In connection with the young brother, Elder Joseph H. Parry, who has
just returned from a preaching mission to England, I wish to bear my
testimony, and to make a few remarks on the Scripture contained in the
last chapter of St. Mark, commencing at the 14th verse, wherein an
account is given of the Savior's appearing unto the eleven
disciples, and of his upbraiding them for their unbelief and
hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him
after he was risen, etc. At this time the following commission he gave
unto them—
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 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 shall they 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: and they shall lay hands on the sick,
and they shall recover."
It may appear singular to some, why our Elders do not treat on what is
termed "the mysteries of the kingdom." I know of no greater mystery to
the inhabitants of the earth, than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet
the Gospel is so plain, and so easy to be understood, that the
unlearned and the youth can know of it. The Apostle Paul said, "For I
am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth." He considered it of so
much importance, that, on another occasion, in writing to the
Galatians, he said—"But, though we or an angel from heaven preach any
other Gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed." From the fact of the Gospel being so simple, of its being
adapted to the condition and circumstances of all people, and of its
having gone forth by the commandment of the Savior, to all the world,
in the event of its being rejected, condemnation must necessarily
follow.
Notwithstanding the simplicity of the Gospel, where during the last
eighteen hundred years has been the man or the sect that has presented
it to the world, as taught by the Savior and his Apostles, before it
was revealed from heaven, in fulfillment of ancient prophecies, to the
young man Joseph Smith, and preached by him? No voice had ever been
heard to proclaim it. There had never been a church or an organization
upon the earth, since the days of Christ and his Apostles, directed by
the revelations of heaven and owned of God.
The Gospel now being preached to all the world, by commandment of the
Lord to the Prophet Joseph, is the same as taught by Adam, Enoch and
the Savior. It never changes through lapse of time; its ordinances and
laws are always the same, worlds without end. The first principles of
the Gospel taught from the dawn of creation, are faith, repentance and
baptism, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy
Ghost; and they are the same today. To certain minds there might be a
mystery connected with these principles. Why, say some, is this so? We
can only answer, because it is the law of the great Jehovah, the plan
framed in the heavens for the salvation and redemption of man. They
are requirements made of the whole human family, which must be obeyed
in order that the prevailing mystery may be banished, and the fruits
and the blessings of the Gospel enjoyed. The Gospel is free to all; it
is without money and without price. But none can officiate in its
ordinances, acceptably to God, except those who have received divine
authority to do so. For, says the Apostle, no man taketh this honor
unto himself, except he be called of God, as was Aaron. But there are
a great many Gospels, all claiming to be of Christ, and all
differing, more or less, from one another, and from the one taught by
the Savior, when upon the earth. When he, who has the authority,
preaches the Gospel, he promises, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all
that believe and obey, that the Holy Ghost will be given them. By
virtue of this promise, all such can know for themselves, whether it
is of God, or whether it is of man. If an unauthorized man goes forth,
pretending to proclaim this same Gospel, and it matters not how able
and talented he may be, his doctrine can be detected, because the
promises which were to follow the believers in Christ are not
realized, the Holy Ghost which imparts its gifts unto men are not
received, and hence the fallacy of the doctrines of men is exposed, so
that none need be deceived. Our boys are often called from the plow
and the workshop, to go abroad to the nations to disseminate the
principles of the everlasting Gospel. By what power are our young men
sustained, who go forth, inexperienced, without much education,
presenting in meekness, to a learned and intelligent world, the Gospel
of Christ? God, through his angels, attends them; he strengthens their
feeble knees, and gives them utterance.
I was once preaching to a large assembly in Collinsville, Connecticut;
when I got through, a young clergyman came forward, and asked me if I
had received any diploma from college. I answered him, "No." "Do you
know," said he, "that a man who has not received a college diploma,
has no right to preach?" "No, sir," I said, "I do not know
it." "Well,
sir," he said," that is the case." I then asked him to inform me how
it was that Jesus preached, without receiving a college diploma? And
if such things as college diplomas were ever known or read of in the
ministry of Christ and his Apostles?
The Lord chose poor, illiterate fishermen, and sent them forth to
combat, and even to confound the wisdom of the wise. His Gospel is
represented today, by the weak things of the earth, and has been now
for over forty years. And what is the result of our preaching? Let
facts speak for themselves. You can behold for yourselves, a people
gathered here from the different nations, all prompted by the same
motives, namely, to build up and establish Zion on the earth, in
fulfillment of the words of God, through the mouths of his Prophets.
Why have we been so successful, thus far, in accomplishing so great a
work? Simply, because God has confirmed our preaching, and the
testimonies we have borne, by conferring the Holy Ghost, with signs
following the believers. Had not this been the case, Utah would be
today, what it was on the 24th of July, 1847, when the pioneers first
set foot on its soil—a barren, desolate land, unfit for the habitation
of man. The results of our preaching bespoke the fulfillment of
prophecy. Zion has arisen, and some of the prophecies concerning her,
recorded in the Old and New Testament, are having their fulfillment.
Angels have visited the earth and delivered the keys of salvation to
the Prophet Joseph. He lived long enough to effect a complete
organization of the Church, strictly according to the revelations of
God to him. God has in our day given gifts to men, for the perfecting
of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ. The Apostle likened the Church unto a perfect body.
One part cannot say to the other, I have no need of you; but all the
parts are necessary to complete the organization; which is
just as necessary to effect the perfection of the Saints of this
generation as of any other. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance
and baptism for the remission of sin, are absolute requirements, which
must he complied with, before the Holy Ghost can be received. These
signs, says the Apostle, shall follow them that believe: in my name
shall they cast out devils, they shall lay hands on the sick and they
shall recover, etc. These blessings are the right of every honest
believer in Christ. They were set in the Church by the Savior, and
remain with the Church, as a mighty cloud of witnesses throughout this
Territory could testify to; and not only they of this Territory, but
those of every land and clime wherever the Gospel has been preached
and a Branch of the Church organized. Says the Apostle John, this
Gospel is to be preached to all that dwell on the earth, to every
nation, and kindred and tongue, and people; as a witness before the
second coming of our Savior to dwell on the earth, who will come, not
as a lamb to the slaughter, not riding upon a colt, the object of the
people's scorn. But he will come in power and great glory, taking
vengeance upon them that love and fear him not. We, therefore, are
sending glad tidings of great joy to whomsoever will receive them,
that they may come up to Zion and escape the judgments that will most
assuredly overtake the wicked.
I know that we are engaged in the great latter-day work, the work of
the living God. And I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God
chosen and set apart to usher in this last dispensation of the
fullness of times. He has left a record, published, sealed by his own
blood, confirming the truth of the same. This testimony is in force to
all the world, and it will be in force until the end of time. This we
declare is the kingdom which the Prophet Daniel saw in vision, never
more to be thrown down or given to another people. In these mountains
Zion is to be built up, in fulfillment of prophecy, and every jot and
tittle that has been spoken of her must come to pass. The last is
first, and the first will be last. The Gospel was first sent directly
to the Jews; the Savior himself was of that lineage, through the loins
of David. He came to his own, but they received him not. He was
reproached of them, from the day of his birth until they crucified him
on the cross. Consequently, the risen Redeemer commanded his Apostles
to turn to the Gentiles. They received the work, and enjoyed the gifts
and blessings of the Gospel, even the Comforter, the Holy Ghost; and
the Priesthood continued with them until a portion of them became
unworthy of it, through their falling away, while the faithful were
harassed and persecuted to their death. The Gospel is now restored to
us Gentiles, for we are all Gentiles in a national capacity, and it
will continue with us if we are faithful, until the law is bound, and
the testimony sealed, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,
when it will again revert to the Jews, whom the Lord will have
prepared to receive it. They will gather to their own land, taking
with them their gold and silver, and will rebuild their city and
temple, according to the prediction of Moses and the Prophets. When
this time arrives, which is nigh, even at our doors, let the Gentile
nations who reject the Gospel which is now sent to them, prepare to
meet the judgments of an offended God! For when their cup is full even
to the brim, the Lord will then remember the chastisements of
the Jews, his favored people, and at whose hands they will have
received double for their iniquities. Offenses must come, said the
Savior, but woe unto them by whom they come. Woe unto the Gentiles,
who have administered afflictions to the Jews for these many years! Woe
unto them if they now reject this only means of salvation, for the
awful calamities spoken of in these books, the Bible and Book of
Mormon, will certainly befall them.
The principle of gathering has been preached for the past thirty-seven
years. Before this principle was preached by the Elders, a great many
of the people had received the spirit of it; and the consequence was,
that no sooner had it been taught by the Presidency of the Church,
than the people everywhere were ready to receive it. It had been
revealed to them by the Holy Ghost, whose office it is to reveal that
which is past, present, and that which is to come, and no surer,
stronger testimony can be given to anyone than it affords. We have
gathered here for the express purpose of establishing Zion, which,
according to the Scriptures, must be before the Gospel can be sent to
the Jews. Passage after passage might be found in the Bible, referring
to our coming here; the casting up of the highway on which the
ransomed of the Lord might travel; the building of our city in a low
place, which was to be called Sought out, a city not forsaken; and how
the Lord would cause springs of water to spring up, and the desert to
blossom like the rose, etc., all of which have had their fulfillment.
But how do the inhabitants of the earth regard these things? With
great indifference. In fact it would be a marvel to me were it
otherwise, for according to the predictions, the people in this age
were to be like unto the people of the days of Noah and Lot, marrying
and giving in marriage, practicing all manner of wickedness and
abominations, and wholly unprepared for the coming of the Son of Man.
The Jews were under no condemnation for rejecting the Savior, until
he appeared amongst them as the light of the world, then they had no
longer a cloak for their sins; and in rejecting him, and those who
were sent unto them, they stood condemned before the Lord, and,
consequently, his threatened judgments overtook them. The people who
heard not the Gospel preached from the days of the Apostles until its
restoration in our day, are under no condemnation for rejecting the
Gospel during the time it had been taken from the earth. But the light
again has dawned upon the world, and the Elders of Israel are engaged
proclaiming it far and wide, and as it was with the Jews, so it will
be with the Gentiles who reject it, for the predictions at God's
Prophets must have their fulfillment, and neither you nor I can
prevent it if we would. We are charged with being uncharitable,
because we proclaim these things. We are not to blame—we are merely
the creatures used by the Almighty in doing his bidding. The work is
his, the plan of salvation is the creation of his superior wisdom, not
ours.
Let me say to my brethren and sisters, our responsibilities are great,
far greater than the outside world who reject the Gospel. We have
received the light, the knowledge of God; we are under sacred
covenants to stand by the truth, and by one another in righteousness.
If we are found traitors to the cause, crucifying the Son of Man
afresh, great will be our condemnation. Our time allotted us
to tarry here below is short; but our spirits are eternal, and will
live forever, and our future destiny depends on this our earthly
career. The Lord has given his angels charge concerning us; they are
our friends, and their eyes are over us. They stand in waiting with
sharp sickles in their hands, ready to go forth and reap down the
earth. Our calling is to perfect ourselves, to purify Zion, and make
it a fit habitation for the Son of God when he comes; to build
Temples, and in them perform the rites and ordinances for the living
and the dead, and accomplish all that God designs us to do. And that
we may be faithful in the performance thereof, is my prayer in the
name of Jesus. Amen.