"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."[[211]] "For the Son of Man cometh at an hour when we think not."[[212]] [See note 9, end of section.]
III. The World to be Warned of Coming Judgments:—To a number of elders in Kirtland, in 1832, who had been called to the ministry, the Lord gave these instructions, and, of course, they apply to all elders called to the same ministry:—"Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that is expedient for you to understand. * * * That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads. * * * Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that ye may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; that their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and the world to come. * * * Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord come; for not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man, and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light, and the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall become exceeding angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree.
"And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people; for after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground, and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of the tempest, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people; and angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying, Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come; behold and lo! the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him."[[213]]
IV. The Coming of the Kingdom of God from Heaven:—"Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one from on high. * * * Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountains without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth; yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom; pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people; call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in which the Son of Man shall come down from heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth."[[214]]
V. A Prayer:—"Wherefore may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thy enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen."[[215]]
22. Conclusion.—Such then is the work of God in the great Dispensation of the Fullness of Times—a preparatory work for the glorious coming and reign of Messiah. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth through the ministration of angels to Joseph Smith and others whom the Lord called to the work. In it are found all the principles, ordinances, authorities, powers, gifts, graces, callings and appointments necessary to accomplish the eternal salvation of the living and the dead—it is the fullness of the gospel; and has or will gather into it all that has ever been revealed concerning the redemption of the earth and the human race. This great work of God, as we have seen, contemplates the gathering of Israel and the restoration of the "lost tribes;" the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, which city they will rebuild; the redemption of the Lamanites and the building of a glorious city upon the American continent to be called Zion; the advent of Messiah in power and glory to reign in righteousness over the earth for a thousand years, with all the ancient Saints and those of modern days who are worthy; it contemplates the final redemption of the earth, and teaches that it will become a celestial sphere, the abode of resurrected celestial beings forever. This work of God accepts and includes within its boundary lines all truth. It is progressive and is destined to become the religion of the age. Within it is scope for all the intelligence that shall flow unto it—"within its atmosphere is room for every intellectual wing." It does not, as some have supposed, thrive best where ignorance is most profound; nor does it depend upon superstition for its existence or perpetuity; but it possesses within itself principles of native strength that will enable it to weather every storm, outlive all hatred born of ignorance and prejudice, and will yet prove itself to be what indeed it is—the power of God unto salvation to all those who believe and obey it.
NOTES.
1. Prophecy that the Saints would Remove to the West.—I passed over the river to Montrose, Iowa, in company with General Adams, Colonel Brewer and others, and witnessed the installation of the officers of the Rising Sun Lodge of Ancient order of Masons, at Montrose, by General James Adams, deputy grand master of Illinois. While the deputy grand master was engaged in giving the requisite instructions to the master-elect, I had a conversation with a number of the brethren in the shade of the building on the subject of our persecutions in Missouri, and the constant annoyance which has followed us since we were driven from that state. I prophesied that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, many would apostatize, others would be put to death by their persecutors, or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease, and some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.—Joseph Smith's journal for 6th of August, 1842.
2. Why the Church Came West.—"Many living witnesses can testify that we proposed moving to California [then a general name for the great West, including what is now Utah] leaving the land of our oppression, preaching the gospel to the Lamanites, building up other temples to the living God, establishing ourselves in the far distant West. The cruel and perfidious persecutions that we endured tended to hasten our departure, but did not dictate it. It jeopardized our lives, property and liberty, but was not the cause of our removal. Many a time have I listened to the voice of our beloved prophet, while in council, dwell on this subject with delight; his eyes sparkling with animation, and his soul fired with the inspiration of the Spirit of the living God. It was a theme that caused the bosoms of all who were privileged to listen to thrill with delight; intimately connected with this were themes upon which prophets, patriarchs, priests and kings dwelt with pleasure and delight; of them they prophesied, sung, wrote, spoke and desired. to see, but died without the sight. My spirit glows with sacred fire while I reflect upon these scenes, and I say, O Lord, hasten the day! Let Zion be established! Let the mountain of the Lord's house be established in the tops of the mountains!"—a thing, I may add—and which he plainly intimates—could not have been done had the Saints remained in Nauvoo. The Saints did not come to the Rocky Mountain valleys because they were compelled to by their enemies, but came here because it was their destiny to come; because the Lord would have them here; and because there were problems to work out in connection with the work of God which could be worked out nowhere else.—Life of John Taylor p. 179.
3. Character of Brigham Young.—Brigham Young was colonizer, statesman, philosopher, philanthropist, reformer, prophet leader, priestly-king, an honest man, God's noblest work! * * * His greatness shines forth in conduct and leadership and colonization and in the building of a mighty commonwealth in these mountain valleys. * * * On all great occasions promptness and decision were characteristics of his organization; and let a question arise where it might, all Israel felt when it reached God's prophet-leader, it would find proper solution, and when solved would be endorsed by wisdom.—Moses Thatcher.