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Instructions delivered sometime in July 1839
Source: Willard Richards Pocket Companion, probably copied in part
from notes of John Taylor. The sermon was widely copied in England. See, for example, Samuel W. Richards notebook, MS 1841, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, UT.
Adam is Michael
The Priesthood was.
¶ first given to Adam: he obtained the first Presidency & held the Keys
of it, from generation to Generation; he obtained it in the creation before the world was
formed as in Gen. 1, 26:28,--he had dominion given him over every living Creature. He is
Michael, the Archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures,--
Noah is Gabriel
Then to Noah who is Gabriel, he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he
was called of God to this office & was the Father of all living in his day, & To him was
given the Dominion. These men held keys, first on earth, & then in Heaven.--
The Priesthood is an everlasting principle & Existed with God from Eternity & will to
Eternity, without beginning of days or end of years. the Keys have to be brought from
heaven whenever the Gospel is sent.--
When they are revealed from Heaven it is by Adams Authority.
Eschatological Meeting
¶
Dan VII Speaks of the Ancient of days, he means the oldest man, our Father Adam,
Michael; he will call his children together, & hold a council with them to prepare
them for the coming of the Son of Man. He, (Adam) is the Father of the human family
& presides over the Spirits of all men, & all that have had the Keys must stand before
him in this great Council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of
action. The Son of Man stands before him & there is given him glory & dominion.--Adam
delivers up his Stewardship to Christ, that which was deliverd to him as holding the
Keys of the Universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family.
Book of Abraham Reference
¶ The Spirit of Man is not a created being; it existed from Eternity & will exist to
eternity. Anything created cannot be Eternal. & earth, water &c1
--all these had their existence in an elementary State from Eternity.
Our Savior speaks of Children & Says their angels always stand before my father.
Meaning of Abraham 3:22-23
¶ The Father called all spirits before him at the creation of Man & organized them
[I Abraham saw the intelligences which were organized before the world was] . He
(Adam) is the head, was told to multiply. The Keys were given to him [Adam], and
by him to others & he will have to give an account of his Stewardship, & they to
him. The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses, & Elias--gave the Keys to
Peter, James & John on the Mount when they were transfigured before him. The
Priesthood is everlasting, without beginning of days or end of years, without
Father, Mother &c,--
Ordinances not to be Changed
¶
If there is no change of ordinances there is no change of Priesthood. Wherever
the ordinances of the Gospel are administered there is the priesthood.
Restoration
How have we come at the priesthood in the last days? They it came down, down in
regular succession. Peter James & John had it given to them & they gave it up.
Adam is not God
Christ is the Great High priest; Adam next.--2
Temple Ordinances Many have Lived and Died without them
Paul speaks of the Church coming to an innumerable company of Angels,
to God the Judge of all, the Spirits of Just men made perfect, to Jesus the
mediator of the New Covenant, &c. Heb. XII, 23. I saw Adam in the valley of
Ah-dam-ondi-Ahman--he called together his children & blessed them with a
Patriarchal blessing. The Lord appeared in their midst, & he (Adam) blessed
them all, & foretold what should befall them to the latest generation--See
D.C. Sec III 28,29 par [LDS D&C 107]--This is why Abraham 3
blessed his posterity: He wanted
to bring them into the presence of God. They looked for a city, &c.--Moses
sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through the
power of the Pristhood, but he could not. In the first ages of the world
they tried to establish the same thing--& there were Elias's raised up who
tried to restore these very glories but did not obtain them. But (Enoch did
for himself & those that were with Him, but not for the world. J.T. [note
inserted by John Taylor]) they prophesied of a day when this Glory would
be revealed.--
Temple - Abraham 2:11 - Adam-ondi-Ahman
Paul spoke of the Dispensation of the fulness of times, when God would gather
together all things in one &c&. Those men to whom these Keys have been given will
have to be there. (I.E. when Adam shall again assemble his children of the Priesthood,
& Christ be in their midst) the Ancient of Days come &c &c J.T.) And they without us
cannot not be made perfect. These men are in heaven, but their children are on Earth.
Their bowels yearn over us. God sends down men for this reason, Mat. 13. 41. & the Son
of man shall send forth his Angels &c--All these authoritative characters will come down
& join hand in hand in bringing about this work--
Future of the Latter-day Saints - Parable of Mustard Seed
The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed. the mustard seed is small but
brings forth a large tree, and the fowls lodge in the branches The fowls are the Angels,"
the Book of Mormon perhaps, these Angels come down combined together to gather their
children, & gather them. We cannot be made perfect without them, nor they without us
when these things are done the Son of man will descend, the ancient of Days sit.--We
may come to an innumerable company of Angels have communion with & receive instruction
from them.--Paul told about Moses's proceedings. Spoke of the Children of Israel being
baptized, &c, he knew this & that all the ordinances, & blessings were in the Church.
Paul had these things; & we may have the fowls of the heaven lodge in the branches &c.
The horn made war with the Saints, & overcame them &c, the Ancient of Days came,
judgment was given to the Saints of the Most High, from the Ancient of Days--the time
came that the Saints possessed the kingdom--this not only makes us ministers here but
in Eternity.
Revelation - Salvation
Salvation cannot come without revelation, it is in vain for anyone to minister
without it.
¶
No man is a minister of Jesus Christ, without being a Prophet. No man can
be the minister of Jesus Christ, except he has the testimony of Jesus & this is the
Spirit of Prophecy. Whenever Salvation has been administered it has been by Testimony.
Men at the present time testify of Heaven & of hell, & have never seen either--& I will
say that no man knows these things without this.
Prophecy
Men profess to prophecy. I will prophesy that the signs of the coming
of the Son of Man are already commenced, one pestilence will desolate
after another, we shall soon have war & bloodshed. The Moon will be turned
to blood.
[Matt. 24]I testify of these things, & that the coming of the Son of Man
is nigh even at your doors.--If our Souls & our bodies are not looking forth for the coming
of the Son of Man, & after we are dead if we are not looking forth, &c we shall be among
those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon us &c--
Sealing - Elijah
The hearts of the children will have to be turned to the fathers, & the fathers to the
children living or dead to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. If Elijah did not
come the whole earth would be smitten. 4
Prophecy on Gathering to Stakes
There will be here & there a stake &c. for the gathering of the Saints Some may have
cried peace, but the Saints & the world will have little peace from henceforth. Let this
not hinder us from going to the Stakes, for God has told us to flee not dallying, or we
shall be scattered, one here, another there. There your children shall be blessed & you
in the midst of friends where you may be blessed. &c
The Gospel net gathers of every kind. I prophecy that the man who tarries after he
has an opportunity of going will be afflicted by the Devil. Wars are at hand we must not
delay, but we are [are we] not required to Sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of
Zion as our greatest object.--when wars come we shall have to flee to Zion, the cry is to
make haste.
The last revelation [LDS D&C 133?] says ye shall not have time to have gone over the Earth
until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, & fires burning earthquake,
one pestilence after another &c untilthe Ancient of Days [will] come then judgment will be given
to the Saints.
Kirtland Troubles - Peace in Zion - Stakes - Vision
¶ Whatsoever you may hear about me or Kirtland, take no notice of, for if it be a place of
refuge the Devil will use his greatest efforts to trap the Saints. You must make yourselves
acquainted with those men, who, like Daniel pray three times a day to the house of the Lord.
--Look to the Presidency &c & receive instruction. Every man who is afraid, covetous &c will be
taken in a snare.--The time is soon coming when no man will have any peace but in Zion & her
Stakes. I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, & brother murdering brother, women
killing their own daughters & daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies
arrayed against armies I saw blood, desolations, & fires &c,--The Son of Man has said that
the mother, shall be against the daughter, & the daughter against the mother &c, &c--these
things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from City to City--
Devil - Try the Spirits
Satan will rage & The Spirit of the Devil is now enraged, &c I know not how soon these
things will take place, and with a view of them shall I cry peace? No! I will
lift up my voice & testify of them. How long you will have good crops, & the famine
be kept off. I do not know. When the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh
at hand. we may look for Angels &c. & recieve their ministering but we are to try the spirits
& prove them. for it is often the case that men make a mistake in regard to these things.
True Visions
¶ God has so ordained that when he has communicated by vision no vision to be
taken but what you see by the seeing of the eye or what you hear by the
hearing of the ear--When you see a vision &c pray for the interpretation if
you get not this, shut it up.--There must be certainty in this matter. An
open vision will manifest that which is more important. Lying Spirits are
going forth in the Earth.
¶
There will be great manifestation of Spirit both
false & true. &c.
Born Again
Being born again comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances.
Angels - Spirits - Detecting the Devil
An angel of God never has wings. Some will say that they have seen a
Spirit, that he offered them his hand, but they did not touch it. This is
a lie. First it is contrary to the plan of God A Spirit cannot come but in
glory. An angel has flesh and bones, we see not their glory. The Devil may
appear as an angel of light. Ask God to reveal it, if it be of the Devil,
he will flee from you, if of God he will manifest himself or make it
manifest, we may come to Jesus & ask him. he will know all about it.--
Visions to Children - No Complex Symbols
If he comes to a little child, he will adapt himself to the Language
& capacity of a little child.--There is no Gold nor Silver &c. it is false,
all is plain in heaven;
Discernment
every Spirit or vision or Singing is not of God. The Devil is an orator, &c:
he is powerful: he took our Savior onto a pinnacle of the temple, & kept him
in the wilderness for forty days.
5
The gift of discerning spirits will be
given to the presiding Elder, pray for him. that he may have this gift
Gift of Tongues
Speak not in the Gift of tongues without understanding it, or without
interpretation, The Devil can speak in Tongues. The Adversary will come
with his work, he can tempt all classes, Can speak in English or Dutch.
--Let no one speak in tongues unless he interpret except by the consent
of the one who is placed to preside, then he may discern or interpret or
another may.
Seek Glory of Abraham
Let us seek for the Glory of Abraham, Noah, Adam, the Apostles have communion with
these things and then we shall be among that number when Christ comes.
Notes
1. Possibly the Aristotelian idea of the physical universe: the four elements
understood as earth, air, fire, water. Webster's 1828 dictionary gives this as the definition
in "popular language," but also defines the word as the minutest part of anything. It also gives
a definition in the "chemical sense" as an "atom" the minutest part of a substance, the last result
of chemical analysis, the simplest substance. The first periodic table was published in 1862. However
the notion of chemical element was known in scientific circles as early as 1649 with the discovery
of phosphorous. The late seventeen hundreds brought the first element lists (33) and by 1829 the relation
of atomic weight to physical properties.
2. One of several statements regarding the relative positions of Adam and Christ.
They clearly place Adam as subordinate to Christ, which works against some later interpretations regarding
the position of Adam. See 5Oct40
also A Joseph Smith Commentary on the Book of Abraham, n192.
3. Probably "Adam" instead of Abraham given the context
of the sermon.
4. The revelation now known as section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants was not
known then by the Church at large, and Joseph Smith seems never to have discussed it, at least in
public. The revelation was recorded in Smith's diary in 1836 under the date of April 3, 1836 by Warren
Cowdery (brother to Oliver). Neither
Joseph, nor Oliver ever mentioned the revelation as far as is known, and the two scribes,
W. Cowdery (and Williard Richards who
later copied the revelation) seem also to have remained silent about it. This suggests that they were
instructed to be so. The first public teaching regarding the revelation occured in 1852. But Joseph
Smith always spoke of the "coming of Elijah" as important, necessary even, but not whether it had
happened. Indeed one can take his remarks in most cases as implying a watchful waiting. On the other
hand, his linking of Elijah with "sealing" and the private understanding of a portion of Nauvoo Saints
regarding such sealings, suggests that any such listeners would have taken Joseph's remarks to mean
that at least that permissive authority had been given in some way. For example see his
10Mar44 sermon.
However, the remarks here suggest that Joseph may have understood by this time something about
ordinances for the dead and how Elijah was related to them.
5. The Prophet is being hyperbolic. His own
translation of the Bible text for this incident (Matt. 4:5) reads:
"Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be with
God . . . Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit
setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple. Then the devil came unto
him . . ." [See JST Matt. 4.]
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