Aids to Faith in a Modern Day

 FOREWORD

  Books come into being in many different ways—some because writers choose to write, and some, like this one, because readers make insistent demands.

  Throughout his professional life as scientist, educator, public servant, and churchman—a distinguished and almost unbelievably varied career going back nearly half a century—Dr. John A. Widtsoe has been receiving questions from confused and alert and honest and eager students—students of life, students of the gospel, and students engaged in formal academic pursuits. These questions have come by letter, in Church gatherings, from the mission field, in the classroom, and on informal occasions.

  Some years ago Dr. Widtsoe began to make permanent record of such questions as they came to him and, beginning nearly five years ago, to answer in print in the pages of the Improvement Era those most persistently and most frequently asked. "Evidences and Reconciliations" was the general title adopted, with a subtitle "Aids to Faith in a Modern Day"; and that the series filled an urgent need is attested by the fact that requests for permanent compilation began to increase as the writings progressed through the months—thus repeating the experience of other writers who, by reason of demand, have been obliged to publish their serial efforts in book form.

  Dr. Widtsoe's pen has long been active in the cause of truth—all truth. His scientific papers are numerous. His articles and books crusading for better irrigation and dry-farming practice have been translated into many languages. His Church books, courses of study, and compilations go back to his early young manhood. Books and manuals written by him and published number more than a score and a half, in addition to magazine and newspaper articles, pamphlets, tracts, and encyclopedic and other writings.

  As a research scholar schooled in the finest institutions of two continents, as a former president first of a state agricultural college and then of a state university, as a consulting chemist, as director of an agricultural experiment station, as a member of government commissions and of scientific societies, as a churchman of many assignments, and as a world traveler, he has the stimulating manner of a true teacher, the open mind of a true scholar, the engaging charm of a true gentleman, and the true humility of a man of God. His pen, sparing in its use of words and direct in its approach, is nevertheless colorful in expression—and it quickly focuses attention on fact, avoiding unsupportable generalization.

  With this brief glimpse of a man and his work, neither of which needs introduction, it is gratifying to bring this volume to the readers who have asked for it and to the many students, both of science and religion, who will find in it many "aids to faith in a modern day."

  RICHARD L. EVANS

Salt Lake City, Utah

 AUTHOR'S PREFACE

Insistent questions of numerous gospel students, young and old, led to a series of answers in The Improvement Era under the title of "Evidences and Reconciliations." As the series progressed, there arose an increasing demand that the articles be assembled in book form. In this volume the first sixty-eight are reprinted.

The articles have been grouped under several general subject headings, but there has been no attempt to discuss all the themes that might come under each heading. This volume is but a collection of answers to some of the many questions from the field—and the questions are still arriving.

Most of the queries, often hot from the anvil of life and thought, were asked by young people engaged in secular pursuits and study. Therefore, themes, treatment, and style have been chosen with inquiring youth in mind. However, letters of commendation have come from veteran students of the gospel. That is encouraging. When young and old see alike, there need be no fear of the future.

The attempt has been made to have every answer conform to accepted gospel doctrine. Therefore, the reading of these answers should help advance the student's understanding of the gospel.

Inquiries from honest searchers after truth should always be welcomed. Intelligent learners, in any field of knowledge, ask for explanations as problems appear in their studies. Indeed, the questions asked often mark the degree of proficiency attained. Those to whom no problems occur are asleep at the wheel of truth.

To George Q. Morris and Lucy Grant Cannon, general and associate managers of The Improvement Era, sincere thanks for permission to reprint these articles; and to its capable managing editor, my colleague and valued friend, Elder Richard L. Evans, cordial appreciation for suggesting this volume, and accepting the toil of publication.—J. A. W.

 I

 The Approach to Truth

 1. WHAT IS TRUTH?

  Truth is the desired objective of all rational human action. Science and religion alike are built on truth. Jesus, the Christ, frankly declared to Pilate that "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18:37)

  The meaning of a word so commonly used should be generally and correctly understood. Yet, subjected to philosophical speculation, truth has often been given diverse meanings, or left befogged in clouds of abstraction.

  In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith occurs a very simple yet comprehensive definition, "Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come." (D. & C. 93:24)—that is, truth is synonymous with accurate knowledge or a product of it.

  This cuts away all underbrush. Without knowledge, truth may not be found. Truth is revealed by knowledge; and knowledge is gained by man through his various senses assisted by such aids as he may secure. That is, the facts of observation, in the visible or invisible world, lead to truth; and truth must conform to human experience. To the seeker after knowledge, truth is constantly being revealed.

  The dictionary agrees well in one of its several definitions with the Prophet: "Truth is conformity with fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or will be." This also expresses the thought that truth issues from knowledge.

  This throws the burden of discovering truth upon the individual. As he obtains knowledge in any field, he will gain truth. But the knowledge must be correct, factual, or it does not lead to truth.

  There has been endless speaking and writing about ultimate or final truth. It may as well be admitted at once, and without reservation, that mortal man, gathering knowledge through imperfect senses—his only avenues to truth—must remain content, in many fields of endeavor, with partial truth. The eye of man, sweeping the heavens, gathers some knowledge of the universe; with the aid of telescope and spectroscope more is won; but full knowledge of the starry heavens is yet far beyond man's reach. Nevertheless, the knowledge gained by the bare eye, or by the aid of instruments, reveals truth—partial but noble truth, fit to stand by the side of all other truth. With the progress of time, knowledge-seeking, truth-loving man will ever approach the fulness of truth.

  The attempt has also been made to limit man's search for truth to the material universe. This implies that there is no other universe, or that man is incapable of exploring spiritual domains. Both alternatives are unacceptable to sound thinking. Man and the eternal universe cannot be confined within the limits of materialism. Therefore, in the search for truth man may touch the source of life, as also the immobile stone; the eternal past, as the endless future; the Lord of the heavens, as the humblest of His creatures; the spiritual, as the material worlds.

  In the search for truth it becomes, of course, evident that there are divisions of knowledge. One deals with facts alone; another with the use of the facts for man's good or evil; yet another, to those who believe in God, with the conformity of statements or actions to divine laws.

  In a world of living things, knowledge that helps man is of greatest importance, and highest value. Indeed, knowledge of the universe is of value only as it serves man in his upward, progressive journey. Within that statement lie the truths of religion; and therein the importance of religion becomes evident. Simply to gather truth without regard to man's welfare spells an empty life. Or, to gather truth for the purpose of injuring man, makes a devil of such a seeker after knowledge. Only those who seek to find the use of truth for every man's advancement, are the acceptable seekers after truth.

  In its noblest sense, truth is knowledge gathered and used for human welfare.

  Truth is the most precious possession of man. Light is its fellow traveler. He who walks in the light, may travel intelligently and safely. (D. & C. 93:29, 36) There, also, is a test of truth. (D. & C. 50:23, 24)

 2. HOW MAY A TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL BE OBTAINED?

  Members of the Church frequently "bear testimonies," one to the other. They declare that they know the restored gospel to be true, and voice the joy found in the possession of the gospel.

  Such testimonies are statements of certainty of belief. They imply that the united experiences and powers of the man or woman confirm the truth of the gospel. Doubt is dismissed. Faith becomes the ruling power.

  The beginning of a testimony is faith in God as the Father of the spirits of men; then in a divine plan of salvation for all men, with Jesus, the Christ, at the head; and finally in the restoration of the gospel or the plan and Priesthood authority through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

  The learned and the unlearned, the youth and the veteran, the high and the humble, may bear such a testimony alike. Each one learns the truth through his own powers. To each one may come the conviction that truth is the substance of the gospel and its claims. The man, rich in learning and experience, may be able to marshall more evidences for his belief than the adolescent lad; but, since both have tested the gospel with the means at their command, and found it not wanting, they may both claim respect for their separate testimonies.

  A conviction of the truth of the gospel, a testimony, must be sought if it is to be found. It does not come as the dew from heaven. It is the result of man's eagerness to know truth. Often it requires battle with traditions, former opinions and appetites, and a long testing of the gospel by every available fact and standard. "Faith is a gift of God," but faith must be used to be of service to man. The Lord lets it rain upon the just and the unjust, but he whose field is well plowed is most benefited by the moisture from the sky.

  Specifically, what must a person do in his quest for a testimony?

  First, there must be a desire for truth. That is the beginning of all human progress, in school, in active life, in every human occupation. The desire to know the truth of the gospel must be insistent, constant, overwhelming, burning. It must be a driving force. A "devil-may-care" attitude will not do. Otherwise, the seeker will not pay the required price for the testimony.

  A testimony comes only to those who desire it. Saul, as an enemy of Christ, was sincere in his persecutions. As his desire for truth developed, the Lord could bring to him the conviction of his error. Running through the Pauline epistles is the glorification of truth as the foundation of all wisdom.

  Desire must precede all else in the winning of a testimony.

  Second, the seeker for a testimony must recognize his own limitations. He is on a royal road, traveling towards the palace of truth, in which all human good may be found. There are truths beyond the material universe. Indeed, a testimony may be said to begin with the acceptance of God, who transcends as well as encompasses material things. The seeker for a testimony feels the need of help beyond his own powers, as the astronomer uses the telescope to enlarge his natural vision. The seeker for a testimony prays to the Lord for help. Such a prayer must be as insistent and constant as the desire. They must move together as the palm and back of the hand. Then help will come. Many a man has strayed from the road because his desire has not been coupled with prayer.

  Prayer must accompany desire in the quest for a testimony.

  Third, an effort must be put forth to learn the gospel, to understand it, to comprehend the relationship of its principles. The gospel must be studied, otherwise no test of its truth may sanely be applied to it. That study must be wide, for the gospel is so organized that in it is a place for every truth, of every name and nature. That study must be constantly continued, for the content of the gospel is illimitable.

  It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The gospel should be studied more intensively than any school or college subject. They who pass opinion on the gospel without having given it intimate and careful study are not lovers of truth, and their opinions are worthless.

  To secure a testimony, then, study must accompany desire and prayer.

  Fourth, the gospel must be woven into the pattern of life. It must be tested in practice. The gospel must be used in life. That is the ultimate test in the winning of a testimony.

  Certainly, the experience of others who have consistently obeyed gospel requirements is of value to the seeker after a testimony. Children are wise in accepting the experiences of their parents. Beginners do well to trust those who are seasoned in gospel living. But, there comes a time when every person must find out for himself, in his own daily life, the value of the gospel. A sufficient testimony comes only to him who "stands upon his own feet."

  A testimony of the truth of the gospel comes, then, from: (1) Desire, (2) Prayer, (3) Study, and (4) Practice.

  This is really the formula given by Moroni, the Nephite prophet:

  And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4, 5)

  Thousands have tried this approach to truth; and have found the testimonies they sought. So far, no one who, with flaming desire, sincere prayer, earnest study, and fearless practice, has sought the truth of "Mormonism" has failed to find it. Some, for lack of courage, though truth stared them in the face, have kept it to themselves. But, the approach never fails, so declares fearlessly the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 3. HOW CAN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD BE VERIFIED?

  There is really no more important question before man. And, in the words of the Apostle Peter, we should "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." (I Peter 3:15)

  However, it is useless to attempt to satisfy anyone who asks this question unless he really desires to know God. Desire to know always precedes knowledge.

  Religious truth begins with a knowledge of God. Once the existence and nature of our Father in heaven have been established, religious doubts soon vanish, and life's proper course of action becomes clear. Too often theological misunderstandings come because the testimony of God's reality has not been obtained.

  In winning a certainty of God's existence, every power and faculty possessed by man may be employed. Observation, experimentation, feeling, prayer, and every process of thought are legitimate avenues to a knowledge of God. The attempt to confine the pursuit of religious truth within a compartment away from many-sided life simply leads to confusion and mystification. In every other activity man is obliged to use his natural gifts—senses of body and spirit, and power of mind to arrange acquired knowledge in an orderly manner—so why not in the search for God? All methods by which truth is discovered may be used in finding the answer to this foremost question.

  Man knows things chiefly by their effects or by reports from others.

  Likewise, in the search for religious truth we often know things, conditions, persons and personages from their effects, or the testimony of others. God, who does not reveal Himself in person to all, may be known through His works, or through His revelations to others. Jesus, the Christ, declared a search for truth through its effects to be legitimate.

  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe ... (John 10:37, 38)

  By this test we, two thousand years later, may know that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Son of God. By this test we may know that there is a God.

  So important is the question concerning the existence of God that thousands of men, from the earliest times, have sought for the answer. Out of this long search have come convincing evidences for the reality of God. These evidences have increased as men have more diligently sought God and respected truth. The existence of God, tested by all human powers, is the most firmly established fact in man's possession.

  The searcher for God may turn for evidence to the external universe, to his own inner self, and to human history for his answer.

  Three hundred years of advancing science have revealed many of the secrets of nature. In one respect the result of the study of nature has always been the same. Every process of nature is orderly. Chance, disorder, chaos are ruled out of the physical universe. If every condition involved in a system is precisely the same, the result, anywhere, everywhere, today or at any other time, will be the same. The sun does not rise in the east today and in the west tomorrow. That means that the phenomena of nature are products of law. The infinitely large or the infinitely small move in obedience to law. In man's earnest search for truth, no exception to this process has been found. Apparent deviations, such as the famous uncertainty principle operating in the sub-atomic world, are but expressions of man's incomplete knowledge, which always disappear with increasing knowledge. The universe exists under a reign of eternal law, surpassing the imperfect laws of human government.

  Such orderliness, such domination by law, imply intelligent planning and purpose. Nothing happens of itself. Nowhere, in the age-old experience of man, has continued order been found except as the product of intelligent direction. Man's simplest machine, from the Indian scalping knife to the high-powered automobile, is a product of intelligent action. So convincing has the accumulated knowledge of man become that sober men of science, of foremost rank, declare that to them the universe appears as a Great Thought. The conclusion is evident. There can be no planning or purpose without a mind; there can be no thought without a thinker. The universe, itself, declares that there is intelligent purpose in nature, and that there must be, therefore, a supreme intelligence directing the universe. This is God.

  Thus, every discovery in science becomes an additional evidence for God. The day of materialism is laid low. Only those who are content to gather facts without thinking about their meaning in the scheme of things are atheists in this day of enlightenment. "Faith in science is faith in God."

  The evidence for God which comes from the invisible world, the world as yet only feebly explored by science, is equally convincing. Man's knowledge of the universe is not confined to the narrowly limited senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and tactile feeling. He has other senses which enable him to gather truth from the larger part of the universe beyond the reach of eye or ear. The existence of such scenes and fields is no longer questioned by sound thinkers. It is recognized that in the invisible as in the visible world cause and effect travel together, and may be sensed by the human organism; and that when a person uses these powers, places himself "in tune," he receives knowledge pertaining to the part of the universe closed to the grosser senses.

  Such, for example, is the evidence of conscience. If one seeks to do right, he is warned whenever he is tempted to stray from the proper path. Similar is the evidence of prayer. The vast majority of mankind agree that prayer helps people meet or solve the problems of life. Or, note the results of obedience to the law of the Lord. They who obey law find a joy not otherwise to be secured. From such conformity, prayer, and heed to conscience has come to millions of people the revelation, the certain conviction, that God lives and guides His children on earth. The message is as real as the words issuing from the radio tuned to the broadcaster. Certain it is that man has within himself the power to find and to know God.

  The reality and validity of such knowledge or convictions, often called spiritual, is now very generally admitted. It certainly should be. That there are mountains on the moon is accepted as a fact because thousands of normal people testify that they have seen them through the telescope. That prayers are heard; that guidance is received from the unseen world; or that God lives, have been testified to, throughout out the generations of time, by more thousands of honest, normal persons than have ever testified to a scientific fact. And it is notable that there is full agreement among the believers in God as to the nature of their experiences. The very tests applied to the science of the external world, may properly be used in testing spiritual experiences. And the results should be received with equal respect. Scoffing is the refuge of the uninformed.

  An evidence of the highest value remains. Millions of men and women have come to be believers in God, and have sought to place themselves in harmony with him, by yielding obedience to His will. As a result they have undergone a thorough-going change. As they have accepted God fully, and in sincerity, this change has become more marked. They have become more law-abiding. They have increased in power. They have been more useful to society. They have learned to accept the vicissitudes of life with more equanimity, and to look with more tolerance upon their fellow men. Love has flowed from them. They are the ones who have moved the world forward. The study of the world's history justifies these statements. Believers in God reflect His qualities; even as the warm earth represents the warmth of the sun. Under the law of cause and effect this is a powerful evidence for the existence of God, the source of strength and love and progress.

  As a supplementary evidence is the further historical fact that a number of men have declared that they have seen God, and even spoken with Him, or that they have received messages from Him for themselves and others. The historicity of their claims is in most cases well established. That which was done, for example, by Paul the Apostle and Joseph Smith the Prophet after their heavenly experiences helps confirm the truth of their claims.

  The existence of God may then be verified from external nature, from the "inner nature" of man, from the effects of conformity to God's law, and from the statements of men who have seen God. The first three types of evidence rest upon the testimonies of hundreds of thousands of men and women, increasing tremendously the probability of truth.

  It must be added that no knowledge of God can be won unless it is earnestly, honestly, and prayerfully sought. Those who thus seek will receive the testimony, by the Holy Ghost, that God lives.

  The knowledge so received is as genuine as if God had revealed Himself in person. So, innumerable lovers of truth, who have sought Him in spirit and deed, have testified. No knowledge to them has become more certain than that God lives and directs the affairs of men. To them, "closer is he than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet." (Tennyson, "The Higher Pantheism") And they are the happy ones on earth.

 4. DOES THE CHURCH HAVE A MONOPOLY ON TRUTH?

  Such a question reflects a complete misapprehension of the claims of the restored Church of Christ.

  A monopoly of truth would mean the possession of all available truth, and the exclusion of those not in the Church from participation in the benefits of truth.

  Nothing could be farther from the teachings of the Church. It has been taught from the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith that the light of truth enlightens every man born into the earth. All who seek truth may find it, whether in or out of the Church. Those who seek earnestly in libraries, laboratories, or open nature will be rewarded from the inexhaustible fountain of truth. The Author of truth is generous. The Church urges that in every clime, by all men, at all times, the search for truth be continued; for as truth multiplies among men, human joys may increase.

  However, there are many kinds of truth. Some truths concern themselves with the physical conditions of earth and the heavens, under which material things move and operate. That is valuable knowledge, which has brought humanity many of its blessings. The discovery of such truth has called into being our present civilization which speaks with the stars and gives light and comfort to the humblest home.

  There are higher kinds of truth—such as pertain to human conduct, that is, to man's manner of using the knowledge that he possesses; truths concerning the God of heaven and man's relationship to his divine Father; truths that explain the mystery of the past, reveal the meaning of the present, and foretell the future destiny of humanity; truths that enable man, if he but uses them, to approach, forever, the likeness of God.

  This latter kind of truth forms the framework of the plan of salvation as set forth in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is a product of the mind and will of the Lord. It teaches that a divine purpose runs through the universe, encompassing every fact, law, and principle, and en- livening all the works of nature. Thus the gospel in its fulness becomes the home of truth, into which all truth, of every kind, may be fitted. As the home of truth, the gospel includes all truth, and places every truth in its proper place and position with respect to the present and future welfare of man.

  The truths of the gospel, as all other truths, are available to all mankind. Indeed, perhaps all men possess a part of this basic knowledge for their comfort. Certainly in every church professing God there is some of this higher truth. That is the doctrine of the Latter-day Saints.

  The gospel is operated on earth under the authority of the Lord. He placed man on earth and gave him the gospel. He has watched over the children of men throughout the ages of time and has reestablished His Church from time to time as the apostasy of man made it necessary. To the care of the Church the gospel has been committed, together with the Lord's authority, called the Priesthood. Only the Church possessing this authority is the complete Church of Christ, and there can be but one. All others lack the necessary authority and are therefore incomplete.

  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posesses the full truth relative to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one divine plan of salvation, and also the authority to officiate in God's name in the upbuilding of the Church of Christ. There is but one gospel; there can be but one Priesthood; there is but one Church which encompasses the whole truth of the gospel, and into which all truth may find its place. In that sense the Church claims to possess the full fundamental truth, call it monopoly if you choose, necessary for full salvation in the celestial kingdom of God. This the Church does humbly and gratefully, keenly sensible of its high commission and vast responsibility, to lead all mankind into a fulness of the knowledge leading to eternal progression in the presence of the Lord.

 5. CAN THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD BE EMPLOYED IN RELIGION?

  Civilization and enlightenment have come when men, using the experimental method, have begun to test the correctness of their beliefs. The highway to truth is paved with such rigid tests.

  On the contrary, the black cloud of superstition and confusion, twin enemies of progress, has obscured human vision when untested opinions or unverified claims or personal guesses have ruled human actions, or when assumed authority has claimed precedence over patient inquiry. The blind acceptance of unsupported statements, or placing theories upon a pedestal for human worship, has always been a source of sorrow.

  Whenever men have set up devices or experiments to test the validity of their opinions, whenever men have demanded proofs of the verity of offered teachings, the world has moved forward. To test current beliefs, Galileo dropped stones of unequal weights from a height; Lavoisier weighed mercury before and after heating; Pasteur filtered air through tufts of cotton; Lister washed wounds with a solution of carbolic acid—and each destroyed a false belief and revealed a new truth: stones of all sizes fall through the air with equal velocity; mercury becomes heavier when heated in air; microscopic living things, in the air, are often capable of injury to man; in wounds are germs which if not destroyed may delay healing. Out of each of these experiments a vast volume of truth has grown. Our civilization rests upon innumerable such experiments.

  The same principle appears in the field of living things, from animals to men. The complex relationships of social living must be tested for their value, if the path of safety is to be found. Though experimentation in this field is somewhat more difficult because of the human will (the power to accept or reject) yet, for example, the desirability of organization, cooperation, and democracy, and the ill effects of autocracy, tyranny, and dictatorships, have been demonstrated by actual trial.

  Spiritual principles that affect human life, are likewise subject to experiment. Prayer, attendance at Church meetings, the Word of Wisdom, tithing are but remote beliefs until put into practice and thus tested for their value. Intelligent man cannot pass worth-while opinion on these and other principles until he has tried them himself or observed their effects on others.

  Authority, itself, must bow before the experimental method. The reality of authority is best established by the efficacy of that which it declares and commands. Authority which is not willing to submit to such a test may well be questioned. There are today innumerable fantastic cults, leading thousands astray, which have no foundation beyond the unsupported claims of their originators.

  This does not mean that the experimental method is the only approach to truth, but that it is one of the most important. Nor does it mean that every man must get drunk to learn the evils of alcohol. Human experience is filled with the sad examples of those who have toyed with evil and have been destroyed by it. We can learn from the experience of others, as from our own, as to that which is good or evil.

  We can also learn from those wiser than we are. But in accepting guidance from them we must be certain of their wisdom.

  The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ advises men to test its truths in human life. It approves distinctly of the experimental method. The Savior laid down the principle in a luminous statement: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:16, 17) On another occasion He repeated the thought: "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works." (John 10:37, 38) The words of the Apostle Paul, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:21), are of the same import. There is constant advice in the scriptures to let the effects of gospel living be evidence of its truth, as for example: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16); or "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." (I Peter 2:12)

  Joseph Smith, the Prophet, recognized this method of testing truth. He read the words of James, "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" (James 1:5); and, believing in God, he went into the grove to test the reality of the promise there made. Thus came the great First Vision.

  Running through the scriptures is the doctrine that truth as well as untruth may be recognized by its effects, and the counsel is given to test the claims of the gospel by rendering obedience to its principles of action. Obedience itself becomes but a call to do certain things so that certain rewards may be received. Obedience may therefore be counted as a phase of the experimental method.

  All should test their religious beliefs. But all such testing must be done in the right spirit and by the right method. Every testing must be a sincere and honest search for truth. The truth or the goodness, not the untruth or the evil, of a system must be sought; then untruth or evil, if it exists, is automatically discovered. There must be no bending of means or methods to bolster up prejudice. An honest seeker after truth must accept truth unhesitatingly when found, and yield full surrender to it. The truth-seeker must be single-minded—for truth. Errors must be thrown out, however appealing they may be to man-made appetites.

  The experimental method is applicable and should be used in the field of religion as in every other field of human activity. Only then can a full conviction of its truth be won. "Practicing our religion" is the most direct method of gaining a "testimony of its truth," and that should be the constant concern of every Latter-day Saint.

 6. CAN FAITH BE BUILT ON THEORIES?

  There is danger in confusing facts and theories. Let it not be held, however, that theories are in themselves objectionable. They play an important part in human progress. They are man's best inferential explanations of existing facts. The history of theories is largely the history of the world of thought. They have been steppingstones to the discovery of truth. Only when theories have been held aloft as unchanging facts or guides to life, have they become dangerous in the search for truth.

  New facts of observation as discovered either confirm or disprove a theory. When increasing knowledge confirms a theory, that theory approaches the status of an unchanging fact of nature; if such knowledge weakens the theory, the inference must be modified or abandoned. Most theories are forever changing as new truth appears. That is the main reason why one cannot build firmly and finally on a theory, and feel assured that he is on the safe road to truth.

  Claudius Ptolemy, an Egyptian astronomer, living about one hundred fifty years after Christ, inferred from the daily movement of the sun from east to west, that the earth was the center of the solar system. This theory ruled for many centuries until an accumulation of observations threw doubt on its correctness. At last, Copernicus, born 1473 A. D., from existing facts concluded that day and night result from the earth's rotation upon its axis. The theory of Ptolemy fell with a crash. The telescope was invented; more observations were recorded. All heavenly bodies were found to be in motion and rotation. Mighty men appeared: Bruno, Galileo, Kepler, and many others. Our new theories of the solar system are supported by all available knowledge. Yet we are ready to change or modify them as new knowledge appears.

  The best thinkers among the Greeks believed that fire was an element, the ultimate principle of the universe. In the seventh century after Christ, a careful investigator, Stahl, set up the theory that an inflammable principle, largely immaterial, devoid of weight, escapes from a burning substance. This he called phlogiston. Every combustible body contains, therefore, more or less phlogiston. This theory was accepted by the scientific world only to be overthrown within a hundred years. Lavoisier, called the father of chemistry, showed by a simple experiment that fire is but the energy released where combustible substances combine with the element oxygen.

  Modern theories of the structure and origin of the earth, of the structure of matter, of heat, light, disease, population, the mind and man, are but heirs of earlier, mistaken inferences. The history of theories forms one of the most engaging chapters of human progress. No fault is found with those who propose theories, provided they base their theories on existing facts, and treat them as theories and not as facts.

  The history of the theory of evolution is an excellent answer to the question at the head of this writing. The theory of evolution, a storm center of thought for many years, has been modified until it is vastly different from its original form. Leaving aside the doctrine that all life has a common beginning (see also pages 150-158), the basic idea in Darwinism was that the many life forms on the earth could be traced back to "natural selection," the "survival of the fittest" in the struggle for existence. Students of life in every department seized avidly upon this explanation of conditions among men and lower animals. Thousands of books and pamphlets in the fields of natural, economic, and social sciences have been based on the theory of natural selection.

  During the last generation, however, facts have appeared to cast serious doubt upon the validity of the doctrine of natural selection. Recently, two books, almost epoch-making, written by men of the highest scientific standing, declare natural selection to be insufficient to explain the variety in nature. Moreover, these two notable investigators have proposed new explanations, inferences from their own work and that of others, to replace the doctrine of natural selection.

  Dr. Richard Goldschmidt, American scientist, declares, among other things, that "species and the higher categories," originate in single steps, independent of natural selection as "completely new genetic systems." That is, they appear by sudden variation, which is mutation. He adds that he believes such independent appearances to be the result of processes which are very simple. "If life phenomena were not based on very simple principles, no organism could exist." Such views would have been heretical two generations ago.

  Dr. J. C. Willis, European scientist, frankly entitles his book The Course of Evolution, "by differentiation or divergent mutation rather than by selection." He concludes that "The process of evolution appears not to be a matter of natural selection or chance variations of adaptational value. Rather, it is working upon some definite law that we do not yet comprehend. The law probably began its operations with the commencement of life, and it is carrying this on according to some definite plan. ... Evolution is no longer a matter of chance, but of law. It has no need of any support from natural selection. ... The theory of natural selection is no longer getting us anywhere, except in politics (the dead hand)." He goes on to argue for the explanation of "the increasing divergencies of characters as one goes up the scale from species to family," by mutation, a law in opposition to natural selection.

  In essence these two eminent experimenters and thinkers are in agreement. Future basic changes in the doctrine of evolution may well be expected.

  Had the proponents as well as the opponents of evolution, as a whole or in part, kept in mind that they were discussing a theory, subject to frequent and fundamental change, the civilized world would have been spared much unseemly behavior.

  Again the warning: Distinguish clearly between facts and the inferences from facts.

  Certainly, it is a mistake to accept theories in building faith in anything, from religion to our everyday life pursuits.

 7. IS IT WRONG TO DOUBT?

  Doubt usually means uncertainty. You doubt the presence of gold in the ore, though there are yellow flakes in it; or that the man is a thief, though stolen goods are found in his possession; or that a principle of the gospel is correctly interpreted by the speaker. What you really mean is that the evidence in your possession is insufficient to convince you that there is gold in the ore, or that the man is a thief, or that the gospel principle has been explained correctly. Doubt arises from lack of evidence.

  Intelligent people cannot long endure such doubt. It must be resolved. Proof must be secured of the presence of gold in the ore, or of the dishonesty of the man, or of the correctness of the doctrinal exposition. Consequently, we set about to remove doubt by gathering information and making tests concerning the subject in question. Doubt, then, becomes converted into inquiry or investigation.

  After proper inquiries, using all the powers at our command, the truth concerning the subject becomes known, or it remains unknown to be unravelled perhaps at some future time. The weight of evidence is on one side or the other. Doubt is removed. Doubt, therefore, can be and should be only a temporary condition. Certainly, a question cannot forever be suspended between heaven and earth; it is either answered or unanswered. As the results of an inquiry appear, doubt must flee.

  In other words, doubt, which ever is or should be a passing condition, must never itself be an end. Doubt as an objective of life is an intellectual and a spiritual offense. A lasting doubt implies an unwillingness on the part of the individual to seek the solution of his problem, or a fear to face the truth. Doubt should vanish as it appears, or as soon as proper inquiry can place it either with the known or the unknown facts of life; with the solvable or the unsolvable; with the knowable or the unknowable.

  The strong man is not afraid to say, "I do not know"; the weak man simpers and answers, "I doubt." Doubt, unless transmuted into inquiry, has no value or worth in the world. Of itself it has never lifted a brick, driven a nail, or turned a furrow. To take pride in being a doubter, without earnestly seeking to remove the doubt, is to reveal shallowness of thought and purpose.

  Perhaps you are questioning the correctness of a gospel principle. Call it doubt if you prefer. Proceed to take it out of the region of doubt by examination and practice. Soon it will be understood, or left with the many things not yet within the reach of man. But remember: failure to understand one principle does not vitiate other principles. When proved false, one doctrine may cast distrust upon other doctrines, but the others must be tested for their own correctness.

  Doubt of the right kind—that is, honest questioning—leads to faith. Such doubt impels men to inquiry which always opens the door to truth. The scientist in his laboratory, the explorer in distant parts, the prayerful man upon his knees—these and all inquirers like them find truth. They learn that some things are known, others are not. They cease to doubt. They settle down with the knowledge they possess to make the forces of nature do their bidding, knowing well that they will be victorious; and that more knowledge will come to them, if sought, to yield new power.

  On the other hand, the stagnant doubter, one content with himself, unwilling to make the effort, to pay the price of discovery, inevitably reaches unbelief and miry darkness. His doubts grow like poisonous mushrooms in the dim shadows of his mental and spiritual chambers. At last, blind like the mole in his burrow, he usually substitutes ridicule for reason, and indolence for labor. The simplest truth is worth the sum of all such doubts. He joins the unhappy army of doubters who, weakened by their doubts, have at all periods of human history allowed others, men of faith, to move the world into increasing light.

  Faith is practically the opposite of doubt. Faith rests securely upon "evidences" and "assurances." Note the definition by the Apostle Paul: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith knows, and goes forth courageously to use knowledge in the affairs of men. It declares itself the master of things; it lays mountains low; it lifts valleys; it promotes the welfare of man.

  Joseph Smith is an excellent example of proper doubt. The ministers of his day were contending for the membership of the boy. He went to God for help; received it; and doubt disappeared. From that day on, doubt did not reappear. His doubt was lost in the desired knowledge he gained from proper inquiry. So may every man do.

  The unknown universe, material, mental, spiritual, is greater than the known. If we seek, we shall forever add knowledge to knowledge. That which seems dark today, will be crystal clear tomorrow. Eternal progress means the unending elucidation of things not known or understood today.

  No! Doubt is not wrong unless it becomes an end of life. It rises to high dignity when it becomes an active search for, and practice of, truth.

  Doubt which immediately leads to honest inquiry, and thereby removes itself, is wholesome. But that doubt which feeds and grows upon itself, and, with stubborn indolence, breeds more doubt, is evil.

 8. DOES HIGHER EDUCATION TEND TO DIMINISH FAITH IN THE GOSPEL?

  Higher education usually means education beyond high school. Since the main purpose of education, lower or higher, is the same, the above question should probably read. "Does education tend to diminish faith in the gospel?"

  Really, the constant advocacy by the Church, over a hundred years, of study and learning should be a sufficient answer to this question. Schools and universities mark the course of Mormon history. Today the largest single expenditure of the Church is for education. Mormon students are found everywhere in collegiate institutions. In proportion to its membership, no group of like size in the world has higher literacy or more graduates of colleges and universities. The Church has ever been mindful of the doctrine that "The glory of God is intelligence" (D. & C. 93:36); and its great objective is to become increasingly like God.

  If education had been found to destroy faith, such support would not have been given it.

  The true objectives of education—to gather knowledge, and to learn how to use it for human welfare—are fully accepted by the Church. Therefore, any decrease of faith among educated men does not depend upon their education, but upon some other coincident factor or factors. For example:

  Faith in the gospel is much like a living organism. To be healthy and vigorous it must be fed. If starved, it sickens, weakens, and may die. Loss of faith may always be traced to neglect, mistreatment, or sin.

  The food of faith is simple but imperative. Knowledge of the gospel must be maintained and increased by regular, continuous study; and this knowledge must be made alive by active obedience to the practices and requirements of the Church. Real intelligence or wisdom, the true purpose of education, is a compound of knowledge and the use of that knowledge for human welfare, according to the plan of salvation.

  Neglect to maintain familiarity with gospel principles through regular study, coupled with neglect to practice gospel precepts in daily life, is a fruitful cause of loss of faith. It is always a pathetic picture to see a man who through long studious years has moved towards an advanced degree in some academic principle—chemistry or biology, English or economics—but who during that time has given only passing attention to his religion—sit in judgment on the gospel. It is an erroneous assumption on his part, unworthy of an educated man, that knowledge of the gospel comes as it were, with breathing, while to secure academic knowledge requires toil and more toil.

  One wonders at the intelligence quotient of the man who does not comprehend that the prayerful man alone can pass upon the virtue of prayer; the Word of Wisdom keeper upon the Word of Wisdom; the tithe payer upon tithing; the regular student of the gospel upon the content and meaning of the gospel, and so on throughout the several gospel requirements. Some so-called educated men make themselves absurd by passing opinions on spiritual matters when they live only material lives. To become an adept in religion—which includes the science of human behavior—requires more study and practice than to become the master of any one of the many groups of knowledge recognized by collegiate institutions. And one cannot depend on previous knowledge. The past fades away with the progress of time. Every person whether in religion or science must keep his knowledge fresh and up-to-date, else he goes "on the shelf."

  The student who, every day, will place his needs before the Lord, who will spend say ten minutes in gospel study, and conform to gospel requirements, will find his faith grows as he increases in secular knowledge. His understanding of the true meaning of all his efforts will become clearer and more comprehensive.

  Excuses for neglect of Church duties are easily found by students of higher education. There may be no Church meetings in the university town; and the Sabbath is spent as any other day. Urgency of work makes prayers irregular. A meagre purse justifies disobedience to the law of sacrifice. These are specious excuses, which, if nurtured, take on the aspects of necessity.

  At least one group of three, the only Church members, in a university town, held regular Sunday meetings, partook of the Sacrament, bore testimony to one another, studied the gospel together, remembered to give of their slender means, and now after many years, rejoice in a robust faith in the gospel, and at the same time have record of distinguished service to their fellow men. Others have done likewise; and others may happily follow their examples.

  Loss of faith may be suffered also by those who adopt habits of their colleagues—students or teachers—contrary to gospel teachings. They who do so have not the courage to maintain their own convictions. They are weak, timid souls, not destined for leadership. They drink, smoke, or carouse with the group with which they associate. A distinguished scholar is a nicotine victim, therefore they imitate him; another sips his cocktails; yet another scoffs at faith. They who imitate such leaders fail to understand that men are often great in some field despite their weaknesses, and they forget that he who battles for the right always wins the esteem of his fellows, be they of one kind or another.

  The diminution of faith that follows the tampering with forbidden things cannot be charged to education.

  Some students, while in pursuit of truth, fall into immoral practices. Unless quick and sincere repentance follows, they are certain to fall into unbelief. The unclean life poisons faith. As a rule, the person who has lost his faith because of sexual impurity, becomes an enemy of spiritual truth, and seek to find occasion against the Church. He displays an evil type of self-justification.

  Here then are four of the factors that have contributed to loss of faith among a small proportion of those who seek or have sought higher education: (1) Starvation of faith through lack of study and practice of gospel principles; (2) imitation of persons who have acquired improper habits of life; (3) immorality; and (4) the failure to understand the real relationship that religion bears to all truth.

  These are among the most important causes of unbelief. The unbelief or gratuitous judgment of the gospel by those who are guilty of one or more of these things is really unworthy of discussion. Let one set his own house in order before he passes judgment upon the abodes of others.

  Behind all these causes lie the desire and the will to retain and develop faith. Without a strong desire for faith, the cause is helpless. There is no personal progress in any activity, scientific or religious, except upon the condition of desire coupled with a determined vigorous will.

  Education, higher or lower, does not diminish faith; but the lives and attitudes of those who seek education do determine the nature and the degree of faith.

 9. WHAT IS A LIBERAL RELIGION?

  The word liberal, correctly used, has a noble meaning. The true liberal hates slavery of every kind. He battles for human freedom. He wants liberty in thought and action. He is tolerant, free from bigotry, and generous in all his deeds. He places truth above all else and hungers for full truth. He welcomes all new improvements and calls for more—the telegraph, electric light, telephone, printing press, typewriter, railroad, airship, radio. He insists that every new invention must be used for human welfare, with full respect to civil and moral law. In short, the liberal seeks to make better the day in which he lives, and he becomes therefore a crusader for the betterment of the human race.

  Such a liberal, to accomplish his purpose, holds fast, without the least concession, to the convictions of his soul. He is anchored to the rock of truth, as he may see it. He never wavers from the basic, underlying principles of the cause, whether of church or state, to which he is committed. All the world knows how and where he stands.

  His liberalism lies in his constant attempt to make the underlying unchanging principles of the cause he represents serve the changing conditions of the day. He may differ with the superficial conventions of the past, but not with its established truths. He may refuse to continue the church architecture of the past but will insist that the ancient truths of the gospel be taught in every building dedicated to worship. He may be forever seeking, under changing conditions, to make the doctrine of human brotherhood more effective in behalf of the needy. He is a believer who seeks to use his beliefs in every concern of his life.

  Unfortunately, the word liberal is not always properly used. It has been used, or misused, for so many purposes that its original meaning has largely vanished. Word-juggling, making a good word cover a doubtful or an ugly cause, is an age-old pastime. Words are too often used as shields to hide or disguise truth. Many men are inclined to hide their true motives behind a word.

  It is folly to speak of a liberal religion, if that religion claims that it rests upon unchanging truth. Neither can one be a liberal in religion except in the application of the underlying doctrine to human needs. It would be as preposterous as speaking of a liberal science, since science rests upon truthful observations of nature. It is only in the use of scientific discoveries that the word liberal may be used. One either accepts or rejects truth. There is no middle course.

  Under the true definition of liberalism, the Church of Jesus Christ is preeminently liberal. First, it makes truth and love of truth its foundation. The whole latter-day work was initiated by Joseph Smith's search for truth. "In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right ...?" Thus came the first great vision of Joseph Smith; and as a consequence of his search for truth came the other revelations, and the enduring light-giving structure of the Church. In his differences with the beliefs of the churches of his day, he did not seek cover under the name of an existing church. Instead he frankly formed another Church and fought out the issue on the basis of his own fundamental doctrine. It is understood that every worthy member of the Church must likewise seek and find truth for himself. Then, the Church insists that its truths must be used for human good. The gospel has value only as it fosters the welfare of those who have accepted it. Further, the Church recognizes that there is constant change on earth but insists that every change must respect and use the basic doctrine of the Church. It declares that men "live and move and have their being" under the law of progress. Change steps upon the heels of change in the unfolding of a progressive universe. The simple eternal truths of existence are combined and combined again, in different ways, but progressively, to serve man on his never-ending journey. It is much as the endless combination of the few numerical digits from simple to increasingly larger numbers. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not need to look elsewhere for a liberal Church.

 10. WHY ARE THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS A PECULIAR PEOPLE?

  In looks, clothes, language, education, business pursuits, and the ordinary social practices, Mormons are like other people. When the term "peculiar" is applied to us, reference is made to our religious beliefs, and our practices based upon those beliefs—matters which are wholly of a personal nature, but in which we differ from other Christian creeds and churches.

  These differences are vital, and cannot be denied. They will make us a peculiar people until the world comes to a unity of faith. We do not flaunt our differences before our friends of other faiths. Neither do we try to hide them. We are proud of them, for they are founded in truth, and truth is our dearest possession. We know, moreover, that if our uniqueness were everywhere followed, peace would again descend upon the earth.

  The peculiarities of the Latter-day Saints fall under five main heads:

  First. The Church claims without reservation that it was founded by direct revelation from God. The Father and the Son through personal appearance to Joseph Smith initiated the work that led to the organization of the Church. By this appearance, God was shown to be in the form of a man who spoke with his own voice to the young Prophet, and instructed him. In an age when most men believe that God is an ethereal essence, bodiless and formless, who long since has ceased to speak to man, this claim of the Church is really its foremost peculiarity. This difference is emphasized in the further claim that heavenly beings, men who had lived on earth, had died, and then had been resurrected, gave Joseph Smith further instruction and guidance in the work he was called to perform. This intimate connection between the seen and the unseen world is in some respects strange to the Christian world, and makes of us a peculiar people.

  Second. A most formidable difference lies in the claim that the Restored Church, patterned precisely after the Primitive Church of Christ, is the one official instrument through which the Lord works out on earth His plan of salvation for the children of men. The mission of the Church of Christ is to establish the kingdom of God on earth. To do this, the necessary power to perform with authority the ordinances of the kingdom is required. This has been given the Church. The Holy Priesthood has been bestowed upon it by the ancient worthies who held it when the Church was undefiled. Since apostacy from the Primitive Church has occurred, and all other Christian churches lack the authority of the Priesthood, all who desire to enter the kingdom of God must come within the confines of the Restored Church of Christ. It is the Lord's authoritative Church. Under such conditions the destiny of the Church is secure. The Lord is always victorious; so will His Church be.

  To those of other faiths, these seem daring claims, but only such a faith gives courage and stability to the members of the Church. In the face of such faith fear of the future vanishes, if we but seek earnestly to carry out the purposes of the Lord.

  Third. The body of doctrine or beliefs of the Church is a distinguishing difference. The Church is the custodian of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the fulness of it. A principle of truth here, another there, characterizes the Christian churches. The true Church is not content unless it possesses the complete truth of the gospel. It claims to possess all the principles of the plan of salvation. Therefore, it accepts principles rejected or ignored by many or all other churches.

  Note some of these beliefs foreign to most modern Christian churches: God is the Father of our spirits. We lived with Him before we came on earth. Under His divine plan these pre-existent spirits have been clothed with bodies on earth. He watches over His earthly children; and when occasion arises He may speak to His children through the Holy Spirit, by messengers, or by His very voice. The Church is guided by the Lord through continuous revelation. The God who spoke to His ancient Church has the power to speak and does speak to His authorized servants today. Such old doctrines are new to the churches of today.

  The doctrine of graded salvation, based upon our works; eternal progression in the hereafter; and salvation for the dead by the vicarious service of the living are as an unknown language to the churches of today. That the body is a sacred house of the spirit which must be kept free from all contamination or that the law of cause and effect is operative in the spiritual world; or that the children of men are literally the children of God and that therefore, mankind forms a real and genuine brotherhood, does not seem to have dawned upon the minds of today's religious thinkers. Yet these and many other truths, belonging to the complete gospel of Jesus Christ, are really age old. But since they have been rejected or forgotten, they make us who accept them seem different. In such a larger and more complete knowledge we rejoice.

  Fourth. Even more peculiar to the thoughtless crowds of the day, is the Mormon insistence that using truth is just as important as knowing truth; that "faith without works is dead." Every act of life should be influenced and directed by the laws of the gospel. The purpose of the plan of salvation should be the purpose, directly or indirectly, of every human undertaking. Life under the gospel can not be placed on one side, and our daily tasks made independent of the gospel on another. The gospel must be lived daily. It must be lived sincerely. Obedience to the Lord's law—whatever it may be—daily, steadily, always—is the true measure of success.

  Certainly, many Christians try to obey the Lord's law, as they understand it. More do not. Hence, drunkenness, immorality, murders, and other acts of darkness characterize an age rich in knowledge.

  In this day, a Church that makes religion a week-day affair is peculiar, indeed.

  Fifth. Most astonishing of all, the most peculiar thing about the Latter-day Saints—so it seems to our weak generation—is that its members have the courage to live up to their beliefs in the face of adverse practices. The Mormon in a social gathering refuses the cocktail with a smile and a "thank you." Among companions who smoke he keeps his mouth and lungs clean and sweet. When others make Sunday a boisterous holiday, he spends part of it attending to his Church duties. Amidst immorality, he keeps himself clean, and goes to his wife as pure as he expects her to be and continues so throughout life. He tries to follow the admonition of the Savior, to be in the world, but not of the world.

  The world marvels at such daring, but admires it. Men who love truth above all else, who are guided in their lives by the principles of truth and who dare to conform to them, despite temptation or scoffing companions, are the truly honored ones in the minds of saints or sinners. They are the ones the world is hoping and praying for to lead humanity into peace and happiness. But such courage makes of us a peculiar people.

  We should indeed be proud to exchange error for truth, to seek urgently for all truth, and to build truth, every day and everywhere into our lives. By that path we shall reach individual and collective happiness and power, and become able to serve our confused and unhappy world. If these be peculiarities, let us thank the Lord for them.

  The Latter-day Saints are a peculiar people. So were the Former-day Saints. Hear the words of Peter, the apostle, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

 II.

 Revelation

 11. WHY CAN NOT THINGS OF GOD BE KNOWN EXCEPT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD?

  The Savior while on earth declared that "It is the spirit that quickeneth" (John 6:63); and in modern times, speaking to Joseph Smith the Prophet, He said, "the Spirit beareth record" (D. & C. 1:39; 59:24); and "the Spirit giveth light to every man." (D. & C. 84:46)

  The Apostle Paul, interpreting life in terms of this doctrine, wrote "the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (I Corinthians 2:11)

  This profound yet almost self-evident truth is the beginning of an understanding of the gospel.

  The radio now found in almost every household illustrates the meaning of this doctrine. Broadcast throughout space are countless messages, music or the spoken word—some good, others bad. We are immersed in these radio waves or radiations or whatever they may be; they beat upon our senses as waves upon the ocean shore. Yet, we are not conscious of them unless our receiving set is tuned to catch them. Then they are converted into sound waves that activate our eardrums. That which eluded our senses, suddenly enters our world of hearing.

  Similarly, the astronomer must have his telescope to scan the depths of space; the biologist, his microscope to perceive the minute things of life; the physicist, his electron-microscope to bring the world of molecules within his range of vision. There would be no progress unless this were done. If the astronomer should attempt to survey the heavens with a microscope, or the biologist set out with a telescope to make the world of small things visible, only confusion or blackness would result.

  This is a universal law. In every department of knowledge the seeker for truth must choose his tools with reference to the field to be explored; and the procedure of his studies must fit the needs of the search. While instruments, aids to the senses, are important, indeed often indispensable, they are of little value unless the senses themselves are in a condition to receive that which the instruments transmit. Eye, ear, and all other sense organs must be normal for dependable observation. Otherwise the observations may be misleading.

  In addition, man himself must also be able not only to receive but also to interpret that which comes through his senses. The mental interpretation is as important as the physical observation. Unless he can do this, his knowledge is but as rain splashing upon a granite dome, when it might fall upon friendly, absorbing soil to germinate seed or to induce plant growth. In every pursuit of knowledge, therefore, the fitness and power of the man to observe and to interpret become of first consequence. The inner meaning of phenomena is revealed only to one competent to receive the truth sought.

  It is so in the pursuit of spiritual truth. There, the seeker deals with living, personal realities; not primarily with the inert, impersonal things and forces of science. The Holy Spirit, which is in touch with every person born into the world, is the communicating agent. In this field, man, a living being, must be the chief instrument of reception as well as the interpreter of the knowledge offered by the Spirit of God. Therefore, the individual must be properly prepared, tuned, if he is to receive and to comprehend spiritual truth. In short, to understand "things of God," a person, who is the receiving apparatus, must qualify himself spiritually.

  Mere knowledge of spiritual truth, information that may be drawn from the encyclopedia, for instance, that there is a God, that prayers may be heard, or that it is wrong to steal, is never really understood unless the person is spiritually prepared. The absence of such preparation explains why many who can glibly recite the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes may violate them with equal ease; or why, though reared in a religious atmosphere, they are irreligious. Such persons believe that spiritual knowledge may be poured into them with no consideration of their fitness and with no effort on their part. That cannot be done in the lower fields of knowledge and less so in the highest, the spiritual field. It would be in opposition to natural law. Such people are out of spiritual focus, and then impressions are blurred, much as a telescope out of focus gives only indistinct and confused images. Or, to use another figure of speech, there is static in their lives which mars the beauty of life's melody. On the contrary, when a person does fit and qualify himself, spiritual messages, waiting to be revealed, come to him. Then, and only then, is spiritual knowledge quickened into living comprehension leading to activity. When there is such correspondence between an individual and the spiritual world, the real joy of life appears. Otherwise, something is missing from our daily desire. We live incompletely.

  What, then, can a person do to qualify himself to receive and to understand things of the spirit, to become an instrument through which spiritual messages may be made intelligible? An answer is given in a glorious latter-day revelation:

  But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, ... Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him. (D. & C. 76:114, 116)

  Speaking to the same subject the ancient American Prophet Moroni gave this well-known guide:

  ... I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4)

  The formula seems simple: Faith, obedience, and prayer. But, as with all good things, it requires personal effort. The seeker after spiritual truth must first have faith in God, that is, in His existence and His relationship to mankind. This is the beginning of all wisdom. Frequently, the difficulty with those who struggle to believe this or that gospel principle, is that they have not yet found full faith in God. Next, love of God must characterize him who would know the things of the spirit. That means surrender of self to the requirements of the Lord. In other words, obedience to law is required, which is the only way to freedom. Knowledge of itself is never sufficient; it must be made alive by obedience, the fruit of love. By obedience to the law of the Lord, we purify ourselves, and become fitted to approach Him and to win His favor. All the while there must be prayer for help to the beloved Being whom we call God, and whom we are ready to obey to secure the knowledge desired. Such prayer must be sincere, of "real intent," otherwise it becomes a useless gesture. "Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you" (D. & C. 19:38) is the promise of the Lord. In short, "living the gospel" fits a man to receive spiritual truth. Only then can he receive and understand things of the spirit. Upon that condition alone does the light of truth enter his life.

  Is it difficult to obey this formula, to qualify oneself spiritually? Nothing is easier or more enjoyable. When there is harmony between the instrument and the pounding message, there is joy in the heart. The world's confusion roots in discord, lack of harmony. To be out of focus or to live in the midst of static is to be in semi-darkness and chaos. To have control of self, to bid the baser appetites depart, is to walk through life in full light and with full power. They who think the path difficult, have not tried it. "Living the gospel" is the true way to the full and free expression of human powers, to the help that the Spirit of God can give.

  It may be added that all who yield such obedience to God's law undergo a real transformation, by the Holy Ghost, which enables them more and more, to receive and understand spiritual messages. Unless that transformation is accomplished, a person is opaque to spiritual truth, and the "things of God" are beyond his understanding.

  Great is the effect of such spiritual communication. Human experience as well as the divinely inspired word makes clear the overflowing blessings that follow possession of the "things of God." It transforms life. It makes the weak strong, the strong mightier. Every field of activity is illuminated by spiritual truth. The individual becomes filled with light as the incandescent lamp when the electric current passes through it. Moroni left for all truth seekers this world-sweeping message: "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:5). Scientist and philosopher; farmer and tradesman; rich and poor; all will be aided in their life pursuits if they have contact with the inexhaustible intelligence of the spiritual realm. The wealth of eternity will be theirs. They who do not seek to make themselves receivers of spiritual messages, but thrash about for such truth as their unaided powers may reveal, do not learn the meaning and destiny of life, and fail to win the vision of the glory of the universe in which we live.

 12. WHY DID JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET, NEED THE HELP OF THE URIM AND THUMMIM?

  The Urim and Thummim are mentioned in the Bible in connection with priestly functions. They were to be used in making the will of the Lord clear and comprehensible to the priest. Aaron was instructed to wear the Urim and Thummim "upon his heart," when he went to secure "judgment" from the Lord, and his successors were instructed to use the Urim and Thummim when they asked "counsel" from the Lord. Clearly, the Urim and Thummim were used in official communication with the Lord. Beyond that, little is known of them. (See Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; I Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65.)

  In modern times the Urim and Thummim reappear. The Prophet Joseph Smith records that the angel Moroni said that "there was a book deposited, written on gold plates... also, that there were two stones in silver bows... and these stones fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim... deposited with the plates; 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 book" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 1:12).

  When the actual work of translation began, the Urim and Thummim were found to be indispensable. In various places the statement is made that the translation was made "by means of the Urim and Thummim" (D. & C. 10:1). On one occasion, when the Prophet, through the defection of Martin Harris, lost a part of the manuscript translation, the Urim and Thummim were taken from him, and the power of translation ceased. Upon the return of the sacred instruments, the work was resumed (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 1:23). While the Prophet was undoubtedly required to place himself in the proper spirit and mental attitude before he could use the Urim and Thummim successfully, yet it must also be concluded that the stones were essential to the work of translation.

  Most of the early revelations to Joseph Smith were obtained by the use of the Urim and Thummim. Speaking of those early days the Prophet usually says, "I enquired of the Lord through the Urim and Thummim, and obtained the following" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 1:33, 36, 45, 49, 53). The "stones in silver bows" seemed, therefore, to have possessed the general power of making spiritual manifestations understandable to Joseph Smith.

  The Prophet did not always receive revelations by the aid of the Urim and Thummim. As he grew in spiritual power, he learned to bring his spirit into such harmony with divinity that it became, as it were, a Urim and Thummim to him, and God's will was revealed without the intervention of external aids. This method is clearly, though briefly, expressed in one of the early revelations.

  Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

  But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

  But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given from me. (D. & C. 9:7-9)

  Similarly, the Book of Mormon sets forth the conditions which enable a person to receive divine communications without special outside means.

  And when you shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4, 5)

  That is, truth may become known when one places himself in harmony or in tune with the requirements of the subject in hand.

  The possession of the Urim and Thummim, with their purpose and use, really becomes a strong evidence of the truth of Joseph Smith's message. It is a commonplace of science that the senses of man are so poor as to make them inadequate to discover more than a small fraction of universal truth. Indeed, with unaided senses, man stands helpless before the many phenomena of nature. It is an equally elementary fact that aids of the senses of man, when found, open up large and new vistas of knowledge. Every aid to human sense becomes, in fact, a door to a new field of scientific exploration.

  The history of science is largely the story of the accumulation of aids to man's senses. By the use of a glass prism, ordinary sunlight is broken into the many prismatic colors; a sensitive thermometer reveals heat rays above the red end of the spectrum; a photographic plate reveals the existence of different rays at the violet end of the spectrum; uranium glass changes the invisible rays at the violet end of the spectrum into light rays; a magnetic needle makes known the presence of a low tension electric current in a wire; the magnetic currents over the earth are indicated by the compass; by X-rays the bones of the body are made visible; a great telescope is now being built which will enable the human eye to see light, of the intensity of a small candle, forty thousand miles away. Such examples might be greatly multiplied.

  Joseph Smith was but a humble, inexperienced lad. He was assigned a tremendous task. His need of help such as the Urim and Thummim, until by mighty prayer and effort his body and spirit became spiritually "tuned," seems both logical and scientific.

  It should be noted also that the Prophet does not enter into any argument to prove the necessity of the use of the Urim and Thummim. His simple mention of them argues strongly for his veracity. An impostor would probably have attempted an explanation of the "seer stones."

  The Urim and Thummim were aids to Joseph's spiritual senses. How they operated is not known. For that matter, the methods of operation of most of the aids to man's physical senses are not understood. Joseph's claim to the need of such aids becomes an evidence for the truth of his life's labor.

 13. TO WHAT EXTENT MAY PROPHECY BE INTERPRETED?

  Prophecy, in the sense of the above question, is the foretelling, through divine inspiration, of coming events. Such prophecies have characterized the work of the Lord in all ages. They have been means of comforting, guiding, and warning the children of men. The Church holds fast to faith in the spirit of prophecy as a gift of the Lord.

  There appear to be several types of prophecies:

  First, there are prophecies which in reality are statements of cause and effect. If certain things are done, certain results will flow therefrom. For example, "he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received" (D. & C. 1:33); "where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold there will I be in the midst of them" (D. & C. 6:32). Holy Writ is filled with such prophecies. They need no interpretation. Their fulfillment is part of the general experience of the Church.

  Second, there are occasions when the prophet, looking into the future, is able to localize coming events definitely as to time, place, or person. Such particular prophecies are fairly plentiful in sacred history. The most famous, in modern days, concerns the American Civil War. "Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina,... For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain,... to defend themselves" (D. & C. 87:1, 3). Here the coming event is linked definitely with place and country. This kind of prophecy has no need of interpretation; we wait only for its fulfillment, which is the evidence of its divine source. (See also, I Kings 13:2, 21-22, 24-30; 14:5-17; 16:34; 20:13-30; 20:35, 36. II Kings 2:3-11; 7:2, 19, 20; 9:10, 33-37; 13:16-25; 14:25-28; 19:6, 7, 20-37; 20:17, 18; and many others.)

  Third, a prophet, looking down the stream of time, sees with spiritual eyes the panorama of future history. Such prophecies are general, in that they do not specifiy times, localize places, though they occasionally name individuals. This is the most common entrance of prophecy into the future. It began with Adam who "stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation" (D. & C. 107:56). The prophecy of Enoch, the Patriarch, is an excellent illustration of this type of prophecy. In answer to his request, Enoch was shown the future of mankind, generation upon generation, down to the coming of Christ, and beyond to the last days. No time or place limits are set. We may only recognize the periods by the events as they occur (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:20-67). Likewise, the Prophet Joseph Smith was given visions of the last days and the events that will characterize them, but fixed time or places were seldom given (D. & C. 5:19; 29:14, 16, 18, 19, 20; 34:9; 43:22, 26, 33; 45:31, 40-42; 49:25; 63:34; 84:118; 88:87, 89, 90, 91, 97; 112:25).

  The full recognition of the fulfilment of such prophecies comes as time proceeds and the predicted events appear, unless the interpretation is given earlier by divine revelation. Sometimes foretold events actually occur without being recognized by mankind. As an illustration, when Moroni first appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he "quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy" (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith, 2:36), and announced that the events there set forth were about to be consummated.

  Human curiosity is intrigued by whatever seems mysterious. Therefore, much effort has been expended to reduce such general prophecies to exact dates, times, and persons, This has been a waste of time and energy, as prophecy uttered under divine inspiration usually contains all that the divine will desires to reveal. It behooves those to whom the prophecy is made to prepare for coming events, to watch for them, and to recognize them when they do appear. If more is needed, the power that gave the prophecy will no doubt furnish the interpretation.

  For example, modern revelation declares that these are the last days. This period of the earth's history may be recognized by several signs: The fulness of the gospel will be restored and preached to all the world (D. & C. 39:11; 1:23); work will be done for the spirits of the dead (D. & C. 76:73; 124:29-36; also Sections 127 and 128); mighty, natural events will take place, from the darkened sun to tremendous earthquakes, and the whole earth will be in commotion and many will be destroyed because of wars, pestilence, and fear. (D. & C., Sections 29, 45, 49, 84, 87, 88) These are also signs of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. (D. & C. 45:39) All who fear the Lord will anxiously look for these signs as they appear. (D. & C. 45:39) Yet, despite these signs, none shall know the exact time of His coming:

  And they have done unto the Son of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the right hand of his glory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies under his feet, which time is nigh at hand—

  I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes. (D. & C. 49:6, 7)

  The Prophet Joseph Smith at one time prayed very earnestly to know the time of the coming of Christ. He was told that if he lived until he was eighty-five years old he should see the face of Jesus, but he was unable to determine from this whether or not it referred to the final coming of the Son of Man, or whether he should see the Savior in the flesh. (D. & C. 130:14-17)

  In view of such information, attempts to fix the exact date of the coming of Christ are futile, useless, and contrary to the ways of truth. Those who try it are impelled by a spirit not of God.

  The futility of reducing general prophecy to exact times or places is well illustrated by the famous visions of Daniel. It is conceded that the stone that broke the image to pieces is the Kingdom of God; but there has been and is interminable debate as to the historical kingdoms and meaning represented by the gold, silver, iron, and clay portions of the image; the horns of the beasts; the thousand, three hundred and five and thirty days; and the several other statements of Daniel. (See the Book of Daniel). Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books have been published and tens of thousands of sermons have been preached in the attempt to interpret Daniel's prophecies. It has been a fruitless effort, at best a doubtful conjecture. There remains only the general meaning of these glorious visions: that righteousness will triumph in its battle with evil.

  The present disturbed condition of the world has impelled many to look for prophecies relating to the last days. Several such compilations have been published. Quotations are made from leaders of the present, as of past dispensations. Carefully read, these statements add nothing to the prophecies recorded in our sacred books. The attempts to make them specific, such as to predict any country's downfall, or to identify certain present-day leaders with prophetic personages, are unjustified and misleading.

  Even more dangerous is the attempt to connect some isolated Bible passage with an historical event or structure. The statement by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:20) that the Lord "has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day," has been made to refer to the great pyramid of Gizeh, near Cairo, Egypt. As a result, the pyramid has been measured innumerable times, inside and out; the steps in the passages have been counted; angles calculated and every item thus secured has been correlated with some year or event in the world's history. Thousands of volumes on the subject have been written, with as many varying conclusions. A different starting point in measurement, or an inch more or less in the measure, sets up an entirely new series of conclusions. The great pyramid is an interesting structure. It may have been built with some symbolism in mind. But, there is no good reason as yet to tie it into divine prophecy. Such time-wasting pursuits, leading nowhere, should be avoided.

  In conclusion: Prophecy may be interpreted only to the extent that it implies within its own statements that it shall be interpreted. If a prophecy is indefinite with respect to certain things, it is probably so intended. It is always wise to read and practice that which is clear and understandable, and to leave the dim and mysterious until further prophetic revelation is received. Occultism, and all manner of darkness, which too often lead to self-deception, are unacceptable to Latter-day Saints. We concern ourselves only with that which is clear and understandable. We know that with the progress of time, increasing light will come, as we may have need.

  Moreover, we know that we should not waste our valuable time and energies on remote and doubtful matters, but rather direct our efforts towards the study and practice of the clearly stated principles of conduct embodied in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the direct method of obtaining light and truth, the goal of every Latter-day Saint.

 14. WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH PERSONAL SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS?

  The doctrine that the Lord may and does reveal His will to men on earth is a cornerstone of the faith of the Latter-day Saints. The restoration of the gospel in these latter days was initiated by the direct appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith. Since that time every forward step of the Church has been the result of a revelation of the Lord's will by direct appearance of Himself or of other heavenly messengers or by equally direct inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord. The Church has ever been and is now led by revelation—authoritative guidance from divine sources.

  It is a cornerstone of equal importance, that every member of the Church may and should obtain a personal testimony of the truth of the latter-day work. He must not rest his final convictions upon the testimony of others. The humblest member of the Church, if he seeks properly, may know with full assurance that the gospel is true. None need know it better than he. However, to secure such firm knowledge he must receive assurance of it from the Author of truth; that is, he must be guided by the spirit of revelation. The conclusion is clear: Every member of the Church of Christ may be guided by inspiration from the Lord in the affairs of his own life.

  This doctrine is beautifully set forth in several of the foundation revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

  For example:

  And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. (D. & C. 84:46)

  On another occasion the Lord said to the Church:

  But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart. ... seek ye earnestly the best gifts, ... and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church. ... To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby. ... He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done, even as he asketh. (D. & C. 46:7, 8, 10, 12, 30)

  Apparently every person has a gift, according to his needs or the service he may render.

  Revelations are given for a two-fold purpose: to furnish guidance for the Church, and to give comfort to the individual.

  Revelations for the guidance of the Church are given to officers of the Church, but only within the limits of their official jurisdiction. Thus, lay members of the Church cannot and do not receive revelations for the guidance of any Church organizations, but only for themselves. The bishop has a claim upon divine inspiration for the direction of ward affairs, but no further. The spirit of revelation directs the stake president in his official stake duties, but no further. The President of the Church alone, who may officiate in all of the offices of the Church, receives revelations for the Church as a whole, to which stake presidents, ward bishops, and all other officers of the Church are amenable. This preserves a full and logical order within all Church activities.

  True revelations come from the Lord. The evil one, ever vigilant in his work of destruction, tries to simulate with an evil purpose every gift of God. Therefore, he presents false doctrines of man-made commandments through the suggestions of evil spirits or evil-minded men. To protect the Saints, and to maintain truth within the Church, the power of discerning between truth and error is given to the officers of the Church. The bishop for his ward, the stake president for his stake, and the President of the Church for the whole Church have this gift of discernment given them. Note the clear, beautiful words of the Lord upon this subject:

  And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts lest there shall be any among you professing and yet be not of God....

  That unto some it may be given to have all those gifts, that there may be a head, in order that every member may be profited thereby. (D. & C. 46:27, 29)

  By this power and in this order, evil inspirations within the Church are recognized and rejected.

  Divine manifestations for individual comfort may be received by every worthy member of the Church. In that respect all faithful members of the Church are equal. Such manifestations most commonly guide the recipients to the solution of personal problems; though, frequently, they also open the mind to a clearer comprehension of the Lord's vast plan of salvation. They are cherished possessions, and should be so valued by those who receive them. In their very nature, they are sacred and should be so treated. If a person who has received such a manifestation by dream, vision, or otherwise, feels impressed to relate it beyond his immediate family circle, he should present it to his bishop, but not beyond. The bishop, then, may decide upon its further use, if any, or may submit it to those of higher authority for action. The gift was a personal one, not for the Church as a whole; and the recipient is under obligation, in harmony with the established order, not to broadcast it over the Church.

  It is unwisdom, therefore, for those who have received such manifestations to send copies to others, to relate them by word of mouth in diverse places, and otherwise to scatter abroad a personal, sacred experience. There are times and places where testimony may be borne of our knowledge that the restored gospel is of the Lord, and of the goodness of the Lord to us, and when we may present evidence of our faith. It would be well to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ, while on earth, usually instructed those whom He had healed or otherwise blessed, that they should not tell others of the occurrence. Some things are done for the public good, others for private welfare.

  It should also be kept in mind that a message is carried by every spiritual experience. Revelation always has a purpose related to man's eternal progress. The message should always be of more importance to the recipient than the substance or vehicle of the manifestation. Our spiritual experiences, if sound, point the way to our own salvation. Life's efforts should be directed towards the treading of that way to the satisfaction of the Giver of all gifts, from whom the spirit of revelation issues.

 15. DOES THE CHURCH RECEIVE REVELATIONS TODAY AS IN THE DAYS OF JOSEPH SMITH?

  The answer to this question is a simple, Yes. The Church of Jesus Christ is guided by continuous revelation. The Lord speaks to His Church now as in the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or in ages past, whenever the Church has been upon the earth.

  The question merits, however, a fuller answer.

  There are at least three classes of revelations:

  First, there are revelations dealing with the organization and basic doctrine of the Church. Such revelations form the foundation of the Church, upon which is built the superstructure of teaching and practice throughout the years. These revelations are necessary at the beginning of a dispensation, so that the Church may be properly organized and sent upon its way to bless mankind. In this age, these indispensable revelations were given to Joseph Smith who was commissioned to effect the organization of the restored Church. As given to the Prophet, they suffice for the salvation of man in this dispensation. Other such fundamental revelations dealing with organization and doctrine may, at the pleasure of the Lord, be given, for there is a universe of truth not yet known to us, but it will in no way change or abrogate the principles set forth in existing revelations.

  Second, there are revelations dealing with the problems of the day. Though the essential doctrine, forming the foundation, framework, and structure of the gospel, has been revealed, the Church, directed by mortal men, needs divine guidance in the solution of current questions. Many of the revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith were of this character. There were missions to organize, cities to be built, men to be called into office, temples, meetinghouses, and homes to be constructed. The Prophet presented his problems to the Lord, and with the revealed answer was able to accomplish properly the work before him. It is comforting to know that our Heavenly Father helps in the minor as in the major affairs of life. The revelations directing the building of certain houses in the early days of the Church, are, for example, among the cherished words of God, for they throw a flood of light upon the precious, intimate relationships that may be established between God and man.

  Such revelations, directing the Church in the affairs of the day, have been received continuously by the Church, through the President of the Church. One needs only review the history of the Saints to assure himself that such revelations have constantly been vouchsafed the Church. Perhaps more of this type of revelation has been received since, than during the time of the Prophet. Because they are not printed in books as revelations does not diminish their verity.

  Third, every faithful member of the Church may be granted revelation for his daily guidance. In fact, the members of the Church can testify that they in truth have and do receive such daily guidance. The testimony of the truth of the gospel, the precious possession of hundreds of thousands, has come through the spirit of revelation. By desire, study, practice, and prayer, one must approach the testimony of the truth, but it is obtained finally only under the spirit of revelation. It is by this power that the eyes of men are opened to understand the principles and the truth of the gospel. Without that spirit, truth cannot be comprehended.

  We may go further. Every person born into the earth has claim upon the assistance of the Spirit of God. That is a species of revelation. Consequently, all good achievements of man, in science, literature, or art, are the product of revelation. The knowledge and wisdom of earth have so come.

  It must be remembered that revelations usually come as needed, no faster. The Prophet Joseph Smith made this clear: "We cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know, unless we comply with or keep those we already have received." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 256) The question then should not be, "Do we receive revelations now as in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith?" but rather, "Do we keep so fully the revelations already given us that we have the right to expect more?"

  Another important principle of revelation in the organized Church of Christ is the limitation placed upon those who secure revelations. Every member of the Church may seek and receive revelation, but only for himself and those for whom he is responsible. Every officer of the Church is entitled to revelation to help him in the field into which he has been called, but not beyond. The bishop can claim no revelation except for his ward duties, the stake president for his stake duties only; the President of the Church is the only person who can receive revelations for the guidance of the Church as a whole. These limitations, coming from the Lord, protect the orderliness of the Kingdom of God on earth.

 16. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS?

  In the history of the Prophet Joseph Smith the following occurs:

  An evangelist is a patriarch, even the oldest man of the blood of Joseph or of the seed of Abraham. Wherever the Church of Christ is established on the earth, there should be a patriarch for the benefit of the posterity of the Saints, as it was with Jacob in giving his patriarchal blessing unto his sons, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151)

  Every father, having children born to him under the covenant, is to them as a patriarch, and he has the right to bless his posterity in the authority of the Priesthood which he holds. The patriarchs of old commonly blessed their children, as, for example, Isaac (Genesis, chapter 27), Jacob (Genesis, chapter 49), Lehi (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi, chapters 2, 3, 4), and John Taylor (Times and Seasons, Vol. 6: 921, 922).

  There are many members of the Church whose fathers or nearest male relatives are not in the Church, or unfitted or unwilling to bless their children. For them special provision must be made. Moreover, the Church is a family, composed of many families. The ordained patriarchs speak also for the larger Church family. They act therefore both in behalf of the fathers of families and of the patriarchal head of the Church.

  So important are these official patriarchal blessings that they should always be reduced to writing and preserved. Every blessing is entered upon the record of the patriarch, and ultimately deposited with the Church historian. The person blessed receives a copy of the blessing for his use and comfort.

  Patriarchs are specially called and ordained to the work. Their authority is derived from the president of the Church, in whom the ultimate power of giving such blessings on earth is vested. Their jurisdiction is limited. With the exception of the patriarch to the Church, each is appointed to serve in a limited geographical area, usually a stake of Zion.

  All Church members may claim the patriarchal blessings flowing from their membership in the assemblage of families within the Church, which can be pronounced only by men who represent the group as a whole. Therefore, patriarchs, ordained to the office, are made available in all the stakes of Zion, so that all faithful members may receive the blessings to which they are entitled.

  In giving a blessing the patriarch may declare our lineage—that is, that we are of Israel, therefore of the family of Abraham, and of a specific tribe of Jacob. In the great majority of cases, Latter-day Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe to which has been committed the leadership of the Latter-day work. Whether this lineage is of blood or adoption does not matter. (Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 2:10) This is very important, for it is through the lineage of Abraham alone that the mighty blessings of the Lord for His children on earth are to be consummated. (Genesis 12:2, 3; Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 2:11)

  Then, the patriarch, looking into the future, enumerates the blessings and promises, some special, others general, to which the person of the proper lineage, who receives the blessings, is entitled; and through his authority seals them upon him, so that they may be his forever through faithfulness. The obligations resting upon those who receive such promises are often stated. These blessings are parts of the larger promise made by the Lord to Abraham and his seed. They vary somewhat from person to person, for each has his specific assignment or calling in the gospel plan; but in essence they deal with the gifts, responsibilities, powers, and ultimate destiny of those who have received and obeyed the gospel, and thereby have become members of the great family represented by the Church.

  Usually, blessings are added as the spirit may indicate, to meet our special requirements in life, for our comfort, success, and strength. Our special needs may be pointed out; special gifts may be promised us; we may be blessed to overcome our weaknesses, to resist temptation, or to develop our powers, so that we may the more surely achieve the promised blessings. Since all men differ, their blessings may differ; but a patriarchal blessing always confers promises upon us, becomes a warning against failure in life, and a means of guidance in attaining the blessings of the Lord. It may be made of daily help in all the affairs of life.

  These blessings are possibilities predicated upon faithful devotion to the cause of truth. They must be earned. Otherwise they are but empty words. Indeed, they rise to their highest value when used as ideals, specific possibilities, toward which we may strive throughout life. To look upon a patriarch as a fortune-teller is an offense to the Priesthood; the patriarch only indicates the gifts the Lord would give us, if we labor for them. He helps us by pointing out the divine goal which we may enjoy if we pay the price.

  Such a blessing, given in the spirit of a father's love, and sealed upon us in the authority of the Priesthood, becomes a power in our lives; a comfort to our days. It is a message which if read and honored aright, will become an anchor in stormy days, our encouragement in cloudy days. It states our certain destination here and hereafter, if we live by the law; and as life goes on, it strengthens our faith and leads us into truth. (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 226)

  It should always be kept in mind that the realization of the promises made may come in this or the future life. Men have stumbled at times because promised blessings have not occurred in this life. They have failed to remember that, in the gospel, life with all its activities continues forever and that the labors of earth may be continued in heaven. Besides, the Giver of the blessings, the Lord, reserves the right to have them become active in our lives, as suits His divine purpose. We and our blessings are in the hands of the Lord. But, there is the general testimony that when the gospel law has been obeyed, the promised blessings have been realized.

  Those who seek patriarchal blessings should ask for them with faith in the reality of the power of the Priesthood. They should seek them with an earnest, prayerful desire to become, through the blessings, more completely happy in their lives, and more perfectly serviceable in the work of the Lord. And they should, of course, be qualified to receive their blessings by conformity in their lives to the requirements of the gospel. The unclean or disobedient person should cleanse himself, and learn obedience before going to the patriarch. Only under such conditions can a person expect to learn of the will of the Lord.

  The patriarchal blessing should be read and reread. It should be made useful in life. This should be done with faith in spiritual blessings.

  It is a gift of the Lord. The purpose of asking for the blessing must be remembered. It must be read with intelligent consideration of its meaning. Attention should be fixed upon the one great meaning of the blessing rather than upon particular statements. There must be no quibbling about the time or place when the promises should be fulfilled or about the man who gave it. As the blessing was given through the inspiration of the Lord, so its meaning will be made clear by the same power; and its fulfilment will be in His hands. Above all, it must ever be remembered that every blessing is conditioned upon our faithfulness. Let us examine our lives from time to time to learn whether we are so living as to be worthy of the blessings promised. It is certain that our patriarchal blessing, if we give it proper respect, may be a source of divine help in life's journey.

  It may be added that the sacred patriarchal blessings are personal in their nature. They should not be talked about or shown about; they should be read frequently and pondered upon for our personal good. It is for that reason that each person receives a copy of his blessing.

  Necessarily, since patriarchs are but men, they are subject to human frailties. Their manner of speech and thinking is reflected in their blessings. Different men express the same idea in different words. The Lord does not dictate blessings to them word for word. Likewise, portions of the blessing may be emphasized by the nature or desire of the patriarch. Nevertheless, if the patriarch lives worthily, he is sustained by the power and authority of his calling, and will pronounce blessings intended for us. And we, if we live worthily, will comprehend the blessings and find deep comfort in them.

  A patriarchal blessing is also a constant reminder of the patriarchal form of organization and government, emphasizing the importance of the family, which prevailed in the early days of the world. The father, holding the holy Priesthood, was then the legislator, judge, and governor of his family, each father presiding over his own family; and the oldest, over the group of families of common descent. Thus, every family as it increased became a tribe, kingdom, or nation, under the presidency of the living father of them all. It is the ideal form of government, wherever the Priesthood prevails, and it appears to be the form of organization in the world to come.

  In summary: a patriarchal blessing (1) is for those who are of the chosen people, the family of obedient children, through whom the Lord is working out His earthly purposes; (2) it promises the members of the family certain blessings which are in store for them, on earth and in heaven, which are sealed upon them on conditions of obedience to the law of the Lord; (3) it confers power upon us, if we will use it, to win the fulfilment of these promises, as we journey through life; and (4) special blessings are made available to us to meet our daily needs.

  All Latter-day Saints should seek their blessings under the hands of the patriarch; and should use them in their lives.

 17. HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR GOSPEL RESEMBLANCES IN NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS?

  The great world religions have much in common. Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Mohammedanism hold to some tenets fundamental in Christianity. They all believe in an overruling power, God; in man's immortality in some form; and in a divine plan for the guidance of man to happiness. All of them recognize that growth and progress come through self-effort, by self-control and self-discipline. The brotherhood of man, cooperation, and the golden rule are generally accepted as obligatory upon all men. These doctrines are impressively similar to those of Christianity. (H. M. Woodward, Humanity's Greatest Need)

  There is a like similarity, though not so marked, in the practices or ordinances of the religions of earth. For example, baptism, the initiatory Christian ordinance, is not peculiar to the Christian Church. In some form it is practiced by many non-Christian communities; in fact, the doctrine of entering through water into a new life is very old. Among the Hebrews a practice equivalent to baptism was observed long before the days of Christ. In ancient Egypt, a corresponding rite was in operation from days immemorial. Other gospel practices likewise appear in non-Christian religions.

  Even the substance of the Ten Commandments dates back into far non-Christian antiquity, and among others than the Hebrew people. The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses among the thunderings and lightnings on Mount Sinai. Yet, in other forms their teachings were known by peoples who lived before the days of Moses. The code of Hammurabi, a contemporary of Abraham, contains injunctions for correct living resembling the Ten Commandments. (R. F. Harper, The Code of Hammurabi)

  Such similarities might be multiplied. How may they be explained? It is a fair question.

  In the abundant literature attempting to answer this question, two opposing answers or explanations appear.

  The first, for the moment the fashionable one, sets up the theory of the independent development of such similarities in different lands and among different peoples. That is, religious beliefs and practices have arisen spontaneously and independently in various countries. The founders of the various great world religions developed from the foundation, and independently of other religions, their respective bodies of laws and regulations. The striking similarities that exist, despite independent origin, are explained by a "psychic unity that leads men independently ... to arrive at the same destination." Some supporters of this theory speak of a "convergence" of human ideas towards the same conclusions. In short, the blind or chance operation of some mystic force explains the similarities appearing in the religious systems of the world.

  This explanation is not confined to religious beliefs and practices, but is extended to the general cultural history of mankind. In economic and social fields, in literature, art, mechanics, and crafts, remarkable similarities exist among various peoples the world over. All these, this theory declares, had an independent origin in different lands.

  Similar myths, legends, and folklore exist among all primitive peoples. The theory of "independent development" holds to the belief that from out the shadows of the forest, the presence of death, and other experiences that stir the feelings of man, primitive magic was formed alike in different lands. From this magic came religion, which in time, as people progressed, became science. (James G. Frazer, The Golden Bough; Folk Lore of the Old Testament)

  The second theory to explain the similarities in the religions and other cultures of different peoples holds that there has been a diffusion of religious, cultural ideas from a common source or center. This theory does not deny the possibility of "independent development," but insists that such development can not be proved. It claims that observed facts are much more easily explained on the theory of diffusion.

  In support of this theory are historical evidences of the diffusion of ideas, handicrafts, and arts pretty much over the whole earth. From early times the human race has traveled widely, often by sea. Intercommunication among widely separated countries has long been going on. The wisdom and the skill of man have been passed on from land to land, from individual to individual. The accumulation of facts in favor of the diffusion view is large and most interesting. Its modern founder, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, and his followers, have produced a large and convincing literature dealing with the diffusion theory.

  This theory agrees with the former that there is a gradual development of culture from primitive to more advanced peoples. It also admits that there are occasional difficulties in this as with every other theory. For example, the trilithons of Stonehenge in England, and those of Tongatabu in Oceania, though very similar, seem so far removed in distance as to have no relationship. Yet, the general intercourse of mankind, since early days, does not make it seem impossible that the idea behind these ancient monuments had a common source.

  In the field of religion, it has been well established that there has been a wide diffusion of ideas. Mohammedanism is a good example. From Arabia it has spread over Asia, parts of Europe and Africa, and into many islands of the sea. What has been done in this case, within easy historical times, may have and probably has been done with earlier religious ideas. (Sir G. Elliott Smith, The Diffusion of Culture)

  As a sidelight on this theory, it is interesting to note that the diffusionists are inclined to believe that the center from which our present culture has diffused was Egypt; and that the diffusion began about 4000 years before Christ. (Sir G. Elliott Smith, In the Beginning)

  These two contending and opposite theories—the independent development and the diffusion theories—have followers of equal scholastic standing. As said, the independent development theory has been the fashionable one for some time. But the history of scientific theories is that they rise and fall in popularity from time to time. The diffusion theory may soon be the one in best standing.

  Latter-day Saints agree with both of these theories in part, and differ with them in part.

  Revelation, the communication of man with God, is fundamental in the gospel structure. Every man born into the earth may receive knowledge and guidance through the omnipresent Holy Spirit. Should it be the will of the Lord, there could be no reason why two men, widely separated, and inaccessible one to the other, should not receive through revelation the same truths. To that extent, the doctrine of "independent development" can be accepted by Latter-day Saints.

  Adam taught the gospel to his children and his children's children. Upon those who were worthy he conferred the Holy Priesthood. The gospel with its principles and practices, its Priesthood and powers, was generally known among the people of Adam's long day.

  Satan succeeded in those early days to turn many from righteous lives. These people lived sinfully. Yet, as they departed from association with the people of the Lord, they carried with them the knowledge of the gospel. Such parts of it as seemed to fit their desires they retained, often warped beyond recognition. But, from the days of Adam, gospel truth was diffused among the peoples of the earth.

  The same thing happened after the flood. Noah, a righteous man, ordained to the Priesthood, and knowing the gospel, taught the plan of salvation and the doctrine of the gospel, taught to his day and generation. Some listened and obeyed, more heard the message with unwilling hearts. Self-conquest precedes full acceptance of the gospel. Nevertheless, even precedes full acceptance of the gospel. Nevertheless, even those who refused full obedience, took of the gospel such truths as they desired, and without authority built their religions in imitation of the full truth.

  This explains to Latter-day Saints the many striking similarities among the non-Christian and Christian religions. The early knowledge of the gospel has spread over the earth, as men have so spread, and as inter-communication among nations has continued. The founders of the great world religions, and of less important ones, for that matter, have used to their liking, often in their desire to serve their own people, parts of the truths of the gospel.

  It may be that these founders were led by inspiration to assemble the truths of the gospel for the use of their fellowmen. Even a minor gospel truth is a blessing, and better than none. However, any such system can only be an approach to the covenant people which is the objective of the gospel.

  Sacred history leaves the conviction that in the increasing purpose of the Lord with respect to the human family, such peoples as have not been prepared for the gospel have been given parts of it, as much as they could comprehend. Remember that the Higher Priesthood was taken from Israel in the wilderness because of their unfitness for the higher privilege. This view seems well confirmed by the following passage from the Book of Mormon:

  For behold, the Lord does grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have. (Book of Mormon, Alma 29:8)

  The person who rails at Old Testament accuracy because the substance of the Ten Commandments is found in the code of Hammurabi makes little impression upon Latter-day Saints who understand the spread of the knowledge of truth from Adam and Noah. The truths embodied in the Ten Commandments are part of the gospel as taught to Adam. They were diffused among mankind. They were summarized and restated by the Lord to Moses and preserved in that form for the benefit of Israel and all the world. Much foolish Bible fault-finding disappears in the light of modern revelation.

  Such then is the answer to the query at the head of this chapter.

 18. WAS THE "MANIFESTO" BASED ON REVELATION?

  The October, 1890, General Conference of the Church was history-making. On Monday, October 6, 1890, Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church, presented for the action of the people an "Official Declaration" discontinuing the practice of plural marriage. Upon the motion of Lorenzo Snow, then the president of the Twelve Apostles, and by vote of the conference, the official declaration "concerning plural marriage" became "authoritative and binding" and therefore the law and order of the Church. This official declaration has since been known, in common speech, as the "Manifesto."

  The practice of plural marriage had subjected the Church, from the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, to continuous opposition and severe persecution. Nevertheless, the Saints—only about two percent of whom had practiced plural marriage, as reported by the Utah Commission—continued to teach and defend the principle which had come to them through revelation. At length, acts of the Congress of the United States (1862, 1882, and 1887) made plural marriage an unlawful and punishable offense. The Church, believing these laws to be unconstitutional because they abrogated the right of religious freedom, sought protection from the courts of the land. During this period furious persecution followed those who had entered into this order of marriage. Under a rigorous enforcement of the laws in question, many were fined and given penitentiary sentences, the property of the Church was confiscated, and the cessation of many of the activities of the Church was threatened. At length, in May, 1890, the Supreme Court of the land, with three members dissenting, ruled that the acts prohibiting plural marriage and confiscating Church property were constitutional.

  Now the Lord had expressly declared that His people should be obedient to any constitutional government under which they might live. (D. & C. 98:5, 6) Further, the revelations of the Lord declare that if such a government should prevent the practice of any command given to the Church, the people and the Church would be held guiltless.

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings. (D. & C. 124:49)

  After the Supreme Court had spoken, there was no further opportunity for appeal. All lawful means had been used. The action proposed by President Woodruff was therefore wholly in keeping with authoritative Church procedure.

  Nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that this Church, founded by revelation, is ever guided by revelation. It may be held with certainty that when the President of the Church presents a momentous matter, such as the "Manifesto," to the people it is by the spirit of revelation from God. It is not the product of man's thinking or desire. It must also be remembered that the power which has the right to command, also has the right and power to revoke. T