Unlike other religious sects professing Christianity, the Latter-day Saints do not observe the law of tithing, the ordinances of baptism, confirmation or any other sacred rite merely because the Bible records that such observances were had among the ancient saints, but for the reason that in this age of the world, God has commanded us to receive these laws and ordinances.
The law of tithing was given in the early history of God's dealings with the children of men. Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek, according to the statement of Paul to the Hebrews. The apostle also refers to the fact that the tribe of Levi had been selected from all the sons of Israel to officiate in that order of the priesthood which has to do with the outward ordinances of tithes and sacrifice, and notwithstanding there was a higher order, of which Melchisedek was the great High Priest, those bearing the higher priesthood were not exempt from the law of tithing. (Heb. vii:4-5.)
Jacob also paid one-tenth to the Lord. (Gen. xxviii:20-22.) During the administration of Moses as the leader and lawgiver under the Almighty to Israel, tithing was enjoined as a universal law to the people of God. "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad." (Lev. xxvii:30, 32, 33.) This did not require a selection of the very choicest product of the flock, the herd or the soil, neither did it justify a man in offering for his tithes the poorest or least valuable of his income. Of the flocks, each one "that passeth under the rod" was to be tithed. The custom was to pen the flocks in a corral, with a gateway too small for the passage of more than one animal at a time; and as they passed out, a man stood at the gateway with a rod in his hand, and as the tenth one of the flock went out, the man at the gate marked the animal with his rod. Thus every tenth one, whether it was good, poor or medium, was sanctified to the Lord as tithing; any disposition to offer as a tithe an inferior article was disapproved of by the Lord. In matters of sacrifice upon the altar, pointing to the sacrifice of the Great Redeemer who should be offered in the meridian of time to redeem a fallen world, Israel was positively forbidden to offer the blind, the lame or the bruised. "Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer; for it shall not be acceptable for you. * * * Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord." (Lev. xxii:19, 22.)
The atonement symbolized by the sacrifices was one (the Lamb of God) free from blemish in every particular—"a pure and perfect being without spot or blemish." Not only was the offering upon the altar a reminder of the atonement as a fact, by the shedding of blood, but the character and quality of the offering must symbolize the perfect purity of the Son of God.
While tithing was not so directly pointing to the atonement, nor was it designed for that purpose, it is yet an offering to the Lord required by Him, to be used for righteous purposes and to prepare the heart of the tithe-payer to give his all to God, to consecrate all in the interest of human redemption. The Lord, in tithing, does not demand the best nor justify His people in offering that of the least value in any substance tithed. How penurious, mean and small-souled on the part of any saint it would be to offer for tithing that of the poorest value to himself, especially in the light of the fact that God is the Giver of all we enjoy, whether of a spiritual or physical nature, and in the face of His great liberality in not demanding a selection of the very best of any product which is tithed. If any man is tempted to pay the poorest calf, the poorest ton of hay, or a scabby sheep to rid himself of it, let him remember the word of the Lord to ancient Israel and the condemnation that followed when they robbed God in tithes and offerings.
These injunctions continued throughout all the history of Israel, from Moses to the Savior. Malachi says "And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?" (Mal. i:8.) It should be considered evil to offer such for tithing in our day. When Israel turned from their observance of this law, as from all others enjoined by the Almighty, the people were reprimanded severely, and were followed by the withering hand of God's displeasure. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts, and all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." (Mal. iii:8-12.) Thus was the law of tithing given to Israel; thus were they to be blessed in its observance and cursed if they transgressed it. As the law was given anciently for the same purposes as in this dispensation, it would naturally agree in the blessings following its observances and the curses for its disobedience. When the Savior chastised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, He evidently approved the law of tithing, for He said, "But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Luke: xi:42.)
It is erroneously supposed by many that the laws observed by Israel previous to Christ's atonement were almost entirely obliterated, being, as many think, all fulfilled in His mission on earth. A little reflection upon this subject will correct this error in the minds of all who are diligently and honestly seeking for the truth. The Ten Commandments themselves are pre-eminently a part of the Gospel of Christ. When the young man came to the Messiah to learn the way of salvation, he was enjoined to observe the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery," etc. (Matt. xix;16-21.) Whatever was discontinued after the atonement was that which had been established to symbolize and teach the great atonement to come. The offerings of lambs and bullocks in sacrifice was dispensed with, as it had pointed to the coming atonement now fulfilled in the Messiah. It was replaced by the sacrament, the broken bread and the wine, both blessed and administered to the disciples and enjoined as a continuous ordinance to keep bright in memory the sufferings, atonement and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The only time when the law of tithing was not enjoined upon the people of God, so far as the Scriptures indicate, is when they not only consecrated one-tenth to the Lord, but all they had. This law of consecration, we learned, was observed in the city of Enoch. It was carried out in a measure by the ancient Saints in Palestine after the day of Pentecost: "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they all had things in common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things which were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made unto every man as he had need." (Acts iv:32-35.)
This law of consecration, which comprehended the law of tithing and much more, was also observed for some 200 years upon the American continent subsequent to the visit of the Savior to and the establishment of His Church among the Nephites upon this land. The law of consecration was revealed to the Latter-day Saints through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and will be established and carried out fully in the redemption of Zion; without it Zion cannot be redeemed.
This is the dispensation of the fullness of times, the one containing in its revelations all the keys, powers, prerogatives, authorities and blessings, enjoyed by any and all previous dispensations combined-a day of the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all His holy Prophets since the world began. (Acts iii:20-21; Eph. i:9-10.) Consequently the law of tithing, with other grand doctrines, has been restored to the earth. The revelation on this subject is found in the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 119, and was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith July 8, 1838. It shows what constitutes tithing, the purpose thereof and the blessings to be received as a reward of obedience thereto.
The law specifies one-tenth of all our interests annually. This means what it says, "one-tenth of our interests;" in other words, whatever comes to us as the result of our labors in any and every vocation of life. If we lend money, whatever the interest on the loan amounts to, one-tenth of this interest is tithing. If the money is invested in any enterprise and brings a dividend, one-tenth of the dividend is the tithing. If a man is a carpenter, a blacksmith or a school teacher, and earns a salary, one-tenth of that salary should be consecrated to the Lord as tithing; and the tithe-payer has the other nine-tenths to meet his expenses and to use as a means of livelihood. Whatever the occupation, whether farmer, mechanic, professor, miner or whatever, one-tenth of his interest annually is the tithing. If questions arise, as they sometimes do, especially with the farmer regarding legitimate expenses used in producing what is left to us as a profit on our labors, the Latter-day Saint, if in doubt as to the amount to pay, is usually certain of this—that between two propositions one of which he knows is right, and the other may be but he is not sure, he is always safe to act upon that side of the question which extends to the law of the Lord the greater liberality. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver," and "He that deviseth liberal means, shall stand by his liberality," while the man who complies grudgingly or studies how little he can do, and at the same time have the name and record of doing, is not the man who loves the Lord with all his heart, mind and strength, and should not anticipate a full measure of blessing attached to His law.
By an honest compliance, the individual is blessed in spirit and in temporal substance. The testimonies of thousands, and even of the widow who has paid her full tithing, is that God has increased their substance in some instances in a most remarkable manner, even as He increased in the barrel the meal of the poor widow who fed the prophet Elijah. He also has given testimony of His goodness and power and the increase of His Holy Spirit to the honest tithe-payer, who receives blessings greatly exceeding in value the increase of gold, silver or any physical substance.
In tithing is strongly exemplified the eternal law that what is given as God directs increases the substance of the giver. When men exert the intellectual talents with which they are endowed in imparting knowledge to others, their own knowledge does not decrease but is enhanced, while the active intellect grows strongly and the talents are more quickly developed and increased. When our young Elders go forth and preach the Gospel as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit they employ does not grow less nor the gifts thereof diminish because they are constantly imparting to others, but these increase abundantly. It is just as easy for the Lord to increase physical substance as to add to spiritual blessings and powers. When we sow the grain upon the earth, it would seem thrown away, but by the law of the Great Creator, the seed germinates in it and produces again, sometimes thirty and forty fold. So it is with tithing. We may not understand fully the process, but the result is plain. God increases the faith and substance of him who freely pays his tithing.
Among the conditions associated with this law is, "those who are not tithed shall not be worthy the blessings of the house of the Lord;" and again, "He that is tithed shall not be burned" (at His coming). (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 64:23.) It is predicted by Malachi and other prophets, as well as by the words of the Lord in the last days to the prophet Joseph Smith, that the days of God's judgment are coming upon the earth, and that the wicked, proud and rebellious shall become as stubble, "and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachi iii. Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 64.)
In the revelations on tithing the Lord also says, "Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass that all those who gather into the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus properties, and shall observe this law or they shall not be found worthy to abide among you. And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you. And this shall be an example unto all the Stakes of Zion. Even so, Amen." (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 119.)
The perfection and benefits of the law of tithing could not be comprehended by men of this age of the world prior to the revelations given from the Lord. This divine instruction was necessary, and its demonstration in the lives of the people is a further witness of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith; the facts connected therewith are within easy reach of those who will investigate among the people who have actual experience and knowledge of the divine blessings that attend obedience to the law of tithing and are unimpeachable testimonies of the truth of God's word.
There is nothing more strikingly plain and explicit in all the Holy Scriptures than that God is just and His paths are "mercy and truth."
Justice is an essential attribute of Deity; it is as necessary in government as love and mercy; it demands that man shall acquiesce in divine law, without which all were confusion, utterly devoid of order and method, and the learned essayist has informed us that "Heaven's first law is order." Justice should govern law, and when the law is violated or its statutes are broken, justice calls for a penalty therefor. It is by law that penalties are affixed, and we find in Deuteronomy, the 28th chapter, beginning with the 15th verse, "If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee." In Mark xvi:16, we read, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Here we find a penalty affixed for the violation of the laws of God.
We find it verily true that in all God does and in all that He orders, He manifests goodness and love, maintains justice and equity and exercises mercy and long-suffering. Notwithstanding His compassion and mercy, He is nevertheless just and true, therefore a full assurance that He will bestow rewards and inflict punishments, as He has aforetime decreed, must take root in the mind of every considering, inquiring, honest soul. As the apostle said: "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus i:2. ) Mercy shall ever season justice, but never be permitted to rob her of her inexorable demands Love will never cease to be a ruling attribute in all God's dealings, but not to mitigate or lessen punishment, unless repentance be manifest and forgiveness granted; goodness, kindness, forbearance and gentleness, while they are forever and always exercised in Deity, will not stand to thwart or forestall the judgments of God, or remove deserving penalties, only as provision is made in the plan of redemption.
There are numerous instances recorded upon the pages of Holy Writ which go to prove that God is just, and that His decrees will be fulfilled to the letter. Perhaps none are so convincingly clear as that portrayed in the atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He became pre-eminently the "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Not for His own sins, for He was the one person free from sin, but He bore affliction and suffering beyond our finite comprehension before a remission of that penalty, which justice demanded for Adam's sin, could be procured. When we consider the agonies of the garden, the scoffings of the council and the torture of the crucifixion, we begin to realize the exaction of punishment ere the sons of Adam could be freed from the original transgression enacted in Eden. Christ, in His vicarious work of interposition for fallen man, humbled Himself before His Father, being subject to pain, scorn, ignominy and death, that justice might be satisfied. Herein, then, is plainly discerned the justice of the Almighty—a justice as strict in its works as it is stern in its words, yet seasoned with mercy and dealt kindly with love; requiring of that Just One a full and complete atonement, unsparingly and unflinchingly, for thus did justice demand. We are assured, then, of the justice of God; the debt must be paid before the burden is lifted, but when the requirements of the law are righteously met and kept, the load is removed, for our Father is not only just, but merciful and true.
In the minds of many there exists a vague and erroneous idea as to what is really meant by the term "eternal rewards" and "eternal punishments." A misunderstanding of these expressions has doubtless caused many to be skeptical and infidelic. The word "eternal" does not refer to the length or duration of the blessings endowed or penalties inflicted, but to the everlasting nature of the Great God, under whose righteousness and justice the faithful are exalted and the wicked punished.
Through Moses, that ancient seer, the Lord spoke thus: "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut. xxxiii:27.) God, then, being eternal, His rewards are "eternal rewards," His punishments "eternal punishments." If the United States were an eternal government, its justice would be eternal; if it were unchangeable, it always would punish violators of the law, and if justice were meted out to all, they would be punished in proportion to the crime committed, and when the demands of justice were satisfied they would be released, but the punishment would still continue to exist, and being eternal, all who fell under its ban would taste of eternal punishment. The punishment will always endure, although criminals may serve their penalties and come out from the prison house; it is even so in the kingdom of God. God is the highest type of justice. He is eternal, everlasting, unchangeable, and always will punish sin. His punishment is eternal, because He is eternal. Eternal is one of His names, and eternal punishment is used in the sense of God's punishment, and not to designate it as everlasting in its duration upon the offender of the law. He will beat with many stripes all who commit sins worthy of the same, and with few stripes those guilty of less venal crimes. This will be determined according to the light and knowledge one may possess. For example, three men commit murder, an African in the jungles of Africa, a negro who was formerly a slave, and a white man. Other things being equal, the white man, with his advanced intelligence, will suffer most, for he has had the most light and by far the best opportunity to advance.
There are degrees of punishment, as well as degrees of reward. Here is a tender, moral girl, who dies without accepting Christ as her Savior, and here is an old man, eighty years old, who dies in his sins; dare any one assert that a just and holy God is going to punish those two alike? And yet many, very many, look upon hell as a place where all suffer alike, and heaven an ethereal, uncertain abode, where all enjoy like blessings. Our salvation from death depends entirely upon Christ, but our exaltation is upon our acts of obedience, and our condemnation upon our sins and transgressions. How plain and simple are the words of the apostle Paul, "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor." (I Cor. iii:8.)
God rewards according to our faithfulness to all opportunities. He does not require a quart from a pint vessel. "Where much is given much is required." "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." As with rewards, so likewise with punishments. When justice is satisfied, the sinner has paid the debt.
How beautiful and holy is this plan of eternal justice! How consistent with the words of the Messiah, "Be ye perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." Paul informs us that after the resurrection and eternal judgment, we are to go on unto perfection, and not until then, will the measure of our creation be filled.
Let all ponder the simple truth that God is just, holy and righteous, wondrously tender, loving, gentle and kind. Eternal rewards are the blessings we receive from God for our faithfulness and fealty to His laws. Eternal punishments are the inflictions which He imposes for our violation of His righteous commands. Our rewards we merit; our punishments we justly deserve. The Lord has said, "I will never leave thee; I will never forsake thee," therefore, we are assured that "His mercy endureth forever."
"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (I. Samuel xv:22.) In an age of the world when independence is the proud boast of the nations, obedience is, by mistaken ideas of freedom, considered a mark of humiliation. To the reader I will say, in reality, true obedience to the Lord's commands is an indication of moral courage, union and power. It is not blind obedience that is referred to and maintained, but that type which characterized the ancient seers and saints, who, like the Messiah, were ready to say by word and deed, "I came not to do mine own will, but the will of my Father who sent me."
The Latter-day Saints are credited with being obedient and submissive to authority, this fact being often used by their opponents as the occasion of reproach. Those who so use it surely must forget that God requires obedience; that the best embodiment of this principle, the most humble and yielding to the divine will, was the best and purest Being who ever dwelt in mortality, viz., the Lord Jesus Christ; He in whose mouth there was found no guile; who was perfect and without blemish in all the walks of life. While He was obedient to His Father's will and humble to the extreme, He was independent of the influence and persuasions of wicked men.
The status of Latter-day Saints is conformable to this example. They are obedient to conscience, to convictions of right, to divine authority and to God, in whom they trust. While thus submissive, their persecutors have found them equally oblivious to the behests of wicked men, whether high or low. Men in the factories of the old world, working side by side at the weaver's loom, in the coal pit or elsewhere in following the various vocations of life-in this condition the Gospel preached by the elders of Israel has reached them. Alike, many of them have received convictions of the truth. They have said: "This is the truth; I must obey it or stand condemned." Other people have said: "It is true, but if I obey I will be ostracized, perhaps lose my employment and be an outcast from my father's house. Better that I reject the truth and live in peace, than take upon me this cross of obedience to unpopular truth."
The courageous obey the Gospel, suffer persecution, prove themselves men, and will attain to eternal life. The other people referred to are slaves to their own fear of popular clamor and to the unseen powers of darkness which lead men to reject the plan of salvation. Of the first named class are the Latter-day Saints, a host of men and women who have left home, kindred and country for the Gospel's sake. They have endured persecution even unto death, privation and suffering in every form; have redeemed a desert and built up a commonwealth so fruitful with education, thrift and enterprise that any nation beneath the sun might well be proud of them. Their obedience and moral courage they bequeath to their posterity is a legacy better than diamonds or the honors and praise of a fallen world. They look back to their associates in early manhood who, for fear, rejected the truth, and find these, whether living or dead, in most cases unhonored and unknown.
The obedience rendered by Latter-day Saints to the authority of the priesthood is not secured by virtue of any solemn obligation entered into by the adherent to obey the dictum of his superiors in office; but upon the nature of the Gospel, which guarantees to every adherent the companionship of the Holy Spirit, and this Spirit secures to every faithful individual a living testimony concerning the truth or falsity of every proposition presented for his consideration.
"By one spirit have we access unto the Father." (Eph ii.) So that as all men and women who embrace the Gospel are entitled to an individual testimony of the truth, the same spirit guides into all truth reveals the things of the Father and imparts the inspiration essential to preserve mankind from a blind obedience to erroneous principles and false guides.
The statement of the Savior, recorded in St. John vii:17, covers the ground in the broadest light: "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." This secures to every true Saint, if he is faithful, protection against imposture, the abuse of power and the false decisions of man-made councils. In this particular the Church of Christ is distinguished from all other system and institutions. He has promised to guide and direct, and that He "doeth nothing, but He revealeth His secrets unto His servants, the prophets." (Amos iii:7.) This does not imply the infallibility of man, but it does imply the promise that no man or council of men who stand at the head of the church shall have power to lead the Saints astray. With this assurance, then, the people of God in every dispensation have been justified in rendering absolute yet intelligent obedience in the direction of the holy prophets. It is an undeniable fact in the history of the Saints that obedience to whatever has come, either by written document or verbally, from the presidency of the church, has been attended with good results; on the other hand, whosoever has opposed such council, without repentance, has been followed with evidence of condemnation.
Applying this principle of obedience to organizations of a civil and business character, confusion and weakness result from men refusing their support to the decision of the presiding authority or of the majority, where the action is left to popular vote. Carlyle, the great English writer, said: "All great minds are respectfully obedient to all that is over them; only small souls are otherwise."
The obedience rendered to God is based upon a conviction that He is perfect in all His ways possessing the attributes of justice, judgment, knowledge, power, mercy and truth in all their fullness. Obedience to His appointed authority upon the earth is obedience to Him, and is so taught by the Savior. "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me." (Matthew x:40.) He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me. (Luke x:16.) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth Him that sent me." (St. John xiii:20.)
It is not the attractive qualities of the individual, however great, that renders submission to his administration valid, but the authority of God which he fears. The acts of Philip, Stephen, Paul or James were just as valid and binding as those of the Messiah Himself, when performed by His authority and in His name. To reject the personal teachings and offices of the Savior could bring no greater condemnation than to reject the teachings of any man sent of God bearing authority and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to speak and act in the name of the Lord. This great truth was taught by the Savior on more than one occasion, but perhaps no more forcibly or in more beautiful terms than in the following: "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer Him saying: Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered and fed Thee? or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in? or naked and clothed Thee? or when saw we Thee sick or in prison and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." When He told the wicked that they had failed to thus administer unto Him, they began to plead that they had not seen Him sick, in prison, hungry, naked or athirst. He answered them, "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me." (Matt. xxvi:31-46.)
It is not the individuality of the person which calls for respect and consideration, it is the principle involved. God had placed His authority upon humble men. Through their administrations can be secured the benefits and blessings which follow obedience to the ordinances of the Gospel. Implicit obedience must be rendered. The mandates of Jehovah are imperative. No substitute will do. The condition is complete to the plan of salvation as established by Almighty God.
Saul was commanded to destroy Agag and all his hosts, man and beast. He kept the best of the flock for, he said, a sacrifice, but God had ordered otherwise, and Saul's disobedience caused him to lose the kingdom, shut him out from the revelations which came by dream, vision and the Urim and Thummim. "Thou shalt not steady the ark"; and they who disobeyed were smitten of the Lord. Israel by disobedience lost the guidance of the Almighty, went into spiritual darkness, and have been scattered to the four quarters of the earth, "a hiss and a by-word in the mouths of all nations."
Obedience is essential to salvation, essential to success in every avenue of human enterprise. Whether rendered to the laws of God direct, in their moral and spiritual phases, or to His authority vested in man, obedience must be implicit. The haughty man boasts of independence. He scorns the humble followers of the Lord, but while he prates of freedom, he is himself slavishly obedient to his own whims and mistaken ideas or to the spirit of evil, to popular sentiment or to some other influence always dangerous to the welfare of mankind.
The Saints have been accused of being priest-ridden and fearful to use their own judgment. What do the facts show? They are only asked to do right, live pure lives, do good to all men, evil to none, and to respect the order of God's kingdom that salvation may come to them and be extended to all the world. Their obedience has made them the best and purest body of people on the earth. What of the character of those who have derided them? They are slaves to a shallow and excited sentiment or to wickedness and vice, obedient to their own lusts and wicked ways. Compared with those they misrepresent they are below them in almost every trait which characterizes noble manhood. By obedience to God and His priesthood the Saints in this age have come off triumphant over obstacles within and foes without. By obedience to God and His commands they will continue the blessed and favored of the Lord forever. They have proved the words of Samuel to Saul, verily true: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
What is charity? Does it consist solely in the giving of bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked or succor to the distressed? "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth." (I. Cor. xiii:3-8.) If to say that one has charity to any considerable extent requires the possession of all the foregoing characteristics, then we may truthfully admit that there is a great charity famine now prevailing throughout the world.
It is not difficult to find people who will impart of their substance to feed the poor; but too frequently many who do so will look with scorn upon those who differ from them in matters of religion, politics or other subjects. Modern history records many instances where people noted for their hospitality have shown intense hatred and bitterness toward some who have come into their midst preaching doctrines which were in conflict with the theories they and their fathers had espoused.
In many cases mobs have been headed by ministers of religion, who have instigated and participated in shedding the innocent blood of their fellow beings for no other reason than their hatred of a religion different from their own. Indeed, few if any in modern Christendom can be said to exemplify in their lives all the traits attributed to charity in the quotation from the sayings of the apostle Paul. Who "suffers long" without a murmur, especially if the suffering comes by oppression from an outward foe, and in return for evil? Who are kind to those who wrong them? Where is he who "envieth not" the possessions of his neighbor, or the honors and emoluments of office enjoyed by others? Who, under the wave of prosperity, in the lap of luxury, or dwelling in popular favor, "vaunteth not" himself, "is not puffed up" or "doth not behave himself unseemly?" Who "seeketh not" his own, "but rather" prefers his brother before himself? Who is not "easily provoked," and therefore does not retaliate against those who may give offense? Who "thinks not evil" of those who go contrary to his views, but the motives of whose hearts he knows nothing about?
How many persons there are who have not become acquainted with our people, yet who, through the circulation of scurrilous reports, have imbibed deep-seated prejudice against the Latter-day Saints, and having become acquainted with them, have rejoiced to find them a better people than such preconceived ideas had led them to the belief that they were? In missionary experience, the Elders frequently have found many professing Christians exasperated when confronted with proof that the Saints were a God-fearing, virtuous, temperate, honest and industrious people. Such professors "rejoice in iniquity," and "love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." They do not rejoice in truth, but rather "have pleasure in unrighteousness." Few there are, even among the Saints, who fully and becomingly "bear all things" and prove themselves the true type of the Savior of mankind, who preferred ever to suffer wrong than to do wrong.
Do we "believe all things" and "hope for all things" which have been predicted by the prophets since the world began?
Who in the world is looking for angels to visit the earth in the last days, for the restoration of the ancient Gospel in its primitive beauty and power? Who is looking for the restoration of the Jews to Palestine? Who looks for a people to build a temple where the Savior shall suddenly come, and who looks for Elijah to appear before that great and terrible day of the Lord's coming, when the wicked shall become as stubble, and be consumed by the judgments of God? If these events have not occurred or are not transpiring, they must do so, or the words of the prophets will fail, the Scriptures be proved fallacious, and our hope is vain. And he who believes not these things has not charity. If he had, he would be patient to hear, anxious to learn, and the Lord would lead all such to the light. Charity should be sought after and cultivated by the Saints above all other people. Our professions are greater. If our deportment contradicts our teachings, our ignorance is more apparent, or our hypocrisy is more pronounced.
It is stated in the Book of Mormon that "Charity is the pure love of God." By this plain yet comprehensive definition, we learn that unless the love of God dwells in our hearts we have not charity. This love for the salvation of mankind induces the true servants of the Lord to travel to the ends of the earth, without the shadow or hope of earthly reward, to preach the Gospel to the world. Not only that; with all the self-denial of home and its comforts which such a mission implies, we also esteem all the good which others have, not asking them to forsake one truth they now possess, but inviting them to receive more truth, pointing them to a greater light, and leaving them perfectly free from undue persuasion to receive the message or reject it as they may choose.
The Prophet Joseph instructed the Twelve and the Elders, in preaching the Gospel, not to tear down the tenets of other men's faith, but in the spirit of meekness explain the Gospel and bear testimony to its divinity, leaving all mankind absolutely the keeper of their own consciences, to do as they please and meet the responsibility of their own acts at the bar of eternal justice. Neither should it be forgotten that much of the labor of mankind, without a knowledge of the Gospel, in many respects has been directed by a divine Providence to ameliorate the condition of mankind. "There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." The achievements of the reformation by Luther and others, the inventions of the printing press, of electrical machinery, the locomotive and the steamboat, the discovery of America, the revolution, the rounding, establishment and perpetuity of our civil government in the United States, all were events preparing the way for the restoration of the Gospel and the final establishment of the kingdom of God in these last days.
A striking instance of divine purpose in the labors of men outside the true church is pointed out in a revelation given in December, 1830, to Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sidney Rigdon. The Lord said: "Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant Sidney, I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard thy prayers and prepared thee for a greater work. Behold, thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me, and before Elijah, which should come, and thou knewest it not. Thou didst baptize by water unto repentance, but they received not the Holy Ghost. But now I give unto thee a commandment, that thou shalt baptize by water, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, even as the apostles of old." (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. xxxv, 3-6.)
The revelation given December, 1830, from which the above is quoted, was upon the occasion of the first visit of Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge to the prophet Joseph Smith. The labors of Sidney Rigdon, referred to in the quotation, must have alluded to his ministry in the Campbellite church, for he had been in the Church of Christ only about six weeks when this revelation was given, having embraced the Gospel at the hands of Parley P. Pratt and fellow missionaries near Kirtland, Ohio, late in October or early in November, 1830.
As is well understood, the followers of Alexander Campbell preach faith, repentance and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. These views Sidney Rigdon espoused as being better than what he already had, and when the true Gospel, in its fullness, with authority from God to administer the ordinances thereof, found him, he gladly obeyed the same. In about three weeks from the time Brother Pratt and co-laborers entered Kirtland, 127 persons were baptized. Subsequently the numbers were augmented to about 1,000 souls. In the providences of the Lord, Kirtland soon became the gathering place of the Saints, the facilities there being greatly enhanced by so many people embracing the Gospel and thus making a foothold for the prophet Joseph Smith and the Saints who should follow him from the East. There the Kirtland Temple was built. There the Savior, Moses, Elijah, Elias and other ancient worthies appeared to the prophet. There the endowments were given, and the Spirit from on high was poured out in the last days, as upon the day of Pentecost.
All these subsequent events, of such a glorious character, show how distinctly the Lord's hand was manifest in the mission and labors of Sidney Rigdon before he embraced the Gospel. Such instances serve as pointed lessons to the youth of Israel, teaching us to be broad and generous in viewing the labors of those not of us, so that if the hand of Providence is manifest we shall not be oblivious thereto, nor be found in the ranks of those who have not charity.
The skeptical doubt the resurrection of the dead. Some scientific men have denied the possibility of the actual redemption of the body from the grave. One would think, as time goes on, with the wonderful developments of science which reveal things that were classed among the impossibilities of a century ago, that it is not reasonable to doubt the possibility of anything, however remarkable, which is within the scope of blessings to mankind. The date, in the past, is not remote when it would have been deemed almost an indication of insanity for a man to say that such an instrument as the X-ray would be invented, by which a photograph of the interior of the human body could be taken. Astounding as it may appear, such is now an accomplished fact, and this is but one of the many remarkable and grand achievements of modern times. If such things are possible by the intelligence given to mortal man, is it not equally probable that the elements which enter into the composition of the human body can be brought together and resuscitated by an Omniscient Being? Is the resurrection any more unaccountable from a natural and scientific view than the organization of the human body before its birth into the world? Many things are admitted in nature to be a fact, but why they are such, the most learned and scientific have been unable to explain. The elements in any substance do not become annihilated; they change from one form of organization to another. Wheat, by a grinding and separating process, is made into flour, bran and shorts; from flour, by another process, into bread. Each change produces an article very different in appearance from the one preceding it, but the same elements are there. They are eternal and indestructible. This being true of all forms of life in the vegetable kingdom, it must also be true of human life.
Even Christians dispute with respect to the character of the resurrection of the body, some believing in an actual resurrection thereof, and others denying the immortality of the body of flesh and bones. It is our aim simply to present the statement of the Scriptures, which, the Latter-day Saints claim, are clear in declaring the actual resurrection of the body.
Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection and the pattern of what is an eternal principle, applicable to all mankind. As He took up the same body which was laid in the tomb, so will all the human family receive a renewal, each of his own body. The change is, that the blood, which is the life of the mortal body, will not occupy the immortal one. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (I. Cor. xv:50.) It is evident, however, that flesh and bones can inherit, occupied by immortal spirit; for Jesus was the type.
After His resurrection He appeared unto many. He said to His disciples, when they were affrighted and supposed they had seen a spirit: "Behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke xxiv:39.) He then showed them His hands and feet, which had been pierced with spikes in the terrible hour of His crucifixion. While He was with them He called for food, and they gave Him broiled fish and honeycomb, which He ate in their presence.
What could be more real, more tangible than this? When He was resurrected, many others received the same glorious blessing and came bodily out of their graves. "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many." (Matt. xxvii:52, 53.) These undoubtedly were the bodies of the righteous who had embraced the Gospel in the various dispensations prior to the coming and atonement of our Lord and Savior. The antediluvians who rejected Noah were not among this number, for Peter informs us that the Messiah, when put to death in the flesh, was "quickened by the spirit; by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." (I. Peter iii:18-20.)
Is this not a beautiful yet terrible lesson to all, that those who hear the Gospel in the flesh and reject it shall not come forth in the first resurrection, but remain, their bodies mingling with the dust, while their spirits are gathered as prisoners in the pit, awaiting with awful anxiety the judgment of the great day.
The Savior Himself said to His disciples: "Verily, verily, I say unto you: The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." (St. John v: 25.) Continuing His remarks, it would appear that He spoke of the two resurrections, for in the first, which took place when He came forth from the tomb, the saints were resurrected, while in the following verses, twenty-eight and twenty-nine, He says: "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
The reader will notice that the twenty-fifth verse reads "the dead," and may only apply to the righteous as coming forth at His resurrection, while the twenty-eighth verse says, "All that are in the graves," which would make it universal and apply to the just and the unjust, the evil and the good. This resurrection of the wicked doubtless applies to the same event that is recorded in the book of Revelations John first saw the resurrection of the righteous, and then says: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Rev. xx:4.) Glorious thought! The righteous rewarded for all their trials and tribulations! "Who are these arrayed in white, brighter than the noon-day sun?" "These are they which have come up through great tribulation, washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." This reward is well worth all the hardships incidental to preaching the Gospel and living the life of a Saint. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books; * * * and they were judged every man according to their works." (Rev. xx:12, 13.)
Nothing could be more literal, more tangible, more real than this; nothing more just. The righteous were to come forth and enjoy a thousand years of absolute peace and freedom from the tribulations heaped upon them by the wicked, untrammeled with trials brought upon them by Lucifer; free from sickness, sin and sorrow; living in the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, in full enjoyment of the earth in all its paradisic glory; justice meted out to the wicked, who will be denied the opportunity to revel in the lusts of the flesh or to persecute those who "live godly in Christ Jesus."
No wonder that Job rejoiced in all his affliction, because his soul was enlightened with the visions of the future. Notwithstanding his bodily pains and the annoyance of friends who attributed his afflictons to his own failings, he exclaimed from the depths of his soul: "Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." (Job xix:23-26.) Undoubtedly this great and good man was resurrected when the Messiah was, and received a partial fulfillment of this glorious vision, but whatever was lacking in the full realities of this prophecy will be complete when the Son of Man shall come, in His glory, to reign on the earth.
Paul said to the Thessalonians: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. * * * For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first." (I. Thess iv:14-16.) This agrees with the testimonies already quoted from the Savior and the apostle John in reference to the resurrection at two different periods; one for the just and one for the unjust.
This great subject is also portrayed by the prophet Daniel. In the seventh chapter of his prophecy, ninth and twenty-second verses, he speaks of the coming of the "Ancient of Days." The most ancient man of days associated with this earth is our father Adam, and it is plain that he has a great part to perform in placing judgment in the hands of the Saints and subduing the wicked. It would appear by the mission to be performed by Michael, as described in the first verse of the twelfth chapter of Daniel, and in the twelfth chapter of Revelations, that Michael and the Ancient of Days are the same person, and that he will be upon the earth at the opening of the millennium and will dwell in the midst of the people of God.
In modern revelation the Lord has said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel." (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 107, verse 54.) In connection with the coming of Michael in the last days, Daniel says: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel xii:2.)
In Paul's address before Felix he refers to the resurrection in the following language: "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (Acts xxiv:15.) Again "Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." This was the testimony of the chief apostle, Peter, when the Gospel was first delivered to the Gentiles.
It is evident that the burden of the teachings and testimonies of the apostles was to establish the divinity of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. This necessarily included His atonement and resurrection. The fall of our first parents brought not only a banishment from the presence of the Lord, which may be termed a spiritual death, but it caused the death of the physical body. When an atonement was wrought out as a redemption from that fall, it would be incomplete unless it brought to pass immortality and eternal life to the body.
"The spirit and the body is the soul of man." The body is resurrected from the grave, independent of whether the individual in this life was good or bad, as shown by the declarations of Scripture. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I. Cor. xv:22.) Paul describes in a very definite way the different degrees of glory in the resurrection, which vindicates the justice of God in rewarding every man according to his works, and establishing the free agency of man by holding him personally accountable for every act of his life. "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead." (I. Cor. xv:40-42.) Jesus said to the apostles: "In my Father's house are many mansions: If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you * * * that where I am there ye may be also." (St. John xiv:2, 3.) These assertions all agree that there has been a resurrection (so far as they refer to the resurrection of Jesus and those who came forth from their graves at the same time) and that there will yet be two more resurrections, one of the just, one of the unjust. The only reasonable conclusion to be reached by reading these testimonies is, that the resurrection will be an actual reunion of the spirit and the body.
If in the mind of the reader anything seems to be deficient in the conclusions from the statements quoted, certainly the account of the resurrection from the inspired writings of Ezekiel should dispel every doubt. The entire thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel should be read. In this vision of the prophet he saw the resurrection of the house of Israel, so real in its nature that bone came to bone, sinew to sinew; flesh and skin covered the frame, and the spirit entered the body of each. Thus a complete resurrection of the bodies was wrought out. Ezekiel says, after the Lord commanded, "So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. * * * Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. * * * And they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." (Ezek. xxxvii:7-10.) That this is to be an actual resurrection of the bodies of the dead is made plain by the twelfth and thirteenth verses: "Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves." * * * "Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Verses 26, 27. ) Thus there shall be a real, actual resurrection of the body, a complete reunion of the spirit with the body.
After the resurrection, those whose bodies and spirits are thereby reunited will join their living brethren, receive revelation from God, including the everlasting covenant, be gathered to their own lands, and continue to multiply and increase, with the sanctuary of God in their midst, and with His divine approval forevermore.
How beautiful, how joyous to contemplate, and how real and tangible is this, as contrasted with the poor, rambling, uncertain theories of uninspired men, who are controlled by the systems of men rather than guided by that "more sure word of prophecy," the revelations of God.
To the Latter-day Saints the doctrine of the resurrection is a living, tangible reality because, added to the testimonies of the Jewish Scriptures, the Old and the New Testaments, and the Book of Mormon, which corroborates the Bible, they have the testimony of men in this century, who have seen the living bodies of resurrected beings. Joseph Smith was a man of unblemished character. His veracity was never impeached. His honor in religion, in morality and business transactions, attested by friend and foe, were unsullied to the end of his mortal career, when he sealed his testimony with his innocent blood. His testimony is that he saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, the latter on several occasions. Joseph also had a visitation from John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, Moroni and other ancient prophets of God who lived on the Eastern or Western hemispheres. He was not alone in being a witness to the existence of resurrected beings. Others in modern times also have seen these, and have published their testimonies to the world. Those who have received the witness of the Holy Ghost, and who also know that there is a resurrection and that the words of the Savior and the prophets are true and faithful, are numbered by the thousands.
This is my testimony on the subject: I testify in the name of the resurrected Redeemer that God has spoken from the heavens in this age of the world; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Most High, and received the revelations of God for the benefit of mankind; that angels and ancient prophets visited him and delivered to him the keys of the "dispensation of the fullness of times;" that Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, each in his time, has been the successor of the prophet Joseph Smith, and that Joseph F. Smith is now such successor. I also testify that all who receive this Gospel with honest hearts shall know that the doctrine is true, and if they are faithful unto death shall come forth in the resurrection of the righteous, to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. Those who reject this message, and who fight against the truth and persecute the advocates thereof will, unless they repent, die in their sins, and will remain unredeemed, their bodies in the earth, their spirits in bondage, until the thousand years are finished, when death, hell and the grave shall deliver up their dead to stand before God, living, resurrected beings, to receive the reward of their deeds, whether they be evil or whether they be good.