[The speaker took as a foundation for his remarks the 9th, 10th,
11th, 12th and 13th verses of the 7th chapter of the prophecies of
Daniel, and the 20th chapter of the Revelation of St. John.]
All Bible believers are looking forward to the time when the
inhabitants of this creation shall be brought into judgment, and be
judged out of the books which are written, every man according to his
works. We should rather conclude from these sayings in Daniel and in
the Revela tion of St. John, that there is a record, or perhaps many
records, kept of the works of men—their deeds done in this probation.
How these records are kept in heaven is not for me to say; what
language they are recorded in, or what are the symbols of the ideas of
the heavenly hosts who are engaged in recording, how many records
there are, etc., is not known to us; but from what is written, we can
form some conclusions in relation to this matter, for we are told in
the sayings of Jesus, in the New Testament, that for every idle
word and every idle thought men shall give an account in the great
judgment day. Hence these words and thoughts must be had in
remembrance either in books, or impressed upon the minds of beings who
are capable of retaining all things in their remembrance. There must
be some way by which the idle words and thoughts of the children of
men shall be kept in remembrance, and if the dead are to be judged out
of the books that are to be opened, we should naturally draw the
conclusion that they are memorandum books of the idle words and
thoughts of the children of men.
We also read in the Book of Mormon—a record which all Latter-day
Saints profess to believe in, and consider equally sacred with the
rest of the word of God that is recorded in the Bible and
elsewhere—the sayings of Jesus, that were spoken on this continent
some eighteen hundred years ago. Jesus says—"All things are written by
the Father." I suppose by his agents, that is through his direction,
by his authority. "All things are written by the Father." Taking all
these passages of Scripture together, we may look for a general
reckoning with all the inhabitants of this earth, both the righteous
and the wicked. How long this day, called the day of judgment, will
be, is not revealed. It may be vastly longer than what many suppose.
It seems to me that unless there were a great number engaged in
judging the dead, it would require a very long period of time; for,
for one being to personally investigate all the idle thoughts and
words of the children of men from the days of Adam down until that
time, it would require a great many millions of years, and therefore I
come to another conclusion, namely, that God has his agents, and that
through those agents the dead will be judged.
This reminds me of what was said by the Apostle Paul when reproving
the ancient Christians for going to law one with another. He tries to
shame them out of this evil practice by referring them to the lowest
esteemed among them that were called Saints. Says he, in
substance—"Let them be your judges, it is not necessary for you to go
to the highest authorities, but let even those who are least among you
become judges in regard to many of these things that you now take
before unbelievers, and for which you require a judgment from those
who have nothing to do with the Saints of God," or rather with the
Gospel in which they believed. And, in connection with these sayings,
he asks this question—"Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the
world?"
This reminds me of some sayings that are recorded in the Book of
Mormon, as also of others contained in the Bible. Jesus said to his
twelve disciples or Apostles—"You that have followed me in the
regeneration, when the Son of Man shall come sitting upon the throne
of his glory, then you shall also sit upon twelve thrones, and shall
eat and drink in my presence, and shall judge the twelve tribes of
Israel." It seems, then, that there are certain personages to be
engaged in judging the world. The Twelve Apostles are to judge the
twelve tribes of Israel, and the Saints will be set to judge the
world.
The Book of Mormon, speaking on this same subject, informs us that
there were Twelve chosen among the ancient Nephites on this American
land, and that, while the Twelve chosen by Jesus on the continent of
Asia were to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, the Twelve chosen from among the Nephites should judge the remnant of the house of
Israel that dwelt on this land.
Here, then, is another quorum of judgment, another council that is
appointed to judge, and so we might continue the subject and bring in
all the councils that God has ordained in any generation of those whom
he has appointed and selected, and ordained with power and authority
from on high. To them was granted not only the privilege of acting
here in relation to the ordinances of mercy, but hereafter in relation
to the ordinances of justice; hence both justice and mercy were
committed, in some measure, into the hands of those who were ordained
of the Lord. But in these respects there is one thing to console the
Saints of all ages, as well as to console the whole world, and that
is, that when the final time shall come to judge the children of men,
whoever the agents may be who shall sit in judgment upon their several
cases, they will do it by the inspiration of the Almighty, and hence
it will be done right.
This reminds me of what Jesus said to the Twelve who were chosen among
the Israelites on this continent, eighteen hundred years ago. Said
he—"Know ye not that ye shall be judges of this people? What manner of
persons, therefore, ought ye to be, in all holiness, and purity and
uprightness in heart, if you are to judge this great nation?" In other
words—"If you are to sit in judgment upon all of their deeds done in
the body, and to render a righteous decision before the Almighty, how
pure, holy, upright and honest you twelve disciples ought to be in
order to become judges indeed of the people, that in judging them you
may not condemn yourselves."
Having quoted these passages, which give us a little understanding of
the purposes of the Almighty in regard to judging the world, I will
now quote another passage of Scripture that has a bearing in some
measure upon this subject, showing that it was a principle understood
by the ancient Saints of God, and that the eternal judgment that was
to be administered by the Saints at some future time was numbered
among the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. It was not one
of those hidden mysteries, one of those secret things, one of those
wonders that were to be searched out by the faithful, but that it was
a doctrine numbered among the first principles of the oracles of God.
I will now, leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ
according to King James' translation, quote from another translation
which I have seen, and which I believe to be more correct. The passage
to which I will direct your attention reads—"Therefore, not leaving
the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, of faith towards God and of the doctrine of baptisms, and of
the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment."
These principles of the doctrine of Christ were thoroughly understood
by the faithful ones who lived eighteen hundred years ago. They
understood that the day would come when God would set them, not only
to judge the world, but to judge angels. Some angels have got yet to
be judged, and the Saints will be the agents to perform this great
work and render the decision of judgment. Jesus said to the Twelve
among the ancient Nephites—"Know ye this, that your
judgment" —speaking
of their judging the Nephite nation—"shall be that judgment which the
Father shall give unto you;" in other words—"You shall not
judge by your own natural wisdom; you shall not judge according to the
outward appearance; but it shall be that judgment which the Father
shall give unto you." Now, the Lord judges mankind according to the
law and the testimony. The revealed law is delivered to the people,
and those to whom it is revealed will be judged by that law, hence
Jesus says—"My words shall judge you at the last day." It is not the
tradition of the children of men that is going to judge the world,
that is not the law. The traditions of the children of men are one
thing, and the law is another thing; popular ideas are one thing and
the law of God is another thing. We are not to be judged by the
creeds, doctrines, disciplines and articles of faith invented by
uninspired men, but by the pure law of God as it issued forth from his
own mouth and by the mouths of his ancient Prophets and Apostles. The
testimonies will be forthcoming, one of which will be the record, the
books that are written. Every idle word that is spoken, every idle
thought that has ever entered into the hearts of man will be written
and brought up, and out of that record of our conduct—our thoughts,
words and deeds—will we be judged.
Now, if there is to be a vast number of individuals engaged in the
work of judgment, it may be a speedy work; for let all mankind be
classified—a certain portion delivered over to the Apostles of ancient
days, another portion to the Twelve chosen from among the ancient
Nephites, another portion delivered over to the Saints who lived in
the first ages of the world, another portion to the Saints who lived
after the flood, and another portion to the Latter-day Saints, and let
all be engaged in this work of judging the human family and the work
can speedily be accomplished. It may require years, and it may be
accomplished, perhaps, in less than one year, that is a matter that we
cannot decide upon now. There is to be, however, a prior judgment to
the final judgment day, and we will speak upon that awhile.
There is a certain degree of judgment rendered upon every man and
every woman as soon as they have passed the ordeals of this present
probation. When they lay their bodies down their spirits return into
the presence of God, when a decree of judgment and sentence is
immediately passed. Hence we read in the Book of Mormon, that the
spirits of all men, as soon as they depart from this mortal body,
return home again to that God who gave them life, and then shall it
come to pass that the spirits of the righteous shall enter into a
state of rest, peace and happiness, called Paradise, where they shall
rest from all their labors. And then shall it come to pass that the
spirits of the wicked—for behold they have no part or portion of the
spirit of the Lord—shall depart into outer darkness, where there is
weeping, and wailing and gnashing of teeth; and in these two states or
conditions the children of men shall be placed until the time of the
resurrection.
Then again there will be a judgment after the resurrection, that will
not be the final judgment, that is the judgment of the twelve tribes
of Israel, spoken of by our Savior, which will take place when he and
the Twelve return again to the earth. That judgment will be exercised
more directly on the whole house of Israel that have loved the Lord
and kept his commandments.
Here then are the various times of judgment, the various conditions and circumstances of the children of men in the spiritual
state, judged before the resurrection, assigned to happiness or misery
as the case may be, and in the judgment of the first resurrection
certain rewards, glory, power, exaltation, happiness and eternal life
will be conferred upon the righteous. But another sentence of judgment
will be pronounced upon those who are not favored with coming forth on
the morning of the first resurrection, namely, those who have
disobeyed the Gospel. To all such the voice of the angel will be—"Let
sinners stay and sleep until I call again," their sins having been
sufficiently judged beforehand, that they are not counted worthy of a
resurrection among the just and the righteous ones of the earth. This
agrees with another passage recorded in the Book of Covenants, that at
the sound of the third trump then come the spirits of men that are
under condemnation. These are the rest of the dead, and they live not
again until the thousand years are ended, neither again until the end
of the earth. Why? Because a certain measure of judgment is pronounced
upon them even then. Now then let us go to the angels which the Saints
are to judge. We find that the angels who kept not their first estate
are reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great
day. Those angels that fell from before the presence of God were
judged in a measure upon their fall, and were cast out to wander to
and fro upon the face of this earth, bound as it were with chains of
darkness, misery and wretchedness, and this condition is to continue
during the whole of the temporal existence of this earth, until the
final judgment of the great day, when the Saints, in the authority and
power of the Priesthood which God Almighty has conferred upon them,
will arise and judge these fallen angels, and they will receive the
condemnation of which they are worthy.
Having made these few preliminary remarks in regard to the judgment of
the children of men, let us now refer again to the passage contained
in the seventh chapter of Daniel. Says that ancient Prophet—"I beheld
till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as
burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him:
thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were
opened."
How many are ten thousand times ten thousand. One hundred million.
That would be a larger congregation than you or I ever saw, and
larger, probably, than any congregation that has ever been collected
together upon this earth at any one time. They would occupy a vast
region of country, even for a foothold. A hundred million people stood
before this personage—the Ancient of days. Who was this personage
called the Ancient of days? We are told by the Prophet Joseph
Smith—the great Prophet of the last days, whom God raised up by his
own voice and by the ministration of angels to introduce the great and
last dispensation of the fullness of times—the last dispensation on
the earth so far as the proclamation of mercy is concerned; I say we
are told by this Prophet that the Ancient of days is the most ancient
personage that ever had an existence in days here on the earth. And
who was he? Why, of course, old father Adam, he was the most ancient
man that ever lived in days that we have any knowledge of. He
comes, then, as a great judge, to assemble this innumerable host of
which Daniel speaks. He comes in flaming fire. The glory and blessing
and greatness of this personage it would be impossible even for a man
as great as Daniel fully to describe. He comes as a man inspired from
the eternal throne of Jehovah himself. He comes to set in order the
councils of the Priesthood pertaining to all dispensations, to arrange
the Priesthood and the councils of the Saints of all former
dispensations in one grand family and household.
What is all this for? Why all this arrangement? Why all this
organization? Why all this judgment and the opening of the books? It
is to prepare the way for another august personage whom Daniel saw
coming with the clouds of heaven, namely the Son of Man, and these
clouds of heaven brought the Son of Man near before the Ancient of
days. And when the Son of Man came to the Ancient of days, behold a
kingdom was given to the Son of Man, and greatness and glory, that all
people, nations and languages should serve him, and his kingdom should
be an everlasting kingdom, a kingdom that should never be done away.
This explains the reason why our father Adam comes as the Ancient of
days with all these numerous hosts, and organizes them according to
the records of the book, every man in his place, preparatory to the
coming of the Son of Man to receive the kingdom. Then every family
that is in the order of the Priesthood, and every man and every woman,
and every son or daughter whatever their kindred, descent or
Priesthood, will know their place.
Where will this great conference take place? The Lord has revealed this
also. The Lord did not raise up this boy, Joseph, for nothing, or
merely to reveal a few of the first principles of the Gospel of
Christ; but he raised him up to reveal the hidden mysterious things,
the wonders of the eternal worlds, the wonders of the dispensation of
the fullness of times, those wonders that took place before the
foundation of the world; and all things, so far as it was wisdom in
God, were unfolded by this personage called by his enemies "Old Joe
Smith," who was about fourteen years old when the Lord raised him up.
I say that he, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and the spirit of
revelation, revealed the very place where this great assemblage of ten
thousand times ten thousand of the righteous shall be gathered
together when the books are opened. It will be on one of the last
places of residence of our father Adam here on the earth, and it is
called by revelation Adam-ondi-Ahman, which, being interpreted, means
the valley of God where Adam dwelt, the words belonging to the
language which was spoken by the children of men before the confusion
took place at Babel. In that valley Adam called together Seth, Enos,
Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah and all the high Priests
and righteous of his descendants for some seven or eight generations.
Three years before his death he there stood up, being bowed with age,
and preached to that vast assembly of people, and pronounced upon them
his great and last patriarchal blessing, and they rose up by the
authority and power and revelation of the holy Priesthood which they
held, and pronounced their blessing upon their great common progenitor
Adam, and he was called the Prince of Peace, and the Father of many
nations, and it was said that he should stand at the head of and rule
over his people of all generations, notwithstanding he was so
aged. That was the blessing pronounced, three years before his death,
upon the great head, Patriarch and Prophet of this creation, the man
whom God chose to begin the works of this creation, in other words to
begin the peopling of this earth.
Where was that valley in which that grand patriarchal gathering was
held? It was about fifty, sixty or seventy miles north of Jackson
County, Missouri, where the Zion of the latter days will be built.
Where the garden of Eden was is not fully revealed; where Adam ate the
forbidden fruit is not revealed so far as I know, that is, the
particular location on the earth, no revelation informs us where he
passed the first few centuries of his life; but suffice it to say
that, when Adam was about six or seven hundred years old there was a
great gathering of the people. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, who lived
contemporary with his old ancestor, and others who were called by him,
went forth and gathered out the righteous from all the nations, and as
there was no Atlantic Ocean in those days rolling between the eastern
and western continents, they could gather together by land from Asia,
Africa and Europe. In those days the earth was not divided as it was
after the flood, in the days of Peleg. In that gathering many came
from the ends of the earth. Adam might have been among the emigrating
companies, if not, then, he most probably had his residence at that
central place of gathering. Let this be as it may, it is not revealed.
There is a place, however, where this great Conference took place in
ancient times, where the Lord revealed himself to that vast assembly,
and stood in their midst, and instructed them with his own mouth, and
they saw his face. There is the place where it was ordained that Adam
should have the power, as the Ancient of Days, after a certain period
and dispensations had rolled away, to come in his glory accompanied by
the ancient Saints, the generations that should live after him and
should take up their abode upon that land where they received their
last blessing, there in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
This man, will sit upon his throne, and ten thousand times ten
thousand immortal beings—his children—will stand before him, with all
their different grades of Priesthood, according to the order which God
has appointed and ordained. Then every quorum of the Priesthood in
this Latter-day Saint Church will find its place, and never until
then. If we go behind the veil we will not see this perfect
organization of the Saints of all generations until that period shall
arrive. That will be before Jesus comes in his glory. Then we will
find that there is a place for the First Presidency of this Church;
for the Twelve Apostles called in this dispensation; for the twelve
disciples that were called among the remnants of Joseph on this land
in ancient times; for the Twelve that were called among the ten tribes
of Israel in the north country; for the Twelve that were called in
Palestine, who administered in the presence of our Savior; all the
various quorums and councils of the Priesthood in every dispensation
that has transpired since the days of Adam until the present time will
find their places, according to the callings, gifts, blessings,
ordinations and keys of Priesthood which the Lord Almighty has
conferred upon them in their several generations. This, then, will be
one of the grandest meetings that has ever transpired upon the face of
our globe. What manner of persons ought you and I, my brethren
and sisters, and all the people of God in the latter days to be, that
we may be counted worthy to participate in the august assemblies that
are to come from the eternal worlds, whose bodies have burst the tomb
and come forth immortalized and eternal in their nature.
It will be found then who it is who have received ordinances by divine
authority, and who have received ordinances by the precepts and
authority of men. It will then be known who have been joined together
in celestial marriage by divine authority, and who by wicked counsels,
and by justices of the peace who did not believe in God at the time
that they did it, or those who have been married merely until death
shall part them. It will then be known that those who have received
the ordinances of marriage according to divine appointment are married
for all eternity; it will then be known that their children are the
legal heirs to the inheritances, and glories, and powers, and keys and
Priesthood of their fathers, throughout the eternal generations that
are to come; and every man will have his family gathered around him
which have been given unto him by the sealing of the everlasting
Priesthood, and the order and law which God has ordained, and none
other. Amen.