A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel 28
On a certain occasion, when the Nephite disciples of our Savior were
engaged "in mighty prayer and fasting," he appeared in their midst and
asked them, "What will ye that I shall give unto you? And they said
unto him, Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we
shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people
concerning this matter.
"And the Lord said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, why is it
that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing? Have
they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name
of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the
last day. * * * Therefore whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my
name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name;" 3 _Nephi_ 27. 2-7.
In the above Jesus plainly told his disciples that his name was Christ,
and that his church should be called Christ's Church, not Christian,
Catholic, Campbellite or Episcopalian.
When Jos. Smith, Jun., organized this church, on the 6th of April,
1830, it was organized as the Church of Jesus Christ, in obedience to
the instructions of Jesus Christ, some 1800 years before.
The prophet Nephi, speaking of the gathering of Israel, says, that
the Lord "Will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be
gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be
brought out of obscurity, and out of darkness;" 1 _Nephi_ 22. 12.
The Book of Mormon, brought forth through the agency of Jos. Smith,
Jun., reveals to the world the fact that the millions of aboriginal
Americans scattered over the American continent, from Cape Horn to the
Arctic Ocean, are of the house of Israel.
The keys of the Patriarchial Priesthood enable those on whom they are
bestowed, to know, by revelation, the lineage of the Latter-day Saints,
and tens of thousands of Ephraim, and thousands of Manasseh, are being
gathered, who were not known before the days of Jos. Smith, Jun., as
portions of the house of Israel. Thus the great work of bringing the
tribes of Israel, out of obscurity and darkness, and of developing
their existence to themselves, and to the world, has been inaugurated
by Jos. Smith, Jun. The work must continue until they are gathered from
all parts of the earth, in fulfilment of the words of the prophets, and
of the promises made to their fathers.
The following promise was made to Joseph who was sold into Egypt,
"The fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of
Judah shall write;" and that which shall be written, "Shall grow
together, unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of
contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and
bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter-days; and
also the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord;" 2 _Nephi_ 3. 12.
Jos. Smith, Jun., has brought forth the Book of Mormon, the writing of
the fruit of the loins of Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh, and has
placed it, side by side, with the writing of the fruit of the loins of
Judah--the Bible--the one establishing the truth of the other, and thus
has literally fulfilled this prophecy.
The Lord further said to Joseph who was sold into Egypt, "I will raise
up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman.
And I, behold, I will give unto him, that he shall write the writing of
the fruit of thy loins (the Nephites), unto the fruit of thy loins (the
American Indians); and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it;"
_verse_ 18.
In _Doc. & Cov_., we are informed of the fulfilment of this prophecy.
The Lord said to Joseph the prophet and S. Rigdon, "It is expedient
in me that you, my servant Sidney, should be a spokesman unto this
people; yea, verily, I will ordain you unto this calling, even to be a
spokesman unto my servant Joseph;" 100. 9.
"And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them
from the dust;" 2 _Nephi_ 3. 19. Jos. Smith, Jun., was of the lineage
of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, to whom these promises were made.
The Nephites were also his descendants, and they wrote and hid up the
plates of the Book of Mormon, with the assurance that, in after years,
the writing should be brought forth to their descendants and others
of the house of Israel; _Mormon_ 8. 14-16. The record was engraved on
plates in a language known only to the Nephites; _Mormon_ 9. 34.
Of necessity there were some means provided for interpreting and
re-writing the record in a modern language, before it could benefit
those for whom it was designed. With the plates of the Book of Mormon
was found a Urim and Thummim, by means of which, through the power of
God, Jos. Smith, Jun., was enabled to translate the Nephite record for
the benefit of the descendants of Lehi, and any others of the human
family who would receive it; _Doc. & Cov_. 10. 1. "And it shall be
as if the fruit of thy loins had cried to them from the dust," was
fulfilled in taking the writing out of the earth, where it had been
deposited for 1400 years.
In _Mormon_ 8. 13, 14, we are informed that the record was hid up in
the earth by Moroni, the son of Mormon, and it remained under his care
until he delivered it to Joseph Smith, Jun., _P. of G. P. page_ 49.
The Lord said, "And it shall come to pass that my people which are of
the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their
possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one;" 2 _Nephi_ 29.
14.
In fulfilment of this prophecy, Jos. Smith, Jun., during the short
period of his ministry, not only inaugurated the great work of
gathering Israel, but also of gathering together sacred writings, which
at this time consist of the unsealed portion of the record of Mormon;
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and of important portions of the
writings of Enoch, of Abraham, and of Moses. He also declared that more
sacred writings would come forth, as fast as the people were prepared
to receive them.
Moroni, who completed and hid up the record of Mormon in the earth,
says, of the plates, "Unto three shall they be shown by the power of
God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true.
And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established;"
_Ether_ 5. 3, 4. We find that the Lord repeated this prediction to Jos.
Smith, Jun.; _Doc. & Cov_. 5. 11-15. On the second page, after the
title page of the Book of Mormon, we find the testimony of three men,
Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, that an angel appeared
to them and showed them the plates, "Which is a record of the people of
Nephi, and also of the Lamanites their brethren, and also of the people
of Jared, who came from the tower" of Babel.
It was made manifest to them that they had been translated by the gift
and power of God, and the voice of the Lord commanded that they should
bear record of the things that had been shown them.
JOSEPH SMITH, JUN., AS A PROPHET, AND FULFILLER OF HIS OWN PROPHECIES.
"And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of
my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days;" _Doc. & Cov_.
1. 4. This was one of the first prophetic commandments given to the
Latter-day Saints, through Jos. Smith, Jun.
Many hundreds of the Elders of the Church have traveled to and fro in
the earth, regardless of exposure to the elements, of fatigue, or of
pecuniary considerations, warning the people to repent of their sins,
for the day of the Lord was near.
There are now but few nations who are prepared to receive the word,
that have not had the Gospel of this dispensation preached to them.
With a constantly increasing number of Elders, the labor will continue
until the Gospel is preached "as a witness to all nations." The quorums
of the Priesthood were organized and set in order, by Jos. Smith, Jun.,
with this great work especially in view.
In _sec_. 3. 16-20, it is predicted that a knowledge of the Savior,
and also of their fathers, should come to the descendants of Lehi, the
American Indians. Through the ministry and teachings of Jos. Smith,
Jun., thousands of the Lamanites have come to a knowledge of their
fathers, and many "Believe the Gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus
Christ," of which many of the Latter-day Saints are witnesses.
"Behold, a marvellous work is about to come forth among the children
of men;" 4. 1. This declaration was made in February, 1829; before
the organization of the Church. The organization of the Church, the
teachings, unity, energy, and progress of the Latter-day Saints, have
ever been a marvel to the world, and are daily becoming more so, in
fulfilment of this often repeated prediction in the book of _Doc. &
Cov_.
In March, 1829, the Lord said to Jos. Smith, Jun., "For hereafter you
shall be ordained and go forth and deliver my words unto the children
of men;" 5. 6. On the 15th of May following, John the Baptist laid
his hands upon the heads of Jos. Smith, Jun., and O. Cowdery, and
ordained them to "The Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the
ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism
by immersion for the remission of sins;" _sec_. 13.
It is evident that, previous to this time, Jos. Smith, Jun., had
foreseen by the spirit of prophecy, that it was necessary he should be
called of God as was Aaron, and for this reason was prepared to receive
a proper ordination by the hands of an authorized messenger from God.
We have no record of such previous ordination to the Priesthood, since
the days of the primitive apostles.
The Lord said to Joseph Smith, Jun., "There are many that lie in wait
to destroy thee from off the face of the earth;" 5. 33. The whole
life of Jos. Smith, Jun., and his death, evidence the truthfulness of
this prophecy. Some forty times was he brought before the courts by
his enemies, and they failed to substantiate the charges preferred
against him, and, on the 27th of June, 1844, he, and his brother Hyrum,
were assassinated in Carthage jail, by a mob, when under the pledged
protection of the Executive of the state of Illinois.
"And the poor and the meek shall have the Gospel preached unto them,
and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming;" 35. 15. Not
only has the Gospel been preached to the poor and the meek, but they
are the ones who have received it, and are looking and preparing for the coming of our Lord, "For it is nigh at hand."
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