men will say, 'I will never forsake you, but will stand by you at all
times.' But the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of the
kingdom of God that are retained in the heavens and are to be revealed
to the children of men when they are prepared for them, they will be
the first to stone you and put you to death. It was this same principle
that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and will cause the people to kill
the Prophets in this generation."
A FULNESS OF ORDINANCES NECESSARY.--"All men who become heirs of God
and joint heirs of Jesus Christ will have to receive the fulness of
the ordinances of his kingdom; and those who will not receive all the
ordinances will come short of the fulness of that glory, if they do not
lose the whole."
THE WORLD OF SPIRITS.--"Hades, the Greek, or Shaole, the Hebrew: these
two significations mean a world of spirits. Hades, Shaole, paradise,
spirits in prison, are all one: it is a world of spirits.
"The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until
the resurrection. * * The great misery of departed spirits in the
world of spirits, where they go after death, is to know that they come
short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed
themselves, and they are their own accusers."
THREE PERSONS IN HEAVEN HOLDING THE KEYS OF POWER.--"Any person that
has seen the heavens opened knows that there are three personages in
the heavens who hold the keys of power, and one presides over all.
* * * As the Father hath power in himself, so hath the Son power in
himself, to lay down his life and take it again, so he has a body of
his own. The Son doeth what he hath seen the Father do: then the Father
hath some day laid down his life and taken it again; so he has a body
of his own; each one will be in his own body."
FORGIVE ALL MEN.--_July_ 9, 1843. "Joseph remarked that all was well
between him and the heavens; that he had no enmity against anyone; and
as the prayer of Jesus, or his pattern, so prayed Joseph--'Father,
forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me,'
for I freely forgive all men. If we would secure and cultivate the love
of others, we must love others, even our enemies as well as friends."
NECESSITY OF BAPTISM.--The Gospel requires baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins, which is the meaning of the word in the original
language--namely, to bury or immerse. * * But I further believe in the
gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. * * Might as well
baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission
of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a
baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half--that is, the
baptism of the Holy Ghost.
SEALING OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD.--_August_ 13, 1843. "Four destroying
angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the
servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing
the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant,
thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon
the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot
be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father
and mother."
THE KING OF SALEM.--_August_ 18, 1843. "The King of Shiloam (Salem) had
power and authority over that of Abraham, holding the key and the power
of endless life."
"THE SACRIFICE REQUIRED OF ABRAHAM in the offering up of Isaac shows
that if a man would attain to the keys of the kingdom of an endless
life, he must sacrifice all things. When God offers a blessing or
knowledge to a man, and he refuses to receive it, he will be damned."
THE FULNESS OF THE MELCHISEDEK PRIESTHOOD.--"Those holding the fulness
of the Melchisedek Priesthood are kings and priests of the Most High
God, holding the keys of power and blessings! In fact, that Priesthood
is a perfect law of theocracy, and stands as God to give laws to the
people, administering endless lives to the sons and daughters of Adam.
"Abram says to Melchisedek, I believe all that thou hast taught
me concerning the Priesthood and the coming of the Son of Man; so
Melchisedek ordained Abram, and sent him away. Abram rejoiced, saying,
Now I have a Priesthood. * * Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal
the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the
fathers. The anointing and sealing is to be called, elected, and made
sure."
SPIRITS OF THE JUST.--_October_ 9, 1843. "Spirits can only be revealed
in flaming fire or glory. Angels have advanced further, their light
and glory being tabernacled; and hence they appear in bodily shape.
The spirits of just men are made ministering servants to those who are
sealed unto life eternal, and it is through them that the sealing power
comes down. * *
"The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious
work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of
spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know
and understand our thoughts, feelings, and notions, and are often
pained therewith.
"Flesh and blood cannot go there; but flesh and bones, quickened by the
Spirit of God, can."
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.--_October_ 15, 1843. "It is one thing to see the
Kingdom of God, and another thing to enter into it. We must have a
change of heart to see the Kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles
of adoption to enter therein.
ADULTERY.--_November_ 25, 1843. "If a man commit adultery, he cannot
receive the celestial kingdom of God. Even if he is saved in any
kingdom, it cannot be the celestial kingdom."
SAVIORS ON MOUNT ZION.--_January_ 20, 1844. "The Bible says, 'I will
send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come
and smite the earth with a curse.'
"Now, the word _turn_ here should be translated _bind_, or seal. But
what is the object of this important mission? or how is it to be
fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered, the spirit of Elijah is to
come, the Gospel to be established, the Saints of God gathered, Zion
built up, and the Saints to come up as Saviors on Mount Zion.
"But how are they to become Saviors on Mount Zion? By building their
temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving
all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings,
ordinations, and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all
their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come
forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with
them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers
to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfils the
mission of Elijah. * *
"The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and
gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also,
before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls
upon the world."
THE SPIRIT OF ELIAS.--_March_ 10, 1844. "The spirit of Elias is
to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the
Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto.
And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work,
holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of
Elias, even from the early ages of the world. * * * This is the Elias
spoken of in the last days, and here is the rock upon which many split,
thinking the time was past in the days of John and Christ, and no more
to be. But the spirit of Elias was revealed to me, and I know it is
true; therefore I speak with boldness, for I know verily my doctrine is
true."
THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH.--"Now for Elijah. The spirit, power, and calling
of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the keys of the revelations,
ordinances, oracles, powers, and endowments of the fulness of the
Melchisedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and
to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the
kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers
unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers,
even those who are in heaven. * * Now comes the point. What is this
office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important
subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to seal the
children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children. * * I wish
you to understand this subject, for it is important; and if you will
receive it, this is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and
connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up
our dead to come forth in the first resurrection; and here we want the
power of Elijah _to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell
in heaven_. This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom
of Jehovah. * * Then what you seal on earth, by the keys of Elijah,
is sealed in heaven; and this is the power of Elijah, and this is the
difference between the spirit and power of Elias and Elijah; for while
the spirit of Elias is a forerunner, the power of Elijah is sufficient
to make our calling and election sure. * * We cannot be perfect without
the fathers, etc. We must have revelations from them, and we can see
that the doctrine of REVELATION as far transcends the doctrine of NO
REVELATION as knowledge is above ignorance; for one truth revealed from
heaven is worth all the sectarian notions in existence.
"This spirit of Elijah was manifest in the days of the apostles, in
delivering certain ones to the buffetings of Satan, that they might
be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. They were sealed by the spirit
of Elijah unto the damnation of hell until the day of the Lord, or
revelation of Jesus Christ. * *
"According to the Scriptures, if men have received the good word of
God, and tasted of the powers of the world to come, if they shall
fall away, it is impossible to renew them again, seeing they have
crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame; so there
is a possibility of falling away: you could not be renewed again, and
the power of Elijah cannot seal against this sin, for this is a reserve
made in the seals and power of the Priesthood. * *
"A murderer, for instance, one that sheds innocent blood, cannot have
forgiveness. David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully, with
tears, for the murder of Uriah; but he could only get it through hell:
he got a promise that his soul should not be left in hell. Although
David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah
and the fulness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received,
and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given
to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his
lineage.
"This is the case with murderers. They could not be baptized for the
remission of sins, for they had shed innocent blood."
THE SPIRIT OF MESSIAH.--"The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second,
and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the
spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of
power, building the Temple to the cap stone, placing the seals of
the Melchisedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all
things ready; then _Messiah_ comes to his Temple, which is last of all.
Messiah is above the spirit and power of Elijah, for he made the world,
and was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the wilderness. Elijah was to
come and prepare the way and build up the kingdom before the coming of
the great day of the Lord, although the spirit of Elias might begin it."
ETERNAL LIFE.--_April_ 7, 1844. "Here, then, is eternal life--to know
the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods
yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods
have done before you,--namely, by going from one small degree to
another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace,
from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of
the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in
glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power."
ALL REVELATIONS ARE SPIRITUAL.--"All things whatsoever God of his
infinite wisdom has seen fit and proper to reveal to us, while we are
dwelling in mortality, in regard to our mortal bodies, are revealed
to us in the abstract and independent of affinity of this mortal
tabernacle, but are revealed to our spirits precisely as though we had
no bodies at all; and those revelations which will save our spirits
will save our bodies. God reveals them to us in view of no eternal
dissolution of the body, or tabernacle. Hence the responsibility, the
awful responsibility, that rests upon us, in relation to our dead; for
all the spirits who have not obeyed the Gospel in the flesh must either
obey it in the spirit or be damned. * * * The greatest responsibility
in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.
The Apostle says, 'They without us cannot be made perfect;' for it is
necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our
children and our dead for the fulness of the dispensation of times--a
dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ before the
foundation of the world for the salvation of man."
SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.--"All sins, and all blasphemies, and every
transgression, except one, that man can be guilty of, may be forgiven;
and there is a salvation for all men, either in this world or the world
to come, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, there being a
provision either in this world or the world of spirits. Hence God hath
made a provision that every spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted
out and saved, unless he has committed that unpardonable sin which
cannot be remitted to him either in this world or the world of spirits.
God has wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have committed
a certain sin; and every man who has a friend in the eternal world can
save him, unless he has committed the unpardonable sin. And so you can
see how you can be a savior."
THE CONTENTION IN HEAVEN.--"The contention in heaven was--Jesus said
there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the Devil
said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand
council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the Devil
rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put
up their heads for him."
FOREORDINATION OF MAN.--_May_ 12, 1844. "Every man who has a calling
to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very
purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was."
GOD DWELLS IN ETERNAL FIRE.--"God Almighty himself dwells in eternal
fire: flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured
by the fire. Our God is a consuming fire. When our flesh is quickened
by the Spirit, there will be no blood in this tabernacle. Some dwell in
higher glory than others."
THE RESURRECTION.--"All men who are immortal dwell in everlasting
burnings. You cannot go anywhere but where God can find you out. All
men are born to die, and all men must rise; all must enter eternity.
"In order for you to receive your children to yourself, you must have
a promise--some ordinance, some blessing, in order to ascend above
principalities, or else it may be an angel. They must rise just as they
died: we can there hail our lovely infants with the same glory--the
same loveliness in the celestial glory, where they all enjoy alike.
They differ in stature, in size: the same glorious spirit gives them
the likeness of glory and bloom; the old man with his silvery hairs
will glory in bloom and beauty. No man can describe it to you--no man
can write it."
COUNCIL OF HIGH PRIESTS.--_February_ 12, 1834. The Prophet Joseph said:
"No man is capable of judging a matter, in Council, unless his own
heart is pure; and that we frequently are so filled with prejudice, or
have a beam in our own eye, that we are not capable of passing right
decisions, etc.
"But to return to the subject of order: In ancient days, Councils were
conducted with strict propriety, that no one was allowed to whisper, be
weary, leave the room, or get uneasy in the least, until the voice of
the Lord, by revelation, or the voice of the Council by the Spirit was
obtained, which has not been observed in this Church to the present.
"It was understood in ancient days, that if one man could stay in
Council, another could; and if the President could spend his time, the
members could also; but in our Councils, generally, one will be uneasy,
another asleep; one praying, another not; one's mind on the business of
the Council, and another thinking on something else, etc.
"Our acts are rendered, and at a future day they will be laid before
us, and if we should fail to judge right and injure our fellow beings,
they may be there, perhaps, condemn us; there they are of great
consequence, and to me the consequence appears to be of force, beyond
anything which I am able to express, etc. Ask yourselves, brethren, how
much you have exercised yourselves in prayer since you heard of this
Council; and if you are now prepared to sit in Council upon the soul of
your brother."
THE HIGH COUNCIL.--_July_ 11, 1840. "The High Council met at my office,
when I taught them principles relating to their duty as a Council, and
that they might be guided by the same in future, I ordered it to be
recorded as follows: 'That the Council should try no case without both
parties being present, or having had an opportunity to be present,
neither should they hear one party's complaint before his case is
brought up for trial; neither should they suffer the character of any
one to be exposed before the High Council without the person being
present and ready to defend him or herself; that the minds of the
Councilors be not prejudiced for or against any one whose case they may
possibly have to act upon."
BY THE PROPHET JOSEPH, _January_ 5, 1841. "At the organization of a
school of instruction. Description of Paul: He is about five feet high;
very dark hair; dark complexion; dark skin; large Roman nose; sharp
face; small black eyes, penetrating as eternity; round shoulders; a
whining voice, except when elevated, and then it almost resembled the
roaring of a lion. He was a good orator, active and diligent, always
employing himself in doing good to his fellow man."
DIFFERENT DEGREES OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF MELCHISEDEK.--"Answer to the
question, Was the Priesthood of Melchisedek taken away when Moses died?
All Priesthood is Melchisedek, but there are different portions or
degrees of it. That portion which brought Moses to speak with God face
to face was taken away; but that which brought the ministry of angels
remained. All the prophets had the Melchisedek Priesthood and were
ordained by God himself.
The world and earth are not synonymous terms. The world is the human
family.--This earth was organized or formed out of other planets which
were broken up and remodeled and made into the one on which we live.
The elements are eternal. That which has a beginning will surely have
an end; take a ring, it is without beginning or end--cut it for a
beginning place and at the same time you have an ending place.
A key: Every principle proceeding from God is eternal and any principle
which is not eternal is of the devil. The sun has no beginning or end;
the rays which proceed from himself have no bounds, consequently are
eternal.
So it is with God. If the soul of man had a beginning it will surely
have an end. In the translation 'without form and void' it should read,
empty and desolate. The word created should be formed, or organized.'"
OBSERVATION ON THE SECTARIAN GOD.--"That which is without body, parts
and passions is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God
who has flesh and bones. _John_, 5. 26, As the Father hath life in
himself, even so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. God
the Father took life unto himself precisely as Jesus did.
"The first step in the salvation of man is the laws of eternal
and self-existent principles. Spirits are eternal. At the first
organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen
and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it.
We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure
before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness
consists is having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his
punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man,
and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine,
showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none.
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The
devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we
revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. This
earth will be rolled back into the presence of God, and crowned with
celestial glory."
THREE INDEPENDENT PRINCIPLES.--_May_ 16, 1841. "There are three
independent principles; the Spirit of God, the spirit of man, and the
spirit of the devil. All men have power to resist the devil.
"They who have tabernacles, have power over those who have not. The
doctrine of eternal judgment; _Acts_ 2. 41. Peter preached, Repent, and
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins,
&c.; but in _Acts_ 3. 19 he says, Repent and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out when the times of redemption shall come, and he
shall send Jesus, &c.
"Remission of sins by baptism was not to be preached to murderers.
All the priests of Christendom might pray for a murderer on the
scaffold forever, but could not avail so much as a gnat towards their
forgiveness. There is no forgiveness for murderers; they will have to
wait until the times of redemption shall come, and that in hell. Peter
had the keys of eternal judgment, and he saw David in hell, and knew
for what reason, and that David would have to remain there until the
resurrection at the coming of Christ. _Romans_ 9. All election that can
be found in the scriptures is according to the flesh, and pertaining to
the Priesthood.
THE THREE PERSONAGES.--Everlasting covenant was made between three
personages before the organization of this earth, and relates to their
dispensation of things to men on the earth: these personages, according
to Abraham's record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the
second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator."
LEHI'S TRAVELS.--_Revelation to Joseph the Seer_. The course that
Lehi and his company traveled from Jerusalem to the place of their
destination:
They traveled nearly a south, southeast direction until they came to
the nineteenth degree of north latitude; then, nearly east to the Sea
of Arabia, then sailed in a southeast direction, and landed on the
continent of South America, in Chili, thirty degrees south latitude.
BOOK OF MORMON CHRONOLOGY.
The events marked are those about which the record does not appear
sufficiently explicit to make the year certain. It is occasionally
difficult to decide whether the circumstance narrated took place near
the close of one year, or in the commencement of the next.
The four dates marked thus ** are based upon the supposition that
Zeniff re-occupied the land of Nephi, B. C. 200. This may not be the
exact year, but it is approximate.
The three dates marked thus * are based upon the idea that the "young
man," Alma, was twenty-five years old when the prophet Abinadi was
martyred.
The Book of Mormon appears to furnish no clue to the date of Lehi's
colony landing in South America. It is supposed to have been about
twelve years after its departure from Jerusalem.
B. C. signifies before the birth of Christ; A. C. after Christ; N. A.
signifies "Nephite Annals" or years after the departure of Lehi from
Jerusalem; Y. J., years of the Judges, or of the Republic.