Gospel Order
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therefore he does not call such to labor in these perilous times. And
brethren should be careful and not push out those into the field whom
God has not called.
These men, who are not called of God, are generally the very
ones that are the most confident that they are so called, and that their
labors are very important. They go into the field, and do not exert a
good influence generally, yet in some places they have a measure of
success, which leads individuals to think that they are surely called
of God. I saw that it was not a positive evidence that men are called
of God, because they have some success; for now the angels of God
are moving upon the hearts of his honest children to enlighten their
understanding as to the present truth, that they may lay hold upon it
and live. And even if self-sent men put themselves where God does
not put them, and profess to be teachers, and souls receive the truth
by hearing them talk it, this is no evidence that they are called of God.
The souls who receive the truth from them, receive it to be brought
into trial and bondage, as they afterwards find that these men were
not standing in the counsel of God. Even if wicked men talk the truth,
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some may receive it; but it does not bring those who talked it, into
any more favor with God. Wicked men are wicked men still. And
according to the deception they practised, and as they deceived those
who were beloved of God, and brought confusion into the church, so
will their punishment be greater, and their sins will not remain covered,
but will be exposed in the day of God’s fierce anger.
These self-sent messengers are a curse to the cause. Honest souls
put confidence in them, think that they are moving in the counsel
of God, that they are in union with the church, and suffer them to
administer the ordinances, to lead them down into the water and baptize
them, as duty is made plain that they must do their first works; and
then when light comes as it surely will, and they are aware that these
men are not what they understood them to be, God’s called and chosen
messengers, they are thrown into trial and doubt as to the truth they
have received, and feel that they must learn it all over again, and
are troubled, and perplexed by the enemy, about all their experience,
whether God has led them or not, and are not satisfied until they are
again baptized, and begin anew. And it is much more laborious, and
wearing to the spirits of God’s messengers, to go into such places
where those have been, who have exerted this wrong influence. God’s