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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, 1843 January-1844 December |
| Collection Number | MS 1352 |
| Collection Page | 5-382 |
| Source Link | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
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| Transcript | View Full Transcript |
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Whare there is a prophet, a priest, or a righ- teous man unto whom God gives his oracles there is the kingdom of God, & whare the oracles of God are not there the kingdom of God is not.
[FIGURE] 10 I Wilford Woodruff testify that about 7 oclock PM I discoverd a stream of light in the south west quarter of the heavens the rays of Light were in the form of a broadsword with the hilt downward the blade raised pointing from the west south west raised to an angle of 45 degrees from the horizen & extending nearly or within 2 or 3 degrees to the zenith of the degree
March 14, 1843 ~ Tuesday 14th At about half past seven oclock in the evening the sword which had made its appearence for several evenings past moved up near the moon & formed itself into a large ring round the moon two balls immediately appeared in the ring opposite of each other sumthing in the form of sundogs annother half ring ishues from those balls sumthing in the shape of a horse shoe extending outside of the first ring with one line runing through the centre of the moon according to the following cut
March 20, 1843 ~ Monday to March 25, 1843 ~ Saturday 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, & 25 The week was spent in the printing office the weather has been uncommonly cold mostly through the week the thermometer has stood at Zero a number of days the signs in the heavens are making their appearance theire has been singular signs appeared in & above the sun for sever[al] days this week. O Pratt has taken a sketch of the same which will appear in the Time & Seasons their has also been other signs the light that has been represe nted as a sword has made its appearance for several nights past in the same place & also on the opposite of the horizen has been seem a black streak about the size of the light one, while one is as black as darkness the other has considerable of the appearance of the blaze of a aomet & some have contended that it was a aomet but it cannot be a comet for it appears about 7 oclock & disappears about 9 oclock rema ining about two hours thus it appears that the signs that Joel & Jesus spoke of are making their appearance
Their is also some wars & rumours of wars earthquakes & fires & stormes, & murder throughout the land
April 16, 1843 ~ Sunday April 16th President J. Smith Addressed the assem- bly of the saints at the temple of the Lord upon the subject of the saints death burial & resurrection of the saints. He had been requested to preach a funeral sermon by several persons who had died lost friends & he had Just Received information that Elder Lorenzo Barnes had died in England we received this information by a letter from Elder P. P. Pratt. After reading the letter he addressed the assembly in a vary feeling interesting & edefying manner among many other remarks he said he should have been more reconciled to the death of Elder barnes could his bodey have been laid in the grave in Nauvoo or among the saints, he said he had vary peculiar feelings relative to recieving an honorable burial with his fathers he considered Nauvoo would be a burying place of the saints & should he die he considered it would be a great blessing to be buried with the saints & esspecially to be buried with his father yes he wanted to lie by the side of his father that when the trump of God should sound & the voice of God should say ye saints arise, that when the tomb should birst he could arise from the grave & first salute his father & say O my father, & his father say O my Son!! as they took each other by the heand he wished next to salute his brothers & sisters & then the Saints & he said it was upon this principle that the ancients were so particular to have an honorable burial with their fathers as in the case of Joseph, before his death he made his kindred promise to carry
May 14, 1843 ~ Sunday 14th Sunday The meeting was opened by singing, & Prayer by w woodruff Then Joseph the Seer arose & said It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us but that we should have a little then we can comprehend it. He then read the second epistle of Peter 1st ch 16 to last vers & dwelt upon the 19: vers with som remarks ad[d] to your faith knowledge &c. The principle of knowledge is the principle of Salvation the Principle can be comprehended, for any one that cannot get knowledge to be saved will be damned. The Principl of Salvation is given to us through the kno- wledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is nothing more or less than to triumph over all our enemies & put them under our feet & when we have power to put all enemies under our feet in this world & a knowledge to triumph over all evil spirits in the world to come then we are saved as in the case of Jesus he was to reign untill he had put all enemies under his feet & the last enemy was death
May 14, 1843 ~ Sunday 14th Sunday The meeting was opened by singing, & Prayer by w woodruff Then Joseph the Seer arose & said It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us but that we should have a little then we can comprehend it. He then read the second epistle of Peter 1st ch 16 to last vers & dwelt upon the 19: vers with som remarks ad[d] to your faith knowledge &c. The principle of knowledge is the principle of Salvation the Principle can be comprehended, for any one that cannot get knowledge to be saved will be damned. The Principl of Salvation is given to us through the kno- wledge of Jesus Christ. Salvation is nothing more or less than to triumph over all our enemies & put them under our feet & when we have power to put all enemies under our feet in this world & a knowledge to triumph over all evil spirits in the world to come then we are saved as in the case of Jesus he was to reign untill he had put all enemies under his feet & the last enemy was death perhaps there are principle here that few men have thought of. No power ^person^ can have this Salvation except through a tabernacle
Now their is some grand secrett here & keys to unlock the subject. Notwithstanding the Apostle exhorts them to make their calling add to their faith virtue, knowledge temperance &c yet he exhorts them to make their calling & election shure & though they had herd the audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the son of God yet he says we have a more sure word of Prophecy whare unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place. Now wharein could they have a more sure word of prophecy
Now for the secret & grand [FIGURE] key, though they might hear the voice of God & know that Jesus was the son of God this woudd be no evidence that their election & calling & election was made shure that they had part with Christ & was a Joint heir with him, they then would want that more sure word of Prophecy that they were sealed in the heavens & had the promise of eternal live in the kingdom of God then having this promise sealed unto them it was as an anchor to the soul sure & steadfast though the thun- ders might roll, & lightnings flash & earthquakes bellow & war gather thick around yet this hope & knowledge would support the soul in evry hour of trial trouble & tribulation Then knowledge through our Lord & savior Jesus Christ is the grand key [FIGURE] that unlocks the glories & misteries of the kingdom of heaven.
Then I would exhort you to go on & continue to call upon God untill you make your calling & election sure for yourselves by obtaining this more sure word of Prophesey & wait patiently for the promise untill you obtain it
The way to get along in any important matters was to gather unto yourself wise men experienced & aged men to assist in Council in all times of trouble handsome men are not oft wise & strongminded men but the strength of a strong minded man will create corse features like the rough & strong bough of the oak. You will always discover in the first glance of a man in the outlines of his features sumthing of the mind of the man
The inhabitants of this continant anciently were so constituted & were so determined & persevering either in righteousness or wickedness that God visited them immediately either with great Judgments or blessings.
The Saints need not think because I am familiar with them & am playful & cheerful that I am ignorant of what is going on inipuity cannot be retained in the Church of any kind & it will not fare well whare I am for I am determined while I do lead the Church to lead them right
June 1st 1843 The quorum of the Twelve met in Council at President J Smith Store to make some arangments to start on their mission to collect funds for the Nauvoo House & temple we each one of us bound ourselves under bonds of two thousands Dollars for the faithful performance of our duty in making strict returns of all property put into our hands to the trustees in trust, Elder Aaron Johnson was my Bondsman,, President Joseph Smith gave me the following letter of commendation Elder Wilford Woodruff Letter of Commendation To all Saints and honourable men of the earth Greetings, Dear Brethren & friends I Joseph Smith a servant of the Lord and Trustee in trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do hereby certify that the bearer hereof Wilford Woodruff an Elder and one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has deposited with me his bond and security to my full satisfaction according to the resolution of the Conference held in this City on the 6th day of April last He therefore is recommended to all Saints & honorable people as a legal agent to collect funds for the purpose of building the Nauvoo house and Temple of the Lord Confident that he will honor this high trust as well as fulfill ardently fulfill
If a man gets the fulness of God he has to get [it] in the same way that Jesus Christ obta- ined it & that was by keeping all the ordin- ances of the house of the Lord.
Men will say I will never forsake you but will stand by you at all times but the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of God that are retained in the heavens and are to be revealed to the children of men when they are prepared, They will be the first to stone you & put you to death. It was the same principle that crusified the Lord Jesus Christ.
I will say sumthing about the Spirits in prision, theire has been much said about the sayings of Jesus on the cross to the thief saying this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. The commentators
The doctrin of Baptism for the dead is clearly shown in the new testament & if the doctrin is not good then throw away the new testa ment but if it is the word of God then let the doctrin be acknowledged & it was one reason why Jesus said how oft would I have gatherd you (the Jews) together that they might attend to the ordinance of the baptism for the dead as well as the other ordinances the Priesthood
Their has been also much said about the word Hell & the sectarian world have preached much about it but what is hell, it is annother modern term it is taken from hades, the greek or shaole, the (hebrew) & the true sig- nification is a world of spirits, Hades shaole paradise, spirits in prision is all one it is a world of spirits, the righteous & the wicked all go to the same world of spirits
St Paul informs us of three glories & three heavens he knew a man caught up to the third heavens, & Jesus said their were many mansions in my Fathers kingdom.
A man of God should be endowed with all wisdom knowledge & understanding in order to teach & lead people. The blind may lead the blind & both fall into the deatch together;
Peter says that Jesus Christ sat on the right hand of God any person that has seen the heavens opened knows that their is three personages in the heavens holding
But to the text why gather the people together in this place for the same purpose that Jesus wanted to gather the Jews, to receive the ordinances, the blessings & the glories that God has in store for his Saints. And I would now ask this assembly and all the Saints if they will now build this house & receive the ordinances & blessings which God has in store for you, or will you not build unto the Lord this house & let him pass by & bestow these blessings upon another I pause for a reply
When will Missouri cease her ungodly persecutions against President Joseph Smith & the Saints O Lord hasten the day when the blood of Saints shall not cry from the ground in vain & when the Prophets of God shall not have to flee from the ha[n]d v I of the wicked persecutor & oppresser
June 25, 1843 ~ Sunday 25 June Sunday I attended meeting at 10 clock in the morning & Brother Lyman wight (who had Just returned from a mission in the east) arose & addressed the meeting at full length from the 13 ch of 1st Corinth dwelt largely upon Charity show- ing what Charity was that it was far greater than faith & hope. He took grounds to prove that Charity consisted in doing that for others which they could not do for them- selves for instance Jesus Christ died to Redeem the world, the world could not Redeem itself this is Charity, if our fore fathers & Mothers & kindred have died without the gospel, & we embrace the gospel in our day & generation & can redeem our relatives By being Baptized for them they being dead that they may have part in the first resurrection, should we do this it would be Charity
Be not the aggressor bear untill they strike on the one cheek offer the other & they will be sure to strike that, then defend yourselves & God shall bear you off.
as often as God sees fit for me to suffer I am ready
Again the first Principle of our cause & work is to understand that their is a prophet in the Church & that he is at the head of the Church on Earth. who called Joseph Smith to be a prophet? Did the people or God. God & not the people called him, had the people gatherd together & appointed one of their number to be a Prophet he would have been accountable to the people but inasmuch as he was called of God & not the people he is accountab[le] to God & the Angel that committed the Gospel to him & not to any man on earth.
Why do the people oppose the gifts & graces. If a man can get faith by the power of God & the gift of the Holy Gost so as to lay hands upon his wife & children or friends when they lie sick & languishing nigh unto death & command the fever, or disease, or the power of the destroyer, or even death itself to depart to cease its work, to be still & the person is relieved I ask what harm is their in all this, or if a man by faith & humility before God can get the testimony of Jesus Christ & prophecy of things to come or speak in tongues or cast out devils, I ask what harm in all this, does it do any harm No it does not.
who is the Author of this work & gathering, Josephs Smith the Prophet of God as an instrument in the hands of God is the Author of it, he is the greatest man on earth No other man of this age has power to assemble such a great people from all the Nations of the earth with all their varied dispositions as assimulate them & cement them together so that they will be subject to rule & order this the Prophet is doing & what makes a great king President or man is to have a great People to rule over.
I would like to have all people bow down to the Lord Jesus Christ but it is one of the decrees of the Lord that all
Many Elders seek to build them- selves up & not the work of God. But when any one does this no matter who he may be he will not prosper even if it was one of the Twelve
Be faithful or you will not be chosen for the day of chosing is at the door, why be afraid of a sacrafice I have given my all many times & am willing to do it again. I would be glad to hear the Lord say through m his servant Joseph, let my servant Brigham give again all that he has. I would obey in a moment if it took the last coat of[f] from my Back
according to the Testimony of the scriptures in all ages of the world whenever God was abot to Bring a Judgment upon the world or accomplish any great work, the first thing the Lord has done has been to raise up a Prophet & reveal unto him his secrets & send him to warn the people, that they may be left without excuse
And as the Lord has done in other ages, so he has done now he has raised up a Prophet & ^is^ revealing unto him his secrets & through that Prophet He has brought to light the fullness of the everlasting gospel to the present generation, & is again once more for the last time esstablishing his church upon the foundation of the Ancient Apostles & Prophets Christ Jesus Being the chief corner stone
The Lord has raised up servents & sent into the vineyard to prune the vineyard once more for the last time, to Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to warn the Nations that they may be left without excuse in the day of their visitation & to gather the honest in heart & the meek of the earth that Zion may be built up & the Prophets fulfilled;
one of the secrets that God has revealed unto his Prophet in these days is the Book of Mormon, & it was a secret to the whole world untill it was revealed unto Joseph Smith, home [whom] God has raised up as a Prophet Seer & Revelator unto his people.
the stick of Joseph in the hands of Ephraim will as truly be fulfilled as those contained in the Bible the stick & record of Judah, & Both of these records contained Prophesys of Great import, concerning the gentile nations & esspecially this land & nation which are not yet fulfilled, but must shortly come to pass, yea its fulfillments is nigh even at the door
Will not God in like manner as truly & faithfully bring to pass those great, important and tremendious events upon the heads of the gentile world which have been proclaimed by the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, & many of the Holy Prophets & Christ & the Apostles
Jesus Presents a parable of the Fig tree that when we see the signs in the sun, moon moon stars, heavens & earth of which he spoke we might know that his coming is near that the generation in which those signs appeared should not pass away untill all should be fulfilled. Though Heaven & earth should pass away his words should not pass away but should all be fulfilled
Those things are about to come to pass upon the heads of the present generation notwithsta- nding they are not looking for it neither do they believe it yet their unbelief will not make the truth of God without effect, the signs are appearing in the heavens & on the earth and all things indicate the fulfillment of th Prophets the figtree is leaving summer is nigh. And the Lord has sent his angels to lay the foundation of this great and important work, then why should not God reveal his secrets unto his servents the Prophets that the Saints might be led in paths of safety that they may escape those evils that are about to engulf a whole genera- tion in ruin
17th A cold day among the mountains we had a slight squal of hail or snow [FIGURE] I have been for the last two days reading Stephens works & travels in Yu Yucatan his second work I red his first work on my Journey to Nauvoo with
19th This was one of the awful, fearful, dangerous, exciting, affecting, grand, sublime, and interesting, days Journey I ever took in my life. Our boat was drawn out of the canal on cars prepared to run on the railroad to convey us over the Allegany mountain which is a novel scene indeed to see a canal boat taken apart into 4 sections loaded with freight & passengers & hoisted on a rail road by inclin plains into the air 1500 feet over the highest mountains & then desend into the valley below in the same way & evry rod is attended with the greatest danger & what adds dread to the
is having carless men in attendance who seem indiferent bothe to their business & the lives of men, which was apparent during this days scene at least But to the detail. Horses was hiched to our cars drew us four miles & a half then we come to the first incline plaine which we had to rise two cars wer fassened at the top of the plain to the same rope that ours was fassened to at the bottom, the engine was stationed in a build- ing at the top of the plain that drew the cars up & down when all was ready the signal was given by raising a red flag the engine was put in operation & the cars started, this Plain was a half a mile long & raised 180 feet we went up in 2 minutes, & I was truly thankful to reach the top for had the rope broak or fastning untied we should have rolled back to the bottom with a tremen- dious crash, we were then carried on to Plaine No. 2, which raised 125 [feet] in half a mile our boat rocked badly while going up but No accident hapened. we then continued on a level untill we came to the incline plane No 3. this was one mile & a quartr long & raised 320 feet which we went up in 4 minutes before we reached the top the safty car that was attached to our boat was flung from the track which draged many rods & flung the roap of the wheels for 10 or 12 rods I made a signal to the engeneer who stoped & it was replaced, here again we were in danger of breaking the rope which would have sent us back down the mountain more than a mile or turned us
over into the yauning gulf below in eith[er] case we would have been dashed to atoms my hare rose on my head, but having got all things ready we proceded on to plane No 4. 3/4 of a mile long & assended 265 feet we rose this in 3 min but it looked awful to be thus suspended almost in the air with such a wait lives and freight depending upon an not, a twine, a rope a pin an engine, care of a man either of which should give way all would be dashed to atoms unless saved by miracle. we next continued onto plain No 5. 3/4 of a mile long 280 feet rise we were carried up this also in 3 minutes, which brought us on to the summit of the Allegany mountains. The whole 5 incline plains on our assending the mountain are four miles in length which raises us perpendicular 1,170 feet & I felt thankful to God that I was on the top of the mountain alive but we had got to desend in the same way that we assended, we run on the top of the mountain about 5 miles & then began to desend we found snow on the top of the mountain & it was exeeding cold we had 6 incline planes to desend to get to the bottom of the mountain, the whole of which was attended with equal danger and car[e]lessness as we came upon the brink of one of them the Cars being drawn by horses, the men had left the breakers the conductor seeing the cars coming & about to run onto the Horses He hollowed [hallooed] for the men to break but finding no one at the break ers & the cars approaching the incline plain the team- ster liberated his horses as soon as possible & they Just escaped being run over & the conductor sprung to the breaker himself & with great
President Joseph Smith made an address upon the subject which was highly interesting & its tendency was to do away with evry evil & practice virtue & Holiness before the Lord that the church had not received any license from him to commit adultery forni- cation or any such thing but to the contr ary B if any man commit adultery He could not received the celestial kingdom of God even if he was saved in any kingdom it could not be the celestial kingdom
I met with the quorum & conversed upon a variety of subjects among which were the progress of the work of God & the emegration of the Saints, the light blessings & glory that awaiteth Zion & the blessings that approach those who keep the Law of God. Truth & virtue will bring exhaltation to the soul in the security of knowledge
Our sufferings are that we may learn by experiance the prin- ciple of contrast between good and evil. in order to obtain Power never suffer anger to find a seat in your breast [illegible] never get angry at all treat all mildly, govern yourself your passions & it will give you power.
I shall take the broad ground then that if we have or can receive a portion of knowledge from God by immediate revelation by the same source we can receive all knowledge.
the saints to come up as saviors on mount Zion but how are they to become Saviors on Mount Zion by building their temples erecting their Baptismal fonts & going forth & receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings anointings ordinations, & sealing powers upon our heads in behalf of all our Progenitors who are dead & redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection & be exhalted to thrones of glory with us, & herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, & the children to the Fathers which fulfills the mission of Elijah
the saints have none to much time to save & redeem their dead, & gather together their living relatives that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten & the consumption decreed falls upon the world & I would advise all the saints to go to with their might & gather together all their living relatives to this place that they may be sealed & saved that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth & if the whole Church should go to with all their might to save their dead seal their posterity & gather their living friends & spend none of their time in behalf of the world they would hardly get through before night would come when no man could work
But their has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation it has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn doger for a wedge & a pumpkin for a beetle; even the saints are slow to understand I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the saints prepared to recieve the things of God, but we freequently see some of them after suffering all they have for the work of God will fly to peaces like glass as soon as any thing comes that is contrary to their traditions, they cannot stand the fire all at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law & go through & recieve their exhaltation I am unable to say but many are called & few are chosen
Uppose this work & it will roll over you, when did this work ever stop since it began never. The ownly thing the saints now want to know is what does the Lord want of us & we are ready to do it. Well then build the temple of the Lord keep the law of God ye saints
As to politics I care but little about the Presidential Chair. I would not give half as much for the office as I would for the one I now hold, but as the world have used the power of Goverment to oppress & persecute us it is right for us to use it for the protection of our rights.
Their is a differance between the spirit & office of Elias & Elijah it is the spirit of Elias I wish first to speak of. And in order to come at the subject I will bring some of the testimony from the scripture & give my own, in the first place suffice it to say I went into the woods to inq wire of the Lord by prayer his will concern- ing me, & I saw an angel & he laid his hands upon my head & ordained me to be a priest after the order of Aaron & to hold the keys of this priesthood which office was to preach repentance & Baptism for the remission of Sins & also to baptise but was informed that this office did not extend to the laying on of hands for the giving of the Holy Ghost that that office was a greater work & was to be given afterwards but that my ordination was a preparetory work or a going before which was the spirit of Elias
We find the Apostles endowed with greater power than John their office was more under the spirit & power of Elijah than Elias.
Now for Elijah, the spirit power & calling of Elijah is that ye have power to hold the keys of the revelations ordinances, oricles powers & endow- ments of the fulness of the Melchezedek Priesthood & of the kingdom of God on the Earth & to recieve, obtain & perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God even unto the sealing of the hearts
I wish you to understand this subject for it is important & if you will recieve it this is the spirit of Elijah that we redeem our dead & connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven & seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection & here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those which dwell in heaven this is the power of Elijah & the keys
Mesiah is above the spirit & power of Elijah for he made the world & was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the wilderness. Elijah was to come & prepare the way & build up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord. Although the spirit of Elias might begin it, I have asked of the Lord concerning his Coming & while asking, the Lord gave me a sign & said in the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign & token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come, but their should be seed time & harvest during that year, but whenever you see the bow withdraw it shall be a token that their shall be famin pestilence & great distress among the nations.
I have not any doubt but that the apostates will join with the others wicked powers to try to put down the power of God. and I am glad to have the power of the kingdom of God tested & when it is fully tried it will stand, I care not what sacrifice I am called to make for such a kingdom, if its friends, welth or even life at the purchase of such a kingdom it is cheap, did the ancient Apostles, Prophets or Saints who died pay two much for that kingdom they did not.
Good and righteous men will administer justice & rebuke evil & the church should be clensed from bad men & the Lord will take his own way to clens the Church, we should lift up our voice against wickedness of all kinds, but will the rulers of our land do it no they will not, they will be cowards untill their is no man to fight & then be brave when goverment will not do it some man should take the helm of government that will do it, will it be called treason if the God of heaven should set up a kingdom, may the Lord give you more & more of his spirit light & intelligence untill you are cemented together in union & love Amen
President Joseph Smith again arose & said In relation to the power over the minds of the mankind which I hold, I would say it is in consequence of the power of truth in the doctrins which I have been an instrument in the hands of God of presenting unto them & not because of any compulsion on my part.
I ask did I ever exercise any compulsion over any man. did I not give him the liberty of disbelieveing any doctrin I have preached if he saw fit, why do not my enemies strike a blow at the doctrin, they cannot do it, it is truth, And I am as the voice of one crying in the wilderness repent of your sins & prepare the way for the coming of the son of Man, for the kingdom of God has come unto you and henceforth the ax is laid unto the root of the tree, and evry tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, God Almighty (and not Jo Smith) shall hew down & cast it into the fire.)
Jesus Christ came to save sinners He saves the unworthy. The Lord will offer a man salvation he says he is not worth, but what would you want your son to do if he was unworthy. He should return to his father, so with God. He calls to the world to return by Baptism. He cannot make him self any better, but decid with the mind
A word upon the spirit, this noble decision of the mind causes angels to rejoice in the Heavens for their is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons evry person can do this & no man can do a better work, let no man say they are unworthy.
And you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, king and priest, by going from a small capacity to a great capacity to the resurrection of the dead to dwelling in everlasting burnings. I want you to know the first principle of this law, how cons- oling to the mourner when they part with a friend to know that though they lay down this dody [body] it will rise & dwell with everlasting burnings to be an heir of God & joint heir of Jesus Christ enjoying the same rise exhaltation & glory untill you arive at the station of a God.
God has made provision for evry spirit in the eternal world, and the spirits of our friends should be searched out & saved. Any man that has a friend in eternity can save him if he has not commit the unpardonable sin. He cannot be damned through all eternity, their is a possibility for his escape in a little time.
I had rather hear brethren appear small th[an] large I had rather see a man hold his brother up than pull him down. Preach what will save men the same that converted you will convert them.
I found on my ariveal to Boston puite [quite] an excitemet through the country concerning affairs in Nauvoo & reagions round about saying that the whole country was rising in arms in mob to exterminate the saints most of the inflamatory speaches and excitement was got up by the warsaw message and St Louis papers they desire to exterminate the saints from of the earth, but the work is in the hands of God and he will direct all things aright
^[FIGURE] J S H S At 5 oclock [Insertion written on the side of the page, clarifying the time that Joseph and Hyrum were martyred] ^5 oclok 16 m. 23 sec 5 1/2 at Carthage 6 1/2 at [Rochester] in the evening^ At 5 oclock this day the Prophet Joseph & Patriarch Hiram Smith fell. sealed their testimony with their Blood [FIGURE] They were murdered to appeas the wrath of a gentile mob as Christ was by a Jewish mob. Peace be to thy ashes, the most glorious resurrection to thy bodies and the American gentile nation answer for thy blood before the bar of God, and the murderers pay the price of the Lords anointed^
We feel an anxiety about our families in Nauvoo in consequence of the Persecution that rages in that
[FIGURE] July 9th 1844 I left Scarboro in the morning in company with Father Carter & Elder M. Holmes & rode to Portland, & dined with Ezra Carter & made preperations to take the steam boat in the evening for Thomastown & fox Islands, But about 2 oclok P.M. We obtained the Boston Times of July 9th containing the solumn & awful information of the Death of President Joseph Smith the Prophet Seer & Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Also the Death of Hiram Smith his brother the Patriarch of Said Church. They were shot dead in Cartha[ge] jail by a company of ^200 men American citizens painted like indians^
But it is my design to night to speak upon the death of the Prophet & Patriarch. Some might think because of the death of the men it would put a stop to the work but not so, when God has sent a men at any time they were opposed by the world, for any gener- ation, that has a prophet of God in their midst they see his weakness as touching human nature & the people are watching for iniquity & they spend all their time talking about any thing they see him do that does not accord with their traditions & tell a great many falshoods about him but entirely forget and overlook all the good he does. It was
Their was to be two Prophets in Jerrusalem slain, for they tormented them. Prophets are always a torment to the People for they tell them the truth, reprove their transgressions speak of the Judgments that are to come, when those prophets were to be slain the people all would rejoice & send Presents to one another because the prophets who had tormented them were slain, but in three days they stood upon their feet & the Joy of their enemies was of short duration. It is so now their is a secret Joy in the hearts of the Priest and many people that the Prophet and Patriarch is murdered and some manifest their joy openly. It is always a dark time Just before day, it is a dark time now but it will soon be light.
This generation speak much about the clouds and weather they disern the face of the sky but why can they not disern the signs of the times. The fig trees are leaving and all things indicate the second advent of Christ.
when God sends a man to do a work all the devils in hell cannot kill him untill he gets through his work. So with Joseph He prepared all things gave the keys to men on the earth and said I may be soon taken from you.
He informed me that Joseph told him while they were in Jeal that he should not live to see forty years but told him not to reveal it untill he was dead.
For the first time in my life, for the first time in your lives, for the first time in the kingdom of God do I step forth to act in my capacity in connexion with the quorum of the Twelve as Apostles of Jesus Christ unto the People and to bear of the keys of the Kingdom of God in all the world. And for the first time are you called to walk by faith not by sight, for always before you have had a Prophet as the mouth of the Lord to speak to you. but he has sealed his testimony with his Blood.
No man can stand at our head. The Prophet Joseph has lade the foundation for a great work, and we will build upon it.
But I tel you in the name of the Lord, that no man can put another betwen the Twelve and the Prophet Joseph, why because Joseph was their file leader and he has committed into there hands the keys of the kingdom for all the world. dont put a thread between the Priesthood and God
(I had a dream which I will here relate I saw a fruit tree, & I went into the tree in search of fruit. I soon discovered that some of the main branches on ^the^ top g^r^oing from the main body was dead; It seemed necessary to cut off the dead branches in order to save the tree so I told some person to help me cut them off & they steped on to a large green limb they were afraid it would break, so I put my sholder under it & held it up while he cut off the dead branches it cracked the green limb but it did not break. after we cut of[f] the dry limbs the wounds healed up and the tree grew finely) now let us cut of the dead bran ches of the Church that good fruit may grow and the voice will soon be herd go and build Zion and the great Temple of the Lord.
I visited Emma Smith the widow of the prophet she let me have a peace of oak for a Staff [FIGURE] out of the [FIGURE] coffin of the Prophet Joseph who was inhumanly martered in Carthage Ill in company with his brother Hiram. Emma also let me have a Pair of gloves composed of white cotton and Mrs Woodruff a pair cotton hankerchief both of which the Prophet wore while living, we called upon Sister Mary Smith widow of Hiram Smith the Patriarch. She gave us some hair from the head of Joseph Smith, Hiram Smith, Samuel Smith, & Don Carloss Smith, all brothers, of the same Parents I also obtained some hair of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter day Saints my object was in putting a portion of each in the top of my staff as a relick of those noble men, master spirits of the nineteenth centaury, to hand down to my posterity. to deposit in the most Holy and Sacred place in the Holy temple of GOD. on the consecrated Hill of Zion
Joseph said unto the Twelve upon your sholdiers the kingdom of God must rest in all the world, now round up your sholdiers and bear it
O how sweet are the hours spent in the society of my friends who stand with me in the same covenant of the gospel
wind changed to the east commenced blowing a gale, it was head wind we were drove under bare poles through the day & evening it made us all dreadful sick, the sea was drea vary rough & piled Up like hills. the gale increased untill about 9 oclock in the evening it appeared as though it must tear the yards from the mast. We kneeled before the Lord & Prayed unitedly that the Lord would cause the gale to scease & the wind to change that we might go forward & not backward & in a little time after the wind instantly sceased & finally changed into the South West which gave us fair wind
