The Latter Day Saint in the vision of his mind
sees displayed on the great panorama of the
world all the scenes that are to transpire in the
present day, while the wicked are ignorant of what
is about to transpire; they do not know what is the
matter; while there are cholera, whirlwinds, storms,
thunder and lightning, and earthquakes in divers
places, and kingdom is rising against kingdom in
battle array, they are ignorant of what will be the
end of these matters, and the cause of their ex-
istence, because the things of God are not before
their eyes. They see naturally but do not under-
stand. They read the Scriptures but do not look
for the fulfillment of the words of the prophets,
and they do not understand what those things
mean when they are fulfilled before their eyes.
Did they understand the Scriptures they could see
and understand what is the matter in the world.

But this is only the beginning of sorrow and
trouble; the heavens are full of great judgments
which are about to be poured out on the world.
The words of the prophets cannot have their ful-
fillment unless these things take place. Read the
revelations of Saint John touching the fall of
Babylon, and you there have a faint picture of
what is about to transpire. [Revelation 18]

I feel thankful that the Lord has revealed these
things for our benefit, and that he has given us
power and authority to stand up in the defence of
that which is right before the Lord, and to bear tes-
timony of the truth and to proclaim those things
which will assuredly come to pass in this genera-
tion. It is better for us to fall in defence of
truth, than to deny the words of God, and go to
hell. It is better to suffer stripes for the testimo-
ny of Christ, than to suffer and fall by our sins
and transgressions, and then have to suffer after-
wards. I would rather seal my testimony with
my blood, and lay my body to rest in the grave,
and have my spirit go to the other side of the
vail, to enjoy a long eternity of light, truth, bles-
sings, and knowledge which the Lord will be-
stow upon every man who keeps his law, than to
spend a few short years of earthly pleasure, and
be deprived of those blessings, and the society of
my friends and brethren behind the vail.

There is no man in his sober senses that would
not desire this. There is no man that has an
understanding of the blessings that God has pro-
mised to give to his children but what will desire
that in preference to the fading enjoyments, and
empty honors of this world. You may surround
any man or woman with all the wealth and glory
that the imagination of man can grasp, and are
they satisfied? No. There is still an aching
void. On the other hand, show me a beggar up-
on the streets, who has got the Holy Ghost, whose
mind is filled with that spirit and power, and I
will show you a person who has peace of mind,
who possesses true riches, and those enjoyments
that no man can obtain from any other scource.
The servants of God in every age of the world,
have been sustained, and nerved up to do their
duty by this power; and I will say to the Latter
Day Saints if they will be faithful, and do what
they should do, and listen to the counsel given to
them, they need not have any fears about any-
thing, for the whole work is in the hands of God,
the destinies of nations lie there. It is better for
a people to be wise, to get righteousness, to be
the friend of God than to occupy any other po-
sition in life.

Then I hope my brethren and sisters will feel
in their hearts to sustain the Presidency of this
Church by their faith, works, and prayers, and
not suffer them to carry all the load, while we
hide ourselves in the rear. If we should do this
we are not worthy, we are not worthy of our po-
sition as Elders in Israel, and fathers and mothers
in Israel. Let each one bear their share; and if
we will correct our own follies, and set in order
our own houses, and do that which is right, we
shall then do some good, and help to lift the
load that rests upon those that lead. It was
grievous to the feelings of Jesus Christ, to his
Apostles, and to Joseph Smith, when they saw
the people running into danger, and it is grievous
to President Young, when he sees the people
reckless in pursuing their own course leading
them to destruction; when they are not willing to
take his counsel and abide the doctrines he teaches;
but when he sees the people willing to obey
wholesome counsel, and endeavor to sanctify
themselves before the Lord, he feels strengthened
and sustained, he feels backed up by the works
of the people, and not by one alone. I hope this
will be the case with us, that we will set in or-
der our own houses; as wives, husbands, child-
ren, as parents, and as officers in the Church and
Kingdom of God. If we will sanctify ourselves,
and do right we shall have our reward, and shall
be satisfied with it. No man or woman in the
Kingdom of God that does wrong can escape sor-
row. It is so in the world; the Lord rewards all
men according as their works have been in the
body. One reason why the Lord will pour out
his judgements upon the nations, is the blasphe-
mous spirit of wickedness and corruption that
reigns among men.

When the gentiles reject the gospel it will be
taken from them, and go to the house of Israel,
to that long suffering people that are now scat-
tered abroad through all the nations upon the
earth, and they will be gathered home by thou-
sands, and by hundreds of thousands, and they
will re-build Jerusalem their ancient city, and
make it more glorious than at the beginning, and
they will have a leader in Israel with them, a man
that is full of the power of God and the gift of
the Holy Ghost; but they are held now from this
work, only because the fullness of the gentiles has
not yet come in. Tens of thousands among the
gentile nations will receive the gospel, but the ma-
jority of them will reject it, and then the Jews
will receive it; and it will go to them with all the
gifts, blessings, and powers it possessed when it
was taken from them.

We are all gentiles by nationality, we are of the
gentile nations who hold the sway of the earth.
Not only will the Jews have these blessings again,
but these poor despised Indians will enjoy the
light and glory of the gospel of Christ; their
fathers proclaimed blessings upon them, by the
spirit of prophecy and revelation, which are as as-
suredly to rest upon a remnant of that people as
they exist, though they are now the most misera-
ble beings that live upon the face of the earth,
nevertherless a remnant of them will embrace
the gospel, and their eyes will be opened and they
will understand that they are of Israel. Our
missionaries have labored among them, and what
effect has it had? But little. Missionaries of dif-
ferent orders have labored among them, with little
or no success.

We cannot do a great deal for that people, only
pray for them, and treat them kindly, until the
power of God begins to rest upon them, and they
are waked up by the visions of heaven, and the
angels begin to converse with them. They will
be inspired by the spirit and power of God, like
other branches of Israel, and the day will come
when the poor Utahs, and Piedes, and other de-
graded tribes in these mountains will again feel
they possess souls among men as their fathers did
before them. The ten tribes will also come in re-
membrance before the Lord, and they will again
return with out stretched arms to their lands and
be led by leaders inspired by the spirit and power
of God, and they will come with visions, revela-
tions, and prophets, and they will be baptized and
ordained under the hands of the children of
Ephraim, who bear the Holy Priesthood on the
earth at that time, and they will be crowned with
glory, power, immortality and eternal lives before
God.

This is only a synopsis of the vision of the
things that present themselves to our minds, while
we sit and meditate upon the scenes that present
themselves to our view. No man can contem-
plate the truth concerning the nations of the earth
without sorrow, when he sees the wailing, the
mourning, and death that will come in conse-
quence of judgments, plagues, and war. It has
already begun, and it will continue to multiply
and increase until the scene is ended, and wound
up.

Do I delight in the destruction of the children
of men? No. Does the Lord? No. He gives
them timely warning, and if they do not listen to
his counsel they must suffer the consequences.
He has determined in the last days, in spite of
earth and hell, wicked men, and devils, to estab-
lish his kingdom upon the earth; he has pro-
claimed it in the Bible, that it shall not be thrown
down any more forever. Who owns the earth?
Does the devil? No; but he has had it a great
while, and holds universal sway, and has held it al-
most from the beginning; so much so that if the
Lord inspires a man upon the earth, the power of
the devil is so great, that that man is, or men are
slain. Even Christ and his Apostles could but
exist in tribulation and suffering but a little while,
and then were slain. The power of the devil was
so great that the principles of righteouseess were
driven from the earth, and those that taught
them. But, hark! in the last days it will not be
so, the time has come for the kingdom to be es-
stablished, because the earth is ripe, and the set
time has come.

The Lord made the earth, and placed man up-
on it, and he owns it still, and he will cut off
wickedness, no matter where it exists, so that
there will be room for the good fruit to grow.
As true as the Lord lives if we wish to exist up-
on the earth in these days we must be righteous;
if we expect to have a place, an inheritance, and
dwell on the earth, we must keep the law of God,
or we shall be cut off. This will apply to all, to
Jew and Gentile, bond and free; this will apply to
all men in every nation, and under all circum-
stances.

It is the decree of the Almighty God that the
kingdom of heaven shall be established, and shall
never again be overthrown, that judgments shall
lay waste the nations, enough at least, to give
that kingdom room to grow, and spread and pros-
per. This is the truth and you will all find it so.
Those judgments have begun that will never
leave the earth until it is swept as with the besom
of destruction, until thrones are cast down and
kingdoms overthrown, until each man draws his
sword against his neighbor, and every nation and
kingdom that exists will be at war with each other,
except the inhabitants of Zion. The Lord has
spoken it, and it will come to pass.

I again say I am thankful that we have men
to preside over us, who are determined to rebuke
sin wherever it shows itself, and God will sustain
these men, and uphold them whether we do or
not. I do not care in what circumstances they
may be placed, even if it be necessary for them
to seal their testimony with their blood, as Joseph
and Hyrum have done; it is all right, they only
pass to the other side of the vail, where they can
operate still better for the salvation of the people.
We shall not be left without leaders that have the
Spirit of God. This people will always have lead-
ers that are just men, that are good men, and that
delight to do the will of God, and would sacrifice
life, and all things for it if required.

If we are afraid to rebuke iniquity, or ashamed
to cast it off ourselves, Israel would go to hell,
we should be cut off as a people, and the Lord
would raise up another; for he is bound to have a
people in the last days who will keep his com-
mandments, and magnify their calling, and prove
themselves friends of God, and maintain the prin-
ciples of righteousness, and honor them before
God, angels, and men, that his kingdom may be
established in purity, and be prepared for the
coming of the Messiah; for Christ is coming
again to earth; he is preparing the bride, and here
is a portion of it before me to-day.

Will he receive us to himself? Are we pre-
pared for his coming and kingdom and the fullness
thereof, unless we are sanctified and lay aside sin,
and do right? No. We must sanctify ourselves,
and keep the commandments of God, and do
those things that are required at our hands before
we can be prepared for the coming of the Great
Bridegroom.

The signs of the heavens are appearing, the
fig trees are leaving and showing that summer is
nigh. It will overtake this generation, and us al-
so, quite as soon as we are prepared for it.

I pray that we may live in such a manner as
not to be among the foolish virgins, but under-
stand the signs of the times, do our duty, main-
tain our integrity, overcome the world, and be
prepared to receive our Redeemer when he comes
with joy, and not in grief and shame; which may
God grant for Christ's sake: AMEN.

The Latter Day Saint, in the vision of his mind sees displayed on the great panorama of the world all the scenes that are to transpire in the present day, while the wicked are ignorant of what is about to transpire; they do not know what is the matter; while there are cholera, whirlwinds, storms, thunder and lightning, and earthquakes in divers places, and kingdom is rising against kingdom in battle array, they are ignorant of what will be the end of these matters, and the cause of their existence, because the things of God are not before their eyes. They see naturally but do not understand. They read the Scriptures but do not look for the fulfilment of the words of the prophets, and they do not understand what those things mean when they are fulfilled before their eyes. Did they understand the Scriptures they could see and understand what is the matter in the world.

But this is only the beginning of sorrow and trouble; the heavens are full of great judgments which are about to be poured out on the world. The words of the prophets cannot have their fulfilment unless these things take place. Read the revelations of Saint John touching the fall of Babylon, and you there have a faint picture of what is about to transpire.

I feel thankful that the Lord has revealed these things for our benefit, and that he has given us power and authority to stand up in the defence of that which is right before the Lord, and to bear testimony of the truth and to proclaim those things which will assuredly come to pass in this generation. It is better for us to fall in defence of truth, than to deny the words of God, and go to hell. It is better to suffer stripes for the testimony of Christ, than to suffer and fall by our sins and transgressions, and then have to suffer afterwards. I would rather seal my testimony with my blood, and lay my body to rest in the grave, and have my spirit go to the other side of the vail, to enjoy a long eternity of light, truth, blessings, and knowledge which the Lord will bestow upon every man who keeps his law, than to spend a few short years of earthly pleasure, and be deprived of those blessings, and the society of my friends and brethren behind the vail.

There is no man in his sober senses that would not desire this. There is no man that has an understanding of the blessings that God has promised to give to his children but what will desire that in preference to the fading enjoyments, and empty honors of this world. You may surround any man or woman with all the wealth and glory that the imagination of man can grasp, and are they satisfied? No. There is still an aching void. On the other hand, show me a beggar upon the streets, who has got the Holy Ghost, whose mind is filled with that Spirit and power, and I will show you a person who has peace of mind, who possesses true riches, and those enjoyments that no man can obtain from any other scource. The servants of God in every age of the world, have been sustained and nerved up to do their duty by this power; and I will say to the Latter Day Saints if they will be faithful, and do what they should do, and listen to the counsel given to them, they need not have any fears about anything, for the whole work is in the hands of God, the destinies of nations lie there. It is better for a people to be wise, to get righteousness, to be the friend of God than to occupy any other position in life.

Then I hope my brethren and sisters will feel in their hearts to sustain the Presidency of this Church by their faith, works, and prayers, and not suffer them to carry all the load, while we hide ourselves in the rear. If we should do this we are not worthy, we are not worthy of our position as Elders in Israel, and fathers and mothers in Israel. Let each one bear their share; and if we will correct our own follies, and set in order our own houses, and do that which is right, we shall then do some good, and help to lift the load that rests upon those that lead. It was grievous to the feelings of Jesus Christ, to his Apostles, and to Joseph Smith, when they saw the people running into danger, and it is grievous to President Young, when he sees the people reckless in pursuing their own course leading them to destruction; when they are not willing to take his counsel and abide the doctrines he teaches; but when he sees the people willing to obey wholesome counsel, and endeavor to sanctify themselves before the Lord, he feels strengthened and sustained, he feels backed up by the works of the people, and not by one alone. I hope this will be the case with us, that we will set in order our own houses; as wives, husbands, children, as parents, and as officers in the Church and Kingdom of God. If we will sanctify ourselves, and do right we shall have our reward, and shall be satisfied with it. No man or woman in the Kingdom of God that does wrong can escape sorrow. It is so in the world; the Lord rewards all men according as their works have been in the body. One reason why the Lord will pour out his judgements upon the nations, is the blasphemous spirit of wickedness and corruption that reigns among men.

When the Gentiles reject the Gospel it will be taken from them, and go to the house of Israel, to that long suffering people that are now scattered abroad through all the nations upon the earth, and they will be gathered home by thousands, and by hundreds of thousands, and they will re-build Jerusalem their ancient city, and make it more glorious than at the beginning, and they will have a leader in Israel with them, a man that is full of the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost; but they are held now from this work, only because the fulness of the gentiles has not yet come in. Tens of thousands among the gentile nations will receive the gospel, but the majority of them will reject it, and then the Jews will receive it; and it will go to them with all the gifts, blessings, and powers it possessed when it was taken from them.

We are all gentiles by nationality, we are of the gentile nations who hold the sway of the earth. Not only will the Jews have these blessings again, but these poor despised Indians will enjoy the light and glory of the Gospel of Christ, their fathers proclaimed blessings upon them, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation, which are as assuredly to rest upon a remnant of that people as they exist, though they are now the most miserable beings that live upon the face of the earth, nevertherless a remnant of them will embrace the gospel, and their eyes will be opened and they will understand that they are of Israel. Our missionaries have labored among them, and what effect has it had? But little. Missionaries of different orders have labored among them, with little or no success.

We cannot do a great deal for that people, only pray for them, and treat them kindly, until the power of God begins to rest upon them, and they are waked up by the visions of heaven, and the angels begin to converse with them. They will be inspired by the Spirit and power of God, like other branches of Israel, and the day will come when the poor Utahs, and Piedes, and other degraded tribes in these mountains will again feel they possess souls among men as their fathers did before them. The ten tribes will also come in remembrance before the Lord, and they will again return with out stretched arms to their lands and be led by leaders inspired by the Spirit and power of God, and they will come with visions, revelations, and prophets, and they will be baptized and ordained under the hands of the children of Ephraim, who bear the Holy Priesthood on the earth at that time, and they will be crowned with glory, power, immortality and eternal lives before God.

This is only a synopsis of the vision of the things that present themselves to our minds, while we sit and meditate upon the scenes that present themselves to our view. No man can contemplate the truth concerning the nations of the earth without sorrow, when he sees the wailing, the mourning, and death, that will come in consequence of judgments, plagues, and war. It has already begun, and it will continue to multiply and increase until the scene is ended, and wound up.

Do I delight in the destruction of the children of men? No. Does the Lord? No. He gives them timely warning, and if they do not listen to his counsel they must suffer the consequences. He has determined in the last days, in spite of earth and hell, wicked men, and devils, to establish his kingdom upon the earth; He has proclaimed it in the Bible, that it shall not be thrown down any more for ever. Who owns the earth? Does the devil? No; but he has had it a great while, and holds universal sway, and has held it almost from the beginning; so much so that if the Lord inspires a man upon the earth, the power of the devil is so great, that that man is, or men are slain. Even Christ and his Apostles could but exist in tribulation and suffering for a little while, and then were slain. The power of the devil was so great that the principles of righteouseess were driven from the earth, and those that taught them. But, hark! in the last days it will not be so, the time has come for the kingdom to be established, because the earth is ripe, and the set time has come.

The Lord made the earth, and placed man upon it, and he owns it still, and he will cut off wickedness, no matter where it exists, so that there will be room for the good fruit to grow. As true as the Lord lives if we wish to exist upon the earth in these days we must be righteous; if we expect to have a place, an inheritance, and dwell on the earth, we must keep the law of God, or we shall be cut off. This will apply to all, to Jew and Gentile, bond and free; this will apply to all men in every nation, and under all circumstances.

It is the decree of the Almighty God that the kingdom of heaven shall be established, and shall never again be overthrown, that judgments shall lay waste the nations, enough at least to give that kingdom room to grow, and spread and prosper. This is the truth and you will all find it so. Those judgments have begun that will never leave the earth until it is swept as with the besom of destruction, until thrones are cast down and kingdoms overthrown, until each man draws his sword against his neighbor, and every nation and kingdom that exists will be at war with each other, except the inhabitants of Zion. The Lord has spoken it, and it will come to pass.

I again say I am thankful that we have men to preside over us, who are determined to rebuke sin wherever it shows itself and God will sustain these men, and uphold them whether we do or not. I do not care in what circumstances they may be placed, even if it be necessary for them to seal their testimony with their blood, as Joseph and Hyrum have done; it is all right, they only pass to the other side of the vail, where they can operate still better for the salvation of the people. We shall not be left without leaders that have the Spirit of God. This people will always have leaders that are just men, that are good men, and that delight to do the will of God, and would sacrifice life and all things for it if required.

If we are afraid to rebuke iniquity, or ashamed to cast it off ourselves, Israel would go to hell, we should be cut off as a people, and the Lord would raise up another; for he is bound to have a people in the last days who will keep his commandments, and magnify their calling, and prove themselves friends of God, and maintain the principles of righteousness, and honor them before God, angels, and men, that his kingdom may be established in purity, and be prepared for the coming of the Messiah; for Christ is coming again to earth; he is preparing the bride, and here is a portion of it before me to-day.

Will he receive us to himself? Are we prepared for his coming and kingdom and the fulness thereof, unless we are sanctified and lay aside sin, and do right? No. We must sanctify ourselves, and keep the commandments of God, and do those things that are required at our hands before we can be prepared for the coming of the Great Bridegroom.

The signs of the heavens are appearing, the fig trees are leaving and showing that summer is nigh. It will overtake this generation, and us also, quite as soon as we are prepared for it.

I pray that we may live in such a manner as not to be among the foolish virgins, but understand the signs of the times, do our duty, maintain our integrity, overcome the world, and be prepared to receive our Redeemer when he comes with joy, and not in grief and shame; which may God grant for Christ's sake: AMEN.