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Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Collection Name | Wilford Woodruff journals and papers, 1828-1898 |
Collection Description | Wilford Woodruff journal, 1865 October-1872 December |
Collection Number | MS 1352 |
Collection Page | 1-388 |
Source Link | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Rights and Use | Copyright and Use Information |
Transcript | View Full Transcript |
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President Young said as the Lamanites are Hosstile let us Exercise faith about them & learn what the will of the Lord is at the close of the prayers President Young said let us send out interpeters to them make them presents & tell them they must stop fighting it is Better to give them five thousand dollars than to have to fight them & kill them off for they are of the House of Israel
The subject of the History of Joseph the Prophet [FIGURE] as Published by Mother Smith was taken up & President Young said Brother Woodruff as soon as G A Smith comes home I want yoty to get Elias Smith & set down & correct the Errors in the History of Joseph Smith as published by Mother Smith & then let it be published to the world.
Joseph F Smith spoke in the Afternoon 1 Hour 15 minutes & the power of God was upon him & he manifested the same spirit that was upon his Uncle Joseph Smith the Prophet & his Father Hyram Smith
At the close of the meeting I met at the Prayer circle with President Young John Taylor W. Woodruff G. A. Smith G. Q. Cannon & Joseph F Smith, John Taylor Prayed & President Young was mouth At the close of the Prayer President Young arose from his knees took off his Apron with the intention of undressing of a sudden he stoped & Exclaimed hold on, [shall I do as I feel led? I always fell well to do as the spirit constrains me. It is my mind to Ordain Brother Joseph F Smith to the Apostleship, and to be one of my Councillors] He then called upon Each one of us for an Expression of our Feelings and we Individually responded that it met our Harty approval, we then offered up the signs of the Priesthood After which Brother Joseph F Smith knelt upon the Altar & taking off his cap we laid our hands upon him, Brother Brigham being mouth & we repeating after him in the usual Form He Said: Brother Joseph F Smith we lay our hands upon your head in the name of Jesus Christ and By virtue of the Holy Priesthood we ordain you to be An Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, And to be a special witness to the Nations of the Earth. We seal upon your head all the Authority Power & Keys of this Holy Apostle- ship, and we ordain you to be a councillor unto the First Presidency of the Church & Kingdom of God upon the Earth These Blessings we seal upon you in the name of Jesus Christ & By the Authority of the Holy Priesthood Amen
G. A. Smith who traced the History of the Christian Church from the days of Christ and the Apostles through Paganism, Catholicism, Protestant- ism down to our day through all the days of darkness corruption & tradition & clearly showed that the purity of the gospel of Christ with all of its gifts & gracies was done away
I met with my Quorum in the morning & attended meeting at the Tabernacle Bowery Elder Burton spoke in the forenoon & G Q Cannon Afternoon Elder Hollings in English & German & told how he was Brought into the Church He was a Episcopalian Minister & was commanded of the Lord to go to Brigham Young to know what to do to be saved.
December 25, 1866 ~ Tuesday [FIGURE] 25 Chrismas I spent the time mostly at home we had a Chrismas dinner Lorenzo Snow & Eliza Snow his daughter dined with us I spent the Evening at home, Santaclause called upon me & demanded for his Appropriatins $35 which I paid
when you do away with the blood of the savior you do away with all the Gospel & plan of Salvation.
He said I am at the defiance of any man to Prove that God ^Ever^ afflicted a faithful People, when People are afflicted they bring it upon themselve in a great measure, whenever a people are faithful the Lord Blesses them & when they are disobedient & wicked He chastizes them
Joseph Smith told him that He Joseph Smith would meet in old Jerrusalem with all the Prophets and Apostles from father Adam down to our day all the leading men of this day will be there it will be a great council to take into consideration the great work of God in the last days & Jesus Christ will be at the head of it
There never will be any change of the gospel of salvation, it is an Eternal gospel and the same in all worlds and always will be to the Endless ages of Eternity. There never was a period but what worlds Exhisted & never will be, and they all have the same Gospel & Law of Salvation
There never was ^never^ any world created & peopled Nor never would be but what would be redeemed by the sheding of the blood of the Savior of that world. If we are Ever Exhalted and crowned in the presence of God we shall become saviors of a world which we shall create & People I know why the Blood of Jesus was shed. I know why the blood of Joseph, & Hiram & others have been shed and the blood of others will be shed it is all to answer a purpose and has its Effect Adam made this world and suffered himself to take a body and subject himself to sin that Redemption & Exaltation might come to man. without descending below all things we cannot asscend above all things.
Lay up your wheat I do not feel that a great deal is necessary to be said upon this subject. I think the visitation of the grass hoppers another year will cause us all to lay up wheat if we can get it without much preaching
Therefore those who have died without the gospel will have to receive the gospel in the spirit world from those who preach to the spirit in Prision, & those who dwell in the flesh will have to attend to all the ordinances of the gospel for & in their behalf by Proxy & it will take 1000 years with Jesus Christ at the head of all the Prophets & Apostles before the work will be finished in attending to all the ordinances for all the dead who have died without the gospel.
Again con[cer]ning Revelation I Believe it to be the privilege of Evry Apostle & Elder who bears any portion of the Holy Priesthood to have the Holy Ghost & Revelation to guide them in all things. But I do not Believe that the Lord will Reveal to any man a New Principle, doctrin or Law, to govern the Chu[r]ch & kingdom of God on the Earth Except through the Mouth of the Prophet, Seer, Revelator President & Law given unto the Church, this is his place & position to receive the word of the Lord & give it unto the people. There are some keys [FIGURE] which the Prophet Joseph held which No other man held while he lived. & there are some which President Brigham Young holds which No other Man holds the keys of the sealing power for instance But he permits other Apostles to administer in this ordinance
I attended the school of the Prophets many remarks were made upon the order of the Priesthood [FIGURE] President Young a man being ordained to the High Priesthood does not deprive him of any office which he held before. I have a right to officiate as a priest teacher or Deacon. Presidents of the seventies might act as Bishop councellors to the or act as High councillor without Being ordained a High Priest.
I attended meeting in the 14 ward O Pratt spoke upon the New Translation of the old & New Testament as Translated By the Prophet Joseph Smith before his death & it had Been Published of Late by the followers of Young Joseph & a copy had been sent to President Young & it was published in its purity & we felt much rejoiced that a copy had fallen into Presidet Youngs hands Brother Pratt showed the difference Between the old & New Translation on the seconed coming of the Mesiah when he closed I related a vision which I had at Brother Smoots in Kentucky in 1836, & the signs which I saw of the 2nd coming of Christ
He said that the word Gentiles did not apply to Every body out of the Church it applyed to those who were rebellious against God & his gospel there were many honorable men of the Earth who were not in the Church it did not apply to.
The good often suffer as well as the wicked we suffer in the Flesh but when we die & the spirit leaves the Body The Devil & Evil has No more power over us When the spirits of the righteous Enter the spirit world they are Beyond the power of the Devil. The knowledge, which the Latter Day Saints have obtained have put us in possession of power which the world has not. We live not for this world alone but for the resurrection.
if we live so as to come forth in the first Resurrection we shall rejoice to all Eternity
I wish to live untill I can see Zion redeemed & the centre stake built up & the saints of God sanctified Before the Lord. The people think if they were sealed up in the things of God they would loose sight of all Earthly things but this is not the case. If we can understand this to know the things of God & his ways would be to know how to till the Earth & to Manufacture all we want. There is no such thing as a kingdom without law. There is a Law that Governs & controlls all things. They controll the Elements to bring them together to supply us with Evry thing we need there is a system & Law to Evry Branch of knowledge, and if we ownly understood it we should know how to do any thing right that perfect system we should understand and carry out we have this system in spiritual things so must we become in temporal things
God is the Man twho is carrying this work on we work with him I tell you in the name of God, that it is our duty to live our
neither is it right for one Man to controll the capital of another unless he is dictated by the revelations of God such a principle does not Exhist in heaven Earth or Hell in Justice.
I do not know that I have spent one Moment to reflect whether I should be saved or not. I know that I am serving a God that will do right & He has given me a work to do And I ask God to Give me Grace and wisdom to perform it & I leave all Events in his hands. He then read the word of wisdom & said this people never saw the day that they were willing for God to rule over us in all things there is not one in a thousand willing for it.
I have told you what I Expect with regard to Celestial Marriage there will be but vary few men crowned as Gods in the Eternal world
the Lord takes care of those who take care of themselves there is not the pain taken here that there ought to be if we do what we can the Lord will do the rest if I go & preach to the people I do my duty then the people must obey for themselves. I will not do it Neither will the Angels come & do your work for you But you have got to do for yourselves. The Lord will not come & raise your Bread you must raise it yourselves I say to you to stop dealing with the wicked. Stop swearing & drinking treat your Animals kindly God does not give you Animals or wives & children to abuse we shall be held Responsible for all we do. Could our Eyes be open to see the order of Enoch we should be ashamed of ourselves
it is not proven that people are the saints of God because they live in these vallies but those prove themselves saints who live by Evry word of God we can be saints or not Just as we please if we want to prove to God or man that we are saints then we must live for God & none Els
Now we can do good or Evil Just as we please. We can be saints or not Just as we please. Now learn the will of God & do it Just as we please it is your duty to walk in the light of the Lord and not in darkness
I tell you in the name of Jesus Christ that if you do not repent in this place God will bring upon you his Judgments. I say this as an Apostle of Jesus Christ I feel impressed By the spirit of God to say to the people of this place that if they do not spedily repent of there sins & turn unto the Lord they will soon feel the judgments of God."
one of the Greatest Blessings given to Man is to have the privilege to come to such a sinful wicked world as this & then overcome sin & the power of temptation & get an Exaltation in the presence of God
He gave good council & said those who spoke against A Plurality of wives & in there feelings will not receive it will never inherit the Celestial Kingdom of God for it has always been practiced there and always will be & thousands of women will be saved there who have been trodden under the feet of men & what will be done with them if men did not have more than one wife Men are the Lords of Creation & God will hold them responsible.
President Young preached one Hour & 8 Minutes President Yog said it is the duty of all Bishops Elders, & Fathers, to have Enough of the spirit of God to Judge Righteous Judgment & reprove the wards and Families in the spirit of God And in rendering Judgment let it be a righteous Judgment & according to the spirit mind & will of God & If I Ever live to See the People whare they should be I will ownly have to say what I want done & it is done
Even A man Holding the office of a deacon may magnify that calling so that he would be more worthy & have a higher Exaltation than many High Priest it is not so much the office a Man Holds as it is of the magnifying of that portion of the office He does hold.
Some ordinances cannot Be given without A temple All children Born Before Parents are sealed to the Altar will have to be sealed to their Parents in order to make them Legal heirs those who are Born after the parents are sealed are legal heirs. Man also will have to be sealed to Man untill the chain is united from Father Adam down to the last saint this will be the work of the Millennium & Joseph Smith will be the Man to attend to it or to dictate it He will not administer in person But He will receive his resurrected Body & will dictate to those who dwell in the flesh & tell what is to be done for He is the Last Prophet who is called to lay the foundation of the great Last dispensation of the fullness of times
President Young said in relation to Joseph Smith return- ing the Plates of the Book of Mormon that He did not returne them to the Box from where He had Received But He went im a cave in the Hill Comoro with Oliver Cowdry & deposited those plates upon a table or shelf & in that room were deposited a large amount of gold plates containing sacred records & when they first visited that Room the sword of Laban was Hanging upon the wall & when they last visited it, the sword was drawn from the scabbard & lew upon da table & a Messenger who was the keeper of the room informed them that that sword would never be returned to its scabbard untill the Kingdom of God was Esstablished upon the Earth & untill it reigned triumphant over Evry Enemy Joseph Smith said that Cave contained tons of choice Treaassures & records
I was informed that one of my children was night unto death it had Been sick about one week it was Delights youngest child I returned home & administered to it & it revived But was vary low through the night
spirits are pure that Enter their tabernacles & there will be a chance for the redemption of all the children of Adam Expcept the Sons of perdition.
Wickedness is increasing throughout this whole Nation & Exhertions are making to try to destroy the kingdom of God. The Nations of the Earth are becoming more & more fearful of the signs of the times & of the future Events which await them. We have had peace in these vallies since we came here as pioneers in 1847 with the Exception of the Buchannan war which cost the Nation $40,000000 dollars & cost us 40 miles travel & Back again we have also had some Indians wars which has cost some lives & considerable property. The wicked of this Nation are determined if possible to destroy & scatter the saints during the year 1870 But the Saints are in the Hands of God as they Ever have Been, & God will defend them & fight their Battles if they will ownly be faithful & trust in him. 1870 will be an Eventful year in many respects. In fact Every year is Eventful now in this fast age God has set his hand to Esstablish Zion & his Kingdom & he will accomplish in spite of Earth & Hell, wicked men & devils He will overthrow the wicked the, scorners, the Hipocritt, & unbelievers & save his Saints
A Bill is Before Congress to deprive the Latter Day Saints, of keeping the commandments of God the Lord has revealed the Law on the Patriarchal order of Marriage & the Lord says we shall be damned if we do not obey it & Congress says we shall be damned if we do so it its the Lord & Congress for it I would rather obey the Lord than Congress
I closed my remarks By saying that God commanded Daniel the Prophet to Pray & He Prayed three times a day with his windows Hoisted & his Enemies said if He did pray & make any petition to any God or king for 3 days He should be cast into the den of Lions But He did pray, his enemies cast him into the den of Lions & his God Delivered him. The three Hebrews were told if they did not fall down & worship the Golden Image of Nebechudnezzar that they should be cast into the Firyey furnisace &But they worshiped God & would not worship the Image & they were cast into the firey Furnisace But the form of the Fourth was with them & they were saved. Now in our day, God has revealed unto us the Patriarchal order of Marriage & has said if we do not obey it we shall be damned. Congress has said if do obey it we shall be damned now tiwhich shall we obey God or Congress, for it is God & Congress for it The assembly shouted as By acclimation we will obey God.
O, God, our Eternal Father we have assembled on this occasion to celebrate one of the greatest & grandest Events of the generation in which we live, and we offer up the gratitude of our hearts with thanksgiving for thy merciful & protecting care that has been over us when we were led into these vallies By thy servant servant Brigham Young, twenty two years ago, we found them a perfec desert inhabited ownly by wild beast & a few red men who roamed over the plains. To day we behold the teeming thousands of the Anglo-Saxon race assembled here to celebrate the completion of a line of Rail Road into this City which has opened up commerce between us and all the world. Thou has Enabled thy saints who have gathered here from the Nations of the Earth to fill these vallies of the Mountains with 600 miles of cities, towns, villages, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and fields, and the desert has been made to Blossom as the rose. We should be recreant to our duty did we not acknowledge the hand of thee our God in thy protecting care that has been over us
O, God, our Eternal Father we have assembled on this occasion to celebrate one of the greatest & grandest Events of the generation in which we live, and we offer up the gratitude of our hearts with thanksgiving for thy merciful & protecting care that has been over us when we were led into these vallies By thy servant servant Brigham Young, twenty two years ago, we found them a perfec desert inhabited ownly by wild beast & a few red men who roamed over the plains. To day we behold the teeming thousands of the Anglo-Saxon race assembled here to celebrate the completion of a line of Rail Road into this City which has opened up commerce between us and all the world. Thou has Enabled thy saints who have gathered here from the Nations of the Earth to fill these vallies of the Mountains with 600 miles of cities, towns, villages, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and fields, and the desert has been made to Blossom as the rose. We should be recreant to our duty did we not acknowledge the hand of thee our God in thy protecting care that has been over us
He spoke upon the gospel & made Evry thing Plain if the religion of the Sectarian world did not ketch or save us our religion would if sprinkling children was not Baptism & not acceptable to God Baptism By immeresion was & what harm was there in keeping the commandment of God it would save a man while rejecting them would destroy a man
The Collam Bill against the Saints of God in Utah Passed the House. The Congress of the United States has commenced to Make war against God & his Church and Kingdom upon the Earth & wo, wo, is their doom for this act will fill their Cup of iniquity & the Lord will destroy the Nation & breake them to peaces so they will not Encumber the ground & the Lord will Redeem Zion & Esstablish his kingdom
when any man was called at the Head of a New Dispensation his Blood was shed to seal his Testimony then his Testament was in force the same as with Jesus on the cross Joseph Smith in Carthage Jail, his Testiment has been more in force since his death than before
Ask a child how such fruit looks & tastes, He never saw it nor eat of it, & knows knothing about it. So with us if we were not subject to sin sorrow & affliction, how could we be touched with the infirmities of our children when we become Exhalted. Pray & do your Duty whether you have the Spirit or not
Many of the Elder of Israel do not seem to understand their position on the Earth & their calling, that they are called to save the children of men. we are surrounded by the Lamanits, who are degraded & cast down to the Lowest depths of filt, yet they are of the house of Israel & we should set a good Example before them & not come down to their capacity but seek to Exhalt them
It is not good clothes or wealth that Makes a Gentleman But A Man who is good, polite, virtueous & kind to all & who serve God & keep his commandments & seek to imitate the Lord as far as we can. Elders many times are vain & trifling & seem to forget their calling & their position on the Earth But we should realize we have the Priesthood & are set as an example to all men and we should magnify our callings & walk with dignity before the Lord.
It is our duty to go to & build up the Zion of God on the Earth. we cannot do it by singing & Praying alone but it must take the bone & sinnew of the people. what will Zion do when it is built up, it will be beautiful & glorious, what we have done already is attracting the Attention of the world.
President Young spoke 10 Minuts spoke of the organization of the Church. Read a Revelation that a Desolating sickness would cover the Land but the saints would stand in holy places & not be moved the wicked say the Lord delayeth his coming
we have the principles of the gospel in these 3 Books that lie before me yet it will not be a drop to the bucket to what God will reveal to us, but it may not be untill after death, but there is an Eternity of knowledge for the Saints
if any man will do the will of God he shall know of the doctrin whether it be of God or Man. All they in the spirit world will appear Natural spirits can See each other & their shape will apper as Natural as it here & when we were in the spirit world with our Father in Heaven all was as natural as it is here & it will be the same after the resurrection. we shall rejoice together in the Eternal Worlds with all our friends & with God now do your duty
you should do as you are taught of the Lord you do know when you do wrong you may be tempted to do wrong, but you should not do wrong for there is no salvation in it, then do right in all things
all must obey law. The God of heaven has kept a Celestial Law & so must we oif we obtain the same glory with him.
There are a few thousands who do know that God lives I with this people know it & are witnesses of it, & there never was a people as much blessed as this people on Earth We have the privilege of Attending to the ordinances of the House of God for the dead, did the Zion of Enoch Or Adam, Abram Isaac, or Jacob, or the Twelve Apostles in the days of Christ No they did not. But we are the people that are called to do this work.
We have the privilege of Attending to the ordinances of the House of God for the dead, did the Zion of Enoch Or Adam, Abram Isaac, or Jacob, or the Twelve Apostles in the days of Christ No they did not. But we are the people that are called to do this work.
I would not like to go into the spirit world & meet my friends who have died without the gospel & have them reproach me for not doing my duty towards them it is a great reponsibility to be a Prophet, Apostle or Elder.
Then Martin Harris arose & bore testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon He is 88 years old & has finally come up to Zion to lay his Body down with the Saints He has been from the Church 33 years in a state of Apostacy & he is far behind the times yet He bears a strong testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon.
there was one subject I wished to speak upon & that was writing & keeping a Journal of the dealings of God with us I have many times thought the Quorum of the Twelve & others considered me rather enthu- siastic upon this subject But when the Prophet Joseph organized the Quorum of the Twelve he Commanded them to write & keep a Journal or History of their lives & gave his reasons why they should do it I think the Twelve Apostles & all the Elders of Israel who bear the Holy Priesthood should keep a Journal of their official acts & the dealings of God with them I would be glad to read the Acts of My forefathers if they had never herd of a God But esspecially when men are called to stand at the head of a Great dispensation like this & to build up the kingdom of God on the Earth to remain forever, they of all men on Earth ought to write & keep a true & correct History of the rise & progress of that Kingdom, of the Revelations of Jesus Christ & his dealings with us as we travel
it is not in the Thunder or whirlwind that we should look for the spirit of God but in the still small voice "The wind Bloweth whare it listeth & ye hear the sound thereof but cannot tell whence it cometh or whether it goeth so all is the spirit saith Jesus"
I stoped Bwith Br Thatcher two of his sons George & John, while in Calafornia killed a Mountain Lion or Panther with their Hands & feet without any weapon that measured 9 feet from tip of nose to End of tail 2 1/2 feet high & weighed 160 lbs He Jumped on to Johns Back in a dark night He caught him around the Jaw bak