the horror of darkness.

have you ever stopped to think how terrible it would be if we had no guide to show us the way of eternal life? do you think you can imagine the bitter disappointment of those who have sought a guide and have failed to find it? we may now pass over lightly some of the more serious questions of life; we may even at times reject the teachings of our instructors as unnecessary. but there is a fixed fact which all the world has come to recognize—one that sooner or later confronts every individual. it is that the greatest thing in life after all is the knowledge of god and the satisfaction of having found the way of eternal life. the disappointment that follows the failure to find that way is expressed in words of beauty and childlike simplicity by an indian. in 1832 a chief of the flatheads, with some of his associates sought the wigwams of the white man in quest of the way of life. this is what the chief of the flatheads said when he turned to go back to his people:

the speech of an indian chief.

"i came to you over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. you were the friends of my fathers, who have all gone the long way, i came with an indian an eye partly open for my people, who sit in darkness. i go back with both eyes closed. how can i go back blind to my blind people? i made my way to you, with strong arms, through my enemies, and strange lands, that i might carry back much to them. i go back with both arms broken and {160} empty. two fathers came with us. they were the braves of many winters and wars. we leave them asleep here by your great water and wigwams. they were tired with many moons (of journeying) and their moccasins were worn out (on the trail).

"my people sent me to get the 'white man's book of heaven.' you took me to where you allow your women to dance as we do not ours, and the book was not there. you took me to where they worship the great spirit with candles, and the book was not there. you showed me images of the great spirits and pictures of the good land beyond, but the book was not among them to show us the way. i am going back the long, sad trail to my people, in the dark land. you make my feet heavy with gifts and my moccasins will grow old in carrying them, yet the book is not among them. when i tell my poor, blind people after one more snow, in the big council, that i did not bring the book, no word will be spoken by our old men, or by our young braves. one by one they will rise up and go out in silence. my people will die in darkness, and they will go a long path to other hunting grounds. no white man will go with them, and no white man's book to make the way plain. i have no more words."

it will be difficult to find in modern literature words more pathetic than these. yet, how vividly and impressively they describe the condition that exists in the christian world. the indian came out of a land of darkness to seek light, and finds only a world of darkness. he seeks a guide, a book that shall point the way to heaven; he finds grossness, and a worship of the {161} flesh-pots of egypt. he must of necessity enter alone upon the long journey to the happy hunting grounds. it will be his great adventure.

the figure of the architect again.

and so it should be with all of us, were it not for the fact that to us god has revealed the "book of heaven." in the preceding lesson we used the figure of the architect superintending the erection of a large building. let us continue that figure briefly. naturally, the architect cannot be in every part of the building at the same time. while he is directing workmen in the basement, men laying up the wall of the second story must get along without him. but how shall they know, in the architect's absence, that they are doing the work right?

the answer is not hard to find. the foremen and the workmen have access to plans and specifications. the plans are minute, and the specifications in detail. the workmen may then see for themselves how the building is to be erected. if only they read right, and interpret correctly, they may go ahead indefinitely. it is because they are prone to misinterpret, and sometimes tempted to defraud the owners, that the architect has to make his regular rounds and watch carefully.

the plan of eternal life.

it is just so with those who are building life eternal. the indian chief was right. he was looking for the plans and specifications of eternal life, furnished by the great architect. the indian chief did not find them. he did not enquire at the right wigwam. the plans and specifications of eternal life constitute the gospel of the lord jesus christ. the presence and the practice of that gospel—in fulness and in simplicity—in the {162} church of christ, form the third mark of its divine authority.

the necessity of plans.

why are plans and specifications necessary? ordinary plans and specifications accomplish three very important things. first, they direct what is to be done and how it is to be done. secondly, they furnish a basis of judgment whereby to determine whether or not the work of the contractors fulfills the terms of agreement. thirdly, they furnish a standard of judgment whereby to determine whether or not the materials used, the proportions mixed, the measurements taken, and all else, are of the quality and fulness required by the builder, and agreed to by the contractor.

the application.

so also, the teachings of the gospel of the lord jesus christ are necessary to man for very important reasons. it is through the gospel, that we learn of god and his work—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. it is through the gospel that we learn of christ's wonderful atoning sacrifice. it is through the gospel that we learn to know what is man's duty to god, and man's duty to man. the gospel, too, then directs men what to do and how to do it. it furnishes a basis of judgment whereby to determine whether a man's actions are good or bad. it furnishes a standard of judgment whereby to determine the true and exact quality of the structure of eternal life which he has built up.

the principles of the gospel.

it is not the purpose of this lesson to review all the principles of the gospel. faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, by one holding authority from god, the {163} conferring of the holy ghost by the laying on of hands of men holding authority, are fundamental principles and initiatory rites. all the teachings contained in this little book, and many more besides, belong to the gospel of jesus. the true church of christ must hold strictly to all that jesus taught. "after that john was put in prison, jesus came into galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of god."

men judged by the gospel.

of the gospel—the plan of eternal life—the great architect was jealous. "he that rejecteth me," asserted jesus, "and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that i have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," and the end can not come till all have heard the plans and specifications of eternal life. said jesus again, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

the three marks.

like the chieftain of the flatheads, others, too, may come over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. they may come from a land of darkness, in search of light. they may need the book of heaven to make the way of eternal life plain. surely, the scroll may be found in only one place—the church of jesus christ. it is founded upon the rock of revelation; it is ribbed by the quorums of the priesthood of aaron and of melchizedek; and it is clothed in the teachings of jesus—the gospel of the son of god.

these are the three never-failing marks of the church of christ.

{164} the references

mark 1:14, 15. john 12:48-50.

matt. 24:14.

the questions

1. what is the significance of the speech of the flathead chief?

2. why does an architect prepare plans and specifications for a proposed building?

3. how is the gospel like such plans and specifications?

4. what is the gospel?

5. how did jesus show his great concern for the gospel?

6. what are the three never-failing marks of the church of christ?