Gospel Doctrine: Selections From The Sermons And Writings Of Joseph F. Smith - free ebook by Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding) Smith

GOSPEL DOCTRINE

* * * * SELECTIONS FROM THE SERMONS AND WRITINGS OF JOSEPH F. SMITH Sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * * * * THE DESERET NEWS SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 1919 1919...

15 minute read

Read Chapter

PREFACE

President Joseph F. Smith was so long in the public service of the Church that his published sermons and writings would fill many volumes. The difficult problem of the compilers of this volume has been to make a collection of extracts that would do full justice to the man and that, at the same time, could be contained in a volume of moderate size. Every reader who knows Church literature will note the shortcomings of the work; and none more than the compilers. However, incomplete as it may be, t

53 minute read

Read Chapter

INTRODUCTION

President Joseph F. Smith incidentally stated on one occasion that when he should pass away, unlike many of his brethren, he would leave no written work, by which he might be remembered. It was his modest way of viewing his own ministry and literary labors, for President Smith would live in the hearts of the people even if he had said nothing for the printed page; but on the contrary, it was discovered that there are volumes in print, though at that time it had not been gathered and was therefor

13 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter I

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION OUR HOPE FOUNDED ON TRUTH. Our hope of salvation must be founded upon the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, for we cannot build upon error and ascend into the courts of eternal truth and enjoy the glory and exaltation of the kingdom of our God. That cannot be done.— Oct. C. R., [A] 1917, p. 3. [Footnote A: October Conference Report .] THE GOSPEL FOUNDED IN TRUTH. I have no fears in my heart, or mind, that that which is called "Mormonism"—which is indeed the

20 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER II

THE ETERNAL NATURE OF THE CHURCH, THE PRIESTHOOD, AND MAN ETERNAL NATURE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION. I feel this morning as I have felt all my life, but I feel it stronger this morning, perhaps, than ever before, that there is nothing under the heavens of so much importance to me or to the children of men as the great plan of life and salvation which was devised in the heavens in the beginning, and which has been handed down from period to period through the inspiration of holy men called of God u

47 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER III

REVELATION VALUE OF THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION. The man who possesses the spirit of revelation can realize whether he is a sinner, whether he is prone to evil, whether he is magnifying his standing before the Lord, or not, better than a man who has not the Spirit of the Lord in him, can he not?— Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 7. THE SPIRIT OF—INSPIRATION OF REVELATION—BY WHOM ENJOYED. And the spirit of inspiration, the gift of revelation, does not belong to one man solely; it is not a gift that pertains to

26 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER IV

FREE AGENCY THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS A FREE PEOPLE. We will now present before the conference the names of the general authorities of the Church, with the earnest desire that all the members of the Church present, who by reason of their good standing before the Lord are entitled to the privilege, will express their will according to the God-given agency that every man in the world enjoys, and which is not lessened, but rather increased, in all those who have made covenant with God by sacrifice and

9 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER V

GOD AND MAN GOD HAS DIRECTED HIS LATTER-DAY WORK. It has not been by the wisdom of man that this people have been directed in their course until the present; it has been by the wisdom of him who is above man, whose knowledge is greater than that of man, and whose power is above the power of man; for it is unto God, our Father, we are indebted for the mercies we have enjoyed and for the present prosperous condition of the people of God throughout this intermountain region and throughout the world

38 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VI

THE PURPOSE AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH THE KINGDOM OF GOD DEFINED. What I mean by the kingdom of God is the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, over which the son of God presides, and not man. That is what I mean. I mean the kingdom of which Christ is the King and not man. If any man object to Christ, the Son of God, being King of Israel, let him object, and go to hell just as quick as he please.— Oct. C. R., 1906, p. 9. "MORMONISM" DEFINED. I desire to say that "

49 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VII

THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL HOW THE SINNER MAY BE CLEANSED. You cannot take a murderer, a suicide, an adulterer, a liar, or one who was or is thoroughly abominable in his life here, and simply by the performance of an ordinance of the gospel, cleanse him from sin and usher him into the presence of God. God has not instituted a plan of that kind, and it cannot be done. He has said you shall repent of your sins. The wicked will have to repent of their wickedness. Those who die without the k

25 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER VIII

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN THE CHURCH IN ADVANCE OF ITS MEMBERS. "The modern 'Mormon' is far in advance of 'Mormonism'." The very reverse of this statement is the truth. "Mormonism" is far in advance of the modern or any other class of "Mormons." For not one member of the Church in one hundred, and perhaps not a single member in the whole Church is able to reach the high standards of faith, virtue, honor and truth inculcated in the gospel of Jesus Christ.— Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 41, p. 144, March

59 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER IX

PRIESTHOOD GOD IS AT THE HELM. We are living in a momentous age. The Lord is hastening his work. He is at the helm; there is no mortal man at the helm of this work. It is true, the Lord uses such instruments as will be obedient to his commandments and laws to assist in accomplishing his purposes in the earth. He has chosen those who, at least, have shown a willingness and a disposition to obey him and keep his laws, and who seek to work righteousness and carry out the purposes of the Lord.— Oct.

2 hour read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER X

SPIRITUAL GIFTS THE GIFT OF TONGUES. The devil himself can appear like an angel of light. False prophets and false teachers have arisen in the world. There is perhaps no gift of the Spirit of God more easily imitated by the devil than the gift of tongues. Where two men or women exercise the gift of tongues by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, there are a dozen perhaps who do it by the inspiration of the devil. Bless your souls, apostates speak in tongues, apostates prophesy, apostates claim

18 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XI

OBEDIENCE OBEDIENCE AN ETERNAL PRINCIPLE. We have entered into the bond of that new and everlasting covenant agreeing that we would obey the commandments of God in all things whatsoever he shall command us. This is an everlasting covenant even unto the end of our days. And when is the end of our days? We may think it has reference to the end of our mortal lives; that a time will come after we have finished this probation when we can live without obedience to the commandments of God. This is a gr

16 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XII

PRAYER PRAY EVERY DAY. Observe that great commandment given of the Master, always to remember the Lord, to pray in the morning, and in the evening, and always remember to thank him for the blessings that you receive day by day.— Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 6. PRAY IN WISDOM. My brethren and sisters, let us remember and call upon God and implore his blessings and his favor upon us. Let us do it, nevertheless, in wisdom and in righteousness, and when we pray we should call upon him in a consistent and re

15 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIII

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY WHY THE LAW OF TITHING WAS INSTITUTED. The Lord revealed to his people in the incipiency of his work a law which was more perfect than the law of tithing. It comprehended larger things, greater power, and a more speedy accomplishment of the purposes of the Lord. But the people were unprepared to live by it, and the Lord, out of mercy to the people, suspended the more perfect law, and gave the law of tithing, in order that there might be means in the storehouse of the

30 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIV

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH MAN SHOULD BE MASTER OF HIS APPETITES. How humiliating it must be to a thoughtful man to feel that he is a slave to his appetites, or to an over-weening and pernicious habit, desire or passion. We believe in strict temperance. We believe in abstinence from all injurious practices, and from the use of all hurtful things. Poison, in the judgment of the physician, may be beneficial, under some conditions in life, as a momentary relief; but poison, under any circumstance, sho

18 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XV

MANY DUTIES OF MAN THE OBJECT OF MAN'S EXISTENCE. The object of our being here is to do the will of the Father as it is done in heaven, to work righteousness in the earth, to subdue wickedness and put it under our feet, to conquer sin and the adversary of our souls, to rise above the imperfections and weaknesses of poor, fallen humanity, by the inspiration of Almighty God and his power made manifest, and thus become indeed the saints and servants of the Lord in the earth.— Apr. C. R., 1902, p. 8

48 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVI.

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND THE FAMILY NECESSITY OF MARRIAGE. The house of the Lord is a house of order and not a house of confusion; and that means that the man is not without the woman in the Lord, neither is the woman without the man in the Lord; and that no man can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach the perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God alone. That is what it means. God instituted marriage in the beginning. He made man in his own ima

35 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVII

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS YOUTH SHOULD LOOK FORWARD. Our youth should not be left to spend their time almost entirely in the mad whirl of pleasure and amusement, without a thought of advancing years with the attendant bodily ailments and physical infirmities which are bound to come. They should be given to understand that what are generally considered as the pleasures of youth are on the wing, and will soon pass, leaving in their rear only sad remembrances of wasted opportunities that cannot be re

32 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XVIII

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES WE ARE NOT DISCOURAGED. We are not disheartened, we are not discouraged, we are not faint-hearted. We believe in the Lord and we know that he is mighty to save, that he has guided the destinies of this people from the first moment until the present, and that it is not in consequence of the wisdom of men that we have escaped the plots, schemes and machinations of our enemies, and that we have been permitted to live and grow in the land, to become what we are, but it is through t

9 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XIX

EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS WE ARE EVER LEARNING. We are not "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth." On the contrary, we are ever learning and are ever drawing nearer to a proper comprehension of the truth, the duty and the responsibility that devolve upon members of the Church who are called to responsible positions in it. Not only does this apply to those members who are called to act in responsible positions, but it applies to those who may be termed "lay members,"

27 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XX

MISSIONARIES HOW MISSIONARIES ARE CALLED. No person but the President of the Church has the authority to call missionaries to preach the gospel; others may suggest or recommend, but they do so to him, and he issues the call. We draw attention to this fact as it occasionally happens that some brother is spoken to about going on a mission by one of the general authorities, by the president of the stake or by his bishop, and he at once goes to work and begins to prepare to leave, sometimes going so

32 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXI

FALSE TEACHINGS THE DEVIL'S KNOWLEDGE. The devil knows the Father much better than we. Lucifer, the son of the morning, knows Jesus Christ, the Son of God, much better than we; but in him it is not and will not redound to eternal life; for knowing, he yet rebels; knowing, he is yet disobedient; he will not receive the truth; he will not abide in the truth; hence he is perdition, and there is no salvation for him. The same doctrine applies to me and to you and all the sons and daughters of God wh

23 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXII

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS DEFINITIONS OF AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS. I have in mind our auxiliary organizations; what are they? Helps to the standard organizations of the Church. They are not independent. I want to say to the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, and to the Relief Society, and to the Primaries, and to the Sunday Schools, and Religion classes, and all the rest of the organizations in the Church, that not one of them is independent of the priesthood of the Son

37 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXIII

POLITICAL GOVERNMENT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. I believe with all my soul in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in the law of God, and I do not think any honest and intelligent man or woman could help but believe in the justice, the righteousness and the purity of the laws that God wrote upon the tablets of stone. These principles that I propose to read to you are the foundation and basic principles of the Constitution of our country, and are eternal, enduring forevermore, and cannot be changed nor ign

57 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXIV

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION. Every man born into the world will die. It matters not who he is, nor where he is, whether his birth be among the rich and the noble, or among the lowly and poor in the world, his days are numbered with the Lord, and in due time he will reach the end. We should think of this. Not that we should go about with heavy hearts or with downcast countenances; not at all. I rejoice that I am born to live, to die, and to live again. I thank God for th

45 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXV

JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET THE REALITY OF JOSEPH'S VISION. Our critics say it was an apparition that the Prophet Joseph saw, but he did not say so. He said the personages who appeared to him were real men, and there is nothing more improbable in his statement than in the recital in the Bible of the conception and birth of Christ, and of John the Baptist. To us has come the account of the birth, life and work of Christ, and there is nothing in the narrative to cause us to believe it more readily th

50 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER XXVI

PERSONAL TESTIMONIES AND BLESSINGS A TESTIMONY. I declare unto you in all candor, and in all earnestness of soul, that I believe with all my heart in the divine mission of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, that I am convinced in every fiber of my being that God raised him up to restore to the earth the gospel of Christ, which is indeed the power of God unto salvation. I testify to you that Joseph Smith was instrumental in the hand of the Lord in restoring God's truth to the world, and also the holy pri

15 minute read

Read Chapter

PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

AN APPRECIATION President Joseph Fielding Smith, sixth and beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has without question seen longer service in the Church than has any other living man. For sixty-five years he has been in the active ministry, under a great variety of callings; for fifty-one years he has held the apostolic calling; since 1867 he has been one of the general authorities of the Church; during seventeen years he has been President of the Church. No other

17 minute read

Read Chapter

REMINISCENCES

The Era has asked me to write a few remembrances of incidents connected with my personal association with the late President Joseph F. Smith, while they are yet fresh in memory, and it is a pleasure to comply. The first time I ever remember seeing Joseph F. Smith was in the then little village of Wellsville, in the year 1867. He was twenty-eight years of age, and had recently been chosen one of the twelve apostles. President Brigham Young and company were making a tour of the northern settlement

18 minute read

Read Chapter

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

It was John Locke, the great characteristic English philosopher, who, at the age of thirty, wrote: "I no sooner perceived myself in the world, but I found myself in a storm which has lasted hitherto." To Joseph F. Smith, who is among the greatest and most unique and notable individualities of that peculiar people, the Latter-day Saints, this sentence of Locke's is especially applicable. Only, his was enveloped in storm before he could perceive. He is the son of Hyrum Smith, the second patriarch

25 minute read

Read Chapter

LAST OF THE OLD SCHOOL OF VETERAN LEADERS.

Surrounded by members of his family, President Joseph F. Smith peacefully closed his active life upon earth, on Tuesday morning, at 4:50 o'clock, November 19, 1918, at his home, the Beehive House, Salt lake City, Utah. His noble work on earth is ended. He served the people of the Church in almost every useful private and public capacity all his life. He mounted, round by round, on the ladder of experience, as herd boy, pioneer, teacher, missionary, legislator, counselor; and for the past sevente

11 minute read

Read Chapter