Part 2

In the midst of this religious spectacle, however, there are and have been many honorable people who have realized the fallen condition of the world and were honest enough to acknowledge the same. From Elder John Morgan's Tract No. 1, we make the following extracts: "Roger Williams refused to continue as pastor over the oldest Baptist church in America on the grounds that there was no regularly constituted church on earth nor any person authorized to administer church ordinances, nor can there be until new apostles are sent by the Great Head of the Church for whose coming I am seeking." (See Picturesque America, page 502.) Smith's Bible Dictionary also says: "We must not expect to see the Church of Holy Scriptures actually existing in its perfection on the earth. It is not to be found thus perfect either in the collected fragments of Christendom or still less in any one of these fragments." The names of sixty-five learned divines and biblical scholars are on the preface page as contributors to and endorsers of this book.

Mr. Wesley states that the reason the gifts are no longer in the church, is because the love of many waxed cold and the Christians had turned heathens again and had only a dead form left. (See volume 1, sermon 94.)

The situation of the religious world is beautifully depicted in poetic verse on page forty-one of the Latter-day Saints' Hymn Book, in a hymn from Wesley's collection. In speaking of the golden age of the apostles and prophets, when the Saints were endowed with spiritual gifts and graces, the writer says:

"Where shall we wander now to find Successors they have left behind? The faithful whom we seek in vain Are 'minished from the sons of men. Ye different sects who all declare: 'Lo! here is Christ' or 'Christ is there!' Your stronger proofs divinely give, And show me where true Christians live."

I will now quote from the Bible to illustrate how plainly the prophets foretold what the writers from whom I have quoted clearly show to have been verified: "Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." (Amos viii: 11, 12.) We learn from this that the time was coming when men should seek to the four points of the compass, and in all directions, and yet fail to find the word of God; but we find the Bible in every direction, and that is said to contain the word of the Lord. Very true, but that word was directed to past generations and is a record of the dealings of our Heavenly Father with His children in bygone days.

The sacred record states: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secrets unto His servants the Prophets." (Amos iii:7.) From this we learn that if there are no prophets of the Lord, then our Heavenly Father is doing nothing in a religious sense among the people of this earth; but if He is doing a work among them for their redemption, then there must be prophets. By this it will be easy to ascertain whether the prediction of Amos has been verified or not. Who, previous to the year 1827, for many centuries has found in his researches an inspired prophet who could stand in the midst of the people and say, "Thus saith the Lord?" Have not the people denied the prophets and visions of heaven? We learn from the nineteenth chapter of Revelations that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Therefore, if any have had this testimony they have been inspired with the spirit of prophecy. And again, we are informed by the Savior, as written in the sixteenth chapter of John, that the "Spirit of truth shall guide into all truth," and "show you things to come." Who has seen things to come? And where is the word of the Lord? Surely not with those who deny prophets and apostles.

We learn from the twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah that the effects of this ancient apostasy would be so universal as to cover all classes of society, affecting not only the religious and social circles, but the business transactions of the human family. In the second verse he says: "And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him." By reading the fifth verse of the same chapter we learn that even the earth upon which we dwell is seriously effected. Isaiah says: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant."

As a testimony to the fulfillment of this prophecy, thousands of people in the American Union are witnesses to the fact, that in many parts the land will not produce such prolific crops as it would several years ago, but is gradually growing weaker and losing its virtue. Many places once fruitful are now turned aside as being too poor to cultivate, and are occupied by hedge grass, sassafras bushes and growths of small pine. Such is the rapid decline of the strength of the soil. I have been informed that in one state some of the people, desiring to learn why the soil was losing its virtue, took quantities of earth from different points and had it analyzed. The analysis revealed the fact that the soil had lost its salt and was therefore comparatively of but little worth, only to be trodden under the foot of man. This test of the soil in one section is a fair sample of the same condition of the land in many other places. These are the terrible effects, Isaiah informs us, of the inhabitants of the earth transgressing "the laws," changing "the ordinances," and breaking the "everlasting covenant."

Among other important features wherein the everlasting covenant has been broken is that pertaining to the marriage contract, which, agreeable to the laws of heaven, is binding through time and eternity, not recognizing death, which is said to be the "wages of sin," as having power to sever that which is joined together by the power and authority of God. The world is now following the pattern of the Sadducees (who denied the resurrection), and therefore pronounce the ceremony of marriage "until death do you part."

Another prophecy which vividly portrays the religious state of affairs in the last days is that contained in (II Timothy iii:1-6) as follows: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."

This is so plain that no one need to doubt its verification. It clearly sets forth the very evils that are now prevalent in all the civilized nations of the earth. While this statement of evils may apply to the world at large, it is evident that it was directed specially to a certain class of people--not to infidel nor atheist, nor yet to the heathen nations, which are unacquainted with the name of the Savior and with what is termed Christianity, but to those religious bodies which, as Paul declares, "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof." It plainly describes the situation of the Christian world at the present time, who, while they have various forms of worship, deny the gifts of vision, prophecy, healing, tongues and nearly all the manifestations of the power of the Lord, as enjoyed by the ancient Saints. In fine, they deny the Gospel, for that, says Paul, "is the power of God unto salvation." The apostle, it appears, would not attribute to them even true forms of worship, for he says they have a "form of godliness." "From such," says Paul, "turn away."

If all would receive this admonition and "turn away" from these powerless forms, what would become of the churches that are now extant? With the foregoing positive predictions upon this subject, and the facts before us in verification of the same, we can testify that the words of Isaiah have been fulfilled, wherein he says: "Behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people;" and that nothing short of more revelation direct from heaven could place the present generation in possession of the everlasting Gospel.

Having shown that many of the ancients fell away from that Gospel; that the faithful remainder were warred against by the enemies of truth, and that the last of the saints who held the Priesthood were overcome, leaving no successors to continue the works of the ministry; it is therefore made clear that the plan of salvation was taken away from the earth, that the results of the ancient apostasy were universal and have extended down without interruption to the present century.

The gloom that these serious events would cast upon the minds of the honest in heart who saw this sad picture unfolded to the gaze of the world, and which would effect their posterity in future generations, was greatly relieved when they beheld, while rapt in heavenly vision, angels from the mansions of glory descending to the earth with the Gospel message in all its purity and holiness, to deliver to the sons of men, causing the "poor among men to rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." The apostle John, while in banishment upon the Isle of Patmos, said: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." (Revelation, xiv:6, 7.) There are now thousands of honest-hearted people upon the earth who testify that the angel spoken of in the foregoing quotation visited Joseph Smith, the prophet, and delivered to him the everlasting Gospel. Scattered Israel is coming to a knowledge of the truth while the day spoken of by Jeremiah is dawning. "O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto Thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." (Jeremiah xvi:19.)

These predictions are being fulfilled and will be fulfilled to the very letter; and as the apostasy and its effects were universal, so will the restoration of the Gospel be universal, extending to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, until Satan shall be bound and the voice of "peace on earth and to men good will" shall be heard from the rivers to the ends of the earth; when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea;" and when "they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for all shall know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest."

RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL.

Having shown conclusively that the Church of Christ in its purity and entirety was taken from the earth, we find the world without divine authority, without ordinances of the Gospel, having a "form of godliness but denying the power thereof." "From such turn away."

This would be truly a sad picture to gaze upon and contemplate, were it not that the Lord also revealed to the apostles and prophets anciently that in the last days there would be a restoration of all that had been enjoyed in previous dispensations. The apostle Peter, speaking of the second advent of the Messiah, prophesied as follows: "And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." (Acts iii:20, 21). This prediction is so plain that a "wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein."

A restitution means bringing back that which was lost; even if God had not spoken by the mouth of many prophets since the beginning, giving in detail various conditions which would be restored to the earth, this prophecy would be sufficient in itself in assuring "a restitution of all things" to justify mankind in looking for a new dispensation containing all the gifts and powers of the apostolic age.

These gifts and powers do not exist in the Catholic church, nor in any Protestant denomination of modern Christendom. Nothing short of new revelation from God will fulfill the prediction of the apostle Peter.

The twenty-second and twenty-third verses of the same prophecy read: "For Moses truly said unto the fathers" (his prophecy here quoted by Peter is found in Deuteronomy, 18th chapter, commencing with the fifteenth verse), "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people." This prophecy undoubtedly refers to the Savior, but the conditions specified were never verified at His first coming. Those who would not hear Him were not destroyed from among the people. It is plain therefore that the prediction must allude to His second advent. In this connection, we refer our readers to the third chapter of Malachi, 1 to 3, inclusive: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and He shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in, behold He shall come, said the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap, and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

These conditions did not exist when Jesus came as the Babe of Bethlehem. The people then abode His coming. They despised Him, and persecuted Him to the death. The sons of Levi were not purged. Many centuries have elapsed since they offered an acceptable offering unto the Lord, so far as we are informed in sacred or other history. The Messiah did not come suddenly; He came as other infants came, only under humbler circumstances, being born in a stable and cradled in a manger. Truly does the Scripture say: "He descended below all things that He might rise above all things." He did not come to His temple, for He said that "the foxes had holes and birds of the air had nests, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head;" and again that the temple occupied by money changers, rather than being a house of prayer, had become a "den of thieves."

When He comes in verification of Malachi's prophecy, He will come suddenly and in power and great glory. He will find a temple to come to. To do this, there must be a people called of God, instructed by revelation direct, in order to know where, when and how to erect, in keeping with divine approval, such a sacred edifice. Such information cannot be found in the written word of bygone ages, much less in the writings and commentaries of learned divines who deny the necessity of new and continuous revelation. Nothing short of a new Gospel dispensation, ushered in and perpetuated by direct revelation from the Lord, can fulfill the provisions of Malachi's prediction.

Passing on to chapter four of Malachi's prophecy, we find the inspired utterances respecting the judgments of God, the burning and overthrow of the wicked and the rising of the Son of Righteousness to those who fear His holy name. In the fifth verse it is said: "Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." This is so definite that comments are unnecessary. The prophet Elijah who was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire without tasting death is doubtless referred to.

In the verse following the one quoted, the mission of Elijah is specified to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers." How consistent and glorious such a mission! The children receiving the Gospel in a new dispensation naturally inquire what has become of their fathers who died without the Gospel. In other pages of this volume, referring to the redemption of the dead, we notice more fully this prophecy and testify that Elijah has come and also restored the keys of salvation for the dead.

Zechariah saw the time when Jerusalem should be rebuilt, and said: "Behold, the angel that talked with me went forth and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, run, speak with the young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein." (Zech. ii:3, 4.) Continuing, the prophet speaks of Israel coming from the North, and from Babylon, and being gathered to their inheritances, and that God Himself "shall dwell in the midst of thee." The Scriptures are replete with similar prophecies pointing to the gathering of Israel to Zion and Jerusalem, the coming of the Lord, and other important events. How any one could believe that these glorious prophecies could be verified without more revelation and the establishment of a new dispensation of the Gospel, is more of a marvel to a true believer in the Bible than is believing in prophecy, revelations, visions, miracles, etc.

In Revelations, chapter xiv, verses 6 and 7, we have the following very clear prophecy on this important subject: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and sea, and the fountains of waters." The inspired utterance cannot have reference to an event in the age in which it was uttered for two reasons at least: first, the people had the Gospel at the time, and John's mission was to declare the same; second, the voice from heaven as recorded in Rev. iv:1, 2, called to John saying, "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."

"What is prophecy but history reversed?" Thus the book of Revelation is one unbroken chain of prophetic history from first to last. The declaration that an angel should come with the Gospel is proof that the Gospel would be taken away. Again, the angel was to come in the "hour of God's judgment," a day not at all fulfilled during the earthly ministry of our Savior. One of the most remarkable features of the prophecy is that the inhabitants of the earth, without exception (every nation, kindred, tongue and people, is included in the glorious message), are called upon to worship Him who made the heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of water.

When we come to the subject of personality of God, it will be our purpose to show that the "God without body, parts, and passions" is not the God who made the heaven and the earth, and hence the necessity of just such an injunction as that quoted from the fourteenth chapter of Revelation being given to the world in the last days. The specifications of the prophecy are plain. The question which logically follows is, "Has that angel come?" If he has not, then he must do so, or the word of God is null and void, and this is impossible. "Not one jot or tittle shall fall unfulfilled." "Though heaven and earth shall pass away, my word shall never pass away."

Certainly the angel has not come to any Catholic or Protestant ministers, for they dispute the necessity of angels. The only claim to the reception of the heavenly message is made by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and his followers, who testify that the angel came to the young man Joseph. It will not do to dismiss this claim by saying that "false prophets shall come," for false prophets, counterfeit coin, and every spurious imitation exists as a counterfeit to the true article, so that the existence of false prophets is usually a very fair indication that true prophets are not far away.

Following the coming of the angel having the Gospel to restore was to be another, urging the Saints to come out of Babylon: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. xviii:4.) Thus it is a gathering dispensation, as stated by Paul in the first chapter of Ephesians. The Savior, in speaking of the signs associated with His second coming and the consummation of His Father's work in the last days, says: "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. xxiv:14. ) This prophecy was uttered in connection with the stating of other signs given by the Savior respecting His second advent, and in answer to a question by the disciples: "Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?"

"This Gospel of the kingdom;" "The Everlasting Gospel;" The Gospel of apostles, prophets, revelations, visions, miracles and all the gifts of the Holy Ghost. This only true Gospel could not be preached for a witness unto all nations unless restored to earth by modern revelations, for the religious world, so far as enjoying the true Gospel is concerned, comes under the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter ix:2: "For behold darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people;" and again, chapter xxiv:5: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant," all this going to prove the necessity of a Gospel restoration.

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray He instructed them to say, among other things, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." (Matt. vi:10.) If the kingdom referred to by Him had come, He would not have instructed them to pray for what they already possessed. They were looking for a future day.