April 25
vary Edifying manner among other remarks He said "I want you to
go upon your mission in the spirit of God you will do more good by
bearing testimony of the work of God through the Holy Ghoost than all
the argument you can use you may take two men one may be vary
learned in all the arts & siences of the day and be able to preach a Bible
& a half in one serman and the other man may be ignorant of these
things but be filled with the Holy Ghost let one preach by his lear[n]ing
& argument the other by the Holy Ghost & the man that preaches by the
Holy Goh^o^st will make ten saints whare the other will one. I do not wish
by these remarks to lay one straw in the way of any of the Elders obtain-
ing a knowledge of the Arts & sciences and being armed with truthful
arguments upon evry subject, the Elders should sbeek diligently to obtain
all knowledge in their power but they should obtain the Holy Ghost to
assist them in their ministry. Unless a man can fell [feel] that he administers
the ussues [issues] of life & death unto the people he does not magnify his calling
as an Elder in Israel if a man [is] called of God to preached the Gospel
and he preaches it in the demonstration of the Holy Ghost according to
his calling it will prove a savior of life unto life or of Death unto death
to those who hear.
Some of you are going to visit your relations
now when you get whare your relatives are dont set down at your
Ease & give up preaching but remember that you are on a mission and
you should improve your time
You will have all manner of Evil
spoken against you and all I ask of you and all that God or angels will
ask of you is that not one word spoken against you will be true but
that it shall all be fals and I want you for your own sake, my sake &
for the sake of Christ & the Kingdom of God that the wicked shall
have no cause to speak one word of Evil against you And if you
will go & not let down one thread of your calling but do your duty
in all things I would feel perfectly safe in warranting all of you
a safe return home some have died while on there missions this
is lamentable For it is unnecessary For if an Elder goes &
does his duty in all things there is no neccesity of his Falling by
the way. another subject I wish to speak upon & that is about your
beging upon your missions. I do not wish you to beg but trust in gGod
& not have it to say when you come home that you have robed any
one or taking any thing unjustly from any one go & preach the gospel
Faithfully & trust in God and He will give you all he has for you
April 25
vary Edifying manner among other remarks He said "I want you to
go upon your mission in the spirit of God you will do more good by
bearing testimony of the work of God through the Holy Gost than all
the argument you can use you may take two men one may be vary
learned in all the arts & siences of the day and be able to preach a Bible
& a half in one serman and the other man may be ignorant of these
things but be filled with the Holy Ghost let one preach by his learning
& argument the other by the Holy Ghost & the man that preaches by the
Holy Ghost will make ten saints whare the other will one. I do not wish
by these remarks to lay one straw in the way of any of the Elders obtaining a knowledge of the Arts & sciences and being armed with truthful
arguments upon evry subject, the Elders should seek diligently to obtain
all knowledge in their power but they should obtain the Holy Ghost to
assist them in their ministry. Unless a man can feel that he administers
the issues of life & death unto the people he does not magnify his calling
as an Elder in Israel if a man is called of God to preached the Gospel
and he preaches it in the demonstration of the Holy Ghost according to
his calling it will prove a savior of life unto life or of Death unto death
to those who hear.
Some of you are going to visit your relations
now when you get whare your relatives are dont set down at your
Ease & give up preaching but remember that you are on a mission and
you should improve your time
You will have all manner of Evil
spoken against you and all I ask of you and all that God or angels will
ask of you is that not one word spoken against you will be true but
that it shall all be fals and I want you for your own sake, my sake &
for the sake of Christ & the Kingdom of God that the wicked shall
have no cause to speak one word of Evil against you And if you
will go & not let down one thread of your calling but do your duty
in all things I would feel perfectly safe in warranting all of you
a safe return home some have died while on there missions this
is lamentable For it is unnecessary For if an Elder goes &
does his duty in all things there is no neccesity of his Falling by
the way. another subject I wish to speak upon & that is about your
beging upon your missions. I do not wish you to beg but trust inGod
& not have it to say when you come home that you have robed any
one or taking any thing unjustly from any one go & preach the gospel
Faithfully & trust in God and He will give you all he has for you
"Journal (January 1, 1860 – October 22, 1865)," April 25, 1860, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed May 5, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/WnVx