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Show WOMAN'S EXPONENT 7 My sisters, I commend you for your were declaring this message of glad the world, sending forth that mespast labors, and trust that the decliaing of life of be shall the best the Gospel should be preached that your days your sage in voice for that future the experience; your every land, in every clime, to every shall be heard in the way of admonition, nation, to every kindred, to every tongue, and in the effort to perform and establish to every people. ' in the souls of the younger generation When we shall see the results of these around the same heroic courage, the same ministrations, as husbands and wives, fixedness of purpose, the same determin- with our children encircling us, shall the ation that there shall be no failure so far husband say "This was my work;" or as your descendants are concerned. No shall the wife say "This was my work;" prouder thought can well up in the heart, or will we bay with each other, "This I am satisfied, of father and mother, than was our work; hand in hand in the midst the fact that my son and my daughter of tribulation we met the obligations has been a witness for this truth, that which God placed upon our shoulders, was sacred to me in my boyhood and my and we have fulfilled our part?" and side girlhood, and sent me from Scandinavia by side in the eternities I trust that we or from Germany, or from Italy, or from will be true and faithful and just to each France, or that sent me from England or other. Ireland, or Wales or Scotland, or that That the Lord may bless you, Sister from of me islands the the sea, Richards, bless you good sisters who are gathered from the native races of those lands, and ministering in this work, bless the grand beneath the fostering care of that estab- old lady who stands at the head of this lished organization that our Father sent work, in connection with her associates, into the world to regenerate mankind, who are ministering to the accomplishthat my children may be made witnesees ment of the same great purpose; and for that truth and be as heroic in the bless all the Saints, the daughters, the offerings they may make in its interests fathers and the mothers that have had ac was the girl who left father and part in the accomplishment of this work, mother to gather to this mountain home, that their names may be indeed registhat she might become indeed the savior tered in the Lamb's Book of Life, and of her race, or that boy who, abandoning when the book shall be opened it shall the fireside and the circle in which he there be enumerated "This man fulfilled moved, should be placed in the position his destiny," and this woman registered in future time that his race should through her name in the Lamb's Boak of Life, him receive the administration of the or- having fulfilled her part to the best of dinance of God's house, and the doorway her ability; this boy and this girl were be opened to them, that by and by when their devoted children, true to them in the names were counted up they would be the midst of their trials and tribulations, found among them, he having laid the and in their old age honored and blessed foundation stones upon which his race them for their ministrations." That Justice and peace and love may abound were compelled to build. My sisters and my brothers, words of among you, and that joy may ever be mine cannot give to you the feelings that yours, and that your names may be inexist in my heart as I stand before you deed registered in that Lamb's Book of I have nothing but blessings for Life, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. today. the mother's of Israel, for the women Amen. Sister Bathsheba W. Smith then adwhose hearts are big enough and broad the conference as follows: My dressed feed own little to her enough not only and sisters I have enjoyed brothers of and dear full justgood family circle, but so I ice and right that she is willing and ready myself very much at this meeting. brethren the what much said, liked for the to utilize that which comes to her very and I do not expect to say very much to of some less forcomfort and well-bein- g tunate being. May the spirit of this work you, or speak very loud, I don't think I ever remain with you; may the heroic can make half of you hear- I have not principles involved in it guide your lives. practiced speaking half as much as I May your children and your children's have doing the work, and John Henry children, as they come and go, call you has been telling you about what we used blessed. I speak of you as the best and to do., I have been a good worker, but noblest that can be found in the world, I have never practiced speaking very and I hope that your children will stand much, and I haven't got a voice 'to reach before the peoples of the world in the you all, I am afraid. I don't know where to begin, hardly, future, as I feel that I can stand before the people of the world today, and say but I believe I will begin with John "The best man I ever knew was my Henry's father coming and visiting us as own father; the best women I ever knew a missionary in Virginia, and 1 believed I lived his testimony; I believed what he said were my father's own wives." with all of them, for I was a waif in about Joseph the Prophet, his cousGod knows that they were in, and I have never changed my mind their midst. genuine women of worth, fulfilling their yet; and it has been strengthened many missions, undergoing their trials and car- times in various ways. I know that Jorying their responsibilities with heroic seph was a true prophet, and I knew it courage. And while I speak thus of them before I ever saw him. The Lord made manifest unto me that I knew he was a I would have your sons and your daughters speak of you as fathers and mothers true prophet, and that the Book of Morwith the same feeling and the same senti- mon was true, and that the Lord had ment that exists in my own breast in re- through Joseph Smith restored the Gosgard to their record, for I would have the pel in its purity, and that has helped me sons and daughters of Zion recognize the all my days. John Henry was talking pure spirit of that heroic body of women about sitting around the fireside. Somewhose hearts given to God, stood by the times we di Jn't have very much fire, but home, and held the home sacred, while a little ashes, perhaps. But I knew the their associates, their partners in life, Gospel was true, and I knew that my tid-ings- to - husband was a true servant of the Lord; and when he has been on missions, or whatever he had to do, it was all right if I could save a little something for him to eat when he returned home, why that was my pleasure, and my children the same way, and some of the time would have plenty, but I never had more than I have now. I have plenty to eat, and friends and home, and I am happy in my labors, but I like to work in the temple that seems to be my work. I had my endowments when the Prophet Joseph was alive, because I was George A. Smith's wife, and he was one of the twelve apostles; and there was just the Presidency of the Church and the twelve apostles, the presiding bishops and a few that received their endowments while the Prophet Joseph was living, or else we wouldn't know anything about it, or what the temples were for. I was in the Nauvoo temple from the first day to the last, nearly every day, as long as we worked there; and I have been in the Endowment House about seventeen years, working, and other places; the Manti and Logan temples I have worked in. and now I have been in the Salt Lake temple twelve years I have scarcely missed a day. I can say that today I ran away from my work, but it is baptism day, and I could arrange that pretty well so that the record will show all right. But I love the temple work, I love the work for the dead. Brother William Taylor was talking to me a little while ago about Joseph the Prophet being with his father, hiding up, just out of Nauvoo; and he said that they would have breakfast, go out into the woods, where they would stay almost all day; and while they were out there one day, he had a revelation on baptism for the dead, and the work in the temple, and when he was telling it to me he said, "I feel it now that, sacred, holy spirit." And I would urge you sisters to work in the temple as much as you can for your dead, and I am sure you will never be sorry for it. Never mind about riches and dress and the grand things of the earth, but try your best to do for your dead. Teach your children to love the Gospel your sons and your daughters so that they can have a testimony for themselves; every soul that is honest in heart may receive a testimony that they cannot deny. I was just reading yesterday some of the teachings of the Prophet Joseph to the Relief Society, and to the president and counselors, what they had to say to the sick and poor, and about them, and those that were wayward. It was not only to preach to them and provide for their wants, but they must know for themselves that Mormonism was true and love it. I had the good fortune to be at the organization of the Relief Society. There was only eighteen present, and I have the records which Sister Eliza Snow kept of those meetings; and they are all gone but myself every name that is there is gone; and I don't know what I am left for, but some good, I believe. At any rate, I pray God for health and strength to help my sisters, and encourage them to go on and perform their labors as the Prophet talked to us, to save our souls, and looking up the poor and the needy, and fill up our days in usefulness, and not |
