(by Dennis B. Horne)
Elder
Joseph Fielding Smith took his inspiration from the previous speaker’s remarks
(that of President Anthony W. Ivins) and spoke about the origin of man, also
condemning the false theory of evolution. Close readers will notice his
explanatory wording when it came to how animal life and vegetation were placed
on the earth—they were “planted” here. This is the same doctrine that Elder
McConkie taught, that vegetation was placed on the earth when the Creators
brought seeds from other earths and planted them in the soil of ours. Because
this doctrine is beyond the scientists they dismiss it with a wave of their
academic hand and cheat themselves and many others out of the mysteries of
Godliness. Elder Smith here spent his entire October 1917 General Conference
talk on this subject—not the only time he would use the scriptures to refute and
correct the scientists. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith’s discourse:
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
“For what man knoweth the things of
a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
“Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God.
“Which things also we speak, not in
the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).
Now, my brethren and sisters, I
suppose I also belong to that class of individuals to which Brother Ivins
belongs, and perhaps it will be considered, by those who think they know, that
I also am incapable of expressing intelligent thought in regard to that same
subject, the origin of man. However, I have great confidence in the word of the
Lord and I accept, without reservation, these passages of scripture which I
have read. I have also concluded that one can learn more and get nearer to the
truth by heeding the testimony of the servants of the Lord and hearkening to
the teachings of the Spirit of the Lord, than one can possibly do by following
the commandments and the teachings of men who have received their understanding
and their learning in the spirit and in the wisdom of man. Therefore, I put my
trust in the Lord, and what I speak I believe I speak by the Spirit of God,
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. I believe that man is the offspring
of God, that he was created in the beginning in the image of God and is in very
deed his son, so far, at least, as the spirit is concerned. I wish to read in
connection with this which I have just read, a few verses from the Pearl of
Great Price on this same subject:
“And behold, the glory of the Lord
was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him
face to face. And the lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I
made these things. Here is wisdom, and it remaineth in me.
“And by the word of my power, have I
created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.
“And worlds without number have I
created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created
them, which is mine Only Begotten.
“And the first man of all men have I
called Adam, which is many.
“But only an account of this earth,
and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds
that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now
stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me,
for they are mine and I know them.
“And it came to pass that Moses
spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me
concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and
then thy servant will be content.
“And the Lord God spake unto Moses,
saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but
they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.
“And as one earth shall pass away,
and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come and there is no end to my
works, neither to my words.”
From this we learn that there has
never been a time when worlds were not created and when heavens did not exist.
And, furthermore, that the creation of heavens and earths by our eternal Father
from the beginning, whatever that may mean, and throughout eternity, has been
and is for the one grand purpose which is explained in the next verse following
this which I have just read: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
There never
was a time when there was not a world; there never was a time when that world
was not peopled with beings who were created in the image of God—his children
fashioned after his own likeness. Life is not spontaneous upon this earth. It
did not have its origin here; it was planted here in its varied forms. This
idea that everything commenced from a small beginning, from the scum upon the
surface of the sea, and has gradually developed until all forms of life, the
beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the
plants upon the face of the earth, have all sprung from that one source, is a
falsehood absolutely. There is no truth in it, for God has given us his
word by which we may know, and all who are led by the Spirit of God can
understand through that Holy Spirit, the truth of these things. We know, for
our Father in heaven has revealed these things unto us, that life has always
existed. It existed long before it was planted here, and this earth, we
understand, is passing through a probation such as other worlds have passe d
through, and when it completes its earthly mission and fills the measure of its
present creation, for it keeps the law that was given to it, it shall be
sanctified and exalted. When that time comes it will be removed out of its
present place as other worlds have been removed when they have filled the
measure of their creation, and then another world will come and take its place.
This procession will go on, worlds without end: so I understand from the
reading of these scriptures.
How foolish, how narrow, how
contemptible it is for men professing to be men of intelligence and possessing
scientific knowledge and wisdom, to declare that all life upon this earth is
spontaneous, and to confess that they know nothing of any life upon any other
world. Moreover, to declare that the life here has all developed from the same
single, simple source. It is true that all life does come from the same source,
but that is not the scum of the sea, a jellyfish or a pollywog. God, our
Father, is the creator of life and he placed life on this earth in varied
forms, and also on other worlds. He will continue his work on this earth and
upon other planets, or worlds, which will take the place of this earth when it
has been exalted and gone on to its celestial glory. He will continue to bring
to pass his purposes by peopling worlds and bringing to pass the immortality
and eternal life of his children. Now I think this is a noble thought. I think
it is something that will enlighten the minds of men and buoy them up. It will
strengthen our faith and give us encouragement to continue on in well doing,
because it gives us hope of better things, even immortality and eternal life as
the sons and daughters of God. But this false theory, which prevails in the world
so extensively, is one that is debasing and not ennobling nor uplifting.
Here is another passage of scripture
I wish to read from the D&C, section 76, known as “the vision”—a vision
given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon on the 16th day of February. 1832:
“And we beheld the glory of the Son,
on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness: and saw the holy
angels, and they who are sanctified before his throne worshiping God, and the
Lamb, who worship him for ever and ever. And now, after the many testimonies
which have been given of him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give
of him, that he lives: for we saw him, even on the right hand of God, and we
heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That
by him and through him, and of him the worlds are and were created, and the
inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”
This they beheld in vision, and it
was revealed unto them that all mankind upon the face of this earth and other worlds
are the offspring of God in the spirit, but that Jesus Christ is his Only
Begotten Son in the flesh. Now, this to me is consistent, it is reasonable, it
is logical and it is true. The first life created for this world was not placed
upon it at the time it was created. Let me read again; this same thought is
found in the account in Genesis in the Bible, but not so clearly expressed as
it is here, therefore, I will read from the Pearl of Great Price:
“And now, behold, I say unto you,
that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were
created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth.
“And every plant of the field before
it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the
Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they
were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused
it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the
children of men: and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I
them: and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither
in the air.”
Now, I could continue to read—I
shall not take the time—and show you that the creation that was made spiritually
was in the same likeness of the creation that was later made temporally, when
man, beast and plant were placed upon the earth. All were created before the
foundation of this world was prepared—created spiritually—and existed in the
kingdom of God. When the earth was formed and ready to receive them they were
clothed with bodies that were physical and thus not only man, but the animals
and the plants upon the face of the earth, became living souls, because they
were composed of the spirit and the body combined. I like to believe this. I
know it is true. It appeals to my reason, it appeals to my spirit, I accept it
as the truth which God has revealed, and I rejoice in the knowledge that I have
received regarding it. There is no theory in the world that can compare with
it. These ideas of men, their foolish doctrines regarding the origin of life
which are taught in many of the schools and against our protest very
largely—and I am sorry to say, in too many cases without our protest, for I
believe we ought to protest against these things—constitute the wisdom of
uninspired men and must perish. I do not believe that the falsely called
scientific theory of man's origin has any more right to a place in the public
schools than the principles of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
have—and not half as much!
Now, it may be true, and it is true,
that Abraham as he sat in his tent, could not receive the news of the world
published in the daily press and have it delivered to him at his door; he could
not push a button and turn on the electric light, but is that saying that
Abraham was less intelligent than men are who dwell on the earth today? The
truth of the matter is that these things were not intended for Abraham's day,
and they would not be known and utilized today if the Lord had not revealed
them to men and had not inspired men to make the discoveries which have been
made, by which we are able to receive the news as it is gathered from the
telegraph and from wireless telegraphy and have it printed by machinery which
is run by electricity. We can sit in our comfortable homes and turn on the
light by pressing a button; we can read the public prints, and we will know
what is going on today in all the world; but does that prove that we today are
more intelligent, or that we have greater understanding than Abraham, than
Moses, than Elijah, or any of the prophets of those early times, pertaining to
those things which are most essential to the salvation of mankind? Not by any
means! I read in the scriptures, if I understand them correctly, that many of
the prophets of old had opened to their vision scenes pertaining to the history
of the children of men down to the end of time, and the Lord revealed unto them
the conditions that would prevail in the earth in this generation. They saw, if
I understand the matter correctly, our automobiles, our railroad trains: they
saw, very probably, the communication that was taking place upon the face of
the earth so wonderfully by wireless communication, or by means of wires by which
news is conveyed. They saw, I believe, the airplanes flying in the midst of the
heavens, because we can read in the prophecies of these ancient scriptures many
things that indicate that these things were revealed unto those ancient
prophets. But these wonderful discoveries and conveniences were not intended
for their day. They could not sit in an automobile and travel from city to
city, or in a railroad train, and ride comfortably, nor could they ride in a
modern carriage drawn by horses, but upon the back of an ass would they journey
from place to place, or walking by the side of their beast of burden they would
travel a few miles each day and call it a day's journey.
And yet the prophets saw the time in
the latter days when an ensign should be lifted up that those gathering to Zion
should come with speed swiftly; they should not be weary, neither should they
be under the necessity of slumber, nor the loosing of their girdle or the shoes
from off their feet. But these advantages were not for their times and the
customs and conditions which prevail now were held in reserve, not because we
are any better or more worthy than the Saints of former times, nor because we
have greater intelligence, but because we are living in the Dispensation of the
Fulness of Times, when the Lord is gathering all things in one and preparing
the earth for the great millennial reign, and, it is necessary now that all
these discoveries, these wonderful inventions and conveniences should be made
known to the children of men.
Those who make these discoveries are
inspired of God or they would never make them. The Lord gave inspiration to
Edison, to Franklin, to Morse, to Whitney and to all of the inventors and
discoverers, and through their inspiration they obtained the necessary knowledge
and were able to manufacture and invent as they have done for the benefit of
the world. Without the help of the Lord they would have been just as helpless
as the people were in other ages. Abraham knew far more in his day regarding
the planets and the great fixed stars out in space than the greatest astronomer
knows today.
How did he get his knowledge? Not
through the telescope; not through the spectroscope; but through the opening of
his vision by the Spirit of God. He was taught by the Lord himself who revealed
unto him all these things and explained the great heavenly bodies and their
workings, also the earth, in a manner that never has been approached and cannot
be approached by the scientific man with all his instruments to aid him and
inspired by worldly learning, and don't you forget it! These ancient seers and
saints were just as intelligent as we are. They were just as full of
inspiration. They had the Spirit of the Lord to guide them and were directed by
it. They hearkened unto those things which God taught and they understood the
truth and knew far more of that which is essential, in a minute, than some of
these so-called scientists, who declare that life is spontaneous and commenced
upon this earth, know in a year.
Now this is my testimony. They may
say I am incompetent. What do I care, as long as I know I have the truth, as
long as I know that God has revealed unto me that these things which I have
declared are true! What do I care what they teach, so far as my knowledge is
concerned? I do care so far as the poisoning of the minds of the youth of
Israel is concerned, and I protest against it. I have protested from this
stand, and I expect to continue to protest, whether it does any good or not, at
least with the desire to stir up the Latter-day Saints; and I want to say to
you, my brethren and sisters, that it is your duty to seek for the light and
the truth and the wisdom and the inspiration that come through contact with the
Spirit of the Lord, that you may understand and know the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God, and see things spiritually and compare spiritual things
with spiritual. By so doing we may understand all things which our Father in
heaven has reserved for those who obey him.
May God bless you, and all Israel
and help us to walk in the light and seek the knowledge that we may lay a
foundation in truth which cannot be overturned by the follies and theories of
men,
Bonus teachings from Elder Smith:
This we
know, and that will suffice until all things are revealed, the inhabitants of
these worlds created by Jesus Christ, are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
Life did not originate here; man did not first come into existence here. We are
told by our Father in heaven, that man is eternal, that he has always existed, and
that all life on this earth came from elsewhere. We may not be able to
comprehend all this now, but the time will come in the providence of the Lord,
when all these things shall be made known and we shall have knowledge in the
fullness. (Conference Report, October 1925, 113.)
Now I said
in the beginning that the world is full of philosophy. One prominent and
intelligent writer has called these theories, "scientific fiction." I
think he is right. We have the theories of evolution, of higher criticism, the
ideas that prevail in the schools throughout our land that are dangerous, that
are striking at the fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ, trying to
destroy the faith in the minds of the students who attend the schools. We are
troubled with it to some extent even in our own state and the colleges
throughout the country are full of it, and the professors teach it, they
believe in it, at least they profess to believe in it, and it seems to me that
the sole purpose of it is to undermine and destroy the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I want to say to the Latter-day Saints that it is our duty to put our faith in
the revealed word of God, to accept that which has come through inspiration,
through revelation unto his servants, the prophets, both ancient and modern, and
whenever you find any doctrine, any idea, any expression from any source
whatsoever, that is in conflict with that which the Lord has revealed and which
is found in the holy scriptures, you may be assured that it is false and you
should put it aside and stand firmly grounded in the truth in prayer and in
faith, relying upon the Spirit of the Lord, for knowledge, for wisdom,
concerning these principles of truth. (Conference Report, April 1917, 65.)
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