Show last days of oliver cowdery at a special conference at council bluffs iowa held on the day of october in ibe the year 1843 brother oliver cowdery one of the three important witnesses to the truth of the book of mormon and who bad had been absent from frota the church through disaffection for a number of years and had bad been engage engaged din in the practice of law was present and made the remarks here bere annexed br dr orson hyde presided at the said conference jar reuben miller now bishop of mill creek Ward was also present at the time and noted what hat he be said and has furnished us what he be believes to be a verbatim report of his remarks w which ich we take pleasure in laying before bur readers FRIENDS AND BRETHREN my name is cowdery oliver cowdery in the early history of this church I 1 stood identified with her and one in her councils true it is that the gifts and callings of god are without repentance not because I 1 was better than the rest of manxine roah roan Kind was I 1 called but to fulfill th the purposes of god he called me to a high and holy 0 ly calling 1 I wrote my own pen the entire book of mormon save a few pages as it fell from the lips of the prophet joseph smith as h he e translated it by the gift and power of god by the means of the arim and Thum mim or as it is called by that book cc holy interpreter interpreters 8 21 I 1 beheld with my mv eyes a and nd handled with my hands the gold plates from which it wab was transcribed I 1 also saw with my eyes and handled bandied with my hands the holy holy boly interpreters that book is true sidney rigdon did not riot write it air spaulding dri not write it I 1 wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the prophet it contains the everlasting gospel and came forth to the children of men in fulfillment fill ment of the revelations of john where he says he saw an angel come with the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation kindred tongue and people it contains principles of salvation and if you my hearers will walk by its light and obey its precepts you will be saved with an everlasting salvation in the kingdom of god on high Z brother hyde has just said that 1 it 1 is very important thai that we keep and walk in th the e tribe channel in order to avoid the sand bars this is true the channel is here the holy priesthood is here 1 cc I was present with joseph when an holy angel from god came down from heaven and conferred on us or restored the lesser or prie Priesthood a thoo dand and said to asat the same time that it should remain upon the earth while the earth stands 1 I was also present with joseph when the higher or Melchi meichi sedek priesthood was conferred by the holy angel from on high this priesthood we then conferred on each other by bv the will and commandment of god this priesthood as was then declared is also to remain upon the earth until the last remnant of time this holy priesthood or authority we then conferred upon many and is just as good and valid as though god bad done it in person 1 I laid my hands upon that man yes I 1 laid M my rj right g bt 1 hand upon his bis head bead pointing rg to rith b brother e r hyde and I 1 conferred upon him this priesthood and he beholds holds that priesthood now he wag waa also called through me roe by the prayer of faith falth an apostle of 0 the lord jesus christ in the early part of november following as abr br miller relates br hyde called a high council in in the tabernacle to consider the case of br cowdery ha having vint vini been cut ot oft by th the voice of a high council it was thought that if he was restored he should be restored by the voice of a similar body before this body br cowdery said brethren for a number of years I 1 have been separated from you I 1 now desire tc to come back baik I 1 wish to come humbly and tc to be one in your midst mint I 1 seek beek no stati station oi I 1 on only I 1 y wish to be identified with yo you 11 I 1 am out 0 of f the church I 1 am not a of khe the church but I 1 wish to become a member af it 1 r wish to come in at the door I 1 know he the door boor I 1 have not come here to seek precedence cd ce ence enee I 1 come humbly and throw myself upon lipon the he decisions of this body knowing as 1 I do that bat its decisions are right and an J should be obeyed 5 br dr geo W harris president of the council moved that br cowdery be received considerable discussion took place in relation to a certain letter which it was alleged br cowdery had bad written to david whitmer tiner br cowdery again rose and said sald if there be any person that has aught alight against me let him declare it my com coming g back and humbly asking to become a mem member b er through the door covers the whole ground I 1 acknowledge this aut authority hority bority 11 br dr hyde llyde moved that br oliver cowdery be received into the church by fay baptism sinT and that all old things be dropped and forgotten seconded and carried unanimously we are informed by eder phineas hyoung 12 who was present at his death that oliver cowdery died ili in richmond missouri at 4 ol 01 am march elder young says his last moments were spent in bearing testimony of the truth of the gospel revealed through joseph smith and the power of the holy priesthood which he had bad received throy his bis administration |