The Latter-Day Prophet.
By John Nicholson.
An Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Prophets Needed and Should be Expected—Organism of the Church of Christ—Effects of Obedience to the Doctrines Introduced by Joseph Smith—The Book of Mormon Authentic—Modern Prophecy and its Fulfillment.
Was Joseph Smith an authorized prophet of God? This is a question of momentous importance. Like every matter involving the weal or woe of mankind, the answer should not be given in haste. The evidence should be carefully scanned and weighed before a decision is reached. He who jumps at conclusions regarding men and things, whether for or against, without a scrutinizing examination, is liable to err in judgment. Such a person is likely also to be guilty of injustice. In addition to the vital interests involved, that kindly liberality that should characterize the behavior of man to his fellow, requires that a plea in behalf of the divinity of the mission of Joseph Smith should be candidly and impartially considered.
The popular voice is against the validity of the claim of Joseph Smith to being a true prophet. Public sentiment on such a subject has no force. If it have any bearing upon it at all it must be favorable, because of precedents. If popular repudiation is evidence against the genuineness of Joseph Smith's claim, it would be equally sensible to recognize its potency as directed against the rejected Redeemer of the world, whose sufferings and death were effected by the tide of the popular will. The same may be as readily applied to nearly the whole of the holy prophets since the world began, against whom the waves of popular feeling, as a rule, surged like the waters of an angry sea.
The prevailing idea regarding prophets is that, in the language of the generality of so-called Christian teachers, "they are not needed now. They were merely required to establish the Church of Christ in its incipiency." Of course some excuse must be advanced for the non-existence of divinely commissioned and inspired men in the various churches. It would not do to say such men are needed, because the question as to why they do not have them would immediately arise. However, we think it is not only an easy matter to show, scripturally, that such men are not only needed, but that the existence of the true Church of Christ without them is an absolute impossibility.
We direct the reader to the 4th chap, of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. The 8th verse says: "When he (Christ) ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men." Now read from the 11th to the 14th verse, inclusive: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come to a 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 fullness of Christ. 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."
Take the assertions of the apostate so-called Christian Churches in regard to the non-essentiality of inspired apostles and prophets and place them in juxtaposition with the teachings of Paul, and what do we discover? We observe the widest discrepancy between them. Those inspired men were given to the Church "for the perfecting of the Saints." Consequently, before it can be established that they are no longer needed it must first be proved that the Saints or members of the Church have reached perfection. To claim that this is the case would be too glaringly absurd in the face of existing facts. Imperfection being the evident condition of the professors of what is termed Christian religion, the necessity of the agencies appointed of God to bring about a more perfect state must be admitted as reasonable and scriptural.