- Spirits Given Bodies to Defend against Power of Darkness — William P. McIntire (January 19, 1841)
- Spirits Equipped with Bodies to Protect against Stronger Spirits — William P. McIntire (January 19, 1841)
- Power of the Resurrection Enables Ascendancy over Disembodied Spirits — Franklin D. Richards (May 21, 1843)
- Power Can and Should Be Exercised — Willard Richards (May 21, 1843)
Spirits Given Bodies to Defend against Power of Darkness — William P. McIntire (January 19, 1841)
Joseph said that before foundation of the Earth in the Grand Counsel that the Spirits of all Men ware subject to opression & the express purpose of God in Giveing it a tabernicle was to arm it against the power of Darkness — for instance Jesus said Get behind me Satan Also the apostle said Resist the Devil & he will flee from you.
Account of Meeting, circa 19 January 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire, p. 7, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Spirits Equipped with Bodies to Protect against Stronger Spirits — William P. McIntire (January 19, 1841)
God saw that those intelegences had Not power to Defend themselves against those that had a tabernicle therefore the Lord Calls them togather in Counsel & agrees to form them tabernicles so that he might Gender the Spirit & the tabernicle togather so as to create sympathy for their fellowman— for it is a Natureal thing with those spirits that has the most power to bore down on those of Lesser power so we see the Devil is without a tabernicle & the Lord as set bo[u]nds to all Spirits & hence Come the Saying Jesus thou son of David why art thou Come to torment us before the time, & Jesus Comanded him to Come out of the Man & the Devil besought him that he might Enter in a herd of swine Near by (for the Devil knew they were a Coveitous people & if he Could Kill their Hogs that would Drive Jesus out of their Coasts & he then would have tabernicle enough) & Jesus — permitted him to Enter into the swine.
Discourse, circa 28 March 1841, p. 18, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Power of the Resurrection Enables Ascendancy over Disembodied Spirits — Franklin D. Richards (May 21, 1843)
Salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies The 1st chap of 2d Peter is hints of things which are nowhere written. There are things which pertain to the Glory of God & heirship of God with Christ which are not written in the Bible spirits of the eternal world are diverse from each other as here in their dispositions Aspiring Ambitious &c As man is liable to enemies there as well as here it is necessary for him to be placed beyond their power in order to be saved. This is done by our taking bodies (keeping our first estate) and having the Power of the Resurrection pass upon us whereby we are enabled to gain the ascendancy over the disembodied spirits
The mortification of satan consists in his not being permitted to take a body. He sometimes gets possession of a body but when the proven authorities turn him out of Doors he finds it was not his but a stolen one.
Discourse, 21 May 1843, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards, pp. 18-20, The Joseph Smith Papers.
Power Can and Should Be Exercised — Willard Richards (May 21, 1843)
Joseph arrived . . . and after pressing his way through the crowd and getting on the stand said there were some people who thought it a terrible thing that any body should exercise a little power. & said he thought it a pity that any body should give occasion to have power exercised, and requested the people to get out of their alleys, and if they did not keep them clear he might some time run up and down & might hit some of them.— and called on Br. Morey the constable to keep the alleys clear—
Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 2, 10 March 1843–14 July 1843, p. 210, The Joseph Smith Papers.
