Thursday, August 25, 2022

Various LDS from the 19th and 20th centuries on the Jews Rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem

  

John Taylor’s Conversation on Temples with Baron Rotschild (Jew):

 

In looking still forward we find that there are other things ahead of us. One thing is the building of Temples, and that is a very important item, and ought to rest with force upon the minds of all good Saints. I remember, some time ago, having a conversation with Baron Rothschild, a Jew. I was shelving him the Temple here, and said he—"Elder Taylor, what do you mean by this Temple? What is the object of it? Why are you building it?" Said I, "Your fathers had among them Prophets, who revealed to them the mind and will of God; we have among us Prophets who reveal to us the mind and will of God, as they did. One of your Prophets said—"The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple, but who may abide the day of his coming? For he shall sit as a refiner's fire and a purifier of silver." "Now," said I, "Sir, will you point me out a place on the face of the earth where God has a Temple?" Said he, "I do not know of any." "You remember the words of your Prophet that I have quoted?" Said he—"Yes, I know the Prophet said that, but I do not know of any Temple anywhere. Do you consider that this is that Temple?" "No, sir, it is not." "Well, what is this Temple for?" Said I, "The Lord has told us to build this Temple so that we may administer therein baptisms for our dead (which I explained to him,) and also to perform some of the sacred matrimonial alliances and covenants that we believe in, that are rejected by the world generally, but which are among the purest, most exalting and ennobling principles that God ever revealed to man." "Well, then, this is not our Temple?" "No, but," said I, "You will build a Temple, for the Lord has shown us, among other things, that you Jews have quite a role to perform in the latter days, and that all the things spoken by your old prophets will be fulfilled, that you will be gathered to old Jerusalem, and that  you will build a Temple there; and when you build that Temple, and the time has arrived, 'the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his Temple.' Do you believe in the Messiah?" "Yes." "Do you remember reading in your old prophets something like this—'They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. And one shall say, What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy side? And he will say—These with which I was wounded in the house of my friends?'" "Ah! Is that in our Bible?" "Yes, sir, that is in your Bible." I spake to him then about the Nephites having left Jerusalem and told him that the Book of Mormon represents them as descendants of their people, and that Jesus came among them, and that they, because of their iniquity and departure from the word and law of God, were stricken with blackness. Said he—"What, as Cain was?" "Yes, sir, as Cain was." Said I—"These people, the Lamanites, according to this record," a French copy of which I gave him, be being a Frenchman; "this people are beginning to feel after these things, and they are coming by hundreds and by thousands and demanding baptism at our hands, just as you find recorded in that book that they would do, and that is given there as a sign that God's work had commenced among all nations. Said he—"What evidence have you of this?" This conversation took place in the Townsend House, and when the Baron asked me for evidence, said I—"Sir, if you will excuse me a few minutes I will give you some evidence? and I went to Savage's book stand, in the Townsend House, and obtained a photographic copy of David Cannon baptizing Indians, standing in the midst of a great crowd of them. Said I—"Here is the evidence." "Well, what shall we do?" Said I—"You can do nothing unless God directs. You as a people are tied hand and foot, and have been for generations, and you can't move a peg unless God strikes off your fetters. When he says the word the things spoken of by the Prophets will be fulfilled; then the measuring line will go forth again in Jerusalem, then your Messiah will come, and all those things spoken of by the Prophets will be fulfilled."

 

I mentioned these matters to Baron Rothschild merely to exhibit some ideas pertaining to the work in which we are engaged; and in speaking of the Temple—"Well, this is not the Temple? "No, not that you are going to build, this is ours, and we expect to build hundreds of them yet, and to administer in them in carrying out the work of God." I speak of this, that you may reflect a little, you Latter-day Saints. Has God organized a First Presidency? Yes. Has he endowed them with the Spirit and power of God? Yes. Has he organized the Twelve? Yes. Have they the spirit of their office? Yes, in part. He has organized Seventies; have they the spirit of their office? In part. He has organized a High Priests' quorum; have they the spirit of their office? In part, and many of these things are only in part. He has organized an Elders' quorum, and a great many Elders have been ordained; have they the spirit of their office? In part. Are they magnifying it? Only in part. Why we have got really and truly a nation of Kings and Priests, ordained, set apart and authorized to carry out the purposes of God here upon the earth, to operate with the Priesthood behind the vail in the accomplishment of these things. What are we doing? A little, but many of us, I am afraid, not very much. A great many are doing the best they know how, and are desirous, with their whole soul and spirit, with their intellect and their substance and everything they have, to dedicate themselves and all they have for God and for his cause and kingdom, and for building up Temples, and for accomplishing everything that God requires at their hands. Then there are some that feel like the boy said about his father. A Gentile came along and spoke to a little boy down street here, and said—"Boy, are you a Mormon?" "I don't know," said the boy. "Is your father a Mormon?" "Oh, yes," said the boy, "but he does not potter much about it." There are a good many who feel a good deal like that—they don't potter much about it. When their minds are lit up by the Spirit of God they feel like dedicating themselves and all they have to God, yet, by and by they begin to weaken and falter, and quiver, and go away. (John Taylor, April 6, 1876 | JOD 18:199-200)

 

Orson Pratt’s Description of the Temple to be Built in Jerusalem:

 

In another revelation given in an early period of the history of the Church, the Lord commanded his people to build unto him a House, promising that if they built a house unto his name, according to the commandment and pattern which should be given, and providing they suffered no unclean thing to enter it, so that it should not be defiled, the Lord himself would appear in it; his presence would be there; his glory would be there; and all that should go into that House, who were pure in heart, should see him. Here then you perceive that there are certain places appointed, and certain provisions to be complied with before the face of the Lord can be seen. He has said that his people are always to build unto his name a house. What for? That his name might be there; that his angels might be there; that his presence might be there; and that there the fullness of the holy Priesthood might be more fully revealed, and that there all the ordinances might be performed, that were ordained from before the foundation of the world. This is the object of Temples. It is to connect the children to the fathers: it is to bring about an organization between the living and the dead. It is seen that when the seventh angel shall sound his trumpet, preparatory to the coming of the Son of Man; when the Saints shall receive their inheritances and be made equal with him, they, the dead, as well as the living, receive their inheritances; that will be a perfect organization. When Adam, and Enoch, and his Zion, and all the righteous men before the flood, and all the holy patriarchs and Prophets of the eastern and western Continents, men who lived on the earth as strangers and pilgrims, but who through the eye of faith were permitted to behold, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, all things would be gathered in one that were in Christ, even all things which are in heaven and which are on the earth; I say that when all these receive their inheritances, this will be an organization that takes hold of eternity, that takes hold of the children of God in all ages, that unites all dispensations in one, that brings all the kingdoms. and authorities, and powers, of all other dispensations, and unites them in one; and upon whom knowledge like a flood will be poured out even upon the vast congregations of the Church of the First Born, the living and the dead, for the dead will then be living.

 

Ought not these things, Latter-day Saints, to stimulate every individual to be diligent in the work given him to do, lest he fall out by the way; lest his crown be taken front him and placed upon the head of another; lest the talent he may have hidden in the earth be taken from him and be given to him that hath more abundantly? How diligent we should be! How faithful in the performance of our several callings, and how willing to hearken to the counsels and instructions of those placed over us? By and by we will have Temples, with a great many things contained in them which we now have not; for with them, as with all other things, the Lord begins little by little; he does not reveal everything all at once. He gave the pattern of these things in Kirtland, Ohio, as the beginning; but there were not rooms for the washings, no rooms such as we have now, and such as were prepared in the Nauvoo Temple; and in other respects, there was something added to the Nauvoo Temple. Why; Because we had greater experience, and were prepared for greater things. There was no font in the basement story of the Kirtland Temple, for baptismal purposes in behalf of the dead? Why not! Because that principle was not revealed. But in the Nauvoo Temple this font was prepared, which was something in advance of the Kirtland Temple. We have, of late, constructed a Temple at St. George. Blessings have been administered in that Temple, that were totally unknown in the two former Temples, namely, endowments for the dead. Again, by and by, we build a Temple in Jackson County, Missouri. Will it be built according to the pattern of our present Temples? No. There will be, according to the progress of this people, and the knowledge they receive, and the greatness of the work that is before them, many things, pertaining to the pattern, that will then be given, which will differ materially, or will be, at least, in addition to that which is in these Temples now built. I think if you will go and search in the Church Historian's office, you will find a plan of a Temple, that is to be built in Jackson County, which will be very different from the little Temples we now build. By and by there will be a Temple built at Jerusalem. Who do you think is going to build it? You may think that it will be the unbelieving Jews who rejected the Savior. I believe that that which is contained on the 77th page of the Book of Mormon, as well as in many other places, in that same book, will be literally fulfilled. The Temple at Jerusalem will undoubtedly be built, by those who believe in the true Messiah. Its construction will be, in some respects different from the Temples now being built. It will contain the throne of the Lord, upon which he will, at times, personally sit, and will reign over the house of Israel for ever. It may also contain twelve other thrones, on which the twelve ancient Apostles will sit, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. It will, very likely, have an apartment, with a table, on which food and drink will be prepared, such as are suitable to the taste and happiness of immortal resurrected beings, thus fulfilling the words of Jesus—"Ye that have followed me in the regeneration shall eat and drink at my table, and sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Amen. (Orson Pratt, May 20, 1877 | JOD 19:18-20)

 

Charles W. Penrose on the Blessings Associated with the Building of the New Temple in Jerusalem:

 

The people who dwell in these mountain valleys labor to build up homes, to redeem the land and make it a desirable place to live in; but they are here chiefly, and as their primary object to serve God and learn of Him. They are here in fulfillment of prediction made by Micah, Isaiah and Daniel. Isaiah declared, "It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the tops of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in his paths," etc. The prophecies of these ancient men of God are being fulfilled literally; and this people called Latter-day Saints have come here to learn of the ways of the Lord. They learned something of his ways in the lands where they were born, and the word tasted sweet to their souls; communion was opened up between them and the heavens, and they received a testimony for themselves. They did not ]save to depend upon the testimony of Joseph Smith, or of Brigham Young, or of John Taylor, or of the Apostles whom God has called in our day, but they obtained one for themselves. They were all baptized with one spirit into one body, and all received of the same influence; all obtained a similar testimony; and the gifts and graces of the everlasting Gospel are enjoyed by them, according to their several faiths and desires for God and the truth. This, therefore, is the beginning of the great latter-day work, the restoration of the Gospel, the opening up of the dispensation of the fulness of times. The work now is to gather the Saints of God. First of all the Gospel is to be preached to the Gentiles and then to the Jews. "The fulness of the Gentiles" has not yet "Come in," but the time is close at hand when it will come in. After that the Lord will say, "Turn ye to the Jews also." The servants of God are going out among the Gentile nations preaching the Gospel of the kingdoms, and bearing testimony that it is His cause; not preaching what they think, or giving expression to any opinions they may have formed, but from knowledge of the will of God through the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy which they obtained by bowing in obedience to the ordinances of the Gospel They know what they preach. They do not go out with the "enticing words of man's wisdom," but to preach the everlasting Gospel as God has revealed it, as He has manifested it from on high. They are not sent to preach to please the popular ear, but to deliver in plainness, as the Spirit shall give them utterance, the message of salvation, whether the people believe it or not. And our missionaries find that the same spirit exists to-day that the servants of God had to meet and contend with anciently. The wicked oppose the message of truth they bear; and the most vehement opponents to it are those who profess the most piety. They have it in their hearts to destroy or bring trouble upon t, his people. Why? They do not know why themselves. It is because they shut their own hearts to the truth like he Pharisees of old, who made long prayers that they might be heard and seen of men, and not entering the kingdom themselves, they will not suffer those who would, to enter therein. They have the same spirit in their hearts that slew the prophets and put Christ to death. When our Elders go out, instead of meeting them with argument, these men stir up the people to oppose them by force. They have stirred up Congress to pass inimical laws to oppress the "Mormons," to deprive them of the commonest rights of citizens, to take their leaders and put them to death. This is the spirit that has been arrayed against this Church from the beginning. Joseph Smith and Hyrum his brother, were slain in Carthage jail. What for? For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus; because they taught the truth as it came from God and claimed to have divine authority, to have received power from on high. They could not oppose the testimony of these men by truth, nor by Scripture, nor by argument, neither could they overcome them by law. But as the mob said that put these servants of God to death: "The law cannot touch them, but powder and ball shall." This is the spirit by which the prophets of old were put to death. This is the spirit by which Christ was crucified on the cross. This is the spirit by which Peter was crucified head downward. This is the spirit by which others were thrown unto wild beasts and some were cast into caldrons of boiling oil. And this is the spirit that is exhibited in the latter times by some who claim to be ministers of the Gospel.

 

The work of gathering has commenced, then. That is part of the work of the dispensation of the fullness of times, the gathering of the people of God in one. The Saints of God will be gathered. The wicked may do what they please. They may pass laws; fulminate decrees; send circular letters to the governments abroad to prevent "Mormon" emigration; but as God lives and rules and reigns on high, this is His work and He will bring it about in His own way and time and there is no power on the earth that can thwart His purposes. His people will come from the east and gather from the west. The Lord will say to the north, "Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." And they will gather to Zion as the prophet foretold, and build up temples to the living God, that His ordinances may be performed therein, and that they may learn of His ways and walk in His paths. Then the Gospel, as I before remarked, will be preached to the Jews. The way is now being prepared for this. The work is moving on for the gathering of the Jews to their own land that they may build it up as it was in former times; that the temple may be rebuilt and the mosque of the Moslem which now stands in its place may be moved out of the way; that Jerusalem may be rebuilt upon its original site; that the way may be prepared for the coming of the Messiah, who shall be seen in the midst of those whose ancestors nailed him to the cross, and who, when they see the marks in His hands, shall say in answer to their inquiries, "These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."

 

This is only a small part of the latter-day work that is to be performed. We are just in the beginning of it. The Gospel, has to be preached. The Saints must be gathered. The ten tribes must be brought from the north. The Gospel must be preached to the Lamanites, those red men of the forest, who are a branch of the house of Israel, whose forefathers came from old Palestine to this continent. The Lord is working among them by visions and dreams and by the manifestations of His divine power. What else? Why we are building temples in this land. We have built one in St. George, and have others in course of construction in this city, in Logan, and in Manti. Some people say: "What are you spending so much money for in building temples? Why don't you put it to better use?" People who talk thus do not understand our position. This is part of the work we have to perform. We have temples to build, that the Lord may reveal many more things to His people concerning this latter-day work, and we are building them according to the pattern He has revealed, that we may attend to ordinances that He has made manifest; ordinances for the living and also for the dead; that we may be baptized for our dead, so that the spirits who have been preached to in prison may be brought forth, and that ordinances they can not perform for themselves in the spirit world may be performed for them here in the houses we are building. There are many more things connected with this great dispensation that I have no time to refer to—and would not if I had time—because they belong only to the people of God, to those who have entered into the everlasting covenant, to those who have received the Holy Ghost, and who understand the things of God; for "no man knoweth the things of God, but by the Spirit of God." But this work will go on; the Saints will be gathered, and temples will be built, and Israel will be redeemed, and the kingdoms of this world will become more and more divided; and the sects and parties of Christendom will become more and more contentions even than they are to-day. Infidelity will increase, for the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from them, because they receive not the truth when it is presented to them. And nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and people against people. War will be poured out eventually upon all nations; the only place where there will be peace and safety will be in the Zion of God. The judgments we read of in the revelations will all he poured out just as the Prophets have predicted and just as John the beloved has declared. All the woes that John saw are bound to be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth; every word will be fulfilled, not one jot or tittle will pass away without its fulfillment. (Charles W. Penrose, May 18, 1883 | JOD 24:214-16)

  

W. Cleon Skousen, Fantastic Victory: Israel’s Rendezvous with Destiny (1967)

 

It is true that the Jews must locate among themselves those who can trace their lines to Levi, the brother of Judah. It was through Levi that the priesthood was to be administered, not Judah. Judah was to have political rule. Now that the Jews have become the rulers of Palestine they must now encourage their brother-Israelites, the Levites, who descended through Levi’s grandson, Aaron, to come forth and perform the ordinances in the future Temple. They alone are authorized by God to function in that Temple before the Messiah comes.

 

The same problem confronted the Jews when they returned from their exile to Babylon during the sixth century before Christ. After Cyrus had issued an edict dated 538 B.C. authorizing the Jews to go back to Jerusalem and build their temple, a total of 50,000 responded. But among them were only 4,000 who could prove by unquestionable pedigree charts they were descendants of Aaron. Many others came forward claiming the right to the Priesthood but had not kept their genealogies intact and therefore they could not prove their claim. Concerning these the Bible says, “These sought their register among those who were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they [considered] as polluted, PUT FROM THE PRIESTHOOD. And the Tirshata [governor] said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things [as Temple priests] till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim [to verify their true lineage]” (Ezra 2:62-63).

 

Unfortunately, the Urim and Thummim, like the Ark of the Covenant, were never heard of again following the destruction of Jerusalem, so these unfortunate claimants to ordination apparently had to remain outside the pale of the Priesthood service.

 

When the Jews rebuild their modern Temple they will undoubtedly follow the same rule in selecting worthy descendants of Levi and Aaron to administer in its sacred precincts. Only a few of the orthodox have been zealous in maintaining creditable genealogies and only these should be allowed to serve as Cohens or Priests. Actually, the number need not be large. Ezekiel assures us that this Temple somehow will be built and that prior to the coming of the Messiah the Priests of Aaron will offer up an offering unto the Lord in righteousness (See Ezekiel, Chapter 44).

 

So, in spite of the almost insurmountable obstacles which stand in the way of modern Temple project., it will succeed. As we shall see in the last section of this book, the ancient prophets who discussed this Temple of the last days unanimously confirmed that it would be built. When this is finally achieved it will no doubt be a “marvelous work and a wonder” just as with everything else the Lord undertakes. The main consideration at his moment is the prophetic fact that “it shall be done!” (W. Cleon Skousen, Fantastic Victory: Israel’s Rendezvous with Destiny [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967], 162-63)

 

A major lesson of life, of course, is that all things are possible with God. That’s why it should be exciting to see just how He is going to work this one out.

 

That He will work it out the Prophets are quick to assure us. Zechariah even identifies the coming Prince David as being the Jewish leader who will supervise the work (Zechariah 6:12-13). Zachariah even had a special message specifically addressed to modern Jews who are assembling in Israel. He wrote:

 

“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
“And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; LET YOUR HANDS BE STRONG, YE THAT HEAR IN THESE DAYS THESE WORDS BY MY THE MOUTH OF THE PROPHETS . . . THAT THE TEMPLE MIGHT BE BUILD” (Zechariah 8:7-9).

 

And it must be built with clean hands. The message continues:

 

“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.
“And let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbor; and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord” (Zechariah 8:16-17)

 

The question might arise, “Ho will the Jews know how to build their Temple? Where are the plans?”

 

The answer to that question is rather amazing. God apparently anticipated that when it came time to build the Temple of the last days, the Jews would have neither prophets nor Urim and Thummim. Therefore God revealed to Ezekiel nearly 600 years before Christ exactly what this temple would be like. He was given the measurements and architectural arrangement of not only the Temple itself but the entire area surrounding it. All of these details are in the last ten chapters of Ezekiel. The Jews, therefore, have everything they need to proceed with the schematic design of this prophetic structure. Ezekiel even provided a detailed description of the ritual and sacrifices which will be required.

 

So the stage is set and the opening scenes have commenced which will finally bring about the literal fulfillment of all these things. There is no doubt but what this generation will live to see a beautiful Temple of Israel arise on the plaza in Old Jerusalem (Isaiah 49:20). (Ibid., 269-70)

 

Howard H. Barron, Judah, Past and Future: L.D.S. Teachings Concerning God’s Covenant People (1978)

 

Jews Will Rise from the Dust and Re-build the Temple

 

In whatever light the Jews may be looked upon by the world, it is evident, that they will ere long assume an important attitude. That they will “rise from the dust,” gather up from their long dispersions, return to their much loved lands, re-build the Temple, and again take the lead among the nations of the earth, is abundantly proven from the word of God.

 

The assurance of these things are calculated to raise feelings of no ordinary kind in the bosom of every Saint of God. It was the anticipation of the glorious events connected with the return of the Jews, and the building of the Temple, that caused the sweet singer of Israel to tune to sweetest harmony, and strike his golden lyre in praises to the Lord, and which called forth the unrivalled eloquence of Isaiah, and the pathos of Jeremiah, who, while contemplating the scenes which are now about to be fulfilled upon the heads of the scenes which are now about to be fuiflled upon the heads of the Jews, broke forth into such sublime and delightful strains, which have a powerful effect upon every mind, and carry conviction, that the writers were then under the operation of the spirit of Him who hath said, “I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first born.”

 

Not only have we “the most sure word of prophecy,” but the events which have recently transpired, on the old continent, have been gradually preparing the way of Israel to gather to the places where their fathers once flourished, and which are endeared to them by unnumbered pleasing and interesting associations, calculated to raise and give scope to the most lively feelings of the heart. (Howard H. Barron, Judah, Past and Future: L.D.S. Teachings Concerning God’s Covenant People [Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers and Distributors, 1979], 214-15)

 


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