Saturday Night Thoughts: A Series of Dissertations on Spiritual, Historical, and Philosophic ThemesWhitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Religion
Saturday Night Thoughts: A Series of Dissertations on Spiritual, Historical, and Philosophic Themes
Whitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Latter Day Saint churches
Desires As Well as Deeds a Basis of Judgment.--But the final word was
not yet spoken. At a date subsequent to that upon which Joseph and
Sidney received this wonderful manifestation, the heavens were again
opened to the Prophet, and he beheld the glory--the transcendent glory
of the Celestial Kingdom, [11] He saw that little children, those "who
die before they arrive at the years of accountability," are saved in
that kingdom. He also saw his brother Alvin--a good and worthy man,
but one who had not been baptized, he having died before the Gospel
came--saw him in celestial glory! Joseph marveled at the sight,
wondering how Alvin could have risen to so exalted a plane. Then came
the voice of the Lord to him, saying: "All who have died without a
knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been
permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would
have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according
to the desire of their hearts." [12]
Mormonism's Magnanimity.--And yet "Mormonism" is said to be narrow,
small and illiberal. Narrow, forsooth! Then where will you find
breadth? Where find justice, mercy, magnanimity, if not in a religion
that saves the living, redeems the dead, rescues the damned, and
glorifies all who repent? "Mormonism" a small thing? It's the biggest
thing in the universe! It is the Everlasting Gospel, the mighty
soul-ship of the dispensations, launched in the days of Adam upon the
heaving ocean of the ages, and now on its last voyage over the stormy
billows of Time to the beaconing coast of Eternity.
Footnotes
1. Hades or Hell, Canto 4, lines 29-39.
2. Rev. 20:12.
3. I Peter 4:6.
4. John 14:2.
5. Vision of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, D. & C. 76:50-70. See also
131:1. Compare 1 Cor. 15:40-42.
6. D. & C. 76:72-79.
7. D. & C. 76:84-88.
8. D. & C. 76:110-112.
9. Ib. 88:21-40.
10. D. & C. 76:31-44.
11. February 16th, 1832, was the date of Joseph and Sidney's vision;
January 21st, 1836 the date of the other manifestation.
12. Hist. Ch. Vol. 2, p. 380. Compare Alma 29:4,5.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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