_FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL_
_Importance of the Principles of the Gospel_--By faithfully
attending to the first principles of the Gospel laid down in the New
Testament, you are introduced into the knowledge of the works of God in
the dispensation of the fulness of time. 1:244.
To understand the first principles of the Gospel--to rightly understand
them, a man must have the wisdom that comes from above; he must be
enlightened by the Holy Ghost; his mind must be in open vision; he must
enjoy the blessings of salvation himself, in order to impart them to
others. 6:283.
_Need of Ordinances_--There is no ordinance that God has delivered
by his own voice, through his Son Jesus Christ, or by the mouths of
any of his Prophets, Apostles or Evangelists, that is useless. Every
ordinance, every commandment and requirement is necessary for the
salvation of the human family. 13:215.
With regard to the ordinances of God, we may remark that we yield
obedience to them because he requires it; and every iota of his
requirements has a rational philosophy with it. We do not get up things
on a hypothesis. That philosophy reaches to all eternity, and is the
philosophy that the Latter-day Saints believe in. Every particle of
truth that every person has received is a gift of God. We receive these
truths, and go on from glory to glory, from eternal lives to eternal
lives, gaining a knowledge of all things, and becoming Gods, even Sons
of God. These are the celestial ones. These are they whom the Lord has
{236} chosen through their obedience. They have not spurned the truth,
when they have heard it. These are they that have not spurned the
Gospel, but have acknowledged Jesus and God, in their true character;
that have acknowledged the angels in their true character. These are
they that work for the salvation of the human family. 19:50.
Because we believe in the ordinance of baptism, the ordinance of the
sacrament is not to be done away. To learn that, if you believe in the
laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, you are not to
deny the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick. It is not for
people to take only part of the religion of Christ, and say, "It is all
we require;" but take the whole truth wherever you find it. It is good;
claim it, take it to yourself, and cleave to it, for it will do you
good. Cease to separate truth from truth. 8:260.
However much we may profess attachment to God and his cause we are not
entitled to the blessings and privileges of his Kingdom until we become
citizens therein. How can we do this? By repenting of our sins, and
obeying the requirements of the Gospel of the Son of God which has been
delivered to us. Hundreds and thousands of people have believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ and repented of their sins, and have had the Holy
Spirit to witness unto them that God is love, that they loved him and
that he loved them, and yet they are not in his Kingdom. They have not
complied with the necessary requirements, they have not entered in at
the door. 13:57.
_Faith_--The Gospel that we preach is the power of God unto
salvation; and the first principle of that Gospel is, as I have already
said, faith in God, and faith in Jesus Christ his Son, our Savior. We
must believe that he is the character {237} he is represented to be in
the Holy Scriptures. Believe that he told the truth when he said to his
disciples, "Go ye forth and preach the Gospel to every creature; he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned." We must believe that this same Jesus was
crucified for the sins of the world, that is for the original sin, not
the actual individual transgressions of the people; not but that the
blood of Christ will cleanse from all sin, all who are disposed to act
their part by repentance, and faith in his name. But the original sin
was atoned for by the death of Christ, although its effects we still
see in the diseases, distempers and every species of wickedness with
which the human family is afflicted. 13:143.
Faith is an eternal principle; belief is an admission of the fact.
Faith, to us, is the gift of God; belief is inherent in the children
of men, and is the foundation for the reception of faith. Belief and
unbelief are independent in men, the same as other attributes. Men can
acknowledge or reject, turn to the right or to the left, rise up or
remain seated, you can say that the Lord and his Gospel are not worthy
of notice, or you can bow to them. 8:16.
Belief is inherent in the creature--implanted within him for his use
and benefit--to believe or disbelieve. Your own experience may satisfy
you that faith is not brought into requisition by the presentation of
either facts or falsehoods, to the external senses, or to the inward
perceptions of the mind. If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is
the power of God by which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift
of God to those who believe and obey his commandments. On the other
hand, no living, intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts
without belief. He might as well undertake to live without breathing as
to live without the {238} principle of belief. But he must believe the
truth, obey the truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of
God called faith. 8:259-260.
When men are in the habit of philosophising upon every point, only
relying upon what we call human reason, they are constantly liable to
error. But place a man in a situation where he is obliged or compelled,
in order to sustain himself, to have faith in the name of Jesus Christ,
and it brings him to a point where he will know for himself; and happy
are those who pass through trials, if they maintain their integrity and
their faith to their calling. 7:158.
When you believe the principles of the Gospel and attain unto faith,
which is a gift of God, he adds more faith, adding faith to faith.
He bestows faith upon his creatures as a gift; but his creatures
inherently possess the privilege of believing the Gospel to be true or
false. 8:17.
If the people will only be full of good works, I will insure that they
will have faith in time of need. 3:154.
There is no saving faith merely upon the principles of believing or
acknowledging a fact. Take a course to let the Spirit of God leave your
hearts, and every soul of you would apostatize. 7:55.
It is the easiest thing in the world to believe the truth. It is a
great deal easier to believe truth than error. It is easier to defend
the truth than to defend error. 19:42.
We are under obligation to trust in our God; and this is the
ground-work of all we can do ourselves. 4:356.
The first principle of the Gospel is faith in God--faith in a Supreme
Being. This is a point that meets the infidel, and is one upon which
I have reflected and talked a great deal, and I have come to this
conclusion--that good, solid, sound sense teaches me never to judge
a matter until I {239} understand it, and infidels should never pass
their opinion with regard to the character of a Supreme Being until
they know whether there is one or not. If this principle were an
article in the creed of the infidel world, I think they would not be
quite so sceptical as they are; I think we should not meet with any
person who would deny the existence of a Deity. The infidel looks
abroad and sees the works of nature, in all their diversity--the
mountain piercing the clouds with its snowy peaks, the mighty river,
fertilizing, in its course to the sea, the valleys and plains in every
direction, the sun in his glory at mid-day, the moon in her silvery
splendor, and the myriad organizations from man to the minutest form
of insect life, all giving the most irrefutable evidence of a Designer
and Creator of infinite wisdom, skill and power, and yet he says there
is no Deity, no Supreme Ruler, but all is the result of blind chance.
How preposterous! Now, here is a book called the Bible. It is enclosed
in what we call the cover, consisting of boards, paper and leather.
Within the covers we see a vast amount of writing--syllables, words and
sentences; now if we say there never was a person to compose, write,
print or bind this book, but that it is here wholly as the result of
chance, we shall only give expression to the faith, if faith it can be
called, of those who are termed infidels; in fact this is infidelity. I
do not want to say much about it, it is too vain! 13:142.
When you read the revelations, or when you hear the will of the Lord
concerning you, for your own sakes never receive that with a doubtful
heart. 3:336.
To explain how much confidence we should have in God, were I using a
term to suit myself, I should say _implicit_ confidence. I have faith
in my God, and that faith corresponds {240} with the works I produce. I
have no confidence in faith without works. 4:24.
My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under
obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; he will perform the
rest. 4:91.
A great many good people, who possess much of the Spirit of the Lord,
are naturally given to doubting, having so little self-reliance that
they sometimes doubt whether they are Saints in truth or not. These
often doubt when they should not. So long as they are walking humbly
before God, keeping his commandments, and observing his ordinances,
feeling willing to give all for Christ, and do everything that will
promote his Kingdom, they need never doubt, for the Spirit will testify
to them whether they are of God or not. There are some who are always
fearful, trembling, doubting, wavering, and at the same time doing
everything they can for the promotion of righteousness. Yet, they are
in doubt whether they are doing the best possible good, and they fear
and fail here and there, and will doubt their own experience and the
witness of the Spirit to them. 12:169.
When a person is placed in circumstances that he cannot possibly
obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his
privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a raven
to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there was
plenty, and drop it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed myself
through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time enough
for him to exercise his providence in an unusual manner to administer
to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our duty to do so.
If a Saint of God be locked up in prison, by his enemies, to starve to
{241} death, it is then time enough for God to interpose, and feed him.
1:108.
Are you full of faith? You can tell whether I am or not by looking at
me. You can tell whether the brethren who have been speaking to you are
full of faith in the Gospel by the look of their countenances. You can
see this if there is not a word spoken; we can tell by our feelings
when we look at a congregation whether they have faith or not. I see
there is a great amount of faith in the midst of the Latter-day Saints,
and I wish there was a little more patience and obedience. 15:37.
If the Latter-day Saints will walk up to their privileges, and exercise
faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and live in the enjoyment of the
fulness of the Holy Ghost constantly day by day, there is nothing on
the face of the earth that they could ask for, that would not be given
to them. The Lord is waiting to be very gracious unto this people, and
to pour out upon them riches, honor, glory and power, even that they
may possess all things according to the promises he has made through
his Apostles and Prophets. 11:114.
When faith springs up in the heart, good works will follow, and good
works will increase that pure faith within them. 3:155.
The expression, "true believer," needs qualifying, for many believe who
do not obey--I will qualify it by saying, a believer in Jesus Christ,
who manifests his faith to God, angels, and his brethren, by his
obedience. Not but that there are believers who do not obey, but the
only true believers are they who prove their belief by their obedience
to the requirements of the Gospel. 1:234.
Our Heavenly Father does not always reveal to his children the secret
workings of his providences, nor does he {242} show them the end from
the beginning; for they have to learn to trust in him who has promised
to fight our battles, and crown us with victory, if we are faithful as
was faithful Abraham. 11:13.
_Repentance_--Sin consists in doing wrong when we know and can do
better, and it will be punished with a just retribution, in the due
time of the Lord. 2:133.
Though we may do the best we know how at this time, can there be no
improvement made in our lives? There can. If we do wrong ignorantly,
when we learn it is wrong, then it is our duty to refrain from that
wrong immediately and for ever, and the sin of ignorance is winked at,
and passes into oblivion. 2:130.
When men truly and heartily repent, and make manifest to the heavens
that their repentance is genuine by obedience to the requirements made
known to them through the laws of the Gospel, then are they entitled
to the administration of salvation, and no power can withhold the good
spirit from them. 10:18.
Now, my brethren, you who have sinned, repent of your sins. I can say
to you in regard to Jesus and the atonement (it is so written, and I
firmly believe it), that Christ has died for all. He has paid the full
debt, whether you receive the gift or not. But if we continue to sin,
to lie, steal, bear false witness, we must repent of and forsake that
sin to have the full efficacy of the blood of Christ. Without this it
will be of no effect; repentance must come, in order that the atonement
may prove a benefit to us. Let all who are doing wrong cease doing
wrong; live no longer in transgression, no matter of what kind; but
live every day of your lives according to the revelations given, and so
that your examples may be worthy of imitation. Let us remember {243}
that we never get beyond the purview of our religion--never, never!
11:375.
Some of our old traditions teach us that a man guilty of atrocious
and murderous acts may savingly repent when on the scaffold; and upon
his execution will hear the expression, "Bless God! he has gone to
heaven, to be crowned in glory, through the all-redeeming merits of
Christ the Lord." This is all nonsense. Such a character never will see
heaven. Some will pray, "O that I had passed through the veil on the
night of my conversion!" This proves the false ideas and vain notions
entertained by the Christian world. 8:61.
When I first came into the Church it was a subject of considerable
thought to me why people whom I knew to be as good and moral as they
could be, should have to repent. But I could see afterwards that if
they had nothing else to repent of they could and ought to repent of
their false religions, of their narrow, contracted creeds in which
they were bound, of the ordinances of men, and get something better.
These narrow, contracted religions have spread infidelity in the world.
They should repent of these and take hold of the things of God and
receive the truths of heaven. "Well," say the ministers, "we have lived
according to the light we have received." We say, are you willing to
receive more? If so, here is more for you. So far as your faith in
Christ goes, and your morality, we say, Amen. But here is something
more. 16:43.
The Savior has warned us to be careful how we judge, forgiving each
other seven times seventy in a day, if we repent, and confess our sins
one to another. Can we be more merciful and forgiving than our Father
in Heaven? We cannot. Therefore let people do the best they can, and
{244} they will pave the way for the rising generation to walk up into
the light, wisdom, and knowledge of the angels, and of the redeemed
from this earth, to say nothing of other earths, and they will be
prepared to enjoy in the resurrection all the blessings which are for
the faithful, and enjoy them in the flesh. 2:132.
We should never cease reforming and seeking to the Lord our God. 4:269.
All I have ever asked for or contended for is a reformation in the life
of this people; that the thief should stop his stealing, the swearer
his swearing, the liar his lying, the deceiver his deceiving, and
the man who loves the world more than his God and his religion wean
his affections from those objects and place them where they of right
belong. I do not wish anybody to cherish a wild enthusiasm, so common
in the world, which is produced by the excitement of animal passions,
and makes people weep and cry out in an insane manner. I wish the
people to make themselves acquainted with facts pertaining to God, to
heaven, to mankind upon the earth, their errand here, for what they are
created, the nature of their organization, who has power over them,
who controls them, how much they can control themselves, etc., etc.;
and then let us see whether we can be men and conduct ourselves like
Saints, or live and act like the wicked. 9:103.
Keep your follies that do not concern others to yourselves, and keep
your private wickedness as still as possible; hide it from the eyes
of the public gaze as far as you can. I wish to say this upon this
particular point in regard to people's confessing. We wish to see
people honestly confess as they should and what they should. 8:362.
{245}
If I have injured any person, I ought to confess to that person and
make right what I did wrong. 8:361.
But if you have stolen your neighbor's cattle, own it, and restore the
property, with fourfold if it is requested. If you have taken your
neighbor's spade, own it, and return it, with fourfold if he requires
it. I believe in coming out and being plain and honest with that which
should be made public, and in keeping to yourselves that which should
be kept. If you have your weaknesses, keep them hid from your brethren
as much as you can. You never hear me ask the people to tell their
follies. But when we ask the brethren, as we frequently do, to speak in
sacrament meetings, we wish them, if they have injured their neighbors,
to confess their wrongs; but do not tell about your nonsensical conduct
that nobody knows of but yourselves. Tell to the public that which
belongs to the public. If you have sinned against the people, confess
to them. If you have sinned against a family or a neighborhood, go to
them and confess. If you have sinned against your Ward, confess to
your Ward. If you have sinned against one individual, take that person
by yourselves and make your confession to him. And if you have sinned
against your God, or against yourselves, confess to God, and keep the
matter to yourselves, for I do not want to know anything about it.
8:362.
_Baptism_--We, the Latter-day Saints, believe in being baptized
by immersion for the remission of sins, according to the testimony of
the disciples of Jesus and the revelations of the Lord given in these
last days. Infants are pure, they have neither sorrow of heart, nor
sins to repent of and forsake, and consequently are incapable of being
baptized for the remission of sin. If we have sinned, we must know good
from evil; an infant does not know this, it cannot {246} know it; it
has not grown into the idea of contemplation of good and evil; it has
not the capacity to listen to the parent or teacher or to the priest
when they tell what is right or wrong or what is injurious; and until
these things are understood a person cannot be held accountable and
consequently cannot be baptized for the remission of sin. 13:237.
The Lord has instituted laws and ordinances, and all have their
peculiar design and meaning. And though we may not know the origin of
the necessity of being baptized for the remission of sins, it answers
that portion of the law we are now under to teach the people in their
ignorance that water is designed for purification, and to instruct them
to be baptized therein for the remission of their sins. If the people
could fully understand this matter, they would perceive that it is
perfectly reasonable and has been the law to all worlds. 7:162-163.
What is required of us as soon as we come to the years of
accountability? It is required of us, for it is an institution of
heaven, the origin of which you and I cannot tell, for the simple
reason that it has no beginning, it is from eternity to eternity--it
is required of us to go down into the waters of baptism. Here is a
fountain or element, typical of the purity of the eternities. Go down
into the waters, and there be baptized for the remission of sins, and
then have hands laid upon us to confirm us members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then receive the Spirit of Truth, or
the Holy Ghost. Then live according to every word that proceeds out of
the mouth of God, through those men whom he has appointed here upon the
earth, until we are perfect. 19:48.
If you have been righteous from your birth up, and have never
committed known sins and transgressions, be {247} baptized to fulfil
all righteousness, as Jesus was. If you can say you have no sins to
repent of, forsake your false theories, and love and serve God with an
undivided heart. 14:281.
Has water, in itself, any virtue to wash away sin? Certainly not; but
the Lord said, "If the sinner will repent of his sins, and go down into
the waters of baptism, and there be buried in the likeness of being put
into the earth and buried, and again be delivered from the water, in
the likeness of being born--if in the sincerity of his heart he will do
this, his sins shall be washed away." Will the water of itself wash them
away? No; but keeping the commandments of God will cleanse away the
stain of sin. 2:4.
In the beginning God cursed the earth; but did he curse all things
pertaining to it? No, he did not curse the water, but he blessed
it. Pure water is cleansing--it serves to purify; and you are aware
that the ancient Saints were very tenacious with regard to their
purification by water. From the beginning the Lord instituted water for
that purpose among others. I do not mean from the beginning of this
earth alone; and although we have no immediate concern in inquiring
into the organization of other earths that do not come within reach
of our investigation, yet I will say that water has been the means
of purification in every world that has been organized out of the
immensity of matter. 7:162.
All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they
enter this Church. They covenant to cease sustaining, upholding and
cherishing the kingdom of the Devil and the kingdoms of this world.
They enter the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of
God and no other kingdom. They take a vow of the most {248} solemn
kind, before the heavens and earth, and that, too, upon the validity
of their own salvation, that they will sustain truth and righteousness
instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the Kingdom of God,
instead of the kingdoms of this world. 12:230.
You have not the power to baptize yourselves, neither have you power to
resurrect yourselves; and you could not legally baptize a second person
for the remission of sins until some person first baptized you and
ordained you to this authority. 6:275.
_Gift of the Holy Ghost_--In the New Testament and Book of Mormon,
we learn that when the Gospel is preached the people are taught to
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins, be baptized
for the remission of sin, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on
of hands; the Holy Ghost is then the special gift of the Father and is
his minister. He also gives intelligence by angels, as well as by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and by opening the minds of the Saints
to behold in vision things as they are in eternity. When true doctrines
are advanced, though they may be new to the hearers, yet the principles
contained therein are perfectly natural and easy to be understood, so
much so that the hearers often imagine that they had always known them.
This arises from the influence of the Spirit of Truth upon the spirit
of intelligence that is within each person. The influence that comes
from heaven is all the time teaching the children of men. 9:254.
We believe we are entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost in extent
according to the discretion and wisdom of God and our faithfulness;
which gift brings all things to our remembrance, past, present, and
to come, that are necessary for us to know, and as far as our minds
are prepared {249} to receive the knowledge of God revealed by that
all-wise Agent. The Holy Ghost is God's minister, and is delegated to
visit the sons and daughters of men. All intelligent beings pertaining
to this earth are instructed from the same source. 9:254.
The Holy Ghost reveals unto you things past, present, and to come; it
makes your minds quick and vivid to understand the handiwork of the
Lord. Your joy is made full in beholding the footsteps of our Father
going forth among the inhabitants of the earth; this is invisible to
the world, but it is made visible to the Saints, and they behold the
Lord in his providences, bringing forth the work of the last days. 4:22.
My knowledge is, if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and
his Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman
will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost; every person will become a
Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and an expounder of truth. They will know
things that are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand
things in heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth,
things of time, and things of eternity, according to their several
callings and capacities. 1:243.
There is a variety of blessings; a different blessing being probably
given to one, two, three or four of this congregation. Thus, one will
have faith to lay hands upon the sick and rebuke disease, and drive it
from the person afflicted. Many may receive this blessing of faith, the
gift of healing. Some may receive faith to the discerning of spirits;
they can discern the spirit of a person, whether it is good or evil.
They have such power that when a person enters this congregation they
can tell the spirit of such {250} person; then they have received the
gift of discerning of spirits. Some may receive the gift of tongues,
that they will get up and speak in tongues, and speak in many other
languages beside their mother tongue, the language that they were
brought up in, that they were first taught, and be able to proclaim the
Gospel of life and salvation that all men could understand it. These
are the blessings; but others might receive the gift of prophecy, get
up and prophesy what is to befall this nation, what will befall this
or that individual, and what will befall the different nations of the
earth, etc. 16:164.
The gifts of the Gospel are given to strengthen the faith of the
believer. 10:324.
Suppose you obey the ordinances of the Gospel, and do not speak in
tongues today, never mind that. Suppose you do not have the spirit of
prophecy, no matter. Suppose you do not receive any particular gift
attended by the rushing of a mighty wind, as on the day of Pentecost,
there is no particular necessity that you should. On the day of
Pentecost there was special need for it, it was a peculiarly trying
time. Some special and powerful manifestation of the power of the
Almighty was necessary to open the eyes of the people and let them know
that Jesus has paid the debt, and that they had actually crucified him
who, by his death, had become the Savior of the world. It required this
at that time to convince the people. 14:114.
The gift of seeing with the natural eyes is just as much a gift as the
gift of tongues. The Lord gave that gift and we can do as we please
with regard to seeing; we can use the sight of the eye to the glory of
God, or to our own destruction. 3:364.
The gift of communicating one with another is the gift {251} of God,
just as much so as the gift of prophecy, of discerning spirits, of
tongues, of healing, or any other gift, though sight, taste, and
speech, are so generally bestowed that they are not considered in the
same miraculous light as are those gifts mentioned in the Gospel.
We can use these gifts and every other gift God has given us, to the
praise and glory of God, to serve him, or we can use them to dishonor
him and his cause; we can use the gift of speech to blaspheme his name.
3:364.
_Healing the Sick_--We lay hands on the sick and wish them to be
healed, and pray the Lord to heal them, but we cannot always say that
he will. 4:284.
I am here to testify to hundreds of instances, of men, women, and
children being healed by the power of God, through the laying on of
hands, and many I have seen raised from the gates of death, and brought
back from the verge of eternity; and some whose spirits had actually
left their bodies, returned again. I testify that I have seen the sick
healed by the laying on of hands, according to the promise of the
Savior. 1:240.
When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence
of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way.
I do not say that I heal everybody I lay hands on; but many have been
healed under my administration. Jesus said, on one occasion, "Who has
touched me?" A woman had crept up behind him in the crowd, and touched
the hem of his garment, and he knew it, because virtue had gone from
him. Do you see the reason and propriety of laying hands on each other?
When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a
stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of
the administrator to the system of the patient, {252} and the sick are
made whole; the headache, fever or other disease has to give way. My
brethren and sisters, there is virtue in us if we will do right; if we
live our religion we are the temples of God wherein he will dwell; if
we defile ourselves, these temples God will destroy. 14:72.
Instead of calling for a doctor you should administer to them by the
laying on of hands and anointing with oil, and give them mild food, and
herbs, and medicines that you understand; and if you want the mind and
will of God at such a time, get it, it is just as much your privilege
as of any other member of the Church and Kingdom of God. It is your
privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord
is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you. I
say it is your duty to live so as to know and understand all these
things. 18:71.
Many people are unwilling to do one thing for themselves in case of
sickness, but ask God to do it all. 4:25.
I am sent for continually, though I only go occasionally, because it is
a privilege of every father, who is an Elder in Israel, to have faith
to heal his family, just as much so as it is my privilege to have faith
to heal my family; and if he does not do it he is not living up to his
privilege. It is just as reasonable for him to ask me to cut his wood
and maintain his family, for if he had faith himself he would save me
the trouble of leaving other duties to attend to his request. 3:46.
You may go to some people here, and ask what ails them, and they
answer, "I don't know, but we feel a dreadful distress in the stomach
and in the back; we feel all out of order, and we wish you to lay
hands on us." "Have you used any remedies?" No. "We wish the Elders to
lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed." {253}
That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick, and
ask the Lord to heal us, and to do all for us that is necessary to be
done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might
as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my
plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me
to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and
to ask my Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, to sanctify
that application to the healing of my body; to another this may appear
inconsistent.
But supposing we were traveling in the mountains, and all we had or
could get, in the shape of nourishment, was a little venison, and one
or two were taken sick, without anything in the world in the shape of
healing medicine within our reach, what should we do? According to my
faith, ask the Lord Almighty to send an angel to heal the sick. This
is our privilege, when so situated that we cannot get anything to help
ourselves. Then the Lord and his servants can do all. But it is my duty
to do, when I have it in my power. 4:24. {254}