While
reading some random sermons from the 26-volume Journal of Discourses (as one
does . . .) I encountered the following from Brigham Young where he discusses
the topics of illumination of the believer vis-à-vis interpreting the Bible,
reception of the Holy Spirit and the question about Cornelius receiving the
Spirit before baptism, and related topics:
We read in the days of the Apostles of a
certain man named Cornelius, a devout man and one who worshipped the Lord
according to the light he possessed. As he was once praying in his house, the
Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he and his household rejoiced exceedingly. What
was the word of the Lord to Cornelius under these circumstances? Was it
"You are saved, you are just right, you can build up churches, you can
show the people that they can be saved, and can receive the Holy Ghost without
the laying on of hands?" No, the word of the Lord to Cornelius was,
"Send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; he
lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell
thee what thou oughtest to do." Cornelius sent to Joppa, and just before
his messengers reached the house at which Simon lodged, he had had a vision in
which a sheet descended from heaven, in which were all manner of beasts and
creeping things of the earth; and a voice said, "Rise, Peter, kill and
eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything
common or unclean." And the voice said unto him, "What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common." At that time the Gospel had been
given to the Jews only, and Peter and his brethren had the idea that it was not
for the Gentiles; but this vision was as much as to say, "I want to open
your eyes and show you that the Gentiles as well as the Jews are to receive and
participate in the blessings of the Gospel. Just as Peter awoke from his vision
there came a rap at the door and the messengers of Cornelius inquired for him,
and made known to him their errand, and he and some of his brethren went down
and conversed with Cornelius, and while doing so the Spirit of God rested on
them so powerfully that they glorified God. The Jews who were with Peter
commenced, "Take care, Peter, we do not like this; we do not understand
that the Gentiles are to have the Gospel. The Savior is the Savior of the Jews;
Jesus was the king of the Jews only and not the king of the Gentiles."
Peter commanded them to be still. Said he, "Do you not see the pouring out
of the Spirit just as on the Day of Pentecost, these people speaking with new
tongues and prophecying;" and said be, seeing that this is the case,
"Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have
received the Holy Ghost as well as. we." Cornelius, if he had rejected the
testimony of Peter, would have been led to reject the Holy Ghost, which bad
fallen upon him, and been lost.
This was an instance in which the Holy Ghost
was given before baptism; there may be other cases in these days, but if
parties are thus favored of the Lord, the outpouring of his Spirit prompts them
to send for an Elder of Israel that they may be baptized for the remission of
their sins. I do not know that it is recorded that Cornelius received a
remission of sins before baptism. The quotation has been read here from the
Scriptures that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God;
and unless he be born of the water and of the Spirit he cannot enter it; that
is, no man can see and understand the kingdom of God unless the Spirit reveal
it to him. When a person receives the Holy Ghost he begins to read the Bible
understandingly. It is a new book to him. Is this fortunate or unfortunate for
him? I will say it is fortunate for those who receive the Gospel as preached by
the Latter-day Saints, when the Spirit of the Lord rests upon them. Such an
individual will say, "The Bible is a new book to me, bless me; I never read
the principles understandingly in my life before; I could not understand them.
I never read the New Testament, nor comprehended the character of the Savior
arm his teachings to his disciples as now; although I have read the Scriptures
hundreds of times they never were plain before." The Spirit may rest upon
many and reveal to them the wonderful things of God; but when it does it will
prompt them to obey the commands of the Lord Jesus. Is this the fact? It is.
Well, we will say it is very fortunate for those who receive this Gospel and
the spirit of it in their hearts, for it awakes within them a desire to know
and understand the things of God more than they ever did before in their lives,
and they begin to inquire, read and search, and when they go to the Father in
the name of Jesus he will not leave them without a witness. (JOD 14:134-35 | May 21, 1871)