The Latter-day Zion, its redemption and chosen instruments : an appeal to all true Latter-day Saints and believers in the doctrines of Christ

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LeRoy R. & Ann W, Haf en

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THE LATTER-DAY ZION

/^^, ITS REDEMPTION AND CHOSEN
<;v--:: INSTRUMENTS

AN APPEAL

TO ALL TRUE LATTER-DAY SAINTS AND BELIEVERS IN THE
DOCTRINES OF CHRIST

BY BLDBR EID W ARD / J AN OSC H ElK

"And when that day shall come it shall come to pass that
Kings shall shut their mouths, for that which has not been told
them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall
they consider. For in that day, for my sake, shall the Father
work a work which shall be a great and marvelous work among
them, and there shall be among them who will not believe it, al-
though a man shall declare unto them.

But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hands;
therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred
because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them
that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil." —
III Nephi, 8-10. See also Isaiah 52, 13-15.

— ^ SALT lake: ci~^v, leii-

187943

INTRODUCTION.

The reasons for writing this treatise become ap-
parent as soon as the reader peruses its pages. There
is a controversy in Zion in which the living word of
God is made an issue. The writer has endeavored to
place the promises of the Lord to his covenant people in
a proper light. As to the outcome of the issues in-
volved, he can afford to leave Zion's cause with the
Word of God, which is keener than a two-edged sword.

The absurd claims and unwarranted attempts ad-
vanced to becloud the fulfillment of divine predictions
and the constant effort to divert the minds of the people
from important passages of the scriptures as to their
significance and magnitude, have long since called for
a defense of the living Word of God. That such a de-
fense must of necessity be unanswerable becomes plain
when one reflects upon the fact that such a defense is
based upon the decrees of the Almight, which cannot be
broken.

The direct object which guided the writer when
framing this little work, is three-fold —

First — To prove conclusively that the fulfillment
of certain scriptures is now due, in spite of all that
has been, and can be written and said to the contrary.

Second — That as a consequence, a means might be
furnished for the sincere Latter-day Saint to arouse
his mind from the spiritual lethargy prevailing, and
lead him to a higher standard of faith.

Third — That all those who have identified them-
selves with the preparatory work previous to the com-
ing of the Lord as a ''thief in the night," who are yet
inexperienced, might be in possession of a text book
and guide in aiding them to expand their minds as to
a deeper comprehension of the great work which is to
be ushered in, and at the same time that this treatise
may be recognized by them as a weapon to refute the
unwarranted attacks so often advanced from different
directions, upon the fundamentals of the same, in con-
sequence of ignorance and a desire to misrepresent.

The brochure contains the first principles of the
work shortly to be inaugurated, and in due time it will
be followed by a treatise advancing the higher prin-
ciples, which will be written either by the author, or a
more able hand.

To all those who. have aided the author in his la-
bors in any. way he extends his deepest gratitude.

Not until this little work has reached the home of
every irue Lctjtter-Day Saint, will the writer rest at
ease. M

. ". — — m

The subject of the redemption of Zion has always
been, and ought to be, of great interest to the true
Latter-day Saint.

The occurrences of the last ten years of which we
shall speak as we go along have brought the promises
of the Lord concerning this glorious event, more prom-
inently to the attention of the people, than any other
occurrence recorded in their history, since they settled
these mountain regions. A marked indifference, how-
ever, prevails as yet regarding the prophecies and their
significance, pertaining to the deliverance of God's peo-
ple, and their re-entering the land of promise. Only by
getting acquainted with God's word may we understand
His purposes concerning Israel, His chosen people.

The term ^'redemption" signifies that the object
to be redeemed has been in possession, at one time or
another. The redemption of Zion implies the deliv-
erance of God's chosen people from bondage, as well as
placing them in possession of the land upon which they
once dwelt.

In order that the reader may have a clear under-
standing, or have his memory refreshed as to the facts
connected with the settling of this land by divine
guidance, and the final expulsion of the Saints by their
enemies, the writer before entering upon the weighty
subject of the great work of the Redemption of Zion,
furnishes a short sketch of the history of the Church,
during that particular period.

Not long after the Church was organized in the
State of New York, the Lord gave His people to under-
stand that Zion was to be built somewhere in the con-
fines of the United States, and called upon them to pe-
tition Him, and He would, in due time, reveal unto them
the place where the New Jerusalem should be built.*

In June, 1831, the Colesville branch, which had
emigrated to Kirtland, Ohio, was commanded to gather
on the western borders of the land of Missouri. The
Prophet Joseph Smith and several Elders of the Church
arrived there in July, 1831, and shortly afterwards the
Lord pointed out Independence as the central place of
the Land of Zion, and the spot for the Temple, a short
distance west of the court house in that city.**

* (Doc. and Gov., Sec. 42, 62nd verse.)
** (Doc. and Gov., Sec. 57, 3rd verse.)

I

Here the Saints were commanded to purchase the
land throughout the surrounding country, that they
might obtain it for an everlasting inheritance.!

As early as this period the Lord foreshadowed in
a revelation given on the 1st of August, 1831, that
trials would come upon His people, and that the bless-
ings of inheriting the land would only come after much
tribulation.! This took place a few days after the Cole-
ville branch, as the first settlers of the land, had ar-
rived. Orson Pratt comments upon this revelation as
follows :

"It was here, then, in a country thinly inhabited,
and that by a people who were apparently friendly, that
the Lord spoke by the mouth of Joseph, the Seer, and
predicted much tribulation upon the Saints, before
they could inherit the promised blessings. The Saints
being inexperienced, could not, at that time, compre-
hend the nature of the tribulations, with which they
were to be visited. It was with them as it was with
the ancient apostles, their eyes were not opened to com-
prehend clearly the word of the Lord. Jesus at several
different times intimated to His disciples concerning
His death, burial and resurrection, but so great were
their anxieties that He should be crowned King over
Israel, and that they should be immediately exalted to
high and important stations in His government that
they did not understand His savings until they came
to pass. So with the Elders and Saints in this glorious
country. They saw from the revelations that a great
and splendid city was to be built, and that the powers
of heaven were to come down and dwell with the Saints,
and that now that they had learned the very spot where
these events should happen, and that they were the
highly favored people who were the first to receive their
inheritance, by revelation in the goodly land, they were
exceedingly anxious to enter directly, or as soon as pos-
sible into the enjoyment of the promised blessings.
Therefore, when the Lord told them that much tribula-
tion awaited them, they did not seem to understand it,
or lay it to heart. So eager and intent were they to
build the city, and enjoy the glory that the predicted
tribulations seemed to have almost passed away from

t (Doc. & Gov., Sec. 57, 4-5.)
i (Doc. & Gov., Sec. 58, 1-5.)

their remembrance. They had their eyes fixed upon the
future glory of Zion, but not on the tribulations which
were to precede their exaltation.

'The Lord, as if to prepare them to stand stead-
fast when their tribulation should come, said unto them
^'remember this which I tell you before, that you lay it
to heart and receive that which shall follow." It is
well that the Lord did not reveal beforehand all the
horrible sufferings which they were to receive from
the hands of their wicked enemies, for it would have
been more than they well could have endured. Many,
no doubt, through their weakness and inexperience
would have shrunk back from the trials and perhaps
might, through fear, have left the country, and thus
the designs and purposes of *God in relation to certain
things would have been frustrated. But the Lord told
enough to strengthen and encourage them when it was
fulfilled, and yet not enough to frighten them away
from the land. In this thing then we can behold the
great wisdom of God.

"After informing the Elders of the great tribula-
tions which should befall the Saints and the glory that
should follow, the Lord continued to instruct them upon
the greatness of the work to be performed upon this
land. He says: ^'Behold, verily I say unto you, for
this cause I have sent you, that you might be obedient,
and that your hearts might be prepared to bear the
testimony of the things which are to come, and also
that you might be honored of laying the foundation
and of bearing record of the land upon which the Zion
of God shall stand," etc.*

A few days afterwadrs the land and Temple lot
were consecrated and dedicated unto the Lord, after
which the Prophet Joseph returned to Kirtland. But a
few months afterward the Lord revealed to His ser-
vant that he was not well pleased with the inhabitants
of Zion, (t) which was followed by a sharp re-
pro val, and a prediction of judgment, in September,
1832.t In this revelation there was also the
great promise made that the Temple should be built in
Jackson County, and that a cloud of glory would rest
upon it, before the generation all passed away.§

* (See Orson Pratt's work, "The New Jerusalem," pae:e 7.)

t (Doc. & Gov., Sec. 68, 31-33.)

t (Doc. & Gov., Sec. 84, 56-59.)

§(Doc. & Gov., Sev. 84, 4-5.)

While repentance was wrought by many, there
were others in the land of Zion who procrastinated and
judgments were poured out. In the month of Novem-
ber, 1833, the enemies of the new settlers arose en
masse, and expelled them from Jackson County. They
settled in Clay County, on the opposite side of the Mis-
souri river, but soon were again compelled to leave and
seek a new place. Now they moved to Caldwell County,
and also purchased land in Davis and Carroll and other
counties in the State of Missouri. Emboldened by their
success in driving out the harmless settlers, the mob,
aided by the treacherous authorities of the state, un-
dertook to drive the Saints beyond the border of the
State. Most inhuman cri^elties were committed, and
the prophet Joseph Smith and a number of other lead-
ing men imprisoned. There was no cessation of the per-
secutions until all the people had fled to the neighbor-
ing state of Illinois, where they arrived in the spring
of 1839. From that time until 1846 the exiles lived in
that state and founded the city of Nauvoo, in Hancock
County. After the people of God by their industry
had attained a degree of prosperity and their city had
grown to the extent that nearly 20,000 people found
shelter within its confines, they were again compelled
to leave their homes and possessions and flee to places
inhabited only by savages, having seen the Prophet
Joseph and their Patriarch, Hyrum Smith, killed by a
blood-thirsty mob. They now wandered west, and fin-
ally settled in the Valleys of the Rock Mountains ,where
they, according to the predictions of the Prophet, have
become "a great people."

Concerning the persecutions and outrages against
the Saints, see " Church History," by Joseph Smith,
the Prophet, compiled by Brigham H. Roberts, and
"Missouri Persecutions," by the latter.

According to holy write, certain events are to
transpire in connection with the redemption of Zion,
which are of such importance that they must be duly
considered, in order to get a correct understanding
of the purposes of the Lord. They are within the plan
of the great work which the Lord is to bring forth, in
fact, they form a part of the great movement with
which the Lord is to astonish His slumbering people,
as well as the whole world.

Sec. 85, Doc. & Gov., informs us of an instrument
which the Lord will raise up for the purpose to **set
the House of God in order," etc. Here it becomes ex-
pedient to point out the inconceivable inconsistency of
the Leaders of the GhurcK, who, in a lengthy article, as-
sert that this revelation has seen its fulfillment, or
rather has become obsolete.

In defense of the word of God, it becomes necessary
to show, first, that the section in quotation has not be-
come obsolete; secondly, that the church is hopelessly
"out of order" and must of necessity be set in order by
divine interference, and that consequently a tangible
cause for the prediction exists.
SECTION 85 DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS NOT
YET FULFILLED.

Is no balm in Gilead* borders

Can I find no soothing ease

For my heartaches ,f or my troubles ?

Watchman, when's the night to cease ?

0, my loved one has departed,

His glad voice I seek in vain,

Israel's shepherds have turned faithless

Ruled their flock by cruel aim.

If the reader will carefully peruse the Article is-
sued by the First Presidency of the Church, in the fall
of 1905, and re-published in the Improvement Era in
October, 1907, he will soon find that the facts advanced
are altogether out of harmony with the conclusions at
which the author of the article arrives. The bold de-
mand to receive it as authoritative cannot help but
create a repulsive feeling in the breast of the true be-
liever, for the article is nothing more than a gross de-
ception as to the significance of that glorious revelation.
By labeling it ''authoritative" the hint is conveyed that
the explanation as to the true meaning of the 85th Sec-
tion of Doctrine and Covenants came from the source
of inspiration, while in fact the article is entirely mis-
leading and out of harmony with the spirit in which
the revelation in question was given to the Prophet of
the Lord.

Let us quote portions of the article here and then
analyze the different arguments set forth in support of
the assertion made by the Church leaders :

8

"The following has been issued by the Presidency
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
explanation of verses 7 and 8 of section 85 of the Doc-
trine and Covenants, and is to be received as authori-
tative :

Perhaps no other passage in the revelations of the
Lord, in this dispensation, has given rise to so much
speculation as this one. * * *

Respecting the views that have been expressed as
to the meaning of this passage, who the man was that
was "called of God and appointed, that put forth his
hand to steady the art of God," that should "fall by
the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the
vivid shaft of Lightning," as well as who the one
"mgihty and strong" was, or is to be — various theories
have been advanced. * * *

The revelation from which the passage is quoted is
a portion of a letter to William W. Phelps, written by
the Prophet from Kirtland under date of November the
27th, 1932. William W. Phelps at the time was at In-
dependence, Missouri. In order that the reader may
have the whole matter before him, the letter is repro-
duced in extenso, and the part afterwards accepted as
the word of the Lord indicated; * * *

Bishop Partridge was one of the brethren, who,
though a most worthy man, one whom the Lord loved,
and whom the Prophet described as "a pattern of
piety," and "one of the Lord's great men," at times
arrayed himself in opposition to the Prophet in those
'early days, and sought to correct him in his admin-
istrations of the affairs of the Church ;, in other words,
"put forth his hand to steady the ark." * * *

It was while these conditions of rebellion, jealousy,
pride, unbelief and hardness prevailed among the
brethren in Zion — Jackson county, Missouri — in all of
which Bishop Partridge participated, that the words
of the revelation taken from the letter to William W.
Phelps, of the 27th of November, 1832, were written.
The "man who wa scalled and appointed of God" to
"divide unto the Saints their inheritance" — Edward
Partridge — was at that time out of order, neglecting
his own duty, and putting "forth his hand to steady
the ark;" hence, he was warned of the judgment of
God impending, and the prediction was made that an-
other "one mighty and strong," would be sent of God

J

I

9

to take his place, to have his bishopric — one having
the spirit and power of that office resting upon him, by
which he would have power to "set in order the house
of God, and arrange by lot the inheritance of the
Saints;" in other words, one who would do the work
that Bishop Edward Partridge had been appointed to
do, but had failed to accomplish.

"But," it will be asked, "does Bishop Partridge
fulfill terms of the prophecy that relate to the man
"falling by the shaft of death, like a tree that is smit-
ten by the vivid shaft of lightning?" That should not
be said without some qualifications; although Edward
Partridge died eight years later, in the forty-seventh
year of his age, a victim of the persecution he suffered
in Missouri.

Edward Partridge, in common with most of the
Saints in Missouri, as a result of the reproofs and
warnings of the Prophet and others, was brought to a
partial repentance; still, as late as March, 1833, not-
withstanding the partial repentance referred to, the
Lord expressed himself as being "not well pleased"
with Bishop Partridge and others. * * *

Because of the failure of the Saints in Zion to fully
repent and keep the commandments of the Lord, the
fury of their enemies burst upon them, and they were,
driven from their possessions into exile, and their
homes were destroyed. We here give the Lord's ex-
planation of the troubles that came upon the people;
it is found in a revelation given under date of Decem-
ber 16th, 1833. * * *

Such examples of the Lord thus dealing with men
are found in other scriptures than in this revelation.
The word of the Lord came to the Prophet Isaiah, com-
manding him to carry what was really a death sen-
tence to Hezekiah, King of Israel, which sentence, how-
ever, was revoked by the Lord when the king earnestly
prayed that his life might be spared unto him. The in-
cident is related in the second book of Kings." * ♦ *

(Signed) JOSEPH F. SMITH,

JOHN R. WINDER,
ANTHON H. LUND,

1 First Presidency.

10

Leaving the nefarious expression, with which the
author of the article prefaces his statement, for the
time being, unnoticed, we come to the letter written by
the Prophet Joseph Smith to William W. Phelps, dated
"Kirtland, November 27th, 1832," from which the rev-
elation is taken, which revelation, according to Church
History was incorporated into the book of Doctrine and
Covenants and adopted as equally binding with other
revelations, years after the Saints were driven from
Jackson County, and the incidents there were closed.
Since that time the authorities of the Church preced-
ing the present administration, as well as the Saints in
general, have regarded the fulfillment of the revelation
yet future, as the footnotes attached to the revelation
appearing even in the latest edition conclusively prove.
This in itself ought to go a long way, even with the
uninformed, as a proof that a bold attem.pt has been
made to blindfold those who are considered "easily led,"
and will take for granted everything that is "authorita-
tive."

The strongest argument which the infamous ar-
ticle for its assertion can make, seems to lie in the fact
that the revelation was given in connection with the
letter treating upon the affairs in Missouri. When
one realizes the fact that the Lord pursues an inde-
pendent course in revealing truths, the arguments
made on this point collapse at once. The predictions
of the Jewish prophets form a striking example for
the various and peculiar ways the Lord hands down
His manifestations to his servants, the prophets. Ex-
amining the records, we find that at times truths are
revealed and predictions made which have a far more
extensive application than the text and context would
reveal, while at other times we find truths, present and
future, hidden away and couched into statements and
expressions the extent of which is not always clear,
and defined to the natural mind, until the time arrives
when the Supreme Ruler sees fit to unfold, through His
servants, such scriptures, to make known His purposes.
The case of Joseph Smith was no exception to this rule,
for not only the 85th Section, but also the 121st, 122nd
and 123rd sections of Doctrine and Covenants have
been extracted from an epistle written by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, the frame of which by no means dis-
closes the extent of the predcitions and range of prin-

11

ciples imbedded in the revelations proper. In order that
the reader might be able to form his own judgment on
this point, we reproduce an excerpt of the epistle con-
taining the 121st, 122nd and 123rd sections, written by
the Prophet Joseph Smith when in Liberty jail, as it
is recorded in Church History. The parts enclosed in
brackets comprise the revelations, or parts thereof.

The Prophet's Epistle to the Church, written in
Liberty Prison.

"Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri,

"March 25th, 1839.
"To the Church of Latter-day Saints in Quincy, Illinois,
and Scattered Abroad, ( and to Bishop Part-
ridge in particular) :

"Your humble servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., prisoner
for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the Saints *

"We would say, beware of pride also, for well and
truly hath the wise man said, that pride goeth before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And
again, outward appearance is not always a criterion by
which to judge our fellow man; but the lips betray the
haughty and overbearing imaginations of the heart;
by his words and his deeds let him be judged. Flattery
also is a deadly poison. A frank and open rebuke pro-
voketh a good man to emulation; and in the hour of
trouble he will be your best friend; but on the other
hand, it will draw out all the corruptions of corrupt
hearts, and lying and the poison of asps is under their
tongues ; and they do cause the pure in heart to be cast
into prison, because they want them out of their way.

"A fanciful and flowery and heated imagination
beware of; because the things of God are of deep im-
port ; and time and experience and careful and ponder-
ous and solomn thoughts can only find them out. Thy
mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation
must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search
into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad
expanse of eternity — thou must commune with God.
How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of
God, than the vain imaginations of the human heart!
None but fools will trifle with the souls of men.

"How vain and trifling have been our spirits, our
conferences, our councils, our meetings, our private as
well as public conversations — too low, too mean, too

12 ^

vulgar, too condescending for the dignified characters
of the called and chosen of God, according to the pur-
poses of His will, from before the foundation of the
world. We are called to hold the keys of the mysteries
of those things that have been kept hid from the foun-
dation of the world until now. Some have tasted a
little of these things, many of which are to be poured
down from heaven upon the heads of babes ; yea, upon
the weak, obscure and despised ones of the earth.
Therefore, we beseech you, brethren, that you bear
with those who do not feel themselves more worthy
than yourselves, while we exhort one another to a refor-
mation with one and all, both old and young, teachers
and taught, both high and low, rich and poor, bond
and free, male and female; let honesty and sobriety
and candor and solemnity, and virtue and pureness,
and meekness and simplicity crown our heads in every
place; and in fine, become as little children, without
malice, guile or hypocrisy." * * *

''We have a fervent desire that in your general
conferences everything should be discussed with a
great deal of care and propriety lest you grieve the
Holy Spirit, which shall be poured out at all times upon
your heads, when you are exercised with those princi-
ples of righteousness that are agreeable to the mind of
God, and are properly affected, one toward another, and
are careful by all means to remember those who are in
bondage, and in heaviness, and in deep affliction, for
your sakes. And if there are any among you who
aspire after their own aggrandizements, and seek their
own oppulence, while their brethren are groaning in
poverty, and are under sore trials and temptations, they
cannot be benefitted by the intercession of the Holy
Spirit, which maketh intercession for us day and night,
with groanings that cannot be uttered.

"We ought at all times to be very careful that such
highmindedness shall never have place in our hearts;
but condescend to men of low estate, and with all long-
suffering bear the infirmities of the weak.

["Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen,
And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts
are set so much upon the things of this world, and as-
pire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this
one lesson — that the rights of the Priesthood are in-
separably connected with the powers of Heaven, and

that the powers of Heaven cannot be controlled nor
handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That
they may be conferred upon us it is true ; but when we
undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our
vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion, or
compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men, in
any degree of unrighteousness, behold the Heavens
withdraw themselves ; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved ;
and when it is withdrawn. Amen to the Priesthood, or
the authority of that man. Behold! ere he is aware
he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks; to
persecute the Saints, and to fight against God.

"We have learned by sad experience that it is the
nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as
they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will
immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
Hence, many are called, but few are chosen.

"No power or influence can or ought to be main-
tained by virtue of the Priesthood, only by persuasion,
by long-suffering, by gentleness, and meakness, and
by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge,
which shall greatly enlarge the soul, without hypocricy,
and without guile, reproving betimes with sharpness,
when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing
forth afterwards an increase of love for him whom
thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his ene-
my ; that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger
than the cords of death ; let thy bowels also be full of
charity towards all men, and to the household of faith,
and virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, then shall
thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and
the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distill upon thy soul
as the dews from Heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be
thy constant companion and thy sceptre and unchang-
ing sceptre of righteousness and truth, and thy domin-
ion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without com-
pulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and
ever. * * *

"The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy
name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell
shall rage against thee, while the pure in heart, and
the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous shall seek
counsel, and authority and blessings constantly from
under thy hand, and thy people shall never be turned
against thee by the testimony of traitors ; and although

14

their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into
bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor, and but for
a small moment, and thy voice shall be more terrible
in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion, be-
cause of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand
by thee forever and ever," etc.] * * * * *

Viewing the arguments which connect Bishop
Partridge with the one to whom the Lord refers, in
the revelation, as "called and appointed," we find that
these arguments are so illogical, and strained, and in
some instances so contraditory as to render the whole
article rather amusing, if the subject under considera-
tion were not of such a serious nature. The article
traces the short-comings of Edward Partridge by
quoting from letters written to the Saints in Missouri
by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Orson Hyde, and Hyrum
Smith, and likewise, from the revelation given in
March, 1833, which latter states that the Lord was not
pleased with His servant. As the persecutions broke
out a few months after this revelation was given, and
no attempt is made to show that the Bishop brought
forth sufficient fruits of repentance during the inter-
vening time, the logical conclusion to be arrived at
would be that the situation became matured for the
fulfillment of the revelation, as to the appearance of
the "mighty and strong" to "set the House of God in
order." Strangely, though, the Lord permits His word
to fall to the ground, and a punishment of an altogether
different nature to come, not only upon the Bishop, but
also his co-laborers, and likewise the Saints in Zion.
This, the article admits, by quoting Section 101
Doctrine and Covenants, in which the Lord gives the
reason for the afflictions which befell Bishop Part-
ridge, and the rest of the Saints. An explanation, how-
ever, why the Lord, in this single instance allowed His
word to go unfulfilled, is lacking, in spite of the fact
that He has given out the firm decree that not one jot
or tittle of His word shall go unfulfilled. The fact that
the Lord was well pleased with Edward Partridge some
three years later, as quoted from Vol. 2, pages 302-303,
Church History, only adds strength to the argument
that no reason can be given why the revelation should
not have been fulfilled during the time God*s servant
officiated, and was found in transgression in Jackson

♦Church History, Vol. 3, pages 289, 295-296, 299-300.

a

15

County, Missouri, to which time and place the article
seeks to limit the revelation. But the article continues,
"Certainly in the face of this plain statement of the
Lord, that the sins of Edward Partridge were for^ven
him. we do not feel that his sad and early death was a
fulfillment of the threatened judpmient of the revela-
tion." As if by dying a natural death in consequence
of the persecutions endured, the terms of the revela-
tion in question could have been fulfilled.

But as if not sufficient illogic had been enlisted,
the article proceeds: "But that he was the man so
threatened in that revelation there can be no ques-
tion, not only on account of what is here set foHh, but
also because Orson Pratt, one familiar with Edward
Partridge, and an active participant in all these his-
torical matters, publiclv declared, from the pnlnit in
Salt I>ake City, about the -time of the death of Presi-
dent Brigham Younor. that the m^^n referred to in the
passage of the revelation in Question, was Bishop Par-
tridge." In possession of everv record existing in the
church, since the people entered the Salt T^ake Valley,
the authorities fail to eive evidence for the assertion
regarding the declaration made bv O^-son Pratt, while
the writer is prepared to state that the fact that Or-
son Pratt is the author of the foot notes attached to
that revelation, whir^h foot notes, as observed hereto-
fore, declare the fulfillment of that section as yet fu-
ture, and the further fact that Orson Pratt, in a ser-
mon delivered November 1st, 1879, expressed himself
in harmony with the foot notes attached to the revela-
tion in Question, flatly contradicts the statements made
by the church leaders. As a conseauence, they must be
considered spurious, unless conclusive proof as to their
correctness is given.

The sermon delivered bv Orson Pratt here referred
to may be found on pages 150-151, Vol. 21, Journal of
Discourses of the year 1881. (See quotation on page

26.) ':"•

The church article has no difficulty in disposing
of the question as to the fulfillment of the part to be
performed bv the "mighty and strong." It simply
states that the prediction concerning him "may also
be considered as having passed awav, and the whole in-
cident of the prophesy closed." This may be consid-
ered a very easy way to make null and void one of the

16

most important and far-reaching revelations found in
the book of Doctrine and Covenants. Happily, how-
ever, the Lord will overrule matters in such a way
that His people will know in due time that His pur-
poses never fail, and the craftiness of man cannot frus-
trate the decrees of the heavens. The imposition to
make one believe that the Lord would send a person with
the attributes described in the revelation merely to re-
place a Bishop of the Church who has transgressed,
must be termed a fallacy which makes the author of the
article ridiculous. Those who have seen in the glorious
appearance of the personage in question the embodi-
ment of Christ coming in His glory, have displayed far
more sagacity and common sense, than the church ar-
ticle manifests. A multitude of other reasons speak
loudly against the unwarranted claims of the article,
among which are :

First, Bishop Partridge's name is mentioned in
previous revelations, when occasions required the Lord
to rebuke him, and remind him of his shortcomings,
of which the following passage forms a striking ex-
ample: "And again I say unto you, that my servant
Edward Partridge shall stand in the office wherewith
I have appointed him. And it shall come to pass that
if he transgresseth, another shall be appointed in his
stead. Even so. Amen."* Why should the Lord con-
ceal his designs as to the individual in question at this
particular time?

Second, What reason can the author of the ar-
ticle give to explain the fact why Edward Partridge, a
Bishop of the church, was threatened to be removed
in such a singular spectacular manner, when he as well
as men far higher in authority, were told by the Lord
in plain words that he would remove them, without re-
ferring to one "mighty and strong?" etc. (The case of
Sydney Rigdon forms another striking example for the
plain deals of the Lord with His servants.) t

In this connection we also advance the question;
was there ever a time in the history of the church, or
in the history of any other of God's people when a
case analogous to the one mentioned in the 85th sec-
tion of the Doctrine and Covenants, occurred?

♦Doc. & Gov., Section 42, 10.
fDoc. & Gov., Section 63, 55-56.

•11

17

Third, Does not the fact mentioned in the church
article, that some in the church have connected the
Prophet Joseph Smith and his sad martyrdmo, and
likewise Brigham Young, with the terms of the rev-
elation of the 85th Section of Doctrine and Covenants,
and the further fact that the church has accepted the
prediction as a part of Doctrine & Covenants, and has
attached it with the foot notes it now bears, furnish
the conclusive proof that the church as a body, as well
as individuals in the church, have always been imbued
with the conviction that Edward Partridge's career
was in no way involved in the prediction?

Fourth: If Bishop Partridge was to be substi-
tuted by the "mighty and strong" then it follows that
this personage was to be the successor of the deposed
Bishop, and as a consequence this personage, in ful-
filling the terms of the revelation, would be "setting
the House of God in Order," in the capacity of a Bishop.
The most uninformed Elder of the church would take
exception to this view, inasmuch as it is not within the
province of the office of a bishop to set the house of
God in order. The term "House of God" embraces all
branches of the divine institution placed in existence
by the Lord for the salvation of His children, or, in
other words, it means the institution in its complete
organized state, while the term "Household of Faith"
comprises all the members of that institution. There
is only one to whom the Lord will entrust this function,
and he is the one who stands as a "Moses" at the head
of that divine institution.

The writer could enlarge and extend his arguments
upon this point against the unbalanced logic em-
ployed by the article. The facts advanced will suffice,
however, to show how far unsound reasoning can be
strained when the determination is fixed to make of
none effect a decree of the heavsns, the shoals of which
are apt to spell danger, gloom and despair to those con-
cerned. In bringing out these points fo argument, the
writer has another purpose in view beside to refute the
indefensible ground taken by the author of the church
article, vix. to bring the mind of the reader into a
reflective state as to the mission of the "mighty and
strong," and the station occupied by the one who is
threatened "to fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree
that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning," in case

18

he attempts to "put forth his hand to steady the ark of
God." As we proceed the seeker after truth will be
able to see more clearly as to the fulfillment of the
revelation in Question, when viewed in the light of oth-
er passages of the revealed word of God.

We come now to the article's arguments, compar-
ing the case of the 85th section of Doctrine and Cov-
enants with that of the prediction made to Hezekiah,
King of Judah, when upon his sick bed. Reading the
two predictions carefully, it will be found that the fea-
tures of these two cases are so unlike that the attempt
is futile to establish a comparison. In the one case the
firm decree made bv the Supreme ruler, as conveved by
the language, "I, the Lord will send one miehtv and
strone." has not been changed, or made obsolete by
that hip-hest authoritv, and is vet in force, except that
the author of the church article seeks to make it of
none eflPect. while in the other case the penaltv was
changed bv the word of God. and for this verv reason
the predir'tion became obsolete. The author of the ar-
ticle would have established a strong conviction in the
mind of the reader, if he had been able to show that
the Lord recallerl. or changed the nrediction made in the
85th ser^tion of Doctrine and Covenants in a wav sim-
ilar to the one made to Kine Hezekinh. As this is im-
possible, however, the weakness of the arguments are
so tangible and self evident as to arouse suspicion as
to the sinceritv of the author ret^arding the points ad-
vancpd. and the conclusions at which he arrives.

We propound the ouestion. however, were the
words of the prophet Isaiah to the sick kinp. "Thou
shalt die and not live." given as a penalty? There is
nothing to show that such it was. The sacred his-
torian informs us "in those davs Hezekiah was sick
unto death and praved unto the Lord, and He spake
unto him. and He gave him a siern *"according
to which the sick kin? was verv much in favor with the
heavens. The passap^e as quoted bv the article informs
us that Hezekiah told the Lord of his deeds of right-
eousness, whereupon He extended his life for 15 years.
So sudden came the answer to his prayer, that the
Prophet who had delivered the message to the King
had not left the court vard before he was informed to
return to the King and give him the consoling second

*2nd Chronicles, 32-34.

J

19

message of the Lord. It is correct that King Hezekiah
drew the disfavor of the Lord upon him through an
unwise act, but this was after he had recovered from
his sickness, as the 39th chapter of Isaiah clearly
shows. The life of the great king is summed up in
these words :

"And he did that which was right in the sight of
the Lord, according to all that David, is father, had

done."t

"And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and
wrought that which was good, and right and true be-
fore the Lord his God, and in every work that he be-
gan in the service of the House of God and in the law
and in the commandments to seek his God, he did
it with all his heart, and prospered."^

Considering the closing passages of the argument,
the contradicting statements characterizing the whole
article are more in evidence than ever. According to
the attempted explanation, it will be a bishop standing
on the land of Zion, when redeemed, if contrary to
the previous explanation the fulfillment of the revela-
tion is regarded to be in the future. The question may
be asked, "How can its fulfillment be in the future, if
the one who was called and appointed, has passed from
this sphere of action?" The statements are so con-
flicting that one has to go back to the days of Con-
stantine and the church dignitaries called by him in
council to find a parallel as to contradicting terms.

In concluding this subject, the writer wants to
point out that the authorities of the church who so
strenuously assert that the revelation does not allude in
any way to a President of the church, may rest as-
sured that no one holding the office of a bishop is con-
cerned in the revelation. The appointment of Bishop
Partridge for the purpose of dividing the inheritance to
the Saints, during the short interval of two years, was
a temporary affair, as the Prophet Joseph was occu-
pied in directing the affairs of the church of Ohio,
which included the building of the Temple in Kirtland.
After the redemption of Zion is brought about, a per-
manent representative of the Lord will stand upon
the holy ground for the purpose of dividing the in-

L

t2nd Chronicles, 29-2.

i2nd Chronicles, 31-20 to 21.

20

heritance of the Saints. He will stand as an "ensign
and for the gathering of my people in the last days."*
This fact will be brought out clearer as we advance.

THE CHURCH OF GOD OUT OF ORDER

Hence my sheep, my lambs are scattered

Trodden is the residue

Goats have forced away the helpless

Fouled the waters sanctitue (sanctuary)

Beasts of pray have been admitted,

No relief has reached the poor.

All my garners are left empty I

Songs of gladness are no more.

(Continued from page 5)

Let us examine now whether the necessity exists
for "setting the House of God in order." In propor- !
tion to the evidence produced on this point, the im-
portance of the revelation in question will grow, for if
it can be proven that the Church is in a state of dis-
order, there certainly was a reason for the foreshadow-
ing of such a state, as well as a promise that it should be ;
placed in order. If, on the other hand, the church en-
joys that complete order which is absolutely necessary
for the fulfillment of its mission at home and abroad,
then the revelation does not concern its present status
even if it can be shown that the prediction is as yet
awaiting its fulfillment. Viewing the church article in ;
all its ramifications, the assertion will appear fair and
reasonable, that this in itself is one of the strongest
visible evidences that the church has ceased to enjoy
the light that comes from above, and is so necessary
for its welfare, in order to avoid dire consequences. The j
article would never have been published if the powers |
in existence had possessed the divine favor to which
their high and holy calling entitles them. They would
have shrunk from such an attempt, realizing the spirit-
ual calamity which would follow such a high handed!
act of obscuring, distorting, and making of none effect
the sure word of prophecy. The article proves con-
clusively that spiritual darkness prevails in high places ;
that a blight is observable which spells the forebodings
of gloom and despair. When that article came frorr
the press, and entered the homes of the people, th(

♦Doc. & Gov., Sec. 113-6.

21

church leaders advertised themselves as blind leaders
3f the blind. That such a condition must be corrected
in order to ward off the great misfortune which befell
the church of Christ anciently, is obvious. The offense
of the church leaders grows when one considers the
helpless condition in which the members of the church
find themselves. The powers vested in the office which
the President of the church holds, are so great that
its encumbent can silence almost any opposition that
may arise. Sustained and upheld as prophet, seer and
revelator, it follows that opposition will not be tol-
erated, especially not upon matters given out "authori-
tatively," no matter how just and well grounded such
opposition would be. The facts on record bear evidence
that any attempt to question the propriety of the at-
titude taken by the Presidency, is frowned upon and re-
garded as the first step to apostacy. Charges have been
brought and sustained in many instances on such
grounds as ''Being antagonistic to the powers of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," etc.,
and individuals shorn of privileges as members of the
church. Additional penalties have been inflicted, in
many cases by impairing the business, and even social
standing of the one who dares to oppose. How true,
then, and consistent the word of the Lord appears,
when speaking to Joseph the Seer as follows: "Many
are called, but few are chosen."*

It is necessary then that new light bursts forth
to regain the happy condition in which the church
found itself during the lifetime of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, in order to fulfill the promise made to him that
the priesthood shall never be taken from the earth
again.

The question may arise here whether the author-
ities of the church have changed their opinions and tac-
tics on this point since the publication of the article in
question; whether they have seen the error of their
ways and retracted from their former position. The
answer to this question must be given in the negative.
One of the members of the Presidency has passed away
from this stage of action, and another one has taken
his place. The attitude, however, is the same, as will
be seen from the following sarcastic remarks of Presi-

*See quotation, pages 12 and 15^ TT

22

dent Charles W. Penrose, at the April Conference, 1913

"Yet every now and then somebody starts up an
claims to be the man 'mighty and strong' who is to se
the House of the Lord in order, and perform a numbe
of works spoken of in the revelations of God which w
understand have really been fulfilled, and that he i
appointed and you are to follow him, for he proclaim
revelation by way of commandment to the church. No^
the simple way is to say, it cannot be true, because th
Lord says. He will not do that kind of thing, and if an
man is really appointed of the Lord, 'He says he sha
come in at the gate and be ordained, as the Lord ha
provided/ So that in the church there is no need fc
any of us to be led off in wrong directions. Sometime
men have come to the President of the church an
claimed to be the person to be raised up 'like unt
Moses' and demanded the keys of the church. There wa
one man came, poor fellow, a decrepit kind of bein^
who hung around for several days. He could not ge
any 'keys' and finally he came and begged for enoug
money to take him back to the place he came from i
the east, and he hobbled out on his wooden leg, th
man mighty and strong. I don't say that to ridicul
the man, poor fellow, but it illustrates what I am tryin
to tell you this morning. The Lord has established Hi
church on the earth, as he has told us, 'in the last dayj
and 'for the last time.' "*

Here is also the endorsement of the President c
the Church:

"There is no necessity for me to bear my test:
mony to every word and sentiment that has been e>
pressed this morning, by President Charles W. Per
rose, for the simple reason that every Latter-day Sair
in this audience knows, by the testimony of the spiri
of God that He has taught us the truth as the Lor
has revealed it, and the standard doctrine of the Churc
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from which ther
can be no variation in righteousness.

"I simply wanted to give expression to this fac
for it is true. I thank the Lord for such men as Prej
ident Penrose, and others we have who have made
life study of the principles and ordinances of the Gos
pel, the Order of the Priesthood, the rights of the men
bers of the church and the order fo government then

*Pages 62-63 of pamphlet of the SSrd annual conference.

23

1, and who are enabled by the blessings of the Lord
) express themselves freely and convey these princi-
les in such unmistakable clearness to the understand-
\g of the people. I feel very grateful this morning
3r all that we have heard and again, although there
? no necessity for it, I bear my testimony, without re-
erve, to the truths that have been uttered today."*
How painful and sad the thought appears, to see a
lan like President Charles W. Penrose, whose career
as been one of honor and great usefulness, to step for-
ward in connection with his associates, at a time when
he portals of death may open before him at any mo-
lent, and deny the sure word of prophecy. He ought

0 know better than his words convey. His remarks
estify strongly that those in high places combined are
runken, but not with wine, and stagger, but not with
trong drink.** As to his unsavory epithets which he
hooses to employ, he might be admonished to heed the
N^ords of Josiah Quincy regarding the Prophet Joseph
Imith and the methods employed by the prophet's ene-
lies in his behalf, and learn wisdom from a noble think-
ng gentile historian. He should also read and reflect up-
•n the words given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "The
'nds of the earth shall inquire after thy name and
ools shall have the derision and hell shall range against
hee, while the pure in heart and the wise and the noble
ind the virtuous shall seek counsel." If ever any "hob-
)ling out" is to be done, it will be in a way as the Prophet
)f the Lord forecasts, "A voice of noise from the city,

1 voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that ren-
iereth recompense to his enemies. "f

The writer took occasion to interview President
Penrose as to the scope of his remarks, when he pointed
:o the 85th Section of Doctrine & Covenants, and the
irticle written in explanation of the same. As to other
:*evelations connected with the subject, the 103rd and
L13th sections fo Doctrine & Covenants, he declined to
commit himself. What was the cause for his reluc-
:ance ? Can that church official show any valid reasons
for avoiding a definite statement as to the significance
3f the scriptures cited? Is it not peculiar to receive
from the lips of an exponent of truth, from a preacher
3f righteousness, from one who stands as an apostle
and prophet before the people, the uncertain statement

♦Pages 65-66 of the Pamphlet cited. flsaiah 66: 6.

24 J

to a direct question: "I will not say that I did meail
those scriptures" (the 103rd and 113th sections of
Doctrine & Covenants) . Taking into consideration thai
his remarks uttered at the Conference on that poim
convey in a concealed way the impression that all the
scriptures bearing on that subject are fulfilled, inas-
much as he speaks of "revelations" and hints at the
103rd section by referring to one calling at the Presi-
dent's office who claimed that he was the one raised uji
like unto Moses — it would have been but an act of con-
sistency on the part of President Penrose to correct!
any wrong impressions the large concourse of his hear-
ers might have carried away as to the significance ol
his remarks. A definite declaration to the effect thai
those scriptures are not fulfilled as yet, but must be
fulfilled shortly, would have relieved the situatior
greatly, and would have been worthy of one who hasj
stood before hundreds of thousands of people proclaim-
ing tidings of life and salvation. By refusing to cleai
up the matter, he has furnished evidence that for sin-
ister purposes he rather suppresses, than unfolds th( j
truth, and that he is not on the side of rectitude anc ^
right. As to quoting President Penrose correctly w( ^
will state that another individual was present wh(^^
may testify to the facts given here. ^ i.

In order to prove that we have had men in th( |
Church who belong to another school of prophets, anc ^
who possess the necessary light and knowledge on th( ,,
subject in question, and also had the courage to pro
claim the truth without faltering, we will quote f ron
the sermon of Orson Pratt, one of the first apostle;
ordained in the last dispensation. Inasmuch as th(
sermons of Charles W. Penrose, and those of Orsoi!
Pratt are often found, as it were, side by side in churcl
literature, more than common interest will be attache(
to the utterances of this exponent of truth on the im
portant subject under consideration: |

"And we, in order to build a temple after a celes ,
tial order, in the fulness of perfection, will need reve"
lators and prophets in our midst who will receive th
word of the Lord, who will have the whole patten
thereof given by revelation, just as much as every thinij.
was given by revelation pertaining to the tabernacl ^
erected in the Wilderness by Moses. Indeed, before w
can go back to inherit the land in all its fulness an*

li

i

i

)i

25

3rfection, God has promised that He would raise up
man like unto Moses. Who this man will be I do not
low. It may be a person with whom we are entirely
riacquainted, it may be one of our infant children, it
ay be some person not yet born, it may be some one
' middle age. But suffice it to say that God will raise
such a man and He will show forth his power
irough him, and through the people that he will lead
)rth to inherit the country, as he did through our fa-
lers in the wilderness. Did he then display His power
y dividing the waters ? Yes. Did the mountains and
nds shake under his power? Yes. Did he speak to
le people by his own voice? Yes. Did he converse
ith Moses, face to face ? Yes. Did He show him His
lory? Yes. Did He unfold to him in one moment
tore than all our schools and academies and universi-
es could give us in ten thousand years? Yes. God
ill assuredly raise up a man like unto Moses, and re-
3em His people with an outstretched arm, as the fath-
:'s were redeemed at the first, going before them with
is own presence and will also surround them by His
Qgels. I expect when that time comes, that men will
nderstand the particulars in regard to the temple to
3 built in Jackson County. Indeed, we have already a
art of the plan revealed, and also the plat explaining
ow the City of Zion is to be laid off, which may be
)und commencing on page 438 Vol. 14 in the Millennial
tar. *From what has been revealed of this temple to
e erected, we readily perceive that it will differ from
tiything that we have had. It will differ in regard to
le number of rooms; it will differ very much in its
utward and also in its inward form, and it will differ
1 regard to the duties to be performed in each of its
Doms, to be occupied by the respective departments of
riesthood. This house will be reared then, according
) a certain plan which God is to make known to His
arvants whom He will, in His own good time, raise up.
Jid He will have to give more revelation on other
lings equally as important for we shall need instruc-
.ons how to build up Zion, how to establish the central
ity, how to lay off the streets, the kind of ornamental
rees to adorn the sidewalks, as well as everything else
y way of beautifying it, and making it a city of per-
3ction, as David prophetically calls it. And then God
ill come and visit it. It will be a place where He will

26

have His throne, where He will sit occasionally as King
of Kings and Lord of Lords, and reign over His people
who will occupy this great western continent, the samt
situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, or
the sides of the north, the city of the Great King," anc
again He says : "Out of Zion the perfection of beautj
God hath shined." Does the psalmist mean that Goc
will shine literally out of Zion? Yes, shine with light
that will be seen by the righteous, and the wicked alsoi
* * * I will say, however, I desire greatly thai
the Lord will bless the Latter-day Saints, and bless Hi'i
servants, that some at least may have the pleasure o
entering into all the perfection of the glory here in thi
temporal life, while the more aged, the gray haired an(
gray bearded, like myself, will perhaps pass away,
the Lord requires it. And that our sons may rise u]
after us, being filled with the power and spirit of Go
to carry out His great and righteous purposes, evei
to completion."*

In the same sermon he refers to the ^'Mighty ani
Strong" in the following language :

*'This you will find recorded in Doctrine & Co\
enants, and in the same book it is predicted that ther
is to be one 'mighty and strong' as well as to be an in:
mortal personage. [The writer : In other literature i
is quoted 'as if it were an immortal personage'] one tha
is clothed upon with light as with a garment, one whos
bowels are a fountain of truth. His mission will be t
divide by lot to the Saints their inheritance, accordinf
to their faithfulness in their stewardship." * *

What a clear statement as to things divine, res'
ing with the future ! What inspired utterances ! Wh£
light and pure knowledge ! What a striking contradi<
tion to the baseless theories that the church sets up i
to the 85th Section of Doctrine & Covenants, and ii
f ulgllment ! With due respect to President Penrose, h:
advanced age and the good work he has performed i
the service of the Master, the hour in which we \i\
demands the question: What is the matter with tl:
prophets and seers of our day ? Have they become co^
eredj. As to the statements of President Penrose coi
tained in the sermon which may appear to the unii
formed as an effusion of a righteous advocate of trut
only this needs to be stated, that the subject discus
♦Pages 153, 154, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 21, 1881.
JSee Isaiah 29: 10.

27

Y him belongs to the realm of church government, and
)es not concern the instrument or instruments spoken
- in the 85th, 103r dand 113th Sections of Doctrine &
ovenants. The writer and those associated with him
I the work of the redemption of Zion, are not a whit
hind President Penrose in defending those principles
hich the Lord revealed and gave to His church to pro-
ct those whom He had called to lead and build up the
vine institution from individuals who were influenced
id deceived by seducing spirits. Certainly, these
'inciples hold as good today as they did in the days of
le Prophet Joseph Smith. But what bearing have they
oon the controversy regarding the 85th section of Doc-
ine & Covenants, etc. ? Let us refrain from becloud-
g the issue. President Penrose, and stick to the point,
he word of God says that one shall be raised up by
im to set the House of God in Order, etc. Around
lis point the controversy revolves, and not around the
'ovisions made by the Lord as to church government,
otwithstanding the overwhelming evidences to the
•ntrary, the Presidency of th echurch want to make
\ believe that that revelation has become obsolete, or

Jis been fulfilled, and even go so far as to leave the

I ipression that other scriptures connected with the one
ist quoted are no longer in power, or are fulfilled.
Pake it as you please) . These prophecies then, do not
fer to the internal affairs of the church, but they con-

sjrn an envoy or envoys sent directly from the throne
God to His church and to His people, to perform the
Drk designated by the voice of the Lord (as to a more
itensive argument on this point see pages 91-93), and

s| us the question confronts us, whether to believe the

ang word of God and the representatives of the school

which Orson Pratt and others belonged, or whether

e shall sanction and place our confidence in the dec-

itjrations of the Lord's delinquent priests of our day.
ie pages of this treatise shall give the answer to the

ijter rogation. The writer wants to point out here
at the divine institution called into being through the
strumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the

o\|iurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would
ffer shipwreck if it were not for the fulfillment (yet

iJ come) of the 85th section of Doctrine & Covenants,

itl r utterances of the kind made by President Penrose

s( id his associates cannot help but drive the people into

28

a state of unbelief and finally into apostacy, for the
reason that when one part of the scriptures can be made
of none effect, there is only one step left, to do likewise
with other parts, and the end would mean a state of
gross spiritual darkness, to the extent as experienced
by the church in previous ages. For this reason Pres-
ident Penrose in his enthusiastic effusion as to the hap-
py destiny of the Church and Kingdom of God, should
not lose sight of the fact that it will not come about in
the way man has mapped out, but in the only appointed
way of the Lord, who has decreed that it shall come
about by the way of the 85th section of Doctrine & Gov- 1
enants, and its fulfillment. While the testimony of
President Penrose as to his experiences, labors, efforts
and devotion of his service in the church and kingdom
of God, is pleasing to read and his endurance and sac-
rifices merit reward, the sad thought cannot be dis-
pelled that now, when the time is setting in that the
kingdom is to be established in its fullness (spiritually
as well as politically) he refuses and rejects the lighl
which would crown his labors and make him partaker oi
the blessings of the greater work, so plainly outlined by
the Lord through his ancient prophets as well as thost
of modern times. Instead of being on the side of truth
the one who has made a life study of "things divine,'
chooses to make of none effect not only the 85th Sec-
tion, but he would also, judging from his remarks, d(
away with other scriptures bearing on the coming f ortl
of certain instruments. There is no doubt in the writ-
er's mind that President Penrose and his colaborers
the authorities of the church, would be pleased to mak<
null and void these passages, in order to have smootl
sailing in applying the 43rd Section of Doctrine am
Covenants. That the work coming which shall be i
marvel and a wonder, and which shall cause kings t<
shut their mouths, cannot come until the House of Go<
is set in order, ought to be comprehensible and plain

Leaving this topic of our present division, we wil
now observe the inner workings of the church and se
whether we can find any disorder in its fine and sensi
tive mechanism, on which depends so much the we]
being of the body of Christ, as well as the proper exe
cution of the work of the ministry abroad. The churcl
as organized by divine commission, towers above a

29

)ther churches, no matter where they exist, or by what
lame they are known. In fact, it is the one church rec-
ognized by its head as an institution of eternal salva-
don, founded on such lofty principles as to assure its
faithful members of all the blessings which were en-
joyed by the saints of all dispensations, and the espe-
cial blessing peculiar to the restoration of all things
spoken by the mouths of the holy prophets. According
to the book of Doctrine & Covenants "the power and
authority of the higher or Melchisedek priesthood, is
to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the
church, to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries
)f the Kingdom of Heaven. To have the heavens opened
anto them, to commune with the general assembly and
church of the first born, and to enjoy the communion
md presence of God the Father and Jesus the mediator
)f the new covenant."* While the authoritiy of the
essor, or Aaronic priesthood, is to "hold the keys of
;he ministering of angels," etc.f The President of the
Dhurch is to occup ythe station "like unto Moses, yea, to
)e a seer, translator, revelator and a prophet, having
ill the gifts which he bestows upon the head of the
;hurch."J The twelve apostles are to be "special wit-
less of the name of Christ in all the world," and like-
vise are the Seventy called to preach the Gospel "to
)e special witnesses unto the gentiles and in all the
vorld."§

Although these quotations do not exhaust by any
neans the powers vested in the church, they will suf-
ice to show what an array of high blessings the church
Ivas endowed with. In connection with the viuotations
inven, we will refer to the sayings of the Prophet Jo-
seph Smith, regarding the qualities to be possessed by
|;he ones who were to lead man to salvation. ("A fan-
ciful and flowery and heated imagination," etc. See
)age 11).

Further we will quote from the writings of Paul
:he Apostle as to the qualifications essential to be a
ninister of the Gospel:

"And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one
)om out of due time, for I am the least of the apostles,

♦Doc. & Gov., Sec. 107, 18-19.
fDoc. & Gov., Sec. 107, 20.
t Doc. & Gov., Sec. 107, 92-93.
§Doc. & Gov., Sec. 107, 23-25.

30

that I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God, but by the grace of God
I am what I am."*

"Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I
not seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Are not ye my work
in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet
doubtless I am to you, for the seal of mine apostleship
are ye in the Lord/'f

All of which shows that a perfect harmony exists
as to the teachings of the servants of God in the dif-
ferent ages, and dispensations. The fact that Paul
speaks of himself and his ministry, does not diminish
the force of the argument, that his statements on this
subject apply to any one occupying the same station
which he held, for the reason that the qualifications
necessary for the one, must be the qualifications neces-
sary for the other. The Apostle's words are clear and
conclusive that he furnished the proof of the seal of
his apostleship by the fact that he had seen Christ, and
for this reason was not inferior to any of the apostles,
even the "chiefest" among them. Oliver Cowdery, in
giving his charge to the first twelve ordained in this
dispensation, is in line with these teachings, as will be
seen from the following quotation:

**You have been indebted to other men in the first
instance for evidence ; on that you have acted, but it is
necessary that you receive a testimony from heaven
for yourself, so that you can bear testimony to the
truth of the Book of Mormon, and that you have seen
the face of God. That is more than the testimony of
an angel. When the proper time arrives, you shall be
able to bear this testimony to the world that you have
seen God. When you bear this testimony that you
have seen God this testimony God will never suffer to
fall, but will bear you out, although many will not give
heed, yet others will. You will therefore see the ne-
cessity of getting this testimony from heaven. Never
cease striving until you have seen God face to face.
Strengthen your faith, cast oflf your doubts, your sins,
and all your unbelief, and nothing can prevent you
from coming to God. Your ordination is not full and
complete till God has laid His hand upon you. We re-
quire as much to qualify us as did those who have gone

*First Cor. 15: 8, 9 and 10.

♦Church History, Vol. 2, Pages 197-198.

fFirst Cor., 9: 1-2.

31

before us, God is the same. If the Savior in former
days laid hands on His disciples, why not in latter
days." ''Remember you are not to go to other na-
tions till you receive your endowments. Tarry at Kirt-
land until you are endowed with power from on high.
You need a foundation of wisdom, knowledge and intel-
ligence, such as you never had. Relative to the endow-
ment, I make a remark or two, that there may be no
mistake. The world cannot receive the things of God.
He can endow you with worldly pomp of great parade.
He can give you that wisdom, that intelligence and that
power which characterized the ancient Saints, and now
characterizes the inhabitants of the upper world. J * *
You must prepare your minds to bid a long farewell to
Kirtland, even till the great day comes. You will see
what you never expected to see. You will need the
mind of Enoch or Elijah and the faith of the brother
of Jared. You must be prepared to walk by faith, how-
ever appalling the prospect to you may be, you and
each of you should feel the force of the imperious man-
date ; *Son, go labor in my vineyard and cheerfully re-
ceive what comes, but in the end you will stand while
others fall.' * * * You have a work to do that no
other man can do, you must proclaim the Gospel in its
simplicity and purity, and we commend you to God,
and the word of His grace. You have our best wishes,
you have our most fervent prayers that you may be
able to bear this testimony, that you have seen the face
of God, therefore call upon Him in faith, in mighty
prayer till you prevail, for it is your duty and your
privilege to bear such testimony for yourselves. * *
You are bound together as the three witnesses were,
notwithstanding you can part and meet, and meet and
part again, till your heads are silvered over with age.*
The question arises; do the officers of the church
enjoy these high privileges and blessings, so essential
to the operation in their ministry ? The answer to this
question is decidedly in the negative. Examining the
highest strata of the priesthood, we find that neither
the President of the Church, nor the twelve of today
claim to be in possession of these special blessings. The
President has placed himself on record that he is with-
out the essentials of his high and holy calling, as the

JChurch History, Vol. 2, Pages 195-196.

32 ]

Congressional Record regarding the investigation of
Senator Reed Smoot's right to a seat in the Senate of
the United States will show. We will quote here from
the testimony of the President of the church, and in
connection with this, we will also quote an interview a
number of the Elders of the church had with Joseph
Smith, the President of the Reorganized church. The
quotation last named is taken from a pamphlet written
by Charles W. Penrose, the present second counselor
to President Joseph F. Smith, and will prove that the
church through its elders were eager to establish the
fact that the claims of the Reorganized Church and its
President has not the solid basis which the Church in
Utah is in possession of. The elders in question little
imagined at that time that a few years afterwards the
President of their own church would have to appear in-
voluntarily before the highest legislative body of the
land, and testify there that his claims as to possessing
the power vested in his high and holy calling, are sadly
lacking, and that he, as to authority, stands practically
on the same level with the aged son of the martyred
prophet. If matters could have been foreseen, that in-
terview would perhaps never have been put in print, in-
asmuch as the exposure occasioned by the testimony of
the President of the church before the Senate of the
United States stands out so much more glaringly when
viewed in the light of that interview. In order that the
reader might be able to conveniently compare both ut-
terances, as to the authority of power held by these
two presidents, the writer has placed the interview
and the testimony in question side by side.

The following account
was published in the Des-
eret Evening News of
July 11th, 1896:

"Chicago, June 6, 1896.
To the Editor Deseret
News:

By the request of many
of our elders and inter-
ested friends and at the
suggestion of Elder Josh-
ua R. Clark, who has been
presiding over the North-

*The chairman : I do not
quite understand that
Vhen it is divine.' You
have revelations, have you
not?

Mr. Smith : I have nev-
er pretended to, nor do I
profess to have received
revelations. I never said
I had revelations, except ,
so far as God has shown ^'"
to me that so-called Mor-
monism is God's divint ''

33

irn States Mission, I here-
with respectfully submit
a verbatim copy of an in-
terview between myself
and Joseph Smith, Presi-
dent of the Reorganized
Church, March 18th, 1896,
at Independence, Jackson
County, Missouri, in the
house of Mr. Luff, one of
the Reorganization's apos-
tles. There were present
Elder William E. Griddle,
Eugene S. Hart, Archibald
C. Young, of the Church
3f Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, besides Joseph
Luff, Joseph Smith and
myself. The question and
replies made were as fol-
lows:

Q. Do you claim to be
I a prophet?

i A. Yes, I claim the
I same authority as my
i father.

I Q. Did your father or-
'dain you to be a prophet,
land lead the church?
I A. No, he did not. He
I blessed me, but did not or-
dain me to any office that
I know of.

Q. You say a Voice*
told you to *join the Re-
organized Church.* Is it
not possible that the voice
was from a 'seducing spir-
tit' — a transformed devil
— instead of from God?

A. I heard the voice
but will not say whether
it could be deceptive or
not. Here Joseph endeav-
ored to explain to us that

truth. That is all.

The Chairman : You
say that was shown to you
by God?

Mr. Smith : By inspira-
tion.

The Chairman : How by
inspiration, does it come
in shape of a vision ?

Mr. Smith: The things
of God knoweth no man,
but the spirit of God,* and
I cannot tell you any more
than that I received that
knowledge and that testi-
mony by the spirit of God.

Mr. Taylor : You do not
mean that you reached it
by any process of reason-
in, or by any other method
by which you reach con-
clusions in your own
mind, do you?

Mr. Smith: Well, I
have reached principles,
that is, I have been con-
firmed in my acceptance
and knowledge of princi-
ples that have been re-
vealed to me, shown to me,
of which I was ignorant
before, by reason and
fact.

(Page 99 Proceedings
in the Smoot Case, 59th
Congress, Senate Docu-
ment, No. 486. On file in
the Salt Lake City Public
Library.)

The following are utter-
ances taken from sermons
delivered by President
Charles W. Penrose and
President Joseph F. Smith
discussing the comments

34

it would be unfair for us
to expect him to say that
it 'could be possible' for
the voice to have been de-
ceptive, after his relying
upon it for so many years,
etc., etc.)

Q. Who ordained you
unto the apostleship?

A. Mark Blair and Gur-
ley ordained me a High
Priest.

Q. bid they hold the of-
fice of an apostle?

A. Mark was not an
apostle.

Q. If not, how could be
give something he never
had?

A. I think one holding
an office in the Melchise-
dek Priesthood can do so.

Q. Have you had any
visions ?

A. Yes sir, numbers of
them.

Q. Have you ever seen
an angel, or heavenly per-
sonage ?

A. I have seen angels,
one came as a man and
sat by my bed, and gave
me instructions about
sickness, as to whether to
get the doctor or not.

When closely ques-
tioned, Joseph admitted
that the angel might have
been a man, perhaps one
of the Nephites, he could
not say, he did not shake
hands with the individual.

He came in at the open
door and went out the
same way."

made by the people in
consequence of the testi-
mony of the President of
the Church, given in
Washington. The quota- 1|
tions are practically an i
acknowledgement of the j
writer's contention as to!
the lack of divine favor on
the part of the President
of the church and his as-
sociates, which verify the
declaration that divine in-
terference will have to
come, or otherwise the
prophetic utterances will
be fulfilled. "Where there
is no vision the people per-
ish."

Here are the quota- i
tations : "Referring to the
misrepresentations o f
President Joseph F.
Smith's testimony at 3
Washington, concerning
revelation, the speaker i
showed that the question (
put to President Smith as ji
to whether he had re-
ceived a revelation from
God, to which he gave a
qualified negative, was
predicted on the interpre-
tation placed on the term
by the attorney. What
the interrogator calle
'revelation,' as he define
it himself, in his argu-
ment, was ^personal con-lje
tact with God,' speaking le
with him *mouth to mouth' li
hearing God's voice *aa I
one man speaks to anoth- ^i
er.' To this President jtji
Smith answered *No.' But |c
he said he had received

i

I

35

•evelations that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God,
ind testified that he himself was guided by the spirit
)f God.' (Utterances of Charles W. Penrose.)

"Now with reference to the principle and doctrine
)f revelation, it may be proper for me to say a few
vords on this subject, while I am on my feet. For me
:o say, which was the very end that my critics and my
nquisitors were endeavoring to get me to say, in order
:hat I might be led into that trap which they had made
'or me, to say that God had given to me a revelation
ipon some new doctrine, or theory, or principle, or pre-
cept, or anything to be written, to be observed, or
landed down as a guide to the church, would have been
mtrue. I could not have said that, for He has not
lone this," etc. Continuing, the speaker then shows
;hat he knows that the man succeeding the
^rophet Joseph Smith were divinely called as was
foseph Smith, called by God.) — Remarks by President
roseph F. Smith. See The Deseret Evening News of
^arch 20th, 1905.

We likewise quote from a sermon delivered by
^resident Joseph F. Smith at the occasion of the f uner-
d over the remains of John T. Caine in Salt Lake City,
September 24th, 1911:

"May I be permitted just a moment more to de-
clare my faith, my absolute belief, and if it be possible
'or man to say he knows a thing which he has not seen
vith his eyes, or heard with his ears, then I say that
'. know by intuition, by the spirit of God, and by the
;estimony which is borne in on my soul, I know that my
Redeemer liveth, I know that he was the Son of God,
)orn of a woman, that he was the redeemer of the
vorld."

These words, when free to speak as he felt led,
)rove that the man who is sustained as prophet, seer
md revelator, is void of the essentials of the apostle-
;hip, which were considered of such great importance
)y Paul of a former dispensation, and by Oliver Cow-
lery and Joseph Smith, the prophet of the present dis-
)ensation. It must be remembered that the keys of
his high and holy callnig remain with the encumbent
f true and faithful, not only during his mortal career,
)ut also throughout all eternity, even if he assumes
>ther responsible duties, as can easily be shown from
he revelation of John, which refers to the "twelve

36

apostles of the Lamb." True enough there have been,
are at the present time, and will be individuals who
are known as apostles but are not such. Of these John
the Revelator wrote likewise, when at the Isle of Pat-
mos, at the time when the primitive church had begun
to apostatize, and the last warning was sounded
through the instrumentality of this illustrious disciple
of Christ to a number of branches, who were still found
worthy to receive the warning voice of the Master. Thus
he wrote: "I know thy works and thy patience, and
how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou
hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are
not, and hast found them liars. "H That a similar con-
dition would exist future to the revelations given to
the Prophet Joseph Smith, or in other words, that men
would be found who make like pretenses as to being
apostles and prophets, and that thev would meet a sim-
ilar fate as those pretenders of old, we may see from
the predictions given by the Lord through his chosen
servant, Joseph Smith, who forecasts the following, in
connection with the redemption of Zion : "For it shall
come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all
things pertaining to Zion. And liars and hypocrits
shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles
and prophets shall be known."*

Because of its significance, we also quote the fol-
lowing: "And even the Bishop, who is a judge, and
his counselors if they are not faithful in their steward-
ship, shall be condemned, and others shall be planted
in their stead, for behold I say unto you that Zion shall
flourish and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her,
and she shall be an ensign unto the people, and there
shall come unto her, out of ever nation under heaven."t

What has been advanced here as regards the Pres-
ident of the church, applies with equal force to his
counselors as well as to the quorum of the Twelve. A
number of these latter have expressed themselves to
the effect that they are without the essentials neces-
sary to their calling, while others are entirely silent
upon the subject. If, however, the writer is mistaken
on this point, and any one of the quorum of the Twelve
should come out with a declaration that he is in pos-
session of the blessings which the apostle Paul pos-

*Doc. & Gov., Sec. 64, 38-39.

fDoc. & Gov., Sec. 64, verses 40-42.

37

sessed, it would be a happy surprise to all those who
are looking upon a servant of God holding the apostle-
ship, with reverence as to his high and holy calling.

Coming to the bodies of the Priesthood of the
Apostles and the Seventy in their capacity as minis-
ters of the Gospel abroad, the reader in perusing
the revelations given on this point will realize
the importance of the calling of these ministers. —
In order to obtain a full realization of the importance
of their calling, we will quote from Church His-
tory the following: "Salvation cannot come without
revelation, it is in vain for anyone to minister without
it. No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being
a prophet. No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ
except he has the testimony of Jesus, and this is the
spirit of prophecy. Whenever salvation has been ad-
ministered, it has been by this testimony. Men of the
present time testify of heaven and hell, and have never
seen eihter, and I will say that no man knows these
things without this. "J Here then is the convlusive
evidence that no one can be a minister of the Gos-
pel unless he is endowed with that higher power which
makes him, without doubt, a witness of the heavens,
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Note the provisions the
Lord has made for the extent of the labors of these
ministers.

"The Twelve are a traveling presiding high
counsel to officiate in the name of the Lord, under the
direction of the Presidency of th echurch, agreeable to
the institution of heaven; to build up the church and
regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations, first
unto the gentiles, and secondly unto the Jews."

"The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord
under the direction of the Twelve, or the Traveling
High Council, in building up the church and regulating
all the affairs of the same in all nations — first unto the
Gentiles and then unto the Jews.§

"And these Seventy are to be traveling ministers
unto the Gentiles first, and also unto the Jews." II

"Whereas, other officers of the church who belong
not unto the Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are not
under the responsibility to travel among all nations,

tHistory of the Church, Vol. 3, papre 389.
ijDoc. & Cov. Sec. 107, 34.
II Doc. & Gov., Sec. 107,97.

38

but are to travel as their circumstances shall allow, not-
withstanding they may hold as high and responsible
office in the church. "H

In connection with this we quote the words of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, as given in one of the Confer-
ences, and recorded in Church History: "After the
question was discussed * * * President Joseph
Smith Jr. gave the following decision:

" They are the Twelve Apostles who are called
to the office of the Traveling High Council, who are
to preside over the Churches of the Saints among the
Gentiles, where there is a presidency established, and
they are to travel and preach among the Gentiles until
the Lord shall command them to go to the Jews. They
are to hold the keys of His ministry, to unlock the door
of the Kingdom of Heaven unto all nations and preach
the Gospel to every creature. This is the power, au-
thority and virtue of their apostleship."*

Concerning the Twelve and the Seventy, we will
cite the following :

"And that the Seventy are not called to serve
tables or preside over churches, to settle difficulties,
but are to preach the Gospel and build them up and set
others, who do not belong to these quorums, to preside
over them, who are high priests. The Twelve also are
not to serve tables, but to bear the keys of the kingdom
to all nations, and unlock the door of the Gospel to
them and called upon the Seventies to follow after
them and assist them. The Twelve are at liberty to
go wheresoever they will, if any one will say, I wish to
go to such a place, let all the rest say amen.'

"If the first Seventy are al all employed, and there
is a call for more labor, it will be the duty of the seven
Presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain other
Seventy, and send them forth to labor in the vineyard
until, if needs be, they set apart seven times sev-
enty, and even until there are 144,000 thus set apart
for the ministry. The Seventy are not to attend the
conferences of the Twelve, unless they are called upon
or requested so to do by the Twelve. The Twelve and
th Svnty are particularly to depend upon their minis-
try for their support, and that of their families, and

IfDoc. & Gov., Sec. 107, 98.

♦History of the Church, Vol. 2, page 200.

IT

they ha^

39

ey have a right, by virtue of their offices, to call
upon the churches to assist them."t

The provision for the support of the ministers of
the Gospel was made by the Prophet before the law of
tithing was revealed. When the law of tithing was giv-
en, the Lord established the following:
Wb "For the building of mine house and for the laying
^5f the foundation of Zion, and for the Priesthood, and
^or the debts of the Presidency of my church. "t
^f The quotations given prove conclusively that :

First, the Apostles and Seventy, as special wit-
nesses of Christ, are bodies of ministers whose calling
was not to be complete until they have been endowed
with power from on high ;

Second, that their whole time was to be consumed
in proclaiming the Gospel among the nations as travel-
ing ministers, and that - regarding the Seventy, one
quorum after another was to be organized, and its
members sent out, until, if necessary, 144,000 were in
the field ;

Third, that these bodies of the Priesthood were to
receive their support from the church by drawing up-
on the tithing funds.

As to being engaged in secular avocations and bus-
iness affairs, the reader will see that no provision or
allowance is made, and rightly so, as the Lord requires
his servants to serve Him in His vineyard, exclusively,
and not to apply their time in business enterprises, etc.
Viewing the conditions of these bodies as they exist
today, one can note at once a state of affairs which is
altogether out of harmony with the revealed plan of
God.

Of the quorum of the Twelve only one fills the
place of a mission president, while of the other eleven,
one occupies a high political office which has for the
last twelve years, or more, taken up his time, while
the remaining ten apostles are engaged in business en-
terprises, in connection with which they labor in the
ministry at home.

The organized quorum of the Seventy are in a still
more deplorable condition, in that the seven Presidents
of this body remain at home, while a number of inex-

tHistory of the Church, Vol. 2, page 221.
JDoc. & Gov., Sec. 119, 2.

40

periericed young men are sent out, who have but a faint
conception of the principles of the Gospel and the im-
portant calling of a minister of the church, appointed
by the heavens. These striplings called from the plow,
the cattle range, the work shop, etc., are labelled as
"Seventy" and often sent out into the world the very
day when ordained as such. Numerous cases are on rec-
ord where boys are ordained and set abroad who have
avoided places of worship and instruction, rather than
sought after them, and as a consequence are entirely
unprepared and unfit to enligliten the world, with ref-
erence to the principles of life and salvation. Even
the best equipped of them do not possess the qualifica-
tions so necessary for the successful promulgation of
the Gospel. After these apprentices return from their
"Missions," they go back to their avocations, and the
great bulk of them become indifferent to the duties
enjoined upon them by virtue of their calling. Mean-
while, another draft of striplings is made by those in
power, and so the matter is continued to the extent
that no standing ministry is to be found, but that the
rising youth performs the important work which was
intended to be performed by those possessing ripe ex-
periences in spiritual things, which experiences were to
be supplemented by the endowments vouchsafed by the
Divine to His faithful srvants. From the standpoint of
the church authorities, there is wisdom in this prac-
tice, as it relieves them from the necessity of expend-
ing money which rightly belongs to the body of the
Priesthood and their families, as provided in Holy Writ.
The usage has been established that these young men,
who are mostly unmarried, are to be kept by their rela-
tives and friends, etc., while in the mission field, which
usage has worked so effectively that this has become
a standing rule throughout the church, in spite of the
hardships which it has engendered. What then be-
comes of the tithing funds saved by such an unright-
eous practice? These funds are simply invested into
all manner of business enterprises, the outcroppings of
which can be observed in all directions. That this is a
clear case of misappropriation of the funds belonging to
the body of the worshippers called the "Church of Je-
sus Christ of Latter-day Saints," is obvious. The mem-
bers of this institution and particularly they who are
diretly interested in the matter, viz : the different quor-

41

urns of the Seventy, have a legal claim to the tithing
funds of the church, and can, if they so resolve, prose-
cut their claims in the courts of the land. As to their
legal right so to do, there can be no question. The
present President of the church realizes this fact, and
has given as an excuse for withholding the means of
support from the Seventy that "they have not pressed
their claims" in that direction. If it is necessary for
the Seventy to press their claims before they receive
recognition, what about the general authorities of the
church, the President and his two counselors, the
Twelve, the seven Presidents of Seventy, and the Bish-
op of the Church and his two counselors, who live from
the tithing funds. Are they supported without having
pressed their claims, or have they pressed their claims
sufficiently in the past as to have earned recognition to
receive what is due to them? How significant then
the following words of Ezekiel the Prophet, which have
been made an issue in the work of the redemption of
Zion: ''And the word of the Lord came unto me say-
ing 'Son of Man, prophesy against the shepherds of
Israel, prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the
Lord God unto the shepherds, woe be to the shepherds
of Israle that do feed themselves. Should not the shep-
herds feed the flock ? Ye eat the fat and ye clothe you
with the wool, ye kill them that are fed, but ye feed
not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened,
neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither
have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have
ye brought again that which was driven away, neither
have ye sought that which was lost, but with force and
cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered,
because there is no shepherd ; and they became meat to
all the beasts of the field, when they were scatterd. My
sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon
every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all
the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after
them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the
Lord ; As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my
flock became meat to every beast of the field, because
there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds
search for my flock, but the shepherds feed themselves,
and feed not my flock ; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear
the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Be-
hold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require

42

my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from
feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed
themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from
their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.."*

The attempt has been made to apply this prophecy
to the priesthood, or rather priestcraft of the religious
bodies of the world, and those converted by the Gospel
and brought to Zion as their gathering place, represent-
ing as such "the sheep" to whom the Prophet has ref-
erence. The fallacy of this interpretation becomxes
clear as soon as one peruses the whole chapter, and
reflects upon the matter. The prophet mentions the
shepherds of Israel, and not the Gentiles and their
spiritual leaders. That the shepherds of Israel hold-
ing sway in the latter days are referred to, is likewise
shown by the whole trend of the subject, as it speaks of
the time when "hte Lord shall gather all Israel," "when
"none shall make them afraid, and they shall dwell
safely." "And I will set up one shepherd over them,
and He shall feed them, even my servant David, he
shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd, and I,
the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David a
prince among them. I the Lord have spoken it.f

We come now to the High Priests and Elders, or
the ministers of the Gospel at home. They too, in con-
nection with the other branches of the Melchisedek
Priesthood have the privilege to "commune with the
General Assembly and Church of the Frst Born, and
enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father,
and Jesus, the mediator, of the new covenant."

In connection with these promises the prophet
•Joseph Smith gave the following: "The other comfort-
er spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps
understood by few of this generation. After a person
has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized
for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy
Ghost (by the laying on of hands) which is the first
Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself
before God, hungering and thirsting after righteous-
ness, and live by every word of God, and the Lord will
soon say unto him. Son, thou shalt be exalted. When
the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that
the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then

fEzekiel 34: 23-24.

I

43

the man will find his calling and his election made sure,
then it will be his privilege to receive the other com-
forter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is
recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chap-
ters, from the 12th to the 27th verses. Note the 15th,
17th, 18th and 23rd verses.

Now what is this other comforter? It is no more
nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this
is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that
when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have
the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or ap-
pear unto him from time to time, and even He will man-
ifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their
abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be
opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face
to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God ; and this is the state
and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had
such glorious visions — Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the
Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens and all
the Saints who held communion with the general as-
sembly the Church of the First Born.*'*

If we survey conditions we find that the quorums
of these branches of the higher priesthood and their
members are possessed of such an ignorance as to the
high duties of their calling as well as a lack of spiritual-
ity among them, that we soon come to the conclusion
that the great prerogatives extended to them by the
Lord are considered but empty promsies, blessings
which might be enjoyed, but are not prevalent just
now. Subjects of a common nature are discussed in
the meetings of these quorums by the aid of text books,
while the kernel of faith delivered to the ancients, is
not thought of, and the scriptures neither sufficiently
perused, nor understood. Inasmuch as no light and
knowledge can be imparted by these ministers to those
who gather at the house of worship, the returned Sev-
enty are enlisted for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Whether these succeed in it by relating to a great ex-
tent their experiences in their different fields of mis-
sion, may be decided by those who ar directly con-
cerned in this matter, the attendants of these gather-
ings.— If the upper strata of the priesthood is in such
a bad plight, one needs not to look for more hopeful

♦History of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 380.

44

signs throughout the lower strata of the same. Al-
though the Lord has surrounded the office of the priest,
teacher and even a deacon with power and dignity,
those who hold these offices are such only in name. As
soon as they are ordained, they go their way and little
realize or reflect upon the sacred obligation entered
into, and the privileges to which they are entitled. How
can it be otherwise when no special powers are visible,
or manifested, by the one who stands at the head. — The
whole body of the priesthood is delinquent. The differ-
ent offices being stripped of power and dignity, the in-
cumbents can see no benefit to be derived from holding
such office and for this reason the excellency of their
calling is reduced to a meaningless formality.

Coming down to the body of the Saints we find the
saying verified, "As the priest, so the people." Neglected
by those who are called to feed the flock they have gone
to sleep spiritually speaking, their homes are not often
visited by a teacher sent by the bishop of the ward,
and in those instances where calls are made it is more
in the capacity of a friend or neighbor than of an au-
thorized servant of God, who is cognizant of the fact
that he is sent by virtue of his office and calling to lead
those who are in his charge to a higher standard of
faith and knowledge of things eternal. All those who
have had experiences in this line must, if sincere, be
impressed as to the correctness of the facts here stated.
Just recently special efforts have been put forth to
bring the teachers to the standard of visiting the mem-
bers regularly. While these efforts have borne fruit,
and "one hundred per cent" reports have been given in
some instances, the spiritual power is nevertheless
sadly lacking.

The writer is aware that there are exceptions to
this rule and instances of living faith and works may
be noted, and gifts and blessings enjoyed by individu-
als, as this was the case when Christ appeared among
His people, the Jews. Speaking, however, in a gen^
eral way, the observer will agree that the faith has
grown dim among His people, and the intervening from
on high is absolutely necessary in order to save the
work of the latter days.

Another link in the subject of the House of God
being out of order is found in the fact that the church
is void of the existence of its highest court, the Gen-

45

eral High Council of the Church, as provided for and
called into existence in the days of Joseph the Prophet,
according to Sec. 102, Doc. & Cov. As this part of the
subject matter is very closely associated with the pro-
ceedings of the church against one of the instruments
figuring in the work of the redemption of Zion as to
his standing and membership in the church, we will for
convenience sake refrain from discussing the same in
this division, and treat upon it under the heading "The
Root of Jesse." Mention should be made, however, that
besides its judicial functions, this Council is vested with
the authority to dispose of the tithing funds, in con-
nection with the First Presidency, the Bishop of the
church and his council, and **by my voice."* The coun-
cil not being in existence the check which was intended
to be placed upon the First Presidency, etc., has been
removed, and as a consequence the expenditure of the
tithing funds is carried on in a loose, uncontrolled
manner. (See on this subject also the Third Pamphlet
written by Brother Samuel Eastman). — The facts point-
ed out in this division do not exhaust the subject of
the **House of God being out of order" by any means.
Sufficient evidence has been produced, however, to
prove that the church is hopelessly out of order, and
that the stern necessity of bringing about a change
exists. While compiling this treatise the writer's at-
tention has been drawn to many usages and practices
of the church leaders which are out of harmony with
the revealed word of God and contrary to the best in-
terest of the people. It is not his intentions, however,
to treat upon these matters, as they merely constitute
the outgrowth, the consequences of the house of God
being out of order. The fundamental cause has been
analyzed and conclusive evidences furnished and from
this point all outcroppings of disorder may be viewed.
Concluding this division, we will state that the
church authorities can soon vindicate themselves if
they feel that they are harshly judged and discrimi-
nated against in these pages. The Lord will not allow
his servants to be placed in a wrong light before the
people, and the whole world, if they are in favor with
Him. Upon their petition He will, by revealing him-
self, denounce anyone for impeaching the integrity of
his servants, as he did in the case of the Prophet Jo-

♦Doc. & Gov., Sec. 120.

46

seph Smith and William McLellan and his associates
in early daysf Here then is a chance for the Shep-
herds of Israel to clear themselves from every charge
brought against them. If they, however, cannot do
this, and prove themselves what they claim to be,
namely, prophets, seers and revelators, then they ought
to be known as blaspheming the Lord on High, and
regarded as such. If they feel inclined to open the col-
umns of their official organ, the Deseret News, the
writer will be only too pleased to discuss the subject
more extensively.

But let us leave this gloomy subject, connected
with the work of the redemption of Zion, and enter
upon the bright promising aspect of that work as con-
tained in the revelations of the Lord which are com-
mencing to be fulfilled now. This leads us to the di-
vision next to be considered.

THE SAINTS IN BONDAGE AND THE DELIVERER ,

PROMISED n

Zion rise, awake from sadness.
See, behold the veil is torn.
'Ere thy aches and travail ensued
Was to thee a male child born.
Zion rise, put on thy garments.
Beautiful of strength and might.
Rise and stand endowed with power.
See redemption is in sight.

(Continued from Pake 18.)

The following revelation was given to the Prophet
Joseph Smith a few months after the Saints had been
driven from Jackson County :

'Behold, I say unto you, the redemption of Zion
must needs come by power, therefore I will raise up
unto my people a man who shall lead them like as Moses
led the Children of Israel, for ye are the Children of
Israel, and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs
be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched
out arm, and as your Fathers were led at the first,
even so shall the redemption of Zion be.J From this
declaration we learn that the condition of the Saints

tDoc. & Gov., Sec. 67.

iDoc. & Gov., Sec. 103, 15-18.

1

47

will be a similar one to that under which ancient Israel
prroaned, and thfit the bonds will be broken, as in the
days of Moses. While it may not come to a point that
taskmasters are placed over the same, and they are
made drawers of water and hewers of wood, the condi-
tions broup^ht about by ecclesiastical pressure, and (in
secular matters) by combined financial forces, and the
enactment of burdensome and even permicious laws
and reprulations, as well as the usurpation of power by
unscrupulous government officials and their unjust
transactions, will become so burdensome and opDres-
sive that a state of bondapre in the true sense of the
word will exist. The fact that knowledpre on these
matters will be enioved by the faithful, the Lord's elect
will sense so much keener the burdensome stJite of af-
fairs and loner for the promised deliverance. The prom-
ise is eriven in this revelation that "your brethren who
have been scattered shall return to the land of their
inheritances and build up the waste places of Zion."§
Not all, however, but "they that remain and are pure in
heart, shall return and come to their inheritance, they
and their children, with sonp^s of everlastiner jov, to
build up the waste places of Zi^n. and all these things
that the prophets might be fulfilled."!!

Reflecting upon this passage, the question may
arise ; how can these promises be fulfilled, when hardly
anyone of those are left who once were driven from the
sacred soil of the city of Zion? Let us point out. in
answer to this Question, that the redemption of Zion
will also resemble, as to this feature, the condition un-
der which ancient Israel entered the nromised land.
There were but two of those who left Eevnt who were
permitted to enter Canaan, Joshua and Caleb, while
the rest had found their graves in the wilderness,
There are. according to the statistics of the church,
but very few left of the band who undervi'ent the per-
secutions in Missouri, nrevinus to the date of the reve-
lation cited, so few indeed that they might be counted
on the fingers of one hand. Of these few the Lord will
preserve enough to fulfill the prophecies, by them re-
entering the land "to build up the waste places of Zion."
That the reader mav conceive still clearer how near
the time of the fulfillment of God's prophecy has

§Doc. & Cov., Sec. 103, 11.
ilDoc. & Cov., Sec. 101, 18-19.

48

drawn, let us examine the words of the Angel Moroni
to Joseph Smith, on the memorable night of September
21st, 1823. Joseph relates the following:

"He informed me of great judgments which were
coming upon the earth, with great desolations by fam-
ine, sword and pestilence, and that these grievous
judgments would come on the earth in this genera-
tion."TI Nearly ninety-one years have elapsed since
this prediction was made, and the reader may judge
how many in existence at that time are still with us.
When it is considered that the judgments pointed out
will come "in this generation'* and the nucleus of the
Saints will be established in the land of their inheri-
tance before these judgments in their fullness sweep
the earth, then the reader may well pause and reflect as
to his rsponsibilities in giving heed to the living word of
God which is now unfolded by one divinely called, for
the good of his chosen people. The following revelation
given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in September, 1882,
corroborates the significance of the words given to the
youthful prophet when under the voice of the Nephite
prophet. This revelation reads:

"For verily, this generation shall not all pass away
until a house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud
shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory
of the Lord, which shall fill the house."*

According to this the House of the Lord will be
finished and the cloud being the glory of God will rest
upon it within a few years, comparatively speaking,
as nearly eighty-two years have passed away since this
revelation was given, and the generation spoken of is
passing rapidly. In the face of promises so shortly to
be fulfilled, none of the people of God should stand
back; they ought to take hold of the living word and
reject the opinions of men, no matter what claims
might be made, as to "divine authority," for this is the
sure word of prophecy and cannot be broken, but must
stand against all declarations of men to the contrary, no
matter from what supposed "authority" they come. The
cry that nothing can occur unless the Lord moves upon
those in power, and in this way manifests his mind
and will, is nothing more than a chloroform to keep the
people in a stupor regarding the precious things which

UChurch History, Vol. 1, page 14
♦Doc. & Gov., Sec. 84, 5.

49

are coming forth. If those sustained as prophets, seers
and revelators were susceptible to things divine, they
would know by this time that the Lord has stretched
forth his arm to fulfill these promises, and that the con-
summation of them is so close at hand that a further
delay is impossible, by the very nature of the things in-
volved. The unfaithful shepherds do not want to open
their ears to such a far-reaching subject, as the re-
demption of Zion, and the coming of the Lord, only in
a very general way. Its very nature is apt to have
a tendency to disturb the equilibrium of the financial
interests of the country in which they are so heavily
interested, by virtue of their extended investments. If
the President of the Church, however, has a message
from on high that the Lord has delayed and changed
His promises, well and good, let such a message be read
into our ears. If there is no such revelation, then the
word of God is to be fulfilled now, and cannot be put
off. Reviewing the 20th verse of the 103rd Section of
Doctrine and Covenants once more, we find that the
great promise is made to the Saints that not only the
Lord's angels shall go before them, but also "my pres-
ence." Here then lies the great power wrought by the
Lord in behalf of His people. He himself will lead His
hosts. This signifies that the Lord will be on earth and
intervene for His elect long before His general com-
ing, at the time when every eye shall see Him and is
in harmony with the vision the Prophet Joseph Smith
saw, and also the scriptures bearing on the coming of
Christ, as a ''thief in the night." The vision referred
to is contained in a little pamphlet sold in the Church
stores. Its title is "Extracts from the Pioneer G. 0.
Journal." We quote the following from this little book :
"The coming of the Messiah among His people will
be natural, that only those who see Him will know that
He has come, but he will come and give His laws unto
Zion, and minister unto His people. This will not be His
coming in the clouds of heaven to take vengeance on
the wicked of the world." The passage of scripture
bearing on this subject we find in the prophecies of
Malachi, which is frequently quoted: "Behold I will
send my messenger, and he shall prpeare the way be-
fore me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly
come to His temple, even the messenger of the cov-

50

enant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come, saith
the Lord of Hosts."* The phrase "suddenly come to
His temple'* points to a different time from his gen-
eral appearance, when he will come in the clouds and
be exposed to the gaze of every living soul. A further
passage of scripture on this subject is the following:
"Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your
Lord doth come, but know this, that if the good man
of the house had known in what watch the thief would
come, he would have watched and would not have suf-
fered his house to be broken up, therefore be ye also
ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of
Man cometh."t Note the significance of the following
words as to conditions which will prevail at the time of
His appearance : "Who then is a faithful and wise ser-
vant whom His Lord has made ruler of his household,
to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that ser-
vant whom His Lord when He cometh shall find so do-
ing, verily I say unto you, that He shall make him ruler
of all His goods. But, and if that evil servant shall say
in his heart my Lord delayeth His coming and shall be-
gin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink
with the drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come
in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and
appoint him his portion with the hypocrits, there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "t

The following will be the connecting events which
will transpire at the glorious time ; He will make him-
self manifest to His elect, set the House of God in or-
der through His chosen instrument, lead His people in
great power to their land and establish the actual king-
dom spoken of in joyful glee by the prophets and seers
of all dispensations, while the wicked and ungodly will
be destroyed in fulfillment of the prediction made by
Moses and quoted by Peter: "For Moses truly said
unto the Fathers 'a prophet shall the Lord your Goc
raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me, hin:
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say untc
you, and it shall come to pass that every soul which wil
not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from amon^

♦Malachi 3: 1.
fMatthew 24: 42-44.
JMatthew 24: 45-51.

51

the people;"* which prophecy is one of the
quoted by Moroni, when visiting the youthful prophel
in the year 1823, adding to this explanation that the
prophet was Christ, but the day had not come yet
when ''they who would not hear His voice should be cut
off from among the people," but would soon come.

Having traced the predictions bearing on the re-
demption of Zion, and having pointed out their signifi-
cance and the time of their fulfillment, we will now pro-
ceed to consider :

THE INSTRUMENTS WHO ARE TO EXECUTE
THE THINGS PROMISED

See the voice from high descending
Calling home thy scattered sheep
Loose the bands from their appressors
Held so long in bondage's boast.
See thy King aappears in splendor,
With him comes the heavenly train
Earth and heaven combine to render
Homage to His peaceful reign.

(Continued from page )

Because of their great importance we will quote
once more from the words of Moroni to Joseph Smith in
September, 1823, as bearing on this point. "In addition
to these he quoted the 11th chapter of Isaiah, saying
that it was about to be fulfilled. "t Thanks to the pow-
ers, gifts and blessings with which the Prophet Joseph
Smith was endowed, we enjoy the privilege of knowing
who the instruments are which Isaiah, the Jewish
prophet, foretold would come forth. Hidden away for
thousands of years, these predictions were unfolded
and made clear in our days. If we have faith in them,
and cherish the Word of God, they will carry blessings
with them of untold richness. Here they are: "Who
is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the first, second, third,
fourth and fifth verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah?
Verily thus saith the Lord it is Christ. What is the
rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of
Isaiah, that should come of the stem of Jesse? Be-
hold, thus saith the Lord, it is a servant in the hands
of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse, as
well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom

♦Acts 3: 22-23.

fChurch History, Vol. 1, page 12.

52

there is laid much power. What is the root of Jesse,
spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter? Be-
hold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse,
as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the
priesthood and the keys of the kingdom, for an en-
sign, and for the gathering of my people in the last
days. "J

According to this revelation Christ is one of the
instruments spoken of by Isaiah. As to His coming as
a thief in the night, we have touched in the previous
division. How he will execute judgment afterwards,
as a prophet spoken of by Moses and quoted by Peter,
we find clearly outlined in the following scriptures : "Oh
Lord, thou shalt come down to make Thy name known
to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at
Thy presence when Thou doest terrible things, things
they look not for. Yea, when Thou comest down and
the mountains flow down at Thy presence. Thou shalt
meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness
and remembereth Thee in Thy ways. For since the be-
ginning of the world hath not man heard nor perceived
by ear, neither hath any eye seen, oh God, besides
Thee, how great things Thou hast prepared for him
that waiteth for thee. And it shall be said *who is this
that Cometh down from God in heaven with dyed gar-
ments; yea from the regions which are not known
clothed in His glorious apparel, traveling in the great
ness of His strength ?' And He shall say *I am he wh(
spake in righteousness, mighty to save.' And the Lore
shall be red in His apparel, and His garments like hin
that treadeth the wine vat. And so great shall be th<
glory of His presence that the sun shall hide his fac<
in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, anc
the stars shall be hurled from their places. And Hii;
voice shall be heard T have trodden the wine pres;:
alone, and have brought judgment upon all people, an<l
none were with me.' 'And I have trampled them in m;:
fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, an*!
their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, ant
stained all my raiment, for this was the day of ven
geance which was in my heart. * * * And upo:
them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord shall b
fulfilled that which was written by the prohet Mose?

$Doc. & Gov., Sec. 113, 1-6.

53

at they should be cut off from among the people, and
30 that which was written by the Prophet Malachi
)r behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,
id all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly shall be
ubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up,
ith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither
ot nor branch. "§

The other two servants spoken of come from the
me family stock, from the tribe of Judah, and at the
me time have the blood of Ephraim flowing in their
dns. On one of them is laid much power, while to
le other instrument rightly ''belongs the priesthood
id the keys of the kingdom,' etc.

It will be seen that the power vested in these in-
ruments, especially in the one last named, is far
reater than held by any mortal at the present time.
e will stand as an ensign before the whole world "for
le gathering of my people." Around him Israel will
ather and become a nation anew. How significant that
le one chosen for this purpose is a descendant of the
ading tribes, of Judah as well as of Ephraim. As a
msequence the prophet predictis "The envy of Eph-
lim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall
e cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah
hall not vex Ephraim."** The prediction made by the
'rophet Joseph Smith that these instruments are to be
artly of Judah harmonizes with the prophetic utter-
nces made by the Hebrew prophets, as to promises
lade to the House of David respecting its recognition,
/hen the literal Kingdom will be established. Most of
he Jewish prophets foretell this event. Besides Isaiah,
/e quote the following: "Behold, the days come, saith
he Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous
•ranch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall ex-
cute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days
udah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely, and
his is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD

)UR RIGHTEOUSNESS."t

"Aand I will set up one shepherd over them, and
le shall feed them, even my servant David, he shall feed
hem and he shall be their shepherd, and I, the Lord,

§Doc. & Gov., Sec. 133, 42-51, 63-64.
♦*Isaiah 11: 13.
t Jeremiah 23: 5-6.

54

will be their God," and my servant David a p
among them. The Lord hath spoken it. J

"Neither shall they defile themselves any m
with their idols, nor with thier detestable things,
with any of their transgressions ; but I will save thai
out of all their dwelling places wherein they ha^
sinned, and will cleanse them, so shall they be m
people and I will be their God. And David my servan
shall be king over them, and they all shall have or
shepherd, they shall also walk in my judgments an
observe my statutes and do them.**§

In order that the reader may comprehend the d
signs of the Lord more fully and grasp the significam
of the promises and blessings vouchsafed to Judah an
Ephraim, we will quote other passages from the Je^
ish scriptures bearing upon this subject. In the ligl
of these predictions, it wlil not be difficult to discern tl:
connecting link between the blessings promised ar
their fulfillment, the climax of which will be reache
when the Lord has raised up the instrument spoken (
in the 113th Section of Doctrine and Covenants. Vi
find in the book of the First Chronicles the following
"Now the sons of Reuben, the first born of Israel, f(
he was the first born, but foreasmuch as he defiled h
father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons <
Joseph, the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not 1
be reckoned after the birthright, for Judah prevailc
above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler ; bi
the brithright was Joseph's. || j

The following are the blessings given to Judah ar
Joseph by Jacob, their father: "Judah thou art 1
whom thy brethren shall praise ; thy hand shall be J
the neck of thine enemies ; thy father's children sha
bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp; fro:
the prey my son, thou art gone up; he stooped dowij
he couched as a lion and as an old lion, who shall rou{ ^

him up. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, n(
a law giver from between his feet until Shiloh com^
and unto him shall the gathering of the people b
Binding his foal unto the vine and his ass's colt unl
the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine ai

JEzekiel 34: 23-24.
§Ezekiel 37: 23-24.
Hist Chron. 5: 1-2.

55

3 clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be
i with wine, and his teeth white with milk."*

"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough

a well, whose branches run over the wall. The arch-

s have sorely grieved him, and shattered him and

,ted him, but his bow abode in strength and the arms

his hands were made strong by the hands of the

ighty God of Jacob (from hence is the shepherd the

one of Israel). Even by the God of thy father, who

all help thee; and by the almighty who shall bless

ee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the

!ep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of

e womb. . The blessings of thy father have prevailed

)Ove the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost

»und of the everlasting hills ; they shall be on the head

Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was

parated from his brethren."!

Perusing the whole 49th chapter, the reader will
e the magnitude of the two blessings quoted com-
ired with those pronounced on the rest of the sons of
icob, the fullness of which should occur in the last
lys. Note also the distinction that is made between
le perogatives promised to Ephraim above those en-
•yed by Manassah, as the following passage reveals:
ind Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it
3on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left
ind upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hand witting-
; for Manasseh was the first born. And he blessed
)seph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abra-
am and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my
fe long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me
•om all evil, bless the lads ; and let my name be named
1 them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and
jaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst
f the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father
lid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim it dis-
leased him; and he held up his father's hand to re-
love it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head,
.nd Joseph said unto his father. Not so, my father ; for
lis is the first born ; put thy right hand upon his head,
.nd his father refused and said, I know it my son, I
now it ; he also shall become a people and he also shall
e great ; but truly his younger brother shall be greater

♦Genesis 49: 8-12.
fGensis 49: 22-26.

^

56

than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of ni
tions. And he blessed them that day, saying, In the
shall Israel bless, saying God make thee as Ephrai
and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Ma
asseh."J

The passages furnish the key, as it were, to t
whole situation. Reuben, the first born, lost his birt
right by transgression, and the sons of Joseph inheril
ed it, not equally, however, for "Ephraim was set b(
fore Manasseh." The chief ruler, nevertheless, was 1
come from Judah, for Judah ''prevailed above his bretlj
ren." The blessing pronounced upon Judah as to tkl
chief ruler coming from him, commenced to be fulfille!
when the throne of David became established. WitI
this event the envy of Ephraim as to Judah commenceci
Ephraim, the recognized head of all the tribes excej!
Judah, envied the latter, and Judah vexed Ephrain
The ten northern tribes were slow to recognize Juda
as their leader, and the tendency became strong 1
withdraw from Judah. Attempts at rebellion and s<
cession were suppressed, until Rehoboam, the son (
Solomon, ascended to the throne, when representative
of the northern tribes appeared before the new king an!
aired the grievances of their people. When an arrogail
answer of the young king reached their ears, the flanri
of rebellion broke out at once, and the ten norther i
tribes, with Ephraim as their head, became a distin<
nation. The subsequent wars and contention, betweel
these two units of the Hebrew nation, testify strong] j
as to the inherent feeling of envy and vexation whic!
prevailed. The lion and the unicorn fought over tij
crown, and as a consequence unity for any length (
time was impossible. It is well to point out here thj
when the prophets refer to "Ephraim" and his shor
comings, the northern tribes are generally mean
Ephraim, their head, representing them. .

Upon David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Juda]
the following blessings were bestowed: "And whe
thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with tli
fathers, I shall set up thy seed after thee, which shg
proceed out of thy bowels and I will establish his kin)
dom. He shall build an house for my name and I w:
establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I w:
be his father and he shall be my son. If he comm

JGensis 48: 14-20.

J

57

ity I will chasten him with the rod of men and
|th the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy
jail not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul,
lom I put away before thee. And thine house and

Y kingdom shall be established forever before thee;

Y throne shall be established forever."*
Therefore now, let it please thee to bless the

use of thy servant, that it may continue forever be-
e thee; for thou, 0 Lord God, hast spoken it; and
th thy blessing let the house of thy servant be
;ssed forever,"'^*

Were these blessings annulled by the Lord when
Lvid transgressed as to Uriah and his wife? They
;re not. The penalties pronounced upon the king in
Qsequence of these transgressions are the following:
i^herefore hast thou despised the commandment of
e Lord to do evil in his sight, thou hast killed Uriah,
e Hittite, with the sword, and hast taken his wife to

thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the
ildren of Ammon. Now, therefore, the sword shall
ver depart from thine house; because thou hast
spised me and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hit-
;e to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, behold I will
ise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and
will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them
ito thy neighbor. For thou didst it secretly; but I
11 do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."t
With the dispersion of Israel and Judah the reign

the House of David ceased. Hosea, the prophet,
akes this prediction : 'Tor the children of Israel shall
dde many days without a king, and without a prince,
id without a sacrifice, and without an image, and
ithout an ephod, and without teraphim."J

This condition, however, was to be changed, as
le prophet foreshadows in the next verse: "After-
ards shall the children of Israel return and seek the
Drd their God, and David, their king; and shall fear
le Lord and his goodness in the latter days."§ While
ds prophesy refers to Israel or the ten tribes, it was
mbtless applicable to the whole house of Israel. The

*II Sampel 7: 12-16.

** (Being the words of David)— II Samuel 7: 29.
UII Samuel 12: 9-12.
\ JHosea 3: 4.
l§Hosea 3:5.

i

58

1

prediction made by Isaiah || is in line with this declar;
tion. Unfolding this passage, the Prophet Josej
Smith, a descendant of Ephraim, reveals the fact th;
his tribe will share the honors with Judah in presidir
over united Israel, for he, to whom rightly belongs tl
priesthood and the keys of the kingdom, the root <
Jesse, will be of the royal seed of Judah, as well as <
Ephraim, and thus unity will be restored. Judah w
dwell with the other tribes, in their former land, whi(
will become fruitful again, while Ephraim, togeth^
with Manasseh, will possess North and South Ameri«
as their everlasting inheritance.

In the face of such evidences as to the great mi
sion to be performed by the one to whom rightly b
longs the priesthood and the keys of the kingdom, tl
claim constantly advanced that the kingdom spoken
by Daniel shall ''not come to another people" and th
as a consequence no one can come and claim any divi]
authority outside of those who hold the reins of go
ernment of the church, are entirely unwarranted. T]
kingdom referred to by Daniel is a literal kingdom, tl
nucleus of which will be formed with the redempti<
of Zion, and the restoration of God's people in ti
land of their inheritance. True enough the stone se-
by Daniel will be cut out of these mountain regior
meaning that the faithful among the people of t.
Latter-day Saints will form the beginning of the gre
kingdom to be established. It is well, however, to i
member that only those who will be ready to brii
sacrifices of a high order, and are willing to fulfill t
requirements which the Lord makes of His people, a
to be the ones who will enjoy the great blessings proi
ised by the Lord, while the sluggish and unfaithful w
stand no better chance than those of the world w
refuse to bow to the sceptre of the great proph
spoken of by Moses, as the following passages of scri
ture clearly indicate:

"Behold vengeance cometh speedily upon the J
habitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of bui
ing, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning a
of lamentation, and as a whirlwind it shall come up
all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And up
my house shall it begin, and from my house shall itr

lllth verse, chapter 10.

ak

i

59

rth, saith the Lord. First among those among you,
ith the Lord, who have professed to know my name,
d have not known me and have blasphemed against
i in the midst of my house, saith the Lord."*

"Wherefore, this shall be the answer of the Lord
to them: In that day when I came unto mine own,

man among you received me, and you were driven
t. When I called again, there was none of you to
swer, yet my arm was not shortened at all, that I
uld not redeem, neither my power to deliver. Be-
Id at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers
«rilderness ; their fish stinketh and dieth for thirst. I
)the the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth
eir covering. And this shall ye have of my hand —

shall lay down in sorrow. Behold, and lo, there are
ne to deliver you, for ye obeyed not my voice when I
lied to you out of the heavens; ye believed not my
rvants, and when they were sent unto you ye re-
ived them not; wherefore they sealed up the tes-
nony and bound up the law, and ye were delivered
er unto darkness. These shall go away into outer
.rkness, where there is weeping and wailing and
lashing of teeth. Behold the Lord your God hath
oken it. Amen.^f

At this junction the writer desires to emphasize
at although the blessings of Ephraim are great and
r-reaching, the distinction and honor enjoyed by
idah eclipse those extended to Ephraim. Judah,
rough the House of David, is to reign forever and
er. Christ Himself, coming through Judah, will
ign, and with Him His chosen instruments likewise
scending from David, while Ephraim will be second

Judah in being associated in the reign and govern-
ent of the kingdom of united Israel. Besides the
ophetic utterances already quoted as to the exalted
ation Judah will occupy we give the following:

"Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph,
id chose not the tribe of Ephraim ; but chose the tribe

Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved. And he built
s sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which
i hath established forever. He chose David also his
rvant, and took him from the sheep folds; from fol-
ding the ewes great with young he brought him to

*Doc. & Gov., Sec. 112, pages 24-26.
fDoc. & Gov., Sec. 133, pages 65-74.

60

feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So h
fed them according to the integrity of his heart; an
guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."J

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I hav
sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I estal
lish forever, and build up thy throne to all generation!
Selah."

"Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one an
saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty ; I hav
exalted one chosen out of the people. I have foun
David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointe
him; with whom my hand shall be established; mir
arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall nc
exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness affict hin
And I will beat down his foes before his face, an
plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness an
my mercy shall be with him ; and in my name shall h;
horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sei
and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto m<
Thou art my father, my God and the rock of my sa
vation. Also I will make him my first born, higher tha
the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for hii
for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast wit
him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, an
his throne as the days of heaven. If his children fo:
sake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if the
break my statutes and keep not my commandments
then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, an
their iniquity with stripes. Nevretheless, my lovin
kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffc
my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not breal
nor alter the things that is gone out of my lips. One
have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unt
David. His seed shall endure forever, and his thror
as the sun before me. It shall be established foreve
as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heavei
Selah."§

"Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I wi
perform that good thing which I have promised unl
the House of Israel and to the House of Judah. 1
those days and at that time will I cause the Branch (
Righteousness to grow up unto David; and he sha
execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 1

JPsalms 78: 67-72.
§Psalms 89: 3-4 and 19-37.

61

those days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall
dwell safely ; and this is the name wherewith she shall
be called, The Lord our Righteousness. For thus saith
the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon
the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall the
priests, the Levites want a man before me to offer
burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings and to do
sacrifice continually. And the word of the Lord came
unto Jeremiah saying. Thus saith the Lord, if ye can
break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the
night, and that there should not be day and night in
their season, then may also my covenant be broken
with David my servant, that he should not have a son
to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the
priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be
numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so
will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the
Levites that minister unto me. Moreover the word of
the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying: Considerest
thou not what this people have spoken, saying. The two
families which the Lord hath chosen he hath even cast
them off? thus they have despised my people, that
they should be no more a nation before them. Thus
saith the Lord, if my covenant be not with day and
night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of
heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of
Jacob and David my servant, so that I will not take
any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham,
[saac and Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to re-
turn, and have mercy on them."||

**And the Lord said. Blessed is he through whose
seed the Messiah shall come; for he saith, I am Mes-
siah, the King of Zion, the rock of heaven, which is
broad as eternity ."T|

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, in writing to the
Romans, a Gentile branch of the primitive church,
points out the election of the Jews (though being ene-
mies of God at his time) as to the blessings to be
bestowed upon them in the latter days, and as to the
ieliverer to come out of Zion, to "turn away ungodli-
less from Jacob." He likewise quotes Isaiah as to the

II Jeremiah 33: 14-26.

IJPearl of Great Price, page 137, Vol. 1, Church History.
[The Writings of Moses.)

62

coming forth of the root of Jesse, expounding to the
Romans the scriptures as to the blessings awaiting
Jew as well as Gentile, in the latter days.*

Christ Himself testifies as to the exalted station
Judah occupies through David and his descendants.
These are the words uttered by him: **I, Jesus, have
sent my angels to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and
the bright and morning star."t

Of the restoration of Israel and Judah in the land
of Canaan, and the reign of the House of David, men
of 'learning have written. In this connection we quote
the following from a work written by Charles Forster
Kent, Ph. D., ''History of the Jewish People:" "One
of the many elements inexplicable from a human point
of view is the unanimity and absolute certainty with
which the prophets of the period declared that their
race would again be restored to Canaan. In the de-
tails, their portrayals of the nature of the restoration
varied, but respecting the essential facts they were in
perfect agreement. Before the final fall of Jerusalem,
Ezekiel announced that Jehovah would surely gather
His scattered people. Later, when the sacred city was
in ruins and the Jews were in exile or in the grave, he
reiterated the same prediction in the striking parable
of the valley filled with dry bones. By this he declared
that the nation, then morally and physically dead,
would yet be raised and revivified by Jehovah and en-
dowed with a new and more glorious life,J while all
heathen foes which opposed it would be completely de-
stroyed. For the sake of His honor, which was sadly
tarnished by the infidelity of those who presented Him
before the world, Jehovah would give them a new heart
of flesh instead of their heart of stone. § The old and
broken covenant he would renew and He, Himself,
would return again in Jerusalem among His people. II
It is also interesting to note that in Ezekiel's picture
of the restored Hebrew kingdom the descendants of
the northern Israelites, as well as the Judeans, are to
have a share.H Each of the ancient tribes is to be as-

*See Romans 9, 26 to 32 and 15, verse 12.
fRevelation 22: 16.
JEzekiel 37:1-14.
§Ezekiel 36:21-26.
II Ezekiel 16:52.

63

signed a definite portion of the Land of Canaan.* Over
the united people is to rule Jehovah's faithful servant,
a scion of the royal Judean line, who shall be domin-
ated by the same noble purposes as guided Israel's
great conquerer, King of memory."t

To Ephraim the dispersed tribes of the north will
come, pay homage and present their treasures to him
in recognition of the illustrious station he holds among
them as their head and leader, while in return they
will receive far-reaching blessings by his hands.

After all that has been said on this subject, the
question arises. By virtue of what authority may the
leaders of the church claim and insist that no one can
be called to do a certain work, only through them?
Under consideration here is an instrument to whom
rightly belongs the priesthood and the keys of the
kingdom (kingdom in its political, as well as its spir-
itual sense) ; and a second instrument on whom there
is laid much power. When the kingdom is established
the church in its present form will have outlived its ex-
istence, and become a part of th^ kingdom. Its members
will be a part of the House of Israel, and no more
presidents of the church will be heard of. It will be
the kingdom of God with its chosen leaders who will
tower in authority far above the present church au-
thorities. It ought to appear as reasonable that the
head of this kingdom, Jesus Christ, will choose those
who will be honored and in whom such extensive pow-
ers will be vested. If He raised up a Paul, without
the knowledge of Peter, James and John and the rest
of the authorities of that time, as may be shown con-
clusively from Galatians, chapter 1, verses 15 to 24, the
Lord can surely call one or more independently, who will
enjoy more powers and honors than any other servant
ever called since Adam, the head of this race. More-
over, it ought to be clear from the explanation given,
that the powers in existence now have no voice in the
affairs which concern united Israel, neither have they
the authority to ordain one to a higher office than they
hold themselves. Such matters are outside of their
jurisdiction.

♦Ezekiel 47:13.

tEzekiel 33: 23-24, 40, 24-28. See pages 53-54 of the men-
tioned volume.

64

The writer desires to point out at this junction
that a Uttle treatise has been published in Ogden by-
Stephen Malan entitled "The Ten Tribes Discovered
and Identified," which advances the astonishing doc-
trine that the Ten Tribes are to be found among the
nations of central and northern Europe, a theory which
is at once so deceptive as to call forth a stirring pro-
test against such an imposition, so much more so as
the Deseret News book store has become an accessory
to the deed of spreading this erroneous doctrine by
selling the book. It is impossible to credit the author
of the brochure with any degree of sincerity in ad-
vancing his reasons for the conclusion at which he ar-
rives. The reader will agree to this when he per-
uses the following excerpt from the work: "In a reve-
lation from the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith and
recorded in Section 103, the events connected with the
gathering of Israel are given in some detail. The parts
of the revelation that directly concern us here follow:
'Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations
which are far off, unto the islands of the sea, send
forth unto foreign lands, call upon all nations, first
upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And be-
hold, and lo this shall be their cry, and the voice of
the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the Land
of Zion that the borders of my people may be enlarged,
and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that
Zion may go forth unto the regions round about. *
Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee
unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah flee unto
Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord. For be-
hold, he shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, and
upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon
the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion, and
he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak
from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among
all people, and it shall be a voice as of the voice oi
many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder
which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys
shall not be found. He shall command the great deei
and it shall be driven back into the north countries
and the islands shall become one land, and the land oj
Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned bad
into their old place, and the earth shall be like it wa?
in the old days before it was divided. And the Lord

65

even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of the people
and shall reign over all flesh. And they who are in
the north countries shall come in remembrance before
the Lord, and their prophets shall hear his voice, and
shall no longer stay themselves, and they shall smite
the rocks and ice shall flow down at their presence.
And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the
great deep. Their enemies shall become a prey unto
them and in the barren deserts there shall come forth
pools of living water and the parched ground shall no
longer be a thirsty land. And they shall bring forth
their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my
servants. And the boundaries of the everlasting hills
shall tremble at their presence. And there they shall
fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by
the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the chil-
dren of Ephraim, and they shall be filled with songs of
everlasting joy. Behold this is the blessing of the
everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and a richer
blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows.'

"1. The elders of the church are here instructed
to go first to the Gentiles. Why ? For the reason that
the House of Israel was commingled with them. But
as we have remarked already, the gospel was taken
from the Gentiles because they had rejected it. How,
then, shall we explain this apparent conflict? In this
way: The elders were not in reality to convert the
Gentiles, but to call out from among them the seed
of Israel, especially the children of Ephraim, who hold
by inheritance the right of ministry in the holy ordi-
nances of the gospel to the whole house of Jacob.
These children of Ephraim are the first to be impressed
with the divinity of the work of the Lord in this age,
and are the first, therefore, to embrace the gospel;
they are the first, too, to seek the heights of the Zion,
and in their turn will be the first hunters and fishers
of the other tribes, their brethren. And surely, when
the house of Israel, the house of Judah and the children
of Lehi on this continent shall be united, Ephraim shall
be the ministering high priesthood for the whole.

*'2. As to Zion : The land of Zion was first lim-
ited, but expanded as the saints grew in number ; and
it will continue to do so until the whole western hem-
isphere will be actually, as it is now theoretically, the
land of Zion. Her stakes have been increased from

66

J

one to fifty-eight, her settlements extend over a tei^
ritory a thousand miles in length and five hundred
miles in breadth.

"3. The advice: "For those who are among the
Gentiles" need no explanation for a Latter-day Saint.
The advice for those who are among the house of Ju-
dah to flee, is not so clear. J

*Tt appears that Ephraim is to have no part in
the gathering of the house of Judah. Ephraim is to
gather Ephraim and the others of the Ten Tribes ; the
Jews to lead their own gathering. The Ten Tribes
being scattered among the Gentiles, Ephraim is to
"hunt" and "fish" for them and bring them from the
land of the north and the coasts of the earth. They
are in the same localities and in the same conditions as
the children of Ephraim, only more commingled with
the Gentiles; for the Lord preserved Ephraim from
the greater admixture that has happened to the other
tribes among the ten.

"We should get a clear idea of this point. Not
withstanding the Ten Tribes shall come to Zion to as
sist the children of Ephraim in building Zion, strength
ening it, and beautifying it, these same shall bless the
constituency of these ten — or we might say more truly
of the other nine. When this is done all the tribes o
Israel can settle in whatever part of the land they
desire. However, as already stated, this land of Zior
is the promised inheritance of the children of Joseph
so that these are also entitled to their portion in the
land of Jerusalem. Every tribe in the house of Jacol
shall have a portion in that land of Judah, and fornr
one grand commonwealth forever.

"But what of the Gentiles? We have already re
marked that Shem and Japeth, in their descendants
were to become commingled, but that the children o
Japeth were to be called the Gentile nations. Hence
it is practically impossible to find a line of demark
ation between Gentiles and the Ten Tribes. It is i
fact, however, that the northern Europeans and th<
colonies established in America, Asia, Africa and Aus
tralia, where the English, Scandinavian and the Ger
man peoples are found, are the seed of Israel by abou'
fifty per cent; whereas among the Latin races there ii
considerably less of the seed of Israel. People talk o:
Israel as a mere dot in the Caucasian race, when as i

I

67

matter of fact there are more than ten millions of them
right around us in the United States and on the conti-
nent of Europe ; they may probably be estimated as
numbering over one hundred millions.

"4. The passage quoted above also speaks of the
commotions of the earth^s surface. The turning of the
land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion into their own
places implies that they have been displaced, but are to
be restored; similarly, the isles of the sea shall be-
come one land, as they were before the earth was di-
vided. All the land, then, on the earth's surface will
be in one place and be even, and all the waters in an-
other place, and be one.

*'But the question arises. How can this great
transformation be brought about? Different persons
will have different opinions on the subject, and so we
venture our own views the more readily.

"The elevations and depressions that we see in the
surface of the earth were apparently caused by great
convulsions in our globe. Now, if so, other such con-
vulsions may bring about the changes predicted in the
passage quoted. Not that it will be done in all parts
of the earth at one time, for how could the people be
saved from sudden destruction?

"5. A word about those who are in the north
countries being remembered before the Lord.

"The people referred to are certainly the Ten
Tribes, for the ancient prophets, as we have proved,
knew the countries which we now call northern Europe
as the land of the north, or the 'countries of the north.'
Then, too, the commission to the Prophet and Oliver
was to lead the Ten Tribes from the land of the north.
Did they do it? Yes, in part, while they lived; and
their successors in the ministry are continuing their
work in this respect. Ephraim is being gathered from
all parts of the earth, certainly from the north coun-
tries also, who are to 'hunt' and 'fish' for their breth-
ren of the other tribes, not in another planet, but in
the north countries and the coasts of the earth. The
Ten Tribes in the 'north countries,' then, have already
been remembered by the Lord, and are being remem-
bered by Him all the time in the gathering that has
been going on since the organization of the church,
and that is going on at the present time. Joseph Smith
and his successors are the prophets of the Ten Tribes,

68

who do not 'stay themselves' in their work. More-
over, they have 'heard his voice.' Not only so, but
they have seen him also.

"6. A highway, the passage says, shall be cast
up in the midst of the deep. The receding of waters
in some localities, which separated two continents, has
left a dry space, or partly so.

"But how shall the rocks be smitten and the ice
flow down at their coming? Leaving out all consider-
ation of the supernatural, we may say that the most
reasonable explanation of this phenomenon lies in the
skillful engineering, the explosive, the machinery, the
manual labor expended in the construction of our rail-
roads over plains, mountain defiles, across rivers and
through mountains. And no doubt, too, this work in
the rocks would affect the icebound regions of the
north.

"7. The sentence concerning the barren desert
will be fulfilled in the advances made in intelligence,
education, industry, and the Lord's blessings upon His
children ; in fact, this has already been fulfilled more or
less completely.

"8. As for the treasures that the tribes will bring
to Ephraim's children, the explanation of this is im-
plied in what we have already said. The people of this
tribe are the leaders in the gathering of the Ten Tribes
from the land of the north ; and as such the others, if
they come at all, must come to them. These treasures
will be used for the interests of Zion. This contribu-
tion of treasure need not be thought of as being rapid
at first. There are thousands even now who believe in
the latter-day work, and would join it but for the
chains of tradition that bind them; but we may look
for them to do so in the near future, when the cloud
passes away from their minds.

"The phrase 'the boundaries of the everlasting
hills shall tremble at their presence' is a figurative ex-
pression. It is no other event than this, that the num-
ber of people shall be so great who shall be discovered
by the gospel as to awe the adversaries upon the ever-
lasting hills."

The writer of this feels that not much scope or
time ought to be wasted in refuting the claims and the
arguments of the author of the little work in question.
The errors are so apparent that no one possessing the

I

69

faculties of reasoning to any degree is likely to endorse
the ideas indulged in by him. The attempt to advance
those theories, even from the pulpit of the Tabernacle
by leading men of the church, however,* should be de-
nounced as advocating false doctrine and an appeal be
made to the first presidency of the church to stifle any
attempt in that direction by issuing an ''authoritative'*
article to that effect. The writer cannot help but ex-
press his feeling in this direction, to the effect that one
could almost weep to see pernicious declarations of this
sort put in cold type, and then made merchandise of at
a place which is under the direct control of the church.
The church resembles, as to spreading spurious teach-
ings, the immodest woman, who rather reveals than
conceals her nakedness, and as to suppressing the
truth, she may be compared with the oriental woman,
who is anxious to cover and hide her beauty.

But let us hasten to review the promised blessings
in behalf of the Latter-day Zion, which embrace the
establishment of the Kingdom (spiritually as well as
politically) in order to receive an insight of the vast
dominion over which the instruments spoken of will
preside.

THELATTER-DAY ZION

Fountains break in lonely deserts

And thye flock feeds in their land
^ Shepherds true attend the gathered

■ David's prince leads out the band.

Comfort sweet is now extended

For thy lambs are born an sides

(Dandled on thy knees of nurses sides
Dandled on thy knees of nurses
Born a nation in a twinkle
For all righteous sing His praise
Earth receives her ancient glory,
War has ceased to foam and blaze
But one flock and its true shepherds
Dwell on Zion's hill and sing
The great morn has chased the darkness
^ Saints and angels crown their King.

[ (Continued from page 51)

From modern revelation we know that the cradle
of men was not Asia, but the land upon which we dwell,
America. Civilization flourished here for nearly seven-
teen hundred years from the creation of the world un-

*See Andrew Jensen's Sermon, page 80 of the 83rd Annual
Conference (April, 1913).

70

til finally the deluge made an end of the sin-steeped in-
habitants and their earthly existance, except the eight
soules who escaped and by the means the Lord had pro-
vided, were transplanted to the land of Asia. About a
century later Peleg was born, in whose days the earth
was divided. The history of this period after the ac-
count of the creation is given, the Bible covers in less
than half dozen chapters (down to the time of Terah,
the father of Abraham). Little is known of the doings
of the people who flourished and succeumbed except
the facts relating to the flood and the names and pos-
terity of the great patriarchs who followed Adam and
who like their father, bore the Melchisedec Priesthood
and administered to their aged father as well as re-
ceived blessings from him in the presence of the Lord,
when gathered in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman.*

"These things were all written in the book of
Enoch and are to be testified of in due time."t

Thus became the land sanctified and holy

Holy land where Edens garden
Flourished in celestial state,
Where in Adam-ondi-Ahman
Michael brought his offering great
Where pure Able was acknowledged,
Where the perfect Enoch's dwelled.
Where the Prophet Noah warning.
Future great events beheld.

The historical events which transpired upon this
sacred soil are not lost to humanity, for the Lord found
a way to preserve the records bearing on these events,
which were handed down from Adam to his immediate
posterity and doubtless carried by his servant Noah, as
their custodian, to the new land of habitation after the
flood had receded, where later generations were able to
peruse them and add to them their own history. All
things will in due time be made known to those whose
spirits are in harmony with the great truths contained
in these volumes.

The explanations given have direct bearing upon
the subjects under consideration, for upon the iden-
tical places which became sacred through the admin-
istering of blessings in those early days of the existance
of this globe, the righteous will dwell again and receive
the riches of eternity. As it was in those days the

"Doc. & Gov., Sec. 107: 53-54
fDoc. & Gov., Sec. 107: 57.

71

earth will return to its paradisical glory, the waters will
not divide it any longer as they will be driven back into
the ''north country." The land of North and South
America will be connected with Asia and all the
other parts of this globe, highways will be in existance
between the holy lartd of Palestine and the sacred spots
in North America, beautiful ornamental trees will ex-
tend their cooling shade to the pilgrims who will tread
these highways, while the righteous of all ages who
will form an innumerable multitude, viz. the antide-
luvians who in themselves will form an innumerable
host, when taken in consideration into what mighty
people the Jaredites, the Nephites and Lamanites ex-
panded during a period (as regards the last named peo-
ple) more brief than the anti-deluvians had time to ex-
pand— further all the seed of Abraham and all
nations blessed through the same, which is as vast as
the sand upon the sea shore, and includes the whole
house of Israel — will form its happy inhabitants.
When all facts concerning America will be made
known we will commence to comprehend that the
land or great portions of the same have been inhabited
ever since the creation of this earth, except a short in-
terval of time during which it was permitted to re-
cuperate from the consequences of the devastation and
desolation wrought by the great deluge enveloping it
for a time, and this by nations and peoples highly fa-
vored by the Lord, and that all those nations preced-
ing this, the present one, have been or nearly have been
swept off from the face of the land as soon as they be-
came ripened in iniquity. Four great civilizations and
a number of minor ones have flourished and three of
these great civilizations crumbled into the dust. When
the fifth and last civilization is reared it will be imper-
ishable, it will never be destroyed, the Kingdom not
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and con-
sume all other Kingdoms and shall stand for ever. Then
will be fulfilled the words spoken by Joseph Smith the
Prophet: 'The Lord hath redeemed his people." J
Over this vast expanse of peoples Christ will reign as
King of Kings and under him his Princess and chosen
servants. Adam, who is Michael, "the ANCIENT OF
DAYS," will call his children together and hold a coun-

JDoc. & Gov. Sec. 84: 100.

72

cil with them to prepare them for the coming of the
Son of Man. He is the father of the human family and
presides over the spirits of all men and all those who
have held the keys during any indispensation must
stand before him in this grand council. Adam delivers
up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered
to him when holding the keys of the universe, but re-
tains his standing as the head of the human family. 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. God purposed to himself that there should
not be an eternal f ullnes until every dispensation should
be fulfileed and gathered in one and that all things
whatsoever, that should be gathered together in one in
those dispensations unto the same fullness and enter-
nal glory, should be in Christ Jesus; therefore he set
the ordinances to be the same for ever and ever and
set Adam to watch over them to reveal them from
Heaven to man or to send Angels to reveal them. "Are
they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister
for them who shall be heirs of salvation. ||

These angels are under the direction of Michael or
Adam, who acts under the direction of the Lord.§

Noah stands next in authority to Adam. Hs is
Gabriel. He was called of God to his office and was the
father of all living in his day, and to him was given the
dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and
then in heaven. The Son of Man stands before him,
and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam de-
livers up his stewardship to Christ. This is why Adam
blessed his posterity ; he wanted to bring them into the
presence of God. They looked for a city, etc., "whose
builder and maker is God."TI These men are in heaven,
but their children are on the earth. Their bowels
yearn over us. God sends down men for this reason.
"And the Son of Man shall send forth His angels and
they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that
give offense and them that do iniquity."** All these
authoritative characters will come down and join hand
in hand in bringing about this work.ft

II Hebrews 1: 14.

§History of the Church, Vol. 4 p. 207.

lIHeb. 11: 10.

**Matt. 13: 41.

tfHistory of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 385.

I

\

73

In connection with this we give an outline of pro-
phetic utterances as to the establishment of God's peo-
ple (the house of Israel) in the land designated by the
Lord for their gathering.

Hear the words of one of the Jewish prophets :

"And say unto them, thus saith the Lord, Behold I
will take the children of Israel from among the heath-
en, whither they be gone, and will gather them on ev-
ery side, and bring them unto their own land, and I will
make them one nation, in the land upon the mountains
of Israel and one king shall be king to them all, and
they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be
divided into two kingdoms any more."*

"And I will bring you out from the people and will
gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scat-
tered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out
arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you
into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead
.with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fath-
ers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I
plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause
you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the
bond of the covenant. And I will purge out from among
you the rebels and them that transgress against me;
I will bring them forth out of the country where they
sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel ;
and ye shall know that I am the Lord. As for you, oh
House of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve
ye every one his idols, and hereafter also if ye will not
hearken unto me ; but pollute ye my holy name, no
more with your gifts and with your idols. For in mine
holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel,
saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel,
all of them in the land, serve me; there will I accept
them, and there will I require your offerings, and the
first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
I will accept you with your sweet savor when I bring
you out from the people, and gather you out of the
countries wherein ye have been scattered, and I will be
sanctified in you before the heatljen. And ye shall
know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into
the land of Israel, into the country for the which I have
lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers. t

♦Ezekiel 37: 21-22.
fEzekiel 20: 34-42.

74

The Savior himself uttered these words : "And he
shall send His angels with a great sound of a trum-
pet, and they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. "J

Nephi, one of the prophets living on this continent,
utters the following words, concerning the gathering of
the Jews :

"And after they have been scattered and the Lord
God hath scourged them by other nations, for the space
of many generations, yea even down from generation to
generation, until they shall be persuaded to believe in
Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement which is in-
finite for all mankind; and when that day shall come
that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Fath-
er in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and
look not forward any more for another Messiah, then,
at that time, the day will come that it must needs be
expedient that they should believe these things. And
the Lord will set his hand again the second time to re-
store his people from their lost and fallen state. Where-
fore, he will proceed to do a marvellous work and a won-
der among the children of men. And now, my breth-
ren, I have spoken plain, that ye cannot err; and as
the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the
land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he
should heal the nations, after they had been bitten by
the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes
upon the serpent which he did raise up before them,
and also gave him power that he should smite the rock,
and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say
unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord
God liveth, there is none other name given under heav-
en, save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken
whereby man can be saved."§

Speaking of the blessings which will come to the
gentiles, the same prophet says:

"Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing
Fathers unto them, and their queens shall become
nursing mothers ;. wherefore the promises of the Lore
are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, an(
who can dispute, but behold this land, saith God, sh

{Matthew 24: 31.

§11 Nephi 25: 16, 17, 20.

\

75

be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be
blessed upon the land."|l

These are the words of the Redeemer when ad-
ministering unto the Nephites upon this continent, con-
cerning the Gentiles :

"But if they will repent and hearken unto my
words, and hearden not their hearts, I will establish
my church among them, and they shall come in unto
the covenant, and be numbered among this, the rem-
nant of Jacoli, unto whom I have given this land for
their inheritance. And they shall assist my people, the
remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of
Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which
shall be called the New Jerusalem ; and then shall they
assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are
scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New
Jerusalem. And then shall the power of heaven come
down among them ; and I also will be in their midst.^J

Concerning Israel, the prophetic utterances of
the Book of Mormon, are the following:

"And I will remember the covenant which I have
made with my people, and I have covenanted with them
that I would gather them together in mine own due
time; that I would give unto them again the land of
their fathers, for their inheritance, which is the land
of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them
forever, saith the Father. And it shall come to pass
that the time' cometh when the fulness of my gospel
shall be preached unto them. And they shall believe in
me that I a mJesus Christ, and pray unto the Father
in my name. Then shall their watchmen lift up their
voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for
they shall see eye to eye. Then will the Father gather
them together again, and ^ive unto them Jerusalem
for the land of their inheritance. Then shall they break
forth into joy — sing together, ye waste places of Jeru-
salem; for the father hath comforted his people, he
hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Father hath made bare
his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations ; and all the
ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father,
and the Father and I are one. And then shall be
brought to pass that which is written. Awake, awake
again, and put on thy strength, oh Zion, put on thy

||II Nephi 10: 9-10.
till Nephi 21: 22-25.

76

beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for
henceforth there shall no more come into thee the un-
circumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the
dust ; arise sit down, sit down, 0 Jerusalem ; loose thy-
self from the bands of thy neck, 0 captive daughter
of Zion. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold your-
selves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without
money. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people
shall know my name ; yea in that day they shall know
that I am he that doth speak. And then shall they say,
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them
that bringeth good tidings unto them that publisheth
peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good,
that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy
God reigneth! And then shall a cry go forth, Depart
ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that
which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be
ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall
not go out with haste, nor go by flight ; for the Lord will
go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rear-
ward. Behold my servant shall deal prudently, he shall
be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many
were astonished at thee; (his visage was so marred,
more than any man, and his form more than the sons
of men). So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings
shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not
been told them shall they see; and that which they
had not heard shall they consider ; Verily, verily, I say
unto you, all these things shall surely come, even as
the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this cov-
enant which the Father hath covenanted with his peo-
ple, be fulfilled ; and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited
again with my people, and it shall be the land of their
inheritance."^

From modern revelations we quote the following :
"When the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with
him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his
father's name written on their foreheads; Wherefore,
prepare ye for the comign of the bridegroom ; go ye, go
ye out to meet him, for behold he shall stand upon the
Mount of Olives, and upon the mighty ocean even the
great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon
the land of Zion; and he shall utter his voice out of

PII Nephi 20: 29-46.

77

Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice
shall be heard among all people, and it shall be a voice
as of the voice of manv waters, and as the voice of a
great thunder, which shall break down the mountains
and the valleys shall not be found ; he shall command
the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the
north countries, and the islands shall become one land,
and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be
turned back into their own place, and the earth shall
be like as it was in the days before it was divided, and
the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of
his people, and shall reign over all flesh. And they
who are in the north countries shall come in remem-
brance before the Lord, and their prophets shall hear
his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves, and they
shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at
their presence. And an high-way shall be cast up in
the midst of the great deep. Their enemies shall be-
come a prey unto them, and in the barren deserts there
shall come forth pools of living water ; and the parched
ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. And they shall
bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of
Ephraim my servants. And the boundaries of the ever-
lasting hills shall tremble at their presence. And there
shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even
in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even
the children of Ephraim ; and they shall be filled with
songs of everlasting joy. Behold this is the blessing
of the everlasting God unon the tribes of Israel, and
the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his
fellows. And they also, of the tribe of Judah, after
their pain, shall be sanctified in holiness before the
Lord to dwell in his presence, day and night, for ever
and ever."*

"And now the year of my redeemed is come, and
they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord,
and all that he hath bestowed upon them according
to his goodness and according to his loving kindness,
for ever and ever. In all their afflictions he was af-
flicted. And the angel of his presence saved them ; and
in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them, and bear
them, and carried them all the days of old; Yea, and
Enoch also, and they who were with him ; the prophets

♦Doc. & Gov. Sec. 133: 18-35.

78

who were before him ;and Noah also,and they who were
before him, and Moses also, and they who were before
him ;and from Moses to EHjah,and from Elijah to John,
who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy
apostles, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob shall be in the
presence of the Lamb. And the graves of the saints shall
be opened, and they shall come forth and stand on the
right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon
Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem,
and they shall sing the songs of the Lamb, day and
night, for ever and ever/'f

"And then they shall look for me, and behold I will
come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven,
clothed with power and great golry, with all the holy
angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut
off. But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an
angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have
slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud; Where-
fore, if ye have slept in peace, blessed are you, for as
you now behold me and know that I am even so shall
ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your re-
demption shall be perfected, and the saints shall come
forth from the four quarters of the earth. Then shall
the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations. And then
shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall
cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to
and fro, and the heavens also shall shake, And the
Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth
shall hear it, and the nations of the earth shall mourn
and they that have laughed shall see their folly. And
calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall
be consumed, and they that have watched for iniquity
shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. And then
shall the Jews look upon me and say, What are these
wounds in thine hand and in thy feet ? Then shall they
know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them,
These wounds are the wounds with which I was wound-
ed in the house of my friends, I am he who was lifted
up. I a mJesus that was crucified. I am the Son of
God. And then shall they weep because of their in-
iquities; then shall they lament because they perse-
cuted their king. And then shall the heathen nations
be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have
part in the first resurrection ; and it shall be tolerable
fDoc. & Gov. Sec. 133: 52-56.

79

for them ; And Satan shall be bound that he shall have
no place in the hearts of the children of men. And at
that day when I shall come in my glory, shall the par-
able be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten vir-
gins; For they that are wise and have received the,
truth and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide,
and have not been deceived ; verily I say unto you, they
shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but they
shall abide the day ; and the earth shall be given unto
them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and
wax strong, and their children shall grow up, without
sin, unto salvation. * * * And it shall be called
the 'New Jerusalem,' a land of peace, a city of refuge,
a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God ;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there and the ter-
ror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the
wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every
man that will not take his sword against his neighbor,
must needs flee unto Zion for safety, and there shall be
gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven. And
it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one
with another, and it shall be said among the wicked:
Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the in-
habitants of Zion are terrible, wherefore we cannot
stand; And it shall come to pass that the righteous
shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall
come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy."**
In the writings of Moses, as revealed by the Proph-
et. Joseph Smith, the following appears:

''And righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep
the earth, as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect
from the four quarters of the earth unto a place which
I shall prepare, an holy city, that my people may gird
up their loins and be looking for the day of my coming;
for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called
Zion, a new Jerusalem. And the Lord said unto Enoch,
then Shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and
we shall receive them into our bosom and they sha
see us, and we shall fall upon their necks and they sha
fall upon our necks and it sh,all be Zion which shall
come forth out of all the creations which I have made.

♦*Doc. & Gov. Sec. 45: 44-58, 66-71.

80

and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth
rest."**

We finally quote from John, the Revelator's des-
cription of the final state of the righteous, flourishing
under the perfect state of government of the King of
Kings : "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, say-
ing, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He
will dwell with them, and they shall be His people and
God Himself shall be with them, and be their God."t
"And there came unto me one of the seven angels
which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues,
and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show
thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, de-
scending out of heaven from God, having the glory of
God : and her light was like unto a stone most precious,
even like a jaspar stone, clear as crystal; and had a
wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which
are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of
Israel ; and on the east three gates ; on the north three
gates; on the south three gates; on the west three
gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the
Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed
to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall
thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length
is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city
with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length
and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he
measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is,
of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was
of jaspar; and the city was pure gold like unto clear
glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were
garnished with all manner of precious stones. The
first foundation was jaspar; the second sapphire; the
third a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth,
sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh chrystolyte;
the eighth beryl ; the ninth a topaz ; the tenth a chry-

**Pearl of Great Price, pp. 21-22. Church History Vol. 1,
p. 138.

{Revelations 21:3.

81

sophrasus; the eleventh a jacinth; the twelfth an
amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;
every several gate was of one pearl ; and the street of
the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Al-
mighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the
city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine
in it ; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are
saved shall walk in the light of it ; and the kings of the
earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the
gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there
shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory
and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no
wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither what-
soever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ; but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life."*

The reader will comprehend the fact when reflect-
ing upon the vast expanse of the kingdom of God in its
fullness, the subjects of which will embrace all the
righteous who ever lived upon this earth, those who
are living at the present, and will be in the flesh when
the restitution of all things sets in, and the reign of
righteousness has commenced — that even if all the mem-
bers of the church, with its authorities, were faithful
and entitled to the higher blessings coming forth now,
that they will comprise but a speck of the vast empire
which will reach to the uttermost parts of this globe.
As we know, however, by revelations that the Lord will
find but little faith when He appears as a thief in the
night, and but a few, comparatively speaking, will have
the privilege to see him "as he is," it is obvious that
those who are in authority, as well as the members of
the church now will, according to their state of belief
or unbelief, either be rejected, or they will be found in
the ranks of united Israel. If all these things are cor-
rectly understood, all opposition to the Word of God
should cease, and the hearts of the people melt under
the influence of the word of God.

We will close this division by quoting a vision
given to one of the first ordained apostles in this dis-
pensation, which reflects the exceedingly happy state
the earth when renewed and its sanctified inhabitants
will enjoy after Satan's reign has come to an end:
♦Revelations 21: 9-27.

82

"One Hundred Years Hence— 1845."
From the Nauvoo Neighbor.

God, through his servants the prophets, has given
all men a clue to the future. In view of this we were
cogitating upon our bed the other night what would be
the state of the world a hundred years hence. In
quick succession the events and periods which have
filled up nearly six thuosand years passed before our
mind's eyes, together with the accompanying, "Thus
saith the Lord, I will destroy the earth with a flood,
after one hundred and twenty years." "There shall be
seven years of plenty and seven years of famine in
Egpyt. Israel shall be held captive in Babylon till the
land enjoys her sabbaths seventy years." And then
came Daniel's Numbers, and the exact time when the
Savior should be born, his crucifixion and second
coming.

While thus looking over the "has beens," we fell
into a deep sleep and the angel of our presence came to
our bedside and gently said "Arise!" Now it matters
not whether we were in the body or out of it, asleep
or awake, on earth or in heaven, or upon the water or
in the air ; the sum of the matter is like this — our guide,
for such we shall call the angel, or being, that conveyed
us, soon brought us in sight of a beautiful city.

As we were nearing the place a "pillar of fire"
seemingly over the most splendid building, lit the city
and country for a great distance around, and as we
came by the temple of the Lord in Zion, the letters of
a pure language and sparkling like diamonds, disclosed
where we were. Our guide went around the city in or-
der to give us a chance to "count the towers" and as
it was nearly sunrise he conducted us into one, that we
might have a fair chance to view the glory of Zion by
daylight. We seemed to be swallowed up in sublimity.
The "pillar of fire," as the sun arose majestically mel-
lowing into a white cloud, as a shade for the city from
heat. The dwellings, so brilliant by night, had the ap-
pearance of "precious stones," and the streets glittered
like gold, and we marvelled. "Marvel not," said our
guide, "this is the fulfillment of the word of Isaiah;
"For bras I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring
silver and for wood brass and for stones iron. I will

83

also make thine oflficers peace, and thine exactors righ-
teousness."

Now the eyes of our understanding began to be
quickened, and we learned that we were one hundred
years ahead of ''common life" and we glorified. "The
vale" that hides our view from the glory of the upper
deep, had been taken away, and all things appeared to
us as to the Lord. The great earthquake mentioned by
John and other prophets before him had leveled the
mountains over the whole earth, the "sea" had rolled
back as it was in the beginning, the crooked was made
straight and the rough places plain. The earth yielded
her increase, and the knowledge of God exalted man
to the society of resurrected beings.

The melody and prayers of the morning in Zion
showed that the "Lord was there," and truly so, for
after breakfast the chariot of Jesus Christ was made
ready for a pleasure ride ; and the chariots of his "one
hundred and forty-four thousand" glittered in the ret-
inue of "earth's greatest and best," so gloriously that
the show exhibited the splendor of gods whose father's
name they bore on the front of their crowns.

Our curiousity excited us to inquire what day they
celebrated? To which the guide replied "This is the
feast day of the Lord, to Joseph and Hyrum Smith, for
being martyred for the truth, held yearly on the sev-
enth day of the fourth month throughout all the tribes
of Israel!"

Flesh and blood cannot comprehend the greatness
of the scene ; the worthy of the earth, with Adam at the
head, — the martyrs of the different dispensations, with
Abel at the head and honorable men from other worlds,
composed an assemblage of majesty, dignity and di-
vinity so much above the little pageantry of man in his
self made greatness, that we almost forgot that mor-
tals ever enjoyed anything more than misery, in all the
pomp and circumstance of man's power over man ! This
was a feast day for truth ! This was the reward of in-
tegrity— this was the triumph of "kings and priests"
unto God, and was a holiday of eternity! Who could
be happier than he that was among the holy throng?
No one. And away we rode out of Zion among her
stakes.

84

At the first city out we found the same spirit. All
were one. While there, the following news by post
came from the East : It was read from one of the pa-
pers, just published that morning: "In digging for
the foundation of our new temple in the One Hundred
and Twenty-fourth City of Joseph, near where it was
supposed the city of New York once stood, a large
square stone was taken from the ruins of some build-
ing which, by a seam in it, indicated more than mere
stone. The seam being opened disclosed a lead box
about 6 by 8 inches square. This box was soon found
to contain several daily papers of its time, together
with some coin of the old government of the United
States. It will be recollected that all the inhabitants
of the city which were spared from calamity were
**slung out when the earth was turned upside down
some forty years or fifty years ago for their wicked-
ness."

The account of fires in one of these papers was
truly lamentable, destroying, as the paper said, more
than twenty-five millions worth of property in about
three months. Each contained a large number of mur-
ders, suicides, riots, robberies and hints of war expect-
ed, with columns of divisions among the sectarian
churches, about "slavery, Onderdonking and the right
way." The Archer of Paradise remarked as these hor-
rors of "old times" were being read, that "all that was
transacted in the last days of Babylon before Satan was
bound."

Joseph Smith said, "Lord, we will put those pa-
pers and coin in a repository of relics and curiosities
of Satan's kingdom of the old world," which was agreed
to by all, after exhibiting the coin. * * * *

Another coin had the appearance of gold, with "five
dollars" upon it, but upon close examination it was
found to be nothing but fine brass.

While this was going on the Lord said : "Beware of
the leaven of old — let us enjoy our day."

In a moment this band of brethren were off and
what could equal the view. No veil, no voice, the
heavens were in their glory and the angels were as-
cending and descending. The earth was in its beauty,
the wolves and sheep, the calves and lions, the behe-
moth and buffalo, the child and the serpent enjoyed life

85

without fear, and all men were one. As we were pass-
ing to another city, amid all this perfection of the
reign of Jesus before His ancients gloriously, we discov-
ered the fragment of a hewn stone, of a lightish blue
color, with an abbreviated word "Mo" and the figures
''1838" upon it. To which the "Lion of the Lord" ex-
claimed: "The wicked are turned into Hell and for-
gotten, but the righteous reign with God in glory." And
it seemed as if the echo came from a redeemed world —
"Glory." At about two, after five hours ride among the
cities and stakes of Zion, we returned to the capitol to
partake of the feast of the martyrs. The preparation
was perfect. A table through the grove of Zion for
more than three hundred thousand saints, where Je-
sus Christ sat at the head of the fathers and mothers,
sons and daughters of Israel, was a sight which the
world, even Balylon in its best days, never witnessed.
Says Jesus, as every eye turned upon Him : "Our father
and thine, bless me and mine. Amen." After the feast
(the sentiments, words of wisdom and other touching
matters were to be published in Zo-ma-rah, or pure
news, and are omitted) we stepped in the News room,
and the first article in the Pure News which attracted
our attention was the minutes of the General Confer-
ence held in Zion on the 14th day of the first month,
A. D. 1945, when it was motioned by Joseph Smith and
seconded by John the Revelator "that forty eight new
! cities be laid out and builded this year, in accordance
with the prophets which have said *who can number
Israel? Who can count the dust of Jacob? Let them
fill the earth with cities.' Carried unanimously."

Twelve of these cities to be laid out beyond 18 de-
grees north, for the tribes of Reuben, Judah and Levi.
Twelve on the east, at the same distance, for the tribes
of Joseph, Benjamin and Dan. Twelve on the south, at
the same distance, for the tribes of Simeon, Issacher
and Zebulon, and twelve on the west at the same dis-
tance for the tribes of Gath, Asher and Napthali. The
paper contained a notice for the half yearly confer-
ence, as follows :

"The general half yearly conference will be held
at Jerusalem on the 14th day of the seventh month,
alternately with the yearly conference in Zion. It is
proposed that the highway cast up between the two

86

cities of our God, be decorated with fruit and shade
trees between the cities and villages (which are only
18 furlongs apart) for the accommodation of wayfar-
ing men of Israel. Gabriel has brought from Para-
dise some seeds of fruit and grain which were orig-
inally in the Garden of Eden, and will greatly add to
the comfort and convenience of man."

While we were engaged in reading, a strain of
music from some of the sweet singers of Israel came
so mellowly over our sensation for a moment that we
hardly knew whether the angels or saints of the mil-
lennium were chanting a vesper to their Savior. We
w^ere so delighted with the performance, as we saw the
"musical chariot" pass, filled with young men and
maidens, all in white robes, that we only remember
the following verses:

''Death and Satan being banish'd

And the veil forever vanished
All the earth's again replenished

And in beauty appears
So we'll sing hallelujah's

While we worship our Savior
And fill the world with cities

Through the 'great thousand years' "

Our eye next caught a map, showing the earth as
it was and is. We were delighted with the earth as it
is. Four rivers headed a little south of Zion, for Zion
is situated "in the side of the north." The first river
is called "Passon" and runs west. The second is called
"Giau" and runs south. The third is called "Haudakal"
and runs north, and the fourth is called "The Fraters"
and runs east. These four rivers divide the earth into
four quarters, as it was in the days of Adam, and with
their tributaries give an uninterrupted water communi-
cation over the face of the world, for in the beginning
the earth was not called "finished" until it was "very
good" for everything. By the paper we were reading
we learned that rain was expected in the beginning of
the seventh month, according to the law of the Lord,
for the promise is, "It shall rain moderately in the first
and seventh month, that the plow-man may overtake
the reaper."

87

Contemplating the greatness of the earth in its
glory, with Jesus Christ for our King, President and
law-giver, with such wise counsellors as Adam, Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter and Joseph, we were im-
perceptibly led to exclaim, ''Great is the wisdom, great
is the glory and great is the power of man with his
maker!" when on a sudden our guide came and said,
"You must drink wine with the Lord in His kingdom,"
and then return. This we did, and many other things
which we saw are not lawful to utter, and can only be
known as we learn them by the assistance of the guar-
dian Angel.

When we were ready to return, our guide observed,
"Perhaps you would like to look through the Urim and
Thummin of God, upon the abominations of the world
in the day of its sin." "Yes," was our reply, and he
handed us the "holy instrument." One look and the
soul sickened. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard,
neither hath it entered into the heart of man what
folly, corruptions and abominations are wrought among
men to gratify the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye
and the cunning of the Devil. But they shall come.
We returned and awoke, perfectly enamored with the
beauty and glory of Zion to be, as well as the splendid
harmony of the "Feast of the Martyrs," determining
in our mind at some future day to give a sketch of
the Temple wherein Jesus sat, and reigned with the
righteous, when there was "not a Canaanite in the
land," nor anything to hurt or destroy in all the holy
mountain — when the earth should be full of knowledge
of God as the waters cover the sea. In short, the heav-
enly reality of one hundred years hence."*

We will now come to the last division of our treat-
ise, namely:

THE ROOT OF JESSE

David's prince leads out the band.

While we have spoken of the instruments to come
forth in the redemption of Zion, and the setting up of
the kingdom of God, in a general way, we will in this
division treat in a special way upon one of the instru-
ments who has appeared in our midst, with the message
that the promises of the Lord have commenced to be
fulfilled.

*See Millennial Star Vol VI, No. 9, pp. 140-142.

88

One would think that if, at the time of the darkest
hour the church has ever passed since its organization,
when the present President of the Church appeared in
Washington, the seat of the United States government,
and testified there before Congress that he had never
received a revelation, and that his knowledge of the
truthfulness of the gospel as taught by Joseph Smith
he had obtained by inspiration — we say one would have
thought that if at that time an inspired voice would
have been heard, which was able to throw light upon
the preplexed situation, gladness would have reigned
in the hearts of all Israel, and that a listening ear
would have been lent to the great truths unfolded and
expounded. But alas! this recent messenger was re-
jected, in common with the prophets of all ages. His
claims have been sharply contested by the priests, as
well as by the bulk of the people. Attempts have been
made to stifle his voice, and he has been fought with
the weapons of calumny and sore misrepresentation.
The spirit of those in authority, is reflected in the ar-
ticle considered and commented upon in the foregoing
pages of this little work. The article was written to
defeat him and his claims, and blindfold the people as
to the true meaning of the living word of God. The
expressions penned by the author of the article as to
the boldness and audacity of the claimant, etc., betray
an ignorance as to things divine that is astonishing.
As if a messenger sent from the courts on high could
do otherwise than introduce himself as one having a
message to deliver. If an envoy sent to the head of a
government introduces himself and presents his cre-
dentials preparatory to delivering his message, do
those in high places in the church expect an envoy sent
by the Lord to His people to proceed in a different way ?
And as to the consistency of his claims ; in which way
do these venerable men propose to meet the situation
in which the church finds itself, when, according to the
testimony of the official holding the highest station
in the church, revelation in his highest form hr
ceased in the church. If no one dares to make claims
as to being sent from God, and at the same time the
ones who stand at the head have ceased to receive such
revelations, — do they propose to have the church
exist without revelations, and drift into the state of

I

89

apostacy, making all the prominses of God of none
effect? God forbid! He has remembered His people
and will carry forward His work.

For ten (10) years the Lord's servant, Brother
Samuel Eastman has labored among the Latter-day
Saints and endeavored to prepare them for the coming
of the Lord as a thief ni the night, and the great work
of the redemption of Zion. He has written three pam-
phlets so far, refuting the pernicious teachings of the
church, as advanced in the cited article published in
the year 1905, and has unfolded the scriptures bear-
ing on the great work coming forth, the beauty of
which is most consoling and uplifting to those who
with a faithful heart are looking for their redemption.
He has likewise shown (in the third pamphlet) what a
sad, disorderly condition the church is in, which state-
ments, in connection with what has been set forth in
this treatise, should be an eye-opener to all lovers of
truth. We invite the reader to closely peruse the writ-
ings of Brother Eastman, inasmuch as they contain
words of inspiration, and will lead the earnest investi-
gator to the fountain of pure truth. Brother Samuel
Eastman is such an earnest exponent of the greater
blessings promised all Israel, and leaves such a lasting
impression in the hearts of his hearers, that no one
will ever be able to separate him from his great mis-
sion. No matter whether he is believed or derided, he
is bound to become a great force in the vast expanse of
United Israel. He stands as high above everything
that calls itself "authoritative" as Joseph the Prophet
stood above the spiritual leaders of the people of the
world in his day. What do we propose to do with such a
man ? Dispose of him by throwing at him evil epithets
as some of the leading men of the church delight to do?
This will not be effective, if we believe Josiah Quincy.
Neither a man like Joseph Smith nor Samuel Eastman
can be disposed of by such weapons. They both are
servants in the hands of the Lord, and have to be reck-
oned with. In regard to the former, it has been prov-
en, and as to the latter, it will be proven. A few souls
have rallied around him, and they propose to proceed
as the early worthies of the church did regarding Jo-
seph Smith the prophet. They propose to stand by the
servant of God, receive all the teachings they can ob-

90

tain and repose their trust with their maker, until the
time when He will bring about His purposes, and vindi-
cate His servant, and those he has gathered around
him, to the shame and remorse of all who have rejected
him and his glad message. We want to point out here
that Brother Samuel Eastman does not stand alone any
longer as a witness to the truthfulness of the work
that he proclaims. The promises made in his writings
have been verefied, that any one who will hear his mes-
sage, and ask the Father in humility and faith as to its
divine origin, shall receive a knowledge that these
things are true. Scores of souls testify independently
of Brother Eastman, as to the divinity of the work
he is engaged in, and rejoice in the loving kindness of
their maker.

In summarizing the points as to the evidences
given in favor of the claims of Brother Eastman, we
have shown:

First : That according to the sure word of proph-
ecy, messengers are due to appear now.

Second: That the house of God, being out of or-
der, the authorities of the church cannot and do not
receive revelations in the word's fullest sense, which
would point out the way to the fulfillment of God's
promises to His people at this important hour.

Third: That Brother Eastman possesses the
spiritual qualifications of unfolding the scriptures and
shedding light upon those precious predictions which
were heretofore kept in obscurity to a marked degree,
and that anyone listening to his inspired utterances,
must of necessity be impresesd, in contra distinction to
the uninspired and meaningless discourses of the lead-
ers of the church as to these important things, the un-
folding of which the members of the church have a
right to look for.

Fourth: That independent witnesses can testify
that Brother Eastman is a divinely sent messenger, to
the same extent that they can testify that Joseph
Smith is a prophet of God, and that they have obtained
the divine promises, that in due time they will receive
endowments, in holy place, equal to or exceeding the
blessings or endowments which the servants of God and
the Saints at large, received in the Kirtland temple,
and thus equipping them for the mission to be per-

91

rormed among the peoples of the world, previous to
the general coming of Christ.

How powerful are these evidences when compared
with the objections the church offers against the claims
of the messenger in question. These are the objections
put forth, besides those already noted :

First: That no one can claim to receive revela-
tions for the church, as this is against the spirit and
letter of Doc. & Gov. Sections 28, 42, 43, and 50, verses
3 to 9, and Section 132 verses 8-11, according to which
only one at a time shall be in communication with the
heavens.

Second: That the claimant has been excommuni-
cated from the church, and that he was shorn of his
priesthood and membership, and thereupon is left
without the powers and authority to act in any capac-
ity whatsoever in SDiritual things, and that, as a conse-
quence, he is but an importer, and his fate will be equal
to that which has overtaken other individuals who have
advanced similar claims, by finally receiving the just
indignation of the one whose name they have blas-
phemed. In order to point out the fallacies of these ob-
jections in full the following is set forth:

As to the first objection, the reader will find, when
searching the pages of church history that sections 28
and 42 of Doc. & Gov. were given as a direct conse-
quence of individuals, among whom Hiram Page was
the most prominent one, pretending to have received
revelations, which they surmised should be recognized.
The Lord soon made clear by giving these revelations,
that Joseph the Prophet, was the sole mouthpiece of
the Lord. This was but consistent and right, and as a
matter of course this principle holds good today in the
government of the church, and will hold good so long
as that organization exists. In conformity with this,
the 43rd Sec. of Doc. & Gov. finds its application. The
provision made in this section enabled the Prophet Jo-
seph Smith to refute any claims of individuals, when
in the course of time charges were brought against him
to the effect that he was a fallen prophet. The Lord
foreseeing what would transpire, instituted in this rev-
elation protective principles which in due time proved
to be a bar against the cunning devices and schemes en-
listed by the powers of darkness. — The quotations given

92

from the 50th and 132nd Sections of Doc. & Gov. have
not their bases on the same, though on related prin-
ciples. Most of these principles rest upon a natural
law, not only in spiritual, but likewise in secular af-
fairs.

No citizen of the United States can step forward
and claim that he has received instructions and author-
ity from the powers in existence, which in this case
would be the united voice of the people of that country
to dictate or act in the name of the people in any capac-
ity in the office of the President of the United States
or any other elective or appointive office. The men-
tioned powers do not recognize any other officer, except
the one who has been duly elected, and other claim-
ants would be silenced at once, in case an attempt was
made to exercise any degree of authority. This applies
not only to the President of the United States, but like-
wise to a governor of a state, a mayor of a city, or any
other officer in the confines of an organized govern-
ment. These principles also hold good as to business
and private organizations and are so generally under-
stood that a case is indeed very singular when claim-
ants and pretenders of that kind arise. Let us surmise,
however, the case when the powers which have placed
an officer in authority, impeach or recall such an offi-
cer, or, in case one form of government is replaced
by another form, and for this reason the authority of
one officer expires, and a new officer takes his place,
then matters receive an altogether different aspect,
for the powers that have placed an officer in authority
can also remove him under certain conditions, and an-
nul his authority and install another one in his place.

The case of Brother Eastman is analagous to the
last named emergency. He has never interfered with
the government ,or the duties of the officials of the
church, but rather upholds them, to a degree, before
his hearers, and urges obedience to the laws of God.
Not only this, but he also takes the ground that the
authorities of the church are still entitled to inspira-
tion in their routine transactions in their respective of-
fices, just as much as other servants of the Lord in
their fallen state were not left entirely without the
guidance of the Lord in their official capacity, as long
as they were permitted to hold their station. For this

93

reason the case of Oliver Cowdery, Hiram Page, or any
other individual advancing claims as to receiving rev-
elations, etc., is not parallel with his case. The claims
of Brother Eastman are in line with those of David
against Saul, and Samuel against Eli. The powers on
high have impeached the present authorities of the
church, as may be plainly seen from the 85th Sec. of
Doc. & Gov., the 34th chap, of Ezekiel, and other scrip-
tures which foreshadow the change in the administra-
tion in power at the present. There is, however, an-
other reason for the change, and this is, as has been
demonstrated previously, to be found in the fact that
a greatly enlarged form of government will supercede
the limited government of the present, by virtue of
the fact that the kingdom as foretold by Daniel will
set in, and its government will take the place of the
one in vogue now. The church was founded in a log
cabin, and afterwards it dominated a city (Nauvoo),
then a territory and finally a state (Utah). The
final step will be to merge into a kingdom, which will
be presided over by the Root of Jesse, who at the same
time has the blood of Ephraim flowing in his veins. To
him rightly belongs the priesthood and the keys of the
kingdom.

He is the one who will fill the terms of the 85th
Sec. of Doctrine and Covenants, and set the house of
God in order, and likewise lead the people to the land
of their inheritance, as Moses led the children of Israel
to the land of their fathers. In due time he will also
become the custodian of the Urim and Thummim (the
interpreters) which have not been in the possession
of the church since the days of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and without which no one can fulfill the func-
tions of a seer, as the term "seer" signifies.

When Ammon stood before King Limhi he uttered
the following words regarding the interpreters, and the
quality of a seer: "Now Ammon said unto him, I can
assuredly tell thee, 0 King, of a man that can translate
the records, for he has wherewith he can look and
translate all records that are of ancient date, and it is
a gift from God. And the things are called interpre-
ters, and no man can look in them, except he be com-
manded lest he should look for that he ought not, and
he shall perish. And whosoever is commanded to look

94

in them, the same is called seer. And behold the king
of the people who is in Zarahemla is the man that is
commended to do these things, and who has this high
gift from God. And the King said that a seer is great-
er than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a
revelator and a prophet also, and a gift which is
greater can no man have, except he should possess the
power of God, which no man can, yet a man may have
great power given him from God. But a seer can know
of things which have passed, and also of things which
are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed,
or rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and
hidden things shall come to light, and things which are
not known shall be made known by them, and also
things shall be made known by them which otherwise
could not be known. Thus God has provided a means
that man, through faith might work mighty miracles,
therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow
beings."*

Though the President of the church has pointed
out with pride that the archives, records and other
documents, and matters pertaining to historical facts,
etc., are with the church, and in this connection has
urged that the members of the church have to look to
the present authorities for blessings and prerogatives,
the reader will perceive from the facts advanced that
the heir to David's throne will be not only in posses-
sion of every record pertaining to the kingdom, but will
receive all the hidden things and treasures, since the
world began, until knowledge shall beam forth in
mighty power for the benefit of those who shall be
called the elect of God. — The question may arise in the
reader's mind : What is the Lord's purpose for causing
the instrument under discussion to appear in such a
spectacular manner as verse 7 of the 85th Section of
Doc. & Gov. reveals, a display which will be surpassed
only by the appearance of the Lord himself, when He
comes to reign as King of Kings. It is the privilege of
the faithful of the present generation to receive light
on this point, after the full purpose and meaning of
this scripture has been hidden away as it were for many
decades. No President or Apostle or priest and lay
member of the church can give light upon this subject.

*Mosiah 8: 13-18.

95

Only through the instrumentality of the one to whom
rightly belongs the keys of the. kingdom, intelligence
can be given on this point, for the Lord does not do
anything until He reveals His mind to His servants,
the prophets. (See the inspired translation of the Jew-
ish scriptures). This then is the reason for the dis-
play of power and grandeur, when the Lord*s anointed
is inaugurated in his great office : Inasmuch as he is an
heir to the throne, and his appearance on the scene
marks the re-entrance of the House of David in the gov-
ernment of all Israel, which is to remain forever, the
Lord has deigned to mark this event by inaugurating
His anointed servant with an outward display which
but reflects the royal rank this personage is heir to.
If the governments of the .world observe ceremonies,
display and pomp when inaugurating their rulers and
mighty ones, then it will appear as consistent that the
inauguration of the mighty ones of the heavens who
shall stand in the government of all those who ever in-
habited, now inhabit, and will yet inhabit this globe,
will surpass in magnificence and splendor all earthly
display of the present and past ages. It will be a
heavenly display, differing from earthly things as the
appearance of angels differs from the appearance of
the mortal envoys commissioned by the potentates of
the world.

As to the second argument of the church author-
ities that the claimant has been dealt with by the
church courts, and excommunicated from the church
because of his opposition to the powers in vogue, it be-
comes necessary to point out that the highest court of
the church, as organized in the days of the Prophet Jo-
seph, is no more in existence, and for this reason the
constitution of the church, which comprises all the rev-
elations given by the Almighty through that instru-
ment, has been violated. In order to make this state-
ment clear and comprehensive, it becomes necessary to
treat brief y on the constitutional rights of the members
of the body called the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints. — Taking into consideration the at-
tributes of the Lord as to righteousness and justice,
and also the imporatance of calling into question the
standing or membership of His sons and daughters who
have made covenants with Him, it is but consistent

96

that the powers on high would regard the rights of the
individual to a degree as to assure equity and justice
to alleged transgressors, in case the necessity arises to
sit in judgment against the individual, by the estab-
lished agencies placed in the church. In perusing the
revelations upon this point the student of church gov-
ernment will find that the organization of courts ef-
fected for this purpose is elevated far above those of
an earthly nature, for this reason, that the Lord has
provided the enjoyment of direct communication with
the heavens "in cases of difficulty respecting doctrine or
principle (if there is not a suflficiency written to make
the case clear to the minds of the council)."* This
course is to be taken after the Presidency of the High
Priesthood and the General High Council have exhaust-
ed their resources of research, and the case in ques-
tion is still unsettled. The different courts at the seat
of the church and its organized stakes were estab-
lished by revelation, as follows :

First: 'The Bishop's Court."

To sit in judgment upon transgressors upon tes-
timony as it shall be laid before him according to the
laws, by the assistance of his counsellors, etc.f

Second : The standing High Council of the Stakes
of Zion.J

Third: The High Council of the Church, which
was appointed by revelation for the purpose of settling!
important difficulties which may arise in the church,
which could not be settled by the Church or the Bish-
op's Council to the satisfaction of the parties. §

That the last named council of the church should
be a permanent one, is made clear in Sec. 102, v. 8.
This council, however, as has been previously observed,
is not in existence in the church now.

If a like condition existed as to the Supreme Court
of the United States, the highest court of the land,
the constitutional rights of the citizens of, and the
aliens in the United States, would be impaired, in fact.,
no final decision as to the rights and possible wrongs
could be had, in case the individual desired to exercist
his prerogatives to appeal to the courts of last resort

*Doc. & Coc. Sec. 102: 23.

fDoc. & Gov. Sec. 107: 72.

$Doc. & Gov. Sec. 107:36.

§Doc. & Gov. Sec. 102: 2; Sec. 107: 37.

97

The result of this would be that the judicial branch
of the government would be in a disorganized state, and
consequently would be out of order. This condition pre-
vails in the church, with its highest court of appeals
not in existence. It is therefore in vain for the church
to claim that it has excommunicated such and such a
member. It cannot do so until the House of God is
set in order, and the constitutional provisions are com-
plied with. This not only applies to Brother Samuel
Eastman, but to any member of the church, who has
been adjudged by the council of the stakes, and has
not had the privilege to appeal to the highest court.
The Prophet Isaiah saw this condition when he pre-
dicts : "Hear the word of the Lord ,ye that tremble at
His word! Your brethren that hated you, that cast
you out for my name's sake," etc.* The present author-
ities of the church can cast out, but under the present
condition they cannot take away the membership from
the individual. Their decision is not recognized by the
powers of heaven, at the present state of disorder and
confusion.

As to Brother Samuel Eastman's case, it was ap-
pealed to the President of the Church; no action was
taken, however, in response to his appeal. Viewing,
therefore, his case from this angle, it is still waiting a
decision.

But even if the church officials were able to prove
their claim as partly correct, no one believing in the
principles as advocated, and unfolded by the latest mes-
senger of truth, needs to be concerned about his rights,
as to his standing before the Lord, for he himself, the
great omnipotent, has been cognizant of Zion, and has
made provisions which no mortal can impair or make
void. The following is the word of God with reference
to Zion, which according to his own definition is ^The
Pure in Heart."

'What is meant by the command of Isaiah, 52nd
chapter verse 1, which says: Tut on thy strength, O
Zion,' and what people had Isaiah reference to?

**He had reference to those whom God should call
in the last days, who should hold the power of the
priesthood, to bring again Zion, and the redemption
of Israel; and to put on her strength, is to put on the

*Isaiah 66: 5.

98

authority of the priesthood, which she (Zion) has a
right by lineage. Also return to that power which she

had lost.^t

According to this passage of scripture which is a
part of the glorious revelation as to Zion's chosen in-
struments and their forthcoming, Zion, the pure ir
heart need not to be uneasy about the possession oi
her powers. She owns these by lineage, while to the
instrument under discussion, as has been pointed oul
frequently, rightly belongs the priesthood and the key
of the kingdom.

That the Lord was in a special manner cognizani
of the rights of his servant may be seen from the fad
that Brother Samuel Eastman was called by the Lore
in the year 1904, nearly a year before the church hac
rendered the decision against him. The Lord thereby
verified his priesthood and in addition to this, honored
him.

They all will enjoy their blessings, with or withoul
the sanction of the shepherds in Israel, who are ar-
raigned by the Lord by the mouth of His servants be-
cause of their delinquency.

The writer desires to point out that Brother Sam-
uel Eastman has compiled a little work containing i
biographical sketch called "Reminiscences of my life,'
and recommends the same to the reader for his perusa
in order that he may know about the man the Lord has
honored to stand at the head of united Israel "whc
shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the
Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious."J

Concluding this division, we quote some of his in
spiring utterances, taken from the second pamphlel
written by him.

"And he that hath written these things desires tc
bear a solemn testimony to the whole world that this
one true system of divine religion has been restored tc
the world by that great restorer and Prophet, Joseph
Smith. That he did organize the true church of Christ
and restore the priesthood to man again; that univer-
sal peace is true ; that the kingdom of God is also true
as foretold by Daniel the Prophet. It will come by waj
of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It will come by waj;

tDoc. & Gov. Sec. 113: 7-8.
tisaiah 11: 10.

_ 99

of Daniel, Joel and Malachi ; it will come by way of the
Hill o fCommorrah, and Moroni, it will come by way of
Joseph Smith and the ''Book of Mormon." It will come
by way of that people who was driven to the Rocky
Mountains and have become a great people; it will
come by way of heavy thunderings and vivid lightning
and by earthquake, fire and sword. The everlasting
hills will quake and the mountains tremble. It will
come by way of an offended creator, because of the
wickedness and blind unbelief of the nations. It will
come by way of the House of Israel and of Gentile,
and of the royal house of David. It will come by way
of prophecy and dream, of visions and miracles and
by the bared arm of Jehovah, the God of the whole
earth, and finally of him, and through him who is "King
of Kings and Lord of Lords," 'Trince of Pease," the
''Alpha and Omega," the "Beginning and the End,"
the "first and the last."

While the writer has commented as to the work
of the Root of Jesse, he has mentioned but slightly the
other instrument to come forth, as noted in the 3rd and
4th verses of the 113th section of Doctrine & Cov-
enants. (The Rod of Jesse) .

This instrument comes from the same family
stock as the Root of Jesse, the House of David, and
consequently there is blood relationship between these
two messengers, and they might be termd as being
brothers, though not in the full sense, as Moses and
Aaron were. As he is an instrument in the hands of
the Lord, it signifies that he also has a special mission
to perform in connection with the Root of Jesse. This
instrument will be revealed by name as soon as it
pleases the Lord to do so. As Moses of old received
the priesthood from Jethro but his divine calling came
direct from God, and independent of men, so these di-
vine messengers hold their priesthood from the
church, verified by the Lord, while their calling is in-
dependent of man.

SUMMARY

As the period of time has arrived when bie.i.s;

ings will be bestowed upon the people erf Gu , . • ques^
tion presses itself upon the thinking- mmd. •whether
they will be ready to bring forth ( o^ which-

will be required to obtain such tj.i.i.w. .wx. j-y ./cavpfs.

100

Will men arise, like unto Nehemiah, and devote their
substance for the upbuilding of the waste places of
Zion? History records that when Nehemiah, who was
the cup-bearer of Artaxerxes, first king of Persia, was
appealed to by a deputation of Jews in the distant capi-
tal of the Persian Empire, Susa, to use his influence
with the King to grant the re-building of the walls of
Jerusalem, because of the depleated condition of the
city, he gave expression to his feelings for the beloved
city in fasting and lamentation, although he had been
reared far from his native land and surrounded by the
corrupting influences of the Persian capital and court.
His fidelity to the God and laws of his fathers was
strong, in spite of these unfavorable environments, and
he prayed fervently to Jehovah, and sought divine aid
for the task he had set before him, in assuming the re-
sponsibility to his race. When finally a limited leave
of absence was granted to Nehemiah, and he was ap-
pointed governor of Judea, witih full authority to re-
build Jerusalem, he set out without delay, and recon-
structed the walls of the city, under the most trying
circumstances on record, using his substance freely,
until the task was accomplished.

Will Utah and her adjoining principalities, produce
men of the cast of Nehemiah ? Or of Lehi, who left his
gold and silver behind him when the voice of the Lord
directed him to depart into the wilderness? Or of Ju-
das Maccabaeous and his father and brothers, who for-
sook all they possessed and lived in mountains and bar-
ren deserts, rather than to worship the strange gods of
their oppressors? The time has passed when wealth
can be heaped up and ease as to spiritual matters in-
dulged in much longer. This is an hour for sacrifice,
and the cry for pleasure and indulgence will soon die
before the battle cry of abnegation and acceptable of-
fering. Alas! the scriptures reveal that in our days,
those in high places and favored with an abundance of
material things will not see the Kingdom of God "com-
in -great glory." The signs prevalent reveal that they
demonstrate too much sufficiency and contentment as
to the things, of .this world. It is the poor who are
pure in heart that will become partakers of the glorious
blessings to be showered down at this hour. How nec-
essary then for the Lord to raise up one who is not en-

101

tangled with stocks and bonds, with holdings of real
estate and insurance companies, with irrigation
schemes and other enterprises, in order to accomplish
the designs of the Lord, and lead His people to the
place of their inheritance.

In drawing this treatise to a close the writer de-
sires to emphasize the force of the statement of the in-
strument who has made his appearance, to the effect
that if the living word of the Lord fails to make an im-
pression upon the hearts of those with whom He,
through the instrumentality of His servants, labors
to convince them of things divine, and bring them to a
state of awakening and repentance — if this fails, we
say all means to be employed are exhausted. It is in-
deed the end of all endeavors, it is the last resort and
the ultimatum as to the Lord's dealings with his way-
ward children. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world,
himself was unable to adopt anything more effective.
He could but mourn and weap, and exclaim, concern-
ing the beautiful city of Jerusalem, which was ripe for
destruction :

"Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the
prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto her!
Oh, how often would I have gathered thy children to-
gether even as a hen gathereth her chickens under
her wings and ye would not ? Behold your house is left
unto you desolate."

As*he is the great mediator who sits at the right
of the father, and who shall execute judgment to the
extent, that everyone who does not listen to the prophet
shall be cut off from among the people when He will
tread the wine press until wickedness has been swept
away and righteousness enthroned — the writer feels
that the words which fell from His own lips, when He
stood among His people on this continent, will be of
great consequence in carrying conviction to the mind
of the reader as to the vast importance of searching
the scriptures in the great and important hour in which
we live.

Expounding the features of the great work of the
redemption of Zion and the glorious work of the final
stage of the latter days. He says :

''And now, behold I say unto you that ye had ought
to search these things diligently; for great are the

102

words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all
things concerning my people which are of the House of
Israel. Therefore it must needs be that he must speak
also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake hath
been and shall be, even according to the words which he
spake. Therefore give heed to my words. Write the
things which I have told you. And according to the
time and the will of the Father, they shall go forth
unto the Gentiles. * * * Search the prophets, for
many there be that testify of these things."*

Here then, is an admonition which the reader can-
not afford to spurn. It is an appeal of Jehovah himself
to His people, to study the scriptures; only in this
way he will learn of the great promises the Lord has
made to the whole house of Israel. If the reader will
heed that appeal, he will receive the knowledge neces-
sary to view in the proper light the work the Lord is
bringing forth through one of His chosen servants.
Then and not till then will that individual awaken from
his lethargy, and his soul be filled with light and knowl-
edge to his fullest satisfaction.

*IIINephi, 1: 5.
For further information address Samuel Eastman, 851 Blair

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