ister in the name of God or His Christ. John
the Revelator saw in his vision of the last days an angel bringing anew
"the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is
come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters."[1538]

Such an angelic embassage would have been but a needless and empty
display, and therefore an impossibility, had the everlasting gospel
remained upon the earth with its powers of priesthood perpetuated by
succession. The scriptural assurances of a restoration in the last days
through direct bestowal from the heavens is conclusive proof of the
actuality of the universal apostasy. Moroni came to Joseph Smith as "a
messenger sent from the presence of God," and delivered a record
containing "the fulness of the everlasting gospel," as it had been
imparted to the Lord's people in ancient times; and the world-wide
distribution of the Book of Mormon, and of other publications embodying
the revealed word in modern times, and the ministry of thousands who
labor in the authority of the Holy Priesthood combine as the loud voice
addressed to every nation, crying: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for
the hour of his judgment is come."

FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE HEAVENS TO MAN.

Following the organization of the Church as heretofore described, direct
communication between the Lord Jesus Christ and His prophet Joseph was
frequent, as the needs of the Church required. Numerous revelations were
given, and these are accessible to all who will read.[1539] A marvelous
manifestation was granted to the prophet and his associate in the
presidency of the Church, Sidney Rigdon, the record of which appears as
follows:

"We, Joseph Smith, jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit
on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, by the power of the
Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were
enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God--even
those things which were from the beginning before the world was,
which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten
Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the
beginning, of whom we bear record, and the record which we bear
is the ful