| Show y THE GODHEAD A leetus recently Becent ly delivered in the th slogan logan temple by elder J Z stewart my brethren dud filters sifters sif sil lu in presenting myself before you th this s afternoon I 1 do not do so expecting to t 0 tell you any thing thine new with regard t to 0 the principles of the gospel for I 1 believe I 1 am richt in taking it for granted that you are all latter day saints and it if you are this study is your theme by day and by night for you prize it more than boudo 0 all things else on earth or even evea life itself the savior said where jbv treasure it f there is thy heart also nd ad it if this ihie gospel is your treasure you have studied it and loved li it in prosperity as well as during and adversity and I 1 therefore can only expect to call your attention to a few subjects in the unlimited science of theology and refresh your minds upon things which you yen doubtless have often meditated upon I 1 humbly trust that in attempting to do this I 1 shall be guided by that spirit which guidesh into all truth and abowath things to come that our hearts may be caused to Te rejoice joice an and d our faith be strengthened in the great work which god has commenced in the utter latter days THE SUBJECT to lo which I 1 wish more particularly to call your attention this afternoon is the godhead and I 1 desire to examine some ome things hb s found in our sacred writ ing ines s re gardine gar 1 g the matter in john oh axy if 3 we find the following and this his Is life eternal to linow know the only I 1 truo true and living god and jesus christ whom he hath bath sent from the above quotation it must be evident to all how bow necessary it is that we should as far as possible make maire atutes ourselves ur selves acquainted with the attributes of our heavenly father and aad of his son jesus Christ christfer for without some knowledge of them it would be im 9 pos possible aible tor for us to be saved in the kingdom ol of god we could not love a god of whom we have no knowledge we could not exercise faith in a being with regard to whose attributes we are entirely ignorant and we certainly could have no correct idea of the proper proper way to do him reverence if we were ignorant biti regard to him and his laws it is therefore out duty to inform ourselves concerning the Godhead that we may the MORR intelligently WORSHIP our heavenly father that we maa ma render tout gratitude to out oui lord ord and savior jesus chrit chri t which wa we should and that we may ever seek intelligently for the holy spirit to guide us ua in all we do and say in life in I 1 john 3rd ard chap and 2nd verse we read the following expressive sentence moved Be Worl now are we the sons of god and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know ehnow that when he shall appear we shall beelike belike be like him for we shall see aee him as he is while this passage is very clear it is dot generally understood and many who seem to understand it do not comprehend it fully firlit not being able to see in its true sense why or how we are the sons of god the belief in the mythical god 0 of f 0 christendom without body parts pans br or passions has blinded people generally to such an extent that they cannot conceive of a material god notwithstanding that he is clearly deac described bribed in the scriptures they agey read in the scriptures of jesus christ and recognize him as a the san of gud god born of the virg virgin in mary that he was like other men in ia general appearance form size sad and shape that he ate the same kind of food as other men that like them was susceptible to pate pain sorrow and joy that he was persecuted and finally taken by wicked men and tri tried 1 condemned and even crucified by them that ills his lifeless body was laid in the tomb for three days after which the spirit it again entered that thai same bod body v and the savior of the world again stood among men a resurrected being having all power given rim him both in heaven and on earth this person is viewed byall christendom as A HEAVENLY BRING it is relieved that he is at the right hand of god that he has a body they have no room for doubt for he appeared his disciples with ane same body he had bad before his crucifixion it even retained the marks of the nails that had cruelly been driven through his bands and feet he ate and conversed with them and most thoroughly convinced toem all of his resurrection ur and had bad a of flesh and bones for when they at first thought that a spirit had appeared to them he said handle me and see a spirit hath not esh and bones as you see me have now if f it were expedient the body of J jesus e sus should rise from the tonao that he might have a body of flesh and bones bodes 11 is it inconsistent to believe that chat his father god should also have a similar body and if we also are sons of god does in not appear quite reasonable that we should be like him in form and general genei al appearance pe arance tile the scriptures inform us that ENOCH WALKED AND TALKED with god for three hundred which f r pres would 1 lead auy one to believe that god gad wa wai MIK i in in the lonn forin ot of man abraham saw god on tiia thi plains ut ot manue manire abraham v was as sitting bitting noar his tent teat door in the beat of the day when he saw three men approaching mark you Abr abraham ahara saw three MEN AIEN approaching him so say the scriptures and it would appear appeal that thai he had bad seen at least one of them before tor for he be ran lau to meet them and bowed himmell to the ground for fie be recognized that thai one of them was god I 1 here there is another evidence that god has a body the same saine as man has in the chapter of genesis Geta esis we learn t kat jacob wrestled with a wan bian until the break of day dal and that jacob found favor with him and lie he clanged jacobs cliame giving givina him bim the name of israel whick beani means a prince because he kad had prevailed with god here again we are given to understand that god nas a body like unto that of man ane ten commandments were written on tables of awne by the finger of god and we ire are given to understand that lie he has hands arms feet and all the parts of the body the same as man has lie he has said also that ile he is a jealous god that lie he cannot took look upon sin bin with auy degree of hl ul lowance out but that he loves dis saints and that it is his good will to tg give thern the kingdom chis shows us that hb is endowed with all the faculties with which man mall is the only difference being that man is imperfect and mortal while god is perfect in all tri trunks ings but let us examine a few more references from thu th scriptures 1 paul says romans ath chapter the spirit itself bearett bea reth reths witness with 0 our ur thit that we e are aie the children or of god and it children then huns heirs heirs with god iud and joi joint nt heirs N wi i tit ill jesus t christ if so be that we suiter with him that we may be zabo lao glon tog together eLiter 11 again in hebrews 12 h chapter we f ind find the lh fal following lowing we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we e gave them reverence leverence reveren pe r shall liall we not much rathel be in subjection unto the father ol of spirit TOR LORD JOB JB I 1 the following question ques llon 11 where wast iv ast thou when I 1 laid the fonn lations ot the eaith 1 declare it if thou hast bast understanding or who ln lai i the corner 8 tone stone thereof when the mot rooming ning stars sang together and all the sous sons ot of od shouted tor for joy oy from these quotations it must be clear to all that god is our father being the fattier father of our spirits that we had a pre pie existence that ve like job were present when the in orning stars sang together nether to and pro provably pauly ably united with trie the others of tile the sous ot of god in shouting foi fo joy jay when tw t e corner stones of this bartla were laid it would appear that the rejoicing at the time lime referred ref erred to was becal because lSe an earth was being formed upon which the sons of god would be permitted to take rake upon themselves a tabernacle of flesh and bones enter upon their see sec ond estate and rain that experience which is necess necessary ury and prove themselves that they way may receive according to their integrity and worthiness before the lord in the doctrine and covenants sef sec we find the following for these angels did not abide my law they eau not be bc en lar gedbut rem separately and exaltation aln in their saved condition to all eternity and froin henceforth tire ara not gods but are arc angels of god tor for ever and ever in speaking akino of those who obey the CELESTIAL LAW the verse verge says then shall they be from continua ev overlaying ala ing to everlasting ever latting because they continue then shall they be above all because all things are subject unto them then shall they ue be gods because they have bave all power and ae angels are subject subie ct unto them in the 3 verse the lord in speaking of abraham isaac isaae and jacob sas and because they did none other thi things than that which they were commanded they hel have entered into their exaltation accor accord ng ing to the promises pi opuses onuses and sit upon thrones and are not angels but are gods now this throws a flood of light upon this subject and we understand what john meant in the quotation we have nas mode de andallo and also what paul meant where he says that we are the children ol 01 god a fact that is st forth in many places in the scriptures this reminds us of an explanation given by bv apostle parley P Pratt which is s as follows gods angels and men are all of one species sP ecles one rice lire one great family widely diffused among the planetary systems as colonies kingdoms nations nU ions etc the gie great it distinguishing difference between one port on of abis race lace and mother another consists in the varied grades of intelligence and purity anc also aiso in the variety of spheres occupied by each in the series of progress pry giess ive b being eing i an 1111 mortal man in n possessing a perfect t orga organization niza tion of spirit flesh and bones and perfected in his attributes in all the full nes of celestial glor ib is called a god an mimo itil mm man in process or of perfect tion or quickened with a lesser lesber degree degre e of glory is is called fin an ange angel an immortal spirit of man not united with a fleshly i abern aole is calida a spirit an immortal nian man clothed with a mortal tabernacle is it called a man it may then consistently enough be said that there are iu a subordinate sense A PLURALITY OF GODS or rather of the sons of god although there is one supreme dead who is ia 0 over er all and through till all and in all rig sons son ny dy the power of his spirit jasus ji us christ enst and his fattier fater are two m ir zin UK the wan acne as john jhn and pi are two persons lachot fahoom lA Fa hoof them has ail a organ med sid iri individual tabernacle in form aud allt composed of material substance in ia the likeness of man and possessing posses every organ limb and physical part that man possesses there oneness consists of a oneness of rit latel irtel li gence attributes knowledge or power all ail men who ever attain to the immortal lifesaving life having their fleshly tabernacles quickened by a f fullness of celestial life aud and light and poker power may be said to be one even as the father and the son are one oae and all who attain to this perfection are gods or sons of god but over them all is a presidency or grand head who Is the father of alland next to him is jesus christ he the of many bret brethren bren in the spiritual world adani adam did what he be did knowingly and understandingly and for a purpose which purpose was this adam fell that be ue lie was not deceived but did just what he had contemplated doing the meru ing stars sang together toge and all the sous sons of god shouted for joy oy an occurrence rence referred to in the book of job the pearl e great price throws considerable sid erable light upon this subject we will quote one para paragraph grapa the lord had shown unto me abraham the that were organized before the world was and among all ail these there were many of the noble a and u d good ones and god saw these souls th atiat tt they were good and lie stood in the ot of them anclle said these will 1 mae inake my rulers for he stood among those that were spirits and lie ha saw raw that tle they y were good and ile he said unto me abraham thou art one of them thou wast chosen before thou wast born and there stood one among them that thal was like unto god and he said unto enose who were were with him we will go down for there is space there and we will trill take of these in ma a and cewill MAKE AN barth ARTH whereupon these may dwell and we will prove them herewith to see sec it if they will do alt all things whatsoever the I 1 ord kneir god shall commit command nd them arid and they who kee keep p their first rs testate f shall hall be added upon and they who keep keel not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate and they who keep keel their second estate shall 1 1 have glory added upon their heads f for r ev ever c r and ever here then is set forth one great and glorious fact man Is a sou son of C tod grod placed here ont oa this his earth to prove him bim educate himself to have a taste of the bitter that he may know how to 10 appreciate the sweet to give haw an opportunity to ascend in the scale of int intelligence eill lence knowledge aud arid power of what occurred iu in ane ul GARDEN OF EDEN we find the following in tile the book of mormon II 11 nephi 3 2 1925 1923 19 25 23 satan cald caid unto eve partake of 0 the forbidden fruit and yo shall not die but ye shall be as goj knowing good and evil and after Adam and eve had partaken partaker par taken of the forbidden ruit frait they were driven out bouhe of the garden ardea of eden to till the cart earth h W and they have brought forth children even yea the family of all the earth and the days of the children of me men were prolonged according to the will of god enat they might repent while in the flesh wherefore their state became a state 0 of f probation and their time was length ened according to the commandment aih the lord god gave unto the childr children of men for he gave commandment that all men must repent tor for ae e showed unto all men that they were lost because of ef the transgression of their parents and ana now benold d it if adam had not transgressed lie he would not have fallen but he would have remained in the garden of eden and all things which were created must have remained in the same state which they were after they were cite created and they must haye have remained forever and had no end and they would have had no children W ey would have remained in a tate state of innocence having no boy for they knew no misery doing no good tor for they knew no sin but be things have been done in the wisdom of him who all things adam fell that man might lie be and men are that they might have oy joy 1 the saints have exalted ideas regarding the destiny of man ideas which should impress als with the importance ortance of our mission on earth the beights heights to which the faithful will ascend and how great will be the loss of those who disobey god and regard not his laws and commandments when we contemplate the future of the one and compare it with that of the other who does not feel that no sacrifice Is too great for us 0 make in order to enjoy such great blessings |
