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. II. FEBRUARY, 1854. FAITH IS THE GIFT OF GOD. BY THE EDITOR. No. 2. Faith is the gift of God. In what a condition that man alone was capamanner does God give faith? Does ble of bestowing? If faith is the gift he impart this gift to the mind by the of God, and man has no agency in immediate operation of the Holy Spirit obtaining this gift, then he stands in independent of any other means? the same relation to God in regard to Does he bestow it unsought for and having faith, as the horse does to the irrespective of the preparation of the man in regard to being harnessed: and mind? Does he confer it indepen- if it would be unjust and cruel in man dent of the agency of man? To say to punish his horse for not being harthat man obtains this gift without pre-nessed, it would be equally unjust and paring himself, or without the exer- cruel for God to punish man for not cise of any agency, is to deprive him having faith, if he be considered a beof all responsibility in regard to ing incapable of the exercise of such whether he has faith or not. This a faculty. condition would free him from all That faith is the gift of God there blame or condemnation for unbelief. is no dispute; but that God bestows If agency is in no way concerned in this gift unsought for, and without any obtaining faith, it would be the highest preparation or agency on the part of act of injustice to punish the unbe- man, is not only unscriptural and unliever there would be no more re-reasonable, but extremely absurd, sponsibility about him than there is when we consider that man is to be about the dumb brute. What would punished for his unbelief. But some be thought of the justice of a man who would punish his horse because he was not harnessed? If the animal were endowed with the power of speech, would he not say, that he was an irresponsible being, that he had no power or agency to harness himself, that the gift of harnessing belonged to a higher and superior being to himself, and that he considered it very cruel, and unjust, and tyrannical for that higher being to punish him for not exercising a faculty with which he was not endowed, which was far beyond his capacities, and which was may inquire, has not God the power and right to do with man as He pleases? Has not He power to withhold faith, and punish whomsoever He will, whether they deserve it or not? We reply, that whatever power God has, it is certain that He will not exercise it contrary to the principles of Justice and Mercy, or contrary to the revealed character, which He has given of Himself. If it were possible for Him to change, or deviate from His word, then He would cease to be God. If He would punish the innocent and acquit the guilty, He would be a Being altogether unlovely and undesirable- | before he can receive and enjoy them, a Being to be feared, but not to be he must exercise his agency and acloved. Therefore, we may rest as- cept of them and herein is the consured that he will never punish a man demnation of man, because when he for his unbelief, unless man has the was in a helpless fallen condition, and power to obtain faith through the ex- could not by his own works and deercise of his own free will. vices atone for the least of his sins, the only Begotten of the Father gave his own life to purchase the gifts of faith and salvation for him, and yet he will not so much as accept of them. Faith therefore is the gift of God, but man cannot have this choice heavenly treasure only in God's own ap But if faith cannot be obtained, unless sought for properly, how can the savings of Paul to the Ephesians be reconciled with this idea? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his work-pointed way. Among the means that manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2: 8-10.) We are to understand from these passages, that the grace and faith by which man is saved, are the gifts of God, having been purchased for him not by his own works, but by the blood of Christ. Had not these gifts been purchased for man, all exertions on his part would have been entirely unavailing and fruitless. Whatever course man might have pursued, he could not have atoned for one sin; it required the sacrifice of a sinless and pure Being in order to purchase the gifts of faith, repentance, and salvation for fallen man. Grace, Faith, Repentance, and Salvation, when considered in their origin, are not of man, neither by his works: man did not devise, originate, nor adopt them; superior Beings in the Celestial abodes, provided these gifts, and revealed the conditions to man by which he might become a partaker of them. Therefore all boasting on the part of man is excluded. He is saved by a plan which his works did not originate-a plan of heaven, and not of earth. Well might the Apostle declare to the Ephesians, that these gifts were not of themselves, neither of their works, when the God and Father of our spirits, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, was the great Author of them. But are these great gifts bestowed on fallen man without his works? No: man has these gifts purchased for and offered to him; but God has ordained through which man may receive this great and precious gift, may be mentioned, the preaching of the word by men called and inspired by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost: for saith the apostle, "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent ?" "So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10: 14, 15, 17.) Though faith be the gift of God, yet it comes by hearing the word. Through this medium man makes himself acquainted with the evidence in favor of the divinity of the word; the evidence being of divine origin as well as the word. This evidence begets faith in the mind; and this faith, though it be obtained through the exercise of the free will and agency of the creature, is still the gift of God, granted through the evidence accompanying the preached word. In the apostles' days, when the art of printing was unknown, and the great majority of mankind could not read the word, the principal means of obtaining faith was by the process of preaching and hearing, but in these days, in many instances, faith comes, by reading as well as by preaching for a man called and inspired of God can both preach and write by the power of the Holy Ghost; and when the honest humble soul either hears or reads that which is given by the Spirit, the light that is in him witnesseth that it is of God; for Every word of God is light and truth light cleaves to light, and truth to He that saith, that he is in the light, truth; the Spirit gives light to every but obeyeth not the words of truth, man that comes into the world, and if is deceiving himself, and is in darkhe loves the light that is in himself, ness; for none are the children of he will love all other light that is pre-faith except such as walk in the light, sented to his mind, and embrace it. and obey its laws. How many millLight cannot be presented to the mind ions in Christendom profess to be of a candid, honest person, without christians and say that they are in the being perceived to be light; but if he light and have been born of God, and receive it not, he extinguishes in a yet they have never obeyed even the degree the light that is in him, and first principles of the light; they have darkness still greater ensues, and he never repented properly, and been is left to commit evils of a greater immersed in water for the remission magnitude, until the light that was in of sins by the ministration of one him has entirely fled, and darkness whom God has authorized; and yet reigns triumphantly: this darkness they pretend that God for Christ's brings misery and wretchedness in this sake has forgiven their sins. How world and eternal torment in the world blindly deceived! and how vain their to come. This is the state of man faith and hope of salvation! God who rejects light and truth, and will has not forgiven their sins; neither not exercise faith in that which the will he forgive them, until they obey light that is in him teaches him is the message of the gospel, according to the precise order which he has reThe word and the evidence ac- vealed. Faith is the gift of God and companying it are both the gifts of is one of the means of salvation; but God; but besides these, the light none can have this gift except in the that is in every man who comes into way that God has ordained: and all the world is also the gift of God who pretend to have faith, and obey through Christ. For if Christ had not that form of doctrine which God not purchased this gift for man by his has revealed, will find that their faith atoning blood, man would have been is of no effect, and that they will be destitute of all light. Darkness alone damned with unbelievers: for God would have reigned, and our world will not confer saving gifts upon the would have been a hell-the miser- disobedient. true. able abode of fallen spirits and fallen Every thing that is good comes man: no ray of light could have pen- from God and is the gift of God. etrated the darkened understanding: God has given revelation upon revethe extreme of misery would have lation unto man for his benefit; and been the result. But saith our Sa- the generations to whom he has givviour, "I am the light and the life of en his word will be judged by that the world;" all light that is in the word at the last day. God raised up world came by him through his atone- a prophet in our day, and gave him ment; it is the gift of God to fallen the Urim and Thummim, and revealed man. If the light that is in man be a flood of light and truth through the gift of God, surely all additional light offered to him, must be the gift of God also. By faith man should lay hold of this light, wherever he may discover it. him to this generation. This generation will be judged out of the books and revelations which God gave through this prophet. If they exercise faith in these revelations, and The only way to receive additional obey the same, they will be justified faith and light is to practice according and saved; but if they disbelieve to the light which we have: and if them, and harden their hearts against we do this, we have the promise of them, they will surely be dainned; God that the same shall grow bright- for the Almighty reveals not his word er and brighter until the perfect day. in vain. What doth it benefit this man cause him to hate the light because his deeds are evil. And thus this generation will, for the most part, perish in unbelief and disobedience to one of the greatest and most important messages that God ever sent for the salvation of the people. Oh, poor fallen man! how eager for happiness, and yet how unwilling to receive it upon righteous principles ! Oh, that thou didst but know the day of thy visitation, and wouldst incline thine ear, and hearken to the voice of God and harden not thy heart, for then it would be well with thee! But thou knowest not, neither dost thou consider the fearful judgments that await thee, if thou turnest a deaf ear to the last great message of mercy, now revealed from the heavens for thy good! Oh, turn unto the Lord, generation to offer them a heavenly gift, and reveal to them more light and truth if they receive it not? The gift benefits those only who receive it. The rest will receive a greater condemnation. When the honest read that heavenly treasure-the Book of Mormon, they are filled with joy unspeakable, because God has again spoken to man as in ancient times; their souls feast upon the contents of that holy and divine book; and so great is their joy, that they cannot find language adequate to express the overflowings of their hearts. But how different are the feelings of those who reject it light and truth flee from them, and they feel angry to think that God should again speak to man. But God will show them by his Almighty power that his word cannot be rejected with impunity-and exercise faith in him, that your The judgments that have befallen ancient generations and nations who have rejected his word, ought to be a solemn warning to those now on the earth. But alas! the pride, highmindedness, and great wickedness of light and joy may be increased-your faith and love become perfected, that all of the gifts of God may abound in you, that you may finally obtain eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God to man. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON DOCTRINE. BY THE EDITOR. Question. Does the Book of Mor- tory of the ancient nations who once mon agree with the Bible? Answer. Both books being of Divine origin, they will of course agree; for God never disagrees with himself; and His words spoken in ancient America are just as true as His words, spoken in ancient Palestine. Q. Does the Book of Mormon contain any additional light not contained in the Bible? A. The whole volume, without exception to any of its parts, contains additional light and truth. Whether considered in its historical, prophetical, or doctrinal character, it is one of the most wonderful and important books of which the world has any knowledge. Were it not for this choice and invaluable work, the his peopled this vast continent, would have slumbered in perpetual darkness: all efforts to have penetrated the mists of antiquity would have been in vain. The magnificent ruins of ancient cities, palaces, and temples, buried in primeval forests, would alone have proclaimed in silent grandeur, the strength and greatness of the former population. The Book of Mormon, then, as an ancient history, and the only history which we have of ancient America, is of priceless value-a gem most precious. A book is valuable in proportion to the importance and greatness of the truths which it unfolds; and this value is infinitely increased, when it is known that it is the only source of informa tion upon the subject. greatly enhances the value of this plainness; many sacred books having ancient history is the fact of its being sacred. There are many histories of the ancient nations of the eastern continent, but they are full of contradictions and absurdities, and cannot in many things be depended on. The historian, in his researches into the remote ages of antiquity, is frequently guided by speculation and conjecture. These defects render some histories of less value than others whose veracity is undoubted. The Book of Mormon being a sacred history, its declara tions can be depended on: and when we read the doings of by-gone ages, we know that we have no speculation or conjecture of the his'orian to blind and bewilder the understanding Every event is accurately described: every word is truth; and we feast our minds with certainty and knowledge. Q. But what benefit is Sacred History in relation to the salvation of man? That which | But the Bible has been robbed of its A. By sacred history we learn the dealings of God with nations, generat ons, and individuals: we perceive the prosperity that attends the righteous, and the judgments that befall the wicked. All these things are encouragements and warnings to us, and calculated to lead us in the steps of righteousness, and cause us to shun the paths of evil. been lost, others rejected by the Rom- Q. Did the revelation and translation of the book of Mormon authorize Joseph Smith to officiate in gospel ordinances? A. No: God sent an holy angel, QIs there any benefit to be de- whose name was John (the Baptist) rived from the prophetical and doc- to confer upon him and upon another trinal portions of the Book of Mor-young man whose name was Oliver mon? Cowdery, authority to baptize for the remission of sins. A. Yes: in this respect, the book is infinitely more valuable than all other books in the world written by human wisdom. The doctrines and prophecies, contained in it, are so very definite, pointed, and plain, that no ambiguity or uncertainty is left upon the mind in regard to the way of salvation, and the events that are to transpire so far as they are predicted. Q. But is not the Jewish Record or the Bible equally as plain? A. No: it no doubt was once just as plain and definite as the sacred Scriptures given in Ancient America. Q. Did this authority extend to the ordinance of Confirmation, or the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost? A. No: John could not baptize with the Holy Ghost; he was only authorized to baptize with water, and he could not confer authority upon others which he himself did not hold. Q. How did Joseph Smith obtain the office of an apostle? A. Peter, James, and John were sent to him, by whom he was ordained to the apostleship, and thus authorized to lay on hands upon baptized believ |