“There is always room for new planets as fast as they roll into existence, and there will be to all eternity; for they assist to make room for themselves. Space is continually being formed as well as new worlds are. Space, therefore, can never be filled.”
Morris also taught that we are born into higher realms which is the resurrection, and the only ones who rise with their old bodies are those with the power to lay down their lives and take them up again.
KEYS OF THE PRESTHOOD
No. 2. SALT LAKE CITY, Winter of 1859.
A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, GIVING AN EXPLANATION OF
THOSE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND WHOM JOHN
SAW STANDING WITH JESUS UPON MOUNT ZlON.
1. Who are they? They are the firstborn sons of one hundred and forty-four thousand Gods, all in advance of Jesus Christ. John said that they were the first-fruits unto God. Unto what God? Unto each of their own Fathers. How did they become the first-fruits unto the Lamb also? In that they were appointed by his Father to assist him in bringing to pass the salvation and exaltation of Adam's posterity, and, consequently, they received his mark in their foreheads as a token of the appointment that they had received from him. Why did they come forth upon this earth to assist Jesus in bringing to pass the salvation and exaltation of Adam's posterity? In order that they might continue to pass on from one stage of progression to another, and, ultimately, become Gods like unto the Eternal Father.
2. How many progressive estates did the Eternal Father pass through before he became a God? Ten. What were they? His FIRST was a spiritual estate; his SECOND, a probation in the flesh; his THIRD, a resurrected or celestial estate. In His FOURTH estate he went forth upon a mortal earth, received a body, died upon a cross, and was raised again from the dead. In his FIFTH estate he sat at the right hand of his Father, and was a Mediator, and contended against and conquered death, hell and the grave, In his SIXTH estate he took mortal bodies upon many mortal earths, and officiated in the office of a high priest, a prophet and a president,
3. His mission to each of the last five of those earths, was to preside over a dispensation of a thousand years on each earth; on the first of the five, he presided over the first thousand years ; on the second of the five, over the second thousand years, and so on, unto and including the fifth. In his SEVENTH estate he was a prophet, and held the keys of the sixth dispensation. In his EIGHTH estate he was a prophet, Redeemer, lawgiver and president of seventh dispensation holding the full keys of the holy priesthood. In his NINTH estate he went forth upon his own earth to commence mortality, and having completed his mission, he died, He afterwards returned to his own earth and commenced the resurrection of his own posterity, and after its last great change he ascended his throne, and this was his TENTH estate.
4. Who is Lucifer? He is the second born son of God the Eternal Father. What was the cause of his fall ? He sought to take away the birthright from Jesus Christ, and to break the connecting link of the holy priesthood. If he had been permitted to come forth upon this earth to redeem Adam's posterity, he would have brought them under him; and, contrary to eternal order, he would have continued to hold them in subjection ; whereas, Jesus being a firstborn son, he was under a covenant by which he was bound to deliver up to the Father all the keys of authority pertaining to this earth, after all things should be made subject unto him, to which covenant Lucifer was not subject.
5. Did Lucifer come forth into a second estate and receive a body? Yes, and those who fell with him received bodies also, and many of them came into the Church, received their ordinations to the holy priesthood, and also their endowments. Why was Lucifer and his band permitted to come forth into a second estate and receive bodies? In order that they might come into the Church of Christ, receive their ordinations to the two priesthoods, and thereby obtain their outfit; for they never had an ordination to any authority in their first estate. They were then conquered, cast out of the Church, and their bodies destroyed by Michael who was at that time a seventh angel; this was their first death.
6. Lucifer then became, in the spirit, the reigning devil to this earth. How long will he reign? Until this earth is perfected, when he and his band will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone; this will be their second death.
7. Every world has its devil whose history is similar to that of Lucifer's.
8. Do devils try spirits in their first estate? No, they do not. The firstborn son rules in that estate, and the devils are subject to him. But there is an eternal law of the Gods, according to which, the devil, being the second born son, claims the right to lead off in the second estate. His Father enters into a covenant with him when he falls, which is this: "Now, my second born son, seeing that you have revolted from under my government, and have set up a government of your own.,, in opposition to mine as my firstborn son rules in the first estate, so you shall lead off in the second estate. And it shall come to pass, that if you conquer me and my prophets, you shall hold the world in your grasp, and I will lose all; but if I conquer you, you shall endure both the first and second deaths."
9. Who is George A. Smith? The second born son of Adam. Is he a fallen angel? Yes. When did he fall? In his first estate. Did any others fall with him? Yes, a large train in like manner as, they fell, who fell with Lucifer that was before him.
10. Is George A. Smith a true apostle? No; for he never was ordained either to that or to any other office by any of the Gods of eternity. In what sense then is he an apostle? In the same sense that Judas was, of whom Jesus said, "I have chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil." And as such he has gone forth teaching the saints, until he has led them to the verge of destruction.
11. -What are those one hundred and forty-four thousand spoken of by John the Revelator? They are all high priests after the order of Melchisedec all having obtained a resurrected body. Why were they called to officiate in the lesser offices of the priesthood? Because it was not known who they were while the Church was under an imperfect organization; hence, they officiated in all the lesser offices of the Church for the work of the ministry.
12. The holy priesthood runs by birthright, and the firstborn son always holds the keys of that priesthood. Has the firstborn son the privilege of becoming a God? Yes. Have any others the same privilege? Yes. When the firstborn son steps out of his place to become a God, the next to him steps into that place, and holds the keys of the holy priesthood; and so the order continues from one to another until they all hold the keys of the priesthood.
13. When did Jesus Christ receive his first ordination to the office of a high priest? Soon after he and his brethren had received their resurrected bodies. His own Father ordained them to that authority; and, holding the holy priesthood, they were appointed to fill the office of Holy Ghosts or ministering angels to those of this earth who are heirs of salvation being filled with eternal light
14. Where and by whom did Abel receive his ordination to the lesser priesthood? In the Garden of Eden (so called), under the hands of his father Adam. By whom do the younger sons of Adam receive their ordinations to the lesser priesthood? By Abel.
15. By whom did the fallen angels receive their ordinations to the priesthood as pertaining to this earth? By Cain; and Cain by Lucifer. Cain claims the right to enter into the Church, and blind the eyes of all the servants of the Lord until he has obtained his outfit; he then becomes a reigning devil.
16. By whom did the holy priesthood come to this earth:' By Seth, who received his ordination from Adam, and whose seed are the chosen of the Lord. He claims the ruling power over this planet, having all things placed under his feet.
17. Who was that Elijah (or Elias) who accompanied Moses when he appeared unto Jesus upon the Mount and ordained him to the holy priesthood? It was Enos, the firstborn son of Seth. Why did Jesus Christ, when he was upon the earth, receive an ordination by Moses to the holy priesthood? Because Moses held the full keys of the holy priesthood as pertaining to this earth and when Jesus came forth under his presidency, he had to receive an ordination from him. Had Jesus any power to interfere with the Law of Moses? No, he had not He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it; and by fulfilling it, he put an end to the ceremonial portion thereof only.
18. What are Holy Ghosts? They are men who have once lived upon a mortal earth like unto this. Upon what principle did they, being many, become one? Upon the same principle as that by which the Father and the Son became one. They all obeyed one gospel, were all perfected by the same law, were all counted worthy of a glorious resurrection, they all entered into the celestial kingdom of their Father, by whom they were all ordained to the high and holy priesthood, through whom and by whom they were appointed to fill the office of Holy Ghosts, and to be ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation upon this earth.
19. Why were the high priests after the order of Melchisedec commanded to lay their hands upon the members of the Church of Christ in order to confer upon them the gift of the Holy Ghost? Because high priests are firstborn sons, holding the keys of the holy priesthood in all those celestial worlds from which they came; and by virtue of their birthright, and being their superiors, they claim the right to command the Holy Ghosts.
20. Are they all high priests by birthright who are now holding that office in my Church? No, they are not. What are they? Some of them are fallen angels; others are sons of Aaron, and but few of them are high priests by birthright; hence, when they lay their hands upon the saints, in order to confer upon them the gift of the Holy Ghost, they confer upon them a false spirit instead, thereof; for they can only give to others that which they, themselves, possess; and being deceived themselves,, they deceive all those to whom they administer.
21. Why is Aaron and his seed called to hold the lesser priesthood only? Because they have not yet been resurrected; and their calling is to administer in temporal things; therefore, when they act in the offices of the high priesthood they deceive, for the Holy Ghosts are not subject to them.
22. It is contrary to the eternal law of heaven for the lesser to rule the greater, and in consequence of the violation of this law vast numbers of false spirits have been introduced into the Church,
23. According to the eternal law, one hundred and forty-four thousand Gods form a quorum. The first God of a quorum, assisted by the next two below him, who are his counselors, rule? all the rest of the quorum, and he is subject to the God immediately preceding him, and so on, even up to the first God of all who rules and presides over all the quorums of the Gods.
24. What rod was that which Moses used? It was one of a series of rods which came forth from the first God of all which rods he signed with his own signature, and covenanted also to sustain those men who should be called to use them. These rods are handed down from one God to another, and one of them is held by the presiding God of each quorum during his reign. There are many quorums, and to each quorum is connected an. earth in mortality. A presiding God rules for the space of seven thousand years; and his son, who is a seventh angel, rules at the same time upon the mortal earth belonging to that quorum over which his father presides, and while filling that mission he claims the right to use his father's rod. Hence, Moses being a seventh angel, used his father's rod, and none other could use it unless appointed by him.
25. Upon what principle does the Lord know all things, even from the beginning to the end? He knows the principle by which all worlds that have been were organized, governed, saved and exalted, and he also knows that all worlds to come must be organized, governed, saved and exalted upon the same principle; therefore, the Lord knows all things.
36. And now I say unto you, O ye saints, lift up your heads and rejoice! for I, the Lord, have raised up unto you a mighty prophet, who shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, and lead you triumphantly over them all. He is a man after mine own heart, and in his mouth I have found no guile. I have tried him as I never before tried man upon the earth, and he has never flinched from his integrity. I have given unto him the keys of my kingdom, and whatsoever he shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; whosesoever sins he shall remit, I will remit them; and whosesoever sins he shall retain, I will retain them, I am he whose words are quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword; even Jesus Christ. Even so. Amen and Amen,
REVELATION SHOWING THE ORDER OF THE
ETERNAL PROGRESSION OF WORLDS
No. 262. WEBER, UTAH, April ipth, 1862.
1. BEHOLD, I am he who searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men; who penetrates through the mists of darkness, and lighteth up all animated nature ; who walketh not in crooked paths; but whose course" is one eternal round ; whose purposes never fail; who speaks the word, and all the inhabitants of the earth either obey or perish; even the son of the Eternal Father. And I am come to reveal unto you the order of the eternal progression of worlds, and the order in which they exist in space.
2. I have before revealed unto you the order of the first quorum of worlds, in connection with which the first God sits enthroned in majesty in a large globe, from which the laws that govern all worlds proceed. The first quorum of worlds, not including the world of the first God, numbers one hundred and forty four thousand, and they are all on a level with each other in space, and being the worlds of the firstborn sons of the first God, they form the first rank.
3. All quorums of glorified worlds stand below each other in space. The firstborn sons of the first God form the first quorum, and their firstborn sons form the second quorum, and each of the second quorum has his world next to and immediately underneath his Father's world.
4. In the quorums of the firstborn sons, the firstborn son of a God always redeems the earth immediately below his Father's in point of progression. In all other quorums, the son who holds the first birthright redeems the earth immediately below his Father's… 5. Each perpendicular quorum consists of a Father and his sons. Every God who has not already obtained a quorum of worlds for his sons may have one in due time, for it is his privilege. Some Gods have already a quorum of worlds exalted for their firstborn sons, and all Gods will have the same privilege. Some Gods are in advance of others by birthright, and consequently have greater dominion. They all stand in their own order, one in the advance of another. One hundred and forty-four thousand quorums of worlds, lacking one quorum, were created and became celestial before the second born sons of the first God had the liberty to become redeemers; and when they had that liberty, they redeemed the quorum of worlds belonging to the last quorum of firstborn sons. There are now in existence more than one hundred and forty-four thousand and one quorums of glorified worlds, one quorum below another in space.
REVELATION CONTAINING FURTHER INFORMATION
ON THE SUBJECT OF ETERNAL
PROGRESSION
No. 264. WEBER, UTAH, April 2ist, 1862.
1. BEHOLD, I say unto you, my son, you wish to understand the true nature of the first world which is owned by the first God, the manner in which it was created, and the kind of material of which it is formed. You also wish to understand the true nature of the one hundred and forty-four thousand worlds which belong to the firstborn sons of the first God, the manner in which they were created, by whom they were created, and the manner in which they were redeemed.
2. Behold, I am the Lord of Hosts, and I will reveal these things unto you in a manner in which you will be well able to understand them. The first world of all, which is owned by the first God, never passed through a mortal estate ; it was never subject unto death, for it was never inhabited by fallen spirits as other worlds which have since been created have been. It was formed of pure material, and consequently fallen spirits could not proceed from nor receive organized bodies out of it. Inasmuch as it was pure, nothing impure could possibly spring forth from it. Fallen spirits always proceed from impure material. All material, whether good or bad yields or produces its own kind, consequently, the first world has always been celestial, and never subject to death. It is altogether different in its nature from other worlds which have been created since it was created. But other worlds which have since been created have been formed of two kinds of material pure mixed with impure. The first world is many times larger than any other world, and it took much longer to create it than it has taken to create any other world since; yea, it took more than one hundred times as long. None other world can be compared with it for size. Other worlds almost appear as nothing by the side of it. It rules all other worlds, for it was created for that purpose. With respect to time, one day with all celestial worlds is equal to one thousand years of the time of mortal earths; for celestial worlds are all ruled by the first God, who is the time-keeper (Chronos). All other worlds are ruled by his world. All laws were discovered or made by him; therefore all celestial worlds are governed by his laws. He discovered the principles upon which those laws were based in his own world, and being assisted by his two firstborn sons, who are next to him in authority, and are his counselors, he framed those laws.
3. The world of the first God was created by his own wisdom and power, with the assistance of his own children. But when he first commenced to create it he had but little help, for he then had no posterity to assist him; therefore, he commenced his work without any person to assist him except his wife. She rendered him all the assistance she possibly could. But as time rolled along, his family increased, and he obtained more help, even until his world was well finished. After it was created, it ascended in space; and as it ascended in space, it continued to grow during many hundreds of thousands of years; and as it grew and ascended, other worlds were created for the first God's sons, beginning with his firstborn son, each of whom stepped out in their own order to create worlds for themselves, being assisted by their Father to do so until, at length, each of the firstborn sons had had a world created for him.
4. But how did these one hundred and forty-four thousand firstborn sons come into existence, seeing that the first God of all had but one wife to begin with? If he had one hundred and forty-four thousand firstborn sons, he must have had one hundred and forty-four thousand wives ; and if such was the case, where did they come from? There was a time when the first God was the only being in existence, and there was only one woman who was equal with him in age. I shall not reveal unto you at this time the manner in which the first two came into existence; but it sufficeth me to say that they were in existence as the first two beings, and they are still in existence, and are now the first King and Queen over all animated beings.
5. The first God begat many sons and daughters, and he gave unto his firstborn son his firstborn daughter to wife, and started him out to create and people a world for himself. The first God took his own second born daughter to be his second wife, and he begat many sons and daughters also by her, and he took her firstborn daughter to be his third wife. And the second born daughter which he had by his second wife, he gave to his firstborn son by his second wife. He took all his firstborn daughters which he had by his wives to be his wives, with the exception of the firstborn daughter of his first wife, until he had obtained one hundred and forty-four thousand wives. He has as many firstborn sons as he has wives ; for he had a firstborn son by every wife ; and his firstborn son took his firstborn daughter to wife, and his last firstborn son took his last firstborn daughter to be his wife, with these exceptions all the sons of the first God took their own mother's second born daughters to be their wives. Inasmuch as nature provided a first wife for the first God, he gave unto his firstborn son his firstborn daughter, and unto his second firstborn sons he gave his second born daughters.
6. You will readily perceive, my son, that the first world of all is entirely different in its nature to all other worlds. It is an exception to them all, being created celestial, and never having been subject to death and darkness. No devil had any power to destroy that first family, nor yet to break up any of their arrangements. They were not divided into two parties in direct opposition to each other, as the families of all other worlds are divided, in consequence of fallen spirits being among them. Fallen spirits cause death to overtake a world, and to destroy both it and its inhabitants for a certain length of time. Each race of people which belongs to an earth claims its separate rights; and when the rebels against the government of the Gods rule a world, they always bring death and destruction into it. They always keep their hold on a world until they are overpowered by the angels of the Gods. If they were not overpowered by holy angels, they would destroy the earth on which they exist; but they are conquered and destroyed by the angels, and the worlds are all saved through mediators, whose right it is to destroy all fallen spirits on the earths which they are appointed to redeem. Thus you will see that all other quorums of worlds must differ in some respects from the first quorum. The firstborn sons of the first God never passed through death on their Father's earth they were all born celestial; but their sons, and the sons of all other Gods, are subject to death; they have to pass through it before they can become celestial beings. The first quorum of Gods never having been made subject to death, are a quorum of independent Gods. They are independent because they needed no assistance to help them to overcome evil; they had full power over it, and in this consists their independence. If the first God and his firstborn sons had not been independent, evil would have prevailed over them and destroyed them. There was no power in existence greater than that which they possessed for them to look to for assistance; they were all powerful, and consequently independent.
7. You wish to know by what means all the firstborn sons of the first God obtained worlds. The first God sent his children to assist his firstborn son to create a world, and it took them seven thousand years to create it; and when it was created and had taken its place in space, it hung right underneath the Father's world, and was owned by the firstborn son. After this, the Father assisted his second firstborn son to create a world for himself, in like manner as he before assisted his first firstborn son; and so he continued to assist his sons one by one until he had a world each created for them; and as a new world came into existence every seven thousand years, the column to which it belonged, with the first God at the head, made a move higher in space, until all his sons' worlds stood in one long string underneath his own. And when this was done, and his quorum was completed, he sent his last firstborn son to redeem his first firstborn son's world. The last member of the quorum of high priests always redeems the world belonging to the first member of that quorum. The last member is always in power when the world of the first member is in the hands of a devil, upon the same principle that Jesus Christ, being now the last member of that quorum, redeems Adam's world, which at present stands at the head of the quorum. Adam's world being in mortality, represents the world which is owned by the first God. It appears to stand between two quorums of worlds, and does not appear to be claimed by either of them. In the first quorum of all there are one hundred and forty-four thousand worlds, not including the world belonging to the first God, and which appears to stand outside of a quorum, as Adam's world appears to do; therefore, Adam's world represents the first great central world. And Moses' world, standing at the head of a quorum of worlds, which are traveling up to perfection, represents the world owned by the firstborn son of the first God. He stands at the head of a quorum of Gods, under his Father, as Moses stands at the head of a quorum of high priests under his Father. The quorum of high priests, including Adam and Abel, numbers one hundred and forty-four thousand and one, and represents the first quorum of all which, with the first God, numbers one hundred and forty-four thousand and one.
8 I do not wish to weary you by writing any more at this time, for I know that you are weary; but I have more to reveal to you upon this subject, and I will reveal it unto you as fast as you are able to write it. I have a great deal to do in a short time. I am coming quickly unto you to talk with you mouth to mouth, and I will then put all things right; therefore, look out for me, for lo I come, I come, I come. I am Jesus Christ. Even so. Amen and Amen.
WEBER, UTAH, March i5th, 1861. - 2. According to the eternal order of the Gods, it takes one hundred and forty and four thousand Gods to form a quorum, and the first God of a quorum presides over all the rest of his quorum, and the two Gods who are the next below him in authority are his counselors.
3. The Eternal Father, whom we worship, is the last God glorified; (Adam) and his sons and daughters who have received their resurrection, constitute his power. They go at his bidding and come at his call. And his sons are ministering angels appointed to minister to the inhabitants of this earth who are heirs of salvation. It is their chief duty to minister to this world of ours, and rule it.
4. Has the Eternal Father counselors? Yes, but not as other Gods have. His firstborn son, Jesus Christ, is his first counselor, and the holy ghosts, who number millions, fill the place of second counselor; but other presiding Gods each have counselors, who are two persons that can be present with him. The case of the Eternal Father whom we worship, differs from that of other Gods. He dwells in heaven, and rules upon this earth by his agents; whereas, other Gods are not under the same obligations to this earth that he is, and therefore do not need to have their agents here.
