=Article 9.=--We believe all that God has revealed, all that He
does now reveal; and we believe that He will yet reveal many
great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
=1. What is Revelation?=--In a theological sense, the term
_revelation_ signifies the making known of Divine truth by
communication from the heavens. The Greek--_apocalypsis_, which in
meaning closely corresponds with our word _revelation_, expresses an
uncovering, or a disclosure of that which had been wholly or in part
hidden,--the drawing aside of a veil. An Anglicized form of the Greek
term--_Apocalypse_--is sometimes used to designate the particular
Revelation given to John upon the Isle of Patmos, the record of which
forms the last book of the New Testament as at present compiled.
Divine revelation, as illustrated by numerous examples in scripture,
may consist of disclosures or declarations concerning the attributes
of Deity, or of an expression of the Divine will regarding the affairs
of men.
=2.= The word _inspiration_ is sometimes invested with a signification
almost identical with that of _revelation_, though by its origin and
early usage it possessed a distinctive meaning. To inspire is
literally to animate with the spirit; a man is inspired when under the
influence of a power other than his own. Divine inspiration may be
regarded as a lower or less comprehensive manifestation of the
heavenly influence upon man than is shown in revelation. The
difference therefore is rather one of degree than of kind. By neither
of these directing processes does the Lord deprive the human subject
of agency or individuality;[857] as is proved by the marked
peculiarities of style and method characterizing the several books of
holy writ. Yet, in the giving of revelation, a more direct influence
is exercised upon the human recipient of the God-given message than is
the case under the lesser, though no less truly Divine, effect of
inspiration.
[857] See Notes 1 and 3.
=3.= The directness and plainness with which God may communicate with
man is dependent upon the purity and general fitness of the person.
One may be susceptible to inspiration in its lower and simpler phases
only; another may be so thoroughly responsive to this power as to be
capable of receiving direct revelation; and this higher influence
again may manifest itself in varying degrees, and with a greater or
lesser shrouding of the Divine personality. Consider the Lord's words
to Aaron and Miriam, who had been guilty of disrespect toward Moses
the chosen revelator:--"And the Lord came down in the pillar of the
cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and
Miriam: and they both came forth. And He said, Hear now my words: If
there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto
him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses
is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak
mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the
similitude of the Lord shall he behold."[858]
[858] Numb. xii, 5-8.
=4.= We have seen that among the most conclusive proofs of the
existence of a Supreme Being is that afforded by direct revelation
from God Himself; and that some knowledge of the attributes and
personality of God is essential to any rational exercise of faith in
Him. We can but imperfectly respect an authority whose very existence
is a matter of uncertainty and conjecture with us; therefore, if we
are to implicitly trust and truly love our Creator, we must know
something of Him. Though the veil of mortality, with all its thick
obscurity, may shut the light of the Divine presence from the sinful
heart, that separating curtain may be drawn aside and the heavenly
light may shine into the righteous soul. By the listening ear, attuned
to the celestial music, the voice of God has been heard, declaring His
personality and will; to the eye that is freed from the motes and
beams of sin, single in its search after truth, the hand of God has
been made visible; within the soul properly purified by devotion and
humility, the mind of God has been revealed.
=5. Revelation is God's Means of Communication.=--We have no record of
a period of time during which an authorized minister of Christ has
dwelt on earth, when the Lord did not make known to that servant the
Divine will concerning the people. As has been shown, no man can take
upon himself, by his own act alone, the honor and dignity of the
ministry. To become an authorized minister of the Gospel, "a man must
be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those
who are in authority," and "those in authority" must have been
similarly called. When thus commissioned, the chosen one speaks by a
power greater than his own, in preaching the gospel and in
administering the ordinances thereof; he may verily become a prophet
unto the people. The Lord has consistently recognized and honored his
servants so appointed. He has magnified their office in proportion to
their own worthiness, making them living oracles of the Divine will.
This has been true of every dispensation of the work of God.
=6.= It is a privilege of the Holy Priesthood to commune with the
heavens, and to learn the immediate will of the Lord; this communion
may be effected through the medium of dreams and visions, through the
visitation of angels, or by the higher endowment of face to face
communication with the Lord.[859] The inspired utterances of men who
speak by the power of the Holy Ghost are scripture unto the
people.[860] In specific terms the promise has been given that the
Lord would recognize the medium of prophecy through which to make His
will and purposes known unto man:--"Surely the Lord God will do
nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
prophets."[861] Not all men may attain the position of special
revelators:--"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and
he will show them his covenant."[862] Such men are oracles of truth;
privileged counselors, friends of God.[863]
[859] See pp. 35-38 and Lecture xii.
[860] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 4.
[861] Amos iii, 7; see also I Nephi xxii, 2.
[862] Psalms xxv, 14.
[863] John xv, 14-15.
=7. Revelation in Ancient Times.=--Unto Adam, the patriarch of the
race, to whom were committed the keys of the first dispensation, God
revealed His will and gave commandments.[864] While living in a state
of child-like innocence prior to the Fall, Adam had direct
communication with the Lord; then, through transgression the man was
driven from Eden; but he took with him some remembrance of his former
happy state, including a personal knowledge of the existence and
attributes of his Creator. While sweating under the penalty fore-told
and fulfilled upon him, tilling the earth in a struggle for bread, he
continued to call upon the Lord. As Adam and his wife, Eve, prayed and
toiled, "they heard the voice of the Lord from the way towards the
garden of Eden, speaking unto them; and they saw him not, for they
were shut out from his presence; and he gave unto them commandments."[865]
[864] Gen. ii, 15-20; Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 16.
[865] Pearl of Great Price: Moses v, 4-5; see also Doc. and Cov.,
Lect. on Faith ii, 19-25.
=8.= The patriarchs who succeeded Adam were blessed with the gift of
revelation in varying degrees; Enoch, the seventh in the line of
descent, was particularly endowed. We learn from the Old Testament
that Enoch "walked with God," and that when he had reached the age of
365 years "he was not, for God took him."[866] From the New Testament
we learn something more regarding his ministry;[867] and the Pearl of
Great Price gives us a fuller account of the Lord's dealings with this
chosen Seer.[868] Unto him were made known the plan of redemption, and
the prospective history of the race down to the meridian of time,
thence to the millennium and the final judgment. Unto Noah, the Lord
revealed His intentions regarding the impending deluge; by this
prophetic voice the people were warned and urged to repent;
disregarding it and rejecting the message, they were destroyed in
their iniquity. With Abraham, God's covenant was established; unto him
was revealed the course of the creative events.[869] And this covenant
was confirmed unto Isaac and Jacob.
[866] Gen. v, 18-24.
[867] Jude 14.
[868] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vi, vii.
[869] Gen. xvii, xviii; Pearl of Great Price: Book of Abraham.
=9.= Through revelation, God commissioned Moses to lead Israel from
bondage. From the burning bush on Horeb, the Lord declared to the man
thus chosen, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."[870] In all the troublous scenes
between Moses and Pharaoh, the Lord continued His communications unto
His servant, who appeared amidst the glory of the Divine endowment, a
veritable God unto the heathen king.[871] And throughout the wearisome
forty years' journeying in the wilderness, the Lord ceased not to
honor His chosen prophet. So may we trace the line of revelators,--men
who have stood, each in his time, as the medium between God and the
people, receiving instruction from the source Divine, and transmitting
it to the masses,--from Moses to Joshua, and on through the Judges to
David and Solomon, thence to John, who was the immediate fore-runner
of the Messiah.
[870] Exodus iii, 2-6.
[871] Exodus iv, 16; vii, 1.
=10. Christ Himself was a Revelator.=--Notwithstanding His personal
authority, God though He had been and was, while the Christ lived as a
man among men, He declared His work to be that of One greater than
Himself, by whom He had been sent, and from whom He received
instructions. Note His words:--"For I have not spoken of myself; but
the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life
everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said
unto me, so I speak."[872] Further: "I can of mine own self do
nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek
not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent
me."[873] And again, "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.... And
as the Father gave me commandment, even so do I."[874]
[872] John xii, 49-50.
[873] John v, 30.
[874] John xiv, 10, 31.
=11. The Apostles likewise=, left to bear the burden of the Church
after the departure of the Master, looked to heaven for guidance,
expected and received the word of revelation to direct them in their
exalted ministry. Paul writing to the Corinthians said:--"But God hath
revealed them [divine truths] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is
of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of
God."[875]
[875] I Corinthians ii, 10-12.
=12.= John, also, declares that the book which is known specifically
as the _Revelation_ was not written of his own wisdom, but that it
is:--"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew
unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent
and signified it by his angel unto his servant John."[876]
[876] Rev. i, 1.
=13. Continual Revelation Necessary.=--The scriptures are conclusive
as to the fact that, from Adam to John the Revelator, God directed the
affairs of His people by personal communication through chosen
servants. As the written word--the record of revelation previously
given--grew with time, that became a law unto the people; but in no
period was that deemed sufficient. While the revelations of the past
have ever been indispensable as guides to the people, showing forth,
as they do, the plan and purpose of God's dealings under particular
conditions, they may not be universally and directly applicable to the
circumstances of succeeding times. Many of the revealed laws are of
general application to all men in all ages; e.g., the commandments
"Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not bear
false witness," and other injunctions regarding the duty of man toward
his fellows, most of which are so plainly just as to be approved by
the human conscience, even without the direct word of Divine command.
Other laws may be equally general in application, yet they derive
their validity as Divine ordinances from the fact that they have been
authoritatively instituted as such; as examples of this class, we may
consider the requirements concerning the sanctity of the Sabbath; the
necessity of baptism as a means of securing forgiveness of sins; the
ordinances of confirmation, the sacrament, etc. Revelations of yet
another kind are on record, such as have been given to meet the
conditions of particular times; these may be regarded as special, or
circumstantial revelations; e.g., the instructions to Noah regarding
the building of the ark and the warning of the people; the requirement
made of Abraham that he leave the land of his nativity and sojourn in
a strange country; the command to Moses, and through him to Israel,
relative to the exodus from Egypt; the revelations given to Lehi
directing the departure of his company from Jerusalem, their
journeying in the wilderness, the building of a ship, and their voyage
on the great waters to another hemisphere.
=14.= It is at once unreasonable, and directly contrary to our
conception of the unchangeable justice of God, to believe that He will
bless the Church in one dispensation with a present living revelation
of His will, and in another leave the Church, to which He gives His
name, to live as best it may according to the laws of a by-gone age.
True, through apostasy, the authority of the priesthood may have been
taken from the earth for a season, leaving the people in a condition
of darkness, with the windows of heaven shut against them; but at such
times, God has recognized no earthly Church as His own, nor any
prophet to declare with authority "Thus saith the Lord."
=15.= In support of the doctrine that revelation specially adapted to
existing conditions is characteristic of God's dealings with His
people, we have the fact of laws having been ordained and subsequently
repealed, when a more advanced stage of the Divine plan had been
reached. Thus, the law of Moses[877] was strictly binding upon Israel
from the time of the exodus to that of Christ's ministry; but its
repeal was declared by the Savior Himself,[878] and a higher law than
that "of carnal commandments," which had been given "because of
transgression," was instituted in its stead.
[877] Exo. xxi; Lev. i; Deut. xii.
[878] Matt. v, 17-48.
=16.= From the scriptures cited, and from numerous other assurances of
holy writ, it is evident that continual revelation has ever been
characteristic of the living Church. It is equally plain that
revelation is essential to the existence of the Church in an organized
state on the earth. If to have authority to preach the Gospel, and
administer in the ordinances of the same, a man must be called of God,
"by prophecy"[879] it is evident that in the absence of direct
revelation, the Church would be left without authorized officers, and
would, in consequence, become extinct. The prophets and patriarchs of
old, the judges, the priests, and every authorized servant from Adam
to Malachi, were called by direct revelation manifested through the
special word of prophecy. This was true also of John the Baptist,[880]
of Christ Himself, and of the apostles,[881] and lesser officers[882]
of the Church, as long as an organization recognized of God remained
on the earth. Without the gift of continual revelation there can be no
authorized ministry on the earth; and without officers duly
commissioned there can be no Church of Christ.
[879] See Lecture x, page 184.
[880] Luke i, 13-18.
[881] John xv; Acts i, 12-26.
[882] Acts xx, 28; I Tim. iv, 14; Titus i, 5.
=17.= Revelation is essential to the Church, not only for the proper
calling and ordination of its ministers, but also that the officers so
chosen may be guided in their ministrations:--to teach with authority
the doctrines of salvation; to admonish, to encourage, and if
necessary to reprove the people; and to declare unto them by prophecy
the purposes and will of God respecting the Church, present and
future. The promise of salvation is not limited by time, place, or
persons. So taught Peter on Pentecost day, assuring the multitude of
their eligibility to blessing:--"For the promise is unto you," said
he, "and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many
as the Lord our God shall call."[883] Salvation, with all the gifts of
God, was of old for Jew and Greek alike;[884] the same Lord over all,
rich unto those that call upon Him, without difference.[885]
[883] Acts ii, 39.
[884] Rom. x, 12; Gal. iii, 28; Col. iii, 11.
[885] Rom. iii, 22.
=18. Alleged Objections in Scripture.=--The opponents of the doctrine
of continual revelation quote, with gross perversion of meaning,
certain scriptural passages to sustain their heresy; among such
scriptures are the following. The words of John with which he
approaches the conclusion of his book are these:--"For I testify unto
every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out
of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book."[886] To apply these sayings to the
Bible as it was afterward compiled is wholly unjustified, for surely
John did not write with a knowledge that his book would be the
concluding section of any such compilation of the scriptures as we now
possess in our Bible. John had reference to his own words, which,
having come to him by revelation, were sacred; and to alter such, by
omission or addition, would be to modify the words of God. The sin of
altering any other part of the revealed word would be equally great.
Moreover, in this oft-quoted passage, no intimation is given that the
Lord may not add to or take from the word therein revealed; the
declaration is that no man shall change the record and escape the
penalty.
[886] Rev. xxii, 18-19; see also Doc. and Cov. xx, 35.
=19.= A similar injunction against altering the message of Divine
command was uttered by Moses, over fifteen centuries before the date
of John's writing;[887] and with a similarly restricted application.
Another alleged objection to modern revelation is offered in Paul's
words to Timothy, regarding the holy scriptures "which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation,"[888] and which are "profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works."[889] And the remarks of the apostle to
the elders at Ephesus are quoted with the same intent; the passage
reads: "Ye know ... how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house
to house.... For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the
counsel of God."[890] It is argued that if the scriptures known to
Timothy were all-sufficient to make him "wise unto salvation," and the
man of God "perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works," the
same scriptures are sufficient for all men to the end of time; and
that if the doctrines preached to the Ephesian elders represented "all
the counsel of God," no further counsel is to be expected. In reply,
it is perhaps sufficient to say that the objectors to continued
revelation who defend their unscriptural position by strained
interpretation of such passages, if consistent, would be compelled to
reject all revelation given through the apostles after the date of
Paul's utterances, including even the Revelation of John.
[887] Deut. iv, 2; xii, 32.
[888] II Tim. iii, 15.
[889] II Tim. iii, 16-17.
[890] Acts xx, 18-27.
=20.= Equally absurd is the assertion that Christ's dying exclamation,
"It is finished," meant that revelation was at an end; for we find the
same Jesus afterward revealing Himself, as the resurrected Lord, to
His apostles, promising them further revelation,[891] and assuring
them that He would be with them even unto the end.[892] And, moreover,
were the words of the Crucified One susceptible of any such intent,
the apostles who taught by revelation as long as they lived must be
classed as impostors.
[891] Luke xxiv, 49.
[892] Matt. xxviii, 20; see also Mark xvi, 20.
=21.= To justify the anathema with which the opponents of modern
revelation seek to persecute those who believe in the continual flow
of God's word to His Church, the following prophecy of Zechariah is
quoted:--"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of
hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and
they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets
and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to
pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother
that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou
speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother
that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it
shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed
every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied."[893] The day here
spoken of appears to be yet future, for surely the "idols" and the
"unclean spirits" still have influence; and, moreover, the fact that
the "prophets" here intended are false ones is shown by Zechariah's
associating them with idols and unclean spirits.
[893] Zech. xiii, 2-4.
=22.= Such attempts to oppose the doctrine of continued revelation as
have been made on the authority of the foregoing scriptures are
pitiably futile; they carry their own refutation, and leave untouched
the truth, that belief in modern revelation is wholly reasonable and
strictly scriptural.[894]
[894] See Note 2.
=23. Modern Revelation.=--In the light of our knowledge concerning the
constancy of revelation as an essential characteristic of the Church,
it is as reasonable to look for new revelation today as to believe in
the existence of the gift during ancient times. "Where there is no
vision the people perish,"[895] was declared of old; and surely it is
proper to include with vision, revelation also, since the latter gift
is often manifested through dreams and visions. Nevertheless, in spite
of abundant and most explicit testimony of scripture, the so-called
Christian sects of the day are practically a unit in declaring that
revelation ceased with the apostles, or even before their time; that
further communication from the heavens is unnecessary; and that to
expect such is unscriptural. In assuming this position, the discordant
sects of the day are but following the path that was trodden by
unbelievers in earlier times. The recreant Jews rejected the Savior,
because He came to them with a new revelation. Had they not Moses and
the prophets to guide them? what more could they need? They openly
boasted "We are Moses' disciples," and added "We know that God spake
unto Moses; as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is."[896]
[895] Prov. xxix, 18.
[896] John ix, 28-29.
=24.= The scriptures, far from predicting a cessation of revelation in
latter times, expressly declare the continuation of that gift among
the people of the Lord. John foresaw the restoration of the gospel in
the last days, through angelic ministration:--"And I saw another angel
fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach
unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people."[897] He knew further that the voice of God
would be heard in the last days, calling His people from Babylon to a
place of safety:--"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come
out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues."[898]
[897] Rev. xiv, 6.
[898] Rev. xviii, 4.
=25.= The Book of Mormon is not less explicit in declaring that direct
revelation shall abide as a blessing upon the Church in the latter
days. Note the prediction given through Ether the Jaredite; the
context shows that the time spoken of is that of the last
dispensation:--"And in that day, they [the Gentiles] shall exercise
faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that
they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the
things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them
all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of
the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.... But
he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit
with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear
record."[899]
[899] Ether iv, 7, 11.
=26.= Lehi, instructing his sons, quoted a prophecy of Joseph the son
of Jacob, which is not recorded in the compilation of books known as
the Bible; it has special reference to the work of Joseph the modern
prophet:--"Yea, Joseph truly said, Thus saith the Lord unto me: A
choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he
shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him
will I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy
loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to
the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have
made with thy fathers."[900]
[900] II Nephi iii, 7.
=27.= Nephi, the son of Lehi, spoke by prophecy of the last days, in
which the Gentiles should receive a testimony of Christ with many
signs and wondrous manifestations:--"He manifesteth himself unto all
those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto
every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles,
signs, and wonders, among the children of men, according to their
faith. But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days;
concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth
unto the children of men."[901]
[901] II Nephi xxvi, 13-14.
=28.= The same prophet, apostrophizing with warning words the
unbelievers of the last days, predicted the coming forth of additional
scriptures:--"And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring
forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of
them which have slumbered. And behold the book shall be sealed: and in
the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the
world to the ending thereof."[902]
[902] II Nephi xxvii, 6-7.
=29.= The Savior, addressing the Nephites, repeated the prediction of
Malachi concerning the revelation to be given through Elijah, before
the day of the Lord's second coming:--"Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and
the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the
earth with a curse."[903]
[903] III Nephi xxv, 5-6; see also Mal. iv, 5, 6; pp. 11, 153-154
this book; and for the fulfillment, Doc. and Cov. cx, 13.
=30.= By revelation in the present day, the Lord has confirmed and
fulfilled His early promises, and has specifically rebuked those who
would close His mouth, and estrange Him from His people. His voice is
heard to-day, "proving to the world that the Holy Scriptures are true,
and that God does inspire men and call them to His holy work in this
age and generation, as well as in generations of old, thereby showing
that He is the same God, yesterday, to-day, and forever."[904]
[904] Doc. and Cov. xx, 11-12. See also i, 11; xi, 25; xx, 26-28;
xxxv, 8; xlii, 61; l, 35; lix, 4; lxx, 3; and the entire volume,
as evidence of the continuation of revelation in the Church today.
=31. Revelation Yet Future.=--In view of the demonstrated facts that
revelation between God and man has ever been and is a characteristic
of the Church of Christ, it is reasonable to await with confident
expectation the coming of other messages from heaven, even until the
end of man's probation on earth. The Church is, and will continue to
be, as truly founded on the rock of revelation as it was in the day of
Christ's prophetic blessing upon Peter, who by this gift of God was
able to testify of his Lord's divinity.[905] Current revelation is
equally plain with that of former days, in predicting the yet future
manifestations of God through this appointed channel.[906] The canon
of scripture is still open; many lines, many precepts, are yet to be
added; revelation, surpassing in importance and glorious fulness any
that has been recorded, will yet be given to the Church and be
declared to the world.
[905] Matt. xvi, 16-19; Mark viii, 27-30; Luke ix, 18-20; John vi,
69.
[906] Doc. and Cov. xx, 35; xxxv, 8; and the Doc. and Cov.
references last cited.
=32.= What shadow of justification or pretense of consistency can man
claim for denying the power and purposes of God to reveal Himself and
His will in these days as He assuredly did in former times? In every
department of human knowledge and activity, in everything for which
man arrogates to himself glory, he prides himself in the
possibilities of enlargement and growth; yet in the Divine science of
theology, he holds that progress is impossible, and advancement
forbidden. Against such heresy and blasphemous denial of the Divine
prerogatives and power, God has proclaimed His edict in words of
terrible import:--"Wo be unto him that shall say We have received the
word of God, and we need no more of the word of God for we have
enough."[907] "Deny not the spirit of revelation, nor the spirit of
prophecy, for wo unto him that denieth these things."[908]
[907] II Nephi xxviii, 29; see also 30, and xxix, 6-12.
[908] Doc. and Cov. xi, 25.