Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by Unidentified Scribe
Source Note
JS, discourse, , Hancock Co., IL, [5 Jan. 1841]. Version copied [ca. 1841] in a collection of discourses, p. [1] (unknown number of pages missing); unidentified handwriting; JS Collection, CHL.
[previous page(s) missing] have an ending place, A. . Every principle proceeding from God is eternal; and any principle which is not etenal is of the Devil. The sun has no beginning or end, the rays which proceed from himself have no bounds; consequently are eternal; so it is with God, If the soul of man had a beginning it will sureley have an end. In the translation, “without form and void” it should read “empty & desolate, The word created should be formed or organized.—
Observations on the sectarian God—
That which is without body or parts is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh & bones. John 5— 26 as the Father hath lives <life> in himself even so hath he given the son to have life in himself. God the Father took life unto himself, precisely as Jesus did. The first step in the salvation of man, is the laws of eternal and selfexistent principles. Spirits are eternal. At the first organization in heaven we were all present & saw the Saivior, chosen & appointed, and the place of salvation made and we san[c]tioned it. We came to this earth that we might have a body, & present it pure before before God in the . The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The Devil has no body, & herein is his punishment he is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man; & when cast out by the saiviour he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swines body to haveing none All beings who have bodies have power over these who have not. The Devil has no power over those us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at any thing which comes from God, the Devil takes power.— This earth will be roled back into the presence of God & crowned with celestial glory— [p. [1]]