INCIDENTS IN THE RESTORATION: THE BOOK OF MORMON

The Book of Mormon was revealed and brought forth; the American volume of scripture, which revealed the knowledge that the gospel of Jesus Christ was had among the ancient Americans; that the resurrected Christ visited them and established his truth and church.

. . .

THREE GREAT NEW PASSAGES

In the New Dispensation, however, God by revelation has made known three very definite things:

(1) "Behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, i:39).

(2) "All things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things; Adam fell that men might be [i.e. exist as men]; and men are that they might have joy" (Book of Mormon, II Nephi ii).

(3) "Man is spirit [ie. mind in the chiefest fact of him]; the elements [i.e. meaning the final, simple stuff that things are made of] are eternal: and spirit and element inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; and when separated man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples" (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. xciii: 33-5).

In these newly revealed doctrines is disclosed the importance and purpose of human life: the union of spirit and element essential to the happiness of man, which God is engaged in bringing about—the immortality and eternal life of man: the existence of man that he might have joy; the inseparable union of eternal spirit with eternal element, necessary to that joy; and this God seeks to promote.

These three great declarations make up part of the knowledge the has been brought forth in this New Dispensation of the gospel. They represent three items of revealed truth brought together from widely separated revelations. I cannot at this time enter into the consideration of the circumstances under which they were brought forth, but I present them to you as possessed of intrinsic value in themselves; as being of self evident importance, respecting the purpose of God in man's earth-life. What think ye of them?