trouble should be about keeping the
commandments of God that we may be
justified before the Lord as Caleb and
Joshua were [Numbers 14:6-30]. Our blessings will depend
upon our acts; they will be withheld as
long as we are careless about God's com-
mands, but as soon as we yield implicit
obedience thereto they will be multi-
plied on our heads. This we shall find
to be true.

I desire to see Zion rise, and the Lat-
ter-day Saints prospered and blessed. I
want their prayers day and night for
Zion, for the Priesthood and the king-
dom of God. Pray for the Lord to make
bear His arm in carrying out His pro-
mises made to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh
concerning their seed in the last dispen-
sation. Pray for your enemies; let them
have the benefit of your prayers, the
Lord knows they shall have the benefit
of mine day and night. We are com-
manded in His word to pray for our
enemies, and I believe the Latter-day
Saints do pray for theirs, and I have more
faith in the prayers of this people before
God in getting power to build up Zion
and overthrow her enemies than in all
the weapons of war in the world. I
would not feel so if I had no faith in
God; but the fact is, there is a God in
Israel. He has created the earth and
He rules over it and it is His right so to
do, for it is His footstool, and He is com-
ing to reign upon it. And everything
that we do here in attending to the or-
dinances of His house prepares the way
for, and aids in the accomplishment of
that work. It is now thirty-seven years
since this church was organized, and
all that time it has been slowly progress-
ing. The Elders of Israel, the Twelve,
Seventies, High Priests and Bishops
have traveled abroad among the nations
preaching the gospel, and every man
who has been baptized, every sin over-
come, every city warned, every nation
in which the gospel has been preached
has been so much accomplished in pre-
paring for the coming of Christ; every
temple, school-house, village or city
that we build, every acre of ground that
we dedicate to the Lord, every step we
take, however small it may be, has its
weight in preparing for the coming of
the Son of man. We are not going to
build up Zion in a day; though the
Scriptures say a nation shall be born in
a day, nor will the kingdom of God be
built in a day; but we must labor every
day as it comes, and so we gain a little
and keep gaining, and the Lord is going
to labor with us. Let us not be dis-
couraged but do good as we have op-
portunity, and try to overcome our sins
and imperfections, and set not our
hearts on the things of this life so that
they may draw us away from the com-
mandments of God. Inasmuch as we
do this we will increase in power and
dominion, and the kingdom of our God
will spread itself abroad until the law of
God shall go from Zion as well as the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and
God shall dictate among all the child-
ren of men. This is our work, and in
no greater can we be engaged; it is a
labor worthy of God, angels and Saints.

Brethren and sisters I do not wish to
occupy any more of your time this morn-
ing. I feel well with regard to the work
of God. I rejoice in the Lord, I know
that God lives and reigns. I know this
is His people, and that this kingdom is
His kingdom. I know this is a very
wicked generation and that the judg-
ments of God are at their doors, and
unless they speedily repent that they
will suffer a great deal more for their
sins than the Saints have for trying to
keep the commandments of God. I
pray that the Lord will prepare us for
that which awaits us and the world, that
we may have the favor of God, enjoy the
Holy Ghost, and that the spirit of truth
may direct us in all the acts of life, for
Jesus' sake. Amen.

THE DESERET NEWS. 67

trouble should be about keeping the commandments of God that we may be justified before the Lord as Caleb and Joshua were. Our blessings will depend upon our acts; they will be withheld as long as we are careless about God's commands, but as soon as we yield implicit obedience thereto they will be multiplied on our heads. This we shall find to be true.

I desire to see Zion rise, and the Latter-day Saints prospered and blessed. I want their prayers day and night for Zion, for the Priesthood and the kingdom of God. Pray for the Lord to make bear His arm in carrying out His promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh concerning their seed in the last dispensation. Pray for your enemies; let them have the benefit of your prayers, the Lord knows they shall have the benefit of mine day and night. We are commanded in His word to pray for our enemies, and I believe the Latter-day Saints do pray for theirs, and I have more faith in the prayers of this people before God in getting power to build up Zion and overthrow her enemies than in all the weapons of war in the world. I would not feel so if I had no faith in God; but the fact is, there is a God in Israel. He has created the earth and He rules over it and it is His right so to do, for it is His footstool, and He is coming to reign upon it. And everything that we do here in attending to the ordinances of His house prepares the way for, and aids in the accomplishment of that work. It is now thirty-seven years since this church was organized, and all that time it has been slowly progressing. The Elders of Israel, the Twelve, Seventies, High Priests and Bishops have traveled abroad among the nations preaching the gospel, and every man who has been baptized, every sin overcome, every city warned, every nation in which the gospel has been preached has been so much accomplished in preparing for the coming of Christ; every temple, school-house, village or city that we build, every acre of ground that we dedicate to the Lord, every step we take, however small it may be, has its weight in preparing for the coming of the Son of man. We are not going to build up Zion in a day; though the Scriptures say a nation shall be born in a day, nor will the kingdom of God be built in a day; but we must labor every day as it comes, and so we gain a little and keep gaining, and the Lord is going to labor with us. Let us not be discouraged but do good as we have opportunity, and try to overcome our sins and imperfections, and set not our hearts on the things of this life so that they may draw us away from the commandments of God. Inasmuch as we do this we will increase in power and dominion, and the kingdom of our God will spread itself abroad until the law of God shall go from Zion as well as the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and God shall dictate among all the children of men. This is our work, and in no greater can we be engaged; it is a labor worthy of God, angels and Saints.

Brethren and sisters I do not wish to occupy any more of your time this morning. I feel well with regard to the work of God. I rejoice in the Lord, I know that God lives and reigns. I know this is His people, and that this kingdom is His kingdom. I know this is a very wicked generation and that the judgments of God are at their doors, and unless they speedily repent that they will suffer a great deal more for their sins than the Saints have for trying to keep the commandments of God. I pray that the Lord will prepare us for that which awaits us and the world, that we may have the favor of God, enjoy the Holy Ghost, and that the spirit of truth may direct us in all the acts of life, for Jesus' sake. Amen.