Brigham Young's Sermon About God, Sin, and Exaltation - 1/8/1865
I am more and more convinced of the inability of man to receive
intelligence to any great amount at any one time. Some have an
understanding of what they commit to the keeping of their memories,
while others commit to repeat again, and that is the end of it. Some
can remember things for years that have been told them, and still not
understand what was told them; while others can receive more into their
understandings, and retain more in their memories, than others can, and
still not be qualified to repeat that which they can remember and
understand. Why I make these remarks is, because that I see around me,
and feel within me, the defects which are occasioned by the weakness
which is in man through the fall. I would not, however, say that a
person entirely free from the effects of the fall of man could learn
knowledge to any great amount at one time, though he might be able to
learn more than a man would who is under the influence of the fall. (1)
I will make a few remarks, in the first place, in regard to the
ordinance of administering bread and wine, which ordinance we attend to
every first day of the week. This is a very solemn ordinance. The
Christian world accepts it, in preference to any other, as one of the
ordinances of the house of God. With some, this ordinance is the first
and the last; and with others this ordinance is not thought to be of
sufficient importance to be attended to. (2)
I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, and also to those who do not
believe in the fulness of the Gospel, that this ordinance, which we are
now attending to this afternoon, is, in reality, no more sacred than
any other ordinance of the house of God in the eyes of Him who has
instituted the same. (3) The
validity of one divine law is the same as the validity of another with
our Father and God. We partake of bread and water to witness that we
remember Jesus Christ, who gave his life a ransom for us, and that we
are willing to keep His commandments. He has said, "Do this in
remembrance of me," when He ate His last supper with His disciples; and
He also said, "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father's kingdom." We should desire to remember Him in all sincerity,
and when we partake of these emblems, do it with an eye single to His
glory, and to the building up of His kingdom, also for our own
perfection, salvation, and glorification therein. (4)
In like manner we should receive and obey all the ordinances of the
house of God; and I hope and trust that we shall live to our profession
so strictly, and so closely adhere to the commandments of the Lord,
that we shall never hear the painful sound that Saints and sinners are
one; this I should abhor. I pray that the Latter-day Saints will live
so that God, Jesus Christ, and the angels will love them, and the devil
and all his hosts will hate them. (5)
I have never yet been able to discover in all my researches in sacred
history that a Gospel hater, a Jesus Christ hater, and a God hater ever
spoke well of Saints, either in the former or in the latter days, but
have ever sought occasion against them from the most trifling
circumstances. We have an instance of this, when the disciples of
Jesus, in passing through the cornfield, being hungry, began to pluck
the ears of corn, and eat; the Pharisees, seeing this, said to Jesus,
"Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the
Sabbath day." You may read at your leisure the answer of the Savior.
This was a trick of the devil to bring evil upon Jesus and His
disciples. Satan and his followers think no better of the Saints now
than they did in the life time of the Savior, and I hope never to see
the day when they will find favor in the eyes of the wicked. It is
true, some will backslide, leave the Church of Jesus Christ, and
receive the spirit of the world and the love of it, and, finally, be
lost; but the great body of the Saints, I most fervently believe, will
never amalgamate with Baal. (6)
I will now say a few words relating to the subject which was presented
to the people this morning. Inquiries were made by the speaker, why we
have not seen God; why we are subject to sin; why we are in this fallen
world? I will briefly answer these queries. If our Father and God
should be disposed to walk through one of these aisles, we should not
know him from one of the congregation. You would see a man, and that is
all you would know about him; you would merely know Him as a stranger
from some neighboring city or country. (7)
This is the character of Him whom we worship and acknowledge as our
Father and God: when He is disposed to visit a house, a neighborhood,
or a congregation, He does it at His pleasure; and although He may be
seen by mortals in this character, yet no man can see Him in His glory
and live. (8)
When the Lord sends an angel to visit men, He gives him power and
authority to appear to the people as a man, and not as an angel in his
glory; for we could not endure the presence even of an angel in his
glory. No mortal man has ever seen God in His glory at any time and
lived. We may have seen the Lord and angels many times, and did not
know it. (9)
I will be satisfied with seeing and associating with His children whom
I now behold, for there is not a son or daughter of Adam and Eve before
me to-day but what is the offspring of that God we worship. He is our
Heavenly Father; He is also our God, and the Maker and upholder of all
things in heaven and on earth. He sends forth His counsels and extends
His providences to all living. He is the Supreme Controller of the
universe. At His rebuke the sea is dried up, and the rivers become a
wilderness. He measures the waters in the hollow of His hand, and
meteth out heaven with a span, and comprehendeth the dust of the earth
in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in scales, and the hills in a
balance; the nations to Him are as a drop in a bucket, and He taketh up
the isles as a very little thing; the hairs of our heads are numbered
by Him, and not a sparrow falleth to the ground without our Father; and
He knoweth every thought and intent of the hearts of all living, for He
is everywhere present by the power of His Spirit - His minister the
Holy Ghost. He is the Father of all, is above all, through all, and in
you all; He knoweth all things pertaining to this earth, and He knows
all things pertaining to millions of earths like this. (10)
The Lord Jesus Christ might come among us and we would not know Him;
and if he were to come in our midst and speak unto us to-day, we might
suppose Him to be one of our returned missionaries; (11)
and if He was to make himself known unto us, some might say to Him, as
it was said by one of old, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth
us." He would simply say, "He that hath seem me hath seen the Father,
and how sayest thou, then, shew us the Father?" It is written of Jesus,
that, besides His being the brightness of His Father's glory, He is
also "the express image of His person." (12)
The knowledge of the character of the Only Begotten of the Father comes
to us through the testimony, not of disinterested witnesses, but of His
friends, those who were most especially and deeply interested for their
own welfare, and the welfare of their brethren. We have no testimony
concerning the Savior's character and works, only from those who were
thus interested in His welfare and success, and in the building up of
His kingdom. (13)
It has been often said, if a disinterested witness would testify that
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, many might believe his testimony; but
no person could be believed, by any intelligent person, who would
testify to a matter of such importance, and who would still view it as
a thing in which he had no interest. But they who are interested, who
know the worth of that man and understand the spirit and the power of
his mission, and the character of the Being that sent and ordained him,
are the proper persons to testify of the truth of his mission, and the
character of the Being that sent and ordained him, are the proper
persons to testify of the truth of his mission, and they are the most
interested of any living upon the earth. (14) So it was with those who bore witness of the Savior, and of His mission on the earth. (15)
If Jesus should veil His glory and appear before you as a man, and
witness of himself as being the image of his Father, would you believe
that he was really Jesus Christ and that he told you the truth? And if
you believed His words, would you not wonder exceedingly to hear that
our Father and God is an organized being after the fashion of man's
organization in every respect? Such, however, is the case. (16)
One of the prophets describes the Father of us all, saying, "I beheld
till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose
garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool;
his throne was like the fiery flame," etc. The prophet further says,
"thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him," etc. Again, "and, behold, one like the Son
of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him." Now, who is this Ancient of
days? (17)
You may answer this question at your pleasure, I have already told the
people. But the Savior would answer the question as to the appearance
of the Father of us all, by saying, "Look at me, for I am the very
express image of My Father." (18)
Then if the Father is precisely like his Son Jesus Christ, where is the
man here in the flesh that is precisely like the Savior? We have not
seen Him in person, but there are men on the earth who have seen Him in
vision. As to whether the Savior has got a body or not is no question
with those who possess the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, and are
endowed with the Holy Priesthood; they know that he was a man in the
flesh, and is now a man in the heavens; He was a man subject to sin, to
temptation, and to weaknesses; but He is now a man that is above all
this - a man in perfection. (19)
And what shall we say of our Heavenly Father? He is also a man in
perfection, and the father of the man Jesus Christ, and the father of
our spirits; (20)
He lives far above the influence and power of sin, and holds in his
hands the destinies of all. We have not seen the person of the Father,
neither have we seen that of the Son; but we have seen the children of
the Father, and the brethren of the Savior, who are in every way like
them in physical appearance and organization. Although mankind of the
same color look alike, yet there exist expressions of the features by
which one person can be distinguished from another. The human family
all resemble one another in the main characteristics of humanity, and
all resemble the Savior who died for us; and could we see him in the
flesh, as he appeared to the ancients, we should very likely find that
some men are more like him that others in feature and form, as we often
see men who are more like Joseph Smith than others are. God is our
Father, Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, and we are all brethren, and
of one family, and our Heavenly Father is subjecting us to sin, misery,
pain, and death for the exquisite enjoyment of an exaltation. This will
answer my mind for the present with regard to the character of our
Father and our God, and with regard to our Savior. (21)
The reason of our being made subject to sin and misery, pain, woe, and
death, is, that we may become acquainted with the opposites of
happiness and pleasure. The absence of light brings darkness, and
darkness an appreciation of light; pain an appreciation of ease and
comfort; and ignorance, falsehood, folly, and sin, in comparison with
wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, and truth, make the latter the more
desirable to mankind. Facts are made apparent to the human mind by
their opposites. We find ourselves surrounded in this mortality by an
almost endless combination of opposites, through which we must pass to
gain experience and information to fit us for an eternal progression. (22)
Those who are enlightened by the spirit of truth, have no difficulty in
seeing the propriety and the benefit to us of this state of things.
Like heavenly beings, we are endowed with the power of free volition;
for God has given to mankind their agency, making them amenable to him
for their sins, and entitling them to blessings and rewards for the
good they do, and according to their faith in him. It is the wish of
our Heavenly Father to bring all his children back into his presence.
The spirits of all the human family dwelt with him before they took
tabernacles of flesh and became subject to the fall and to sin. (23)
He is their spiritual Father, and has sent them here to be clothed with
flesh, and to be subject, with their tabernacles, to the ills that
afflict fallen humanity. When they have proved themselves faithful in
all things, and worthy before Him, they can then have the privilege of
returning again to his presence, with their bodies, to dwell in the
abodes of the blessed. If man could have been made perfect, in his
double capacity of body and spirit, without passing through the ordeals
of mortality, there would have been no necessity of our coming into
this state of trial and suffering. Could the Lord have glorified his
children in spirit, without a body like his own, he no doubt would have
done so. (24)
We read that there is nothing impossible with God. In a broad sense
there is not; but in another sense there are things he never attempted
and never will. He will not exalt a spirit to thrones, to immortality,
and eternal lives, unless that spirit is first clothed in mortal flesh,
and with it, passes through a mortal probation, and overcomes the
world, the flesh, and the devil through the atonement made by Jesus
Christ and the power of the Gospel. The spirit must be clothed as He
is, or it never can be glorified with him. He must of necessity subject
his children to the same, through a strict observance of the ordinances
and rules of salvation. To attain to this glory, it is required that we
love and honor his name, reverence his character and the ordinances of
his house, and never speak lightly of him, of his Son Jesus Christ, or
of those who bear His Priesthood; never speaking evil of dignities, who
are clothed with the authority of Heaven; for to all such it will be
said, "Depart from me, ye cursed," etc. I say to all, honor God and his
Holy Priesthood, which he bestows upon mankind expressly for the
purpose of bringing them again into his presence, with their
resurrected and renewed tabernacles, for exaltation and glory. (25)
I cannot on the present occasion say all that I would on these matters.
The riches of eternity and the marrow of life are embraced in them;
they are full of life to all who desire life, they will increase life
to those who live, and give life to those who seem to have no life. It
is as easy to understand these principles when the mind is opened by
the Spirit of the Almighty, as it is to understand one of the simple
lessons in the child's first reader. Here are some of the twelve
apostles listening to what I have to say; they have heard me speak at
length upon these doctrines, and they have been taught from time to
time for years past. The speaker this morning possessed a sweet, loving
spirit, and gave us a lovely discourse, but did not think of these
things which have been told him time and time again. I would exhort my
brethren to read the Scriptures, and seek earnestly for the Spirit of
the Almighty to understand them; and this great subject, at which I
have merely glanced, will appear to them in all its simplicity and
grandeur. Let each man so live that he may know these things for
himself, and be always ready to give a reason of the hope within him to
all who may ask it. (26)
I am trying to be a Latter-day Saint, and I think I shall conquer. I
may come short in a thousand things; but I think I shall receive my
reward as a faithful servant of God, which I hope to do, and I also
hope you will. Let us live so that we may still add to our present
stock of knowledge, and have the disposition within us to do even
better than we have hitherto done; although I do not know that I could
do better than I have done since I have been in this kingdom: if I were
to live my life over again, I should be afraid to try it, lest I might
make the matter worse instead of better. Let us live so that the
oracles of truth, the words of life, and the power of God shall dwell
within us constantly. You will not hold these remarks long in your
memories, and although they are printed and you can read them at your
leisure, yet they may lie upon the book shelf neglected, and the mind
remain barren of the true information they contain. (27)
The whole world has gone after Lucifer; they follow the lusts of their
eyes and the wicked desires of their depraved minds; they have all gone
after sin, except a few, and all hell seems bent on making those few
apostatize from the truth; but they cannot destroy the kingdom of God. (28)
Some few will be dazzled by the tinsel show and fair pretensions of the
world, and be led away from the truth by the silken cords of the enemy
of all righteousness; but they do not know the misery of the world.
When they get into hell, they would be willing to be preached to, that
they might get out, if they could. It would be well for all who wish to
apostatize to do so, and give your room for others who want it. We are
told that we must be tried in all things; there may yet remain a few
things in which we have not yet been tried, and in some things we have
been tried pretty well. (29)
Who is for God and his kingdom? I can tell you truly that there are
more for the kingdom of God than there are against it. This is a
pleasing reflection. We have on former occasions made known to the
people the state of the wicked after death; if they will not listen to
the testimony of the servants of God, let them taste of the sufferings
of the damned and drink of the bitter cup to the dregs, and then they
will very likely call for mercy. May the pure in heart ever be enabled,
through the mercy of the Lord, to shun suffering, and not be obliged to
pass through the great misery that many will who have turned away from
the truth, forsaken the principles of life and salvation, and their
God, until they are destroyed. This we cannot help. Let the pure in
heart, and all those who desire the truth, magnify their calling, and
they will have all the sorrow and misery they want. Still, the faithful
servants and handmaidens of the Almighty never have, nor never will,
suffer like the wicked have and will. (30)
The Latter-day Saints, in all their drivings, and persecutions, and
sufferings in consequence thereof, have not begun to suffer the
distress, the heart wringing, the great woe and slaughter that now
spread gloom over our once happy land. If we could behold at one glance
the suffering that is endured in one day through the war which is now
depopulating some of the fairest portions of the land, we should become
sick at heart and cry to God to close the vision. (31)
It is the kingdom of God or nothing with us, and by the help of the
Almighty we shall bear it off triumphantly to all nations, gather
Israel, build up Zion, redeem Israel, and Jesus Christ will triumph,
and we shall reign with him on the earth, and possess it and all its
fulness with him. (32)
May the Lord bless you. Amen. (33)
1) Christians will grow in the knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18.
2) The New Covenant that is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ for your sins is very important to Christians.
When the hour had come, He sat
down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent
desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for
I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of
God.”
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take
this and divide it among yourselves; for
I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God
comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This
is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Likewise He also took the cup after supper,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in
My blood, which is shed for you. But
behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. Luke 22:14-21.
3) The New Covenant that is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ for your sins is very important to Christians.
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of
His cross. Colossians 1:19-20.
4) Christians proclaim Jesus Christ while Brigham Young has made Mormons guilty before God.
For I received from the Lord that
which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in
which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it
and said, “Take,
eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In
the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This
cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:23-27.
5) Brigham Young enslaved Mormons into religious slavery through rules and regulations.
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.
6) Mormon leadership antagonized non-Mormons continually in the 19th century.
And
thus, even as I have said, if ye are faithful ye shall assemble
yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the
land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.
Doctrines and Covenants 52:42, June 7, 1831.
7) God the Father is spirit and not a man according to the blasphemer Brigham Young.
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:18.
8) God the Father is spirit and not a man according to the blasphemer Brigham Young.
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24.
9) God the Father is spirit and not a man according to the blasphemer Brigham Young.
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
10) Brigham Young forgot to mention that God the Father never changes or was a man.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6.
11) Jesus Christ will not return to the earth until His second coming.
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. Hebrews 10:12-13.
12) The Father and Son have the exact same nature and Christians bear witness of Jesus Christ.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:15-18.
13) Christians will have a 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.
14) Brigham Young had a testimony of Joseph Smith his god.
On
29 August 1877 Brigham Young lay on his deathbed. His last words were:
“Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!” Ensign Magazine, August 1977.
15) Christians will have a testimony of Jesus Christ.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
16) God the Father is spirit and not a man according to the blasphemer Brigham Young.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that
He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken,
and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19.
17) A dream is not an actual viewing of an actual person.
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream
and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream,
telling the main facts. Daniel 7:1.
18) According to the Scripture quoted by Brigham Young, he is a false prophet.
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.
19) Brigham Young is without excuse for his damnation.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Romans 1:18-23.
20) God the Father is spirit and not a man according to the blasphemer Brigham Young.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17.
21) We are subjected to sin, misery, pain, and death due to inherited sin but eternal life comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:18-21.
22) Will believe Jesus Christ or the blasphemer Brigham Young about your final makeup?
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” Matthew 22:29-30.
23) Humans come into existence at conception not before.
However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 1 Corinthians 15:46.
24) Spiritual children of God are those who have placed their faith in 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. Galatians 3:22-26.
25) The Mormon priesthood will never receive any glory in heaven.
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13.
26) The Christian hope of eternal life is based on shed blood of Jesus Christ in faith.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19-23.
27) Christians will be guided by the Holy Spirit using the Holy Bible in context.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
28) The kingdom of God is not the Mormon church based in Utah.
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21.
29) Brigham Young used fear to keep Mormons loyal to the church.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:17-19.
30) Brigham Young used fear to keep Mormons loyal to the church.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7.
31) Brigham Young was a false prophet based on the 1870 United States census.
The United States Census of 1870 was the ninth United States Census. Conducted by the Census Bureau, it determined the resident population of the United States to be 39,818,449, an increase of 22.6 percent over the 31,443,321 persons enumerated during the 1860 Census. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
32) Christians will be witnesses of Jesus Christ.
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.
33) Blasphemer false prophets will never be blessed by God.
“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.