=Article 13.=--We believe in being honest, true, chaste,
benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we
may say that we follow the admonition of Paul,--We believe all
things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope
to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous,
lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these
things.
=1. Religion of Daily Life.=--In this article of their faith, the
Latter-day Saints declare their acceptance of a practical religion; a
religion that shall consist, not alone of professions in spiritual
matters, and belief as to the conditions of the hereafter, of the
doctrine of original sin and the actuality of a future heaven and
hell, but also, and more particularly, of present and every-day
duties, in which respect for self, love for fellow-men, and devotion
to God are the guiding principles. Religion without morality,
professions of godliness without charity, church-membership without an
adequate responsibility as to individual conduct in daily life, are
but as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals--noise without music, the
words without the spirit of prayer. "Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the
world."[1253] Honesty of purpose, integrity of soul, individual
purity, absolute freedom of conscience, willingness to do good to all
men even enemies, pure benevolence,--these are some of the fruits by
which the religion of Christ may be known, far exceeding in importance
and value the promulgation of dogmas, and the enunciation of theories.
Yet a knowledge of things more than temporal, doctrines of spiritual
matters, founded on revelation and not resting on the sands of man's
frail hypotheses, are likewise characteristic of the true Church.
[1253] James i, 27.
=2. The Comprehensiveness of Our Faith= must appeal to every earnest
investigator of the principles taught by the Church, and still more to
the unprejudiced observer of the results as manifested in the course
of life characteristic of the Latter-day Saints. Within the pale of
the Church there is a place for all truth,--for everything that is
praiseworthy, virtuous, lovely, or of good report. The liberality with
which the Church regards other religious denominations; the
earnestness of its teaching that God is no respecter of persons, but
that He will judge all men according to their deeds; the breadth and
depth of its precepts concerning the state of immortality, and the
gradations of eternal glory awaiting the honest in heart of all
nations, kindred, and churches, civilized and heathen, enlightened and
benighted, have been set forth in preceding lectures. We have seen
further, that the belief of this people carries them forward, even
beyond the bounds of all knowledge thus far revealed, and teaches them
to look with unwavering confidence for other revelation, truths yet to
be added, glories grander than have yet been made known, eternities of
powers, dominions, and progress, beyond the mind of man to conceive or
the soul to contain. We believe in a God who is Himself progressive,
whose majesty is intelligence; whose perfection consists in eternal
advancement; the perpetual work of whose creation stands "finished,
yet renewed forever;"[1254]--a Being who has attained His exalted
state by a path which now His children are permitted to follow; whose
glory it is their heritage to share. In spite of the opposition of all
the sects, in the face of direct charges of blasphemy, the Church
proclaims the eternal truth, "_As man is, God once was; as God is, man
may become._" With such a future, well may man open his heart to the
stream of revelation, past, present, and to come; and truthfully
should we be able to say of every enlightened child of God, that he
"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things."[1255] As incidental to the declaration of belief embodied
in this article of faith, many topics relating to the organization,
precepts, and practice of the Church suggest themselves. Of these the
following may claim our present attention.
[1254] Bryant.
[1255] I Cor. xiii, 7.
=3. Benevolence.=--Benevolence is founded on love for fellow-men; it
embraces, though it far exceeds charity, in the ordinary sense in
which the latter word is used. By the Divine Teacher it was placed as
second only to love for God. On one occasion, certain Pharisees came
to Christ, tempting Him with questions on doctrine, in the hope that
they could entangle Him, and so make Him an offender against the
Jewish law. Their spokesman was a lawyer; note his question and the
Savior's answer:--"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets."[1256] The two commandments, here spoken of as first
and second, are so closely related as to be virtually one, and that
one:--"Thou shalt love." He who abideth one of the two will abide
both. For without love for our fellows, it is impossible to please
God. Hence wrote John,--the Apostle of Love,--"Beloved, let us love
one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of
God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is
love.... If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a
liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him,
That he who loveth God love his brother also."[1257]
[1256] Matt. xxii, 36-40; see also Luke x, 25-27.
[1257] I John iv, 7-8, 20-21.
=4.= But perhaps the grandest and most sublime of the apostolic
utterances concerning the love that saves, is found in the epistle of
Paul to the Saints at Corinth.[1258] In our current English
translation of the Bible, the virtue which the apostle declares
superior to all the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and which is to
continue after all the rest have passed away, is designated as
_charity_; but the original word meant _love_; and surely Paul had in
mind something grander than mere alms-giving, as is evident from his
expression:--"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, ...
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."[1259] Though a man
speak with the tongue of angels; though he possess the power of
prophecy--the greatest of the ordinary gifts; though he be versed in
knowledge and understand all mysteries; though his faith enable him to
move mountains; and though he give his all, including even his
life,--yet without love is he nothing. Charity, or alms-giving, even
though it be performed with the sincerest of motives, devoid of all
desire for praise or hope of return, is but a feeble manifestation of
the love that is to make one's neighbor as dear to him as himself; the
love that suffers long; that envies not others; that vaunts not
itself; that knows no pride; that subdues selfishness; that rejoices
in the truth. When "that which is perfect" is come, the gifts which
have been bestowed in part only will be superseded. "Perfection will
then swallow up imperfection; the healing power will then be done
away, for no sickness will be there; tongues and interpretations will
then cease, for one pure language alone will be spoken; the casting
out of devils and power against deadly poisons will not then be
needed, for in heaven circumstances will render them unnecessary. But
charity, which is the pure love of God, never faileth; it will sit
enthroned in the midst of the glorified throng, clothed in all the
glory and splendor of its native heaven."[1260] If man would win
eternal life, he cannot afford to neglect the duty of love to his
fellow, for "Love is the fulfilling of the law."[1261]
[1258] I Cor. xiii; see also Alma xxxiv, 28-29; Mosiah iv, 16-24.
[1259] Verse 3.
[1260] Orson Pratt, _Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon_,
i, 15-16.
[1261] Rom. xiii, 10; see also Gal. v, 14; I Peter iv, 8.
=5. Benevolence Manifested by the Church.=--The Church of the present
day can point to a stupendous labor of benevolence already
accomplished and still in progress. One of the most glorious monuments
of its work is seen in the missionary labor which has ever been a
characteristic feature of its activities. Actuated by no other motives
than pure love for humanity and a desire to fulfil the commands of God
respecting such, the Church sends out every year hundreds of
missionaries to proclaim the gospel of eternal life to the world,
without money or price. Multitudes of these devoted servants have
suffered contumely and insult at the hands of those whom they seek to
benefit; and not a few have given their lives with the seal of the
martyr upon their testimony and work. The charity that manifests
itself in material giving is not neglected in the Church; indeed this
form of benevolence is impressed as a sacred duty upon every
Latter-day Saint. While each one is urged to impart of his substance
to the needy in his individual capacity, a system of orderly giving
has been developed within the Church; and of this some features are
worthy of special consideration.
=6. Free-will Offerings.=--It has ever been characteristic of the
Church and people of God, that they take upon themselves the care of
the poor, if any such exist among them. To subserve this purpose, as
also to foster a spirit of liberality, kindness, and benevolence,
voluntary gifts and free-will offerings have been asked of those who
profess to be living according to the law of God. In the Church today,
a systematic plan of giving for the poor is in operation. Thus, in
almost every ward or branch, an organization among the women, known as
the Relief Society,[1262] is in existence. Its purpose is in part to
gather from the society and from the members of the Church in general,
contributions of money and other property, particularly the
commodities of life, and to distribute such to the deserving and
needy, under the direction of the local officers in the priesthood.
But the Relief Society operates also on a plan of systematic
visitation to the houses of the afflicted, extending aid in nursing,
administering comfort in bereavement, and seeking in every possible
way to relieve distress. The good work of this organization has won
the admiration of many who profess no connection with the Church; its
methods have been followed by other benevolent associations, and the
Society has been accorded a national status in the United States.
[1262] See page 216.
=7. The Fast Offerings= represent a still more general system of
donation. The Church teaches the efficacy of continual prayer and of
periodical fasting, as a means of acquiring the humility that is meet
for Divine approval; and a monthly fast-day has been appointed for
observance throughout the Church. For many years, the first Thursday
in each month was so observed; but, with the object of securing a
more general attendance at the fast-service, a beneficial change has
been introduced, and at present the first Sunday of the month is so
devoted. The Saints are asked to manifest their sincerity in fasting
by making an offering on that day for the benefit of the poor; and, by
common consent, the giving of at least an equivalent of the meals
omitted by the fasting of the family is expected. These offerings may
be made in money, food, or other usable commodity; they are received
by the bishopric or its representatives, and by the same authority are
distributed to the worthy poor of the ward or branch. In these and in
numerous other ways do the Latter-day Saints contribute of their
substance to the needy, realizing that the poor among them may be the
Lord's poor; and that, irrespective of worthiness on the part of the
recipient, want and distress must be alleviated. The people believe
that the harmony of their prayers will become a discord if the cry of
the poor accompany their supplications to the throne of Grace.
=8. Tithing.=--The Church recognizes today the doctrine of
tithe-paying, similar in its general provision to that taught and
practiced of old. Before considering the present authorized practice
in this matter, it may be instructive to study the ancient practice of
tithe-paying. Strictly speaking, a tithe is a tenth, and such a
proportion of individual possessions appears to have been formerly
regarded as the Lord's due. The institution of tithing antedates even
the Mosaic dispensation, for we find both Abraham and Jacob paying
tithes. Abraham, returning from a victorious battle, met Melchizedek
king of Salem and "priest of the most high God;" and, recognizing his
priestly authority, "gave him tithes of all."[1263] Jacob made a
voluntary vow with the Lord to render a tenth of all that should come
into his possession.[1264]
[1263] Gen. xiv, 18-20; see also Heb. vii, 1-3, 5, and Alma xiii,
13-16.
[1264] Gen. xxviii, 22.
=9.= The Mosaic statutes are explicit in requiring tithes:--"And all
the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the
fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord.... And
concerning the tithe of the herd, even of whatsoever passeth under the
rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord."[1265] The tenth was to be
paid as it came, without search for good or bad; under some
conditions, however, a man could redeem the tithe by paying its value
in some other way, but in such a case he had to add a fifth of the
tithe. The tenth of all the property in Israel was to be paid to the
Levites, as an inheritance given in acknowledgment of their service in
the labor of the tabernacle; and they in turn were to pay tithing on
what they received, and this tithe of the tithe was to go to the
priests.[1266] A second tithe was demanded of Israel to be used for
the appointed festivals.[1267] It is evident, that while no specific
penalty for neglect of the law of tithing is recorded, the proper
observance of the requirement was regarded as a sacred duty. In the
course of the reformation by Hezekiah, the people manifested their
repentance by an immediate payment of tithes;[1268] and so liberally
did they give, that a great surplus accumulated; observing which,
Hezekiah enquired as to the source of such plenty:--"And Azariah the
chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, since the
people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we
have had enough to eat, and have left plenty; for the Lord hath
blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store."
Nehemiah took care to regulate the tithe-paying of the people;[1269]
and both Amos[1270] and Malachi[1271] chided the people for their
neglect of this duty. Through the prophet last named, the Lord charged
the people with having robbed Him; but promised them blessings beyond
their capacity to receive if they would return to their allegiance to
Him: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein
have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a
curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the
tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and
prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you
the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall
not be room enough to receive it."[1272] In visiting the Nephites
after His resurrection, the Savior told them of these sayings of
Malachi, repeating the words of the Jewish prophet.[1273] The
Pharisees, at the time of Christ's ministry, were particularly
scrupulous in the matter of tithe paying,--even to the neglect of the
"weightier matters of the law,"--and for this inconsistency they were
severely rebuked by the Master.[1274]
[1265] Lev. xxvii, 30-34.
[1266] Numb. xviii, 21-28.
[1267] Deut. xii, 5-17; xiv, 22-23.
[1268] II Chron. xxxi, 5-6.
[1269] Neh. x, 37; xii, 44.
[1270] Amos iv, 4.
[1271] Mal. iii, 10.
[1272] Mal. iii, 8-10; see also III Nephi xxiv, 7-12.
[1273] III Nephi xxiv, 7-10.
[1274] Matt, xxiii, 23; Luke xi, 42. See "Jesus the Christ," p.
556.
=10.= In the present dispensation, the law of tithing has been given a
place of great importance; and particular blessings have been promised
for its faithful observance. This day has been called by the Lord, "a
day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that
is tithed shall not be burned."[1275] In a revelation, given through
the Prophet Joseph Smith, July 8, 1838, the Lord has explicitly set
forth His requirement of the people in this matter.[1276]
[1275] Doc. and Cov. lxiv, 23-24; see also lxxxv, 3.
[1276] Doc. and Cov. cxix. See the author's "The Law of the
Tithe," 20 pp.
=11. Consecration and Stewardship.=--The law of tithing, as accepted
and professedly observed by the Church today, is after all but a
lesser law, given by the Lord in consequence of the human weaknesses,
selfishness, covetousness, and greed, which prevented the Saints from
accepting the higher principles, according to which the Father would
have His children live. Specific requirements regarding the payment of
tithes were made through revelation in 1838; but seven years prior to
that time, the voice of the Lord had been heard on the subject of
consecration,[1277] or the dedication of all one's property, together
with his time, talents, and natural endowments, to the service of God,
to be used as occasion may require. This again is not new; to the
present dispensation the law of consecration is given as a
re-enactment; it was recognized and observed with profit in olden
times.[1278] But even in the apostolic period, the doctrine of
consecration of property and common ownership was old; thirty-four
centuries before that time, the same principle had been practiced by
the patriarch Enoch and his people, and with such success that "the
Lord came and dwelt with his people; ... And the Lord called his
people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in
righteousness; and there was no poor among them."[1279] In each of the
instances cited,--that of the people of Enoch, and that of the Saints
in the early part of the Christian era,--we learn of the unity of
purpose and consequent power acquired by the people who lived in this
social order; they were "of one heart and one mind." Through the
spiritual strength so attained, the apostles were able to perform many
mighty works;[1280] and of Enoch and his followers we read that the
Lord took them unto Himself.[1281]
[1277] Doc. and Cov. xiii, 71.
[1278] Acts iv, 32, 34-35; see also ii, 44-46.
[1279] Pearl of Great Price: Moses vii, 16-18.
[1280] Acts ii, 43.
[1281] See pp. 362-363.
=12.= The people of whom the Book of Mormon gives us record also
attained to the blessed state of equality, and with corresponding
results. The disciples, whom Christ had personally commissioned,
taught with power, and "they had all things common among them, every
man dealing justly, one with another."[1282] Further, we read of a
general conversion by which the people came to a condition of ideal
peace; "there were no contentions or disputations among them.... And
they had all things common among them, therefore they were not rich
and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of
the heavenly gift."[1283] They were so blessed, that of them the
prophet said:--"Surely there could not be a happier people among all
the people who had been created by the hand of God."[1284] But after
nearly two centuries of this happy condition, the people gave way to
pride; some of them yielded to a passion for costly apparel; then they
refused to longer have their goods in common; and straightway many
classes came into existence; dissenting sects were established; and
then began a rapid course of disruption, which led to the extinction
of the Nephite nation.[1285]
[1282] III Nephi xxvi, 19.
[1283] IV Nephi i, 2-3.
[1284] Verse 16.
[1285] Verse 24, etc. See "Jesus the Christ," p. 741.
=13. Stewardship in the Church Today.=--A system of unity in temporal
matters has been revealed to the Church in this day; such is currently
known as the Order of Enoch,[1286] or the United Order,[1287] and is
founded on the law of consecration. As already stated, in the early
days of the modern Church the people demonstrated their inability to
abide this law in its fulness, and, in consequence, the lesser law of
tithing was given; but the Saints confidently await the day in which
they will devote, not merely a tithe of their substance, but all that
they have, and all that they are, to the service of their God; a day
in which no man will speak of mine and thine, but all things shall be
theirs and the Lord's.
[1286] Doc. and Cov. lxxviii.
[1287] Doc. and Cov. civ, 48.
=14.= In this expectation, they indulge no vague dream of communism,
encouraging individual irresponsibility, and giving the idler an
excuse for hoping to live at the expense of the thrifty; but rather, a
calm trust that in the promised social order which God can approve,
every man will be a steward in the full enjoyment of liberty to do as
he will with the talents committed to his care; but with the sure
knowledge that an account of his stewardship will be required at his
hands. As far as the plan of this prospective organization has been
revealed, it provides that a person entering the order shall
consecrate to the Lord all that he has, be it little or much, giving
to the Church a deed of his property sealed with a covenant that
cannot be broken.[1288] The person thus having given his all, is to be
made a steward over a part of the property of the Church, according to
his ability to use it. The varying grades of occupation will still
exist; there will be laborers, whose qualifications fit them best for
common toil; and managers who have proved their ability to lead and
direct; some who can serve the cause of God best with the pen, others
with the plow; there will be engineers and mechanics, artisans and
artists, farmers and scholars, teachers, professors, and
authors;--every one laboring as far as practicable in the sphere of
his choice, but each required to work, and to work where and how he
can be of the greatest service. His stewardship is to be assured him
by written deed, and as long as he is faithful to his charge, no man
can take it from him.[1289] Of the proceeds of his labors, every man
may use as he requires for the support of himself and his family; the
surplus is to be rendered to the Church for public and general works,
and for the assistance of those who are worthily deficient.[1290] As
further illustrative of the uses to which the surplus is to be
devoted, we read:--"All children have claim upon their parents for
their maintenance until they are of age. And after that they have
claim upon the Church, or in other words, upon the Lord's storehouse,
if their parents have not wherewith to give them inheritances. And the
storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the Church, and
widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor.[1291] Any
faithful steward, requiring additional capital for the improvement of
his work, has a claim for such upon the custodians of the general
fund, they in turn being held accountable for their management, which
constitutes their stewardship.[1292] Equal rights are to be secured to
all. The Lord said:--'And you are to be equal, or, in other words, you
are to have equal claims on the properties, for the benefit of
managing the concerns of your stewardships, every man according to his
wants, and his needs, inasmuch as his wants are just; and all this for
the benefit of the Church of the living God, that every man may
improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea,
even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord's storehouse, to become
the common property of the whole church.'"[1293]
[1288] Doc. and Cov. xiii, 30.
[1289] Doc. and Cov. ii, 4-5.
[1290] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 32-35.
[1291] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiii, 4-6.
[1292] Doc. and Cov. civ, 70-77.
[1293] Doc. and Cov. lxxxii, 17-18.
=15.= Freedom of agency is to be secured to every individual; if he be
unfaithful he will be dealt with according to the prescribed rules of
church discipline. A corresponding power of self-government will be
exercised by the several stakes or other divisions of the Church, each
having independent jurisdiction over its own store-houses and its
affairs of administration,[1294] all being subject to the general
authorities of the Church. Only the idler would suffer in such an
order as is here outlined; he shall surely meet the results of his
negligence. Against him the edict of the Almighty has gone forth. We
read in the revelations:--"Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle
shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer."[1295]
"The idler shall not have place in the church except he repents and
mends his ways."[1296] "And the inhabitants of Zion, also, shall
remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor in all
faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the
Lord."[1297]
[1294] Doc. and Cov. li, 10-18, 18.
[1295] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 42; see also lx, 13; lxxv, 3.
[1296] Doc. and Cov. lxxv, 29.
[1297] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 30; see also lxxxviii, 124.
=16. Social Order of the Saints.=--In view of the prevailing
conditions of social unrest, of the loud protest against existing
systems, whereby the distribution of wealth is becoming more and more
unequal,--the rich growing richer from the increasing poverty of the
poor, the hand of oppression resting more and more heavily upon the
masses, the consequent dissatisfaction with governments, and the
half-smothered fires of anarchy discernible in almost every
nation,--may we not take comfort in the God-given promise of a better
plan--a plan which seeks without force or violence to establish a
natural equality, to take the weapons of despotism from the rich, to
aid the lowly and the poor,[1298] and to give every man an opportunity
to live and to labor in the sphere to which he is adapted? From the
tyranny of wealth, as from every other form of oppression, the truth
will make men free. To be partakers of such freedom, mankind must
subdue selfishness, which is one of the most potent enemies of
godliness.
=17.= The Church teaches the necessity of proper social organization,
in harmony with the laws of the land; the sanctity of the institution
and covenant of marriage as essential to the stability of society; the
fulfillment of the Divine law with respect to the perpetuation of the
human family; and the importance of strictest personal purity.
[1298] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 39.
=18. Marriage.=--The teachings of the scriptures concerning the
necessity of marriage are numerous and explicit. "The Lord God said,
It is not good that the man should be alone;"[1299] this comprehensive
declaration was made concerning Adam, immediately after his location
in Eden; Eve was given unto him, and the man recognized the necessity
of a continued association of the sexes in marriage, and
said:--"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh."[1300]
Neither of the sexes is complete in itself as a counterpart of God. Of
the creation of human kind we read:--"So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he
them."[1301] The purpose of this dual creation is set forth in the
next verse of the sacred narrative:--"And God blessed them; and God
said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the
earth."[1302] Such a command would have been meaningless and void if
addressed to either of the sexes alone; for only by the union of both
is the propagation of the species possible. And without the power of
perpetuating his kind, how insignificant would appear the glory and
majesty of man! How little can be accomplished by the individual
within the limited range of a single mortal existence!
[1299] Gen. ii, 18.
[1300] Verse 24.
[1301] Gen. i, 27; see also v, 2.
[1302] Verse 28; see also ix, 1, 7; Lev. xxvi, 9.
=19.= Grand as may seem the achievements of a man who is truly great,
the culmination of his glorious heritage lies in the possibility of
his leaving offspring from his own being to continue, perchance, the
triumphs of their sire. And if such be true of mortals with respect to
the things of earth, how transcendently greater is the power of
eternal increase, as viewed in the light of revealed truth concerning
the un-ending progression of the future state! Truly the apostle was
wise when he said, "Neither is the man without the woman, neither the
woman without the man, in the Lord."[1303]
[1303] I Cor. xi, 11.
=20.= The Latter-day Saints accept the doctrine that marriage is
honorable,[1304] and apply it as a requirement to all who are not
prevented by physical or other disability from assuming the sacred
responsibilities of the wedded state. They consider, as part of the
birthright of every worthy man, the privilege and duty to stand as the
head of a household, the father of a posterity, which by the blessing
of God may never become extinct; and equally strong is the right of
every worthy woman to be a wife and a mother in the family of mankind.
In spite of the simplicity, reasonableness, and naturalness of these
teachings, false teachers have arisen among men, declaring the
pernicious doctrine that the married state is but a carnal necessity,
inherited by man as an incident of his degraded nature; and that
celibacy is a mark of a higher state, more acceptable in the pure
sight of God. Concerning such the Lord has spoken in this day:--"Whoso
forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained
of God unto man ... that the earth might answer the end of its
creation; and that it might be filled with the measure of man,
according to his creation before the world was made."[1305]
[1304] Heb. xiii, 4.
[1305] Doc. and Cov. xlix. 15-17.
=21. Celestial Marriage.=--Marriage, as regarded by the Latter-day
Saints, is ordained of God and designed to be an eternal relationship
of the sexes. With this people it is not merely a temporal contract to
be of effect on earth during the mortal existence of the parties, but
a solemn agreement which is to extend beyond the grave. In the
complete ceremony of marriage, as prescribed by the Church, the man
and the woman are placed under covenant of mutual fidelity, not "until
death do you part," but "for time and for all eternity." A contract as
far reaching as this, extending not only throughout time, but into the
domain of the hereafter, requires for its validation an authority
superior to that of earth; and such an authority is found in the holy
priesthood, which, given of God, is eternal. Any power less than this,
while perchance of effect in this life, is assuredly void as to the
state of the human soul beyond the grave. As the Lord has said:--"All
covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances,
connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made, and
entered into, and sealed, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is
anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too
most holy, by revelation, and commandment, through the medium of mine
anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power, ...
are of no efficacy, virtue, or force, in and after the resurrection
from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end, have
an end when men are dead."[1306] And, as touching the application of
the principle of earthly authority for things of earth, and eternal
authority for things beyond the grave, to the sacred contract of
marriage, the revelation continues:--"Therefore, if a man marry him a
wife in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my word, and he
covenant with her so long as he is in the world, and she with him,
their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and
when they are out of the world; therefore they are not bound by any
law when they are out of the world; Therefore, when they are out of
the world, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are
appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to
minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and
an eternal weight of glory; For these angels did not abide my law,
therefore they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly,
without exaltation in their saved condition, to all eternity, and from
henceforth are not Gods, but are angels of God, for ever and
ever."[1307]
[1306] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii, 7.
[1307] Doc. and Cov. cxxxii, 15-17. See "The House of the Lord,"
p. 101.
=22.= This system of holy matrimony, involving covenants as to time
and eternity, is known distinctively as Celestial Marriage,--the order
of marriage that exists in the celestial worlds. The sacred ordinance
of celestial marriage is permitted to those members of the Church only
who are adjudged worthy of participation in the special blessings of
the House of the Lord; for this ordinance, together with others of
eternal validity, is to be performed in the temples which are reared
and dedicated for such holy service.[1308] Children who are born of
parents thus married are natural heirs to the priesthood; "children of
the covenant" they are called; they require no ceremony of adoption or
sealing to insure them place in the posterity of promise. But the
Church sanctions marriages for earthly time only, and bestows upon
such the seal of the priesthood, among those who are not admitted to
the temples of the Lord, or who voluntarily prefer the lesser and
temporal order of matrimony.
[1308] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 30-40.
=23. Unlawful Associations of the Sexes= have been designated by the
Lord as among the most heinous of sins; and the Church today regards
individual purity in the sexual relation as an indispensable
condition of membership. The teachings of the Nephite prophet, Alma,
concerning the enormity of offences against virtue and chastity, are
accepted by the Latter-day Saints without modification; and such are
to the effect:--"That these things are an abomination in the sight of
the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins, save it be the shedding
of innocent blood, or denying the Holy Ghost."[1309] The
command:--"Thou shalt not commit adultery,"--once written by the
finger of God amid the thunders and lightnings of Sinai, has been
renewed as a specific injunction in these the last days; and the
penalty of excommunication has been prescribed for the offender.[1310]
Moreover, the Lord regards any approach to sexual sin as inconsistent
with the professions of those who have received the Holy Spirit, for
He has declared that "he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or
if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the
Spirit, but shall deny the faith."[1311]
[1309] Alma xxxix, 5.
[1310] Doc. and Cov. xlii, 24, 80-83; lxiii, 16-17.
[1311] Doc. and Cov. lxiii, 16; see also xlii, 23.
=24. Sanctity of the Body.=--The Church counsels its members that each
regard his body as "the temple of God;"[1312] and that he maintain its
purity and sanctity as such. He is taught that the Spirit of the Lord
dwells not in unclean tabernacles; and that, therefore, he is required
to live according to the laws of health, which constitute part of the
law of God. For the special guidance of His Saints, the Lord has
revealed a "Word of Wisdom"[1313] unto the people; in accordance with
which they are counseled to eat wholesome food only; to abstain from
strong drink, hot drinks, and all kinds of stimulants and narcotics;
to eat flesh but sparingly, and to maintain in all respects a
healthful state of the physical organism. And, on condition of their
compliance with these behests, the Saints have been promised, that all
"Who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to
the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow in
their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge,
even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk
and not faint; And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the
destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel."[1314]
[1312] I Cor. iii, 16; see also vi, 19; II Cor. vi, 16; Doc. and
Cov. xciii, 35.
[1313] Doc. and Cov. lxxxix; read the revelation entire.
[1314] Doc. and Cov. lxxxix, 18-21.