Chapter VIII: Part SIX: The Era of Restitution (2)

14. The same may be said of Israel's war upon the Amalekites, in the days of King Saul, and of similar wars undertaken by "the armies of the living God," heaven-directed and divinely empowered. Samuel's hewing of Agag "in pieces before the Lord," was not a crime, but an act of justice, a righteous retribution upon an unrighteous ruler, whose sword had "made women childless."--1 Sam. 15:33.

15. 1 Nephi 13:16-19.

ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX.

God's Hand Upon the Nations.

Compelling Situations.--The Lord will force no man to Heaven, nor permit Satan to force any man to Hell. Human agency remains inviolate. But while there is no such thing in the Gospel of Christ as compulsion, in the sense of fettering man's free will, there is such a thing as a compelling situation, the creating of conditions and shaping of circumstances that have often influenced men to do, of their own volition, what they would not have done if the situation had not changed, if such conditions and circumstances had not arisen.

A simple illustration is furnished in the old-time anecdote of the boy up the farmer's apple tree--refusing to come down when kindly requested; persisting in his refusal when sharply reprimanded and a handful of turf thrown; but, when pelted with stones, scrambling down in a hurry--of his own accord. That is my idea of a compelling situation; the offender retaining his freedom, exercising his right of choice, but yielding to force of circumstances, and changing his mind for his own behoof.

"There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them as we will."

The Parable of the Supper.--Force, indirect compulsion, applied without infringing upon man's agency, is undoubtedly an element of the divine economy. What else is the meaning of the Savior's parable in which he likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a feast?

"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

"And! sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready.

"And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

"And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

"And another said. I have married a wife: and therefore I cannot come.

"So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

"And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

"And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and _compel_ them to come in, that my house may be filled." [1]

The inference is, that they were "compelled to come in," but not against their own freedom of choice.

Fishers and Hunters.--The God of Israel has set his hand to gather his elect and prepare the world for the sanctifying reign of righteousness. He will accomplish what he has undertaken, using for that purpose every means consistent and available. Christ died to save the souls of men, and save them He will--by mild measures whenever these will avail; but by stern methods, if necessary, after the mild have proved ineffectual. First, the "fishers," with gentle, kind persuasion. Then the "hunters"--war, commotion and destruction. Such is the divine program. [2]

The Day of Wrath--A Refuge From the Storm.--Joseph the Seer prophesied that war would "be poured out upon all nations." Zion, the pure in heart, are to "be the only people that shall not be at war one with another." [3] "And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety." [4] To provide against these and other perils, the Church of Christ was founded--"a standard for the nations," "that the gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes," might be "for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." [5]

Other Judgments.--But war is not the only expression of divine wrath. The strife of nation against nation is but one of many turmoils that the last days are destined to witness. Epidemics of sickness are to play a part in the great retribution. [6] John on Patmos heard a voice from Heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, that ye receive not of her plagues." [7] Through Joseph in America, the same dread oracle proclaimed "a desolating scourge," that "shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time if they repent not, until the earth is empty and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming." [8]

Divine Participation.--And who, after reading what follows, can doubt divine participation in these troubles:

"For I the Almighty have laid my hand upon the nations to scourge them for their wickedness; and plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness. Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and shall see eye to eye." [9]

After Testimony, Indignation.--The Lord's servants were "to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time," "to bind up the law and seal up the testimony," and "prepare the Saints for the hour of judgment."

"And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

"For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

"And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea, heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

"And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people." [10]

Again: "The earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light, and the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall become exceeding angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree." [11]

The Question of Cause.--Who will cause these terrible calamities? Not man--that is certain; though his conduct may justify them. Men can stir up strife and precipitate war. They can even bring pestilence and famine. But they cannot stir up tempests and earthquakes, cause whirl winds and tidal-waves, or govern the action of sun, moon and stars. These, with other convulsions of nature, no less than war, famine and pestilence, are among God's judgments upon the workers of iniquity. Satan, "prince of the powers of the air," may be immediately responsible for these fearful disturbances; [12] but he can do only what he is permitted to do by the All-just and All-merciful, who looses him or holds him in check.

The Divine Purpose.--And what is the purpose--the ultimate purpose of it all? Destruction? No, a thousand times no, except in so far as destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and is necessary to preserve what is worth preserving. The world's welfare is the object in view. God's wrath, however fiercely it burns, is not comparable to petty human anger. His work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," [13] and if, in the process, He uses the powers of destruction, as well as the powers of construction--for "all power" is his, "in heaven and in earth" [14]--it is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best. However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this: Hatred of humanity has no place in the heart of Him who "so loved the world" that he "gave his Only Begotten Son" to save it from eternal damnation.

Why Calamities Come.--Calamities do not come up on the world merely to scourge the wicked and avenge the wrongs of the righteous. The primal aim of Divine Punishment is to purify, and if possible save those upon whom the "Great Avenger" lays a chastening hand. The object is to bring sinners to repentance, to throw down the barriers that prevent men from coming to Christ, and turn into the upward path those bent upon pursuing the downward road. The Gospel saves all who are willing to be saved, and who show their willingness by their obedience, their faith by their works. It also aims to save the unwilling and disobedient--here if possible, and if not here, then hereafter. Wars and other woes are sent to put a stop to men's evil practices, lest they add sin to sin and pile up guilt to their greater condemnation. To be swept off the earth and ministered to in the spirit world, is not the worst fate that can befall the wicked. Omnipotence wields the powers of destruction in such a way as to make of them instruments of salvation. It may seem cruel, but in reality it is kind.

Safety With The Priesthood.--The Almighty does not hurl the shafts of affliction against the righteous, especially against helpless innocence; but in pursuance of his benevolent designs, and to effect the greatest good to the greatest number, He permits the destroyer to exercise his agency in a world where good and bad, old and young, all classes and all qualities, dwell. Some of the woes thus launched fall partly upon the choicest of God's children, unless faith be there--as doubtless He intends--faith and the power of the Priesthood, to intervene for their preservation. "The just shall live by faith," it is written, and the Priesthood is a shield to those who bear it and to those who honor its possessors. [15]

The Chastening of the Lord.--"My son," says the ancient Wise Man, "despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." [16] Bearing in mind this sapient admonition, let us not be doubtful of the Divine Purpose in sending forth the destroyer, whether in the shape of war, pestilence and famine, partly caused by human agency; or in earthquakes, cyclones, and other fierce convulsions, over which man has absolutely no control. They are all phases of "The Battle of the Great God," [17] intent upon clearing the way for the coming of the Perfect One, bringing order out of chaos, overthrowing wrong and establishing right, to the end that the human race may be permanently blest and the righteous possess in peace the heritage prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

Footnotes

1. Luke 14:16-23.

2. Jer. 16:16.

3. D. & C. 87:2.

4. Ib. 45:68, 69.

5. Ib. 115:4-6.

6. Ib. 45:31. "An overflowing scourge--a desolating sickness," to "cover the land."

7. Rev. 18:4.

8. D. & C. 5:19.

9. D. & C. 84:96-98.

10. Ib. 88:88-91.

11. Ib. 88:87.

12. Job 1:19.

13. Moses 1:39.

14. Matt. 28:18.

15. Said President Woodruff, in his address upon the judgments: "Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities? I'll tell you: The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings. . . . . No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely. They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah, and none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury."

The President meant, no doubt, to include in this reference those who follow the servants of the Lord and are guided by their counsels. He was speaking to a general congregation, and said, in addition to the words just quoted: "If you do your duty, and do my duty, we shall have protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and safety."

16. Prov. 3:12.

17. D. & C. 88:114.

ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN.

The Consummation.

Time, mighty daughter of Eternity!
Mother of ages and of aeons past!
Assemble now thy children at thy side,
And ere thou diest teach them to be one.
Link to its link rebind the broken chain
Of dispensations, glories, keys and powers,
From Adam's fall unto Messiah's reign--
A thousand years of rest, a day with God,
While Shiloh reigns, and Kolob once revolves. [1]

Gathering the Gatherers.--The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times is distinctively a gathering dispensation. But it stands for more--far more than the assembling of the dispersed House of Israel. It is the spiritual harvest-time of all the ages, the long-heralded Era of Restitution, [2] when the great Garnerer of "all things in Christ" will reveal himself in power and glory, and place the capstone on the temple of heaven-inspired human achievement. The gathering of Israel is only the preface to the book, only the prologue to the play. The gathering of the gatherers--such is the meaning of the preliminary work now in progress, a work in which Gods, angels and men have joined.

The Final Development.--This great era of restoration was made necessary by the departure of the Christian word from the faith delivered to the former-day Saints. But that is not its full significance. In accordance with the foreknowledge of God, and in consonance with his sublime, far-reaching purposes, this vast, all-comprehending period was foreordained from the beginning as the final development of the Divine Plan--"the winding-up scene" of the Creator's work pertaining to this planet. [3]

All in One.--Joseph the Seer, referring to this mighty dispensation, and the object for which it was "ushered in" says:

"It is necessary . . . . that a whole and complete and perfect union and welding-together of dispensations and keys and powers and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time; and not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulness of times." [4]

Joseph Smith's Work.--These words were uttered by the Prophet less than two years before the tragic termination of his mortal life. He had looked upon the face of God, as did Enoch, Moses, and other seers in times of old. He had communed with Angels, receiving from them the keys of the Priesthood and the principles of the Everlasting Gospel. Thus empowered, he had organized on earth the Church of Christ, the forerunner of the Kingdom that shall stand forever. [5] Wrapt in celestial vision, he had gazed upon the glories of Eternity, portraying in burning eloquence the destiny of the human race, setting forth in vivid plainness the conditions of man's salvation and exaltation in worlds to come. [6] He had preached the Gospel in various parts of his native land, and had caused it to be preached in realms beyond the sea. His glorious career, which was about to end in martyrdom, was signalized by the introduction and practice of sacred principles which he affirmed would bring forth Zion and enable the pure in heart to "see God" and inherit celestial glory--the ultimate aim of all righteous endeavor.

The Divine Presence.--"This," said the Prophet, "is why Adam blessed his posterity; he wanted to bring them into the presence of God." [7] "Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not. In the first ages of the world they tried to establish the same thing, and there were Eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories, but, did not obtain them. But they prophesied of a day when this glory would be revealed, . . . . when God would gather together all things in one." [8]

Keys Committed.--The Prophet goes on to say that the Angels who hold the keys of spiritual powers and blessings--"authoritative characters"--men in heaven having children on earth--"will come down and join hand in hand in bringing about this work." [9] At the time of that utterance, this phase of the Latter-day Work had begun, the founder of the Church having received from heavenly messengers the keys of authority and power held by them in past dispensations. The Aaronic Priesthood had been conferred by John the Baptist, [10] and the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John. [11] Without this divine authorization the Church could not have been established, the Ensign could not have been raised for the gathering of scattered Israel. Already have I related how the keys of the gathering were committed to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple.

Elias and Elijah--But more was to follow. In that wonderful record of visions manifested to these Elders, and testified of by them, occurs this solemn affirmation:

"Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.

"After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us, for Elijah the Prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us and said--

"Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come,

"To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse.

"Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." [12]

The Same Yet Not the Same.--"Elias," considered as a name, is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Elijah." Compared references in the New and Old Testaments clearly establish their verbal identity. [13] But Joseph Smith distinguished between "the spirit of Elias" and "the spirit of Elijah," the former a forerunner, the latter holding the sealing powers necessary to complete the work of preparation for Messiah's advent. [14]

Elijah, therefore, is not to be confounded with Elias--that is to say, with the Elias who committed the keys of the Abrahamic dispensation. There are many Eliases, in the sense of the lesser preparing the way before the greater; and by one of them Abraham's keys were restored, in order that the blessings anciently pronounced upon the Father of the Faithful might be extended to his posterity in modern times.

Why Elijah?--"Why send Elijah?" asks the Prophet; and answers his own question thus: "Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and without the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness." In the same connection he states that "Elijah was the last prophet that held the keys of the Priesthood." [15]

The Restorer's Mission.--Elijah's mission, as made known by modern revelation, represents the establishment of that condition of perfect unity referred to by Joseph the Seer, whose comment thereon is quoted in the third paragraph of this article. "Mormonism," as already explained, does not stand for one Gospel dispensation alone, but for all the Gospel dispensations, extending, like the links of a mighty chain, through the whole course of Time. The Final Dispensation, made effective by the keys of Elijah, will bring together and weld in one the parted links of this universal chain. The restitution of all things--the setting in order of the Lord's House, preparatory to his coming, such is the significance of the mission of Elijah, who turns the hearts of the fathers (in heaven) to the children (on earth), and the hearts of the children to the fathers.

The Welding Link.--But these hearts must not only be turned; they must be bound together, and beat as one. That thought, no less than the other, was in the Prophet's mind when, from his place of retirement during a season of trouble, he wrote repeatedly to the Church regarding an all-important duty devolving upon its members. Said he: "The earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the fathers and the children." And what is it? "It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect, neither can they without us be made perfect." [16]

Without Unity, No Perfection.--Perfection is the great end in view; and without unity there can be no perfection. To bring about this great consummation, the Gospel was instituted, the Savior chosen, Earth created, and the human race placed upon this planet. Nothing imperfect can inherit the Divine Presence--the fulness of God's glory. This important lesson is taught by the principle of marriage--celestial marriage--the sealing of the sexes, not for time only, but for all eternity. "The man is not without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord." [17] United, they represent completeness, perfection, each being the complement of the other. Husband and wife, parent and child, the living and the dead, must be one, lest it be said of them at the celestial gates, as it was said at the gates of Verdun: "They shall not pass." The Latter-day Saints build temples and officiate therein, the living for the dead, not only to save them, but to bring them into that grand Order of Unity, so necessary to the perfection of God's work.

The Keys of Preparation.--Past and present are related. It is the relationship of parent and child. Neither is complete without the other. What has been and what is must join, before perfection can reign. Without unity and the perfecting power of righteousness, the Saints would be unprepared to receive the King of Kings. Earth, unable to endure the overpowering glory of his presence, would vanish from before his face, like hoar-frost in the rays of the rising sun. [18] That there might be no such calamity, no converting of an intended blessing into a consuming curse, Elijah restored the Keys of Preparation.

The Universal Gathering.--The gathering of the House of Israel is to be supplemented by a greater gathering--the bringing together of all the Gospel dispensations, with all the sacred powers and mighty personages connected therewith. [19] There is to be a general assembly, a universal union, in which sainted souls from all glorified creations will join. [20] All things that are Christs's, both in heaven and on earth, will eventually be brought together, and the divided and discordant parts attuned and blended into one harmonious Whole.

Footnotes

1. "Elias," Canto 5, p. 37, annotative edition.

2. Acts 3:21.

3. D. & C. 77:12.

4. Ib. 128:18.

5. Dan. 2:44.

6. D. & C. 76.

7. D. & C. 107:56.

8. Ib. 84:23, 24.

9. Hist. Ch. Vol. 3, pp. 388, 389.

10. D. & C. 13.

11. Ib. 27:12; 128:20.

12. D. & C. 110:12-16; Hist. Ch. Vol. 3, p. 390.

13. See Luke 9:54 and 2 Kings 18:38; also James 5:17 and 1 Kings 17:1.

14. Hist. Ch. Vol. 6, pp. 249, 254.

15. Hist. Ch. Vol. 4, p. 211.

Elijah the Tishbite, as he is called in Scripture, figured in the history of the Kingdom of Israel about nine centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. It was a period of idolatry, when the priests of Baal (whom Elijah overthrew) had Ahab the king and his wife, the wicked Jezebel, completely under their sinister influence. Regarding the great Prophet of Restoration, Dr. Geikie, says:

"The immense influence of Elijah during his life is seen in the place he held in the memory of after generations in Israel. He takes rank along with Samuel and Moses; not like the former, as the apostle of a system yet undeveloped; or as the founder of a religion, like the latter; but as the restorer of the old when it was almost driven from the earth. The prophet Malachi portrays him as the announcer of the great and terrible day of Jehovah. His reappearance was constantly expected as the precursor of the Messiah. So continually was he in the thoughts of the people of New Testament times, that both John the Baptist and our Lord were supposed to be no other than he. The son of Sirach (See Apocrypha) calls him a fire, and says that his word burned like a torch, and that it was he who was to gather together again the tribes of Israel from the great dispersion . . . .

"His final coming, it is believed, will be three days before that of the Messiah, and on each of the three he will proclaim peace, happiness and salvation, in a voice that will be heard over all the earth. So firm, indeed, was the conviction of this in the days of the Talmud, that when goods were found which no owner claimed, the common saying was, Put them by till Elijah comes."--"Hours with the Bible," Vol. 4, pp. 65,66.

16. D. & C. 127, 128.

17. 1 Cor. 11:11.

18. Mal. 3:2; 4:1.

19. D. & C. 27:5-14.

20. Ib. 76:67; Moses 7:31, 64.