Chapter XXII.
Project Gutenberg HTML edition
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smith, Joseph, Jr., and Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
The Prophecy on the War of the RebellionThe Olive LeafCommunication to Mr. SeatonWarning to Zion.
State of the World at the Close of 1832.
Appearances of troubles among the nations became more visible this season than they had previously been since the Church began her journey out of the wilderness. The ravages of the cholera were frightful in almost all the large cities on the globe. The plague broke out in India, while the United States, amid all her pomp and greatness, was threatened with immediate dissolution. The people of South Carolina, in convention assembled (in November), passed ordinances, declaring their state a free and independent nation; and appointed Thursday, the 31st day of January, 1833, as a day of humiliation and prayer, to implore Almighty God to vouchsafe His blessings, and restore liberty and happiness within their borders. President Jackson issued his proclamation against this rebellion, called out a force sufficient to quell it, and implored the blessings of God to assist the nation to extricate itself from the horrors of the approaching and solemn crisis.
On Christmas day [1832], I received the following revelation and prophecy on war.
Revelation and Prophecy.[1]
1. Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;
2. And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
3. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon {302} other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
4. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and discipled for war.
5. And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.
6. And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations;
7. That the cry of the saints, and the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.
8. Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.
Two days after the preceding prophecy, on the 27th of December, I received the following:
Revelation.[2]
1. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you:
2. Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayer have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
3. Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
4. This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5. Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son
6. He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all {303} things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7. Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
8. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9. As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
10. And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
11. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12. Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space
13. The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
14. Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead.
15. And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
16. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
17. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
18. Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19. For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
20. That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
21. And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22. For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
23. And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
24. And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. {304} Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
25. And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law.