The Gospel Dispensations

CHAPTER I.

Introductory

One Plan of Salvation. As there is but one Savior, so is there but one plan of salvation. There never was, and there never can be, another "I marvel," wrote Paul to the backsliding Galatians, "that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."-(Galatians 1: 6-8.)

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For All Men.-The Gospel of Christ is not of any one place, nor of any one period. Neither is it for the salvation of any class, to the exclusion of other classes. It is for all men, and was made plain and simple, that it might appeal to all. At the same time, it is the mightiest, the sublimest, and the most profound system of philosophy that the world has ever known. It is not a child of earth, nor a product of human wisdom. came out of eternity, from the very bosom of God, and has been upon the earth at different times and places. It is the Everlasting Gospel, the same yesterday, today, and forever, and all true principles of religion, science, or philosophy, now popular in the world, are but parts of it-broken off fragments of this grand Rock of Ages. Or, to change the figure, they are as pools of water, caught in the clefts and hollows of time, when, the great flood of Truth, in one or more of its visitations, swept by on its way back to the eternal ocean.

All Truth Divine.-Every religion in existence that has benefited its believers, must have possessed at some period a portion of divine truth; and that truth is what perpetuated it, not the errors associated therewith. These are as cobwebs and dust, the accumulated rubbish of false tradition, in which the precious jewel is wholly or in part concealed. Yes, every religion, Christian or Pagan, that has proved a real blessing to its votaries, is as a cistern holding within it waters once wholesome and pure,-waters that fell originally from heaven, in one of those grand spiritual showers, called dispensations of the gospel, when the flood gates of eternity were lifted, that the world might be refreshed.

The Arab and the Caliph.-But spiritual waters, like the waters of earth, will lose their sweetness and purity, if separated too far and too long from their fountain-head. They will become stagnant and unwholesome, like the water carried for many days by the poor Arab in his leathern bottle, from the sparkling spring in the desert to the distant palace of the Caliph, who magnanimously rewarded the giver, not for the rank draught presented for his acceptance, but for the goodness of his motive, the sincerity of his soul.

God's Word Apportioned.-How every tribe and nation receives its portion of the divine word, is thus told in the Nephite record:

"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people:

"Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

"I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know

that he allotteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

"Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; or he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.

"Now seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? "Why should I desire that I was an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

"For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true."—(Alma 29:1-8.)

An Oft-Restored Religion.-The Gospel of Christ did not make its first appearance upon this planet at the time of the Savior's crucifixion. While it seemed a new thing to that generation-for they were "astonished at the doctrine" of the Nazarene, who taught them the return of good for evil as a better rule of conduct than the Mosaic law of retaliation-in reality it was older than all the ages, older than the earth itself. It might have said, with its divine Author: "Before Abraham was I am"-with reference to the mortal life of Abraham. Originating in the heavens, before this world was created, the gospel, prior to its preaching in the meridian of time, had been revealed to man in a series of dispensations, beginning with Adam and extending down to that day. The ancient apostles of our Lord preached a restored gospel, just as much as do the apostles, seventies, and elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Dispensation” Defined.—It is time to ask, and to more fully answer the question, What is meant by the term "dispensation"? To dispense is to deal out or distribute, as when the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is dispensed to a congregation. "Dispensation of Providence" is a phrase used to describe some dealing of God with man, either for joy or sorrow to the object of the visitation. In theology the term "Dispensation"

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signifies the method or scheme by which God has at different times developed his purposes and revealed himself to man. also denotes a period marked by some particular development of the divine purpose and revelation, such as the Mosaic dispensation, lasting from Moses to Christ; or the Christian dispensation, ending in a universal apostasy which rendered necessary the latter-day restoration of the gospel and the Priest

hood.

Seven Periods.-It is held by many that there are seven gospel dispensations, seven distinct periods, during which the plan of salvation, restored from heaven to earth, has been administered to the children of men; the intervals of spiritual darkness between those periods of light resulting from the world's unworthiness. Revelation, so far as I am aware, is silent as to the number of the dispensations; but I am among those who incline to the belief that seven is correct; a belief probably founded, in part, upon the scriptural or symbolical character of that number, and upon the Prophet Joseph's teaching relative to the seven periods, answering to the seven seals of the mystical book seen by John the Revelator in his vision on Patmos. (Rev. 5 and 6.)

The Apocalyptic Book.-Section Seventy-Seven of the Doctrine and Covenants is a key to John's revelation, consisting · of a series of questions and answers; those germane to this subject being as follows:

"What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?"

"We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence."

"What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?"

"We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh."

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"What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelations?"

"We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth; even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels, are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years;-the preparing of the way before the time of his coming."

Whether or not these seven periods are looked upon as gospel dispensations, it is interesting to consider them as covering the same ground, paralleling, or extending through, the same mighty stretch of duration, and dealing with events, epochs, personages and principles connected with those dispensations.

The World's Real History.-Concerning "the book which John saw," the Prophet says in effect that it represents the real history of the world-what the eye of God has seen, what the recording angel has written. The seven thousand years, corresponding to the seven seals, are as seven great days, during which Mother Earth will fulfil her mortal mission or probation, laboring six days, and resting upon the seventh, her period of sanctification. We are not to understand, however, that these seven thousand years include the time during which the earth was in process of creation and of preparation for man. The phrase "temporal existence" shows that the reckoning began, not before, but after, time had been decreed.

Earth Obedient to Law.-That this planet is indeed upon probation, and capable of obeying law, is plainly taught in modern revelation:

"And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law.

"Wherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power