Chapter XI: Appendix: Outline for class review of the Lectures 463-477 (9)

=2. Authority Given of God.=--"The most comprehensive evidence
that Joseph Smith received the authority and power of the Holy
Priesthood, is that the works of John the Baptist, of Jesus and
His apostles, are being again done on the earth by his
administration. To receive the powers of this Priesthood, it is
necessary that men should obey the laws and ordinances of the
Gospel. The Lord has personally appeared to some men, and
covenanted with them as He did with Abraham (see Gen. xii, 1-3;
xiii, 14-17). The Lord also personally called and authorized His
twelve Jewish apostles. So fully were they authorized to labor
for Him, and act in His name, that He said to them: 'He that
receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth
him that sent me' (Matt. x, 40). More generally, it is from the
prophets and apostles of Christ that men receive the Priesthood.
Many received it under the hands of the apostles of the first
Gospel dispensation. Those who have received it in this
latter-day dispensation, have received it from Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery; and, in doing so, have received it through a
legitimate channel from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Those who have received this Priesthood have covenanted with God
the Father, and He with them. This is evidently the view taken of
the subject in the above passage quoted from Matthew. The
doctrine is more fully illustrated in Doc. and Cov.: 'All they
who receive this Priesthood receiveth me, saith the Lord; for he
that receiveth my servants receiveth me; and he that receiveth me
receiveth my Father; and he that receiveth my Father, receiveth
my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be
given unto him, and this is according to the oath and covenant
which belongeth to the Priesthood' (Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv,
35-39)."--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, p. 67.

=3. Fore-ordination.=--"'Known unto God are all his works from
the beginning of the world' (Acts xv, 18). The knowledge that we
have of the beginning of the world is principally derived from
the history of its creation in the Bible Genesis, and in the
writings of Moses and of Abraham, as given in the Pearl of Great
Price.... These writings make it plain that man existed in a
spiritual condition prior to coming here, and also quite as
evident that in that pre-existence he exercised his free
agency.... God may have called and chosen men in their first
estate, or spiritual existence, but whether they will accept that
call and fill it, by repentance and good works in this life, is a
matter in which it is their privilege to exercise their free
agency.... Men exercised their free agency in the first or
spiritual estate, as well as in this. That the character of their
works in that estate shaped their destiny in this is
evident."--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, pp.
138-140.

See also: Acts ii, 23; Romans viii, 29-30; xi, 2, 28; Isaiah
xlviii, 12; I Chron. xxix, 1; Book of Mormon: Alma xiii, 3-7;
Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 34, 99.

LECTURE XI.

THE CHURCH AND ITS PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.

=Article 6.=--We believe in the same organization that existed in
the primitive Church, viz: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers,
evangelists, etc.

THE CHURCH IN FORMER AND LATTER DAYS.

=1. The Primitive Church.=--In the dispensation of the Savior's ministry, Christ established His Church upon the earth, appointing therein the officers necessary for the carrying out of the Father's purposes. As shown in the last lecture, every person so appointed was divinely commissioned with authority to officiate in the ordinances of his calling; and, after Christ's ascension, the same organization was continued, those who had received authority ordaining others to the various offices of the priesthood. In this way were given unto the Church, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors,[602] high priests,[603] seventies,[604] elders,[605] bishops,[606] priests,[607] teachers,[608] and deacons.[609]

[602] Eph. iv, 11.

[603] Heb. v, 1-5.

[604] Luke x, 1-11.

[605] Acts xiv, 23; xv, 6; I Peter v, 1.

[606] I Tim. iii, 1; Titus 1, 7.

[607] Rev. i, 6.

[608] Acts xiii, 1.

[609] I Tim. iii, 8-12.

=2.= Besides these specific offices in the priesthood, there were other callings of a more temporal nature, to which men were also set apart by authority: such for instance was the case of the seven men of honest report who, in the days of the apostles, were chosen and appointed to minister to the poor, thus leaving the Twelve freer to attend to the particular duties of their office.[610] This special appointment illustrates the nature of the helps and governments[611] set in the Church, to assist in the work under the direction of the regular officers of the priesthood.

[610] Acts vi, 1-6.

[611] I Cor. xii, 28.

=3.= The ministers so appointed, and the members among whom they labor, constitute the Church of Christ, which has been impressively compared to a perfect body, the individuals typifying the separate members, each with its special function, all co-operating for the welfare of the whole.[612] Every office so established, every officer so commissioned, is necessary to the development of the Church and to the accomplishment of the work of God. An organization established of God comprises no superfluities; the eye, the ear, the hand, the foot, every organ of the body, is essential to the symmetry and perfection of the physical structure; in the Church no officer can rightly say to another, "I have no need of thee."[613]

[612] I Cor. xii, 12-27; Rom. xii, 4-5; Eph. iv, 16.

[613] I Cor. xii, 21.

=4.= The existence of these officers, and particularly their operation with accompaniments of Divine assistance and power, may be taken as a distinguishing characteristic of the Church in any age of the world,--a crucial test, whereby the validity or falsity of any claim to Divine authority may be determined. The gospel of Christ is the everlasting gospel; its principles, laws, and ordinances, and the Church organization founded thereon, must be ever the same. In searching for the true Church, therefore, one must look for an organization comprising the offices established of old, the callings of apostles, prophets, evangelists, high priests, seventies, pastors, bishops, elders, priests, teachers, deacons; not men bearing these names merely, but ministers able to vindicate their claim to position as officers in the Lord's service, through the evidences of power and authority accompanying their ministry.

=5. Apostasy from the Primitive Church.=--The question may fairly arise in the mind of the earnest investigator, have these authorities and powers, together with their associated gifts of the Spirit, remained with men from the apostolic age to the present; in short, has there been a Church of Christ upon the earth during this long interval? In answer, let these facts be considered: Since the period immediately following the ministrations of the apostles of old, and until the present century, no organization has maintained a claim to direct revelation from God; in fact, the teachings of the professed ministers of the gospel for centuries have been to the effect that such gifts of God have ceased, that the days of miracles have gone, and that the present depends for its guiding code wholly upon the past. A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ.[614] Scarcely had the Church been organized by the Savior, whose name it bears, before the powers of darkness arrayed themselves for conflict with the organized body. Even in the days of Christ, persecution was bitterly waged against the disciples; commencing with the Jews, and directed first against the Master Himself and His few immediate associates, this tide of opposition soon enveloped every known follower of the Savior; so that the very name Christian became an epithet of derision.

[614] See Notes 1 and 2. See "The Great Apostasy, Considered in
the Light of Scriptural and Secular History," by James E. Talmage,
Salt Lake City, 1909.

=6.= In the first quarter of the fourth century, however, a change in the attitude of paganism toward Christianity was marked by the conversion of Constantine the Great, under whose patronage the Christian profession grew in favor, and became in fact the religion of the state. But what a profession, what a religion was it by this time! Its simplicity had departed; earnest devotion and self-sacrificing sincerity were no longer characteristic of the Church's ministers; these professed followers of the humble Prophet of Nazareth, these self-styled associates of the meek and lowly Jesus, these loudly-proclaimed lovers of the Man of Sorrow, lived amid conditions strangely inconsistent with the life of their great Exemplar. Church offices were sought after for the distinction of honor and wealth accompanying them; ministers of the gospel affected the state of worldly authority; bishops sought the pomp of princes, archbishops lived as kings, and popes like emperors. With these unauthorized and unscriptural innovations came many changes in the ordinances of the so-called church: the rites of baptism were perverted; the sacrament was altered; public worship became an exhibition of art; men were canonized; martyrs were made subjects of adoration; blasphemy grew apace, in that men without authority essayed to exercise the prerogatives of God in calling others to what still bore the name of spiritual office. Ages of darkness came upon the earth; the power of Satan seemed almost supreme.

=7.= For a special consideration of the evidence of a general apostasy from the Church of Christ, the student must consult authorities on ecclesiastical history. While the fact of the apostasy is admitted by but few such writers, the historical events which they chronicle suggest the awful truth. We may trace, from the days of the apostles down to near the close of the tenth century, a constantly changing form of Church organization, which, at the later time named, bore but little semblance to the Church established by the Savior. This falling away is admitted by some historians, and as we shall presently see, it was definitely foretold by authoritative prophecy.

=8.= John Wesley, founder of a powerful sect, declared that the distinctive gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer with the church, having been taken away on account of the unworthiness of professing Christians, whom he characterized indeed as heathen, with only a dead form of worship.[615] In the Church of England "Homily Against Peril of Idolatry" we read "So that laity and clergy, learned and unlearned, all ages, sects, and degrees of men, women, and children of whole Christendom--an horrible and most dreadful thing to think--have been at once drowned in abominable idolatry; of all other vices most detested of God, and most damnable to man; and that by the space of eight hundred years and more." Milner, an author on church history, admits a pitiable condition of the Church in the tenth century, and finds in that sad state a fulfillment of scriptural predictions.

[615] John Wesley's Works, vii, pp. 26-27. See Note 4, following
Lecture xii, in connection with Article 7, "Spiritual Gifts," page
238.

=9. This Great Apostasy was Foretold.=--The infinite fore-knowledge of God made plain to Him even from the beginning this falling away from the truth; and, through inspiration, the prophets of old uttered solemn warnings of the approaching dangers. Surely Isaiah was gazing upon the era of spiritual darkness when he declared, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant."[616] And how deeply impressive is the declaration of Jeremiah, "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water."[617]

[616] Isa. xxiv, 5.

[617] Jer. ii, 13.

=10.= The prophecies of the apostles relative to the false teachers so soon to trouble the flock, already quoted,[618] declare the apostasy then rapidly approaching. Paul warned the Saints of Thessalonica that they be not deceived by those who cried that the second coming of Christ was then at hand, "For," said the apostle, "that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."[619] This falling away had begun even in the days of the apostles:--"Even now," says John, "are there many anti-Christs."[620] And Paul, in addressing the Galatians, declared, "There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."[621]

[618] See pages 192-193.

[619] II Thess. ii, 3-4.

[620] I John ii, 18. See further II Peter ii, 1-3; Jude 17, 18.

[621] Gal. i, 7; also Acts xx, 29, 30; I Tim. iv, 1-3; II Tim. iv,
1-4.

=11.= Not less conclusive are the prophecies contained in the Book of Mormon relating to this great falling away. Nephi, son of Lehi, predicted the oppression of the North American Indians at the hands of the Gentiles, and declared that at that time the people will be lifted up in self-pride, having departed from the ordinances of God's house; true, they will build to themselves many churches, but in these they will preach their own wisdom, with envyings, and strife, and malice, denying however the power and miracles of God.[622]

[622] II Nephi xxvi, 19-22; see also xxvii, 1; xxviii, 3, 6; xxix,
3; I Nephi xiii, 5; xxii 22-23.

=12. Restoration of the Church.=--From the facts already stated, it is evident that the Church was literally driven from the earth; in the first ten centuries immediately following the ministry of Christ, the authority of the priesthood was lost from among men, and no human power could restore it. But the Lord in His mercy provided for the re-establishment of His Church in the last days, and for the last time; and prophets of olden time fore-saw this era of renewed enlightenment, and sang in joyous tones of its coming.[623] It has been already shown that this restoration was effected by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who, together with Oliver Cowdery, in 1829 received the Aaronic Priesthood under the hands of John the Baptist; and later the Melchizedek Priesthood under the hands of the former-day apostles, Peter, James, and John. By the authority thus bestowed, the Church has been again organized with all its former completeness, and mankind once more rejoices in the priceless privileges of the counsels of God. The Latter-day Saints declare their high claim to the true Church organization, similar in all essentials to the organization effected by Christ among the Jews; this people of the last days profess to have the Priesthood of the Almighty, the power to act in the name of God, which power commands respect both on earth and in heaven. Let us consider the organization of the priesthood as it exists to-day.

[623] Dan. ii, 44-45; vii, 27; Matt. xxiv, 14; Rev. xiv, 6-8.

PLAN OF GOVERNMENT IN THE RESTORED CHURCH.

=13. Orders and Offices in the Priesthood.=--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes two orders of priesthood, the lesser called the Aaronic, the greater known as the Melchizedek order. _The Aaronic Priesthood_ is named after Aaron, who was given to Moses as his mouth-piece, to act under his direction in the carrying out of God's purposes respecting Israel.[624] For this reason, it is sometimes called the Lesser Priesthood; but though lesser, it is neither small nor insignificant. While Israel journeyed in the wilderness, Aaron and his sons were called by prophecy and set apart for the duties of the priest's office.[625]

[624] Exo. iv, 14-16.

[625] Exo. xxviii, 1.

=14.= At a subsequent period of Israel's history, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi to assist Aaron in the priestly functions, the special duties of the Levites being to keep the instruments and attend to the service of the tabernacle. The Levites thus chosen of the Lord were to take the place of the first-born throughout the tribes, whom the Lord had claimed for His service from the time of the last dread plague in Egypt, whereby the first-born in every Egyptian house was slain, while the eldest in every Israelitish house was hallowed and spared.[626] The commission thus given to the Levites is sometimes called the _Levitical Priesthood_;[627] it is to be regarded as an appendage to the priesthood of Aaron, not comprising the highest priestly powers. The Aaronic Priesthood, as restored to the earth in this dispensation, comprises the Levitical order.[628] This priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the authority to attend to the outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel;[629] it comprises the offices of deacon, teacher, and priest, with the bishopric holding the keys of presidency.

[626] Numb. iii, 12-13, 39, 44-45, 50-51.

[627] Heb. vii, 11.

[628] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 1.

[629] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 20.

=15.= The greater or _Melchizedek Priesthood_ is named after the king of Salem, a great High Priest of God;[630] before his day it was known as "the Holy Priesthood, after the order of the Son of God, but out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name, they, the Church, in ancient days, called that Priesthood after Melchizedek."[631] This priesthood holds the right of presidency in all the offices of the Church; its special functions lie in the administration of spiritual things: comprising as it does the keys of all spiritual blessings of the Church, the right "to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and Church of the First Born, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant."[632] The special offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood are those of apostle, patriarch or evangelist, high priest, seventy, and elder. Revelation from God has defined the duties associated with each of these callings; and the same high authority has directed the establishment of presiding officers growing out of, or appointed from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods.[633]

[630] Gen. xiv, 18; Heb. vii, 1-17.

[631] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 2-4.

[632] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 8, 18-19.

[633] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.

=16. Specific Duties in the Priesthood.--The Office of Deacon= is the first or lowest in the Aaronic Priesthood. The duties of this calling are generally of a temporal nature, pertaining to the care of the houses of worship and the comfort of the worshipers. In all things, however, the Deacon may be called to assist the Teacher in his labors.[634] Twelve deacons form a quorum;[635] such a body is to be presided over by a president and counselors, selected from among their number.

[634] Doc. and Cov. xx, 57; cvii, 85.

[635] =Quorum.=--This term has acquired a special meaning among
the Latter-day Saints. It signifies, not alone a majority or such
a number of persons of any organized body as is requisite for
authoritative action, but the organized body itself. The Church
regards a quorum as "a council or an organized body of the
priesthood," e. g. _an elders' quorum; the quorum of the Twelve
Apostles_, etc. (See Standard Dictionary.)

=17. Teachers= are local officers, whose function it is to mingle with the Saints, exhorting them to their duties, and strengthening the Church by their constant ministry; they are to see that there is no iniquity in the Church; that the members do not cherish ill-feelings toward one another; but that all observe the law of God respecting Church duties. They may take the lead of meetings when no Priest or higher officer is present. Both Teachers and Deacons may preach the word of God when properly directed so to do; but they have not the power to independently officiate in any spiritual ordinances, such as baptizing, administering the sacrament, or laying on of hands.[636] Twenty-four Teachers constitute a quorum; from among such a body a president and counselors are to be chosen.

[636] Doc. and Cov. xx, 53-59; cvii, 86.

=18. The Priests= are appointed to preach, teach, expound the scripture, to baptize, to administer the sacrament, to visit the houses of the members, exhorting them to diligence. When properly directed, the Priest may ordain Deacons, Teachers, and other Priests; and he may be called upon to assist the Elder in his work. A quorum of Priests comprises forty-eight members; such an organization is to be presided over by a Bishop.

=19. Elders= are empowered to officiate in any or all duties connected with lower callings in the priesthood; and in addition, they may ordain other Elders; confirm as members of the Church candidates who have been properly baptized, and confer upon them the Holy Ghost. These officers have authority to bless children in the Church, and to take charge of all meetings, conducting the same as they are led by the Holy Ghost.[637] The Elder may officiate in the stead of the High Priest when the latter is not present. Ninety-six Elders form a quorum; three of these constitute the presidency of the quorum.[638]

[637] Doc. and Cov. xx, 38-45, 70; cvii, 11-12.

[638] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 89.

=20. Seventies= are traveling ministers, ordained to promulgate the Gospel among the nations of the earth, "unto the Gentiles first, and also unto the Jews." They are to act under the direction of the Apostles in this exalted labor.[639] A full quorum comprises seventy members, including seven presidents.

[639] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 34-35, 97-98.

=21. High Priests= are ordained with power to officiate when properly directed in all the ordinances and blessings of the Church. They may travel as do the Seventies, carrying the Gospel to the nations; but they are not specially charged with this duty, their specific calling being that of standing presidency. The High Priests of any stake of the Church may be organized into a quorum, and this without limit as to number; over such a quorum, three of the members may be chosen to preside, as president and counselors.[640]

[640] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 10; cxxiv, 134-135.

=22. Patriarchs=, or =Evangelists=, are charged with the special duty of blessing the Church; of course they have authority to officiate also in other ordinances. There is one "Patriarch to the Church," with general jurisdiction throughout the whole organization; he holds the keys of the patriarchal office, and unto him the promise is given "that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall be cursed, that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."[641]

[641] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 92-93.

=23.= Concerning the patriarchal authority, the Lord has said: "The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage."[642] But, beside this office of general patriarchal power, there are a number of local Patriarchs appointed in the branches of the Church, all subject to counsel and direction at the hands of the "Patriarch to the Church;" yet possessing the same privileges in their district as belong to him throughout the Church. It is made a duty of the Twelve Apostles to ordain evangelical ministers, or Patriarchs, in all large branches of the Church, the selection to be made through the power of revelation.[643]

[642] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 40-57.

[643] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39.

=24. Apostles= are called to be special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world;[644] they are empowered to build up and organize the branches of the Church; and may officiate in any or all of the sacred ordinances. They are to travel among the Saints, regulating the affairs of the Church wherever they go, but particularly where there is no complete local organization. They are authorized to ordain Patriarchs and other officers in the priesthood, as they may be directed by the Spirit of God.[645]

[644] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23.

[645] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 39, 58; xx, 38-44.

=25. Presidency and Quorum Organizations.=--The revealed word of God has provided for the establishment of presiding officers "growing out of, or appointed from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods."[646] In accordance with the prevailing principles of order so characteristic of all His work, the Lord has directed that the bearers of His priesthood shall be organized into quorums, the better to aid them in learning the duties of their stations. Some of these quorums are general in extent and authority; others are local in their jurisdiction. All quorums in authority and all presiding officers are to be sustained in their several positions by the vote of the people over whom they are appointed to preside. Local officers are thus voted upon by the local organizations, general authorities by the Church in conference assembled. Conferences of the Church are held at semi-annual intervals, on which occasions the names of all the general officers are submitted for the vote of the people. In like manner the authorities of stakes and wards are sustained by vote at local conferences held for these and other purposes. The principle of common consent is thus observed in all the organizations of the Church.

[646] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 21.

=26. The First Presidency= constitutes the presiding quorum of the Church. By Divine direction, a president is appointed from among the members of the High Priesthood to preside over the entire Church. He is known as President of the High Priesthood of the Church, or Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.[647] He is called "to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which He bestows upon the head of the Church."[648] His station is compared by the Lord to that of Moses of old, who stood as the mouth-piece of God unto Israel. In his exalted labors among the Church, this Presiding High Priest is assisted by two others holding the same priesthood, and these three High Priests, when properly appointed and ordained, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayers of the Church, "form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church."[649]

[647] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 64-68.

[648] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 91-92.

[649] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 22.

=27. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.=--Twelve men holding the apostleship, properly organized, constitute the quorum of the Apostles. These the Lord has designated as the twelve traveling counselors;[650] they form the traveling presiding High Council, to officiate under the direction of the First Presidency in all parts of the world. They constitute a quorum, whose unanimous decisions are equally binding in power and authority with those of the First Presidency of the Church.[651] When the quorum of the First Presidency is disorganized through the death or disability of the President, the directing authority in government reverts at once to the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, by whom the nomination to the Presidency is made. There may be apostles in the Church who are not members of this quorum of Twelve; but such have no place in the sittings of the quorum.

[650] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 23, 33.

[651] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 24.

=28. The Presiding Quorum of Seventy.=--The first quorum of Seventies form a body whose unanimous decisions are equally binding with those of the Twelve Apostles. Many quorums of Seventies may be required in the work of the Church; already there have been effected approximately two hundred of such organizations; each quorum is presided over by seven presidents. The seven presidents of the First Quorum of Seventies, however, preside over all the other quorums and their presidents.[652]

[652] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 25-26, 34, 93-97.

=29. The Presiding Bishopric=, as at present constituted, comprises the Presiding Bishop of the Church, and two Counselors. This quorum holds jurisdiction over the duties of other Bishops in the Church, and of all organizations pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood. The oldest living representative among the sons of Aaron is entitled to this office of presidency, provided he be in all respects worthy and qualified; he must be designated and ordained by the First Presidency of the Church.[653] If such a literal descendant of Aaron be found and ordained, he may act without counselors, except when he sits in judgment in a trial of one of the presidents of the High Priesthood, in which case he is to be assisted by twelve High Priests.[654] But in the absence of any direct descendant of Aaron properly qualified, a High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood may be called and set apart by the First Presidency of the Church to the office of Presiding Bishop; he is to be assisted by two other High Priests properly ordained as his counselors.[655]

[653] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 18-20.

[654] Doc. and Cov. cvii, 82-83.

[655] Doc. and Cov. lxviii, 19.

=30. Local Organizations of the Priesthood.=--Where the Saints are permanently located Stakes of Zion are organized, each Stake comprising a number of wards or branches. Over each Stake is placed a _Stake Presidency_, consisting of a president and two counselors, who are High Priests properly chosen and set apart to this office. The Stake Presidency is assisted in judicial function by a _Standing High Council_, composed of twelve High Priests chosen and ordained to the office. This Council is presided over by the Stake Presidency, and forms the highest judicial tribunal of the Stake.

=31.= The presidents of stakes and bishops of wards are properly regarded as pastors to the fold; their duties are doubtless analogous to those of the pastors of former dispensations. The High Priests and the Elders in each Stake are organized into quorums as already described; the former without limitation as to number, the latter forming one or more quorums, each of ninety-six members, as their number may warrant. _Patriarchs_ are also set apart to officiate in their holy office among the people of the Stake.

=32. A Ward Bishopric= is established in every fully organized Ward of the Church. This body consists usually of three High Priests set apart as a Bishop and Counselors. If, however, a literal descendant of Aaron be called to the bishopric, it is his privilege to act without counselors, as was stated in the case of the Presiding Bishop. The Bishop has jurisdiction over the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood in his Ward, and also over holders of the Higher Priesthood as members of his Ward; but he has no direct presidency over quorums of the Melchizedek order, as such, which may be embraced within his domain. As a presiding High Priest, he properly presides over his entire Ward. The ward organization comprises quorums of Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, one or more of each as the numerical extent of the Ward may determine.

=33. Helps in Government.=--Beside these constituted authorities and offices in the priesthood, there are a number of secondary or special organizations established among the people for educational and benevolent purposes. Among these, the following are of such importance as to call for special mention.

(1.) _Primary Associations._--These provide for the moral instruction and training of young children.

(2.) _Mutual Improvement Associations._--These comprise separate organizations for the sexes, and are designed for the education and training of the youth, in subjects of general and theological interest. Instruction is provided in theology, literature and history, science and art, the laws of health, and numerous other branches of useful knowledge.

(3.) _Sunday Schools_ comprise graded classes for the study of the scriptures, and for training in theology, in moral and religious duties, and in the discipline of the Church. Sunday schools, while primarily designed for the young, are open to all.

(4.) _Church Schools._--These institutions provide for both secular and religious instruction, and range from the grade of the kindergarten to that of the college.

(5.) _Religion Classes._--In these is provided a course of graded instruction in theology and religion, which is offered as a supplement and complement to the purely secular teachings of the non-denominational schools.

(6.) _Relief Societies._--These are composed of women whose self-imposed duties relate to the care of the poor, and the relief of suffering among the afflicted.

=34.= Most of these auxiliary organizations exist in each ward. Indeed, with the exception of Church Schools, which usually rank as stake institutions, or even as of wider scope, all of the secondary organizations named are regarded as essential to the complete equipment of any ward. Officers are appointed to preside over the several organizations in each ward; and while such officers are subject in a general way to the local authorities in the priesthood, they look for specific instructions regarding the plan and method of their particular work, to the stake and general authorities of the special organizations. In accordance with the principle of common consent which characterizes the Church in general, the officers of the auxiliary institutions, while they are nominated by, or at least with the consent of the established authorities in the priesthood, are installed and retained in office by the vote of the members in the local or general organization within which they are appointed to labor.

NOTES.

=1. Degeneracy of Worship Incident to the Apostasy.=--That, as
the priesthood disappeared from the earth after the apostolic
period, the forms of worship were perverted, while many pagan
influences and practices crept in, may be reasonably inferred
from the records of history. Mosheim, an authority of note in
ecclesiastical history, has this to say regarding pagan
innovations during the fourth century:--"The Christian bishops
introduced, with but slight alterations, into the Christian
worship, those rites and institutions by which, formerly, the
Greeks and Romans and other nations had manifested their piety
and reverence towards their imaginary deities; supposing that the
people would more readily embrace Christianity, if they saw that
the rites handed down to them from their fathers still existed
unchanged among the Christians, and perceived that Christ and the
martyrs were worshiped in the same manner as formerly their gods
were. There was, of course, little difference, in these times,
between the public worship of the Christians and that of the
Greeks and Romans. In both alike, there were splendid robes,
mitres, tiaras, wax tapers, crosiers, processions, illustrations,
images, golden and silver vases, and numberless other things."

Of the form of professedly Christian worship in the fifth
century, the same authority says:--"Public worship everywhere
assumed a form more calculated for show and for the gratification
of the eye. Various ornaments were added to the sacerdotal
garments, in order to increase the veneration of the people for
the clerical order.... In some places it was appointed that the
praises of God should be sung perpetually night and day, the
singers succeeding each other without interruption: as if the
Supreme Being took pleasure in clamor and noise, and in the
flatteries of men. The magnificence of the temples knew no
bounds. Splendid images were placed in them; ... the image of the
Virgin Mary holding her infant in her arms occupied the most
conspicuous place."

=2. Early Beginning of the Apostasy.=--Orson Pratt, an apostle of
the present age, has written as follows concerning the early
falling away from the authorized practices of the Church:--"The
great apostasy of the Christian church commenced in the first
century, while there were yet inspired apostles and prophets in
their midst; hence Paul, just previous to his martyrdom,
enumerates a great number who had 'made shipwreck of their
faith,' and 'turned aside into vain jangling,' teaching 'that the
resurrection was already past;' giving 'heed to fables and
endless genealogies;' 'doubting about questions and strifes of
words whereof come envyings, railings, evil surmisings, perverse
disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,
supposing that gain is godliness.' This apostasy had become so
general that Paul declares to Timothy 'that all they which are in
Asia be turned away from me;' and again he says, 'at my first
answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me;' he further
states that 'there are many unruly, and vain talkers, deceivers,'
'teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.'
These apostates, no doubt, pretended to be very righteous, 'for,'
says the apostle, 'they profess that they know God, but in works
they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every
good work reprobate.'"

=3. The Rule of the Priesthood.=--That the power of the
Priesthood is to be exercised in the spirit of patience and love,
and not in opposition to individual free agency, is apparent from
many scriptures, among which is the following:--"Behold, there
are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this
world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn
this one lesson--That the rights of the Priesthood are
inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the
powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the
principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us,
it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to
gratify our pride, or vain ambition, or to exercise control, or
dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men,
in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw
themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is
withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood, or the authority of that man.
Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against
the pricks; to persecute the saints; and to fight against God. We
have learned, by sad experience, that it is the nature and
disposition of almost all men: as soon as they get a little
authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to
exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence, many are called, but few
are chosen. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained
by virtue of the Priesthood, only by persuasion, by
long-suffering, by gentleness, and meekness, and by love
unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly
enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile; Reproving
betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and
then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom
thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he
may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of
death. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men,
and to the household of faith; and let virtue garnish thy
thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the
presence of God, and the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distil
upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be
thy constant companion, and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of
righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting
dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee
forever and ever."--Doc. and Cov. cxxi, 34-46.

LECTURE XII.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

=Article 7.=--We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy,
revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.

=1. Spiritual Gifts Characteristic of the Church.=--It has been already affirmed, that all men who would officiate with propriety in the ordinances of the Gospel must be commissioned for their exalted duties by the power and authority of heaven. When so divinely invested, these servants of the Lord will not be lacking in proofs of the Master's favor; for it has ever been characteristic of the dealings of God with His people, to manifest His power by the bestowal of a variety of ennobling graces, which are properly called gifts of the Spirit. These are oft-times exhibited in a manner so different from the usual order of things as to be called miraculous and supernatural. In this way did the Lord make Himself known in the early times of scriptural history; and from the days of Adam until the present, prophets of God have generally been endowed with such power. Whenever the priesthood has operated through an organized Church on the earth, the members of the flock have been strengthened in their faith, and otherwise blessed in numerous related ways, by the possession of these graces within the Church. We may safely regard the existence of these spiritual powers as one of the essential characteristics of the true Church; where they are not, the priesthood of God does not operate.

=2.= Mormon[656] solemnly declares that the days of miracles will not pass from the Church, as long as there shall be a man upon the earth to be saved; "For," says he, "it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain." And Moroni, standing on the threshold of the grave, bears an independent testimony that the gifts and graces of the Spirit will never be done away as long as the world shall stand, except it be through the unbelief of mankind.[657]

[656] Moroni vii, 35-37.

[657] Moroni x, 19, 23-27.

=3.= Hear the words of this prophet addressed to those "who deny the revelations of God and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the Gospel of Christ; yea he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in him there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are."[658]

[658] Mormon ix, 7-11.

=4. Nature of Spiritual Gifts.=--The gifts here spoken of are essentially endowments of power and authority, through which the purposes of God are accomplished, sometimes with accompanying conditions that appear to be supernatural. By such the sick may be healed, malignant influences overcome, spirits of darkness subdued, the Saints, humble and weak, may proclaim their testimonies and otherwise utter praises unto God in new and strange tongues, and others may interpret these words; the feeble human intellect may be invigorated by the heavenly touch of spiritual vision and blessed dreams, to see and comprehend things ordinarily withheld from mortal senses; direct communication with the fountain of all wisdom may be established, and the revelations of the Divine will may be obtained.

=5.= These gifts have been promised of the Lord unto those who believe in His name;[659] they are to follow obedience to the requirements of the Gospel. Among believers, they are to serve for encouragement, and as incentives to higher communion with the Spirit.[660] They are not given as signs to gratify carnal curiosity; nor to satisfy a morbid craving for the wonderful. Men have been led to the light through manifestations of the miraculous; but events in the lives of these show that they are either such as would have found a knowledge of the truth in some other way, or they are but superficially affected, and as soon as the novelty of the new sensation has exhausted itself they wander again into the darkness from which they had for the time escaped. Miracles are not primarily intended, surely they are not needed, to prove the power of God; the simpler occurrences, the more ordinary works of creation do that. But unto the heart already softened and purified by the testimony of the truth, to the mind enlightened through the Spirit's power and conscious of obedient service in the requirements of the gospel, the voice of miracles comes with cheering tidings of a loving Parent's continued favor, with fresh and more abundant evidences of the magnanimity of an all-merciful God.[661]

[659] Mark xvi, 16; Doc. and Cov. lxxxiv, 64-73.

[660] Matt, xii, 38, 39; xvi, 1-4; Mark viii, 11, 12; Luke xi,
16-30.

[661] See Note 6.

=6.= Yet even to the unbeliever, the testimony of miracles should appeal, at least to the extent of argument favoring an investigation of the power through which these acts are wrought; in such cases miracles are as "a loud voice addressed to those who are hard of hearing." The purpose of spiritual gifts in the Church is explicitly set forth in a revelation from the Lord through Joseph Smith:--"Wherefore, beware lest ye be deceived; and that ye may not be deceived, seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do, that all may be benefited that seeketh or that asketh of me, that asketh and not for a sign that he may consume it upon his lusts."[662]

[662] Doc. and Cov. xlvi, 8, 9.

=7. Miracles= are commonly regarded as supernatural occurrences, taking place in opposition to the laws of nature. Such a conception is plainly erroneous, for the laws of nature are inviolable. However, as human understanding of these laws is at best but imperfect, events strictly in accordance with natural law may appear contrary thereto. The entire constitution of nature is founded on system and order; the laws of nature, however, are graded as are the laws of man. The application of a higher law in any particular case does not destroy the efficacy or validity of an inferior one; the lower law is as fully applicable as before to the case for which it is framed. For example, society has enacted a law forbidding, on peril of heavy penalties, any man appropriating the property of another; yet oftentimes officers of the law forcibly seize the possessions of their fellow-men, against whom judgments may have been rendered; and such acts are done to satisfy, not to violate justice. Jehovah commanded "Thou shalt not kill," and mankind has re-enacted the law, prescribing penalties for violation thereof. Yet sacred history testifies, that, in certain cases, the Lawgiver Himself has directly commanded His servants to vindicate justice by taking human life. The judge who passes the extreme sentence upon a convicted murderer, and the executioner who carries into effect that dread mandate, act not in opposition to "Thou shalt not kill," but actually in support of this decree.

=8.= With some of the principles upon which the powers of nature operate, we are in a degree acquainted; and in contemplating them we are no longer surprised, though deeper reflection may show that even the commonest occurrence is wonderful and strange. But any event beyond the ordinary is pronounced miraculous, supernatural, if not indeed unnatural, and we are more or less awe-stricken by the same.[663] When the prophet Elisha caused the axe to float in the river,[664] he brought to his service, through the exercise of the authority of the priesthood, a power superior to that of gravity. Without doubt, the iron was heavier than the water; yet by the operation of this higher force it was supported, suspended, or otherwise sustained at the surface, as if it were held there by a human hand, or rendered sufficiently buoyant by attached floaters.

[663] See Note 1.

[664] II Kings vi, 5-7.

=9.= Wine ordinarily consists of about four-fifths water, the rest being a variety of chemical compounds the elements of which are abundantly present in the air and soil. The ordinary method--what we term the natural method--of bringing these elements into proper combination is by planting the grape, then cultivating the vine till the fruit is ready to yield its juice in the press. But by the exercise of a power not within purely human reach, the Savior, at the marriage in Cana,[665] called those elements together, and brought about a chemical transformation within the water-pots of stone, resulting in the production of pure wine. So, too, when the multitudes were fed, under His priestly touch and authoritative blessing the bread and fishes increased in substance, as if the seasons of years had been consumed in their growth according to what we consider the natural order. In healing the leprous, the palsied, and the infirm, the disordered bodily parts were brought again into their normal and healthful state; the impurities operating as poisons in the tissues were removed by means more rapid and effectual than those which depend upon the action of drugs and medicine.

[665] John ii, 1-11. See "Miracles" in "Jesus the Christ," pp.
147, 151.

=10.= No earnest observer, no reasoning mind, can doubt the existence of intelligences and organisms which the senses of man do not reveal. This world seems but the temporal embodiment of things spiritual. The Creator has told us that He formed all things spiritual before they were made temporal.[666] The flowers that flourish and die on earth are perhaps represented above by imperishable blossoms of transcendent beauty and entertaining fragrance. Man is shaped after the image of Deity; his mind, though darkened by custom and weakened by injurious habit, is still a fallen type of immortal thought and Divine reason; and though the space separating the human and the Divine in thought, desire, and action, be as wide as that between sea and sky, for as the stars are above the earth so are the ways of God above those of man, yet we may affirm a strict analogy between the spiritual and the temporal. When the eyes of Elisha's servant were opened, the man saw the hosts of heavenly warriors covering the mountains about Dothan,--footmen, horsemen, and chariots, armed for fight against the Syrians.[667] When Israel encompassed Jericho,[668] may we not believe that the Captain of the Lord's host[669] and his heavenly train were there, and that before their angelic powers, sustained by the faith and obedience of the mortal army, the walls were leveled?

[666] See Note, page 199.

[667] II Kings vi, 13-18.

[668] Josh. vi.

[669] Josh. v, 13, 14.

=11.= Some of the latest and highest achievements of man in the utilization of natural forces approach the conditions of spiritual operations. To count the ticking of a watch a hundred miles away; to speak in but an ordinary tone and be heard across the country; to signal from one hemisphere and be understood on the other though oceans roll and roar between; to bring the lightning into our homes and make it serve as fire and torch;--are not these miracles? The possibility of such would not have been received with credence before their actual accomplishment. The President of the Republic, sitting in his chair of state at the nation's capital, talks with all parts, even with the ends of this great country; and if the apparatus be in order, if operators and officials be true, he is rightly informed of every movement of importance anywhere in the land. The orbs of the universe are as truly connected by a system of inter-communication, surprisingly perfect in its action and adaptation. These and the other innumerable miracles of creation are accomplished in strict accordance with the laws of nature, which are the laws of God. But we must return to a further consideration of the specific manifestations of spiritual gifts within the Church.