Gospel Themes. Whitney Orson Ferguson

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СКАЧАТЬ the need of all that? I am a good man, I have always done right, and am clean, moral, and upright in conduct and conversation—why is that not sufficient to entitle me to vote, to hold office, pre-empt land, and enjoy all the rights and privileges of an American freeman?' Do you think such a plea would avail? No, you do not. You see its inconsistency as quickly as would the government unto whom it might be made. You would not expect to become a citizen of the United States upon your own terms. Why, then, should you hope for admittance into God's kingdom upon any other conditions than those which the King himself has laid down?"

      Man's Proper Attitude.—Truthfulness, honesty, virtue, and benevolence are precious possessions, inestimable treasures. They enrich the soul under all conditions, outside or inside the kingdom of God; but they are not valuable enough to purchase a passport into that kingdom. We must not count upon our personal qualities, however admirable and commendable, to gain us admission into the divine presence. Man's proper attitude, as a seeker for salvation, is one of humility, not of self-righteousness. When the Pharisee and the Publican prayed in the Temple at Jerusalem, the former thanking the Lord that he was better than other men, and the latter meekly murmuring: "God be merciful to me, a sinner," the Savior, pointing to the Publican, said: That man is justified, rather than the other, "for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:13,14).

      Obedience Better Than Sacrifice.—"Obedience is better than sacrifice." So said obedient Samuel to disobedient Saul. Adam's obedience in offering sacrifice without knowing why, simply because the Lord had commanded him (Moses 5:6) Abraham's obedience in offering Isaac—for the same reason—was far more precious in the sight of heaven than the sacrifice itself. In Abraham's case the will was taken for the deed, and the Father of the Faithful was blessed as abundantly as if the sacrifice had been consummated.

      Dead Letter and Living Oracle.—Suppose, however, that Abraham had not obeyed the Lord's second command, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad." In that event he would have been in transgression, and could not have been blessed any more than if he had disobeyed in the first instance. In the face of that second command, he could not have pleaded consistently that he was under obligation to obey the first. "My word is my law," saith the Lord, and his latest word, even though it seem to contradict an earlier behest from the same source, must always be given precedence. The choice in such a case is between the dead letter and the living oracle.

      All Blessings Come by Obedience.—It is the rod of power which smites the rock of divine providence, causing it to flow with the waters of human weal.

      The Justice of God.—When the Savior uttered his exhortation: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," and added, "For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:45), he did not mean that the Lord makes no distinction between the two classes; but meant that he is just to both—just even to the unjust, upon whom he sends his rain and sunshine, causing their orchards to bloom and their vineyards to bear equally with those of the righteous. Nevertheless, all who receive such blessings must merit them. If the unjust (unjust here) had not kept their first estate, thereby showing some degree of obedience to divine law, they would not have been given a second estate, where the sunlight and the rains could reach them. In this second estate, however, further obedience is requisite, in order that greater benefits may follow.

      Blessings Bestowed by Law.—God's blessings are temporal as well as spiritual, and their bestowal is regulated by law. A bad man may be a good farmer or a good artisan, and reap reward for obedience to the law of industry in the exercise of his vocation. But there are greater blessings than those which come from the workshop and the harvest field; and they can be had only by obedience to the higher laws governing their distribution. One cannot become a member of the Church of Christ by being an expert tiller of the soil. It requires more than the skill of a mechanic to get into the kingdom of heaven. There is but one way into that kingdom—a way pointed out by the finger of God—and any person who tries to get in by picking the lock or by climbing over the wall, will be treated as a trespasser, as a would-be thief and robber.

      What Must Man Do for Himself?—What particular acts of obedience are required of man, in order that God, who redeemed him, may likewise save and exalt him? What must he do for himself, that he may profit fully by the great things done in his behalf? How shall this alien become naturalized? The ladder having been let down into the pit, how shall the fallen avail himself of the divine assistance offered?

      The answer is plain: He must climb, if he would get out. While there was no ladder, he could not, and all his intelligence and skill were unavailing. But now, if he will use his God-given powers and the means provided, he may climb from earth to heaven, round by round. If he refuses to climb, who but himself is responsible for his remaining in the pit?

      The Most Important Personage.—This gospel code—this way into the kingdom—what is it? What does it consist of? What are the divine laws of naturalization? What requirements are made of those who would be identified with the Church of Christ—who would be saved in this world and in the world to come? The man who can answer, to the spiritually unenlightened, such questions as these, is easily the most important personage of his generation. Such a man was the Apostle Peter, and such another was the Prophet Joseph Smith.

      The Pentecostal Proclamation.—When Peter, on the day of Pentecost, preached "Christ and him crucified," and the conscience-stricken multitude cried out: "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" a question was propounded which the most learned philosophers of that age could not answer. Caesar, sitting upon the throne of the world, would have been mystified had the question been put to him: What shall men do to be saved? Not so Peter, the Galilean fisherman. He knew what men must do, and he straightway told them what to do:

      "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).

      [Footnote A: An idea advanced by President George Q. Cannon.]

      CHAPTER II

Faith

      The First Requirement.—Faith, however, not repentance, is the first requirement. The probable reason why Peter omitted to mention faith at that time, was because he perceived that the multitude already had faith, already believed what he had told them of the crucified Redeemer. Had it been otherwise, they would not have been "pricked in their heart." and would not have anxiously inquired, "What shall we do?" Belief was the first requirement made by the Savior, through his chosen twelve, when he sent them "into all the world" to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:16). He declared salvation dependent on faith and works: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." For faith is shown by works (James 2:18), and each is dead without the other.

      The Foundation of All Righteousness.—Faith, according to the Doctrine and Covenants, is "the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness." There are few things more lucid in our literature than the Lectures on Faith which form the fore part of that sacred volume—one of the four doctrinal standards of the Church; the other three being the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. Beginning with the text, "Now faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1), the lecturer goes on to say:

      The Moving Cause of All Action.—"If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action in them; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental."

      "Were this class to go back and reflect upon the history of their СКАЧАТЬ