struggle of the American colonies, giving them power to win their
freedom and independence, to the end that a nation might arise upon
this chosen soil with a mission to foster and protect the infant and
growing Church of Christ. That was a righteous war, and the divine
inspiration for it rested upon the Patriot Fathers, [15] who, at the
hazard of their lives, signed the immortal Declaration, and drew their
swords to defend and perpetuate that sublime annunciation of liberty
and equal rights.
The World War.--So with the great war that over-threw the German
Kaiser, putting an end to the wicked strife that he was waging. It was
a righteous against an unrighteous exertion of military force. What
better motive could a nation have than that which actuated the American
people in sending forth their armies and navies to check the on-rushing
hordes that were bent upon crushing freedom and setting an iron heel
on the neck of the world? It was a holy war, so far as America was
concerned; and a just war, a war of self-defense, on the part of her
associated powers. The God of Justice was in it for the welfare of
humanity. Who can doubt that He upheld and sustained the arms of those
who carried it to a victorious conclusion? And if the result shall be
even a partial clearing of the way for the introduction or further
spread of Liberty's Perfect Law among spiritually benighted nations,
the mightiest and costliest of earth's conflicts will not have been in
vain.
Footnotes
1. D. & C. 105:14, 15.
2. Matt. 5:7.
3. Ib. 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35.
4. Rom. 12:19; Deut. 32:35.
5. Job saw the matter in a clear light (2:10). He did not charge Deity
with the authorship of evil--evil as well as good being self-existent.
He knew that God is a hater of iniquity (Psalms 45:7; Heb. 1:9); but
he also knew that evil is controlled by the divine ruler and made
tributary to the success of his plans. Therefore he did what all should
do--he acknowledged the hand of the Lord in all things, in adversity as
well as prosperity.
6. President Woodruff, in his Brigham City address, June 24, 1894,--an
address already cited in these pages--speaks thus of the Latter-day
judgments: "God has held the angels of destruction for many years, lest
they should reap down the wheat with the tares. But I want to tell
you now, that these angels have left the portals of Heaven, and they
stand over this people and this nation now, waiting to pour out the
judgments."
7. Isa. 10:15.
8. D. & C. 63:33.
9. Rev. 12:7-9.
10. Joshua 1-12.
11. Gen. 4:11, 12.
12. Ib. 9:6.
13. Ex. 20:13.
14. The same may be said of Israel's war upon the Amalekites, in the
days of King Saul, and of similar wars undertaken by "the armies of the
living God," heaven-directed and divinely empowered. Samuel's hewing
of Agag "in pieces before the Lord," was not a crime, but an act of
justice, a righteous retribution upon an unrighteous ruler, whose sword
had "made women childless."--1 Sam. 15:33.
15. 1 Nephi 13:16-19.
ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX.
God's Hand Upon the Nations.
Compelling Situations.--The Lord will force no man to Heaven, nor
permit Satan to force any man to Hell. Human agency remains inviolate.
But while there is no such thing in the Gospel of Christ as compulsion,
in the sense of fettering man's free will, there is such a thing as
a compelling situation, the creating of conditions and shaping of
circumstances that have often influenced men to do, of their own
volition, what they would not have done if the situation had not
changed, if such conditions and circumstances had not arisen.
A simple illustration is furnished in the old-time anecdote of the
boy up the farmer's apple tree--refusing to come down when kindly
requested; persisting in his refusal when sharply reprimanded and
a handful of turf thrown; but, when pelted with stones, scrambling
down in a hurry--of his own accord. That is my idea of a compelling
situation; the offender retaining his freedom, exercising his right of
choice, but yielding to force of circumstances, and changing his mind
for his own behoof.
"There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them as we will."
The Parable of the Supper.--Force, indirect compulsion, applied without
infringing upon man's agency, is undoubtedly an element of the divine
economy. What else is the meaning of the Savior's parable in which he
likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a feast?
"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
"And! sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were bidden,
Come, for all things are now ready.
"And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said
unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see
it: I pray thee have me excused.
"And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove
them: I pray thee have me excused.
"And another said. I have married a wife: and therefore I cannot come.
"So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the
master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor,
and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
"And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet
there is room.
"And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and
hedges, and _compel_ them to come in, that my house may be filled." [1]
The inference is, that they were "compelled to come in," but not
against their own freedom of choice.
Fishers and Hunters.--The God of Israel has set his hand to gather his
elect and prepare the world for the sanctifying reign of righteousness.
He will accomplish what he has undertaken, using for that purpose
every means consistent and available. Christ died to save the souls
of men, and save them He will--by mild measures whenever these will
avail; but by stern methods, if necessary, after the mild have proved
ineffectual. First, the "fishers," with gentle, kind persuasion. Then
the "hunters"--war, commotion and destruction. Such is the divine
program. [2]
The Day of Wrath--A Refuge From the Storm.--Joseph the Seer prophesied
that war would "be poured out upon all nations." Zion, the pure in
heart, are to "be the only people that shall not be at war one with
another." [3] "And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every
man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee
unto Zion for safety." [4] To provide against these and other perils,
the Church of Christ was founded--"a standard for the nations," "that
the gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes,"
might be "for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from
wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole
earth." [5]
Other Judgments.--But war is not the only expression of divine wrath.
The strife of nation against nation is but one of many turmoils that
the last days are destined to witness. Epidemics of sickness are to
play a part in the great retribution. [6] John on Patmos heard a voice
from Heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, that ye receive not of
her plagues." [7] Through Joseph in America, the same dread oracle
proclaimed "a desolating scourge," that "shall go forth among the
inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from
time to time if they repent not, until the earth is empty and the
inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the
brightness of my coming." [8]
Divine Participation.--And who, after reading what follows, can doubt
divine participation in these troubles:
"For I the Almighty have laid my hand upon the nations to scourge them
for their wickedness; and plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be
taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut
short in righteousness. Until all shall know me, who remain, even from
the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of
the Lord and shall see eye to eye." [9]
After Testimony, Indignation.--The Lord's servants were "to go forth
among the Gentiles for the last time," "to bind up the law and seal up
the testimony," and "prepare the Saints for the hour of judgment."
"And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
"For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes that
shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the
ground and shall not be able to stand.
"And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings and the
voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the
waves of the sea, heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
"And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall
fail them; for fear shall come upon all people." [10]
Again: "The earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man;
and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light, and
the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall become exceeding
angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a
fig tree." [11]
The Question of Cause.--Who will cause these terrible calamities? Not
man--that is certain; though his conduct may justify them. Men can
stir up strife and precipitate war. They can even bring pestilence
and famine. But they cannot stir up tempests and earthquakes, cause
whirl winds and tidal-waves, or govern the action of sun, moon and
stars. These, with other convulsions of nature, no less than war,
famine and pestilence, are among God's judgments upon the workers of
iniquity. Satan, "prince of the powers of the air," may be immediately
responsible for these fearful disturbances; [12] but he can do only
what he is permitted to do by the All-just and All-merciful, who looses
him or holds him in check.
The Divine Purpose.--And what is the purpose--the ultimate purpose
of it all? Destruction? No, a thousand times no, except in so far as
destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and is necessary
to preserve what is worth preserving. The world's welfare is the
object in view. God's wrath, however fiercely it burns, is not
comparable to petty human anger. His work and his glory is "to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," [13] and if, in the
process, He uses the powers of destruction, as well as the powers of
construction--for "all power" is his, "in heaven and in earth" [14]--it
is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best.
However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this: Hatred
of humanity has no place in the heart of Him who "so loved the world"
that he "gave his Only Begotten Son" to save it from eternal damnation.
Why Calamities Come.--Calamities do not come up on the world merely
to scourge the wicked and avenge the wrongs of the righteous. The
primal aim of Divine Punishment is to purify, and if possible save
those upon whom the "Great Avenger" lays a chastening hand. The object
is to bring sinners to repentance, to throw down the barriers that
prevent men from coming to Christ, and turn into the upward path those
bent upon pursuing the downward road. The Gospel saves all who are
willing to be saved, and who show their willingness by their obedience,
their faith by their works. It also aims to save the unwilling and
disobedient--here if possible, and if not here, then hereafter. Wars
and other woes are sent to put a stop to men's evil practices, lest
they add sin to sin and pile up guilt to their greater condemnation.
To be swept off the earth and ministered to in the spirit world, is
not the worst fate that can befall the wicked. Omnipotence wields the
powers of destruction in such a way as to make of them instruments of
salvation. It may seem cruel, but in reality it is kind.
Safety With The Priesthood.--The Almighty does not hurl the shafts
of affliction against the righteous, especially against helpless
innocence; but in pursuance of his benevolent designs, and to effect
the greatest good to the greatest number, He permits the destroyer to
exercise his agency in a world where good and bad, old and young, all
classes and all qualities, dwell. Some of the woes thus launched fall
partly upon the choicest of God's children, unless faith be there--as
doubtless He intends--faith and the power of the Priesthood, to
intervene for their preservation. "The just shall live by faith," it
is written, and the Priesthood is a shield to those who bear it and to
those who honor its possessors. [15]
The Chastening of the Lord.--"My son," says the ancient Wise Man,
"despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his
correction: For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth; even as a father
the son in whom he delighteth." [16] Bearing in mind this sapient
admonition, let us not be doubtful of the Divine Purpose in sending
forth the destroyer, whether in the shape of war, pestilence and
famine, partly caused by human agency; or in earthquakes, cyclones, and
other fierce convulsions, over which man has absolutely no control.
They are all phases of "The Battle of the Great God," [17] intent upon
clearing the way for the coming of the Perfect One, bringing order out
of chaos, overthrowing wrong and establishing right, to the end that
the human race may be permanently blest and the righteous possess in
peace the heritage prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
Footnotes
1. Luke 14:16-23.
2. Jer. 16:16.
3. D. & C. 87:2.
4. Ib. 45:68, 69.
5. Ib. 115:4-6.
6. Ib. 45:31. "An overflowing scourge--a desolating sickness," to
"cover the land."
7. Rev. 18:4.
8. D. & C. 5:19.
9. D. & C. 84:96-98.
10. Ib. 88:88-91.
11. Ib. 88:87.
12. Job 1:19.
13. Moses 1:39.
14. Matt. 28:18.
15. Said President Woodruff, in his address upon the judgments: "Can
you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected
from these great calamities? I'll tell you: The priesthood of God who
honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings. . . . .
No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They
are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely.
They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah, and none
but the priesthood will be safe from their fury."
The President meant, no doubt, to include in this reference those who
follow the servants of the Lord and are guided by their counsels. He
was speaking to a general congregation, and said, in addition to the
words just quoted: "If you do your duty, and do my duty, we shall have
protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and safety."
16. Prov. 3:12.
17. D. & C. 88:114.
ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN.
The Consummation.
Time, mighty daughter of Eternity!
Mother of ages and of aeons past!
Assemble now thy children at thy side,
And ere thou diest teach them to be one.
Link to its link rebind the broken chain
Of dispensations, glories, keys and powers,
From Adam's fall unto Messiah's reign--
A thousand years of rest, a day with God,
While Shiloh reigns, and Kolob once revolves. [1]
Gathering the Gatherers.--The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times is
distinctively a gathering dispensation. But it stands for more--far
more than the assembling of the dispersed House of Israel. It is the
spiritual harvest-time of all the ages, the long-heralded Era of
Restitution, [2] when the great Garnerer of "all things in Christ" will
reveal himself in power and glory, and place the capstone on the temple
of heaven-inspired human achievement. The gathering of Israel is only
the preface to the book, only the prologue to the play. The gathering
of the gatherers--such is the meaning of the preliminary work now in
progress, a work in which Gods, angels and men have joined.
The Final Development.--This great era of restoration was made
necessary by the departure of the Christian word from the faith
delivered to the former-day Saints. But that is not its full
significance. In accordance with the foreknowledge of God, and in
consonance with his sublime, far-reaching purposes, this vast,
all-comprehending period was foreordained from the beginning as the
final development of the Divine Plan--"the winding-up scene" of the
Creator's work pertaining to this planet. [3]
All in One.--Joseph the Seer, referring to this mighty dispensation,
and the object for which it was "ushered in" says:
"It is necessary . . . . 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; and not only this, but those things which never have been
revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from
the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in
this the dispensation of the fulness of times." [4]
Joseph Smith's Work.--These words were uttered by the Prophet less
than two years before the tragic termination of his mortal life. He
had looked upon the face of God, as did Enoch, Moses, and other seers
in times of old. He had communed with Angels, receiving from them the
keys of the Priesthood and the principles of the Everlasting Gospel.
Thus empowered, he had organized on earth the Church of Christ, the
forerunner of the Kingdom that shall stand forever. [5] Wrapt in
celestial vision, he had gazed upon the glories of Eternity, portraying
in burning eloquence the destiny of the human race, setting forth in
vivid plainness the conditions of man's salvation and exaltation in
worlds to come. [6] He had preached the Gospel in various parts of his
native land, and had caused it to be preached in realms beyond the
sea. His glorious career, which was about to end in martyrdom, was
signalized by the introduction and practice of sacred principles which
he affirmed would bring forth Zion and enable the pure in heart to "see
God" and inherit celestial glory--the ultimate aim of all righteous
endeavor.
The Divine Presence.--"This," said the Prophet, "is why Adam blessed
his posterity; he wanted to bring them into the presence of God." [7]
"Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God,
through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not. In the first
ages of the world they tried to establish the same thing, and there
were Eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories, but,
did not obtain them. But they prophesied of a day when this glory would
be revealed, . . . . when God would gather together all things in one."
[8]
Keys Committed.--The Prophet goes on to say that the Angels who
hold the keys of spiritual powers and blessings--"authoritative
characters"--men in heaven having children on earth--"will come down
and join hand in hand in bringing about this work." [9] At the time
of that utterance, this phase of the Latter-day Work had begun, the
founder of the Church having received from heavenly messengers the
keys of authority and power held by them in past dispensations. The
Aaronic Priesthood had been conferred by John the Baptist, [10] and
the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John. [11] Without
this divine authorization the Church could not have been established,
the Ensign could not have been raised for the gathering of scattered
Israel. Already have I related how the keys of the gathering were
committed to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple.
Elias and Elijah--But more was to follow. In that wonderful record of
visions manifested to these Elders, and testified of by them, occurs
this solemn affirmation:
"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.
"After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst
upon us, for Elijah the Prophet, 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 come,
"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 that the great and dreadful day of the
Lord is near, even at the doors." [12]
The Same Yet Not the Same.--"Elias," considered as a name, is the Greek
equivalent of the Hebrew "Elijah." Compared references in the New and
Old Testaments clearly establish their verbal identity. [13] But Joseph
Smith distinguished between "the spirit of Elias" and "the spirit of
Elijah," the former a forerunner, the latter holding the sealing powers
necessary to complete the work of preparation for Messiah's advent. [14]
Elijah, therefore, is not to be confounded with Elias--that is to say,
with the Elias who committed the keys of the Abrahamic dispensation.
There are many Eliases, in the sense of the lesser preparing the way
before the greater; and by one of them Abraham's keys were restored, in
order that the blessings anciently pronounced upon the Father of the
Faithful might be extended to his posterity in modern times.
Why Elijah?--"Why send Elijah?" asks the Prophet; and answers his
own question thus: "Because he holds the keys of the authority to
administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and without the
authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in
righteousness." In the same connection he states that "Elijah was the
last prophet that held the keys of the Priesthood." [15]
The Restorer's Mission.--Elijah's mission, as made known by modern
revelation, represents the establishment of that condition of perfect
unity referred to by Joseph the Seer, whose comment thereon is quoted
in the third paragraph of this article. "Mormonism," as already
explained, does not stand for one Gospel dispensation alone, but for
all the Gospel dispensations, extending, like the links of a mighty
chain, through the whole course of Time. The Final Dispensation, made
effective by the keys of Elijah, will bring together and weld in one
the parted links of this universal chain. The restitution of all
things--the setting in order of the Lord's House, preparatory to his
coming, such is the significance of the mission of Elijah, who turns
the hearts of the fathers (in heaven) to the children (on earth), and
the hearts of the children to the fathers.
The Welding Link.--But these hearts must not only be turned; they must
be bound together, and beat as one. That thought, no less than the
other, was in the Prophet's mind when, from his place of retirement
during a season of trouble, he wrote repeatedly to the Church regarding
an all-important duty devolving upon its members. Said he: "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." And what is it?
"It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made
perfect, neither can they without us be made perfect." [16]
Without Unity, No Perfection.--Perfection is the great end in view; and
without unity there can be no perfection. To bring about this great
consummation, the Gospel was instituted, the Savior chosen, Earth
created, and the human race placed upon this planet. Nothing imperfect
can inherit the Divine Presence--the fulness of God's glory. This
important lesson is taught by the principle of marriage--celestial
marriage--the sealing of the sexes, not for time only, but for all
eternity. "The man is not without the woman, nor the woman without
the man, in the Lord." [17] United, they represent completeness,
perfection, each being the complement of the other. Husband and wife,
parent and child, the living and the dead, must be one, lest it be
said of them at the celestial gates, as it was said at the gates of
Verdun: "They shall not pass." The Latter-day Saints build temples and
officiate therein, the living for the dead, not only to save them,
but to bring them into that grand Order of Unity, so necessary to the
perfection of God's work.