Discourse, 8 April 1843, as Reported by William Clayton–A
Source Note
JS, Discourse, , Hancock Co., IL, 8 Apr. 1843; handwriting of ; notation in unidentified handwriting; docket in handwriting of ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL.
Have 3 requests— all who have faith exercise. that the Lord may be willing to came [calm] the wind.— Next. have your prayers strengt[h]en my lungs— next I may have the H. G. [Holy Ghost] to enable me to declare such things that are true— subject that I seldom have touched upon since I commenced— subj— of great spec[ulation] as well among the E[lde]rs & the divin[e]s— sub of beast in Rev. Reason why is in consequence of a division of sentiment amongst the Ers my object is to do away div[ision] the knowledge of this thing is not very essential in relation to beasts heads figures &c— if we get to much puffed up— k[nowledge] is nec to do away cont— the k of being puffed up is not so great as the evil of contention if they were to climb to the top of Mt Pisgah the Lord would hear knowledge does away darkness suspense, doubt— for where k is there is no doubt &c, no pain so awful as the pain of suspense— this is the condemnation of the wicked— doubt anxiety causes wailing in k there is power— God has more power than all other beings because he has more k. he knows how to subject other beings Instruct you in relation to the beasts— has been the cause one of the wisest old heads we have among us has been called up before the high c[ouncil] on account of the beast— The old man preached about the beast &c & was hauled up— never thought it was right to called up a man for erring in doctrines— to[o] much like methodism not Latter Dayism— Methodists has creed— kicked out— want the liberty of believing as I please— feels so good— Dont prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine— the H. C undertook to correct him— came to me. Rev 5.— four beasts & four & twenty Ers (8 verse) he had confounded all christend[om] by making out the the 4 beasts repd k [kingdoms?] wise men could not do any thing with him— any thing to whip sectarian & put down priestcraft— a club as is better than none for a poor man to firht [fight] could not help laughing at the idea of God making use of the figure of a beast to represent the kingdoms of God on the earth— when he could have used a more noble figure what? make use of the figure of a meaner creature to rep a much glorious one— you mist it old man but the sec. did not know enough to detect him, [p. [1]]