TESTIMONY OF JOHN.
The World:—What is your name?
John:—My name is John, sometimes called the Baptist.
The World:—We understand that you are a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ?
John:—I am.
The World:—Were you personally acquainted with the Messiah?
John:—I was. I am His cousin. I was associated with Him during His ministry.
The World:—Is it true that you were sent before His face to prepare His way?
John:—It is. The Lord sent an angel to my father, as he prayed in the temple in Jerusalem, who promised him a son who would go before the face of the Lord and make His paths straight. I am that son.
The World:—Were you called of God to do that work?
John:—I was. When the angel appeared to my father, he said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. * * * And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." I also cite to you the testimony of John as recorded in his Gospel, which reads as follows: "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." (John 1: 6.)
The World:—What was the nature of your mission?
John:—I was sent to preach repentance and water baptism. I preached in the wilderness of Judaea, saying unto the people, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 3: 1, 2.)
The World:—Were you able to bring many people unto repentance?
John:—Yes, a great many. Mark has made the following record concerning my missionary labors: "And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark 1: 5.)
The World:—Have you ever heard the voice of God?
John:—I have, on several occasions.
The World:—Mention one of them.
John:—He spoke to me when I did not know that Jesus, my cousin, was His Only Begotten Son. He said to me, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." (John 1: 33, 34.)
The World:—Did you baptize Jesus Christ?
John:—I did.
The World:—What took place at His baptism?
John:—That which is recorded in Matthew 3: 16-17: "Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
The World:—Then, John, according to your testimony, the three Personages who constitute the Godhead are not one in substance, but are separate and distinct?
John:—They are certainly separate and distinct Personages. When Jesus came up out of the water, after His baptism, and while He stood on the bank of the river, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and lighted upon Him, and at the same time the voice of the Father was heard from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." These things I both saw and heard: I saw Jesus on the bank of the river; I saw the Spirit of God descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon Christ; I heard the voice of God out of heaven bear testimony that Jesus was His beloved Son.
The World (to the Latter-day Saints):—The testimony of the witness John is certainly very clear and convincing. Have you any other witnesses to prove that the Godhead consists of three separate Persons?
Latter-day Saints:—We have several. Here is the Apostle Peter.
The World:—We will listen to his testimony.