I rejoice in this work because it is true, because it is the plan of salvation, the eternal law of God that has been re- vealed to us; and the building up of Zion is what we are called to perform.

Zion has got to be built up, the Kingdom of God has got to be established, and the principles revealed to us have to be enjoyed by the Latter- day Saints. There is no principle that God has revealed but what has salva- tion in it, and we, in order to be saved, must observe His laws and ordinances.

No part of the gospel is superfluous. It is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever; and all the inhabitants of this world and all others, have got to be saved by it, if saved at all. It is necessary, there- fore, that we receive and obey all of its principles.

It is a great blessing that there can be saviors on Mount Zion. It is a glorious principle that we can go forth and erect temples and attend to ordi- nances for the living and the dead; that we can redeem our forefathers and pro- genitors from among the spirits in pri- son. They will be preached to in prison by those spirits on the other side of the vail who hold the keys of the Kingdom of God; and we will have the privilege of attendidg to ordinances in the flesh for them.

Then, again, the blessing of that God has revealed to us in the patriarchal order of marriage—be- ing sealed for time and eternity—is not prized by us as it should be. When that principle was revealed, the Pro- phet told the brethren that this king- dom could not advance any further without it; "and," said he, "if you do not receive it you will be damned saith the Lord." You may think this very strange, but the Lord never reveals anything that He does not require to be honored. What would have been our position if this had not been revealed? This principle is plain, clear and interesting; without it not a man in this Church could have either wife or child sealed to him for eternity. For all our marriage covenants before were only for time; and we as a Church had ar- rived at that point, when in order to en- sure a full salvation it was necessary to reveal this principle. It is a great bless- ing to us. We love our wives and children, and wish to enjoy their soci- ety; but the thought of separation would mar all the happiness that the Saints might otherwise attain. The Saint who aspires to salvation and glo- ry wants a continuation of family ties and associations after death. Without this principle we were like the rest of the world,—without any such hope.

let us be faith- ful, and look at the promises of God as they are contained in the gospel of Christ, and never treat lightly any prin- ciple, no matter what it is; whether it be faith, repentance, baptism for the re- mission of sins, the resurrection of the dead, eternal judgments, the marriage covenant, baptism for the dead, or any other ordinance that the Lord has revealed; they all belong to the kingdom, are necessary to salvation, and the responsi- bility of carrying them out rests upon this people.

But because we as a people follow the example of Abraham, in taking more wives than one, we are universally de- cried and despised. The Christian world profess to believe in Abraham, and he through obedience to the com- mand of God in this respect, was called the "Father of the faithful;" and the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem will each be named after one of the twelve patriarchs, his descendants, and the sons of a polygamist, and fathers of all Israel. Even the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to lay down his life to redeem the world, was through the same lineage. He was of Judah; He was the King of the Jews and the Sa- vior of the world. These principles are as righteous to- day as in any other age of the world, when governed and controlled by the commandments of God. Let us prize all the principles, revelations and bless- ings that God has revealed to us; let us treasure them up, do our duty to God, to one another and our fellow men.

No man has any time to sin, to steal, swear or break any of the laws of God, if he wishes to secure a full and complete salvation; but we must all do the best we can, laboring with all our might to overcome every evil, for it will take a whole life of faithfulness and integrity, for any Saint of God to receive a full salvation in the presence of God.