Election and Reprobation

"Do you believe in Election and Reprobation?" To prevent the necessity of repeating a thousand times what may be said at once, we purpose to answer this oft asked question in writing; so that the saints may learn doctrine, and all who will, may understand that such election and reprobation as is taught in the Old and New Testaments, and other revelations from God, we fully believe, in connexion [connection] with every other principle of righteousness, and we ask this favor of all, into whose hands our answer may come, that they will not condemn till they have read it through, in the spirit of meekness and prayer.

The Lord (Jehovah,) hath spoken through Isa. (42, 1) saying, behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth; evidently referring to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God chosen or elected by the Father, (1 Peter i. 20, who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God,) to serve him in the redemption of the world, to be a covenant of the people, [)] (Isa. xlii, 6) for a light of the Gentiles, and glory of his people Israel; having ordained him to be judge of the quick and dead, (Acts x, 42) that through him forgiveness of sins might be preached (Acts xiii, 38) unto all who would be obedient unto his gospel (Mark xvi, 16,17)

Every high priest must be ordained (Heb. v, 1,) and if Christ had not reveived [received] ordination, he would not have had power to ordain others, as he did when he ordained the twelve (Mark iii, 14) to take a part in the ministry which he had received of his father: also, (John xv, 16) ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, (Heb. v, 4) for no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron (v. 5.) So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

No being can give that which he does not possess; consequently no man can confer the priesthood on another, if he has not himself first received it; and the priesthood is of such a nature that it is impossible to investigate the principles of election, reprobation, &c., without touching upon the priesthood also; and although some may say that Christ as God needed no ordination, having possessed it eternally, yet Christ says (Matt. xxvii, 18) all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth; which could not have been if he was in eternal possession; and in the previously quoted verse we discover that he that said unto, (i. e.) his father glorified him to be made an high priest, or ordained him to the work of creating the world and all things upon it; (Col. i, 16) for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in the earth, &c. and of redeeming the same from the fall; and to the judging of the quick and dead; for the right of judging rests in the priesthood; and it is through this medium that the father hath committed all judgement [judgment] unto the Son (John v, 22) referring to his administration on earth.

If it was necessary that Christ should receive the priesthood to qualify him to minister before his father unto the children of men so as to redeem and save them, does it seem reasonable that any man should take it upon him to do a part of the same work, or to assist in the same priesthood, who has not been called by the spirit of prophecy or revelation as was Aaron, and ordained accordingly? And can it be expected that man will be called by revelation who does not believe in revelation? Or will any man submit to ordination, for the fulfilment [fulfillment] of a revelation or call, in which he has not faith? We think not.

That we may learn still further that God calls or elects particular men to perform particular works, or on whom to confer special blessings, we read (Isa. xlv, 4) for Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have called the (Cyrus) by thy name; to be a deliverer to my people Israel, and to help to plant them on my holy mountain, (Isa. lxv, 9, see connexion [connection]) for mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there; even on the mountains of Palestine, the land of Canaan, which God had before promised to Abraham and his seed; (Gen. xvii, 8) and the particular reason why Abraham was chosen or elected to be the father of this blessed nation, is clearly told by the Lord, (Gen. xviii. 19) for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice

and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him; and this includes the general principle of election, (i. e.) that God chose, elected, or ordained, Jesus Christ, his son, to be the Creator, Governor, Savior, and Judge of the world; and Abraham to be the father of the faithful, on account of his fore-knowledge of their obedience to his will and commandments; which agrees with the saying in the 2nd Timothy ii, 21, if a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work.

Thus it appears that God has chosen or elected certain individuals, to certain blessings, or to the performance of certain works; and that we may more fully understand the movements of the Supreme Governor of the universe in the the order of election, we proceed to quote the sacred writers.

Rom. viii, 29, 30, For whom he did feroknow [foreknow], he also did predestinate [predestined] to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren: moreover, whom he did predestinate [predestined], them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. And whom did he foreknow? Those that loved as him, we find in the 28the verse of the same chapter, for we know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. And who are the called according to his purpose? Those whom he foreknew, for he foreknew, that those, who loved him, would do his will and work righteousness, and it is in vain for men to say they love God, if they do not keep his commandments. Cain found it so when he presented an unrighteous offering, for God, said unto him (Gen. iv, 7) if thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted; and yet he was not accepted; but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; and hereby we know that we are in him, (1 John ii, 5) or, that we are the called according to his purpose.

But did not God foreknow all; things, and all men? Surely, known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world; (Acts xv, 18, but does that prove that all men would love him and keep his commandments, so that he would predestinate [predestined] them unto eternal life? Certainly not, for that would make God to foreknow things which were not to be, and to predestinate [predestined] men to that, unto which they could never attain; (Matt. vii, 13) for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat.

The principles of God's kingdom are perfect and harmonious, and the scriptures of truth must also agree in all their parts, so that one sentiment thereof shall not destroy another, and when we read that whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [predestined]; and that known unto God are all his works: so that it might appear from an abstract view thereof, that God foreknew all, and consequently predestinated [predestined] all to be conformed to the image of his son; we ought also to read (Mark, vi, 16) he that believeth not shall be damed [dammed]; and (John viii, 24) if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins; also, (Matt. xxv, 41) depart from me ye ursed [cursed], for I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat, &c.

Paul referring to the Saints, [Rom. i, 7] calls them beloved of God, called to be saints; and says [Rom viii 1] there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit; and goes on to show in his Epistle to the Romans, that the law, (the law of carnal commandments given to the children of Israel, the covenant people,) could not make the comers thereunto perfect, [see Heb. x, 1] but was given for a schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ; [Gal. iii, 24,] so that when he had come, and offered himself without spot to God, [Heb. ix, 14] the sacrifice of the law should be done away in him that the honest in heart all might come unto the perfect law of liberty, [James i, 25] or the gospel of Christ, walking no longer after the flesh, but after the spirit, and be of that number who love God and keep his commandments, that they might be the called according to his purpose; [Rom. viii, 28] and these were the individuals referred to, whom God foreknew; such as Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedec [Melchizedek], Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Caleb, Joshua, the harlot Rahab, who wrought righteousness by hiding the servants of God when their lives were sought by their enemies, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jeptha, David, Samuel, and the Prophets, [Heb. xi,] who, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought

righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched [quenched] the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were make [made] strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens; these all died in the faith having kept the commandments of the Most High, having obtained the promise of a glorious inheritance, and are waiting the fulfilment [fulfillment] of the promise which they obtained, [Heb. xi, 40] God having provided some better thing for us, that they, without us should not be made perfect.

The prophet Alma bears similar testimony to the other prophets concerning eclectic in his 9th chapter [Book of Mormon] saying, this is the manner after which they were ordained: being called and prepared from the foundation of the world, according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with, that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such; and thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while if it had not been for this, they might have had a great privilege as their brethren. Or in fine; in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the the atonement of the only begotten son; who was prepared; and thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they might also enter into his rest, this high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things.

Rom. ix. 11, 12. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As we have before shewn [shown] why God chose Abraham to be the father of the faithful, (viz.) because he knew he would command his children and his household after him; so now we see by this why the purposes of God according to election should stand, and that for his oath's sake. Gen xxii, 16, 17, 18. By myself have I sworn saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. Here the Lord Jesus, coming through the seed of Abraham, is again referred to, through whose sufferings and death, or in mwho [whom] all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, or made alive as they had died in Adam. [1 Cor. xv, 22.] In this election is made manifest, for God elected or chose the children of Israel to be his peculiar people, and to them belong the covenants and promises; and all the blessings received by the gentiles; come through the covenants to Abraham and his seed; for through the unbelief of the Jews [Rom. xi, 17] they were broken off, and the Gentiles were grafted in; but they stand by faith, [Rom. xi, 20] and not by the oath of election; therefore it becometh them to fear lest they cease quickly to bear fruit, and be broken off [verse 21] that the Jews may be grafted in again for they shall be grafted in again [verse 23] if they abide not in unbelief.

The Gentiles became partakers of the blessings of election and promises through faith and obedience, as Peters says, writing to the strangers scattered abroad, [1 Peter 1st chap,] who were the Gentiles, the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience: [1 Peter ii, 9] for ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew [show] forth the praises of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, [verse 10] which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. TO BE CONTINUED.

Times and Seasons.

City of Nauvoo,

Wednesday Sept. 1, 1841.