I feel to bear my testimony to the truth as far as we have heard it
today, and to all truth. We have been hearing of the Gospel of life
and salvation, a subject which should interest the whole human family
as soon as they can become acquainted with it. The subject of
salvation should occupy the thoughts and reflections of every
intelligent being. The salvation and redemption wrought out by the
Savior is for us—it was purchased for us. The character we have been
hearing of is our Savior and Redeemer—the Savior of the whole world of
mankind, and of all creatures pertaining to the earth, and the earth
itself, for all will be redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. We
should have a part in this, and we can say truly that we have a part
in it. Whether it will benefit us as it might, depends upon our own
thoughts, reflections and actions—upon our obedience to the
requirements of our Father in heaven to secure to us life everlasting.
The Father has done all he can do on his part: He has given his only
begotten Son; he has sent light into the world; he bestows his Spirit
upon the children of men; he lights up the understanding of every
person that lives, that ever did or ever will live upon the earth.
Christ is the light that lights every man that comes into the world.
We have this light, will we improve on it?
In my reflections on the Gospel of life and salvation and the theories
of the children of men I have contrasted the various beliefs, faiths,
ordinances and operations of the people who profess to worship a
Supreme Being. Not only the Christians; for I do not know of any
nation on the earth but what has some object which it worships as
supreme, and to which it renders adoration. This is the case even with
the heathen, although they worship gods which their own hands make. No
matter about this, they are ignorant; but that spirit that dwells in
the children of men prompts them to worship, adore, to seek after that
which will better their condition and make themselves happy. This is
the condition of all the inhabitants of the earth, whether Christian
or Pagan; although the innate disposition to render homage to some
invisible power as the Supreme Ruler is modified and diversified
according to their varied traditions. The effects of tradition are as
visible among Christians as among heathens; and these traditions, as
well as our own superior intelligence, lead us to regard the worship
of the heathen as nonsensical, and we may say ridiculous. We can have
no faith in this; we see no propriety in bowing down to gods made with
our own hands, whether they be gods of gold, silver, wood or stone.
This would be folly in the extreme to persons who believe in the New
Testament; we say we will worship the Being who has redeemed us, him
who created us and all things and who rules and governs all things
according to his good pleasure, whether in heaven or on earth. But
will we worship according to the directions that He has given? Will we
believe the doctrine that Jesus has left on record in the New
Testament, or will we believe in something that varies from this?
We see that Christendom is full of religion; in fact the world is full
of it, no matter where we go. I have been brought up to believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ; I am taught to believe in him. Perhaps if I, my
parents before me, and the nation in which I was born and brought up
had never heard of his name, I would treat it with as much
indifference as the heathen do when they hear of it; and yet if men
did but understand the light of Christ that is within them it would
prompt them, universally, to adore and admire, we will say, the God of
nature—him who has created and formed the earth and all things it
contains, including us, who, in the image of our Creator,
dwell upon and inhabit it. I say that, did we all understand this
light of Christ, possessed by every human being when born into the
world, it would prompt us to worship the God of nature; and did we
heed it as we ought we would not be likely to come to the conclusion
that there is no personal God.
Among the remarks made here this morning was one worthy the notice of
every intelligent being, and that was that if we do not understand the
mysteries of the being of our Creator, shall we deny it? Shall we deny
the existence of that which we do not understand? If we do, we would
want to keep an iron bedstead to measure every person according to our
own measurement and dimensions; and if persons were too long we would
cut them off, and if too short draw them out. But we should discard
this principle, and our motto should be, we will let every one believe
as he pleases and follow out the convictions of his own mind, for all
are free to choose or refuse; they are free to serve God or to deny
him. We have the Scriptures of divine truth, and we are free to
believe or deny them. But we shall be brought to judgment before God
for all these things, and shall have to give an account to him who has
the right to call us to an account for the deeds done in the body.
What shall we believe, then, when we reflect upon and consider all
these things? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Who can object to him?
When his character is set forth in its true light what fault can be
found with him? I have no question, as an individual, but that the
Jews believed they saw a great many defects in the Savior. I would
just as soon believe that the ignorant wicked can see no defects in
the character of a modern prophet as to believe that the Jews could
see none in the Savior. I have had the privilege, in my lifetime, of
reading some of the writings which have been preserved and handed down
by the Jews, which contained their description of the Savior's
character, and certainly, nothing could be more ridiculous; and I
remember that, on one occasion, when talking to the Prophet Joseph
about these things, I said to him, "No matter what they say about you,
I will defy mortal man to say worse about a modern prophet than the
Jews have said about the Savior;" and that the character of the
Redeemer presented no defects whatever to the eyes of those among whom
he lived, is what I would not say. I may say, however, that men who
did not believe in him looked through prejudiced eyes, and hence they
were unable to view him in his true light; and no man who has ever
lived on the earth was more ridiculed and traduced than he was. But
when we, that is, the Christian world, read an account of his
character and doings, not the least blemish or defect is seen; it
might be different, however, if he were here in our midst. Suppose
that he or his Apostles were to walk through Christendom, preaching
the Gospel without purse or scrip, do you think that if they tried to
gain admission to the pulpits in the churches or places of worship
which have been erected in their honor, and called the churches of the
Savior, or of St. Matthew, John, Paul, Peter, Bartholomew and so on,
that they could gain admittance? Let reason, guided and enlightened by
the conduct of the people, answer, and it will give the negative at
once to every building of this kind erected in Christendom; so far as
my knowledge extends, this would be the result except among the
Latter-day Saints. Perhaps some may say that I have too much faith in the prophecies of God, in the latter-day work, and in the
administration of individuals that now live and have lived on the
earth in our day. Be it so, no matter to me. I am here to testify in
the name of the God of Israel that for many years past there have been
men traveling through the length and breadth of the earth who possess
the same power and authority as that with which Jesus endowed his
Apostles when he told them to go into all the world and "preach the
Gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned, and these signs
shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils,
heal the sick, speak with new tongues," &c.
I am a witness here, today, that these sayings and promises have been
fulfilled in these latter days as much as they were in the days of the
Savior. Have the dead been brought to life? Yes, or those who, to all
appearance, were dead, and this is so to my certain knowledge. But
were they dead? No, they were not. What did Jesus say to his disciples
and those who followed him to the grave of Lazarus, when they were
mourning and bewailing, and beseeching him to say the word only and it
should be done? Jesus said, "He is not dead, but sleepeth." So it has
been in these latter days. To all appearance life and breath had
departed, but they yet lived, and some who, under such circumstances,
were restored by the power of God, are still living. The eyes of the
blind have been opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped; the lame
have been made to leap, and foul spirits have been cast out. Has this
been the case in every instance? Not by any means, neither was it in
the days of the Savior. They who have faith receive these blessings if
they live according to the spirit of the holy Gospel.
Is there any harm in preaching and believing in such doctrines, and
realizing the blessings? I often ask myself this question, but I fail
to see harm or impropriety therein. I know that some say we can be
saved without a Savior. If parties like to believe this, all right;
but if we can be saved without, we certainly can with. Some will say
we can be saved without believing in baptism; very well, we surely can
be then if we do believe in it. Some say we can be saved just as well
without having hands laid on for the reception of the Holy Ghost as
with; if we can be saved without we certainly can be with. If an Elder
of Israel lay his hands upon us and say, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,"
there is not the least harm in it; it is conferring a blessing. "I
desire to bless you," says the Elder, "and if I had power I would
bless you; and according to the faith in me I do dispense the Holy
Spirit to you." It is a blessing pure as the angels in heaven. If I
say to the sick, "Be healed and blessed," or bid foul spirits, pain,
fever or any disease whatever, "Depart," it is a blessing to the
patient, and there is not the least harm in it in the world. And now,
suppose the Elders of this Church have power to say, "Receive ye the
Holy Ghost," and the Holy Ghost is given, is there any harm in it? Not
the least in the world; and if we can be saved without these things we
certainly can with, so we are on sure ground. Suppose that we can be
saved without doing precisely as the Savior has told us, we most
certainly shall be by observing what he has left on record for our
salvation. But he has said that not one jot or tittle of his word or
of the law shall pass without being fulfilled; and it is no matter
whether he speaks by his own voice, by the voice of an angel,
or through his faithful servants here on the earth, all the words of
the Lord Almighty will certainly be fulfilled; then if we believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and comply with all the requirements of his
Gospel we are on safe ground.
If it is acceptable in the sight of Heaven for a minister to dip his
finger in water contained in a gold, silver or marble vase, and then
wet the forehead of the child or the adult, and call this baptism,
where can be the harm in going down into the waters of baptism as
Jesus did, and as the eunuch did? I say where is the harm in being
buried with Christ in baptism? I cannot see the least harm in it. Then
if we are safe without baptism for the remission of sins, we are
certainly safe with it. If we are safe without having hands laid upon
us for the reception of the Holy Ghost, we are certainly safe with it;
if we are saved without having the gift of faith to heal the sick or
cast out devils, we are assuredly saved with. Then where is the danger
of those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and keep his
commandments?
The cry of the Christian world is "The Bible, the Bible," but who will
believe it? Who will believe that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the
Son of God and the express image of his Father? But a few will believe
these things, and yet the salvation that Jesus has purchased will
reach the whole human family and save, in a kingdom or in some place
where they will enjoy to the extent of their capacity, those who
reject not the Gospel and despise not the Savior. Those who set at
naught the counsels of God are the only ones the Gospel will not reach
and save in a kingdom. But who will go into the celestial kingdom?
Those who obey the Gospel of the Son of God, and then walk in all
humility before the Lord and keep his commandments in all things. They
are the ones who will enter in at the strait gate. Jesus said, "Strait
is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life" —that is our
translation; the original is, "that leads to the lives" —"and few there
be that find it; while broad is the gate and wide is the way that
leads to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat." Many will
there be who will miss receiving the blessings and being caught up
with Christ in the air, and being saved in the presence of the Father
and the Son, that now anticipate enjoying the glory, excellency and
exaltation which God has prepared for the faithful.
The inquiry arises with a great many, "What are you going to do with
all the rest of the human family, are you going to send them to hell?"
I will answer the question as Joseph once did when a person asked him,
"Will everybody be damned except the Latter-day Saints?" "Yes,"
said
Joseph, "and many of them, unless they take a different course from
what they are now taking." Who will be saved in the celestial kingdom,
and go into the presence of the Father and Son? Those only who observe
the whole law, who keep the commandments of God—those who walk in
newness of life, observe all his precepts and do his will. Are we
going to send all the rest to hell? Not the sectarian hell, pardon the
expression. The wicked, we are told, will be turned into hell, with
all the nations that forget God, and that is very true. But where is
hell? Read for yourselves. What is hell? Read for yourselves. You may
call it hell, Hades, or the world of spirits. It is where Jesus went
and preached to the spirits in prison. All who have not received the
Gospel, who have not had the advantages resulting from strict
obedience to the ordinances, are there subject to the evil power, to
the principle of death. There they will reside who have denied the
Lord Jesus Christ; but they will be resurrected and will receive their
bodies again; but blessed and holy is he on whom the second death hath
no power. On many it will have power; but what proportion of the whole
human family from the days of Adam to the last born on the earth will
become angels of the devil and will reap the wrath of God and endure
it forever and ever, it is not for me to say; but none will, save
those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. Who is able to do this?
That is the question. I will tell you of one man who could have
committed this sin.
We read in the days of the Apostles of a certain man named Cornelius,
a devout man and one who worshipped the Lord according to the light he
possessed. As he was once praying in his house, the Holy Ghost fell
upon him, and he and his household rejoiced exceedingly. What was the
word of the Lord to Cornelius under these circumstances? Was it "You
are saved, you are just right, you can build up churches, you can show
the people that they can be saved, and can receive the Holy Ghost
without the laying on of hands?" No, the word of the Lord to Cornelius
was, "Send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is
Peter; he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the
seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Cornelius sent
to Joppa, and just before his messengers reached the house at which
Simon lodged, he had had a vision in which a sheet descended from
heaven, in which were all manner of beasts and creeping things of the
earth; and a voice said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said,
"Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And
the voice said unto him, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou
common." At that time the Gospel had been given to the Jews only, and
Peter and his brethren had the idea that it was not for the Gentiles;
but this vision was as much as to say, "I want to open your eyes and
show you that the Gentiles as well as the Jews are to receive and
participate in the blessings of the Gospel. Just as Peter awoke from
his vision there came a rap at the door and the messengers of
Cornelius inquired for him, and made known to him their errand, and he
and some of his brethren went down and conversed with Cornelius, and
while doing so the Spirit of God rested on them so powerfully that
they glorified God. The Jews who were with Peter commenced, "Take
care, Peter, we do not like this; we do not understand that the
Gentiles are to have the Gospel. The Savior is the Savior of the Jews;
Jesus was the king of the Jews only and not the king of the Gentiles."
Peter commanded them to be still. Said he, "Do you not see the pouring
out of the Spirit just as on the Day of Pentecost, these people
speaking with new tongues and prophesying;" and said he, seeing that
this is the case, "Can any man forbid water that these should not be
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we."
Cornelius, if he had rejected the testimony of Peter, would have been
led to reject the Holy Ghost, which had fallen upon him, and been
lost.
This was an instance in which the Holy Ghost was given before baptism;
there may be other cases in these days, but if parties are thus
favored of the Lord, the outpouring of his Spirit prompts them to send
for an Elder of Israel that they may be baptized for the
remission of their sins. I do not know that it is recorded that
Cornelius received a remission of sins before baptism. The quotation
has been read here from the Scriptures that except a man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God; and unless he be born of the water
and of the Spirit he cannot enter it; that is, no man can see and
understand the kingdom of God unless the Spirit reveal it to him. When
a person receives the Holy Ghost he begins to read the Bible
understandingly. It is a new book to him. Is this fortunate or
unfortunate for him? I will say it is fortunate for those who receive
the Gospel as preached by the Latter-day Saints, when the Spirit of
the Lord rests upon them. Such an individual will say, "The Bible is a
new book to me, bless me; I never read the principles understandingly
in my life before; I could not understand them. I never read the New
Testament, nor comprehended the character of the Savior and his
teachings to his disciples as now; although I have read the Scriptures
hundreds of times they never were plain before." The Spirit may rest
upon many and reveal to them the wonderful things of God; but when it
does it will prompt them to obey the commands of the Lord Jesus. Is
this the fact? It is. Well, we will say it is very fortunate for those
who receive this Gospel and the spirit of it in their hearts, for it
awakes within them a desire to know and understand the things of God
more than they ever did before in their lives, and they begin to
inquire, read and search, and when they go to the Father in the name
of Jesus he will not leave them without a witness.
When we go to the nations we say, "Receive ye the Gospel, treasure it
up in your hearts; the Spirit is ready to testify to you at any
moment; are you ready to receive the Spirit?" No person need wait;
whenever the spirit within him yields obedience to the still small
voice that whispers, "This is the way, walk ye in it," that Spirit is
ready in a moment to teach, guide and direct him in the way of life
and salvation. If there is darkness, it is the result of our own
organization and intelligence being beclouded and far from the things
of God. We listen to the continual promptings of the Man of Sin, when
he says, "Do not you submit to the Lord, do not inquire of the Lord;
do not ask for the Spirit of the Lord; do not go to the Father in the
name of Jesus, or if you do go, be very careful how you go. Let
reason take the stand with you, let the words of your petitions be
dictated by the reason that is within you, then you will be very sure
not to ask in the spirit of meekness! No, you should not yield your
manhood to any spirit to ask for things you need, or that you may be
led, guided and preserved in the way of truth."
These are the promptings of the devil; but when the spirit in man
yields obedience and brings the flesh into subjection the Spirit of
the Lord is then ready to whisper to the individual, "This is the way,
walk ye in it;" and such individuals can go on their way rejoicing,
regardless of those who cry, "Lo! here is Christ," or "Lo! there is
Christ;" for the Spirit will teach them that Jesus is the Christ and
that the Bible is true. It may not all have been translated aright,
and many precious things may have been rejected in the compilation and
translation of the Bible; but we understand, from the writings of one
of the Apostles, that if all the sayings and doings of the Savior, had
been written, the world could not contain them. I will say that the
world could not understand them. They do not understand what
we have on record, nor the character of the Savior, as delineated in
the Scriptures; and yet it is one of the simplest things in the world,
and the Bible, when it is understood, is one of the simplest books in
the world, for, as far as it is translated correctly, it is nothing
but truth, and in truth there is no mystery save to the ignorant. The
revelations of the Lord to his creatures are adapted to the lowest
capacity, and they bring life and salvation to all who are willing to
receive them. They are so simple that the high-minded and those lifted
up in their own estimation will say, "I cannot get down so low as
that." If they pray, they dare not ask for the things they want. I
have known a great many individuals who dare not ask God the Father in
the name of Jesus Christ if the doctrine we preach is true. They have
a conviction within them that it is true, and they say, "If we ask we
shall receive the witness we ask for, and then we shall have no excuse
whatever for not obeying it." I have had it said to me, "I am sorry I
have learned so much, sorry I have had so much revealed. I wish I was
as ignorant as I was a few years ago." What will be the condition of
such individuals? Ignorance will be their portion. Let him that is
ignorant remain ignorant still. The Gospel will do them no good; but
they who are honest before the Lord, and ask in the name of Jesus,
will receive a testimony, and know that Jesus is the Christ. Flesh and
blood will not reveal this to them, neither will the sciences of the
day; it can only be known by the spirit of revelation. The kingdom of
God and its mysteries are and can be known only to him to whom God
reveals them, and I hope and pray that we are or may be among that
number. It is very customary to pray to the Lord, but in my petitions
I pray a great deal to the Latter-day Saints, or those who profess to
be. When traveling and preaching I frequently pray the people, in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, I pray you, my hearers, to
ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, whether these things be true or
not. I cannot pray the Father that he will compel you to know; it
would be no use for the Father to compel you to know the truth. All
must be willing to ask for and receive it. The fountain is open, truth
is ready, its streams are waiting and desirous to come and testify to
every individual on the earth who is willing to be taught that Jesus
is the Christ, the Gospel is true, God is true, life and salvation are
true. We are here upon this earth—upon this little dark, opaque body;
if we were in some of the celestial kingdoms and were to look at this
earth it would not appear larger, probably, than just a little speck,
a black marble! Who can notice such an insignificant affair? God
notices this world. He organized it, and brought forth the inhabitants
upon it. We are his children, literally, spiritually, naturally, and
in every respect. We are the children of our Father; Jesus is our
elder brother, ready to save all who will come to him. By and by the
Lord will purify the earth, and it will become pure and holy, like a
sea of glass; then it will take its place in the rank of the celestial
ones, and be recognized as celestial; but at the present time it is a
dark, little speck in space.
I pray the people and all who hear me, be ye reconciled to God, and
ask for the things that you want. If you want life and salvation, ask
for it in faith, humility and meekness. Be willing to receive the
truth let it come from whom it may; no difference, not a particle. Just as soon receive the Gospel from Joseph Smith as from
Peter, who lived in the days of Jesus. Receive it from one man as soon
as another. If God has called an individual and sent him to preach the
Gospel that is enough for me to know; it is no matter who it is, all I
want is to know the truth. This should be the feelings and the
heartbeatings of every individual that lives on the earth. If we are
endowed with intelligence we can know and understand things for
ourselves.
You have received the truth, Latter-day Saints; live it. You know it
perfectly well. When a Latter-day Saint says, I have sinned, will you
forgive me? Did you sin knowingly? Tell the truth and say "Yes," you
sinned, with your eyes wide open. When you commit a wrong, after
having been enlightened, you violate your own judgment, and the
convictions of the spirit that is within you. Why not live as we
should? We should be the best people on the earth; we have more
knowledge of the things of God and of his purposes than the rest of
the inhabitants of the earth that we have any knowledge of. Then what
manner of persons should we be? I do pray you to live your religion,
and pray God to bless you. Amen.