I will read a few items from scripture spoken by Mormon, which will be
found on the 484th page of the Book of Mormon, European edition—
"And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the
things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; But behold the
plates of Nephi do con tain the more part of the things which he taught
the people. And these things have I written, which are a lesser part
of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to
the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the
Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. And
when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they
should have first, to try their faith, and if it so be that they shall
believe these things then shall the greater things be manifest unto
them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then
shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their
condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were
engraved upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I
will try the faith of my people. Therefore I, Mormon, do write the
things which have been commanded me of the Lord."
The reason why I have read these words is to show to the people more
fully, or to impress upon their minds the way and manner in which the
Lord deals with his people. It is within his power, if he see proper
to do so, to pour out upon the people a vast amount of knowledge all
at once, that their minds may be completely surfeited with the
abundance of the knowledge communicated to them. But the Lord has not
seen proper to thus deal with the Latter-day Saints. He has another
object in view than this. He intends to instruct them little by
little, here a little when it is needed, and there a little when it is
needed; giving them a line upon this subject when it is necessary, and
there a line upon another subject, leading them along, step by step,
just as a wise, careful parent would his little children, until they
become instructed in every principle that would be for their good. It
is not because the Lord is not willing that his intelligent children
should enjoy this greater amount of knowledge; it is not because he
does not desire the human family to placed in possession of all the
wisdom that their hearts are prepared to receive. He is willing, on
his part, that the people should become very intelligent in regard to
everything pertaining to their future welfare. He is willing that
they should know more concerning himself, his attributes and their
own, to learn concerning the glories of his kingdom and the mysteries
thereof and everything that would be essential for their comfort and
happiness in this world. This the Lord is willing to do in behalf of
his children. But he knows far better than we do, what the people are
prepared to receive, and what they are not prepared to receive; and we
can see this illustrated by the words which I have read. Mormon
informs us that he was about to write all the things which Jesus had
taught, but the Lord expressly forbade it, and the reason, as given to
Mormon for not permitting this was, that he intended to try the faith
of his people in the latter days, and of whom he said that if they
would believe these things and hearken, then should the greater things
be made manifest to them; but if, on the other hand, they should not
believe these few things, then should the greater things be withheld
from them, to their condemnation.
This reminds me of a certain saying, given in 1829, before the rise of
this Church. Hyrum Smith had left his home in Manchester, N.Y., and
had gone down to Susquehanna, Penn., about a hundred miles, to visit
his brother Joseph, the Prophet, who was then in the act of
translating the Book of Mormon. When Hyrum arrived he felt very
anxious to know about his calling and ministry—whether he could not go
forth to preach these glorious things. It would be very natural for a
person to feel very anxious about this, for the things contained in
the manuscript, so far as he had become acquainted with them,
were so glorious, that he wished everybody to know about them. As will
be found on page 98 Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord told Hyrum not to
be in a hurry. In other words, the Lord had his own time to ordain to
the ministry, his own time to send forth missionaries among the
people. "Don't you be in a hurry in this matter." But said the Lord to
him, "I will tell you what you may do; you should study my word which
has gone forth among the children of men, and also that which shall
come forth, even that which is now being translated." "Seek first to
obtain my word, then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire,
you shall have my spirit, which shall enable you to convince men of
the truth." Another lesson to be learned from this is, that Hyrum,
instead of being in a great hurry in this matter, was required to
store up the word of God in his mind, to be thoroughly acquainted with
the Jewish record, as well as that which was then being translated,
until he had obtained all that the Lord should grant to the children
of men in the generation that was then living—1829. We may learn that
the Lord did intend to give only about so much to the generation then
living.
A great many have supposed that there must be a great lack on the part
of the Latter-day Saints, because spiritual knowledge is not all the
time being poured down from heaven, like a flood in their midst; some
become doubtful and feel to murmur and complain one to another,
carrying the idea among the people that God has forsaken Zion, that
God has, in a measure, withdrawn his spirit from us: saying, "Where
are the revelations such as were given in the days of Joseph? The Lord
then poured out upon us of his spirit continually; we then received
record after record, book after book, etc." The reason is clearly
defined here; the Lord, in his own time, will fulfill and accomplish
his purposes, and he was determined, not only in these days, but he
had the same determinations some fifteen centuries ago, when he talked
with Mormon the Prophet, that a people who should live on the earth in
the last days, should have just about so much information, and no
more, as far as sacred records and books are concerned. Do not
misunderstand me by this expression, and carry it to the other
extreme, and say, that God determines to give about so much, and then
shut down the gate and give no revelation at all. But he intended, so
far as the great principles of the Gospel are concerned, the
fundamental principles of salvation, that we should have the Bible and
the Book of Mormon. Then he determined, still further, that there
should be a sufficiency given from year to year, during the lifetime
of the Prophet Joseph, to know how to properly organize the Church.
These further revelations were published in the Doctrine and
Covenants. These having been given as a pattern, for the commencement
of the organization, the Lord has seen proper to withhold, for the
time being, the giving of additional sacred records, that the Saints
might show their faith. "I will try the faith of my people, I will see
whether they will be obedient to my commandments, and the laws which I
have revealed to them. If they will be faithful—if they will practice
upon that which I have given, then shall the greater things be made
manifest to them. But if they will not do this, they shall be withheld
from them, to their condemnation."
There will be a point, in the history of this people, when they will
be counted worthy to receive all that knowledge and intelligence which
the Lord has held in reserve for them, from before the foundation of
the world. Such is the glorious destiny of this people, to be realized
in due time. But our present work is to comply with that which God has
already given, and which he may hereafter give, through the living
oracles that he has placed within our midst.
Now the Lord has not shut down the gate; he has not closed up the
spirit of inspiration, as all these people are witnesses. What man,
unless he had been under the spirit of inspiration, and the wisdom
that comes down from heaven, could have led forth this people from the
midst of the wicked, and established them here in this mountain
desert, and created the wonders we now behold? No man, however great
might be his natural wisdom and ability, could have accomplished a
work of this nature, unless aided by direct revelation. The Spirit of
the living God, from the time of the death of Joseph to the present,
has rested upon President B. Young, urging him forward, first to
organize the people and lead them forth from the midst of their
enemies, and, second, to establish them here in these mountains. He
had not the experience, beforehand, to do this; he had never lived in
a country where the people were accustomed to irrigate their farms; he
had never lived in a country where the people necessarily were
compelled to live compactly together, as we have to do here. But he
had been accustomed to live in a country where the people spread
abroad wherever they took a notion to; consequently it was just as new
to him, when entering these valleys, as to the rest of us. And nothing
but the Spirit of the living God, the inspirations of the Holy Ghost,
could have enabled him to do what he has done, and to direct all this
people throughout this Territory, in regard to their settlements, not
only here, but wherever the Latter-day Saints have been located.
Consequently, you perceive that God has not forsaken us, the spirit of
revelation has been with us. But then it has not been wisdom in God,
that all this revelation should be written and published; because many
things the servants of God are inspired to do under one set of
circumstances, would not be required of them, under a new condition of
circumstances; hence, such revelations would not become a standing law
for all future time. For instance, in order to form new settlements,
the circumstances are very different from what they are after you have
enlarged your settlements and become numerous in population, and other
duties become necessary. Consequently the Lord has imparted a little
here, and a little there, and instructed and counseled the people,
through his servants, what should be done in the incipient stages, or
in the forming of settlements, in this mountain region.
In the midst of all this continuous organization that has been going
on, ever since the rise of the Church, it is not to be wondered at,
that many things have been left apparently at loose ends, for the time
being, in order that the people might prove themselves. Men have been
sent, year after year, to form new settlements, and to do this kind of
work, and that kind, without being specially ordained to accomplish
those particular duties. What for? To see whether they would manifest
that the Spirit of the living God was with them, and that they
were worthy of ordination; and if so, then afterwards they should be
ordained and set apart, as Bishops, as presidents of Stakes, etc. But
one may inquire, "Why not perfect these organizations at once?"
Because there is a day of calling, which is distinct from a day of
choosing. And when the Lord has called his servants and appointed them
to perform a certain work, if they manifest a willingness, on their
part, to exercise the wisdom that comes from God, in the performance
of their duties, then perhaps the day of choosing may come, and they
be set apart and ordained, according to the law contained in the Book
of Covenants. It means, at this present stage of the work, having
toiled now about thirty years in these mountains, that the Lord is
about to "right up" the people; and he has inspired him who presides
over us, to organize us more fully. Let those be chosen who have
fulfilled their appointments in faithfulness; let them be ordained,
and have their counselors; let them act now in a higher sphere, with
more power, because they have proven themselves faithful over a few
things, therefore let them be made rulers over many things. This is
after the order of heaven; this is after the order of that judgment
that will be more fully carried out in the great day of the Lord.
Things will pass along here in time, as a pattern of things in regard
to his future kingdom. They will pass along for years, until, by and
by, in the great judgment day, these persons will have gained an
experience and knowledge that will qualify them to act efficiently in
the duties and callings to which they have been called; and they will
act, not as those who are ignorant, but as men who have had a
practical experience, year after year, having used their stewardship
to the glory of God.
Brother Erastus Snow spoke to us very plainly, last evening, in
relation to all the officers, from the commencement of the Church down
to the present time. When we have done all we can do, towards
organizing as far as possible, according to the written law of God, as
given to us in our weakness, have we completed the organization? By no
means. The organization is only perfect as far as the people are
prepared to receive it, and no further. To say that there will be a
stated time, in the history of this Church, during its imperfections
and weakness, when the organization will be perfect, and that there
will be no further extension or addition to the organization, would be
a mistake. Organization is to go on, step after step, from one degree
to another, just as the people increase and grow in the knowledge of
the principles and laws of the kingdom of God, and as their borders
shall extend. For instance, to illustrate my ideas more fully upon
this point. We read, in the Scriptures of truth, concerning the
latter-day Zion; we read that Zion is to become a great people, "a
small one to become a strong nation." We also read that out of Zion
shall go forth the law. We also read that Zion is to become so
glorious, in times to come, that the nations that are afar will say to
one another, "Surely Zion is the City of our God, for the Lord is
there; his power is there, his glory is there," etc. Now if there be a
time, in the history of the latter-day Zion, that the power of God
will be made manifest in their midst, so as to stir up the nations
afar off, causing them to exclaim that Zion is truly the City of God;
her laws are divine; let us become subject to her laws; do you suppose
that we, with our present organization, after perfecting it as
much as we can expect to, could be ready and prepared to send forth
laws to foreign nations for their government? No. There would then be
persons ordained and set apart for various purposes, not to bestow any
new Priesthood, for it is all included in the everlasting and eternal
Priesthood, after the order of the Son of God; but to set apart
persons already holding the Priesthood in the great organization; to
receive divine laws; or, in other words, to regulate the nations,
according to the laws of Zion; that they may understand her laws, and
know what the divine government is, by which they are to be governed;
in other words, ministers or plenipotentiaries are to be sent forth to
transact business among all nations and peoples who willingly shall
become subject to the laws of Zion. As to the rebellious nations,
there will be none left alive. As it is written, "that nation or
kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish." "Those nations shall
be utterly wasted away;" consequently, the nations left, who are not
totally destroyed will be anxious to be governed by the laws of Zion.
Hence there will be an organization before the winding-up scene that
will control the nations politically, giving them the privilege of
remaining in their own land if they choose to do so, but subject to
the laws of Zion.
I will not, however, confine the future organizations of the Church of
God to the political matters of the nations. There is to be a more
perfect organization between the living and the dead of all former
dispensations, which organization is just as necessary as that which
exists among the living, on this side of the grave. This organization
will be fully completed, at a certain period, pointed to by the
Prophet Daniel, who says, that he saw in a night vision, and beheld
until the Ancient of Days came; and he describes his great and
glorious appearance: his face was like a flaming fire, and the hair of
his head was white as wool; his chariots were like unto chariots of
fire, and thousand thousands ministered unto him and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before him; and the books were opened. And
many things are to be accomplished when this great general assembly of
immortal beings come from heaven, communicating with those who are
mortal here upon the earth. In other words, every man in that immortal
host, among those that shall come down from heaven, and every man
among the mortal host will understand his place and calling in this
great, grand organization of the Ancient of Days; and you will find no
unbroken links there. The Ancient of Days is the father of all; he is
our first progenitor, and when he shall reveal himself, to set in
order all of his righteous sons and daughters, he will not forget
those who have already passed through former dispensations. Every
dispensation will be connected; and the last dispensation of the
fullness of times will have given to them the keys and powers,
knowledge, and understanding, and revelations to know how to weld
every link, in order that the entire chain may be completed and made
perfect.
Moreover let us now come back to the living. We are commanded to build
Temples? Why? What is the great object of building Temples in this
dispensation? It is to effect the accomplishment of the very work I
have hinted at; the very work of organization that must be completed,
by the time the Ancient of Days shall come; the very work that must be introduced, that the children may be more perfectly
connected with the fathers of all the former dispensations; and that
the Saints of all former dispensations may understand the work that is
being done by their children on their behalf, so that when the heavens
shall reveal them, they will find things ready to receive them. Before
that time, I have no doubt, the generation will have passed away that
were living in 1829; but all things will be added to those revelations
that the Lord gave to that generation, namely, the records of the
ancient Nephites; they existed in great numbers and are of great
importance, records kept by their Kings, records of the history of the
Nephites for over a thousand years, records of their proceedings and
of the things that God had revealed to them, records that were secret,
and not permitted to come forth in the days of weakness, records that
revealed all things from the foundation of the world to the end
thereof, records that were kept when Jesus administered to the
Nephites, the ninety-ninth part of which was not written by Mormon,
all of which are to come forth. What for? To teach the Latter-day
Saints how to organize, how to be prepared for the things that are
coming. Then we will know something about what is termed the United
Order, when we get hold of these records of the experience of the
Nephites for 165 years in the Order; the experience of the people of
this great western hemisphere, from the northern to the southern
extremity; they will have left some records of their acts and doings
that cannot fail to be of great worth to the people of these latter
times.
But first, says the Lord, "I will try my people; I will perfect them;
I will see whether they will be obedient to my commandments; I will
reveal to them little by little; I will give them line upon line; I
will impart a little light upon this subject and upon the other
subject: and if my people shall inquire of me, in relation to these
things, then I will teach them still more, giving them another line
and another precept, I will issue forth another commandment; but if
they do not inquire of me, and their hearts be found full of
covetousness, and they feel in their hearts to slight these things
which I have given to them, then I will withhold the greater
information; I will not let them know the law which I gave to the
ancient Nephites; I will withhold many things calculated to benefit
them, until they learn the things that they are already taught. But
when they become obedient students, obedient men and women of God,
obedient to my commandments, hearkening to the voice of my servants,
giving heed to the whisperings of my spirit, doing away with
covetousness, then I will reveal more; I will introduce more and more
of the principles of the United Order, necessary to govern the people,
and to prepare them for the great day of the Lord, which is to come.
In the beginning of the dispensation it is necessary that there should
be chosen vessels, raised up on purpose to bear witness of the things
of God, to lay the foundation, and to establish the Gospel in the
earth. To do this, it is necessary that these witnesses, though
inexperienced, should receive revelations and administration of
angels, that they may testify, that there may be sufficient evidence,
or sufficient number of witnesses sent forth, that the Lord may be
justified, in the great day of judgment, in judging the people. But
how dangerous it is for people to see heavenly visions, and receive
the ministration of angels in their igno rance. How dangerous
for people in their ignorance to obey the Gospel! Yet shall we say
that they shall not obey it, because they are very ignorant? No. Let
them step forth with all their hearts and obey the Gospel, that they
may be put in possession of the Holy Ghost; then if they will seek to
cultivate their minds, cherishing that Spirit in their hearts and
developing every principle of righteousness, and doing away every
iniquitous practice, they shall receive more and more of the Holy
Spirit, with its gifts. So in regard to these heavenly manifestations.
In the year 1829, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were
chosen as witnesses to behold the angel of God; to behold the plates
in the hands of the angel; to gaze upon the ancient engravings, and to
hear the voice of the Lord, at the same time, proclaiming to them,
that the plates had been translated correctly, and commanding them to
bear record of the same to all peoples, nations and tongues, to whom
the work should be sent.
Now this was truly a great manifestation. But who was Oliver Cowdery?
Who was David Whitmer? Who was Martin Harris? Poor, weak, frail men;
two of them quite young, one of middle age. They had but very little
experience; they knew nothing about the arrangement of the
organization of the Priesthood, as we now know; they had no Teachers
to visit them from week to week. Yet in the midst of all this
ignorance, what a glorious manifestation they received from heaven!
They lacked experience; they had not been prepared as Joseph was. He
was prepared by a series of years of experience, in beholding visions
and angels.
In the year 1823, the angel first came to him, telling him about the
plates, also telling him that he would return one year afterwards,
when he would give him further instruction. Why this delay? Why not
commit to his charge the plates at once? It was because of his want of
experience. It is true, he had previously received a heavenly vision
some four years before, in which he had seen the face of God, the
Father. But he lacked all other qualifications; he was left more or
less to himself, and the angel was determined to impart to him
experience, year after year, for the space of four years; during
which, whenever Joseph needed chastisement he received it at the
appointed time; his failings were corrected; he was shown wherever he
had erred; and he was taught what to do: he was instructed little by
little, until he learned, by practice, to do the will of God. Then the
sacred records were committed to him; but not so with the three
witnesses referred to, and hence they kept not the holy commandments
as they ought to have done. They had too much knowledge for their
limited experience. You recollect what the Lord has said upon this
subject—Where much is given, much is required; and where but little is
given, but little is required. Much was given to these three
witnesses, and much was required at their hands. Hence a sin that they
might commit would throw them into tenfold more darkness than any man
who had never seen so great things. This accounts for their apostasy,
not for their denying the truth, for they never did that; they held
fast to the truth; they declared that the Book of Mormon was true and
never denied their testimony. It is not a matter of mere faith with
them; they knew it. But how great is the darkness in them that sin
against so much light! The Lord told us, when we were living in
the State of New York, to go to the Ohio; there to build a Temple to
the name of the Most High. And there the Lord condescended to bestow
upon his servants and people a great endowment, a blessing such as was
not known among the children of men. And from thence they should go
the nations of the earth and publish these things. We went to the
Ohio; and after we had been sufficiently taught and instructed, the
Lord commanded us through Joseph, to build a Temple, giving the
pattern thereof, and the size thereof, the size of the inner and outer
courts, the size of the several rooms and apartments, and the form of
the pulpits and everything pertaining to it, was given by the
inspiration of the Almighty that rested upon Joseph, and upon those
associated with him.
When the Temple was built, the Lord did not see proper to reveal all
the ordinances of the Endowments, such as we now understand. He
revealed little by little. No rooms were prepared for washings; no
special place prepared for the anointings, such as you understand, and
such as you comprehend at the period of the history of the Church!
Neither did we know the necessity of the washings, such as we now
receive. It is true, our hands were washed, our faces and our feet.
The Prophet Joseph was commanded to gird himself with a towel, doing
this in the Temple. What for? That the first Elder might witness to
our Father and God, that we were clean from the blood of that wicked
generation, that then lived. We had gone forth according to our best
ability, to publish glad tidings of great joy, for thousands of miles,
upon this continent. After this we were called in, and this washing of
hands and feet was to testify to God that we were clean from the blood
of this generation. The holy anointing was placed upon the heads of
his servants, but not the full development of the Endowments in the
anointing. These administrations in the Kirtland Temple were revealed,
little by little, corresponding with what I have already been saying,
that the Lord does not give the fullness at once, but imparts to us
according to his own will and pleasure. Great were the blessings
received. We were commanded to seek to behold the face of the Lord; to
seek after revelation; to seek after the spirit of prophecy, and the
gifts of the Spirit; and many testify to what they saw. But yet they
were inexperienced; they had not proven themselves in their religion
long enough. They obtained blessings greater than some of them were
prepared to receive. They perhaps might have been faithful if they had
exercised the agency which God gave them. But how easily are mankind
toppled first this way, then that way, and are led astray, even after
the heavens were opened and chariots and horses of fire, as well as
angels were seen: still many of these brethren apostatized.
Now perhaps some of you may say, "Withhold these things; do not send
angels; do not bestow the gifts of prophecy, if by being so blessed we
are in danger of apostatizing from our religion." This is the other
extreme; on the other hand, we are commanded to seek the face of the
Lord always, that we may possess our souls in patience. Again, about
three years after the organization of the Church, the Lord gave a
revelation contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, saying, "It shall
come to pass that every soul that comes to me, obeys my commandments,
and hearkens to my voice, and calls upon my name shall see my
face, and know that I am." He has ordained that in his holy House, in
a Temple built to his name, these great blessings shall be made
manifest to his servants and people. He has told us also the
privileges of these two Priesthoods. The privilege of the lesser
Priesthood is to see angels. How should they seek after this blessing?
By merely praying, and acting dishonestly, full of covetousness, and
all manner of evils clinging about us because of our traditions? Is
this the way to seek for so great blessings? It is by giving heed to
the instructions and laws that pertain to the teaching of this lesser
Priesthood; and when this is done, we may claim the ministrations of
holy angels.
Again, what are the promises made to the high Priesthood of the order
of the Son of God? We are told, in the revelation given on the 22dd and
23rd days of September, 1832, that without the ordinances of this high
Priesthood the power of godliness could not be made manifest to men in
the flesh. For, says the revelation, "Without this Priesthood, no man
can behold the face of God the Father and live." Again, says the
revelation, "this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in
the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people, that
they might behold the face of God. But they hardened their hearts, and
could not endure his presence."
Here then we perceive that one blessing of this high Priesthood is to
behold the face of God the Father and live. And this blessing is, not
merely for the persons holding the Priesthood, not merely for those
who have been ordained, after the order of the Son of God; but every
one that keeps "my commandments and obeys my voice," etc. This is the
privilege of the whole Church; it is the privilege of all the people
of God, to sanctify themselves, to be obedient to his laws, and to
behold his face, not only the face of Jesus, but of God the Father,
and still live.
What means, says one, that passage in the Book of Moses, where the
Lord, speaking to Moses, says, "Thou canst not see my face: for there
shall no man see me and live," etc. This very passage is explained by
new revelation. The Lord at that time became angry with the children
of Israel, and he decreed that no man of that whole congregation
should behold his face at that time. Hence the Lord said to Moses,
"Thou shalt not behold my face as at other times." How plain that
little sentence of new revelation is, showing that Moses had, at other
times, enjoyed that privilege, and that it was the privilege of the
Children of Israel to become sanctified, and to behold the face of
God; but at that time, in consequence of their wickedness, he in his
anger, forbade them that privilege. Soon after, he made a decree that
all that congregation should be left without this privilege, and he
took his presence away from them, because of their transgressions and
rebellions, that, had not the Lord withdrawn his presence from them,
they might have been totally destroyed. The Lord desired to remember
his covenants with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; for he promised them that
he would bring up their seed to the promised land; and in order that
he might do this he determined not to go up in their midst; for should
he do so, he might break forth upon them, and utterly destroy them.
Now we have a promise given to us, that when we are redeemed, and permitted to return to our promised land, his presence shall go
with us.
We have a promised land, as well as Israel. The Lord said, on the 2nd
of January, 1831, "And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater
riches, even a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey,
upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh:
"And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you
will seek it with all your hearts.
"And this shall be my covenant with you, ye shall have it for the land
of your inheritance, and for the inheritance of your children forever,
while the earth shall stand, and ye shall possess it again in
eternity, no more to pass away." Here, then, was a covenant made, that
the Latter-day Saints should have for their particular portion a
promised land. We were commanded to purchase the land for the time
being; for it was to be signally our land of promise, and our
children's land of promise, while the earth should stand, and then
they should have it to all eternity.
We are at present cast out of that land, the same as the Israelites
were in the land of Egypt, being away from their promised land. We are
here in these mountain valleys. It is a goodly land which the Lord has
pointed out for us. We are making preparation for our great redemption
to go back to the promised land, the same as the Israelites are to
gather back to their promised land. And a further promise is made unto
us, in this connection, that when the time shall come, the Lord will
raise up a man like unto Moses who shall deliver this people out of
bondage, the same as the children of Israel, their fathers, were
delivered. And he tells us that he will do this with a mighty hand and
an out stretched arm. And he also says, that his angels shall go before
us, and also his presence. Here then is a promise made to the
Latter-day Saints, that the presence of the Lord, as well as his
angels, should go before their camp.
I mention these things to show you what the Lord intends to bestow
upon you, that your hearts may not faint, while encountering the
trials of reclaiming the desert country; that you in the midst of
difficulties and tribulations may still have faith in regard to the
promises of the future.
In another revelation given in an early period of the history of the
Church, the Lord commanded his people to build unto him a House,
promising that if they built a house unto his name, according to the
commandment and pattern which should be given, and providing they
suffered no unclean thing to enter it, so that it should not be
defiled, the Lord himself would appear in it; his presence would be
there; his glory would be there; and all that should go into that
House, who were pure in heart, should see him. Here then you perceive
that there are certain places appointed, and certain provisions to be
complied with before the face of the Lord can be seen. He has said
that his people are always to build unto his name a house. What for?
That his name might be there; that his angels might be there; that his
presence might be there; and that there the fullness of the holy
Priesthood might be more fully revealed, and that there all the
ordinances might be performed, that were ordained from before the
foundation of the world. This is the object of Temples. It is to
connect the children to the fathers: it is to bring about an
organization between the living and the dead. It is seen that
when the seventh angel shall sound his trumpet, preparatory to the
coming of the Son of Man; when the Saints shall receive their
inheritances and be made equal with him, they, the dead, as well as
the living, receive their inheritances; that will be a perfect
organization. When Adam, and Enoch, and his Zion, and all the
righteous men before the flood, and all the holy patriarchs and
Prophets of the eastern and western Continents, men who lived on the
earth as strangers and pilgrims, but who through the eye of faith were
permitted to behold, that in the dispensation of the fullness of
times, all things would be gathered in one that were in Christ, even
all things which are in heaven and which are on the earth; I say that
when all these receive their inheritances, this will be an
organization that takes hold of eternity, that takes hold of the
children of God in all ages, that unites all dispensations in one,
that brings all the kingdoms, and authorities, and powers, of all
other dispensations, and unites them in one; and upon whom knowledge
like a flood will be poured out even upon the vast congregations of
the Church of the Firstborn, the living and the dead, for the dead
will then be living.
Ought not these things, Latter-day Saints, to stimulate every
individual to be diligent in the work given him to do, lest he fall
out by the way; lest his crown be taken from him and placed upon the
head of another; lest the talent he may have hidden in the earth be
taken from him and be given to him that hath more abundantly? How
diligent we should be! How faithful in the performance of our several
callings, and how willing to hearken to the counsels and instructions
of those placed over us? By and by we will have Temples, with a great
many things contained in them which we now have not; for with them, as
with all other things, the Lord begins little by little; he does not
reveal everything all at once. He gave the pattern of these things in
Kirtland, Ohio, as the beginning; but there were not rooms for the
washings, no rooms such as we have now, and such as were prepared in
the Nauvoo Temple; and in other respects, there was something added to
the Nauvoo Temple. Why? Because we had greater experience, and were
prepared for greater things. There was no font in the basement story
of the Kirtland Temple, for baptismal purposes in behalf of the dead.
Why not? Because that principle was not revealed. But in the Nauvoo
Temple this font was prepared, which was something in advance of the
Kirtland Temple. We have, of late, constructed a Temple at St. George.
Blessings have been administered in that Temple, that were totally
unknown in the two former Temples, namely, endowments for the dead.
Again, by and by, we will build a Temple in Jackson County, Missouri. Will
it be built according to the pattern of our present Temples? No. There
will be, according to the progress of this people, and the knowledge
they receive, and the greatness of the work that is before them, many
things, pertaining to the pattern, that will then be given, which will
differ materially, or will be, at least, in addition to that which is
in these Temples now built. I think if you will go and search in the
Church Historian's office, you will find a plan of a Temple, that is
to be built in Jackson County, which will be very different from the
little Temples we now build. By and by there will be a Temple
built at Jerusalem. Who do you think is going to build it? You may
think that it will be the unbelieving Jews who rejected the Savior. I
believe that that which is contained on the 77th page of the Book of
Mormon, as well as in many other places, in that same book, will be
literally fulfilled. The Temple at Jerusalem will undoubtedly be
built, by those who believe in the true Messiah. Its construction will
be, in some respects different from the Temples now being built. It
will contain the throne of the Lord, upon which he will, at times,
personally sit, and will reign over the house of Israel forever. It
may also contain twelve other thrones, on which the twelve ancient
Apostles will sit, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. It will,
very likely, have an apartment, with a table, on which food and drink
will be prepared, such as are suitable to the taste and happiness of
immortal resurrected beings, thus fulfilling the words of Jesus—"Ye
that have followed me in the regeneration shall eat and drink at my
table, and sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel." Amen.