The Gospel: An Exposition of its First Principles: Revised and Enlarged EditionRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Gospel: An Exposition of its First Principles: Revised and Enlarged Edition
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches
The matter is still more plainly set forth in the Doctrine and
Covenants. In speaking of the priesthood and the ordinances belonging
thereto--through which ordinances "the power of godliness is
manifest; and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of
the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in
the flesh; for without this"--that is without the priesthood and
its ordinances--"no man can see the face of God even the Father and
live."[L] The Lord says: "Now this Moses plainly taught to the children
of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his
people that they might behold the face of God: but they hardened their
hearts, and could not endure his presence, therefore the Lord in his
wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should
not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the
fullness of his glory. Therefore he took Moses out of their midst,
and the holy priesthood also; and the lesser priesthood continued,
which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the
preparatory gospel; which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of
baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments,
which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron
among the children of Israel until John."[M]
[Footnote L: Doc. and Cov., sec. lxxxiv: 21, 22.]
[Footnote M: Doc. and Cov., sec. lxxxiv: 19, 27.]
The above is confirmed by the Jewish scriptures also; for it is written
in the concluding chapter of Deuteronomy--"There arose not a prophet
since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in
all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land
of Egypt."[N]
[Footnote N: Deut. xxxiv: 10-12.]
Of the things we have spoken respecting the gospel being presented to
Israel, this is the sum: The Lord gave them the gospel, but because
they would not observe its sacred requirements, he took it, that is
in its fullness, from among them, and also the higher or Melchisedek
Priesthood; but left them the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood, and to the
part of the gospel which remained, _viz_., repentance and baptism for the
remission of sins, was added the law of carnal commandments, which was
to educate them for the fullness of the gospel when Messiah should come
with it. At the appointed time Messiah came and taught the gospel of
the kingdom; and though the Jews as a nation rejected him, and their
Sanhedrin sentenced him to death, yet a few received his teachings,
and among them the Lord Jesus organized His church, established his
priesthood and gave to his servants a commandment to go and teach all
nations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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