Chapter XXVIII.

3. _Larger Worlds and Larger World-Systems than Ours:_ "These

distant suns are, many of them, much larger than our sun. Sirius, the

beautiful Dog-star, is (so far as can be judged by its amount of light)

nearly 3,000 times larger, and therefore its system of dependent worlds

must be so much more important than those which form our solar system.

Its planets may far exceed ours in size and revolve at far greater

distances; for such a sun would throw its beams of light and heat very

much beyond a distance equal to that of our Neptune."--Samuel Kinns,

Ph. D., F. R. A. A. S., in "Harmony of the Bible with Science," second

edition, p. 238.

"Man when he looks upon the countless multitudes of stars--when he

reflects that all he sees is only a small portion of those which exist,

yet that each is a light and life-giving sun to multitudes of opaque,

and therefore invisible worlds--when he considers the enormous size of

these various bodies and their immeasurable distance from one another,

may form an estimate of the scale on which the world (universe) is

constructed." "Intellectual Development of Europe," Vol. II, p. 279.

4. _The Argument Based Upon the Data of Notes One, Two and Three:_

The argument to be based upon the preceding notes is this: Since our

earth, and even our solar system, as presented to us by our modern

knowledge, is so insignificantly small and doubtless inferior to the

more splendid worlds and world-systems of the universe, it would

be ridiculous to suppose that the revelations granted to us in our

written scriptures were intended to cover all things pertaining to the

limitless universe and its equally limitless sentient inhabitants. It

is more reasonable to suppose that the revelations vouch-safed to us

through our seers are revelations pertaining to our earth and associate

spheres--(its heavens); our God, and those intelligences that pertain

to our earth and that order of things with which it is associated.

5. _The Vision of Moses:_ "And it came to pass, as the voice (of

God) was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth,

yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did

not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. And he beheld also the

inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not;

and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were

great, even numberless as the sands upon the sea shore. And he beheld

many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants

on the face thereof. And it came to pass that Moses called upon God,

saying: Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou

madest them? And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that

Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face.

And the Lord God said unto Moses: "For mine own purpose have I made

these things. Here is wisdom, and it remaineth in me. And by the word

of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who

is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created;

and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created

them, which is mine Only Begotten. And the first man of all men have I

called Adam, which is many." (Book of Moses--Pearl of Great Price--Ch.

I).

6. _The Limits of Moses' Special Revelation:_ "But only an account

of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For

behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my

power, and there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they

unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I

know them. And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying:

'Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this

earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy

servant will be content.' And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying:

"The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but

they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall

pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come; and

there is no end to my works, neither to my words. For behold, this is

my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life

of man. And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this

earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I

shall speak." (Book of Moses--Pearl of Great Price--Ch. I:35-40.)

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Behold,

I reveal unto you concerning this Heaven, and this Earth; write the

words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God;

by mine Only Begotten I created these things; yea, in the beginning I

created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest. And the

earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon

the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water;

for I am God. And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was

light."--Thence the revelation proceeds much as in Genesis, chapters

one and two. (See Book of Moses--Pearl of Great Price--Ch. II:1-3.)

Footnotes

1. _"In the Beginning:"_ When the Bible says, "In the beginning

God created the heaven and the earth"; and "thus the heavens and the

earth were finished and all the hosts of them," it has reference not

to any "absolute beginning," or "absolute finishing," but only to the

"beginning" and "finishing" as pertaining to our earth and the order of

creation with which it is connected, and the "hosts" that pertain to

our order of existence, not absolutely to all existences.

LESSON IX.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR REVELATIONS--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_III. Revelation Respecting God, Limited I Cor. viii:5, 6.

to the Divine Presidency of Our Mormon Doctrine of

Earth and Related Spheres.--Its Deity, pp. 156, 159. Ibid.

Heavens._ 229-233.[1] Also Sermon

of the Prophet, June 16,

1844. Mill. Star, Vol. 24,

p. 108 et seq. Notes.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and

that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are

called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be Gods many and

Lords many), but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are

all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all

things." I Cor. viii:4-6_.

_NOTES._

[Transcriber's Note: start of this paragraph appears to be missing

due to a printer's error in the original.] the passage from Paul, "We

know an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God

but one. For though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven

or in earth (as there be Gods many and Lords many) but to us there is

but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him." (I

Cor. VIII, 5, 6.) Commenting, I say, upon this, the Prophet said: Paul

says there are Gods many, and Lords many, * * * * but to us there is

but one God--that is, pertaining to us; and he is in all and through

all, [i. e., His influence or spirit permeates his dominions.] But if

Joseph Smith says there are Gods many, and Lords many, they cry:--"Away

with him, crucify him, crucify him! * * * Paul, if Joseph Smith is a

blasphemer, you are. I say there are Gods many, and Lords many, but to

us only one; and we are to be in subjection to that one. * * * * * *

Some say I do not interpret the Scriptures the same as they do. They

say it means the heathen's gods. Paul says there are Gods many, and

Lords many, and that makes a plurality of Gods, in spite of the whims

of all men. You know, and I testify, that Paul had no allusion to the

heathen gods. I have it from God. * * * I have a witness of the Holy

Ghost, and a testimony that Paul had no allusion to the heathen gods in

the text." (Discourse at Nauvoo, July 16, 1844. Mill. Star, Vol. 24, p.

108, et seq.)

_2. The Argument Based on the Data of Note One:_ The argument to be

based upon the data of note one, and the whole subject of Lessons VIII

and IX is this: If "pertaining to us" there is only one God to whom we

are subject, then the revelations received are concerning him and his

relations to our race; and our race's relations to him; they concern

themselves with our race's past and future, and its salvation. Those

revelations relate to our earth and its heavens or associated spheres.

And while in a far off way we may dimly know that other mighty Divine

Intelligences exist and preside over and guide the destinies of other

worlds, still directly associated with our world, and our race is One

Mighty Intelligence whom we recognize as the Father; another whom we

recognize as the Son; another intelligence, unbodied in tabernacle of

flesh and bone, a personage of spirit, whom we recognize as the Holy

Spirit; and these three constitute one presiding council or God-head of

our earth and its heavens. It is no more a marvel that we should have a

God-head or great Presiding Council for our earth than that we should

have a sun for it; and our having a great Presiding Council or God-head

for our earth or our world-system would no more be in conflict with

like grand councils for other worlds and world-systems than our sun

would conflict, disrupt or injure other suns of other world-systems,

since all are of the same nature, and act under the universal reign of

law that preserves the harmony and nicely balanced forces and processes

of the universe. So, too, the divine Intelligences of the universe are

of "one nature in manifold persons;" "a system of self-acting beings

forming a unity"--a free harmony of individual Divine Intelligences

governing their world and world-systems under the universal reign of

moral and spiritual laws.

3. _The Three Personages of Our God-Head:_ "Everlasting covenant

was made between three personages before the organization of this

earth, and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth;

these personages, according to Abraham's record, are called God the

first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third,

the witness or Testator." (Gems, Richard and Little Compendium.)

I have not been able to find this passage in any of our Church annals,

except in the "Gems" of the "Richard & Little Compendium." It stands

there on the authority of the late Elder Franklin D. Richards, of the

Council of the Twelve, and Historian of the Church. It is also in

harmony with the whole tenor of the Prophet's teaching on the subject

of the God-Head, in the last year of his life.

4. _The Pros and Cons of Psalms 82:6 and I Corinthians 8:5, 6:_

_Mr. Van Der Donckt:_ "Two of these texts, for instance, have the

significant qualification: 'Being called gods.' A man must not be a

lawyer to know that the fact that not a few quacks and clowns are

called doctors does not make them such. "Although there be that are

_called gods_ either in heaven or on earth (for there be gods many

and lords many); yet to us there is but one God" (1 Corinthians 8:5,

6). Jesus answered, referring to Psalm 82:6, "Is it not written in your

law: I said ye are Gods? If he _called_ them gods to whom the word

of God was spoken" * * * (John 10:34, 35). Neither Christ nor Paul say

that they are or were gods, but simply that they are called gods.

_Mr. Roberts' Answer:_ One wonders at this argument when he takes

into account the evident carefulness of Mr. V. as a writer. Jesus, whom

he quotes as saying, the beings referred to as Gods are but called

Gods, not that they are so, really fails to give due weight to the

Psalm which Jesus quotes: "I have said _ye are Gods,_ and all of

you are children of the Most High" (Psalm 82: 6). Of this scripture,

Jesus says: "Is it not written in your law, I said, _ye are Gods,"_

and he quotes with evident approval these inspired words of David,

for he adds--"the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:33); that is,

the scripture of David saying, "ye are Gods," is true, it cannot be

gain-said. Nor is this indorsement of David's utterance weakened by

the subsequent remark of Jesus, "If he called them Gods unto whom the

word of God came," etc.; for, when considered in the light of all the

Psalmist said, and all that Jesus said, the "called them Gods" by no

manner of means signifies that they were not Gods. David said, "ye

_are Gods,_ and all of you are children of the Most High" (Psalm

82:6). The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, because he had said he

was the son of God (John 10:36); in defense, Jesus quoted the passage

from the Psalms where it is said of men, "ye are Gods; and all of you

are children of the Most High"--as showing that he was but claiming

for himself the relationship that in the law of the Jews was accorded

to men--sons of God, children of the Most High, and hence, he was not

a blasphemer. In other words, if the Psalmist could say to those he

addressed, "all of you are children of the Most High," why should he,

the Christ, be considered a blasphemer because he called himself the

Son of God?

Surely, also, the gentleman has overlooked Paul's very emphatic

declaration in the parenthetical part of the sentence he quotes from

him, viz., "There be Gods many and Lords many; yet to us there is

but one God." * * * * No wonder that Moses sent ringing down through

the centuries that clarion sentence: "Hear, O Israel, Our God is one

Lord;" that the Hebrew race stood as the witness of that one God, and

fashioned their nomenclature accordingly; or that Paul said, "Though

there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth--as there

be Gods many, and Lords many--but to us there is but one God;" or that

Joseph Smith, in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, should

take up the same refrain as these ancient servants of God, and say,

"Pertaining to us, there is but one God." ("Mormon Doctrine of Deity,"

Roberts-Van Der Donckt discussion.)

Footnotes

1. This reference may carry the student beyond the immediate point of

the subject in hand, but it will be well for him to read the pages of

the work indicated, and then extract from them what is there said which

bears immediately upon the point in the lesson.

LESSON X.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

(SPECIAL LESSON.)

_THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' SUPERIOR GROUNDS FOR FAITH IN THE EXISTENCE

OF GOD._

(A DISCOURSE)

_NOTES._

1. _Suggestion to the Speaker:_ (a) Suggestions for constructing

a discourse or lecture will be found in the Seventy's Year Book, No.

I, pp. 59, 60; also 86, 87; and Year Book No. II, pp. 113-115; also

149-150.

(b) The theme of this lesson will call for both expository and

argumentative treatment. Of argumentative treatment of a subject

something, and doubtless enough, has been said in Seventy's Year Book,

No. II, pp. 68-71, and it only remains to say a word on exposition.

"Exposition consists merely in explaining the meaning of a proposition

or subject, and giving proof and reasons for the explanations made.

It consists in defining terms and setting forth a subject in its

various relations, or "presenting principles or rules for the purpose

of instructing others." A treatise on grammar, for instance, consists

principally of exposition. This Year Book is an exposition of the

"Doctrine of Deity." "Clearness being the chief object (of exposition),

and the nature of the subject excluding ornament, this kind of matter

should be presented in a neat, concise style." (Quackenbos Rhetoric.)

2. _The First Moment of Speech:_ In our last special lesson a

word was said in relation to the "first moment" of speech. Further

suggestions from the same authority then quoted may not be amiss

here. "The most formidable and common foe of the speaker's, in these

preliminary moments, is a general dread that can neither be analyzed

nor accounted for. Persons who have never felt its power sometimes make

light of it, but experience will change their views. The soldier who

has never witnessed a battle, or felt the air throb with the explosion

of cannon, or heard the awful cries of the wounded, is often a great

braggart; while "the scarred veteran of a hundred fights" never speaks

of the carnival of blood without shuddering, and would be the last,

but for the call of duty, to brave the danger he knows so well. There

may be a few speakers who do not feel such fear, but it is because

they do not know what true speaking is; they have never known the full

tide of inspiration which sometimes lifts the orator far above his

conceptions, but which first struggles in his own bosom like the pent

fires of a volcano. They only come forward to relieve themselves of the

interminable stream of twaddle that wells spontaneously to their lips,

and can well be spared the pangs preceding the birth of a powerful and

living discourse.

"This kind of fear belongs to every kind of speaking, but is most

intense on those great occasions, in presence of large audiences, when

men's passions run high. In mere instructive address, where the ground

has been repeatedly gone over and where the effort is mainly of an

intellectual character, it is less noticeable. It resembles the awe

felt on the eve of all great enterprises, and when excessive, as it is

in some highly gifted minds, it constitutes an absolute bar to public

speech. But in most cases it is a source of inspiration rather than of

repression." ("Extempore Speech," Pittenger, pp. 188-9.)

The lesson in the above passage is that the young speaker should not

be discouraged because he experiences this fear--"man-fearing spirit,"

it is sometimes called--at the beginning of a discourse. The more

frightened he is the more hope is there that, ultimately, he will

succeed; for his very fright, or dread, is a sure token that he has

the necessary nervous temperament, the sensitiveness, essential to his

success in this most wonderful accomplishment of instructive speaking.

3. _Strength, Force, Emphasis:_ In the special lessons in Year Book

No. II, the subject of "clearness" in speech was dwelt upon repeatedly.

In this and the remaining special lessons in this Year Book, something

will be said of _"strength or force"_ in speech, and a few

suggestions made as to the things essential to acquire this, after

clearness, most desirable quality of expression.

The three terms at the head of this note are used because they are

employed by various text books; they mean, however, the same thing.

Strength, as the property of a good style in speaking or writing,

consists in such a use and arrangement of words as will make a deep

impression on the mind of the reader or hearer.

"The first requisite of strength is the rejection of all superfluous

words, which constitutes one of the elements of precision also.

Whatever adds nothing to the meaning of a sentence takes from its

strength; and, whether it be simply a word, a clause, or a member,

should be rejected. In the following passage, the words in black type

convey no additional meaning, and, consequently, a regard for strength

requires their omission."

Examples: 1. "_Being_ satisfied with what he has achieved, he

attempts nothing further."

2. "_If I had not been absent,_ if I had been here, this would not

have happened."

3. "The very first discovery of it strikes the mind with inward joy,

_and spreads delight through all its faculties_."

Observe the difference in strength when the unnecessary words are

eliminated:

1. Satisfied with what he has achieved, he attempts nothing further.

2. If I had been there, this would not have happened.

3. The very first discovery of it strikes the mind with inward joy.

PART II.

_Conceptions of God._

LESSON XI.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD._

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_I. Antediluvian Knowledge of God; Genesis, Ch. iii-x.

Testimony of--_ Book of Moses, Chs. iv-viii,

1. Adam, Inclusive. Especially

2. Enoch, v:4-9, 11, 12; vi:1; 56-58.

3. Noah, Doc. & Cov. Lecture

on Faith No. II, verses

_II. Postdiluvian Knowledge of God; 18-20; also v. 30-36.

Testimony of--_ "The Gospel" (Roberts),

Ch. ix (3d Edition),

Note 1. Genesis, Chs. iii-x.

Book of Moses as

above. Lecture on Faith

No. II, 37-56.

Ether, Chs. I, II, III.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the

day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and

female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam,

in the day when they were created." (Gen. v:12.)_

_NOTES._

1. _Sources of Information:_ The sources of information in this

lesson are so completely within the reach of all that notes upon the

various subdivisions are not considered necessary.

2. _Lecture II On Faith:_ Too much cannot be said of the value of

the Second Lecture on Faith in the Doctrine and Covenants. Nowhere else

is the manner in which faith in God was brought into the world and

preserved among men, so well worked out as in that lecture. It is a

very instructive bit of literature, and should be highly prized by the

ministry of the Church.

3. _Parallel Between Adam and Noah:_ Each of these great patriarchs

occupies a singular relationship to the question of faith in God. Each

stood at the head of a great dispensation of the Gospel. Each received

the commandment--"Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth,"

(Gen. I:28, and Gen. IX:1); and as Adam brought with him the knowledge

of God for men from beyond the "Fall"--from Eden to this side Eden, so

Noah brought the knowledge of God for men from beyond the flood to this

side the flood, and is a great witness for God to men. Adam is Michael.

(Doc. & Cov. Sec. cvii:54.) Noah is Gabriel. (Hist. of the Church, Vol.

III, p. 386); and each was the "Father of all living" in his day.

4. _Importance of the Period Covered in this Lesson:_ To be

well versed in the history of the period covered by this lesson,

is important. Especially in relation to the knowledge of God that

then existed among men; for the knowledge then revealed became the

foundation of that belief in God found in subsequent generations of

men in the nations of antiquity. Also in this period will be found the

roots of those myths and fables in relation to gods, with which some

nations and races of men were pleased to amuse, and at last deceive

themselves. Believe me, it is not a waste of time to study the historic

period from Adam to Noah; and from Noah to Abraham.

5. _Testimony of Moriancumer:_ Let the student also give more than

a passing thought to Moriancumer, the Brother of Jared, of the Book of

Mormon. He brought the knowledge of God to the Western hemisphere; and

the revelation of God to him (Ether: III), was most important, since it

was the source of the knowledge of God to that great Jaredite empire

which endured for sixteen hundred years in the Western hemisphere, and

which was one of the greatest nations of antiquity. (Ether i:42, 43,

and xv:2).

LESSON XII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_III. The Course of Ancient Nations in Meditation and Atonement.

General in Turning from God._ (President John Taylor)

Appendix, pp. 190-205.

_IV. The Nations of the Euphrates Valley._ "History of All Religions"

(Burder), Introduction.

1. Babylon. Also Part VI, p. 505 et seq, Notes

1, 2, 3.

2. Assyria. Gen., Chs. ix, x, xi.

Book of Abraham, Ch. 1.

3. Chaldea. "The World's Worship"

(Dobbins), Ch. v. Myers'

4. Babylonian and Assyrian Beliefs "General History," Ch. iv.

in God. Burder's "History of

All Religions," pp. 511-519.

Oxford and Cambridge

Bible Helps and "Bible

Treasury," Articles on

Babylonia and Assyria.

The Book of Daniel,

Chs. i-v.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned

among the heathen which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the

heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall

be sanctified in you before their eyes." Ezekiel xxxvi:23._

_NOTES._

1. _Early Corruption of the Doctrine of Deity:_ Believing that the

knowledge of God in this world, started with the information which Adam

brought with him through the fall, from Eden (See Lesson I, this Book),

and with the revelations given in his day, it is believed by the writer

that all traditions and conceptions of God which afterwards obtained in

very ancient nations were influenced more or less by that knowledge;

and that in so far as confusion, mystery and idolatry respecting the

being and character of God existed among those nations, it resulted

from the early apostasy of men in ancient times from God. On this head

the late President John Taylor held the following strong views:

"It is an important fact, holding good of other ancient civilizations

as well as that of Egypt, that the farther we trace back their

religious beliefs and mythologies, the purer does the creed become,

the nearer it approaches to heavenly truth, and the stronger and

more evident are the traces of gospel teachings. This fact alone is

sufficient to prove that paganism had its origin in the revelations

of heaven, from which, in its various diverse branches, it had turned

and strayed, and by gradual growth, had become the vile, inconsistent,

degrading and loathsome system which is abhorred by all pure-minded,

honorable and intelligent people. Had the various forms of ancient,

dominant, pagan worship been radically and entirely different, with

only those features in common that could reasonably be attributed to

accident or the inter-communication of races, the inference would be

strong that they had different origins; but when, as is the case,

there is a strong family likeness, and that likeness grows stronger

the further it is traced back, and continually points to a common

parentage, and that parentage is the truth as taught by the early

patriarchs and inspired servants of heaven, our conclusions must

necessarily be that these correct and God-given teachings were the

source from whence the whole sprang, and the differences in development

arose from the varied incidents in the history, and the peculiar

surroundings of the various races that gave a local hue and tinge to

their forms of belief." (Mediation and Atonement, pp. 196-7).

2. _On the Great Diversity of Beliefs in God:_ "A great diversity

of religious opinions has prevailed in the world, and different forms

of ceremonies have been and still are observed. The religious notions

and practices of mankind early diverged from one another,--the 'sons of

men' were soon distinguished from 'the sons of God,' the impious from

the holy,--and notwithstanding the purgation of the world by a flood,

and the subsequent re-establishment of one common faith no sooner did

the earth begin to be peopled again, than a diversity of religions

took place, each nation and tribe embracing some peculiarity of its

own. Such has been the fact, through all the intervening periods of

history, to the present day. Each distinct portion of the human family,

especially its larger divisions, has had its separate religious dogmas

and practices, ranging from pure theism to the grossest idolatry."

(Burder's History of All Religions, Introduction, p. 9).

3. _On The Cause of Departure From True Conceptions of God:_ After

determining, by extended discussion, that the great diversity in

men's beliefs respecting God does not arise from chance, nor external

circumstances, nor from any necessity arising from the nature of man's

mind, nor from the want of revelation, William Burder, in his great

work on the "History of All Religions," finds the true cause of man's

departure from the knowledge of God in the radical depravity of the

human heart. "Is not that the true cause?" he inquiries. "It seems

to us that it can be resolved into no other. Of the depravity of the

human heart we are not permitted to doubt, in view of the decisions of

the Bible and the results of observation. This, existing and reigning

in all men, by nature, would readily dispose them to a diversity of

religious views and practices, or rather irreligion under various

names. It would readily dispose them to depart from the true belief,

and to cast off the restraints of the divine authority. They would be

prone to invent many schemes and devices with a view to appease an

upbraiding conscience, and to gratify that ceaseless love of novelty,

which characterizes the human mind. Except in those in whom the effects

of depravity are counteracted by divine grace, there would exist a

continual propensity to depart from God and his institutions--to

lose sight of religious truth, and become involved in gross darkness

and superstition. In such a state, the mind is prepared for every

absurdity--

'Nations ignorant of God, contrive

A wooden one.'

"Hence have arisen the altars and demons of heathen antiquity, their

extravagant fictions, and abominable orgies. Hence we find among the

Babylonians and Arabians the adoration of the heavenly bodies, the

earliest form of idolatry; among the Canaanites and Syrians, the

worship of Baal, Tammuz, Magog and Astarte; among the Phoenicians, the

immolation of children to Moloch; among the Egyptians divine honors

bestowed on animals, birds, insects, leeks, and onions; among the

Persians, religious reverence offered to fire; and among the polished

Greeks, the recognition in their system of faith of thirty thousand

Gods." (Burder's History of All Religions, p. 12).

4. _Babylonia and Assyria:_ "These were the two great Eastern

empires before which all the old states of Syria and Palestine fell.

We learn their history partly from the Bible narrative, and also from

contemporary monuments written in cuneiform characters and recently

deciphered.

"Babylonia or Shinar (Gen. 10:10) is the alluvial country on the

lower course of the Euphrates and Tigris, of which Babel or Babylon

[the same] was the chief city. Assyria, or Asshur, occupied the

Tigris valley to the north of Babylonia. Its center lay on the left

bank of the Tigris, where the great city of Nineveh stood, opposite

Mosul. Babylon and Nineveh were long rivals, but they had a common

civilization, of which the southern alluvium was the original home.

Their language was Semitic, but in the southern country the Semites

seem to have been preceded by another race from whom they acquired many

things in their culture and religion, and to whom the origin of their

peculiar cuneiform system of writing is generally ascribed. In process

of time Assyria became the stronger power, and after the Egyptians

retired from Mesopotamia, it began to push forth beyond its original

limits." (Cambridge Bible Dictionary--70's Bible--p. 14).

5. _The Second Babylonian Kingdom--Or Chaldea:_ The supremacy of

the Assyrian Empire over the old, or first, Babylonian Monarchy, lasted

but little more than a century. It began 728 B. C. and was overthrown

625 B. C. (Myers' General History, cf. pp. 33, 47.)

"Nabopolassar (625-605 B. C.) was the founder of what is known as

the Chaldean or New Babylonian Empire. At first a vassal king, when

troubles began to thicken about the Assyrian court, he revolted and

became independent. Later he entered into an alliance with the Median

king against his former suzerain. Through the overthrow of Nineveh and

the break-up of the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian kingdom received

large accessions of territory. For a short time thereafter Babylon

filled a great place in history. Nabopolassar was followed by his son

Nebuchadnezzar, whose renown filled the ancient world. One important

event of his reign was the taking of the rebellious city of Jerusalem.

The temple was stripped of its sacred vessels of silver and gold, which

were carried away to Babylon, and the building itself was given to the

flames; a part of the people were also carried away into the "Great

Captivity, 586 B. C." (Myers' General History, p. 47.)

6. _The fall of the Chaldean, or Second Babylonian Empire. (538

B. C.):_ "The glory of the New Babylonian Empire passed away with

Nebuchadnezzar. To the east of the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates

there had been growing up an Aryan kingdom, the Medo-Persian, which, at

the time now reached by us [558-529 B. C.] had become a great imperial

power. At the head of this new empire was Cyrus, a strong, energetic,

and ambitious sovereign. Coming into collision with the Babylonian king

Nabonidus, he defeated his army in the open field, and the gates of the

strongly fortified capital, Babylon, were without further resistance

thrown open to the Persians." (Myers' General History, p. 48).

With the fall of Babylon the scepter of dominion, borne so long by

Semitic princes, was given into the hands of the Aryan peoples, who

were destined from this time forward to shape the main course of events

and control the affairs of civilization.

7. _The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria:_ "The religion of the

country was a combination of the Shamanistic belief [1] (i. e., a

belief that each force of nature had its "spirit," good or bad) of the

original Accadian population, along with the nature-worship of the

Semitic conquerors. Inscriptions which have been recently deciphered,

show that the Babylonians had accounts of the creation and deluge, in

many ways similar to those given in the book of Genesis." (Cambridge

Bible Dictionary--70's Bible--p. 17).

8. _Underlying Principles of Assyrian-Babylonian Beliefs:_ "The

religion of Assyria and Babylonia, was, in its essential principles,

and in the general spirit of its conceptions, of the same character

of the religion of Egypt, and in general as all pagan religions.

When we penetrate beneath the surface which gross Polytheism has

acquired from popular superstition, and revert to its original and

higher conceptions, we shall find the whole based on the idea of

the unity of the Deity, the last relic of the primitive revelation,

disfigured indeed and all but lost in the monstrous ideas of pantheism;

confounding the creature with the Creator; and transforming the Deity

into a god-world, whose manifestations are to be found in all the

phenomena of nature. Beneath this supreme and sole God, this great

ALL, in whom all things are lost and absorbed, are ranked in an

order of emanation corresponding to their importance, a whole race

of secondary deities who are emanations from His very substance, who

are mere personifications of His attributes and manifestations. The

differences between the various pagan religions, is chiefly marked by

the differences between these secondary divine beings. * * * * The

Chaldea-Assyrian, especially devoted to astronomy, saw in the astral,

and especially in the planetary system, a manifestation of the divine

being. They considered the stars as His true external manifestation,

and in their religious system made them the visible evidence of the

subordinate divine emanations from the substance of the infinite

being, whom they identified with the world, his work." (The World's

Worship--Dobbins--pp. 126, 127).

9. _The Supreme God of the Assyrians--Ilu:_ "The supreme god, the

first and sole principle from whom all other deities were derived, was

Ilu, whose name signified God par excellence. Their idea of him was

too comprehensive, too vast, to have any determined external form,

or consequently to receive in general the adoration of the people. *

* * * In Chaldea it does not seem that any temple was ever specially

dedicated to him; but at Nineveh, and generally throughout Assyria, he

seems to have received the peculiarly national name of 'Asshur' (whence

was derived the name of the country, Mat Asshur), and this itself seems

related to the Aryan name of the deity Asura. With this title he was

great god of the land, the especial protector of the Assyrians, he who

gave victory to their arms. The inscriptions designate him as "Master,

or Chief of the Gods." He it is, perhaps, who is to be recognized in

the figure occasionally found on the Assyrian monuments (but probably

adopted in later times by the Persians to represent their Ormuzd),

representing a human bust, wearing the royal tiara in the middle of

a circle borne by two large eagle wings, and with an eagle's tail."

(World's Worship,--Dobbins--pp. 126, 127).

10. _Doubts of a Supreme God:_ Myers doubts of there being a

conception of a supreme God in the religion of the Bablyon-Assyrian

peoples. "At the earliest period made known to us by the native

records, we find the pantheon to embrace many local deities (the patron

gods of the different cities and nature gods); but at no period do we

find a Supreme God. The most prominent feature from first to last of

the popular religion was the belief in spirits, particularly in wicked

spirits, and the practice of magic rites and incantations to avert

the malign influence of these demons. A second important feature of

the religion was what is known as astrology, or the foretelling of

events by the aspect of the stars. This side of the religious system

was most elaborately and ingeniously developed until the fame of the

Chaldean astrologers was spread throughout the ancient world." Yet this

Historian admits that, "alongside these low beliefs and superstitious

practices, there existed, however, higher and purer elements. This is

best illustrated by the so-called penitential psalms, dating, some of

them, from the second millennium B. C., which breathe a spirit like

that which pervades the penitential psalms of the Old Testament."

In confirmation of this statement, he quotes one of these psalms,

translated by Jastro:

"O, my god, who art angry with me, accept my prayer!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

May my sins be forgiven, my transgressions be wiped out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(May) flowing waters of the stream wash me clean!

Let me be pure, like the sheen of gold."

(Myers' General History, p. 38.)

"The cuneiform writings on the tablets," says James Freeman Clarke,

author of 'Ten Great Religions,' "show us that the Assyrians also

prayed." "On an unpublished tablet in the British Museum, is this

prayer of King Asshur-da-ni-pal, B. C. 650:

"May the look of pity that shines in thine eternal face dispel my

griefs.

"May I never feel the anger and wrath of the God.

"May my omissions and my sins be wiped out.

"May I find reconciliation with Him, for I am the servant of His

power, the adorer of the great gods.

"May Thy powerful face come to my help; may it shine like

heaven, and bless me with happiness and abundance of riches.

"May it bring forth in abundance, like the earth, happiness and every

sort of good." (Ten Great Religions, p. 234).

10. _The Assyrian Triads--Trinities:_ "Below Ilu, the universal and

mysterious source of all, was placed a triad, composed of his three

first external and visible manifestations, and occupying the summit of

the hierarchy of gods in popular worship. Anu, the Oannes of the Greek

writers, was the lord of darkness; Bel, the demiurgus, the organizer

of the world; Ao, called also Bin, that is, the divine 'Son' par

excellence, the divine light, the intelligence penetrating, directing

and vivifying the universe. These three divine persons esteemed as

equal in power and consubstantial, were not held as of the same degree

of emanation, but were regarded as having on the contrary, issued the

one from the other--Ao from Oannes, and Bel from Ao. Oannes, the "Lord

of the Lower World, the Lord of Darkness," was represented on the

monuments under the strange figure of a man with an eagle's tail, and

for his head dress an enormous fish, whose open mouth rises over his

head, while the body covers his shoulders. It is under this form that,

Berosus tells us, according to Babylonian tradition, he floated on the

surface of the waters of Chaos. Bel, the 'Father of the Gods,' was

usually represented under an entirely human form, attired as a king,

wearing a tiara with bull's horns, the symbol of power. But this god

took many other secondary forms, the most important being Bel-Dagon, a

human bust springing from the body of a fish. We do not know exactly

the typical figure of Ao or Bin, 'the intelligent guide, the Lord of

the visible world, the Lord of Knowledge, of Glory and Light.' The

serpent seems to have been his principal symbol; though some other

sculptured figures seem to be intended to represent Bin.

"A second triad is produced with personages no longer vague and

indeterminate in character, like those of the first, but with a clearly

defined sidereal aspect, each representing a known celestial body, and

especially those which the Chaldeo-Assyrians saw the most striking

external manifestations of the deity; these were Shamash, the sun; Sin,

the moon god; and a new form of Ao or Bin, inferior to the first, and

representing him as god of the atmosphere or firmament. Thus did they

industriously multiply deities and representations of them." (World's

Worship--Dobbins--p. 128-9).

11. _Observations on This Lesson:_ The notes on this lesson are

copious; made so because it is quite possible that the books quoted may

not be within reach of many of the students, and yet, of course, they

convey a very incomplete idea of the views of the Babylonian-Assyrians

respecting God. It is suggested that some of the members of the class

make special preparation on the subject, by a careful study of the

authorities cited in the references given in the analysis of the lesson

(and other authorities), and deliver a public lecture on the subject.

It is really rich in points of contact with the great Latter-day work,

which will suggest themselves to any well-informed Elder.

Footnotes

1. _Shamanism:_ "A general name applied to the idolatrous religions

of a number of barbarous nations. * * These nations generally believe

in a supreme being, but to this they add the belief that the government

of the world is in the hands of a number of secondary gods, both

benevolent and malevolent toward man, and that it is absolutely

necessary to propitiate them by magic rites and spells. The general

belief respecting another life appears to be that the condition of

man will be poorer and more wretched than the present, hence death is

regarded with great dread." (Century Dictionary.)

LESSON XIII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_V. Belief of the Egyptians:_ Book of Abraham (P.G.P.),

Ch. i, 16-31. Hist.

1. Origin of the Egyptians. of Ancient Egypt (Rawlinson

1882), Ch. iii.

2. Egyptians a Deeply Religious Book of Abraham, A

People. Divine and Ancient Record

(Reynolds), Ch. iv.

3. Esoteric and Exoteric Religion Notes 1, 2.

in Egypt.

Hist. Ancient Egypt

4. Significance of Animal Worship (Rawlinson), Ch. x.

by Egyptians. Burder's "Hist. of All

Religions," Part vi, pp. 505

et seq. "Story of

the World's Worship"

(Dobbins), Ch. v. Notes

3, 4, 5.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians

shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation;

yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord and shall perform it." Isaiah

xix:21._

_NOTES._

1. _Origin of the Egyptians:_ Speaking of the king of Egypt, who

was reigning at the time the Lord called Abraham to be His witness

among men, the patriarch said: "Now this king of Egypt was a descendant

from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the

Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and

thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land. The land of

Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham,

and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt,

which signifies that which is forbidden. When this woman discovered

the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and

thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land.

Now, the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the

eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner

of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal." (Book of Abraham--P.

G. P.--Ch. 1; verses 21-26).

2. _Confirmation of Statements From Book of Abraham on Origin of

Egyptians:_ The student will find the origin of the Egyptians,

according to standard secular histories upon the subject--Bunsen,

Rawlinson, Wilkinson, and the Encyclopaedia Articles--wrapped in

mystery. These facts, however, may be gathered from the authorities

referred to above, that tend to confirm the important information

given in the Book of Abraham quoted in note 1, with reference to the

Egyptians: "Although located in Africa [they] were not an African

people (i. e., not an indigenous race). * * * * The Egyptian language,

while of a peculiar type, has analogies which connect it both with the

Semitic and with the Indo-European forms of speech, more especially

with the former. We must regard the Egyptians, therefore, as an

Asiatic people, immigrants into their own territory, which they

entered from the East." (History of Ancient Egypt--Rawlinson--Vol.

I, Ch. III). The theory that the Egyptians immigrated from the

South--Ethiopia--down the Nile, is discussed by these writers, but

usually discredited. Josephus, when speaking of one of the ancient

Egyptian kings Sethosis, says, upon the authority of Manetho, that

"Sethosis was called 'Egyptus,' and that the country also was called

from his name, 'Egypt'" (Against Apion, Book I:15). Which circumstance,

doubtless, is but a confusion of the more ancient facts related in

the Book of Abraham with reference to "Egyptus," wife of Ham, son

of Noah, whose descendants inhabited Egypt. Her name, "Egyptus,"

signifying "that which is forbidden," proclaims her race, a descendant

of Cain, the murderer, with whose seed the descendants of Adam,

through Seth--to whom pertained the covenants and promises of the

priesthood,--were forbidden to inter-marry. But Ham, it appears,

violated that injunction, and married into Cain's race. His wife's

name was 'Egyptus,' signifying "forbidden"; and their daughter, who

discovered the valley of the Nile and settled her sons in it, was

also called "Egyptus" (Cf. v. 23 and 25, Ch. i. Book of Abraham),

and her name, following or, perhaps, one had better say, originating

the custom of ancient nations in naming lands and cities after the

persons discovering them, or founding them, or who were prominently

connected with their history, (see New Witness for God, Vol. III, pp.

139-42),--her name was given to the land she discovered and settled.

3._ Ancient Egyptians Essentially A Religious People:_ The

"Egyptians," said Herodotus, writing in the middle of the fifth

century before our Era--"The Egyptians are religious to excess, far

beyond any other race of men." "Religion permeated the whole being

of the people," writes Rawlinson; and then quoting Lenormant, says:

"Writing was so full of sacred symbols and of allusions to mythology,

that it was scarcely possible to employ it on any subject which lay

outside the religion." Then again: "To understand the Egyptians, it

is thus absolutely necessary to have something like a clear idea of

their religion. The subject is, no doubt, one of great complexity

and considerable obscurity; the views of the best authorities with

respect to it still differ to no small extent; but a certain number

of characteristic features, belonging to the inner life, seem to have

obtained general recognition while there is a still more complete

agreement as to the outward presentation of the religion in the habits

and actions of the people." (Rawlinson's History of Ancient Egypt, Vol.

I, pp. 322-3).

4. _Dual Nature of the Egyptian Religion:_ "It appears to be

certain that the Egyptian religion, like most other religions in the

ancient world, had two phases or aspects: One, that in which it was

presented to the general public or vast mass of the population. The

other, that which it bore in the minds of the intelligent, the learned,

the initiated. To the former, it was a polytheism of a multitudinous,

and, in many respects, of a gross character. To the latter it was a

system combining strict monotheism with a metaphysical, speculative

philosophy on the two great subjects of the nature of God and the

destiny of man, which sought to exhaust those deep and unfathomable

mysteries. Those who take the lowest views of the Egyptian religion,

admit that 'the idea of a single, self-existent deity,' was involved in

the conceptions which it set forth, and is to be found not unfrequently

in the hymns and prayers of the ritual. It is impossible that this

should have been so, unless there were a class of persons who saw

behind the popular mythology, understood its symbolical or metaphysical

character, and were able in this way to reconcile their conformity

to the established worship with the great truths of natural religion

which, it is clear, they knew, and which they must have cherished in

their heart of hearts."

5. _Esoteric Doctrine of the Egyptians:_ "The primary doctrine of

the esoteric religion undoubtedly was the real essential Unity of the

Divine Nature. The sacred texts taught that there was a single Being,

'The sole producer of all things both in heaven and earth, Himself not

produced of any'--'the only true, living God, self-originated'--'who

exists from the beginning'--'who has made all things, but has not

Himself been made.' This _'Being'_ seems never to have been

represented by any material, even symbolical, form. It is thought

that He had no name, or, if He had, that it must have been unlawful

either to pronounce or write it. He was a pure Spirit, perfect in every

respect--all-wise, almighty, supremely good.

6. _The Gods of the Egyptian Popular Mythology:_ "The gods of the

popular mythology were understood, in the esoteric religion, to be

either personified attributes of the Deity, or parts of the nature

which He had created, considered as informed and inspired by Him Num,

or Kneph, represented the creative mind, Phthah the creative hand,

or act of creating; Maut represented matter, Ra the sun, Khons the

moon, Seb the earth, Khem the generative power in nature, Nut the

upper hemisphere of heaven, Athor the lower world or under hemisphere;

Thoth personified the Divine wisdom; Ammon, perhaps, the Divine

mysteriousness or incomprehensibility; Osiris (according to some) the

Divine goodness. It is difficult, in many cases, to fix on the exact

quality, act, or part of nature intended; but the principle admits of

no doubt. No educated Egyptian priest certainly probably no educated

layman, conceived of the popular gods as really separate and distinct

beings. All knew that there was but one God, and understood that when

worship was offered to Khem, or Kneph, or Phthah, or Maut, or Thoth,

or Ammon, the one God was worshipped under some one of His forms or in

some one of His aspects. It does not appear that in more than a very

few cases did the Egyptian religion, as conceived of by the initiated,

deify created beings, or constitute a class of secondary gods who owed

their existence to the supreme God. Ra was not a Sun-Deity with a

distinct and separate existence, but the supreme God acting in the sun,

making His light to shine on the earth, warming, cheering, and blessing

it; and so Ra might be worshipped with all the highest titles of honor,

as indeed might any god, except the very few which are more properly

called genii, and which corresponded to the angels of the Christian

system. Such is Anubis, the conductor of souls in the lower world,

and such probably are the four "genii of the dead," Amset, Tuamutef,

Hapi (Apis), and Kebhsnauf, who performed so conspicuous a part in the

ceremonial of Amenti." (For Notes 4 to 6 inclusive, see Rawlinson's

History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. I, pp. 323-326).

7. _Significance of Animal Worship By Egyptians:_ "To exhibit in

some symbol their ideas of their gods, was the very essence of Egyptian

religion. This brought about the grossest of superstitious worship.

To set forth in symbol the attributes, qualities and nature of their

gods, the priests chose to use animals. The bull, cow, ram, cat, ape,

crocodile, hippopotamus, hawk, ibis, scarabaeus, were all emblems of

the gods. Often the head of one of these animals was joined to the

body of a man in the sculpture. But let it be remembered, that the

Egyptians never worshipped images or idols. They worshipped living

representations of the gods, and not lifeless images of stone or metal.

Their sculptures were never made for worship. They chose animals which

corresponded as nearly as possible to their ideas of the gods. Each

of these sacred creatures was carefully tended, fed, washed, dressed,

nursed when sick, and petted during its whole life. After death, its

body was embalmed. Certain cities were set apart for certain animals,

and apartments of the temples were consecrated to their use. Priests

were appointed to attend them. Not every animal of every kind was

worshipped, only a few of each sacred kind were considered as sacred.

A few of the whole number were supported at the expense of the state,

and were attended by great personages. Certain animals were worshipped

in parts of Egypt and detested in other parts. Thus the hippopotamus

was worshipped in Papaemis alone; while the Thebans worshipped the

crocodile; in other places they were hunted to death.

"Popularly, these animals were regarded as gods, and were really

worshipped. By the Priests they were regarded simply as the

representatives of the gods. If a man killed certain of the sacred

animals, by the laws of Egypt he must die; if, however, in regard to

some of them the killing was accidental, then he might escape by paying

a heavy fine. (Dobbins" "World's Worship," pp. 101-2.)

"The ancient Egyptians had a tradition, that, at a certain period, men

rebelled against the gods, and drove them out of heaven.[1] Upon this

disaster taking place, the gods fled into Egypt, where they concealed

themselves under the form of different animals; and this was the first

reason assigned for the worship of these creatures. But there was

another reason assigned for the worship of these animals, namely, the

benefits which men often received from them, particularly in Egypt.

"Oxen, by their labor, helped to cultivate the ground; sheep clothed

them with their wool; dogs, among many other services, prevented their

houses from being robbed; the ibis, a bird somewhat resembling a stork,

was of great service in destroying the winged serpents with which Egypt

abounded; the crocodile, an amphibious creature, was worshipped because

it prevented the wild Arabs from making incursions; the ichneumon,

a little animal, was of great service to them in different ways; he

watches the crocodile's absence and breaks his eggs, and when he lies

down to sleep on the banks of the Nile, which he always does with his

mouth open, this little creature jumps out of the mud, and leaping

down his throat, forces his way down to his entrails, which he gnaws,

then he pierces his belly, and thus triumphs over this most dreadful

animal."--(Burder's "History of All Religion," pp. 507-8.)

8. _Disparagement Between Moral Code and Egyptian Practice:_ "In

morals, the Egyptians combined an extraordinary degree of theoretic

perfection with an exceedingly lax and imperfect practice. It has been

said that the forty-two laws of the Egyptian religion, contained in the

125th chapter of the 'Book of the Dead,' fall short in nothing of the

teachings of Christianity, and conjectured that Moses, in compiling his

code of laws, did but 'translate into Hebrew the religious precepts

which he found in the sacred books' of the people among whom he had

been brought up. Such expressions are no doubt exaggerated; but they

convey what must be allowed to be a fact, viz., that there is a very

close agreement between the moral law of the Egyptians and the precepts

of the Decalogue." (Rawlinson's History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. I, p.

108).

This high praise for the moral law of the Egyptian religion is borne

out by answers that the spirit of man must make before Osiris in the

judgment hall, where the decisive sentence is pronounced, either

admitting the candidate to happiness, or excluding him forever.

"The deceased is obliged to _give proof of his knowledge;_ he must

show that it is great enough to give him the right to be admitted

to share the lot of glorified spirits Each of the forty-two judges,

bearing a mystical name, questions him in turn; he is obliged to tell

each one his name, and what it means. Nor is this all; he is obliged to

give an account of his whole life."

"I have not blasphemed," says the deceased; "I have not stolen; I have

not smitten men privily; I have not treated any person with cruelty;

I have not stirred up trouble; I have not been idle; I have not been

intoxicated; I have not made unjust commandments; I have shown no

improper curiosity; I have not allowed my mouth to tell secrets; I have

not wounded anyone; I have not let envy gnaw my heart; I have spoken

evil neither of the king nor my father; I have not falsely accused

anyone; I have not withheld milk from the mouths of sucklings; I have

not practiced any shameful crime; I have not calumniated a slave to his

master."

"The deceased does not confine himself to [merely] denying any ill

conduct; he speaks of the good he has done in his lifetime: 'I have

made to the gods the offerings that were their due; I have given food

to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and clothes to the naked.' We may

well, on reading these passages, be astounded at this high morality,

superior to that of all other ancient people, that the Egyptians

had been able to build up on such a foundation as their religion.

Without doubt it was this clear insight into truth, this tenderness of

conscience, which obtained for the Egyptians the reputation for wisdom,

echoed even by Holy Scripture." (Dobbin's World's Worship, pp. 110,

111).

Yet notwithstanding this profound knowledge of high moral truth, "the

practice of the people," remarks Rawlinson, "was rather below, than

above the common level. The Egyptian women were notoriously of loose

character; and, whether as we meet with them in history, or as they are

depicted in Egyptian romance, appear as immodest and licentious. The

men practiced impurity openly, and boasted of it in their writings;

they were industrious, cheerful, nay, even gay, under hardships, and

not wanting in family affection; but they were cruel, vindictive,

treacherous, avaricious, prone to superstition, and profoundly

servile." (Rawlinson's History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. 1, p. 109).

Is not the fact of this disparagement between the moral code and

Egyptian practice, explained by the Book of Abraham, in its account of

the origin of the Egyptian religion?

"Now the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the

eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner

of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal. Pharaoh, being a

righteous man, established his kingdom, and judged his people wisely

and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order

established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of

the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of

Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth,

and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the

Priesthood." (Book of Abraham, Ch. i; 25-6).

The moral law of the Egyptian religion, then, was doubtless copied

from the true religion of the Antediluvian patriarchs by this wise

and righteous Pharaoh; but being left in the hands of a people who

soon fell away from righteous principles to the practice of gross

sensualism, the divergence between moral theory and moral practice soon

set in and drifted ever wider and wider apart, until we have the result

observed and commented upon by the authorities above quoted.

9. _Observations on this Lesson:_ Read Note II, Lesson XII, and

accept explanation there made as to copious notes for this lesson. Also

adopt suggestion as to larger treatment of this lesson.

Footnotes

1. This is, doubtless, the "War in heaven" of the Hebrew Scriptures,

with the results reversed.

LESSON XIV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_VI. Beliefs of the Phoenicians and Their Myers "General History."

Colonies._ Ch. vii. "Mythologies

of All Nations"

1. The Phoenicians. (Crabb), Chs. lv and lvi.

"The Story of the

2. Their Principal Deities. World's Worship" (Dobbins),

p. 142 et seq.

_VII. Persian Ideas of God, and Worship._ Myers' "General History,"

1. The Persians. Ch. viii. Book of

2. Persian Religion and Worship. Daniel, the Prophet.

Burder's "History of All

Religions," p. 519 et seq.

Ten Great Religions

(Clarke), Ch. 1, and the

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus: * * * *

I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. I am

the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me; I girded

thee, though thou hast not known Me." (Isaiah xlv:1, 2, 3.)_

_NOTES._

1. _The Phoenicians:_ "Ancient Phoenicia embraced a little strip

of broken seacoast lying between the Mediterranean Sea and the ranges

of Mount Lebanon. * * * The Phoenicians were of Semitic race. Their

ancestors lived in the neighborhood of the Persian Gulf. From their

seats in that region they migrated westward, like the ancestors of the

Hebrews, and reached the Mediterranean before the light of history had

fallen upon its shores. The various Phoenician cities never coalesced

to form a true nation. They constituted merely a sort of league or

confederacy, the petty states of which generally acknowledged the

leadership of Tyre or of Sidon, the two chief cities. The place of

supremacy in the confederation was at first held by Sidon, but later by

Tyre.

"The greatest of the Phoenician colonies was Carthage, on the northern

coast of Africa, founded by Dido, a Tyrian princess, 878 B. C. For

awhile, Carthage contested the mastery of the world with Rome." (Myers'

General History, p. 54.)

2. _The Gods of the Phoenicians:_ "The Phoenicians had somewhat the

same religious notions as the Babylonians, and worshipped some of the

same gods, Baal for instance" (Crabb Ch. lv.). "Baal was the supreme

male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations. Ashtoreth was

their female divinity. The name Baal means lord. He was the sun-god.

The name is generally used in connection with other names as Baal-Gad,

that is Baal the Fortune-bringer; Baal-Berith or Covenant-making Baal;

Baal-Zebub, the Fly-god. The people of Israel worshipped Baal up to the

time of Samuel, at whose rebuke they forsook this iniquity for nearly

a hundred years. The practice was introduced again in the time of

Solomon, and continued to the days of the captivity." (Dobbin's World's

Worship, p. 142).

It was with the priests of Baal, on Mount Carmal, that Elijah had his

great contest, in which Jehovah was vindicated as God. (See I Kings,

xviii.)

3. _The Worship of Moloch:_ Saturn was most honored by the

Carthaginians a colony of the Phoenicians, be it remembered; and Saturn

was the Moloch of the Jewish scripture.

"This idol was the deity to whom they offered up human sacrifices, and

to this we owe the fable of Saturn's having devoured his own children.

Princes and great men, under particular calamities, used to offer up

their most beloved children to this idol. Private persons imitated

the conduct of their princes, and thus, in time, the practice became

general; nay, to such a height did they carry their infatuation, that

those who had no children of their own purchased those of the poor,

that they might not be deprived of the benefits of such a sacrifice,

which was to procure them the completion of their wishes. This horrid

custom prevailed long among the Phoenicians, the Tyrians, and the

Carthaginians; and from them the Israelites borrowed it, although

expressly contrary to the order of God.

"The original practice was to burn these innocent children in a fiery

furnace, like those in the valley of Hinnom, so often mentioned in

Scripture; and sometimes they put them into a hollow brass statue

of Saturn, flaming hot. To drown the cries of the unhappy victims,

musicians were ordered to play on different instruments--and

mothers--shocking thought!--made it a sort of merit to divest

themselves of natural affections while they beheld the barbarous

spectacle. If it happened that a tear dropped from the eyes of a

mother, then the sacrifice was considered as of no effect; and the

parent who had that remaining spark of tenderness was considered as an

enemy to the public religion. In later times they contented themselves

with making their children walk between two slow fires to the statue

of the idol; but this was only a more slow and excruciating torture,

for the innocent victims always perished. This is what, in Scripture,

is called the making their sons and daughters pass through the fire to

Moloch; and barbarous as it was, yet those very Israelites in whose

favor God had wrought so many wonders, demeaned themselves so low as

to comply with it." (II Kings, xvi and xxi.) (Burder's History of All

Religions, pp. 510, 511).

4. _The Persians:_ "In remote times some Aryan tribes, separating

from the other members of the Aryan family, sought new abodes on the

plateau of Iran (East of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, and between

the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf). The tribes that settled in the

south became known as the Persians, while those that took possession

of the mountain regions of the northwest were called Medes. The names

of the two peoples were always very closely associated, as in the

familiar legend, 'The law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth

not.' The Medes were at first the leading people. But the leadership

of the Median chieftains was of short duration. A certain Cyrus, king

of Anshan, in Elam, overthrew their power, assumed the leadership of

both Medes and Persians, and soon built up an empire more extended, so

far as we know, than any established before his time." (Myers' General

History p. 59).

5. _Persian Literature:_ "The literature of the ancient Persians

was mostly religious. Their sacred book is called the Zend-Avesta. The

religious system it teaches is known as Zoroastrianism, from Zoroaster,

its supposed founder. This great reformer and teacher is believed to

have lived and taught about six centuries before our era.

"Zoroastrianism was a system of belief known as dualism. Opposed to

the "good spirit," Ormazd (Ahura Mazda), there was a "dark spirit,"

Ahriman (Angro-Mainyus), who was constantly striving to destroy the

good creations of Ormazd by creating all evil things;--storm, drought,

pestilence, noxious animals, weeds and thorns in the world without, and

evil in the heart of man within. From all eternity these two powers

had been contending for the mastery; in the present, neither had the

decided advantage, but in the near future Ormazd would triumph over

Ahriman, and evil be forever destroyed.

"The duty of man was to aid Ormazd by working with him against the

evil-loving Ahriman. He must labor to eradicate every evil and vice

in his own bosom, to reclaim the earth from barrenness, and to kill

all noxious animals--frogs, toads, snakes, lizards--which Ahriman had

created. Herodotus saw with amazement the priests armed with weapons

and engaged in slaying these animals as a pious pastime." (Myers'

General History, p. 63).

6. _The Religion of the Persians:_ "The religion of the Medes and

Persians was of great antiquity, and probably taught by one of the

grandsons of Noah, who planted colonies in those parts, soon after the

confusion of languages. Noah had taught his children the knowledge of

the true God; and that they were to trust in His mercy, through the

mediation of a Redeemer. In Persia, the first idolaters were called

Sabians, who adored the rising sun with the profoundest veneration. To

that planet they consecrated a most magnificent chariot, to be drawn by

horses of the greatest beauty and magnitude, on every solemn festival.

The same ceremony was practiced by many other heathens, who undoubtedly

learned it from the Persian and other Eastern nations.

"In consequence of the veneration they paid to the sun, they worshipped

the fire, and invoked it in all their sacrifices, in their marches

they carried it before their kings, and none but the priests were

permitted to touch it, because they made the people believe that it

came down from heaven. But their adoration was not confined to the

sun; they worshipped the water, the earth, and the winds, as so many

deities. Human sacrifices were offered by them; and they burnt their

children in fiery furnaces, appropriated to their idols. These Medes

and Persians at first worshipped two gods, namely, Arimanius, the god

of evil, and Oromasdes, the giver of all good. By some it was believed

that the good god was from eternity, and the evil one created; but they

all agreed that they would continue to the end of time, and that the

good god would overcome the evil one. They considered darkness as the

symbol of the evil god, and light as the image of the good one. They

held Arimanius, the evil god, in such detestation that they always

wrote his name backward. Some ancient writers have given us a very odd

account of the origin of this god Arimanius, which may serve to point

out their ignorance of divine things. Oromasdes, say they, considering

that he was alone, said to himself, 'It I have no one to oppose me,

where, then, is all my glory?' This single reflection of his created

Arimanius, who, by his everlasting opposition to the divine will,

contributed against inclination to the glory of Oromasdes." (Burder's

History of All Religions, pp. 520, 521).

7. _Persian Worship:_ "The great monarchy of Persia, founded

by Cyrus 100 years before, is now at this period (430 years before

Christ), already tending toward its decline. A hundred years later,

it is to fall before the triumphant march of Alexander and his

Macedonians. But now it still retains the ancient faith of Zoroaster,

though modified by the developments of a thousand years. Herodotus

describes it as it existed at the period of which we speak. In his

insatiate desire for knowledge, he had gathered up all that he could

learn of Persia, and says: 'It is not customary for the Persians to

have idols, temples, or altars. They offer sacrifices on the summits

of mountains, not erecting altars or kindling fires, but they carry

the animal to a pure spot, and there the sacrificer prays for the

prosperity of the empire, the king, and all others.' * * * * * 'The

Persians believe fire to be a god.'

"Herodotus we find to be correct. Here are no temples, no altars,

no idol worship of any kind. The Supreme Being is worshipped by one

symbol--fire, which is pure and purifies all things. The prayers are

for purity, the libation the juice of a plant. Ormazd has created

everything good, and all his creatures are pure. Listen to the priest

chanting the litany, thus: 'I invoke and celebrate Ahura Mazda,

brilliant, greatest, best. All perfect, all-powerful, all-wise,

all-beautiful, only source of knowledge and happiness; he has created

us, he has formed us, he sustains us.' 'He belongs to those who think

good; to those who think evil he does not belong.' He belongs to those

who speak good; to those who speak evil he does not belong. He belongs

to those who do good; to those who do evil he does not belong.' This is

the religion of the great race who founded the Persian Empire.

"To these worshippers life did not seem to be a gay festival, as

to the Greeks, nor a single step on the long pathway of the soul's

transmigration, as to the Egyptians; but a field of battle between

mighty powers of good and evil, where Ormazd and Ahriman meet in daily

conflict, and where the servant of God is to maintain a perpetual

battle against the powers of darkness, by cherishing good thoughts,

good words, and good actions." (Ten Great Religions--Clarke--pp. 11, 12)

8. _Changes in the Persian Religion:_ "The religion of the Persians

underwent a variety of very remarkable revolutions; for the Sabians,

having fallen into disgrace, they were succeeded by another sect,

called the Magi; who, on account of their pretensions to superior

knowledge and sanctity, became extremely popular among the vulgar.

Nay, such was the respect paid to them, that no king could take

possession of the throne till he had been first instructed in their

principles; nor could they determine any affair of importance till it

had received their approbation. They were at the head both of religion

and philosophy; and the education of all the youth in the kingdom was

committed to their care.

"It is the general opinion, that the founder of the Magian religion

was one Zoroaster, who lived about the year of the world 2,900; and

it continued to be the established religion of the country for many

years after. The priests kept up continual fires in their temples; and

standing before these fires with mitres on their heads, they daily

repeated a great number of prayers. The name of their chief temple was

Amanus, or Namanus, which signifies the sun; and is the same with what

we find under the name of Baal in Scripture. Their great reputation

induced people to visit them from all parts of the known world, to

be instructed by them in the principles of philosophy and mythology;

and we are assured that the great Pythagoras studied many years under

them." (Burder's History of All Religions, p. 521).

LESSON XV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_SPECIAL LESSON._

_THE JAREDITE EMPIRE AND THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE PEOPLE._

(A SUGGESTED LECTURE)

_NOTES._

1. _The Adoption of Previous Suggestions:_ The previous suggestions

and explanations in these special lessons (Lessons V and X), may be

adopted here both by the Teachers and those to whom this lesson shall

be assigned.

2. _The Jaredite Empire:_ This nation was contemporary with those

nations whose religions and gods we have been studying thus far.

Indeed, it had its origin about the same time that Babylon, Assyria

and Egypt had; as well as to run its course with them. It will be of

undoubted interest to the students to bring together in the form of a

lecture so much as may be learned of the religion and worship of this

Western-world-contemporary of Babylon, Assyria and Egypt.

3. _Sources of Information:_ The chief source of information for

the proposed lecture will be Moroni's Abridgment of the writings of

Ether in the Book of Mormon, and those casual references made to the

Jaredite people in other parts of the Book of Mormon, all of which

should be carefully sought out, as they throw important light upon

the character of this ancient people and Empire of the Western world.

Also the student will find help by consulting Roberts' New Witnesses

for God, Vol. II, Ch. x; also Chs. from xxiv. to xxix; and Vol. III,

Ch. xxxi. Reynolds' Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, Art. "Jaredite,"

"Jared," "Jared, Brother of," etc.

4. _Suggestions to Speakers:_ We renew our topic, "Suggestions to

Speakers," last dealt with in Lesson X. We are still dealing with the

"First Moments of Speech," and again quote Mr. Pittenger:

_First Moments of Speech:_ "There is a strange sensation often

experienced in the presence of an audience. It may proceed from the

gaze of the many eyes that turn upon the speaker, especially if he

permits himself to steadily return that gaze. Most speakers have been

conscious of this in a nameless thrill, a real something, pervading the

atmosphere, tangible, evanescent, indescribable. All writers have borne

testimony to the power of a speaker's eye in impressing an audience.

This influence, which we are now considering, is the reverse of that

picture--the power _their_ eyes may exert upon him, especially

before he begins to speak; after the inward fires of oratory are fanned

into flame the eyes of the audience lose all terror. By dwelling on

the object for which we speak, and endeavoring to realize its full

importance, we will in a measure lose sight of our personal danger, and

be more likely to maintain a calm and tranquil frame of mind.

"No change should be made in the plan [of the speech] at the last

moment, as that is very liable to produce confusion.[1] This error is

often committed. The mind has a natural tendency to go repeatedly over

the same ground, revising and testing every point, and it may make

changes, the consequences of which cannot be in a moment foreseen.

But the necessary preparation has been made, and we should now await

the result calmly and hopefully. Over-study is quite possible, and

when accompanied by great solicitude, wearies our mind in advance, and

strips the subject of all freshness. If the eye is fixed too long upon

one object with a steadfast gaze, it loses the power to see at all. So

the mind, if exerted steadily upon a single topic for a long period,

fails in vigor and elasticity at the moment when those qualities

are indispensable. That profound thinker and preacher, Frederick W.

Robertson, experienced this difficulty, and was accustomed to find

relief by reading some inspiring paragraphs upon some totally different

theme from that he intended to speak about. The energy and enthusiasm

of our minds in the moment of speech must be raised to the highest

pitch; the delivery of a living discourse is not the dry enumeration

of a list of particulars; but we must actually feel an immediate and

burning interest in the topics with which we deal. This cannot be

counterfeited.

"To clearly arrange all thoughts that belong to the subject, lay them

aside when the work is done until the moment of speech, and then enter

confidently upon them with only such a momentary glance as will assure

us that all is right--this is the method to make our strength fully

available. This confidence, while in waiting, seems to the beginner

very difficult, but experience rapidly renders it easy. M. Bautain

declares that he has been repeatedly so confident in his preparation as

to fall asleep while waiting to be summoned to the pulpit!

"Those who mis-improve the last moments by too much thought and

solicitude, are not the only class of offenders. Some persons, through

mere indolence, suffer the fine lines of preparation which have been

traced with so much care to fade into dimness. This error is not

infrequently committed by those who speak a second or third time on the

same subject. Because they have once succeeded, they imagine that the

same success is always at command. No mistake could be greater. It is

not enough to have speech-material in a position from which it can be

collected by a conscious and prolonged effort, but it must be in the

fore-ground of the mind. There is no time at the moment of delivery of

reviving half obliterated lines of memory.

"The writer once saw a notable case of failure from this cause. A

preacher, on a great occasion, was much engrossed with other important

duties until the hour appointed for his sermon had arrived. With

perfect confidence he selected a sketch from which he had preached a

short time before, and with the general course of which he was no doubt

familiar. But when he endeavored to produce his thoughts, they were not

ready. He became embarrassed, talked at random for a short time, and

then had the candor to tell the audience that he could not finish, and

to take his seat. Probably half an hour given to reviewing his plan,

would have made all his previous preparation fresh again, and have

spared him the mortification of failure.

"In this last interval it is also well to care for the strength and

vigor of the body, as its condition greatly influences all mental

operations. It is said that the pearl-diver, before venturing into the

depths of the sea, always spends a few moments in deep breathing and

other bodily preparations. In the excitement of speech, the whirl and

hurricane of emotion, it is advisable to be well prepared for the high

tension of nerve that is implied. Mental excitement exhausts and wears

down the body faster than bodily labor. We must carefully husband our

strength that we may be able to meet all demands upon it. * * * * * * *

* * * * Having now done all we can in advance, nothing remains but to

rise and speak. Preparation and precaution are passed. Actual work--the

most joyous, thrilling, and spiritual of all human tasks--is now to be

entered upon." (Extempore Speech, pp. 190-195).

5. _Another Word on Strength:_ The definition of "Strength" as a

property of good style in speaking or writing, was given in Lesson X

(Note 3), and the first requisite to its attainment was considered.

We now consider the second, which is taken from Lockwood's Lessons in

English:

6. _Words of Connection:_ "The strength of a sentence is increased

by careful use of the words of connection.

"(a) Avoid 'stringing' clauses together loosely with _and_ as a

connective.

"(Example:) They were soon at home _and_ surrounded by the family,

_and_ plied with questions as to what they had seen _and_ what

they had heard, _and_ soon the neighbors came in _and_ then the

whole story had to be told again.'

"In this sentence, there is lack of unity as well as lack of strength.

In a sentence containing a series of words or expressions in the same

construction, insert conjunctions between each two words or expressions

if the intention is to make the mind dwell upon each particular.

"(Example:) 'And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds

blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of

it.'

"But when the author's object is to give a many-sided view of a

subject, or to convey the idea of rapid movement, the conjunction

should be omitted.

"(Example:) 'Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth

all things, endureth all things.'

'One effort, one, to break the circling host;

They form, unite, charge, waver,--all is lost!'

"(b) Do not weaken the sentence by the omission of the relative

pronoun. Such omissions are allowable in familiar conversation, but

rarely in careful writing or speaking.

"(Example:) 'The idea (which) he is working on is fraught with great

possibilities.'

"(c) Do not have two prepositions govern the same noun. This awkward

construction is called _'splitting particles.'_

"(Example:) 'He ran by but did not look into the windows.' (Better)

He ran by the windows, but did not look into them. (Lessons in

English--Lockwood--pp. 200, 201).

"This fault occurs in the following sentence: 'Though virtue borrows no

assistance from, yet it may often be accompanied by, the advantages of

fortune.' No one can read these lines without perceiving their decided

lack of strength and harmony. A slight change will greatly improve

their effect: 'Though virtue borrows no assistance from the advantages

of fortune, yet it may often be accompanied by them.'

"Avoid, on ordinary occasions, the common expletive _'there,'_ as

used in the following sentence: 'There is nothing which disgusts us

sooner than the empty pomp of language.' The sentiment is expressed

more simply and strongly thus: 'Nothing disgusts us sooner than the

empty pomp of language.' This expletive form is proper only when used

to introduce an important proposition." (Quackenbos Rhetoric, p. 295).

Footnotes

1. This should be understood, so far as the Elders of the Church are

concerned to refer only to ordinary cases of delivering announced

lectures or discourses. But in the course of an Elder's ministry, when

preaching the Gospel, he should respond to the promptings of the Spirit

in his ministry, even to violating the rule here laid down by Mr.

Pittenger.

LESSON XVI.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_VIII. Beliefs of the Greeks and of the Myers' "General History,"

Romans._ Chs. x, xii, xxiv-xxvi.

1. The Origin of the Greeks and Burder's "Hist. of All

Romans. Religions," p. 527 et seq.

"Myths and Myth-Makers"

2. Mythology of the Greeks and (John Fiske);

Romans. "Mythology of All Nations,"

Ch. i, et seq.

3. Classification of the Greek and "The World's Worship"

Roman Deities. (Dobbins), Chs. viii and

ix. The notes of this

lesson.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye

are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions,

I found an altar with this inscription, 'To the Unknown God'; whom ye

ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." (Acts xvii:22, 23.)_

_NOTES._

1. _The Greeks:_ "The ancient people whom we call Greeks, called

themselves Hellenes and their land Hellas. But this term 'Hellas' as

used by the ancient Greeks embraced much more than modern Greece.

'Wherever were Hellenes there was Hellas.' Thus the name included

not only Greece proper and the islands of the adjoining seas, but

also the Hellenic cities in Asia Minor, in Southern Italy, and in

Sicily, besides many other Greek settlements scattered up and down the

Mediterranean and along the shores of the Hellespont and the Euxine.

Yet Greece proper was the real home-land of the Hellenes, and the

actual center of Greek life and culture. (Myers' General History, p.

71).

"The historic inhabitants of Greece were called by the Romans Greeks;

but * * * * * * they called themselves Hellenes, from their fabled ancestor

Hellen (King in Phthia in Thessaly). They were divided into four

families or tribes--the Achaeans, the Ionians, the Dorians, and the

Aeolians. The primitive inhabitants of Greece are supposed to have

been the descendants of Javan, the son of Japhet (son of Noah), and

hence Greece was called by the Hebrews, 'Javan.'" (Anderson's General

History, p. 34.)

2. _The Romans:_ "There were in early times three chief races in

Italy--the Italians, the Etruscans, and the Greeks. The Italians, a

branch of the Aryan family, embraced many tribes (Latin, Umbrians,

Sabines, Samnites, etc.), that occupied nearly all Central, and a

considerable part of Southern Italy. Their life was for the most part

that of shepherds and farmers.

"The Etruscans, a wealthy, cultured, and seafaring people of uncertain

race and origin, dwelt in Etruria, now called Tuscany after them.

Before the rise of the Roman people they were the leading race in

the peninsula. Certain elements in their culture lead us to believe

that they had learned much from the cities of _Magna Graecia._

The Etruscans in their turn became the teachers of the early Romans,

and imparted to them at least some minor elements of civilization,

including hints in the art of building, and various religious ideas and

rites. Through the medium of these cultured communities, the Romans

were taught the use of letters, and given valuable suggestions in

matters of law and constitutional government. Most important of all,

the Italian peoples were the Latins, who dwelt in Latium, between the

Tiber and the Liris. These people, like all the Italians, were near

kindred of the Greeks, and brought with them into Italy those customs,

manners, beliefs and institutions which seem to have been the early

common possession of the various Aryan-speaking peoples." (Myers'

General History, pp. 196-7).

3. _Greek and Roman Mythology:_ "The term mythology comes from

mythos, a fable, and logos, a discourse, signifies a fabulous account

of things, particularly of such things as regard false gods and their

idolatrous worship." (Crabb Mythology of all Nations, Introduction).

"The mythology of the Greeks was, as to the most important particulars,

confessedly borrowed from the Egyptians. Their philosophers,

Anaxagoras, Phythagoras, Thales, and others, traveled into Egypt, where

they gathered all the notions there current concerning the gods, the

transmigration of souls, a future state, and other points, which they

modeled into a system that was afterwards enlarged and adorned by all

the charms and embellishments that poetry and art could furnish."

Thomas Dew, also, in his "Digest of Laws, Customs, Manners and

Institutions of Ancient and Modern Nations," says, on the origin of

the Greek religion,--"Supposed to have been derived in great measure

from the religion of the Egyptians. * * * Still, large portion was of

Grecian origin, and that even though taken from Egypt, became Grecian

in character." (p. 54.) Burder in his History of All Religions,

says (p. 527): "The Greeks are supposed to have derived many of

their deities from the Egyptians as well as no small number of their

religious ceremonies. The Egyptians, no doubt, at an earlier period,

believed in one Deity as supreme, and the Maker and Ruler of all

things; but after that they worshipped the sun, moon, and stars, under

various forms, as well as living creatures and lifeless things."

4. _Religion of Greeks and Romans Identical in Essentials:_ "The

basis of the Roman religious system was the same as that of the Greek.

At the head of the pantheon stood Jupiter, identical in all essential

attributes with the Hellenic Zeus. He was the special protector of the

Roman people. To him, together with Juno and Minerva, was consecrated a

magnificent temple upon the summit of the Capitoline hill, overlooking

the city.

"Mars, the god of war, was the favorite deity and the fabled father of

the Roman race, who were fond of calling themselves the 'Children of

Mars.' They proved themselves worthy offspring of the war-god. Martial

games and festivals were celebrated in his honor during the first month

of the Roman year, which bore, and still bears, in his honor, the name

of March.

"Janus was a double-faced deity, to whom the month of January was

sacred, as were also all gates and doors. The gates of his temple were

always kept open in time of war and shut in time of peace.

"The fire upon the household hearth was regarded as the symbol of the

goddess Vesta. Her worship was a favorite one with the Romans. The

nation, too, as a single great family, had a common national hearth

in the temple of Vesta where the sacred fires were kept burning from

generation to generation by six virgins, daughters of the Roman state."

(Myers' General History, pp. 203-4).

"The Greeks and Romans had many deities in common, particularly the

superior gods, arising partly from adoption, on one side or the other,

but more especially from the circumstance that the two countries were

peopled by different branches of the same family, descended from one

common ancestor, Japhet. At the same time it is evident, from the

difference in the names of the Greek and Roman deities, and in their

primary attributes, that they drew their mythology from different

sources, which may be easily imagined, when it is considered that

they were cut off from all intercourse with each other on their first

settlement, and mingled with different tribes in the course of their

migration. The Tuscans or Etrurians had, as is generally admitted,

their mythology as well as their language, from their Pelasgian

ancestors, long before the Grecians and Romans were known to each

other; but in after ages, when the intercourse between these two people

became intimate, the Romans, without doubt, borrowed many of the fables

of the Greeks, to which their poets and historians, who are very ample

in their descriptions of the gods, added much of their own invention."

(Crabb's Mythology, p. 6.)

5. _The Action and Reaction Involved in the Roman Conquest of

Greece:_ The fact of there being much in common in the religion and

worship of the Greeks and the Romans, while accounted for in part by a

large infusion of Hellenes into the south part of Italy and the Island

of Sicily--by reason of which the ruder Latin tribes of the north were

brought into contact with Greek culture and civilization--still there

was a larger cause for this identity of religion and worship; and that

cause arises out of the reaction of Greek learning upon the Roman

conquerors of Greece. The Roman conquests in Western Europe was the

subjugation of peoples in a low state of civilization "and destitute of

any element of strength in their social and national life;" and their

conquerors treated them, for the most part, as inferiors. "But in the

East the case was different. There the Romans met with a civilization

more advanced than their own which they had already learned to respect,

and an elaborate system of civil government and social usages, which

could not be set aside without undermining the whole fabric of society.

Hence the Greeks, while subjected to the Roman administration, were

allowed to retain a great part of their institutions, together with

their property and private rights, and, from their superiority to the

other conquered peoples, remained the dominant power in the East. Even

in Asia the despotism of Rome was much modified by the municipal system

of the Greek colonies and by the influence of Greek culture. Thus it

came to pass that, while the Western nations were assimilated to Rome,

in the East the Roman empire became Greek, though the Greek nation in

name became Roman. The effects of this are visible at every turn in the

subsequent history, and to this cause must be referred many anomalies

which are traceable at the present day in the condition of Eastern

Europe." (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

6. _The Classification of Greek and Roman Deities:_ "The Greek

and Roman deities are distinguished into three classes; namely, the

Superior Gods, the Inferior Gods, and the Demi-gods.

"The Superior Gods otherwise called _Dii Majorum Gentium_, that is,

gods of the superior houses or families, answering to the patricians

or nobility of Rome, were so named because they were believed to be

more eminently employed in the government of the world. They were also

styled the 'Select Gods,' of whom twelve were admitted into the council

of Jupiter, and on that account denominated 'Consentes.'

"The images of these twelve gods were fixed in the Forum of Rome, six

of them being males, and six females; their names are given in the

following distich by the poet Ennius:

'Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Mars, Mercurius, Jove,

Neptunus, Volcanus, Apollo.'

"These twelve gods were supposed to preside over the twelve months;

to each of them was allotted a month: January to Juno, February to

Neptune, March to Minerva, April to Venus, May to Apollo, June to

Mercury, July to Jupiter, August to Ceres, September to Vulcan, October

to Mars, November to Diana, December to Vesta. They likewise presided

over the twelve celestial signs. If to these twelve be added the eight

following, namely, Janus, Saturnus, Genius, Sol, Pluto, Bacchus, Terra,

and Luna, there will be twenty of the first class, or superior gods.

These superior gods were likewise distinguished, from their usual place

of residence, into Celestial, Terrestrial, Marine, and Infernal gods.

"The Inferior Gods comprehended what Ovid called the 'Celestial

Populace,' answering to the plebeians among the Romans, who had no

place in heaven, as the Penates, Lares--rural-deities, etc.

"The third class, or Demigods, was composed of such as derived their

origin from a god or goddess and a mortal, or such as by their valor

and exploits had raised themselves to the rank of immortals. Of this

class was Hercules, Aesculapius, Castor, Pollux, Achilles, etc.

"To the list of the Roman gods, might be added a fourth class, called

'novensiles,' which the Sabines brought to Rome by the command of King

Tatius. They were so named because, as some suppose, they were the last

of all that were reckoned among the gods. Of this class also were the

deities by whose help and means, as Cicero says, men are advanced to

heaven, and obtain a place among the gods, namely, the moral virtues,

as mercy, chastity, piety, etc." (Crabb's Mythology, pp. 6, 7).

LESSON XVII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_IX. Origin of the Greek and Roman "The World's Worship,"

Deities._ Ch. xiii. "Mythology

of All Nations"

_X. List and Character of the Chief (Crabb), Ch. ii. "The

Greek and Roman Deities._ World's Worship" (Dobbins),

Chs. viii and ix.

_XI. The Greek and Roman Parthenon._

Burder's "History of

_XII. Greek and Roman Worship._ All Religions," Part vi.,

pp. 527-575.

Myers' "General History,"

Chs. xii and xxvi,

and Encyclopaedias, and

Notes of this Lesson.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after

wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling

block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them that are called,

both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

1 Cor. i:22-24._

_NOTES._

1. _The Generation of the Gods: (a) The Greeks:_ "Chaos (void

space) was first: then came into being 'broad-breasted' Earth, the

gloomy Tartarus and Love. Chaos produced Erebus and Night, and this

last bore to Erebus Day and Ether.

"Earth now produced Uranus (Heaven), of equal extent with herself,

to envelop her, and the mountains and Pontos (Sea). She then bore to

Uranus a mighty progeny--the Titans; six males and six females. She

also bore Hottos, Briareus and Gyges. These children were hated by

their father, who, as soon as they were born, thrust them out of sight

in a cavern of mother Earth, who, grieved at his conduct, produced the

substance of hoary steel, and, forming from it a sickle, roused her

children, the Titans, to rebellion against him; but fear seized on them

all except Kronos, who, lying in wait with the sickle with which his

mother had armed him, mutilated his unsuspecting sire. The drops which

fell to the earth from the wounds, gave birth to the Erinnyes, the

Giants and the Mehan nymphs; and from what fell into the sea, sprang

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

"Earth finally, after the overthrow of the Titans, bore by Tartaros her

last offspring, the hundred-headed Typhoeus, the father of storms and

whirlwinds, whom Zeus precipitated into Tartarus.

"Rhea was united to Kronos. Kronos, having learned from his parents,

Heaven and Earth, that he was fated to be deprived by one of his

sons of the kingdom which he had taken from his father, devoured his

children as fast as they were born. Rhea, when about to be delivered

of Zeus, besought her parents to teach her how she might save him.

Instructed by Earth, she concealed him in a cavern of Crete, and gave

a stone in his stead to Kronos. This stone he afterward threw up, and

with it the children whom he had devoured. When Zeus was grown up,

he and the other children of Kronos made war on their father and the

Titans. The scene of the conflict was Thessaly; the former fought from

Olympus, the latter from Othrys. During ten entire years the conflict

was undecided; at length, by the counsel of Earth, the Kronids released

the Hundred-handed and called them to their aid. The war was then

resumed with renewed vigor, and the Titans were finally vanquished and

imprisoned in Tartarus, under the guard of the Hundred-handed. The

Kronids then, by the advice of Earth, gave the supreme power to Zeus,

who, in return, distributed honors and dominion among the associates of

his victory." (The World's Worship--Dobbins--pp. 154-5).

(b) _The Romans:_ "The Romans appear to have borrowed their

fictions respecting the creation of the world from the same source as

the Greeks. Ovid expressly calls Chaos, _rudis indigestaque moles,_

'a rude indigested heap'; or, as Moses says, "The earth without form

and void;" after which the poet goes on in a strain very similar to

what has already been set forth.

"The Etruscans, who were among the original settlers in Italy, gave,

according to Suidas, the following account of the creation. 'God,' says

a philosopher of that nation, 'created the universe in six thousand

years, and appointed the same period of time to be the extent of its

duration. In the first period of a thousand years, God created the

heavens and the earth; in the second, the visible firmament; in the

third, the sea and all the waters that are in the earth; in the fourth,

the sun, moon, and stars; in the fifth, every living soul of birds,

reptiles, and quadrupeds, which have their abode either on the land, in

the air, or the water; and in the sixth, man alone.' Now, when it is

considered that in another part of Scripture it is said, that 'one day

is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,'

it is easy to explain the origin of this fiction." (Crabb's Mythology,

Ch. ii).

2. _A Brief List of Some of the Chief Greek and Roman Deities: (a)

Jupiter:_ "Jupiter, the father of gods and men, is said to have been

born in Crete, or to have been sent there in infancy for concealment.

He was the son of Saturn, the god of Time, and of Cybele, otherwise

called Rhea. He was the most powerful of all the gods, and everything

was subservient to his will. His father, Saturn, had received the

kingdom of the world from his brother Titan, on condition of destroying

all the sons who should be born to him. Saturn, therefore, devoured his

children immediately after birth. This may be considered as having an

allegorical meaning; namely, that time destroys all things.

(b) _Apollo:_ "Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, and

brother of the goddess Diana. He was born in the island of Delos, where

his mother fled to avoid the jealousy of Juno. He was the god of all

the fine arts; and to him is ascribed the invention of medicine, music,

poetry and eloquence. He presided over the Muses, and had the power

of looking into futurity. His oracles were in general repute over the

world. Apollo had various other surnames. He was called Delius, from

the island where he was born; Cynthius, from a mountain in that island;

Delphinius, from the city of Delphi, in Boeotia; Didymaeus, from a

Greek word, signifying twins; Nomius, which means a shepherd; Paean,

from his skill in shooting arrows; and Phoebus, from the swiftness of

his motion."

It is generally supposed that by Apollo the sun is to be understood;

for which reason he was called Sol by the Latins.

(c) _Mars:_ "Mars was the god of war, and son of Jupiter and Juno.

He was educated by the god Priapus, who instructed him in every manly

exercise. His temples were not numerous in Greece, but from the warlike

Romans he received unbounded honors. His priests were called Salii.

(d) _Mercury:_ "Mercury was the son of Jupiter and of Maia, the

daughter of Atlas. He was born in Arcadia, upon Mount Cyllene, and in

his infancy was intrusted with the care of the seasons. He was the

messenger of the gods, and more especially of Jupiter. He was the

patron of travelers and shepherds. He conducted the souls of the dead

into the infernal regions, and not only presided over merchants and

orators, but was also the god of thieves and of all dishonest persons.

(e) _Bacchus:_ "Bacchus was the god of wine, and the son of

Jupiter and Semele. Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, celebrated as

the inventor of the alphabet, and of Hermione, the daughter of Mars

and Venus. She was destroyed by the jealous cruelty of Juno. It is

probable that Bacchus was an ancient conqueror and lawgiver. He was

born in Egypt, and educated at Nysa in Arabia. He taught the culture of

the grape, the art of converting its juice into wine, and the manner

of making honey. He was on that account, honored as a god by the

Egyptians, under the name of Osiris.

(f) _Vulcan:_ "Vulcan was the son of Juno; he was the god of fire,

and the patron of all those artists who worked in iron or other metals.

He was educated in heaven; but Jupiter being offended with him, hurled

him from Olympus. He lighted on the island of Lemnos, and was a cripple

ever after. He fixed his residence there, built himself a palace, and

raised forges to work metals. He forged the thunderbolts of Jupiter,

and the arms of the gods and demi-gods.

(g) _Juno:_ "Juno was the queen of heaven, the sister and wife of

Jupiter, and the daughter of Saturn and of Ops, otherwise called Rhea.

She was born in the isle of Samos, and resided there till her marriage

with Jupiter; her children were Vulcan, Mars, and Hebe. The poets

represent Juno with a majesty well befitting the empress of the skies.

(h) _Minerva:_ "Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, and is said

to have sprung, completely armed and full-grown, from the brain of

Jupiter. She was immediately admitted into the assembly of the gods,

and became Jupiter's faithful counselor; she was the most accomplished

of all the goddesses. The countenance of Minerva, as generally

represented, was more expressive of masculine firmness than of grace or

softness.

(i) _Venus:_ "Venus was the goddess of beauty, the mother of love,

and the queen of laughter, grace and pleasure. She is said to have

risen from the froth of the sea, near the island of Cyprus. The Zephyrs

wafted her to the shore, where she was received by the Seasons, the

daughters of Jupiter and Themis. As she walked, flowers bloomed beneath

her feet, and the rosy Hours dressed her in divine attire.

(j) _Cupid:_ "Cupid, the son of Venus, and god of love, was

represented as a beautiful boy, with wings, a bow and arrows, and

generally with a bandage over his eyes. He had wings, to show his

caprice and desire of change. He is described as blind, because we are

apt to shut our eyes to the faults of those we love.

(k) _Ceres:_ "Ceres was the goddess of corn and harvests, and the

daughter of Saturn and Vesta. The most celebrated festivals in honor of

Ceres were held at Eleusis. They were called the Eleusinian Mysteries,

on account of the secrecy with which they were conducted. Those who

were admitted to these solemn assemblies were called the initiated."

(Burder's History of All Religions, pp. 528-533).

4. _The Greek Pantheon:_ "At the head of the Greek pantheon there

was a council of twelve members, comprising six gods and as many

goddesses. The male deities were Zeus, the father of gods and men;

Poseidon, ruler of the sea; Apollo, or Phoebus, the god of light, of

music, and of prophecy; Ares, the god of war; Hephaestus, the deformed

god of fire, and the forger of the thunderbolts of Zeus; Hermes, the

wing-footed herald of the celestials, the god of invention and commerce.

"The female divinities were Hera, the proud and jealous queen of

Zeus; Athena, or Pallas,--who sprang full-grown from the forehead of

Zeus,--the goddess of wisdom and the patroness of the domestic arts;

Artemis, the goddess of the chase; Aphrodite, the goddess of love and

beauty born of the white sea foam; Hestia, the goddess of the hearth;

Demeter the earth mother, the goddess of grains and harvests.

"These great deities were simply magnified human beings. They surpassed

mortals rather in power than in size of body. Their abode was Mount

Olympus and the airy regions above the earth." (Myers' General History,

p. 86).

5. _The Delphian Oracle:_ "The most precious part, perhaps, of the

religious heritage of the historic Greeks, from the misty Hellenic

foretime, was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. The Greeks believed that

in the early ages the gods were wont to visit the earth and mingle with

men. But even in Homer's time, this familiar intercourse was a thing of

the past--a tradition of a golden age that had passed away. In historic

times, though the gods often revealed their will and intentions through

signs and portents, still they granted a more special communication of

counsel through what were known as oracles. These communications, it

was believed, were made sometimes by Zeus, but more commonly by Apollo.

Not everywhere, but only in chosen places, did these gods manifest

their presence and communicate the divine will. These favored spots

were called oracles, as were also the responses there received.

"The most renowned of the Greek oracles, as we have intimated, was

that at Delphi, in Phocis. Here, from a deep fissure in the rocks,

arose stupefying vapors, which were thought to be the inspiring

breath of Apollo. Over this spot was erected a temple in honor of the

Revealer. The communication was generally received by the Pythia,

or priestess, seated upon a tripod placed above the orifice. As she

became overpowered by the vapors, she uttered the message of the god.

These mutterings of the Pythia were taken down by attendant priests,

interpreted, and written in hexameter verse. Some of the responses of

the oracle contained plain and wholesome advice; but very many of them,

particularly those that implied a knowledge of the future, were made

obscure and ingeniously ambiguous, so that they might correspond with

the event, however affairs should turn.

"The Oracle of Delphi gained a celebrity wide as the world. It was

often consulted by the monarchs of Asia and the people of Rome in

times of extreme danger and perplexity. Among the Greeks, scarcely

any undertaking was entered upon without the will and sanction of the

Oracle being first sought." (Myers' General History, pp. 86, 87).

6. _Oracles and Divination Among the Romans:_ "There were no true

oracles at Rome. The Romans, therefore, often had recourse to those

among the Greeks. Particularly in great emergencies did they seek

advice from the celebrated Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. From Etruria was

introduced the art of the haruspices, or sooth-sayers, which consisted

in discovering the will of the gods by the appearance of the entrails

of victims slain for the sacrifice." (Myers' General History, p. 204).

7. _Worships and Temples:_ "In the first ages of the world, men had

neither temples nor statues for their gods, but worshipped in the open

air, in the shady grove, or on the summit of the lofty mountains, whose

apparent proximity to the heavens seemed to render them peculiarly

appropriate for religious purposes. Ignorantly transferring to the

works of the Supreme Being that homage which is only due to their

Author, they adored the sun as a god, who, riding on his chariot of

fire, diffused light and heat through the world; the moon, as a mild

and beneficent divinity, who presided over night and silence, consoling

her worshippers for the departure of the more brilliant light of day.

"It is thought that the Greeks received from the Egyptians the custom

of building temples, which were erected, some in valleys, some in

woods, and others by the brink of a river, or fountain, according to

the deity who was destined to inhabit them; for the ancients ascribed

the management of every particular affair to some particular god, and

appropriated to each a peculiar form of building, according to his or

her peculiar character and attributes. But when temples were first

erected, the ancients still continued to worship their gods, without

any statue or visible representation of the divinity.

"It is supposed that the worship of idols was introduced among the

Greeks in the time of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, in the year

1556 B. C. At first these idols were formed of rude blocks of wood or

stone, until, when the art of graving, or carving, was invented, these

rough masses were changed into figures resembling living creatures.

Afterwards, marble, and ivory, or precious stones, were used in their

formation, and lastly, gold, silver, brass, and other metals. At

length, in the refined ages of Greece, all the genius of the sculptor

was employed in the creation of these exquisite statutes, which no

modern workmanship has yet surpassed. Temples, statues, and altars,

were considered sacred, and to many of them was granted the privilege

of protecting offenders." (Burder's History of All Religions, pp.

227-8).

LESSON XVIII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.--(Continued.)_

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_XIII. The Greek and Roman Religion._ "Outlines of Ecclesiastical

Hist.," (Roberts),

_XIV. Roman and Greek Schools of Sec. ii, pp. 22-25. "The

Philosophy._ World's Worship" (Dobbins),

Chs. viii, ix.

1. Stoics. Notes 1 and 2.

2. Epicureans. "Moral and Metaphysical

Philosophy" (Maurice),

3. Academics. Vol. I, Chs. vi and

vii. Myers' "General

Hist.," Chs. xxiii. Dr. Smith's

"History of

Greece," Ch. xiii. "Mormon

Doctrine of Deity,"

Ch. iv.

"Cicero's Tusculan

Disputations" (Yonge's

Translation), pp. 209-355.

"Intellectual Development

of Europe"

(Draper), Chs. v and vi.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their

own nation and tongue, to teach His word; yea, in wisdom, all that He

seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth

counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true." (Book of

Alma, Ch. xxix:8.)_

_NOTES._

1. _Religion of the Greeks: General View:_ "The religious system of

the Greeks is the embodiment of beauty. No other worship that has ever

existed so encouraged the taste for art as this. Its literature, its

mythological stories, its idols and its temples still control and, to

a great extent, shape the art ideas of the world. Its devotees have,

above all other people, possessed a perception of beauty of form and a

fondness of representing it.

"The people of Greece appear to have originally come from the

northwestern part of Asia Minor. They were called the Hellenes.

The worship which they brought from Asia was the worship of the

'Heaven-Father,' the unseen one who dwells in ether, whose temple is

the sky, and whose altar is properly placed upon the mountain top. The

Hindus called the same being Dyaus-pitar; the Romans, Diovis-pater or

Jupiter; the Greeks, Zeus-pater. One can readily see the resemblance

between these names, and the evidence they bear to the fact that these

nations all came originally from one common stock. As the primal

Greek race separated into various parts of Greece, different forms

began to arise. As sailors from other lands arrived on their shores,

they brought their own gods with them, and thus many new gods were

introduced into Greece.