Show REMARKS by president wilford woodruff at branville anville Or thoele tTo tooele oele stake ca conference fe noe 17 monday fonday morning july wah th 1889 BY A WINTER I 1 am very much pleased at the report we have heard from the if eident and bishops of this stake of zion I 1 do not know of any stake thai we have visited that has given as good a report considering an all things as has this stake of zion I 1 that you are united for union is what the lord requires of the latter day saints and if we are aro not otone bojde we cannot be counted agthe a the lords among otner things I 1 am very much gratified at the report con our young people I 1 have 1 I 1 may say aay peculiar fo feelings elings with re gaad to the rising generation in these mountains 1 reflect a great deal deed concerning them and what lies J before ore them the organizations among the young people are of vast IMD importance Ortance and the lord has greatly bleared these organizations in rals rais ingup ing up men who have been inspired to labor in connection therewith ailese associations have proved a bl earing in years that are past and they wy are a blessing today here are am the primaries our sisters or ube the children together in tsetse societies this is the first atop after they leave as it were the and teaching of the mother the fathers sometimes teach them I 1 suppose but as a role we regard the mother as the ww gives shape to the character of 61 the child I 1 consider that the mother maber has a greater influence ever her posterity than any other poem can have and the question Jimi hob arisen sometimes when does begin our kroph ets have said when the spirit life from god enters into the tabernacle the condition of the mother at t that time will have its effect upon the fruit of her womb and from the birth of the child ana and all through life the teachings and the example of the mother govern and control in a great measure measure that child and her influence is felt by it through time and eternity our children go to the primaries there they are taught the first principles of the gospel and about the birth of christ this lays a foundation for them to build upon from the primaries they go to the sabbath schools we have a very large number of children over sixty thousand enrolled in the sabbath schools president george Q cannon has taken an active part in the organization and conducting of these schools he was inspired to do this and they have been a great blessing to this people from the sabbath schools these children go to the tee young ladies and young mens improvement associations there to continue improving themselves when we call for elders to go abroad on missions we almost invariably choose those who have graduated in this manner well I 1 will tell you some of my thoughts and feelings with regard to our young men and maidens of course I 1 know and you know kno w that this is the kingdom of god I 1 know that this is the great and last dispensation which the god of heaven ordained before this ibis world was created for I 1 believe that the almighty knew what he was going to do with this world before he made tt it he knew what kind of spirits were going to occupy it and what kind of work would have to be performed in order to save his sons and daughters who should come upon the earth and in reading the history of the dealings 0 god with men from om creation of the world to this dispensation we see the father has labored to bless bleas his masons sons and daughters he gave his only begotten eg otten son to die to redeem the world a sacrifice such as only god himself could give and in these last days he has commenced the organization of the great and last dispensation the greatest of all dispensations adam enoch moses and the prophets prophete saw our day they had before them the vision and revelation of this work and they prophesied concerning it now the lord has labored with us or nearly sixty years since the organization of this church it has grown like a little child from its mothers breast it has grown dikea like a mustard seed until it is becoming as a tree for the fowls of the air to lodge in the branches thereof its history has been very peculiar in some respects but it has laid the foundation for a great deal of faith in the minds of the honest and meek of the earth we have had bad a warfare right from the time when moroni first visited joseph smith before the latter received the plates lucifer and all his evil spirits have labored for the destruction of this work they labored to defeat if possible the going forth of the book of mormon the stick of joseph in the hands of ephraim joseph smith himself only fourteen years after the church was organic d was martyred marty red he had hi his blood shed as a testimony of the truth of his mission I 1 have traveled with joseph smith many hundred miles I 1 have also traveled with brigham young and the apostles aud and I 1 have never had any doubts with regard to the truth and final triumph of this work I 1 have none today I 1 hareno have no doubts about zion becoming all that the prophets saw it in its glory its power its dominion and strength with the power of god resting upon it in view of all these things the question which has arisen in my mind and which has caused me a good deal of thought is who is going to take this kingdom and bear it oft off unto whom is the lord going to look to take this kingdom in its final triumph and prepare it in its ite perfection and glory for the coming of the son of man to our sons and daughters it is these young men and maidens who dwell in these valleys of the mountains that have got to agule this responsibility upon their theira shoulders boulders this kingdom has got to rest when their fathers and elders have passed to the other side of the vall vail this is before me just as plain as the light of the sun in the firmament of heaven and when I 1 consider this I 1 ask aek myself what condition are our young men and women in are we as parents doing our duty to wards them are they trying to qualify themselves and preparing for the great destiny and work which lie before them I 1 think they are to a certain extent but when I 1 see any of these young men going astray and going to these saloons drinking and smoking instead of going to sabbath school and to meeting to qualify themselves I 1 feel sorry I 1 would regret to see any son or daughter of mine or of my neighbors going la astray lastrap because they would be losing great glory and depriving themselves of the privilege of stepping forth and taking the place of their fathers and of the prophets and apostles of god and filling the different quorums of the church they would be losing that which they do not comprehend when however I 1 hear a testimony like that given here today concerning our young people it gives me joy and consolation I 1 feel that it is our duty to do all that we can in behalf of these institutions in our midst it is the duty of the presidents the superintendents and the teachers to do all they can to influence our sons and daughters daughter sto to unite together andio and to qualify themselves by learning out of good books they should be taught to seek for the spirit of god and to treasure up wisdom and to obtain those principles of power which they will need in the day when the judgments of god shall descend upon the earth I 1 rejoice when I 1 see our young men and maidens trying to do their duty the lord is raising up young men who are being clothed upon with the spirit and power of god I 1 re rejoice joice in this I 1 am satisfied that they will increase but I 1 feel that they should be b taught and encouraged to qualify themselves to take the kingdom of god and bear it off on there is a great destiny awaiting our young men therefore they ought to be temperate not drink whisky not chew or smoke tobacco and not mingle with the drunken and it is the duty of those who are not married to take these daughters of zion to wife when they arrive at a proper age there are no better women on the face of the earth than those that dwell in these mountains of israel if there is any virtue anywhere it exists among the women that live in zion the same with the men our young ladies are virtuous their mothers are virtuous and their fathers are virtuous there may be exceptions but the lord has gathered together a people who are virtuous my feelings are that every young man in israel should get married when he arrives at a proper age it does not cost any man more to provide these girls with food and clothing after they are married than it does before it does not cost any more for yourselves but you are then prepared to begin to gather some means around you do not wait until you have about ten thousand dollars collm and have fine horses and carriages you will get them just as quickly after you are married and possibly quicker than you will before it is our duty to get married at the proper time it is the law of god therefore I 1 would like to see you young men take these daughters of zion to wife look at the posterity of abraham isaac and jacob and see bee how they spread throughout the whole world the tribe of judah has remained until this thip day but had they not been of the peed seed of abraham isaac and jacob and had they not been blessed by father jacob they would doubtless have been destroyed long before this the jews put to death the savior and his apostles and had they not been of the chosen seed they would never have been allowed to remain on the earth but they have remained almost almo 8 t undiminished mini shed in the midst of all the persecution and tribulation which they have had to suffer these are some of my feelings brethren and sisters with regard to our young men and maidens they occupy a position as I 1 have often said that no previous generation ever occupied many of these young men and ni maidens gidens that are here today will in my opinion if they are f faithful alth ful stand in the flesh when christ comes in the clouds of heaven these young people from the sabbath schools and from the mutual improvement associations will wid stand in the flesh while the judgments of the almighty sweep the nations of the earth as with a besom of destruction def in fulfillment of the revelations of god and they will be the very people whom god will bless and sustain therefore I 1 say our young men cannot begin too quickly to qualify themselves by treasuring up wisdom and calling upon god and getting the holy priesthood for they have got to stand in holy places while these judgments are poured out upon the earth the nations of the earth are rejecting the testimony which we bear they are rejecting the gospel of christ and these judgments of god like a few drops of rain before the shower are beginning to descend upon the earth we hearod hear of floods of fire earthquakes these are only the beginning of sorro WS we these judgments will increase and they will continue to increase until all that has been predicted by the prophets of god will come to pass upon the earth now brethren and sisters we are trying to prepare ourselves for exaltation al and eternal life we have received the holy priesthood there is no change to that priesthood it belongs to the celestial kingdom of our god it does not belong to the terrestrial nor to the kingdom if you and I 1 ever get into the celestial kingdom we have got to keep the law of that kingdom show me the law that a man keeps and I 1 will tell you where he is going we as latte rd saints have bave everything to enczur age us we have received the gospel of christ and the blessings thereof what did we know in re ard to god and salvation until the eird cord ord revealed himself who ever knew before the lord revealed it to us that a man could have his wives and his children with him in a the morning of the resurrection itt the family organization with him him 1 self at the head to lo dwell together for ever and ever I 1 have thought many a time that if I 1 labored until I 1 was as old as aleh and toy by that means could have my family dwell with me in glory in the eter i nal worlds it would pay me for all the pain and suffering I 1 could en durein this world and this toe is only one of the blessings that we aie promised unto us our young people should labor to 1 qualify themselves by reading the 1 revelations of god there is no nea time to waste in read reading ing novels read the bible the bo book ak of mor moi 1 mon the doctrine and Cove covenanted covenants nanto and the records which the lord ho has 1 given unto us and treasure up these them revelations and see what the lord has promised unto us we then treasure up something of worth to go us at one of our meetings a short time ago president cannon read the revelation contained in the doctrine and covenants with regard to what the lord said to orson hyde WM win E mcfellin Mc Me Lellin and other elders going out to preach the lord said sped BA ing through joseph smith sinith A and jad whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the be hoty 01 0 ay 7 ghost shall be scrip scripture tute shall be the will of the lord shall be the mind of the lord sha shall ll 11 be the wort word of the lord shall be the voice of the lord and the power of god unto salvation why is this because the holy ghost is one of the godhead awl and consequently when a man speaks by the holy ghost it is the word wold ot of the lord we should seek to ob tain this spirit that it may be with us af 3 all the ti time m e and be become co me a principle of revelation to us it to IS the right of every man in the church to enjoy the presence of the holy ehst brethren and sisters we are iv ing in a fast age and we have no 10 time to waste this is if a 9 time when the lord is going to cut his work short in righteousness I 1 have a desire that we as a people shan shall un an der stand the position that we oan py before the lord in the 1 section of the doctrine and cove nants the lord in speaking to fa joseph smith while in albie liberty jail says behold there are many called but few are chosen and why we axe they not chosen because their hearts are set so long much upon the things of this work boria rk a an and d as aspire pire to the h honors 0 U 0 rs of me men ink th U they do not learn this one lesson that the rights of the Prie priesthood i are inseparably connected with aft powers of heaven and that tt 0 powers of heaven cannot be aw trolled strolled nor handled only upon dw th principles of righteousness P J in kirtland kertland a number of aba 1 quorum of the twelve apostatized why did they ey angat aize because they forsook thelmi they stopped praying they w wante to get rich they sou sought ht for ti honors of men and for the e rich the world and not nitwit I 1 they were apostles their power fell from frola them afa if a man wishes to keep faithful he has got to live near unto the lord remember his prayers sod and realize that he is at work for the lord and for his kingdom I 1 thank god that you are united here I 1 hope you will continue to be so go do not quarrel over anything it makes me sorrowful when I 1 hear of men holding the priesthood wanting to go to law because they have not got sufficient water this is wrong it is against the law of god when we are united we have power with god and with each other I 1 hope and pray that we may so live in these valleys of the mountains that every operation against us may come to naught nau I 1 ht and it will if we do our duty I 1 d do 0 not pretend to know how many tribulations or how much suffering we shall yet have to endure before zion to is established in her beauty and glory but I 1 do know that zion is not going to be moved out of her place geini the he lord however will chastise us until we become purified before him he will plead with his strong ones and what he has said mid concerning zion will come to pass I 1 hope that we may exercise wisdom in all things that we may |