Mormonism Exposed (Hancock)/Chapter 10

Reverting to the quotation from the fore part of the seventh chapter of Hebrews, we need to remember that in the language of the apostle, in the third verse, he has reference solely to the priesthood of Melchizedec. In his priesthood, hence, Melchizedec was without pedigree, without table of descent. Therefore, in his priesthood he had neither predecessor nor successor—none in that priesthood before him, and none to succeed him—with him it began, and with him it ended. He was to his people, king, judge, leader and legislator. Being a righteous man he reigned in peace, and in behalf of his people he officiated as ths priest of God. Thus in him were combined the priestly and the kingly functions. None before him did this, and none after him did it, till the Son of God, the son of man, having officiated as the prophet of Israel, became the victim in order to man's redemption, and ascending to heaven with the blood of atonement was consecrated priest by the oath of God, and being seated on the right hand of the majesty in the heavens he is a priest upon his throne. Zech. 6: 13. None could be a priest after the order of Melchizedec unless he was a king, and combined in himself the functions of a ruler and judge of his people, as did Melchizedec, and the Son of God now does. For such as Smith and Cowdery to claim to be made priests like unto the Son of God is enough to make the demons blush, if there could be blushes in hell! Let us remember the affirmation of Paul, that Melchizedec, in his priesthood was without pedigree—neither predecessor nor successor, and then read the following extract from a

"And the sons of Moses according to the holy priesthood which he received under the hand of his father-in-law, Jethro; ​and Jethro received it under the hand of Elihu; and Elihu received it under the hand of Jeremy; and Jeremy received it under the hand of Gad; and Gad received it under the hand of Esaias, and Esaias received it under the hand of God. Esaias lived in the days of Abraham and was blessed of him—which Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedec, 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 commandment 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." Doctrine and Covenants, Pages 223, 224. Wonderful revelation! Truly, Mormon inspiration is a wofully ignorant something, or a miserably lying something? Poor old Paul! He knew nothing about priesthood?! Look at the chronology in this modern revelation. Caleb had been dead 281 years when he was ordained by Elihu, and Elijah had been dead 542 years when he was ordained by Jeremy and Gad ordained Jeremy 1120 years before the latter was born. Gad had been dead 989 years when he was ordained by Esaias, and Esaias was contemporary with Abraham and Melchizedec!

When we remember that ordination in Mormon theology is by the imposition of hands we can readily see the ridiculousness of this pretended revelation. Melchizedec could ordain Abraham, but neither of them, nor the two together could ordain Esaias! God had to come and do that! We invite attention to Rev. 6: 9–11. "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto ​every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

Here in the fifth period of the time covered in the apocalyptic vision John saw the souls of those that were slain for the testimony of Jesus. The apostles were certainly among the number that were slain for that testimony. In the fifth period of the gospel dispensation the period preceding the present, the apostles were in the state of death. The book of Revelations, we are assured, gives in symbol and prophecy a history of the church of Christ from the commencement of his reign to the conclusion—a history, hence, when John wrote, of things past, things present, and things to come. Seven is a perfect number, and includes the whole. Therefore, the seven trumpets, the seven seals, and the seven vials give the complete history of God's people under Christ. We live, evidently, in the sixth vial area, answering to the sixth seal, and the sixth trumpet. The seventh will give the consummation. Remembering that, in the division preceding this the apostles were in the state of death, we call attention to the following: "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work."—John 9: 4. That the Lord here refers to the night of death no one that is informed will question.

Mormonism says the apostles are angels in heaven working as messengers in Christ's kingdom, but Christ says they are in the state of death, during which state they can do no work. That the apostles will attain to the angelic state is a fact. When will they attain that state? "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."—Matt. 22: 29, 30. Not until after the second coming of Christ will the apostles be angels in heaven. Angels always behold the face of the Father in heaven. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of ​my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 18: 10. When do you expect to see that face, John? "But we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."—I. John 3: 2. John is not going to be an angel in heaven till after Christ's second appearing. When will you attain to that, Paul? "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made comfortable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."—Phil. 3: 10, 11. The apostles cannot be ministering angels till after Christ's second appearing. Thus it is shown that Mormonism is founded upon a falsehood, in every point!

As we have seen, in the apostles' doctrine, we have the fulness of the doctrine of Christ; in it, hence we have the Father and the Son. It is, therefore, that in the apostles' doctrine we have the faith for the people of God. Jude says; "Beloved, when I give all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was: needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." What words will we need to keep in memory in contending for the faith? "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." vs. 17. As the faith for the people of God gives the true knowledge of God it could only be delivered by the Son. Paul says: "God, who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son."—Heb. 1: 1, 2. "These last days" include the days of this dispensation. Be it understood, therefore, that there are no communications from God in this dispensation except what we have through the Son—no divers manner of communication in this dispensation. Such were peculiar to former times, times when God spake to man by prophets. The typical age was a prophetic one, but this is the anti-typical age, in which God speaks only by His Son. The prophets, hence, ​through Elijah as their representative, surrendered their commission at the feet of Jesus. Since, hence, that inspired class of prophets that the Lord gave as helps to the apostles in their ministry passed away, there has not been a prophet of the Lord. Therefore, as Paul declares, God does not in this dispensation, speak in divers manners. As Christ gave, through the inspired ministry of the New Testament, the perfect will of God, it is by the words that he has spoken that all are to be judged at the last day. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day."—John 12: 48. God having given His perfect will through Christ, revelation from Him closed with the completion of the New Testament, and, as a consequence, miracles being for the purpose of demonstrating and confirming his revelations, since the passing away of the inspired ministry of the New Testament there has not been a miracle nor vision from heaven. God having done all things possible for His people; for, as we have seen, He is limited within His own perfections, giving them His perfect will, thoroughly demonstrated to be such, and giving them a perfect institution that embodies his own fulness, assuring all that it was an exhibition of His own manifold wisdom; perfecting and thoroughly furnishing His people for the mission to which they were called, pledging himself upon oath for the present and eternal salvation of all who would accept of His arrangement and be faithful to His will, as a matter of justice permits a delusion to come upon all who persist in impeaching His wisdom and honor. Hence the strong delusion and power of which we read in Thessalonians and Revelations. Therefore, if there be anything in the way of miraculous power, at the present, or has been in the past, since the completion of the work of the New Testament ministry, it has been by Satanic power, and for the purpose of deception. If there be anything in the visions and apparations of today, or in the past, since the close of apostolic ministry, beyond a heated imagination, an ​epileptic affection, or animal magnetism, it is the working of Satanic power. People see, or imagine that they see visions in the air. Some see one kind, some another. All, however, should remember that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. In times past, when angelic visits, visions and revelations were vouchsafed to the servants of God there was no mistaking as to where they were from. And, we may safely say, God guarded His servants against deception in those matters. God having stated that miracles and prophecies would cease with the perfection of the New Testament, and that divers manners of communications would not be in this dispensation, but that what he had for man was spoken by His Son, and having pledged Himself upon oath to be with what His Son delivered gives us to understand, if people would heed His word, as to the source of all visions of modern times. All such, not only positively contradict God's word, but would make the Almighty One a perjured being! A proper respect for the utterances of God demands respect for His silence, and if any are destitute of the required reverence they are liable to the delusions of Satan's working.