Lake City, Sunday, October 4th, 1896, by PREST. WILFORD WOODRUFF. -[REPORTED BY ARTHUR WINTER.]- If I ever felt thankful in my life for anything, I do this morning that I am alive, that I stand in the flesh and have again the privilege of assembling in conference. I am thankful that I have the privilege of meeting in this capacity Prophets, Patriarchs, Apostles, Elders and Latter-day Saints. For the sixty- three years of the sixty-six since the organization of the Church I have been blessed to meet, when at home, with the general conferences of the Church. I have listened to the testimony of Pro- phets and Apostles and Elders of Israel, ncluding that good and great man, the Prophet Joseph Smith, whom God raised up and appointed from before the foundation of the world to stand in the flesh in the latter days and organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to prepare the way for the com- ing of the Son of Man, to warn the whole world as far as doors should be opened, and to prepare for the great events to transpire in the generation in which we live. The testimony of the Prophet Joseph has been a strong one concerning the great and last dispensa- tion of God to man on the earth. Up- wards of eighteen hundred years have rolled away since the death of the Savior of the world and His Apostles, and the God of heaven knows what it cost the Jewish nation to shed the blood of their Savior and their Shiloh, and the blood of the Apostles. The blood of the Lord's anointed which was shed by that nation in that day cost more than the human family can comprehend. Well might the Savior say, while pass- ing through that ignominious death upon the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." [Luke 23:34] Truly, they knew not what they did; but the effect of it has been manifest with the house of Israel now for eighteen hun- dred years, and the end is not yet. So I will say with regard to the Gentiles The God of heaven knows what it will cost them for shedding the blood of the Prophet of God and his brother, and the Apostles and brethren who laid down their lives for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. It costs s[o]mething to shed righteous blood. And the Gentiles have not got eighteen hundred years before them in which to pay the debt. The words of the Lord have got to be fulfilled upon them in the day and generation in which these holy men have been slain. I refer to these things because I know not how long I may have the privilege of bearing my testimony of the Gospel of Christ on the earth. The revelations that are in the Bible, the predictions of the Patriarchs and Prophets who saw by vision and revelation the last dis- pensation and fullness of times, plainly tell us what is to come to pass. The 49th chapter of Isaiah is having its ful fillment, as are the sayings of the Patri- archs and Prophets as laid down in the records of divine truth. And they will be rapid in their fulfillment. I have often said in my teachings, if the world want to know what is coming to pass, let them read the revelations of St. John. Read of the judgments of God that are going to overtake the world in the last dispensation. Read the papers and see what is taking place in our own nation and in the nations of the earth, and what does it all mean? It means the commencement of the fulfillment of what the Prophets of God have predict- ed. In the Doctrine and Covenants there are many revelations given through the mouth of the Prophet of God; these revelations will all have their fulfillment, as the Lord lives, and no power can hinder it. In one of the revelations the Lord told Joseph Smith: Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields; But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender, (for verily your faith is weak,) lest you destroy the wheat also. Therefore let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe, then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, be- hold and lo! the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned. [Doctrine and Covenants 86:5-7] I want to bear testimony to this con- gregation, and to the heavens and the earth, that the day is come when those angels are privileged to go forth and commence their work. They are labor ing in the United States of America; they are laboring among the nations of the earth; and they will continue. These things are at our doors, and neither you nor I can hinder them. We need not marvel or wonder at anything that is transpiring in the earth. The world do not comprehend the revela- tions of God. They did not in the days of the Jews; yet all that the Prophets had spoken concerning them came to pass. So in our day, these things will come to pass. I heard the Prophet Joseph bear his testimony to these events that would transpire in the earth. I have had the privilege during my life to see the beginning of the fulfillment of the words of the Prophet of God unto the inhabitants of the earth. He lived but a short time; but the Savior's life was much shorter after entering the ministry. He was put to death, as were all His Apostles, excepting John; and that blood has been paid for as far as time would admit. We cannot draw a veil over the events that await this generation. No man that is inspired by the Spirit and power of God can close his ears, his eyes or his lips to these things. I do not know that I shall live to see much more; it is not likely that I shall; but I have lived to see the commencement in the earth. I have lived to see the words of the Pro- phet of God being fulfilled concerning Zion, concerning the mountains of Israel, and the gathering together of the Lord's people to prepare for the coming of the Son of Man. We have been led to these mountains in fulfillment of revela- tion. We have laid a foundation for the gathering of the House of Israel and the Saints of the living God. I hope that we as a people may com- prehend these things. I have listened to the testimony, not only of the Pro- phet of God, but also of many of the Apostles. I remember very well the last charge that Joseph gave to the Apostles. We had as little idea that he was going from us as the Apostles of the Savior did that He was going to be taken from them. Joseph talked with us as plainly as did the Savior to His Apostles, but we did not understand that he was about to depart from us any more than the Apostles understood the Savior. Now, I have heard of other parties rising up and pretending that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave unto them a charge to lead and direct the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I want to say that it is false; there is not a word of truth in it. When he delivered that charge to the Apostles he was filled with the power of God. His face was clear as amber, and the room was filled with the Spirit of God, like the holy fire. In his address he told us that he had received at the hands of the Almighty God all the keys, and powers, and priesthood, and ordinances and gifts belonging to the dispensation in which we lived. "Now," says he, "I have sealed all these blessings upon your heads, upon you Apostles of the Lamb of God, who have been chosen to bear off this Church and kingdom on the earth;" and after making this solemn proclamation to us, he said, "Now, you have got to round up your shoulders and bear off this kingdom, or you will be damned." I never shall forget that. All of those Apostles today are in the spirit world, excepting myself, and they know that what he said is true; and