With regard to myself, I will say
that in my early youth, while read-
ing the Bible—the record of ,
and the New Testament—I read of
Jesus Christ, of His Apostles, their
works, and the dealings of God with
them, and of the doctrines which
they received and taught to those
around them. There was something
glorious in those principles which the
Savior of the world and His disciples
taught in their day. I had a great
desire in my boyhood and youth that
I might live to behold a people who
were inspired of the Almighty, and
who had power and authority to go
forth and teach those principles which
I read of within the lids of the Bible.
At that time I could not hear them
taught. They were not taught by
any person within my knowledge.
But, as I have said, I had a longing
desire that I might live to behold a
people on the earth who would teach
these principles to me. I spent many
a midnight hour in my mill, and
among the rocks, in the forests and in
the fields, in pouring out my soul to
God and praying that I might live to
behold a people on the earth who
would teach these principles. In
answer to my prayers, the promised me that I should
live to find such a people. He pro-
mised me that I should have a name
and a place within the House of God
and among His people—a name that
should not be cut off. I am strongly
impressed to-day, in reflecting upon
our history and the history of myself,
and the position which I occupy, with
the promises of God to me in those
early days. They have been fulfilled,
and this day has crowned the pinna-
cle of the responsibility which is
placed upon my head. I marvel
when I contemplate these things,
which are in fulfillment of the pro-
mises of God unto me. And when I
say this of myself, I speak of hun-
dreds of the Elders of Israel who
have been moved upon in the same
manner that I have been. Those
with whom I stood connected in the
early period of the Church—the Pro-
phet , ,
and those men that laid the founda-
tion of this Church and kingdom,
together with other prophets and
patriarchs—have passed away. They
are on the other side of the veil. I
still have the privilege of remaining,
and I this day have been called to
this responsibility in the midst of
my brethren—a responsibility that no
man can fill unless he is inspired of
God.
But I will say this to my brethren
and sisters, in the name of Israel's
God: The Almighty will never per-
mit me, nor any other President who
holds the of the , to lead you astray. If I do not
walk in the paths of righteousness
and do what is right in the position
that I occupy, He will remove me out
of my place, or any other man who
attempts to lead the people astray.
The position which I occupy, and
that occupied by my brethren the
Apostles, should not have a tendency,
if we have the Spirit of God, to make
us lifted up or exalted in our spirits
before the Lord. I know, as the lives, that I have no power,
nor have I had, in this Church, to
perform any work pertaining to this
kingdom, until it has been given unto
me by the God of heaven. I know
Joseph Smith had not, nor , nor , nor any
Apostle or Elder in this Church and
kingdom. And the moment that I
attempt to become lifted up in the
pride of my heart, because of any
position that I hold, that moment I
become a very unwise man. So with
anyone else. The higher our posi-
tion the more our responsibility. Du-
ring the little time I may spend here
in the flesh, I stand in need of the
prayers of the Latter-day Saints—of
those who have faith in God. So do
my brethren that surround me. So
do all the authorities of the Church.
We all stand in need of the and the power of God. With-
out this we are not qualified to fill
the positions which we are called to
occupy.
I know that this is the . So do all you who have ever
had the testimony of the Holy Ghost
with you. The God of heaven has
set His to establish His king-
dom, in fulfillment of the revelations
of heaven which He has inspired men
to declare and put on record from
338 LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR
With regard to myself, I will say
that in my early youth, while reading the Bible---the record of Judah,
and the New Testament---I read of
Jesus Christ, of His Apostles, their
works, and the dealings of God with
them, and of the doctrines which
they received and taught to those
around them. There was something
glorious in those principles which the
Savior of the world and His disciples
taught in their day. I had a great
desire in my boyhood and youth that
I might live to behold a people who
were inspired of the Almighty, and
who had power and authority to go
forth and teach those principles which
I read of within the lids of the Bible.
At that time I could not hear them
taught. They were not taught by
any person within my knowledge.
But, as I have said, I had a longing
desire that I might live to behold a
people on the earth who would teach
these principles to me. I spent many
a midnight hour in my mill, and
among the rocks, in the forests and in
the fields, in pouring out my soul to
God and praying that I might live to
behold a people on the earth who
would teach these principles. In
answer to my prayers, the God of
heaven promised me that I should
live to find such a people. He promised me that I should have a name
and a place within the House of God
and among His people---a name that
should not be cut off. I am strongly
impressed to-day, in reflecting upon
our history and the history of myself,
and the position which I occupy, with
the promises of God to me in those
early days. They have been fulfilled,
and this day has crowned the pinnacle of the responsibility which is
placed upon my head. I marvel
when I contemplate these things,
which are in fulfillment of the promises of God unto me. And when I
say this of myself, I speak of hundreds of the Elders of Israel who
have been moved upon in the same
manner that I have been. Those
with whom I stood connected in the
early period of the Church---the Prophet , ,
and those men that laid the foundation of this Church and kingdom,
together with other prophets and
patriarchs---have passed away. They
are on the other side of the veil. I
still have the privilege of remaining,
and I this day have been called to
this responsibility in the midst of
my brethren---a responsibility that no
man can fill unless he is inspired of
God.
But I will say this to my brethren
and sisters, in the name of Israel's
God: The Almighty will never permit me, nor any other President who
holds the keys of the kingdom of
God, to lead you astray. If I do not
walk in the paths of righteousness
and do what is right in the position
that I occupy, He will remove me out
of my place, or any other man who
attempts to lead the people astray.
The position which I occupy, and
that occupied by my brethren the
Apostles, should not have a tendency,
if we have the Spirit of God, to make
us lifted up or exalted in our spirits
before the Lord. I know, as the God
of Israel lives, that I have no power,
nor have I had, in this Church, to
perform any work pertaining to this
kingdom, until it has been given unto
me by the God of heaven. I know
Joseph Smith had not, nor , nor , nor any
Apostle or Elder in this Church and
kingdom. And the moment that I
attempt to become lifted up in the
pride of my heart, because of any
position that I hold, that moment I
become a very unwise man. So with
anyone else. The higher our position the more responsibility. During the little time I may spend here
in the flesh, I stand in need of the
prayers of the Latter-day Saints---of
those who have faith in God. So do
my brethren that surround me. So
do all the authorities of the Church.
We all stand in need of the Holy
Ghost and the power of God. Without this we are not qualified to fill
the positions which we are called to
occupy.
I know that this is the work of
God. So do all you who have ever
had the testimony of the Holy Ghost
with you. The God of heaven has
set His hand to establish His kingdom, in fulfillment of the revelations
of heaven which He has inspired men
to declare and put on record from