Messenger
Keeping Eternal Laws and Fulfilling Prophecies
Judging the 1886 Meeting
Tens of thousands of Mormon Fundamentalists believe that in 1886 Joseph Smith came to John Taylor and instructed him to set apart a group of men to keep alive plural marriage even when the Church should reject that principle.
Just like the visitation of God to Joseph Smith there were no visual means to record what happened, and although - like the visit of Moroni to show the gold plates - there were witnesses, they also didn’t record it or share what had happened until after the event, as is the case with many of the greatest scriptural and spiritual events.
However, this does not mean that there are no indications of the truthfulness of what went on at that time. God has given us principles by which to judge the truth, history gives us precedents so we can see what is possible, and Prophets foretell the future, so that when it comes to pass we can know it is from God. Using these tools we can judge what someone claims, to see if it contradicts principle, follows precedent, and fulfills prophecy. By seeking the Spirit as we study we can also obtain a divine confirmation.
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Jesus - Savior of Other Worlds?
It has become a common belief amongst many Latter-day Saints that the atonement of Jesus extends to other earths like ours. This teaching is common in wards throughout the world, and is mentioned in books about the Savior by several by modern Mormon authors. But is this a revealed doctrine or just a popular theory, and what have the scriptures and prophets had to say on this subject?
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The Authenticity and Meaning of the 1886 Revelation
On September 27th, 1886 President John Taylor received what many have called his most controversial revelation. Its existence has been debated since the 1930s, and its standing and meaning have been called into question ever since.
It was written whilst Taylor was in hiding to avoid imprisonment for living plural marriage, and at a time when several Church members were calling upon him to end that practice. These facts are not disputed, even by the document’s critics. Neither have their been any suggestions that the text has been altered in any way, which is as follows:
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Greeting to the World
by Lorenzo Snow
A new century dawns upon the world today. The hundred years just completed were the most momentous in the history of man upon this planet. It would be impossible in a hundred days to make even a brief summary of the notable events, the marvelous developments, the grand achievements, and the beneficial inventions and discoveries, which mark the progress of the ten decades now left behind in the ceaseless march of humanity. The very mention of the nineteenth century suggests advancement, improvement, liberty, and light. Happy are we to have lived amidst its wonders and shared in the riches of its treasures of intelligence!
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The Parable of the Talents
and Plural Marriage
Because of the sacred nature of many of the doctrines revealed to Joseph Smith, and due to the ridicule and persecution that many of the world would have given them, the Prophet taught many things in secret to only his most trusted associates. However, not all of his friends proved to be trustworthy, and they shared with the world, usually in some twisted form, those things he had taught them in purity.
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