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Why I am a "Mormon"
by President Charles W. Penrose
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The term "Mormon" as applied to a religious body is a misnomer. "Mormonism" is a nickname for a system that embodies the principles and spirit of original Christianity. Mormon was a former inhabitant of North America, a prophet to his tribe and the compiler of records left by his predecessors, which he abridged and bequeathed to his son Mormon, who deposited them in the place where, fourteen centuries after, they were found under divine guidance by Joseph Smith, the Seer of the latter times. The Latter-day Saints, who accept the Book of Mormon as a translation of the abridged writings of inspired men, believe equally in the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, of Ezekiel and Daniel, and in the Scriptures of Matthew and Luke, of Peter and John, of James and Paul, and other Biblical authors. To call them "Mormons," therefore, is as nonsensical as it would be to call them Jeremiahs or Daniels, Peters or Pauls. And their religion is no more "Mormonism" that Isaiahism or Ezekielism, Johnism or Jamesism. But as the saints of early days were derided as "Christians," so the Latter-day Saints are mocked as "Mormons": and as the Gospel was then commonly called "Christianity," so it is now vulgarly dubbed "Mormonism." The terms are adopted for convenience sake because they are in popular use. I am a "Mormon" because I find in "Mormonism" the only perfect system of religion on earth, in accord with the revelations of God to man, recorded in the Old and New Testaments, in the inspired utterances of the world's great sages, and in the speechless manifestations of universal nature. Truth is harmonious and centrifugal. It is consistent with itself thorough all ages and in all lands and worlds. A creed which today and in America clashes with the divinely revealed religion of ancient times in Asia cannot proceed from the source of eternal truth. In the midst of hundreds of differing sects in discordant Christendom, "Mormonism" stands alone as a perfect reproduction of the Church established by Jesus Christ and His apostles nearly two thousand years ago. It has the same form and the same spirit, the same doctrines and the same ordinances; the same officers and the same gifts; the same promises and the same powers. Internally and externally it has every characteristic of primitive Christianity, and it meets with the same misrepresentation and the same persecution. It the Bible is true, "Mormonism" is true. I believe the Bible, and therefore I am a "Mormon."
Divine Authority
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
It is the only religious system that professes to have been established by direct divine authority. All the dissenting church organizations in Christendom may be traced to mere human origin. They are the works of men. It matters not whether their founders were good or bad. God had no direct hand in their establishment, for the men who made them did not believe in present revelation. To their minds Deity was dumb to the world. God had creased to speak to mortals. Jesus no longer communicated His will. Angels made no more visits to this lower sphere. A radical change had taken place in the dealings with men of Him who is unchangeable. Therefore, the churches which they built up were human, not divine.
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The established churches, Episcopal and Greek, are but offshoots from the tree of Romanism. If the Romish Church is false and apostate, as they claim, their assumed authority is void; for what they have came from the source and that failing, they fail with it. Also, if the Romish Church retained the authority of the apostles, it held the power to loose as well as bind, and as it cuts them off, their channel of succession runs no farther back than the time of their disconnection. In either case, the, they have no apostolic or Episcopal authority. The Roman Catholic Church is dissimilar in body and spirit, in form and feature, in doctrine and discipline, in principle and power from the Christian Apostolic Church. It has no apostles or prophets. It does not even claim to have present revelation — the great distinguishing feature of a divinely organized Church. Even if it assumption of an unbroken succession from St. Peter were true as to form, it is utterly lacking in the spirit and power that made Peter what he was, and the Pope is not an apostle but professes to be a bishop. Leaving out of consideration the mummeries and mysticism, the heresies, and absurdities, the cruelties and horrors of medieval Catholicism, the Romish Church bears no comparison with the organization established by Christ as set forth in apostolic writings. And so whole "Christendom" from the Romish mother to her latest progeny, is manmade without divine authority and about as powerless as to eternal salvation as the systems of religion in the so-called heathen world, all of which contain some truths, some admirable precepts, and many excellent men and women.
Gifts and Blessings Accompany the Truth
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
"Mormonism" claims to be established by direct divine communication, to hold authority through the personal ministrations of the presiding apostles of the primitive Christian Church — to wit, Peter, James and John, and to be continued under divine direction through living apostles and prophets and under officers holding similar powers to those who officiated of old. It preaches the same Gospel of redemption through faith in Christ and obedience to His commands. It administers the same baptism — immersion for the remission of sins after belief and repentance, and confers the same Holy Ghost as a witness of divine acceptance. It enjoys the same gifts of the Spirit, inward and outward — wisdom, knowledge, discernment, unity and communion with Deity; healings, tongues, interpretations, visions, dreams, prophecies and manifestations angelic and divine. Its members in every land and of every tongue are brought to the unity of the faith. It is one body wherever may be its branches, and is a living, growing, progressive and perfect organism, indivisible and indestructible. It promises to all who believe and obey its teachings a personal testimony of its truth by the power of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. I have believed, obeyed, and received this testimony, and therefore I am a "Mormon."
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
"Mormonism" supplies a consistent and positive theology, free from the doubts and cavils and speculations of sectaries, because it comes directly from a divine source. While it gives ample scope for individual thought and spiritual development, shuts off no avenue of information, forbids no investigation in any quarter, it maintains a standard of truth which becomes a measure and a touchstone, and a test for everything that may be brought to it. Truth, radiating from all minds and all directions, mingled with any creed or system, Christian or Pagan, focuses in "Mormonism" and affiliates with its principles. It settles the disputes of ages. It puts an end to controversies that have racked the world and confounded the wisdom of the leaned. It speaks with no uncertain sound. It utters the voice of authority. It soars in the highest heaven, it penetrates to the lowest hell, it reaches back to the infinite past, it peers into the eternal future, and it is definite in its revealments and doctrines. Dubiety remains not under its influence. Uncertainty is marked upon all the creeds of men — "Mormonism" is certain and conclusive.
The Problems of Existence Solved
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The problem of human existence is solved by "Mormonism." Man's origin and destiny and the object of his being are thus made clear, and an impetus is afforded to exertion and improvement. God is literally the Father of the spirit of men. Jesus was the first born and truly we and all mankind are his brethren. His is the world's Redeemer. He was the only begotten in the flesh, the "express image" of the Father, the personal representative of Deity, who is the embodiment of the eternal principles of right and of the uncreated spirit of intelligence, the revealer of light and truth, which are without beginning and without end. Man is capable of advancement into higher spheres until the divinity within him by birth is developed into the fullness of the Godhead, and he becomes one with the Father and the Son. He existed before the world; he will exist after. His future depends upon his present course. Reward and retribution will come to him according to his deserts. As there are grades of human intelligence and goodness, also of capacity and intent to do evil, so there will be degrees of glory or of debasement for resurrected, immortal man, determined by eternal judgment in which justice and mercy will each claim its own.
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The mystery of evil, sorrow and pain disappears in the light of "Mormonism," and their necessity, as opposites to the sources of happiness, appears as an essential part of the divine economy. Contrasts are educators. Without the evil, good cannot be appreciated. If there were no sorrow, there could be no full sensation of joy. And if death were not, life could not be comprehended in its completeness. It is the work of Deity to bring forth order out of chaos, light out of darkness, good out of evil, life out of death. Organization, advancement, exaltation, are in the eternal march of Gods. Satan is the destroyer wielding the power of death, the active agent of darkness, wickedness and woe. The progress of the worlds and their inhabitants is a struggle of opposites, the triumph of good being the ultimate effect of the divine plan of redemption. The creation, the fall, the atonement, the Gospel of salvation, are all parts of a definite design, in which the free agency of man is not infringed, and the operations of sin are not prevented, but all are made to fit into the divine purpose, and test the capabilities and worthiness of the sons and daughters of God for future conditions in the many mansions of eternity.
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The destiny of the heathen; the true eschatology; the condition of those who die in infancy; the work of the living in behalf of the dead; the causes of race distinctions; the eternal relationship of the sexes; the family order in worlds to come; the affinities of nature; the eternity of matter; the philosophy of the resurrection; predestination, foreordination and election; the character of angels, spirits and demons; eternal punishment; the relation of faith and works; the efficacy of ordinances; the order of prayer; spiritual forces; communion with the departed; the true trinity, and many other subjects of endless sectarian controversy are all explained, rationally and convincingly, by the teachings and spirit of "Mormonism."
A Spiritual and Temporal Religion
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The system is both spiritual and temporal. It is, therefore, adapted to man in his earthly condition, for he is of a dual nature, the heavenly and the earthly being joined in his being. It directs him as the offspring of God and as a child of man. It places him en rapport with the higher powers, and regulates him in all the conditions of life both public and private. It is eminently practical. It prepares him for the world to come by teaching him how to live rightly in this world. It is an everyday religion. It honors the Sabbath, but does not permit the dishonor of any day or any hour. It teaches him how to live, and this makes him ready to die. It shows him what to eat, drink and avoid. It cultivates all his powers and attributes, which are everyone's right when put to their legitimate use, and shows him that intelligence is essential to salvation and is the very glory of God. It influences him as a social being and a constituent of the body politic, and requires of him duty as a son, a father, a brother, a neighbor, a citizen and a Church member.
The True Conception of Marriage
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
It fully recognizes the value and necessity of woman as an eternal entity and a part of perfected man. She is an independent member of the Church, with a vote equal to a man's on all public questions. It teaches that neither sex is complete alone. Marriage is both a privilege and a duty. A woman cannot enter into the fullness of celestial glory in a single state, neither can a man. Perfection reigns in the presence of the Father and "the man is not without the woman, neither is the woman without the man, in the Lord." She is man's helpmeet, not his ruler nor yet his slave. She is "the glory of man," because without her he can have no increase in this or any other sphere. Marriage is an eternal union. Sealed by divine authority on earth it is sealed in heaven, and reaches beyond the grave.
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
Purity is required o the man equally with the woman. Woman learns that she is to share the glory of her spouse in worlds to come, and must fit herself for exaltation here below. She is encouraged to works of righteousness, charity and faith, to intellectual and moral culture, to home adornment and family virtue, and to excellences in all the gifts and graces of the Gospel, to which she is eligible as well as the man. Revelation, inspiration and spiritual power are within her individual reach as a "Mormon," and through the holy anointing she has claim upon the heavenly powers according to her faithfulness as a handmaid of the Lord or a mother in Israel, "Mormonism" seeks the elevation, protection and development of women, and therefore, as an admirer of the fair sec and a despiser of those who seek pleasure at the risk of their destruction. I am proud to be called a "Mormon."
An American Volume of Scripture
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
The Book of Mormon, which gives an epitome of the ancient history of America, and unfolds the origin of its savage tribes, as well as the dealings of God with its ancient peoples and their acquaintance with the law and the Gospel, is authenticated by the most conclusive evidence. No book offered to the world as a divine record is so fully and directly supported by unimpeachable testimony of living persons and spiritual manifestations. It is in perfect accord with the Bible, and forms on of the best proofs of the truth of that inspired Jewish record. All attempts to account for it on any other hypothesis than its purported origin have signally failed. The Spaulding theory has been demonstrated a falsehood by the discovery and publication of the Spaulding manuscript. The object of writing such a book if it were an imposture cannot be discovered, but when viewed as a divine record its purpose is plain and its value is beyond price. On historical and theological grounds its production is one of the greatest events of this eventful age. If the Book of Mormon is true, "Mormonism" is true. I believe in the Book of Mormon and there I am a "Mormon."
Joseph Smith a True Prophet of God
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
Joseph Smith, the earthly founder of "Mormonism," is the most remarkable figure in the Pantheon of his century. No that he was more than a man, but the tokens of his inspiration, the truths which he brought forth and the work which he accomplished, were above the capacities of any mortal unaided by a higher power. His prophetic gifts are proven by the events of history. His seership was unexcelled in any age. Uneducated, he confounded the leaning of the world, and the system he brought forth is to unbelievers the unsolved problem of the times. His doctrines, denounced as new and erroneous, turn out to be ancient and irrefutable, and the spirit and force that accompany their promulgation and acceptance are invincible and irrepressible, and are identical with the influences which attended the ministry of the early Apostles. Wherever they are obeyed, no matter in what land or clime, nation or tongue, the converts bear a testimony that they have received the Holy Ghost and a knowledge of the truth. They forsake all things for "Mormonism." Its missionaries traverse sea and land without "purse or scrip" and without earthly reward to promulgate its principles, and its proselytes face reproach and danger and sever the ties of country and of kindred to rally round it gathering place. Joseph Smith was a living witness for God and his Christ, and sealed his testimony with his life's blood. The spirit of truth attests his divine calling. I know that he was a prophet and therefore I am a "Mormon."
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
"Mormonism" is opposed by the wicked and its advocates are hated of all man, while their lives are spent in seeking to benefit mankind. If they were of the world, the world would love them; they are despises and persecuted, and some of them have been put to death as were their brethren of old. They are perpetually maligned. Every sermon, lecture and rumor spoken again them and their creed, and every article, book and pamphlet published to their disfavor contains either wilful or unintentional misrepresentation. If the truth could be made to bear against "Mormonism," it would certainly be brought into the field. The most corrupt men are its bitterest enemies. It is fought with falsehood and that is an indication of its truth. It successfully withstands all onslaught, physical, polemical and legal, and notwithstanding its popular evil reputation and the hostility of all classes in all nations, I am with it for life or death, and count myself among the blessed to be recognized as a "Mormon."
A Religion That Satisfies Every Human Need
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
"Mormonism" inculcates and leads to habits of industry, economy, temperance, chastity, self-restraint and self-denial. It promotes brotherhood union, benevolence and charity. It discourages pauperism, but provides for the aged and needy. It makes people self-reliant and self-supporting and tempers independence with humility. Its discipline tends to order and needful subordination, but never encroaches upon individual liberty. It sustains constitutional law and encourages patriotic citizenship. Its spirit touches the finest chords of the soul and tunes them in harmony with the music of the spheres. It thrills the whole nature with divine emotion and the most exquisite delight. It makes life desirable and eternal happiness attainable. It brings the unseen world to cognizance as a veritable reality. It is the divine afflatus. It reaches over the boundaries of time, and lifts its possessor into the midst of the everlasting. Old things pass away, all things become new. The eyesight of the spirit is cleared by virtue of its anointing. It is the lamp of life, the fountain of being, the essence of the universe. It is the testimony of Jesus, the genius of prophecy. It is the light of truth, the uncreated intelligence, the Spirit of the Omnipotent God, of whom are all things, and for whom, are all things, forever. It is the key to the boundless treasures of knowledge and wisdom, and he who becomes its possessor and expression in a fullness, is made one with the Father and the Son in the glory of perfection.
Charles W. Penrose, Why I Am A "Mormon"
Limited space forbids an extended statement of the reasons why "Mormonism" recommends itself to the sincere and earnest searcher after saving truth. I have given but a few of them. I was not born a "Mormon," bit I became one in my youth at the sacrifice of home and kindred, of position and the regard of friends. I have never regretted, but always rejoice in my decision to embrace its principles. It has stood the test of more that seventy-one years of familiar acquaintance in many lands, and comparison and contrast with the various systems of the so-called "Christian" and "heathen" worlds. It satisfies the yearnings of my soul after the infinite, answers the vital questions that spring up in every thinking mind, responds to the pulsebeats of the inner life, and stamps upon the being of each faithful adherent an indelible and all covering impressions of its truth that sinks into the spirit and becomes a part of one's existence. Its prevalence and triumph have been the chief object of my exertions from the day that I was "born of the water and of the Spirit," and while I breathe in mortality, when I enter into the life beyond, and when raised from the dead to receive my place and portion in the mansions of the Father, I hope to remain and rejoice in the faith which is blended with my life, and be able to give some intelligible reason why I am a "Mormon." |
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