17^th I spent the day in the office on the History of the Twelve &
found great difficulty in obtaining any thing for the History of
those who had apostitized. I attended the meeting of the Bishops
Bishop Hunter spoke & said he wished the clerk to keep a strict
Account of their meetings as it would make a good History He
councilled the Bishops to finish the canal & do all that is required of
them. Joseph Young spoke said that was the first time that He ever
attended a Bishops meeting in his life He spoke vary well I followed
him The following is a Brief synopsis of my remarks I said I felt
to say a few words we have had a good exertation from Brother Joseph
Young He said some had thought that we should have the privilege of
coming to thes vallies & setting down & resting but he thought that we had
as much to do as ever I think so to I am thoroughly converted to
the faith that we shall never arive at that period of existance when
we shall not have sumthing to do I believe our work will increase
throughout all Eternity though we may not have to gain our bread
by the sweat of our brow neither shall we always have to cultivate
the soil in the midst of thornes & briers. Our Father in Heaven is
always busy his kingdom & works are increaseing & I believe it
will be the same with us throughout all Eternity if we are saved. There
is another subject which I wish to speak of. Brother Hunter said that
He wanted the clerk to keep a record of their meetings as it would
make a good History this is a subject I have always felt interested
in & as there are many branches in the kingdom of God so their should
be some persons engaged in each branch I have often spoken upon
this subject & I have often thought that to many it was dry and
uninteresting to many I mean the subject of Journal writing & keeping
a history of what transpires with us from day to day. I was deeply
impressed with the importance of this subject to day while reading the History
of the organization of the quorum of the Twelve and the remarks of the
Prophet Joseph upon the subject. He said -["I have for myself learned a fact
by experience which on reflection gives me much sorrow. It is a truth
that if I now had in my possession evry decission which has been given
upon important items of Doctrin & duties since the rise of this Church
they would be of incalculable worth to the saints but we have neglected
to keep a record of such things thinking perhaps that they never
benefit us afterwords which had we now would decide almost

any point that might be agitated and now we cannot bear record
to the Church nor unto the world of the great & glorious manifestation
that have been made to us with that degree of power and authority
which we otherwise could if we had those decissions to publish abroad
Since the Twelve are now chosen I wish to tell them a course
which they may persue & be benefited here after in a point of light
of which they perhaps are not now aware. At all times when
you assemble in the capacity of a council to transact business let the
oldest of your Number preside & let one or more be appointed to keep
a record of your procedings & on the decission of evry important
item let it be what it may let such decission be noted down and
they will ever after words remain upon record as LAW covenants
& doctrin. Questions thus deci[d]ed might at the time appear unimportant
but should they be recorded & one of you lay hands upon them after
words you might find them of infinate worth not ownly to your
brethren but a feast also to your own souls"

"Should you assemble from time to time & procede to discuss import-
ant (subjects) or questions & pass decissions by & by upon them &
omit to record such decisions by & by you will be driven to straits
from which you will not be able to extricate yourselves & not being
in a situation to bring your faith to bear with sufficient perfection
or power to obtain the desired information. Now in consequence of
a neglect to write these things when God revealed them not essteeming
them of sufficient worth the spirit may withdraw & God may be angry
and here is a fountain of intelligence or knowledge of infinate
importance which is lost. what was the cause of this the answer
is slothfulness or a Neglect to appoint a man to occupy a few moments
in writing" " Here Let me prophesy the time will come when if
you neglect to do this you will fall by the Hands of unrighteous men
were you to be brought before the authorities and accused of any crime
or misdemienor and be as innocent as the angels of God unless you can
prove that you were some whare els your enemies will prevail against
you but if you can bring Twelve men to testify that you were in some
other place at that time you will escape there hands now if you
will be careful to keep minutes of these things as I have said it
will be one of the most important & interesting records ever seen
I have now laid these things before you [for] your consideration and you
are left to act according to your own Judgment"]- (See record of the
Twelve Historians office) ^and History of the Church February 1835^ I have thus refered to sume of the words of
Joseph to the Twelve Apostles at their organization. This shows the
feelings of the Prophet Joseph upon this subject I have had this
same subject upon my mind ever since I have been a member
of the Church I have been inspired & moved upon to keep a Journal
& write the affairs of this Church as far as I can I did not understand
why my feelings was exercised so much in the early age of this Church
but I understand it now I seldom ever heard Brother Joseph or the
Twelve preach or teach any principle but what I felt as uneasy as
a fish out of water untill I had written it then I felt right I
could write a sermon of Josephs a week after it was delivered almost
word for word & after it was written it was taken from me or from
my mind this was a gift from God unto me and I have kept a
Journal of almost evry day of my life for the last 24 years I could
tell each day what I had done, what company I was in & what
was transpiring around me and any teachings or councils from the
presidency of the Church except whare I knew that reporters had

written there discourses & I have urged this same course upon the Twelve
& all the corums of the Church to keep a record of there meetings & the
dealings of God with them & for all men who bear the Priesthood
to keep a record of their lives esspecially of all their official acts in
the Church & kingdom of God. You may say that this is a great deal
of trouble vary well it has been to me in one sens it has occupied
nearly evry leasure moment of my time for 24 years but what of it
I have never spent any of my time more profitably for the benefit of
manking [mankind] than in my Journal writing for a great portion of the Church
History has been compiled from my Journals & some of the most glorious
gGospel sermons truths & revelations that were given from God to this people
through the mouth of the Prophets Joseph, Brigham, Heber & the Twelve could
not be found upon the Earth on record ownly in my Journals & they are
compiled in the Church History & transmitted to the saints of God in
all future generations does not this pay me for my trouble it does in
many instances in this Church men have been appointed clerks
to write for the Church they have kept the records instead of
delivering them to the President of the Church whare they belonged & some
they would appostitize then they would insult the Church by offer-
ing to sell them their own records at an enormous price. I have
deposited my records & Journals in the Historians office whare I
hope they may do some good. We have had a vary interesting
time this winter during the referamation among the Latter day saints
the spirit & power of God has been poured out in a wonderful
manner & many glorious truths have been revealed through
the presidency Twelve & others & in the various quorums meeting
now should not their be a record kept of these things in the comm-
encement of these meeting the clerks took quite full reports
but thinking it to much trouble they now take them vary short &
we can hardly get an outline of the real facts of our meetings
& the power of God & the dealings of God with us evry man should
write a brief history of his life his parentage, His birth his
religion when he was baptized & by whom when ordained what
to & by [w]home give a brief sketch of all his missions & of all his
official acts & the dealings of God with him then if He was to
die & the Historians wished to publish his history they would
have sumthing to go by Many may think this a dry subject
& unimportant but it is not so to me I am now trying to
get up a history of the Twelve Apostles as first organized
half of them are now out of the Church & scarsly any record
left whareby I can get a correct knowledge of their ministry
or work & some of those who remain & are labouring to
build up the kingdom of God have not kept a record of
their missions ministry official acts & decission upon important
subjects & the gifts graces & dealings of God with them sufficient to
give a true & corret History of their lives their are but
few aside from the presidency of this Church who feel the import-
ance of this subject sufficient to put it in practice. It may be
considered by some not important to write or keep a record of our
work or the work of God but I believe it is otherwise the Prophets
would not have been moved upon to exhort us to faithfulness upon
this subject the Lord has told us that what we seal on Earth shall
be sealed in heaven & what we record on Earth shall be recorded
in heaven & what is not sealed or recorded on Earth is not sealed

or recorded in heaven therefore it appears to be vary important
that we do keep a true & faithful record in all things. while walking
in a rapid stream we cannot tread twice in the same water neither
can we spend twice the same time when we pass out of that
door the work of this meeting will be closed to us forever we shall
never spend the time of this evening again then should we not keep
a record of our work teachings & council which we give in this
meeting we should. again Elders go forth upon missions to the
Nations of the Earth the[y] have to enter into a regular warfare the
Lord pours out his Holy Spirit upon them & they war with the world
the flesh, & the Devil, with kings, princes, Lords, Presidents & rulers
He is cast into prision the Lord delivers him. The Devil enters into
some of his converts & He lays hands upon them & he cast them out,
the saints are sick & he heals them. He prophesies in the name of
the Lord & his words come to pass. Rulers declair that He shall not
preach to the people on pain of death. He preaches the word of God &
many believe obey & rejoice in the Lord & he is protected by the
power of God. He goes upon the sea the storms rage & he calms
the water & wind in the name of the Lord. He is shielded & guarded
by the angels of God all the day long & he knows the power of God
is with him & reveals unto him all the evils that lie in his path
And yet he does not view thise great & important things of
value enough to make a record of them to spend a short time in
writing them & the circumstances & history of those blessings
unto him are lost both to the present & all future generation. are
these things wright I do not believe they are. I do not believe a man
is Justified in neglecting to record those things.

Now as an example should the Ten lost tribes of Israel suddenly
come pouring down upon us in the Land of Zion Led by the Holy prophets
of God what would be one of the first inquiries we should make
of them it would be whare are your records & history & the
revelations & dealings of God with you since you were lead away
under Shalmanezar king of Asyria? [2 Kings 17] O do let me see them &
read them & do let me [read] the Journal of your travels from the
North country to Our land of Zion & what would be our disappo-
intment should the prophets & Elders say O we have not got any
history of the dealings of God with us nor any Journal of our
travels we used to hear our Fathers say that there hath been
great & mighty things done in the Land whare we lived the savior
come & taught great & marvellous things & we had a glorious time
in coming here we smote the rocks & the mighty mountains of Ice
fell down with a great noise & great miriacles were wrought but
our Fathers had so much to do & we have had so much to do that we never
had any time to write any thing about it & we did not think that
any body would have any interest in it but ourselves & so we did
not write. would we not be awfully disappointed we should & so
with them should they ask for our records & say that Jesus & the Angels
had told th us that you was building up Zion & doing a great work
in the Earth & that great & glorious things were revealed unto you
& we now wish to read these things & should we tell them that we had
done as they had that we had not kept a record of any of these things
they would be like ourselves much disappointed, but if they & ourselves
should both keep a strict record of all that is useful then it would
add great Joy to both them & us. Then let us lay these things to heart
& keep a true & faithful record that we may be Justified befor God