Читать книгу History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Vol. 1-7) - Joseph F. Smith - Страница 30
CHAPTER XII.
ОглавлениеLost Books of Ancient Scripture—Commandment to the Church in New York to Move to Ohio.
Readiness of the Lord to Impart Knowledge.
The Lord who is ever ready to instruct such as diligently seek in faith gave the following revelation at Fayette, New York:
Revelation to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet, given October, 1830. 1
1. Behold I say unto you, my servants Ezra and Northrop, open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, whose word is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, soul and spirit: and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
2. For verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye are called to lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump, to declare my Gospel unto a crooked and perverse generation:
3. For behold, the field is white already to harvest: and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.
4. And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit; and there is none which doeth good save it be a few; and they err in many instances, because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds.
5. And verily, verily, I say unto you, that this Church have I established and called forth out of the wilderness:
6. And even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice:
7. Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.
8. Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness;
9. Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you:
10. Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying—Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make His paths straight, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;
11. Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you for a remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.
12. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my Gospel, and remember that they shall have faith in me, or they can in no wise be saved;
13. And upon this rock I will build my Church; yea, upon this rock ye are built, and if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you;
14. And ye shall remember the Church articles and covenants to keep them.
15. And whoso having faith you shall confirm in my Church, by the laying on of the hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.
16. And the Book of Mormon and the Holy Scriptures, are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things:
17. Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom:
18. For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
Orson Pratt Seeks to Know the Will of the Lord.
In the fore part of November, Orson Pratt,2 a young man nineteen years of age, who had been baptized at the first preaching of his brother Parley P. Pratt, September 19th (his birthday), about six weeks previous, in Canaan, New York, came to inquire of the Lord what his duty was, and received the following answer:
A Revelation to Orson Pratt, given November, 1830. 3
1. My son Orson, hearken and hear, and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer;
2. The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;
3. Who so loved the world that He gave His own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God; wherefore you are my son,
4. And blessed are you because you have believed;
5. And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my Gospel—
6. To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for His second coming;
7. For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory,
8. And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble.
9. But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked:
10. Wherefore lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost;
11. And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come:
12. And verily, verily, I say unto you, I come quickly. I am your Lord and your Redeemer. Even so. Amen.
Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge Visit the Prophet.
In December Sidney Rigdon came to inquire of the Lord, and with him came Edward Partridge;4 the latter was a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord's great men. Shortly after the arrival of these two brethren, thus spake the Lord:
Revelation to Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, given at Fayette, New York, December, 1830. 5
1. Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever.
2. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one.
3. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant Sidney, I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard thy prayers, and prepared thee for a greater work.
4. Thou art blessed, for thou shalt do great things. Behold thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me, and before Elijah which should come and thou knewest it not.
5. Thou didst baptize by water unto repentance, but they received not the Holy Ghost;
6. But now I give unto thee a commandment, that thou shalt baptize by water, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, even as the apostles of old.
7. And it shall come to pass that there shall be a great work in the land, even among the Gentiles, for their folly and their abominations shall be made manifest in the eyes of all people;
8. For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name.
9. And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick, they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk;
10. And the time speedily cometh that great things are to be shown forth unto the children of men;
11. But without faith shall not anything be shown forth, except desolations upon Babylon, the same which has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
12. And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my Gospel which I have sent forth unto this generation.
13. Wherefore I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit:
14. And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.
15. And the poor and the meek shall have the Gospel preached unto them, and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming, for it is nigh at hand:
16. And they shall learn the parable of the fig tree, for even now already summer is nigh,
17. And I have sent forth the fulness of my Gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph; and in weakness have I blessed him,
18. And I have given unto him the keys of the mystery of those things which have been sealed, even things which were from the foundation of the world, and the things which shall come from this time until the time of my coming if he abide in me, and if not, another will I plant in his stead.
19. Wherefore, watch over him, that his faith fail not, and it shall be given by the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, that knoweth all things:
20. And a commandment I give unto thee, that thou shalt write for him; and the Scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect;
21. For they will hear my voice, and shall see me, and shall not be asleep, and shall abide the day of my coming, for they shall be purified, even as I am pure.
22. And now I say unto you, tarry with him, and he shall journey with you; forsake him not, and surely these things shall be fulfilled.
23. And inasmuch as ye do not write, behold, it shall be given unto him to prophesy: and thou shalt preach my Gospel, and call on the holy prophets to prove his words, as they shall be given him.
24. Keep all the commandments and covenants by which ye are bound; and I will cause the heavens to shake for your good, and Satan shall tremble and Zion shall rejoice upon the hills and flourish,
25. And Israel shall be saved in mine own due time; and by the keys which I have given shall they be led, and no more be confounded at all.
26. Lift up your hearts and be glad, your redemption draweth nigh.
27. Fear not, little flock, the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
And the voice of the Lord to Edward Partridge was:
A Revelation to Edward Partridge, given December, 1830. 6
1. Thus saith the Lord God, the Mighty One of Israel, Behold, I say unto you, my servant Edward, that you are blessed and your sins are forgiven you, and you are called to preach my Gospel as with the voice of a trump;
2. And I will lay my hand upon you by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon, and you shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which shall teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom;
3. And you shall declare it with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna, blessed be the name of the most high God.
4. And now this calling and commandment give I unto you concerning all men,
5. That as many as shall come before my servants Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, Jun., embracing this calling and commandment, shall be ordained and sent forth to preach the everlasting Gospel among the nations.
6. Crying repentance, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation, and come forth out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted with the flesh.
7. And this commandment shall be given unto the Elders of my Church, that every man which will embrace it with singleness of heart, may be ordained and sent forth, even as I have spoken.
8. I am Jesus Christ the Son of God: wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple. Even so. Amen.
Of the Lost Books of Scripture.
It may be well to observe here, that the Lord greatly encouraged and strengthened the faith of His little flock, which had embraced the fullness of the everlasting Gospel, as revealed to them in the Book of Mormon, by giving some more extended information upon the Scriptures, a translation of which had already commenced. Much conjecture and conversation frequently occurred among the Saints, concerning the books mentioned, and referred to, in various places in the Old and New Testaments, which were now nowhere to be found.7 The common remark was, "They are lost books;" but it seems the Apostolic Church had some of these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the Prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. To the joy of the little flock, which in all, from Colesville to Canandaigua, New York, numbered about seventy members, did the Lord reveal the following doings of olden times, from the prophecy of Enoch:8
Extracts from the Prophecy of Enoch.
1. And it came to pass that Enoch continued his speech, saying, Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.
2. And from that time forth Enoch began to prophesy, saying unto the people, That, as I was journeying, and stood upon the place Mahujah and cried unto the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying, Turn ye, and get ye upon the Mount Simeon.
3. And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory,
4. And I saw the Lord; and He stood before my face, and He talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and He said unto me, Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations.
5. And it came to pass that I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum.
6. And again the Lord said unto me, Look; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents.
7. And the Lord said unto me, Prophesy; and I prophesied, saying, Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan;
8. For behold the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, and they were despised among all people.
9. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me, Look; and I looked, and I beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof;
10. And the Lord said unto me, Go to this people, and say unto them, that they must repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die.
11. And he gave unto me a commandment that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, which is full of grace and truth, and of the Holy Ghost which beareth record of the Father and the Son.
12. And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent;
13. And so great was the faith of Enoch, that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch; and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.
14. There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off, and went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea.
15. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all the people that fought against God;
16. And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with His people, and they dwelt in righteousness.
17. The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon His people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish.
18. And the Lord called His people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them;
19. And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the city of Holiness: even Zion.
20. And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord, Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto Enoch, Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed.
21. And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven! And the Lord said unto Enoch, Behold mine abode forever.
22. And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam, save it were the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.
23. And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him; and there came generation upon generation;
24. And Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.
25. And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying, Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth!
26. And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed and his angels rejoiced.
27. And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and the Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.
28. And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and He wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying, How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears is the rain upon the mountains?
29. And Enoch said unto the Lord, How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
30. And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of Thy creations; and Thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet Thou art there, and Thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; Thou art merciful and kind forever;
31. And Thou hast taken Zion to Thine own bosom, from all Thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and nought but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of Thy Throne; and mercy shall go before Thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?
32. The Lord said unto Enoch, behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
33. And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father, but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood.
34. And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them; for my fierce anger is kindled against them.
35. Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.
36. Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also; and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren;
37. But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?
38. But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.
39. And Him which I have chosen hath plead before my face. Wherefore, He suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;
40. Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.
41. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.
42. And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation;
43. Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark, and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in His own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.
44. And as Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens, I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch, Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look;
45. And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified, and have eternal life?
46. And the Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance.
47. 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.
48. And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying, Wo, wo is me, the mother of men! I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children! When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which has gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?
49. And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah?
50. And it came to pass that Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying, I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah, and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods.
51. And the Lord could not withhold; and he covenanted with Enoch and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah;
52. And he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand;
53. And the Lord said, Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come; for he saith, I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy.
54. And it came to pass that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying, When the Son of Man cometh in the flesh, shall the earth rest? I pray Thee, show me these things.
55. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look; and he looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men;
56. And he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the Saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory;
57. And as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day.
58. And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the earth rest?
59. And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying, Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? For as much as Thou art God, and I know Thee, and Thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of Thine Only Begotten, Thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to Thy throne, and not of myself, but through Thine own grace; wherefore, I ask Thee if Thou wilt not come again on the earth.
60. And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;
61. And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;
62. And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; His resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare; an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.
63. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;
64. And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made, and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.
65. And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years;
66. But before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men's hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked.
67. And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption; and received a fulness of joy;
68. And all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years;
69. And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into His own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is fled.
Commanded to Go to Ohio.
Soon after the words of Enoch were given, the Lord gave the following commandment:
A Revelation to Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, given December, 1830. 9
1. Behold, I say unto you, that it is not expedient in me that ye should translate any more until ye shall go to the Ohio, and this because of the enemy and for your sakes.
2. And again, I say unto you, that ye shall not go until ye have preached my Gospel in those parts, and have strengthened up the Church whithersoever it is found, and more especially in Colesville; for, behold, they pray unto me in much faith.
3. And again, a commandment I give unto the Church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the Ohio, against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them.
4. Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself until I come. Even so. Amen.
