I never passed John Wesley's church in London without stopping to
look at it. Was he a good man? Yes; I suppose him to have been, by
all accounts, as good as ever walked on this earth, according to his
knowledge. Has he obtained a rest? Yes, and greater than ever entered
his mind to expect; and so have thousands of others of the various
religious denominations. Why could he not build up the Kingdom of God
on the earth? He had not the Priesthood; that was all the difficulty
he labored under. Had the Priesthood been conferred upon him, he would
have built up the Kingdom of God in his day as it is now being built
up. He would have introduced the ordinances, powers, grades, and
quorums of the Priesthood; but, not holding the Priesthood, he could
not do it. Did the Spirit of God rest upon him? Yes, and does, more or
less, at times, upon all people. 7:5.
Many persons think, if they see a Prophet they see one possessing all
the keys of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is not so; many
persons have prophesied without having {211} any Priesthood on them at
all. It is no particular revelation or gift for a person to prophesy.
You take a good statesman, for instance, he will tell you what will
become of a nation by their actions. He forsees this and that, and
knows the results of any line of policy that may be pursued. To be a
prophet is simply to be a foreteller of future events; but an Apostle
of the Lord Jesus Christ has the keys of the holy Priesthood, and the
power thereof is sealed upon his head, and by this he is authorized to
proclaim the truth to the people, and if they receive it, well; if not,
the sin be upon their own heads. 13:144.
Seek diligently to know the will of God. How can you know it? In
matters pertaining to yourselves as individuals, you can obtain it
directly from the Lord; but in matters pertaining to public affairs,
his will is ascertained through the proper channel, and may be known by
the general counsel that is given you from the proper source. 1:78.
I have already said that Christ set in his Church Apostles and
Prophets; he also set in his Church evangelists, pastors and teachers;
also the gifts of the Spirit, such as diverse tongues, healing the
sick, discernment of spirits, and various other gifts. Now, I would
ask the whole world, Who has received revelation that the Lord has
discontinued these offices and gifts in his Church? I have not. I have
had revelation that they should be in the Church, and that there is no
Church without them. I have had many revelations proving to me that the
Old and New Testaments are true. Their doctrines are comprised in the
Gospel that we preach, which is the power of God unto salvation to all
who believe. 13:144.
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