The Kingdom of God, Part 1

In Short

This work is a rigorous, polemical exposition of 19th-century religious restorationism. It posits that the true "Kingdom of God" is a literal, material theocracy that vanished from the earth after the era of the ancient apostles due to human apostasy. The text serves as a manifesto demanding a return to divine governance, characterized by new revelation and the restoration of authorized priesthood offices. It remains a foundational document for understanding the specific doctrinal framework and exclusionary claims that defined the early mission and self-identity of the Latter-day Saint movement.

The Story

The narrative begins with a sweeping indictment of human history, framing the rise of all empires, republics, and secular powers as acts of open rebellion against the rightful Sovereign of the universe. The author establishes the premise that God is a literal, material being who governs through specific, divinely appointed officers. By rejecting the necessity of ongoing revelation and replacing the "true and living God" with an abstract, immaterial concept, humanity has spent the last seventeen hundred years in a "long night of darkness." Consequently, the author argues, all modern ecclesiastical authority—whether Catholic or Protestant—is entirely null and void.

The arc of the argument follows a descent from ancient order into modern chaos. Using the biblical flood as a primary historical precedent, the text warns that humanity’s recurring tendency to invent its own laws and institutions leads to divine abandonment. The author describes a God who once walked with his subjects but was forced into silence because he no longer had any legitimate representatives left on earth to converse with. This silence, the author claims, is not a sign of divine indifference but a consequence of the world’s choice to petition "imaginary gods."

The progression then shifts to a detailed breakdown of the "Kingdom of God," defined as a theocracy where the King, the laws of adoption, and the qualifications for office are fixed and immutable. The author methodically attacks the modern religious establishment, labeling their lack of revelatory calling as an "abomination." He argues that without the specific, physical laying on of hands by a person authorized through "new revelation," no ordinance—be it baptism or the sacrament—has any legal standing in the eyes of Heaven.

The climax of the argument is a direct challenge to the reader. The author declares that the hour of judgment is imminent for all unauthorized religious societies. He provides what he calls an "infallible sign" for discerning true apostles: the ability to confer the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. He claims this is a power no impostor can successfully counterfeit. The text concludes with a stark ultimatum, urging readers to abandon their current denominations immediately. He asserts that salvation is strictly tied to the kingdom’s restoration, and that any continued participation in unauthorized churches will lead to spiritual ruin, urging the reader to seek out the true, restored authorities to obtain eternal life.

How It Unfolds

The indictment of human rule The text opens by categorizing all earthly governments as illegal usurpers that reject divine law. It uses the destruction of the antediluvians as a warning that rejecting God’s chosen officers is a fatal act of rebellion.

The theological divide The author contrasts the "true and living God," who possesses a physical body and parts, against the "imaginary" god of modern theology. He argues that this philosophical shift to an immaterial deity is the root cause of God’s seventeen-hundred-year silence.

The mechanics of theocracy The work outlines seven essential subjects required for salvation, focusing on the nature of the King and the requirements for subordinate officers. It emphasizes that these roles must be filled through new, direct revelation rather than historical tradition.

The impossibility of authorized ministry The author asserts that because modern churches deny the necessity of new revelation, they possess no legal right to administer ordinances. He frames all modern baptisms as void, effectively casting current religious institutions as illegitimate impostors.

The final call to action The conclusion provides a standard for identifying true messengers: the manifest power to confer the Holy Ghost. It directs the reader to flee their current faith communities to avoid impending divine judgment.

The People

The Great King serves as the central, albeit distant, figure. Described as a corporeal, intelligent being who occupies space and possesses passions, he is the only source of legal authority. His absence—the "profound silence"—is the driving conflict of the work.

Modern Church Leaders are cast as the primary antagonists. Whether they are kings, presidents, or clergy, the author views them as usurpers. They are depicted as individuals who have substituted divine revelation with human tradition and have mistakenly invented a "bodiless" god to justify their lack of spiritual power.

The Ancient Apostles represent the gold standard of authority. They are presented not as historical relics, but as the only authorized agents who possessed the two distinct powers required for ministry: the ability to perform miracles and, crucially, the ability to "administer the Spirit."

The Reader is treated as a soul in immediate peril. The author addresses this person directly, acting as a guide through the "night of darkness." The reader is expected to move from a state of misguided worship to an enlightened recognition of the "true" theocracy. The reader’s ultimate transformation requires them to renounce their former affiliations and submit to the restored, authorized priesthood.

In Its Own Voice

"Any people attempting to govern themselves by laws of their own making, and by officers of their own appointment, are in direct rebellion against the kingdom of God."

This statement sets the author’s fundamental premise that secular law is inherently inferior to divine theocracy.

"No person was ever authorized to act in the name of the Lord, unless called by new revelation."

The author uses this standard to invalidate the authority of all historical and contemporary Christian denominations.

"The reason, then, why the people have not received any word from the Great King, is because they have petitioned the wrong god."

This line encapsulates the author’s argument that the theological shift toward an immaterial deity resulted in the loss of direct divine communication.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an argument for the necessity of an unbroken, visible chain of authority that originates from direct, ongoing communication with a physical Deity. It challenges the legitimacy of the entire post-apostolic religious landscape, arguing that without new revelation, religious practice is merely "a solemn mockery." The central question is one of legality: who has the right to act in the name of God? By framing the kingdom as a literal, material government rather than a metaphor, the author insists that salvation is a procedural matter—you must be brought into the correct legal entity by authorized officers, or you remain outside the jurisdiction of divine salvation.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of ideas will find this book an invaluable, unfiltered look at the sharp, uncompromising rhetoric that fueled 19th-century religious movements. It is a bracing, highly articulate example of the "restorationist" mindset, which views the intervening centuries of religious history not as a development, but as a total collapse of divine order.

However, modern readers may find the tone jarring. The author’s aggressive dismissal of all other Christian traditions as "idolatrous" or "atheistic" is confrontational, reflecting the intense sectarian climate of his time. The prose is dense, moving from high-level theological assertions to detailed, almost technical discussions of "materiality" and "parts." It is not a book for those seeking gentle spiritual encouragement; it is an analytical, argumentative document written with the absolute certainty of a polemicist. Those who appreciate a clear, rigorous—if highly exclusionary—argument will find much to study here. It remains a stark reminder of how language and doctrine were used to forge a distinct, separate identity in the face of a world the author believed had lost its way. It is a demanding read, but one that provides a clear window into the uncompromising convictions of its era.