Show X T S C 0 V K S 33 by elder ORSON PRATT sen delivered in the new tabernacle salt zake take city june 14 1869 reported BY DAVID W EVANS T 1 1 1 we have assembled ourselves together this afternoon according to our usual custom to worship the lord our god aud and to partake of the lords supper in commemoration of the death and sufferings of our great redeemer in this manner we show forth his death until he comes by attending to this ordinance and all other ordinances and institutions of the kingdom of god I 1 we witness before god before angels and an before one another that we are his disciples jesus is the only name given under heaven by whom salvation can come there is no other being or name no other person appointed no individual that has received authority to open up the way of salvation to the human family only our lord and savior jesus christ itis it Is he in whom the latter day saints believe itis it is he whom we worship we also worship the father in his namo name it is the gospel which he has revealed which we have received it is the holy ghost which the father bestows bestons be stows upon the children of men through bib bis name by which we are sanctified and made pure in heart the gospel of the son of god is not a doctrine of late invention but it is an old doctrine a doctrin doctrine et that was made manifest in the beginning it has been taught jn 4 evel ever every j dispensation and all that were saved in in the days dabs of adam enoch abraham abrahami moses or the prophets as well as in the days of christ and since his day were saved through belief in the son of bf god and in his gospel this great plan was revealed to mankind in the early ages of the world as well as in the meridian of time the same gospel thannas that was preached by the apostolec apostles Apost lee lec was also preached reached by the ancient patriarchs any and antediluvians the same gospel that was preached in the days of the apostles is also preached now to the latter day saints there hasteen has been a variety of dispensations dispensation of this gospel made manifest to the human family we have had in addition to the law of the gospel many ordinances and institutions given to the children of men suited to their particular circumstances cum stances and to the conditions in which they were placed in the days of moses for instance certain laws and ordinances were revealed from heaven suited to the condition of that people but they had the gospel preached to them before the law of carnal commandments was revealed hence paul says in his epistle to the hebrews the gospel was preached to them as well as unto us that is to those who were in the wilderness with moses they had the gospel but it did not profit them says paul not being mixed with faith in them that heard it hence they had to be dealt with and chastised for their unbelief and rebellion the lord had to afflict them cutting many of them off and swearing in his hia wrath that they should not enter into his rest I 1 the gospel was also preached to abraham the same gospel by which the heathens heathers he athens were saved in the days of the apostles was waa known and preached in the days afi abraham the same gospel that according to the testimony of the new testament brought life and immortality to light was preached before the days of abraham to enoch aud and through understanding the principles of that gospel his faith in the principles of immortality and eternal life became r so Q strong that thi h ho was translate dand take taken n to heaven without seeing death in these latter times the lord dar ur god has condescended descended con eon to send a dispensation of his gospe gospel 1 to the human cami ly y you may enquire what is the purpose the lor lord has in view in sending the gospel in this thi age have we not here the bloks that thae contain the gospel of the son of god as it was waa preached in ancient times have we not here the word of the living god by which the people were saved before and after christ came and if they could be saved in those different dispensa eions in iii the early ages agea of tho the world and in the meridian of time why should the lord r reveal ve al another despen dispensation of this thia fame famo gospel to the human family I 1 know that these enquiries arise ariae more or less in the tho minda inird of individuals individual I 1 have often heard them in travel traveling lug ing w VM W r T among 0 g tile the vario valio various us n nations of the earth afi when e ti the gospel is as revealed in the book of mormon has been presented resented ito to the gopie cople people and t they bey have t been een told that god 0 d has commenced another dispensation pensa tion of the same gospel they would immediately enquire what is the use of it we have the gospel by which the ancients were saved revealed edtha the new testament and why do you bring us another dispensation of it let me reply to this a and n d say a few word sin relation to the jobje object ct sayd an and purposes ur that our rather father in heaven has 4 bad ip in view in revealing the gospel afresh to the children of men if it had not been for the great apos tacy after the apostles had preached the gospel during which the last vestige of the church of jesus christ was rooted out of the earth by the wickedness of the children of men if it had not been that the priesthood was taken from the earth and the power to preach the everlasting gospel in its fullness bad ceased among the nations I 1 do not know that there would have been any necessity whatever for another revelation of the gospel and its gifts blessings and powers and the he priesthood and apostleship in the latter days but I 1 think it can be proved beyond the power of controversy or reasonable contradiction that the gospel of the son of god as it was preached in the days of the apostles has been en entirely tirey rooted out from among men I 1 do not mean the letter of it we have hava that in part but luean amean the power to preach it and to administer its ordinances the power to build up the church and kingdom of god the power to speak in the name of the lord the power which characterized the ancient servants of the living god the power which rested on the inspired apostles by they could call upon god and receive revelation from heaven that power has been rooted out from the earth A form has been left it is true in faeta fact a great many forms but what is the form without the power what for instance is the use of preaching baptism for the remission of sins to the human family if there is no person authorized and ordained from god to administer baptism sm to those who believe and repent none at all people might go forth and preach baptism from age to age and from generation to generation but who could be baptized or what would be the use of it unless there were authority to administer the ordinance what use would be the lords lorda supper of which we are now partaking if ff we should go and preach it all the days of our lives provided there were no persons authorized to administer the ordinance none at all they could not partake of the ordinance acceptably before god we could not receive the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins unless there were some person sent by new revelation to administer this ordinance to us again what use would be the ardi the laying on of hands in confirmation fir as it was performed in the dayson days of the ancient clent elent apostles thisina this is a part of the gospel as us well as faith and repentance what use is it unless there is a man called of god to lay on hands bands and confirm the gift of the holy ghost upon the heads of baptized believers as war wag badone done anciently here is the great question between the latter day saints and the whole christian world worlds it is is one of the great fundamental principles piea plea at sue between us and the whole world and it is something of the greatest importance it is 19 not que one of the nt non n essentials but it is something that concerns the whole human family no matter whether they are reli rell religious alous deop people le or irreligious whether believers in the bible or lievers or whether they are of this that or the other sect this is not the quest tion but the great question is has god authority among the nations to preach uto ito to baptize to a the sacrament to confirm by the laying on of bands hands for the gift ifo of the holy ghost to lay han hands ds le on the siek sick and command them in the hiame fiame name of jesus christ to be healed as they did in ancient days or has he not if he has not we may preach until dooms day and our preaching will not save us in the of the glory of the heavenly worlds we may baptize and our baptisms will not be recorded in the heavens we may administer the sacrament crame cr tit fit but god will never receive the nut authority horty by which it is administered and it will not be recorded in the tiie behalf of the individuals who received it from unauthorized hands bilat testimony have we that there has haa been no do authority for many generations or from froni the days of the ancient apostles until the present century have we any evidence in relation jo to tills this matter we are lorry sorry borry to ta say that w we bl have f ave 6 so 0 much that weare y A obliged s d to believe that aai dai darkness kness lhasa truly reigned over the inhabitants of the carthand eart earth hand and hress gress grobs gross darkness has baa filled their minds we will present a little testimony before this assembly this afternoon on this subject but as it is a subject with which you are well acquainted we need not dwell upon it long one of the greatest evidences that can be offered that authority to preach the gospel and administer in its ordinances has ceased from the days of the apostles down to the present time is that which is acknowledged by the whole christian world catholic and protestant namely that the days of revelation have ceased that the canon of scripture is closed and full now supposing we admit this for the sake eake of reasoning a little while on the subject admit that after the apostles fell asleep there was no further revelation that the canon of scripture was closed up at the end of the first century of the christian era if we admit this you see the dilemma into which the whole world is plunged no man can receive the priesthood and authority to administer either in word in doctrine or in ordinance ordinances s wl without t hout n new ew revelation from heaven shall shail I 1 prove il it let me refer you to the testimony of paul in the epistle to the hebrews wherein he says that no man this honor to himself except he be be called of god as was aaron turn over to the book of exodus if you wish to learn how aaron was called god in the first place by his own voice and by the ministration of an angel angal called his servant moses raised him up as a great and mighty prophet gave him authority from the hea heavens to administer inthe in the name of the lord and then gave him revelation and commandment to call his brother aaron god poke spoke to moses on that occasion and told him that his brother aaron should be a minister and that he should set apart aaron unto the priesthood and that he should have power ower to go in and out before the children n of israel and that be he should wear the breastplate containing the arim and Thum mim so that he could enquire in behalf odthe of the children of israel and judge between man and man was aaron called in any other way but by new revelation through the prophet moses he was not can any man receive the priesthood only by revelation can he receive his calling in anyway wherein god does not com eom communicate m u himself by new revelation from heaven I 1 answer no no no man can assume the priesthood and the power thereof and officiate therein unless he be called as this man of god was called in the days of moses admit then that the canon of scripture was closed when john therece the revelator received his gospel after he returned from the isle of patmos and that when the apostles passed from the earth communication between earth and heaven was closed who could be their successors no individual could hold the office or receive it unless god sentney revelation from heaven po pointing nt out by name the individual upon whom the authority and calling to preach and administer in his name should rest if revelations were given in the second third fourth fifth or any of the following centuries where are those revelations they are not in the bible can we find them among the records of the roman catholics no what do we find there according to the testimony of their bishops archbishops arch bishops and most learned men they believe in no new dew revelation but they take for their guide the traditions and revelations that have been handed down to them we judge them out of their own mouths if there have been no revelations given to the catholic church aa as they themselves testify in their writings then there has been no pope called to sit in the chair of st peter no bishops nor archbishops arch bishops to act in the pla pia places ees ces of the ancient apostles and they area are all ail I 1 impostors perhaps I 1 ought to qualify that saying hasing a little The there remay may have been some of them who were very sincere in following the traditions of their fathers and who received the priesthood among the catholics with all the sincerity that characterized some bome of the heathen priests in receiving their priesthood from their fathers but sincerity does not prove authority and we haye baye h aye their own testimony that all authority was cut off from them and tbt that there was no man roan designated hy by name through revelation io to occupy the of at st peter petey in rome again come down to about three centuries a ago 0 when the first reformers canie came ont out butau aud add d began to testify and protest R against the mother church and what db they exhibit Weare we are hunting I 1 T 1 i F A for foi auth authority orlay 1 they have bave invented articles 0 of f faial falth faith and these alone are the basis of their authority ant authority hority aa As a sample we may take the church of england in the days of king eing henry the eighth we may also take the formers reformers Ee on the continent of europe under martin luther calvin and various other great reformers men no doubt who were sincere and who did much good among the people but let us hear their testimony they declare also that the canon of scripture is full in this respect they follow in the tracks of the old ola mother they exclaim no revelation no voice of god no inspired prophet or apostle no communications with the heavens no ministration of angels well then what have you got oh we have the scriptures of the old and new testament but the scriptures do not call you to administer in the ordinances of the gospel the scriptures did not name you martin luther nor you john callip calvin nor any of you ee re formers as the individuals to go forth to baptize the people and establish the kingdom of god ohi oh but says one the scriptures tell us to go into all the world and preach the gospe gospel t to 0 every creature they do n not ot tell bouany you any such thing that commission was given to men who lived 1800 years ago it did not mean paul Timot timothy by titus or barnabas but it meant the eleven men and them only but says one did they not have others to assist them yes but they did not act by virtue of that commission chichi weicht jesus gave to his apostles just before he ascended to the presence of his father that applied to the individuals divi duals to whom he spoke and to no others paul could have had bad no authority to preach or baptize until the day ot of his bis death if god had not given a new revelation to that effect timothy never could have acted and |