Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 1/Number 4/Faith of the Church. No. X.

FAITH OF THE CHURCH. NO. X.

Continued from page 37.

As there can be no doubt remaining on the mind of any person who has made himself acquainted with the revelations of God, respecting the manner and way by which the Savior of the world prepared his apostles for the execution of their high commission, and the great labor and pains which he had to bestow upon them, before they could discharge the high duties which were incumbent upon them, by virtue of their relation to him as his messengers to the world, it remains to be examined whether they were the only persons thus favored, or whether it requires a similar course to prepare all others who share with them in the blessings of the heavenly kingdom. One reason why I have been so particular in examining the way by which the former apostles were prepared for their mission and work, was that I might bring to light a subject which seemed to me to be hid to the most of this generation; for those who make the highest pretentions to religion among the sects, and the greatest professions, seem to be intirely [entirely] in the dark on the subject of the work and office of the Holy Spirit. Though they make a great ado about it, and say much, and preach much about it, but examine them closely, and it is easy to discover, that they are strangers to its influence, and unacquainted with its work in the salvation of men, and are laboring under mistakes, and errors, of the most destructive kind: deceiving and being deceived; knowing not what they say nor whereof they affirm; speaking lightly and contemptuously of the very thing which they profess to believe: for not knowing what the work of the Holy Spirit is, and supposing it to be what it is not, they condemn the work of the Spirit, as being imposition, deception, and enthusiasm, and teach and defend a something that the saint has nothing to do with, and a work which never was predicted by it. Others seeing, as they supposed, the errors into which many had fallen, tried to avoid it, by endeavoring to prove that there was no work of the Spirit since the days of the apostles, but that the Spirit is the word and the word is Spirit. Thus they pass along, persuading themselves that all is well with them; and perhaps many will do so until it will be too late, and have to bewail their condition where peace will flee from them.

It certainly will not be lost time, if we can by any means, settle this question, so that the candid may have some thing on which they can rest with certainty. As for bigots, and self-sufficient professors, we expect that they will persist in their course be it correct or incorrect; but there doubtless are many, yea, very many in this generation, who would be exceedingly glad to have this question put to rest, that their minds might not be in darkness, nor confusion, and this is what I shall attempt to do—praying my heavenly Father, that he will enlighten my mind by his Spirit, so as to enable me to present the subject as it is in his own bosom.

The reader will be left to judge for himself, whether I do or do not accomplish my object. I will remark this before I begin this investigation, that I think I feel no disposition nor feeling of mind, to have the subject any different from what it really is, neither is there any thing in my religious creed which would have the least tendency to excite a feeling in my mind, or a desire in my heart, to have it any different from what it is; as my creed is "prove all things and hold fast that which is good;" believing nothing in religion for which I have not a thus saith the Lord: either a thus saith the Lord by a direct communication from him to myself, or else a well attested one given to others.

I wish the reader to understand what I mean by a well attested revelation, given to others: I consider a revelation well attested, when the Lord, by a direct communication to myself, declares that he was the author of it.

In this investigation, however, I will limit myself to those revelations which are acknowledged by all who profess to believe in written revelations—I mean the Old and new Testament.—There are other revelations in my estimation, of equal force, which confirm the same things, and are strong corroborative proofs of the sentiments taught in the book we call the bible, and doctrines there inculcated; for let us find a revelation of God, it matters not to whom it was given, or by whom it came, it will teach the same doctrines, inculcate the same principles, and testify of the same religion—it matters not where it was given, whether at Jerusalem, or in America, to Israelites, Nephites, Jews, or Gentiles; to Ephraim, or the lost tribes, the gospel will be the same; for the Lord never had but one gospel, and that has continued from age to age, ever since the time it was said to the serpent, the seed of the woman shall bruise thy head, until the angel came down from heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the world, and committed it to man, for the last time, in order to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. Neither has the Lord but one Spirit, it matters not when, or where it operated, or on whom; its effects were, and are, the same, and there is no difference, whether it was upon Abel, or Enoch, Noah, or Abraham, Moses, or Paul, prophets, or apostles, it was the same Spirit, if it were the Spirit of the Lord, and produced an uniform effect.

I presume it will not be doubted, by any, at least those who have a particle of consistency about them, that if the gift of the Holy Spirit was at all necessary, in order to the salvation of the person, who received it in former days, it is equally as necessary in every age of the world, and for every person, as it was for one; and that if the Lord ever promised such a gift to those who obeyed the gospel, it was necessary for the salvation of the person to whom it was given, otherwise the Lord would not have given it.

Let me premise one thing more, and that is, that whatever the blessings of the gospel were in former days, they are the same in latter days, without variation; that it required the same things to sanctify the human heart at one age of the world, it did at another, and the design of the gospel was to sanctify the heart of man, and make him fit for the enjoyment of God, in eternity; that there never was, nor is any promises made in the gospel, only those which tended to the accomplishment of this object, neither will any person presume, who has a regard for the character of God, or his revelations, to say that there were more promises and blessings contained in the gospel, and enjoyed by the primitive saints than were necessary to sanctify their hearts and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

Having said so much, I shall proceed to examine the subject proposed: