A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel

by Unknown

JOSEPH SMITH, JUN., AS A FULFILLER OF BIBLE PROPHECIES.

The mission of Joseph Smith, Jun., is the key of the dispensation of the fulness of times. If he was not sent of God, the pretentions of the Latter-day Saints to be the true Gospel church are without foundation, and their labors for the redemption of the world must prove a failure.

If, in his life's labors, and their results, the predictions of the ancient prophets are being fulfilled, it should be satisfactory evidence of the divinity of his mission. For unless a man have the spirit of the prophets, he can neither understand their predictions, nor the nature of the events that would fulfil them.

John, the Revelator, in his vision of the latter times, saw another "Angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue;" Rev. 14. 6.

On page 49, P. of G. P., Joseph Smith, Jun., states that a glorious personage appeared to him and said that his name was Moroni. This angel told Mr. Smith one thing concerning his own future, that, since that time, 1823, has had a remarkable fulfilment. This was that his name "should be had for good or evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues."

He also informed him that there was a record on gold plates, deposited in the earth, which gave an account of the ancient inhabitants of this continent, and of the source from which they sprang.

A book containing such information, as the angel said, was engraven on the plates, was produced by Mr. Smith, with competent witnesses that it was a translation from certain plates of gold which were shown to them by an angel. (See Book of Mormon for the historical account, and the third page for the testimony of the witnesses.)

The angel Moroni further stated, that the record contained the fulness of the everlasting Gospel. Here we have all the conditions necessary for the fulfilment of the prophetic vision of St. John, regarding the restoration of the Gospel in the latter times.

The angel repeated to Mr. Smith the fifth verse of the last chapter of Malachi, 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." In Doc. & Cov., 110. 13, 14, we find an account of the fulfilment of this prophecy, by the appearance of Elijah to Mr. Smith. He stated that he had come in fulfilment of this prediction of Malachi's.

The angel Moroni quoted the sixth verse as follows: "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 their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." "Therefore," said the prophet Elijah to Joseph Smith, "The keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands."

After receiving authority from the prophet Elijah, Mr. Smith made it the business of his life to lay the foundation for accomplishing the great work committed to him. He has left the world most important instructions on this subject, in Doc. & Cov. sec. 128.

After referring to the prophecy of Malachi, he says "It is sufficient to know, in this case, that 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, upon some subject or other, and behold, what is that subject? It is baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we, be made perfect, without those who have died in the Gospel also;" verse 18. It is necessary that all things be connected and welded together in one glorious and complete union, from Adam down to the present time.

To accomplish this it is necessary that the hearts of the fathers and children be turned towards each other, by understanding the promises made in the Gospel. We have no information that the Christian world has had any knowledge of these glorious principles for the universal redemption of man, from the time of the primitive church until they were revealed through Joseph Smith, Jun.

In the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon, through the agency of an angel, we find the fulfilment of Psalm 85. 11, "Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven;" and also of a parallel prophecy of Enoch's, P. of G. P. page 21. "Righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth." What for? "To bear testimony of mine Only Begotten."

Truth came forth out of the earth, in the Book of Mormon, through the ministration of the angel Moroni, and righteousness came down out of heaven through the blessings and ordinances of the holy Priesthood, as restored to the earth by John the Baptist, when he appeared to J. Smith, Jun., and O. Cowdery, and conferred upon them 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;" Doc. & Cov. 13.

And by Peter, James and John, who were sent to Jos. Smith, Jun., and others, and who ordained them to be apostles and especial witnesses of Christ. 27. 12. Through these ordinances and blessings came the power to work righteousness on the earth.

Here we have all the conditions for the fulfilment of the prophecies of Enoch and David, through the agency of Mr. Smith. We find, by comparison, that there is no antagonism in doctrine between the Book of Mormon and Bible. Christ said, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come;" Matt. 24. 14.

Joseph Smith, Jun., reiterates this prediction of our Savior's nearly 1800 years after its utterance: "For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men;" Doc. & Cov. 1. 2; "And the voice of warning shall be unto all people;" verse 4. "Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth;" verse 11.

Joseph Smith, Jun., spent the labors of his life, for the accomplishment of the great work of preaching the Gospel to all the world, and it has been the great object of the labors of the Latter-day Saints for more than fifty years. Considering the magnitude of the work it is being rapidly accomplished.

Jesus called the Gospel, the "Gospel of the kingdom." Of what kingdom did he speak, unless of a kingdom of God on the earth which this Gospel was to establish? Even the kingdom which Daniel speaks of: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: * * and it shall stand forever;" Dan. 2. 44. "And there was given him (the Son of Man) dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him;" 7. 14; "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the Most High;" verse 27. The kingdom which this Gospel was to build up, is the great object for which all Latter-day Saints labor.

One of the great burdens of the ancient prophets was the gathering of Israel in the latter days, that Jerusalem might be established, and Zion built up, that the law might go forth from Zion, "And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem;" Isa. 2. 3.

It is evident from the tenor of the inspired writings, that this kingdom is to consist of gathered Israel, and therefore the gathering of Israel must be a part of "This Gospel of the kingdom." Some one must receive authority to organize the means for accomplishing this great gathering of the latter days.

The former great gatherer and deliverer of Israel was Moses, and he, very naturally, was the one to restore that authority to the earth after the fulness of the Gentiles should come in.

Through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Jos. Smith, Jun., understood this, and had the faith to receive the administrations of Moses, and he has left the fact on record. "And Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north;" Doc. & Cov. 110. 11.

He preached "This Gospel of the kingdom," the obedient received the Holy Ghost, and it moved them to gather together, and Israel, for over fifty years, has been gathering to form that kingdom in fulfilment of the predictions of the ancient prophets.

Joseph Smith, Jun., is the first man of whom we have any record, for some 1800 years, that has labored for the fulfilment of the predictions of the ancient prophets; Doc. & Cov. 1. 18.

The Lord said, through his prophet Micah, "In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; * * and many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem;" Mic. 4. 1, 2.

For many years there has been a "House of the Lord" in Salt Lake City, in the top of the mountains, and for more than thirty years, the people of many nations have been saying, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord."

That there will be a place called Zion from which "The law shall go forth," distinct from Jerusalem, is evident from Isaiah, "When the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem;" 24. 23.

How is it that Joseph Smith, Jun., first organized the means for the partial fulfilment of this prophecy, and left, at his death, the authority and instructions necessary to complete its fulfilment, by the building of a great city to be called Zion, in the state of Missouri, which in fulfilment of the prophecy, shall become the capital of this western hemisphere, if he did not obtain his knowledge of the whole matter through Divine inspiration?

The Jaredite prophet, Ether, some 2500 years ago, foretold "That a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land (America), unto the seed of Joseph;" Ether 13. 4, 6.

There is a wonderful connection between this passage in the Book of Mormon, and the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah, the result of one spirit of inspiration, acting upon different men, in countries, long distances apart, and at different periods of time.

It is quite as unaccountable on any other grounds than that of inspiration, that Joseph Smith, Jun., after many centuries had elapsed since these predictions of the prophets, should declare to the world that the time was at hand for their fulfilment, and that he should have the confidence to indicate the identical spot, on this great land of North America, where this city of Zion is to be built. "This is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. * * * Behold, the place which is now called Independence, is the center place, and a spot for the temple is lying westward;" Doc. & Cov. 57. 2, 3.