A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel 39

A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel 39

Notwithstanding this principle began to be taught soon after the

organization of the Church, it required some time to reach practical

development, for no definite law concerning it was revealed, until July

8, 1838.

 

The custom of paying labor tithing, appears to have been commenced

when building the Nauvoo Temple. Of a meeting of some of the leading

authorities of the Church, in Lima, Illinois, the following is

recorded, in His. of Joseph Smith, under date of October 23, 1841: "It

was moved and seconded, That all those who are willing to consecrate

one-tenth of their time and property to the building of the Temple at

Nauvoo, under the superintendence of President Morley and Counselors,

to signify it by uplifted hands; when the motion was carried

unanimously."

 

The following is a "_Revelation given through Joseph, the Prophet, at

Far West, Missouri, July 8th, 1838, in answer to the question, O Lord,

show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of the

people for a tithing_?

 

"Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property

to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church of Zion, for the

building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion

and for the Priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my

church.

 

"And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people; and after

that, those who have thus been tithed, shall pay one-tenth of all their

interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them for ever,

for my holy Priesthood, saith the Lord.

 

"Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass, that all those who

gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus

properties, and shall observe this law, or they shall not be found

worthy to abide among you.

 

"And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it

holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my

statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most

holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion

unto you; and this shall be an ensample unto all the Stakes of Zion.

Even so. Amen;" _Doc. & Cov. Sec_. 119.

 

The law of tithing, as embodied in the revelations referred to, is an

immutable decree of Jehovah to his people, and admits of no evasion

by those who would enjoy the blessings of the faithful on the land of

Zion, or be classed among the righteous, and avoid the burning at the

coming of our Lord.

 

Bible.

 

_Lev_. 27. 30 the tithe of the land shall be the Lord's.

 

32 the tenth of the herd and the flock shall be holy.

 

33 not to search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it.

 

_Num_. 18. 26-28 the Levites paid a tenth of their tithes to the

priests.

 

_Deut_. 12. 17, 18 tithes to be eaten in the place the Lord should

choose. _Chap_. 14. 23, 24.

 

28 the tithe of the third year to be laid up.

 

14. 22, 23 thou shalt surely tithe all he increase of thy seed.

 

26. 12 hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thy increase.

 

2 _Chron_. 31. 5, 6 Israel brought the tithes of all things, abundantly.

 

_Neh_. 10. 37, 38 the tithes of Israel were brought to the Levites, and

they paid a tenth to the house of the Lord.

 

13. 12 men appointed over the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

 

_Amos_ 4. 4 bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after

three years.

 

_Mal_. 3. 8 wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

 

10 bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.

 

_Matt_. 23. 23 Pharisees paid tithes, but omitted the weightier matters

of the law.

 

_Luke_ 11. 42 for ye tithe mint and rue, and pass over judgment and the

love of God.

 

18. 12 I fast twice in a week, I give tithes of all I possess.

 

_Heb_. 7. 5 the sons of the Levites to take tithes of the people. 6, 8,

9.

 

_See Sermon by B. Young, J. of D., Vol. 1, page 51_.

 

" " _G. Q. Cannon, " " 15, " 147_.

 

" " _F. D. Richards, " " 16, " 59_.

 

" " _B. Young, " " 16, " 111_.

 

 

 

APOSTACY OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.

 

The Gospel dispensation inaugurated by our Savior, while on his

earthly mission, was not a gathering one. Israel had already been

widely scattered. That scattering was soon to result in the complete

desolation of the land of Palestine.

 

Wherever the people received the Gospel through the preaching of the

apostles, they were organized into churches. They not only had their

old traditions and customs to contend with, but there was no relief

from the general pagan influences under which they had been educated.

Add to these things, the persecutions the early Saints were exposed to,

and it could not well be otherwise than that many of them should be

weak in the faith.

 

The epistles of the apostles inform us that they had often contended

with false teachers and doctrines in the primitive churches. "Even

now," said the apostle John, "are there many anti-Christs." 1 _John_

2. 18. The apostle Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, informs us,

that "In the last days perilous times shall come;" 2 _Tim_. 3. 1.

 

In the following three verses he enumerates all manner of wickedness

which shall be prevalent in the latter times. He evidently means in the

Christian churches, or among those who profess godliness, for in the

fifth verse of the same chapter, he speaks of their having "A form of

godliness, but denying the power thereof."

 

The apostle Paul exhorted the Colossians to "be not moved away from

the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to

every creature which is under heaven;" _Col_. 1. 23.

 

About fifty-seven years after the Savior had closed his earthly

mission, if we are correctly informed in the second and third chapters

of the Revelations of St. John, there were but seven churches in Asia

whom the Lord considered worthy of notice. This, coupled with the

assertion of Paul, that the Gospel had, in his day, been preached to

every creature, proves that its light only faintly glimmered, in the

otherwise universal darkness, which existed at the time John had his

vision on the isle of Patmos.

 

John the Revelator saw Rome in all her glory, in his day, reigning over

the kings of the earth, full of riches and all manner of abominations,

and drunken with the blood of the Saints and of the martyrs of Jesus;

_Rev_. 17. This great power, drenched in the blood of the martyrs,

about 325 A.D., in the reign of Constantine, adopted what was then

known as Christianity, as the religion of the empire.

 

It was not possible that such a wicked, corrupt element and the Gospel

of Jesus could have any affinity. Rather, is it not evident that the

antagonism of Christianity and paganism had measurably ceased? that

they had assimilated? that they had both so nearly found the same

level, that with a slight pressure of governmental policy they readily

amalgamated?

 

Not only prophecy but general history, and especially the history of

Christianity by its learned professors, furnish abundant evidence of

its early departure from the pure principles of the Gospel.

 

The prophetic history of the preparatory work, for the coming of Christ

to reign on the earth in the latter days, is predicated on the apostacy

of the primitive Christian church, the general wickedness of the

nations, and the gathering of the house of Israel.

 

Since the calling of Abraham, the authenticated personal manifestations

of the Lord to man have been through him and his family. Christ came

to his own chosen people. His earthly mission was commenced and

consummated in the midst of Israel. The Gospel was first preached to

the Jews. His apostles were chosen from his brethren of the seed of

Abraham. The first church of Christ was established at Jerusalem. The

apostles were commanded to remain there until endowed with power from

on high. All the blessings of salvation are promised to mankind through

the seed of Abraham.

 

When the Lord comes in glory and power, the prophets inform us that he

will come to Zion and Jerusalem, the chief cities of gathered Israel.

The apostle Paul informs us that "God hath set some in the church,

first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that

miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of

tongues;" 1 _Cor_. 12. 28.

 

From the above it is evident that, had the church of Christ been on

the earth in the past centuries, it would have been organized like the

primitive church, with apostles and prophets of the house of Israel at

the head of it. More than that, it would have enjoyed all the spiritual

gifts and blessings mentioned in the above chapter.

 

John the Revelator, in his visions of the latter times, says, "And I

saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting

Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every

nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;" _Rev_. 14. 6.

 

No one who has any faith in the scriptures would assert that the Gospel

preached by Jesus and his apostles was not the "Everlasting Gospel."

If everlasting, it must of necessity be the same wherever found.

If the same Gospel, it would always produce the same results. Its

ordinances would be the same. Its followers would enjoy the same gifts

and blessings. They would call themselves Saints. They would have an

organization that would not vary from the church organized by Jesus and

his apostles. They would have been led by apostles and prophets of the house of Israel.