The Prophet Noah was rejected by all in his day except his own family. His message, no doubt, was regarded as a very strange and extraordinary one. It was hard to accept. No such thing as a flood covering the entire earth was known up to that time, and how could they accept his warning only through simple faith? When Moses, under the direction of the Lord, undertook to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt the people whom he was sent to deliver murmured against him, notwithstanding the Lord performed such mighty wonders in their behalf. When Jeremiah and Ezekiel predicted the downfall of Jerusalem in their day they were not believed. The historian Josephus says that Zedekiah, the king, refused to believe the prophets because Jeremiah foretold that he, the king, should be taken captive to Babylon, while Ezekiel said he should not see Babylon. These two prophecies seemed to disagree, so Zedekiah made this apparent disagreement an excuse for not believing either of the two prophets. Yet they were both correct in their utterances. The king was taken to Babylon, but he never saw the city, for his eyes were put out before he arrived there. {235} PERSECUTION TO FOLLOW ALL INSPIRED TEACHERS. The words of Jesus to His disciples about the prophets before them being persecuted convey the idea that those who should follow would get the same reception. "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15: 20). So says the Savior to His apostles; and so it was. They were persecuted and put to death. It is reasonable to believe that other prophets might be treated in a similar manner. If it is to be as in the days of Noah at the time of the coming of the Son of man, then we may expect that the great majority of mankind will reject the message of salvation proclaimed to them by the prophets which the Lord will send. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM SCRIPTURES QUOTED. The scriptures pointed out in the foregoing clearly show these facts: 1. THAT PROPHETS ARE SENT BY THE LORD TO ANNOUNCE ALL IMPORTANT EVENTS CONNECTED WITH HIS PURPOSES. 2. THAT A PROPHET SHOULD BE RAISED UP IN LATTER DAYS TO PREPARE FOR CHRIST'S SECOND COMING. 3. THAT APOSTLES AND PROPHETS ARE ALWAYS NECESSARY IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 4. THAT THE TRUE CHURCH IS BUILT UPON APOSTLES AND PROPHETS. 5. THAT THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE WAS NOT COMPLETED IN FORMER DAYS. 6. THAT WITHOUT NEW REVELATION THE BIBLE PROPHECIES CANNOT BE FULFILLED 7. THAT IN ALL PAST AGES PROPHETS HAVE BEEN PERSECUTED. WAS JOSEPH SMITH A PROPHET? TESTIMONY OF HIS WORKS. The passages of scripture already given prove beyond question that a prophet is to be raised up to prepare the way before the coming of the Lord. If the Bible prophecies are to be fulfilled we are certainly justified in believing that this should be the case.