President Wilford Woodruff addressed
the congregation and spoke substatially
as follows:
For quite a number of months my
brain work has been so severe, that I
have felt it right to throw off some of
this work of speaking on my brethren
of the Twelve who are with me, I have
been edified and interested. This testi-
mony is applicable. What has been
said in regard to the absence of Saints
from these meetings does not apply to
those who are here.
Our last conference here was crowded.
The tabernacle in the various stakes,
during conferences, are generally well
filled. The Lord has not gone asleep,
He has not gone upon a journey, He has
not deserted his cause. The Lord has
decreed from the foundation of the world
the dispensation of all his dealings with
men, all these depensations have been
forseen by the Prophets. We are ful-
filling the prophecies in regard to this
work, there is no greater work than the
work in which we are engaged. The
church has been organized for 50 years,
and there is no reason why we should
lose interest in the work. We came
here because the Lord was prepared to
perform a work. The 200,000 souls now
in the church were kep[t] in the spirit
world for six thousand years, to come
forth in this dispensation. What time
have we to spend foolishly? We have
none, it will be a loss to us when here,
and hereafter.
Read the history of the world suicide
and sickness, death and desolation are
beginning to feel after the nations of the
earth, These things will increase after
the testimony of the elders has been re-
jected, it is our duty to testify to all na-
tions, after our testimonies come these
testimonies of destruction. Those
words have been spoken and will be ful-
filled. We will be held on accountabil-
ity for our works. The priesthood is given
to us and we are held responsible for
this work to the extent of our positions
and callings. If I fail to do my duty
I shall be held responsible and
so with the Twelve and every member
of the church. We should wake up and
realize our condition and responsibilities
and labor to save the souls of men and
perform all duties devolving upon us
Our reward will be commemorated
with the course we pursue in the flesh.
The hand of God is in all matter tem-
peral and spiritual. He will control all
things for our good if wee serve Him.
Our political experience will be a bles[s]-
[i]ng to us. No man need be discouraged or
disappointed. The Lord holds the des-
tiny of all people in His hands, when
we come to the end of our lives we will
[s]ee this more clearly. We have receiv-
ed great blessings and great promises
and should commit no sin. The Lord wil[l]
sustain us if we do right. Our young
people should attend the various instu-
tions in the church organized for their
benefit, and become acquainted with
the principles of the gospel, and be pre-
pared to withstand temptations. It is
sad to see our sons lead astray by evil
influences. The powers of evil are bring
ing to bear all their efforts, and all the
influences that can be brought to bear
us astray. The Savior was tempted 40
days; if He had yielded, the Devil would
have achieved a great victory, but he
did not. He gave us an example to fol-
low. He prayed to the Father—Pray,
pray always, there is where our help
lies, even in temporal affairs, we should
go before God. He will answer our
prayers, and we will have power to over
come all evil. No man can lead as-
tray the people, and if a president
should attempt it he would be removed.
The authorities are sustained by the
people's prayers and therein lies our
strength. Men have apostized from
time to time. In Kirtland one half of the
Quorum of the Twelve apostatized and
went against the prophet, but the Lord
sustained him and he filled the position
to which he had been called, till the
Lord took him away. He performed his
work, and will hold the keys of the grea[t]
dispensation in the morning of the re-
surrection. What is there to pay a man
to sin or do wrong. There is nothing to
justify a man in doing evil, nothing to
make a man happy in disobeying the
commandments of God. Let us remem-
ber the covenants we have made with
the Lord. We should remember the
councils we receive from time to time,
and train our children in the ways of
the Lord; it is a great comfort and con-
solation when our sons walk in the ways
of righteousness and do not follow in
the paths of evil.
This is the gospel of Christ and the
work will stand in spite of all obstacles,
and the saints will remain here till
Christ comes and will not be driven
from their homes again. The speaker
remembered when he was 20 years of
age a murder was committed in Con-
necticut. That circumstance convulsed
all New England. Today murders and
suicides are a common occurance. Let
us labor to get the children to attend
Sabbath schools and meetings that they
may become acquainted with the will of
God. He had often said when a boy
and attended Sabbath school, that he
would esteem it a blessing above all
blessings to live in a time when apostles
and prophets were upon the earth as in
the days of the Savior, and had asked
why the churches did not enjoy the
gifts and blessings given to the early
saints. He had been answered, they
were not needed now as we live in the
light and blaze of the gospel. Now we
are blessed with the same blesings and
ordinances as were the former day saints
He hoped to live many years with the
people of God and enjoy the blessings
of the gospel as he had done for the
last 60 years. He knew the gospel was
true, he had received this testimony
from the first sermon he ever heard. We
have a high destiny before us, and
should live pure and temperate lives in
order to be worthy. Prayed God to bless
the people with strength to do right and
keep his commandments.