Chapter IV (part 2 of 2)

Chapter IV (part 2 of 2)

Upon this question hinges the validity of all the acts of men. Every officer of our government must be elected or appointed according to the mode established by the Constitution of the United States, or his acts fall to the ground as null and void. The decisions of a court involving the validity of titles to land or other great interests would be void if it could be shown that the judge rendering the decisions had not been elected or appointed legally. Every deed issued by a sheriff at a sheriff's sale of real estate would be void if it could be shown that the sheriff was a usurper and not legally authorized to officiate in the duties of the office. All naturalization papers issued by a judge, if it could be shown that he had never been elected or appointed according to the constitutional requirements, would by a legal tribunal be declared worthless and the holder deprived of his citizenship. In fact, the question of authority to act in any office of the affairs of human life is so clearly understood by all persons of ordinary intelligence that time would seem to be wasted in discussing it; but not so in questions involving the future of the human soul. In these sacred and vastly more important matters upon which hang all our hopes of eternal life, the average man seems willing to trust to the opinions of a minister of some one of the orthodox sects or to the wild vagaries of an upstart who cries, "Lo, here is Christ, or "Lo, He is there," without for a single moment raising the question, Where is his authority to officiate in the sacred ordinances of the Gospel of Christ, or to initiate men into the Kingdom of God? The average merchant in conducting his regular business, when waited upon by one claiming to be an agent of a manufacturer, places his order with that agent fully expecting to receive the goods. As the time rolls on the goods come according to the sample shown and the order given. This fact alone is proof to the merchant that the agent was in touch with his principal and was a duly authorized agent. But if the goods come not, it is strong presumptive evidence that the agent was a fraud and was not authorized by the manufacturer to take orders for goods. If this test be applied to the ministers of the various sects of the Christian world, it will at once be found that they are self-appointed {529} agents, not in touch with the principal whom they claim to represent, as their patrons receive not the goods. In other words, the signs promised by the Savior are lacking and do not follow the believer, which alone is sufficient evidence that the so-called ministers were never sent of God.

Jesus said, "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 shall they 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." (Mark xvi, 15-18.) The promised blessings fail, the signs do not follow, they receive not the goods. The grand secret of it all is, God has not sent the agents through whom they seek these blessings; they hold no authority to officiate in the ordinances of His house; as agents they are not in touch with their principal. These ministers are self-appointed teachers of man-made systems of religion. They are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.

From the time the Christian Fathers fell by persecution and death, down to the time the Emperor Constantine made the Christian faith universal through the Roman provinces in 323 A.D., the forms of the Christian religion were constantly undergoing a change. At that time there were incorporated in the Christian church heathen rites, which with the innovations added, down through the ages to the present time, stamps that church today as one entirely separate and apart from the original apostolic church. Without Apostles and Prophets through whom they might obtain the word of God, the church has steadily drifted from its moorings into the broad sea of men's opinions, until it is split and divided into hundreds of different sects and creeds, no one of which can today present an organization that even resembles the form of the Church of Christ. The most important features have been eliminated. Signs and wonders and miraculous gifts, together with the fruits of the Spirit, set forth by the Apostle Paul in I Cor. xii, have disappeared, and but the empty and powerless form is found among the children of men. The shadow alone remains, the substance has departed. And why? Because mankind have departed from the faith of the ancients. The rights, powers and privileges of the apostolic priesthood have long since been withdrawn from man, and all who officiate in religious rites do so without authority from the living God.

If we examine and see how the servants of God were called {530} to the ministry in other ages, we can discover a guide to direct us in obtaining authority in this age. From out of the midst of the burning bush the Lord called Moses (Ex. iii), and when he (Moses) was about to be succeeded by Joshua as leader, he conferred upon Joshua authority by the laying on of his hands. (See Deut. xxxiv, 9.) "And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him." Jesus, when He entered upon His ministry, called twelve men and ordained them; "And He ordained twelve men that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach." (Mark iii, 14.) Again He said, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you." (John xv, 16.) Jesus said in His prayer unto His Father, "As thou hast sent Me into the world even so have I sent them into the world." (John xvii, 18.)

The Apostle Paul evidently had this question of authority to meet as he gave vent to his feelings in the following forcible language: "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an Apostle (I speak the truth in Christ and lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." (I Tim. ii, 7.) It was very gratifying, no doubt, to the Apostle Paul, to be able to declare with such emphasis the fact of his ordination; and no wonder, when we consider the way in which he was called. He was justly entitled to declare it, as will be seen by the manner of his calling. "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said: Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away, so they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost," etc. (Acts xiii, 2-4.) Paul then was evidently called by direct revelation of the Holy Ghost, and when the hands of the Prophets were laid upon him, he was sent away, so also was his companion, Barnabas.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes a most positive declaration on this question. He says: "For every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men, in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; and no man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron." (Heb. v, 1, 4.) A glance at Exodus iv, 14-16 and 27-28, will show us how Aaron was called: "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well, and also behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him and put {531} words into his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do; and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people." Thus Aaron was called of God; and in all ages when God has had a people on the earth, His servants have been duly called of Him and ordained, and the stamp of His approval has been placed on their labors in signs and miraculous manifestations.

SALVATION FOR THE DEAD.

In this age of religious freedom, when every man is at liberty to worship how, where or what he pleases, when the Christian church is split and divided into innumerable sects and creeds, and is still dividing and subdividing; where the opinions of men, crystallized into creeds, pass current as systems of theological truths; while spiritualism in all its various forms is rampant upon the earth, and its younger and more delicately molded brother, theosophy, is gaining acceptance as a wonderful revelation from the unseen world; while darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, and men are continually seeking for that which borders upon the sensational--the word of God comes forth proclaiming the principles of salvation for the dead as well as for the living.

That there is but one faith, one hope, one baptism, one way to obtain eternal life, either for the living or for the dead, is clearly shown by the Scriptures. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to the word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah viii, 20.) These shall be our guide. By this divine method we are willing that all shall be judged. Opinions of men are not the words of God, nor is the word of God to receive a private interpretation, as is clearly shown by the following (II Peter i, 20, 21): "Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Opinions of men shall not prevail, but we will take the word of God for our guide. "And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep and that mutter, should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead?" (Isaiah viii, 19.) Let us then go to the Scriptures, and seek the word of God for a knowledge of the dead.

After Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, fulfilled His mission among the living and was about to depart to the unseen world and perform His work for the salvation of the dead: {532} while He was suffering the pangs of death upon the cross between two malefactors, He was railed upon by one, yet worshipped by the other, to whom He said: "Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." This saying has created a belief in the Christian world that the vilest sinner on his death-bed or the murderer upon the gallows by confessing Christ at the last moment, can be saved. But let us find out where the Savior went. Did He go to His Father and God? Not if the Scriptures are true.

On the morning of the Savior's resurrection and Mary's visit to the sepulcher, she thought Jesus was the gardener. Yet when He said "Mary," she at once recognized Him, and in her joy evidently sought to embrace Him, for it is said, "Jesus saith unto her, touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God." (John xx, 17.) If this be true, are we not justified in asking the question, "Lord, if Thou hast not been to Thy Father and God during these three days, where hast Thou been?" Let the Scriptures answer: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water." (I Peter iii, 18-20.) So then Christ went to the spirit world, and there preached the Gospel to the spirits in prison. And why? "For, for this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit." (I Peter iv, 6.) It would seem that this can need no explanation, for by this rule all men are to be judged by the same law, whether they hear the Gospel in life or after death. And herein is the justice of Almighty God made manifest, for if it were not so, and if the modern Christian theory should prevail, viz., that all mankind who do not confess Christ are lost, what shall be said of four-fifths of the people on the earth today, and those that have lived in like circumstances in the heathen world, who never heard of Christ?

If, when all mankind are brought before the judgment-seat to be judged, and the heathen hears his sentence read by the great Judge, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the place prepared for the devil and his angels, because you never confessed {533} My name," would not the heathen be justified in saying, "Who art thou? I never heard of Jesus Christ. When I was on the earth I worshipped Joss and served him faithfully."

To punish the heathen for not confessing Christ when in fact he never heard of Him is contrary to the justice of an All-wise Creator. But God has provided a better way. All who have never heard the Gospel in life will have an opportunity after death, as clearly set forth in the above as in the following: "Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." "But," says the objector, "that means all they that are dead in sin," but read a little farther: "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice." (John v, 25 and 28.) Again, "For as Jonas was three days and nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt, xii, 40.) By these passages it is clearly apparent that the Savior fore-knew His mission to the spirit world in the heart of the earth, and that while there, all who were in their graves would hear His voice.

Not only was this understood by Jesus and His Apostles, but long prior to the Savior's day the Prophets foresaw the work He would do for the dead, "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand and will keep thee, and give thee a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." (Isaiah xlii, 6-7.) Here the prophet foretold the labors of the Savior. During His sojourn in the flesh, we have no account of His having brought out the prisoners from the prison, or proclaiming liberty to the captives, or the opening of the prison to them that are bound. Had He done so, the Roman government would have had a case against Him, yet Pilate found no fault in Him. Hence we must look elsewhere for the fulfilment of these passages.

"And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." (Isaiah xxiv, 21-2.) Here is the finale of a terrible picture of the earth's desolation, when it is to be empty, turned upside down, broken, dissolved, removed like a cottage, and the inhabitants thereof scattered. All are to be gathered, including the kings, {534} and the high ones, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, shut up in prison and after many days visited. What will be the object of this visitation? Peter has already told it: as Christ visited the antediluvians, so when these have suffered the vengeance of Almighty God in the spirit, some of His servants, ministering angels, will be sent to visit them and preach the Gospel to them as Jesus did.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." (Psalm xxiv, 7-8.) What was the subject of the vision thus portrayed by the prophet, and where was it to take place? He saw the Savior making His triumphal entry into the infernal regions, and with irresistible power the gate and doors are made to fly open and the immortal King stands in the midst of prisoners of the spirit world. Thus the full import of that beautiful passage of the psalmist David would read: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates of hell, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors of the prisons of the damned, and the King of Glory shall come into the regions of darkness proclaiming liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound in hell."

If the antediluvians after their long sojourn in the regions of darkness were had in remembrance before God so that He sent His beloved Son to preach to them the Gospel during the time His body lay in the tomb, what shall be done for those who have died since the Savior's visit to the spirit world? As His Apostles and all His faithful followers served Him in life, who shall say that after death they will not follow His example, and continue to serve Him by going to the spirit world and there preaching to the spirits in prison who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel? And when these poor benighted beings, after their long captivity under the reign of Lucifer, listen to the precious truths of the Gospel of Christ and become converted, straightway the question arises, How can I obey the ordinance of baptism? I am in a disembodied state of existence, yet my Savior has said: "Except ye are born of water and of the Spirit, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Oh, wonderful plan provided by the Almighty! The living may be baptized for the dead. It is very plain that this great principle was understood by the ancient Saints, as will be seen by the words of the Apostle Paul, addressed to the Corinthians: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead arise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?" (I Cor. xv, 29.)

{535}

A MOTHER'S INFLUENCE.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE FIELDINGS AND THE BIRTH OF PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.

John Fielding and his wife, Rachel, were natives of Yorkshire, England, having been born in 1759 and 1768, respectively. They were married at that place, and afterwards moved to Bedfordshire, where they lived together for forty years in the humble and happy sphere of farm life. They were both devoted Methodists, Mr. Fielding having the distinction of being a local preacher, in which capacity he labored most faithfully, often riding from ten to thirty miles to fill his appointments, but never accepting a penny for his work from the society which voted to compensate him for his services. Together with his faithful wife, he lived a life of industry, sobriety and integrity before men, fearing God and keeping His commandments to the best of his knowledge with all the sincerity and humility of his soul. Nine children were born of this union, among whom were Joseph and Mary, whom we wish on this occasion particularly to single out in our sketch. The mother died in 1828, and in 1832 young Joseph left his nativity to go to America to prepare the way for the rest of the family to follow. He located in upper Canada, being subsequently joined by the members of his family from England, his two sisters among them, who, together with himself, and also other progressive spirits of the village, applied themselves closely to the Scriptures. A little body of seekers after truth was organized, in which was found John Taylor, who afterwards became president of the Church. The Society met several times a week in company with a Methodist preacher, to study the different religions, and to pray for the Lord to send them the Holy Ghost; for through their research they had been led to believe many of the principles of the Gospel contrary to the orthodox dogmas of the times. It was during this time that Apostle Parley P. Pratt went on his mission to Canada, and was directed to the home of Brother Taylor. {535} He was admitted into the association of investigators, and as a result Joseph Fielding, his two sisters and his family, and also John Taylor accepted the Gospel and subsequently moved to Kirtland. The Methodist minister being chided by his members, rejected the truth and became a persecutor of the Saints.

In 1837 the wife of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith died, leaving him with six small children. Later he married again, taking to wife Mary Fielding, one of Joseph Fielding's sisters, who had embraced the Gospel in Canada through the labors of Apostle Pratt.

In June, 1837, in company with Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding left Kirtland to open up the Gospel in England, being joined at New York by three other missionaries. Brother Fielding remained on his mission four years, during which time approximately 7,000 souls accepted the truth. It was while he was in England that he received the following letter from his sister Mary, whom it will be remembered was the wife of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith, in which she tells of the birth of her "dear little Joseph F.," as the devoted mother expressed it, who is now our worthy and honored president of the Church, the letter "F" being the initial of the surname of his uncle, Joseph Fielding. The letter is as follows:

"Commerce, Illinois, N. America, June, 1839.

"My Very Dear Brother--As the elders are expecting shortly to take their leave of us again to preach the Gospel in my native land, I feel as though I would not let the opportunity of writing you pass by unimproved. I believe it will give you pleasure to hear from us by our own hand; notwithstanding, you will see the brethren face to face, and have an opportunity of hearing all particulars respecting us and our families, from their mouths.

"As it respects myself, it is now so long since I wrote to you, and so many important things have transpired, and so great have been my afflictions, etc., that I know not where to begin; but I can say, hitherto has the Lord preserved me, and I am still the living to praise Him, as I do this day. I have, to be sure, been called to drink deep of the bitter cup; but you know, my beloved brother, this makes the sweet the sweeter. I feel at this moment, while reflecting on the events of the past seven months, so full of matter, that I am ready to wish I could convey myself into your presence for a short time, so that I might communicate verbally more than I can possibly do by the pen.

"You have, I suppose, heard of the imprisonment of my dear husband, with his brother Joseph, Elder Rigdon, and others, who were kept from us nearly six months; and I suppose no one felt the painful effects of their confinement more than myself. I was left in a way that called for the exercise of all the courage and grace I possessed. My {537} husband was taken from me by an armed force, at a time when I needed, in a particular manner, the kindest care and attention of such a friend, instead of which, the care of a large family was suddenly and unexpectedly left upon myself, and, in a few days after, my dear little Joseph F. was added to the number. Shortly after his birth I took a severe cold, which brought on chills and fever; this, together with the anxiety of mind I had to endure, threatened to bring me to the gates of death. I was at least four months entirely unable to take any care either of myself or child; but the Lord was merciful in so ordering things that my dear sister could be with me all the time. Her child was five months old when mine was born; so she had strength given her to nurse them both, so as to have them do well and grow fast.

"You will also have heard of our being driven, as a people, from the state and from our homes; but you will hear all particulars from the elders, so as to render it not necessary for me to write them. This happened during my sickness, and I had to be removed more than two hundred miles, chiefly on my bed. I suffered much on my journey; but in three or four weeks after we got into Illinois, I began to amend, and my health is now as good as ever it was. It is now little more than a month since the Lord, in His marvellous power, returned my dear husband, with the rest of the brethren, to their families, in tolerable health. We are now living in Commerce, on the bank of the great Mississippi river. The situation is very pleasant; you would be much pleased to see it. How long we may be permitted to enjoy it I know not; but the Lord knows best what is best for us. I feel but little concerned about where I am, if I can but keep my mind staid upon God; for, you know in this there is perfect peace. I believe the Lord is overruling all things for our good. I suppose our enemies look upon us with astonishment and disappointment.

"I greatly desire to see you, and I think you would be pleased to see our little ones: will you pray for us, that we may have grace to train them up in the way they should go, so that they may be a blessing to us and the world. I have a hope that our brothers and sisters will also embrace the fullness of the Gospel, and come into the new and everlasting covenant; I trust that their prejudices will give way to the power of truth. I would gladly have them with us here, even though they might have to endure all kind of tribulation and affliction with us and the rest of the children of God, in these last days, so that they might share in the glories of the Celestial Kingdom. As to myself, I can truly say that I would not give up the prospects of the latter-day glory for all that glitters in this world. O! my dear brother, I must tell you for your comfort, that my hope is full, and it is a glorious hope; and though I have been left for near six months, in widowhood, in the time of great affliction, and was called to take, joyfully or otherwise, the spoiling of almost all our goods, in the absence of my husband, and all unlawfully, just for the Gospel's sake (for the judge himself declared that he was kept in prison for no other reason than because he was a friend to his brother), yet I do not feel the least discouraged: no, though my sister and I are here together in a strange land, we have been enabled to rejoice in the midst of our privation and persecutions that we were counted worthy to suffer these things, so that we may, with the ancient Saints who suffered in the like manner, inherit the same glorious reward. If it had not been for this hope, I should have sunk before this; but, blessed be the God {538} and Rock of my salvation, here I am, and am perfectly satisfied and happy, having not the smallest desire to go one step backward.

"Your last letter to Elder Kimball gave us great pleasure; we thank you for your expression of kindness, and pray God to bless you according to your desires for us.

"The more I see of the dealings of our Heavenly Father with us as a people, the more I am constrained to rejoice that I was made acquainted with the everlasting covenant. O may the Lord keep me faithful till my change comes! I desire that you would write us, and let us know all particulars that would be interesting to us. O, my dear brother, why is it that our friends should stand out against the truth, and look on those that would show it to them as their enemies? The work here is prospering much; several men of respectability and intelligence, who have been acquainted with all our difficulties, are coming into the work.

"Sister Mary will also write to you. My husband joins me in love to you. I remain, my dear brother and sister, your affectionate sister.

"Mary Smith."

From the spirit of and the facts presented in the above communication one is able to see, not only the noble spirit and sterling character of that devoted and self-sacrificing mother and faithful wife, but he is also brought face to face with the truth too often concealed from deserving recognition, that within the ranks of God's soldiery there are none more valiant, none more brave, none more heroic; yea, none who endure more of the heat and brunt of the battle than do the courageous and loyal-hearted wives and mothers who remain at home alone to cope with the serious problems of life and to bear the responsibility of the family while the husband is abroad in the ministry. And when we understand this, and recognize, too, that every true and faithful wife and mother realizes the importance and the magnitude of her mission, then can we appreciate more fully the tenderness and sincerity of heart, the purity and nobility of soul revealed in woman--God's masterpiece of creation--as expressed in the exalting and pathetic appeal of Sister Smith to her brother Joseph, "I think you would be pleased to see our little ones. Will you pray for us, that we may have grace to train them up in the way they should go, so that they may be a blessing to us and the world?"

This noble mother stayed with the body of the Church, remaining loyal and true to its leaders, and firm and steadfast in the faith, and taught her children to follow in her footsteps. With the rest of the Saints, who were driven from their homes by cruel mobs incited by bitter apostates, and other despisers of the truth, she took her little family to the valleys {539} of the mountains--her son Joseph, although less than ten years of age, driving two yoke of oxen and a heavy wagon across the plains, a distance of one thousand miles.

Sister Smith devoted the few short years of her eventful life to the culture and training of her children, inculcating within their minds the necessity of their clinging to the faith and remaining loyal to the cause of God; and although she was taken away in the fall of 1852, yet she had implanted within the breasts of her children a thorough knowledge that the Church had been restored and perfectly organized with apostles and prophets, with a decree from God that it should stand forever and never be disorganized or thrown down, and with a love so strong for the truth that their lives and characters stand out before the world and before God as a monument for integrity, fidelity and obedience, whose every surface, polished as bright as the noon-day sun by the faith, the prayers and the tears of that loving and devoted mother, reflects honor and glory on her sacred name that will endure forever. What a contrast between the fruits of the influence exerted by this true daughter of God upon her husband's children, one of whom is the patriarch and the other the president of the Church of Christ on the earth today, and that exercised by other mothers who have instilled within the hearts of their children the spirit of dissension and rebellion against the stability of the restored Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

"The devil has put the whole world on the watch against us. It is impossible for us to make the least move without exciting, if not all the world, at least a considerable portion of it. They are excited at what we do, and, strange to relate, they are no less excited at what we do not do!"

--Brigham Young.

{540}

IS BAPTISM ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION?

This is a question of grave importance, because it involves me fate of every man and woman in the world. The minds of many have been troubled on this point, and none should rest satisfied until they have a perfect understanding in regard to it.

There is considerable discussion and diversity of opinions on this subject in the so-called Christian world; and it seems that all that has been said about it by uninspired men has only tended to bewilder the mind. But while they cling to their own opinions and wander from the truth, we much prefer believing the revealed word of God.

In Luke (vii. 29, 30) we read that John the Baptist, a servant of the Most High, taught baptism, and those who were baptized justified God, while some "rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." No one will dare to say that men will be saved in rejecting the counsel of God against themselves. Then, as it is a counsel of God for men to be baptized, they cannot be saved without it; therefore, it is essential to salvation.

The Lord sent his angel to Cornelius, and told him to send for Peter, who would tell him words by which he and all his house should be saved (Acts x. 14). Cornelius did so, and when Peter came, "he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts x. 48). If Cornelius had rejected baptism as non-essential, could he have been saved? No; for the angel told him that Peter would tell him how to be saved, and Peter "commanded them to be baptized." According to this, baptism must be essential to salvation.

Paul, speaking to the Galatians, says: "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. iii. 26, 27). If it is essential to "put on Christ" to obtain salvation, then it is essential to be baptized, for we put on Christ by baptism.

Jesus, in giving the apostles their commission, said: "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 {541} believeth not," (and consequently is not baptized) "shall be damned" (Mark xvi. 15, 16). Here the Savior positively declares that it is the baptized believer who shall be saved. Then, of course, baptism is essential to salvation, and who will dare to say it is not.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water" (that is, baptized in water) "and of the spirit," (that is, baptized in the spirit) "he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John iii. 6). If entering the kingdom of God is essential to salvation, then being "born of water," or, in other words, being baptized, is essential also, for by one we enter the other.

The Apostle Peter, in the third chapter of his first epistle, says, that in the ark there were eight souls "saved by water, the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us." According to this, he taught that baptism was essential to salvation.

On the day of Pentecost, many persons were convinced that Jesus was the Christ, which caused them to inquire of God's servants what they should do, to which Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38). If baptism was not essential to salvation, why did Peter command them to be baptized?

When John was in the wilderness he preached "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark i. 4). He preached the same doctrine in all the country about Jordan (Luke iii. 3). Peter commanded the people to be baptized "for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38). Ananias said to Paul, "why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins" (Acts xxii. 16). From these quotations we learn that baptism is "for the remission of sins." Is the remission of sins essential to salvation? If so, baptism must be, for one is obtained through the other.

It is repeatedly stated in the scriptures that it is they who do the will of God that will enter the kingdom of heaven. That it is the will of God for people to be baptized, no reasonable person will deny. Then, they who say "Lord, Lord," and reject baptism, will surely receive that woeful doom, "depart ye cursed! I never knew you."

The apostles spoke by the authority that God had given them. What they told the people, while in the line of their duty was as binding on them as though the Lord had done it himself. Their words were the words of God. And when {542} they commanded the people to be baptized they must comply or lose salvation, for no one can be saved in disobeying God's commandments.

If baptism is not essential to salvation, why does the Lord require it? The fact that He requires it, is enough to prove that it is essential.

Some have supposed that the thief who was crucified beside the Savior went to heaven, and it is believed that he was not baptized; therefore, it is argued if one can be saved without baptism others can, and consequently it is not essential to salvation. But this supposition is not true, for Jesus said to the thief, "to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," and three days afterwards said to Mary, "touch me not for I have not yet ascended unto my Father." According to this, Paradise and Heaven are two distinct places, and as Jesus did not go to Heaven, neither did the thief; for they were both together in Paradise.

"If it is necessary for every one to be baptized," asks one, "what will become of the good people who have died without having that privilege?"

To this we may reply that the dead who died without hearing the gospel will have it preached to them as it was anciently, (I Peter iv. 5, 6). They who obey it will be saved but they who reject it will be condemned, as though they were in the flesh.

"But," says one, "a dead person, cannot be baptized." Very true; but God in His infinite wisdom provided a way in which the dead can be baptized for, by proxy, as shown by Paul in the questions (I Cor. xv. 29): "Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"

Paul was not speaking about baptism for the dead, but the resurrection of the dead, and brings up baptism for the dead as a proof of the resurrection, by asking why they were "baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all." But this plainly shows that "baptism for the dead" was both believed and practiced by the early Christians.

Enough has now been said to prove to any reasonable person that baptism is essential to salvation, and the arguments against such a doctrine have been sufficiently refuted. So, let all people prepare themselves and be baptized, under proper authority, for the remission of sins, that they may be saved in the kingdom of God; for what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul.

{543}

ALLEGED "OBJECTIONABLE FEATURES" IN THE RELIGION OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

BY ELDER CHARLES W. STAYNER.

THE BOOK OF MORMON. One of the reasons for non-belief presented by those who do not obey the Gospel revealed in our day, is that our religion has "objectionable features;" and some who have acquired information concerning the industrious and thrifty character of the Latter-day Saints, and their prosperous condition in Utah, carry the idea that were it not for its "objectionable features," "Mormonism," as it is called, might engage their attention, and that its claims would be more readily entertained by the intelligent classes. One of these "objectionable features" is, that we believe in and publish a record called the Book of Mormon, which has been falsely styled the "Mormon Bible," and through which the Saints have received from their enemies the name of "Mormons." This book, instead of being a substitute for the Scriptures, as is very incorrectly stated, is a record translated from ancient plates, found in the earth on the American Continent. The record gives most valuable information concerning the origin of the American Indians, a subject which has furnished a theme for much conjecture among the learned during the present century, and on which they are still endeavoring to discover sources of information.

Notwithstanding the desire to ascertain the very historical data which the work contains, the Book of Mormon has not received much of their attention; and this reticence is the more remarkable from the fact that scarcely a year passes without the publication of some newly-discovered evidence, testifying in a most telling manner to the truth of the account given in the record. Items of information are in quick succession being obtained and brought to their notice, which have been before {544} the world for about fifty years, in the record of which we are speaking.

The vast discoveries in Central America made by Messrs. Stephens and Catherwood, show conclusively the statements in the Book of Mormon to be correct; and these evidences are materially increased in various ways through the diligent researches of other discoverers, as shown in an article by Apostle Moses Thatcher, lately published in serial form in the Millennial Star. Speculations concerning the aborigines of that continent have furnished matter for volumes upon volumes, and the discovery of a skeleton or the finding of a stone has been dilated upon with zeal, and supplied conceded proof of a multiplicity of these theories and ideas, tending to show that the ancient inhabitants were a civilized race.

But here is a work translated from the actual record of those people, written by themselves when in their strength, and engraved on plates of curious and ancient workmanship, giving a lucid and narrative account of their settlement and social and religious progress, and hid away in the earth by the inspired historian for some fourteen centuries, and whose statements are sustained by undeniable proofs of a very striking character; and yet the work is comparatively ignored, and the facts therein given sought with avidity from other and less authoritative sources.

The reader would naturally inquire, what is the cause of this? Simply because the Book of Mormon has in their estimation an "objectionable feature." Its discovery was brought about by a revelation from Heaven. Mankind, and the learned in particular of our age, disdain any and everything that claims present revelation from God as its origin. If Joseph Smith had simply stated that he had found the plates in a mound, and had translated them by his own skill in language, it would have been regarded as a most interesting and valuable discovery, and the manuscript would have been purchased at a price, and doubtless found a place in the most prominent repository of curiosities. But the record being reserved to come forth as a means of salvation for the remnant (the American Indians and others of the seed of Israel), who should be scattered and down-trodden in the last days, it was to have a more dignified introduction to the notice of mankind, than a mere chance discovery would have afforded it. And all must concede that notwithstanding the distaste of the learned, and their prejudices concerning it, the Book of Mormon has been rendered much more generally known through the very means of its introduction, {545} than it could possibly have been if simply discovered in an ordinary way. In fact, it is to these "objectionable features" that the Latter-day Saints owe their extensive advertising, and are thus brought prominently before the public like the Saints of old.

The question naturally arises, why is it considered objectionable for a book to have an inspired origin? Why repudiate as false a valuable record of the people in America, because written and brought to light through revelation, while we accept the record of the people in Asia, called the Bible, which also claims to be the writings of inspired prophets and sacred historians, and to contain the word of God revealed from Heaven? Prophesied of in the Bible, the Book of Mormon stands side by side with the Asiatic Record, as its witness rather than its substitute; it endorses by fulfillment some of the grand predictions therein contained, and bears sacred testimony to the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the introduction of the Gospel as given us by the Evangelists.

Such, then, is the Book which is regarded as an "objectionable feature" of the religion of the Latter-day Saints; and we claim that instead of being a "stumbling block," it should be regarded, sustained as it is by Scriptural history and scientific discovery, as one of the most convincing proofs of the truth of the Gospel revealed to its translator.

APOSTLES AND PROPHETS. Another "objectionable feature" with some is the organization of the Church with apostles and prophets. They cannot deny that the ancient Church was organized in this manner with an inspired priesthood and led by men "having authority," being commissioned of Jesus Christ to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel; and they cannot dispute that unless so authorized their acts were not recognized by the Lord, nor did they receive the seal of the spirit. In fact, the very foundation of the Church was this organization. Paul says, "it is built on apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone." He even calls Christ an "apostle," and others call Him a "prophet," showing that He did not "take this honor unto Himself," but was "ordained of God" to officiate and acted by Heavenly authority in all His ministry. "As the Father hath sent me, even so now send I you."

Were it not for the "darkness" which was predicted should cover the minds of the people in the last days, we would be inclined {546} to marvel at the blindness of intelligent people to these things. That apostles and prophets should have been deemed requisite for the "work of the ministry" in the ancient Church, and yet be objects of Christian ridicule in the last days, is certainly very peculiar! As though worldly learning had by right taken the place of inspiration, and a college education legally assumed the throne of divine appointment. The nineteenth century is nothing if not inconsistent! And no age has been marked with more flagrant outrages upon common sense in religious theories and practice, than the one in which we criticise the Pharisaical Jews for rejecting the Savior, and the Catholics for assuming a power never delegated to them by the Ancient Church. For while these are denounced--the one for inconsistency and prejudice, the other for bigotry and usurpation, the modern "Pharisees"--professedly the followers of Christ, wag their heads at inspiration and apostleship, and "sit in high places" and occupy "the chief seats in the synagogues," assuming themselves to teach the people, without even presenting or possessing a semblance of authority for so doing. They scorn any descent of authority from the Romish priesthood as corrupt, hence lay no claim to a "chain of power" from the Ancient Church; and if they did, it would be a futile attempt, for the Romish Church, through which came even what semblance of authority they have, cut off long ago all her Protestant daughters from fellowship, and severed them from all rights and claims to the power she held.

Now, when the Latter-day Saints declare a new revelation of the apostleship, and the re-delegation to man of that sacred power of the Church, these "learned" gentlemen with collegiate prefixes and affixes, turn up their theological noses at the words "apostle" and "prophet," and deem the introduction of such inspired "non-essentials" as a sacrilegious innovation on the rights of the "modern school" of theology. Thus we find the world in the anomalous position of "Christians" fighting Christianity; professed believers of the Bible making war upon the Bible, religion, and in fact, on the Bible itself; believers in Christ discarding His doctrines, and parties placing their hope of salvation in an original form of faith, whose fundamental principles they ignore and despise! It is for the "faith once delivered to the Saints" we are called in question! And we may here say, because we believe in the correctness of the original organization of Christ's Church, that "investigation into our doctrines is impeded" (?). This is another of the "objectionable features," which keep, forsooth, the "intelligent" {547} classes from examining our claims to public attention, and is deemed a barrier to their embracing the Gospel!

SIGNS FOLLOWING THE BELIEVERS. Another feature of our religion, which is considered "objectionable" by the religious world, is, that we claim the necessity for and the existence of the spiritual gifts of the Gospel, the "signs" which Christ said were to "follow the believer." We read that after the Savior had risen from the dead, when He was about to ascend into Heaven from the Mount of Olives, He gave His apostles a certain commission, which we find recorded in the following language by St. Mark, in chap, xvi, 15-18: "And he said unto them, 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 shall they 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 lest any should raise objection to the standard translation of King James, which has been read in churches ever since the year 1611, we also give the same passage from the New Version, published last May, the chapter and verses being numbered alike: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

The above promise evidently furnished us a distinctive mark which should characterize "them that believe" in Christ's Gospel. It admits of no other construction than that which is given by the plain language of the Scripture. But one class of people are promised the "gifts"--the "believers," but to them the promise is positive, emphatic and undeniable! It is possible to conceive that persons of sound moral principle might exercise sufficient faith through prayer to obtain certain manifestations of God's approval, and still might not be at the time actual members of the Church, but that the "true believers," who have become members of the Church of the {548} Savior, should be destitute of these gifts is not only an improbability, but from the words of the Scripture a positive impossibility!

We are led by the Savior's saying directly to the following conclusions: that the disciples were to preach the Gospel as it had been taught them by its Author; that some would believe its doctrines and be baptized, and that those who did so believe would receive the evidences of spiritual gifts which Christ foretold and described. There can be no misconstruction of this Scripture, without sacrificing consistency and stultifying the Divine word. But in order that we may be still further assured concerning the literal meaning of the Savior's promise, let us consider whether such manifestations did actually follow their administrations among the people. For direct record proof of this we have but to read the two following verses, which close the above-named chapter: "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

But we also find these gifts mentioned in the course of their ministry, and not merely referred to in a general way, but the special gifts particularized which were imparted by Divine favor on certain occasions named. For instances of this kind read the Acts of the Apostles. In the second chapter it is recorded that they (the Saints) were all with one accord in one place, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." And we find that the gifts were so marked and prominent in their effects on this occasion, that Peter had to give an explanation to the multitude who came together, showing that they were the blessings of the Holy Spirit, as foretold should belong to the Christian Church. Then again in the third chapter, we are informed that as Peter and John went into the Temple, "a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the Temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the Temple, asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to {549} receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him." And in explanation of this manifestation Peter said, "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Showing plainly that it was by the use of the name of Jesus, through the "gift of healing," that this blessing was conferred.

Read the smiting of Ananias and Sapphira at the word of St. Peter, when they withheld part of the purchase-money at the time of the consecration of their substance; also the healing power manifested through the shadow of the apostle (Acts v). Now read in Acts viii, the miracles performed by Philip, one of the lesser priests sent to baptize the people of Samaria, verses 6 and 7: "And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed." Also read verses from 13 to 17 inclusive: "Then Simon believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Some may raise an objection here, and say that although the Holy Ghost was said to be given, in this instance no gifts are specially mentioned. But on reading the following verses we find that "When Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, {550} he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." This plainly shows that the outpouring of the Spirit produced some evidences of such a remarkable character as to attract the attention of Simon, or he would not have been tempted to "offer money" to the disciples for the power to confer such gifts.

Then read in Acts ix, the case of Saul being healed of his blindness, under the hands of a certain disciple named Ananias, (this is not the same who was smitten at Peter's word): "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized." Also the raising of Tabitha from the dead by St. Peter, recorded in same chapter.

These were literal fulfillments of the words of Jesus, spoken on the Mount of Olives. No construction of Scripture can give them any other than a literal meaning. These works were in reality performed by and for those who believed. Paul had once been a disbeliever, but now a "believer," he rejoices in the gifts and shows forth the power of God in the name of Jesus. And we find that these gifts were not confined to the Apostles, but that they existed also among the other Saints. In chapter xiii, 1-3, of the Acts, we are told, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Now, these men were not apostles who prophesied, though perhaps prominent in the Church, but possessing the "gifts," the Spirit spoke through them, and the Church was edified and blessed. Hence none can consistently say that the "gifts" and "signs" were limited to the apostleship, {551} and thus argue the sudden cessation of them with the death of the apostles, or that they were not to be universally enjoyed by all believers. Besides, the multitudes who, we are told in various parts of the record, "spoke in tongues and prophesied" when confirmed, fully show that the gifts were general in their character, and not bestowed exclusively on a special few of those who believed, or that any class of "believers" was debarred from enjoying them; but that it was a foregone conclusion with the Church that these evidences should follow, and that it was a fact in their history that they did follow belief and obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instances might be multiplied to prove the existence of the gifts among the Saints, such for instance as the case of a certain man named Agabus, who had the gift of prophecy, of whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter xxi, 11-13. We also read in Acts xxi, 8, 9, that Philip the evangelist had four daughters, virgins, who possessed the gift of prophecy: "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed: and came unto Csesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." Stephen also who, like Philip, was one of the lesser priests, and not an apostle, saw at the time of his martyrdom "the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

These and many other incidents plainly show that visions, prophesyings, tongues, healing and the general "gifts of the Gospel" were disseminated among the Saints, both male and female, "severally as willed by the Spirit." Paul says (1 Cor. xiv, 26, 27), "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret," showing that these gifts were universal among the Saints, or "believers," and that the possessors had to be at times checked and instructed in their use.

Added to those cases recorded in the Scriptures, the blessings enjoyed by the Saints as the "signs following the believer," are mentioned in a general way by historians. In the second century, St. Iraenaeus testifies that "the Christians, by the gift of God, cast out devils, healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed miraculous works in the name of Christ, in all parts of the world." (See Gahan's Church History, page 76.) {552} But we find that in the third century, the government and organization of the Church began to change from the primitive form established by Christ. At least in detail, if not in a general way, some of the ordinances were even at an earlier date, materially changed and modified. Even in the second century, we find the historian Gahan refers to a change in the ordinance of baptism in the following pointed language. Speaking of Novation, who was ill, "he was baptized in bed, not by immersion, which was then the usual method, but by infusion or pouring of water. On recovering he received not the seal of the Lord * * says St. Pacian, that is to say, the sacrament of confirmation."--(See Gahan and Mosheim.)

There can be no doubt that this "changing of the ordinances" which had been established by Christ, as the means of obtaining salvation with its kindred blessings, gradually produced the cessation of the gifts among them, that to this, and also the withdrawal of the authority to confer the Holy Ghost, through the martyrdom of those holding the right to officiate, must be imputed their absence in succeeding centuries, until at the present day these evidences of the true Gospel are even discountenanced by parties claiming to be followers of Christ, and the Latter-day Saints condemned as presumptuous and wicked for seeking to possess them, and testifying of their existence in the Church. And it is lamentable to know that it is considered an "objectionable feature" of the religion we profess to enjoy these blessed tokens of God's approval which edified, strengthened and comforted the ancient Saints, and which Christ declared should "follow them that believe."

Reader, is it not strange that professing Christians should not only themselves fail to obtain the gifts which are an inseparable evidence of the Christian religion, but that they should take up arms with the enemies of Christ in denouncing those who possess them,--considering the existence of the gifts a bar to accepting the truth, and a stumbling block in the pathway of obedience? What they despise and denounce, however, we, the Latter-day Saints, hold as a substantial evidence of the truth of the Gospel revealed to Joseph Smith, and a standing testimony against those who "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof." And we reiterate the apostle's advice when speaking of this class, "from such turn away!" And the writer of this article desires to add his testimony to the many which have been recorded in the Church established in our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the gifts of the Gospel promised to the believers are with the Latter-day {553} Saints! That he has seen, witnessed and experienced them in his own person! That he has himself been healed under the administration of the Elders, according to the words of James, recorded in chap. v. 14, 15: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the Elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." That others have been healed under his hands instantaneously by the power of God! That some of his immediate friends and acquaintances have the gift of tongues, others prophesy, others see visions, and all who are faithful possess the Holy Spirit, which testifies that these things are verily true,--that this is the veritable work of God set up for the preparation of a people to meet the Lord when He comes in power! And he bears this testimony in all sincerity, knowing that by our words shall we be justified or condemned, and that both writer and reader will have to meet them at the last day!

Liverpool, England.

"Posterity will yet do us the justice, when our persecutors are equally low in the dust with ourselves, to hand down to succeeding generations, the virtuous acts and forbearance of a people who sacrificed their reputation for their religion, and their earthly fortunes and happiness to preserve peace."

--Joseph Smith, July 25, 1836.

{554}

LATTER-DAY SAINTS FOLLOW TEACHINGS OF THE SAVIOR.

ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE SALT LAKE TABERNACLE, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1910, BY PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.

(REPORTED BY F. W. OTTERSTROM.)

It is with a feeling of great dependence upon the Giver of all Good that I arise before you, this afternoon, in the hope of saying something by the help of the Spirit of the Lord, that will be encouraging to the Latter-day Saints and also a comfort to them with reference to some of those glorious principles which we have espoused and which, nevertheless, are very much misunderstood and misrepresented by our enemies.

We do not fully realize, it seems to me, the simplicity and naturalness of those great doctrines that are involved in the probation of man, in his mortal state. Many have sought for the origin of man in his development from the lower animals or creatures, and it is very difficult, indeed, to persuade men who are supposed to be scientific, to believe that the works of God are one eternal round, and that man is nothing more and cannot be anything less, we believe, than the offspring of God. No man, however scientific, however learned, however deeply he may search into the secrets of nature, can ever find out more than is revealed already, in the Scriptures of divine truth, with reference to man's origin. Men may speculate, and guess, and suppose many things, and can argue themselves into queer notions and beliefs with reference to man's origin, but after all it will only be their beliefs, or their imaginations or conclusions from human reasoning. It would be superfluous, no doubt, for me to cite my hearers to the Genesis in the Bible, where an account is given of man being placed upon the earth, formed in the image and likeness of God, being made in His likeness not only male but also female, for the Bible plainly implies that in order that man should become like unto God, or be created in His image and likeness, he should be a dual being, that is, he should be not only man but that his complement or other self should be woman, thus he was formed {555} in the likeness of God. Man was placed in the garden that was prepared for him. He was given the liberty to enjoy and partake of all the fruits of the garden except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he was told that when he should partake of that fruit, or if he should, then he should surely die.

Yet, it was foreordained, and the first man was predestined to partake of that fruit in order that the greater and real purpose of God might be fulfilled, for if Adam had kept the law of heaven, by refusing or refraining from partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he would have remained forever in his innocence, without power of increase. Therefore, the object and purpose of God would fail in his being, for the great commandment that was given to him was that he should multiply and replenish the earth, and have dominion over it and over all living creatures upon the earth, for he was made lord of all and above all things that were created of God, or were placed here on the earth. Man was placed here to be the lord and master of all of them. Why? Because he was God's child; because he was made or formed and created in the image and likeness of his Father and, shall I add here, in the image and likeness of his Mother? If I should say such a thing it would shock the Christian world, and they would ridicule the thought or the idea that the original man had anything but a father, and owed nothing but to his father, for his existence. In the revelations that have come to us through Joseph, the prophet, and also those that are contained within the lids of the Bible, we are told that all things were created spiritually before they were temporally; in other words, they were created in the other world before they were placed here--not only man, the child of God, but all the animals that were placed upon the earth, and the fishes of the sea, and the birds of the air. All things were formed and had their existence spiritually before they were formed temporally on the earth, Even the seeds and herbs of the field had their existence in their spiritual state before they were planted in the earth.

But when man transgressed that heavenly law, which forbade that he should partake of the elements of this earth, whereby he should become of the earth, earthy, then he brought upon himself temporal death, just as God declared he would do, if he should partake of the "forbidden fruit." Not only did he bring upon himself the temporal death, that is, the death of the body, but he also placed himself in subjection to spiritual death, which death is banishment from the presence {556} of God into outer darkness where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Through this condition, brought upon our first parents necessarily--necessarily because it had to be, in order to carry out the great purpose of God to people the earth--man placed himself in the most helpless condition, powerless to relieve himself from the temporal death which he had brought upon himself, and powerless in and of himself, and through his own wisdom, to escape even the consequences of spiritual death--absolutely helpless. But we read, in the new revelation that has come through Joseph, the prophet, in these latest days, that the gospel which was afterwards, in the meridian of time, preached by the Son of God, was also preached unto Adam and to his children in the early stage of man's existence in the earth. The same gospel of faith in God and in a Savior of the world and in remission of sin by repentance, and the gift of the Spirit of God to lighten man in the world, in the path that should lead him back into the presence of God from whence he had fallen; all this was taught to Adam by the angels of God who were sent to minister to him and to reveal to him the plan of life and of redemption. Among other things, there was established, in the days of Adam, to be continued by his posterity, the law of sacrifice. They were required to offer the sacrifice of oxen, and of sheep, and of doves, and of various animals; and in these sacrifices, which were given to them with commandment to follow and to observe, the principle was taught them that in the meridian of time one should be sent, mighty and strong, with power to redeem and save, who should make the great sacrifice for all mankind. He would relieve the children of Adam, and all the human family, from the beginning down to the time of this great Savior, and thenceforth through all generations of time, until the winding up scene, or until every son and daughter of Adam should have the privilege of being redeemed from the fallen and helpless condition into which they had been placed because of the fall of the first parents.

So, from the time of Adam until the Son of God, whose supposed natal day we are here, perhaps most of us, for the purpose of celebrating and of reflecting upon, these sacrifices were offered in anticipation of His coming, in anticipation of the great sacrifice that He was to offer, once for all, thus doing away with the shedding of the blood of animals, of beasts, and of birds, whereby man could be kept in memory of this great principle of sacrifice which was instituted, from before the foundation of the world, for the redemption of man from temporal and also from spiritual death; first, from the {557} temporal death without any responsibility on his part, or act of his own, without any required virtue, honor, or worthiness upon his own part. Inasmuch as death has come upon me--temporal death--not by any act of mine, and I am not in any way responsible for that condition in which I find myself; inasmuch as you and I had no hand, in the beginning, in bringing about the conditions that now exist, we, by the will of God, and by the power of life and of salvation in the Son of God, shall be redeemed, every one, from the temporal death, no matter what we are or who we are. It matters not whether we are learned or illiterate, bond or free, white or black, old or young, ignorant or intelligent, we shall all come forth out of the condition that has come upon us temporally, and we shall have to stand before the bar of the great Judge, at last, to give an account of our deeds done in the flesh. Next to this redemption from the temporal death comes our redemption from the power of the second death, but this redemption will not be brought to pass in our behalf independently of ourselves. We are responsible for our own sins and will be held responsible for our deliverance from them, for they lead to the second death.

I will again tell you what the Scriptures tell us is the second death: It is being cut off from God; the blessing and privilege of His presence; it is indeed banishment from God and from His Kingdom, and from the glory and exaltation, the joy and happiness of eternal life. That is the second death, and that is what will come upon all men who reject the redemption that has been wrought for them in the atonement of the Son of God, whom we call Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. And who was Jesus, the Christ? He was both God and man. Can we accept it? Can we comprehend it? It is very simple to those who will permit themselves to comprehend it. It is very plain if men will comprehend, firstly, the fact, that God is the Father of man, spiritually, and that God is the Father of Jesus Christ, both temporally and spiritually, and that Jesus Christ is nothing more nor less than the Son of God, begotten of His Father, as absolutely, and as truly as any child was begotten of his earthly father. You don't need to mince the matter. How could we be like God if we were not begotten in His image and in His likeness? Then this holy man, Jesus Christ, had God for His Father, and He had for His mother the virgin, Mary, who never knew mortal man until after the time that Christ was born. He had this human mother for His mother, and thus were joined together in Him, forever, God and man, and thus is explained to the human family the connection existing between God and man, his children, his offspring {558} in the earth. Not only is God our Father, but Jesus Christ is our brother; and in the spirit He is the elder brother of the human race, whereas in the flesh Adam was before Him. Many other prophets, men and inspired persons were before Christ in the flesh, and yet He was the first born of God in the flesh; he was God's "only begotten Son" in the flesh. He came into the world in this way, clothed with double power--power to die, which He derived from His mother; and power to resist death, if He had so willed it, which He had inherited from His Father. Thus He had power both to live forever and also power to pass through the ordeal of death, that He might suffer it for all men, and come forth out of the grave to a newness of life--a resurrected being, to be clothed with immortality and eternal life, that all men might come forth out of the grave unto life eternal, if they will obey Him. They will come forth anyhow, either as vessels of honor or as vessels of dishonor. They will come forth from the grave whether they will or not. They can't help themselves. We could not help the curse of mortal death coming upon us, neither shall we be able to avoid or to prevent the resurrection of this body from that grave; for as God raised from the dead, so will all mankind.

Then the Latter-day Saints worship God, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we are instructed, and we do follow that instruction, to worship God, the Father, and to call upon His name for the blessings that we need, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. I do not suppose that there is a Latter-day Saint anywhere who does not believe, who has not absolutely accepted in his soul the literal and absolute resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ, from the dead. We accept that; it is a part of our doctrine; it is a fundamental principle of our religion. On that truth depends our hope of everlasting life, and, therefore, we have cast our lot into the plan of life and of redemption and of salvation inaugurated by the Son of God while He was in the flesh. We depend upon it for our exaltation; upon it rests our hope of happiness and the privilege of entering again into the presence of our Father, the Father of our spirits, and enjoying eternities with Him. Our hope is founded on the great truth that Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death. Now, a great many people will argue that this is, in some degree, only mythical, that it cannot be real or tangible. I shall take the liberty, if you will permit, to look at the Scripture for a moment with reference to this matter. After the resurrection of Christ, abundant evidence was given His disciples and Saints to establish {559} the reality of His resurrection from the dead. Of course, we have the testimony of the ancient disciples of Christ with reference to this matter, but that is not all. We read here the testimony given concerning the resurrection of the Savior, by Luke, one of the disciples of Christ, who wrote a brief history of His doings and life. We read here of two of the disciples who went to Emmaus with the Savior after His resurrection, and knew Him not until they got there, and He broke bread, then they discovered that they had been walking and talking with the Lord:

"And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

"And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

"Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

"And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit,"--just as a great many professed teachers of religion, today, claim that He was but a spirit, only a spirit, and that the body itself does not rise, but that the resurrection from death to life is the departure of the spirit from the body, the body to return to dust; and the spirit to return to God, redeemed and resurrected from death unto life eternal. This is the doctrine of some teachers of religion, for I have heard them teach and preach it. We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ and that the life and mission and works of the Son of God are far more real and far more tangible than this. So the disciples of Jesus, when He appeared unto them, were terrified and affrighted, supposing that they had seen a spirit.

"And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

"And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet.

"And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

{560} "And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

"And he took it, and did eat before them.

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.

"And said unto them, Thus is it written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

"And ye are witnesses of these things,

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endowed with power from on high.

"And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

"And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

"And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

"And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God."

We might refer you to many other passages here. We take this Scripture as it reads. We testify to the world that the disciple of Christ, the apostle of the Lord Jesus, the scribe, the writer of this testimony, was inspired of God to write the truth, and that he did write the truth and nothing but the truth. Jesus was no spirit risen out of the body, for the spirit had already departed from the body and returned to it, and taken it up again. While the body lay in the tomb, according to divine truth revealed in the word of God here, he was quickened by the spirit and went and preached to the spirits that were in prison (1 Peter 3: 18-22), thus fulfilling also the prediction of the prophets concerning Him, that He was anointed to proclaim liberty to the captives and to open the prison doors to them that were bound. So, Christ went to the spirit world where darkness reigned, where the spirits of men were shut out from the presence of God, where they could only be ministered to by messengers sent from the Lord, who possessed a higher and a far more exceeding weight of glory. There He went, and with Him went the {561} two malefactors who were crucified with Him, for He said to them that day they should be with Him in "paradise;" and they were there: not in God's glorious Kingdom, but in the spirit world, where Christ went. He had this great mission to perform, of preaching His gospel to the spirits in prison, the same gospel that is preached to the living, for there is but one plan of life, one gospel, one faith, one Lord, one baptism, one Holy Spirit, that cometh from God and that bringeth light and intelligence unto the children of men. There is only one way; it is the straight and narrow path that leads back into the presence of God. That is the way that Christ trod; that is the way that He marked out for His disciples to tread in; and that is the way that you and I must go in order to obtain the reward that has been promised to the faithful. But, says one, what a narrow idea this is. How incompetent is such a plan as this, to reach the millions and millions of the human family who have, necessarily, died without knowing the gospel of Christ, without having heard even the name of Jesus Christ.

How narrow, then, to say that no man can enter into the Kingdom of God but by the door and through the means that Jesus Christ has offered to the children of men. But, no, it is not a narrow view; it is the broadest possible view to take of this matter. Why, how can you, then, meet the necessities of the children of men, all the myriads of spirits that have passed away from this mortal stage without the knowledge of this gospel, without the knowledge of Jesus Christ, without the benefits of the ordinances of the house of God? We will tell you, for it has been revealed in its fullness in this dispensation. As Christ went to preach to the spirits in prison, that were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved by water, the like figure whereunto baptism doth now save us, so this same plan prevails today, and the same principle. The great mission inaugurated by the Son of God is now being prosecuted by ten thousand thousands of those who have held the Melchisedek priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God, men who have been endowed with power from on high to preach the gospel to the spirits in prison. Not a soul that has ever lived and died from off the face of this earth shall escape a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they receive it and obey it, the ordinances of the gospel will be performed for and in their behalf, by their kindred, or their posterity in some generation of time after them, so {562} that every law and every requirement of the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be carried out, and the promises and requirements fulfilled for the salvation of the living and also for the salvation of the dead. Mormonism, as it is called, the gospel of Jesus Christ, as devised by the Son of God, provides that every son and every daughter of God, every child of the Father, every soul that has descended from Adam shall have the privilege of hearing this holy gospel of Christ and shall come to know the truth, that His name, the name of Christ--Jesus of Nazareth, is the only name under heaven by which man can be saved, exalted and restored again to the presence and glory of God the Father.

Through Him, as I have said already, all men that have died shall be raised again from the dead--every one--and not only shall they be raised from the dead, but they shall be restored to their perfect frame. We will go, now, to the doctrines that we have received in the Book of Mormon and in the Doctrine and Covenants, the revelations that have come to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and we will find that every soul shall not only be raised from the dead, but shall be restored to their perfect frame. There will be no hunchbacks in heaven; no one-legged or one-armed men there, nor cripples, nor any deformed sons and daughters of the Father in the celestial glory, for they will be restored by the power of God and by the principle of life contained in the gospel of the Son of God. They will all be restored to their "proper frame" and "perfect form" mark you, "both limb and joint." We read that, here in this good book, the Book of Mormon (Alma 11: 43-45). I intended, when I got up, to read you some of the doctrines of Jesus Christ, contained in this book, but let me say, the people of the world generally, seem to want to find out some different way from that which the Lord has designated, in order that they might be saved. Some men want to be saved without any righteousness on their own part, without any forgiveness of sin, without any repentance, without humility of acknowledgment that they are unworthy, except through a remission of their sins, to enjoy the blessings and inherit the glory of the Kingdom of God. They even hold out the idea, the erroneous, wicked, pernicious thought or idea, that the murderer on the scaffold can be ushered into the presence of God and to the highest glory if he will only say, on the scaffold, before the drop is cut, that he "believes in the Lord Jesus Christ." Why, it is infamy; it is abomination; it is the essence of injustice and unrighteousness.

{563} No man can be ushered into the presence of God in his sins, and no man can receive a remission of his sins except he repent and burial with Christ. For God has made us free agents, to choose good or evil, to walk in the light or in the darkness, as we choose, and he has ordained it thus that we might become like Him, that if we prove ourselves worthy of everlasting life and glory in His presence, it will be because we have repented of our sins and have obeyed and kept His commandments. And, if we are doomed, or cursed, or cast out into the second death, into darkness, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, it will be because we have not obeyed the will of God, nor walked in the light, because we have chosen darkness rather than the light, and our thoughts were evil and we did not repent, therefore, we received no forgiveness or remission of our sins. The judgment of God will be just, and His rewards will be just, for He will reward men for their merits, and punish them for their wickedness. That is justice and righteousness; anything short of that, anything more or less than that would come of evil and would brand the Father of all, the God of heaven and earth, the just Judge, as unworthy of such titles and of such glory and greatness and impartiality; for it would not be possible for a just God to reward men for something that they were not worthy of, nor to condemn men for what they had not deserved.

Then, again, Jesus told the people at Jerusalem, His disciples and those who followed Him, that He had other sheep that were not of that fold, and He must go to them, and they must hear His voice. They must be taught His gospel, that there might be one shepherd and one fold. We read His words in this glorious and good book which I hold in my hand, which was given by inspiration from the Lord. The Book of Mormon tells us how the Savior of men, after He had ascended into heaven from among the Jews, descended upon this continent, among the inhabitants that dwelt here, who had been prepared beforehand by prophets and by inspired men who had taught them the gospel as they understood it, and who had foretold them the coming of the Son of man to the earth. He visited them, and He organized His Church here, as He organized it over there. He appointed twelve disciples here to preach the gospel and to lead in matters pertaining to the cause of the Kingdom that was established upon this continent; and He taught them the same doctrines--only they are preserved and revealed in somewhat greater plainness to us--that He taught the disciples and the {564} people among the Jews. I am going to read you some of the things that the Lord taught the disciples and the people that were prepared to receive Him, upon this continent, after His ascension into heaven. Mark you, when He came to the people here He came as the Son of God, risen from the dead. He showed to these people also the evidences of His crucifixion. They had heard of it by the revelations of God; they knew that He had been crucified, that He had risen from the dead, and that He had established His gospel and His Church there. They were expecting Him here because the Lord had promised them that He would come; and He stood upon the earth, in the midst of them, and taught them His gospel; He ordained them to His priesthood, conferring upon them His power and authority to administer for the salvation of the children of men. He sent out those whom He chose to be His mouthpieces and representatives, among all the people of this land, to preach this gospel that Jesus had preached to the Jews and had now preached to the inhabitants of this continent. He came here as Jesus Christ, resurrected from the dead, clothed with flesh and bones as tangible as man's, capable of eating the broiled fish and the honeycomb--which no spirit could partake of, for a spirit would not do that.

It would not be consistent with the law that governs them for a spirit to attempt to partake of the gross elements of this earth; but Jesus could and did do it, for he was both Lord and Christ; both man and God; possessing the power both of God and of man; and in and through Him God and man are linked together as one family in the forms that they always existed, just as they exist now, except at times possessing greater intelligence than at other times--sometimes barbarians, and ignorant, or enlightened and taught by prophets and inspired men that were raised up among them. In this way has God taught the Chinese, the Japanese, and other peoples of the world in their times and seasons, the wisdom possessed by men who have been raised up by the Lord and inspired to instruct the people among whom they dwelt, for their enlightenment and to the leading of them into moral and righteous paths--not always conferring the priesthood upon them, but giving them intelligence. The Lord did not have to confer the priesthood upon Columbus, when He moved upon him to discover this country, but He called him for that purpose and moved upon him to accomplish that work, and the man thus inspired for that work could not help but do it. He could not forsake the mission that was given him; neither could he cease until he had accomplished the work. We read {565} that here in this book. We are told that Columbus was inspired to do the 'work that he did; and so have many men, in many ages of the world, been inspired of God to do certain things and teach certain precepts akin to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order that the people might be brought nearer to the Lord and that they might not be left to become wholly heathenish and wholly ignorant, benighted and barbarous.

Now, I hope you will pardon me for detaining you; but I have chosen a few words that I want to read you, from the Book of Mormon, that were translated by the gift and power of God, through Joseph Smith the prophet. You will find a very great resemblance between some of the words I shall read in this book and those contained in the New Testament of the Bible. The recorder of the circumstance and the utterances here referred to wrote:

"And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called (now the number of them who had been called and received power and authority to baptize, were twelve), and behold he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them saying, Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power, that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me, and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.

"And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins." Then he continues:

"Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Let me pause just a moment here. Blessed are the poor in spirit--who do what? Are they blessed simply because they are poor in spirit? No; don't forget that. Let this rest upon your minds. "Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me." There is the substance of it. There is the truth: "Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And thus it is made a little plainer here than you will find it in the New Testament.

{566} "And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted;

"And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

"And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled"--what with? The Lord tells us here, "Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.

"And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

Of all people under the heavens, the Latter-day Saints should be the most merciful people, the most forgiving, the most charitable, for no man can more easily forgive and show mercy to his fellow creatures than he who has received mercy and forgiveness from God.

"And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

"And blessed are all the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God.

"And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"And blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake,

"For ye shall have great joy and be exceeding glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you."

Now, I cannot pursue this subject longer. I will say this, that these are the doctrines of Jesus Christ. These are some of the words that He uttered to the people upon this continent, and these are the words that He uttered to the people upon the old continent, or over there in Jerusalem. Other words He uttered which we will not have time to refer to; but He taught as never man taught, and the doctrines that He taught are yet--almost at least--as high above the conceptions of mankind and their ability to carry them out, as the heavens are above the earth. Yet, His doctrine is true; His precepts are righteous; His gospel is the power of God unto salvation; and in proportion as man rises to a conception, and an acceptance of and obedience to the principles taught by the Son of God, the nearer he becomes like Him and like the Father of our spirits and the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was God in the flesh; He was Emmanuel or "God with us," the Savior of the world. The Latter-day Saints believe in Him not only because of the testimonies borne {567} of Him in the Bible--in the four gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament, and the predictions of the prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible, concerning His coining and mission; not only because of the evidences we have here in the Book of Mormon, where it is still more plainly given than it is in the Bible, nor because we also have further and stronger evidences of the divinity of His mission in the revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but also because we have the testimony of witnesses of these divine things and, especially, of the divine mission of Jesus Christ, by and from men whom we have seen in the flesh, with whom we have conversed, with whom we have associated and whom we know to have been, in their lives, pure, upright, honest and faithful servants of the living God. Beside all this we know the truth by the witness of the spirit to ourselves. Now, may the Lord bless you.

Of course, we understand that this is not, indeed, the natal day of the Savior. He was not born on the 25th day of December; but this is the day that has been accepted by the world, at least by the so-called Christian world, as His natal day, and we have accepted it with them. It would be difficult, indeed, to break away from it and celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Lord on the day that He was really born. So we meet, today, to celebrate that important event and to praise His name. I thank my Father in heaven for the faith He has given me in the divinity of the mission of Jesus Christ. I thank Him for the blessings of the holy priesthood that He has restored to the world in this dispensation. I thank Him for the organization of His Church. I thank Him for the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus, from baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, all along to the endowment and sealing and higher ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which were designed to prepare men, by ordination, appointment and faithfulness, to dwell with God in the eternal world. May the Lord bless us and help us to be faithful always, to the end, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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