Discourse 1891-05-31
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
said the Primary, the Sabbath school,
and the Mutual Improvement Associa-
tion were the three institutions estab-
lished in these mountain valleys to
prepare and qualify the rising genera-
tion for their labors for time and eter-
nity. The responsibility resting
upon our children was very great;
their position in this respect was, in a
great measure, different from the rest
of the world. They had been gathered
here to the mountains of Israel and
become associated with the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Their fathers had been called upon
during the generation that had passed
and gone to preach the Gospel to the
inhabitants of the earth; and the chil-
dren were required to follow in their
footsteps. The Elders who had gone
abroad to proclaim that Gospel had
been called largely from the mutual
improvement associations. He felt
that they were engaged in a great cause,
and would say to the teachers in these
organizations, male and female, "You
will be blessed for what you have
done." Let them not be discouraged
or weary in well doing. As they sow-
ed so would they reap. He had
watched the progress of these institu-
tions almost from their commence-
ment, and the Lord would assuredly
reward those who labored in them.
We had been informed by revelation
that whatever knowledge a man ob-
tained by his diligence and persever-
ance here in the flesh would remain
with him in the morning of the resur-
rection. It would pay any man or
woman to treasure up wisdom and un-
derstanding and do all the good he or
she could here; for we were on a mis-
sion. He prayed that all those who were
engaged in this excellent cause would
continue in their efforts, and seek to
induce others to become associated
with them. He besought them to labor
while the day lasts, for "the night
cometh when no man can work."
