And having shown that it required apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers; together with the gifts of prophecy, miracles, healing, and all other gifts, to compose the church, or body of Christ, in any age, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free; and having utterly forbidden any of the members ever to say, of any of these gifts: "We have no need of thee," He declares the body never could be perfected without all of them, and that if they were done away, there would be no body, that is, no church of Christ in existence. Having shown all these things clearly, he exhorts them to covet earnestly the best gifts. And in the thirteenth chapter, exhorts them to faith, hope, and charity, without which all these gifts would avail them nothing: and in the fourteenth chapter repeats the exhortation: "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." Again, in Ephesians, i, 17, Paul prays that the Lord would give unto the church the Spirit of WISDOM and of REVELATION, in the KNOWLEDGE of God. Again, in Ephesians, iv, he tells them there is one body and one Lord, one Spirit, one faith, and one baptism; and that Christ ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. And He gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. And if the reader inquire what these gifts or offices were for, let him read the twelfth verse: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And if he inquire how long these were to continue, the thirteenth verse says: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And if he still inquire what further object Christ had in giving these gifts, let him read the fourteenth verse: "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
Now, without these gifts and offices, first, the saints cannot be perfected; second, the work of the ministry cannot proceed; third, the body of Christ cannot be edified; and fourth, there is nothing to prevent them from being carried about with every wind of doctrine. Now, I boldly declare that the cause of all the division, confusion, jars, discord, and animosities; and the fruitful source of so many faiths, lords, baptisms, and spirits; and of the understanding being darkened; and of men being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts, is, because they have neither apostles, prophets, nor gifts, inspired from on high, to whom they give heed; for, if they had such gifts, and would give heed unto them, they would be built up in one body, in the pure doctrine of Christ, having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one hope of their calling; yea, they would be edified, built up unto Christ in all things, in whom the whole body, fitly joined together, would grow into an holy temple in the Lord.
But so long as the cunning craftiness of men can persuade them that they have no need of these things, so long they can toss them about with every wind of doctrine, just as they please.
Now, reader, I have done our examination of the kingdom of God, as it existed in the Apostles' days; and we cannot look at it in any other age, until renewed again in the last days, for it never did, nor never will exist, without apostles and prophets, and all the other gifts of the Spirit.
Were we to take a view of the churches, from the days that inspiration ceased until now, we should see nothing like the kingdom which we have been viewing with such admiration and delight. But instead of apostles and prophets, we should see false teachers, whom men had heaped to themselves; and instead of the gifts of the Spirit, we should see the wisdom of men; and instead of the Holy Ghost, many false spirits; instead of the ordinances of God, commandments of men; instead of knowledge, opinion; guess work, instead of revelation; division, instead of union; doubt, instead of faith; despair, instead of hope; hatred, instead of charity; a physician, instead of the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick; fables, instead of truth, evil for good, good for evil; darkness for light, light for darkness, and in a word, anti-Christ instead of Christ; the powers of earth having made war with the saints, and overcome them, until the words of God should be fulfilled.
O my God, shut up the vision! for my heart sickens while I gaze; and let the day hasten on when the earth shall be cleansed by fire from such awful pollutions; but first, let Thy promise be fulfilled, which Thou didst make by the mouth of Thy servant John, that Thou wouldst call Thy people out of her, saying: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues;" and then, O Lord, when Thou hast called Thy people out from the midst of her, by the fishers and hunters whom Thou hast promised to send in the last days to gather Israel; yea, when Thine everlasting covenant has been renewed, and Thy people established thereby; then let her plagues come in one day, death, mourning, and famine; let her be burned with fire; that the holy Apostles and Prophets, and all that fear Thy name, small and great, may rejoice, because Thou hast avenged the blood of Thy saints upon her. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHAPTER IV.
THE BOOK OF MORMON—ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS, ETC.
Ye gloomy scenes, far hence, intrude no more!
Sublimer themes invite the muse to soar
In loftier strains, while scenes both strange and new
Burst on the sight, and open to the view.
Lo! from the opening heavens, in bright array
An angel comes—to earth he bends his way:
Reveals to man, in power, as at the first,
The fulness of the Gospel long since lost.