Messenger and Advocate/1/9

Messenger and Advocate
1, Number 9

Source document in Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries online archive: Messenger and Advocate Vol. 1

Note: Some headings and bracketed texts are editorial and not part of the original text.

LATTER DAY SAINTS'
MESSENGER AND ADVOCATE
Volume I. No. 9.]	KIRTLAND, OHIO, JUNE, 1835.	[Whole No. 9.

Communications

LETTER NO. 8.

KIRTLAND, O., JUNE, 1835.

Dear Brother in the Lord:—Yours of February last, in the 6th number of the Messenger and Advocate, is before me, and, as the spirit directs, I shall proceed to answer. The most important item which presents itself first for consideration, is, that God chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wisdom of the wise. Such has been the case in all ages which have preceded us, and such is the case as regards the men who have been instruments in the rise and progress of the church of Christ of Latter Day Saints. The great prophets and seers, whose sepulchres were garnished by the Jewish sects, when they lacked pure religion, and whose names have been honored with lofty chapels, or churches, by the Gentile sects, when they lacked the "one thing needful," were considered in their day, by many of their own kin, and especially by the world as the offscourings of the earth. The fact is, the carnal mind is opposed to holiness, and hates pure religion. The reason is, men have little faith and lack the spirit of God.

If the present generation had had faith when the plates were found, from which the book of Mormon was translated, every honest man would have searched the scriptures daily to see if the glorious news it contained, was so; and with a little faith and the spirit to guide to all truth, how many thousands would have rejoiced in the holy one of Israel, and obeyed its sacred requirements. With but little discernment, they might have discovered that Isaiah had his eyes on the last days, when he spoke of what should happen at a future period. For instance:

4. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion.

9. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed.

12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

It seems very evident that Isaiah saw the book delivered to him that was UNLEARNED, that the Lord might proceed to do a marvelous work among this people; and in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. By uniting the term this people with that day, we have an appearance so near the beings and times of the nineteenth century, that a person must be wilfully ignorant, or priestly blinded, not to see it. He that runs might read it. It is almost as plain as if the prophet had said: It shall come to pass, in the nineteenth century, before the second coming of Christ, that the people shall be in gross darkness: their seers and prophets shall be covered; to be sure, they shall draw near to me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts shall be far from me: they shall be proud and high minded, despising all revelation but the bible; and that too, unless it be spiritualized according to the wisdom of men. They will follow the precepts of men. The most of that generation will embrace any doctrine but that of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Who can mistake the time when the

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vision of all has become unto this people as the words of a book? No candid person, if he has nothing to judge from but the testimony of such as hate the truth, and will believe a lie that they may be condemned.

It is a happy circumstance for the saints, that God brings to pass all his works after the counsel of his own will. For, if it were otherwise, if the contending sectarians failed to drive men to worship with them, Tom Payne's Age of Reason, or Volney's Ruins might as well be considered the standard of religious worship as the bible. No one, according to the present precepts of men, and their belief; could get faith enough to ask God for anything, or receive any more revelations; and consequently the truth would fail; the godly man perish, and wickedness prevail tenfold worse than it did before the flood.

Such an unhallowed age and circumstances of men and things being among the possible impossibilities, let us rejoice, that the work of God, though at first almost imperceptible, continues to roll on, conquering and to conquer, and will continue its progression, till every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that the truth is mighty and will prevail; yea, till the earth shall rest from the convulsions of wickedness, and again become the garden of Eden.

The Lord is not in a hurry, neither is he slack: His work goes on, and though his way is past finding out, while a time for repentance to man is granted, and any are spared from the consumption decreed, some will turn to the words of eternal life, for life and salvation, whether they are found in the old bible, book of Mormon, lost book of Jasher, or the book of Enoch, mentioned by Jude. Though men are afraid of the books of God, or afraid that God will suffer any more to be in the world, I expect that when the dead, small and great, stand before him, that the books will be opened; even the books of Jehovah, and men will be judged according to what is written in the books.

I am truly glad you have mentioned Michael, the prince, who, I understand, is our great father Adam. New light is occasionally bursting in to our minds, of the sacred scriptures, for which I am truly thankful. We shall by and bye learn that we were with God in another world, before the foundation of the world, and had our agency: that we came into this world and have our agency, in order that we may prepare ourselves for a kingdom of glory; become archangels, even the sons of God where the man is neither without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord: A consummation of glory, and happiness, and perfection so greatly to be wished, that I would not miss of it for the fame of ten worlds.

Notwithstanding your nine questions may be in the breasts of many saints; yet thousands of your readers may not understand them: therefore let me repeat them and give such answers as may be drawn from scripture.

Firstly, "Are the angels in glory the former prophets and servants of God?" Yes, or how could Elijah come before the great and terrible day of the Lord, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c. Peter, James and John saw Elias, along with Moses, in the mount.

Secondly, "Are they brethren of those who keep his commandments on earth?" Certainly: for, if Michael, Moses, Elias, and others through whom the commandments came, are joint heirs with Christ, they are brethren and so also, will they be, who by keeping his commandments, obtain the like precious faith: The angel said to John—"for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, which keep the sayings of this book."

Thirdly, "Have brethren and fleshly kindred, in the kingdom of God, feelings of respect and condescension enough to speak to each other, though one may be in heaven and the other on earth?" Yes, for they are ministering spirits sent forth from God to minister to the heirs of salvation. Enoch and Elijah are fleshly kindred in heaven, and every time they or others have visited the earth to speak to their fellow servants, if it was no more than to warn Joseph in a dream to flee into Egypt with the young child Jesus, it shows they have condescension enough to speak to each other.

Fourthly, "If angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, will they not minister to those heirs?" Most certainly: Every angel's visit from Abraham till the last, proves this ques-

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tion, besides the Lord says he will send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather his elect together, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Fifthly, "If they do will any one know it?" From the record of those that have come in times past, we should judge that the saints would know it, and Cornelius knew it before he was born into the kingdom.

Sixthly, "Will Michael, the archangel, the great prince, stand up in the last days for Israel?"

Seventhly, "Will he defend them from their enemies?"

Eighthly, "Will he lead them as they were once led?"

And, ninthly, "Will he be seen?"

I shall proceed to answer these four last together. Daniel says:—"And at that time shall Michael, stand up, the great prince, which standeth for thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, to that same time; and at that time shall thy people be delivered: and if they are delivered they will undoubtedly be defended from their enemies. If Joshua saw the captain of the Lord's hosts; or, if Nebuchadnezzer, in his astonishment, exclaimed, seeing with his own eyes in the daytime, "Lo, I see four men, [three only were cast into fire] loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt: and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!" then in very deed shall the saints see father Adam, the ancient of days, even Michael the archangel, on the earth.

But lest I should go too far on this sublime subject, I must stop for the present, and leave many things in your letter not even hinted at.

I greatly rejoice at the light of the last days, and sincerely wish all men were fit and willing to receive it, that the glorious day might roll on when we might not only find sacred records by the ministering of angels, but might have the presence of Jesus again on earth; & be living witnesses of that day, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the water covers the sea; when all shall know him, from the least even to the greatest; and all the redeemed multitude speak a pure language, according to the promise. Such a glorious prospect of holiness is worth living for, or worth dying for, and I beseech the saints to strive to continue to walk in the way and obtain their crown. As ever.

W. W. PHELPS.

TO O. COWDERY, ESQ.

P S. I am apprised of the fact that you have resigned the editorial chair. I hope you will, however, continue your history of the rise and progress of the church. This, because you are as well, and perhaps I may say, better acquainted with the circumstances and facts relative to the subject, than almost any other member, that I am acquainted with. Again, it will be important in order to assist Elder Whitmer in keeping the Messenger and Advocate in its present interesting channel, as a messenger of truth, and advocate of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Gospel No. VIII.

[CONTINUED FROM PAGE 120.]

From reflection, we have been forced into the conclusion that the gospel was as well known among the ancients as among any other people, not even the ante-deluvians or the people before the flood excepted. We are satisfied, that wherever the fruits of the gospel are or were found, there the gospel was also; for nothing else could produce the effects of the gospel, but the gospel itself, or else the gospel was unnecessary; for men could have enjoyed all the blessings which it confers, without its existence. And if any thing besides the gospel could produce the same effects of the gospel, then it was vain, and worse than vain, for the Savior to say concerning it, "That he that believed it not, should be damned;" for they could have been saved, if it were admitted, that something else could produce the same effect of the gospel. For instance if men could have the spirit of prophesying, and prophecy without obeying the gospel, then it was in vain for the Savior to say, "That he that believeth not shall be damned;" for who does not know that a prophet could be saved. But the truth is, all the prophets from righteous Abel down until the present time had obeyed the gospel, and had their communion with God by virtue of their obedience to it.

We have evidence, I think, extant in the scriptures, which is not easily set aside, though cavilers may cavil at

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it, that Abraham had a perfect knowledge of the gospel. We want it distinctly understood, that when we speak of the gospel, we mean the whole system, with all its ordinances and laws as proclaimed on "the day of pentecost;" for we know nothing of the gospel distinct from baptism for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of those who are called and ordained unto this power. Take these things away and where is the gospel? We answer no where—there is no such thing. For distinct from those things, there is no salvation; if there is salvation without baptism for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the laying on of the hands, we know nothing of it; for God our heavenly father does not work at random; but by the strictest rule, even one established by himself for the rule of his conduct in relation to his creature man, before the world was; by that rule he has worked, and will work, until time is no more.

In a former part of this treatise, we examined the ground on which our opinion was founded that Abraham had a knowledge of the gospel. We shall now notice some things said in the scriptures about Moses.

The Savior, in the 5th chap. of John's gospel and 46th verse, says to the Jews, "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me." And in the 11th chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews and 26th v., "Paul says that Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." From both of these quotations we learn this fact that Moses had a knowledge of Christ, to some extent at least; and we think if examined a little, it will be found that his knowledge was pretty extensive; probably as much so as any other man; for says the Savior, he wrote of me. We think that it is not probable that Moses wrote of Christ without understanding what he wrote, neither is it likely that he began to write on a subject which he did not understand most perfectly, particularly when we consider who Moses was, that he had both seen and conversed with God, and received revelations from him, and was in a situation to have both correct and extensive knowledge of all things which he desired to know: it appears also that in consequence of the knowledge which he had of Christ he had to suffer reproach; for he esteemed the reproaches of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; but why the reproaches of Christ? Because he had knowledge of him and wrote of him, and for this knowledge, or for writing it, he had to suffer reproach. This is sufficient to shew to any person who is willing to be instructed, that Moses must have understood the nature of Christ's office, as Savior of the world, or why suffer reproach for his sake?—Every man of any understanding must know, that nothing could have caused Moses to have suffered reproach for Christ's sake, unless he had knowledge of him: and all the knowledge that any being can have of Christ, is, as Savior of the world, and if Moses suffered reproach for Christ's sake, he must have done so because he proclaimed him as Savior of the world, & must have known as did Abraham, that it was in Christ that all the families of the earth should be blessed, for if he did not know this, he did not know any thing about him; for it was in consequence of this, that he was known to the world. Had it not been for this the name of Christ would not have been known in the world. And if Moses knew any thing of Christ, he could have known nothing of him but what was known of him as the Savior of the world. So that from all the light we can get on this subject, Moses must have had the same knowledge which Abraham had: indeed there was no other knowledge to be had of Christ, but this; take this away and the knowledge of Christ ceases; and so far as the knowledge of Christ extended, so far did the knowledge of the gospel extend; and so far as the knowledge of the gospel extended, so far did or does the knowledge of Christ extend; for they go together and neither of them is found alone. But what settles this question, in the mind of every candid person forever is, that the fruits which are peculiar to the gospel are found no where but in obedience to it, were found with Moses.—He had the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, he also had visions, and the power of miracles attended him; all these are fruits of the gospel, and found among those who are baptized for the remission of sins, and who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. If any should ob-

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ject and say that the scriptures never mention the baptism of Moses, we reply, neither do they mention his writing of Christ, they only say he did write of him; and we have no doubt if these writings were once obtained, we will in them find the account of his baptism; for every circumstance in relation to him tends to establish this fact on the mind, that he openly acknowledged Christ, and this can only be done by being baptized in his name for the remission of sins, and by receiving the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands in his name; and having thus openly acknowledged him, he had to suffer reproach for his name; for it would be very singular indeed if Moses had to suffer the reproaches of Christ, when he had never acknowledged him; and let me repeat it again, that no person did, or ever will acknowledge Christ only those who do it by being immersed in water for the remission of sins; this is the way and the only way by which any person ever has or ever will acknowledge Christ. They may acknowledge men, or some other beings in doing other things, but they can acknowledge Christ in no other way, and that for the best of all reasons, because there is no other way of acknowledging him; for do all other things that any human creature could do, and leave this undone, and Christ would not be acknowledged. Seeing then, that Moses suffered the reproaches of Christ, it follows of necessity that he must have been baptized for the remission of sins in his name, or he could not have been reproached for his sake.

Faith of the Church. [No. XIV]

That part of the work of the work of the Holy spirit in the salvation of men, which consists in giving them vision, forms one of the most important parts (of the Spirit's work) in the salvation of men, and it is one that was always performed by the Spirit, as far as we have any account of the people of God in his revelations. There is no society of which we have an account in the revelations of God, that he acknowledged as his own, except they had visions among them, and that as long as they continued to walk according to the directions of the Holy Spirit: indeed it was essential to their character as saints; it would be a marvelous thing to find a body of saints on earth and yet there would be no visions among them; we will venture to assert that such a thing was never seen since the world began. We readily admit that a corrupt religion can exist, and false prophecies exist, and sectarian dogmas abound; men-made worshipers increase, and the world abound in a religion that the Lord was not the author of, and yet no visions be among them; but wherever the truth of heaven abounds, there will visions abound also; for it is a part of heaven's scheme to save men, and without it, we are not authorized to say there is salvation; for all the people who were saved of whom we have an account, were of the number who saw visions; and such was the importance which the sacred writers attached to the seeing of visions, that Solomon says, in Proverbs, chap. 29: ver. 18, that where no vision is, the people perish. But in direct opposition to this, the people of this generation say, that where no vision is, there truth reigns and prevails; and where vision is there error and delusion abounds; but whether we should believe God or man, judge ye.

It requires but a limited acquaintance with the Bible to see that, the highest degree of knowledge which was among the former day saints was by reason of their seeing visions. It was by visions by which they were made acquainted with the deep things of God, and visions was a part of the work of that spirit which searched all things—"yea," as says Paul, "the deep things of God," 1st Corinthians, 2d chapter, 10th verse. No person can reflect on the great priviliges [privileges] which the saints enjoyed in receiving visions without being filled with desire: there was no end to the knowledge which they acquired; there was no bounds to their discoveries; they reached far into futurity and comprehended the things of both God and man for many generations; they looked to the things within the veil, and saw the things of God, of angels, and of men in the unseen world. It was visions which gave them the greatest confidence in their religion, and which enabled them to endure as seeing him who is invisible. They knew their religion to be true; for, through visions they had seen with their eyes, heard with their ears, and understood with their hearts. In their visions they conversed with angels, the spirits of just men made perfect; were made acquaint-

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ed with the glories of the eternal world, and obtained the most perfect knowledge of future things. By reason of this they became exceedingly bold and testified of the things of God without fear; seeing, hearing, and handling of the word of life, and became swift witnesses against the generation in which they lived; for no man can be a witness for God until he can bear testimony of what he has seen and heard; no man can bear witness of what another has seen and heard; but of what he has seen and heard himself. So that all the witnesses that God has ever had on earth were those who had obtained visions; for without them, they could not be witnesses for God. Nor did the ancients ever pretend to be witnesses of any thing but of what they saw and heard themselves. When God went to raise up witnesses for himself, he did so by giving them visions.

There is something in relation to the revelation of Jesus Christ when understood, which sets this subject in a very forcible point of light, and establishes beyond a doubt the necessity of visions; indeed one of the great objects to be obtained by raising up a church would be lost, and the Lord could not have a great object in view in so doing. The apostle Paul said concerning the apostles, "that they were a savor of life unto life or of death unto death," 2d Corinthians, 2:16.—The reason of this is, because they (the apostles) were God's witnesses unto all men, and as such they were a savor of life unto life or of death unto death; for those who received their testimony concerning Jesus and obeyed their teachings would be saved, but all others would not be saved; and the reason that they were a savor of life unto life or of death unto death, was because they had the testimony of Jesus; and no people ever had or ever will have, the testimony of Jesus, but those who receive visions. For unless they actually have visions, they cannot see the Lord; and if they cannot see him they cannot bear testimony of him. For, a man to be a witness for either God or man, he must have something to which he can testify; and no man can testify to what another sees and hears; but to what he sees and hears himself. In order, therefore, for a man to be a witness for Jesus Christ, or for God the Father, he must have more testimony than any man or all the men of the world combined could give; he must have it for himself from God, that he can say like Paul, the things which I declare unto you I have not of man, neither received I them of man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. On this principle, and on this only, can a man be a witness for Jesus Christ.

When the Savior began to raise up a church, it was to get witnesses for himself: those who could testify of him, and declare that he lived. Such was the case with the former day saints as far as our account of them extends, and we are told by their historian Luke, that they gave forth their testimony with great power, and they declared that they had seen Jesus after he arose from the dead, and Paul among the rest said, that last of all he appeared unto me, as one born out of due time. They went from place to place, and from land to land declaring as they went that, that same Jesus who was crucified on Calvary by the Jews; God had raised from the dead; had exalted at his own right hand and made Prince and Saviour; and even in the very article of death they would bear the same testimony as did Stephen, who said at the time the Jews stoned him to death: "I see the heavens opened and the son of man sitting at the right hand of power."

These men bore this witness, because they had the testimony of Jesus, and were by virtue of their obedience to him made acquainted with the truth and actually knew the truth, as Jesus had said those should, who would continue in his doctrine, and the truth had made them free. See John's gospel, 8:31, 32.

The object in raising up these witnesses was, that through their testimony, the world might be judged. Hence it was that they were a savor of life unto life or of death unto death to all men, because they were to be witnesses either for or against all men, and this is the reason that it was necessary that they should have visions; for without visions they could not see any of the things of the eternal world, and could not have any thing to testify of; but receiving heavenly visions they beheld the things of heaven, and beheld and understood the things of eternity, and went forth and testified of what they saw and heard; and by this means God would judge the world. When they

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had this great witness of the things of God & would not believe it, they were to be damned, because they had the testimony of living witnesses that the things of which they testified were realities; for these men had both seen and heard them for themselves, and hence it was that those who would believe on Jesus through their word would be saved; and those who would not would be damned.

Take visions away therefore, from the scheme of heaven, and God must cease to judge the world, because he would have no witnesses, and he could not condemn a people for not believing when they had not testimony in which they were justified in believing; but when they had as strong testimony as they had to prove other things which they believed and then would not believe, they stood justly condemned, and there is no candid being in the world but would condemn them, for their inconsistency; because they required greater evidence to believe one thing than they would require to believe another.

And thus by reason of visions the world will be judged, and by them condemned; for it is visions which makes a man a witness for God, and without them he cannot be a witness; for there is not any thing of which he could testify; but having visions he can testify of what he both sees and hears, and thereby condemn those who will not believe.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED

PARIS, MAY 16, 1835.

Br. O. Cowdery,

DEAR SIR:—We sit down to inform you of the prospects for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ in this southern country, which are flattering. We have baptized 29 since we wrote you last, making the several branches that we have planted in this vicinity, 64. But do not understand, that we are gliding smoothly along without any persecution: this promise of the Savior is abundantly verified. Scourgings, imprisonment and death are threatened; but none of these things move us. It is as near from Tennessee to the Paradise of God, as from any other place: And while we are receiving persecution, the Savior is giving us more than a hundred fold, brethren and sisters, houses and lands, and the assurance of eternal life in the world to come.

May God make us instrumental in his hands of rending the shackles of priestcraft and superstition from many—to this end give us the assurance of your prayers.

Yours in Christ.

WARREN PARISH,

WILFORD WOODRUFF.