A Well-Oiled Machine (Mechanism of the Creation, Population and Redemption of the Worlds)
A Well-Oiled Machine by Art Bulla on #BlogTalkRadio - http://tobtr.com/s/1238369
1. Sermon by Brigham Young, Oct. 8, 1854, General Conference, Salt Lake Valley.
Original Air Date: September 05, 2010
A Well-Oiled Machine
The machinery for the creation and population and redemption of the worlds, which are without number, is a well-oiled machine. Gospel is the same on all worlds, though the officers to officiate in the various offices are different. Adam's God is our Grandfather. ...the children of Adam were more or less acquainted with their Grandfather....(Brigham Young, J.D. 9:148) Who, then is the real father and grandfather of Adam? And to repeat your question, Adam; Who is He?, we might find the answer from Brigham Young in this conference report in 1854. Here is a portion of his talk on Adam: If Adam is not the God of this world, what is he the God of? If this is not his kingdom, which and what is his kingdom? If God is an exalted man and once was what we now are, what is the objection to Adam being our God--our Father in Heaven, or His father being our Grandfather in Heaven, and His Grandfather being our Great Grandfather in Heaven, and etc. with no end to intelligence one above the other." This was the doctrine of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and why should it not be the doctrine of the church now? People believe that "God is an exalted man" and still repudiate the doctrine of Adam-God. It seems presumptuous indeed for them to ever aspire to be the God of anything, if Adam cannot be the God of the world he created and peopled. If a man is not to become the God of his own posterity what will he be the God of? "there never was a time when men were not passing [9] through this ordeal and preparation to become Gods." Joseph Smith says, "Wherever was there a father without first being a Son?" Jehovah means son, and is used interchangeably as the son, and a son. Elohim may signify the Father or Grandfather or Great-Grandfather--God, or the council of the Gods, and Jehovah may be applied to any of them in the capacity or relationship of a son, as they all are, for "where was there ever a father without first being a son.""intelligences one above another without end."
1. Sermon by Brigham Young, Oct. 8, 1854, General Conference, Salt Lake Valley.
After hearing this sermon, Wilford Woodruff wrote in his journal:
President Young preached to a congregation of several thousand, out of doors, and I believe that he preached the greatest sermon that ever was delivered to the Latter Day Saints since they have been a people. Elder Watt reported. I also took minutes. (W. Woodruff Jrnl. 4:290)
The Deseret News reported:
At 2 p.m. an immense congregation were comfortably seated in the open air. While the emblems were [114] being passed, President Brigham Young delivered a highly interesting discourse, which held the vast audience as it were spellbound. (Des. News 4:112)
*** I may say things this afternoon that does (sic) not belong to the world. What if I do? I know the Lord is able to close up every person's mind who have (sic) eyes but see not, hearts but do not understand; so I may say what I please with regard to the Kingdom of God on the Earth, for there is a veil over the wicked that they cannot understand the things which are for their peace.
Jesus said at one time, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and give it to dogs." This saying applies to all the dispensations that has (sic) been brought forth to the children of men from the days of Adam until now. ***
I wish to speak a few words about the Bible as I have hinted at it. The ordinances of the Kingdom of God on the earth are the same to the children of Adam from the commencement to the end of his posterity pertaining to the carnal state on this earth, and the winding up scene of this mortality. With regard to the Bible we frequently say, we believe the Bible, but circumstances alter cases, for what is now required of the people may not be required of a people that may live a hundred years hence. But I wish you to understand, with regard to the ordinances of God's House to save the people in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, there is no change from the days of Adam to the present time, neither will there be until the last of his posterity is gathered into the Kingdom of God.
Those who are not acquainted with our doctrine are astonished, and say, "That is strange indeed; we thought no such thing as preaching faith, repentance, and baptism was practiced in ancient or Old Testament times." I can tell you that no man from the days of Adam, no woman from the days of Eve to this day, who have lived, and who are now living upon the earth will go into the Kingdom of their Father and [115] God, to be crowned with Jesus Christ, without passing through the same ordinances of the House of God, you and I have obeyed. I wish you distinctly to understand that.
There are many duties and callings spoken of in the scriptures, and there are many not written, those for instance which are handed out to you by your President as circumstances require. Those imposed by the President of the Church of God, or by the president of any portion of it, are duties as necessary to be observed as though they were written in the Bible; but these requirements, duties, callings, etc., change with the circumstances that surround the people of God. But when you speak of the system of salvation to bring back the children of Adam and Eve into the presence of our Father and God, it is the same in all ages, among all people, and under all circumstances worlds without end. Amen.
I think these preliminaries will satisfy me, and I feel prepared to take my text; . . . I tell you my text is in the Bible and reads as follows: "And this is Life Eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." I will now put another text with this and then offer a few remarks; it is one of the sayings of the Apostle Paul. "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven, or in earth (as there be gods many and lords many), but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." This God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of our spirits. I feel inclined here to make a little scripture. * * * This God is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ precisely as He is our Father varying from mortality to immortality, from corruptible to incorruptible, and that is all the difference. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, both body and spirit; and He is the Father of our spirits, and the Father of our flesh in the beginning. You will not dispute the words of the Apostle, that He is actually the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [116] the Father of our spirits. You may add these words to it, or let it alone; it is all the same to me, that He is not only the Father of our spirits, but also of our flesh, He being the founder of that natural machinery through which we have all obtained our bodies.
Do you wish me to simplify it? Could you have a father without having a grandfather; or a grandfather without having a great grandfather? I never heard of <but> one circumstance that varied from this rule, and that was a son of the Emerald Isle who said he was born of one of his aunts. Does this unlock to your understandings how the Lord Almighty is our natural Father; He set the great machine to working. If you cannot see this truth now, you will if you are faithful and patient.
I will now quote another scripture. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations." From these words we understand that God has made of one blood all the inhabitants that are upon the Earth <--all> that has been, and that will be in the future will be of the same blood as those that have been. Do you believe that scripture? I do with all my heart. I believe we are all of one flesh, blood, and bones. We are made of the same matter, the same elements, we have sprung from one mother, Earth. Matter was brought together from the vast eternity of it that exists, and this terra firma upon which we stand was organized, then comes the world of mankind, the beasts, fishes, fowls, and every living thing to dwell upon the Earth after its kind; and vegetation of every kind to support the animal life upon it, until the organization of this world was perfected in all its variety; being brought from the eternity of matter, and prepared for intelligent beings to dwell upon, wherein to prepare themselves to dwell eternally in the presence of their Father and God. Those who keep this their second estate, and do honor to their being, and answer the [117] design of their creation, shall be exalted to inhabit the Earth, and live upon it when it shall be Celestial, and brought back into the presence of God, there to dwell forever and ever.
Before I proceed any further, I will ask a question. And I would like you men, and women of intelligence, to understand and watch well, to see if I keep the thread of truth, whether I preach to you according to the law, and the testimony, according to the words of the Prophets, of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, and according to the words of angels. Mark ye well my sayings, and see if you can pick any flaw in them. If you think you can so do, when you come to the proper place to be corrected, you may then receive instructions that will do you good. The question I wish to ask is simply this; and I put it to all the Elders of Israel, and to all the men and women of intelligence in Israel which pertains to the Kingdom of God on Earth; and if the whole world were before me I would ask them the same question. Can any man, or set of men officiate in dispensing the laws, and administering the ordinances of the Kingdom of God, or of the kingdoms and governments of the world legally, without first obeying those laws, and submitting to those ordinances themselves. Do you understand me? If a foreigner wishes to become a citizen of the United States, he must first become subject to this government; must you not first acknowledge and obey the laws of this government? Certainly you must.
Then, to apply this to the Kingdom of God on Earth, and ask yourselves if any man has the power, the influence, the right, the authority, to go forth and preach this gospel, and baptize for the remission of sins unless he himself has, in the first place, been baptized, ordained and legally called to that office? What would the Elders of Israel and every other sensible man say to this? They would all decide at once with me, that no man can lawfully officiate in any office in the Kingdom of God, or in the governments of men, he has not been called to, and the authority of which has not been [118] bestowed upon him. I am not going to talk a thousand things to you, but I wish to tell you a few, and desire you to understand them, and connect them together. * * *
Now if you believe what you have heard me say you will believe there is <sic> lords many, and gods many; and you will believe that unto us, the inhabitants of this Earth, there is but one God with whom we have to do; and according to the tenor of the Bible, we believe there are many, very many who have entered into power, glory, might, and dominion, and are gathering around them thrones, and have power to organize elements, and make worlds, and bring into existence intelligent beings in all their variety, who if they are faithful and obedient to their calling and creation will in their turn be exalted in eternal kingdoms of the Gods. Do you believe that? You and I have only one God to whom we are accountable, so we will let the rest alone, and search after the one we have to do with; let us seek diligently after Him, the very being who commenced this creation.
We will now make our inquiries with regard to our position with the God with whom we have to do. You will please recollect, all ye Elders in Israel, for I want you to be instructed, by my remarks, that you may not fall into errors, that you have tested the question in your own minds with regard to the rights of officiating in ordinances. Now I wish to ask you if you have any conception or idea as to the creation of the world? "Oh yes," you reply, "A great many of us have a tolerable idea of it, but still there are mysteries we do not understand; there are some things in the Bible about the creation that seem to be dark; we have learned some things in this Kingdom we do not understand, and that do not correspond with the reading of the Bible." Let me open the eyes of your understanding.
There has never been a time when the creations of worlds commenced; they are from eternity to eternity in their creations and redemption. After they are organized they [119] experience the good and the evil; the light and the dark, the bitter and the sweet, as you and I do. There never was a time when there were not worlds in existence as this world is, and they pass through similar changes in abiding their creation preparatory to exaltation. Worlds have always been in progress, and eternally will be.
Every world has had an Adam and an Eve, named so simply because the first man is always called Adam, and the first woman Eve; and the oldest son has always had the privilege of being ordained, appointed, and called to be the heir of the family, if he does not rebel against the Father, and he is the Saviour of the family. Every world that has been created has been created upon the same principle. They may vary in their varieties, yet the eternity is one; it is one eternal round. These are things that scarcely belong to the best of this congregation. There are items of doctrine and principles, in the bosom of eternity that the best of the Latter-day Saints are unworthy to receive. If the visions of their minds were opened to look into the vast creations, and gaze upon the power and glory and goodness and exaltation of the Gods, they would exclaim, "Wo is me, I am undone, I am of unclean lips."
But we will look at it a little. Do any of you know anything about the creation of the world? "Oh yes, we understand a good deal about it from the account given in the Bible." So you read in the Bible of there being three persons in one god; many religionists in the world believe in a three <in> one god, however, I do not wish to spend time to deliberate upon the notions adopted by the sectarians; the world is full of them. There are lords many and gods many according to the Bible; it does not contradict the doctrine, neither can you find a single passage that does away with that idea.
But let us turn our attention to the God with which we have to do. I tell you simply, He is our Father; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of our spirits. [120] Can that be possible? Yes, it is possible. He is the Father of all the spirits of the human family.
All things are first made spiritual, and brought forth into His kingdom. The spirits of all the human family were begotten by one Father. Now be watchful, for if I have time, and feel able, I shall communicate something in connection with this you are not expecting. Yes, every son and daughter of Adam according to the flesh can claim one parentage; the heathen and the Christian, the Jew and the Gentile, the high and the low, the king and the beggar, the black and the white, all who have sprung from Adam and Eve have one father. "Then you make it out we are brethren and sisters." Certainly for the whole human family are made of one blood of the same material; they are all begotten and brought forth by one parentage, and from one generation to another they are of one flesh and blood, and of one kindred. The God and Father <of> our Lord Jesus Christ is the Father of our spirits.
I began at the end, and shall probably finish at the beginning of my discourse; but it is no matter which end a man begins at, for the first shall be last, and the last first; which proves it is one eternal round; it is one eternity. Eloheim looks round upon the eternity of matter, and said to His associates, and those that He was pleased to call upon at that time for His counselors, with regard to the elements, worlds, planets, kingdoms and thrones; said He, "Yahovah Michael, see that eternal matter on all sides, this way and that way; we have already created worlds upon worlds, shall we create another world? Yes, go and organize the elements yonder in space"; not empty space for there is no such thing, once in a while, earthquakes, and the extensive destruction of combustible matter by fire will come nigh making empty space for perhaps the millionth part of a second. "Yahovah Michael, go and create a world, make it, organize it, form it; and then put upon it everything in all the variety that you have seen, that you have been in the habit of being associated with in [121] other worlds, of beasts, birds, fowls, fish, and every insect, and creeping thing, and finally, <when> the whole eternity of element is full of life, bring it together and make of it living creatures."
Yahovah Michael goes and does as he is told. What I am now going to tell you will no doubt astonish the whole of you. When Yahovah Michael had organized the world, and brought from another kingdom the beasts, fish, fowls, and insects, and every tree, and plant with which we are acquainted, and thousands that we never saw, when He had filled the Earth with animal and vegetable life, Michael or Adam goes down to the new made world, and there he stays.
Do you suppose he went there alone? Moses made the Bible to say his wife was taken out of his side, was made of one of his ribs. I do not know anything to the contrary of my ribs being equal on both sides. The Lord knows if I had lost a rib for each wife I have, I should have had none left long ago. Some try to say how many wives the Governor of Utah has, but if they can tell, they can tell more than I can, for I do not know how many I have; I have not counted them up for many years. I did not know how many I had before I left the United States I had so many. I heard that I had ninety. Why bless your souls, ninety is not a beginning. You might ask me if I have ever seen them all; I answer no; I see a few of them I pick up myself here. I have lots and scores I never see nor shall not until the morning of the resurrection.
Now about the rib. As for the Lord taking a rib out of Adam's side to make a woman of, He took one out of my side just as much.
"But, Brother Brigham, would you make it appear that Moses did not tell the truth?"
No, not a particle more than I would that your mother did not tell the truth, when she told you that little Billy came from a hollow toadstool. I would not accuse your mother of lying any more than I would Moses; the people in the days of [122] Moses wanted to know things that was (sic) not for them, the same as your children do when they want to know where their little brother came from, and he answered them according to their folly, the same as you did your children.
Now some will be ready to say, "We always heard these Mormons did not believe the Bible." I believe all the truth that is there and that is enough for me and for you to believe.
"Then the Lord did not make Adam out of the dust of the earth?"
Yes he did, but I have not got to that part of my discourse yet. Adam was made of the dust of the earth.
"Was he made of the dust of this earth?"
No, but of the dust of the earth whereon he was born in the flesh; that is the way he was made; he was made of dust.
"Did the Lord put into him his spirit?"
Yes, as the Lord put into you your spirit; he was begotten of a father, and brought forth as you and I were; and so are all intelligent beings brought forth from eternity to eternity. Man was not made the same as you make an adobe to put in a wall. Moses said Adam was made of the dust of the ground, but he did not say of what ground. I say he was not made of the dust of the ground of this Earth, but he was made of the dust of the earth where he lived, where he honored his calling, believed in his Saviour, or Elder Brother, and by his faithfulness, was redeemed, and got a glorious resurrection. All creatures that dwell upon this Earth are made of the elements that compose it; which are organized to see if they will abide their creation, and be counted worthy to receive a resurrection. "What, every flesh?"
Yes, every flesh, for all flesh pertaining to this world is made of the dust of this Earth; it is all made from the same material, according to the will and pleasure of Him who dictates all things. Our bodies are composed of the same material that composes this Earth; they are composed of the [123] water, air, and solid earth, either of which will resolve back to their native fountain.
How many elements are there I do not know anymore than you. They have never all been classified by science, though scientific gentlemen have tried to do it.
I tell you more, Adam is the Father of our spirits. He lived upon an earth; he did abide his creation, and did honor to his calling and Priesthood; and obeyed his Master or Lord, and probably many of his wives did the same, and they lived and died upon an earth, and then were resurrected again to immortality and eternal life.
"Did he resurrect himself?" you inquire. I want to throw out a few hints upon the resurrection as it seems to come within the circuit of my ideas whether it ought to come within the circuit of my remarks or not. I believe we have already acknowledged the truth established that no person can officiate in any office he has not been subject to himself and been legally appointed to fill. That no person in this Kingdom can officiate in any ordinance he himself has not obeyed; consequently no being who has not been resurrected possesses the keys of the power of resurrection. That you have been told often. Adam therefore was resurrected by someone who had been resurrected.
I will go a little further with this lest some of you will be querying, doubting, and philosophizing this away. It is true, Jesus said, "I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." I do not doubt the power of Christ; but did he prove that in his resurrection? No. But it is proved that an angel came and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and did resurrect the body of the Son of God.
"What angel was this?"
It is not for me to say. I do not know him. If I ever did know him, it is so long since, I have entirely forgotten who it [124] was. That Jesus had power to lay down his life, and power to take it up again, I do not dispute. Neither do I dispute but what an angel came that was sent by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to roll away the stone from the sepulchre, and resurrect the Son of God. Suffice it to say that he was some character who had himself been resurrected. * * * [The only person who had been resurrected before Christ was God the Father, who was Adam.]
Now, many inquiries will be made about the Saviour, such as, "Who is he? Is he the Father of Adam? Is he the God of Adam?" When Christ has finished his labor and presented it to his father, then he, Adam, will receive a fullness. That is all easily understood by me. He cannot receive a fullness of the kingdoms He has organized until they are completed. If He sends His servants off to the right and to the left to perform a certain labor, His kingdom is not complete until His ministers have accomplished everything to make His kingdom complete and returned home again.
Many inquire, who is this Saviour? I will tell you what I think about it, and as the <Southerners> say I reckon, and as the Yankees say I guess; but I will tell you what I reckon. I reckon that Father Adam was a resurrected being, with his wives and posterity, and in the Celestial Kingdom they were crowned with glory, immortality and eternal lives, with thrones, principalities and powers; and it was said to him, "It is your right to organize the elements; and to your creations and posterity there shall be no end, but you shall add kingdom to kingdom, and throne to throne, and still behold the vast eternity of unorganized matter."
Adam then was a resurrected being; and I reckon our spirits and the spirits of all the human family were begotten by Adam and born of Eve.
"How are we going to know this?"
I reckon it.
[125] And I reckon that Adam came into the Garden of Eden, and did actually eat of the fruit that he himself planted; and I reckon there was a previous understanding, and the whole plan was previously calculated, before the Garden of Eden was made, that he would reduce his posterity to sin, misery, darkness, wickedness, wretchedness, and to the power of the Devil, that they might be prepared for an exaltation, for without this they could not receive one. * * *
The inquiry will arise, among those who are strenuous, and tenacious for the account given by Moses, as to Adam.
"Did not Adam die?"
Yes, he died.
"Does not the Bible say he died?"
I do not know nor care, but I think it would be hard to find where he died; or where Moses died, though I have no doubt Moses died, and Adam also; how? Just as you and I have to die, and be laid away in the bowels of Mother Earth; that, however, Moses did not see fit to tell us.
Adam planted the Garden of Eden, and he with his wife Eve partook of the fruit of this Earth, until their systems were charged with the nature of Earth, and then they could beget bodies for their spiritual children. If the spirit does not enter into the embryo man that is forming in the womb of the woman, the result will be false conception, a living, intelligent being cannot be produced. Adam and Eve begat the first mortal bodies on this Earth, and from that commencement every spirit that was begotten in eternity for this Earth will enter bodies thus prepared for them here, until the winding up scene, and that will not be until the last of these spirits enters an earthly tabernacle.
Then I reckon that the children of Adam and Eve married each other; this is speaking to the point. I believe in sisters marrying brothers, and brothers having their sisters for wives. Why? Because we cannot do otherwise. There are none others for me to marry but my sisters.
[126] "But you would not pretend to say you would marry your father<'s> and mother's daughter."
If I did not I would marry another of my sisters that lives over in another garden; the material of which they are organized is just the same; there is no difference between them and those who live in this garden. Our spirits are all brothers and sisters, and so are our bodies; and the opposite idea to this has resulted from the ignorant and foolish traditions of the nations of the Earth. They have corrupted themselves with each other, and I want them to understand that they have corrupted their own flesh, blood, and bones; for they are of the same flesh, blood, and bones as all the family of the Earth.
I am approaching the subject of our marriage relations Brother Hyde lectured upon, but I shall not have time or strength to say much about this. But, I reckon that Father Adam and Mother Eve had the children of the human family prepared to come here and take bodies; and when they come to take bodies, they enter into the bodies prepared for them, and that body gets an exaltation with the spirit, when they are prepared to be crowned in Father's Kingdom.
"What, into Adam's Kingdom?" Yes.
As to my talking what I want to say at this time, I shall not do it. I am exhausting myself; I have to speak loud, and it is hard labor.
I tell you, when you see your Father in the Heavens, you will see Adam; when you see your Mother that bore your spirit, you will see Mother Eve. And when you see yourselves there, you have gained your exaltation; you have honored your calling here on the Earth; your body has returned to its mother Earth; and somebody has broken the chains of death that bound you, and given you a resurrection.
How are you going to get your resurrection? You will get it by the President of the Resurrection pertaining to this generation, and that is Joseph Smith Junior. Hear it all ye ends [127] of the Earth; if ever you enter into the Kingdom of God it is because Joseph Smith let you go there. This will apply to Jews and Gentiles, to the bond and free; to friends and foes; no man or woman in this generation will get a resurrection and be crowned without Joseph Smith says so. The man who was martyred in Carthage Jail <in the> State of Illinois holds the keys of life and death to this generation. He is the President of the Resurrection in this dispensation, and he will be the first to rise from the dead. When he has passed through it, then I reckon the keys of the resurrection will be committed to him. Then he will call up his apostles. You know I told you last conference I was an Apostle of Joseph Smith; and if faithful enough I expect Joseph will resurrect the Apostles; and when they have passed through the change, and received their blessings, I expect he will commit to them the keys of the resurrection, and they will go on resurrecting the Saints, every man in his own order.
I want to say a little more about marriage relations, so that you may understand what my views are. When you get your resurrection, you are not yet exalted; but by and by, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, the Saviour of the world, the Heir of the Family; when he has put down Satan, and destroyed death; then he will say, come let us go home into the presence of the Father.
What will become of the world then? It will be baptized with fire. It has been baptized with water, and it will then be cleansed by fire, and become like a sea of glass, and be made Celestial; and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother will take the whole Earth, with all the Saints and go with them to the Father even to Adam; and you will continue to receive more and more intelligence, glory, exaltation, and power.
I want to tell you a thing with regard to parents, wives, brothers and sisters, etc. The time will come when it will be told where this man, and that woman shall be placed; the real blood of Joseph will be selected out from among the tribes of [128] Israel, and every man and woman will be put in their places, and stand in their order where the Lord designs them to be. When you get back into the presence of God, and the Lord should say, "Who have you brought with you?" your reply would be, "My wife and children;" but in reality you have only with you your brothers and sisters. The Father would say, "These are my children." When you meet your Father in Heaven, you will know Him, and realize that you have lived with Him, and rested in His bosom for ages gone passed, and He will hail you as His sons and daughters, and embrace you, and you will embrace Him, and "Hallelujah, thank God I have come to Father again; I have got back home," will resound through the Heavens. There are ten thousand things connected with these ideas. You see the human family of every shade of color between black and white. I could stand here and tell you what I reckon but it would take an age for me to tell you all there is about it.
We have all come from one father even Adam, both the black and the white, the grizzled and the gray; the noble and the ignoble; and the time will come when they will all come back again into His presence. When they have behaved themselves, and proved faithful to their calling, and to their God, the curse will be removed from every class and nation of men that desires to work the work of God. This <has> been told you, that saviours would come upon Mount Zion and judge the Mount of Esau. Let me read it for you, "There shall saviours come upon Mount Zion and save the Mount of Esau." What does gentile signify? Disobedience. What does Israel signify? Obedience. What is the name of the first man? Adam, which signifies first man, and Eve signifies first woman. And when Michael the Archangel shall sound his trump and the Ancient of Days shall come, all things that we have once been familiar with will come back again to our memory. (For this entire sermon, refer to Teachings of Brigham Young, compiled by Fred Collier, pp. 343-368.)
Jesus said at one time, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and give it to dogs." This saying applies to all the dispensations that has (sic) been brought forth to the children of men from the days of Adam until now. ***
I wish to speak a few words about the Bible as I have hinted at it. The ordinances of the Kingdom of God on the earth are the same to the children of Adam from the commencement to the end of his posterity pertaining to the carnal state on this earth, and the winding up scene of this mortality. With regard to the Bible we frequently say, we believe the Bible, but circumstances alter cases, for what is now required of the people may not be required of a people that may live a hundred years hence. But I wish you to understand, with regard to the ordinances of God's House to save the people in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, there is no change from the days of Adam to the present time, neither will there be until the last of his posterity is gathered into the Kingdom of God.
Those who are not acquainted with our doctrine are astonished, and say, "That is strange indeed; we thought no such thing as preaching faith, repentance, and baptism was practiced in ancient or Old Testament times." I can tell you that no man from the days of Adam, no woman from the days of Eve to this day, who have lived, and who are now living upon the earth will go into the Kingdom of their Father and [115] God, to be crowned with Jesus Christ, without passing through the same ordinances of the House of God, you and I have obeyed. I wish you distinctly to understand that.
There are many duties and callings spoken of in the scriptures, and there are many not written, those for instance which are handed out to you by your President as circumstances require. Those imposed by the President of the Church of God, or by the president of any portion of it, are duties as necessary to be observed as though they were written in the Bible; but these requirements, duties, callings, etc., change with the circumstances that surround the people of God. But when you speak of the system of salvation to bring back the children of Adam and Eve into the presence of our Father and God, it is the same in all ages, among all people, and under all circumstances worlds without end. Amen.
I think these preliminaries will satisfy me, and I feel prepared to take my text; . . . I tell you my text is in the Bible and reads as follows: "And this is Life Eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." I will now put another text with this and then offer a few remarks; it is one of the sayings of the Apostle Paul. "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven, or in earth (as there be gods many and lords many), but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." This God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of our spirits. I feel inclined here to make a little scripture. * * * This God is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ precisely as He is our Father varying from mortality to immortality, from corruptible to incorruptible, and that is all the difference. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, both body and spirit; and He is the Father of our spirits, and the Father of our flesh in the beginning. You will not dispute the words of the Apostle, that He is actually the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [116] the Father of our spirits. You may add these words to it, or let it alone; it is all the same to me, that He is not only the Father of our spirits, but also of our flesh, He being the founder of that natural machinery through which we have all obtained our bodies.
Do you wish me to simplify it? Could you have a father without having a grandfather; or a grandfather without having a great grandfather? I never heard of <but> one circumstance that varied from this rule, and that was a son of the Emerald Isle who said he was born of one of his aunts. Does this unlock to your understandings how the Lord Almighty is our natural Father; He set the great machine to working. If you cannot see this truth now, you will if you are faithful and patient.
I will now quote another scripture. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations." From these words we understand that God has made of one blood all the inhabitants that are upon the Earth <--all> that has been, and that will be in the future will be of the same blood as those that have been. Do you believe that scripture? I do with all my heart. I believe we are all of one flesh, blood, and bones. We are made of the same matter, the same elements, we have sprung from one mother, Earth. Matter was brought together from the vast eternity of it that exists, and this terra firma upon which we stand was organized, then comes the world of mankind, the beasts, fishes, fowls, and every living thing to dwell upon the Earth after its kind; and vegetation of every kind to support the animal life upon it, until the organization of this world was perfected in all its variety; being brought from the eternity of matter, and prepared for intelligent beings to dwell upon, wherein to prepare themselves to dwell eternally in the presence of their Father and God. Those who keep this their second estate, and do honor to their being, and answer the [117] design of their creation, shall be exalted to inhabit the Earth, and live upon it when it shall be Celestial, and brought back into the presence of God, there to dwell forever and ever.
Before I proceed any further, I will ask a question. And I would like you men, and women of intelligence, to understand and watch well, to see if I keep the thread of truth, whether I preach to you according to the law, and the testimony, according to the words of the Prophets, of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, and according to the words of angels. Mark ye well my sayings, and see if you can pick any flaw in them. If you think you can so do, when you come to the proper place to be corrected, you may then receive instructions that will do you good. The question I wish to ask is simply this; and I put it to all the Elders of Israel, and to all the men and women of intelligence in Israel which pertains to the Kingdom of God on Earth; and if the whole world were before me I would ask them the same question. Can any man, or set of men officiate in dispensing the laws, and administering the ordinances of the Kingdom of God, or of the kingdoms and governments of the world legally, without first obeying those laws, and submitting to those ordinances themselves. Do you understand me? If a foreigner wishes to become a citizen of the United States, he must first become subject to this government; must you not first acknowledge and obey the laws of this government? Certainly you must.
Then, to apply this to the Kingdom of God on Earth, and ask yourselves if any man has the power, the influence, the right, the authority, to go forth and preach this gospel, and baptize for the remission of sins unless he himself has, in the first place, been baptized, ordained and legally called to that office? What would the Elders of Israel and every other sensible man say to this? They would all decide at once with me, that no man can lawfully officiate in any office in the Kingdom of God, or in the governments of men, he has not been called to, and the authority of which has not been [118] bestowed upon him. I am not going to talk a thousand things to you, but I wish to tell you a few, and desire you to understand them, and connect them together. * * *
Now if you believe what you have heard me say you will believe there is <sic> lords many, and gods many; and you will believe that unto us, the inhabitants of this Earth, there is but one God with whom we have to do; and according to the tenor of the Bible, we believe there are many, very many who have entered into power, glory, might, and dominion, and are gathering around them thrones, and have power to organize elements, and make worlds, and bring into existence intelligent beings in all their variety, who if they are faithful and obedient to their calling and creation will in their turn be exalted in eternal kingdoms of the Gods. Do you believe that? You and I have only one God to whom we are accountable, so we will let the rest alone, and search after the one we have to do with; let us seek diligently after Him, the very being who commenced this creation.
We will now make our inquiries with regard to our position with the God with whom we have to do. You will please recollect, all ye Elders in Israel, for I want you to be instructed, by my remarks, that you may not fall into errors, that you have tested the question in your own minds with regard to the rights of officiating in ordinances. Now I wish to ask you if you have any conception or idea as to the creation of the world? "Oh yes," you reply, "A great many of us have a tolerable idea of it, but still there are mysteries we do not understand; there are some things in the Bible about the creation that seem to be dark; we have learned some things in this Kingdom we do not understand, and that do not correspond with the reading of the Bible." Let me open the eyes of your understanding.
There has never been a time when the creations of worlds commenced; they are from eternity to eternity in their creations and redemption. After they are organized they [119] experience the good and the evil; the light and the dark, the bitter and the sweet, as you and I do. There never was a time when there were not worlds in existence as this world is, and they pass through similar changes in abiding their creation preparatory to exaltation. Worlds have always been in progress, and eternally will be.
Every world has had an Adam and an Eve, named so simply because the first man is always called Adam, and the first woman Eve; and the oldest son has always had the privilege of being ordained, appointed, and called to be the heir of the family, if he does not rebel against the Father, and he is the Saviour of the family. Every world that has been created has been created upon the same principle. They may vary in their varieties, yet the eternity is one; it is one eternal round. These are things that scarcely belong to the best of this congregation. There are items of doctrine and principles, in the bosom of eternity that the best of the Latter-day Saints are unworthy to receive. If the visions of their minds were opened to look into the vast creations, and gaze upon the power and glory and goodness and exaltation of the Gods, they would exclaim, "Wo is me, I am undone, I am of unclean lips."
But we will look at it a little. Do any of you know anything about the creation of the world? "Oh yes, we understand a good deal about it from the account given in the Bible." So you read in the Bible of there being three persons in one god; many religionists in the world believe in a three <in> one god, however, I do not wish to spend time to deliberate upon the notions adopted by the sectarians; the world is full of them. There are lords many and gods many according to the Bible; it does not contradict the doctrine, neither can you find a single passage that does away with that idea.
But let us turn our attention to the God with which we have to do. I tell you simply, He is our Father; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of our spirits. [120] Can that be possible? Yes, it is possible. He is the Father of all the spirits of the human family.
All things are first made spiritual, and brought forth into His kingdom. The spirits of all the human family were begotten by one Father. Now be watchful, for if I have time, and feel able, I shall communicate something in connection with this you are not expecting. Yes, every son and daughter of Adam according to the flesh can claim one parentage; the heathen and the Christian, the Jew and the Gentile, the high and the low, the king and the beggar, the black and the white, all who have sprung from Adam and Eve have one father. "Then you make it out we are brethren and sisters." Certainly for the whole human family are made of one blood of the same material; they are all begotten and brought forth by one parentage, and from one generation to another they are of one flesh and blood, and of one kindred. The God and Father <of> our Lord Jesus Christ is the Father of our spirits.
I began at the end, and shall probably finish at the beginning of my discourse; but it is no matter which end a man begins at, for the first shall be last, and the last first; which proves it is one eternal round; it is one eternity. Eloheim looks round upon the eternity of matter, and said to His associates, and those that He was pleased to call upon at that time for His counselors, with regard to the elements, worlds, planets, kingdoms and thrones; said He, "Yahovah Michael, see that eternal matter on all sides, this way and that way; we have already created worlds upon worlds, shall we create another world? Yes, go and organize the elements yonder in space"; not empty space for there is no such thing, once in a while, earthquakes, and the extensive destruction of combustible matter by fire will come nigh making empty space for perhaps the millionth part of a second. "Yahovah Michael, go and create a world, make it, organize it, form it; and then put upon it everything in all the variety that you have seen, that you have been in the habit of being associated with in [121] other worlds, of beasts, birds, fowls, fish, and every insect, and creeping thing, and finally, <when> the whole eternity of element is full of life, bring it together and make of it living creatures."
Yahovah Michael goes and does as he is told. What I am now going to tell you will no doubt astonish the whole of you. When Yahovah Michael had organized the world, and brought from another kingdom the beasts, fish, fowls, and insects, and every tree, and plant with which we are acquainted, and thousands that we never saw, when He had filled the Earth with animal and vegetable life, Michael or Adam goes down to the new made world, and there he stays.
Do you suppose he went there alone? Moses made the Bible to say his wife was taken out of his side, was made of one of his ribs. I do not know anything to the contrary of my ribs being equal on both sides. The Lord knows if I had lost a rib for each wife I have, I should have had none left long ago. Some try to say how many wives the Governor of Utah has, but if they can tell, they can tell more than I can, for I do not know how many I have; I have not counted them up for many years. I did not know how many I had before I left the United States I had so many. I heard that I had ninety. Why bless your souls, ninety is not a beginning. You might ask me if I have ever seen them all; I answer no; I see a few of them I pick up myself here. I have lots and scores I never see nor shall not until the morning of the resurrection.
Now about the rib. As for the Lord taking a rib out of Adam's side to make a woman of, He took one out of my side just as much.
"But, Brother Brigham, would you make it appear that Moses did not tell the truth?"
No, not a particle more than I would that your mother did not tell the truth, when she told you that little Billy came from a hollow toadstool. I would not accuse your mother of lying any more than I would Moses; the people in the days of [122] Moses wanted to know things that was (sic) not for them, the same as your children do when they want to know where their little brother came from, and he answered them according to their folly, the same as you did your children.
Now some will be ready to say, "We always heard these Mormons did not believe the Bible." I believe all the truth that is there and that is enough for me and for you to believe.
"Then the Lord did not make Adam out of the dust of the earth?"
Yes he did, but I have not got to that part of my discourse yet. Adam was made of the dust of the earth.
"Was he made of the dust of this earth?"
No, but of the dust of the earth whereon he was born in the flesh; that is the way he was made; he was made of dust.
"Did the Lord put into him his spirit?"
Yes, as the Lord put into you your spirit; he was begotten of a father, and brought forth as you and I were; and so are all intelligent beings brought forth from eternity to eternity. Man was not made the same as you make an adobe to put in a wall. Moses said Adam was made of the dust of the ground, but he did not say of what ground. I say he was not made of the dust of the ground of this Earth, but he was made of the dust of the earth where he lived, where he honored his calling, believed in his Saviour, or Elder Brother, and by his faithfulness, was redeemed, and got a glorious resurrection. All creatures that dwell upon this Earth are made of the elements that compose it; which are organized to see if they will abide their creation, and be counted worthy to receive a resurrection. "What, every flesh?"
Yes, every flesh, for all flesh pertaining to this world is made of the dust of this Earth; it is all made from the same material, according to the will and pleasure of Him who dictates all things. Our bodies are composed of the same material that composes this Earth; they are composed of the [123] water, air, and solid earth, either of which will resolve back to their native fountain.
How many elements are there I do not know anymore than you. They have never all been classified by science, though scientific gentlemen have tried to do it.
I tell you more, Adam is the Father of our spirits. He lived upon an earth; he did abide his creation, and did honor to his calling and Priesthood; and obeyed his Master or Lord, and probably many of his wives did the same, and they lived and died upon an earth, and then were resurrected again to immortality and eternal life.
"Did he resurrect himself?" you inquire. I want to throw out a few hints upon the resurrection as it seems to come within the circuit of my ideas whether it ought to come within the circuit of my remarks or not. I believe we have already acknowledged the truth established that no person can officiate in any office he has not been subject to himself and been legally appointed to fill. That no person in this Kingdom can officiate in any ordinance he himself has not obeyed; consequently no being who has not been resurrected possesses the keys of the power of resurrection. That you have been told often. Adam therefore was resurrected by someone who had been resurrected.
I will go a little further with this lest some of you will be querying, doubting, and philosophizing this away. It is true, Jesus said, "I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." I do not doubt the power of Christ; but did he prove that in his resurrection? No. But it is proved that an angel came and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and did resurrect the body of the Son of God.
"What angel was this?"
It is not for me to say. I do not know him. If I ever did know him, it is so long since, I have entirely forgotten who it [124] was. That Jesus had power to lay down his life, and power to take it up again, I do not dispute. Neither do I dispute but what an angel came that was sent by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to roll away the stone from the sepulchre, and resurrect the Son of God. Suffice it to say that he was some character who had himself been resurrected. * * * [The only person who had been resurrected before Christ was God the Father, who was Adam.]
Now, many inquiries will be made about the Saviour, such as, "Who is he? Is he the Father of Adam? Is he the God of Adam?" When Christ has finished his labor and presented it to his father, then he, Adam, will receive a fullness. That is all easily understood by me. He cannot receive a fullness of the kingdoms He has organized until they are completed. If He sends His servants off to the right and to the left to perform a certain labor, His kingdom is not complete until His ministers have accomplished everything to make His kingdom complete and returned home again.
Many inquire, who is this Saviour? I will tell you what I think about it, and as the <Southerners> say I reckon, and as the Yankees say I guess; but I will tell you what I reckon. I reckon that Father Adam was a resurrected being, with his wives and posterity, and in the Celestial Kingdom they were crowned with glory, immortality and eternal lives, with thrones, principalities and powers; and it was said to him, "It is your right to organize the elements; and to your creations and posterity there shall be no end, but you shall add kingdom to kingdom, and throne to throne, and still behold the vast eternity of unorganized matter."
Adam then was a resurrected being; and I reckon our spirits and the spirits of all the human family were begotten by Adam and born of Eve.
"How are we going to know this?"
I reckon it.
[125] And I reckon that Adam came into the Garden of Eden, and did actually eat of the fruit that he himself planted; and I reckon there was a previous understanding, and the whole plan was previously calculated, before the Garden of Eden was made, that he would reduce his posterity to sin, misery, darkness, wickedness, wretchedness, and to the power of the Devil, that they might be prepared for an exaltation, for without this they could not receive one. * * *
The inquiry will arise, among those who are strenuous, and tenacious for the account given by Moses, as to Adam.
"Did not Adam die?"
Yes, he died.
"Does not the Bible say he died?"
I do not know nor care, but I think it would be hard to find where he died; or where Moses died, though I have no doubt Moses died, and Adam also; how? Just as you and I have to die, and be laid away in the bowels of Mother Earth; that, however, Moses did not see fit to tell us.
Adam planted the Garden of Eden, and he with his wife Eve partook of the fruit of this Earth, until their systems were charged with the nature of Earth, and then they could beget bodies for their spiritual children. If the spirit does not enter into the embryo man that is forming in the womb of the woman, the result will be false conception, a living, intelligent being cannot be produced. Adam and Eve begat the first mortal bodies on this Earth, and from that commencement every spirit that was begotten in eternity for this Earth will enter bodies thus prepared for them here, until the winding up scene, and that will not be until the last of these spirits enters an earthly tabernacle.
Then I reckon that the children of Adam and Eve married each other; this is speaking to the point. I believe in sisters marrying brothers, and brothers having their sisters for wives. Why? Because we cannot do otherwise. There are none others for me to marry but my sisters.
[126] "But you would not pretend to say you would marry your father<'s> and mother's daughter."
If I did not I would marry another of my sisters that lives over in another garden; the material of which they are organized is just the same; there is no difference between them and those who live in this garden. Our spirits are all brothers and sisters, and so are our bodies; and the opposite idea to this has resulted from the ignorant and foolish traditions of the nations of the Earth. They have corrupted themselves with each other, and I want them to understand that they have corrupted their own flesh, blood, and bones; for they are of the same flesh, blood, and bones as all the family of the Earth.
I am approaching the subject of our marriage relations Brother Hyde lectured upon, but I shall not have time or strength to say much about this. But, I reckon that Father Adam and Mother Eve had the children of the human family prepared to come here and take bodies; and when they come to take bodies, they enter into the bodies prepared for them, and that body gets an exaltation with the spirit, when they are prepared to be crowned in Father's Kingdom.
"What, into Adam's Kingdom?" Yes.
As to my talking what I want to say at this time, I shall not do it. I am exhausting myself; I have to speak loud, and it is hard labor.
I tell you, when you see your Father in the Heavens, you will see Adam; when you see your Mother that bore your spirit, you will see Mother Eve. And when you see yourselves there, you have gained your exaltation; you have honored your calling here on the Earth; your body has returned to its mother Earth; and somebody has broken the chains of death that bound you, and given you a resurrection.
How are you going to get your resurrection? You will get it by the President of the Resurrection pertaining to this generation, and that is Joseph Smith Junior. Hear it all ye ends [127] of the Earth; if ever you enter into the Kingdom of God it is because Joseph Smith let you go there. This will apply to Jews and Gentiles, to the bond and free; to friends and foes; no man or woman in this generation will get a resurrection and be crowned without Joseph Smith says so. The man who was martyred in Carthage Jail <in the> State of Illinois holds the keys of life and death to this generation. He is the President of the Resurrection in this dispensation, and he will be the first to rise from the dead. When he has passed through it, then I reckon the keys of the resurrection will be committed to him. Then he will call up his apostles. You know I told you last conference I was an Apostle of Joseph Smith; and if faithful enough I expect Joseph will resurrect the Apostles; and when they have passed through the change, and received their blessings, I expect he will commit to them the keys of the resurrection, and they will go on resurrecting the Saints, every man in his own order.
I want to say a little more about marriage relations, so that you may understand what my views are. When you get your resurrection, you are not yet exalted; but by and by, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, the Saviour of the world, the Heir of the Family; when he has put down Satan, and destroyed death; then he will say, come let us go home into the presence of the Father.
What will become of the world then? It will be baptized with fire. It has been baptized with water, and it will then be cleansed by fire, and become like a sea of glass, and be made Celestial; and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother will take the whole Earth, with all the Saints and go with them to the Father even to Adam; and you will continue to receive more and more intelligence, glory, exaltation, and power.
I want to tell you a thing with regard to parents, wives, brothers and sisters, etc. The time will come when it will be told where this man, and that woman shall be placed; the real blood of Joseph will be selected out from among the tribes of [128] Israel, and every man and woman will be put in their places, and stand in their order where the Lord designs them to be. When you get back into the presence of God, and the Lord should say, "Who have you brought with you?" your reply would be, "My wife and children;" but in reality you have only with you your brothers and sisters. The Father would say, "These are my children." When you meet your Father in Heaven, you will know Him, and realize that you have lived with Him, and rested in His bosom for ages gone passed, and He will hail you as His sons and daughters, and embrace you, and you will embrace Him, and "Hallelujah, thank God I have come to Father again; I have got back home," will resound through the Heavens. There are ten thousand things connected with these ideas. You see the human family of every shade of color between black and white. I could stand here and tell you what I reckon but it would take an age for me to tell you all there is about it.
We have all come from one father even Adam, both the black and the white, the grizzled and the gray; the noble and the ignoble; and the time will come when they will all come back again into His presence. When they have behaved themselves, and proved faithful to their calling, and to their God, the curse will be removed from every class and nation of men that desires to work the work of God. This <has> been told you, that saviours would come upon Mount Zion and judge the Mount of Esau. Let me read it for you, "There shall saviours come upon Mount Zion and save the Mount of Esau." What does gentile signify? Disobedience. What does Israel signify? Obedience. What is the name of the first man? Adam, which signifies first man, and Eve signifies first woman. And when Michael the Archangel shall sound his trump and the Ancient of Days shall come, all things that we have once been familiar with will come back again to our memory. (For this entire sermon, refer to Teachings of Brigham Young, compiled by Fred Collier, pp. 343-368.)
The Revelations of Jesus Christ: http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-28287-3 - "But we ask, does it remain for a people who never had faith enough to call down one scrap of revelation from heaven, and for all they have now are indebted to the faith of another people...does it remain for them to say how much God has spoken and how much He has not spoken?" Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.60
- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843-44 Pg.365
When a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his teachings, he must either be a true or false prophet. - Our website: http://www.artbulla.com
- "All men are liars who say they are of the true Church without the revelations of Jesus Christ and the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God." Joseph Smith; TPJS p. 376
- "He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God's own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it...." (T.P.J.S., p. 56)
· 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (New Testament | Galatians 1:10 - 12)
posted by Unknown at
2:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home