The Restoration of the Keys for the Gathering of Israel.
The work of God was also greatly enlarged during this Kirtland period, by the appearance of Moses and Elias and Elijah, and bestowing upon the Prophet the keys of their respective dispensations. Let us contemplate the event. "Moses appeared before us," says the Prophet, "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." Who, at the time comprehended the full import of this incident? Who comprehends it now? From the beginning of the great Latter-Day work men had their attention directed to the gathering of Israel and the establishment of Zion and Jerusalem as a part of the purposes of God to be accomplished in the work. The angel Moroni on the occasion of his first visit to the Prophet Joseph, quoted a number of Old Testament scriptures referring to the Lord's promises concerning the redemption of Judah and Jerusalem;[[1]] also concerning the gathering of Israel from all the lands whither they had been driven.[[2]] Numerous are the prophecies relating to the return of Israel from the land of the north, and other parts of the earth, into which they were driven in the day of their rebellion and apostasy;[[3]] but it occurred to no one that before these prophecies could be fulfilled Israel's great prophet, Moses, who held the keys of the dispensation pertaining to the gathering of Israel, must come and give to men the authority to proceed with that work. The moment he appears, however, and gives such authority, the propriety of it, the fitness of it is apparent. The appearance of Moses was also in proper sequence of events in the development of the great Latter-Day work. Although, as already stated, the gathering of Israel in the last days had been made a prominent feature in the communication of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph, and the subject also of some other early revelations to the Church[[4]] not until the foreign ministry had been organized—the Twelve and the Seventy—the quorums of Priesthood on which rests the responsibility to travel in all the world and preach the Gospel and gather Israel—not until this ministry was organized did Moses appear and commit the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth. What order is here? The organization of the foreign ministry to go into all the nations of earth, and then the coming of Moses to commit 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. In this incident as in a thousand others in the great work of God in the last days, the evidence of a divine wisdom having regard for the eternal fitness of things, for the proper sequence in the order of events in the development of the Lord's purposes, is apparent. Note, too, the spiritual effect upon the Saints of the restoration of these keys of the gathering of Israel. Before the mission for England under Elders Kimball and Hyde departed, the prophet enjoined them to adhere strictly to the first principles of the Gospel, and say nothing for the present in relation to the gathering; this, doubtless on account of the unsettled condition of the Church at the time. Similar instructions, and for the same reason, were given to the Twelve Apostles in 1839 when they went on their mission to England. But the Saints could not be kept in ignorance of these matters. No sooner were the people baptized than they were seized with a desire to gather with the main body of the Church. "I find it is difficult to keep anything from the Saints," writes Elder Taylor in his journal of this period, "for the Spirit of God reveals it to them. * * * * Some time ago Sister Mitchell dreamed the she, her husband and a number of others were on board a vessel, and that there were other vessels, loaded with Saints, going somewhere. She felt very happy and was rejoicing in the Lord." Another sister, Elder Taylor informs us, had a similar dream, and was informed that all the Saints were going. Neither of these sisters nor any of the Saints at that time, knew anything about the principle of gathering, yet all were anxious to leave their homes, their kindred and the associations of a lifetime, to join the main body of the Church in a distant land, the members of which were total strangers to them.[[5]] The same spirit has rested upon the people in every nation where the Gospel has been received. There has been little need of preaching the gathering, the people as a rule have had to be restrained rather than encouraged in the matter of gathering to Zion and her stakes.
The Spirit of Gathering on the Jews.
During the last ten years the world has witnessed a remarkable change of spirit come over the Jewish race. We hear of Jewish aspirations for national existence; for the perpetuation of the Jewish customs and Jewish ideals. After saying so long, "May we celebrate the next Passover in Jerusalem," the thought at last seems to have occurred to some Jewish minds that if that expressed wish is ever realized, some practical steps must be taken looking to the actual achievement of that possibility—which has given rise among the Jews to what is called the "Zionite Movement." The keynotes of that movement are heard in the following utterances of some of the leaders in explanation of it: "We want to resume the broken thread of our national existence; we want to show to the world the moral strength, the intellectual power of the Jewish people. We want a place where the race can be centralized." [[6]] "It is for these Jews [of Russia, Romania and Galicia] that the name of their country [Palestine] spells 'Hope.' I should not be a man if I did not realize that for these persecuted Jews, Jerusalem spells reason, justice, manhood and integrity." [[7]] "Jewish nationalism on a modern basis in Palestine, the old home of the people." [[8]] "Palestine needs a people, Israel needs a country. Give the country without a people, to the people without a country." [[9]] In a word, it is the purpose of "Zionism" to redeem Palestine and give it back to Jewish control— create, in fact, a Jewish state in the land promised to their fathers.
Of course, for hundreds of years there has been talk of the Jews returning to Jerusalem, and from time to time societies have been formed to keep alive that hope, and keep the Jew's face turned toward the chief city and land of his forefathers; but little was achieved by those societies, however, except to foster the hope of Israel's return in the heart of a widely dispersed, persecuted and discouraged race, who have waited long for the realization of the promises made to their fathers. I say but "little" was accomplished by the various Jewish societies existing before the Zionite movement began beyond fostering the hope of Israel based on the predictions of their prophets; but that "little" was much. It was nourishing in secret and through ages of darkness that spark of fire which when touched with the breath of God should burst forth into a flame that not all the world could stay. They made possible this larger movement, now attracting the attention of the world, and know as the "Zionite Movement;" which, in reality, is but the federation of all Jewish societies which have had for their purpose the realization of the hopes of scattered Israel.
"Zionism" is considered to have grown out of the persecution of the Jews during the last eighteen years in such European countries as Russia, France, Germany, and Romania. It held its first general conference in August, 1897, in Basle, Switzerland; and since then has continued to hold annual conferences that have steadily increased both in interest and the number of delegates representing various Jewish societies, until now it takes on the appearance of one of the world's great movements. It is not so much a religious movement as a racial one: for prominent Jews of all shades of both political and religious opinions have participated in it under the statesmanlike leadership of Doctor Herzel of Austria. Not to persecution alone, however, is due this strange awakening desire on the part of the Jews to return to the city and the land of their fathers; but to the fact of the restoration of the keys of the gathering of Israel by Moses to the Prophet of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. Under the divine authority restored by Moses, Joseph Smith sent an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ to the land of Palestine to bless it and dedicate it once more to the Lord for the return of His people. This Apostle was Orson Hyde, and he performed his mission in 1840-2. In 1872 an Apostolic delegation consisting of the late Presidents George A. Smith and Lorenzo Snow were sent to Palestine. The purpose of their mission, in part, is thus stated in President Young's letter of appointment to George A. Smith: "When you get to the land of Palestine, we wish you to dedicate and consecrate that land to the Lord, that it may be blessed with fruitfulness, preparatory to the return of the Jews, in fulfillment of prophecy and the accomplishment of the purposes of our heavenly Father." [[10]]
Acting, then, under the divine authority restored to earth by the Prophet Moses, this Apostolic delegation—as well as the Apostle first sent—from the summit of Mount Olivet blessed the land, and again dedicated it for the return of the Jews. It is not strange, therefore, to those who look upon such a movement as Zionism in connection with faith in God's great latter-day work, to see this spirit now moving upon the minds of the Jewish people prompting their return to the land of their fathers. It is but the breath of God upon their souls turning their hearts to the promises made to the fathers. It is but the fulfillment in part of one of the many prophecies of the Book of Mormon relating to the gathering of Israel, viz: "It shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence His work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of the keys of His people upon the earth." The spirit attendant upon the restoration of the keys of authority to gather Israel from the four quarters of the earth, and the exercise of that divine authority, though unrecognized as yet by the world, is the real cause of this movement Palestine-ward by the Jews.
Elijah's Mission.
The work accomplished by Elijah in giving to the Prophet Joseph the particular dispensation of the Priesthood which should plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers—lest the whole earth should be utterly wasted at His coming[[11]]—is attended by evidences of virtue and power of God no less palpable than those which bear witness to the virtue and power of God in the work accomplished by Moses in giving to the Prophet the keys of authority for the gathering of Israel. The work done by Elijah was to open the door of salvation for the dead. From that event comes the knowledge of the principles by which the saving power of the Gospel may be applied to men who have died without receiving its benefits in this life. From of old men had read in the scriptures that Messiah would bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house;[[12]] that in addition to being given as a restorer of the tribes of Jacob and a light to the gentiles, the Messiah should have power to say to the prisoners, "Go forth; to them that sit in darkness, show yourselves;" [[13]] "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." [[14]] From the beginning of Christianity men had read in the New Testament how Jesus had once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust; and how that being put to death in the flesh He was quickened by the Spirit by which He went and preached to the spirits in prison which were disobedient when the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.[[15]] Also they read how for this cause was the Gospel preached to them that are dead that they might be judged as men are in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit;[[16]] also the reasoning of Paul to the effect that if there was no resurrection of the dead, why, then, were the Saints baptized for the dead;[[17]] also how the fathers without those of later generations cannot be made perfect.[[18]] All of which passages, however, have been regarded as among the mysteries of the word of God, incomprehensible, dark. But touched by the Prophet Elijah's hand, imparting to them their true import, how bright they glow with spiritual light and life! and what a sense of largeness and power is given to the Gospel of Jesus Christ when from this mission of Elijah's there comes the power to apply the principles and ordinances of salvation to all the children of men (save the sons of perdition; and these, thank God! are but few) in all ages of the world, and whether living or dead! How the horizon of things respecting the Gospel of Christ is pushed back from the walled-in limits of that pseudo-Christianity current among men, by this spirit and power of Elijah that has come into the world! The fact that such a spirit has come into the world is sustained by palpable evidences. The truth of my statement will be recognized when I say that within the last fifty years there has arisen throughout the world an increased spirit of interest among men concerning their ancestors that scarcely stops this side of the marvelous. In all lands men are earnestly seeking for their genealogies, and many volumes are issued from the press annually in which the pedigrees of men of all sorts and conditions are given. Some may be said to be possessed almost of a mania, on this subject so ardent are they in seeking for a knowledge of their fore-fathers, and this all quite apart from any direct work that is being done along the same lines by the Latter-Day Saints; though the work of the Saints in the temples for their dead is greatly helped by this outside circumstance to which I call attention. Why and whence this spirit in the hearts of the children which turns the attention of men to the fathers of former generations, if it is not a consequence of the fulfillment of Elijah's predicted mission that before the great and dreadful day of the Lord should come he [Elijah] would be sent to turn the heart of the children to the fathers, and the heart of the fathers to the children?[[19]]
Of the work done by the Latter-Day Saints in consequence of the restoration of these special keys of the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah I need scarcely speak. That the spirit which came into the world by reason of Elijah's special dispensation of authority to Joseph Smith is working upon the hearts of the Latter-Day Saints is evidenced by the building of the beautiful temple at Nauvoo, and by the erection of the world-famed temple in Salt Lake City; also by the erection of magnificent temples in Logan, Manti, and St. George—all in Utah. These temples have all been erected in response to the diffusion of that spirit that attended upon Elijah's mission; and are evidences in stone that the Saints have partaken of that spirit which turns the hearts of the children to the fathers. Another palpable evidence to the same great truth is seen in the throngs which daily visit these temples to perform the ordinances of salvation for the dead; not only baptism for the dead, but also the confirmations, ordinations and sealings by which the fathers shall be prepared for the kingdom of God, and all the families of men be set in order, united together by bonds, covenants and established relations that shall be in harmony with that heavenly kingdom which the redeemed of God shall inherit. The full importance of this work—its height and depth—is not yet appreciated by the children of men; but so great it is that the period of our Church History which witnesses its beginning—even if it were the only achievement—must ever be regarded as an important period.