Members of the "Reorganized" Church inform us that Zion does not
include Utah,[2] but is limited to Jackson County, Mo., and the regions
round about, Nauvoo being one of the "corner stones;" and when the
Saints came westward they left the borders of Zion. Moreover, since
Temples were to be built in Zion and Jerusalem, all the Temples we may
build in Utah or the West are not recognized of the Lord on this ground
alone, if no other.
We accept the fact that the center place where the City New Jerusalem
is to be built, is in Jackson Country, Missouri. It was never the
intention to substitute Utah or any other place for Jackson Country.
But we do hold that Zion when reference is made to the land, is as
broad as America, both North and South--all of it is Zion. If Zion is
limited in its scope to the country surrounding Jackson County, it
is indeed too bad that Nephi did not know that fact. What a glorious
thing it would have been had there been a few Reorganites in his day
to inform him of it. Then he and his people would not have fallen into
the error of building Temples--like unto Solomon's at Jerusalem--away
off down in Central or South America, but they could have placed one
in Jackson Country, or the regions round about. It was really an
unfortunate occurrence.
But to be serious. The Book of Mormon informs us that the whole of
America, both North and South, is a choice land above all other lands,
in other words--Zion. The Lord told the Jaredites that He would lead
them to a land "which is choice above all the land of the earth."
(Ether 1:42). We understand that they landed in Central America where
their kingdom existed the greater part of their residence in America.
When the Lord led the family of Lehi to this land, He said to them:
"And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper,
and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have
prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands."
(I. Nephi, 2:20). It is generally understood that they landed in South
America, and that their nations, the Nephites and Lamanites, dwelt in
South and Central America during the greater part of their sojourn
here. At any rate, the time of their civilization was principally spent
in the South and not in the region now comprising the United States.
This proves beyond the possibility of doubt that the choice land was
South as well as North America, and while the City New Jerusalem, which
the Book of Mormon tells us is to be built on this land that is choice
above all other lands, will be in Jackson County, nevertheless, if one
accepts the Book of Mormon, one must accept the whole hemisphere as the
land of Zion.
At the April conference of the Church, held at Nauvoo in 1844, the
Prophet Joseph Smith declared that the whole of America was Zion. (See
Mill. Star, 23:280). His remarks are recorded in the _Life of Joseph
the Prophet_ (Reorganite edition, page 503) as follows:
"But in the mighty sweep of the crowning sermons of his life we
must not overlook the more miscellaneous gems and striking sayings.
Here is one for America, like the sound of an archangel's trump:
"I want to make a proclamation to the Elders. You know very well
that the Lord has led this Church by revelation. I have now another
revelation--a grand and glorious revelation. I shall not be able to
dwell as largely upon it as at some other time, but I will give you
the first principles. You know there has been a great discussion
in relation to Zion, where it is, and where the gathering of the
dispensation is, which I am now going to tell you. The Prophets
have spoken and written upon it, but I will make a proclamation
that will cover a broader ground. _The whole of America is Zion
itself_, from north to south, and is described by the Prophets,
who declared that it is the Zion, where the mountain of the Lord
should be, and that it should be in the centre of the land. When
the Elders will take up and examine the old prophecies in the Bible
they will see it."
"AN ESOTERIC GOSPEL."
Another charge is that after the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith,
President Young and the Apostles introduced secrets into the Church,
that they claimed to hold "_keys that the written word never spoke
of, nor never will_." (True Succession, p. 122). All this, say they,
is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the teachings of
Joseph Smith, who always taught openly and not in secret. One of their
defenders writing on this point quotes from the Redeemer as follows:
"Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in
the synagogue, and in the temple, wither the Jews always resort;
_and in secret have I said nothing_. Why ask thou me? ask them:
behold they know what I said." (John 18:18-21.)
"But Brigham was afraid that people would ask his followers what he
taught. In speaking of some who wanted their endowments, he says:
'Well, he gets his endowment, and what for? To go to California,
and _reveal everything he can_, and stir up wickedness, and prepare
himself for hell." (Journal of Discourses, 2: 144).
"Christ was not afraid of any revealments. He stood there among
His enemies, defying them to find any fault with His teachings;
but Brigham was afraid of what his followers might reveal of his
doctrine and secret works. Did he represent Christ?" (Necessity for
a Reorganization, p. 30).
Yes, Jesus taught the Gospel openly as far as the Jews were able to
stand it; but it does not follow that he did not teach His disciples
things that were not for the world! And at times He was constrained by
His Father from teaching His disciples some truths. Why? Because of the
hardness of their hearts they were not able to receive His teachings.
In not revealing everything to the world, did Brigham Young,--aye, did
Joseph Smith represent Christ? for Brigham Young was only following in
the footsteps of the Seer! What was it the Savior said to Peter, James,
and John, when they came down from the mount of transfiguration? Jesus
charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man
be risen again from the dead."--Matt. 17:8. (Inspired Scriptures) Why
didn't he tell them to proclaim it openly from the housetops? Because
it was not for the world! Jesus was in the habit of teaching the people
in parables. On one occasion when He had thus spoken, His disciples
came and said unto him:
"Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto
them, _Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven_, but _to them_ it is not given. For whosoever
receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance;
but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him _shall be taken
away even that he hath_. Therefore speak I to them in parables;
because they, seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither
do they understand." (Matt. 13:8-12).
On another occasion Jesus said unto His disciples: "And other sheep
I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
(John 10:16). But He did not tell them who those "other sheep" were.
The reason He failed to tell them this interesting fact we learn from
the Book of Mormon:
"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words,
He said unto those Twelve whom He had chosen, ye are my disciples;
and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the
house of Joseph. And behold, this is the land of your inheritance;
and the Father hath given it unto you. And not at any time hath
the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your
brethren at Jerusalem; neither at any time hath the Father given
me commandment, that I should tell unto them concerning the other
tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out
of the land. This much did the Father command me, that I should
tell unto them. That other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And now, _because
of stiffneckedness and unbelief, they understood not my word:
therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning
this thing unto them_." (III. Nephi, 15:11-17).
How different this is from Reorganite philosophy, according to their
rule of faith, Jesus should have spoken boldly and openly and should
not have withheld anything. Was Jesus "_afraid_ of any revealments?"
Paul says he knew a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, he
could not tell, "How that he was caught up into paradise, and _heard
unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter_." What
made the words unlawful to utter to man? simply because in the hardness
of his heart and unbelief, man was not worthy to hear them, he could
not endure them.
The Book of Mormon is most emphatic on this point that there are
"mysteries" that are not to be revealed to the unfaithful. This is from
the Prophet Alma:
"And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, (Zeezrom),
saying, It is given unto many _to know the mysteries_ of God;
_nevertheless they are laid under a strict command, that they shall
not impart only according to the portion of His word, which He doth
grant unto the children of men; according to the heed and diligence
which they give unto Him_; and therefore he that will harden his
heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he
that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion
of the word, _until he know them in full_; and they that will
harden their hearts, to them is given the _lesser portion_ of the
word, _until they know nothing concerning his mysteries_; and then
they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to
destruction. Now, this is what is meant by the chains of hell."
It is because Reorganites have hardened their hearts that they have
not received the _greater portion_ of the word, even the mysteries,
and therefore they are, through their hard-heartedness and unbelief,
captives of the devil and in danger of the chains of hell.
If the Lord places His servants under a strict command _not to reveal_
His word, "only according to the portion of His word, which He doth
grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence
which they give unto Him;" and, therefore, they withhold some of those
things from the world that have been revealed unto them does that make
them _cowardly_? If so, not only Brigham Young, but Joseph Smith, yes,
even the Son of Man Himself would be cowardly. No, the fact that they
have refused to do this thing proves them to possess the greatest
courage, for it has caused them to face persecutions, even death.
We are told that the Book of Mormon contains the fulnesss of the
Gospel, yet the greater parts of the teachings of the Savior to that
people are not yet revealed, because of the unbelief of the people.
This is from III. Nephi, 26th chapter:
"And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part
of the teachings which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; but
behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things
which He taught the people; and these things have I written, which
are a _lesser part_ of the things which He taught the people; and I
have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto
this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus
hath spoken.
"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that
they should have first, _to try their faith_, and if it shall so
be that they shall believe these things, then shall the _greater
things_ be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will
not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld
from them, _unto their condemnation_. Behold I was about to write
them all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, _but the
Lord forbid it, saying, I will try the faith of my people_."
(Verses 6-11).
The calling of Brigham Young a coward for withholding some things that
the Lord has revealed to His Church, may be excused because of the
ignorance of the accusers; but who dare presume to say the Lord was
cowardly because He withheld the greater things from His people? And
yet if you have done it unto one of His servants ye have done it unto
Him.
Again:
"Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which
the brother of Jared saw: and there never was greater things made
manifest, than that which was made manifest unto the brother of
Jared; wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I
have written them. And He commanded me that I should seal them up;
and He also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation
thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to
the commandment of the Lord. For the Lord said unto me, They shall
not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent
of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord." (Ether 4:4-6).
Joseph the Prophet was commanded to keep some things from going out
into the world that had been revealed unto him and the Church. He also
received revelations that he could not teach to the Church in the
beginning, no more than Jesus could teach all things to His disciples.
When he did reveal some of the "mysteries" there were many who left Him
and denied the faith, just as they did when Jesus told His disciples He
was the bread of life (John 6:66). "Many of them went back and walked
no more with Him." The Prophet said at Kirtland, April 6, 1837: "If the
Church knew all the commandments, one half they would condemn through
prejudice and ignorance. (Hist. of Church, Vol. 2:477). A great many
did fall away at that time, not being able to endure, and among them
were the Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, one of whom afterwards set up
a church of his own, declaring that Joseph Smith was a fallen Prophet,
and rejecting all his commandments given after about 1835.
The Lord gave a revelation to the Prophet, March 7, 1831, at Kirtland
(Sec. 45), in which He revealed many things to take place before His
second coming, and at the close of the revelation He said:
"And now I say unto you, _keep these things from going abroad unto
the world_, until it is expedient in me that ye may accomplish this
work in the eyes of the people, and in the eyes of your enemies,
that they may not know your works until ye have accomplished the
thing which I have commanded you."
When the Prophet Joseph gave his charge to the first foreign
missionaries of the Church, Elders Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Joseph
Fielding, and others, he said:
"My instructions to the brethren were, when they arrived in
England, to adhere closely to the first principles of the Gospel,
and remain _silent_ concerning the _gathering_, the _vision_, (D. &
C., Sec. 76), and the _Book of Doctrine and Covenants_, until such
time as the work was fully established, and it should be clearly
made manifest by the Spirit to do otherwise. (Hist. of Church,
2:492).
Was there anything in the doctrine of _gathering_, in the _vision_,
or the _Doctrine and Covenants_, that Joseph Smith was ashamed of?
Was he "afraid that people would ask his followers what he taught?"
that he gave such a charge to these first foreign missionaries of the
Church! Was he afraid, a coward? No, he was merely obeying the voice
of the Spirit, for the people were not prepared to receive these
things. Brigham Young was no more "afraid that the people would ask his
followers what he taught," than was Joseph Smith, or even the Master
Himself, when He commanded certain of His disciples to withhold some of
His teachings from the world, until after His resurrection.
Now, our Reorganite friends have attempted to make considerable capital
out of the statement of President Brigham Young, that there were "keys
that the written word never spoke of, nor never will." In the light of
the facts herein set forth, that "it is given unto many to _know the
mysteries_ of God; _nevertheless they are laid under a strict command,
that they shall not impart only according to the portion of His word,
which He doth grant unto the children of men_; according to the _heed_
and _diligence_ which they give unto Him, and that things have been
revealed to the faithful even to babes, that were "_forbidden_, that
there should not any man _write them_," and that many of them have
seen and heard "_unspeakable things_, which are _not lawful to be
written_," (III. Nephi 26:16, 18). is it, after all, so unreasonable
that there should be _keys_ that the written word _does not and will
not_ speak of? Joseph Smith the Prophet held the "_keys_" of the
_mystery of things which have been sealed_, even things which were from
the foundation of the world." (D. & C. 35:18), which _mysteries_ it was
given to the Saints to know, "but _unto the world_ it is not _given
to know them_." (D. & C. 42:65). Again: "But unto him that keepeth my
commandments, I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same
shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting
life." (D. & C. 63:23).
Now, how were these _keys_ and _mysteries_ to be kept from the world,
if they were to be published to the world in the written word? And
if the Saints through faithfulness are to receive the _mysteries_
of the kingdom, then they must be withheld from the world and from
the unfaithful. How is this to be if they are to be published to
the world in the written word? Therefore, when our friends of the
"Reorganization" attack President Young because there were _keys_ not
spoken of in the written word, which keys we have seen were held by
Joseph Smith, they merely display their own ignorance and folly in
raising the question.