Letters Exhibiting the Most Prominent Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsSpencer, Orson
Religion
Letters Exhibiting the Most Prominent Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Spencer, Orson
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Hence the spirit of prophecy, spoken of by Joel, as poured out in the
apostolic day, was, in their estimation uncalled for. They supposed
the canon of scripture was sufficiently full, when the prophet Malachi
finished his testimony, and closed up the age of miracles! Men may
sincerely believe the Bible, as many of the sects do believe it,
without having it revealed from heaven that the Bible is true, and it
will never save them. They may believe the Bible even without knowing
God; for the simple reason, that no man can know God without God
reveals himself to him. This was the condition of the Judaic church.
Many of them sincerely believed the Mosaic writings, but detested and
rejected the principle of immediate revelation, by which alone they
could know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he had sent. If
they had believed heartily in the doctrine of immediate revelation to
all believers, in all ages, they would have known Jesus Christ to be
the Messiah, as well as Moses, or Abraham, who saw his day, and was
glad. On the same principle, dear sir. Christian denominations, in this
day, believe the apostolic scriptures sincerely, and do many things
accordingly; but rejecting the principle of immediate revelation to
them-ward, they neither know Jesus Christ nor his prophet Joseph, nor
the power of God, as it is revealed from faith to faith in our day.
We, sir, contend for the faith of miracles in our own day; but you and
your associates contend against it. The disciples of Jesus contended
for it, in their day; but the professed followers of Moses and Abraham
contended against it. Now, sir, to which of these sides do you belong?
Can you find that any people, who ever contended against the faith of
immediate revelation and miracles, such as was maintained by Samuel,
Abraham, Barak, Daniel, and Noah, ever prospered. Is there a single
instance in scripture, from Genesis to Revelations, where God manifests
any fellowship for any faith short of a faith of miracles and immediate
revelation? If an inferior kind of faith has been got up since the New
Testament age, is it not well to inquire from whence it has sprung, and
what is the scriptural basis of its support? If such an inferior faith
is not _revealed_ from heaven, it must certainly be from beneath, and,
consequently earthly, and sensual, and devilish. If it springs from
the precepts of men, and not from the direct and positive revelation
of God, it ought surely to be abandoned and forsaken at once. When
men believe the Old and New Testament scriptures from tradition, and
the lips of a ministry that is not sent out and called by immediate
revelation from heaven, their faith is dead; and all such as float in
this broad stream of traditionary faith, are not and cannot be built up
as lively stones to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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