Gospel Themes

"And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the Prince, the Archangel.

"And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him, I have set thee to be at the head—a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them for ever.

"And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation, and not withstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation."—(D. and C. 107:40-56.)

The Ancient of Days.—Here is given, by the Prophet, a glimpse of the glorious sequel:

"Daniel, in his seventh chapter, speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael; he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family."—("History of the Church," Vol. III, p. 386.)

Place of the Council.—The place of the council mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, is thus pointed out by the finger of the Lord:

"Revelation to Joseph the Seer, given near Wight's Ferry, at a place called Spring Hill, Davis County, Missouri, May 19th, 1838, wherein Spring Hill is named by the Lord,

"Adam-ondi-Ahman, because, said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet."—(D. and C. 116.)

Adam-ondi-Ahman.—At that very spot, Spring Hill, Davis County, Missouri, in the year 1838, the Latter-day Saints, by direction of the Prophet, began to build a city, naming it Adam-ondi-Ahman, afterwards abbreviated to Diahman. While engaged in making the survey, some of the brethren came upon the ruins of an ancient altar, which the Prophet, on beholding, declared to be the identical altar upon which Adam offered sacrifices after he was expelled from Eden. The Garden of Eden, Joseph said, was in Jackson County, Missouri, from which part the Saints had been driven, as if to typify reminiscently the original expulsion. In both instances, the tree of disobedience bore the same bitter fruit. In Jackson County the New Jerusalem is to be built, and a people prepared for the glorious coming of the Lord. That America is the Old World, not the New, science now affirms; but the fact was first proclaimed by revelation, whose other name, in this case, is Joseph Smith the Prophet.

Cain and Abel.—Adam's offering of sacrifice was acceptable to the Lord, being in accordance with the divine command, and because it truly symbolized the Lamb of God, who was to come. Abel, Adam's son, offered a similar sacrifice—"the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering" (Gen. 4:4). But Cain, Abel's eldest brother, who had also been taught the law of sacrifice, took it upon himself to deviate from the divine instruction, and instead of a lamb, he "brought of the fruit of the ground," an offering in no way typical of the Savior. Hence, his offering was rejected. The Prophet Joseph, commenting upon these facts, says: "God will not acknowledge that which He has not called, ordained, and chosen." He quotes Paul (Heb. 11:4): "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead, yet speaketh"—and then asks:

"How doth he yet speak? Why, he magnified the priesthood which was conferred upon him, and died a righteous man, and therefore has become an angel of God by receiving his body from the dead, holding still the keys of his dispensation; and was sent down from heaven unto Paul to minister consoling words, and to commit unto him a knowledge of the mysteries of godliness."

* * * * * * * * * * *

"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."—("History of the Church," Vol. IV, pp. 208, 209.)

Inter-Relation Shown.—It was after the episode of Cain and Abel, including the murder of the latter by the former, that Adam called the righteous residue of his posterity into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there gave them his farewell benediction, foretelling what should befall the human race down to the end of time. That great patriarchal blessing, considered in connection with Adam's coming as the Ancient of Days, to call his children before him in a grand council upon the precise spot where he uttered his wonderful world-covering prediction, clearly shows the relationship between the First Dispensation and the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.

CHAPTER III

Enoch and Zion

"The Seventh from Adam."—Enoch was contemporaneous with Adam, and was ordained and blessed by him (D&C 107:48). The period in which Enoch figured was prolific of wonderful events, but the two standing out most prominently are:

(1) The successful practice of the law of consecration, resulting in the founding of Zion, the City of Holiness, which was taken into heaven by translation.

(2) Enoch's vision of the future—past Noah and the deluge, past Christ and the crucifixion, down even to the last days, when the coming of the Lord in his glory would usher in the millennial reign of rest.

What Enoch Beheld.—Some of the sweetest and sublimest passages in the writings of Moses, as reproduced by Joseph the Prophet, are those in which he tells the story of Enoch and his city, and portrays the marvelous events made visible to the eye of the ancient Seer. Here are some of the more notable passages:

"And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

"And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

"And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;

"And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and nought but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?

"The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these * * * * which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And behold, Enoch saw the days of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.

"And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?

"And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah?

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah:

"And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

"And righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

"And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

"And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.

"And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years."—(Moses 7:18-64.)

A fuller account of Enoch's ministry as prophet, seer, and preacher of righteousness, may be found in that chapter of the Book of Moses from which the foregoing paragraphs are taken.

A Terrestrial Ministry.—"Now this Enoch," says the Prophet Joseph, "God reserved unto himself, that he should not die at that time, and appointed unto him a ministry unto terrestrial bodies, of whom there has been but little revealed. He is reserved also unto the presidency of a dispensation. * * * He appeared unto Jude, as Abel did unto Paul (Jude 14,15). * * * Paul was also acquainted with this character, and received instructions from him: "By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11:5).

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Now the doctrine of translation is a power which belongs to this Priesthood. There are many things which belong to the powers of the Priesthood and the keys thereof, that have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world; they are hid from the wise and prudent to be revealed in the last times.

"Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into an eternal fulness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters, he held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead."—("History of the Church," Vol. IV, pp. 209, 210.)

Enoch's City to Return.—Enoch's city, according to this teaching, is now in terrestrial glory, awaiting its return to earth, when the season is ripe, and preparations are complete for its reception. The change wrought upon its inhabitants by translation not being equivalent to resurrection, they will have to undergo a further change, to prepare them for celestial glory. Doubtless their case is similar to that of the Saints mentioned by Paul, who will not "sleep" in death, but be changed "in the twinkling of an eye" to complete immortality, at the time of the coming of the Son of God.—(I Cor. 15:51, 52.)

Zion Above and Zion Beneath.—The Zion of Enoch was undoubtedly a foreshadowing of the Zion of the last days, with which it will blend, and the following glorious picture then be realized:

"The Lord hath brought again Zion:The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,According to the election of grace,Which was brought to pass by the faithAnd covenant of their fathers.The Lord hath redeemed his people,And Satan is bound and time is no longer:The Lord hath gathered all things in one:The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength:And truth is established in her bowels:And the heavens have smiled upon her:And she is clothed with the glory of her God:For he stands in the midst of his people:Glory, and honor, and power, and might,Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,Justice, grace and truth, and peace,For ever and ever. Amen."—(D. and C. 84:99-102.)

CHAPTER IV

Noah and the Deluge

The Son of Lamech.—Noah was the son of Lamech, who was a grandson of Enoch, and after him "the next great grand patriarch who held the keys of the priesthood." Lamech was ordained under the hand of Seth, the third son of Adam, who received from his father a blessing similar to the one afterwards pronounced upon Abraham, to the effect that his posterity should be the chosen of the Lord. Seth seems to have succeeded to the position held by Abel, whom Cain slew (Gen. 4:25). He is described as "a perfect man," the express likeness of his father. Noah's patriarchal ordination came from Methuselah, the father of Lamech. Noah was but ten years old when his grandfather thus blessed and ordained him.—(D. and C. 107: 42, 43, 48, 51, 52.)

"And Noah was four hundred and fifty years old, and begat Japheth; and forty-two years afterward he begat Shem of her who was the mother of Japheth; and when he was five hundred years old he begat Ham.

"And it came to pass that Noah prophesied, and taught the things of God, even as it was in the beginning.

"And the Lord said unto Noah: My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he shall know that all flesh shall die; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years; and if men do not repent, I will send in the floods upon them.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And the Lord ordained Noah after his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch.

"And it came to pass that Noah called upon the children of men that they should repent, but they hearkened not unto his words;

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.

"And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;

"Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless they hearkened not.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth."—(Moses 8:12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22-24, 30.)

End of the World Foreshadowed.—Noah's period was prophetic of the end of the world. This is apparent from the words of the Savior, when prophesying over Jerusalem, and foretelling the end of the Jewish commonwealth, an event also typical of the final destruction of the wicked. Speaking of the social conditions that prevailed while Noah was preaching the Gospel and delivering his warning message, Jesus said:

"As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

"For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark.

"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."—(Matt. 24:3 7-39.)

Earth's Baptism of Fire.—The deluge that destroyed the wicked "with the earth" (that is, with water, representing the earth) and which God covenanted with Noah never to repeat, is to be paralleled by another deluge, in which the wicked will be consumed by fire from heaven; and as unexpectedly as came the watery flood in which our planet was once immersed, will come the fiery baptism that is destined to cleanse it from all unrighteousness and prepare it for celestial glory.

A Second Adam.—Noah, who is Gabriel, and stands next to Adam, or Michael, in the priesthood, typifies the great patriarch, in that through him and his immediate family—eight souls in all—Earth was repeopled after the flood. Hence Noah is sometimes called "the second Adam."

Japheth, Shem and Ham.—Noah's eldest son, Japheth, peopled Europe; Shem, Asia; and Ham, Africa. Noah's blessing upon Shem and Japheth, and his curse upon Ham, through Canaan, Ham's son, are thus recorded in the Hebrew scriptures:

"And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

"And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

"God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."—(Gen. 9:25-27.)

Noah's Curse Upon Canaan.—Part of the curse that fell upon Canaan was "a blackness," which came upon all his posterity, causing them to be "despised among all people" (Moses 7:8)—a blackness similar to that which had been placed upon the "seed of Cain" (Moses 7:22). The curse also deprived the Canaanites of the priesthood.—(Abraham 1:26.)

Just why a whole race had to be punished for a sin committed by one of its ancestors, is a mystery almost as great as that of the vicarious atonement, demanded by eternal justice for Adam's transgression. We may be sure, however, that right was vindicated in both cases, and revelation will eventually make the matter plain. Every effect has a cause. Canaan was not cursed, nor his posterity deprived of the priesthood, for nothing. It must be that the spirits taking those dark bodies, and passing through the experiences ordained for them, have done something to merit their fate. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This principle applies to the spirit life, no less than to the mortal life.

Shem's and Japheth's Blessing.—From Shem came Abraham, the Father of the Faithful; and from Japheth sprang the Gentiles, the founders of the most civilized and enlightened nations of modern times, including Great Britain and the United States of America. Let me add, here, that the term "Gentile" is not an opprobrious epithet, as some suppose. It comes from "Gentilis," signifying "of a nation," and is used in sacred history to designate the people that were not of Israel. Ham, through Canaan, was the progenitor of the negro race, long held in slavery in this and in other Gentile countries. The Ethiopian also served the Semite, just as Noah had predicted.

The Tents of Shem.—How Japheth has "dwelt in the tents of Shem," is partly shown by the history of Palestine, which has long been dominated by the Gentiles, particularly the Turks, who still possess it. Japheth's remarkable blessing has also been realized in the history of our own country, America, the land of Joseph, which the Gentiles now inhabit, and where, according to the Book of Mormon, they are to assist in gathering Israel and building the New Jerusalem. It is their privilege to share, if they will, in all the blessings promised to the chosen people. The Gentiles who receive the gospel, and are faithful to its requirements, shall be as the seed of Abraham (Abraham 2:9-11). "The tents of Shem" may be interpreted to mean the lands of Israel, the homes of the people of God, who are lineally descended from Shem, through Abraham.

Another Parallel.—"As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man." For this, his own rendering of Matt. 24:41, the Prophet Joseph finds another fulfilment thus:

"He [Jehovah] continued to him [Noah] the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory with which he blessed Adam at the beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation; therefore, all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets."—("History of the Church," Vol. IV, pp. 210, 211.)

CHAPTER V

Abraham

The House of Israel.—The Abrahamic period was signalized by the founding of the house of Israel, of which Abraham is the earthly head; Christ, or Jehovah, the God of Israel, being its heavenly head. This house was established upon the earth that the Savior of the world might have a fitting lineage through which to come, and that the Lord might have a worthy people through whom to promote his wise and benevolent purposes toward the whole human family. The Israelitish subject is reserved for fuller treatment in future pages. I shall merely point out here some of the greater events for which the dispensation of Abraham is distinguished.

The Law of Tithing—Melchizedek.—In connection with the career of the Hebrew patriarch, the first mention is made in the Bible of the law of tithing, and also of the high priest, Melchizedek, to whom Abraham gave tithes:

"And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God.

"And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all."—(Gen. 14:18-20.)

Paul refers to the same event in the following language:

"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

"To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace;

"Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

"Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils."—(Heb. 7:1-4.)

The Priesthood Renamed.—So great was he that the Priesthood was renamed for him. Before his time, it was called The Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. Its present name, the Melchizedek Priesthood, was bestowed, as we are informed, for reverential reasons, to avoid a too frequent repetition of the name of Deity.—(D. and C. 107:1-4.)

Abraham's Test.—The offering of Isaac, Abraham's son of promise, symbolized the offering, by the Eternal Father, of his Only Begotten Son, for the redemption and salvation of mankind. This crucial trial of Abraham's faith is thus related by the sacred historian:

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold, here I am.

"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.