Chapter 57: Character Sketch (2)

Many spirits have gone out into the world of late. One of them was plainly manifested in the editors who predicted that as the Prophet was dead, the work of the Latter-day Saints was ended. They thought the Saints would disperse, and the cause fall away and die. They might as well have said the same thing after the crucifixion of Christ, have declared that because He was dead, His testimony would die, and His apostles desert the {665} cause, and the work fall to the ground to rise no more. His testimony just began to be in force. His apostles, having the keys of the kingdom, walked up into their calling, and magnified the work, three thousand souls uniting with them in one day, while the work spread far and wide.

So will it be in this case; the testimony of the late martyred Prophets will now be in force; the principles of light, knowledge, and glory that have flowed from their lips, are too firmly established in the hearts of thousands of the Saints to die, but on the contrary must live and bring forth fruit to the honor and glory of God.

The fires of eternal truth have burned too long and too deep into the flesh and bones of the Twelve Apostles of this dispensation to be quenched by anything but death, neither will they permit them to turn from their course, to spend their time in the vocations of merchandising, farming, or fishing. A double portion of the spirit of God, and the power of the priesthood will rest upon the elders of Israel as they go forth into the vineyard, until tens of thousands will rejoice in the fulness of the gospel of the Son of God.

We found this kind of spirit and feeling resting upon the Saints upon our return to Nauvoo. Truly they were called to mourn, but they had by no means lost their faith. On the contrary, they were united, if possible, with a stronger tie. As with the heart of one man, they were ready to carry out every measure of the work of God, according to the pattern and foundation laid by the Prophet who had sealed the work with his life. On the second day after our arrival, August 8th, 1844, we met in a special conference all the quorums, authorities, and members of the Church, that could assemble in Nauvoo. They were addressed by Elder Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of Twelve. It was evident to the Saints that the mantle of Joseph had fallen upon him, the road that he pointed out could be seen so plainly, that none need err therein. The spirit of wisdom and counsel attended all his teachings, he struck upon a chord, with which all hearts beat in unison.

He was followed by a number of the Twelve and others, who spoke to the point in an edifying manner, and at the close of {666} the conference, a number of resolutions were adopted. The following proposition was then submitted: "Do the Saints want the Twelve to stand at the head, as the First Presidency of the Church, and at the head of this kingdom in all the world, and next to Joseph, walk up into their calling, hold the keys of this kingdom, and preside over all the affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints in all the world?" All that are in favor of this in all the congregations of the Saints make it manifest by holding up the right hand. At once there was a sea of hands, a unanimous vote. A contrary vote was called, and not a hand was raised in a congregation of about fifteen thousand Saints. Sidney Rigdon, himself, who was present, did not vote against it, but, I think, in favor of it. Confidence and order were firmly established from that hour. The two oldest bishops were appointed by the Twelve as trustees-in-trust for the Temple.

The walls of the Temple arose much faster than ever before. The laborers upon that house manifested a determination not to leave it until it was finished, even if they obtained nothing but their daily bread for their reward. The Quorum of the Twelve immediately entered upon their duties by organizing all the quorums of the Church according to the order of God, and carrying out all the views and principles of the Prophet and Patriarch, according to the pattern given them in laying the foundation of this great and mighty work. They have organized the churches in North America into districts and conferences similar to the organization which they formed with the Saints in Great Britain. They have organized twelve quorums of the seventies, seven presidents to each quorum, who will be prepared after the endowment to go forth unto all nations, bearing glad tidings unto the children of men.

When the Quorum of the Twelve met in council, it seemed wisdom in God, that some one of them should visit the churches in Britain; the lot fell upon me, as you will see from the recommendations of President Brigham Young to visit the churches of Europe. And according to appointment, after passing with my family through all the fatigues and dangers of a journey and voyage of six thousand miles, I am again in your midst; and I am happy to be able to inform you that the progress of the work of the {667} Lord, and the welfare of the Saints, have never been in as prosperous a condition as at the present time, in the United States generally. All letters and papers up to the latest date from Nauvoo confirm this statement; peace, union, order, and industry prevail. Great exertions are made by the Saints to establish manufactures in various branches, that all may be employed, and have their wants supplied. The Temple is being rapidly completed.

Perhaps some may think that I ought to embody in this address a minute account of the thousand stories and rumors that have been put in circulation by our enemies against the Prophet, Patriarch, the Twelve, and the Saints at large. In answer, I say, that if it were the first time that the followers of God were spoken evil of, and every wicked slander that could be devised put forth against them, I should consider it to be a new thing under the sun. I would spend more time in writing about it; but as every man (according to the Scriptures) that will follow Christ will be hated by the world, and have all manner of evil spoken against him, and as the Saints may look for it, I will give it a passing notice. John C. Bennett, and many other enemies and apostates have counseled together in order to get up those stories and falsehoods that would have a tendency to injure the Saints, and to prejudice the minds of the community against them, without any regard to truth. In this way thousands of reports and stories have been set afloat, many of them so ridiculous and foreign to reason or to common sense, that none could believe them; and one would think that the devil himself would be ashamed of such agents.

As to the career of Mr. Sidney Rigdon, I would say, that his late views, opinions, and course, have been so foreign and diverse from that of the late Prophet, and from the faith of the Saints, that he has had but very little influence, except with a few uneasy spirits who were aspiring after something else than doing the will of God. If we have been rightly informed, even that influence is dying away; and I have no doubt that when Mr. Rigdon comes to reflect upon the course he has taken, he will deeply regret having entertained those measures which will end like air castles, in disappointment.

But, beloved brethren, you may rest assured that the Quorum of the Twelve is determined to carry out the order and {668} principles of the Church, according to the law of God. They will take a decided stand against every principle or practice manifest in the Church contrary to the law of God, of reason, revelation, virtue, or holiness. They are men who have taken upon them the name of Christ with full purpose of heart. They have labored diligently and faithfully all the day long, from the beginning, to establish the foundation of the fulness of the gospel, and plant the principles of eternal truth among the nations. Many of them have been in your midst, their labors and their diligence you have witnessed. They have spared no pains or sacrifice in planting the work throughout this realm. They are still willing to labor and spend their lives in the cause. They desire greatly that the Temple shall be finished, that the Saints may receive their endowments, and save themselves and their friends; and that the elders of Israel may go forth clothed with the power of God.

The Twelve are not alone in their feelings in this important work. The high priests, seventies, elders, and Saints, as one body, throughout America, are inspired by the same spirit, and are ready as one man to sustain the Quorum of the Twelve by their faith, prayers, confidence, and works, and carry out those glorious principles and measures, the foundation of which was laid by the martyred Prophets of God.

While union is strength, knowledge is power; and while the work is in the hands of such men, whose motive is to build up the Kingdom of God, promote the gospel of Jesus Christ in its purity, and save the souls of men, we have no fear that the work will not prosper; that light and truth will not prevail; the name of God will not be glorified; and that the Saints will not be prepared for exaltation beyond the veil.

Having thus far dwelt upon the cause in America, I will now turn my attention to the officers and Saints in this land. It has been a source of much consolation to me since my arrival, to hear the report of the union, faith, and determination of the Saints in general, in the various conferences, scattered abroad through the British Islands. I rejoice, beloved brethren, to learn that the same spirit is animating your bosoms, that manifests itself amongst the Saints in Nauvoo. I am fully persuaded that those who were appointed as your presidency in this land; viz, Elders {669} Hedlock, and Ward, have had much of the spirit of wisdom, prudence, and counsel in all their measures in your midst; they have had grace and strength according to their day, and have been faithful over those things committed to their charge. I am also happy to learn that the work is in a prosperous condition in London, under the wise and faithful teachings of Elder Davis; also of its prosperity in Scotland, under the superintendence of Elder John Cairns, who is now gone to America. I also find Elders Stratton, Sheets, Meynell, and a number of other elders well employed. Elders Clark, Jones, Holmes, and Hardy, who accompanied me from America, are now in the field. Elder Jones has gone to Wales both to preach and to print in the Welsh language, and with the grace of God and united exertion of all the laboring elders throughout the land, I expect ere long we shall reap a rich harvest of souls.

It is my intention to visit the various conferences throughout the kingdom as soon as circumstances will permit.

Beloved brethren, there are several subjects which weigh upon my mind, and I beg your attention while I present them before you.

The first that presents itself is the Temple of God, which He has commanded His Saints in all the world to build unto His holy name. I believe all that it is necessary for the Saints in Europe is to understand this subject in its true light, in order to bring forth their tithes and offerings unto the storehouse of God, in such a manner that He will open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to contain it. I am not zealous in urging this matter upon our friends in this country, because I have any fears that the Temple of God cannot be built; for I verily believe that if there should not a farthing be sent from this land, or even the United States, that the Saints in Nauvoo would never cease their work, diligence, and labors, until they saw the finishing stroke adorn that Temple; but, why, O ye Saints of God in Europe, should we stand still, withhold out tithes and offerings, and see our brethren in Nauvoo build that Temple, and then like Jacob, of old, secure alone unto themselves the promised blessings! May God forbid, rather let all the Saints throughout the {670} world send up their tithes, with their names to be recorded in the Book of the Law of the Lord. By so doing they will not only keep the commandments of the Lord, but will own their share in the House, and have a right to all the promised blessings, ordinances, oracles, and endowments which will not only benefit them, but their posterity to the latest generation.

I trust, therefore, that all the presiding elders will make an exertion to have all the churches continue their tithes. Send the name of each individual with the money to us in Liverpoool, that we may record the same in a book, and keep a copy with us, and also send a copy of the same with the money to Nauvoo, that it may be recorded in the book of the Law of the Lord.

I wish the Female Society, in all the branches, to continue their subscriptions for the Temple until it is finished. Let their money and names be brought together the same as all other tithes and offerings, that, when the Temple is finished, the whole amount they have paid may stand opposite their names in the Book of the Law of the Lord, that it may be known who are the owners of the House.

I wish it to be distinctly understood, that collections of every description for the Temple, in this land, whether from Church, individuals, or from the Female Society, should be brought with their names to us here in Liverpool, that it may go through the proper channel, that our records may show that all things are done according to the order of God.

The circulation of the works published by the Latter-day Saints is also a subject I deem of importance. I hope the officers and members will use their influence in circulating the _Star,_ and all other works, as widely as possible. It is wisdom for all the Saints that can, to secure carefully all the numbers of the _Star,_ and at the end of the volume get them bound. I here wish to remark that we have on hand at 36 Chapel Street, Liverpool, several hundred copies of the fourth and fifth volumes of _The Times and Seasons,_ sent here by Elder John Taylor. These volumes contain many precious and important documents--the history of the persecution, the trials and acquittals of the Prophet before the courts of Illinois; many letters and teachings of the Prophet; also, a full account of the late murder of our brethren. In them will be found {671} also much of the history connected with the rise and progress of the Church. It is not expected that they will ever be reprinted, and when these copies are disposed of they cannot be obtained. I hope the Saints, as far as they can, will secure a copy of this work, that they may leave with their posterity an account of the rise and progress of the Church, which has been attended with so many scenes of vast interest.

We shall probably publish the "Book of Doctrine and Covenants" in England, as soon as circumstances will permit.

Emigration will continue to Nauvoo, or other parts of America, according to the circumstances and desires of the Saints. We shall endeavor to establish an agency in New Orleans, and also in New York, and no pains will be spared to make the Saints that wish to emigrate as comfortable as possible.

That all may understand alike and act in unison in Church matters, among all the conferences throughout this country, I would say, that whenever any member of the Church is to be tried for any transgression or difficulty, after he has been dealt with according to the laws of the Church, that the accuser present his charge in writing in a comprehensible manner, before the council of the officers of the branch to which the accused belongs. The presiding elder of the branch will sit as president, and decide the case according to the testimony given and according to justice and righteousness before the Lord. The decision should afterwards be presented before the members of that branch, and they be called upon to sanction the decision. Should there be any dissatisfaction with the decision given, an appeal can be made to the quarterly conference, by presenting an account of the testimony and decision accompanying the appeal. The presiding elder of the quarterly conference will preside, and decide the case according to the testimony given.

If an elder, presiding over any branch of the Church should transgress, charges can be brought against him before the quarterly conference, and he can there be tried. If either party be dissatisfied there can be an appeal made to the general or yearly conference, by presenting the testimony, and the decision given, and the president of all the conferences in the realm will sit in judgment on the case, and decide according to testimony, which {672} will be an end of controversy concerning the matter. If a presiding elder over a quarterly conference shall transgress, charges can be preferred against him before the general conference, and he can be tried. If the president over the whole Church in any realm shall transgress, he can be tried before the general authorities of the Church assembled in Nauvoo, or wherever they be assembled; so that there is no member exempt in all the Kingdom of God. All these decisions must be made in all lowliness of heart, in righteousness and truth before God.

I would earnestly exhort all the elders or other officers of the Church that stand up to teach the people, not to forget the first principles of the gospel; and to seek by faith, prayer and humility, to obtain wisdom, and the spirit of God to dictate in all your labors. Wisdom is one of the greatest gifts of God, and the voice of wisdom will not tell us to spend our time in warring against the sects of the day. Opposing the opinions of men; ridiculing the religions that surround us, thereby closing the ears of the hearers; and closing up the understanding of men against light and truth, are not wisdom. The opinions and religions of other men are as dear unto them as ours are unto us. Oh ye elders of Israel! let salvation be your text in meekness and humility. Let the power of eternal truth, wisdom, light, and knowledge that are hidden in the first principles of the gospel of the Son of God be brought forth. You can be instrumental in saving the souls of men, and they will rejoice with yourselves that they have beheld the light. We should never get away from the gospel, or leave it to preach something that is foreign to our calling, or be contentious about words to no purpose. Every tree is known by its fruit. If we are faithful before the Lord, pursue a wise and prudent course, good fruit will be sure to follow our labors.

And lastly, I wish most strongly to urge upon all officers and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout this realm, that they strictly observe and abide by the laws of the land. So long as the government protects our lives, persons, and property--guarantees unto us the rights of conscience in common with its subjects, it is perfectly right that we should be submissive to the laws of the same. We should {673} honor and respect the Queen of the Realm, with all the officers of government in their respective stations. We shall then be following the example of our Lord and Master, who was ready to render unto Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and unto God things that were God's; and any course of conduct contrary to this cannot be sustained by the authorities of this Church.

I wish the Saints generally to understand that I have made choice of Elders Hedlock and Ward as counselors in presiding over and conducting the affairs of the Kingdom of God in this portion of the vineyard; and I hope, in conjunction with them, to be able to visit most of the conferences as early as possible.

By way of conclusion I would exhort all the Saints that they unitedly observe the sayings of the Lord, as recorded in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth verses of the fifteenth chapter of John. If we love one another as Christ loves us, we can easily settle all difficulties that may arise in our midst, forgive one another, and be filled with mercy, and light, love, joy, union, peace, and fellowship. There will then be the stability among us, and we shall be much better in the sight of God, angels, and men, than when pettyfogging over the faults of our brethren. I especially desire that all the officers of the Church may rightly consider their calling, and make full proof of their ministry; bear off the priesthood with dignity and honor; be wise shepherds that will feed the flocks; prove a blessing to thousands of the human family; and clear their garments of the blood of all men. I desire that they prove themselves true and faithful; and be approved in the sight of heaven; be acknowledged the sons of God; and be prepared for all those blessings that await the friends of God both in time and eternity. This is the sincere prayer, before God, of your servant and fellow laborer in the new and everlasting covenant.

WILFORD WOODRUFF.

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Appendix C.

STORM ON LAKE MICHIGAN.

"We left Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, at 4 o'clock p. m. September 25, 1841, on the steamer Chesapeake, which contained three hundred passengers, six of whom were members of the Church, a large quantity of freight and coal, eighty cords of wood, eighty mules, besides pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, etc.

"We continued our journey towards Chicago without any interruption, until half-past eleven p. m., when we were overtaken by a tremendous storm of wind and rain; it blew a hurricane, and the lake became as rough as it could be by the force of wind, and such a scene as quickly followed I never before witnessed in my travels, either by land or sea. The captain, officers, hands, and most of the passengers expected to go to the bottom of the lake. To have judged from outward appearances I should think there were twenty chances of being lost to one of being saved, yet I did not once expect to be lost, for I believed the Lord would by some means save me and my wife and child, who were with me, from a watery grave.

"We were some forty miles from land when the gale struck us, and I was awakened from a sound sleep by the cry, 'We are all lost.' The first thought that entered my mind was, 'No, we shall not be lost.'

"I immediately leaped out of my berth and went to the upper deck. I saw we were in imminent danger of being wrecked; the bow of the boat was heavily laden, and frequently engulfed by the heavy waves that washed over her; there were judged to be fifty tons of water at a time on her bow; at one time her bow ran under water, and some thought she would never rise; the water set the mules and all the live stock afloat; washed away the partition; and the mules, pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese, were all hurled in one mass down into the steerage cabin, mixed pell mell with sixty Irish passengers, men, women, and children; at that moment the roaring of the wind, the rush of the waters the peals of thunder, {675} the flashes of lightning, the braying of asses, the squealing of pigs, the quacking of ducks, geese and chickens, the praying, screaming, and swearing of men, women and children, created a confusion of sounds which rent the air, and sent a gloomy thrill through the heart.

"We immediately went to work, and helped all the passengers out of the water, and from among the beasts, upon the deck, so their lives were preserved, while all the fowls, pigs, and part of the mules were drowned or killed; many tons of water rushed through the boat, until the water stood nearly to the boilers; it drove the firemen from their places.

"About this time, when the boat was laboring against the wind and tide one of the wheel chains broke, and the boat rolled over to one side. I again heard the cry that 'all was lost,' but about thirty of us caught hold of the two detached pieces of chain and held them together until the engineer mended them with wire.

"It took three strong men to manage the wheel; while the boat lay upon her side, it washed away a part of the state rooms; orders were given to clear the boat of everything that was movable; all the wood was fastened with stanchions; on the side that was down, the stanchions were knocked out by the passengers, and forty cords of wood tumbled into the sea at one surge; this caused the boat to right up, and we expected every moment our state room would be washed away. I left it three times with my wife and child, and stepped upon the main deck, expecting to see it washed away; and to add to the horror of the situation we were wrapped in darkness, as all the lanterns were dashed to pieces.

"The men at the wheel labored hard for five hours to turn the boat round before they accomplished it, so that they could run before the storm. At length daylight appeared, and with it a cessation of the storm in a measure. We returned to Manitou Island at four o'clock, being twenty-four hours out, mostly in the storm."

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Appendix D.

RATIONALITY OF THE ATONEMENT.

(Millennial Star, Vol. 6, p. 134.)

A pamphlet has lately made its appearance in Glasgow, published by a member of our Church holding the office of priest, containing 28 pages, headed "A Treatise on the Atonement, Proving the Necessity of Christ's Death for Man's Redemption Neither Scriptural nor Reasonable. By T. S. Barr."

We are sorry to be under the necessity of occupying our time and pages in noticing a pamphlet bearing such an introduction, as the production of a member of the Church of Christ. We are sorry that any man, bearing any portion of the authority of the holy priesthood, should have his mind so much overcome by the powers of darkness, as to stray so widely from the order and counsel of the Kingdom of God. It is not pleasing to present, for the investigation of the public, a heresy so much opposed to the revelations of God and to every principle of holiness.

Our object in the present article will not be so much to refute the heretical doctrine advanced, as to introduce a portion of the testimony in favor of the principle of redemption through the blood of Christ, with which the revelations of God so much abound, in order that our views on the subject may be rightly understood by all, and that the Saints of God may be prepared to withstand the assaults of the grand enemy of man's salvation, and to set the matter forever at rest in the minds of those who believe in the revelations of God.

We had fully expected that our repeated cautions against individuals publishing things without our sanction would be sufficient and save us the trouble of repeating the warning. The neglect of the author to observe this counsel causes him to forfeit his authority and standing in the Church of God, until, at least, he has repented of his error.

In our perusal of the pamphlet, we endeavored to find out the object of the author, and the only reasonable conclusion we could {677} arrive at was, that it was a strained attempt on his part to display some talent and learning. He is ambitious to make quotations from history, heathen mythology, and from the Hebrew language. But it would be far better for a man to be entirely divested of talents, than to use them in endeavoring to prove the inefficiency of the atonement of Christ, and striking at the fundamental principle of salvation, as he has done.

The author introduces himself to his readers by lamenting because of having "to labor under great disadvantages while propounding what he conscientiously believes to be a correct solution of this very important subject, as the views which he holds are diametrically opposed to those entertained by Christians of almost all denominations; at least (he says) since the foundation of the Romish Church until now, the belief has been tenaciously adhered to amongst professors of religion, that Jesus Christ came into the world to suffer an ignominious death for, or instead of, Adam and his posterity."

We would remark that he would have labored under equal disadvantages, as far as professors of the religion of heaven were concerned, had he lived contemporary with the Messiah Himself and His apostles, or at any period, however remote, subsequent to that time; and that this doctrine was not one of the many false fabrications or dogmas of men introduced to make void the designs of God, or lead the minds of the people away "after seducing fables and doctrines of devils;" but that it was not only a theme on which the ancient prophets and servants of God delighted to dwell, but the mainspring of all their hopes, and the source from which they drew strength and support, when called to pass through trials of an overwhelming nature; to substantiate which we will make a few quotations from Scripture.

The Apostle Paul, after treating at some length on the faith with which the ancient worthies were endowed, speaks of Moses refusing the honors which Pharaoh's daughter sought to confer upon him, and "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward"--Hebrews xi: 26. And after enumerating the sufferings of others, he informs us that their reason for not accepting deliverance was, "that they might obtain a better resurrection" (Hebrews xi: 35), which could only be brought to pass {678} through the redemption wrought out by the Son of God, as we shall be able fully to prove.

The same apostle, in writing to the Galatians, endeavors to impress this doctrine upon their minds, by proving that the law given through Moses was introduced because of transgressions, and was inadequate to accomplish their salvation, but merely served as a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, and that it could not disannul the covenant that was made before of God in Christ (Galatians iii: 17); thereby proving that Abraham and his successors were conversant with the gospel of Christ and the doctrine of redemption through Him. And Job, while suffering under extreme agony, seems to have been supported by this hope, when he exclaims, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth" (Job. xix: 25). It is also evident that the faith of which they were in possession was efficacious, for we are informed by Matthew xxvii: 52, that many of the Saints which slept arose with Christ at His resurrection, who must of a necessity have been some of the prophets and saints who had lived prior to His coming. Moreover, we would remark that unless this doctrine had been believed in by the ancients, they were without the means of obtaining salvation; for Peter says (Acts iv: 12), "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved." In fine, the continuation of sacrifices from the days of Abel to John was typical of the great and last sacrifice offered up in the person of Jesus Christ.

After this introduction, the author labors to show the absurdity and unrighteousness of the doctrine that the Almighty should require "the very heart's blood of His own well-beloved Son Christ Jesus, to satiate His thirst for vengeance." As far as we or our principles are concerned, he might have saved himself this trouble, as we do not believe that such was the object of God in the sacrifice of His Son. The Scriptures are too explicit on this point to be misunderstood. We are informed by the Savior Himself, what object His Father had in view in His coming into the world. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved." (John iii: 16-17.)

{679} The revelations that God has given to man abundantly prove that God and the eternal worlds are governed by a celestial law; and in order that man might enjoy the same glory with Himself, it was requisite that he should keep the same law, "that which is governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same," etc., etc. (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 7, Par. 8); but man, having transgressed the law of God, justly entailed upon himself the curse of this disobedience, from which he was incapable of redeeming himself, neither could any less than infinite sacrifice atone for his fall. The effect of his disobedience, it is well known, was death, and this curse has been hereditary to all the posterity of Adam. Let it be borne in mind that man, while submitting to this punishment, does so without any inherent power, independently in himself to accomplish his resurrection and restoration to the presence of God and His glory. He is now under the jurisdiction and within the dominion of death, and to achieve a victory over death it was necessary that some one more holy and pure than the being who had become the transgressor should enter into his dominion, in order that he might thereby have that dominion destroyed; and unless this be done, the control which death will hold over mankind must be eternal. It will require little argument to prove that the Son of God was, in every way, competent to perform this task, being pure, holy, and unspotted; and that he was the individual appointed to accomplish this, is fully substantiated by the testimony of John concerning him, "Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world" (John i: 29), that "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Corinthians xv: 22.)

The next step taken by the author is to prove that it was unnecessary for Jesus Christ to shed His blood, or that He came into the world at all to atone for the transgression of Adam. To use his own language--"Now, seeing that death, misery, pain, and privations have been the legacy handed down in the human family from generation to generation, I for my own part, could not see any justice on the part of Deity did He demand a victim in our stead. Can any person, possessed of his reason, after recounting the sufferings that Adam and his children have undergone because of his and their own sin, avoid coming to the conclusion that man has indeed suffered for himself." And then, after endeavoring to {680} prove that because death has followed all men, the atonement of Christ was incompetent, and did not accomplish the end for which it was intended, he sums up by stating that the mission of Messiah was, merely to be a Savior of men by becoming a preacher of righteousness, and that He fell a martyr to the truth only, as did the prophets who were slain previous to His coming. With all his learning and self-sufficiency to attain to what he calls "correct views of real heavenly theology," he has proven himself, through taking the foregoing stand, either entirely ignorant of the Scriptures, or wilfully unacquainted with them, as the following quotations will fully prove. "For this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mat. xxvi: 28). "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts ii: 23). "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood" (Acts xx: 28). "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God" (Romans iii: 24-5). "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians i: 7). "For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell: and having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself: by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven" (Colossians i: 19, 20). "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews ix: 28). "Then, said I, lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God; by the which will we are sanctified to the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all" (Hebrews x: 7-10). "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without a blemish and without a spot. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you; {681} who by him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God" (I Peter i: 18-21). "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John ii). "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Rev. i: 5).

Having made the foregoing quotations from the New Testament, we shall next introduce a few, on the same subject from the Book of Mormon (first European edition).

"And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and fallen state, and ever would be, save they should rely on the Redeemer" (Page 19).

"And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that He was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that He was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins of the world" (Page 23).

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time that He may redeem the children of men from the fall. And, because that they are redeemed from the fall, they have become free forever" (Page 66).

"Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things, that ye may rejoice and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children. For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore, I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die: nevertheless, in our bodies, we shall see God. Yea, I know that ye know, that in the body He shall show Himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that He suffered Himself to become subject unto men, in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto Him. For as death has passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a {682} power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto men, by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord; wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement; save, it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And, if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot, and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O, the wisdom of God! His mercy and grace! For, behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devil's angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself: yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents; who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder, and all manner of secret works of darkness. O, how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth the way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its death: which death is the grave. And this death, of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell: wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men shall be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. O, how great the plan of our God! For, on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the bodies of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us, in the flesh; save, it be that our knowledge shall be perfect; wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our gilt, and our uncleanness, {683} and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness being clothed with purity, yea, even with a robe of righteousness" (Pages 80-81).

"For, behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Lord God worketh not in darkness. He doeth not anything, save it be for the benefit of the world; for He loveth the world, even that He layeth down His own life, that He may draw all men unto Him" (Page 112).

"For, behold, and also His blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died, not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned" (Page 169).

"For, behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins, and, moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given, nor any other way, nor means, whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ the Lord Omnipotent. For, behold, He judgeth, and His judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in His infancy; but now men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come in and through the atoning blood of Christ the Lord Omnipotent" (Page 170).

"For, were it not for the redemption which He hath made for His people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have perished. But, behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth and hath power over the death; therefore, He bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead" (Page 198).

"Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power and the sufferings and the death of Christ, and His resurrection and ascension into heaven" (Page 202). "And He will take upon Him death, that He may loose the bands of death which bind His people" (Page 256).

"Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death, and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death" (Page 270).

{684} "Now, Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind, save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of His blood" (Page 303).

"Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon Him the transgressions of His people, and that He shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God has spoken it; for it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the eternal God, there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be though the atonement which it is expedient should be made; for it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beasts, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be infinite and eternal sacrifice. Now, there is not any man that can sacrifice His own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold, will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, nay. But the law requires the life of him who hath murdered; therefore, there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of the world; therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then, shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be fulfilled every jot and title, and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law; every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice shall be the Son of God; yea, infinite and eternal; and thus He shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on His name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance" (Pages 341-2).

"Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God, and thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigns them forever to be cut off from His presence. {685} And now, the plan of mercy cannot be brought about, except an atonement should be made, therefore, God Himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also. Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment which also was eternal, as the life of the soul should be affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul. Now, how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law, how could there be a law except there were punishment?" (Pages 362-3).

"And it came to pass that He stretched forth His hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, of whom the prophets testified shall come into the world, and behold I am the light and the life of the world, and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning" (Page 513). "And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross, and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross I might draw all men unto me" (Page 547). "And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord, yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before His bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death" (Page 578). "Behold, I am He who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people" (Page 587). "And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not His power, then ye are sanctified in Christ, by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot" (Page 634).

To conclude our evidence on this subject, we shall make a few quotations from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.

"I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the {686} sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me, as I am in the Father, and the Father is one in me, that we may be one" (Sec. xi: Par. 1).

"And verily, I say even as many as have believed on my name, for I am Christ, and in my own name by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt have I pleaded before the Father for them" (Sec. xii, Par. 1).

"Listen to Him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before Him, saying, Father, behold the sufferings and death of Him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed--the blood of Him whom Thou gavest that Thyself might be glorified" (Sec. xi, Par. 1).