Brigham Young's Sermon on Mormon Intelligence - 10/9/1859
I shall address you this morning upon a subject that is more
interesting to me than any other pertaining to the life of man. It is a
subject of deep study and research, and has been from age to age among
the reflecting and philosophical portions of the human family. The
intelligence given to the children of men is the subject to which I
allude, and upon which has been expended more intellectual labour and
profound thought than upon any other that has ever attracted the
attention of man. (1)
The Psalmist has written, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and
honour." This passage is but one of many which refer to the
organization of man as though it were a great mystery - something that
could not be fully comprehended by the greatest minds while dwelling in
earthly tabernacles. It is a matter of vital interest to each of us,
and yet it is often farthest from the thoughts of the greater portion
of mankind. Instead of reflecting upon and searching for hidden things
of the greatest value to them, they rather wish to learn how to secure
their way through this world as easily and as comfortably as possible.
The reflections what they are here for, who produced them, and where
they are from, far too seldom enter their minds. (2)
Many have written upon this great subject, and there exists a great
variety of reflections, views, and opinions which I have not time to
dwell upon in detail. I will merely give you a few texts, or what you
may term a text-book. Nor shall I now take time to minutely elaborate
any particular point, but will present such views as shall come into my
mind, trusting that I shall have your faith and prayers to be able to
edify both Saint and sinner, believer and unbeliever. (3)
If the inhabitants of the earth thoroughly understood their own being,
their views, feelings, faith, and affections would be very different
from what they now are. Many believe in predestination, while others of
the Christian world oppose that doctrine and exclusively advocate free
grace, free will, free offering, etc.; and each party of Christians has
its pet theory or doctrine, upon which it builds its hopes of eternal
salvation. Such a course is like five or six hundred men each selecting
and running off with a piece of the machinery of a cotton mill, and
declaring that he had the cotton mill entire. This comparison may be
truly applied to the Christian world as it now is with regard to the
holy and divine principles which have been revealed pertaining to
eternal life and salvation. (4)
Many of you, no doubt, have concluded that the doctrine of election and
reprobation is true, and you do so with propriety, for it is true; it
is a scriptural doctrine. Others do not believe this doctrine,
affirming with all their faith, might, and skill that free grace and
freewill are or ought to be the foundation of man's faith in his
Creator. Very well. I can also say to them that free grace and freewill
are scripturally true. The first-named doctrine is as true as the
second, and the second as the first. Others, again, declare that
mankind have no will, neither free nor restrained, in their actions;
for instance, the Rationalists or Freethinkers, who deny the existence
and divinity of the Gods that we believe in. But so far from their
believing their own theory, Mr. Neil, of Boston, while in prison for
having no religion, wrote an essay, in which he declared that "All is
God." (5)
I might enumerate many more instances, and say that they are all right
so far as they go in truth. The doctrine of freewill and conditional
salvation, the doctrine of free grace and unconditional salvation, the
doctrine of foreordination and reprobation, and many more that I have
not time to enumerate, can all be fully and satisfactorily proved by
the Scriptures, and are true. (6)
On the other hand, many untrue doctrines are taught and believed, such
as there being infants, not a span long, weltering in the flames of
hell, there to remain throughout the countless ages of eternity, and
the doctrine of total depravity. Some have gone so far as to say that a
man or woman who wishes to be saved in the kingdom of God - who wishes
to be a servant or handmaid of the Almighty, must feel that deep
contrition of heart, that sound repentance, and such a sense of his or
her unworthiness and nothingness, and of the supremacy, glory, and
exaltation of that Deity they believe in, as to exclaim before God and
their brethren and sisters that they are willing to be damned. To me
that is one of the heights of nonsense; for if a person is willing to
be damned, he cares not to make the efforts necessary to secure
salvation. All this confusion is in the world - party against party -
communities against communities - individuals against individuals. One
sets out with five truths and fifteen errors, making the articles of
his faith twenty; another dissents from him, rejects those five truths,
selects perhaps five more, and adds as many errors as did the former
one, and then he comes out a flaming reformer. Men, in dissenting from
one another, have too often exercised no better judgment than to deny
and dissent from many truths because their ancestors cherished and
believed them, which has produced numerous parties, sects, and articles
of faith, when, in fact, taking them in mass, they have an immense
amount of true principles. (7)
It was the occupation of Jesus christ and his Apostles to propagate the
Gospel of salvation and the principles of eternal life to the world,
and it is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and
Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a
truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists, or
the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the
Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of
the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have
more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church
(Jesus, their elder brother, being at their head,) to gather up all the
truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we
preach, to mechanism of every kind, to the sciences, and to philosophy,
wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people,
and bring it to Zion. (8)
The people upon this earth have a great many errors, and they have also
a great many truths. This statement is not only true of the nations
termed civilized - those who profess to worship the true God, but is
equally applicable to pagans of all countries, for in their religious
rights and ceremonies may be found a great many truths which we will
also gather home to Zion. All truth is for the salvation of the
children of men - for their benefit and learning - for their
furtherance in the principles of divine knowledge; and divine knowledge
is any matter of fact - truth; and all truth pertains to divinity. (9)
When we view mankind collectively, or as nations, communities,
neighbourhoods, and families, we are led to inquire into the object of
our being here and situated as we find ourselves to be. Did we produce
ourselves, and endow ourselves with that knowledge and intelligence we
now possess? All are ready to acknowledge that we had nothing to do
with the origin of our being - that we were produced by a superior
Power, without either the knowledge or the exercise of the agency we
now possess. We know that we are here. We know that we live, breathe,
and walk upon the earth. We know this naturally, as the brute creation
knows. We know that our food and drink come from the elements around
us: by them we are nourished, cherished, refreshed, and sustained, with
the addition of sleep. We live and breathe, and breathe and live. Who
can define and point out the particularities of the wonderful
organization of man? (10)
It enters into the minds of but few that the air we inhale is the
greatest source of our life. We derive more real nourishment to our
mortal tabernacles from this element than from the solid food we
receive into our stomachs. Our lungs expand and contract to sustain the
life which God has given us. Of the component parts of this great
fountain of vitality I have not time to treat; but this interesting
information you may gather in part from numerous works on natural
philosophy. I will, however, say that the air is full of life and
vitality, and its volume fills immensity. The relative terms height,
depth, length, and breadth do not apply to it. Could you pass with the
velocity of the electric fluid over telegraphic wires, during the
continuation of more years than you can comprehend, you would still be
surrounded by it and in the bosom of eternity as much as you now are;
and it is filled with the spirit of life which emanates from God. (11)
Many have tried to penetrate to the First Cause of all things; but it
would be as easy for an ant to number the grains of sand on the earth.
It is not for man, with his limited intelligence, to grasp eternity in
his comprehension. There is an eternity of life, from which we were
composed by the wisdom and skill of superior Beings. It would be as
easy for a gnat to trace the history of man back to his origin as for
man to fathom the First Cause of all things, lift the veil of eternity,
and reveal the mysteries that have been sought after by philosophers
from the beginning. What, then, should be the calling and duty of the
children of men? Instead of inquiring after the origin of the Gods -
instead of trying to explore the depths of eternities that have been,
that are, and that will be, - instead of endeavouring to discover the
boundaries of boundless space, let them seek to know the object of
their present existence, and how to apply, in the most profitable
manner for their mutual good and salvation, the intelligence they
possess. Let them seek to know and thoroughly understand things within
their reach, and to make themselves well acquainted with the object of
their being here, by diligently seeking unto a superior Power for
information, and by the careful study of the best books. (12)
The life that is within us is a part of an eternity of life, and is
organized spirit, which is clothed upon by tabernacles, thereby
constituting our present being, which is designed for the attainment of
further intelligence. The matter composing our bodies and spirits has
been organized from the eternity of matter that fills immensity. Were I
to fully speak what I know and understand concerning myself and others,
you might think me to be infringing. I shall therefore omit some things
that I would otherwise say to you if the people were prepared to
receive them. (13)
Jesus Christ says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent." We are not now
in a capacity to know him in his fulness of glory. We know a few things
that he has revealed concerning himself, but there are a great many
which we do not know. When people have secured to themselves eternal
life, they are where they can understand the true character of their
Father and God, and the object of the creation, fall, and redemption of
man after the creation of this world. These points have ever been
subjects for speculation with all classes of believers, and are
subjects of much interest to those who entertain a deep anxiety to know
how to secure to themselves eternal life. Our bodies are organized from
the eternity of matter, from such matter as we breathe, and from such
matter as is found in the vegetable and mineral kingdoms. This matter
is organized into a world, with all its appendages, by whom? By the
Almighty; and we see it peopled by men and women who are made in the
image of God. (14)
All this vast creation as produced from element in its unorganized
state; the mountains, rivers, seas, valleys, plains, and the animal,
vegetable, and mineral kingdoms beneath and around us, all speaking
forth the wonderful works of the Great God. Shall I say that the seeds
of vegetables were planted here by the Characters that framed and built
this world - that the seeds of every plant composing the vegetable
kingdom were brought from another world? This would be news to many of
you. Who brought them here? It matters little to us whether it was
John, James, William, Adam, or Bartholomew who brought them; but it was
some Being who had power to frame this earth with its seas, valleys,
mountains, and rivers, and cause it to teem with vegetable and animal
life. (15)
Here let me state to all philosophers of every class upon the earth,
When you tell me that father Adam was made as we make adobies from the
earth, you tell me what I deem an idle tale. When you tell me that the
beasts of the field were produced in that manner, you are speaking idle
worlds devoid of meaning. There is no such thing in all the eternities
where the Gods dwell. Mankind are here because they are the offspring
of parents who were first brought here from another planet, and power
was given them to propagate their species, and they were commanded to
multiply and replenish the earth. The offspring of Adam and Eve are
commanded to take the rude elements, and, by the knowledge God has
given, to convert them into everything required for their life, health,
adornment, wealth, comfort, and consolation. Have we the knowledge to
do this? We have. Who gave us this knowledge? Our Father who made us;
for he is the only wise God, and to him we owe allegiance; to him we
owe our lives. He has brought us forth and taught us all we know. We
are not indebted to any other power or God for all our great blessings.
(16)
We see man upon the earth, and discern that he is endowed with great
intelligence, which displays its scope and power in various ways to
meet and provide for the exigencies and wants of the human race. Wise
statesmen know how to devise and plan for a kingdom, and can closely
calculate the results of the policies they adopt. They understand the
course to be pursued to induce the people to submit to a wholesome
government or to a despotic rule as may please the will of the rulers.
There are historians of various grades, philosophers wise and simple,
and an exceedingly great variety of capacities and tastes. In our
Republican government we see some who are acute politicians, but that
seems to be the extent of their knowledge. You may find others who are
good statesmen, but poor politicians. Some are excellent
mathematicians, and understand and care for but little outside that
science. Still, if a man is capable of learning the geography of the
earth, he is also capable of learning the laws of the nations that
inhabit it, if you will give him time according to his capacity. One
scholar in a school may far outstrip the rest; but give them sufficient
time, and they can learn what the quick, bright scholar has learned so
easily and quickly. If we are capacitated to learn one thing to-day, we
can learn another to-morrow. It is the height of folly to say that a
man can only learn so much and no more. The further literary men
advance in their studies, the more they discern there is to learn, and
the more anxious they are to learn. This is made manifest before us day
by day, and is observed upon the face of the whole earth. (17)
The principle of intelligence is within us. Who planted it there? He
who made us. That which you see developed in the children of men (you
may call it disposition, or whatever else you please,) is the force of
the mind or the spirit, and the body is a tabernacle organized for its
temporary habitation. (18)
It is written of the Saviour that he descended below all things. If he
did he descended in capacity. I will merely tell you what I believe on
this point. I believe that there never was a child born on this earth
with any less capacity than dwelt in the child that was born in a
manger of his mother Mary. I believe, according to the natural ability
which he received from his mother and from his supposed father Joseph,
that there never was a child that descended lower in capacity, or that
knew less. Yet, according to the history given of him, his power of
mind developed with such wonderful rapidity that when he was but a few
years old he propounded questions to the learned doctors of his day
which they could not answer, and answered questions propounded to him
which the querists could not answer. He increased in wisdom and
knowledge, and came into communication with his Father. The Being whom
we call Father was the Father of the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and he was also his Father pertaining to the flesh. Infidels and
Christians, make all you can of this statement. The Bible, which all
Christians profess to believe, reveals that fact, and it reveals the
truth upon that point, and I am a witness of its truth. The Apostles
who were personally acquainted with Jesus Christ did know and
understand what they wrote, and they wrote the truth. (19)
He was endowed with capacity to receive intelligence. We, his brethren,
are also endowed with capacity to receive intelligence. And what some
would call the volition of the creature - the will of the creature –
the disposition, the power of willing or determining, is bequeathed to
us in like manner as it is to the Son of God; and it is as independent
as it is inherited by the angels or Gods - that is, the will to dispose
of this intelligence at our pleasure in doing good or evil. It is held
by the followers of Robert Owen that men are more or less influenced
entirely in their actions by the force of circumstances: but is there a
man or woman in this house that could not walk out, if you wanted to -
if your will was set in you to do it? or sit here until meeting is out,
if you are disposed? The volition of the creature is made independent
by the unalterable decree of the Almighty. I can rise up or sit still -
speak or be silent. Were this not so, I would at once request parents
never to correct a child for another disobedient act. (20)
We are organized to be so independent in this capacity as to determine
and act for ourselves as to whether we will serve God and obey him in
preference to serving ourselves. If we serve ourselves and evil
principles, we do not subserve the object of our creation. This element
of which our tabernacles are organized is calculated to decompose and
return to its mother earth, or to its native element. This
intelligence, which might be called divine intelligence, is implanted
in mortal or human beings; and if we take a course to promote the
principles of life - seek unto our Father and God, and obtain his will
and perform it, the spirit will become purified, sanctified, cleansed,
and made holy in the body, and the grave will cleanse the flesh. When
the spirit overcomes the evil consequences of the fall, which are in
the mortal tabernacle, it will reign predominant in the flesh, and is
then prepared to be exalted, and will, in the resurrection, be reunited
with those particles that formed the mortal body, which will be called
together as with the sound of a trumpet and become immortal. Why?
Because the particles composing these bodies have been made subject and
obedient, by the law of the everlasting Priesthood, and the will and
commandment of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, who holds the keys of
life and death. Every principle, act, and portion of the lives of the
children of men that does not tend to this will lead to an eternal
dissolution of the identity of the person. (21)
"Why," some say, "we thought that the wicked were to be sent to hell to
dwell with eternal burnings for evermore." They go to hell and will
stay there until the anger of the Almighty consumes them and they
become disorganized, as the elements of the fuel we burn are
disorganized by the action of fire and thrown back again to their
native element. The wicked will endure the wrath of God and be "turned
into hell, with all the nations that forget God." What will be done
with them there? Those who did not persecute the Son of God in the
flesh while acting for themselves and following the direction of their
own will - those who did not persecute the holy Priesthood of the Son
of God - those who did not consent to the shedding of innocent blood -
those who did not seek to obliterate the kingdom of God from the earth,
will, by-and-by, be sought after. (22)
You read about a first resurrection. If there is a first, there is a
second. And if a second, may there not be a third, and a fourth, and so
on? Yes; and happy are they who have a part in the first resurrection.
Yes, more blessed are they than any others. But blessed also are they
that will have part in the second resurrection, for they will be
brought forth to enjoy a kingdom that is more glorious than the
sectarian world ever dreamed of. (23)
The "Mormon" Elders will tell you that all people must receive this
Gospel - the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and be baptized for the remission
of sins, or they cannot be saved. Let me explain this to you. They
cannot go where God and Christ dwell, for that is a kingdom of itself -
the celestial kingdom. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many
mansions," or kingdoms. They will come forth in the first, second, or
some other resurrection, if they have not been guilty of the particular
sins I have just mentioned; and they will enjoy a kingdom and a glory
greater than they had ever anticipated. When we talk about people's
being damned, I would like to have all understand that we do not use
the term "damnation" in the sense that it is used by the sectarian
world. Universal salvation or redemption is the doctrine of the Bible;
but the people do not know how or where to discriminate between truth
and error. All those who have done according to the best of their
knowledge, whether they are Christians, Pagans, Jews, Mohammedans, or
any other class of men that have ever lived upon the earth, that have
dealt honestly and justly with their fellow-beings, walked uprightly
before each other, loved mercy, tried to put down iniquity, and done as
far right as they knew how, according to the laws they lived under, no
matter what the laws were, will share in a resurrection that will be
glorious far beyond the conception of mortals. (24)
How many times have I been asked, "Do you believe that such a man as
John Wesley will be damned?" I could answer the question either way,
for they do not know what it is to be saved or damned. John Wesley is
in the spirit-world. He did not receive the ordinances of the
everlasting Gospel in the flesh, and consequently is not prepared to
hold the keys of the kingdom and be a minister of the great work of God
in the last dispensation, but is dependent upon others to attain a
celestial glory. Has he gone to hell? No. When the spirit leaves the
body, it goes into the spirit-world, where the spirits of men are
classified according to their own wills or pleasure, as men are here,
only they are in a more pure and refined state of existence. Do you
suppose that John Wesley is lifting up his eyes in hell, being in
torment? No; he is talking to those who heard and would not believe him
when he was on the earth. He may be asking them whether they do not now
see the justice of a reformation from the Church of England mode of
religion - whether they do not now see that that Church had gone astray
from the true religion, and that he was right. Yes; and they, no doubt,
see it as John Wesley does, and are willing to worship God according to
the best knowledge they have. As death left him, so judgment will find
him, trying to worship God in the best manner he was acquainted with.
John Wesley and his true followers will receive a glory far surpassing
what they ever thought or dreamed of while under the influence of their
greatest inspirations, and they will be saved. Are they also damned?
Yes, because they have not attained the victory over the enemy of all
righteousness. It is the holy Priesthood of God that gives man the
victory in this world, and he begins to reign over the power of the
enemy here. The keys of the kingdom of the Son of God outreach and
circumscribe the power of the Enemy. (25)
Much has been said about the power of the Latter-day Saints. Is it the
people called Latter-day Saints that have this power, or is it the
Priesthood? It is the Priesthood; and if they live according to that
Priesthood, they can commence their work here and gain many victories,
and be prepared to receive glory, immortality, and eternal life, that
when they go into the spirit-world, their work will far surpass that of
any other man or being that has not been blessed with the keys of the
Priesthood here. (26)
Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days. (27) I
can tell our beloved brother Christians who have slain the Prophets and
butchered and otherwise caused the death of thousands of Latter-day
Saints, the priests who have thanked God in their prayers and
thanksgiving from the pulpit that we have been plundered, driven, and
slain, and the deacons under the pulpit, and their brethren and sisters
in their closets, who have thanked God, thinking that the Latter-day
Saints were wasted away, something that no doubt will mortify them -
something that, to say the least, is a matter of deep regret to them -
namely, that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into
the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. (28)
From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the
winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the
certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance
into the mansion where God and Christ are - I with you and you with me.
I cannot go there without his consent. He holds the keys of that
kingdom for the last dispensation - the keys to rule in the
spirit-world; and he rules there triumphantly, for he gained full power
and a glorious victory over the power of Satan while he was yet in the
flesh, and was a martyr to his religion and to the name of Christ,
which gives him a most perfect victory in the spirit-world. He reigns
there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God
does in heaven. Many will exclaim - "Oh, that is very disagreeable! It
is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!" But it is true. (29)
I will now tell you something that ought to comfort every man and woman
on the face of the earth. Joseph Smith, junior, will again be on this
earth dictating plans and calling forth his brethren to be baptized for
the very characters who wish this was not so, in order to bring them
into a kingdom to enjoy, perhaps, the presence of angels or the spirits
of good men, if they cannot endure the presence of the Father and the
son; and he will never cease his operations, under the directions of
the Son of God, until the last ones of the children of men are saved
that can be, from Adam till now. (30)
Should not this thought comfort all people? They will, by-and-by, be a
thousand times more thankful for such a man as Joseph Smith, junior,
than it is possible for them to be for any earthly good whatever. It is
his mission to see that all the children of men in this last
dispensation are saved, that can be, through the redemption. You will
be thankful, every one of you, that Joseph Smith, junior, was ordained
to this great calling before the worlds were. I told you that the
doctrine of election and reprobation is a true doctrine. It was decreed
in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth
were laid, that he should be the man, in the last dispensation of this
world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the
fulness of the keys and power of the Priesthood of the Son of God. The
Lord had his eye upon him, and upon his father, and upon his father's
father, and upon their progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from
Abraham to the flood, from the flood to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam.
He has watched that family and that blood as it has circulated from its
fountain to the birth of that man. He was foreordained in eternity to
preside over this last dispensation, as much so as Pharaoh was
fore-ordained to be a wicked man, or as was Jesus to be the Saviour of
the world because he was the oldest son in the family. (31)
Abraham was ordained to be the father of the faithful, - that is, he
was ordained to come forth at a certain period; and when he had proved
himself faithful to his God, and would resist the worship of idols, and
trample them under his feet in the presence of their king, and set up
the worship of the true God, he obtained the appellation of "father of
the faithful." "For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son." (32)
He knew, millions of years before this world was framed, that Pharaoh
would be a wicked man. He saw - he understood; his work was before him,
and he could see it from the beginning to the end. And so scrutinizing,
penetrating, and expanded are his visions and knowledge, that not even
a hair of our head can fall to the ground unnoticed by him. He foreknew
what Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, would do. Joseph was foreordained
to be the temporal saviour of his father's house, and the seed of
Joseph are ordained to be the spiritual and temporal saviours of all
the house of Israel in the latter days. Joseph's seed has mixed itself
with all the seed of man upon the face of the whole earth. The great
majority of those who are now before me are the descendants of that
Joseph who was sold. Joseph Smith, junior, was foreordained to come
through the loins of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so on down
through the Prophets and Apostles; and thus he came forth in the last
days to be a minister of salvation, and to hold the keys of the last
dispensation of the fulness of times. (33)
The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the
intelligences that are placed upon it, that they may live, endure, and
increase for ever and ever. We are not here to quarrel and contend
about the things of this world, but we are here to subdue and beautify
it. Let every man and woman worship their God with all their heart. Let
them pay their devotions and sacrifices to him, the Supreme, and the
Author of their existence. Do all the good you can to your
fellow-creatures. You are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. God
has created of one blood all the nations and kingdoms of men that dwell
upon all the face of the earth: black, white, copper-coloured, or
whatever their colour, customs, or religion, they have all sprung from
the same origin; the blood of all is from the same element. Adam and
Eve are the parents of all pertaining to the flesh, and I would not say
that they are not also the parents of our spirits. (34)
You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth,
uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly
deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is
generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the
odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest
of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might
have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of
human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him,
which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the
flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race - that
they should be the "servant of servants;" and they will be, until that
curse is removed; and the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the
least alter that decree. How long is that race to endure the dreadful
curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they
never can hold the Priesthood or share in it until all the other
descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the
blessings of the Priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones
of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favourable
position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of
the Priesthood. They were the first that were cursed, and they will be
the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the
family of Adam come up and receive their blessings, then the curse will
be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessings in
like proportion. (35)
I have but just commenced my remarks, and have presented you a few
texts; and it is now time to adjourn. The exertion required to speak to
you somewhat at length seems to injure me. I will therefore stop. I
bless you all, inasmuch as you have desired and striven to do right, to
revere the name of Deity, and to exalt the character of his Son on the
earth. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen. (36)
1) Wisdom of God comes from faith in Christ knowing that He died for your sins.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us
in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His
will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that
in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth—in Him. Ephesians 1:7-10.
2) Brigham Young did not recognize Jesus Christ in this passage.
For He has not put the
world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in
a certain place, saying:
“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
You have made him a
little lower than the angels; You have
crowned him with glory and honor, And
set him over the works of Your hands.
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He
left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all
things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the
angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the
grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:5-9.
3) A greater topic would be God’s love for mankind.
“What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!” Job 15:14-16.
4) Christian salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is not complicated.
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 2:8-9.
5) Christian salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is not complicated.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37
6) Mormon doctrines on God cannot be proven from Scripture.
Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! About whom holy men have written and spoken − HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non−professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later. Brigham Young sermon delivered on April 9, 1852.
7) Mankind is sinful therefore a Savior is needed.
And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Mark 7:20-23.
8) The Christian Gospel is the death or Jesus Christ for the sins of the world.
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.
9) Brigham Young and pagans never abided in the words of Jesus Christ.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.
10) It is far better to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:8-11.
11) It is eternally better to be “born again” than restricted by a religious organization.
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:7-8.
12) Mormonism is actually polytheistic paganism.
“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22.
13) Only God is eternal while matter was created.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1-3.
14) Christians have put their total faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7.
15) God created plant life not aliens bringing seeds here from outer space.
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:11-13.
16) Adam was not an alien from outer space. He was created by one God.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27.
17) The Christian message is foolishness to those who are perishing.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19.
18) The Christian message is foolishness to those who are perishing.
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.
19) Mormon paganism says that Jesus was created through physical sex.
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in
her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you
shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their
sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be
with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”
which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:20-23.
20) Mankind does not inherit Godly wisdom from their parents.
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from
God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is
written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians
1:30-31.
21) Mankind does not inherit Godly wisdom from their parents.
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows
the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even
so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God,
that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12.
22) The fictional Mormon priesthood will not save anyone after death.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those
who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin,
for salvation. Hebrews 9:27-28.
23) Everyone will be resurrected for judgment.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for
them. 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 20:11-15.
24) Universal salvation was never taught by Jesus Christ.
Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will
be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and
they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those
who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears
to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:40-43.
25) Christians are victorious through faith in Jesus Christ.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes
the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John
5:4-5.
26) Faith in Jesus Christ is the power of God for eternal salvation.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:16-17.
27) Joseph Smith was a self-admitted gross sinner.
And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws
of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. Doctrine &
Covenants 3:6.
28) Joseph Smith the sinner instigated problems with non-Mormons.
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.
Doctrine & Covenants 52:42
29) Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven not the sinner Joseph Smith.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in
Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that
where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way
you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are
going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:1-6.
30) The Mormon baptism for the dead was a pagan ritual.
Otherwise, what will they (pagans) do who are baptized for the dead, if
the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they (pagans) baptized for
the dead? And why do we (Christians) stand in jeopardy every hour? 1
Corinthians 15:29-30.
31) The plan of salvation never changed to include Joseph Smith the sinner.
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. Ephesians 2:4-7.
32) Only God is all-knowing or omniscient.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He
foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He
predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also
justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans
8:28-30.
33) Brigham Young’s god was actually Joseph Smith the sinner.
On 29 August 1877 Brigham Young lay on his deathbed. His last words
were: “Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!” Ensign Magazine – August 1977, page
34.
34) The purpose of creation was God’s love.
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.
35) Brigham Young was a racist and there should be no slavery amongst Christians.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if
you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise. Galatians 3:28-29.
36) God will not bless Mormon racists who preach ungodly heresies.
“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.