Chapter XXIX

DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT AT NAUVOO--OF THE BEING AND NATURE OF GOD.

WHEN Joseph Smith in 1820 declared that he had in open vision seen God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ standing together above him in the air, surrounded by a glorious brilliancy of light which defied all description, and that God the Father pointed to Jesus and said:

"_Joseph, this is my beloved Son, hear Him_"--

it is quite evident that new ideas pertaining to God were about to be promulgated among men. The facts of this vision were quite at variance with the orthodox notions entertained about the Godhead. It is quite true that Christians talked about the Father and the Son, and as for the latter they had to concede that He was in the form of man, and remains so to this day, as they have no reason to believe that the all-glorious resurrected body of flesh and bones with which Jesus ascended to His Father has been dissolved and become incorporeal; but no orthodox Christian believed that the Father and the Son of the Scriptures were two distinct and separate individuals--a conclusion which this very first vision of the Prophet's forces upon the understanding if it is believed. The anthropomorphism of the vision is also too emphatic for the orthodox conception of God; for notwithstanding the Scriptures teach that man was created in the image of God; [1] and that Jesus Christ was the express image of His Father's person [2]--and certainly Jesus was in the form of man--yet the Christian orthodoxy gave such explanations of these facts of Scripture that they accepted not at all the idea that God the Father was a personage like unto man in form and as distinct as to His person from His Son Jesus Christ as is any father and son among men. The orthodox creed of the Godhead is as follows:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of all
things visible and invisible; and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the
Son of God begotten of the Father, only begotten (that is) of the
substance of the Father; God of God, Light of Light, very God
of very God; begotten, not made; of the same substance with the
Father, by whom all things are made, that are in heaven and that
are in earth; who for us men, and for our salvation, descended and
was incarnate, and became man; suffered and rose again the third
day, ascended into the heavens and will come to judge the living
and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit. But those who say there was
a time when He [the Son] was not, and that He was not before He
was begotten, and that He was made out of nothing or affirm that
He is of any other substance or essence, or that the Son of God
was created, and mutable, or changeable, the Catholic Church doth
pronounce accursed.

This is the creed of St. Athanasius, formulated at the Council of Nice, A.D. 325, and is universally accepted by orthodox Christians. The explanation of the creed as given by Athanasius will also be of interest:

We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity; neither
confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there
is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of
the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
is all one: The glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the
Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father
uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father
incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible. The Father eternal,
the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet these are
not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three
incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated and one
incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son
Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty, and yet there are not three
Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God,
and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but
one God.

It is of course apparent at a glance that the first great revelation to Joseph Smith declared facts in relation to the nature of God--His personality--the fact that the Father was distinct from the Son--the fact that the there were two--or a plurality of Gods--which are at variance with the orthodox creed on the subject of Deity. This truth he continued to unfold from time to time, though the fullness and climax respecting this doctrine was reached at Nauvoo; and as it is the teachings of the Prophet and not a defense of them which I here wish to exhibit, I quote his own words:

GOD'S DISTINCT PERSONALITY.

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as a man's,
the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones,
but is a personage of spirit. Were it not so the Holy Ghost could
not dwell in us. A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may
descend upon him and not tarry in him.

THE HOLY GHOST A PERSONAGE.

The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the
world, a witness of the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come
in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in
the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form
of a dove, but in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be
transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John
to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token
of truth and innocence.

IGNORANCE AS TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God Himself in
the beginning. There are but a very few beings in the world who
understand rightly the character of God. The great majority of
mankind do not comprehend anything, either that which is passed,
or that which is to come, as it respects their relationship to
God. They do not know neither do they understand the nature of
that relationship, and consequently, they know but little above
the brute beast, or more than to eat, drink and sleep. This is all
man knows about God or His existence, unless it is given by the
inspiration of the Almighty.

WHAT KIND OF A BEING GOD IS.

I want to ask this congregation, every man, woman and child, to
answer the question in their own heart, what kind of a being God
is. * * * God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted
man, and sits enthroned in yonder heaven! That is the great secret.
If the veil was rent today and the great God who holds this world
in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His
power, was to make Himself visible, I say, if you were to see Him
today, you would see Him like a man in form--like yourselves in
all the person, image and very form as a man, for Adam was created
in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received
instruction from and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as
one man talks and communes with another. * * * It is the first
principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of
God and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses
with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea that God
Himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus
Christ Himself did, and I will show it from the Bible.

PLURALITY OF GODS ESTABLISHED BY THE LANGUAGE OF GENESIS.

I shall comment on the very first Hebrew word in the Bible; I
will make a comment on the very first sentence of the history of
creation in the Bible--_Berosheit_. I want to analyze the word.
_Baith_--in, by, through and everything else. _Rosh_--the head.
_Sheit_--Grammatical termination. When the inspired man wrote it
he did not put the _baith_ there. An old Jew without any authority
added the word: he thought it too bad to begin to talk about the
head! It read first, "The head one of the Gods brought forth the
Gods." That is the true meaning of the words. _Baurau_ signifies
to bring forth. If you do not believe it, you do not believe the
learned man of God. Learned men can teach you no more than what
I have told you. Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the
grand council. * * * The head God called together the Gods and sat
in grand council to bring forth the world. The grand councilors sat
at the head in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the
worlds which were created at that time. * * * In the beginning,
the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods, and they came
together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it.

Later in dwelling on the same subject he said:

I will show from the Hebrew Bible that I am correct, and the first
word shows a plurality of Gods, and I want the apostates and
learned men to come here and prove to the contrary, if they can.
An unlearned boy must give you a little Hebrew. _Berosheit baurau
Eloheim ait aushamayeen uenhau auratis_, rendered by King James'
translation: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth." I want to analyze the word _Berosheit_. _Rosh_, the head;
_sheit_, a grammatical termination. The _Baith_ was not originally
put there when the inspired man wrote it, but it has been since
added by an old Jew. _Baurau_ signifies to bring forth; Eloheim
is from the word _Elio_, God, in the singular number, and by
adding the word _heim_, it renders it Gods. It read first, "In the
beginning the head of the Gods brought forth Gods," or as others
have translated it, "The head of the Gods called the Gods together."

SUSTAINED BY JOHN THE REVELATOR.

President Joseph Smith read the third chapter of Revelations, and
took for his text first chapter, sixth verse: "And hath made us
kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen." It is altogether correct in the
translation. Now you know that of late some malicious and corrupt
men have sprung up and apostatized from the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, and they declare that the Prophet believes
in a plurality of Gods, and lo and behold! we have discovered a
very great secret, they cry: "The Prophet says there are many
Gods, and this proves that he has fallen." * * * I will preach on
the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express
purpose. I wish to declare I have always, and in all congregations
when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the
plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders fifteen
years. I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus
Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and
the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit; and these
three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. If this
is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold, we have
three Gods anyhow, and they are plural, and who can contradict it?

BY THE TESTIMONY OF PAUL.

Our text says: "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and
_his Father_." The Apostles have discovered that there were Gods
above, for Paul says God was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
* * * John was one of the men, and the Apostles declare they were
made kings and priests unto God the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It reads just so in the Revelation. Hence the doctrine
of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other
doctrine. It is all over the face of the Bible. It stands beyond
the power of controversy. "A wayfaring man, though a fool, need
not err therein." Paul says there are Gods many and Lords many. I
want to set it forth in a plain and simple manner, but to us there
is but one God--that is _pertaining_ to us, and He is in all and
through all. But if Joseph Smith says there are Gods many and Lords
many, they cry, "Away with him, and crucify him, crucify him!"
Mankind verily say that the Scriptures are with them. Search the
Scriptures, for they testify of things that these apostates would
gravely pronounce blasphemy. Paul, if Joseph Smith is a blasphemer,
you are. I say there are Gods many, and Lords many, but to us only
one; and we are to be in subjection to that one, and no man can
limit the bounds or the eternal existence of eternal time. * * *
Some say I do not interpret the Scriptures the same as they do.
They say it means the heathen's gods. Paul says there are Gods many
and Lords many, and that makes a plurality of Gods, in spite of the
whims of all men. Without a revelation I am not going to give them
the knowledge of the God of heaven. You know and I testify that
Paul had no allusion to the heathen gods. I have it from God, and
get over it if you can. I have a witness of the Holy Ghost, and a
testimony that Paul had no allusion to the heathen gods in the text.

BY THE PHILOSOPHY OF ABRAHAM.

I want to reason a little on this subject. I learned it by
translating the papyrus which is now in my house. I learned a
testimony concerning Abraham, and he reasoned concerning the God
of heaven. "In order to do that," said he, "suppose we have two
facts; that supposes another fact may exist--two men on the earth,
one wiser than the other, would logically show that another who is
wiser than the wiser one may exist. Intelligences exist one above
another, so that there is no end to them. If Abraham reasoned thus:
If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God,
the Father of Jesus Christ, had a Father, you may suppose that He
had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And
where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever
did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor?
And everything comes in this way. Paul says that which is earthly
is in the likeness of that which is heavenly. Hence, if Jesus had a
Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the
idea of being scared to death at such doctrine, for the Bible is
full of it.

BY THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS.

I believe all that God ever revealed, and I never hear of a man
being damned for believing too much; but they are damned for
unbelief. They found fault with Jesus Christ because He said He
was the Son of God, and made Himself equal with God. They say of
me like they did of the Apostles of old, that I must be put down.
What did Jesus say? "Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are
Gods? If he called them Gods unto whom the word of God came, and
the Scripture cannot be broken, say ye of him whom the Father has
sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I
said I am the Son of God?" It was through Him that they drank of
the spiritual rock.

Of course He would take the honor Himself. Jesus, if they were
called Gods unto whom the word of God came, why should it be
thought blasphemy that I should say I am the Son of God? [3]

HOW GOD CAME TO BE A GOD.

We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I
will refute that idea, and will take away the vail, so that you may
see. * * * The Scriptures inform us that Jesus said, "As the Father
hath power in Himself, even so hath the Son power"--to do what?
Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious--in a manner to
lay down His body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going
to do? To lay down My life as My Father did and take it up again.
Do you believe it? If you do not believe it you do not believe the
Bible. Here then is eternal life, to know the only wise and true
God, and you have got to learn to be Gods yourselves, and to be
kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before
you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a
small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation
to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead and
are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory as
do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.

THE APPOINTMENT OF GODS.

The Scriptures are a mixture of very strange doctrines to the
Christian world, who are blindly led by the blind. I will refer
to another Scripture. "Now," says God, when He visited Moses in
the bush, (Moses was a stammering sort of a boy like me,) God
said, "Thou shalt be a God unto the children of Israel." God said,
"Thou shalt be a God unto Aaron, and he shall be thy spokesman." I
believe those Gods that God reveals as Gods to be sons of Gods, and
all can cry, "Abba Father!" Sons of God who exalt themselves to be
Gods, even from before the foundation of the world and are the only
Gods I have a reverence for.

THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR GOD.

The head of the Gods appointed one God for us; and when you take
a view of the subject, it sets one free to see all the beauty,
holiness and perfection of the Gods. All I want is to get the
simple, naked truth, and the whole truth.

THE ONENESS OF GOD--IN WHAT IT CONSISTS.

Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost are only one God! I say that is a strange God anyhow--three
in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. "Father, I
pray not for the world, but I pray for them which Thou hast given
me." "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast
given me, that they may be one, as we are." * * * I want to read
the text to you myself: "I am agreed with the Father and the Father
is agreed with Me, and we are agreed as one." The Greek shows that
it should be "agreed." "Father, I pray for them which Thou hast
given me out of the world, and not for these alone, but for them
also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all
may be agreed as Thou, Father, art agreed with me, and I with Thee,
that they also may be agreed with us--" and all come to dwell in
unity, and in all glory and everlasting burnings of the Gods; and
then we shall see as we are seen, and be as our God, and He as His
Father.

OF MAN AND HIS IMMORTALITY.

The doctrines which Joseph Smith taught respecting God were also calculated to have an effect on his teachings respecting man, and that it did so is evident from the following:

I have another subject to dwell upon which is calculated to exalt
man. * * * It is associated with the subject of the resurrection of
the dead, namely, the soul--the mind of man--the immortal spirit.
Where did it come from? All learned men, and doctors of divinity
say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the
very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the
doctrine. I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world, for God
has told me so, if you don't believe me, it will not make the truth
without effect. * * * We say that God Himself is a self-existent
being. Who told you so? It is correct enough, but how did it get
into your heads? Who told you that man did not exist in like manner
upon the same principles? God made a tabernacle and put a spirit
into it, and it became a living soul. [Refers to the old Bible.]
How does it read in the Hebrew? It does not say in Hebrew that God
created the spirit of man. It says, "God made man out of earth and
put into him Adam's spirit, and so became a living body." * * * I
am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical
to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that
it had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning,
neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a
beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were
not spirits, for they are co-equal with our Father in heaven.

THE PROPHET'S VIEWS ON IMMATERIALITY AND ON CREATION.

There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter,
but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer
eyes. We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified, we shall
see that it is all matter.

* * * You ask the wise doctors why they say the world was made out
of nothing, and they will answer, "Don't the Bible say He created
the world?" And they infer from that word _create_ that it must
be made out of nothing. Now the word create came from the word
_baurau_, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to
organize, the same as man would organize material and build a ship.
Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out
of--chaos--chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells
all the glory. Elements had an existence from the time He [God]
had. The pure principles of elements can never be destroyed, they
may be organized and reorganized, but not destroyed. They had no
beginning, and can have no end.

In order to present a more complete view of the importance of man as connected with the work of his redemption, his future exaltation and glory, as taught by the Prophet, I quote two discourses of his preached in Nauvoo some time previous to the period under consideration. The first is an excerpt from remarks of the Prophet made in reply to certain questions about the Priesthood and other subjects; the second is from an article presented by him at the October conference of 1840:

I.

The Priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained the First
Presidency, and held the keys of it from generation to generation.
He obtained it in the creation, before the world was formed,
as in Gen. 1, 20, 26, 28. He had dominion given him over every
living creature. He is Michael, the Arch-Angel, spoken of in
the Scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in
authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this
office, and was the Father of all living in his day, and to him was
given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in
heaven.

The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with God
from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days or
end of years. The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever
the Gospel is sent. When they are revealed from heaven it is by
Adam's authority. Daniel VII, speaks of the Ancient of Days; he
means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael; he will call his
children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for
the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human
family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have
had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may
take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of
Man stands before him, and there is given Him glory and dominion.
Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was
delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains
his standing as head of the human family.

The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity,
and will exist to eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal;
and earth, water, &c., had their existence in an elementary state,
from eternity. Our Savior speaks of children and says, their angels
always stand before my Father. The Father called all spirits
before Him at the creation of man, and organized them. He (Adam)
is the head and was told to multiply. The keys were first given to
him, and by him to others. He will have to give an account of his
stewardship and they to him.

The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses, and Elias, gave
the keys to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when He was
transfigured before them. The Priesthood is everlasting--without
beginning of days or end of years; without father, mother, &c. If
there is no change of ordinances, there is no change of Priesthood.
Wherever the ordinances of the Gospel are administered, there is
the Priesthood.

How have we come at the Priesthood in the last days? It came down,
in regular succession. Peter, James, and John had it given to them,
and they gave it to others. Christ is the great High Priest; Adam
next. Paul speaks of The Church coming to an innumerable company
of angels--to God, the Judge of all--the spirits of just men made
perfect; to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, &c., (Heb.
III, 23.)

I saw Adam in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. He called together
his children and blessed them with a patriarchal blessing. The
Lord appeared in their midst, and he (Adam) blessed them all, and
foretold what should befall them to the latest generation. (See D.
C., sec. III, pars. 28, 29.)

This is why Abraham blessed his posterity; he wanted to bring them
into the presence of God. They looked for a city, &c. Moses sought
to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through
the power of the Priesthood, but he could not. In the first ages of
the world they tried to establish the same thing; and there were
Eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories, but
did not obtain them; but they prophesied of a day when this glory
would be revealed. Paul spoke of the Dispensation of the Fullness
of Times, when God would gather together all things in one, &c.;
and those men to whom these keys have been given, will have to be
there; and they without us cannot be made perfect.

These men are in heaven, but their children are on earth. Their
bowels yearn over us. God sends down men for this reason. (Matt.
XIII, 41.) And the Son of Man shall send forth His angels, &c. All
these authoritative characters will come down and join hand in hand
in bringing about this work.

II.

In order to investigate the subject of the Priesthood, so important
to this, as well as every succeeding generation, I shall proceed
to trace the subject as far as I possibly can from the Old and New
Testaments.

There are two Priesthoods spoken of in the Scriptures, viz., the
Melchisedek and the Aaronic or Levitical. Although there are two
Priesthoods, yet the Melchisedek Priesthood comprehends the Aaronic
or Levitical Priesthood, and is the grand head, and holds the
highest authority which pertains to the Priesthood, and the keys of
the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity
on the earth, and is the channel through which all knowledge,
doctrine, the plan of salvation, and every important matter is
revealed from heaven.

Its institution was prior to "the foundation of this earth, or
the morning stars sang together, or the Sons of God shouted for
joy," and is the highest and holiest Priesthood, and is after the
order of the Son of God, and all other Priesthoods are only parts,
ramifications, powers, and blessings belonging to the same, and are
held, controlled, and directed by it. It is the channel through
which the Almighty commenced revealing His glory at the beginning
of the creation of this earth, and through which He has continued
to reveal Himself to the children of men to the present time, and
through which He will make known His purposes to the end of time.

Commencing with Adam, who was the first man, who is spoken of in
Daniel as being the "Ancient of Days," or in other words, the first
and oldest of all, the great grand progenitor of whom it is said in
another place he is Michael, because he was the first and Father
of all, not only by progeny, but the first to hold the spiritual
blessings, to whom was made known the plan of ordinances for the
salvation of his posterity unto the end, and to whom Christ was
first revealed, and through whom Christ has been revealed from
heaven, and will continue to be revealed from henceforth. Adam
holds the keys of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times; i. e.,
the dispensation of all the times, have been and will be revealed
through him from the beginning to Christ, and from Christ to the
end of all the dispensations that are to be revealed: Ephesians,
1st chap., 9th and 10th verses, "Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has
purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of
times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven and which are on earth in him."

Now the purpose in Himself in the winding up scene of the last
dispensation is that all things pertaining to that dispensation
should be conducted precisely in accordance with the preceding
dispensations.

And again: God purposed in Himself that there should not be eternal
fullness until every dispensation should be fulfilled and gathered
together in one, and that all things whatsoever, that should be
gathered together in one in those dispensations unto the same
fullness and eternal glory, should be in Christ Jesus; therefore He
set the ordinances to be the same forever, and set Adam to watch
over them, to reveal them from heaven to man, or to send angels to
reveal them: Hebrews I, 14,. "Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation?"

These angels are under the direction of Michael or Adam, who acts
under the direction of the Lord. From the above quotation we learn
that Paul perfectly understood the purposes of God in relation
to His connection with man, and that glorious and perfect order
which He established in Himself, whereby He sent forth power,
revelations, and glory.

God will not acknowledge that which He has not called, ordained
and chosen. In the beginning God called Adam by His own voice.
See Genesis 3rd Chapter, 9th, 10th v., "And the Lord called unto
Adam and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy
voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid
myself." Adam received commandments and instruction from God; this
was the order from the beginning.

That he received revelations, commandments and ordinances at the
beginning is beyond the power of controversy; else how did they
begin to offer sacrifices to God in an acceptable manner? And if
they offered sacrifices they must be authorized by ordination. We
read in Gen. 4th chap., 4th v., that Abel brought of the firstlings
of the flock and the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect to Abel
and to his offering. And, again. Hebrews XI, 4th, "By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts; and by it he being dead, yet speaketh." How doth he yet
speak? Why, he magnified the Priesthood which was conferred upon
him, and died a righteous man, and therefore has become an angel
of God by receiving his body from the dead, holding still the keys
of his dispensation; and was sent down from heaven unto Paul to
minister consoling words, and to commit unto him a knowledge of the
mysteries of Godliness.

And if this was not the case, I would ask, how did Paul know so
much about Abel, and why should he talk about his speaking after he
was dead? Hence, that he spoke after he was dead must be by being
sent down out of heaven to administer.

This, then, is the nature of the Priesthood; every man holding the
presidency of his dispensation, and one man holding the presidency
of them all, even Adam; and Adam receiving his presidency and
authority from the Lord, but cannot receive a fullness until Christ
shall present the Kingdom to the Father, which shall be at the end
of the last dispensation.

Footnotes

1. Genesis I, 26, 27.

2. Heb., I, 3.

3. I think in this last sentence the report is imperfect. The Prophet doubtless meant to represent Jesus as still talking, that is, as if the Prophet had said--_Jesus continues:_ "If they were called," etc.