Chapter XIII: Front Matter (13)

"I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of
this country, and shown who they were, and from whence they came;
a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws,
governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings
of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people was made known
unto me. I was also told where there were deposited some plates,
on which were engraven an abridgment of the records of the ancient
prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to
me three times the same night, and unfolded the same things. After
having received many visits from the angels of God, unfolding the
majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the {239}
last days, on the morning of the 22nd of September, A. D., 1827,
the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.

"These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of
gold. Each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not
quite as thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings,
in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume, as the
leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole.
The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part
of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were
small and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many
marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art
of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument,
which the ancients called 'Urim and Thummim,' which consisted
of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a
breastplate.

"Through the medium of the 'Urim and Thummim' I translated the
record, by the gift and power of God.

"In this important and interesting book the history of ancient
America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that
came from the tower of Babel at the confusion of languages, to
the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We are
informed by these records that America in ancient times had been
inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called
Jaredites, and came directly from the tower of Babel. The second
race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred
years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the
descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time
that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the
inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race
fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant
are the Indians that now inhabit this country. This book also
tells us that our Savior made His appearance upon this continent
after His resurrection, that He planted the gospel here in all its
fullness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had
apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists; the same
order, the same Priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers and
blessings as were enjoyed on the eastern continent; that the people
were cut off in consequence of their transgressions; that the last
of their prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an
abridgment of their prophecies, history, etc., and to hide it up
in the earth, and that it should come forth and be united with the
Bible for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last
days. For a more particular account I would refer to the Book of
Mormon.

"As soon as the news of this discovery was made known, false
reports, mis-representations and slander flew, as on the wings of
the wind, in every direction; the house was frequently beset by
mobs and evil designing persons. Several times I was shot at, and
very narrowly escaped, and every device was made use of to get the
plates away from me, but the power and blessing of God attended me,
and several began to believe my testimony.

"On the 6th of April, 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints was organized in the town of Fayette, Seneca
County, State of New York. Some few were called and ordained
by the spirit of revelation and prophecy, and began to preach
as the Spirit gave them utterance, and, though weak, they were
strengthened by the power of God, and many were brought to
repentance, were immersed in the water, and were filled with the
Holy Ghost by the {240} laying on of hands. They saw visions and
prophesied, devils were cast out, and the sick healed by the laying
on of hands."

BIBLE PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

The statements in the foregoing quotation are all in harmony with Bible prophecies.

First.--That an angel should come in latter days to restore the everlasting Gospel to the earth is foretold in the passage already quoted from the writings of St. John. (Revelation 14: 6, 7).

Second.--That a preparatory work should be done before the second coming of the Messiah is evident from the Savior's words. (Matthew 24: 14, 31).

Third.--That a chosen messenger should be sent of the Lord to prepare His way before His second coming is predicted by an ancient prophet. (Malachi 3: 1).

Fourth.--That a favored people of the Lord, aside from the Jews, dwelt upon the earth in the days of the Savior, is to be inferred from the Bible. The Savior said to His disciples:

"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold,
and one shepherd." (John 10: 16).

It is believed by some that the "other sheep" Christ mentioned were the Gentiles that accepted the Gospel through the teachings of His Apostles. This cannot be His meaning, for He had no "other sheep" among the Gentiles, for none of them, of which there is any record, believed at that time. He also said: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15: 24). There is no account of Him going to visit the heathen, or of the latter hearing His voice.

The remarkable volume known as the Book of Mormon gives an account of the Savior's visit to the "other sheep" which He declared should hear His voice.

Fifth.--That the record of this chosen people of the western world shall be joined with that of the Jews, is alluded to by Ezekiel in the following language:

"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it,
For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take
another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim,
and for all the house of Israel His companions: And join them one
to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying,
Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? Say {241} unto
them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of
Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel
his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of
Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before
their eyes. (Ezekiel 37: 16-20).

In ancient times writings were rolled upon sticks and a record received the name "stick." The Bible is a record of the Jews, or Judah and his companions, while the Book of Mormon is a record of the descendants of Joseph. Since the latter book has been brought to light the two have practically become one in the hands of the Lord. Proofs that the Book of Mormon is authentic and divine will be given in another chapter.

Sixth.--The sacred instruments called the Urim and Thummim, which Joseph Smith says he used in the translation of the ancient writings, are named in the scriptures. (Exodus 28: 30). That they were used for the purpose of getting information from a divine source is also evident from the Bible. (Numbers 27: 21; I Samuel 28: 6). The scriptures mention them as being connected with a breastplate. (Leviticus 8: 8).

CHURCH ORGANIZATION THE SAME AS FORMERLY.

Seventh.--The character of the church which the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to organize is strictly in harmony with the church of Christ of former days. It was established by revelation from God, as Jesus said He would build His church when He declared to Peter,

"Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say
unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church." (Matthew 16: 17, 18).

"This rock," mentioned in the above quotation refers to the principle of revelation by which Peter knew Jesus was the Son of God.

Further in harmony with the description of the church of Christ as contained in the Bible this latter-day church was "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets," with Jesus Christ as the "chief corner stone," (Ephesians 2: 20): for the Lord revealed anew to Joseph Smith that there should be "first apostles, secondarily prophets," etc., as described by Paul (1 Corinthians 12: 28). Besides this, as Joseph Smith testifies, those who were called to assist him in the ministry {242} were "called and ordained by the spirit of revelation and prophecy," as men were anciently. (Acts 13: 1-3; 14: 23; Hebrews 5: 4).

SAME DOCTRINES AS IN FORMER DAYS.

Those who believed in the Gospel as taught by this latter-day prophet, were called upon to repent of their sins, then they were immersed in the water, or baptized, and "were filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands." Those who complied with the requirements which Joseph Smith said were necessary in order to enter into the Church of Christ, received the Holy Ghost under his administration. This fact is indisputable evidence that he was authorized of God. It also shows that his teachings were just the same as those of the former apostles, for they taught the same order of principles of initiation into the church of Christ. (Acts 2: 38; Hebrews 6: 1, 2).

THE HOLY GHOST RECEIVED.

It may be asked, what proof can be given that those who obey the ordinances of the Gospel as taught by Joseph Smith receive the Holy Ghost. In answer it can be said that they enjoy the promised blessings or fruits of the Spirit. They receive a knowledge that the doctrine is of God, as promised by the Savior.

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his
that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
(John 7: 16, 17).

St Paul says,

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:
22, 23).

All these blessings they also partake of.

HOW TO OBTAIN PROOF.

Anyone who desires to be assured that these blessings are enjoyed as claimed can satisfy himself by obeying the same doctrines in humility, and receiving the same blessings; for as the Apostle Peter declared,

"The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:
39).

{243}

No stronger proof of the fact can be received than that of actual experience. This evidence is within reach of all that are sincere in their inquiries and desirous of learning the truth.

OUTWARD PROOFS.

As outward proof that the Holy Ghost is received by those who obey the ordinances of the Gospel as advocated by Joseph Smith and by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they enjoy the spiritual gifts promised to the believers.

As Joseph Smith states, after the Church was organized its members "saw visions and prophesied, devils were cast out, and the sick healed by the laying on of hands." These gifts were promised by Christ as signs following the believers, (Mark 16: 17, 18); and St. Paul says they were in the church in the days of the apostles. (I Corinthians 12).

As evidence that the miraculous gifts of the Gospel are in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the following testimonies given by persons who have recently witnessed or experienced the gifts are inserted. They are only a few among the many hundreds that might be offered if space would allow.

TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES.

The following letter was addressed to the editor of the _Millennial Star_, a Latter-day Saint magazine, published at 42 Islington, Liverpool, England:

"With pleasure I write to inform you that through the
administration of Elders C. Measom and G. II. Meadows, on Sunday,
March 7, 1897, and by the power of God after being confined to
my bed for two years suffering greatly with pains in my head,
etc., I was enabled to get up and walk into the next room, where
I partook of refreshments and sat up for six hours. I have been
free from pain since the pain left me, which was before their hands
were removed from my head. I am fifty-one years of age, and have
been brought up in the Church of England. Since the Elders named
came to labor in this district, I have had frequent conversations
with them, which, with the loan of books, has enabled me to have
faith to believe that God would use them as His instruments for
my recovery. I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, but hope to be so shortly.

Yours respectfully,

"Mrs. E. Bond."

_Castle Hill, Warwick, March 9, 1897_.

The subjoined article is a testimony from outside the Church, impartial and unimpeachable. It appears in the Zanesville, O., _Daily Signal_ of December 20th, 1897, under the caption "A Modern Miracle."

{244} "Mr. Matthew Gray of the seventh ward is perhaps the happiest
person in Zanesville to-day; so he seemed, at least, when seen at
his pleasant Abington Avenue home by a _Signal_ representative at
an early hour this morning.

"And, too, there is nothing strange or remarkable about Mr. Gray's
happiness, though it was the result of one of the strangest and
most remarkable faith tests ever enacted in this city; and the
story of Mr. Gray's miraculous cure of a relentless affliction will
be read with much interest.

"In October, three years ago, Matthew Gray was stricken with
paralysis, the terrible disease affecting his entire left side.
For a year to the month Mr. Gray was able to walk with the help of
crutches, but during the following October, two years ago, he was
the recipient of a second stroke of paralysis, and from that time
until yesterday Mr. Gray had been deprived of all use of his left
side, the entire left portion of his body being apparently dead,
his left arm being limp and palsied at his side and his left foot
and leg were in the same inanimate condition.

"Such, in brief, has been Matthew Gray's condition for more
than three years, and two years of that time he has either sat
helplessly in his large arm chair or has lain in bed seemingly
waiting for the death angel to relieve him of his suffering.

"Last Thursday two visitors, peculiarly clad, knocked at the
Gray homestead and were granted admission to the afflicted man's
chamber. These visitors were two Mormon Elders who have been in
Zanesville for the past few weeks, and whose mission to the Clay
city has been regarded with only passing interest. . . . .

"Now for the interesting part of the story, related to a _Signal_
reporter by Mr. Gray himself, and given as near as possible in his
own words:

"'Last Friday four Mormon Elders called at my home here. They were
very genteel in appearance and actions and asked me if I wouldn't
like to look over some of their tracts, etc., and also asked me
if I would not let them cure me by faith. I consented and they
impressed upon me very strongly that I should not have faith in
them but should place all my faith in God as it was through Him and
not them that my cure would be accomplished. This liberal statement
on their part and their own sincerity aided me materially, for I
always knew that God alone could cure me, and, do you know, I have
always thought that God would cure me.

"'As I said before, I consented and they set Sunday afternoon at
2 o'clock for the time of holding the meeting, and additionally
stated that from then, Friday morning, until after the faith
meeting they would not eat anything, as a period of fasting seemed
necessary.

"'Sunday afternoon, or yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock the four
Elders came here to my home and after repeatedly instructing me to
put my faith in God they knelt at my bedside in prayer, my wife
being the sixth occupant of the room.

"'Following this first prayer, and while I was sitting here in my
big arm chair, one of the Elders liberally anointed my head with
oil--sacred oil--and after that was done they formed a circle
around my chair, each one placing his right hand on my head and
all placed their left hands on each other's shoulders. I had
perfect faith in all that they were doing, and, while each of
the four Elders earnestly {245} prayed, I, too, bent my head in
reverence and appealed with all the faith at my command to God for
deliverance from my affliction.

"'Finally they concluded and one of the Elders commanded me to
walk. All at once I became possessed of an almost superhuman desire
to get up and walk, and when I tried to, after my muscles quivered
for a brief instant, I raised my left arm and then stood up. I took
a step and found I could move my left leg. I took another step and
walked out into the kitchen and back. After awhile I made the round
trip to the kitchen again and while on the third trip, my left
ankle turned slightly and I sat down.

"'While I am profusely thankful to the four Elders for the interest
that they manifested in my case, I want it distinctly understood
that I look to God as my deliverer and not to them.'

"When seen by the _Signal_ representative this morning, Mr. Gray
was sitting in his big arm chair with his left foot in a bucket
of hot water--a household remedy for sprains. To illustrate the
extent of his cure the happy gentleman shook hands with the writer,
using first his right hand and next his left hand, and the latter
member, which for three years had remained dead almost at his
side, contained a strong and hearty grip. Many times he raised his
left arm above his head and waved it to and fro to illustrate the
positive use he had of the member, and while relating the above
experience he gesticulated as freely with his left arm as with the
right. Many times he lifted the left foot from the water without
any apparent effort and accompanied the pleasant movement with a
smile almost glorious in its extent and meaning.

"Matthew Gray is a well-known citizen of Zanesville. He was born
and raised in Muskingham County and he and his good wife have
reared a family of ten children, all but one of whom reside in the
county."

Edward F. Turley, one of the Latter-day Saint Elders who administered to Mr. Gray, relates the circumstances of the remarkable healing in a letter to the _Deseret News_, written from Zanesville, Ohio, on December 20, 1897. His version is as follows:

"Last Thursday while out tracting I met a lady very much opposed to
us. Among other things, she said: 'If you people have power to heal
the sick as you claim, why don't you heal this man next door, who
has been an invalid for twenty-nine months. He hasn't been on his
feet for that length of time.' I said to the person that the signs
followed the believers to-day as much as anciently.

"I called on this gentleman, Matthew Gray, who has been an invalid
for twenty-nine months. I asked him if he had faith enough to
believe that he could be healed by the power of God. 'Yes,' said
he. I told him we would be there on Sunday at 2 p.m. We called
according to appointment. Less than three minutes after the
administration he commenced shaking. His whole frame shook. He
commenced rising up in his chair. His wife then threw her arms
around him and they both shouted: 'Bless the Lord. The Savior has
come! I know these are the servants of the Lord.' Father, mother
and a grown daughter were so overjoyed that they wept. The man
walked into the kitchen three times. For twenty-nine months his
entire left {246} side had been paralyzed. The three persons bore
testimony that this was the first time their father had walked for
twenty-nine months."

The _Deseret News_, a paper issued in Salt Lake City, Utah, of February 24, 1898, publishes a letter, written by a United States soldier stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The writer's name is Arthur M. Swigart. His letter is dated February 9, 1898, and reads as follows:

"While living in Denver I had the fortune to become acquainted with
some of the Saints there. After being thoroughly convinced of the
authenticity of the Gospel as taught by them, I made application
for baptism, but before the day appointed for this ordinance to
take place I threw my left knee out of joint and fractured my knee
cap. I was a soldier at the time and was taken to the government
hospital, where I spent nine weeks, and was pronounced a cripple
for life by Major Munn, surgeon U.S.A. On the second day of July,
1897, I was baptized by Elder H. S. Ensign, and when I came up from
the water I was a sound man; and on December 16, 1897, I stood the
examination at the recruiting office at Evansville, Indiana, and am
again in the service of the United States.

"If you deem my testimony worthy of publication and think by it
some may be led to investigate the truths of our precious Gospel,
please publish it."

Below is an extract from a letter written by Henry Coulam, a Latter-day Saint missionary who was at the time of writing (December 1, 1896), in Bradford, Yorkshire, England:

"While laboring in Keighly last winter, and going with tracts from
house to house, I came to a lady standing outside by the door. She
asked me if I had something good. I answered, Yes, at the same time
giving her a tract entitled 'The Only Way to be Saved.' I then
commenced to talk to her about the Gospel, and of its restoration
with its gifts and blessings. She invited me into the house, where
I found her two daughters, one of whom, a young lady of about
seventeen years, was lying in bed, and had been home from her work
two weeks.

"The mother said to me, 'Mr., I want you to lay hands on my girl: I
do not want to lose her.'

"I told her that the signs were for those who believed, and
explained more fully to her the Gospel and its blessings for those
who lived up to its blessings.

"She replied, 'Mr., I know you have the authority and if you will
administer to my daughter, she will get better.'

"After talking further to her and seeing that she was sincere, I
turned to the daughter and asked her if she had faith and wished me
to administer to her.

"'Yes,' she answered.

"I went back to my lodgings, got a bottle of consecrated oil and
returned to the house. The mother and I knelt down by the bed and
I offered a short prayer, after which I anointed the daughter with
oil, and rebuked the disease.

{247} "In four days from that time, the young lady went to her
work, and has continued to do so."

Elder C. L. Galbraith, another Latter-day Saint missionary, writing from South Shields, June 3, 1897, relates a case of healing by the power of the Lord:

"Not long since I was in Sunderland attending our meetings which we
hold every Sunday afternoon and evening. After the first meeting
I walked to Ryhope, where I partook of a meal with a friend. On
my return in company with some members of the Church we passed by
an aged sister's home. After we had passed the house I said to
those with me, 'I feel like I should have called in to see Sister
Chalder, but we have not time.'

"We continued on some distance when I again felt impressed more
strongly than before to return. I turned to the brethren who were
with me and said, 'We must go back.'

"We turned and did so. On entering we found Sister Chalder lying in
bed and very sick indeed; in fact those present thought her time
had come, as she is far past the appointed lease of life. When she
recognized us her countenance brightened and she endeavored to
speak to us. Her voice was very weak, and we had to draw near to
her in order to distinguish what she said.

"'I am so glad you have come!' she repeated, 'I have been praying
to God that you might come, that I might be healed.'

"Those present with the old lady did not believe as we do. The
gentleman, whose name was Woodruff, said, 'I do not believe in the
ordinance of laying on hands for the healing of the sick.'

"I told him to remain and see whether God would not keep His
promise wherein He said by the mouth of His Apostle James: 'Is any
sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up.' (James 5: 14, 15).

"After the ordinance Sister Chalder raised up and said she was
better.

"Mr. Woodruff said, 'This is my first time to see anything like
that.'

"He was as white as a corpse. To-day he is a living testimony that
she was healed. So did all present say they knew it was the power
of God made manifest."

Thousands of other miracles have been witnessed by those who have obeyed the Gospel. The blind have received their sight, the dumb have been made to speak, the deaf have had their hearing restored, and the sick have been healed of all manner of diseases. In short, all the promises made by the Savior to the believers have been realized by the Latter-day Saints as fully as they were by the former-day Saints. To these facts there are thousands of living witnesses to-day. Many of those who have witnessed these manifestations of God's goodness, and many others who have received them, {248} have had their testimonies published to the world, and there are many such testimonies on record in the printed literature of the Church.

ANCIENT PROPHECIES BEING FULFILLED.

Some five months after the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from the Lord which among other things declared:

"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect,
for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts; wherefore
the decree hath gone forth from the Father, that they shall be
gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare
their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when
tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked; for the
hour is nigh, and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe: and
all the proud, and they that do wickedly, shall be as stubble, and
I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall
not be upon the earth."

THE GATHERING OF ISRAEL.

The gathering of Israel in the last days is predicted by many of the ancient prophets. Jeremiah records these words of the Lord:

"I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will
bring you to Zion: and I will give you pastors according to mine
heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."
(Jeremiah 3: 14, 15).

"And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries
whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their
folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase." (Jeremiah 23: 3).

Other prophets make similar predictions. The Savior said to His disciples that His elect should be gathered together "from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other." St. John says:

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive
not of her plagues." (Revelation 18: 4).

The evidence that this revelation Joseph Smith claimed to have received is genuine is in the fact that the elect are being gathered. Ever since the revelation was made known the Latter-day Saints have been gathering to a designated place.

True to the prediction of Jeremiah, those who accept the Gospel and gather to Zion are very frequently "one of a city, and two of a family." The further fulfillment of the same {249} prophecy, they are being fed "with knowledge and understanding." The Latter-day Saints are taught to understand the Gospel for themselves, so that they do not need to depend upon others, and each one is thereby fitted to teach its principles. The way is also pointed out to them whereby they can receive a knowledge from heaven of the truth of the doctrines they are taught, so that they are not deluded nor misled by the teachings of men. The pastors who feed them with this "knowledge and understanding" are according to the Lord's heart, in this much at least: they labor to save mankind through the love they have for them. They do not "teach for hire," nor "divine for money." Their services are given freely, and the Gospel is taught by them without money and without price.

The gathering of the Lord's people "one of a city, and two of a family," brings about many conditions which the Savior said would be the result of the preaching of His gospel; and in numerous cases the Latter-day Saints realize in their own experiences, the fulfillment of such words as the following spoken by the Savior:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to
send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance
against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall
be they of his own household." (Matthew 10: 34, 36).

"And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and
kinsfolks, and friends." (Luke 21: 16).

The Latter-day Saints are not of the world in their ways. They are taught to strictly abstain from the sinful practices in the world, and are therefore looked upon as a peculiar people. As the Savior said would be the case, because they are not of the world, the world hate them, and often persecute them. They rejoice, however, in the promise of Jesus, which they find to be true:

"There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and
the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time,
houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
(Mark 10: 29, 30).

GATHERING PECULIAR TO LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

It is a significant fact that there are no other people than the Latter-day Saints who make any profession that they have been commanded of the Lord to gather, nor are there any {250} others who are making any efforts with such an object in view.

There is something remarkable about this gathering. When people accept the Prophet's teachings they get the spirit of gathering, and they have to be restrained from going in too great haste. While a love for kindred and for native country is natural to the human heart, those who receive the truth of this newly revealed Gospel, become filled with the desire to leave all and gather with the Saints. This is a strong proof that the Lord is working upon the hearts of mankind to bring about the fulfillment of His words through the ancient prophets; and it proclaims the divine calling of Joseph Smith.

The Latter-day Saints also believe that the Jews will eventually be gathered to Jerusalem, as has been predicted in past ages. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this, and took steps toward the accomplishment of that great event.

EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE SAINTS.

After being driven from their homes several times, and enduring all manner of persecution for the sake of their religion, the Latter-day Saints were finally compelled to leave the confines of civilization and seek a home in the unknown wilderness of the western part of America. By divine guidance they were led to the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Without any knowledge of the country they planted themselves in the valley of the Great Salt Lake in what is now known as the State of Utah. Here in a desolate waste they determined to make their home, notwithstanding the fact that adventurers who were better acquainted with the country, declared that no civilized men could live there.

WORDS OF THE PSALMIST FULFILLED.

The journey of the Latter-day Saints to this their new home, as well as many other events of their experience, appear to be a fulfillment of ancient prophecy. The Psalmist says:

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy
endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he
hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out
of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north,
and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary
way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their
soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he
led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of
habitation." (Psalm 107).

{251} The Latter-day Saints are the only religious body that has been gathered out "from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south." As before stated they are the only people who advocate the doctrine of gathering. When driven, by persecution, from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, they were "redeemed from the hand of the enemy," they "wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way," and they "found no city to dwell in." They experienced hunger and thirst, and "their soul fainted in them." The Lord "led them forth by the right way," for they knew nothing themselves of the place to which they were being led.

Eventually they came to a place designated by the prophet of the Lord as the spot on which to build "a city of habitation." There they established themselves, and through the marvelous blessings of the Lord, the wilderness has been redeemed and the desert made to "blossom as the rose."

ISAIAH'S PREDICTION FULFILLED. Two of the ancient prophets make this prediction:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow
unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2: 2, 3; Micah 4: 1, 2).

The state of Utah, and the surrounding country occupied by the Latter-day Saints is situated on what is called the "back bone of the American Continent," in the "tops of the mountains." In Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there stands a temple erected and dedicated to the name of the Lord. In three other cities of Utah are similar buildings, all of which are raised to the name of the Most High, by the Latter-day Saints; and by the way, they are the only temples in the world dedicated to the Lord, and in which the holy ordinances pertaining to His house are performed.

The mountain on which the temple built by the Latter-day Saints stands is established "in the top of the mountains," "exalted above the hills," and people from all nations are flowing unto it as they are being gathered out "from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." "Many people," as the prophet predicted, go and say "Come ye, and let us go {252} up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob," and they are being taught His ways, by men who understand them through the revelations received from Him: for they believe in present revelation, and enjoy that gift among the others of the true Gospel of Christ.

It may be contended that this and the other prophecies concerning the gathering of Israel refer to the gathering of the Jews to Jerusalem. It is true that there are predictions that the Jews shall be gathered to Jerusalem, but throughout the scripture prophecies there are two places of gathering mentioned--Zion and Jerusalem. Both places are mentioned in the quotation given above. The prophet also says: "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain." There are no high mountains in Jerusalem. The top of the highest mountain peak in all of Palestine is 331 feet below the valley of the Great Salt Lake, in which Salt Lake City is situated.

A PROPHECY OF MALACHI.

The following prediction is one made by an ancient prophet:

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to
their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
(Malachi 4: 5, 6).

The Prophet Joseph Smith testifies that this was fulfilled on the third day of April, 1836. At that time the body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was situated in Kirtland, Ohio, where they had erected a temple to the Lord. It was in this temple that the vision was received by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, in which the Prophet Elijah appeared unto them. They describe his appearance and message as follows:

"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."

{253}

SALVATION FOR THE DEAD.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith was revealed the doctrine of salvation for the dead, a doctrine that had not been understood in the world for many centuries until he taught it. It is nevertheless a scriptural doctrine, and is referred to by Peter:

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went
and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight
souls were saved by water." (I Peter 3: 18-20).

It is also referred to by Paul:

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the
dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (I
Corinthians 15: 29).

Preaching the Gospel to the dead is referred to in several places in the scriptures. (John 5: 25, 28; I Peter 4: 6).

That one person can perform a Gospel ordinance for and in behalf of another accords with the teachings of the scriptures. Christ did vicarious work for all mankind when He atoned for the sins of the world. By that atonement He brought about the resurrection from the grave, and made man's eternal salvation possible, as declared by the Apostle Paul:

"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I
Corinthians 15: 22).

Also in these words:

"Being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto
all them that obey him." (Hebrews 5: 9).

It is evident from the teachings of the Savior that there is a necessity for such a provision in the plan of redemption. Christ emphatically declared that a man cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without baptism. He said to Nicodemus,

"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God." (John 3: 5).

In sending His disciples to teach all nations, He commanded them to baptize those who believed. Many good people have died without baptism, not having had the privilege of being baptized in this life; as they cannot themselves attend to that ordinance after death, there is a way provided for them {254} to receive admission into the kingdom of heaven. The Savior has declared, they cannot do so without baptism; therefore someone else must attend to that ordinance for them. Those who die without the privilege of receiving the Gospel will have an opportunity to hear and accept it in the spirit world, and the outward ordinances necessary to salvation can be attended to in their behalf by living persons.

Since this doctrine has been revealed, the hearts of the children have been turned to their fathers, for many thousands of those who have accepted the doctrine have manifested their solicitude for the welfare of their dead ancestors by having the necessary ordinances performed for them in the temples which the Latter-day Saints have built for that purpose.

FACTS PROVEN.

It has been shown in the foregoing--

That the Claims made by Joseph Smith are in Harmony with the Holy Scriptures.

That the Doctrines He Taught are the same as those of the Savior and His Disciples.

That a Number of Ancient Predictions have been Fulfilled Through his Ministry.

That the Lord's work begun by the Ministry of Joseph Smith is Destined to bring about the Fulfillment of all the inspired prophecies concerning the Latter Days.

That the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Possesses the same Characteristics as that of Former Days.

JOSEPH SMITH'S WORKS.

EVIDENCE OF HIS INSPIRATION.

SCRIPTURAL TESTS.

The Bible tells how true and false prophets may be known:

"The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the
prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that
the Lord hath truly sent him." (Jeremiah 28: 9).

{255} "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if
the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it
presumptuously: thou shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:
22).

If a man prophesies and his prophecy is fulfilled, he is to be regarded as a true prophet. If he prophesies and his predictions are not fulfilled, he should be counted as a false prophet. Let us apply this scriptural test to the words of Joseph Smith.

PREDICTION OF THE ANGEL.

The prophecy which he records as having been made by the first angel who visited him: that his name should be had "for good and evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people," is a proof of inspiration. That prediction has been fulfilled. Among all people who have heard his teachings there have been some who have accepted them and have spoken good about his name, while those who have rejected his message have invariably spoken evil of him. Not being satisfied to leave him alone, they have maliciously defamed his character and denounced him.

NONE CAN STOP GOD's WORK.

In a revelation given to the Prophet at an early day, the Lord said,

"And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths
of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days. AND THEY
SHALL GO FORTH AND NONE SHALL STAY THEM, for I the Lord have
commanded them."

At a later date the Prophet wrote these words:

"No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecution
may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may
defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly and independently
till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept
every nation and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God
shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is
done."

In nearly every country to which they have gone, vigorous efforts have been made from time to time to stop the Latter-day Saints from preaching the Gospel, but true to the Lord's promises these attempts to hinder His work have failed in every instance, and His work still goes on.

{256}

"A MARVELOUS WORK."

In the very first revelations given by the Lord through Joseph Smith, even before the Church was organized, it was declared that "a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men." There are hundreds of thousands of people who have associated themselves with that work who can testify that it is most marvelous in its character. Aside from these people there are many of the most intelligent men of the century who have declared in their public utterances and have placed themselves on record by their writings that there is something very wonderful about the work established through Joseph Smith.

TESTIMONY OF DISINTERESTED MEN.

Mr. Josiah Quincy, an eminent American scholar, in his interesting work entitled "Figures of the Past," gives his estimation of the great prophet in these words:

"It is by no means improbable that some future text-book, for the
use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something
like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has
exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his
countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to
that interrogatory may be thus written: JOSEPH SMITH, THE MORMON
PROPHET. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men
now living, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants.
History deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as
this. The man who established a religion in this age of free
debate, who was and is to-day accepted by hundreds of thousands
as a direct emissary from the Most High--such a rare human being
is not to be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory
epithets. . . The most vital questions Americans are asking
each other to-day have to do with this man and what he has left
us. . . . Burning questions they are, which must give a prominent
place in the history of the country to that sturdy self-asserter
whom I visited at Nauvoo. Joseph Smith, claiming to be an inspired
teacher, faced adversity such as few men have been called to meet,
enjoyed a brief season of prosperity such as few men have ever
attained, and finally, forty-three days after I saw him, went
cheerfully to a martyr's death."

Hon. John A. Cockerill, a United States Senator, in an article published in the _Cosmopolitan_, a New York magazine, says, in reference to Utah, and its people, and their leader Brigham Young:

"Thus, within the short space of half a century, a great State has
sprung up in the land, as it were, before our eyes. _Its fame, with
that of its founder, has become world-wide_. . . It is seldom given
to the founder of a state that the body which he has organized
{257} shall grow to such marvelous completeness and maturity within
fifty years."

PROPHECY ABOUT WAR.

The following revelation was given to Joseph Smith on the 25th of December, 1832:

"'Verily, thus saith the Lord, concerning the wars that will
shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina,
which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many
souls.

"The days will come that war will be poured out upon all nations,
beginning at that place;

"For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the
Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other
nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and
they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend
themselves against other nations; and thus war shall be poured out
upon all nations."

FULFILLED TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS AFTERWARDS.

The great civil war between the southern and northern States of America was a literal fulfillment of the prophetic utterance, so far as it referred to the first conflict. That war began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, on the 12th day of April, 1861, over twenty-eight years after the prediction was made, and it terminated in the "death and misery of many souls," for the loss of life it caused is estimated at fully 1,000,000 men. History shows that the Southern States did call upon Great Britain and other nations for assistance, as predicted by the Prophet.

PREDICTED MEN'S LIVES WOULD BE SPARED.

In November, 1838, Joseph Smith and several of his brethren were tried by a court-martial of their enemies, and were condemned to be shot in the presence of their families and friends. To all human appearances there was no hope for them to be spared alive. They were prisoners in the hands of an infuriated mob; their death sentence had been passed, the hour of execution set, and preparations for carrying out the sentence were being made. With this terrible fate impending the Prophet told his fellow-prisoners to be of good cheer, as the Lord had made it known to him that not one of them should die. The mob disagreed among themselves as to how the execution should be proceeded with, and the falsely condemned men, after a lengthy imprisonment, regained their liberty. Thus were the Prophet's words verified.

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THE SAINTS' EXODUS FORETOLD.

On August 6, 1842, when the Latter-day Saints were situated in Illinois, their great leader wrote in reference to a previous utterance of his:

"I prophesied that the Saints would continue to suffer much
affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, many would
apostatize, others would be put to death by our persecutors, or
lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease, and some
of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build
cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of
the Rocky Mountains."

Every statement in the foregoing prediction was subsequently fulfilled. Mobs continued to afflict the Saints until they were forced to abandon their homes. Many apostatized, and others were put to death by their persecutors, or lost their lives in consequence of exposure. The Prophet himself, with his brother Hyrum, was martyred less than two years after the prophecy was uttered; and his own martyrdom was a fulfillment of a prophecy he made. When, to save a massacre of the Saints he delivered himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, being promised protection by the governor of the State, he said:

"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a
summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God,
and towards all men. I shall die innocent and it shall yet be said
of me--he was murdered in cold blood."