MORMONISM does not claim to be a new religion, but regards itself as a new dispensation of the one and only Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ ; God's plan of "Eternal Life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus
But while there is but one gospel, there have been many dispensations of it, by reason of men from time to time "falling away" from the order of things God has revealed to them. Ulti mately, however, according to Mormon beliefs, and their interpre tations of the Jewish and Christian documents, there is to be a final or last dispensation of this one and only "everlasting Gospel," known as the "dispensation of the fullness of times," in which all things pertaining to the redemption of the earth and the salva tion of man will be gathered together in one, both in heaven and in earth. (Eph. I :9-10.) The appearing of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith, the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon, the alleged American volume of scripture, and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was the beginning of this promised dispensation of the fullness of times.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recognizes two sources of doctrine; (I) the written word of God—the scriptures ; and ( 2 ) direct revelation from God. The books accepted as scripture are (I) the Bible, the Old and the New Testament, as far as they are correctly translated from the original documents; (2) The Book of Mormon, an alleged ancient American record, said to have been translated by Joseph Smith, "by the gift and power of God", (3) The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of revelations given in the present day, chiefly through Joseph Smith; (4) The Pearl of Great Price, a collection of fragments from writings of Moses and Abraham, not found in the Bible, but purported to have been revealed to Joseph Smith; also some historical and doctrinal writings of Joseph Smith's. These four books have been officially accepted as scripture by vote of the Church. All other writings and discourses are of secondary character and of value in proportion to their strict conformity to the above named books of scripture.
The Church believes in present day and continuous revelation: by direct word of mouth and visible presence of God ; by voice communication without visible presence; by visitation of angels and deliverance of messages; also by impressions upon the mind of man by the Spirit of God. Revelation in any of these man ners is the supreme source of knowledge, and the final arbiter of doctrine for the Church, even superior to the written word.
It is the doctrine of the Church that its members have the right to divine guidance through revelation for their individual lives; as also all officers of the Church in their respective callings and stations, but not for the guidance of the Church or the domination of others. There is but one man on the earth at a time, when the Church is established, who may receive revelation for the guidance of the Church, and he is the President of the Church, God's Prophet, Seer and Revelator and mouth-piece. His official word, when speaking in the name of the Lord, the Church is to receive as from God's own mouth. No revelation is of binding force as law upon the Church, however, until offi cially accepted by vote of the Church in general conference assembled.
Mormon theology and philosophy take note of existences, of time, space, matter, the extent and nature of the universe. Duration is without beginning or end; space is limit less; matter, in its elemental status, eternal; and while subject to infinite mutations may neither be created nor annihilated. Mind —identical with intelligence—is equally eternal (Doc. and Coy , Sec. 93). Mind is that which directs action, matter that which is acted upon (Book of Mormon, II. Nephi, Ch. 2). From this action of mind or spirit upon matter, proceed all changes and accomplishments brought to pass in an eternal universe, where eternal cause is ceaselessly active under a universal reign of law. "There are many kingdoms (meaning worlds and world systems) for there is no space where there is no kingdom ; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom. And to every kingdom is given a law ; and to every law there are certain bounds also and conditions." These "king doms" or worlds and world systems, are inhabited by intelligences in varied states of development. Some are spirits who have passed through a mortal life and are awaiting resurrections; others are unbodied spirits, awaiting opportunity for birth into mortal life, that they may be put in the way of eternal progres sion. Also in some of these many kingdoms is an order of trans lated beings, men who have been brought into mortal life and then translated from that life—i.e., death suspended as in the case of Enoch and his people, and Elijah (Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. II :5; Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses
Others have passed through mortal life to a resurrection which has brought them into immortal life where spirit and element are inseparably connected.