Writing Scripture

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The Book of Mormon Fulfills Bible Prophecies

When the plates that had been delivered to Joseph Smith by the Angel Moroni had been translated and published as the Book of Mormon, its distribution was met by much opposition, particularly by the ministers of the day who warned their followers against reading it. This, of itself, seems rather absurd, for if it were the work of man, as they claimed, their followers might have been counseled to read it and learn for themselves of its falsity. They were told the canon of scripture was complete; that we would never have more than that which was contained in the Holy Bible. They often quoted:

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19.)

At first reading, one might be justified in assuming that the apostle John meant that no other scripture would be added to the Bible, and this particularly in view of the fact that it is contained in the last chapter of the Bible as we now have it. It is easy to understand, however, that this interpretation is erroneous when one realizes, according to Bible scholars, (1) that this revelation was written sometime between A.D. 64 and 96; (2) that John himself wrote his gospel (The Gospel According to St. John) at a much later date at Ephesus; (3) that at that time the books of the Bible were not compiled as we now have them. It must, therefore, be understood that John was warning against adding to or taking from the revelations he had received and written while banished upon the Isle of Patmos. This does not, however, prevent the Lord from adding to what he had revealed.

By referring to the words of Moses we find evidence that no other conclusion is tenable, else we would be compelled to reject all the books of the Bible from Deuteronomy on:

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2.)

What things soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32.)


Prophecy Concerning Other Scriptures

The Lord understood that Satan would put it into the hearts of the children of men to refuse to accept this new volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, and so declared himself through the prophet Nephi:

But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel;

And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel;

And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travels, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?

O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.

Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea, and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions: and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. (2 Nephi 29.)

From this revelation we are justified in assuming that there are other scriptures besides those contained in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. Jesus enlightens us further on this subject:

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16.)

A writer on the life of Christ has indicated that he could find no excuse for this passage of scripture, since he knew of no other sheep except those to whom Jesus ministered. Some have explained that it must have been the gentiles, but Jesus indicated: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24.)


Jesus Visited His Other Sheep

It should be noted that Jesus did not minister unto the gentiles, although he did send his apostles unto them after his crucifixion. This leaves us with the question unanswered, so far as the Bible is concerned: Who were the other sheep he promised to visit? For this information we must look to the restoration of the gospel and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

After Jesus had been crucified and had ascended unto his Father, he visited his "other sheep," known as the Nephites, in America, and there chose twelve disciples and organized his church, as he had done among the Jews. An account of this is given in some detail in Third Nephi of the Book of Mormon, from which we quote:

And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen:

Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph.

And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you.

And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem.

Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land.

This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them:

That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.

But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you.

And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them.

And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.

And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost.

But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. (3 Nephi 15:11-24.)

From this we learn who the other sheep were whom Jesus told his disciples at Jerusalem he would visit, and that they were a remnant of the house of Joseph. Jesus further explains that he has still other sheep "which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem" (3 Nephi 16:1), whom he must visit. Since we do not yet know who or where they are, we will now concern ourselves with the remnant of the house of Joseph, and we will see what the Bible has to say about this branch of the house of Israel.


The House of Judah and the House of Joseph

A study of the promises of the Lord to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), and to his twelve sons, whom we understand to be the heads of the twelve tribes of the house of Israel, indicates clearly that the outstanding promises were given unto Judah and Joseph. Much confusion and misapplication exists in the minds of many with respect to the use of the name Israel. Many think of it, even today, as referring to the Jews or to the house of Judah, forgetting that Judah was only one of the twelve sons of Israel. Reuben was the eldest son, but because of his transgression, the birthright was taken from him and given to the sons of Joseph:

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's.) (1 Chronicles 5:1-2.)

Speaking of the relative importance and position of Judah and Joseph, Paul said: "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Hebrews 7:14.)

When these promises and blessings are understood, it is clear that the blessings of Joseph, who received the birthright, gave him preference over all the sons of Israel, including Judah. It is probably due to the fact that Judah and his descendants, the Jews, have held together that they have come to be regarded as the only Israelites. In earlier days Israel was divided, Judah comprising the smaller group, the larger group being called "Israel":

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. (2 Samuel 24:9.)

And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. (2 Kings 23:27.)

Under Ephraim, Israel was led into the north at the time the kingdom of Israel was overthrown by the Assyrians about 721 B.C., and never returned. They were sifted among the nations:

. . . I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.

For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. (Amos 9:8-9.)

Then Amos promised that after this sifting they shall be gathered again. (See Amos 9:14-15.) In a later discussion we will consider the gathering of Israel in the latter days as promised by the prophets.

Moses Blessed Joseph

Let us now consider in greater detail the promises made to Joseph and his seed. We will find that not only were their promises greater than those made to Judah, but also that Joseph and Judah were to be separated into two great divisions, as we have already pointed out. Joseph, after the sifting of Israel, was to be given a new land separate and apart from the promised land occupied principally by Judah.

Moses "blessed the children of Israel before his death." (See Deuteronomy 33.) The reader is referred to the account of the blessings with the suggestion they be read carefully, noting particularly the import and significance of Joseph's blessing as compared with the blessings of his brothers. Let us give specific consideration to Joseph's blessing:

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. (Deuteronomy 33:13-17. Italics added.)

When this blessing was given by Moses, the patriarch, it is clear that he had in mind first the new land that would be given to Joseph, which would be abundantly blessed of the Lord to produce precious fruits and the precious things of the lasting hills and of the ancient mountains.

When the descendants of Joseph were led to the land of America about 600 B.C., they were told that it would be a land choice above all other lands. The reading of Moses' blessing to Joseph indicates that Moses was impressed with this fact and attempted to so describe it. He further indicated that it would be in the "ancient mountains" and "lasting hills." The land to which they were led was the western part of South, Central, and North America, in the Rocky Mountains, which accurately answers Moses' description.

Then Moses further indicated that the good will of him who dwelt in the bush (referring to the God of Israel who dwelt in the burning bush—see Exodus 3:2) would be upon Joseph who was separated from his brethren. He refers to his glory as like "the firstling of his bullock," or the firstborn or heir of his father, and we have already pointed out how Joseph became heir to the birthright. Moses looked beyond to the power and authority that should be given to Joseph's seed and added: ". . . he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." (Deuteronomy 33:17.) This seems to look forward to the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth in the latter-days, which we have previously outlined, and the gathering of Israel, which we will discuss later.

Jacob (Israel) Blessed Joseph

The great patriarch Jacob called his children to him and blessed them just prior to his death:

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob: and hearken unto Israel your father. (Genesis 49:1-2.)

It is suggested the reader study the entire forty-ninth chapter of Genesis, noting the great difference in the respective blessings.

Now let us give careful consideration to the special blessing Joseph received from his father:

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb;

The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. (Genesis 49:22-26.)

This blessing is similar to that given by Moses and begins with reference to the land to which Joseph's seed would go: "a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall." It seems consistent to assume that the ocean was regarded as the wall over which Joseph's branches were to run "unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." Then Jacob indicated that Joseph would be blessed "with the blessings of heaven above . . . blessings of the breasts, and of the womb," indicating that his posterity would be great, and that his blessings would prevail above the blessings of his progenitors.


Significance of Joseph's Dream

Add Joseph's dream to these two blessings, when he saw his brothers' sheaves pay homage to his sheaf. Then he dreamed that the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to him. (See Genesis 37:5-10; 44:14.) Now ask yourself these questions:

1. Does the Bible record promises to any other man equal to these promises, except the promise that through the loins of Judah the Christ would come into the world?

2. Does the Bible record the fulfillment of these promises? If so, where?

3. It is generally conceded that the Bible is a record of the Jews, but where is the record of Joseph and his seed?

4. Is it consistent to assume that God would make greater promises to Joseph and his seed than to any other group of the eleven sons of Jacob (Israel) and his seed, and then make no provision that a record should be kept of the fulfillment of those promises?


The Stick of Joseph—The Book of Mormon

The Lord did not overlook this very important matter, but made adequate provision that a record should be kept of his agreements with Joseph and his seed beginning with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh:

The word of the Lord came again unto me, Saying,

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all of the house of Israel his companions:

And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. (Ezekiel 37:15-20.)

In ancient times it was the custom to write on parchment and roll it on a stick. Therefore, when this command was given, it was the equivalent of directing that two books or records should be kept. A careful reading will indicate that it would be in coming generations (verse 18), when their children would ask the meaning of this commandment, that the Lord would "take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand."

Note that the Lord said he would do this and would make them one in his hand. Now, granting that the Bible is the stick of Judah, where is the stick of Joseph? Can anyone answer? God commanded that it should be kept to record the fulfillment of his greater promises to Joseph. It would naturally be a record kept in another land, since Joseph was to be "separate from his brethren." It is plain from the reading of this scripture that the record of Judah, or the Holy Bible, would remain with this people, that the record of Joseph would be joined unto it, and that the two would become one.

Should anyone object to God's doing exactly what he promised Ezekiel he would do? Could this promise be fulfilled in a simpler and more perfect manner than it was through the coming forth of the Book of Mormon? God led a branch of the house of Joseph to America and commanded them to keep records of all their doings. He then commanded his prophet Moroni to hide this sacred record in the Hill Cumorah in the western part of the American state of New York. Centuries later he sent Moroni back to deliver the record to Joseph Smith, and gave Joseph power to translate it with the assistance of the Urim and Thummim. The two records have now been joined together, constituting a complete fulfillment of another great prophecy. Again, who could object to God's doing the thing he promised to do? Until someone can explain where the record of Joseph is, the Book of Mormon stands unrefuted in its claim to be "the stick of Joseph."


A Voice from the Dust

Isaiah saw the coming forth of this record as the voice of one that has a familiar spirit whispering out of the dust:

Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. (Isaiah 29:1-4.)

Isaiah saw the downfall of Ariel, or Jerusalem, at a time far in the future, "add ye year to year." Then he seems to have been carried away in vision to witness a similar destruction of the cities of Joseph, "and it shall be unto me as Ariel." He describes how they would be besieged and forts would be raised against them. They would be brought down and would speak out of the ground. Their speech would be "low out of the dust"; their voice would be as one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground; and their speech would whisper out of the dust. Now, obviously, the only way a dead people could speak "out of the ground" or "low out of the dust" would be by the written word, and this the people did through the Book of Mormon. Truly it has a familiar spirit, for it contains the words of the prophets of the God of Israel.


The prophet Nephi describes this event:

After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles; yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them around about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.

For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.

For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God. (2 Nephi 26:15-17. Compare with Isaiah 29:1-4.)

Isaiah not only saw the destruction of this people, that they would be brought down, that they would speak out of the ground, and that their speech would be as one that hath a familiar spirit, whispering out of the dust; but he saw also that this whole vision was represented by a sealed book:

And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed. (Isaiah 29:11.)

After this vision closed, the word of the Lord came gain unto Isaiah, informing him of the marvelous work and a wonder he would bring forth:

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14.)

The bringing forth of the Book of Mormon is a "marvellous work and a wonder." The wise men and prudent men of the world cannot account for it in any other way than the story told by Joseph Smith, and he did not get it, neither could he have gotten it, by reading the Bible only. He received it by revelation from the Lord through the Angel Moroni.



(Legrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 68.)

A Marvelous Work and a Wonder to Come Forth

We have already pointed out that the prophets foresaw a universal departure from the truth, and that such a condition obtained in the world at the time Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray. This being true, a restoration of the gospel must necessarily follow if the world were not to be left in spiritual darkness. Peter declared: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19.)

It now seems proper that we should consider the words of the prophets. We refer first to the words of Isaiah already quoted in the last chapter, since the visit of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith marked the first step in the "marvelous work and a wonder" the Lord promised to bring forth.

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14.)

What would really constitute a marvelous work and a wonder? Why should not honest lovers of truth welcome the pronouncement of such a work? Ought any generation to reject revealed truth when it is sent from heaven? Why does it seem so much easier to accept and believe in dead prophets than in living prophets?


The Restitution of All Things

In the accomplishment of this promised marvelous work and a wonder, the Lord had in mind a "restitution of all things" and moved upon Peter to so prophesy to those who had crucified him:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath Spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21.)

Let us analyze this promise: (1) that their great sin might be forgiven; (2) that the Lord would send to them again that same Jesus which had been before preached unto them; (3) that there would be a "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

When looking for the second coming of the Christ as herein promised, we must realize that he will not come before there is a restitution of all things. It is obvious that there cannot be a restitution of that which has not been taken away. Therefore, this scripture is another plain prediction of apostasy—the taking of the gospel from the earth—with a promise of a complete restoration of all things spoken by all the holy prophets since the world began.

It was the time of such a complete restitution that Paul must have had in mind when he wrote to the Ephesians:

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. (Ephesians 1:9-10.)

It is the pronouncement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that this is the dispensation of the fulness of times, and that through the restitution of all things, the Lord has made provision to "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth." This restitution of all things will, however, not be complete until the end of the thousand years of the personal reign of Christ upon the earth when death will be destroyed. (See 1 Corinthians 15:24-26.) There is no other such plan in the world today.


God's Kingdom in the Latter Days

When the Lord gave the prophet Daniel the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel saw the rise and fall of the kingdoms of the world, which makes an interesting study for its accuracy. The important thing, however, was his observation that in the latter days the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that ultimately would subdue all other kingdoms and would become as a great mountain and fill the whole earth.

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these.

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

. . . and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:27-28, 34-35, 44.)

The establishment of his kingdom by the God of heaven was to be the greatest event in the latter days. Though small and insignificant as its beginning would be, its ultimate destiny is to fill the whole earth, with Christ our Lord at its head. The kingdom was to be given to the saints of the Most High that they might possess it forever.

With all our present latter-day developments and progress, scientific and otherwise, why should we not be concerned with the promised spiritual development? Daniel gave us the sure word of prophecy:

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. (Daniel 7:13-14, 18.)

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith February 24, 1834, the Lord said:

But verily I say unto you, that I have decreed a decree which my people shall realize, inasmuch as they hearken from this very hour unto the counsel which I, the Lord their God, shall give unto them.

Behold they shall, for I have decreed it, begin to prevail against mine enemies from this very hour.

And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever. (D&C 103:5-7.)

In our consideration of the apostasy, we referred to what the Lord showed to John while he was on the Isle of Patmos. He saw that power would be given to Satan "to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:7.)

John experienced these further prophetic visions:

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1.)


Restoration of the Gospel Foretold

John not only saw that Satan's power would be universal for a season, but he also saw a recommitment to the earth of the everlasting gospel which was to be preached to all people:

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:6-7.)

If there had been any nation, kindred, tongue, or people upon the earth still in possession of the everlasting gospel, it would not have been necessary that an angel bring it back to the earth. This angel was also to call the inhabitants of the earth back to a worship of the God that "made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." We have already pointed out that the everlasting gospel was to be taken from the earth, and it is now our witness that it has been returned to the earth by an angel, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that it came from the God of heaven.

The prophet Malachi also saw this promised day of restoration through messengers sent from God, which he described in these words:

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1.)

A full consideration of this verse and those following indicates that this promise had reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ and not to his first coming, since he is to come suddenly to his temple, which he did not do at his first coming.


The Calling of Joseph Smith

The promises herein referred to concerning the establishment of a latter-day kingdom through the sending of heavenly messengers, and the restoration of the "everlasting gospel" to be preached in all the world, could not be fulfilled without someone upon the earth to whom such restoration and commitments could be made.

This brings us to another great truth we learn from the visit of the Father and the Son to the boy Joseph Smith, i.e., that prophets are never self-sent—they must be called and sent of God: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7.)

Thus, with Joseph Smith selected by the Lord, we are now prepared to consider what he revealed to his chosen prophet.

Criticism has been expressed because Joseph Smith was only in his fifteenth year when the Father and the Son appeared unto him. Let us consider the words of Jesus:

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles. (Mark 2:21-22.)

We would not expect the Lord to select a man who had been steeped in the traditions and doctrines of men, for such an individual would be too difficult to teach. As Jesus said, the new wine would burst the bottles and the wine would be spilled. However, by selecting the lad Joseph Smith, the Lord could teach him as he would, and it would truly be new wine in a new bottle without conflict with the old. Thus we see that the Lord has his own way of doing things. Surely this is his divine right and his privilege:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9.)

There is another reason why it does not seem inconsistent that the Lord selected a mere boy, for we all lived in the spirit before we were born in the flesh. The Lord knew us and knew the nature of our spirits and the measure of our integrity. That is why he selected Jesus Christ "before the world was" to be the Redeemer of the world:

"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (John 17:5.)

This is the reason why Jeremiah was called to be a prophet unto the nations: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5.)

Now, Jeremiah could not have been so called and ordained before he was born if he did not exist. We will speak more of this subject later, and we will learn that Joseph Smith was also selected before he was born, as was Jeremiah.

This makes it easy to understand why the everlasting gospel could not be discovered through reading the Bible alone—the old bottles full of old wine could not contain the new wine. So glorious was to be the day when the Lord would "proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder," that he had to select one free from all exposure to the unsound philosophies of men. That is why our original statement is consistent: that this is the only Christian church in the world that did not have to rely upon the Bible for its organization and government and that if all the Bibles in the world had been destroyed we would still be teaching the same principles and administering the same ordinances as introduced and taught by Jesus and the prophets. True, we take the Bible to prove that these principles and ordinances are in accord with divine truths of all ages, but if we had no Bible, we would still have all the needed direction and information through the revelations of the Lord to his servants the prophets in these latter days.


(Legrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 40.)

False Doctrines and Universal Apostasty

False Doctrines And Universal Apostasy

Apostasy from the Truth

A second great truth was revealed in the visitation of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith through the announcement made by the Savior of the world in answer to Joseph Smith's question as to which of the churches he should join. He was told he should

join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that . . . "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 2:19.)

This pronouncement brought to Joseph Smith the information he so much desired, for, more than anything else, he wanted to know which of all the churches he should join, and it was to obtain this information that he went to the Lord in prayer.


Erroneous Teachings of Christian Churches

One erroneous teaching of many Christian churches is: By faith alone we are saved. This false doctrine would relieve man from the responsibility of his acts other than to confess a belief in God, and would teach man that no matter how great the sin, a confession would bring him complete forgiveness and salvation. What the world needs is more preaching of the necessity of abstaining from sin and of living useful and righteous lives, and less preaching of forgiveness of sin. This would then be a different world. The truth is that men must repent of their sins and forsake them before they can expect forgiveness. Even when our sins are forgiven, God cannot reward us for the good we have not done.

The prophet Mormon, who lived upon the American continent about A.D. 400, foretold the coming of the plates from which the Book of Mormon should be translated and described the condition of the churches that should then be found among the people:

Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled and be lifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when the leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches.

Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. (Mormon 8:28, 32.)


Doctrine of Predestination

Again, there is the erroneous doctrine of predestination, which teaches that without any act on our part, some are predestined to eternal life and some to eternal damnation, and that no matter in which class we find ourselves, there is nothing we can do about it. A complete analysis of this doctrine forces one to the conclusion that if it is true that all our acts, whether good or evil, were predetermined before our birth, God would be responsible for all sin and iniquity in the world.

In his effort to destroy truth, Satan could hardly have hoped to deceive men more effectively and completely than to take from them, through the teaching of such doctrines, a consciousness of their responsibilities.


One Heaven and One Hell

There is also the false teaching of one heaven and one hell, with the thought that all who reach heaven will share alike, and the same will be true of those who are assigned to hell.

The truth, as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, emphasizes the fact that every man will receive according to his works; that there is a glory like the glory of the sun, another like that of the moon, and still another like that of the stars, and that the glory to which one shall be assigned will be determined by the things he does and the kind of life he lives.


God Cannot Be a God of Confusion

Sane thinking leads one to the conclusion that God cannot be the author of confusion; that two contradictory organizations could not originate with him, for God cannot be divided against himself. According to Paul:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists: and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. (Ephesians 4:11-14.)

When Joseph Smith commenced his search for truth, it soon became apparent that the Christian churches had not "come in the unity of the faith." Paul indicated they were "carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men." Hence the statement of the Savior to Joseph Smith that all their creeds were wrong.

In reading the scriptures, men would discover truths that were not to be found in the existing churches. They would gather a group together and then organize a church without any direct call or ordination from God. Hence, the Christian sects multiplied until they numbered hundreds. Such leaders would emphasize one certain principle and then organize a church around that principle: for instance, spiritual gifts, apostles, or worship on the seventh day.

The mission of the true church, under divine inspiration and leadership, should bring together into one church all the truths that are to be found in all other Christian churches, as well as those that have been overlooked or ignored, and to eliminate all error and man-made doctrines. This was what the Lord did in restoring his church to the earth through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.


Contemporary Opinions Affirming the Apostasy

The idea that the churches had gone astray and lost their vitality and authority is in agreement with the judgment of some of our greatest thinkers and with prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, as the following references will indicate.

In a work prepared by seventy-three noted theologians and Bible students, we read:

. . . we must not expect to see the Church of Holy Scripture actually existing in its perfection on the earth. It is not to be found, thus perfect, either in the collected fragments of Christendom, or still less in any one of these fragments. . . . (Dr. William Smith, Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1896.)

These seventy-three learned men, in effect, confirm the statement of Jesus to Joseph Smith—that all their creeds were wrong.

Roger Williams, pastor of the oldest Baptist Church in America at Providence, Rhode Island, refused to continue as pastor on the grounds that there was

no regularly-constituted church on earth, nor any person authorized to administer any Church ordinance; nor could there be until, new apostles are sent by the great Head of the Church, for whose coming, he is seeking. (Picturesque America, or the Land We Live In, ed. William Cullen Bryant, New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1872, vol. 1, p. 502.)

Had he been privileged to live to know the Prophet Joseph Smith and hear his message, he would have found that which he was seeking.

Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, prominent American Baptist clergyman and author, described the decadent condition of the Christian churches of the first half of the twentieth century in these words:

A religious reformation is afoot, and at heart it is the endeavor to recover for our modern life the religion of Jesus as against the vast, intricate, largely inadequate and often positively false religion about Jesus. Christianity to-day has largely left the religion which he preached, taught and lived, and has substituted another kind of religion altogether.

If Jesus should come back to earth now, hear the mythologies built up around him, see the creedalism, denominationalism, sacramentalism, carried on in his name, he would certainly say, "If this is Christianity, I am not a Christian." (Liahona: The Elder's Journal, April 20, 1926, p. 424.)

These and similar statements of ministers from various nations would certainly seem to corroborate the statement of the Savior to Joseph Smith and should motivate thinking seekers after truth to want to hear the remainder of the Prophet's story.


Bible Predictions Foretelling the Great Apostasy

Now let us consider the scriptural predictions that the time and conditions we have considered would come.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1-5. Italics added.)

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Italics added.)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4.)

From the above it is evident that the apostle Paul was privileged to see our time and describe in advance the very conditions the Savior referred to in his denunciation of the churches to Joseph Smith, and as admitted by prominent ministers of the day. He indicated that these conditions were to exist "in the last days," that men would have "itching ears," and thus gather to themselves teachers after their own hearts and "turn away their ears from the truth." He stated further that men cannot look for the second promised advent of the Christ unless there be a "falling away first," so that all we have said is but an announcement that the events predicted have come to pass.

When the apostle John was banished upon the Isle of Patmos, he saw the power that would be given to Satan: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:7.)

From this, it is evident that all kindreds, tongues, and nations should succumb to this evil power, which we understand more fully when we read that John saw the bringing back of the gospel to the earth to be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. (See Revelation 14:6-7.)

To understand this scripture properly, it should be remembered that the followers of Christ were called saints. (See Ephesians 2:19; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 1 Corinthians 14:33.)

Knowing how universal this departure from the truth should be enables one to understand some of the prophecies of the ancient prophets as recorded in the Old Testament:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12.)

In light of the words of Jesus, "Seek, and ye shall find" (Matthew 7:7), there can be but one explanation why men would not be able to find the word of the Lord, even though they would seek "from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east." The answer is, as Amos indicated, that the Lord would send a "famine in the land," a famine for hearing the word of the Lord.

The prophet Micah saw the day when there would be "no answer of God" and described the apostate condition of Israel:

Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. (Micah 3:5-7, 11.)

Isaiah had a similar vision of what was to happen to Israel:

Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:1-6.)

Isaiah understood the displeasure of the Lord that would rest upon the inhabitants of the earth for having "transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant"; and in the light of the destructive powers of the atom and other recent scientific developments of this nature, it is not difficult to understand that the predicted destruction could result in there being "few men left" upon the earth.

Paul also shared with the prophets a full understanding of the Lord's displeasure with those who should assume to change the truths of his gospel: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8.)

When Joseph Smith asked which church he should join, the Savior explained the condition of the Christian world, repeating the statement found in Isaiah 29:13, and then said that this condition was to be followed by "a marvellous work and a wonder" among the children of men:

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14.)

Since the departure from the true gospel of Christ was to be universal, as the prophets foretold, and since such universal apostasy was confirmed in the statement of Jesus to Joseph Smith, it would follow that a restoration would be necessary. Such a restoration is the message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.



(Legrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 32.)

Personality of the Father and the Son

Man Created in the Image and Likeness of God

The simple story told by the Prophet Joseph Smith of his interview with the Father and the Son makes it easy to understand the teachings of the Bible relating to this important matter. It must be remembered, however, that this knowledge was not obtained by the Prophet through a study of the Bible. We take the Bible merely to prove that his story harmonizes fully with the teachings thereof, some of which we shall now consider.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27.)

Attempts have been made to explain that this creation was only in the spiritual image and likeness of God, but after reading Joseph Smith's simple story, one wonders how a historian could have made a more clear-cut, understandable statement of what actually happened in the creation of man, especially when one reads: "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth." (Genesis 5:3.)

Joseph Smith found that he was as literally in the image and likeness of God and Jesus Christ as Seth was in the likeness and image of his father Adam.


Moses' Testimony of the Personality of God

This also makes the experience of Moses and his associates and seventy of the elders of Israel seem so reasonable and easy to understand:

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.

And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (Exodus 24:9-10.)

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. . . . (Exodus 33:9-11.)

Could any historian be expected to describe this event any more clearly than to say that the Lord and Moses talked with each other "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"? Does anyone need to be told how a man speaks to his friend? The Father and the Son spoke with Joseph Smith "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." There is only one thing that made this possible, and that is the fact that God did create man in his own image and likeness. Could any other image or likeness have been half so wonderful?


Paul's Testimony of the Personality of God

Paul, the apostle, tried to make clear what kind of personage God was by telling us that his Son, Jesus Christ, was "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," and that he "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:3.) This, of course, could only have been possible when his Father did have a form on whose right hand he could sit.


Stephen's Testimony of the Personality of God

Paul's description of God gives real meaning to the words of Stephen, when he was being stoned to death by his enemies:

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55-56.)

Thus he saw two separate and distinct personages, one, the Son, standing on the right hand of the other, the Father.


John's Testimony of the Personality of God

This is in accord also with the report of John's baptism of Jesus:

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17.)

Here each of the three members of the Godhead is distinctly and separately mentioned: (1) Jesus, coming up out of the water; (2) the Holy Ghost, descending like a dove; (3) the voice of the Father from heaven, expressing his love and approval of his Beloved Son. How could one possibly believe these three to be one person without body or form?


The Resurrected Lord

Consideration should now be given to the resurrected Lord. Unless he now has his body of flesh and bone that was laid away in the tomb, he must have died a second time, for when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the sepulchre to see the body of Jesus, they found that an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and was sitting on the stone that he had rolled back from the door:

His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: . . .

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:3, 5-6.)

Following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many. While the eleven apostles were gathered together at Jerusalem discussing what had happened,

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:36-39.)

To further prove that he had his body, he took a piece of broiled fish and of honeycomb and did eat before them.

With his resurrected body he ascended to heaven in the presence of five hundred brethren: . . . he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. . . ." (1 Corinthians 15:6.)

His apostles saw him ascend into heaven and the "two men [who] stood by them in white apparel" affirmed the fact:

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:10-11.)

If Jesus is one in spirit with his Father, without body or form, so large that he fills the universe and so small that he dwells in each heart, as so many believe and as the churches teach, then what meaning has the resurrection which is commemorated each Easter in the Christian churches, and what did he do with his body after he showed it to his apostles and others?


Joseph Smith's Testimony of the Personality of Jesus

Joseph Smith again beheld the same Jesus who had been seen ascending into heaven after his resurrection. This is the testimony given of Jesus by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, following a vision they received at Hiram, Ohio, on February 16, 1832:

And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.

And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness:

And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (Doctrine and Covenants [D&C] 76:19-24.)

Note how this parallels Joseph Smith's first vision and the testimony of the Father at Jesus' baptism. The Father spoke of his Son—two separate and distinct persons. The Father must have had a voice or he could not have spoken.

This testimony shall now stand as a witness unto all to whom it shall come, until he shall again return to reign as "Lord of lords and King of kings." (See Revelation 17:14.)

An understanding of the reality of his existence and personality gives real meaning to the promise found in Christ's Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8.)


Scriptures Often Misunderstood Concerning God's Personality

There are a few statements in the Bible that have been misunderstood and have led to a misconception of the personality and form of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ. Brief consideration might be given to some of them:

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18.)

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12.)

In the Inspired Version of the Bible, as rendered by the Prophet Joseph Smith, we read the following:

And no man hath seen God at any time, except he hath borne record of the Son; for except it is through him no man can be saved. (John 1:19.)

He also gives us the rendition of 1 John 4:12 as follows:

No man hath seen God at any time, except them who believe. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

The Prophet Joseph Smith's understanding of the true meaning of these scriptures was made plain in a revelation received by him from the Lord at Hiram, Ohio, in November 1831: "For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God." (D&C 67:11.)

This doctrine was further clarified in the visions of Moses as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:11.)

It is thus plain that man can only see God when "quickened by the Spirit of God." This is apparently what John had in mind in the following statement:

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. (John 6:45-46.)

Paul spoke of God as an "invisible God":

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. (Colossians 1:14-15.)

Further study of Paul's teachings indicates that he had the same understanding as John; that while God is invisible to men generally, he is not invisible to the prophets, for he indicated that Moses saw the invisible God: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27.)

John also referred to God as a spirit, which is confusing to some: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24.)

This should not be confusing, since we are all spirits, clothed with bodies of flesh and bones. John says we are to "worship him in spirit and in truth." He would not, however, imply that our spirits should leave our bodies so that we can worship him "in spirit."

Paul declared: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17.) We are spirits in the same sense that John had in mind when he said "God is a Spirit."

The Oneness of the Father and the Son

There has been much misunderstanding regarding the oft-repeated statement that Jesus and his Father are one. A careful reading of the seventeenth chapter of John should clarify this matter fully. As Jesus was about to be offered up, he prayed unto his Father and thanked him for his apostles, saying, "that they may be one, as we are." (John 17:11.) Then he added:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:20-21.)

Now it is very apparent that Jesus was not speaking of oneness of personage, but oneness of purpose, for he further prayed that they might be with him, which would be unnecessary if the oneness referred to was of personage instead of purpose.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24.)

Again it is evident that the oneness referred to has no reference to oneness of personage, for if Jesus and his Father were one in person, how absurd to think that Jesus would pray unto himself, or that he would love himself before the foundation of the world. He said: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.)

This true knowledge of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ, has come again to the world in this dispensation, not through a study of the Bible, but through the actual appearance of these heavenly personages to the young Joseph Smith, as he has so eloquently testified.


(Legrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 22.)

Apostles and Prophets Necessary

The Primitive Church and the Church of Latter Days

WE believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. (Articles of Faith, No. 6).

Most people who profess belief in Christianity accept as a scriptural fact the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ, through the Lord's personal ministry, in the early days of what we call the Christian Era, the period that has been expressively designated the meridian of time. During the many centuries between the days of Moses and the advent of Christ in the flesh, Israel had lived under the Law, between which and the Gospel a clear distinction is drawn in Scripture. Paul's explicit segregation of the two is cogent, and ample for illustration:

"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:23-26).

The Law of Moses, the schoolmaster's administration which was constituted for the discipline of a people unprepared to receive the higher tutoring of the Gospel, was fulfilled and therefore abrogated as a formal and obligatory system through the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. While this fulfilment is evidenced by the whole tenor of New Testament Scripture, a most direct and concise declaration may be quoted with profit from the Nephite Scriptures, recorded by holy men who officiated under Divine commission on the American continent throughout a period of approximately six centuries before and four centuries after the birth of Christ. The prophet Nephi who was living at the time of our Lord's death, resurrection, and ascension, incorporates in his record the words of the Resurrected Savior as follows:

"Behold I say unto you, that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel: therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end. Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled." (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 15:4-6).

A studious reading of the four Gospels demonstrates that while our Lord recognized the Jewish hierarchy as administrators of an existing system of government, and complied with all lawful requirements thereof as such applied to Himself, He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom in place of the Mosaic Law, and ordained men to a higher Priesthood than that of Aaron under which the priests of the Jews claimed to operate. He commissioned the Twelve Apostles (Matt. 10:1; Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13), and afterward the Seventy (Luke 10:1). Unto the eleven Apostles who had remained faithful the Lord gave the parting instruction, shortly before His ascension: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." The Apostles labored with devoted energy, "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." (See Mark 16:15-20).

The Apostles clearly understood that though the Master had passed from earth He had left with them authority and commandment to build up the Church as an established organization. One of their early official acts was to fill the vacancy in their own body, which had been created by the apostasy and death of Judas Iscariot. It is evident that they considered the apostolic body to comprise twelve members and that the needs of the Church required the organization to be made complete. By official action Matthias was added to the eleven. (See Acts 1:21-26).

Under the administration of the Apostles and others who officiated by their direction in positions of lesser authority, the Church of Jesus Christ grew in membership and influence. For ten years or more following our Lord's ascension, Jerusalem was the headquarters of the Church, but branches were established in the outlying provinces, and these branches, or local "churches," were officered by bishops, deacons, and other ministers, who were chosen and ordained by apostolic authority.

We find, operating in their sacred callings in the Primitive Church, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, bishops, priests and deacons. The purpose of these several offices is declared to be "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." (Eph. 4:12).

Every office so established is necessary to the development of the Church, which has been aptly compared to a perfect body with its several members, each adapted to particular function and all coordinated for the common good. In an organization planned and established through Divine wisdom, there are neither superfluities nor parts wanting. Eye, ear, hand, and foot, each is essential to the symmetry and physical perfection of the body; in the Church no one in authority can rightly say to his fellow: "I have no need of thee." (See 1 Cor. 12:12-21).

The Primitive Church was of comparatively short duration. The world fell into spiritual darkness, and a restoration of power and commission from the Heavens became necessary to the reestablishment of the Church with its ancient blessings and privileges. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims the imperative need of "the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church," and solemnly avers that through the ministration of heavenly beings the Church of Jesus Christ is restored to earth, for the salvation of mankind both living and dead.



(James E. Talmage, The Vitality of Mormonism [Boston: Gorham Press, 1919], 108.)

Amos: Joseph Smith's Commentary on the Bible

Amos 3:7

The grand rule of heaven was that nothing should ever be done on earth without revealing the secret to his servants the prophets. fn

The prophet says that God will do nothing but what he will reveal unto his servants the prophets. Consequently, if it is not made known to the prophets, it will not come to pass. fn


(Kent P. Jackson, comp. and ed., Joseph Smith's Commentary on the Bible [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 64.)