_Salvation a Gift to All--God's Covenant with Abraham-Proselytes-The
Dispersion--Conclusion_.
Before proceeding further we wish to remark that we trust no one will
imagine, from reading these chapters, that we believe that the literal
descendants of Abraham will be the only ones saved in the kingdom of
God. To the contrary we are fully aware that God has made of one blood
all the nations of the earth, and realize that all men of every clime
and age, may be partakers of the priceless blessings resulting to
fallen humanity from the infinite sacrifice on Calvary. We also firmly
believe that within the scope of the gospel covenant are provisions,
and ways and means, by which the obedient of all races become the
recognized children of Abraham, and heirs, by adoption, to all the
God-given promises to that Patriarch. John the Baptist told the
degenerate Jews of his day who were boasting of their Abrahamic
descent, that of the very stones in the roadway, if it so pleased Him,
God could raise up children unto Abraham. All we claim for Israel, no
more, no less, is the fulfillment of God's covenant with the father of
the faithful, which covenant modern revelation lays before us in the
following language:
"My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from beginning; therefore my
hand shall be over thee [Abraham] and I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great
among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after
thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood
unto all nations, and I will bless them through thy name; for as many
as receive this gospel, shall be called after thy name, and shall be
accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;
and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee,
and in thee (that is in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy
Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall
continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the
literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the
earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the gospel, which are the
blessings of salvation, even of life eternal." (Book of Abraham.)
From this we learn that it has been covenanted by the Eternal One,
that Abraham's seed shall bear the message and ministry of God's grace
to all nations, and that through him and his seed all the families of
the earth shall be blessed with the blessings of the gospel which,
through obedience, brings salvation and eternal lives; also as many as
receive the gospel shall be called after his (Abraham's) name, shall
be accounted his seed, and shall rise up and bless him as their
father.
This last mentioned portion of the covenant was well understood by the
Jews and acted upon by them, even though they had cringed from
obedience to the fullness of the gospel, and were living under a
lesser law of bondage and carnal commandments. The manner in which the
Israelites received and treated proselytes is certainly not one of the
least interesting features of their policy and history, and may here
be glanced at, without wandering far from the question under
consideration.
There appears to have been two classes of proselytes recognized among
the ancient Jews. The first, known as Proselytes of Righteousness, or
Proselytes of the Covenant, became perfect Israelites, and, according
to the Talmud, were admitted to the household of Abraham by
circumcision and baptism. The other class were termed Proselytes of
the Gate ("the stranger that is within thy gate.") It is said converts
of this class were not bound by circumcision and the other special
laws of the Mosaic code. It was enough for such to observe the
precepts against idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, uncleanness and
theft, and of obedience, also, to that precept against eating "flesh
with the blood thereof." Of this latter class were converts who
embraced Judaism for other than the purest motives; for instance, for
the sake of a lover, a husband or a wife, to court favor and
promotion, or in dread of some calamity or threatened judgment. Such
converts were regarded by the Jews of old very much in the same manner
as their counterparts are regarded among the Latter-day Saints. Again,
the Jews sometimes spread their faith with the same weapons as those
with which they had defended it. The Idumeans, after their conquest by
John Hyrcanus, had the alternative of death, exile or circumcision
offered to them. They chose the latter. The Iturians were converted
(?) in the same way by Aristobolus. In the days of Jesus, when the
light of truth shone but dimly in the Jewish creed, and the vices of
the degenerate Jews had been engrafted on those of the profligate
heathen, the Savior cried, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and
when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than
yourselves." (_Matt. xxiii: 13_.)
There is one factor that tended greatly to the diffusion of
Israelitish blood, that we have scarcely noticed, as it relates far
more largely to Judah than to Ephraim. We refer to those who remained
settled in foreign countries after the return of the Jews from the
Babylonian captivity, and during the period of the second temple. At
the beginning of the Christian era the dispersed were divided into
three great sections, the Babylonian, the Syrian, and the Egyptian.
From Babylon the Jews spread through Persia, Media and Parthia. The
Greek conquests in Asia extended the limits of this dispersion. Large
settlements of the children of Judah were established in Cyprus, and
on the western coast of Asia Minor. These latter, to a very
unfortunate extent, adopted the Greek language and Greek ideas. In
Africa, Alexander and Ptolemy I. established large colonies of Jews at
Alexandria, not far from which place a temple was erected to Jehovah
after the order of that at Jerusalem. From Alexandria the Jews spread
out over the coasts of northern and eastern Africa. How greatly the
Jews had become scattered in the time of Christ, may be judged from
the devout men who came up to worship and keep the passover at
Jerusalem, and who listened to the preaching of Peter on the day of
Pentecost. They are stated to have been Parthians, Medes, Elamites
(Persians), dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
Phrygia, Pamphilia, Egypt, Cyrene (Tripoli), Cretes, Arabians, Romans,
Jews and proselytes.
There is also another view of the subject, which we are not prepared
to enlarge upon in this article, but which bears the weight of
abundant proof. It is, that the Latter-day Saints have been, and are
today, fulfilling the work that it has been oft foretold Ephraim and
his fellows should do. Then, if we are doing the work, and claim that
we are they who should do it, and it being impossible to invalidate
our assumption, is not our claim worthy of thoughtful consideration
and average respect? God has declared that He will make of His
latter-day Israel a nation of kings and priests. In former
dispensations (except that lesser authority among the Jews given to
the house of Aaron) the Priesthood was conferred upon the few, it was
an honor of the highest kind; but in the dispensation of the fullness
of times, the whole people are to be a race of kings and priests, and
not less honorable because of the multitude. To our mind this is a
great proof that that people will be of Ephraim. There is a cause for
all God's promises--there is one for this. In the order of the higher
law, the Priesthood belongs to the first-born. Ephraim is God's
adopted first-born in all the races of mankind, therefore, by right of
that adoption, they are a nation of priests--priests of God after the
order of Melchisedek, under Jesus our Redeemer, the Savior of the
world.
To conclude, we believe that there is scarcely a people or nation
under heaven in which is not to be found some of the blood of Abraham,
leavening with the promised seed all the families of the earth. And
this chosen generation will, by right of kindred, administer to all
people the word of God, and as saviors will they stand upon Mount
Zion, drawing all men unto the great Savior of our race, who will
stand in their midst, on the right hand of the Father, crowned and
exalted as King of kings, and Lord of lords, the great Apostle and
High Priest of our salvation. Truly the Lord is fulfilling His
promises, Israel has blossomed and budded and filled the earth with
fruit, but in the great future He will do it yet more abundantly and
gloriously.