A Marvelous Work

A MARVELOUS WORK.

In the present number of the Star our readers will observe a communication from Brother George Reynolds, in which he makes brief mention of facts manifesting the salutary influence of the Gospel upon some bodies of American Indians that have enlisted under its banner. There is something very marvelous about this movement among that people. Those familiar with the contents of the Book of Mormon are aware that they are the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent, whose history is given, in a compendious form, in that inspired record. The progenitors of the Indians were a highly cultivated and civilized people, and, at different times, enjoyed the ministrations of prophets and apostles. Some of those holy men saw, by the power of faith, that their descendants would dwindle in unbelief, through great wickedness and abominations, become a dark and loathsome people, and, in accordance with a decree, recorded in the Book of Mormon, to the effect that any people who lived on that land should be righteous, or they would be utterly swept away, when fully ripe in sin, were liable to become extinct. In consequence the fathers obtained, from God, through faith and prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, a promise, from Him, that their descendants should not all be destroyed, but that a remnant should be spared. Also that, a record which should be kept from generation to generation, and finally hid up. should be brought forth, by the power of God, to the Gentiles on the American Continent, in the latter days, and by them carried to the remnant. That record is the Book of Mormon, which was brought forth, according to the covenant made with the fathers, through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith. We quote from page 108, the words of Nephi:

“And now I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken (Book of Mormon) shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed. And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers, and then shall they rejoice, for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes: and many generations shall not pass away among them save they shall become a white and delightsome people.”

These words have received a most literal fulfillment. In the first place, many have believed “the words which are written,” the tens of thousands of Latter-day saints who have accepted the Book of Mormon as an authentic record bearing ample witness to that fact. This prophecy was uttered over two thousand years ago, and yet the facts it incorporates are as plain as if penned subsequent to their accomplishment. The skeptic may say he does not believe in the ancient character of the record, and therefore of the prophecy; but that it originated with Joseph Smith. That would not make the position of the unbeliever much more tenable, as it would be merely shifting the prophetic gift to other shoulders, for the Book of Mormon was published before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, and consequently before Joseph Smith could possibly have known, by ordinary natural means, that many would believe the words of the book.

But, to the other portion of the prediction. The book or history has been carried to the remnant, by the gentiles. From shortly subsequent to the organization of the church a good deal of missionary labor has been performed by the Elders among the Lamanites, in the hope of bringing them to a knowledge of the gospel, but all efforts to penetrate their darkened minds appeared entirely futile. The message appeared to fall upon ears of stone. Evidently the time in the providence of the Almighty, for that race, who had fallen so low in the scale of being, to accept of the knowledge that was had among their fathers had not arrived.

Suddenly, however, as the sun breaks over the eastern horizon, dispelling the gloom of night, a light broke forth among them. Without effort or influence from any human source they came forward in large numbers, declaring that they had received heavenly visitations, indicating plainly to them that they must go to the Elders of the Church, be baptized by them, by immersion, in water, for the remission of sins, to forsake their evil and idle habits and seek for the counsel of the servants of God. The applications for baptism and instruction were first made to Elder George H. Hill, of Ogden, and Elder W.H. Lee, of Grantsville, as many as three hundred waiting upon the former at one time. The movement appeared to be simultaneous in many places east, west, north and south. It commenced five years ago last summer and has progressed with steady increase from that time till now, probably from 5,000 to 6,000 having been baptized.

This is essentially a gathering dispensation, as witness the yearly flocking to the west of multitudes of Latter-day Saints from the decaying nations of Babylon. After a person receives the Gospel, through faith, repentance, baptism and reception of the Holy Ghost, among the very first subsequent impressions of the spirit is to gather with the body of the Church. Woe to him who quenches the solemn admonition. The poor, abused and trampled Lamanites were no exception to this rule. Indeed, had they been merely baptized and continued in their old method of wandering about as vagabonds, the great religions movement among them would not have been so wonderful. But those  of them who appeared really in earnest, stated that they wanted to reform in their conduct. They wished to gather together, be industrious and take on the customs of civilization. In this laudable feeling they were encouraged. Large farms were established, one in Malad Valley, northern Utah, another near Deep Creek, in the west, and a third in Thistle Valley in the south. Elders were appointed to direct their labors and aid them in every necessary way, and we are pleased to notice, by the communication of Brother Reynolds, that they are making commendable and encouraging progress.

The change in them is so sudden as to be phenomenal. The movement is one of the wonders of the age. We doubt if it has a parallel in the annals of sacred or secular history. We are not aware of any prophecy being more literally fulfilled than the one quoted in this article. They have received the record as the history of their fathers; they are being restored to the knowledge that was had among their fathers, and even unbelievers must admit, in view of the reformatory movement among them, that the scales of darkness are falling from their eyes. In reference to their knowing that “it is a blessing from God,” we have their own declarations on that point. About two years ago a delegation of influential men of the Navajoe nation, from Arizona, visited Salt Lake City. They were met by the brother of Joe, the chief mentioned by brother Reynolds, and a number of his tribe. On that occasion Joe’s men bore testimony, to the Navajoe delegation, to the truth of the Gospel, declaring that it was a blessing from the hand of God.

This great movement will accumulate in dimensions and force as it rolls; God has commenced to fulfill upon the heads of the children the covenants he made with the fathers. There has been much doubt as to the fulfillment of the Book of Mormon predictions in reference to the Indians, but those misgivings are being dispelled by the developments of the wonderful purposes of Jehovah, who bringeth to pass all things pertaining to his work in his own due time. The reason why the record, or engraved plates, was kept hid up and brought forth was that it might be communicated to this remnant of Jacob. It is promised that “not many generations shall pass away save they shall become a white and delightsome people.” This emancipation from degradation will be a work of time. The present benighted and dark condition of this race is the production of apostacy, and wicked and abominable practices. The great change that will cause them to emerge from under the ban of such effects will be a gradual revolution in their course of conduct. The enlightening and purifying process operates through the adoption of righteous and holy principles, opposite causes producing counter results.

The Book of Mormon is one of the most precious records ever laid open to the persual of mankind. No Latter-day Saint who does not make himself familiar with its pages can possibly understand, in any degree of completeness, the great and marvelous work of the last days. In a revelation given through Joseph the Prophet (Doc. Cov., page 259, American edition), the Lord expresses great displeasure with the Saints because of not giving more attention to the Book of Mormon. “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments which I have given them.” It is a matter of regret that the supply of that precious volume in this Mission has been scarcely equal to the demand for some time. We have at present, however, a number of copies, which can be obtained by those who wish them. The study of that record is, in view of the fulfillment of numbers of its predictions, of special interest at this time.

With every faithful Latter-day Saint, we rejoice in seeing the prophetic utterances of the Book of Mormon receive a complete verification. Although there are innumerable external evidences of the validity of its claims to being an authentic history the absolute and detailed fulfillment of its prophecies is an internal proof of its inspirational character that is not susceptible of being successfully controverted.