(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

THE MOSAIC DISPENSATION.

NOTES.

1. From Abraham to Moses: The Bible History of the period intervening between Abraham and Moses has little that indicates specifically the existence of the Gospel among the Patriarchs. Yet the communion of the Patriarchs Isaac, and Jacob as also Joseph, with the Lord, would argue the existence of a knowledge of the means by which such communion could be secured. Also the offering of sacrifices by these patriarchs, by which was figured forth the great Atonement of the future Messiah, bears witness to the same effect—they had the Gospel. The evident existence of the High Priesthood among them undoubtedly argues the existence of the Gospel also as a necessary concomitant of that Priesthood, since said priesthood exists for the purpose of "administering the Gospel," and holds the keys of the "mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the 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; for without this no man can see the face of God and live." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84; 16-22.) Therefore where ever this priesthood is found there also will a knowledge of the Gospel be had. If, then, the Patriarchs after Abraham had the Priesthood they undoubtedly had also the Gospel.

2. The Patriarch Joseph's Knowledge of the Covenant of Salvation—the Gospel: It is evident that Joseph, the son of Jacob, had larger knowledge of the covenant of eternal life "which God that cannot lie promised before the world began, but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching" (Titus i:2)—than appears in the Bible history of that patriarch. From the last chapter of Genesis it is evident that God had revealed unto Joseph the fact that he would visit his people Israel, in Egypt, and deliver them from that land, and bring them unto the land which he promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, as the land of their inheritance. The Book of Mormon enlarges that view of Joseph's knowledge of the purposes of God, by representing that God not only revealed the fact of a future deliverer of Israel from Egypt, but also promised him "that out of the fruit of his (Joseph's) loins, the Lord would raise up a righteous branch unto the House of Israel. Not the Messiah but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the Spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light; yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom. * * * * * For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. * * * * * Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. * * * * * And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel. And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt. But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins; * * * * * Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord." (II Nephi, chap. 3). The thing which the Lord promised to bring forth by this future Seer, the patriarch Joseph saw would bring salvation unto his people. (II Nephi, chap, iii:15). "And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph." (II Nephi iii:4.)

3. Effect of Israel's Bondage in Egypt: What may have been the effect of Israel's captivity in Egypt in the matter of perpetuating the Priesthood of their fathers and a knowledge of the Gospel cannot be as certained with any degree of certainty from what is written. It would appear, however, that God's chosen people were not without some knowledge of God and of Christ during the period of their captivity; for the Hebrew mid-wives "feared God" and forebore to commit the acts of murder upon the male infants born in Israel as commanded by the Egyptian King (Exodus i:15-22): "Therefore God dealt well with the mid-wives; and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty." (Ibid, verse 20). Moreover Paul says:

"By faith Moses, when he was bom, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. By faith Moses, when he, was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Heb. xi:23-27.)

"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches," etc. Query.—How could Moses "esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" if he knew nothing of Christ? Evidently, whatever may have been the status of the Israelites in respect of the Gospel and its administration among them during the period of their captivity, they at least preserved among themselves some knowledge of the Gospel and of Christ who is ever the central figure of it; and this even before the call of Moses.

4. The High Priesthood Held by Others Than the Direct Descendants of Abraham: We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants that the Priesthood existed with others than with Abraham and his direct descendants. For instance, one Esaias is named as being contemporary with Abraham and blessed of Abraham, but that Esaias himself received the Priesthood "under the hand of God." That he (Esaias) conferred it upon Gad; Gad upon Jeremy, and Jeremy upon Elihu, and Elihu upon Caleb, and Caleb, upon Jethro, Jethro, who was the priest of Median with whom Moses sojourned forty years after his flight from Egypt, and whose daughter he married—Jethro conferred the priesthood upon Moses. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 84, 6-13.) So that Moses himself received the priesthood from a line of men holding it who were not descendants of Abraham. If what we have said in Note I of this lesson holds good; namely, that the Melchizedek priesthood and the Gospel are concomitants of each other, and that the High Priesthood exists for the purpose of administering the Gospel, which conclusion is based on the quotation in that note from the Doctrine and Covenants, (Sec. 84. 17:21), then the existence of the priesthood with this line of men above named, argues also that the existence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ among them: and therefore we have knowledge of the Gospel existing not only with Abraham and his successors, but with this independent line of men also. All of which tends to the conclusion that there was a wider dissemination of the Gospel in those ancient times than has generally been conceded.

Early Proclamation and Wide Diffusion of the Gospel: "The tardy appearance and partial distribution of moral and religious knowledge in the world,". (Mansel, Limits of Religious Thought, Preface) has ever been regarded as one of the great religious difficulties, a difficulty considerably lessened when the view presented in this Outline History of the Dispensations of the Gospel is accepted; for herein it is proven that there has neither a tardy appearance or even partial distribution of moral and religious knowledge in the world, but an early and widespread proclamation of the Gospel from the beginning and in nearly all ages there has been preached that "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Commenting upon the supposed long interval between the fall of man and the proclamation of his redemption (generally supposed to have been withheld from the world until the coming of Christ in the flesh), even a Roman Pope (Leo the Great, A. D. 440-461) said:

"Let those who with impious murmurings find fault with the Divine dispensations, and who complain about the lateness of Our Lord's nativity, cease from their grievances, as if what was carried out in this last age of the world had not been impending in time past. * * * * What the apostles preached, the prophets had announced before, and what has always been believed cannot be said to have fulfilled too late. By this delay of his work of Salvation the wisdom and love of God have only made us more fitted for his call; so that, what had been announced before by many signs and words and mysteries during so many centuries, should not be doubtful or uncertain in the days of the gospel God has not provided for the interests of men by a new counsel or by a late compassion; but He had instituted from the beginning for all men one and the same path of salvation." (Science of Religion, Muller, p. 107.)