John Taylor's sermon on the Mormon gospel - January 15, 1860
I came here this morning anticipating the pleasure of listening to some
of my brethren. But it seems to have fallen to my lot again to address
you, and I do so with pleasure at this time, as upon all such
occasions, and willingly communicate anything that may be imparted unto
me which may be a benefit or blessing to those who may listen. (1)
The great principles of truth are so varied and comprehensive, that it
is difficult to know where to commence our illustrations of a portion
of them, and where to leave off. They reach back into the past, exist
in the present, and stretch forward into the future. In the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is embodied all truth, so far as the salvation of the
human family is concerned; and hence it is spoken of in the Scriptures
as being the everlasting Gospel. (2)
To those who have not reflected seriously upon the dealings of God and
his laws, the Lord appears to be changeable in his way of saving the
human family. In the different dispensations from Adam until Christ,
they suppose that he has adopted as many different ways of salvation. (3)
We are told by Christian divines of the dispensation that existed
before the flood; we are informed of the Patriarchal dispensation, the
Mosaic dispensation, and finally of the Christian dispensation; and it
is a prevailing idea among the uninformed that each of these
dispensations presented a different system of salvation adopted by the
Almighty in teaching the human family, in enlightening their minds, and
in giving unto them correct information in regard to God and eternity.
Hence I have often heard eminent divines refer to the dispensation
before the flood as a day of almost utter darkness; then to the
Patriarchal dispensation as one in which a faint glimmer of light began
to be made manifest; of the Mosaic dispensation as a time in which the
sun began to rise a little above the horizon; and of the Christian
dispensation, as it now exists in the world, as being the fulness of
light and intelligence, or the full blaze of Gospel day. These views of
the different dispensations generally obtain among professors of
Christianity. (4)
I entertain a very different opinion of the Almighty. God, like his
Son, Jesus Christ, is "the same yesterday, to-day, and forever," - the
same in intelligence, the same in purity, the same in his projects,
plans, and designs. He is, in short, unchangeable. And I apprehend, if
the Saints who had communication with him in ancient days were to
appear on this earth at the present time, they would find the same
medium of communication, the same way of imparting intelligence, and
the same unchangeable Being that existed 1,800, 4,000, or 6,000 years
ago. (5)
It is true mankind have not at all times been susceptible of receiving
and appreciating the same degree of light, truth, and intelligence that
they have at other times. God has in certain instances withdrawn the
light of his countenance - his Holy Spirit - the light and intelligence
that proceeds from him, in a certain degree, from the human family; but
his laws are immutable, and he is the same eternal, unchangeable Being.
(6)
The truth does not change. What was true 1800, 4,000, or 6,000 years
ago, is true to-day; and what was false in any age of the world is
false to-day. Truth, like the great Eloheim, is eternal and
unchangeable, and it is for us to learn its principles, to know how to
appreciate it, and govern ourselves accordingly. (7)
As the Gospel is a principle that emanates from God, like its Author,
it is "the same yesterday, to-day, and forever," - eternal and
unchangeable. God ordained it before the morning stars sang together
for joy, or ere this world rolled into existence, for the salvation of
the human race. It has been in the mind of God, and as often as
developed it has been manifested as an eternal, unchangeable,
undeviating plan by which to save, bless, exalt, and dignify man, and
to accomplish this end by one certain, unalterable method of salvation,
according to its degree or manifestation. (8)
I speak of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness and of the
blessings associated therewith. It is perfect folly to entertain the
idea that the Gospel has only existed about 1,800 years, and yet this
foolish idea is strongly entertained and almost universally believed
throughout Christendom. This mistake is for want of calm reflection and
correct information upon that subject. (9)
It may here be necessary to inquire what the Gospel is. Commentators
tell us it means good tidings of great joy. This language had
particular reference to the announcement of the birth of the Saviour to
the shepherds of Galilee, by the angel of God. "And lo, the angel of
the Lord came upon them (the shepherds), and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said
unto them, 'Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the
city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.'" This was simply
the announcement of the birth of Christ. As to its referring to the
Gospel, it might certainly admit of an argument. The birth of our
Saviour and the message he came to deliver are two different things. (10)
I do not think the message Jesus came to communicate was at all joyful
to the Pharisees and hypocrites of his day, for he told them they could
not escape the damnation of hell; nor to those individuals whom he
proclaimed to be "like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all
uncleanness." They looked upon him as an impostor, who said to them,
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that
believeth not shall be damned." It is not to be supposed for a moment
that those men would receive such an announcement as good tidings of
great joy, which was to be to all people. (11)
Again: We are told the Gospel is the New Testament. I do not find any
such declaration even in the New Testament itself. There are certain
records in the New Testament giving an account of the birth, life,
suffering, and death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It contains
also an account of the doctrines he taught, the discourses he
delivered, and the moral sentiments he inculcated. It gives us an
account of the organization of his Church, and of the teachings of his
apostles, and the manner of their administration, &c. But this is
not the Gospel. (12)
The Gospel is a certain living, abiding, eternal principle. That which
is written in the New Testament is like a chart of a country, if you
please; but the Gospel is the country itself. A man having the map of
the United States in his possession would be considered foolish if he
supposed he possessed the United States; and because a man may have the
Old and New Testament in his possession, it does not argue that he has
the Gospel. But is it not written in some of our good Bibles, "The
Gospel according to St. John," "The Gospel according to St. Matthew,"
&c.? Certainly. But what has that to do with it? The Gospels
according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John describe certain teachings
and instructions which Jesus gave, and among the rest the officers
constituting his Church are named. "And God hath set some in the
church; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers;
after that, miracles; then gifts of healing, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues," &c. These are the living substance of
which they write and account. (13)
Well, but the gospel is contained in the Old and New Testament. It is
not, nor in the Book of Mormon, nor in the revelations we have
received. These are simply records, histories, commandments, &c.
The Gospel is a living, abiding, eternal, and unchangeable principle
that has existed co-equal with God, and always will exist, while time
and eternity endure, wherever it is developed and made manifest. We
will quote from the Gospel according to St. Paul, and see what he has
to say in relation to this matter: - "For I am not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it
is written, The just shall live by faith." (14)
Now, I presume Paul knew a little more about the Gospel than some of
our learned commentators, and was better acquainted with its
operations, organization, spirit, and power. In addition to what Paul
has said, I will here assert that the Gospel of Jesus Christ always
was, from the very commencement of this earth, "the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth;" and the righteousness of God was
always revealed through the Gospel as specified by this Apostle.
Whenever and wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ existed, there the
power of God and the knowledge of God existed; and therein at all
times, and in every age, the righteousness of God was revealed through
it from faith to faith. That is an assertion of my own for the time
being, and I do not know but I have as much right to assert that as
Paul had the other. (15)
But as it is proper that men should give a reason at all times for
their statements, this I am willing and ready to do. Before, however,
we enter into the investigation of this subject, we will look at
another for a short time, which seems to be intimately associated with
it. Paul in his time reasoned about a certain Melchizedek Priesthood,
and about a certain Melchizedek, who he says was greater than Abraham,
and who he said was without father or mother, without beginning of days
or end of years, and abideth a priest continually, and that Christ was
"a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." I speak of this
because it will be necessary to refer to it in the argument we may be
led to adduce in relation to this subject. (16)
Who was this man Melchizedek? He was simply a man which the Bible gives
an account of, and he positively had a father and a mother. It is not
really said he had not. I say he had, and can prove it, if the Bible be
true. We might differ so far as words are concerned, but not in ideas
and facts. Paul was talking about a Priesthood: Melchizedek had this
Priesthood. It was the Priesthood of which he was speaking, and not the
man. It was this Priesthood of Melchizedek that was without beginning
of days or end of years. "And he abideth a priest continually, and ever
liveth to make intercession for us;" that is, the Priesthood continues
in the eternal world as well as in the world of time. (17)
We will now go back to the Gospel and endeavour to show that wherever
the Gospel existed, there existed also the power of God and the
revelations of God, and therein men had a knowledge of God, and
"therein was revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith."
But let me make another remark here concerning the Priesthood. We are
told it holds the mysteries of the revelations of God. These are
sayings we have a right to look into and investigate, to find out upon
what principle they are based. (18)
How did Adam get his information of the things of God? He got it
through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and through this same Priesthood of
which we have been speaking. God came to him in the garden and talked
with him. We are told that no man can see the face of God and live. How
was it that he obtained his knowledge of God? Through the Gospel; and
he was the first man upon this earth that had the Gospel and the holy
Priesthood; and if he had it not, he could not have known anything
about God or his revelations. But God revealed himself to him and told
him what he might do and what he might not do, what course he was to
pursue and what course not to pursue; and when he transgressed the laws
which the Lord gave to him, he was driven from the face of God, and
left in a measure to grope in the dark. (19)
Let us pass on to Enoch's day. The Bible only gives a very short
account of Enoch. We are told that "he walked with God, and was not,
for God took him." Then he had the Gospel, for it is through the gospel
that "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." It is
that which holds the keys of the mysteries of the revelations of God.
It is that which imparts a knowledge of the Priesthood, and it is by
the Gospel that mankind can commune with God: it is that which is the
power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Enoch had this
through the Gospel. Being in possession of this, he was enabled to
communicate with God - had revelations from him. And further
revelations which have been given in these last days go to show us that
Enoch built a city, and that he taught the citizens of that city the
great principles of eternal truth as they emanated from god; that God
communed with them - taught them correct principles; and that
by-and-by, when the people waxed full of iniquity and the earth became
ripe for destruction, Enoch and his city were caught up into heaven. (20)
The Bible gives a very short account of this, saying, "Enoch walked
with God, and he was not, for God took him." Jude also speaks of him -
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints, to execute
judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of
all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all
their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Enoch, how did you happen to know about things that should transpire
some thousands of years hence – you that lived so far back in the
remote ages of the world, that were so dark and benighted, according to
the ideas of modern theologians? "I had the Gospel, and the Gospel
holds the keys of the mysteries of the revelations of God; and by the
spirit of that Gospel I was enabled to look through the dark vista of
the future, to draw back the curtain of eternity, and contemplate the
things of God, and his purposes concerning the nations of the earth,
until I gazed upon the winding-up scene." (21)
And Jude, how did you happen to know that Enoch prophesied of these
things? for we have no account of it in the Bible. Where did you obtain
your information? "I had the same Gospel that Enoch had, and the same
power of revelation, and the same Spirit that he had, so that I was
enabled to develop the same things, and to know precisely what Enoch
prophesied about, and have given my testimony in relation to that
matter." But Joseph Smith, where did you get your information from? "I
had just the same Gospel that Enoch had, and the same that Jude had;
and I also testified of the same things, and we all agree." (22)
In tracing out this history, we find it written that God was about to
destroy the inhabitants of the earth with a flood. How did he make this
known? "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually." All flesh had corrupted its way before the Lord, with the
exception of a few. There was Noah, who was a man that feared God and
worked righteousness, and had in his possession the Gospel and the holy
Priesthood; and the Lord God communicated with him, and this he did by
revelation, and told him to build an ark to save himself and family
from the flood. And he gave Noah the dimensions of the ark - how it was
to be constructed, and with what kind of materials. He also told him
what kind of animals he was to bring into it, giving him instructions
relating to the whole matter. How did you happen to know all this,
Noah? "I had the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation; and
it proved my salvation and the salvation of my family; and through it I
was enabled to understand the designs and purposes of God, and prepare
for those great events about to take place on the earth." (23)
We next come to old Abraham, and we find that the Lord talked with him:
- "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in
the tent door in the heat of the day." And the Lord talked with Abraham
and with his wife Sarah, and told her she should have a child at a
certain time. They had quite a long conversation. Sometimes the
messenger that was sent to Abraham is called an angel, and sometimes
the Lord. Suffice it to say that the Lord did reveal himself and
communicated his will unto him; and finally he tried and tested him in
every variety of way. "And it came to pass after these things that God
did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, 'Abraham ;' and he said, 'Behold,
here I am.' And he said, 'Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom
thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there
for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee
of.'" In this manner the Lord tried Abraham. (24)
The great principle I wish to keep before your minds is, that men in
those different ages of the world did have a knowledge of God, and they
obtained it through revelation and a knowledge of the Gospel. Through
this, Abraham obtained a knowledge of God - of his purposes and
designs; and there was no other way in which he could have a knowledge
of God, only in the way here specified; and hence the Gospel to Abraham
was a principle wherein the righteousness of God was revealed from
faith to faith; and it was to him as much the power of God unto
salvation as it was in the days of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, or
any other day. (25)
Jesus, in speaking of Abraham, says, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to
see my day; and he saw it and was glad." Then, Abraham, you saw the day
of the Son of God and was glad some two thousand years before the dawn
of that day burst upon the earth. How did you happen to see it? Was it
not enough for you to know that God spoke to you and gave you certain
great and glorious promises concerning your seed? No. You must actually
penetrate events that should transpire in after ages. How did you know
all this? "By the Gospel." Do you mean to say that you, too, had the
Gospel? "Yes; for life and immortality are brought to light by the
Gospel; and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth, and therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith; and whoever knows anything about life and immortality
and the power of God must know some-thing about the Gospel of
salvation." (26)
"Well," say some, "we would really like a little more testimony from
the Bible on this subject; for we have great confidence in the Bible."
You shall have it. What does Paul say? - "And the Scriptures,
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached
the Gospel before unto Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be
blessed.' So, then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham." (27)
Then Abraham had the Gospel preached to him, and so had Melchizedek.
"How do you prove that?" Paul says, speaking of this ancient king of
Salem, that he was "made like unto the Son of God," and "abideth a
priest continually." And "now consider how great this man was, unto
whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils." "He,
whose descent is not counted from them, received tithes of Abraham, and
blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction, the
less is blessed of the better." Abraham had the Gospel, and was the
father of the faithful; yet Melchizedek was greater than he - greater
in the Priesthood and in the Gospel. (28)
We will now inquire a little about Moses - a deliverer that was raised
up to Israel, who was set apart to deliver his people from the bondage
under which they groaned in the land of Egypt. The Lord spake to Moses
and sent him to Pharaoh, and kept sending him from time to time until
Pharaoh let Israel go; and Moses was their leader, and led them forth
out of the land of Egypt. How did Moses know about this deliverance?
How did he know how to give Israel instruction and revelation? Because
he had received it himself. The Lord had spoken to him, and had
revealed his will to him, and manifested his purposes to him from time
to time. When the Lord first called him, he felt incompetent for the
task, and answered the Lord as follows: - "And Moses said unto the
Lord, 'O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since thou
hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of a slow
tongue.' 'And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he
said - 'Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak
well. And he also cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he
will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words
in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will
teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the
people; and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth,
and thou shalt be to him instead of God.'" (29)
Thus Moses led the people out from the bondage of Egypt: by visions, by
revelations, by the voice of God, by the manifestation of the power of
God, with a high hand and outstretched arm, he led them out, and
destroyed the Egyptians when they essayed to follow them, after smiting
them with plagues and various afflictions that overtook them, in
consequence of their rebellion against God and the testimony Moses
delivered in their midst. How was it that Moses understood anything
about the will of God in the leading forth of that people? It was
because he had the Gospel, which is a principle of revelation, as we
have before stated; and through it intelligence was communicated unto
him. (30)
But you say you would like to see something from the Bible to prove
this. I should think what has been already said in illustration of this
great leading principle is sufficient to satisfy anybody. It satisfies
me. But I will give you a little of the Bible touching Moses having the
Gospel. Paul says, "But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it
not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?"
"So we see that they could not enter into it because of unbelief. Let
us therefore fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into his
rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the
Gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Here
Paul not only declares they had the Gospel as well as we, but he makes
use of them as an example to all unbelievers. (31)
We will now touch upon a lesser dispensation, if you please to call it
by that name, and try to find out how that happened to come. I speak of
that dispensation that existed previous to the ushering in of the
Gospel, as people suppose. Paul says, "And this I say, that the
covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was
four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should
make the promise of none effect." "Wherefore, then, serveth the law? It
is added, because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom
the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a
mediator." He further writes on this subject, saying, "Which was a
figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and
sacrifices, and could not make him that did the service perfect as
pertaining to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks, and
divers washings and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time
of reformation." (32)
What was the transgression of ancient Israel? They rejected the
teachings of Moses. When he came down from the mount, where he had been
talking with God face to face, he found the people had made unto
themselves a golden calf, and said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." They had forsaken God, the
Fountain of living waters, and hewed out to themselves cisterns –
broken cisterns, that could hold no water. And Moses was wroth with
them; and so was the Lord, who was about to destroy them: but Moses
pleaded with him, and he spared them. But seeing they judged themselves
unworthy of eternal life, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and
revelations, and communications with him, he placed them under a law of
carnal commandments and ordinances, placing a yoke on their necks,
which one of the ancient Apostles says, "Neither we nor our fathers
were able to bear." He placed them under ceremonies and forms, and it
was said, Do this and live; refuse to do it, and die. (33)
This code of laws and ordinances was given to them under the auspices
and direction of the Aaronic Priesthood; and the Melchizedek Priesthood
was taken away from them to a certain extent, which deprived them of
its succession, &c. Still the spirit of revelation was among the
Prophets that still remained among them; but, as a nation, they were
placed under a system of carnal ordinances, because of their
transgressions. (34)
What was the law added to? It was added to the Gospel. This we should
have known, if Paul had never said a word about it, because Moses held
the keys of the revelations of God, could go into the mount of God, and
by that power led seventy Elders of Israel into the presence of God,
and they saw the God of Israel. I know that the law was added to the
Gospel on that principle, because the Gospel always was a power that
enlightened the eyes of men, and put them in possession of revelation
and communication with God, and that gave them a knowledge of things
past, present, and to come. (35)
We will pass by the time when they were under a law of carnal
ordinances, consisting of burnt offerings and sacrifices, &c., and
come to the time when the Gospel is again restored, and when a Priest
after the order of Melchizedek, Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Adam,
again appeared upon the earth, - namely, the Son of God, who was "a
priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek." It was not necessary
that he should be enabled genealogically to prove that he was of the
seed of Aaron and of the tribe of Levi; but his Priesthood was after
the order of Melchizedek, which was without beginning of days or end of
years, - a Priesthood not indebted directly to human descent, but one
that administers both in time and eternity. (36)
At the time Jesus Christ came upon the earth we find the same kind of
revelations began to be made manifest, - the same Spirit, and the same
power, blessing, and the same communications with God. And hence, when
he came he went forth baptizing, as John, his predecessor, had done,
John said concerning him, "I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and
with fire." Did he do this? He did. When he made choice of his
Apostles, he breathed upon them and said - "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
And they began to have visions and revelations, and the power of God
was made manifest on them. Paul, in writing of this power, says - "I
knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I
cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter." By-and-by, Paul begins to
let out some of these things. He says he saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God, speaking of the resurrection, and the state of man
after death, and the glory that awaits the faithful. (37)
An angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors, and set Peter and some
others at liberty. The angel of the Lord appeared to Paul in a dream,
and comforted him when he was in danger of being shipwrecked, and told
him that no one on board should perish. How came they in possession of
all this knowledge? and how came they to be such favourites with the
heavens? It was all through the Gospel. (38)
We find the Apostle John driven as a poor exile and outcast to the Isle
of Patmos, in consequence of his religion, where he had to labour among
the slaves in the lead mines, oppressed and bowed down in consequence
of the tyranny and severity of his task-masters. But he was in the
spirit on the Lord's day, and the heavens were opened to his view, and
he gazed on the past, on the present, and on the future, contemplating
events that should transpire through every subsequent period of time
until the winding-up scene. He told of the time when the grave should
deliver up its dead, and when the sea should deliver up its dead, and
when the sea should deliver up the dead that are in it, and all nations
should stand before God and give an account of the deeds done in the
body. (39)
He told of Jesus Christ coming with his holy angels to execute judgment
on the ungodly. He told of the New Jerusalem that should descend from
God out of heaven as a bride prepared for the bridegroom. He told of
the Millennium, when not only the Saints should burst the barriers of
the tomb, but come forth and live and reign with Christ a thousand
years on the earth, when righteousness and truth should prevail, and
iniquity hide its hoary head, and the power of God be made manifest;
and every nation, tongue, and people bow to the sceptre of King
Immanuel, and all acknowledge him as Lord over all. How did you know
all this, John? "I had the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that restored this
power to the earth, which unfolded unto me these things; and I have
communicated only part of the things I saw." (40)
This power was enjoyed not only by the Apostles, as some suppose, but
it existed among the Saints; and hence Paul, writing to the Church,
says - "Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom;
to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another, faith
by the same Spirit; to another, the gift of healing by the same Spirit;
to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another,
discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues; to another,
the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the
self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as
the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For the body is not
one member, but many," &c. Consequently, this Spirit extended not
only to the Apostles and permanent disciples, but to the whole Church,
the Spirit being given to every man to profit withal. And what was
that? It was the gift of the Holy Ghost, which Peter told the people,
on the day of Pentecost, they should receive; for on that day he told
them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Why? Because, says he, "The promise is to you and your children,"
&c. (41)
"To us who are Apostles," and to whom else? "To you, and to your
children. Whom else? To all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord
our God shall call." You show me a people that the Lord our God does
not call, and I will show you a people to whom this promise does not
apply. There is the Gospel, as I understand it; and wherever this
principle exists, the principle of revelation and the knowledge of God
exists - a principle wherein the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith – a principle that opens a communication between God and
man. Wherever this exists, the Gospel exists; and wherever this does
not exist, the Gospel does not exist. It is a principle that places man
into a legitimate relationship with God, who is our Father. Hence, when
Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said, "When you pray, say, our
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." He is the God and
Father of the spirits of all flesh, and we are told to approach him as
such, and have faith in him. And he says, "Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;
for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and
to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (42)
Or, what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him
a stone? Or, if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye, then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that
ask him? By means of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are brought into a
relationship with God. As one of the ancient Apostles says, "Beloved,
now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is." God is our Father, and a medium of
communication has been opened between God and us. And inasmuch as we
live our religion, we shall be prepared at all times to receive
blessings at his hands, and learn to understand correct principles in
regard to our salvation as individuals, and the salvation of the human
family. (43)
John said, among other things, "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, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for
the hour of his judgments is come; and worship him that made heaven and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." This angel had the
same Gospel to preach that Adam possessed, and the same that Enoch,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles preached. (44)
Joseph Smith, what did you proclaim? "I called on the Lord and a holy
angel appeared to me, and God revealed his will to me, and showed me
the true position of the world religiously and every other way; and he
told me what I was to do to obtain eternal life, and he told me what
his designs and purposes were concerning this earth." What did he do
besides? "He sent some of those who existed in former ages, who held
the keys of the everlasting Priesthood, to administer to me and set me
apart." We read in this good book an account of Peter, James, and John
being with Jesus on the Mount - "And after six days, Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high
mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and his face did
shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold
there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." How happens
it that you are upon the earth, Moses? for we thought you were dead
long ago! "I am not dead, as you suppose; for I drank of that well
Jesus spoke of, the water of which, if any man drinks, shall be in him
a well of water springing up to eternal life. I hold the keys of the
Melchizedek Priesthood and the everlasting Gospel, that administers in
time and in eternity; and after having got through with this world and
its cares, holding still that Priesthood behind the vail, I have come
to administer to you, Jesus, James, Peter, and John, on the earth." (45)
In consequence of the same Priesthood, Elias was translated, and got
associated with Moses behind the vail, and became his companion in
bringing a message of comfort to Jesus and his companions on the Mount.
Peter, who held the Priesthood while he was upon the earth and after he
left, could come and administer to Joseph Smith, and impart to him the
same blessings and the same power, and reinstate those principles and
powers upon the earth that had been lost in consequence of
transgressing. What is it that we have received? We have received the
everlasting Gospel - the same that existed in the days of Jesus; and it
is this that has enlightened our minds, enlarged our capacities, and
given us a knowledge of the past and of the future; and it has thus
revealed to us the purposes of God; and through the order and
organization of this Priesthood we are blessed, saved, protected, and
upheld as we are at this day. (46)
Why is it that the world rage? Why is it that the priests of the day
are angry - that politicians are mad? It is because the Lord has set
forth his hand to accomplish his purposes and bring to pass the things
spoken of in the holy Prophets. As one of old has said, "Why do the
heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the
Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands
asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the
heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall
he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure."
(47)
The Lord will bring to pass his strange purpose, and accomplish the
thing he has designed. It is for us to live our religion, to fully
appreciate the Gospel we possess, and fully obey its requirements,
submit to its laws, and yield to its dictations (48),
following the direction of the holy Priesthood, which hold the keys of
the mysteries of the revelations of God, magnifying our callings, and
honouring our God, that we may be prepared to fulfil our destiny upon
the earth, and be enabled to be a blessing to those around us, and to
pour blessings upon our posterity, and spread forth the great
principles of eternity, which are calculated to bless, enlighten,
ennoble, and exalt all who will yield obedience to their dictates. (49)
May God bless you all, and guide you in the way of truth, which I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (50)
1) The Christian Gospel is a blessing to those who accept it.
But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Romans 15:29.
2) The Christian Gospel is strictly about Jesus Christ.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then
by the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
3) Mormons are faithless and are still under the curse of the law.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse
for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ
Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13-14.
4) The Gospel of Jesus Christ was not fully manifested until He arrived.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1.
5) God has changed His methods of communicating to humans over time.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His
Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express
image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as
He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Hebrews
1:1-4.
6) Mormons are faithless and are still under the curse of the law.
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you
as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the
Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Galatians
3:1-2.
7) Jesus Christ is the eternal truth.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.
8) Jesus Christ is salvation to those who believe the Christian Gospel.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
9) John Taylor did not understand progressive revelation about Jesus Christ.
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is
lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which
is the church, of which I became a minister according to the
stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word
of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from
generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God
willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we
preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we
may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:24-28.
10) The Christian Gospel is strictly about Jesus Christ.
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in
the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was
born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be
the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4.
11) Anyone who preaches a different gospel is under the curse of God.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in
the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but
there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of
Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6-8.
12) The Christian Gospel is about salvation through the death of Jesus Christ for your sins.
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by
God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in
your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the
determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless
hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having
loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should
be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24.
13) The Christian Gospel is strictly about Jesus Christ.
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not
believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’
sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.
14) Faith in Jesus Christ reveals the true righteousness of God apart from the law.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there
is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His
forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously
committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that
He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26.
15) John Taylor did not understand progressive revelation about Jesus Christ.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery
kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the
prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the
commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—to God,
alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Romans
16:25-27.
16) John Taylor did not understand progressive revelation about Jesus Christ.
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you
Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of
God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known
to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when
you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has
now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of
His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister
according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective
working of His power. Ephesians 3:1-7.
17) Melchizedek was a person that Paul said was Jesus Christ.
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who
met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated
“king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of
peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having
neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of
God, remains a priest continually. Hebrews 7:1-3.
18) The priesthood after the order of Melchizedek is vested in Jesus Christ alone.
For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses
spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if,
in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has
come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according
to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: “You are a priest
forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:14-17.
19) Abraham received knowledge of God directly from God not from a bogus priesthood.
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your
family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3.
20) The Christian Gospel is not received through a bogus priesthood or from men.
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor
was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12.
21) Knowledge that wicked people would be destroyed by God was common knowledge.
Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also,
saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to
execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of
all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against
Him.” Jude 1:14-15.
22) Joseph Smith did not receive his revelations from God.
“We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from
the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. I will be to this generation
a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran
or the Sword.” So shall it eventually be with us – ‘Joseph Smith
or the Sword!’” No Man Knows My History, pages 230-231.
23) Noah received knowledge about the flood directly from God.
And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the
earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy
them with the earth.” Genesis 6:13.
24) Abraham received knowledge about Isaac directly from God.
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall
not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be
your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward
heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He
said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the
Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis
15:4-6.
25) The Christian Gospel is not a principle but the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was
given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by
Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ
was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly
waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also
confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4-8.
26) Abraham received knowledge about Isaac directly from God.
And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I
surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the
Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time
of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Genesis 18:13-14.
27) The Christian Gospel is not a principle but the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this
life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12.
28) The Christian Gospel is not a principle but the testimony of Jesus Christ.
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the
heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this
He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:26-27.
29) Moses received knowledge about the deliverance of the Israelites directly from God.
So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him
from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here
I am.” Exodus 3:4.
30) Moses received knowledge about the deliverance of the Israelites directly from God.
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that
I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I
will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have
sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall
serve God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:11-12.
31) John Taylor missed the context that obedience to God is to sincerely believe Him.
For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of
Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not
with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to
whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who
did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of
unbelief. Hebrews 3:16-19.
32) John Taylor missed the context that the promise of Jesus Christ did not come through the law.
Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s
covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to
Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to
seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in
Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the
inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it
to Abraham by promise. Galatians 3:15-18.
33) John Taylor missed the plagues that punished the Israelites for their sins.
So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made. Exodus 32:35.
34) John Taylor purposely misinterpreted the Holy Bible as Moses gave the law.
Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the
congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. Afterward all
the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all
that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. Exodus 34:31-32.
35) The law was never added to the Christian Gospel.
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of
transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made;
and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a
mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Galatians
3:19-20.
36) Only Jesus Christ holds the unchangeable priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from
continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable
priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those
who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession
for them. Hebrews 7:23-25.
37) John Taylor confused Paul with John in trying to quote the Holy Bible.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.
And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which
were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and
Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were
judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found
written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation
20:12-15.
38) John Taylor apparently did not have the Holy Spirit.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,
He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you. John 14:26.
39) John was not exiled due to religion but for his testimony of Jesus Christ.
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos
for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation
1:9.
40) John received his revelation from Jesus Christ.
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right
hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the
Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the
things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things
which will take place after this. Revelation 1:17-19.
41) People who have the Holy Spirit will have a testimony of Jesus Christ.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.” John 15:26-27.
42) Unsaved John Taylor did not understand the Christian Gospel.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then
by the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
43) Through faith in Jesus Christ an eternal relationship with God is established.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:4-9.
44) Unsaved John Taylor did not preach the Christian Gospel or message.
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach
Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24.
45) Unsaved Joseph Smith did not preach the Christian Gospel or message.
God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments,
it is all of the devil-all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye
false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down
your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast
of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to
keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority
of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus
ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The
followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never
ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in
the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the
wolves howl! When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go.
Sermon delivered by Joseph Smith on May 26, 1844.
46) Mormons are under a curse from God for preaching a different gospel.
As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any
other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:9.
47) Mormons have replaced Jesus Christ with themselves fulfilling Bible prophecy.
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in
pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” Psalm 2:1-3.
48) Unsaved faithless Mormons have never come to Jesus Christ.
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith
in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith
came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which
would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has
come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.
49) Christian revelation will be a testimony of Jesus Christ not a bogus priesthood.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true
sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to
me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your
brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:9-10.
50) God will never bless unsaved faithless religious fanatics. Amen.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are
the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for My sake.” Matthew 5:3-11