An Email Exchange With My Stake President

Here are some emails I exchanged with my home-ward stake president. Sorry for my horrific writing skills. I hope it's coherent:

4/15/15

President ------,

Hi, how are you? I remember a conversation we once had where you were explaining to me that there can be no more dispensations of the gospel because we are in the "last dispensation". I think my last stake president in the singles ward had a similar conversation with me.

I was reading in the book "Words of Joseph Smith" which is just a consolidation of all of the unedited/in their original un-spell corrected from Nauvoo era discourses, letters, etc. and I came across this passage from a talk that Joseph gave October 5, 1840(ten years after the church was established and over four years after Elijah came to the Kirtland temple in 1836) which says:

"Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of this priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and delive[r] the Keys of this priesthood in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness. <It is true that the Savior had authority and power to bestow this blessing <but the Sons of Levi were too predjudi[ced]>>
And I will send Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord &c &c." (Joseph Smith Papers Project;http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/instruction-on-priesthood-5-october-1840?p=17&highlight=keys%20of%20this%20priesthood)

The part that caught my attention what the part that talks about how Elijah WILL come BEFORE the last dispensation which hasn't happened yet if Joseph is saying this in 1840. It is just interesting to me that Joseph speaks in a future tense after the revelation of Elijah in 1836 and after he had clearly received a dispensation of the gospel years previous.

This says to me that Elijah still needs to come to do a work, and that the "last dispensation" maybe hasn't happened yet.

I looked on LDS.org for quotes and sources where Joseph called his dispensation the last dispensation and the only thing I could find was a quote from section 112:30 which says:

"For unto you, the Twelve, and those, the First Presidency, who are appointed with you to be your counselors and your leaders, is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fulness of times"

It doesn't call it the last dispensation, but "the dispensation of the fulness of times"

And then the only other quote I found was from the song "Praise to the Man" but that was written after Joseph died and he had no hand in it.

I guess I am just wondering what your thoughts are on that. It would seem that there actually might be another dispensation of the gospel.

I hope that the email makes sense and I a sorry for my lack of articulation.

I hope you are well and miss being in the Bountiful stake.

Best wishes,

Chris Park

4/15/15

Hello Chris,

Good to hear from you. All is well for me and my family.

I would be happy to share my thoughts with you. It may take a week or so as I am buried with work and committed to a youth training on the 25th which I am not as prepared as I would like to be. However, I will get back with you shortly after that.

Thanks

President ------

4/15/15

No problem. Thank you for being so quick to respond!

Thanks,

Chris Park

5/19/15

Chris,

I hope all is well. Thanks for allowing me to take care of some matters before responding to your email.

I would share two thoughts with you. When the Aaronic priesthood was restored Joseph was told that it would not be taken from the earth “until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness”. This would indicate to me that this dispensation of the fullness of time was here to stay.

Also, in a revelation about the sacrament the prophet was instructed by Jesus Christ that He will partake of the sacrament with Joseph Smith, Moroni, Elias, and others which include Peter, James and John. The Savior also reminds Joseph that it is by them that he was ordained an apostle. And that the keys of His kingdom were committed to Joseph for this “dispensation of the gospel for the last time; and for the fullness of times”. (D&C 27:13)

So from these I feel that our understanding that this dispensation of the fullness of time is the last dispensation.

I have faith that Jesus Christ is leading His Church and I trust in his ways.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my simple understanding with you.

Sincerely,

President ------

5/31/15

Heya President,

I guess I get what you're saying about the Aaronic priesthood (D&C 13 right?), but that priesthood is not the "fullness of the priesthood"(D&C 112:30) so I have a hard time equating "fullness of times" with "lesser priesthood". John had the lesser priesthood to baptize and preach repentance, but it was not until Jesus came with the fullness that all the authority was there.

Also, referring back to my last email, Joseph Smith equated the Spirit of Elijah with the higher, or Melchizedek priesthood (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 337). Joseph said in 1843 that Elijah was yet to come before the last dispensation. Would this not suggest that the Melchizedek priesthood will come, or be dispensed, again with Elijah, even if we believe it is already here?

As for what your second point suggests, I looked at the scriptures and at the History of the Church version of that revelation. When you quoted it, there was an "s" missing at the end of the word "times". Your reply read, “dispensation of the gospel for the last time" rather than the original "dispensation of the gospel for the last times". Before the portion you quoted there is an "a". All together it reads "a dispensation of the gospel for the last times". This suggests to me that it was only "a" dispensation that is for the "last times" rather than "the last dispensation". Going back to my original email, Joseph saying that this is the last dispensation is nowhere to be found in either church history or in the scriptures.

I guess I am just having a hard time reconciling these things. What do you think?

Thank you very much for your response, it got me thinking and searching for more.

Chris Park

6/1/15

Christopher,

Sorry about not properly quoting the scripture as I was hurrying to reply and get back to work.

I don’t think there is anything I can say to make it a black or white point of doctrine. I know that we do not have a full and complete written history off all Joseph Smith taught. But we do have those that lived with him and were taught by him personally and many of those people came west following Brigham Young and other Church leaders who continued to teach what Joseph taught as well as the revelations they received from God.

I believe that we have had continued prophets on the earth leading the church of Jesus Christ under His (Christ’s) direction. I believe the principle of line upon line, precept upon precept and have seen this in the Church and in my own life. So if a prophet tells me this is the last dispensation, I am going to believe him.

I guess this is the best answer my simple faith can give you. I hope you can find an answer that can build your faith.

Sincerely,

President ------

6/5/15

President,

Thank you for your insight. I understand where you are coming from I think, but if later leaders say that this is the last dispensation when Joseph said there would still be another, who is right? Can one president simply discount Joseph's words when God said that this generation will have His(God's) words through Joseph(D&C 5:10)?

I know that Spencer Kimball called some of Brigham's teaching's "false doctrine" and presidents have discounted each other since, but I feel like Joseph actually knew what he was saying, rather than just theorizing, because of visions and visitations from God and angels, whereas Brigham Young and those after never had seen the Lord and been taught by Him. Heber J Grant said himself in a letter to one sister:

"Dear Sister:

Answering your letter of the 12th.

I know of no instance where the Lord has appeared to an individual since His appearance to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Sincerely your brother,

[signed] Heber J. Grant"

(Heber J. Grant, letter to Mrs. Claud Peery, April 13, 1926, typescript in Lester Bush papers, University of Utah Archives.)

So would those after Joseph have the right to claim things about him that he never claimed about himself if they never had this authoritative learning from the Lord?

I think if we are going to learn the truth we ought to listen to President Joseph F. Smith's advice that, "We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man's doctrine." and ask if the scriptures and the man who brought them forth are saying that he brought forth the "final" or "last" dispensation. Right?

What are your thoughts?

I am always grateful for your answers as they send me to God seeking for the truth.

Thanks

Chris

-------------------------------------------------

Now, I'll admit, I was baiting a little with that last email. I didn't understand how all that could be said was "follow the prophet" when we had this very interesting conversation material to pick up on. So, to my stake president I say sorry for baiting. He never responded after that last email. To everyone else, open up your eyes. These things at important.