Discourse 1895-03-10
President Woodruff believed he knew
Brother Smoot as well as any man
living. The Gospel had gathered as
great men as ever lived, and Brother
Smoot was one of them. President
Woodruff then spoke to detail of his
early acquaintance with Brother
Smoot, when they traveled together in
the missionary field in Tennessee and
Kentucky. They had gone together
to Kirtland and the Prophet Joseph
had become acquainted with Brother
Smoot. At one time in Kirtland only
two of the quorum of Apostles stood
by the Prophet; the others, who
were dis[a]ffected, called upon the
speaker and Brother Smoot to
join them in opposing the Prophet,
but it had no effect upon them
because they knew that Joseph was a
Prophet of God, and they warned
those Apostles that if they did not
repent they would go to perdition.
Brother Smoot had power given him
to guide and control; he walked
straight forward in the path of duty,
from which he never wavered. He
was an affectionate man to his family
and friends, and it was impossible to
keep from sorrowing to an extent at
his departure, but the speaker did not
[f]eel to mourn at the death of any
Latter-day Saint. He felt to thank
God for such a man as President Smoot;
it would not be a great time before
the grave will give up its dead
and Brother Smoot will stand at the
head of his family organization. Presi-
dent Woodruff was glad to be able to
attend the funeral, and had a great de-
sire to have visited Brother Smoot be-
fore his death but was unable to do so.
