THE RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS, AND THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS
SPOKEN BY THE PROPHETS.
This is one of the most important subjects upon which the human mind
can contemplate; and one perhaps as little understood, in the present
age, as any other now lying over the face of prophecy. But, however
neglected at the present time, it was once the groundwork of the
faith, hope, and joy of the Saints. It was a correct understanding of
this subject, and firm belief in it, that influenced all their
movements. Their minds once fastening upon it, they could not be
shaken from their purposes; their faith was firm, their joy constant,
and their hope like an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast,
reaching to that within the veil. It was this that enabled them to
rejoice in the midst of tribulation, persecution, sword, and flame;
and in view of this, they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods,
and gladly wandered as strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they
sought a country, a city, and an inheritance that none but a saint
ever thought of, understood, or even hoped for.
Now, we can never understand precisely what is meant by restoration,
unless we understand what is lost or taken away; for instance, when we
offer to restore anything to a man, it is as much as to say he once
possessed it, but had lost it, and we propose to replace, or put him
in possession of, that which he once had; therefore, when a Prophet
speaks of the restoration of all things, he means that all things have
undergone a change, and are to be again restored to their primitive
order, even as they first existed.
First, then, it becomes necessary to take a view of creation, as it
rolled in purity from the hand of its Creator; and if we can discover
the true state in which it then existed, and understand the changes
that have taken place since, then we shall be able to understand what
is to be restored; and thus, our minds being prepared, we shall be
looking for the very things which will come, and shall be in no danger
of lifting our puny arm in ignorance, to oppose the things of God.
First, then, we will take a view of the earth, as to its surface,
local situation, and productions.
When God had created the heavens and the earth, and separated the
light from the darkness, His next great command was to the waters,
Genesis, i, 9: "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven, be
gathered together into _one place_, and let the dry land appear: and
it was so." From this we learn a marvelous fact, which very few have
ever realized or believed in this benighted age; we learn that the
waters, which are now divided into oceans, seas, and lakes, were then
all gathered together, into _one_ vast ocean; and, consequently, that
the land, which is now torn asunder, and divided into continents and
islands, almost innumerable, was then _one_ vast continent or body,
not separated as it now is.
Second, we hear the Lord God pronounce the earth, as well as
everything else, very good. From this we learn that there were neither
deserts, barren places, stagnant swamps, rough, broken, rugged hills;
nor vast mountains covered with eternal snow; and no part of it was
located in the frigid zone, so as to render its climate dreary and
unproductive, subject to eternal frost, or everlasting chains of ice--
Where no sweet flowers the dreary landscape cheer,
Nor plenteous harvests crown the passing year.
But the whole earth was probably one vast plain, or interspersed with
gently rising hills, and sloping vales, well calculated for
cultivation; while its climate was delightfully varied, with the
moderate changes of heat and cold, of wet and dry, which only tended
to crown the varied year with the greater variety of productions, all
for the good of man, animal, fowl, or creeping thing; while from the
flowery plain or spicy grove, sweet odors were wafted on every breeze;
and all the vast creation of animated being breathed naught but
health, and peace, and joy.
Next, we learn from Genesis, i, 29, 30: "And God said, Behold, I have
given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of _all_ the
earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree, yielding seed;
to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to
every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth,
wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it
was so." From these verses we learn, that the earth yielded neither
nauseous weeds nor poisonous plants, nor useless thorns and thistles;
indeed every thing that grew was just calculated for the food of man,
beast, fowl, and creeping thing; and their food was all vegetable.
Flesh and blood were never sacrificed to glut their souls, or gratify
their appetites; the beasts of the earth were all in perfect harmony
with each other; the lion ate straw like the ox, the wolf dwelt with
the lamb, the leopard lay down with the kid, the cow and bear fed
together, in the same pasture, while their young ones reposed, in
perfect security, under the shade of the same trees; all was peace and
harmony, and nothing to hurt nor disturb, in all the holy mountain.
And to crown the whole, we behold man created in the image of God, and
exalted in dignity and power, having dominion over all the vast
creation of animated beings, which swarmed through the earth, while,
at the same time, he inhabits a beautiful and well watered garden, in
the midst of which stood the tree of life, to which he had free
access; while he stood in the presence of his Maker, conversed with
Him face to face, and gazed upon His glory, without a dimming veil
between. O reader, contemplate, for a moment, the beautiful creation,
clothed with peace and plenty; the earth teeming with harmless
animals, rejoicing over all the plain; the air swarming with
delightful birds, whose never-ceasing notes filled the air with varied
melody; and all in subjection to their rightful sovereign, who
rejoiced over them; while in a delightful garden--the capitol of
creation, man was seated on the throne of this vast empire, swaying
his sceptre over all the earth with undisputed right; while legions of
angels encamped round about him, and joined their glad voices in
grateful songs of praise, and shouts of joy; neither a sigh nor groan
was heard throughout the vast expanse; neither were there sorrow,
tears, pain, weeping, sickness, nor death; neither contentions, wars,
nor bloodshed; but peace crowned the seasons as they rolled, and life,
joy, and love reigned over all God's works. But, O, how changed the
scene!
It now becomes my painful duty to trace some of the important changes
which have taken place, and the causes which have conspired to reduce
the earth and its inhabitants to their present state.
First, man fell from his standing before God, by giving heed to
temptation; and this fall affected the whole creation, as well as man,
and caused various changes to take place; he was banished from the
presence of his Creator, and a veil was drawn between them, and man
was driven from the garden of Eden, to till the earth, which was then
cursed for his sake, and should begin to bring forth thorns and
thistles; and with the sweat of his face he should earn his bread, and
in sorrow eat of it, all the days of his life, and finally return to
dust. But as to Eve, her curse was a great multiplicity of sorrow and
conception; and between her seed and the seed of the serpent there was
to be a constant enmity; it should bruise the serpent's head, and the
serpent should bruise his heel.
Now, reader, contemplate the change. This scene, which was so
beautiful a little before, had now become the abode of sorrow and
toil, of death and mourning: the earth groaning with its production of
accursed thorns and thistles; man and beast at enmity; the serpent
slyly creeping away, fearing lest his head should get the deadly
bruise; and man startling amid the thorny path, in fear, lest the
serpent's fangs should pierce his heel; while the lamb yields his
blood upon the smoking altar. Soon man begins to persecute, hate, and
murder his fellow, until at length the earth is filled with violence,
all flesh becomes corrupt, the powers of darkness prevail, and it
repented Noah that God had made man, and it grieved him at his heart,
because the Lord should come out in vengeance, and cleanse the earth
by water.
How far the flood may have contributed to produce the various changes,
as to the division of the earth into broken fragments, islands and
continents, mountains and valleys, we have not been informed; the
change must have been considerable. But after the flood, in the days
of Peleg, the earth was divided. See Gen., x, 25. A short history, to
be sure, of so great an event; but still it will account for the
mighty revolution which rolled the sea from its own place in the
north, and brought it to interpose between different portions of the
earth, which were thus parted asunder, and moved into something near
their present form; this, together with the earthquakes, revolutions,
and commotions which have since taken place, have all contributed to
reduce the face of the earth to its present state; while the great
curses which have fallen upon different portions, because of the
wickedness of men, will account for the stagnant swamps, the sunken
lakes, the dead seas, the great deserts; witness, for instance, the
denunciations of the Prophets upon Babylon, how it was to become
perpetual desolations, a den of wild beasts, a dwelling of unclean and
hateful birds, a place for owls; and should never be inhabited, but
should lie desolate from generation to generation. Witness also the
plains of Sodom, filled with towns, cities, and flourishing gardens,
well watered; but O, how changed! A vast sea of stagnant water alone
marks the place. Witness the land of Palestine; in the days of
Solomon, it was capable of sustaining millions of people, besides
yielding a surplus of wheat, and other productions, which were
exchanged with the neighboring nations; whereas, now it is desolate,
and hardly capable of sustaining a few miserable inhabitants. And when
I cast mine eyes over our own land, and see the numerous swamps,
lakes, and ponds of stagnant waters, together with the vast mountains,
and innumerable rough places, rocks having been rent, and torn
asunder, from centre to circumference, I exclaim, Whence all this?
When I read the Book of Mormon, it informs me, that while Christ was
crucified among the Jews, this whole American continent was shaken to
its foundation, that many cities were sunk, and waters came up in
their places; that the rocks were all rent in twain; that mountains
were thrown up to an exceeding height; and that other mountains became
valleys; the level roads spoiled, and the whole face of the land
changed. I then exclaim, These things are no longer a mystery; I have
now learned to account for the many wonders, which I everywhere
behold, throughout our whole country. When I am passing a ledge of
rocks, and see they have all been rent and torn asunder, while some
huge fragments are found deeply imbedded in the earth, some rods from
whence they were torn, I exclaim, with astonishment, These were the
groans! the convulsive throes of agonizing nature! while the Son of
God suffered upon the cross!
But men have degenerated, and greatly changed, as well as the earth.
The sins, the abominations, and the many evil habits of the latter
ages, have added to the miseries, toils, and sufferings of human life.
The idleness, extravagance, pride, covetousness, drunkenness, and
other abominations, which are characteristics of the latter times,
have all combined to sink mankind to the lowest state of wretchedness
and degradation; while priestcraft and false doctrines have greatly
tended to lull mankind to sleep, and cause them to rest infinitely
short of the powers and attainments which the ancients enjoyed, and
which are alone calculated to exalt the intellectual powers of the
human mind, to establish noble and generous sentiments, to enlarge the
heart, and to expand the soul to the utmost extent of its capacity.
Witness the ancients conversing with the Great Jehovah, learning
lessons from the angels, and receiving instruction by the Holy Ghost,
in dreams by night, and visions by day, until at length the veil is
taken off, and they are permitted to gaze, with wonder and admiration,
upon all things past and future; yea, even to soar aloft amid
unnumbered worlds, while the vast expanse of eternity stands open
before them, and they contemplate the mighty works of the Great I AM,
until they know as they are known, and see as they are seen.
Compare this intelligence with the low smatterings of education and
worldly wisdom which seem to satisfy the narrow mind of man in our
generation; yea, behold the narrow-minded, calculating, trading,
overreaching, penurious sycophant of the nineteenth century, who
dreams of nothing here, but how to increase his goods, or take
advantage of his neighbor; and whose only religious exercise or duties
consist of going to meeting, paying the priest his hire, or praying to
his God, without expecting to be heard or answered, supposing that God
has been deaf and dumb for many centuries, or altogether stupid and
indifferent like himself. And having seen the two contrasted, you will
be able to form some idea of the vast elevation from which man has
fallen; you will also learn how infinitely beneath his former glory
and dignity he is now living, and your heart will mourn, and be
exceedingly sorrowful, when you contemplate him in his low estate--and
then think he is your brother; and you will be ready to exclaim, with
wonder and astonishment: "O man! how art thou fallen! Once thou wast
the favorite of heaven; thy Maker delighted to converse with thee, and
angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, were thy companions;
but now thou art degraded, and brought down to a level with the
beasts; yea, far beneath them, for they look with horror and affright
at your vain amusements, your sports, and your drunkenness, and thus
often set an example worthy of your imitation. Well did the Apostle
Peter say of you, that you know nothing, only what you know naturally
as brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. And thus you perish,
from generation to generation, while all creation groans under its
pollution; and sorrow and death, mourning and weeping, fill up the
measure of the days of man!" But, O my soul, dwell no longer on this
awful scene! let it suffice to have discovered, in some degree, what
is lost. Let us turn our attention to what the Prophets have said
should be restored.
The Apostle Peter, while preaching to the Jews, says: "And He shall
send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the
heavens must receive, until the times of the restitution (restoration)
of all things which God hath spoken, by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began." It appears from the above, that all
the holy Prophets from Adam to Christ, and those that followed after,
had their eyes upon a certain time, when all things should be restored
to their primitive beauty and excellence. We also learn, that the time
of restitution was to be at or near the time of Christ's second
coming; for the heavens are to receive Him, until the times of
restitution, and the Father shall send Him again to the earth.
We will now proceed to notice Isaiah, xl, 1-5. "Comfort ye, comfort ye
my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry
unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is
pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord's hand, double for all her
sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the
way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places
plain; and tho glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
From these verses we learn, first, that the voice of one shall be
heard in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord, just at tho
time when Jerusalem has been trodden down of the Gentiles long enough
to have received, at the Lord's hand, double for all her sins, yea,
when the warfare of Jerusalem is accomplished, and her iniquities
pardoned. Then shall this proclamation be made as it was before by
John, yea, a second proclamation, to prepare the way of the Lord, for
His second coming; and about that time every valley shall exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain, and then the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Thus you see, every mountain being made low, and every valley exalted,
and the rough places being made plain, and the crooked places
straight--that these mighty revolutions will begin to restore the face
of the earth to its former beauty. But all this done, we have not yet
gone through our restoration; there are many more great things to be
done in order to restore all things.
Our next, is Isaiah, twenty-fifth chapter, where we again read of the
Lord's second coming, and of the mighty works which attend it. The
barren desert should abound with pools and springs of living water,
and should produce grass, with flowers blooming and blossoming as the
rose, and that, too, about the time of the coming of their God, with
vengeance and recompense, which must allude to His second coming; and
Israel is to come at the same time to Zion, with songs of everlasting
joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Here, then, we have the
curse taken off the deserts, and they becomes fruitful, well-watered
country.
We will now inquire whether the islands return again to the
continents, from whence they were separated. For this subject we refer
you to Revelations, vi, 14. "And every mountain and island were moved
out of their places." From this we learn that they moved somewhere;
and as it is the time of restoring what has been lost, they
accordingly return and join themselves to the land whence they came.
Our next is Isaiah, xiii, 13, 14, where "The earth shall remove out of
her place, And shall be as the chased roe, which no man taketh up."
Also Isaiah, lxii, 4: "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither
shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called
Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee, and
thy land shall be married."
In the first instance, we have the earth on a move like a chased roe;
and in the second place, we have it married. And from the whole, and
various Scriptures, we learn, that the continents and islands shall be
united in one, as they were on the morn of creation, and the sea shall
retire and assemble in its own place, where it was before; and all
these scenes shall take place during the mighty convulsion of nature,
about the time of the coming of the Lord.
Behold! the mount of Olives rent in twain:
While on its top He sets His feet again,
The islands, at His word, obedient, flee;
While to the north He rolls the mighty sea;
Restores the earth in one, as at the first,
With all its blessings, and removes the curse.
Having restored the earth to the same glorious state in which it first
existed--leveling the mountains, exalting the valleys, smoothing the
rough places, making the deserts fruitful, and bringing all the
continents and islands together, causing the curse to be taken off,
that noxious weeds, and thorns, and thistles shall no longer be
produced; the next thing is to regulate and restore the brute creation
to their former state of peace and glory, causing all enmity to cease
from off the earth. But this will never be done until there is a
general destruction poured out upon man, which will entirely cleanse
the earth, and sweep all wickedness from its face. This will be done
by the rod of His mouth, and by the breath of His lips; or, in other
words, by fire as universal as the flood. Isaiah xi, 4, 6-9: "But with
righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the
meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His
mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. The
wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down
with the kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the falling
together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear
shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the
hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as
the waters cover the sea."
Thus, having cleansed the earth, and glorified it with the knowledge
of God, as the waters cover the sea, and having poured out His Spirit
upon all flesh, both man and beast becoming perfectly harmless, as
they were in the beginning, and feeding on vegetable food only, while
nothing is left to hurt or destroy in all the vast creation, the
Prophets then proceed to give us many glorious descriptions of the
enjoyments of its inhabitants. "They shall build houses and inhabit
them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them; they
shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another
eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine
elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor
in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the
blest of the Lord, and their offspring with them; and it shall come to
pass, that before they call I will answer, and while they are yet
speaking I will hear." In this happy state of existence it seems that
all people will live to the full age of a tree, and this, too, without
pain or sorrow, and whatsoever they ask will be immediately answered,
and even all their wants will be anticipated. Of course, then, none of
them will sleep in the dust, for they will prefer to be translated,
that is, changed in the twinkling of an eye, from mortal to immortal;
after which they will continue to reign with Jesus on the earth.
Thus we have traced the Prophets through the varying scenes which
conspire to restore the earth, and its inhabitants, to that state of
perfection in which they first existed, and in which they will exist
during the great Sabbath of creation. Having seen all things restored
among the living, we will now inquire after those who sleep in the
dust; but, in order to understand precisely the nature of their
restoration, we must ascertain the particulars concerning the
resurrection of Jesus, for He was an exact pattern after which all His
Saints will be raised. We recollect, first, that he was clothed upon
with flesh, and blood, and bones, like another man, and every way
subject to hunger, thirst, pain, weariness, sickness, and death, like
any other person--with this difference, that He was capable of
enduring more than any other human body. Second, this same body was
hung upon the cross, torn with nails, which were driven through His
hands and feet, and His side pierced with a spear, from which there
came out blood and water. Third, this same body, being perfectly
lifeless, like any other corpse, was taken, without a bone being
broken, and carefully wrapped in linen and laid in the tomb, where it
continued until the third day; when, early in the morning, the women
came to the sepulchre, and His disciples also, and found the linen
clothes lying useless, and the napkin which was about His head
carefully folded and laid by itself, but the body which had lain there
was gone.
From all these circumstances, we discover that the same flesh and
bones which were laid in the tomb were actually re-animated, and did
arise and lay aside the linen which was no longer needed. And Jesus
Christ came forth triumphant from the mansions of the dead, possessing
the same body which had been born of a woman, and which was crucified;
but no blood flowed in His veins, for blood was the natural life, in
which were the principles of mortality, and a man restored to flesh
and blood would be mortal, and, consequently, again subject unto
death, which was not the case with our Savior, although He had flesh
and bones after He arose, for when He appeared to His disciples, and
they were afraid, supposing it was only a spirit, in order to show
them their mistake, He said: "Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not
flesh and bones as ye see me have." And calling for something to eat,
He was provided with a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb, and He did
eat. And even afterwards, Thomas was invited to put his finger into
the prints of the nails in His hands and feet, and to thrust his hand
into His side, from which it was evident that He not only possessed
the same body, but the same wounds also continued to show themselves
for a witness, and will continue until He comes again, when the Jews
will look upon Him whom they have pierced, and inquire, "What are
these wounds in thy hands and in thy feet?"
O ye hard hearted, ye ungodly children of men! your eyes will very
soon behold Him who was crucified for your sins; then shall ye see
that the resurrection of the dead is a reality, something tangible,
and that eternity is not a land of shades, nor a world of phantoms, as
some suppose.
Among other things which Jesus did after the resurrection, we find Him
in the humble attitude of broiling fish, and calling His disciples to
come and dine. O what simplicity, what love, what condescension!
Wonder, O heavens! Be astonished, O earth! Behold the Redeemer clothed
upon with immortality, and yet seated by a fire of coals, in the open
air, with His brethren, humbly partaking of a meal of fish, actually
prepared by His own hands! O ye great and noble of the earth, who roll
in luxury and refinement! O ye priests, who are loaded with the
honors, titles, dignities, riches, and splendor of the world, here is
a lesson for you, which will make you blush: boast no more of being
followers of the meek and lowly Jesus!
But to return to the subject of the resurrection. Having proved to a
demonstration, that our Savior rose from the dead, with the same body
which was crucified--possessing flesh and bones, that He ate and drank
with His disciples, it puts the matter forever at rest respecting the
resurrection of the Saints. But if more proof were wanting, we have it
in the prophecy of Job, quoted in a former part of this work, where he
declares that his Redeemer will stand, in the latter-day, upon the
earth, and he should see Him in the flesh, though worms should destroy
the body which he then had. The fact is, the Saints will again receive
their bodies, every joint being in its proper and perfect frame, and
clothed upon with flesh, sinews, and skin, like as we now are; the
whole being immortal, no more to see corruption, and clothed with a
white robe of fine linen, suitable for immortality to wear. Well did
the Apostle say, In heaven we have a more enduring _substance_ (not
shadow).
But in order to illustrate this subject still farther, we will
carefully examine Ezekiel xxxvii, which we have touched upon before.
In this vision, the Prophet is carried away in the Spirit, and a
valley of dry bones is presented before him, and they are very
numerous and very dry; and while he stands musing and contemplating
the awful scene, a very wonderful question is proposed to him: "Son of
man, can these dry bones live?" and he answered: "O Lord God, thou
knowest." And the Lord said: "Son of man, prophesy upon these bones,
and say, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." So he prophesied
as he was commanded, and, as he prophesied, there was a noise, and
behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone, and
the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them.
And again he prophesied to the winds, saying: "Come from the four
winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live;"
and the breath entered into them, and they lived and stood upon their
feet, an exceeding great army. We have heard many comments upon this
vision; some compare it to sinners being converted, and some to the
body of Christ, the Church, when dead as to the spiritual gifts; but
the Church becoming dead, can no longer be said to be the body of
Christ, as when she abides in the true vine, she lives and bears
fruit, and is not dead, and when she does not abide in Him, she is cut
off as a branch withered, and burned, instead of rising again. But did
you ever hear the Lord's own explanation of this vision, in the same
chapter? It so far surpasses all other comments, I am inclined to
believe it; I will therefore write it in preference to any other, and
run the risk of becoming unpopular by so doing. The Lord says: "Son of
man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our
bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
Therefore, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God,
Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up
out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel: and ye
shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my
people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit
in you, and ye shall live; and I shall place you in your own land.
Then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it,
saith the Lord." Thus you have the whole vision unfolded plainly, if
the Lord's authority can once be allowed, which is seldom the case in
this age of wisdom and learning. The fact is, all the seed of Israel
are to be raised from the dead, and are to be brought into the land of
Israel, which was given to them for an everlasting inheritance. And in
order to do this, their old dry bones are to be brought together, bone
to its bone, and every part of their bodies is to be reinstated; and
it will make a great noise, and a wonderful shaking when they come
together; and surely when they stand upon their feet they will make an
exceeding great army.
This just explains the promise, so oft repeated in Scripture: "My
servant David shall be their prince for ever;" indeed this same
chapter makes the promise to them, that His servant David shall be
raised up, and shall be a prince among them, while the Lord shall be
their King; while both they that are alive, and they that are dead,
shall be restored, and become one nation, in the land, upon the
mountains of Israel; while David comes forth and reigns as a prince
and shepherd over them for ever; and the Lord Jesus reigns as King of
kings, and Lord of lords, in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before
His ancients gloriously.
O glorious day! O blessed hope!
My soul leaps forward at the thought;
When in that happy, happy land,
We'll take the ancients by the hand;
In love and union hail our friends;
And Death and Sorrow have an end.
I now no longer marvel, when I call to mind that Abraham counted
himself a stranger and a pilgrim, seeking a better country, and a city
whose builder and maker is God. It seems after this restoration there
will be but one more change necessary, in order to fit the earth for
man's eternal inheritance; and that change is to take place at the
last day, after man has enjoyed it in peace a thousand years. We have
now discovered the great secret, which none but the Saints have
understood (but was well understood by them in all ages of the world),
which is this, that man is to dwell in the flesh, upon the earth, with
the Messiah, with the whole house of Israel, and with all the Saints
of the Most High, not only one thousand years, but for ever and ever.
There our father Adam, whose hair is white like the pure wool, will
sit enthroned in dignity, as the Ancient of Days, the great Patriarch,
the mighty Prince; while thousands of thousands stand before him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand minister to him; there he will hail
all his children, who died in the faith of the Messiah; while Abel,
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, and Daniel, with all the Prophets and
Apostles, and all the Saints of God of all ages, hail each other in
the flesh. Jesus, the great Messiah, will stand in the midst, and, to
crown the whole, will gird himself, and administer bread and wine to
the whole multitude, and He himself will partake of the same with them
on the earth, all being clothed in fine linen, clean and white. This
is the marriage supper of the Lamb, Blessed are they who partake
thereof.
Having traced the great restoration of the earth and its inhabitants,
until we find them in the full enjoyment of the promises made to their
fathers; and having learned that a future state is not a state of
shadows and fables, but something tangible, even a more enduring
substance, we shall now take a view of the division of their land, and
the laying out of their city, oven the holy city, where the tabernacle
of God and His sanctuary shall be forevermore, for of course this was
the city sought for by Abraham and others, who found it not.
This view is given in the last chapter of Ezekiel, where he divides
the land, by lot, to the whole twelve tribes; and lays off the city,
and sanctuary in the midst, with its twelve gates, three on each side,
the whole lying four square. But in the forty-seventh chapter, we have
a description of a beautiful river, which will issue forth from the
eastern front of the temple, from under the sanctuary, and run
eastward into the Dead Sea, healing the waters, and causing a very
great, multitude of fishes; so that from Engedi, and Eneglaim, the
fishers spread forth their nets; while the miry places shall not be
healed, but shall be given to salt. And on either side shall grow all
trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, nor shall the fruit thereof
be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months,
because of the waters issuing from the sanctuary; and their fruits
shall be for meat, and their leaves for medicine.
But to set forth more fully the building of the city, and the
materials of which it will be built, we quote Isaiah, liv, 11, to the
end of the chapter: "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not
comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy
foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and
thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And
all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the
peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established;
thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from
terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely
gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together,
against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold I have created the smith
that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an
instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No
weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue
that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is
the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is
of me, saith the Lord."
From these verses we learn something of the beauty of their city, and
of the materials of which it is composed. Their stones of fair colors,
their foundations of sapphires, their windows of agates, their gates
of carbuncles, and all their borders of pleasant stones, are well
calculated to beautify the place of His sanctuary, and to make the
place of His feet glorious, as well as to give a lustre and
magnificence to the whole city, of which the Gentiles, with all their
boasted wealth and grandeur, can form but a faint idea; and then to
mark, in the same description, the knowledge, as well as the peace and
security, of all the inhabitants; while they who gather together
against them to battle are sure to fall for their sake: surely this is
the heritage of the servants of the Lord, surely this is a delightful
city, and well worth a pilgrimage like Abraham's.
But in order to form a still more striking idea of the prosperity,
wealth, beauty and magnificence of the cities of Zion and Jerusalem,
we will quote Isaiah lx: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall
arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the
Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy
rising. Lift up thine eyes, round about, and see; all they gather
themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far,
and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Thou thou shalt see,
and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged;
because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the
forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels
shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Epha; all they from
Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall
show forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be
gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto
thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will
glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and
as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and
the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver
and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to
the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. And the sons
of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister
unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had
mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they
shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the
forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the
nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish: yea, those
nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto
thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify
the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet
glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending
unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down
at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the
Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
"Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went
through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many
generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt
suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy
Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will
bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and
for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine
exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,
wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy
walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy
light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto
thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy
God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and
the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all
righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my
planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one
shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord
will hasten it in his time."
In this chapter we learn--First, that there is a city to be built in
the last days, unto which, not only Israel, but all the nations of the
Gentiles, are to flow; and the nation and kingdom that will not serve
the city shall perish and be utterly wasted. Second, we learn that the
name of that city is Zion, the city of the Lord. Third, we learn that
it is called the place of His sanctuary, and the place of His feet.
Fourth, that the best of timber, consisting of fir, pine, and boxwood,
is to be brought in great plenty, to beautify the place of His
sanctuary, and make the place of His feet glorious. Fifth, the
precious metals are to abound in such plenty, that gold is to be in
the room of brass, silver in the room of iron, brass in the room of
wood, and iron in the room of stones. Their officers are to be peace
officers, and their exactors righteous exactors; violence is no more
to be heard in the land; wasting nor destruction within their borders.
Their walls are to be Salvation, and their gates Praise: while the
glory of God, in the midst of the city, outshines the sun. The days of
their mourning are ended; their people are ail righteous, and are to
inherit the _land_ forever, being the branch of the Lord's planting,
that He may be glorified. A little one shall become a strong nation,
and the Lord will hasten it in His time.
The Psalmist David has told us, concerning the time of the building of
this city, in his one hundred and second Psalm, from the thirteenth to
the twenty-second verse: "Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion;
for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come. For Thy
servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. So
the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the
earth Thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in
His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise
their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and
the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For He hath
looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from Heaven did the Lord
behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those
that are appointed to death; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
and His praise in Jerusalem; when the people are gathered together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord."
From this scripture we learn--First, that there is a set time to build
up Zion, or the city of which Isaiah speaks, namely, just before the
second coming of Christ; and that when this city is built, the Lord
will appear in His glory, and not before. So from this we affirm, that
if such a city is never built, then the Lord will never come. Second,
we learn that the people and kingdoms are to be gathered together, to
serve the Lord, both in Zion and Jerusalem; and third, that this Psalm
was written expressly for the generation to come, and the people which
shall be created shall praise the Lord, when they read it and see it
fulfilled.
I will now call the attention of the reader to the first paragraph of
the sixth chapter of the Record of Ether, contained in the Book of
Mormon: "For he truly told them of all things from the beginning of
man; and how that after the waters had receded from off the face of
this land (America), it became a choice land above all other lands, a
chosen land of the Lord, wherefore, the Lord would have that all men
should serve Him who dwell upon the face thereof; and that it was the
place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and
the holy sanctuary of the Lord. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ,
and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land: and he spake
also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence
Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up
again a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a New
Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up
again, and become a holy city of the Lord, and it should be built up
unto the house of Israel; and that a New Jerusalem should be built up
upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which
things there has been a type; for as Joseph brought his father down
into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord
brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem,
that He might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should
perish not, even as He was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he
should perish not; wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall
be built up on this land, and it shall be a land of their inheritance;
and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the
Jerusalem of old, and they shall no more be confounded, until the end
come, when the earth shall pass away. And there shall be a new heaven
and a new earth, and they shall be like unto the old, save the old
have passed away, and all things have become new. And then cometh the
New Jerusalem: and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they
whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are
they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph who were
of the house of Israel. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old, and
the inhabitants thereof; blessed are they for they have been washed in
the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and
gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north
countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which
God made with their father Abraham. And when these things come,
bringeth to pass the Scripture which saith, "There are they who were
first, who shall be last: and there are they who were last, who shall
be first."
From this prophecy we learn--First, that America is a chosen land of
the Lord, above every other land. Second, that it is the place of the
New Jerusalem, which shall come down from God, out of heaven, upon the
earth, when it is renewed. Third, that a New Jerusalem is to be built
in America, to the remnant of Joseph, after a similar pattern, or like
unto the old Jerusalem in the land of Canaan; and that the old
Jerusalem shall be rebuilt at the same time, and, this being done,
both cities will continue in prosperity on the earth, until the great
and last change, when the heavens and the earth are to be renewed.
Fourth, we learn that when this change takes place, the two cities,
together with the inhabitants thereof, are to be caught up into
heaven, and being changed and made new, the one comes down upon the
American land, and the other to its own place as formerly: and, fifth,
we learn that the inhabitants of these two cities are the same that
gathered together and first builded them. The remnant of Joseph, and
those gathered with them, inherit the New Jerusalem. And the tribes of
Israel, gathered from the north countries, and from the four quarters
of the earth, inhabit the other; and thus all things being made new,
we find those who were once strangers and pilgrims on THE EARTH, in
possession of that better country, and that city, for which they
sought.
We will now turn to John's Revelation, and examine the city after it
is made new, and see if it is anything like the pattern which it
exhibited previous to its final change, Rev. xxi: "And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy
city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of
heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall
be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make
all things new. And He said unto me, Write, for these words are true
and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst, of
the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall
inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But
the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is
the second death.
"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come
hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall
great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates, twelve angels,
and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel. On the east, three gates; on the north, three
gates; on the south, three gates; on the west, three gates. And the
wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the
twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden
reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
And the city lieth four square, and the length is as large as the
breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four
cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And
the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was of pure
gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the
city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first
foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony;
the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the
seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth,
a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And
the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one
pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God
Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need
of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God
did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of
them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of
the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it
shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And
there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are
written in the Lamb's book of life." Also, twenty-second chapter, he
says: "And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the
midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her
fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him. And
they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And
there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light
of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign
forever and ever. And He said unto me, These sayings are faithful and
true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show
unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I
come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy
of this book."
From this beautiful description, we learn--First, that the new earth
is not to be separated by any sea, consequently, what is now called
the Eastern and Western Continents will then be one land. Secondly,
we learn that the Lord will make not only the heavens and earth, but
_all things_ new (including of course, the cities of Jerusalem and
Zion, where His tabernacle will have been for more than a thousand
years). Thirdly, we learn that the city will lie four square, and have
twelve gates, with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, inserted,
one on each gate; three gates on the north, three on the south, three
on the east, and three on the west; precisely after the same manner in
which it will exist temporally during the thousand years, as described
by Ezekiel. Fourthly, we learn that it will be composed of precious
stones, and gold, as the temporal city also will be, as described by
Isaiah. Fifthly, a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal,
will flow through this renewed city, proceeding from the throne of
God, just as living waters will flow from the sanctuary in the
temporal city, as described by Ezekiel. Sixthly, the tree of life will
stand on either side of the river, even the tree which will have once
borne twelve manner of fruits, and have yielded its fruit every month,
its leaves having been for the healing of the nations. But now, when
John sees it, the nations have no need of healing, for there is no
more death, neither pain, nor sorrow, for the former things have
passed away, and all things are become new, consequently, he speaks in
the past tense, and says they _were_ for the healing of the nations;
of course, referring to the times when they existed temporally,
according to Ezekiel, before their final change.
Now, of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: Ezekiel and
the other Prophets have presented us with the view of the cities of
Zion and Jerusalem, as they will exist during the one thousand years
of rest called the Millennium; and John has given us a view of the
same cities, after their final change, when they come down from God
out of heaven, and rest upon the new earth. But Ether has given us a
sketch of them as they are to exist, both in their temporal and in
their eternal state: and he has told us plainly concerning their
location, first and last, namely, the New Jerusalem, in America,
inhabited by the remnant of Joseph, and those gathered with them, who
have washed their robes, and made them white, in the blood of the
Lamb: and the other Jerusalem, in its former place, inhabited by the
house of Israel gathered from the north countries, and from all
countries where they were scattered, having washed their robes, and
made them white, in the blood of the Lamb. And here is the end of the
matter.
I would only add, that the government of the United States has been
engaged, for upwards of nine years, in gathering the remnant of Joseph
to the very place where they will finally build a New Jerusalem, a
city of Zion, with the assistance of the Gentiles, who will gather
them from all the face of the land: and this gathering is clearly
predicted in the Book of Mormon, and other revelations, and the place
before appointed, and the time set for its fulfilment. And except the
Gentiles repent of all their abominations, and embrace the same
covenant, they will soon be utterly destroyed from off the face of
this land; as it is written by Isaiah: "The nation and kingdom that
will not serve thee shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly
wasted." And as it is written by the Prophet Nephi in the Book of
Mormon (n. e.), 3 Nephi, xxi:
"And, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know
the time when these things shall be about to take place, that I shall
gather in from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel,
and shall establish again among them my Zion.
"And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign,
for verily I say unto you, that when these things which I declare unto
you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by
the power of the Holy Ghost, which shall be given unto you of the
Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles, that they may know
concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and
concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known
unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them
unto you;
"For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in
this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father,
that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your
seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which He hath
covenanted with His people, O house of Israel;
"Therefore, when these works, and the works which shall be wrought
among you hereafter, shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your
seed, which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;
"For thus it behoveth the Father that it should come forth from the
Gentiles, that He may shew forth His power unto the Gentiles, for this
cause, that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that
they may repent and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know
of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my
people, O house of Israel;
"And when these things come to pass, that thy seed shall begin to know
these things, it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that
the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of
the covenant which He hath made unto the people who are of the house
of Israel.
"And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall
shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they
see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
"For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which
shall be a great and marvellous work among them; and there shall be
among them who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it
unto them.
"But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore
they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them.
Yet I will heal him, for I will shew unto them that my wisdom is
greater than the cunning of the devil.
"Therefore it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not believe in
my words, who am Jesus Christ, whom the Father shall cause him to
bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he
shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles (it shall be done even as
Moses said), they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the
covenant.
"And my people who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the
Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the
forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go
through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can
deliver.
"Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their
enemies shall be cut off.
"Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent, for it shall come
to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses
out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots,
"And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy
strongholds;
"And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand, and thou shalt have
no more soothsayers;
"Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of
the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy
hands;
"And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I
destroy thy cities.
"And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and
envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done
away.
"For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day
whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them will I
cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;
"And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the
heathen, such as they have not heard.
"But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not
their hearts, I will establish my Church among them, and they shall
come in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of
Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance,
"And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also, as
many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city,
which shall be called the New Jerusalem;
"And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in,
who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New
Jerusalem,
"And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also
will be in the midst;
"And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when
this Gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily
I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence
among all the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes which have
been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.
"Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people,
with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me,
that they may call on the Father in my name;
"Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all
nations, in preparing the way whereby His people may be gathered home
to the land of their inheritance
"And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in
haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father,
and I will be their rearward."
O ye remnant of Joseph, your secret is _revealed_, ye who are
despised, smitten, scattered, and driven by the Gentiles from place to
place, until you are left few in number! "O thou afflicted, tossed
with tempest and not comforted," lift up your heads and rejoice, for
your redemption draweth nigh: yea, we have found your record, the
oracles of God once committed to your forefathers, which have been
hidden from you for a long time, because of unbelief. Behold! they are
about to be restored to you again; then shall you rejoice; for you
shall know that it is a blessing from the hand of God; and the scales
of darkness shall begin to fall from your eyes; and the Gentiles shall
not again have power over you; but you shall be gathered by them, and
be built up, and again become a delightsome people; and the time has
come; yea, the work has already commenced; for we have seen you
gathered together, from all parts of the land, unto the place which
God has appointed for the Gentiles to gather you; therefore lay down
your weapons of war, cease to oppose the Gentiles in the gathering of
your various tribes, for the hand of your great God is in all this,
and it was all foretold by your forefathers, ten thousand moons ago.
Therefore suffer them peaceably to fulfil this last act of kindness,
as a kind reward for the injuries you have received from them.
It is with mingled feelings of joy and sorrow that I reflect upon
these things. Sorrow, when I think how you have been smitten; joy,
when I reflect upon the happy change that now awaits you; and sorrow
again, when I turn my thoughts to the awful destruction that awaits
the Gentiles, except they repent. But the eternal purposes of Jehovah
must roll on, until all His promises are fulfilled, and none can
hinder; therefore, O God, Thy will be done! But while I still linger
upon this subject, with feelings that are easier felt than described,
methinks I can almost hear the Indian's mournful chant resounding
through his native woods. It whispers thus:
Great Spirit of our fathers, lend an ear;
Pity the red man, to his cries give ear;
Long hast Thou scourged him with Thy chastening sore;
When will Thy vengeance cease, Thy wrath be o'er?
When will the white man's dire ambition cease,
And let our scattered remnants dwell in peace?
Or shall we, driven to the western shore,
Become extinct, and fall to rise no more?
Forbid, great Spirit! make Thy mercy known;
Reveal Thy truth; Thy wandering captives own;
Make bare Thine arm of power, for our release,
And o'er the earth extend the reign of peace.