All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains.-Isaiah XVIII, 3.

VOL. I.

SEPTEMBER, 1853.

(Concluded.)

No. 9.

103. An infinite quantity of self-matter is not known in the universe. moving intelligent matter, possessed of If all substance once existed eternally infinite capacities, and existing eter- without action, what prompted it to nally, must have been engaged in an make the first effort! How came the endless series of operations. It matters first particle to move itself? Why, not how far we may, in the imagina- after an endless past duration, should tion of our minds, go back into the in- it all at once, conclude to move? Why finite depths of past duration, we are should intelligent thinking materials, still obliged to admit, that every par- capable of self-motion, have existed ticle of matter which now exists, existed from all eternity without exercising their then; that it was then capable of self- capacities? No one, therefore, upon motion; that it was then capable of candid reflection, can suppose, for one exercising the eternal capacities of its moment, that there was a beginning nature, and of progressing onward and to the operations or actions of subupward, until it should be perfected in stance. There could not have been a all the fulness of wisdom, knowledge, first act or first operation. The sucand truth. An endless series of ope- cession of acts and operations must rations excludes a first operation. If have been endless.

it be assumed that there was a period 104. Having shown in the precedwhen matter first began to act, then ing paragraph, that there must have the succession of acts would be finite been an endless series of operations and not endless, and there would have been an endless duration, preceding that first act, du.ing which, all things would have been in a quiescent state, or state of absolute rest. To suppose that all the spiritual matter of the universe, which is now so powerful and active, has once been eternally at rest, would seem to be absurd in the highest degree. Every thing now is in motion; every thing is highly active: every thing is acting under some law, or guided by some motive or will. Such a thing as an inactive particle of

among the self-moving intelligent materials of nature, let us next inquire into the nature of these operations. These operations may have been extremely simple, or they may have been abstruse and intricate in their nature: thov may have been the effect of each individual particle, acting at random under no particular system of laws, or they may have been the results of a combination of large masses of substances acting under wise and judicious laws: they may have acted in a disorganized capacity, or they may

tions as the foregoing would unavoidably arise in the mind.

have acted in the capacity of organized worlds, and personages, and beings, something similar to what now exists. 105. If there ever were a period Simple operations at random without when none of the substances of nature, law, would exhibit but a small degree posessed a fulness of truth, then previof intelligence; while operations such ously to that period the universe would as now exist, would show something have been governed by laws inferior to that had infinite wisdom, knowledge, those which now obtain. But it seems and power; in other words, it would altogether unlikely that among an inprove the existence of a God. If this finite quantity of materials, possessing endless series of operations has always infinite capacities, there should be none been conducted with the same wisdom which had perfected themselves in and power which now characterize the knowledge and truth, though they had workings of the universe, then there had an endless duration in which to must have always been a fulness of have accomplished it. It seems far knowledge and truth exisiting some- more consistant to believe that infinite where, either in organized or disorgan- knowledge has from all eternity existized substances. We cannot prove ed somewhere, either in organized perfrom the present appearances of nature sonages or in disorganized materials. that there has always been a God. 106. We shall now prove by reveThe present exhibitions of nature only lation given through JOSEPH, the SEER, prove that there is now a God, and that there has been a God from all that there has been a God for many eternity; or in other words, that there ages past, which is clearly proved by is a God who never had a beginning. His works, many of which can be One revelation commences thus: proved to be many thousand years old. "Hearken and listen to the voice of But when we go back to ages still Him who is from all Eternity to all more remote in antiquity, nature does eternity, the Great I AM, even Jesus not inform us whether there was in Christ, the light and the life of the those ages a God, having a fulness of world." (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 59: Par. 1.) knowledge, or not. We have been in- Here then is positive proof that Jesus formed in preceding paragraphs, that Christ is from all Eternity. We are men, through obedience, attain to the aware that there are some who confulness of all knowledge and become sider that the words "all Eternity" Gods. Now there is a time before have reference to a definite limited each man obtains this fulness which period of time. Such suppose that constitutes him a God. Personal Gods, there have been many eternities sucthen, have a beginning: they exist ceeding each other: if this supposifirst as spirits, then as men clothed with tion be correct, then the period expressmortal flesh, then as Gods clothed with ed by the words "from all Eternity” immortal tabernacles. If one God can could not have been without beginhave a beginning, the question arises, ning. But it is evident to our mind May not all other Gods have had a that the words were intended to conbeginning? The operations and ap- vey the idea of an endless past due. pearances of the universe only teach tion; or in others, a duration us that there has been a God for a few that had no beginning, when speaking ages past; and if we had no other in referens to the light and truth that light, the question would very naturally dwelt in Him. That this is the trne occur, was there not a first God? An idea intended to be conveyed, is evident if so, at what period of time did he from other declarations of Christ; one attain to a fulness of truth and be- of which reads as follows: "Listen to come God? What was the condition the voice of Jesus Christ, your Reof the universe before any of the sub- deemer, the Great I AM, whose arm stances of nature attained this fulness? of mercy hath atoned for your sins." In the absence of revelation in regard Among the things revealed in this to the past eternity of God, such ques-revelation, Jesus says, "Unto myself

my works have no end, NEITHER | He is the only God worshipped by the BEGINNING." (Doc. and Cov., Sec. righteous of all worlds; for He exists 10: Par. 1 and 8.) No language could in all worlds, and dwells in all his fulmore plainly prove that Jesus Christ ness in countless millions of tabernacles. had no beginning. His "works have He has no beginning, neither have His no end, neither beginning." There works a There works a beginning, but each of His never was a period when Christ began organized tabernacles had a beginning: His works: there never was a first work each personal spirit was organized out that He performed. A series that has of the elements of spiritual matter. no beginning can have no first term. 107. Having proved that Jesus A past succession of works that is end- Christ, or the Fulness of Truth, had no less necessarily excludes a first work. beginning, let us next inquire, Whether As there could not be a first act, it there always have been personages in shows most clearly that Jesus Christ which this fulness dwelt? or whether must have existed during an endless it or He dwelt in the unorganized parsuccession of ages, and that there ticles of substance prior to there being could not be a first age of His exist- any personages formed? These are ence. This past endless existence of rather difficult questions to answer. It Christ has reference to the fulness of is quite probable, that it has been from Truth, and Light, and Knowledge all eternity about the same as at prewhich now dwell in His person. sent; that there has been an endless These attributes are personified and succession of substances, both organcalled God: these had no begin- ized and unorganized, which have been ning, while His person did have a exalted and glorified, and have received beginning in its organized capacity, a fulness. It is altogether likely, being the "First Born of every crea- that there has been an endless succesture." The attributes of Jesus Christ, sion of worlds, and an endless succesor in other words, the fulness of Truth, sion of inhabitants who have peopled existed for endless ages before His those worlds. If so, then there could person was formed. Before the spirit- not be a first world, nor a first person. ual body or personage of Christ was Though each world, and each person born in the heavenly world, there would have a beginning, yet there would were innumerable worlds in existence, be no beginning to the grand chain of each peopled with myriads of person-succession or genealogy. This may be ages, and each were filled with all the exemplified, by conceiving the existence fulness of Jesus Christ, or the fulness of endless straight lines in boundless of Truth, which is called by various space: conceive each of these lines to names, such as, God, the Great I AM, be divided or graduated into an endthe Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, &c. less number of yards. All can at once All these names, as well as the per- see, that there would be a beginning sonal pronouns He, His, and Him, are to each of these yards, but there would applied to the FULNESS OF TRUTH, be no beginning to the endless succeswherever it or Hẹ may dwell, whether sion. So, likewise, of endless durain one tabernacle or in unnumbered tion; we can conceive of its being millions. This Great God-the FUL- divided into an endless succession NESS OF TRUTH, can dwell in all of minutes; each of these minutes worlds at the same instant-can be would have a beginning, but there everywhere present-can be in all would be no beginning to the succesthings, and round about all things, and sion. We have already learned from through all things. He is in the per- revelation that the works of Jesus Christ sonage of the Father; He is in the had no beginning. Now let us suppose personage of the Son; He will be in that each successive work was the orthe personages of all His Saints when ganization of a world and the peopling they receive of His fulness; and in of the same. All will at once admit fine, He is the only living and true that each world and the inhabitants God, and besides Him there is no God: thereof would have a beginning; but

His works, being without a beginning, personages are only His different dwellthere could not be a first world in this ing places. After the resurrection, endless succession, nor a first Father in when the Fulness of Truth or God the endless genealogy. dwells in us, it can then be said of us, 108. Looking at things through our as is now said of Christ, that we are imperfect minds, we have been accus-"from all eternity to all eternity;" it tomed to suppose that all things which can then be said of us, that our "works are connected by a chain of causes and have no end, neither beginning;" it effects, must eventually terminate in a can then be said of us, that we are "in First Cause and in a First Effect: for all things, and through all things, and instance, in tracing genealogies, we go round about all things;" it can then back from the son to the father, then be said of us, that the number of worlds to the grandfather, then to the great which we have created are more numergrandfather, and thus we trace the ous than the particles of dust in a millineage back from generation to gener-lion of earths like this; yea, that this ation until we naturally look for a first would not be a beginning to the numfather pertaining to the human race on ber of our creations; it can be said of this creation, so, likewise, when we trace us, that we are there in all these inthe genealogy of our spirits. We were finity of worlds, and that our bosom is begotten by our Father in Heaven; there. How, inquires the astonished the person of our Father in Heaven was Saints, can all these things be? How begotten on a previous heavenly world can we be from all eternity? How by His Father; and again, He was be- can we be omnipresent? How can our gotten by a still more ancient Father; works be without beginning? We reand so on, from generation to genera-ply, that this will be true in regard to tion, from one heavenly world to an- the fulness of God that dwells within other still more ancient, until our minds us, but not true in regard to our perare wearied and lost in the multiplicity sons; neither is it true in regard to of generations and successive worlds, any other persons. God is the light and as a last resort, we wonder in our and the life of all things. Our life and minds, how far back the genealogy ex- our light are now only a part of God, tends, and how the first world was but then, in that glorious day, they formed, and the first father was begot- will be the whole of God, animating, ten. But why does man seek for a and quickening, and glorifying a new first, when revelation informs him that tabernacle. Then we can say one to God's works are without beginning? another, I am in you and you are in Do you still seek for a first link where me, and we all are one, even one God, the chain is endless? Can you con- "from everlasting to everlasting." The ceive of a first year in endless duration? Light and Intelligence and Truth which Can you grasp within your comprehen- each Saint will then possess in fulness, sion the first mile in an endless right was not created, neither, indeed, can be, line? All these things you will readily but they were from all eternity; and they acknowledge have no first: why, then, assisted in the formation of all worlds, you seek for a first personal Father and are present in all worlds, governin an endless genealogy? or for a first ing and controlling the same. Do we effect in an endless succession of effects? realize that our very life and being is 109. The Fulness of Truth, dwelling constituted and composed of eternal in an endless succession of past genera-principles? that the beings which we tions, would produce an endless succes-call ourselves are only parts of one sion of personal Gods, each possessing eternal whole? that the attributes of equal wisdom, power, and glory with our nature are God's attributes in emall the rest. In worshipping any one bryo, placed in new tabernacles where of these Gods we worship the whole, they are required to improve and perand in worshipping the whole, we still fect themselves by cleaving unto the worship but one God; for it is the great fountain of which they are a same God who dwells in them all; the part? Every additional portion of

do

light which they receive is an addi- | one of these personages, and still it is tional portion of God; when they are but one truth-a unity and not a plufilled with light, they are filled with rality of truths. However great the God-that is, God is in them in all of number of truths which may be imHis fulness, and wherever God is, there parted equally to an infinite number of is Almighty power, and Infinite wisdom personages, still the truths are not inand knowledge, and all things are sub-creased in number by their increased ject unto Him, and He possesses all number of dwelling places. In all these things, and all dominions and worlds characteristics truth and substance are His, for He made them all. It is widely differ from each other. As God for this reason that each of the Saints is Light and Truth, and Light and will inherit all things, and be equal Truth is God, all the characteristics not only in power and glory, but also which belong to one, belong to the in dominion. All things present, and other also. An infinite number of all things to come, will be theirs. All tabernacles filled with Truth, contains things present, include all the infinity no more than one filled with the same: of worlds which have been created, re- so likewise an infinite number of tabdeemed, and glorified from all eternity: ernacles filled with God knows no all things to come include all the worlds more than one knows. Truth is one which will be created, redeemed, and Truth though dwelling in millions, so glorified to all eternity. Each one of likewise God is one God though dwellthe Saints who receive a fulness of God ing in countless numbers of tabernacles. will be joint heirs with all the rest in This is the reason why we are so rethis great common stock inheritance: peatedly told in both ancient and each one possessing the whole. Con- modern revelation, that there is but sequently, they will be equal in domin- one God. And whenever a plurality ion as well as equal in knowledge, of Gods is mentioned we may always power, and glory. This is so fully re- know that the expression has reference vealed in revelations, both ancient and only to the number of tabernacles modern, that we deem it unnecessary where this one only true and living to multiply quotations. Indeed, Why God dwells. should not the same God in one taber- 111. We have dwelt upon this subnacle inherit just as much as He does ject rather longer than what we, at in every other tabernacle? If men are first, intended, because we consider it a tabernacles, and God is the Being who principle which should be well underdwells within them, then this One God stood by the Saints, not only for our in each tabernacle must of necessity own benefit, but that we may be able possess all things; for He made them to teach others correctly; that when all. we are asked for a reason, why we be110. How very different in their lieve in a plurality of Gods, we may be nature is light and truth from substance. able to set forth our views clearly and A substance can only be in one place plainly in accordance with the revelaat a time: while intelligence or truth tions which God has given of Himself. can be in all worlds at the same instant. It is for this purpose that we have A substance cannot be divided, and a dwelt so long upon the pre-existence of part be taken to some other place, with- man in order that we may the more out diminishing the original quantity clearly understand, not only our heavenfrom which it was taken: while differ- ly and God-like origen, but the grand ent portions of light and truth may be system of laws by which God origiimparted to other beings in other places nates and prepares tabernacles for His without diminishing in the least the own residence in which the fulness of fountain from which they are derived. His wisdom, power, and glory, are Substances, organized into different manifested. O how great, and how persons on separate worlds, become a marvelous are the ways of God, and plurality of substances or persons: His plans which He has adopted for while a truth may be imparted to each the salvation and glorification of His