BY ELDER JOHN MORGAN.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED AT THE MILLENNIAL STAR OFFICE, 295EDGE LANE, LIVERPOOL.
In the midst of the Christian world there are very many conflictingtheories, in relation to man's existence here and hereafter; also as tothe duties he owes to himself, his fellow-man and to his Creator. Itis an undisputed question that some knowledge of
WHERE WE CAMEFROM,
WHY WE ARE HERE,
AND WHERE WE GO AFTER WE LEAVETHIS PROBATION,
is essential to the enjoyment and well-being ofthe human family.
In the following pages of this tract we shall seek to briefly setforth the belief of the Latter-day Saints on these points. While theymay differ widely from the accepted ideas of the Christian world,we may be allowed to mildly suggest, that this difference is not somuch between the sects of the day and the Latter-day Saints, as it isbetween those sects and the Bible, a fact for which we are in no senseresponsible, and a fact that we can in nowise alter or change, evenwere we so disposed.
It is deemed proper in the commencement of this investigation, torefer to another point, so that we may clearly understand each other.It is this: sincerity of belief does not by any means establish thecorrectness of a principle. Testimony of an unimpeachable charactercan alone do that. Man's belief does not affect a principle in theleast. The whole world may believe it and yet it be untrue; the wholeworld may refuse to believe it, and yet it be true. The unbelief of thepeople of Noah's day did not stay the flood; the unbelief of the Jewsdid not prove Jesus an impostor; and the killing of the apostles didnot prove their doctrines false. The assassination of Joseph Smith wasno proof one way or another as to the divine nature of his authority;neither will the rejection of the doctrines he taught prove them wrong.If they are true, though he was slain, his followers mobbed, drivenand persecuted, yet in the end they will rise triumphant over everyobstacle and grow stronger and stronger, as error shall grow weaker andweaker.
In presenting the principles of pre-existence, the firstprinciples of the gospel and baptism for the dead, we shall simplyquote scripture; and we again state that if there is any difference ofopinion it is between the reader and holy writ.
The apostle Paul's injunction to the Thessalonians, was: "Prove allthings: hold fast that which is good" (I.Thess. 5:21); and the wise manSolomon's assertion, was: "He that judgeth a matter before he hearethit is not wise."
Let us, then, refer to the word of the Lord, which is the end ofargument, and see what the teachings of the Great Creator of allare.
Speaking to Job, one of the most ancient writers of the Bible, Hesays: "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?Gird up thy loins like a man: for I will demand of thee, and answerthou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? * ** When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shoutedfor joy?" (Job 38:2-7.)
Job certainly must have been somewhere when the "foundations of theearth" were laid, or why the query?
There was doubtless more meaning to the words, "When ALL the sonsof God shouted for joy," than one at first supposes. The reader asks,"Who were these sons of God?" Luke, in giving the genealogy of thehuman family, gives the necessary information on this subject: "whichwas the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son ofAdam, which was the SON OF GOD." (Luke 3:38.) But let us turn toanother text. One of the ancient writers says: "Then shall the dustreturn to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God whogave it."