Show REMARKS MA R K S BY ELDER woid WILFORD WOODRUFF i DELIVERED at the semiannual semi annual conference of the church of jesus christ of latt latter r day dav saints fa in the new tabernacle salt lake elby eiby fro friday morning october ath 1874 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS a people hayd had bad a great deal of teaching g and counsel in our oun dagand day and aud g gen geu 7 cration I 1 bome some ot us ua have been taught in the of this kingdom for ov lorty years yearb I 1 and by thid this time we ought ough ein eil to exercise faith in the promises of god we yive have looked forward to the fulfillment of the revelations which have been given in all ages and dispensations which are past andigone and gone and we haye have not only expected their fulfillment but we have helped to fulfill a great many of them in the course of our lives lites this work is the work of godit god it is not the work vork of man the lord has set act his hand in hi these last days in fulfillment fill ment of revelation and prophecy and tho the promises premises which have been made for thousands of years past and gone concerning berning the earth and the dispensations thereof therbor ther eor I 1 will here say that all inspired Iv men from the days of father adam to the days of jesus had a view more or less of the great and last dispensation of the falness of times when the lord would act his hand to prepare the earth and a people for the coming of the son of man and a reign of righteousness one of the brethren was speaking he herm hemm re about the views entertained by some in the world who regard christianity and the work of god as a failure I 1 will say thattie that the work of the lord has bas never been a failure and it never will ilia ills purposes have to be accomplished in the eaith there is one thing true with regard to the me history and travels of the saints of god in every age of the world they have had to pass through trials tribulations and persecutions and haye baye had to contend with opposition and thi this swill will always bo their fate until the power of evil is overcome this is one of tha legacies that is designed from god to the saints while dwelling in the flesh among a world of devils for the world is bullot full fuli of them there are millions and millions all that were cast out of heaven they never die and they never lesve leste the thi earth but they dwell here and ano will continue to do so BO until satan la Is bonne bonna asa ass A a people we have to meet this warfare and tha iha sainta of god have had to contend with itin eveny every age of anaman any auy man who undertakes to serve god has to round up his shoulders and meet it and any man mancho who will not trust in god and abide in his cause even unto tanto death is not worthy of a place in the celestial kingdom said jesus 1 til III I have chosen you out of the w world orl ori d therefore the world hate bate you if you were of the world the tha world would love iove its owr own they have hated me they will hato hata you and if they persecute me they tey tex will persecute you this is the legacy which all saints may depend upon receiving true there thera has been a difference incela in the yago various s dispensations this Is ia the only dispensation that god has ever established that was foreordained fore ordained before the world was made ade not to be overcome by wicked men and devils all other dis sensations haye hate beci bell made war upon by the he inhabitants of the earth and the servants and saints of god have been mar ayrod this was the case with jesus and the apostles Ju ln their day tho lord gave that good old prophet enoch president of the zion of god who stood in the tho midst of his hla people three hundred and sixty five years a v view ew of the e ca earth h in its various dispensations P sa ions tons a showing owing him in that the time would come como c when h it would atwould grman groan an under tinder the wickedness blasphemy murders whore whom doms and abominations of its inhabitants the prophet asked the lord whether there would ever be a time when the earth should rest and tho the lord answered that la in the tho df tiou tion of the falness of times the arth 4 would fili 1111 the measure of Us its alays laye and nd then it would rest from wickedness and nd abominations for in that day he would mould establish hia his kingdom upon it to be 10 thrown down no moil more for ever then a reign of righteousness would commence and nd the honest and meek of the earth fould be gathered together to serre the lord ord and upon them would rest power to build luald up the great zion of god in the latter ter days these things were also shown to lo abraham and many others of the an clent lent servants of god bad glimpses of rhem rhea by vision revelation and the inspiration as of tho the spirit of god and wb what the they saw or an account of what they sambas been left on gly record this dispensation is one that all the patriarchs and prophets had their eye upon and the lord has his commenced it and has carried it on now for more than forty years since this church was organized with six members we hayd hava not altogether travelled on beds of casc ease we have fether tether bad had ad warfare and opposition from therom the commencement men cement until this day but we and the world may set our hearts at rest concerning mormonism for it will never cease until the lord jesus christ comes in the cloud of heaten beaten this nation and other natrona wll wil war with the saints of god until their cup cap la full fuli and when they become ripened in iniquity the lord lond al AI cut them off and alid the most high god will follow the testimony of 0 the elders eiders ders of israel this is the wy I 1 loo kupon it we are called upon todo to do our duty daty with regard ard to the subject which has been spoken of by brothers and cannon what js is this world I 1 would jike ike to known know what are the things of this ibis world what are houses housed and lands linds goods and chattels and the treasure treasures sos of the earth generally tons to us what nrc aro they to any saints of god compared with eternal life we should certainly be as well ottto unite ourselves and our interest together in the things of god as to be separate there have llave been toom too much selfishness and aud division man for himself among amongst jus and the devil for us all eternal life la Is worth moore more to h a saint of god than all things else eise tint nut boget tog eller elier ier in jact it is hc greatest great gift god ever gave to pi lianor man anor or that he can give diveto to him and whatever what ever eyer the lord requires at our hando laudo we should bo be ready to do individually and collectively As I 1 have often remarked la in my testimony from my youth up I 1 had a desire to live to fo see A people rise up in the earth and contend for the faith a ithon once c delivered to theBa the faints ints who would receive and teach the gospel of ichrist as it kvas ivas was wab taugh tenant tin lin in his day aay and aud generation when I 1 heard this gospel I 1 embraced embr aced aceA it the first sermon I 1 ever heard the spirit of q god od bore record to me that it was true and I 1 wept forth and was baptized for the remission of my sins I 1 received the laying on of hands and the lard I 1 gave gaye me the holy ghost and a testimony just the kameas same bame as he gave to you and to hundreds of thou sands of those who have obeyed the dos dod pel it was but a short time after embr embracing aIng the work that I 1 wash was called to go with my brethren a thousand miles for the redemption of zion I 1 went willingly for I 1 knew it was the work of god it was what I 1 had lidd sought for from the time I 1 was eight years old what I 1 had bad been taught in the presbyterian sunday school and what I 1 had bad read in the new testament in my fathers house from hat t time up I 1 had nad looked for these things and I 1 had a test testimony y that I 1 should live to see them and I 1 did and when I 1 embraced this gospel my hea heart rt was filled with joy and consolation consoli tion and as for this world if I 1 had the whole of it I 1 felt in those days as I 1 feel now it would not stand in in seeking for eternal life iwas I 1 vas was called to take my I 1 ilfe life fe in my hands and go up to missouri MIsso url uri and a little handful of us went up to redeem our bret brethren hrpA we certainly bad to goby go by faith my neighbors called upon and plead with me not to rosald they do dodou will lose your life I 1 said sald to them the if I 1 knew that I 1 should bevc a ball put through my heart the farat step I 1 took in the state of missouri I 1 would go I 1 went and I 1 didiot did not get shot neither did anhof the rest of us but we rui fui fulfilled olied ailed the commandment of god that is the way I 1 felt in those days with regard to the work of god and that Is the way I 1 feel today to day I 1 iam jam am after arter eal dal Tation and eternal life and I 1 do knot bot want anything to stana stanel between me and that which I 1 am iq in pursuit of it does not make any ani any difference what we as aa a peo pie pie may be called td pass through men can go no further than they arc nrc permitted by the lord I 1 have bave often remarked and I 1 repeat it your destiny desti py the destiny of this thia nation and the destiny destini of every king prince president statesman and ruler under heaven dro bre aro are in the hands of the god of israel he mada made the tho world and all its inhabitants and they can go po no farther than they are arc permitted if ourselves accord mg to the law of god we shall have barmore far more safety than if we turn away from the commandments of theford the lord and set our hearts upon the things of this world if we forget foet god we wd are liable to be scourged urged that is a my feeling this mom ing thu is the work 0 f G od the lord hab has set his hand to build up his kingdom and he will do it whatever the consequences may be laic whatever ver vcr the persecutions or difficulties his h 8 saints may be called to pass ass through the lord will never withdraw his hia hand for he decreed before the foundation of the tha world that li iti the dispensation pensa tion tiou of the tho falness of times hid kingdom should be set tip upon the earth never mom more to ue be e thrown down own the world has had its dispensa dispensations tidus we are at the end of the sixth thousand years and we are bordering upon the coming of the son af man in the clouds of heaven with power and gi gleat eat glory to reward every mall mali man accordine accord lne ine to the deeds done in the body and wha whatever teven teyen the feel of tha tho world may way be hie the lord has de creed a woe upon that man tha t honse bonse that nation or that people that rejects the he testimony of his bis servants the lord says bays that he be will hold a controversy with the nations and judge the world with fire and sword and he will plead with all flesh and the slain blain of the lord will be many what if some of us do have to sacrifice our lives for the word of god and the testimony of jesus christ what of it what is a mans lre ire lire the whole world will die armies containing thou bands sands of men go forth for the honor of being killed in order to defend a king or a government Is it any worse to dio dlo dl for the word of god and the teb aeb testimony of jesus christ than thair to die serving the devil not IL a particle I 1 glory in my feelen feelings sat at the valiant spirit thit that is and has been manifested by the servants of the living god in the cause of truth and la in defence of tha the great latter iatter day work theford the lord neter raised up a better set of men and womer women since the world wa than nrc arc they who have embraced the gospel df jot jesus christ in these latter days they have the teai tedi testimony mony mouY of jesus 1 with them and they have been called to pass pais through many trials thus far in the history and progress of the work of god it is true that many hato hayo broken their covenants covenant ff and turned away fam from the lord and the reason reason reabon la Is that they stopped S er god and undertook to serve and that led them into darkness they tey re ejected the thing things of f the kingdom of hea bea nea pea ven and the spirit of god was taken from them and that ilass class of people in every age 6 of the world Is the darkest of rny any who ever breathe the breath pf af ilfe ille they iose lose all confidence in every principle 0 salvation an and d eternal life revealed to man ninn with rega d to our present position I 1 j want to kay tay that it is thermuty the ther duty of cf every saint of god in these theio valleys of abe ahe mountains to let his bis prayers pra yera ascend nd lpyd the mrs ears of the lord of gay and night la in the season thereof bere here ofin orin JW the family circie cirdie and in private pla pia places geo geb tor ton ibe the lord to busain ats his people lc 1 anil ap 3 zin shon min his proa promises ilses libes we wc are ard in dh dutt duty y bound toi tor fulfill ours and lord vord vill not fall fail now any more lhand hall hail driy dily other time he jle did not fall fd the days bf jesus christ no a bit of 0 it IL jesus beaus was poon poor r and from the manger tp to the crois cro i spent a hig his w whole we to la the deepest poverty summering suffering ding ring and he descended below all things that thai her hee might rise abote above all and we are told that ho had bad not money enough to pay hib aib taxes to cear ceasar and had to send peter to catch V ft flail fish to I 1 get t money for that purpose 11 he 10 WAS was P poor P ta ar ili ill all ail tho way through thir ough bis illa clife ife ja s it any worse for you jou or ne or any y 9 thees theiS din gln t of god to suffer peni penk persecution cutlo I 1 wyretta etty etuy or trials tor iov bidic grent great trader gries Vries president ident Rede redeemer eider elner eing king ana and savior who Is golub to come in the clouds pt p heaven lo 10 not a particle As eomy of conr brethren have bald sald id there I 1 is a need foru foresto sto re lapent repent and humble 0 purs gitt before the lord nors od oui our god that wa we may have hare and enjoy abre more of the holy spirit to prepare ti ps for that which lies iles before beford ta us 1 it asbur duty to unite torether rether to as A people 1 our oar temporal salvation lica ires ilij itt hl and a we should not be backward la in this matter we should not only preach it babe hui bui be also beady ready to practise it a as leaders and as people all at should in carrying tarrying out that which is required of us As in an in ti vIdual I 1 hm jaa but bot afraid ot of starving to death I 1 never uever was afraid of that in my lin and I 1 have travelled Cd a great many thousand niles miles to preach th the gospel without woney money yand and without price and to 0 o have havo many maily orpy of my brethren mhd ire are around me and alio wr we never starved started fu 0 dc th chand and we do not expect to the or it Is ai that thai everything we have hate here heie in these valleys of rif the mountains this ahls tabernacle this tompie tempie these public goun grounds gaad asad abad abd ail all the citie g id and towns that hate have been heen built ovder sur buc hundred territory haq are the oft gift of god to us the lord knows t this a country was barren enough when we wb came here and i a faithful people were tried here bere with cricket and grass hopper wars until famine stared them in the face lut int but ohey they trusted lq iq god and they did not get disappointed si oar biyers prayers should bohld go up day and night in tri behalf of 0 oui our Pes res resident ident and end abd tbd presidency whom god has sustained from the beginning and also for the leaders of the anning people pie |