Sept 7th 1851 Our general conference of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints met in the
tabernacle this day at 10 clok AM. there being presient of
the First Presidency B. Young H. C. Kimball & W. Richards of
the Quorum of the Twelve O. Hyde W. Woodruff G. A. Smith
& E. T. Benson. The first seven presidents of the Seventies
with the other Quoroms & a large congregation of Saints
President H. C. Kimball Arose & said the conference was
not for the benefit of one but for the whole. Is the store House
full of wheat is the tithing Butter & cheese brought in. some
of you will Ask can I get my Endowment but I will say not one
of you will get your endowments untill you pay your tithing
Prayer By O Hyde then singing.
President Young Arose And said as far as you can exercise patience
you should do so, we are oin comfortable circumstances & now let
us sit here & worship gGod & let our business rest & let us reflect
a little & exercise ourselves in our religion let our Houses rest &
farms & crops let the people be still & not talk in the House or about the
window. In my meditations I am like other men who reflect
And I marvel to see men so intent upon objects that
will so soon perish. How many their are here who ask the
question how long will this qConference last I want to go I cannot
stop. And others will be willing to stop & worship God some
spirits are like the troubled sea uneasy. If I could have my
wish about it I would wish such spirits to pass out of our
midst leave the congregation & let us worship in peace. We
are such an industrious people that we could not commence
conference untill Sunday. I care as little about our gardens
farms lumber &c as you do about snuffing Ashes. If you get
all the riches of the world you cannot Hold them. If you will
get the wisdom it is your privilege to possess you will know
that God cares more for you than the ravens [Luke 12:24] if you seek
the Kingdom of God & its righteousness the Lord will add
all things els that is necessary. [Matthew 6:33] Our first duty is to
provide for our families but we must take a course to accom
plish it. Fools are often rich & the wise in Begery this is the
providence of God we may be ever so rich to day we may
be beggars to morrow thise is the case with those who are Before
me let me draw the line between the Good & Evil. Have you not had
more good than Evil more than you would had if you had been in
the world more peace than in the world & happiness than in the meditation
of the things of God than in the world yes you have then shame on
the man who complains of his Hardship the worst persecutions of this
people are their best days. I went to Mo in 1834 walked 2000 miles in
70 days was so weak I could not step over the fence 3 feet High. I now
Have better Health & strength than ever before I would not give all
Geauga County for the experience I have had in 6 months. Now stay
Here dont go home untill conference Ends. Many of the Saints forget
mormonism. Any body who Enjoy the light of the revelations of
Jesus Christ must have the spirit of God the
key to mormonism
is all the truths their is All Eternity that was ever revealed or
ever will be that exhists with God Angels or men. whare shall I
go to Find truth. in Mormonism. If you get a truth any whare it
is there as that covers all truth when the light came to me
sin did not revive in me And I died but I revived & lived I
Had not consented to the death of Any good man like Stephen
as Paul did. [Acts 7:59, Acts 8:1] But let him come to Any of the churches reared
in honour to his name & the world would kill him if they could
I will ask you are you excepted [accepted] of the Father & Son you will
say I dont know, well it is because your minds are taken up with
the things of the world then let us stay here untill we do know
I Am A Mormon or what is called so And I know that Joseph
was A prophet. It was revealed to me long before his death
I always thought while reading the Bible About a prophet that I
would go around the world to see one or any man who knew things
as they were & not have to guess at them. Evry thing will have
to Bow to Mormonism or eternal light & truth we have the true
government of all the Earth I know the path this people has to walk
I am prepared for Mormonism there was no Better man
than Joseph Smith ever lived on the Earth. Hear it O ye Heavens
O ye Earth And all men this is my testimony that He is theas good a
man as ever lived save Jesus. The world will not vote for
a man because his religion governs they will not have God govern
them because of their cursed meanness But if God did not
or can not dealed out Justice & rule in righteousness who can
E T Benson spoke to edifycation said some bore record of the things
of God as they were revealed to them others believe on their testimony
the servants of God Bind & seal on Earth & it is Bound & sealed
in Heaven. I bear testimony that we have a prophet that will hold
the keys of the kingdom of God through All Eternity Also a
Patriarch both have sealed their testimony with their Blood
for the cause & kingdom of God. Mormonism is true & the keys of
the kingdom of God are with you the presidency of the Church who
now live with us And are righteous men the Twelve, High priest,
High Council, Seventies & Elders of Israel are righteous men
Joseph said we went into the little end of the Horn & came out
of the big End of the Horn. Any thing is ours if we are faithful &
do the will of the Lord.
O Hyde took the floor And said this is one of the Happiest
periods of my life. The testimony of all is good if the Brethren
who have spoken have broaken a clean loaf still I may gather
few crumbs we are living in the most important age And
when the Greatest events are to take place evry thing is on the
move the testimony of this work will go through the Earth And
the Lord will arise out of His Hiding place And reign King
of Nations As He does now king of Saints, this would destroy
all the Governments of the Earth. Do the Latter day Saints
wish the Nations of the Earth any Evil No we would save
them all if we could. But it was a mercy Anciently to cut
off the wicked from the Earth that their posterity should not
inherit the Earth to follow the wickedness of their Fathers
Gog & Magog will ere long gather to fight against the Saints of the
Lamb of God and when hope is almost fled Christ will come
and End the scenery. [Revelation 20:7-9] If a prophet has been schooled in the
society of the Gods to come to the Earth as A prophet to do a
work for the kingdom He has the power of God with him
to Help him do it the same as we ordain a man to build
up A county whare we cannot go so when A prophet
comes He comes Holding the keys of the kingdom of
God & binds & seals on Earth that which is bound & sealed
in Heaven [Matthew 18:18]
G A Smith Arose And said if I did not know the truth
I should not have taken the pains I Have to preach it to the world
and Act the part I have in it But I know that God has sent a
Prophet to us And ordained a Priesthood & set up his kingdom
on Earth And A religion that is not evry thing is nothing
Jesus broke bread & said Eat in rememberance of me [Luke 22:19] And
this do untill I come And always remember me. when Joseph was
murdered the piety of the people did not oppose His murder
when they arise will it be with white robes No but with garments
spotted with Blood of the prophets. None on the Earth Had sympa
thy but the Saints. I have been spending a time to build up a
stake in the wilderness. Why is it we have been driven
to these vallies of the mountains is it not that we may be
sheltered when the Judgments of God come on Babylon
A man should not be so taken up with his farm as to Forget
this work some will say I have done so much for this Church
that I must now do sumthing for myself there is
now many in Jackson Co who are waiting for the Saints to
come there but they will not get the Blessings those will
who have come to the Salt Lake valley this is the best way
to Heaven. Some want to go to Calafornia to get rich I
want men to go with me that want to go to meeting and
get reproof & kiss the rod I had such men with me & we
done well. I bear testimony that God is with this people
W. Woodruff Addressed the meeting & said He was much
interested & edifyed in the testimony which had been bour[n]
by the presidency & Twelve & those who had spoken President
Young had borne testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet
of God He was well qualifyed to bear testimony of him He
has been with him day & night in his public & private
councils He knows his life And He has followed close in
His footsteps He always loved him And [had] He have been
in Nauvoo at the time of his Arest He would Have stove
the Barn doors into kindling wood bwith his fist if He
could not have liberated him any other way. their
is sumthing interesting in the testimony of men the anci-
ents were martered for the testimony which they Held
which they bore of Jesus Christ so men in this day
are opposed for their testimony But I know Joseph
Smith was A prophet of God. So is Brigham Young the
mantle of Joseph rest upon him And He has power to
lead this people And my soul is filled with Joy
when He stands Here & speaks the word of the Lord &
brings forth the glorious things of the Kingdom of God
President Young said I read that when the wicked
rule the people mourn. Ask the world do the wicked rule
yes And they mourn do they seek a righteous man to
rule No if the curse ihas followed the rule of the wicked it
will follow but let them sleep on & take your rest But
we understand the Lord has rent the veil sent Angels
to us And the gospel to preached to the poor the difference
between us & the world is they say but do not nor
believe not we say & both believe & do the world spend
thousands of Dollars to preach the gospel but do not
Believe it when the Judgments of God rest upon the
wicked & they are cut off then will be the gleaning
of Grapes after the vintage is done. [Isaiah 24:13] let the righteous
reign & the righteous will rejoice in the House of Israel God
takes up the Isles as a little thing builds up & pulls down at
his pleasure And why are not the people willing He should
reign Because of their meanness some may ask do not
good man reign. I will Ask a question should An Angel
come to President Fillmore & tell him How to govern
the Nation & He was to tell of it they would shut him
up in a mad House And if God was to reveal to him
truth concerning the people & He was to tell of it the
people would kill him this is the situation of this
government the Best on Earth. But let the president
sware & take the name of God in vaine & curse God in all its
form they would let him stay with them as Hail fellows
well met And the Nations will be damned & go to Hell
who killed Joseph the state of Ill in connexion with
the Carthage Mob And the whole Government ofsustained
it & they will be damned from the President to the least
member I think no more of A King or President
than of the meanest ^poorest^ Begger the worst scoundrel
would is the most popular man in the Nation
this Nation is the first the gospel was sent unto she Has
killed the prophets that God sent unto them & their doom
will be the Neithermost Hell
W Richards says we have had much testimony to day
I will Add a few words when Hiram Smith fell in
Carthage Jail And exclaimed I am a dead man then
Joseph Smith fell dead John Taylor fell wounded I carried
him to another part of the Jail covered him up I walked
out before the people & said that Joseph & Hiram Smith
who lay before me slain were thwo of the best men that
ever lived Joseph Smith was A prophet of God & Hiram
a Patriarch two Better men never lived two Better
men God never made. Joseph was A Prophet Brigham
is as great a Prophet And He that Believeth it may be
saved & He that Believeth it not will be damned.
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I am prepared for Mormonism there was no better man than Joseph Smith ever lived on the Earth. Hear it O ye Heavens O ye Earth and all men this is my testimony that he is theas good a man as ever lived save Jesus. The world will not vote for a man because his religion governs they will not have God govern them because of their cursed meanness but if God did not or can not dealedout Justice & rule in righteousness who can
Do the Latter day Saints wish the Nations of the Earth any Evil No we would save them all if we could. But it was a mercy anciently to cut off the wicked from the Earth that their posterity should not inherit the Earth to follow the wickedness of their fathers Gog & Magog will ere long gather to fight against the Saints of the Lamb of God and when hope is almost fled Christ will come and End the scenery.
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