Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

Any of the members or presidents of other quorums who are in good
standing may have the privilege of joining the quorum located in
the district in which they reside; but in such cases they should
first obtain a certificate as to their standing in the quorum from
which they desire to withdraw; to obtain which it would only be
necessary to procure a certificate of their good standing from the
Bishop of the Ward to which they belong, provided their names are
found upon the record of their quorum as in good standing.

The presidents of the quorums residing in the district where their
respective quorums are organized shall have a general supervision
of all the Seventies residing in their district.

In all cases where members of quorums are called in question, a
majority of their respective quorums will have jurisdiction in all
cases involving their standing in the quorum, but in case there
is not a majority residing in the district where the quorum is
organized, or in the case of scattered members, the members present
should investigate the matter and report their findings to the
First Seven Presidents. Any complaints regarding the presidents
of quorums should be made to the First Seven Presidents of the
Seventies, who may suspend such presidents, if their conduct
seem to justify it, pending the action of the First Quorum. Any
presidents or members from whom fellowship has been withdrawn
by the quorums, should be reported to the High Council having
jurisdiction.

The Seventies, when abroad, if anything should occur requiring
their supervision, in the absence of other authorities, may act
upon the case of any delinquent belonging to the Seventies, and
should report their decisions to the First Seven Presidents of the
Seventies.

Your Brethren in the gospel,
JOHN TAYLOR,
GEORGE Q. CANNON,
JOSEPH F. SMITH,
First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

_A revelation given through President John Taylor, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on Saturday, April 14th, 1883, in answer to the question: "Show unto us thy will, O Lord, concerning the organization of the Seventies."_

What ye have written is my will, and is acceptable unto me: and
furthermore,

Thus saith the Lord unto the First Presidency, unto the Twelve,
unto the Seventies and unto all my holy Priesthood, let not your
hearts be troubled, neither be ye concerned about the management
and organization of my Church and Priesthood and the accomplishment
of my work. Fear me and observe my laws and I will reveal unto you,
from time to time, through the channels that I have appointed,
everything that shall be necessary for the future development and
perfection of my Church, for the adjustment and rolling forth of my
kingdom, and for the building up and the establishment of my Zion.
For ye are my Priesthood and I am your God. Even so. Amen.

Under the instructions given in the foregoing communication and revelation, the First Council of the Seventy have proceeded with the work of increasing the quorums and managing their affairs. The quorums now number 151, giving to the foreign ministry of the Church a body of men numbering about ten thousand.

Footnotes

1. Hackett edition, in four volumes, now and always quoted.

2. I take occasion here to remark that by making reference to works such as Edersheim's Life of Jesus, Bible Dictionaries Ecclesiastical Histories, etc., it must not be understood that in making such references I approve the works, or even accept the correctness of the passages indicated. Such references are made that the student may consult the literature on a given point. He must make his own deductions as to the correctness of the statements and arguments of such authors. As for instance, in this very passage cited from Edersheim's really great work, I think him, in the main, wrong in his treatment of this subject of the Seventy, but our Seventies should know what so high an authority, as Edersheim is generally accepted to be, has said upon the subject.

3. It will be observed from this statement that the "Cephas," or "Peter" whom Paul "withstood to his face" at Antioch, was not the chief Apostle Peter, but another "Cephas" or "Peter," one of the Seventy. I fear, however, that the testimony in Galatians ii, as to its being Peter, the chief Apostle, with whom Paul had his unfortunate controversy, is too strong to be overturned by this inference in Eusebius.

LESSON II.

_THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE SEVENTY._

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. The Priesthood._ Note 1; Alma xiii;
1. Definition, and the Grouping of Doc, & Cov. 84; Sec. 107;
Powers and Officers. Compendium[1] pp. 64-73.
History of the Church
Vol. II, Chap. 33; Vol. IV,
Chap. 11; Outlines Eccl.
History, Part IV, Sec. v.
The Gospel[2] pp. 210-216.

_II. The Church: Defined._ Note 2. I Corinthians xii.
1. The Depository of Revealed Articles of Faith,
Truth. (Talmadge) Lecture XI.
2. Of Divine Authority--Her Commission. Compendium pp. 157-158.
Book of Mormon, Mosiah 5:7-12.
Doc. & Cov. Sec. 76; 50-70.
The Gospel pp. 216-227.

_III. The Mission of the Church._ Note 3; Eph. iv:4-17.
1. Proclamation of the Truth. The Gospel pp. 216-227.
2. Perfecting the Lives of Those History of the Church
Who Receive Her Truth. Vol. II. pp. 47. 476-480.

_IV. The Foreign Ministry._ Note 4, 5, 6. Doc. & Cov.
1. The Twelve Apostles. Sec. 107; also Sec. 124;
2. The Seventy. 138-140. History of
3. Special Duties of the Seventy. the Church, Vol. III,[3]
Chap. xxvi. Luke x;
Outlines Eccl. History[4]
Sec. v, p. 336-7, p. 360;
also pp. 343-6. Also note 7.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Wherefore now, let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence." Doc. and Cov., Sec. 107_.

_NOTES._

1. _Priesthood._ Priesthood is authority which God gives to man, by which man is made an agent of God, authorized to speak, act, and administer in the divine name, and have his words and administrations of binding effect as if done by the Lord himself; provided, of course, said administrations are in accordance with the divine directions or instructions, within the limits of the authority confirmed upon the agent, performed in righteousness and relate to the matters for which the divine authority was given to man.

Necessarily this delegated authority is one in kind;[5] it is simply authority given of God to man by which man is authorized to act in God's stead in relation to certain things; but its powers are grouped in various ways for the purpose of facilitating the administration of its government. First, its powers are grouped with reference to temporal and spiritual affairs; the division of the Priesthood which has charge more especially of spiritual affairs is called the Melchisedek Priesthood; that which has charge more especially of temporal affairs, the Aaronic Priesthood. The officers of the Melchisedek Priesthood are, Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs, High Priests, Seventies, Elders; of the Aaronic Priesthood: Bishops (who are High Priests, ordained to be Bishops and constitute the Presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood), Priests, Teachers, Deacons.

While this division of the Priesthood, or this grouping of its officers with reference to spiritual and temporal labors, assigns one to spiritual and the other to temporal concerns, it must not be thought that there is anything rigid in said division of labor; that the Aaronic Priesthood is excluded from participation in spiritual labors; or that the Melchisedek Priesthood is excluded from dealing with temporal affairs. The line of demarkation,[6] as a matter of fact, is crossed by each division; some of the duties of the Aaronic Priesthood are spiritual, and some of the duties of the Melchisedek, temporal. This division then rests upon the fact that the duties assigned the Aaronic priesthood are chiefly temporal, and the duties of the Melchisedek chiefly spiritual.

Another division of the Priesthood may be said to exist within the Melchisedek Priesthood, which is also a division with reference to its labors, viz., the foreign ministry and the home ministry, of which more is to be said later.

2. _The Church._ The Church may be said to arise from the Priesthood. Comprehensively defined it may be said to be an organization of people--including all officers and members--who believe in and endeavor to incorporate in their lives God's Truth; who have obeyed the ordinances or sacraments appointed of God for salvation and admission into his Church; whose officers are of divine appointment and commission, (that is, possessed of divine authority, the Priesthood) guided by an ever present inspiration from God, and walking within reach of an ever present and continuous source of immediate revelation.

The Church is the depository of God's revealed truth. Man may be able by searching to find out many truths. What he has learned by study, by investigation, aided by the inspiration of the Lord--for "there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding"--amounts to very much; but there are some things which even by searching man may not learn. "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?"[7] The inference in the scripture is, and the fact is, that the answer must be, no. God can not be perfectly known, only as he reveals himself to man; man can know his relationship to God only as God is pleased to reveal it; man can only know the terms and means of his salvation as the Lord reveals it; and these revelations, when he has one in the earth, God gives to his Church; these truths which man by searching, by his own wisdom, may not find out in their perfection--God deposits with his Church--hence the Church is the depository of God's revealed truth--she receives and is the custodian of the Gospel.

And not only is the Church the depository of revealed truth; but she is also the depository of the divine authority; she, in organized capacity, holds as content the Holy Priesthood; and she has commission and agency to dispense the truth and administer through her instrumentalities all the ordinances of the gospel.

3. _The Mission of the Church:_ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was brought into existence for the accomplishment of two great things: first, the proclamation of the truth concerning man's salvation to all the world: and second, the perfecting of those who accept that truth. The Church is organized with reference to the accomplishment of these two purposes, and has, for the accomplishment of those purposes, a foreign ministry and a home ministry. In defining the duties of a Seventy it is with the foreign ministry that we have to deal.

4. _The Foreign Ministry._ The business of the foreign ministry is to make proclamation of the gospel in all the world, and gather, as soon as wisdom dictates, those who accept it into the organized stakes of Zion. This foreign ministry, strictly speaking, is composed of the Twelve Apostles and the quorums of the Seventy.

5. _The Twelve:_ "The twelve traveling counselors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world; thus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties of their calling. * * * * The Twelve are a traveling presiding High Council, to officiate in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, agreeable to the institution of heaven; to build up the Church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations; first unto the Gentiles, and secondly unto the Jews. * * * * The Twelve being sent out, holding the keys to open the door by the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ--and first unto the Gentiles and then unto the Jews." (Doc & Cov., Sec. cvii.) This is the special calling of the Twelve Apostles, and the calling of the Seventy is like unto it.

6. _The Seventy:_ "The Seventy are also called to preach the gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world. Thus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties of their calling. * * * * The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve or the traveling High Council, in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations--first unto the Gentiles and then to the Jews. * * * * It is the duty of the traveling High Council to call upon the Seventy, when they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel, instead of any others. * * * * And these Seventy (the reference is to the whole body of that Priesthood) are to be traveling ministers unto the Gentiles first, and also unto the Jews. * * * * Whereas other officers of the Church, who belong not unto the Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are not under the responsibility to travel among all nations, but are to travel as their circumstances shall allow, notwithstanding they may hold as high and responsible offices in the Church." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. cvii.)

When the Church was set in order at Nauvoo, in 1841, by direction of a revelation (Doc. & Cov.; Sec. cxxiv.) after naming the First Seven Presidents, who were to preside over the quorums of Seventies, the Lord said: "Which quorum is instituted for traveling Elders to bear record of my name in all the world, whenever the traveling High Council, my Apostles, shall send them to prepare a way before my face. The difference between this quorum and the quorum of Elders is, that one is to travel continually, and the other is to preside over the churches from time to time: the one has the responsibility of presiding from time to time, and the other has no responsibility of presiding, saith the Lord your God."

In these passages the special calling and duties of the Seventies are so clearly set forth that neither comment nor amplification is necessary, since these foregoing quotations are the word of the Lord, and evidence the fact that the Twelve, with the Seventy, constitute the foreign ministry of the Church. They are special witnesses of God and Christ to the truth of the gospel, and that is their special and peculiar calling in the Church. Not that the whole responsibility of preaching the gospel rests upon the Twelve and the Seventy alone. That responsibility rests upon the whole body of the Church. These quorums, the Twelve and Seventy, are merely the instrumentality through which the Church discharges its obligations to the people of the world in making known to them the truth.

7. _President Joseph F. Smith on the Calling of the Seventy:_ We have also in the Church today, I am informed, 146 quorums of Seventy [the number in 1904]. These constitute a body of Elders of somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 men, whose special duty it is to respond to the call of the Apostles to preach the gospel, without purse or scrip, to all the nations of the earth. They are minute men. It is expected that they will be ready, whenever they are called, to go out in the world, or to go out to the various organizations of the Church to fulfill missions and to perform such duties as shall be required of them, in order that the work of the Lord and the work of the ministry may be upheld and sustained and carried on in the Church and throughout the world. These councils or quorums of Seventy are not always full, a full council being 70 Elders. But there are approximately 10,000 Elders who now hold that position in the Church. They are called to an apostolic calling. They are required to be special witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is expected of this body of men that they will have burning in their souls the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy; that they will be full of light and of the knowledge of the truth; that they will be enthusiastic in their calling, and in the cause of Zion, and that they will be ready at any moment, when required, to go out into the world, or anywhere throughout the Church and bear testimony of the truth, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and set examples before the world of purity, love, honesty, uprightness and integrity to the truth. (The General Conference Reports, October 6th, 1904, p. 3.)

Footnotes

1. Richards and Little's, of "The Seventy's Indispensible Library," always meant.

2. Third edition always quoted.

3. "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."--Joseph Smith.

4. Third edition always quoted.

5. "There are two Priesthoods spoken of in the Scriptures, viz., the Melchisedek and the Aaronic or Levitical. Although there are two Priesthoods, yet the Melchisedec 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." (History of the Church, Vol. IV, pp. 207, _et. seq_.)

"Therefore, in viewing the Church as a whole, we may strictly denominate it one Priesthood." (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 478.)

6. The distinction in the terms "temporal" and "spiritual" are used in connection with this subject that man may understand; that is, God adapts himself to man's terms, but with God there is no such distinction as temporal and spiritual, but all things are spiritual. (See Doc. & Cov., Sec. 29:31-35.)

7. Job xi: 7.

LESSON III.

_THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE SEVENTY. (Continued.)_

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. Of Other Than the Special Labors of Note 1. Doc. & Cov.
the Seventy._ Sec. 107; 8-10, 34. Note 2.

_II. Quorum Organization._ Note 3. Doc. & Cov.
1. Presidents. Sec. 107; 93-98; Note 4, 5.
2. Members.
3. Effectiveness of the Quorum Organization.

_III. The First Quorum of the Seventy._ Note 4. Doc. & Cov.
1. Jurisdiction--Local, General. Sec. 107; 25, 33[1] Art. of
2. Limitation in the Choice of Presidents. Faith. (Talmadge) p. 214.
3. Distinction and Authority of the Outlines Eccl. Hist. Sec.
First Quorum. v, p. 344.
Summary.

_IV. The Seventy to be an Educated, Note 6. Doc. & Cov.
Trained Ministry._ Sec. 88; 77, 8, 117, 118. Ibid.
1. Need of Knowing the Truth in Sec. 130; 18-21. Sec. 131;
Order to Teach It. 6. Brigham Young on Education,
2. Admonition of the Lord to the Contributor Vol. X,
Elders. pp. 281-283; Mormon
Point of View in Education,
Improvement Era
Vol. II, pp. 119 et seq.
Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84; 85
Note 7.

_SPECIAL TEXT: Let it become a special conviction with all, that to become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development, and finally spiritual power._

_"All are to preach the gospel by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost; and no man can preach the gospel without the Holy Ghost."_--JOSEPH SMITH.

_NOTES._

1. _Of Labors Other than Special that Seventies May Perform:_ While preaching the gospel unto all nations is the special business of the Twelve and Seventy, it must not be thought that that is the only function which the Seventy may discharge. As on occasion the High Priests and Elders and members of the lesser Priesthood can be used to assist in the work of the foreign ministry (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 84:106-111), so also, when at home, and not engaged in the special work of their calling, the Seventy may be employed in the home ministry, and assist the standing ministry in the wards and stakes of Zion in perfecting the Saints and edifying the body of Christ until they shall all come unto a unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Paul, in his most excellent description of the Church organization, likens it unto the body of a man. Accepting his illustration it may be said that the foreign ministry may be regarded as the right arm of the Church, and the home ministry as the left arm. Now, because one is the right arm and one the left, shall either refuse to assist the other at need? Or shall this organization (the Church), which is said to be the "body of Christ," be as effectual in the performance of its functions as the natural body of man is, and in every case of need have the right hand come to the assistance of the left, and _vise versa_? Right reason will approve an affirmative answer.

2. _Power of the Melchisedek Priesthood:_ The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of Presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things. The Presidency of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchisedek, have a right to officiate in all the offices in the Church. High Priests after the order of the Melchisedek Priesthood, have a right to officiate in their own standing, under the direction of the Presidency, in administering spiritual things; and also in the office of an Elder, Priest, (of the Levitical order), Teacher, Deacon, and member. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 106:8-10.)

While the statements here made about the higher officers of the Church administering in the lower offices--a High Priest officiating in the office of Elder, Priest, Teacher or Deacon--are limited to High Priests, yet the principle holds good as to Seventies also. Besides note the statement, "The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church, in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things;" and as the Seventy holds this Melchisedek Priesthood, he may, under the direction of the presidency (See Ibid verse 10), administer in any of the offices of the Church; also this has always been the practice of the Church; and the practice of the Church, generally speaking, is the best interpretation of the scripture.

3. _Organization of the Seventy._ The quorums of Seventy are organized with special reference to their calling as the foreign ministry of the Church. It will be observed that their organization is different from that of every other quorum in the Church, for whereas in all other quorums of the higher Priesthood the presidency consists of one president and two counselors, in the quorum of the Seventy there are seven presidents of equal power and authority. That is to say, there is not one president and six counselors, but each of the seven is a president and in power and authority is equal with his fellow-presidents; but for the sake of order the right of presidency is recognized as being vested in the senior president by ordination. "And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the Seventy. And the seventh president (counting from the one last ordained) of these presidents is to preside over the six." In the absence of the senior president the next senior in ordination becomes the acting president. By this simple arrangement all confusion as to the right of presiding is obviated, for no sooner does the council of a quorum or any part thereof convene, than each president knows at once upon whom the responsibility of presiding rests, let them meet where they may.

By virtue of having seven presidents a quorum of Seventy is not easily disorganized, and this doubtless was one of the objects in view in this arrangement. One, two, three, or even six of the presidents could be sent abroad upon missions (although that is not likely to be the case at any one time) and yet the quorum would have a president left, who, with the quorum, would be competent to transact whatever of business might be necessary for that quorum.

Other duties and advantages growing out of this organization are apparent on a little reflection. Suppose, for instance, that a quorum of Seventy should be sent out bodily to preach the gospel, as the quorum of the Twelve at times have been. You would then have an organization which could be broken up into seven groups of ten men each, with a president for each group. These groups could be broken up into five pairs, and the Elders travel two and two, as the law of the gospel requires. It can be readily seen that such a quorum could be a flying column, capable of being broken up, first into groups and sent into different districts; and the groups again broken up into pairs and spread out over a wide area of country. The pairs could be called together in groups of ten for conference, for adjustment and rearrangement of traveling companions, and the groups occasionally brought together in quorum conference, report, or transact whatever business might be necessary, and again be scattered into fields of labor. In all of which there appears the very finest adaptation of means to an end; and also there appears more than mere human wisdom displayed in this organization of the quorums of the foreign ministry.

4. _Of the First Quorum of the Seventy:_ In the revelation before quoted it is said: "And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the seventy. * * * And these seven presidents are to choose other Seventy besides the first Seventy, to whom they belong, and are to preside over them; and also other Seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor in the vineyard of necessity requires it."

It must not be understood that this passage limits the number of quorums to seven times seventy, for the Prophet, at the time the quorums were being organized, stated that "If the first Seventy are all employed and there is a call for more laborers, it will be the duty of the seven presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain other Seventy, and send them forth to labor in the vineyard, until if needs be, they set apart seven times seventy, and even until there are 144,000 thus set apart for the ministry." (See Church History, Vol. II: 221 and Notes.)

It will be observed in the quotation from the Doctrine & Covenants above that provision is made that the presidents of Seventy are to be "chosen out of the number of the Seventy." It is because of this special provision that when inadvertently High Priests have been selected for presidents of Seventy they have taken their place again in the quorum of High Priests and others from among the Seventy, as provided by the law of God, chosen to fill their place. It will also be observed that the council of the First Seventy, in addition to presiding over their own quorum (the first), have a general presidency over all the quorums of the Church. It is this first quorum, members and presidents together, which constitutes what, by way of explanation, we may call _the_ quorum of Seventy, the quorum of which it is said that they are equal in authority to the quorum of the twelve special witnesses, or Apostles.

5. _Summary._ It may be said by way of recapitulation that the Seventy hold the Melchisedek Priesthood; that with the Twelve, under whose directions they labor, they constitute the foreign ministry of the Church: that their special calling is to travel and preach the gospel in all nations, first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews; that they can, on occasion be employed in the work of the ministry at home, because their Priesthood authorizes them to do good and bring to pass righteousness wherever they may be, and when acting in order and under the direction of the Twelve Apostles they may do whatever is necessary to be done in order to accomplish the purposes of God, whose ministers they are; but their organization has particular reference to their special work of preaching the Gospel in all the world.

6. _An Intelligent and Informed Ministry Contemplated in the Church:_ After this brief review of the organization and duties of the Seventies, it must be clearly manifest that it is the imperative duty of those holding this office in the Priesthood to make careful and thorough preparation to discharge the responsibilities of their high calling as the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus. Being special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world, preachers (i. e., teachers) of the gospel, and authorized under the direction of the Twelve Apostles to act in the name of the Lord in "building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. cvii), it behooves them to become witnesses who understand the truth of which they testify, skilled workman, ambassadors of whom the Master need not be ashamed. It is evident that the Lord never designed that his ministry should be an ignorant ministry; for to the early Elders of his Church, in this last dispensation, when instructing a number of them to prepare for labor in the vineyard, he said:

"And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another
the doctrine of the kingdom; teach ye diligently and my grace shall
attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory,
in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things
that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you
to understand. Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and
under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things
which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things
which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations,
and the judgments which are on the land, and a knowledge also of
countries and of kingdoms. That ye may be prepared in all things
when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have
called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. * *
* Therefore, verily, I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn
assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek,
ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye
out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study,
and also by faith." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 88:77, 78, 80 and 117, 118.)

The instructions then given to the Elders of the Church are still applicable to men engaged in the same ministry, and charged with like responsibility.

Elsewhere I have said, on the foregoing passage from the Doctrine and Covenants:

"I think I may safely challenge any one to point out a broader
field of knowledge than is here indicated. It includes
all spiritual truth, all scientific truth, all secular
knowledge--knowledge of the past, of the present, of the
future; of the heavens, and of the earth. A knowledge of all
countries, their geography, languages, history, customs, laws
and governments--everything in fact that pertains to them. There
is nothing in the heights above or the depths below that is not
included in this field of knowledge into which the commandment
of God directs his servants to enter. I may claim for it that
it includes the whole realm of man's intellectual activities.
And the doctrine that whatever principles of intelligence man
attains unto in this life will rise with him in the morning of
the resurrection--this doctrine that nothing acquired in respect
of knowledge is ever lost, must forever form the most powerful
incentive to intellectual effort that possibly can be conjured
up by the wit of man. So that, referring to the acquirement of
knowledge, and intellectual development, Mormonism at once both
indicates the broadest field and furnishes the grandest incentive
to intellectual effort." ("The Mormon Point of View in Education,"
Improvement Era, Vol. II, p. 119.)

Commenting once upon the above passages from the Doctrine and Covenants, the writer remarked:

"I trust no one will receive the impression that I leave out of
consideration, or have not attached proper importance to the part
which the Spirit of God takes in these things (the preaching of
the gospel). I think there is no one with whom I am acquainted
that believes more fervently than I do that in order to succeed in
preaching the gospel one must do so by the gift and by the power of
the Holy Ghost. I know that the Lord has given instruction to the
Elders of the Church that separates their methods of work, as wide
as day is separated from the night, from those methods of preaching
adopted by the world--I know that he has said: "Think not what
ye shall say, but in the very hour that it is needed it shall be
given to you that which you shall say." But while I remember that,
I remember also the admonition which he has given to the Elders in
the self same passage, to the effect that they should "treasure up
continually the words of life," a part of the instruction that I
have sometimes thought is too much neglected. I believe we shall
best succeed if, when treasuring up the words of life, we do it
systematically; that instead of being like an unwise builder who
throws into one promiscuous heap lime, sand, bricks and frames,
together with a hundred and one other materials that enter into
the construction of his building, that each be placed by itself,
carefully stored away where the workmen can readily find it and
bring each part to the building as the builder has need. So, I
say, systematize your efforts in reading, in thought, in speech,
and after you have done all that, I believe that you will have all
the more claim upon the Spirit and blessing of God. After you have
made the attempt to carry out the instructions which our Father in
heaven has given in respect of storing your minds with the words
of life, you can then go to him saying: "Father, I have done all I
can with the powers thou hast placed at my command, now help me by
thy grace; and bless all that I have done, and the honor and praise
and the glory shall be thine." Under these circumstances, if your
efforts be accompanied by secret prayer before God, who hears in
secret and rewards openly, he will bless your ministry beyond all
your expectation." ("Preparation for the Ministry," a discourse
delivered in Salt Lake Tabernacle, Oct. 28, 1894.)

Footnotes

1. Compare verse 33 with verse 32: also verses 25 and 26, with verses 23 and 24, Doc. & Cov., Sec. 107.

_PART II._

_A Study of the Hebrew Scriptures.---The Old Testament._

LESSON I.

_THE ANTIQUITY, CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT._

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. Definitions of the Term "Bible."_ The Seventies Bible
Dictionary word, "Bible;"[1]
also other
Bible Helps; "Smith's
Dictionary of the Bible;"[2]
"Cyclopaedia Biblical
Literature," (Kitto);
"The Gospel," (Roberts),
Chap. vi[3].

_II. Antiquity of the Old Testament Notes 1 and 2. Josephus'
Writings._ Antiquities of
the Jews. Book XX,
Chap. x. Josephus' Preface
to Antiquities of the
Jews; "Commentary
Critical and Explanatory;"[4]
The Gospel,
(Roberts), Chap. vi and
vii, Book of Mormon, I Nephi,
chap. v:10-13; Y. M. M. I. A.
Manual, 1903-4, on the Book of
Mormon, Part. I. Chap. I,
II. Pearl of Great Price,
Chap. 1; History of the
Church Vol. I, p. 98.

_III. Classification of the Old Testament Josephus vs Apion, Bk.
Books._ I. (See note 1). The Gospel,
(Roberts), Chap. vi;
1. The Law; Dr. Smith's Old Testament
2. The Prophets; History, Appendix 1,
3. The Writings or Hagiographa; pp. 651-3. The Seventy's
4. The Apocrypha. Bible Dictionary,
Art. Bible, subdivision
"Structure of the Bible;"
Ibid. Art. Apocrypha.
Oxford and other
Bible Helps.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."_--JESUS.

_NOTES._

1. _Antiquity of the Hebrew Sacred Books:_ Josephus in his first book against Apion ascribes the most ancient books of the Hebrew race--the Pentateuch, the five books--to Moses, and in contrasting the Hebrew literature with that of the Greeks, he says:

"We, therefore, (who are Jews) must yield to the Grecian writers
as to language and eloquence of composition; but then we shall
give them no such preference as to the verity of ancient history,
and least of all as to that part which concerns the affairs of our
several countries. As to the care of writing down the records from
the earliest antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that
the priests were intrusted therewith, and employed a philosophical
concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did so
among the Babylonians, and that the Phoenicians, who were mingled
among the Greeks, did especially make use of their letters both for
the common affairs of life and for the delivering down the history
of common transactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all
men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they
took no less care about writing such records, (for I will not say
they took greater care than the others I spoke of,) and that they
committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets,
and that these records have been written all along down to our own
times with the utmost accuracy. * * * * * For our forefathers did
not only appoint the best of these priests, and those that attended
upon the divine worship, for that design from the beginning, but
made provision that the stock of the priests should continue
unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the Priesthood must
propagate of a wife of the same nation, without having regard to
money, or any other dignities: but he is to make a scrutiny, and
take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables, and procure
many witnesses to it. And this is our practice not only in Judea,
but wheresoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even
there an exact catalogue of our priests' marriages is kept; I mean
at Egypt and at Babylon, or in any other place of the rest of the
habitable earth, whithersoever our priests are scattered; for they
send to Jerusalem the ancient names of their parents in writing,
as well as those of their remoter ancestors, and signify who are
the witnesses also. * * * But what is the strongest argument of
our exact management in this matter is what I am now going to say.
That we have the names of our high priests from father to son set
down in our records, for the interval of two thousand years; and
if any of these have been transgressors of these rules, they are
prohibited to present themselves at the altar, or to be partakers
of any other of our purifications; and this is justly, or rather
necessarily done, because every one is not permitted of his own
accord to be a writer, nor is there any disagreement in what is
written; they being only prophets that have written the original
and earliest accounts of things, as they learned them of God
himself by inspiration; and others have written what hath happened
in their own time, and that in a very distinct manner also: For we
have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing
from and contradicting one another, (as the Greeks have,) but only
twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times,
which are justly believed to be divine. And of them, five belong to
Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of
mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of
three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses
till the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, who reigned after
Xerxes; the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was
done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books
contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life.
It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very
particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with
the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact
succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have
given credit to these books of our own nation, is evident by what
we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one hath
been so bold as either to add anything to them, to take anything
from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural
to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteem these
books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if
occasion be, willingly to die for them. For it is no new thing for
our captives, many of them in number, and frequently in time, to
be seen to endure racks and deaths of all kinds upon the theatres,
that they may not be obliged to say one word against our laws and
the records that contain them." (Antiquity of the Jews, Flavius
Josephus Against Apion, Book 1, pp. 582-583.)

2. _The Effect of Recent Discoveries in Chaldea and Egypt on the Authorship of the Five Books in the Bible Ascribed to Moses:_

"The Assyrian inscriptions which have been recently recovered and
given to the English-speaking peoples by Layard, George Smith,
Sayce, and others, show that in the ancient religions of Chaldea
and Babylonia there was elaborated a narrative of the creation
which, in its most important features, must have been the source
of that in our own sacred books. It has now become perfectly
clear that from the same sources which inspired the accounts of
the creation of the universe among the Chaldee-Babylonian, the
Assyrian, the Phoenician, and other ancient civilizations came the
ideas which hold so prominent a place in the sacred books of the
Hebrews. * * * * From this idea of creation was evolved in time a
somewhat nobler view. Ancient thinkers, and especially, as is now
found, in Egypt, suggested that the main agency in creation was
not the hands and fingers of the Creator, but his voice. Hence was
mingled with the earlier, cruder belief regarding the origin of the
earth and heavenly bodies by the Almighty the more impressive idea
that "he spake and they were made"--that they were brought into
existence by his word." (A History of the Warfare of Science with
Theology in Christendom, Vol. 1, pp. 2-3).

Referring again to the work of the noted Archaeologists mentioned above, with others, Mr. White goes on to say that they "have deciphered a multitude of ancient texts, especially the inscriptions found in the great library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh, and have discovered therein an account of the origin of the world identical in its most important features with the later accounts in our own book of Genesis. These men have had the courage to point out these facts and to connect them with the truth that these Chaldean and Babylonian myths, legends, and theories were far earlier than those of the Hebrews, which so strikingly resemble them, and which we have in our sacred books; and they have also shown us how natural it was that the Jewish accounts of the creation should have been obtained at that remote period when the earliest Hebrews were among the Chaldeans, and how the great Hebrew poetic accounts of creation were drawn either from the sacred traditions of these earlier peoples or from antecedent sources common to various ancient nations." (A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, Vol. 1, p. 20.)

There can be no doubt but what the accounts of creation found in these Assyrian and Egyptian sources are earlier than those written by Moses, or that they are similar in import, but because of these facts is it necessary to discredit either the Mosaic authorship of the five books of the Bible accredited to that Prophet, or doubt the inspiration of these accounts? And yet this has been the result of these discoveries on many minds. The truth is, that the outlined facts of the creation have been known by our race from earliest times, from the days of Adam in fact. They were matters of common knowledge among the antediluvian patriarchs, and through the family of Noah were preserved for the families and races of men subsequent to the flood; and variously distorted these creation facts were preserved by all people. But all this did not prevent the Lord from revealing the creation history to Moses, nor does it require us to doubt the inspiration which rested upon him and that enabled him to weave into splendid coherent form the fragmentary truths held among the ancient Egyptians and Assyrian peoples. That there were pre-Mosaic documents containing accounts of creation and the history of God's hand-dealings with ancient peoples, we have abundant proof of in the Book of Abraham, which so strangely came into the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith (See Church History, Vol. II, pp. 235-6, 348-350). Also that the Lord revealed the creation facts, and also the early history of our race to Moses, is confirmed by revelation to the Prophet of the nineteenth century, Joseph Smith (See Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, pp. 1-48, also History of the Church, Vol. I, 98 et seq.)

The student will find a well written article by Professor A. H. Sayce, in "The Bible Treasury," pp. 37-42, that bears upon this subject. The matter is also discussed at some length in Young Men's Manual for 1903-4 (No. 7)., chap. I.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the writers of the New Testament bear emphatic testimony to the authenticity and divine authority of the Old Testament, since these writers so frequently quoted it as a work of divine authority. "Indeed," says an accepted authority in this class of literature, "the references are so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaic books throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character, design and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments, that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidence in proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classics being the productions of the authors whose names they bear." (Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, preface.)

3. _Hagiographa:_ Hagiographa--the Greek name of the last of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament. They are variously reckoned, but usually comprise the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. (The Century Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Vol. IX.)

4. _The Subdivisions of the Old Testament--Its Dignity and Authority:_ The student will observe that the classification of the books in the several authorities cited, all vary somewhat in the grouping and subdivisions of them; but I believe it will be found that the grouping in the analysis of the Seventies' Bible Dictionary will be found most complete and satisfactory. One thing should be borne in mind with reference to this whole volume of ancient Hebrew scripture, and that is, whatever the sub-division may be, history, legislation, poetry, prophecy, biography, or proverbs, it is written under the inspiration of God. That does not mean that human elements are not to be found in it, but rather that a divine spirit is present in the midst of those human elements giving forth light and truth and wisdom such as is to be found in no merely human production. There is a divine spirit always present in these scripture narratives, prophecies and poetry that make the whole to contain a revelation of God, and an account of his methods of doing things among men, all of which gives to those writings an authority that does not pertain to the ordinary writings of men.

Footnotes

1. It will be understood that by "Seventies' Bible," is meant throughout the Bible selected for the "Seventies' Indispensible Library," "The Teacher's Bible," Cambridge edition.

2. Hackett edition always quoted.

3. Third edition always quoted.

4. This work will always be so quoted, it is a recent work produced in collaboration by Robert Jamieson, D. D., St. Paul's, Glasgow, Scotland; A. R. Fausset, D.D., St. Cuthberts, York, England; and David Brown, D.D., Professor of Theology, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the best works of its kind, and represents the latest orthodox interpretations of the Scriptures, and while the Elders which make up our ministry may not accept the doctrinal interpretation of this or any other commentary, its historical and critical treatise are among the most recent and valuable.

LESSON II--LECTURES.[1]

_THE HEBREW SACRED BOOKS--THE OLD TESTAMENT._

LECTURES. REFERENCES.

_I. The Apocrypha.--A Paper_[2] Seventy's Bible Dictionary
Art. Aprocrapha.
p. 9; also other Bible
Helps. Same title. Doc. & Cov.
Sec. xci; Hist. of
the Church, Vol. I, p. 331.
Bible Treasury, Art.
Aprocrypha, pp. 351-3.
Kitto's Biblical Literature,
Vol. I, p. 176-179.

_II. Canon of the Old Testament._ Note 1. Smith's Old
Testament Hist., pp. 644-6;
note 2; Smith's
Bible Dict., Art. Cannon,
Vol I, pp. 356-376; Bible
Treasury, pp. 28-32. Seventy's
Bible Dictionary.
Art. "Cannon"; The
Gospel, (Roberts), Chaps.
vi, vii. Kitto's Bible
Lit., Vol. I, pp. 376-381,
and Vol. II, pp. 706-719.

_III. The History of the English Bible._ Seventy's Bible Dictionary,
Art. Bible, English;
Bible Treasury, pp. 15-19;
Smith's Bible Dictionary,
Article "Version,
Authorized," Vol. IV,
pp. 3424-3444. See
note 9. "Encyclopaedia
Britannica," Art. "English
Bible."

_SPECIAL TEXT: "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?"_--JEREMIAH.

_NOTES._

1. _The Apocrypha._ "The collection of books to which this term is popularly applied includes the following. The order given is that in which they stand in the English version. I. Esdras. II. Esdras. Tobit. Judith. The rest of the chapters of the Book of Esther, which are found neither in the Hebrew nor in the Chaldee. The Wisdom of Solomon. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. Baruch. The Song of the Three Holy Children. The History of Susanna. The History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon. The Prayer of Manasseh, King of Judah. I. Maccabees. II. Maccabees."[3]

A brief treatise on each of the foregoing books of the Apocrypha will be found in the Seventy's Bible Dictionary, Art. Apocrypha, also in "Bible Treasury," pp. 351, 353; Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, I and II Macabees will be found in the Roman Catholic English version, known as the Douay Bible, the Roman Church regarding them as of equal authority with other books of the Old Testament.

2. _Definition of Apocrypha:_ "The word Apocrypha means "secret" or "hidden," and is applied to a class of writings which have been definitely rejected from the books of the Old and New Testaments; but the reason why they were called secret books, rather than private or secondary books, is not clear. * * * * Probably every attempt to define the limits of canonical or inspired books will result in the distinction of three classes of books: (1) the Canonical Scriptures, about which every one is agreed; (2) the disputed books, about which there is no general agreement; (3) the books which are universally rejected. It is to the third class that the term Apocrypha properly applies, the intermediate class being more correctly known as Antilegomena, or disputed books. * * * * * It is commonly stated that the reason for the rejection of the books referred to from the Old Testament [the Apocrypha] was that they were not found current in Hebrew, but only in Greek. It is quite possible that in some cases the reason why the books were not extant in Hebrew was that they had been previously judged uncanonical. A book soon disappears when it has been condemned. Even the Greek text of some parts of the Apocrypha has perished--(e. g. II Esdras). We must not be surprised, therefore, if some of the apocryphal books should turn out to have been at one time extant in Hebrew." (Bible Treasury, p. 351.)