DISCOURSE
BY
ELDER WILFORD WOODRUFF,
In the 15th Ward Meeting House
on Sunday evening, .
REPORTED BY GEO. F. GIBBS.
I HAVE spent but very little time in
Salt Lake City on the Sabbath day
since my return from the soutfl; Sat-
urdays and Sundays I have generally
spent the time attending our Quar-
terly Conferences abroad. I have
felt as though I would like to visit
the people in a ward capacity as far
as I have opportunity, and I thought
I would call down and visit our
friends of the 15th Ward this eve-
ning.
I have been very much edified in
listening to Bro. Morgan, and I con-
sider he has a correct idea of the
state of our country, and also with
regard to the events that await us,
as a people, and also this generation.
Part of Bro. Morgan's remarks re-
mind me of my first mission, espe-
cially that part describing the man-
ner in which the missionaries in the
Southern States travel. The ground
that Bro. Morgan has been traveling
over, I traversed through the winter
of 1834-5 and the year following;
and I could not help contrasting, in
my own mind, while listening to
him, the manner in which he and
his brethren travel, with the man-
ner in which I and others traveled
in the early days. You who have
read the Doctrine and Covenants
understand that some of the revela-
tions therein contained were given
unto us at that time. The first mis-
sionary labor I performed in this
Church was done by commandment,
without purse or scrip. My first
mission after I went up to Zion's
Camp was through the Southern
States. I called upon Bishop Par-
tridge, who was our first Bishop,
who was then in Missouri, Clay
County. He said he wished some
of the elders to go into the Southern
country. I asked him a few ques-
tions, some of which were these:
"Where do you want me to go?" He
said, "I would like you to go through
Missouri into Arkansas." Said I,
"Jackson County lies directly in our
road, is it your advice that we go
through Jackson County?" He re-
plied that he had not faith enough
himself to travel through Jackson
County; but that if we had we
might do so. You, perhaps, will re-
member that we had just been driv-
en out from there, and it was as
much as a Mormon's life was worth
to be seen in Jackson County. I
said to him: "Bishop Partridge, shall
we go without purse or scrip?' He
said, "I have not got faith enough to
do it myself, if you have you can
try it." I was a boy, and I must
say—not that I have any fault to
find with Bishop Partridge, for he
was a good man—that he did not
encourage us much. We had the
commandment of God on this point,
to go without purse or scrip, on the
one side, and the Bishop's advice on
the other. I said I would not take
purse or scrip, because the law of
God forbid it. I and my companion
started out. In going through Jack-
son County we dared not call upon
anybody, and being hungry, we went
into a corn-field and took the ears of
corn and eat the corn like horses,
without grinding, though some of it
we pounded. We continued our
way South, and having no money,
after leaving Jackson County we
begged our bread from door to door;
and when we asked for something
we always received it, and we were
never turned out of doors. I refer
to these things because they come
to my mind, and cannot help con-
trasting in my own mind how differ-
ent things were forty five years ago
from what they are to-day. Brother
Morgan has been telling us how they
travel in the South, and I can bear
testimony to what he has said, that
when a man goes forth trusting in
God he gets along fully as well, feels
better, and generally has as good
success as the man who goes into
the missionary field with his pock-
ets full of money.
I traveled through Arkansas, and
had quite an experience. I had
visions and dreams to warn me of
danger and to encourage me in my
labors. In one instance, a man
came towards me, intending to kill
me; the circumstance was shown
me in a vision the night before. A
mob of thirty men was raised, and
they swore they would ride us on a
rail, and tar and feather us, and
then hang us. My companion was
in favor of leaving the country; but
I told him I was going to stay there
at the risk of my life. When the
mob approached us, the leader came
forward with the intention of killing
me; the consequence was precisely
as had been shown me in my vision
—when he got to where I was he
fell dead at my feet; and it was not
more than ten days when twenty of
this mob took sick and died—all
done by the same power and by the
destroying angel who is both power-
ful to save or destroy. We remained
there until we saw the literal fulfil-
ment of what had been shown me
in the night vision. I held the office
of a priest, while my companion was
an elder, and you know how a person
would feel in those days if he rebelled
against a man over him in the priest-
hood. I did so, and it was the only
time in my life that I ever attempted
to do such a thing. When my part-
ner told me he was going to leave, I
told him that he should not do so,
neither would I; and I persisted in
holding him there for two weeks.
During this time we witnessed the
hand of the Lord in preserving our
lives and in slaying our enemies,
and now was the time for us to go
to work, but which we did not do;
in that we did wrong, for after re-
maining there two weeks, my com-
panion said he would not stop any
longer, and I dared not stay there
alone, and therefore we left. If we
had remained, after the door had
been thus opened, I have not a doubt
but what we would have raised up
quite a large branch of the Church.
But my companion did not wish to
stop longer, the only ordinance he
administered during this mission
was to baptize a man and woman
who received us, Father and Mother
Hibber, who believed in the divinity
of the Book of Mormon. The man
who was struck dead at my feet was
Mr. Akeman, who lived in Jackson
County, Mo., during the persecu-
tions, and buried his wife there.
He had several sons six feet high.
The old gentleman passed through
much, and then apostatized and
went to Arkansas and settled there.
It would have been better for him to
have kept the faith, for he did not
live long after he got there, and I do
not think he got much glory either.
After our two weeks' experience in
this place the whole neighborhood
seemed ready to receive the gospel,
and if I had stopped there, I am
satisfied that I could have built up
quite a church. It is true, being a
priest, I could not have confirmed
believers after baptizing them for
the remission of their sins, but I
could have baptized them and ad-
ministered the sacrament.
Leaving this place, and having no
money to travel, we went to Arkan-
sas River, and there dug out a canoe
from the trunk of a cottonwood tree,
and paddled ourselves a distance of
one hundred and twenty-five miles
down the river. The first day we
made about forty miles, and stopped
over night with a poor woman who
lived in a log cabin without a floor.
She gave us supper and breakfast,
and also a piece of johnny-cake and
pork, which we took along. That
day we went down to the Darda-
nelles, and stopped over night in a
big tavern, which was unoccupied.
There was not a man within twenty
miles, and when we inquired what
was the matter, we were told the
place was haunted. We tied up our
canoe, took our lunch, asked a bless-
ing on it and ate it. After dark we
went to bed, and I slept soundly, on
one of the best of feather beds, (in a
dream,) at my father's house, and it
is hardly necessary for me to say,
nobody haunted us or disturbed our
slumber in the least.
After a good night's rest we went
on to Little Rock and tied up our
canoe. After visiting hero, we went
on to where a man named Jones
lived, where we left our canoe, and
preached the next day. We then
walked back to Little Rock, and tak-
ing the old military road, started to
cross the Mississippi swamp, which
was, the most part of it, covered
with water from the place we started
to Memphis, Tennesee—a distance
of about one hundred and eighty
miles. We had to wade through
mud and water sometimes knee
deep, which had the effect of giving
me an attack of rheumatism, which
crippled me. My companion was in
good health and wanted to hurry on,
so we parted; he left me resting on
a log. I was now alone, lame and
without food, in a swamp, some
thirty-five miles from the nearest
house. In considering the situation,
and being all covered with mud, I
could not help laughing at my con-
dition—my companion leaving me
sitting on a log in a swamp, thirty-
five miles from any house, without
food. I did not see my companion
again for two years. But, withal,
I knew I needed assistance, so when
my companion had gone out of sight
I knelt down in the water and prayed
fervently to the Lord to heal me, so
that I could continue my journey.
I felt the operation of the Holy Spirit
upon me; I arose from my k[n]ees, the
pain having left me. I then went
on, bearing testimony to a family
here and there wherever opportu-
nity presented itself. When I came
to Memphis I was there without any
money. I went to the best tavern
in the city, which was kept by a Mr.
Jackson. I told him of my financial
condition, and asked him if he would
keep me over night. Said he, scan-
ning me from head to foot, "What
is your calling?" I said, "I am a
preacher of the gospel." He looked
at me again and burst out laughing,
and then said: "You look like one."
-[Laughter.]- I could not take any
exceptions, because the ministers of
the various denominations, in travel-
ing over the country, were furnished
with a good saddle horse, they al-
ways had money and wore good
clothes. And the idea of a man
who had waded through mud and
water, and partly crippled through
rheumatism, claiming to be a
preacher, I could not blame him for
laughing at me; in fact, I could not
help laughing myself. Mr. Jackson
rather suspected me; I believe he
thought I was one of Murvill's Clan
—a set of men who were stealing
negroes and killing men. He asked
me then: "How shall I know that
you are a preacher?" I put my hand
into my pocket, took out a paper and
presented it to him, telling him at
the same time that that was my
license. After reading it over, and
still keeping up his laughing spell,
he said: "But how shall I know that
this is a genuine certificate? Will
you preach?" "For mercy's sake,"
said I, "don't set me a preaching."
And it had the effect of making
him feel quite curious to hear me.
He took my valise out of my hand,
saying that I must preach. I was
invited into the house, and while I
was resting and waiting for supper,
Mr. Jackson sent all over town and
invited the "upper ten" to come and
hear a "Mormon" preach; and while
I was eating supper they came,
dressed in silks and satins and broad-
cloth, and before I got through the
house was full of people, who sat
looking at me, no doubt expecting to
be highly entertained. Supper over,
the landlord intimated to me that
they were ready to hear the preach-
ing. I told him I was ready to
preach to them. He then set me
in a corner, where I was guarded by
about a dozen men, who would have
prevented me from jumping out of
the window, in case I had made the
attempt to do so. I had a Bible and
a hymn book. On opening the book,
I asked if some one would kindly
lead in singing, that I did not possess
the gift of singing. At this my
congregation burst out laughing.
When this subsided, I knelt down
and offered prayer, and then preached
to them for one hour and a quarter;
I had the best attention, the Spirit
of the Lord rested mightily upon
me, and I have always thought that
I preached that evening one of the
best sermons I ever preached in my
life. The people seemed to partake
of the spirit that rested on me, and
I think I revealed to them their pri-
vate life as clear as it was ever
shown to them; and I knew this,
because I could read them as they
sat before me. When I got through
I was left standing alone; and in a
short time the house was cleared,
and the landlady came and showed
me to bed. Where I slept was an
upper room next to a wholesale store;
and in the next room was a compa-
ny of men discussing the merits of
the sermon, and the partition being
of board, I could hear all that was
said. Among other things, I heard
one man saying: "Jim, how in h—ll
did that stranger know what you
were about?" After talking consid-
erably they began to dispute among
themselves, when one of them said,
"Let us have the preacher up to de-
cide it." "No," said the landlord,
"we have had enough of him for
one night." I went on to Middle
Tennessee and labored there one
year, and preached and baptized a
great many people before I was or-
dained an elder. I afterwards was
ordained an elder by Warren Par-
rish, and a seventy by D. W. Patten.
I ordained Brother Smoot and Ben-
jamin Clapp elders. All my travel-
ing was done without purse or scrip;
and God was with me, although a
young man, and revealed unto me
his mind and will.
And here let me say to our young
deacons, teachers and priests, I had
as much of the power of God with
me, and was blessed with as much
of his spirit, while I held the Aaronic
priesthood as when an apostle. I
had as much of his power to help
me to preach and to deliver me
from the grasp of my enemies as I
ever had since. I say this for the
encouragement of our young men
and our boys who are called to the
priesthood; and I would say to them,
fill your position, magnify your call-
ing in humility before God, and seek
after him in your youth, and also
seek to prepare yourselves for future
usefulness in the great work which
lies before you, and the Lord will
work through you, making you hon-
ored instruments in helping to bring
to pass his great and eternal pur-
poses with regard to the salvation of
mankind and the overthrow of wick-
edness in the earth.
While it occurs to me I will relate
one little circumstance which took
place after I had been out two years.
Elders David W. Patten and Warren
Parrish had been laboring together
in Tennessee. Elder Patten had re-
turned to Kirtland, leaving Brother
Parrish in charge of the branches of
the Church throughout the Southern
country. And while laboring under
Brother Parrish, and still holding
the Aaronic priesthood, I received a
letter from Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery, informing me that they
wished Brother Parrish to come
home, and me to remain in charge
in his stead; and among other things,
Brother Joseph said to me, "I will
promise you, in the name of the
Lord, that by so doing you shall lose
no blessing that would otherwise be
conferred upon you." Just before
Bro. Parrish left he ordained me an
elder, and during that year after
Bro. Parrish left I baptized some
thirty persons. When I received
the letter referred to from the
Prophet Joseph, I was in Brother
Smoot's house; he was there and
had read my letter. I remember
how well I felt at the promises that
had been made to me; and when
bedtime came I retired to the small
room which I occupied, shut the
door, and soon received a heavenly
vision. Here let me say with regard
to seeing visions; when Joseph Smith
received the visitation of Moroni,
Peter, James and John and others,
they came and talked with him as
one man talks with another, face to
face. [Joseph Smith-History 1:30-47] In other cases men have been
wrapt in vision, as, for instance,
Paul, when describing his state, said
that he did not know whether he
was in the body or out of the body,
but he saw and heard things not to
be uttered. [2 Corinthians 12:1-4] And it was so with me;
I could not tell whether I was in the
body or out of the body; but one
thing I do know, I was not asleep.
I saw a great many things in that
vision which were truly wonderful.
I saw the resurrection of the dead;
I saw the sun turned to darkness,
and the moon to blood, and the stars
from heaven fall. I saw seven gold-
en lions sit in the heavens as burning
brass, and the angel told me that
they were representatives of the
different dispensations. These are
things I hardly ever talk about, and
I only do so now because it is in the
line of my remarks, and because
they come to my mind. If I had
been a painter, the next morning
when I awoke, or even to this day—
as the scene has a lasting remem-
brance on my mind—I could have
sat down and portrayed these glori-
ous things; they made a much
stronger impression on my mind
than if I had learned them from
books. I name this to show you,
my young brethren, that it makes
no difference what office a man
holds, or what his condition in life
may be, as long as he trusts in the
Lord and he magnifies the office he
holds, no matter what may be that
calling. This was the manner in
which we traveled in early days,
and we had joy in our labor, the
Lord blessing us with souls for our
hire. I traveled all over the coun-
try, comprising a circuit of some
three hundred or four hundred miles,
and labored there two years. I built
up a number of branches of the
Church, and among others I bap-
tized a Campbellite preacher and a
good many of his flock. When I
returned to Kirtland I took Brother
Smoot with me; I was there when
the endowments were given in the
winter of 1836-7, and received many
blessings at the hands of the Lord.
In this respect I certainly realized
the fulfilment of the promises made
me by the Prophet Joseph when I
was requested to remain in the
Southern country to take charge of
the branches of the Church in that
land.
I was in Kirtland at the time of
the great apostacy, which some of
you have read of in the history.
Men have asked me why men who
have borne the apostleship have
apostatized. I would ask, why do
men apostatize to-day? Because
they set their hearts upon the things
of this world, which in time alien-
ate them from God and from the
duties of the holy priesthood; and
this was the case with them. The
key to this matter may be had by
reading the letter written by the
Prophet Joseph when confined in
Liberty Jail; it plainly states why
men apoftatize. Many are called,
but few are chosen. And why are
they not chosen? Because they set
their hearts too much upon the
things of this world, and aspire to
the honors of men. [Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-35] That was the
case with some of the first quorum
of the Twelve. I hold in my hand
a copy of the Book of Mormon, the
truthfulness and divinity of which
is attested to by the signatures of
eleven men, and yet there was not
one of these witnesses, excepting
the three Smiths and Hiram Page,
but what turned against Joseph.
They did not deny their testimony
to the truth of the Book of Mormon;
on the contrary, they maintained
their position in that respect to the
last moment of their life; but
they rebelled against and opposed the
Prophet Joseph, and consequently
they fell, and will be found under
condemnation. When men under-
take to use their priesthood aside
from its legitimate purposes—the
building up of the kingdom of God
—the Spirit of God is grieved, and
the heavens withdraw themselves,
and then "amen" to the priesthood
and authority of such men. It mat-
ters not who the man may be, or how
great his influence in the commu-
nity, he must sooner or later fall a
prey to the devourer of souls. And
on the other hand, when men hold-
ing this holy priesthood magnify it,
it becomes a power and a key to
them, and they have power before
God and the heavens.
I was in Kirtland during that dark
hour through which the Church
passed. Brother Joseph hardly knew
who his friends were when he met
them, whether they were members
of the quorum of the Twelve, high
priests, seventies, the witnesses to
the Book of Mormon, or any one
else. It was the darkest day this
Church has ever known, as far as
the power of apostacy is concened;
and I hope and trust it will never
again be repeated to the same extent,
although men may continue to
apostatize, when they forsake God
and his cause. And while things
were in this state, the Spirit of God
said to me, leave this place, go to
the islands of the sea and preach
the everlasting gospel, and let the
scenes in Kirtland take care of them-
selves. I had not taken counsel
with anybody, but I went to Brig-
ham Young and Brother Kimball
and stated to them my feelings.
Brothers Rigdon and Kimball said
go. And afterwards Brother Kim-
ball desired me to remain with him,
and help him turn his house around.
I stayed with him two days, and
then started off on my mission, the
results of which I have very briefly
alluded to.
I also traveled through Canada in
company with John Allen Hale and
Milton Holmes, whom I chose as
my associates. Bro. Hale was not
what was called a great preacher,
but was a good man, who could bear
testimony to the divinity of the
gospel we preach. I preached and
baptized some in Canada. Bro. John
E. Page was there at the time; he
was afterwards chosen a member of
the quorum of the Twelve, but was
among those who afterwards aposta-
tized. Traveling through Canada,
I went through Oswego, took the
canal and went to Connecticut to
my father's house. I had not seen
my parents from the time I em-
braced the gospel, a period of some
five years. Before starting out on my
mission, however, I went to see Fa-
ther Smith, the patriarch, who
blessed me and he gave me the
promise that I should be successful
in bringing my father's house into
the church. When I called upon
him I preached to him and baptized
him and my stepmother and my
uncle, Ozam Woodruff and wife and
son and my step-sister, together
with others who lived in my father's
house.
I then went to Fox Island, where
I organized a branch of the church.
When we landed there at midnight
we were entire strangers without a
single penny. The first house we
approached we found vacant; we
went on to the next, where we
were accommodated with a bed.
The next morning I said to the lady,
"Will you tell me if there is any re-
ligion on this island, and if so,
what?" She answered, "the Bap-
tist religion." "Have you a church?"
"Yes, a Baptist church." "Have
you a minister?" "Yes, a Bap-
tist minister." And the
minister lived near the Church,
three miles from there, and
we were directed to the place.
We made for the place and got to
the church in time for meeting in
the afternoon. Adeacon met us at
the door. I told him to tell the min-
ister there were two servants of God
at the door who had a message to
deliver to the people of that island.
The minister kindly invited us up
to the pulpit, which invitation we
accepted, going up valise in hand.
We were entire strangers and of
course in that position, were the ob-
jects of interest to the congregation.
The minister asked us what we
wanted. We told him we wanted
to preach to the people. When?
This evening. After naming the
hour and giving out the notice, he
invited us to take tea with him at
his home. When we got into the
house, I took out the Bible, Book of
Mormon and Doctrine and Cove-
nants laying them one on the other
upon the table, but said nothing. By
and by he took them up and looked
them over in silence. After pausing
sometime I asked him if there was
a schoolhouse in the island. He
answered that there were five. "Are
they free to preach in?" "Yes." I
thought that was all right, and said no
more. He asked no questions.
When the time arrived we went to
meeting. I told the people the na-
ture of our mission, and recited to
them the history of the organization
of the Church of God upon the
earth; and then preached on the
first principles of the gospel. When
I got through Brother Hale bore
testimony. We then gave out no-
tices that we would hold meet-
ings at certain hours in the
various school houses, which ap-
pointments we filled. All this time
the minister was engaged reading
the Book of Mormon and the Doc-
trine and Covenants, and for days
he walked his room till midnight,
not knowing what to do, whether
to accept our doctrines and thereby
renounce his faith and lose his po-
sition, or to reject it. After consid-
ering the matter for ten days, dur-
ing which time he was supplying
our daily wants, he concluded to re-
ject our message, and from that time
he commenced to oppose us. But
no sooner had he closed his door
upon us that a sea captain invited us
to his home. We went with him
and succeded in baptizing him and
his brother, and also commenced
baptizing others. The minister see-
ing this and becoming alarmed,
went to the south island to get a
Mr. Douglas, a Methodist minister,
to come and help him to oppose the
Mormons. They combined together
and held a kind of convention. I
was present and heard this Mr.
Douglas tell a great many false-
hoods and also misquote Scripture.
When they got through I charged
them with telling falsehoods and
misquoting Scripture, and announc-
ed that on Monday evening we
would meet the people and ministers
by way of answering to what had
been said that night. The conse-
quence was that I preached to this
Baptist congregation and baptized
every member that owned one
dollar in the meeting house and we
followed the Methodist minister to
his home in the south island and
succeeded in baptizing most of his
congregation. These are little inci-
dents in my early experience.
I have watched with a great deal
of interest the results of the
labors of Bro. Morgan in the South-
ern States, I myself having traveled
over some of the same ground and
been the means of bringing in the
Church many people from that
land, some of whom are alive and
living in Utah to-day. Here are
these Thomas' that are here—Bro.
Daniel Thomas is dead and I preach-
ed his funeral sermon. I baptized
his father and mother, he was an
old revolutionary soldier, who
fought under Washington, and was
between 80 and 90 years of age.
When I laid my hands upon his
head to confirm him a member of
the Church, I told him that he
would be gathered home with the
Saints and be buried with them.
This his son told me afterwards was
the only thing that ever tried his
faith, for he did not know the way
the old gentleman would be gather-
ed. The consequence was that
Brother Thomas was with the first
company who were gathered out of
the southern country. When he got
to Far West Father Thomas wrote
to his son Daniel to come and take
him to Far West, he went after him
and carried him up to Far West; and
three days after his arrival he died
there and was buried. We say a
great many things sometimes in
confirming people when under the
influence of the Spirit of God, that
appear to the natural mind almost
impossibilities, and which we do not
understand ourselves, only as the
Lord confirms them.
These, my brethren and sisters,
are incidents of my experience while
on my first mission. Joseph Smith,
Brigham Young and the Twelve
Apostles have met with similar
things, for this is way we had
to travel in the early days. We al-
ways went without purse or
scrip, leaving our families
many times in the depths
of poverty. We left our wives in
poverty to go to England, after ful-
filling the revelation given on the
26th day of April, at Far West,
where, in obedience to the command
of the Lord, we laid the chief corner
stone of the temple. [Doctrine and Covenants 115:8-12] This was the
only revelation in which God had
given day and date requiring the
Saints to fulfil a certain thing by a
certain time. When that revelation
was given, the bitter enemies of
this Church connived together and
swore by all the gods that if all
the other revelations of Joe Smith's
had been fulfilled, that that one
should not be, because there was
day and date to it, and they would
see that it should not be fulfilled.
You know the history of that, how
that the Lord overruled so that ev-
erything was brought to pass to the
very letter.
We went to England and labored
energetically, the Lord crowning
our labors with great success. We
baptized 7,000 people. I myself
brought into the Church near 2,000,
most of whom were brought into the
Church in about eight months' labor
in the Herefordshire mission. After
spending one year in England with
the Twelve, and establishing the
Church there, we returned home in
peace and safety.
Now, I want to say to my breth-
ren and sisters, this is Mormonism;
this is the way we have lived. You
are in another condition; you have
lived 40 years since that day—from
1840 to 1880. You are located in the
Rocky Mountains, and you are filling
these mountains with Latter-day
Saints. You have go the kingdom
of God, and the Lord is with you,
and is very anxious that this
people should build up this kingdom.
In listening to Brother Pratt to-day
preach to us, and when I read the
revelations, and when I reflect upon
that grand and glorious vision which
God gave to Joseph, which marks
out the destiny of all men; and
when I consider that you and I have
the power while here in the flesh to
attain to the high and exalted posi-
tion in the celestial kingdom of God,
which is described in this Book of
Covenants, I feel that our aims
should be high, and that our privi-
leges here on the earth are all that
we should ask for. What are gold
and silver, what are the monopolies
of wealth which Brother Morgan
has spoken of as existing in the east.
What, I say, are the immense riches
in the hands of a few men compared
to the blessings of eternal life? Why,
bless your souls, the men who wield
this wordly power are, as a general
thing, men that will go down to hell
when they shall pass away; in fact,
they are in the same situation as
the man referred to by the Savior
who wanted to build larger barns
and storehouses, and of whom the
Son of Man said, Thou fool, this
night thy soul shall be required of
thee. [Luke 12:16-21] As I remarked to the Relief
Society of Provo a week ago, so say
I now, if I could live 1,000 years here
in the flesh, and had to labor in pov-
erty and hunger all the days of my
life, and if by my acts and course of
labor I could secure unto myself the
privilege of having my wives
and children with me in the
morning of the first resurrection and
could have them with me in my
family organization in the celestial
world, to dwell with me in that state
and glory, I should feel amply repaid;
it would more than reward me for
any trials and inconveniences and
troubles that I may have to endure
here. As Brother Morgan has said
to you so say I to this people to-
night, the world know not the na-
ture of the treasure we have, they
never did nor can know while they
reject the truth as it is offered to
them. But while it is a painful
thing to see men reject and oppose
the gospel, and stand ready to per-
secute those who have been willing
to sacrifice their all in order to pro-
claim it to a fallen world, I say,
while this is painful enough to a con-
siderate Latter-day Saint, it is not
near so bad as when men apostatize
and deny the truth; of all things un-
der heaven I dislike to see, it is to see
men who have once known the
truth and seen the light, turn round
and deny that which they have
known and seen. I can bury Latter-
day Saints, I can see my brethren
and sisters laid in the silent tomb
who have received of the ordinances
of the House of God, and who have
been true and faithful unto death,
without feeling to mourn; but after
traveling with men, as I have done,
for years and years, and heard them
bear record that they knew that this
was indeed and of a truth the
Church and Kingdom of God, and
after being valiant for the cause for
40 years, then turn and deny all,
deny God and every principle of life
and salvation, in this there is some-
thing truly sorrowful.
Brethern and sisters, let us live
our religion and keep the faith and
labor to overcome the world. What
Brother Morgan has said respecting
the condition of our nation is true
as God is true. This nation nor the
world know not what awaits them
neither do the Latter-day Saints un-
less they possess that spirit which
partakes of the things of God and
reveals them unto man. There are
great changes at your door; there
are great changes awaiting Zion;
there great changes awaiting our
own nation, and there are great
changes to come upon Babylon.
And the elements financial, social
and political, which have been re-
ferred to this evening, will be used
by the Lord to overthrow this power-
ful nation, and I know it, and bear
testimony of it; although men gen-
erally know not, and seemingly care
not to know, but I know the hand
of God is in these things, and he will
rule and overrule in these material
matters, and although not interfer-
ing with men's agency, he will so
order things that men will on natur-
al principals bring about their own
destruction and they alone will be
to blame for it because their cup will
be full. God says in a modern re-
velation that he is angry with none
save those who refuse to acknow-
ledge him in all things. The world
of mankind does not acknowledge the
hand of God in anything. The sins
of this generation are ascending up,
like smoke out of a pit, before high
heavens, and the anger of the Lord
is kindled against the wicked and
ungodly, and his angels stand ready
to receive the command to go forth
and reap down the earth. This
time must come sooner or later; the
days of the reign and rule of sin and
wickedness are numbered, and the
destruction of the wicked will come
upon them like a thief in the night
and when they shall be marrying and
giving in marriage and engaged in
all kinds of revelry.
The wicked do not seem to know
that it is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of a jealous God. [Hebrews 10:31] There
are a thousand cases of murder to-
day where there was but one when
this Book of Mormon was translated
and sent forth to the world, and a
thousand cases of whoredoms and
adultery where there was one then.
In those days both law and virtue
were respected and honored; but af-
ter this word had gone forth to the
people and had been treated with in-
difference and rejected by them, the
Lord commenced to withdraw his
Spirit from them, until to-day it
finds little, if any, place in their
hearts, and as a consequence, Satan
has control over them and they are
fast ripening in iniquity, and the
whole earth is ready for judgment;
and there will be none to deliver.
Since my return from the south,
the question has been asked me a
number of times if I had received a
revelation while in the south. It
does seem strange to me that such a
question should be asked. We have
twelve Apostles and their counsel-
ors, who are upheld by the Latter-
day Saints in general conference as-
sembled, as prophets, seers and reve-
lators; and is it a strange thing that
they should receive a revela-
tion? There are, say 5,000
Seventies in these mountains who
hold the Melchisedek priesthood, as
well as many thousands of High
Priests and many thousands of El-
ders who also hold a portion of the
Melchisedek priesthood, and is it a
marvel or a wonder that God should
give a revelation to anybody? What
an idea! The marvel to me is that
prophets and apostles should live at
all without revelation.
If we build up the Kingdom of
God we shall see the necessity of re-
ceiving constant aid from our Father
and God to direct us in carrying out
to fulfilment his great and glorious
purposes.
The judgments of God await the
world and the nations that live to-
day, when the inhabitants shall be-
come fully ripe in wickedness. As
the Lord lives all the revelations
of God concerning them will surely
come to pass. Therefore prepare
yourselves, ye Saints of the latter-
days, for that which awaits you;
for judgments will begin at the
House of God, and from there it will
go forth to this and other nations as
it has never before been known, un-
til the whole earth shall be cleansed
from wickedness and the way made
straight for the coming of our Lord.
I would repeat the counsel that
has been sounded in the ears of this
people for these many years. Let
us live our religion and have the
fear of God in our hearts. Some of
us are not going to remain here
very much longer; we will pass
away, but we have boys and girls
growing up who will carry on the
great work of salvation and redemp-
tion which God is establishing in
the earth. I have strong feelings
for the welfare of our boys and girls.
I look at the evils around them,
which beset their pathway in life,
which are the means used by the
devil to overthrow them; and he
seeks the overthrow of this whole
people; and he will overthrow every-
body that can be overthrown. There-
fore, I would say, teach your boys
and girls the principles of the gospel;
teach them to pray unto God, to call
upon him that his spirit may rest
upon them and touch their hearts,
that they may be led in the paths
of righteousness, and thus be saved
from the evils of the world. I am
pleased to see so many of our young
persons interest themselves in the
principles revealed from heaven for
our guidance and salvation, and
hope and pray that they will con-
tinue in well doing, for upon their
shoulders, as I have often said,
must sooner or later devolve the re-
sponsibility of carrying on this work.
I believe there are a great many of
our sons and daughters in these
mountains who will not taste of
death, whose bodies will not lie in
the grave, and they will live in the
flesh until Christ shall come, to be
caught up to meet him in the air. [1 Thessalonians 4:17]
We have got to exercise faith in
God and call upon him, and draw
near unto him and thus prepare our-
selves for the things which await us
in life.
I feel as though I have said
enough.
I pray God to bless you, and to
bless the holy priesthood, the Apos-
tles, the Seventies, the High Priests,
and all who bear the priesthood in
this generation. Let us maintain
our integrity to God and live so as
to be at last worthy of the high and
exalted position that we are aiming
for in the heavens, for to lose this
through falling away, it would have
been better for us had we never been
born, and far better to have been
taken away in our youth. It is a
warfare all the time for man, woman
and child; and that we may fight
the battle of life, and overcome the
world, the flesh and the devil, and
be prepared for eternal life, is my
prayer, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.