I WOULD rather have a son in the vine-
yard, saving the souls of men, than to
have him heaping up gold at home and
becoming a millionaire. Yes, I thank
God that the young men of Israel are
rising up and going forth into the vine-
yard and magnifying the Holy Priest-
hood, and preparing themselves to fulfil
their high destiny in this important dis-
pensation. As I look over the history
of this Church and kingdom of God on
the earth, and think of the army of faith-
ful laborers in the kingdom who have
passed to the other side of the vail, and
realize that I soon shall follow them, and
as I draw near to the close of my testi-
mony and labor in the flesh, my anxiety
greatly deepens and increases concern-
ing the rising generation which I am to
leave behind me in these mountains of
Israel. I am thoroughly satisfied in my
own mind that there never was a genera-
tion of young men and maidens since
the world was, that had awaiting them
the same high destiny that awaits the
young men and maidens who dwell in
these valleys, surrounded by the ever-
lasting hills, upon whose heads rest the
blessings which the old Patriarch Jacob
sealed upon the heads of his sons, Joseph and Ephraim, and their posterity. [Genesis 48:15-20]
Through their lineage the sons and
daughters who inhabit these mountains
claim, and, as God lives, will inherit the
blessings sealed upon the head of
Ephraim in the last days.
We are living in a momentous age,
and events as weighty as ever rested
upon the earth will have to be met by
the generation which follows us. The
whole earth is groaning under the
weight of darkness, crime, corruption
and abominations, and its inhabitants
are preparing themselves for the out-
pouring of the just judgments and in-
dignation of an avenging God. In the
midst of this scene of events, where
will either heaven or earth look for a
people, except the sons and daughters
of Zion, to hold the helm of state, or to
prepare a place of safety that mortal
men may stand in holy places and be
preserved, while the great judgments of
God sweep the wicked from off the
earth, in fulfilment of the revelations of St. John and other Apostles and Prophets
who spoke as they were moved upon by
the Holy Ghost? Though heaven and
earth pass away, not one jot or tittle of
what has been predicted will fall unful-
filled. Neither God nor angels look to
any other people than the Latter-day
Saints—the Elders of Israel, the young
men of Zion, to go forth bearing the
Holy Priesthood to warn this Christian,
Gentile generation with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ of the judgments which are
to come; and their testimony will prove
a savor of life unto life or of death unto
death to all who hear it.
Therefore, ye Elders of Israel, and
young men who are in the vineyard of
the Lord, or who dwell in Zion, prepare
yourselves for that which is to come. Take
upon yourselves the whole armor of
God, and bear a true and faithful testi-
mony unto all people where providence
may call you, that your garments may
be clean from the blood of all men, for
the eyes of all the heavenly hosts of
God, angels and men, are watching over
you with feelings of the deepest inter-
est. You are called and ordained of
God to prepare this great and mighty
work for the coming of the Son of Man.
The Lord has said, through the mouth
of His servant Joseph, that "you are
commanded of God to go to all the
great and notable cities and villages, re-
proving the world in righteousness of all
their unrighteous and ungodly deeds,
setting forth clearly and understandingly
the desolation of abomination in the last [Doctrine and Covenants 84:117]
I WOULD rather have a son in the vineyard, saving the souls of men, than to
have him heaping up gold at home and
becoming a millionaire. Yes, I thank
God that the young men of Israel are
rising up and going forth into the vineyard and magnifying the Holy Priesthood, and preparing themselves to fulfil
their high destiny in this important dispensation. As I look over the history
of this Church and kingdom of God on
the earth, and think of the army of faithful laborers in the kingdom who have
passed to the other side of the vail, and
realize that I soon shall follow them, and
as I draw near to the close of my testimony and labor in the flesh, my anxiety
greatly deepens and increases concerning the rising generation which I am to
leave behind me in these mountains of
Israel. I am thoroughly satisfied in my
own mind that there never was a generation of young men and maidens since
the world was, that had awaiting them
the same high destiny that awaits the
young men and maidens who dwell in
these valleys, surrounded by the everlasting hills, upon whose heads rest the
blessings which the old Patriarch Jacob
sealed upon the heads of his sons,
Joseph and Ephraim, and their posterity.
Through their lineage the sons and
daughters who inhabit these mountains
claim, and, as God lives, will inherit the
blessings sealed upon the head of
Ephraim in the last days.
We are living in a momentous age,
and events as weighty as ever rested
upon the earth will have to be met by
the generation which follows us. The
whole earth is groaning under the
weight of darkness, crime, corruption
and abominations, and its inhabitants
are preparing themselves for the outpouring of the just judgments and indignation of an avenging God. In the
midst of this scene of events, where
will either heaven or earth look for a
people, except the sons and daughters
of Zion, to hold the helm of state, or to
prepare a place of safety that mortal
men may stand in holy places and be
preserved, while the great judgments of
God sweep the wicked from off the
earth, in fulfilment of the revelations of
St. John and other Apostles and Prophets
who spoke as they were moved upon by
the Holy Ghost? Though heaven and
earth pass away, not one jot or tittle of
what has been predicted will fall unfulfilled. Neither God nor angels look to
any other people than the Latter-day
Saints—the Elders of Israel, the young
men of Zion, to go forth bearing the
Holy Priesthood to warn this Christian,
Gentile generation with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ of the judgments which are
to come; and their testimony will prove
a savor of life unto life or of death unto
death to all who hear it.
Therefore, ye Elders of Israel, and
young men who are in the vineyard of
the Lord, or who dwell in Zion, prepare
yourselves for that which is to come. Take
upon yourselves the whole armor of
God, and bear a true and faithful testimony unto all people where providence
may call you, that your garments may
be clean from the blood of all men, for
the eyes of all the heavenly hosts of
God, angels and men, are watching over
you with feelings of the deepest interest. You are called and ordained of
God to prepare this great and mighty
work for the coming of the Son of Man.
The Lord has said, through the mouth
of His servant Joseph, that "you are
commanded of God to go to all the
great and notable cities and villages, reproving the world in righteousness of all
their unrighteous and ungodly deeds,
setting forth clearly and understandingly
the desolation of abomination in the last
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