“Holy Spirit”
and “Holy Ghost” used interchangeably:
The Holy Spirit of promise is the Holy Ghost which is promised to all
those who are just and true. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie,
May 25, 1938, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Regarding your next question on the Holy Spirit of Promise may we say
that the gift of the Holy Ghost is given to people and a promise accompanies it
in connection with certain of the sealing ordinances, and if people live up to
the commandments of the gospel, the promises made to them at the time of their
sealing will be fulfilled. But if they do not live up to the commandments, the
promises will not be fulfilled. Promises are made on condition of a person’s
faithfulness. Being sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise is to be given the
sealing ordinance accompanied by the promises that are made, but we have said,
the promises are conditional upon our own obedience. (Joseph Fielding Smith,
Letter to Neil H. Purdie, October 1, 1948, p. 1, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
No definitive position
on Guardian Angels:
Your question about guardian angels has been answered in the Church
Section itself, and, therefore, we say nothing about that here. So far as we
know, there is no authentic record as to the manner by which each of the
original twelve apostles of Christ met death. Only tradition is available, and
that is not dependable. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie,
October 1, 1948, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, p. 2, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Adam:
In answer to your question in regard to Adam and Eve I will say: that
Adam was transplanted from another world just as you were. We all came from another
world but we got our bodies here and we are of the dust of the earth and so is
Adam. The scriptures say that Adam’s body returned to the ground from whence it
was taken. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, October 10, 1938, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
It is true that Adam came from a celestialized world for it was in the
presence of God, and so did we all, but he did not come a resurrected being, otherwise
he would not have died. See Alma 11, last three verses.
It is true that the whole world partook of the fall after Adam’s
transgression, but this world was a physical world before the fall even as Adam
was a physical being. We will never go on an earth after the resurrection, as
an Adam, for that would mean that we would have to die after the resurrection
and be redeemed once again by a Savior, and this is not good doctrine. Adam,
according to the revelations, will stand at the head of his posterity on this
earth, but under the direction of Jesus Christ. See Doc, and Cov. Sec. 78:15,
16, and 107:54, 55 and 56.
It is Jesus Christ who will rule and reign upon this earth under His
Father, but Adam will stand as the father of his posterity, holding the keys
under the direction of the Son of God. Our Savior was the creator of many
worlds and they are evidently subject to him. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to
Neil H. Purdie, February 4, 1946, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
No progress within
kingdoms:
Answering your question to the kingdoms, and if a person will be able
to pass from the lowest to the hightest glory in the celestial, I will say that
Orson Pratt is right. There is no passing from one glory, or from one degree in
the celestial to the higher. This doctrine is taught in the revelations, also
in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and President Brigham Young. See
Teachings, page 351 and Discourses, pages 600, 585, 599.
In the D. and C. 131, we are informed that those of the lower degree
in the celestial do not pass to the higher. This is confirmed in sec. 132,
verses 16-17, and 21-25.
There is a difference in the nature of the resurrection. Those who
keep the full law will receive celestial bodies, others will received terrestrial
or telestial bodies according to the law which they have willed to obey. See
sec. 88:21-23. The resurrection, then, determines the status eternally of each
individual. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, July 18, 1941, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Books, etc by
leaders
“Evidences and Recolcilliations” like every other published article or
book, is the view of the writer. We have four Standards by which we are
governed. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes a book and it contains errors he
alone is responsible. We measure every man’s writings by the measuring rods of
the Church—the Standard Works—if what he writes or says in in harmony with
these ther he is right, if not in harmony, then he is wrong. (Joseph Fielding
Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, September 15, 1944, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library, spelling
in original)
Predestination
Everything we do is not “predestined.” Man has agency. If he is
compelled to do what he does, then he has no agency. This does not mean that
the Lord cannot judge what a man will do. The Lord has called on men to repent,
they have their agency and may or may not repent. Predestination is an
abominable doctrine of the Presbyterian Church. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter
to Neil H. Purdie, September 15, 1944, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Ordinances:
Dear Brother Purdie,
In answer to your letter of June 6th, I will say that Sister Nora
Shumway gave you a very accurate report of what I said to her.
The question of salvation is stated so clearly in Section 76 of the
Doctrine and Covenants that I wonder why there are so many conflicting views
regarding it. We are not preaching the Gospel of Salvation for a telestial or a
terrestrial kingdom. The authorities of the Church in answering similar
questions have said this:
“All ordinances of the Gospel that have been revealed to the Church
and that we teach and practice, appertain to the celestial kingdom. As there is
nothing definitely revealed in regard to the ordinances necessary to entrance
into the terrestrial or telestial kingdoms, if there be such ordinances, it
would be unwise for us to express ourselves on this question, designating the
ordinances that may be required for entrance into these kingdoms of glory.”
When the Lord spoke to Nicodemus and said a man had to be born again
to enter the kingdom, he had reference to the Celestial Kingdom only.
The Prophet Joseph Smith has said:
“man may be saved, after the judgment in the terrestrial kingdom, or
in the telestial kingdom, but he can never see the Celestial Kingdom of God,
without being born of water and of the spirit.” Evening and Morning Star, Aug.
22, 1832.
Baptism is the door into the Celestial Kingdom, therefore, Negroes who
were baptized may enter the Celestial Kingdom but exaltation can only come
through the ordinances received in the temple. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter
to Neil H. Purdie, June 8, 1945, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Christology,
etc
Our Redeemer created worlds long before our world was created and
long, of course, before he was born into this world. All of this work was done
by virtue of Priesthood. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, January
3, 1947, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
In the creation the Father did the speaking and conversed with His Son
as the pronoun we or us indicates.
After the fall of Adam, the Father withdrew and Jesus became the advocate.
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, March 21, 1956, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Ancient
Prophets and the MP:
[cf. D&C 84:25]
The Prophet Joseph Smith informs us that all of the prophets in
Israel, after the time of Moses held the Melchizedek Priesthood, but it was not
given to the people generally. Many of the prophets were descendants of
Ephraim, Judah, and other tribes. Samuel was an Ephraimite. Lehi was a prophet
in Jerusalem, but of Manasseh, If you will read Luke 1:67, you will find that
Zechariah had the Holy Ghost; Luke 2:26, you will see that Simeon had the Holy
Ghost, and in the same chapter verses 36-38, that there was even a woman
prophetess of the tribe of Ashur, and who could she prophesy without the Holy
Ghost. No the Lord did not leave the people without this guidance, and for that
reason the Melchizedek Priesthood had to be held by some. (Joseph Fielding
Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie, January 3, 1947, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
Work for the
Dead and Luke 16:16-31:
Before the days of the Savior’s ministry, there was no work being done
for the dead and there was a gulf that separated the righteous from the wicked.
See the Parable of Lazarus. The Savior bridged that gulf after His death, so
that the righteous can now visit among the others and preach to them, but they
cannot go where the righteous are. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H. Purdie,
September 3, 1948, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
One Spouse is
Faithful, the Other is Not:
A wife or a husband cannot hold her or his companion back in case that
one is entitled to exaltation in the celestial kingdom and the other is not. In
such cases there will come automatically a separation. Let me state it this
way: A man and a woman are married in the Temple for time and all eternity, but
the man violates his covenants and loses the right <to> this exaltation
having turned away. The woman remains faithful and true. When the judgments are
rendered she will be given to some other man who has been worthy. If children
were born to this marriage they will follow the mother. Conversely the man
would be exalted with out the wife, and he would receive some other companion,
for the man is not without the woman as Paul taught, in the Lord. The children
would then follow him. It would be remembered that no unclean thing can inherit
the kingdom of God (3 Nephi 27:16-19, which please read) and there is no
marriage relationship outside of the celestial kingdom. (Joseph Fielding Smith,
Letter to Neil H. Purdie, August 25, 1942, p. 1, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
People Being
Resurrected Before the “First Resurrection”:
The Lord has informed us that there will be (as far as we are
concerned) a first resurrection at his coming. Literally the first resurrection
took place when Christ was raised, but that is past and we speak of the
resurrection which will come to pass when our Lord comes again as the first,
because we have no concern over the one already past. It is true that the Lord
can call any person forth from the dead now that he chooses, because he is the
resurrection and the life and he holds these keys, but where the notion came
from that the resurrection is going on now, I do not know. We do not know. We
do know that John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses, Peter and James, were resurrected
beings when they came to the Prophet Joseph Smith and some of these, namely,
John, Peter and Jaems also Moroni, lived after the general resurrection at the
time of Christ, but the scriptures are very definite that the first
resurrection, in which the righteous will come forth, will take place at a
definite time in the near future. This resurrection is not going on now, unless
there is a special reason for one who is dead to come forth. Read what the Lord
says in sec 88, verses 95-102. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H.
Purdie, August 25, 1942, pp. 1-2, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library)
The Nature of
the Millennium:
In your letter of the 3rd you state that in the discussion at the
fireside meeting one week ago the question of the Millennium and the manner in
which Satan will be bound were discussed. The question was asked how he can be
bound, whether it would be because people no longer heeded him or because some
action would be take to banish him from among the people. Also the question
arose as to how long in the “life hereafter,” would other churches exist.
We will consider the first question, that of the binding of Satan.
When the Millennium comes there will be on the earth millions of people who
have been spared and these, who are not members of the Church, will still
continue to have their traditions and ideas of religion. When that day comes we
will preach the Gospel among these people with greater power and success than
we have ever done in the past. According to the word of the Lord Satan’s power
among these people will cease. IT cannot be due to any sudden righteousness on
the part of the people, but because the adversary of all righteousness and his
hosts have been banished and their power removed from among the people. The
answer is clearly stated in the revelations. In the D. and C. sec. 101:28, we
are informed that when that day comes “Satan shall not have power to tempt any
man.” In the 45th section verse 55, we read, “And Satan shall be bound, that he
shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.” In section 43, verse
31, we read: “For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall
only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth.” In
section 88, verse 110, we read: “ * * and Satna shall be bound, that old
serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a
thousand years.” V. 111, “And then he shall be loosed for a little season, that
he may gather together his armies.”
These passages all clearly reveal the fact that during the thousand
years the power now exercised by Satan will not exist, and the reason for this
is because he is denied the use of his power by action of the Lord, not because
the people have suddenly turned deaf ears toward him.
The section question: There will be churches on the earth until,
through the preaching of the Gospel, all the people of the earth are converted
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. According to Isaiah, (65:17-to end) if am an
refuses to obey he will die accursed. It will be during the Millennium that the
time will come as also said by Isaiah, when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” All man made churches will, then,
disappear during the millennium reign. All mankind will eventually learn, no
matter what kingdom the are assigned to after the resurrection, to obey the commandments
of the Lord. There will be no excuse then for different churches. Every knee
must bend and all confess the Lord. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Letter to Neil H.
Purdie, April 6, 1942, Neil
H. Purdie correspondence, 1938-1971, MS 3661, Church History Library,
spellings in original)
