Mormon History
The Salt Lake Daily Tribune
October 29, 1880
THE FATHER OF THE
LATTER-DAY COVENANT.
________
It is not generally known among
the Latter-day Saints that the name first given to their organization was "The
Church of Christ." This name was continued about four years when, on May 3,
1834, at the instance of Sidney Rigdon, the name was changed to the "Church of
Latter-day Saints." The history of Joseph Smith (Mill. Star, vol. xi, p.
65) says at this time the style was changed to "Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints," but this cannot be true, since the "Doctrine and Covenants,"
published in 1835, has for
title page, "Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of [the Latter Day Saints]
carefully selected from the revelations of God and compiled by Joseph Smith, jr.,
Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rifdon, Frederick G. Williams, presiding elders of said
Church, proprietors," etc. No compilation of "Joseph Smith, President," was ever
submitted to the Saints, and in 1835 when the Book of Doctrine and Covenants was
submitted, it was done by Rigdon and Cowdery, Joseph Smith not being present.
"The Prophet" was in Kirtland just before and after this event, but happened not
to be "on hand" when the revelations which the Lord had given him were
submitted, with much ado, to the Saints for their acceptance.
It was in 1838 that the Mormon organization received its present name, "Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints." Hence all those allusions, in Mormon
Church History, which refer to the organization, prior to 1838, under this
title, are falsifications.
In 1844-5 Sidney Rigdon re-established, at Pittsburg, his original "Church,"
first styling it "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" and later"Church
of Christ." At a Conference held in April, 1845, when he fully reorganized his
"Church of Christ" he gave, to the careful student of the great Latter day work,
some very importnat clews to the mystery of its origin -- and its originator. In
what follows one can clearly discern the abnormal genius out of which Mormonism
sprang:
Friday, 9 o'clock a. m., April 11.
Conference met persuant to
adjournemnt, President Rigdon read a hymn from page 147, "How often in sweet
meditation my mind," which was sung. Prayer by Presidnet Cowles.
The Prsident (Rigdon) said this Conference is drawing to a close, and the most
solemn part is now coming, which is that of covenant making. We have covenanted
with each other, it is now our duty to covenant with heaven. To complete the
victory of this Kingdom we must bind the heavens by a covenant. It is in the
power of this KIngdom to bind the heavens. From the earliest period of the
history of God's dealing with men, there was one promise handed down from
generation to generation, that whenever there were any people found on earth who
would obtain and organize the Kingdom of God, God promised to that people that
He would bear them off triumphant, with the Kingdom they had organized, and with
it give them all things.
In all the past time, God bound men on earth, but now, by virtue of the promises
God has made us, respecting His kingdom, we must turn around and bind the
heavens, that the promises which God has made concerning his kingdom may be
fulfilled upon our heads, inasmuch as we have obtained the power and organized
the kingdom of promise. In explanation of the covenant by which we bind the
heavens, let me ask a question. Upon what principle did this kingdom come into
existence?
Question momentous, elder Sidney. And you the man of all others best qualified
to answer. Hear, hear.
It was by one
man alone, between him and his God, bowing in a secret place before God, where
there was no eye to see him, or ear to hear him, but that of Jehovah's alone,
decreeing in his heart, (But Daniel purposed in his his heart,) in the presence
of God, and calling upon heaven to witness the decree, that if the kingdom of
promise spoken of by Daniel did not come into existence in this generation, it
shall not be the fault of him who now presented himself before the heavens in
his heart, and ready to do the will of his God, whenever made known, thus
binding the heavens to that promise, to set up and organize that kingdom, etc.
According to this covenant, thus made with the heavens, and this bond wherewith
the heavens were bound, you are here from almost every part of the United States
and Europe, strangers to each other in the flesh, of different religious
opinions. each one for himself declaring "the Lord had sent him," many of you
not knowing for whatm until you came; and few, if any, understanding the great
object for which you were sent. That you may understand why it was the Lord
operated upon your minds to come hither, we have given you the account of the
foregoing covenant before our God, the result of which is, the organization of
the kingdom of promise, of which you, individually, form a part.
Of course Rigdon was not the simpleton to inform his dupes, in so many words,
that this was the modus operanda of establishing "the kingdom of promise"
fifteen years or so before 1845. Verbum sap. A wink is as good as a nod
to a blind horse. He continueth:
Now, brethren,
it becomes your privilege to bind the heavens, by another covenant, that this
kingdom in your hands may triumph, each one for himself, presenting himself
before God with uplifted hands to heaven, declaring in the presence of God, the
holy messengers and one another, at the same time decreeing in your hearts
before God that if this kingdom does not triumph and prevail, according to the
promise made through the prophet Daniel, it shall not be your fault, thus
binding the heavens for a fulfillment of the promises made concerning it. After
which the covenant was entered into before God, by all standing on their feet,
with their hands lifted to heaven, while the President pronounced the covenant
which was sealed by the loud amen of every individual.
Here we have, as in a manner, the whole crazy, fanatical "grip," the fierce
undying tenacity of the Mormon to his "faith."
But this is only part. From what follows one can see clearly where the great
Mormon doctrines of "sealing for eternity," "proxy" baptism for the dead, etc.
all came from.
We have
another covenant to make, that is solemn, sublime and grand. It is to bind the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the
fathers that when the Lord comes the whole earth may not be smitten with a
curse, and we may secure our line of progenitors and descendants from one end of
the line to the other. It is an established principle in the kingdom of heaven
that those whom God has chosen to be kings and priests unto himself in his
kingdom have the right before God to bind the heavens in solemn covenant, to
perfect their own; and without which their salvation never could be perfected.
In order to make this covenant, each one for himself must stand before God, with
his hands lifted to heaven, and in the presence of God, as a king and a priest
unto God, express before the heavens his will and his desire, in relation to his
fathers, and his and their descendants, and ask God to seal in the heavens this
promise and this blessing, to be fulfilled upon their heads, when the redemption
of the promised possession shall come, thus binding the hearts of the children
to the fathers, by which covenant we bind heaven and earth together, for unto
this end was the dispensation of the fullness of times [is] the same as the
dispensation of the kingdom spoken of by Daniel, which dispensation God, in his
mercy, has been pleased to give unto us, and we, under his direction, have now
organized it.
There are, to day, in houses and streets and stores of Salt Lake City not a few
of these "kings and priests unto God" who owe the fact that they are such to the
crotchets of this man Sidney and to nothing else. Rigdon did not regard
himself in the light of anti-Christ. By no means. On the contrary, he was quasi
Christ, a sort of ad interim Christ; he was the very "messenger of the
covenant" spoken of in Malachi. When Christ came he was ready to yield up the
Kingdom he had built up for him to Christ, but to none other. Who was Joe Smith,
pray, or Brigham Young? Mere pupets in his hands, who without Rigdon, would have
been probably alive and "peeping," and painting in some sequestered vale of life
to this day.
The President
then said, I am determined, when we come to the end of our consecrations, to
present the kingdom to the heavens spotless before God, and say, Father receive
it, and bear it off triumphantly, for it is thine. (Had not Rigdon the crazy
notion in his muddle that he was a sort of Christ? There have been others, but
none with so much method in his madness as the founder of Mormonism). We have
moved cautiously since we commenced. Brethren, let me [atone] to-day. Let me go
forward as the Lord directs, and no evil spirit shall have dominion over us, or
prevent us from accomplishing the great object before us. I have confidence in
you, brethren, that you will do so. Be patient, until we get all the machinery
prepared and put together, every wheel in its place, with all its parts oiled,
and then we (we!) will set it in motion, and God will make it roll through the
earth in majesty and in great power, until the glory thereof shall fill the
whole earth.
"We" set Mormonism agog in 1830. God never did.
Note: The above article has all the earmarks of having been crafted by James T.
Cobb, Esq. If so, it was evidently one of his final contributions to the
Tribune on the subject of Mormon origins.
