Orson Pratt

“ This wicked and abominable doctrine was handed down for a great many generations in the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, and will be found throughout all their writings—the writings of their most noted archbishops. They declare that they neither received nor believed in any new revelation; that their rule of faith and practice was ancient Scripture; that the church must be guided by those ancient laws, and by the traditions of their fathers—traditions handed down from the days of the Apostles to their day. Thus you see all communication from the heavens was cut off by their own decree ”

“ How many scores of thousands have been taken from the oppressions of the old world, and brought some six or seven thousand miles here, into the interior of this glorious land of America, a land of promise? ”

“ He, at length, found one in the person of Daniel the Prophet, who gave the king the dream that the God of heaven had given him; also the interpretation, and we have many instances on record where ancient heathen kings had not so far strayed from the God of heaven but what they could believe in new revelation; but we have the example before us for many generations where people who have assumed the name of Christ disbelieved in new revelation, and persecuted those who believe in receiving any new communication. ”

“ While he was thus gazing upon the plates, the angel came again to him, and as he was about to put forth his hand to take them, forbade him, saying that he needed further experience; that they could not be entrusted with any one only with those having an eye single to the glory of God; that they were sacred records, and that no person could have them for speculative purposes; and gave him certain commandments to keep, and told him to visit that place again one year from that time when he would again meet with him. ”

“ This was a glorious vision given to this boy. When these persons interrogated him to know what he desired, he answered and said, "Lord show me which is the true church." He was then informed by one of these personages that there was no true church upon the face of the whole earth; that the whole Christian world, for many generations, had been in apostacy; that they had denied communication and revelation from heaven ”

“ Cut off communication from the Lord, shut up the heavens, keep angels out of the question concerning any more new communication to be given to the children of men, and the devil has accomplished his object. These falsehoods were handed down, after the reformers came out, in all the various denominations until the present day, until the time when the Lord, by the mouth of his holy angels, called Joseph Smith and gave unto him a knowledge by vision of the place where the ancient records of a portion of the Israelitish nation were deposited. ”

“ He saw in this light two glorious personages, one of whom spoke to him, pointing to the other, saying, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." This was a glorious vision given to this boy. ”

“ Thus they received, not only the lesser priesthood, but also the Apostleship, and having authority granted unto them from heaven they were fully qualified to organize the Church; but still they could not do it by their own wisdom. There was nothing to be done in this Church by the wisdom of man. ”