TEMPLE BUILDING AND CEREMONIAL ENDOWMENTS THEREIN.
Another phase of this same subject is Temple work, which is so bitterly attacked by the Reorganites. They say:
"That as to the alleged 'temple building and ceremonial endowments therein,' that we know of no temple building, except as edifices wherein to worship God, and no endowment except the endowment of the Holy Spirit of the kind experienced by the early Saints on Pentecost day." (Book of Resolutions, p. 82).
They take the ground that the Temple work of the Latter-day Saints is contrary to the teachings of the Prophet, and it was not contemplated before the martyrdom that in the Temple of God anything of a secret nature should take place. Of course it is to be expected that the "Reorganization" knows of "no Temple building or ceremonial endowments therein," for they have rejected the "greater things" and therefore the Lord has withheld from them this knowledge "to their condemnation." This charge has been already answered in part in what goes before, but we will see what is in the revelations to Joseph Smith which justify still further the actions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the belief and practice of "ceremonial endowments," etc., in the Temples.
After speaking of baptism for the dead in the revelation of January 19, 1841, the Lord continues:
"And again, verily I say unto you, How shall your washings be acceptable unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you have built to my name? * * * Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices, by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places, wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for her glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name. And verily I say unto you, Let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein, unto my people." (Verses 37-40).
Here are mentioned ordinances that were not had on Pentecost day that were to be had in the Lord's Temple, of which our self-confessed Reorganites know nothing, because God has not revealed these things unto them, and He will not for they have rejected these greater things to their own condemnation.
In the Book of Abraham (See Pearl of Great Price) published by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Times and Seasons in 1842, is given a fac-similie of hieroglyphics with an accompanying translation by Joseph Smith, as far as he was permitted to translate. These figures are numbered from 1 to 20. Here are some of these translations and comments of the Prophet: Figure 3.—Is made to represent God, sitting upon His throne, clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon His head; representing also the grand key-words of the Holy Priesthood, as revealed to Adam, etc." Figure 7.—Represents God sitting upon His throne revealing through the heavens, the grand key-words of the Priesthood, as, also, the sign of the Holy Ghost unto Abraham, in the form of a dove. Figure 8.—Contains writing that cannot be revealed unto the world, but is to be had in the Holy Temple of God. Figures 9, 10, 11, the Prophet says "Ought not to be revealed at the present time; if the world can find out these numbers, so let it be. Amen." Figures 12, to 20, "Will be given in the own due time of the Lord." Then the Prophet concludes: "The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give, at the present time."
Here, then, we find things that were to be taught to the Saints in the Temple of the Lord, but were not to be revealed to the world; for they are sacred and holy, and can only be had in the Temple of God, for the Lord through Joseph Smith declared it.
Again, in verse 28 (see 124), the Lord says: "For there is not a place found on earth that he may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulnesss of the Priesthood." Therefore, we learn that only in the Temple of the Lord can the fulnesss of the Priesthood be received by His people.
These facts place our Reorganite brethren in a rather unenviable light, for they are opposing through ignorance and unbelief, and the hardness of their hearts, the revelations of the Lord on Temple work as it was revealed to Joseph Smith, and by him to others, and from them to the Church.
"Hold on," say they, "not so fast, the Lord said He was about to restore these things, but it depended on the faithfulness of the Saints, and Joseph Smith died before the Temple was built, therefore, since these things could only be revealed to the people in the Temple they were not revealed."
"Have any such revelations been received? Name them. Where are they and what are they? Our Doctrine and Covenants contains only two sections that were given between that time and the time the Saints left Nauvoo, and they are not revelations, but letters of Joseph Smith containing items of revelation pertaining to baptism for the dead. The Utah Doctrine and Covenants contains nothing that could be accepted as a response, an answer, to the promise in full."[3]
Now, it's our turn to cry "Hold on, not so fast." We will examine the word of the Lord: In verse 41 (sec. 124) He says: "For I deign to reveal unto my Church, things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulnesss of times." Well, if we were rejected, and they have not received the revelations of these things the Lord was about to reveal to His Church, then it stands to reason that they are not His Church or they would have received them. For the word of the Lord cannot be broken. They testify to us that they have not received these things.
In section 127:8, the Lord again affirms: "For I am about to restore many things to the earth, pertaining to the Priesthood, saith the Lord of Hosts." Yes, He was about to do it, but nearly seventy years have passed away and the "Reorganization" confesses that they have not been revealed to them yet! Then they are not the Church! This is obvious.
Elijah said the time had fully come (Sec. 110) and the Prophet said "the earth will be smitten with a curse, unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the fathers and the children * * * it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulnesss of times * * that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time; and not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulnesss of times." (Sec. 128:18).
Here is a point of considerable interest that our friends have overlooked. The Lord says: "And I will show unto my servant Joseph ALL THINGS pertaining to this house, and the Priesthood thereof; and the place whereon it shall be built. (Sec. 124:42). Evidently the Lord was going to show him these things before the Temple was built. Did the Lord keep His word? Our Reorganite friends say not, that these things were not revealed. But they were revealed to Joseph Smith and he revealed them to others; not the unfaithful who would receive only the "lesser portion of the word" and were therefore denied the greater things, but he taught them to the Apostles and others. Now, the Lord did not say that Joseph Smith could not receive the fulnesss of the Priesthood out side of the Temple, neither that he should not confer the same Priesthood upon others, to the contrary the Lord said He would reveal these things to Joseph Smith, but it was His people, His Church that could not receive them outside of the Temple of the Lord! and unto them He was going to reveal them in the Temple, but unto Joseph Smith He would show all things pertaining to His house, and the Priesthood thereof.
It is unnecessary here to quote the evidence proving that Joseph Smith received all things pertaining to the Priesthood of the Lord's house and conferred them on the heads of the Apostles, for that is given in another place, and has often been recorded. It is, therefore, sufficient to say that shortly before his death he conferred upon the heads of the Apostles all the keys and Priesthood the Lord had given him, and this was done by command of the Lord. We will merely refer to the testimony of Orson Hyde which with other testimonies is given in this book. Said Brother Hyde:
"Before I went east on the 4th of April last, we were in council with Brother Joseph almost every day for weeks, said Brother Joseph in one of those councils, 'There is something going to happen; I don't know what it is, but the Lord bids me to hasten and give you your endowment before the Temple is finished.' He conducted us through every ordinance of the Holy Priesthood, and when he had gone through with all the ordinances, he rejoiced very much, and said, 'Now, if they kill me, you have got all the keys, and all the ordinances, and you can confer them upon others, and the hosts of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom, as fast as you will be able to build it up.'" (Times and Seasons, 5:651).
"Have any such revelations been received? they cry. Name them. Where are they and what are they?" Yes, these revelations have been received. They were revealed to Joseph Smith[4] and from him to the Apostles, and by the Apostles they have been given to the faithful Saints in the Temples of the Lord; both at Nauvoo and here in Utah. "Name them?" No, I shall not name them nor tell what they are. Why? because if the Lord kept some things hid from the world since before the foundation of the world, pertaining to the dispensation of the fulnesss of times, and has revealed them now unto His Church, I have no authority to reveal them to the world. Moreover, I am—like every other member of the Church—"laid under a strict command, not to impart only according to the portion of His word, which He doth grant unto the children of men." Should I reveal these things, because of the hardness of your hearts you would not receive them, therefore, you shall receive but the lesser portion of the word, to your condemnation. If you will not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will you though one arose from the dead.