History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
sacrifice, and notwithstanding this, had the Gospel preached to
him. That the offering of sacrifice was only to point the mind
forward to Christ, we infer from these remarkable words of Jesus
to the Jews: "Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he
saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56.) So, then, because the ancients
offered sacrifice it did not hinder their hearing the Gospel; but
served, as we said before, to open their eyes, and enable them to
look forward to the time of the coming of the Savior, and rejoice
in His redemption. We find also, that when the Israelites came out
of Egypt they had the Gospel preached to them, according to Paul in
his letter to the Hebrews, which says: "For unto us was the Gospel
preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it" (see
Heb. 4:2). It is said again, in Gal. 3:19, that the law (of Moses,
or the Levitical law) was "added" because of transgression. What,
we ask, was this law added to, if it was not added to the Gospel?
It must be plain that it was added to the Gospel, since we learn
that they had the Gospel preached to them. From these few facts,
we conclude that whenever the Lord revealed Himself to men in
ancient days, and commanded them to offer sacrifice to Him, that it
was done that they might look forward in faith to the time of His
coming, and rely upon the power of that atonement for a remission
of their sins. And this they have done, thousands who have gone
before us, whose garments are spotless, and who are, like Job,
waiting with an assurance like his, that they will see Him in the
_latter day_ upon the earth, even in their flesh,
We may conclude, that though there were different dispensations,
yet all things which God communicated to His people were calculated
to draw their minds to the great object, and to teach them to rely
upon God alone as the author of their salvation, as contained in
His law.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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