The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year / Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture

Footnotes

1. Richards and Little's, of "The Seventy's Indispensible Library," always meant.

2. Third edition always quoted.

3. "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."—Joseph Smith.

4. Third edition always quoted.

5. "There are two Priesthoods spoken of in the Scriptures, viz., the Melchisedek and the Aaronic or Levitical. Although there are two Priesthoods, yet the Melchisedec Priesthood comprehends the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood, and is the grand head, and holds the highest authority which pertains to the Priesthood, and the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth, and is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation, and every important matter is revealed from heaven." (History of the Church, Vol. IV, pp. 207, et. seq.)

"Therefore, in viewing the Church as a whole, we may strictly denominate it one Priesthood." (History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 478.)

6. The distinction in the terms "temporal" and "spiritual" are used in connection with this subject that man may understand; that is, God adapts himself to man's terms, but with God there is no such distinction as temporal and spiritual, but all things are spiritual. (See Doc. & Cov., Sec. 29:31-35.)

7. Job xi: 7.

LESSON III.

THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE SEVENTY. (Continued.)

SPECIAL TEXT: Let it become a special conviction with all, that to become a Seventy means mental activity, intellectual development, and finally spiritual power.

"All are to preach the gospel by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost; and no man can preach the gospel without the Holy Ghost."—JOSEPH SMITH.

NOTES.

1. Of Labors Other than Special that Seventies May Perform: While preaching the gospel unto all nations is the special business of the Twelve and Seventy, it must not be thought that that is the only function which the Seventy may discharge. As on occasion the High Priests and Elders and members of the lesser Priesthood can be used to assist in the work of the foreign ministry (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 84:106-111), so also, when at home, and not engaged in the special work of their calling, the Seventy may be employed in the home ministry, and assist the standing ministry in the wards and stakes of Zion in perfecting the Saints and edifying the body of Christ until they shall all come unto a unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Paul, in his most excellent description of the Church organization, likens it unto the body of a man. Accepting his illustration it may be said that the foreign ministry may be regarded as the right arm of the Church, and the home ministry as the left arm. Now, because one is the right arm and one the left, shall either refuse to assist the other at need? Or shall this organization (the Church), which is said to be the "body of Christ," be as effectual in the performance of its functions as the natural body of man is, and in every case of need have the right hand come to the assistance of the left, and vise versa? Right reason will approve an affirmative answer.

2. Power of the Melchisedek Priesthood: The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of Presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things. The Presidency of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchisedek, have a right to officiate in all the offices in the Church. High Priests after the order of the Melchisedek Priesthood, have a right to officiate in their own standing, under the direction of the Presidency, in administering spiritual things; and also in the office of an Elder, Priest, (of the Levitical order), Teacher, Deacon, and member. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 106:8-10.)

While the statements here made about the higher officers of the Church administering in the lower offices—a High Priest officiating in the office of Elder, Priest, Teacher or Deacon—are limited to High Priests, yet the principle holds good as to Seventies also. Besides note the statement, "The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church, in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things;" and as the Seventy holds this Melchisedek Priesthood, he may, under the direction of the presidency (See Ibid verse 10), administer in any of the offices of the Church; also this has always been the practice of the Church; and the practice of the Church, generally speaking, is the best interpretation of the scripture.

3. Organization of the Seventy. The quorums of Seventy are organized with special reference to their calling as the foreign ministry of the Church. It will be observed that their organization is different from that of every other quorum in the Church, for whereas in all other quorums of the higher Priesthood the presidency consists of one president and two counselors, in the quorum of the Seventy there are seven presidents of equal power and authority. That is to say, there is not one president and six counselors, but each of the seven is a president and in power and authority is equal with his fellow-presidents; but for the sake of order the right of presidency is recognized as being vested in the senior president by ordination. "And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the Seventy. And the seventh president (counting from the one last ordained) of these presidents is to preside over the six." In the absence of the senior president the next senior in ordination becomes the acting president. By this simple arrangement all confusion as to the right of presiding is obviated, for no sooner does the council of a quorum or any part thereof convene, than each president knows at once upon whom the responsibility of presiding rests, let them meet where they may.

By virtue of having seven presidents a quorum of Seventy is not easily disorganized, and this doubtless was one of the objects in view in this arrangement. One, two, three, or even six of the presidents could be sent abroad upon missions (although that is not likely to be the case at any one time) and yet the quorum would have a president left, who, with the quorum, would be competent to transact whatever of business might be necessary for that quorum.

Other duties and advantages growing out of this organization are apparent on a little reflection. Suppose, for instance, that a quorum of Seventy should be sent out bodily to preach the gospel, as the quorum of the Twelve at times have been. You would then have an organization which could be broken up into seven groups of ten men each, with a president for each group. These groups could be broken up into five pairs, and the Elders travel two and two, as the law of the gospel requires. It can be readily seen that such a quorum could be a flying column, capable of being broken up, first into groups and sent into different districts; and the groups again broken up into pairs and spread out over a wide area of country. The pairs could be called together in groups of ten for conference, for adjustment and rearrangement of traveling companions, and the groups occasionally brought together in quorum conference, report, or transact whatever business might be necessary, and again be scattered into fields of labor. In all of which there appears the very finest adaptation of means to an end; and also there appears more than mere human wisdom displayed in this organization of the quorums of the foreign ministry.

4. Of the First Quorum of the Seventy: In the revelation before quoted it is said: "And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the seventy. * * * And these seven presidents are to choose other Seventy besides the first Seventy, to whom they belong, and are to preside over them; and also other Seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor in the vineyard of necessity requires it."

It must not be understood that this passage limits the number of quorums to seven times seventy, for the Prophet, at the time the quorums were being organized, stated that "If the first Seventy are all employed and there is a call for more laborers, it will be the duty of the seven presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain other Seventy, and send them forth to labor in the vineyard, until if needs be, they set apart seven times seventy, and even until there are 144,000 thus set apart for the ministry." (See Church History, Vol. II: 221 and Notes.)

It will be observed in the quotation from the Doctrine & Covenants above that provision is made that the presidents of Seventy are to be "chosen out of the number of the Seventy." It is because of this special provision that when inadvertently High Priests have been selected for presidents of Seventy they have taken their place again in the quorum of High Priests and others from among the Seventy, as provided by the law of God, chosen to fill their place. It will also be observed that the council of the First Seventy, in addition to presiding over their own quorum (the first), have a general presidency over all the quorums of the Church. It is this first quorum, members and presidents together, which constitutes what, by way of explanation, we may call the quorum of Seventy, the quorum of which it is said that they are equal in authority to the quorum of the twelve special witnesses, or Apostles.

5. Summary. It may be said by way of recapitulation that the Seventy hold the Melchisedek Priesthood; that with the Twelve, under whose directions they labor, they constitute the foreign ministry of the Church: that their special calling is to travel and preach the gospel in all nations, first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews; that they can, on occasion be employed in the work of the ministry at home, because their Priesthood authorizes them to do good and bring to pass righteousness wherever they may be, and when acting in order and under the direction of the Twelve Apostles they may do whatever is necessary to be done in order to accomplish the purposes of God, whose ministers they are; but their organization has particular reference to their special work of preaching the Gospel in all the world.

6. An Intelligent and Informed Ministry Contemplated in the Church: After this brief review of the organization and duties of the Seventies, it must be clearly manifest that it is the imperative duty of those holding this office in the Priesthood to make careful and thorough preparation to discharge the responsibilities of their high calling as the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus. Being special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world, preachers (i. e., teachers) of the gospel, and authorized under the direction of the Twelve Apostles to act in the name of the Lord in "building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. cvii), it behooves them to become witnesses who understand the truth of which they testify, skilled workman, ambassadors of whom the Master need not be ashamed. It is evident that the Lord never designed that his ministry should be an ignorant ministry; for to the early Elders of his Church, in this last dispensation, when instructing a number of them to prepare for labor in the vineyard, he said:

"And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom; teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand. Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land, and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms. That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. * * * Therefore, verily, I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek, ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study, and also by faith." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 88:77, 78, 80 and 117, 118.)

The instructions then given to the Elders of the Church are still applicable to men engaged in the same ministry, and charged with like responsibility.

Elsewhere I have said, on the foregoing passage from the Doctrine and Covenants:

"I think I may safely challenge any one to point out a broader field of knowledge than is here indicated. It includes all spiritual truth, all scientific truth, all secular knowledge—knowledge of the past, of the present, of the future; of the heavens, and of the earth. A knowledge of all countries, their geography, languages, history, customs, laws and governments—everything in fact that pertains to them. There is nothing in the heights above or the depths below that is not included in this field of knowledge into which the commandment of God directs his servants to enter. I may claim for it that it includes the whole realm of man's intellectual activities. And the doctrine that whatever principles of intelligence man attains unto in this life will rise with him in the morning of the resurrection—this doctrine that nothing acquired in respect of knowledge is ever lost, must forever form the most powerful incentive to intellectual effort that possibly can be conjured up by the wit of man. So that, referring to the acquirement of knowledge, and intellectual development, Mormonism at once both indicates the broadest field and furnishes the grandest incentive to intellectual effort." ("The Mormon Point of View in Education," Improvement Era, Vol. II, p. 119.)

Commenting once upon the above passages from the Doctrine and Covenants, the writer remarked:

"I trust no one will receive the impression that I leave out of consideration, or have not attached proper importance to the part which the Spirit of God takes in these things (the preaching of the gospel). I think there is no one with whom I am acquainted that believes more fervently than I do that in order to succeed in preaching the gospel one must do so by the gift and by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that the Lord has given instruction to the Elders of the Church that separates their methods of work, as wide as day is separated from the night, from those methods of preaching adopted by the world—I know that he has said: "Think not what ye shall say, but in the very hour that it is needed it shall be given to you that which you shall say." But while I remember that, I remember also the admonition which he has given to the Elders in the self same passage, to the effect that they should "treasure up continually the words of life," a part of the instruction that I have sometimes thought is too much neglected. I believe we shall best succeed if, when treasuring up the words of life, we do it systematically; that instead of being like an unwise builder who throws into one promiscuous heap lime, sand, bricks and frames, together with a hundred and one other materials that enter into the construction of his building, that each be placed by itself, carefully stored away where the workmen can readily find it and bring each part to the building as the builder has need. So, I say, systematize your efforts in reading, in thought, in speech, and after you have done all that, I believe that you will have all the more claim upon the Spirit and blessing of God. After you have made the attempt to carry out the instructions which our Father in heaven has given in respect of storing your minds with the words of life, you can then go to him saying: "Father, I have done all I can with the powers thou hast placed at my command, now help me by thy grace; and bless all that I have done, and the honor and praise and the glory shall be thine." Under these circumstances, if your efforts be accompanied by secret prayer before God, who hears in secret and rewards openly, he will bless your ministry beyond all your expectation." ("Preparation for the Ministry," a discourse delivered in Salt Lake Tabernacle, Oct. 28, 1894.)

Footnotes

1. Compare verse 33 with verse 32: also verses 25 and 26, with verses 23 and 24, Doc. & Cov., Sec. 107.

PART II.

A Study of the Hebrew Scriptures.—-The Old Testament.

LESSON I.

THE ANTIQUITY, CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

SPECIAL TEXT: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."—JESUS.

NOTES.

1. Antiquity of the Hebrew Sacred Books: Josephus in his first book against Apion ascribes the most ancient books of the Hebrew race—the Pentateuch, the five books—to Moses, and in contrasting the Hebrew literature with that of the Greeks, he says:

"We, therefore, (who are Jews) must yield to the Grecian writers as to language and eloquence of composition; but then we shall give them no such preference as to the verity of ancient history, and least of all as to that part which concerns the affairs of our several countries. As to the care of writing down the records from the earliest antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that the priests were intrusted therewith, and employed a philosophical concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did so among the Babylonians, and that the Phoenicians, who were mingled among the Greeks, did especially make use of their letters both for the common affairs of life and for the delivering down the history of common transactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they took no less care about writing such records, (for I will not say they took greater care than the others I spoke of,) and that they committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets, and that these records have been written all along down to our own times with the utmost accuracy. * * * * * For our forefathers did not only appoint the best of these priests, and those that attended upon the divine worship, for that design from the beginning, but made provision that the stock of the priests should continue unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the Priesthood must propagate of a wife of the same nation, without having regard to money, or any other dignities: but he is to make a scrutiny, and take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables, and procure many witnesses to it. And this is our practice not only in Judea, but wheresoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even there an exact catalogue of our priests' marriages is kept; I mean at Egypt and at Babylon, or in any other place of the rest of the habitable earth, whithersoever our priests are scattered; for they send to Jerusalem the ancient names of their parents in writing, as well as those of their remoter ancestors, and signify who are the witnesses also. * * * But what is the strongest argument of our exact management in this matter is what I am now going to say. That we have the names of our high priests from father to son set down in our records, for the interval of two thousand years; and if any of these have been transgressors of these rules, they are prohibited to present themselves at the altar, or to be partakers of any other of our purifications; and this is justly, or rather necessarily done, because every one is not permitted of his own accord to be a writer, nor is there any disagreement in what is written; they being only prophets that have written the original and earliest accounts of things, as they learned them of God himself by inspiration; and others have written what hath happened in their own time, and that in a very distinct manner also: For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, (as the Greeks have,) but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times, which are justly believed to be divine. And of them, five belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes; the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life. It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have given credit to these books of our own nation, is evident by what we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one hath been so bold as either to add anything to them, to take anything from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be, willingly to die for them. For it is no new thing for our captives, many of them in number, and frequently in time, to be seen to endure racks and deaths of all kinds upon the theatres, that they may not be obliged to say one word against our laws and the records that contain them." (Antiquity of the Jews, Flavius Josephus Against Apion, Book 1, pp. 582-583.)

2. The Effect of Recent Discoveries in Chaldea and Egypt on the Authorship of the Five Books in the Bible Ascribed to Moses:

"The Assyrian inscriptions which have been recently recovered and given to the English-speaking peoples by Layard, George Smith, Sayce, and others, show that in the ancient religions of Chaldea and Babylonia there was elaborated a narrative of the creation which, in its most important features, must have been the source of that in our own sacred books. It has now become perfectly clear that from the same sources which inspired the accounts of the creation of the universe among the Chaldee-Babylonian, the Assyrian, the Phoenician, and other ancient civilizations came the ideas which hold so prominent a place in the sacred books of the Hebrews. * * * * From this idea of creation was evolved in time a somewhat nobler view. Ancient thinkers, and especially, as is now found, in Egypt, suggested that the main agency in creation was not the hands and fingers of the Creator, but his voice. Hence was mingled with the earlier, cruder belief regarding the origin of the earth and heavenly bodies by the Almighty the more impressive idea that "he spake and they were made"—that they were brought into existence by his word." (A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, Vol. 1, pp. 2-3).

Referring again to the work of the noted Archaeologists mentioned above, with others, Mr. White goes on to say that they "have deciphered a multitude of ancient texts, especially the inscriptions found in the great library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh, and have discovered therein an account of the origin of the world identical in its most important features with the later accounts in our own book of Genesis. These men have had the courage to point out these facts and to connect them with the truth that these Chaldean and Babylonian myths, legends, and theories were far earlier than those of the Hebrews, which so strikingly resemble them, and which we have in our sacred books; and they have also shown us how natural it was that the Jewish accounts of the creation should have been obtained at that remote period when the earliest Hebrews were among the Chaldeans, and how the great Hebrew poetic accounts of creation were drawn either from the sacred traditions of these earlier peoples or from antecedent sources common to various ancient nations." (A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, Vol. 1, p. 20.)

There can be no doubt but what the accounts of creation found in these Assyrian and Egyptian sources are earlier than those written by Moses, or that they are similar in import, but because of these facts is it necessary to discredit either the Mosaic authorship of the five books of the Bible accredited to that Prophet, or doubt the inspiration of these accounts? And yet this has been the result of these discoveries on many minds. The truth is, that the outlined facts of the creation have been known by our race from earliest times, from the days of Adam in fact. They were matters of common knowledge among the antediluvian patriarchs, and through the family of Noah were preserved for the families and races of men subsequent to the flood; and variously distorted these creation facts were preserved by all people. But all this did not prevent the Lord from revealing the creation history to Moses, nor does it require us to doubt the inspiration which rested upon him and that enabled him to weave into splendid coherent form the fragmentary truths held among the ancient Egyptians and Assyrian peoples. That there were pre-Mosaic documents containing accounts of creation and the history of God's hand-dealings with ancient peoples, we have abundant proof of in the Book of Abraham, which so strangely came into the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith (See Church History, Vol. II, pp. 235-6, 348-350). Also that the Lord revealed the creation facts, and also the early history of our race to Moses, is confirmed by revelation to the Prophet of the nineteenth century, Joseph Smith (See Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, pp. 1-48, also History of the Church, Vol. I, 98 et seq.)

The student will find a well written article by Professor A. H. Sayce, in "The Bible Treasury," pp. 37-42, that bears upon this subject. The matter is also discussed at some length in Young Men's Manual for 1903-4 (No. 7)., chap. I.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the writers of the New Testament bear emphatic testimony to the authenticity and divine authority of the Old Testament, since these writers so frequently quoted it as a work of divine authority. "Indeed," says an accepted authority in this class of literature, "the references are so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaic books throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character, design and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments, that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidence in proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classics being the productions of the authors whose names they bear." (Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, preface.)

3. Hagiographa: Hagiographa—the Greek name of the last of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament. They are variously reckoned, but usually comprise the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. (The Century Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Vol. IX.)

4. The Subdivisions of the Old Testament—Its Dignity and Authority: The student will observe that the classification of the books in the several authorities cited, all vary somewhat in the grouping and subdivisions of them; but I believe it will be found that the grouping in the analysis of the Seventies' Bible Dictionary will be found most complete and satisfactory. One thing should be borne in mind with reference to this whole volume of ancient Hebrew scripture, and that is, whatever the sub-division may be, history, legislation, poetry, prophecy, biography, or proverbs, it is written under the inspiration of God. That does not mean that human elements are not to be found in it, but rather that a divine spirit is present in the midst of those human elements giving forth light and truth and wisdom such as is to be found in no merely human production. There is a divine spirit always present in these scripture narratives, prophecies and poetry that make the whole to contain a revelation of God, and an account of his methods of doing things among men, all of which gives to those writings an authority that does not pertain to the ordinary writings of men.

Footnotes

1. It will be understood that by "Seventies' Bible," is meant throughout the Bible selected for the "Seventies' Indispensible Library," "The Teacher's Bible," Cambridge edition.

2. Hackett edition always quoted.

3. Third edition always quoted.

4. This work will always be so quoted, it is a recent work produced in collaboration by Robert Jamieson, D. D., St. Paul's, Glasgow, Scotland; A. R. Fausset, D.D., St. Cuthberts, York, England; and David Brown, D.D., Professor of Theology, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the best works of its kind, and represents the latest orthodox interpretations of the Scriptures, and while the Elders which make up our ministry may not accept the doctrinal interpretation of this or any other commentary, its historical and critical treatise are among the most recent and valuable.

LESSON II—LECTURES.^[1]

THE HEBREW SACRED BOOKS—THE OLD TESTAMENT.

SPECIAL TEXT: "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?"—JEREMIAH.

NOTES.

1. The Apocrypha. "The collection of books to which this term is popularly applied includes the following. The order given is that in which they stand in the English version. I. Esdras. II. Esdras. Tobit. Judith. The rest of the chapters of the Book of Esther, which are found neither in the Hebrew nor in the Chaldee. The Wisdom of Solomon. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. Baruch. The Song of the Three Holy Children. The History of Susanna. The History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon. The Prayer of Manasseh, King of Judah. I. Maccabees. II. Maccabees."^[3]

A brief treatise on each of the foregoing books of the Apocrypha will be found in the Seventy's Bible Dictionary, Art. Apocrypha, also in "Bible Treasury," pp. 351, 353; Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, I and II Macabees will be found in the Roman Catholic English version, known as the Douay Bible, the Roman Church regarding them as of equal authority with other books of the Old Testament.

2. Definition of Apocrypha: "The word Apocrypha means "secret" or "hidden," and is applied to a class of writings which have been definitely rejected from the books of the Old and New Testaments; but the reason why they were called secret books, rather than private or secondary books, is not clear. * * * * Probably every attempt to define the limits of canonical or inspired books will result in the distinction of three classes of books: (1) the Canonical Scriptures, about which every one is agreed; (2) the disputed books, about which there is no general agreement; (3) the books which are universally rejected. It is to the third class that the term Apocrypha properly applies, the intermediate class being more correctly known as Antilegomena, or disputed books. * * * * * It is commonly stated that the reason for the rejection of the books referred to from the Old Testament [the Apocrypha] was that they were not found current in Hebrew, but only in Greek. It is quite possible that in some cases the reason why the books were not extant in Hebrew was that they had been previously judged uncanonical. A book soon disappears when it has been condemned. Even the Greek text of some parts of the Apocrypha has perished—(e. g. II Esdras). We must not be surprised, therefore, if some of the apocryphal books should turn out to have been at one time extant in Hebrew." (Bible Treasury, p. 351.)

3. Attitude of the Roman Catholic Church Respecting the Apocrypha: Some Catholic theologians previous to the Council of Trent, 1545-1563, were in doubt as to the inspiration of some of the books of the Apocrypha admitted into the Catholic Canon; but Dr. Smith, in his Bible Dictionary, says: "The Council of Trent closed the question which had been left open, and deprived its theologians of the liberty they had hitherto enjoyed—extending the Canon of Scripture so as to include all the hitherto doubtful or deutero-canonical books, with the exception of the two books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh, the evidence against which seemed too strong to be resisted (Sess. IV. de Can. Script). In accordance with this decree, the editions of the Vulgate, published by authority, contained the books which the Council had pronounced canonical, as standing on the same footing as those which had never been questioned, while the three which had been rejected were printed commonly in smaller type and stood after the New Testament." (Dictionary p, 122.)

Catholics, however, insisted that the list of canonical books agreeing "in substance with the list of divinely inspired books, held by Catholics to the present day," was authorized by the twenty-sixth statute of the Council of Hippo, held in Africa in the year 393, and the third Council of Carthage 397, A.. D., and the sixth Council of Carthage 419, A. D., give the same list or canon of books as the Council of Hippo. "Although the inspiration of some of these books was held to be doubtful by a few of the Fathers, previous to these two Councils, the same Fathers ceased to have any doubt upon it after the decision of these Councils; so that, while some of the Apocrypha have been considered uninspired, as the third and fourth of Esdras, and third and fourth of Macabees, some other of these books have been recognized as inspired, and are called by Catholics Deutero-canonical. These have, therefore, the very same sanction and authority that all the books of the New Testament have, in addition to the long-standing veneration of the Jewish Church for them." (Catholic Belief, Bruno, pp. 13-14.)

Catholics will be compelled, however, to admit that several books of the Apocrypha now accepted by them and published in the Douay Bible, are not in the list given by the three Councils above mentioned. Moreover, in the list of General Councils published in Bruno's work, in enumerating the achievement of the Council of Trent, he says: "The Catholic doctrine regarding the Holy Scripture, Tradition, Original Sin, Justification, and the Seven Sacraments, was clearly explained." (Catholic Belief, Bruno, p. 130.) So that it was not until the Council of Trent, 1545-1563, that the final word respecting the Catholic canon was spoken.

4. The Protestant Attitude Toward the Apocrypha: "The Reformers of Germany and England * * * influenced in part by the revival of the study of Hebrew and the consequent recognition of the authority of the Hebrew canon, and subsequently by the reaction against this stretch of authority, [exercised by the Council of Trent], maintained the opinion of Jerome and pushed it to its legitimate results [which led to the rejection of the books of the Apocrypha as scripture]. "Luther spoke of individual books among those in question with a freedom as great as that of Jerome, judging each on its own merits, praising Tobit as a "pleasant comedy" and the Prayer of Manasseh as a "good model for penitents," and rejecting the two books of Esdras as containing worthless fables. The example of collecting the doubtful books in a separate group had been set in the Strasburg edition of the Septuagint, 1526. In Luther's complete edition of the German Bible * * * (1534) the books (Judith, Wisdom, Tobias, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Additions to Esther and Daniel, and the Prayer of Manasseh) were grouped together under the general title of "Apocrypha, i. e. 'Books which are not of like worth with Holy Scripture,' yet are good and useful to be read. In the history of the English Church, Wicliffe showed himself in this as in other points the forerunner of the Reformation, and applied the term 'Apocrypha' to all but the 'twenty-five' Canonical books of the Old Testament. The judgment of Jerome was formally asserted in the sixth Article. The disputed books were collected and described in the same way in the printed English Bible of 1539 (Cranmer's), and since then there has been no fluctuation as to the application of the word. The books to which the term is ascribed are in popular speech not merely apocryphal, but the Apocrypha."

6. Attitude of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Apocrypha: See Doctrine and Covenants, sec. xci.

7. Definition of the Term Canon: "The word Canon in classical Greek signifies properly a straight rod, as a carpenter's rule; and hence is applied metaphorically to a testing rule in ethics or in art, or in language (e. g. the canons of Grammar.) As applied to Scripture, the word indicates the rule by which the contents of the Bible must be determined, and thus, secondarily, an index of the constituent books. The canon of Scripture may be generally described as "the collection of books which forms the original and authoritative written rule of the faith and practice of the Church." (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, p. 645.)

8. Arrangement of the Canon Ascribed to Ezra: "Among the achievements ascribed to Ezra is the collection, editing, and arrangement of the whole Jewish Scriptures in one canon, under the threefold division of the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa. In performing this work, he is assumed to have added those passages which can not have been written by the authors whose names the books bear; such as the allusion to kings of Israel in Gen. xxxvi: 31; the account of the death and burial of Moses in the last chapter of Deuteronomy; and the many references to the state of 'things at this day.' * * * * * But the main question is, whether the present canon of the Old Testament was, in substance, the work of Ezra. It must be remembered that such a work involved much more than the collection into one volume of books already existing in a separate form; it included the selection from the whole number of those which bore, and were to bear forever, the stamp of divine authority: for no one imagines that the Scriptures of the Old Testament form a complete collection of the ancient Hebrew literature. That such a work, having such authority, had been completed before the Christian era, is clear from the allusions to the Holy Scriptures in the New Testament; and it was most probably accomplished during the Persian domination, which ended B. C. 323. There is every reason for its having been performed at as early a period as possible. Ezra's care to make the people well acquainted with the word of God is as conspicuous as his own knowledge of it. No man could be more qualified, as no time could be more fit, for a work which was most needful to establish the people in their faith. That the work must have been performed by an inspired man, is an axiom lying at the foundation of the whole question, unless we believe, on the one hand, that the Church is endowed in every age with power to decide what Scriptures are canonical, or unless, on the other hand, we give up a canon, in the proper sense of the word, and reduce the authority of Scripture to that which literary criticism can establish for its separate books. On this ground, none but Ezra can be the author of the canon; for no one has ever thought of ascribing the work to Nehemiah, the civil governor and man of action; and the only claim made for Malachi is the addition of his own prophecy to the canon already framed by Ezra, and even this supposition we have seen to be unnecessary, as Ezra may have been the survivor. The attempt to ascribe the work to some unknown inspired person later than Malachi is an example of the argumentum ab ignorantia, which has no weight against the evidence of what is known." (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, pp. 645-646.)

9. The Authorized Version: The treatise on the Authorized Version in Smith's Bible Dictionary is full, and perhaps the best one extant; and while praising highly the work of the English translators of the A. V., exhibits quite clearly some of its defects, and points out the necessity for a new version. How far the "Revised Version" of 1870-1885 corrected the defects of the A. V. may be known only to Hebrew and Greek scholars; but the fact that the work was undertaken and carried to a conclusion at the expense of so much time, and scholarly effort, justifies the qualified acceptance of our English Bible set forth in one of our Articles of Faith, viz., "We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly."

Footnotes

1. It has already been suggested in our Introduction to these lessons that excuses for non-preparation should not be tolerated; and we again call attention of the quorums to this necessary attitude respecting thorough preparation of lessons; and now emphasize our suggestions by applying them to these lectures. Those who are assigned to deliver the lectures can receive their appointment two or three weeks before they are called upon to deliver them, and it should be a matter of pride with those so appointed to come to their tasks thoroughly prepared. The lecturer is supposed to occupy about thirty minutes, and the assignments should be made with due regard to the difficulties of the subject.

2. No better mental exercise exists than that of writing. It leads to very definite thinking, and to exactness of expression, and is an art that should be cultivated by the Seventies. It is suggested, therefore, that at least one of the lectures, when the quorum session is devoted to such exercises, should be given in the form of a paper, a written treatise. The subject for the paper will be indicated as above.

3. Smith's Bible Dictionary.

LESSON III.

THE PENTATEUCH.

SPECIAL TEXT: "I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."—THE LORD TO MOSES.

NOTES.

1. The Pentateuch: Definition:—"The Pentateuch is the Greek name given to the five books—commonly called the Five Books of Moses. In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah it was called "the Law of Moses," or "the Book of the Law of Moses," or simply "the Book of Moses." This was beyond all reasonable doubt our existing pentateuch. The book which was discovered in the Temple in the reign of Josiah, and which is entitled "the Book of the Law of Jehovah by the hand of Moses," was substantially, it would seem, the same volume, though it may afterward have undergone some revision by Ezra. The present Jews, as we have already seen, usually call the whole by the name of Torah, i. e., "the Law," or Torath Mosheh, "the Law of Moses." (Smith's Old Testament History, p.. 654.)

2. Greek Titles of the Books: "The division of the whole work into five parts was probably made by the Greek translators, for the titles of the several books are not of Hebrew, but of Greek origin. The Hebrew names are merely taken from the first words of each book, and in the first instance only designated particular sections, and not whole books." (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, p. 654.)

3. The Question of Authorship: "Till the middle of the last century (eighteenth) it was the general opinion of both Jews and Christians that the whole of the Pentateuch was written by Moses, with the exception of a few manifestly later additions—such as the thirty-fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, which gives the account of Moses' death. The first attempt to call in question the popular belief was made by Astruc, doctor and professor of medicine in the Royal College at Paris, and court physician to Louis XIV. He had observed that throughout the Book of Genesis, and as far as the sixth chapter of Exodus, traces were to be found of two original documents, each characterized by a distinct use of the names of God; the one by the name Elohim, and the other by the name Jehovah. Besides these two principal documents, he supposed Moses to have made use of ten others in the composition of the earlier part of his work. The path traced by Astruc has been followed by numerous German writers. * * * * * It is sufficient here to state that there is sufficient evidence for believing that the main bulk of the Pentateuch, at any rate, was written by Moses, though he probably availed himself of existing documents in the composition of the earlier part of the work. Some detached portions would appear to be of later origin; and when we remember how entirely during some periods of Jewish history, the Law seems to have been forgotten, and again how necessary it would be after the seventy years of exile to explain some of its archaisms, and to add here and there short notes to make it more intelligible to the people, nothing can be more natural than to suppose that such later additions were made by Ezra and Nehemiah." (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, pp. 653-655.)

The same conclusion is reached by James Robertson, D.D., in the Bible Treasury; and also by Prof. Samuel Colcord Bartlett, D.D., of the Theological Seminary, Chicago, in Smith's Bible Dictionary, Vol. IV, p. 243. The question is considered at some length in the Young Men's Manual, 1903-4 (No. 7), chap. I.

4. Prophecy of Moses: "And when Moses had recapitulated whatsoever he had done for the preservation of the people, both in their wars and in peace, and had composed them a body of laws, and procured them an excellent form of government, he foretold, as God had declared to him, That if they transgressed that institution for the worship of God, they should experience the following miseries: their land should be full of weapons of war from their enemies, and their cities should be overthrown, and their temple should be burnt; that they should be sold for slaves to such men as would have no pity on them in their afflictions: that they would then repent, when that repentance would no way profit them under their sufferings. Yet (said he) will that God who founded your nation, restore your cities to your citizens, with their temple also, and you shall lose these advantages not once only, but often." (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, p. 97.)

5. Suggested Readings: It is expected, of course, that the student will read all the books of the Pentateuch during the weeks which the lessons upon it will occupy; and in addition to that, so far as he may have access to them, read also the references given in the lesson analysis, which, in the main, give summaries, analyses, literary criticism, estimate theological and prophetical values of the separate books, etc. All the Bibles having "Helps," published in connection with the sacred text have analyses and comments upon the books of the Pentateuch; and these as far as possible should be read and compared. For their historical value the first four books of Josephus' Antiquities should also be read.

LESSON IV.

THE PENTATEUCH.

SPECIAL TEXT: "I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's."—MOSES.

NOTES.

1. The Nature of Government Established by Moses: "Then came the law from Mount Sinai. God became the God of Israel, everything done to establish religion, tabernacle made for his residence. Defection from religion high treason. Hence complete separation from all nations. Moses was but a mediator between God and his people; proper title legislator of the Israelites and their deliverer from the Egyptians. * * * * For administration of justice Moses divided people in tens, fifties, hundreds, thousands, and placed judges over each. Mode taken from Egypt. Amongst the higher of these judges there was much political power likewise. * * * * Each tribe had a sort of independent government, with its own magistrates and representatives; sometimes acted without aid or sanction of others, (e. g., tribe of Benjamin protected criminals of Gibeah and fought against others.) * * * * * Sometimes several tribes acted together without others. * * * * * What the influence of such a government? Exceedingly favorable to development of character and individual energies. Not favorable for harmony or tranquility." (Ancient and Modern Nations, Dew, pp. 13-14.)

2. The Law of Moses: "Though new in its general conception, it was probably not wholly new in its materials. Neither in his material nor his spiritual providence does God proceed per saltum. There must necessarily have been, before the Law, commandments and revelations of a fragmentary character, under which Israel had hitherto grown up. Indications of such are easily found, both of a ceremonial and moral nature; as, for example, in the penalties against murder, adultery, and fornication (Gen. ix. 6; xxxviii. 8), in the distinction of clean and unclean animals (Gen. viii. 20), and probably in the observance of the Sabbath (Ex. xvi. 23, 27, 29.) But, even without such indications, our knowledge of the existence of Israel as a distinct community in Egypt would necessitate the conclusion, that it must have been guided by some laws of its own, growing out of the old patriarchal customs, which would be preserved with oriental tenacity, and gradually becoming methodized by the progress of circumstances. Nor would it be possible for the Israelites to be in contact with an elaborate system of ritual and law, such as that which existed in Egypt, without being influenced by its general principles, and, in less degree, by its minuter details. As they approached nearer to the condition of a nation they would be more and more likely to modify their patriarchal customs by the adoption from Egypt of laws which were fitted for national existence. This being so, it is hardly conceivable that the Mosaic legislation should have embodied none of these earlier materials. It is clear, even to human wisdom, that the only constitution, which can be efficient and permanent, is one which has grown up slowly, and so been assimilated to the character of a people. It is the peculiar mark of legislative genius to mold by fundamental principles, and animate by a higher inspiration, materials previously existing in a cruder state. The necessity for this lies in the nature, not of the legislator, but of the subjects; and the argument therefore is but strengthened by the acknowledgement in the case of Moses of a divine and special inspiration. So far, therefore, as they were consistent with the objects of the Jewish law, the customs of Palestine and the laws of Egypt would doubtless be traceable in the Mosaic system." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 1602.)

3. Basic Principle of the Law of Moses: "The basis of human society is ordinarily sought, by law or philosophy, either in the rights of the individual, and the partial delegation of them to political authorities; or in the mutual needs of men, and the relations which spring from them; or in the actual existence of power of man over man, whether arising from natural relationship, or from benefits conferred, or from physical or intellectual ascendency. The maintenance of society is supposed to depend on a "social compact" between governors and subjects; a compact, true as an abstract idea, but untrue if supposed to have been a historical reality. The Mosaic Law seeks the basis of its polity, first, in the absolute sovereignty of God, next in the relationship of each individual to God, and through God to his countrymen. It is clear that such a doctrine, while it contradicts none of the common theories, yet lies beneath them all, and shows why each of them, being only a secondary deduction from an ultimate truth, cannot be in itself sufficient; and, if it claims to be the whole truth, will become an absurdity. It is the doctrine which is insisted upon and developed in the whole series of prophecy; and which is brought to its perfection only when applied to that universal and spiritual kingdom for which the Mosaic system was a preparation." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 1607).

4. Israel and the Law: "It was indeed often neglected [the Law] and even forgotten. Its fundamental assertion of the Theocracy was violated by the natural course of human selfishness (Jer. xxxiv. 12-17); till at last, in the reign of Josiah, its very existence was unknown, and its discovery was to the king and the people as a second publication; yet still it formed the standard from which they knowingly departed, and to which they constantly returned; and to it, therefore, all which was peculiar in their national and individual character was due. Its direct influence was probably greatest in the periods before the establishment of the kingdom, and after the Babylonish captivity. The last act of Joshua was to bind the Israelites to it as the charter of their occupation of the conquered land (Josh. xxiv. 24-27); and, in the semi-anarchical period of the judges, the Law and the Tabernacle were the only centers of anything like national unity. The establishment of the kingdom was due to an impatience of this position, and a desire for a visible and personal center of authority, much the same in nature as that which plunged them so often in idolatry. The people were warned (I Sam. xii. 6-25) that it involved much danger of their forgetting and rejecting the main principle of the Law—that "Jehovah their God was their King." The truth of the prediction was soon shown. Even under Solomon, as soon as the monarchy became one of great splendor and power, it assumed a heathenish and polytheistic character, breaking the Law, both by its dishonor towards God, and its forbidden tyranny over man." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 1609.)

5. The Gospel and the Law: "Abraham received the Priesthood from Melchisedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; * * * * This greater Priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest; and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence, therefore the Lord in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; and the lesser Priesthood continued, which Priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84.)

The above quotation from the 84th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants throws much light, not only upon the Pentateuch, but upon the whole of the Old Testament, the law of Moses, and the whole polity and history of Israel. In the light of the truth the said quotation reveals, it is to be seen that "when the Lord took the children of Israel from the land of Egypt to make of them a people for himself, he presented them first with the gospel of Christ, with all its mercy and inspiring love and gentleness; but they would not live in accordance with its high moral precepts, nor reflect in their lives its spiritual excellence. Accordingly, a less perfect law was given to Israel; a law which in the New Testament is called "the law of carnal commandments;" a law more in keeping with the status of their moral development; a law which breathed less of mercy, forgiveness and love, and more of exacting, relentless justice; demanding an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth—and this was to be their schoolmaster, to prepare them for the more excellent law of the gospel of Christ. Many things in that law of the Old Testament are confessedly imperfect, and must not be taken as reflecting the full glory and excellence of the Divine wisdom or goodness. On the contrary it is plainly stated, and that too by the voice of inspiration in the New Testament, that it was a law carnal and imperfect, and yet, withal, demanding a higher excellence than the people of those days seemed able to attain.

In proof that the gospel was first offered to ancient Israel, and then because of transgression the law of carnal commandments, I invite the reader's attention to the following Scriptures: Heb., latter part of chap. iii, in connection with Heb. iv: 1, 2; I Cor. x. 1-4; and Gal. iii; also Doc. & Cov., sec. 84; see also the chapter on "History of the Gospel" in The Gospel (Roberts), pp. 86, 87.

6. The Song of Moses: "This song is some hundred years the oldest poem in the world. There is a sublimity and beauty in the language that is unexampled. But its unrivalled superiority arises not solely from the splendor of the diction. Its poetical excellencies have often drawn forth the admiration of the best judges, while the character of the event commemorated, and its being prompted by divine inspiration, contribute to give to it an interest and sublimity peculiar to itself." (Commentary, Explanatory and Critical, p. 59.)