Discourse 1894-06-24 [D-8]

Document Transcript

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THE YOUNG WOMAN'S JOURNAL.

ceived his endowments. This then,
should be recorded in the mind,
and in the private journal of every
one, that President Woodruff and
Sister Bathsheba W. Smith, were
endowed and received their bless-
ings of sealing and anointings
under the hands of the Prophet
Joseph Smith. There were many
more who likewise had this great
privilege, but they are all dead,
leaving only these two living
witnesses.

President Woodruff was filled
with the power and influence of
the Holy Ghost on this occasion,
so much so that is not only thrilled
his own voice, but shook the
hearts of his hearers. He began
his remarks by saying: "I should
not try to speak to this congrega-
tion tonight, as I have spoken
twice before today; but there are
duties resting upon me that I
must attend to. And I want to
ask this congregation a question:
When I have the vision of the
night opened continually before
my eyes, and can see the mighty
judgments that are about to be
poured out upon this world, when
I know these things are true, and
are at the door of Jew and Gen-
tile
; while I know they are true
and while I am holding this
position before God and this
world, can I withhold my voice
from lifting up a warning to this
people, and to the nations of the
earth? I may never meet with
this people again; I cannot tell
how that may be. But while I
live and see these things continu-
ally before my eyes I shall raise
my warning voice. Now, the
question I wanted to ask you is
this: We have fourteen million
people on this earth, and over
them all there hangs a cloud of
darkness almost entirely upon
their shoulders. Can you tell me
where the people are who will be
shielded and protected from these
great calamities and judgments
which are even now at our doors?
I'll tell you. The priesthood of
God who honor their priesthood,
and who are worthy of their bless-
ings are the only ones who shall
have this safety and protection.
They are the only mortal beings.
No other people have a right to
be shielded from these judgments.
They are at our very doors; not
even this people will escape them
entirely. They will come down
like the judgments of Sodom and
Gomorrah
. And none but the
priesthood will be safe from their
fury. God has held the angels of
destruction for many years, lest
they should reap down the wheat
with the tares. But I want to
tell you now, that those angels
have left the portals of heaven,
and they stand over this people
and this nation now, and are
hovering over the earth waiting
to pour out the judgments. And
from this very day they shall be
poured out. Calamities and
troubles are increasing in the
earth, and there is a meaning to
these things. Remember this,
and reflect upon these matters.
If you do your duty, and I do my
duty, we'll have protection, and
shall pass through the afflictions

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in peace and in safety. Read the
scriptures and the revelations.
They will tell you about all these
things. Great changes are at our
doors. The next twenty years
will see mighty changes among
the nations of the earth. You
will live to see these things,
whether I do or not. I have felt
oppressed with the weight of
these matters, and I felt I must
speak of them here. It's by the
power of the Gospel that we shall
escape. We are having many
men come to us with pretended
revelations—Josephites and
Strangites and other men; one
man came to me and said he had
revelations to lead this Church;
I am willing to leave all these
things in the hands of God.
Where has the power of God been
since the death of Joseph? With
this people. They say, these
apostates, that Brigham Young
organized the endowments and
originated the principle of plural
marriage
. They're liars, every
one of them, and the truth is not
in them; in so far as this matter
is concerned. There's Sister
Bathsheba Smith, she and I both
had our endowments under the
hands of the Prophet Joseph
Smith. I had my second anoint-
ings and sealings under his hands.
There is not a single principle
in this Church that he did not
lay the foundation for; he called
the Twelve together the last time
he spoke to us, and his face shone
like amber. And upon our
shoulders he rolled the burden of
the Kingdom, and he gave us all
the keys and powers and gifts to
carry on this great and mighty
work. He told us that he had
received every key, every power
and every gift for the salvation
of the living and the dead, and
he said: "Upon the Twelve I
seal these gifts and powers and
keys from henceforth and forever.
No matter what may come to me.
And I lay this work upon your
shoulders. Take it and bear it
off, and if you don't, you'll be
damned." I don't feel justified in
contending with these apostates
and such men. There is too much
work to be done. And these
things are true, and if such men
don't find it out here, they will
hereafter. There is an anxiety
in the spirit world concerning
this people. The angels of God
are with us, and they will assist
us in this work. God bless you
and all this people. I felt that I
had finished my work when that
Temple was finished; and the
doctors said I could not live.
But my life was spared because
this people were putting up peti-
tions in my behalf continually
before God. I feel to bless you
my brethren and sisters. May
He help us all to do our duty, and
be prepared for the great events
coming upon this earth. Amen."