=1. A Seeming Miracle.=--A few years ago, Herr Werner Siemens, a
German scientist of note, visited the pyramid of Gizeh, and,
accompanied by a couple of Arab guides, climbed to the top. He
observed that the atmospheric conditions were very favorable to
electric manifestations. Fastening a large brass button to an
empty water-gourd in the hands of one of the Arabs, and then
placing his knuckle within a short distance from the button, he
drew therefrom a succession of brilliant sparks, accompanied of
course by the crackling noises characteristic of electric
discharges. The guides viewed this exhibition of supernatural
powers with amazement and terror, which reached a climax when
their master stretched his staff above his head, and the stick
was surmounted by a beautiful St. Elmo's flame. This spectacle
was more than the superstitious Bedouins could bear, they
trembled before an enchanter who could play with lightning and
fire as with a toy, and who carried miniature thunder in his coat
pocket; so they fled down the steps with dangerous precipitation,
and soon disappeared in the desert.
=2. The Term "Prophet"= appears in the English Bible as the
translation of a number of ancient terms, the most usual of which
is _nabhi_ (Hebrew), signifying "to bubble forth like a
fountain." Another of the original words is _rheo_ (Greek),
meaning "to flow," and by derivation "to speak forth," "to
utter," "to declare." A prophet, then, is one from whom flow
forth the words of a higher authority. Aaron is spoken of as a
prophet or spokesman to Moses (Exo. vii, 1); but in the usual
sense, the prophet is the representative of God. Closely allied
with the calling of the prophet is that of the seer; indeed, at a
time prior to that of Samuel, the common designation of the
oracle of God was seer: "for he that is now called a prophet was
beforetime called a seer" (I Sam. ix, 9). The seer was permitted
to behold the visions of God, the prophet to declare the truths
so learned; the two callings were usually united in the same
person. Unto the prophet and seer the Lord usually communicated
in visions and dreams; but an exception to this order was made in
the case of Moses, who was so faithful and so great in all things
good, that the Lord discarded the usual means and declared
Himself to His servant face to face (Num. xii, 6-8).
=3. Prophets Organized.=--The prophet's office existed among men
in the earliest periods of history. Adam was a prophet (Doc. and
Cov. cvii, 53-56); as also were Enoch (Jude 14; P. of G. P.,
Moses vi, 26), Noah (Gen. vi, vii; P. of G. P., Moses viii, 19;
II Peter ii, 5), Abraham (Gen. xx, 7), Moses (Deut. xxxiv, 10),
and a multitude of others who ministered at intermediate and
subsequent times. Samuel, who was established in the eyes of all
Israel as a prophet of the Lord (I Sam. iii, 19, 20), organized
the prophets into a society for common instruction and
edification. He established schools for the prophets, theological
colleges, where men were trained in things pertaining to holy
offices; the students were generally called "sons of the
prophets" (I Kings xx, 35; II Kings ii, 3, 5, 7; iv, 1, 38; ix,
1). Such schools were established at Ramah (I Sam. xix, 19, 20),
Bethel (II Kings ii, 3), Jericho (II Kings ii, 5), Gilgal (II
Kings iv, 38). The members seem to have lived together as a
society (II Kings vi, 1-4). In the present dispensation, a
similar organization was effected under the direction of the
prophet Joseph Smith; this also received the name of the School
of the Prophets.
=4. The Decline of Spiritual Gifts in former days= is admitted by
many authorities on ecclesiastical history and Christian
doctrine. As an instance of this kind of testimony to the
departure of the spiritual graces from the apostate church, the
following words of John Wesley may be applied:--"It does not
appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were
common in the church for more than two or three centuries. We
seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the emperor
Constantine called himself a Christian, and from a vain
imagination of promoting the Christian cause thereby, heaped
riches and power and honor upon Christians in general, but in
particular upon the Christian clergy. From this time they almost
totally ceased; very few instances of the kind were found. The
cause of this was not as has been supposed because there was no
more occasion for them,--because all the world was become
Christians. This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of
it was then nominally Christian. The real cause of it was the
love of many, almost all Christians, so called, was waxed cold.
The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other
heathens. The Son of Man, when he came to examine His Church,
could hardly find faith upon the earth. This was the real cause
why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to
be found in the Christian Church--because the Christians were
turned heathens again, and only had a dead form left."--Wesley's
Works, vii, 89; 26-27.
=5. Sectarian Views concerning Continuance or Decline of
Spiritual Gifts.=--"Protestant writers insist that the age of
miracles closed with the fourth or fifth century, and that after
that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost must not be looked
for. Catholic writers, on the other hand, insist that the power
to perform miracles has always continued in the Church; yet those
spiritual manifestations which they describe after the fourth and
fifth centuries savor of invention on the part of the priests,
and childish incredulity on the part of the people; or else, what
is claimed to be miraculous falls far short of the power and
dignity of those spiritual manifestations which the primitive
church was wont to witness. The virtues and prodigies, ascribed
to the bones and other relics of the martyrs and saints, are
puerile in comparison with the healings by the anointing with oil
and the laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, interpretations,
prophecies, revelations, casting out devils in the name of Jesus
Christ; to say nothing of the gifts of faith, wisdom, knowledge,
discernment of spirits, etc.--common in the Church in the days of
the apostles (I Cor. xii, 8-10). Nor is there anything in the
scriptures or in reason that would lead one to believe that they
were to be discontinued. Still this plea is made by modern
Christians--explaining the absence of these spiritual powers
among them--that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were
only intended to accompany the proclamation of the gospel during
the first few centuries, until the church was able to make its
way without them, and they were to be done away. It is sufficient
to remark upon this, that it is assumption pure and simple, and
stands without warrant either of scripture or right reason; and
proves that men had so far changed the religion of Jesus Christ
that it became a form of godliness without the power
thereof."--Elder B. H. Roberts, _Outlines of Ecclesiastical
History_, part ii, sec. v, 6-8.
=6. Miracles an Aid to Spiritual Growth.=--Apostle Orson Pratt,
commenting on the utterances of Paul concerning the passing away
of certain spiritual gifts (I Cor. xiii), writes in part as
follows:--"The church in its militant and imperfect state,
compared with its triumphant, immortal, and perfect state, is (in
the 11th verse) represented by the two very different states of
childhood and manhood. 'When,' says St. Paul, 'I was a child, I
spake as a child, understood as a child, I thought as a child;
but when I became a man I put away childish things.' In the
various stages of education from childhood to manhood, certain
indispensable rules, and diagrams, and scientific instruments are
employed for the use and benefit of the pupil, that he may
acquire a correct knowledge of the sciences, and be perfected in
his studies. When the principles have been once acquired, and the
student has been perfected in every branch of education, he can
dispense with many of his maps, charts, globes, books, diagrams,
etc.; as being, like childish things, no longer necessary; they
were useful before his education was perfected, in imparting the
desired knowledge, but having fulfilled their purposes, he no
longer needs their assistance.... So it is with the Church in
relation to spiritual gifts. While in this state of existence it
is represented as a child: prophecy, revelations, tongues, and
other spiritual gifts are the instruments of education. The
child, or church, can no more be perfected in its education
without the aid of these gifts as instruments, than the chemist
could in his researches if he were deprived of the necessary
apparatus for experiments. As the chemist needs his laboratory
for experiments, as long as there remains any undiscovered truths
in relation to the elements and compounds of our globe, so does
the Church need the great laboratory of spiritual
knowledge--namely, revelation and prophecy,--as long as it knows
only in part.... As a human being, when a child, speaks as a
child, understands as a child, and thinks as a child, so does the
Church in this state of existence know only in part; but as the
child, when it becomes a man, puts away childish things, so will
the Church put away such childish things as 'prophecy in part,'
'knowledge in part,' and 'seeing in part,' when it grows up,
through the aid of these things, to a perfect man in Christ
Jesus; that which is in part will be done away or merged into the
greater fulness of knowledge which there reigns."--_Divine
Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_, i, 15.
But none of these gifts will be done away as long as the occasion
for their exercise continues. That this was the conviction of
Apostle Orson Pratt, whose words are quoted above, is evident
from the following utterances by the same authority:--"The
affliction of devils, the confusion of tongues, deadly poisons
and sickness, are all curses which have been introduced into the
world by the wickedness of man. The blessings of the gospel are
bestowed to counteract these curses. Therefore, as long as these
curses exist, the promised signs [Mark xvi, 16-18; Doc. and Cov.
lxxxiv, 65-72] are needed to counteract their evil consequences.
If Jesus had not intended that the blessings should be as
extensive and unlimited in point of time as the curses, He would
have intimated something to that effect in His word. But when He
makes a universal promise of certain powers, to enable every
believer in the gospel throughout the world to overcome certain
curses, entailed upon man because of wickedness, it would be the
rankest kind of infidelity not to believe the promised blessing
necessary, as long as the curses abound among men."
=7. Modern Manifestations.=--The official and incidental
publications of the Church abound in instances of miraculous
manifestations during the current dispensation. A number of
authenticated accounts with many cases are to be found as
follows:--Orson Pratt's "Divine Authenticity of the Book of
Mormon," chapter v; B. H. Roberts' "A New Witness for God,"
chapter xviii.
For a brief treatment of "The Attitude of Science towards
Miracles" see in "Jesus the Christ," p. 151, Note 7, summary of
an article published by the Victoria Institute or Philosophical
Society of Great Britain.