Working of the church of Jesus Christ

“From every point of view, therefore, it must be seen that in no other way than only from the prophets who teach us by divine inspiration, is it at all possible to learn anything concerning God and the true religion.” (Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks, Ante-Nicene Fathers 1:289 chap.38)

I take this to mean that men, on thier own, pervert the truth, and so ONLY through continual inspiration of God can the truth be kept, and passed, and learned.


Truthfully, i have no idea the source of this quote. i do not know who Justin Martyr is, as of the post of this blog, but I will no doubt learn soon enough. Nethertheless I beleive this statement by him as accurate.

Proclamation of the Twelve, April 6, 1845

We also bear testimony that the "Indians" (so called) of North and South America are a remnant of the tribes of Israel; as is now made manifest by the discovery and revelation of their ancient oracles and records.

And that they are about to be fathered, civilized, and made one nation in this glorious land. They will also come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and of the fulness of the gospel; and they will embrace it, and become a righteous branch of the house of Israel.
 
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And we further testify, that the Jews among all nations are hereby commanded, in the name of the Messiah, to prepare, to return to Jerusalem in Palestine; and to rebuild that city and temple unto the Lord: And also to organize and establish their own political government, under their own rulers, judges, and governors in that country.

For be it known unto them that we now hold the keys of the priesthood and kingdom which is soon to be restored unto them. Therefore let them also repent and prepare to obey the ordinances of God.

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The Latter-day Saints, since their first organization in the year 1830, have been a poor, persecuted, abused, and afflicted people. They have sacrificed their time and property freely, for the sake of laying the foundation of the kingdom of God, and enlarging its dominion, by the ministry of the gospel. They have suffered privation, hunger, imprisonment, and the loss of houses, lands, home, and political rights, for their testimony.
And this is not all; but their first founder, Mr. Joseph Smith, whom God raised up as a Prophet and Apostle, mighty in word and in deed, and his brother Hyrum, who was also a prophet, together with many others, have suffered a cruel martyrdom in the cause of truth; and have sealed their testimony with their blood. And still the work has, as it were, but just begun.

A great, a glorious, and a mighty work is yet to be achieved, in spreading the truth and kingdom among the Gentiles-in restoring, organizing, instructing and establishing the Jews-in gathering, instructing, relieving, civilizing, educating and administering salvation to the remnant of Israel on this continent; in building Jerusalem in Palestine; and the cities, stakes, temples, and sanctuaries of Zion in America; and in gathering the Gentiles into the same covenant and organization-instructing them in all things for their sanctification and preparation; that the whole Church of the Saints, both Gentile, Jew and Israel, may be prepared as a bride, for the coming of the Lord.
 
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As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God, and the fulfillment of the prophets, in the great restoration and return of his long dispersed covenant people.

Some will act the part of the venerable Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses; or the noble Cyrus; and will aid and bless the people of God; or like Ruth, the Moabitess, will forsake their people and their kindred and country, and will say to the Saints, or to Israel: "This people shall be my people, and their God my God." While others will walk in the footsteps of a Pharaoh, or a Balak, and will harden their hearts, and fight against God, and seek to destroy his people.

These will commune with priests and prophets who love the wages of unrighteousness; and who, like Balaam, will seek to curse, or to find enchantments against Israel. You cannot therefore stand as idle and disinterested spectators of the scenes and events which are calculated in their very nature to reduce all nations and creeds to one political and religious standard, and thus put an end to Babel forms and names, and to strife and war. You will, therefore, either be led by the good Spirit to cast in your lot, and to take a lively interest with the Saints of the Most High, and the covenant people of the Lord, or on the other hand, you will become their inveterate enemy, and oppose them by every means in your power.

To such an extreme will this great division finally extend, that the nations of the old world will combine to oppose these things by military force. They will send a great army to Palestine, against the Jews; and they will besiege their city, and will reduce the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the greatest extreme of distress and misery.

Then will commence a struggle in which the fate of nations and empires will be suspended on a single battle. In this battle the governors and people of Judah distinguish themselves for their bravery and warlike achievements. The weak among them will be like David, and the strong among them will be like God: or like the angel of the Lord. In that day the Lord will pour upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall look upon the Messiah whom they have pierced.
 
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This signal victory on the part of the Jews, so unlooked for by the nations, and attended with the personal advent of Messiah, and the accompanying events, will change the whole order of things in Europe and Asia, in regard to political and religious organization, and government.

The Jews as a nation become holy from that day forward; and their city and sanctuary becomes holy. There also the Messiah establishes his throne, and seat of government. Jerusalem then becomes the seat of empire, and the great centre and capital of the old world.
 
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Priests, bishops, and clergy, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Mahomedan, will then have to yield their pretended claims to the priesthood, together with titles, honors, creeds and names; and reverence and obey the true and royal priesthood of the order of Melchisedech, and of Aaron; restored to the rightful heirs, the nobility of Israel; or, the dearth and famine will consume them, and the plague sweep them quickly down to the pit, as in the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Who pretended to the priesthood, and rebelled against God's chosen priests and prophets, in the days of Moses.
 
While these great events are rolling on the wheels of time, and being fulfilled in the old world,  the Western Continent will present a scene of grandeur, greatness, and glory, far surpassing the scene just described.

The Lord will make her that halted a remnant; and gather her that was driven out and afflicted; and make her who was cast afar off' a strong nation; and will reign over them in Mount Zion from that time forth and for ever.

Or, in other words, He will assemble the Natives the remnants of Joseph in America; and make of them a great, and strong, and powerful nation: and he will civilize and enlighten them and will establish a holy city, and temple, and seat of government among them, which shall be called Zion.

And there shall be his tabernacle, his sanctuary, his throne, and seat of government for the whole continent of North and South America for ever.

In short, it will be to the western hemisphere what Jerusalem will be to the eastern. 
 
 
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Americans! This mighty and strange work has been commenced in your midst, and must roll on in fulfillment. You are now invited, and earnestly intreated, to investigate it thoroughly, and to aid and participate in its accomplishment.
 
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The Lord has spoken, and who can disannul it? He has uttered his voice, and who can gainsay it? He has stretched out his arm, and who can turn it back?
 
 
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If the rulers and people will now inform themselves on these momentous subjects, and fulfill the  duties we have just pointed out to them, they will then be entitled to a continuation of the great national blessings and favors they have heretofore enjoyed; yea, and to more abundant favors from His bountiful hand, who first raised them to national greatness. They will in that case be prospered and enlarged, and spread their dominions wide and more wide over this vast country, till not only Texas and Oregon, but the whole vast dominion from sea to sea, will be joined with them, and come under their protection as one great, powerful and peaceful empire of Liberty and Union. Millions of people would also come from all nations, their silver and their gold with them, and would take protection under our banner, till in less than half a century from the present time we would have upwards of a hundred millions of population, all united and free, while civilization, arts, cultivation and improvement would extend to the most wild regions of our continent, making our "wilderness like Eden and our deserts like the garden of the Lord."
 
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We say, then, in life or in death, in bonds or free, that the great God has spoken in this age.-And we know it.

He has given us the Holy Priesthood and Apostleship, and the keys of the kingdom of God, to bring about the restoration of all things as promised by the holy prophets of old.-And we know it.

He has revealed the origin and the Records of the aboriginal tribes of America, and their future destiny.-And we know it.

He has revealed the fulness of the gospel, with its gifts, blessings, and ordinances.-And we know it.

He has commanded us to bear witness of it, first to the Gentiles and then to the remnants of Israel and the Jews.-And we know it.

He has commanded us to gather together his Saints on this Continent, and build up holy cities and sanctuaries.-And we know it.

He has said, that the Gentiles should come into the same gospel and covenant; and be numbered with the house of Israel and be a blessed people upon this good land for ever, if they would repent and embrace it.-And we know it.

He has also said that, if they do not repent, and come to the knowledge of the truth, and cease to fight against Zion, and also put away all murder, lying, pride, priestcraft, whoredom, and secret abomination, they shall soon perish from the earth, and be cast down to hell.-And we know it.

He has said, that the time is at hand for the Jews to be gathered to Jerusalem.-And we know it.

He has said, that the Ten Tribes of Israel should also be revealed in the North country, together with their oracles and records, preparatory to their return, and to their union with Judah, no more to be separated.-And we know it.

He has said, that when these preparations were made, both in this country and in Jerusalem and the gospel in all its fulness preached to all nations for a witness and testimony, He will come, and all the Saints with him, to reign on the earth one thousand years.-And we know it.

He has said that he will not come in his glory and destroy the wicked, till these warnings were given and these preparations were made for his reception.-And we know it.
 
April 6, 1845
Cropped portions can be found at
http://www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/rees/325/documents/Proclamation1845.pdf

Pericles

Open and friendly in our private relation, in our public acts we keep strictly within the law. We recognize the restraint of reverence; we are obedient to officials and laws, especially the laws that protect the oppressed and to the unwritten laws whose violation brings admitted shame. Yet ours is no work-a-day city only. No other provides so many recreations for the spirit – contests and sacrifices all year round, and beauty in our public buildings to cheer the heart and delight the eye day by day. Moreover, this city is so large and powerful that the wealth of the whole world flows into her, so that our own products seem no more homelike to us than those of other nations.




We love beauty without extravagance, and wisdom without unmanliness. We employ wealth, not as a means to vanity and ostentation, but as an opportunity for service. To acknowledge poverty is no disgrace; the true disgrace is making no effort to overcome it. An Athenian citizen does not neglect public affairs because he is too concerned with his private business. We regard a person who takes no interest in public affairs, not as quiet but useless. If few of us are originators, we are all sound judges of policy. The great impediment to action is, in our opinion, not discussion, but the lack of full information which is gained by discussion prior to action.

-In a funeral address designed to honor Athenian warriors who had died fighting Sparta, Pericles gave this choice oratorical declamation on the Athenian way of life as it then exsisted.

This was in the golden age of Herodotus and Thucydides, the famous Greek historians. It was the age of Socrates the philosopher, Hippocrates the physician, Phidias the sculptor, Aristophanes the satirical dramatist, and Sophocles and Euripides and classical Greek dramatists. Sculpture, architecture, painting, drama, science, philosophy, history, commerce and political stability all flourished during this amazing period. It has truly been called “the Golden Age of Pericles”.

It is also interesting that the famous golden age of Grecian culture occured right about the time the Jews were returning to Jeruselam from Babylon in 438 B.C.