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but only in its entirety with no changes made.
Kevin Kraut
Kingdom of God
Volume 2
The
Lord is the King of Israel
The
Lord is King forever and forever." (Ps. 10:16)
For the
Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Ps. 95:3)
Let
THE
LORD'S PRAYER
Our
Father which art in heaven,
hallowed
be thy name.
Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be done
in
earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us
this day our daily bread,
And
forgive us our debts,
as we
forgive our debtors.
And
lead us not into temptation,
but
deliver us from evil:
For
thine is the kingdom,
and the
power, and the glory,
forever,
Amen.
(Matt.
6:9-13)
PREFACE
The
subject of the
In this
volume we will review the history of Abraham, Moses and Christ to see how they
introduced and established God's Kingdom on earth. We will then compare it to
its counterpart—the
The
Lord manifests every possible power and means in His desire to redeem the souls
of men. In return, man should certainly seek first the
[7] Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION:
The
King of Kings
. . .
in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of
kings, and Lord of lords. (1 Tim. 6:15)
The
title of "king" had its origin near the beginning of our mortal
earth. Those holding such a title usually claimed it was a divine calling, with
the right to govern in both civil and religious matters.
Most
pharaohs possessed a long title or throne name which included some mention of
deity. Epithets of many sovereigns of
In
ancient
Therefore,
no true king could claim legitimacy without a prophet's approval of his
investure. If God was not in it, their [8] king was no different from any other
king. The kings of
And it
shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write
him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the
Levites:
And it
shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that
he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and
these statutes, to do them:
That
his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from
the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may
prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of
Any
good king, president or ruler is not to add or take away one jot or one tittle
from God's law, which is the difference between God's appointed kings and
worldly kings. It is by this rule that frauds and impostors are made known. The
lessons of history also show that if the people cannot perceive or discern by
this means the kind of ruler they have, then that is the kind of leader they
deserve.
The
words king or kingdom appear in the Old Testament 2,000 times; thus we have
very fertile ground for determining the difference between kings of men and
kings of God.
[9] In
some instances in Biblical history the king or priest was tempted to err or
sin, but a prophet was nearby to warn or direct him in the way God would have
him go. Thus, the prophet became God's spokesman to give the king divine
direction.
God
acknowledged to Abraham that he would be honored by having kings come from his
loins. Those who were ordained by Christ as "kings and priests" were
probably those kings whom God had promised to come through Abraham. Men who were
"kings and priests unto God" would have the appointment and
obligation to function in both civil and religious areas. This was indicated
since the beginning of time by the close relationship of those offices held by
ancient leaders.
Kingship and the gods. In
the system of the ancient religions—state patriotism and religious piety were
synonymous. To outst or overthrow the legitimate king was to commit iconoclasm
and treason against the state. . . . (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia
3:795)
The
It has
been the design of Jehovah, from the commencement of the world, and is His
purpose now, to regulate the affairs of the world in His own time, to stand as
a head of the universe, and take the reins of government in His own hand.
When that is done, judgment will be administered in righteousness; anarchy and
confusion will be destroyed, and "nations will learn war no more." It
is for want of this great governing principle, that all this confusion
has existed; . . . (TPJS, pp. 250-51)
[10]This
is all according to the patriarchal order. A father is entitled to rule and
preside over his own family. How does a parent feel when a child rebels and
opposes him? On the other hand, how does he feel when one of the children does
everything he is required to do? Naturally the disobedient child will be
punished and the obedient child will be rewarded. Such is the natural order of
things between man and God in His kingdom.
It is
said that God is Lord of lords and King of kings; but how can he be King of
kings unless there be kings under him to give him homage and pay respect unto
him and acknowledge him as their Lord and their King? (George Q. Cannon, JD
14:128)
[11] Chapter 2
FREEDOM AND
Freedom
was not easily won, and it is not easy to keep. There have been only two kinds
of people on the earth—those who were free and those who were not. Of all the
millions who have lived, only about 3 per cent have known freedom. (Our
Heritage of Faith, 1:2)
The
great and mighty nations of the world have made slaves out of their captives
and also of their own citizens.
If you
had been born an Assyrian 15 centuries before Christ, you would have lived
under cruel, blood-thirsty kings who were continually seeking new conquests and
the riches of other nations. You probably would have served in the army which
required you to fight until a battle was over, and then to march on to another
battle and fight until you were dead. You would never have known freedom—only
marching, fighting and killing.
If you
had been an Egyptian, you would have believed that your pharaoh ruled by divine
right and divine birth, that he was a god who could do no wrong. You would have
lived in a little mud house, watching thousands of slaves work under the
taskmaster's lash. You would have probably worked in the quarries or the mines,
plowed the lands or served in the army. All the land as well as its riches were
the property of the pharaoh. Chances were that you would have lived, worked and
died as a slave.
[12]As
a member of the Greek civilization, you would have honored the pagan gods and
would have been allowed no freedom. You would have served the ruling class
whose goal was to obtain wealth and luxury. Your labors for these weak and
selfish leaders would have been in vain, as they soon fell to the powerful
Roman armies.
If you
had been born a Roman, you still would not have enjoyed any more freedom, for
Rome was held together by powerful emperors and huge armies. You probably would
have served in the military, been a laborer on the empire roads and buildings
or just become another serf. The Caesars were cruel, corrupt and vicious, and
Roman citizens had to suffer under their insanity.
If you
had been born during the first 1000 years of Christianity, you would have seen
the rise of other feudal powers that sent thousands of soldiers to their death.
Perhaps you would have been sent to the Americas where there was extensive
slaughter of the natives for the glory of the mother church. The Crusades
gradually came out of the Dark Ages, into the Renaissance, and then into a
Reformation, but it was accomplished by shedding the blood of millions in the
name of God.
Where
was the Kingdom of God during the rise and fall of all these world kingdoms and
cultures? Certainly among all the billions of God's children there is some
evidence of the existence of His Kingdom. There must be a reason why so many of
God's children knew nothing about His Kingdom. This is one of the great
mysteries pertaining to the Kingdom of God. However, the words of Joseph Smith
help to explain:
I say,
in the name of the Lord, that the Kingdom of God was set up on the earth from
the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man
on earth unto whom God revealed His [13] word and gave power and authority to
administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God—a minister who has
power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and
officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God,... (TPJS, p.
271)
The
problem with mankind is that they are more interested in their own little
kingdom than in God's kingdom. They fight each other over land parcels, palaces
and pieces of gold more often than they do over freedom and liberty which are
basic elements of God's Kingdom. Once again, the Prophet Joseph commented:
But
while one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without
mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole human family with
a fatherly care and paternal regard; He views them as His offspring, and
without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men,
causes "His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust." He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He
is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow,
contracted notions of men, but, "according to the deeds done in the body
whether they be good or evil, . . ." (TPJS, p. 218)
Joseph had a deep love of liberty:
It is a
love of liberty which inspires my soul—civil and religious liberty to the whole
of the human race. Love of liberty was diffused into my soul by my grandfathers
while they dandled me on their knees; . . . (TPJS, p. 313)
The
Kingship of God on earth is represented through His righteous prophets, priests
and kings. When love of freedom and liberty is instilled deep within their
hearts, they can then be true servants in the Kingdom of God.
[14] Chapter 3
UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM OF
GOD
. . . I
contend that if one man cannot understand these things but by the spirit of
God, ten thousand men cannot; it is alike out of the reach of the wisdom of the
learned, the tongue of the eloquent, the power of the mighty. And we shall at
last have to come to this conclusion, whatever we may think of revelation, that
without it we can neither know nor understand anything of God, or the devil;...
(Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 205)
One of
the predominant themes of the scriptures is the Kingdom of God versus kingdoms
of men. Modern ministers are so vague and even contradictory in their
definitions of the Kingdom of God that they have caused more confusion than
clarification. Many ecclesiastical leaders, including those in the LDS Church,
have supposed that the Kingdom of God is the same as the Church of God, which
is clearly incorrect.
In the
first volume of this Kingdom of God series, an accurate description of the
Kingdom of God was presented by Brigham Young, and it bears repetition here:
We talk
a good deal about building up the kingdom of God upon the earth,
according to the knowledge and understanding we have in regard to the kingdom
of God; it requires several things to constitute a kingdom. If there is a
kingdom, there needs [to be] a king, ruler or dictator; some one to govern
and [15] control the kingdom. What else does it signify? It says, in language
that cannot be misunderstood, you must have subjects; if there is a
kingdom there must be a king and subjects; and there must be territory
for the subjects to live upon. Well, now, if we are in a kingdom, do you think
we are in a kingdom without law? No; the strictest law ever given to
mankind is the law of God. (JD 13:91)
Here
defined in simple terms are the basic four components of the Kingdom of God—
(1) a King, (2) His subjects, (3) His territory, and (4) His laws. All other
explanations are merely elaborations upon these four.
Locating
the Kingdom of God is not as easy as looking it up in the yellow pages and
making an appointment to join. Such knowledge and understanding require a great
deal of study, research and investigation. And along the way, it will become
evident that the devil has planted many cover-ups, imitations and oppositions
to this Kingdom. If we expand our minds to understand more about God, we will
also learn more about His Kingdom. As Dr. Hugh Nibley explained:
This
puts a serious face on things. If we try to evade the responsibility of
directing our minds to the highest possible object, if we try to settle for a
milder program at lower stakes and safer risks, we are immediately slapped and
buffeted by a power that will not let us rest. Being here, we must play the
probation game, and we pay an awful forfeit for every effort to evade it. We
must think—but about what? The substance of thought is knowledge. "The
human brain depends for its normal alertness, reliability and efficiency on a
continuous flow of information about the world; . . . the brain craves for
information as the body craves for food." "What is true of
individuals is also true of societies; they too can become insane without
sufficient stimulus." If the mind is denied functioning to capacity, it
will take terrible revenge. The penalty we [16] pay for starving our minds is a
phenomenon that is only too conspicuous at Brigham Young University. (Approaching
Zion, Nibley, 9:67-68)
The
Kingdom of God could exist somewhere on earth, but most people would not know
about it—especially if they did not know the four identifying elements of its
composition. If someone wanted to become a member of God's Kingdom on earth,
they would first have to know what it was, how it was organized and the laws
pertaining to it.
Theology, Theocracy,
Theophany
How can
we distinguish God's Kingdom from all other kingdoms? First, we must look for
it in scriptural history. If we cannot see it in the pages of the past, we
surely won't recognize it in the present.
To
learn the elements of God's Kingdom, we must begin with three important words:
(1) theology, (2) theocracy, and (3) theophany. These three words are the keys
to unlocking the mystery of the Kingdom of God on earth; thus, they will be
discussed in greater detail in the remainder of this chapter.
Theology
The
term theology is not another word for religion; it is the study of God and
religious doctrines. To comprehend the Kingdom of God, we must devote a great
deal of time to the study of the doctrines, laws, principles, covenants and
commandments of God. The Prophet Joseph warned:
A
fanciful and flowery and heated imagination beware of; because the things of
God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and
solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! If thou wilt
lead a soul unto [17] 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. (TPJS, p. 137)
If one
is going to own, drive or repair a car, he should first study the instruction
book because the designers of that car have an excellent knowledge of every
part. Likewise, the Creator (and designer) of our earth has a perfect knowledge
of all of its composites and functions, and we should learn all we can about
Him through a knowledge of His creations.
We have
seen many men rise up and make great claims about themselves, but claims are
much different from actual demonstrations. False prophets and false messiahs have
come and gone by the hundreds. So how do we distinguish true prophets from
false ones—and the true Kingdom of God from false kingdoms?
Theology
is the textbook for our temporal and spiritual salvation, and through its pages
we can learn the laws and principles that build individual character. Theology
has even been termed a science, according to the Jewish encyclopedia:
Theology: The
science that treats of God and of His relation to the world in general and to
man in particular; in a less restricted sense, the didactic representation of
the contents and essence of a religion. (Jewish Encyclopedia, 12:128)
Mere
participation and membership in a church does not qualify a person for
citizenship in the Kingdom of God. A knowledge of the laws of that Kingdom is
necessary before one can qualify to belong to it. Again from the Prophet Joseph
we learn:
[18] We
consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a
faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to
the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man
approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his
enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire
for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is
wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him.
But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a
moment; he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom
by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending
the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same. For further
instruction we refer you to Deut. 32, where the Lord says that Jacob is the lot
of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, howling
wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of
His eye, etc.; which will show the force of the last item advanced, that it
is necessary for men to receive an understanding concerning the laws of
the heavenly kingdom, before they are permitted to enter it; we mean
the celestial glory. So dissimilar are the governments of men, and so divers
are their laws, from the government and laws of heaven, that a man, for
instance, hearing that there was a country on this globe called the United
States of North America, could take his journey to this place without first
learning the laws of governments; but at all who are made the conditions of God's kingdom are such, the
partakers of that glory, are under the necessity of learning something respecting
it previous to their entering into it. (TPJS, p. 51)
The
Kingdom of God is not just membership in a church, beautiful buildings,
prosperity, folklore, customs, and religious traditions. Rather, these do more
to destroy an understanding of the Kingdom of God than anything else. Men [19]
might make sacrifices, undertake long treks, mortify their flesh, offer long
prayers and serve as full-time ministers, but still they may not truly
understand the Kingdom of God.
Theology,
then, is our first objective in order to understand the definition and
significance of the Kingdom of God. It includes a profound study of all things
pertaining to God, His doctrines and His Kingdom.
Theocracy
The
serious student of theology will sooner or later come to grips with the term
theocracy, especially if he is interested in the Kingdom of God. The dictionary
gives a clear and concise definition:
Theocracy: A form of civil government in which
God is recognized as ruler and his commandments are regarded as the laws of the
community. (Nation Encyclopedia, 10:1)
From
this we understand that a theocracy is not a religion but a type of civil
government, as elaborated upon in two other definitions:
Theocracy: That government of which the chief is,
or is believed to be, God himself, and the laws the commandments of God. The
most notable theocratic government was that established by Moses. (New Modern
Encyclopedia, p. 1039)
Theocracy: The form of government among the early
Israelites, in which Jehovah was recognized as their supreme civil ruler, and
His laws were taken as the statute book of the kingdom. Moses, Joshua, and the
Judges were the appointees and agents of Jehovah. (Zondervan Enc. of the
Bible, 5:1088)
[20]Thus,
we realize that there is a difference between church and state—between a
religion and civil government; yet both can and should be governed by God.
The
prophets of the time directed, taught and warned the kings in their appointment
and execution of duty:
The
kings were each specifically anointed in his name and the prophets were
commissioned to inform them of his will, and did not hesitate to rebuke and
even veto their actions if contrary to the divine will. (Zondervan Enc.,
5:1088)
Even though
certain men were appointed to be kings in a theocracy, prophets were also
necessary to receive the will of God to help in their work of governing the
people.
During
the period of the Jewish monarchy, the king was understood to rule by the will
of God and was thus an organ of theocracy. Still more important organs were the
prophets, whose great authority kept alive the Jewish nationality in Babylon.
Returning from exile, Israel set out to be a perfect theocracy with the
priesthood as the principal organ of government. The priesthood, however,
became worldly as their wealth increased, and the more spiritual among the Jews
looked forward to the coming of a Messiah who should establish a veritable
kingdom of God (National Enc., 10:1)
Thus we
see that even a theocracy on earth is subject to the weaknesses and failings of
mortal men. The Kingdom of God has suffered in many dispensations because of
the blindness of its earthly leaders.
Theophany
Theophany
is a Greek word meaning a manifestation of Deity, usually visible. Zondervan
explains:
[21]
Theophany is essentially a theological term, and is used of any temporary,
normally visible, manifestation of God. In the Bible no stress is laid on the
manner of the theophany; what is important is what God does and says. The
physical is merely secondary. The physical aspects are there to magnify and
authenticate the revelations, but essentially that is all. (Zondervan Enc.,
5:719)
A
theophany may be a visible, physical and/or audible manifestation. It may come
as a miracle, an open vision or the voice of God, not excluding the visitation
of angels. It is important that a message or testimony is conveyed, and the
means is only to clarify or give power to the message. For example, the actual
visitation of an angel is not as important as the message he brings.
Perhaps
there were no greater theophanies than during the time of Moses, with the
exception of those at the time of Christ. During these dispensations the people
were so slow to understand that these manifestations were necessary to
establish God's commandments. During the beginning of our own dispensation the
Saints also experienced these theophanies.
* * *
These
three—theology, theocracy and theophany—are all necessary in increasing our
comprehension of the Kingdom of God.
Enlarging the Mind and Spirit
Joseph
Smith said, "The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal
with God himself," and that "intelligence is eternal and exists upon
a self-existent principle. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into
the world are susceptible of enlargement." (TPJS, pp. 353-54)
[22]
Commenting on this statement by Joseph Smith were two great scholars, Dr. Hugh
Nibley and Elder B. H. Roberts:
. . .
the very nature of man requires him to use his mind to capacity: "The mind
or the intelligence which man possesses," says Joseph Smith, "is
co-equal with God himself." What greater crime than the minimizing of such
capacity? The Prophet continues, "All the minds and spirits that God ever
sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement. . . . God himself, finding
he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw
proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance
like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance
in knowledge." Expansion is the theme, and we cannot expand the
boundaries unless we first reach those boundaries, which means exerting
ourselves to the absolute limit. (Approaching Zion, p. 67)
He is
the All-Wise One! The All-Powerful One! What He tells other intelligences to do
must be precisely the wisest, fittest thing that they could anywhere or anyhow
learn—the thing which it will always behoove them, with right loyal
thankfulness, and nothing doubting, to do. There goes with this, too, the
thought that this All-Wise One will be the Unselfish One, the All-Loving One,
the One who desires that which is highest, and best; not for himself alone, but
for all; and that will be best for him, too. His glory, his power, his joy will
be enhanced by the uplifting of all, by enlarging them; by increasing their
joy, power, and glory. And because this All-Intelligent One is all this, and
does all this, the other intelligences worship him, submit their judgments and
their will to his judgment and his will. He knows, and can do that which is
best; and this submission of the mind to the Most Intelligent, Wisest—wiser
than all—is worship. This is the whole meaning of the doctrine and the life of
the Christ expressed in—"Father, not my will but Thy will, be done."
(Note by B. H. Roberts in TPJS, p. 353)
[23] We
find ourselves either advancing in the knowledge of God or else digressing in
knowledge. Unfortunately, very few individuals direct their minds to the things
of God; yet He is the source of our existence and our eternal provider. We have
an obligation to learn how and why God rules His kingdom the way He does.
If we
do not seek to expand our knowledge of God and His Kingdom, we will digress and
lose what we have already obtained. There is no neutral ground. As Alma said:
And
therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion
of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater
portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God
until he know them in full.
And
they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the
word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; . . . (Alma 12:10-11)
There
is a great famine among Christians today regarding the doctrine of the Kingdom
of God, and that famine also exists among Mormons. To illustrate, when did you
ever hear a Sunday School lesson on the Kingdom of God? Did you ever hear
anyone give a Sacrament Meeting talk on the Kingdom of God? Or, have you ever
read an entire book on the Kingdom of God?
If we
do not increase our knowledge on this important subject of God's Kingdom on
earth and in heaven, then we will fail to prepare adequately for the greatest
work in the universe.
[24] Chapter 4
ABRAHAM—THE FATHER OF
KINGS
And I
will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings
shall come out of thee. (Gen. 17:6)
Many of
today's modern Christians believe that Abraham lived in a pagan society, was
raised in a pagan household and embraced some personal pagan ideals. They
assume that he did not know much about the gospel of Christ, its principles or
priesthood. However, in 1879 John Taylor countered:
We come
again to another prominent character, that is Abraham, a very remarkable man in
his day and age; although at the present time men look upon him as a kind of an
old shepherd, a man that attended flocks and herds and sheep, a sort of herdsman
and a shepherd; and there was very little of him anyhow except that he lived in
his day almost as a barbarian. That is the opinion that many men have formed of
him—that he was something like our backwoodsmen, some of our farmers who have
not mixed up with the elite of society, or made themselves familiar with the
intelligence that pervades the world. I look upon him as another character
entirely, and from information that we can gather from revelations that have
been referred to, we find that there was something very peculiar about him. We
read his history and we find that he was a man that sought after righteousness,
that he desired to obtain more righteousness, that he examined the records of
his fathers, that he found in [25] examining the records, tracing them back
through the flood, clear away back unto Adam's day, he found many circumstances
that were connected with man-kind, not only to Adam's day, but before the world
was. In doing this, among other things, he found he had a right to
the priesthood. (JD 21:159)
But
seeking after righteousness, gaining a knowledge of his ancestry and desiring
to be worthy to receive the priesthood were not the only great attributes of
Abraham. The Lord promised him, "I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and
I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee." (Gen.
17:6) Then the Lord gave the same promise to his grandson, Jacob. (See Gen.
36:11.) In fact, all the promises made to Abraham were also offered to his
posterity. Now how could his posterity become kings in the Kingdom of God
unless he himself became one of those kings? George Q. Cannon expressed it this
way:
When
God led forth Abraham and told him that as the stars of the firmament were
innumerable, so should his seed be, he proclaimed to him the greatness of his
kingdom in eternity. He told Abraham that he should be a king over
this innumerable host; for if Abraham were not to be king over them, of
what use or glory would his posterity be to him? When God pointed
Abraham to the sand on the seashore and told him that as it was countless, so
should his seed be, he told him in accents that could not be mistaken of the
future glory of his eternal kingdom. And if all mankind attained to the same
promises as Abraham, they also would have an innumerable posterity to
reign over. As the prophet says concerning our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, "To the increase of his kingdom there shall be no end. (JD 14:128)
Abraham
understood what the Kingdom of God was, how it operated and even taught it to
others, most of whom rejected it. Brigham Young substantiates this:
[26]
"It is true," say they, "that in the days of Moses the Lord did
once send a messenger to preach the Gospel to the children of Israel, but our
master had such power in their midst that they would not receive the
kingdom." In the days of Abraham, also, long before the days
of Moses the Lord revealed the principles of the kingdom, but they would not
have them. (JD 11:303)
Many
Christians today do not believe that Abraham had the gospel because they assume
there was no gospel before Christ came to earth. However, the Apostle Paul
clarified that this belief was incorrect. According to the Prophet Joseph
Smith:
It will
be noticed that, according to Paul, (see Gal. 3:8) the Gospel was preached
to Abraham. We would like to be informed in what name the gospel was then
preached, whether it was in the name of Christ or some other name. If in any
other name, was it the gospel? And if it was the Gospel, and that preached in
the name of Christ, had it any ordinances? . . . Abraham offered sacrifice, and
notwithstanding this, had the Gospel preached to him. (TPJS, p. 60)
If
Abraham had the Gospel, did he then have the priesthood? The answer has to be
affirmative, as the Prophet Joseph informed us:
Abraham
says to Melchizedek, I believe all that thou hast taught me concerning the
priesthood and the coming of the Son of Man; so Melchizedek ordained Abraham
and sent him away. Abraham rejoiced, saying, Now I have a priesthood. (TPJS, p.
322)
Certainly
a man who holds the higher priesthood, and honors it, is a member of the
Kingdom of God. His mission then is to teach others and bring them into that
Kingdom.
[27]We
also know that Abraham was chosen before he was born to be a great king and
priest in the Kingdom of God. Abraham knew this himself as he was shown it in
vision:
And God
saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he
said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits,
and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of
them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (P of GP, Abraham 3:23; see also
JD 23:185.)
Abraham
was chosen to be a ruler in the Kingdom of God, and he would also rule over
other leaders in that Kingdom.
In
addition to the above, Abraham saw Jesus and His day in a vision, for Christ
said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw
it and was glad." (John 8:56)
Abraham
also had a great knowledge of the universe, most of which he also obtained in
vision. Joseph Smith stated, "The learning of the Egyptians, and their
knowledge of astronomy was no doubt taught them by Abraham and Joseph, as their
records testify, who received it from the Lord." (TPJS, p. 251)
The
visionary and prophetic powers of Abraham were no doubt given to him through
the instrument called a Urim and Thummim, which he acknowledged was in his
possession:
And I,
Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord my God had given unto me, in
Ur of the Chaldees, (Abra. 3:1) [and also] the Lord said unto me, by the Urim
and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, . . . (Abra. 3:4)
[28]He
was shown all of this world and how it was connected with God's Kingdom and
also many other worlds and parts of the universe which also pertained to His
Kingdom.
The
scope of Abraham's kingly realm is amazing. One of the great promises of God to
Abraham was that through him and his seed "shall all the families of the
earth be blessed." (Abra. 2:11) This is one of the greatest blessings ever
given to a man. And, according to Joseph Smith, another was that "All
children are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the moment that
children leave this world, they are taken to the bosom of Abraham." (TPJS,
p. 197)
To show
how far-reaching Abraham's kingly and patriarchal authority extends, John
Taylor explained:
Who
were Moses and Aaron? Moses led the children of Israel, under the guidance and
direction of the Almighty, with a mighty hand and stretched-out arm, and
delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. Who were they? They were the descendants
of Abraham. Who were the old Prophets we read of in the Bible here? They
were the descendants of Abraham? Who was Jesus? A descendant of
Abraham. Who were the Twelve Apostles? They were the descendants of
Abraham. Who were the Seventy that existed in those days? They were the descendants
of Abraham. What were they told to do? To damn mankind? No. What? To go and
preach the Gospel to all the world, to lift up a banner of life and salvation
to the nations, and call upon them to repent. Who were the Nephites that came
to this continent? Lehi, Lemuel, Nephi, etc. Who were they? They were descendants
of Abraham. Who were the Twelve Apostles that were on this continent? They
were descendants of Abraham. (JD 19:80)
[29]Wilford
Woodruff also refers to the kingly and patriarchal blessings of the Priesthood
(including Abraham's), showing that such kingdoms were not just temporal, but
eternal:
The
Lord has revealed to us that no kingdom, no king, no prince, no president, no
ordinance of marriage, no ordinance performed by any man from the days of
father Adam, will have any power or force after death, except those ordinances
are performed by men holding the Eternal Priesthood. Is there a king, is there
a prince, is there a queen,—will either when they pass the other side of the
veil, find a throne there? Would the Czar of Russia, who was assassinated by
the hands of the ungodly not long ago, when he went into the Spirit World find
a throne there? No. Why? Because the kingdom of the Czar of Russia belonged to
time. When he went into the Spirit World, that was the end of his kingdom and
power. His kingdom had not been sealed upon his head by any man having the
power and authority of the Eternal Priesthood. So in regard to all kingdoms and
thrones. You may take Her Majesty Queen Victoria—who has reigned a long time,
and who is perhaps as good a sovereign as has reigned since the days of William
the Conqueror. When she passes behind the veil, she will find her kingdom at an
end, because it was not sealed upon her head for time and eternity by any man
having the authority of the Holy Priesthood. (JD 24:243)
Regarding
the greatness of Abraham, Joseph Smith summarized:
Abraham
was guided in all his family affairs by the Lord; was conversed with by angels,
and by the Lord; was told where to go, and when to stop; and prospered
exceedingly in all that he put his hand unto; it was because he and his family
obeyed the counsel of the Lord. (TPJS, pp. 251-52)
[30]Abraham
had been blessed above nearly all other men, i.e.:
1.He
would be the father of kings.
2.He
would preside as a king over those kings.
3.He
had the high and holy Priesthood and all the rights that belong to God's kings.
4.He
was promised a place in God's kingdom.
5.He
received a glorious vision of God's great work of His Kingdom in the universe.
There
is probably no other mortal man in the Old Testament that received such great
promises and blessings as did Abraham. Though not the king of kings, he was
nevertheless a king of kings.
[31] Chapter 5
HOW ABRAHAM BECAME A KING
Abraham
received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by
my word, saith the Lord. (D & C 132:29)
Father
Abraham was the right person in the right place at the right time. He stood as
a father of nations, and also as a father to nations. Abraham is one of the
most perfect examples of a man of God, and we have been instructed to "Go
ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham." (D & C 132:32) He stood
for correct principles and faithfulness to the laws of God. He was so righteous
that the Lord appeared to him from time to time and talked to him as one man
talks to another.
Abraham
received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by
my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne. (D & C
132:29)
In this
132nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord mentions the name of
Abraham 20 times. It is no wonder that he is often cited as "Abraham, the
Friend of God."
According
to Peloubet's Bible Dictionary, the meaning of the name Abram is a
"high or exalted father," while the definition of the lengthened name
Abraham (given to him by God) is "father of a multitude." For God
said, "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall
be [32] Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." (Gen.
17:5) This implied kingship and for Abraham it meant the Kingdom of God.
His
name is mentioned over 40 times in the Old Testament and over 70 in the New. He
is honored by Christians, Jews and Arabs, because they are all his posterity.
There is probably not a nation on earth that has not been greatly influenced by
the bloodline of that important man. As mentioned in the previous chapter, God
told him, "I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of
thee, and kings shall come out of thee." (Gen. 17:6) The kings that God
was talking about are not the wicked and foolish kings frequently recognized in
both the past and the present; they are kings because of the Lord's calling and
ordination. They usually carry little or no worldly recognition or honors, but
they are kings unto God—now and forever. These kings and the Kingdom of God have
both a temporal and spiritual function with an everlasting significance.
Abraham
was born in the 20th generation from Adam. He grew up in the household of
idolaters and wickedness, yet in his wisdom he did not participate in such
abominations. At the time, Melchizedek was the king of Salem and had received
the title of "the prince of peace" (Alma 13:18). Abraham had such
respect for him that he wanted to follow his example. His desire was to
"possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince
of peace." (Abra. 1:2)
But to
become a worthy man of God has never been easy. In the world of conflicts,
Abraham was blessed with the gift of discernment and the powers of reason. He
overcame many superstitions, temptations and false religions.
To be a
true servant of God one must put down false gods and defend and obey the true
God. Abraham had this [33] opportunity while he was still a young man when he
came into conflict with his own father over the true God and false gods.
According to the Book of Jasher,
Terah, his father, had a room full of wooden and stone gods, which he
faithfully worshipped. Abram was told by his father to get food for his gods;
so he took some savory meat and placed it before all of them. But Abram noticed
that they did not eat, nor did they hear, speak or move. (They were just like
the gods of the Catholics and Protestants today.) So he got a hatchet and broke
down all the gods but the largest one and then placed the hatchet in his arms.
When Terah came home and saw this, he was very angry and accused his son of the
deed.
But
Abram came up with a story of how all the little gods jumped first to eat the
food before the big one could get there, so he got a hatchet and broke down all
the others. The hatchet was still in his arms. Terah didn't buy the story and
said, "What is this tale that thou has told? Thou speakest lies to me. Are
they not wood and stone, and have I not myself made them? It is thou that didst
place the hatchet in his hands and then sayest he smote them all." Abram
responded with a practical and wise answer:
And how
canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do anything? Can
those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? can they hear thy prayers when
thou callest upon them? can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or
will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst
serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear?
And now
surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with
thee, to do these things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of
understanding that you will serve wood and stone, and do after this manner? And
forget the Lord God who made heaven and earth, and who created you in the
earth, [34] and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by
serving stone and wood?
Did not
our fathers in days of old sin in this manner, and the Lord God of the universe
brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth?
And how
can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear,
or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of
the God of the universe upon you?
Now
therefore my father, refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and
the souls of thy household. (Book of Jasher, p. 27)
Nevertheless,
this was not the end of the conflict. Abram had to answer to the king for
destroying those idols:
And
Abram answered the king, saying, And if there be no power in them why dost thou
serve them and cause the sons of men to err through thy follies?
Does
thou imagine that they can deliver thee or do anything small or great, that
thou shouldst serve them? And why wilt thou not serve the God of the whole
universe, who created thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive? O
foolish, simple, and ignorant king, woe unto thee forever. * * *
Now
therefore put away this evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the
universe, as thy soul is in his hands, and then it will be well with thee. And
if thy wicked heart will not hearken to my words to cause thee to forsake thy
evil ways, and to serve the eternal God, then wilt thou die in shame in the
latter days, thou, thy people and all who are connected with thee, hearing thy
words or walking in thy evil ways. (Ibid., p. 28)
The
king didn't like Abram's message and so put him in prison.
[35]Abram's
message to the king is applicable to many in the world today. How many,
including Christians, serve a god who has no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no
tongue to speak, and no mind to think. Abraham's mission was to warn the people
of their personal and spiritual sins and the kings of the earth of their
temporal and political sins. This is the mission of God's prophets and kings.
Abraham
eventually suffered more than just a prison sentence, for he was taken by the
priests of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to be sacrificed. Author Cleon Skousen,
commenting on the facsimile from the Book of Abraham, wrote:
In this
connection Herodotus, the Greek historian, called the Egyptians
"blacks," and R. A. Rawlinson says, "The Egyptians appear to
have been among the darkest races with which the Greeks of early times came
into direct contact." (taken from The History of Ancient Egypt, p.
103, as quoted in The First 2000 Years, p. 268)
It
became a contest between the gods of Pharaoh and the God of Abraham. As the
knife was lifted into the air about to be dropped upon Abraham, a great force
struck the altar, killing the priest of pharaoh and releasing Abraham from the
altar. This experience of deliverance was a promise made to Abraham because he
held the Holy Priesthood of God. It was also a promise that was passed down to
others who honored the Priesthood.
As
early as the 14th chapter of Genesis we find numerous kings—good and bad. As
usual the worldly kings were fighting among themselves, i.e.:
And it
came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar,
Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; that these made [36] war
with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of
Admah, and Shemeber king of Zebolim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. * * *
And
there went out the King of Sodom, and the king of Gommorah, and the king of
Admah, and the king of Zebolim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and
they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; with Chedorlaomer the king
of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and
Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. (Gen. 14:1-2, 8-9)
However,
in their battles, these kings were often brought in contact with the Kingdom of
God. When they went to battle against Sodom and Gomorrah, it resulted in the
capture of Lot. Then Abraham came to his rescue and subdued the wicked kings in
order to save a member of God's Kingdom that held the Priesthood of God. We
don't know what Lot was doing in Sodom and Gomorrah, but apparently the Lord
wanted him out of there so He could destroy the rest of the people. One of the
obligations of men holding the Priesthood is to warn leaders, kings and
presidents of their doom if they do not repent. We find this so in the ministry
of Abraham.
We
don't know how many citizens were under the rule of Pharaoh at this time, but
we know that Abraham's little kingdom had over 318 qualified soldiers. Abraham
overthrew and killed the wicked King Chedorlaomer and his four other wicked
kings. The deed was a favor to the king of Sodom, who had been robbed by them.
Abraham also met another old friend—Melchizedek, the King of Salem, who greeted
him with bread and wine. All of these events involved a variety of kings—both
good and bad—with the victory going to the righteous!
And the
angel of the Lord said unto Abraham, The Lord said unto us, Because the cry of
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will
destroy them. And I will send you, and [37] ye shall go down now, and see that
their iniquities are rewarded unto them.. * * *
And if
ye do it not, it shall be upon your heads; for I will destroy them, and you
shall know that I will do it, for it shall be before your eyes. (I.V. Gen.
18:19-20, 22)
The
Lord requires men from His Kingdom to warn those of another kingdom when His
judgments are about to come upon them so they may have a chance to repent. If
they do not do it, the sin will be upon the Priesthood holders. Can you imagine
the embarrassment if cities of people came to you in the next world and asked
why you didn't come and warn them? The Lord instructed:
Behold,
I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who
hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse,
and their sins are upon their own heads.
. . .
to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the
hour of judgment which is to come. (D & C 88:81-82, 84)
Abraham
met many savages, kings and pharaohs, and became a missionary to them. They
either accepted his message or were destroyed by rejecting it. The noted
historian, Flavius Josephus, said that Abraham had—
. . .
conversation with the most learned among the Egyptians; from which conversation
his virtue and his reputation became more conspicuous than they had been
before. For whereas the Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs,
and despised one another's sacred and accustomed rites . . . Abraham conferred
with each of them, and, confuting the reasonings they made use of, every one
for their own practices, demonstrated that such reasonings were vain and void
of truth.
[38]Whereupon
he was admired by them in those conferences as a very wise man, and one of
great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject he undertook; and this not
only in understanding it, but in persuading other men also to assent to him. He
communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them the science of
astronomy; for before Abram came into Egypt they were unacquainted with those
parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans (by Abraham) into
Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also. (Josephus, 8:1-2)
The Abrahamic Covenant
It was
because of Abraham's faithfulness to God that He made covenant promises with
him—later known as the Abrahamic covenant. If Abraham would be faithful to God,
then He would promise to reward him with the following blessings:
1.Abraham's
name shall be great.
2.A
great nation should come from him.
3.Through
him, all nations and families of the earth should be blessed.
4.To
him and to his seed should be given Palestine as an inheritance forever.
5.His
seed should be as numerous as the sands of the seashore.
6.That
whoever blessed him should be blessed, and whoever cursed him should be cursed.
7.He
should be the father of many nations.
8.Kings
should proceed from him.
9.This
covenant should be perpetual and be "an everlasting covenant."
10.The
land of Canaan should be "an everlasting pos-session."
11.God
would be a God to him and his seed.
[39]12.His
seed should possess the gate of his enemies.
(See
Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:4-21; 17:4-16; 22:15-18.)
This
was a marvelous blessing to Abraham, but it also applied to all his children
who became righteous kings and were honored by God.
Abraham
proved his integrity to the Lord by overcoming numerous trials and tests. Being
inspired through dreams, visions and even the appearance of angels, he drew
closer and closer to his Lord. Finally the Lord Himself appeared to Abraham,
and he was so thrilled that he remarked:
Thy
servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee. Thou didst send thine
angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken
unto thy voice. . . . (Abraham 2:12-13)
Abraham continued to "speak to the
Lord," for he said:
Thus I,
Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another;
and he told me of the works which his hands had made, . . . (Abraham 3:11)
Abraham
saw the spirits of all men before they were born and that some were greater
than others. As he stood there in the midst of them, God said: "These I
will make my rulers; . . . and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them;
thou wast chosen before thou wast born." (Abraham 3:23) Thus, before they
were born, many great and noble spirits were chosen to be rulers. The term
ruler, according to the language of the Lord, is to be a king in His Kingdom,
differing from a ruler or king of the world.
[40]Abraham
learned that Egypt was discovered by a woman named Egyptus, a daughter of Ham.
Her oldest son became the first ruler and was called Pharaoh, a title which
subsequent rulers would claim. This first Pharaoh was one of the most interesting
rulers in history because he was both blessed and cursed. Abraham recorded:
Pharaoh,
being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and
justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the
fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign,
even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with
the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as
pertaining to the Priesthood.
Now,
Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of
Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through
Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry; . . . (Abraham
1:26-27)
Abraham
and Pharaoh, then, had duplicate orders of the Kingdom of God; Pharaoh had a
form of political government while Abraham's pertained more to the family
order. Both kings were very righteous but with one major difference: one had
the Priesthood and the other did not. Both orders were a duplicate of the
ancient orders, but only one was recognized by God as His kingdom on the earth.
There
are several very important factors in this record by Abraham:
1.The
first Egyptian Pharaoh was a very righteous man. He judged his people wisely
and justly all of his life. He was a model for all men, especially those in
government.
2.His
personal and political rules of order followed the example set by the early
patriarchs—back to Adam.
[41]3.Pharaoh's
government was organized according to the order of kings established by the
Lord from the beginning of time. In other words, that order was according to
the Kingdom of God.
4.He
was blessed with the good things of the earth and the blessings of being a very
wise man—but he was cursed by not having the Priesthood, because he was of the
lineage of Ham.
5.This
kingdom had every positive factor to qualify as being the Kingdom of God except
for the Priesthood. All the kingdoms of the world do not qualify for
recognition by God if they do not have His direction under the Priesthood.
We can
easily see the major differences between the kingdoms of men and the Kingdom of
God. We can also see the obvious differences in the men in those kingdoms.
Abraham proved worthy of the Kingdom of God by his lineage, his worthiness and
his devotion. He promoted the principles of the Kingdom of God, the King of
kings and thus became one of the kings in God's Kingdom.
Every
Priesthood holder would do well to hearken to the lessons learned by Abraham as
he attained his calling and election and received the promise of eternal life.
In this capacity, one can become a king and a priest to his Lord forever.
[42] Chapter 6
THE
SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM—AND ISAAC!
We talk
a great deal about sacrifices, when strictly there is no such thing; it is a
misnomer—it is a wrong view of the subject, for what we do in [and for] the
Kingdom of God is the best investment we can possibly make. (Daniel H. Wells,
JD 4:253)
The
story of Abraham and Isaac in chapter 22 of Genesis is one of the most
difficult to understand. God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac up on a
mountain and kill him! Could God also tell Abraham to worship the stone gods of
his father? Could he tell him to commit adultery with his neighbor's wife—or
lie, cheat, steal or murder?
God has
told us that it is a sin to break His commandments, and yet in this case He is
telling Abraham to break one of the most important ones. There is a blessing
for obedience to the commandments; can there be a blessing for disobeying them
also?
We have
been told that murder is an unforgivable sin. It is a crime so serious that a
murderer cannot enter the celestial kingdom. Now God is telling Abraham to
murder his son! What's going on here?
The
Prophet Joseph shed some light on this when he explained:
[43]That
which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under
another.
God
said, "Thou shalt not kill;" at another time He said, "Thou
shalt utterly destroy." This is the principle on which the government of
heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the
children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter
what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the
events transpire. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all good things will be
added. (TPJS, p. 256)
We
claim to be justified when we kill someone in self-defense. An officer of the
law is justified when he has to kill or execute a criminal. There is
justification for those called to fight in the armed services to kill the
enemy. But how can a man be justified for killing his own son?
Maybe
this story is true just as it is written. Maybe God can tell His children to
break His laws and commandments just to test them to see if they are willing to
obey. Maybe they have been so obedient in keeping His laws that the only way to
test them further is to see if they are willing to break them. But surely there
is some better explanation and interpretation of this story of Abraham and
Isaac. The answer may be found in a sermon by Heber C. Kimball:
But God
requires every man and woman to be faithful; and if they have sinned, they have
got to make an atonement for that sin, and your trials do not make that atonement.
God
says that we shall be tried in all things, even as was Abraham of old. He was
called upon to offer up his son, and was found willing to offer him up, but, as
the sin was not sufficient to require the shedding of his son's blood, a
lamb [ram] was provided, and its blood atoned for the sin that Abraham's
son was to be offered up for, and saved the son. (JD 4:120)
[44]Many
questions arise from the information in this paragraph. What sin was he talking
about? What atonement? What was the sacrifice for which his blood was to be
shed? Who had sinned? Was this a sacrifice for Abraham, or Isaac—or both? It
was Isaac who was on the sharp end of that knife. It appears that the
"sin" had not been committed by Abraham, but by Isaac who was to
receive a punishment.
If
Isaac had not sinned, why did he so willingly appear to go through with this
"offering"? In a normal situation a son would think his father had
gone mad and would take off running. Apparently Isaac had done something wrong
and both Abraham and Isaac realized it was serious enough that an atonement had
to be made. Thus, both were willing to carry out the sacrifice.
Let's
summarize, then, the reasons for believing that this view of the story is the
most accurate:
1.
Isaac was willing to be sacrificed.
2.Heber
C. Kimball said it was a sacrifice for
sin.
3.A ram
had to be sacrificed, indicating that a sin was involved.
4.If it
were only a test, there would be no need for some kind of blood atonement—such
as a ram.
5."The
powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of
righteousness." (D & C 121:36) Killing a son without justification is
certainly a sin!
If
Isaac were guilty of committing a sin, it was Abraham's responsibility as king
and patriarch, to carry out the execution. It was a test for him to see if
he would consistently enforce the administration of the law. Isaac himself
must have realized the necessity of such a punishment as he asked that the
ropes be tight so the sacrifice would not be defiled. He apparently wanted to
be absolved from this sin.
[45]We
do not know what kind of sin Isaac may have committed. However, in looking at
the Old Testament reasons for sacrificing certain animals and birds, the
sacrifice of a ram was to atone for some sin involving real estate or personal
possessions.
The sin
of Isaac could have been relatively insignificant, but yet sufficient in the
minds of both Abraham and Isaac to require the shedding of Isaac's blood. For
instance, in the account of the man who "gathered sticks upon the sabbath
day" (Num. 15:32), Moses asked the Lord what should be done, and the
response was, "The man shall be surely put to death." (Num. 15:35)
For
whatever reason Abraham felt he had to sacrifice his son, he passed the supreme
test. It was supreme for Isaac, too! Their hearts were torn in sorrow, but
their spirits rejoiced, as they knew they were obeying the will of the Lord.
The
offering of Abraham's choicest son as a sacrifice for sin was symbolic of God's
future offering of His choicest Son, Jesus, as a sacrificial offering for the
sins of the world. In both cases of obedience, the participants gained their
glory.
Even
though this account is very interesting and has some thought-provoking ideals,
what does it have to do with the Kingdom of God? The answer lies in a statement
by the Prophet Joseph Smith:
The
sacrifice required of Abraham in the offering up of Isaac, shows that if a man
would attain to the keys of the kingdom of an endless life, he must
sacrifice all things. (TPJS, p. 322)
And we
might add, "or at least be willing to do so."
[46]When
the Prophet Joseph and a group of early Saints went down to Missouri to save
their friends from the mobs, some of members of this Zion's Camp sacrificed
their lives in the venture. But Joseph said that—
. . .
God had not designed all this for nothing, but He had it in remembrance yet;
and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to
lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, . . .
(DHC 2:182)
(He
[God] could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to
the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow
in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered
their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.) (Ibid.,
ftnt.)
Zion's
Camp was made up of over 100 men who left their families and homes in Kirtland
to go to Missouri to help their brethren who were being mobbed, burned out and
killed. Over 175 houses had been burned in one night. It was war—and these men
volunteered to try to save their brethren even though it might require the
sacrifice of their own lives. (See DHC 2, chap. 5-8.)
Temple-going
Latter-day Saints have covenanted to obey the law of sacrifice, which is to sacrifice
all that we have, even our lives if necessary, to sustain and defend the
Kingdom of God. Thus, the law of sacrifice is just as important now as it
has ever been. One of the "Lectures on Faith" states:
Let us
here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all
things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life
and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto
the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the
sacrifice of all earthly things. (Lecture 6)
[47]Along
this same line, Dr. Hugh Nibley commented:
This
means that we will be called upon to make some sacrifices; indeed, to please
God we must be willing to sacrifice all the way, taking Abraham for our model,
for a proper eternal life is not to be cheaply bought (D & C 132). Eternity
is absolute. It must be all or nothing with us, and the law of sacrifice
requires us to give up this world at a moment's notice. Again,
"success" is not what we are after, . . . (Approaching Zion,
Nibley, p. 262)
But
what about those who are not willing to continually sacrifice for the Lord?
There are many of those—both in and out of the LDS Church. The Apostle George
A. Smith believed that they begin to go in a backward direction instead of
forward:
I
remember, when in Kirtland, having heard Jared Carter say that he had
sacrificed everything that ever would be required of him. He said, I have
sacrificed all my property once, but I will never do it again. Where is that
man? He is numbered in the long catalogue of apostates. If a man should
sacrifice all that he has, and then say "I will do no more," it is
equal to saying I will stop serving the Lord. (JD 9:72)
To
sacrifice or not to sacrifice—that is the question. We are taught that God
never makes it easy; but he has His reasons. We are told that the greater the
sacrifice, the greater the reward. Conversely, the greater the refusal to
sacrifice, the greater the condemnation. Brigham Young explained how this
applied in the sacrifice of Christ:
[48]Jesus
suffered himself to be crowned with thorns and crucified; but suppose he had
said, "I will not make this great sacrifice; I am the Almighty; I will
dash my enemies to pieces, and I will not die for the world," what would
have been the result? Jesus would have become a son of perdition; he would have
lost every power and right to the kingdom he was about to redeem—would have
become no better than the son of the morning who contended against him, and
would have contended against righteousness from that time,... (JD 8:118)
Some
people appear to have more to sacrifice than others, but according to Brigham
Young—since all we have is already the Lord's—we really have nothing of our own
to sacrifice:
Brother Silas Smith has just told you that he
had not been at home four days when he heard his name called for another
mission; and he says that he is ready and willing, of which I have no doubt;
for I never knew him when he was not willing to do anything that he was told to
do. We say that we are willing to do anything required to sustain us in our
religious rights —to sacrifice our all for our religion and the hope that is
before us. Brother Clapp has just taught us that we are not worthy of eternal
life unless we are willing to sacrifice all. Brother Clapp, what have you to
give? ("Everything I have.") But you have not got anything! * * *
Reflect well, and consider whether you really own anything. * * * If God
withdraws his sustaining hand, you sink. You have no wife, children, horses,
houses, nor land. * * *
Some
persons talk about sacrificing; but we have nothing to sacrifice. (JD
6:195-96)
In the
following two 1853 excerpts by Brigham Young, he beautifully explained the true
nature of sacrifices that men make for the Kingdom of God:
[49]Now,
you Elders who understand the principles of the Kingdom of God, what would you
not give, do, or sacrifice, to assist in building up His kingdom upon the
earth? Says one, "I would do anything in my power, anything that the Lord
would help me to do, to building up His kingdom." Says another, "I
would sacrifice all my property." Wonderful indeed! Do you not know that
the possession of your property is like a shadow, or the dew of the morning
before the noonday sun, that you cannot have any assurance of its control for a
single moment! It is the unseen hand of Providence that controls it. In short,
what would you not sacrifice? The Saints sacrifice everything; but, strictly
speaking, there is no sacrifice about it. If you give a penny for a million of
gold! a handful of earth for a planet! a temporary worn-out tenement for one
glorified, that will exist, abide, and continue to increase throughout a
never-ending eternity, what a sacrifice to be sure! (JD 1:114)
Suppose
we were called to leave what we have now, should we call it a sacrifice? Shame
on the man who would so call it; for it is the very means of adding to him
knowledge, understanding, power, and glory, and prepares him to receive crowns,
kingdoms, thrones, and principalities, and to be crowned in glory with the Gods
of eternity. (JD 2:7)
There
is a special feeling that results from the act of sacrificing. It definitely
improves the character of the individual if it comes from the heart. Paul the
Apostle said, "though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing." (I
Cor. 13:3) When there is no feeling, emotion or sentiment to such an
experience, it has lost its meaning and value. John Taylor explained the reason
for such sacrifice:
Nevertheless,
as I have said, it is necessary that we pass through certain ordeals, and that
we be tried. but why is it that we should be tried? There is just the [50] same
necessity for it now that there was in former times. I heard the Prophet Joseph
say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: "You will have all kinds
of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as
it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you,
and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you
cannot stand it, you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial
Kingdom of God. (JD 24:197)
To
conclude this chapter on the sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac, the final result
was that the Lord appeared to them and rewarded them for their willingness to
make such a supreme sacrifice. Undoubtedly, it was at this time that their
calling and election was made sure and they received the promise of thrones,
principalities, powers, and dominions in His Kingdom. Their sacrifice was
great, but their reward was greater!
Mortality
provides a catalog of tests and trials. Some are physical, i.e., cold, hunger
and pain, while others are emotional or spiritual, i.e., deception, sorrow, and
discouragement. Some tests and trials are because of Divine intervention, such
as those given to Job. It seems that those who bear the Priesthood are more
often given severe tests.
During
his life, Abraham proved he was willing to sacrifice those things most precious
to him: his life, his wife, and his son: (1) When his life was almost taken by
the Egyptians who attempted to kill him on their sacrificial altar, an angel
was sent to save his life in response to Abraham's call for help. (See picture
on following page.) (2) When he was about to lose his wife to the king of
Egypt, who wanted to take her for his wife, the king had a terrible dream
warning him not to take Sarah, so he returned her to Abraham. (3) When he was
commanded to sacrifice his son upon the altar, the Lord provided a ram in the
thicket that would suffice.
[51]
(picture)
In all
three of these tests and trials, Abraham trusted in the Lord, and in each of
them the Lord responded because of Abraham's great faith.
[52] Chapter 7
MOSES—A PRINCE IS BORN
And he
[a Hebrew slave] said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? (Ex. 2:14)
Some
men become kings by inheriting a throne; others have money to buy the office;
still others manage to kill off all competitors. Then there are those who are
born to become a king by divine right, chosen in the pre-mortal state to become
prophets, priests and kings on earth. Such was the case with Moses.
The
royal lineage for the Priesthood and Kingdom of God came down through great
prophets to Moses. The people at his time were unorganized, uninspired and
serving as slaves. The land of Egypt was ruled by a wicked Pharaoh. He was
probably not acquainted with the history of Joseph who once lived and ruled in
Egypt. After 400 years, the history of Joseph had been forgotten—even by the
children of Israel.
Although
the children of Israel were entitled to bear the rights of the Holy Priesthood
(the right to rule on the earth), they did not even remotely resemble Godly
priests and kings.
And the
Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour; And they made their
lives bitter with bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of
service in the field. (Ex. 1:13-14)
[53]But
this was not all. The king ordered the Egyptians: "Every son that is born
ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive."
(Ex. 1:22) Why did this Egyptian king want to kill the male children who could
grow up to be his slaves? It was evident he thought that one of them would cause
him to lose his throne and power. But God planned to intercede. He remembered
His covenant with Israel and provided a deliverer—Moses.
When
Moses was born, his mother was able to hide him for three months, but then she
had to think of some other way to save him. She made a little ark and placed
him on the Nile River, the river in which other Hebrew children were being
drowned. "The daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river;
and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark
among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it." (Ex. 2:5)
Coincidentally,
the very people that sought to kill him were the same that actually saved his
life. Not only did they save him, they placed him in a position to become the
king of Egypt! When Pharaoh sent his soldiers to kill the Israelite boy babies,
they killed all except the one they were after.
Then
the miracle continued. Without knowing the real identity of the baby, the
king's wife paid the mother of Moses to nurse her own baby! Pharaoh raised the
very child he feared and adopted him as a son! The whole story is almost
unbelievable, but it shows how the powers of God's kingdom are greater than the
powers of the devil's kingdom.
Of
Moses' young life, Exodus says only, "When Moses was grown, . . ."
and yet 40 years had passed by. Stephen, the Apostle of Christ, said that Moses
"was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his
words and in [54] deeds." (Acts 7:22) Moses received the best training
available and learned all about the kingdom of the Egyptians. After all, he was
a prince about to become a king.
Moses
first became a hero—not because of being a prophet but rather a military
general. When the Ethiopian armies came down from the headwaters of the Nile,
they found the Egyptians easy prey and took many of their cities. Pharaoh, not
knowing what to do, called upon his priests for divine guidance. It is not
known if they actually got some inspiration to pick Moses to lead the armies,
or if they thought to get rid of him by sending him to battle. Nevertheless,
with the priests' encouragement, Pharaoh allowed Moses to lead the troops. (See
The Third Thousand Years, Skousen, pp. 199-201) Moses proved himself to
be an excellent tactician in field maneuvers and routed the enemy from behind
and overtook many of their cities with "a great slaughter." Finally
at the capital of the Ethiopians it appeared to be the last major battle. But
the enemy stood firm inside of their island city with its high walls and the
river surrounding and protecting them. Not even Moses knew how to take the
city. Then an unusual thing happened. Tharbis, the daughter of the king of the
Ethiopians, happened to see Moses as he led the armies, and she fell in love
with him. In this Moses saw an opportunity to end the war and to save many
lives. The Ethiopians not only delivered up the bride but also their city.
Marriages between royalty were common; it was an international insurance policy
for the prevention of war between nations.
This
was the purpose of the marriage of Prince Moses to Princess Tharbis. God must
have approved of the marriage because later when Miriam and Aaron ridiculed
Moses "because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married" (Num.
12:1), Miriam was struck with leprosy and Aaron got a [55] severe reprimand
from the Lord. But this great war with the Ethiopians elevated Moses to a
national war hero.
Moses
came to see "his brethren," the Hebrew slaves, in Egypt, and observed
an Egyptian taskmaster "smiting" one of the Hebrews. Moses weighed the
matter, knowing that by challenging an Egyptian he could suffer serious
consequences. He also knew that these were God's chosen people and he ought to
defend them. When no other Egyptians were around, he smote him dead and buried
him in the sand. The next day two Israelites were fighting between themselves,
and when Moses tried to settle the issue, one of them said, "Who made thee
a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou didst the
Egyptian?" (Ex. 2:14) The news was out and "Moses feared, and said,
Surely this thing is known." Cleon Skousen explained the resulting
aftermath:
Among
slaves there are always informers who seek special favors from their masters by
passing along information of misconduct or insurrection among the ranks. Consequently,
it was not long before Pharaoh had heard this whole story. It is easy to
imagine the scandal it created in the court of Egypt's omnipotent ruler. Not
only had the adopted son of the Pharaoh's daughter turned renegade and gone
back to his people, but he had dared to kill an Egyptian officer. This could
almost be counted an act of treason. It even might have started an insurrection
and a strike for freedom by the Egyptian slaves. In the mind of Pharaoh this
act of Moses was unforgivable. He caught the full political implication of this
whole situation. The priests had been right. The Pharaoh's royal wrath reached
such heights that he forgot all about the mighty deeds of the past which Moses
had wrought for Egypt. The Pharaoh angrily ordered his soldiers to hunt Moses
down and kill him on sight.
[56]What
would the former crown prince do? Moses was far too well acquainted with the
cruel and cunning mind of the Egyptian ruler to take a chance on pleading for
mercy or justice. He quickly determined to flee from Egypt and abandon the land
of his birth forever. (The Third Thousand Years, Skousen, pp. 206-07)
Moses
knew he was to lead the children of Israel; and by killing the Egyptian, he
thought the Hebrews would understand that. "He supposed that his brethren
understood that God was giving them deliverance by his hand" (Acts. 7:25),
but they didn't understand. Nevertheless, Moses was determined to follow the
living God.
By
faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; . . . (Heb. 11:24-26)
Since
Moses was willing to give up his chance to be the king of Egypt, God promised
that his losses and sacrifice would be stepping stones for something even
better. His kingship in Egypt would be traded for kingship in the Kingdom of
God.
[57] Chapter 8
THE MIRACLES OF MOSES
And if
there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles
and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not;
if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of
miracles. (Mormon 9:19)
The
life of Moses is divided into three 40-year periods: the first was as a prince
in Egypt and the second as a peasant—semi-retired, raising sheep and tending
chickens and kids. The first two chapters of Exodus briefly describe these
first two periods. During the third era, things took a dramatic change.
While
tending his sheep at the base of the mountain, he saw a bush burning but not
being consumed. As he approached, he saw an angel and then heard the voice of
God telling him to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh to let the children of
Israel go free. He was to tell him that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had
sent him.
And I
will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do
in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. (Ex. 3:20)
When
the children of Israel first came to Egypt, they were about 40 in number, but
at the birth of Moses, they were nearly three million. Since these Israelite
slaves were very valuable to the king of Egypt, it would be difficult to
persuade [58] him to let them go. It would take a miracle—in fact, several
miracles!
A
miracle is a supernatural work brought about by divine power for a divine
purpose. It is a manifestation from God designed to convey a message easily
understood by all who witness it. Forces are operated upon in such a phenomenal
way that they defy the regular laws of nature. By transcending the ordinary and
performing the miraculous, God reminds us that He was the one who created the
universe, established the laws, and still possesses the kingly power to govern
it. So Moses set off to see Pharaoh and to show him a miracle or two. His first
miracle would be known as the miracle of the serpents.
And
Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had
commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants,
and it became a serpent.
Then
Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt,
they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every
man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
(Ex. 7:10-12)
Joseph
Smith explained these two types of miracles:
The
Egyptians were not able to discover the difference between the miracles of
Moses and those of the magicians until they came to be tested together; and if
Moses had not appeared in their midst, they would unquestionably have thought
that the miracles of the magicians were performed through the mighty power of
God, for they were great miracles that were performed by them—a supernatural
agency was developed, and great power manifested. (TPJS, p. 202)
[59]There
is an important difference between these two types of miracles—a prophet uses
divine power while a magician uses trickery. God will use a righteous power to
do His work, but the devil uses magic, trickery and imitation.
God
does not perform miracles merely for entertainment or as a display of power.
God's miracles through Moses were not specifically for Pharaoh but rather for
the benefit of the children of Israel. The Israelites had to be convinced who
their real God was. They had been worshipping the Egyptian gods and needed to
be converted. Miracles were the best means at that time. They were so powerful
that the Israelites could see that the power and miracles of Moses were greater
than those of Pharaoh and his priests.
However,
it is important to point out that for most conversions, miracles are not
necessary. The Prophet Joseph commented:
The
same is the case with us also in our administrations, while more frequently
there is no manifestation at all, that is visible to the surrounding multitude;
this will appear plain when we consult the writings of the Apostles, and notice
their proceedings in relation to this matter. Paul, in 1st Cor. 12, says,
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant;" it is evident from this, that some of them were ignorant in
relation to these matters, or they would not need instruction. (TPJS, p. 243)
Previously
we have talked about the principle of "theophany" which is a
physical, visible or audible manifestation conveying a message or testimony of
God and His power. Many of these could be called miracles. Because of the
importance of the work God was about to accomplish with the children of Israel,
miracles were necessary to convert them. Below are listed 20 miracles that God
performed for their benefit:
[60]1.Miracle
of the rod into a snake (Ex. 1:1-5)
2.Miracle
of the bloody Nile (Ex. 4:9; 7:14-24)
3.Miracle
of the frogs (Ex. 8:1-6)
4.Miracle
of the lice (Ex. 8:16-19)
5.Miracle
of the flies (Ex. 8:20-31)
6.Miracle
of death to the beasts (Ex. 9:1-7)
7.Miracle
of boils and blains (Ex. 9:8-11)
8.Miracle
of the hail storm (Ex. 9:13-25)
9.Miracle
of the locusts (Ex. 10:1-20)
10.Miracle
of darkness (Ex. 10:21-29)
11.Miracle
of death to the firstborn (Ex. 11:29-33)
12.Miracle
of the cloud and fire (Ex. 13:21-22)
13.Miracle
of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21-31)
14.Miracle
of healing water (Ex. 15:22-27)
15.Miracle
of the manna (Ex. 16:1-5)
16.Miracle
of the quails (Ex. 16:8, 11-13)
17.Miracle
of the smitten rock (Ex. 17:1-9)
18.Miracle
of Miriam's leprosy (Num. 12)
19.Miracle
of the budding rod (Num. 17)
20.Miracle
of the brazen serpent (Num. 21:4-9)
Miracles
are often necessary in the establishment and re-establishment of God's Kingdom;
however, they are not always obvious to mankind. The Prophet Joseph explained:
There
is a difference between the Kingdom of God and the fruits and blessings that
flow from the kingdom; because there were more miracles, gifts, visions,
healings, tongues, etc., in the days of Jesus Christ and His apostles, and on
the day of Pentecost, than under John's administration, it does not prove by
any means that John had not the Kingdom of God, any more than it would that a
woman had not a milkpan because she had not a pan of milk, for while the pan
might be compared to the kingdom, the milk might be compared to the blessings
of the kingdom. (TPJS, p. 273)
[61]Nevertheless,
there are many reasons why God uses miracles in His work in building the
Kingdom, such as:
1.Miracles
are outward signs of supernatural power. (Matt. 10:1)
2.They
strike wonder and deep thought upon the mind. (Matt. 8:27)
3.They
give evidence of authority from the miracle worker. (I John 2:18)
4.They
fulfill promises for the gifts of God. (I Cor. 12:4)
5.They
are created by faith and in turn create more faith. (Matt. 9:20)
6.They
always attend the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:17)
7.Their
cessation is a sign of apostasy, disbelief and rejection. (Mormon 9:19)
Many
times miracles are given to emphasize a message that has already been given.
This idea is supported by the Jewish Encyclopedia:
The Sinaitic
Theophany. The Sinaitic revelation is related in calm, simple language in
Ex. 19:16-25. The manifestation is accompanied by thunder and lightning; there
is a fiery flame, reaching to the sky; the loud notes of a trumpet are heard;
and the whole mountain smokes and quakes. Out of the midst of the flame and the
cloud a voice reveals the Ten Commandments. The account in Deut. 4:11, 12, 33,
36 and 5:4, 19, is practically the same; and in its guarded language it
strongly emphasizes the incorporeality of God. Moses in his blessing (Deut.
33:2) points to this revelation as to the source of the special election of
Israel, but with this difference: with him the point of departure for the
theophany is Mount Sinai and not heaven. (Jewish Enc. 12:137)
This is
also supported by the Christian scholar and author, Herbert Lockyer:
[62]If
Bible miracles had been mere wonders, any one would have been a fit witness of
their performance. But they were designed to manifest the supremacy of deity
and to attract the witnesses to the kingdom of God. (All the Miracles of the
Bible, Lockyer, p. 15)
God has
created so many miracles there must be good reasons for them—the main one being
to testify to the existence and power of God Himself. For example, God told
Moses to go to Pharaoh and say:
For I
[God] will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy
servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me
in all the earth. (Ex. 9:14)
Another
example is when Nicodemus came to Jesus and admitted, "Rabbi, we know that
thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him. (John 3:2)
The
Lord selected a hard-hearted man like Pharaoh through whom He could demonstrate
His miracles. If Pharaoh had allowed Moses to take the children of Israel
without any dispute, how would anyone have known that their freedom was a
result of the power of God? The harder Pharaoh's heart became, the more
miracles were performed; and the more miracles that happened, the more the
people were convinced that they were from God. The Lord also testified to this
when He told Moses, "Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders
may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." (Ex. 11:9) These miracles were
also a testament for future generations to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.
Regarding
the story of Pharaoh hardening his heart, there is a mistranslation in the King
James Bible. It reads: "I [the Lord] will harden his [Pharaoh's]
heart." (Ex. 4:21; see [63] also 7:3; 14:4, 17.) However, in the Inspired
Translation by Joseph Smith it reads: "Pharaoh will harden his
heart." Other passages of scripture vindicate Joseph Smith's correction,
i.e., the book of Samuel where it states: "Wherefore then do ye harden
your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts." (I Sam.
6:6) God does not harden our hearts—we manage to do that all by ourselves.
The
gospel of the Kingdom is an affront to many people, especially those who have
not lived a worthy life. The more wicked people are, the more resistance they
show toward the Kingdom of God. But the choice is nevertheless there for them,
as Brigham Young declared:
The
Almighty God never did set up His kingdom on the earth, from the days of Adam
to the present time, but it always came in contact with all the other societies
of the day, no matter who they are. (Des. News, Vol. 1, No. 4, July 6,
1850)
There
is great danger for those who refuse to accept the gospel of the Kingdom—especially
for those who have seen miracles, have heard prophecies and have had strong
testimonies given to them. According to the Prophet Joseph:
Abraham,
the prophet of the Lord, was laid upon the iron bedstead for slaughter; and the
book of Jasher, which has not been disproved as a bad author, says he was cast
into the fire of the Chaldees. Moses, the man of God, who killed an Egyptian
persecutor of the children of Israel, was driven from his country and kindred.
Elijah had to flee his country, for they sought his life—and he was fed by
ravens. Daniel was cast into a den of lions; Micah was fed on the bread of
affliction; and Jeremiah was cast into the filthy hole under the Temple; and
did these afflictions come upon these prophets of the Lord on account of
transgression? No! It was the iron hand of persecution[64]—like the chains of
Missouri! And mark—when these old prophets suffered, the vengeance of God,
in due time, followed and left the wicked opposers of the Lord's anointed
like Sodom and Gomorrah; like the Egyptians; like Jezebel, who was eaten by
dogs; and like all Israel, which were led away captive, till the Lord had spent
his fury upon them—even to this day. (TPJS, pp. 260-61)
Pharaoh
witnessed more than the miracles of God, before he decided to let Moses lead
the children of Israel out of Egypt. With the death of all the firstborn of
Egypt, Pharaoh finally realized that the God of Israel had more power over life
than the gods of Egypt. But this realization did not last long. When Pharaoh
saw all Israel departing into the wilderness, he sent the Egyptians after them,
"all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,
and overtook them encamping by the sea." (Ex. 14:9) It looked like the end
for Israel, but the Lord said, "The Egyptians shall know that I am the
Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon
his horsemen." (Ex. 14:18) The children of Israel went through the sea on
dry ground, but when the Egyptian army followed after them, "the waters
returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of
Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of
them." (Ex. 14:28) Then "Israel saw that great work which the Lord
did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord,
and his servant Moses." (v. 31) It is truly a remarkable battle when
everyone on one side is killed and all those on the other side survive. No
wonder that the scripture tells us that "The Lord is a man of war; the
Lord is his name." (Ex. 15:3) Of all the powerful miracles of God through
Moses, it is interesting to analyze the different purposes for them: (1) The
first was the hand of Moses that turned leprous, which was to [65] convince
Moses himself. (2) The second was the snake of Moses that ate the other snakes,
which was to convince Pharaoh. (3) The third was all the water and the river
turned to blood, as well as the many plagues, which were to convince both the
Egyptians and the Israelites. (4) The fourth was the destruction of Pharaoh's
army, which was to convince the rest of the world that God's Kingdom is superior
to all other kingdoms.
The
conflict between Moses and Pharaoh was a battle of kingdoms. This remarkable
story was passed down to the people of many nations. But it was more than a
spectacular tale for children's storybooks. Within that record there is a
significant message from God to all mankind. He wants His children to know that
He is their Father and that He cares for them, that he will protect them and
lovingly rule over them.
God
presides over a beautiful heavenly kingdom, and this world could be governed by
the same laws and powers if man would only accept them. However, man has
continually rejected the laws of that wonderful kingdom. Nevertheless, God's
scepter will eventually rule over all the other kingdoms in the world.
[66] Chapter 9
THE BATTLE OF THE SCEPTERS
A
sceptre: a staff, a walking stick, a rod with which one is beaten; when applied
to kings: with a rod of iron, indicates the severest, most rigorous rule; a
royal sceptre. (Strong's Greek Lexicon, p. 982)
The
term scepter is a "symbol of sovereignty" and/or "royal or
imperial authority." (Webster's New World Dictionary) With this in mind,
consider the following passages of scripture:
The sceptre shall
not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;
. . . (Gen. 49:10)
. . .
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of
Moab, . . . (Num. 24:17)
Thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
(Ps. 45:6)
In the
New Testament God is described as the only "lawgiver, who is able to save
and to destroy." (James 4:12)
There
are actually only two basic churches and two kingdoms, but within each are many
divisions of smaller churches and kingdoms. Those under the influence of the
devil exist mainly to oppose, infiltrate and try to overpower the church and
kingdom of God. Hence, it takes much study, prayer and diligence to discern the
difference between the two. Since the [67] church of God is religious and the
Kingdom of God is political, it requires an effort on both fronts to learn
about God's works. Heber C. Kimball beautifully explained this connection:
It is
very easy to understand that a man can see very little of a kingdom unless he
goes into it, and a man to see and understand the kingdom of God must first
become a member of the Church of Christ, and then he progresses until he has an
opportunity of looking into the kingdom, of becoming acquainted with its
officers and laws, and hence it is that Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God." When the kingdom of God is organized upon the earth,
it is done to protect the Church of Christ in its rights and privileges, so
that you see the Church makes a government to protect itself, but who knows
what that government is? All those to whom it has been revealed, and no others.
(JD 10:240-41)
"King"
Pharaoh and "King" Moses were at odds with each other for one major
reason. Pharaoh wanted to use his scepter of power to increase the benefits he
personally would receive; Moses wanted to use his to serve God. It was the old
eternal contest for power and control. Both God and the devil had their agents
on earth representing their respective kingdoms. Naturally neither one would
compromise, so it resulted in a battle of thrones, scepters and kings until
only one or the other survived.
Political
power attracts men like flies to garbage—not because they want to do good and
serve the people, but because they want to gain prosperity, recognition and
control. The devil himself desires to rule the nations and to have Jesus give
him the Kingdom. Joseph Smith warned: "In relation to the kingdom of God,
the devil always sets up his kingdom at the very same time in opposition to
God." (TPJS, p. 365)
[68]Many
men who are thirsty for political office are correspondingly tempted to do
wrong to get them. Briberies, pay-offs, lies and even murders have frequently
marked the pathway to political office. When man desires power, money, fame and
fortune from public office, he has missed the point that Jesus made: "But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matt. 23:11) Very
few want a political office so they can become a servant. The world more often
has been governed by kingcraft than by kings serving God.
The
Jews opposed Jesus, not necessarily because of his religion, but because they
feared His power in cleaning out corrupt politicians. The wicked rulers feared
Him because they would lose "their place and nation." (John 11:48)
They knew that housecleaning was in order and that they were the filth that
should be swept out.
Before
the Israelites stood Pharaoh, one of the greatest kings ever known, holding a
scepter of power and arrayed in the splendor of lavish robes. His palace was
filled with the best that craftsmen and artisans could provide, and His army
was the most powerful and well equipped in the world. His kingdom was truly the
envy of other nations.
Against
this backdrop of magnificence and grandeur stood a meek Moses. This humble man
was robed in the most common clothes and his "scepter" was a
shepherd's staff. He had no army or followers at the time, but he delivered a
declaration that would result in war: the god of Pharaoh against the god of
Moses. It was a war that would be on the minds and lips of generations for the
next 3000 years.
[69] Chapter 10
MISSION TO THE MOUNTAIN
And he
said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground. (Ex. 3:5)
Thus,
the children of Israel came to Mt. Sinai because God wanted to teach them a new
way of life. God had made a promise to their forefathers, and now He was going
to keep it. He said, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex. 20:2), because of
the "covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." (Ex. 2:24)
Orson Pratt tells the story of their arrival at the mountain:
When
the people of God were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Lord said unto
them, "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye
shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is
mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
"And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath
spoken we will do." (Ex. 19:5, 6, 8) Three days after the people made this
covenant, the Lord came down upon the mount in their sight, with thunderings,
and lightnings, and with a great sound of a trumpet, and with a cloud, and
fire, and thick smoke, while the whole mount trembled and shook to its very
centre, under His Almighty power. With a loud voice He uttered in the ears of
all Israel the "Ten Commandments." "And when the people saw it,
they removed and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us,
and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we [70] die." (Ex.
20:18, 19) (Masterful Discourses of Orson Pratt, p. 158)
This
story of Moses going up on the mountain is similar to that of other prophets
and inspired men. It seems the greatest manifestations from God have
occurred on a mountain, in the desert or in the wilderness. Seldom do we hear
of His manifestations occurring in lavish cathedrals, ornate churches or richly
decorated palaces.
It
appears that a mountain seems to be one of the favorite places for God to visit
mankind. There are many scriptures referring to the "mountain of the
Lord," or some spiritual event occurring on a mountain. A few of these
include: Gen. 12:9; Ex. 3:1,12; Deut. 5:23; Josh. 14:12; Judges 3:27; Ps. 11:1;
Isa. 2:3; Jer. 31:23; Ezek. 11:23; Dan. 2:45; Joel 2:1; Mic. 4:2; Matt. 8:1;
Rev. 21:10.
At Mt.
Sinai God wanted to speak to the Israelites themselves by the power of the Holy
Ghost so they could be prophets to their own families, but they didn't want
that. They wanted someone else to rule over them and they would trust in their
arm of flesh. This was a bad mistake, as the Prophet Joseph explained: When God
offers a blessing or knowledge to a man, and he refuses to receive it, he will
be damned. The Israelites prayed that God would speak to Moses and not to them;
in consequence of which he cursed them with a carnal law. (TPJS, p. 322)
In
other words, they were to receive the Holy Ghost so that the Lord could reveal
to them individually what gift, work or mission that would apply to each of
them. Certainly three million people could not go to Moses and find out what
the Lord wanted them to do. Moses could lead them collectively [71] but not
individually. They could become prophets themselves and yet not be in
competition to Moses. (There were many prophets in Jerusalem just before it was
destroyed in 70 A.D., and the people were not told to follow just one.)
Israel's
punishment for this bad mistake was to disqualify themselves to receive the
higher Priesthood. How could they ever expect to stand in the presence of God
without this Priesthood, and how could they get this Priesthood unless they
were worthy? They could not qualify if they did not want its blessings and
ordinances. The Prophet Joseph continued:
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."
(Heb. 11:10) Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of
God, through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not. (TPJS, p. 159)
If they
would have accepted the laws and ordinances of the higher Priesthood, their
lives would have been a great deal different. Brigham Young commented on this:
If they
had been sanctified and holy, the children of Israel would not have traveled
one year with Moses before they would have received their endowments and the
Melchizedek Priesthood. But they could not receive them, and never did.
Moses left them, and they did not receive the fulness of that Priesthood. After
they came to the land of Canaan, they never would have desired a king, had they
been holy. The Lord told Moses that he would show himself to the people; but
they begged Moses to plead with the Lord not to do so. Moses was angry at the
sins of the people and did wrong, insomuch that when the Lord showed himself to
him, he hid him in a cleft in a rock, and only let him see his hinder parts.
(JD 6:100-101)
[72]The
Israelites could have been the greatest nation in the world within one year
after they reached Mt. Sinai. They would have had so much power with God that
no other nation would have dared make war with them. The men could have been
worthy to stand in the presence of God. But alas! They traveled 40 years and
still failed to receive the promises and blessings that God offered to them.
In
favorable conditions, what son does not want to be with his father; or what
father does not enjoy time with his son? So also God wants to visit with His
children.
Another
example of this father/son relationship is when Jesus came of age and was about
to begin His ministry. According to the King James translators, "Then was
Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil." (Matt. 4:1) However, the Prophet Joseph changed that verse to
read, "Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be
with God." He added in the next verse that Jesus "communed with
God." (v. 2) Jesus had no intention of going into the wilderness just to
have a little visit with the devil. Satan makes his own appointments, and
usually without prior notice.
Like
Jesus, when Moses went into the wilderness to be with God, Satan also came for
a visit as an uninvited guest. (See Moses 1:12-22.) Thus, both Jesus and Moses
spoke to God and the devil. They experienced visitations from the
representatives of both kingdoms and received invitations to join both
kingdoms.
God
wants to visit us, but our problem is that we never seem to want to visit with
Him. In every dispensation, God has extended His invitation to the elect of
Israel to visit with Him. Our own dispensation is no different.
[73]The
Prophet Joseph said that "all the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood
and were ordained by God himself." (TPJS, p. 181) Hence, every man with
that Priesthood can stand in the presence of God. In Moses' time, there were a
few other men besides him who held the high Priesthood and were favored to
stand in the presence of God:
Then
went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of
Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were
a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his
clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand:
also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (Ex 24:9-11)
How
interesting that out of three million children of Israel, there were fewer than
100 who "saw the God of Israel." How does this compare with the
Mormons of today? Out of nearly 11 million members, how many have seen
"the God of Israel?"
It is a
privilege, and in some instances a duty, for Melchizedek Priesthood holders to
"see the God of Israel." God revealed this to Joseph Smith:
And
this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the
mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
Therefore,
in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the
ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness
is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face
of God, even the Father, and live.
Now this
Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought
diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
[74]But
they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore,
the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they
should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the
fulness of his glory.
Therefore,
he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; And the lesser
priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of
angels and the preparatory gospel; . . . (D & C 84:19-26)
Would
God want to be so distant that none of His children would ever get to see Him?
Why is a vision from God the Father so impossible for the modern Christians to
believe? This was something that Jesus sought for—and prayed for.
Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me.
And the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we
are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in
one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them,
as thou hast loved me.
Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they
may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before
the foundation of the world. (John 17:20-24)
Since
the children of Israel were not comfortable with the laws, ordinances and
blessings of the higher priesthood, they were given the lesser priesthood. All
the prophets were disappointed in the weaknesses of this chosen lineage. Dr.
Nibley commented on the lesser laws that they were apparently satisfied with:
[75]. .
. it is the rites and ordinances that God gave to Moses and that the people
were faithfully observing that Isaiah describes as an exercise in desperate
futility. (Old Testament and Related Studies, Nibley, p. 218)
What
futility is he referring to? Simply that the children of Israel, as well as the
people of today, refuse to qualify themselves to talk to God face to face, or
to live the laws of the higher priesthood. If they do not live these laws, they
cannot receive the blessings of that priesthood. Living lesser laws and hoping
to receive higher blessings is "desperate futility."
The
Lord was provoked to anger with the children of Israel and expressed it very
clearly:
And he
said unto Moses, thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger be
kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee, and thy people; for there shall
no man among them see me at this time, and live, for they are exceeding sinful.
And no sinful man hath at any time, neither shall there be any sinful man at
any time, that shall see my face and live. (Ex. 33:20, I.V.)
God
wants to give these great blessings to mankind, but they fail to obey the
necessary laws, ordinances and covenants that could warrant them. There have
been only a few who have realized this blessing. During the space of a thousand
years in the Book of Mormon such an event happened only once, when the Nephites
and Lamanites finally decided to stop warring and obey some of the higher laws
of the Gospel:
And
they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of
Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from
their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting
together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord. (4 Nephi 12)
[76]When
the wicked were destroyed, the most righteous were spared. Then the Lord made
his appearance and prayed with them. The story is recorded in the Book of Mormon.
And it
came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within
himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the
people of the house of Israel.
And
when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold
he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written,
and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
And
after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath
the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus
speak unto the Father.
And no
tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the
hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard
Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the
time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
And it
came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he
arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome. (3
Nephi 17:14-18)
These
are the fruits of the Kingdom of God, whether here on earth or in heaven. Can
anything else be more desirous? This is the object of seeking for the Kingdom.
The
same promises made to the children of Israel, to the early Christians and to
the Nephites, have also been given to the Latter-day Saints for the Lord has
declared:
Verily,
thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his
sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, [77] and
keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am. (D & C 93:1)
And seek the face of the Lord always, that in
patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." (D
& C 101:38)
We do
not create or arrange for that kind of meeting. The Lord makes all the
invitations and appointments, as He has said:
Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds
become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he
will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own
way, and according to his own will. (D & C 88:68)
The
Lord may appear to a man atop a mountain, on a battlefield, in his home or on
his deathbed. It is an experience only a few ever seek for or ever realize. But
to see the Lord and to hear Him say, "you have a part and place in my
Kingdom," is our greatest reward in the Kingdom of Heaven and should be
our primary goal.
[78] Chapter 11
TABERNACLES, TEMPLES AND COVENANTS
Here is
the kingdom of God, and the Saints should understand that, if they abide in
this kingdom, they will realize every promise made to them in its ordinances
and covenants. (Brigham Young, JD 11:251)
Tabernacles,
temples and dedicated buildings have often been built by righteous men as
special locations to worship God. In turn, they were intended to be places
where God could commune with His people. Such edifices have been constructed
under the command of God ever since the days of the children of Israel. In some
instances the structure was a lowly, humble tent; on the other hand, King
Solomon's temple became one of the most beautiful, costly and divinely inspired
buildings the world had ever seen.
But
what has all this to do with the Kingdom of God? Within these sacred designated
structures, God can visit His elect children and they can be ordained kings and
priests, queens and priestesses, to Him. It is not the price tag that is
significant in such buildings; rather it is the fact that God directed their
construction and instituted the ordinances and covenants that were to be
performed therein to make men and women kings and queens in His Kingdom.
Brigham Young explained:
Joseph
not only received revelation and commandment to build a Temple, but he received
a pattern [79] also, as did Moses for the Tabernacle, and Solomon for his
Temple; for without a pattern, he could not know what was wanting, having never
seen one, and not having experienced its use. (JD 2:31)
Man
innately desires to commune with God, and God wants to commune with man, but
there are certain barriers that first must be overcome. Before approaching any
earthly king, several things must be done to qualify a person for such a visit.
It is no different in order to have a visit with God. This is the purpose for
tabernacles, temples and the covenants that accompany them.
The Tabernacle
As a
temporary temple, the tabernacle was often a tent that contained most of the
important items of a temple. Moses indicated that it was a "place of
revelation" just as the temple was. (See Ex. 29:42 and Num. 17:4.) Other
terms such as "tent of testimony," "tent of the
congregation" and "tent of meeting" indicate what transpired in
the tabernacles.
The
pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses was revealed to Moses on the mountain. In it
was kept the ark of the covenant, the altar of burnt offerings, the laver
[brass basin], the table of shewbread, the golden lampstand and the altar of
incense. More important was the Holy of Holies, or "the most holy
place." The tabernacle followed Moses for 38 of the 40 years in the
wilderness; and when Solomon built his temple, all of the contents of the
Tabernacle were transferred into the temple.
God
made appearances in both the tabernacle and the temple, but when the people
were wicked, He was absent, which proves that cathedrals, tabernacles and
temples may be dedicated to God but He may still refuse to recognize them.
[80]Moses
wanted to build a temple for the Israelites, but they were not prepared for the
higher ordinances of the Gospel. A portable tabernacle was a substitute for the
few who could qualify for the necessary covenants and ordinances of the higher
Priesthood. John Taylor clarified:
You
cannot teach a child algebra, nor arithmetic until it has gone through a
certain system of training. You cannot teach the arts and sciences without
necessary preparation for their introduction, nor can you teach people in
the government of God without they are placed in communication with him,
and hence comes the Church of God, and what is meant by that? A school, if you
please, wherein men are taught certain principles, wherein we can receive a
certain spirit through obedience to certain ordinances. (JD 21:65)
There
were many peculiarities pertaining to the tabernacle. For instance, when
"the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, . . . the children of Israel abode
in their tents, . . . but when it was taken up, they journeyed." (Num.
9:22) There was "fire on it by night, in the sight of all the house of
Israel." (Ex. 40:38) At times whenever the children of Israel were
disobedient, they were warned not to "come nigh the tabernacle of the
congregation, lest they bear sin, and die." (Num. 18:22)
There
were certain ordinances in the tabernacle that were symbolic of things to come.
For instance, the Lord said, "Aaron and his sons shall put their hands
upon the head of the bullock" (Ex. 29:10); then they were to kill the ram
and pour its blood on the altar. This was to be representative of the sacrifice
of their Messiah which was "to make an atonement for your souls."
(Ex. 30:16)
God was
willing to manifest Himself in the tabernacle, but the children of Israel had
difficulty meeting Him there. At [81] one time Moses and Aaron went to
"the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their
faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them." (Num. 20:6) This was
one of the many appearances. Once "the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of
the congregation before all the children of Israel" (Num. 14:10), and
another time "the Lord talked with Moses in the tabernacle." (Ex.
33:9) However, on another occasion, not even Moses was allowed to enter the
tent of the congregation because "the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle." (Ex. 40:35)
The Temple
The
children of Israel never proved worthy of a temple during the time of Moses;
therefore, they were deprived of the higher Priesthood and its attending temple
ordinances. This condition existed "until Solomon had built the house of
the Lord in Jerusalem." (I Chron. 6:32) David at first was told to prepare
to build a temple, but God could not let him do it because he was a "man
of blood."
Then
David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my
people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of
the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready
for the building: But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my
name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. (I Chron.
28:2-3)
The
temple of Solomon was not just a "show and tell" structure for
visitors to admire. It was established to perform essential ordinances that
were a part of the plan of salvation and a requirement for exaltation.
The
importance of a temple is beyond the calculations of man, or they would seek to
build more of them and receive [82] these higher covenants and ordinances. The
Prophet Joseph said, "We calculate to give the Elders of Israel their
washings and anointings, and attend to those last and more impressive
ordinances, without which we cannot obtain celestial thrones."
(TPJS, p. 362) He then continued to explain further what those blessings are:
There
was a proclamation made during the time that the foundation of the Temple was
laid to that effect, and there are provisions made until the work is completed,
so that men may receive their endowments and be made kings and priests unto the
Most High God, having nothing to do with temporal things, but their whole time
will be taken up with things pertaining to the house of God. (TPJS, pp. 362-63)
The
people of the Jewish nation have no idea of the tremendous loss they suffered
by their failure to live for the higher blessings of their great temple. They
lost their city [Jerusalem], their nation [Israel], the Priesthood and their
sacred temple. The Prophet Joseph described what might have been:
The
architectural designs of the Temple at Jerusalem, together with its ornaments
and beauty, were given of God. Wisdom to govern the house of Israel was given
to Solomon and the Judges of Israel; and if he had always been their king, and
they subject to his mandate, and obedient to his laws, they would still have
been a great and mighty people—the rulers of the universe, and the wonder of
the world. (TPJS, p. 251)
The
wicked do not have a place in a sacred temple of God. They are not just those
who commit crimes or immoral acts, but are those who have changed, deleted or
substituted true ordinances and covenants, thereby leading good people to be
deceived by thinking they were participating in divinely [83] approved
ordinances. What a terrible deception to fall upon good people! It would be
better if they didn't have a temple at all than to make ineffective covenants
and think they were then qualified for God's Kingdom. Brigham Young explained:
. . . I
want to maintain it [the temple] for the use of the Priesthood: if this cannot
be, I would rather not see it built, but go into the mountains and administer
there in the ordinances of the holy Priesthood, which is our right and
privilege. I would rather do this than to build a Temple for the wicked to
trample under their feet. (JD 8:203)
They
[the devil and his hosts] want us to yield all these points, transgress the
laws God has revealed for the salvation of the world, and change all the
ordinances of God's house, and conform to the dogmas of modern Christianity and
to the corruptions of the age.
The Covenants
The Old
Testament mentions the word "covenant" 289 times, indicating that it
is an important part of man's relationship with each other and with God.
Biblical scholars indicate that a covenant is an alliance, mutual obligation or
arrangement. It is simply a contract with an agreement between two or more
parties. One example is the "Abrahamic covenant" which was renewed
with Isaac and then with Jacob.
Baptism
in water by authority of the Aaronic Priesthood is part of a covenant, while
baptism of the Spirit by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood is still
another. This greater Priesthood is a part of the Abrahamic covenant which
leads to salvation and exaltation. (See Abra. 2:9-11 and D & C 86:8-11.)
Obedience to this higher Priesthood covenant opens the way to admission into
the Kingdom of God.
[84]Sometimes
the term "new and everlasting covenant" is used in connection with
this Abrahamic covenant:
For
behold, I reveal unto you a new and an ever-lasting covenant; and if ye abide
not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and
be permitted to enter into my glory. For all who will have a blessing at my
hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the
conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.
And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for
the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall
abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God. (D & C 132:4-6)
The
Sinai covenant was based on the Aaronic Priesthood, which contained the lesser
ordinances without the "oath," but without that oath, there could be
no fulness of the blessings. When men learn to keep "the oath and covenant
which belongeth to the priesthood" (D & C 84:39), they are then
rewarded with the fulness of Father's kingdom.
For
whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have
spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the
renewing of their bodies. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the
seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. (D & C
84:33-34)
The
Jews told Jesus, "We be Abraham's seed," which they were, but this
did not mean they would receive all the blessings of the Gospel. Jesus replied,
"If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. . . . Ye
do the deeds of your father. . . . Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do." (See John 9:31-47.) God grants the
rights and blessings of the covenant only when our part of [85] the covenant is
obeyed. The Lord compares His covenants to the relationship between a man and
wife. Breaking those covenants is the same as a wife who commits adultery or
whoredom against her husband. (See Jer. 3:8-9; Hos. 1:2; 3:1.)
Ordinances
are covenants which are a vital part of the Gospel. As each ordinance is
performed for worthy individuals, a contract takes effect. These covenants
connected with ordinances are just as valid as any legal document among men,
and they are more important, more beneficial, longer lasting than any contract
among men. The Lord has said:
All covenants,
contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections,
associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by
the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and
for all eternity . . . are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the
resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end
have an end when men are dead. (D & C 132:7)
When
Jesus gave Peter "the keys of the kingdom," it was the power and authority
of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood; so whatsoever he would "bind on earth
should be bound in heaven." (Matt. 16:19; 18:18) The Priesthood keys of
the Kingdom contain the only power that binds in heaven. All baptisms for the
remission of sins and all ordinances to obtain the Holy Ghost are worthless
without the Holy Priesthood. The Prophet Joseph said, "You might as well
baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins
and getting of the Holy Ghost." (TPJS, p. 314)
The
Kingdom of God has its own powers and authority; all others are man-made and
comprise a fraudulent kingdom and a false power.
[86]The
story of the children of ancient Israel is an example for us—not for what they
did, but for what they failed to do. In fact, almost every dispensation has
failed, either by embracing individual wickedness or a wicked government. We
look back on civilizations and can see how they became apostates by becoming
traitors and breaking their covenants, but we fail to see that many of us are
just as guilty.
There
may be many roads leading to Rome, but not into the Kingdom of God. The Prophet
Joseph repeatedly declared:
The
power, glory and blessings of the Priesthood could not continue with those who
received ordination, only as their righteousness continued; for Cain also being
authorized to offer sacrifice, but not offering it in righteousness, was
cursed. It signifies, then, that the ordinances must be kept in the very way
God has appointed; otherwise their Priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a
blessing. (TPJS, p. 169)
All men
who become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ will have to receive
the fulness of the ordinances of his kingdom; . . . (TPJS, p. 309)
If a
man gets a fullness of the priesthood of God, he has to get it in the same way
that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and
obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord. (TPJS, p. 308)
It is
useless for us to study the history of the Israelites if we do not learn from their
experiences and avoid their pitfalls. We are just as prone to follow a bad
example as a good one—which is the message of history. We might think how
foolish the children of Israel were for rejecting the higher laws of the
kingdom, but we have done the same thing ourselves and think that all is well.
We have "transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant" (Isa. 24:5), [87] and have not even noticed what we
have done. Joseph Fielding Smith commented on this:
We
Latter-day Saints have received the restored gospel and have made covenant with
the Lord that we will serve Him and accept Him as the God of this land.
Nevertheless, I want to call your attention to the fact that the ways of the
world have crept in among us and are becoming established in the midst of the
people of Zion. Right here in this city [Salt Lake City], which at one time was
indeed a city of the saints, but is that no longer, can be found all manner of
abomination and iniquity. The ideas, theories, the fashions and ungodliness of
the world, their sins and evil practices are to be found within the borders of
our cities. (Doc. of Sal. 3:292)
There
are both blessings and cursings involved in temple work. If the ordinances are
carried out with exactness, then the blessings will be fulfilled exactly as
promised. If, on the other hand, we make any deviations, the end result will
not be the same. For instance, if you aim a rifle at an object 200 yards away
but move the end of the barrel only a fraction of an inch, you will miss the
target by several feet. If you move a laser beam a few inches off the target of
the moon, you will miss the moon by hundreds of miles. Thus, if you change
temple ordinances very slightly, you will miss the blessings completely.
If you
exchange your horse for a cow, you might get milk, but your riding days are
over. By changing ordinances, God's promises of gaining the Celestial Kingdom
are no longer effective. One may ask, how many changes in the laws, ordinances
and covenants can be made before they are no longer recognized by God?
W. John
de Campenhout, a Christian theological scholar, recently made an extensive
study of LDS temple work. He was [88] fascinated by it because he saw such
close similarities to the ancient temple ordinances, including baptism for the
dead. However, he was alarmed to learn that Mormons had also changed the
ordinances.
It
became clear that many revisions had been made to it [the temple ceremony] over
the years. . . . As a consequence of these changes, most of which consist of
deletions, the contemporary ritual bears only a skeletal resemblance to that
given at Nauvoo. These changes are so drastic that one could conclude that the
very purpose of the endowment has been defeated and invalidated. ("The
Mormon Temple Endowment," p. 23)
How
could someone outside of the LDS Church recognize this fact, and yet so many
millions of Mormons have not?
Changing
religious rites and ceremonies has been a common occurrence in both ancient and
modern temple ordinances. Benjamin F. Johnson, a Nauvoo Mason and Mormon,
observed:
Freemasonry
as at present, was the apostate endowment, as sectarian religion was the
apostate religion. (quoted in "Similarity of Priesthood and Masonry,"
M. W. Homer, Dialogue 27, No. 3, p. 28)
It is
difficult to visualize the regret a person will experience when he discovers
that a terrible mistake has resulted from seemingly small changes and errors.
Suppose a man buys an expensive ticket for a very special ball game, but when
he arrives, he learns his ticket is a counterfeit. His time, efforts, money and
hopes are completely worthless.
[89]Think
of the torment of mind that both King David and King Solomon suffered when they
realized they had lost their temple, priesthood and theocratic kingdom! Solomon
had allowed his many foreign wives to enter the temple and with them came their
pagan ideas. It was not long until the temple had been corrupted and promises
of the Kingdom were lost. So also, if we in the latter days change the
ordinances and covenants, won't that change our inheritance in the Kingdom?
There
is not much difference between changing ordinances so they don't have to be
lived and maintaining them but refusing to live them.
At the
time of Moses there were only a few souls who received the blessings of the
higher Priesthood. Also, at the time of Christ there were very few who accepted
them. The same condition exists in our own dispensation. However, we have a
promise that the Priesthood will not be entirely taken from the earth. God will
come out of His hiding place to set His house in order.
But now
hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator
of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that
first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for
the second.
For
finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because
they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
For
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in
their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be [90] to me a
people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to
the greatest. (Heb. 9:6-11)
[91] Chapter 12
MARRIAGE AND MORALS IN
THE KINGDOM
When
the Gospel of the Son of God is introduced among the children of men, it comes
with light and intelligence, with pure and holy principles. It embraces all
morality, all virtue, all light, all intelligence, all greatness, and all
goodness. (Brigham Young, JD 11:235)
Spiritual
laws, like mathematical, scientific and chemical laws, do not change with time,
conditions or the whims of men. There are subsequent blessings for obedience
and punishments for disobedience.
The
Apostle Paul said that "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ." (Gal. 3:24) Jesus also made it very clear when He said man shall
live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matt.
4:4) That schoolmaster still continues.
Moral
laws are just as eternal, everlasting and unchange-able as any other laws of
God. Moses, considered to be a great lawgiver, delivered to the Israelites a
myriad of laws and commandments covering every conceivable phase of morality;
for example:
Marriage
to CanaanitesDeut. 7:3
Mothers
to sonsLev. 18:7
Men to
daughtersLev. 18:7
[92]Men
to auntsEx. 6:20, Num. 26:59
Sisters
and brothersLev. 20:17-21
Priests
to harlotsLev. 21:7
Priests
to divorced womenLev. 21:7
Captured
women as wivesNum. 31:17-18
Woman
to two husbandsDeut. 22:22
Priests
to widowsLev. 21:13
To a
raped girlDeut. 22:29
Marriage
within tribesEx. 34:11-16
Military
marriage exemptionsDeut. 20:7; 24:5
DowriesEx.
22:16
FirstbornEx.
13:15
Widows
in a familyLev. 22:13
Proof
of virginityDeut. 22:13-21
Carnal
slave girlsLev. 19:20
Privy
member cut offDeut. 23:1
Betrothal
promisesDeut. 20:7
Brothers-in-lawDeut.
25:7-10
Family
propertyDeut. 21:17
Widows
welfareDeut. 10:18
AdulteryLev.
20:10
CircumcisionEx.
12:48-49
Men's
wounded stonesDeut. 23:1
Lying
with beastsLev. 18:23
Lying
about virginityDeut. 22:20-21
MidwivesEx.
1:16
WhoredomLev.
20:4-5
NakednessLev.
20:17
RapeDeut.
22:25
FornicationDeut.
22:23-24
etc.,
etc., etc.
Some of
the chief concerns of today's Christians involve marriage laws. Most of our
laws today are based on Roman law rather than Mosaic. Because of
misunderstandings, many of [93] the laws God gave to Moses are considered
archaic; but Jesus explained, "Think not that I am come to destroy the
law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
(Matt. 5:17) Yet, the Christians today think He did away with many of the laws
of Moses, and they choose to disregard the dead prophets.
One of
the marriage laws of Abraham and Moses has caused Americans and even Mormons
considerable confusion and controversy. This was the issue of having more than
one wife. With all of these laws of morality and marriage, certainly God and
Moses must have said something on the matter of plural marriage. Moses gave us
over 35 laws pertaining to sex and marriage, plus some that supported the
doctrine of plural marriage, such as:
1.If he
takes another wife, she must have the same amount of food, raiment, and duties
the same as the first wife. (Ex. 21:10)
2.The
rights of both wives and sons must be the same. (Deut. 21:16)
3.If a
man has two wives, one liked and the other not so well liked, he must
acknowledge the inheritances of the firstborn son even if it is the second
wife's son. (Deut. 21:17)
4.If a
man takes a plural wife as a captive and later finds she is not compatible, he
cannot sell her, and she is free to leave. (Deut. 21:14)
5.If a
man lay with a virgin woman, he shall not put her away all the days of his
life. This applied to single, married or plural married men. (Deut. 22:29; Ex.
22:16) See Jacob with Leah, Gen. 29:23-25.)
6.If a
man should die, his brother should take her as a wife, even if he is married.
(Deut. 25:5-10)
7.If a
man takes captive a beautiful woman, he can bring [94] her "home to thine
house" and she can become his wife, even if he has a wife. (Deut.
21:10-13)
8.When
men go to war, "all the women and children" they capture they may
"keep alive for yourselves." (Num. 31:17-18) Nearly every soldier was
a married man. (See also Deut. 20:10)
9.If a
woman had intercourse with different men, she was considered an adulteress and
the child born was a bastard (Deut. 23:2), but nowhere was a child born of a
woman in plural marriage considered the same.
10.Marriage
between national leaders was a bond connecting their political peace agreements
and their kings. (Num. 12:1)
If God
did not want His people to live plural marriage, He made a pitiful attempt to
stop it. If He objected to plural marriage, He never would have instituted such
laws as these to encourage it.
People
have a tendency to "follow the crowd;" whatever is socially popular
will draw people to it, for who wants to be different and unpopular? There are
some, however, who know what is right and will oppose incorrect customs even
though they are popular. Brigham Young commented on this:
Oh!
what a great sorrow it is to be a Saint. How mournful the thought, when we
contemplate the contrast between the Saint and the sinner? We have ease for
pain, comfortable health for sickness, joy for mourning and light for darkness.
"This is all very good," says one, "but your religion is so
unpopular in the world." There is not another religion so popular as this
in the courts of heaven. Without the garb of a Saint you cannot be admitted to
the presence of the Father, and to Jesus, the Mediator between God and man. No
religion is popular there but the religion of the Bible. Episcopalianism,
Methodism, Quakerism, [95] Catholicism, Presbyterianism, and all their
collateral branches are unpopular in the celestial kingdom of God, while the
religion of Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the patriarchs and
prophets, Jesus and His Apostles, is the only acknowledged and popular system
of religion with the sanctified ones in the presence of the Father and the Son.
"But," says a Presbyterian, "Abraham was a polygamist." He
was. "And you say that his religion is popular in heaven." It is the
only religion acknowledged there. I have not time now to dwell upon all the
points of Abraham's faith, but he did believe in a plurality of wives, and was
a practical polygamist. And Paul says, "and if ye be Christ's then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Did Abraham believe
in Presbyterianism? Not much. Did he believe in Quakerism? Not much. Each of
the different sects of religion has some truth, and so far as they have the
truth, so far did Abraham believe. But is the religion of any one of the sects,
as a whole, the religion of heaven? It is not. We all desire to join the
popular party. Light, truth, and intelligence are the side that is popular with
the heavens, and the side that will rule, govern and control the nations. If we
join that society, we then all become popular with the popular party. (JD
9:319-20)
Jesus
made an interesting, but controversial, statement about those who were in the
Kingdom. Said He:
And I
say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the
children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 8:11-12)
How can
many come and be worthy to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and yet "the
children of the kingdom be cast out?" Shouldn't it be the other way
around? What did the others do that the children of the kingdom failed to do?
Maybe the answer can be found in more recent scriptures:
[96]Go
ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye
shall be saved. But if he enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise
of my Father, which he made unto Abraham. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave
Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law;
and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other
things, the promises. (D & C 132:32-34)
Thus,
if we obey the law, we receive the promises; if we disobey the law, we cannot
receive the promises made to Abraham—and we shall be "cast out."
These
were the laws of God. Marriage laws in the days of Abraham were the same as in
the days of Moses. They were also the same in the days of Jesus Christ, and
they should be the same in the days of Bill Clinton, whether or not he agrees.
(But he wouldn't agree because his lifestyle would have condemned him to be
stoned to death.)
These
laws of morality remain unchangeable and eternal, even though marriage laws of
man often change. Marriage laws may vary in Germany, England, Arabia, USA, etc.
And even within the same country they may vary, i.e., a marriage law in the
United States may be legal in 1846 but change in 1862. However, God's laws
remain constant even though the laws of man are fickle and continually
changing.
The
laws of God's Kingdom are the same today as they were 2000 years ago or even
6000 years ago. They were the same throughout the universe billions of years
ago, and they will be the same for billions of years to come. The Kingdom of
God and its laws, ordinances and covenants are constant because God is
unchangeable. If He were not, He would cease to be God.
[97] Chapter 13
COMMANDMENTS OF THE
KINGDOM
If
Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the children of Israel, and all God's people were
saved by keeping the commandments of God, we, if saved at all, shall be saved
upon the same principle. (Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 253)
God has
made many attempts to prepare His children to enter into His presence, both in
mortality and immortality. He could accomplish this only by giving them
guidelines in the form of principles, ordinances and laws. The Prophet Joseph
Smith commented: Here, then, we have this part of our subject immediately
before us for consideration: God has in reserve a time, or period appointed in
His own bosom, when He will bring all His subjects, who have obeyed His voice
and kept His commandments, into His celestial rest. This rest is of such
perfection and glory, that man has need of a preparation before he can,
according to the laws of that kingdom, enter it and enjoy its blessings. This
being the fact, God has given certain laws to the human family, which, if
observed, are sufficient to prepare them to inherit this rest. This, then, we
conclude, was the purpose of God in giving His laws to us: if not, why, or for
what were they given? (TPJS, p. 54)
As we
previously remarked, all well established and properly organized governments
have certain fixed and prominent laws for the regulation and management of the
same. If man has grown to wisdom and is [98] capable of discerning the
propriety of laws to govern nations, what less can be expected from the Ruler
and Upholder of the universe? Can we suppose that He has a kingdom without
laws? (TPJS, p. 55)
Men
should learn to keep God's laws and commandments, not out of fear but out of a
desire to obey Him. When we are permitted to see the difference between those
who keep them and those who break them, it should be even easier for us to
honor and obey His commandments. The Lord said, "If you keep not my
commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you
shall walk in darkness." (D & C 95:12) Naturally, most of our crimes
and community problems are the results of not keeping His commandments.
Without
law there is chaos. Therefore, in every good society law and order are
inseparable twins. God gives three important sets of laws to His people to help
them become kings and priests, queens and priestesses.
1.Moral
Law. Without morality you have a society of reprehensible, immoral people—a
society where wickedness is predominant. Personal gain, without conscience, is
the result of having no moral law.
2.Civil
Law. Society cannot long exist without government. Thus civil laws are
established for the protection of society against enemies, foreign or domestic,
who could otherwise be the means of destroying such a society.
3.Religious
Law. Religious laws govern people individually according to their
conscience. These laws may be chosen as part of a religious organization or they
may not. The individual determines his destiny with the god of his own choice.
There are many different spiritual [99] laws, obedience to which determines the
degree of glory one will inherit in God's kingdom.
For he
who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a
celestial glory. And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom
cannot abide a terrestrial glory. And he who cannot abide the law of a
telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for
a kingdom of glory. (D & C 88:22-24)
The
priestly laws were doctrinal, ritualistic and incorporated with ordinances. The
governmental laws were civil, political and juristic. Both religious and civil
laws rested upon the moral law.
The
laws given to Moses in the Old Testament and those expounded by Christ in the
New Testament were based on morality and freedom. It is through obedience or
disobedience to these laws that men receive blessings or cursings—exaltation or
damnation.
Whosoever
therefore shall break one of the least commandments, and shall teach men so, he
shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. . . . (Matt. 5:19)
The
scriptures tell us that "where no law is, there is no transgression."
(Rom. 4:15) Conversely, where there is a law, there can be transgression. The
law identifies both the sin and the sinner. This means that those who have
received the law have the responsibility to obey and preserve it.
Those
who decide that man's government is superior to God's government place themselves
as judges over God and his Kingdom. Can a child dictate over his parents? Could
a slave command his master?
[100]
The Kingdom laws are programmed for the elimination of sin because sin causes
many adverse effects. This is elaborated in the works of Rev. George Peters who
wrote about the results of sin:
The
enumeration of the most weighty [effects of sin] are the following: (1) The
loss of moral purity; (2) The entailment of physical degeneracy; (3) Subjection
to toil, disease, death, and corruption; (4) The withdrawal of the personal
presence of God; (5) Divine intercommunication with angelic beings removed; (6)
The infliction of a curse upon creation; (7) A struggle for life and its
blessings under uniform natural law, i.e., the special provision of Eden under
the super-natural no longer afforded; (8) The loss of Eden itself; (9) The
non-perpetuation of the race in a state of innocency and purity; (10) The
non-erection of a perfect government because of resultant depravity. These are
the sad fruits of sin, impressed by the consciousness of guilt. (The
Theocratic Kingdom, Peters, Vol. I:106)
The
laws of government given to Moses have had an impact on most governments of the
world. Jews, Moslems and Christians still honor many of those laws. Franklin D.
Richards stated:
The
great legal apostle, Blackstone, has plainly stated, and every lawyer knows,
that human laws and governments are professedly derived from, and founded upon
the revealed law of God, which he gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, . . . (JD
20:315)
The
importance of those laws to Israel cannot be over-emphasized, and their
application has proved to be worthy of our notice. Biblical scholar, Bernard
Schneider, wrote:
Thirty-five
hundred years ago a host of escaped slaves numbering several million came out
of Egypt and spilled over into the Sinai wilderness. These people [101] were
for the most part illiterate and weakened in character through generations of
slavery in Egypt. They had no literature, scripture, or code of law of their
own. A few months later they possessed the most perfect code of law ever
known to man. This code of law is absolutely fair to all alike and so
completely in harmony with all fundamental righteousness that it still serves
the modern world as the basis of all law and order. No man or group of men has
ever been able to improve upon this law. Yet, for all its perfection, this code
is contained in ten short commandments which declare both the moral and
spiritual duties of man. All this makes the Ten Commandments one of the
greatest miracles of all time which can only be explained by the recognition of
God as the author. (Deuteronomy, A Favored Book of Jesus, Schneider, p.
39)
Moses
agreed with this viewpoint:
And
what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as
all this law, which I set before you this day? (Deut. 4:8)
The
foundation of God's law is the Ten Commandments. All the prophets, including
the Savior Himself, point to these commandments as the law which all men must
obey. They have been repeated five times in scripture: Ex. 20:17, Deut. 5:6-21,
Luke 18:18-20, Mosiah 13:12-25, and D & C 42:18-19, 54-57, 79-93. They are
unchangeable laws, and no one is to "add unto the word which I command
you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it." (Deut. 4:2) Peter also
mentioned their eternal nature: ". . . the word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever." (I Peter 1:23)
The
Lord said that "these words which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart" (Deut. 6:6), and again, "thou shalt teach them diligently
unto thy children and shalt talk of [102] them . . . and thou shalt bind them
for a sign upon thine hand . . . and thou shalt write them upon the posts of
thy house." (Deut. 6:7-9; 20:25) To this He added a warning: "Beware
lest thou forget the Lord." (Deut. 6:12)
In a
cloud of darkness, with flashing lightning, fiery smoke and roaring thunder,
God revealed these laws in a manner that has never been duplicated. They were
set in stone never to be changed. They were the laws that, if obeyed, could make
the children of Israel a holy nation.
When
Moses came down from Mt. Sinai the second time, he carried two stone tablets
inscribed with these laws—one of the first times in history that the world had
laws for governing both a nation and an individual. Most rulers make laws to
benefit themselves and to punish people according to their wishes.
Although
the Ten Commandments were basic laws, they were really part of a set of higher
laws. Never had such laws been given so simply yet so comprehensively—covering morality,
worship and justice. They applied to leaders (i.e., Moses himself) as well as
to the weakest of the children of Israel.
The Ten
Commandments were given to the children of Israel three months after they left
Egypt and three days after reaching Mt. Sinai. They were inscribed on both
sides of two stone tablets. What an amazing archaeological prize if they could
be found today!
[103] THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1.Thou
shalt not have any other gods before me.
2.Thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
3.Thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
4.Remember
the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
5.Honor
thy father and mother.
6.Thou
shalt not kill.
7.Thou
shalt not commit adultery.
8.Thou
shalt not steal.
9.Thou
shalt not bear false witness.
10.Thou
shalt not covet.
[104]
All the commandments, except for the fourth and fifth, are negative (i.e.,
"Thou shalt not . . ."). Two (Nos. 2 and 3) are reinforced by
warnings, and one (no. 5) by promise. The first four pertain to our duty to
God, and the last six relate to our duty to mankind. These commandments also
differ from all others given by Moses:
1.They
came about in the most dramatic manner possible.
2.The
first set was written by God Himself. (Ex. 31:18)
3.The
second set was written by Moses as dictated by God. (Ex. 34:27-28)
4.They
were inscribed on stone.
5.They
were the most comprehensive and general of all laws.
6.Nothing
was ever added to or omitted from them.
They
also greatly differ in length from our laws of today, inasmuch as an elephant
wouldn't be able to carry all our contemporary legal laws and statutes.
These
Ten Commandments continue to be the basis and foundation for the laws of the
Kingdom of God.
The
children of Israel were instructed to write the law down and memorize it. Moses
left instructions for the priests and elders of Israel that they should gather
the people together every seven years so they could hear the high priest read
the laws to them—so they might hear, and learn, and fear
the Lord, and "observe to do all the words of this law." (See
Deut. 31:10-12.) The higher and lower laws pertain to the higher and lower
Priesthoods. The laws that Moses first tried to bring down from Mt. Sinai were
those of the Melchizedek Priesthood, but since the people were not worthy of
them, [105] those tablets were destroyed, and the children of Israel were given
the laws of the Aaronic Priesthood.
Like
sides of a coin, laws consist of two elements: for obedience to righteous laws,
there are blessings; for disobedience, there are punishments. When Moses came
down from the mountain the first time, he broke that first set of tablets and
later was told by God to go back for another set of commandments. From the
Inspired Translation of the Bible by Joseph Smith, we learn the difference
between these two sets of laws:
And the
Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of
the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest;
but it shall not be according to the
first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my
holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my
presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.
But I
will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have
sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in
the days of their pilgrimage. (Ex. 34:1-2, I.V.)
Some
Biblical scholars also acknowledge this:
Moses
however, shattered the tablets on discovering his peoples' lapse into idolatry;
but God reaffirmed the covenant, giving Moses further subsidiary laws to record and inscribing again the Ten Commandments
himself on two fresh tablets prepared by Moses. (Zondervan Enc. of Bible, 5:672)
The
Prophet Joseph stated, "The law revealed to Moses in Horeb never was
revealed to the children of Israel as a [106] nation." (TPJS, p. 323) It
was not given to the nation of Israel, but it was given to some of the
individuals—both the higher laws and the higher priesthood. Again, Joseph Smith
said, "That portion [of Melchizedek Priesthood] which brought Moses to
speak with God face to face was taken away; but that which brought the ministry
of angels remained." (TPJS, pp. 180-81) These two priesthoods are defined
in the Doctrine and Covenants:
The
power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the
keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—To have the privilege of
receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened
unto them, to commune with the general
assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence
of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
The
power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys
of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the
letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
agreeable to the covenants and commandments. (D & C 107:18-20)
Paul explained one reason why people cannot
accept the Gospel, let alone the higher laws:
For
unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
(Heb. 4:2)
God's
continual attempts to give higher laws to the children of Israel have been
works in futility. If there is anything that can be learned from that sad
history, it is to make sure that this does not happen to us—as individuals.
[107] Chapter 14
THE WAYWARD WORLDLY
WANDERERS
Know ye
not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to
whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Romans 6:16)
For
thousands of years the children of Israel have been the brunt of many
condemnations: modern ministers relate their failings; scholars expose their
weaknesses; Moses condemned them; and even God has scourged them.
Perhaps
we have been too hard on those people. After all, they were violently uprooted
from a life in Egypt that seemed normal to them. They enjoyed their family and
homes; they were protected from their enemies; they had enough to eat; they
didn't even have any conflict over religion because they worshipped the same
god as the Egyptians.
Then
Moses came along and things seemed to get much worse. They were driven into the
desert and wilderness; they suffered from the lack of food, water and meat; snakes,
insects and plagues were prevalent; enemies and armies killed them by the
thousands; and they wandered all over the country with no permanent home. On
top of all this they were instructed to worship a God they had previously known
nothing about!
But God
had made a covenant with their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would
save their children. The children of father Jacob did not come into this world
to be [108] slaves; they were meant to have the Gospel and be saved in God's
Kingdom.
God
gives us experiences to enable us to build our faith in mortality. It is not
always easy, or fun, or fair. Often the "bad guys" seem to have the
best of everything and the "good guys" struggle to get anything. God
"maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:45)
Many
times the will of the Lord is not easy to understand or easy to endure. We may
have to experience a "Gethsemane" or even a "Calvary," but
if we do not comprehend these things spiritually, we will never understand
God's dealings with us. We need to remember that He knows the end from the
beginning and what will give us opportunities for the most growth and
development. Even the Prophet Joseph did not understand the reasons for some of
God's dealings with the Saints:
Now,
there are two things of which I am ignorant: and the Lord will not show them
unto me, perhaps for a wise purpose in Himself—I mean in some respects—and they
are these: Why God has suffered so great a calamity to come upon Zion, and what
the great moving cause of this great affliction is; and by what means the He
will return her back to her inheritance, . . .
When I
contemplate upon all things that have been manifested, I am aware that I ought
not to murmur, and do not murmur, only in this, that those who are innocent are
compelled to suffer for the iniquities of the guilty; and I cannot account for
this....
. . .
it is with difficulty that I can restrain my feelings when I know that you, my
brethren, with whom I have had so many happy hours—sitting, as it were, in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus; and also, having the witness which I feel, and
ever have felt, of the purity of your motives—are cast out, and are as
strangers and [109] pilgrims on the earth, exposed to hunger, cold, nakedness,
peril, sword—I say when I contemplate this, it is with difficulty that I can
keep from complaining and murmuring against this dispensation; but I am
sensible that this is not right, and may God grant that notwithstanding your
great afflictions and sufferings, there may not anything separate us from the
love of Christ. (TPJS, pp. 34-35)
Perhaps
some answers can be found in the life of Jesus. Here was a man who suffered
indignity, persecution, opposition, pain and even crucifixion. He was a person
in whom no sin could be found. He continually did the will of the Father. So
why did His Father allow Him to go through such misery? The answer is obvious.
In more
recent times, Brigham Young endured many trials and difficulties. In his
efforts to understand the reasons why, he concluded:
Joseph
could not have been perfected, though he had lived a thousand years, if he had
received no persecution. If he had lived a thousand years, and led this people,
and preached the Gospel without persecution, he would not have been perfected
as well as he was at the age of thirty-nine years. You may calculate when this
people are called to go through scenes of affliction and suffering, are driven
from their homes and cast down, and
scattered, and smitten, and peeled, the Almighty is rolling on His work with
greater rapidity. But let you and me live and die in peace, and in our
lives we send the Gospel to the nations, from kingdom to kingdom, and from
people to people, will it advance with the same speed if it receive no
persecution? If we had received no persecution in Nauvoo, would the gospel have
spread as it now has? Would the Elders have been scattered so widely as they
now are, preaching the Gospel? No, they would have been wedded to their farms,
and the precious seed of the word would have been choked. (JD 2:7-8)
[110]
Such explanations were difficult for the children of Israel to understand. To
suffer, to endure or to sacrifice do not necessarily imply wrongdoing, nor do
temporal pleasures, worldly goods and great wealth always indicate righteous
living. But the children of Israel had difficulty making these distinctions.
There is an old adage that says that one man's garbage is another man's
treasure—it's a matter of perspective. Jesus pointed out the importance of
determining correct values. Compare the following two passages:
Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it. (Matt. 13:45-46)
Give
not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (Matt.
7:6)
In
these examples, one person sold all he had to obtain a valuable pearl, while
another might consider it worthless and throw it away. Such has been the
unappreciated value of the Kingdom of God. While nothing is of greater value
than eternal life in God's Kingdom, it has nevertheless had world-wide
rejection. Instead of being willing to give everything they have to obtain the
Kingdom, the children of Israel treated it like swine would treat pearls.
Moses
gave a beautiful speech to the Israelites toward the end of their travels, and
he reminded them of the Lord's special regard for Israel:
[111]
Did
ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as
thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from
the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by
war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors,
according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Unto
thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is
none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he
might instruct thee: and upon earth he showed thee his great fire; and thou
heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
And
because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought
thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; To drive out nations
from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give
thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
Know
therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in
heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. (Deut. 4:33-39)
But
unfortunately, the Israelites never got the message because they marched to the
beat of another drummer and danced to the tune of another piper.
To
illustrate the complaints by the Israelites it is recorded:
And the
whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron
in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we
had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, . . . (Ex. 16:2-3)
And
later—
[112]
And the
people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and
said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us
and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord,
saying, What shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me.
(Ex. 17:3-4)
The
complaints got so bad that at one time a conspiracy was instigated against
Moses by Korah and three other men. They rallied about 250 "princes of the
assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown" (Num. 16:2), because
they thought Moses and Aaron had taken too much authority upon themselves.
Moses
responded to them: ". . . tomorrow the Lord will shew who are his, and who
is holy; . . ." (Num. 16:5) Then in a mild rebuke, he told Korah, "ye
take too much upon you."
The
next day was the big contest. Moses told Korah and his company to light censers
and make an offering to see whose offering was accepted. Moses said to the
congregation, "Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all
these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the
common death of all men, . . . then the Lord hath not sent me." (Num. 16:28-29)
After Moses had spoken, the earth opened up and the multitude heard the cries
of Korah and his group as they fell into the chasm. The 250 princes of Israel
were caught up in a consuming fire sent by the Lord. Eleazar, son of Aaron, was
instructed to make broad plates and use them to cover the altar as a memorial
of the fate of those who rebel against God's word.
It
would seem that with such a manifestation of power from God that the Israelites
would repent and be willing to do what the Lord wanted. Not so. The very next
day they [113] complained again to Moses: "Ye have killed the people of
the Lord." (Num. 16:41) This was enough to cause the Lord to send a plague
on them. "Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and
seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah." (Num.
16:49)
Seven
nations rose up against the Israelites, and in every instance the Israelites
won the battle because the Lord protected them.
Israel
began a journey that took 40 years and they ended up in the same area where
they had begun. Ironically the journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea is about 11
days' journey on foot; yet it took them 40 years! Their failure to enter the
promised land was attributed to: (1) the sin of rebellion (Deut. 1:19-26), (2)
unbelief (Deut. 27-33), (3) presumed authority (Deut. 1:41-46), and (4)
provoking the Lord (Deut. 1:34-40; 2:14-15).
For the
latter part of this 40 years Moses had a relatively boring, nomadic and
uneventful life. The camp of Israelites had moved 32 times, had brought curses
upon themselves, and had suffered the loss of an average of 16,000 people a
year. In the following three quotations, Brigham Young explains what would have
happened to the Israelites if they had obeyed the Lord and kept His
commandments:
Again,
at the time the children of Israel left Egypt if they had then received the
Gospel Moses had for them, the kingdom
would then have been given to them, and it never would have been broken up,
and the house of Israel never would have been smitten and scattered to become
bondsmen among the nations. If the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
previous to the Egyptian bondage, had been faithful, they would have received the keys and power of the kingdom,
[114] and would never have gone into Egypt to suffer four hundred years in
bondage, but they by their wickedness rejected the kingdom. (JD 9:311)
When
the Gospel which was preached by Jesus and His Apostles was preached to the
children of Israel by Moses, it created the same effect among them. When he
taught them to forsake their sins, to forsake every evil principle and practice
of their lives, and turn to the Lord with all their hearts, it created such a
division that Moses could not establish the Gospel among them, after all the
kindness the Lord had shown towards them, though he brought them out of Egypt
with a high hand, dividing the sea, causing the water to gush out of the dry
rock to quench their thirst, manna to fall from heaven to satisfy their hunger,
and quails to satisfy their desire for flesh. He also ordained that their
clothing should not wax old, nor their shoes to wear out for the space of forty
years. They did not have to plough, to reap, or gather into barns, as we do.
Notwithstanding this manifestation of goodness of their God, he could not
establish the Gospel among them, and was obliged to give them a law of carnal
commandments. Why did not the Lord destroy them, seeing they were so very
wicked? He did; and out of all who left Egypt, only two went into the land of
Canaan—Joshua and Caleb. (JD 1:235)
Moses
tried to give the children of Israel the law of the Gospel, but they would not
receive it. The Gospel was revealed in those days, as much so as in the days of
Christ and His Apostles. They had the Melchizedek Priesthood, and were entitled
to all the promises and blessings then as in the days of the Apostles. (JD
9:322)
Thus, a
new crop of Israelites grew up who had never seen the miracles of God, nor
heard His voice, nor did they regard the laws of the Gospel. They were no
better than their parents, and so the Lord put a curse on them:
[115]
And the Lord shall scatter thee
among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods,
which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. (Deut.
28:64)
Here is
how it happened: After the death of Solomon (975 B.C.) the kingdom became
divided. The tribe of Judah and part of Benjamin followed Rehoboam, the son of
Solomon, and became known as the Kingdom of Judah. The rest of the Israelites
followed Jeroboam and were known as the kingdom of Israel, sometimes called the
Kingdom of Ephraim, which was their most prominent tribe.
King
Shalmaneser V of Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and drove the
tribes out of the land of Palestine and took them to Assyria. Here they were
kept in captivity as slaves. Over a long period of time most of them gradually
infiltrated into the north countries and intermixed with those nations. Their
identity as a body or nation was thus destroyed and their nation became
"lost."
Nebuchadnezzar
over-ran Jerusalem and took the Kingdom of Judah into Babylonia. About 70 years
later, under Cyrus the Persian, they were permitted to return and build a
temple in Jerusalem. It was to these remnants of Judah and Benjamin that Christ
was ministering while in mortality.
But
during the revolutions of the Maccabees in 165-142 B.C., they fell into the
rule of the Herodian dynasty of the Romans. This was the darkest era for the
Judeans, and their subjugation and dispersion were initiated by the Roman Tenth
Legion in 73 A.D.
The
children of Israel had traded the Kingdom of God for the kingdoms of the world.
It was another historical exchange of an inheritance for a mess of pottage.
[116]
The destiny of the house of Israel was prophesied by Isaiah and Ezekiel:
The
envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut
off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isa.
11:13)
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 at all: Neither shall they
defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things,
nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their
dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they
be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezek. 37:22-23)
Judah
would have a chance at the coming of the Messiah in the meridian of time.
Ephraim would have another chance in the last days.
Among
the final words of the Old Testament are—"Remember ye the law of Moses my
servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes
and judgments." (Mal. 4:4)
[117] Chapter 15
JOHN'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF
THE KINGDOM
In
those days came John the Baptist . . . saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. (Matt. 3:1,2)
From
the time of King David, to the time of Christ, one thousand years had passed.
The plight of Israel and the demise of the theocratic Kingdom of David had both
been a disastrous tale of woe. The tribes of Israel had suffered divisions,
captivity, bondage and dispersions. What a terrible scenario for God's people.
The
theocratic Kingdom of David was the Kingdom of God, but with the personal
failure of David and the weaknesses of the Israelite people, that Kingdom was
doomed. It remained in its fallen condition for another millennium. Once the
pride and glory of Israel, the house of Judah gradually returned to Jerusalem
with only a hope for the restoration of the Theocratic Kingdom.
The
Jews were diligent in their tithes, temple sacrifices, keeping the Sabbath and
obeying other rites and rituals of the Aaronic Priesthood. They lived in
humiliation because their Kingdom had been replaced by the kingdom of the
Romans.
The
great hope for the restoration of their Kingdom included the return of their
Messiah, and their hope was not in vain. Once again the heavens were opened.
Once again they [118] heard the voice of angels and the voice of their Lord.
The first voice they heard was from an angel named Gabriel, whom Joseph Smith
identified as Noah: "Then to Noah, who is Gabriel: he stands next in
authority to Adam in the Priesthood." (TPJS, p. 157) Gabriel appeared in
the temple to a priest named Zacharias.
How
ironic that Noah, who witnessed the baptism of the world, would now introduce
the man who would baptize Israel into the Kingdom, and also baptize the Savior
of the world.
The
missions of John the Baptist and Noah were similar in that each would save the
righteous by water and baptism, each would preach and establish the Kingdom of
God on the earth, and in some respects each had a dispensation (though John's
was not considered as major as Noah's). (See CHC 2:364.) No wonder it was Noah
who introduced John the Baptist to the world.
The
Kingdom of God and its members have always met with opposition from the
kingdoms of the world. Both John and Jesus had death sentences on their heads
while they were still babies. Jesus had to be taken to Egypt and John into the
mountains. To save his wicked kingdom, Herod, like Pharaoh, had ordered the
deaths of all babies under two years of age. The clash of kingdoms continued.
John
was ordained when only eight days old, as he had a special mission to perform:
For he
was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews,
and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to
prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power. (D
& C 84:28)
[119]
Notice that it was not the Roman government that had to be overthrown. First,
it was the governing powers of the Jews! The greatest threat to Christ and the
Kingdom of God was from among His own people. They were so evil that the
cleansing first had to begin at the house of God.
Among
the reasons for rejecting Christ and the Gospel were the love of money, the
praise of man, and the desire for the uppermost seats. The Jews feared that
Jesus would take away their place and their nation. Humility had no place in
the people whom Jesus called "blind guides, hypocrites, full of extortion
and excess, serpents and vipers," etc. (See Matt. 23.) Nephi was referring
to the Jews when he said, "There is none other nation on earth that would
crucify their God." (2 Nephi 10:3)
Jesus
said they had innocent blood on their hands because they were guilty of
"the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple
and the altar." (Matt. 23:35) This was the man that an angel had spoken
to, declaring that he would bear the son who would introduce the Messiah. They
once believed Zacharias's testimony of John and later even admitted that they
knew that Jesus was sent of God. (See John 3:2.) The killing of Zacharias was
the result of an edict given by Herod because the high priest "refused to
disclose" the hiding place of John; so the Jews carried out the order for
execution. (See TPJS, p. 261.)
So why
was John's message so important that it was the reason for an angel's
visitation, a death threat from the king of the Romans, the death of his
father, and his own eventual death—causing the Jews to become murderers? His
primary message was, "The kingdom
of God is at hand!" (Mark 1:15)
[120]
When John the Baptist came out of the wilderness of the mountains, proclaiming
that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he caused a national outburst. The Jewish
people had waited for centuries to hear such words. They understood the meaning
of the "Kingdom" and longed for the day when it would be established
among them. It was the work of the Messiah, and they had prepared themselves
physically, morally and religiously for that great event.
When
earthly kings are about to be anointed and crowned, there is usually a great
celebration. There are parades with the sound of trumpets, and long processions
with elegant uniforms, robes and jewels. There is a great feast and much
frivolity. Then, too, the coronation takes place in a magnificent cathedral.
But for this "king" it would be different.
When
John made this momentous announcement, the people noted that it had come from a
wild man out of the wilderness, wearing a "raiment of camel's hair, and a
leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."
(Matt. 3:4) The Prophet Joseph commented on such prophets:
The
world always mistook false prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of
God, they considered to be false prophets, and hence they killed, stoned,
punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these had to hide themselves
"in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth." (TPJS, p. 206)
So when
the announcement of this Kingdom finally came, it was very different from their
expectations. Nevertheless, they were eager to hear the message, and many were
baptized by John. "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all
the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing
their sins." (Matt. 3:5-6)
[121]
However, what had begun so beautifully was doomed to end in disaster.
It is
interesting to note that John did not give any lengthy discourses on the
definition or composition of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps the Jews already knew
what it was. They understood the scriptures that King David had had the Kingdom
of God, and they believed in the prophecy that stated the Kingdom would be
returned to the Jews. This is some-thing for which they had long awaited. The
Jews had believed in the temple miracle with the High Priest Zacharias who said
his son would introduce both the Kingdom and the King.
Regarding
John the Baptist's announcement and establishment of the Kingdom of God, Joseph
Smith answers three important questions:
1.Did
John actually establish the Kingdom of God on the earth, or was that the work
of Jesus and the Apostles?
As
touching the Gospel and baptism that John preached, I would say that John came
preaching the Gospel for the remission of sins; he had his authority from God,
and the oracles of God were with him, and the kingdom of God for a season
seemed to rest with John alone. * * *
But
says one, the kingdom of God could not be set up in the days of John, for John
said the kingdom was at hand. But I would ask if it could be any nearer to them
than to be in the hands of John. (TPJS, pp. 272, 273)
. . .
the scriptures represent that all Jerusalem went out unto John's baptism. There
was a legal administrator, and those
that were baptized were subjects for
a king; and also the laws and oracles
of God were there; therefore the kingdom
of God was there; for no man could have better authority to [122]
administer than John; and our Savior submitted to that authority himself, by
being baptized by John; therefore the
kingdom of God was set up on the earth, even in the days of John. (TPJS, p.
273)
Thus,
some of the requirements for the existence of the Kingdom of God were
enumerated here by Joseph Smith: (1) a legal administrator, (2) subjects, and
(3) laws and authority.
2.How
does a person enter into the Kingdom of God, or become one of its members?
Again
he [Christ] says, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God; . . ."
If a
man is born of water and of the Spirit, he can get into the kingdom of God. It
is evident the kingdom of God was on the earth, and John prepared subjects for
the kingdom, by preaching the Gospel to them and baptizing them, and he
prepared the way before the Savior, . . . The kingdom of God was with them
before the day of Pentecost, as well as after-wards; and it was also with John,
and he preached the same Gospel and baptism that Jesus and the apostles
preached after him. (TPJS, p. 274)
3.Where
can a person find the Kingdom of God, and who is authorized to represent it?
Some
say the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost,
and that John did not preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins; but I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on
the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a
righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and
authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God—a minister
who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the
gospel and officiate [123] in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of
God;... Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God
gives His oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles of God
are not, there the kingdom of God is not. (TPJS, 271-72)
Whenever
men can find out the will of God and find an administrator legally authorized
from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of
God is not. (TPJS, p. 274)
Before
concluding this chapter on the announcement of John the Baptist, another
question should be answered: "What Priesthood did John hold, and where did
he get it?
Thus
the Aaronic Priesthood was the heritage of John the Baptist. His ministry
evidences that he was clothed with its authority. That the chain of evidence
might be complete, regarding this fact, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith,
Jun., that he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by an angel. (D & C
84:28) Being the first man ordained to it in the former Gospel dispensation, he
holds the presidency of that Priesthood in all subsequent dispensations. (A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel,
Richards and Little, p. 71)
It is
apparent that the mission of John the Baptist was to introduce the Kingdom of God, not the Church. It is interesting that,
according to the scriptures, John never even mentioned the word church during
his mission on earth.
[124] Chapter 16
THE GREATEST PROPHET OF
THE KINGDOM
For I
say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet
than John the Baptist. (Luke 7:28)
As we look at the life and character of John
the Baptist, he seemed to be one of the minor or lesser prophets of the Bible.
Yet we know that he was great in the eyes of the Lord. When the angel
prophesied to Zacharias about the son he would bear, he said that "Many
shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord . .
. and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God . . .
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:14-17)
We will
now refer to John the Baptist. He came as a forerunner of Christ. He was a
lineal descendant of the house of Levi. His father was a priest. John the
Baptist was a child born by miracle, God having revealed to his father that
Elizabeth who had been many years barren should bear a son. John feared not the
world, but went forth preaching in the wilderness of Judea, declaiming against
wickedness and corruption. (George A. Smith, JD 13:41)
John's
appearance and education did not meet the standards of the local merchants,
doctors and lawyers, who like their modern counterparts, expected ministers to
be educated in approved schools of theology. He didn't live like they did, but
rather "in the uninhabited country bordering on [125] Antipas'
realm." By their standards, he was a recluse, residing separate from the
rest of the house of Israel. The Qumran scrolls mention that the only contact
John had with the outside world was with the Essenes. However, this uncouth,
uneducated outcast greatly impacted the course of history.
Prominent
Jewish citizens found fault with John mainly because his raiment was of
"camels hair" and he ate "locusts and wild honey."
Likewise, many people had said of the prophet Enoch, "a wild man hath come
among us," and "all men were offended because of him." (Moses
6:37 & 38)
The
Prophet Joseph explained that John the Baptist had a dispensation of the
Gospel, even though it is generally assumed that there was only one
dispensation with the coming of John and Jesus:
There
came a dispensation of the gospel with the herald of the Christ, John the
Baptist; and a more complete one with the earth mission of the Christ. (CHC
2:364)
According
to Frederic Farrar, John the Baptist promised "admission into the Kingdom
of heaven to the pure and clean"—to those whom he baptized. (Life of Christ, Farrar, p. 110) It was
also a baptism of repentance to qualify for the Kingdom.
John's
mission was to introduce the Kingdom of God which was a new government on the
earth. He did not introduce or establish a church, as that would be done by the
Messiah. John would introduce the Kingdom; Jesus would organize it and then
become the King over it.
Even
though they were not often in the same geographical location, John and Jesus
worked as a team of missionaries.
[126]
Christ
and his prophets cannot be separated from each other. Men cannot believe in one
and not the other. John was a true prophet who bore record that Jesus was the
Messiah. Accordingly no one could accept John as a prophet without believing in
Christ; and conversely, no one could believe in the divine Son-ship of Jesus
without accepting the Baptist as his forerunner and witness. (Bruce R.
McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary, 1:590)
Their
work, their testimony and their teachings did not end with their death. We
cannot disregard or reject their testimony just because they are dead.
Joseph
Smith said that John was given "the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood,"
which means he had the right to administer all of the ordinances pertaining to
that priesthood. He added, "He [John] had his authority from God, and the
oracles of God were with him, and the kingdom of God for a season seemed to
rest with John alone." (TPJS, p. 272) This means that John was the
presiding authority over the Aaronic Priesthood on the earth at that time.
Some
questions need to be answered here in regard to the greatness of John the Baptist
and his relationship to the Kingdom of God. For answers we have turned to the
Prophet Joseph Smith. The Jews could not see any "greatness" about
John the Baptist. They felt the definition of greatness was wealth, popularity,
honors of the world and high positions in business, government or religion. And
to them he just didn't qualify. Nevertheless, this strange fellow that came out
of the wilderness was great in the eyes of God.
Thus,
our first question is how could John be considered such a great prophet, when
he never made any great prophecies, performed any great miracles, or wrote any
great revelations? Why did Jesus say, "Among those that are born of [127]
women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist?" (Luke 7:28)
Joseph Smith provided the answer:
First.
He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of
the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
Secondly.
He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands,
to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so
great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of
baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form
of a dove, or rather in the sign of
the dove, in witness of that administration?
Thirdly.
John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the
kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. * * * The
son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the
Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons
constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman. (TPJS, pp. 275-76)
On
another occasion Jesus said, ". . . there is not a greater prophet than
John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he." So our second question is, "How is it that John was considered
one of the greatest prophets and yet be "least in the Kingdom of
God?" (See TPJS, p. 275.) Again the Prophet answered:
In
reply I asked—Whom did Jesus have reference to as being the least? Jesus was
looked upon as having the least claim in God's kingdom, and [seemingly] was
least entitled to their credulity as a prophet; as though He had said—"He
that is considered the least among you is greater than John—that is I
myself." (TPJS, p. 276)
[128]
Another question in regard to the Kingdom of God is, "Are miracles always
evident whenever the Kingdom of God is established on the earth?" Once
again from Joseph Smith:
There
is a difference between the kingdom of God and the fruits and blessings that
flow from the kingdom; because there were more miracles, gifts, visions,
healings, tongues, etc., in the days of Jesus Christ and His apostles, and on
the day of Pentecost, than under John's administration, it does not prove by
any means that John had not the kingdom of God, any more than it would that a
woman had not a milkpan because she had not a pan of milk, for while the pan
might be compared to the kingdom, the milk might be compared to the blessings
of the kingdom. (TPJS, p. 273)
John
became the "Elias" or forerunner for Christ and received a divine
mission to introduce the Savior to the world. The Jews were inclined to believe
John's mission because of his father's testimony and miracle in the temple.
They then had to believe John's testimony of Jesus and Jesus' testimony of
John. The power and evidence of both John and Jesus provided an irrefutable
testimony to the Jews.
John
was the administrator of the Kingdom under the authority of the Aaronic
Priesthood. Jesus administered the Kingdom under the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Together they introduced, restored, established and organized the theocratic
Kingdom of David, which was the Kingdom of God on the earth.
The
Lord told Joseph Smith that John the Baptist "bore record" of Jesus
and a "fullness" of His glory. Then speaking of a future time, Jesus
said, "and the fulness of John's record is hereafter to be revealed."
(D & C 93:6) Apparently, when the people are more worthy and better
prepared to receive such a glorious document, then it will be brought forth.
[129] Chapter 17
JOHN'S IMPRISONMENT AND
DEATH
Know
assuredly, dear brethren, that it is for the testimony of Jesus that we are in
bonds and in prison. But we say unto you, that we consider that our condition
is better (notwithstanding our sufferings) than that of those who have
persecuted us, . . . (Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 123)
Herod
Antipas and his father, Herod the Great, were both noted for corruption,
immorality and bloodshed. Antipas was tetrarch, or king, of Galilee and Perea,
and thus was considered a ruthless king of the Jews. He fell in love with
Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and John rebuked the king and said,
"It is not lawful for thee to have her." (Matt. 24:4) This was a
double crime, according to the law of Moses: first of incest (Lev. 18:16), and
secondly, he was living with another man's wife. (Lev. 20:10) Herod was stunned
and a little hesitant at this strange fellow who had so much influence with the
people. Josephus the historian wrote:
Now,
when others came in crowds about him [John], for they were greatly moved by
hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the
people might put it into his power and inclination to raise rebellion, thought
it best by putting him to death. (Antiquities
of the Jews, Bk. 8, 5:2)
Herod
was a lecherous old coot, for even though "of wives he [Herod] had ten,
once nine at a time; of children, fourteen" (Caesar and Christ, Will Durant, p. 534), he still [130] didn't know
enough to stay away from another man's wife. Little wonder that he worried
about mentioning his office as king of the Jews; for according to Jewish law
that was cause for death; therefore, he had reason to fear John.
Herod
Antipas was somewhat of a fence sitter. He was both a Roman king and a devout
Jew, claiming to spiritually acknowledge God, yet giving full service to Rome.
He was similar to many religious people of today—seeking for glory, riches,
positions and power among the gentiles, and at the same time professing to be
in full fellowship with the Lord. But God asks for a complete commitment to Him
in both temporal and spiritual matters. To love God with all your might, mind
and strength does not mean attending worship services on Sunday and the rest of
the week being devoted to Babylon.
Herod
Antipas was in Jerusalem at this time in order to celebrate the Feast of the
Passover. When John accused him of adultery and rebuked him for it, Herod
refused to change his wicked and immoral ways; so he had to do something to
make John shut up—so he shut him up in prison.
John
found his prison experience to be unbearable because of filthy conditions, loss
of freedom, low-life associates, extreme restrictions, bad food, etc. John knew
the importance of his mission to preach the Gospel and could see no possible
reason for remaining in such a vile place. So he sent a message to Jesus, which
is one of the strangest messages in scripture. Luke recorded the account:
And
John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou
he that should come? or look we for another?
When
the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying,
Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
[131]
And in
that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil
spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Then
Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have
seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And
blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Luke 7:19-23)
The
reason is unclear as to why John asked the question, "Do we look for
another?" Was he asking if another was to be the Messiah, or would set up
the Kingdom of God, or would come and release him from prison? Several months
in the fortress prison would make anyone think things were not going the way
they should. John wanted the speedy establishment of a visible kingdom. Prison
for him seemed to be such a waste of time. If the Kingdom were to be
established, then John's preaching could be vindicated and he certainly would
not be left in prison.
John
knew that Jesus was the Messiah and that indeed he would establish this
Kingdom. So why the question? George Peters gives this beautiful explanation:
Consider
the position of John in prison, and imagine the thoughts that must have arisen
in his mind while confined for several months in the fortress. He had preached
the coming of the Kingdom conditioned on repentance; he had seen and announced
the Messiah, through whom, as he fondly anticipated, the Kingdom was to be
established. Just before his imprisonment he had expressed the hope that the
Messiah would be received, and hence looked for a speedy visible Messianic
Kingdom. Now it is supposed ... that doubts arose in John's mind respecting the
Messiah on account of the delay. But this
could not possibly be, owing to John's specific mission, his testimony to
Jesus, his having seen the attesting divine [132] manifestation, and his having
heard the confirming voice from heaven. John had no doubts concerning the Messiahship of Jesus. How, then, interpret
the action of sending his disciples to Jesus?
The explanation follows naturally from the
hopes entertained by him, and the condition in which he was placed. Being
imprisoned, the hope of a speedy establishment of the Kingdom (for had he not
seen the Messiah?) implanted the hope of a speedy release from his prison; for then, under the reign of the Messiah as
predicted by the prophets, he would necessarily experience deliverance from his
enemies (as Zacharias believed, Luke 1:74). Such thoughts must, from the very
nature of his belief, hope, and situation, have passed through his mind. To
satisfy his mind respecting release, whether the Kingdom would be soon
established, he sends two of his disciples (Matt. 11:2, 3), with, in his
estimation, a test question:
"Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?" Now if we
but reflect that . . . "the Coming One" or "@He that cometh,'
has a fixed doctrinal signification, viz.: the Messiah" (denoting the One
who should restore the Davidic Kingdom)—this was a most delicate way of asking why the Kingdom was not established, why there was a delay in its
restoration. John proclaimed Him as "the Coming One," and thus
reminds Jesus of the fact by the question; but, in view of the non-appearance
of the Kingdom and of his confinement in consequence, also in the latter clause
indirectly urges Jesus to make no delay, invites Him to hasten and manifest His
Messianic mission. (Theocratic Kingdom,
Peters, 1:262)
Whatever the exact reason for John's question,
Jesus did not clearly answer it. Nor was John released from prison. We can only
assume Jesus knew that John's earthly mission was about completed, that he was
supposed to stay in prison, and that he would soon have to give up his life as
a martyr.
The
reasons for killing John were based on as much false evidence and phony excuses
as the killing of Jesus. Herod [133] Antipas was a Roman at heart. He believed
in honoring and sustaining their laws no matter how corrupt and wicked they were,
and he knew how easily they could be enforced. His father was the prime
example. Herod wanted John put in prison for telling him he shouldn't commit
adultery. John didn't say anything about all the plural wives Herod had—only
rebuked him for his adultery. The story reads as follows:
For
Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias'
sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for
thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the
multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
But
when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them,
and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever
she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me
here John Baptist's head in a charger.
And the
king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him
at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the
prison. (Matt. 14:3-10)
Some
puzzling questions arise from reading this account. First, Herod had already
made up his mind to slay John because it reads: "when he would have put
him to death, he feared the multitude." Secondly, after the daughter of
Herodias danced for him, he made an oath that he would "give her
whatsoever she would ask," which is stupid for any king to pledge just
because of someone's dancing—and she didn't even dance with him. Thirdly, he
was going to kill someone just for his "oath's sake." What Roman
leader in the Jewish hierarchy ever made such a stupid oath, that he would
honor it even to the death of an innocent man? How sorry was this king?
Apparently he wanted John dead and just needed a "good excuse." The
whole program appears to be a setup so Herod [134] could have some excuse to
kill him. According to Brigham Young, there are similar reasons for the deaths
of such great men:
God
suffered him [Joseph Smith] to be slain for his testimony, that it might become
a law through being sealed by his blood, which was the case the moment his
blood was spilled, the same as with the law of Jesus Christ when he spilled his
blood. Then the testimony becomes in force. (Brigham Young Addresses, Vol. 2, p. 103)
We can
conclude that this was the case with John the Baptist. His mission was
finished, and he had only one thing left to do—to seal his testimony with his
blood.
[135] Chapter 18
A WITNESS FOR THE
KINGDOM
There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to
bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not
that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (John 1:6-8)
The Old
and New Testaments contain a compilation of valiant testators and their
testimonies. But they present a sad history of their struggles to bring light
to a world of darkness. And in return, they were rejected, tortured, imprisoned
and/or killed.
Why did
such noble men have to suffer so many hardships and trials? Why didn't God
protect His servants? Why were prophets, patriarchs and apostles the ones who
had to pay the ultimate price with their blood? And why did John, the Baptist,
(the "greatest prophet") and Jesus (our greatest King) have to be
slain for their testimonies? The answer is not the same in every case, but
often it is necessary for these witnesses and testators to seal their
testimonies with their own blood.
True and False Prophets
The
Jews of today say that many false prophets and false messiahs came during the
time of Jesus, and the Jews assumed that He was just another claimant to the
title. In our own dispensation there have been a few true prophets and a [136]
multitude of false ones. The difficulty for most people has been to distinguish
between the true and false prophets. Who really holds the keys to the Kingdom
of God?
There
are several ways to identify a true prophet, i.e., he must have witnesses to
his calling, while the self-appointed prophet testifies only for himself. Both
John and Jesus met the criteria necessary to be considered true witnesses and
prophets:
1.The
angel Gabriel was a witness to Zacharias of both John and Jesus.
2.Zacharias
and his experience in the temple became a witness of John.
3.John
became a witness to Jesus as the Christ.
4.Three
prophets came at the birth of Jesus to testify that He was the King of the
Kingdom of God.
5.Jesus
came as a witness to the Father.
6.Their
works were fruitful; they brought forth new knowledge, understanding and
revelations.
7.There
were testimonies of others who were true witnesses.
8.They
knew what the kingdom is. If a "prophet" is doing the work of the
Kingdom, he should know the definition of it. If he is testifying of the wrong
kingdom, he is not a true witness.
9.They
prophesied and performed Priesthood ordinances and miracles.
10.By
the power of the Holy Ghost and revelation, the truth and true messengers are
made known.
Nearly
all false prophets can bear witness only of themselves, which is a major
evidence that they are not true prophets. Jesus said, "If I bear witness
of myself, my witness is not true." (John 5:31) And He also said, ".
. . in the mouth of [137] two or three witnesses every word may be
established." (Matt. 18:16) He even quoted the law of the Jews that said,
"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is
true." (John 8:17) Hence, those who can bear witness only of themselves
are just claimants without the evidences and witnesses of true prophets.
The Evidence of Miracles
Another
important evidence is the marvelous miracles that follow those that have power
with God. When John asked Jesus, "Art thou He that should come?"
(Matt. 11:3), Jesus used His miracles as an evidence. He replied:
Go and
shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their
sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead
are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matt. 11:4-5)
Miracles
are often a valid evidence of a true prophet and so is prophecy. There are many
other similar "gifts" from God that convince people of one's
authority and message. Jesus even rebuked cities because they rejected Him even
though He performed many miracles amongst them.
Then
began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done,
because they repented not [Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum].
. . . which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (Matt. 11:20
& 23)
Because
of Christ's curse upon these three communities, they have never flourished from
that time to the present. (See Discovering
the World of the Bible, LaMar C. Berrett, p. 358.)
[138]
John witnessed the miracles of Jesus, saw the sign of the dove at His baptism,
and personally had revelations of his own. One revelation was recorded by the
Prophet Joseph Smith:
And I,
John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and
dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us.
And I,
John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace
for grace. and he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from
grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of
God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.
And I,
John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost
descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a
voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son.
And I,
John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father. (D
& C 93:11-16)
Some
scholars have questioned which John it was that received this revelation. James
E. Talmage thought it was John the Apostle. (See Articles of Faith, p. 119.) Also, in his book Jesus the Christ,
Talmage devoted three chapters to John's testimony of Jesus, but failed to even
mention D & C 93, as quoted above. However, John Taylor accredited this
revelation to John the Baptist (See Mediation
and Atonement, p. 55.), and so did Orson Pratt. (See Des. News, March 9, 1878.)
If John
the Baptist had failed to bear testimony of this grand revelation, he would
have failed as a witness and would have been condemned. If the people to whom
John bore this testimony would have rejected it, they would also have been
condemned. One of the objects of a testimony of a witness is [139] to provide
God with a yardstick to bring judgment either for or against the people. The
testimonies of John and Jesus were enough to bring down the whole nation of the
Jews. Orson Pratt clearly explained this:
When
the Lord sent a preparatory message to prepare the way for his Son, he sent one
witness, instead of raising up four. John the Baptist went forth into the
wilderness, clothed himself in a curious style, living on locusts and wild
honey, and began to preach repentance to the inhabitants of Judea and
Jerusalem, and to the Jews throughout the land. How were they to know he was a
messenger sent to prepare the way before the Most High? Yet they certainly
would be condemned for not receiving his testimony; for Jesus himself said—"The
scribes and Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves in
rejecting John." (JD 7:31-32)
The
angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias, Elizabeth and Mary. John was ordained by
an angel when he was eight days old, and we suppose that was also Gabriel. All
of these individuals were witnesses to the heralding in of the Kingdom of God,
yet each of them had to suffer in some way because of that testimony.
With so
many revelations and manifestations and also because of the witnesses to the
missions of John and Jesus, the Jews were left without excuse for their
unbelief.
Sealing Their Testimonies with
Their Blood
Because
the people rejected John's testimony, he was required to seal that testimony
with his blood. Paul the Apostle explained why he and many other prophets and
testators had to be slain for their testimonies:
[140]
For
where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth. (Heb. 9:16-17)
Thus,
it was necessary that the blood of Christ's fore-runner be shed for his
testimony of the Savior whose blood would atone for the whole world.
This
same requirement was necessary in our own dispensation, for at the death of
Joseph Smith, John Taylor announced on June 27, 1844:
To seal
the testimony of this book [Doc. & Cov.] and the Book of Mormon, we
announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith, the
Patriarch. * * *
. . .
like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, [Joseph Smith] has sealed
his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. (D
& C 135:1, 3)
In a
revelation to Wilford Woodruff, the Lord added more information:
I have
already revealed my will concerning the nation through the mouth of my servant
Joseph, who sealed his testimony with his own blood, which testimony has been
in force upon the world from the hour of his death. (Jan. 26, 1880, revelation,
verse 2; as quoted in 1880-1890
Revelations, Kraut)
John
the Baptist's destiny was to die as a martyr, but he didn't know it. He had
introduced the Kingdom and wanted to see it blossom into a world-wide
organization. Why would anything so wonderful be neglected or rejected? Why
would anyone build the basement to a great home and then not build the rest of
the house? John introduced the Kingdom of God, [141] but something went wrong.
The King of Israel was supposed to finish the work on the establishment of the
Kingdom of God, but John ended up in prison and the Jews rejected Jesus and His
message. Did you ever pack up the car to go on a trip and then the car wouldn't
start? Did you ever plan an important dinner party for several friends and then
burn the roast? Why do special things go so wrong?
We need
to learn that the will of God might be different from ours. We are inclined to
believe that all the good things that happen to us are from God but never the
bad things. Many prophets, saints and good people have been rejected by
society, a church or a nation, but nevertheless that testimony was necessary.
It was God's will as a judgment against them.
John's
mission lasted only 1-1/2 years, but it was long enough; Christ's mission
lasted another 1-1/2 years—two short lives and two short missions. Neither of
them ever realized in mortality the complete fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.
It is a
sad commentary throughout the history of this world that the righteous are
often slain by the wicked. Instead of receiving the light and revelations from
God, some choose darkness and are thus condemned by the blood of the prophets
they have slain.
It was
not only John and Jesus who were slain by the wicked in that dispensation;
nearly all of Christ's original apostles were also martyred, as Wilford
Woodruff explained:
We read
that God set in His Church first Apostles, then prophets, evangelists, pastors,
teachers, gifts, graces and helps; and the office of an Apostle entitles him to
hold the keys of the Kingdom of God,
and what he binds on earth is bound in heaven, and what he [142] looses on
earth is loosed in heaven. The history of the Twelve whom Jesus chose is to be
found in the New Testament; within the lids of that book their travels, the
course they pursued and the doctrines they taught are published to the world. Nearly the whole of them sealed their
testimony with their blood. Some were crucified as their master was; some
were beheaded; and all, except John, suffered martyrdom in some way for the
word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. (JD 13:319-20)
The
testimony, the testament, and the life of John the Baptist came to an abrupt
ending. He was the forerunner to Jesus on the earth, and he became the
forerunner to Jesus in Paradise. It was important for John to go to the spirit
world first to prepare the people to receive Jesus there as he had done in
mortality. He continued to announce, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is nigh
at hand," because Jesus the King would soon be there.
[143] Chapter 19
JESUS ALSO ANNOUNCED THE
KINGDOM
From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. (Matt. 4:17)
For
several hundred years the great prophets had foretold the coming of the
Promised Messiah. The children of Israel sang about Him, mentioned Him in their
scriptures, wrote His name on their door posts, included Him in their eating
habits, and centered their traditions and customs around Him. His coming was
anticipated by the more righteous Israelites as the greatest event in the
world.
The
scriptures indicate He was known by many names. In Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, over 200 names are
listed. (See page 127.) His coming was certainly more than just a personal
appearance. What great message did He bring? What good news did He tell the
Jews? He had more to say than just to keep following their Levitical laws and
customs.
At the
beginning of His ministry, the Messiah went up on the mountain and delivered
what has since been called "the greatest sermon ever." (See Matt. 5
to 7.) How interesting that in that Sermon on the Mount He mentioned God's
Kingdom about ten times. That "Kingdom" seemed to be one of the focal
points for the whole sermon, which was emphasized when he instructed,
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." (Matt. 6:33)
[144]
There are many reasons why the Kingdom rather than the Church should be
considered the most important. Rev. George Peters referred to some of them when
he stated that the Kingdom of God—
1.is
the golden thread which runs through all; and of this kingdom the Bible is the
document.
2.is
the object designed by the oath and covenant.
3.is
the great theme and burden of prophecy.
4.is a
subject which embraces the largest portion of revelation.
5.was
the leading subject of the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ and the
Apostles.
6.was
promoted and established by Jesus who suffered and died to manifest it.
7.is a
blessing and honor to those invited to join by Christ and the Father.
8.is
the result of other preparatory dispensations employed to that end.
9.promises
to exalt, bless and offer man the presence of Jesus and the Father.
10.exhibits
Jesus as the Christ, the Theocratic King.
(See Theocratic Kingdom, vol. 1, p. 30.)
The
announcement about a great "Kingdom" to be restored naturally created
interest among both Jews and Romans. The Jews would herald it as wonderful
news, while the Romans would feel threatened by it. The Jews wanted the Kingdom
of God to break into pieces all the wicked kingdoms of the world, including
that of the Romans who held them in bondage. The Romans would certainly reject
such a Kingdom that was opposed to theirs, and they were in the habit of
destroying all competition. Caesar and Christ were rivals as were their
governments.
[145]
The Romans cared very little about people worshipping gods. The words church or
congregation posed no threat to them. But the one word that did strike an alarm
was "kingdom." Thus when King Herod heard about a new king being
born, he immediately devised a plan to eliminate his competition:
Now
when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king,
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying where is he that
is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come
to worship him.
When
Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And
they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea; for thus it is written by the
prophet, and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my
people Israel. (Matt. 2:1-6)
Herod
asked the wise men to go seek out this new king and then report back so he,
too, could go and worship him. But since when would a Roman king bow down to a
child and worship him? When the wise men realized this fact, they returned home
another way.
Then
Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and
sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the
coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he
had diligently inquired of the wise men. (Matt. 2:16)
When
news of this edict reached Joseph and Mary, they took the young child to Egypt
until they heard that Herod had died.
[146]
The New Testament announcement of the "Kingdom" was the fulfillment
of prophecy from the prophets of the Old Testament. This Kingdom was to put
down evil, bring a new kind of life among men, and elevate the existing
conditions, atmosphere, land, and even the very life of man. So why was it so
drastically opposed? Simply because another kingdom outside Roman control would
be the source of these wonderful conditions.
The
value of the Kingdom of God was not immediately understood or embraced by many
of the people to whom John and Jesus spoke. This was similar to the story of a
farmer who might find the sprout of a precious orchid plant among his vegetable
garden, but immediately pluck it up thinking it was a weed. A camper might find
a diamond in the rough under his pick-up truck, but would throw it away
thinking it was just another worthless rock.
Thus
did Jesus liken His Kingdom to something of great value:
Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a
man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he
hath, and buyeth that field. (Matt. 13:44)
Jesus
began preaching about the Kingdom of God without first being instructed in the
schools of learning. Nor did He first experiment with it to see if it would
work. He didn't even consult the priests or lawyers of that time. What He
proposed had been revealed to Him from heaven because it was the same Kingdom
that existed there. Since this was the Kingdom of Heaven brought down to earth,
one would think that mankind would be excited and happy to receive it. Wrong!
[147]
Jesus knew and understood what the Kingdom was, even from his youth, but it
would not have been wise for Him to reveal that information at that time,
before He could physically defend Himself. Joseph Smith explained:
. . .
it is not always wise to relate all the truth. Even Jesus, the Son of God, had
to refrain from doing so, and had to restrain His feelings many times for the
safety of Himself and His followers, and had to conceal the righteous purposes
of His heart in relation to many things pertaining to His Father's kingdom.
When still a boy He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule
and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most
profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to
appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed; but He was a boy only,
and lacked physical strength even to defend His own person; and was subject to
cold, to hunger and to death. (TPJS, p. 392)
The
prophecies of this Kingdom had been clearly laid out in the scriptures. The
time, place, people, doctrines, and conditions of its return were made clear to
the Jews. They had to acknowledge John the Baptist and his ministry, but by
doing so they were obligated to accept Jesus as the Christ. Joseph Smith
remarked:
John, at that time, was the only legal
administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and
holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned
by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming
obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby
magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. (TPJS, p. 276)
However,
the Jews found reason or justification to sacrifice this kingdom for what they
already had. They were [148] apparently happy with all their menial tasks and
rituals, and thus were willing to reject the fullness of the gospel. Similarly,
the children of Israel had been content with what they had, even at the expense
of exaltation and being in the presence of God.
The
Kingdom which Jesus proclaimed was not new; it was the restoration of King
David's. If anyone wanted to know what the Kingdom of God was about, they just
had to read the book of Kings in the Bible. Of course, the children of Israel
rejected it anciently, and the Jews rejected it in Christ's time. It was not
just a heavenly or spiritual kingdom, but rather a kingdom on earth, as clearly
defined in the Old Testament.
The Old
Testament established the ideal and practice of the Kingdom; the New Testament
restored that ideal.
Both
John and Jesus pronounced the Kingdom as "nigh at hand," which means
it is near. But they warned the people that it could be withdrawn. The Kingdom
was offered, but the offering was rejected.
Jesus
gave us only a little glimmer of light, a brief introduction to the Kingdom of
God, but even at that, what were the consequences? Instead of greatness and
glory in the Kingdom, He was met with suffering and death. Instead of being
acknowledged as King of Israel, He was made to "drink of the bitter
cup," was crowned with a "crown of thorns," and mocked with a
"purple robe." Instead of being accepted as the Messiah, He was
"despised and rejected of men." He "came to His own and His own
received Him not."
While
it is true that Jesus never denied, even in the face of death, His royalty, His
Kingship, His divine and legal right to reign as covenanted, yet it is likewise
true, that, foreseeing His rejection by the nation, . . . He [149] veiled it,
giving us only an occasional glimpse of it. (Theocratic Kingdom, Peters, 1:369)
There
is no reason for Jesus to give all of the information about the Kingdom to the
proud and wicked people who cried for His death. The announcement of the
Kingdom was made, and the invitation was offered, but the people killed the
messengers anyway.
After
Christ's resurrection, the Apostles wondered if the Kingdom would be restored
again, hence they asked Him, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to
Israel?" (Acts 1:6) They with Joseph of Arimathaea "also waited for
the kingdom of God." (Mark 15:43) But Jesus responded, "It is not for
you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own
power." (Acts 1:7) It was going to be a long wait!
[150] Chapter 20
THE GOSPEL, THE CHURCH AND
THE KINGDOM
This
Gospel, this kingdom, this Church, and this people, are the pride of my heart;
I have no pride in anything else. I have pride to see this work roll forth, and
turn over the kingdoms, and break in pieces the nations of the earth. I know
that every man and woman, every nation and king that oppose it, will wither
like a limb that is severed from a tree. (Heber C. Kimball, JD 1:206)
The
Kingdom of God was a popular subject during the ministry of Christ. It was
mentioned 145 times in Matthew; 51 times in Mark; 118 times in Luke; 6 times in
John; and 17 times in Acts.
John
the Baptist said, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
(Matt. 3:2) Jesus said, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand." (Matt. 4:17) The Apostles and Seventies were instructed: "as
ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 10:7)
Certainly
if so much has been said about the "Kingdom of God," we should become
well acquainted with it. However, the children of Israel and the Jews didn't
understand it, nor do the modern Christians and the contemporary Latter-day
Saints.
Most
Catholics, Protestants and even modern Mormons believe that the Gospel, the
Church and the Kingdom are all [151] the same. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Thus, it is important to define these terms. In this chapter, we
will draw mainly upon the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and John for definitions.
The Gospel
The
Gospel of Jesus Christ embodies the teachings of Christ that pertain to the
plan of salvation. Within it are contained the principles, law, doctrines,
ordinances and keys necessary to save and exalt mankind. The Lord explained:
And
this is the gospel, the glad tidings,
which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—that he came into the
world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the
world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
that through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and
made by him; ... (D & C 76:40-42)
And
verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he
that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me. And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then
cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which
showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. (D &
C 39:5-6)
From
the time of Moses the Jews had the "preparatory gospel." In other
words, they had the first principles of the Gospel, which are stepping stones
to the fullness of the Gospel. This Gospel in part was administered by the
Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood and helped mankind prepare for principles and
powers of the higher Priesthood. When Jesus came in the meridian of time, He
tried to give the Jews the fullness of the Gospel which is administered by the
power of the Melchizedek Priesthood, but it was not without competition.
[152]
Since there are so many false prophets, false churches and false kingdoms, it
is difficult to maintain the true Gospel. In writing to the Galatians, Paul
warned:
I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel; Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. * * *
But I
certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal. 1:6-8,
11-12)
Both
true and false churches are in danger of teaching a false gospel. Jesus warned
the Nephites:
And how
be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in
Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man
then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my
church, if it so be that they are built
upon my gospel.
Verily
I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel;
therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if
ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will
hear you;
And if
it so be that the church is built upon
my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it. But if it be
not built upon my gospel, and is
built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto
you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh,
and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.
For
their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn
down; therefore [153] remember the things that I have told you. (3 Nephi
27:8-12)
The Church
A
church is like a business and in most instances it is. A business is an
organization containing officers, secretaries, public relations, financiers,
salesmen, etc. So the church is an organization of people with different
offices and callings. Almost all churches are corporations, including the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—which means they are subservient by
contract to the laws and demands of the government under which they
incorporated.
Paul compared the body of the church to the
human body, with each part functioning for the benefit of the whole:
For as
the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or
free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the
body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the
hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear
shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body?
If the
whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing,
where were the smelling?
But now
hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many
members, yet but one body. (I. Cor. 12:12-20)
And to
the Ephesians, Paul listed some of the offices of this church organization:
[154]
And he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; . . . (Eph. 4:11-12)
These
offices, along with high priests, bishops, elders, seventies, deacons, and
priests, comprise the organization of the Church, then and now. None of these
offices, however, is mentioned as a part of the organization or structure of
the Kingdom of God.
If you
change the principles of the Gospel, is it the same Gospel? If you change the
organization of the Church is it the same Church? If you throw out the
Seventies, do away with the Evangelist (patriarch), and make High Priests
assistants to the Apostles, does this not change the structure of the Church to
the extent that it loses its original identity?
In
testimony meetings the comment is often made, "I know the Church is
true," but seldom do we hear, "I know the Gospel is true." But
in either case, since both the organization of the Church and the Gospel
principles and ordinances they have selected to accept and obey have been
changed, one wonders which Church and Gospel the person is bearing testimony
about.
The Kingdom
The
Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men are governments. The Kingdom of God can
rule both political and ecclesiastical forms of government as it was under the
Theocratic Davidic Kingdom.
When
speaking of God's Kingdom, it can be in heaven or on earth. Of course, it
always exists in heaven, but it may not [155] always be organized on the earth.
Jesus gave us a simple prayer, but even in that He said:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth. (Luke 11:2)
So far,
for any considerable length of time, God's will has not been done, nor has the
Kingdom come. If we had the Kingdom of God on the earth, then His will would be
done on earth as it is in heaven. When people are purged of sin and have become
righteous, then the fruits of the Kingdom are evident. Jesus remarked:
Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 7:21)
And
Brigham Young explained:
The
kingdom that Daniel saw will push forth its law, and that law will protect the
Methodists, Quakers, Pagans, Jews, and every other creed there ever was or ever
will be, in their religious rights. At the same time the Priesthood will bear
rule, and hold the government of the Kingdom under control in all things, so
that every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the
Father, that Jesus is the Christ. Every one must bow to the Savior, and
acknowledge and confess him with their mouths. Can they still be Methodists?
Yes. (JD 2:189)
While
the church is a religion, the kingdom is a government. The Church of Jesus
Christ will never be obligated to protect the Catholics, Protestants, pagans
and Jews in their rights. Church government will not rule in civil matters, and
civil government will not regular the affairs of churches.
[156]
When the Apostles all met together and Jesus appeared to them, they asked Him,
"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6) This was after His
resurrection, and the church had been expanding greatly with missionary work
going on in many different nations. Yet, here they are asking when the Kingdom was going to be restored.
Clearly the Church and the Kingdom are not the same.
In the
twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation, John records a very interesting and
important account that can be applied to the Church and the Kingdom of God. It
tells of a woman giving birth to a male child while a dragon is standing by
ready to devour the child. The prophecy reads:
And
there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the
moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being
with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
And
there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having
seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew
the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour
her child as soon as it was born.
And she
brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and
her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into
the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed
her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [3-1/2 years] (Revel.
12:1-6)
By way
of interpretation, the woman could represent the Church of Jesus Christ, and
the "crown of twelve stars" could mean the twelve apostles who help
govern the Church.
[157]
When the woman, or church, "fled into the wilderness" for a long
time, this actually happened to the early Christian Church. The woman suffered
distress from the devil, and she "cried, travailing in birth, and pained
to be delivered." The "dragon stood before the woman which was ready
to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." The
Church would give birth, or create the child, that the devil was apparently
more determined to destroy than the woman herself.
So who
or what was the child? The devil was very worried about this man child who was
to "rule all nations with a rod of iron." The rod has been
interpreted as the word of God. (See 1 Nephi 15:23-24.) The word
"rule" signified government, which would pertain to the Kingdom of
God ruling over all nations. This was mentioned in the previous chapter when
John wrote, "The kingdoms of this world are (to) become the kingdoms of
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev.
11:15)
Thus,
the Church of Jesus Christ will create or give birth to the Kingdom of God,
which will rule over all nations. This interpretation was verified by Joseph
Smith in his Inspired Translation of the Bible:
And the
dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which
was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth
the kingdom of our God and his Christ. (Rev. 12:7, I.V.)
This
clearly defines the difference between the Church of Christ and the Kingdom of
God.
[158] Chapter 21
THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM VERSUS THE
GOSPEL OF THE CHURCH
And
Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of
disease among the people.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
The
"Gospel of the Kingdom" was taught at the beginning of Christ's
ministry, for Matthew records, He was "teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom."
(Matt. 4:23) And later, "Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. . . ." (Matt. 9:35) Mark says,
"Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God." (Mark 1:14) Then in Christ's
last major sermon, He said, "This gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:14)
The
logical question follows, "What is the difference between the gospel of
the kingdom and the gospel of the church?" These two can be the same or
they can be different. The gospel of God's Kingdom always remains the same. It
cannot be changed by mankind because it is founded upon principles, laws and
ordinances that are consistent, eternal, everlasting and unchangeable.
[159]
On June 5, 1965, the Church News
printed an editorial entitled, "Our Unchangeable Deity." It is an
outstanding and inspired piece of literature. Excerpts follow:
The
great mistake made down through the ages by teachers of Christianity, is that
they have supposed they could place their own private interpretation upon scriptures,
allow their own personal convenience to become a controlling factor, and change
the basics of Christian law and practice to suit themselves. This is apostasy.
The
Gospel cannot possibly be changed. Mankind is the same, with similar
tendencies, hopes, desires, temptations, and inclinations. Human nature was no
different in the days of Cain and Abel from what it is today, nor in the time
of Christ.
The
heaven we hope to achieve is eternal and unchangeable. Therefore to bring the
same human nature to the same goal, regardless of the time in which a person
lives, requires the same steps and procedures. For that reason the saving principles must ever be the
same. They can never change.
The
editorial continued by using reason and logic to reach a correct observation:
To say
that the Gospel may be changed is to say that either God has changed, or that
human nature is no longer human nature.
It is
obvious therefore that no one can change the Gospel, and that if they attempt
to do so, they only set up a man-made system which is not the Gospel, but is
merely a reflection of their own views. And since only God can save, only His
Gospel can save, and if we substitute "any other Gospel," there is no
salvation in it.
In
conclusion, the author of the editorial asks the obvious questions, which not
only apply to the Catholics and Protestants, but also to the Mormons. No one
can escape the [160] responsibility of asking and learning the answers to these
questions:
Did its
leaders receive a commission—by a current revelation—from the Almighty? Are
they truly called of God?
Are the
doctrines and rituals of the Church in harmony with the Bible, or are they
creations of men who—though well meaning—have gone off on a tangent?
Is its
program in strict harmony with the Bible? If the principles by which any of us
attempt to save ourselves are contrary to the Bible, we may know they are man's
teachings, not God's, for the Lord and His gospel remain the same—always.
The Gospel of the Church
Although
the Gospel of the Kingdom does not change, the Gospel of the Church is subject
to changes, according to the will of the people. This is accomplished through
the process of voting. There is always a need for certain changes in the
Church, i.e., changes in officers, in handling money, and in policies and
procedures. Changes can come through official declarations or messages from the
First Presidency. Then they are voted on by Church members, who even vote on
whether or not to accept revelations from the Lord. And pertaining to the
Church, this is as it should be. The Lord wants His people to have their free
agency, and to choose those things that please them most, for He has said
things should be done by "common consent."
And all
things shall be done by common consent
in the church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by
faith. Amen. (D & C 26:2)
[161]
For all
things must be done in order, and by common
consent in the church, by the prayer of faith. (D & C 28:13)
And
there shall not any part of it be used, or taken out of the treasury, only by
the voice and common consent of the
order. (D & C 104:71)
Joseph
Fielding Smith explained the necessity of the "consent of the people"
and the "vote of the Church" in determining Church officers ad
doctrines:
No man
can preside in this Church in any capacity without the consent of the people. The Lord has placed upon us the
responsibility of sustaining by vote those who are called to various positions
of responsibility. (Doc. of Sal.
3:123)
The
Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price
including the Articles of Faith, have been received by the vote of the Church in general conference assembled as the standard
works of the Church. On this platform we stand. (Doc. of Sal. 1:322)
The
children of Israel have never been forced to accept the fullness of the Gospel,
because that would be contrary to the Lord's plan. He allows them to make their
choices either right or wrong, and they reap either the blessings or cursings
that result from their choices.
Voting
on new officers and better procedures is one thing, but voting to change
doctrines, principles, laws and ordinances is quite another. How many of these
changes can be made before you have "another gospel." Paul warned:
I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that [162]
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal. 1:6-7)
When
did changes in the Gospel occur in the early Christian Church? They happened
even while Jesus and His Apostles were still alive. Major changes were also
made when Christianity joined with Romanism, and when Protestantism broke away
from the mother church. And worst of all, there have been changes in the
restored Gospel of the Church in this dispensation of the fullness of times.
The
Savior said, "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men." (Matt. 15:9) In other words, the people who were
associated with Christ in the flesh perverted the Gospel. He warned that if
anyone attempts to "climbeth up some some other way, the same is a thief
and a robber." (John 10:1)
The
Apostle Paul gave a similar warning to the Galatians: "As we said before,
so say I now again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye
have received, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:9)
Religion
goes through processes that create an evolution of religious thought. The
intellectuals, the philosophers and the rich often see religious things from a
different perspective. But since the Gospel net gathers fish of all kinds,
sometimes the wrong ones get into leadership positions. They might do things to
make the Church popular and wealthy, but to do so they change laws, ordinances
and principles. Most members perceive these actions to be the will of the Lord
and the changes to be evidence of progress and blessings. But in the process,
"another gospel" has been created.
It is
usually the nature of mankind to attempt to improve on what God has given, and
they find very "reasonable" [163] justifications for doing so. But
when many minor changes are allowed, the result often has major consequences.
The
controversial book, Why the Church is As
True as the Gospel by Eugene England, brings up many questions:
*Why
does the Church often change the teachings of the Gospel?
*Can
one Gospel be taught in one era of society and a different Gospel taught for a
different society and both of them be true?
*Can
people be saved or exalted on a flexible Gospel with different principles?
*Was the
Gospel of Jesus Christ the same in 100 A.D. as it was at the time Jesus was
alive?
*Was
the Gospel the same in 325 A.D. when Constantine and the Romans dictated the
beliefs of the Christian Church?
*Was
the Gospel the same, and just as true, at the time of Martin Luther and the
Reformation?
*In
1830 which Church was as true as the Church that Jesus established? Which
Gospel was as true as it was when Jesus taught it?
*If the
Gospel of the Church and the Gospel of the Kingdom are not the same, how can they
both be true?
*If we
have made so many changes in the Gospel and the Church, can they still remain
true?
*Since
there have been so many changes in the Church and the Gospel over the last
century, are they as true today as at the time of Joseph Smith?
*If a
person today believes in the same Church and the same Gospel as taught by
Joseph Smith, why are they excommunicated?
[164]
Mr. England may be technically correct in his statement that the Church is as
true as the Gospel because if changes are made in both, then it could be said
that one is as true as the other!
To
illustrate how this works—on March 1, 1842, Joseph Smith wrote a letter
"at the request of Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the
Chicago Democrat concerning the "rise, progress, persecution, and faith of
the Latter-day Saints." (DHC 4:541) Included in Joseph's letter were 13
statements summarizing the beliefs of the Latter-day Saints. Then in 1890,
nearly 50 years later, the LDS Church presented these statements called "The
Articles of Faith" to the Church members for their vote, and they were
"adopted at the last general conference" (Mess. of the First Pres. 3:209) as part of the belief and canon of
the Church.
Also in
1890 Church leaders presented the Manifesto to the members, and it was accepted
as one of the laws of the Church "as a result of a vote of the General
Conference of the Church." (Mess.
of the First Pres. 3:194) "The vote in support of this motion was
nearly unanimous," (Des. News
Weekly, Oct. 11, 1890, p. 526) showing that it was accepted by the majority
vote of the members attending that session of Conference. However, B. H.
Roberts commented:
There
were many of the Church members that were distressed in their spirits over the
action which the Church had taken. . . . They had suffered greatly on account
of it. They were prepared to suffer more. (CHC 6:223)
But the
majority vote determined the outcome. The Lord will not force His laws and
principles on Church members. They have their free agency, and it is by their
choice that they are governed. The members of other world churches [165] also
have the freedom to choose the kind of gospel they want, and they have not
chosen to conform to the Gospel of the Kingdom either.
Our
votes, pro or con, can affect not only our destiny in mortality but also our
station in immortality, depending upon the kind of gospel we choose. If we want
a fullness of blessings in the Celestial Kingdom, we must abide by the fullness
of the Gospel, as the Prophet Joseph explained: "Any person who is exalted
to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law,
too." (TPJS, p. 331)
The
difference between the fullness of the Gospel and a gospel that's not quite as
full can be compared to a full-time job and a part-time one. The salary and
benefits/rewards are different. Moses and the children of Israel experienced
this:
To
Moses the Lord first gave the higher priesthood and revealed the fulness of the
gospel. But Israel rebelled and manifest such gross unworthiness that their God
took from them the power whereby they could have become a kingdom of priests
and of kings and gave them instead a lesser law. (Bruce R. McConkie, Doc. N.T. Comm. 2:140)
In
short, then, if we do not have the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is the fullness
of the Gospel, then we must have "another gospel."
[166] Chapter 22
THE LAST SUPPER
PROPHECY
And he
said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before
I suffer. (Luke 22:15)
Jesus
made an interesting prophecy at the time of the passover. His sacrament was to
be called the Last Supper, and His prophecy pertained not only to Him but also
to His Kingdom:
And as
they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and
said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them,
This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say
unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I
drink it new in the kingdom of God.
(Mark 14:22-25)
There
are three significant elements described in this passage of scripture: (1) the
mode of the passover sacrament; (2) the significance and type of Christ's
fasting; and (3) the prophecy of a future event pertaining to the Kingdom. This
chapter will discuss these three items in greater detail.
1.The Mode of the Passover
Sacrament
The
sacrament of ancient times was different from that of modern times. The
"Last Supper" was literally a supper, and [167] the bread and wine
constituted a meal. The wine used on that occasion was "new" wine
(grape juice), meaning that it was not "old" or fermented, as wine is
today. A loaf of bread was passed around and each person tore off a large
piece, big enough to serve as a meal, or "supper."
The
ancient sacrament of the Lord's supper was much more than just a tiny emblem of
bread and a short swallow of water, as we learn from the following two
references:
Elder
Orson Hyde was the teacher and saluted the brethren with uplifted hands, and
they also answered with uplifted hands. Spoke of the administration of the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The brethren always went fasting; they went in
the morning, remained until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when each had
a glass of wine and piece of bread, after the ancient pattern. (Zebedee
Coltrin, S.L. School of the Prophets,
Pioneer Press, pp. 62-63)
He
[Philo Dibble] related an event that took place in Far West, Missouri, June or
July 1838. The Prophet Joseph Smith gave the people . . . a pattern of the true
manner of partaking of the sacrament.
The
people came together in the morning without their breakfast, to the bowery on
the Public Square where there was prepared a plenty of good bread and a barrel
of wine. The bread and wine was blessed, every person ate bread and drank wine
as they wanted all day, when they wanted. They sat and talked, and walked and
conversed upon heavenly and spiritual things as they felt like. Walked out on
the Prairie and returned to eat and drink.
No one
said, "Let's go and get a drink," but with solemnity they
commemorated the death and suffering of Jesus. (Oliver B. Huntington Journal, Pioneer Press, p. 31)
[168]
2.Christ's Fasting
Jesus
said, "I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that
I drink it new in the kingdom of God." In other words, when the Kingdom of
God is fully organized on the earth, then He will again drink the
"new" wine or grape juice. This means that He has not had a drink of
the "fruit of the vine" for about 2000 years. This is a long and
peculiar kind of fast, but it is one which He made because of the significance
of the events surrounding its triumphal conclusion.
3.Christ's Prophecy Pertaining
to the Kingdom
Christ's
prophecy that He would drink new wine again when He could drink it after the
Kingdom of God was established on the earth, has not yet been fulfilled. The
circumstances surrounding that event were revealed to the Prophet Joseph:
Wherefore,
marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with
you on the earth, and with Moroni . . . and also with Elias . . and also John
the son of Zacharias . . . and also Elijah . . . and also with Joseph and
Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham . . . and also with Michael, or Adam, the father
of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days; and also with Peter, and James,
and John . . . and also with all those whom my Father hath given me out of the
world. (See D & C 27.)
So when
the Kingdom of God is once again established on the earth, Jesus is going to
have a very special party. Only a few select people will receive invitations,
but those who go will celebrate the final establishment of the Kingdom of God
on the earth, and then Jesus will once again drink of the fruit of the vine. As
the Host, He will also provide the wine as He did at His marriage at Cana.
[169]
Jesus looked down the corridor of time for 2000 years to see something that the
disciples could not fully realize. It was, to be sure, an event they all wanted
to see—a kingdom government that would put down the evil governments of the
world. They understood the overall function of the kingdom but not the personal
and emotional event that it was destined to be. They also thought Jesus was
going to be gone for just a short time, and then He would return and straighten
everything out. It was an event they expected very soon. They knew many people
they wanted to see put out of office. Jesus didn't tell them that it would be
more than 2000 years in the future. And even today, we still think the
re-establishment of the Kingdom of God is just around the corner.
[170] Chapter 23
THE KING OF THE
JEWS
And
Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and
said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be
betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn
him to death. (Matt. 20:17-18)
In the
wilderness Jesus met his antagonist, his arch rival, the enemy of all that He
stood for. Satan tempted Jesus three times in an attempt to make Him sin:
1.Food. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus
was hungry; thus the devil tempted Him with food. Jesus quoted scripture to
combat it: "Man shall not live by bread alone." (Matt. 4:4)
2.Power. Then the tempter took Jesus out
of the wilderness into Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and told Him to jump off. In response, Jesus again quoted scripture: "Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Matt. 4:7)
3.Dominion. The devil had saved his most
enticing temptation for last, wherein he offered Jesus "all the kingdoms
of the world."
Again,
the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all
the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these
things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (Matt. 4:8-9)
[171]
But
once again Christ used a passage of scripture as His answer: "Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Matt. 4:10)
It was
to be a trade-off—one kingdom for another. It was for Babylon and all she had
to offer. She was the great temptress of which it is said:
For all
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings
of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the
earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Rev. 18:3)
Such
temptations have also been the most appealing to mankind to gain riches, honors,
power and dominion. But we cannot serve Babylon and the Kingdom of God at the
same time.
The
Kingdom of God loses many of its members because opposing churches and
governments offer power, honor and wealth. The Kingdom of God requires work and
endurance, while at the same time attracting opposition and persecution. But
Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world, nor are the rewards always
received in this world, as are those in earthly kingdoms.
All the
prophets had difficulty promoting the Kingdom of God, and many of them lost all
their worldly goods or even their lives in the process.
In
reality, when the devil offers the kingdoms of this world to anyone, it is a
lie, as he does not own anything in this world—not even an inch of real estate.
He is a claim jumper giving the false impression of ownership.
[172]
Membership in the Kingdom of God is just the opposite of membership in worldly
kingdoms with all their kings, politicians, nobles, presidents, etc. For
example, the learned, rich and powerful seek the kingdoms of the world. But
Jesus explained, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your
servant." (Matt. 20:27) Can you imagine the kings of the world assuming
the role of servants?
Regarding
Christ's position as king, it had been prophesied that, "Behold, thy King
cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass. . . ." (Matt. 21:5) So
when Jesus rode it into Jerusalem, the people "cut down branches from the
trees" and threw them down before the ass and the multitude sang
"Hosanna to the son of [King] David" (v. 8 & 9). They were
recognizing Jesus as their King and fulfilling the following ancient prophecy:
Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King
cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an
ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)
What a
humble demonstration by the greatest of all kings!
With
their stubbornness and unrepentant hearts, the Jews sent lawyers to trap Jesus
so they could prosecute and even condemn Him to death. Jesus warned them that
"The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matt. 21:43) But it fell on deaf ears
for "when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they
perceived that he spake of them." (Matt. 21:45) And indeed He was!
[173]
The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because they were afraid to lose their
"place and nation," as John quoted them: "If we let him thus
alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away
both our place and nation." (John 11:48) Thus, because they killed Jesus,
within 40 years they lost their nation, their temple and their priesthood. Most
of them also lost their lives. Even the Roman Empire, which had reached its height
and glory at this time, began to crumble and fall. Jesus could have built the
Kingdom of Judah up to its greatest glory and also thrown down the Roman
Empire. But in their stubbornness and pride they lost everything.
Jesus told the chief priests and Pharisees
that "the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before
you." (Matt. 21:31) Can you imagine how terrible this would sound to men
who were claiming to be the most righteous of all people? Why should these
Jewish leaders, who paid tithing on the spices they used, walked only a certain
number of steps on the Sabbath, etc., be considered less than the harlots?
Talking to harlots was one of the charges made against Jesus. At one time Jesus
talked to such a woman, and when the disciples came they "marvelled that
he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest
thou with her?" (John 4:27)
On
another occasion Simon, a Pharisee, saw Jesus talking to a similar woman and
"spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have
known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a
sinner." (Luke 7:39) Interestingly, Christ's conversation with these women
was almost casual, but when He talked to the Jewish Pharisees, He was quite harsh
and fierce. He even called them hypocrites, a child of hell, fools, blind
guides, serpents, and vipers. In any case, He was more tolerant of harlots and
prostitutes than of Jewish religious leaders and said the harlots would go into
the Kingdom of God before they would!
[174]
Jesus had related to them a prophetic parable telling about those who would and
would not be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven:
And
Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of
heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent
forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would
not come.
Again,
he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I
have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are
ready: come unto the marriage.
But
they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully,
and slew them.
But
when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and
destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his
servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
(Matt. 22:1-8)
The Jews,
then, were those who would be denied entrance into the Kingdom by the King
Himself.
Nevertheless,
the Pharisees and Sadducees continued to plot ways that they might trap Jesus,
but He seemed to continually outsmart them. Finally He told them they were
"hypocrites, blind guides, fools, whited sepulchres, and serpents,"
and a lot more. (See Matt. 23.) That was the last straw! They didn't want to
repent; they wanted to kill Him. The term "whited sepulchre" was
about the worst swear word that could be used to describe them.
Jesus
had predicted to His disciples that in two days, during the Feast of the
Passover that He would be betrayed—and it came to pass:
[175]
Then
assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the
people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and
consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. (Matt. 26:3-4)
When
Judas betrayed Him, he brought a "great multitude with swords and staves,
from the chief priests and elders of the people." (Matt. 26:47) False
witnesses accused Him of blasphemy which was a crime worthy of death according
to the Jews. When Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate, they charged Him with
being a King which was a capital crime with Romans. Pontius asked Jesus,
"Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
sayest." (Matt. 27:11) [You said it!]
When
Jesus was found guilty, Pilate's soldiers took Him to the common hall:
And
they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a
crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and
they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (Matt.
27:28-30)
It is
interesting to note that this whole trial and condemnation was over the fact
that Christ claimed to be a king, and thus they mocked Him in a corresponding
manner.
These
rebellious, hard-hearted leaders did not want to admit their wrongs, nor did
they want to lose their positions. They didn't care if Jesus took multitudes
upon on the mountains and preached beautiful beatitude sermons; they didn't
care if He went about healing the sick, the blind and the lame; nor did they
care if He quoted scriptures and made prophecies. [176] But they did care about
His claims of kingship and His doctrines and objectives pertaining to the
Kingdom!
When He
was taken to Golgotha and crucified, the inscription over His cross described
His crime: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." The inscription was
written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
One of
the thieves on a cross beside Him said, "If he be the King of Israel, let
him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." (Matt. 27:42)
But
some of the Jews protested:
Then
said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews;
but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I
have written. (John 19:21-22)
How
interesting that Jesus was killed for political rather than for religious
reasons. Likewise, Joseph Smith was killed more for his political position and
influence than for his religion. They killed Jesus for claiming to be a King in
Israel, and Joseph because of his growing popularity as a candidate for U.S.
President.
[177] Chapter 24
KINGS AND QUEENS IN THE
KINGDOM
They
[those whose bodies are celestial] are they who are the church of the
Firstborn. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—They
are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of
his glory. (D & C 76:54-56)
Since
the beginning of time men have proclaimed themselves to be kings—good and bad,
insane and strange. They have usually had a queen, for a king's court is hardly
complete without a queen. In some instances, the queen has saved the king and
even his kingdom.
Regardless
of all the pomp and show, riches and honors, the title of king connotes both
temporal and spiritual obligations. Most kings have ruled with blood and
terror, making mankind slaves to their vain ambitions. John Taylor made an
interesting observation:
Go
back, however, to their origin, and you will find that their kingdoms were
first obtained by the sword; they stole their kingdoms and power, and then got
priests to sanctify the theft. (JD 5:189)
But the
title of king has also been held by many of God's choicest disciples who are
willing to be subservient to Him. And over these kings reigns Jesus the Christ,
who is "King of kings."
[178]
Christ
is the King of Kings (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:11-16), a title signifying
far more than the mere fact that he as the Eternal King holds dominion over
mere earthly kings. Rather, those who gain exaltation are ordained kings and
queens, priests and priestesses, in which positions they shall exercise power
and authority in the Lord's eternal kingdoms forever. (Rev. 1:6; 5:10) Christ
as the chief of all exalted beings continues to hold dominion and sway over
these other exalted kings and saints and consequently reigns as King of Kings
and King of Saints forever. (Rev. 15:3) (Mormon
Doctrine, McConkie, p. 424)
One of
the scriptures pertaining to the Kingdom of God that needs clarifying is,
"Behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21) This has
thrown off many Christian ministers from a true understanding of the term. For
instance, a prominent source of Christian theology stated: "The kingdom of
God refers to the spiritual rule of Christ within the heart of those who are
saved." (Wycliff Bible Enc., p.
99) However, in another scripture from the Inspired Translation, Jesus said,
"the mysteries of the kingdom ye shall keep within yourselves; for it is
not meet to give that which is holy unto the dogs." (Matt. 7:10, I.V.)
This is further clarified by Joseph Smith:
And
where there is a priest of God—a minister who has power and authority from God
to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood
of God—there is the kingdom of God. (TPJS, p. 271)
In recorded history, the first mention of
kings was in a promise made to Abraham. The Lord told him:
And I
will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. (Gen.
17:6)
[179]
And I
will bless her [Sarah], and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her,
and she shall be a mother of nations; kings
of people shall be of her. (Gen. 17:16)
This
title was promised not only through blood lines but also by sacred ordinance
and ordination. John the Beloved said that Jesus "hath made us kings and priests unto
God" (Rev. 1:6), which indicates that they were "made" or set
apart by special calling and title at a particular time and place.
And
while men were being made kings by ordination, so, too, were women made queens,
as John Taylor stated:
You
have been ordained kings and queens, and priests and priestesses to your Lord:
you have been put in possession of principles that all the kings, potentates,
and powers upon the earth are entirely ignorant of: they do not understand it;
but you have received this from the hands of God. . . . (Gospel Kingdom, p. 222)
When
John, the Revelator, was banished to the Isle of Patmos, he wrote his
remarkable book, "The Revelation of St. John the Divine." Written
circa 96 A.D., it contains several interesting statements concerning kings. For
example, twice he mentioned an ordination that he and some others had received
from Jesus Christ: Jesus had "made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father" (Rev. 1:6), and He had "made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:10)
This is
an ordination that is not completely understood by the sectarian world. In
Christ's time, anyone set apart as a "king" outside regular channels
would naturally cause concern among gentile kings, especially in Rome. As
mentioned in the preceding chapter, claiming to be a king to "reign on the
earth" was the main charge leveled at Jesus and the main [180] reason he
was crucified. This same fate would certainly follow His disciples if they
received such an ordination and made such a claim.
It is
apparent that John was talking about an office of Priesthood which included
both "kings and priests" who could officiate in both political and
religious affairs. It is certainly reasonable that if Jesus was King of kings,
He would have selected His most loyal disciples to receive that calling. John
himself verifies this: "He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they
that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (Rev. 17:14)
Kings
and queens are a part of the official royalty of the High Priesthood. These are
offices and callings for those who have become Saints, and they will be kings
and queens in the Kingdom of God on earth as well as in heaven.
The question now arises as to who has the
authority and which church still claims the right to perform this special
anointing? John Taylor answers this question:
Authority
to anoint kings and queens, in order that they may be anointed of the Lord,
must be given in one of three ways. It must, first, have been given by
revelation to the primitive Christian Church, authorizing them to administer in
this ordinance, and empowering their successors to do it; secondly, by direct
revelation; or, otherwise, it must have been transmitted from the ancient Jews,
through a lineal descent. In regard to the first, we find no such record in the
New Testament; neither Jesus, nor his Apostles, nor any of the seventies, nor
elders, ever administered in this ordinance, or spoke of it as being associated
with the powers of their ministry. Consequently, no power can come from there.
* * *
[181]
In
regard to the second position, all Christendom deny present revelation; and
thus from their own confession they have not obtained their authority from that
source; and in regard to the third, if there was authority associated with the
Jews to ordain kings, the Christians certainly could not claim a Jewish rite;
for the Jewish nation and authority were all destroyed; "they were broken
off because of unbelief." (Rom. 11:17, 19, 20) The Christians obtained all
their authority to officiate from Jesus Christ, and not from the Jews.
Whichever way you look at it, there is no foundation for any such authority,
and consequently the anointing is all a farce, for it does not originate with
God. (The Government of God, John
Taylor, pp. 59-60)
The
Kingdom of God was to be distinguished from the Church of Jesus Christ. The
titles of king and queen were not found among the offices and officers of His
Church. The office and calling of "king" was a political one, not
religious. Even though kings were sanctioned and set apart in a religious
setting, they became part of a separate body or organization. Even in the
gentile world, this tradition has been handed down through the line of
religious leaders, such as in the case of the kings and queens of England. The
coronations of British kings and queens are done by their highest religious
officers, before assuming their political duties.
[182] Chapter 25
VESTIGE OF THE
KINGDOM
Lift up
your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the
Father; and it is his good will to give
you the kingdom. (D & C 19:5)
After
Jesus and others ordained men to be "kings," then what? Was there
some kind of organization, quorum or council to which they could belong? They
shouldn't be expected to just wander off with the title of "king" and
not have any further affiliation with others holding the same title.
Within
the Catholic Church there are still a few rudiments from the original Church of
Christ, but many practices and doctrines have been lost along its 2,000-year
historical path. We wonder, how far along this path did the concept of kings
and queens originate? One early and interesting account of kings comes from
King Arthur.
Historians
have been chasing the story of King Arthur for many years, thus bringing to
light considerable history and a variety of legends. Today it is difficult to
separate true legend from glowing fiction. After the 12th century, the
portrayal of King Arthur began to include new stories, legends and myths, and
some were so bizarre and unbelievable, they caused many facts to then be
considered as fiction. This seems to be common with many historical events.
The
first writer consciously to draw on the still largely oral sources pertaining
to Arthur was a 12th-century "historian" named Geoffrey of Monmouth.
He it [183] was created a vehicle for the seemingly inexhaustible supply of
stories concerning the exploits of Arthur and his heroes by writing a History of the Kings of Britain. (The Arthurian Tradition, John Matthews,
p. 3)
Historians,
however, continually uncover material that tends to verify the actual existence
of this venerable king. They have found the story repeated in the writings of a
ninth-century Welsh monk named Nennius. Before that, he was mentioned in a
book, Life of St. Columba, in the
seventh century and in a Celtic poem "Gododdin" written about 600
A.D. His story goes back far enough that it could even be an idea that survived
from something originated by Christ Himself.
This
story of King Arthur, coming from the Middle Ages, has many of the earmarks of
being a remnant of the Kingdom of God. It is based on the life of a wise and
honorable man who fit the mold as being someone who honored the Kingdom of God.
He was a Christian king; he had a kingdom and revered God as his personal and
supreme King over his own kingdom. His friend Merlin was a spiritual advisor,
much the same as a prophet would be.
Arthur,
however, became obsessed with Roman Christianity, to the extent that he began
to regard his Guletic cavalry as a holy army. This disposition led to
considerable disturbance within the Celtic Church, for Arthur was, after all,
destined to be the next King of Scots. (Bloodlines
of the Holy Grail, Laurence Gardner, p. 148)
Some
old records indicate that Arthur had three wives; however, Laurence Gardner
admitted to only two. He related that "Arthur was married to Gwenhwyfar of
Brittany, but she bore him no children. On the other hand, he did father Modred
by Morgaine." (Ibid., p. 151) King Arthur died in 603 A.D.
[184]
Several hundred years later (1191 A.D.) an important discovery was made when
some monks at Glastonbury discovered the remains of King Arthur. The story was
related by Gardner:
Some 16
feet (c. 4.8 metres) below ground, in a hollowed oak canoe, they unearthed the
bones of a tall man, along with some smaller bones and a tress of golden hair.
Such a find was of little consequence in its own right, but the monks were in
luck, for not far above the log coffin there was said to have been a leaden
cross embedded in stone. Upon the cross was inscribed "Hic lacet Sepultus
Inclytus Rex Arthurius In Insula Avallonia Cum Uxore Sua Secunda
Wenneveria" ("Here lies interred the renowned King Arthur in the Isle
of Avalon with his second wife Guinevere.") Not only had they found
Arthur's grave but they had also conveniently found written proof that
Glastonbury was the Isle of Avalon!
However,
the Roman Church officials were far from happy that Guinevere was described as
the king's "second" wife, and it was asserted that the inscription
was obviously incorrect. This posed something of an immediate problem but, soon
afterwards the legend reappeared, miraculously changed in spelling and format.
This time it dispensed with Guinevere altogether, so that it was far more in
keeping with requirement: "Hic lacet Sepultus Inclitus Rex Arturius In
Insula Avalonia" ("Here lies interred the renowned King Arthur in the
Isle of Avalon"). (Ibid., pp. 154-155)
The
much loved story of King Arthur is familiar to readers worldwide, but to Mormon
historians, there are items of particular interest, the most fascinating being
the number of knights that were supposed to be seated at the Round Table. It is
recorded that these were men of the "most
prowess and worship to fill at least fifty of the seats." (Sir Thomas
Malory in Le Morte D'Arthur, as
quoted by John Mathews in The Arthurian
Tradition, p. 28)
[185]
The legend of King Arthur is one of an honorable king who left behind the
beautiful story of Camelot. Fact or fiction, it doesn't really matter here,
because it revives the spirit and inspiration of a magnificent kingdom. Yes,
the king is dead, but his legend lingers on. In our imagination we still like
to picture such a great king, glorious queen, and honorable knights of the
Round Table.
The
glorious vision of Camelot has not passed away. Most people dream of living in
a kingdom where there is no evil or temptation, and they can bask in the
sunshine of love and happiness forever! However, these do not need to be
impossible dreams, as ancient prophecies mention that this condition will
someday become a reality, and God has promised an even better kingdom
eventually.
It is
recorded that alongside King Arthur's body lay his sword—the weapon he used to
fight so valiantly for the peace and freedom of his kingdom. King Arthur's
sword had a special significance, and can be compared to another sword,
described by Brigham Young:
When
Joseph [Smith] got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to
the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went
there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large
and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the
light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day.
They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room.
Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there
were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they
were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went
there the sword of Laban hung upon
the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the
table across the gold plates; it [186] was unsheathed, and on it was written
these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom
of our God and his Christ." (JD 19:38)
It is
with great interest we learn that as time goes on, adding new chapters,
discoveries from the past also continue to reveal new historical facts; there
continue to be archaeological discoveries revealing many important finds. Who
knows what swords, metal plates, coins, records and artifacts may yet be
discovered and restored. And even greater than these will be the restoration of
that elusive but promised Kingdom of God.
[187] Chapter 26
CONCLUSION:
Prophecy of the Kingdom
in the Latter
Days
And the
kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Dan. 7:27)
By the
turn of the first century, all the Apostles of Christ had been killed (except
for John who was translated), and with them went the Holy Priesthood and its
sacred laws, covenants and ordinations; only a shadow of the original remained.
There were no magnificent churches or cathedrals, and no sacred temples to
perform their holy rites and ordinances. The Church of Christ had never become
a faction to be reckoned with; indeed the disciples were among the poorest,
most destitute of all. They met occasionally in their homes, in barns or in the
forests. They lived fearful lives and were despised and persecuted by society.
Christianity by all standards had not been a successful movement.
The
remaining Christians carried on the best they could even though many were fed
to lions, burned at the stake or left to rot in prison. It was not until 300
years later that the great Roman Empire considered Christianity as a viable
religion. By then only a few of the original doctrines, ordinances and
principles remained. Romanism had joined Christianity, and Christianity had
joined Romanism. It was a strange and unholy [188] alliance, but it still
carried the label of Christian. The simple, humble priests of Christianity
became powerful and wealthy rulers, lords and kings. The simple Christian
church became an empire of conquests by wielding their mighty swords. The
meaning of the term "king" took on a new interpretation and so did
their responsibilities and powers.
But
through it all a glimmer of hope remained. Before Jesus died, He had prophesied
that His Kingdom would return and that He would yet rule and reign over the
earth as King of kings. But before that time there would be blood and destruction,
and as John the Revelator foretold, the kings of the earth would all commit
fornication with the great and evil harlot called Babylon.
The
Kingdom of God has not fared very well in any of the previous dispensations,
yet there was an ancient prophecy that the time would come when it would again
be organized and would survive. This was revealed to Daniel, when he
interpreted the dream or vision of King Nebuchadnezzar.
The
king summoned Daniel to interpret his dream, and Daniel said, "There is a
God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king
Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the
latter days." The great image was in the form of a man composed of
different elements.
This
prophecy pertained to the Kingdom of God in the latter days, as we know it did
not happen at the time of Nebuchadnezzar nor in the meridian of time. Both the
Church and the Kingdom that Christ established were destroyed with only some of
the elements remaining. Orson Pratt stated:
Now,
ancient Christianity, or, in other words, the kingdom which God set up eighteen
hundred years ago, did not accomplish the prediction or fulfill that which was
spoken by Daniel. (JD 17:209)
[189]
Hence, the kingdom which Nebuchadnezzar saw was to exist in the latter days and
would be the Kingdom which should never be destroyed:
And in
the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Forasmuch
as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and
that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the
gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass
hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Dan.
2:44-45)
Orson
Pratt clarified this dream:
Daniel,
in interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, describes the
various kingdoms of the earth from his day down, as long as there should be any
human kingdoms on the earth, under the form of a great image, with the head of
gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, feet
part iron and part of potter's clay. They represented the several kingdoms of
the world, and more especially the four great kingdoms that should hold
universal dominion. After seeing this image in all its completeness, from the
gold down to the last remnants of the nations of the earth, represented by the
feet and toes of the image, he then sees a kingdom and a government entirely
distinct from and forming no part or portion of the image, but it was entirely
separate therefrom. (JD 16:86)
Today
we see the organization of many nations forming the nucleus of a one-world
government or kingdom. Could this be the kingdom referred to that would prevail
over all other nations? Apparently the image Daniel interpreted was also a
[190] composition of all these kingdoms, but the little stone from the
mountains would smash them all to pieces. Again from Orson Pratt:
Daniel,
who was filled with the Spirit of the living God, saw that all these earthly
governments—with the setting up of which God had nothing to do particularly,
that is, their founders were neither prophets nor revelators so as to found
them upon the principles of the everlasting Gospel—were to vanish away, like
the chaff of the summer threshing floor. And you know how that vanishes,
especially when the wind blows strongly. So shall it be with all the
governments, kingdoms, powers, republics, and empires upon the face of this
globe, except one government, namely, that
government which the God of heaven shall establish in the latter days upon the
mountains. This is the work of God. (JD 21:280)
Nearly
all the Christian nations of the earth, such as
Daniel
saw two kingdoms in the latter days. One was a composition of all the nations
of the earth and the other was represented by a little stone that came from the
mountains. In the clash of the two, the little stone survived. In Volume 3 of
this
We have
the promise that no matter what the size or power of a worldly government or
kingdom, eventually it is the