the entire body of the Seventies. These, however, are divided into
quorums of seventy, each quorum having seven presidents of its own.
In the absence of the First Presidency and the Twelve, the First
Council of the Seventy would preside over the Church, associated with
sixty-three others, the senior presidents of the first sixty-three
quorums of seventy. The Seventies labor under the direction of the
Twelve Apostles. They are independent of the stake presidencies and
bishoprics, as quorums, but not as individual members. They are the
"minute men" of the Church, subject to sudden calls into the mission
field.
The First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles, the Presiding Patriarch, the
First Council of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric, constitute
the General Authorities of the Church. Their names are submitted to the
General Conference, held twice a year, to be voted upon by the members.
They are also presented at the stake conferences, held quarterly, to be
voted upon, with the stake officers, in like manner.
High Priests, Patriarchs and Elders.--Each Stake has a quorum of high
priests, indefinite in number, presided over by three of its members.
The High Priesthood holds the inherent right of presidency. All the
general authorities, excepting the First Council of the Seventy, must
be high priests; and the same is true of stake presidencies and ward
bishoprics. In each stake are one or more patriarchs, performing, when
active, duties similar to those of the Presiding Patriarch. A Stake has
one or more quorums of Elders, each composed of ninety-six members,
three of whom preside. Each ward should have one or more quorums of
priests (forty-eight), teachers (twenty-four), and deacons (twelve),
each with a presidency of three. The ward bishopric presides in a
general way over all the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward,
and over all church members, as individuals, residing therein. The
bishop of the ward is ex officio president of the priest's quorum. The
Elder's office is the lowest in the Melchizedek Priesthood. The duties
of an elder are similar to those of a seventy, though intended to be
exercised more at home than abroad.
The Lesser Quorums.--The highest office in the Aaronic Priesthood,
except bishop, is that of priest. The bishop, however, is a priest, and
officiates as such when sitting as a judge; when presiding over his
ward, it is by virtue of the higher priesthood held by him. The priest
may preach, baptize and administer the Sacrament, but has not the right
to lay on hands and give the Holy Ghost; that being a function of the
Melchizedek Priesthood.
The teacher is a peacemaker. He settles difficulties arising between
church members in his district; or, if he cannot settle them, he
reports them to the bishop. Two or more teachers labor regularly in
each of the districts into which a ward is divided. It is incumbent
upon them to visit from house to house, to see that no iniquity exists
among the members, and that they are attentive to their religious
duties. The teachers report monthly, or as often as required, to the
ward bishopric. The deacons have charge of the ward property, and they
assist the teachers, as the teachers assist the priests.
Auxiliaries--Church Schools. All the organizations named are strictly
within the pale of the Priesthood. In addition, there are a number of
auxiliary organizations--helps to the Priesthood in the government
of the Church--such as relief societies, Sabbath schools, young
peoples' mutual improvement associations, primary associations, and
religion classes. Church schools, of which the religion classes are an
adjunct, exist in many of the stakes. The more notable of the schools
are the Brigham Young University at Provo, the Brigham Young College
at Logan, and the Latter-day Saints University at Salt Lake City.
For the maintenance of its splendid educational system, the Church
makes an appropriation of nearly three quarters of a million dollars,
annually. All branches of learning find place in the curricula of these
institutions, but religion is the principal feature; the object being
to develop the spiritual, as well as the mental, physical, and moral
faculties of the student--in short, "to make Latter-day Saints." [9]
The Present Status.--At the period of this writing there are
eighty-five Stakes of Zion, all located in the region of the Rocky
Mountains. The Church's twenty-four outside missions comprise most of
the countries of the globe. The Latter-day Saints, in all the world,
number about half a million.
Footnotes
1. D. & C. 76:54; 107:93.
2. Ib. 20:38-64.
3. Ib. vv. 65-67. Note.
4. Hist. Ch. Vol. 1, pp. 40, 41, 77, 78.
5. D. & C. 21:1.
6. David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, in
a pamphlet published after his excommunication from the Church, put
forth such a plea. He also found fault with the Prophet for receiving
revelations without the aid of a seer-stone, previously used by him,
but laid aside after he had fully mastered his gift, which David seems
to have regarded as of less consequence than the stone, which was no
longer needed.--"Address to All True Believers in Christ," by David
Whitmer, 1881.
7. D. & C. 68:14-21; 107:16, 17, 69-76.
8. Ib. 107:82.
9. For further information on Priesthood and Church Government, the
reader is referred to Sections 20, 68, 84, 107, 112 and 114, Doctrine
and Covenants; also to Volume 3, p. 385 and Vol. 4, p. 207, History of
the Church.
ARTICLE THIRTY.
The Law of Obedience.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in Heaven before the foundation of
this world, upon which all blessings are predicated; and when we obtain
any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is
predicated."--Joseph Smith. [1]
Pope and His Proverb.--"Order is heaven's first law," said Alexander
Pope; [2] and many have accepted the poet's dictum as final. It sounds
well, but is it true? President George Q. Cannon denied its truth,
affirming order to be an effect rather than a cause, a result flowing
from obedience, without which order would be impossible. Obedience, he
maintained, is heaven's first law, and the order that reigns there, a
condition consequent. Manifestly this is a correct position.
Human and Divine Government.--That obedience is essential to order,
must be apparent even to a casual observer of the every-day life of
men and nations. All governments demand from their people obedience to
the laws enacted for the general welfare. Without it there would be
no peace, no protection. Confusion would prevail, and anarchy reign
supreme. This is readily conceded by most men as to human governments;
but some think it strange that divine government should be administered
upon like principles, and for similar though higher ends.
Aliens Must Be Naturalized.--A friend of mine, somewhat of a skeptic,
asked me: "Why must I belong to a church, or subscribe to a creed, or
undergo any particular ceremony, in order to be saved? I have always
done what I thought was right--have been truthful, honest, virtuous and
benevolent. Why is that not enough? Why will it not suffice to make my
peace with God and pave my way to Heaven?"
I answered: "Suppose you were an alien, born in some country of Europe,
or on some island of the sea, and you came to America desiring to
become a citizen of the United States. When told that you must declare
your intentions, take out naturalization papers, forswear allegiance to
any foreign power, and honor and uphold the Constitution and laws of
this Republic, suppose you were to reply: Why, what is the need of all
that? I am a good man; I have always acted honorably; am clean, moral
and upright in conduct and conversation. Why is that not sufficient to
entitle me to vote, to hold office, take up land, and enjoy all the
rights and privileges of an American freeman? Do you think such a plea
would avail? No, you do not. You see its inconsistency as quickly as
the Government would see it and reject your application. You would not
expect to become a citizen of the United States on your own terms. Why,
then, should you hope for admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven upon
any conditions other than those which the King himself has laid down?"
Man's Proper Attitude.--Men must not count upon their personal
qualities, when applying for citizenship in the Eternal Commonwealth.
The proper attitude is one of humility, not self-righteousness. The
Pharisee who prayed, thanking the Lord that he was better than other
men, was less justified than the Publican who also prayed, but in a
different spirit, meekly murmuring: "God be merciful to me, a sinner."
[3] A disposition to laud self, or dictate the terms upon which one is
willing to be blest, is anything but modest, anything but reasonable.
Truthfulness, honesty, virtue, benevolence--these are precious
qualities, treasures enriching the soul under all conditions, inside
or outside the Kingdom of Heaven. But they are not valuable enough to
purchase a passport into that Kingdom. They go far, but not far enough
to secure salvation.
Better Than Sacrifice.--"To obey is better than sacrifice." So said
obedient Samuel to disobedient Saul. [4] Abraham's willingness to obey,
when the Lord commanded him to offer up Isaac, was accepted in lieu of
the offering. A literal sacrifice was not necessary in that case; but
the offer to make it was necessary; for thus was symbolized the most
important event in all history--the offering by the Eternal Father
of his beloved Son for the redemption of the fallen human race. The
Patriarch's willingness having been shown, the Lord, who had directed
Abraham to offer up his son, sent an angel with the countermanding
order: "Lay not thine hand upon the lad." [5] The offering had been
accepted, and he who made it was rewarded as abundantly as if the
sacrifice had been consummated.
Dead Letter and Living Oracle.--But what if Abraham, when commanded
to offer up his son, had refused, citing in support of his position
the divine law against homicide, a law dating from the time of Cain
and Abel--would that have justified him? No; God's word is his law,
and the word last spoken by him must have precedence over any earlier
revelation on the same subject. If Abraham, after being forbidden to
slay his son, had fanatically persisted in slaying him, he would have
been a transgressor, just as much as if he had refused to obey in
the first instance. After receiving the second command, he could not
consistently plead that he was under obligation to carry out the first.
Had he done so, he would have placed himself in a false position, that
of honoring the dead letter above the living oracle.
The Will for the Deed.--Let me give this principle another application.
A soldier goes forth to fight the battles of his country, goes with a
willing heart, offering his life that justice may prevail and freedom
endure. Having done his duty, he returns unscathed from the conflict
where many went down to death. Is not his offering as acceptable as
that of his comrade who makes what is called "the supreme sacrifice?"
He certainly offers as much, the only difference being that not as much
of his offering is taken.
All honor to those who, during the dreadful war of recent years,
perished in the blood-soaked trenches, or fell in the open field with
Prussian or Austrian bullets in their breasts! All honor to those who
met death by accident or disease, in training camp or at battle-front,
on land or on sea, losing their lives while faithfully playing their
part in the great world tragedy! Heroes, every one! But the gallant
fellows who lived through it all, patiently enduring hardships and
privations, dying daily by anticipation, and by willingness to
sacrifice all for the common good--be it not forgotten that in spirit
they gave as much as any; and the fact that their offering was not
taken, does not discount the motive that actuated them, nor diminish
the credit due. "As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall
his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike." [6]
The Just and the Unjust.--All blessings come by obedience. When the
Savior said of the Father: "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." [7] he
did not mean that no distinction is made between the two classes. He
meant that the Great Judge is just to both--just even to the unjust,
sending to them his rain and his sunshine, causing their orchards to
bloom and their vineyards to bear equally with those of the righteous,
provided similar conditions surround, and both classes are equally
obedient to the laws governing the culture of the soil.
They Kept the First Estate.--But rain and sunshine, like all other
blessings, are for those who merit them. If the unjust (unjust here)
had not "kept their first estate," had not manifested in a previous
life some degree of obedience to divine law, they would not have been
given a "second estate," would not have been placed where the sunlight
and the showers could reach them.
Obedience Must Continue.--In this life, however, further obedience is
necessary, in order that greater blessings may come. God's gifts are
both spiritual and temporal; but whatever they are, their bestowal
is regulated by the great Law of Obedience. A good man may be a poor
farmer, and thus fail to raise the full crop that he might have reaped
had he been more skillful or more thorough in the practice of his
vocation. On the other hand, a bad man may be an expert tiller of the
soil, realizing bounteous returns because of his strict observance of
the law in that particular department of industry.
Higher Laws and Higher Blessings.--There are greater blessings,
however, than those pertaining to the harvest field and the workshop,
and they also are to be had only by obedience to the laws governing
their bestowal and distribution. One cannot become a member of the
Church of Christ by being a successful merchant or stockraiser; and
one may hold church membership, yet not be entitled to the privileges
of the Temple. It takes more than the skill of a mechanic to get into
the Kingdom of Heaven. There is but one way into that kingdom, and he
who tries to pick the lock or climb over the wall, will be treated as a
trespasser or a robber.
Rod and Rock.--Obedience is the rod of power which smites the rock of
divine resource, causing it to flow with the waters of human weal. And
the most obedient are the most blest. There are "many mansions" in the
great House of God, and the highest are for those who render unto the
Master of the House the fulness of their obedience.
Footnotes
1. D. & C. 130:20,
2. "Essay on Man," Epis 4, line 49.
3. Luke 18:10-14.
4. 1 Sam. 15:22.
5. Gen. 22:12.
6. 1 Sam. 30:24.
7. Matt. 5:45.
ARTICLE THIRTY-ONE.
The Divine Doorway.
The Most Important Personage.--What particular acts of obedience are
required from man, in order that the One who redeemed may likewise
save and exalt him? What must he do for himself, to the end that he
may profit by the great things done in his behalf? In other words, how
shall the alien seeking citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, obtain
it? What are the divine laws of naturalization? The one who can answer
such questions, is easily the most important personage of his time.
Such a one was Peter, the Galilean fisherman, chief of the twelve
special witnesses of the Savior.
The Pentecostal Proclamation.--When Peter, on the Day of Pentecost,
preached "Christ and him crucified," and the conscience-stricken
multitude, "pricked in their heart," cried out, "men and brethren,
what shall we do?" a question was propounded which the most learned
philosophers of that age could not answer. Caesar, sitting upon the
throne of the world, would have been mystified had the question been
put to him--What shall men do to be saved? Not so, the Galilean
fisherman. He knew, and he told them straightway:
"Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost." [1]
The Gospel Unchangeable.--These requirements have not changed. They
are in force today. They will remain in force so long as the Gospel is
preached. The Apostle did not say that these were all the requirements.
But he answered the question put to him, and it was the appropriate and
sufficient reply for that occasion.
In the Pit.--When Adam and Eve had transgressed the divine command
by partaking of the forbidden fruit, it was as if the human race had
fallen into a pit, from which they were powerless, by any act of their
own, to emerge. They could not climb out, for they knew not how to
climb; and even if they had known, there was no means by which to
ascend. Human endeavor, unassisted, could accomplish nothing in the
way of deliverance. Man in his mortal condition needed revelation,
spiritual enlightenment, having forgotten all that he had previously
known. He also needed a ladder.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ladder to Freedom and Light. Without
it there is no salvation, no exaltation. The Tower of Babel symbolizes
the situation. All man's efforts to reach Heaven without divine
assistance, must end in confusion and failure.
Self-Help Necessary.--Before there was a Ladder, or while it was not
within reach, fallen man could not climb. All his intelligence and
skill were unavailing. But the ladder having been let down, if he will
use his God-given powers and all the means provided for the purpose,
he can mount from Earth to Heaven, round by round. If he refuses to
climb, who but himself is to blame for his remaining at the bottom of
the pit? The Gospel is not a substitute for self-help. It does not
supersede man's efforts in his own behalf. It is the divinely appointed
means whereby those efforts are made effectual. It does for man what he
cannot do for himself.
Redemption by Grace.--The Gospel of Salvation rests upon the rock of
Christ's Atonement--an act of grace, a free gift from God to man, to
the wicked as well as to the righteous. All profit by it, for through
that atonement, all are brought forth from the grave. This is eminently
just. Adam's posterity were consigned to death for no deed of their
own doing. It is fitting, therefore, that their redemption should be
unconditional.
Salvation by Obedience.--But redemption is not salvation, nor salvation
exaltation. Men must "work out" their salvation, [2] and gain
exaltation by continuous upward striving. Depending primarily upon the
grace of God, salvation and exaltation are likewise the fruits of man's
acceptance of the Gospel, and of his steadfast adherence thereto, until
it shall have done for him its perfect work.
The First Requirement.--Faith is the first requirement of the Gospel.
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." So the Savior
declared, when he commissioned his Apostles to "go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every creature." [3] Peter's Pentecostal
sermon omitted faith from the list of essentials, doubtless for the
reason that those whom the Apostle addressed already had faith, a fact
plainly shown by the question put to him. Evidently they believed what
he had told them about the crucified Redeemer; else they would not have
been "pricked in their heart," and would not have anxiously inquired,
"What shall we do?"
In like manner, the Savior, when making his conditional promise of
salvation, left out repentance, it being implied, virtually included,
in the admonition to believe and be baptized; since baptism is "for
the remission of sins"--sins of which man has repented. Faith, not
repentance, is the first essential--the initial requirement made of the
seeker for salvation.
The Second Step.--The first fruit of faith is repentance. It follows
faith as naturally as kindness follows love, as obedience springs from
reverence, as a desire to be congenial with, succeeds admiration for,
one whose example is deemed worthy of emulation. God commands all men
to repent; and a desire to please him and become acceptable in his
sight, naturally leads the soul of faith to repentance.
"Sin No More."--Repentance is not that superficial sorrow felt by the
wrongdoer when "caught in the act"--a sorrow not for sin, but for
sin's detection. Chagrin is not repentance. Mortification and shame
alone bring no change of heart toward right feeling and right living.
Even remorse is not all there is to repentance. In highest meaning and
fullest measure, repentance is equivalent to reformation; the beginning
of the reformatory process being a resolve to "sin no more." "By this
ye may know that a man repenteth of his sins: Behold he will confess
them and forsake them." [4]
What is Sin?--Sin is the transgression of divine law, as made known
through the conscience or by revelation. A man sins when he violates
his conscience, going contrary to light and knowledge--not the light
and knowledge that has come to his neighbor, but that which has come
to himself. He sins when he does the opposite of what he knows to
be right. Up to that point he only blunders. One may suffer painful
consequences for only blundering, but he cannot commit sin unless he
knows better than to do the thing in which the sin consists. One must
have a conscience before he can violate it. "Where there is no law
given, there is no punishment . . . . no condemnation." [5] "He that
knoweth not good from; evil is blameless." [6]
Degrees of Damnation.--Souls who know that they have sinned, and who
refuse to forsake their sins, will be damned. They damn themselves by
that refusal. Damnation is no part of the Gospel. It is simply the
sad alternative, the inevitable consequence of rejecting the offer of
salvation. Damnation (condemnation) is not necessarily permanent, and
it may exist in degrees, the degree being determined by the measure of
culpability in the one condemned. Even the damned can be saved if they
repent.
The Sin Unpardonable.--It is possible, however, to sin so far and so
deeply that repentance is impossible. Shakespeare puts into the mouth
of one of his characters--the guilty King Claudius--this speech:
"Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one
cannot repent?" [7]
Those who cannot repent are sons of perdition. Their sin is
unpardonable, involving utter recreancy to divine light and power
previously possessed.
The Washing of Regeneration.--Sin must not only be repented of; it
must be blotted out. The soul must be cleansed of it. Baptism is the
soul-cleansing process, the divinely instituted means whereby sins
are remitted--that is, forgiven and washed away. Immersion in water,
symbolizing birth, or burial and resurrection, is the true form of the
baptismal ordinance. Baptism is the third principle of the Gospel.
Divine Illumination.--The soul cleansed from sin is in a condition to
enjoy the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, which "dwelleth not in
unclean tabernacles." Through this precious gift comes the divine light
that "leads into all truth," making manifest the things of God, past,
present, and to come. There is a light that illumines, in greater or
less degree, every soul that cometh into the world; but the Gift of
the Holy Ghost, imparted by the laying on of hands of one divinely
authorized to bestow it, is a special endowment, and only those having
membership in the Church of Christ can possess it. Each is thus given a
direct personal testimony of the Truth, and is founded upon the Rock of
Revelation, against which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail.
Gospel Principles Eternal.--The Everlasting Gospel is not an empty
phrase. It means just what it says. The principles underlying it are
eternal. "Intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made,
neither indeed can be." [8] The same is true of faith and repentance.
God did not make them. They are self-existent. Such ordinances as
baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of
hands for the gift (giving) of the Holy Ghost, might indeed be created,
and doubtless were; but not the fundamental facts upon which they are
based. It did not require a divine edict to make washing (baptism) a
prerequisite to cleanliness; nor light (the Holy Spirit) the means of
illumination.