Brother Moses Thatcher. A great many
people marvel and wonder why some-
thing is not done with him. Some have
said we were afraid of Moses Thatcher.
I am not afraid of Moses Thatcher, nor
of any other man who breathes the
breath of life, when it comes to a matter
of duty. But I am afraid to disobey
God, or to not perform my duty in any
position that I am called to in the Church.
There has been a great deal said with
regard to Brother Moses Thatcher, and
many have wondered why something
was not done about him. Well, I will
say that this is a matter that belongs to
the Twelve Apostles. He is a member
of that quorum, and of course it is their
duty to take hold of that work and at-
tend to it until it is settled. But I have
felt, as the President of the Church, it is
my duty to not let this conference pass
without saying something upon this sub-
ject. Brother Moses Thatcher has been
a very sick man. Preparations have
been made by the Twelve Apostles to
settle this difficulty with him in council;
but he has been in the condition I speak
of. What is the difficulty with Brother
Thatcher? The difficulty is, he has not
been with his quorum in spirit for years.
He has not been united with them
hardly, I may say, since the death of
President Taylor. It is not his declining
to sign this declaration of principle that
was brought up at the last conference by
the leaders of Israel. This is a matter
of comparatively small consequence. I
say here—and I say the truth—Brother
Thatcher has not been in fellowship with
us for a series of years. He has not
met with his quorum. He has spent
days and days in this city, when he was
perfectly able to go about and do busi-
ness, and has not met with them—
neither at their sacrament meetings nor
other meetings. Now, this cannot re-
main in this way. As I have said, these
evil spirits affect men. There is a spirit
affecting him, and not a good spirit
either. With regard to his standing with
his quorum, he should have met with
them and talked these things over, but
he has not done it. He has met with
them comparatively few times since
President Taylor's death.

Brethren and sisters, these are truths.
The Apostles know that he has neglect-
ed to meet with them at times when he
could and should have done so. He
has been at difference with them in many
things that have transpired. He has
been by himself in his labor, and for
himself, and not for the Church. Now, I
want to say that neither Moses Thatcher
nor any other man on the face of the
earth can stand in the way of this Church.
We have had almost whole quorums of
Apostles that have been in the road, and
they have had to be moved out of it,
because the kingdom of God cannot
stop for anybody—for Wilford Woodruff,
for Moses Thatcher, or for anybody else.
Unless we work with the Saints of God,
with the Priesthood of God and with the
organization of His Church, we cannot
have any power or influence. I make
this testimony because it is my duty. I
have thought a great deal of Moses
Thatcher. I had a good deal to do with
his coming into the quorum of the
Apostles. I had a great respect for his
family. I have for any man that will
bear his testimony to the Gospel and
kingdom of God. But he has stopped
that. He has taken a different course
with regard to this, and he occupies that
position today. I name this because he
is not in a condition to be tried. The
Lord's kingdom is going to roll on. If
I took a stand against my counselors
and against the Twelve Apostles, and
we were not united together, I could not
go with them. But the Lord is with us,
and with His people. Whatever is re-
quired at our hands we want to perform
it. I hope that the little time we spend
here in the flesh, before we go into the
valley of the shadow of death, we will
pursue a course wherein we will be
satisfied when we come to meet the
Lord, and Joseph Smith, and the patri-
archs and prophets. We will meet these
people in the morning of the first resur-
rection. Many of them have got their
resurrected bodies, and those who have
not will have their bodies raised from
the grave in an immortal condition.
Who can sacrifice eternal life, and a part
in the first resurrection, to stand with
their wives and children in celestial
glory, for the honor of this life or to
gratify ambition? I cannot afford to do
it, neither can you. We will hail Brother
Moses Thatcher with every sentiment
of our hearts when he will meet with us
unite with us, repent of his wrong-
doings, and help carry on the work of
God as he should do. Without this, he
cannot go with us.

God bless you. I bear testimony to
the heavens and the earth that this is
the church and kingdom of God. We
have got to live our religion and to be
united in order to bear off the kingdom
and receive those blessings that lie on
the other side of the veil for us. I pray
that His blessing and spirit may rest, not
only on the First Presidency and Apos-
tles and the whole Priesthood and the
Saints, but upon Moses Thatcher, that
his eyes may be opened to see, his ears
to hear, and his heart to comprehend
his position and duty before God and
man.

Brother Moses Thatcher. A great many people marvel and wonder why something is not done with him. Some have said we were afraid of Moses Thatcher. I am not afraid of Moses Thatcher, nor of any other man who breathes the breath of life, when it comes to a matter of duty. But I am afraid to disobey God, or to not perform my duty in any position that I am called to in the Church. There has been a great deal said with regard to Brother Moses Thatcher, and many have wondered why something was not done about him. Well, I will say that this is a matter that belongs to the Twelve Apostles. He is a member of that quorum, and of course it is their duty to take hold of that work and attend to it until it is settled. But I have felt, as the President of the Church, it is my duty to not let this conference pass without saying something upon this subject. Brother Moses Thatcher has been a very sick man. Preparations have been made by the Twelve Apostles to settle this difficulty with him in council; but he has been in the condition I speak of. What is the difficulty with Brother Thatcher? The difficulty is, he has not been with his quorum in spirit for years. He has not been united with them hardly, I may say, since the death of President Taylor. It is not his declining to sign this declaration of principle that was brought up at the last conference by the leaders of Israel. This is a matter of comparatively small consequence. I say here—and I say the truth—Brother Thatcher has not been in fellowship with us for a series of years. He has not met with his quorum. He has spent days and days in this city, when he was perfectly able to go about and do business, and has not met with them— neither at their sacrament meetings nor other meetings. Now, this cannot remain in this way. As I have said, these evil spirits affect men. There is a spirit affecting him, and not a good spirit either. With regard to his standing with his quorum, he should have met with them and talked these things over; but he has not done it. He has met with them comparatively few times since President Taylor's death.

Brethren and sisters, these are truths. The Apostles know that he has neglected to meet with them at times when he could and should have done so. He has been at difference with them in many things that have transpired. He has been by himself in his labor, and for himself, and not for the Church. Now, I want to say that neither Moses Thatcher nor any other man on the face of the earth can stand in the way of this Church. We have had almost whole quorums of Apostles that have been in the road, and they have had to be moved out of it, because the kingdom of God cannot stop for anybody—for Wilford Woodruff, for Moses Thatcher, or for anybody else. Unless we work with the Saints of God, with the Priesthood of God and with the organization of His Church, we cannot have any power or influence. I make this testimony because it is my duty. I have thought a great deal of Moses Thatcher. I had a good deal to do with his coming into the quorum of the Apostles. I had a great respect for his family. I have for any man that will bear his testimony to the Gospel and kingdom of God. But he has stopped that. He has taken a different course with regard to this, and he occupies that position today. I name this because he is not in a condition to be tried. The Lord's kingdom is going to roll on. If I took a stand against my counselors and against the Twelve Apostles, and we were not united together, I could not go with them. But the Lord is with us, and with His people. Whatever is required at our hands we want to perform it. I hope that the little time we spend here in the flesh, before we go into the valley of the shadow of death, we will pursue a course wherein we will be satisfied when we come to meet the Lord, and Joseph Smith, and the patriarchs and prophets. We will meet these people in the morning of the first resurrection. Many of them have got their resurrected bodies, and those who have not will have their bodies raised from the grave in an immortal condition. Who can sacrifice eternal life, and a part in the first resurrection, to stand with their wives and children in celestial glory, for the honor of this life or to gratify ambition? I cannot afford to do it, neither can you. We will hail Brother Moses Thatcher with every sentiment of our hearts when he will meet with us, unite with us, repent of his wrongdoings, and help carry on the work of God as he should do. Without this, he cannot go with us.

God bless you. I bear testimony to the heavens and the earth that this is the church and kingdom of God. We have got to live our religion and to be united in order to bear off the kingdom and receive those blessings that lie on the other side of the veil for us. I pray that His blessing and spirit may rest, not only on the First Presidency and Apostles and the whole Priesthood and the Saints, but upon Moses Thatcher, that his eyes may be opened to see, his ears to hear, and his heart to comprehend his position and duty before God and man.