference; for they will
prove their salvation or damnation.
We
will now quote some of the sayings of Joseph Smith upon this point, as uttered
by him in Nauvoo, April 6th, 1844:
It
is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of
God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with
another, and that He was made a man like us.
Yea, that God Himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on our1 earth the
same as Jesus Christ did. I will show it
from the Bible. I wish I were in a
suitable place to tell it, and that I had the trump of an archangel, so that I
could relate the story in such a manner that persecution would cease
forever. What did Jesus say? Mark it, Elder Rigdon, the Scriptures inform
us that Jesus said, "As the Father hath power in himself, so hath the Son
power." To do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious, in a manner, to lay
down His body and take it up again.
"Jesus, what are you going to do?" "To lay down My life and take it up
again."
Do you believe it? If you do not believe it, you do not believe
the Bible. The Scriptures tell it, and I
defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell
together to refute it.
What did Jesus do? Why, I do the things I saw My Father do when
worlds came rolling into existence. My
Father worked out His Kingdom with fear and trembling; and I must do the same;
and when I get My Kingdom I shall present it to My Father, so that He may
obtain Kingdom upon Kingdom and it will exalt Him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation and I
will take His place, and thereby become exalted Myself; so that Jesus treads in
the track of His Father and inherits what God did before.
I
think these two quotations from such a reliable authority fully solve the
question as to the relationship existing between Father Adam and the Savior of
the world, and prove beyond question the power that Adam possessed in regard to
taking his body again after laying it down--which power he never could have
attained unless he had received first a resurrection from the grave to a
condition of immortality. We further say
that this power was not forfeited when as a celestial being he voluntarily
partook of the forbidden fruit, and thereby rendered his body mortal in order
that he might become the father of mortal tabernacles, as he was already the
father of immortal spirits--thus giving opportunity to the offspring of his own
begetting to pass through the ordeals necessary to prepare them for a
resurrection from the dead, a celestial glory.
All
that Father Adam did upon this earth, from the time that he took up his abode
in the Garden of Eden, was done for his posterity's sake and the success of his
former mission as the savior of a world, and afterwards, or now, as the father
of a world only added to the glory which he already possessed. If, as the savior of a world, he had the
power to lay down his life and take it up again, therefore, as the father of a
world which is altogether an advanced condition, we necessarily conclude that
the grave was powerless to hold him after that mission was completed. All those who have now for the first time
taken upon themselves mortality, must wait for their resurrection through Him
who alone possesses the power to bring it to pass. It is these, and these only, whose
resurrection we here wish to consider.
But we will now resume the consideration of the question, viz., the times
when the resurrection did and will take place.
King
Mosiah, whose writings are recorded in the Book of Mormon, declares that
There
cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection. Yea, even a resurrection of those that have
been, and which are, and which shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ;
for so shall He be called. And now the
resurrection of the Prophets and all those that have believed in their words,
or all those that have kept the commandments of God, these shall come forth in
the first resurrection; therefore they are the first resurrection. There are those who have part in the first
resurrection, and these are they that have died in their ignorance before
Christ came, not having salvation declared unto them. Thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration
of these, and they have part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life,
being redeemed of the Lord. And little
children also have eternal life. The
Lord redeemeth none such as rebelleth against Him and dieth in their sins; yea,
even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began that
have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God,
and would not keep them; these are they who have no part in the first
resurrection.
Alma
also, in speaking to his son Corianton upon this subject, says:
And
behold again it hath been spoken that there is a first resurrection, a
resurrection of all those which have been or which are, or which shall be down
to the resurrection of Christ. Behold! I say unto you it meaneth the reuniting of
the soul with the body of those from the days of Adam down to the resurrection
of Christ. Now whether the souls and the
bodies of those which have been spoken of shall all be reunited at once, the
wicked as well as the righteous, I do not say; let this suffice, that I say
they all shall come forth, or, in other words, their resurrection cometh to
pass before the resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of
Christ. Now, whether there shall be one
time, or a second time, or a third time that men shall come forth from the dead
it mattereth not, for God Himself knoweth all these things, and it sufficeth me
to know that there is a time appointed when all shall rise.
We
gather from the above that at the time of the resurrection of Christ the
righteous were to come forth from their graves, also those who had died in their
ignorance, as well as little children; but it was questionable in Alma's mind
at what time the wicked would come forth.
As to what did actually transpire at the time of and immediately
succeeding the Savior's resurrection we will refer to the record. Matthew the Evangelist, says (Chap. 27, ver. 52-53) "And the graves were opened, and many
bodies of the Saints which slept arose, and came out of their graves after His
resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
Jesus,
when He appeared to the Nephites upon this continent, quoted the prophecy of
Samuel, the Lamanite, and showed that it had been fulfilled (3rd Nephi,
23:10). He upbraided them for neglecting
to write the same, and said: "How
be it that ye have not written this thing--that many Saints did arise and did
appear unto many, and did minister unto them." We have here two testimonies concerning the
Saints rising from the dead--one in regard to those upon the eastern continent,
and Jesus' testimony in regard to those upon the western continent. Whether there were any of those who
constituted the ten lost tribes who had died previous to this time and who were
resurrected during this period is nowhere recorded; and while we might
justifiably suppose that such was the case, I would much prefer to wait the
coming forth of their history, when the facts concerning them will be fully
made known.
Moses,
in describing Enoch's vision upon this subject, records: "And the Saints arose and were crowned
at the right hand of the Son of Man with crowns of glory, and as many of the
spirits as were in prison came forth and stood on the right hand of God, and
the remainder were reserved in chains until the judgment of the great day"
(Pearl of Great Price, page 20). These
Scriptures establish the fact that the resurrection which took place at and
immediately after the resurrection of Christ was the first resurrection, and
that this was the period upon which the expectation, faith and hope of all saints
was centred. Further, that those who
know no law, or, in other words, had died without a knowledge of the plan of
salvation, had part in the first resurrection through the redemption of Christ.
The
question next arises, "Did the resurrection cease when this was accomplished;
or was it continued for some time after the Savior's ascension into
heaven? If so, how long was it
continued?" In the Book of Doctrine
of Covenants (Sec. 27) it is recorded that the Savior told Joseph: "I will drink of the fruit of the vine
with you upon the earth." The
others He names who should be present at that time, (with some of whom Joseph
was acquainted, for they had committed to him the power and authority of the
Priesthood which they held) were Moroni, Elias, John the Baptist, Elijah,
Joseph, Jacob and Abraham. Except Moroni, these all lived previous to the death
of Jesus; consequently, we can readily believe that these faithful men were
among the first to come forth in the resurrection of which we have been speaking,
and that in ministering to Joseph and others they did so in their resurrected
bodies. To these may be added Moses, who
appeared to Joseph and Oliver in the Kirtland Temple on the 3rd day of April,
1836, and committed the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of
the earth, and the leading of the Ten Tribes from the North. In addition to these it is said: "And also with Peter, James and John
whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be
Apostles and especial witness of My name, and bear the keys of your ministry,
and of the same things which I revealed unto them."
We
all understand that John was translated; so that he would necessarily appear in
his translated body, as the final change will not take place with him until
after the second coming of the Savior.
But Peter and James had both been executed as martyrs. Therefore they must have appeared in spirit
form unless they had received their resurrection; and we have shown in a former
lecture upon Priesthood that it is contrary to the order of heaven for spirit to
minister to flesh to confer the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which was done
by Peter and James in connection with John at the particular time mentioned.
Hence we conclude that Peter and James did appear and minister to Joseph and
others in their resurrected bodies.
The
Prophet Moroni closed his record 421 years after the coming of Christ. In speaking of himself he says: "And now I bid unto all farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God,
until my spirit and my body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth
triumphant through the air to meet you before the pleasing bar of the Great
Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead; amen." His words certainly indicate that he would
die; and yet when this individual appeared to Joseph, he did so in the form of
a man. Joseph's description of him is
very full and complete. He says: "A personage appeared at my bedside,
standing in the air; for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of the most exquisite
whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond
anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could
be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked and his arms also, a little
above the wrists; as also were his feet naked a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other
clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his
bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly
white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description; and his
countenance was truly like lightening.
The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately
around his person. When I first looked
upon him I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and said unto me that he
was a messenger sent from God unto me, and that his name was Moroni."
On
the ninth day of October, 1843, Joseph Smith makes the following explanation: "Spirits can only be revealed in flaming
fire or glory. Angels have advanced
further, their light and glory being tabernacled; hence they appear in bodily
shape." This agrees with the
revelation given on February 9th, 1843, wherein three grand keys are given by
which good or bad angels or spirits may be known:
There
are two kinds of beings in heaven, viz., angels, who are resurrected beings,
having bodies of flesh and bones.
Second, the spirits of just men made perfect--they who are not
resurrected, but inherit the same glory.
When a messenger comes saying he has a message from God, offer him your
hand and request him to shake hands with you.
If he be an angel he will do so, and you will feel his hand. If he be the spirit of a just man made
perfect, he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can
appear. Ask him to shake hands with you,
but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven to deceive;
but he will still deliver his message.
It
certainly appears from this that Moroni was a resurrected being, for he
appeared to Joseph in bodily shape, and he it was who delivered to him the plates
and afterwards received them from his hands, as Joseph himself testified, on
the 2nd day of May, 1838. And without
question he still holds them in his possession.
The testimony of the three witnesses, and more especially that of David
Whitmer, many times repeated, was that the angel Moroni not only brought and
laid the plates before them, but also turned over the leaves of the record one
by one, in the presence of himself, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris. But, to place the matter beyond all dispute, we
will quote Joseph's answer to the question, "How and where did you obtain the
Book of Mormon?" as given by him May 8th, 1838: "Moroni, who deposited the plates (from
whence the Book of Mormon was translated) in a hill in Manchester, Ontario
County, New York, being dead and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me and
told me where they were, and gave me directions how to obtain them."
Seeing,
then, that Moroni was resurrected at the time he appeared to Joseph, his
resurrection could not have taken place until sometime after he deposited the
plates in the hill Cumorah, which, as we have shown, was not until four hundred
and twenty-one years after Christ; for his last recorded words were: "I soon go to rest in the Paradise of
God." And as Moroni's resurrection
occurred at so remote a period, why may we not suppose that other faithful
Saints who died upon the American continent after the ascension of Jesus have
been resurrected also?
We
would make especial mention of the Prophet Nephi who was the grandson of
Helaman; also his son Amos, who took charge of the records; and the son of Amos,
who was named after his father, who in turn received and transferred them to his
brother Ammaron, which Ammaron hid them up in the hill Shim, they being
afterwards obtained by Mormon according to the directions of Ammaron, which
records were all finally hidden by Mormon in the hill Cumorah, except the
abridged records which he delivered to his son Moroni. We would also include nine of the twelve
disciples whom Jesus chose, and to whom He gave a promise that "after they
were seventy and two years old they should come into His Kingdom and find
rest." The other three whom Jesus
chose obtained a promise that they should not taste of death, but should be
changed to immortality when Christ should come in His glory; consequently, they
still remain in the flesh as translated beings.
We
may also ask why many of the Saints upon the Eastern Continent who did not die
until after the resurrection of Jesus should not have their bodies resurrected
also, including all the Apostles save John, who, like the three Nephites, will
tarry until Jesus comes? Although there
is no direct revelation that I am aware of declaring this to be the case, yet I
see no reason why it should not be, seeing the keys of the resurrection were
revealed in the days of the Savior, and not before His time. That dispensation is not completed, neither
can it be until the dead who belong thereto are raised from their graves, as
well as those who died before it was ushered in; although the work of that
dispensation, as far as it pertains to mortality, may have ceased long ago.
True,
each succeeding dispensation has either resumed or continued much of the labor
of the former one; and the same authority which was held by men in previous
dispensations has to a greater or lesser extent been by them conferred upon
others in the dispensations succeeding, and in this manner are dispensations
linked to each other. Yet there is a
labor peculiar to each dispensation, and belonging thereto, which will not be
at all interfered with, even by the heads of other dispensations, except to
assist if needs be.
Unquestionably
there remains much unfinished work belonging to the several dispensations
preceding this; and while it may be completed during the period of this
dispensation, yet that labor will be directed by those whose right it is to
dictate by virtue of the authority still held by them, although they themselves
may have passed away centuries ago.
Joseph says (Journal of Discourses, Vol. vi, page 238): "All these authoritative characters will
come down and join hand in hand in bringing about this work. We therefore conclude that an authority once
conferred is always retained until the labor necessary to be performed under
that authority shall have been fully completed."
For
instance, Joseph Smith held possession of the plates no longer than was
necessary to translate the record which they contained. They were then delivered to their former
custodian Moroni, who still has them in his keeping. It appears that the twelve Apostles whom
Jesus chose in Palestine have not finished their mission; for in September
1830, the Lord said to Joseph the Seer:
"And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth
in a firm decree by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve
which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at
the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness,
with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house
of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none
else."
This
is in accordance with the promise Jesus made to His disciples previous to His
death (Matt. xix:28). Elijah still holds
the keys of the sealing power, though he himself has conferred this authority
upon others, as Moses still holds the keys of the gathering, although he has
appeared at two distinct times to confer the keys of this power--once in Jesus'
day and afterwards upon Joseph in this dispensation. Michael, the Ancient of Days, will sit to
confirm the acts of the rulers of these several dispensations, and to make the
final awards, when the work pertaining to each dispensation shall have been
fully completed, and not before.
We
are now living in what is termed the last dispensation, at the head of which
the Prophet Joseph stands. And as Joseph
was the first to receive every manifestation, revelation, key of power, and
authority of the Holy Priesthood, why should he not be the first to receive a
resurrection from the grave, and thus be prepared to resurrect his
brethren? Elders in Israel and all
faithful Saints are anxiously anticipating this glorious time, which we all
believe is very nigh, though the exact period has not been revealed to the
Church. It is believed by many that His
resurrection will be simultaneous with the coming of Christ, because of the
promises made concerning those who had previously been sleeping in their
graves. But this need not necessarily
be, seeing that the keys of the resurrection can be used at any time to bring
from their graves all those whose resurrection becomes essential for any
purpose whatever; more especially the head or ruler of the dispensation of the
fulness of times.
Whenever
it becomes necessary for Joseph to be resurrected--not to minister again to the
common multitude, as he did during his mortal life, but to direct his brethren
in those labors so needful to be performed for the accomplishment of the great
work of the last days--the grave will be powerless to hold him longer, and he
will appear in Temples and other places to the great joy of those who are
worthy to come into his presence and listen to his voice. Then will be revealed a power as pertaining to
the redemption of Zion, that even the Latter-day Saints as a whole wot not of;
while the revelations concerning the dead will make manifest such a stupendous
labor to be performed in their behalf as to demand the erection of many Temples
in various parts of the land for the receiving of ordinances for the vast
multitude who are awaiting their redemption.
The
inspiration which particularly rested upon Joseph during the latter part of his
life was concerning the dead. After
mingling with them so long in the spirit world, that same inspiration will
necessarily be increased among those who still remain, when he shall make known
to what extent the Gospel has been received by them, and their desire to have
the ordinances vicariously administered.
In view of these things I am led to ask myself, "Are we prepared
for Joseph's resurrection so as to be ready to respond to the demands that will
be made upon us, both of our time and our means, to carry on the great work of
the redemption of the living and the dead, and also the redemption of the land
of Zion?"
We
wish next to speak upon another great and important event which Prophets,
Apostles and righteous men have made their theme from the earliest periods of
this earth's history, viz., the second coming of Christ, at which time will be
developed powers in connection with the great principle of the resurrection
that are altogether beyond our conception.
For then not only will the worthy dead be raised, but the Saints who are
alive will be quickened, so as to enable them to meet Him in the air as He
shall descend with an innumerable throng composed of those who have been
valiant for the truth in all the ages past, and have already received their
resurrection. The signs of the near
approach of the coming of our Savior are certainly unmistakable; but the exact
time we cannot determine. Some
Latter-day Saints have expressed themselves in a very positive manner upon this
point, and have based their sayings upon statements made by Joseph the Prophet,
to which we will refer.
On
the fourteenth day of February, 1835, the members of Zion's Camp assembled in
Kirtland by the commandment of God and were then addressed by Joseph Smith,
who, among other things, said "it was the will of God that they should be
ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time,
or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh, even fifty-six years should wind up
the scene." At one time, Joseph
says, he was praying to know concerning the coming of the Son of Man, when he
heard a voice repeat the following words:
"Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years
old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and
trouble me no more on this matter."
Joseph says concerning this: "I
was left thus in doubt, without being able to decide whether this coming referred
to the beginning of the Millennium, or to some previous appearing, or whether I
should die and thus see His face. I
believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that
time." Had Joseph lived until December
23rd, 1890, he would then have been eighty-five years of age. The fifty-six years spoken of that should
wind up the scene will terminate February 14th, 1891.
While
these are very important sayings, they are to some extent ambiguous, and
require further explanation, if not further revelation, to make them
plain. And when the Prophet himself
expresses doubt upon one of them, as to what was really meant, it would
certainly be presumptuous on my part to conclude that it is sufficiently
explicit to base a decision upon. In regard
to the fifty-six years just alluded to might it not be interpreted to mean that
the fulness of the Gentiles should then come in; or does the expression refer
only to the second coming of Christ?
These are questions I do not feel myself competent to answer. Jesus says:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels in
heaven, but my Father only." (Matt. 24:36)
The new translation says, "Neither the Son but the Father
only."
We
come now to the question: "Is the
resurrection that will take place at the second coming of Christ anything more
than a continuation of the first resurrection, and not separate from that which
took place when He Himself came forth from the tomb and afterwards?" For all our blessings relate to "the first
resurrection." John says: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection." This
certainly refers to all the faithful, irrespective of the time they lived upon
the earth. Of the wicked it is said: "They shall not have part in the first
resurrection." We therefore
conclude that the resurrection at the second coming of Christ is a continuation
of the same resurrection which took place at his first coming, and relates to
all His faithful Saints as well as those who have died without law. Of those who died without law previous to
Christ's first coming, King Mosiah says:
"And thus the Lord bringeth to pass the redemption of those, and
they shall have part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being
redeemed of the Lord." The Lord,
in speaking to Joseph in regard to the redemption of this class of individuals
who have lived and died since the time of our Savior, uses the following
language: "And then shall the
heathen nations be redeemed; and they that knew no law shall have part in the
first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them." (D&C. Sec. xlv:54).
The
spirits to whom Jesus preached after His death are said to have been those who
were disobedient in the days of Noah; consequently, they could not have been
ignorant of the law while they lived. As
to what time subsequent to their receiving the Gospel and the ordinances
vicariously administered they were worthy to be resurrected, the Scriptures are
silent; but late revelations makes the subject very plain. Peter says concerning them, that they might
be judged as if they were in the flesh, "but live according to God in the spirit." This expression would seem to infer that
their resurrection had not taken place at least in his days.
The
two resurrections spoken of as distinct from each other are named, one as
"the resurrection of the just;" the other as "the resurrection
of the unjust." The sealing
ordinances which we receive relate to our coming forth in the first
resurrection, or the resurrection of the just.
At Christ's second coming there would seem to be a general resurrection
of all Saints; for the Lord revealed to Joseph the following: "And the
Saints that are upon the earth who are alive shall be quickened, and be caught
up to meet Him. And they who have slept
in their graves shall come forth; for their graves shall be opened, and they
also shall be caught up to meet Him in the pillar of heaven" (Doc. and
Cov., sec. 88, ver. 96-97). The others
who will receive their resurrection at this time are thus described, (vers.
99): "And after this another angel
shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those
who are Christ's at His coming; who have received their part in that prison
which was prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged
according to men in the flesh."
Those
who have to remain are thus described (ver. 100-101): "Then cometh the
spirits of men who are to be judged, and are found under condemnation. And these are the rest of the dead, and they
live not again until the thousand years are ended; neither again until the end
of the earth."
There
still remains another class, who seem to have no part either in the first or
last resurrection, at least to inherit any degree of glory. When they are brought up it will only be to
receive a greater condemnation. These are
also the only ones upon whom the second death shall have any power. For a full description of this class I will
refer you to the Doc. and Cov., Sec. 76, ver. 31-44, inclusive. In another revelation it is said that
"they remain filthy still."
Joseph said of them: "Those
who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnolom, to dwell in hell, worlds
without end. As they commit scenes of
bloodshed in this world, so they shall rise to that resurrection which is as
the lake of fire and brimstone. Some
shall rise to the everlasting burning of God, for God dwells in everlasting
burnings; and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness, which
is as exquisite a torment as the lake of fire and brimstone." But we will leave the consideration of the
utter hopelessness of these sons of perdition, and turn our attention to a more
pleasing subject.
The
redemption wrought by the Savior extends to those who have died before reaching
the years of accountability, and who are termed children. It is said by King Mosiah concerning
them: "If it were possible that
little children could sin, they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are
blessed; for behold as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ
atoneth for them." It is an
accepted doctrine by all Latter-day Saints that "Little children are
redeemed from before the foundation of the world." Or, in other words, that their redemption is
brought to pass through the atonement of Christ, which redemption was
determined upon before the foundations of this earth were laid. Joseph Smith says: "They shall have eternal life; for their
debt is paid." Therefore, children
belong to that class who come forth in the first resurrection and inherit the
glory of a celestial kingdom.
But
we are met upon the very threshold of this subject by the inquiry, "Will
children grow after their resurrection?"
This question undoubtedly originated from a feeling that the perfection
of glory can only be obtained in connection with a fully developed
tabernacle. Hence the anxiety of
parents to have opportunity given their children to develop, after the
resurrection, to the full stature of men and women. I have never heard even a suggestion to the
contrary, but that they will rise from the dead with the same stature as when
they were laid down. Therefore, any
further development of physical growth must be after the resurrection. The only direct answer I have met with to
this question is that given by Joseph the Seer in a sermon preached by him, in
Nauvoo, at Conference on the sixth day of April, 1844. The sentiments he then expressed were called
forth by the death of Elder King Follett, who had been crushed in a well as
short time previous. In speaking
concerning children, he said: "As
the child dies so shall it rise from the dead and be forever living in the
learning of God. It will never
grow. It will still be the child, in the
precise form in which it appeared before it died out of its mother's arms, but
possessing all the intelligence of a God. Children dwell in the Mansions of Glory, and
exercise power, but appear in the same form as when on earth. Eternity is full of thrones, upon which dwell
thousands of children reigning on thrones of glory with not one cubit added to their
stature."
These
sentiments have never to my knowledge been flatly contradicted; but they have
been most severly criticised at times in private circles. To all the criticisms that I have heard I
have one reply to make, which is, that if ever Joseph was inspired by God, he
certainly was at this time. For nothing short
of the inspiration of the Almighty could have called forth such advanced doctrines
as were delivered by him upon that occasion; and I think that this certainly
would be one of those times when the visions of the eternal worlds, as seen by
him twelve years previously, as well as at other times, would be most vivid in
his mind; and he would speak of things as he had seen them in vision, being
inspired by the Holy Ghost to do so upon that occasion. For all of his expressions are most emphatic,
and bespeak actual knowledge.
A
few minutes previous to his speaking upon the condition of children after their
resurrection he said concerning Brother Follett: "I am authorized to say by the authority
of the Holy Ghost that you have no occasion to fear, for his is gone to the
Home of the just, etc." Did Joseph
at this particular moment have the Holy Ghost; and the next moment lose it,
insomuch that his next utterance was an error?
I dare not assume such a position.
Again, it is claimed by some that, there being no short-hand reporters
present, it was impossible to report correctly; to which I reply that there
certainly is a most beautiful harmony in the entire sentiment which I have
quoted, as well as in the entire discourse itself. Each part fully agrees with the other. If this sentiment were false, why not have
corrected it at the time, or why republish it fifteen years later by inserting
it in the "History of Joseph," or publishing it in the Journal of
Discourses, and thus perpetuate and extend a serious error, are questions that
are certainly worthy of our attention.
Four
brethren reported this sermon, viz., President W. Woodruff, Willard Richards,
William Clayton, and Thomas Bullock. In
comparing notes so serious, an error--had it been one--would certainly have
been discovered. The Prophet himself was
not in the habit of allowing false doctrines to remain uncorrected, and the
fact of his not having corrected, nor in any way modified any of his utterances
upon that particular occasion during the remaining eleven weeks of his life, is
another strong evidence to me of its genuineness; for upon after reflection he
certainly would realize the importance of this doctrine. Besides the published report of the discourse
mentioned, several persons who were present on that occasion have testified to
me that Joseph did utter the sentiment I have quoted upon that particular
occasion; and I am certainly not in the wrong in endeavoring to sustain God's
prophet. We have already said that we
cannot conceive of perfection short of a full development of our physical
being; hence our reasonings are all in support of this idea. We will now consider this important point.
The
variety of stature of the spirits before tabernacling in flesh has not been
revealed, so far as I am aware. But as
variety is found in all the works of our Father, we are certainly justified in
supposing that a variety, and a pleasing one too, existed in the spirit
world. We have supposed that all spirits
had attained to what we term a full stature before taking earthly tabernacles;
but is not this merely supposition, there being no proof that such was the
case? We can easily understand, because
we have seen that a man measuring five feet or thereabouts can and does exhibit
as much, and often more, intelligence than one who measures six or seven feet,
though not necessarily so.
Nephi,
the son of Lehi, says of himself that he was "large in stature;" but
this did not hinder him from becoming acquainted with the mysteries of heaven;
while Paul, who, as Joseph says, was "about five feet high," was also
highly favored of the Lord in this particular, inasmuch as he was forbidden to utter
many things which he both saw and heard.
But seeing that a child in mortality does not naturally exhibit the same
intellectual powers as the full grown man--be his stature large or small--we
are at a loss to consider how a completeness of intellectual power can be
exhibited, even in a resurrected state, short of attaining to a full bodily
stature.
I
will now ask, "Where do we get our bodies?" The answer is easily given: Upon this earth, which was especially
prepared for that purpose. And just such
a body as earth has furnished us will rise again. Neither more nor less. The perfection of the earthly tabernacle is
complete in the person of eight, seven, six, five, four, or even two feet--with
this difference, however--one is an infant, another a youth, the other a
man. The only question then is,
"Can the resurrected child exhibit intelligence equal to the fully grown
resurrected man?" For herein
consists the glory of God. Joseph says
it will possess "all the intelligence of a God," and "be forever
living in the learning of God."
Consequently, its progress as a child must be similar to those who are
of full stature. It also holds dominion;
for he further says, "Eternity is full of thrones, upon which dwell
thousands of children reigning on thrones of glory, with not one cubit added to
their stature." Mormon, in writing
the history of Jesus' ministry to the people upon this continent after his
resurrection, uses the following language:
"And it came to pass that he did teach and minister to the children
of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and
they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things--even greater than
he had revealed unto the people, and loosed their tongues that they could
utter.
*
* * Behold it came to pass on the
morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and
heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous
things. And the things which they did
utter were forbidden, that there should not any man write them."
I
will here ask, by what power did these children on the first day mentioned
speak unto their fathers such great and marvelous things, even greater than
Jesus Himself had revealed unto the people?
And on the second day, by what power did not only these children but
babes also utter such marvelous things, which were too precious to be
written? The common answer would be
"Because Jesus loosed their tongues."
But this does not cover the ground.
Were these children, as well as the babes, merely machines set in motion,
and their utterances simply mechanical?
Or did the children teach their fathers, and the babes utter marvelous
things by virtue of the understanding they themselves possessed; the organs of
the body being quickened, for the time, by a portion of the power of the
resurrection as held by Jesus, to enable them to exhibit these latent
powers?" To me the answer is obvious,
and I think this is the grand key that unlocks the seeming mystery of the power
which children will possess after their resurrection, when as children they
will be found seated upon thrones, reigning in glory; the power of the resurrection
having made it possible for them to exhibit the full strength of their
intellect, or rather, as Joseph says, "All the intelligence of a
God."
We
turn next to the classification of all those who will come forth, both in the
first and the last resurrection; for it has been revealed that people who have
dwelt upon the earth will be classified as follows: First, those who will attain unto a celestial
glory are called "the church of the first-born;" and they are said to
be "Kings and Priests to God." Again, they are called Gods, and inherit all
things. Joseph has made it known that
"in the celestial kingdom are three heavens or degrees," and that the
highest can only be reached by observing the patriarchal order of marriage; or,
as he says, "entering into this order of the Priesthood." This glory is typified by the sun. Thus we see that it is possible for
individuals to become partakers of celestial glory without receiving a fulness
thereof: for those who would receive a
fulness must observe all the law. Second
in order are those who have died without law; the spirits of men who have been
kept in prison; also honorable men of the earth who did not accept the
testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. These receive of the glory of the Son, but not
of the fulness of the Father; and their glory is terrestrial, as typified by
the moon. The third class, as defined by
the revelations, is a singular admixture, and consists of professing Christians,
liars, sorcerers, whoremongers, adulterers, etc.--those who have received
neither the Gospel nor the testimony of Jesus at any time. Of these it is said, "They shall not be redeemed
until the last resurrection," and when redeemed can only enjoy a glory
which is telestial, which glory is typified by the stars, and varies in degree
"as one star differeth from another star in brightness or glory." These are called servants of the Most High;
"but where God and Christ are they cannot come."
These
last complete the vast multitude who will be resurrected to inherit a kingdom
of glory; the remainder, or fourth class, are "sons of perdition." They are vessels of wrath, for whom there is
no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come, and of whom Jesus says,
"It had been better for them had they never been born;" "The
only ones who shall not be redeemed;" "Wherefore He saves all except
them."
Concerning
the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, these
also are all to be restored, for the revelation declares: "All old things shall pass away, and all
things shall become new. Even the heaven
and the earth, and all the fulness thereof--both man and beasts, the fowls of
the air, and the fish of the sea, and not one hair, neither mote shall be lost;
for it is the workmanship of mine hand."
A
very few words upon the seeming mystery of the same identical body that has
been buried in the earth, being raised from the dead and consumed by fire; or
whose organization has been in any way whatever destroyed. We declare most emphatically that if this is
not the case, there is not a resurrection; neither is there a restoration.
Think
you the mother would be satisfied to press to her bosom elements different from
those which in mortal life constituted her child; to whom she gave birth, and
to whom she supplied nourishment from her own breasts, even though the material
of which its body might be composed were quickened by the same spirit which
quickened its body in mortality? No, she
never would. She would say, and justly
too, "Give me my own child;" and unless she is satisfied that the
same elements which constituted the tabernacle of her child in mortality were
to be restored to her in the resurrection, she would have sorrow instead of
joy; for there would be a constant longing for the lost one.
Again: Would the husband be satisfied with anything
less than the wife who was given to him by God in mortality, which gift was
made eternal not only by promise but also by sacred covenant? We reply, "No, he would not." So likewise will the wife want her own
husband, and the child its own parent. While
we have no philosophy to fully explain how this shall be brought to pass, yet
the promises made are most emphatic; for all will be restored without the loss
of a "single hair or mote."
Alma
says, "Behold it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection
of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to the body and that every
part of the body shall be restored to itself." The Prophet Joseph said, "Mothers, you shall
have your children again." He also
declared, "There is no fundamental principle belonging to a human system
that ever goes into another in this world, or in the world to come, I care not
what the theories of man are" (History of Joseph Smith, April 7th, 1843).
The
Book of Mormon contains a great many other sayings that are most definite upon
this subject, as also the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. Job understood this principle when he
exclaimed, "In my flesh shall I see God, and my eyes shall behold and not
another." Ezekiel saw in a vision
the literal resurrection of the whole house of Israel. Jesus appeared in the same identical body
that was laid in the grave. Paul
declared, "He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your
mortal bodies." John the revelator
saw, among other things, an innumerable throng of those who had been redeemed
out of every nation, who were brought forth from their graves, and were
dwelling upon a redeemed earth. All this
sustains the doctrine of a literal resurrection from the dead--of man, beast,
bird and fowl, as well as the earth itself--a restoration full and complete of
everything that has possessed organic life.
Again,
we might say if the identical body is not resurrected, wherein would be the
justice of God in consigning to happiness or misery some other element made to
represent that body? We see at once that
this is impossible. In short, every
doubt cast upon a literal resurrection tends to becloud the mind, and must, if
indulged in, result in a total denial of the possibility of any resurrection
whatever.
To
deny a literal resurrection is to throw away the only key that unlocks the
mystery of the future, makes possible the glory which is beyond the grave, and
which never can be obtained unless the identical body is again united with the
identical spirit, and quickened with the power of an endless life.
If
the grave yields not up its dead, then is the grave victorious; but if, on the
other hand, it is forced to yield them up, as Paul saw it would be, then with
him we may exclaim, "O grave, where is thy victory?" The triumph of the Savior of the world will
not be complete until every soul that has tabernacled in the flesh, from the
days of Adam until the last born in mortality--except the sons of
perdition--shall have been brought from their graves and placed in that
condition of glory which their own acts have merited. Then, and not till then, will be heard the
proclamation of the seventh angel, saying, "It is finished, it is
finished! The Lamb of God hath overcome
and trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the
wrath of Almighty God. Then shall the
angels be crowned with the glory of His might--the Saints shall be filled with
His glory and receive their inheritance and be made equal with Him." Amen.
Joseph Edward Taylor --
(1830-1913) At the time of this
discourse was first counselor to Angus M. Cannon, President of the Salt Lake
Stake. While President Cannon served
time for unlawful cohabitation, Elder Taylor served as acting Stake President.
1.
Correctly this should read ". . . the
Father of us all, dwelt on an earth . . ." (Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, p. 346).
ANCIENT AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS
AND THEIR LESSONS
AND THEIR LESSONS
____________________
DISCOURSE
Delivered by Apostle Moses Thatcher,
at a Y.M.M.I.A. Meeting held in Ogden,
Sunday Evening, November 11, 1888
at a Y.M.M.I.A. Meeting held in Ogden,
Sunday Evening, November 11, 1888
Many things
have been said of those who have lived before upon this continent. I wish to add something concerning that which
was spoken of this morning on the life of Nephi; not so much of his life and
character, as that of the people whom he led, their ruins, their buildings and
temples as found in Central America and Mexico.
There must have dwelt on this continent vast numbers of people, not barbarians,
but intelligent and civilized and learned in all the arts and many of the
sciences, as known at the present day.
In the Valley of Mexico are located the extensive ruins of an ancient
city known to scientific writers and explorers as the City of the Gods. Its circumference, as recently traced, is
shown to have been 27 miles. In the
midst of where this ancient city once stood is found what is known as the
pyramid of the moon. The larger pyramid
covers an area equal to twelve acres, and, when perfect, was 280 feet
high. The lesser covers an area of about
eight acres, and is some sixty-five or eighty feet less in height. These vast structures were constructed by
human hands, and the massive stones are as true and as perfectly laid to the
line as any building we have any knowledge of.
These large pyramids are surrounded by myriads of other smaller
structures, which, doubtless, have reference to the starry firmament. This people undoubtedly had a very extensive
knowledge of astronomy. They originally
built with earth, and bound the walls together with solid layers of cement from
eight to twelve inches in thickness. The
walls are evenly sloped down on the four sides, and in their original, complete
form are covered with porphyritic rock over which a heavy coat of cement is
plastered, so that the noonday sun, as on the pyramids of Egypt, strikes on the
four sides of the building.
These buildings have not been
extensively explored throughout the interior, but sufficiently so to discover
interior rooms, beautifully painted, decorated and frescoed, the work remaining
as perfect and preserved as if but modern works of art.
When the Aztecs came from the north,
they found this city and these pyramids in ruins. They found also certain traditions of an extinct
people, which caused them to make a record that the people who built these magnificent edifices were a white race, and
not of a dark skin as were the Aztecs.
Excavations demonstrated this record to be true, for in opening the graves
of this enlightened people the discovery was made that they were a light-haired
race. Extending from the pyramid of the
sun to the pyramid of the moon, is still to be seem a gigantic causeway of
cement. It remains in such a perfect
condition that it can easily be traced without making any other excavations
than those already made by the winds and the storms. The smaller pyramid is encircled by rows of
seats on two sides facing this causeway where, doubtless, on occasions of great
import and weight to the nation, sat thousands of people.
There is a book preserved of the
writings of this people, describing a band that came from across the sea at the
confounding of the languages at the Tower of Babel. It speaks of a people that traveled through
the wilderness for years. They gathered
with them a great many seeds as well as the honey-bee. The leader of this little band of twenty-two
individuals found favor in the sight of God.
When the languages were confounded, he prayed to God that he might
retain the language of his fathers. His
pleadings were heard and granted, and encouraged by this recognition of the
Lord, he asked that he might preserve the language of his brother, as well as
those who accompanied him. This prayer
was also granted. These writings also
give further details of their travels; how, when they reached the mighty
waters, they constructed eight barges or boats and crossed the sea; how they
increased in wealth and population after they had landed on this continent;
how, as time passed on, strife began, wickedness increased, righteousness
ceased, battles were fought, and they became an extinct people. The same writings also refer to the
re-peopling of this continent, and give a very similar account of it to that
given by the young brother this morning.
When but a youth of fifteen years, I
was met by the proposition that the Book of Mormon was not true, as that book
spoke of animals which were not found on this continent when Columbus
discovered America; animals which were such a strange sight to the natives that
on the advent of Cortez and his army of five hundred men, carrying with him a
number of horses, the Aztecs imagined the men and horses to be one being, when
mounted, and that on this account many battles were won. To this proposition I could then only answer,
"I believe the Book of Mormon to be true," but I could not tell
why. But when a great French explorer,
while exhuming at a city sixty miles from Mexico, discovered a large number of
animal bones, which were submitted to the great scientific school at Mexico,
the learned savants pronounced them to be the bones of cattle and horses. Then this explorer exclaimed, "If the
learned men of Washington, and the wise savants of France shall agree with the
savants of Mexico, I shall have opened up a branch of natural history and
science that will be a wonder to the world." And it proved to be true. The learned men agreed upon the decision of
the Mexican savants. Thus we have
scientific researches, and one by one they bear testimony, without a knowledge
of the contents of the Book of Mormon by the discoverers, of the divinity of
this ancient history. We have a
knowledge through Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon of the wars
which devastated the country; of the retreat of the Nephites in a northerly
direction, step by step. Recent
scientific researches demonstrate this line of retreat to have been truly
described. The signal stations of this
retreating people can be traced through Central America, the heart of Mexico,
crossing the Mississippi River, thence on across the Red River and up through
Ohio, until the people made their weary march to the hill Cumorah, in the State
of New York, where 230,000 brave souls drew their last breath of life in one
day.
Many of the fortifications on this line
of retreat are still preserved, and show by their choice of location as well as
manner of construction, that the people who built them were in dire
distress. We may read in these signs that
are left us, how this undaunted people erected fortifications for the protection
of their families as they retreated, contending every inch of ground, until the
last battle-field was reached.
There are not many evidences left in
the Territory of Utah of this high, ancient civilization, but that the Aztecs,
who were a dark race, came from the North and passed through Utah and Arizona,
there is no doubt. Throughout the latter
Territory there are ruins of vast cities and extensive canals stretching out
for miles and miles. At Mesa, there is
at present a large ancient canal, constructed hundreds of years ago, a great
portion of which is even now used by our people in the irrigation of their
lands. There is no doubt that the whole
Salt River country at one time contained a large and wealthy population.
In Rio Casa Grande, in Chihuahua,
more extended traces of a most sorely distressed people are visible. On every high point, where the sun's rays could
shed their warmth, and where a single yard of land, protected from the Pacific
showers, could be used for cultivation, human hands constructed stone walls to
hold in position enough soil from which to raise a little food for a scanty
subsistence. In the gorges below,
villages, hamlets and tents were found, on the peaks above, the signal
stations, or the grave of the poor sentinel who died at his post. In the valleys were the larger towns, but wherever
a human foot could find a resting-place the ground has been utilized.
On either side of the Rio Verde can
be found numerous caves containing many rooms of ancient construction. They also are built as true to the line and
plumb, and as well, yes, better plastered than our houses, for they are plastered
with cement. I counted seventeen rooms
in one of these caves. On the walls are
writings in ancient characters, inscriptions that would tell a wonderful story
of a distressed, suffering, retreating people.
Some day a prophet and a revelator may arise among the Latter-day Saints
who in the Lord's own time may read them and make them known to us.
These caves as a rule terminate at
the end of a small valley, while on either side rise perpendicular walls of
stone hundreds of feet in height. Think
of the distress of that people! Their
caves were solidly walled up in front with but a small opening, just large
enough for the passage of a human being, and these apertures were used for
portholes through which they shot their arrows and other missiles. The opening of these caves commanded a full view
of the valley on either side, and had flanked fortifications, where the men
fought on the outside, while their wives and children received protection from
within. When forced to retreat, the
small opening was walled up, while they lived on the provisions they had stored
up. They had large tanks in these caves,
those which were elevated probably being used for the provisions, while those
in the bottom of the cave were used for water.
One of these large tanks still remains.
Here you can find the bins which held their corn; the broken mills on
which their corn was ground. By
excavating a few feet, removing the debris which has accumulated during
centuries, you may pull out strings of ocean beads which crumble in your hands
and vanish, leaving you but the string.
How many years have passed since these threads were spun and these beads
strung is not for me to say. But this
much is certain, those who built, and toiled, and labored in those days were a
white race. When we employed a surveyor
to lay out a canal near the spot where a number of our people had taken refuge,
he tried for several days without success, and finally located it in the
channel of an old canal. Surrounding
this spot there was not a single foot of land but what had been cultivated
centuries before.
I have touched briefly on these
matters to show how God can build up a great nation to-day and tear it down
to-morrow. The Book of Mormon plainly declares
that no kingly government shall prosper upon this land. This is the land of Joseph; this is the
fruitful bough; this is the land seen in vision, and described as a land flowing
with milk and honey. God intended this
people to be a free people, to be intelligent, to exercise their own agency,
and to delight in righteousness. It is a
pleasure to read of the blessings declared by God on all the people inhabiting
North and South America. But it is with deep
sorrow that I see this great nation, of which Columbus was a forerunner, and to
which the Lamanites gave way as the dew before the morning sun, is becoming
corrupt. It is with great misgivings
that I see the nation dwindling from the glorious principles of the law of God,
whereas, if the people, would live righteously, it would become and remain the
most powerful nation on earth. Yet, if
they will not heed God's commands, but practice all manner of wickedness and
corruption, the nation will not stand.
Look at Rome! How she ground the
nations--how she ruled them at her beck and call! Yet she fell a prey at the feet of barbarians
in a few years. This was because she
lost her integrity, her union, and her strength through her corruption, and
still this nation was the most powerful on earth when her sons were pure and
devoted to their country.
We now have before us, in brief, the
history of the people that lived upon this continent, not only in the Book of
Mormon, but in all the ruins of their work; it cannot be disputed, and God
knows, as we ought to know by these evidences, that an intelligent people once
lived here. The great highways and stupendous
aqueducts found in Central America and built by this people, as far surpass the
engineering skill displayed in the building of the Union Pacific and the
Central Pacific as you can imagine.
Their mines were well developed. I
have seen beautiful copper needles, copper bells, and a thousand works of art
which have lain buried for ages.
This was not the people that believed
in human sacrifices. It was the people
that came after them who would at the end of a cycle of fifty years turn out at
midnight, find a willing victim, carry him to the highest eminence where they
had their altars raised, stretch him on this altar with bared back and chest,
strike the knife in his breast, tear out the yet palpitating heart, then thrust
sticks into the gaping wound and rub them together to cause fire. This race was the people that believed that
at the close of such sacrifices the smiles of their God would rest upon them
for another cycle of fifty years; it was not this people that built the
pyramids, the temples and the highways, and that brought up the cultivation of
the ground to such perfection.
Could we but have the writings of
this people! Could we but have the cords
of books and records burned by the Catholic priests, how much we would know of
this people, if those writings were interpreted. But they believed it necessary to wipe out
all traces of ancient tradition, and all evidences upon which rested the faith
of the Indians, in order to lead them to the belief of another God. Yet when these priests, with great reverence,
opened the Bible, and began to teach the Indian, he would say, "Why, we
have heard these things before; we have them in our holy book." "Where is this book?" the priest would
ask. The Indian would say, "It is
buried in the earth; yours is but a copy of ours."
This book, according to tradition,
teaches that at one time a white being dwelt in their midst, who taught them to
open their mines and cultivate the ground.
He left them, but promised that he would return and rule over them as king. It was this tradition that filled Montezuma
with fear and superstition lest the prophecy was about to be fulfilled, and
which enabled Cortez and his five hundred men to do the work they did. Montezuma had himself subjugated thirty-two
countries surrounding Mexico. He and his
followers were as courageous as lions.
He had millions of people ready to do his bidding. How could so few white men enter into the
heart of such a country and conquer it? It was the fear which this tradition had
brought upon them that caused Montezuma and his people to waste away before the
Spaniards. The people had slain the
prophets and the revelators, and must receive in turn that which they had dealt
out.
Yet this is a bright people. I saw in the City of Mexico an Indian studying
French, German and English at the same time, besides teaching a school four
hours a day. And yet by his side was as
bright an American youth as is commonly found, struggling hard to master one
language alone. The Mexican orator,
whose name has become famous, was possessed of such an eloquence in picturing
the victory of the Republic in the war of the Revolution, that the Secretary of
State fell upon his neck and surrendered the homage due to this man. And yet he was pure Aztec.
Mexico is a progressive nation. We call her semi-barbarous; but I look to see
the time when the Mexican people will be as bright and intelligent as they now
are kind, affectionate and hospitable.
The Mexican people must not be judged by the element on the border, for
there, as is generally the case, congregate the scum of both nations.
Having thus traced the lines of the
primitive inhabitants of this country, the people of Nephi, I desire briefly to
trace the history of our people. When
the angel Moroni guided Joseph Smith to the hill Cumorah, where he saw the
golden plates, the contents of which would be of such value to the inhabitants
of the globe, lying before him with the transparent Urim and Thummim, and gave
him instructions concerning them, what was there to excite the enmity of the
world? If God in early days chose to
talk with Abraham and other ancient worthies, was there anything wrong in
speaking to His people later? Would a
just parent bestow more affection upon an elder son than upon a younger, if
they both were obedient to the parent's wishes? No.
Yet, when He spoke to Joseph, we know that from the day the prophet made
the proclamation that God had spoken to him in the woods he received persecution. He was driven into Ohio, thence into
Missouri, then to Illinois, and then his followers sought a refuge here. I can remember when we first came into
Utah. It was not fair then as it is now,
but cracked and scorched. Here was a
people that had fled from civilization a thousand miles, hungry, footsore,
weary and worn, yet around their campfires there was but one prayer heard each night,
and that was thanks to God. We remember
these things well. We remember how
Joseph, bound in chains and cast into a dungeon, was fed upon human flesh. We remember how he started to lead the way to
these valleys, and how his people called him back. We can remember how he turned back, saying that
if his life was of no value to the people it was not to him. We can remember how he sang while in
prison--songs which cannot be recited even now without bringing tears to the
eyes of the Saints. We can remember how
he prayed and sang until the leaden messengers of death pierced his heart, and his
blood stained the floor of Carthage jail.
Yet this was not enough. We can
see the murderer with his hand dripping with the blood of the innocent, marching
to the scaffold, a priest beside him murmuring prayers and preparing him for
his reception by Jesus, and our mercy turns toward the criminal. But the hate of the wicked knows no
mercy. Jesus, our Lord and Savior,
suffered during His life. In agony He
saw that His best friends were not true to Him in His last hours. They slept.
He was taken, spat upon, crowned with thorns, marched to Calvary, and
hung upon the cross, but there was no mercy, no relenting. When He cried out for water they gave Him
vinegar. Where was sympathy there? It could not be found.
They look upon the fair vales of
Utah, and say it is too good for the "Mormons." I can remember when it was not too good for
us; when we had to boil roots and thistles for a livelihood; when we had to go
on the hillsides and dig segoes, and the wandering Indian would rob the poor
herd boy of his scanty meal; when we had to go bare-footed from one month to
another. I can remember when, a thousand
miles from civilization, we would have starved had not God in His mercy sent
the birds to destroy the grasshoppers, and they saved our crops. We could not depend on man then; there were
no railroads, no transportation facilities.
We depended on God, and He helped us through. I can remember our first harvest. We gathered the grain with our hands, we threshed
it with a flail, and carried it in a small sack to the mill to be ground. Now, what is the mission of the Saints? My question to myself is, "Can I live
through this vale of tears, through this existence, without holding hatred to a
single man?" None can enjoy the
presence of our Savior till they have tasted, at least in part, that which He
tasted. Until he has been hated and cast
out by the wicked as He was. Can they
endure this? If I should live long enough,
I would not be surprised to see the Saints drawn away from their leaders to-day
as they were from Joseph in earlier days.
There were times when Joseph would face the whole world, their hatred,
scorn and passion, and never quake; yet a kind word would bring tears to his
eyes because he received so few--he so seldom heard any. He endured in part what did Christ, and was
worthy of his Savior. Live lives of
humility, or you cannot stand. We must
be able to say on all occasions, under all our trials, "Father forgive
them, for they know not what they do."
Five times has my father been driven from home. I have been driven but once, from Nauvoo; but
if it should again be required of me, I hope to have the fortitude to bear it. God has indeed been kind to me, and rather
then prove untrue to Him, I would wander in the mountains, hunted and driven,
wearing a blanket like a savage, yes, rather than bow to the dictum of any man.
Shall it be said that the history of
the past shall be reproduced in America?
We have read of the martyrs who died in defense of the truth; how they
were burned, slain, torn to pieces, and used as torches to light the emperors'
gardens. We have read of the tyrant
Nero, who, when driven to the last extremity, tragically drew his dagger, but
coward like failed to use it; how his slave, with greater courage than this
abject coward, had to kick the steel home and end the worthless life of his
master. Yet the martyrs failed not in
their convictions.
We must be forgiving. If there is a single soul in this wide world
that I have aught against, I know it not.
But I know that God demands a forgiving spirit, charity and
humility. I know that this people will
come out victorious. I know that the
little stone which Daniel saw will roll forth and spread abroad, whether we
remain in Utah or not. I pray God that
you may adhere faithfully to Him and your covenants. Live your religion. Be generous and kind. Let the teachers hunt up the destitute and
poor, no matter of what color or what creed.
Give and it shall return unto you.
The brook gives to the sea. It
comes back in clouds, breaks on the mountains, fills the streams again, and as
its murmuring waters gently glide towards the ocean, green boughs hang lovingly
over it, man bathes his heated brow in its waters, the lowing of cattle rises
in praises to the Creator. It gave, and
it has been given again. The stagnant
pool (the hard-hearted man), keeps its waters lest it should want. The scorching sun does its work. Its waters give forth miasma and disease,
spreading destruction abroad. Green
frogs live on its banks, and sing forth their anathemas over the filthy
water. From its depth come slimy
tadpoles, and the whole is one reeking mass of corruption and disease. Such is the condition of the selfish, the
miserly, the ungrateful.
Moses Thatcher
-- (1842-1909) Ordained an Apostle April
9, 1879 by John Taylor. Later that same
year he opened up the first mission in Mexico, receiving his call during the
General Conference held in October, 1879. Tension between himself and other members of
the Quorum of the Twelve, mostly of a business and political nature, culminated
in his removal from the Quorum on August 14, 1897 (For an excellent analysis of
the problems that resulted in this action, see Edward Leo Lyman, "The
Alienation of an Apostle from His Quorum:
The Moses Thatcher Case", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought,
Vol. 18:2, pp. 67-91).
Recommended Sites
4thefamily.us
(Open
chat & polygamy & Mormon doctrine discussion)
fullnessradio.acrobat.com/fullness/
(Internet
broadcast Wednesdays 8pm MST.
Discussion of deeper mysteries of the Kingdom of God.)
allofthegospel.com
(An
in-depth website offering extensive Fundamentalist Mormon information and
works)
ogdenkraut.com
(A
website offering discourses from early Church leaders and books of several
Gospel-related subjects)
|
TRUTH NEVER CHANGES is an e-magazine for those who
believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith,
and who believe that this gospel should never be changed nor tampered with.
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The Kingdom or Nothing!
E
D I T
O R I
A L
OUR POSITION
Through the action of the Church as explained by its
press agent, Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve, in inaugurating the
prosecutions against those believing in its original doctrine of marriage,
great interest is being aroused among the people of the nation, as well as in
Europe and elsewhere. An inquiry coming
from a stranger in Chicago fairly epitomizes the nature of the inquires being
made:
“I would like to
know something more of your objectives than those reported in the newspapers.”
The answer, while new and sometimes startling to the
people of the world, to real Latter-day Saints is quite simple to comprehend:
The appellation, “Fundamentalists”, has been attached to
a group of people whom the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known
as the Mormon Church, has ostracized for adherents to its original doctrines.
These ostracized Mormons believe in the gospel of Jesus
Christ as established by the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith. Their faith comprehends the Articles of Faith
as promulgated by the Prophet, the Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20), along with
all other teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Articles of Faith are as follows:
1.
We believe
in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy
Ghost.
2.
We believe
that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3.
We believe
that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to
the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
4.
We believe
that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are:
(1)
Faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ;
(2)
Repentance;
(3)
Baptism by
immersion for the remission of sins;
(4)
Laying on of
Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost
5.
We believe
that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands,
by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the
ordinances thereof.
6.
We believe
in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, viz.: Apostles,
prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.
7.
We believe
in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation
of tongues, etc.
8.
We believe
the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also
believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9.
We believe
all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He
will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of
God.
10.
We believe
in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes;
that Zion will be built upon this (The American) continent; that Christ will
reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and
receive its paradisiacal glory.
11.
WE CLAIM THE
PRIVILEGE OF WORHIPPING ALMIGHTY GOD ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF OUR OWN
CONSCIENCE, AND ALLOW ALL MEN THE SAME PRIVILEGE, LET THEM WORSHIP HOW, WHERE,
OR WHAT THEY MAY.
12.
We believe
in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying,
honoring, and sustaining the law.
13.
We believe
in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all
men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, We believe all
things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, And we hope to endure
all things. If there is anything
virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
—Joseph Smith
The “Fundamentalists” believe the gospel to be
unchangeable and eternal; that the ordinances as established can neither be
added to or taken from short of revelation from the Lord given through His
constituted authority on earth.
Among the higher principles of the gospel are those of
the United Order (or the Order of Enoch) and the Order of Celestial Plural
Marriage; that Celestial marriage, as the term implies, contemplates marriage
for eternity and that plural marriage is a necessary element thereof. We believe that in introducing this order of
marriage in Abraham’s dispensation the Lord brought into his family the life
the woman Hagar, who became one of his legitimate wives under the law of God;
that the Lord not only approved of this plural marriage but really instituted
it, as the revelation reads.
God commanded
Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar
sprang many people. This, therefore, was
fulfilling, among other things, the promises.
Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you, Nay; for I, the Lord,
commanded it. (D&C 132:34-35).
We believe that while entering into this order of
marriage is strictly voluntary on the part of the adherents, yet compliance
with the law is necessary to obtain the highest exaltation in the Kingdom of
God.
We believe that the first amendment to the Federal
Constitution, known as the first clause in the Bill of Rights, “Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof,” means just what it says—that men are free to believe and act
in accordance with that belief, in so far as their actions do not infringe the
rights of others.
We are opposed to the statement made by an early Federal official sent to Utah, that “The Lord is a foreign power to this government,” (See TRUTH 10:235), holding that it is the Lord’s government and that when His kingdom is fully set up, which must inevitably occur, He will be the king thereof; and that then laws will be enacted for the protection of all men irrespective of their financial, social, political, or religious standing in the community.
We hold for the
rights of Motherhood; that no normal woman shall be denied this right under
whatsoever form of family life it may be feasible. That if more than one woman agree upon a
certain man to be their husband and the father of their offspring, (none of
them having vowed to any other man), and he agreeing to the arrangement, they
have a right so to do, and it is the business of no other person. On the other hand, if people choose monogamy
or celibacy as their ideal in the family arrangement, it is their affair and
they should not be interfered with in the exercise of that right; but what
prostitution should be legislated as a capital crime in accordance with the
original law promulgated by God and perpetuated in the laws of Moses, (Gen.
Chapt. 20; Num. Chapt. 25).
We believe that the Order of plural marriage for the
purpose of perpetuating the race is socially and biologically sound, and is the
only safe and sane doctrine that can be adopted to absorb the great army—ever
increasing in number—of unmarried marriageable women; that in this process of
absorption the individual and society are benefited, no one is injured, and the
Government is being populated with a strong and stalwart race of people.
We know that the prevailing social diseases, now rapidly
sapping the life-blood of society in the so-called civilized world, is not the
product of the Order of Plural Marriage as revealed by the Lord, but finds its
roots in monogamy and celibacy (whoredom).
The writer, over seventy years of age and raised in a community the
majority of whom were of polygamous
faith, does not recall a single instance of venereal disease among those living
in plural marriage, while with the monogamists and celibates the facts are the
direct opposite.
At a recent trial of fifteen men charged with Unlawful
Cohabitation, or polygamous living, the defense attorney referred to a list of
886 cases gleaned from the police court files for 1943, of men and women “respected citizens of Salt Lake City”,
caught-in-the-act cases of prostitution, frequently involving fathers and
mothers who were living in the monogamous theory. They were given private hearings and fined
from $5.00 to $50.00 each and turned loose to continue in their lecherous
trade, while the defendants charged with Unlawful Cohabitation were adjudged
guilty and sentenced from one to five years in the State Penitentiary. The group of fifteen were bringing up healthy
children into the world, supporting and educating them, with their mothers,
while the 886 were prostituting virtue, ruining families, engendering disease
and destroying life—the latter moral lepers and the former respectable citizens
and builders of empires.
Celestial or plural marriage with the Mormons means
continuing the marriage ties into eternity.
These ties continue beyond mortal life.
Holding to these views the marriage relation assumes a more serious
phase and greater thought is given to the selection of eternal
companionships. Few divorces occur among
this class of people.
It is a matter of common knowledge that the majority of
leading men and women in this intermountain community, for the past
three-quarters of a century, were either in plural marriage or born of
polygamous parentage. United States
Senators and Congressmen, Governors, State Legislators, Bankers, Professional
and Business Men, Farmers, Educators, etc., (Brigham Young, and acknowledged
polygamist, was appointed the first governor of Utah by the President of the
United States. Though known to the
President to be a polygamist, he was given a second appointment).
A system that produces this quality of timber must be a
good and worthy try-out.
The question is frequently asked: “How is it possible for
a man in present economic conditions to raise large families and adequately
support them?” Companion principles of
the Gospel, as indicated above are the United Order and the Order of Plural
Marriage. The two go hand in hand. The United Order furnishes a cooperative plan
of living where all work cooperatively and, insofar as their needs and wants
are concerned, share and share alike.
This plan is now in vogue among so-called “Fundamentalists” and is solving
the economic problems arising in the raising of large families and adequately
caring for them. The United Order is God’s economic law to the nations when
they are prepared to receive it.
An old Mormon motto is: “Mind your own business.”
We believe in this motto. We
believe there is intrinsic good in all men and all religions; that, given
freedom to work out their religious philosophies, the errors will ultimately
sink into oblivion while the good will solidify into a permanent faith. Men should be allowed the privilege of
worshipping God or not worshipping Him, as their consciences dictate, without
interference from an earthly source. It
is their individual business. They must
not be molested in it. Let the “hands
off” sign be strictly adhered to in the legitimate channels of life and society
will purify itself.
It is regretted
that the Church that once fostered and fought for the survival of these
principles: that was driven from its birthplace—New York—to this mountain
country under the most vicious persecutions known to mankind and by the hands
of the so-called Christians, being forced to give up homes, freedom, and life
itself for their religion, should now turn prosecutor, appointing sleuthing
scoundrels, sneaks and detestable informers to seek out those adhering to the
original faith, to immolate them upon the cross of hatred and prejudice their
goods given to the four winds!
Meantime these “Fundamentalists” are bravely bearing
their crosses with light hearts, rejoicing in the part they are called upon to
play in this unique drama of life. With
Bunyon they say, “While we cannot
observe man’s laws that conflict with the laws of God, we can suffer.” Still we had hoped than an advanced order of
Christian civilization would, in this age of wonders, have developed a greater
degree of toleration. —Mormon
“Fundamentalists.”
QADOSH
L’ADONAI
H o l i n e s s
Y
T o T h e
T o T h e
L o r d
TRUTH NEVER CHANGES
Volume 14, Number 01
Winter 2011
Volume 14, Number 01
Winter 2011
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