PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
spoke as follows: I realize it is somewhat late, but I want to beg the
indulgence of this assembly a few moments. I felt that as I was a mem-
ber of these Mutual Improvement Associations I wanted to attend this
meeting and hear this lecture. I did not wish to interfere with the time
of Brother Roberts. He has given us an excellent discourse, and has told
us the truth. There are a few things pertaining to this subject on which
I wish to bear my testimony to the young men of Israel.
First, I wish to say a few words regarding Priesthood. There is no mis-
take about the Priesthood of God Almighty. The God of heaven Himself
has created and redeemed this world by the power of that Priesthood;
and no being that ever dwelt on this earth ever has or ever will be able
to do or perform any work pertaining to salvation unless it is by that
eternal and everlasting Priesthood. And where that Priesthood of Al-
mighty God is manifest, the power of that Priesthood is with the people,
no matter what age or generation they have lived in. And I wish to
say that there has been no generation, no dispensation, any greater than
the one in which Joseph Smith was raised up. He laid the foundation of
this great work under God, and He established the Church upon the face
of the whole earth, in fulfilment of revelation and prophecy from Father
Adam down to our day; and the Lord has made, and will make no mis-
take in regard to calling a people or giving them the Priesthood.
As I have said, Joseph Smith organized the Church. He lived but a
short time with us—a little longer than the Savior did after He entered
the ministry. The Savior lived about three and a half years from the
time He commenced His ministrations among the people until He was
crucified. Joseph Smith lived some fourteen years, if I mistake not, after
he organized this Church. He also was slain. But before he died he
organized the Church with Apostles, Patriarchs, Pastors, Teachers, and
the whole government of the Church of God; and that Priesthood he
organized or laid the foundations of remained with the people after his
death, as Brother Roberts has said to-night. The Twelve Apostles stood
next to the First Presidency of the Church; and I am a living witness
myself to this work. I am a living witness to the testimony that Joseph
gave to the Twelve Apostles when all of us received our endowments
under his hands. I remember the last speech that he ever gave us before
his death. It was before we started upon our mission to the East. He
stood upon his feet some three hours. The room was filled as with con-
suming fire, his face was as clear as amber, and he was clothed upon by
the power of God. He laid before us our duty. He laid before us the
fullness of this great work of God; and in his remarks to us he said: "I
have had sealed upon my head every key, every power, every principle of
life and salvation that God has ever given to any man who ever lived
upon the face of the earth. And these principles and this Priesthood and
power belong to this great and last dispensation which the God of heaven
has set His hand to establish in the earth. Now," said he, addressing
the Twelve, "I have sealed upon your heads every key, every power, and
every principle which the Lord has sealed upon my head." And con-
tinuing, he said, "I have lived so long—up to the present time—I have
been in the midst of this people and in the great work and labor of re-
demption. I have desired to live to see this Temple built. But I shall
never live to see it completed; but you will—you will." Now, we didn't
suppose but what he would live. We didn't understand what he meant.
Neither did the Twelve in the days of the Savior understand what He
meant when He said "I am going away from you; if I go not the Com-
forter will not come unto you." And so we did not understand Joseph
when he said he would not live to see that Temple completed, but we
would. Probably it was not given for us to understand at that time.
After addressing us in this manner he said: "I tell you, the burden of
this kingdom now rests upon your shoulders; you have got to bear it off
in all the world, and if you don't do it you will be damned." That was
pretty strong language, but it was full of meaning, it was full of signifi-
cance. Joseph was trained in the Priesthood perfectly well before he came
to this planet. He understood the Priesthood perfectly well before he
came here. He understood its work and its lineage. He also understood
perfectly well that he was going away from this earth; but we did not
know it until after he was put to death. I was in Boston with President
Young the very hour he and his brother Hyrum were killed—the very
moment they were slain. And in that moment there was a power of dark-
ness surrounded us, a feeling of heaviness that I never felt before. I have
never seen President Young feel so badly in my life before as he did that
hour.
After that hour we departed for our mission, not knowing anything of
this terrible tragedy until we received an account of their death some time
afterwards. We were then informed that the Prophets of God were slain.
We returned to Nauvoo. It has been repeated to you here to-night what
was done at that conference in Nauvoo. I do not know whether there is
any one present here to-night but myself who was there at the conference
—there are but few living who were present on that occasion. Brigham
stepped forth as a leader of Israel, as has been said here to-night by
Brother Roberts, and Sidney Rigdon also tried to get the Presidency; but
when his name was put to a vote before the conference of the Latter-day
Saints, and they were asked if they wanted him as their leader, as their
president, as their guardian to lead them, to guide them and direct them
to the celestial kingdom, Brigham said: "All who do, raise your right
hand," and I did not see a hand raised in his favor in that congregation.
He (Brigham) then asked if they wanted the Twelve Apostles to step
forth and magnify their calling and build up the Church and establish the
kingdom of God in all the earth—"All who do, raise your right hand,"
and almost every soul in that congregation voted; and when Brigham
Young arose and commenced speaking, as has been said, if my eyes had
not been so I could see, if I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is
no one that could have convinced me that it was not Joseph Smith speak-
ing. It was as the voice and face of Jeseph Smith; and any one can tes-
tify to this who was acquainted with these two men.
Several men have claimed authority to lead the Church, but the Prophet
Joseph never conferred any such authority upon any man. The keys of
the Presidency after his death were held by the Twelve Apostles, and by
them only, until the Council of the First Presidency was reorganized.
I name these things to show that the Lord has put His mark of approval
upon the acts of the Apostles who followed the Prophet Joseph Smith in
the establishment of this great work upon the earth; and the Priesthood
shall continue here and the work increase until Jesus Christ shall come in
the clouds of heaven.
I wish here to ask a question. How has every man who has gone on his
own authority and left the Church and undertaken to build up the Church,
succeeded? How has he prospered, how has he done? Why, just as they
did who tried to establish "Strangism," and "Rigdonism," and every
other "ism" that has ever arisen. They have gone overboard. The
power and influence of God have not been with them; the Priesthood has
not been with them; the Lord has not called them to do that work; they
tried, and the result has been a failure—a complete failure every time.
On the other hand, how has He prospered and blessed those who have
gone forth to the nations of the earth and declared the Gospel of Christ
to the millions upon millions of their fellow men? Why, He has prospered
and blessed them richly, and opened their way to success. Who are they
who have gone forth to the nations of the earth and who have visited the
islands of the sea, and have accomplished this great work of gathering,
built cities and reclaimed the desert? Not those who tried to lead differ-
ent factions from the Church, not those who were ambitious to lead the
people of God; but it has been the Elders of Israel, those who have re-
ceived the Priesthood from the hands of Joseph Smith and his followers,
or through the authority which God gave them. Who are they who came
here to these valleys of the mountains which had been pointed out by the
finger of God? Who are they who have built these temples and erected
edifices to the great Jehovah? Why, it is the same class of men that was
true to Joseph, those who have been true to God and the covenants they
have made. Has God made any mistake? Read the revelations of the
Almighty; they speak for themselves. The Lord has appointed this
people to come to this land; this is a great work; we are living in a great
dispensation—the dispensation of the last days. The Lord has not de-
ceived any one in this matter; He will deceive no man in regard to this
work. This people have traveled from place to place ever since the organ-
ization of this Church, until to-day they are settled here in the valleys of
these mountains and have prospered and increased marvelously; and they
will continue to grow and increase in strength and power until Christ
comes upon the earth.
A man cannot leave this Church without the power of God leaves him.
It has been the power of the Priesthood that made men great; and no
man can handle it only according to the order of God. If they do they
will fall, as has been stated in the revelations of God read by Brother
Roberts this evening. I want to say to the young men of Israel, go and
do what is right; you need have no fears regarding the authority of this
work. The Lord has called the weak things of this earth. He has called
them from the plow, from the plane and workshop and the hammer—He
has taken the illiterate men of the world and sent them forth to preach
the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. Even the Lord Jesus Christ
was born in a stable and cradled in a manger. He came forth and fulfilled
the prophecies. His whole life was one of poverty and affliction. He was
scorned and hated by the world of mankind. His Apostles were selected
from among the poor and the humble of the earth. So it is with the men
who have led the Church in these days. They have been called from
various vocations. They have been men who were humble, and God has
been with them. God has established His work, and He has sent ministers
to the different nations of the earth.
I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, all that we have to do is to be
faithful, to keep His commandments, to be humble, to seek Him in mighty
prayer, and all will be well with us.
There has been a great deal of work done in this dispensation. The
Lord called this people here to the valleys of the mountains in fulfilment
of prophecy. Old father Jacob, in blessing Joseph and Ephraim, told
them what would take place to them and their posterity to the latest
generation; that their blessings should extend to the utmost bounds of
the everlasting hills. We are here as descendants of Joseph and Ephraim,
and Abraham, who were patriarchs and holy men of God. They had the
Priesthood, and it has been continued and handed down from generation
to generation as long as God has had a people upon the earth. He has
revealed it in this dispensation through the Prophet Joseph, and it is here
to stay, and will remain until Christ comes.
I want to say to the young men and maidens of the Latter-day Saints,
have no fears from what you hear through the outside world or from those
who are professing to build up the kingdom of God, but who have not got
the Priesthood as established by the Almighty through Joseph Smith. If
you will do your duty all will be right. I am thankful for the privilege of
living so long. I have seen the progress of this work almost from the
commencement. I thank God for what I see to-day. I see great improve-
ment, but there is still great room for improvement among us now.
I wish to say to our young men, here is an evil power, a growing power
of darkness around and amongst us. The power of darkness desires to
lead the young men of Israel astray. They think if they can do this, if
they can get them to do evil and wickedly, they can weaken this Church.
But our young men are raised up to follow in the footsteps of their fathers,
and not to be easily led astray.
I pray God my Heavenly Father to bless the Latter-day Saints, that we
may all have faith in God and in the revelations and promises He has
given, and in all the truths we have received, and if we do so, all will be
well with us. We have come here upon a mission. Our mission is a great
and responsible one; it is mighty. In fact, we have been called to leave
our homes, our fathers, our mothers, our wives, our children, all that is
dear to us, and to go abroad to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of
the earth. We have been called to do this, and as Brother Joseph Smith
said, if we do not round up our shoulders and help to bear off this king-
dom, we shall be damned. No man can receive the Priesthood from the
hands of the Almighty and abuse it but what it will be answered upon
his head.
Therefore, let us all, old and young, improve the time, live our religion,
have faith in God and His works. The Lord brought us here, His power
has been upon us; by His power and His blessings we have built temples
and beautified homes; and there has never been a people that I know of
that have ever had the power to rear as many temples in so short a time
as we have done in the mountains of Israel. Let us remember this and
be faithful, remembering our fasting and prayers, call upon the Lord in
secret prayer, and ask Him to bless and direct us.
The Lord is with us, His hand is over us, and He is guiding this work
and will continue to do so until Zion shall arise and be built up and shall
stand in beauty and power, and become the glory of the whole earth, while
the judgments of God shall extend throughout the nations.
May God bless you as Mutual Improvement Associations, may He bless
every organization and association that has been established as helps and
governments to this great latter day work; and may we be blessed in all
our endeavors to do right, which may God grant, for Christ's sake. Amen.