Chapter X: Appendix: Outline for class review of the Lectures 463-477 (8)

=3. Operation of the Holy Ghost.=--The means through which the
Holy Ghost operates are no more truly the Holy Ghost in person
than are the light and heat and actinic energy of the sun, the
sun itself. The influence, spirit, or power of the Holy Ghost is
that of enlightenment and progression, and this is given unto men
in proportion to their receptiveness and worthiness; but the
right to the special ministrations of the third member of the
Godhead is obtainable only through compliance with the
preliminary requirements of the Gospel--faith, repentance, and
baptism.

=4. Mode of Conferring the Holy Ghost.=--Questions have arisen as
to the ceremony of confirmation and the bestowal of the Holy
Ghost, particularly as to the propriety of saying: _Receive ye
the Holy Ghost_; or _Receive ye the Gift of the Holy Ghost._.
Since the companionship of the Holy Ghost embraces all the
spiritual graces and gift in so far as such are deserved by and
appropriate to the person, the Church teaches that officiating
Elders in confirming baptized candidates should use the form:
_Receive ye the Holy Ghost_.

In explaining the reception of the Holy Ghost by the apostles of
old, the First Presidency of the Church issued an instructive
statement Feb. 5, 1916. See DESERET NEWS of that date, and
_Improvement Era_, March, 1916; and for excerpt from same see
"Jesus the Christ" (third and later editions), p. 720.

LECTURE IX.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

In connection with Article 4.

=1. The Sacrament.=--In the course of our study of the principles and ordinances of the Gospel, as specified in the fourth of the Articles of Faith, the subject of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper[511] very properly claims attention, the observance of this ordinance being required of all who have become members of the Church of Christ through compliance with the requirements of faith, repentance, and baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost.

[511] See Notes 1 and 2.

=2. Institution of the Sacrament among the Jews.=--The sacrament of the Lord's Supper dates from the night of the Passover feast[512] immediately preceding the crucifixion of the Savior. On that solemn occasion, Christ and His apostles were assembled in Jerusalem, keeping the feast in an upper room, which had been made ready by His express command.[513] As a Jew, Christ appears to have been ever loyal to the established usages of His people; and it must have been with most extraordinary feelings that He entered upon this commemorative feast, the last of its kind bearing the significance of the type of a future sacrifice, as well as a reminder of God's favor in the past. Knowing well the terrible experiences immediately awaiting Him, He communed with the Twelve at the paschal board in anguish of soul, prophesying concerning His betrayal, which was soon to be accomplished by the agency of one who there ate with Him. Then He took bread, and blessed it and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, eat; this is my body;"[514] "this do in remembrance of me."[515] Afterward, taking the cup, He blessed its contents and administered it to them with the words, "Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."[516] It is interesting to note that the account of the sacrament and its purport as given by Paul[517] resembles so closely as to be almost identical with the descriptions recorded by the evangelists. The designation of the Sacrament as the Lord's Supper is used by no biblical writer other than Paul.

[512] See Note 3.

[513] Luke xxii, 8-13.

[514] Matt. xxvi, 26.

[515] Luke xxii, 19; see also Mark xiv, 22-25.

[516] Matt. xxvi, 27-28. See "The Great Apostasy," pp. 119, 120.

[517] I Cor. xi, 23-25.

=3. Institution of the Sacrament among the Nephites.=--On the occasion of His visit to the Nephites, which occurred shortly after His resurrection, Christ established the sacrament among this division of His flock. He requested the disciples whom He had chosen to bring Him bread and wine; then taking the bread, He brake it, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples with the command that they should eat and afterward distribute to the people. The authority to administer this ordinance He promised to leave with the people. "And this shall ye always observe to do," said He, "even as I have done.... And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shewn unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my Spirit to be with you."[518] The wine was administered in the same order, first to the disciples, then by them to the people. This also was to be part of the standing ordinance among the people:--"And ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me." Then followed a reiteration of the great promise, "And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my Spirit to be with you."[519]

[518] III Nephi xviii, 6, 7.

[519] III Nephi xviii. 11. See "Jesus the Christ," ch. xxxix.

=4. Fit Partakers of the Sacrament.=--The Divine instructions concerning the sacredness of this ordinance are very explicit; and the consequent need of scrupulous care being exercised lest it be engaged in unworthily is apparent. In addressing the Corinthian Saints, Paul utters solemn warnings against hasty or unworthy action in partaking of the sacrament, and declares that the penalties of sickness, and even death, are visited upon those who violate the sacred requirements.--"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."[520]

[520] I Cor. xi, 26-30.

=5.= When instructing the Nephites, Jesus laid great stress upon the fitness of those who partook of the sacrament; and moreover He placed much responsibility upon the officers of the Church whose duty it was to administer it, that they should permit none whom they knew to be unworthy to take part in the ordinance:--"And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it; for whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore, if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood, ye shall forbid him."[521]

[521] III Nephi xviii, 28, 29.

=6.= The direct word of the Lord unto the Saints in this dispensation instructs them to permit no one who has committed trespass to partake of the sacrament until reconciliation has been made; nevertheless the Saints are commanded to exercise abundant charity toward their erring fellows, not casting them out from the assemblies, yet carefully withholding the sacrament from them.[522] In our system of Church organization, the local ecclesiastical officers are charged with the responsibility of administering the sacrament, and the people are required to keep themselves worthy to partake of the sacred emblems.

[522] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 4. See also III Nephi xviii, 30.

=7.= There is an entire absence of scriptural sanction for giving the sacrament to any who are not members in full fellowship in the Church of Christ. Christ administered the ordinance on the eastern continent to His apostles only; and we have record of their giving it to those only who had assumed the name of Christ. Amongst His western fold, Christ established the law that only the actual members of His Church should partake. In promising to ordain one among them with power to officiate in the sacrament, the Savior specified that the one so chosen should give it unto the people of His Church, unto all those who believed and were baptized in His name.[523] Only those indeed who had been so baptized were called the Church of Christ.[524] Continuing His instructions to the disciples concerning the sacrament, the Savior said: "This shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name."[525]

[523] III Nephi xviii, 5.

[524] III Nephi xxvi, 21.

[525] III Nephi xviii, 11.

=8.= And the same law is applicable to-day; it is the members of the Church[526] who are admonished to meet together often for the observance of the sacrament; and the Church comprises none of mature years who have not been baptized by the authority of the Holy Priesthood.[527]

[526] Doc. and Cov. xx, 75.

[527] Doc and Cov. xx, 87.

=9. Purpose of the Sacrament.=--From the scriptural references already made, it is plain that the sacrament is administered to commemorate the atonement of the Lord Jesus, as consummated in His agony and death; it is a testimony before God, that we are mindful of His Son's sacrifice made in our behalf; and that we still profess the name of Christ and are determined to strive to keep His commandments, in the hope that we may ever have His Spirit to be with us. Partaking of the sacrament worthily may be regarded therefore as a means of renewing our covenants before the Lord, of acknowledgment of mutual fellowship among the members, and of solemnly witnessing our claim and profession of membership in the Church of Christ. The sacrament has not been established as a specific means of securing remission of sins; nor for any other special blessing, aside from that of a fresh endowment of the Holy Spirit, which, however, comprises all needful blessings. Were the sacrament ordained for the remission of sins, it would not be forbidden to those who are in greatest need of special forgiveness; yet participation in the ordinance is restricted to those whose consciences are void of serious offense, those, therefore, who are acceptable before the Lord; those indeed who are in as little need of special forgiveness as mortals can be.

=10. The Sacramental Emblems.=--In instituting the sacrament among both the Jews and the Nephites, Christ used bread and wine as the emblems of His body and blood;[528] and in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, He has revealed His will that the Saints meet together often to partake of bread and wine in this commemorative ordinance.[529] But the Lord has also shown that other forms of food and drink may be used in place of bread and wine. Very soon after the Church was organized in the present dispensation, the Prophet Joseph was about to purchase some wine for sacramental purposes, when a special messenger from God appeared to him, and delivered the following instructions: "For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory; remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins. Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase wine, neither strong drink, of your enemies: Wherefore you shall partake of none except it is made new among you; yea in this my Father's kingdom which shall be built up upon the earth."[530] Upon this authority, the Latter-day Saints administer water in their sacramental service, in preference to wine concerning the purity of which they are not assured. However, in the vineyard districts of the Church territory, wine has been generally used.

[528] Matt. xxvi, 27-29; III Nephi xviii, 1, 8.

[529] Doc. and Cov. xx, 75.

[530] Doc. and Cov. xxvii, 2-4.

=11. Manner of Administering the Sacrament.=--It is customary with the Latter-day Saints in all wards or regularly organized branches of the Church, to hold sacramental meetings every Sabbath. The authority of the priest of the Aaronic order of priesthood is requisite in consecrating the emblems; and, as a matter of course, any one holding the higher order of priesthood has authority to officiate in this ordinance. The bread is first to be broken into small pieces, and placed in suitable receptacles on the sacramental table; and then, according to the Lord's direction, the elder or priest shall administer it, after this manner:--"He shall kneel with the Church and call upon the Father in solemn prayer, saying:--

"_O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen._"[531]

[531] Doc. and Cov. xx, 76, 77; compare Moroni iv.

=12.= After the bread has been distributed to the congregation, in which labor the teachers and deacons may take part, under the direction of the officiating priest, the wine or water is consecrated in this manner:--

"_O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine [or water] to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen._"[532]

[532] Doc. and Cov. xx, 78-79; compare Moroni v.

=13.= The plainness of the Lord's instructions to the Saints regarding this ordinance, leaves no excuse for disputation concerning the ceremony, for assuredly no one who officiates in these holy rites can feel that he is authorized to change the forms even by the alteration of a word. If ever the Lord desires a change in this ordinance, He will doubtless make it known through His established channels of the priesthood. The records of the Nephites clearly prove that the manner of administering the sacrament as practiced in their day,[533] was the same as revealed for the guidance of the Saints in the dispensation of the fulness of times.

[533] Moroni iv; v.

NOTES.

=1. The Term "Sacrament"= is commonly used in both a general and
a specific sense; according to its derivation, it signifies a
sacred thing or holy ceremony, and with this meaning it is
applied by different sects to several ceremonies of their
churches. Thus, the Protestants speak of two sacraments,--baptism
and the Lord's Supper; the Roman and Greek Catholics recognize
seven sacraments,--the two named above, and also confirmation,
matrimony, the bestowal of church orders, penance, and extreme
unction. Some sections of the Greek church are said to exclude
confirmation and extreme unction from among the seven sacraments.
With even greater latitude, the term is applied to any miraculous
or spiritual manifestation; it is so used by Bishop Jeremy Taylor
when he says, "God sometime sent a light of fire, and pillar of a
cloud ... and the sacrament of a rainbow, to guide His people
through their portion of sorrows." Specifically, however, the
word sacrament denotes the Lord's Supper, and in this sense alone
does the word occur in Latter-day Saint theology. Eucharist and
Holy Communion are terms employed in certain churches as
synonymous with the sacrament of the Lord's supper. From the
custom of regarding the ceremony of communion, that is, the
partaking of the sacrament, as an evidence of standing in any
church, and from the rule which withholds this privilege from
those who are judged to be unworthy of fellowship, comes the term
_excommunicate_, as applied to deprivation of church fellowship,
meaning literally to cast out from communion.

=2. The Lord's Supper.=--As stated, this designation of the
sacrament occurs but once in the Bible. The "Lord's Supper" is
referred to by Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians. In
all probability this name was used because the rite was first
administered at the time of the evening meal. It must be
remembered that the _deipnon_ or evening supper among the Jews
was the principal meal of the day, and really corresponded to our
dinner.

=3. The Passover and the Sacrament.=--The feast of the passover
was the chief of the annual ceremonials of the Jews, and derived
its name from the circumstances of its origin. In setting His
hand to deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt, the Lord
wrought many miracles and wonders before Pharaoh and his
idolatrous house; and, as the last of the ten terrible plagues to
which the Egyptians were subjected, the first born of every
household was smitten with death during a single night. By
previous command, the Israelites had marked the posts and lintels
of their doorways with the blood of a lamb slain for the
occasion, the blood having been sprinkled by means of a bunch of
hyssop. In His passage through the land, the Lord passed over the
houses so marked (Exodus xii, 12, 13); while in all the Egyptian
homes the stroke of death was felt. Hence arises the name
Passover, from _pasach_--to pass by. The flesh of the paschal
lamb was eaten amid the haste of departure. To commemorate their
deliverance from bondage, the Lord required of the Israelites an
annual celebration of this event, the occasion being known as the
"Feast of the Passover," also as the "Feast of Unleavened Bread,"
the latter name arising from the Lord's command that during the
specified time of the observance no leaven should be found in the
houses of the people (Ex. xii, 15); and the occasion of the feast
was to be taken advantage of for instructing the children
concerning the merciful dealings of God with their forefathers
(Ex. xii, 26. 27). But aside from its commemorative purpose, the
passover became to the people a type of the sacrifice on Calvary.
Paul says, "Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us" (I Cor.
v, 7). As being typical of the future atoning death of Christ,
the passover lost part of its significance by the crucifixion,
and was superseded by the sacrament. There is perhaps no closer
relation between the two ordinances than this. Surely the
sacrament was not designed to fully supplant the passover, for
the latter was established as a perpetually recurring
feast:--"And the day shall be unto you for a memorial: and ye
shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye
shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever" (Ex. xii, 14).

=4. Errors Concerning the Sacrament=, and its signification, and
the manner of administering it, grew rapidly in the
professed-Christian churches during the early centuries of the
Christian era. As soon as the power of the priesthood had
departed, much disputation arose in matters of ordinance, and the
observance of the sacrament became distorted. Theological
teachers strove to foster the idea that there was much mystery
attending this naturally simple and most impressive ordinance;
that all who were not in full communion with the Church should be
excluded, not only from participation in the ordinance, which was
justifiable, but from the privilege of witnessing the service,
lest they profane the mystic rite by their unhallowed presence.
Then arose the heresy of transubstantiation,--which held that the
sacramental emblems by the ceremony of consecration lost their
natural character of simple bread and wine, and became in reality
flesh and blood,--actually parts of the crucified body of Christ.
Argument against such dogmas is useless. Then followed the
veneration of the emblems by the people, the bread and
wine--regarded as part of Christ's tabernacle, being elevated in
the mass for the adoration of the people; and later, the custom
of suppressing half of the sacrament was introduced. By the
innovation last mentioned, only the bread was administered, the
dogmatic assertion being that both the body and the blood were
represented in some mystical way in one of the "elements."
Certain it is, that Christ required his disciples to both eat and
drink in remembrance of Him.

=5. Sacrament Administered to Unbaptized Children.=--Questions
have been raised as to the propriety of administering the
sacrament to children below the age specified as that of baptism
into the Church. As indicated in a preceding lecture (pp.
127-130), children born in the Church are members thereof without
baptism until they arrive at the age of accountability. There is
seemingly no violation of law in administering the sacrament to
such innocent subjects, and as the living authorities of the
Church have directed the practice, the question of propriety is
answered. Nevertheless, children should be taught that after they
have been baptized and confirmed in the Church, the partaking of
the sacrament has to them an added significance, in that it marks
a renewal of the covenants they made at the waters of baptism.

LECTURE X.

AUTHORITY IN THE MINISTRY.

=Article 5.=--We believe that a man must be called of God, by
prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in
authority, to preach the Gospel, and administer in the ordinances
thereof.

MEN CALLED OF GOD.

=1. Scriptural Examples.=--It is not less agreeable to the dictates of human reason, than it is conformable to the plan of perfect organization which characterizes the Church of Christ, that all who minister in the ordinances of the Gospel should be called and commissioned for their sacred duties by the authority of heaven. The scriptures sustain this view most thoroughly; they present to us an array of men whose Divine callings are specially attested, and whose mighty works declare a power greater than that of man. On the other hand, not an instance is set down in holy writ of anyone taking to himself the authority to officiate in sacred ordinances, and being acknowledged of the Lord in such administration.

=2.= Consider the case of Noah, who "found grace in the eyes of the Lord"[534] in the midst of a wicked world. Unto him the Lord spake, announcing His displeasure with the wicked inhabitants of earth, and the Divine intention concerning the deluge; and instructed him in the manner of building and stocking the ark. That Noah declared the word of God unto his perverse contemporaries is shown in Peter's declaration of Christ's mission in the spirit world,--that the Savior preached to those who had been disobedient during the period of God's long suffering in the days of Noah, and who had in consequence endured the privations of the prison house in the interval.[535] Surely none can question the Divine source of Noah's authority, nor the justice of the retributive punishment following the wilful rejection of his teachings, for his words were the words of God.

[534] Gen. vi, 8.

[535] I Peter iii, 19-20.

=3.= So also with Abraham, the father of the faithful; the Lord called him[536] and made covenant with him for all the generations of his posterity. Isaac[537] was similarly distinguished; likewise Jacob,[538] to whom, as he rested upon his pillow of stones in the desert, the Lord appeared. Unto Moses[539] came the voice of God amidst the fierceness of fire, calling and commissioning the man to go into Egypt and deliver therefrom the people whose cries had come up with such effect before the throne of heaven. In this great work Aaron[540] was called to assist his brother; and later, Aaron and his sons[541] were chosen by Divine direction from the midst of the children of Israel to minister in the priest's office. When Moses[542] saw that his days were numbered, he solicited the Lord to appoint a successor in his holy station; and by special command, Joshua, the son of Nun, was so selected.

[536] Gen. xii-xxv; Pearl of Great Price: Book of Abraham.

[537] Gen. xxvi, 2-5.

[538] Gen. xxviii, 10-15.

[539] Exo. iii, 2-10.

[540] Exo. iv, 14-16, 27.

[541] Exo. xxviii, 1.

[542] Numb, xxvii, 15-23.

=4.= Samuel, who became so great a prophet in Israel, commissioned to consecrate, command, and rebuke kings, to direct armies, and to serve as the oracle of God unto the people, was chosen while yet a boy, and called by the voice of the Lord.[543] And such was the power that followed this call, that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established a prophet of the Lord.[544] Time fails to permit the mention of many other men of might, who received their power from God, whose histories portray the honor with which the Lord regarded His chosen ministers. Think of the heavenly vision by which Isaiah was called and directed in the duties of his prophetic office;[545] of Jeremiah, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah;[546] of the priest Ezekiel, who first received the Divine message in the land of the Chaldeans,[547] and subsequently on other occasions; of Hosea,[548] and all the rest of the prophets to Zechariah[549] and Malachi.[550]

[543] I Sam. iii, 4-14.

[544] I Sam. iii, 20.

[545] Isa. i, 1; ii, 1; vi, 8-9.

[546] Jer. i, 2-10.

[547] Ezek. i, 1.

[548] Hos. i, 1.

[549] Zech. i, 1.

[550] Mal. i, 1.

=5.= The apostles of the Lord were called by His own voice in the days of His ministry; and surely the Savior's authority is beyond question, vindicated as it is by the mighty works of the atonement, wrought through pain and the anguish of death, and by the authoritative declaration of the Father at the time of Christ's baptism. Peter, and Andrew his brother, while casting their nets into the sea, were called with the instruction,--"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men;"[551] and soon after, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were similarly called. So with all of the chosen Twelve who ministered with the Master; and unto the Eleven who had remained faithful, He appeared after His resurrection, giving them special commissions for the work of the kingdom.[552] Christ specifically declares that He had chosen His apostles, and that He had ordained them in their exalted stations.[553]

[551] Matt. iv, 18-20.

[552] Matt. xviii, 19-20; Mark xvi, 15.

[553] John vi, 70; xv, 16.

=6.= In the period immediately following that of Christ's earthly mission, the ministers of the Gospel were all designated and set apart by unquestionable authority. Even Saul of Tarsus, afterward Paul the Apostle, who was converted with marvelous signs and wondrous manifestations,[554] had to be formally commissioned for the labor which the Lord desired him to perform; and we are told that the Holy Ghost spake to the prophets and teachers of the Church at Antioch, while they fasted before the Lord, saying, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."[555]

[554] Acts ix.

[555] Acts xiii, 1-2.

=7. The Ordination of Men to the Ministry=, as sanctioned by scriptural precedent, and established by direct revelation of God's will, is to be effected through the gift of prophecy, and by the imposition of hands by those who are in authority. By prophecy is meant the right to receive, and the power to interpret, manifestations of the Divine will. That the laying on of hands is usual as a part of the ceremony is seen in several of the instances already cited; nevertheless the scriptures record numerous ordinations to the offices of the priesthood, with no specific statement concerning the imposition of hands, nor indeed any other details of the ceremony. Such instances do not warrant the conclusion that the laying on of hands was not actually performed; and indeed in the light of modern revelation it is clear that the imposition of hands was a usual accompaniment of ordination, as it was also a part of the ceremony of confirming blessings,[556] and of bestowing the Holy Ghost.[557]

[556] Gen. xlviii, 14-19. Compare II Kings v, 11; Matt. viii, 15;
Mark vi, 5; xvi, 15-18.

[557] See Lecture viii, pp. 162-174.

=8.= Thus, the priesthood descended from Adam to Noah, under the hands of the fathers;[558] Enos was ordained by the hand of Adam; and the same was true of Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah. Lamech was ordained under the hand of Seth; Noah received his authority from the hand of Methuselah. And so may the priesthood be traced, bestowed as the spirit of prophecy directed by the hand of one upon another, till the time of Moses. Melchizedek, who conferred this authority upon Abraham, received his own through the direct lineage of his fathers, from Noah. Esaias, a contemporary of Abraham, received his ordination under the hand of God. Through the hand of Esaias, the authority passed to Gad, thence by the same means to Jeremy, Elihu, Caleb, and Jethro, the priest of Midian, under whose hand Moses was ordained.[559] Joshua the son of Nun was set apart as directed of God, through the imposition of hands by Moses.[560]

[558] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 40-52.

[559] Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 6-14.

[560] Numb. xxvii, 18; Deut. xxxiv, 9.

=9.= In the days of the apostles, circumstances rendered it expedient to appoint special officers in the Church, to care for the poor and attend to the distribution of supplies; these were selected with care, and were set apart through prayer and laying on of hands.[561] Timothy was similarly ordained, as witness the admonitions given him by Paul:--"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery,"[562] and again, "Stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."[563] The Lord has bound Himself by solemn covenant to acknowledge the acts of His authorized servants. Unto whomsoever the elders give promise after baptism the Holy Ghost will come.[564] Whatever the priesthood shall bind or loose on earth, is to be similarly bound or loosed in heaven;[565] the sick upon whom the elders lay their hands, are to recover;[566] and many other signs are to follow them that believe. And so jealous is the Lord of the power to officiate in His name, that at the judgment, all who have aided or persecuted His servants, are to be rewarded or punished as if they had done those things unto Christ Himself.[567]

[561] Acts vi, 1-6.

[562] I Timothy iv, 14.

[563] II Tim. i, 6.

[564] Acts ii, 38; III Nephi xi, 35; xii, 2; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv,
64.

[565] Matt. xvi, 19; Doc. and Cov. i, 8; cxxviii, 8-11.

[566] Mark xvi, 15-18.

[567] Matt. xviii, 4-6; xxv, 31-46; Doc. and Cov. lxxv, 19-22;
lxxxiv, 88-90.

=10. Unauthorized Ministrations= in priestly functions are not alone invalid, they are indeed grievously sinful. In His dealings with mankind, God has ever recognized and honored the priesthood established by His direction; and has never countenanced any unauthorized assumption of authority. A terrible lesson is taught in the case of Korah and his associates, in their rebellion against the authority of the priesthood,--in that they falsely professed the right to minister in the priest's office. The Lord promptly visited them for their sins, causing the ground to cleave asunder, and to swallow them up with all their belongings.[568]

[568] Numbers xvi.

=11.= And think of the affliction that fell upon Miriam, the sister of Moses, a prophetess among the people.[569] She, with Aaron, railed against Moses, and they said, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath He not spoken also by us? and the Lord heard it."[570] He came at once in a cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, denouncing their presumption, and vindicating the authority of His chosen oracle, Moses. When the cloud passed from the tabernacle, Miriam was seen to be leprous, white as snow; and according to the law, she was shut out of the camp of Israel. However, through the earnest entreaties of Moses, the Lord healed the woman, and she was subsequently permitted to return to the company.

[569] Exo. xv, 21.

[570] Numbers xii.

=12.= Consider the fate of Uzza, the Israelite who met sudden death through the anger of God, because he put forth his hand to steady the ark of the covenant lest it fall.[571] This he did in spite of the law that none but the priests might touch the sacred accompaniments of the ark; we read that not even the appointed bearers of the vessel were allowed to touch its holy parts, on pain of death.[572]

[571] I Chron. xiii, 10.

[572] Num. iv, 15.

=13.= Think also of Saul the King of Israel, who had been called from the farm to be made a monarch favored of God. When the Philistines were marshalled against Israel in Michmash, Saul waited for Samuel,[573] under whose hand he had received his kingly anointing,[574] and to whom he had looked in the days of his humility for guidance; he asked that the prophet come and offer sacrifices to the Lord in behalf of the people. But, growing impatient at Samuel's delay, Saul prepared the burnt offering himself, forgetting that though he occupied the throne, wore the crown, and bore the sceptre, these insignia of kingly power gave him no right to officiate even as a door-keeper in the house of God; and for this and other instances of his unrighteous presumption, he was rejected of God and another was chosen in his place.

[573] I Sam. xiii, 5-14.

[574] I Sam. x.

=14.= A striking instance of Divine jealousy concerning holy functions is shown in the dreadful experience of Uzziah, king of Judah. He was placed upon the throne when but sixteen years old; and, as long as he sought the Lord, he was greatly prospered, so that his name became a terror unto his enemies. But he allowed pride to grow in his heart, and indulged the delusion that in his kingship he was supreme. He entered the temple and essayed to burn incense on the altar. Shocked at his blasphemous action, Azariah, the chief priest of the temple, and fourscore priests with him, forbade the king, saying:--"It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense; go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed." At this rebuke and condemnation from his subjects, though they were priests of the living God, the king became angry; but immediately the dread scourge of leprosy fell upon him; the signs of the horrible disease appeared in his forehead; and, being now physically an unclean creature, his presence tended the more to defile the holy place. So Azariah and his associate priests thrust the king out from the temple, and he, a smitten thing, fled from the house of God never again to enter its sacred precincts. Concerning the rest of his punishment we read, "And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord."[575]

[575] II Chron. xxvi.

=15.= A forceful illustration of the futility of false ceremonies, or of the mere form of sacred ordinances when the authority is absent, is shown in the New Testament record of the seven sons of Sceva. These in common with others had seen, and had marveled at, the miraculous power exhibited by Paul, whom the Lord so blessed in his apostleship that through contact with handkerchiefs or aprons sent by him the sick were healed, and their evil spirits were cast out. Sceva's sons, who are counted by the sacred chronicler among the exorcists and the vagabond Jews, sought also to expel an evil spirit: "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth," said they; but the evil spirit derided them for their lack of authority, exclaiming: "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?" Then the afflicted person, in whom the evil spirit dwelt, leaped upon them and overcame them, so that when they escaped from the house they were naked and wounded.[576]

[576] Acts xix, 13-17.

=16. Teachers True and False.=--None but those who are duly authorized to teach can be regarded as true expounders of the word. The remarks of Paul concerning the high priests are alike applicable to every office of the priesthood: "No man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron."[577] And Aaron, as we have already seen, was called through Moses unto whom the Lord revealed His will in the matter. This authority to act in the name of the Lord is given to those only who are chosen of God; it is not to be had for the mere asking; it is not to be bought with gold. We read of Simon, the sorcerer, who coveted the power possessed by the apostles; he offered these ministers of Christ money, saying, "Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Ghost." But Peter answered him with righteous indignation, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money; thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God."[578]

[577] Heb. v, 4.

[578] Acts viii, 18-24.

=17.= It was known to the apostles of old that men would seek to arrogate unto themselves the right to officiate in things divine, thus becoming servants of Satan. In addressing a conference of the elders at Ephesus, Paul prophesied of these ill events, and warned the shepherds of the flock to look well to their charge.[579] In an epistle to Timothy, the apostle reiterates this prophecy; encouraging to diligence in preaching the word, he declares, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."[580] Peter's declarations on the same subject are no less plain. Addressing himself to the Saints of his time, he refers to the false prophets of old, and adds:--"There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies; even denying the Lord that bought them.... And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."[581]

[579] Acts xx, 28-30.

[580] II Tim. iv, 2-4.

[581] II Pet. ii, 1-3.

=18. Divine Authority in the Present Dispensation.=--The Latter-day Saints claim to possess authority to administer in the name of God, and that this right has been conferred in this day under the hands of those who held the same power in former dispensations. That the authority of the holy priesthood was to be taken from the earth as the apostles of old were slain, and that it would of necessity have to be restored from heaven before the Church could be re-established, may be shown by scripture. On the 15th day of May, 1829, while Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were engaged in earnest prayer for instruction concerning baptism for the remission of sins, mention of which they had found in the plates from which they were then engaged in translating the Book of Mormon, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light. He announced himself as John, called of old the Baptist, and said he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the higher priesthood. The messenger laid his hands upon the two young men and ordained them to authority, saying, "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness."[582]

[582] Pearl of Great Price: Extr. Hist. of Joseph Smith, 69. Doc.
and Cov. xiii.

=19.= A short time after this event, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph and Oliver, and ordained the two to the higher or Melchizedek priesthood, bestowing upon them the keys of the apostleship, which these heavenly messengers had held and exercised in the former gospel dispensation. This order of priesthood holds authority over all the offices in the Church, and includes power to administer in spiritual things;[583] consequently all the authorities and powers necessary to the establishment of the Church were by this visitation restored to earth.

[583] Doc. and Cov. cvii.

=20.= No one is authorized to officiate in any of the ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unless he has been ordained to that calling by those holding the power; thus, no man receives the priesthood except under the hand of one who holds that priesthood himself; that one must have obtained it from others previously commissioned; and so every holder of the priesthood to-day can trace his authority to the hands of Joseph the Prophet, who, as already stated, received his ordination under the hands of heavenly messengers clothed with power divine. That men who are called of God to the authority of the ministry on earth may have been selected for such appointment even before they took mortal bodies is evident from the scriptures. This matter may properly claim attention in the present connection; and its consideration leads us to the subjects which follow.

FORE-ORDINATION AND PRE-EXISTENCE.

=21. Fore-ordination.=--In a wonderful interview with Abraham, the Lord revealed many things ordinarily withheld from mortal eyes. Said the patriarch:--"Now the Lord had shewn unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; and God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said, These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me, Abraham, thou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born."[584] This is one of the many scriptural proofs that the spirits of mankind existed prior to their earthly probation:--a condition in which these intelligences lived and exercised their free agency before they assumed bodily tabernacles. Surely then the natures, dispositions, and tendencies of men are known to the Father of their spirits, even before these beings are born in mortality; and He needs not to wait till they develop and prove their capacities on earth before they are appointed to special labors in the fulfillment of Divine purposes.

[584] Pearl of Great Price: Abraham iii, 22-23; see also Jer. i,
4-5.

=22.= Evidence is abundant that Christ was chosen and ordained to be the Redeemer of the world, even from the beginning. We read of His foremost position amongst the sons of God in offering Himself as a sacrifice to carry into effect the will of the Father.[585] He it was, "Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world."[586]

[585] See page 83.

[586] I Peter i, 20. See "Jesus the Christ," ch. ii.

=23.= Paul taught the doctrine of Divine selection and pre-appointment thus:--"For whom he did fore-know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.... Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called."[587] And again:--"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew."[588]

[587] Rom. viii, 29-30.

[588] Rom. xi, 2.

=24.= Alma, the Nephite prophet, spoke of the priests who had been ordained after the order of the Son, and added:--"And this is the manner after which they were ordained: being called and prepared from the foundation of the world, according to the fore-knowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such."[589]

[589] Alma xiii, 3; also 10, 11.

=25. Fore-ordination does not Imply Compulsion.=--The doctrine of absolute predestination, resulting in a nullification of man's free agency, has been advocated with various modifications by different sects. Nevertheless, such teachings are wholly unjustified by both the letter and the spirit of sacred writ. God's fore-knowledge concerning the natures and capacities of His children enables Him to see the end of their earthly career even from the first:--"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."[590] Many people have been led to regard this fore-knowledge of God as a sure predestination whereby souls are assigned to glory or condemnation, even before their birth in the flesh, and independently of any merits or demerits of their own. This heretical doctrine seeks to rob Deity of every trait of mercy, of justice, and of pure love; it makes the Father appear capricious and selfish, directing and creating all things for His own glory alone, caring not for the consequent suffering of the victims of His injustice. How dreadful, how inconsistent is such an idea of God! It leads to the absurd conclusion that the mere knowledge of coming events must act as a determining influence in bringing about those occurrences. God's knowledge of spiritual and of human nature enables Him to conclude with certainty as to the actions of any of His children under given conditions; yet such knowledge has surely no determining effect upon the creature.[591]

[590] Acts xv, 18.

[591] See "Jesus the Christ," pp. 18, 28.

=26.= Doubtless He knows of some spirits that they await only the opportunity of choice between good and evil to choose the latter and to accomplish their own destruction; these are they as spoken of by Jude, "who were before of old ordained to this condemnation."[592] To avert the fate of such, their free agency would have to be taken away; they can be saved by force alone; and compulsion is forbidden by the laws of heaven, for salvation and for condemnation alike. There are others whose integrity and faithfulness have been demonstrated in their pristine state; the Father knows how unreservedly they may be trusted, and many of them are called even in their mortal youth to special and exalted labors as chosen servants of the Most High.

[592] Jude 4.

=27. Pre-existence of Spirits.=--The facts already presented concerning fore-ordination furnish proof that the spirits of mankind passed through a stage of existence prior to the earthly probation. This antemortal period is oft-times spoken of as the stage of "primeval childhood" or "first estate." That these spirits existed as organized intelligences, and exercised their free agency during that primeval stage, is clear from the declaration of the Lord to Abraham:--"And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon, and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever."[593]

=28.= No Christian doubts the pre-existence of the Savior, or questions His position as one of the Godhead before He came to earth as Mary's Son. The common interpretation given to the opening words of John's Gospel sustains the view of Christ's primeval God-ship:--"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We read further, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."[594] The sayings of the Redeemer Himself support this truth. When His disciples dissented concerning His doctrine of Himself, He said, "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?"[595] On another occasion He spoke in this wise:--"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father."[596] And His disciples, pleased with this plain declaration confirming the belief which, perchance, they already entertained at heart, rejoined, "Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb ... by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."[597] To the wicked Jews who boasted of their descent from Abraham, and sought to hide their sins under the protecting mantle of the great patriarch's name, the Savior declared:--"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."[598] In a solemn prayer to His Father, the Son implored, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."[599] Yet Christ was born a child among mortals; and it is fair to infer, that if His earthly birth was the union of a pre-existent or antemortal spirit with a mortal body, such also is the birth of every member of the human family.

[593] Pearl of Great Price: Abraham iii, 26.

[594] John i, 1, 14.

[595] John vi, 62.

[596] John xvi, 28.

[597] Verses 29-30.

[598] John viii, 58. See "Jesus the Christ." pp. 37, 411.

[599] John xvii, 5. See also II Nephi ix, 5; xxv, 12; Mos. iii, 5;
xiii, 33-34; xv, 1.

=29.= But we are not left to mere inference on a basis of analogy only; the scriptures plainly teach that the spirits of mankind are known and numbered unto God before their earthly advent. In his farewell administration to Israel Moses sang, "Remember the days of old.... When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel."[600] From this we learn that the earth was allotted to the nations, according to the number of the children of Israel; it is evident therefore that the number was known prior to the existence of the Israelitish nation in the flesh; this is most easily explained on the assumption of a previous existence in which the spirits of the future nation were known.

[600] Deut. xxxii, 7-8.

=30.= No chance is possible therefore in the number or extent of the temporal creations of God.[601] The population of the earth is fixed according to the number of spirits appointed to take tabernacles of flesh upon this sphere; when these have all come forth in the order and time decreed of God, then, and not till then, shall the end come.

[601] See Note, this page.

NOTES.

=1. Spiritual Creations.=--The pre-existent condition is not
characteristic of human souls alone; all things of earth have a
spiritual being, of which the temporal structure forms but the
counterpart. We read of the creation of "every plant of the field
before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it
grew" (Gen. ii, 5). This is set forth with greater fulness in
another revelation to Moses:--"These are the generations of the
heaven and the earth when they were created, in the day that I,
the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth, and every plant of
the earth before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field
before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things of which
I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the
face of the earth.... And I, the Lord God, had created all the
children of men, and not yet a man to till the ground; for in
heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the
earth, neither in the water, neither in the air: but I, the Lord
God, spake, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered
the whole face of the ground. And I, the Lord God, formed man
from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh
upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were
before created, but spiritually were they created and made
according to my word."--(Pearl of Great Price: Moses iii, 4-7.)