"No Man Knoweth the Day.."

Years ago a fellow by the name of Ehat came out with the book, "Words of Joseph Smith". One of my favorites.

It was a major breakthrough for gospel scholars for several reason that I will not go into right now.

Shortly after that, I became familiar with a fellow by the name of Knecht that put together a work named "Restoring the Joseph Smith Discourses".

He got all of the known diary and historical entries of the recollections and notes provided by eye witnesses to the discourses that Joseph gave in Nauvoo and he created an "amalgamated" version of each discourse using the various sources.

It is one of my treasures. There is an amazing storehouse of information pertaining to the doctrinal discourses that Joseph gave during the Nauvoo period.

Today I will share a juicy little item from a sermon he gave on April 6th 1843.

Those of us that are always watching for signs of the last days are always being reminded by the wise among us that "no man knoweth the day or hour when the Son of Man Cometh".

Of course, that scripture doesn't even apply to most of what I write about because I am still waiting the the servants to return and for the Marvelous Work to begin long before I am concerned about his coming in glory... nevertheless, it is really interesting to note from this sermon, that Joseph Smith did not believe the scripture is applicable to those living in the generation in which the Savior comes;

"Go read Mathew chapter twenty four and all the prophets. Christ says: 'No man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh.' This is a sweeping argument for Sectarianism against Latter Day Saintism.

Did Christ speak this as a general principle through all gneerations? Oh No! he spoke in the present tense; no man that was then living upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour but he did not say that there was not man through all gnerations that should not know the day or the hour.

No! for this would be in flat contradiction with other scriptures, for the prophet says that God will do nothing but what he reveal unto his servants thejprophets;

consequently if it is not made known to the prophets it will not come to pass"

Do you think Joseph was speaking as a prophet or as a man when he made that statement?

Just a little food for thought.

Watcher