Show DIO dlo discourse by ELDER ORSON PRATT delivered in the new ta tabernacle sunday morning july 13 1873 reported it BY DAVID IV 17 evanss EVANS WE have heard this forenoon some excellent instructions in regard to the plan of lre life and salv salvation atio atlo n instructions which agree in every respect with that plan as it was revealed in times of old it has truly been remarked by the speaker who has addressed you that the same causes will produce the same effects that is when they operate under like circumstances t JL can see no difference in my own mind between the circumstances which surround us and the circumstances which surrounded the people in the days of our savior and his apostles we are fallen creatures so were they we are very imperfect beings and have need to be saved the same was true with regard to them we have sick among us in this day dyl and so had they god then thon ordained the laying on of hands for the benefit of the sick why not ordain the same principle for the same reason in our day would it not benefit the sick to bo be healed by the laying on of hands now just as much as in those days what is the differ difference ened enee are there not as many sick now as there were then would it not be as great a blessing to the inhabitants of the earth to be healed now through this simple ordinance as it was then when the circumstances and conditions of the people now and then are compared no reason can bo be assigned why this gift should be withheld from the people now the world say that in those days it was necessary for god to manifest his power in healing the sick and in various other ways in order to convince the inhabitants of the earth concerning the tho plan pian of salvation that was offered to them why not convince the inhabitants of the carill in our lay day Is there not as much necessity now as there was then Is lot not a soul just jest as precious in the sight of god now as then if it was needful for unbelief to be done away by miracles then why not now or were miracles given to do away alway unbelief this is a question worthy of investigation we find that miracles were wrought in ancient times according to the faith and belief of the children of men we might suppose to hear some of the learned divines of our day converso converse that the greater the unbelief 11 edtl tho 0 greater must be the miracles in order to do it away but let us see how the lord did operate and perform miracles in ancient times we read that he went to his own native country where he was bom born among his neighbors and acquaintances acqua lt on a certain occasion and that he could not do many mighty miracles there because of their unbelief what a great pity it was that Jesu jesus shad had not some of the learned divines of the present day to instruct him they would no doubt have told jesus that because of the greatness of the unbelief in ills his own neighborhood and among his acquaintances quain quaint ances auces ho he must perform some greater miracles among them than ho lie did anywhere else that would have been consistent with the present ideas of theologians but in those days jesus operated among the people according to their faith and the greater the unbelief the thos less the miracles wo nind find the same p principle rin ciple existing long before jesus came to the earth jesus himself testifies that in the days of elisha the prophet there were a great many lepers in israel you know that is a very loathsome disease and that people would naturally bo be very glad to be healed but none of them were healed in eliphas Elis ells has hass day says jesus except a man not of israel but a foreigner naaman the syrian what was the reason their unbelief how camo came this naaman ra amanthe the syrian to have faith ho he believed in the testimony of a jewish maiden who had been taken captive by the syrian army and carried into a far country and while conversing with the people there s she he told them about a great prophet in israel elisha ellsha by name would to to GA god s said she that my mv master could see this prophet and nidd bo be hea healed leol she seemed scorned to have faith and when the report of her conversation cameto came to her masters ears cars ha he toos great riches and start started oct ell out for the tho express pu purpose of gohl gollis tb vur vuu this prophet in isrhel when he reached the region of palestine in which the prophet lived he be presented himself first before the king but he being filled to a great extent with the spirit of unbelief thought that naaman had come to seek some occasion for war am I 1 god assaid said sald the king thab gerhat that I 1 should perform this work the lord revealed to his servant file the prophet 0 h t that this man had comar come a and n pd ch the e purpose of his visit and naaman tn and his servant found out elisha and went to his dwelling place but elisha instead of being very polite and welcoming naaman into his house sent a message to him telling him to go and dip himself seven times in jordan and ho he should be healed this did not seem to be in accordance with the mind of Df Naaman he perhaps thought that as he had come a long journey in great grandeur and with great gifts the prophet would be excel exceedingly respectful to him and he was very in his mind and said are not the waters of syria just as good as the waters of joun jour jordan and lie turned away in a great rage finally one of his servants said unto him if the prophet had required thee to do some great ireat thing thou not have done dono one it how much rather then thep when he said to thee wash and be clean yes said naaman cal 1 I expected he would come out to me place his hand upon m my head and and rebuke the leprosy M and I 1 should be healed but ho he has told me to go and dip myself seven times in jordan and he sent this message by a servant instead of coming to see me him himself self seif but he lie was anally finally prevailed upon by ills his servant to go and do as the prophet said and he lie went and dipped himself seven t mes in jordan and immediately his flesh came anew upon him like the flesh of a little child all the rest of the lepers throughout israel remained unhealed but this foreigner ei igner was cleansed and made whole now why this partiality why not do some wonderful miracles in healing all the lepers in israel it was because of their unbelief But says the divine otto day ithe the greater the unbelief the more necessity for the miracle and consequently ly in order to do away with this unbelief the prophet ought to have healed all tre the lepers in israel sl the lord however has his own when he finds a very unbelieving generation be he does dobs not satisfy their camal carnal curiosity nor manifest his power to any great extent in the midst of the wicked but lie he always shows forth his power to those who are humble and meek and lowly in heart he has done that in all dispensations not only in the thie days of Je jesus susand and th the Apostles but in every dispensation and the power manifested has been in accordance with the faith of the people in regard to the gift of df prophecy a great many suppose that it was necessary in former farmer times in in the tho dark ages but when the gospel was fully established on the earth and great power and signs were made manifest there was no more need of prophecy revelations etc and they quote a passage from pauls writings or rather a part of a apas passage instead of the whole in order to prove their position in the lath chapter of the first epistle to the corinthians paul says whether there be prophecies they shall fail fall whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away Prophecy prophesying ing and tongues were to cease 4 now nr owr owa says the learned divine of the present day here bere is a plain and pointed testimony that these gifts were only intended for the early ages of the world and were to be done away and cease but why not nob quote the following verses why wily quote half a sentence or idea aud and then leave it why not give the whole and find out the time when these mira mina miracles cles eles suell such as prophecy healing the sick speaking with tongues etc were to cease if the divines of this day would read a little further they would know the time and the circumstances that were to tra transpire aspire when these things should bo be done away says saya paul in the following verses for in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done awny away r for or now we see through a glass darkly but then face fice f iee ice to face now I 1 know in part but then shall shail I 1 know even as also I 1 am 1 known aown here thon then it itis clearly foretold that there will bo no two moro more of prophecy healing speaking in tongues etc the day of perfection will have arrived in other words when the church of god shall have overcome and be perfected when the church of god shall need no more prophets when it shall have no more sick for if all its members become immortal there will bo be no sick to bo be healed hence healing will be done away when the church of god all speak one language an the pure language the language spoken by angels restored to the earth by will be no need of speaking with tongues but until that day of perfection comes all these gifts will be necessary tills this agrees with what paul has said in his first chapter chater to the ephesians ile he there informs us that teat these miraculous powers and gifts which jesus gave when he ascended up on high and led captivity captive were given for a special purpose he gave some apostles some prophets evangelists pastors teachers 3 gifts healing all were given for a special purpose what was that purpose the perfecting of the saints I 1 would ask the learned divines of the present day have the saints need in this age of anything to perfect them or are they already sufficiently perfected to enter into the presence of the father if they need perfecting and none can deny that they do then apostles are needed now prophets are needed now evangelists pastors and teachers are needed now well says one wo we will allow that evangelists ge lists pastors and teachers are needed neede A now we have not done them away we have abundance of teachers and pastors but wo we do not believe in in apostles and prophets now why not did not the same apostle tell us in the same veme verse that apostles and well weli as evangelists pastors and teachers were given when jesus ascended on high for the perfecting of the saints why then do you separate them and say that chat the two first named are not now necessary and that the other three are so why do you do this tills in order to be consistent with the unreasonableness of this generation and to comply with their traditions you ely have ave avo not got apostle apost les lea you have not got prophets and you must have some excuse in order to do them away and i your excuse is that they are n riot ot needed now prove it you cannot it is beyond your powen power you yo u havo have no evidence no tois teis testimony whatever by which you can prove it with all the testimony in favor of your position which you can bring forward I 1 can prove t that hat pastors evangelists tea teachers c he rs bishops deacons elders a and nd very every ot other othen hei officer of the church of christ which you believe in are not needed now as easily as you can prove that apostles and prophets are not needed now just as much evidence can bo be adduced in favor of one position as the other and the fact is there is no evidence for either they werm were all given for the perfecting of the saints and the worl work of the ministry and they were to continue until the day of perfection arrived and the moment you say they are not necessary you virtually say the work of the ministry is not necessary and why then do you adminis administer tei they were given for the perfecting of the saints and the work of the ministry but for the edifying of the bod body of christ iki which vil lich ilch is the church chereb T take a g away apostles inspired of god take away prophets who foretell future events and you take away the means which god has ordained for the edification of his body his church and that body or church can not be perfected another object paul informs us for which these gifts were given was that the saints might come to the unity of the faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the falness of christ take away theo there gifts and what is your condition you are in the same condition which paul speaks of in the tile very next verse carried about by every wind of doctrin eby the slight of mail man by cu cunning lining craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive the gifts were given to prevent the people from being carried about by every wind of doctrine take away these gifts the kift of revelation prophecy and miracles which were enjoyed by the saints in ancient days and the people are liable to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that may be soun sounded deci deel in their ears why because they are entirely governed by tho the opinions of men oab man dnn ilah hais hl his hie opinion and he tries to substantiate it by his learning another man has an opposite opinion and he tries to substantiate it and as neither of them is inspired by the tile power of the holy ghost ghosts neither having the glet of prophecy or revelation each so far as he can gains influence and power over his neighbors and gathers together a body of people and pronounces them the church ot of christ but god has nothing to do with them ho he never called them the church of christ he never spoke to them never sent an angel to them never gave them a vision never sent a prophet or an apostle to them he has nothing to do with them they are not his church never were nor ever can be only by repentance and turning to the lord and receiving the holy ghost which is the sp spirit nt of prophecy he that has the tes testimony t almony of jesus has the sri spirit of prophecy paul has declared to us that no man can say that jesus is the lord but by the holy ghost A man mail may have the tradition that jesus is the lord but he does not know the fact except by the power of the holy ghost and the testimony of jesus is the spirit ofero of prophecy it makes a prophet of him who lias has it this is what the latter day saints believe we have no new gospel gospel to offer to the world we lieve ave come como forth sent by the almighty to testify against tho the new gospels that have been introduced which have only the form of godliness and deny the power that was manifested in the ancient church we vire havo have come to testify against false doctrines we are sent for this express purpose and also to testify boldly against the wickedness and abominations of the professed christian world as well as of those who make no profession god has commanded us to lift up our voices and spare not to bear testimony against all their wickedness and the their r false doctori doctrines neg nes which we have endeavored to do without asking any favor of the children of men god has not sent us to bow and cringe to the traditions and false ideas of the children of men he sent us to bear down in plain testimony against their wickedness and the corruptions corrupt ions which they are all the time practicing practising and ana have been for nor generations before high heaven and the whole world wo we then say to all the borla world that if they will repent of their they sins humble themselves become as little children in the sight right of god if jr they will turn away from their false doctrine sand believe in jesus who was crucified in ancient days with all their hear hearts ts and receive his gospel they shall not only receive the remission of their sins but the gift of the holy ghost |