John Nicholson

“ We live in a great day, the greatest of all ages, the greatest of all dispensations. It is a great privilege to be associated with so noble a work as that with which we are connected, and I believe that the time will soon come when this Church will go forth clear, purified by the agencies which God will bring to bear upon it for that purpose. I expect to see the time come when the hypocrite in Zion shall tremble, being afraid because of the power of God that shall be in the midst of the people who will be living as they should live. ”

“ But there is nothing by which humanity can be sanctified unless it be the truth; and no church can offer salvation except it be the true Church of Christ, for in it alone is the power of God unto salvation. It is a strange thing that people can read the record of the New Testament, of the sayings of the Apostles, the description of the organization of the Church as it existed in its primitive completeness and power, and then be prepared to accept of a church of a different description entirely. ”

“ Let us cultivate the spirit of the living God, which leads to righteousness. Every sentiment of our hearts that leads to good is planted there by the living God, and that which leads to evil is placed there by the adversary of our souls. ”

“ He said to His ancient Apostles whom He commissioned: "Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The Apostles, according to the power that was given to them, and according to the nature of the commission with which they were thus entrusted, went into various parts of the world and made this proclamation, calling upon all men everywhere to repent of their sins, to obey the everlasting Gospel that they might be saved in the Kingdom of God, to come into the true fold of Christ. ”

“ Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction, if ye shall suffer these things to be. ”

“ In ancient times, when people were less cultured than they are now, they bowed themselves down before blocks of wood and stone, and golden calves, and worshiped at such shrines, prostrating the powers that God had given them before that which was dumb and unintelligent. But there are different forms of idolatry. Whatever a person uses his powers most to accomplish is that which he worships. ”

“ There are clauses in that treaty that are favorable to the accomplishment of the work to which I allude—the gathering of the house of Israel from the nations of the earth to the lands that were promised to their fathers, to them and to their children for ever. Political freedom, comparatively speaking, was, by that instrument, granted to the Jews contiguous to Palestine—in Romania and other principalities of the East. ”

“ Those who call themselves the Church of Christ cannot consistently assume this position; for if there is a subject upon which men and women are divided in their views and practices, and engender towards each other feelings of bitter animosity, it is religion, and that also which is claimed to be the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus Christ, who came to fill the hearts of His disciples with peace. ”

“ I expect to see the day when there shall be less worshiping of the god of this world, which wins the hearts of many people from the worship of the true and living God. There is a sin which God has denounced in every age ”

“ A short time subsequent to the formation and ratification of the treaty, Great Britain assumed a protectorate over that part of the world in which is Palestine, and the Jews have rights now accorded to them that they have not enjoyed for many generations. But one of the greatest evidences of all is the fact that the Jews themselves are beginning to awaken upon this subject and are operating with a view to the colonization of ancient Palestine by the house of Israel. ”

“ Wherefore the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you, that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you, or woe be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who build it up. ”

“ In the majority of instances these have never as much as seen a Book of Mormon. Now, it appears to me that this is not a proper position to be taken in regard to any subject by an intelligent person. If a matter is worthy of consideration at all it should be intelligently investigated. This is the only method by which we can arrive at correct conclusions in reference to religion or any other subject.
We claim this book is a record or history of the ancient inhabitants of America, the remnants of whom are now scattered on various portions of this continent. ”

“ It is an inspired record, and contains within itself the evidences of its authenticity. Men have but to give this subject an unprejudiced investigation, considering it upon its merits to come to that conclusion. Although people may not be willing to admit that it is of divine origin, that it is an inspired record, they surely cannot, at least, set aside the facts which it enunciates. ”

“ And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered, also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face the land; and as many as shall be-lieve in Christ, shall also become a delightsome people. And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth. ”

“ These societies, which are inspired by a desire to throw off every kind of legal restraint, exist, in some form or another, in almost every nation under heaven, and especially in those nations claiming to be civilized. ”

“ I draw the attention of the congregation to recent events in the political world, which point in that direction. Shortly after this work commenced among the remnants of Israel on this continent, there was warfare between Russia and Turkey, which culminated in what is known as the famous Berlin Treaty, in the production of which Lord Beaconsfield, himself a Jew, was the leading spirit. ”

“ And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread out over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed, for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his Saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them, and yet he avenge them not. ”

“ He performed that work on this continent, among the people of whom the Book of Mormon is a history or record. What is the fold of Christ? It is the Church of Christ. What is the Church of Christ? It is an organized body, at the head of which stand Apostles, and Prophets. ”

“ They are being persecuted in Germany and Russia, and the condition of Europe is becoming so disturbed and so broken up, and business matters are becoming so uncertain, that I expect these circumstances will lead the Jews to consider the question of establishing a Hebrew nationality before long; for we are living in the very day when God will fulfil the promises he made to Israel. ”

“ This covenant was made with the fathers at the solicitation of the latter, who knew by the spirit of prophecy that their descendants would become dark and benighted, through the influence of apostasy and wickedness. It is true that comparatively few of that people have received the truth and forsaken their idle habits and evil practices, and are endeavoring to live as peaceable and respectable citizens ”

“ For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up, seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil who is the father of all lies ”