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get spirits; they beget only the bodies of flesh, or the tabernacles; while our Heavenly Father begets the spirits, or the living beings which come from Him to inhabit the tabernacles.

own self with the glory which I had One: for which cause He is not with thee before the world was." ashamed to call them brethren." (John 17: 5.) From these sayings, (Heb. 2: 11.) That the brethren, we perceive that the spiritual body of here spoken of, are the sons of God, Jesus existed" before the world was. begotten by the same Father that 8. Having proved that the pre-ex- Jesus was, is evident from another tence of man is reasonable and scrip saying of the Apostle, "We have had tural, we shall next prove that this fathers of our flesh which corrected pre-existence can be traced back to us, and we gave them reverence: a period before the foundation of shall we not much rather be in subthe world. The Lord asked a jection unto the FATHER OF question of Job in relation to SPIRITS, and live?" (Heb. 12: 9.) this matter: He inquires, "Where Our earthly fathers are called, the wast thou when I laid the foundations" fathers of our flesh," while God is of the earth? declare, if thou hast called, "The Father of Spirits.” understanding. Who laid the cor- Earthly fathers have no power to bener stone thereof, when the morning stars sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted for joy !" (Job 38: 4, 6, 7.) If Job had no prior exis. tence, he could have easily answered the Lord's first question. He could have replied, that, when "the foundalions of the earth" were laid, I, Job, did not exist. The very question implies that Job was in existence at "When he bringeth in the First the time of the organization of the globe, but that he had not sufficient understanding, as to the place where he existed, to correcdy answer the question put to him. Neither could he remember, "Who laid the corner stone thereof;" neither could he recollect, the song of the morning stars; neither could he call to mind, the shout of joy which was uttered by the vast assembly of " ALL THE SONS OF GOD."

10. "The First Born" of all this great family of Spirits, holds, by virtue of His birthright, a pre-eminence in all things; hence it is written,

Begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him." (Heb. 1: 6.) The oldest spirits or the First Begotten hold the keys of Salvation towards all the rest of the family of spirits. "The First Born" Spirit is called "The Morning Star," because He was born in the morning of Creation, or in other words, because He was "The Beginning of the Creation of God." His younger brethren were called "morning stars," because they were also born in the morning of creation, being the next in succession in the order of the spiritual creation.

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9. Jesus calls himself, "The bright and morning star." (Rev. 22 15.) And in another place, He represents Himself, " The Beginning of the Creation of God." (Rev. 3: 11. "The Father of Spirits," hav14.) Paul says, that Jesus "is the ing filled one of the celestial kingdoms image of the invisible God-the with his own Sons and DaughtersFIRST BORN of every creature." the fruit of his own loins, gave com(Col. 1: 15.) As Jesus is the First mandment unto His "First Born Born Son of God, it is evident, that organize, out of the eternal elements, all the other Sons of God would be another world. In obedience to this His younger brethren, begotten by great commandment, "The First Bethe same Father. Therefore, Paul gotten," accompanied by all His represents him as "the First Born younger brethren who had kept their among many brethren." (Romans First Estate," proceeded to lay 8: 29.) And in another place, he "the foundations of the earth," and says, "Both He that sanctifieth and "the corner stones thereof." And they who are sanctified, are all of upon this grand occasion, "The

Morning Stars sang together." The contemplate this grand event without Lord does not reveal to Job the sen- being almost overpowered with the timents contained in this song. It ideas of greatness and magnificence was probably a song, composed by which force themselves upon the one of the wisest poets in the vast mind? All the generations of men kingdom of spirits, there assembled. that have ever lived, or that ever It, no doubt, contained sentiments will live upon the earth, were assuitable to the majesty, greatness, and sembled upon that occasion. They magnificence of the work which were the sons of God: they were they had commenced. The founda- the ones who shouted for joy. Their tions of a mighty world were being united voices must have been, as the laid the corner stones were placed voice of many waters, driven by fierce in their appropriate position. Upon tempests whose mountain waves, these, or around these, as a central rolling, plunging, dashing, break with nucleus, was to be erected a mag- awful majesty upon the rocky bound nificent globe, arrayed in all the gor. coast. A shout of joy, breaking forth geous splendor of celestial workman- simultaneously from a vast world of ship. Above, below, and around spirits, must have been as the rolling these eternal elements, hovered thou. of ten thousand thunders, reverberasands of millions of the sons of God ting from mountain to mountain, till which were the spirits of men. By the whole earth trembles under the the spirit of prophecy, they looked power thereof. upon the vast field of unorganized 13. There is something grand and materials which lay stretched out al- sublime in the contemplation of our most to infinity in the boundless ocean pre-existence. How wonderful and of space which surrounded them. interesting it is for us to know, that They saw that these materials were the beings whom we call ourselves, to be formed and fashioned into a that now dwell in these earthly tab. ponderous globe, prepared and adorn- ernacles-existed thousands of years ed for their future residence; where ago that we were present, when they should exist, and live, and move the foundations of the earth were in earthly tabernacles; where they laid that we then sang and shouted should sway the sceptre of dominion for joy-that we were engaged with over all the lower orders of creation; our oldest brother, the First Born, in where they should become fathers of organizing this world-that we dwelt fleshly bodies, in like manner, as God for ages in our Father's presence in was the Father of their spirits. They a celestial or glorified world-that saw the fall, redemption, and eternal we there beheld His face, and reexaltation of the sons of God, and joiced in His glory-that we there the glorification of the earth which were instructed in the wisdom and they were forming, which should be- knowledge of God, till the intelligence come their abiding place forever. In which radiated from our persons, the contemplation of the magnificent shone like the morning light. sceneries which rolled in awful gran. deur before them, their bosoms swelled with indescribable joy; they gave utterance to their feelings in rapturous strains of melodious music which reverberated from world to world, filling all the heavens with the praises of God, while eternity itself trembled with joy.

14. Objections have been raised against the pre-existence of man upon the ground that we do not remember such existence, or any event connected therewith. It is true, we do not remember any thing prior to our present state, but this does not prove that we had no prior existence.

We do not remember our existence 12. They not only had singing to or anything else, during the first six celebrate the beginning of the organi- months of our infancy, does this prove zation of this earth, but "all the sons that we did not exist during that time? of God shouted for joy." Who can | No. If, then, we could exist six

months, during our present state with- [of intelligence to another. Thus he out remembering it, we might, for regains his former knowledge; and the same reason, have existed during by showing himself approved through six thousand years prior to our present state, and not remember it. Existence is in no way dependant on memory; therefore, memory has nothing to do with the question of our past state.

every degree of intelligence, he is counted worthy to receive more and more, until he is perfected and glorified in truth, and made like his elder brother, possessing all things.

16. If the spiritual body of Jesus, 15. When Jesus was born into our and the spiritual bodies of all men, world, his previous knowledge was existed before the foundation of the taken from Him: this was occa world, as we have clearly shown, is sioned by His spiritual body being there any thing unreasonable in the compressed into a smaller volume idea of the pre-existence of the than it originally occupied. In His spiritual bodies of all the animal previous existence, His spirit, as the creation? There is not. One class Scriptures testify, was of the size and of spirits may exist before they enter form of man; when this spirit was their natural bodies, as well as compressed, so as to be wholly en- another. Did not the same God closed in an infant tabernacle, it had who made the spirits of men, make a tendency to suspend the memory; the spirits of beasts also? Job says, and the wisdom and knowledge, for." Ask now the beasts, and they shall merly enjoyed, were forgotten. "In teach thee; and the fowls of the air, His humiliation, His judgment was and they shall tell thee; or speak to taken away." (Acts 8, 33.) To come the earth, and it shall teach thee: down from Heaven, from His Father's and the fishes of the sea shall declare presence, where He had formerly unto thee. Who knoweth not in all possessed judgment and understanding these, that the hand of the Lord hath sufficient to frame worlds, and to en- wrought this? IN WHOSE HAND ter into a mortal tabernacle, was truly humiliating. It was, indeed, humiliating in the highest degree, to be deprived of so great a knowledge. Yet he humbled Himself, and condecended to descend below all things, and to commence anew at the very elements of knowledge: hence, one of the evangelists says, "Jesus in creased in wisdom and stature." (Luke 2, 52.) Now if Jesus had retained His wisdom when He was born into this world, it would not have been said of Him that He "increased in wisdom." If the knowl. edge which Jesus possessed in His previous state, were taken from Him, when He entered an infant tabernacle, He could never regain that know. ledge only by revelation. So it is with man. When he enters a body of flesh, his spirit is so compressed and contracted in infancy that he forgets his former existence, and has to commence, as Jesus did, at the low. est principles of knowledge, and ascend by degrees from one principle

IS THE SOUL OF EVERY LIV. ING THING." (Job 12, 7-10.) In this quotation, we perceive that "the soul of every living thing" is in the hand of the Lord: He is the Maker and Preserver of the souls of beasts, birds, and fishes, as well as of the souls of men: hence, Moses, when praying to the Lord, says: "Let the Lord, THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL FLESH, set a man over the congregation." (Num. 27; 16.)

Thus we see that the Lord is, not only the God of the spirits of men, but He is "the God of the spirits of all flesh."

17. That the spirits of all the vegetables and animals were made before their bodies is evident from the history of creation as related in the first and second chapters of Genesis. In the first chapter, we have the history of the creation of vegetables, fish, fowls, beasts, and man. In the second chapter, we are told that on the seventh day "there was not a man to till the ground;" and then

a description is given of the forma- different descriptions vanish away, tion of his natural body "out of the and a flood of light bursts upon the ground." In the first chapter, and mind. during the third day, the vegetables 18. JOSEPH SMITH, the great pro• and trees are formed; in the second phet of the last dispensation, being chapter, and on the seventh day, we commanded of God to translate the are told that the Lord "made every Bible by the inspiration of the Holy plant of the field before it was in the Ghost,-commenced the great work earth, and every herb of the field in the month of June, 1830. In this before it grew;" and then we are inspired translation, the distinction informed that on the seventh day the between the spiritual and temporal Lord planted a garden, that is, set creation, is clearly manifest. After out the trees and herbs which he had describing the six days of labor, God made on the third day, and caused informs us, that he ended His work them to "grow out of the ground." on the seventh day, and rested thereIn the first chapter, it is said, that the in, and sanctified it. He then teaches fish, fowls, and beasts, were created us, "that these are the generations of on the fifth and sixth days; in the the Heaven and of the Earth, when second chapter, these various animals they were created, in the day that I, are formed "out of the ground" on the Lord God. made the Heaven and the seventh day, and "brought unto the Earth, and every plant of the field Adam to see what he would call before it was in the earth, and every them." From this we learn, that the herb of the field before it grew. For natural bodies of animals were made I, the Lord God, created all things, after the natural body of man. In of which I have spoken, spiritually the work of the temporal creation before they were naturally upon the man seems to have been the first face of the earth. And I, the Lord flesh upon the earth, his natural body God, had created all the children of being made even before the herbs men; and not yet a man to till the and trees were planted and grew out ground, for in Heaven created I them; of the ground. He was placed in and there was not yet flesh upon the the garden of Eden, before the Lord earth; neither in the water, neither made the beasts and fowls, that is, in the air; but I, the Lord God, spake, their natural bodies, and brought and there went up a mist from the them to him in order that he might earth, and watered the whole face of name them. The first chapter gives the ground. And I, the Lord God, a history of the creation of all things formed man from the dust of the spiritual; the second chapter gives the ground, and breathed into his the history of the creation of all nostrils the breath of life; and man things temporal. In the order of became a living soul, the first flesh time, and in the succession of events, upon the earth, the first man also; the spiritual creation of the Heavens, nevertheless, all things were before and earth, and all things contained created; but spiritually, were they therein, differs from the temporal created and made according to my creation of the same. To suppose word. And I, the Lord God, planted that these two chapters only give the a garden eastward in Eden, and there history of the natural creation, would I put the man whom I had formed. involve us in numerous difficulties, And out of the ground I, the Lord when we endeavor to reconcile the God, made to grow naturally, every description given in the second chap- tree that is pleasant to the sight of ter with that given in the first. But man; and man could behold it. And to receive them as the descriptions they became also a living soul. It of two successive creations, the first was spiritual in the day that I creatbeing spiritual, (as it truly was,) and ed it; for it remaineth in the sphere the second being temporal, all diffi- which I, God, created it in, yea, even culties and discrepancies in the two all things which I prepared for the

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use of man; and man saw that it is thus changed from a temporal to was good for food. And I, the Lord an eternal state. In its temporal God, placed the tree of life also in condition, it is terrestrial; in its the midst of the garden, and also eternal condition, it is celestial. Un the tree of knowledge of good and cer the former, death usurps domin. evil." * * * * "And out of ion, and spreads devastation and ruin the ground I, the Lord God, formed throughout the whole organization: every beast of the field, and every under the latter, eternal life reigns fowl of the air; and commanded that triumphant forevermore. In the one they should be brought unto Adam, condition, it is a fallen world; in the to see what he would call them: and other, it is a redeemed world. In they were also living souls, and it the first state, it is a non-luminous was breathed into them the breath of body, borrowing its light from those life." (Gen. 2nd chap. Inspired of a higher order; in the second, it Translation, by JOSEPH SMITH, the is a luminous body, radiating light prophet.) Here we learn, that every upon the surrounding worlds. When vegetable and animal, as well as a fallen world, it is inhabited by fallen man, was first created spiritually, in beings; when a redeemed world, it Heaven, and afterwards made natu. is inhabited by celestial beings, rerally upon the earth. The succession of events in the spiritual creation was different from that in the natural creation; hence, arises the two different descriptions.

deemed from the grave, and glorified, and made like unto the God who created and redeemed them, whose sons they are, and henceforth they are Gods, ordained to do the works appertaining to Gods; and as their Father God has done before them, so will they do. Heaven, then, is a redeemed glorified world, inhabited by the Gods, and by their sons and

19. Heaven is the world where all the spirits, destined for this creation, had their origin: It is a world, consisting of a great variety of materials of a similar nature to those which enter into the constitution of our daughters, who are the fruits of their world. The difference between our own loins. world and a Heavenly one, consists, 20. The Gods who dwell in the not in the diversity of the elements, Heaven from which our spirits came, for they are the same, but in the dif. are beings who have been redeemed ference of the organization of these from the grave in a world which exelements. In our world, the ele- isted before the foundations of this ments, at the present time, are so or- earth were laid. They and the ganized, that continual changes are Heavenly body which they now intaking place of such a nature as to habit were once in a fallen state. produce death and the dissolution of all Their terrestrial world was redeemed, organized substances. In a Heaven- and glorified, and made a Heaven: ly world, the same elements are so their terrestrial bodies, after suffering combined that eternal duration is death, were redeemed, and glorified, stamped upon every organization. and made Gods. And thus, as their The spiritual substances, connected world was exalted from a temporal with our world, are not permanently to an eternal state, they were exalted combined with the other elements; also, from fallen men to Celestial while in a Heavenly world, so far as Gods to inhabit their Heaven forever these two classes of elements are and ever. combined, their union is immortal or 21. These Gods, being redeemed eternal. A Heavenly world has from the grave with their wives, once been in the same condition as are immortal and eternal, and will our world, but its temporal organiza. die no more. But they and their tion has been dissolved, and the same wives will be supremely happy. All elements have been reorganized after the endearing ties of conjugal love the pattern of the Heavenly order: it which existed in their bosoms, when

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