the earth are honoring God, acknowledg-
ing His hand in all things and keeping His
commandments? Very few. Just the
same to-day as in the days of Noah. We
read that one of a family and two of a city
will be gathered to Zion in the last days.
Out of twelve hundred millions, that dwell
on the face of the earth, we, after forty
years' labor, have succeeded in gathering a
few thousands together to the valleys of
the mountains. The numbers are very
few; hut [but] this few should be faithful.

Last Sabbath, those who were here, list-
ened to a discourse from Bro. Geo. Q.
Cannon, in which he delivered his testi-
mony concerning Joseph Smith and Presi-
dent Young. I thought to myself, it seemed
a kind of a queer idea that, at this late date,
one of the Apostles should be called upon,
to stand up in the sacred desk and defend
the characters of these men as prophets and
apostles. Yet so it was, and these things
are necessary.

Joseph Smith was what he professed to
be, a prophet of God, a seer and revelator.
He laid the foundation of this church and
kingdom, and lived long enough to deliver
the keys of the kingdom to the elders of
Israel, unto the Twelve Apostles. He spent
the last winter of his life, some three or four
months, with the quorum of the Twelve
teaching them. It was not merely a few
hours ministering to them the ordinances
of the gospel; but he spent day after day,
week after week and month after month,
teaching them and a few others, the things
of the kingdom of God. Said he, during
that period, "I now rejoice. I have lived
until I have seen this burden, which has
rested on my shoulders, rolled on to the
shoulders of other men; now the keys of
the kingdom are planted on the earth to be
taken away no more for ever." But until
he had done this, they remained with him;
and had he been taken away they would
have had to be restored by messengers
out of heaven. But he lived until every key,
power and principle of the holy priesthood
was sealed on the Twelve and on President
Young, as their President. He told us
that he was going away to leave us, going
away to rest. Said he, "you have to round
up your shoulders to bear off the kingdom.
No matter what becomes of me, I have
desired to see that Temple built, but I shall
not live to see it. You will; you are called
upon to bear of this kingdom." This lan-
guage was plain enough, but we did not
understand, it any more than the disciples
of Jesus when he told them He was going
away, and that if he went not the Comforter
would not come. It was just so with Jos-
eph. He said this time after time to the
Twelve and to the Female Relief Societies
and in his public discourses; but none of
us seemed to understand that he was going
to seal his testimony with his blood, but so
it was. What he said to us and the church
we have had to perform. Joseph Smith was
a good man, a prophet of God. His works
are before the world; they are before the
eyes of the nation; they are before the hea-
vens and the earth. The foundation that
he laid we have built upon until the pres-
ent day; and that foundation no power on
earth or in hell will ever be able to remove.
That church and kingdom of God that is
planted here in these valleys of the moun-
tains will remain on the earth until the
little stone Daniel saw will become a moun-
tain and fill the earth,—until the reign of
Jesus is supreme and universal.

It startles men when they hear the
Elders of Israel tell about the kingdoms of
this world becoming the kingdom of our
God and His Christ. They say it is trea-
son for men to teach that the kingdom Dan-
iel saw is going to be set up, and bear rule
over the whole earth. Is it treason for God
Almighty to govern the earth? Who made
it? God, did He not? Who made you?
God, if you have any eternal Father. Well
whose right is it to rule and reign over you
and the earth? It does not belong to the
devil, nor to men. It has never been given
to men yet; it has never been given to the
nations. It belongs solely to God and He
is coming to rule and reign over it. When
will that be? It may not be perfected un-
til Christ comes in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory to reward every
man according to the deeds done in the
body. [Matthew 24:30] That kingdom, the germ of which
is planted here will continue to grow and
will never be overthrown. As I said before,
no matter what takes place outside of this
Territory—we as Latter-day Saints should
exercise faith in God, for just as sure as
God was true to Daniel, Moses, Noah,
Enoch and to the prophets and apostles, so
will He be true to us; so will He be true to
His word in these latter days and will ful-
fill all He has said.

This is the work we have to perform. It
is a good work, a great work, a glorious
work, and one in which the Latter-day
Saints should rejoice, for it confers upon
them the privilege of being instruments in
the hands of God of helping to build up His
kingdom on the earth. This should give
us joy, and the promises made to us in con-
nection with this work ought to sustain us
and give us hope, joy, and consolation.

I have been happy since I formed the
acquaintance of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
I was never satisfied until I found the Lat-
ter-day Saints. In my boyhood I could
read in the Bible and New Testament of a
people who had power with God, who had
the gifts and graces, who could command
the elements and they obeyed them; who
had power to heal the sick, and had the
gifts of the Holy Ghost imparted unto
them by God himself. That was the kind
of religion I always desired to live to see.
I desired to live to see a prophet and an
apostle, or some man who was inspired of
God who could teach me the way to be
saved. I have lived to see that day.
I rejoice in it for I know it is true.
I know this work is true. I know it is
the kingdom of God, as you do, and as
all men do who have received the testimony
of the Holy Spirit and have been faithful
for themselves.

As to President Young his labors have
been with us. It has been remarked some-
times, by certain individuals, that President
Young has said in public that he was not a
prophet nor the son of a prophet. I have
traveled with him since 1833 or the spring
of 1834; I have travelled a good many thou-
sand miles with him and have heard
him preach a great many thousand ser-
mons; but I have never heard him
make that remark in my tife [life]. He is
a prophet, I am a prophet, you are, and
anybody is a prophet who has the testi-
mony of Jesus Christ, for that is the spirit
of prophecy. The elders of Israel are pro-
phets. A prophet is not so great as an
apostle. Christ has set in His Church, first,
apostles; they hold the keys of the Kingdom
of God. Any man who has traveled with
President Young knows he is a prophet of
God. He has foretold a great many things
that have come to pass. All the Saints who
are well acquainted with him know that he
is governed and controlled by the power of
God and the revelations of Jesus Christ.
His works are before the world; they are
before the heavens; before the earth; before
the wicked as well as the righteous; and it
is the influence of President Young that
the world is opposed to. This Priesthood,
these keys of the Kingdom of God that
have been sealed upon him, the world is at
war against; let them say what they may,
these things are what they are at enmity
with. Their present objection to the Latter-
day Saints, they say, is plurality of wives.
It is this principle they are trying to
raise a persecution against now. But how
was it in Missouri, Kirtland, Jackson
County, Far West, Caldwell County, in all
our drivings and afflictions, before this
principle was revealed to the Church? Cer-
tainly it was not polygamy then. No, it
was prophets, it was revelation, it was the
organization of an institution founded by
revelation from God. They did not believe
in that, and that was the objection in those
days. If we were to do away with poly-
gamy, it would only be one feather in the
bird, one ordinance in the Church and
Kingdom. Do away with that, then we
must do away with prophets and apostles,
with revelation and the gifts and graces of
the gospel, and finally give up our religion
altogether and turn sectarians and do as the
world does, then all would be right. We
just can't do that, for God has commanded
us to build up His Kingdom and to bear
our testimony to the nations of the earth,
and we are going to do it, come life or come
death. He has told us to do thus, and we
shall obey Him in days to come as we have
in days past.

Brethren and sisters let us exercise faith;
the ancient prophets lived by faith; it is as
necessary for us as for them. I believe
what God has said will be fulfilled. I be-
lieve the Book of Mormon and the Book
of Doctrine and Covena[n]ts will be fulfilled,
and all the promises and prophecies made
by the faithful servants of God. When
any man speaks as he is moved upon by
the Holy Ghost, that is the word of God to
the people; and though the heavens and
the earth pass away, not one jot or tittle of
the word of God will fall unfulfilled. [Doctrine and Covenants 1:38] I
care not whether it be by His own voice
out of the heavens; by the ministration of
angels; by the voice of a prophet, or by
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost through
His servants, it is the word of God to the
people; it is truth and it will have its effect
and fulfillment. Everything that has been
communicated to us by revelation I believe
to be true; many of them I know. I have
faith and knowledge, both in a degree. I
want more; I wish for more, and all I ask
is that the Lord will enable me to be faith-
ful. I wish eternal life. I want salvation.
This is the object of my life; for this I em-
braced "Mormonism." This is the princi-
ple that has sustained me from the time I
entered this church and kingdom. This
hope sustained me when I shouldered my
knapsack and went forth to travel and
preach without purse or scrip, thousands
of miles through the United States. This
principle of inspiration has sustained the
elders of Israel in every age of the world.
It is that which sustained Joseph Smith
from the day he commenced his career as
a servant of God until the time that he
sealed his testimony with his blood. Some-
body has got to pay the bill for the shed-
ding of that innocent blood. Shedding in-
nocent blood has cost the Jews eighteen
hundred years of suffering, mourning, woe
and destruction; it has cost this nation
already four years of war, with two millions
of men laid in the dust, and four thousand
million dollars in money; and woe be to
that nation, tongue or people that sheds
the blood of the Saints of God, or under-
takes to oppose the work of God in this or
any other generation. They will have to
reap what they sow; for what you sow you
will reap, and the reward you mete will be
rewarded to you again, whether you are
Saints or sinners, in all nations, kindreds,
tongues and people under the whole heav-
ens.

This is the position that we occupy. This
warfare is not between man and man but
between God and the world. If the Lord
does not defend the Latter-day Saints we
cannot defend ourselves. We can do what
is required of us, but God, Himself, has to
defend us. He has done it and He will
continue to do it until the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ, or until his Kingdom
triumphs on the earth. This is my faith;
and I would rather, to-day, lay down my
life, honoring the faith once delivered to the
Saints, than turn round and fear men, who
have power only to kill the body, instead
of fearing Him who has power to cast both
soul and body into hell. Salvation is of
more consequence to me and to this people,
and to all the inhabitants of the earth, than
anything else. What is the world with its
honors, gold, silver, thrones, principalities
and powers compared with salvation? They
all end at death, they are of no force after,
and are of no moment when compared
with eternal salvation. Oh, what glorious
principles have been revealed to the Latter-
day Saints! Where did you get them? How
did you obtain them? Through the voice
of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young by
revelation from God. That is the way we
obtained them. The principles of the gospel
of Jesus Christ have power and efficacy
after death; they will bring together men
and their wives and children in the family
organization and will re-unite them worlds
without end. The power of those who sit
upon thrones in this life will end at their
death; they will have no extra power in the
world to come because they have occupied
thrones in this. The Czar of Russia, the
Emperor of France, the Queen of England,
or any other sovereign, will not have any
additional power in the world to come
because of their present glory. It will all
end with their death. These are the king-
doms of men, they are not ordained of God.
True, they will be held accountable for the
exercise of their power here; God will hold
them responsible for that, but so far as
salvation and glory hereafter are concerned
their exalted positions here will not avail
them anything. There is not a man who
has lived since the Church went into the
wilderness and the Kingdom of God was
taken from the earth, until Moroni rent the
vail and gave to Joseph Smith the records
of the Book of Mormon, and until Peter,
James and John sealed upon him the keys
of the Holy Priesthood, who can claim a
wife in the resurrection. Not one of them
has been married for eternity, but only
until death. But unto the Latter-day
Saints the sealing ordinances have been
revealed, and they will have effect after
death, and, as I have said, will re-unite
men and women eternally in the family
organization. Herein is why these princi-
ples are a part of our religion, and by them
husbands and wives, parents and children
will be re-united until the links in the
chain are re-united back to Father Adam.
We could not obtain a fullness of celestial
glory without this sealing ordinance or the
institution called the patriarchal order of
marriage, which is one of the most glorious
principles of our religion. I would just as
lief the United States Government would
pass a law against my being baptized for the
remission of my sins, or against my re-
ceiving the Holy Ghost as against my
practicing the patriarchal order of mar-
riage. I would just as lief they would take
away any other principle of the gospel as
this. The opinion of men generally, in
relation to this subject, is that the Latter-
day Saints practice it for the gratification of
their carnal desires; but such ideas are
wholly untrue. The world seek after this;
but the Saints of God practise this principle
that they may partake of eternal lives, that
they may have wives and posterity in the
world to come and throughout the endless
ages of eternity.

God promised to Abraham that his seed
should be as numerous as the stars in the
heaven or as the sands on the sea shore.
We all know, from reading the history of
Abraham, that this promise has not been
fulfilled, for you may take one square
yard of sand on the sea shore, and the
grains it would contain would be more
numerous than all the inhabitants that ever
lived on the earth; hence this promise of
the Lord could not be fulfilled if, as the
Christian world imagine, the marriage re-
lation ceases with the termination of this
life, and that after the resurrection there is
no increase. But in the resurrection there
will be no end to the increase of Abraham,
it will continue through all eternity.

These are some of the principles of the
gospel God has revealed to us. Are they
not worth living for and having faith in?
They are. Then do not fear because of the
wicked. We have everything to encourage
us. The Latterday Saints should be faith-
ful. We should live our religion and be
true and faithful to our covenants. We
should magnify our callings as apostles,
elders and Saints, before God angels and
men. We have but little time to work, and
we should work while it is called to-day;
by and by night comes when no man can
work. When the vision of my mind is
opened and I gaze abroad upon this genera-
tion, I many times feel to mourn in my
spirit to see the darkness and unbelief and
the carelessness of man with regard to his
future and eternal state. Instead of seek-
ing with all their powers to secure to them-
selves eternal life they seem to be doing
their utmost to turn the last key to seal
their condemnation and to make them-
selves the sons of perdition. They will
labor to shed innocent blood and to
destroy the Church and Kingdom of God
on the earth. This is one of the promptings
of the evil one.

There are two things which have always
followed apostates in every age of the
world, and especially in our day. In the
early days of the Church, in Kirtland, as
soon as men apostatized from the Church
and Kingdom of God, they immediately
began to fear their fellow men, and to fancy
their lives were in danger. Another pecu-
liarity common to apostates was that they
desired to kill those who had been their
benefactors. This was the case with the
Higbees, Laws and others with regard to
the Prophet Joseph, when they turned
against him, they sought with all their
powers to take away his life. Not only
were they afraid of their own lives, but
they sought to take his, and they eventually
succeeded, and woe is their doom. What
would they not give in exchange for their
souls? But no matter, they cannot redeem
them. This spirit always accompanies the
apostates. What are they afraid of? There
is something they do not understand or
comprehend; they walk in the dark, and by
and by they will unite with the wicked
and try to overthrow the very work they
have been trying to build up.

This spirit has always been with the en-
emies of rightousness. The devil seeks to
overthrow the kingdom of God and the
Saints and he always will do it as long as
he has any power on the earth; therefore
we should be united. We should be faith-
ful and labor hard to do what we have to
do and not put off anything for the build-
ing up of the kingdom of God. We should
obey all the ordinances we can for our-
selves and our children; for the living and
the dead. We should attend to these things
as we go along, and when we get through
with our work and into the spirit world,
we may look back and be satisfied with
our labors. There is a great deal for the
Latter-day Saints to do. We have done a
good deal, but the work is only just com-
menced. Zion is not what she must be;
Zion is growing. She has grown since we
came to the valleys of the mountains. We
have done something for the living: we
have warned the nations; the garments of
many of us are clear of the blood of this
generation. It cannot rise in judgment
against Joseph Smith, Brigham Young or
the Twelve Apostles, nor against thousands
of the elders of this church and kingdom.
We have lifted up our voices day and night:
we have preached to millions of our fellow
men and have travelled hundreds of thous-
ands of miles to offer this gospel to the na-
tions of the earth. Still they have turned
against us, and a great many of them have
sought our overthrow. They will receive
their reward and we shall receive ours.

What joy, consolation and satisfaction it
will be to the apostles, elders and Saints of
God, of this day, who remain true and faith-
ful to the end! having become members of
the church of the Firstborn, and been val-
iant in the testimony of Jesus, when they
meet Father Adam, Enoch, Jacob, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Jesus and the apostles, how great
their joy will be! They labored in their
day for the work of God, and their toils are
over; we are having our day and our labor.
By and by we shall meet and mingle in the
eternal world. How fast we pass away!
Where is Bro. Heber whom we used to see
so often in our midst here and in the En-
dowment House? In the spirit world.
Bro. Willard, Joseph, Hyrum, David Pat-
ton, Jedediah, Parley Pratt, and Bro. Ben-
son among the rest, have gone. We shall
all go pretty soon, we shall not remain a
great while. Our labors in this life are
short, and we shall soon pass to the other
side of the vail. Our children, the rising
generation, will possess the kingdom; on
them the labor of rolling on the work of
God will rest, until the kingdom and the
greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven will be given to the Saints of the
Most High and they will possess it for ever
and ever, and the meek will inherit the
earth. [Daniel 7:27] Let us be diligent, let us be faithful;
let us labor while it is called to-day that
we may be counted worthy to receive a
reward that will satisfy us in the end.

I pray that God will bless us, that He
will pour out His spirit upon us and give
us the testimony of Jesus Christ; that we
may guard our welfare, and watch our-
selves that our feet may not slip. It is an
awful thing for a man, in any generation,
to receive this gospel, to taste the good word
of God and the powers of the world to
come, [Hebrews 6:5] and then turn away and lose the testi-
mony of Jesus and turn against God; such a
man's condition is worse than his who
never heard the gospel of Christ. He
will lament and mourn, and that too,
without ever receiving redemption. Such
individuals can not be redeemed and re-
stored to that which they have forfeited.
It is far better to receive the gospel and be
faithful in the midst of all opposition. If
we continue so, when we meet with the
fathers we can rejoice with them and par-
take of the same kingdom and the same
glory; quickened by the same spirit, hav-
ing kept the same law and been preserved
thereby.

May God bless us all and help us to over-
come the world, the flesh and the devil, for
Jesus sake. Amen.

544 THE DESERET NEWS. Dec. 22.

the earth are honoring God, acknowledging His hand in all things and keeping His commandments? Very few. Just the same to-day as in the days of Noah. We read that one of a family and two of a city will be gathered to Zion in the last days. Out of twelve hundred millions, that dwell on the face of the earth, we, after forty years' labor, have succeeded in gathering a few thousands together to the valleys of the mountains. The numbers are very few; but this few should be faithful.

Last Sabbath, those who were here, listened to a discourse from Bro. Geo. Q. Cannon, in which he delivered his testimony concerning Joseph Smith and President Young. I thought to myself, it seemed a kind of a queer idea that, at this late date, one of the Apostles should be called upon, to stand up in the sacred desk and defend the characters of these men as prophets and apostles. Yet so it was, and these things are necessary.

Joseph Smith was what he professed to be, a prophet of God, a seer and revelator. He laid the foundation of this church and kingdom, and lived long enough to deliver the keys of the kingdom to the elders of Israel, unto the Twelve Apostles. He spent the last winter of his life, some three or four months, with the quorum of the Twelve teaching them. It was not merely a few hours ministering to them the ordinances of the Gospel; but he spent day after day, week after week and month after month, teaching them and a few others the things of the kingdom of God. Said he, during that period, "I now rejoice. I have lived until I have seen this burden, which has rested on my shoulders, rolled on to the shoulders of other men; now the keys of the kingdom are planted on the earth to be taken away no more for ever." But until he had done this, they remained with him; and had he been taken away they would have had to be restored by messengers out of heaven. But he lived until every key, power and principle of the holy priesthood was sealed on the Twelve and on President Young, as their President. He told us that he was going away to leave us, going away to rest. Said he, "you have to round up your shoulders to bear off the kingdom. No matter what becomes of me, I have desired to see that Temple built, but I shall not live to see it. You will; you are called upon to bear of this kingdom." This language was plain enough, but we did not understand, it any more than the disciples of Jesus when he told them He was going away, and that if he went not the Comforter would not come. It was just so with Joseph. He said this time after time to the Twelve and to the Female Relief Societies and in his public discourses; but none of us seemed to understand that he was going to seal his testimony with his blood, but so it was. What he said to us and the church we have had to perform. Joseph Smith was a good man, a prophet of God. His works are before the world; they are before the eyes of the nation; they are before the heavens and the earth. The foundation that he laid we have built upon until the present day; and that foundation no power on earth or in hell will ever be able to remove. That church and kingdom of God that is planted here in these valleys of the mountains will remain on the earth until the little stone Daniel saw will become a mountain and fill the earth, until the reign of Jesus is supreme and universal.

It startles men when they hear the Elders of Israel tell about the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdom of our God and His Christ. They say it is treason for men to teach that the kingdom Daniel saw is going to be set up, and bear rule over the whole earth. Is it treason for God Almighty to govern the earth? Who made it? God, did He not? Who made you? God, if you have any eternal Father. Well whose right is it to rule and reign over you and the earth? It does not belong to the devil, nor to men. It has never been given to men yet; it has never been given to the nations. It belongs solely to God and He is coming to rule and reign over it. When will that be? It may not be perfected until Christ comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory to reward every man according to the deeds done in the body. That kingdom, the germ of which is planted here, will continue to grow and will never be overthrown. As I said before, no matter what takes place outside of this Territory—we as Latter-day Saints should exercise faith in God, for just as sure as God was true to Daniel, Moses, Noah, Enoch and to the prophets and Apostles, so will He be true to us; so will He be true to His word in these latter days and will fulfill all He has said.

This is the work we have to perform. It is a good work, a great work, a glorious work, and one in which the Latter-day Saints should rejoice, for it confers upon them the privilege of being instruments in the hands of God of helping to build up His kingdom on the earth. This should give us joy, and the promises made to us in connection with this work ought to sustain us and give us hope, joy, and consolation.

I have been happy since I formed the acquaintance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: I was never satisfied until I found the Latter-day Saints. In my boyhood I could read in the Bible and New Testament of a people who had power with God, who had the gifts and graces, who could command the elements and they obeyed them; who had power to heal the sick, and had the gifts of the Holy Ghost imparted unto them by God himself. That was the kind of religion I always desired to live to see. I desired to live to see a prophet and an Apostle, or some man who was inspired of God who could teach me the way to be saved. I have lived to see that day. I rejoice in it for I know it is true. I know this work is true. I know it is the kingdom of God, as you do, and as all men do who have received the testimony of the Holy Spirit and have been faithful for themselves.

As to President Young his labors have been with us. It has been remarked some -times, by certain individuals, that President Young has said in public that he was not a prophet nor the son of a prophet. I have traveled with him since 1833 or the spring of 1834; I have travelled a good many thousand miles with him and have heard him preach a great many thousand sermons; but I have never heard him make that remark in my life. He is a prophet, I am a prophet, you are, and anybody is a prophet who has the testimony of Jesus Christ, for that is the spirit of prophecy. The Elders of Israel are prophets. A prophet is not so great as an apostle. Christ has set in his Church, first, apostles; they hold the keys of the kingdom of God. Any man who has travelled with President Young knows he is a prophet of God. He has foretold a great many things that have come to pass. All the Saints who are well acquainted with him know that he is governed and controlled by the power of God and the revelations of Jesus Christ. His works are before the world; they are before the heavens; before the earth; before the wicked as well as the righteous; and it is the influence of President Young that the world is opposed to. This Priesthood, these keys of the Kingdom of God that have been sealed upon him, the world is at war against; let them say what they may, these things are what they are at enmity with. Their present objection to the Latterday Saints, they say, is plurality of wives. It is this principle they are trying to raise a persecution against now. But how was it in Missouri, Kirtland, Jackson county, Far West, Caldwell county, in all our drivings and afflictions, before this principle was revealed to the Church? Certainly it was not polygamy then. No, it was prophets, it was revelation, it was the organization of an institution founded by revelation from God. They did not believe in that, and that was the objection in those days. If we were to do away with polygamy, it would only be one feather in the bird, one ordinance in the Church and Kingdom. Do away with that, then we must do away with prophets and apostles, with revelation and the gifts and graces of the Gospel, and finally give up our religion altogether and turn sectarians and do as the world does, then all would be right. We just can't do that, for God has commanded us to build up His Kingdom and to bear our testimony to the nations of the earth, and we are going to do it, come life or come death. He has told us to do thus, and we shall obey Him in days to come as we have in days past.

Brethren and sisters, let us exercise faith; the ancient prophets lived by faith; it is as necessary for us as for them. I believe what God has said will be fulfilled. I believe the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants will be fulfilled, and all the promises and prophecies made by the faithful servants of God. When any man speaks as he is moved upon by the Holy Ghost, that is the word of God to the people; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, not one jot or tittle of the word of God will fall unfulfilled. I care not whether it be by His own voice out of the heavens; by the ministration of angels; by the voice of a prophet, or by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost through His servants, it is the word of God to the people; it is truth and it will have its effect and fulfillment. Everything that has been communicated to us by revelation I believe to be true; many of them I know. I have faith and knowledge, both in a degree. I want more; I wish for more, and all I ask is that the Lord will enable me to be faithful. I wish eternal life. I want salvation. This is the object of my life; for this I embraced "Mormonism." This is the principle that has sustained me from the time I entered this church and kingdom. This hope sustained me when I shouldered my knapsack and went forth to travel and preach without purse or scrip, thousands of miles through the United States. This principle of inspiration has sustained the elders of Israel in every age of the world. It is that which sustained Joseph Smith from the day he commenced his career as a servant of God until the time that he sealed his testimony with his blood. Somebody has got to pay the bill for the shedding of that innocent blood. Shedding innocent blood has cost the Jews eighteen hundred years of suffering, mourning, woe and destruction; it has cost this nation already four years of war, with two millions of men laid in the dust, and four thousand million dollars in money; and woe be to that nation, tongue or people that sheds the blood of the Saints of God, or undertakes to oppose the work of God in this or any other generation. They will have to reap what they sow; for what you sow you will reap, and the reward you mete will be rewarded to you again, whether you are Saints or sinners, in all nations, kindreds, tongues and people under the whole heavens.

This is the position that we occupy. This warfare is not between man and man but between God and the world. If the Lord does not defend the Latter-day Saints we cannot defend ourselves. We can do what is required of us, but God, Himself, has to defend us. He has done it and He will continue to do it until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, or until his Kingdom triumphs on the earth. This is my faith; and I would rather, to-day, lay down my life, honoring the faith once delivered to the Saints, than turn round and fear men, who have power only to kill the body, instead of fearing Him who has power to cast both soul and body into hell. Salvation is of more consequence to me and to this people, and to all the inhabitants of the earth, than anything else. What is the world with its honors, gold, silver, thrones, principalities and powers compared with salvation? They all end at death, they are of no force after, and are of no moment when compared with eternal salvation. Oh, what glorious principles have been revealed to the Latterday Saints! Where did you get them? How did you obtain them? Through the voice of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young by revelation from God. That is the way we obtained them. The principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have power and efficacy after death; they will bring together men and their wives and children in the family organization and will re-unite them worlds without end. The power of those who sit upon thrones in this life will end at their death; they will have no extra power in the world to come because they have occupied thrones in this. The Czar of Russia, the Emperor of France, the Queen of England, or any other sovereign, will not have any additional power in the world to come because of their present glory. It will all end with their death. These are the kingdoms of men, they are not ordained of God. True, they will be held accountable for the exercise of their power here; God will hold them responsible for that, but so far as salvation and glory hereafter are concerned their exalted positions here will not avail them anything. There is not a man who has lived since the Church went into the wilderness and the Kingdom of God was taken from the earth, until Moroni rent the vail and gave to Joseph Smith the records of the Book of Mormon, and until Peter, James and John sealed upon him the keys of the Holy Priesthood, who can claim a wife in the resurrection. Not one of them has been married for eternity, but only until death. But unto the Latter-day Saints the sealing ordinances have been revealed, and they will have effect after death, and, as I have said, will re-unite men and women eternally in the family organization. Herein is why these principles are a part of our religion, and by them husbands and wives, parents and children will be re-united until the links in the chain are re-united back to Father Adam. We could not obtain a fullness of celestial glory without this sealing ordinance or the institution called the patriarchal order of marriage, which is one of the most glorious principles of our religion. I would just as lief the United States Government would pass a law against my being baptized for the remission of my sins, or against my receiving the Holy Ghost, as against my practising the patriarchal order of marriage. I would just as lief they would take away any other principle of the Gospel as this. The opinion of men generally, in relation to this subject, is that the Latterday Saints practise it for the gratification of their carnal desires; but such ideas are wholly untrue. The world seek after this; but the Saints of God practise this principle that they may partake of eternal lives, that they may have wives and posterity in the world to come and throughout the endless ages of eternity.

God promised to Abraham that his seed should be as numerous as the stars in the heaven or as the sands on the sea shore. We all know, from reading the history of Abraham, that this promise has not been fulfilled, for you may take one square yard of sand on the sea shore, and the grains it would contain would be more numerous than all the inhabitants that ever lived on the earth; hence this promise of the Lord could not be fulfilled if, as the Christian world imagine, the marriage relation ceases with the termination of this life, and that after the resurrection there is no increase. But in the resurrection there will be no end to the increase of Abraham, it will continue through all eternity.

These are some of the principles of the Gospel God has revealed to us. Are they not worth living for and having faith in? They are. Then do not fear because of the wicked. We have everythingto encourage us. The Latterday Saints should be faithful. We should live our religion and be true and faithful to our covenants. We should magnify our callings as Apostles, Elders and Saints, before God angels and men. We have but little time to work, and we should work while it is called to-day; by and by night comes when no man can work. When the vision of my mind is opened and I gaze abroad upon this generation, I many times feel to mourn in my spirit to see the darkness and unbelief and the carelessness of man with regard to his future and eternal state. Instead of seeking with all their powers to secure to themselves eternal life they seem to be doing their utmost to turn the last key to seal their condemnation and to make themselves the sons of perdition. They will labor to shed innocent blood and to destroy the Church and kingdom of God on the earth. This is one of the promptings of the evil one.

There are two things which have always followed apostates in every age of the world, and especially in our day. In the early days of the Church, in Kirtland, as soon as men apostatized from the Church and Kingdom of God, they immediately began to fear their fellow men, and to fancy their lives were in danger. Another peculiarity common to apostates was that they desired to kill those who had been their benefactors. This was the case with the Higbees, Laws and others with regard to the Prophet Joseph, when they turned against him, they sought with all their powers to take away his life. Not only were they afraid of their own lives, but they sought to take his, and they eventually succeeded, and woe is their doom. What would they not give in exchange for their souls? But no matter, they cannot redeem them. This spirit always accompanies the apostates. What are they afraid of? There is something they do not understand or comprehend; they walk in the dark, and by and by they will unite with the wicked and try to overthrow the very work they have been trying to build up.

This spirit has always been with the enemies of rightousness. The devil seeks to overthrow the kingdom of God and the Saints, and he always will do it as long as he has any power on the earth; therefore we should be united. We should be faithful and labor hard to do what we have to do and not put off anything for the building up of the kingdom of God. We should obey all the ordinances we can for ourselves and our children; for the living and the dead. We should attend to these things as we go along, and when we get through with our work and into the spirit world, we may look back and be satisfied with our labors. There is a great deal for the Latter-day Saints to do. We have done a good deal, but the work is only just commenced. Zion is not what she must be; Zion is growing. She has grown since we came to the valleys of the mountains. We have done something for the living: we have warned the nations; the garments of many of us are clear of the blood of this generation. It cannot rise in judgment against Joseph Smith, Brigham Young or the Twelve Apostles, nor against thousands of the elders of this church and kingdom. We have lifted up our voices day and night: we have preached to millions of our fellow men and have travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to offer this gospel to the nations of the earth. Still they have turned against us, and a great many of them have sought our overthrow. They will receive their reward and we shall receive ours.

What joy, consolation and satisfaction it will be to the apostles, elders and Saints of God, of this day, who remain true and faithful to the end! having become members of the church of the Firstborn, and been valiant in the testimony of Jesus, when they meet Father Adam, Enoch, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus and the apostles, how great their joy will be! They labored in their day for the work of God, and their toils are over; we are having our day and our labor. By and by we shall meet and mingle in the eternal world. How fast we pass away! Where is Bro.Heber, whom we used to see so often in our midst here and in the Endowment House? In the spirit world. Bro. Willard, Joseph, Hyrum, David Patton, Jedediah, Parley Pratt, and Bro. Benson among the rest, have gone. We shall all go pretty soon, we shall not remain a great while. Our labors in this life are short, and we shall soon pass to the other side of the vail. Our children, the rising generation, will possess the kingdom; on them the labor of rolling on the work of God will rest, until the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven will be given to the Saints of the Most High and they will possess it for ever and ever, and the meek will inherit the earth. Let us be diligent, let us be faithful; let us labor while it is called to-day, that we may be counted worthy to receive a reward that will satisfy us in the end.

I pray that God will bless us, that He will pour out His spirit upon us and give us the testimony of Jesus Christ; that we may guard our welfare, and watch ourselves that our feet may not slip. It is an awful thing for a man, in any generation, to receive this gospel, to taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and then turn away and lose the testimony of Jesus and turn against God; such a man's condition is worse than his who never heard the gospel of Christ. He will lament and mourn, and that too, without ever receiving redemption. Such individuals cannot be redeemed and restored to that which they have forfeited. It is far better to receive the gospel and be faithful in the midst of all opposition. If we continue so, when we meet with the fathers we can rejoice with them and partake of the same kingdom and the same glory; quickened by the same spirit, having kept the same law and been preserved thereby.

May God bless us all and help us to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, for Jesus sake. Amen.