Discourse 1892-04-05
the Tabernacle on the evening of Tues-
day, April 5th. It was probably the
largest gathering of the kind that has
ever convened in the history of the
Church in this dispensation. The
speakers were, in the order in which
they addressed the assembly: Presi-
dent Joseph F. Smith, President
George Q. Cannon and President
Wilford Woodruff. Much valuab[l]e in-
struction was embodied in their re-
marks.
President Wilford Woodruff
said in substance: If there is any scene
on the face of this earth that will at-
tract the attention of the God of
heaven and the heavenly host, it is the
one before us today—the assembling of
this people, the shout of "Hosanna,"
the laying of the top stone of this tem-
ple in honor to our God. My brethren,
sisters and friends, we want to finish
this Temple; we want to dedicate it un-
to God as soon as we can, so that the vast
host who dwell in this region of
country may go into it and attend to
the ordinances for their living and for
their dead. I hope we shall all lay
this to heart and try to furnish means
so far as we can, in order that the
building may be speedily completed.
We are able, as a people, to do this. I
realize that there are many calls upon
the Latter-day Saints for the work and
purposes of the Church and kingdon of
God upon the earth; but this work now
before us is a most important event—
the most important that we have upon
our hands. I well remember the day
and the hour when this first
revelation for the redemption
of our dead was received by the mouth
of the Prophet of God. Who can com-
prehend this? Where is the man or
woman who can comprehend this
principle, that we have the power to
go into these Temples of our God and
redeem our progenitors—our fathers
and our mothers, from whom we have
descended? They never heard the
Gospel; they never enjoyed the bless-
ings which you and I have in our day
and time through the mercy of
God. We are their posterity. They
are on the other side of the vail, shut
up in prison, and will remain there
