We have heard, this forenoon, some excellent instructions in regard to
the plan of life and salvation—instructions which agree in every
respect with that plan as it was revealed in times of old. It has
truly been remarked by the speaker who has addressed you, that the
same causes will produce the same effects, that is, when they operate
under like circumstances. I can see no difference, in my own mind,
between the circumstances which surround us and the circumstances
which surrounded the people in the days of our Savior and his
Apostles. We are fallen creatures, so were they; we are very imperfect
beings and have need to be saved; the same was true with regard to
them. We have sick among us in this day, and so had they. God then
ordained the laying on of hands for the benefit of the sick. Why not
ordain the same principle for the same reason in our day? Would it not
benefit the sick to be healed by the laying on of hands now just as
much as in those days? What is the difference? Are there not as many
sick now as there were then? Would it not be as great a blessing to
the inhabitants of the earth to be healed now through this simple
ordinance as it was then? When the circumstances and conditions of the
people now and then are compared, no reason can be assigned why this
gift should be withheld from the people now. The world say that in
those days it was necessary for God to manifest his power in healing
the sick and in various other ways, in order to convince the
inhabitants of the earth concerning the plan of salvation that was
offered to them. Why not convince the inhabitants of the earth in our
day? Is there not as much necessity now as there was then? Is not a
soul just as precious in the sight of God now as then? If it was
needful for unbelief to be done away by miracles then, why not now? Or
were miracles given to do away unbelief? This is a question worthy of
investigation. We find that miracles were wrought in ancient times
according to the faith and belief of the children of men. We might
suppose, to hear some of the learned divines of our day converse, that
the greater the unbelief the greater must be the miracles in order to
do it away. But let us see how the Lord did operate and perform
miracles in ancient times.
We read that he went to his own native country, where he was born,
among his neighbors and acquaintances on a certain occasion, and that
he could not do many mighty miracles there because of their
unbelief. What a great pity it was that Jesus had not some of the
learned divines of the present day to instruct him! They would no
doubt have told Jesus that because of the greatness of the unbelief in
his own neighborhood and among his acquaintances he must perform some
greater miracles among them than he did anywhere else. That would have
been consistent with the present ideas of theologians. But in those
days Jesus operated among the people according to their faith, and the
greater the unbelief, the less the miracles.
We find the same principle existing long before Jesus came to the
earth. Jesus himself testifies that in the days of Elisha the Prophet,
there were a great many lepers in Israel. You know that is a very
loathsome disease, and that people would naturally be very glad to be
healed. But none of them were healed in Elisha's day, says Jesus,
except a man, not of Israel, but a foreigner—Naaman the Syrian. What
was the reason? Their unbelief. How came this Naaman the Syrian to
have faith? He believed in the testimony of a Jewish maiden, who had
been taken captive by the Syrian army and carried into a far country,
and while conversing with the people there she told them about a great
Prophet in Israel, Elisha by name. "Would to God," said she, "that my
master could see this Prophet and be healed!" She seemed to have
faith, and when the report of her conversation came to her master's
ears he took great riches and started out for the express purpose of
going to visit this Prophet in Israel. When he reached the region of
Palestine in which the Prophet lived he presented himself first before
the king; but he being filled to a great extent with the spirit of
unbelief, thought that Naaman had come to seek some occasion for war.
"Am I God," said the king, "that I should perform this work?" The Lord
revealed to his servant the Prophet, that this man had come, and the
purpose of his visit, and Naaman and his servant found out Elisha and
went to his dwelling place. But Elisha, instead of being very polite,
and welcoming Naaman into his house, sent a message to him, telling
him to go and dip himself seven times in Jordan and he should be
healed. This did not seem to be in accordance with the mind of Naaman.
He perhaps thought that, as he had come a long journey in great
grandeur and with great gifts, the Prophet would be exceedingly
respectful to him, and he was very wrathy in his mind, and said—"Are
not the waters of Syria just as good as the waters of your Jordon?"
and he turned away in a great rage. Finally, one of his servants said
unto him—"If the Prophet had required thee to do some great thing,
wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he said to
thee, 'Wash and be clean?" "Yes," said Naaman, "I expected he would
come out to me, place his hand upon my head and rebuke the leprosy,
and I should be healed; but he has told me to go and dip myself seven
times in Jordan, and he sent this message by a servant instead of
coming to see me himself." But he was finally prevailed upon by his
servant to go and do as the Prophet said, and he went and dipped
himself seven times in Jordan and immediately his flesh came anew upon
him like the flesh of a little child. All the rest of the lepers,
throughout Israel, remained unhealed, but this foreigner was cleansed
and made whole.
Now, why this partiality? Why not do some wonderful miracles in
healing all the lepers in Israel? It was because of their unbelief.
But says the divine of today—"The greater the unbelief the more
necessity for the miracle, and consequently, in order to do away with
this unbelief, the Prophet ought to have healed all the lepers in
Israel." The Lord, however, has his own way, and when he finds a very
unbelieving generation, he does not satisfy their carnal curiosity,
nor manifest his power to any great extent in the midst of the wicked;
but he always shows forth his power to those who are humble and meek,
and lowly in heart. He has done that in all dispensations, not only in
the days of Jesus and the Apostles, but in every dispensation, and the
power manifested has been in accordance with the faith of the people.
In regard to the gift of prophecy, a great many suppose that it was
necessary in former times, in the dark ages; but when the Gospel was
fully established on the earth, and great power and signs were made
manifest, there was no more need of prophecy, revelations, etc., and
they quote a passage from Paul's writings, or rather a part of a
passage, instead of the whole, in order to prove their position. In
the 13th chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul
says—"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be
tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish
away." Prophesying and tongues, were to cease: "Now," says the learned
divine, of the present day, "here is a plain and pointed testimony
that these gifts were only intended for the early ages of the world,
and were to be done away and cease." But why not quote the following
verses? Why quote half a sentence or idea and then leave it? Why not
give the whole, and find out the time when these miracles, such as
prophecy, healing the sick; speaking with tongues, etc., were to
cease? If the divines of this day would read a little further, they
would know the time and the circumstances that were to transpire, when
these things should be done away. Says Paul, in the following
verses—"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away." "For now, we see through a glass, darkly; but then, face to
face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known." Here, then, it is clearly foretold that when there will be no
more need of prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues, etc., the day of
perfection will have arrived; in other words, when the Church of God
shall have overcome and be perfected, when the Church of God shall
need no more Prophets, when it shall have no more sick, (for if all
its members become immortal, there will be no sick to be healed, hence
healing will be done away, when the Church of God all speak one
language—the pure language, the language spoken by angels, restored to
the earth by the Lord), there will be no need of speaking with
tongues. But until that day of perfection comes, all these gifts will
be necessary.
This agrees with what Paul has said in his first chapter to the
Ephesians. He there informs us that these miraculous powers and gifts,
which Jesus gave when he ascended up on high and led captivity
captive, were given for a special purpose. He gave some Apostles, some
Prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, healing; all were
given for a special purpose. What was that purpose? The perfecting of the Saints.
I would ask the learned divines of the present day, have the Saints
need, in this age, of anything to perfect them? Or are they already
sufficiently perfected to enter into the presence of the Father? If
they need perfecting, and none can deny that they do, then Apostles
are needed now, Prophets are needed now, evangelists, pastors, and
teachers are needed now. "Well," says one, "we will allow that
evangelists, pastors and teachers are needed now; we have not done
them away, we have abundance of teachers and pastors, but we do not
believe in Apostles and Prophets now." Why not? Did not the same
Apostle tell us in the same verse, that Apostles and Prophets, as well
as evangelists, pastors and teachers, were given, when Jesus ascended
on high, for the perfecting of the Saints? Why, then, do you separate
them, and say, that the two first-named are not now necessary, and
that the other three are so? Why do you do this? In order to be
consistent with the unreasonableness of this generation, and to comply
with their traditions. You have not got Apostles, you have not got
Prophets, and you must have some excuse in order to do them away, and
your excuse is, that they are not needed now. Prove it, you cannot, it
is beyond your power. You have no evidence, no testimony whatever by
which you can prove it. With all the testimony in favor of your
position which you can bring forward, I can prove that pastors,
evangelists, teachers, Bishops, deacons, Elders and every other
officer of the Church of Christ, which you believe in are not needed
now, as easily as you can prove that Apostles and Pro phets are not
needed now. Just as much evidence can be adduced in favor of one
position as the other; and the fact is, there is no evidence for
either. They were all given for the perfecting of the Saints and the
work of the ministry, and they were to continue until the day of
perfection arrived; and the moment you say they are not necessary, you
virtually say the work of the ministry is not necessary; and why,
then, do you administer? They were given not only for the perfecting
of the Saints and the work of the ministry, but for the edifying of
the body of Christ, which is the Church. Take away Apostles, inspired
of God, take away Prophets who foretell future events, and you take
away the means which God has ordained for the edification of his
body—his Church, and that body or Church cannot be perfected.
Another object, Paul informs us, for which these gifts were given, was
that the Saints might come to the unity of the faith, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Take
away these gifts, and what is your condition? You are in the same
condition which Paul speaks of in the very next verse—"carried about
by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man, by cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait, to deceive." The gifts were
given to prevent the people from being carried about by every wind of
doctrine. Take away these gifts—the gift of revelation, prophecy and
miracles, which were enjoyed by the Saints in ancient days, and the
people are liable to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine
that may be sounded in their ears. Why? Because they are entirely
governed by the opinions of men. One man has his opinion, and he tries to substantiate it by his learning; another man has an
opposite opinion and he tries to substantiate it, and as neither of
them is inspired by the power of the Holy Ghost, neither having the
gift of prophecy or revelation, each, so far as he can, gains
influence and power over his neighbors, and gathers together a body of
people and pronounces them the Church of Christ. But God has nothing
to do with them. He never called them the Church of Christ, he never
spoke to them, never sent an angel to them, never gave them a vision,
never sent a Prophet or an Apostle to them—he has nothing to do with
them—they are not his Church, never were nor ever can be, only by
repentance and turning to the Lord, and receiving the Holy Ghost,
which is the spirit of prophecy. He that has the testimony of Jesus,
has the spirit of prophecy. Paul has declared to us that no man can
say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. A man may have the
tradition that Jesus is the Lord, but he does not know the fact except
by the power of the Holy Ghost, and the testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of prophecy—it makes a Prophet of him who has it.
This is what the Latter-day Saints believe. We have no new gospel to
offer to the world. We have come forth, sent by the Almighty, to
testify against the new gospels that have been introduced, which have
only the form of godliness, and deny the power that was manifested in
the ancient Church. We have come to testify against false doctrines;
we are sent for this express purpose, and also to testify boldly
against the wickedness and abominations of the professed Christian
world, as well as of those who make no profession. God has commanded
us to lift up our voices and spare not, to bear testimony against all
their wickedness and their false doctrines, which we have endeavored
to do, without asking any favor of the children of men. God has not
sent us to bow and cringe to the traditions and false ideas of the
children of men, he sent us to bear down, in plain testimony, against
their wickedness and the corruptions which they are all the time
practicing, and have been for generations, before high heaven and the
whole world.
We then say, to all the world, that if they will repent of their sins,
humble themselves, become as little children in the sight of God; if
they will turn away from their false doctrines, and believe in Jesus,
who was crucified in ancient days, with all their hearts, and receive
his Gospel, they shall not only receive the remission of their sins,
but the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the signs, anciently promised to
the believers, shall follow them. Every creature in all the world who
will obey the Gospel, will enjoy more or less of the gifts which God
has promised. If all do not enjoy them, they may know that they are
unbelievers, for Jesus has said that these signs shall follow them
that believe, and he did not mean the Apostles alone. Let us quote
the language, that you may see that he meant every believer in all the
world. He said to the eleven Apostles—"Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature," —every creature, recollect—"he
that believeth," —that is, every creature, in all the world, that
believeth, "and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall he damned."
Here was the division line. Mark the next promise—"These signs shall
follow them that believe." They were not to follow a few individuals in Jerusalem, not the Apostles to whom he was then speaking
alone, but them that believe in all the world. "I give unto them a
promise that they shall be saved; and I not only promise them
salvation, but certain signs shall follow them—in my name they—these
believers—"shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues,
they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it
shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall
recover."
Here is the way by which every person may find out whether he is a
believer in Christ or not. The whole Christian world can test
themselves, and find out whether they are believers in Christ or not.
If these signs follow, they are believers; if these signs do not
follow, they are not believers, neither are the Latter-day Saints.
None of us are believers unless these signs follow us; for Jesus
promised them to every creature in all the world who believes; hence
the promise includes people now alive, as well as those who lived in
former ages. And woe be to all the inhabitants of the earth, because
of their unbelief; because they have done away the power of godliness;
because they have done away the power of the ancient Gospel, and have
turned aside after the doctrines of men; and yet
hypocritically—perhaps some of them sincerely—call themselves the
Church of Christ, and believers. Shame on the world! Amen.