March 12th 1854 In company with Levi Richards &
G. A. Smith I called upon President Brigham ^Young^ at his
room as He was not able to get out
& conversed with him concerning the buriel of the corps
of President Willard Richards He Advised us to bury
him at 2 oclock I went to meeting in the morning at
the Tabernacle and Jedediah M. Grant Preached to
the people concerning executing the Law of God upon
all persons who broke their covenants.
We met at President Richards House at 2 oclock to
attend to the burial of the body of Wilard Richards
President Young was not able to be present with
us President Heber C Kimball took charge of the ceremony
G. A. Smith made the Prayer. He prayed earnestly
for President Young Heber C Kimball & the Person who
should be chosen as the successer of Willard Richards
Also for the Twelve Aposthes that they might prove
true to their integrity as brother Richards had done
even to the end He prayed for his wives & children that
the spirit of willard might rest upon his oldest son Heber
John that He might stand at the Head of his fathers House
in dignity & honour He prayed for all his brothers & sisters
might that they all might carry out the counsel of their
father He prayed for all the relatives of Brother Richards
& in fine for all the Church & kingdom of God
Elder Watt reported his prayer so I do not enter into the
particulars of it. At the close of the prayer the p[r]ossesion
was formed Brother Kimball & Bishop Partridge Whitney
Hunter walked forward of the corps & the quorum
of the Twelve Aposthes walked by the side of the corps
& the wives & children & relatives followed the corps
& the p[r]ossession formed behind them & while going to
the grave two bands of music played a solom death
march after the corps was lowerd into the vault Elder
Orson Hyde deliverd a short addresse upon the occasion
& the remarks were vary appropriate He said he was the
first person that had died a Natural death either from
the first Presidency or quorum of the Twelve Apostles
all that had died before had been martered & that Broth-
er Richards was in Jail with Joseph & Hiram when they
were martered He said Brother Richard had prove himself
true & faithful untill death He was a man of the strictest
integrity & had now gone home to meet Joseph & Hiram
[on] the other side of the veil. many good remarks were made
upon the occasion & reported by brother Watt. While the
remarks were being made the times which I had spent
with Brother Richads in a foreign country came to my
mind & I felt solumn & lonesome under it. After the
burial I called upon the family & conversed with them
I Attended the prayer meeting with the Twelve & then with
with Brother Kimball & Franklin Richards to Dr Richards
House & spent the evening with the family & Brother Kimball
conversed with them till 9 oclok & gave them much
counsel the following are some of the sentimts & council given
He said that He believed that the Saints [on] the other side of the veil
in the spirit world are gathered together the same as they are in
this life while the world are scattered over the earth ofter death the
same as they are now and in the same confusion & that their would
be head quarters of the gathering whare they would send out messengers
to preach the gospel to the spirits in prision He advised the family
all to hold together & remain as they were on his inheritants &
not marry again but to keep themselves for him & to be united
together & assist each other all they can
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