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The Seventy's Course in Theology

Fourth Year

The Atonement

BY B. H. ROBERTS

Of the First Council of the Seventy

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."--Jesus.

Salt Lake City

Introduction

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE.

The Seventy's Year Book No. IV, differs from the other numbers in two particulars:

A PRELIMINARY READING SUGGESTED.

It is suggested to all the classes that the first step in dealing with the present Year Book, should be to require every member to read the entire treatise through. This should be done rapidly, not with the thought that such reading will yield a complete and thorough understanding of, or mastery of the subject, but just to get acquainted somewhat with the spirit of the treatise, the scope of the inquiry, the largeness of it, the majesty and glory of the subject. All which will enable the student to be somewhat conscious, as he seeks to master the separate lessons, of the conclusions to which he is being led. Without such preliminary reading, except where students already have clear views of the Atonement, each lesson will be something of a groping forward without always appreciating to what culmination the movement of the respective lessons is tending.

The preliminary reading need not occupy more than one week. No more time than that should be allowed for it. It is supposed that this Year Book will be completed by the first of January, 1912.

The doctrine of the Atonement through the expiatory suffering and death of Christ, can only be rightly understood when considered in its relationship to the Intelligences--i. e., men--that are affected by it. Hence this treatise opens with a consideration of Intelligences as related to the Atonement. Necessarily this will involve the restatement of some of the matter of the Seventy's Year Book No. II, dealing with the "Outline History of the Dispensations of the Gospel, Part I--, "Prelude to the Dispensations" where such subjects as "Intelligences and Spirits," "The Relationship of the Intelligences;" "The Purposes of God in Relation to Man;" "The Free Agency of Intelligences," and the like are discussed. But as the present use of the principles there set forth will be different from the former use of them, the repetition necessary to a clear understanding of the great theme to be developed may not be amiss, but, on the contrary, positively helpful to a fuller appreciation of the principles them selves, as well as a right appreciation of the bearing they have upon the subject of the Atonement.

The writer has approached his theme from a new standpoint. Instead of beginning with the work of the Christ when he appeared on earth as the son of Mary, he has begun with those eternal Intelligences that were to be affected by this earth-life, by the "fall" and the "Atonement," and by "Hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began." This is followed by consideration of the council in heaven, wherein the order of earth-life for the spirits of men is considered, what shall accrue to them from it; necessarily the fall and plan of man's redemption; the war in heaven, the advent of man on earth; the fall; revelation of the plan for man's salvation; the Atonement in ancient times, through all the ages in fact, and so finally to the consideration of the various elements that enter into the great theme, making up the philosophy of the Atonement.

As to the importance of the subject, need anything be said? It is the very heart of the Gospel from whose pulsations the streams of both spiritual and eternal physical life proceed. It is the fact which gives vitality to all things else in the Gospel. If the Atonement be not a reality then our preaching is vain; our baptisms and confirmations meaningless; the eucharist a mere mummery of words; our hope of eternal life without foundation; we are still in our sins, and we Christian men, of all men, are the most miserable. A theme that affects all this cannot fail of being important. And yet, how our writers upon theology have neglected this subject! Save for the treatise of the late President John Taylor on the "Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," we have no work devoted wholly to the subject. President Taylor's treatise was published twenty-nine years ago ; there was but a very limited edition published at the time, and that is not yet sold out! Aside from this treatise--and even that is quite limited in its scope, chiefly a compilation of scripture texts upon the fact of the Atonement--our speakers and writers have treated the theme merely incidentally. It is time, then, that our Seventies--the special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ, including as a central fact of their testimony the Atonement, should give special and extended study to this theme of themes.

DIFFICULTY OF THE SUBJECT.

Is the subject difficult? Certainly. But "To Become a Seventy, Means Mental Activity, Intellectual Development, and the Attainment of Spiritual Power." Such men will not be daunted because the subject is difficult, but rather will rejoice at it, even as a strong man rejoices to run a race, or fight a battle, or undertake hard tasks wherein lies adventure and danger and great glory. Such men will remember that as all great things are attended with risk, so the hard is the good; and "truth's a gem that loves the deep." Go and search for it.

No lessons have been formulated in this division of the work, but the class teachers can readily make lesson formula from the divisions and subdivisions of the matter there presented if they so elect; if not then it may be left for the student's private perusal; or out of the matter may be formulated special lectures, and much advantage gained by putting the views there expounded in comparison and contrast with the doctrines of the regular text of the Year Book.

BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

It is difficult to name books of reference for this subject; such as are available are named repeatedly in the table references given with each lesson, and in the body of the work. Attention should be called to the necessity of each Seventy possessing what in previous Year Books has been called the "Seventy's Indispensable Library." This library is made up of the standard books of the Church on Doctrine, viz.:

The four books of Scripture referred to above are very frequently quoted in the text of this treatise, and are the main authorities used. Besides these it is recommended that the student obtains

THE SEVENTY'S YEAR BOOK.

The importance of Seventies having a complete set of the Seventy's Year Books cannot be over-emphasized. There is constant reference made in the present Number to previous Numbers; and the student who is not in possession of those books is by so much deprived of the opportunity to complete his inquiry on the division of the subject he may have in hand. As there are now four of the Year Books issued, they could be bound together; or in more convenient form, two numbers can be bound together at a cost of seventy-five cents, postage prepaid, and those desirous of preserving the set would do well to order them in that form.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

This exercise is continued in the present Year Book as being too valuable to be omitted from our lessons; and by this time it is our presumption that had it been omitted, instead of continued as a suggestion at the head of each lesson, our class teachers and the members of the classes themselves, would have continued the practice that has now been an interesting feature of the Seventy's lessons through three successful years. The purpose for which this feature of our class exercise was introduced, and the manner of conducting it, the new teachers and students will find explanations of in the Introduction of Year Book No. I, to which attention is hereby directed.

To the Seventies we now commend the great theme of this present Year Book, with the prayer that they may be impressed with its beauty, its effectiveness, and its glory.

The Seventy's Course in Theology.

FOURTH YEAR.

The Atonement.

Eternal Intelligences and Progress.

INTELLIGENCE, INTELLIGENCES.

ANALYSIS.

life we go, Amid the pomp, and glare, and show, We oft some proverb misconstrue And mutter boldly, "'Tis not true." But in their calm, majestic way, We hear the tongues of wise men say: "You go way back And then sit down."

AT THE TELEPHONE.

Ting-ling--"South, please, 1085; Why hello, Jim--Oh, Saints alive! It's south, I told you--hello; no, I said once that I could not go.

"Say, can you meet me there tonight? Confound it, Jim, you must be tight. What are you saying anyhow, I've got the wrong ear by the sow?

"Not pretty? Why, she's out o'sight, Oh, shut up; that will be all right. You can't walk there? Why it ain't far; We get there on a 'lectric car.

"You will? All right then--eight o'clock; Be sure and meet me on the block, Remember now, don't get it wrong; All right, old man , so long."

A HARDSHIP.

I never saw a loaf of bread Conspicuous in its purity, But that I sadly shook my head And left five-cents as surety.

CHRISTMAS TOYS.

Say, I like toys, Christmas toys. Remember when we were boys Long ago? Then you were a kid Not a beau. And on Christmas Day, Oh, say, We got up in the dark And had a jolly lark Round the fire. The cold air was shocking As we peeped in our stocking-- And, way down in the toe, Now say this is so-- Dad placed a dollar. Made me holler. Yes, sirree,

They were good to me. Remember Jim? Mean trick I did him. You know Jim was surly? Well I got up early Took his dollar out, And put a rock In his sock. Gee, he was mad, Went and told dad; But dad he just laughed And said: Might's well be dead If you couldn't have fun. Then for spite, I kept that dollar 'til night. Funny, seein' these toys Made me think of us boys. But now, Gee! Christmas ain't like it used to be.

THE RUBAIYAT OF A KENTUCKIAN.

Wake for the sun, that scatters into flight, The poker players who have stayed all night; Drives husbands home with reeling steps, and then-- Gives to the sleepy "cops" an awful fright.

I sometimes think that never blows so red The nose, as when the spirits strike the head; That every step one takes upon the way Makes him wish strongly he were home in bed.

The moving finger writes, but having "pull", You think that you can settle things in full, But when you interview the Police Judge, You find that you have made an awful bull.

Some nonsense verses underneath the bough, A little "booze", a time to loaf, and thou-- Beside me howling in the wilderness, Would be enough for one day anyhow.

THE MEDICINE MAN.

Good people if you have the mumps, Or ever get down with the dumps; Or have bad cold or aching pains, Or ever suffer with chilblains-- Don't seek your doctor for advice, And pay him some tremendous price, But buy a drug that's safe and sure-- In fact, get Blank's Consumptive Cure.

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