When the Twelve, or any other witnesses, stand before the congregation of the earth, and they preach in the power and demonstration of the spirit of God, and the people are astonished and confounded at the doctrine and say: That man has preached a powerful discourse, a great sermon—then let that man or those men take care that they are humble and ascribe the praise and glory to God and The Lamb; for it is by the power of the Holy Priesthood and Holy Ghost that they have power thus to speak. "What art thou, O man, but dust? And from whom dost thou receive thy power and blessings but from God?"
If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses, for if we are not drawing toward God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing toward the devil. A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power. It needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God.
Every principle proceeding from God is eternal and any principle which is not eternal is of the devil. The sun has no beginning nor end; the rays which proceed from himself have no bounds, consequently are eternal. So it is with God. If the soul of man had a beginning it will surely have an end. In the translation "without form and void" it should read, empty and desolate. The word created should be, formed, or organized.
Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed, can be.
All truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.
All spirit is matter, but it is more fine and pure.
Ye were also in the beginning with the Father.
We have no claim in our eternal compact, in relation to eternal things, unless our actions and contracts and all things tend to this end.
The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receiveth a fullness of joy, and when separated, man cannot receive a fullness of joy.
The first Comforter, or Holy Ghost, has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge.