Joseph A. Benton Journal

[upper right] Sept. 13: '57 [1857]. Sac. Sacramento

Chilⁿ [Children], 5. [centered]

Acts 10:38. [centered]

"Now God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost & with power; who went about doing good, & healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

Recapitulate. What souls are. The state they were in. What the Father of the world did for his earthly children – in sending them letters, messages, & books – prophets & teachers – & finally his Son. The Son of God came into the world.

In what condition did he find it? It was nearly all dark. The torches kindled by prophets & teachers had burnt out, or been put out & no new ones lighted. People did not like that sort of light, or they would have kept it burning. There was a great deal of learning, & a great deal of power, & a great deal of talent, in some quarters, but the mighty of the earth knew of God, nor wished to. They were resting from wars & conquests, & were waiting for something new. Some in Judea were wise & knew what they were waiting for. They believed what God had promised long before – a great Deliver – & now it was time for him to appear. They were longing, & hoping, & watching. You know how people feel when they are expecting a friend soon with presents, & gifts; how they hearken, go to the window, can't sit still, can't read & compose themselves at all. So there were some looking & waiting for the Messiah to come. Part of these knew him when he came – Simeon & Anna & Alü – but others were so disappointed – he was not at all the sort of person they thought they should see. They expected a prince, & here was a beggar, almost. So many would not believe he was the Messiah; he did not seem to them like the Son of God. So he found the world, generally, dark & ignorant; & of those who know something about him, most were unwilling to have anything to do with him, & lent him no help.

[upper left corner] 2.

2. Was he fitted to serve the world? You might think it unreasonable for people to reject help when offered to them. Drowning man rejecting the arm, bec. [because] not the sort of person he expected. Starving people refusing food bec. [because] sent them by a servant – so like themselves. C. [Christ] was not a prince of the world – had no money, nor means to help mens fortunes – but men can get along without these.

The teache [teacher] may serve you, though he has no wealth nor is a prince. The Doctor may serve you though, he belongs to no royal family & comes to see you on foot. The mechanic may serve you, though he has no great fame & appears in a coarse garb. The laborer may serve you, though he makes roads about it, & does not get his name in the papers. The clergyman may serve you, though he have no great titles & is not a favorite of the powerful.

Well, the Son of God became a man in the world, & was not so very unlike the rest of men. And he was fitted to serve the world, bec. [because] he was at once, teacher & physician, mechanic & laborer, preacher & pastor – & in these, & other capacities, he was fitted to do men service. And then, humble as he was, & ready to lend help to & to associate with all classes, & full of sympathy as he was for all sorts of people – he had great resources & immense powers at his control – greater than men could wield – vaster than the world could hold. And so he was fitted to be of great service to the world – to all that resorted to him – to old & young. And he cared not who came to him; if only they would trust him & love him. He was anointed with the Holy G. [Ghost] & with power, & so he was fitted to serve the world.

[upper right corner] 3.

3 What was it that he tried to do? Why, the will of Him that sent him. And that will was that he should lose more that were given him – i.e. [in other words] – that he should save all that w'd [would] come unto him. He tried to get the world to believe him – to believe that he was God's Son, that he came on purpose to save them – & that he was able to save them. He tried this all the time, & everywhere he could go, & among all sorts of persons whom he could get access to.

He tried to obtain their confidence in order to save them; not from all trouble, labor, & sorrow in this world; not from all sickness, pain, & death – he could promise; not deliverance from all these evils at once – but help in bearing them. He tried to save them from a great of misery & wretchedness in this world, by saving them from sinning; & from the woes of the lost in the next world, by procuring for them reconciliation.

He tried to bring about a reconciliation. There you have it all. The Father is displeased – the children are estranged, they are sullen & gloomy & unwilling. So you have seen children, it maybe, not loving their father – have done wrong to him – he is in the right – but they don't like to confess – they want much persuading before they will go & frankly own up, & ask to be restored to father's favor.

C. [Christ] came to try to induce men to return to God & be reconciled. Did not try any artifices, or deceits. He attempted to heal the brach [breach] by Heaving it as it was – & leading the party that was in the wrong to own that they were to blame. You know there is always the difficulty. If such as are in the wrong, & sometimes both are – would own up them could no long quarrels.

[upper right corner] 4

4. How did he attempt all this? Had a way of course – & one of his own – & one that was wise & good – good as could be. And his way was, as in text, who went about doing good &c. [et cetera]. He brought his credentials with him from heaven; showed his papers; showed that he was entitled to a hearing, to respect, to esteem. His papers = testimonials were chiefly his miracles & wonders – which showed that he came from God, & that God was with him. Many acknowledged that he was from God. Some who would not admit this, tried to say that he was from Beelzebub. Some, a glutton & a winebibber. Some, friend of publicans & sinners. So there was a variety of opinions. But, in general, it was admitted that he did good. He showed men how to be good; & how to be useful. In this way he gained their confidence, then their love, then their obedience, then their faith in his doctrines, & then their hope in him as the anointed of God, & the Savior of the world. He drew man to him, & then he led them toward God for reconciliation. All knew that he was the Friend of God, & when he convinced men he was their friend – he was the known friend of both parties, & could reconcile them. To show himself Friend of God & friend of Sinners – that was his way; & then to assure all that God was able & willing to forgive & save, all that would be friends to himself, & willing to follow him.

1 God has been more than a father to the world.

2 The world has a blessed Redeemer.

3 Children have a kind & faithful Friend.

[upper right] Nov. 8, 1857. Sac. Sacramento

Chilⁿ [Children] 6. [centered]

Matt [Matthew] 19 – 13. [centered]

"Then were brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them & pray. And the disciples rebuked them. 14. But Jesus said, "Suffer &c. [et cetera]."

Recapitulate from the preceding pages, i.e. [in other words], – the latest ones. 1. Jesus was in the world, to save it. It was no easy thing – the world – i.e. [in other words] – the people – were in such a bad way. So full of their own schemes – so in love with earthly horrors & pleasures – that it was not easy to get them to think of heaven, & preparation for it. And it very much so now. Men don't quite forget there is a heaven, but they imagine one they are going to; & when you inquire into it, you find it's a heaven a good deal like the earth, into which they will enter & take all this world with them, pretty much.

But Jesus told of a diff. [different] heaven – one for wh. [which] they must be ready to give up all the follies of this world – & you may be sure most of them didn't like it. So of course they didnt [didn't] prepare for it, & never got there. Men don't go to places they don't like, in any world; & C. [Christ] don't drive people to heaven like cattle; but he invites them, urges them, to follow him & get there. They can do as they will about following him. He tells us what he came to do – what we have to do – what troubles are in the way – he is honest & plain with us – & then he asks if we are willing just to keep in sight of him, & go safely to his Fathers [Father's] house in the heavens. And if any of we get to those blessed mansions it will bec. [because] he found us out, & requested us to go with him.