New Witnesses for God (Volume 3 of 3)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
New Witnesses for God (Volume 3 of 3)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Book of Mormon; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
The statement of the doctrine in question occurs in a discourse of
Lehi's on the subject of the atonement. The aged prophet represents
happiness or misery as growing out of the acceptance or rejection of
the atonement of the Christ, and adds that the misery consequent upon
its rejection is in opposition to the happiness which is affixed to its
acceptance:
For it must needs be [he continues] that there is an opposition
in all things. If [it were] not so * * * righteousness could not
be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness nor
misery; neither good nor bad. Wherefore [that is, if this fact
of opposites did not exist] all things must needs be a compound
in one; wherefore, if it [the sum of things] should be one body,
it must needs remain as dead, having no life, neither death, nor
corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense
nor insensibility. Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a
thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the
end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing [i. e., the absence of
opposite existences which Lehi is supposing] must needs destroy the
wisdom of God, and his eternal purposes; and also the power, and
the mercy, and the justice of God. [51]
The inspired man even goes beyond this, and makes existences themselves
depend upon this law of opposites:
And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no
sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is
no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness, there is no
happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there
be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is
no God. And if there is no God, we are not, neither the earth: for
there could have been no creation of things; neither to act nor to
be acted upon, wherefore, all things must have vanished away. [52]
This may be regarded as a very bold setting forth of the doctrine of
antinomies, and yet I think the logic of it, and the inevitableness of
the conclusion unassailable. In his work, "Origin and Development of
Religious Beliefs" S. Baring-Gould says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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