5. The Book of Abraham: The Book of Abraham, to which reference is made in the analysis, consisting of five chapters, is but a fragment of Abraham's writings and history, and in it is found no reference to his meeting the Melchizedek, but reference is made of his receiving the priesthood. It was conferred upon him, he tells us, "from the fathers; it came down from the fathers from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning or before the foundations of the earth to the present time, even the right of the first born, on the first man, who is Adam, our first father, through the fathers, unto me. I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed." (Book of Abraham, chap, i; 3-4.)

This has reference doubtless to the patriarchal office in the Priesthood, since in the subsequent verses he says, "But the records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands; therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me." The manner in which this sacred record "The Book of Abraham" came into the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith, is to be found in the History of the Church, Vol. II, p. 236, 348-350 and foot note.

6. The "Call" of Abraham: "In that course of God's dealing with man which is traced in the sacred narrative, a new step was taken by the choice of a Family from which the promised seed of the woman was to spring, and which should meanwhile preserve the knowledge and worship of the true God. Jehovah, in the revelation of himself to man, retires, so to speak, from the whole compass of the race of Noah into the inner circle of the family of Abraham. It was a step required by the state of the world, which had relapsed into idolatry and profaneness before the death of Noah. This is clear from the story of the building of Babel, and it is implied in the subsequent history. Joshua expressly says that the family of Terah were idolaters. * * * * * The patriarch whom God made the head of his chosen family was born only two years after the death of Noah. * * * * * He was now seventy-five years old; and this is the period usually assigned to the 'Call' of Abraham; though it was, in fact, the second step of his career. In tracing these stages, it is important to observe the special form of promise and blessing of which each was the occasion. The first of these involves the germ of all the rest, though as yet but vaguely stated:—"I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and, thou shalt be a blessing (to others): and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." The last words already involve the crowning blessing of the Old Covenant, the Promise of the Messiah, and that to the Gentiles, "all families of the earth." (Dr. Smith's Old Testament History, p. 67 and 70.)

7. The Things Which God Revealed to Abraham: First his design to make of Abraham and his posterity in the earth the witness for himself and the truth of the Gospel unto all nations. (Gen. 12:193, Book of Abraham I:16-19, Book of Abraham 2:6-11). "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee," said the Lord; "and in thee (that is in thy priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy priesthood) for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee and in thy seed after thee (that is to say the literal seed or the seed of the body) shall all the families be blessed, even with the blessings" of the Gospel which are the blessings of salvation even of life eternal.

Second, in the dispensation to Abraham he revealed the great doctrine of the eternal existence of intelligences. (Book of Abraham 3:16-23).

Third, he made known to Abraham the covenant of eternal life to man, "which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began," (Titus 1:2). God, according to Abraham's record, standing among the spirits in existence before the world began, said: "We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; and they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him." (Book of Abraham, p. 66). From which it appears that the whole Gospel scheme of salvation was revealed to Abraham.

Fourth, he revealed to Abraham, through Urim and Thummin great knowledge of the Universe, its planetary systems and their movements and relations (Book of Abraham, chap. 3); and also gave him an account of the preparation of the earth for man's abode, and the knowledge also of the advent of Adam upon it. (Book of Abraham, chaps. 4 and 5).

LESSON XVIII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

THE MOSAIC DISPENSATION.