July 5, 1866. THE DESERET NEWS.

tion as full of tradition as the inhabi-
tants of the earth were in the days of
Noah, and almost as unbelieving as that
generation were? [Moses 8:19-26] He had to combat
the errors of our forefathers which had
been handed down for generations. He
built upon the same foundation that
Jesus and the Apostles built upon. He
preached the same gospel accompanied
by the same ordinances that they
preached. He organized the Church in
the same way, with the same gifts and
blessings, and the same Spirit accompa-
nied the gospel to those who believed.
The elders went forth calling upon the
children of men to repent and be bap-
tized for the remission of sins, and have
hands laid upon them that they might
receive the Holy Ghost. And the tes-
timony was, that if they obeyed the
gospel they would receive that Spirit.
Did the Lord sustain that testimony by
giving the Holy Ghost from the Hea-
vens? He did, as every faithful man
and woman in this Church knows and
can bear testimony to before God, an-
gels and men. This was a great work.
He lived until he sent the gospel to the
nations of the earth; he built temples,
gave endowments to the Twelve and
others, and told them that they must
bear off this kingdom. He accomplished
all that the Lord required of him, and
he sealed his testimony with his blood;
and his testimony is in force to-day.
Had Joseph Smith shrunk from the
duty which God required of him; had
he said, "It is unpopular, I will not
make as much by preaching the gospel
as if I were to let it alone, I will only be
persecuted," the consequence would
have been he would have been damned.
The Lord would have taken the priest-
hood from him, and held him responsi-
ble for the testimony He had given him.
We are all in this position. If we do
not do our duty and bear a faithful tes-
timony to this generation, the Lord
will hold us responsible. This genera-
tion, who have shed the blood of Joseph
Smith and his brother Hyrum and oth-
ers of the anointed of God, are held re-
sponsible for so doing before high Hea-
ven, and the judgments of God will
follow them for shedding innocent
blood.

But did the kingdom stop when the
prophets were put to death? No, for it
is the kingdom of God. It fell to the
lot of brother Brigham Young to receive
the priesthood and hold the keys of the
kingdom. You who have been acquain-
ted with him for the past thirty years
know his life. You know what he has
accomplished. I have traveled many
thousands of miles with him, and have
been familiar with his labors. No man
ever lived in the flesh who traveled
more miles to carry salvation to the
children of men, who preached more
and did more for the redemption of
mankind and to carry out the purposes
of God, during thirty years, than he
has done and is doing. The Lord has
sustained him, for He is going to cut his
work short in righteousness. He is de-
termined to build up His kingdom as
He has promised. Did you ever see an
elder refuse when called upon to go on
a mission to preach the gospel? Hardly
one in five thousand. This is because
they are true and faithful unto God.
The Spirit of God is in them. The Lord
has planted that Spirit in them that
they might go and work to build up
this kingdom.

The world feel to-day concerning
"Mormonism" and this people as they
did in the days of Noah and Lot con-
cerning the revelations of God and those
who believed them then. But what of
it? The unbelief of men does not make
the work of God of no effect. The Lord
requires faithfulness at our hands; and
if we do not do our duty we will be held
responsible before high Heaven for the
use we make of the Holy Priesthood
which has been bestowed upon us.

While I sat and gazed, last Confer-
ence, upon the vast assembly of elders
who were here in this Tabernacle, I
thought of the words of Isaiah, when
his mind was opened and he looked in
vision upon the future. Said he, "Sing,
O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and
break forth into singing, O mountains;
for the Lord hath comforted His people,
and will have mercy upon His afflict-
ed." [Isaiah 49:13] What do you see, Isaiah, that
should cause you to break forth in such
language as this? I see what the gods
of eternity see. I see what all the pro-
phets and pataiarchs before me have
seen,—that the Lord Almighty will
build up His Zion upon the earth in
great power and glory in the latter
days. Yes, "But Zion said, the Lord
hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
forgotten me. Can a woman forget her
sucking child, that she should not have
compasion on the son of her womb?
Yea, they may forget, yet will not I
forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of my hands; thy walls
are continually before me. Thy chil-
dren shall make haste; thy destroyers
and they that made thee waste shall go
forth of thee." (Elder Woodruff quoted
from the 13th to the 26th verse of Isaiah
49th chap; the 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 verses of
the 52nd chap; and the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 13, 14,
15 and 22 verses of the 60th chap.)

Thus chapter after chapter he goes
on to declare that Zion's strength is in
the Lord Almighty; and His strength
is with her because of her faithfulness
and integrity. If the elders of Israel
had the vision of their minds opened to
see Zion in her beauty and glory, they
would have no time to sin or do evil;
but they would rise up in the strength
of the Lord God of Israel and accomp-
lish all that He requires at their hands.
Zion is yet in her weakness, but the
little one shall become thousands, and
the small one a great nation. We talk
of the future and of the promises of God
to us. They are worthy to be talked of,
worthy to be lived for, and to rejoice
over, because they are true.

We have warned our own and other
nations; and so far our garments are
clear of the blood of this generation.
There never were men in the flesh who
labored harder and tried more to fulfil
the commandments of God than the
elders of this Church have done. Some
of our elders have traveled over 100,000
miles in thirty years to preach the gos-
pel and build up the kingdom of God;
and the Lord Almighty has labored
with us.

I have an anxiety—a strong desire, to
see the people of the Latter-day Saints
—the inhabitants of Zion, rise up and
put on their strength. I desire to see
them increase in the knowledge of the
truth, in faith and good works, and in
the knowledge of the things of the
kingdom of God. The Lord is not
pleased with wickedness and sin. Let
any man look at our own beloved coun-
try. There is more crime now com-
mitted in ten years in it, than used to
be in a century. Will the Lord bear
with this? No, He will not. He has
already destroyed two great and power-
ful nations that dwelt on this conti-
nent, and the remnants of another are
scattered over the country in the miser-
able few who bear the marks of
the curse of God upon them—the In-
dians. If men shed innocent blood, do
wickedly and work iniquity, the seed
that they sow they must reap the har-
vest of.

If the Latter-day Saints, to whom the
Lord has revealed the light and truth
of the gospel, were to prove unfaithful
and rebel against God, they would be
cursed below any people on the earth,
below even these miserable Lamanites
that we see wandering around our set-
lements; for we know more than they
or their fathers knew; we know better
what the mind and will of God is. It
is that knowledge that has sustained us
for the last thirty years, and over. We
know this is the kingdom of God; that
we are the friends of God; that the
kingdom will stand; and woe be to that
nation, kindred, tongue or people, to
that individual or family under the
whole heaven that lifts a hand against
the Lord's anointed or against the
friends of God, for they will feel the
chastening hand of God. We wish this
generation well, and we have labored
hard to try and save them. Whether
men believe or disbelieve is nothing to
us; it is our business to keep the com-
mandments of God. If we live so as
to keep the Spirit of God with us we will
have power to do good and to carry out
the things which He requires at our
hands.

Be true and faithful; do your duty to
yourselves, to your country, to your
God, and to one another. When we do
this we shall overcome and inherit eter-
nal lives. May God grant that we may
do so for Christ's sake. Amen.

July 5, 1866. THE DESERET NEWS. 243

tion as full of tradition as the inhabitants of the earth were in the days of Noah, and almost as unbelieving as that generation were? He had to combat the errors of our forefathers which had been handed down for generations. He built upon the same foundation that Jesus and the Apostles built upon. He preached the same gospel accompanied by the same ordinances that they preached. He organized the Church in the same way, with the same gifts and blessings, and the same Spirit accompanied the gospel to those who believed. The elders went forth calling upon the children of men to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and have hands laid upon them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. And the testimony was, that if they obeyed the gospel they would receive that Spirit. Did the Lord sustain that testimony by giving the Holy Ghost from the Heavens? He did, as every faithful man and woman in this Church knows and can bear testimony to before God, angels and men. This was a great work. He lived until he sent the Gospel to the nations of the earth; he built temples, gave endowments to the Twelve and others, and told them that they must bear off this kingdom. He accomplished all that the Lord required of him, and he sealed his testimony with his blood; and his testimony is in force to-day. Had Joseph Smith shrunk from the duty which God required of him; had he said, "It is unpopular, I will not make as much by preaching the gospel as if I were to let it alone, I will only be persecuted," the consequence would have been he would have been damned. The Lord would have taken the priesthood from him, and held him responsible for the testimony he had given him. We are all in this position. If we do not do our duty and bear a faithful testimony to this generation, the Lord will hold us responsible. This generation, who have shed the blood of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum and others of the anointed of God, are held responsible for so doing before high Heaven, and the judgments of God will follow them for shedding innocent blood.

But did the kingdom stop when the prophets were put to death? No, for it is the kingdom of God. It fell to the lot of brother Brigham Young to receive the priesthood and hold the keys of the kingdom. You who have been acquainted with him for the past thirty years know his life. You know what he has accomplished. I have traveled many thousands of miles with him, and have been familiar with his labors. No man ever lived in the flesh who traveled more miles to carry salvation to the children of men, who preached more and did more for the redemption of mankind and to carry out the purposes of God, during thirty years, than he has done and is doing. The Lord has sustained him, for he is going to cut his work short in righteousness. He is determined to build up His kingdom as He has promised. Did you ever see an elder refuse when called upon to go on a mission to preach the gospel? Hardly one in five thousand. This is because they are true and faithful unto God. The Spirit of God is in them. The Lord has planted that Spirit in them that they might go and work to build up this kingdom.

The world feel to-day concerning "Mormonism" and this people as they did in the days of Noah and Lot concerning the revelations of God and those who believed them then. But what of it? The unbelief of men does not make the work of God of no effect. The Lord requires faithfulness at our hands; and if we do not do our duty we will be held responsible before high Heaven for the use we make of the holy priesthood which has been bestowed upon us.

While I sat and gazed, last Conference, upon the vast assembly of elders who were here in this Tabernacle, I thought of the words of Isaiah, when his mind was opened and he looked in vision upon the future. Said he, "Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted." What do you see, Isaiah, that should cause you to break forth in such language as this? I see what the Gods of eternity see. I see what all the prophets and patriarchs before me have seen—that the Lord Almighty will build up his Zion upon the earth in great power and glory in the latter days. Yes, "But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee." (Elder Woodruff quoted from the 13th to the 26th verse of Isaiah 49th chap; the 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 verses of the 52nd chap; and the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 13, 14, 15 and 22 verses of the 60th chap.)

Thus chapter after chapter he goes on to declare that Zion's strength is in the Lord Almighty; and His strength is with her because of her faithfulness and integrity. If the elders of Israel had the vision of their minds opened to see Zion in her beauty and glory, they would have no time to sin or do evil; but they would rise up in the strength of the Lord God of Israel and accomplish all that he requires at their hands. Zion is yet in her weakness, but the little one shall become thousands, and the small one a great nation. We talk of the future and of the promises of God to us. They are worthy to be talked of, worthy to be lived for, and to rejoice over, because they are true.

We have warned our own and other nations; and so far our garments are clear of the blood of this generation. There never were men in the flesh who labored harder and tried more to fulfil the commandments of God than the elders of this Church have done. Some of our elders have traveled over 100,000 miles in thirty years to preach the Gospel and build up the kingdom of God; and the Lord Almighty has labored with us.

I have an anxiety—a strong desire, to see the people of the Latter-day Saints —the inhabitants of Zion, rise up and put on their strength. I desire to see them increase in the knowledge of the truth, in faith and good works, and in the knowledge of the things of the kingdom of God. The Lord is not pleased with wickedness and sin. Let any man look at our own beloved country. There is more crime now committed in ten years in it, than used to be in a century. Will the Lord bear with this? No, He will not. He has already destroyed two great and powerful nations that dwelt on this continent, and the remnants of another are scattered over the country in the miserable few who bear the marks of the curse of God upon them—the Indians. If men shed innocent blood, do wickedly and work iniquity, the seed that they sow they must reap the harvest of.

If the Latter-day Saints, to whom the Lord has revealed the light and truth of the gospel, were to prove unfaithful and rebel against God, they would be cursed below any people on the earth, below even these miserable Lamanites that we see wandering around our settlements; for we know more than they or their fathers knew; we know better what the mind and will of God is. It is that knowledge that has sustained us for the last thirty years, and over. We know this is the kingdom of God; that we are the friends of God; that the kingdom will stand; and woe be to that nation, kindred, tongue or people, to that individual or family under the whole heaven that lifts a hand against the Lord's anointed or against the friends of God, for they will feel the chastening hand of God. We wish this generation well, and we have labored hard to try and save them. Whether men believe or disbelieve is nothing to us; it is our business to keep the commandments of God. If we live so as to keep the Spirit of God with us we will have power to do good and to carry out the things which He requires at our hands.

Be true and faithful; do your duty to yourselves, to your country, to your God, and to one another. When we do this we shall overcome and inherit eternal lives. May God grant that we may do so for Christ's sake. Amen.