The Principle of Revelation and Authority of the Priesthood

I feel grateful to our Heavenly Father that my life has been spared to meet with you again in one of our semi-annual conferences. I have greatly rejoiced in my spirit at listening to the testimonies of the brethren who have preceded me, and I humbly pray that the Lord will bless me also with a portion of His Holy Spirit, that what I may say may be in accordance with His mind and will. ¶

To the Latter-day Saints the remarks of Brother Merrill may be somewhat ordinary, because we believe in the living oracles and in revelation; but to those who do not belong to this Church they may appear strange. This Church is founded upon revelation. There is, however, a medium through which revelation is given to the Church. The Prophet, Seer and Revelator receives all revelation for the benefit and guidance of the Church. At the same time, every individual member of the Church is entitled to Revelation to guide his own household; and whatever inspiration he may receive from the Lord will be in conformity with the revelations that are given through the Prophet, Seer and Revelator. When I hear people discussing certain doctrines and tenets, there is always one satisfaction in my mind, and that is, that whatever may be erroneous in the opinions of men, these questions can always be settled by revelation from God. ¶

There is another idea that I want to speak of, for the benefit of any strangers that may be present, and that is that the Lord has established His authority upon the earth. That authority is termed Priesthood, and it is in this Church. It is one of the greatest blessings that can be given to the children of men if it be exercised in righteousness; for it will bring salvation unto them and to thousands of others. No spiritual blessings can come to the Church of Christ, except through the Priesthood; and I wish to read a little about this authority. I read from the 84th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants: ¶

"Abraham received the Priesthood from Melchisedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; "And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; "And from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, who received the Priesthood by the commandments of God. by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man; "Which Priesthood continueth in the Church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years. ¶

"And the Lord confirmed a Priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations — which Priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the Priesthood which is after the holiest order of God. ¶

"And this greater Priesthood administered the Gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God." ¶

How many millions of people there are today upon the earth who would walk across this earth for the privilege of knowing that God lives; Well, we heard yesterday from Apostle Clawson that there are thousands of men here who hold the key to a knowledge of God. ¶

"Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest; "And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh." ¶

Now, my young brethren and sisters, when you see men gathered together who are termed "divines," and they plainly state that the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit are not in their churches; when they ridicule the principle of prophets, apostles, seers and revelators; when they will scorn the idea that God is a personal Being, you may understand why they do not enjoy these blessings. It is explained in that which I have read to you: "Without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest in the flesh." ¶

"For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. ¶

Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people, that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore the Lord in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. ¶

Therefore he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also: ¶

And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb; For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, into whose hand is given all power. ¶

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 Gcd, 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; And this according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the Priesthood. ¶

Therefore, all those who receive the Priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved; But whoso breaketh this covenant, after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall "not have forgiveness of sins in this world, nor in the world to come. ¶

And all those who come not unto this Priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens, and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you." ¶

I have read to you what God acknowledges as His authority upon the earth. Now, there is not a soul upon the face of this earth, whether he be black or white, rich or poor, but is entitled to know that God lives, if he will keep His commandments. I testify unto you that I have received this knowledge. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of the true and living God; that He lives, moves, and has a being; and that He is the light and life of the world. I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Most High God. who was ordained to come forth in the dispensation of the fulness of times to establish His Church upon the earth, preparatory to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I testify that there are tens of thousands of people in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains that have received the gift of the Holy Ghost; and this gift fills them with a knowledge of God. I testify that Israel is being gathered from abroad, according to the prophecies of the holy prophets, and they are being established in the tops of the mountains. God the Eternal Father is conducting this work, and it is not of man. I testify also that the curse of God will rest upon any man who puts his trust in the arm of flesh; for the Lord has said, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." The Lord has prepared the means whereby we may know that He lives, and that He is our Father and God. He has also prepared the means whereby we can receive of His Spirit and power, to guide and direct us in the ways of all truth. When Jesus was upon the earth He said: "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me." Again,: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." I have sought after this information by doing the will of my Father. With all my weaknesses and imperfections, our Eternal Father has had mercy upon me and has given me a testimony that He lives, and that He has a being. My testimony unto all who are under the sound of my voice is that I know that God lives, and that He will give this same testimony unto all who will serve Him and keep His commandments. He has wrought out a plan of life and salvation, and if we will yield obedience to that we can be brought back into His presence and be crowned heirs of glory, immortality and eternal life. We can partake of all the attributes of our Father, and ultimately get to that position which He occupies today. As Jesus says, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." ¶

I prophesy unto you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that while today all the sectarian world oppose the idea of the personality of God, the time will come when the majority of the denominations will acknowledge that our Father and God is a personal being, even as they have adopted other principles, one by one, that have been revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. When you see these things come to pass, you may know the spirit by which they have been spoken. ¶

Inasmuch as I have this testimony, I never spend a day in Zion, but I feel that I should be somewhere lifting up my voice and declaring this testimony unto the children of men; for behold, the Lord our God has said that the harvest is great and the reapers are few. He has given commandment unto this people to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature; "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." I want to add my testimony to that of Elder Cowley yesterday, wherein he said that there should come unto Zion people from all nations. The time will come when we will penetrate the very center of the great empire of China. We will go into India, and into South America, and into every nation under heaven. The Lord our God will prepare the way. and there will be enough come out of these nations to redeem their dead throughout all the generations that are past and gone. The day will come when we will go into Turkey, into Africa, and into every part of the earth. I never look upon one of these maps in our Sunday schools, whereon is shown the trail of the Apostle Paul in his ministry, from city to city, without having a desire in my heart to perform a similar work, that some day a red line on the map might show my labors in the ministry; for I know that this Gospel must go into all the world for a witness, unto every creature. The Redeemer predicted that this Gospel should go into all the world for a witness; then should the end come. And the day will come — I feel it with all my heart— when Apostles, especially the younger ones in the quorum, will be very scarce in the land of Zion; for I have been taught it by my father, and I have heard it time and time again from the Presidency of the Church, that the duty of the Apostles is to be abroad among the nations of the earth, carrying the glad tidings of great joy to the children of men, unlocking the doors of salvation to the nations, and bringing peace and good will to them. These men upon this stand are willing at any hour to go forth to perform their duty. They are witnesses of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they know that He lives, and moves, and has a being. He is calling unto the children of men to repent and come to the light to gather up to the land of Zion and to prepare for His coming. ¶

I feel to rejoice, my brethren and sisters, in being in your presence today, and I say unto you, if you will serve God and keep His commandments, you will be crowned with glory, immortality and everlasting life in the kingdom of our God; which may He grant, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶