[Remarks made in the Adobe Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah] {Wilford Woodruff I am called upon to occupy a little time this afternoon and I believe I will take a text my text is he that walketh in the the paths of righteousness and truth hath not fellowship with the blasphemer and ungodly if you do not find it in the Proverbs of Solomon I do not know where you will yet I am satisfied that whatever path the children of men walks in whether that path be good or evil the longer a person follows it the more desire they will have to remain there in and I am perfectly satisfied that any man that serves the Lord that keeps his commandments that enjoys the Spirit of the Lord and walks in the light thereof that anything that is contrary to this is not pleasing and agreeable to him]- there is no man that enjoys the Spirit of God and is seeking to do his will that is pleased that is edified in hearing the name of God blasphemed or in associating with the society of the ungodly and those that honor not the name of the Lord]- almost every person in the world has an influence and every person is responsible not only for their own acts the influence which they present or create with their fellow men and those persons who do not keep the commandments of God and receive the gospel of Christ that do not undertake and attempt to learn the word and the gifts and blessings of the gospel of Christ those that will not receive these things will not attempt to receive them and lay them to heart study them or endeavor to obtain the blessings from them know nothing about them they do not know anything about the joy the consolation the gratification and the blessings that are received by walking in the paths of the righteous of the godly of those that keep the commandments of God and there is an influence with all men from the time they live to years of accountability to their death of good and evil with all the light of Christ enlighteneth all that cometh into the world more or less according to the position they occupy upon the face of the earth according to the amount of life light and knowledge intelligence which is presented before them and the Spirit of the Lord operates with all persons in the days of their youth whether they live under a gospel dispensation of not[.] whenever they live for instance in what is termed a civilized government or community under the laws rules and regulations of civilization they are taught for instance moral principles they are taught the moral law of ten commandments they are taught from their parents not to lie and steal and swear and do those things that are accounted]- ungodly and unholy unrighteous in the midst of society whenever parents told their children these principles they are taught in early [years] they make an impression upon their minds and as quick as children arrive at years of accountability and years of [illegible shorthand] at a very early age if they do not hear their parents swear or say any bad words when they come into society of other children they hear these things they are shocked to hear their associates swear take the name of God in vain and it is an influence upon them it makes an impression upon their minds and this is so through their whole life[.] it has always been a matter of faith with me that almost all persons in the world form their character that controls and governs their future life from the time when they are at a very early age up to the time they arrive to 18 or 20 years old[.] in their youth in their teens their minds are open like a piece of white paper to whatever impressions made upon them in early life that affect them through their life[.] you may take notice of thieves where they have been indicted throughout the world you will find that their parents were thieves and they were taught to steal in their childhood and in the days of their youth and those uncomely impressions were taught them by their parents and presented before them[.] it is seldom you will see a man that has had righteous and honest parents that have brought up their children and good lives to 18 or 20 years old that will depart from them through life and here in is where there is a great responsibility resting upon parents throughout the world in all communities and societies and especially with the Latter-day Saints now[.] I was brought up under the Blue Laws of |Connecticut where the laws the days}