Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 1/Number 12/On the gathering of Israel

We are happy to say that the time to favor Zion is at hand; surely, the prophets in days of old looked with deep anxiety to see the day in which we live; and they beheld it and rejoiced; because the restoration of the children of Israel, was a theme that occupied much of their time in meditation, that they might know concerning this matter: and they were exceeding glad, that the day should come, in which the children of Israel should be gathered, from their dispersion.—Moroni while speaking of the gathering of Israel, and building up of the New Jerusalem asys [says]:—

"For behold they rejected all the words of Ether: for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and how that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land, it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him, which dwelleth upon the face thereof; and that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land; and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after that it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built up unto the house of Israel; and that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for the which things there has been a type: for as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not, wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away."— Book of Mormon page 566.

The Lord has said that he would hold no one guilty, that should go with an open heart, up to the land of Zion; after five years from September, 1831. And the Lord has said that he would gather his people and specified the place where:

"A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, jr. and six elders, as they united their hearts and lifted their voices on high; yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church established in the last days for the rostoration [restoration] of his people as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon mount Zion, which shall be built, beginning at the Temple Lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, jr. and others, with whom the Lord was well pleased.

Verily, this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation; for verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house." Cov. Sec. IV. Par. I.

Isaiah 66:18, "For I know their works, and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory."

According to this quotation the glory of the Lord shall appear; but they must come to a certain place in odrer [order] that they can see it. Our former quotation determines the place, and who dare dispute it? The Lord has said by the mouth of Isaiah; that he would perform his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. We have before said, that the place of the gathering of the saints was specified: and to prove that men have authority to bring this work to pass: we will endeavor to show. The Lord while speaking to some of the Latter Day Elders says:

"Verily I say unto you, that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump: lift up your hearts and be glad for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom; and as it is written, Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive; and ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect, for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts: wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father, that they shall be gathered in unto one place, upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts, and be prepared in all things, against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked; for the hour is nigh, and the day soon at hand, when the earth is ripe: and all the proud, and they that do wickedly, shall be as stubble, and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth: for the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass; for I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand."—Cov. Sec. X. Par. 2.

This plainly specifies the work, that they have to perform; before the great day of the Lord comes; when "the sun shall be darkened and the moon turn into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven; and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth beneath; and there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men; and there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth: and it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent: for behold my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not."

It is evident that great things will be shown forth; but who will believe them? The answer is conclusive, those who are looking for them to take place. We may become acquainted with all these things; and know them: but what does it avail us if we are not prepared to meet the consequences.—The Savior says; "I have called upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit."

Moses while talking to the children of Israel, says "Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but these things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children forever." It is evident that we are accountable to God for the things which we have in our possession; and that we will be justified or condemned by the same. After Moses had received the law, he foretold the children of Israel, what should befall them:

"And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all that I command thee this day, thou, and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return, and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.

If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee."—Deut. XXX: 51,2,3,4,5,6,7

Paul while talking to the Ephesians, says:

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.—Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.—Eph. I:9,10,11,12,13,14.

While we are on this subject we will further show that God has a fixed period to accomplish his work. We have shown that there will be a place of gathering on this continent; and also at Palestine; for Moses says: "the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers."

We have also shown, that this land was a place for the gathering of a remnant of the house of Israel: and that they should have it in the due time of the Lord: according to the book of Mormon, all that will embrace the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and endure in faith to the end, shall become partakers of the covenants of the Lord which he made to our fathers, whose blessings are very numerous; and if we will obtain them, we shall be blessed while the throne of God shall stand. To show what the Lord has revealed we will make a few more quotations.

"And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction, in process of time, and ye knew it not, but now I tell it unto you, and ye are blessed, not because of your eniquity [iniquity], neither your hearts of unbelief, for verily some of you are guilty before me; but I will be merciful unto your weakness. Therefore, be ye strong from henceforth; fear not for the kingdom is yours: and for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons. And I have made the earth rich, and behold it is my footstool: wherefore, again I will stand upon it: and I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise; a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh: and I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts: and this shall be my covenant with you, ye shall have it for the land of your inheritance, and for the inheritance of your children forever while the earth shall stand, and ye shall possess it again in eternity, no more to pass away."—Cov. XII. Par. 4.

Jeremiah spake concerning the redemption of Israel:

"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." Jer. L. 4,5.

We have plainly demonstrated to the mind of any person, that believes the Bible and the book of Mormon, that Israel shall be gathered: and where and how. And the following quotation, will demonstrate when.

"Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you; the Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple: the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgement; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry. Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord; yea, verily I say unto you, again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you, Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations; firstly, upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about: yea, let the cry go forth among all people; Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom: behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.—Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles, flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you: and he that goeth, let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him."—Cov. Sec. C: Par. 1,2.

The time is at hand for the saints to assemble as fast as is consistent with their circumstances; so that all things may be done in order without distraction or confusion or any thing that would bring pestilence and misery upon the afflicted saints. Remember to have all things ready, go ye out from Babylon even as the Lord hath said.—He that readeth let him understand.—That the Lord is God, Therefore keep his commandments, even so. Amen.