The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-14

and all men can presSeth into it." Yet
what organization do we see them
pressing into but the church? Again,
he said: From the days of John the
Baptist until now the kingdom of heav-
en- suffereth violence, and the violent
take it by force" (Matt. ri, 12). The
church did suffer violence from the
days of John the Baptist until the dec
laration of Jesus above quoted, and
was finally overcome by violence; but
If there was any other organization
claiming to be the kingdom of heaven,
which was. so prosecuted. and which
was so overcome, history affords no
account of ii.
the king was there, his subjects were
there; the organization was called, in
terchangeably, the church and the
kingdom; the gospel they taught was
called the gospel of the kingdom, and
Christ himself called it the kingdom,
while there is no question but 1t was
his church. And no person could be-
come a citizen of it without complying
with the ordinances essential TO admis-
sion into the church Much less could
one become an officer Of it without be-
coming a member of the church.
The Latter-day Church.
In the light afforded by the history
of the former-day church and kingdom,
let US turn 10 the latter-day church and
kingdom of God.
AS John and Jesus went proclaiming
that the kingdom of heaven was at
hand, so. in this dispensation, Jesus
commanded all the elders 10 go forth
saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand" doc and Gov,
section AZ, verse - A little later Je-
sus said: THE keys of the kingdom
are committed to man on the earth,
and from thence shall the gos-
pei roll forth to the ends of
the EARTH Call upon the Lord, that
his kingdom may go forth upon the
earth, that the inhabitants thereof may
receive it, and be prepared for the days
TO come, in which the son of man
shall come down in heaven clothed with
the brightness of his glory, to meet the
kingdom of God which is set up on the
earth. The king was not here, but he
had come and had found subjects, and
had commissioned officers, and an or
ganiZation which constituted a king
dom, and which will be here when he
comes in the brightness of his glory to
meet it.-(Doctrine and Covenants, Sec.
60, V. 81.
He told Joseph Smith that the keys
of the kingdom were committed to him
and that it was the business and mis-
sion of himself and councillors to pre-
side in council and set in order all the
affairs of this church and kingdom"
Il d, Dec. 80, V. 16). In the dedicatory
prayer of the Kirkland temple, the
church is referred TO as the kingdom
which God has set up without hands.
Joseph Smith told the twelve that the
kingdom was set up, and that it was
their duty to bear it off in all the world,
and in conformity with this solemn in
junction, given when he evidently con-
templated his tragic death, and in line
with what they also conceived to be
their duty. the twelve, among whom
We're Brigham Young. Willard Rich
ards, Heber G. Kimball, John Taylor,
MILFORD Woodruff, George A. Smith, Or
son Pratt, Farley P. Pratt and Orson
Hyde men fresh from the presence of
the martyred prophet. and whose
names with his must ever grace the
pages of church history as authority
upon the doctrones of the gospel. issued
a pamphlet to all the kings and rulers
of the earth, in which they declared
that the kingdom of God had come ''as
has been predicted by ancient prophets
and prayed for in all ages; even that
kingdom which shall fill the whole
earth and stand forever"
Church and Kingdom One.
Upon the subject of the unity of the
church and kingdom, and as evidence
that the church and kingdom of God
are one and the same organization,
and not separate and distinct organi-
cations. as stated by President George
-. Cannon, we have seen that the
church is established. and that the
kingdom is also established, and yet
We have seen but one organization. We
has seen that the church is also called
the kingdom and is also called the
church and kingdom" by the Savior
and all the holy men who have stood
high in the church. In a revelation
given Emma a III the Lord told her,
All those who receive my gospel are
sons and daughters in my kingdom"
He told NicOdemus, in substance, that
y man cannot enter the kingdom I'M
less he obeys the gospel. thus coming
into the church; and to the Prophet
Joseph Smith, he said those who obey
not the gospel cannot enter the king
dom Doc. and Gov. Sec. 81, V. 7D. SO
that. if one cannot enter one without
thereby becoming a member of the
other and there exists but one organii |
cation. if all who obey the gospel are
thereby constituted citizens of the |
kingdom. there can be no question, but |
that they are one and the same. and !
not separate and distinct organizations |
as stated by President Cannon This |
same evidence proves also that a person |
cannot be an officer of the kingdom |
without obeying the gospel, and thus |
coming into the church, he certainly |
cannot be an officer without it.
But let US examine some further evil |
dence. The gospel is everlasting. 1t !
is TO all men throughout ali time, and |
when Christ shall come lin the bright |
ness of his glory" all the unrighteouS, !
and those who obey not the gospel will |
be condemned and destroyed by fire |
according TO the testimony OF Malachi,
the Savior and Paul. Malachi says. |
THE day cometh that shall burn as an
oven; and all the proud, yea and all ,
those that do wicked. shall be stubble;
and the day cOmeth that shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts. that
it shall leave them neither root nor
branch"
Bible Authority Quoted.
The Savior says that he will separate
all nations, comparing the righteous
and the unrighteous as sheep and
goats. and says that he will say to the
goats, Depart from me We cursed into
everlasting fire prepared for the devil
and his angels" Matt %. Al Paul
tells US that when the Lord shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels. those who obey not the Cos
pel shall be punished with everlasting
destruction" q Thes l, s.. Daniel
speaking of course of those who shall
be left, says that "all -dominions shall
serve and obey him." and We are told
also that every knee shall bow and
every tongue confess him. hence there
will be none of those honorable men
who viii not obey the gospel, if indeed
one may be called honorable who rec
ogTiiZas Christ's authority, but won't
obey it. These are ''prophesies of the
Scriptures" and Peter says that mo |