BELOVED Brethren in the New and
Everlasting Covenant: This being my
birthday, I having first seen the light of
day on Sunday, at ten o'clock, on the
morning of the first day of March, 1807,
making me eighty years of age this day, and
also having the honor of being appointed
by the Presidency of the Church as Super-
intendent of the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Associations throughout
these mountatins of Israel—in view of
these circumstances, I feel that I am
authorized to give my brethren, the
young men of Israel, some counsel and
instruction. But I cannot satisfy my own
mind without the inspiration of the
Lord.
I have been a member of the Church
over fifty-three years. I held the office
of a Teacher one year, the office of a
Priest one year; the office of an Elder
one year; the office of a Seventy two
years; and have held the office of an
Apostle forty-eight years. I do not
speak of this boastingly, for when the
Lord chose me for an Apostle, one
passage of scripture was certainly ful-
filled—He chose one of the weak things
of the world.
I have traveled in the ministry during
this time, 145,000 miles, through England, Scotland, Wales, six islands of the sea,
twenty-three of the United States, and
five Territories, including the Rocky
Mountains. I have crossed the Atlantic
Ocean four times, have held 4191 meet-
ings, and preached 3250 discourses.
Through my instrumentality the Lord
added to the Church in 1840, in the
south of England, one thousand eight
hundred souls, in eight months' labors,
among whom were nearly two hundred
preachers of the various sects. Fifty
of the preachers belonged to the United
Brethren, who had broken off from the
Wesleyan Methodists. This society of
United Brethren numbered six hundred,
all of whom were baptized, except one
person. I baptized one thousand of
these one thousand eight hundred. The
others were baptized by Priests and
Elders whom I had ordained.
In my travels I have established
seventy-seven preaching places, organ-
ized fifty-one branches of the Church,
confirmed 3343 members of the Church,
ordained one Apostle, and united in
ordaining eight others. I have ordained
twenty-three Patriarchs, and assisted in
ordaining eighty-four others. I have
ordained ninety-three High Priests. I
have ordained twenty-four High Coun-
cilors, and assisted in ordaining seventy-
four others. I have ordained fifty-seven
Seventies, and six hundred and sixty-
seven Elders, and assisted in ordaining
four thousand three hundred and forty-
seven Elders. I have ordained twenty-
three Bishops and seventeen counselors
to Bishops. I have ordained four hun-
dred and forty-six Priests, sixty-six
Teachers, and fifteen Deacons. I have
set apart and blessed one thousand and
thirty-four missionaries and assisted in
setting apart four thousand five hundred
and twelve other missionaries. I have
blessed several hundred children. I have
administed to one thousand one hun-
dred and fifty sick persons by the laying
on of hands and anointing with oil;
rebuking diseases and evil spirits in the
name of Jesus Christ; and many have
been healed by the power of God, devils
have been cast out, the dumb caused to
speak, the deaf to hear and the lame to
walk, and the sick have been raised up
by the power of God and not of man.
I have kept a daily journal for fifty-
three years, and reported many of Joseph Smith's sermons and prophecies,
also many sermons of the Apostles and
Elders, and kept a general account of
events as they have occurred around me.
Through the blessing of God I have had
the privilege of baptizing my father, step-mother, and only sister, with many
BELOVED Brethren in the New and
Everlasting Covenant: This being my
birthday, I having first seen the light of
day on Sunday, at ten o'clock, on the
morning of the first day of March, 1807,
making me eighty years of age this day, and
also having the honor of being appointed
by the Presidency of the Church as Superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Associations throughout
these mountatins of Israel—in view of
these circumstances, I feel that I am
authorized to give my brethren, the
young men of Israel, some counsel and
instruction. But I cannot satisfy my own
mind without the inspiration of the
Lord.
I have been a member of the Church
over fifty-three years. I held the office
of a Teacher one year, the office of a
Priest one year; the office of an Elder
one year; the office of a Seventy two
years; and have held the office of an
Apostle forty-eight years. I do not
speak of this boastingly, for when the
Lord chose me for an Apostle, one
passage of scripture was certainly fulfilled—He chose one of the weak things
of the world.
I have traveled in the ministry during
this time, 145,000 miles, through England,
Scotland, Wales, six islands of the sea,
twenty-three of the United States, and
five Territories, including the Rocky
Mountains. I have crossed the Atlantic
Ocean four times, have held 4191 meetings, and preached 3250 discourses.
Through my instrumentality the Lord
added to the Church in 1840, in the
south of England, one thousand eight
hundred souls, in eight months' labors,
among whom were nearly two hundred
preachers of the various sects. Fifty
of the preachers belonged to the United
Brethren, who had broken off from the
Wesleyan Methodists. This society of
United Brethren numbered six hundred,
all of whom were baptized, except one
person. I baptized one thousand of
these one thousand eight hundred. The
others were baptized by Priests and
Elders whom I had ordained.
In my travels I have established
seventy-seven preaching places, organized fifty-one branches of the Church,
confirmed 3343 members of the Church,
ordained one Apostle, and united in
ordaining eight others. I have ordained
twenty-three Patriarchs, and assisted in
ordaining eighty-four others. I have
ordained ninety-three High Priests. I
have ordained twenty-four High Councilors, and assisted in ordaining seventyfour others. I have ordained fifty-seven
Seventies, and six hundred and sixtyseven Elders, and assisted in ordaining
four thousand three hundred and fortyseven Elders. I have ordained twentythree Bishops and seventeen counselors
to Bishops. I have ordained four hundred and forty-six Priests, sixty-six
Teachers, and fifteen Deacons. I have
set apart and blessed one thousand and
thirty-four missionaries and assisted in
setting apart four thousand five hundred
and twelve other missionaries. I have
blessed several hundred children. I have
administed to one thousand one hundred and fifty sick persons by the laying
on of hands and anointing with oil;
rebuking diseases and evil spirits in the
name of Jesus Christ; and many have
been healed by the power of God, devils
have been cast out, the dumb caused to
speak, the deaf to hear and the lame to
walk, and the sick have been raised up
by the power of God and not of man.
I have kept a daily journal for fiftythree years, and reported many of
Joseph Smith's sermons and prophecies,
also many sermons of the Apostles and
Elders, and kept a general account of
events as they have occurred around me.
Through the blessing of God I have had
the privilege of baptizing my father,
step-mother, and only sister, with many