small moment to establish his divine authority. In the name of the
Lord he cast out devils, healed the sick, spoke with new tongues,
interpreted ancient languages, and predicted future events. Many
of these miracles were wrought before numerous multitudes of both
believers and unbelievers, and upon persons not connected with
our church. And again, the numerous miracles wrought through the
instrumentality of thousands of the officers and members of this
church, are additional evidences that the man who was instrumental in
founding the church _must have been sent of God_. The thousands of sick
that have been miraculously healed in all parts of the world where
this gospel is preached, give forth a strong and almost irresistible
testimony that Mr. Smith's authority is "_from heaven_." Although the
great majority of mankind consider miracles to be an _infallible_
evidence in favor of the divine authority of the one who performs
them, yet we do most distinctly dissent from this idea. If miracles be
admitted as an _infallible_ evidence, then all that have ever wrought
miracles must have been sent of God. The magicians of Egypt wrought
some splendid miracles before that nation; they created serpents and
frogs, and turned rivers of water into blood. If miraculous evidence
is _infallible_, the Egyptians were bound to receive the contradictory
messages of both Moses and the magicians as of divine authority.
According to this idea, the witch of Endor must have established her
divine mission beyond all controversy by calling forth a dead man from
the grave in the presence of Saul, king of Israel. A certain wicked
power described by John (Rev. viii chap.) was to do "great _wonders_"
and "_miracles_," and cause "_fire to come down from heaven on the
earth in the sight of men_." If miracles were infallible evidences,
surely no one should reject the divine authority of John's beast. Again
(in Rev. chapter xvi) John "_saw three unclean spirits like frogs_,"
which he expressly says, "_are the_ SPIRITS OF DEVILS WORKING MIRACLES,
_which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to
gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty_." The
learned divines and clergy of the nineteenth century boldly declare
that "_miracles are an_ INFALLIBLE _evidence of the divine mission
of the one who performs them_." If so, who can blame "_the kings of
the earth_," and these learned divines, and all their followers for
embracing the message of these divinely inspired devils? For according
to their argument, they should in no wise reject them, for they
prove their mission by evidences which they say are infallible. We
shall expect in a few years, to see an innumerable host of sectarian
ministers as well as kings, taking up their line of march for the
great valley of "Armageddon," near Jerusalem, and thus prove by their
works that they do really believe in the _infallibility of miraculous
evidence_. Devils can work miracles as well as God, and as they have
already persuaded the religious world that miracles are infallible
evidences of divine authority, they will not have much difficulty among
the followers of modern christianity in establishing the divinity
of their mission. But the "Latter-day Saints" do not believe in the
infallibility of miraculous evidence. We believe that miraculous gifts
are absolutely necessary in the church of Christ, without which it
cannot exist on the earth. Miracles, when taken in connexion with a
pure, holy, and perfect doctrine, reasonable and scriptural, is a very
strong collateral evidence in favour of that doctrine, and of the
divine authority of those who preach it. But abstract miracles alone,
unconnected with other evidences, instead of being _infallible_ proofs
are no proofs at all: they are as likely to be _false_ as true. So
baptism "_for the remission of sins_" is essential in the church of
Christ, and when taken in connexion with all other points of doctrine
embraced in the gospel, is a presumptive evidence for the divine
authority of the person who preaches it. But baptism "for the remission
of sins," unconnected with other parts of the doctrine of Christ, would
be no evidence either for or against the divine authority of any man.
The many thousands of miracles wrought in this church, being connected
as they are with an infallible doctrine, and with a vast number of
other proofs, have carried an almost irresistible conviction to the
minds of vast multitudes, who have, in consequence, yielded obedience
to the message, and become in their turn the happy recipients of the
same power of God, by which they themselves can also heal the sick and
work by faith in the name of the Lord; thus demonstrating to themselves
the truth of the Saviour's promise, viz:--that certain miraculous
"_signs shall follow them that believe_." (See Mark, chap. xvi.)
There is one thing connected with Joseph Smith's message which will
at once prove him to be an impostor or else a true prophet. It is a
certain promise contained in a revelation which was given through him
to the apostles of this Church in the year 1832. It reads as follows:
"Go ye into all the world, and whatsoever place ye cannot go into,
ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world
unto every creature. And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say
unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God's high priests; ye are
they whom my Father hath given me--ye are my friends; therefore, as
I said unto mine apostles, I say unto you again, that every soul who
believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of
sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost. And these signs shall follow them
that believe. In my name they shall do many wonderful works; in my name
they shall cast out devils; in my name they shall heal the sick; in
my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of
the deaf; and the tongue of the dumb shall speak; and if any man shall
administer poison unto them it shall not hurt them; and the poison of
a serpent shall not have power to harm them. * * * Verily, verily, I
say unto you, they who believe not on your words, and are not baptized
in water in my name, for the remission of their sins, that they may
receive the Holy Ghost, shall be damned, and shall not come into my
Father's kingdom, where my Father and I am. And this revelation unto
you, and commandment, is in force from this very hour upon all the
world." (Doctrine and Covenants, page 86. [Sec. 84:62-75]) Here, then,
this great modern prophet has presented himself before the whole world
with a bold unequivocal promise to every soul who would believe on
his message--a promise, too, that no impostor would dare to make with
the most distant hope of success. An impostor might indeed make such
a promise to his followers, but they never would realize a fulfilment
of it. If these miraculous signs have not followed according to the
above promise, then the tens of thousands who have complied with the
conditions would know Joseph Smith to be an impostor, and with one
accord would turn away, and that would be the end of the imposition.
But the very fact that vast multitudes are annually being added to
the Church, and continue therein year after year, is a demonstrative
evidence that the promise is fulfilled--that the Holy Ghost is given,
and the miraculous signs also. Dare any other societies in all the
world make such a promise unto the believers in their respective
systems? No, they dare not; they know full well that it would be the
speedy downfall and utter overthrow of their vain, unauthorized, and
powerless religions. O, what a wide and marked difference between
the religion of Joseph Smith and that of Protestant and Catholic
religion--between his authority and that of sectarian divines! The one
promises all the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost to his followers,
the other is as powerless as the dry stubble prepared for the burning.
While the followers of this great prophet cast out devils, speak with
new tongues, heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, cause the
lame to walk, obtain heavenly visions, and converse with angels, the
followers of those unauthorized, deluded, and crafty sects not only
deny these great and glorious gifts, or impute them in these days to
the power of the devil, but they grasp the sword, and fire-arms, and
deadly weapons, to kill off the Saints, and drive them from the face
of what they call civilized society. While the one class are suffering
martyrdom by scores for their testimony, the other class are rolling in
all the luxuries and splendors of Great Babylon, with fat salaries of
from ten to twenty-seven thousand pounds sterling per annum.
As we have briefly examined into the nature of the evidences in favour
of Joseph Smith's divine mission, it may be well at the close of this
number to give a short summary of the proofs and arguments contained in
the foregoing.
1. Joseph Smith's doctrine is reasonable, scriptural, perfect, and
infallible in all its precepts, commands, ordinances, promises,
blessings and gifts. In his organization of the church, no officer
mentioned in the New Testament organization is omitted. Inspired
apostles and prophets are considered as necessary as pastors, teachers,
or any other officer.
2. Joseph Smith's account of the restoration of the gospel by an
angel--of his taking out of the ground the sacred records of the tribe
of Joseph--of their subsequent translation by the gift of God--and of
the great western continent's being given to a remnant of Joseph, where
they have grown into a multitude of nations, are all events clearly
predicted by the ancient Jewish apostles and prophets, together with
the minute circumstancess connected therewith. The times and season
in which these events should transpire, and the purposes which they
should accomplish are also all plainly foretold. Joseph Smith presents
the world with the fulfilment at the predicted time--in the predicted
manner--and for the predicted purpose as anciently specified.
3. Joseph Smith incorporates in his mission the gathering of the
Saints out of Babylon, and every other predicted event that was to
characterise the great preparatory dispensation for the second advent
of our Lord.
4. The revelation in the Book of Mormon, pointing out the location
of man [sic] ancient cities, the ruins of which were subsequently
discovered by Catherwood and Stephens--the direct and palpable
fulfilment of many of the prophecies of Joseph Smith, which no human
sagacity could have foreseen, all natural appearances and circumstances
being entirely against their expected fulfillment--the raising up
of numerous other witnesses who also testify to the ministering of
angels and the manifestations of the power of God confirmatory of this
message--the performance of many splendid miracles by Mr. Smith and his
followers, and the bold unequivocal promise of the miraculous gifts to
all who should believe and embrace this message, are all evidences such
as no impostor ever has given, or ever can give. They are evidences
such as will prove the salvation of every creature that receives the
message, and the damnation of every soul that rejects it.
15, Wilton Street, Liverpool, September 30th, 1848.
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R. James, Printer, 39, South Castle Street, Liverpool