An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation Part 2

"This Jesus hath G.o.d raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of G.o.d exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know a.s.suredly, that G.o.d hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.--Acts, ii, 32-36.

"And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things which G.o.d before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refres.h.i.+ng shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must receive, until the times of rest.i.tution of all things, which G.o.d hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your G.o.d raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pa.s.s, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days."--Acts, iii, 17-24.

Does it not seem from this that these men, having committed the infamous act of crucifying Jesus, or consenting to His death, although they may have done it ignorantly, could not at that time, even by repentance and conversion, be placed in a state of salvation, but that they would have to wait until Jesus Christ should come again before their sins could be blotted out; when Jesus Christ should be sent, who before was preached unto them and whom they had crucified? Is not this the same condition that the antediluvians were in, when once the long suffering of G.o.d waited in the days of Noah, when they were cast into prison and remained there until the time when Jesus went and preached to those spirits in prison? In their day they rejected the offers of mercy through the atonement of Jesus Christ, as the Jews did in their time; but afterwards they had the same Gospel preached to them by Jesus, and those Jews who had partic.i.p.ated in those deeds, or who had consented thereto, to whom the Apostle then spake, even if they then repented, would have to wait for forgiveness and salvation until Jesus should come again. Furthermore, the Jews who will live in the times of the rest.i.tution in the last days, after the testimony of the Gospel shall have gone to the Gentiles through this same atonement, and the introduction of the Gospel, will again have it preached to them on the earth, and will, through Him, the Elias, or restorer, be gathered again to their own land.

"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom G.o.d raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone, which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."--Acts, iv, 10-12.

"But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of G.o.d, and Jesus standing on the right hand of G.o.d, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of G.o.d."--Acts, vii, 55, 56.

"The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: in his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth."--Acts, viii, 32, 33.

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of G.o.d, which he hath purchased with his own blood."--Acts, xx, 28.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of G.o.d, which taketh away the sin of the world! "--John, i, 29.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G.o.d; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom G.o.d hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of G.o.d."--Rom., iii, 23-25.

"But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."--Rom., iv, 24, 25.

"But G.o.d commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G.o.d by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in G.o.d, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death pa.s.sed upon all men, for that all have sinned."--Rom., v, 8-12.

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of G.o.d."--1 Cor., xv, 3-9.

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."--Ephesians, i, 6, 7.

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible G.o.d, the first-born of every creature. * * * And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."--Col., i, 12-15, 18-20.

From the above pa.s.sage we learn that our redemption is obtained through the blood of Jesus; that He is in the image of G.o.d; again, that He is "the firstborn of every creature;" also that He is "the first-born from the dead;" and furthermore, that He stands preeminent as the representative of G.o.d in the interests of humanity pertaining to this world, or the world which is to come, and that He is the head of the Church, the Grand Medium through which all blessings flow to the human family.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the G.o.dhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all princ.i.p.ality and power."--Col., ii, 8-10.

"For there is one G.o.d, and one mediator between G.o.d and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."--1 Tim., ii, 5, 6.

"For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of G.o.d wors.h.i.+p him."--Heb., i, 5, 6.

"Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him: but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of G.o.d should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

--Heb., ii, 8-10.

Here we have something said of the results accruing to the Redeemer Himself, through His sufferings and death. He stands next to the Father, "and is on the right hand of G.o.d; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Peter, iii, 22.) Or as He elsewhere says of Himself, "All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth." And again, it is written that He "forever sat down on the right hand of G.o.d; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool;" and "that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of G.o.d the Father." (Philippians, ii, 10, 11.)

"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated forevermore."--Heb., vii, 26-28.

There is something peculiar pertaining to the expression here used, "forevermore," which manifestly exhibits an eternal principle. We find the same expression (as elsewhere alluded to) in the Pearl of Great Price. To Adam it was said, "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 forevermore." The same principle continued both on the Asiatic and on this continent; and was recognized by all men of G.o.d holding the Melchisedec Priesthood, and will be recognized throughout all time until the final consummation of all things, when every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of G.o.d, the Father.

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to G.o.d, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living G.o.d? * * * And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."--Heb., ix, 12-14, 22.

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of G.o.d: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."--Heb., x, 10-14.

Or, as the thirteenth and fourteenth verses are rendered in the inspired translation: "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of G.o.d; from henceforth to reign until his enemies be made his footstool."

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of G.o.d the Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. * * *

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."--1 Peter, i, 2, 18-20.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to G.o.d, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of G.o.d waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward G.o.d,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of G.o.d; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him."--1 Peter, iii, 18-22.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that G.o.d is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellows.h.i.+p with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth;' but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellows.h.i.+p one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."--1 John, i, 5-7.

"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."--1 John, ii, 1, 2.

Or as it is written in the inspired translation, "But if any man sin _and repent_, we have an advocate," etc.

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."--Rev., i, 5.

"These things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of G.o.d."--Rev., iii, 14.

"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to G.o.d by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."--Rev., v, 8-10.

Thus it would seem that the redeemed of the Lord from all nations and peoples are indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ, through His atonement, for the position that they will occupy in the state of exaltation here referred to; and if they are exalted to be kings and priests unto G.o.d, it is through the ordinances which He has appointed for the accomplishment of this object, as the wise will understand. As regards the Book mentioned in the above pa.s.sage, an explanation thereof will be found in the Key to the Revelation of John.--Doc. and Cov., Sec.

lxxvii, page 277. (Latest edition.)

"And it was given unto him [the Dragon] to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall wors.h.i.+p him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."--Rev., xiii, 7, 8.

CHAPTER IV.

Extracts from the Pearl of Great Price and Inspired Translation of Genesis--Record of Moses regarding Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Joseph, and of their faith in the Coming of the Savior.

We shall now introduce some extracts from the Pearl of Great Price and the Inspired Translation of the Book of Genesis, which replace some of those parts, "plain and most precious," which are said to have been taken from the version of the Holy Scriptures known as King James' or the authorized version. These extracts are taken from the revelations and writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"And G.o.d spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I am the Lord G.o.d Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this Endless? And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmans.h.i.+p of mine hands, but not all; for my works are without end, and also my words; for they never cease; wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the 'flesh on the earth. And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and my Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no G.o.d beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all."--Pearl of Great Price.

"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."--Ibid.

"But G.o.d hath made known unto our fathers that all men must repent.

And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice, saying, I am G.o.d: I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh. And he also said unto him, If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you. And our father Adam spake unto the Lord, and said, Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam, Behold, I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden. Hence came the saying abroad among the people, That the Son of G.o.d hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world."--Ibid.

"Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of G.o.d, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name; and the name of his Only Begotten, is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge who shall come in the meridian of time. Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying, That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory: For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified; therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power, according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment. And now, behold, I say unto you, This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time."--Ibid.

"And he gave unto me [Enoch] a commandment that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, who is full of grace and truth, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the' Father and the Son."--Ibid.

"And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying, The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me!"--Ibid.