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10 1/2--Joseph arrived and after pressing his way through the crowd and getting on the stand said there were some people who thought it a terrible thing that any body should exercise a little power. & said he thought it a pity that any body should give occasion to have power exercised. and requested the people to get out of their alleys, and if they did not keep them clear he might some time run up and down & might hit some of them. & called on Bro. Morey to constable to keep the alleys after singing | |||
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Joseph read 1st chap 2d Epistle of Peter, Wm Law prayed. singing again. ¶ when I shall have the opportunity of speaking in a house I know not. I find my lungs failing--it has always been my fortune almost to speak in the open air to large assemblies. ¶ I have not an idea there has been a great many very good men since Adam There was one good man Jesus.--Many think a prophet must be a great deal better than any body else.--suppose I would condescend. yes I will call it condescend, to be a great deal better than any of you. I would be raised up to the highest heaven, and who should I have to accompany me. I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm, and administering to the poor & dividing his substance, than the long smoothed faced hypocrites ¶ I dont want you to think I am very righteous, for I am not very righteous. God judgeth men according to the light he gives them. |
¶ Every man goes to his own place 2 Peter 1. Ch--Judas transgression by fell that
he might go to his own place. there is one glory of the sun another of the moon &
another of the stars as one Star differetheth &c. so also is the reserection of the
dead. Brethren I am not a very Pieus man. I do not wish to be a great deal better
than any body else. If a Prophet was so much better that any body else was he would
inherit a glory far beyond what any one else would inherit and behold he would be
alone, for who would be his company in heaven. | ||
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¶ we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well to take heed. as unto a light that shineth in a dark place ¶ we were eyewitnesses of his majesty and heard the voice of his excellent glory--& what could be more sure? transfigured on the mount &c what could be more sure? divines have been quarreling for ages about the meaning of this. ¶ rough stone rolling down hill. |
we were eye witnesses of his Majesty we have also a more sure word of Prophecy. Now brethren who can explain this no man be he that has obtained these things in the same way that Peter did. Yet it is so plain & so simple & easy to be understood that when I have shown you the interpretation thereof you will think you have always Known it yourselves--These are but hints of those things that were revealed to Peter, | ||
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¶ 3 grand secrets lying in this chapter which no man can dig out. which unlocks the whole chapter. What is written are only hints of things which existed in the prophets mind. which are not written concerning eternal glory. ¶ I am going to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me. which I have received from heaven. |
and verily brethren there are things in the bosom of the Father, that have been hid from the foundation of the world, that are not Known neither can be except by direct Revelation | First Chapter second Epistle of Peter. The first four verses are the preface to the whole subject. There are three grand Keys to unlock the whole subject. First what is the knowledge of God, Second what is it to make our calling and election sure. Third and last is how to make our calling and election sure. Ans, it is to obtain a promise from God for myself that I shall have Eternal life. that is the more sure word of prophycy. | |
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¶ the opinions of men, so far as I am ¶ Columbus and the eggs.--Ladder and rainbow. like precious faith with us---add to your faith virtue &c. another point after having all these qualifications he lays this injunction. but rather make your calling & election sure--after adding all this virtue knowledge &. make your calling & sure.--what is the secret. the starting point.--according as his divine power which hath given unto all things that pertain to life & godliness. ¶
how did he obtain all things? through the knowledge of him who hath called him.--
there could not any be given pertaining to life ¶ wo, wo, wo to christendom.--the divine spirits; &c if this be true. |
The Apostle says, unto them who have obtained like precious faith with us the apostles through the righteousness of God & our Savior Jesus Christ, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory & virtue add faith virtue &c. &c. to godliness brotherly kindness--Charity--ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He that lacketh these things is blind--wherefore the rather brethren after all this give diligence to make your calling & Election Sure Knowledge is necessary to life and Godliness. wo unto you priests & divines, who preach that knowledge is not necessary unto life & Salvation. Take away Apostles &c. take away knowledge and you will find yourselves worthy of the damnation of hell. | Peter was writeing to those of like precious faith with them the Apostles First to be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise that is the testimony of Jesus Second how is he to get that Holy Spirit; Ans except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God; second except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. |
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¶ salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies.--until a man can triumph over death. he is not saved. knowledge will do this. |
Knowledge is Revelation hear all ye brethren, this grand Key; Knowledge is the
power of God unto Salvation.
¶
What is salvation. Salvation is for a man to be Saved from all his enemies even our
last enemy which is death |
Joseph said may 21st Sabbath Salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies | Ques. What is it for a man to obtain salvation Ans, It is to triumph over every foe or ascend far above all enemies for the last enimey to conquor is death and untill that is done you have not obtained salvation J. Smith Prophet. Nauvoo. |
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¶ organization of Spirits in the eternal world.--spirits in the eternal world are like spirits in this world. when those spirits have come into this risin & received glorified bodies. they will have an ascendancy over spirits who have no bodies. or kept not their first estate3 like the devil. Devils punishment, should not have a habitation like other men. Devils retaliation come into this world bind up mens bodies. & occupy himself. authorities come along and eject him from a stolen habitation |
¶
The design of God before the foundation of the world was that we should take tabernacles
that through faithfulness we should overcome & thereby obtain a resrection from the dead,
in this wise obtain glory honor power and dominion for this thing is needful, inasmuch
as the Spirits in the Eternal world, glory in bringing other Spirits in Subjection unto
them, Striving continually for the Mastery, He who rules in the heavens when he has a
certain work to do calls the Spirits before him to organize them. they present themselves
and offer their Services--
When Lucifer was hurled from Heaven the decree was that he Should not obtain a tabernacle not those that were with him, but go abroad upon the earth exposed to the anger of the elements naked & bare, but ofttimes he lays hold upon men binds up their Spirits enters their habitations laughs at the decree of God and rejoices in that he hath a house to dwell in, by & by he is expelled by Authority and goes abroad mourning naked upon the earth like a man without a house exposed to the tempest & the storm-- |
The 1st chapter of 2d Peter is hints of things which are nowhere written. There are
things which pertain to the Glory of God & heirship of God with Christ which are not
¶ The mortification of satan consists in his not being permitted to take a body. He sometimes gets possession of a body but when the proven authorities turn him out of Doors he finds it was not his but a stolen one |
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¶ design of the great God in sending us into this world and organizing us to prepare us for the Eternal world.--I shall keep in my own bosom. we have no claim in our eternal comfort in relation to Eternal things unless our actions & contracts & all things tend to this end.-- ¶
after all this make your calling and election sure. if this injunction would lay
largely on those to whom it was spoken. how much more then to them of the 19. century.--
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¶ There are some things in my own bosom that must remain there. If Paul could say I
Knew a man who ascended to the third heaven & saw things unlawful for man to utter, I
more. There are only certain things that can be done by the Spirits and that which
is done by us that is not done with a view to eternity is not binding in eternity. Oh
Peter if they who were of like precious faith with thee were enjoined to make their
Calling & Election sure, how much more all we There are two Keys, one key knowledge.
the other make you Calling & election sure, for if you do these things you shall never fall
for so an entrance shall be administered unto you abundently into the everlasting
Kingdom of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. We made known unto you the power & coming
of our Lord & S. J. Christ were Eye witnesses of his Majesty when he received from
God the Father honor & glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent
glory, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount. We have also a more sure
word of prophecy whereunto give heed until the day Star arise in your hearts | ¶ Our covenants here are of no force one with another except made in view of eternity. From the above it seems that when we overcom the last Enemy which is Death and Satan is not permitted to enjoy a condition in which he can overcome that we have then got the ascendancy over him. |
1. Two other observers left short notes of this sermon, Wilford Woodruff and Levi Richards. Woodruff observed the topic was the same as the 14 May sermon:
A large Congregation of Saint assembled at the temple & was addressed by President Joseph Smith upon the same subject that he spoke upon at Lima on the 14th in which was interesting in the hiest degree
Richards noted that the sermon was about 2 hours long:
A. M. attended Meeting at the Temple P. Joseph Smith preached from 1 Chap. 2d Peter "we have a more sure word of prophesy &C" spoke about two hours.
2. The Smith diary was used as the text for the version appearing in the ms history and later published in History of the Church 5:303-306. Considerable expansion of this segment appears there. The source of this expansion is unknown. Possibly one or more of the individuals present at this or other sermons where the illustrations were used was able to give further information, or the historians had other written sources not now available. In any case, two of the illustrations, (1) "the rough stone" and (2) "Columbus and the eggs" were expanded respectively as follows:
I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priest-craft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authorityof perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women-- all hell knocking off a corner here and acorner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty, who will give me dominion over all and every one of them, when their refuge of lies shall fail, and their hiding place shall be destroyed, while these smooth-polished stones with which I come in contact become marred
I break the ground; I lead the way like Columbus when he was invited to a banquet where he was assigned the most honorable place at the table, and served with the ceremonials which were observed towards sovereigns. A shallow courtier present, who was meanly jealous of him, abruptly asked him whether he thought that in case he had not discovered the Indies, there were not other men in Spain who would have been capable of the enterprise? Columbus made no reply, but took an egg and invited the company to make it stand on end. They all attempted it, but in vain; whereupon he struck it upon the table so as to break one end, and left it standing on the broken part, illustrating that when he had once shown the way to the new world nothing was easier than to follow it.
The somewhat flowery verbage used compared with the rest of the text suggests that the historians took some liberties with the sources, undoubtedly based on a knowledge of the original usage on this or another occasion. See 11Jun43.
The egg story is relatively old and circulated in Spain in various forms. A similar story circulated regarding architect Filippo Brunellischi on how he won the contract to build the dome of the cathedral of Florence.
3. A reference to the Book of Abraham (Abr. 3:26). Indeed the whole theme of having a body which appears here and in many other sermons in this period is related to the Abraham text. See 14May43.