--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Roberts, B. H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 8 number: 5 published: 1905-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'B. H. Roberts, "Relation of Inspiration and Revelation to Church Government," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 5 (March 1905): 358–371.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0805unse 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: improvementera0805unse start_page: 358 end_page: 371 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0805unse publication_year: 1905 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 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Relation of Inspiration and Revelation to Church Government RELATION OF INSPIRATION AND REVEUV TION TO CHURCH GOVERNMENT.* BY B. H. ROBERTS. Of late, the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints have undergone a crucial test. Many principles fundamental to our faith have been the subject of investigation by a leading Senatorial committee, composed of men of superior ability, learning, and wide experience, who are adroit in questions of logic, and specially fitted, because of their legal knowledge, to pursue to ultimate analysis any question presented for their consideration. Before these men, the doctrines of the Church have been presented, discussed and analyzed. But while such is the character of the committee, some of the elders of the Church, who have been called upon to state and interpret some of the principles of our faith, have been called upon without having time to prepare their replies, or weigh their words, thus being placed at a serious disadvantage. Their adroitness have seemingly led them through a labyrinth of questions in the hope of finally surprising them in some inconsistency. And yet, on the whole, the Church has reason to congratulate itself on the presentation of the doctrines, even under these circumstances; and it is not difficult to believe that the elders have been sustained in their answers by a spirit beyond their own wisdom. * Synopsis of a discourse before the M. I. A. conference. Granite stake, January 15, 1905. Revised and corrected for the Era, by the speaker. REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 359 However, it would be surprising if the opposition, in the course of so long an investigation, should not make inconsistencies appear in the answers of the brethren. I wish to call attention to some of these, for incidentally I have learned that some of the catch phrases coined in this investigation, are having more or less an evil influence upon the minds of our youth. "SMART" SAYINGS. For example: We believe in revelation from God to man; that through revelation to prophets, in this age of the world, a dispensation of the gospel has been restored; and that divine communication has been permanently established, so that the will of God may be made known to man. These are common-places to us, but seemed to be something wonderful to the investigating committee. In the course of the investigation of the subject of revelation, it was developed that a law revealed from God, before it became binding upon the Church, was submitted to the people in conference, and they voted to accept or reject it. Then this question was asked: "Suppose a revelation is given to the Church, and the Church in conference assembled reject it by vote, what remains? Does it go for nothing?" To which answer was made, in substance, that if the people rejected it, it would go for nothing for them—that is, so far as the people were concerned. The senator then exclaimed: "A sort of veto power over the Lord!" and then there was laughter. That is one of the catchy phrases which some of the youth of Zion are permitting themselves to be pleased with. A veto power on God! On further investigation we shall find that it is smart rather than profound. Then again, when the subject of the manifesto (the instrument of 1890 through which plural marriages were discontinued) was under discussion, one of the brethren chanced to remark that he assisted in framing the document for publication, correcting the grammar, without changing the sense or meaning. Then another senator put the question: "You mean to say, that in an inspired communication from 360 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the Almighty, the grammar was bad, was it? You corrected the grammar of the Almighty, did you?" This also apparently appeals to the humor of some of our youth, and now and then one may hear something irreverently said about the absurdity of correcting the Almighty's grammar! Again, one of the elders found it necessary to make a correction in one of his statements. Then he is pursued by one of the most adroit of the senators, who wants to know whether the elder is answering questions under the direction of the Lord, or merely in his human and uninspired capacity. The elder replies: I believe I shall answer the questions that are asked me here as the Spirit of the Lord directs me, and truthfully. Senator—Do you meaD to say that theiSpirit of the Lord directs you in your answers here? Elder—I believe so. Senator—You believe so? Elder—Yes, sir. Senator—Then, in your belief, did the Spirit of the Lord direct you to make the answer which you just took back and said was a mistake? (A pause and silence.) "Well, if you cannot answer it, I will not press it." Previously, this senator had said to the elder: "Do you not think that in this hearing it behooves you to be a little careful of your answers, so that in so important a matter you do not have to take back in two or three minutes what you have said?" This is spoken of, according to reports that reach me, as a severe reproof administered by a "worldling" to one who believed himself to be an inspired man, and more or less of comment is made upon this circumstance, as upon the others that I have named. The above points plaoe before us a few things that are said touching questions of considerable interest on the subject of revelation. REVELATION, INSPIRATION AND COMMON CONSENT. Let us first understand what revelation means: revelation is the name of that act by which God makes communication to men. REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 361 It may be made from God to man in various ways. God may speak in his own proper person for himself. That may be called perfect revelation, and it was in this way that the dispensation of the fulness of times began, when God the Father and Jesus the Christ stood revealed in the presence of Joseph Smith; when every veil was removed, and the glory of God extended throughout the forest in which the prophet had prayed; when he heard the Father speak to him as one friend speaks to another, saying: "Joseph, this is my beloved Son: hear him." Then followed a conversation with this second divine person, to whom he was so perfectly introduced, and from whom he received the light and knowledge that laid the foundation of this great latter-day work. There was no imperfection whatsoever in that revelation. It was complete, overwhelming, and the most remarkable revelation that God has deigned to give to the children of men. Revelation may also come by the visitation of angels, as in the case where Moroni revealed the existence of the Book of Mormon; or through the operations of the Holv Spirit, as when Joseph was inspired to translate the Nephite record, and as when the servants of God are enlightened by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. Inspiration is the name of that influence which operates upon the minds of men, under which they may be said to have divine guidance. Inspiration may be strong or weak. It may be so overwhelming in its character that the person for the time being loses largely his own individuality and becomes the mouthpiece of God—the organ through which the Divine speaks to the children of men. There exists all degrees of inspiration, from human intelligence and wisdom slightly influenced, up to that fulness of inspiration of which I have spoken. We testify as a people that in these various ways God speaks as well today as in ancient times, and we are his witnesses to this. After revealing himself to Joseph Smith, the Lord finally told him, with reference to the organization of the Church, that he must call together the baptized members and submit to them the question whether or not they were willing that he and Oliver Cowdery should proceed to organize the Church of Christ, and whether 362 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the people were willing to accept them as their spiritual leaders and teachers. We may well marvel at such condescension of God; and yet when we come to analyze this, we learn that in this God only recognizes a great truth, and the dignity of his children, and acknowledges their rights and liberties. When he selected his prophet, to whom he first revealed himself, he chose whom he would and gave him the power of the apostleship; but when he was to effect an organization and exercise that authority upon others, then it must be with the consent of the others concerned, not otherwise. This is the principle of common consent, which the Lord respected at the organization of his Church, and which he still recognizes in its government. The very title of our Church—the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—indicates that it is not only "the Church of Jesus Christ," but also of the "Latter-day Saints." It is Christ's because he made it possible by his sacrifice, because it is the depository of his truth, because he has called it into existence, because he has given it a mission to proclaim the truth, and to perfect the lives of those who accept that truth; it is ours because we accept it of our own volition. God has conferred upon his Church and our Church the right of being governed by common consent of the members thereof. It is not a tyranny, nor an ecclesiastical hierarchy dominating the people and destroying individual liberty, as our friends the opposition have frequently declared. But now they are confronted with the fact that, so far from being a tyrannical institution, not only the officers but the very revelations of God are submitted to the people for their acceptance! And then they turn to the other extreme, and, astonished, exclaim: "Then you presume to have a veto power on God!" Now, while the Church is one of God's instrumentalities for making known the truth, we do not maintain that he is limited to this Church for such purposes, neither in time nor place. According to the Book of Mormon, God raises up wise men and prophets among all the children of men of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can all comprehend, not alwa\ s giving a fulness of truth, such as is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, but always such measure of truth as the peo- REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 363 pie are ready to receive. We bold that all great teachers are servants of God, inspired men appointed to instruct the children of God according to the condition in which they are found; therefore, it is not obnoxious to us to regard Confucius as a servant of God; nor Buddha as an inspired teacher of a measure of truth; nor the Arabian prophet as inspired who turned his people from worshiping idols to a truer conception of Deity. And so with the sages of Greece and Rome, and the Reformers of the early Protestant times. With such a broad conception of God, and his treatment of his children in the matter of imparting divine truth to them, it is infamous for any man who knows anything of "Mormonism"to represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as being so narrow and bigoted as to believe that they legislate in their conferences in all spiritual matters for the whole world. When the Church votes upon the acceptance of any revelati >x\, whether on doctrine or the appointment of officers, it acts for itself alone, and neither concerns, for praise or censure, people outside of the Church. It is merely the exercise of a right conferred upon the Church in the very inception of its organization, which granted it the right to accept or reject any rule or law that was suggested for its government. This law of common consent is in strict harmony with God's moral government of the world. Man is by nature a free moral agent, and that agency involves the liberty of violating the laws of God as well as the liberty of respecting them. If individuals reject the will of God, they will be rejected by him; and this applies also to the Church. What men may do in their individual capacity, the Church may do in its organized capacity with, of course, similar results to the institution; for if the time should come that the Church, in the exercise of those rights and that freedom which God in the beginning bestowed upon her, should persistently reject his word and his servants until she became corrupted, God would repudiate and disown her as his Church, just as he would reject and condemn a wicked man. But so far, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has received as divine law the revelations and doctrines proposed to her by the prophets of God. But suppose a law is promulgated before the Latterday Saints, and the Church, in the exercise of the liberty which 364 IMPROVEMENT ERA. God has conferred upon them, reject it, the question is then asked, what remains? The truth remains. The action of the Church has not affected it in the least. The truth remains just as true as if the Church had accepted it. Its action simply determines the relationship of the members to that truth; and if they reject it, the truth still remains; and it is my opinion that they would not make further progress until they accepted the rejected truth. The truth remains—that is the answer to the Senator's question, for, as one of our poets has said: Though the heavens depart, and the earth's fountains burst, Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst, Eternal, unchanged, evermore. THE QUESTION OF GRAMMAR. Taking up the other question—that of correcting the Almighty's grammar. I have already shown that in a direct revelation from the Lord, there is no imperfection, but where the Almighty uses a man as an instrument, the manner in which that revelation is imparted to men may receive a certain human coloring from the prophet through whom it comes. We know this to be true, because the message delivered to Israel through Jeremiah, differs in style of phraseology from that delivered by Isaiah, Amos, or Ezekiel. The inspiration of the Lord need not destroy the personality of the man through whom it is made. The old story of the ray of sunlight and the prism will serve to illustrate my idea. When the light passes through the prism, it is changed from the single white ray to the various colors of which it is composed: blue, orange, red, green, etc ; the clearness and sharpness of these several rays depend upon the purity of the prisms through which the light is passed. So with the white ray of God's inspiration, falling upon different men, it receives different colorings or expressions through them, according to their own characteristics. Hence, each prophet preserves his identity, and Amos, Ezekiel, Moroni and Alma speak with their own individuality, though inspired by the same spirit. So, if it had pleased God, in his wisdom, to appoint the mission of translating the Book of Mormon to a REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 365 learned man, we would have had a translation of that book without blemish, so far as grammar is concerned; but it pleased him to appoint to that mission one who was not learned, and hence we find errors in grammar in the translation, like this: "Whoredoms is an abomination to the Lord." Marvelous! ungrammatical! a plural subject and a singular verb! But are you in doubt about the truth? Does it make the truth more forcible or real to say: "Whoredoms are an abomination to the Lord?" The essential thing in a revelation is the truth, and there is no dcubt in this sentence about the truth which remains, whether we use is or are: Whoredoms are abhorrent to God, and that is the main thing. So we might multiply examples from the Book of Mormon, and from other sources, showing that any imperfection in mere utterance of a truth amounts to little or nothing. "He that hath my word, saith the Lord, let him speak my word faithfully, for what is the chaff to the wheat?" So in this manifesto issued by President Woodruff. What if there were imperfect, or ungrammatical sentences in it? What does the world care about that, in the last analysis of it? The great thing in the instrument was, and the great truth that the Lord made known to the soul of Wilford Woodruff was, that it was necessary for the preservation of the Church, and the uninterrupted progress of her work, that plural marriages should be discontinued. Now, any expression containing that truth was all that was necessary. And so there is nothing of weight in the phrase "correcting the grammar of the Almighty." We do not correct his grammar. Perhaps the brethren made slight corrections in the grammar of Wilford Woodruff. The grammar may be the prophet's; the idea, the truth, is God's. CONTINUITY OF INSPIRATION IN THE CHURCH. Now as to the third point,—about men being constantly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that all they say and do is an inspiration of God, even the answering of questions. There is nothing in the doctrines of the Church which makes it necessary to believe that, even of men who are high officials of the Church. Cases exist where men have been excommunicated for their discourses. They were certainly then not inspired. When 366 IMPROVEMENT ERA. we consider the imperfections of men, their passions and prejudices, that mar the Spirit of God in them, happy is the man who can occasionally ascend to the spiritual heights of inspiration and commune with God! But the reader may recall the passage in the revelation which declares concerning the Priesthood: And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. This is true, every word of it, when they speak as moved upon by the Holy Ghost. But how frequently when men speak, they fail to attune themselves to the divine influence, and so are unable to call it down into their souls to speak forth the words of life! They sometimes fail, but at times you and I have listened to their words when the white light of God's inspiration rested upon them, and we needed no man to tell us we were being taught of God by tha power and influence of the Holy Ghost. But it is not always so, and, indeed, the Lord has revealed this truth also: Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; i For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in no wise lose their reward. There may be said to be three classes of intelligence: 1st. The divine intelligence coming directly or indirectly from God through his Spirit; 2nd. The intelligent, everlasting ego, entity, or intelligence, in every man, native, self-existent, indestructible; 3rd. The influence of the adversary of men's souls, which sometimes dominates men, leading them into sin and darkness. Coming into contact with these three inspirations, and having these intelligences to deal with, I am convinced that one of the essential requirements for our peace and welfare is to make ourselves competent to distinguish between the Spirit of God, the promptings of our own human intelligence, and the evil whisperings of the adversary of men's souls. And meantime we should recognize the fact that we do many things by our own uninspired intelligence for the issues of which we are ourselves responsible. Moreover, the Lord desires that we REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 367 should seek to do good things on our own account as indicated in the revelation quoted. We are prompted by our native intelligence to perform most of the ordinary actions of life. But for the accomplishment of extraordinary duties, for the achievement of high purposes, the soul, conscious of its own limitations, reaches out for help, deep calls unto deep, the infinite in man seeks union with the infinite in God, and when necessary for the achievement of God's purposes, we believe that the Lord deigns to communicate his will to man. He will help men at need, but I think it improper to assign every word and every act of a man to an inspiration from the Lord. Were that the case, we would have to acknowledge ourselves as being wholly taken possession of by the Lord, being neither permitted to go to the right nor the left only as he guided us. There could then be no error made, nor blunder in judgment; free agency would be taken away, and the development of human intelligence prevented. Hence, I think it a reasonable conclusion to say that constant, never-varying inspiration is not a factor in the administration of the affairs of the Church; not even good men, no, not even though they be prophets or other high officials of the Church, are at all times and in all things inspired of God. It is only occasionally, and at need, that God comes to their aid. That there have been unwise things done in the Church by good men, men susceptible at times to the inspiration of the Spirit of God, we may not question. Many instances in the history of the Church, through three quarters of a century, prove it, and it would be a solecism to say that God was the author of those unwise, not to say positively foolish, things that have been done. For these things men must stand responsible, not God. It is well nigh as dangerous to claim too much for the inspiration of God, in the affairs of men, as it is to claim too little. By the first, men are led into superstition, and into blasphemously accrediting their own imperfect actions, their blunders, and possibly even their sins, to God; and by the second, they are apt to altogether eliminate the influence of God from human affairs; I pause in doubt as to which conclusion would be the worse. WHAT THEN IS CERTAIN? In view of these remarks, I can hear some in their hearts ask 368 IMPROVEMENT ERA. —"How, then, shall we attain to certainty? How are we to know when men speak and act under divine inspiration, and when by their own unaided human intelligence? When God gave the world inspired apostles and prophets and had established a divine institution for the instruction and guidance of men, we had fondly hoped that at last doubt and uncertainty had been driven out of the minds of those who placed themselves under the tutorship of such teachers and such a divine institution as the Church of Christ; and that now we were placed in a position where an unerring finality might be attained on all questions involving human affairs and human conduct." So indeed, good friends, you have in the Church of Christ a means of attaining finality in regard to all those questions that concern your salvation. There is and can be no questioning or doubting concerning the essential principles of the gospel of Christ taught by his Church. Here we stand on the solid rock, not on shifting sands. We can and do know the truth with reference to the matters that concern our salvation: and God in the dispensation of the fulness of times, wherein he has decreed the completion of his work with reference to the salvation of men and the redemption of the earth, will never permit man's imperfections and unwisdom to thwart the accomplishment of his great purposes. In these things we stand absolutely secure. But with reference to matters involving merely questions of administration and policy in the Church; matters that do not involve the great and central truths of the Gospel—these afford a margin wherein all the human imperfections and limitations of man, even of prophets and apostles, may be displayed; that they, in common with the membership of the Church, may exercise their freedom and agency, standing responsible, blameable or praisable, accordingly as they acquit themselves well or ill in discharging those duties which devolve upon them. In this connection it should not be matter of surprise to any one that unwise things have been both said and done by some- of the best men in the Church. On the contrary, it is matter of congratulation to the Church that so little unwisdom has been manifested by our brethren upon whom God has laid the heavy burdens of so great a work. As to the matter of attaining certainty in human affairs, that is not to be expected. Is it indeed desirable? "Know ye not that REVELATION AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 369 we walk by faith and not by sight," is the language of Paul to the Saints in his day. By which token I infer that we are placed in this earth-probation to pass through just such experiences as those to which we seem born heirs. Is it not in part the meaning of life that we are here under just such conditions as prevail, in order that we may learn the value of better things? Is not this very doubt of ours concerning the finality of things—finality which ever seems to elude our grasp—the means of our education? What mere automatons would we become, if we found truth machinemade and limited, that is to say, finite, instead of being, as we now find it, infinite and elusive, and attainable only as we beat it out on the anvil of our own experiences? Yet so far as men may be furnished with the means of attaining to certainty concerning the class of things of which we are speaking, the Saints of God are supplied with that means. Their obedience to the gospel brings to them the possession of the Holy Ghost, and it is ''Mormon" doctrine that "by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things." (Moroni). This spirit takes of the things of God and makes them known to men. By his testimony we may know that the Lord is God, that Jesus is the Christ, that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. By him bearing witness to our spirits we can recognize the truth, and know when men speak of themselves, and when they speak as moved upon by the Holy Spirit. But even with the possession of this Spirit to guide us into all truth, I pray you, nevertheless, not to look for finality in things, for you will look in vain. Intelligence, purity, truth, will always remain with us relative terms and also relative qualities. Ascend to what heights you may, ever beyond you will see other heights in respect of these thing,?; and ever as you ascend, more heights will appear, and it is doubtful if we shall ever attain the absolute in respect of these qualities. Our joy will be the joy of approximating them, of attaining unto ever-increasing excellence, without attaining the absolute. It will be the joy of eternal progress. TESTIMONY AND ADMONITION. In conclusion, I desire to say that, in my experience in the Church, and I have had exceptional opportunities to know the 370 IMPROVEMENT ERA. leaders both past and present, from their correspondence, and from association with them, I have found their private utterances in perfect harmony with the things they proclaimed publicly—I have found them m this respect pure gold. In view of these things, I declare to the youth of Zion and to the world: God has spoken in this age in which we live. He has revealed himself to the children of men, and has communicated a message to the world in what is called "Mormonism." The Book of Mormon is true. The great revelations that underlie this latter day work are true. The revelations concerning the nature of God and man, in the Doctrine and Covenants, the revelations out of which has grown this organization which we call the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, are verities. Following this testimony, I want to warn members of the Church against speaking lightly or slightingly of sacred things, or of the servants of God. In nothing, perhaps, can you more offend God or grieve his Spirit. Have nothing to do, I pray you, with "smart" quips against the truth, however respectable their origin, or however popular or catchy their phraseology. I pray you give them no lodgement in your hearts. Remember, we live under the law of God.—Speak no evil of mine anointed; do my prophets no harm. And remember always that whatever the weakness and the imperfections of men may be, whatever weaknesses they may have manifested before the Church in the past, or may manifest before it in the future (for the end is not yet), their weaknesses and imperfections affect not the truth that God has revealed. The Lord will vindicate his truth, and at the last it will be found that, 'Tis no avail to bargain, sneer, and nod, And shrug the shoulder for reply to God. Remember also that ridicule is not argument; that a sneer, though it may not be susceptible of an answer, is no refutation of the truth; that though profane ribaldry may provoke a passing merriment, the profaner's "laugh is a poor exchange for Deity offended." I therefore admonish you, as a friend and brother, to stand aloof from all these things. Hold as sacred the truths of God; and hold in highest esteem, as indeed you may, those whom God has appointed to be his prophets, apostles and servants. TOPICS OF MOMENT; Monroe Doctrine and Santo Domingo. By treaty stipulations entered into between the Executive Department of the United States and Santo Domingo, this country undertakes to act'as receiver of that practically bankrupt little republic which is in the throes of almost constant revolution. The debt of Santo Domingo is estimated at $30,000,000, an enormous sum for a country with such limited resources. The arrangement is that the United States shall take control of all ports of entry, and collect the import duties and pay over to that republic forty-five per cent for expenses of its own administration. The balance will be used to pay the expenses of collection, and the interest and principal upon the national debt. It will take a very long time to pay off Santo Domingo's debts, at that rate, so we shall stand as a sort of sponsor for many years to come, for its good bshavior and orderly conduct. This is something new in the history of this country. It is a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and makes a decided departure in our foreign policy. It will naturally be asked, what led to this step by our country, and what are the results likely to be? It will be remembered that only a few years ago the United States assented to the program of Great Britain and Germany by which these two nations by force of arms compelled Venezuela to submit to the collection at her ports of duties by which the debts of that republic, to these two empires and other creditors, could be paid. Before Venezuela finally acquiesced, a miniature war was carried on. During that time, some acts were committed by these great powers, especially Germany, that were considered harsh and unnecessary. Although it was perfectly understood here that no territorial pos-