The teachings of Jesus

Chapter I

All the Teachings of Jesus Are to Be Kept Up.

There is a great deal of difference of belief among Christian people in regard to the teachings of Jesus, and in order to make this point plain to the minds of the readers of this work, and to call your attention to a few more truths, are the reasons for writing this article. Some honest Christian people believe one part of what Jesus taught was changed, or “done away with,” as soon as he died. Others retain what the first got done away with; while other men hold to what the first and second parties thought was no longer in force, and get, in their minds, something else “done away with” as soon as the Savior died. Nearly all Christian people run into errors of this kind. In fact, I know of no people who are entirely free from such errors as this, only us, the true servants of Christ.

The word of God teaches that all Christ taught is to be kept up, so it is only the doctrines of men that tries to get anything changed, or done away with, that was in force during Christ’s public ministry. The first text we will call your attention to for proof on this important point, you will find recorded in Christ’s sermon on the mount. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which buildeth his house upon a rock,” Mat. 7: 24. Now, if you want to be among the wise men, and we believe you do, then conform your mind to believe all that Jesus taught is to be kept up. If you begin changing, or doing away with any part of his teachings, you are likely to include yourself among those who heard the teachings of Jesus, and did them not, that is “likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.”

The next text we will call your attention to is recorded in Mat. 24: 35, and Mark 13: 31. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Now take this quotation in connection with this one. “He that rejecteth me, and r.eceiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day,” John 12: 48. From these texts it can be seen that all Jesus taught is to remain in force — will not pass away; and that whatsoever He taught will judge us in the last day. Now, is it not surprising to you that so many continue to teach that part of Jesus’ teachings were changed, or done away with when he died? Right in direct opposition to these important texts? The reason that they do so is because they are following the traditions of men in this matter, and they don’t realize it.

It was the Apostle John that wrote these words. “Whoever trangresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God,” 2 John 1: 9. These

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words, like those already quoted, permit of no changing, or doing away with anything the Savior taught.

Here is another text in harmony, with the subject . before us. “I am the vine, ye. are the; branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the samq bringfeth forth much fruit * *. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth

as a brancji and is withered,” John 15:. 5. 6. These are the words of Jesus, and they are addressed to his followers. They teach plain enough that they must preach the gospel exactly according to the pattern given by the Great Head, of ;the Christian Church. But if men will not do so, they are “cast forth as .a branch and is withered,” whose fruit .comes to nothing.

It. was the resurrected Savior that spoke , these words to his apostles. “Go. ye .therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I havp commanded you,” Mat. 28: 19-20. From this text it can be seen that Jesus commanded the apostles to teach all nations whatsoever he. taught them; it, made no difference whether it was before he died or after. , .

The Apostle Peter quoted these words from the prophecy of. Moses. “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from, among the. people/’ Acts 3: 22-23.

Jesus tells us that he.is.the prophet that Moses spoke of in these words, see Nephi 9: 60, Lamoni Edition, 1911. This text, just quoted, teaches very plain that all the Savior taught, is still in force, and that the time will come when all who will not hear that prophet, Jesus, will be destroyed from among the people — the righteous. And Jesus, knowing that all who pervert the word of God by saying that some of his teachings were changed, or done away with when he died, and doing other kinds of wickedness, will be destroyed from among the people. And to warn men of this impending calamity, he has called his servants’ attention to this important point in these latter days, D. & C. 1: 3.

We have now introduced plenty of scriptural proof that all Je.sus taught during his public ministry is to be kept up, and that he commanded the apostles to “teach all nations” the same as he taught them, so we will start the next chapter.

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CHAPTER II. When the Law of Moses Ceased

Nearly all Latter Day Saints know that: the law ;of God, or gospel of Christ, was made known to men in the beginning of the world. “Wherefore I say unto you, that I have sent unto’ you mine everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning,” D. & C. 49: 2. So this' latter day gospel is only a reproduction of the gospel that was had in the beginning of the world.

After Moses’ led the Israelites out of Egypt, and before they came- to Mount Sinai, the Lord gave them manna to eat, and told them not to gather it on the seventh day of the week; but some of them disobeyed. Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” Ex. 16: 28. This text, like the one preceding it, shows that the law of God. or gospel of Christ, was already revealed to the people before this time. When Moses arrived at Mount Sinai, he reiterated the laws of God that preceded his day, and because the people were very rebellious, “the added law,”' or “law of carnal corrimandments,” was afterwards added to the original code of laws. It is this added law that is the law of Moses. This law originated with Moses, so it was called after his name. Paul, in speaking of it, said, “It consisted of divers washings and carnal commandments.”- It did not include the principal laws now found in the books of Moses.

Now,- in regard tb the time when this added law, or the law of Moses, ceased. Nearly all Christian people believe it was in force till Christ died. This is not the case1, for we have shown in the preceding chapter that all he taught is to be kept up. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” -So if' Jesus taught the added law, or law 'of Moses, it would always be in force. The law of Moses ceased- when Christ began his public ministry, and not when he 'died-, as commoftly believed. Therefore what Jesus taught was the original gospel-.- For proof that this is the case we will refer you to the words of Paul. “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgression, till the seed should come,” Gal. 3: 19. The “seed” that was to “come” was Jesus' Christ. Well, When did Christ come? He came before he died, didn’t he? Certainly he did. He came when he- began his public ministry. Of coursethe law- Pf Mdse’s was in force among the Nephites a little longer than in the land of Canaan, for the good reason Jesus did not come there till after his death and resurrection in the land of Canaan.

For further proof that this is the true understanding of this important subject we will refer you to these words: “And the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord, in his wrath, caused to contii ue with the house of

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Aaron, among the children of Israel till John,” D. & C. 83: 4. The John spoken of here is John the Baptist. And you know Jesus began his public ministry soon after John started his. So according to this text the law of Moses ceased at that time.

Let us now look at the teachings of Jesus in regard to the subject before us. In his sermon on the Mount we are informed that divorces should be permitted for no cause but adultery, Mat. 5: 32. This shows that the law of Moses, which permitted divorces for other causes, was already something of the past. Jesus referred to a few other things in this chapter which were already to be discontinued, and he didn’t wait till he died to do so either. This much evidence should make it clear to every one that the law of Moses .ceased when Christ began his public ministry.

Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one little shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled,” Mat. 5: 17-18. The law the Savior spoke of here is “the everlasting covenant,” or “everlasting gospel” law, or code of laws, and not the law of Moses.

Chapter III

Jesus Gave the Law and the Revelations Come Through Him.

In Rev. 1: 1 we are informed that the revelation of John came to him from Jesus Christ. Now, if you will read Mat. 9: 18-19, Inspired Tran, you will find these words: “Then said the Pharisees unto him, why will ye not receive us with our baptism, seeing we keep the whole law? But Jesus said unto them, ye keep not the law. If ye had kept the law, ye would have received me, for I am he who gave the law.” From this text we learn that it was Jesus “who gave the law;” that is, the gospel of Christ. And the gospel of Christ includes “all the law and the prophets.”

In Doctrine and Covenants 10: 12, 13: 1, and 14: 1, it is specified that those revelations came from Jesus Christ. See also Doctrine and Covenants 19: 3, 34: 5, and 42: 11.

It was Jesus that gave the revelations that Moroni received. “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord, and your God,” Moroni 8: 8.

It was “the Captain of our salvation” that gave the revelations to the brother of Jared; and even showed himself to him as he would appear after taking a body of flesh and blood, Ether 1: 72.

Samuel the Lamonite prophesied five years before the birth of Christ. “Behold, I give unto you a sign: for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name,” Hel. 5: 55. I have not quoted all the prophecy of Samuel recorded in this chapter. Now turn to Nephi 10: 36, for it says, “I commanded my servant, Samuel the Lamonite, that he should testify unto this people.” Jesus was resurrected when he spoke these latter words. So it was Jesus.

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five years before he was born into this world that had commanded Samuel the Lamonite to prophesy.

Wicked men were about to kill the righteous in the days of Nephi, just before the coming of Christ. Nephi prayed unto God in regard to this matter, and the following revelation was received. “And on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men, from the foundation of the world,” Nephi 1: 13-14. It was the Savior that came into the world the next day, so it was he that gave this revelation to Nephi. From this quotation we learn that it was Jesus that had “spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets * * from the

foundation of the world.” Jesus was a great preexisting spirit before he was born into this world. All L. D. Saints understand this.

We have now clearly shown that the revelations of God come through Jesus Christ to the prophets of this earth, and that it was “he who gave the law.”

CHAPTER IV. All the Lost Scriptures Are to Be Restored

Most all L. D. Saints know that there are a great many lost books of scripture; but it is not as well known by them as it ought to be, that all this lost scripture will be restored to the Church of Christ. The following are the names of lost scripture mentioned in the Bible. “The book of the wars of the Lord,” Num. 21: 14, and “The. book of the law,” Deu. 31: 26. This latter book is also called “The book of the covenant,” Ex. 24: 7, and has already been restored to the Church of Christ. We will refer to this point further on. “The book of Jasper” is mentioned in Josh. 10: 13. Samuel the prophet wrote a book before his now first book, 1 Sam. 10-: 25. Solomon wrote many proverbs and songs besides what are now found in the Bible, 1 Kings 4: 32. “The acts of Solomon” is spoken of in 1 Kings 11: 41. “The book of Nathan the Prophet,” and “The book of Gad the Seer,” 1 Chron. 29: 29, and “The prophecy of Ahijah,” and “The visions of Iddo the Seer” are mentioned in 2 Chron. 9: 29. “The book of Shemaiah the Prophet,” 2 Chron. 12: 15, and “The book of Jehu,” 2 Chron. 20: 34, while “The sealed book” is spoken of in Isa. 29: 11. This latter book has already been restored, and is now known by the name of the Book of Mormon. Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 5: 9. He also wrote an epistle to Laodicea, Col. 4: 16. Judes’ third verse tells about his writing about “The common salvation.” Jude also quotes from the prophecy of Enoch, verse 14.

Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 90: 1, tells us that “The fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revaled.” Section 104: 29 records a prophecy of

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Adam, and concludes by saying, “These things were all written in the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time.” So the fulness of John’s record, and the book of Enoch, although now lost to men, will, after a while, be restored to God’s people.

The Apostle Peter was preaching to the people that Jesus was the Christ, and he said, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began,” Acts 3: 21. From this text we learn that there is to be a “restitution,” or a restoring of all things, which God hath spoken by his prophets since the world began. Now, this not only includes a fulfillment of what the prophets prophsied of, but it also includes a restoration of the words they spoke, or in other words, the lost scriptures.

The teachings of the great modern Prophet agrfees exactly with that given by the Apostle Peter. He said there is to be a “welding of dispensations, * * and be revealed, from the days of Adam even to the present

time,” D. & C. 110: 18. The way it will be revealed from the days of Adam will be by restoring the lost scripture of all the former dispensations.

The Book of Mormon is very plain on the subject of the restoration of the lost scriptures. “And the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to pass that my people which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one,” 2 Nephi 12: 72-73. From this quotation it can be seen that the word of God, or scriptures, are to be “gathered in one,” to form one grand code* of laws to govern God’s people in righteousness. So this latter day dispensation will grow till it gets in harmony with all the former dispensations.

CHAPTER V. Only One True Church

We are informed in the Inspired Translation of the Bible that they had the gospel of Christ in the days of Adam. “And thus the gospel began to be preached from the beginning, being declared by holy angels, sent from the presence of God; and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost,” Gen. 5: 44, Inspired Tran.

In Doctrine and Covenants 104: 17 we are told that “It is the duty of the twelve, in all large branches of the church, to ordain evangelical ministers, as they shall be designated unto them by revelation. The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son.” Now notice, this was the office of evangelical ministers, and not the prophetic office, that went from father to son. The priesthood of evangelical ministers went from Adam to Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah; and from him to Noah, D. & C. 104: 10-27. So you can see

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that these men were all members of the same church — The Church of Jesus Christ of Former Day Saints. In D. & C. 83: 2 we are informed that Moses received a priesthood from Jethro, his father-in-law. From Jethro it is traced to Caleb, Elihu, Jeremy, Gad, Esaias, “and Esaias received it under the hand of God; Esaias also lived in the days of Abraham and was blessed of him, which Abraham received the priesthood from Melchisedec; who received it through the lineage of the fathers, even till Noah.” We have now traced the priesthood from Adam to Moses. So from Adam to Moses the true priesthood was kept up, therefore these men were all members of the same church. They became righteous by obeying “the gospel that was preached from the beginning.”

At the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and scattered them in various parts of the earth, they built up the true church in whatsoever place they were located in. At this time the Jaredites came to America, yet they were all members of the same church, under the guidance of the same Creator, only located in different parts of the earth.

From the time of Moses to Malachi there were prophets of God for a good part of the time; so the true priesthood was kept up in the Church of Christ; and there were also some counterfeit churches. From the time of Malachi to John the Baptist we are not told that there were any prophets of God; at least not in the land of Canaan, but there was true priesthood kept up all that time, or in other words, the Church of Christ still existed in the land of Canaan. There were John the Baptist and his parents, the family of the father and mother of Jesus, Simeon, and “Anna the Prophetess,” Luke 2: 36. Then there were “wise men from the east,” that came to Jerusalem when Jesus was born. After they finished their errand, “they departed into their own country another way,” Mat. 2: 12. Luke, in speaking of these men, said, the angel of God told them about the birth of Jesus. Well, this shows that they were righteous men, members of Christ’s Church, or God would not send an angel to tell them about the “glad tidings of great, joy;” nor would Matthew speak of them as “wise men,” if they were not righteous. This shows that there were righteous men in a country east of the land of Canaan. Some of them may have held a good degree of the priesthood, but of this we are not informed. So there were all these righteous people, just referred to, at the time of the Savior’s birth, and there may have been several others, whose names are not mentioned.

It is quite evident that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was a faithful man of the Aaronic priesthood. The scriptures says of him, “He was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophsied,” Luke 1: 67. His wife Elizabeth had the Holy Ghost, Luke 1: 41. Simeon also had the Holy Ghost. Luke 2: 25. So it looks as if there was some one alive at that time that could confer the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is also reasonable to believe that John the Baptist held some higher office than the Aaronic priesthood; for this reason. “He was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old,” D. & C. 83: 4. Now if John held nothing but the Aaronic priesthood, his father could have ordained him to that, without an angel, but God sent an angel to ordain him, but we are not told unto what office he was ordained. In Luke 3: 2 we are

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told, “Annas and Caiphas being the high priests, the word of the Lord came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” So they had some one at that time who received the word of the Lord by revelation.

Although 400 years had passed away since the death of the Prophet Malachi, yet the true church was in the land of Canaan, and we have just shown that they had true priesthood. This Church of Christ was under the leadership of John the Baptist, as soon as he began his public ministry. He was a man of great influence, for many “were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins,” Mat. 3: 6. After a while Jesus came to John to receive baptism, “To fulfill all righteousness.” Now notice: Jesus did not go to the Scribes or Pharisees for baptism, although they believed they were the true church. But he went to John the Baptist; thereby acknowledging the true church under his leadership. Then the Savior became the head of the church into which he was baptized.

After the Savior began his public ministry he was walking by the sea of Galilee, “and saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother.” So Jesus spoke of these men as “two brethren,” evidently already members of the true faith. No doubt they became members of the church by the ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus called them to the apostolic office. Then he walked a little further and “saw two other brethren,” men that were already members of the church, and he called them to the apostolic office, Mat. 4: 18-21.

Everybody is willing to admit that there was only one true church in the days of the Savior. And no doubt you have read in John’s 17th that he prayed earnestly to God that his followers “may be one, as we are one.” Now, since God and Christ are one, not in person, but in faith, or belief, it is easy to see that whatever God would do, or teach, Christ would do the same, for they are one, and he wants his followers to be one with them. Now don’t forget this, for we will refer to this point again.

Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” Mat. 16: 19. This commission placed Peter at the head of the one true church, after Christ left the earth. And the Apostle Paul tells us, “For by one spirit we are all baptized into one body,” or church, 1 Cor. 12: 13.

During the ministry of Christ, and for a few years after, the church increased in numbers quite fast. Then apostacy began, and continued to an alarming extent. After a while the church “went to the wilderness.” And John, in prophesying about the great apostate power, said, “It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations,” Rev. 13: 7; see also Dan. 7: 25.

All L. D. Saints believe alike on this point, that the scriptures teach that a true succession of priesthood from the apostles to the present time was not kept up. For this reason the Lord raised up the great modern prophet, Joseph Smith, who was ordained by angels from heaven, so the true church was again restored to the earth — the gospel of Apostolic days.

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1 1 it was organized on the 6th day of April, 1830.

The Prophet Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, which gives an. account of prehistoric man in America. This book is even more definite than the Bible, that there is only one true church; see 1 Nephi 3: 221; Lamoni Edition, 1911.

Chapter VI

The Gospel of Christ is the Same All Through the World’s History.

In the third chapter of this work it was shown that the revelations of God came through Jesus Christ to the prophets of the earth. So it is no wonder that the commandments of God, or the gospel of Christ, would be the same all through the world’s history; for with God, “There is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” James 1: XI.

We have already called your attention to the fact that the gospel of Christ was given in the days of Adam; see Gen. 5: 44, Inspired Tran. We have also traced the priesthood from Adam to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchisedec, and to Moses. Abraham was a very righteous man. He became so by obeying “the gospel which was from the beginning.” This is the reason that God covenanted with him to give to his posterity the land of Canaan, on the conditions that they would obey his laws like Abraham did. “He (God) hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant fie made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac: and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel, (in the days of Moses,) for an everlasting covenant,” Psalms 105: 8-10. These words are also found in 1 Chron. 16: 15-19. From this text we learn that the laws Abraham lived by “were commanded . to a thousand generations,” and there are not much over a hundred of these generations gcme by yet; see Mat. 1: 17. Therefore the gospel that Abraham lived by will last till the end of this world, and longer.

It was the Apostle John that put these words on record. “And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it,**" 2 John 1: 5-6. In 1 John 2: 7th and 24th verses, it teaches the same as in the above quotation. This shows that what the Apostle John taught for the gospel of Christ was the same as was taught in the beginning of the world, and the latter day gospel is to be the same as the Apostolic.

When the Evangelist Stephen made his defence before the people, he said, “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us,” Acts 7: 38. Well, what are the “oracles?’*

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The oracles are “the revelations, or communications of God to his prophets,” according to Webster’s Dictionary. So Moses received the oracles, or revelations from God at mount Sinai, and they were given “unto us,” the saints of Apostolic days. So according to this text, the commandments of God received by Moses at mount Sinai were in force in the days of the martyr Stephen. So they were a part of the gospel then, and therefore are a part of the gospel in the latter days. With this agrees the words of Malachi 4: 4.

We will now call your attention to the teachings of the Apostle Paul, recorded in his letter to the saints at Ephesus. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord,” Eph. 2: 19-21.