God's Hand Upon the Nations.

Compelling Situations.—The Lord will force no man to Heaven, nor permit Satan to force any man to Hell. Human agency remains inviolate. But while there is no such thing in the Gospel of Christ as compulsion, in the sense of fettering man's free will, there is such a thing as a compelling situation, the creating of conditions and shaping of circumstances that have often influenced men to do, of their own volition, what they would not have done if the situation had not changed, if such conditions and circumstances had not arisen.

A simple illustration is furnished in the old-time anecdote of the boy up the farmer's apple tree—refusing to come down when kindly requested; persisting in his refusal when sharply reprimanded and a handful of turf thrown; but, when pelted with stones, scrambling down in a hurry—of his own accord. That is my idea of a compelling situation; the offender retaining his freedom, exercising his right of choice, but yielding to force of circumstances, and changing his mind for his own behoof.

"There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them as we will."

The Parable of the Supper.—Force, indirect compulsion, applied without infringing upon man's agency, is undoubtedly an element of the divine economy. What else is the meaning of the Savior's parable in which he likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a feast?

"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

"And! sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready.

"And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

"And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

"And another said. I have married a wife: and therefore I cannot come.

"So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

"And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

"And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."^[1]

The inference is, that they were "compelled to come in," but not against their own freedom of choice.

Fishers and Hunters.—The God of Israel has set his hand to gather his elect and prepare the world for the sanctifying reign of righteousness. He will accomplish what he has undertaken, using for that purpose every means consistent and available. Christ died to save the souls of men, and save them He will—by mild measures whenever these will avail; but by stern methods, if necessary, after the mild have proved ineffectual. First, the "fishers," with gentle, kind persuasion. Then the "hunters"—war, commotion and destruction. Such is the divine program.^[2]

The Day of Wrath—A Refuge From the Storm.—Joseph the Seer prophesied that war would "be poured out upon all nations." Zion, the pure in heart, are to "be the only people that shall not be at war one with another."^[3] "And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety."^[4] To provide against these and other perils, the Church of Christ was founded—"a standard for the nations," "that the gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes," might be "for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth."^[5]

Other Judgments.—But war is not the only expression of divine wrath. The strife of nation against nation is but one of many turmoils that the last days are destined to witness. Epidemics of sickness are to play a part in the great retribution.^[6] John on Patmos heard a voice from Heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, that ye receive not of her plagues."^[7] Through Joseph in America, the same dread oracle proclaimed "a desolating scourge," that "shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time if they repent not, until the earth is empty and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming."^[8]

Divine Participation.—And who, after reading what follows, can doubt divine participation in these troubles:

"For I the Almighty have laid my hand upon the nations to scourge them for their wickedness; and plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness. Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and shall see eye to eye."^[9]

After Testimony, Indignation.—The Lord's servants were "to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time," "to bind up the law and seal up the testimony," and "prepare the Saints for the hour of judgment."

"And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

"For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

"And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea, heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

"And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people."^[10]

Again: "The earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light, and the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall become exceeding angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree."^[11]

The Question of Cause.—Who will cause these terrible calamities? Not man—that is certain; though his conduct may justify them. Men can stir up strife and precipitate war. They can even bring pestilence and famine. But they cannot stir up tempests and earthquakes, cause whirl winds and tidal-waves, or govern the action of sun, moon and stars. These, with other convulsions of nature, no less than war, famine and pestilence, are among God's judgments upon the workers of iniquity. Satan, "prince of the powers of the air," may be immediately responsible for these fearful disturbances;^[12] but he can do only what he is permitted to do by the All-just and All-merciful, who looses him or holds him in check.

The Divine Purpose.—And what is the purpose—the ultimate purpose of it all? Destruction? No, a thousand times no, except in so far as destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and is necessary to preserve what is worth preserving. The world's welfare is the object in view. God's wrath, however fiercely it burns, is not comparable to petty human anger. His work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,"^[13] and if, in the process, He uses the powers of destruction, as well as the powers of construction—for "all power" is his, "in heaven and in earth"^[14]—it is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best. However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this: Hatred of humanity has no place in the heart of Him who "so loved the world" that he "gave his Only Begotten Son" to save it from eternal damnation.

Why Calamities Come.—Calamities do not come up on the world merely to scourge the wicked and avenge the wrongs of the righteous. The primal aim of Divine Punishment is to purify, and if possible save those upon whom the "Great Avenger" lays a chastening hand. The object is to bring sinners to repentance, to throw down the barriers that prevent men from coming to Christ, and turn into the upward path those bent upon pursuing the downward road. The Gospel saves all who are willing to be saved, and who show their willingness by their obedience, their faith by their works. It also aims to save the unwilling and disobedient—here if possible, and if not here, then hereafter. Wars and other woes are sent to put a stop to men's evil practices, lest they add sin to sin and pile up guilt to their greater condemnation. To be swept off the earth and ministered to in the spirit world, is not the worst fate that can befall the wicked. Omnipotence wields the powers of destruction in such a way as to make of them instruments of salvation. It may seem cruel, but in reality it is kind.

Safety With The Priesthood.—The Almighty does not hurl the shafts of affliction against the righteous, especially against helpless innocence; but in pursuance of his benevolent designs, and to effect the greatest good to the greatest number, He permits the destroyer to exercise his agency in a world where good and bad, old and young, all classes and all qualities, dwell. Some of the woes thus launched fall partly upon the choicest of God's children, unless faith be there—as doubtless He intends—faith and the power of the Priesthood, to intervene for their preservation. "The just shall live by faith," it is written, and the Priesthood is a shield to those who bear it and to those who honor its possessors.^[15]

The Chastening of the Lord.—"My son," says the ancient Wise Man, "despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."^[16] Bearing in mind this sapient admonition, let us not be doubtful of the Divine Purpose in sending forth the destroyer, whether in the shape of war, pestilence and famine, partly caused by human agency; or in earthquakes, cyclones, and other fierce convulsions, over which man has absolutely no control. They are all phases of "The Battle of the Great God,"^[17] intent upon clearing the way for the coming of the Perfect One, bringing order out of chaos, overthrowing wrong and establishing right, to the end that the human race may be permanently blest and the righteous possess in peace the heritage prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

Footnotes

1. Luke 14:16-23.2. Jer. 16:16.3. D. & C. 87:2.4. Ib. 45:68, 69.5. Ib. 115:4-6.6. Ib. 45:31. "An overflowing scourge—a desolating sickness," to "cover the land."7. Rev. 18:4.8. D. & C. 5:19.9. D. & C. 84:96-98.10. Ib. 88:88-91.11. Ib. 88:87.12. Job 1:19.13. Moses 1:39.14. Matt. 28:18.15. Said President Woodruff, in his address upon the judgments: "Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities? I'll tell you: The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings. . . . . No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely. They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah, and none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury."

The President meant, no doubt, to include in this reference those who follow the servants of the Lord and are guided by their counsels. He was speaking to a general congregation, and said, in addition to the words just quoted: "If you do your duty, and do my duty, we shall have protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and safety."16. Prov. 3:12.17. D. & C. 88:114.