An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation Part 10

As before stated, these sacrifices which were offered up from the days of Adam until the time of our Savior's advent, were typical of the great expiatory sacrifice which He was to make by the sacrifice of Himself. They were so many types, shadows and forms of which He was the great prototype--the substance, the reality prefigured and foreshadowed by the other sacrifices which had been offered up from the beginning.

When the law was given by Moses, all the forms pertaining to the sacrificial ceremonies were revealed in detail, and the instructions in relation thereto were not simply of a general nature, but they entered into minute particulars in relation to all things connected with those who officiated, the form and pattern of the sacred utensils and of the vestments of the Priesthood, the creatures to be sacrificed, the order of the proceedings, and indeed of all matters a.s.sociated with the observance of these rites. Almost the whole of the book of Leviticus, and considerable of the book of Numbers, is occupied with these instructions and kindred matters. This Mosaic law, with all its duties, observances, ceremonies and sacrifices, continued in force until Christ's death.

The time having come when the great atonement should be made by the offering up of Himself, Christ told Peter and John to go and prepare a place where He might, according to His custom, eat the Pa.s.sover with His disciples. Eat what with His disciples? The Pa.s.sover. Was it the Pa.s.sover, or the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? The Lord, in Egypt, pa.s.sed by, or pa.s.sed over the houses of the Israelites whose door posts had been sprinkled with the blood of the lamb sacrificed for that purpose; and the Israelites were commanded to observe this Pa.s.sover in all their generations. Jesus, in compliance with this command, directed that a place be made ready where He might eat the Pa.s.sover with His Apostles; for He, the great prototype, was going to offer up Himself as a lamb without spot or blemish; not only for the Israelites, but for all nations, for every people, and kindred, and tongue under the face of the whole heavens: "For G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For G.o.d sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

But previous to the offering up of Himself, as the great expiatory sacrifice, having fulfilled the law and made it honorable, and having introduced the Gospel, He met with His disciples, as already noticed, to eat the Pa.s.sover. He then told them, "With desire I have desired to eat this pa.s.sover with you before I suffer." To eat what with you? The Pa.s.sover. To eat what with you? The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Thus He eat both, for the two ceremonies centered in Him, He was the embodiment of both, He was the Being provided before the foundation of the earth, and prophesied of by men of G.o.d throughout all the preceding ages; and also on account of whom the sacrifices were offered up by all the servants of the Lord, from the fall of Adam to that time; and all the various atonements heretofore offered pointed to Him, for whom they were all made and in whom they all centered. On the other hand, He it was who introduced the more perfect law, and offering Himself once for all, an infinite atonement, He, through this sacrifice, accomplished that which was designed by the Almighty before the world was, and of which the blood of bullocks, of goats and of lambs was merely the shadow.

In view of what was almost immediately to take place, He inst.i.tuted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in commemoration of this great crowning act of redemption. When at the table, "He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me;" afterwards, "He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

In reality, this act of the atonement was the fulfilment of the sacrifices, of the prophesying, of the Pa.s.sover, and of all the leading, prominent acts of the Patriarchs and Prophets relating thereto; and having performed this, the past and the future both centered in Him. Did these worthies offer sacrifices? They prefigured His appearing and atonement. Did they prophecy? It was of Him, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Did they keep the Pa.s.sover? He Himself was the great expiatory offering. Were the people called upon afterwards to commemorate this event? They did it in remembrance of Him, as a great memorial among all of His disciples in all nations, throughout all time; of the sacrifice of His broken body and spilt blood; the ant.i.type of the sacrificial lamb slain at the time of the Pa.s.sover; of Him; as being the Mediator, the Messiah, the Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End: the Son of the living G.o.d.

As from the commencement of the world to the time when the Pa.s.sover was inst.i.tuted, sacrifices had been offered as a memorial or type of the sacrifice of the Son of G.o.d; so from the time of the Pa.s.sover until that time when He came to offer up Himself, these sacrifices and types and shadows had been carefully observed by Prophets and Patriarchs; according to the command given to Moses and other followers of the Lord. So also did He Himself fulfil this requirement, and kept the Pa.s.sover as did others; and now we, after the great sacrifice has been offered, partake of the' Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in remembrance thereof. Thus this act was the great connecting link between the past and the future; thus He fulfilled the law, met the demands of justice, and obeyed the requirements of His Heavenly Father, although laboring under the weight of the sins of the world, and the terrible expiation which He had to make, when, sweating great drops of blood, He cried: "Father, if it be possible let this cup pa.s.s from me; nevertheless not my will but thine be done;" and when expiring in agony upon the cross He cried, "It is finished," and gave up the ghost.

During this ever memorable supper, the Savior said unto His disciples, "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." He was the Lamb proposed to be slain from before the foundation of the world; He was the Lamb spoken of by the Prophets in the different ages, and for which sacrifices were made; in Him was now fulfilled everything that prefigured His approach, and that was prophesied of Him pertaining to the atonement. He also was to burst the barriers of the tomb, become the first fruits of those that slept, and introduce the resurrection, and indeed to be the Resurrection and the Life. He was also to ascend to the heavens, resurrect His Saints, and after resurrecting them, drink of the fruit of the vine with them in His Father's kingdom. Every knee should yet bow to Him, and every tongue confess that He was the Christ to the glory of G.o.d the Father.

Every nation, kindred, and tongue should bow to His sceptre, and the earth through Him be filled with the knowledge of G.o.d, as the waters cover the sea, the earth be redeemed and become celestial, a new heaven and a new earth be inst.i.tuted, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and the redemption and resurrection of the living and the dead, according to the eternal plan of Jehovah, should be brought about through His mediation and atonement.

CHAPTER XVII.

The Atonement and the Resurrection--Adam and Christ--Why a Law was given unto Adam--The Results of Disobedience to that Law--Testimony of our First Parents--"Adam fell that Man might be"--The Fall a Necessary Part of the Plan of Salvation--G.o.d's Plan a Merciful Plan--The Plan of Lucifer--Man's Free Agency--The Chain Complete.

In the economy of G.o.d and the plan proposed by the Almighty, it was provided that man was to be placed under a law apparently simple in itself, yet the test of that law was fraught with the gravest consequences. The observance of that law would secure eternal life, and the penalty for the violation of that law was death. For, we are told, in Adam all die, and hence the declaration, "It is appointed for man once to die." There is another principle a.s.sociated with this, which is, that the atonement provided a means and plan whereby death could be overcome, and the resurrection of the body from death be brought about, for it is written, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." But without this atonement the resurrection of the body could not be brought about; hence Jesus, when on earth, proclaimed, "I am the Resurrection and the Life," and He Himself "was the first fruits of them that slept."

Men could not have been tested without a law. The penalty for the violation of that law was death. If the law had not been broken, man would have lived; but would man thus living have been capable of perpetuating his species, and of thus fulfilling the designs of G.o.d in preparing tabernacles for the spirits which had been created in the spirit world? And further, could they have had the need of a mediator, who was to act as a propitiation for the violation of this law, which it would appear from the circ.u.mstances was destined to be broken; or could the eternal increase and perpetuity of man have been continued, and his high exaltation to the G.o.dhead been accomplished, without the propitiatory atonement and sacrifice of the Son of G.o.d?

Jesus said, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer." Could it have behooved Christ to suffer if man had not sinned, and was it not part of the eternal plan of G.o.d that man should violate that law, that an atonement might be provided and had, and by this means man be purified and perfected, through the struggles and trials incident to his coming in contact with the powers of darkness, and, through the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ, and his own obedience to the requirements of the law a.s.sociated therewith, be raised to a higher state of existence than it would have been possible for him to have obtained without the transgression of that law?

These points are made exceedingly plain in the Pearl of Great Price.

It is there stated:

"And Adam called upon the name of the Lord, and Eve also, his wife; and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way towards the garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence. And he gave unto them commandments, that they should wors.h.i.+p the Lord their G.o.d, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying, Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him, I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying, This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon G.o.d in the name of the Son for evermore. And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying, I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and for ever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed; and all mankind, even as many as will. And in that day Adam blessed G.o.d and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying, Blessed be the name of G.o.d, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see G.o.d. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying, Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which G.o.d giveth unto all the obedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name of G.o.d; and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters."

Thus we find: Firstly. That Adam and Eve both considered that they had gained, instead of suffered loss, through their disobedience to that law; for they made the statement, that if it had not been for their transgression they never would "have known good and evil." And again, they would have been incapable of increase; and without that increase the designs of G.o.d in relation to the formation of the earth and man could not have been accomplished; for one great object of the creation of the world was the propagation of the human species, that bodies might be prepared for those spirits who already existed, and who, when they saw the earth formed, shouted for joy.

Secondly. By pursuing the course they did, through the atonement, they would see G.o.d as they had done before; and furthermore, they would be capable of exaltation, which was made possible only through their fall, and the atonement of Jesus Christ; and also, they might have the comforting influence of the Spirit of G.o.d, and His guidance and direction here, as well as eternal lives and exaltations in the world to come.

Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, also writes very directly upon these truths; he says:

"Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if, through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of G.o.d, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord."

--Romans, v., 14-21.

Whilst in the Book of Mormon Lehi teaches:

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen; but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created, must have remained in the same state which they were, after they were created; and they must have remained for ever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore, they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things.

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall, they have become free for ever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves, and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which G.o.d hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable, like unto himself."--2 Nephi, ii, 22-27.

In the same book it is written:

"Yea, I know that ye know, that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. For as death hath pa.s.sed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord. Wherefore it must needs be an infinite atonement. Save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of G.o.d! his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal G.o.d, and became the devil, to rise no more."--2 Nephi, ix, 5-8.

There is a principle developed in the above quotation to the effect that death was "pa.s.sed upon all men to fulfill the _merciful plan_ of the great Creator;" and furthermore, that the resurrection came "by reason of the fall." For if man had not sinned, there would have been no death, and if Jesus had not atoned for the sin, there would have been no resurrection. Hence these things are spoken of as being according to the merciful plan of G.o.d. This corruption could not have put on incorruption, and this mortality could not have put on immortality, for, as we have elsewhere shown, man by reason of any thing that he himself could do or accomplish, could only exalt himself to the dignity and capability of man and therefore it needed the atonement of a G.o.d, before man, through the adoption, could be exalted to the G.o.dhead.

Again, if the body could not have been resurrected, it would have had to "crumble to its mother earth," and remain in that condition without the capability of ascending to the G.o.dhead: and furthermore, not only would our bodies have lost their ent.i.ty, their life and power, but the spirit also would have been placed in a state of subjection "to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal G.o.d, and became the devil," without a capability or even hope of life, salvation and exaltation, and would have been deprived of all free agency and power, and subject to the influences, dominion and eternal destruction of Lucifer, the enemy of man and of G.o.d. Hence, on this ground, and because of the terrible effects which would have resulted to humanity from the proposed plan to deprive man of his free agency, and in seeking to do away with the atonement, Lucifer was cast out of heaven, as were also those a.s.sociated with him in the same diabolical plans and purposes.

The testimony of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants is in full accord with the revelations in the ancient scriptures. In it we are instructed that G.o.d "created man, male and female, after his own image and in his own likeness created he them, and pave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true G.o.d, and that he should be the only being whom they should wors.h.i.+p. But by the transgression of these holy laws, man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man. Wherefore the Almighty G.o.d gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures which have been given of him. He suffered temptations, but gave no heed unto them; he was crucified, died, and rose again the third day; and ascended into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with almighty power according to the will of the Father."--Doc. and Cov., sec. xx, 18-24, p. 123.

Again, we read from the same source:

"Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual, they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual."--Doc. and Cov., sec. xxix, 35, p. 146.

"Wherefore, it came to pa.s.s that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the 'devil, because he yielded unto temptation. Wherefore, I the Lord G.o.d caused that he should be cast out from the garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be p.r.o.nounced upon the wicked when I shall say, Depart, ye cursed. But, behold, I say unto you, that I the Lord G.o.d gave unto Adam and to his seed that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I the Lord G.o.d should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus did I, the Lord G.o.d, appoint unto man the days of his probation; that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe."--Doc. and Cov., xxix, 40-43, p. 147.

In accordance with this we find it written in the Pearl of Great Price, that the Lord did send an angel to Adam (as elsewhere quoted), who taught unto him the Gospel.

Thus it would appear that if any of the links of this great chain had been broken, it would have interfered with the comprehensive plan of the Almighty pertaining to the salvation and eternal exaltation of those spirits who were His sons, and for whom princ.i.p.ally the world was made; that they through submission to the requirements of the eternal principle and law governing these matters might possess bodies, and these bodies united with the spirits might become living souls, and being the sons of G.o.d, and made in the image of G.o.d, they, through the atonement might be exalted, by obedience to the law of the Gospel; to the G.o.dhead.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Christ as the Son of G.o.d--A Comparison between His Position Glory, etc., and Those of other Sons of G.o.d--His Recognition by the Father--Christ called the Very Eternal Father.

It may here be asked, What difference is there between the Son of G.o.d, as the Son of G.o.d, the Redeemer, and those who believe in Him and partake of the blessings of the Gospel?

One thing, as we read, is that the Father gave Him power to have life in Himself: "For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" and further, He had power, when all mankind had lost their life, to restore life to them again; and hence He is the Resurrection and the Life, which power no other man possesses.

Another distinction is, that having this life in Himself, He had power, as He said, to lay down His life and to take it up again, which power was also given Him by the Father. This is also a power which no other being a.s.sociated with this earth possesses.

Again, He is the brightness of His Father's glory and the express image of His person. Also, He doeth what He seeth the Father do, while we only do that which we are permitted and empowered to do by Him.

He is the Elect, the Chosen, and one of the Presidency in the heavens, and in Him dwells all the fulness of the G.o.dhead bodily, which could not be said of us in any of these particulars.

Another thing is, that all power is given to Him in heaven and upon earth, which no earthly being could say.

It is also stated that Lucifer was before Adam; so was Jesus. And Adam, as well as all other believers, was commanded to do all that he did in the name of the Son, and to call upon G.o.d in His name for ever more; which honor was not applicable to any earthly being.

He, in the nearness of His relations.h.i.+p to the Father, seems to occupy a position that no other person occupies. He is spoken of as His well beloved Son, as the Only Begotten of the Father--does not this mean the only begotten after the flesh? If He was the first born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He not inherit the position by right to be the representative of G.o.d, the Savior and Redeemer of the world? And was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the firstborn, the legitimate heir of G.o.d, the Eternal Father, to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salvation and exaltation of man? And being Himself without sin (which no other mortal was), He took the position of Savior and Redeemer, which by right belonged to Him as the first born. And does it not seem that in having a body specially prepared, and being the offspring of G.o.d, both in body and spirit, He stood preeminently in the position of the Son of G.o.d, or in the place of G.o.d, and was G.o.d, and was thus the fit and only personage capable of making an infinite atonement? Hence we read:

"Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O G.o.d. Above, when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O G.o.d He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."--Heb., x, 5-9.