Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. SmithSmith, Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding)
Religion
Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith
Smith, Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding)
Latter Day Saint churches
therefore cannot declare them by authority, nor teach and prepare
mankind for the salvation of God. God Almighty is the only source from
whence this knowledge, power and authority can be obtained, and that
through the operations of the Holy Ghost. The Scriptures may serve as
a guide to lead us to God, and hence to the possession of all things
necessary to life and salvation, but they can do no more.
Having profited by this example, and done the works commanded by
both Christ and his apostles, ancient and modern, I am happy of the
privilege to declare to the inhabitants of the earth that I have
received this testimony and witness for myself. I do know that these
things are true. Jesus, my Redeemer, lives, and God hath made him both
Lord and Christ. To know and to worship the true God, in the name of
Jesus--in spirit and in truth--is the duty of man. To aid and qualify
him for this service is the duty and office of the Holy Ghost. Man may
fail through faltering and unfaithfulness, but the Spirit of God will
never fail, nor abandon the faithful disciple. I can say as one who
has tried the experiment--for it may be called an experiment to the
beginner--that all who will take the course and accept the doctrine
thus marked out will, through faithfulness, become acquainted with the
truth, and shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or of man,
and will rejoice in it as all good, faithful Latter-day Saints do.
Here is an ordinance which we are now administering, {127} the
Sacrament of the Lord's supper; it is a principle of the gospel, one as
necessary to be observed by all believers, as any other ordinance of
the gospel. What is the object of it? It is that we may keep in mind
continually the Son of God who has redeemed us from eternal death,
and brought us to life again through the power of the gospel. Before
the coming of Christ to the earth, this was borne in mind by the
inhabitants of the earth to whom the gospel was preached, by another
ordinance which was a type of the great sacrifice that should take
place in the meridian of time. Hence, Adam, after he was cast out of
the garden, was commanded to offer sacrifices to God; by this act, he
and all who participated in the offerings of sacrifices, were reminded
of the Savior who should come to redeem them from death which, were
it not for the atonement wrought out by him, would forever exclude
them from dwelling in the presence of God again. But in his coming and
death, this commandment was fulfilled; and he instituted the Supper
and commanded his followers to partake of this in all time to come, in
order that they may remember him, bearing in mind that he had redeemed
them, also that they had covenanted to keep his commandments and to
walk with him in the regeneration. Hence it is necessary to partake of
the Sacrament, as a witness to him that we do remember him, are willing
to keep the commandments he has given us, that we may have his Spirit
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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