Proclamation! To the People of the Coasts and Islands of the Pacific (Ocean), of Every Nation, Kindred, and Tongue

PROCLAMATION!

To the people of the coasts and islands of the Pacific (Ocean), of every nation, kindred, and tongue.

by Parley P. Pratt

An Apostle of Jesus Christ.

(From the Australian Edition, by Elder C. W. Wandell.)

(Concluded from page 470.)

General address resumed.—ancient records of the western hemisphere.

Having addressed ourself in turn to pious Christians, Christian sinners, Pagans, Jews, and the Red Men of Ame­rica, we will now return and again address the whole of the people within the bounds of our mission.

The Book of Mormon is destined to be published as fast as possible to every na­tion, and in every language and tongue.

Its contents more deeply interest the world, and every intelligent, accountable being therein, than that of any other book (save the Jewish Scriptures) which is now extant in the world

Its history penetrates the otherwise dark oblivion of the past, (as regards America) through the remote ages of antiquity; fol­lows up the stream of the generations of man, till arriving at the great fountain head—the distributor of nations, tribes, and tongues—the tower of Babel, where it ceases, or is lost in, and sweetly blended with, the great Adamatic river, whose source is in Paradise, the cradle of man: whose springs issue from beneath the throne of the Eternal city—and whose secret fountains comprise the infinite ex­panse, the boundless ocean of intellect, fact, and historic truth, as recorded in the archives of eternity.

Its prophetic vision, separating from its history at that definite point, which by its authors might be called the present, opens the events of unborn time, and gives a view of things to come with all the clear­ness of history.

The Ten Tribes of Israel, the Jews, the white nations of Europe, the red tribes of America—even the proud States of the American Union—may each see themselves and their actions in the prophetic telescope of that book. Their destiny is there written; and much of it from the mouth of him who spake, and Jerusalem was deluged in blood—wrapped in the flames of desolation and death, and trod­den down for eighteen centuries—who prophesied, and that holy structure, the temple of God, the pride and confidence of a nation, was thrown down, and “not one stone left upon another”—who utter­ed his voice, and a nation withdrew before him, ceased to be, and its fragments were made wanderers among the nations, till “the times of the Gentiles shall be ful­filled.”

The fate of nations—the restoration of Judah and Israel—the downfall of corrupt churches and religious institutions— the end of Gentile superstition and mis­rule—the universal prevalence of peace, and truth, and light, and knowledge—the awful wars and troubles which will precede those happy times—the glorious coming of Jesus Christ as king over all the earth—the resurrection of the Saints to reign on the earth—are all predicted in that book; the time and means of their fulfilment pointed out with clearness, showing the present age more big with wonders, than all the ages of Adam’s race which have gone before it.

Its doctrines are developed in such plainness and simplicity, and with such clearness and precision, that no man can mistake them. They are there as they flowed from the mouth of a risen Redeem­er, in the liquid eloquence of love, mingled with immortal tears of joy and compassion, and as written by men whose tears of over­flowing affection and gratitude bathed his immortal feet.

All men are invited and instructed by its doctrines to turn from their sins and live; to believe on his name; to go down into the waters of baptism in his name, and arise to newness of life, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, enjoying the gifts of the same, and keeping his com­mandments to the end of their lives. On these conditions they are promised eter­nal life and exaltation in his presence, where is fulness of joy.

Such is the Book of Mormon, that Book of books, that Ensign to the nations, which in twenty-one years, has, by the aid of apostolic powers and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, diffused its light over half the globe.

We are aware of the prejudice of “Christians” in favor of the Bible, and against all other books claiming to be of divine origin; but we also know perfectly, and bear record, that their prejudice is founded in ignorance, and is without any real or reasonable foundation. Such tra­ditions and such prejudices grow out of the same narrow views which, in the days of Columbus, would not let the geographical knowledge of man expand, or his aspirations or thoughts reach beyond the boundaries of the old world, lest the very thought should be blasphemy—lest a world should be discovered where the Jewish Apostles had not been, and thus ren­der their commission to preach the Gospel to every creature, an inconsistency.

We would ask such narrow minds the following questions:—

Are there more countries than one?

Are there more nations than one?

Did the Great Father of all create those several countries?

Did He people them with intelligent beings, candidates for immortality and eternal life?

Did He love those beings without res­pect to nation or country?

Did His Son Jesus Christ shed his blood for all?

Did all partake of death, and mourning and sorrow?

Did all stand in need of the knowledge and comfort brought to light by his re­surrection, and triumph over death, hell, and the grave?

Is it reasonable, right, and consistent, that all nations should have the good news of so glorious an event, and be comforted and taught?

Was Jesus Christ in his resurrected body, capable of overstepping the physical barriers of ocean and desert, and of pay­ing a personal visit to the other hemis­phere?

Were his angels capable of overcoming the waves and winds, and of bearing the glad tidings to the remotest lands?

Did they mean it when they said to the shepherds of Judea, “We bring glad tidings of great jog which shall be to all people?”

We think a candid man will answer all these questions in the affirmative.

If so, we would still inquire whether a risen Saviour and his angels, in visiting the Western hemisphere, had a right to command the people there to write the facts of their ministry, and to record their doctrines? Whether his Spirit had a right to inspire and indite those writings? And after being so written, they would con­stitute a book—a holy scripture—a volume or volumes of the word of God?

We would further inquire, whether the risen Jesus and his angels, have not the right and the power to reveal such records to the world; when, where, and by whom it seemeth them good?

If so, when should we look for them to come to the knowledge of the world, if not in the dawn of the restoration of all things which God hath spoken by the mouths of all His holy Prophets since the world began?

We beseech you dear reader, whoever you are, to ponder well these questions, and they will swell and enlarge your heart.

We now solemnly predict, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, that in a few years, the world shall bring together and compare ancient records, as sacred and as true as the words of Jesus Christ—as holy as the Bible; records which unfold the Gospel of the Son of God, revealed, at least, to three distinct nations of the earth, by his own ministry in his glorified body.

We will also name these records; as follows:—

Records of the Jews, (the Bible); writ­ten in Asia.

Records of the remnant of Joseph, the Nephites, (Book of Mormon); written in America.

Records of the Ten Lost Tribes of Is­rael; country not yet revealed.

These three national records will be familiarly known among the nations, in a few years; will be demonstrated as to their truth; and each of them will contain an account of the ministry of Jesus Christ to their respective countries, as he did really appear to them after his resurrection. The words which he spake, the doctrine he taught, the Gospel and ordinances he set forth and commanded, will be written in each record.

In Judea, he chose and ordained twelve Apostles, viz., Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon, Zelotes, and Judas Iscariot.

In America, he chose and ordained twelve Apostles, viz., Nephi, Timothy, Jonas, Mathoni, Mathonihah, Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah.

In the country of the Ten Tribes, he, of course, chose other twelve, whose names will appear in due time.

Besides these records of his personal ministry, there were many of other coun­tries and nations (which held no com­munication with the nations where these administrations were had, and these quo­rums chosen), which received a knowledge of his death and resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They have, also, written an account of the same.

Now, all these records which are saved, and which contain the word of God, will come to light and be revealed. There is nothing hid which shall not be made known: neither is there anything secret which shall not be revealed, and come abroad, in connection with the “times of the restoration of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouths of all His holy Prophets since the world began.”

“The Jews shall have the words of the Nephites; and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews. And the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the Lost Tribes of Israel; and the Lost Tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and of the Jews.” And thus the word of God shall be brought together and embodied. And the nations who have written it, shall be brought together and embodied also. And the things of all nations shall be revealed; and the earth be overwhelmed with the know­ledge of the Past, the Present, and the Future; and darkness, bigotry superstition, and falsehoods of every description, shall flee away, as the fleeting shadow of a cloud, from off all the earth.

The inquiry will be, what are the evi­dences upon which rests the truth of the Book of Mormon? To which we answer: Search the book and learn for yourselves. You will find:—

First—the testimony of the witnesses.

Second—The consistency, harmony, and evident truthfulness of its history and prohecies.

Third—The simplicity and purity of its doctrines.

And last, and best of all—The Gift of the Holy Spirit of truth, which bears witness to the heart of every honest, prayer­ful man, who desires to know and do the truth.

Truth is light.

Light is spirit.

Light cleaveth unto light.

Truth embraceth truth.

Intelligence comprehendeth intelligence.

Spirit recognizeth spirit.

Like embraceth like in all spiritual things.

These are some of the laws of nature in the spiritual world, and are as true, and as capable of demonstration, as any phy­sical law of the universe.

Two balls of quicksilver, placed in con­tact, immediately recognize and embrace each other. Two blazes of fire, placed in near proximity, will immediately spring toward each other and blend in one. Two drops of water placed upon a table, will remain in a round or globular form, until they are enlarged so as to expand their circles, when, as they mutually touch each other, they will instantly mingle and be­come one globular form. So it is in spi­ritual things. There is in every man a portion of the spirit of truth; a germ of light; a spiritual test or touchstone, which if strictly observed, studied, and followed by its possessor, will witness to him, and will, as it were, leap forward with a warm glow of joy and sympathy, to every truth­ful spirit with which it comes in contact: while by a shudder of disgust, it will re­cognize a false spirit, a lie. Call this spiritual magnetism, or what you please; it is so, and is a law of nature.

Herein consists the mystery of the agency of man. This is the reason why a man is under condemnation for rejecting any spi­ritual truth, or for embracing any spiritual error. A man’s deeds are evil: his moni­tor is unheeded; his good angel, and the good spirit within, are grieved; and, after many admonitions which are not heeded, they retire, and leave him in the dark; he loves his own; he cleaves to a lie; he rejects the truth; darkness still in­creases; the world, the flesh, and the evil demons allure him onward, till death closes the scene, and ushers his spirit from the rudimental state of man, into the next sphere, when his evil demons and com­panions in darkness surround him, and dwell with him; each contributes his portion of the darkness, till cloud mingled with cloud, envelopes the whole in black despair, obscures the vision, forbids the eye to behold, the tongue to utter, or the pen to describe.

On the other hand; a man’s deeds are good—as saith the Scriptures, ‘‘He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God”—he obeys his monitor within him; he welcomes to his bosom every true and holy principle within his reach; he puts it into practice, and seeks for more; his mind expands; the field of intelligence opens around, above, beneath him; wide and more widely extends the vision; the past, the present, the future, opens to his view; earth, with its tribes; heaven, with its planets and intelligences; the heaven of heavens, with its brilliant circles of suns, and their myriads of angels and sons of God, basking in sun-beams of pure intelligence, and streams of light and love; each adding to and mingling in the light of the other, till the whole en­lightens the vast universe, both spiritual and physical; and the vision loses itself in its very immensity, on the confines of its own infinitude.

Let a person look back on his past life, carefully review and examine the days of his innocent childhood, his first approaches to temptation, immorality, or crime. Does he not remember to have felt a disagreeable burning in his bosom, a disgust, a trembling of nerve and muscles, a hesitation, in short, a something disapproving of the act he was about to commit? And, if he still persisted, did not this burning and uneasy feeling increase almost to a fever.

Well, reader, this was your monitor—the Spirit of God within you. Had you heeded it, it would have kept you from every temptation and crime.

On the other hand, do you not remem­ber, many times in the course of your life, a fire, a warm glow of joy, a pleasing burning or sensation of pure light and pleasure in your bosom, approving of a good act, or prompting you to do the same? in short, a feeling of pure good will, kind sympathy, and boundless love to all good intelligences, and to man?—a purifying of heart and sentiment, as if you would wish to do good continually, and never sin? They were the promptings of the spark of divinity within you. They were the teachings, inspirations, and whisperings of that light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. It is sweeter than honey; more harmonious than music; more pure than the drops of dew on the roses of Paradise; more tender than the apple of thine eye; and more valuable than the gold of Australia. Blessed are they who cultivate and nourish it in their bosoms, and carry it out in their lives, for it is an emanation from the fountain of eternal life; and those who follow up from whence it came, will arrive at that fountain, as surely as a sunbeam leads upward to the centre of light.

On Laws and Governments.

Having borne our testimony, as a faithful and true witness of the Gospel, and of things past, present, and to come; we will now give some information on the subject of the laws and governments of men, and the duties we owe to them, and the duties we sustain to them, as members of the Church of Jesus Chist in all the world.

Every government of man is permitted by the Lord, and is needful, until he reign whose right it is to reign; and un­til he subdue all enemies under his feet.

We are not sent forth to revolutionize the world in a political sense: but to warn the world of approaching events, instruct the ignorant, and call sinners to repen­tance.

The laws of every land will be our law, in a civil and political sense of the word.

We are in duty bound to obey magis­trates, judges, rulers, governors, and kings, who have the legitimate rule in the va­rious countries where we live, or where we travel, or sojourn.

If the spirit of modern European and American institutions, pertaining to liberty of conscience and a free interchange of intercourse, thought, and speech, marches onward from conquest to conquest; and thus opens the way for all nations to dif­fuse their light, and interchange their knowledge; then, let us rejoice in the same, and improve the opportunity to declare the testimony of Jesus, and publish the Gospel of salvation, the good news of eternal life, wherever the foot of man has made an imprint; wherever sorrow, and tears, and mourning, and death, have cast their shadows of despair.

If the still advancing improvements in steam navigation, in railroad conveyance, and electric communication, follow uni­versally in the wake of freedom’s triumphs and conquests; then, O ye Saints of the Most High! ye Elders and Apostles of Israel,

Let fly your thoughts on the lightning car,

With the speed of light to the realms afar.

Mount, mount the car with the horse of fire,

Outstript the wind! he will never tire.

Let the wild-bird scream as he lags behind,

And the hurricane a champion find.

Search the darkest spot where mortals dwell,

With a voice of thunder the tidings tell.

Proclaim the dawn of a brighter day,

When the King of kings will his sceptre sway.

Bid pain, and anguish, and sorrow cease,

And open the way for the Prince of Peace,

He will conquer death—bid sorrow flee,

And give to the nations a jubilee!

As you travel from one nation to an­other, you will find their laws, religions, ordinances, ceremonies, institutions, do­mestic arrangements, marriages, &c., &c., widely clashing, and at variance with each other, and with the laws of God.

But, remember that yours is a universal commission, of peace on earth and good will to man.

Yours is a proclamation of universal reformation and repentance. You are sent forth, as the ambassadors of the King— the Lord Jesus Christ, to command all persons who have arrived to the years of accountability, to repent and be baptized in his name for the remission of sins. You are sent forth to administer the Gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands in the same holy name.

You are sent forth to bear witness of the truth of this dispensation, and of a crucified and risen Saviour. You are sent forth to prophesy, and warn the world of things to come.

You are sent forth to lay your hands on the little children of the members of the Church, and bless them, and confirm upon them their Christian names, as members and heirs of the covenant of promise.

You are sent forth to baptize the na­tions, and thus prepare the way for the coming of the Son of God. You are sent forth to lay your hands on the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the afflicted of every description, who believe in your testimony, and have faith to be healed; yea, verily, to lay your hands on them, and anoint them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

You are sent forth to command demons, devils, and unclean and foul spirits of every kind, in the name of Jesus Christ, to de­part from the tabernacles of persons af­flicted by them.

You are sent forth to preach deliverance to the captive, to bind up the broken hearted, and to comfort all who mourn; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God.

You are not sent forth to intermeddle with the civil, political, or domestic institutions, established by law, and ren­dered sacred by antiquity, or long established usage; except in so far as those in­stitutions come in contact with liberty of conscience, and the commandments of Jesus Christ. When the latter is the case, you must obey God rather than man, and take the consequences, or flee to another place.

P. P. Pratt,

President of the Pacific Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.