The Principle of Eternal Progression and Revelation

My dear brethren and sisters and friends: I have been requested by President Smith to make a few remarks this morning, and the prayer of my heart is that our Heavenly Father will bless me with a portion of His Holy Spirit, that whatever I may say may be in accordance with His mind and will and appropriate to the present occasion. I feel it a very great honor to have the privilege of saying a few words here. Lying before us are the remains of President Lorenzo Snow, who was the prophet, seer and revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world. He was the fifth man who has been honored to hold this high position among this people. ¶

There were several characteristics in the life of President Lorenzo Snow that always impressed me very strongly, and whenever I think of him they come up in the vision of my mind. I have heard him relate that when he was a young man he received a revelation from God, the Eternal Father. It was soon after the Prophet Joseph Smith came forth proclaiming that He had received a visit from God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ. President Snow heard the testimony of the Prophet and believed on his words. Afterwards he received a testimony from the Lord himself. On another occasion, while pondering upon some principles that had been taught him by the Prophet Joseph, he heard a voice from heaven, and that voice made known unto him the principle embodied in these words: "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be." President Snow held to those two testimonies during his whole life. ¶

I desire here to emphasize the principles set forth in this sentence. In the first place, he received a revelation from God. Here was the principle of new revelation. Secondly, it was made known unto him that the sons and daughters of men may attain unto that perfection which the Eternal Father possesses. ¶

Now, these principles are either true or false, and I feel impressed, if the Lord will direct me by His Holy Spirit, to speak a little upon them. ¶

Jesus, referring to this principle of revelation said: ¶

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." ¶

In relation to the other principle, He said to His Apostles: ¶

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect." ¶

Paul, in speaking of Jesus, says: ¶

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." ¶

Here is set forth in inspired language, what it is possible for the children of men to attain to in the eternal worlds, through their faithfulness and diligence in keeping the commandments of God while they live upon the earth. Just imagine for a moment the idea that through the principle of eternal progression we can ultimately become like our Father and God! ¶

This revelation was given to President Lorenzo Snow in his early manhood, and the principle of revelation was his guiding star to the hour of his death. ¶

This principle of revelation is a strange thing among the children of men. It should not be; for Jesus said to His disciples that when the Comforter should come it should guide them into all truth, it should partake of the things of the Father and reveal them unto them. This was the Spirit that rested upon President Snow, and that gave him a testimony of the truth; and it is exactly in accordance with the promise of our Lord and Savior, who said, as recorded in the 7th chapter of John, 16 and 17 verses. ¶

"My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. ¶

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." ¶

Undoubtedly President Snow, in his youth, relying upon this promise, looked unto God for a knowledge of the truth. When Joseph Smith declared that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ had committed unto him the plan of life and salvation for the redemption of the children of men, President Snow put that declaration to the test. The Prophet and his associates made the bold statement that whosoever would believe and be baptized and accept the message which they declared, could know from the Father concerning the doctrine, whether it was of God or whether they spoke of themselves. President Snow, I say, put it to the test, and he received a testimony from God that filled him with joy unspeakable. ¶

Now, my beloved friends, have you ever considered what it means to attain unto that perfection which Jesus referred to? I will read a little concerning the works of our Father, and then you can imagine what possibilities you may attain to by reaching the same degree of perfection. I will read from the "Pearl of Great Price," which contains some revelations that were given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

"And God spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this Endless? And, behold, thou art my son, wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands, but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words; for they never cease; wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth. And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth: but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all. And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee. ¶

"And it came to pass that Moses looked and beheld the world upon which he was created, and as Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created of the same, he greatly marvelled and wondered. And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself, now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed, but now mine eyes have beheld God, but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him." ¶

"And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, he cast his eyes, and beheld the earth, yea, even all the face of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not, and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even as numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof. ¶

"And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them? And behold, the glory of God was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and he 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 my 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 also which now stand, and numberless 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." ¶

I ask you, my friends, as intelligent sons and daughters of God to look back to the time when you were born into the world, think of your condition then, and now consider the improvement that you have made. In the short space of seventy years see what can be accomplished by a man or a woman. Look at the wonderful achievements of men, and how they control the mighty powers of earth. On every hand you can see the greatness and grandeur of the works of men — and all done by men, as a rule, before they are fifty years of age. Think of the increase of intelligence and the development of man in the few years between the cradle and the grave, and then consider the fact that God's plan for the glory and immortality of man reaches into the eternal worlds and comprehends never-ending development and progression. Can you not imagine a day when it will be possible for you to be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect? when you will have progressed to such an exalted condition that you will be able to do the works of the Father? Such will be the case, whether you can imagine it or not. But there are certain conditions to which we must subscribe in order to attain to this great glory. This perfection can only be reached on the principles of righteousness. ¶

Now I desire to read another revelation that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning the privilege of men to hold His divine authority upon the earth. Here is a man lying before us who professed to be a prophet, seer and revelator. If he were such, we should look upon it with great solemnity, and investigate it. When the Lord raised up Moses, He talked with him face to face. Joseph Smith, in his message to the world, claimed that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ had appeared unto him and that they gave him revelations, one of which I am about to read. First, however, I want to impress upon you the importance of men in all the walks of life acting under proper authority. Suppose I should open an office in Salt Lake City and begin to administer the oath of allegiance to men and women who desired to become citizens of the United States; what would be the result? Why, I would be arrested as an imposter, because I had not the authority to act in that calling. No man can act legally without authority, either in temporal or in spiritual matters. Now I will read what the Lord says in relation to this: ¶

"Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses—for the sons of Moses, and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed; ¶

"And the sons of Moses and of Aaron shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, upon Mount Zion in the Lord's house, whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church; ¶

"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two Priesthoods of which I have spoken and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies; ¶

"They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God; ¶

"And also all they who receive this Priesthood receiveth me, saith the Lord; ¶

"For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; ¶

"And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; ¶

"And he that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him." ¶

Here is a promise that all that the Father hath shall be given unto the man who is "faithful unto obtaining these two Priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling." Such a man is a prophet, seer and revelator. He holds the Melchisedek Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, and "all that my Father hath shall be given unto him." This is exactly in accord with the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; for He said to His disciples: ¶

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." ¶

If all things are added unto you, ultimately you will become like our Father and God. It is true, however, that when you reach the position He occupies today, He will be that much further ahead of you, and it will still be said to you, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." ¶

President Snow, whose body lies before us today, is entitled to "all that the Father hath." As I have read to you, the creations of God are innumerable to men, and they are all controlled by His own word. Imagine, my friends the omnipotence of God! Can you comprehend His glory and power? Now carry your minds ten thousand years hence and try to conceive of the improvement that men will make, free from the limitations of mortality, and enjoying immortality and eternal life! I say unto you, it is possible for men to become like our Father and God. I bear testimony to the truth of the revelation which President Lorenzo Snow received in his youth. ¶

I will read still further from this same revelation: ¶

"For the word of the Lord is truth and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ; "And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit; "And everyone that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit, cometh unto God even the Father; "And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world; "And the whole world lieth in sin and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin; "And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. ¶

"For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin." ¶

I declare to this great congregation that President Snow is not under the bondage of sin; for he listened to the voice of the Spirit of God, he yielded obedience to the Gospel, and he attained unto the fulness of these two Priesthoods. ¶

Here is another revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, indicating the glory and exaltation of those who keep the commandments of God: ¶

"And we heard the voice, saying, Write the vision, for lo! this is the end of the vision of the sufferings of the ungodly! ¶

"And again, we bear record, for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the Gospel of Christ, concerning them who come forth in the resurrection of the just; ¶

"They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given, "That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power, "And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. ¶

"They are they who are the church of the first born. ¶

"They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things — ¶

"They are they who are Priests and Kings, who have received of His fullness, and of his glory, "And are Priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchisedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son; "Wherefore, as it is written, they are Gods, even the sons of God — ¶

"Wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's and Christ is God's. ¶

"And they shall overcome all things; "Wherefore let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet— ¶

"These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ for ever and ever. ¶

"These are they whom he shall bring with him. when he shall come in the clouds of heaven, to reign on the earth over his people. ¶

"These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection. ¶

"These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. ¶

"These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. ¶

"These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the first born. ¶

"These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all. ¶

"These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the sheddng of his own blood. ¶

"These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical. ¶

I desire to bear testimony unto you that God has established the immortality of the soul of man, and that all men who will listen to and keep His commandments can have the privilege of attaining that perfection which will bring them back into the presence of God, the Eternal Father, and crown them with glory, immortality and eternal life. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; and I say unto you that there is an inspired ministry upon the earth today, authorized to preach the everlasting Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. I say unto all who are under the sound of my voice, If you desire to come into the kingdom of God, and to be crowned an heir of glory, immortality and eternal life , repent of your sins, be baptized in water, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and every blessing that the Father hath in store for the faithful shall be yours, both in time and in eternity; which is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶