Joseph Smith restored the true knowledge associated with three basic truths: Where did we come from? What are we doing here? Where are we going? Embodied in those three questions is the knowledge he restored about the plan of salvation. This is the topic of February's correlated lesson materials in all the age groups throughout the Church worldwide. The goals of the Correlation Program have finally been realized and are now in full flower.
Those goals included bringing all the lesson materials into harmony under priesthood leadership and direction. Gone are the days when Relief Society and priesthood quorums are teaching something different on a Sunday than what their children are getting in Young Men and Young Women groups. Even the Sunday School lessons have been carefully correlated so that when a family sits down around their dinner table they can share what each age group learned that day in their three-hour block meetings.
Many years ago I spent some time looking at what Joseph Smith offered in his teachings about the plan of salvation. In Alma 42, we find "the plan" referred to as "the great plan of salvation", "the plan of happiness", and "the plan of mercy". All are synonyms, of course.
Implicit in our understanding of "a plan" is the obvious necessity and reality of a Planner. Joseph learned about the plan from the Planner. Nothing should be simpler to understand than that.
What follows are Joseph's teachings about the various topics under the broad topic of the plan of salvation. I hope it will serve as a handy reference guide to what the Prophet Joseph taught as you prepare your plan of salvation lessons this month (and beyond):
THE GREAT PLAN OF SALVATION, HAPPINESS, MERCY (SEE ALMA 42):
Those goals included bringing all the lesson materials into harmony under priesthood leadership and direction. Gone are the days when Relief Society and priesthood quorums are teaching something different on a Sunday than what their children are getting in Young Men and Young Women groups. Even the Sunday School lessons have been carefully correlated so that when a family sits down around their dinner table they can share what each age group learned that day in their three-hour block meetings.
Many years ago I spent some time looking at what Joseph Smith offered in his teachings about the plan of salvation. In Alma 42, we find "the plan" referred to as "the great plan of salvation", "the plan of happiness", and "the plan of mercy". All are synonyms, of course.
Implicit in our understanding of "a plan" is the obvious necessity and reality of a Planner. Joseph learned about the plan from the Planner. Nothing should be simpler to understand than that.
What follows are Joseph's teachings about the various topics under the broad topic of the plan of salvation. I hope it will serve as a handy reference guide to what the Prophet Joseph taught as you prepare your plan of salvation lessons this month (and beyond):
THE GREAT PLAN OF SALVATION, HAPPINESS, MERCY (SEE ALMA 42):
The
spirits of men and women are eternal.
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (hereafter “TPJS”), 157-58:
Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of
the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will
call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the
coming of the Son of Man. He
(Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all
men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand
council. This may take place
before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is
given him glory and dominion. Adam
delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him
as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the
human family.
The
spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist
to eternity. Anything created
cannot be eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary
state, from eternity. Our Savior speaks
of children and says, Their angels always stand before my Father. The Father called all spirits before Him at
the creation of man, and organized them. He (Adam) is the head, and was told to
multiply. The keys were first given to
him, and by him to others. He will have
to give an account of his stewardship, and they to him.
TPJS, 208:
Without
attempting to describe this mysterious connection, and the laws that govern the
body and the spirit of man, their relationship to each other, and the design of
God in relation to the human body and spirit, I would just remark, that the
spirits of men are eternal, that they are governed by the same
Priesthood that Abraham, Melchizedek, and the Apostles were: that they
are organized according to that Priesthood which is everlasting, "without
beginning of days or end of years,"—that they all move in their
respective spheres, and are governed by the law of God. . .
***
In the council of the Gods the plan of the Eternal Father was sustained. It provided for the creation of an earth whereupon His children would receive physical bodies and would be tested according to His commandments.
TPJS, 348-49:
I shall comment on the very first
Hebrew word in the Bible; I will make a comment on the very first sentence of
the history of the creation in the Bible — Berosheit. I want to analyze the word. Baith — in, by, through, and
everything else. Rosh — the
head. Sheit — grammatical
termination. When the inspired man wrote
it, he did not put the baith there.
An old Jew without any authority added the word; he thought it too bad
to begin to talk about the head! It read
first, "The head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods." That is the true meaning of the words. Baurau signifies to bring forth. If you do not believe it, you do not believe
the learned man of God. Learned men can
teach you no more than what I have told you.
Thus the head God brought
forth the Gods in the grand council.
. . . The head God called together the
Gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world. The grand councilors sat at the head in
yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds which were created
at the time. . .
. . . I should not have introduced this
testimony, were it not to back up the word rosh — the head, the Father of the Gods. I should not have brought it up, only to show
that I am right.
***
A grand council in heaven was convened.
I have a declaration to make as to the
provisions which God hath made to suit the conditions of man — made from before
the foundation of the world. What
has Jesus said? All sin, and all
blasphemies, and every transgression, except one, that man can be guilty of,
may be forgiven; and there is a salvation for all men, either in this world or
the world to come, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, there being a
provision either in this world or the world of spirits. Hence God hath made a provision that every
spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted out and saved unless he has
committed that unpardonable sin which cannot be remitted to him either in this
world or the world of spirits. God has
wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have committed a certain sin;
and every man who has a friend in the eternal world can save him, unless he has
committed the unpardonable sin.
And so you can see how far you can be a savior.
A man cannot commit the unpardonable
sin after the dissolution of the body, and there is a way possible for escape. Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of
spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge. So long as a man will not give heed to the
commandments, he must abide without salvation. If a man has knowledge, he can be saved;
although, if he has been guilty of great sins, he will be punished for them.
But when he consents to obey the Gospel,
whether here or in the world of spirits, he is saved.
A man is his own tormenter and his own
condemner. Hence the saying, They shall
go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of
man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man.
I know the Scriptures and understand
them. I said, no man can commit the unpardonable
sin after the dissolution of the body, nor in this life, until he receives the
Holy Ghost; but they must do it in this world. Hence the salvation of Jesus Christ was
wrought out for all men, in order to triumph over the devil; for if it
did not catch him in one place, it would in another; for he stood up as a Savior. All will suffer until they obey Christ
himself.
The contention in heaven was — Jesus
said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said
he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave
their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So
the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put
up their heads for him. (Book of Moses —
Pearl of Great Price, Chap. 4:1-4; Book of Abraham, Chap. 3:23-28.)
***
Some
were foreordained to be prophets.
My enemies say that I have been
a true prophet. Why, I had rather be a
fallen true prophet than a false prophet.
When a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his
teachings, he must either be a true or false prophet. False prophets always arise to oppose the
true prophets and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will
deceive almost the very chosen ones.
The doctrine of eternal judgments
belongs to the first principles of the Gospel, in the last days. In relation to the kingdom of God, the devil
always sets up his kingdom at the very same time in opposition to God. Every man who has a calling to minister to
the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand
Council of heaven before this world was.
I suppose I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council. It is the testimony that I want that I am God's
servant, and this people His people. The ancient prophets declared that in the last
days the God of heaven should set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed,
nor left to other people; and the very time that was calculated on, this people
were struggling to bring it out. He that
arms himself with gun, sword, or pistol, except in the defense of truth, will
sometime be sorry for it. I never carry
any weapon with me bigger than my penknife.
When I was dragged before the cannon and muskets in Missouri, I was
unarmed. God will always protect me
until my mission is fulfilled.
I calculate to be one of the
instruments of setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of the Lord, and I
intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. I once offered my life to the Missouri mob as
a sacrifice for my people, and here I am.
It will not be by sword or gun that this kingdom will roll on: the
power of truth is such that all nations will be under the necessity of obeying
the Gospel. The prediction is
that army will be against army: it may be that the Saints will have to beat
their ploughs into swords, for it will not do for men to sit down patiently and
see their children destroyed.
***
Spiritual death occurred when we were separated from God at birth. To overcome its effects requires that we be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
TPJS, 48:
Who but those who have duly considered
the condescension of the Father of our spirits, in providing a sacrifice for
His creatures, a plan of redemption, a power of atonement, a scheme of
salvation, having as its great objects, the bringing of men back into the
presence of the King of heaven, crowning them in the celestial glory, and
making them heirs with the Son to that inheritance which is incorruptible,
undefiled, and which fadeth not away — who but such can realize the importance
of a perfect walk before all men, and a diligence in calling upon all men to
partake of these blessings? How indescribably glorious are these things to
mankind! Of a truth they may be
considered tidings of great joy to all people; and tidings, too, that ought to
fill the earth and cheer the heart of every one when sounded in his ears. The reflection that everyone is to receive
according to his own diligence and perseverance while in the vineyard, ought to
inspire everyone who is called to be a minister of these glad tidings, to so
improve his talent that he may gain other talents, that when the Master sits
down to take an account of the conduct of His servants, it may be said, Well
done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things; I
will now make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
***
These principles and ordinances were instituted before the foundation of the world. They are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved by the same requirements.
But that man was not able himself to
erect a system, or plan with power sufficient to free him from a destruction
which awaited him is evident from the fact that God, as before remarked, prepared
a sacrifice in the gift of His own Son who should be sent in due time, to
prepare a way, or open a door through which man might enter into the Lord's
presence, whence he had been cast out for disobedience. From time to time these glad tidings were
sounded in the ears of men in different ages of the world down to the time of
Messiah's coming. By faith in this
atonement or plan of redemption, Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was
accepted, which was the firstlings of the flock. Cain offered of the fruit of the ground,
and was not accepted, because he could not do it in faith, he could have no
faith, or could not exercise faith contrary to the plan of heaven. It must be shedding the blood of the Only
Begotten to atone for man; for this was the plan of redemption; and without the
shedding of blood was no remission; and as the sacrifice was instituted for a
type, by which man was to discern the great Sacrifice which God had prepared;
to offer a sacrifice contrary to that, no faith could be exercised, because
redemption was not purchased in that way, nor the power of atonement instituted
after that order; consequently Cain could have no faith; and whatsoever is not
of faith, is sin. But Abel offered an
acceptable sacrifice, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
Himself testifying of his gifts.
Certainly, the shedding of the blood of a beast could be beneficial to
no man, except it was done in imitation, or as a type, or explanation of what
was to be offered through the gift of God Himself; and this performance done
with an eye looking forward in faith on the power of that great Sacrifice for a
remission of sins. But however various
may have been, and may be at the present time, the opinions of men respecting the
conduct of Abel, and the knowledge which he had on the subject of atonement, it
is evident in our minds, that he was instructed more fully in the plan than
what the Bible speaks of, for how could he offer a sacrifice in faith, looking
to God for a remission of his sins in the power of the great atonement, without
having been previously instructed in that plan?
And further, if he was accepted of God, what were the ordinances
performed further than the offering of the firstlings of the flock?
It is said by Paul in his letter to the
Hebrew brethren, that Abel obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts. To whom did God
testify of the gifts of Abel, was it to Paul?
We have very little on this important subject in the forepart of the
Bible. But it is said that Abel himself
obtained witness that he was righteous.
Then certainly God spoke to him: indeed, it is said that God talked with
him; and if He did, would He not, seeing that Abel was righteous deliver to him
the whole plan of the Gospel? And is not
the Gospel the news of the redemption?
How could Abel offer a sacrifice and look forward with faith on the Son
of God for a remission of his sins, and not understand the Gospel? The mere shedding of the blood of beasts or
offering anything else in sacrifice, could not procure a remission of sins,
except it were performed in faith of something to come; if it could, Cain's
offering must have been as good as Abel's.
And if Abel was taught of the coming of the Son of God, was he not taught
also of His ordinances? We
all admit that the Gospel has ordinances, and if so, had it not always
ordinances, and were not its ordinances always the same?
Perhaps our friends will say that the
Gospel and its ordinances were not known till the days of John, the son of
Zacharias, in the days of Herod, the king of Judea. But we will here look at this point: For our
own part we cannot believe that the ancients in all ages were so ignorant of
the system of heaven as many suppose, since all that were ever saved, were
saved through the power of this great plan of redemption, as much before the
coming of Christ as since; if not, God has had different plans in operation (if
we may so express it), to bring men back to dwell with Himself; and this we
cannot believe, since there has been no change in the constitution of man since
he fell; and the ordinance or institution of offering blood in sacrifice, was
only designed to be performed till Christ was offered up and shed His blood —
as said before — that man might look forward in faith to that time. It will be noticed that, according to Paul,
(see Gal. 3:8) the Gospel was
preached to Abraham. We would like to be
informed in what name the Gospel was then preached, whether it was in the name
of Christ or some other name. If in any
other name, was it the Gospel? And if it
was the Gospel, and that preached in the name of Christ, had it any ordinances? If not, was it the Gospel? And if it had ordinances what were they? Our friends may say, perhaps, that there were
never any ordinances except those of offering sacrifices before the coming of
Christ, and that it could not be possible before the Gospel to have been
administered while the law of sacrifices of blood was in force. But we will recollect that Abraham offered
sacrifice, and notwithstanding this, had the Gospel preached to him. That the offering of sacrifice was only to
point the mind forward to Christ, we infer from these remarkable words of Jesus
to the Jews: "Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it,
and was glad" (John 8:56). So, then, because the ancients offered
sacrifice it did not hinder their hearing the Gospel; but served, as we said
before, to open their eyes, and enable them to look forward to the time of the
coming of the Savior, and rejoice in His redemption. We find also, that when the Israelites came
out of Egypt they had the Gospel preached to them, according to Paul in his
letter to the Hebrews, which says: "For unto us was the Gospel preached,
as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it" (see Heb. 4:2). It is said again, in Gal. 3:19, that the law (of
Moses, or the Levitical law) was "added" because of
transgression. What, we ask, was this
law added to, if it was not added to the Gospel? It must be plain that it was added to the
Gospel, since we learn that they had the Gospel preached to them. From these few facts, we conclude that whenever the
Lord revealed Himself to men in ancient days, and commanded them to offer
sacrifice to Him, that it was done that they might look forward in faith to the
time of His coming, and rely upon the power of that atonement for a remission
of their sins. And this they
have done, thousands who have gone before us, whose garments are spotless, and
who are, like Job, waiting with an assurance like his, that they will see Him
in the latter day upon the earth, even in their flesh.
We may conclude, that though there were
different dispensations, yet all things which God communicated to His people
were calculated to draw their minds to the great object, and to teach them to
rely upon God alone as the author of their salvation, as contained in His law.
It was the design of the councils of
heaven before the world was, that the principles and laws of the priesthood
should be predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the
world. Jesus did everything to gather the people, and
they would not be gathered, and He therefore poured out curses upon them. Ordinances instituted in the heavens before
the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are
not to be altered or changed. All
must be saved on the same principles.
It is for the same purpose that God
gathers together His people in the last days, to build unto the Lord a house to
prepare them for the ordinances and endowments, washings and anointings, etc. One of the ordinances of the house of the Lord
is baptism for the dead. God decreed
before the foundation of the world that the ordinance should be administered in
a font prepared for that purpose in the house of the Lord. "This is only your opinion, sir,"
says the sectarian.* * *
If a man gets a fullness of the
priesthood of God he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained
it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances
of the house of the Lord.
Where there is no change of priesthood,
there is no change of ordinances, says Paul. If God has not
changed the ordinances and the priesthood, howl, ye sectarians! If he has, when and where has He revealed it? Have ye turned revelators? Then why deny revelation?
In regard to the law of the Priesthood,
there should be a place where all nations shall come up from time to time to
receive their endowments; and the Lord has said this shall be the place for the
baptisms for the dead. Every
man that has been baptized and belongs to the kingdom has a right to be
baptized for those who have gone before; and as soon as the law of the Gospel
is obeyed here by their friends who act as proxy for them, the Lord has
administrators there to set them free.
A man may act as proxy for his own relatives; the ordinances of the
Gospel which were laid out before the foundations of the world have thus been
fulfilled by them, and we may be baptized for those whom we have much
friendship for; but it must first be revealed to the man of God, lest we should
run too far. "As in Adam all die, even so
in Christ shall all be made alive;" all shall be raised from the dead. The Lamb of God hath brought to pass the
resurrection, so that all shall rise from the dead.
God Almighty Himself dwells in eternal
fire; flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured by the
fire. "Our God is a consuming
fire." When our flesh is quickened by
the Spirit, there will be no blood in this tabernacle. Some dwell in higher glory than others.
Those who have done wrong always have
that wrong gnawing them. Immortality
dwells in everlasting burnings. I will
from time to time reveal to you the subjects that are revealed by the Holy
Ghost to me. All the lies that are now
hatched up against me are of the devil, and the influence of the devil and his
servants will be used against the kingdom of God. The servants of God teach nothing but
principles of eternal life, by their works ye shall know them. A good man will speak good things and holy
principles, and an evil man evil things.
I feel, in the name of the Lord, to rebuke all such bad principles,
liars, &c., and I warn all of you to look out whom you are going
after. I exhort you to give heed to all
the virtue and the teachings which I have given you. All men who are immortal dwell in everlasting
burnings. You cannot go anywhere but
where God can find you out. All
men are born to die, and all men must rise; all must enter eternity.
***
The priesthood administers the ordinances of salvation.
TPJS, 158:
The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist to
eternity. Anything created cannot be
eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary state,
from eternity. Our Savior speaks of
children and says, Their angels always stand before my Father. The Father called all spirits before Him at
the creation of man, and organized them.
He (Adam) is the head, and was told to multiply. The keys were first given to him, and by him
to others. He will have to give an
account of his stewardship, and they to him.
The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior,
Moses, and Elias, gave the keys to Peter, James and John, on the mount, when
they were transfigured before him. The
Priesthood is everlasting — without beginning of days or end of years; without
father, mother, etc. If there is no
change of ordinances there is no change of Priesthood. Wherever the ordinances of the Gospel are
administered, there is the Priesthood.
How have we come at the Priesthood in the
last days? It came down, down, in
regular succession. Peter, James, and John had it given to them and they gave
it to others. Christ is the Great High
Priest; Adam next. Paul speaks of the
Church coming to an innumerable company of angels — to God the Judge of all —
the spirits of just men made perfect; to Jesus the Mediator of the new
covenant. (Hebrews 12:22-24.)
I saw Adam in the valley of
Adam-ondi-Ahman. He called together his
children and blessed them with a patriarchal blessing. The Lord appeared in their midst, and he
(Adam) blessed them all, and foretold what should befall them to the latest
generation.
TPJS, 157:
The Priesthood was first given to Adam;
he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from generation to
generation. He obtained it in the
Creation, before the world was formed, as in Genesis 1:26, 27, 28. He had dominion given him over every living
creature. He is Michael the Archangel,
spoken of in the Scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel: he stands next
in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office,
and was the father of all living in this day, and to him was given the
dominion. These men held keys first on
earth, and then in heaven.
The Priesthood is an everlasting
principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity, without
beginning of days or end of years.
The keys have to be brought from heaven
whenever the Gospel is sent. When they
are revealed from heaven, it is by Adam's authority.
Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of
the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will
call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the
coming of the Son of Man. He
(Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all
men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand
council. This may take place
before some of us leave this stage of action.
The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and
dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship
to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe,
but retains his standing as head of the human family.
***
When you die, you are introduced to the spirit world.
All men who become heirs of God and
joint heirs with Jesus Christ will have to receive the fulness of the
ordinances of his kingdom;
and those who will not receive all the ordinances will come short of the
fullness of that glory, if they do not lose the whole.
I will say something about the spirits
in prison. There has been much said by modern divines
about the words of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying, "This
day shalt thou be with me in paradise." King James' translators make it
out to say paradise. But what is
paradise? It is a modern word: it does
not answer at all to the original word that Jesus made use of. Find the original of the word paradise. You may as easily find a needle in a
haymow. Here is a chance for battle, ye
learned men. There is nothing in the
original word in Greek from which this was taken that signifies paradise; but
it was — This day thou shalt be with me in the world of spirits: then I will
teach you all about it and answer your inquiries. And Peter says he went and preached to the
world of spirits (spirits in prison, 1 Peter, 3rd chap. 19th verse), so that
they who would receive it could have it answered by proxy by those who live on
the earth, etc.
The doctrine of baptism for the dead is
clearly shown in the New Testament; and if the doctrine is not good, then throw
the New Testament away; but if it is the word of God, then let the doctrine be
acknowledged; and it was the reason
why Jesus said unto the Jews, "How oft would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!" — that they might attend to the ordinances of baptism for the dead
as well as other ordinances of the priesthood, and receive revelations from
heaven, and be perfected in the things of the kingdom of God — but they would
not. This was the case on the day of
Pentecost: those blessings were poured out on the disciples on that
occasion. God ordained that He would save
the dead, and would do it by gathering His people together.
It always has been when a man was sent
of God with the priesthood and he began to preach the fullness of the gospel,
that he was thrust out by his friends, who are already to butcher him if he
teach things which they imagine to be wrong; and Jesus was crucified upon this
principle.
I will now turn linguist. There are many things in the Bible which do
not, as they now stand, accord with the revelations of the Holy Ghost to me.
I will criticise [sic] a little
further. There has been much said about
the word hell, and the sectarian world have preached much about it, describing
it to be a burning lake of fire and brimstone.
But what is hell? It is another
modern term, and is taken from hades.
I'll hunt after hades as Pat did for the woodchuck.
Hades, the Greek, or Sheol, the Hebrew,
these two significations mean a world of spirits. Hades, Sheol, paradise, spirits in prison, are
all one: it is a world of spirits.
The righteous and the wicked all go to
the same world of spirits until the resurrection.
***
After all have been dealt with equally, a judgment will be rendered.
TPJS, 219:
The situation of the Christian nations
after death, is a subject that has called forth all the wisdom and talent of
the philosopher and the divine, and it is an opinion which is generally
received, that the destiny of man is irretrievably fixed at his death, and that
he is made either eternally happy, or eternally miserable; that if a man dies
without a knowledge of God, he must be eternally damned, without any mitigation
of his punishment, alleviation of his pain, or the most latent hope of a
deliverance while endless ages shall roll along. However orthodox this principle may be, we
shall find that it is at variance with the testimony of Holy Writ, for our
Savior says, that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men
wherewith they shall blaspheme; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall
not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come, evidently
showing that there are sins which may be forgiven in the world to come,
although the sin of blasphemy [against the Holy Ghost] cannot be forgiven. Peter, also, in speaking concerning our
Savior, says, that "He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which
sometimes were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the
days of Noah" (1 Peter 3:19, 20). Here then we have an account of our Savior
preaching to the spirits in prison, to spirits that had been imprisoned from
the days of Noah; and what did He preach to them? That they were to stay there? Certainly not! Let His own declaration testify. "He hath sent me to heal the
broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
of the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18.) Isaiah has it —
"To bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness
from the prison house." (Isaiah 42:7.) It is very evident from this that he not
only went to preach to them, but to deliver, or bring them out of the prison
house. Isaiah, in testifying
concerning the calamities that will overtake the inhabitants of the earth,
says, "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be
removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it;
and it shall fall and not rise again.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the
host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the
earth. And they shall be gathered
together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the
prison, and after many days shall they be visited." Thus we find that God will deal with all the
human family equally, and that as the antediluvians had their day of
visitation, so will those characters referred to by Isaiah, have their time of
visitation and deliverance; after having been many days in prison.
TPJS, 257:
Our heavenly Father is more
liberal
in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to
believe or receive; and, at the
same time, is more
terrible to the workers of iniquity, more
awful in the executions of His punishments, and more
ready to detect every false way, than we are apt to suppose Him to be. He will
be inquired of by His children. He says, "Ask and ye shall receive, seek
and ye shall find;" but, if you will take that which is not your own, or
which I have not given you, you shall be rewarded according to your
deeds; but no good thing will I withhold from them who walk uprightly before
me, and do my will in all things — who will listen to my voice and to the voice
of my servant whom I have sent; for I delight in those who seek diligently to
know my precepts, and abide by the law of my kingdom; for all things shall be
made known unto them in mine own due time, and in the end they shall have joy.
(Aug. 27, 1842.)
TPJS, 217-18:
The Mussulman condemns the heathen, the
Jew, and the Christian, and the whole world of mankind that reject his Koran,
as infidels, and consigns the whole of them to perdition. The Jew believes that the whole world that
rejects his faith and are not circumcised, are Gentile dogs, and will be
damned. The heathen is equally as
tenacious about his principles, and the Christian consigns all to perdition who
cannot bow to his creed, and submit to his ipse dixit.
But while one
portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great
Parent
of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care
and paternal regard; He views them as His offspring, and without any of those
contracted feelings that influence the children of men, causes "His sun to
rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust." He holds the reins of
judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not
according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, "according to the
deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil," or whether
these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India. He will judge them, "not according to
what they have not, but according to what they have," those who have lived
without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be
judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great
Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their
several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they
are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information,
and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs
of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn,
we
shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has
done right.
***
Those
who have become pure, through repentance, will obtain eternal life and return
to the presence of God. They will be
exalted as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
TPJS, 374-75:
I never hear of a man being damned for
believing too much; but they are damned for unbelief.
They found fault with Jesus Christ
because He said He was the Son of God, and made Himself equal with God. They say of me, like they did of the Apostles
of old, that I must be put down. What
did Jesus say? "Is it not written
in your law, I said, Ye are Gods? If He
called them Gods unto whom the word of God came, and the Scriptures cannot be
broken, say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world,
Thou blasphemest; because I said I am the Son of God?" It was through Him that they drank of the
spiritual rock. Of course He would take
the honor to Himself. Jesus,
if they were called Gods unto whom the word of God came, why should it be
thought blasphemy that I should say I am the Son of God?
Go and read the vision [D&C 76] in
the Book of Covenants. There is clearly
illustrated glory upon glory — one glory of the sun, another glory of the
moon, and a glory of the stars; and as one star differeth from another
star in glory, even so do they of the telestial world differ in glory, and
every man who reigns in celestial glory is a God to his dominions. By the apostates admitting the testimony of
the Doctrine and Covenants they damn themselves. Paul, what do you say? They impeached Paul and all went and left him.
Paul had seven churches, and they drove
him off from among them; and yet they cannot do it by me. I rejoice in that. My testimony is good.
Paul says, "There is one glory of
the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one
star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead."
They who obtain a glorious resurrection from
the dead, are exalted far above principalities, powers, thrones, dominions and
angels, and are expressly declared to be heirs of God and joint heirs with
Jesus Christ, all having eternal power.
These Scriptures are a mixture of very
strange doctrines to the Christian world, who are blindly led by the blind. I will refer to another Scripture. "Now," says God, when He visited
Moses in the bush, (Moses was a stammering sort of a boy like me) God said,
"Thou shalt be a God unto the children of Israel." God said, "Thou shalt be a God unto
Aaron, and he shall be thy spokesman." I believe those Gods that God reveals as
Gods to be sons of God, and all can cry, "Abba, Father!" Sons of God who exalt themselves to be Gods,
even from before the foundation of the world, and are the only Gods I have a
reverence for.
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