Curious workmanship

And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. (1 Nephi 16:10)

And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. (1 Nephi 18:1)

27 And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship. (Ether 10:27)

11 And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich. (Helaman 6:11)

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 And it seems their religion and worship was exceeding pompous, tending much to please a vain carnal mind, that savors the things of men more than the things of God. King Ahaz was greatly taken with the curious fashion and workmanship of the altar he saw there, and he sent to Urijah the priest a pattern of it, that he might make one like it in the courts of God's house, and chose rather to offer his sacrifices on this new altar than on the altar of the Lord 

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gg. RELIGION.

'Tis most certain that God did not create the world for nothing. 'Tis most certain that if there were not intelligent beings in the world, all the world would be without any end at all. For senseless matter in whatever excellent order it is placed, would be useless if there were no intelligent beings at all, neither God nor others; for what would it be good for? So certainly, senseless matter would be altogether useless if there was no intelligent being but God, for God could neither receive good himself nor communicate good. What would this vast universe of matter, placed in such excellent order and governed by such excellent rules, be good for, if there was no intelligence that could know anything of it? Wherefore it necessarily follows that intelligent beings are the end of the creation, that their end must be to behold and admire the doings of God, and magnify him for them, and to contemplate his glories in them.

Wherefore religion must be the end of the creation, the great end, the very end. 

[Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God. (2 Nephi 2:12)]

If it were not for this, all those vast bodies we see ordered with so excellent skill, so according to the nicest rules of proportion, according to such laws of gravity and motion, would be all vanity, or good for nothing and to no purpose at all. For religion is the very business, the noble business of intelligent beings, and for this end God has placed us on this earth. If it were not for men, this world would be altogether in vain, with all the curious workmanship of it and accoutrements about it.

It follows from this that we must be immortal. The world had as good have been without us, as for us to be a few minutes and then be annihilated—if we are now to own God's works to his glory, and only glorify him a few minutes, and then be annihilated, and it shall after that be all one to eternity as if we never had been, and be in vain after we are dead that we have been once; and then, after the earth shall be destroyed, it shall be for the future entirely in vain that either the earth or mankind have ever been. The same argument seems to be used, Isaiah 45:17–18. See No. 1292.

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199. GOD'S EXISTENCE.

The existence of our own souls, which we know more immediately than anything, is an argument of exceeding glaring evidence for the existence of a God. Our souls were not always, but they are wonderful beings, certainly exceeding in contrivance everything that is seen or can be seen with eyes. They are pieces of workmanship so curious, and of such amazing contrivance, that their operations infinitely exceed those of any machines that are seen.

Let us consider what has been done, and what is daily done, by human souls. What strange contrivance is this, to take in the sun moon and stars, and the whole universe, and bring all distant things together; and to make past and future things present; and to move the body after such a manner, to produce such strange effects on other souls and in the corporeal world! If our souls are material machines, certainly they are so curious, that none will deny that they are the effect of contrivance. Let them be created immediately, or let them be by propagation, the contrivance is wonderful; for what contrivance is necessary to make such machines, that will produce and propagate other such machines in an infinite succession! And if they be not material, whence are they, if not from a superior immaterial being? And if we say our souls existed from eternity, who is it orders it so, that upon every generation a soul shall be brought and united to such a parcel of matter? Or if we say our souls existed in the bodies from eternity, existing one within another in infinitum, who contrived this matter so?

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 And God hath shown a marvelous wisdom in providing for us in the make of our bodies. God saw it necessary for us in this world that we perceive things at a distance from us, and he hath contrived those wonderful organs, the eyes, which are most curious pieces of divine workmanship.

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The Image of God in the soul is the most beautifull of all the works of Creation. there is no work so excellent as that the sun moon and stars are Glorious works but not so Glorious as Gods spiritual Image. mens bodies are a Curious Pieces of workmanship far excelling all works of art as human Invention but Gods Grace in the soul is far a far more excel lent work yea tis a more excellen beautifull and Glorious work

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Daniel 2:34–35.] When God sends forth his word, when he sends forth the rod of his strength out of Zion in the latter days, God's word shall run and be glorified. And everything that stands in its way shall be broken in pieces before it, whether it be gold, or silver, or brass, or iron, or clay. However strong that is that is set up in opposition, it shall be broken in pieces. Brass and iron shall be as clay, no more able to withstand it than weak clay. And however magnificent, bright, and glorious, and precious in the esteem of men, it shall be broken in pieces. 

There shall be no difference between bright and precious gold and silver, and vile clay; all shall be broken in pieces together. All alike shall become as the chaff of the summer threshing floor that the wind drives away, light and worthless, nothing accounted, scattered by a blast of wind, and trodden underfoot. 

Thus it shall be proclaimed at that time, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever" (Isaiah 40:6–8). And thus shall be fulfilled that in the Isaiah 2:12–17, and Isaiah 41:15–16, and Isaiah 64:1–2, [and] Isaiah 5:15.

Then the interest of infidelity and heresy, however strengthened by the arguments of the men of great abilities, and though mightily established, having full and strong possession, all seeming to be strong and irrefragable like iron and brass, and the curious, beautiful schemes of philosophers, which had been adorned with the greatest eloquence, and a fine style, and highly valued by the world as silver and gold, shall come to nothing, shall become as the chaf that the wind drives away.