Cowley's Talks on DoctrineCowley, Matthias F. (Matthias Foss)
Religion
Cowley's Talks on Doctrine
Cowley, Matthias F. (Matthias Foss)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Another prophecy which vividly portrays the religious state of affairs
in the last days is that contained in (II Timothy iii:1-6) as follows:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For
men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers
of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof; from such turn away."
This is so plain that no one need to doubt its verification. It clearly
sets forth the very evils that are now prevalent in all the civilized
nations of the earth. While this statement of evils may apply to the
world at large, it is evident that it was directed specially to a
certain class of people--not to infidel nor atheist, nor yet to the
heathen nations, which are unacquainted with the name of the Savior
and with what is termed Christianity, but to those religious bodies
which, as Paul declares, "have a form of godliness, but deny the power
thereof." It plainly describes the situation of the Christian world
at the present time, who, while they have various forms of worship,
deny the gifts of vision, prophecy, healing, tongues and nearly all
the manifestations of the power of the Lord, as enjoyed by the ancient
Saints. In fine, they deny the Gospel, for that, says Paul, "is the
power of God unto salvation." The apostle, it appears, would not
attribute to them even true forms of worship, for he says they have a
"form of godliness." "From such," says Paul, "turn away."
If all would receive this admonition and "turn away" from these
powerless forms, what would become of the churches that are now extant?
With the foregoing positive predictions upon this subject, and the
facts before us in verification of the same, we can testify that the
words of Isaiah have been fulfilled, wherein he says: "Behold the
darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people;" and that
nothing short of more revelation direct from heaven could place the
present generation in possession of the everlasting Gospel.
Having shown that many of the ancients fell away from that Gospel; that
the faithful remainder were warred against by the enemies of truth,
and that the last of the saints who held the Priesthood were overcome,
leaving no successors to continue the works of the ministry; it is
therefore made clear that the plan of salvation was taken away from the
earth, that the results of the ancient apostasy were universal and have
extended down without interruption to the present century.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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