The Mormon Apocrypha

Lecture Sixth discusses how faith can help us through trials and tribulations. This lecture is the origin of the famous phrase " Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation." 1. Having treated in the preceding lecture of the ideas, of the character, perfections, and attributes of God, we next proceed to treat of the knowledge which persons must have, that the course of life which they pursue is according to the will of God, in order that they may be enabled to exercise faith in Him unto life and salvation. 2. This knowledge supplies an important place in revealed religion; for it was by reason of it that the ancients were enabled to endure as seeing Him who is invisible. An actual knowledge to any person, that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God withou...

The fifth Lecture talks about the nature of God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is probably the most controversial lecture as it is believed to demonstrate a trinitarian view of the God head. 1. In our former lectures we treated of the being, character, perfections, and attributes, of God. What we mean by perfections is, the perfections which belong to all the attributes of His nature. We shall, in this lecture, speak of the Godhead — we mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son — the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fullness, the Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage o...

Lecture four talk more about the characteristics of God, focusing of Justice and Mercy. 1. Having shown, in the third lecture, that correct ideas of the character of God are necessary in order to the exercise of faith in Him unto life and salvation; and that without correct ideas of His character the minds of men could not have sufficient power with God to the exercise of faith necessary to the enjoyment of eternal life; and that correct ideas of His character lay a foundation, as far as His character is concerned, for the exercise of faith, so as to enjoy the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ even that of eternal glory; we shall now proceed to show the connection there is between correct ideas of the attributes of God, and the exercise of faith in Him unto eternal life. 2. Let us here observe, that the real design which the God of heaven had in view in making the human family acquainted with His attributes, was that they, through the ideas of the existence of His ...

Just as important as belief in God is understanding who God is. Lecture 3 describes God and his attributes.   1. In the second lecture it was shewn how it was that the knowledge of the existence of God came into the world, and by what means the first thoughts were suggested to the minds of men that such a Being did actually exist; and that it was by reason of the knowledge of his existence that there was a foundation laid for the exercise of faith in him, as the only Being in whom faith could center for life and salvation; for faith could not center in a Being of whose existence we have no idea, because the idea of his existence in the first instance is essential to the exercise of faith in him. Romans 10:14: “ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher (or one sent to tell them)? So, then, faith comes by hearing the word of God. ” (New Translation). 2. Let...