"Jacob F. Gates, of Salt Lake City, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that he is a citizen of the United States, of the age of fifty-seven years, and that he is the son of Jacob Gates, who, prior to his death, related to affiant a conversation which he had with Oliver Cowdery, at the town of Richmond, State of Missouri, and that the above and foregoing is a true and correct statement of said conversation as given to aim by his father.
"JACOB F. GATES.
"Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th day of January, 1912.
"ARTHUR WINTER, Notary Public. "My commission expires December 3, 1915.">[
The Gospel restored through the ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith was not only for the living, but also for the dead. Those who had passed away before the Gospel was restored must also have the privilege of obeying it. The first great message of the Angel Moroni to the young Seer, was that the fathers can not be made perfect without the children, nor the children without the fathers. Even after receiving the Holy Priesthood, then, it became necessary further to receive divine commission to promulgate the Gospel among the living—among both Jew and Gentile—and divine authority to officiate vicariously for the dead. Joseph Smith tells in revelation that both commission and authority to perform these duties were conferred in a divine manifestation in Kirtland temple. Moses committed the keys of the gathering of Israel; Elias committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham; and Elijah restored authority to perform vicarious work for the dead. Moreover, Jesus Himself appeared in the holy house, and commended the work of His servant, the Prophet. That these holy men did actually appear and commit the keys of authority to perform special labors, Joseph Smith affirms in all seriousness.[M]
[Footnote M: Doc. and Cov. 110.]
Happily, again, Joseph Smith was not alone in receiving these divine manifestations. Oliver Cowdery was once more with him. And once again, Oliver Cowdery bears corroborative testimony. More than that, he was an eyewitness and a partaker of the blessings. He bears direct testimony to the reality of the visions. And as with the Testimony of Three Witnesses, and the visits of John the Baptizer, and Peter, James, and John, so also now, Oliver Cowdery bears his testimony faithfully to the last. Not a single important step in the progress of the Restoration was taken without corroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.
The chain of evidence is thus complete. The authority necessary for the promulgation of the Gospel and the establishment of the Church, and all the working principles of the Gospel, have been restored. Every important act of restoration is attested by belief-worthy witnesses. These witnesses are eleven in number, eight of whom are not in any way related to the Prophet. Their testimony has never been impeached. If such an array of evidence and worthy testimony were presented in a federal court, the jury would hardly need to retire for consultation. They might hand in a unanimous verdict at once. Yet, the evidence here presented for the reality of the divine acts of the Restoration is often called into question. The student at school accepts with perfect faith principles of science that he cannot himself demonstrate, and is willing almost to lay down his life in defense of those principles. He is told, for example—for he cannot prove it himself—that there is an attractive or repulsive force operative in the universe, and that that force varies directly as the product of the masses between which it is operating, and inversely as the square of the distance between them. This is the law of gravitation, laid down by Sir Isaac Newton. The student believes it, as he believes a thousand other principles presented to him in more or less arbitrary fashion. Yet, many of the established principles of science are not half so well authenticated as are the acts of the Restoration of the Gospel in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. In His divine wisdom, the Lord God has wonderfully safeguarded every act in the story of the Restoration, so that there can be no reasonable question as to its reality. Says the Apostle Paul, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."
Note:—There is still another important witness to the reality of the revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This witness does not testify, however, to the restoration of any authority of the Gospel. Section 76 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants relates the wonderful vision of glories. Joseph Smith was accompanied in this vision by Sidney Rigdon. Sidney Rigdon was excommunicated Sept. 8, 1844. Like the other witnesses, however, Rigdon remained true to the testimony that he had seen a vision. Sidney Rigdon died out of the Church. His son John W. Rigdon, testifies as follows:—"When I went to father just before his death, and told him that if he knew anything regarding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, that had not been told, he owed it as a duty to himself and his family, to tell it, he reiterated that he had but one story to tell, and that was the story told him by the Prophet, Joseph Smith, that the records from which the book was taken were engraved on gold plates. Father then testified to me that Joseph was a prophet of God, and that an angel had handed him the plates from which was taken the Book of Mormon" ("Improvement Era," Vol. III, p. 697).