Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?
Some say thou art John the Baptist.
Some, Elias.
And others, Jeremias or one of the prophets.
But whom say ye that I am?
Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father,
which is in Heaven.
And upon this rock, I will build my Church.
And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
They were killed, Peter, James, Stephen.
John was exiled.
There was apostasy to from the truth, a falling
away just as Paul had prophesied.
And when all the apostles died, the Church
lost its original organization and the keys
of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
So where do we search for the truth now, Robert?
I don't know.
But the scriptures are clear.
There must be prophets and apostles.
Consider Amos.
Surely the Lord God will do nothing.
But he revealed his secret unto his servants, the prophets.
Yes.
But Preacher says that with our greater faith today,
such men work their miracles.
Well, faith is not needed any more.
They were for the dark ages of world.
And I say, give me the dark ages of the world.
Give me those times when men were guided by the prophets
and apostles who received revelation from the Almighty.
I believe the Lord God will soon raise up
a people and a church which prophets,
apostles, and all the gifts, powers, and blessings which
it ever contained in any age of the world.
It is for that church that we must seek,
one with the same organization as in Jesus Christ's day.
And what if such a church doesn't exist?
Then we must pray the Lord will show us the way, Asmon.
Well, rain seems to be letting up.
I must going.
Thank you for dinner.
It was lovely.
We must continue our conversation later,
[INAUDIBLE].
Goodbye, Wilfred.
Goodbye.
Robert Mason, he's a good friend, but has strange ideas.
Who would believe such things?
I believe him.
But the scriptures indicate that God created man
in his own image.
God has no body like you and I. How else could he
be everywhere and nowhere at the same time?
Moses he said he talked with God face to face.
But you teach that God is a spirit.
These things in the Bible must be understood spiritually,
not literally.
Jesus taught except a man be born of water and the of spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
Surely, he meant this literally.
Why do you not preach the doctrine of baptism
as Jesus Christ did?
Young man, we live today in a glorious blaze of gospel light.
Such doctrine is unnecessary.
Excuse me.
What else is unnecessary?
Unnecessary that the Lord himself was baptized?
Everyone seems to have their own system of spiritualizing
the scriptures to make them bend to their own views.
Where is the truth?
Why is there so much confusion?
The Spirit of the Lord tells me to relate something
to you, a vision I had many years ago.
One day, I was working in my field
when I was carried away by a vision.
I found myself in a vast orchard of fruit trees.
I became hungry and searched for some fruit to eat.
But I found none.
While I stood in amazement finding no fruit
in the midst of so many trees, they
began to fall as if torn up by a whirlwind.
I stretched forth my hand, plucked some fruit.
I gazed upon it with delight.
But as I was about to eat it, the vision closed.
It didn't taste of the fruit.
I never tasted of it.
I knelt down to inquire of the Lord as to its meaning.
In answer, I heard the voice of the Lord.
What did the Lord say to you?
The Lord said unto me the great trees of the forest
represent the generation of men in which you live.
There is no Church of Christ upon the earth
in your generation, but in the next generation.
I, the Lord, will set up my kingdom and my church
upon the earth.
And the fruits of the kingdom shall again
be found in all their fullness upon the Earth.
You will live to see the day and handle the fruit.
But you will never partake of it in the flesh.
Now, listen to me, Wilfred.
For the spirit of the Lord bids me say this to you.
I shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh.
But you will.
So seek for it, Wilfred.
Asmon, listen to this.
He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.
But he that believeth not shall be damned.
Yes, I know the scripture.
I want to get baptised.
I must try to live according to the knowledge that I have.
But you've already been baptized.
I know.
I know that Reverend Holly baptized me as an infant.
But I find no scriptural support for that practice.
Instead, I find considerable evidence for baptism
by immersion.
And I feel that I must be properly baptized to be saved.
I commend you for your decision.
Tell me why have you decided upon our faith?
There are many others.
Well, I believe baptism to be essential to salvation.
The Bible indicates that Jesus Christ and his followers
were baptized by immersion.
Some seem to think this is unnecessary
or have changed the ordinance.
I intend, however, to follow as closely
as I can the example of the Savior.
Excellent.
Shall we enter the waters?
There is one thing, Reverend.
Come.
There is no need for reticence.
The water is not overly cold.
Though I thank you kindly for your performance.
of the ordinance, you must understand.
I will not be joining your congregation.
What?
I do not believe it conforms with Christ's Church
as found in the Bible.
But I thought--
You perform baptism as found in the Bible.
But where are your apostles and prophets?
You lack the organization of Christ's Church.
And some of your doctrines do not
match what I find in the scriptures.
Am I to understand that you wish me to baptize you,
but that you refuse entrance into the Kingdom of God?
It is God's Kingdom I seek, Reverend.
But the Bible persuades me that your church is not it.
Sir, would you have the damnation of a willing soul
upon your conscience?
And no man taketh this honor unto itself,
but he that is called of God as was Aaron.
Are you saying Reverend Pippin didn't have the authority
to baptize me?
Aaron received his authority by the laying
on of hands by a prophet of God.
Did Reverend Pippin?
Don't forget your lunch.
It's your favorite.
Ah, thank you.
Without the authority, how then are we to be saved?
Are we damned, Asmon?
We have traveled 60 miles.
And this is the first place at which
we've been impressed to stop.
We have come to proclaim that the true Church of Jesus Christ
has been restored to the Earth.
Oh, please come in.
Well, I'm sorry you missed them.
Who's that?
Some preachers, Mormons.
I entertained them here for a while.
But they've gone over to the schoolhouse
now, going to preach a sermon.
I've heard many sermons.
What do these men profess?
They said something about apostles and prophets.
Where's Asmon?
He couldn't wait for you.
But I tell you, the Lord is establishing his Kingdom
once again upon the Earth with prophets, apostles,
and all the gifts and blessings as were
found in the Savior's Church of Old.
Perhaps while reading the scriptures you have wondered,
where are the prophets, the apostles, the angels,
the visions, the revelations, and the voice of God today?
Some will tell you that these manifestations are
unnecessary in our day and age of the world.
But I am thankful and rejoice that the glorious gospel
of Jesus Christ has been restored
and that there is a prophet again
on the Earth with revelation and the voice of God
heard once more by men today.
I would like to be baptized.
Dear Father Mason, what glorious news.
The ordinances necessary to salvation
are restored in their correct form.
I do not feel the cold, brother.
I received the ordinances of baptism and the laying on
of hands by those holding the authority, the Priesthood
of God being received directly from the ancient apostles.
And see unto you've received the Holy Ghost.
I know for myself that God has established
through Joseph Smith--
--the prophet, the true Church of Jesus Christ upon the Earth.
And I have united with it.
I feel my mind is engaged in a glorious work.
In it, I'll live.
And in it, I'll die.
I have found the Kingdom.
May Almighty God permit you His presence
and prepare you for His kingdom and coming
is the prayer of Wilford Woodruff.
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