Show I 1 copyright HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH MARCH 1642 sunday 20 I 1 preached to a large assembly in the grove near the tho temple on the west the body of a deceased child of mr windsor F P lyon being before the assembly changed my des agn in lit tha iha order of my remarks a brief synopsis of ff which was reported by elde eide wilford VY goodruff ca follows president smith read the chapter of revelations giat elat ions lons and said we have again the warning voke toke sounded in our midst which shows theun certainty of human life and in my leisure moments I 1 bave have ave meditated upon the subject and asked the question why it is that infant infants innocent children are taken away from us especially those that seem to be te veo most intelligent and inter tinga and the strongest reasons that present themselves thema elves elres lo 10 my mind are these this world is a try very vry wicked world and it is a proverb that the world grows weaker and wiser if it is esthe the ease case the world grows more wicked and corrupt in the early ages of tiie the world a righteous man and a man mail of god and of intelligence had a better chance te to do good to be believed and received than ihan at the present day but in these days such a man trian Is L much opposed and persecuted by most of the tho inhabitants odthe of the earth and he has much sor to pass through here the lord takes many away iway even in infancy that they may escape the onvy envy of man and tile the sorrows and evils of this present resent world they were too pure too lovely to F live ive lve on earth therefore if rightly couble considered in in tead stead of mourning we have hare reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil and wo we shall soon have them again what chance is there for infidelity when we are parting with our friends almost daily none nona at all 1 he infidel will grasp at every straw draw for help until death stares him in the tile face race and then his lii infidelity takes its flight for the realities of the ibe eternal world are resting testing upon him in mighty power and when every earthly support and prop fails him he then sensibly feels tile the eternal truths of the immortality of the tile soul we should take warning and not wait walt for the deathbed to repent as we see the infant taken away by death so may the youth and middle aged as well as the I 1 infant be e suddenly called into eternity let this I 1 then caen prove as a warning to all not to procrastinate repentance or wait till a deathbed for it is the will of ged god that man should repent and serve him in health and in tile tho strength and power of va lis mind in order to secure his blessing ble bie saing and not riot wait until lie he is called to die also the doctrine of baptizing children or inkling sprinkling pr them or they must wel wei welter terin in hell is a doctrine not dot true not supported in holy writ and I 1 is not the character of god all children are red redeemed emed by the ibe blood of jesus christ and the moment that children leave this world they are taken to the bosom bonom boi bos bosom om of abraham the enly only difre difference rence bet between een the old and 3 ou oung rig dying is one lives longer in heaven leaven and sterral liht light and glory than the other ablis aad and is freed a little sooner from this mi erakle wicked world notwithstanding landing all this glory we for a moment lose sight cf of it and mourn the los lose but we do not mourn us those without hope intention was to on subject of baptism but having a case of death before BB as I 1 thought proper to refer to that subject I 1 will now however say a few words upon baptism as I 1 intended god has made certain decrees which are fixed and immovable for instance god set the bun BUS the moon and the stars in the heaven heavens 1 and gave them their laws conditions and bounds which they ca cannot annot pass pas except by his hia commandments they all move in perfect harmony in their sphere and order and are as lights wonders and signs unto us the sea tea also has las its bounds which it cannot pass god has det ret many signs on the arth earth es well weil as in the heavens for instance tile the oak of the forest the fruit of the fhe tree the tha herb of tha field all bear a sj sign pi that seed hath bath been planted there for it is a decree of the lord that tery every tree plant and herb bearing beating seed should bring forth of its kind and cannot come forth after any other lawor law or principle upon the tha same principle do I 1 contend that baptism is a agn f agn or cainer of god for fur the tiie believer in christ to take upon himself ia lia order to enter into the kingdom of god for except ye are born torn of water and of the tha spirit 50 ye cannot enter into the kingdom af god 11 said taid the savior it Is a sign and a com earn maan raan ament dment which god has set for man to enter kita aito his king kirg kingdom dom thosa who seek beek to enter in any other other way will seek in rin vin for god ivil vi 1 l not receive them deither w 11 II 11 the angels acknowledge veir works as ai for they have not obeyed lm t 9 ordinances ngn nor non ath att attended to the signs signi which god ordel ordal ordained ned for the salvation sal att ration vatron of 0 an to prepare lun tun lor for and give him a to a ce lecial il glory lory and god had decreed that all who wil fal n nou ngu t 0 ev ey ija I 1 is tivice shail not lot rot escape the dini nin fin in what la Is the damnation of heil hell 1 1 I a 0 go w u ith tit society wh wha bave have nel nei net eyed hs i in lon lun ion iam caption is iba laa a ign sign la goj god to angels and lo 10 hol hot he enthat in that we do the wil will of 0 god and there ii 13 no other ether way beneath tle the heavens whereby god hatli balli 0 for n an to come to birn bird to be saved su vetland and the ki fiig gom orn of c bcd ence pt falth faith faithan in I 1 jesus christ repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and aud any other course is in vain then you have the tha promise of the gift of the holy ghost what is the sign cf of the healing of tile the sick the laying an on of hands ia is the sign or dav way marked out by james and tho iho custom of th the e ancient saints as ordered by the lord and ve we cannot obtain the blessing by pursuing any other course except the way marked out by the lord what if wo we should attempt to get the gift of the holy ghost through any other il ieans means except the sins signs or way which god hath bath appointed should we obtain it certainly not rot all other mean won would id fail fall the lord sass says d do 0 I 1 so a and lid iid so und I 1 will bless you there are certain key words and signs belonging I 1 jo 0 o the priesthood which must b bi observed in order to obtain tile tha blessing the sign eign of peter was to repent and be baptized for the remi remission ision of sins ith the promise of the gift of the holy ghost and in ja no other way 1 is the gift of the holy I 1 ghost obtained I 1 I 1 there is a difference between the holy voly ghost and the gift of the holy ghost cornelius received the bioly ghost before ho he was baptized which was wan the convincing power of god unto him of the truth of the gospel but hs be could not receive the gift gif of the holy ghost until after ho be was baptized had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him tile tiie holy ghost which convinced him of the truth of god would hate have let iet him until he be obeyed obeyed these ordin arlees artees and received the gift of t the e holy ghost by the laying on of hands bands according to the order of god lie he could not have healed heated tle the sick or commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man and it obey him for the spirits might say eay unto him as they did to the sons of sceva seeva paul we know and jesus we know but who are ye it matt mattere ereth tb not whether we live long or short on the earth after we come to a knowledge of these principles and obey them unto the end I 1 know that all ail aa men will be damned if it they donot do not come in the way which he hath fiath opened and this is the way ma marked r ked out by the word of theford say that all men w will ill iii come from the grave as they lie lia down whether old or young there thera will not be added unto their stature me ore or oro e cubit neither taken from if it all will be raised by the power of god hav ng rg spirit in their bodies and not blood children wid wiil be enthroned in the presence of god and the lamb with bodies of the pai fat saino fame pame no stature that they had on earth bavin having beir been redeemed by the blood of or the lamb they vill will there enjoy the falness of that light glory and intelligence which is prepared in the celestial kingdom blessed are the dead who die in the lord for they rest from frow their labors and their works do follow them 19 tile the speaker before bedore closing called upon the tile assembly before him to humble themselves in faith before god and in mighty prayer and fasting to call upon the name of the lord until the el elements were purified over our heads and the he earth eart sanctified under our feet that the inhabitants of this city may escape the power of disease and pestilence and the destroyer that aideth upon tile the face of the earth and that the holy spirit of god may rest upon this tiu s vast multitude at the close of the meeting president smith to ordinance of baptism in the river near his house at 2 and at the appointed hour the bank of the mississippi was lined with a multitude of people and president joseph smith went into the river and baptized 80 persons for the remission of their sins and what added joy to the scene wa war that hat the first person baptized was mr L DT DV asson a nephew of mrs ro loemma emma smith the first of her kindred that have embraced the fatness of the tile gospel at the close of this interesting scene the administrator lifted up his hid hands towards heaven and implored the blessing of god to rest upon the people and truly the spirit of god did rest upon the multitude to the joy und and consolation of our hearts after baptism the congregation egna 1 a repaired te to the grove near the temple to attend to the ordinance ordin Ordil alce ance ance acce of confirmation and notwithstanding president smith had spoken in la ue the open opell air to the people and stood iu in the water and baptized about 80 persons about 50 of those baptized received confirmation under lis Us hands in m the after part pait of the day while this was progressing great numbers cambers were being baptized in tile tha font after thie I 1 baptized a it largo large number in the tha font myself A EPISTLE OF THE TWELVE TO TIM THC CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IN ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES AND conferences CONFERENCE 9 IN EUROPE GREETING beloved bre brethren threw we ve feel it our privilege ard a duty we owe to the great and glorious cause in wasch wisch we have enli ehli ted to communicate to you t this time some principles which if carried into effect wll will wil ll 11 greatly facilitate the tho gathering of the tile baino saino and tend to ameliorate the condition of those who are struggling with poverty and distress in this daythan day when the usual means of support seem ta to be cut short to 0 tie tle tie tia ti a laboring classes through tl thi depression that prevails in the i general business mart of the civil civilized zed world our situation is such in these last days our salvation spiritually is so connected with our salvation temporally that if one fail the other necessarily must be seriously affected if riot not wholly destroyed god has made mado us social beings ho he his bis endowed us with capacities for eri ell enjoying each others society and it is our duty to bring those powers and privileges into exercise so far as we call can obtain and for thisie this it is our duty to strive by all ail lawful and expedient measures within our reach while we remain in thu thes state stats of existence we need food and raiment habitation and society and without these our enjoyments enjoy ments must be greatly limited and the real object objector of our existence diminished if not choly dest destroyed roved though the saints should possess all alt the common gifts of the tile spirit of god and ard yet remain destitute of those comforts so much needed for the sustenance of their bodies they would bo be comparatively miserable but when they arrive at that state of perfection and are clothe clothed J upon with the more special gifts and power of increasing the widows oil and meal meat or of receiving their food from the tha ravens like elijah they will not need to bestow so much attention oil on every trifle of the passing momento moment as they now do and until that period arrives they will recollect that to belll be in the tha exercise of or the falness of spiritual blessings they tiley must ba be watch fill fril and careful to provide things honest bonest in the bight eight of all alt men mentor for the sustenance and comfort ot of these frail peris peti perishable liable shabie bodies that we may be lie instruments in the hands of god of thus pro moling your present and future temporal and spiritual welfare we writs write you ou at the present time many blany of you are desirous of emigrating to this country and many have not the means to accorn arconi if we call can assist you by our prayers kyers and our counsel to the desires of your hearts in this tiling so far we vv will lil ill rejoice and be satisfied you not only wish to emigrate to thia this section of the earth but you yop desire also atso to haye have some laudable means beaus of comfortable for table subsistence after you arrive here and illis aso also is important how ilow then shall these things and your souls be satisfied we answer ans yer by united understanding and concert of action you all or most of or you have trades or different kinds of business bu bd siness Biness to which you ou have been lorg jorg familiarized and in which you would like to continue for tiie tike ane purpose of procuring a subsistence and a great proportion of your occupation is such tuch that no employment can be had in this city or vicinity for instance there are no cotton manufactories manu factories established here and many of you know no other business you want to come here and when here want nant to continue your labors in your sour accustomed branches of business but you havo have no means to lo get here and when here there are no factories and yet factories factor ies iea are needed here and there would be ready market for all the fabrics which could be manufactured now comes the concert of or action if thee burell hurell will arise if the brethren will individually feel that the tha good work of the lord is depending on themselves as instruments to assist ill in carrying it forward and will unite fill bit their means faith and energy in ill one grand mass mas all that you desire can s speed eed ay iy be accomplished A short time only will elapse before you your serves serres will be astonished at the tho result and you wil will foel fael that your desires are more than realized while the saints paints are united no lie power on the earth or under the earth can prevail against them but bal while each one acts for himself many very many are in darger of bein beim overthrown god has promised all things to those who love him and keep his hi s commandments then why be afraid that one should get a littie litto more than another or that one should gain for a little tilde moment what adoth er might lee when jesus jebus has lipas promised that the faithful shall be one til ill him as he is one with the father and shall possess all things in the due time of the tho lord not net by stealth liot not by force not by the sword but by the gift of the tile father through faithful faithfulness ness |