--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Widtsoe, John A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 10 published: 1906-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "Prophetic Value of Section Two. II," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 10 (August 1906): 758–767.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse 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: improvementera0910unse start_page: 758 end_page: 767 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse publication_year: 1906 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 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Prophetic Value of Section Two. II PROPHETIC VALUE OF SECTION TWO, MALACHI 4: 5, 6—SECTION TWO, DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS. BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE, A. M., PH. D., DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY. II. THE ANTIQUITY AND NATURE OF THE GOSPEL. The statement in Malachi affirms that Elijah "shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children." In Section Two, this is changed to read, ' 'And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises*made to the fathers." Here again is a deliberate change from the Biblical version, which must have been made in conformity with some definite knowledge of past and of coming events. Every reader of Section Two st ops for a moment to ask himself ' 'What are the promises to the fathers to which reference is here made?" The half-grown boy, Joseph, perhaps asked himself the same question. No evidence on record shows that the Prophet understood the meaning of this passage, at the time it was given. In fact, the records appear to prove that only years afterward did Joseph and the Church receive definite information concerning the "promises made to the fathers." "The fathers," as used in Section Two, unquestionably refers to all the ancestors of men even to the first father, Adam; and the implication is that certain promises were made to the earliest progenitors of the human race. THE PROPHETIC VALUE OF SECTION TWO. 759 In June, 1830, and afterwards, the Prophet received several revelations that deal directly with conditions existing in the days of Adam and his immediate successors. These revelations are now comprised by the Writings of Moses, in the Pearl of Great Price. The information is there given that Father Adam, after having left the Garden of Eden, was visited by holy angels who taught the first man the principles of salvation. He was told that, though, through the atonement of Jesus, all the dead would be resurrected, yet, that exaltation in the eternal life could be obtained only through obedience to certain laws instituted by God. The fundamental laws were enumerated as faith, repentance, and baptism by immersion in water. In the words of the Writings of Moses: "All men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God * * ye must be born again in the Kingdom of Heaven, of water and of spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of Mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. * * This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of Mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time."* So indispensable are these laws to complete salvation, that the first man, who had just come from the presence of God, was obliged to submit to them. Adam asked for baptism, and was brought under the water, and out of it, and thus he was baptized. Later, the gift of the Holy Ghost was conferred upon him.f It was made emphatically plain that no person can obtain salvation without yielding obedience to the first gospel laws. Many men have refused to accept the gospel, and many millions have died without hearing it. The Prophet Enoch asked the Lord if the door of salvation was closed against such individuals. The answer came that Jesus ' 'hath plead before my face. Wherefore he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my chosen (Jesus) shall return unto me, and until * Moses, 61: 57, 59, 62. t Moses, 6: 64, 66. 760 IMPROVEMENT ERA. that day they shall b3 in torment,"* This and other statements in the recorded words of God to Adam and the early patriarchs show that the "fathers" were taught the gospel ordinances, and were promised eternal salvation, if obedient to the gospel, whether living or dead. The chief promise made to the fathers, referred to in Section Two, were, then, that by yielding obedience to the gospel ordinances every person can attain eternal life, and that this acceptance can be made in this life or in the hereafter—that is, that the chance of salvation is always open. No greater promise can be made to humanity. At the time this revelation was given, no church on earth held such a doctrine. That Elijah really did plant these promises in the hearts of the children is shown by his commission to the Church to begin the work for the dead, and his emphatic declaration that if the work were not done, the earth would be utterly wasted at the last day. Did Joseph, on the historic evening of the 21st of September, 1823, have any conception of the antiquity and universality of the gospel, as tacitly recognized in Section Two? The words of the angel, when subjected to close scrutiny, appear more and more emphatic of truths that were later revealed to the [Church through the Prophet Joseph. He who gave Section Two spoke from a fulness of the gospel knowledge. TEMPLES AND THE DEAD. Malachi declares that Elijah "shall turn the hearts of the children to the fathers;" but the angel Moroni made the prophecy more definite by saying that ' 'the hearts of the children shall turn to the fathers.'' In view of what has been said in the preceding section, this prophecy must refer to the vicarious work for the dead who did not hear or would not accept the gospel while on earth. The promise of salvation is to all individuals who will repent and conform to the ordinances of the gospel, whether they are alive or dead, or whether the acceptance is made today or an eternity from now. The laws of life in the here and the hereafter are not, according to ' 'Mormonism," essentially different. * Moses, 7: 39. THE PROPHETIC VALUE OF SECTION TWO. 761 To what degree, then, has this prophecy been fulfilled? Have the hearts of the children been turned to the fathers? The history of the Latter-day Saints shows that no prophecy made in connection with the work of the Prophet Joseph has had a more striking fulfilment. Early in the history of the people there was talk of temple building. Complete understanding of the place of temples in the Church was not possessed by the early Saints; yet in obedience to God's commands, strenuous endeavors were made from the beginning to build temples to the Most High. The building of the temple projected for the center stake of Zion, could not be undertaken after the expulsion of the Saints from Missouri. However, about the time that some of the people were leaving their property in Jackson county, others were laying the corner stones of a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. On March 27th, 1836, the Kirtland temple was dedicated amidst wonderful spiritual manifestations. The climax came on April 3rd, when many heavenly beings appeared in the temple to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and gave to the Church various degrees of authority necessary for its perfect upbuilding. Last among these, as if emphasizing all that had gone before, was Elijah, who re-established the authority to perform the necessary work of salvation for the dead, and made it an absolute duty for the Church to perform such work. The constant persecutions to which the Church was subjected, delayed the work which was to have been done in the temple. About a year after the dedication, the people were obliged in part to flee from their Ohio homes, and thus from their temple work. Again, on April 6th, 1841, the undaunted Saints laid the corner stone of another temple. This time, the spot chosen was Nauvoo, Illinois. In the fall of 1841, a baptismal font, patterned after the font in Solomon's temple, was placed in the partly completed basement. The Prophet Joseph declared that this font was built expressly for baptisms for the dead. Moreover, work for the dead was actually here performed. This proves that one of the great functions of temples is to perform vicariously the ordinances of salvation for those who have died. On April 30th, 1846, the Nauvoo temple was finally dedicated; but as the Saints were being driven from Illinois at the time, no work was done in it after the 762 IMPROVEMENT ERA. final dedication. Endowments had been given, however, befora this time.* On the day when the Latter-day Saints came to Utah, the site of the temple in Salt Lake City was designated. On April 6th, 1853, the corner stones were laid. Pending the completion of this temple, the Endowment house, a temporary structure, was erected in Salt Lake City, in which work for the dead, as well as for the living, was performed. Before the completion of the Salt Lake temple, three other smaller temples were built in Utah. The St. George temple was dedicated on January 1st, 1877; the Logan temple on May 17th, 1884; the Manti temple on May 2lst, 1888, and, at last the Salt Lake temple, on April 6th, 1893. In these temples work for the dead has always been done. Thus it may be seen that temple building has always been remembered by the Church restored by Joseph. The amount of work done by the Saints, for their dead fathers, is already very large. Up to the present, millions of ordinances, including baptisms and endowments for the dead, have been performed in the various temples. These certain historical facts are indisputable evidence of the fulfilment of the prophecy that, dating from Elijah's coming, the hearts of the children should be turned towards the fathers. If Joseph Smith had been an impostor, it is remarkable that this prophecy has been and is being so literally fulfilled; and it is even more remarkable that the eighteen-year-old boy should have invented a prophecy that fits so completely into the genius of "Mormonism." As in the previous instances cited, the prophecy is another proof of the divinely prophetic nature of Section Two. THE ETERNAL BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. The personage who gave Section Two, spoke with a full knowledge of coming events; but to the boy Joseph the words could foreshadow only most dimly the glorious principles that were later, through his instrumentality, to be given to the world. Only as the years rolled on, and history was added to history, was For verification of the dates, see Jenson's Church Chronology. THE PROPHETIC VALUE OF SECTION TWO. 763 the comprehensive, prophetic value of Section Two, understood by the people. Belief in the salvation for the dead of necessity compels belief in other doctrines. If work is to be done for the dead, the dead must now live in some unknown place. Thus is implied the doctrines of life hereafter and eternal life. In the promise made to the fathers, as revealed to Joseph in the Writings of Moses, it is explained that all the beings on this earth had an existence before this life. Thus with no unnecessary stretch of imagination can we of this later age read into Section Two the doctrine of the brotherhood of man, beginning in the eternities of the past, and never ending. The doctrine of the eternal nature of intelligence is a foundation stone in the structure of ' 'Mormonism,'' and one which distinguishes this Church from nearly all other systems of earthly belief. Likewise the gems of other doctrines, well known to the people, may be discovered in the words of Moroni. These may be found by any thoughtful reader. This writing attempts only to outline the more apparent testimonies. The angel spoke as we might have spoken, had we had the history of the past eightythree years in our possession. "the earth would be utterly wasted." Section Two closes with the statement that "if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at its coming." Read with the context, this means that, if the hearts of the children, after the coming of Elijah, do not turn to their progenitors, to fulfill the promises made to the fathers, the earth will be utterly wasted at the coming of the last day. The dreadful punishment here mentioned — the complete failure of the earth's purpose—if Elijah's commission is not honored, implies that salvation for the dead, with all that it embraces, is among the most essential parts of the latter-day work delegated to man. At first sight, it might seem that if this and successive generations have faith, are repentant and submit to baptism, and later obey the word of God, accept the work for the dead, they should be exalted at the last day, whether previous generations have done so or not. Not so, however; for, if the dead are not remembered, 764 . IMPROVEMENT ERA. the earth will be utterly wasted. This can only mean that God's purposes with regard to this earth and its inhabitants will have been frustrated. Solemn, sombre, terrible and again prophetic are the closing words of Section Two. After the Church had been organized, and the first and simpler laws had been given to it, the Lord seemed to cause the mind of Joseph to dwell intently upon the subject of the salvation of the dead. Especially after the appearance of Elijah in Kirtland temple, did the matter occupy the mind of the Prophet. Official utterances on the duties of the Saints with respect to their ancestors are found especially in sections 127 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Prophet recognized the principles connected with universal salvation as of the utmost importance, for he says, ''This most glorious of all subjects pertaining to the everlasting gospel, the baptisms for the dead." Further on, he says, ' 'The earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the fathers and the children— without them we cannot be made perfect, neither can they without us be made perfect." This teaches without equivocation that our salvation is jeopardized unless the work for the dead is properly and fully done. In the light of revealed knowledge, the importance of this subject is easily understood. The plan of salvation was not formulated in order to provide eternal life for a few handfuls of spirits. On the contrary, it was intended for the salvation of a family of spirits numbering many millions of members. The earthexperience was necessary for the development of the spirits towards a God-like state of superiority. The laws of the gospel are eternal and irrevocable. Every spirit to be saved, must believe, repent and be baptized, before he enters properly upon the road to eternal life; yet there can be no justice in withholding salvation from those who died on earth without hearing the gospel, or from those who, at any future time, in the hereafter, may acquire faith, repent, and desire baptism. Nevertheless, and this is of first importance, the outward ordinances corresponding to inward changes are of this earth, and rightfully belong to this earth, and must be performed here. There is no baptism by water on the other side; there are there no endowments of the kind that form the door to THE PROPHETIC VALUE OF SECTION TWO. 765 the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, every person who has passed away from earth without entering the Church, must have the work done for him by proxy. Then, when he, in the other world, accepts the truth, the vicarious work done for him is accepted by him, and his membership is complete. The matter is almost wholly one of eternal law. Further, the logical conclusion of this doctrine is that every dead person must have temple work done for him, so that if at any time his heart draws near to truth, he may find it possible to join the saved. If, now, this work for the dead has not been done at the last day, what shall become of the waiting spirits, who perhaps, on the other side, have declared their willingness to accept the gospel? They are not legal members of the Church; and can not become such unless an earthly ordinance is performed. The purpose of the plan of salvation is blocked; the mission of the earth and her children has not been completed; the efforts of God and righteous men have largely been wasted. Even more terrible is the fact that in such an event the glory of God is obscured, for the Father of All, glories not in saving a few of his children; his joy is full only when the hosts of earth-spirits shout hosannas to the King of kings in gratitude for their citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. On the last great day, then, when the Lord shall come in final review of the earth-work, if the eternal law has not been complied with which gives unending life to all his honest children, living or dead, what can the Master do? There can be no kingdom without members; the work is incomplete; at least a part of it must be done over, and the earth, so far as its destined glory and its righteous children are concerned, will be utterly wasted. Thus, the ending of Section Two is beautifully prophetic of the glorious doctrine that the mercy of God extends to all his children, and that they shall all be saved as soon as they are willing to comply with the ordinances of the gospel, but that to the last they are dependent upon earth-ordinances for legal entry into the Church. The law is the same for all—living or dead. Did the boy Joseph comprehend this principle fully, when the angel Moroni first spoke to him? The question seems absurd. The 766 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Prophet's history indicates that his appreciation of this principle came slowly, many years after the momentous evening of September 21, 1823. CONTINUOUS REVELATION. Some timid reader, who fears to use his talents in attempting to understand the will of God in his spoken word, may feel that in this discussion too much has been drawn from the few brief words of Section Two. True, this Church is built upon revelation, and it is known that God can and does speak whenever his people need help. However, the best of our knowledge leads us to believe that the heavens are opened only when it is necessary. God requires of his children that they study his word; and, when the fulness of meaning; has been brought to their understanding, new truths may be expected. In the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith lie the germs of numerous truths that the Church has not yet converted into general knowledge. It is not reasonable to expect that the Lord shall continue to speak from the heavens, while much of his word already spoken remains but half understood by the people. It is not God's way. On the other hand, it is the duty of every searcher to read the scriptures with a prayerful heart and a thoughtful mind, and apply his results, as the spirit may direct, for his own needs or for the comfort of his fellows. There is no need to be timid about studying the divine word deeply, if it is done in the right spirit. The works of every writer of note are critically examined by scholars. Every sentence or word is considered, in order that the full meaning and intent of the author may be made clear. If this be done with the works of mortal beings, how much more necessary it should be to do the same in the study of God's words. That so much may be read into Section Two, is of itself an evidence of the prophetic value of revelation. It shows how God chooses to enlighten his people. CONCLUSION. Every word of Section Two is pregnant with prophecy. If any other revelation of equal length may be compared with it in THE PR OPHETIC VA L UE OF SECTION T WO. 767 the intensity of compressed doctrine, it has not been brought to the attention of the people. The greatest, or grandest and most fundamental of the doctrines of the Church are foreshadowed in the few words that constitute this revelation. The thoughtful reading of Moroni's message, provokes the mind to a reflection upon the principles and the historical events about which clusters that which is dearest to every devout follower of the Prophet Joseph. Joseph Smith, the boy of little learning, could not have constructed, by his own power, the splendid epitome of faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, found in the few simple words of Moroni. Standing as it does, the solitiry monument of the first twenty-four vears of the Prophet's life, Section Two becomes one of the most wonderful evidences of the divine inspiration of Joseph Smith, the "Mormon" Prophet. Finally, the pre-eminent lesson of Section Two is that the work for the salvation of the dead is the keystone of the gospel arch. Let this principle be taken away, or let it become a dead letter among the people, and the keystone is removed, and the arch crumbles and falls, an unorganized mass of doctrinal blocks. Have we temples enough? Do we use sufficiently the temples that we have? (the end.) Provo, Utah.