THE
GOVERNMENT OF GOD
JOHN TAYLOR
CHAPTER
XII.
THE EFFECTS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM, OR THE REIGN OF GOD, UPON TIlE EARTH.
HAVING said
so much pertaining to the Kingdom, we come to our last proposition, and
inquiry, What will be the effects of the establishment of Christ's kingdom,
or the reign of God, upon the earth?
This is, indeed, a grand
and important question, and requires our most serious and calm deliberation.
If, after all this distress, tribulation, war, bloodshed, and sacrifice
of human life, the condition of the world is no better, man is certainly
in a most unhappy, hopeless situation. If it is nothing more
than some of the changes contemplated by man, from one species of government
to another, and we must still have war, bloodshed, and disorder, and be
subject to the caprices of tyrants, or the anarchy of mobs, our prospects
are indeed gloomy, and our hopes vain; we may as well "eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die;" for, as we have already proven,
under the most improved state of human governments we should still be subject
to all the ills which
flesh
is heir to, without any redeeming
hope. But this is not a transient, short-lived change; it is something
decreed by God, in relation to the earth and man, from before the commencement
of the world; even the dispossessing of Satan, the destruction of the ungodly,
and the reign of God; or in other words, putting the moral world in the
same position in which the physical world is -- under the direction of
the Almighty. It is the doing away with war, blood shed, misery, disease,
and sin, and the ushering in of a kingdom of peace, righteousness, justice,
happiness and prosperity. It is the restoration of the earth and man
to their primeval glory, and pristine excellence; in fact, the "restitution
of all things spoken of by all the prophets since the world began."
Now, restoration signifies
a bringing back, and must refer to some thing which existed before; for
if it did not exist before, it could not be restored. I cannot describe
this better than Parley P. Pratt has done in his "Voice of Warning," and
shall therefore make the following extract... (Pages 105-106)
..."Next, we learn from
Gen.1: 29, 30 -- 'And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all the
earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree, yielding seed,
to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every
fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein
there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.'
From these verses wo learn, that the earth yielded neither noxious weeds
nor poisonous plants, nor useless thorns and thistle; indeed, every thing
that grew was just calculated for the food of man, beast, fowl, and creeping
thing; and their food was all vegetable; flesh and blood were
never sacrificed to glut their souls, or gratify their appetites;
the beast. of the earth were all in perfect harmony with each other; the
lion ate straw like the ox -- the wolf dwelt with the lamb -- the leopard
lay down with the kid -- the cow and bear fed together, in the same pasture,
while their young ones reposed, in perfect security, under the shade of
the same trees; all was peace and harmony, and nothing to hurt nor disturb,
in all the holy mountain.
"And to crown the whole,
we behold man created in the image of God, and exalted in dignity and power,
having dominion over all the vast creation of animated beings, which
swarmed through the earth; while, at the same time, he inhabits a beautiful
and well-watered garden, in the midst of which stood the Tree of Life,
to which he had free access; while he stood in the presence of his Maker,
conversed with Him face to face, and gazed upon His glory, without a dimming
veil between.
0h reader, contemplate,
for a moment, this beautiful creation, clothed with peace and plenty;
the earth teeming with harmless animals, rejoicing over all the plain;
the air swarming with delightful birds, whose never ceasing notes filled
the air with varied melody; and all in subjection to their rightful sovereign,
who rejoiced over them; while, in a delightful garden -- the Capitol of
creation, -- man was seated on the throne of his vast empire, swaying his
scepter over all the earth, with undisputed right; while legions of angels
encamped round about him...(Pages 108-109)
...But now Brother Taylor and Pratt sadly
describe us at the point to which we (of mankind) have fallen, degenerated
and currently become. You will also read of the fear, sorrow and pollution
experienced the creatures and the Earth at our divisive, mindless, self
absorbed and too oft murderous hands. And of our own loss of blessings,
vigor and life and the precious lives of our children as consequence. This
is not a complementary description of either the past or us, the current
children of God -- no matter how righteous we may believe ourselves to
have become. It is now time for us to fully understand, fully repent and
return to our once primeval garden wisdom, our creation loving nature and
divine reverence and behavior!..
..."But
men have degenerated, and greatly changed, as well as the earth. The sins,
the abominations, and the many evil habits of the latter ages, have added
to the miseries, toils, and sufferings of human life. The idleness, extravagance,
pride, covetousness, drunkenness, and other abominations, which are characteristics
of the latter times, have all combined to sink mankind to the lowest state
of wretchedness and degradation; while and false doctrines, have
greatly tended to lull mankind to sleep, and caused them to rest
infinitely
short
of the powers and attainments which the ancients did enjoy, and
which are alone calculated to exalt the intellectual powers of the human
mind, to establish noble and generous sentiments, to enlarge the heart,
and to expand the soul to the utmost extent of its capacity. Witness the
ancients conversing with the Great Jehovah, learning lessons from the angels,
and receiving instruction by the Holy Ghost in dreams by night, and visions
by day, until at length the veil is taken off, and they are permitted to
gaze, with wonder and admiration, upon all things past and future; yea,
even to soar aloft amid unnumbered worlds; while the vast expanse
of eternity stands open before them, and they contemplate the mighty works
of the Great I AM, until they know as they are known, and see as they are
seen.
"Compare
this intelligence with the low smatterings of education and worldly wisdom
which seem to satisfy the narrow mind of man in our generation; yea, behold
the narrow-minded, calculating, trading,
overreaching, penurious sycophant the nineteenth century,
who dreams of nothing here but how to increase his goods, or take advantage
of' his neighbor; and whose only religious exercises or duties consist
of going to meeting, paying the priest his hire, or praying to his God,
without expecting to be heard or answered, supposing that God has been
deaf and dumb for many centuries, or altogether stupid and indifferent,
like himself And having seen the two contrasted, you will be able to form
some idea of the vast elevation from which man has fallen; you will also
learn how infinitely beneath his former glory and dignity he is now living,
and your heart will mourn, and be exceedingly sorrowful, when you contemplate
him in his low estate - and then think he is your brother; and you will
be ready to exclaim, with wonder and astonishment, 0 man I how art the
fallen I once thou wast the favorite of Heaven; thy Maker delighted
to converse with thee, and angels and the spirits of just men made perfect
were thy companions; but now thou art degraded, and brought down
on a level with the beasts; yea, far beneath them, for they
look with horror and affright at your vain amusements, your sports
and your drunkenness, and thus often set an example worthy of
your imitation!
Well did
the apostle Peter say of you, that you know nothing, only what you know
naturally, as brute beasts made to be taken and de destroyed.
And
thus you perish, from generation to generation. While all creation
groans under its pollution; and sorrow and death,
mourning
and weeping, fill up the measure of the days of man..." (Pages
111-112)
The full text ought to be read to see the
full importance of our coming to peace with creation so we can establish
a truly righteous and peaceful human government -- and receive the full
blessings of health man was always supposed to have!