In proclaiming the great truths that the silence of centuries has
been broken; that the voice of God has again been heard from heaven;
that Jesus Christ his Son has manifested himself in these latter
days; that angels from the courts of glory have ministered to man on
earth in the present age; that a sacred record has been brought
forth from the ground, disclosing the history of a hemisphere and
bearing the same truths as those recorded in the Bible; that a
prophet, seer and revelator has been raised up to bring in the last
dispensation; that apostles and other inspired servants of God now
minister among men; that the Church of Christ, with all its former
organization, ordinances, gifts and spiritual power, has been
reorganized on earth; and that communications may be had with Deity
by men and women of faith now, as at any period in the world's
history, the servants of God are met with the assertion that the day
of revelation has long since passed, and that they must of necessity
be either impostors or deluded, because there is to be no more
scripture, prophecy, miracles, angelic ministrations, visions or
actual communications from heaven to earth. This popular error is
fostered and propagated by the ministers of various so-called
Christian denominations, and is accepted by the masses of the people
as a settled and foregone conclusion.
On what grounds is such an irrational position assumed? Is not the
Almighty declared in scripture to be unchangeable? Has not his work
on earth always been conducted by men divinely chosen, appointed and
inspired? Is there not as much need of divine revelation to settle
religious feuds and doctrinal differences in the 20th century as at
any previous period? Would not the word of the Lord be of much more
value to mankind than the varied opinions of uninspired men, no
matter how great may be their human learning? Ought not the
inhabitants of the earth to be not only willing, but eager, to
receive a message from the eternal worlds?
"Ah!" exclaims the objector, "but there were to be no more prophets
after Christ. He finished the divine plan and completed the
revelation of God to the earth. He warned his disciples against
false prophets and false Christs, and said if it were possible they
would deceive the very elect." Does not the very fact that Christ
said there would be false prophets, convey the idea that there would
be true prophets also? If there were to be no more true prophets, it
would have been easy for the Savior to plainly say so, and thus
there would be no place left for deceivers. But he declared
emphatically: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets and wise
men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and
some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city" (Matthew 23:34). Were not prophets established in
the Church of Christ as members of his body? Read I Corinthians
2:28: "And God hath set some in the Church; first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Did
not Christ promise his disciples that after he went away the
Comforter should come? And was not one of the offices of that Spirit
to show them "things to come?" (John 16:13). Was not the gift of
prophecy bestowed upon members of the Church of Christ as one of the
manifestations of the Holy Spirit? (I Corinthians 12:10). And can
anybody possess the true testimony of Jesus without that Spirit? The
angel that appeared to John the Apostle said: "The testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). Paul prayed for
the Ephesians. "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him" (Ephesians 1:17). If revelation and prophecy
ceased with Christ, what about the New Testament, all written after
his death and resurrection, by men now believed to be inspired? Did
not the Apostle John behold a glorious vision and receive a grand
revelation, when banished to the Island of Patmos?
Here again the objection will be raised. "But that revelation was
the last communication from heaven, and its closing chapter forbids
any further revelation." That is also a popular error promulgated by
men professing to be ministers of Christ, and finding themselves
destitute of divine power and inspiration. Here is the passage they
quote: "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"
(Revelation 22:18). It is astonishing how plain and simple language
can be wrested from its evident meaning to suit the purposes of
sophistry. There is not a word in that text which conveys the
remotest intimation that revelation and prophecy were to cease, or
that God would no more speak to man. It is a prohibition against the
addition by man of anything to that which God reveals. The next
verse forbids the taking away of anything from the "book of this
prophecy." That is, the Book of Revelation. These commands have
reference to that one book, and that only. The compilers of the New
Testament have placed it last in the collection of scriptural books,
and the strained, unnatural and absurd application which has been
made of the words we have quoted have been attached to the whole
volume of the Bible. It is all wrong and ridiculous. The idea that
the Almighty placed a seal upon his own mouth when he simply forbade
men to add to what he said, is certainly most remarkable for sane
people to entertain. If that singular notion were correct, then both
the angel who gave the revelation, and John who received it,
violated the heavenly injunction, for we read that the angel gave to
John a mission in figurative manner, which he thus explained: "Thou
must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues,
and kings" (Revelation 10:11). It is well known that the epistles of
St. John were written after he received the revelation on Patmos.
While the true Church of Christ remained on earth the Spirit of
revelation and prophecy also remained. When that spirit departed
there was but a dead form left. Only by the restoration of divine
communication with man could the Church of Christ be re-established
on earth. Only by raising up a prophet to commence the latter-day
dispensation could our heavenly Father maintain his invariable
method from the beginning of the world. And instead of men,
professing to be his servants, opposing and fighting against divine
revelation, they ought to hail with gladness the re-opening of the
heavens and shout for joy that the rays of the Millennial morning
have burst upon the world.
It is passing strange that persons familiar with the prophetic
writings of the Bible could hold the opinion that there would be no
revelation in the latter days. The Bible teems with prophecies of
the latter-day glory, when the mightiest miracles ever wrought by
divine power should be displayed; when God should set up an "ensign
for the nations," "assemble the outcasts of Israel," gather together
"the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth," and not
only repeat the wonders of the Mosaic journey from Egypt to Canaan,
but display his power to such an extent that it will no more be
said, "The Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out
of the land of Egypt; but, the Lord liveth which brought up and
which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country
and from all countries whither I had driven them" (See Isaiah
11:6-16; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Zechariah 10:6-11). Not only is the Lord
to gather Israel and Judah, "with a mighty hand and a stretched out
arm," but he is to bring "his elect together from the four quarters
of the earth." They are to go up into the tops of the mountains,
where the house of the Lord is to be reared, from which his law is
to go forth, and where his people shall learn of his ways and walk
in his paths. When he has rebuked the nations, and cleansed the
earth from its iniquity, so that the meek shall inherit it, he is to
pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, with the result not only that
his sons and his daughters shall prophesy and see visions, but "they
shall all be taught of God, until "the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Joel 2:28-32;
Isaiah 11:9; Micah 4:1-7; Isaiah 35; Isaiah 54:13).
That there was to be a new and final dispensation after the great
apostasy from primitive Christianity foretold by the apostles, is
evident from the statement of Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians.
He says: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, even in him" (Ephesians 1:9, 10). How could
this, the greatest of all dispensations, be ushered in without a
prophet and without revelation from God? Did the Almighty ever
commence a dispensation since the world began without a prophet to
declare his word and without revealing his will? The Apostle Peter
calls this great dispensation "the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets
since the world began," in which Jesus Christ is to come in glory
(Acts 3:21). If all things are to be restored in that great
gathering dispensation, then prophets must be restored, revelation,
angelic visitations, gifts, signs, miracles, and all the
manifestations of former times must also be restored. For, the
consummation of all things is to be accomplished, and the earth be
prepared for the presence of its rightful ruler, its Redeemer and
King.
Be it known to all people that the Lord, in his infinite mercy, has
once more opened the heavens and revealed himself to man. The last
dispensation has been commenced. The voice of Christ has again been
heard. Angels have come down from heaven to earth. Prophets,
apostles and other inspired men declare the word and will of the
Lord. A sacred record of the ancient people of a vast continent has
been brought out of the ground, and, united with the Jewish Bible,
bears witness that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and
that by faith mankind in all ages may learn of him and have
communion with him. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached in
all the world as a witness to all nations, baptism is administered
by divine authority for the remission of sins, the Holy Ghost is
conferred as of old, by the laying on of hands of men clothed with
the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, the unity of the faith is enjoyed,
the sick are healed, prophecies are uttered, the gifts of tongues
and of interpretation are attainable, and by visions and dreams and
the witness of the Comforter, God is testifying to those who receive
his word, that he has commenced the great latter-day work spoken of
by his holy prophets.
The man chosen of God to commence the work of the last dispensation
was Joseph Smith, who was slain at Carthage, Illinois, for the word
of God and the testimony of Jesus. No prophet who ever lived on
earth, except the Son of God himself, accomplished a greater work,
brought forth more truth or received greater revelations from on
high than he. Having finished the grand mission required of him by
the Lord, he sealed his testimony with his blood, and stands with
the martyrs who will be crowned in the presence of God and of the
Lamb as kings and priests unto them forever. The truth of this
testimony has been sealed upon the hearts of many thousands of
people, who rejoice in the certain knowledge that they are accepted
of God. And this knowledge may be obtained by every soul who shall
believe in Christ, repent of sin, be baptized for the remission of
sins, and receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy
Ghost. Therefore, O reader! Come unto the light, obey the gospel and
be saved! This is the only way of eternal life and everlasting
happiness in the Father's presence.