Having been requested, this afternoon, to address the congregation, I
cheerfully do so, praying with all my heart that the Lord may grant
unto me his Holy Spirit, that whatever I may say, whether much or
little, may be dictated by that Spirit that proceeds from heaven, and
then it will be right.
We read in the New Testament that the Apostles and righteous men in
days of old preached the Gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost sent
down from heaven. I do not know of any way by which the Gospel of
Jesus Christ can be proclaimed with any beneficial effect, except in
this manner.
We can arise before a congregation of the Saints and make use of the
principles of the Gospel in our own words. We can say to the people,
Repent. We can call upon them to believe. We can tell them concerning
baptism, show them the nature of it, and the causes for which it was
instituted. We may tell them concerning the Holy Ghost, and preach
many things in the wisdom and language of man, and yet all this would
not be acceptable in the sight of Heaven, unless we were dictated by
the power and gift of the Holy Ghost. Our words would have no effect
upon the hearts of the people; they would not be edified; the speaker
would not be edified: no good, perhaps, would be accomplished.
The world, during the last seventeen centuries and upwards, have been
engaged in preaching what they termed the Gospel; they have been
engaged in preaching many principles that are true; they have preached
many of the first principles, such as faith and repentance; they have
preached the ordinances and institutions of heaven; they have reasoned
with the people; they have portrayed many great and glorious truths
before the people; they have called upon them to receive those truths,
and yet they have taught without authority—without that Spirit that
giveth utterance—taught without being called of God; and hence their
teachings have not accomplished that which an inspired man's would
have accomplished, when sent of God. So it is in reading the
revelations of heaven. We may take up the Bible, the Book of Mormon,
and the Book of Covenants, and commit them to memory—at least the
subject matter therein, and we may suppose that we understand the
doctrine of salvation, and conclude from our diligent study that we
have become altogether acquainted with the prophecies and revelations;
and yet, after all these things, without the gift of revelation
directly to ourselves, or the gift of the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven to rest upon us as speakers and hearers, we cannot expect to be
materially benefited.
We may learn many things from the Book of Mormon. We may learn
how this great western hemisphere was first peopled—how God brought
the people from the Tower of Babel and established them upon North
America. We may be informed of their history, of their numerous
Prophets, concerning their wickedness and downfall. We may learn these
things naturally as natural men, whether in or out of the Church,
without the gift and power of the Holy Ghost and authority
communicated from heaven resting upon us.
We cannot render ourselves any material service, or the world either,
unless we have this power and authority: hence the propriety of that
passage of Scripture recorded in the 2nd chapter of Paul's 1st Epistle
to the Corinthians—"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of a man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God." All our exertions, our reading, our
meditations, and our endeavors to obtain the truth, without we obtain
it lawfully, and not as natural men and women, will prove, in a
measure, unavailing, though it may serve in some degree to remove
darkness, to manifest what has been done, or what is to be done.
I am well pleased with the remarks that have been made upon this
stand, more especially in relation to some few of the testimonies that
I have heard, particularly bearing upon this matter. We were told by
individuals upon this stand that they knew this work to be true. We
were told by brother Watt that he knew this to be the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. How do you know it? Just the same as the congregation know it.
If the congregation have the gift and power of God to unfold the
revelations of heaven to themselves, then they can comprehend how it
is that the speakers know it is true. Though we may not be masters of
language to communicate to others, we can appeal to their senses upon
this subject. Do you know the things of God? If this question were
asked, the whole congregation, with few exceptions, would lift up
their voices with one heart and one mind, and say, We know these
things to be true. How do you know them? You know them by the
manifestations of the Spirit to your own hearts. You don't know them
by having seen with the natural eye, or by having discerned them with
the natural understanding. You don't know them because you have seen
the sick healed, or the blind receive their sight. You don't know them
because you have seen the lame made to walk, or laid your hands upon
the sick and seen them raised to perfect soundness, but because God
has made them manifest to your hearts. Light has shone from heaven
upon your understandings. You have tasted of that light by the
spiritual sensations, or the spiritual faculties of your mind. You
have understood and feasted upon the light that has come from heaven;
and by this you know that the principles you have received are true.
Do we understand clearly and properly that which is contained in the
various revelations that God has given through his ancient as well as
through his modern Prophets? Do we understand them in their true
light? If we do, it is because we have received manifestations to
ourselves, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.
What are Prophets for? What are revelators for? They are to reveal the
truths of heaven for the benefit of the people. They bear testimony to
the inhabitants of the earth, as you have heard declared from this
stand, that the Lord has spoken and opened communications with men
upon the earth, through the legitimate channel of his Priesthood. They
also declare that men have been called by revela tion from God,
and sent forth with authority to baptize for the remission of sins.
You hear this testimony, which is calculated to increase your
confidence and your faith in the principles of life.
The word of God which is planted in your hearts begins to grow, to
produce joy, light, and happiness; your mind begins to understand; you
begin to receive revelation, and to receive those communications from
the heavens that cause you to enjoy those blessings that you have
heard spoken of by the servants of God. This makes all the Latter-day
Saints witnesses; and thus we have a cloud of witnesses—a great army
that can witness the truths of heaven as they have been revealed in
these last days. This Spirit of revelation gives the Latter-day Saints
boldness in their testimony.
What would have been our progress, brethren and sisters, if we had
gone forth to the nations to publish these truths without the power of
the Holy Ghost accompanying us? Could we have borne up under the power
of persecution that has been heaped upon us? Could we have stood forth
before the people and borne testimony as natural men to the great
truths revealed from heaven? No, we could not. We should have shrunk
from the task. It would have appeared too great for us to perform. The
powers of darkness would have been able to crush us before them,
without the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Lord foreknew this, and
consequently he never designed that the great principles of his Gospel
should be published to the nations, only by the gift and power of the
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
There are many revelations that were given to the ancient servants of
God that we never can comprehend without further revelation, and
perhaps some of them we shall never understand in this state of
probation. One thing is certain—that we cannot comprehend them, unless
God shall give more revelation and manifest many things in their
fulness which have heretofore only been revealed in part.
Many things that were unveiled to the ancient Prophets have become
very much corrupted by men who have formed systems to suit their own
darkened minds. The revelations of John, now so obscure, so dark, and
so intricate, that scarcely a person can comprehend the great things
that are pointed out to take place in the last days, will be unfolded.
Now there is scarcely a man living that can discern the meaning of the
Apostle.
When this revelation was given to him, it was plain and simple, and
easy to be understood of men; and all people possessed of the Spirit
of the living God could understand it, so far as it was not sealed up.
Some portions of it the Lord designed that they should not comprehend
in that day. For instance, what the seven thunders uttered and several
other things that are mentioned, no man understands, and will not
until the proper time shall come. Since the days of John, it has been
changed and altered by men who did not possess the Spirit of
revelation, and from them it has been handed down to us in its present
imperfect form, and we never shall understand it until God reveals it
unto his servants the Prophets in the last days. Then the things
written in that book will be plain, and we shall understand them.
So it is with regard to many revelations contained in the New
Testament. The 24th chapter of Matthew, for instance, the sayings of
Jesus to his disciples have undergone the same change in translation
and in alterations by corrupt men. It is true, the Lord has given us
information and bestowed upon us great favor by new revelation, and the Spirit bears witness that they are from heaven. We
know them to be such. We comprehend them, we discern them, and say
that God designed to reveal them to his servant Joseph. There are many
who can comprehend those things and realize that they are from some
superior source than the natural mind of man.
I might name some few things which may be found in the 24th chapter of
Matthew, that are much plainer and much more simple as they were
revealed to the Prophet Joseph in the new translation—so much so that
it would almost satisfy even a natural-minded person that there has
been a superior wisdom manifest in this new translation. In speaking
of the signs of the coming of the Son of Man, and of the preaching of
the Gospel to all the world, the new translation reads as
follows—"Again, shall this Gospel of the Kingdom be preached in all
the world, for a witness, and then shall the end come." Now, the word
"again" makes the thing all plain. It is as much as to say, You shall
go forth, you shall preach to the people and declare my testimony
among the nations of the earth; and after this there shall come a
falling away, and there shall arise many false Christs and false
prophets. Then shall follow many judgments and tribulations upon the
face of the earth. And after the world has been in darkness for
centuries, again shall this Gospel of the Kingdom be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
What end? I answer, the end of the wicked world—the destruction of the
wicked from the face of our globe.
In another passage to be found in that same revelation, the 24th
chapter of Matthew, Jesus says, in speaking of his second coming, "As
the light of the morning cometh out of the east, andshineth unto the
west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall the coming of the Son of
Man be." Now, how much plainer is this to the natural understanding!
And how much plainer is this than the old translation as rendered by
the wisdom of man! How does the old translation read? It reads, "For
as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
The lightning is more visible and more frequent in some parts of the
earth than others; and when it does appear, it is only visible for a
few scores of miles at once, and is not visible in all parts; and
consequently, this was not a proper figure to convey the idea. How
much plainer is the rendering—"As the light of the morning cometh out
of the east, and shineth unto the west, and covereth the whole earth,
so shall the coming of the Son of Man be."
How did this Latter-day Work commence? It did not commence all at
once. On the 6th day of April, 1830, as it was justly observed by one
of the speakers, there were not enough members to form the Church; but
it came forth like the dim twilight of the morning, the darkness
beginning by slow degrees to flee away as the light slowly advanced.
It has grown brighter and brighter from that time unto the present.
Like the light of the sun, the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
will cover the whole earth; it will speak from land to land and from
kingdom to kingdom, until it deluges the whole earth with the
brilliancy of its light and the glory of its power. The testimonies of
the servants of God, as well as the testimonies of his power,
exhibiting his wrath and his sore displeasure, will go forth as has
been proclaimed from this stand. And instead of the testimonies of the
servants of God being smothered up by the persecution of our
enemies, and the light being hidden under a bushel in some obscure
corner, the decree of Heaven is that the light shall go forth, shining
more and more glorious in the midst of the nations; and it will
penetrate the darkest corners of the earth—it will visit the islands
of the sea, until it has searched out every creature under heaven.
There is no ear but shall hear, and no heart but shall be penetrated
by the truths that shall be sent forth in this last dispensation.
Missionaries have been called. If they go and magnify their callings,
they will be filled with the testimony that has been so freely
manifested during our Conference; they will be filled with the Holy
Ghost, and be able to bear testimony of the truths of the Gospel. It
may be apparently in weakness. They may consider it so themselves.
Their language may be feeble, their words feebly uttered, their
sentences broken; but, after all, it will be the power of God unto
this generation.
If you Missionaries will seek for the testimony of the Holy Ghost to
go with you—if you will seek diligently for the power of God to
accompany you, you need not be afraid of the nations; for your
testimony will condemn the people who reject it, and it will save all
those who receive it.
I look forward to the progress of this work through the Saints that
are abroad and the Elders that are ordained on Foreign Missions, as
well as by those Missionaries that are sent forth to their assistance.
I look for this work to progress, and I cannot get anything else into
my heart. I do not look for this people to be eternally assailed by
their enemies, nor do I look for the Elders to be continually asleep;
but I expect that they will bear a faithful testimony among the people
of every nation where they are sent. And this testimony will be
increased: it cannot be otherwise. That prophecy of Nephi recorded in
the Book of Mormon must be fulfilled; the servants of God must be
armed with righteousness, and with the power of the Almighty, and with
great glory among the nations, wherever the Church is organized. It
will be such a display as will excite the people against the Saints,
or they would not, according to prophecy, gather together the armies
of the wicked from among all nations to fight the people of the Most
High. This must take place. The wicked must be gathered against the
Saints. It is as it was stated by brother Hyde this forenoon about the
dream. That dream had reference to foreign persecutions.
One thing is certain—that every nation under the heavens will array
itself against the kingdom of God. Inasmuch as some individuals among
the nations receive it, they will muster their forces and try to
destroy the saints of the living God. To prepare for this, we must
increase in the Spirit of God as our enemies increase in the spirit of
darkness against us, and by the power of God proclaim in their ears a
testimony that will overcome the wicked. There is no possibility of
the wicked triumphing over this Latter-day Kingdom. There may be many
who will have to fall—many who will have to suffer materially; but
when we get to the home of the Saints of the living God, the wicked
will cease from troubling us.
I look forward to a day that is not far distant, with great rejoicing;
and that is a day when we shall all be engaged, as we are this
afternoon, in partaking of the sacrament—the symbols of bread and
wine, or in other words, the symbols of the body and blood of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward with joyful anticipation to
that glorious time. I look around upon this assembly, and when
I see them partaking of this holy ordinance, and consider what Jesus
has done by his sufferings, then I look forward to the time when he
shall be in our midst, and we partake of these symbols in his
presence.
Will not this be a joyful time? Who can but rejoice in a scenery of
this description! Suppose you were expecting that this was to take
place next Sabbath day, who are pure in heart? Who are ready for such
an event? What would be your feelings? Would you sorrow and mourn?
Would it not be one of the most joyful messages to your ears that ever
saluted them, to suppose that the time was so near at hand when you
should partake of bread and wine with the ancient Apostles, and meet
with the Savior and all the Saints of former days—those that lived
before the flood and those that have lived since the flood—to think
that all this is to be made manifest to man—that we are to look upon
the face of our Redeemer and be crowned with glory as he is—would not
this be joyful tidings?
Although this is not going to take place next Sabbath, yet we know one
thing—that in many of the revelations given to this Church, the Lord
has closed by saying—"Behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me
to give unto every man according to his works." There are many
revelations of this kind, and these words are true and faithful, for
the Lord does not speak in vain; but he has thrown this out as an
encouragement to those that fear him and keep his law.
The day is at hand, the morning has broken, the sun of the Gospel has
arisen in the eastern horizon, and is beginning to shine with a degree
of splendor. The time is near—how near, no man knoweth: the day and
the hour when the Son of Man shall come is a secret. In a revelation
given to this Church, it is said that no man shall know until he
comes; therefore we cannot expect to know the day nor the hour; but we
know it is near at hand, and what a consolation it is. There may be
men that will know within a year—that will have revelation to say
within one or two years when the Lord shall appear. I do not know that
there is anything against this.
But the great question is, brethren and sisters, Are we ready? Are we
perfect enough for this day? Are we honest enough? And are we filled
with integrity enough to be ready for the Savior and his holy angels?
Is there a sufficiency of union? Have we that firmness in our minds
that we can stand in their presence—that we can look them in the eye
and say that all is right? If we are pure, when we see a pure and holy
being, clothed with all the glory of the heavens, surrounded with
light that far outshines the sun at noonday, so much so that his eye
discerns all things and pierces the inmost recesses of the heart—when
we can look him in the face, a thrill of joy will run through our
bodies, and we shall be happy.
I tell you, brethren and sisters, this would be one of the most
glorious periods that we could possibly imagine: it would be one of
the most joyful there is in the future. We know that men upon the
earth have been so clothed with the glory and power of God that the
people could not look upon their countenances; and why was this? It
was because the people were wicked. When Moses had been upon the
mountain, standing in the presence of God, being in his presence forty
days receiving the tables of stone, and came down to teach the people,
they could not endure his presence. Why? Because that glory that was
manifested could not be endured by the wicked. But in this instance, the Lord permitted it to be manifested for a while. And when
the people looked upon the countenance of Moses, they perceived that
there were rays of light emanating from him—that he looked different
from what he formerly did—that he was clothed upon with something
which they had not been accustomed to see, and they fled afar off.
Moses, therefore, was under the necessity of taking a veil and putting
it over his face, for they could not endure it. They fled from the
presence of a mortal man when he was clothed upon with glory, or with
a reflection of the glory of God; therefore the only way was for him
to cover his face, and then converse with the children of Israel.
Now, if a mortal being is permitted to have this power, how much
greater will be the terror to the wicked when immortal beings shall
appear—beings who have not simply been with the Lord forty days, but
who have been with him thousands of years, who were redeemed before
the flood and after the flood, and who have been in the presence of
God more or less ever since—who have beheld his countenance, who have
been seated upon thrones, swaying a scepter of power (as Abraham),
and reigning over millions of individuals—when they, as well as the
redeemed of all nations and generations, shall make their appearance,
and when they shall not attempt to put a veil over their faces as
Moses did, but permit all the glory that they have accumulated for so
many years to be visible to the human family! That will be a day of
terror, astonishment, and dismay unto all the wicked.
At times when I reflect upon this subject, I try to portray before my
mind the various revelations that God has given concerning this
matter. There is one in particular which says, "Angels shall be sent
forth to sound the trump of God, crying, Lo and behold! The bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him." That will be a great time, independent
of that of which I have been speaking, when Jesus shall come in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Before that time, angels
are to be sent forth to sound the trumpet, so that all the ends of the
earth are to hear it, and all people are to be forewarned that the
time of the coming of the bridegroom is at hand—that the time of the
coming of the great Being has arrived. Then, when those angels have
sounded, another great and terrible thing is to take place.
I simply mention these things to show how one thing after another is
to precede the coming of the Lord.
After the angels have sounded this in the ears of all living, we are
informed that there will be a great sign in the heavens. It is not to
be limited so that some few only of the human family can see it; but
it is said, "All people shall see it together!" At least, it is to be
like our sun seen over one entire side of the globe, and then passing
immediately round to the other, or else it will encircle the whole
earth at the same time. But the bridegroom does not come then. These
are only the preceding events to let the Latter-day Saints and the
pure in heart know that these are the times that they may trim up
their lamps and prepare for the triumphant appearing of their Lord.
After those angels that I have alluded to have flown through the
heavens, this sign is made manifest; and what next? Seven angels are
appointed to give their signs and testimonies to the truth of this
proclamation of the Gospel, the Latter-day Saints having previously
given theirs. Thus we have the former angels sounding their trumpets,
then the great sign, and then comes the seven angels. The first
proclaims that great Babylon is about to fall, and her
influence to be destroyed. He proclaims that all who remain in Babylon
are bound in bundles and their bands made strong, so that no man can
unloose them, and that they are therefore prepared for the burning.
After all nations have heard the proclamation, there will be silence
in the heavens, and I do not know but on the earth too; for the people
will doubtless be overpowered with astonishment to see an angel, the
sound of whose trump shall pierce the ears of all living. After this,
I say, there will be silence in heaven for half-an-hour.
Then, after the wicked begin to recover and get a little strength,
behold and lo! The curtain of heaven will be unfolded as a scroll that
is rolled up. You know how our great maps are rolled out to expose
their contents to the people; and the Lord has said the heavens shall
be unfolded as a scroll that is rolled up is unfolded. What will be
seen when this takes place? Our Savior, our Redeemer, will unveil his
face. That Being who was born in Bethlehem—that being who has saved
the world by offering his own life, how will he appear? Will he come
as a common man? Or how will he make his appearance? He will appear as
a being whose splendor and glory will cause the sun to hide his face
with shame.
The sun is a very glorious body; and when you look upon it, so great is
the light, that you can scarcely see surrounding objects; but the
light of the sun is nothing to be compared with the glory of that
personage who shall appear when the heavens shall be unveiled, or
unfolded like a scroll. The light of the sun will dwindle away, and he
shall hide his face with shame. Who will be with Jesus when he
appears? The decree has gone forth, saying, Mine Apostles who were
with me in Jerusalem shall be clothed in glory and be with me. The
brightness of their countenance will shine forth with all that
refulgence and fulness of splendor that shall surround the Son of Man
when he appears. There will be all those personages to whom he
alludes. There will be all the former-day Saints, Enoch and his city,
with all the greatness and splendor that surround them: there will be
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as they sit upon their thrones, together
with all the persons that have been redeemed and brought near unto the
presence of God. All will be unfolded and unveiled, and all this will
be for the wicked to look upon, as well as the righteous; for the
wicked will not as yet have been destroyed. When this takes place,
there will be Latter-day Saints living upon the earth, and they will
ascend and mingle themselves with that vast throng; for they will be
filled with anxiety to go where the Saints of the Church of the
Firstborn are, and the Church of the Firstborn will feel an anxiety to
come and meet with the Saints on earth, and this will bring the
general assembly of the redeemed into one; and thus will be fulfilled
the saying of Paul, "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times
he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
About the same time that the Latter-day Saints are quickened (not
immortalized), there will be Saints that have slumbered and slept for
ages, and they are to be quickened and taken up into the heavens. Now
the wicked are to see all these things; and if power of language could
be given to them, what would they say? They would turn to the rocks
and the mountains, and say, O mountains and rocks, fall upon us and
hide us from the presence of Him that sits upon the throne, and from
the wrath of the Lamb. And I have no doubt but they will have
the power to say it. But they must endure the sight. After which, they
must be consumed according to that which is spoken, and the heathen
nations must be redeemed, and the way be prepared for the Lord to
dwell upon the earth. The mortal Saints will then be transfigured and
sanctified, but not immortalized. They will be prepared for the
millennial reign. The tables will then be spread, and the Latter-day
and Former-day Saints will be together to partake of the sacrament
just as it is this afternoon, only more perfectly prepared.
This is my object in thus portraying these things before you this
afternoon, for as often as we do this we show forth the Lord's death
till he come. When that time comes, he will partake of the fruit of
the vine with us; and with him will be Moroni, Mormon, and Lehi, and
all the inhabitants of this vast American continent who have been
saved through the Gospel. There will be Enoch's city, the Former-day
Saints, and the vast throng of resurrected Saints to sit down and
partake of the supper of the great Bridegroom, and he will administer
in the midst of his brethren.
I hope and pray that I may be prepared to be one of that joyful throng
to be assembled there with a pure heart, and one that is upright
before God. I also hope that my brethren will be with me, and that we
shall have the privilege of celebrating the marriage supper of the
Lamb, for that will be a happy day.
May God bless you! Amen.