--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 1 published: 1902-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Questions and Answers—History of the Church—A Story Wanted," *Improvement Era* 6, no. 1 (November 1902): 66–73.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0601unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0601unse start_page: 66 end_page: 73 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0601unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Questions and Answers—History of the Church—A Story Wanted : baptized for the remission of his sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost, shall do many wonderful works, and the gospel signs shall follow him for his profit and salvation. On the other hand, we have it declared in the word of the Lord concerning his Church estab- lished in the last days for the restoration of his people "Verily, verily, I say unto you, they who believe not on your words, and are not baptized in water, in my name, for the remis- sion of their sins, that they may receive the Holy Ghost, shall be damned, and shall not come into my Father's kingdom, where my Father and I am. And this revelation unto you, and command- ment, is in force from this very hour upon all the world." (Doc- trine and Covenants, sec. 84: 74, 75). Jesus saith: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man Cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6.) "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." (John 10: 1). Hence, we see the importance of recognizing the authority of his Priesthood, and of submitting ourselves to the ordinances of the gospel, which course alone insures the blessings. No person is exempt, and there is no exception made con- cerning the way of entrance. There can be no compromise with any organization or any person, all must be treated alike, and must , enter in at the door, or suffer the consequences of unbelief. Knowing this, how vastly important the precious authority which is conferred upon the Saints, should be held by young and old alike, who are members of the Church, and by all who stand on the outside seeking salvation in the Church of Christ. Joseph F. Smith. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Relation of Hope and Faith. From Lesson XII, Manual 1902, arises this: Is hope a root of faith, or is faith first? Hope and faith are closely related feelings. As feelings, but not considered in a broader sense, it is difficult to determine which of the two is first developed in the human mind. It seems, how- — EDITOR'S TABLE. 67 ever, that even in this view, hope may be regarded as of first development, for the reason that hope is a general feeling, while faith is more specific, and depends more for its development upon experience, observation and reason. In other words, it would seem that, in the first place, a greater development of the mind is neces- sary to the production of a specific faith, than of hope. Hope, therefore, may be regarded as one of the roots of faith. But the faith treated in the Manual (see Lesson XII) is not merely general feeling experienced by the human mind. It is a specific faith in God and in the laws he has revealed. Surely the development of this faith must follow the rise of a gen- eral feeling of hope. Again, this faith is not merely a feeling, it is also a principle of power, and a spring of action. As such, it is doubtless developed in the mind after faith, as a general feel- ing, has been established there; and, hence, a still longer time after the development of hope, Paul speaks of this faith as the substance (or assurance) of things hoped for. That is, after one has hoped for certain things, he receives an assurance of them, and this assurance follows hope, and results from it, at least in part. Necessarily, this assurance depends as well upon evidence and ex- perience. This is true not only of a well-developed faith in Deity and in his laws, but of faith in the ordinary affairs of life. This definite faith is not developed until, through evidence or experi- ence, or both, the mind is brought to firm confidence that God lives, that his laws are operative, and that man's efforts in spiritual and temporal directions will not go unrewarded, Hope is estab- lished in the human mind long before it can weigh such evidences, and pass through such experiences, as are required for a full development of faith. For these reasons,and others which are subsidiary to them,the conclusion seems justifiable that hope is developed in the mind sooner than faith, and is one of the roots from which faith springs. The above, written by Elder Willard Done, is the position taken by the Manual committee on the subject. Several correspond- ents have written to the Era taking the opposite view. We hink faith and hope are interchangeable, sometimes faith in- creases and strengthens hope; and again hope becomes a strong pillar of faith. While it is a matter of little real importance, whether faith leads to hope, or hope is an element of faith, the following article, containing as it does many good thoughts on the need of a living faith, is deemed worthy of space. It was written by J. M. Thompson, Basalt, Idaho: A few weeks since, in the Mutual, at Basalt, Idaho, I was assigned a part in lesson 12. The lesson makes faith to grow out of hope. The re- verse seems to me to be true — hope grows out of faith. If I have no faith in God, I cannot hope for or expect his blessing. To my mind, the order of manifestation of mental powers, associated with the development of faith are: 1st —Passive Faith:— Intuitive (a) belief in the existence of — the God idea; God immortality — ever- (b) in lasting life; spiritual existence — (c) in independent of the body; life (d) inrewards and punishments— eternal justice. These intuitions each grow out of a separate mental faculty, which is inborn, just as 'is reason, sight, hearing, etc. It is only by the spir- itual faculties and intuitions that man comes into touch with Deity. In their first analysis, the religious intuitions are not forceful, positive factors in human action, but are passive, inert beliefs, and in many minds are but dim, vague sensibilities of the existence of which they are only semi-conscious. Positive, or Active Faith. —In order that the mind may have an active, positive, saving faith, there must be: First, conviction of sin; second, desire to escape the consequences of sin. Two plans of escape may present themselves to the sinner. One is^ conformation through moral law; the other is, redemption through Christ. The whole history of man has shown the inadequacy of the former plan, while many have demonstrated the sufficiency of the latter method. Essaying reformation through the moral law with intellect to guide and will power for strength, repeated effort and failure teaches man that, as a restraining power, his will is quite insufficient to subject his selfish and animal nature to the requirements of reason and morality Thus he learns to distrust himself, loses confidence, and hope dies out. Passive faith, when somewhat abundant, may impel the intellect to adopt some form of religious philosophy, the formula growing out of which promises salvation to the individual. The mind is thus self- deceived, for this intellectual creation is only another attempt at salva- EDITOR'S TABLE. 69 tion through morality. In the latter case, it is an attempt to do right in order to please God, while in the former case, the individual strives for obedience to the moral law because the individual recognizes it to be right, and, therefore, his duty to obey the same. Mechanical religion grows out of passive faith and intellect, as just described. It is one of the subtle tricks of Satan and the carnal mind to lead man to perdition. the soul trusting It is the to expres- intellectual sion of a moral formula —a dead form — "A form godliness without the of power thereof." And what is worse, it may be the true form; such is the awful weakness of the human nature. The intellect may lay hold of the true Gospel form, erecting its principles and ceremonial into a form of godliness, but without power to infuse into it life. . Like the crystal, it is beautiful because perfect in form; but though inimitably beautiful, is nevertheless dead. Redemption through Christ. — When the mind, having faith in the Father, that he is infinitely just, and that his infinite justice, in its sub- lime yet awful majesty, condemning sin, and by the inexorable law of its own nature, unfalteringly inflicting the penalty for sin, it is then the sinner looks about for relief. This conviction of sin is brought to him by the presence, in his mind, of the Holy Spirit, for this conviction, being a part of repentance, "is the gift of God." When God's spirit, resting upon the intuitive belief in justice and rewards and punishments in the soul of the sinner, it is then that he feels the exceeding sinfulness of sin. He feels that the "wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness," and that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Grief, sorrow, remorse, and fear sway his mind, and in anguish he cries for relief." (See Zenos, Book of Mormon.) To bring saving truth into close relation with the individual, faith must be unshaken, that Christ with his own life and shed blood paid the full penalty of the law of the Father, or of infinite justice, especially for those particular sins from the consequences of which the sinner wishes to be free. Faith , thus gives him the means of escape. Faith shows him his mediator; therefore, hope of forgiveness springs up, so that faith gives birth to hope, and as a mother nurses her infant into strength, so faith nourishes hope, "and hope grows brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day." This faith and hope ask for forgiveness. "Ask, and ye shall re- ceive." "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; for my yoke is easy and my burden light." Blessed promise, the sinner says; hope, through faith, brightens his soul. The joy of his faith and his hope fills his being with gratitude. Oh! how thankful, how grateful is the repentant sinner to him "who bought him with the price of his own blood." In the newly-made footprints of gratitude spring up pure, white blossoms of love. Love for the Father. Love for the Son. Oh! how sweet now is the name of Jesus! "Blessed is my Savior," are his words First, Faith; second, Hope; third. Charity — Love. I can assure you, I was highly pleased when I examined the 1901-2 Manual, and found it to contain a full and careful statement of the true faith in Christ, as taught in those inimitable books, the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and Book of Mormon; but I am sorry some young men are not sensible of its great value. Pardon me when I express a fear, which is, that very many are lay- ing hold of the mechanical side of religion only. A beautiful, because perfect, form, but which, without the living Christ, is dead. To those who have received the ceremonial, please now preach the living faith. Relatively, Christ more, Church less. "He that hath the Son hath life.'' "I am the way, the truth, and the life." When, through faith, hope, and love, men shall come to the Father —come in prayer ("Ask and ye shall receive") — then truly will the Son come, and will bring his Father also, and they will take up their abode with them, and dwell in them and they in him. As the Son comes in, so shall sin go out, and they shall be new creatures. If I should e xpress to you my sincerest conviction, I should say, there is need to preach, in Zion, a bleeding, dying, and resurrected Savior, that through this wondrous faith the lives of men and women may be transformed. Then the evils of both young and old, which some lament, will disappear, and our society will be clothed with life, light, truth, and love. Ephraim and Manasseh as Tribes of Israel. In the 49th chapter of Genesis we find Jacob blessing his sons, naming them as follows: Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulon, Issa- char, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Benjamin, and stating that these are the Twelve Tribes of Israel. II Kings 17: 18-24 says: "There was none left but the tribe of Judah only," the rest being carried away captive into Assyria. I wish to harmonize the above with your explanation of the Twelve Tribes in the July number of the Era, and to understand how Ephraim and Manasseh comes to constitute two of the tribes of Israel; and which of the sons of Jacob, if any, have lost their rights, and how? EDITORS TABLE. 71 Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraira and Manasseh, as his own, thus constituting each of them a tribe of Israel (Genesis 48: 5). This action necessarily displaced one of the sons of Jacob as the head of a tribe that should share the inheritance in Canaan. It did not, however, displace this man as one of the sons of Jacob, and the head and name of a tribe. Keeping this distinction in mind, we can understand that Levi was displaced as a fellow inheritor with his brethren, but not as the head of a tribe. The purpose of this action, as it afterward developed, was that the tribe of Levi should minister in the priestly office. This purpose, we suppose, was made clear to Jacob by prophetic in- spiration; for in blessing Levi, he stated that this tribe should be scattered in Jacob and divided in Israel (Genesis 49: 5-7). And Levi was so scattered — cities were built in the inheritances of the other tribes, where his descendants could live while they per- formed their priestly duties. (Numbers 35: 1-8.) This, then, is the answer to that part of the question: Two tribes were formed from Joseph, displacing Levi as an inheritor, while retaining him as a tribe, and appointing him to the priestly office and to residence among the other tribes. In this connection it may be well to state that Ephraim was given the birthright, being named as the first tribe of Israel in place of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son, who lost the birthright through transgression. (I Chron. 5: But Reuben still retained his inheritance among 1, 2.) the other tribes, only his birthright being taken from him. As to the other part of the question, i. e., Judah alone re- maining at Jerusalem after the captivity of Israel. It was stated in the previous article (July, page 720) that only one full tribe (Judah) remained, but with it half the tribe of Benjamin. The other ten and a half tribes went north. Therefore, Judah was the only full tribe remaining at Jerusalem, but half of the tribe of Benjamin joined with this tribe to form the kingdom of Judah. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. A very important and intensely interesting new book is the "History of the Church," a work that when completed will consist of parhaps six volumes, volume 1 of which is now on sale by the Deseret News. This first volume of some 600, large, clear-type pages, covers the period of time from the Prophet's birth to the ex- pulsion of the Saints from Jackson county, 1833. It is published by the Church, and prepared and edited by Elder B. H. Roberts, under the supervision of the Church Historian, President Anthon H. Lund. Constant reference has been made to the original manu- script, now in the Historian's office, and which was written under direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith who was the chief actor in the events therein narrated. Every publication in which this history has heretofore appeared — first in the Times and Seasons, then in the Deseret News, in the early 50's, and later in the Millennial Star, —has been carefully scanned, and also the various editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Book of Command- ments, published at Independence, Missouri, in 1833; the object being to discover every fact that would make this the standard, authentic, reference work on the origin and rise of "Mormonism." The body of the book contains, as stated, the Prophet's narra- tive, but the work is infinitely enhanced in value because of the publi- cation therein of one hundred and one revelations out of the one-hun- dred and thirty-seven found in the Doctrine and Covenants, in connec- tion with the conditions and circumstances which brougt them forth, thus affording a splendid opportunity for the student and general reader to rightly understand them. This is not all, but great pains have been taken, and good judgment and ability shown by the editor, in clearing the text, where it might be obscure because of brevity, by means of marginal notes, and the publication of documents, letters and articles from current periodicals of the times, relating to the subject under consideration. Add to this the editor's eighty-page introduction, together with the assistance in all its parts received from the experience and ability of the workers in the Historian's office, gained from their access to all the church documents which have accumulated in the past half century, and the reader must agree with the conclusion that "a work of the first historical im- portance is issuing to the world." And here a few words about the introduction. In the judg- ment of good critics, this is the best religious discussion yet written by Elder B. H. Roberts — his masterpiece. It is a book for study in itself, and forms a fitting background to the great events EDITOR'S TABLE. 73 recorded in the history proper, from which the student may view, as from an eminence, the grand religious, historical panorama of the ages. It points out the numerous dispensations from Adam to Messiah, in each of which there were a few who honored God and his laws; the efficacy of the atonement of Christ when he came and established his Church; the gradual apostasy, until a church made by men was substituted for the Church of Christ; the efforts of reformers; and finally the restoration of divine authority by the reopening of the heavens and the reestablishment of the Church of Christ on earth — the inauguration of the Dispensation of the Full- ness of Times, promised by the Lord. This dispensation, of which the history is but the chronicle, is shown to bear an important relation to all former dispensations; and the introduction exhibits plainly the relation of all dispensations, God's presence in the whole, and his comprehension of the end from the beginning. The volume will be an indispensable book of reference for the quorums of the priesthood, the improvement associations, Sunday schools, theological classes, colleges, academies, and other institu- tions of learning, Every family, too, should possess a copy, that the children may learn the truth from official sources, of the rise — and progress of the Church and our holy religion thus founding their faith in the work of God, by familiarizing themselves with the great religious movement which he has instituted through the Prophet Joseph for the salvation of the souls of men. Price in cloth, $1.50. Deseret News, Salt Lake City. A STORY WANTED. The Era will pay $50 for the best story suitable for publica- tion in this magazine. Conditions: The manuscript must be type- written; it must be in the hands of the editors by January 1, 1903; itmust contain no less than ten thousand words, nor more than twenty-five thousand; it must be signed by a fictitious name, ac- companied by a sealed envelope containing ' the real and fictitious names with address of the writer; three competent judges here- after to be named will decide upon its merits; if no story submitted shall be deemed of sufficient merit, the Era resrves the right to reject all; unaccepted manuscripts will be held subject to the writers' order.