That priesthood had com- munication with the heavens, power to move the heavens, power to per- from the work of the heavens, and wherever any man magnified that calling, God gave his angels charge concerning him and his ministrations were of power and force both in this world and the world to come; but let that man use that priesthood for any other purpose than the building up of the kingdom of God, for which purpose it was given, and the heavens withdr[a]w themselves, the power of the priesthood departs, and he is left to walk in darkness and not in light, and this is the key to apostasy of all men whether in this generation or any other.

Our responsibilities before the Lord are great. We have no right to break any law that God has given unto us. The more we do so the less power we have before God, before heaven and before the earth, and the nearer we live to God, the closer we obey his laws and keep his com- mandments, the more power we will have, and the greater will be our desire for the building up of the kingdom of God while we dwell here in the flesh.

It is our duty as apostles, as eld- ers and as Latter-day Saints, to con- template, to reflect, to read the word of God, and try to comprehend our condition, our position, and our re- sponsibility before the Lord. If our eyes were opened, if the vail were lifted, and we should see our con- dition, our responsibility, if we could comprehend the feelings of God our heavenly Father and the heavenly hosts and the justified spirits made perfect in their watch-care over us, in their anxiety about us in our lab- ors here while we are in the flesh, we would all feel that we have no time to waste in folly or anything which brings to pass no good.

All the designs of the wicked and ungodly to stop this work have been thwarted. The hand of God is over Zion. He is our com- forter. He sustains us, and we have every encouragement on the face of the earth as Latter-day Saints to be true and faithful unto him the little time we spend in the flesh.

Our responsibilities are great, our work is great. We not only have the gospel to preach to the nations of the earth, but we have to fill these valleys, towns, cities &c., and we have, among other important things, to rear those temples unto the name of the Lord before the coming of Christ. We have got to enter into those temples and redeem our dead— not only the dead of our own family but the dead of the whole spirit world. This is part of the great work of the Latter-day Saints. We shall build these temples and if we do our duty there is no power can hinder this work, because the Lord is with us.

Has there ever been any power formed against this peo- ple that has been successful? Nay; and this people will never see the day when our enemies shall prevail, for the very reason that God had de- creed that Zion shall be built up, the kingdom that Daniel saw shall roll forth, until the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall fill the whole earth.

The people of God shall be prepared in the latter-days to carry out the great programme of the Almighty, and all the powers of the earth and hell combined cannot prevent them.

Can any power beneath the heavens stay the progress of the work of God? I tell you nay, it can- not be done. I do not boast of these things as the work of man; it is the work of the Almighty; it is not the work of man.

With regard to the faithful leaders of this Church and kingdom, beginning with Joseph Smith, how many times have I heard men say in my travels—Why did God choose Joseph Smith, why did he choose that boy to open up this dispensation and lay the foundation of this Church? why didn't he choose some great man, such as Henry Ward Beecher? I have had but one an- swer in my life to give to such a ques- tion, namely, that the Lord Almigh- ty could not do anything with them, he could not humble them. They were not the class of men that were chosen for a work of this kind in any age of the world. The Lord Al- mighty chose the weak things of this world. He could handle them. He therefore chose Joseph Smith be- cause he was weak, and he had sense enough to know it. He had the ministration of angels out of heaven. He had also the ministra- tion of the Father and the Son, and of the holy men who once dwelt in the flesh.

Joseph Smith went into the spirit world to unlock the prison doors in this dis- pensation or generation. He stayed here long enough to lay the founda- tion of this kingdom and obtain the keys belonging to it. The last time he ever met with the quorum of the Twelve was when he gave them their endowments, and when they left him he had a presentiment that it was the last time they would ever meet. He had something to do the other side of the vail. He had a thousand to preach to there where you and I have one in the flesh. And this is the great work of the last dispensation—the redemption of the living and the dead.

We ought not, as elders of Israel, to treat lightly the blessings we enjoy. We ought not to treat lightly the holy priesthood, or attempt to use it for any other purpose under the whole heavens other than to build up the Zion of God.

When I see the wickedness and abomination that prevail in Babylon, covering the earth, as it were, like a mighty sea—when I see these things I feel to ask myself the question, how long can these sins rise up in the sight of heaven and not have their reward? In my own mind I can see a change at our door. In the face of the revelations I cannot see how it can be otherwise. The signs of heaven and earth all indi- cate the near coming of the Son of Man.

Therefore, let us try to live our re- ligion. We have the kingdom of God. There is no question about this. There was none with Joseph Smith when the angels of God min- istered unto him, and we had a liv- ing testimony of this work from that day to this.

What is the greatest testimony any man or woman can have as to this being the work of God? I will tell you what is the greatest testimony I have ever had, the most sure testimony, that is the testimony of the Holy Ghost, the testimony of the Father and the Son.

Brother Taylor, myself, George A. Smith, John E. Page and others had been called to fill the place of those who had fallen away. Brother Joseph laid before us the cause of those men turning away from the command- ments of God. He hoped we would learn wisdom by what we saw with the eye and heard with the ear, and and that we would be able to discern the spirits of other men without be- ing compelled to learn by sad experi- ence. He then remarked that any man, any elder in this Church and kingdom—who pursued a course whereby he would ignore or in other words refuse to obey any known law or commandment or duty—when- ever a man did this, neglected any duty God required at his hand in at- tending meetings, filling missions, or obeying counsel, he laid a founda- tion to lead him to apostasy and this was the reason those men had fellen. They had misused the priesthood sealed upon their heads. They had neglected to magnify their calling as apostles as elders. They had used that priesthood to attempt to build themselves up and to perform some other work besides the building up of the kingdom of God.

What is revelation? The testimony of the Father and Son. How many of you have had revelation? How many of you have had the Spirit of God whisper unto you—the still small voice. I would have been in the spirit world a great many years ago, if I had not fol- lowed the promptings of the still small voice. These were the reve- lations of Jesus Christ, the strongest testimony a man or a woman can have. I have had many testimonies since I have been connected with this Church and Kingdom. I have been blessed at times with certain gifts and graces, certain revelations and ministrations; but with them all I have never found anything that I could place more dependence upon than the still small voice of the Holy Ghost.

I know this is the work of God. I know God is with this people. I am anxious for them. I am anxious for the rising generation, for the young men and young women, for I know this kingdom has got to rest upon their shoulders. When I see the evils that exist in Salt Lake City, I realize they are in danger. Our re- sponsibilities as parents are great. We have not only to set an example ourselves, but we must pray for them, and counsel them, and I am satisfied that the Lord will prepare our young men and young maidens, the sons and daughters of this people, so that they will take this kingdom and bear it off. The kingdom will never be thrown down or given to another people.

I never had any fears about the kingdom of God. I do not have any to-day. I realize and un- derstand, as well as I know any- thing, that this kingdom is ordained to stand. It will grow and increase. Zion will arise and put on her beau- tiful garments.