RISE, PROGRESS, DECLINE, AND LOSS OF THE SCIENCE OF THEOLOGY ON THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE, AS BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY THE LATE DISCOVERY OF
ANCIENT AMERICAN RECORDS.
The spirit world is moved, the silence broken,
The ancient Seers from out the ground have spoken.
The appointed years on time's fleet wings have fled.
And voices whisper from the ancient dead.
Volumes of truth the sacred archives yield.
The past, the glorious future, stand revealed.
We are now, of necessity, carried back in our research to the cradle
of nations, the Tower of Babel, in order to trace the history of this
wonderful science, from the first emigration of a colony to the
western hemisphere, till its final decline and overthrow, for the
knowledge of which we are indebted to many ancient records, written by
the fathers, or ancient students and professors of this science, on
the western hemisphere.
Among these we will make honourable mention of the Prophets Jared,
Ether, Lehi, Nephi, Mosiah, Alma, Abinadi, Mormon, and Moroni, who
wrote and prophesied in the western hemisphere, during the several
ages intervening between the time of the dispersion at Babel, and the
fifth century of the Christian era.
By the science of Theology Jared and his brother led a colony from the
great tower to the sea coast, conversing with the Lord, and walking by
the light of His revelations on the way.
By this science they were instructed in the building of eight barges
similar to the ark of Noah.
By this science their leader saw God, face to face, and talked with
Him in plain humility, as one man talks with another, thus obtaining a
knowledge of His future coming and Kingdom, and of the great events of
all ages and generations.
By this science they were preserved on the great waters three hundred
and forty-four days, and were then landed, with their eight barges, in
the western hemisphere, together with their women, children, cattle,
and seeds of every kind.
By this science they became a great nation, peopling the entire
continent, and enjoying all the blessings of civilization and heavenly
light.
By the abuse and neglect of it they were at length exterminated, in
the days of their Prophet Ether, who lived about six hundred years
before Christ came in the flesh.
By this science the Prophets Lehi and Nephi came out with a colony
from Jerusalem, in the days of Jeremiah the Prophet, and after
wandering for eight years in the wilderness of Arabia, came to the sea
coast, built a vessel, obtained from the Lord a compass to guide them
on the way, and finally landed in safety on the coast of what is now
called Chili, in South America.
By this science they also became a great nation, enjoyed many visions,
had the ministering of angels, and of many Prophets, by which means
they knew of the coming, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and
ascension of Jesus Christ.
By this science they also enjoyed a personal visit of the risen
Redeemer, who descended from heaven in their presence, taught them his
Gospel, chose and ordained twelve of their number as Apostles, and
prophesied many things.
By this science these twelve and others established the Gospel,
Church, and ordinances of God throughout the entire western
hemisphere.
By this science their sick were healed, demons were expelled, the lame
walked, the blind saw, the dumb spake, the deaf heard, and their dead
were raised.
By this science three of those Apostles, having a change wrought upon
them, tarried in the flesh upon the earth, ministered the Gospel and
its blessings nearly four hundred years, and then withdrew from the
people because of their iniquity, took away the keys of Apostleship
and of the Gospel, and its powers, sealed up the records, and caused
the work of healing, and of gifts and miracles, to cease from among
the people, because of iniquity, bloodshed, and persecution.
By this science they yet live in the flesh upon the earth, holding
keys of Apostleship and power upon the western hemisphere, being now
about one thousand eight hundred years old.
By this science (being held in reserve above the powers of mystery
Babylon,) they will soon go forth, prophesying, preaching the Gospel,
and doing mighty signs and wonders in the midst of all nations, in
order to complete and mature the Gentile fulness, and restore the
tribes of Israel. Nor is this all--John, the beloved disciple among
the Jews, is yet alive in the flesh, and is held in reserve, to
"_prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and
kings_" as it is written.
But to return to our history of the western hemisphere. After the
science of Theology had ceased to be cultivated and enjoyed among this
branch of Israel, terrible wars and bloodshed ensued. Governments and
civilization were broken up, cities and countries were overthrown, all
records and vestiges of truth were diligently sought and destroyed, as
far as obtained.
And, finally, the whole face of the country was soaked, as it were, in
blood, and strewed with the dead and dying.
The wild beasts of the forest and fowls of heaven devoured their
flesh, and their bones were left to moulder unburied.
In other instances bodies were heaped up, and covered with mounds of
earth.
All government became extinct, and the countries overrun by tribes and
bands of robbers at war with each other.
In this situation the records of Moroni leave them, in the fifth
century of the Christian era, and much in the same situation, with
some exceptions, the Europeans found them after the lapse of another
thousand years.
Oh! who can contemplate the disgusting deformity, the dark features,
the filthy habits, the idleness, the cruelty, the nakedness, the
poverty, the misery, the sufferings, the ignorance of the descendants
of this once favoured branch of the royal blood of Abraham and Joseph,
and not weep for very anguish, while his bosom yearns, and the
fountains--the depths of his inmost soul, are stirred and moved within
him!
Reader, _all these things have come upon them, on account of the
abuses, the consequent decline, and final loss of the keys and powers,
of the science of Theology_.
But comfort your heart, their redemption is at the door.