Since coming to this stand I have been reminded of a certain passage
contained in the "Book of Mormon" (commencing on page 161), which I
will read.
"Now, as soon as Ammon had read the record, the king
inquired of him to know if he could interpret languages, and Ammon
told him that he could not. And the king said unto him: Being grieved
for the afflictions of my people, I caused that forty and three of my
people should take a journey into the wilderness, that thereby they
might find the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal unto our
brethren to deliver us out of bondage. And they were lost in the
wilderness many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land
of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land of
many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones
of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins
of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been
inhabited with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel.
And for a testimony that the things that they have said are true they
have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and
they are of pure gold. And behold, also, they have brought
breastplates, which are large, and they are of brass and of copper, and are
perfectly sound. And again, they have brought swords, the hilts
thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust;
and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the
language or the engravings that are on the plates. Therefore I said
unto thee: Canst thou translate? And I say unto thee again: Knowest
thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these
records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they
will give us a knowledge of the remnant of the people who have been
destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give
us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am
desirous to know the cause of their destruction.
"Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man
that can translate the records; for he has wherewith he can look and
translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from
God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in
them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought
not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them,
the same is called seer. And behold, the king of the people who is in
the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things,
and who has the high gift from God. And the king said that a seer is
greater than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and
a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he
should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have
great power given him from God. But a Seer can know of things which
are passed, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall
all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made
manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are
not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made
known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has
provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles;
therefore he becometh of great benefit to his fellow beings.
"And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king
rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great
mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters are
doubtless prepared for unfolding all such mysteries to the children of
men. O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he
suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the
understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom,
neither do they desire that she should rule over them! Yea, they are
as a wild flock which fleeth from the shepherd, and scattereth, and
are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest."
The instructions that are imparted here, which I have just read, are
of importance to the children of men. We are here taught about a very
great, and precious, and high gift that comes from God—the gift of being a Seer, a Revelator, a Prophet, an inspired man. Not
only to receive revelation from God, but to interpret revelations
given to other Prophets who lived in times before, bringing to light
knowledge, and intelligence, and wisdom, and the dealings of God with
the human family, among more ancient people. This gift is more fully
explained in the "Book of Mormon" than in the Jewish record. We have
in the Jewish record, the Bible, some information in relation to the
instrument here called interpreter, but which is called in that record
by another name, namely, Urim and Thummim.
It was a gift that was exercised in the days of Moses, among the house
of Israel: it was a gift specially given to Aaron, the brother of
Moses, who was appointed the chief priest over all the tribes of
Israel. The Lord saw proper to give him instructions in relation to
the duties of his office and calling, how he should be clad, what kind
of priestly garments he should wear, what he should perform in
administering certain ordinances and how he should perform them; and
also gave unto him some instruction in regard to the breastplate,
that was called the breastplate of judgment. The reason of this was
that Aaron was appointed to be a judge among the children of Israel,
occupying a similar place among that people that the President of the
Bishopric occupies in the Church. But he was blessed above those who
have been ordained to the same calling in this dispensation, for he
was in possession of the Urim and Thummim, and by virtue of this
instrument he could inquire of the Lord in relation to every case that
should be brought before him for adjudication. The judgment of man is
na turally very weak and imperfect, and inasmuch as Aaron was required
to judge the people of God, it was of the utmost importance that all
his decisions should be given in righteousness, that there should be
no imperfections connected with them, and for that reason the Lord
gave express instructions to Aaron, through his brother Moses, to have
a breastplate. In this breastplate were twelve stones, representing
the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and in the center of these rows of stones
the Urim and Thummim was placed, and when he was required to render
judgment upon any matter, he inquired of the Lord through it, and was
enabled to give decisions according to the word of the Lord.
We have other accounts given in the Bible concerning the exercise of
this same gift. David was blessed with this gift, and when Saul was
pursuing him from place to place, seeking his life, he would inquire
of the Lord, by means of a similar instrument, and receive
revelations. The nature of his inquiries was—Would Saul go to such a
city seeking him? Would the people of such a city deliver him into his
hands? And the Lord would answer him, and he of course would govern
himself accordingly. This gift seems to have been of frequent
occurrence among the Israelites in their several generations, down to a
few centuries before the coming of Christ. Then it seems that Israel
so far transgressed the law of heaven, and so far strayed from the
Lord that the Urim and Thummim was taken from their midst, as you will
find mentioned by one of the Prophets in the Jewish Bible; it was
taken from them, and they were to abide many days without this
instrument, also without a king and without sacrifices, and eventually
the ordinances of God were to be taken from them. In other words, they were to be left without revelators, without prophets,
without an inspired king to rule over them, all of which has been
fulfilled for many centuries in the dispersion of the descendants of
Jacob from their land of promise, among the nations whithersoever they
are driven, without having any king; they do not offer sacrifices as
anciently; they have no priest with the breastplate of judgment, and
Urim and Thummim to inquire of the Lord.
It seems that the Lord manifested himself to the people of this great
western continent in a similar manner. Here he raised up Prophets, and
here they were in possession of an instrument, although not called
strictly by the same name, yet an instrument evidently designed by the
Almighty as a medium of communication to his people. King Mosiah, who
lived some time after the Israelites came to the American continent,
some few centuries before the first coming of Christ, he had this
great gift. Ammon, a servant of God, who explained this gift to King
Limhi, tells us the nature of the gift. He informs us that Mosiah had
wherewith he could look and interpret writing and engraving of ancient
date. It seems that forty-three of the people of King Limhi had been
sent from the kingdom where they resided, which was down at, or near
Ecuador, in South America, to search the land which they had left some
two or three generations before; and they lost their way in the
wilderness, and failed to find Zarahemla, the land they were seeking,
which was in the northern part of South America. They passed by the
land through a wilderness country, and it appears that they went into
North America. They found all the land which they ex plored covered
with ruins of buildings and cities, and they found the bones of men
and animals, and among other things they found twenty-four plates
which were of pure gold, on which were engravings, which they brought,
among other things, to King Limhi. He at that time was a righteous
man, as well as most of his people, and they were exceedingly anxious
to know the interpretations of the engravings, believing that they
would give some account of the people who had occupied the country
where they were found. They wanted to know what had become of so great
a people, for evidently it appeared to them they had been very
numerous. And it was for this purpose that Ammon was questioned.
Ammon was a man who had been sent up in the mean time from the
northern portions of South America, called Zarahemla, and he informed
King Limhi that the King of Zarahemla had this high gift from God,
that he was a seer, and could, by using the interpreters, interpret
ancient languages. Hence the rejoicing of the king, because there was
a man who could give them the information they were so anxious to find
out.
Afterwards we have a history in the "Book of Mormon," of the people of
King Limhi having been driven out by some of the wicked portions of
the people. He came to the land of Zarahemla, taking, with his colony,
these twenty-four plates, and asking King Mosiah to translate them
into the Nephite language. He did so; and they gave an account of a
people—who came from the tower of Babel, at the time of the confusion
of tongues; that they landed upon this north country, called North
America, and dwelt here some sixteen or seventeen centuries, and they
were part of the time a righteous people, and a part of the
time wicked. And many Prophets existed among the ancient colony, and
they kept their records, some upon metallic plates and others upon
other materials. There was a Prophet at the time of the destruction of
this first colony whose name was Ether. He wrote an abridgment of the
Jaredites, also an account of their coming to this land from the Tower
of Babel; he wrote also concerning the creation of the world, and the
doings of the Lord from the beginning down to the building of the
great tower, this short account was given on these twenty four plates.
And there is also given in the "Book of Mormon," by Moroni, the man
who hid up the plates from which the book was translated, a very short
sketch of the history of this first colony that came from the tower,
under the name of the "Book of Ether." And in this Book of Ether we
find that they had some thirty kings from the time they left Babel,
and that they were finally destroyed because of great wickedness, to
fulfil a prophecy and decree which the Lord made when he was bringing
them forth to this land. The decree was that if they or their
descendants should fall into wickedness and become fully ripened in
iniquity, that the Lord would utterly destroy them, and bring forth
another people to possess the land in their stead. Accordingly these
twenty-four plates mention their overthrow, how they were destroyed;
also some mention is made of their most eminent Prophets, and much
instruction is given in regard to the coming to this land of this
first colony, how they were brought here by the Lord from the tower,
and how, in passing through the valley called Nimrod, the Lord himself
went before their camp in a cloud, teaching them and instruct ing, and
leading them, the same as he afterwards led the children of Israel.
And he brought them to great waters, where they were commanded of him
to build vessels, which they did, eight in number, by which, under the
particular care of the Almighty, they were brought across the great
Pacific, as we now term it, taking them three hundred and forty-four
days, and finally they landed upon the western coast of North America,
as near as we can determine from this book, in Mexico, south of the
Gulf of California. And that when the brother of Jared was coming to
this land the Lord gave him some very remarkable visions, and, among
other things he gave him the Urim and Thummim, prepared two crystal
stones in two rims of a bow, and sanctified them, and showed to the
brother of Jared many marvelous things, some of which I will read,
for the instruction of those who have not, perhaps, given their
attention to these matters.
I will read first how the Lord lighted up the eight vessels in which
the colony from the tower came.
"Howbeit, ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against
the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the
floods which shall come. Therefore, what will ye that I should prepare
for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths
of the sea?"
Their barges were so constructed that they could dive under the waves
and be brought up again, and thus they were driven by the force of the
winds for 344 days.
"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the
vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the
mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its ex ceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones;
and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did
carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again
unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, thou hast said that we must be
encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be
angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we
know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are
unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil
continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment
that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according
to our desires. Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our
iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have
been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us.
O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy
people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep
in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the
rock. And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do
whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these
stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine
forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels
which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross
the sea. Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art
able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding
of men."
You can see from the very language itself, what great confidence this
man of God had in relation to the doings of the Lord. It was not a
thing that looked impossible to him for the Lord to touch these
sixteen stones, two of which were to be placed in each vessel, one at
each end. He knew the Lord could touch them, and that it was possible
for him to cause them to shine forth in these vessels, giving them
light while they crossed the ocean.
"And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these
words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the
stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off
the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord;
and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the
brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with
fear. And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the
earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen? And he
said unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he
should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And
the Lord said unto him: because of thy faith thou hast seen that I
shall take upon me flesh and blood."
It must have been the spirit of our great Redeemer whose finger he
then saw, thousands of years before he came and took a body of flesh
and bones.
"And never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou
hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest
thou more than this? And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall
speak? And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the
truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had
said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and
said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall;
therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show
myself unto you."
You know that one of the penalties of the fall was, that man should be
shut out from the presence of God, by this mortal tabernacle; but this
man, because of his knowledge and the great faith he had obtained, had
the veil removed and was restored back again to the presence of God,
as man was before the fall.
"Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to
redeem my people."
The Lord had the plan already laid before this world was made, or
brought into existence. And it was all understood in the councils of
eternity about the Lord's coming in the meridian of time to take upon
himself flesh and blood. It was understood that he should suffer
death, and be as a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world,
in the mind of God.
"Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall
all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall
believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never
has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created
after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning
after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the
body of my spirit" (not a body of flesh and bones, but the shape, the
stature and form of the body of his spirit, a pure and immortal body),
"and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I
appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in
the flesh.
"And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these
things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus
showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and
in the same likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto
the Nephites."
The Nephites were Israelites to whom Jesus appeared after his
resurrection.
"And he ministered unto him, even as he ministered unto the Nephites;
and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the
many great works which the Lord had showed unto him. And because of
the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within
the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell
with fear; for he knew it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith
no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. Wherefore, having this
perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil;
therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him. And it came to
pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt
not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto
the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the
flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen
and heard, and show it to no man."
It seems that the Lord did not wish to show these things to others,
when the people had not sufficient faith. These things were too great
and glorious for them at that early period of the world to be made
acquainted with. But at a certain time, when his name should be
glorified in the flesh, and after he should rise from the
dead, then he would permit these things to come forth, which he did
among the ancient Israelites on this continent; they were then
translated into the Nephite language and brought to light. But the
Lord said unto the brother of Jared: "And behold, when ye shall come
unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up that no man can
interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot
be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye
shall seal them up also, with the things which ye shall write. For
behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded,
wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall
magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. And
when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of
Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all
that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the
ends of the earth." What a great gift it is to know and see by the
enlightenment of the Spirit, by vision, things that have taken place
from the beginning of this world; to see, for instance, all the
inhabitants of the earth that had been prior to the day that the Lord
gave this vision; and then all the inhabitants of the earth that
should be, even to the end of the world. "For he had said unto him in
times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto
him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could
not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show
him all things. And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and
seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the
children of men.
And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up
the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord
should show them unto the children of men. And the Lord commanded the
brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the
Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden
to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted
up upon the cross; and for this cause did King Mosiah keep them."
I told you that Mosiah was a righteous man, and a revelator as well as
a king, who dwelt on this American continent some few centuries before
Christ, and when he interpreted the history of the people, he did not
interpret these things that the brother of Jared saw in this great
vision; the Lord would not permit him to do so.
"That they should not come unto the world until after Christ should
show himself unto his people. And after Christ truly had shown himself
unto his people, he commanded that they should be made manifest."
They were translated after Christ first appeared to the Nephites, and
probably sent abroad among the Nephite nation. The Prophet Moroni
says, "And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief; and
there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the
gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up
again in the earth. Behold, I have written upon the plates the very
things which the brother of Jared saw."
A great many, in reading this record carelessly, would wonder why it
was that a part of these plates should be sealed, and why Joseph Smith
should not be permitted to break the seal. It was because, in
this great revelation, the sealed portion of the plates from which the
Book of Mormon was taken, contained this great vision, given to the
brother of Jared. Joseph was not permitted to translate it, neither to
break the seal of the book; it is to be reserved to come forth in due
time.
The Prophet Moroni further says, "And there never was greater things
made manifest than that which was made manifest unto the brother of
Jared. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have
written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he
also hath commanded me that I should seal up the interpretation
thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the
commandment of the Lord. For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go
forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their
iniquity and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they
shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of
Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest
unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the
unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that
in them are. And he that will contend against the word of the Lord,
let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed;
for unto them will I show no greater things,
saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh. And at my command the
heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake;
and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as
by fire. And he that believeth not my words believeth not my
disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall
know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.
"But he that believeth these words which I have spoken, him will I
visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear
record."
Now, I want to appeal to the Latter-day Saints who occupy this room,
whether this promise has been fulfilled to you, or not? I will read it
again. "But he that believeth these words which I have spoken, him
will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know
and bear record." It does not say, he shall merely have an opinion and
bear record, but he shall know and bear record. Do you know that this
book (the Book of Mormon) is true, Latter-day Saints? Do you know that
what I have been reading are the words of the Lord? If you have
believed these things with all of your hearts, and complied with the
commands of the Most High, manifesting your faith by your works, then
you have been put in possession of this knowledge, and you know, by
the Spirit which he has poured out from heaven upon you, that they are
true, and in force to all the world, and this Spirit gives you a
knowledge concerning all truth. You are not like those who have no
revelation of whom the ancient apostle speaks, who were "Ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth;" but
you are of those, if you keep the commandments of God, who are not
only learning from the word of God, but have a knowledge of all
revealed truth by the power of the Spirit, the Comforter, which is a
revelator, an unction to all those who receive it; and they are able
to bear record of the things which they formerly believed to be true.
The Lord has thus raised up a great cloud of witnesses in connection
with scores of thousands of others to bear record of the
truth, in this last dispensation of the fullness of times. "For,
because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it
persuadeth men to do good. And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do
good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the
same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words
will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will
not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am
the light, and the life, and the truth of the world. Come unto me, O
ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the
knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye
house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great
things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the
world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. Behold,
when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to
remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and
blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which
have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall
call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite
spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the
covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel. And then
shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant
John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see
these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall
be made manifest in very deed. Therefore, when ye shall receive this
record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all
the face of the land. Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and
come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name;
for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that
believe in my name. And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my
name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the
kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold
it is I that hath spoken it. Amen."
I have read these things because I am fully aware that there are in
the Church of Latter-day Saints many persons who are very careless
about reading the "Book of Mormon." It is one of the greatest
treasures, so far as books are concerned, that has been given to
mankind for almost 1,800 years. It contains the things of God in great
plainness, so easy of comprehension that the child who reads can
understand it. And yet, how many there are of the Latter-day Saints
who suffer this book to remain upon their shelves, week after week,
without ever reading a page of these precious things. I have also read
these things for the benefit of strangers who may be present on this
occasion. It is not to be expected that they will read it, for they do
not believe it is a divine record; they do not believe that God has
spoken, or that Joseph Smith was raised up to bring it forth to the
children of men, by the power of the Urim and Thummim. It is not
expected, therefore, that they will read a work that they have no
faith in. They do not want to have faith in it, they do not consider
it a matter of sufficient importance even to inquire of the Lord
whether it is true or not. And yet, sometimes they may have, for a few
moments, a feeling in their hearts that they would like to know what
is contained in the "Book of Mormon;" hence, I have read this
that you may have an idea what is contained in this book, on which the
Latter-day Saints found their faith, as well as on the Bible.
You will perceive, Latter-day Saints, how this Urim and Thummim was
formed in the first place. It was not something that existed on the
earth in a natural state, it was something made by the Lord. He is a
good mechanic, he understands how to make things. He made the heavens
and the earth, he made many worlds that we see roll as it were, upon
their wings in the midst of space. He made the garments that first
clothed Adam and Eve; and he made a very beautiful garden, and planted
it with a variety of trees, and caused them to bear fruit, and that
they should have seed within themselves. He understands how to do such
things; he is not like many of us, who, after attempting to do certain
things, fail for the lack of knowledge; but when he undertakes to do a
thing, he does it in the best manner possible, and what he makes is
made perfect. And if afterwards his handiwork becomes imperfect, it is
because of the curse that comes upon the earth in consequence of sin.
He made the Urim and Thummim, and we have an account of his making it
in the words which I have been reading. Two crystal stones that he
gave unto the brother of Jared were made by him. When ye shall write
these things, ye shall seal them up, also the interpreters, until the
Lord shall see fit, in his own due time, to reveal them to the
children of men.
Perhaps some of you may ask when this great revelation, that was given
to the brother of Jared, will be revealed. I wish I could answer the
question; I cannot answer as to the year, for I do not know. I may,
however, answer you in general terms. If you will turn to the
"Doctrine and Covenants," you will there find a revelation, given in
the year 1829, to Hyrum Smith, who went down from Manchester, Ontario
County, N.Y., to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, to visit his
brother, Joseph, who was then engaged in the work of translating the
"Book of Mormon." When Hyrum arrived in the presence of his brother,
he felt anxious to know what the Lord had for him to do, or if it
would not be well for him to commence to preach, bearing testimony to
the manuscripts of the "Book of Mormon," etc. He finally desired that
his brother should inquire of the Lord, through the Urim and Thummim,
what he wished him to do. The Lord gave a revelation, telling him he
was not to preach his word at that time, that the time had not come.
He had not received the ordination authorizing him to preach, neither
had the Church been organized on the earth. The Lord told him,
however, of certain things he should do. He said, "Study my word which
hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word
which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now
translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant to
the children of men in that generation, and then shall all things be
added thereunto." After the generation living in 1829, some
forty-eight years ago, is all accomplished, then we may look for the
revelation which the brother of Jared obtained upon the mount, then we
may look for the things he saw when the Lord showed him all the
children of men that had ever been upon the earth from the beginning
of creation down to his day, and also that would come upon the earth
down to the end of time. In showing him these things, I do not think
he merely gave him this to satisfy his curiosity, for no man,
we are told, had ever before witnessed such great things, and the Lord
could not withhold them from him, because of his great faith. I do not
believe, either, that this great man would have sought the Lord
seeking to satisfy curiosity; but I told you, and I do believe, that
He revealed to him many of his great and marvelous purposes in
relation to the inhabitants of the earth in relation to his future
dealings with the nations of the earth, in relation to the rise of his
kingdom in the latter days, as now taking place. I have no doubt he
saw every particular as they have occurred, since 1830 to the present
time. He saw our history and our travels and our persecutions; and he
also saw the state of darkness that the world would be in before the
Lord would set up this Church upon the earth again, and the
persecutions that would come up on the former-day Saints, and how the
Church would fall away and the Priesthood be taken away from among
men; all these things were manifested to him, and he was commanded to
write them. And if we had these things now which he wrote, I have not
the least doubt we could read the future history of this Church, just
the same as we can its past history; we could understand all the
particulars until the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth, and we
could see our future travels and our future tribulations and
persecutions, and also our blessings that shall come upon us after the
days of tribulations are ended; we could behold the glory of God that
would rest upon Zion, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, and
the coming of the Church of the Firstborn in the clouds of heaven, in
connection with Jesus, and the coming of the ancient day Zion. All
these things, I have no doubt, were revealed to this man of God, and
were commanded to be written, and will come forth when the generation
has fully past away that were living in the year 1829—forty-eight
years ago.
As regards the number of years by which a generation shall be
measured, we have no special definite period given to us by
revelation; the Lord speaks in terms that are general in relation to
generations. Among the Nephites, immediately after Christ's appearance
to them, a generation was a hundred years, and in the fourth
generation they were destroyed, as a nation; except some few who went
over to the Lamanites. We find generations numbering from father to
son, and from son to grandson, etc., and when we come to average
generations, according to the statistic, of nations, we find them to
be about thirty years to a generation; but when the Lord speaks in
general terms, and says, This generation shall not pass away, until a
House shall be built to his name, as is given in this "Book of
Covenants," and a cloud should rest upon it; in that case I do not
think he is limited to any definite period, but suffice it to say that
the people living in 1832, when the revelation was given, will not all
pass away; there will be some living when the House spoken of will be
reared, on which the glory of God will rest. Already forty-five years
have passed away since that revelation was given, concerning the
building of that House. And when he says to Hyrum Smith, "Study my
word, etc., until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the
children of men in this generation," I do not know how long that
generation was intended, in the mind of God, to be, and I do not think
there is any person in the Church that does know, unless the Lord has
revealed it to him. But we have every reason to believe that
the time is not far distant, and that there are some living among the
young now upon the earth, that will live to behold great numbers of
revelations given, and will behold other books come forth and other
records translated by the Urim and Thummim, that same instrument that
Joseph Smith used in the translation of the "Book of Mormon," which
will again come forth and be revealed to the seer and revelator that
God will raise up by which these ancient records will be brought to
light. Then these great things will be known, then we shall rejoice in
the greater fulness of knowledge and understanding, according to the
promise; and when we rend that veil of unbelief, spoken of in the
"Book of Mormon," and when it is taken away from our midst, and we
exercise faith in God, even as the ancient man of God, the brother of
Jared, did, then will the Lord reveal to this people what was shown to
this man. And if it were important for him, in the early ages, to
understand the great things of the latter days, how much more
important it is for us who are living, as it were, just preceding the
coming of the Son of Man; and if ancient men of God were privileged
and blessed in understanding the things of the future, how much
greater blessing it will be to us, inasmuch as these things are at our
doors.
I believe I will make a few more remarks in relation to this same
revelation that is to be given. In the second book of Nephi, the 11th
chap., we have some account of what the Lord is going to do, referring
to the things which the brother of Jared saw. The prophecy I am about
to read was delivered nearly six centuries before Christ, by a man
whose name was Nephi, whom the Lord brought out from Jerusalem, in
connection with his father's family and some others, landing them on
the western coast of South America where they formed a colony. Before
be got here, he had a great revelation, and also after coming here. I
will commence at the 17th paragraph of the vision he had.
"And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto
you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them that have
slumbered."
He was prophesying of the last days, of the time when the Book of
Mormon should be brought forth to the inhabitants of the earth.
"And behold the book shall he sealed; and in the book shall be a
revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending
thereof." This is the part that is sealed. "Wherefore, because of the
things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be
delivered in the day of the wickedness and abomination of the people."
That agrees with what I was telling you about the generation that is
passing away. The people who are wicked shall be swept away from the
earth, and those who remain that are righteous will have this great
revelation unsealed to them. "Wherefore the book shall be kept from
them." The Lord did not suffer these plates to go among the wicked,
for he well knew that they would have destroyed them for the sake of
the gold upon which they were written. "But the book shall be
delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book,
which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he
shall deliver these words unto another; But the words which are sealed
he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book." I wish to
state here for the informa tion of those who do not understand,
that before Joseph Smith translated the part that was unsealed, he
copied some of the words and sent them by Martin Harris to the city of
New York to have them exhibited to the learned, to see if they could
read them. "For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the
revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own
due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all
things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof." We will
get some knowledge of the purposes of God, not only in relation to the
six thousand years past, but for the thousand years to come, after the
revelation is given showing forth the purposes and designs of the
great Jehovah in relation to this creation. "And the day cometh that
the words of the book which was sealed shall be read upon the house
tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things
shall be revealed to the children of men which ever have been among
the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the
earth. Wherefore, at that day, when the book shall be delivered unto
the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of
the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that
three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to
whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth
of the book and the things therein. And there is none other which
shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear
testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord hath
said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from
the dead. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the
words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth
him good will he establish his word; and wo unto him that rejecteth
the word of God!"
That gives us a little more light upon the same subject. When that is
brought forth, I expect that the same Urim and Thummim which the Lord
gave to Joseph Smith will come forth with these plates, and they will
be translated, but by whom I know not. Who will be the favored Seer
and Revelator that will be raised up among this people to bring this
revelation to light, is not revealed to me. And not only this
revelation, but those twenty-four plates of gold which contain the
doings of the old Jaredite nation that inhabited this North American
continent; at present we have only an abridgment, not a hundredth part
of their history. These plates of gold will come forth, as well as
many other records kept by the first nation—the Jaredites, that came
here; and I have no doubt that the Lord will give the Urim and Thummim
to translate them. And not only these, but the Lord intends, in this
dispensation in which you and I live, to overwhelm the whole earth
with a flood of knowledge in regard to himself; in regard to his
purposes and designs, and in regard to the future glories and
blessings that are ordained for the Latter-day Saints, in regard to
the preparation of the earth for the thousand years of righteousness
to come. Hence these plates, these great numbers of plates, that were
kept by the kings of the Nephites and by many Prophets before and
after Christ, as well as those sealed records of which I have been
speaking, will all come to light; we then will have revelations of
heavenly and earthly things, and the designs and purposes of God. We
will have, perhaps, the most complete history of this continent
that there is in existence of any other nation or kingdom on the
earth. Moreover, we have abundance of promises that God has made to
us, in this book called the Doctrine and Covenants, given through the
Prophet Joseph, concerning other records besides those I have named,
that were kept by the Jaredites and the Nephites, a record for
instance back so far as the days of Enoch. You might say, they did
not know how to write in those days. But the Bible indicates that they
did know, and speak about the book of the generations of Adam even
before the flood. Furthermore, we have an account that three years
prior to the death of Adam, he called together the righteous of his
posterity, he called also the High Priests of that day, into a certain
valley, called Adam-ondi-Ahman, which is located about fifty miles
north of Jackson County, or what is now called Davis County, Missouri.
Here assembled the righteous of his posterity for eight generations,
and he pronounced upon them his last blessing, as the grand patriarch
of the whole. And he stood up, notwithstanding he was bowed down with
age, before the vast body that were gathered on that occasion, and
prophesied of all things of importance that should transpire among his
seed, and the nations that should spring from him, down to the very
end of time. These things, it says, were written in the book of Enoch,
and are to be testified of in due time. When we get that, I think we
shall know a great deal about the antediluvians, of whom at present
we know so little.
Then there is still another record to come forth. John the Baptist is
said by the highest authority to be one of the greatest Prophets ever
born of a woman; but we have very little written in the Jewish record
concerning him. We have a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants
concerning the record of John, that great Prophet. And we are promised
that if we were faithful as a people, the fullness of the record of
John shall hereafter be revealed to us. When we get this, I think we
shall have still more knowledge in regard to doctrine and principle,
and things that are great and marvelous, of which we know very little,
if anything about. This is not all. The Lord has told us that he would
bring forth those brass plates that Lehi and the families that came
with him from Jerusalem, some six hundred years before Christ, brought
with them, which contain the history of the creation, and the writings
of inspired men down to the days of Jeremiah; they came out in
Jeremiah's day. We are informed in the "Book of Mormon" that they
contained many prophecies very great and extensive in their nature.
And when these plates, now hidden in the hill Cumorah, are brought to
light we shall have the history of the Old Testament much more fully,
with the addition of a great many prophecies that are not now
contained in that record. The prophecies of Joseph in Egypt were very
great, and we are told in the "Book of Mormon" that there were a great
many given to him. When we have all those, also the prophecies of
Neum, a great Prophet who prophesied concerning Christ; also those of
Zenos and Zenock, and others of which only bare reference is given;
and then again when the ten tribes of Israel come from the north
country, they will bring with them their records which they have kept
since seven hundred and twenty years before Christ, which will
contain an account of the hand dealing of God among that lost people,
which doubtless will be exceedingly interesting as well as
instructive.
Shall we stop here? No, the time will come when this people will
become more fully revelators, and Prophets, and Seers themselves, and
the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God, and even out of
the mouth of babes and sucklings will the Spirit of God reveal things
that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world; they will
utter forth the things of God, helping to fill the earth with the
knowledge of God, as the waters cover the great deep.
We might now stop and say no more about the bibles that are yet to
come. From what little I have said, the strangers present may begin to
believe the truth of that Scripture which says, "And there are also
many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be
written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the books that should be written." The Lord has not, because of
unbelief and wickedness of the people, permitted these things to come
forth to be trampled under the feet, as swine would trample jewels
under their feet. But as soon as the righteousness of the people shall
warrant, he will reveal these hidden treasures of knowledge, and they
will understand and comprehend the great things of God; and not only
will records be brought forth, but the minds of men, and minds of
women, and minds of children, and the minds of all the people who
believe, will be like a fountain of light and intelligence, and they
will be able to comprehend all records and books inspired from on
high.
Sometimes, when I reflect upon these things in the spirit, it seems as
though I can scarcely wait for the present generation to pass away,
without seeing the Latter-day Saints in possession of these great
things. They will surely come! Rest assured, Latter-day Saints, that
these things will be fulfilled, yea, every jot and tittle; and every
record that God has commanded to be kept among the ancient seers and
revelators, will be brought to light in this last dispensation, and
none need think that the Lord is trifling with us, for these things
will be made manifest.
May God bless you is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.