SERMON,
By WILFORD WOODRUFF, Tabernacle, .
-[REPORTED BY G. D. WATT.]-
I will endeavor to occupy a little time this
morning, and while I address my friends, I hope
I may have their attention and prayers; for I
realize that while any person stands before an
assembly of this kind to teach, he needs the
Spirit of the Lord to dictate and direct his mind,
that he may speak unto the edification of the
people.
I am aware that Mormonism, as it is called,
presents a wide field for reflection and contem-
plation; it presents an extensive surface upon
which the mind may roam; it affords a variety
of objects for us to converse upon; but, at the
same time, we want our minds led in that chan-
nel which is according to the mind and will of
the Lord.
We have had some very interesting teaching
presented to us from this stand, during the last
two Sabbaths especially, though I may say that
we have good teaching every Sabbath that we
assemble together in this house. In fact, the day
and age in which we live—those things connected
with the past and present history of this people,
and the signs of the times, are matters so diverse
from the affairs of the nations of the earth, and
from the views of the children of men generally,
that they cause them to marvel and wonder
exceedingly.
I felt to rejoice last Sabbath while sitting in
this stand, listening to our President. I will tell
you why I felt to rejoice—there was one main
reason for my joy; I have been acquainted long
enough with this work to know its truth; I have
had sufficient experience in it to see, and to know
that the hand of God is in it, and that it is con-
trolled and guided by the Spirit of the Almighty,
and the revelations of heaven, to know, that from
the commencement of it, it has been the design of
the God of heaven to establish his kingdom upon
the earth to be thrown down no more for ever.
I rejoice that this kingdom is blessed with a
leader, or leaders, who are not ashamed or afraid
to watch over the interests of Zion—at all times
to seek diligently the welfare of the children of
Israel; who will point out the path for this people
to walk in, whether that path may be popular or
unpopular; leaders who will not hesitate to
rebuke sin and wickedness, whether emanating
from high or low places.
Those who have been acquainted with the
Prophet Joseph, who laid the foundation of this
church and kingdom, who was an instrument in
the hand of God in bringing to light the gospel in
this last dispensation, know well that every feel-
ing of his soul, every sentiment of his mind, and
every act of his life, proved that he was deter-
mined to maintain the principle of truth, even to
the sacrificing of his life. His soul swelled wide
as eternity for the welfare of the human family.
He began entirely alone, as far as the influences
of the children of men were concerned upon the
earth, to endeavor to establish a religion and order
of things diverse from anything then existing
among men, a religion that was unpopular and
contrary to the feelings, and views, and traditions
of the whole human family.
Every man that is acquainted with the history
of the nations of the world at this time, must
know that religion is a very popular thing—it
has many followers; and they must also know
that the religions of the day are very diversified; and
that they are in a great measure framed to meet
the conveniences, traditions, and situations of the
children of men, with but little regard to the
declarations of the Bible, or the revelations of
Jesus Christ. Every man that will read the
scripture of the Old and New Testaments, will
see that there was an organization in the days of
Jesus Christ, a system for the salvation of the
children of men. It is laid down plainly and
definitely for the inhabitants of the earth to follow.
But, if we search throughout the earth at this
day we cannot find a system existing that has
scarcely any resemblance to the example laid
down by Christ and the apostles. And I will
here say that the persecution, opposition, and
oppression that this church has met with from its
first organization, has been in a great measure
in consequence of carrying out that very system,
those very ordinances, that same gospel which
Jesus Christ and his apostles established in their
day, and which cost the most of them their
lives.
The New Testament clearly shows that when-
ever God has had a people upon the earth—when
he has had a church and kingdom in the world,
it has been organized with prophets and apostles,
and has been endowed with revelations, with
divers kinds of gifts, with healing power, with
miracles, with dreams, and I may say with every
member that belongs to the body of Christ, ne-
cessary for the edifying of the body, for the work
of the ministry, or sanctifying of the people. [Ephesians 4:12]
We cannot find anywhere within the lids of the
Bible, where the Lord ever had a people he ac-
knowledged, except they were led by immediate
revelation. The Lord never had a people in any
age of the world without prophets to lead them,
even to the present day; and this is the reason why
this church and kingdom is so diverse from the
views, feelings, and traditions of the nations
around us, and that has caused it to meet with
great opposition, persecution, and opposing spi-
rits from the commencement, and perhaps may
continue to do so until the winding up scene.
Many of the prophets have prophesied that
such an order of things as that which Christ and
his apostles established, should again be established
in the last days, after ages of apostacy and dark-
ness. When the Jews fell through unbelief, as
the Apostle says, the gospel was taken from them
and given to the Gentiles. Did the kingdom go
to the Gentiles stripped of any of its powers, or
portion of its organization, because the Jews would
not receive it? No, verily it did not. When the
kingdom was presented to the Gentiles, it was
presented with apostles and prophets, with heal-
ing powers, with revelations direct from God,
and with every gift and grace the Jews believed
in, and enjoyed while they remained faithful:
when it went to the Gentiles it was perfect in its
organization, but in process of time they changed
the ordinances of the kingdom of God, and fell
through the same example of unbelief, and have
remained for centuries without the true order of
heaven among them.
Ask any portion of Christendom why the an-
cient order of the Church of Christ is not among
them—apostles, prophets, revelations, and other
gifts, and they will inform you that they were
only needed in the dark ages of the world, to
establish the kingdom of God, but in this enlight-
ened age are not necessary. It makes me think
of a remark made by Mr. Kirkham in his Gram-
mar; he says, "The Lord hung the Bible out of
heaven, and retired." It appears so indeed among
the Gentile nations, for in process of time the
gifts, and graces, and powers of the kingdom of
God were taken away, and the men who offi-
ciated in the ancient church of God were nearly
all put to death; they were slain because they
endeavored to maintain it in its purity, and tried
with all their might to establish the principles
that God had revealed to the Jews, for they were
the chosen people of God, the promised seed; but
they fell because they would not receive the Mes-
siah, the Shilo, their Savior; when they put him
to death, and imbrued their hands in the best
blood that had flowed through the lineage of
Judah, they had to foot the bill; blood was shed,
the laws of God were broken, the ordinances
were changed, and the priesthood of high Heaven
trampled upon: the Jews must, therefore, suffer
to pay the debt they contracted. Jesus Christ
told them what would come upon them before he
was taken away, for he mourned over them, say-
ing, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest
the prophets, and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." [Matthew 23:37-38]
Again, he says to them, "Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the
tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres
of the righteous: and say, If we had been in
the days of our fathers, we would not have been
partakers with them in the blood of the prophets;
wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that
ye are the children of them which killed the pro-
phets. Fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell?" [Matthew 23:29-33] Again, "Woe
unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue,
and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment
and the love of God: these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone." [Luke 11:42] He also
told them that their temple would be destroyed,
and not one stone be left upon another that
would not be thrown down, and thus they had
to suffer until the times of the Gentiles should
be fulfilled. [Matthew 24:1-2] Jesus Christ lifted up his voice, and
spared not, for he knew what was awaiting that
nation; and his heart yearned over them when
he saw them as a nation rushing madly on to
destruction, and sowing seed that would cause a
thousand years of sorrow and mourning by their
posterity. They had their agency to act upon as
seemed them good, and they became wicked and
corrupt, and instituted their own systems of
religion and ordinances, instead of the true order
of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told them they
would be dispersed among the Gentiles, and be
trodden down, and afflicted by them until the
times of the Gentiles should be accomplished.
We understand from the scriptures, that have
been referred to from time to time in this desk,
that the Lord will set his hand again to gather
Israel. We heard this subject treated upon a few
Sabbaths ago, and what would take place in the
last dispensation, even in the dispensation of the
fulness of times.
But those who have been taught after the trad-
itions of the fathers, have been taught that the
Bible should be spiritualized, that it does not mean
what it says, nor say what it means; we have
been taught to believe that where the Lord says
Israel shall be gathered, it means spiritually.
When we read any portion of scripture, which
did not agree with our traditions, every man had
his own system of spiritualizing, to make it bend
to his own views. Instead of this, we have now
learned that God means what he says, and says
what he means.
When we read the history of the United States,
or the history of General Washington, no man
in his sober senses would have the least idea of
spiritualizing it. When we read the history of
our revolutionary fathers, who sat in solemn
council to deliberate upon, and sign the Declara-
tion of Independence, because of the grievances
they were called upon to bear from the mother
country, no man would for a moment dream of
spiritualizing these events; but every man would
understand that the historian meant them to be
read and understood literally.
Now, if we so read and believe the history of
the foundation of our national government, or
the history of the Jewish nation, or any other
nation, that has been written by men who do not
make any pretensions to inspiration, if we should
never think of spiritualizing their writings, but
take them and understand them as they are given
to us, why should we take it upon ourselves to
spiritualize and twist the words, and the meaning
of the words of that God who rules the nations?
When he gives to us revelations of the great-
est moment to us, will he not set forth his mind
and will in their true meaning, as he intends
they shall be fulfilled, and as he intends we shall
understand them? The Latter-day Saints as a
people have learned to take God at his word. We
admit that there are in the Bible metaphors, fi-
gures, and parables.
When Jesus was teaching the women the
things of the kingdom of God, he used compari-
sons which they understood. Hence he says,
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,
which a woman took, and hid in three measures
of meal, till the whole was leavened." [Matthew 13:33] He knew
the women understood about making bread. And
so he talks to the farmer about sowing grain,
that some sow seed on good ground, and others
on stony ground, and others among thorns, liken-
ing the kingdom of heaven unto it. [Matthew 13:3-8] He used
these metaphors to make a deeper impression
upon the minds of the children of men; and at
other times he used dark sayings in the same way.
We understand a figure as a figure, and a parable
as a parable, but the meaning of the Savior is
plainly manifest in them.
When the Lord says by the mouth of his proph-
et, "And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue
of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind
shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall
smite it in the seven streams, and make men go
over dry shod. And there shall be an highway
for the remnant of his people which shall be left
from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day
that he came up out of the land of Egypt;" [Isaiah 11:15-16] and
again, "And they shall bring your brethren for an
offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon
horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon
mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy moun-
tain, Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of
Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the
house of the Lord:" [Isaiah 66:20] again, when he says, "They
shall come with weeping, and with supplications
will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by
the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein
they shall not stumble; for I am a father to
Israel, and Ephraim is my first born;" [Jeremiah 31:9] we
believe he means what he says, for we have
ourselves seen many of these prophecies literally
fulfilled in this generation. Again, we believe he
means what he says, when the Lord declares
through his prophet, that "an angel shall fly
through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue,
and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment
is come." [Revelation 14:6-7] We believe he means what he says.
To fulfil this declaration we believe it is necessary
for an angel of God to come to the earth, and de-
liver the gospel—the true gospel, and the only
gospel that ever was revealed for the exaltation
and glory of man.
Why does it require an angel to bring the
gospel from heaven in these last days, when the
earth is deluged with gospel, with religion, with
different systems and plans of salvation? Be-
cause that none of them are according to the
order, organization that God has given to govern
and control the human family when they would
be controlled by him. If there had been a true
organization of the kingdom of God upon the
earth in these latter days, there would have been
no need of an angel to visit the earth to teach men
the first principles of the gospel of Christ, and
administer its ordinances to them.
When the apostles of old dwelt upon the earth,
the angel that appeared to Saul of Tarsus, and the
angel that appeared to Cornelius did not adminis-
ter the gospel to them, but instructed them to
apply to those men whom Christ had ordained to
that authority, and who held the keys, the gifts
and graces, and priesthood of the kingdom of God.
So it would have been in the last days, if there had
been authority, and the true priesthood of God on
the earth; there would, in that case, have been no
necessity for an angel to come with the gospel.
Angels are sent as ministering spirits to minis-
ter to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We
believe the Lord means what he says. We be-
lieve Israel were led formerly by prophets who
were full of wisdom and truth; and they are a-
gain to be led by holy prophets, that have the
priesthood of the Most High upon them, and
power to lead, and to teach the children of men.
When Daniel the prophet declared that the King-
dom of God should be set up in the last days, and
that it should break in pieces all other kingdoms,
and have no end, he meant what he said. [Daniel 2:44#] When
we read the prophecies that declare unto us that
great wickedness shall be upon the earth in the
latter days, and that great plagues will be poured
out upon the world; that angels are to pour out
the vials of the wrath of the Almighty, and that
previous to this all men are to be warned by the
proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; [Doctrine and Covenants 107:35] we
believe those declarations will have a literal ful-
fillment.
Before I ever heard of Mormonism, when
reading the Scriptures I often wondered why it
was that we had no prophets, no apostles, no
gifts and graces, no healings by the power of God,
no visions, no angels, no revelations, no voice of
God. I often wondered why these things were
not continued among the children of men, why
they were not enjoyed by the different churches
and denominations of the day, and in my con-
versation with theologians and divines, I often re-
ferred to these things, but they all told me that
such supernatural manifestations were unnecessary
in our day and age of the world, that such power
as only necessary in a day of darkness, among
an ignorant generation of people, they needed
prophets to lead them; but we who live in the
blaze of gospel light need no such thing: we need
no revelation only that which is in the Bible; we
need no visitation of angels now, those things
were given to establish the doctrine of Christ, and
when it was once established they were no longer
needed.
This logic always appeared strange to me. I
said then and I say now, may the Lord give me
such periods of darkness as were enjoyed by the
Apostles and saints of old in preference to the
gospel blaze of modern Christianity. The ancient
doctrine and power will unlock the mysteries of
heaven, and pour forth that gospel light, know-
ledge, and truth, of which the heavens are full, and
which has been poured out in every generation
when prophets appeared among the children of
men. But the gospel of modern Christendom
shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication
with Him. I want nothing to do with such a gos-
pel, I would rather prefer the gospel of the dark
ages, so called.
I do not wish to be understood that we are
now living in a dark age of the world, but for the
last fourteen hundred years the world have been
enveloped in darkness, in which wickedness has
ruled, and the powers of darkness have prevailed
among the children of men, and the nations have
been bound down by false traditions, and incor-
rect principles, but the day has now dawned, the
dark clouds have now broken up and soon will
pass away, and the sun of righteousness will arise
in its glory, and show forth the light of heaven;
and for that I am thankful, and rejoice, and so do
thousands and tens of thousands in this dispen-
sation who have been touched with the light of
the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ which has
been revealed in our day by the administering of
holy angels in all its fullness, beauty, power and
glory; this gospel has caused prophets, elders, and
saints to rejoice; it has nerved up their spirits
with fortitude and strength and borne them up a-
gainst every opposing influence; this has been the
case in every dispensation when this light and
power has been enjoyed by the children of men.
The gospel has gone forth in our day in its
true glory, power, order, and light, as it always
did when God had a people among men that he
acknowledged. That same organization and gos-
pel that Christ died for, and the apostles spilled
their blood to vindicate, is again established in this
generation. How did it come? By the minister-
ing of an holy angel from God, out of heaven,
who held converse with man, and revealed unto
him the darkness that enveloped the world,
and unfolded unto him the gross darkness
that surrounded the nations, those scenes
that should take place in this generation, and
would follow each other in quick succession
even unto the coming of the Messiah.
The angel taught Joseph Smith those principles
which are necessary for the salvation of the
world; and the Lord gave him commandments,
and sealed upon him the priesthood, and gave him
power to administer the ordinances of the house
of the Lord. He told him the gospel was not a-
mong men, and that there was not a true organ-
ization of his kingdom in the world, that the peo-
ple had turned away from his true order, changed
the ordinances and broken the everlasting cove-
nant, and inherited lies and things wherein their
was no profit.
He told him the time had come to lay the
foundation for the establishment of the Kingdom
of God among men for the last time preparatory
to the winding up scene. Joseph was strength-
ened by the spirit and power of God, and was
enabled to listen to the teachings of the angel.
He told him he should be made an instrument in
the hands of the Lord, if he kept his command-
ments, in doing a good work upon the earth, that
his name should be held in honor by the honest in
heart, and in dishonor throughout the nations by
the wicked. He told him he should be an instru-
ment in laying the foundation of a work that
should gather tens of thousands of the children of
men, in the generation in which he lived, from
every nation under heaven who should hear the
sound of it through his instrumentality. He told
him the nations were wrapt in wickedness and
abomination, and that the judgments of God were
ready to be poured out upon them in their ful-
ness; that the angels were holding the vials of his
wrath in readiness, but the decree is, that they
shall not be poured out until the nations are warn-
ed, that they may be left without an excuse.
This man to whom the angel appeared obeyed
the gospel; he received it in meekness and humility
and bowed down before the Lord and worshipped
him, and did the best he could in his illeterate state,
he was as it were but a mere plowboy. He laid
hold of it with all his heart, though he saw he
would have to wage war with sin and wicked-
ness, and abominations, and the oppositions of
the people; he began to trust in the Lord; and
what was the consequence? Wherever the words
of the gospel, which the angel revealed to him,
were preached among the children of men, it has
had its effect. The church was at length organ-
ized with a few humble men. The learned might
laugh at them because of their ignorance, but
their words were like daggers to their hearts, and
like a two-edged sword piercing and dividing as-
sunder the very thoughts and intents of the hearts
of men. The honest in heart began to receive
their testimony, and it continued to spread from
town to town, from city to city, from state to
state, and from nation to nation, until we see the
fruits of it here to-day in this Tabernacle of the
Lord in the tops of the mountains.
I say I rejoice before the Lord this day that we
have leaders in Israel that are qualified for their
place and station to preside over this people, and
who will seek their welfare, and are not afraid or
ashamed to rebuke wickedness in high places,
whether manifested by their brethren or neigh-
bors if they do wrong. Their minds are quick
as the vivid lightning of heaven; they are filled
with the visions of eternity; they are not asleep,
but they comprehend the elements around them;
they read and digest them, and they know exactly
what course to pursue; the leaders of this people
know what they are doing, what is approaching
this people, and what is approaching the world: and
we may all know the same things by reading the
Scriptures, and by prayer, and through the min-
istering of the Holy Ghost conferred upon us.
What man is their who reads the Scriptures, and
believes that God means what he says, and says
what he means but what can see a flood of dread-
ful events ready to be poured out upon this gene-
ration with the rapidity of lightning. No man
can escape the influence of these events that are
about to burst upon the heads of this generation.
The gospel has gone forth, and when the nations
are warned, another angel will cry 'Babylon is
fallen.' [Revelation 14:8] War and famine and the plague will
overwhelm the nations of the earth, and none
can escape.
As Latter Day Saints, we look upon the signs
of the times, we are not ignorant of them, but we
understand them. We look upon the events that
are rolling upon us with great interest. It mat-
ters not what the minds and feelings of men are,
the Lord is determined to raise up a people that
will worship him; and if he has to whip, and
scourge, and drive us through a whole generation,
he will chastise us until we are willing to submit
to righteousness and truth, or until we are like
clay in the hands of the potter. The chastise-
ments we have had from time to time have been
for our good, and are essential to learn wisdom,
and carry us through a school of experience we
never could have passed through without. I hope
then, that we may learn from the experience we
have had to be faithful, and humble, and be pas-
sive in the hands of God and do his command-
ments. Do I blame President Young because he
chastises us? No. Would he be a father to us,
a Prophet and a High Priest of God if he saw
his brethren going wrong, and would not warn
and chastise them? The chastisement of a friend
is far better than the kisses of an enemy. [Proverbs 27:6##] When
I am out of the way, and when you are out of
the way I thank God that we have a man to pre-
side over us, who loves us enough to chastise us;
it is for our good, and I believe we have been al-
ways ready to receive the chastening rod from our
superiors when they thought fit to give it to us,
and kiss the rod that chastened us. If a prophet
is called to lead and chastise Israel, shall he
not rebuke wickedness when it is not in Israel?
The very spirit that vibrates in the soul of Presi-
dent Young, and every act of his life show to all
acquainted with him, that he will do his duty in
this respect, as well as in every thing else wherein
he stands connected, while he dwells upon the
earth, regardless of all consequences, and will
leave the event in the hands of God,
and his councilors are governed by the same
spirit and principles. The Lord has reprov-
ed the wicked in all ages and he will do it again.
He also inspires his servants to reprove and re-
buke wickedness; he controls all nations, and the
destiny of the world is in his hands as much now
as it was in the days of Israel when he himself
led them out of the land of Canaan.
Wickedness is in the earth, and satan has great
power over the hearts of men, and he seeks
to destroy them, and he seeks to destroy
this people, and lead away the elders of
Israel; and when he overcomes a man that has
made a covenant with God, who has been bap-
tized in this church and kingdom he gains a great-
er victory over him, than over one who never
made any profession. Why have old grey headed
Israelites turned their faces for generations past
towards Jerusalem, and lifted up their voices and
mourned in sorrow? Because their fathers had
rejected the Messiah and broken their covenants
with God. Why are these Lamanites roaming about
in misery and wretchedness living upon reptiles
of the earth; why are they cursed so bitterly, and
brought down so low, for they are of the seed of
Israel? It is because the chastening rod of the
Almighty has rested upon them and upon their
fathers. We should be very cautious and careful
to keep the commandments of God and do right
while we have such examples of the dealings of
God with the nations who have broken his laws.
We shall be corrected in all our errors, that we
may become sanctified, and be prepared for those
glories, principles, powers, and privileges which
the Lord has promised to reveal to us.
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.