As soon as Christ was born how quickly Herod sought His life! Joseph had to take Mary and the young child into Egypt in order to save the child. The power of evil was after Him for His destruction. And did the Savior, when He was grown to manhood, escape that power? Was there anything about Him in this re- spect that differed from others of the human family? There was not. He was tempted, He was tried, and the enemy labored for His destruction through His whole life. His mission was a short one. It was only three and a half years from the time he en- tered into the Priesthood until He was crucified, and that, too, by this power.

The Prophet Joseph was never let alone by the pow- ers that exist until he, like the Savior and others, sealed his testimony with his blood. But during the short time that he dwelt in the flesh he accom- plished all that he was ordained to do. He not only organized the Church, but he brought forth this book of revela- tions that I hold in my hand-- the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which con- tains some of the most sublime revela- tions God ever revealed to man on the earth.

Just as quick as the Twelve Apostles were appointed and the Church was set in order, the devil labored with all the power that he possessed to turn aside these men and inspire them to leave the Church of God. Because of this it seemed to be very hard work many times for men who had received the Priesthood and even the Apostleship to magnify that Priesthood and to stand in their calling until they could finish their work in the flesh.

Just as quick as the Twelve Apostles were appointed and the Church was set in order, the devil labored with all the power that he possessed to turn aside these men and inspire them to leave the Church of God. Because of this it seemed to be very hard work many times for men who had received the Priesthood and even the Apostleship to magnify that Priesthood and to stand in their calling until they could finish their work in the flesh. I have made a re- mark once or twice in my teachings with regard to the great apostasy in Kirtland. I passed through that scene, as did some others who are now with us, and I wish now to refer to it because it is something we should lay to heart. Even Apostles took occasion to rise up and endeavored to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. Here, brethren and sisters, was a manifestation-- and a very strange one, too-- of the power that the devil had over the leading men whom God raised up to assist in laying the foundation of this Church and in bring- ing forth the Book of Mormon. Those who testified to the Book of Mormon were led away through not keeping the commandments of God and thinking that they themselves were great men. Some of them were learned men; some of them considered themselves very smart men, and they were so smart that they wanted to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. The consequence of all this was that they turned aside from the commandments of God. Some of them had been true and faithful in their labors in the ministry. I have heard Oliver Cowdery testify of the Book of Mormon by the power of God, when it seemed as if the very earth trembled under his feet. He was filled with the Holy Ghost and the power of God while he was faithful; and so were many of these men. But Oliver Cowdery yielded to the temptation of the evil one, and we may say he apostatized. So did Martin Harris, and several others con= nected with them. They left the Church, they turned against Joseph, and they said he was a fallen prophet, and they themselves wanted to direct the Church. I have remarked that there was a time when there were but two of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles then in the town of Kirtland who stood by Joseph Smith and upheld him as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. I was not a member of that quorum at that time; I was a Seventy. Several of these men called upon me in the time of this apos= tasy and asked me to join them against the Prophet; the Prophet was fallen, they said. Now, I had seen enough myself of the Prophet of God, and I had read enough of the revelations of God through him, to know that he was a Prophet of God and not a fallen prophet. I saw that these men were yielding to the devil, and I told them so. Said I: "You will all go to hell unless you repent. Joseph has been raised up by the power of God; he has organized this Church, he has been true and faithful to God and to the Church and kingdom of God here on the earth, and you will fall and go to perdition unless you repent of your sins and turn from the position you are in to-day." A good many of them did fall.

I saw one of these Apostles in the Kirtland Temple, while the Sacr- ament was being passed, stand in the aisle and curse the Prophet of God to his face while he was in the stand, and when the bread was passed he reached out his hand for a piece of bread and flung it into his mouth like a mad dog. He turned as black in the face almost as an African with rage and with the power of the devil. What did he do? He ate and drank damnation to himself. He did not go and hang him- self; but he did go and drown himself, and the river went over his body while his spirit was cast into the pit, where he ceased to have the power to curse either God or His Prophet in time or in etern- ity. [note in CD: The only Apostle fitting President Woodruff's description was Lyman Eugene Johnson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1838, who was disfellowshipped during a conference held in Kirtland, 3 September 1837. After making appropriate confessions, he was restored to his original position a few days later. Johnson was, however, excommunicated at Far West, Mo., on 13 April 1838. He drowned in the Mississippi river at Prairie du Chien, Wis., 20 December 1856.] I may say that David Patten was not in Kirtland at this time; he was in Missouri. He never apostatized, but died a martyr.

I will tell you the devil is not dead to-day, but will war against us and against this Church, as far as he has power, while we dwell in the flesh. I thank the Lord, however, that I know for myself that this Church will stand, and the Lord will bear it off triumphant. We have passed those days of affliction and sorrow; but I want to say to my brethren, one and all, we still have got to watch unto prayer. If there is any place where the devil can lead us astray he will do it. We are not safe until we get through with this pro- bation. I thank God for one thing: I am satisfied for myself that those days are passed and gone. There is no man in heaven or on earth will ever live to see such a day again. We are too near the end; we are too near the coming of the Son of Man. The Lord Almighty has called a class of men upon whose shoulders he has laid the responsibility for this great work. He has chosen the weak things of the world, and we have these responsibilities resting upon us. I am satisfied for myself that the ser- vants of God whom He has chosen will, as a rule, be true and faithful unto death. How dark a man must be in his mind to get into such a condition as these Apostles were. I heard some of them bear testimony before God, angels and men that they had received the ministration of angels, and having that knowledge, what a condition they must have been in when they apostatized! We want to guard ourselves with regard to these matters. We have got to look to the Lord to assist us in the cause in which we are engaged. I hope and pray that I may live to see the per- fect union of the Twelve Apostles with the Presidency of this Church and the union of the whole Church. We have this work upon our shoulders and the Lord is watching over us. I will say to all the nations of the earth, you can- not turn aside or overthrow the designs of the Lord; they will come to pass in the earth exactly as they have been promised to the children of men. We are here upon a mission, and it is a great mission. We are blessed in living in this day and generation. We ought to try and make the most of it we can. We ought to try and improve our time, magnify our calling, and do our duty. I will say to the Latter-day Saints, the Lord has called and chosen us to stand as the leaders of the people- --the Presidency, the Twelve Apostles and the various quorums and positions which we are in, and we are responsible to God for the course we pursue in these matters. True, we need the faith and fellowship of the Saints; we need their assistance; but inasmuch as we do our duty the blessings of God will be with us. I know for myself that the Lord has set His hand to carry out His great purposes and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. We have passed through a long period of time, as men count time, in our history.

We are not yet through preaching the Gospel. We send our sons abroad, and many of them go before they know whether this is the Church of God or not. I need not stand up here and testify before this congregation that this is the Church of God on the earth. Thousands of you have know that for yourselves. You have been abroad; I have been abroad; these Apostles have been abroad; and we have administered the ordinances of the Gospel of Christ. We have laid hands upon the sick, and the sick have been healed; devils have been cast out, the lame have leaped, the deaf have heard, the dumb have spoken, in this Church in our day and generation. Can men go through and experience these things and not know for themselves whether the work is of God or not? No. Any man that has gone forth and adminis- tered in the ordinance of the house of God knows that these things are true, if he has kept the commandments of God.

Cease troubling yourselves about who God is; who Adam is, who Christ is, who Jehovah is. For heaven's sake, let these things alone. Why trouble yourselves about these things? God has revealed Himself, and when the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants is fulfilled, whether there be one God or many gods they will be re- vealed to the children of men, as well as all thrones and dominions, princi- palities, and powers. Then why trouble yourselves about these things? God is God. Christ is Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost. That should be enough for you and me to know. If we want to know any more, wait till we get where God is in person. I say this because we are troubled every little while with inquiries from Elders anxious to know who God is, who Christ is, and who Adam is. I say to the Elders of Israel, stop this. Humble yourselves before the Lord; seek for light, for truth, and for a knowledge of the com- mon things of the kingdom of God. The Lord is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. He changes not. The Son of God is the same. He is the Savior of the world. He is our advo- cate with the Father. We have had letter after letter from Elders abroad wanting to know concerning these things. Adam is the first man. He was placed in the Garden of Eden, and is our great progenitor. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, are the same yesterday, to- day and forever. That should be suffi- cient for us to know.