Show REMARKS on the necessity of adhering to the priesthood in prefer preference enco to science and araby art by byrider nider elder wilford woodruff nowery bowery thursday april 9 0 BY J V LONG it is a pleasure to me and I 1 presume ii it I 1 is S coall the llie brethren who have lived in the midst of this people the rise and pro progress ress of this tilla church and kingdom to see t he the sons sous of the prophets stand before the people as they have this tilis day addy aud and hear their words while beir belr bearing hig mony rony of the work of god I 1 well reme member the tiie time that our young brethren who have addressed us were called ou on their missions and they in connection gith kith br grant br ellsworth and others met at my house one evening to receive their blessing under the hands of the twelve apostles when they had received their blessings they tiley were called upon to speak their feelings most of them I 1 suppose suppose for the t he first time in ili their lives true they had sarun aarun der the teachings of tila the servants of god from their iii infancy faricy when most of them had express ed their feelings relative to going on a mission to england br joseph A young said brethren I 1 will tell you my feelings when I 1 coms comic home we have heard from liim him since ha be came home his feelings have been expressed mu much ch to our pur edification that remark sounded well to me and truly it has been very edifying and interesting to me m a to hear the speeches which have been made by all the ilia young brethren since they have hafe returned the spirit they manifest shaws shows to rne ire rne that the blessing and spirit of their fathers are with them and I 1 that tiie the spirit of the most high is in them and that ere long they w i become alili 11 mighty aty men in israel and will have to bear off this kingdom and shoulder the care t ml n I 1 of it when ilien their fathers gre are resting sn in the grave or leaning loh lod on thel thir 0 staffs fo fordery for i very ery age i there is parley Pratt jun who has just spoken I 1 remember the day of liis his birth very wellbor weli well for his mother died the day he lie was born and aud I 1 attended lier her funeral I 1 now he lias has grown to be a man and I 1 rejoice to hear bear him bear testimony lony of tile the work of god in connection with the oher 0 her young brethren it does good to see them coming on oil to the stage of action fiction I 1 realize that tile the kingdom of our god of which we are members is only in its infancy although we look upon it as being great compan d with what it has been it commenced like h a small mustard seed but it has lias gradually increased until the birds begin to rod tod lode tode e in its branches and yet itis but small compared with what it is to be we llave had bad many symbols and figures presented to our mi minds to illustrate the growth and increase of the of god and I 1 will here say in id respect to its bein being I 1 like the comparison made by daniel it answers the tile figure very well only instead of it louing robill ro lill down hill it has come up hill hil linto into tho the to tops Es of tile the ingy incy mount ut ina ins and I 1 do hope and play pi ay that t it may continue to grow and increase in strength and ill in power that when it rolls down hill it may b go with mighty power and accelerated speed that if it ma bot pot not noi require so much toil labor and fatigue lo 10 carry catry Alie he kingdom from the mou isains as it did to bring it up I 1 have ua no fears in id regard to the increase of or this kingdom and ana I 1 may also add that I 1 never had any an only so far as concerned the weaknesses and fr frailties ail hll ties of marta mortality lity I 1 hope we may all purs nethe bethe course laid down for forus us by the servants of the lord for if we do this I 1 know that we shall be safe in this world and secure happiness and exaltation in in the world to come there aie ale are a few thoughts that I 1 wish to present to the congregation touching one principle that has been alluded to by the brethren namely in regard to following the instructions and counsels of those who lead us I 1 have reflected much upon this tirs subject and I 1 contend anat there is one upon principle p by which the lord leads liis his servants and if we are aro faithful they tiley will lead us in the way oc 0 life and in as us much as we have llave failla to be lieve in their instructions in tile the teachings of or tile the holy hoi hot y spirit through them we are always in the safe path and shall be sure of our reward you take a shepherd for instance and according carding ac to the ancient practice we learn that they always went forward and prepared the way so that there could be no noda danser iler ller iier in advance but what the tile shep shee held heid would learn of in time to save the sheep K R they are allowed to run by the shepherd the tile wolves are bre apt to catch them and destroy destros them f alid and the very moment that meir min in this king hing kingdom OT attempt to run ahead or cross cress the path of t their ar leader leaders no matter iu in what respect the binom moment 1 t they do this they are in danger of being guju injured e bv by the wolves this is a subject upon which I 1 have thought a great deal and I 1 have gained a little useful knowledge during my experience by watching the conduct of men and I 1 have never in my life known aitto i it to fail that when men went contrary to the counsel of their leaders neither in the days of joseph nor of br brigham but they tiey always alway s became entangled a and d suffered a loss by so doing now whatever I 1 might have obtained in the shape of learning by searching and study re spooling the arts and sciences of men whatever principles I 1 may have imbibed during my scientific entiL K researches yet if the prophet of god should 1 tell me that a certain principle or theory which I 1 might have learned was not true I 1 do not hot care what my ideas might have been I 1 should consider ismy duty at the suggestion of my file leader to bal abandon bai idon that principle or theory SUPPO supposing ShIg he lie were to say the principles by which you are goyer governed ned are ara not right that they were incorrect L wh what atwould would le be my duty I 1 answer that it would be my duty to lay those principles aside andio and to take up those that might be lud hud down by the servants 0 I 1 god I 1 have seen men in the days of joseph bring up principles and read and teach and advocate theories when the prophet would say ii it Is is not right to do so they tirey are not true those men would maintain their position and they would write in defence of their theories when the pro aliet ph et condemned them and they would say we have no faith ill in your theory nor iu in the system yon son present the very viry moment a mian man does that lie crosses J th edath of the servant of god who is set to lead the iho tho way to life and salvation this is one thing eliat the elders should carefully avoid the tha fact r is there are a great many mans things taught in the Y building up of this kingdom which seems strange to us being contrary to our traditions and are eatn to try me men br joseph used a great many methods nieth of testing the integrity of ann mn m n and he taught a great many things which in consequence of tradition required prayer faith and a testimony from the lord before they could be believed by to many of the saints his mind was opened by the visions of the almighty and the lord taught him many a things by vision aud and revelation tha that were never taught publicly in his day for the people fe t could buld not bear the flood of intelligence which god poured into his mind af how was it in that day in reference to man many y things that were taught and practiced practised 7 all was y not revealed at once but the lord showed the prophet a principle and the people acted acter upon it f ing to 0 o the light which they had all tile the 3 perfect ious lous and glory of it whis was not revealed a at t first but as fast as it was reve revealer revealed alea the people endeavored P deavo bored red to obey I 1 will bring up one thing which will show that the ibe position I 1 take is correct viz baptism for etlin the dead when that was first revealed we rejoin a 0 ciudin rm ci edin it and as soon as we had an opportunity we bp raif to be baptised baptized sed for our dead a man inan would be lie bubea sed sea for both male and female 1 the thi moment I 1 heard of it m my y soul leaped with ath J it was a subject in which I 1 felt dee deeply sted sied I 1 vent went forward and was baptised baptized sed for all relatives I 1 could think of both male and fer female nale as did others but afterward we obtained oba obain ined edmore more light upon the subject and president young taught the people that men should atte attend attena jid to those ordinances for the male portion of 0 f their dead friends and females for females this showed the he order in which those ordinances should be administered ministered inist ered which ordinances had before been revealed revea jed end ena shows us that we are in a school where we shall be constantly learning this revelation in ionn lonn connection edtion with the revelation and vision concerning the three glories gave me more joy and consolation than any revelation I 1 ever read and I 1 had a great desire to obey it I 1 was taught fr from i m my childhood that there was one heaven and one hell aud was told that tile the wicked all had ode one punishment and tile tiie righteous one glory that t tile tiie grey headed sinner who had spent his days in wick wickedness dil ss debauchery and murder would go to hell suffer ever torments and that the youth but sixteen 1 years of age aga who had not been religious would go to the same hell tell suffer the same kind kiad of torment and for the tiie same fame length of time and that jesus and the apostles and ail all men who had suffered death for the tiie testimony which they bore for the kingdom of god and the works of righteousness eor would have the same glory and no more than tile the presbyterian deacon in kentucky with his hundred negroes who had never made a sacrifice in his life but had been full of this worlds good goods but he was a professor of religion I 1 never did believe a word of this doctrine a day since I 1 was born and I 1 am sure that I 1 never did before and when wilen I 1 read the vision and was taught the principle of the baptism for the dead it enlightened my mind and gave me great joy joys it appeared to me that the tile god who revealed that principle unto man was wise just and true possessed both the best of attributes and good sense a and nd knowledge I 1 felt lie he was yas consistent with both love mercy justice an and d judgment and I 1 felt to love the lord more t than ian tan ever before in my life I 1 never was satisfied with thle the doctrine taught taugh by the tile sectarian world upon this subject in iny life and hence I 1 felt to say hallelujah when wilen the revelation came forth revealing to us baptism for the dead I 1 felt that we had a right to rejoice in in the blessings of heaven I 1 felt when wilen I 1 first learned of the justice of god iu in relation to hi b rewarding allmen according to their deeds that such a god was reasonable an id d I 1 felt I 1 could worship ip SU such ch a god and I 1 was justson just so when I 1 heard of a baptism for file the dead there are thousands and millions who never had the privilege of or being baptised baptized sed for themselves and hence never ought to be punished for not obeying a law which they never heard how did we feel when we first heard the living could be baptised baptized sed for the dead we all went to work at we had bad landwere and were baptised baptized sed for every body we could coula think of without respect to sex I 1 went and was ba baptised poised sed sel for all my friends grandin grandmothers others and aunts as well as those of the tile male sex but how was it why by and bye it was revealed through the tile servants of the lord that females should be baptised baptized sed for females and mates males for males but the full particulars of this order was not revealed till after the davs of joseph therefore this tilis shows an ad advance vanceL in the building up of the kingdom the gathering of israel and the warning of the natio nations ins irs of the earth you will see an advance in a great many things for the lord will open the mind of br briham 11 and lead him into many principles that pertain to the salvation of this peo people P e and we cannot close lose iose up our oar minds and r say y that hat we will go so far oar and no farther this we cannot do without jeopardising jeopardizing ising our standing before god W with ith regard to crossing the path of any man w who ho may be appointed to lead us I 1 will say we never should do it and I 1 do not care what our feelings and views may be upon the subject as far as our traditions and education is concerned if god has anything to reveal lie he will reveal it to that man who stands atthe head now here I 1 is the quorum of the twelve apostles we cannot bring fort forti a new revelation for the guidance of thi this 1 s people while the arst presidency are here for r thera er u is is 11 no 0 other plan no other system 1 by which to guide and govern men mai in this kingdom only that which has been established by the revelations of god in tile tiie order of his church and kingdom and that is for the head to lead counsel and govern in all dispensations in iq which the tho will of god is revealed to man I 1 wish to say a few words to the missionaries to those who are going joing abroad to preach the gospel of christ I 1 want to give you a word of exhortation Q and add counsel brethren that is whenever you are in doubt about any duty or work which you have to perform never proceed lo 10 do any thing until you go and labor in prayer and ge get t the tile holy spirit wherever tile the spirit dictates you to go or to do that will be right and by following its dictates you wil wll come out acht right we shall be brought to many places during our career in the ministry among the nations of the earth where we may consider a certain course of procedure to be right but if we do not know it will be better for us to go 0 before the lord and ask in faith that we ma may y be instructed in the way of life I 1 will take the liberty of saying that it is your privilege brethren to get the ml mind ki nd and w will j it of the lord in relation to your duties while abroad among the people and it isalio the privilege of the whole people who wiio are called israel to obtain the tha revelations of the holy spirit to guide them in every duty in life whatever position a man may stand in it is his privilege as a saint of god to enjoy this blessing and a man who understands himself will not move without the operations of that spirit to lead him brethren as the order of tile the day is short sermons I 1 will not detain you longer but I 1 will say that tint I 1 am happy to be with you and my soul does rejoice in the things of godfoy God for I 1 feel that I 1 have been fed in it my nik mind not only today to day but yesterday and all through the conference and I 1 do feel that tint we of all men have the greatest reason lo 10 rejoice for the lord has committed unto our hands the gospel of jesus christ the way of life and salvation we can cau walk into this ta tabernacle bernacle and our places of worship and slug sing and p pray ray and preach and praise the lord with none to molest us we call can plant and build and eat and inherit those things which god has fi given iven ivea us in peace and quietness for lor these things we should feel thankful and feel in our hearts to acknowledge the hand of god therein the truths and |