THE RESTORATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL.
BY ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE.
WHAT is "Mormonism?" and, What is the object of the "Mormon" Elders preaching in the Indian Territory? are questions that are doubtless asked many times. We propose, with your kind attention, to answer these questions, and we ask your prayerful consideration of the same. In the year 1820 there lived in Manchester, Ontario (now Wayne) County, in the State of New York, a young man named JOSEPH SMITH, who received a remarkable vision. There had been a religious revival in the neighborhood where he resided, which had caused him much reflection to know which of the sects to join, as the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians had all taken part in the revival, and when it was over the different ministers all claimed the converts, which made much confusion and bitter feeling. As Joseph was reading the Bible one day, a passage of Scripture, found in the first chapter and fifth verse of James' epistle, which reads, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him," had a powerful influence over him. To use his own words: "Never did any passage of Scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom I did." At last Joseph determined to ask of God. The principle of Faith was now operating upon his mind, and he determined to ask the Eternal Father which of all the sects was right.
It was the morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. He went alone to a retired spot, kneeled down, and began to offer up the desires of his heart. He had scarcely done so, when he was seized upon by some invisible power that seemed to bind his tongue so that he could not speak, and which almost overcame him. He was about to give up, but exercising all his power calling upon God, in his heart, to deliver him, he saw a pillar of light exactly above his head, above the brightness of the sun. When the light rested upon him, he was delivered from the power of his unseen enemy, and he saw two glorious personages, whose brightness and glory it is impossible to describe, standing above him in the air; one of them spake unto him, calling him by name, and pointing to the other said, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM. Joseph asked this other personage which of all the sects was right and which he should join, and was answered that he should join none of them, for they were all wrong. This personage said, "They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrine the commandments of man, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof;" and also gave him some other information. When Joseph came to himself again, he was lying on his back, looking up into heaven.
Some few days after he had this remarkable vision, he happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, and he told him the vision he had seen. The preacher became very angry, told Joseph it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that such things had ceased with the Apostles. Joseph soon found that telling the vision excited a great deal of prejudice against him amongst professors of religion, and was the cause of much persecution. Thus commenced the persecutions of the Latter-day Saints, called "Mormons." The men who "taught for doctrine the commandments of man" commenced lying about and misrepresenting an obscure boy, because he had truthfully said he had seen a vision and he knew it. He also had learned that the testimony of the Apostle James was true. This we would also do well to give heed to, for we all lack wisdom and should be encouraged to ask of God, so that we may not be led astray by false teachers, but have the Spirit of Truth to guide and lead us into all truth.
About three years after receiving this remarkable vision he received a visitation from a messenger from heaven. This personage informed him his name was Moroni. He had on a robe of the most exquisite whiteness; his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. He told Joseph God had a work for him to do, and that his name should be had for good and evil amongst all nations. Moroni, the angel, told him there was a book that had been hid up in the earth, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the inhabitants who formerly lived upon this continent, and the source from when they sprang; also, that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in this record, as delivered by Jesus Christ to the ancient inhabitants, the fathers of the American Indians, and the "other sheep" spoken of by the Savior, in the tenth chapter of John and the sixteenth verse, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice." Moroni quoted several prophecies of the Old Testament Prophets, that were about to be fulfilled, he said, concerning the destruction of the wicked and the second coming of the Messiah, etc.; and also told him that many judgments were coming on the earth with great desolations by famine, sword and pestilence, in this generation. With the plates that were hid up there were two stones in silver bows (and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim), and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted Seers in ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the record. Following the instructions of this messenger, who was one of the Prophets, and who had hid up this record, Joseph translated the plates by the power of God.
Three men were chosen special witnesses, to whom the angel showed the plates. Their names were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. They declare "that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, and we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon;" they also heard the voice of the Lord declare the record had been translated by the power of God. It is called the Book of Mormon. Mormon, who was the father of Moroni, made an abridgment of the ancient records, and it is that abridgment that we now have in the Book of Mormon. It is from this Prophet's name that the Gentile or unbelieving nations have called the people who believe in this book "Mormons," or anything to do with the people who thus believe, "Mormonism;" and they have very much belied them. But it does not matter what unbelievers say, or how much the people may be misrepresented by wicked men, the facts exist—Mormon made an abridgment of the history of his people on gold plates, and JOSEPH SMITH, the Prophet-martyr of the nineteenth century, translated them by the power of God, and it exists and bears its own truthful evidence. No one has ever read the book with an honest, prayerful heart, but has been convinced of its divine origin. The prophecies or predictions of its own Prophets are being fulfilled to-day. These Prophets were amongst some of the most remarkable men that ever lived.
During the time Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon, a young man named Oliver Cowdery was writing for him. They came to the place where it is recorded that the Lord Jesus visited the people and established His Church upon this continent. Upon translating the mode and object of baptism as the Savior gave instructions, they greatly desired this blessing, but knew not how to obtain it. They went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, which was mentioned in the translation. While they were praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and laid his hands upon their heads as they knelt in prayer, and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood, saying, "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys to the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism, by immersion, for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that they would receive this power or authority hereafter. This messenger, or angel, said his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist, in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, the ancient Apostles, who held the keys of the Melchisedec Priesthood or authority. Joseph states this same messenger "commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterwards that he should baptize me;" accordingly they carried out the instructions which were given unto them by baptizing each other in the order designated by the angel. On coming out of the water, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they stood up and prophesied concerning the rise of the Church of Christ in this generation, and many other things, being filled with the Holy Ghost and rejoicing in their salvation.
As the messenger had promised, in due time, the Melchisedec Priesthood and Apostleship was restored under the hands of Peter, James and John, and the "Gospel of the kingdom" began to be preached, and as the members of the Church of Christ began to multiply it was Organized by divine revelation with Apostles, Prophets, and Teachers, followed by miracles, gifts of healing, helps and governments, until the Church of Christ was fully organized upon the earth. But it has had to pass through the most bitter persecution, and the blood of the martyrs has had to flow. Mobs, led on by ministers of religious societies, have committed acts of violence against the Saints of the Most High, that testify in unspeakable language "they are all wrong," for no member of the Church of Christ could have a persecuting spirit—"By their fruits shall ye know them."