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

Footnotes

1. The sections cited in this and the following classification do not give all the revelations of the respective classes, only a few as illustrations.

2. See note [1].

LESSON III.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS.

SPECIAL TEXT: "Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence."—THE LORD TO JOSEPH SMITH.

NOTES.

1. Doctrinal Dominating Influence of Joseph Smith's First Vision: Any exposition of Mormon views of Deity must necessarily begin with this vision, as it is the very beginning and foundation of the Mormon doctrine of God. It establishes the great truth that God is a person, in the sense that he is an individual, in whose likeness man was made. It clearly sets forth that Jesus is also a person in the same sense and distinct from the Father. And it follows that the "oneness" of God must be a moral and spiritual oneness, not a physical identity. (See note 1, part v). The facts set forth in this vision or deducible from it must dominate all Mormon ideas upon the subject of God, and be present in all interpretations of Doctrine and Covenant passages. (See Mormon Doctrine of Deity, chapter 1.) Hence, although this great revelation, so fundamental to Mormon Doctrine, is not given a place in the Doctrine and Covenants (and why has always been a mystery to the writer), it is given in the references that it may stand in its place of first importance among our doctrines.

2. The Literary Style of the Doctrine and Covenants: The literary style of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants is wholly unique. From the nature of some of the revelations, the style necessarily is purely didactic, but even in such revelations the style is particularly striking and impressive. In some of the great doctrinal revelations the style rises to sublimity worthy of the psalms or of St. John. What could be more impressively beautiful, for example, than the opening paragraphs of section 76:

"Hear O ye heavens, and give ear O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior: Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out; his purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand; from eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. For thus said the Lord, I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end; great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 76.)

The language and imagery of the whole revelation is surpassingly beautiful. Prophets quite universally are conceded to be akin to poets, and very naturally the language of inspiration takes on the poetic spirit, and examples of this are frequent in the revelations. Take for instance, the following passage, as an example both of sublime poetry and the literature of power. (See note 7, p. 45.)

"I the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness:

"And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness;

"Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest;

"And shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying:

Students should search out such passages and make them their own.

3. The Best Manner of Studying the Revelations: The student will find it most profitable to read the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants in connection with the circumstances under which they were given. This can be done by securing Vol. I of the History of the Church, in which volume 101 out of a possible 134 revelations, are to be found published in there historical association. Some of the revelations, or parts of them, can only be understood by reading them in the manner here suggested. For example the revelation in section 46 opens in this manner:

"Hearken, O ye people of my Church, for verily I say unto you, that these things were spoken unto you for your profit and learning; But notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been given to the Elders of my Church from the beginning, and ever shall be to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Spirit; nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings, which are held before the world," etc., etc. (History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 163-4.)

Now, reading this revelation in the Doctrine & Covenants no understanding can be had from it as to what "things" are referred to in this opening paragraph, that are "spoken for your profit and learning," but when we learn, as we do from the footnote (p. 163, Vol. 1, Church History) that "in the beginning of the Church, while yet in her infancy, the disciples used to exclude unbelievers, which caused some to marvel and converse of this matter because of the things written in the Book of Mormon" (III Nephi xvii: 22-34); wherein it is learned that the Nephite church was forbidden to exclude unbelievers from their Church gatherings, and sacramental meetings, whereupon it was thought and urged by some that the practice of the Saints in Kirtland was contrary to the revealed will of the Lord respecting this matter; therefore the Saints took the passages from the Book of Mormon to the Prophet and desired to know the will of the Lord respecting this custom. "Therefore the Lord deigned to speak on this subject, that his people might come to understanding, and said that he had always given to his Elders to conduct all meetings as they were led by the Spirit." (History of the Church, note, p. 163.) Knowing these circumstances the whole matter becomes perfectly plain. We know what is meant when the revelation starts out by saying, "These things were spoken unto you for your profit and learning," etc. As it is in this case so it is in many others, the clear understanding of the revelation depends on knowing the circumstances which called forth the revelation.

Footnotes

1. Some of the great Doctrinal Revelations have already been designated. A more complete list would be sections 19, 20, 21, 42, 76, 84, 88, 89, 93, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132. Of course in all the revelations there is more or less of doctrine; even in those that may be esteemed the least some great principle is present, if not by direct announcement, then in application or illustration. But the foregoing are designated, because they are pre-eminently doctrinal in character, and by grouping them, as in the analysis, they may be the more readily consulted. It should be remembered that we are not in this lesson to attempt any treatise upon these great doctrines as such, we are merely calling attention to them now—locating them for the student, merely calling attention to their existence in our modern revelations that they may be read. Thorough consideration of them will come later in the Seventy's course in Theology.

LESSON IV.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

SPECIAL LESSON—TWO SUBJECTS.

SPECIAL TEXT: "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 104, 17-18.)

NOTES.

1. Collecting Materials: The most difficult thing in the treatment of a subject is the gathering of material—"thought-gathering." You must have material, data. Then if the student would be anything more than a mere repeater of other men's thoughts, a mere mouth for other men's ideas, this data must be thought upon, considered in every possible light that it may give birth to new ideas in his own mind, that he may bring some gift, born of his own intellectual effort, to the subject in hand. Take for example the two subjects of this lesson; merely announce the subjects without giving any references to material treating upon them, and doubtless some of our younger members would be at a loss to know how to go about gathering the materials for a treatise upon these subjects. The references, however, are given, and now the student is supposed to consult every passage given and read it with care. But he should not be content with reading just the passage cited, let him read the context. Search for other passages bearing upon the same general subject, and there are many of them; for our references never exhaust the material; they are intended only to barely give enough to help start the student upon the subject. Then let there be reflection upon what is read, out of which there will grow new thoughts—at least new to the student—and these combined after his own fashion with the ideas of the passages consulted and works read, will constitute his material for his address or paper. The note following this on "thought-gathering" is a propos and might be regarded as a continuation of this. (Read also in this connection note —, Lesson —.)

2. Thought-Gathering: "After the subject upon which we are to speak has been determined, the logical order of preparation is, first, gathering material; second, selecting what is most fitting and arranging the whole into perfect order; third, fixing this in the mind so that it may be available for the moment of use. These processes are not always separated in practice, but they may be best considered in the order indicated. When the subject is chosen and the mind fastened upon it, that subject becomes a center of attraction and naturally draws all kindred ideas toward it. Old memories that had become dim from the lapse of time are slowly hunted out and grouped around the parent thought. Each hour of contemplation that elapses, even if there is not direct study, adds to the richness and variety of our available mental stores. The relations between different and widely separated truths become visible, just as new stars are seen when we gaze intently toward the evening sky. All that lies within our knowledge is subjected to a rigid scrutiny and all that appears to have any connection with the subject is brought into view. Usually a considerable period of time is needed for this process, and the longer it is continued the better, if interest in the subject is not suffered to decline in the meanwhile. But it is somewhat difficult to continue at this work long enough without weariness. The capacity for great and continuous reaches of thought constitute a principal element in the superiority of one mind over another. Even the mightiest genius cannot, at a single impulse, exhaust the ocean of truth that opens around every object of man's contemplation. It is only by viewing a subject in every aspect that superficial and one-sided impressions can be guarded against. But the continuous exertion and toil this implies are nearly always distasteful, and the majority of men can only accomplish it by a stern resolve. Whether acquired or natural, the ability to completely "think out" a subject is of prime necessity; the young student at the outset should learn to finish every investigation he begins and continue the habit during life. Doing this or not doing it will generally be decisive of his success or failure from an intellectual point of view. Thought is a mighty architect, and if you keep him fully employed, he will build up with slow and measured strokes a gorgeous edifice upon any territory at all within your mental range. You may weary of his labor and think that the wall rises so slowly that it will never be completed; but wait. In due time, if you are patient, all will be finished and will then stand as no ephemeral structure, to be swept away by the first storm that blows, but will be established and unshaken on the basis of eternal truth." (Extempore Speech, Pittenger, pp. 159-161.)

3. Referring again to our suggestions for the frame work of a speech, consisting of:

Introduction,

Discussion,

Conclusion,

I desire to point out how well this idea is carried out in Paul's soul-thrilling and successful speech before King Agrippa, recorded in Acts xxvi:

The audience is august; there is Porcius Festus, Roman procurator of Judea; Agrippa, a King and Grandson of Herod the Great, and Bernice, sister of Agrippa; there were also present the chief captains attendant upon these high officers, and the principal men of the city of Caesarea gathered in the place of hearing, "with great pomp." Into this presence Paul is brought in chains and introduced. The cause of his imprisonment is briefly stated with the fact that he had appealed to Caesar, and now Paul is informed by Agrippa that he may speak for himself.

THE INTRODUCTION.

Paul (stretching forth his hand)—"I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

DISCUSSION.

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night hope to come. For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: And to the Gentiles—

Festus (in a loud voice)—"Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

CONCLUSION.

Paul—"I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

Agrippa—"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

Paul—"I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."

LESSON V.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

THE MODERN SCRIPTURES—^[1] THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

SPECIAL TEXT: "And it came to pass as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it, and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God, and he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not, and he discerned them by the Spirit of God. And their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea-shore. And he beheld many lands, and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof. And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying, tell me I pray thee, why these things are so. * * * * And the Lord God said unto Moses, for mine own purpose have I made these things Here is wisdom and it remaineth with me. * * * * And worlds without number have I created, and I also created them for mine own purpose, and by the Son I created them, which is mine only begotten. * * * * FOR BEHOLD THIS IS MY WORK AND MY GLORY TO BRING TO PASS THE IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE OF MAN."—BOOK OF MOSES.

NOTES.

1. Compilation and Contents: The Pearl of Great Price was compiled and published by the late Elder Franklin D. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, in Liverpool, England, 1851. Elder Richards at the time was presiding over the British mission. Its title page ran as follows:

The PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Being a Choice Selection from the Revelations, Translations, and Narrations of JOSEPH SMITH, First Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In addition to the Articles now published in the current and authorized version of the tract, it also contained a number of extracts from the Revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants, including a key to the revelations of St. John (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 77); commandments to the Church concerning baptism (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 20); on the method of administering the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 20); the duties of the Elders, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons and members of the Church (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 20); on Priesthood (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 84); the calling and duties of the Twelve Apostles (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 107); an extract from the revelation given July, 1830, (Doc.. & Cov., Sec. 27); extract from the revelation on the rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 1); John Jaques' splendid hymn, entitled "Truth," (Hymn-book, p. 71), and last but not least, the revelation and prophecy on war, (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 87). From this enumeration of articles omitted from this choice collection in the later editions of the work, it is seen that nothing is omitted but what is now published in the Doctrine and Covenants or Hymn-book; and the eliminations were made to avoid duplicating the publication of the articles in several books.

Reverting to the revelation and prophecy on war, I call attention to the fact that the preface of the Pearl of Great Price bears the date of July 11, 1851, and the work was published in that year; but it was not until the morning of the 12th of April, 1861, that the first gun in the great Rebellion was fired on Fort Sumter by General Beaureguard, so that this remarkable prophecy made by the Prophet in 1832 was actually in print and widely published in England and the United States nearly ten years before the war of the Rebellion broke out.

From a copy of the 1851 edition now on file in the Historian's office, we take the following paragraph from the Preface, which explains the reasons for publishing this collection of precious gems from the revelations of God to the great modern Prophet:

"The following compilation has been induced by the repeated solicitations of several friends of the publisher, who are desirous to be put in possession of the very important articles contained therein. Most of the revelations composing this work were published at early periods of the Church, when the circulation of its journals was so very limited as to render them comparatively unknown at present, except to a few who have treasured up the productions of the Church with great care from the beginning. A smaller portion of this work has never before appeared in print; and altogether it is presumed, that true believers in the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith will appreciate this little collection of precious truths as a Pearl of Great Price, that will increase their ability to maintain and to defend the holy faith by becoming possessors of it."

2. Book of Moses: The Book of Moses published in the Pearl of Great Price, is a revelation of the ancient prophet's writings to Joseph Smith, which began to be given to the prophet in June, 1830, just after the Prophet and the disciples of the Church he was founding had passed through the very trying period of persecution, and in his history the Prophet introduces it in the following language:

"Amid all the trials and tribulations we had to wade through, the Lord, who well knew our infantile and delicate situation, vouchsafed for us a supply of strength and granted us line upon line of knowledge, here a little and there a little, of which the following was a precious morsel."

Then follows part of the Book of Moses, published in the Pearl of Great Price, History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 98-101. Another fragment from the Book of Moses appears in the same work at pp. 133 to 139, being an extract called the Prophecy of Enoch. The Prophet Joseph at this time was engaged in the revision (sometimes called a translation) of the Hebrew Scriptures. Referring to those revelations concerning historical events of ancient times, he remarks:

"The Lord greatly encouraged and strengthened the faith of his little flock, which had embraced the fulness of the everlasting gospel, as revealed to them in the Book of Mormon, by giving some more extended information upon the scriptures, a translation of which had already commenced. Much conjecture and conversation frequently occurred among the Saints, concerning the books mentioned, and referred to, in various places in the Old and New Testaments, which were now nowhere to be found. The common remark was, 'They are lost books;' but it seems the Apostolic Church had some of these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. To the joy of the little flock, which in all, from Colesville to Canadaigua, New York, numbered about seventy members, did the Lord reveal the following doings of olden times, from the prophecy of Enoch." (History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 131-133.)

I know of no revelation within the same compass that contains so much valuable information in regard to historical events and doctrinal principles as this Book of Moses. The information conveyed by it, both in history and doctrine, becomes a unifying force in the history of the world and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope this will be apparent in the analysis of this book to be found in Lesson VI.

3. The Book of Abraham: The Book of Abraham is a translation from certain Egyptian papyrus which fell into the hands of the Prophet in the following manner. The account is condensed from the story as told by the Prophet in the History of the Church, Vol. II, pp. 348-350.

In 1831 the celebrated French traveler, Antonio Sebolo, penetrated Egypt as far as the ancient city of Thebes, under a license procured from Mohemet Ali—then Viceroy of Egypt—through the influence of Chevalier Drovetti, the French consul. Sebolo employed four hundred and thirty-three men for four months and two days, either Turkish or Egyptian soldiers, paying them from four to six cents a day per man. They entered the Catacombs near ancient Thebes on the seventh of June, 1831, and procured eleven mummies. These were shipped to Alexandria, and from there the great traveler started with his treasures for Paris. But en route for the French capital, Sebolo put in at Trieste, where he was taken sick, and after an illness of ten days, died. This was in 1832. Previous to his death he willed his Egyptian treasures to his nephew, Michael H. Chandler, who was then living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but whom Sebolo believed to be in Dublin, to which city he ordered the mummies shipped. Mr. Chandler ordered the mummies forwarded to New York from Dublin, where he took possession of them. Here the coffins for the first time were opened, and in them were found two rolls of papyrus covered with engravings. While still in the customs house, Mr. Chandler was informed by a gentleman, a stranger to him, that no one in the city could translate the characters; but was referred to Joseph Smith, who, the stranger informed him, possessed some kind of gift or power by which he had previously translated similar characters. Joseph Smith was then unknown to Mr. Chandler. The mummies were shipped to Philadelphia; and from there Mr. Chandler traveled through the country, exhibited them and the rolls of papyrus, reaching Kirtland in July, 1835, where some of the Saints purchased the mummies and the two rolls of papyrus, one of which proved to be the writings of Abraham, and the other of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt.

With the assistance of Oliver Cowdery, and W. W. Phelps as scribes the Prophet began the work of translating this record, which so singularly came into his possession; but it was not finally published until March, 1842, at Nauvoo. It will be found as we now have it in the Pearl of Great Price, given with the fac-similies of certain pages of the papyrus in the Times and Seasons, Vol. III, Nos. 9 and 10. It is a revelation of exceedingly great value, both on account of the historical and doctrinal data which it contains, as appears in the analysis for Lesson VI. For still further items of interest in relation to the Book of Abraham, see History of the Church, Vol. II, pp. 348-350 and footnotes.

4. The Writings of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price: Of the writings of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price little need be said as they speak for themselves. It is the Prophet's simple yet attractive and powerful narrative of those events which pertain to the beginning of the great Latter-day work, the opening of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. It is comprised within a very few pages—23 in all—and merely gives the story of the Prophet's birth and first call by heavenly vision to the restoration of the Priesthood by the administration of John the Baptist, in the month of May, in the year 1829, and a quotation from the Wentworth Letter (See Note —) comprising the Articles of Faith. Yet brief and limited as are these writings, they are invaluable because of their authenticity, their beautiful simplicity, and the spirit of truth that pervades them and infuses them with a convincing power.

Footnotes

1. The readings for this exercise and for the remaining lessons should be selected from the Pearl of Great Price.

LESSON VI.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

THE MODERN SCRIPTURES—(B) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

SPECIAL TEXT: "And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained, that the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart (compare Gen. vi:6). * * * And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth * * * * for it repenteth Noah that I have created them."—MOSES, IN BOOK OF MOSES.

NOTES.

1. Purpose of the Lesson: It is not intended in this lesson to attempt any treatise on the very great doctrines indicated in the analysis. The purpose is to locate them; to call attention to the fact of their existence in the Pearl of Great Price to make their acquaintance only in a general way now, with a view of learning their nature and importance as doctrines later in the course.

2. The Book of Moses: It must not be thought that all the doctrines either in the Book of Moses or the Book of Abraham are indicated in the lesson analysis and references. These are but the principal ones; and when taken into account, when thought upon, how great and fundamental they are! What extended views of the creations of God for instance are found in the passages—"and worlds without number have I created; behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power, and there are many that now stand; * * * the heavens they are many and cannot be numbered unto man! But they are numbered unto me, for they are mine." And this from Enoch's talk with God—"Were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of earth's like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still!" What splendor, too, is seen in the endless processes of creation described in these words of the Lord—"As one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come, and there is no end to my works." Science settles to its sure foundations in that doctrine. It is, in a way, and within certain limits—to put it in modern phrase—a sort of "evolution and devolution," with each succeeding wave in the process of the "evolution" rising to still higher states of excellence and grandeur and glory. And then as to the purposes of God in all these creations—"For mine own purpose have I made these things; * * * * for behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man!" Where else are these things said so well? Again: The controversy in heaven concerning the means of man's redemption; Lucifer's plan with its agency-destroying effect on man, and its glory destroying effect on God. "Behold," said this proud spirit—this "Light-bearer"—"Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it, wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold, my beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." (Book of Moses, pp.. 15, 16).

Then historically there is the fact of the gospel being taught to Adam, both by the Lord and through the ministration of angels; involving the explanation of the sacrifices man had been commanded to offer unto the Lord, prefiguring the redemption of the race through the atonement to be made by the Ouly Begotten of the Father; the joy of Adam and his spouse, even at the fall when its true significance is made known to them—"Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts and they taste the bitter, that they may know how to prize the good." With this truth clear to his understanding—"Blessed be the name of God," said the great Patriarch of our race, "for because of my transgression my eyes are opened and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and daughters." (Book of Moses, pp. 20-21.)

Then, too, the mission and preaching of Enoch, the establishment of Zion, and its translation into heaven, in all which there is much knowledge of ancient times restored to man.

3. The Date of the Revelation of the Book of Moses: The time at which the Book of Moses was given to the Church by the Prophet should also be remembered, June, 1830. The Prophet was then only in his twenty-sixth year; yet had his soul reached so far into the things of God that he came to the Church with these precious, because fundamental, universal and yet to be world-moving truths. Whence came the Prophet's knowledge of these deep things of God, save by the revelations of God? The writer is reminded here of an incident which came under his observation in his missionary experience in the south. One of the traveling Elders of the Church had succeeded in arousing the interest of a very intelligent lady in the message he was sent to deliver to the world, and had her reading the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and other Church works. Learning which, certain Christian ministers began calling upon her with the view of dissuading her from such investigation, and in connection with their protests gave her a tract setting forth the old Solomon Saulding theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon. Calling upon her a few days later, after she had had time to read their tract, the ministers inquired what she thought of the Book of Mormon now. "Well, gentlemen," said she, "of course I am not able as yet to say whether the Spaulding theory or Joseph Smith's story of the origin of the Book of Mormon is true, but I have something else to show you. Here is this Mormon book, the Doctrine and Covenants, claiming to be a collection of revelations received by Joseph Smith at first hand from the Lord. I believe there is no contention about his being the author of these revelations, and I find in them more evidences of divine inspiration than in the Book of Mormon, or in any other book I have ever read. Will you explain away the evidence of divinity in these revelations of which Joseph Smith is undoubtedly the author?" To this proposition there was no forthcoming answer, and much confused the ministers departed. I think the same idea may be applied to these books in the Pearl of Great Price—the Book of Moses, and the Book of Abraham—for in them, too, the same evidences of divine inspiration exist—bringing forth knowledge far beyond anything that the unaided mind of Joseph Smith could conceive.

4. The Revelations of Scripture Local: The fact that the revelations of our Bible and other scriptures relate, in the main, to matters pertaining to "our God," "our earth and its heavens," as set forth in the Book of Moses, I regard as very important in relation both to the phraseology and meaning of all the scriptures. For when the scripture says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," etc.; and "thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the hosts of them," he has reference not to any absolute "beginning," or absolute "finishing," but only to the "beginning" and "finishing" as pertaining to our earth and the order of creation with which it is connected; and the "hosts" that pertain to our order of existence, not absolutely to all existences. The revelations we have received of God, let it be said again, are local, they relate to us and our order of existence; they may not at all, except in the most casual and general way, refer to that order of worlds connected with and governed by the Pleiades, or of Orion, much less to the further removed constellations and their systems of worlds. We learn from the Pearl of Great Price that when the Lord gave those revelations to Moses by which the prophet was enabled to write the creation history of our earth, the local character of those revelations was expressly stated. (See Book of Moses, chap. i:35, 40; chap ii:1.)

LESSON VII.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

THE MODERN SCRIPTURES—(B) THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

SPECIAL TEXT: "If two things exist, and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them. * * * * Now, if there be two things, one above the other, and the moon be above the earth, then it may be that a planet or a star may exist above it; * * * * as also if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet those two spirits notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. * * * * These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than them all."—THE LORD TO ABRAHAM.

NOTES.

1. The Book of Abraham: The Book of Abraham, no less than the Book of Moses, is immensely rich in doctrine and historical incident. Of the latter the fact of the large influence (if not identity) of Egyptian religious ideas in Chaldea in the days of Abraham; the descent of the cursed or black race from Cain, the first murderer; their preservation through the flood by the wife of Ham—"Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies 'Egypt,' which signifies that which is forbidden," implying that Ham had married into that race which was forbidden to the "sons of God," and were cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood; the origin also of the Egyptians—these things constitute the chief historical items that are contributed by the book. As to doctrines, perhaps the most important are the pre-existence of spirits, and the eternal existence, yet varying grades of intelligences, (chap. iii); the choice of the more noble spirits as God's rulers in the earth (Ibid); the purpose of the earth life of these eternal intelligences, viz., to be "added upon," which means growth, increase of knowledge through experience, enlarged wisdom, broader intelligence, increased power and glory, Moses' "tasting the bitter that they may know how to prize the good" (Book of Moses, chap. vi:55); and the plurality of Gods implied in the fact that in his creation story Abraham uses the plural form throughout in reference to the divine Beings engaged in the work of creation—"And the Gods said let there be light,"—and the Gods called the light day," etc. We might claim for this book also the revelation of scientific truth in the Abrahamic system of astronomy, but that is too large a subject for treatment in a note; and therefore the student is referred to the very excellent work of Elder Geo. Reynolds, "The Book of Abraham: Its Authenticity Established as a Divine and Ancient Record." And also New Witnesses for God, Vol. I, chapters xxviii, xxix, and xxx. It should be said that it is more than sixty years since the Abrahamic system was first announced by the Prophet; and it is interesting to note the fact that though the heavens have been constantly searched by powerful telescopes during that time, nothing has yet been discovered which at all conflicts with it. On the contrary much has been learned which tends to confirm it. What God revealed on this most important and interesting branch of knowledge far outstripped at the time it was published, what scientists had learned or speculative philosophers had conjectured; and with confidence those who accept that revelation may watch the slow but important discoveries of astronomers which will yet demonstrate the truth of that system which God has revealed. It represents the universe as planned on a scale so magnificent that it is worthy of the intelligence of a God as its Creator. Such ideas of the construction of the universe that they are worthy of revelation; they carry with them by the very force of their grandeur the evidence of their truth; and when it is remembered that they were brought forth by a young man wholly separated from the centers of scientific thought, unacquainted with the speculations of philosophers, and without any previous knowledge of astronomy, it is not difficult to believe that he received his knowledge of them from the writings of one inspired or taught of God; and that he himself was gifted with divine power to translate those ancient writings, and hence himself a prophet and seer inspired of God."

2. Astronomy in Ancient Egypt: "The more carefully one studies the great work of Copernicus [the father of modern astronomy] the more surprised he will be to find how completely Ptolemy [the Egyptian] furnished him both ideas and material. If we seek the teachers and predecessors of Hipparchus, the Greek, (160-125 B. C.) we find only the shadowy forms of Egyptian and Babylonian priests, whose names and writings are all entirely lost. In the earliest historic ages, men knew that the earth was round; that the sun appeared to make an annual revolution among the stars; and that eclipses were cause by the moon entering the shadow of the earth, or the earth that of the moon." (Popular Astronomy, Simon Newcomb, Introduction, p 2.) It is not at all improbable that among the Egyptian and Babylonian priests above spoken of, "whose names and writings are all entirely lost," that Abraham may have had a place.

3. The Influence of Abraham on Egyptian Thought: That Abraham was in Egypt is clear both from the Bible and the writings of Josephus. The latter after relating all that the Bible does, only in greater detail, adds to the account that the Egyptian king made Abraham a large present in money; "and gave him leave to enter into conversation with the most learned among the Egyptians; from which conversation, his virtue and his reputation became more conspicuous than they had been before. For whereas the Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs, and despised one another's sacred and accustomed rites, and were very angry one with another on that account, Abraham conferred with each of them, and confuted the reasonings they made use of, every one for his own practices; he demonstrated that such reasonings were vain, and void of truth; whereupon he was admired by them, in those conferences, as a very wise man, and one of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject he undertook; and this was not only in understanding it, but in persuading other men also to assent to him. He communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for before Abraham came into Egypt, they were unacquainted with those parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also." (Antiquities of the Jews, Bk I, chap. xiii.)

LESSON VIII.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

(SPECIAL LESSON.)

THE LAW OF THE LORD IN ANCIENT AND MODERN REVELATION APPLIED TO THE AMERICAN NEGRO RACE PROBLEM.

SPECIAL TEXT: "Let not man join together what God hath put asunder."—"THE COLOR LINE," chap. i.

NOTES.

1. Introduction of African Slavery into America: "Some time anterior to this period (i. e., 1620 A. D.) the Spaniards and Portuguese had bought from the chiefs on the coast of Africa negro captives, and had carried them to other parts of the world, especially to South America and the West Indies, and had sold them as slaves. This traffic they had continued without intermission, and in the year 1620 a Dutch vessel brought to Jamestown twenty of these unfortunate beings and sold them to the colonists of Virginia. This was the introduction of African slavery in the British American colonies, which has been the source of so much subsequent trouble, as we shall see. By the close of the year 1620 the population of the colony amounted to nearly two thousand. Upon the subject of the introduction of African slavery in Virginia, and afterwards in all the other British colonies, out of which so much trouble and strife subsequently arose, it is quite proper here to state that a majority of the colonists at Jamestown were very much opposed to this introduction in their community of these supposed descendants of Ham as "bondsmen and bondswomen" for life. Their opposition arose, however, perhaps more from considerations looking to the best interests and future welfare of the colony, in its progress in moral and material development, than from any feelings of humanity towards the unfortunate victims of this species of commerce. The African slave trade was at that time not only tolerated by all civilized nations, but actively engaged in for profit by many of the most distinguished Christian monarchs." (Stephens' History of the United States, p. 36.)

2. The First American Slave Ship: "In 1636 was built at Marblehead, in Massachusetts, the first American slave-ship; it was called the Desire, and was intended for the African slave-trade, in which most of the European nations were then engaged directly or indirectly. The first cargo of African slaves brought into Massachusetts was by the Desire, on the 20th of May, 1638. Many of the most prominent men purchased slaves out of this cargo; so that Massachusetts was a few years only behind Virginia in the introduction within the English settlements on this continent of this unfortunate race of slaves." (History of the United States, Stephens, p. 88.)

3. The Beginning of Abolition: "On the 12th of February, 1790, a petition, invoking the Federal authorities to adopt measures with a view to the ultimate abolition of African slavery, as it then existed in the respective States, was sent to Congress, headed by Dr. Franklin, who had been a very distinguished, though not a very active leader, owing to his age, in the ranks of the "Nationals," in the Philadelphia convention. There were then in the United States 697,897 negro slaves. They had been introduced into all the States, as we have seen, but most of them were at this time in the Southern States. This movement was looked upon with alarm everywhere by the true friends of the federal system, as it invoked the exercise of powers not delegated by the States to Congress. After a thorough discussion on the 23rd of March, 1790, in the House of Representatives, the question was quieted for the time by the passage of a resolution "That Congress have no authority to interfere in the emancipation of slaves, or in the treatment of them within any of the States; it remaining with the several States alone to provide any regulations therein, which humanity and true policy may require." (History of the United States, Stephens, p. 367.) The act of emancipation did not come until 1863, in the midst of the Civil war, and then it was regarded merely as a war measure.

4. The Race Question as Affecting the Southern States: Perhaps the most convincing book in justification of the South in denying to the negro race social equality with the white race is the one written by William Benjamin Smith, entitled "The Color Line, A Brief in Behalf of the Unborn," from which the following is a quotation:

"Here, then, is laid bare the nerve of the whole matter: Is the south justified in this absolute denial of social equality to the negro, no matter what his virtues or abilities or accomplishments?

"We affirm, then, that the south is entirely right in thus keeping open at all times, at all hazards, and at all sacrifices an impassible social chasm between black and white. This she must do in behalf of her blood, her essence, of the stock of her Caucasian race. To the writer the correctness of this thesis seems as clear as the sun—so evident as almost to forestall argument; nor can he quite comprehend the frame of mind that can seriously dispute it. But let us look at it closely. Is there any doubt whatever as to the alternative? If we sit with negroes at our tables, if we entertain them as our guests and social equals, if we disregard the color line in all other relations, is it possible to maintain it fixedly in the sexual relation, in the marriage of our sons and daughters, in the propagation of our species? Unquestionably, No! It is certain as the rising of tomorrow's sun, that, once the middle wall of social partition is broken down, the mingling of the tides of life would begin instantly and proceed steadily. Of course, it would be gradual, but none the less sure, none the less irresistible. It would make itself felt at first most strongly in the lower strata of the white population; but it would soon invade the middle and menace insidiously the very uppermost. Many bright mulattoes would ambitiously woo, and not a few would win, well-bred women disappointed in love or goaded by impulse or weary of the stern struggle for existence. As a race, the Southern Caucasian would be irrevocably doomed. For no possible check could be given to this process once established.. Remove the barrier between two streams flowing side by side—immediately they begin to mingle their molecules; in vain you attempt to replace it. * * * * The moment the bar of absolute separation is thrown down in the South, that moment the bloom of her spirit is blighted forever, the promise of her destiny is annulled, the proud fabric of her future slips into dust and ashes. No other conceivable disaster that might befall the South could, for an instant, compare with such miscegenation within her borders. Flood and fire, fever and famine and the sword—even ignorance, indolence, and carpet-baggery—she may endure and conquer while her blood remains pure; but once taint the well-spring of her life, and all is lost—even honor itself. It is this immediate jewel of her soul that the South watches with such a dragon eye, that she guards with more than vestal vigilance, with a circle of perpetual fire. The blood thereof is the life thereof; he who would defile it would stab her in her heart of hearts, and she springs to repulse him with the fiercest instinct of self-preservation. It may not be that she is distinctly conscious of the immeasurable interests at stake or of the real grounds of her roused antagonism; but the instinct itself is none the less just and true and the natural bulwark of her life.

"At this point we hear some one exclaim, 'Not so fast! To sit at table, to mingle freely in society with certain persons, does not imply you would marry them." Certainly not, in every case. We may recognize socially those whom we personally abhor. This matters not, however; for wherever social commingling is admitted, there the possibility of intermarriage must be also admitted. It becomes a mere question of personal preference, of like and dislike. Now, there is no accounting for tastes. It is ridiculous to suppose that no negroes would prove attractive to any white. The possible would become actual—as certainly as you will throw double-double sixes [in dice], if only you keep on throwing. To be sure, where the number of negroes is almost vanishingly small, as in the north and in Europe, there the chances of such mesalliances are proportionally divided; some may even count them negligible. But in the South, where in many districts the black outnumbers the white, they would be multiplied immensely, and crosses would follow with increasing frequency.. * * * But some may deny that the mongrelization of the Southern people would offend the race notion—would corrupt or degrade the Southern stock of humanity. If so, then such a one has yet to learn the largest-writ lessons of history and the most impressive doctrines of biological science. That the negro is markedly inferior to the Caucasian is proved both craniologically and by six thousand years of planet-wide experimentation; and that the commingling of inferior with superior must lower the higher is just as certain as that the half-sum of two and six is only four."

A Final Word on Speech Building: In the notes that have accompanied these special lessons, which we have suggested be treated in extempore speeches, we have gradually developed one single lesson in the matter of constructing a lecture or speech. The plan has been simple, and the illustrations abundant. The lesson in speech structure was based upon the simple principle of the speech having an Introduction, a Discussion, and a Conclusion, accompanied by several illustrations of noted speeches. A word was said with reference to the gathering of material for such an address, and the manner of delivering it in the form of extempore speech. And now at the conclusion of the lesson, I desire to say one more thing, and to say it as emphatically as it is possible for it to be said.

Let every speech, lecture, or discourse by a Seventy be an honest one. Let it be his own, good, bad, or indifferent. A poor speech that is one's own is more to one's credit than a good one stolen, and repeated as his. Plagiarism is defined to be an act "appropriating the ideas, writings, or inventions of another without due acknowledgment; specifically, the stealing of passages, either word for word or in substance, from the writings of another and publishing them as one's own; literary or artistic theft. * * * A writing, utterance, or invention stolen from another. (Dictionary, Funk & Wagnall's.)

I desire to call the attention of our Seventies to the fact that the ugly words, "stolen," "theft," "stealing," are used as describing this act, and in literary ethics the act is just as despicable as those acts in commercial life that go under similar descriptive titles, "stealing," "theft," "robbery." And indeed, there is more excuse for such acts in commercial life than in literature. Of all despicable characters in the literary world, the is regarded as the most contemptible, and yet there have not been wanting among us in the ministry of the Church (due to their ignorance of the ethics of literature, of course) those who have advocated the appropriation of sermons and lectures prepared by others; and have advocated the repetition of these stolen sermons in the preaching of the gospel! I know of nothing that should be so completely repudiated in the Seventies' class work and their subsequent ministry as this course, or anything that smacks of it. It is as bad as wearing stolen clothes. It is asking one to shine not even by borrowed, but by stolen light. It will result in mental laziness. It is a confession of one's own inability to think for himself and work out from the mass of materials that lie before him in the revelations of God, the deductions and conclusions that make for the establishment of faith and righteousness in the lives of others. A few ideas hammered out on the anvil of one's own thought, even though they be crudely and haltingly expressed, if they are one's own, that is a better beginning and more hopeful than the most glowing declamation of the sermon that has been stolen from another, or plagiarised from some book or tract.. I beg of you to adhere to this counsel. Of all things have your discourses honest before God and before men.

Of course, I know the excuse that is made to justify plagiarism among some of our young and inexperienced Elders. Some of our young brethren are conscious of their unpreparedness to immediately begin their work when called to the ministry, and they feel the necessity of beginning at once; for they are called upon to speak immediately on arriving in their missions, and they are overwhelmed with the sense of having nothing to say, and either through wrong suggestion of others, or misconception of the proprieties in the premises, they commit to memory the discourse of a companion, or a tract (See Editor's Table of Era, September, 1907), or parts of books and deliver such memorized tracts or discourses as their own. That is plagiarism, which is always dishonest and not in harmony with the Spirit of truth, which is the Spirit of the gospel. To meet such an emergency of unpreparedness supposed to justify the kind of plagiarism referred to above, I suggest that it would be better for the Elder to confess his inability to set forth the doctrine or message for the present, but say that he had in his possession a tract or book that did so, and with permission of those who had gathered he would read some passages from it that would set forth some of the doctrines of our faith; and then read so much as might be necessary for the occasion. Or he might say that on a given occasion he had heard his companion set forth a certain doctrine or part of the message they were sent to deliver in a manner that appealed to him, and as his companion had not referred to it, or was not likely to refer to it on this occasion he would take the liberty of doing so; being careful to credit his companion throughout, and especially at points peculiarly striking. By taking this course, he preserves the consciousness of his own honesty, and by diligence will soon work himself out of the necessity of reading or repeating the ideas and language of others.

President Joseph F. Smith's Benediction on, and Instructions to the Seventies:

"I feel like blessing the quorums of the Priesthood, every one of them, from the High Priests to the Deacons. I pray God, my Heavenly Father to remember them in their organizations, to help them, that they may magnify the Priesthood they hold and do the will of the Father; that the Seventies may be minute men, instant in season and out of season, ready and willing to respond to the calls that are made upon them to go and preach the gospel to the world. Gather in from the Elders' quorums those who have proven themselves worthy and who have gained experience, and make Seventies of them, so that the quorum of the Seventies may be replenished; and the aged ones, whose physical condition will not permit them any longer to do missionary duty in the world, let them be ordained High Priests and Patriarchs, to bless the people and to minister at home. Gather in the strong, the vigorous, the young, the able-bodied, who have the spirit of the gospel in their hearts, to fill up the ranks of the Seventies, that we may have ministers to preach the gospel to the world. They are needed. We cannot now meet the demand." (Conference Reports, October, 1905, p. 95.)