James 5 – How To Be

James 5 deals with issues such as:

1. How to handle wealth

2. Holding grudges

3. Keeping your word

4. When you are sick

Doctrine and Covenants 59 has this to say about how the Lord feels about the goods of the earth and wealth:

Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth; Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments (D&C 59:16-21, emphasis added).

We had a good discussion on the meaning of excess and extortion. There are so many illustrations of the proper (and improper) use of wealth in the lives of people today!

James is a very practical book – he deals with things that we all can relate with. Who hasn’t had to deal with forgiving someone who has offended us? His advice is simple, “Grudge not one against another…”

I find James’ advice on sickness to be insightful: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in he name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).

I like the following quote by Elder Bruce R. McConkie. It relates to this as well as teaches us how quick the Lord is to justify us, or forgive us from sin:

There are also numerous other sacred occasions when the saints may get in tune with and receive the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The receipt of this heaven-sent boon always attests that the recipient has forsaken the world and is no longer encumbered by its wicked ways. One of these occasions may attend a proper anointing and blessing of the sick. “Is any sick among you?” James asks. “Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” (James 5:14-16.) If the Spirit of the Lord rests upon one who is being blessed by the elders, in connection with this or any other ordinance, it automatically follows that the one blessed receives a remission of his sins; otherwise the Spirit would not be present. We do not want for occasions upon which sins may be remitted. Our problem is one of so living that we are worthy to have the companionship of the Spirit in our lives. 1

James also advises that we confess our faults to each other (James 5:16), then he uses Elijah as an illustration of an individual that, although he was a mighty prophet who commanded the elements (1 Kings 17), he was also a man and subject to the frailties of mortality (James 5:17-18). I like this. The youth need to know that the prophets of every dispensation were people like us- subject to temptation, they had their feelings hurt, etc.

The story of Heber J. Grant is a good illustration of this idea. Heber was called to the office of Apostle when he was not quite 26 years old. He had feelings of inadequacy in his calling, and often felt that there were others more qualified for the office. Spencer W. Kimball relates a comment by Heber J. Grant:

There are two spirits striving with us always, one telling us to continue our labor for good, and one telling us that with the faults and failings of our nature we are unworthy. I can truthfully say that from October, 1882, until February, 1883, that spirit followed me day and night telling me that I was unworthy to be an Apostle of the Church, and that I ought to resign. When I would testify of my knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Redeemer of mankind, it seemed as though a voice would say to me: “You lie! You lie! You have never seen Him.” 2

It was during one of these moments when he had the following experience:

As I was riding along to meet them on the other side I seemed to see, and I seemed to hear, what to me is one of the most real things in all my life, I seemed to see a Council in Heaven. I seemed to hear the words that were spoken. I listened to the discussion with a great deal of interest. The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles had not been able to agree on two men to fill the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. There had been a vacancy of one for two years, a vacancy of two for one year, and the Conference had adjourned without the vacancies being filled. In this Council the Savior was present, my father was there, and the Prophet Joseph Smith was there. They discussed the question that a mistake had been made in not filling those two vacancies and that in all probability it would be another six months before the Quorum would be completed, and they discussed as to whom they wanted to occupy those positions, and decided that the way to remedy the mistake that had been made in not filling these vacancies was to send a revelation. It was given to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith and my father mentioned me and requested that I be called to that position. I sat there and wept for joy. It was given to me that I had done nothing to entitle me to that exalted position, except that I had lived a clean, sweet life. It was given to me that because of my father having practically sacrificed his life in what was known as the great Reformation, so to speak, of the people in early days, having been practically a martyr, that the Prophet Joseph and my father desired me to have that position, and it was because of their faithful labors that I was called, and not because of anything I had done of myself or any great thing that I had accomplished. It was also given to me that that was all these men, the Prophet and my father, could do for me; from that day it depended upon me and upon me alone as to whether I made a success of my life or a failure. 3

Notes

1. Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985], 239.

2. Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 36.

3. I Know That My Redeemer Lives: Latter-day Prophets Testify of the Savior, Deseret Book, 1990, p.112. See also Oscar McConkie, Angels and Us, p. 126. See also Conference Report, April, 1941.

James 3 The Words We Use

How you communicate should reflect who you are as a son or daughter of God. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Good language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others invites the Spirit to be with you. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith, hope, and charity.

Choose friends who use good language. Help others improve their language by your example. Be willing to politely walk away or change the subject when those around you use inappropriate language.

James 3:2-8 reads, “For in many things we ^aoffend all. If any man ^boffend not in ^cword, the same is a ^dperfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the ^agovernor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and ^aboasteth great things. Behold, how great a ^bmatter a little fire kindleth! And the ^atongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the ^atongue can no man tame; it is an ^bunruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

We had a good discussion on times when we have all said things we shouldn’t have said. Because of this, we should all work to not become offended when others make the same mistake. Most students have had experiences that they want to share when they have made mistakes in this area. Sometimes we misunderstand something someone has said to us and these small misunderstandings turn into large problems.

The Savior was the master teacher. He always took the time to see the good and to express love and concern for others, even when he was in great pain. On the cross, he sought John and asked that he take care of his mother. (John 19:26-27). In the midst of agony, Jesus healed Malchus, the man that Peter struck in the ear with the sword (Luke 22:5-51).

Elder David A. Bednar shared the following illustration of how a woman’s words had the ability to heal hearts. This story has had a significant impact in the lives of many seminary students:

1st and 2nd Thessalonians – Becoming Converted

Much of the discussion in 1st Thessalonians has to do with becoming converted to Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2:12, 3:12-13, and 4:1-5 all emphasize the importance of Christians “walking the walk” of a Christ-centered life.

As it is stated in the Book of Mormon: “Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:25-26).

The Challenge to Become

The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved.

The prophet Nephi describes the Final Judgment in terms of what we have become: “And if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God” (1 Ne. 15:33; emphasis added). Moroni declares, “He that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still” (Morm. 9:14; emphasis added; see also Rev. 22:11-12; 2 Ne. 9:16; D&C 88:35). The same would be true of “selfish” or “disobedient” or any other personal attribute inconsistent with the requirements of God. Referring to the “state” of the wicked in the Final Judgment, Alma explains that if we are condemned by our words, our works, and our thoughts, “we shall not be found spotless; . . . and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God” (Alma 12:14).

From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts–what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts–what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. 1

Paul also addressed the resurrection when writing this letter to the saints in Thessalonica. This Hellenized city was named after the sister of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and was the capital of Macedonia. These saints were no doubt surrounded by those who denied the resurrection of a literal body, and this is a reason why Paul stressed the resurrection so much in his writings. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is the core of Paul’s teaching in Thessalonians on the resurrection and second coming of our savior Jesus Christ.

Occasionally seminary students are asked if they believe in the rapture. Although this term is not used in the King James Version of the Bible, it is important for them to understand what Christians mean by this phrase. Rapture comes to us from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where Paul says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The phrase “caught up” is rendered in the Latin Vulgate rapiemur, from the root rapto. This word has given rise in English to the word rapture, now often used by Christians to refer to the second coming of Jesus Christ in clouds of glory when he brings his saints to him in the air. This reminds me of Doctrine and Covenants which reads:

And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven— They are Christ’s, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God (Doctrine and Covenants 88:95-98 emphasis added).

This brings added meaning to the words Moroni shared with a young 17 year old Joseph Smith when he said:

For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch (Joseph Smith History 1:37 emphasis added).

The order of the resurrection is something that Paul and other apostles spent time teaching. In another letter written to the Corinthians, Paul said, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christs at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). The resurrection is a vital part of our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul essentially states that without faith in Christ to bring to pass the resurrection of the mortal body that our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14).

The following chart is helpful. I obtained it in a class I attended years ago taught by Robert J. Mathews. I have modified the chart somewhat for it to work in powerpoint, and it has since been published in a book entitled, “Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews“, p. 523.

2

Notes

1. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, The Challenge to Become, General Conference October, 2000.

2. Robert J. Matthews, Selected Writings of Robert J. Mathews, Deseret Book, SLC, 1999, p. 523.

1 Corinthians 14 – Gifts of the Spirit, Silence in the Churches

Paul emphasizes the importance of the gifts of the Spirit in building Zion in 1 Corinthians 14. “Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). Paul explains that the greatest of all the spiritual gifts is charity, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13).  The gifts of the spirit are for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth and to establish a Zion people.

Paul emphasizes order in the kingdom when he states, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33). It is at this point of the text that readers can sometimes get confused, for Paul then speaks of women keeping silence in the churches.

1 Corinthians 14:34 “Women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak” – obviously something has been changed in this text as we currently read in our King James Version. When we compare this verse to 1 Corinthians 11:5, where women pray and prophesy, or Matthew 28:1-8, where Mary is instructed to tell the apostles that Jesus was resurrected, we can see that women spoke, prophesied and gave advice to leaders in the early Christian Church. At issue is not participation but governance. Paul is reminding his readers that the sisters are to be subject to the priesthood leadership, as this leadership is subject to God. In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, the Prophet Joseph Smith changes the word “speak” to “rule”.

It is interesting to note that when spoken of symbolically, the woman in scripture is a symbol for the church. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars…and the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman…and the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:1-17). “And the dragon prevailed not against Michael… nor the woman which was the church of God” (Joseph Smith Translation – Revelation 12:7). In this context it is good to understand that as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are all the woman – all of us are in subjection to the governance of the priesthood. Paul is essentially stating that the Church is an orderly organization, that there are priesthood keys that operate to govern the affairs of the Church. Just as we, the woman, the Church, are in subjection to the priesthood keys, so the priesthood is subject to the governing power of God. (see also Teachings of the Prophet Josesph Smith, p. 212; Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 2: 387)

1 Corinthians 15 Charity Changes Our View

Charity is a gift of the Spirit. Charity helps us to see others as God sees them. I have had moments in my life where the Lord has helped me to see others the way he does. Sometimes illustrating what something looks like helps us to see and understand concepts better than reading about them. The following story shared by President Gordon B. Hinckley was made into a Mormon Message and illustrates the idea that the Lord can help us to see others through heaven’s eyes:

We were miserable performers as children. We could do all kinds of things together while playing, but for one of us to try to sing a solo before the others was like asking ice cream to stay hard on the kitchen stove. In the beginning, we would laugh and make cute remarks about one another’s performance. But our parents persisted. We sang together. We prayed together. We listened quietly while Mother read Bible and Book of Mormon stories. Father told us stories out of his memory. I still remember one of those stories. I found it recently while going through a book he had published some years ago. Listen to it:

“An older boy and his young companion were walking along a road which led through a field. They saw an old coat and a badly worn pair of men’s shoes by the roadside, and in the distance they saw the owner working in the field.

“The younger boy suggested that they hide the shoes, conceal themselves, and watch the perplexity on the owner’s face when he returned.

“The older boy … thought that would not be so good. He said the owner must be a very poor man. So, after talking the matter over, at his suggestion, they concluded to try another experiment. Instead of hiding the shoes, they would put a silver dollar in each one and … see what the owner did when he discovered the money. So they did that.

“Pretty soon the man returned from the field, put on his coat, slipped one foot into a shoe, felt something hard, took it out and found a silver dollar. Wonder and surprise [shone] upon his face. He looked at the dollar again and again, turned around and could see nobody, then proceeded to put on the other shoe; when to his great surprise he found another dollar. His feelings overcame him. … He knelt down and offered aloud a prayer of thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife being sick and helpless and his children without bread. … He fervently thanked the Lord for this bounty from unknown hands and evoked the blessing of heaven upon those who gave him this needed help.

“The boys remained [hidden] until he had gone.” They had been touched by his prayer and felt something warm within their hearts. As they left to walk down the road, one said to the other, “Don’t you have a good feeling?” 1

Notes

1. President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1993 General Conference. See also Lessons I Learned as a Boy, New Era, October 1998. Adapted from Bryant S. Hinckley, Not by Bread Alone, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1955, p. 95.

2. Mormon Messages: Lessons I Learned as a Boy.

1 Corinthians 13 – What Charity Looks Like

In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul discusses charity, what it is and what it is not. I had my students work in groups to come up with a definition of charity before we went to the text. This is a great subject to invite students to illustrate examples of what charity looks like. Paul states, “ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

I appreciate the illustrations Paul gives us. He informs us that even if we give to the poor, if we do not have charity, we are missing the point. Charity is something that we become, not something we give. Moroni informs us that “charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him” (Moroni 7:47). I like to say that when we have charity, that we see things through heaven’s eyes.

The following story relates how a father showed charity to his family and his branch as he struggled with a situation that would have broke him had he not had heaven’s perspective. Most of us can relate with a time when we were offended in some way. I love the strength showed by this father as he lead his family in the path the Lord would have him follow:

A Great Trial

In the early 1900s, a young father and his family joined the Church in Hawaii. He was enthused about his new-found religion, and after two years of membership both he and his eldest son held the priesthood. They prospered and enjoyed the fellowship of the little branch. They anxiously looked forward to being sealed as a family for eternity in the temple soon to be completed in Laie.

Then, as so often happens, a test crossed their path. One of their daughters became ill with an unknown disease and was taken away to a strange hospital. People in Hawaii were understandably wary of unknown diseases, as such diseases had wrought so much havoc there.

The concerned family went to church the next Sunday, looking forward to the strength and understanding they would receive from their fellow members. It was a small branch. This young father and his son very often took the responsibility for blessing and passing the sacrament. This was one such Sunday. They reverently broke the bread while the congregation sang the sacrament hymn. When the hymn was finished, the young father began to kneel to offer the sacrament prayer. Suddenly the branch president, realizing who was at the sacred table, sprang to his feet. He pointed his finger and cried, “Stop. You can’t touch the sacrament. Your daughter has an unknown disease. Leave immediately while someone else fixes new sacrament bread. We can’t have you here. Go.”

How would you react? What would you do?

The stunned father slowly stood up. He searchingly looked at the branch president, then at the congregation. Then, sensing the depth of anxiety and embarrassment from all, he motioned to his family and they quietly filed out of the chapel.

Not a word was said as, with faces to the ground, they moved along the dusty trail to their small home. The young son noticed the firmness in his father’s clenched fists and the tenseness of his set jaw. When they entered their home they all sat in a circle, and the father said, “We will be silent until I am ready to speak.” All sorts of thoughts went through the mind of this young boy. He envisioned his father coming up with many novel ways of getting revenge. Would they kill the branch president’s pigs, or burn his house, or join another church? He could hardly wait to see what would happen.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes—not a sound. He glanced at his father. His eyes were closed, his mouth was set, his fingers clenched, but no sound. Twenty minutes, twenty-five minutes—still nothing. Then he noticed a slight relaxing of his father’s hands, a small tremor on his father’s lips, then a barely perceptible sob. He looked at his father—tears were trickling down his cheeks from closed eyes. Soon he noticed his mother was crying also, then one child, then another, and soon the whole family.

Finally, the father opened his eyes, cleared his throat, and announced, “I am now ready to speak. Listen carefully.” He slowly turned to his wife and said, meaningfully, “I love you.” Then turning to each child, he told them individually, “I love you. I love all of you and I want us to be together, forever, as a family. And the only way that can be is for all of us to be good members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and be sealed by his holy priesthood in the temple. This is not the branch president’s church. It is the Church of Jesus Christ. We will not let any man or any amount of hurt or embarrassment or pride keep us from being together forever. Next Sunday we will go back to church. We will stay by ourselves until our daughter’s sickness is known, but we will go back.”

This great man had proper eternal perspective.

The daughter’s health problem was resolved; the family did go to the temple when it was completed. The children did remain faithful and were likewise sealed to their own families in the temple as time went on. Today over 100 souls in this family are active members of the Church and call their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather blessed because he kept his eyes on eternity, because he used his priesthood to bless his family, and because he recorded his feelings. How the heart of this father turned to his children, and how his children’s hearts turned to him. 1

Notes

1. Elder John H. Groberg, Writing Your Personal and Family History, Ensign April, 1980.

Open Your Mouth

I have the blessing of being the gospel doctrine teacher in my ward. Today the lesson was Lesson 11: “The Field Is White Already to Harvest” and we had a great discussion about missionary work. One of the promises the Lord gives his missionaries is that when we go to preach the gospel, that he will help us to know what to say (see D&C 33:8-10).

To balance this idea, I like the revelation given to Hyrum where the Lord tells him, “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men” (D&C 11:21). The Lord will give us what to say, but it is also important to realize that we cannot teach what we do not know. Those who teach the gospel are most effective if they are living what they are teaching and willing to become lifelong learners.

I love the story of Jedediah Grant and his ability to teach a gospel sermon whenever called upon. Although I did not share this in our class, I had to post this- first for its value in reminding us that the Lord will help us to know what message to share, second for its humorous flavor.

The Paper is Blank

In the early part of President [Jedediah M.] Grant’s ministry in [the South], he gained quite a reputation as a ready speaker, frequently responding to invitations to preach from such subjects or texts as might be selected at the time of commencing his sermon, by those inviting him. In time it became a matter of wonder with many as to how and when he prepared his wonderful sermons. In reply to their queries he informed them that he never prepared his sermons as other ministers did. “Of course, I read and store my mind with a knowledge of gospel truths,” said he, “but I never study up a sermon.”

Well, they did not believe he told the truth, for, as they thought, it was impossible for a man to preach such sermons without careful preparation. So, in order to prove it, a number of persons decided to put him to test, and asked him if he would preach at a certain time and place and from a text selected by them. They proposed to give him the text on his arrival at the place of meeting, thus giving him no time to prepare. To gratify them he consented. The place selected was Jeffersonville, the seat of Tazewell county, at that time the home of the late John B. Floyd, who subsequently became secretary of war, and many other prominent men. The room chosen was in the court house.

At the hour appointed the house was packed to its utmost capacity. Mr. Floyd and a number of lawyers and ministers were present and occupied front seats. Elder Grant came in, walked to the stand and opened the meeting as usual. At the close of the second hymn, a clerk, appointed for the occasion, stepped forward and handed the paper (the text) to Elder Grant, who unfolded it and found it to be blank. Without any mark of surprise, he held the paper up before the audience, and said:

“My friends, I am here today according to agreement, to preach from such a text as these gentlemen might select for me. I have it here in my hand. I don’t wish you to become offended at me, for I am under promise to preach from the text selected; and if anyone is to blame, you must blame those who selected it. I knew nothing of what text they would choose, but of all texts this is my favorite one. You see the paper is blank (at the same time holding it up to view). You sectarians down there believe that out of nothing God created all things, and now you wish me to create a sermon from Nothing, for this paper is blank. Now, you sectarians believe in a God that has neither body, parts nor passions. Such a God I conceive to be a perfect blank, just as you find my text is. You believe in a church without prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, etc. Such a church would be a perfect blank, as compared with the Church of Christ, and this agrees with my text. You have located your heaven beyond the bounds of time and space. It exists nowhere, and consequently your heaven is blank, like unto my text.”

Thus he went on until he had torn to pieces all the tenets of faith professed by his hearers, and then proclaimed the principles of the gospel in great power. He wound up by asking, “Have I stuck to the text and does that satisfy you?” As soon as he sat down, Mr. Floyd jumped up and said: “Mr. Grant, if you are not a lawyer, you ought to be one.” Then turning to the people, he added: “Gentlemen, you have listened to a wonderful discourse, and with amazement. Now, take a look at Mr. Grant’s clothes. Look at his coat: his elbows are almost out: and his knees are almost through his pants. Let us take up a collection.” As he sat down another eminent lawyer Joseph Stras, Esq., still living in Jeffersonville, arose and said: “I am good for one sleeve in a coat and one leg in a pair of pants, for Mr. Grant.”

The presiding elder of the M. E. church, South, was requested to pass the hat around, but he replied that he would not take up a collection for a “Mormon” preacher. “Yes you will,” said Mr. Floyd; “Pass it around,” said Mr. Stras, and the cry was taken up and repeated by the audience, until, for the sake of peace, the minister had to yield. He accordingly marched around with a hat in his hand, receiving contributions, which resulted in a collection sufficient to purchase a fine suit of clothes, a horse, saddle and bridle for Brother Grant, and not one contributor a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though some joined subsequently. And this from a sermon produced from a blank text. 1

Notes

1. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 4 vols. (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901), 1:57-58. Also in Jack M. Lyon, Linda Ririe Gundry, and Jay A. Parry, eds., Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 385.