Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

"But O! when we read the prayer offered up on the holy mount--the
same place where Jesus often prayed, yea the mount from which
He ascended, and upon which He will again set His feet--when
we reflect that God's covenant people (Israel) were prayed for
there--that Zion and all her sufferings were rendered there--that
the chains and fetters which we have worn, the dungeons where we
have been confined for the testimony of Jesus, were mentioned there
before the Lord--and that prayer recorded both in heaven and on
earth to stand as an imperishable memorial to all generations, and
to be answered speedily upon the wicked--when we reflect upon all
these things, our feelings are too intense for utterance; they
cannot be written; but when the nations behold it fulfilled, and
Zion and Jerusalem become the joy of the whole earth, then will
this prayer and the mission connected with it come to honorable
remembrance. Which may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob speedily
grant, in the name of Jesus Christ."

{40}

THE RESURRECTION.

A Discourse by Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, At the General Conference, October 8th, 1875.

I wish to present to the Latter-day Saints the doctrine of the resurrection in its true light. To satisfy the philosophy of my own mind in regard to this doctrine, I shall be under the necessity of commencing with the works of God as we find them in the beginning, or rather the beginning of the history we have of the earth. We admit the history that Moses gives of the creation or organization of this earth, as stated in his writings, to be correct. The philosophy of my mind, with all the experience I have gained by observation and knowledge of facts, tells me that there is nothing made, formed or fashioned without a Being to make, form or fashion the same. Then my own reasoning teaches me that myself as a mechanic, with all others upon this earth, and those also who dwell in the heavens, when we commence any work of mechanism, have an object in the same. God had an object in view when He framed this earth and placed vegetation and all creatures upon it, and man was brought here for the high object of an increase of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, glory and honor--each and every person, creature or thing in its own order and time, that all may harmonize together and receive this glory and honor. The particles that compose the earth were brought together for a certain purpose by its great Author. This purpose was, and still is, to bring this earth and all things upon it into a higher state of glory and intelligence. In the beginning there were laws given by which all nature was to be governed or controlled. It is true that man transgresses these laws, and would change them if he had the power to do so. But there are laws which he cannot disturb, and which operate regardless of man's actions. Among these is the law which pertains to the resurrection of the body of man and also to the resurrection of the earth; {41} for this earth has to undergo a great change, or, in other words, has to be resurrected.

Abel, the martyr, was the first man of whose death we have any account. He brought his offering to the Lord and was accepted. This proves that he was a righteous man, and by his righteousness he so far sanctified the particles of this earth that comprised the component parts of his body that they became entitled to a glorious resurrection, which he undoubtedly obtained when Jesus arose. If Abel had been eaten by dogs or lions, the component parts of his body never could have gone to compose the component parts of any other bodies. Why? Because the laws which govern the elements would not permit this to be done.

The question may be asked, Do not the particles that compose man's body, when returned to mother earth, go to make or compose other bodies? No, they do not. Some philosophers have asserted that the human body changes every seven or ten years. This is not correct, for it never changes; that is, the substances of which it is composed do not pass off and other particles of matter come and take their place. Neither can the particles which have comprised the bodies of men become parts of the bodies of other men, or of beasts, fowls, fish, insects or vegetables. They are governed by a divine law, and though they may pass from the knowledge of the scientific world, that divine law still holds and governs and controls them. Man's body may be buried in the ocean, it may be eaten by wild beasts, or it may be burned to ashes, and they be scattered to the four winds, yet the particles of which it is composed will not be incorporated into any form of vegetable or animal life, to become a component part of their structure. Are they gross, tangible, and, in their organized capacity, subject to decay and change? Yes, and if buried in the earth, they undergo decomposition and return to mother earth; but it is no matter how minute the particles are, they are watched over and will be preserved until the resurrection, and at the sound of the trumpet of God every particle of our physical structures necessary to make our tabernacles perfect will be assembled, to be rejoined with the spirit, every man in his order. Not one particle will be lost.

I have a few questions to ask the philosophical world, those especially who are well skilled in chemistry: Is this earth, the air and the water, composed of life, or do they, or any portion of them, consist of inanimate matter, or of that that has no life in itself? Another question: If the earth, air and water are composed of life, is there any intelligence in this life? {42} The philosopher may take his own time to answer these questions, and when he has satisfied himself he may ask himself again: Are those particles of matter life; if so, are they in possession of intelligence according to the grade of their organization? As far as we are concerned, we suggest the idea that there is an eternity of life, an eternity of organization, and an eternity of intelligence from the highest to the lowest grade, every creature in its order, from the Gods to the animalculae. Bear in mind, you who are believers in the resurrection or in the works of God, that man has sought out many inventions and has striven hard to learn the mysteries of God and godliness by his worldly wisdom, yet there are many things which science, with all its tests, cannot find out. Matter may be divided into an infinitude of atoms, until they pass beyond the power of the microscope to discover them, and the most skilful chemist who dwells upon the earth knows not whither they go. My position is, and which I declare to the Latter-day Saints, it is beyond the power of man, without revelation from God, with all his science to know whether these particles that compose our bodies go into other creatures to form the component parts of their bodies, or whether they merely pass into the already organized body to resuscitate it and contribute to its sustenance. I declare to the Latter-day Saints, and to all living upon the earth who have intelligence to understand, that the particles that comprise the component parts of our bodies will never enter into other bodies to form the elements of their bodies; but these very identical particles that now compose our bodies will be resurrected and come together by the power of the trump of God and will be re-united to form the body--excepting the blood, which will not be necessary to our existence in an immortal state--and then be prepared to receive the spirit, preparatory to their exaltation. Query: Would not the particles that compose the body of our Savior, according to their intelligence, oppose the idea of becoming a part of any other body but His? Again: Would not the Saints, who are faithful in magnifying the Priesthood of the Son of God, object to the particles which now compose their bodies, and which they have sanctified through obedience to that Priesthood, entering into and forming parts of other bodies than their own--bodies which their spirits had not possessed and of which they knew nothing in this life?

Although some may think that the substances of which our bodies are composed are borrowed for our use during this mortal existence, it is not so, neither will they be thrown off {43} at death, never to be restored; and though in the resurrection the bodies of the righteous will be raised immortal and free from all corruption, they will be none the less tangible or perceptible to the touch of those who are permitted to handle them. The question may be asked: Will the bodies of those who do not observe the laws of God, and which are not sanctified by obedience to them, come forth in the resurrection? Undoubtedly they will; but not at the same time nor to the same glory that they do who observe the laws of God.

The earth, also, abideth the law and filleth the measure of its creation, and though it shall die, it shall be resurrected in glory, a sanctified creation, suitable for the residence of celestial beings. The elements will be burned and purified, and be renewed; but not one atom of earth's organism will be lost; for that which is governed by law shall be preserved by law. And for everything which our God has created He has prescribed laws. There is nothing so minutes as to escape His notice, there is no creation so immense as to transcend the bounds of His power; all are alike subject to the operation of His decrees. He called matter from chaos and created the earth, and the heavens are studded with planets, the glorious workmanship of His hands. He has hung those mighty orbs in space, and their courses are fixed. And by the exercise of His power the original elements which have formed the bodies of men will be brought forth in the resurrection--bone to bone, sinew to sinew, flesh to flesh, not one hair shall be lost--and all this in obedience to law, that the substances which have formed the tabernacles of men, or of beasts, or of fowls, or of fish, shall not be intermingled or lost; but shall be all restored to their own places, though they may have been swallowed up in the depths of the sea, or have been scattered to the four winds of heaven.

To illustrate these facts connected with the resurrection of the body, we will quote from the revelations which the Lord has given to His children:

The Testimony of Ezekiel.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit
of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was
full of bones,

And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were
very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I
answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto
them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord,

{44} Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold, I will cause
breath to enter into you, and ye shall live;

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live;
and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was
a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to
his bone.

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them,
and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man,
and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four
winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them,
and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house
of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is
lost; we are cut off for our parts.

Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God:
Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come
up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your
graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall
place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have
spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.--_Ezekiel xxxvii_:
1-14.

The Testimony of Job.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another; though my reins be consumed within me.--_Job xix_: 25-27.

The Testimony of Daniel.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting
contempt.--_Daniel xii_: 2.

The Testimony of Luke.

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when
he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob.--_Luke xx_: 37.

And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them,
and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and
affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts
arise in your hearts?

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and
see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

And when He had thus spoken, He shewed them His hands and His feet.

{45} And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said
unto them, Have ye here any meat?

And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
And He took it, and did eat before them.--_Luke xxiv_: 36-43.

The Testimony of John.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them
when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.
But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print
of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and
thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas
with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the
midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my
hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and
be not faithless, but believing.--_John xx_: 24-27.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear His voice,

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.--_John v_: 25, 28, 29.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on
such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of
God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged
every man according to their works.--_Revelations xx_: 6, 13.

The Testimony of Matthew.

And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which
slept arose,

And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into
the holy city, and appeared unto many.--_Matthew xxvii_: 52, 53.

The Testimony of Paul.

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even
to subdue all things unto Himself.--_Philippians iii_: 20, 21.

But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.--_Romans
viii_: 11.

{46} Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death,
we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.--_Romans vi_:
4, 5.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your
sins.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits
of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of
the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what
body do they come?

Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall
be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed
his own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of
men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of
birds.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption,
it is raised in incorruption:

It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power:

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is
a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.--_1 Corinthians xv_:
16-22; 35-39; 42-44.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first.--_1 Thessalonians iv_: 14-16.

The Testimony of Abinadi.

And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands
of death, that the grave should have no victory, and that death
should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory,
and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ:

He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is
endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is
endless, that there can be no more death.

Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption
shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the
bar of God, to be judged of Him according to their works, whether
they be good or whether they be evil.--_Book of Mosiah, xvi_: 7-10.

{47}

The Testimony of Jacob.

For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan
of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection,
and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the
fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man
became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord;

Wherefore it must needs be an infinite atonement; save it should
be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on
incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man,
must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this
flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother
earth, to rise no more.

O the wisdom of God! His mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh
should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel
who fell from before the presence of the eternal God, and became
the devil, to rise no more.

And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of
Israel, this death of which I have spoken, which is the temporal,
shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual
death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell;
wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell
must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver
up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men
will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the
resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the
paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous and
the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit
and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become
incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a
perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh; save it be that our
knowledge shall be perfect.--_2 Nephi, ix_: 6-8; 11-13.

The Testimony of Amulek.

For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and
stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

Now there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the
death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that
all shall be raised from this temporal death;

The spirit and the body shall be re-united again in its perfect
form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame,
even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to
stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright
recollection of our guilt.

Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young; both
bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the
righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their
heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to its perfect
frame, as it is now, or in the body.--_Book of Alma, xi_: 41-44.

The Testimony of Alma.

But this much I say, that there is a space between death and the
resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or
in misery, until the time which is appointed of God that the dead
shall {48} come forth, and be re-united, both soul and body, and be
brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works;

Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which
have been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.

The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul;
yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea,
even a hair of the head shall not be lost, but all things shall be
restored to their proper and perfect frame.--_Book of Alma, xl_:
21-23.

The Testimony of Samuel.

For behold, He [Jesus] surely must die, that salvation may come;
yea, it behooveth Him, and becometh expedient that He dieth, to
bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be
brought into the presence of the Lord;

Yea, behold this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and
redeemeth all mankind from the first death.--_Book of Helaman,
xiv_: 15, 16.

The Words of Jesus.

And it came to pass that He [Jesus] said unto Nephi, bring forth
the record which ye have kept.

And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before
His, He cast His eyes upon them and said,

Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite,
that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the
Father should glorify His name in me, that there were many saints
who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and
should minister unto them. And He said unto them, were it not so?

And His disciples answered Him and said, Yea, Lord, Samuel did
prophesy according to Thy words, and they were all fulfilled.

And Jesus said unto them, How be it that ye have not written this
thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many, and did
minister unto them?

And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not
been written.

And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written;
therefore it was written according as He commanded.--_3 Nephi,
xxiii_: 7-13.

The Testimony of Moroni.

And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ,
they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is
wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth
to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption
from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awoke by
the power of God, when the trump shall sound; and they shall come
forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before His bar,
being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which
death is a temporal death.--_Book of Mormon, ix_: 13.

Words of Jesus in Book of Doctrine and Covenants.

Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is
made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead. And
the spirit and the body is the soul of man.

{49} And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the
soul; And the redemption of the soul is through Him who quickeneth
all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek
of the earth shall inherit it.

Therefore it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness,
that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;

For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be
crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;

That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever
and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for
this intent are they sanctified.

And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a
celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and
transgresseth not the law.

Wherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall
die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by
which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it:

For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again a
spiritual body.

They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body
which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and
your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.

And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour,
and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a
scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord
shall be unveiled;

And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be
quickened, and be caught up to meet Him.

And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth; for their
graves shall be opened, and they also shall be caught up to meet
Him in the midst of the pillar of heaven:

They are Christ's, the first fruits: they who shall descend with
Him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves,
who are first caught up to meet Him: and all this by the voice
of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.--_Doctrine and
Covenants, lxxxviii_: 14-20; 25-28; 95-98.

For a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount
Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth,
yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of
righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me,
that we may be one.

And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be
consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new
earth,

For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become
new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof,
both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the
sea;

And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the
workmanship of mine hand.

But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass
away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then
shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and
they shall come forth; yea, even all.--_Doctrine and Covenants,
xxix_: 13; 23-26.

For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter His voice out of
heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and
the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to
the {50} sleeping nations, Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners
stay and sleep until I shall call again.--_Doctrine and Covenants,
xliii_: 18.

But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his
trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me
in the cloud;

Wherefore if ye have slept in peace, blessed are you, for as you
now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me
and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected,
and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the
earth.--_Doctrine and Covenants, xlv_: 45, 46.

Yea, and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth
when the Lord shall come, and old things shall pass away, and all
things become new, they shall rise from the dead and shall not die
after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in the
holy city.

And he that liveth when the Lord shall come, and has kept the
faith, blessed is he; nevertheless it is appointed to him to die at
the age of man;

Wherefore children shall grow up until they become old, old men
shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be
changed in the twinkling of an eye;

Wherefore for this cause preached the apostles unto the world the
resurrection of the dead.--_Doctrine and Covenants, lxiii_: 49-52.

Extract From A Revelation to the Prophet Joseph.

And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to
prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying, Blessed
be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are
opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I
shall see God.--_Pearl of Great Price, p. 10_.

Extract From The Prophecy of Enoch.

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.--_Pearl of Great Price, p. 21_.

The Testimony of Joseph Smith.

As concerning the resurrection, I will merely say that all men will come forth from the grave as they lie down, whether old or young; there will not be "added one cubit to their stature," neither taken from it; all will be raised by the power of God, having spirit in their bodies and not blood.--_March 20, 1842; History of Joseph Smith_.

There are two kinds of beings in heaven, viz: angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones.

For instance, Jesus said, "Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have."

2. The spirits of just men made perfect--they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory.

When a messenger comes, saying he has a message from God, offer him your hand, and request him to shake hands with you.

{51} If he be an angel, he will do so, and you will feel his hand.

If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect, he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear.

Ask him to shake hands with you, but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive; but he will still deliver his message.

If it be the Devil as an angel of light, when you ask him to shake hands, he will offer you his hand, and you will not feel anything; you may therefore detect him.

These are three grand keys whereby you may know whether any administration is from God.--_Thursday, February 9, 1843; History of Joseph Smith. Doctrine and Covenants, cxxxix_.

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection;

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicted;

And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicted.

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also: but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.--_Sunday, April 2, 1843; History of Joseph Smith. Doctrine and Covenants, cxxx_: 18-23.

To a remark of Elder O. Pratt's, that a man's body changes every seven years, President Joseph Smith replied: There is no fundamental principle belonging to a human system that ever goes into another in this world or in the world to come: I care not what the theories of men are. We have the testimony that God will raise us up, and He has the power to do it. If any one supposes that any part of our bodies, that is, the fundamental parts thereof, ever goes into another body, he is mistaken.--_Friday, April 7, 1843; History of Joseph Smith_.

Speaking of the eternal duration of matter, I said--There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes.

We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified, we shall see that it is all matter.--_Wednesday, May 17, 1843; History of Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants, cxxxi_: 7, 8.

As the Father hath power in Himself, so hath the Son power in Himself, to lay down His life and take it again, so He has a body of His own. The Son doeth what He hath seen the Father do; then the Father hath some day laid down His life and taken it again; so He has a body of His own, each one will be in His own body; and yet the sectarian world believe the body of the Son is stuffed into the Father's.

Gods have an ascendancy over the angels, who are ministering servants. In the resurrection, some are raised to be angels; others are raised to become Gods.--_Sunday, June 11, 1843; History of Joseph Smith_.

{52}

CELESTIAL FAMILY ORGANIZATION.

By Parley P. Pratt in His Publication, "The Prophet," Published in New York City, 1845.

Man is an eternal being, both in regard to his material organization and his mind and affections. The resurrection from the dead restores him to life with all his bodily and mental powers and faculties, and (if quickened by the celestial glory) consequently associates him with his family, friends and kindred, as one of the necessary links of the chain which connects the great and royal family of heaven and earth in one eternal bond of kindred affection and association. The order of God's government, both in time and in eternity, is patriarchal; that is, it is a fatherly government. Each father who is raised from the dead and made a partaker of the celestial glory in its fullness, will hold lawful jurisdiction over his own children and over all the families which spring of them to all generations, forever and ever.

We talk, in this ignorant age, of children becoming of age, as it is called; and we consider when they are of age they are free from the authority of their father. But no such rule is known in the celestial law and organization, either here or hereafter. By that law a son is subject to his father forever and ever, worlds without end. Again, we have a rule now established in the earth by which a woman becomes the wife of a man, and is bound by law to him till death shall separate. But in the celestial order it is not so, for the plainest of all reasons, viz., the celestial order, is an order of eternal life; it knows no death and consequently makes no provision for any. Therefore all its covenants and contracts are eternal in their duration, and calculated to bind the several members of a family in one eternal union. In order to illustrate this subject and make it perfectly plain to the most simple capacity we must leave death entirely out of the consideration, and look at men and families just as we would look at them if there was no death. This we can do with the greatest propriety because the time was when there was no death, and the time will be again in which there will be no death.

{53} Our venerable father Adam took our mother Eve for a wife when the human family and the world in which they lived was as free from death as God and His throne. We would now inquire what kind of contract was made between them, and also how long was it to endure? Was it after the power and union of an endless life? or was it made to serve a momentary purpose, till death shall separate? The answer is obvious. This marriage contract must have been eternal, or else it must have admitted the sinful as well as cruel idea of a divorce and final separation during their lives; for let it be borne in mind they had no death in view and no idea of ever being subject to death, even for a moment, at the time the contract was made.

Again, Paul opens a mystery, viz., that we shall not all sleep in the dust; but those who live at a certain time will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and will be caught up to meet the Lord and so ever be with Him. Now as some of these will doubtless be husbands and wives, we would inquire when their marriage contract will be fulfilled and come to an end? They agreed to be each others till death should separate (that is, if they were married by the usual ceremonies which now exist). And behold, death cannot separate them; for the change from mortal to immortal will be instantaneous.

Again, "Christ came to deliver those who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage." Therefore, after the resurrection men live, and live forever, as though death had never been. In view of this, God declares himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have once died; and yet he claims not to be the God of the dead, but of the living.

Again, Paul speaks of another great mystery, viz., "that every man should love his wife even as Christ loves the Church." Now we would inquire whether the love and consequent union of Christ and His Church is to come to an end by death, and a final separation take place in the world to come? or whether, on the other hand, the union is more perfect and complete in the other life than it is in this? All agree that the love and union of Christ and the Church is eternal, and that it not only continues in the other world, but it is made perfect there. This being the case, it leads us to the irresistible conclusion that the love and union of a man and his wife should extend into, and even be more perfect in eternity, or else Paul was very wrong in telling every man to love his wife even as Christ loves the Church. Having {54} established the fact or principle of eternal union between a man and his wife, we will now proceed to establish the eternal relationship and authority on one hand and obedience on the other, that will exist between parents and children.

To illustrate this principle we have a beautiful and plain precedent. Jesus Christ and His Father continue to be one in their affection and union since He rose from the dead; and He still yields obedience to the commands of His Father, and has also revealed that He will continue to do so, when He has put down death, and all rule and authority and power. "Then shall the Son also be subjected to the Father." We hear nothing in all this subject about Jesus Christ ever being of age so as to be free from all further obligation to obey His Father; but on the contrary it is clearly revealed that He will always be subjected to Him. Now this same Jesus prayed to His Father, as testified by the Apostle John, that His disciples and those who believed on their words might be one even as Christ and His Father are one; not only one with God and Christ, but also one with each other in the same manner and in the same sense that they are one. Now suppose, in fulfillment of this prayer, a man and his children were His disciples; and finally in the eternal world, they became one with each other in precisely the same sense that Christ and His Father are one, would not these children be subject to their father in the same manner as Christ is subject to His Father? Certainly they would.

We have also a most beautiful practical illustration of the principles of continued authority on the part of the father and obedience on the part of the children in this life, in the family of Jacob. His sons were, many of them, advanced in years so far as to become heads of families at the time of going to Egypt for corn. And yet they all set an example of obedience to their father, insomuch that they would not take Benjamin with them without his consent, even if they starved to death. It appears, too, that Abraham had the entire control of his son Isaac's matrimonial affairs, although Isaac was forty years of age at the time of his marriage with Rebecca.

Having now established the fact that the celestial order is designed not only to give eternal life, but also to establish an eternal order of family government, founded upon the most pure and holy principles of union and affection, we will take a review of the celestial family of man as it will exist in the restoration of all things spoken of by the Holy Prophets.

First: His most gracious and venerable majesty, King Adam, with his royal consort, Queen Eve, will appear at the {55} head of the whole great family of the redeemed, and will be crowned in their midst as a king and priest forever after the Son of God. They will then be arrayed in garments white as snow and will take their seats on the throne, in the midst of the paradise of God on the earth, to reign forever and ever. While thousands of thousands stand before him, and ten thousand times ten thousand minister unto him. And if you will receive it, this is the order of the Ancient of days--the kingdom prepared and organized to meet Jesus when He comes.

This venerable patriarch and sovereign will hold lawful jurisdiction over Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the prophets, apostles, Saints of all ages and dispensations, who will all reverence and obey him as their venerable father and lawful sovereign. They will then be organized, each over his own department of the government, according to their birthright and office, in their families, generations and nations. Each one will obey and be obeyed according to the connection which he sustains as a member of the great celestial family. Thus the gradation will descend in regular degrees from the throne of the Ancient of days with his innumerable subjects, down to the least and last Saint of the last days who may be counted worthy of a throne and sceptre, although his kingdom may, perhaps, only consist of a wife and single child. Such the order and organization of the celestial family, and such the natures of the thrones, principalities and powers, which are the rewards of diligence. This kingdom, organized and established upon the earth in its beauty and order, will be ready for the Son of man. He will then come in the clouds of heaven and receive it to himself. Adam and all the patriarchs, kings and prophets will still be subject unto Christ, because He was in the eternal world, the first born of every creature, and the beginning of the creation of God. Hence in the patriarchal order, He rules by right of birth.

"If I tell you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" I might enlarge on the subject by connecting the family of Adam with other branches of Christ's kingdom, and of the celestial family in other planets and worlds, many of which are older and much larger than our earth, but peopled by branches of the celestial family, who are of the same kindred and race that we are, viz., the sons and daughters of God. I might also tell you of the continued exertions of creative power by which millions of new worlds will yet be formed and peopled by King Adam and his descendants, in the name, and by the authority of Jesus Christ, and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood which is after the power {56} of the endless life, without beginning of days or end of years, and thus go on enlarging and multiplying, conquering and to conquer, till Abraham's seed becomes numerous as the sand; and till the Saint of the last days possess a kingdom and dominion of his own posterity, vastly more numerous than King Adam will possess in the great restoration of all things pertaining to this little earth. But you are not able to receive heavenly things as yet, and therefore forbear, and let the things of the earth suffice at least for the present, and till the Saints should be counted worthy of endowment and of an entrance into the sanctuary of our God. For there shall the greater things be made manifest to those who are not overcome and are counted worthy.

I now wish to say a few words on the subject of matrimony and also on the subject of raising and educating children.

Who that has had one glimpse of the order of the celestial family and of the eternal connections and relationships which should be formed here in order to be enjoyed there; who that has felt one thrill of the energy and power of eternal life and love which flows from the divine spirit of revelation, can ever be contented with the corrupt pleasures of a moment which arise from the unlawful connections and desires? Or what Saint who has any degree of faith in the power of the resurrection and of eternal life, can be contented to throw themselves away by matrimonial connection with sectarians or other worldlings who are so blind that they can never secure an eternal union by the authority of the Holy Priesthood which has power to bind that which shall be bound in heaven? By such a union, or by corrupt, unlawful and unvirtuous connections and indulgences they not only lose their own celestial crown and throne, but also plunge their children into ruin and darkness, which will probably cause them to neglect so great salvation for the sake of the love and the praise of the world and the traditions of men.

O my friends--my brethren and sisters, and especially the younger class of our community! I beseech you in the fear and love of God and entreat you in view of eternal glory and exaltation in this kingdom, to deny yourselves all the corrupt and abominable practices and desires of the world and the flesh, and seek to be pure and virtuous in all your ways and thoughts, and not only so, but make no matrimonial connections or engagements till you have asked counsel of the Spirit of God in humble prayer before Him; till you know and understand the principles of eternal life and union sufficiently to act wisely and prudently, and in that way that {57} will eventually secure yourself and companion and your children in the great family circle of the celestial organization.

I would now say to parents that their own salvation, as well as that of their children, depends to a certain extent on the bringing up of their children, and educating them in the truth, that their traditions and early impressions may be correct. No parent who continues to neglect this after they themselves have come to the knowledge of the truth, can be saved in the celestial kingdom. I would earnestly recommend that all sectarian books, tracts, pictures, paintings, etc., which are not according to the truth, be removed from the family circle of the Saints, and that their children be not suffered to read them, at least till the truth has taken hold of their minds sufficiently that they may be able to contrast the one with the other; and to perceive the difference. Sectarian sermons and their manner of worship and their Sunday schools, are also a great damage to children, being well calculated to rivet upon their young and tender minds the most vague, mysterious and erroneous notions and principles which may prevent their ever being open to the conviction of the truth. And even if they should embrace the truth afterwards, and they find their perceptive faculties so blunted and beclouded by early impressions and traditions, that it will continue to retard their progress in the comprehension of the truth, insomuch that many of its plainest and simplest principles will either remain entirely unperceived by them or else be seen through a glass darkly, as it were, and thus lose much of their force and beauty. * * *