TRUTH NEVER CHANGES
A PUBLICATION IN THE SPIRIT AND TRADITON OF TRUTH MAGAZINE
Y VOLUME 15
WINTER 2012 NUMBER 01
Y
DISCOURSE BY APOSTLE
GEORGE TEASDALE,
Delivered in the
Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon,
January 13th, 1884
(REPORTED BY JOHN
IRVINE)
(Journal of Discourses 25:20)
(Journal of Discourses 25:20)
I LIKEWISE can
bear my testimony to the truth of this work that the world please to call
Mormonism. The "Mormon"
problem" is very easily defined if we consider the pretensions of the
people called "Mormons." From the time that Joseph Smith first
declared that he had had a vision of the Father and the Son from that time to
the present, I know that the world have never been able to prove that his
testimony was false. I know that they
have never been able to prove that Moroni did
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IN THIS ISSUE:
DISCOURSE, GEORGE TEASDALE..........……………………………..01
THE FULLNESS OF THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM………….....…...11 COMMENTARY ON…………………………………………………..….16 13 QUESTIONS..………………………………………………………….18 THE SACRAMENT…..……………………………………………………19 THE NAME OF CHRIST………………………………………………….21 EDITORIAL………………………………………………………………………21 |
not give to him the plates of
gold, or that the translation called the Book of Mormon is false. I know that they have never been able to
prove that John the Baptist did not visit Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and
confer upon them the Holy Priesthood, even the Aaronic Priesthood; neither have
I ever heard that it has been proved that the Melchizedek Priesthood and
Apostleship were not restored by Peter, James and John. There has been a great deal said about Mormonism;
quite a number of books written upon the subject; a great deal of derision has
been made of it; but the testimony of the Latter-day Saints has never been
proven to be false.
We
have declared to the world that God has spoken from the heavens; that angels
have appeared to the children of men; and that the keys of the Priesthood and
intelligence have been restored to the earth and we know it. We have invited the people to search the
Scriptures to see if these things were not predicted to find out if it had not
been declared therein that it should come to pass in the last days that the God
of heaven would establish His Kingdom upon the earth. There had to be a commencement. We read in the Bible that God set in the
Church firstly Apostles, then Prophets, then Evangelists, and Teachers, for the
work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Paul declared that the Saints were the body
of Christ, members in particular, and he bore the same testimony to the
Corinthians that he bore to the Ephesians, concerning the fact that God had set
in the Church firstly. Apostles, then
Prophets, etc. Might I ask where the
revelation is that at any time set in the Church firstly Popes, then Cardinals,
Archbishops, and Right Reverend Fathers in God?
Might I ask where the revelation is authorizing the establishment of the
Episcopal Church? Might I ask where the revelation
is authorizing the alteration of the order of government which God had set in
the Church? We are calmly told that
these things are done away with. Who
says so? Men whose business it is to try
and prevent people from thinking for themselves, and to do the thinking for
them. But as a responsible being I am
bound to do my own thinking; and when it comes to a question of my eternal
welfare, I take the liberty to think for myself. I am told that holy men of old wrote and
spoke as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and that the Scriptures were
not to be understood by private interpretation.
I believe as a child of God, that I have a right to receive
intelligence, for it was predicted ages ago that God would give to those who
loved Him line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a
little, until they were perfected. The
object of the Apostleship was the edification of the Saints. Now, I can understand the value of this
Apostleship. Those who hold it are to be
taught by the revelations of God, and have authority to call upon men everywhere
to repent, to believe in the living and true God, to cease from their heresies,
to cease from their wickedness and abominations, to lead perfect and pure
lives, and to give them the privilege of being baptized by immersion for the
remission of sins, and to have hands laid upon them, that they may receive the
Holy Ghost. This, we are given to
understand by the historians, was the manner in which the Kingdom of God was
established in the days of the Savior, and if it had remained upon the earth
there would have been a continuation of the Apostleship.
When
Jesus said, "It is finished,"
He did not give us to understand that the whole work was finished so far as we
were concerned as individuals; because the last instructions that He gave to
His Apostles, as recorded by the historian Mark, and which were given after His
crucifixion and resurrection were: "Go
ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall
lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." And we are told that
the Apostles went and preached this doctrine; called upon men everywhere to
repent of their sins, called upon them to repent of their false modes and
manner of worship. They preached exclusive
salvation. They had the only way to be saved. This was what rendered them so
unpopular. This is what renders us so
unpopular today. But if we preach the
same doctrine, if we have similar power, if God has spoken from the heavens and
has declared to His children the necessity of their repentance, and has chosen
men to hold the Priesthood, and go forth to the nations of the earth; if this
is the case, where will the wicked and ungodly be? I think, myself, it should be a matter of
interest to all classes of people, especially rulers, to make themselves
acquainted with the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints, with the principles
which they teach, so that they may act in wisdom. They have to give an account of the deeds
done in the body; they will have to stand before the bar of God; their record
will be there; and I say it is to the individual interest of every man, whether
he is a king or a beggar, to make his record of such a character that he will
dare to meet it; because as sure as we live to-day, we shall have to face the
record we make upon earth.
Now,
why should so much fault be found with the Latter-day Saints? Right here, I would ask, why should so much
fault have been found with the Lord Jesus Christ? Why should so much fault have been found with
the Apostles and their followers? Why
did they not, when they found it was distasteful to the majority of the people,
give up their belief and become one with them, as we are kindly invited to
do? Why did they not, in the midst of
their persecutions when they were being torn, to pieces by wild beasts, etc.,
rise up and say: "Will it not be
better, seeing our religion is so distasteful to mankind, to stop our mode of
worship, and worship with the majority?" Why, they never dreamed of
such a thing I have never heard of a faithful man that ever lived who dreamed
of such a thing as giving up that which he believed to be true for the sake of
the approbation even of millions. Joseph
Smith, the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, stood alone and declared that God had
spoken from the heavens, and when people believed his testimony, when they
accepted the doctrines he taught, God bore witness to them that he was a true
Prophet. They discovered that the
doctrine which he taught was that which was taught anciently; they discovered
by the revelations they discovered by the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ,
that in the last days the Kingdom of God was to be established upon the earth;
and in their simplicity they believed that it had to be commenced with a few; and
that it had to commence wherever the Great Eternal determined that it should
commence. He revealed Himself that He
might had a testator of the earth who knew that He lived, who knew that Jesus
was the Christ. He revealed Himself to the
boy Joseph Smith, who had sought Him in perfect faith. And, then, in order that the world might be
left without excuse, when He sent the angel Moroni to reveal the history of the
house of Jacob on this continent, He did not leave the fact of his is it
dependent upon the testimony of one man.
Others were privileged to receive the visits of heavenly messengers, that
in the mount of two or three witnesses-Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and
Martin Harris ever declare otherwise than that they saw an angel, and that they
heard the voice of God declare that the book called the Book of Mormon, had
been translated by the power of God?
They were never known though they left the Church to have flinched from
that testimony, and their testimony is as good as the testimony of anybody
else. It never has been impeached. And then again: Oliver Cowdery and Joseph
Smith both declared that John the Baptist came and laid his hands upon their heads
and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood.
Who had any idea that there was any necessity for John the Baptist to
come? Where were there any records to
that effect? And yet we are told
emphatically that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. But the world contend that he filled his
mission as the forerunner of Christ in His first coming. I will take the privilege of questioning
that, if you please, and will tell you why I do so. By referring to the 40th chapter of Isaiah,
we there find these words: "Comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry
unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for
she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." It then
goes on to say: "The voice of him
that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make strait in
the desert a highway for our God. Every
valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low."
Now, when John the Baptist came, did he speak comforting words to
Jerusalem? When the Priests and
Pharisees those professedly holy men came to him to be baptized in Jordan, what
did he say to them? "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? Bring forth fruits meet for
repentance, etc." He was the forerunner of Christ. He declared so himself. The Lord Jesus bore testimony of him. He said: "This
is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which
shall prepare the way before thee." Now, it is true that John the
Baptist came as the forerunner of Jesus; it is true that he filled his mission
so far; but we know very well that the people generally did not receive him, and
ultimately they beheaded him. We know
that they did not receive Jesus. They
crucified Him. Instead of speaking
comforting words to Jerusalem, He exclaimed: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate:" Were these comforting words to Jerusalem? I think not.
It is very evident that John the Baptist was not only the forerunner of
His first coming, but also of His second advent. The Scriptures are plain on this matter.
But
let us follow, the history of the Apostles, and what do we find? Martyrdom for every one of them, John the
Revelator alone excepted. What do we
find concerning the Saints? Cruel
persecution and death, until, in consequence of the awful crime of the shedding
of innocent blood, God in His displeasure withdrew the Priesthood from the
earth, and left it as it was before the coming of the Messiah, without divine
authority. Was this state of things
predicted? Most assuredly it was
predicted by the Prophets of old. It was
foretold by Paul, who declared that after his departure grievous wolves would
enter in among the flocks and destroy them.
He also beseeches the Thessalonians not to be soon shaken, or troubled,
in regard to the day of Christ being at hand.
He told them not to be deceived by any means: "for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first." Has there been a falling away?
Why, the prediction is verified by every sect in Christendom, when they
calmly tell us that the spiritual gifts of the Gospel have been done away with,
and that they are no longer needed. I
argue that it is just as necessary today if God is an unchangeable God, if He
is the same yesterday, today and forever that we should enjoy the spiritual
gifts of the Gospel as In former days, above all the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth by
which I may comprehend the relationship that exists between me as an individual
here upon the earth and my Father who is in heaven. By carefully reading the revelations of St.
John, you will find the Church represented as a woman surrounded by twelve
stars. You will also find the history of
the bringing forth of the Priesthood, and of the woman going into the
wilderness for a season. You will also
find the history of the establishment of the church of Satan which is likewise represented
by a woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast; she was proclaimed the Mother
of Harlots a church that was to hold dominion over all the nations of the
earth. John also saw the restoration of
the everlasting Gospel, as proclaimed in Revelations, 14th chapter and 6th
verse: "And I saw another angel fly
in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him; for the hour of His
judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and
the fountains of water." Now if the Gospel was upon the earth, there
certainly would be no necessity of an angel bringing the Gospel; there would be
no necessity for the restoration of anything that had not been lost. But seeing that this order of government had
been lost this order of Priesthood this authority which was given unto the
ancient Apostles it was absolutely essential that it should be restored,
otherwise, how could the Gospel of the Kingdom be preached in all the world for
a witness before the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ? For Christ Himself declared: "This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come."
Now,
is it not tidings of great joy to learn that God has spoken from the heavens;
to know that there are men upon the earth who have authority to preach the
Gospel; to know that we can receive a remission of our sins, that we can be
made clean, and that we can be taught the ways of the Lord, that we may walk in
His paths? Is not this tidings of great
joy when we think of the confusion and ignorance that exists in the world
today? To all reasoning men it must be a
source of great consolation. I know it
is a cause of great joy to me to know that the Apostleship has been restored, to
know that these principles are true and faithful; that God is the same yesterday,
today and forever, when faith is manifested; that the signs follow the believer
according to his faith; and that all who do the will of the Father are most
assuredly put in the possession of the knowledge that the principles that were
taught by the Messiah and by His Apostles are true.
Since
I last had the privilege of bearing my testimony from this stand, I have
visited the temple of God at St. George, and spent a season there, and I want
to bear my testimony to the truth of the doctrine of baptism for the dead. When Paul was arguing with the Corinthians,
some of them were foolish enough to contend that there was no resurrection;
they had believed, had been baptized and they had been a certain portion of time
in the Church; but their traditions and their lack of understanding caused them to believe that
there was no such thing as the resurrection. Paul, in his argument, made use of the
following language: "Else what shall
they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the
dead?" Do you know why the ancient Saints were baptized for the dead,
and do you know why Paul used this argument when they were disputing this
principle of the resurrection? We do,
for God has revealed it. He says: "Why stand we in jeopardy every hour? If after the manner of men I have fought with
beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we
die." Now, don't you think it would have been wise in Paul to have
taken the advice that some of our friends pretend to give us? Don't you think it would have been wise in
Paul, when he stood in jeopardy every day, to give up those principles which
rendered him so unpopular among the people?
The same question is propounded to us today. People say, "Give up your religion; it is unpopular; we don't like it, and we
are fifty millions strong. We want you
to please do as we do, say as we say, and be as we are." But in order
to make the thing not quite so glaring not quite so gross an injustice they
say, "Will you please give up your plural
marriage and do as we do? If you must
have a plurality of women, marry one and keep the others and raise illegitimate
children as we do." That is the
English of it. It may be distasteful to
tell so much truth in one afternoon; but that is the English of it. I have traveled in a few of the nations of
the earth; I have seen some of their finest cities; and I have seen the effects
of the workings of what is termed high Christian civilization.
But
before referring to this allow me to go back a little with regard to the
pretensions of Joseph Smith, because this is the "Mormon" problem; "it
lies in a nutshell." Joseph Smith was a true Prophet sent of God, or he
was not. He held the keys and powers of
the Priesthood, or he did not. These he
conferred upon other men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
before his death. Now, those upon whom
he conferred these keys have the Apostleship, or they have not; they have the
authority of God, or they have not; they hold the keys of the Priesthood, or
they do not; God our Eternal Father, reveals His mind and will from the heavens
to His children in these valleys of the Rocky Mountains, or He does not. We testify He does.
Without
quoting any more Scripture, let us reason together a little while. Who knew of the necessity of the Aaronic and
Melchizedek Priesthood? Joseph Smith had
a vision of the Father and the Son. Who ever
conceived of the necessity of such a vision?
There was an absence of the knowledge of God. The world by wisdom know not God. The being that is worshipped by so called
Christianity, is a being without a body, parts or passions. In order that He might have a testator upon
the earth, God revealed Himself, so that we might understand a little
concerning the personality of God; as it is written, we are created in His
image. Then the Book of Mormon was
brought forth. Jesus Christ declared, "other sheep I have, which are not of
this fold." Those "other
sheep" had to be visited; and the Book of Mormon gives us a history of
Christ's visit to them the aborigines of this continent, called the American
Indians, but really the descendants of Jacob.
We have given unto us within the lids of this book (Book of Mormon) the
fullness of the everlasting Gospel. We have
the principles of the Gospel laid down in their simplicity plainer by far than
in the Bible, though agreeing with that sacred record. It is in reality the stick of Judah that is
contained in the Bible; the stick of Ephraim is contained in the Book of Mormon. Isaiah prophesied concerning the coming forth
of this book. In fact the writings of
the Prophets are pregnant with predictions concerning the establishment of the
Kingdom of God in the latter days.
Joseph
Smith declared that John the Baptist came and restored the Aaronic Priesthood,
and also that Peter, James and John restored the Apostleship, and the keys and
powers thereof. Please tell me who it
was that put it into the heart of this so called impostor (Joseph Smith) regarding
the coming forth of this book? Will you
please tell me where he acquired the wisdom to connect such a record? Who taught Joseph Smith the necessity of the
Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods? Who
taught Joseph Smith the perfect system of the organization of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Who
taught him the necessity of three High Priests presiding over the Church of
Christ like unto Peter, James and John?
Who taught him the necessity of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and
of their powers and duties and the presidency thereof? Who taught him the necessity of the High
Priesthood in their presidings? Who
taught him the necessity of the Seventies and their organization? Who taught him the necessity of the Elders'
Quorum, the Priests' Quorum, the Teachers' Quorum, and the Deacons'
Quorum? Who taught him the organization
of the Stakes of Zion with their presidency, their High Council, their Bishops,
Teachers, etc? Who taught him the
necessity of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on
of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost?
Who taught him the necessity of holding keys of Priesthood, and that God
would reveal principles through this channel that had been hidden from before
the foundation of the world? Who taught
him of the pre-existence of the spirit of man?
Who taught him the philosophy of our probation upon the earth, and the
results that would flow from a faithful observance of the principles of
righteousness? He declared that Jesus Christ
taught him; he declared that all these things were received through the
revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ to him.
When people say that Joseph Smith was an impostor, they make him on the
greatest men that ever lived in view of the religion he founded. Again, who taught him the necessity of
marriage for eternity? Who taught him
the doctrine of baptism for the dead?
Who taught him the principles of the resurrection and eternal judgment,
as described in this Book of Doctrine and Covenants? I answer, God the Eternal Father.
Now,
will you please tell me why the world are so embittered against us as a
people? I will tell you. It is upon the same principle that they were
embittered against the Messiah. The
Messiah came with His bowels filled with compassion and love for the human
family. He taught them how to be saved
to the uttermost.
He taught them exclusive
salvation. Joseph Smith was a servant of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and acted under His instructions. His life and works boldly tell that he was no
impostor. He was, indeed and of a truth,
a true Prophet of God. He declared the
principles of eternal life, and those principles have been carried to the
nations of earth. What has followed the
preaching of the Gospel? Judgment, calamity
and desolation have come, in many instances, upon those who have cast us out
and spurned the message of life and salvation: for it has been decreed by the Almighty. The hour of His judgment has come. You take this large congregation. If they had the opportunity of testifying,
they would declare in words of soberness that God had revealed to them the
principles of the Gospel, and that it was for that reason that they left the
States, the islands of the sea, the nations of Europe, and came to this country;
it was because they received a knowledge that these principles were true. They had been impressed by His Spirit to
gather here; it is the gathering of Israel.
In doing this they were told by their friends that they were deceived;
but I ask any man who has accepted these principles, who has practiced them in
solid faith, if he has ever been deceived?
Never, no never. God has been
true to His word. He has done His
part. He has placed us in the possession
of a knowledge of these principles. He has
brought us home to Zion from the various nations where we were scattered. He has taught us the principles of
righteousness through His appointed channel, by His Holy Spirit, and woe be
unto us if we harden our hearts and close our ears against the pleadings of the
Holy Ghost. We should sanctify ourselves
before the Lord, and live holy and pure lives.
We are living in the last days.
We have no time to trifle. We are
in the midst of the judgments of Almighty God.
He has declared that desolation should cover the earth, and that He
would waste the inhabitants away who would not listen to His voice. How can the Latter-day Saints escape if they neglect
so great a salvation? We are called upon
to be ministers of righteousness. We are
building temples. We have no right in
those temples unless we can go in as saviors upon Mount Zion. We never can be upon Mount Zion unless we
save ourselves from this untoward generation. We must practice the principles of
righteousness. We must give up our follies,
our light speeches, our loud laughter and our inhuman feeling with regard to
our children placing them in a position where they are under the dominion of
Belial, and under that influence that would wean them from the principles of
righteousness. We must repent of our
sins. We must listen to the voice of God
through His servants. We must sanctify ourselves
before Him or we cannot assist Him in the establishment of His righteousness
upon the earth. You know this as well as
I do. What right have I to require of
anybody what I will not do myself. What
right have I to expect of anybody what I do not do myself? No, we must save ourselves. We must make our calling and election
sure. Who is afraid to die but the sinner? Who is afraid of death but those who have
sinned and who dread to meet the consequence of those sins behind the veil? But those who love the principles of
righteousness and who practice them know that they have passed from death unto
life. They know that they are redeemed
through the precious blood of the Redeemer.
When they pass into the spirit world it is not in blindness. They know that they are going into the
presence of the Lamb, and the Church of the First Born. They know that they belong to that Church, and
they also know whether they have kept their garments clean or not. Have we any occasion to fear the people? Have we any occasion to fear nations? Do we fear when we go forth in their midst,
traveling one or two at a time in the midst of our enemies with threatenings on
every hand? Do we fear under those circumstances? No; and if we can trust ourselves in the
hands of God, under those conditions, I think we can trust Him today. And as far as I am concerned as an
individual, not one principle that God has revealed from the heavens do I dare
to go back on not one principle. I
believe in the fullness of the everlasting Gospel. I believe in plural marriage as a part of the
Gospel, just as much as I believe in baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins. The same Being who taught me
baptism for the remission of sins, taught me plural marriage, and its necessity
and glory. Can I afford to give up a
single principle? I cannot. If I had to give up one principle I would
have to give up my religion. If I gave
up the first principle of the revelations of the Lord, I would prove before my brethren,
before the angels, before God the Eternal Father, that I was unworthy the
exaltation that He has promised me. I do
not know how you feel; but I do not fear the face of man as I fear the face of
God. I fear lest when I go behind the
veil and have to meet my progenitors, that I should meet them as a traitor, as
a man who had not the backbone to stand by the principles of righteousness for
fear of my life; or for fear of some calamity that might come upon me. How would they look upon me? How we would be condemned if we dared suggest
such a thing as to say that we would give up the first principle of eternal
truth! I bear my solemn testimony that
plural marriage is as true as any principle that has been revealed from the
heavens. I bear my testimony that it is
a necessity, and that the Church of Christ in its fullness never existed
without it. Where you have the eternity
of marriage you are bound to have plural marriage; bound to; and it is one of
the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ in its sealing ordinances. "Whatever
you bind on earth is bound in heaven." We know how sensitive the
Prophet Joseph was to introduce this principle.
He knew the feeling that was against it.
It had been taught from the days
of heathen Rome down to the present time that a man should have but one wife,
which has resulted in the prostitution of many of the fair daughters of Eve as
mistresses. Here we have too much love
for women to see them trampled in the dust.
Here we have too much respect for unborn spirits to have them come into
the world branded as bastards, illegitimate, in shame, without knowing their
fathers. The children we have are
legitimate. They are our own. We honor them and our wives. Our children are given unto us of God, for
our wives are given to us of God. We
never should have thought of practicing this principle if God had not revealed
it from the heavens and commanded it, and we must stand by it and by every
principle that He has revealed. It is
more than I dare, to go back on that principle or any other principle; and I
have besought the Lord with all my heart that He would give me strength
according to my day that I might never fail in my integrity, but that I might
stand firm as the pillars of heaven to the truths that He has revealed for the redemption
of the human family. I understand my own
weaknesses; I understand my own insufficiency; but my trust is in the living
and true God. And I have a testimony
that for over thirty years He has sustained me through some very crooked and
tight places by His Almighty power. He has
stood by me, been my friend; and so far my testimony and my love for the
principles of righteousness are as deep and earnest as my first love, and more
so; for I have witnessed His loving kindness in the sealing powers and bonds of
the everlasting covenant; I have been privileged to see the magnificent manner
in which He has provided for His children, in placing them in a position that
they may become like unto Him eternal, without end of years.
That
God may give us grace to stand true and faithful to our covenants, and endure
to the end, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
THE
FULLNESS of the KEYS of the KINGDOM
(Contributed)
A commandment was given by the Lord Jesus Christ to
study Isaiah, the direct quote from The Book of Mormon as follows: “Yea, a commandment I give unto you
that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things
concerning my people which are of the house of Israel ; therefore it must needs be
that he must speak also to the Gentiles.
And all things that he speak have been and shall be, even according to
the words which he spake.” ( 3 Nephi
23:1-3).
If we profess to be “of the House of Israel”, then it is
incumbent upon us to obey this commandment of our Savior Jesus Christ and
“search these things diligently” to see what Isaiah has to say about our latter
day and what wisdom and advice we can take from this Grand Prophet. As it turns out, as we study the scriptures
in general, we begin to discover that the Prophet Isaiah is the most quoted of
all the prophets, by the Savior, by other prophets and certainly in The Book
of Mormon. Studying the words and
teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and we discover that his heart and soul
were saturated with the concepts and language of Isaiah, above all other
prophets.
And as we confront the scriptures and the oft quoted
sections from the The Book of Isaiah, we come to realize that in
understanding Isaiah, we come to discover the very Keys that unlock the entire
volume of Scriptures and open to us a scene of Israel from its inception to the
final winding up scene that should leave us exhilarated at the same time deeply
concerned.
Throughout the Scriptures and specifically in Isaiah, we
discover that the LORD has given to mankind various “sets of Keys”, by which to
govern his Kingdom and bless His People Israel.
The three sets of Keys are as follows:
- The KEYS of Authority to Perform the Ordinances of the Gospel, which are conveyed from one man to another, as the pattern has been laid out since the time of Adam. Such KEYS give a man the authority to perform the established ordinances for others, each ordinance constituting an outward sign of an inward reality, the inward reality that the person has learned what he needs to do to repent (to change) and what “new actions” or “new direction” are required of him to more closely align his life to the Will of God. The performance of the actual physical ordinance is next to the final step in the process of repentance, the final step taking the form of the actual implementation of what is required by the ordinance and the covenant made in connection to that ordinance.
- The KEYS to Lead the
People, which are given directly by God and then attested to by signs and
wonders from the Heavens such that the LORD’s people know that this man is
empowered to lead them and will lead them in “the way of life and
salvation”. An excellent example of the reception of KEYS is given in the
life of the Prophet Moses, who was given authority to lead the people out
of bondage from
.
- The KEYS of Torah (The Law of God), which are given to man by both hard and diligent study of the Scriptures and by revelation through the Holy Ghost. This is when the man ascends to the status of “Gospel Scholar” and can “teach and inform” others about what the LORD has said in His Scriptures and what such Scriptures mean in the context of the present world. Such KEYS are given by a Gift directly from God and not from another man. When a man is in possession of the Keys of Torah, he is given revelation to “see patterns” and to “see the future” based upon the reality that the LORD is the same yesterday, today and forever. He takes on the mind of God, because he studies how God thinks and how God deals with His Children. But these KEYS do not confer upon a man the Authority to administer ordinances nor to lead the people.
All three sets of KEYS are needed for a man to claim he has
“the Fullness of Keys”. So often, and
sadly, a man will claim that he has one of the above sets of keys, which in
turn gives him “license” to claim he has all three sets of keys. Case in point--it is obvious that in
September of 1886, the Prophet John Taylor gave to that special council of
righteous men, KEYS relative to the first set of keys described above. Such men would have authority from God to
continue to perform legally-authorized ordinances to perpetuate that which had
been restored in the way of Principles to the Prophet Joseph Smith. They would have such KEYS to do the work they
were charged to do.
But as for the KEYS of Leadership, no such KEYS were
transmitted, as evidenced by the reality that such men and their “descendants”
have no authority in the Church to lead anyone.
It is also the reason that Lorin Wooley charged those given such
authority that they were not to form “new churches” or “form groups”, but to
look only to the already organized Church for that function in their
lives. Also, a simple review of the
“groups” indicates that any efforts at forming “a group” or “new church” proves
time and again to be dismal failures. The LORD is not behind such efforts (by
their fruits ye shall know them) and the history of Fundamentalism and its many
schisms also proves this reality.
As for the KEYS of Torah, those cannot be conveyed from one
man to another. Those can only
come from God and that only by diligent hard study and personal revelation,
giving such a man NO authority to either perform ordinances or to direct the
work of God, as indicated above. But
such a man does have the authority given to him by God and attested to by “the
fruits” of sharing and teaching what the Scriptures have to say on any
particular Gospel subject.
But can you see the genius of such an arrangement by
God? First, no “authority” or “a FULLNES
of Keys” is centered in One Man or Group of Men, thus mitigating against
dictatorship in the Kingdom of God and therefore, promoting free agency and a
mutual dependency on one another to fully pursue the building of the Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul in the New Testament talks about this
Principle of the Diversity of Gifts, and then indicates that because we all
have been given “different” gifts, that it puts us in a position of having to
depend on one another and no one man or oligarchy of men having the “right” to
lift himself or themselves up as “the One Mighty and Strong” or “the Quorum of
the Holy Order of High Priest Apostles” above the people. (Romans 12:3-8) This same “pattern” applies to the Keys of
the Priesthood as well. We have also
each been given “weaknesses” to keep us humble and reliant on God. (Ether
12:27)
The genius of this “Priesthood System” which should permeate
any organization established by the Power and Authority of the Priesthood, is
striking in that, at the end of the day, it promotes our Free Agency and
Maximum Growth, both Spiritually and Physically. And this same simple understanding also
indicates to us one of the signs of apostasy—“One Man-ism” or “Few Men-ism” on
whom we “rely” “to constitute the Foundation for the Kingdom of God, realizing
that NO “one man” or “small group of men” has all the gifts and authority from
God, as well as being totally free of “sins and iniquities”.
The One Man who is charged to “lead the people” and has been
given Keys and Authority to perform such a work, the fruits demonstrated by his
effective leadership and organization of the People of God, proceeds to lead
them to “safe places” and gathers them there, preparatory for their instruction
and also for them to take care of themselves and their families in organized
communities, based on the Law of Consecration. He demonstrates those “KEYS” by
the genius he so displays in carrying out such a work. And if he is a TRUE leader of God, he will
have Quorums of Men who will also be “his delegates or agents” who will carry
out such Leadership Roles under his Keys and Authority.
Now, that the Leader man has carried out his function of
leading and gathering the people, now here comes the Men who must administer
the ordinances of salvation and exaltation to the people. These Men discover
that they must build chapels and Temples
to get this Work done. So, the LORD gives them the means, both physical and
spiritual to accomplish this Work. And
soon, enough chapels and Temple
are built and ordinances are administered.
We know that in the ordinances is the power of Godliness
manifested.
But so that there is order, ALL of these sets of Keys are
subject to the Keys of Leadership as the Dispensations of the Gospel show and
are only released from this requirement by the LORD when Leadership proves
unreliable or apostate such as to interfere in the functioning of the Keys of
Authority or Keys of Torah. Such is our
current-day situation.
And so, as we look over this pattern, we see that the people
are first granted “salvation” by the TRUE Leader (who has not apostatized from
how a Leader of God functions), in that they are led to safe places where they
can gather for protection as part of the Abrahamic Promises given to them
through the birthright blessing given to Israel
(the Basic Teaching of Isaiah that where there is spiritual “salvation”
there is also “physical” salvation as well or vice-versa.) The Leader does this with the KEYS of
Leadership.
Now, that People of God are gathered, KEYS which authorize
additional ordinances are administered to them empowering them unto exaltation
and that only in a Temple which the people under the leadership of such Men,
sacrifice to build in Faith and Hope that their sacrifices will bring Heaven
down to Earth in the form of the Temple.
But if the People of God are to progress and retain that
which they have been given, they must continue to learn their duty and “search
the things of the Gospel diligently” else they fall into complacency and
the things of the world overcome them and they take their faith and the
ordinances that they have already received, and the place that they have
already “gathered” to, for granted.
Although not spoken, they feel or sense in their hearts that, as Nephi
warns, “All is well in Zion (that’s us): Zion
prospereth, all is well”.
And of course, Nephi goes on to warn us that when we feel or
believe in this way, enter the devil, who then, “cheateth their souls, and
leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”
(2 Nephi 28:21)
Thus, enter those with the KEYS of Torah, to assist the
gathered People of God who are now in
possession of their ordinances, to continue to progress in learning yet more
Gospel Truth and guiding them in their studies to greater enlightenment. This “greater enlightenment” will hopefully
lead them to greater repentance which necessitates “higher ordinances” and
greater leadership responsibilities, such that all three sets of KEYS are
interrelated and dependant on each other.
Again, you identify those who are in possession of the KEYS of Torah by
their fruits and in no other way.
Again, all of the receptions and holdings of these
KEYS are evidenced by the fruits of the men professing to hold such KEYS. (Matthew 7:16-20).
One of the Principle Fruits in assessing the “TRUTHFULNESS”
of whether a man is called of God to receive and hold any of the sets of KEYS
as outlined above comes in this standard as established by the Prophet
Jeremiah:
But if they had stood
in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have
turned them from their evil way [“turned
them”=repentance and “evil way”=breaking any Covenant made with God] and
from the evil of their doings [the covenant curses that flow from
breaking any Covenant]. (Jeremiah 23:22)
Thus, what good are “KEYS” of any kind, whether they be KEYS
of Authority to Perform Ordinances, KEYS of Leadership to gather the LORD’s
people to safe havens, or KEYS of Torah, to instruct the People in the Ways of
God, if they do not bring those holding such KEYS as well as to whom they
administer such KEYS to “repentance”?
As we look out over the Landscape of Mormonism, we discover
that some have one set of keys and others have another sets of keys, but none
seem to have a Fullness of Keys, defining such “Fullness” as all three sets of
Keys as outlined above. Why is
that?
PRIDE, the Great Nemesis of Israel which destroys us in
every Dispensation the Gospel is given to us and drives us into Apostasy. This
“PRIDE” causes each of us who have been granted a portion of the KEYS to
compete with those who have been given some other portion of KEYS. Thus, you see those with the Keys of Torah
dominating and destroying those with the KEYS of Leadership and KEYS of
Authority, such that “Intellectualism” and “Scholarship” are leading the People
of God. Such was the case at the Time of
Jesus Christ with the Jews and their Rabbis and Doctors of the Law.
Now, in our day, those with the KEYS of Authority to
administer the ordinances, are forced to change the ordinances by those holding
the KEYS of Leadership, notwithstanding that those with the Keys of Torah are
raising concerns and objections. In the end, those with the Keys of Torah are
driven out of the congregation or effectively silenced such that they no longer
influence any of the Lord’s People by what they have learned and the reality
that God has given them a Gift to share with the People. Those with the KEYS of
Authority to administer ordinances are effectively required to change such
ordinances based on the decisions of those with KEYS of Leadership. Those with the KEYS of Torah stand back and
teach, warn and exhort, but can do nothing else, because they do not have the
KEYS to do any other Work.
Such was the case with Ogden Kraut and the many marvelous
and wonderful books he had written sharing the Fullness of the Gospel with
interested Truth Seekers. He had no KEYS
of Authority to administer ordinances (as he himself declared to me) and also
no KEYS to lead anyone beyond his own
family (as his history shows and again as he readily admitted.). But he was in possession of the KEYS of
Torah, based on a charge and calling he had received from Joseph White Musser.
Apostasy always ensues when men exceed their callings as
embodied in the KEYS that the LORD has given them. Heber J. Grant certainly had the KEYS of
Leadership with respect to the Church and was extremely effective in that Leadership
Role, But as for ordinances, he had little or no understanding as his history
in Church Leadership shows and his willingness to quickly change such
ordinances as the exigencies of his Leadership required, or so he
believed. He also had no KEYS of Torah,
again as his personal history shows, “leaving such matters to other men more
capable than myself.”
Among the little apostate offshoots of Mormonism, oft times,
a man will study the Restored Gospel intensely and then think, because of his
“great scholarship” that he is somehow “superior” to those with the KEYS of
Authority or the KEYS of Leadership and will begin to style himself as some
sort of man who qualifies as “The One Mighty and Strong, possessing a ‘Fullness
of Keys’”. The devil whispers to him
in his pride, the product of his “great scholarship”, that he “knows what needs
to be done” to get the Kingdom rolling.
And then, this man, again in his PRIDE, will arrogate to himself the
false belief that he also is in possession of the KEYS of Authority to perform
ordinances (he has studied all about them, so he must have that authority!!!)
and the KEYS to lead the People of God.
Now it is HIGH TIME that they “wake up” and realize his vast knowledge
and give to him that which rightly “belongs” to him—the KEYS of Leadership and
the Keys of Authority to Perform Ordinances. And he is soundly rebuffed for his
arrogance, his response that of shouts of derision and condemnation to those
who have rebuffed him (a clear indication he is not in possession of any such
KEYS in the first place.)
Next thing you know, he is writing ridiculous letters to
“other groups” and/or ridiculous ultimately-ignored letters to the Church,
DEMANDING they follow him as he as the “Fullness of Keys” and therefore
qualifies to lead All of the People of God, when no such authority or KEYS have
ever been given to him. He winds up getting up a little group of 20 or 30
people, and proceeds to demonstrate that he knows nothing about how the
Ordinances are suppose to lead the people to change (repent) nor can he lead
his way out of a wet-paper bag, as his little group is tossed to and fro by his
every little wind of “emotion” or “impression” or some supposed “scholarly”
conclusion that he has most recently derived from his “diligent studies”. Such is the case of James Dee Harmston of Manti , Utah and his
little offshoot apostate church and a dozen or more men scattered throughout
the Intermountain West who style themselves as “leaders in Israel ” which
is bluntly a lie. They lead no one and their ordinances mean nothing—exercises in
self-gratification and self-righteousness.
Well, Isaiah is a marvelous book
indeed and I don’t believe that any man in a lifetime can get to the “bottom”
of it. Isaiah shows so aptly and clearly
God’s genius in how He establishes His Kingdom.
Isaiah, imbued with the Mind of God teaches how the Kingdom is to be
operated in its Fullness and also the challenges and problems that Apostate
Israel always presents to the establishment and operation of God’s Kingdom on
earth. When coming to a preliminary conclusion
of reading the Last Verse of Isaiah, you are left pondering the reality that
Israel, who we profess to be, are in a “heap of trouble” and that “the sword of Justice hangeth over
this People”, unless we repent (change) what we are doing. If we cannot perceive what it is we are to do
to change (repent) or we refuse to repent (change), then destruction is our
lot, and by that suffering, we are ultimately led to repent. So, the choice is simple. We can either repent
now and avoid the calamities, or be destroyed by the calamities and then
repent. It seems to me that the first
option is the better option.
{Although Lorin Woolley did
discourage gathering and organizing into groups mirroring the Church, these
instructions were given at a time when the Saints could receive their blessings
within the temples of the Church. With
the admittance of the Cainites and the changing of ordinances within the
Temples of the Most High, we fundamentalist Mormons have no other recourse than
to preserve the ordinances in their purity, through the usage of Keys of Elias,
Elijah and Moses – the restoration, sealing and gathering, respectively, “Unto
whom I have given the keys of the Kingdom, which belong always unto the
Presidency of the High Priesthood…” D&C 81:2, and those brethren of the
1886 Eight-Hour Meeting having received what they did, and with Joseph W.
Musser having received a Fullness of Priesthood and these keys in 1899,
provided a way for the preservation and perpetuation of these keys today. —Associate
Editor—}
—COMMENTARY—
ON
CELESTIAL
PLURAL MARRIAGE
N O W ?
OR In the millennium?
Should Celestial Plural Marriage be lived in this day and age? While we read that it was relinquished by the Church in 1890, with the Manifesto, that document only seemed to curtail the practice within the confines of the continental United States. Then we have the second manifesto of 1904, wherein the Church decreed that the practice of Celestial Plural Marriage was abandoned by the Church world-wide.
N O W ?
OR In the millennium?
Should Celestial Plural Marriage be lived in this day and age? While we read that it was relinquished by the Church in 1890, with the Manifesto, that document only seemed to curtail the practice within the confines of the continental United States. Then we have the second manifesto of 1904, wherein the Church decreed that the practice of Celestial Plural Marriage was abandoned by the Church world-wide.
When we read Section 132 of the
Doctrine and Covenants, we understand that what is defined therein by the Lord
are not the conditions of the marriage between one woman to one man, but, the
conditions for a man and his wives to attain godhood. Literally.
A man cannot be sealed into the
Church of the Firstborn by having his Calling and Election made sure, if that
man does not first meet the requirements in order for that event to
happen. And what are the requirements?
1)
Having many wives and concubines (verse 1)
2)
Receiving and obeying the instructions, because
all who have this law revealed to them MUST obey the same (verse 3)
3)
Abiding the conditions of the New &
Everlasting Covenant—because if we don’t, we’re damned (verse 4)
4)
Having our calling and election made sure, by
having the Savior place His hands on a man’s head and seal that man into the
Kingdom and Church of the Firstborn (verse 5) and by having our wives sealed to
us for time and all eternity by
5)
Legal administrators, having legitimate
authority and sanctioned to do so (verse 7) because no man can come unto the
Father, except through Jesus (verse 12).
6)
If we abide the conditions as described in
(verse 19), we will come forth on the morning of the first resurrection and
will become gods (verse 20)
7)
So we have that promise, but He warns in (verse
21) that if we don’t abide the law, we can’t attain to that glory, and He
reminds that if we never meet Him in THIS world, then we don’t know him (verse
22).
8)
But in (verse 23) He says that if we receive Him
in THIS world, then we will receive our exaltation and where He is, so will we
be.
9)
This is what is meant by becoming a co-heir with
Jesus Christ (verse 24).
That is a
simplistic explanation of the Law of Celestial Plural Marriage. And I want to emphatically state that this
section, 132, is a law for polygamists and NOT for monogamists. Though there are many that attempt to enter
into this law unlawfully, these people should seek the Lord to find His
servants with the legitimate authority to make their unions valid, else they
awaken in the resurrection without any wife at all.
How can we
expect to receive the blessings of Abraham if we don’t abide the Law? We are fooling ourselves into thinking we can
attain the highest degree of glory without abiding the conditions thereof
(verse 29). The Lord promises the
Abrahamic covenant to us, if we abide the law and conditions thereof (verse
30).
And then in
1886. Hmmm. September 26, 1886, when the presidency of
the Church had convened to present a document that abolished the practice of
Celestial Plural Marriage. The following
day, President John Taylor presented the Lord’s answer in the form of the 1886
Revelation, wherein the Lord stated, “…Thus saith the Lord: All commandments that
I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are
revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting
covenant? …Have I not given my word in
great plainness on this subject? Yet
have not great numbers of my people been negligent in the observance of my law
and the keeping of my commandments…have I not commanded men that if they were
Abraham’s seed and would enter into my glory, they must do the works of
Abraham. I have not revoked this law,
nor will I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must
obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.”
To me, the
revelation given in 1886 sounds like the Lord is growing impatient with His
children, saying, “I’ve already TOLD you this very plainly. Why are you even asking me again?” So with using the title of this brief
article, are we to live Celestial Plural Marriage today? Or in the Millennium? Those who think they can take up the practice
on their own accord in the Millennium are sorely mistaken. We need to qualify for these blessings
TODAY! Seek the Lord for those men who
can make this a reality in your lives.
Though Plural Marriage MIGHT be lived in the Millennium, if it is to be,
then it will be those of us who have been tried and proven faithful today that
will teach those how to live it then.
Thirteen
Questions from an Apostle of the Lord
In July, 1992, while in Mexico, Bro. William N. Baird
dictated the following questions, which he expressed should be asked to those
who are serious persons seeking the fulness of the Gospel.
1) Can
a man pass on the Melchizedek Priesthood before he himself has received it?
2) Can
a man pass on any ordinances that he himself has not received?
3) Can
the man then hold the keys to an ordinance he can’t pass on and that he himself
has not yet received?
4) What
would happen if, for one generation, one ordinance was not passed onto anybody
and everyone who had it died, would the keys of the ordinance be off the earth?
5) Do
we need all the keys for the winding up scene?
6) If
everyone dies that has the keys to any ordinance and it is not passed onto
anyone, how are we going to get it back on the earth if all the keys are
needed?
7) Have
we had the last dispensation when all the keys were dispensed from heaven to
earth for the last time never to be given to another people and never to be
taken from the earth?
8) If
the answer is, ‘yes;’ what will happen at the winding up scene if all the keys
are not here?
9) The
LDS Church maintains that we can live these laws in the Millennium, but if we
live all the laws in the Millennium, all keys must be maintained until the
winding up scene and beyond.
10) The whole issue here is: Can you maintain all
the keys here on earth without
perpetuating all the ordinances?
11) If the answer to that question is, ‘No;’ then
the Church is wrong when they say we can live it in the Millennium.
(Some say the leaders are living it privately. If they are keeping birthright from the
people by hiding it and keeping it, their lives should be taken. Joseph Smith said self-aggrandizement was a
correct principle as long as you wanted to bring everyone else)
12) Can they, without living all the ordinances,
hold all the keys?
13) We can prove that all general authorities did
not heed the first manifesto of 1890.
One man said, “if the general authorities won’t keep the first manifesto
of 1890, why should I honor the second manifesto of 1904?”
Will any man ever be redeemed upon any other principle than
what we are redeemed upon? No. Men must abide the same law, or God Almighty
will never redeem them. If they violate
that law, they bring damnation upon themselves, and must suffer the
consequences of it. Still, I believe the
greater part of the inhabitants of the earth will be redeemed; yea, all will be
finally redeemed, except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost or shed
innocent blood; and they can never be redeemed until that debt is paid. And I do not know any way for them to pay it
unless they are brought back again to a mortal existence, and pay the debt
where they contracted it.
God will make every man pay off the debt he contracts; for a
restoration must take place, which has been spoken of by the mouth of all the
holy Prophets since the world began.
The SacramentThe
Sacrament is full of rich symbolism pertaining to the life, ministry, death,
resurrection and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I suppose that some of the symbolism has
always been with me through my 23 years in the mainstream LDS Church, but
others have been taken directly out of the scriptures and by inspiration.
The Table: This is
given to represent the grave in its shape and dimensions and are somewhat
quoted in EXODUS 25:23, “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two
cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a
cubit and a half the height thereof.” (As in the LDS Church.)
The People: Being
representative of the grave, the “two people,” who stand on the heavenly side
of the table are the two representatives of the Godhead, revealing, dispensing
and witnessing the blessings of the Messiah’s symbols “across the grave” to the
ministers of salvation waiting on the mortal side of the table, who then
dispense the symbols to the congregation. (As in the LDS Church)
The Elements: The
bottom cloth represents the veil between the pre-existence and the mortal life
that the bread and water (body and spirit) of our mortality rests on. The top cloth represents the veil between
mortality and eternity, and it takes one representing a God to raise the top
cloth to reveal the Christ to mortality.
There should be a linen hand cloth on the table representing the napkin
the Saviour’s head was wrapped in. (John 20:7)
The Bread represents the body
of the Saviour, who is the bread of life. (John 6:35)
The Water represents the blood
shed for mortality. (Luke 22:20)
The prayers represent the
three seals, which we have to attain to in this life:
1.
To take upon us the name of Christ. (LINEAGE) =
(BLOOD)
2.
Receive the commandments. (ORDINANCES)
= (WATER)
3.
Always have His Spirit. (PURITY) = (SPIRIT)
“For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost
and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water and the blood, and
these three are one.” (1 John 5:7-8)
Now that we
have rediscovered the importance of the Sacrament, our next advancement is to
receive the Priesthood. Heber C. Kimball
stated, “If you have the Priesthood, you are in the same condition that I am. These things are serious to me and to this
people. After receiving the Priesthood,
when a person receives his endowment, he is an heir to the Priesthood, and an
heir of God, and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ; that is, he has commenced his
heirship.” (J. Of D. 6:125)
The
endowment is given so we can add four more names for eternity and return back
to the presence of the Father through Christ, which is at the veil. Many men refuse to be sealed to another
because they are afraid that it will detract from their position in the next
life. This is not the case, because they
have no position, as they have refused to accept Christ as their head and His
servants as their file leaders. This is the
whole purpose of the endowment. Parley
P. Pratt in an article called, Celestial Theocracy, puts the
position that man can expect to find himself in the next life as follows:
“Man is an eternal being, both in regard
to his material organization, and his mind and affections. The resurrection from the dead, (if quickened
by a celestial glory), restores him to life with all his bodily and mental
powers and faculties, and consequently, associates him with his family,
friends, and kindred, as one of the necessary links of the chain which connects
the great and royal family of heaven and earth, in one eternal bond of kindred
affection and association.
“The order of God’s government, both in
time and eternity, is patriarchal: that is, it is a fatherly government. Each father who is raised from the dead, and
made a partaker of the celestial glory in its fulness, will hold jurisdiction
over his own children, and over all the families which spring of them to all
generations for ever and ever. We talk,
in this ignorant age, of children “becoming of age”, as it is called; as we consider
when they are of age, they are free from the authority of their father. But no such rule is known in the celestial
law and organization, either here, or hereafter. But by that law, a son is subject to his
father for ever and ever, worlds without end.
Again we have a rule now established in the earth by which a woman
becomes the wife of a man, and is bound by law to him, to death shall
separate. But in the celestial order, it
is not so, for the plainest reasons: viz.,
the celestial order is an order of eternal life, it knows no death, and
consequently, makes no provisions for any.
Therefore, all its covenants and contracts are eternal in their
duration, and calculated to bind the several members of a family to one eternal
union.”
(Millennial
Star, 5:189-194)
Brigham
Young states, “It is lamentable to any person who understands by the visions of
eternity the plan of salvation, the providence of God to His creatures, to see
one who has his mind open to see, understand and embrace the principles of life
and salvation in his faith, and who has the privilege of being adopted into the
family of heaven, of becoming an heir with the saints that have formerly lived
upon the earth, an heir with the prophets and with Jesus Christ, and being
numbered with the children of the most high, with a legal administrator to
officiate for the attainment of all these privileges, and to open the door of
salvation and admittance into the kingdom, neglects so great a salvation.” (J. of D. 4:58-59)
Name of Christ
Men cannot be saved unless they take upon themselves the name
of Christ. The saints are
adopted into His family; they become His sons and His daughters; they are born
again; they have a new Father; and they bear the name of their Father, who is
Christ. “Take upon you the name
of Christ,” King Benjamin said to his people, “And it shall come to
pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he
shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name
of Christ.” And those who honor
their new name and retain membership in their new family shall dwell with their
Father in the heavenly home He has prepared for all those who bear His
name. They shall be called by the name
of Christ here and now and shall continue to bear that sacred name for
eternity. And if all individuals who are
baptized into His Church, and are thus born again, if they all bear the name
of Christ, then the Church is the family of Christ, or in other words,
it is the Church of Christ.
E
D I T
O R I
A L
A recent report came that in a
Sacrament Meeting, in the Allred Group, a Councilman stated that the Group will
no longer perform vicarious work for the dead, nor any more missionary work,
that this work is to be done by the Church.
On one occasion, I heard the
testimony of Brother Morris Kunz, in which he reported one of Brother Lorin C.
Woolley’s prophecies. Brother Woolley
stated with great emphasis that every Priesthood Quorum from the highest to the
smallest would become out of order.
Brother Woolley’s counsel to the
Brethren called in the early 1930’s was the same as that which Brother Musser
gave to those called in the new Council called in the 1950’s” Whatever the
Church is capable and willing to do, the Brethren were to allow the Church to
do. Whatever the Church did not want to
do, or was not qualified now to do—the Priesthood must step in and fulfill.
I would ask: 1) Why?
2) What does it take to have the Fulness of the
Gospel?
3)
Can anything be done away with, and still have the Fulness?
4)
Shall we work to help bring about an “Out-of-Orderness”?
The Angel Moroni stated that the
Priesthood as revealed by Elijah must be upon the earth at the Lord’s coming,
or the earth would be utterly wasted.
God is not a God of out-of-orderness!
As quoted in an earlier issue of T.N.C., Brother Rulon stated that the
Brethren in 1886 were given as much authority as there is. Why?
So that a subsequent President of the Church could not come along and
say, “I have more authority than you, and I revoke anything President Taylor
gave you.”
The Church cannot revoke this
because those Brethren were given a Fulness of Keys: The ability to fill any
void in the Church or the Priesthood.
Oddly enough, there are still those
who say, “We are only called to keep Plural Marriage and the United Order
alive.” Yes, that has been the major
effort of Fundamentalists—why, because for a long time this was all that was
given up by the Church.
Do we really believe that the
Apostleship is with us? What is the
Church able to do now after having polluted the Priesthood? Can we send the names of our loved ones to
the Temple and possibly think that blessings await them after vicariously being
endowed by Canaanites?
Temple work now must be shifted to
the Priesthood in my opinion. To hold
all the keys is to be able to do all the work of the Restored Gospel of Jesus
Christ. No wonder why John W. Woolley,
who was often referred to as, “Grandpa Woolley,” use to say, “All I have to
give are blessings to the people.”
The Work of the Lord will not fail,
nor be given to another people. We claim
nothing more than to be Latter-day Saints.
The Church can shake hands with the world—the Groups can cast off the
requirements of the Gospel, just as the Church has—but look around—you will
always find that the Lord has foreseen and provided a means to keep every
law alive! Out-of-order, yes—but
here upon the earth!
God’s work will not be
frustrated. We have only two choices:
1)
Pray and be led by the Holy Spirit to find those who are doing the
Lord’s work and assist—
OR
2)
Fight against the Lord and the Servants He has called.
One or
the other—the middle ground is shrinking up—“Choose ye this day whom ye will
serve.” As for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord. May God help us to have
some of the valor as Joshua to serve the Lord.
Holiness to the Lord,
Editor
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 15, Number 01
Winter 2012
Volume 15, Number 01
Winter 2012
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