Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Twelfth Ward Meetinghouse, on Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 9, 1877.

Since coming to this stand I have been reminded of a certain passage contained in the “Book of Mormon” (commencing on page 161), which I will read.

“Now, as soon as Ammon had read the record, the king inquired of him to know if he could interpret languages, and Ammon told him that he could not. And the king said unto him: Being grieved for the afflictions of my people, I caused that forty and three of my people should take a journey into the wilderness, that thereby they might find the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal unto our brethren to deliver us out of bondage. And they were lost in the wilderness many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land of many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been inhabited with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel. And for a testimony that the things that they have said are true they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold. And behold, also, they have brought breastplates, which are large, and they are of brass and of copper, and are perfectly sound. And again, they have brought swords, the hilts thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust; and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the language or the engravings that are on the plates. Therefore I said unto thee: Canst thou translate? And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of the remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction.

“Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith he can look and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. And behold, the king of the people who is in the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has the high gift from God. And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God. But a Seer can know of things which are passed, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh of great benefit to his fellow beings.

“And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters are doubtless prepared for unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men. O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them! Yea, they are as a wild flock which fleeth from the shepherd, and scattereth, and are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest.”

The instructions that are imparted here, which I have just read, are of importance to the children of men. We are here taught about a very great, and precious, and high gift that comes from God—the gift of being a Seer, a Revelator, a Prophet, an inspired man. Not only to receive revelation from God, but to interpret revelations given to other Prophets who lived in times before, bringing to light knowledge, and intelligence, and wisdom, and the dealings of God with the human family, among more ancient people. This gift is more fully explained in the “Book of Mormon” than in the Jewish record. We have in the Jewish record, the Bible, some information in relation to the instrument here called interpreter, but which is called in that record by another name, namely, Urim and Thummim.

It was a gift that was exercised in the days of Moses, among the house of Israel: it was a gift specially given to Aaron, the brother of Moses, who was appointed the chief priest over all the tribes of Israel. The Lord saw proper to give him instructions in relation to the duties of his office and calling, how he should be clad, what kind of priestly garments he should wear, what he should perform in administering certain ordinances and how he should perform them; and also gave unto him some instruction in regard to the breastplate, that was called the breastplate of judgment. The reason of this was that Aaron was appointed to be a judge among the children of Israel, occupying a similar place among that people that the President of the Bishopric occupies in the Church. But he was blessed above those who have been ordained to the same calling in this dispensation, for he was in possession of the Urim and Thummim, and by virtue of this instrument he could inquire of the Lord in relation to every case that should be brought before him for adjudication. The judgment of man is na– turally very weak and imperfect, and inasmuch as Aaron was required to judge the people of God, it was of the utmost importance that all his decisions should be given in righteousness, that there should be no imperfections connected with them, and for that reason the Lord gave express instructions to Aaron, through his brother Moses, to have a breastplate. In this breastplate were twelve stones, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and in the center of these rows of stones the Urim and Thummim was placed, and when he was required to render judgment upon any matter, he inquired of the Lord through it, and was enabled to give decisions according to the word of the Lord.

We have other accounts given in the Bible concerning the exercise of this same gift. David was blessed with this gift, and when Saul was pursuing him from place to place, seeking his life, he would inquire of the Lord, by means of a similar instrument, and receive revelations. The nature of his inquiries was—Would Saul go to such a city seeking him? Would the people of such a city deliver him into his hands? And the Lord would answer him, and he of course would govern himself accordingly. This gift seems to have been of frequent occurrence among the Israelites in their several generations, down to a few centuries before the coming of Christ. Then it seems that Israel so far transgressed the law of heaven, and so far strayed from the Lord that the Urim and Thummim was taken from their midst, as you will find mentioned by one of the Prophets in the Jewish Bible; it was taken from them, and they were to abide many days without this instrument, also without a king and without sacrifices, and eventually the ordinances of God were to be taken from them. In other words, they were to be left without revelators, without prophets, without an inspired king to rule over them, all of which has been fulfilled for many centuries in the dispersion of the descendants of Jacob from their land of promise, among the nations whithersoever they are driven, without having any king; they do not offer sacrifices as anciently; they have no priest with the breastplate of judgment, and Urim and Thummim to inquire of the Lord.

It seems that the Lord manifested himself to the people of this great western continent in a similar manner. Here he raised up Prophets, and here they were in possession of an instrument, although not called strictly by the same name, yet an instrument evidently designed by the Almighty as a medium of communication to his people. King Mosiah, who lived some time after the Israelites came to the American continent, some few centuries before the first coming of Christ, he had this great gift. Ammon, a servant of God, who explained this gift to King Limhi, tells us the nature of the gift. He informs us that Mosiah had wherewith he could look and interpret writing and engraving of ancient date. It seems that forty-three of the people of King Limhi had been sent from the kingdom where they resided, which was down at, or near Ecuador, in South America, to search the land which they had left some two or three generations before; and they lost their way in the wilderness, and failed to find Zarahemla, the land they were seeking, which was in the northern part of South America. They passed by the land through a wilderness country, and it appears that they went into North America. They found all the land which they ex– plored covered with ruins of buildings and cities, and they found the bones of men and animals, and among other things they found twenty-four plates which were of pure gold, on which were engravings, which they brought, among other things, to King Limhi. He at that time was a righteous man, as well as most of his people, and they were exceedingly anxious to know the interpretations of the engravings, believing that they would give some account of the people who had occupied the country where they were found. They wanted to know what had become of so great a people, for evidently it appeared to them they had been very numerous. And it was for this purpose that Ammon was questioned. Ammon was a man who had been sent up in the mean time from the northern portions of South America, called Zarahemla, and he informed King Limhi that the King of Zarahemla had this high gift from God, that he was a seer, and could, by using the interpreters, interpret ancient languages. Hence the rejoicing of the king, because there was a man who could give them the information they were so anxious to find out.

Afterwards we have a history in the “Book of Mormon,” of the people of King Limhi having been driven out by some of the wicked portions of the people. He came to the land of Zarahemla, taking, with his colony, these twenty-four plates, and asking King Mosiah to translate them into the Nephite language. He did so; and they gave an account of a people—who came from the tower of Babel, at the time of the confusion of tongues; that they landed upon this north country, called North America, and dwelt here some sixteen or seventeen centuries, and they were part of the time a righteous people, and a part of the time wicked. And many Prophets existed among the ancient colony, and they kept their records, some upon metallic plates and others upon other materials. There was a Prophet at the time of the destruction of this first colony whose name was Ether. He wrote an abridgment of the Jaredites, also an account of their coming to this land from the Tower of Babel; he wrote also concerning the creation of the world, and the doings of the Lord from the beginning down to the building of the great tower, this short account was given on these twenty four plates. And there is also given in the “Book of Mormon,” by Moroni, the man who hid up the plates from which the book was translated, a very short sketch of the history of this first colony that came from the tower, under the name of the “Book of Ether.” And in this Book of Ether we find that they had some thirty kings from the time they left Babel, and that they were finally destroyed because of great wickedness, to fulfil a prophecy and decree which the Lord made when he was bringing them forth to this land. The decree was that if they or their descendants should fall into wickedness and become fully ripened in iniquity, that the Lord would utterly destroy them, and bring forth another people to possess the land in their stead. Accordingly these twenty-four plates mention their overthrow, how they were destroyed; also some mention is made of their most eminent Prophets, and much instruction is given in regard to the coming to this land of this first colony, how they were brought here by the Lord from the tower, and how, in passing through the valley called Nimrod, the Lord himself went before their camp in a cloud, teaching them and instruct– ing, and leading them, the same as he afterwards led the children of Israel. And he brought them to great waters, where they were commanded of him to build vessels, which they did, eight in number, by which, under the particular care of the Almighty, they were brought across the great Pacific, as we now term it, taking them three hundred and forty-four days, and finally they landed upon the western coast of North America, as near as we can determine from this book, in Mexico, south of the Gulf of California. And that when the brother of Jared was coming to this land the Lord gave him some very remarkable visions, and, among other things he gave him the Urim and Thummim, prepared two crystal stones in two rims of a bow, and sanctified them, and showed to the brother of Jared many marvelous things, some of which I will read, for the instruction of those who have not, perhaps, given their attention to these matters.

I will read first how the Lord lighted up the eight vessels in which the colony from the tower came.

“Howbeit, ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore, what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?”

Their barges were so constructed that they could dive under the waves and be brought up again, and thus they were driven by the force of the winds for 344 days.

“And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its ex– ceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires. Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock. And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea. Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.”

You can see from the very language itself, what great confidence this man of God had in relation to the doings of the Lord. It was not a thing that looked impossible to him for the Lord to touch these sixteen stones, two of which were to be placed in each vessel, one at each end. He knew the Lord could touch them, and that it was possible for him to cause them to shine forth in these vessels, giving them light while they crossed the ocean.

“And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear. And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen? And he said unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And the Lord said unto him: because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood.”

It must have been the spirit of our great Redeemer whose finger he then saw, thousands of years before he came and took a body of flesh and bones.

“And never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me. And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.”

You know that one of the penalties of the fall was, that man should be shut out from the presence of God, by this mortal tabernacle; but this man, because of his knowledge and the great faith he had obtained, had the veil removed and was restored back again to the presence of God, as man was before the fall.

“Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people.”

The Lord had the plan already laid before this world was made, or brought into existence. And it was all understood in the councils of eternity about the Lord’s coming in the meridian of time to take upon himself flesh and blood. It was understood that he should suffer death, and be as a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, in the mind of God.

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit” (not a body of flesh and bones, but the shape, the stature and form of the body of his spirit, a pure and immortal body), “and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.

“And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the same likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites.”

The Nephites were Israelites to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection.

“And he ministered unto him, even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him. And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.”

It seems that the Lord did not wish to show these things to others, when the people had not sufficient faith. These things were too great and glorious for them at that early period of the world to be made acquainted with. But at a certain time, when his name should be glorified in the flesh, and after he should rise from the dead, then he would permit these things to come forth, which he did among the ancient Israelites on this continent; they were then translated into the Nephite language and brought to light. But the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: “And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up that no man can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also, with the things which ye shall write. For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded, wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth.” What a great gift it is to know and see by the enlightenment of the Spirit, by vision, things that have taken place from the beginning of this world; to see, for instance, all the inhabitants of the earth that had been prior to the day that the Lord gave this vision; and then all the inhabitants of the earth that should be, even to the end of the world. “For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things. And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men. And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did King Mosiah keep them.”

I told you that Mosiah was a righteous man, and a revelator as well as a king, who dwelt on this American continent some few centuries before Christ, and when he interpreted the history of the people, he did not interpret these things that the brother of Jared saw in this great vision; the Lord would not permit him to do so.

“That they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people. And after Christ truly had shown himself unto his people, he commanded that they should be made manifest.”

They were translated after Christ first appeared to the Nephites, and probably sent abroad among the Nephite nation. The Prophet Moroni says, “And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief; and there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up again in the earth. Behold, I have written upon the plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw.”

A great many, in reading this record carelessly, would wonder why it was that a part of these plates should be sealed, and why Joseph Smith should not be permitted to break the seal. It was because, in this great revelation, the sealed portion of the plates from which the Book of Mormon was taken, contained this great vision, given to the brother of Jared. Joseph was not permitted to translate it, neither to break the seal of the book; it is to be reserved to come forth in due time.

The Prophet Moroni further says, “And there never was greater things made manifest than that which was made manifest unto the brother of Jared. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded me that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord. For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are. And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh. And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire. And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.

“But he that believeth these words which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record.”

Now, I want to appeal to the Latter-day Saints who occupy this room, whether this promise has been fulfilled to you, or not? I will read it again. “But he that believeth these words which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record.” It does not say, he shall merely have an opinion and bear record, but he shall know and bear record. Do you know that this book (the Book of Mormon) is true, Latter-day Saints? Do you know that what I have been reading are the words of the Lord? If you have believed these things with all of your hearts, and complied with the commands of the Most High, manifesting your faith by your works, then you have been put in possession of this knowledge, and you know, by the Spirit which he has poured out from heaven upon you, that they are true, and in force to all the world, and this Spirit gives you a knowledge concerning all truth. You are not like those who have no revelation of whom the ancient apostle speaks, who were “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth;” but you are of those, if you keep the commandments of God, who are not only learning from the word of God, but have a knowledge of all revealed truth by the power of the Spirit, the Comforter, which is a revelator, an unction to all those who receive it; and they are able to bear record of the things which they formerly believed to be true. The Lord has thus raised up a great cloud of witnesses in connection with scores of thousands of others to bear record of the truth, in this last dispensation of the fullness of times. “For, because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good. And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world. Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel. And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed. Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land. Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name. And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen.”

I have read these things because I am fully aware that there are in the Church of Latter-day Saints many persons who are very careless about reading the “Book of Mormon.” It is one of the greatest treasures, so far as books are concerned, that has been given to mankind for almost 1,800 years. It contains the things of God in great plainness, so easy of comprehension that the child who reads can understand it. And yet, how many there are of the Latter-day Saints who suffer this book to remain upon their shelves, week after week, without ever reading a page of these precious things. I have also read these things for the benefit of strangers who may be present on this occasion. It is not to be expected that they will read it, for they do not believe it is a divine record; they do not believe that God has spoken, or that Joseph Smith was raised up to bring it forth to the children of men, by the power of the Urim and Thummim. It is not expected, therefore, that they will read a work that they have no faith in. They do not want to have faith in it, they do not consider it a matter of sufficient importance even to inquire of the Lord whether it is true or not. And yet, sometimes they may have, for a few moments, a feeling in their hearts that they would like to know what is contained in the “Book of Mormon;” hence, I have read this that you may have an idea what is contained in this book, on which the Latter-day Saints found their faith, as well as on the Bible.

You will perceive, Latter-day Saints, how this Urim and Thummim was formed in the first place. It was not something that existed on the earth in a natural state, it was something made by the Lord. He is a good mechanic, he understands how to make things. He made the heavens and the earth, he made many worlds that we see roll as it were, upon their wings in the midst of space. He made the garments that first clothed Adam and Eve; and he made a very beautiful garden, and planted it with a variety of trees, and caused them to bear fruit, and that they should have seed within themselves. He understands how to do such things; he is not like many of us, who, after attempting to do certain things, fail for the lack of knowledge; but when he undertakes to do a thing, he does it in the best manner possible, and what he makes is made perfect. And if afterwards his handiwork becomes imperfect, it is because of the curse that comes upon the earth in consequence of sin. He made the Urim and Thummim, and we have an account of his making it in the words which I have been reading. Two crystal stones that he gave unto the brother of Jared were made by him. When ye shall write these things, ye shall seal them up, also the interpreters, until the Lord shall see fit, in his own due time, to reveal them to the children of men.

Perhaps some of you may ask when this great revelation, that was given to the brother of Jared, will be revealed. I wish I could answer the question; I cannot answer as to the year, for I do not know. I may, however, answer you in general terms. If you will turn to the “Doctrine and Covenants,” you will there find a revelation, given in the year 1829, to Hyrum Smith, who went down from Manchester, Ontario County, N.Y., to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, to visit his brother, Joseph, who was then engaged in the work of translating the “Book of Mormon.” When Hyrum arrived in the presence of his brother, he felt anxious to know what the Lord had for him to do, or if it would not be well for him to commence to preach, bearing testimony to the manuscripts of the “Book of Mormon,” etc. He finally desired that his brother should inquire of the Lord, through the Urim and Thummim, what he wished him to do. The Lord gave a revelation, telling him he was not to preach his word at that time, that the time had not come. He had not received the ordination authorizing him to preach, neither had the Church been organized on the earth. The Lord told him, however, of certain things he should do. He said, “Study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant to the children of men in that generation, and then shall all things be added thereunto.” After the generation living in 1829, some forty-eight years ago, is all accomplished, then we may look for the revelation which the brother of Jared obtained upon the mount, then we may look for the things he saw when the Lord showed him all the children of men that had ever been upon the earth from the beginning of creation down to his day, and also that would come upon the earth down to the end of time. In showing him these things, I do not think he merely gave him this to satisfy his curiosity, for no man, we are told, had ever before witnessed such great things, and the Lord could not withhold them from him, because of his great faith. I do not believe, either, that this great man would have sought the Lord seeking to satisfy curiosity; but I told you, and I do believe, that He revealed to him many of his great and marvelous purposes in relation to the inhabitants of the earth in relation to his future dealings with the nations of the earth, in relation to the rise of his kingdom in the latter days, as now taking place. I have no doubt he saw every particular as they have occurred, since 1830 to the present time. He saw our history and our travels and our persecutions; and he also saw the state of darkness that the world would be in before the Lord would set up this Church upon the earth again, and the persecutions that would come up on the former-day Saints, and how the Church would fall away and the Priesthood be taken away from among men; all these things were manifested to him, and he was commanded to write them. And if we had these things now which he wrote, I have not the least doubt we could read the future history of this Church, just the same as we can its past history; we could understand all the particulars until the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth, and we could see our future travels and our future tribulations and persecutions, and also our blessings that shall come upon us after the days of tribulations are ended; we could behold the glory of God that would rest upon Zion, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, and the coming of the Church of the Firstborn in the clouds of heaven, in connection with Jesus, and the coming of the ancient day Zion. All these things, I have no doubt, were revealed to this man of God, and were commanded to be written, and will come forth when the generation has fully past away that were living in the year 1829—forty-eight years ago.

As regards the number of years by which a generation shall be measured, we have no special definite period given to us by revelation; the Lord speaks in terms that are general in relation to generations. Among the Nephites, immediately after Christ’s appearance to them, a generation was a hundred years, and in the fourth generation they were destroyed, as a nation; except some few who went over to the Lamanites. We find generations numbering from father to son, and from son to grandson, etc., and when we come to average generations, according to the statistic, of nations, we find them to be about thirty years to a generation; but when the Lord speaks in general terms, and says, This generation shall not pass away, until a House shall be built to his name, as is given in this “Book of Covenants,” and a cloud should rest upon it; in that case I do not think he is limited to any definite period, but suffice it to say that the people living in 1832, when the revelation was given, will not all pass away; there will be some living when the House spoken of will be reared, on which the glory of God will rest. Already forty-five years have passed away since that revelation was given, concerning the building of that House. And when he says to Hyrum Smith, “Study my word, etc., until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation,” I do not know how long that generation was intended, in the mind of God, to be, and I do not think there is any person in the Church that does know, unless the Lord has revealed it to him. But we have every reason to believe that the time is not far distant, and that there are some living among the young now upon the earth, that will live to behold great numbers of revelations given, and will behold other books come forth and other records translated by the Urim and Thummim, that same instrument that Joseph Smith used in the translation of the “Book of Mormon,” which will again come forth and be revealed to the seer and revelator that God will raise up by which these ancient records will be brought to light. Then these great things will be known, then we shall rejoice in the greater fulness of knowledge and understanding, according to the promise; and when we rend that veil of unbelief, spoken of in the “Book of Mormon,” and when it is taken away from our midst, and we exercise faith in God, even as the ancient man of God, the brother of Jared, did, then will the Lord reveal to this people what was shown to this man. And if it were important for him, in the early ages, to understand the great things of the latter days, how much more important it is for us who are living, as it were, just preceding the coming of the Son of Man; and if ancient men of God were privileged and blessed in understanding the things of the future, how much greater blessing it will be to us, inasmuch as these things are at our doors.

I believe I will make a few more remarks in relation to this same revelation that is to be given. In the second book of Nephi, the 11th chap., we have some account of what the Lord is going to do, referring to the things which the brother of Jared saw. The prophecy I am about to read was delivered nearly six centuries before Christ, by a man whose name was Nephi, whom the Lord brought out from Jerusalem, in connection with his father’s family and some others, landing them on the western coast of South America where they formed a colony. Before be got here, he had a great revelation, and also after coming here. I will commence at the 17th paragraph of the vision he had.

“And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them that have slumbered.”

He was prophesying of the last days, of the time when the Book of Mormon should be brought forth to the inhabitants of the earth.

“And behold the book shall he sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.” This is the part that is sealed. “Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abomination of the people.” That agrees with what I was telling you about the generation that is passing away. The people who are wicked shall be swept away from the earth, and those who remain that are righteous will have this great revelation unsealed to them. “Wherefore the book shall be kept from them.” The Lord did not suffer these plates to go among the wicked, for he well knew that they would have destroyed them for the sake of the gold upon which they were written. “But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another; But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book.” I wish to state here for the informa– tion of those who do not understand, that before Joseph Smith translated the part that was unsealed, he copied some of the words and sent them by Martin Harris to the city of New York to have them exhibited to the learned, to see if they could read them. “For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.” We will get some knowledge of the purposes of God, not only in relation to the six thousand years past, but for the thousand years to come, after the revelation is given showing forth the purposes and designs of the great Jehovah in relation to this creation. “And the day cometh that the words of the book which was sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed to the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth. Wherefore, at that day, when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein. And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo unto him that rejecteth the word of God!”

That gives us a little more light upon the same subject. When that is brought forth, I expect that the same Urim and Thummim which the Lord gave to Joseph Smith will come forth with these plates, and they will be translated, but by whom I know not. Who will be the favored Seer and Revelator that will be raised up among this people to bring this revelation to light, is not revealed to me. And not only this revelation, but those twenty-four plates of gold which contain the doings of the old Jaredite nation that inhabited this North American continent; at present we have only an abridgment, not a hundredth part of their history. These plates of gold will come forth, as well as many other records kept by the first nation—the Jaredites, that came here; and I have no doubt that the Lord will give the Urim and Thummim to translate them. And not only these, but the Lord intends, in this dispensation in which you and I live, to overwhelm the whole earth with a flood of knowledge in regard to himself; in regard to his purposes and designs, and in regard to the future glories and blessings that are ordained for the Latter-day Saints, in regard to the preparation of the earth for the thousand years of righteousness to come. Hence these plates, these great numbers of plates, that were kept by the kings of the Nephites and by many Prophets before and after Christ, as well as those sealed records of which I have been speaking, will all come to light; we then will have revelations of heavenly and earthly things, and the designs and purposes of God. We will have, perhaps, the most complete history of this continent that there is in existence of any other nation or kingdom on the earth. Moreover, we have abundance of promises that God has made to us, in this book called the Doctrine and Covenants, given through the Prophet Joseph, concerning other records besides those I have named, that were kept by the Jaredites and the Nephites, a record for instance back so far as the days of Enoch. You might say, they did not know how to write in those days. But the Bible indicates that they did know, and speak about the book of the generations of Adam even before the flood. Furthermore, we have an account that three years prior to the death of Adam, he called together the righteous of his posterity, he called also the High Priests of that day, into a certain valley, called Adam-ondi-Ahman, which is located about fifty miles north of Jackson County, or what is now called Davis County, Missouri. Here assembled the righteous of his posterity for eight generations, and he pronounced upon them his last blessing, as the grand patriarch of the whole. And he stood up, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, before the vast body that were gathered on that occasion, and prophesied of all things of importance that should transpire among his seed, and the nations that should spring from him, down to the very end of time. These things, it says, were written in the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time. When we get that, I think we shall know a great deal about the antediluvians, of whom at present we know so little.

Then there is still another record to come forth. John the Baptist is said by the highest authority to be one of the greatest Prophets ever born of a woman; but we have very little written in the Jewish record concerning him. We have a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants concerning the record of John, that great Prophet. And we are promised that if we were faithful as a people, the fullness of the record of John shall hereafter be revealed to us. When we get this, I think we shall have still more knowledge in regard to doctrine and principle, and things that are great and marvelous, of which we know very little, if anything about. This is not all. The Lord has told us that he would bring forth those brass plates that Lehi and the families that came with him from Jerusalem, some six hundred years before Christ, brought with them, which contain the history of the creation, and the writings of inspired men down to the days of Jeremiah; they came out in Jeremiah’s day. We are informed in the “Book of Mormon” that they contained many prophecies very great and extensive in their nature. And when these plates, now hidden in the hill Cumorah, are brought to light we shall have the history of the Old Testament much more fully, with the addition of a great many prophecies that are not now contained in that record. The prophecies of Joseph in Egypt were very great, and we are told in the “Book of Mormon” that there were a great many given to him. When we have all those, also the prophecies of Neum, a great Prophet who prophesied concerning Christ; also those of Zenos and Zenock, and others of which only bare reference is given; and then again when the ten tribes of Israel come from the north country, they will bring with them their records which they have kept since seven hundred and twenty years before Christ, which will contain an account of the hand dealing of God among that lost people, which doubtless will be exceedingly interesting as well as instructive.

Shall we stop here? No, the time will come when this people will become more fully revelators, and Prophets, and Seers themselves, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God, and even out of the mouth of babes and sucklings will the Spirit of God reveal things that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world; they will utter forth the things of God, helping to fill the earth with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the great deep.

We might now stop and say no more about the bibles that are yet to come. From what little I have said, the strangers present may begin to believe the truth of that Scripture which says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” The Lord has not, because of unbelief and wickedness of the people, permitted these things to come forth to be trampled under the feet, as swine would trample jewels under their feet. But as soon as the righteousness of the people shall warrant, he will reveal these hidden treasures of knowledge, and they will understand and comprehend the great things of God; and not only will records be brought forth, but the minds of men, and minds of women, and minds of children, and the minds of all the people who believe, will be like a fountain of light and intelligence, and they will be able to comprehend all records and books inspired from on high.

Sometimes, when I reflect upon these things in the spirit, it seems as though I can scarcely wait for the present generation to pass away, without seeing the Latter-day Saints in possession of these great things. They will surely come! Rest assured, Latter-day Saints, that these things will be fulfilled, yea, every jot and tittle; and every record that God has commanded to be kept among the ancient seers and revelators, will be brought to light in this last dispensation, and none need think that the Lord is trifling with us, for these things will be made manifest.

May God bless you is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, on Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 2, 1877.

I will call the attention of the congregation to a passage in the prophecy of Joel, second chapter, commencing with the 28th verse:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions:

“And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.”

These words were spoken by the inspired man long before the first coming of our Savior; they refer to the future condition of the world, a state of things that has never been known to have existed upon our earth since the Prophet lived here. All flesh should be under the influence of the Spirit of God, and not only all human flesh, but also the animal creation, and all things living. The effect of the outpouring of this Holy Spirit upon mankind will be to cause the young people to prophesy, making revelators of them, and the older ones to dream dreams. This prophecy was quoted by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, when under the influence of the same Spirit. It was not referred to, however, with the intention of declaring its fulfillment at that time, but merely to inform the unbelieving Jews that it was the same Spirit which Joel spoke of. It will be remembered that on the morning of the day of Pentecost, about 120 disciples had received this Spirit. On that occasion, while assembled in the Temple, it operated so powerfully upon them, that the illiterate and unlearned were enabled to speak in different languages, and that it manifested itself in the form of cloven tongues, like fire in appearance. The people who witnessed these operations marveled and wondered exceedingly. But some were inclined to evil, and accused these men of God of drunkenness. It was then that the Apostle Peter, in order to correct any false impression upon the minds of the congregation, arose, and after denying the accusation of these evil-disposed persons, said, “This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel,” quoting the prophecy nearly word for word.

Some have supposed that the prophecy was then fulfilled. It is very evident to everyone who will reflect for a few moments, that such was not the case, but that the Spirit which rested upon those one hundred and twenty was the same Spirit that should, in the last days, be poured out upon all flesh. It is still further evident that it was not then fulfilled, as appears from the following: “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth—blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,” etc., having reference to His second coming, when these great events should take place. It is generally believed, by the various Christian churches, that there are to be no more revelations, or visions, or dreams, given by the Spirit of God, and this belief has been entertained for generations by millions of people terming themselves Christians. But when this prophecy is really fulfilled, all men and women upon the earth will become revelators, receiving from the heavens information and knowledge by the power of that Spirit poured out upon them. I think our present Bible will then be greatly enlarged, should their revelations be written.

Before all flesh receive the Spirit of God, the kingdom of God is to appear upon the earth. The work is to be commenced, and his Spirit poured out upon a few, preparatory to the coming of the Son of Man, that there may be Prophets and revelators again on the earth, and the true Church of God again exist among men, as anciently. The time having fully arrived, in this the 19th century, for the prophecies to be fulfilled, in regard to the setting up of the latter-day kingdom, the Lord and his angel, as predicted in the 14th chapter of John’s Revelation, revealed the original plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated by inspiration and the aid of the Urim and Thummim, is found to contain the fullness of the Gospel of the Son of God, as revealed in ancient times to the Israelites of this western hemisphere, the forefathers of our Indian race. They understood the Gospel and also the law of Moses, the latter of which they had kept for nearly 600 years before Christ. After His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, they were favored with His personal ministry; the Gospel was taught them in great plainness, and twelve men were chosen on this continent, and commissioned to go forth and preach the fullness of the Gospel to all the inhabitants of the land. These Twelve men, like the Apostles of the eastern hemisphere, preached faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and baptism by immersion in water for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost; and upon those who believed and obeyed, the Spirit of the Lord was poured out to a very great extent. They had visions, and dreams, and revelations, and great manifestations of the power of God, and the people generally of both North and South America were converted and were taught and instructed in the things of God. Yet this did not include all flesh, and therefore did not fulfil the prophecy of Joel.

The Lord has brought to light these ancient records, containing the fullness of the Gospel, which he has commanded to be preached and published to every nation and in every tongue upon the face of the earth, that all of his numerous children may have the opportunity to hear, and, through obedience to its requirements, may receive the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, which should reveal to them the mind and will of God concerning them, and lead them in the path of truth. This command strictly specifies that this Gospel is to be preached to all the world, but first to the Gentile nations, and when they are fully warned, and their times are fulfilled, then the Lord will declare the law and the testimony sealed, so far as preaching any more to them is concerned; and he will once more commission his servants to go to the Jews, the House of Israel, whom the Lord will prepare, through his own power and wisdom, to receive the message, and not reject it as they anciently did. Scores of thousands, among the different nations, have already received the ministry of the Gospel, revealed by the angel, and they have been filled with the Holy Ghost, according to the promise made to every soul who will believe and repent of his sins; and they have measurably become revelators and prophets. This, therefore, is the beginning of the great latter– day work, which will never end, until all flesh, that will not be destroyed from the face of the earth by the judgments spoken of, will be made partakers of this same Spirit, and it will have the same effect promised.

You may ask, Why it has not been the case since the first century of the Christian era? Why it has not been fulfilled among the various Christian denominations of our globe? Why they have not received dreams, and visions, and revelations by the power of the Holy Ghost? It may be a mystery to some, why so long a period should have elapsed among the people of the different nations, during which they have had no revelations, no visions, no prophecies, no voice of God. The reason of this, as revealed by the Lord, is because the people did turn away from the ancient Gospel; they did, as had been predicted they would do, change the ordinances and break the everlasting covenants; they did apostatize from the truth so that the authority of the Apostleship ceased among them; the authority to baptize no longer existed, the authority to lay on hands that they might receive the Holy Ghost no longer existed, and they were no longer able to minister authoritatively in the name of the Lord in any of the ordinances of the Church. There were many good moral people that lived. But where was to be found the Church organized according to the New Testament pattern, with Apostles, living Apostles receiving revelation from heaven, and possessing the power that those anciently possessed? You could find churches in abundance, which were called Christian churches—thus denominated by themselves, some called by certain names and some by others; all of them believing in separate, distinct doctrines which characterized them; one believing one principle of the Gospel, and another believing some other; one believing in one mode of baptism, another in some other; one receiving part of the Gospel, and another claiming some other part. This was the condition of the Christian nations when the Lord sent his angel to reveal the fulness of the Gospel to Joseph Smith, a mere boy, who was raised up specially by the hands of God to bring to light another record, agreeing with the one which already existed, called the New Testament; not another Gospel, but the same gospel taught to another branch of the house of Israel. Our Heavenly Father is not a respecter of persons; he respects one branch of the house of Israel just as much as another; and inasmuch as he did by his own power, according to their own records bring a remnant of the tribe of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem to this continent, he had as much regard for them as he had for the Jews, and as he had for the ten tribes who were taken away from the land of Palestine some 720 years before Christ. They were led away to the north country, but where, we do not exactly know. He had equal respect to all these branches of the seed of Israel; and as all had a knowledge before their dispersion about the coming of the future Messiah, it would be perfectly reasonable that when he should come to suffer and be crucified for the sins of the world, the Jews, only a portion of Israel, should not be the only portion who should be favored and blessed with his personal ministry; it is perfectly reasonable that he should go to the ten tribes, and also come to this great continent, where a part of one tribe existed, and minister to them. You know Jesus himself says, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Not merely to the Jews, for they were only a part of them, he had others dispersed in various countries, and upon the islands of the seas. And inasmuch as they all had a knowledge of the coming of Christ, and that he would offer the great last sacrifice, thereby doing away with the rite of sacrifice which they had for so many generations held sacred, it would seem consistent that he should inform them in whatever land they might have been, that the true Messiah had come and offered himself, and therefore they should no longer offer up beasts and birds as sacrifices, but forever afterwards believe in Him. It is also just as reasonable, that a branch of Israel, existing thousands of miles from Palestine, having the personal ministry of Christ, would keep a record of his teachings, just as much as they did in the land of Jerusalem; and that his teachings would be just as sacred, when written, as the New Testament is. And it is again just as reasonable that they should receive the same gospel and the same spirit, and that the same effects should be produced among them, as among these at Jerusalem. Jesus informs us too in St. John’s Gospel, that he had other sheep besides those at Jerusalem. The passage reads: “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” He did not go to the Gentiles, as they were not the “other sheep” referred to; they were never denominated in any of the Scriptural writings as the sheep of Israel, they were always called by their own name. But the sheep that Jesus speaks of were those he meant to visit; “they shall hear my voice”—that is, he would minister to them, and they would see Him and they would hear His voice. And the instruction that he gave, they were commanded to write, with a view of its coming forth in the latter days, preparatory to the time when “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea;” not merely the knowledge of God contained in the Jewish record, but the knowledge of God contained in all the records. The Book of Mormon informs us that the ten tribes in the north country will have a record as well as the Jews, a Bible of their own, if you please. Indeed Jesus after having instructed the remnant of Joseph upon this land and revealed to them His gospel, said to them, “But now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for He knoweth whither He hath taken them.” And it was predicted concerning them by one of the ancient American prophets, who lived in those days, that when God should bring these ten tribes from the north country, they would bring their records with them. And it should come to pass that they should have the records of the Nephites, and the Nephites should have the records of the Jews, and the Jews and the Nephites should have the records of the lost tribes of the house of Israel, and the lost tribes of Israel should have the records of the Nephites and the Jews. “It shall come to pass that I will gather my people together, and I will also gather my word in one.” Not only the people are to be gathered from the distant portions of our globe, but their records, or bibles, will also be united in one.

In the good old book believed in by the world of Christianity, we have a prophecy which may be found in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, concerning the uniting together of two of the records. I will read the prophecy. “The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

“Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

“And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

“And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

“Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

“And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.”

Why was he commanded to do this simple thing, for surely it would be considered simple in our day for a man to take two sticks, writing upon one for Judah, and upon another one for Joseph, and then joining the two sticks together, and holding them up in his hands to become one? If we were to undertake to preach in this way the people would think we were insane. But it was a familiar way by which the Lord intended to instruct his people, and the interpretation is this: These two sticks were to represent what the Lord would do. Says he, “When the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these two sticks, that they become one in thine hand, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I, (not Ezekiel) will take the stick of Joseph, etc.” And what will you do with it? I will put it with the stick written upon for Judah, and will make them one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before thine eyes;” one being a representation of the other. But when will it take place? Read the next verse.

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will bring them into their own land:

“And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to all: and they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

“Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.”

Has this been fulfilled? Has He done this for the House of Israel, scattered among the heathen, bringing them back and making them one nation in the land and upon the mountains, with one king to reign over them all? Has there ever been a period since the twelve tribes lived, some two thousand five hundred years ago, that the House of Judah has been made one? It is very well known that such things have not yet taken place. But the prophecy will be fulfilled, and that too in our day. The Lord will gather the ten tribes from the north, and the House of Judah from the four quarters of the earth whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land, making of them one nation under one king never more to be divided, neither, says the Lord, shall they any more defile themselves with their detestable things, etc. “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto my servant Jacob, wherein your fathers have dwelt, etc.” It is not a spiritual thing, it is natural, and will take place even as it is written. How will He accomplish this work? In the very way He has pointed out in this chapter? He will take the stick, or records, of Joseph written upon for Joseph, and join it with that of the Jews, written upon by the Jewish nation; and when they become one in His hand, then He will bring Israel from the four quarters of the earth and fulfill all that has been said concerning them.

Here (holding the Book of Mormon in his hand) we present a record of this American continent, a history of a branch of the tribe of Joseph, for nearly 600 years before Christ, and until 420 years after Christ, a history of the Lord’s dealings with them from the time they left Jerusalem until one of their principal nations fell in battle, because of their apostasy; and the descendants of the remaining remnant are this degenerated people we call Indians, who still exist. Their record has been brought to light; the Lord has done it, not Joseph Smith. He has already united the record and testimonies of Joseph with those of Judah that we may have additional evidence that Jesus is the Christ, that we may have the testimony of two great nations—the Jewish nation and the nation of Joseph that dwelt on this land, and which afterwards became a “multitude of nations,” according to the blessing pronounced by the ancient patriarch Jacob, when bles– sing his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Here we find on this continent a multitude of nations, and when we come to examine the language they all speak, we find that it evidently sprang from the same source. Antiquarians who have searched diligently into this matter, all testify to this one fact—that their language evidently sprang from the same source. It is also stated by them they must have lived for many generations on this continent in order to have become so diversified in their several tongues. You know where people have no written language, as we have, that it will become corrupted, and as they separate from each other, as the Indian race has done, it will corrupt itself more and more. When you come to trace the languages spoken by the aborigines of our country, you will find that they have the same origin; also that this “multitude of nations” are the descendants of Joseph, in fulfillment of the promise God made him through his father Jacob. Patriarchs used to bless their children in ancient days and tell them what would come to pass in the latter days. Jacob so blessed his twelve sons; and when he came to Joseph he pronounced a peculiar blessing upon his head. It reads—“Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall;” signifying that a portion of his seed would not always stay with the main body of his people, but would branch off, “run over the wall,” depart out of the land of Jerusalem. “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him, that was separate from his brethren.” Jacob’s progen– itors were Abraham and Isaac. What blessings were given to them? Palestine. But says the Patriarch, I have a greater blessing, it has prevailed above that of my progenitors. How much above theirs? Unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. Said he, I will give this to you, Joseph; or, “they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.” How marvelous are the dealings of God with man in bringing to pass the prophetic utterances of his servants! There was another blessing pronounced upon his head by Moses, before he was taken out from the midst of Israel, which was very distinct from the rest of the tribes. It reads—“And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven. And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof.” As much as to say, his land shall be very choice. Instead of being blessed with lands side by side with the rest of the tribes, he was to be a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills, and there he should be blessed with all kinds of climate; the temperate and the torrid zone; the blessings of the earth and fulness thereof, so far as the temperate zones are concerned; then the blessings of the earth, so far as the torrid zone is concerned.

Here then we perceive with all these predictions and prophecies that the Lord in his providences has so wrought among the Israelites as to fulfill these promises to the very letter. They should not be blessed with the blessings of the earth only, but “Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven.” What would you consider the precious things of heaven? I should say that the revelations given from heaven to his descendants would be as precious as anything that could be bestowed upon them. Why then should it be thought unreasonable that these prophecies in relation to the descendants of Joseph should be fulfilled, that the Lord should bring forth these precious things in the latter days, under the name of the record of Joseph, in order that it might go forth as testimony in connection with the Jewish record, first to the Gentiles, and then to the house of Israel, that the way might be prepared, that the kingdom that was to be set up in the last days might increase upon the earth, in fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel, even until the Kingdom and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heavens should be given to the Saints of the Most High. If God intends to set up a Kingdom represented in the Book of Daniel by a “stone cut out of the mountains without hands,” and that Kingdom is to extend until it becomes, as he saw it in vision, as a great mountain filling the whole earth, it will no doubt be but a preparatory work for the second advent of his Son, so that when He comes in all His glory, in the clouds of heaven, accompanied by the prophets, and apostles, and revelators, and the rest of the Saints to reign on the earth, it is reasonable to suppose that the Kingdom to be set up would have prophets, and revelators, and inspired men, old men dreaming dreams, and young men seeing visions. And in this way, when Jesus descends with his resurrected Saints finding a Kingdom prepared for him composed of those who have the Spirit of God in their hearts, he will commence his reign—his universal reign upon the earth, over all the Saints living. Then will be fulfilled that part of the prophecy of Daniel, “And the Kingdom and dominion,” not only the Kingdom, but the dominion, also, “And the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” That is, all people then living will be under this one King of Kings, he will reign in the midst of his people, the resurrected Saints, and the Saints then living. And all flesh will have the Spirit of God poured out upon them.

I said “all” flesh including the flesh of the animal as well as human. This has been clearly spoken of in the prophecies. That is, in those days when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,” then the “lion shall eat straw like the ox.” His nature will be so susceptible to the Spirit of God that it will be entirely changed, instead of his preying upon other animals and devouring their flesh, he will feast upon the vegetable kingdom, just as he did in the morning of creation. When the earth was first made, all things were pronounced very good; it issued forth from the hand of the Creator in a very perfect condition, but when man fell, a change came over, not only man, but also the animal creation, and the vegetable kingdom came under the curse, and the power of Satan was exercised upon the earth, enmity was introduced between man and the animals. But the time will come, when the Spirit of God will be poured out upon all flesh and “The wolf shall lie down with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them,” etc. That will change the fall of creation or at least, the living portion of it. The curse then will be removed. It will be like the garden of Eden, and Jesus will be here, and he will teach his people, fulfilling what is written in the sacred Scriptures about his reign of a thousand years. The Saints then will be resurrected, and they will also be the inhabitants of this globe. They are singing about it in heaven, while their bodies are sleeping in the grave. Read the 5th chapter of John’s Revelation, that will give you an idea what the Saints of heaven anticipate. The words of the new song which John heard them sing, were: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth!” How plain! “We shall reign on the earth!” They hope for it; they sing about it; they expect it, just as much as we hope to go with them, and mingle with them, and just as much as we have faith that we will, when we lay our bodies down in the grave, go to our former abode where we once were, to the mansions prepared, and that we will join with the heavenly hosts. We will not forget the earth; it is our native abode; but instead of forgetting it, we will join with them in their new song, and with them we will look forward with joyful anticipation to the day when we shall return to reign on the earth, having been made kings and priests unto our God. And Jesus and the Twelve Apostles will be in our midst. And we have an account of their thrones. “And Jesus said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Then the twelve tribes will come back, and twelve men sitting on twelve thrones, in the land of Palestine, will reign over them. The Twelve disciples raised up in this land, 1,800 years ago, are to have their thrones; who, after being judged themselves by the Twelve at Jerusalem, will sit upon their thrones and will judge the remnant of the tribe of Joseph. And they will have that work to do in the eternal worlds. The Priesthood is not given for a few years and then to cease; but all the servants of God who have ministered here below by authority of the Priesthood will continue their work among immortal beings, and among those living who will not have been changed to the immortal state. Some think that when Jesus comes all that are then living upon the earth will be changed. There is no Scripture to this effect. But there is a Scripture that says, the Saints living will all be “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” When the first trump sounds, at the coming of the Savior, they will not be changed, but they will be caught up, but when the graves of the Saints are opened and they come forth as immortal beings they will be quickened, not made immortal, renewed in a measure, and they will be taken up with those who will ascend out of their graves to meet Jesus, and descend with him. And the immortal ones will multiply and spread forth so that the many places depopulated in consequence of the great judgment that will precede his coming, will become inhabited by their numerous children during the millennium, filling up the different parts of the earth. So that when the thousand years are ended, and Satan is again loosed, he will find a large number who have not been tempted by him, and he will use his cunning among them, and will succeed in leading more or less astray. He will gather up his numerous hosts from the four quarters of the earth, and will encompass the camp of the Saints. The Saints will then gather from abroad, as they now do, and they will have to pitch their tents while doing so; and Satan’s army will also compass the beloved city to destroy the people of God; but fire will come down from God out of heaven, and will devour them. And the beloved city and the righteous will be taken to heaven; and after the thousand years are ended the earth will pass away. This earth that will be sanctified and purified and blessed with the presence of Jesus, and upon which the immortal and resurrected Saints will live and reign as kings and priests; this earth because of the fall and the curse that came upon it, will have to undergo a greater change, the same as our bodies, and will pass away. There will be no place found for it, as an organized world: it will exist in an elementary condition, all of its elements scattered through space, until the Lord sees proper to gather them together by his power, and forms an immortal earth, an earth free from the curse, free from the effects of the fall, restored as it was in the beginning. This then will be the new earth and the new heaven, whereon the righteous only will dwell. The beloved city will descend upon this eternal earth, and it will then become one of the heavenly mansions, whereon the Saints that are prepared will reign forever and ever.

This is our eternal home then; we are not to look for a heaven—

“Beyond the bounds of time and space, Where human mind can never trace.”

We are not to go further than our thoughts can carry us, to some remote unknown place, concerning which there has been no revelation given. But we will return to our earth, and then will be fulfilled that part of the vision where John says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Why? Because all its inhabitants then will be immortal, and the earth itself will be celestial, consequently there will be no more funerals, nor any cause for mourning: “Behold, I make all things new,” said he that sat upon the throne.

That will be the history of this little creation of ours; it is only one out of the immensity of creations that God has made, all of which have their times of redemption, having to pass through similar changes as those which I have alluded to; and the people inhabiting them have to learn by a school of experience; they have their joys and sorrows as well as we, because they, like us, could not acquire the necessary experience in any other way to fit them for the society of the heavenly hosts.

When, according to the prophecy of Joel, God bestows visions and revelations upon his sons and daughters, and dreams, by the same Spirit, upon the old men, they will acquire more knowledge in a very short time, than could be learned by studying the best of books that are possessed by the colleges and institutions of learning all over the world. We have to study for years in order to learn one branch, mathematics for instance, viz: geometry, conic sections, calculus, etc.

It takes years of study to acquire a knowledge of them, and about the time we have partially mastered them, we are old men, ready to pass away from this state of existence. But when the time shall come that the Spirit of the living God shall be poured out upon all flesh, in a very few moments of time the Lord could unlock the mysteries and treasures of the earth, so that we could understand not only the geographical surface of the earth, but be able, by the power of vision, to behold every particle of it inside as well as outside, and also the law that governs its elementary portions, nearly all of which is now closed from our mortal vision. We can only go about so far with our natural sight; but there is a faculty in every man and woman which is now sleeping in a dormant state; and as soon as it is touched by the spirit of the Lord, we shall be enabled to see a new world of things as it were, mysteries will be opened up and we will perceive naturally as if they were written, and in this way we shall be able to learn very rapidly indeed. If we want a knowledge of this world or of ourselves, when our spirits were born, or if we desire to know things that took place before the foundations of the world were laid or the nucleus was formed, when the sons of God shouted for joy, if we desired to know these things it would only be necessary for the Spirit of the Lord to touch the vision of our minds and light up our understanding and we could gaze upon things past for thousands of generations of worlds before the earth was made, and we could see the succession of worlds that have been and were in existence long before this earth was formed, we could see the ordeals through which they had passed, see them brought into existence and passing through their several changes and finally become glorified celestial mansions in the presence of God. By this same spirit spoken of by Joel, we could look forward into the distant future and behold new worlds formed and redeemed, and not only this, but see and understand the laws by which they were made, and the object and end of all these creations, being touched by the finger of the Almighty and lighted up by the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Sunday Afternoon, Nov. 14, 1877.

There is something novel as well as interesting in the contemplation of the subject that has been referred to by brother Folsom. The ideas entertained by the Latter-day Saints are different from those believed in by any other people upon the face of the earth; and there is a feeling and spirit resting upon the Saints that is not known nor experienced among any other people. The way we have been led is very peculiar and differs entirely from anything else that exists anywhere in the world. Our gathering together, the kind of Gospel that is preached, the disposition and feeling to build Temples, a strong impression that seems to rest upon all the people, is something in itself very remarkable.

Now in relation to our gathering, who is there anywhere else in the world that feel as the Latter-day Saints do? You do not find it anywhere, and nothing but the Spirit of God operating upon the minds of the people could have induced them to gather together as they have done. This spirit was imparted, as the Holy Ghost is, by the laying on of hands, through the medium of the Priesthood. And this peculiarity seemed all the more striking at first, for as soon as the principle of the gathering was first preached, the people needed no convincing argument, for the Spirit of the Lord had revealed it to them, and they knew it was true. And it mattered not where people heard it, or in what language it was preached, they immediately had a strong, fervent desire to gather to Zion, to assemble with the Saints and worship with them. And however foolish many of us have acted since that time, yet these were the feelings that welled up in our bosoms; and they came because of certain principles having been developed through Joseph Smith. You that are acquainted with the history of Joseph Smith well know that in the Temple in Kirtland, among other visions, manifestations and administrations he received was one in which the Prophet Moses appeared to him, who committed to him the keys of the gathering dispensation. It was he who led the exodus of Israel in former times, and like all other men who have held the holy Priesthood and have been faithful in the discharge of their duties, he not only administered in time but continues to minister in eternity. And hold– ing the keys of this Priesthood, he was the proper person to confer them upon the Prophet Joseph; and on doing so, he told Joseph, that he had bestowed upon him “the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth and the leading of the Ten Tribes from the land of the north.” And this was in fulfillment of a significant scripture which says, “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in him.”

Hence, after men had been baptized for remission of sins, and had hands laid upon their heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost by those holding this Priesthood and authority, of which this was one of the principles, they began immediately to have the feeling to gather to Zion. This has been spoken of by ancient men of God as one of the events of the latter days. One of the Prophets referring to it says, “I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” It was through this principle and this ordination, with the spirit attending it, first conferred upon Joseph Smith, and afterwards upon the believers of the Gospel by obedience thereunto, through the administration of baptism and of the laying on of hands by the Elders, that brought the people together as they are today. Wherever this Gospel has been preached, believed and obeyed, this desire to leave the lands of their nativity, to gather with the Saints, has been strongly manifested; and so strong has it been, that I have had men offer to bind themselves to my service for quite a length of time, or willing to do anything required of them, provided they could be assisted to the gathering place of the Saints. And it was to meet this universal want that the Perpetual Emigrating Fund was gotten up, which has been the means of bringing out to this country thousands of people, the majority of whom, perhaps, by their own exertions, never could have accumulated the necessary amount of means to have brought themselves here; and as each one was required, after being assisted, to refund the amount received for this purpose, others could realize its benefits in like manner, and thus the fund became perpetual.

Temple building is another characteristic associated with this Gospel that is in itself peculiar. We are here, as Jesus was, not to do our own will, but the will of Him who sent us; and, as he was, so we are expected to do and perform such things as may be required of us by the Almighty. This is really the position we occupy as Latter-day Saints, if we could fully comprehend the situation. There are certain powers and privileges, rights, immunities and blessings connected with this Gospel that do not exist anywhere else, and this is one of them. We are told that the Gospel brings life and immortality to light, and without it there is no correct knowledge of life and immortality. We did not understand either our own position, nor the position of the world; we could not comprehend anything of God, or the laws of God, or the laws of life, until we became acquainted with the Gospel. Every good and every perfect gift proceeds from God, in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. And the world generally are ignorant of God. Why? Because we are told that no man knows the things of God but by the Spirit of God. And if they cannot obtain a knowledge of God only by the Spirit of God, unless they receive that Spirit they must remain ignorant of these principles. And it matters not what the learning, what the intelligence, what the research, the philosophy, or religion of man may be, the things of God cannot be comprehended, except through and by the Spirit and revelations of God. And this can only be obtained through obedience to the principles which God has and shall ordain, sanction and acknowledge. And hence, in these last times, he first communicated a knowledge of himself to Joseph Smith, long ago, when he was quite young. Who in that day knew anything about God? Who had had any revelations from Him, or who knew anything in relation to the principles of life and salvation? If there were any persons I never heard of them, nor read of them, nor never met them. But when the Lord manifested himself to Joseph Smith, presenting to him his Son who was there also, saying, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him;” he then knew that God lived; and he was not dependent upon anybody else for that knowledge. He saw him and heard his voice, and he knew for himself that there was a God, and of this he testified, sealing his testimony with his blood. The evidence of the existence of God that he received, none but God could impart. Well, what was the result? He told him how others might obtain the same knowledge of him and of his laws; and he made him acquainted with a medium through which he could obtain a knowledge of these things. And how did he do it? By communicating unto him a knowledge of the everlasting Priesthood, and send– ing that Priesthood to reveal unto him the laws and the ordinances thereof. Hence, as early as September 21st, 1823, an angel said to Joseph Smith, “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood.” He was informed there had to be a certain ordinance attended to, viz., baptism. And as John the Baptist had held the keys of that Priesthood, in generations gone and past, he was sent to confer upon him and upon Oliver Cowdery what is known as the Aaronic Priesthood, which authorized them to baptize each other for the remission of sins. And this heavenly messenger did come and did so ordain them, on May 15th, 1829, saying—“Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism for the remission of sins; and this shall never again be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” (D C., page 100.) And what next? It was necessary then that other institutions should be introduced and other principles developed; and consequently the Apostles Peter, James and John appeared, bringing, and conferring on their heads the Melchizedek Priesthood, which holds the keys of the mysteries and revelations of God, and by which they could lay their hands upon men for the reception of the Holy Ghost. And when they received this gift, it “brought things past to their remembrance, led them into all truth and showed them things to come;” it opened up communication between the heavens and the earth, whereby others, as well as Joseph Smith, could know that God lived, and obtain for themselves through the administration of the ordinances, a knowledge of their acceptance with him, and of their relationship to him, and also obtain a knowledge of heavenly as well as earthly things. So that first, Joseph Smith having received this knowledge that God lived, and others through the medium that God ordained were accorded the same privilege. Thus there was opened up a communication with the heavens; not only with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and those immediately associated with them, but with those also who received the Gospel; and as the Scriptures say, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” And they received that Spirit whereby they were able to comprehend the principles of truth; and as the Apostle John says, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but, as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” How did they receive this anointing? By repenting of their sins, by being baptized by one having the authority of God for the remission of sins, and by having hands laid upon their heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost. They received this spirit precisely in this manner, and hence they had this knowledge for themselves; which knowledge all Latter-day Saints have who are living their religion, walking humbly and obediently before God. Hence, this is a part of what we term the Gospel; it is part of what we call the principles of life, or the laws of life, for it leads to life, it leads to God, it leads to a knowledge of the laws of God, and a knowledge of the principles of truth, and to an acquaintance with those principles which are calculated to exalt and ennoble mankind both in time and through all eternity. There is nothing new in it, and yet there is. It is called the new and everlasting Gospel. Singular, that an everlasting thing should be new. But it is a principle that has existed with God, or with the Gods, if you please, in the eternities, and it has been communicated from time to time to the children of men. And although we have a great amount of intelligence, learning and science, and everything else considered worthy among men, yet we have nothing in all of this that gives a knowledge of the laws of life. It needs a development from God to unravel these things, and make us acquainted with our true position. Hence although it is new to us, it is nevertheless an everlasting principle. We are mortal and immortal beings, we have to do with time and also with eternity. And as the things of the future are hidden from men and can only be known through the medium of the Gospel, this means was made use of by the Almighty for the introduction of the principles of truth and the placing of mankind in the position to acquire a knowledge of him and his laws. Having been put in this position, we, every one of us, men and women who are living our religion, preserving ourselves in the purity of the Gospel and acting honorably and honestly before God and man, have a right to know and understand for ourselves the principles of truth which we have embraced. I well remember a remark that Joseph Smith made to me up– wards of forty years ago. Said he, “Elder Taylor, you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy Priesthood. Now, it you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation, so that you will know all things.” That agrees precisely with some of the remarks of John in the passage I have quoted to you. “Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things, and need not that any man teach you; but the same anointing teacheth you all things.” Now, that which John taught was the everlasting Gospel, and that which Joseph Smith taught was the everlasting Gospel. That which John taught has been forgotten long ago by the people, they are not in possession of it and consequently they cannot comprehend it. And hence when Joseph Smith revealed it, he preached the new and everlasting Gospel; new to the generation that lives, and everlasting because it has existed in all ages and times when God has revealed himself to the human family.

But to return to this singular thing of Temple building, which I will refer to again. Why do we want to build these Temples? Some of us hardly know; but we do want to build it. What a most singular thing! Just consider the amount of labor that has already been performed throughout this Territory. Surely the people have some motive in view. The mechanic or the laborer does not go to work unless he gets a recompense of some kind. When men devote themselves to any kind of labor, whether mental, physical, mechanical or scientific, they have some particular object in view. So it is also in relation to these matters. I have already referred to it; but many of us can hardly realize why it is that we are engaged in these things.

I will go back again and refer to another manifestation. We find, among others that appeared to Joseph Smith was Elijah the Prophet; and what did he come for? His special mission was to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers.” And the same scripture informs us of his coming “before that great and terrible day of the Lord.” What is meant by this, say the world? It means that we are the offspring of God; it means, as the scriptures say, that God is the Father of the spirits of all flesh; it means that we have to do with eternity as well as time; it means that we have to do with things past, with things present and with things to come; it means that being the children of our Heavenly Father, we are or ought to be under his government, yielding obedience to him, and that we ought to operate with him in extending mercy and love and salvation to the living and the dead, according to certain laws unknown to men generally; but known unto God and now revealed again by him for the salvation of our race. It means that God is the Father of the human family and is interested in the whole of his progeny, these that now exist and those who have passed away. It means that there are certain laws in the heavens that all men have to do with that must be complied with, if not in time in eternity. It means that all men who have lived and died without a knowledge of the Gospel, shall be placed on the same plane as ourselves through the plan he has provided, giving all of his children, whether living or dead, an equal chance to avail themselves of the means of salvation; and that we are to operate in their behalf, working out certain ordinances for them which they are now incapable of doing for themselves. It means that as God feels interested in the welfare of all his family, men in the flesh who are in possession of his spirit and the light of eternity, having come to a knowledge of him and his eternal laws, should cooperate with him in the accomplishment of this object. And it means too that if he has conferred the Gospel and the power thereof and the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, sending his messengers from the heavens for this purpose, that it is not for a phantom, it is not for a plaything to be trifled with at pleasure; but it is that we should operate with God and with the Priesthood who lived before us, in the accomplishment of the things of God on the earth. That is what it means. And hence, says he, when EliJah comes he will “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” etc. It is not for mankind to come and live and exist a little while to be blotted out and nothing more of them; but it is that they should be enlightened by the Spirit of God, that they should sympathize with and have regard for all the human family living and dead, feeling desirous to promote their happiness and welfare, as he himself does. How often when abroad preaching this Gospel have I heard men say, and you have heard the same sentiment expressed, “If this is true what has become of our fathers? Are they to be lost forever?” And then you know they have certain peculiar ideas about hell and damnation, the lake of fire and brimstone into which a certain portion of the human family are to be cast to be forever burning and never to be consumed. And if our doctrine be true they think it would be cruel that this state of things should exist. Why, God is more merciful than man is, he possesses more sympathies with human nature than man does or ever did, one with another. The Lord has been feeling after the welfare of mankind all the day long, from the first commencement of the world to the present time. But there are certain eternal laws among the Gods in the eternal worlds which render it necessary that mankind shall go through certain ordeals and observe certain ordinances and be governed by certain laws before they can be exalted in the kingdom of God. And as Satan has been operating in opposition to the Lord’s designs, and having so far succeeded in drawing men after him, it became necessary that these ordinances that God has instituted should be introduced and that man should be governed by them. Hence it was necessary that a Redeemer should be provided, which was perfectly understood by one of the Prophets who said, “Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.” Who was he? When Jesus appeared, says John, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” He was the ransom.

What about the others, they who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel? They are amply provided for. The Lord has shown us that we must build Temples in which to officiate for them. We have commenced to do so, and our fathers have already commenced to feel after us, manifesting themselves by dreams and visions, and in various ways to those most interested in their welfare. And having inaugurated this state of things for our guidance that we have today, with Presidents, Apostles, Presidents of Stakes, High Councils, High Priests, Seventies, Bishops, Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons and the various organizations of the Church; it is for us each one to operate in our sphere under the direction of the Almighty; and feel not only for ourselves, but for others, as Abraham did, and as Isaac and Jacob did, we should have a desire to bless our posterity after us; and God has shown us how to do it, and has bestowed his Patriarchal authority with power to bless. He has appointed this through the Priesthood and sealing ordinances. That which is joined together no man can put asunder, and what is bound on earth is bound also in heaven; and also a great many other things of a similar nature in relation to ourselves. The moment a man gets enlightened by the Spirit of God and begins to comprehend himself, be begins to feel for the welfare of others. “I have a wife, what shall I do to save her? I have children, what can I do for them?” And by and by his comprehension expands, and he commences at once to reach after his father, and his grandfather, and friends and relatives who have passed away; and his feelings if they were expressed would be, What can I do for them to help them? Yes, he has revealed to us that we can render valuable aid to our dead friends and ancestors, and, as I have said, the Lord has shown us that in order for them to receive the benefit of our services, Temples must be built, and they must be dedicated to God and accepted of him; and through the medium of those sacred structures and the ordinances performed therein, there is to be a uniting and welding together of all principles and peoples, and without them this great work cannot be done.

Brother Folsom, who has just been speaking to you of his recent labors in the Manti Temple, says he never felt better in his life than when engaged there. What is the reason? He has been engaged in the service of God; and there is no happiness among men to be compared with the joy and satisfaction that the Gospel imparts; it lifts us up from the sublunary things of time and sense, and we feel that we are gods, even the sons of God, and that he is our Father; and we know that we have a hope that blooms with immortality and eternal lives, and we feel that we are in the hands of God, and that he will guide and direct us and sustain us and bear us off triumphant under all circumstances; and we feel joyous and happy in the contemplation of these things. And then it is necessary that the Lord should have introduced this Gospel, or shall I say he never could have saved the human family that have gone? Yes, I will say that; because there are certain laws in relation to these things which must be obeyed; the Lord himself is governed by them, and we must be governed by them. And hence when Elijah came and laid his hands upon Joseph Smith, conferring upon him that Gospel which was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, he received it, and the spirit of it we have received; and that is why we want to build Temples. And in this regard we are associated with those in the heavens in carrying out the plan that was contemplated and designed by the gods before the world was, in relation to the formation of the earth, and in relation to peopling it, and then with regard to its redemption and the salvation of its inhabitants and everything pertaining to it, until it shall be celestialized and celestial beings inhabit it. And we are operating, or should do so, and we will when we know ourselves, operate with the holy angels and with the holy Priest– hood, that has existed before, doing our part on the earth while they are performing theirs in the heavens. Could we do anything unless God helped us? No, we could not. You might preach until the tongue cleaved to the roof of your mouth, urging the people to build Temples, but unless the spirit of Elijah rested upon them they never would do it. And sometimes people think now that it interferes with the dollars and dimes and their monetary calculations; but what of that? God is interested in these things, and he does not care much about the dollars, for the gold and the silver, and the cattle upon a thousand hills are his, the earth in its fullness belongs to him; the heavens are his throne and the earth his footstool, and he manages and directs according to the counsel of his own will. And as we send our ministers to the nations of the earth to perform certain missions designed by the Priesthood on the earth; so does God in the eternal heavens employ those of his servants around him in the accomplishment of the same grand object.

Do you think that this Gospel would have stood the opposition it has met with, and that this people could have lived under the calumny and reproach, the vituperation, hatred and persecution that has been raised against them by men, unless God had been with us? No; we should have been scattered like the chaff before the wind, long, long ago. But God has sustained us, and has said to all men and will continue to say, Thus far shalt thou go and no farther, and here shall thy power be stayed. Our strength is in God, and not in man. Many and many a time have I seen the wrath of man turned away, when it was thought its power would crush us, and that too by one principle. What was that? Jesus, when in the flesh, taught his disciples how to pray; and the Lord has also instructed us how to pray. And we have the consolation of knowing that our prayers have availed with him, for we have seen our enemies foiled, frustrated, discomfited and scattered, who sought our destruction, and their plans utterly fail, and that too when to all human appearances we were going to be submerged and overwhelmed by their fury. And so long as we continue to fear Him, observe his laws and keep his commandments, all their plans will fail from this time henceforth and forever [the congregation said, Amen], for God is on our side, and He will uphold us and never forsake us.

To return again to the subject of Temple building. I may talk about it from now until tomorrow, and then not get a quarter through, for there are so many things connected with it. But we feel now that we want to build Temples that we may administer in them. Brother Woodruff has been operating a long time in the Temple at St. George; and you have perhaps heard him testify of visits that he has had from the spirit world, the spirits of men who once lived on the earth, desiring him to officiate for them in the Temple ordinances. This feeling is planted in the hearts of the people; and the Priesthood in the heavens are watching over us; they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, says the Apostle; and if we were not the recipients of their ministrations and watchful care, we should be in a poor condition. They are operating in the heavens, and we are on the earth; they without us cannot be made perfect, neither we without them; it requires the combined and united efforts of both parties, directed by God Himself to consummate the work we are engaged in.

I will here show you the difference between the operations of men and those of the Lord, in regard to the human family. Men make war one upon another, they kill and destroy and make waste. This work of killing and destruction is even now going on among the Russians and Turks. And it is only a short time since the Germans and French were doing the same thing; and it almost seems like the recollections of yesterday, when our own nation were imbruing their hands in each other’s blood, when the cries of widows and orphans, of bereaved fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters were heard throughout our land, and when want and misery, pain and sorrow were depicted on the faces of so many because of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. What do the Scriptures say? “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” What right has any man to interfere with the life of another man?

Now I will go back to show you how the Lord operates. He destroyed a whole world at one time save a few, whom he preserved for his own special purpose. And why? He had more than one reason for doing so. This antediluvian people were not only very wicked themselves, but having the power to propagate their species, they transmitted their unrighteous natures and desires to their children, and brought them up to indulge in their own wicked practices. And the spirits that dwelt in the eternal worlds knew this, and they knew very well that to be born of such parentage would entail upon them– selves an infinite amount of trouble, misery and sin. And supposing ourselves to be of the number of unborn spirits, would it not be fair to presume that we would appeal to the Lord, crying, “Father, do you not behold the condition of this people, how corrupt and wicked they are?” Yes. “Is it then just that we who are now pure should take of such bodies and thus subject ourselves to most bitter experiences before we can be redeemed, according to the plan of salvation?” “No,” the Father would say, “it is not in keeping with my justice.” Well, what will you do in the matter; man has his free agency and cannot be coerced, and while he lives he has the power of perpetuating his species? “I will first send them my word, offering them deliverance from sin, and warning them of my justice, which shall certainly overtake them if they reject it, and I will destroy them from off the face of the earth, thus preventing their increase, and I will raise up another seed.” Well, they did reject the preaching of Noah, the servant of God, who was sent to them, and consequently the Lord caused the rains of heaven to descend incessantly for forty days and nights, which flooded the land, and there being no means of escape, save for the eight souls who were obedient to the message, all the others were drowned. But, says the caviller, is it right that a just God should sweep off so many people? Is that in accordance with mercy? Yes, it was just to those spirits that had not received their bodies, and it was just and merciful too to those people guilty of the iniquity. Why? Because by taking away their earthly existence he prevented them from entailing their sins upon their posterity and degenerating them, and also prevented them from committing further acts of wickedness. And was it just to send them to hell, to be eternally burning up in fire, never to be consumed? We do not know anything about that part of it, that is sectarianism, and is no part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Suffice it to say, they were put into prison and the doors were so securely locked that they could not be unfastened until the right time had arrived. The Prophets understood this, and spoke of it.

What next? God still felt after them; and he said, in speaking of the Savior, that he was to come. And what to do? “To bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives; and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” This was the nature of his mission to the earth. And what do the Scriptures tell us he did? “Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” Were they redeemed? Yes, if Jesus preached the Gospel to them, and which he most assuredly did. If a man kill another, does he know how to redeem him afterwards? No, he does not; therefore men have no right to assume the prerogatives of God, and hence the Scriptures say that “no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” You may get the priest or priests to pray for him and pack him off to heaven the moment he breathes his last here; but such prayers avail not; he will never get there, but will go to the place appointed unto him. Here then is the difference between the dealings of God with man, and the dealings of man one with another.

We are moved upon to build Temples. There is one now building in Logan, Cache Valley. I was up there two weeks ago, and was much gratified to find the work being pushed forward so energetically and so spiritedly. Since the early part of June, I think upwards of $30,000 has been expended by the people of that and two other Stakes in making the necessary arrangements for the building of this Temple. We find the same spirit existing among them as we found in St. George, and in Sanpete, and here, and, in fact, as we find everywhere among the Latter-day Saints; and I am much gratified to see the people thus moved and acted upon. In the Millennium, a duration of one thousand years, we shall be actively engaged administering for the dead, and assisting God to fix up accounts with the inhabitants of the earth.

Before closing I wish to add a few words in regard to matters associated with our position here, which is a very important one before angels and the people. We stand in an important position in this respect, we are the sons and daughters of God; if we obey his laws and keep his commandments, proving ourselves valiant and true to his cause, we shall be heirs, “heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ; and if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him, that all may be glorified together in the eternal worlds.” Now, then, if we can perform a work of this kind, and secure the approbation of God, and the cooperation of the holy Priesthood, then we will be doing something that will not only be acceptable to Him and to the holy angels, but to our name, and fame, our honor and happiness and glory, and to the increase of our dominion there will be no end. But if we give way to folly and to vanity, to covetousness and pride or to evil, to wickedness or corruption of any kind, the hand of God will be over us, our candlestick will be removed out of its place, the light within us will take its departure, and darkness will take its place; and oh, how great will be that darkness! How often have I seen men whom I have known in this Church, and whom I have respected as honorable, make shipwreck of their faith, lose the Spirit of God and go into darkness. When they turn aside, after having received certain light and intelligence, can you lead them back? No, you cannot. They have no desire for it, and you cannot implant that desire within them. What does Paul say? “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God.” We do not want to be in that fearful condition. Let us be careful, then, what we do and what we say, and how we act and live. Let us treat one another in a right and proper manner, not seek to oppress and defraud, or rob one another of property, or of honor, or of char– acter, or anything else; but let us all copy after the Son of God, walking in all humility and meekness, feeling rather to suffer wrong than do wrong, and ever be desirous to promote each other’s happiness and welfare. Do not let us be censorious, or oppressive, or tyrannical, or exacting; but cultivate the spirit of kindness and charity, and seek continually for the Spirit of God to lead and direct us. Every morning that we arise, dedicate ourselves to God, and ask his blessing upon us through the day, that we may be preserved from evil, folly and vanity. Let us be governed and influenced by the counsels we receive from our Bishops and presiding authorities; and let us pray for them, that they may be kept pure and holy; and fail not to supplicate the Father in behalf of the Twelve, for we are poor, weak creatures, and need the faith and prayers of the Saints, and the help and favor of the Almighty, and we ask an interest in your prayers, that we may be led in the paths of life; for none of us can do anything unless God be with us.

Brethren and sisters, God bless you, and lead you in the paths of life, that you may be prepared for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered in the Ogden Tabernacle, on Sunday Afternoon, October 21, 1877.

I am happy to meet with the brethren and sisters at this Conference. Since I was last here we have had to suffer the loss of our venerated and beloved President Brigham Young, which cast a gloom over the feelings of the Saints throughout the Territory, and made us all feel sorry. His demise, with that of others, however, is among the evidences that are necessarily associated with human affairs, and is something over which we have no control, for the Lord manages such things according to the counsel of his own will.

I remember the time very well when Joseph Smith was taken from us, not however in the manner that President Young was, but by a ruthless mob, meeting his death at the hands of assassins. But these things are matters, although of great importance to us, yet relatively they have not a very great deal to do with the building up of the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth, and with His work in which we are all engaged.

When the Lord revealed the everlasting Gospel to Joseph Smith, he unfolded unto him his purposes and designs in relation to the earth whereon we live, and gave unto him a knowledge of his law and the ordinances of the Gospel and the doctrine thereof. It was not for the object simply of elevating him as a man, but it was done for the interest of society, in the interest of the world, and in the interest of the living and the dead, according to the decrees and designs of Jehovah which he formed before the world rolled into existence, or the morning stars sang together for joy. The Lord had his designs in relation to the earth and the inhabitants thereof, and in these last days he saw proper to reveal and restore, through his servant Joseph Smith, what we term the new and everlasting Gospel; new to the world at present, because of their traditions, their follies and weaknesses, and their creeds, opinions and notions, but everlasting because it existed with God, and because it existed with him before the world was, and will continue when change shall have succeeded change upon this earth, and when the earth shall have been redeemed and all things made new, and while life and thought and being last, and immortality endures. Therefore, although the Gospel is new to the world, it is everlasting. And it was introduced, as I have stated, in the interests of humanity—our fathers, the ancient Prophets and Apostles, and men of God who have lived in the various ages of the world, who have administered in the holy Priesthood while they lived upon the earth, and who are now administering in the heavens, and who had a hand in the introduction of this work, together with God our heavenly Father, and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant; and today they feel interested in the rolling forth of this work, and in the accomplishment of these purposes which God designed before the foundation of the world. And it is to God and his Son, and to these men, that we are indebted for the light and the intelligence that has been communicated to us, and to them we shall be indebted through all time for the same kind of knowledge and intelligence to sustain and direct us.

We talk sometimes about the organization of our Church, and about a First Presidency, and about Apostles, and Patriarchs, and High Priests, and Seventies, and Elders, etc.; but who knew anything about any of these offices, their rights and privileges, etc., until God revealed it? Nobody. And this is not only so with regard to the several offices of the Melchizedek or higher Priesthood, but it is also the case with those of the Aaronic or lesser Priesthood. These are things that were not originated by man, they came to us through revelation from God, and hence we are indebted to the Lord for them, and also for all the knowledge we possess in relation to them. Who taught us anything about the Gathering, and why are we here today? What brought us here, and under what influence did we come, and by what principle were we united as we find ourselves at the present time? You who are familiar with the history of the Church know that there was a Temple built in Kirtland, Ohio, and that while the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were seated in their proper places in that Temple, there were several important personages appeared to them, and gave unto them several keys, powers and privileges, and that among these heavenly beings was Moses, who represented what is termed the Gathering dispensation. His mission to earth was to restore the keys of the Gathering dispensation, which should gather Israel from the four quarters of the earth, and also restore the ten tribes. You who have not read this for yourselves, you will find it in the new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants; I refer you to it and recommend you to read it. Moses conferred these keys of authority upon the prophet Joseph Smith, and he afterwards conferred them upon the Twelve Apostles and others, who when they were ordained received them as part of their ministry and priesthood, to prepare them for the work that was to be done. And when these elders went forth in the performance of their duties, calling upon the people among whom they traveled to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, promising believers that they should receive the Holy Ghost, in obedience to the gospel requirements, they laid their hands upon their heads confirming them mem– bers of the church and also conferred the Holy Ghost, and they received it; and among other things they received was the principles of the Gathering. And it was universally the case, and they hardly knew why it was, that among their first desires after their confirmation, was a wish to gather to Zion; and no one that remains faithful to the cause ever remained satisfied until he did gather with the saints. I would defy the world and all the Elders of Israel to have gathered this people together, as we now are, unless these keys of the Gathering had been restored to earth, and the people had received the spirit of it through the proper channel. But as it was, there was no trouble at all, so far as their willingness was concerned. I have seen many of them after baptism almost ready to sell themselves in order to have the chance of coming to Zion. And you elders, who are my hearers today, have witnessed the same, and many of you were doubtless numbered among those of whom I speak, who were so extremely anxious to gather.

We are living in what ancient men of God have been pleased to term the dispensation of the fulness of times, which embraces all previous dispensations and all the priesthood that has ever before existed on the earth. And among other means that God will make use of to accomplish his purposes is that of Temples; and the spirit of Temple building comes in the very same way as that of gathering together, and this accounts for our desire to assist in erecting Temples. The Lord, through the prophet Malachi, in referring to this feature of the great Latter-day work says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Did Elijah hold these particular keys of the priesthood? He did. And did he confer them upon Joseph Smith? Yes, he did. An account of this too will be found in the reference I have already given you. Did the Latter-day Saints generally manifest any particular desire to build Temples before the prophet Elijah came? No; but ever since this desire and feeling has existed in the minds of the Latter-day Saints. It might appear very foolish to other people, but to us it is both consistent and necessary. The first Temple we built was in Kirtland, Ohio; the next was in Nauvoo, Illinois, and a foundation of a third was laid in Far West, Missouri. Since our coming to Utah, we have built one Temple in St. George and a beautiful building it is; and in that Temple are now performed ordinances for the living and the dead. And let me ask, if any present in this large assembly today regret in the least having contributed to it. I do not think for a moment that there is a man or woman that does. We have already expended a large amount of means on the Temple now being constructed in Salt Lake City; and still we have commenced two other such buildings, one in Manti and the other in Logan, all of which will be magnificent buildings when completed; I suppose there are not less than five hundred men employed on these buildings, in this Territory. It looks odd and simple, the world does not know what it means; but we know, for God has revealed it to us; and he has not only revealed it, but he has put it here (pointing to the heart), and we cannot get rid of it.

In the year 1876, President Young was strongly impressed with this feeling, and he requested the Twelve to call upon the High Priests and Seventies, and the Elders to subscribe towards carrying forward the Temple in this city. Was the call responded to? Yes; the various quorums throughout the length and breadth of the Territory willingly contributed and a very material advance has been made in the construction of that building. Why did President Young feel so? Because the spirit of God rested upon him, prompting him to move in this direction. Why did the brethren of these several quorums so readily respond to the call? Because the same spirit rested upon them; and hence we find that the First Presidency, the Twelve, and the Saints generally, are all interested in this movement, evincing the same desire to accomplish this work of Temple building, as the Saints of foreign lands do to gather to Zion. What object have we in view in doing this? That we may administer the ordinances which the Lord has revealed unto us, and which, according to his command, must be done in Temples built to his name. If we were to turn over today these buildings to the religious world, they would know no more how to use them legitimately, than a baby would know what to do with algebra; neither would we had not the Lord taught us by revelation from heaven. The Gospel brings life and immortality to light; it places us in communion with the heavens, the Priesthood there and the Priesthood here working harmoniously together, we being taught of them are enabled to accomplish what the Lord requires of us.

We, as intelligent beings, made in the image of our Creator, are placed here upon the earth to accomplish a certain work, that we may operate with the Gods in the eternal worlds, through the light of revelation that God has given unto us, and that he will continue to give us, until all things designed by him pertaining to this earth and its inhabitants shall be accomplished. In other words, they are helping us to do our work, by communicating to us principles we require to know, and also by operating in our behalf, while we are operating for them, and their children, who are our fathers. As the Scriptures say, “that they without us should not be made perfect,” it is requiring a union of the heavens and the earth, forming a grand cooperative society, if you please, connected together by indissoluble ties, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, the light of revelation and the power of God. Thus we are united to each other and to them, and are able to act intelligently, doing works that will be approved in heaven which are connected with the interests of God and the interests of humanity.

It is not our work, it is not anything we have done, but it is God that has done the whole of it, he having called upon us to help him a little in our weak way; and inasmuch as we seek continually to do his will, he will help us, for in and of ourselves we can do nothing, no not any of us, for we are all poor, weak, erring human beings, constantly needing his sustenance, aid and guidance.

The various quorums of the Priesthood, which have been presented to you this afternoon, give a more perfect representation of your Stake than has been given before. And I am pleased to say that this extended organization of the Priesthood exists among all the Stakes—some twenty in all—throughout the Territory. It may be proper on the present occasion to refer to some things connected with the organization of our Church for our information; although I presume a good deal of similar instruction has already been given you by brother Richards, who is very conversant in such matters. Yet it is very desirable that the Saints generally, as well as the Twelve and leading Elders, should become familiar with these things and have a correct understanding of them; and it will do no harm to again talk on some of them.

In Kirtland, Ohio, a great many things were revealed through the Prophet. There was then a First Presidency that presided over the High Council, in Kirtland; and that High Council and another which was in Missouri, were the only High Councils in existence. As I have said, the High Council in Kirtland was presided over by Joseph Smith and his Counselors; and hence there were some things associated with this that were quite peculiar in themselves. It is stated that when they were at a loss to find out anything pertaining to any principles that might come before them in their councils, that the presidency were to inquire of the Lord and get revelation on those subjects that were difficult for them to comprehend. And I would make a remark here in relation to these things, that all High Councils, and all Presidents of Stakes and Bishops, and in fact all men holding the Priesthood, who are humble and faithful and diligent and honest and true to the principles of our religion, if they seek unto God with that faith that he requires of us, he will give them wisdom under all circumstances and on all occasions, and the Holy Spirit will never fail to indicate the path they should pursue. This is the order of God in relation to these matters, that every man holding any position in the Church, through his faithfulness, shall have his Spirit commensurate to the duties devolving upon them, to enable them to magnify their calling to the acceptance of God and their brethren. And if such men do not enjoy this blessing, this divine assistance, it is because they do not “live godly in Christ,” because they do not seek unto him in humility and lowliness of heart, making it their daily study to observe the laws of God and the rights of their fellow men. It is true, we all of us have certain infirmities and foibles, and as you heard this morning, God has placed them upon us that man should not glory in himself, but that he might depend upon and glory in the God of Israel; but it is our duty to overcome them, and learn to subject our will to that of our Heavenly Father, and continue on in the way to perfection.

There is a matter that has of late become a subject of a good deal of conversation, and it occurs to my mind to refer to it, namely that of the High Priesthood, or the place and calling of a High Priest. In the revelation on this subject I find these words: “And again, I give unto you Don C. Smith, to be a President over the Quorum of High Priests, which ordination is instituted for the purpose of qualifying those who shall be appointed standing presidents or servants over the different Stakes scattered abroad.” What are they organized for? It is instituted for the purpose of qualifying those who shall be appointed standing presidents over the different Stakes scattered abroad. A sort of a normal school, if you please, to prepare men to preside, to be fathers of the people. Have they fulfilled this? Hardly; perhaps many of them have not thought about it; but if they had reflected more upon these things, and humbled themselves before God, and met together often to talk over the principles of the Gospel, manifesting an eager desire to become acquainted with doctrine, and using due diligence in seeking for wisdom from the best of books and every available source, I do not think we should have taken so many men from among the Seventies and Elders to make of them Presidents and Bishops and Councilors, as we have been obliged to do. But instead of the High Priests pursuing this course, many of them have indulged in much unnecessary talk about which was the biggest, a High Priest or a Seventy. I can answer that question for you, my brethren: If you will take a little child among you, and on comparing yourselves with it, can find the one most like unto it—the one who is the most honest, truthful and childlike, such a man should be classed among the greatest in the kingdom of God. It is not talking about these things that qualifies men for positions, but doing them.

We are only just starting in on the great work before us. Zion is bound to spread and grow; her cords will be lengthened and her stakes will be strengthened; but we must be energetic and alive to the duties devolving upon us, always keeping in mind the object to be accomplished, and in order to facilitate things and to meet the mind and will of God, and that his work may be cut short in righteousness, we must operate together. And if not, what? “Lullaby baby on the tree top, when the wind blows the cradle will rock.” We have had enough of that; let us now begin more earnestly to seek after the wisdom and power of God and the light of revelation, so that the love of God may burn in the hearts of the people, and awaken them up to an understanding of the principles of eternal truth. This is what we want. And if they do this, magnifying their calling, then when other Stakes are to be organized and other changes made, all we will have to do will be to go to the High Priests for such persons to fill such offices that rightly belong to the High Priesthood. And the question that has agitated the minds of the Seventies and High Priests will no longer trouble them, for all will then more clearly perceive that Church or body of Christ is as the body of man, composed not of one member, but many. For instance, there is the head, there are the eyes, there is the nose, the mouth, there are the ears, the arms and hands, the legs and feet, all of which are members of the human body; which of these would you like to be without? Supposing you had to part with one of your legs, or one of your arms, you would of course want to retain the most useful of the two; but if you will tell me which of the two is the most useful to the human body, then I will tell you which is the most useful to the body of Christ, the High Priests or the Seventies. I do not think, however, we need discuss this question; but rather let us magnify the Priesthood we hold, seeking to acquire a proper fitness for the positions we occupy.

Now, I will tell you something I have noticed lately. We call upon Seventies, and sometimes upon High Priests to perform missions abroad, but how is it with them? They generally go, but it is often a hard squeak. One man has a roof to put on a house, another is perhaps building a new house, or his business is in such a flourishing condition as to need his personal superintendence; another has perhaps “bought five yoke of oxen,” and he must needs “go to prove them; and another has perhaps “married a wife, and therefore” would like to be excused. And still such men generally have quite an opinion of themselves, and they are ofttimes anxious to know which is the biggest, they or somebody else. And when such men do go upon missions, they are of very little account, they are ready to find excuses not to go, and just as ready to find excuses to return, and are soon reconciled to the fact that “there is no place like home,” and that “Jordan is a hard road to travel;” they have all kinds of difficulties to encounter, meeting with lions in their way, etc. Did you ever remember the time when the Elders felt a desire to preach the Gospel, and men were ready with open arms to receive those who proclaimed it? I believe the Scripture to be true today which says, “I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” We profess to be Apostles of the Lord bearing his Gospel message to the nations of the earth; then let us exhibit a little more of the apostolic power and zeal when we go out among our fellow men, realizing that we have got the light and life and power of God with us; and that we are sent to teach and not to be taught of men, to control circumstances, in a great measure, by the power of the Priesthood, instead of allowing ourselves to be controlled so much. We have not got through with the work, we have only just commenced it. Here are our fallen brethren, the Lamanites. What an extensive work opens up among them, which must yet be done, but which will not fairly commence until we approximate to the consummation of our mission to the Gentile world. And when we shall have introduced more fully the Gospel, and developed the purposes of the Almighty to this Branch of Israel, the Jews will be ready to receive the servants of God and the Gospel, which will then be proclaimed to them. And when we get through with Israel, there will remain the ten tribes to be restored, the earth to be redeemed and the kingdom of God to be established thereon; all of which must be done in order that the Scriptures may be fulfilled, and the designs of God consummated. Our work is mapped out before us, it is all designed and planned by him who rules above, and it is time that every Elder in Israel fully understood this fact that the Latter-day Saints have got to take a part in all this work, and that we are not here to attend to our own personal affairs merely, but, we are called to look after the interests of God, to build up his Zion and establish his kingdom on this his earth.

There is another class of men—the Elders of Israel—that play a most important part. They are very numerous, and it is time that they commenced to feel after God, and to think and reason and reflect: “What can I do to help to build up the kingdom of God temporally and spiritually. O God, inspire my heart with light and revelation, that I may magnify my calling, honor my position, teach the principles of righteousness, and, help to build up thy kingdom on the earth.” This is the way they should feel.

And I might refer to Presidents of Stakes and to our High Councils; how ought they to feel? That we are the servants of the living God; that the eye of the great Jehovah is over us, and that we are operating in the interests of Zion and for her welfare in all things pertaining to time and eternity. If they do not do this, God will be after them, and they will feel his hand upon them. For as I have said, we are not here to build up ourselves, but to build up Zion and establish the principles of righteousness upon the earth. That is our calling, that is what the Priesthood is conferred upon us for, and it behooves us to magnify it and honor our God. Be governed by integrity and truthfulness, and never allow yourselves to be bartered or sold in the interests of anybody, but operate for Israel, doing justice before God and the angels and all good men.

And then we have our Bishops; they have their place in our midst, to attend to the interests of their several Wards, to look more particularly after the temporal affairs of the people, and act and counsel them as fathers for their good; and not in their own interests, but for the good and benefit of the whole. And then, in the capacity of High Priests, to take charge of meetings, and instruct and counsel those of their wards, always setting a pattern in all that is upright, good and noble, saying to the people, Follow me, as I follow Christ. And as common judges in Israel, they should be jealous of the people’s rights, adjudicating all matters that may come before them in all righteousness.

Then we come to our Priests, and what are they to do? I do not think I need tell you, for I have heard brother Richards tell you. They should visit from house to house, and see that there are no hard feelings existing in those households, or between the inhabitants of different households; and such men ought to be full of the Holy Ghost, standing as watchmen over the flock committed to their care, trying to put things right, and to keep them right. The Teachers should be their assistants, whose duty it is to see that there is no iniquity of any kind, and that righteousness and truth prevail among the people. And then, the Deacons should be active in their place and calling, standing side by side with the Bishops, assisting them in all their temporal duties, operating together as one family. And then everything will move on harmoniously and pleasantly, for through these ordinances come the blessings, we are told in the revelation; and without them the power of godliness is not manifested to men in the flesh. God placed in the Church, Apostles, Prophets, etc., for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; that we may all grow together to a perfect man, to the full measure of the stature of Christ. This Priesthood and our Church organization are introduced for this purpose, not to make big men of some, and little men of others; for I tell you, I would rather see a Deacon magnify his calling, than an Apostle who treats his indifferently. We must seek to magnify our offices, and not expect our offices to magnify us.

I will here refer to the young people. I find a very good spirit growing up through the Territory, associated with the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Improvement Societies. It is very gratifying, and we trust that the youth of Zion will continue to search after God and a knowledge of his ways, for I want to say to you young men, that by and by the burden of this work will fall on your shoulders, and it is pleasing to God and all good men, that you should prepare yourselves for the labor and responsibility to which you are fast approaching. And I wish to say to you further, that if you will go before the Lord in all humility, and ask him for wisdom and intelligence, your prayers will be heard. You are commanded to search after wisdom from the best of books, and also through faith; and I will promise you that diligent study of our own works will place you in possession of a fund of knowledge that you never dreamed of. And then devote your leisure time to the acquisition of such useful knowledge as can be obtained through the schools, and from works on the sciences; but do not be led by their nonsense, and skepticism, and false theories. And in doing this, seek earnestly for the Spirit of God to aid you, to enlighten your mind, that you may the better comprehend truth, and be able to discard error. And when you meet together, let your hearts be set on the worship of God, and you will grow up in his fear, and your delight will be in doing good and laboring in the interest of his cause on the earth.

Now a few words to the sisters. They have their Relief Societies and Retrenchment Societies, and their Mutual Improvement Societies, all of which are very laudable and praiseworthy. You heard quoted this morning that the man was not without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. Or in other words, it takes a woman and a man to make a man. Did you ever think about that, that without a union of the sexes we are not perfect? God has so ordained it. And therefore do we expect to have our wives in the future state? Yes. And do wives expect to have their husbands? Yes. Are we engaged in building up the kingdom of God? Yes. What have we to do? Why, our sisters have to learn to manage their household affairs in a proper manner, and to train their daughters in such a manner as will prepare them to become mothers in Israel, competent to attend to the various duties and responsibilities which must sooner or later devolve upon them in the household, and also cultivate their nobler qualities, calculated to elevate and exalt woman in the estimation of God and man; and not only your daughters, but sons also; begin early to teach them meekness, kindness and gentleness, and withhold not from them such training as will give them an acquaintance with the common branches of education, and, if possible, afford them a knowledge of science, and of music, and everything that will have a tendency to lead their minds to find enjoyment in the development of the mind, but be sure and have for your base, or foundation, the early cultivation of the virtues, and a due regard to their superiors, as well as reverence for God and sacred things. And what next? Teach others who lack the opportunity that your children may possess. Sisters, you are eminently constituted for this work. God has given you both the desire and ability to do it; you can enter into the sympathies of others, and you can better appreciate their feelings than we men can, and you are altogether more competent to minister in such affairs. Hence the Prophet Joseph Smith, in his day, organized a Female Relief Society; some of you sisters now before me I remember seeing present on that occasion. Sister Emma Smith was President of that Society, sister Whitney, now of Salt Lake City, was one of her Counselors, sister Cleveland was the other Counselor, and sister Eliza Snow was Secretary. This movement, under the auspices of the Relief Societies, was allowed to sleep for a while, but it has again began to awaken, and great good is being accomplished. And what do we want to teach our good sisters? I do not propose to go into details, but will merely say they should be things most elevating and useful. Teach them to cook aright, to dress aright, and to speak aright; also to govern their feelings and tongues, and unfold unto them the principles of the Gospel. Let the elderly ladies teach the younger ones, leading them on in the paths of life, that we may have sisters growing up, whose goodness and praiseworthy principles will make them fit to associate with the angels of God. And if you persevere in this good work, God will bless you and your efforts. Let male and female operate together in the one great common cause. Sisters, let it be your daily study to make your homes comfortable, more and more pleasant and agreeable, in fact, a little heaven on earth. And brethren, let us treat our wives properly, and prepare proper places for them; be kind to them, and feel to bless them all the day long. Do away with unkind or harsh words, and do not allow hard feelings to exist in your hearts, or find place in your habitations. Love one another, and by each trying to enhance the welfare of the other, that element will characterize the family circle, and your children will partake of the same feeling, and they in turn will imitate your good example, and perpetuate the things they learn at home.

There is another subject I wish to refer to, which was introduced this morning by brother Joseph F. Smith. He said, in speaking on Tithing, that if all of the brethren would pay their Tithing, there would be no need to call for donations. I am precisely of the same opinion. But then all of you have not done this, neither do you do it. “But are you in hopes that something of that kind will be accomplished?” Yes, of course we are. Well, how is it now with our Temple affairs, there has been a change made in relation to these matters? The High Priests and Seventies were called upon to contribute in this direction, and they did it, and did well, which is praiseworthy. If I remember correctly, the whole amount subscribed during the year was some sixty-three thousand dollars, and this act not only facilitated the building of the Temple, but also rendered employment to a great many of our brethren. Now, President Young, before he left us, said that after the Stakes of Zion were organized, these subscriptions should be made through the Bishops, instead of through the Presidents of these several Quorums. Some would be ready to suggest that we do away with that, and use the Tithing instead. I am, as I have said, in hopes that we will be able to do that by and by, but I do not think you can today. We wish to take a steady, even course, and advance in improvements gradually, as our way shall open. I will show you what effect these sudden changes has. We talk about the Seventies, and the High Priest and Elders, and what they have done. But it is not generally known that the result of that sudden change was that Bishop Hunter had to furnish supplies for 50 or 60 men out of the Tithing Office. And our experience convinces us that any sudden changes in relation to these matters, might prove disastrous, causing perhaps the stoppage of some of our works.

I find there is considerable means owing by the Church, and I will speak a little about that, believing as I do that in making such things public, that all may have an understanding of our position. There were some propositions made to the Twelve, when they were in Cache Valley, lately, the substance of which was in the form of a request that the Tithing of that Temple District, comprising three Stakes, be used on the Temple now building. This, doubtless, seemed very desirable to them, but some of us thought, and so expressed ourselves, that if this request were granted, then the people of the other two Temple districts would, of course, want the same favor extended to them, which could not well be denied. And if this were done, how could we meet all the other expenses? Perhaps some of you wise men can tell me; the brethren of Cache Valley could not. There are thousands of dollars owing in different directions, which I am constantly called upon to meet, and if our resources were stopped, we could not carry out certain public labors required of us, and should be unable to pay our debts. But, with the hearty and continued cooperation of my brethren, I am in hopes that we will so work things before very long, that we shall be able to ease up in some of these matters, and have things move along a little more agreeable. We do not wish anybody to feel oppressed or crowded, but, on the other hand, we want to feel as we sing sometimes—“We are the freeborn sons of Zion,” etc.; and that it is “all free grace and free will.” I mention these things to show you that there are responsibilities that many of the people little dream of.

Bro. Joseph mentioned one thing this morning to which I think I should have demurred a little, and I think you will when I tell you. In speaking about the poor people, that they seemed to get along very well, etc., and that it was necessary sometimes for the Lord to humble the rich, etc., which things are spoken of in the “Doctrine and Covenants.” But what of some of the others—those who cannot be said to be either rich or poor? I want to refer to an item. There is owing to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company, upwards of a million of dollars; the nature of this indebtedness you are acquainted with. Certain brethren have been assisted here and you have joined in rendering that assistance. They have since come in possession of means and property of various kinds, but they have not settled for their emigration indebtedness. And this debt has increased to this enormous sum, and it hangs in this position today. Is this right? Is it just? I am inclined to think, with the president of the company, that if we only have the patience, the thing will be completely hung by and by, it is only a question of time. But then this state of things I look upon as an outrage to the community, and a greater outrage to the good and worthy poor who are ungathered, who are crying for assistance. And the Church has listened to these cries, and has advanced a large amount of means, at one time and another, to do what these once-poor people should have done, but have not done. Now I would ask, shall these things continue? I hope not; I trust that those who are indebted to this Fund will have more “bowels of compassion.” How anxious you were, when in foreign lands, to get to Zion; and you felt when assistance reached you, that one of the first things you would do, would be to extend the same to others. Let us be reminded of these obligations, and see that they are paid.

There is another subject I want to speak on, that is our school operations. You have elected me Superintendent of Common Schools, and I feel a good deal of interest in the welfare of Common Schools, and also in all of our institutions of learning, where good education can be had, for I feel interested in our youth, and I take this opportunity to speak to the whole county in relation to this matter. I can perceive quite an interest in educational matters, manifesting itself in our brethren who preside here; and I am much gratified in it. I hope that this whole county will go at this matter in all good faith, and where you lack good schoolhouses put them up; and when you have already the schoolhouse, but lack the furniture, get it and try to make the schoolhouse comfortable for the children; and then good teachers who are good Latter-day Saints. Shall we have them, or shall we employ teachers that will turn the infant minds of our children away from the principles of the Gospel, and perhaps lead them to darkness and death? Some say, “You ought to be very generous, quite as liberal and generous as others? I think so. But if some of these liberal people, who talk so much about liberality, would show a little more of it, we would appreciate it a little better. I would like to know if a Methodist would send his children to a Roman Catholic School, or vice versa? I think not. Do either send their children to “Mormon” schools, or employ “Mormon” teachers? I think not. Do we object to it? No, we do not; we accord to all classes their rights, and we claim rights equal with them. Well, shall we, after going to the ends of the earth to gather people to Zion, in order that they may learn more perfectly of His ways and walk in His paths, shall we then allow our children to be at the mercy of those who would lead them down to death again? God forbid! Let our teachers be men of God, men of honor and integrity, and let us afford our children such learning as will place our community in the front ranks in educational as well as religious matters. But would we interfere with other religious denominations? No. Prevent them from sending their children where and to whom they please? No. Or from shipping where they please? No. I would not put a hair in their way, nor interfere with them in any possible way; they can take their course, and we want the same privilege.

With regard to some of these other things which I have referred to, I would say: We wish to continue on as we have done, and as soon as we can see our way out, we will make things more agreeable. These are my feelings; but in the meantime, there will be no radical changes. We started in with the intention of carrying out the views of President Young, and we purpose to do it; but should we, by and by see a better way, one that suits us better, that would be more pleasant all around, we will then adopt it. In the meantime, we will stick to the rod of iron, and humble ourselves before God, seeking to do His will in all things; and by and by, when we shall have done our work on earth, will obtain an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of our Father. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Geo. Q. Cannon, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, October 8, 1877.

Our Conference is a most important one, one that doubtless will be long remembered by those who have participated in its deliberations and actions. It is not often that we, as a people, have been called upon to pass through such circumstances as those which have surrounded us for the past four or five weeks. Twice in our history, during the past forty-seven and a half years, have we been called to mourn the loss of him who has led the cause of the Holy Priesthood upon the earth. At both times the blow has fallen, it may be said, unexpectedly upon us; it was particularly so at the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, for he had passed through so many difficulties, and had so many narrow escapes, and so many deliverances from perils of the most menacing character, that the Latter-day Saints had been led to regard him as almost invulnerable, and that his life would be spared to a good old age, if not to the winding up scene. His martyrdom, then, fell as a very unexpected blow upon the people. It was a dreadful shock, for which a great bulk of the Latter-day Saints were unprepared. It is true that many were warned, especially those who were abroad among the nations preaching; they had dreams and manifestations of the Spirit concerning the terrible calamity. But those at home were scarcely prepared. Evidences came so quickly, one after another, that there was scarcely an idea among the people that his arrest, or his delivering himself up as he did, would terminate in such a catastrophe. The Church itself was so unprepared, by any previous experience, for the steps that were necessary to carry on the work that the Lord had established, and of which he had been the instrument.

I well remember the feelings that were experienced upon that occasion; how men’s minds wondered, and the surmises that were indulged in; the guesses, the anticipations, some thinking one man would be chosen, and others that someone else would be. Many of the people were at an entire loss to know who would take charge of the Church affairs. And while they were not satisfied with Sidney Rigdon, nor his preaching, nor his propositions; a great many were undecided in their minds as to who would be the leader, or who would have the right to stand at the head. When the Twelve returned and their voices were heard in the midst of the people; when President Young stood before the congregation and spake to the people, doubt and uncertainty and every kindred feeling vanished, and everyone who had a sufficient portion of the Spirit of the Lord recognized in him the man whom the Lord had chosen to lead and guide his people, instead of the martyred Prophet.

For the first time in the history of the Church, the Twelve Apostles stepped forward and took the charge of affairs, by the authority of the Apostleship, and the authority which they had received from the Prophet Joseph. And for a little rising of three years they led and guided the Church, until the Lord inspired his servant Brigham, to organize a First Presidency of the Church. This experience has been most valuable to us under our present circumstances. Men have looked back to the past; they have remembered what was done at the period to which I refer, and doubt uncertainty and hesitation have not existed to any extent; in fact, have not existed at all in the minds of those of long experience in the Church. The Twelve Apostles have the authority to lead and guide, to manage and direct the affairs of the Church, being the Quorum standing next to the First Presidency. Naturally it falls to them to step forward once more and assume the direction and control, to dictate and counsel and to regulate, so far as may be necessary, everything connected with the organization of the people, and the proclamation of the Gospel among the nations of the earth.

Although the blow has been a heavy one, and has fallen unexpectedly upon us, it seemed to me, during the past summer, in watching President Young, in listening to him, in associating with him, that he had obtained a new lease of life. He had not been able to speak for years in public assemblies with the ease to himself that he had done since the last winter. It seemed that he had overcome his weakness, a weakness of the stomach from which he suffered when he spoke to large congregations, and his bodily health appeared to be as perfect as it could be for a man of his age; this being the case, it was a very unexpected thing for him to pass off so suddenly. But in looking back at the circumstances that surrounded him and that surrounded the Church, and the labors that were so essential for him to perform, we can now understand why it was that he was so greatly strengthened, that he had such vigor not only in speaking, but in performing the labors of traveling and visiting the various settlements, that he enjoyed. I do not believe myself that President Young could have felt as happy, as I know he does feel, had he left the Church in the condition it was in when he commenced his labors last spring. I am convinced that it has added greatly to his satisfaction; it has been a fitting consummation to the labors of his long life that he should be spared to organize the Church throughout these valleys in the manner in which it now is organized. It was remarked by brother Pratt, in his discourse, that at no time since the first organization of the Church have the Latter-day Saints been so well organized; everything set in order so completely as we now see them. This is his experience and his testimony; and you know he has been familiar with the Church from nearly the first of its organization to the present time. And I believe this would be the testimony of every man of years belonging to the Church. And I am thankful this day that President Young was spared to accomplish this work, that the Lord gave him the bodily vigor and the mental capacity sufficient to enable him to close up the labors of his earthly career in so fitting a manner.

He has marked out the path for the Twelve to pursue. And I was a number of times impressed during the summer that the spirit he possessed in relation to these matters impelled him to hurry them up, and have everything attended to quickly; almost a feeling of restlessness was manifested by him (which was so con– trary to his usual calmness of manner), to have the work of organization completed. I have been reminded a number of times of the same spirit that rested upon the Prophet Joseph; he seemingly could not rest, he was constantly stirring up and urging the Twelve to step forward and assume the responsibility that lay upon them, and to impart to the people the knowledge that the Lord had given to him, and to bestow upon the servants of God the keys and the authority of the holy Priesthood in its fulness. And President Young manifested the same spirit. He lived to receive Elder Taylor and the brethren of the Twelve who accompanied him after their return from organizing the last of the Stakes of Zion, and to confer with them. In a few hours afterwards he took his exit.

At no time probably in the history of the Church have the Saints been so calm and so serene, manifesting so little concern in relation to the way matters should go, and the affairs of the Church be conducted, as they have on this occasion. It has seemed as though the Lord has prepared the people for these things. He has poured out upon us the spirit of union that has not been enjoyed, probably, to so great an extent at any time in our history. There are great labors assigned to all of us in every department of the Priesthood. If we take up the work and carry it forward in the spirit with which it has been committed to us by him, now that he has gone from our midst, the Lord will continue to be with us, and to bless us as he did him. For He was with him all his life; He was with him in counseling the people; He was with him in prophesying to the people, and in teaching them and directing them in their temporal as well as their spiritual labors. And the Lord crowned his life with success, and his labors with blessing; and they who sustained him and obeyed his counsel have been prospered in every instance; and when they received the counsel in a proper spirit, and carried it out as it was given to them, they and the Church prospered under his presidency and administration; and it has gone forth in power and majesty, and in such a way as to bring conviction to the hearts of thousands of people that there is a power connected with this system called “Mormonism,” not comprehensible to any who do not view it, by the Spirit of God. I feel that we, as a people, should take hold of this work; that we, as Apostles, that we, as Seventies, and as High Priests, as Elders, as Priests, Teachers and Deacons, should take hold of this work in earnestness and in zeal, and carry it forward as our Prophet and file leader did during his lifetime; that we should take it up where he laid it down, and carry it on until the end is reached, and the full consummation of all things is accomplished; seeking to have the spirit that animated him, and to follow him as he followed Joseph, as he honored Joseph, as he revered Joseph, as he upheld Joseph, as he maintained Joseph, touching doctrine and counsel, so that it appears to me if we are animated by the Spirit of God we will honor him and follow in his footsteps, as he followed Joseph, and as Joseph followed Christ. When we do this, and take hold of this work with the earnestness and zeal which should characterize our actions, the Spirit and power of God will rest upon us, and he will bear us off as he has borne them off who preceded us; he will not desert us, nor leave us in any position where we will be destitute of help.

I listened with a great deal of pleasure to that portion of brother Pratt’s discourse which I heard, in relation to the Apostleship and the authority of the Apostleship, and the right of the Priesthood to rule and to govern. There have been a great many ideas afloat in the minds of men concerning this work, and I suppose I have been interrogated I might say thousands of times—at any rate I have been interrogated upon this point more than any other namely, Who will succeed President Young in case he dies? The Latter-day Saints who have had experience in this matter have not had occasion to ask this question; but many inexperienced Saints had it in their hearts, wondering what shape affairs would take in case anything were to happen to the President of the Church.

Every man who is ordained to the fullness of Apostleship, has the power and the authority to lead and guide the people of God whenever he is called upon to it, and the responsibility rests upon him. But there is a difference, as was explained by brother Pratt, that arises in some instances from seniority in age, in other instances from seniority in ordination. And while it is the right of all the Twelve Apostles to receive revelation, and for each one to be a Prophet, to be a Seer, to be a Revelator, and to hold the keys in the fullness, it is only the right of one man at a time to exercise that power in relation to the whole people, and to give revelation and counsel, and direct the affairs of the Church—of course, always acting in conjunction with his fellow servants. And while we say that the Twelve Apostles have the right to govern, that the Twelve have the authority, that the Twelve Apostles are the men who preside—when we say this, we do not mean that every one of the Twelve is going to give revelation to this great people, that every one of the Twelve has the right to counsel and dictate and regulate the affairs of the Church as emergencies may arise, independent of the rest. The Church is not governed like Zion’s Cooperative Institution, by a Board of Directors; this is not God’s design. It is governed by men who hold the keys of the Apostleship, who have the right and authority. Any one of them, should an emergency arise, can act as President of the Church, with all the powers, with all the authority, with all the keys, and with every endowment necessary to obtain revelation from God, and to lead and guide this people in the path that leads to the celestial glory; but there is only one man at a time who can hold the keys, who can dictate, who can guide, who can give revelation to the Church. The rest must acquiesce in his action, the rest must be governed by his counsels, the rest must receive his doctrines. It was so with Joseph. Others held the Apostleship—Oliver received the Apostleship at the same time that Joseph did, but Joseph held the keys, although Oliver held precisely the same authority. There was only one who could exercise it in its fullness and power among the people. So also at Joseph’s death, there was only one man who could exercise that authority and hold these keys, and that man was President Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve whom God had singled out, who by extraordinary providence had been brought to the front, although many were ahead of him according to ordination at one time and another.

Now that he has gone, one man only can hold this power and authority to which I refer, and that man is he whom you sustained yesterday, as President of the Quorum of the Twelve, as one of the Twelve Apostles and of the Presidency, John Taylor by name. When revelation comes to this people, it is he who has the right to give it. When counsel comes to this people, as a people, it is he who has the right to impart it; and while the Twelve are associated with him, one in power, one in authority, they must respect him as their President, they must look to him as the man through whom the voice of God will come to them, and to this entire people. By extraordinary providence he has been brought to the front. Men have wondered at it, why it was so. It is easy of explanation. There was a time when three living Apostles, three Apostles who now live, whose names were placed above his in the Quorum of the Twelve. But, when this matter was reflected upon, President Young was moved upon to place him ahead of one, and afterwards ahead of two others, until by the unanimous voice of the Apostles he was acknowledged the Senior Apostle, holding the oldest ordination without interruption of any man among the Apostles. Not that he sought it; not that he endeavored to obtain it; not that he begged for his place, for it is due to him to say to this congregation today, that no man has been more modest in urging his claim or setting forth his right than he. But President Young was led by the Spirit of God, as we do verily believe, to place him in his right position; and two years ago last June, in Sanpete, he declared in a public congregation that John Taylor stood next to him; and that when he was absent it was his right to preside over the Council. We little thought then, at that time, that there would be a necessity so soon arise when he would be required to exercise that power, that authority and right. Most of the people could very readily imagine that President Young would have outlived President Taylor, but the Lord has ordered otherwise.

In relation to ordination, a great many people have imagined that it was necessary to ordain a man to succeed another, that it would impart a particular efficacy or endow him with some additional power. Ordination is always good and acceptable; blessings and setting apart are always desirable to those who have to go forth to prepare them for God’s service; but it is not necessary that an Apostle should be ordained to stand at the head of the people. When the exigency arises, he has already got the fulness of authority, and the power of it. I was told of a dream that a person had shortly after the death of the Prophet. A person dreamed that a certain man had been set apart by the President, and the keys had been given him; and that President Young came and said that he had given to this person the keys. Now, that of itself, to a person understanding the principle, would carry its own contradiction with it. The man dreamed of was already an Apostle, holding and exercising the keys of the Apostleship; and therefore it would not be necessary for President Young to confer again upon him the keys. If every man of the Twelve but one were slain, the one remaining would have the right to organize a First Presidency of the Church, to choose Twelve Apostles, and to organize the Church in its fulness and power, and to preside over it. And his acts would be accepted of the Lord, and binding upon the people. This is the authority of the Apostleship. If every Apostle anciently had been slain but John the Revelator, as they all were, and there had been faith and men enough left, he would have had the right to ordain other Apostles, and set in order the entire Church, and carry forward the work as the Lord should dictate it. So in our day. As I have stated, it is not necessary for a man who has received this power and these keys to be ordained and set apart to act; he can act in any position. President Young, when he chose brother George A. Smith to be his First Counselor, in the place of Heber C. Kimball, did not lay his hands upon his head to confer upon him any additional power or authority for the position, because brother George A. held the Apostleship in its fulness, and by virtue of that Priesthood he could act in that or in any other position in the Church. He chose other assistant Counselors; he did not set them apart, there was no necessity for it, as they already held the Apostleship. And if he had, he could only have blessed them; he could not bestow upon them any more than they already had, because they had all that he himself had, that is when he chose them from the same Quorum. He did choose several of his assistant Counselors from the Quorum of the Twelve; he did not put his hands upon them to set them apart, nor to give them the authority and power to act as his Counselors; they already held it.

It is well for the Latter-day Saints to understand the principles of the Holy Priesthood, and the power thereof, that it may be known by you where the authority rests, who has the right to teach and guide and counsel in the affairs of the kingdom of God. The Lord has revealed it in plainness, so that a wayfaring man, though a fool need not err therein. Was it necessary that Elder Taylor should be set apart to preside over this people? Was it necessary that the Twelve Apostles should be set apart to preside over this people? No it was not, for they already possessed the power, authority and ordination. Was it necessary for the Prophet Joseph Smith to set apart Brigham or Heber or Willard, or any of the rest of the Twelve Apostles? No, for the same reason, they had received the fulness of the Holy Priesthood, the full endowment and the keys, and the authority, and the fulness of the Apostleship; therefore it was not necessary. It might have been done; there would have been no wrong in doing it; there would be no impropriety in blessing a man; there would be no impropriety in a man like Joseph or Brigham, favored of God with the power to move the heavens to bring down blessings upon the children of men; I say, there would be no impropriety in such men laying their hands upon any man and blessing him; the Lord would bless him, if he were thus blessed. But I am now speaking of the authority and power of the Holy Priesthood. The blessing of such men or by such men, would not bestow upon him any additional authority or any more keys, presuming that he already had received the fulness of the Apostleship. Some may feel that the Lord should raise up a man by special manifestations of power to preside over his Church—they having an expectation of that kind. Whenever the Lord does it will be because of there being a necessity for it, and whenever there is a necessity for it, it will not be made plain through one of the Twelve aside from the President, it will not be made plain through a Seventy, it will not be made plain through a High Priest, through an Elder, through a Patriarch; it will come as all revelations from the Lord come, to be binding upon this people, through the voice of him whom the Lord chooses to be his voice, sanctioned by the Twelve Apostles. Hear it, O Israel! and remember it. Have I the right to say who shall preside over this people? No. Although an Apostle, holding the keys with my brethren and being side by side with them, having equal authority with them. Why? Because I am not chosen by the Lord to be his mouthpiece to the Latter-day Saints; what I mean by this, to give them revelation. It is my right to instruct and teach, to labor and to counsel; but it is not my right to organize a First Presidency for this Church, neither is it the right of any other man, excepting him whom the Lord has chosen the President of the Twelve, with that Quorum standing as the First Presidency. A day or two ago, a man came here and notified the President of the Twelve that he was to be the successor to Brigham. The most charitable construction you can put upon such speeches is that the man is crazy. Whenever the voice of the Lord comes upon such a subject, it will come with the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost and with much assurance, and every Latter-day Saint on the earth will receive it, because the Spirit of God will bear testimony to our spirits that it is from Him, so that we cannot be deceived. It is our privilege to so live that we know the voice of the true shepherd, and cannot be deceived by those who profess to have revelation and have authority, when they have it not. And every man and woman in this Church should so live that when they hear the true voice, they will know it as they would know the voice of their nearest friend, and not be deceived or led astray. Well but, says one, Why cannot you organize a First Presidency now, if the Twelve have this authority? Do you want to know the reason, brethren and sisters, why we do not take such a step? I suspect you would like to know why a man and his two Counselors are not singled out, called and set apart by the voice of the people at this Conference, as the First Presidency of the Church? The reason is simply this: the Lord has not revealed it to us; he has not commanded us to do this, and until he does require this at our hands, we shall not do it. For the present, it seems to be the mind and will of God, as manifested to us, that the Twelve should preside over the Church. And until he does reveal unto his servants that it is right and proper that a First Presidency should be organized again, we shall wait, we shall do nothing of that kind. When the voice of God comes, when it shall be the counsel of our Heavenly Father that a First Presidency shall be again organized, the Quorum of the Twelve will be organized in its fullness as before. Therefore you can wait, as well as we, for the voice of the Lord; and when it does come, whenever it will be, you will see the Church take action in this matter; but until then, Latter-day Saints, you will be governed by the authority that already exists. If three men have the right to govern, certainly twelve men, all possessing the same keys, have that right and that authority. Then let us wait the good pleasure of the Lord, and cease surmises, and cease indulging in vain and foolish ideas upon these subjects.

I pray God to bless you, and pour out his Spirit upon us all, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference Held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Oct. 7, 1877.

There are one or two items I wish to present before you in relation to the Trusteeship. I have been appointed to that office, and I feel that I need some assistance in regard to the duties devolving upon me in that capacity. I am desirous to have the matter laid before this Conference. One thing I refer to is the auditing of the accounts of the Trustee-in-Trust. I therefore beg to present three names, as an auditing committee, for the sanction of this Conference—namely, Wilford Woodruff, Erastus Snow, and Joseph F. Smith. [On motion, they were unanimously sustained.]

There is another subject that I wish to present, one which pertains more particularly to my brethren of the Twelve. I suppose that most of you know that they have traveled and labored for a very long period, some of them for forty years and upwards, without purse or scrip, while almost everybody else has been paid for his services. It does seem proper to me that they should be placed, at least, on an equal footing with other people, particularly as their labors necessarily increase. In consequence of our present organizations, necessitating their frequent visits to our quarterly Conferences, in addition to other duties accumulating upon them, rendering it impossible for them to pay any attention to their own private affairs. My proposition, and I know it will meet with the hearty response of the brethren generally, is that they have a reasonable recompense for their services, and that the Trustee-in-Trust be authorized to arrange this matter. I would wish these same remarks to apply also to the Counselors of the Twelve. [The motion was put and unanimously sustained.]

As has been remarked, the condition we occupy today is a very important one. There has been a change of Presidency, and necessarily a change of administration. In the providence of God our heavenly Father, he has seen fit to take from us our beloved President Brigham Young, who has so long labored in our midst. It is one of those occasions that cause reflection and thought, casting a degree of gloom among this whole people. We have felt sorry to lose his counsel, to be deprived of that wisdom and intelligence that have characterized him in all of his administrations. For they have been of such a nature as not only to interest the Latter-day Saints, but his name has become famous throughout the world. Brigham Young needs no factitious aid to perpetuate his memory; his labors have been exhibited during the last forty-five years in his preaching, in his writing, in his counsels, in the wisdom and intelligence he has displayed, in our exodus from Nauvoo; in the building of cities throughout the length and breadth of this Territory, in his opposition to vice and his protection of virtue, purity and right. These things are well known and understood by the Latter-day Saints, and also by thousands and millions of others. But, as with his predecessor, Joseph Smith, who had to leave, while we are called upon to mourn a President dead, angels announce a President born in the eternal worlds; he has only gone to move in another state of existence. But then in speaking of these things we would not eulogize only the man, for Brigham Young, although so great a man could have done nothing towards developing the purposes of God unless aided and sustained by him. Joseph Smith could have done nothing, neither, as I have already said, can the Twelve Apostles accomplish anything unless they receive the same divine support? The work we are engaged in emanated from God, and what did Joseph Smith know about it until God revealed it? Nothing. What did President Young, or the Twelve, or anybody else, know about it before the heavenly messengers, even God himself, came to break the long, long silence of ages, revealing through his Son, Jesus Christ, and the holy angels, the ever– lasting Gospel? Nothing at all. We were all alike ignorant until heaven revealed it. Then in the administration of these things the heavens are interested. These my brethren before me, this Priesthood that assembled yesterday in their various quorums, all of them have assisted in this work, all have more or less been preaching and laboring in the interest of Zion, in the building up of this the kingdom of God upon the earth. So that it is not by any means an individual affair, as many totally ignorant of it suppose and say it is; it is not in the wisdom of this man or the intelligence of the other, but it is the wisdom and guidance of God, and by his sustaining hand, that this whole people are led forward, and that this kingdom has an existence upon the earth. For my part, I would say today as Moses did on a certain occasion, when God said he would not go up with the children of Israel because they were rebellious people, “If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence;” or, in other words, I want nothing to do with so great an undertaking as the leading forth of this people without the Lord’s assistance. I would say today, if God be not with us, if we are not sustained by the almighty power of Jehovah, if his guiding and protecting hand be not over us, I want nothing to do with it. But he is with us, and we know it. The feeling that was manifested here yesterday, is most creditable to Israel, it is approved of by the Gods in the eternal worlds; and if we carry out in our practice and daily lives that union which we manifested in our voting, the Lord God will continue to pour upon us his blessing until we shall be united in all things, temporal and spiritual, which unity we have got to come to. When this is achieved, Zion will arise and shine, and then the glory of our God will rest upon her, then his power will be made manifest in our midst.

You heard this morning a good deal said, and that very correctly too, in relation to Priesthood and the organization thereof, and the position we occupy in relation to these matters. You voted yesterday that the Twelve should be Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. This may seem strange to some who do not comprehend these principles, but not to those who do. The same vote was proposed by Joseph Smith and voted for in the Temple in Kirtland, so long ago as that; consequently there is nothing new in this. And, as you heard this morning, this is embraced in the Apostleship, which has been given by the Almighty, and which embraces all the keys, powers and authorities ever conferred upon man. I do not wish to enter into the details of this matter; you will find them in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, very clearly portrayed, and I refer you there for the evidences on these points.

You heard too that although the Priesthood held certain powers and privileges, the manifestations and powers thereof were only conferred according to the exigencies of the case and the necessities and requirements thereof. God has conferred upon us these blessings, but here are certain manifestations and powers that must come directly from him, and it is the duty of the Twelve to hunt up, search after, pray for and obtain them; and it is also the duty of these Presidents of Stakes, Bishops, High Priests, Seventies, and all men holding prominent positions, to seek after and comprehend God, whom to know is life everlasting. We need, all of us, to humble ourselves before the Almighty, for we are be– fore him, and all creation is, and hell and destruction are also without a covering before him. As mortal and immortal beings, as men holding the holy Priesthood that the Lord has conferred upon us for the establishment of his kingdom, the building up of his Zion, the redemption of the living and the dead, it is of the utmost importance that we stand forth, every one of us, and magnify our several callings; for with all our weakness, with all our infirmities, God has given unto us great treasures, which we hold in these earthen vessels.

As has been referred to, the President was operated upon to organize the Church throughout the Territory more completely; the Twelve were called upon to visit every part of the Territory and organize it, which they have done. There are now twenty different Stakes fully organized with their Presidents and Counselors, with their High Councils, with Bishops and their Counselors, who operate as common judges in Israel, and with High Priests, Seventies, Elders, and the lesser Priesthood, that they may administer in all things in their several Stakes under the direction of the Twelve. As was remarked this morning, the Church never since the day of its organization was so perfectly organized as it is today. What has this been done for? Is it to place some men in positions of honor or emolument? No, but it is to organize the Church and Kingdom of God according to the pattern that exists in the heavens, that we may be prepared to comply in all things with the ordinances of God, for, as we are told “In the ordinances, the power of godliness is manifest, and without the ordinances thereof; and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”

It is expected that these Presidents of Stakes be full of the Holy Ghost and the power of God, that they feel and realize that they are the servants of Jehovah, engaged in his work, and that he will require at their hands an account of their stewardships. It is necessary also that the High Councils and the Bishops act in the same way, together with the High Priests, Seventies, Elders, and all those of the Aaronic Priesthood, and that all operate together in the fear of God, for his eye is over you, and he expects you to work righteousness and purge the Church from iniquity, and teach the people correct principles and lead them in the paths of life. This is what God requires at your hands.

Hence, while we are looking at these things and are engaged in these organizations, there are other things necessarily connected therewith. There has been a feeling working gradually upon the minds of the Saints that many could not comprehend, nor tell where it came from, and that is to build Temples. President Young, the Twelve and the people generally have felt drawn out in their feelings with an almost unaccountable desire for the accomplishment of this object; and why? Can you tell me the reason? It is very difficult sometimes to explain some of these matters to the human mind. You heard this morning about Moses appearing in the Temple at Kirtland, committing to Joseph Smith the Keys of the Gathering Dispensation, over which Moses presided anciently, and over which he presides today. Unless those keys had been restored and you had partaken of that influence and spirit, would you have been here today? No, you would not. When the Gospel went forth among the people, after the appearing of Moses in the Temple, and the committing of the Keys of the Gathering, when you Latter-day Saints received the Gospel of baptism for remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, you also received the spirit of the gathering. You Elders before me today might have preached until your tongues had cleaved to the roof of your mouth, but if the Spirit of God had not accompanied your administration in this regard, you could have accomplished nothing of any worth. At the time this messenger came, there appeared another, even Elijah, whose mission was to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest (says the Lord) I come and smite the earth with a curse. He committed these keys. But before they were committed, what was done in the Temple? Did we baptize for the dead there? No, we did not. Why? Because the keys were not given. When they were given and afterwards when the Temple was built in Nauvoo, then that spirit accompanied it, and we began to feel after our fathers behind the veil, and they likewise began to feel after their children. Brother Woodruff, who has been ministering in the St. George Temple, could relate to you if he had the time, many things of great importance, associated with these matters. Suffice it to say that the purposes of God pertaining to the human family, which he had in his mind before this world rolled into existence, or the morning stars sang together for joy, all have to be accomplished in the salvation of the living and in the redemption of the dead. These things you are acquainted with: it is not necessary for me to talk much upon these subjects. But I merely wish to refer to the spirit and influence and power that have operated upon the Saints, and which are operating upon them throughout the length and breadth of this Territory. That comes from the Priesthood which existed before; it comes because the keys of that Priesthood have again been restored to man. What is the result? Why, a desire to build Temples. What for? That we may administer therein in those ordinances in which they and we are so greatly interested. You heard through brother Woodruff how many more administrations there had been for the dead than for the living. This is because Elijah has been here and has delivered the keys that turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, and we are beginning to feel after them. Hence we are building a Temple here, one in Sanpete, another in Cache Valley, and we have one already built in St. George, all of which I think will be quite creditable buildings, which the Lord and holy angels will accept. Do we devote our labor and our means? Yes, we do; and it is this spirit which rests upon us that is prompting us to do it, and it will not let us rest until these things are done. Why? Because the keys of the Priesthood have brought us in connection with the Priesthood in the heavens, of which we are a part, belonging to the Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. They are interested in their children, whose children are our fathers. We have been called together for the purpose, among other things, of operating with them in this work; for they without us are not made perfect, as the Scripture tells us. Therefore it is necessary that we should be here, building Temples and ministering therein, that their seed and posterity may be hunted up and looked after. We without them cannot be made perfect, for we need the help and assistance and the power of God to sustain and guide and direct us in our labors and administrations.

This is the thing President Young has been engaged in with all his might, mind and strength; this is the thing my brethren of the Twelve have been engaged in, and what we are engaged in today. This is the thing that all Israel ought to be engaged in, for we are living only for a short time here, and by and by we shall pass away, as our President has done; but it will only be to associate with another Priesthood, or the same, if you please, in the eternal worlds, for the one is combined and united with the other. The Priesthood that has lived before, and that which lives now, are eternal, and administer in time and in eternity; and the principles which God has revealed to us draw aside the curtains of the eternal worlds, giving us a glimpse within the veil, where Christ, our Forerunner, has gone. We are gathered together, “one of a city and two of a family,” as the Prophet said they should be. And he says, “I will bring you to Zion.” What will he do with them when he has brought them there? “I will give them pastors after my own heart, which shall feed them with knowledge and understanding.” Again, “Saviors shall come up on Mount Zion, to judge the Mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Some talk about empires and kingdoms being built up by man. This is the Lord’s kingdom and not man’s. The Lord is our God, he is our king and our lawgiver, and he shall rule over us; and we will seek for and obtain his help and power.

Saviors shall come up on Mount Zion, say the Scriptures. What is a Savior? One who saves another, is it not? How could any man save people if he knew not how, and how could he know except the Lord teach him? The world often finds fault with us. There are no greater benefactors to the world in existence than the Latter-day Saints are. There are no persons who have done more for the benefit of mankind, according to their number, than this people have. President Young, who is dead, and a number of others who have passed away, as well as the Twelve and thousands of others who still tarry, have traveled the length and breadth of the earth, without purse or scrip, to preach the glad tidings of salvation which heaven revealed to them. Do you find anybody else that has done it, or that is doing it, outside of this Church? No, such a thing is unheard of. We have gone forth, as the Scriptures say, bearing precious seed, and have returned again rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us. Is this anything to hurt anybody? Does it interfere in the least with the rights of any? No. Are there any in this city, who are not of us, that can show that their religious rights, privileges, or principles have been interfered with or infringed upon by the Latter-day Saints, or by the authorities of this Church? No, not one. If I knew of any that were in any way being interfered with, I would be the first to protect them. These are our feelings towards the world, and to those who say all manner of evil against us.

We have expended millions upon millions in gathering the poor to this land, by what is known as the Perpetual Emigration Fund. We may ask why did this people in these valleys expend such large sums? Was it because they were sending for relatives and friends? No, but because they were of the family of Christ, the sons and daughters of God, and desired to come to Zion. We have sent as much as five hundred teams at a time to help out the poor. You have done it, and many of you have either sent your sons or gone yourselves, and you have carried provisions for them as well as bringing them here. I do not think there is very much harm in that. And what then? When these same men who had received the message of truth in far off lands, and who had been gathered here, had been further instructed, we have sent them back again to the nations from whence they came, to proclaim to their kindred and friends, to their tongue and nation, what God had done for them. After fulfilling their missions they return again. What to do? To slumber and sleep away their time? No, but to continue their work in reclaiming the waste places, and to build Temples in the interest of humanity, as the friends of God and of the world.

There are, today, engaged working on our Temple, one hundred and fifty men. What for? That a place may be found that will be acceptable to God, and in which we may administer, in the name of the Lord, for our dead as well as for our living. We do not want to do this grudgingly, but with willing hearts, desiring to operate, with the Priesthood behind the veil, in building up and establishing the kingdom of God upon this earth. These men, after preaching and returning again, can then go into these Temples and minister in them as representatives of the nations from whence they came, and in the interest of these nations we are operating. Will God be pleased with this work? Yes, if we continue faithful in well doing. There are not less, I presume, than 500 men at work on the Temples now being erected in this Territory, and probably more than that. This seems foolish to the outside world; but we know in whom we have believed, and we know the work in which we are engaged—and who is injured by it? None.

Some of our brethren feel sometimes that these things draw heavily upon them. Of course they do; and God expects to try us, to see what we are made of, and see whether the right ring of metal is in us or not, and whether we are prepared to stand up to the rack and walk forth in the name of Israel’s God. Is it the desire to oppress anybody? No, never, nothing of that kind. In speaking on this, I would say to the Presidents of Stakes, and to the Bishops, see that there is no oppression of any kind, or anything approaching arbitrary measures, or anybody interfered with; let everything be done righteously, properly, and voluntarily. Instead of oppressing the poor, feed them. Instead of taking from the naked, clothe them. Be merciful to the widow and the fatherless and the orphan, and all who may be in distress; dry up their tears, and pour balm into their wounds, and be full of compassion, and kindness, and the love of God, and let it bubble and flow from you like a river of life. These are the feelings that ought to exist among the Saints; nothing like oppression or wrong of any kind should find place in our hearts.

Let me pass from this to another thing which was touched upon this morning, which is, but which I really wish was not, true. Many of these my brethren have sent out their teams, and have subscribed their means to send for the poor, bringing them to these valleys. According to the provisions of the Perpetual Emigration Fund, the people who are thus assisted are expected to repay the means advanced to them when they have earned it, so that others may be helped with the same money, and thus that the fund in its operations, as was desired, may be perpetual. I am told that there is upwards of a million dollars of indebtedness to this fund today. This is a sad reflection upon the gratitude of men thus assisted. I am afraid the heavens will not smile upon such proceedings, and that God will not sanction it. It is time we waked up and attended to these obligations and duties, and felt that there was somebody else in the world besides our own selves; and if we have been assisted that we will be at least honest enough to meet that amount, and others who need its assistance may find it through the proper channel.

We are engaged in this place in building a Tabernacle, in which we can meet during the Winter season. We do not call upon you outside brethren to assist us in this undertaking, because it is local and belongs to this Stake. This is a matter that was designed by President Young before his death; and we have been desirous, as brother Cannon said this morning, to carry out the views of our venerated President, as far as we can. We have commenced to build this house, we want to put it up without delay. In this, as in every other matter, we do not wish anybody to contribute his means or labor towards it, unless he feels free to do it; for there are plenty that will do it willingly, and it will be built; and we shall have a nice, comfortable place to worship in through the Winter, and it will serve the Priesthood for all necessary purposes, as well as the public. The building will be 116 x 64 feet inside, with gallery all around. It will be a little larger than was at first contemplated; and we have also departed a little from the original intention respecting the kind of building material. Instead of adobie, we have concluded to use rock. I now invite the people of this Stake and the masons especially to come forward and exert their energies, and let us do the work. It will be done by voluntary donations and by utilizing labor tithing. Some people may say, Why do it by voluntary donations? Why not use the tithing for all such purposes? Is not that sufficient? Yes, if all of you strictly paid it, but then you do not all do this, and consequently we have to resort to other means. But, as I have before said, in this and everything else, we do not wish to press the people, nor place any in unpleasant positions; but as we sometimes sing, it’s “all free grace and all free will.”

I wish to make a few remarks in relation to what we term the United Order. We are united today with God, and with the holy Priesthood that existed before us, with Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and with the ancient Prophets and Apostles and men of God, in building up the Zion of God upon the earth. They, in their different spheres and callings, are operating with us, and we with them, and the whole thing is a grand Cooperative Society; and everything we do here should be with the view of uniting our earthly interests, that we may be one in things temporal and one in things spiritual, one on the earth and one with those in the heavens, helping with our united efforts to roll on the Kingdom of God according to his purposes, and not according to our erratic no– tions. In speaking of these things I would address a few words to our sisters of the Relief and of the Mutual Improvement Societies. You are performing a good work in Zion. I am pleased with the paper you publish, and have been very much interested in the reports you have made, in witnessing the energy and zeal you display in endeavoring to introduce home-manufactured goods and articles of different kinds, in looking after the poor and necessitous, and in trying to elevate the community generally. To our Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Societies I say, God bless you, and all who are operating in the interest of Zion, forever.

Now let me say to parents, let us see that our youth are properly cared for and taught, and that honesty, truthfulness, virtue and good morals are inculcated, that they may grow in the faith of the Gospel and in the fear of God, to be useful in their day, to carry on the great work in which we are engaged. We already perceive a great improvement among our young men in their administrations; they are stepping forth, manifesting an excellent spirit, and many of them promise to become mighty men in Israel, who will roll forth the work when we get through. I will say to the Presidents of Stakes, encourage and foster these institutions; and to all the people I would say, love God and fear him and keep his commandments. Be honest with yourselves, honest before God. Be virtuous, be truthful and full of integrity, and fear the Lord your God in your hearts, and his blessing will be with you, and his Spirit will attend you, and your generations after you, worlds without end. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at the Semi Annual Conference, Held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Afternoon, Oct. 6, 1877.

I am very happy to find so great an unanimity of feeling in the voting, as has been manifested at this Conference. There is a very common axiom in the world, “Vox populi, vox dei,” or, “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” Although the voice of the people is very important, we do not believe in that action separate and alone. It was usual among ancient Israel for the Lord to speak, presenting his laws, ordinances, and commandments to the people, then they were presented to the people, and then all the people said “Amen.” Then it was the voice of God and the voice of the people; or, in other words, the voice of the people assenting to the voice of God.

In relation to the duties devolving upon the Twelve, in consequence of the changes that have recently taken place, I can say, in behalf of myself and my brethren, that their full weight and responsibility are felt by us. Unless we had the sanction of the people we would be unwilling to assume them, and, were it not that these things are plainly laid down in the law of God, we would not have accepted the situation that we find ourselves placed in today. We feel now that unless God is with us we can accomplish nothing that can in anywise be for the welfare of Zion, or the building up of his kingdom on the earth. Those are my feelings, and those are the feelings of my brethren. It is not with us as viewed by the world generally, that there is something so very honorable in office, for we have learned that in order that any office in the government of the Church and kingdom might be made honorable, the office itself must be honored, and that, too, by faithfully complying with the laws of God governing it. Then it is a high honor conferred upon man from the Lord, and the Twelve so appreciate it. Whilst they thank you for the confidence which you have manifested in them, at the same time they feel to rely upon God, and to ask that you will remember them before the throne of our heavenly Father in your prayers and daily supplications, that we may be guided by that wisdom and intelligence that flows from above, for without the aid, guidance, and direction of the Almighty, we can do nothing acceptably to him.

I have said very little, very little indeed, since the death of our esteemed President, Brigham Young. I have had various reasons for that. One is, my heart has felt sorrowful and pained, for we have lost a man who stood prominent in Israel for the last thirty-three years, yes, for upwards of forty or forty-five years. He is taken away, and all Israel felt to mourn the event. This is one reason why I have been so silent. Another is, a great many questions have had to be decided, arrangements made and investigations had, in regard to the proper course to pursue pertaining to these very important matters. Still another reason is, I did not wish to put myself forward, nor have I, as the Twelve here can bear me witness. [The Twelve unanimously gave their assent.] I have not had any more hand in these affairs than any of the members of my Quorum; but I am happy to say that in all matters upon which we have deliberated, we have been of one heart and one mind. When brothers Pratt and Smith returned from England, as you will have learned from their published letter, their sentiments were precisely the same as ours, and also the Counselors of President Young, whom we esteem and honor in their place, are also united with us. We are glad to have them with us, as our friends and associates, and Counselors to the Twelve. I pray that the blessing of God may rest upon them, and lead them in the paths of life, and that they with the Twelve may unite together as a grand phalanx, not in our own individual interests, but in the interests of the Church and kingdom of God, and the building up of his Zion on the earth; for the Priesthood is not instituted for the purpose of personal aggrandizement or personal honor, but it is for the accomplishment of certain purposes of which the Lord is the Author and Designer, and in which the dead, the living, and the unborn are interested. We ought, brethren, all of us, to feel and act as though we were the servants of the living God, feeling in our hearts an honest desire to do his will and establish his purposes on the earth. If we can be united in our faith, our acts and labors, as we have been in our voting, as manifested at this Conference, the heavens will smile upon us, the angels of God will manifest themselves to us, the power of God will be in our midst, and Zion will arise and shine, and the glory of God rest upon her.

[By request, Elder Geo. Q. Cannon read from the Doctrine and Covenants the following extract from a communication entitled, A Prayer and Prophecies, written by Joseph, the Seer, while in Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri, March 20, 1839, commencing at the 34th paragraph:

“Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

“Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

“That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

“That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God,” etc. See page 87, new edition.]

I wanted to have this excellent instruction read over in your hearing, for it was true and profitable at the time it was written, and it is so today. If we possess the Spirit that flows from God, and that dwells in his bosom, we shall possess the spirit of kindness and love and affection, that will eventually bind us in the bonds of eternal union. It becomes us, as servants and handmaidens of God, to seek after these things, that we may be full of light and life, and the power and intelligence of God, and feel that we are indeed children of the Most High, that he is our Father, and that, with the ancient Prophets and Apostles, and the Gods of the eternal worlds, we will unite in accomplishing the work God designed from the commencement of the world. No man or set of men need think that the work will stop, for God has decreed that it shall go onward, and no power this side of hell can stop its progress. The Lord is with us, the great Jehovah is our shield and our buckler; the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our King, the Lord is our Ruler, and he shall rule over us.

May God help us to be faithful in the observance of his laws, that we may secure to ourselves eternal lives in his kingdom, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 5, 1877.

I will read a few words of our Lord and Savior, at the time of his last personal appearance among the Nephites, or rather, the last account of His appearance in their midst, so far as the Book of Mormon has given the history.

“Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden. Write the works of this people which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men. And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged. And know ye that ye shall be judges of the people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men had ye ought to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

These words of our Lord and Savior, to the ancient Israelites of the American Continent, are written, not only for the benefit of the descendants of the Israelites, who inhabit the Continent, but also for the benefit of all people, that all might know something in relation to the authority that God bestowed upon His servants in ancient times. The Priesthood is not a delegated authority from heaven to be merely exercised in this life; it is a divine au– thority intended to be exercised in the next life, as well as this: its exercise here is only the beginning.

Before dwelling upon this subject, I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, that I have been permitted by the counsel of the servants of God, to perform another but very short mission abroad, having left Salt Lake City on the 18th July, and returned again after about two months and nine days’ absence, traveling, during this period of time, about thirteen thousand miles, by land and ocean. I feel very glad, and rejoice, that I have had this opportunity of going out once more among mankind abroad. Although my mission was not specially a preaching mission, to declare to the people the things of the kingdom of God, yet I endeavored, so far as opportunity permitted to bear my humble testimony among the people.

My mission, as is well known, was to go to England, for the purpose of printing the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, according to the phonotype system of Pitman. I will here state, that Pitman’s system of phonetics has been changed and re-changed, in England, so many times, that it has finally and almost entirely dropped out of use in that country. Pitman still continues to publish a periodical in which he gives his present forms of type or characters, and present forms of spelling, but his paper is more particularly advocating the system of shorthand writing, or phonography, which is quite popular in England. By making inquiry, I found that one of the brothers, Benj. Pitman, in consequence of the numerous alterations that were being made, was disgusted, and came to America to see if he could establish a system upon a little different principle. A certain wealthy gentleman in our country became interested in the enterprise, and he, by will, advanced money to publish an extensive dictionary upon the phonetic principle. A little different alphabet was adopted in our country from that which was used in England. After examining these different systems, I concluded that, in some very few respects, they were all in error. These errors consisted mostly in the mode of spelling. Some have adopted one standard, and some another; and having examined the different systems closely and carefully, I finally concluded to accept the American phonetic alphabet, with the exception of two or three characters, and also to spell according to the American phonetic dictionary, with some slight alterations.

I made arrangements with a house in London to furnish the phonotype, and most of it had arrived in Liverpool, just as I was called home.

These preliminary preparations for printing were made just as fast as possible before learning the sad news of the death of our beloved President, which we received some seven hours after he breathed his last. A few hours later we received another telegram from the Council of the Twelve Apostles, instructing brother Joseph F. Smith and myself to arrange matters in Great Britain, pertaining to the European mission, and come home immediately. We have complied with the request.

We feel, with all our hearts, to mourn with the Latter-day Saints, in the loss of so great and good a man, as the President, who has led us, with marked success, for one-third of a century. He was the instrument, in the hands of God, of bringing the people forth, some 1,400 miles from the great Mississippi River, over wild, barren, and trackless plains, and locating us here, in the great American desert. He has been the instrument, in the hands of God, of giving counsel and instruction for the numerous towns, cities and villages, through our mountain region; he has been foremost in the encouragement of home manufactures, and home industries; introducing at his own expense, much machinery into the Territory, so as to make the Latter-day Saints, as far as possible, a self-sustaining people; he has labored diligently during the last years of his life, to bring about a greater degree of union among the Latter-day Saints, in regard to temporal things. And near the close of his useful life, he was wrought upon by the spirit of God, and more especially on his last mission at St. George, to give counsel to the Twelve Apostles, to go into all parts of the Territory and more fully organize the people according to the revelations and commandments and institutions of heaven, as given by revelation, through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Having accomplished so great a work, in leading forth the people of God, in locating them here in these mountains, so far from what is termed civilization, and having redeemed the desert, established academies and schoolhouses, Tabernacles and Temples, home manufactures and home industries, and finally having organized the Saints into Stakes, appointing Bishops, and having them ordained, in all parts of our Territory, having fulfilled and completed the work, the Lord has taken him home to himself.

We heard this forenoon, respecting the Prophet Elijah; the Lord had a great work for him to perform; he lived to accomplish it, and he knew then that the time had come for him to depart and leave the children of Israel. He was taken up to heaven. The Prophet Brigham, too, had his work to perform; he lived to do it, and he has passed away in peace, beloved by his people.

This is the second time in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when the Twelve have stepped forward as the proper authorities, to bear off this kingdom, and to preside over the Church. Joseph was in our midst but a few years. The Lord called him to lay the foundation of this work; he gave him revelations before the rise of the Church. He ordained him and Oliver Cowdery to the Apostleship, giving them the authority, and power, and office, and Priesthood, to perform the things necessary in the future organization of the Church, giving line upon line, precept upon precept, from time to time, to instruct the various Councils of the Church in regard to their several duties. He having performed the work, God required at his hands, was taken away; the Lord saw proper to remove him from our midst. The authority then devolved upon the Twelve, and upon the Priesthood of the Twelve. Another First Presidency was appointed about three years and six months after the martyrdom of Joseph. During that time the Lord was with the Twelve, in every duty, and a great work was accomplished, during that period, by them. The greater part of the Temple in Nauvoo was built by the Twelve, after the death of the Prophet. Endowments were given in that Temple, by the Twelve, while presiding over the Church. Sealings and blessings in behalf of the living and the dead, were performed in that Temple. All the ordinances necessary on that occasion were administered, under the Presidency and jurisdiction of the Twelve. And not only this, but the Lord enabled them to lead the people forth, through an unexplored country, to select a location for them. Having done this, they returned in the latter part of the year 1847, to the camps located on the Missouri River.

I mention these things to show you, that the Twelve were not idle after the death of Joseph, but took the lead, and organized the camps of Israel, and presided over all the authorities in the midst of these camps.

In those days, some persons, ignorant of the authority of an Apostle, questioned the right of the Twelve to preside, but I would ask, what authority ever existed in the Church that the Twelve do not hold? I would further inquire, had the First Presidency any office that the Twelve had not? If they have, where did they get it? Do you know? Another First Presidency of the Church were organized, three years and a half, after the death of Joseph. If they held any higher authority, then they must have received it by direct communication from the heavens. But it is known that they received it by the voice of the Council of the Twelve, with all the authorities of the kingdom of God to back them up. We have been taught, ever since the Twelve were chosen, that they held all the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood, all the power of the Apostleship that could be conferred upon mortal man. Hence, when Hyrum Smith was taken out of the First Presidency and appointed to another calling, not to another office in the Apostleship, was it not the province of the Twelve to set him apart? It was, because they held that authority, that Priesthood, that Apostleship, that gave him the right to do this. By what revelation you may ask? I answer, by a certain revelation contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, where it says, that the Twelve shall ordain in all large Branches of the Church, evangelical ministers. When this was first given, the word “evangelical” was not there. But Joseph was wrought upon by the Spirit to erase the word patriarchs and substitute the words “evangelical ministers.” Hence the Twelve have so ordained patriarchs, as Hyrum Smith. But inquires one, should the Twelve ordain Prophets, Seers and Revelators? Yes. Were they not appointed in the Kirtland Temple, in the year 1836, after its dedication by the voice of Joseph, and the First Presidency, and the united voice of the Church to be Prophets, Seers and Revelators to the people? Yes. Then they could ordain such; or in other words they could set apart such to these duties. They could set apart Patriarchs, to such an office as brother Hyrum Smith held, when he was taken out of the First Presidency and placed in the Patriarchal office.

Then, again, there is another revelation given concerning the Priesthood, which you can read in the Doctrine and Covenants. After having mentioned the various offices and callings, the Lord required it as a duty enjoined upon the Twelve, though the First Presidency was then alive, to organize all the officers in Zion. What! the Twelve, a traveling High Council; the Twelve, who hold the keys of all nations, to the Gentiles first, and then to the Jews, to be at home attending to such work? Yes. The Twelve had duties to perform, both abroad and at home. Having fulfilled important duties abroad, they were not relieved from the duties specified in the commandment, to act at home, and they have been, from that time to this, in the midst of the people of God, at home, at the gathering places.

In the revelation given on the 19th day of January, 1841, Brigham Young was called by name, and appointed the President of the Twelve, and also, in another revelation, given not far from the same time, he was required to remain at home. Instead of being a traveling Councilor, to be sent abroad among the nations, his services were required at home, which was also the case with several of the Apostles, and especially since the death of Joseph.

There is another subject, while dwelling on the Priesthood, which I wish to speak of; I refer to the Counselors that may be left, when the President, the First President of the Church is taken away from our midst. We are informed that the Counselors that existed in the day of Joseph could not act as Counselors to Joseph after he was taken away; to be Counselors to him would be impossible, unless they themselves should go the other side of the veil. Hence when the President was taken away their duties as Counselors to the Prophet, the First President, ceased. Just the same with a Bishop’s Council under the same circumstances. Supposing the Bishop were to die, his two Counselors could not legitimately step forward claiming to be Bishops themselves; and furthermore their duties as Counselors to the deceased Bishop would at his death cease. And so it would be if the Bishop, instead of dying, were called to some other location or should be cut off the Church. So it was considered, in the days of the loss of our Prophet and Seer, Joseph Smith. The two Counselors that then existed had the privilege, if they chose to do so, of being associated with the Council of the Twelve to assist us in the work of bearing off the kingdom; not as members of the Twelve, but acting with and assisting them. The same order has again been carried out; and it is just as I believed it would be, when I was in Liverpool, after learning of the death of President Young. The question came up there, and I took the liberty of instructing the Saints making the inquiries. I told them, that when the First Presidency left, the Twelve would lead forth the Church, until such times as the Spirit of God, and the desires of the people, universally, should be to select and set apart and sustain by their prayers and faith, a First Presidency again. Furthermore, it was published in the papers, particularly in America, and also in England, and there seemed to be a great anxiety on the part of our enemies, to know who was going to lead the Church. They seemed to have far more anxiety than you upon this subject. For the Saints generally have been instructed on this matter, and have, in a measure understood it. We knew that President Brigham Young, and his two Counselors, received no new office, by being taken from the Quorum of the Twelve, and appointed to other duties. The same as brother Joseph F. Smith has been appointed and set apart not to a new office, but to go to Great Britain and preside over the European Mission. That did not devolve upon brother Richards, nor brother Rich, nor any other member of the Twelve; he alone can perform this duty. It is not a new office, but merely a new duty required of him. So in relation to the First Presidency. They carry no new office, but new duties are required at their hands, when they are chosen by the Priesthood and set apart, not ordained to a new office, but set apart to preside.

I wish also to speak a few words, in regard to the ancient Priesthood. I find, from the Book of Mormon, concerning the ancient Twelve—the twelve Nephites of this land; that Jesus chose them, and called them by name, and set them apart and ordained them. Prior to this time, before his death, he chose twelve in the land of Jerusalem. These officers, the Twelve on the Eastern, and the Twelve on the Western continent, did not lose their office by death; but as was clearly stated by brother Snow this morning, and as is plainly set forth in the revelation, they retained their office. For instance, we will take the Book of Mormon; and in the vision and prophecy of Nephi, given almost 600 years before Christ, the Lord showed to that Prophet, that there would be Twelve Apostles in some five or six hundred years after his day. And instead of the Lord pointing out what should be the duties of these Apostles, while here in this temporal existence, he pointed out the more important duties that would devolve upon them in the next state. The simple duties of this life were nothing compared to those of the world to come. Hence the angel said to Nephi that these Twelve Apostles should judge the twelve tribes of Israel. What a great work! Then he showed him the twelve Nephite disciples, all descendants of Nephi and his brethren. Said he, these twelve disciples of the Lamb shall be judged by the Twelve Apostles that shall be chosen in the land of Jerusalem. Here then was another and most important duty assigned to that particular Council of Apostles, after this mortal life. First, it is said, they shall judge the whole House of Israel; secondly, they shall judge “the twelve ministers of thy seed.” Also from the language of the text I have read, we learn that the Twelve Nephite Apostles had a knowledge of some other, future duties to be performed in the world to come. “Know ye, that you shall be judges of this people. What manner of men ought ye to be. Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” In other words, If you are to be judges of all this people, to whom you are administering; if you are to sit in judgment in the great and coming day, and if the words which are written in the books which you keep, and which are also written by the Father, are to be the records out of which the people are to be judged, sure enough, you should be as pure and holy as Jesus himself. We are told too that it should not depend upon their weak judgment, but they should judge according to the judgment which the Lord their God should give unto them. In other words, after they leave this present life, and the time comes for them to sit in council in the midst of the Nephites, that instead of judging according to human wisdom and imperfect knowledge, that God would give them the spirit of judgment, or the spirit of inspiration more abundantly than what they were in possession of in this life; and in order that they may be entitled to judge all people, they were required to be pure and holy.

Let me say a few words in regard to another revelation that the Lord gave in the year 1830, on this same subject. He says, “The decree has gone forth from the Father that mine Apostles, they who were with me in my ministry in the land of Jerusalem, shall, at the time of my coming, sit upon twelve thrones, clothed in glory, even as I am, to judge the whole House of Israel, they that have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.” Again, we will appeal to the New Testament, “You that have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man comes in his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; and shall eat and drink at my table.”

Here, then, we have a number of evidences and witnesses from the Book of Mormon, from the Doctrine and Covenants, and from the New Testament, concerning the future duties of the servants of God, in the world to come. In relation to the Twelve Jewish Apostles, have they a First Presidency independent of the Twelve, a separate body? They have not. Why were there twelve Apostles chosen instead of nine, or thirteen, or any other number? Why that particular number? Because it so happened in the economy of the Most High, that a certain servant of God had power to prevail with him, and by four wives he had power to beget twelve sons, and the Lord ordained that through them the twelve tribes should spring up in the earth, and he would have regard for them. He intended that they should not only be organized as tribes in this life, but also in the world to come. And in order that all may have judges, twelve were chosen to perform the work, instead of any other number. Had these Twelve Apostles, in ancient days, that had no separate First Presidency, so far as we have any record, power to preside over the Church? They had. If they had no power there was none upon the earth.

Again, these twelve men among the Nephites, that were to sit in judgment, had a great many successors, probably sixty or seventy in number. Had these successors all equal power on this earth? I think they had, so far as apostleship, or discipleship was concerned, they held equal power with those who preceded them. But in the next world, can these sixty or seventy successors stand in the position of the first chosen? No. So it is in regard to the latter-day Apostles. In this Church we have had ordained to the Council of the Twelve Apostles, twenty-eight persons. Six of the original Twelve Apostles apostatized, and three of their successors apostatized, making nine apostates that once had hands laid upon them, ordaining them to the Apostleship. These apostates are mostly dead. We cannot suppose that they can hold an office in eternity which they have forfeited. We are told to the contrary in the Doctrine and Covenants; the Lord saying, through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph in Missouri, that his servants John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards should take the place of those who had apostatized. And Oliver Cowdery, although never one of the Twelve, had his place filled up; and the keys and the glories and the promises conferred upon and made to Oliver Cowdery were taken from him and bestowed upon brother Hyrum Smith. But there are nineteen Apostles that have not apostatized. Out of this number there are seven dead and twelve living. If the Lord, in the world to come, should follow the examples given in regard to the former Twelve, suppose these nineteen should remain faithful and obtain their crowns, yet there would be only twelve, I think, that would be placed in certain positions, the same as the Twelve at Jerusalem, and the ancient Twelve on this American land. This is something, however, not revealed, not made manifest to any of us in the latter days, what the future of the Twelve will be, as it is in regard to the ancient ones who have gone.

In the year 1829, the Lord told David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery to search out the Twelve, and pointed out how they should be known, etc. In the same revelation he speaks of their duties, and also informs them how great was the trust and blessing conferred upon them, if they prove faithful in all things; that the blessing upon them was above all. How far this extended I do not know; that is all which is revealed, so far as I know, in all of the revelations of God, in regard to the future of the Twelve Apostles in the last days.

Now we hope these nineteen Apostles will be faithful. Thomas B. Marsh, the oldest of the original Twelve, chosen in 1838, and who stood at the head, apostatized, and left the Church. David W. Patten was the next in age, and the Lord took him to himself, as we are informed in the revelation given on the 19th of January, 1841. The Lord says: “My servant David W. Patten, who is with me at this time.” The Lord accepted of him. He died in the faith—a martyr in Missouri. “I have taken him to myself.” Yet, says the Lord, “another may be appointed to the same calling;” and further says that “my servant Lyman Wight is appointed to succeed him.” Did that give Lyman Wight power to preside over the Twelve Apostles? No. David W. Patten died in the faith, and so far as we know holds the keys of the Presidency of the Twelve, in the world to come. But there may be changes in that world. The original Twelve, first chosen, were all made equal, by the Prophet Joseph Smith. And he said to them in the basement of the Temple as they were to be sent as a Council on their first mission, that the oldest should preside in the first Conference, in the following Conferences, the next in seniority, and so on, until all had taken their turns in presiding. And you shall be equal, showing respect to the oldest. They were arranged according to their ages, while all their successors were arranged, according to the date of their respective ordinations.

I have given you some of these items in relation to the Priesthood, in relation to the Twelve at Jerusalem, and the Twelve Nephite disciples, and the Twelve of these latter times; and now let me say in regard to the various authorities and Councils of the Priesthood, there has not been a time since the rise of this Church, when the people have been so completely and fully organized as at the present time. Go where we will, through all these mountain valleys, and wherever we see a family, or wherever we can find a small Branch of the Church, if you make inquiry, you will find it is included in a regular Stake of Zion; it belongs to some Stake, and you will find, too, that they are looked after, if the officers are doing their duties, for they are considered a part and portion of the great family of God. I feel to congratulate the Latter-day Saints, on this occasion, in regard to the perfect organization, as it were, that exists in all our mountain region, and hope that every man will strive to learn his duty, and faithfully and honorably perform the same.

I wish to state still further in regard to the Priesthood, while upon the subject, that in the Kirtland Temple when the authorities were presented before the people, they were called upon to vote by quorums. Not that it occurred always in that manner. That was the way Joseph ordained in the Temple; each Council voting separately, by standing upon their feet in order that their votes might be better known than they could be by keeping their seats. After one Quorum had voted for the highest authority of the Church, then another Quorum or Council would be called upon to give their vote, and so on, until all had voted for the different authorities, and then it was presented to all the Church, male and female. Why? It is be– cause God ordained, on the 6th day of April, 1830, as you can read in the Doctrine and Covenants, that all things in this Church should be done by common consent. This is the reason for the voting. Although the Lord may give a revelation upon the subject, although he might say, Let my servant Hyrum Smith be Patriarch; or Let my servant Brigham Young be President of the Twelve Apostles; notwithstanding the Lord may give this by revelation, yet he himself was anxious to carry out the principle he had revealed a long time before that; namely, that all this I have named may be brought before the General Conference to be sanctioned and approved, or not to be sanctioned. What! the people have a right to reject those whom the Lord names? Yes, they have this right, he gave it to them. “Let them be approved of or not approved of;” showing that he had respect to the people themselves, that they should vote and give their general voice to either sustain or not to sustain. I do not know why, only in the latter days the kingdom is in a little different circumstances upon the face of the earth, than it has been in during any former dispensation. We are living in a free Republican Government, wherein the people vote, and the Lord established this great American Government and gave the Constitution, and he wished the people to have a voice in the officers named; he wished the people to exercise their agency; you may call it a democratic principle. Notwithstanding He himself may point out the persons, and call them by name, yet you may approve of them or disapprove of them at my General Conference.

Perhaps I have said enough; there is a great field open when Priesthood is spoken of. May the Lord bless you. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 30, 1877.

I fear I shall not be able to make myself heard by this vast congregation. I have not been accustomed lately to address so many people; but on the contrary, a very few in a place at a time. It is difficult for me to speak so that all may hear me distinctly, in this immense house. Besides, I have not been in very good health of late, having had an attack of sickness since my return home, which has drawn heavily upon my strength.

I am thankful that I have been privileged to meet with you today, under so favorable circumstances as those which surround us; although in common with the Latter-day Saints, I cannot but regret the cause of my presence among you. I left my home and friends here, but a few months ago, for Europe, expecting to fill a mission there of two years and perhaps much longer. But soon after hearing of the death of our departed President, Brigham Young, Brother Orson Pratt and I received a cablegram from our Brethren, the Twelve, inviting us to return home. As soon, therefore, as circumstances permitted, we were on our way hith– er, making the journey from England to this city in about fifteen days. We had rather a rough passage across the Atlantic, having experienced equinoctial gales and heavy seas for the first few days, which made it very disagreeable; the remainder of the voyage, however, was comparatively pleasant, and the trip from New York here very much so indeed.

For the past few months I have been engaged preaching the Gospel in England, as opportunities presented for me to do so. I did not travel very extensively, as my limited time and other circumstances did not warrant it.

I was pleased, in July last, to meet in Liverpool Brother Orson Pratt, who came to England to publish the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants in phonetics, or phonotype. He was diligently engaged prosecuting this work at the time the sad news of the death of the President reached us. Arrangements had been so far completed that the type was mostly obtained and delivered at our office, and preparations were nearly made for the commencement of this work. But as Brother Pratt is here, I will leave his mission and labors for him to narrate himself.

I can say, in all consciousness that during the time I have been absent from home, I have felt as strong a desire in my heart as I ever did, for the advancement of the kingdom of God, and the spread of the Gospel among those who sit in darkness. And I feel that I have done the best I could under the circumstances to carry out my desires.

As missionaries we have labored unceasingly through England, Scotland and Wales during the past summer, availing ourselves of every opportunity of holding meetings in the streets, on the squares, and in whatever places we could procure for the purpose; the Elders going around from house to house to notify the people and invite them to attend. The brethren have labored diligently and unceasingly the past summer, endeavoring in this way to spread the Gospel. In many places very encouraging success has crowned their labors; in many instances congregations, numbering from one to three thousand persons, have assembled in the public parks, and upon the commons, to listen to the Elders preaching. It is true, that so far we have seen but little immediate fruits of this labor; but we feel that the seed is being sown, that it will fall in more or less good soil, and in due season it will bring forth fruit meet for repentance.

The European mission today if I am to speak my feelings plainly upon the matter, is in a very low condition—that is, speaking of Great Britain. Whereas, on the Continent and throughout Scandinavia, the work is flourishing. In some places in Germany, which have been impenetrable heretofore, the Gospel is now preached. There have been recently a number of baptisms in and adjacent to Berlin; and we feel encouraged in our labors in that country, knowing that efforts have been made so long and so persistently to open up the Gospel to that nation, without accomplishing anything.

The object of sending Elders forth to the nations of the earth is to preach the Gospel, that the world may know the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and through obedience thereto be gathered to the people of God, and be saved in His kingdom. We are thankful that we are engaged in the great latter-day work, that God our heavenly Father is at the head, and has decreed to carry it forth to a successful consummation. Therefore, so long as we put our trust in Him, doing the best we can to accomplish His purposes, we may rest content that all will be well.

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from my childhood; and ever since I began to investigate for myself, I have been satisfied with my religion; I have been perfectly confident that I was engaged in a righteous cause, having had every assurance that it is the work of God and not of man; and that it is the business of the Almighty to sustain it, choosing and using the instruments best suited to accomplish His purposes that were at His command. I believe He has ever done so, and will continue to do so until He completes His undertaking. As Latter-day Saints we have every reason to rejoice in the Gospel, and in the testimony we have received concerning its truth. I repeat, we have reason to rejoice and to be exceeding glad, for we possess the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy, which the world know nothing about, nor can they without obedience to the Gospel.

Jesus thoroughly understood this matter, and fully explained it when he said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” On first reflection, it would seem that anything so clear, reasonable and tangible could be easily made plain to the understanding of all men. Hence the feeling that has prompted many of the Latter-day Saints to believe, after their minds have been enlightened by the Spirit of God—everything being made so plain and clear to them—that they had only to tell their friends and kindred what they had learned and they would gladly receive it. But how disappointed, after they had presented to them the truths of heaven in simplicity and plainness, to hear them say “We cannot see it!” or “We do not believe it!” Or perhaps bitterly oppose it, which is by far the most common practice of the world. They cannot understand it. Why? Because, as Jesus has said, no man can see the kingdom except he is born again. You may preach the Gospel to the people, but unless they humble themselves as little children before the Lord, acknowledging their dependence upon him for light and wisdom, they cannot see or sense it, although you may preach to them in as great plainness as it is possible for the truth to be conveyed from one person to another. And should any believe your testimony it would only be belief. They would not see as you see—nor comprehend it as you do—until they yield obedience to the requirements of the Gospel, and through the remission of their sins receive the Holy Ghost. Then they, too, can see as you do, for they have the same spirit; then will they love the truth as you do, and may wonder why they could not comprehend it before, or why it is that there can be anybody with common intelligence that cannot understand truth so plain and forcible.

I have been preaching for a few months past to the world, and perhaps it would not be amiss to dwell for a few moments upon some of the principles of the Gospel, as though I were talking to strangers, notwithstanding I feel I am in the presence of the Latter-day Saints.

About the first question an honest inquirer would ask would be: What is your religious belief? Or, What are the principles of the Gospel as you understand them? I do not propose to tell you all about the Gospel in one discourse, but I may tell you a few of my thoughts upon some of its principles, which are essential not only for the Latter-day Saints to know, but for all the children of men, in order to be saved in the kingdom of God.

First, then, it is necessary to have faith in God, “faith being the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness.”

Faith in God is to believe that he is, and “that he is the only supreme governor and independent being, in whom all fullness and perfection and every good gift and principle dwells independently,” and in whom the faith of all other rational beings must center for life and salvation; and further, that he is the great Creator of all things, that he is omnipotent, omniscient, and by his works and the power of his Spirit omnipresent.

Not only is it necessary to have faith in God, but also in Jesus Christ, his Son, the Savior of mankind and the Mediator of the New Covenant; and in the Holy Ghost, who bears record of the Father and the Son, “the same in all ages and forever.”

Having this faith, it becomes necessary to repent. Repent of what? Of every sin of which we may have been guilty. How shall we repent of these sins? Does repentance consist of sorrow for wrongdoing? Yes; but is this all? By no means. True repentance only is acceptable to God, nothing short of it will answer the purpose. Then what is true repentance? True repentance is not only sorrow for sins, and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light. Not only so, but to make restitution, so far as it possible, for all the wrongs we have done, to pay our debts, and restore to God and man their rights—that which is due to them from us. This is true repentance, and the exercise of the will and all the powers of body and mind is demanded, to complete this glorious work of repentance; then God will accept it.

Having thus repented, the next thing requisite is baptism, which is an essential principle of the Gospel—no man can enter into the gospel covenant without it. It is the door of the Church of Christ, we cannot get in there in any other way, for Christ hath said it. “Sprinkling,” or “pouring,” is not baptism. Baptism means immersion in water, and is to be administered by one having authority, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Baptism without divine authority is not valid. It is a symbol of the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and must be done in the likeness thereof, by one commissioned of God, in the manner prescribed, otherwise it is illegal and will not be accepted by him, nor will it effect a remission of sins, the object for which it is designed, but whosoever hath faith, truly repents and is “buried with Christ in baptism,” by one having divine authority, shall receive a remission of sins, and is entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Only those who are commissioned of Jesus Christ, have authority or power to bestow this gift. The office of the Holy Ghost is to bear record of Christ, or to testify of him, and confirm the believer in the truth, by bringing to his recollection things that have passed, and showing or revealing to the mind things present and to come. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.” “He will guide you into all truth.” Thus, without the aid of the Holy Ghost no man can know the will of God, or that Jesus is the Christ—the Redeemer of the world—or that the course he pursues, the works he performs, or his faith, are acceptable to God, and such as will secure to him the gift of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts.

“But,” says an objector, “have we not the Bible, and are not the Holy Scriptures able to make us wise unto salvation?” Yes, provided we obey them. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The “good works” are the great desideratum. The Bible itself is but the dead letter, it is the spirit that giveth life. The way to obtain the Spirit is that which is here marked out so plainly in the Scriptures. There is no other. Obedience, therefore, to these principles is absolutely necessary, in order to obtain the salvation and exaltation brought to light through the Gospel.

As to the question of authority, nearly everything depends upon it. No ordinance can be performed to the acceptance of God without divine authority. No matter how fervently men may believe, or pray, unless they are endowed with divine authority they can only act in their own name, and not legally nor acceptably in the name of Jesus Christ, in whose name all these things must be done. Some suppose this authority may be derived from the Bible, but nothing could be more absurd. The Bible is but a book containing the writings of inspired men, “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness;” as such we hold it is sacred; but the spirit, power and authority by which it is written cannot be found within its lids, nor derived from it. “For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” If by reading and believing the Bible this authority could be obtained, all who read and believed would have it—one equally with another. I have read the Bible, and I have as good reason for believing it as any other man, and do believe it with all my heart; but this does not give me authority to teach men in the name of the Lord, nor to officiate in the sacred ordinances of the Gospel. Were the Scriptures the only source of knowledge, we would be without knowledge for ourselves, and would have to rest our hopes of salvation upon a simple belief in the testimonies and sayings of others. This will not do for me; I must know for myself, and if I act as a teacher of these things, I must be clothed with the same light, knowledge and authority those were who acted in a similar calling anciently. Else how could I declare the truth and bear testimony as they did? What right would I have to say “thus saith the Lord,“ and call upon man to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord? Or, that “This Jesus hath God raised up (from the dead) whereof we all (the Apostles) are witnesses.” And, therefore, let all men “know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus,” who was crucified, “both Lord and Christ.” No man, without the Holy Ghost as enjoyed by the ancient Apostles, can know these things, therefore cannot declare them by authority, nor teach and prepare mankind for the salvation of God. God Almighty is the only source from whence this knowledge, power and authority can be obtained, and that through the operations of the Holy Ghost. The Scriptures may serve as a guide to lead us to God, and hence to the possession of all things necessary to life and salvation, but they can do no more.

Having profiled by this example, and done the works commanded by both Christ and his Apostles, ancient and modern, I am happy of the privilege to declare to the inhabitants of the earth that I have received this testimony and witness for myself. I do know that these things are true. Jesus my Redeemer lives, and God hath made him both Lord and Christ. To know and to worship the true God, in the name of Jesus—in spirit and in truth—is the duty of man. To aid and qualify him for this service is the duty and office of the Holy Ghost. Man may fail through faltering and unfaithfulness, but the Spirit of God will never fail, nor abandon the faithful disciple. I can say as one who has tried the experiment—for it may be called an experiment to the beginner—that all who will take the course and accept the doctrine thus marked out will, through faithfulness, become acquainted with the truth, and shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or of man, and will rejoice in it as all good, faithful Latter-day Saints do.

Here is an ordinance which we are now administering, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper; it is a principle of the Gospel, one as necessary to be observed by all believers, as any other ordinance of the Gospel. What is the object of it? It is that we may keep in mind continually the Son of God who has redeemed us, from eternal death, and brought us to life again through the power of the Gospel. Before the coming of Christ to the earth, this was borne in mind by the inhabitants of the earth to whom the Gospel was preached, by another ordinance, which involved the sacrifice of animal life, an ordinance which was a type of the great sacrifice that should take place in the meridian of time. Hence, Adam, after he was cast out of the Garden, was commanded to offer sacrifices to God; by this act he, and all who participated in the offering of sacrifices, were reminded of the Savior who should come to redeem them from death which, were it not for the atonement wrought out by him, would forever exclude them from dwelling in the presence of God again. But in his coming and death, this commandment was fulfilled; and he instituted the Supper and commanded his followers to partake of this in all time to come, in order that they may remember him, bearing in mind that he had redeemed them, also that they had covenanted to keep his commandments and to walk with him in the regeneration. Hence it is necessary to partake of the sacrament, as a witness to him that we do remember him, are willing to keep the commandments he has given us, that we may have his spirit to be with us always—even to the end, and also that we may continue in the for– giveness of our sins.

In various dispensations there are various differences in regard to certain requirements of the Gospel. For instance, in the day of Noah, when he preached the Gospel to the antediluvian world, he was given a special commandment, to build an ark, that in case the people would reject him and the message sent unto them, that himself and all who believed on him might be saved from the destruction that awaited them. In this dispensation there is a principle or commandment peculiar to it. What is that? It is the gathering the people unto one place. The gathering of this people is as necessary to be observed by believers, as faith, repentance, baptism, or any other ordinance. It is an essential part of the Gospel of this dispensation, as much so, as the necessity of building an ark by Noah, for his deliverance, was a part of the Gospel of his dispensation. Then the world was destroyed by a flood, now it is to be destroyed by war, pestilence, famine, earthquakes, storms, and tempests, the sea rolling beyond its bounds, malarious vapors, vermin, disease, and by fire and the lightnings of God’s wrath poured out for destruction upon Babylon. The cry of the angel unto the righteous of this dispensation is, “Come out of her O my people, that ye partake not of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” We believe also in the principle of direct revelation from God to man. This is a part of the Gospel, but it is not peculiar to this dispensation. It is common in all ages and dispensations of the Gospel. The Gospel cannot be administered, nor the Church of God continue to exist without it. Christ is the head of his Church and not man, and the connection can only be maintained upon the principle of direct and continuous revelation. It is not a hereditary principle, it cannot be handed down from father to son, or from generation to generation, but is a living vital principle to be enjoyed on certain conditions only, namely—through absolute faith in God and obedience to his laws and commandments. The moment this principle is cut off, that moment the Church is adrift, being severed from its everliving head. In this condition it cannot continue, but must cease to be the Church of God, and like the ship at sea, without captain, compass or rudder, is afloat at the mercy of the storms and the waves, of ever contending human passions, and worldly interests, pride and folly, finally to be wrecked upon the strand of priestcraft and superstition. The religious world is in this condition today, ripening for the great destruction which awaits them, but there is an ark prepared for such as are worthy of eternal life, in the gathering of the Saints to the chambers of the Almighty, where they shall be preserved until the indignation of God is passed.

Marriage, is also a principle or ordinance of the Gospel, most vital to the happiness of mankind, however unimportant it may seem, or lightly regarded by many. There is no superfluous or unnecessary principle in the plan of life, but there is no principle of greater importance or more essential to the happiness of man—not only here, but especially hereafter, than that of marriage. Yet all are necessary. What good would it be to one to be baptized and receive not the Holy Ghost? And suppose he went a little further and received the Holy Ghost, thereby obtaining the testimony of Jesus, and then stopped at that, what good would it do him? None whatever, but would add to his condemnation, for it would be as burying his talent in the earth. To secure the fulness of the blessings, we must receive the fulness of the Gospel. Yet men will be judged and rewarded according to their works. “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Those who receive a part of the Gospel with light and knowledge to comprehend other principles, and yet do not obey them will come under this law, hence condemnation will be added unto such, and that which they did receive may be taken from them and added to them who are more worthy.

Obedience is a requirement of heaven, and is therefore a principle of the Gospel. Are all required to be obedient? Yes, all. What, against their will? O, no, not by any means. There is no power given to man, nor means lawful to be used to compel men to obey the will of God, against their wish, except persuasion and good advice, but there is a penalty attached to disobedience, which all must suffer who will not obey the obvious truths or laws of heaven. I believe in the sentiment of the poet:

“Know this, that every soul is free, To choose his life and what he’ll be; For this eternal truth is given, That God will force no man to heaven. He’ll call, persuade, direct aright, Bless him with wisdom, love and light. In nameless ways to be good and kind, But never force the human mind.”

Is it a difficult task to obey the Gospel? No. It is an easy matter to those who possess the spirit of it. Most of this congregation can testify that the Gospel “yoke is easy and the burden is light.” Those who have embraced it will be judged according to their works therein, whether they be good or evil. To such as are untrue to their covenants, it may be said by and by, “depart from me!” In vain will they plead their former good works, and faith. Why? Because the race is not to the swift nor the battle always to the strong, but to him that endures faithful to the end. We must save ourselves from this untoward generation. It is a continual labor, but the strength of the righteous will be sufficient for their day. Jesus said, “in my Father’s house there are many mansions.” There is a glory, or mansion, of which the sun is typical, another of which the moon is typical, and still another like unto the stars, and in this latter the condition of its occupants will differ as the stars differ in appearance. Every man will receive according to his works and knowledge. “These are they who are of Paul and Apollos, some of one and some of another, some of Christ, some of John, of Moses, Elias, Isaiah and Enoch, but receive not the Gospel nor the testimony of Jesus.” Thus impartial justice will be meted out unto all, and none will be lost but the sons of perdition.

Let us treat with candor the religious sentiments of all men, no matter if they differ from ours, or appear to us absurd and foolish. Those who hold them may be as sincere as we are in their convictions. It is well to prove all things, so far as we can, and be sure to hold fast to that which is good, no matter where we find it. Ridicule is not likely to convince a man of his error, or if it does, it may destroy his respect and love for its author, and if he has truth, his victim will most likely spurn it.

I desire to say that my faith in this work is as firm or firmer than ever. My heart is in it, and I know truly it is the kingdom of God. These things of which I have been so imperfectly speaking, I know to be the truth—Bible truth, Gospel truth, and are essential to the salvation of mankind. I am not deceived in this but know whereof I speak. My religion teaches me to do good, to be at peace with my neighbors, at least not to infringe upon their rights nor trespass upon their property, and even to endure wrongs from them rather than do them wrong, or even demand from the trespasser what I might deem full justice. It teaches me to trust in the justice of the Almighty, and to rest my cause in his hands. It enjoins honesty, sobriety and industry. It forbids profanity, lying, adultery, deceitfulness, and vile cunning.

It gives true enlightenment to the mind and exalts the low and debased who will hearken and obey it. The observance of the Gospel will make good men of bad ones, and better men of good ones. It will make good citizens, good fathers, husbands, wives and children, good neighbors, a good people, an enlightened, pure and high-minded community, a blessed state and a prosperous nation. Obedience to the Gospel will save the world from sin, abolish war, strife and litigation, and usher in the millennial reign. It will restore the earth to its rightful owner, and prepare it for the inheritance of the just. These are all principles of that same Gospel of Christ, and the effects which will flow from their acceptance and adoption by mankind. Jesus taught them, and on one occasion the people took up stones and were about to stone him for it. When he said, “Many good works have I showed you from my Father, for which of those works do ye stone me?” He had done many good works, taught them many good things, and for this they were about to stone him. The Latter-day Saints could with propriety address themselves in like manner to the world, but more especially to our own nation. We have done many good things, have tried to do no harm, have suffered the spoilation of our goods without retaliation, have been driven from place to place. Our Prophets and leaders have been slain, and you still persecute us, and are not satisfied. For which of the good works we have done do ye these things? I know they will say, “for your good works we do not hate or persecute you, but for your blasphemy, and because you say you are the people of God.” This was about what the Jews said to Jesus, but it did not change the fact that he had told them the truth, or that he had done the many good works among them which he did, nor that it was for these they hated and crucified him. What did the Savior or his disciples do to injure mankind? Nothing. But much to benefit them; yet they were hated, persecuted, hunted and destroyed. What have the Latter-day Saints done to injure anybody? Absolutely nothing, but a great deal to benefit humanity. I am at the defiance of the world to prove to the contrary. We have gathered our people by thousands out of poverty and distress from many nations to these valleys where they are now enjoying good homes, the sweets of liberty and plenty. Aside from religion, that is an inestimable blessing to them. But we have also taught them good principles and doctrines, and they are happy, honest, industrious and prosperous.

We have labored diligently to advance in the scale of intelligence. Our schools compare favorably with any in our broad land; our children are as intelligent, and we are the pioneers of true and enlightened civilization in the Western States and Territories. Through our industry and enterprise, cities, towns and villages have sprung up in the wilderness, and the deserts and waste places have been made fruitful and to blossom as the rose. Can there be any wrong in all this? “But,” says one, “it is not for this you are persecuted, it is for your religion.” What, then, in the name of reason, is there in our religion that we should be persecuted for it? Is it because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? The Christian world also profess belief in him, and we believe in him as much as they do and a little more. Is it because we believe it is necessary to repent of sin? Certainly we have a right to do this. Is it because we baptize for the remission of sin? Christ commanded it, and laid it down as the law. Then what can it be that so distinguishes us from the people of the world, and that moves their hatred toward us? Is it revelation from God to man? Perhaps so.

Some forty years ago, the great cry against Joseph Smith was “He believes in revelation!” and this was considered a crime. But very soon after, others who were not “Mormons” commenced to have “revelations,” and seemingly the stream has so enlarged that today the world is full of “revelation.” So our belief in revelation is not now considered so much of a crime as formerly, and therefore it can be no longer the object of persecution, for we would have as good a right to persecute them, as they would to persecute us on that score. We do not believe in these “revelations” of the world, no more than they do in ours. We believe them to be bogus, but we are quite wil– ling that others should enjoy their opinions. We believe that while they have rejected the true light, they are found willing and ready to be thus deceived, by false and delusive spirits, just as the Prophets have foretold would be the case. (See 1 Tim., 4th chap., 1st verse, and 2 Tim. iii, 1). The revelations given through Joseph Smith are full of light, knowledge and wisdom, because they emanated from God. What has Spiritualism done for the world? Can it boast of bringing life and immortality to light? I have yet to learn that a single principle has been developed from this source that will save mankind, or exalt them to the presence and glory of God. Yet they have a right to their convictions, and we grant it cordially. We have the same right.

But says one, “You have dodged the main question; it is polygamy that causes all the trouble!”

This is the mind of our enemies generally, yet nothing can be more fallacious; those who assert this only expose their ignorance. The fact is that since the announcement and practice of that principle by this people, their persecutions have been comparatively trivial and harmless to what they were, before it was even known to themselves.

But the plural marriage of the “Mormons” now seems to form one of the strongest pretexts for the bitterness of our enemies, and the thoughtless readily fall into the ranks of the maligners of this principle. Did they ever stop to reflect as to what harm this principle and practice has done? Let me ask the ladies in this vast audience, Have any of you, or do you know of any woman who has been compelled to practice polygamy among this people? Or who has been compelled even to marry at all? I think not. Has plural marriage deprived any woman of a home, of husband or children? Has it promoted immorality or vice? No, it has not. Has it sown the seeds of corruption and death among the people? On the contrary it has promoted healthy, robust and vigorous increase, and the laws of life and health. Can the Elders of this Church be accused of going to the Gentiles for their wives and daughters? No, for we think we have better ones at home, we have not the least occasion to go abroad. So far as relates to this matter we are independent of the world. We are willing to let them and theirs alone, and mind our own business, while we respectfully request them also to attend to their own affairs.

The real facts are, the Latter-day Saints have embraced the unpopular doctrine of Jesus Christ, have received the keys of the Holy Priesthood—heaven’s delegated authority to man, and are not ashamed of the gospel, knowing it to be the power of God unto salvation. Hence the Devil is enraged, and although they will not believe it, this professedly pious, hypocritical world are moved with hatred towards the work and the people of God, instigated by the spirit of him whose servants they are. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”

They predict our downfall, but they will not live to see their predictions fulfilled. The wicked may rage and imagine they can successfully measure arms with the Almighty, but he will hold them in derision and laugh when their fear cometh, while the kingdom of God will continue to progress until his purposes are consummated as has been decreed.

It is vain for the world to hope that “Mormonism” will die with President Brigham Young. When the Prophet Joseph Smith was assassinated the press and pulpit universally joined in predicting the end of “Mormonism.” But instead of their being any truth in their predictions, “The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church;” for the church grew as fast as it had ever done before, and it took deeper and firmer root. Men were no longer dependent upon the Prophet, the man of God to guide them; they began to stand upon their own foundation, to seek more earnestly after God themselves, and to know for themselves, and not to be dependent upon the voice of man. Hence they grew in faith and in power, the truth sinking deeper into the hearts of the people who remained true to the Lord, and they a comparative handful, have succeeded in building up the church as it exists today in these valleys. Are we now going to be scattered to the four winds because one or two distinguished men should pass away? No, the seed has fallen into good ground, and it will germinate and mature; the priesthood itself is still with us, the authority is here, and in obedience to the command of God, we will continue to go forth and organize and establish the kingdom, never more to be thrown down or given to another people, until all is consummated and finished. This is the work of God, and not of man. Man is incompetent to direct and manage it. He will not suffer man to arrogate to himself the honor of doing it. The honor belongs to him and he will take it to himself.

This is my faith in the Gospel. It fills my soul with joy and gratitude to God my heavenly Father, and I desire to increase in the truth, to become better, more faithful and diligent in overcoming every weakness, that I may be worthy to stand in the position I occupy in the Church of the living God. This is the way we should all feel; and we should, above all other considerations, be determined to cleave to the gospel, building our faith upon the rock, not upon the arm of flesh. Let us humble ourselves before God, seek unto him continually with prayerful hearts, be diligent in the observance of our covenants, and he will bear us off triumphant over every opposing foe and every power that undertakes to measure arms with him and his cause. This is my testimony, and this is my exhortation to the Latter-day Saints. I pray God to bless his people, and to bless his servant brother Taylor, who stands at the head of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who now preside over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the earth. May the Lord bless him, prolong his life and give him power and wisdom to stand in his place and calling and to magnify the priesthood conferred upon him; may his brethren stand with him in one solid phalanx, united as one man, even as God the Father and Jesus and the heavenly hosts are one, and I tell you the whole people will be united and rejoice in the truth. That God may bless the faithful everywhere and enable them to keep sacred the covenants they have made with him, is my earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Wilford Woodruff, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 16, 1877.

It is with much pleasure and satisfaction I again stand before the Saints of God in this Tabernacle. A year nearly has passed since I enjoyed this privilege, my labors having been directed elsewhere. Whatever I may say to you depends entirely upon the dictation of the Holy Spirit. And I may say that we all need the inspiration of the Almighty to dictate us, whether we preach or listen, and not only in our public gatherings but in all of our labors connected with the building up of the kingdom of God, yes, just as much as the Saints of God did in every past age and dispensation.

I can truly say as the Apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” I am not ashamed of what the world is pleased to call “Mormonism;” I am not ashamed of any revelation that God has given unto the Latter-day Saints, through the mouth of modern Prophets; I am not ashamed to acknowledge myself a firm believer in the literal fulfillment of the Bible, as well as every communication of God to man, although I am well aware that the Scriptures have been more or less spiritualized by the whole Christian world, especially during the last hundred years. I believe that holy men of old wrote and spoke as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and that they meant what they said and said what they meant, and that the Apostle Paul spoke truly when he said, “that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.” The Lord has taught us in a modern revelation contained in this book, the “Doctrine and Covenants,” that it matters not whether he speaks from heaven by his own voice, or by the ministration of angels, or by the mouth of his servants when they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost, it is all the same, the mind and will of God; and although the heavens and the earth pass away, my words would not fall unfulfilled.

I desire more particularly to address myself, this afternoon, to the Latter-day Saints; and at the same time if any of the strangers present can receive any benefit from my re– marks, I shall be glad of it.

Our position, today, before the heavens and the earth and before each other, reminds me of days that are past and gone. On the 20th of July, 1847, I brought our late President Young in my carriage through Emigration Canyon into this valley, which was the first time he set foot upon this land. The question has been often asked by strangers who visit our city, why did Brigham Young pick upon this spot to build a city? Because it was shown him before he came here. But when we came to this country, what did we find here? A barren desert as barren as the Desert of Sahara; and the only signs of life were a few black crickets, some coyote wolves, and a few poor wandering Indians. Today we may travel from Paris in the north of our Territory to St. George in the south, a distance of some 500 miles, and see on every hand towns and villages, gardens, and orchards, fields and crops; we behold a people industrious and happy, building their own dwelling houses, meetinghouses, schoolhouses, tabernacles and Temples, and improvements and enterprises are constantly going on. And all this within so short a time. What does this mean? What does it bespeak to the strangers who visit our Territory, and in fact to the whole world, and to heavenly as well as mortal beings? It is evidence that God has set his hand to fulfil the prediction contained in the Bible, that he has commenced the work of uniting the record or stick of Joseph with that of Judah; that the set time has come for him to favor Zion. And how have these things come to pass and what was the origin of this peculiar system that presents itself now to the inhabitants of the earth, which found a resting place in the wilds of this desolate, uninhabited land, and which has already produced such marvelous results? It was performed in a very singular manner, to begin with. As the Lord ever has done in attempting to establish his rule and government on the earth, he chose the weak things of the earth, and them he will use to confound the wisdom of the wise. He manifested himself to a boy in his teens, and also sent an angel to him on several occasions, in fulfillment of the revelation to John the Revelator, and of the inspired words of many other Prophets and Apostles who have spoken concerning the marvelous work and wonder of the latter days. But says the world, “We do not believe that.” We understand that perfectly well; we do not expect you to receive the Gospel of the Son of God with the same readiness that you believe the falsehoods and misrepresentations that are constantly made about it. The world ever has opposed it, and we expect to meet all manner of opposition until the final triumph of right over wrong, of truth over error. We might commence with father Adam and trace it down to the present time, and we would find that the same spirit of opposition and of persecution followed the people of God in every age, as exists today against us, as a people. And so natural is it for the devil to oppose every move that the Lord makes towards reclaiming and redeeming the earth, that men are often found to denounce the “Mormons” and their religion when they know nothing either of us or our tenets. The Savior of the world himself was denounced as a deceiver, as an impostor; why? Because those who raised this cry against him knew him not, and those who reechoed it took not the trouble to ascertain whether it was true or false. And it has been precisely in the same way that the names of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young have been had for evil by the masses of this enlightened age. The Savior said of those that rejected him, that he was hated by them because he testified of their works which were evil. And so verily it might be said of those who decry against the men who, in this respect, have not been more favored than their Master. Through them light has dawned upon the world, and because men choose darkness rather than light, their deeds being evil, they find their opposite in “Mormonism,” and in all those who faithfully adhere to it and advocate it.

Through this boy, inexperienced and unlearned as he was, the Lord organized this Church on the 6th day of April, 1830, with only six members; and it can be said of him as of no other man in Christendom, that he was the instrument in the hands of God of presenting to the world a system of religion, a Church organization complete with all the keys and powers of the Holy Priesthood, and that through him has been imparted to the religious world more light and knowledge than all the professors of religion combined, with all their boasted intelligence and learning. And when he published to the world this new yet old doctrine, even the everlasting Gospel, it was found to agree precisely with that taught by the Savior, and the Church organization was after the same pattern as the one instituted by Him, although the Gospel had not been preached since it was driven away from the earth by the iron hand of persecution. One of the peculiar features in the faith of the Latter-day Saints is that we believe there is but one Gospel, that there never has been nor never will be any other, and that that Gospel never changes from one generation to another, and that it consists of the simple principles taught by the Savior and contained in the New Testament, which principles never deviate one from another. The first was faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; the second was baptism in water by immersion for the remission of sins, and then the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost; and this was the kind of doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles, and this was the doctrine that Joseph Smith preached. In doing so he stood alone in the world, and he had to meet the traditions of eighteen hundred years, traditions which had been handed down from generation to generation, which were entirely opposed to the doctrine which the Lord had revealed to him, and which he was commanded to preach. You and I were taught from our youth that there was no such thing as new revelation, it was all done away; and this same tradition is being imbibed by the youth of Christendom to the present time. Ask the ministers, the men to whom people look as their spiritual guides, why they do not enjoy the gifts and graces and the light of revelation from heaven, and what is the universal reply? It is in substance, “Oh, these things are all done away, they are no longer needed; it was necessary that they should exist in the dark ages of the world but not in these days of the blaze of Gospel light.” Whenever God had a Church upon the earth these gifts were enjoyed by the people. The sick were healed of their sickness, the lame were made to walk, the blind to see, the dumb to speak, etc., through the administrations of those among them who held the Priesthood, which authorizes men to act in the name of the Lord; and without it no man ever did or ever can officiate in the ordinances of the House of God. And I cannot believe that there is an honest-hearted man anywhere who possesses any portion of the spirit of the Lord, and who has any faith in the revelations of God, who can believe that men, whether of high or humble birth, learned or unlearned, would be divinely called to minister in the things of God, unless they were endowed from on high with the same power that the ancient Apostles possessed.

Well, the Prophet Joseph Smith lived fourteen years after he had organized the Church; and during that time the work spread over the United States, and to some of the foreign nations and islands of the sea. And when he had done this, he had a mission the other side of the veil, as well as this. Here again we widely differ from other religious denominations. As I before intimated, the world of mankind do not comprehend “Mormonism;” the people are as ignorant of the Gospel today as Nicodemus was when he inquired of the Savior what he should do to be saved. And I will here say that the answer which Jesus made him in that early day is strictly applicable to all who are now seeking the same information. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And no man from Father Adam to the present time ever understood the principles of the Gospel, unless he received the testimony of Jesus through obedience thereto.

We are living in the dispensation which Daniel saw in prophetic vision, when the kingdom of God was to be established upon the earth, whose dominion is to have no end, and when the greatness of the kingdom is to be given to the Saints of the Most High, to possess it forever and ever. Who are the Saints of God, I may ask? Every honest soul who on hearing the Gospel preached, receives it and obeys it, and uses his energies to consummate its establishment upon the earth.

The Prophet Joseph was moved upon by divine inspiration in the establishment of this Church. And before his death he called the Twelve Apostles together, whom he had called to the ministry by revelation, intimating that he was going to leave them, that he would shortly be called home to rest. And he talked with them and instructed them for weeks and months in the ordinances and laws of the Gospel; and he sealed upon their heads all the Priesthood, keys and powers that had been conferred upon him by the angels of God. And then, in addressing them he said, “Brethren, no matter what becomes of me, or what my fate may be, you have got to round up your shoulders and bear off this kingdom; the God of heaven requires it at your hands. I have desired,” said he, “to see the Temple completed, but I shall not be spared to see it, but you will.” Although he spoke so plainly to us, intimating that his end drew near, we could no more get it into our hearts that he was going to be martyred, any more than the Apostles could comprehend the meaning of the Savior when he told them he was going away, and that if he did not leave them, the Comforter could not come. When the Messiah was crucified his followers felt sorrowful and disappointed, because they expected him to release them and their nation from the Romish yoke. And so helpless did they feel themselves when denied his society, that even Peter, the first among the Apostles, proposed that they return to their nets, that instead of pursuing the high calling of “fishers of men,” that they again become common fishermen. They comprehended not the words of the Savior to them. But after his death, he appeared to them, and they began to understand then what he had previously told them. We did not understand either what Joseph meant when he told us he was going to be taken away. But so it was, and when it came, we knew too well his meaning, for sorrow and gloom rested upon all Israel. The question may be asked, Why was this necessary? There may be more than one reason; one, however, is, the dispensation already ushered in is the dispensation of the fullness of times; and like preceding ones, the men who have been called upon to open them up, had to seal their testimony with their blood, Joseph had to do the same. But those who took his life, and those who assented to it, will have to pay the bill. He held the keys of the Priesthood, and had a work to perform in the spirit world, as Jesus had. When he was put to death, and while his body lay in the tomb, he went to the spirit world to introduce the Gospel to the spirits there, that they might have the opportunity of either receiving or rejecting it, and be judged according to men in the flesh. And it will be the privilege of every son and daughter of Adam, sometime of their life, either in the body or in the spirit, to hear the glad tidings of great joy proclaimed to them, for God is just and is no respecter of persons. Joseph, then, standing at the head of this dispensation holds the keys of the Priesthood pertaining to this time, and it was a duty that the God of heaven required of him to open up the Gospel to those in the spirit world who had not received it. And there is no greater duty resting upon the Latter-day Saints today than that of building Temples, and officiating therein for the dead as well as the living. Said Paul, in support of this doctrine, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” There is no doubt or obscurity in the minds of the Latter-day Saints respecting this principle, it has been made plain unto our understanding by the light of revelation. The Adversary, well knowing the nature and importance of the mission of this Prophet of God, put it into the hearts of wicked men to kill him, and in taking his life they thought they were putting an end to “Mormonism.” They reasoned from their human standpoint, for such might have been the case if this work were the creation of man. But the hand of God was over him and the work that he established, and it is his work and he directs it, and those who want to find fault with it, or any part of it, should enter complaint against God, for he is its Author; we are merely the instruments in his hands in carrying it on.

After the martyrdom of our beloved Prophet, the Twelve Apostles stepped forward, in the magnitude of their calling, and assumed the Presidency of the Church, and, as a Quorum, they led it, with President Young as President of that Quorum, for several years before there was an organization of the First Presidency; and when this organization was effected, with Brigham Young as President of the Church, he continued to preside for the space of thirty-three years, until the time of his death, notwithstanding the combined efforts of the Adversary and wicked men to destroy him from off the earth. His works are before you; they are before the heavens and the earth, and all men. The entire Territory bears marks of his genius and enterprise; and the Lord certainly crowned his labors with success, as he has blessed the labors of his brethren who have not spared their hands or their hearts in assisting him. And instead of the work of the latter day stopping, or its progress being retarded in consequence of the death of our beloved President, it will move forward with accelerated speed, until Zion arises in beauty, and power, and dominion, in fulfillment of the inspired words of Prophets and Seers who have spoken, and who, while wrapt in heavenly vision, saw our day.

It cannot be a very great while before many of us will follow him. I have traveled with him for some forty-four years of my life, and during those years I have never known him to waver or flinch in the performance of his duties. He has performed an honorable mission to earth, and while his body sleeps his spirit lives, and he continues his labors, strengthening the hands of Joseph, and Hyrum, and Jedediah, and Heber, and George A., and all those who have been true and faithful to God and to man while upon the earth, who are now engaged in the same great cause of redemption and salvation. Although President Young has finished his earthly career and mission to this earth, the work has only commenced. The Gospel must be thoroughly and faithfully preached to every nation under heaven, and the Lord holds us responsible, for verily the trust has been imposed upon us, and it behooves us to see to it. I have traveled more or less for the last forty years, without purse or scrip, and I have been sustained by the hand of the Lord, and so have my brethren. Our Elders who are called constantly from the plow and the workshops to go forth into the world and preach the Gospel, traveling from place to place on foot, without purse or scrip, and although they are not trained in colleges or seminaries of learning, yet they are sustained and enabled to cope with the learned and wise, and the honest in heart receive their testimony, which is accompanied by the Spirit of God, and the Holy Ghost.

Before I close, I want to say one thing to the Latter-day Saints, which is resting upon my mind. President Young having now passed away, his labors with us have ceased for the present. He, with his brethren, built and completed one Temple, also laid the foundation for one at Manti and one at Logan, and besides a great deal of work has been done on the one in this city. He left this unfinished work for us to carry on to completion; and it is our duty to rise up and build these Temples. I look upon this portion of our ministry as a mission of as much importance as preaching to the living; the dead will hear the voice of the servants of God in the spirit world, and they cannot come forth in the morning of the resurrection, unless certain ordinances are performed, for and in their behalf, in Temples built to the name of God. It takes just as much to save a dead man as a living man. For the last eighteen hundred years, the people that have lived and passed away never heard the voice of an inspired man, never heard a Gospel sermon, until they entered the spirit world. Somebody has got to redeem them, by performing such ordinances for them in the flesh as they cannot attend to themselves in the spirit, and in order that this work may be done, we must have Temples in which to do it; and what I wish to say to you, my brethren and sisters, is that the God of heaven requires us to rise up and build them, that the work of redemption may be hastened. Our reward will meet us when we go behind the veil.

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.”

We have labored in the St. George Temple since January, and we have done all we could there; and the Lord has stirred up our minds, and many things have been revealed to us concerning the dead. President Young has said to us, and it is verily so, if the dead could they would speak in language loud as ten thousand thunders, calling upon the servants of God to rise up and build Temples, magnify their calling and redeem their dead. This doubtless sounds strange to those present who believe not the faith and doctrine of the Latter-day Saints; but when we get to the spirit world we will find out that all that God has revealed is true. We will find, too, that everything there is reality, and that God has a body, parts and passions, and the erroneous ideas that exist now with regard to him will have passed away. I feel to say little else to the Latter-day Saints wherever and whenever I have the opportunity of speaking to them, than to call upon them to build these Temples now under way, to hurry them up to completion. The dead will be after you, they will seek after you as they have after us in St. George. They called upon us, knowing that we held the keys and power to redeem them.

I will here say, before closing, that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, “You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.” These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart, from the fact, I suppose, that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives. I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.

I have felt to rejoice exceedingly in this work of redeeming the dead. I do not wonder at President Young saying he felt moved upon to call upon the Latter-day Saints to hurry up the building of these Temples. He felt the importance of the work; but now he has gone, it rests with us to continue it, and God will bless our labors and we will have joy therein. This is a preparation necessary for the second advent of the Savior; and when we shall have built the Temples now contemplated, we will then begin to see the necessity of building others, for in proportion to the diligence of our labors in this direction, will we comprehend the extent of the work to be done, and the present is only a beginning. When the Savior comes, a thousand years will be devoted to this work of redemption; and Temples will appear all over this land of Joseph—North and South America—and also in Europe and elsewhere; and all the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth who received not the Gospel in the flesh, must be officiated for in the Temples of God, before the Savior can present the kingdom to the Father, saying, “It is finished.”

May God continue to bless us, and guide and direct our labors, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.