By CHAS. W. PENROSE. PUBLISHED BY THE JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE, Salt Lake City, Utah. 1888....

There is no subject of popular comment on which there is so little general information as that called "Mormonism." This little work is designed to explain, in a simple way, leading features of "Mormon" doctrine. The terms "Mormon" and "Mormonism" are not strictly correct as usually applied. They are inappropriately derived from the Book of Mormon, which is a work containing the history of the former inhabitants of the American continent, written at different times by various persons and finally

Value of Truth—Only One True Religion—Faith the First Principle—Faith a Principle of Power—How Faith Comes—No Man Can Find out God—Deity Must Manifest Himself—God the Father of the Race—Personality of God—The Great Lawgiver Governs Himself by Law. There is nothing more valuable than truth. Religious truth, or that which relates to God, our duty to Him, His laws and purposes, and the means by which we may now come to Him and eventually be exalted in His presence, is really priceless. To obtain a

True Repentance the Consequence of Faith—Original Sin and Actual Sin—The Work of Redemption—Universal Redemption from Original Sin—Conditions of Salvation from Actual sin—Baptism, its Object, Mode and Effect—A New Creature in Christ Jesus. Faith in God once quickened in the human heart, conscience is awakened and the mind is self-convicted of sin. Repentance follows as the consequence. This includes sorrow for the past and determination for the future. This first of these without the second is n

The Holy Ghost, its Nature, Office and Power—Conferred Through the Laying on of Hands—Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit—How Obtained—Their Object and Design—Effects of Its Withdrawal—Infinite Riches of Its Full Inspiration. The repentant, baptized believer arises from the tomb of water cleansed from sin and washed pure of iniquity. He is spiritually resurrected. His old life is gone. He is born again. This is a type of the bodily resurrection to come. He is now prepared to receive the Holy Gho

Divine Authority—Without it all Gospel Administrations Vain—It Cannot be Acquired—The Priesthood, its Antiquity, Power and Blessings—The Priesthood of Melchisedek—The Aaronic Priesthood—Priestcraft—The Authority of God Must Come From God—Ordination—Value of the Priesthood. The ordinances of the gospel, being of divine origin, require divine authority in their administration. Baptism at the hands of one not appointed to attend to it is void. It is therefore without value and without effect. If an

The Church of Christ—Its Unity—Christ's Church under His Personal Supervision—Rules of Admission—No Others Available—Apostleship the Chief Authority—Other Authorities and Ministers—Necessity of These—The Church Progressive—It Casts off Evil-Doers—Brotherhood of Its Members—Mission of the Church. The Church of Christ is an organized body, consisting of those who believe in Him and have shown their faith by obedience to the initiatory ordinances of His gospel. It may contain many branches, but the

Apostasy from the Primitive Church—When it Commenced—The Apostles Predicted it—The Apostasy Universal—The Woman Clothed With the Sun, and the Scarlet-Clothed Harlot—What They Represent—The Reformation—Spread of Truth but Lack of Authority—Multiplication of Sects—No Voice From Heaven. Comparison of the various sects of modern Christendom with the Church of Christ as established by Jesus and His apostles, which was briefly described in the preceding chapter, will show that there has been a wide an

Restoration of the Gospel—Ministration of an Angel—Divine Knowledge and Divine Authority—Keys of Former Dispensations Revealed—Rebuilding of the Church of Christ—The Signs Following—Coming of Elijah—Dispensation of the Fullness of Times—Triumph of the Truth. Having shown the universal apostasy from the Church established by Christ and His Apostles, we now turn with pleasure from the dark picture of error, strife, confusion and priestcraft, painted in sombre hues during a long succession of centu

Apparent Doom of the Majority of Mankind—No Salvation but by Jesus Christ—Is the State of Man Fixed at Death?—The Common Belief Incorrect—Preaching to the Dead—The Spirit Without the Body Sentient—Nature of Paradise—All People to Hear the Gospel Either in this Life or the Next. One of the great difficulties in the way of inquiring minds, desirous of understanding gospel truth, is the apparent doom of the great bulk of the human family to perdition. The declaration is plainly and positively made

Decrees of God Fixed in the Spiritual as in the Natural Universe—Ordinances Essential—The Living may be Baptized for the Dead—The Principle of Proxy—The Place for the Administration of Vicarious Ordinances—Revelation of Elijah, the Prophet—Connection with the Spirit World—True Order of Communication—Blessed Results of Work Done for the Dead. The divine fiat has gone forth that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This is a fixed law. The sam

Universality of Death—Results of the Transgression of Law—Dissolution of the Body not the End of Existence—What is Resurrection?—The Spiritual Body of Jesus—All to be Raised from the Dead—The Order of the Resurrection—Necessity of an Immortal Body—Ignorance of the Laws of Nature—Matter Indestructible—Possibilities of Creative Energy—Life and Immortality Brought to Light. Death is the common heritage. It is a legacy to all the children, left by our first progenitor. It is the result of transgress

Man or Woman Alone Imperfect—Marriage Ordained of God—Sanctity of Proper Sexual Relations—Matrimony a Part of Religion—The First Pair Immortal—Marriage for Eternity—Keys of Celestial Marriage—Condition of Those who Marry Only for Time—Man the Head of the Woman—Plurality of Wires—Continuation of the Righteous Forever—Eternal Family Organizations—Everlasting Increase and Dominion. No man or woman, separate and single, can attain the fullness of celestial glory. Perfection of being, happiness, exal

Christ's Work Continued After His Death—The Perfect Science of Human Redemption—What was Lost in the Fall—What is to be Regained in the Restoration—Justice Tempered with Mercy—Loss Sustained by the Disobedient—Doom of the Sons of Perdition—The Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial Glories—Redemption and Glorification of the Earth—Salvation of the Whole Race—The Finished Work of Christ—Universal Dominion of the Father. The mission of Christ was to save that which was lost. It was not completed whe

  How shall I sing thy beauty, pow'r and light,     O glorious kingdom of the latter days!   I see thy loveliness, I feel thy might,     But find no utterance to speak thy praise!   I search in vain the records of the past,     Which paint dead kingdoms in their short-lived pride,   They cannot picture thee, whose pow'r shall last     While heav'n and truth and Deity abide.   And shall the little "powers that be" to-day,     Be likened for a moment to thy majesty?   As well declare pale vesta's

  Scripture references in proof of the doctrines set   forth in the body of this work.   FIRST LEAF.   But one God to worship—I. Cor. viii, 6.   Man's ways not accepted of God—Matt. xv, 9.   Only one correct way—John x, 1.   Faith the first principle—Heb. xi, 6.   Faith a principle of power—Heb. x.   How faith comes—Rom. x, 14, 17.   Human learning inadequate—I. Cor. ii, 5-14.   God the Father of spirits—Heb. xii, 9; Eccles. xii, 7; John xx, 17.   Man in God's image—Gen. i, 26; I. Cor. xi, 7.