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Show CHAP. IX. MORMON DOXOLOGY. 391 drink of your enemies," since which time water has.been substituted. Mormons, young and old, equally take the sacrament every Sabbath. V. " W E BELIEVE THAT MAN MUST BE CALLED OF GOD BY INSPIRATION, AND BY LAYING ON OF HANDS FROM THOSE WHO ARE DULY COMMISSIONED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND ADMINISTER IN THE ORDINANCES THEREOF."-The Mormons hold to a regular apostolic succession. "Every elder" (which includes the apostles), "priest, teacher, or deacon, is to be ordained according to the gifts and callings of God unto him; and he is to be ordained by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the one who ordains him." VI. "WE BELIEVE IN THE SAME ORGANIZATION THAT EXISTED IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH, VIZ., APOSTLES, PROPHETS, PASTORS, EVANGELISTS, ETC."-The proper signification of these words will be explained when treating of the Mormon hierarchy. VI. " W E BELIEVE IN THE POWERS AND GIFTS OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL, VIZ., THE GIFT OF FAITH, DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, PROPHECY, REVELATIONS, VISIONS, HEALING, TONGUES/ AND THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES, WISDOM, CHARITY, BROTHERLY LOVE, ETC."-The everlasting Gospel means the universal order and arrangement of things springing from the "two self-existing principles of intelligence and element, or matter," and forming the law under which the primordial gods came into being. According to Mr. Joseph Smith, "God himself could not create himself," and "Intelligence exists upon a self-existent principle: it is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it." In the far eternity two of the elementary material aeons met, compared intelligence, and calling in a third to council, united in what became the first power, superior because prior to all others, and ever-enduring by the union of other aeons. Under this union arose a "law governing itself and all things"-the everlasting Gospel. The seer has not left on record the manner in which the head god originated: the other gods, however, sprung from him as children. Heaven has not only kings, but queens-the Sakti of Hindooism, and the various Ario-pagan faiths-who are the mothers of gods, of men's souls, and of all spiritual existences. St. John saw a portion of the everlasting Gospel in the " little book" in the hand of the angel " coming down from heaven" to proclaim again on earth the Church of Christ, a type of Moroni, who taught the fullness of knowledge to Joseph the Seer, that the gladder tidings might be preached to men with the " signs following" which were promised to the primitive apostles. As regards the discerning of spirits, the human soul is not visible to mortal eyes without a miracle, nor is it ponderable: it |
