shall be ordained and go forth and deliver my words unto the children
of men;" 5. 6. On the 15th of May following, John the Baptist laid
his hands upon the heads of Jos. Smith, Jun., and O. Cowdery, and
ordained them to "The Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the
ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism
by immersion for the remission of sins;" _sec_. 13.
It is evident that, previous to this time, Jos. Smith, Jun., had
foreseen by the spirit of prophecy, that it was necessary he should be
called of God as was Aaron, and for this reason was prepared to receive
a proper ordination by the hands of an authorized messenger from God.
We have no record of such previous ordination to the Priesthood, since
the days of the primitive apostles.
The Lord said to Joseph Smith, Jun., "There are many that lie in wait
to destroy thee from off the face of the earth;" 5. 33. The whole
life of Jos. Smith, Jun., and his death, evidence the truthfulness of
this prophecy. Some forty times was he brought before the courts by
his enemies, and they failed to substantiate the charges preferred
against him, and, on the 27th of June, 1844, he, and his brother Hyrum,
were assassinated in Carthage jail, by a mob, when under the pledged
protection of the Executive of the state of Illinois.
"And the poor and the meek shall have the Gospel preached unto them,
and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming;" 35. 15. Not
only has the Gospel been preached to the poor and the meek, but they
are the ones who have received it, and are looking and preparing for
the coming of our Lord, "For it is nigh at hand."
"Inasmuch as my people shall assemble themselves to the (state of)
Ohio, I have kept in store a blessing such as is not known among the
children of men, and it shall be poured forth upon their heads;" 39.
15. This prophetic promise was given through Joseph Smith, Jun., in
Fayette, New York, January 5, 1831. In 1836, a temple was completed in
the town of Kirtland, Ohio. It was the first temple of modern times,
dedicated to that Priesthood of which Jesus Christ is the acknowledged
head.
In this temple the Elders of the Church received endowments and great
blessings, of which the world generally were entirely ignorant. The
Lord said through J. Smith, Jun., "The sound must go forth from
this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the
earth--the Gospel must be preached unto every creature, with signs
following them that believe;" 58. 64.
This prophecy was literally fulfilled by the Elders scattering from
Kirtland, after receiving their endowments, to all parts of the United
States and the Canadas, and by the first European Mission being
established soon after.
At this time thousands of Latter-day Saints can testify that the Gospel
has been preached in a large portion of the world, and that the signs
of faith, gift of tongues, healing, etc., have followed the believer.
The following remarkable prophecy was delivered Dec. 25th, 1832. "Thus
saith the Lord, concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass,
beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually
terminate in the death and misery of many souls. The days will come
that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at that place;
* * and it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up
against their masters, who shall be marshalled and disciplined for war;"
In 1861, twenty-nine years after this prophecy was recorded, the war
between the North and South commenced in South Carolina. It continued
for several years and was very destructive. In the latter part of it
many thousands of slaves deserted their masters and were marshalled and
disciplined for war, and formed a part of the armies of the Northern
States.
During the contest the Southern States called upon the nation of
Great Britain for assistance. "And it shall come to pass also, that
the remnants who are left of the land (the Indians) will marshal
themselves, and shall become exceeding angry, and shall vex the
Gentiles with a sore vexation;" _Sec_. 87.
Never before, since the United States have been a nation, has the
Indian question been so complicated and vexatious as now. That a part
of this prophecy has been so literally fulfilled would seem a guarantee
that the whole will be realized.
The delivery of the keys of the holy Priesthood unto the Prophet
Joseph Smith, by Elias, by Moses, by Elijah, their ordination to the
Priesthood of Aaron by John the Baptist, to the Melchisedek Priesthood
by Peter, James and John, the building of temples, the ordinances and
endowments for the living and for the dead, received in them; the
preaching of the Gospel to all the world, the gathering of Israel; and
all the varied labors of the Latter-day Saints in order to establish a
veritable kingdom of God on the earth, and to prepare for the coming of
our Savior in his glory, are the direct results of the personal labors
and inspired teachings of Joseph Smith, Jun.
He stands forth, pre-eminently, as the Divinely inspired prophetic
leader of the "Dispensation of the fulness of times;" as God's agent
for the "Restitution of all things spoken by all holy prophets since
the world began." As the great fulfiller of numerous prophecies of both
the ancient Jewish and Nephite prophets, as recorded in the Bible and
Book of Mormon; as the great prophet of the nineteenth century, and the
fulfiller of his own prophecies, showing that he was Divinely inspired
to both prophesy and to fulfil.
_See a pamphlet by O. Pratt, entitled, "Divine Authority, or, was
Joseph Smith sent of God_."
_A pamphlet entitled, "A Public Discussion, between J. Taylor and C. W.
Cleeve, J. Robertson and P. Cater_."
"_Joseph Smith's Prophetic Calling," Mil. Star, Vol. 42, pages 164,
187, 195, 227_.
_Epistle of D. W. Patten, History of J. Smith, July 31, 1838_.
_O. Spencer's Letters to Rev. Wm. Crowel, No. 1_.
MARRIAGE--A DIVINE INSTITUTION, AND DESIGNED TO BE ETERNAL.
Marriage is ordained of God unto man, that the earth might answer the
end of its creation, and "Be filled with the measure of man, according
to his creation before the world was made;" _Doc. & Cov_. 49. 15-17.
Outside of marriage the salvation of man would be incomplete: "Neither
is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in
the Lord;" 1 _Cor_. 11. 11. All the works of God receive the impress
of eternity: "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever:
nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it;" _Eccl_. 3. 14.
When the Creator joined Adam and Eve together, as the progenitors
of the human race, we do not learn that he set any limit to the
continuance of their marriage relations. We have no reason to doubt
that the gift of Eve, to Adam, was designed to be as eternal as himself.
Man, in his fulness, is a twofold organization--male and female. Either
being incapable of filling the measure of their creation alone, it
requires the union of the two to complete man in the image of God, for
in _Gen_. 1. 27, it expressly says, that he was created male and female
in the image of God. Therefore, without the proper union of the sexes,
man would be less than what God created him.
There is a comprehensive significance in, "The Lord God said, it is
not good that the man should be alone;" _Gen_. 2. 18. It speaks of no
particular period of man's life, and has no limit in its application.
The entire narrative of the union of Adam and Eve, in the second
chapter of Genesis, intimates the designed inseparable relationship
between man and wife, in marriage as ordained of God.
Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh;" 2.
23. He evidently well understood this eternal relationship with Eve,
when he answered the Lord's question, "Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" and he replied,
"The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and
I did eat;" _Gen_. 3. 11, 12.
Here Adam tells the Lord, by way of apology, that in order to keep
his commandment, that he and the woman should remain together, he
was compelled to partake of the forbidden fruit after her. This is
evidently the view the apostle Paul took of the subject: "Adam was not
deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression;" 1
_Tim_. 2. 14.
This inseparable connection between man and wife, in marriage as
ordained of God, is further exemplified by the same apostle in _Eph_.
5. 22-33: "The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church." That is, as Christ is eternally the head of the
church, so is the husband eternally the head of the wife. "Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church. * * so ought men
to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh. * * Let every one of
you in particular so love his wife even as himself."
The principle of inseparable connection is fully expressed in Adam's
answer to the Lord as rendered in the writings of Moses, translated by
Joseph, the Seer. "The woman whom thou gavest me, and commanded that
she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I
did eat;" _P. of G. P., page_ 8.
We further read, on _page_ 13, "In the day that God created man, (in
the likeness of God made he him), in the image of his own body, male
and female, created he them, and blessed them, and called their name
Adam." Here we are informed that it required the male and female,
united, to make one image of his own body, and that male and female
were necessary to form one Adam, who was in the dual image of God
his father. We also find by referring again to _Gen_. 1. 27, that it
required the male and female to make an image of God.
The Lord has ever manifested a great interest in the marriage
relations of his chosen people and Priesthood, and has protected the
sexual relations by stringent laws and regulations. The importance
of marrying in the same lineage, as themselves, appears to have been
well understood by the patriarchs. For this reason, doubtless, Abraham
married a near relation, and sent his servant, Eliezer, to his kindred
to obtain a wife for his son, and heir, Isaac; _Gen_. 20. 12. _Chap_.
24.
Isaac also commanded Jacob to go to Padanaram, and take one of his
cousins to wife; _Gen_. 28. 1-6. Twice the Lord interfered, in a
miraculous manner, to prevent the wife of Abraham from being defiled;
_Gen_. 12. 17-20. _Chap_. 20. 2, 3. Evidently for the reason that she
was the foreordained covenant wife of Abraham, and destined mother
of the Lord's chosen people. Israel was forbidden to marry with the
Canaanites; _Deut_. 7. 3.
The Lord gave special commandments regarding the marriage of priests
and their families. A priest's daughter that profaned herself was to be
burned with fire; _Lev_. 21. 9. The High Priest was required to take a
virgin of his own people to wife; _verse_ 14. The sons of Aaron were
commanded not to take a wife that was a whore, or profane, or a woman
put away from her husband; _verse_ 7.
"If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they
shall both of them die;" _Deut_. 22. 22. If a man lay with a virgin, in
the city, that was betrothed to an husband, they were both stoned to
death; _verses_ 23, 24. If a man lay with a virgin not betrothed, and
thereby humbled her, he was required to pay her father fifty shekels of
silver, and take her to wife, without the possibility of divorcing her;
_verse_ 28, 29.
The eighteenth chapter of Leviticus is chiefly occupied with forbidding
the unlawful indulgence of the passions. The Nephite prophet, Alma,
told his son that harlotry was "most abominable above all sins, save
it be the shedding of innocent blood;" _Alma_ 39, 5. Jesus told his
Nephite disciples "It is better that ye should deny yourselves of these
things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast
into hell;" 3 _Nephi_ 12. 30.
In _Doc. & Cov_., the passages are numerous in which adultery is
forbidden. The Lord has given much instruction to the Latter-day Saints
concerning the intercourse of the sexes. They are required to keep
themselves strictly within their marriage covenants.
From the sacred writings, it would appear that in all dispensations of
the Priesthood, the laws regulating this matter have been substantially
the same, and have been calculated to strictly guard the issues of
life; that all those who would keep them might be "perfect in their
generations."
If, on the one hand, what the Lord does is eternal, because he is an
eternal and infinite being, then what man does of himself, he being
finite, must be limited to this life. Therefore, it is necessary that
man and wife, to be eternally united, should be married in the way God
has appointed, and by a man whom he has authorized to act in his stead.
It would not be consistent with the character of God, as the spiritual
and natural father of mankind, to have no law regulating the marriages
of his children, that they might be crowned with the blessings of
eternal life and increase.
The Lord brought Abraham forth abroad, "And said, Look now toward
heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said
unto him, So shall thy seed be;" _Gen_. 15. 5. This was a promise of
infinite and eternal increase. If we could count the stars, and grasp
infinitude, we might comprehend the result of the promise.
We find that the Lord confirmed blessings to Abraham, and to his seed,
by recorded ordinance and covenant. For this reason it is not probable
that a blessing of such magnitude, as the sealing upon man and wife the
power of eternal increase, is an exception. Abraham, in his own record,
translated by Joseph the Seer, says, "I sought for the blessings of the
fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the
same." One of these blessings was, "To be a father of many nations, a
prince of peace;" _P. of G. P., page_ 26.
Abraham understood that this right could only be bestowed by
ordination, by one of the fathers who had received it from the fathers
in regular descent from Adam. He states that this right was conferred
upon him from the fathers, according to his desire. That this right
included the authority to regulate the marriage relations, in the
future generations of his children, is evident from the further
statement, "I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according
to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed." That
is, he sought for that especial authority in the Priesthood, through
which he had obtained the power of eternal increase.
The priest's office was bestowed upon Aaron and his posterity forever,
by ordinance and covenant; _Exodus_ 40. 15. Could this have been the
case unless his posterity was made an eternal heritage through the
everlasting covenant of marriage? This power of uniting husband and
wife by an everlasting covenant of marriage, and by that ordinance
giving them an eternal right over their posterity, descended from
Abraham through the fathers, until Israel, by transgression, forfeited
the blessing.
From the sharpness with which the prophet Nathan reproved David, and
the statement that the Lord had given him the wives of his master Saul;
2 _Sam_. 12. 1-12, it is probable that the prophet held this authority.
The great sin of David, apart from the murder of Uriah, was, that he
had taken from another man that which the Lord had given him, and
stepped outside of his own covenant limits.
Whether the prophet Malachi held the keys of this power or not, he
evidently saw in prophetic vision, that it would be taken from the
earth, and be restored again, that the broken links of past generations
might be welded together. For the Lord said, through him, "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;" 4. 5, 6. Or as it is rendered in _P.
of G. P., page_ 50, "And he shall plant in the hearts of the children,
the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall
turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be
utterly wasted at his coming."
Evidently a very important part of these promises was, that the
children would open up the way of salvation to the fathers, through the
ordinances of the Gospel, and through them the broken links of past
generations would be connected.
Centuries of darkness passed away in which we hear nothing of the order
of the holy Priesthood, or of any saving ordinances for the dead, when
an obscure man, Joseph Smith, Jun., appeared in the United States of
America, and claimed that to him was committed the authority to open
up the Dispensation of the fulness of times, in which all the keys and
powers of the holy Priesthood should be restored to the earth.
He professed to be a fulfiller of prophecy, and numerous facts, which
have become a part of history, prove him to be what he professed.
He asserts that in the temple in Kirtland, Ohio, Elias appeared and
committed the dispensation of the "Gospel of Abraham," "Saying, that in
us, and our seed, all generations after us should be blest." In this
we see the needed preparatory work for sealing, upon men the power of
eternal lives, through the everlasting covenant of marriage, through
which Abraham sought "To be a father of many nations."
Then at the same place appeared Elijah, and said, "Behold, the time has
fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying
that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of
the Lord come, To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a
curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your
hands;" _Doc. & Cov_. 110. 11-16. Thus we see that the way has been
opened for the complete reunion and salvation of all the generations or
men, through the keys of the Holy Priesthood which have been bestowed
upon Joseph Smith, Jun. This is the designed glorious culmination of
the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage--the eternal union of the
generations of the righteous in bonds never to be broken.
In _Doc. & Cov. sec_. 128. Joseph, the Seer, gives instructions for
restoring the past; in _sec_. 132, he tells the world how future
generations may come forth in unbroken succession, each succeeding
intelligence, the heritage of its fathers, worlds without end.
PLURALITY OF WIVES.
Plural marriage is a very ancient institution. Although generally
ignored by peoples professing modern Christianity, it is still
customary among a large portion of the family of man. Many customs of
modern Europe and America are modeled after those of pagan Greece and
Rome, instead of after the primitive patriarchs, or after the examples
recorded in the history of ancient Israel.
While these ancient nations were monogamists, the limits of intercourse
between the sexes, especially on the part of men, were very indefinite.
This phase of society is quite characteristic of the modern nations of
Europe and America. While the Christian sects of to-day profess some
respect for the patriarchs of Israel, they practically condemn their
family relations as corrupt and immoral.
If plural marriage be unlawful, then is the whole plan of salvation,
through the house of Israel, a failure, and the entire fabric of
Christianity without foundation.
God said to Abraham, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be
thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will
multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked
with him, saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou
shalt be a father of many nations;" _Gen_. 17. 1-4.
Here we are informed that God talked with Abraham, told him to be
perfect, bestowed upon him the blessings of a numerous posterity, and,
as a sequence, future power and glory. If polygamy was contrary to
his law, it is remarkable that God should have condescended to talk
with and greatly bless a man who had, but a short time before, taken
a second wife, while the first was living; a fact of which we are
informed in the second and third verses of the previous chapter. If
this was criminal, Sarai, the mother of all Israel, was involved in the
transgression, for she gave Hagar to her husband for a wife; _Gen_. 16.
3.
The Lord told Joseph, the Seer, that he commanded, "And Sarah gave
Hagar to Abraham to wife;" _Doc. & Cov_. 132. 34. This is also the
testimony of Josephus, the Jewish historian; _Ant_. B. 1. C. 10.
When Hagar was in distress, on account of difficulty with her mistress,
the Lord did not treat her as a profane, cast off woman, but sent an
angel to counsel and comfort her, by assuring her that her posterity
should not be numbered for multitude; _Gen_. 16. 8-10.
The Lord further promised to bless Ishmael, the fruit of this polygamic
marriage, and said, "I will make him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget and I will make him a great
nation;" 17. 20.
We find that this great and good man, Abraham, whom the Lord especially
favored, had concubines: for "Unto the sons of the concubines, which
Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his
son;" 25. 6.
Jacob, the grandson and heir to all the blessings of Abraham, was a
polygamist. He served seven years for Rachel the daughter of Laban,
but being deceived, and Leah given him instead, he served other seven
years for Rachel. Each of these wives had a handmaid, which they gave
to their husband for wives; _Gen_. 29. 18-35. _Chap_. 30. 3-12.
Moses was conversant with the Lord, and was the great lawgiver of
Israel; in his laws especial provision was made for polygamous
children; _Deut_. 21. 15-17. In them polygamy is not mentioned as one
of the crimes for which penalties were provided.
Elkanah was a polygamist, yet his son, Samuel, was a great prophet, and
judge in Israel. He was born, and lived under the special favor of God.
David, king of Israel, was the chosen of the Lord; 1 _Sam_. 16. 12,
13. He took Abigail and Ahinoam, "And they were also both of them his
wives;" 1 _Sam_. 25. 42, 43. He "Took him more concubines and wives out
of Jerusalem;" 2 _Sam_. 5. 13.
We are further informed, that "David did that which was right in the
eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded
him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the
Hittite;" 1 _Kings_ 15. 5. In this passage we have an assurance that
David did right in taking all his wives and concubines, except in
one instance, for which he was severely chastised. When Nathan, the
prophet, reproved him for this sin, he said to him, in the name of the
Lord, "I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy
bosom;" 2 _Sam_. 12. 8.
After having repented and suffered for his sin, Bath-sheba was given
him for a wife, and she bare Solomon; _verse_ 24. The Lord appeared
to this son of a plural wife in a dream, and bestowed upon him great
blessings; 1 _Kings_ 3. God gave him "Wisdom and understanding
exceeding much;" 1 _Kings_ 4. 29. He was not reproved for plural
marriage but for marrying strange wives, who led him into idolatry and
wickedness; 1 _Kings_ 11. Many chief men in Israel, to whom the Lord
manifested his favor, were polygamists.
The following is sometimes quoted as an argument against plural
marriage: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh;" _Mark_ 10. 7,
8. But "Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body?
for two, saith he, shall be one flesh;" 1 _Cor_. 6. 16, shows that it
has no connection with the subject.
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife;" 1 _Tim_.
3. 2, and let deacons be the husbands of one wife; _verse_ 12, are
supposed by some to limit officers in the church, and by inference
all men, to one wife. But when the passages are taken in connection
with the context, which is an enumeration of several qualifications
necessary for bishops and deacons, there is but one reasonable
construction--that these officers of the church should be married men.