Three and a half years passed silently by after Joseph Smith received the vision of the Father and the Son. During that time there was no further communication from heaven. That he had received one vision, Joseph stoutly and fearlessly maintained. Neither persuasion nor persecution could break the testimony he had borne, nor dispel the knowledge he had divinely gained. The vision he had seen was real; the knowledge he had gained was real. He could not deny it. For three and a half years after this vision, however, he was apparently shut out from the presence of God. The young seer was left to himself. It was a period of silence.
Two things are notable in the conduct of Joseph's life during these years. First, he manifested the same self-control and absence of emotion or excitement, that he possessed when he went into the wood to pray. Had he been a victim of the "potent influence of the psychological 'crowd'"[A] he would undoubtedly have suffered from the religious disease and fanaticism common to revival movements. The excitement of the revival would have remained with him—as it did with everyone else—for an extended period of time. With the conviction of the glorious vision of the Father and the Son upon his mind, the boy would undoubtedly have felt still further emotional excitement, and would have been led to see further visions after the first one. Moreover, had he become subject to any derangement of mind, or diseased condition like epilepsy, as has been claimed by some of his defamers, he would have become even more liable to visionary manifestations. It was not so, however. His health was perfect; his self-control, complete. For three and a half years the heavens were shut above him. For three and a half years the God of heaven spoke no further word to him. For three and a half years he was left alone to ponder what he had seen, and to bear persecution unaided for testifying to truth. Always he was calm, unruffled, unaffected by religious passion or frenzy.
[Footnote A: The term "psychological crowd" is used in this chapter and elsewhere in the sense in which it is used by Prof. Davenport in the quotation in the first chapter of this book.]
Next, Joseph Smith manifested no desire, even though he had seen and talked with God Himself, to arrogate to himself any authority whatsoever. Many others in the history of the world claim to have seen visions. Mohammed, when forty years of age, saw in vision—he says—the angel Gabriel, and was commanded to preach a new religion. The authority to do so, he assumed at once. Joan of Arc, in response to the alleged heavenly voice which spoke to her, hurried to the side of the dauphin of France. Emmanuel Swedenborg, after years of scientific activity, began suddenly to herald a new church, and to interpret the word of God in a score of theological works—for, he claimed, the Lord had appeared to him in vision. With Joseph Smith, however, it was different. While he maintained stoutly, against the ridicule of friends even, that he had beheld a vision of the Father and the Son, he did not presume therefore to promulgate a new doctrine, or to establish a new church. He continued in the routine of his daily labor. He meditated what the Lord had said to him. He had been told that the sectarian churches of the world were wrong. He might have proceeded to establish a church that should be right. But Joseph had not yet received a full commission. He did not presume to do what undoubtedly he would have done had he been merely a victim of the "psychological crowd." For three and a half years, he waited for further instructions from the God of heaven.
On the evening of the twenty-first of September, 1823, Joseph Smith approached the Lord God again in secret prayer. This time it was in his private chamber. Fearing that he had offended God, that he had not walked so circumspectly as he should have done in the light of the revelation he had received, the youth, now in his eighteenth year, besought the Almighty for forgiveness of sin, and for a manifestation that he might know his standing before God. In his own account of what happened there, Joseph says,
"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was brighter than at noon-day, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so also were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person.
"When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni, that God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and for evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted 'Seers' in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book."[A]
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. I, pp. 11, 12.]
There followed then further instructions based upon the Holy Scriptures. The angel read and explained portions of the third and fourth chapters of Malachi. The third chapter predicts the sending of a messenger to prepare the way of the Lord when He shall come suddenly to His temple. The coming will be attended with much glory; and the Lord Himself shall purify Israel, and purge it of iniquity. The time of the fulfillment of this prophecy, said the angel, was at hand.
The fourth chapter of Malachi, is particularly interesting as quoted by the angel. The first verse he rendered thus:
"For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."
The fifth and sixth verses, he read thus:
"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to the fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."
These predictions, too, said the angel, were about to be fulfilled.
Moroni then quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah. It predicts a day of peace and righteousness, when an ensign shall be set up for the Gentiles, and when the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to gather His scattered people. This time was at hand, and was about to be fulfilled.
Next the angel read from the sermon of Peter on Solomon's Porch:
"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people."[B]
[Footnote B: Acts 3:22, 23.]
This prophecy, also, was about to have a complete fulfillment.
Finally, among many other scriptures, the angel quoted from the great prophecy of Joel. Before the great and terrible day of the Lord, according to this wonderful prediction, the old men shall dream dreams, and the young men shall see visions, and wonders shall appear in the heaven and the earth. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; but whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered.[C] This same prophecy was referred to by Peter on the day of Pentecost, and was possibly in part accomplished then. But the prediction refers unmistakably to the last days—before the great and terrible day of the Lord. Now is the day of Joel's great prophecy, and now, said the angel Moroni, it is about to be fulfilled.
[Footnote C: Joel 2:28-32.]
Thereupon, the vision was closed. Gradually the light assembled from the room about the person of the angel. Then he disappeared into heaven, leaving the room in total darkness. The youth to whom had been given this marvelous manifestation lay wide awake on his bed. Sleep was driven from his eyes. He was filled with amazement at the singularity of the vision, and at the doctrines that had been explained to him. Then suddenly, in the midst of his wonder and meditation, the heavenly messenger appeared again. He stood again in the air by the bedside, and repeated minutely all the instructions he had given before. He added predictions concerning the great judgments that should come to the earth, with desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence—and all these things should come during the present generation.
Again the vision closed. Again the light centered in the angel as he disappeared and left the room in darkness. The youth lay again wondering at the marvelous vision, when, to his astonishment, the same divine messenger appeared the third time, and repeated all that he had said before. "After this third visit," writes the Prophet, "he again ascended in heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching."[D] Thus ended the second act in the great drama of the Restoration.
[Footnote D: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 14.]
Now, what is the significance of this second vision—or of this series of visions? Of what importance is it in the story of man's relationship to God? What bearing has it on the story of the Restoration?
First, it was declared that the Lord God had a work for Joseph to do. In the first vision nothing is recorded of the boy's future mission. He had been told merely to join none of the contending churches striving to win his favor. They were corrupt. Now, the life-work of the boy is briefly outlined. He is to raise an ensign to the nations, and become an instrument in the hands of God in bringing about the gathering of Israel. God is to set His hand a second time to recover His people. Moreover, Joseph is to become a prophet to reveal the word and the law of the Lord. His name, therefore, shall become known for good or for evil the whole world over.
Next, a book, written in a strange tongue on golden plates, is to be delivered to the boy for him to translate. This book contains the history of the inhabitants of the American continent, and will reveal the mysteries of the origin of the American Indian, and of the relics of ancient civilization. Moreover, this book of golden plates contains the fulness of the everlasting Gospel as it was taught to the Nephites. It was taught by Jesus Himself to the ancient inhabitants of this continent. Now, when the world has departed from the truth, it is to be restored by an angel to a divinely chosen prophet of God.
Then the priesthood is to be revealed to Joseph Smith by the hand of Elijah. The keys of the dispensation of "turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers" are to be committed into the hands of the Prophet Joseph. This work of which Elijah appears to be the director, is of a particular kind. He shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at the coming of the Lord.
Again, wonderful signs shall appear in heaven and in earth in the days of these things. Dreams and visions shall be given to the old and to the young. The earth shall be troubled, and the sun shall be darkened, while the moon shall be turned to the color of blood. Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke, shall come to plague; but whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered. Finally, great judgments shall come upon the earth—judgments of sword, and of famine, and of pestilence. And all these things shall come in the present generation.
In this remarkable vision, then, are revealed again seven remarkable truths:—a great work is appointed for the young man, Joseph Smith, to do, and his name is to become known the world over for good or for ill; a book of golden plates containing an account of the ancient inhabitants of America is to be given him to translate; this book, moreover, will contain a fulness of the everlasting gospel which he will be required to teach to the nations; the priesthood will be revealed to him by the hand of Elijah, the prophet; through the operation of the power thus to be committed to the Prophet Joseph, the hearts of the children will be turned to the fathers; in these days, strange signs will appear in heaven and in earth; and, finally, the great and terrible day of the Lord will then speedily come, when judgments of sword, and of famine, and of pestilence, shall visit the earth.
Thus did the angel bear a wonderful message to the eighteen-year-old boy, and thus was the great prediction of an angel flying, in part fulfilled.[E] The far-reaching character of the visions will appear as the story proceeds. Already the boy has received in brief something of most of the great saving principles that distinguish the Gospel of Christ.
[Footnote E: Rev. 14:6, 7.]
On Monday, the twenty-second of September, 1823, Joseph Smith was weary from the vigil of the night before. He went into the field to work with his father, but was too nearly exhausted to carry on his part of the labor. The father observed that Joseph was ill, and advised him to return to the house to rest. On the way, however, while climbing a fence, the boy fell helpless to the ground, and remained so for some time. "The first thing that I can recollect," wrote the Prophet later, "was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received."[A]
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. I, pp. 39-42.]
Joseph obeyed. He returned to his father and related the whole matter to him. Joseph Smith, Sr., was himself a serious and spiritual man. He recognized the ring of truth in the words of his son. "It is of God," he said; and thereupon he advised his son to go and do as the angel commanded him. Immediately, therefore, Joseph departed for the sacred hill that had been shown him in vision.
Not far from the town of Manchester, New York, stands a hill of considerable size. It is the largest elevation of the kind in the neighborhood. The north end of the hill rises abruptly from the plain to a height of some one hundred fifty feet. The southern end, however, rises gradually from the plain near Manchester, and ascends by easy grade until it meets the high elevation of the north. It was in the west side of the hill, not far from the top, that the golden plates were hidden. So distinctly had the Prophet seen the place in vision, that he recognized it the moment he reached it. The top of a rounded stone was exposed to view. When the earth was cleared away, the stone proved to be a kind of convex cover, thick through the middle, thinner at the edges, and flat underneath. With a lever, the Prophet pried off this lid. There, under the cover, was a box made of slabs of stone laid in cement. And there, in the box, resting on cross-pieces of stone, lay the golden plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breast-plate.
It is perhaps impossible to imagine the exhilaration of soul experienced by the young Prophet at that moment. The Father and the Son had deigned to appear to him and speak to him personally. An angel from heaven had appeared to him four times in succession, had given him great promises, and had instructed him in a life-work for which he had been chosen by the God of heaven Himself. Now he stood before the visible, tangible evidence that what he had seen and heard was no delusion. Before him lay indeed the golden book. There, too, were the sacred interpreters by means of which he should be able to translate it. There, undoubtedly, lay the Scripture containing the fulness of the Gospel. Enraptured—filled with the ecstasy of supreme joy—the boy reached forth his hand to take the sacred relics from their hiding-place.
But the hour had not yet come when these things should be revealed to the world. As Joseph stretched forth his hand to take the sacred plates, the holy angel appeared again, the fifth time, and forbade his touching them. He explained to Joseph that the time was not yet ripe for bringing the records forth. Four years were yet to pass before the plates could be delivered to him. During those four years, Joseph should come to the sacred hill on each succeeding twenty-second of September. The angel would meet him there and give him needful instruction for the consummation of his great life-mission. "Accordingly, as I had been commanded," writes the Prophet, "I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner His kingdom was to be conducted in the last days."[B]
[Footnote B: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 16.]
It is remarkable how deliberately the acts of the Restoration were brought about. In the spring of 1820, in answer to the boy's prayer, the great God of heaven and earth appeared Himself with His Son, Jesus Christ, to the Prophet Joseph Smith; but that glorious vision bore no further immediate fruit than the restraining of Joseph Smith from joining any of the denominations then contending for new converts. For three and a half long years, he held no further converse with heaven. He was nearly eighteen years of age, and he knew no more of many of the purposes of the Lord than did those who persecuted him for his testimony. Then a special messenger from heaven appeared to him. Three times during the night, and twice the following day, did the angel visit the boy and instruct him. Those instructions, it would seem, covered the ground of the purpose, the mission, and the government of the Kingdom of God. Surely now, the young man was prepared and might be sent forth to accomplish the work divinely appointed him. But no; yet another period of four years must pass—a period of careful preparation—before the sacred record containing the fulness of the Gospel could be delivered to the young prophet. Even then, after four years, with the golden book in the Prophet's hands, the time would not yet be fully come, as we shall see, for the restoration of the Church of Christ.
The four years passed quickly by. It was the twenty-second of September, 1827. Joseph Smith, now a young man of nearly twenty-two, stood once more before the uncovered stone box in which lay the sacred treasures of a former people. The angel, too, was there. The young prophet's four-year course of training was ended. The angel took the sacred plates, and the Urim and Thummim, and the breast-plate, and delivered them to the Prophet enjoining him to be careful of them. If he should let them go carelessly, or should lose them through any neglect of his, he should be cut off; but if he would use every endeavor to preserve them till the angel should call for them, they should be protected.[C] And so the ninth vision of the angel Moroni closed. Holding the sacred records carefully in his arms, the Prophet returned to his home, elated, thrilled with joy at the confidence reposed in him by his God.
[Footnote C: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 18.]
The work of translation proved a long and difficult task. The golden book was engraved in ancient Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic characters. Two men came, through the providence of God, to the assistance of the Prophet Joseph: first, Martin Harris; later, Oliver Cowdery. These men acted as scribes, while the Prophet read them the English translation of the strange engravings on the plates. Joseph Smith was far from being a scholar. He knew but little about his own mother-tongue, let alone the ancient languages. It is not to be wondered at, then, if the labor of translation became at times tedious, even with the help of the inspiration of the Lord. The method of translation, as explained to Oliver Cowdery, is thus described by the Lord Himself:
"Behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong: therefore you cannot write that which is sacred, save it be given you from me."[D]
[Footnote D: Doc. & Cov. 9:8, 9.]
The translation of the sacred record was spread over the better part of two and a half years. The whole book was written out in long-hand; and a copy was carefully made, before any of it was sent to the printer. As the young boy had been persecuted for asserting that he had beheld a vision of the Father and the Son, so now he was persecuted for asserting that he had in his possession a sacred record of an ancient people, and that he had translated the record through the inspiration and power of God. Many attempts were made by the Prophet's enemies to steal the plates; but they were protected and preserved as the angel had promised. When the translation was finished, the enemies of the Prophet tried again to destroy his work. They secured from the printer advance sheets of the printed work, and published garbled versions of it. In this, however, they were finally restrained by fear of the law. Joseph Smith had secured a copyright of the book before he sent it to the press. Trial and persecution did not cease, however, but grew rather greater and more severe. Yet, the work of printing went steadily on, and was finally completed. In the early part of the year 1830—ten years after the first vision—the inspired translation of the ancient record was published under the title "The Book of Mormon." Thus was accomplished another act in the great drama of the Restoration.
And what is the "Book of Mormon?" First, it is an abridgment of certain extensive records made by the ancient civilized peoples of America. The abridgment was made by a prophet called Mormon, hence the name "Book of Mormon." The people to whom Mormon belonged are known in the book as Nephites. The record is, then, mainly the story of the ancient possession of South and North America by the Nephites. Besides, the book tells of the Lamanites—the brother-descendants of the Nephites who remain to the present as the American Indians; the Mulekites, a colony from Jerusalem that became afterwards merged with the Nephites; and the Jaredites, a company of people led by divine power to the promised land of America from the Tower of Babel. The Nephites themselves, whose history forms by far the greater part of the book, were descended from an Israelitish family led from Jerusalem by the prophet Lehi, 600 years before Christ.
But the "Book of Mormon" is more than history. The angel that John the Revelator saw fly in the midst of heaven, had the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. That is why the "Book of Mormon" is more than history. It contains the fulness of the everlasting Gospel as delivered to the Nephites. It is so simple that the child will read its pages with interest, yet it contains a profound treatment of the philosophy of the Gospel. In the restoration of this sacred record, the prediction of the Apostle John was indeed beautifully fulfilled. Besides the Holy Bible, there was now given to man another volume of Scriptures equally sacred—a monumental volume, free from the doctrines of men, in which the Gospel is treated fully and simply.
This sacred book could not be a product of religious frenzy. Ten long years passed by after the vision of the Father and the Son, before the Book of Mormon was given to the world. Those ten years were years of simplicity of life. There was no "psychological crowd," or other emotional excitement to disturb the quiet of the Prophet's life. Whatever "deep and often poignant" feelings he may have experienced during the spring of 1820, had certainly passed away during the ten years that followed. The "Book of Mormon," then, came not as a result of the religious frenzy of 1820.
Nor is the assertion tenable that Joseph Smith was an epileptic, as has been asserted by some would-be scientific investigators, or an hypnotic, or a mere impostor. In the first place, the book which he translated and gave to the world is wholly consistent and credible within its covers. Anyone who has endeavored to write a book, or even a magazine article, can testify how the problem of consistency often stares one out of countenance. But here is a book which purports to be a sacred record—a book, inspired by the Spirit of God. It contains prophecies and it relates history of war and of peace; it expounds the simplest and the profoundest principles of human salvation; it records the very words of the Lord,—yet it does not once contradict itself, nor is it once inconsistent with itself. Surely, this is a condition of fact that epilepsy, or mere imposition could not achieve.
Moreover, the history of the American continent as set forth in the "Book of Mormon" is corroborated by all that has been discovered of American archaeology. Before 1830, little was known of the ancient inhabitants of America. It was not until several years after the appearance of the "Book of Mormon," that American archaeologists began to determine matters of great moment. And from the first to the last, the discoveries of American archaeology have not only not conflicted with the statements of the "Book of Mormon" but have borne them out in a remarkable way. Even the most recent researches in American antiquities serve only to strengthen faith in the divine authenticity of the "Book of Mormon." Such harmony, again, imposition could not achieve.
Furthermore, the "Book of Mormon" is a far greater work than the native ability and education of a boy like Joseph Smith could have produced unaided. He was not yet twenty-five years old when the book was published. He was not ignorant; but he was, at that time, untrained in the wisdom of the world. He could read, and write, and cipher; he had a good mind, and he could think hard and long; but he knew little of languages, or of history, or of philosophy, or of science, or of any learned branch of the world's knowledge. He did not possess, in short, the information and the training to write unaided such a book as the "Book of Mormon." Yet, he produced a book that is above criticism even from a sane and catholic literary point of view. Once more, such an achievement, imposition—or frenzy—could not have accomplished.
Finally, the "Book of Mormon" is one of the best authenticated books known to the world. The angel Moroni delivered the plates of the book to Joseph Smith and instructed him. But the angel did not appear to him only. Some time in June, 1829, the same heavenly messenger appeared to three other men, with Joseph Smith, turned the metal leaves of the golden book before their eyes, explained to them what the book was, and bore testimony to its divine nature. None of these three men was related in any way to Joseph Smith. They all joined the Church when it was founded; but they all left the Church. Yet no one of them, at any time, whether while he was in the Church or out of it, could be made to deny the testimony which he bore after the visit of the angel. This testimony is found in every copy of the "Book of Mormon," and reads thus:
"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon: and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.
Besides the testimony of these three men, there is also the testimony of eight others. To the eight the plates of the "Book of Mormon" were shown by the Prophet himself. They all handled the plates and examined them. Many of them afterwards forsook the Prophet and his teachings; but no one of them ever denied the testimony he had borne. This testimony is also found in every copy of the "Book of Mormon" and reads as follows:
"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
CHRISTIAN WHITMER, JACOB WHITMER, PETER WHITMER, JUN., JOHN WHITMER, HIRAM PAGE, JOSEPH SMITH, SEN., HYRUM SMITH, SAMUEL H. SMITH.
Thus far in the story of the Restoration two important facts appear. Nothing is done in haste; the acts of the restoration are brought about in a slow, deliberate manner. There is no excitement, no frenzy, at any moment. Moreover, this third, important step—which confirms the two before it—is attested by eleven reputable witnesses. Their testimony has never been impeached. Many of them died outside the pale of the Church. Yet, on their death-beds, they affirmed stoutly as ever that their testimonies were true.[C]
[Footnote C: For a further discussion of the testimony of the witnesses see chapter XX.]
When Martin Luther, after years of serious meditation in the monastery, became convinced of the doctrine of justification by faith, he proceeded to promulgate that doctrine among his countrymen. When, later, he became aroused by the monstrous traffic in indulgences, and through the indignation then aroused, finally led in a general revolt against the Catholic church, he proceeded with his friends to organize a new church. A large part of Teutonic Europe came under the influence of Luther's teaching.
It is noteworthy, however, that Martin Luther did not receive, nor did he apparently expect to receive, revelation from God. After years of the severest rigor, he came finally no longer to rely on his own "good works," but to trust in "justification by faith" alone. Yet, there had been given—either to him, or to another—no revelation revising or changing the well-known doctrine that faith without works is dead. Through a righteous indignation at the reckless claims made by the hawkers of indulgences, Luther was led to protest against the wicked practice of the Catholic church, and finally to establish a church of his own. Yet, he had received no special commission to institute the Church of Christ. His protest against the Catholic church was unquestionably well taken; but he had received no appointment to establish a new church. The only authority he possessed was that bestowed upon him as a priest by the church from which he seceded. The church bearing his name is therefore man-appointed.
So it is also with all the Protestant creeds. As with Martin Luther, so it was with John Calvin, and the Presbyterian church; so it was with Henry VIII., "the English Pope," and "the Church of England as by law established;" so it was with Wesley who organized the independent sect of Methodists; and so it was with all the religious reformers from the first to the last. They recognized evils in the mother church. They appreciated the necessity of reform. But no one of them received divine appointment to accomplish the work they endeavored to do. Indeed, they held no authority whatever, except such authority as had been conferred upon them by the church which they declared to be apostate, and that authority certainly could not be called divine.
Judging then, from the many examples set before the time of Joseph Smith, we are justified in saying that he, too, might have organized an independent church of his own. He, too, recognized the evils in the Christian sects. He, too, felt the need of reform. Moreover, he had received divine manifestations; he had been told that the churches of the world were all corrupt, and he had translated by divine inspiration a volume of sacred records attested by eleven men of good repute. And moreover, still, the heavenly being who had visited him had specifically told him that God had a great work for him to do. Notwithstanding these many manifestations, however, Joseph Smith made no attempt to establish a new church, or to reform those churches already established. He had received no commission so to do. As yet, he had been given no authority to act in God's stead.
It was, not until the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that the young Prophet received authority to officiate in some of the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, had been engaged as usual on the translation of the sacred plates. On that day, they happened upon a passage referring to baptism. Since they knew nothing of the ordinance they became eager to understand. They went out into the wood to pray for light. Together they knelt upon the sod. United in their one great desire, they pleaded with the God of heaven to give them understanding. "While we were thus employed," writes the Prophet in his simple way, "praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:
"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness."[A]
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 15.]
The messenger who appeared thus to Joseph and Oliver said that he was John the Baptist, and that he held the keys of the Aaronic priesthood from the dispensation of Christ. He explained further that this priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. He commanded them to baptize each other, and to re-ordain each other after the pattern set them by him. Immediately Joseph and Oliver went to attend to the holy ordinance. First the Prophet baptized Oliver, then Oliver baptized the Prophet. The Prophet then laid his hands upon Oliver's head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood; and afterwards, Oliver ordained the Prophet. Both of them received thereupon glorious manifestations from heaven. They prophesied of things that were to be. They were filled with the Holy Ghost. And thus was consummated another act in the story of the Restoration.
And what was this Priesthood restored by the heavenly messenger, John the Baptist? Priesthood is the authority to act in God's stead. Since the powers of God are infinite, so also must His priesthood be infinite. Therefore, what a man may or may not do in representing God, will depend upon the degree of authority he has received from the Great Master. One who has been commissioned with great authority may undertake great responsibilities for God; whereas one who has been commissioned with but little, can do but little. The principle of authority will not permit a man to attempt responsibilities greater than his priesthood, though he may feel himself otherwise competent to do them fully as well as does the man who holds the necessary authority. Thus divine authority—or priesthood—becomes a power highly to be respected.
Now, the Holy Priesthood has two divisions—the Lesser and the Greater. It was the Lesser Priesthood that John the Baptist conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It is also called the Aaronic Priesthood since Aaron was the great representative of old bearing this authority. The powers and limitations of this division of priesthood—or Divine Authority—are indicated in the words of ordination and the instructions of John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
First, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the ministering of angels. One who has received this degree of authority has the right to receive revelation and instruction from the angels of heaven. They may minister to him, inspire him, and guide him, in his labors. Moreover, the authority of this priesthood may call down upon man the ministration of holy angels when it shall be necessary so to do.
Secondly, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of the gospel of repentance. One who holds this degree of authority may cry repentance to his fellowmen. He may preach the Gospel of Jesus to them that they may follow in His ways.
Moreover, the Priesthood of Aaron holds the keys of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The preaching of one having authority may be effective. Those hearing it may be converted. They may confess their past sins and repent of them with a Godly sorrow. It becomes necessary then to administer the ordinance of baptism to them. This, one who holds the authority of the Aaronic priesthood may do. By virtue of the delegated power which he holds, he may lead the candidate for baptism into the water, and immerse him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Finally, the Priesthood of Aaron may be said to hold the keys of all temporal ministrations. Those holding this authority may look after the needs of the poor, and the afflicted. They may care for the temporal welfare of the Church. They may attend to such duties as will make for the peace and comfort of worshipers. And they may attend to the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, or the Lord's Supper.
Now, what is the significance of this glorious vision of John the Baptist? It means, first, that man must have authority to act for God; secondly, that the religious world in the time of this vision had no authority to act for God. It is unreasonable to suppose that any one should presume, without authority, to take another's place in the business affairs of this world; or that any one would, without protest, permit another to usurp his place and authority in the business transactions of this world. And if this is so with finite men, how much more unready will the God of heaven be to approve His creatures' usurping His power and authority? How displeasing will it not be to him that one to whom He has never delegated authority of any kind or degree, shall presume to represent Him, and officiate in His name? Certainly God will no more recognize the acts of men who arrogate authority and dominion, than will an earthly monarch.
But the Priesthood held by men of old is not possessed by the sectarian churches of today. The Lesser, or Aaronic, Priesthood finds no place in their creeds. John the Baptist would have had no need to ordain Joseph and Oliver, had the Aaronic Priesthood been held by anyone on earth. All those who assumed, then, to organize churches, both before and after the appearance of John the Baptist in this age of the world, did so without the necessary authority. These two men—Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery—were the only mortals on earth at that time who held any degree of Priesthood—Divine Authority—from God. And the priesthood that they held did not yet give them power to organize the Church of Christ or to confer the Holy Ghost.
These facts are apparent, then: In answer to earnest prayer, a heavenly being giving his name as John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery; he conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds certain definite keys, or powers; the possession of Priesthood—or Divine Authority—is absolutely necessary to one who would officiate in God's stead; the religious world at large has lost entirely the Aaronic Priesthood; with this order of Priesthood conferred upon them Joseph and Oliver became authorized to perform certain duties for God; but even now they could not officiate in the higher ordinances of the Gospel, therefore they could not yet establish the Church of Christ with authority.
In the days of Abraham, there lived in Palestine a great king and "priest of the most high God," named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was king of Salem. To him Abraham paid tithes of all that he had. Now, Melchizedek was approved of God, and was ordained a high priest after the order of the Son of God; "which order came," we are told, "not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God."[A] And ever afterwards, Melchizedek was distinguished as a great high priest.
[Footnote A: Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version, Gen. 14:28; Compare Heb. 7:1-3.]
In after years the Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God—the Priesthood that Melchizedek held as a great high priest—came to be named after Melchizedek. In the one hundred tenth psalm, King David bursts forth in triumphant praise of the Lord who is to come. "The Lord hath sworn," he says, "and will not repent, 'Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'"[B] Again, a thousand years later, Paul revives the memory of Melchizedek in a remarkable argument for the saving power of the Lord's high-priesthood. "Though he were a Son," writes the great apostle, "yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek."[C] So, from generation to generation, among the ancients, an order of priesthood called the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek was undoubtedly well-known. It was this priesthood—or Divine Authority—by virtue of which Jesus Himself operated. It represented the power delegated to Him from God the Father.
[Footnote B: Psalms 110:4.]
[Footnote C: Read Hebrews, chs. 5, 6. 7.]
Moreover, it was the authority of this same priesthood by virtue of which the apostles of Jesus, and all the divinely-appointed disciples, officiated in Jesus' name. At some time during the second year of His public ministry, Jesus went up into a mountain, and called to Him certain of His disciples. He ordained twelve to be His apostles and special witnesses, and gave them power similar to His own.[D] When the labors of the ministry became too extensive for the twelve alone, the Lord appointed other seventy and sent them two and two into every city.[E] The authority of judgment was committed to the Son; and He appointed to His disciples a kingdom, as His Father had appointed to Him, that they might judge the twelve tribes of Israel.[F] To one of the apostles the Savior gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, that whatsoever he should bind on earth should be bound in heaven.[G] Afterwards, he gave the same binding and loosing power to all the twelve.[H] Then, after His crucifixion, the Lord appeared again to the eleven and conveyed to them a commission similar to that on which He Himself had acted:
[Footnote D: Mark 3:13-14.]
[Footnote E: Luke 10.]
[Footnote F: Luke 22:29-30.]
[Footnote G: Matt. 16:19.]
[Footnote H: Matt. 18:18.]
"As my father hath sent me, even so send I you."[I]
[Footnote I: John 20:21.]
But the power and priesthood of Jesus was unquestionably that known by the name of Melchizedek. He was called of God, says St. Paul, to that order of priesthood; he was appointed of God "a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." Then, when He imparted to His chosen disciples the authority that He held Himself, it cannot be otherwise construed than that He conferred upon them the Holy Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
What became of that priesthood after the passing of the apostles? During their ministry we have repeated references to the officers divinely appointed to carry on the work of the Church. The apostles themselves, as they traveled from church to church, ordained elders and set apart officers for the continuance of the great gospel work. And, of course, they could impart only what they had received. They had received the Holy Priesthood called after the name of Melchizedek; this priesthood, then, they conferred upon those appointed to preside and to labor in the Church. Indeed, it follows but naturally that one could not rightfully officiate in the Church unless he had been divinely called and appointed by this priesthood.
After the passing of the apostles, however, the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek, like that of Aaron, became lost. The officers of the priesthood dropped out one by one. At the present day, neither the Melchizedekian nor the Aaronic Priesthood is recognized in the sectarian world as having existence even, let alone their being essential to the complete organization of the Church. In a time of the restitution of all things, then,—such as was spoken of by the holy prophets—the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek as well as that of Aaron must be restored to the earth.
John the Baptist had promised that the Higher Priesthood should be restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Not long after his own visitation the promise was fulfilled. Joseph and Oliver were in the wilderness on the Susquehanna river. To them appeared the ancient apostles Peter, James, and John, who declared that they possessed the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the Fulness of Times. They laid their hands upon Joseph and Oliver, conferred upon them the Holy Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, ordained them to be apostles and special witnesses of Jesus the Lord, and bestowed upon them the keys of power which they themselves possessed.[J] Therefore, Joseph and Oliver became known as Apostles of Jesus Christ, the first and second elders of the Church.[K] In after years, the Prophet Joseph wrote ecstatically of the event, saying:
[Footnote J: "History of the Church," Vol. I, pp. 40, 41.]
[Footnote K: Doc. and Cov. 20:2, 3; 18:9.]
"And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfillment of the prophets—the book to be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca County, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the book. The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil when he appeared as an angel of light. The voice of Peter, James and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times."[L]
[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov. 128:20.]
And Oliver Cowdery, too, bears record of the same marvelous event. He says in a signed statement:
"John the Baptist, holding the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter, James and John, holding the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood have also ministered for those who shall be heirs of salvation, and with these administrations, ordained men to the same Priesthood. These Priesthoods with their authority, are now and must continue to be in the body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * * * Accept assurances, dear brother, of the unfeigned prayer of him who, in connection with Joseph, the Seer, was blessed with the above administrations."[M]
[Footnote M: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 42, footnote.]
This statement was written in 1849, nearly twenty years after the event, and nearly five years after the martyrdom of the Prophet.
And so was consummated another act in the great drama of the Restoration. The chosen prophet, Joseph Smith, and his divinely-appointed associate, Oliver Cowdery, possessed now the higher order of priesthood—the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. After many centuries the priesthood of the great king was restored again to the earth finally, never again to be taken away while the earth shall stand.
How does this Higher Priesthood differ from the Lesser? Briefly, the difference is mainly one of degree. Both are divisions of the great Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. But the Lesser Priesthood deals with lesser, and temporal things; whereas the Higher Priesthood deals with spiritual things. Says the Lord in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph:
"The power and authority of the Higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church—to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven—to have the heavens opened unto them—to commune with the general assembly and Church of the first born, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant."[N]
[Footnote N: Doc. and Cov. 107:18, 19.]
It appears, then, that one holding the Priesthood of Melchizedek may lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; he may administer to the sick that they may be restored; he may rebuke evil and cast out devils in the name of Jesus the Christ; he may bless, and confirm, and anoint with holy oil; he may, in short, call down the richest blessings of heaven in his administration,—for he holds "the keys of all the spiritual blessings."
He may possess the rights and powers of revelation, to learn the mysteries of heaven, to look into the heavens themselves, and to commune with heavenly beings. He may enjoy the communion, and the very presence of God the Father and of Jesus Christ. Moreover, one holding the Higher Priesthood has power and authority over all the lesser offices of the Church. These are great and wonderful blessings. Yet, they are really no greater than one should expect to find operative in the true Church of Christ. For how can a church fulfill the measure of its existence unless it possess the very powers here ascribed to the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek?
It is really a matter of wonder that Joseph Smith, an unlearned youth—for he was less than twenty-four years of age at the time of the restoration of the Melchizedekian Priesthood—should have felt himself unauthorized fully to represent God until the two orders of priesthood were conferred upon him. The so-called reformers were nearly all learned men. They knew the scriptures not only in translation but in the original tongue. They knew, too, the history and the customs of Israel and surrounding nations. Of most of these things, Joseph Smith as a young man was ignorant. Yet, the Protestant reformers never once recognized the necessity of possessing the old order of Divine Authority. They read the scriptures and claimed to understand them; some even translated the Holy Bible; yet, not one of them seemed to comprehend the meaning of Priesthood, nor the necessity of Divine Authority. To Joseph Smith alone, of all the modern religious leaders, belongs the credit of waiting till he was commissioned before he attempted to act in God's stead. It is a striking testimony of his divine inspiration.
Empowered with the authority of both the Lesser and the Higher Priesthood, Joseph Smith was in a position to act in all things for the Great Giver of that authority. Indeed, it would appear that there was nothing, in righteousness, that Joseph Smith might not do as the representative of God. Yet, he waited patiently, always, to receive God's word before he ventured to act in any important matter. During these early days of his experience, enemies continued to array themselves against him, and persecution waxed fiercer and more frequent. But the young Prophet was not required to stand absolutely alone. Not only enemies, but friends also increased in numbers. It was very generally known, long before the publication of the "Book of Mormon," that Joseph was engaged in the translation of such a book. Many men whose curiosity, and interest, had been aroused, sought out the Prophet, and learned from his own lips the nature of his strange message to the world. These men remained in most cases among the Prophet's staunchest friends. They could not doubt the sincerity of that testimony which alone withstood maligning and persecution. They could not break the impregnable testimony to the divine authenticity of the "Book of Mormon." They could not controvert the sober affirmations of the two men who, without worldly gain in view, declared that they had received by special ordination divine authority from heaven to re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. And, fortunately for the young seer, his own family were among those who began early to repose faith in him. His brother Samuel H. Smith was, according to the recorded history, the third person in this dispensation to be baptized; and shortly thereafter Hyrum Smith, another brother, also accepted the truth. Thus, the followers of the Prophet increased in number, and his friends multiplied. There was, however, no organization by which they were bound together.
Near the middle of the year 1829, before the Higher Priesthood was restored, the Prophet and his friends became anxious to effect a permanent organization. The heavenly messengers that had visited the Prophet had promised him that the true Church of Christ should be establised in due time. And it was expedient—even necessary—that there should be an organization effected. It may be urged that a person can be as good out of an organization as in it, and that the mere fact of organization can produce no improvement either spiritually or otherwise. But there can be no system where there is no organization. There can be no one particularly to look to, where there is no organization. There can be no division of responsibility where there is no organization. There can be no order where there is no organization. Order, it has been said, is a fundamental law of heaven. But organization means order. We have not space here to delve into the philosophy of organization; but it is surely evident to every one that if we had not organization, the world—physically, spiritually, mentally, socially—would still be in the same chaotic condition it was in when God first said, "Let there be light." In order to accomplish the purposes of God, then, it was necessary to do more than merely to restore the authority to act in His name. It became necessary to effect an organization.
Near the middle of the year 1829, the Prophet and his friends became anxious to realize the promise of John the Baptist that they should receive the Higher Priesthood, and to effect a permanent organization. They assembled in Peter Whitmer's house to beg of the Lord what they so earnestly desired. "And here," writes the Prophet, "to our unspeakable satisfaction, did we realize the truth of the Savior's promise—'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you'—for we had not long been engaged in solemn and fervent prayer, when the word of the Lord came unto us in the chamber."[A] It is undoubtedly this manifestation that the Prophet has in mind when he writes in an address to the Church, "And again what do we hear? * * * The voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca County."[B]
[Footnote A: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 60.]
[Footnote B: Doc. and Cov. 128:21.]
The voice of the Lord in this assembly gave to the Prophet many important directions as to how he should proceed in organizing the Church. He was instructed to ordain Oliver Cowdery an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ. Then, Oliver Cowdery should ordain Joseph; and afterwards they should ordain others, as they should be directed by revelation. These ordinations, however, were to be deferred until such time as all those who had been baptized could be assembled in a general meeting. And even then, the young Prophet, to whom these great revelations had been made, should not force himself upon his followers; but they were to show by free and voluntary vote whether or not they were willing to receive him as their spiritual teacher and leader. After the vote had been taken, these first Elders of the Church were to bless bread and break it with those assembled, and bless wine and drink it with them. Then, such as should be indicated by the Spirit of God should be ordained to the priesthood, and those who had been baptized should be confirmed by the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.[C] In order further to instruct his servants, the Lord gave in addition a revelation to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer, explaining further the nature of their calling to the priesthood, making known that there should be twelve apostles called at some future time, and imparting other instructions relative to the building up of the Church of Christ, according to the fulness of the Gospel.[D]
[Footnote C: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 61.]
[Footnote D: Doc. and Cov. sec. 18.]
Not very long afterwards, another revelation was given specifying the day on which the organization should be effected, and outlining the duties of Church members. The Lord, in this revelation, says:
"The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month, which is called April."[E]
[Footnote E: Doc. and Cov. 20:1.]
Then the revelation proceeds to explain doctrine, and to define the duties of those holding the priesthood, also of lay members. Thus was the day fixed by divine revelation when the Church should be organized.
Accordingly on Tuesday, the sixth of April, 1830, Joseph Smith and his friends met at the house of Peter Whitmer, Sr., in Fayette Seneca County, New York. The laws of the State of New York required that there should be at least six members of any religious body to effect an organization. There were already more than six baptized followers of Joseph Smith. Since, however, no more than six were required, only six were chosen for the purpose of organization. They were, Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith, Jr., Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Samuel H. Smith and David Whitmer.[F] The Prophet writes:
[Footnote F: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 76, footnote.]
"Having opened the meeting by solemn prayer to our heavenly Father, we proceeded, according to previous commandment, to call on our brethren to know whether they accepted us as their teachers in the things of the kingdom of God, and whether they were satisfied that we should proceed and be organized as a Church, according to said commandment which we had received. To these several propositions they consented by a unanimous vote. I then laid my hands upon Oliver Cowdery, and ordained him an Elder of the 'Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;' after which he ordained me also to the office of an Elder of said Church. We then took bread, blessed it, and brake it with them; also wine, blessed it, and drank it with them. We then laid our hands on each individual member of the Church present, that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and be confirmed members of the Church of Christ. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon us to a very great degree—some prophesied, whilst we all praised the Lord, and rejoiced exceedingly."[G]
[Footnote G: "History of the Church," Vol. I, pp. 75-79.]
While the members were thus enjoying the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, another revelation pertaining to the organization of the Church was given to the Prophet Joseph. It is preserved in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants as section twenty-one.
"We now proceeded to call out and ordain some others of the brethren to different offices of the Priesthood, according as the Spirit manifested unto us; and after a happy time spent in witnessing and feeling for ourselves the powers and blessings of the Holy Ghost, through the grace of God bestowed upon us, we dismissed with the pleasing knowledge that we were now individually members of, and acknowledged of God, 'The Church of Jesus Christ,' organized in accordance with commandments and revelations given by Him to ourselves to the order of the Church as recorded in the New Testament."[H]
[Footnote H: "History of the Church," Vol. I, p. 79.]
Thus was accomplished, fully ten years after the glorious vision of the Father and the Son, the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the consummation of another great act in the drama of the Restoration. Gradually, the story has been building up to this climax. Gradually, the chosen servants of God have been trained, and prepared for the great responsibility of organization. Gradually, the "marvelous work and a wonder" has itself grown and made friends, that it might bear fruit in membership. And now the number of those who can testify to the divine origin of the great work is materially increased. It is not Joseph Smith alone; nor is it he alone with his associate Oliver; nor is it they alone with the three witnesses; nor yet is it they alone with the eight witnesses. It is now the Church membership. On them was poured the abundance of the Holy Ghost this momentous day. And though there were but six in the legal organization, all those assembled experienced the rich blessings of the Spirit. Moreover, from that day forth, the Church began to grow rapidly. On that very day, indeed, many became converted and were baptized, among others the father and the mother of the Prophet. At about the same time, Martin Harris, also, and Orrin Porter Rockwell received baptism. And thus the Church has increased from six to tens; from tens to tens of thousands, and from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands,—all bearing witness that Joseph Smith received divine authority and special appointment to establish anew the Church of Christ upon the earth.