Show kiv yiv V arse by eider ild elder er orson adee REPORTED BY HIMSELF it is with much pleasure that I 1 arise this morning to address you my brethren and sisters and I 1 hope to have your undivided attention and to share liberally the benefits of your prayers drayers my aly object is to enlighten your understandings and to strengthen your faith so far as I 1 may be able the responsibility of a public speaker in this church is truly great especially when his official standing and character are of such a nature as to give to his words a weight and an importance commensurate with the high position which mie hie efte fie may be called to occupy tile the husbandman is ever desirous to procure I 1 the very best qualities and kinds of seeds to plant and sow in the earth one principal reason is is he must himself eat of the products of the he seeds that lie he plants and sows bows so also aho the speaker that plants certain principles in the hearts of his audience must himself eat the fruits thereof sooner or later ana and it should be our aim IQ avoid planting any principle in the hearts of our hearer hearers s the fruits of which would set our teeth on edge or of s shed upon us an inglorious reputation therefore tile be fruits of any principle true or false inculcated by me will as naturally and as necessarily fall to my lot as the he seeds of any grain or plant when ripe will fall back into the earth from whence it sprung truth therefore is my delight and if I 1 know and understand myself I 1 have no delight in any thing else truth came from god as a precious is a and ho he who possesses it possesses a property that may be attracted with its possessor to the great source and fountain of truth even to god himself true it is that we are here in the valleys of the mountains for the word of god and for the testimony of jesus christ and it is also true that af after ter bein robbed and plundered of our worldly fortunes because of the hatred of an unbelieving world excited against again us because of our religion we are exiles here today to day having been denied citizenship in the states from which we came our prophets have been cruelty martyred marty mariy red in cold blood under the pil plighted I 1 cited faith aith f of a great state f for or t their air protection from all unlawful molestation we have seen how low much such promised protection was ivas worth in the days of joseph and hyrum and would it be worth any more now rather trust in in the god of heaven in these mountains than in an any such rotten promises that may be made only to beguile us and deliver us up to ignominious death the woman spoken of by john the revelator as being driven or fleeing into lato the wilderness after having brought forth the manchild man child is said to be the church by our wise wisa orthodox ortho ox commentators upon holy wiit writ beetso be it so the latter datter day saints fled from the face of the serpent monster into this vast wilderness and desert and it appears gf ars the serpent cast out a flood of water from frona his is mouth to destroy the he woman thia this is 13 highly figurative language yet is 13 there any one present who can favor us with a bettel solution a the matter than the waters or troops which the united states are now sending here to destroy deai deri troy us god grant that the earth and the heavens also may help the woman plausible may be bg the pretenses pretense of these troops yet if their real object is not to persecute every man and woman that will stand by the prophets and servants of god and uphold them then I 1 do not read correctly the manifestation manifestations 3 to me how far they may be able to carry out their plans time will determine oace once however a man put forth his hand band to steady the ark of god it reeled to and fro it was in a cart drawn by oxen probably it might have p pleased I 1 eased buzzah better if f it had been put into I 1 a stately carriage drawn by two or four fine steeds but he te ventured to put forth his hand band to steady the ark of god and was smitten of god at once for his bis presumptuous interference with the affairs of the he great I 1 AM 1 I suppose there are seeming irregularities in the affairs of utah that uncle sam does not like tind find ha he puts forth his ins hand in the shape of an army to right up and steady the ark of god As the book of mormon has been baen brought to the he notice of congress by a quotation from its L ages lages respecting a man roan having but one wife uness un commanded of god to have eore more more and though such command has been bea b ben ea given to the litter day yet I 1 omit comment thereon at thia this time and proceed to give another quotation from the s same v ne book which appears to have a bearing upon be present aspect of almars aff are jirs airs tbt rd d european edition page 28 tile the prophet nephi in vision saw the vast multitudes of me men upon the face of 02 this ibis land ameria amerla arm Ara erLa arid and said that t there 11 ewe ere were V e r e ave eave s two churches only tae tire one is the church of the lamb of god and the other is the ha church churell of the he devil and choso whoso belo beio ngeth not to the church of the lamb of god belo beio ngeth to that great church which is the mother 0 of abominations and the whore of all the barth earth and it came to pass that I 1 lot loi locked ked and beheld tile thee whore of all the earth and she sat upon many w vv aters and she had dominion over all the earth am among on all nations kindreds tongues and people and it came to pass that I 1 beheld the church of G god and its numbers were few because of the wickedness and d abominations of the hie whore who sat upon many waters nevertheless I 1 believe that mat the ilia chinch of the lamb who were fhe the saints were aso also upon all the face of the he earth and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small because oc of the tile wickedness wic kenness of ho the great whore V whom hom I 1 saw and it cam came to pass bass as that I 1 beheld hat that lle lie he great mother of af abominations did gather together multitudes upon the file face of all the earth among all the he nations of the Gentile gentiles 3 to fight against the lamb of god 11 and it came to pasi that 1 I nephi beheld tha tho power of the lamb of god that it descended upon the th e Saint bof the church of the lamb and upon the covenant people of the lord 7 hofere scatter scattered 1 ed upon all the face of the he t ea earth anaa and they were armed with righteous righteousness ou aness and with the power of god in great glory arld arid and it came to pass that I 1 beheld that the wrath of god was poured out upon the great and abominable church insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth and as there began to be wars and rumors tumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations the angel spoke unto me saying behold the wrath of god is upon the mother of harlots and behold thou seest all these things and when the day cometh that the wrath of god is poured out dut upon ua mil the mother of harlots which is the great and abominable church of all the earth whose foundation is the devil then at that day the work of the father shall commence in in preparing the way for the fulfilling il ling of his colenan covenants ts which whick he hath bath made to his p people eop le who are of the house of israel in view of the entime sentiment nt contained in the foregoing for e go il quotation I 1 am led to believe that whatever ev er ranch branch b rf the great reat and abominable church shall lead the ivay way to fight against the lamb of gadwill god will have a greater task jask to perform thad than they are aware of it is not merely a little handful f ul of latter day saints that they have to contend with eith but it is with all the celestial powers this s however they do riot not believe and consequently quen liy lly ly like the unthinking horse they rush to the onset what a direct heating healing I 1 the foregoing quotation has apoll upon the present signs of the times it is as correct aret as thou though b he was lifting the history of the past Is not wa this an evidence of its truth scenes are ars rolling on in tha the very wery rack frack of the prophecy and while our eyes see let us fear god and be grateful to his big name nam e while our enemies having eyes see not but boldly rush on to destruction I 1 I 1 feel disposed to bring to your notice other s sayings akings C of f ancient and a also aiso so of modern times t touching c uchi n the events of these days the book of mormon in a dozen places fells tells fe ils the harden fate of 0 the gentile nations if they shall barden bardell their hearts against this work when it shall be brought to their knowledge and rid also the fate of every one that shall fight against it or its followers so I 1 will not detain derain cu with quotations upon this subject you all know them or ought to read the book of mormon in he the month of december 1833 soon after the saints troubles began in jackson county count mo the prophet joseph had a revelation from t the tha e lord rr respecting the sainta saints there in which he be says saye let them importune at the feet of he be judge for protection and redress and if be heed beed them not net let them importune at the feet of the tha governor and if the governor heed til fil them not ot let lei thiem importune at the feet of the tile president and if the tha president heed hed them not then will the he lord arise and come forth out oat ou of lis his hid bid hiding ing place and in bis his fury vex ex the nation and in his big hot displeasure and in in bis his fierce anwer anger in his time will cut eui off tuse those wicked unfaithful ua and unjust stewards and appoint them their portion among hypocrites h 0 rl tes and nd un believers even in in outer dat darkness where there is weeping and wailing and ashing gnashing gu of teeth pray ye therefore that their heir ears may be open to your cries cris that I 1 may be merciful unto hem them that these thase things my may not come upon them what I 1 have haze eald eaid unto you y ou must murt peeds deeds be that all men may be left without excuse that wise men 1 and ard rulers may hear aud and know that thit which they have never considered that I 1 may proceed to bring to pass my act my rile strange act and perform ray work my ray strange work that me men i n t may map discern in between the tha righteous and the wicked mar saith your god did the saints importune at the feet not of the judge and md of the governor ye yes they did in 41 all ali I 1 bu humility milty and sincerity what was the resul about the same as if you were to importune with the thief and robber robben to protect you from abusch and restore to you the stolen treasure they heeded not the thle petition then importunity was wag made at the feet of the president not only in in writing but als ais also aiso 0 by the prophet joseph in person rqn arid and what did this thi tha g avail it elicited this an giwer your cause is is just but we can do nothing for fon cpr you sovereignties Sovereign ties must manage their heir own affairs congress nor the executive can caa interfere ter SQ S the P resident es ident heeded them not now Z when will the oe lords loras time lime come to 0 o vex the nations nat ioas ac it ie is not for hor me to say eay yet it would v ouid be a time timp very opportune when the nation shall begin to dictate to an organised organized zed sed stata state sat or territory in patters of their own internal policy and municipal regulations when we were in distress dist ress tess and ald trouble the nation had llad no power 16 help us but when ws we attempt to help ourselves and sad to rid oun our oun our community of lying and corrupt men 12 jhen then ell eli the nation can send her armies against us well weil bs belt it so it is all 0 light and will hasten the of the mighty image of chad nezzar zar and the power that fais fails upon this chis atene will be broken and the ha stone rejected by the builders bu liders will become the head of the he corner AS joseph smith has hag sealed hh lils testimony i ino rno dy with W hib ith his blood bloods his nt if is now bf offeree boreo and I 1 wl will I 1 quote u lote again frola fro ra a revelation given through him on fishing rive eiver r mo june 25 1834 there fore it is expedient in me that mine mide mi re eiders elders should j season fox for the redemption of zion for I 1 do not require at their hands to fight the battles of zion for for as 1 I said in a former corg commandment mand man dment men mea even evea so will I 1 fulwil fulfil t r will fiali fight your v J batti a Although here is a great and precious promise yet do not suppose that we are to sit down io lri idleness or indifference and share this promise but remember th this i S common benso bensa homemade home made raade scripture god I 1 helps those hose who help heip thema selves therefore let us neglect no duty oil our part but be ready not only for the he powers I 1 of this world and the pow powers ers 0 ot darkness but for the day of judgment ja dment and eternal glory in the mansions of our god ik if at armies ft flom on tile the eist and anufrom from fhe tha west vogt ar are ara approaching our territory to offer protection and add reino removal V ai t to 0 all ail who wish if ifandy liani t to ide lae oae o ae deal deai afo out ui bath death and anin coall the balance the hand of the lord is is in in it he will send gend forth his angels and gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and that do i iniquity n he may use any beings that he h has as made or that he pleases and call them his angels or messengers the devil himself is an angel of 0 god but a fallen one again the presen preset die ice ce of an armed force will vilh prove to ourselves fo god and angels which wa we possess the most of the fear of god or the f eab fear of man we are commanded to fear not them that can kill the body bod and after tha that have no more that they can do but we are required to fear him who is able to destroy both soul and ind body in hell heli be but there is one scripture which says when the enemy shall come in like a flood the spirit of the lord shall lift tip up a standard against him he will make the wrath of man to toji raise him and the remainder of wrath he be will restrain we have all got to die at some time and why should we object to the time or tho tha manner if we are right before the lord and in the discharge of our duty it matters not when or how we go hence I 1 will venture here to relate an open vision vision had by br stephen bl farnsworth of pleasant grove utah county while he was residing in nauvoo previous to iha the death of the prophets joseph and hyrum some may possibly think and say it was manufactured for this occasion but there are many here under the sound of my voice who heard br F relate the vision years ago I 1 will tell it as correctly as my memory will allow ma me in the spring of lf 1844 br farnsworth started out after dinner to go to work on the temple as usual sun shone as he walked along down parley street towards the place of 0 his bis is labor when suddenly the shy sky became overcast and a drizzling rain danset set get in he stood amazed and saw and excitement among the people about we the temple and a great excitement in the lower part of town he wondered what it could mean presently he be was told that tha the saints had to I 1 leave eave nauvoo and take a great journey to the west so great wes the journey thatis that it seemed almost impossible for him to perform it now ha he could see numerous trains of covered wagons and teams crossing the mississippi river aia ala and bending their course westward West waid wald as far as the he eye could reach he also hitched up and joined the |