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Contents
Chapter 1 The Gospel and Its Objectives
Chapter 2 The Spiritual Power of the Restored Gospel
Chapter 3 The Requisites for Faith in God
Chapter 4 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Chapter 5 The Preparatory Gospel
Chapter 6 The Everlasting Gospel
Chapter 7 Becoming Sons and Daughters of Christ
Chapter 8 The Doctrines of Justification and Sanctification
Chapter 9 The Spiritual Life of the Gospel
Chapter 10 The Law of the Gospel
Chapter 11 The Temple Program Inaugurated
Chapter 12 The Divine Patriarchal Order
Chapter 13 The More Sure Word of Prophecy
Chapter 14 The Second Comforter
Chapter 15 The Gospel from Adam to Israel
Chapter 16 The Gospel from Israel to Modern Times
Chapter 17 The Doctrine of Salvation for the Dead
Chapter 18 Saviors on Mount Zion
Preface
Principles of Perfection, the second volume in a series of four on the thought and teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,[i] is an analysis of the program of the gospel of Jesus Christ which was restored to earth through the latter-day Seer. Joseph Smith taught that the primary purpose of the plan of life and salvation is to bring man into a meaningful spiritual union with the Son of God so that he can be taught and renewed spiritually by the Master, through the Holy Spirit. The Prophet held that only within this divine union can man develop to his full potential as an eternal being and be glorified in Christ as Jesus is glorified in the Father.
It follows that the value of a theological analysis of the gospel is that it may show man, through the systematic treatment of the principles, laws, and ordinances of the plan of life and salvation, how to achieve the primary purpose of that divine plan. Such a study may also help man to understand why he must achieve the spiritual union with Christ which the gospel makes possible, and what benefits he may expect to receive by subordinating his life in truth to Christ.
Since the gospel is an expanding system of eternal truth and power with continuous revelation as the essence of the divine program, no man can write the Summa Theologiae (the sum of theology) of the plan of life and salvation. By revelation, the Lord instructed the Saints: “Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand." There are various levels of insight into divine truth, and an analysis of the gospel such as is found in this book is but a treatment of the expanding plan on a given plane—not the last or complete word on the subject. The Prophet wrote:
“The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out.”
In this study, I have tried to present Joseph Smith’s thought in the depth and breadth that evidence makes possible. In areas where his teachings are not fully reported or made clear, I have qualified my conclusions accordingly. Though others have read parts of the manuscript and have offered helpful suggestions, I alone am responsible for the views expressed in this book and for the conclusions that have been drawn from the evidence available. This is not an authoritative work setting forth the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but a study based on more than twenty years of research, analysis, and teaching on the subject.
I give special thanks to my wife, Helen Mae, for her intelligent assistance over the years and for her help in preparing this manuscript for publication. Paul Toscano, my student assistant at Brigham Young University, made some helpful suggestions in the arrangement of materials in the early chapters. I am also indebted to the following men for reading parts of the manuscript and offering advice and counsel: Dr. Ellis T. Rasmussen, Chairman of the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University; Dr. Richard L. Anderson, Professor of Religious Instruction at Brigham Young University; and A. Bent Peterson, past President of the Manti Temple. I express appreciation to Don E. Norton, Jr., Assistant Coordinator of Freshman English at Brigham Young University, for his valuable assistance in reading the manuscript and checking its style and grammar. Finally, I give special thanks to George Bickerstaff for his careful work in the final preparation of the manuscript for publication.