| Show copy copyright rigia secured trl III HISTORY OF or JOSEPH JOSEFS SMITH OCTOBER 1843 president joseph smith related to the conference the detention of documents from justin but esq which were designed for the benefit of himself president smith but were noff ilof handed over for some three or four we eks greatly to t 0 his disadvantage also an indirect bestir testimony pony from missouri through the mother of ofin orin P rockwell that said and others had given information by letter of president smiths visit to dixon advising them to proceed d to that place and arrest him the there re he stated that i in consequence FonSe quene of those and other circumstances and his ablen ss to hin him as a counselor he did not wish to reta retain in i him in that station unless those difficulties could be removed but desired his salvation salvati on and expressed his willingness that he should re taina place among the saints elder alloh alandi W babbitt suggested the propriety briety ot 0 limiting the complaints and proofs to had transpired bince since the last conference Pies ples president preside ident joseph smith replied and showed the legality and propriety of a thorough investigation ti tr atlon without such limitation imitation elder eider sidney rigdon plead concerning the document from justin butterfield E esq sg that tilt he received it in answer to some inquiries which he had transmitted to him that he received it at a time when he hajwas was sick and unable to examine it did noe not know that it was designed for the perusal and benefit of president joseph smith that he had consequently ordered it to be laid aside where it remained until in I 1 inquired for by joseph smith ile he had never written to missouri concerning the visit of joseph smith to dixon and knew of no other parson having done so that concerning certain cerwin rumors of belll belligerent gernt operations under governor carlins administration he had related them not to alarm or disturb any one hut but that lie had the rumors from good authorities and supposed them well founded that lie he had never received but one communication from john C bennett and that of a business character except one addressed to him conj kintly i antly with elder orson pratt which li he ta ho handed hadded over to President smith that he had never written any letters to john C ben bennett nett the weather becoming inclement conference adjourned until sunday 10 a am in sunday ath 10 am conference assembled agreeably to adjournment sin singing king hing ging by the choir and prayer by elder lV william illiam IV phelps elder sidney rigdon resumed his plea of defence ile he related the circumstances of 0 his reception in the city of quincy after his escape from missouri the cause of his delay in not going to the city of washington on an express to which he had been appointed and closed with a moving appeal to president joseph se ih smith concerning their former friendship ta associations and sufferings and expressed his avill willingness griess to resign his place though with sorrowful and indescribable feelings during 0 this the sympathies of the congregation were highly excited eider elder aimon almon NV babbitt rela teda conversation he had had with esq johnson in which he exonerated elder sidney rigdon from the charge or suspicion of having havins had a treacherous correspondence with ex governor carlin president joseph smith arose and explained to we the conwee congee congregation gation gatlon the supposed treacherous correspondence with ex governor carlin and expressed entire lack of confidence in his integrity yand and steadfastness judging from their past intercourse president hyrum smith followed with remarks on the attribute of mercy in god as that by which he influences controls and conquers and the propriety and importance of the saints exercising the same attribute towards their fellows and especially towards their aged companion and fellow servant in the cause of truth and righteousness elder aimon almon IV babbitt and president william law followed with remarks in defence of elder sidney rigdon bigdon on motion by william marks and seconded by patriarch hyrum smith conference voted that elder sidney rigdon be permitted to reta retain i i n his bis station as counselor to the first president t president joseph smith arose and said 11 have thrown him off my shoulders and you have again put him on me you may carry him but aill I 1 will not X Sing singing irig Pra yerby william law taw daw kon Xon conference ference adjourned for one hour 3 pm conference assembled but in consequence of the incle incie inclemency of the weather business was postponed until monday mond y 10 clock am monday 10 ara ana am aro conference usen assembled led and resumed business f singing by the choir prayer by elder A cutler the business pertaining to the temple was then announced by thie the president as next in order elder Alp alphens alpheus helis hells cutler on the part of the temple committee represented the work of the temple to fo be retarded for want of teamwork and provisions also of iron steel blasting i powder and a nd clothing cloth cioth i ng giving as his opinion that the walls could easily be completed next season if these embarrassments embarrass ments were removed and the brethren would come forward to sustain them in the work with the means that were in their hands I 1 elder eider reynolds cahoon followed seconding the remarks of elder cutler and setting forth the thie importance of the saints using their utmost in ost exertions to fulfill fulfil the revelation n concerning the temple tempie earnestly exhorting the saints here and abroad to roll in the necessary means in into to the hands of the trustee that the worl work may advance with r rapidity a erdity president hyrum smith mith followed with pertinent remarks on the importance of the work the ease with which it might be advanced to its completion that it had already become a monument for the peaple people abroad to gaze on with astonishment tle lie concluded with some i advice to parents to restrain their children from vice and folly and employ them in some business of profit to themselves to the temple or elsewhere on motion by elder william law and sc so by president hyrum smith conference voted that we as a conference and individuals will use 01 11 the means exertions and influence in our power powe r to sustain the temple committee in advancing the work of the temple conference adjourned for one houra hour 2 pm conference assembled reassembled re and listened with profound attention to an impressive discourse from president joseph smith commemorative of the decease of james adams esq late of this city and an honorable worthy useful and esteemed member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints all men know that they must die and it is important that we should understand the reasons and causes of our exposure to the vicissitudes of life ilfe and of death and the designs des igns and purposes of god in our coming into the world our sufferings here and our departure hence what is the object of our coming into existence then dying and falling away to be here no more it is but reasonable to suppose that god would reveal something in reference to the matter and it is a subject we ought to study more than any other we ou ought p 11 ht to study it day and night for the world i is s ignorant in reference to their true condition and relation if we have any claim on our heavenly father for anything g it is for knowledge on this important su subject jec 1 could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of adam on the relation of man to god and angels in a future state we should know very little about it heading reading g th the tha e experience of others or the revelation div given e n to them can never give us vs a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to god knowledge of these hese things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances ot 0 god set forth for that purpose could you gaze into heaven five mf minutes you would know more than you would by reading all that iver ever even was written on he the subject we are only capable of comprehending that certain things exist which we may acquin acquire e by certain fixer fixed principles if men would acquire salvation they have got to be subject before they leave this world to certain rules and pr principles in which were fixed by an un unalterable altera bl e decree before the world was the disappointment of hopes and expectations at the resurrection would be indescribably dreadful the organization of the spiritual and heavenly worlds and of spiritual and heavenly beings was agreeable to the most perfect order anh and harmony their limits and bounds were fixed irrevocably and voluntarily subscribed t to 0 in their heavenly estate by theme themselves elves and was by our kurfirst first parents subscribed to upon the earth hence the importance of embracing and subscribing scribing to principles of eternal truth by all men upon the earth that ex expect act eternal life as f I 1 assure the saints that truth in reference ref trence to these matters can and may be known through the revelations of god in the way of his ordinances and in answer to prayer the hebrew church came unto the spirits of just men made perfect and unto an innumerable company bf 0 o angels unto god the father of all and to jesus christ the mediator of the new covenant what did they learn by coming to the spirits of just men made perfect perfect Is it written no what they learned learne has not been beel and could not have been written what object was gained by this communication with the spirits of the just it was the established order of the kingdom of god the keys of power and knowledge were with them to muni munica cate tc to the saints hence the importance of understanding the distinction between the spirits of the just and angels spirits can only he be revealed in flaming fire or glory angels have er their light and glory being and hence they appear in bodily shape the spirits of just men are made ministering servants to t those hose who are sealed unto life eternal and it is through thein them that the sealing power comes down patriarch adams is now one of the spirits of the just men made perfect and if revealed now must be re revealed veiled in fire and tiie tile the glory could not be endured jesus showed himself to his disciples and they thought it was his spirit and they were afraid to approach his mir spirit 4 angels have advanced higher in a knowledge g and nd power than spirits concerning brother james adams it should appear strange that so good and so great a manawas marij maril was hated the deceased ought never to have had an enemy but so it was wherever light shone it stirred up darkness truth and error good and evil cannot be reconciled judge adams had some soine enemies but such a roan ought not to have had one I 1 saw him hirst first at springfield field when on my way vay from missouri to washington he sought me out when a stran stranger er took me to his home encouraged and ch cheered me and gave me money he ife has been a most intimate friend I 1 anointed him to the patriarchal power to receive the kelsof keys of knowledge and power by revelation to himself he las has had revelations deviations concerning his departure and has gone to a more important work when men are p prepared re pared they are better off to go hence brother adams has gone to open tip up a more eyl effectual door for the dead the spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits enveloped in flaming fire they are arc not far from us and know and understand our thoughts feelings and motions and are often pained therewith flesh and blood cannot go there but flesh and bones quickened by tio the e spirit of god can it if we would be sober and watch in fasting and prayer god would sickness from our midst hasten the work of the temple renew ren ew your exertions to forward alithe work of the lour dour last ast days and walk before the lord in soberness and ana righteousness let the elders and saints do awa away X with light mindedness and be sober 5 such is a faint outline of the discourse of president joseph smith which was delivered j with his usual feeling and pathos and was listened to with the most profound and eager attention by the multitude who hung upon his instructions anxious to learn and pursue the path of eternal life I 1 after singing by the choir and prayer by the president conference adjourned sine die with the benediction of the president JOSEPH SMITH president GUSTAVUS HILLS clerk the missionaries to the society islands went on board the sh ship ti timoleon moleon captain at new beard bedford and got under weigh elder philip B lewis donated towards their passage and fit out elder knowlton F hanks health was very poor tuesday lorly 10 my brother hyrum was appointed hinted by the voice of the spirit one of the I 1 temple gemple temple tempie committee in place of judge elias ellas elias higbee I 1 deceased I 1 spent the day in council with J and 0 C skinner and the about the sale of land and appointed william clayton the property wednesday 11 I 1 was at home this in morning orn in the afternoon I 1 went with my brother hyrum william law and our ladies to brother john Ben bows bowls the following 11 is from the times and seasons ANCIENT RUINS every day adds fresh testimony to the already accumulated evidence on the authenticity of the book of mormon at the time that book was translated there was very little known about ruined cities and dilapidated buildings the general presumption was that no people possessing mope mom intelligence telli gence than our present race of indians had ever inhabited this continent and the accounts given in the book of mormon concerning large cities and civilized people having inhabited this land was generally general lv disbelieved and pronounced a humbug priest since then has thrown some light on this interest interesting inc inz subject stephens in bi his s incidents of travels in central america has thrown in a flyod flood of testimony and from the following statements it is evident that the book of mormon does not give a more extensive account of large and populous cities than those discoveries now demonstrate to be even in exist existence ec ce ed from the texas telegraph oct 11 li we have been informed by a gentleman who has traversed a large portion of the indian country of northern texas and the country lying ling between santa fe and the pacific that t there ere are vestiges of ancient cities and ruined castles or temples on the rio puerto puerco and on the colorado of the west he sayi saya that on one of the branches of the rio puerco a few days travel from santa fe there is an immense pi pile eie ile of ruins that to belon belong t to 0 an ancient tem temple tempie p ae portions the walls are still standing consisting of huge blocks of limestone regularly hewn and laid in cem cement ent the buildt building occupies an extent of lnore pore than an acre it is t tso 10 xo or three stories high has no roof but contains many rooms generally of a square form without windows lows and the lower rooms are so dark darl and gloomy that they resemble caverns rather than thal 1 the ahe apartments of an edifice built for a human habitation our informant did not give the style of architecture tec ture but he believes it could not be erected by spaniards or europeans E europeans uro as the stones are much worn by the rains and indicate that the building has stood many dundr hundred C d years year S from his description ve we are induced to believe that it resembles the ruins of palenque or he hesayo there are many similar ruins on the colorada Co lorada of the west which empties into the calif californian sea in one of the |
