A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel 21

A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel 21

O. Spencer's Letters to Rev. Wm. Crowel, No. 9_.

 

_A pamphlet, Items on Priesthood, by John Taylor_.

 

_A Pamphlet, Succession in the Priesthood, by John Taylor_.

 

_History of J. Smith, June 1829_.

 

" " _April 13, 1833_.

 

" " _May 2, 1835_.

 

" " _July 2, 1839_.

 

" " _April 28, 1842_.

 

" " _May 1, 1842_.

 

 

 

CHRIST'S FIRST COMING.

 

The oldest Bible prophecy, of the coming of Christ, is in Jacob's

blessing on Judah: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a

lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;" _Gen_. 49. 10.

 

When Christ was born, the sceptre had not wholly departed from Judah,

for Herod the king, who reigned at the time of his birth, was virtually

king of Judea. Christ was condemned to be crucified by Pontius Pilate,

a Roman governor. The Shiloh had come and the sceptre had entirely

departed, for Judah was under Gentile rule.

 

The records of three dispensations assert that Christ came to his own,

and they did not receive him; _John_ 1. 11. 3 _Nephi_ 9. 16. _Doc. &

Cov_. 6. 21. He came to his own covenant people, the house of Israel,

and, though they still retained most of the forms of the Mosaic ritual,

they had apostatized from the faith of their fathers, had drank deep

into pagan philosophy, had become wicked and corrupt, and, when the

Shiloh came, they new him not, rejected him, and were the means of his

death.

 

The numerous prophecies of the first coming of Christ, in both the

Jewish and Nephite records, had a veritable fulfilment in his birth,

life, sufferings, death and resurrection, and furnish overwhelming

testimony of the Divine inspiration of those records. That Jesus Christ

was the same being who called Abraham from his native country, who led

Israel out of the land of Egypt with mighty miracles and wonders, who

made known to them his law amid the thunderings of Sinai, who delivered

them from their enemies, who chastened them for their disobedience, who

inspired their prophets, and whose glory filled Solomon's temple, is

evident from all the inspired writings, and in none more so than in the

Bible.

 

His lamentation over Jerusalem evidences that, in his humanity, he had

not forgotten his former exalted position: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto

thee, how often _would I have gathered_ thy children together, * * and

ye would not;" _Matt_. 23. 37. It was this creator of the world, this

mighty ruler, this controller of the destinies of the human family,

who, in his last moments, cried out in the agony of his soul, "My God,

my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" _Mark_ 15. 34.

 

He was the great sacrifice for the world's redemption. It was a

sacrifice worthy of Deity. How grandly, how nobly it was made! It

was made in the meridian of time, and it changed the character of

dispensations. Israel ceased to be a nation, and the Gentile rule was

ushered in, to continue for many long centuries, in which God's chosen

people were to suffer terrible persecutions. We must look at Jesus

Christ in his true character of God and Savior, in order to form a

proper conception of the great sacrifice which has opened, to the human

family, the way to immortality.

 

Bible.

 

_Deut._ 18. 15-19 a prophet to be raised up in Israel like unto Moses.

 

_Psalm_ 22. several prophecies concerning Christ.

 

69. 20, 21 in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

 

118. 22, 23 the stone which the builders rejected. 26.

 

_Isa_. 7. 14 a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.

 

9. 2 the people that sat in darkness have seen a great light. 6, 7

 

42. 1 he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 3, 4.

 

53. 3 he is despised and rejected. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.

 

_Mic_. 5. 2 of thee shall he come forth that is to be ruler in Israel.

 

_Zech_. 9. 9 just and lowly and sitting on an ass. 10.

 

11. 12 so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

 

_Acts_ 3. 22, 23 he that will not hear that prophet shall be cut off.

 

Book of Mormon.

 

1 _Nephi_ 10. 4, 5 six hundred years after Lehi left Jerusalem Messiah

should come.

 

12. 4-4 a great destruction to take place before Christ should appear

to the Nephites.

 

19. 10 the God of Abraham yieldeth himself up.

 

11, 12 at his death Christ shall manifest himself to the house of

Israel.

 

2 _Nephi_ 9. 5 he suffered himself to become subject to men in the

flesh, that all men might be subject to him.

 

10. 3 expedient that Christ should come among the more wicked part of

the world.

 

25. 26 we talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, prophesy of Christ, preach

of Christ.

 

26. 24 he layeth down his life that he may draw all men to him.

 

_Mos_. 3. 5-10 the Lord came among the children of men, was crucified

and rose from the dead, that a righteous judgment might come on them.

13, 15.

 

4. 2 Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth, who shall come among men.

 

13. 33-35 Moses and all the prophets since the world began, prophesy of

Christ.

 

15. 1-11 God, himself, shall come down among the children of men.

 

_Alma_ 39. 18, 19 as necessary that the plan of salvation should be

known before, as well as after the coming of Christ.

 

_Hel_. 14. 12 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of heaven and

earth.

 

3 _Nephi_ 1. 9-14 Christ made known to Nephi, that, on the morrow he

would come into the world.

 

20. 23 the prophet of whom Moses spake was Jesus Christ.

 

_Ether_ 3. 16 Christ said to the brother of Jared, as I appear to thee

in the spirit, so will I appear to my people in the flesh.

 

Doctrine and Covenants.

 

_Sec_. 20. 26, 27 not only those who believe after he comes, but all

those from the beginning, as well as those who shall come after.

 

76. 39 who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.

 

 

 

CHRIST'S SECOND COMING.

 

Christ's first coming attracted comparatively little attention. He was

born a helpless infant, under very humble circumstances. Through the

ministration of an angel, a few shepherds rejoiced over his advent,

and some wise men, who must have known of, and believed in prophecies

concerning him, visited and made presents to him. They were warned

to leave the country in a private manner, on account of the evil

designs of Herod. He grew up in obscurity, performed his labors in the

ministry, in affliction and persecution and apparently, to men, died

the death of a malefactor.

 

At his second appearance he will come "With clouds; and every eye shall

see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth

shall wail because of him;" _Rev_. 1, 7. "Behold the Lord cometh with

ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all;" _Jude_ 14,

15. "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto

the ends of the earth;" _Psalm_ 72. 8. "Yea, all kings shall fall down

before him; all nations shall serve him;" _verse_ 11. "The Son of Man

shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to

meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth;" _Doc. & Cov_.

65. 5.

 

When will Christ come in his glory and power? This question many

millions of the human family have asked, and the query still remains

unanswered. Jesus said to his disciples, "Be ye therefore ready also:

for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not;" _Luke_ 12. 40.

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;" 2 _Pet_.

3. 10. "But the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in

heaven, nor shall they know until he comes;" _Doc. & Cov_. 49. 7.

 

The Lord has not told us that there shall be no period of time

designated in which he will come, but that neither the day nor the

hour shall be known. Had we a correct chronology we might, perhaps,

approximate very closely to the year, for according to _Sec_. 77. 12,

it will be in the beginning of the seventh thousand years. It will be

a time of destruction for the wicked; "The Lord shall punish the host

of the high ones _that are_ on high, and the kings of the earth upon

the earth;" _Isa_. 24. 21. "The Lord who shall come down upon the world

with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God,

and upon all the ungodly among you;" _Doc. & Cov_. 133. 2.

 

There will be great commotion and changes in the elements; "The

foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down,

the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth

shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a

cottage; and the transgressions thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it

shall fall, and not rise again;" _Isa_. 24. 18-20.