Chapter XIV.
Project Gutenberg HTML edition
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smith, Joseph, Jr., and Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Effort to Overwhelm the Church by FalsehoodSundry Revelations Leading to Doctrinal Development.
Efforts through the Press to Retard the Work.
At this age of the Church [i. e., early in the spring of 1831] many false reports, lies, and foolish stories, were published in the newspapers, and circulated in every direction, to prevent people from investigating the work, or embracing the faith. A great earthquake in China, which destroyed from one to two thousand inhabitants, was burlesqued in some papers, as "Mormonism in China."[1] But to the joy of the Saints who had to struggle against every thing that prejudice and wickedness could invent, I received the following:
{159} Revelation at Kirtland, given March 7th, 1831.[2]
1. Hearken, O ye people of my Church, to whom the kingdom has been givenhearken ye and give ear to Him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being.
2. And again, I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved.
3. Listen to Him who is the Advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before Him,
4. Saying, Father, behold the sufferings and death of Him who did no sin, in whom Thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of Thy Son which was shedthe blood of Him whom Thou gavest that Thyself might be glorified;
5. Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
6. Hearken, O ye people of my Church, and ye Elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today, and harden not your hearts,
7. For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the worlda light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
8. I came unto my own, and my own received me not; but unto as many as received me, gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God, and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.
9. And even so, I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me;
10. Wherefore, come ye unto it, and with him that cometh, I will reason as with men in days of old, and I will show unto you my strong reasoning,
11. Wherefore hearken ye together and let me show unto you, even my wisdomthe wisdom of Him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren,
12. Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myselfa city reserved until a day of righteousness shall comea day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not because of wickedness and abominations;
13. And confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth;
{160} 14. But obtained a promise that they should find it and see it in their flesh.
15. Wherefore, hearken and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy, as unto men in days of old;
16. And I will show it plainly, as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying, as ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,
17. For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel.
18. And now ye behold this temple which is in Jerusalem, which ye call the house of God, and your enemies say that this house shall never fall.
19. But, verily, I say unto you, that desolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night, and this people shall be destroyed and scattered among all nations.
20. And this temple which ye now see shall be thrown down that there shall not be left one stone upon another.
21. And it shall come to pass, that this generation of Jews shall not pass away, until every desolation which I have told you concerning them shall come to pass.
22. Ye say that ye know that the end of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away;
23. And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled,
24. And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem, and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25. But they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
26. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth His coming until the end of the earth.
27. And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound;
28. And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my Gospel;
29. But they receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men;
30. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled;
{161} 31. And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass, until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land;
32. But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God and die.
33. And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another.
34. And, now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled:
35. And I said unto them, be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled;
36. And when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you: