The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The Vitality of Mormonism: Brief Essays on Distinctive Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint churches; Latter Day Saints
By revelation through Joseph Smith the prophet the Lord thus confirmed
the predictions of His ancient servants with respect to the apostasy
of mankind: "For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have
broken mine everlasting covenant. They seek not the Lord to establish
his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the
image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and
whose substance is that of an idol." (D&C 1:15, 16).
The universal apostasy has been succeeded by the restoration of the
Gospel, of which blessed truth the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints bears testimony to the world.
Footnotes
1. See the author's "The Great Apostasy," 170 pp., _The Deseret News_,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
-- 30 --
THE MORNING BREAKS, THE SHADOWS FLEE
Light of the Gospel Again Shines
WE believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive
Church, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.
(Articles of Faith, No. 6).
As one of the signs whereby men may know when the Lord's coming is
near, Christ specified this feature of the latter times: "And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:14). As this
follows in immediate sequence to our Lord's prediction of the general
apostasy, incident to which false prophets would arise, iniquity
abound, and love for the truth wax cold, an actual restoration of the
Gospel had to occur, or the Savior's words recorded in the 24th chapter
of Matthew would be inconsistent and their fulfilment impossible.
The Revelator John was shown the scenes of the days immediately before
the latter-day advent of the Christ. In recording the vision as then
already past he wrote:
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is
come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters." (Rev. 14:6, 7).
If an angel was to come to earth, bringing the Gospel, the fact is
plain that the Gospel could not be at that time upon the earth. The
Gospel, which the angel would bring, was to be preached "to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people"; and this in strict and
logical consistency with the Lord's personal prophecy quoted above,
that one of the distinguishing signs of the last days was that the
Gospel of the kingdom, "this Gospel," that is to say, the Gospel that
He had proclaimed, would be "preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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