commandments, which commandments He gave to His Church through Joseph
Smith Jun., who was appointed, by the voice of the Church, for this
purpose_.
"We therefore feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of
mankind, to every creature upon the face of all the earth, that the
Lord has borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth
upon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration of God, and
are profitable for all men, and are verily true. We give this testimony
unto the world, the Lord being our helper; and it is through the grace
of God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, that we are permitted to
have this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world, in the
which we rejoice exceedingly, praying the Lord always that the children
of men may be profited thereby.[L] (Signed)
"THOMAS B. MARSH, DAVID W. PATTEN, BRIGHAM YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL,
ORSON HYDE, WM. E. MCLELLIN, PARLEY P. PRATT, LUKE S. JOHNSON, WILLIAM
SMITH, ORSON PRATT, JOHN F. BOYNTON, LYMAN E. JOHNSON."[M]
[Footnote L: "History of the Church," Vol. II, pp. 243-45.]
[Footnote M: In this testimony of the Twelve to the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, as published in the History of Joseph Smith in the
"Millennial Star," the names of the Apostles were not appended, but
it is thought proper that they should be inserted here in the order
in which they stood in the quorum. The document was undoubtedly
prepared before the departure of the Twelve for the East, as it was
well known that the work of the committee on selection and compilation
would present the Doctrine and Covenants to a general assembly before
the Twelve would return.--"History of the Church," Vol. II, p. 245,
footnote.]
Thus was the "Book of Doctrine and Covenants" accepted by the Church
as a divinely inspired work. And what is the "Book of Doctrine and
Covenants"? First, there appears in the book a series of seven
"Lectures on Faith," prepared during the year 1835. "They are not
to be regarded," we are told, "as of equal authority in matters of
doctrine with the revelations of God in the Doctrine and Covenants,"
but as judiciously written and compiled, and as profitable doctrine.[N]
There follow one hundred thirty-six sections, or chapters, of the book
proper. One of these, section 136, is a revelation to Brigham Young.
Nine others, sections 102, 121, 123, 127, 128, 130, 131, 134, and
135--are not direct revelations in the usually accepted sense, but
are minutes of important meetings, prayers and prophecies, addresses
to the Saints, letters, instructions, and so forth, containing
important doctrines. The rest--one hundred twenty-six sections in
all--are revelations from the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith
to the Church, or to individuals in the Church. In these one hundred
thirty-six sections may be found instructions that pertain to the
organization of the Church and to the doctrines of the Church. While
there have been many revelations received since the first Book of
Doctrine and Covenants was published--while, indeed, the Church leaders
today are prophets, seers, and revelators--yet the early revelations
are so replete with doctrinal instruction, that we may find there
sufficient directions for the establishment and the building up of the
Church of Christ.
[Footnote N: "History of the Church," Vol. II, p. 176. footnote.]
The Doctrine and Covenants meets conditions, not of two thousand years
or more before Christ, but of the present day. It gives specific
directions for the establishing and the maintaining of the Church of
Christ, not among an oriental people in a primitive age, but among an
active people in a progressive age. The living oracle of God is of far
more value than the breathless letter. The living prophet is the oracle
of God; and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants--the Sacred Book of
today--is the record of the revelations received today for the people
of today.
XV.
THE KEYS OF GATHERING.
Sunday, the 3rd of April, 1836, was a momentous day in the history of
the Church. Since the day of its organization, the Church had increased
and had prospered in all things. The first conference of the Church
was held June 9th, 1830. It is estimated that the membership then was
twenty-seven. On the twenty-sixth of September of the same year, the
second conference of the Church was held. There were then sixty-two
devotees of the restored Gospel. In January of the following year,
1831, the Prophet moved to Kirtland, Ohio. His followers then could not
have numbered more than eighty, since he wrote in the previous month
that the Church "from Colesville to Canandagua, New York, numbered
about seventy members." In Kirtland the restored faith soon took root
and grew rapidly. A conference was held there from the third to the
sixth of June, 1831, and the "congregation at this conference numbered
two thousand souls." Thus the Church increased in membership from
year to year until it soon numbered ten thousand and more. But it was
not in increased membership only that the Church showed prosperity.
In temporal matters the blessings of the Lord soon became abundantly
manifest. The Saints acquired lands, and built houses; and they began
to take possession of the promised land of Zion. In spiritual matters,
too, the Saints were made to feel that the Lord was near at hand. Many
revelations were given to them through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And in
the year 1836, a Temple was completed in Kirtland. It was eighty feet
long, sixty feet wide, fifty feet high to the top of the walls, with a
tower one hundred ten feet high. On Sunday, March twenty-seventh, this
temple was dedicated to the Lord; and one week later, Sunday, April
3rd, there were given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery some of the
most glorious manifestations recorded in the annals of history.
The day had been devoted to service in the Lord's House. Joseph Smith
had taken part in the ceremonies of the day, and had listened to
discourses delivered by the brethren. After the administration of the
Lord's supper in the afternoon service, "I retired to the pulpit,"
writes the Prophet, "the veils being dropped, and bowed myself,
with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer."[A] After rising
from prayer, the visions of heaven burst open before these divinely
appointed men. First appeared to them the Lord Jesus Himself. He stood
upon the breast-work of the pulpit. Under His feet appeared a paved
work of pure gold in color like amber. His eyes shone like a flame of
fire. His hair was white, like pure snow. His countenance was more
radiant than the sun. His voice was like the rushing of great waters.
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. II, p. 435.]
"I am the first and the last," he said, "I am he who liveth, I am he
who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father. * * * Behold, I have
accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest
myself to my people in mercy in this house. * * * Yea, the hearts of
thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence
of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endownent with
which my servants have been endowed in this house; and the fame of this
house shall spread to foreign lands, and this is the beginning of the
blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even
so. Amen."[B]
[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 110:1-10.]
In this wise did the Lord Jesus accept the work of His servants. In
this wise did He appear personally before them. And in this wise did
He inaugurate marvelous manifestations fraught with blessings to the
Saints. Twice before in this dispensation it is recorded that the
Lord manifested Himself in vision to His chosen Prophet. Once He had
appeared together with the Father in answer to the boy's earnest
prayer. Again He had appeared to the Prophet and his associate, Sidney
Rigdon, to declare the glories of the world to come. And now He comes
again, to approve the labor accomplished by His servants, and to
inaugurate the actual work of redemption for both the living and the
dead.
Immediately after the vision of the Savior there opened to the seer
another vision of heaven. Ages before, the Lord God had selected the
children of Israel to become His chosen people. The divine plan of
salvation for the human race anticipated a fall from grace and an
atonement. Through the fall came death to all men; and through the
atonement came eternal life. As the fall came through the sin of one,
so the atonement came through the voluntary sacrifice of another. But
that this Savior might become the living hope of the world, it became
necessary to designate the people--even the family--from among whom He
should spring. Hence the Chosen people--Israel--to whom the promise of
Messiah was made. All might have been well with Israel had they not
been a stiff-necked people. But through their perverseness of heart,
they called down upon them the wrath of God. Along with promises
of deliverance and salvation, came predictions of evil to follow
disobedience. And Israel was disobedient. Finally, when the Savior had
come as predicted to redeem the world, and the iniquity of Israel was
full, the Chosen People was broken; the nation to whom the Savior had
come became scattered, and was sifted like dust among the peoples of
the earth. It was the punishment foretold. To consummate the plan of
salvation, must come a gathering of the dispersed tribes of Israel.
Accordingly, the vision that followed upon that of the Savior on the
memorable 3rd of April, 1836, revealed to Joseph and Oliver, Moses, the
Prophet of the deliverance of old. "After this vision was closed," we
read, "the heavens were again opened unto us, and Moses appeared before
us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the
four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the
land of the north."[C]
[Footnote C: Doc. and Cov. 110:11.]
The nature of this commission is plain. First, the great Prophet Moses,
to whom had been committed the authority of restoring once before a
captive Israel to their promised land and freedom, now commits those
keys of gathering and restoration to the Prophet Joseph Smith and
his associate Oliver Cowdery. Then, with the power of this authority
conferred upon them, Joseph and Oliver may commission others; the story
of the restoration of the Gospel may be carried to the scattered house
of Jacob; the actual work of redeeming Israel may be begun. This,
as the Lord had said in the vision before, was the beginning of the
blessing which should be poured out upon the heads of His people.
But it was not the house of Israel alone that should profit by the
restoration of the Gospel. Even before the twelve sons of Jacob had
been chosen to become the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, the
God of heaven had promised that the blessing of a Savior should attend
all the children of the world.
"I will make of thee a great nation," the Lord had said to Abraham,
"and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be
a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed."[D] Not only to the children of Abraham, then, should the
Gospel be preached, but to all people, and through obedience to the
Gospel they should become the children of Abraham. If the restored
Gospel were, then, to become the power of God unto salvation to all the
earth-children of God, there must needs be a restoration, not only of
the authority to gather and to redeem Israel, but also of the authority
to preach the Gospel to the world at large.
[Footnote D: Gen. 12:2, 3.]
Accordingly, after the vision of Moses was closed, there appeared
another glorious vision to the two young chosen prophets. "After this,"
we read, "Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the Gospel
of Abraham, saying, that in us, and our seed, all generations after us
should be blessed."[E]
[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 110:12.]
The nature of this commission, too, is plain. It becomes the sacred
mission of the Saints to do all in their power, not to save Israel
alone, but to become a blessing to all generations of all men--to cry
the Gospel of repentance to the world, that all men, whether Jew or
Gentile, may hear it and obey it. Elias--a prophet of whom we know
but little[F]--apparently held last the keys of the dispensation of
the Gospel of Abraham. In proper time he comes, in harmony with the
divine plan, and commits those keys to the men who are to carry off the
labors of the dispensation of the fulness of times. This, again--as the
Lord had said in the vision before--was the beginning of the blessing
which should be poured out upon the heads of His people. And thus was
consummated another act in the great drama of the Restoration. The
authority for accomplishing the salvation of the living was restored in
full. The story of the restoration of the authority for the salvation
of the dead we must leave for another chapter.
[Footnote F: Doc. and Cov. 27:6, 7.]
XVI.
THE FATHERS AND THE CHILDREN.
The glorious visions in which had appeared Moses and Elias were closed.
Joseph and Oliver stood before the pulpit of the temple waiting. But
why should they wait for further manifestations? What more could they
now expect? Or, what more, indeed, could now be given them? All the
living children of the world were provided for. Authority to preach and
to baptize Joseph and Oliver had held before the appearance of Moses
and Elias. But Israel was a special people. Upon Israel had been passed
a special sentence. Moses was the great lawgiver and deliver of ancient
Israel. Therefore, that everything might be done in order, Moses
came to restore the special authority of redeeming and gathering the
chosen people. In like manner, Elias was he who held particularly the
authority of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham. Accordingly, in
the last days, that everything might be done in order, the authority
of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham was restored by him who
held it to the great American prophet, though he held already the full
authority of the Priesthood of the Son of God. Thus, the redemption and
the salvation, not of living Israel alone, but of all the living human
family were provided for. What more could the Prophet and his companion
await?
It is said in the Jewish Scripture that every tongue shall confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[A] But the
very fact that the keys of authority are restored to preach the gospel
to the living presupposes a loss of that authority, and a departure
from the true doctrine of the Christ. There have died many hundreds of
thousands who have not confessed Jesus. Indeed, even at the present
time, there die daily in the best Christian lands thousands of persons
who have never heard the joyful sound of the Gospel of the Lord. Yet,
only through obedience to the Gospel, may mortals be saved. The living
may by good chance hear it; but what provision has been made for the
dead?
[Footnote A: Phil. 2:11.]
During the visions of the night of September 21st, 1823, the Angel
Moroni read to the Prophet Joseph these words of Malachi: "Behold I
will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet,
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; 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 its
coming."[B]
[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. sec 2.]
The words of the prophet predict undoubtedly a plan for the salvation
of the dead. And that the unconverted dead shall have the opportunity
of being saved becomes absolutely necessary to the accomplishment of
the great scheme of redemption. The Gospel was not designed to save
only a few. The whole human family, both the living and the dead--and
those yet to be, as well--may gain eternal life through obedience to
the Gospel. The world hereafter will be a kingdom of glories, and
a glory of kingdoms. Each one who has lived upon the earth will be
awarded the degree of exaltation he merits. The children of the great
Father of all will be assigned in His kingdom of glories to places
they have earned; and each in his place will inherit, to the glory
of the Father, a position equal to his earthly achievement. All this
seems simple enough. But the kingdoms of the Father will include all
His earth-children; and the more that have proved themselves worthy of
exaltation and blessing, the greater will be His eternal joy. So also
with each of the children, in turn. In the celestial glory each one's
kingdom will comprise those of one's own family; and thus the glory of
kingdoms will increase from generation to generation, each bound to
the other--and all to the great Father--by the ties of kindred. The
perfecting of the ties of kindred through a work done by the living for
the dead, is undoubtedly what Paul had in mind when he said, speaking
of the fathers of Israel, that "they without us should not be made
perfect;"[C] and again, "for to this end Christ both died, and rose and
revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."[D] Hence,
it becomes a matter of first importance to provide for the salvation of
the dead. Hence, too, Joseph and Oliver might well wait, after they had
been commissioned with authority to save the living, to learn if the
Lord had further keys of authority to confer upon them.
[Footnote C: Heb. 11:49.]
[Footnote D: Rom. 14:9.]
And the Lord had further authority to confer upon them. After the
vision of Elias was closed, the promise given nearly thirteen years
before was fulfilled. Another glorious vision opened before the seers.
"For Elijah, the prophet," we read, "who was taken to heaven without
tasting death, stood before us 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 came, 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,
and by this ye may know the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near,
even at the doors."[E] Thus, the necessary authority for performing
saving ordinances for the dead was restored in this dispensation by him
who held it. Another important act in the drama of the Restoration was
accomplished.
[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 110:13-16.]
During the years following immediately upon the vision of Elijah, not
a great deal was accomplished in the great work of salvation for the
dead. In after years, however, the subject grew on the Prophet's mind.
It was ever present with him. He wrote about it, and he spoke about
it. In 1841, in a general conference of the Church held at Nauvoo, he
said, "There is never a time, when the spirit is too old to approach
God. All are within reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed
the unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world,
nor in the world to come. There is a way to release the spirits of the
dead! that is by the power and authority of the Priesthood--by binding
and loosing on earth. This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it
exhibits the greatness of divine compassion and benevolence in the
extent of the plan of human salvation.
"This glorious truth is well calculated to enlarge the understanding
and to sustain the soul under troubles, difficulties, and distresses.
For illustration, suppose the case of two men, brothers, equally
intelligent, learned, virtuous, and lovely, walking in uprightness and
in all good conscience, so far as they have been able to discern from
the muddy stream of tradition, or from the blotted page of the book of
nature.
"One dies and is buried, having never heard the gospel of
reconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears
and embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one
become the partaker of glory and the other be consigned to hopeless
perdition? Is there no chance for his es cape? Sectarianism answers
'none.' Such an idea is worse than atheism. The truth shall break down
and dash in pieces all such bigoted Pharisaism; the sects shall be
sifted, the honest in heart brought out, and their priests left in the
midst of the corruption.
"This doctrine presents in a clear light the wisdom and mercy of God in
preparing an ordinance for the salvation of the dead, being baptized by
proxy, their names recorded in heaven and they judged according to the
deeds done in the body. This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures.
Those Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do
it at the peril of their own salvation."[F]
[Footnote F: "History of the Church," Vol. IV, pp. 425-6.]
Again, in September of the year following, while he was in hiding
from his enemies who pursued him without cause, the Prophet wrote two
epistles to the Church.[G] In these he confesses that the subject of
salvation for the dead is uppermost in his mind. He gives detailed
instructions for the proper recording of the vicarious work of those
who have gone before. He shows by scriptural evidence why it is
necessary to preserve an accurate record of all that is done upon the
earth. He reviews with spirit the whole of the sublime doctrine of the
salvation of the dead. And, finally, he bursts into a beautiful modern
psalm[H] praising the King Immanuel, who ordained before the world was
a means whereby the uninitiated dead might be redeemed.
[Footnote G: Doc. and Cov. secs. 127, 128.]
[Footnote H: Doc. and Cov. 128:22-24.]
"It is sufficient to know," he says, discussing the prediction that
Elijah should come, "that the earth will be smitten with a curse,
unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the
fathers and the children, upon some subject or other, and behold what
is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them
cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.
Neither can they or we, be made perfect without those who have died
in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the
dispensation of the fulness of times; which dispensation is now
beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete, and perfect union and
welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories
should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the
present time."[I]
[Footnote I: Doc. and Cov. 128:18.]
The restoration of the special authority to perform vicarious work
for the dead occurred, it will be remembered, in the Kirtland Temple,
April 3rd, 1836. In the Kirtland Temple there were no provisions made,
however, for performing ordinances for the dead. It was not erected for
that purpose. During the years, then, before suitable accommodations
were provided in the Temple, the saving ordinance of baptism for the
dead was performed, in compliance with instructions received by the
Prophet, in the Mississippi river.
But in a revelation given January 19th, 1841, the Prophet Joseph was
commanded to build the temple at Nauvoo.[J] For this temple the Lord
made known by revelation what was necessary for performing the great
work of redeeming the dead. Moreover, the Lord declared that the
ordinance of baptism for the dead belongs to His Holy House, and cannot
be acceptable to Him when performed elsewhere, except during the days
of poverty of the Church. An appointed time was named; "and if you do
not these things at the end of the appointment, [i. e., perform the
work for the dead], ye shall be rejected as a Church, with your dead,
saith the Lord your God."[K] The period of the appointment expired,
it would seem, the same year; for at the conference held October 2nd,
1841, the Prophet announced, "There shall be no more baptism for the
dead, until the ordinance can be attended to in the Lord's House; and
the Church shall not hold another General Conference until they can
meet in said house. _For thus saith the Lord_."[L]
[Footnote L: "History of the Church," Vol. IV, p. 426.]
[Footnote J: Doc. and Cov. sec. 124.]
[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 124:32.]