ELDER W. WOODRUFF Said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized 52 years ago, on the 6th of last April, and since that time it has furnished a grand school for the Elders of Israel to be educated in, not only in doctrine but in the principles of government. The Priesthood is one of the most delicate and important gifts that was ever conferred upon man on the earth. There are many called and but few chosen. Many have been called not only to the Aaronic but the Melchisedec Priest- hood. The Prophet Joseph organ- ized the Church in 1830 and the world have been afraid of it ever since. He organized it by revela- tion. He had no power to accom- plish what he did except on the principle of revelation. The inspi- ration of Almighty God is the only power by which any of us in our day can do anything towards the building up of the kingdom of God[.] All that was ever spoken and placed on record by the ancient prophets and patriarchs was under the influ- ence of the Holy Ghost, and all their prophecies, if they are not ful- filled, will be fulfilled in the due time of the Lord. Adam spoke by the Holy Ghost, and his words will be accompiished. God will not dis- appoint the expectations of His Saints. He has set His hand to carry out the great programme of the iast days. The nearer we got to the Lord the more faith we have, and the farther we are off from Him the less our faith will be and the more likely we are to go into darkness. It requires faith in God to endure the tribulations through which the Saints are called to pass and to believe that all things will be fulfilled spoken of by the Prophets. There are tens of thous- ands who know that this is the work of God. There is no power beneath the heavens that can prevent the purposes of God being accomplished; What is the matter with the world and the cause of its opposition to this work? It simply arises from the fact that God has set His hand to build up His kingdom and that is the reason why the ministers of re- ligion and others fight it as they have done from the beginning. He then testified to the good counsel that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young had always given to him and to others. He testified that neither President Young nor any of the leaders of the people had anything to do in the massacre at Mountain Meadows, but he heard the report of John D. Lee who never intimated that he had taken any part in the dreadful deed, and he also heard President Young con- demn the act and express deep sor- row that so much innocent blood had been shed in this Territory. The Elders of Israel have never been in- structed to take life or the property of others but to become saviors of men upon Mount Zion, and they had never been counseled to do any act which would not bear the light of heaven and the records of the earth. Elder Woodruff spoke of the pow- er and influence of tradition with which so many of our people have had to contend. The God of heaven looks to the Elders of this people to aid and assist Him in carrying out his purposes. The Elders should be awake to the responsibilities that rest upon them at the present time. He referred to many of the sayings of the Prophet Joseph and the reve- lations that came through him. If we did not build up this kingdom we should be rejected ourselves. He had no doubt about the ultimate triumph of this work, neither had he any doubt about the fulfillment of these revelations that God has given through His servants in these days. He spoke of the new birth of all who embrace the Gospel, which takes away the fear of death. He also related a few incidents in his own experience. The work that the Elders of this church are called to perform is such that if faithfully done, will entitle them to glory, honor and immortality in the world to come. He then spoke with regret of the course our Government is now tak- ing in sowing seeds that will bring a harvest of trouble, and if they did not repent, they would reap anguish and death. Referring to the in- crease of evil in the world, he said he was 20 years old before there ever was a murder committed in the State where he was born, and now every daily paper teems with the re- cital of every kind of evil commit- ted in the land. He exhorted all to faithfulness, and prayed that the Spirit of God may be with the Elders of Israel during the Confer- ence.