The Restoration of the GospelWidtsoe, Osborne J. P.
Religion
The Restoration of the Gospel
Widtsoe, Osborne J. P.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In like manner, the Book of Abraham supplies valuable information
concerning the wonderful works of God. Independent of the Book of
Moses, it corroborates all that is taught there. And it goes further.
From it we learn important truths concerning a pre-existent state;
and from it we learn more fully, too, of the worlds, and the creation
of worlds. The science of creation is perhaps nowhere else so fully
explained as in the Book of Abraham. There, too, are outlined some of
the important principles of the New Astronomy, principles fast coming
to be recognized as true by scientific men. Without this record we
should lack much in our knowledge of the history of God and of man.
Another act, then, in the great drama of the Restoration has been
accomplished. To knowledge has been added knowledge. To the sacred
record contained in the Bible was added that of the Book of Mormon. And
now, to both of these, are added two others, briefer than either of the
first, but wanting nothing in significance to the people of God.
XIV.
A SACRED BOOK OF TODAY.
When the Lord God called Miriam and Aaron to task for speaking against
their brother Moses, He said to them, "Hear now my words: If there be
a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a
vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not
so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of
the Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak
against my servant Moses?"[A]
[Footnote A: Num. 12:1-8.]
So it was also with the Prophet Joseph Smith. From the day of the first
splendid vision of the Father and the Son, the Lord spoke often to the
young prophet, and clearly. Particularly close was the communion of
the Prophet with his God after the re-establishment of the Church upon
the earth. As often as he felt the need of direction or encouragement,
so often did the young man seek God; and God always answered him, and
spoke to him, and gave him what was needful for him in that hour. It
happened, then, that in a very short time the Prophet had accumulated
a fairly large number of revelations. For each time the Lord spoke to
him, either he himself or one of his scribes recorded the revelation
as it was given. Afterwards, copies were made and circulated among the
Saints that were most nearly concerned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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