Part 3

A little later, John bore testimony to those assembled about him, thus: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

[Sidenote: Who the Comforter is.]

Now, this Spirit that John saw descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus was the same Spirit that Jesus later promised--as we learned in the preceding chapter--and that was to testify of Him. Concerning this Spirit Jesus said also just before His crucifixion, "I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."

Who, then, is this Spirit, this Comforter? Jesus tells plainly: "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." The Holy Ghost, then, is a special witness to Jesus; and the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead in heaven. When Jesus commissioned the apostles after His resurrection to preach the Gospel, He said to them, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing {43} them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It is further clear that, as a member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is a member separate and distinct from God and the Son; for at the baptism of the Son, all three were individually and separately present.

[Sidenote: The mission of the Holy Ghost.]

The duties of the Holy Ghost are many. When Nicodemus came by night to be instructed by Jesus, Jesus assured him that, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;" for, said He, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." This means, of course, that when one receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, one enters upon a new spiritual life. And in bringing about such a new spiritual life, the Holy Ghost convinces the sinner of his evil deeds, and leads him to the truth, testifying as we have already learned of the Christ.

[Sidenote: The Holy Ghost in Jesus and the apostles.]

Jesus, himself, was "full of the Holy Ghost." After the ascension. His promise of a Comforter was literally fulfilled to the Apostles. On the day of Pentecost, they "were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

[Sidenote: The Holy Ghost amongst the Nephites.]

On the American continent, too, as you must remember, Jesus chose twelve apostles. The Holy Ghost rested mightily upon them, and the way in which Jesus conferred the Holy Ghost on them is interesting. The third Nephi records the incident in these words: "It came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, {44} He touched with His hand the disciples whom He had chosen, one by one, even until He had touched them all, and spake unto them as He touched them." Moroni describes the incident more fully: "The words of Christ, which He spake unto His disciples, the twelve whom He had chosen, as He laid His hands upon them. And He called them by name, saying, ye shall call on the Father, in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this, ye shall have power that on him whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles."

[Sidenote: How to confer the Holy Ghost.]

As Jesus Himself did, then, amongst the Nephites, and as He instructed the Nephite apostles to do, so also did the Jewish apostles. They conferred the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is the proper way. When the Church was re-established by the great American, Joseph Smith, the ordinance of the laying on of hands was restored with it.

[Sidenote: Nature of the Holy Ghost.]

Now, you may be wondering, what kind of being is the Holy Ghost, that it may be conferred by the laying on of hands? Many people have wondered about the same thing. Indeed, even learned men have wondered so much that they have become utterly confused. Yet, here again, the truth is very simple. Jesus said to Joseph Smith, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."

{45} [Sidenote: Importance of the Holy Ghost.]

You can readily see that the Holy Ghost is a very important personage. First, He is a member of the Godhead. Then, through His influence we are led from darkness into light, and are thus enabled to recognize the truth. Then He testifies of Jesus Christ, and of God who sent Him. Indeed, so important is the testimony of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ Himself asserted that all sins may be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost. And to Joseph Smith, Jesus said that the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost consisted in the denying of the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, after having once received that testimony, and thus approving of His death. The denial of such a testimony would be the denial of the Holy Ghost also; for "no man can know that Jesus is the Christ, but by the Holy Ghost."

THE REFERENCES

Matt. 3:13-16. John 3:34.

John 1:32-35. Acts 2:1-4.

John 16:7, 8, 13. 3 Nephi 18:36, 37.

John 14:26. Moroni 2:1,2.

Matt. 28:19. Doc. and Cov. 33:15.

John 6:53. Doc. and Cov. 130:22.

Luke 4:1-20. Doc. and Cov. 132:27.

THE QUESTIONS

1. How old was Jesus when He went to John to be baptized?

2. Why was Jesus baptized?

3. How did John recognize Jesus as the Son of God?

4. Who is the Comforter?

5. What is His relation to God and to Jesus?

6. What is the mission of the Holy Ghost?

7. How is the Holy Ghost conferred?

8. What kind of being is the Holy Ghost?

9. Why is the Holy Ghost of special importance?

{46} PICTURE: CHRIST HEALING THE BLIND MAN, Bida

{47}

VI

BEFORE THERE WAS AN EARTH

[Sidenote: A remarkable vision.]

The brother of Jared had cut from Mount Shelem sixteen small stones, clear and transparent as glass. The barges in which his people were to cross the ocean were prepared; but he had been unable to devise a means of lighting them. So, with childlike faith and complete confidence he called upon the Father.

"I know, O Lord," said the brother of Jared, "that Thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever Thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with Thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light when we shall cross the sea . . . .

"And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth His hand and touched the stones, one by one with His finger; and the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was like the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear."

You may easily imagine that such a vision would amaze any man. And the brother of Jared, though he was a very good and righteous man, and a prophet of God, seems not to have suspected before this time that God and Jesus Christ had bodies of flesh as material {48} and tangible as man's. What the brother of Jared thought God to be, we do not know. But when the Lord saw that he had fallen to the ground in amazement, He said, "Arise, why hast thou fallen?"

"And he saith unto the Lord, I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest He should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood."

But much as the brother of Jared was astonished at this marvelous revelation, there remained for him yet greater wonders. The Lord commended him for his great faith, which had made it possible for him to see the finger of the Lord. Then the Lord asked, "Sawest thou more than this? And he answered Nay; Lord, show Thyself unto me."

"Behold, the Lord showed Himself unto him, and said....Behold, I am He who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. And never have I shown myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning, after mine own image.

"Behold, this body which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit, and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit, will I appear unto my people in the flesh."

{49} [Sidenote: The pre-existence of Jesus.]

This marvelous vision, the brother of Jared beheld many hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Do you think you understand the great truths that Jesus here revealed to the Jaredite prophet? First, it must be evident to everyone that Jesus had existence--that He lived and worked--before He was born in the flesh upon the earth. But what kind of existence was this pre-existence? It was an existence in the spirit state. And the spirit body of Jesus is in form and shape just like the mortal body; so that, when Jesus helped to form man. He formed him after the image of His own body. This is the second great truth we learn from the remarkable vision. And a third is, that Jesus was appointed "from the foundation of the world" to redeem mankind. In the pre-existence He labored for us; there He was chosen to redeem us. His mission upon the earth, and the sacrifice of His noble life, were but the completion of a plan formulated long before He was born.

[Sidenote: The spirits of all men eternal.]

Now, you may say, "Of course, we know that Jesus lived before He was born in the flesh, and that He had a spirit of the same form and shape as His mortal body, and that He was chosen in that pre-existent life to redeem the world from sin. But it may not be so with man."

That is one of the wonderful things about life. We are here passing through only one small stage of it. Jesus taught that the spirits of all men are eternal just like His own. For Jesus truly recognized and understood His own pre-existence. Said He, once, as He prayed, "And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with {50} Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." And at another time He asked, "What and if Ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." Thus, with complete assurance He spoke of the time that had been before; and with the same assurance He accepted the teaching that man, too, existed before he was born in the flesh.

[Sidenote: The man born blind.]

One day, in the temple, Jesus had taught this very doctrine to the Jews. In answer to one of their questions. He had replied, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Before Abraham was I am." The answer provoked the Jews, and they took up stones to stone Him. "But Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

Then follows a remarkable little story, touching the doctrine He had just presented in the temple, and here discussed in this chapter. "As Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Now, we must remember that in those days people believed affliction to be always a punishment for some sin or other. We can easily understand that the parents of the man might have sinned; and through their sin, they might have brought blindness upon their son. But since he was born blind, how could the affliction have come as the result of his own sin? In only one way. If the man had had an existence before he was {51} born in the flesh, he might there have sinned. The Lord might then have punished him for his sin by causing him to be born blind.

Evidently, the disciples understood that there is a pre-existent state. But were they right? If they were not, surely Jesus would correct them. Listen. Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Jesus, then, did not rebuke them. He, too, accepted the doctrine. At least, the affliction of blindness was not because of sin committed in the spirit world. And the works of God were truly made manifest in the miracle which Jesus then performed.

[Sidenote: Conclusion.]

From the teachings of Jesus, in the spirit and in the flesh, it is clear, then, that the spirits of all men existed in the spirit world long before they were born into bodies of flesh in this world; that the body of the spirit is like the mortal body in form; and that Jesus was chosen before the earth was organized to redeem mankind from sin.

"We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live?"

THE REFERENCES

Ether 3:4-16. John 17:28.

John 17:5. John 9:1-7.

John 6:62. Heb. 12:9.

{52} THE QUESTIONS

1. Relate the story of the vision of the brother of Jared?

2. What was it that enabled the brother of Jared to behold so remarkable a vision?

3. What three important points are taught in the vision?

4. How did Jesus show in His teachings in the flesh that He believed in a pre-existence?

5. What lesson do you derive from the story of the healing of the man born blind?

6. What is the teaching of Jesus brought out in this lesson?

7. How should this knowledge of a spirit existence affect our lives on the earth?

{53}

{54} PICTURE: THE SOWER, Millet

{55}

VII

THE PRESENCE OF EVIL

[Sidenote: A review.]

Let us stop now for a moment and think before we proceed to the special subject of this chapter. It is clear, from what we have learned, that Jesus had a very specific mission to perform on the earth. He did not come merely to display miraculous power. He came to save mankind--to teach them to know God and His commands, and to show them, further, how to keep the commands. And the wonderful thing about the mission of Jesus is that He was willing to suffer as no other man has ever suffered and finally to lay down His life in order to bring about the purpose of God.

And the great purpose of God in this world is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. For just as Jesus did not come merely to show how He could perform wonders, so God did not organize the earth and put living things upon it only to display His power. He had a far greater and higher purpose. That the purpose may be accomplished, man must learn to know God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent.

[Sidenote: The problem of evil.]

Now, it may seem to you that, if God were so desirous of saving mankind that He was willing to give His only Begotten Son to accomplish the desire, He could have made it very easy for men to keep His commands. Indeed, He might have made His will the only possible thing to do. But it is not so. It is not ever really difficult to keep the commands of God if one sets his mind to keep them; but there are always so many other things {56} possible to do that one is tempted to neglect the word of God. Evil is always in the way. We wonder why there should be evil in the way, and how evil came to be. Men have wondered about the same thing for many ages. It would be so much easier to be good if there were no wrong. In this lesson, therefore, we want to learn how evil came into the world; in the next one, we shall learn why it is here.

[Sidenote: The parable of the sower.]

One day, when a great multitude of people had assembled about Him, Jesus related the parable of the sower. Said He, "A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold....

[Sidenote: The meaning.]

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good {57} heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

[Sidenote: The devil the power of evil.]

It is the devil, then, who, in this world, is the power of evil. Directly or indirectly he gets between man and the path of duty. Although a man may know the way of righteousness, the devil tempts him to neglect it, or even to depart from it and to walk in the way of evil. But who is the devil? Whence did he get such power? How came he to be the devil?

[Sidenote: A council of the spirits.]

In the pre-existent state, of which we learned in the preceding lesson, all the spirits of men lived together in a world of spirits. It was there that they first heard of the plan of salvation--the Gospel. The plan was explained at a great meeting, or council, of the spirits. God Himself presented the plan to them, and showed them how, in order to carry out the plan, there would be needed a Savior--someone to perform the very mission that Jesus has actually performed for us. Then, when he had fully presented the Gospel plan, God asked, "Whom shall I send?"

[Sidenote: Jesus Volunteers.]

There was present at the council a spirit of supreme intelligence and humility. He was Immanuel, the Son of God. This spirit stepped forward and volunteered unselfishly, "Father, here am I, send me. Thy will be done, and the glory be Thine forever."

[Sidenote: Lucifer volunteers.]

But there was present at the assembly a proud and haughty spirit named Lucifer, the Light-bringer, a Son of the Morning. Lucifer also volunteered, saying, "Behold--here am I, {58} send me, I will be Thy son and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me Thine honor."

One can easily imagine that not only God, but the whole multitude of spirits also, must have been astounded at the selfishness and the arrogance of Lucifer. He was willing to try to save mankind--to force their salvation, in fact--but as reward he would thrust God from His throne, and claim for himself the honor and glory of God. It was as if he had said in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God."

[Sidenote: Lucifer rebels.]

It is no wonder, then, that God said simply, "I will send the first." Naturally, Lucifer became angry, and rebelled against God, carrying with him one-third of the spirits of heaven. But in the war which followed, Lucifer and his host were defeated, and were cast out of heaven. "And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto (God's) voice."

[Sidenote: The declaration of Jesus.]

That is how evil came into the world; and that is why Jesus said once to the Jews who rejected Him, "If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and am come from God: neither came I of myself, but He sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode {59} not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

THE REFERENCES

Luke 8:4-15. Isa. 14:12, 13.

Moses 4:1-4. Doc. and Cov. 29:36-38.

Abraham 3:27, 28. Doc. and Cov. 76:25-27.

John 8:42-44.

THE QUESTIONS

1. Why is one tempted to neglect the word of God?

2. What is the lesson of the parable of the sower?

3. Who is the sower of evil in the world?

4. How did Satan come to be the devil?

5. What is the devil's mission on the earth?

6. How did Jesus characterize the devil?

{60} PICTURE: TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, Scheffer

{61}

VIII

WHY EVIL IS IN THE WORLD

[Sidenote: The devil's desperate hope.]

No better illustration of the mission of the devil on the earth can be found than the story of the temptation of Jesus. You remember, that, when Jesus was grown to manhood He went to the river Jordan and was baptized by John. "Then," we are told, "was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered."

This was a very important and a critical moment in the history of the world. Jesus was about to begin the splendid ministry which was to culminate in His death on the cross for the redemption of the world. If He should succeed in His mission, the power of evil would be broken, and it would become possible for man to return to the presence of God. Of course, Satan was much disturbed at such a thought. He had gained such power on the earth that he had come to be called the prince of this world. It angered him to think that he might lose that power. In desperation, he determined to try his strength with Jesus. If he could but bring about the downfall of the Son of God, God's plan would certainly be thwarted, and Satan might hope utterly to possess the earth. It was a wicked ambition; but it was in fulfillment of his mission among men. So Satan set about to tempt even the Only Begotten of the Father.

[Sidenote: The temptation of Jesus.]

"And when the tempter came to Him (Jesus), he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He (Jesus) answered and {62} said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written. He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."

[Sidenote: The application.]