Show JD kis Dis M S 0 dolse domsE 0 TT T T M S M BT ELDER wm WILFORD WOODRUFF 1 delivered in A a zake take assembly liall biall at the meet ih inifi ddn sunday dav day evening julg july REPORTED BY JOHN irvine i I 1 As this is the priesthood meeting of the tile elders of israel and those bearing the priesthood I 1 fedeli feel feell I 1 would like to say a few words in lif connection wi with th what brother taylor has said I 1 look upon our dur condition or our positional posit ionas lonas a people thai we are eai called led to a certain 1 work vork wig when eif eig we va send tend m men ed u upon P annii bisou mi sf sou J or t to ope perform any bran branch cn of ur oe labor of bf course we ex ek peet them then to perform it and the lord fjord expects them to do the same now I 1 look upon the tile elders of israel here ilac tonight to night and in this church and kingdom as u upon ion a mission we lve have havo been ordained to a mission and we have our to do it and to perform it not that I 1 know ei exactly li liow ilow ow many days or years we ive are go going in g to spend in it but buc this feis mission is required atour atoun at our hands not at th hands of brother taylor ibro oro ther joseph or brother bangham br bigham alone but it is required at our hands bands by the god of heaven beaven and we e afe aie are performing er forming a work and laying a foundation which we have got to meet on the tho vail vall itzoe it does docs bof make alik ally any difference to what position position we are called or ordained if if we are afe called lo 10 the ilic office of a bl bis bispo pj we e should fulfill fulfil the duties pertaining to that I 1 know it jt nas has lias been considered a very fit fil hard ard office and one to which a abood good tie tle deal deai at i of time hasto be devoted hotd jetther Yet there e afoa are a great many bishops who do dont nn spend much time 1 in it while others are true truo to their calling A bishops bishop calling g is an import important antone one hels heos heis called to tobe be fUher to the people of ot ills his wa ward rd and when a labor is laid upon us to perform wo we should not ignore that clabor orlay or lay it aside there is an account kepto whether we keep ona one or not there aro are a good many inan y revelations aich C h show us that this ai M the tiie case your history goes before you all of you will find it when you get the other side of the vail every mans history his acts are written whether hohas he has kept a record dhere here or not this is plainly manifested in the revelation known as the olive leaff leaf nas FAs I 1 view it we e are not placed hureas here aa elders of israel apostles or bishops merely to got get rich in gold and silver and the things of this world we have a labor laid upon unon upon our shoulders joseph smith had brigham young had bad the twelve apostles have we all have and we will be condemned if we do not fulfill fulfil it we lye will find it out dut when we get td edthe ilic tile other side of the vail it is through brough this neglect of duty that so blan bian man y llave have left this church and kingdom of god there is hardly a tithe tift of the people who have been been baptized baptised sed in water forthe for fon the remission of sin that thab have died in the faith ithe inthe Ii united states there are tens bf of apo apostate tate mormons cormons Mor mons many a time in my reflections I 1 have wished I 1 could fully comprehend li en ET the responsibility I 1 am un under der to god and the responsibility every iwan ihan man ia is under who bears the priesthood hoodin i n this th is generation gen oration bu t tell xou you pu brethren I 1 think our hearts are area much uch upon the things of this word arid we wie do not appreciate as hearing the holy priesthood in n should hould the mighty redo rego responsibility bilick we are under to god gid haq digh heaven at as well as to the earth I 1 think we are too far nar from the fjord I 1 do not think we live I 1 our religion as we ought to I 1 do our hearts are set up upon on building U up p th this i kinga kingdom 0 m as they should be as latter day saints now aw d do enot not hinkl am your enemy causel be I 1 tell you these things I 1 elfeel feel we have an import antwork to perform e rford and ind other will c continue on dri DZI he I 1 lwort when we ha have haxe ve passe passed I 1 1 I away T I 1 look aro around und and view trie work of time I 1 look around and annd VV that thab eight of the he twelve apos fies ties fles es have based into the world of vy s spirits brits came valley vailey AI expect qt to gothere go there my myself I 1 expect my aj we ajl aji alj p shall shail wali wail ego igo go theror years are over I 1 aado noe k for else eise and I 1 ill lii say sas hayhal tah L forthe alast last year or two ma kra era n n at that I 1 y q AL Q this thi earth if s but to sotir try to build lip up this wf aking kingdom donl doni that tam ram justified in JL L setting betting my heart things of i i this thih to any i n duty tb T pod god requires at my hands lcy iru iry anu huu thin thing g at twelve hundred millions of people who ewell in the flesh many of them ripening for the judgments of god a generation that is 13 ready read to receive the wrath of GL gad d upon their heads when I 1 consider these things I 1 know that if I 1 ne neglect leet to bear beav my testimony before them if I 1 neglect to bear my te to this generation t when I 1 have an opportunity I 1 shall feel sorry for itchen it when t r go into info the spirit world that is thel feel fedl with regard to this thid work god requires that we bear record of itao it to this generation and when I 1 think of the extent of this generation the fhe greatness af pf it when I 1 consider that wis this is a generation and dispensation when god hasset his hand hard to fo establish ti cablish blish bilah a h kingdom the great and last kingdom and the only kingdom that the lord lond ever even did establish in any age of th the e world j tt remain remakon on the earth through the millen lum when r think of these things T can realize the greatness of this work the lord never hever had md prophets many wany in any age of the world who could stand in the flesh and live and builds buildup p the kingdom of god the tho world has always made war upon them and destroyed them with the exception of ef enoch who was taken up to heaven ea v with his city eity row itow if jr we couii realize 7 that we have the kingdom f god upon pan the earth today to day with the promise of god our ours father that jhn t it will stay upon the earth until the coming g of the son of man nan if we could realize this and realize our responsibility jt ib seems to mathat me that thab we vb wo would all ail have haVea a desire to magnify our calling As awas L was going cosay to say with a generation like ilke this with the nations of or the earth as they are to day having the power to buildup build up the kingdom of god to stay here having the power to rean rear demples to td the til e most high god against the wrath and indignation of a thousand million people I 1 fay f say ay having this power and being sustained alneil by the lord we certainly ought tobe to be willing to do our part of itile the work we have borne testimony I 1 have my brethren hae have the elders ciders of israel have to this generation for many years we have borna testimony of the tho gospel gospe I 1 of jesus christ of the book boor of mormon and of the prophets prophet of god who have been raised up in this thi sour soun our oun own time and those testimonies will rise up in judgment against this generation and will condemn those who reject them this kingdom is in our hands to bear it off the god of heaven is with us he has sustained us he turns away the wrath of man he binds the hands of our enemies and breaks ev every ery cry weapon thatis that is formed against zion he has established his people in these I 1 valleys of the mountains I 1 I 1 would say pay to Tji bibb shops ops aps and to all men in authority we should have an interest in carrying on this work we should labor to get the s spirit of god it is our right our pr privilege and our duty to call upon t the he lord that the vision of our mind may be open opened so that we wo may see and understand der stand the day and age in which we are alc living it is your privilege and mine too to know the minu mind tn and d will of the lord con concerning berning bardu our duties and if we fail to seek after this we neg ivet to magnify our calli calling ng As brother taylor has said paid here we are at headquarters we are an for all the other stakes to look at we should not consider anything we are called to perform a labor anything we are called upon upun to do we should do with a will willi I 1 look back baek to the days of our early missions brother taylor brother brigham myself and others had to go our ways siek sick with fever ague and the power of death surrounding usi us had to leave our wives and children without food without raiment and go without purse purs e or scrip to preach the gospel we were commanded of god to do it and if we hadnot had not done it we should not have been here today to day but having done these thing things god has ble bie blessed ased us us he has sustained the faithful elders of bf this church and kingdom arld and he will continue to boso doso do so until iwo lwe we get through I 1 wanted to express my feeling iii iff relation to these matters I 1 reflect upon our position I 1 realize lize ilze that we have a testimony to bear andi and andl that hat bat we shall shail be held rens responsible nor for the tile manner in which we weper ceper perform formal our duties As apostles seven ties elders priests prie ats ac we are aid accountable to the high god if we do our duty then our skirts will be clean weare we are himen men upon the walls of zion it is our duty to warn the inhabitants of the earth of the things that are to 6 come and if they reject our testimony then their WeIr blood will be upon their own heads yhan TIP the judgment god ayr s t take the wicked they cannot say they have not been warned my aly garments and the garments of thou sands bf f oth others tirs are clean of the people of this generation as also the garments of joseph smith brigham young and those of the elders of israel who llave have died dlud in the faith we have borne our testimony and when the judgments of god come men meri cannot say they have not been warned I 1 eon bon consider sider gider our position before this generation is of vast importance to Us its and them I 1 do dol not pot want when cointo the espirit th spirit world to have hav e this generation rise up alp and condemn n me and say I 1 have not done my duty 4 there never was a generation like this there has never been a people like this there has 4 never been a work like this tinco fineo god made the world true there have been men who have preached the gospel but in eps of times the lord has set hhand fiand to establish his kingdom this is the tiie last at a t dispensation he has raised I 1 and women to carryon car carry carlyon ryon on dij his bis wi rk and aa I 1 have haye often hald eald many many mady of US have been beldin held beld in the spirit world from the organization A b of this world until the generation ge ner in which we live our live ilves have been hid with christ iii iff god arnd arid the desil hassou has sought to kill us from the day we were ere born until I 1 the pre present sen hour thour but the lord has preserved efred us he has given u us the priesthood he has ha diye dise given ai us the kingdom and the keys kess thereof shall shail we disappoint our heavenly father shall vye kye we dj disappoint apol 4 1 th the ja P 4 ancient prophets and apostles who looked forward to this day hali hail shall shail hall ha we disappoint ap b 1 nt joseph smith and those bret brethren li ren who have gone before who laid the foundation of this wor kland krand deft us to labor after aften them breth ren fb for fon gods sake do not lelus letus set fet our hearts on the things of this world to the neglect of the things of eternal life ilfe do po not nat let the bishops feel it is a hard mauo matter to varny varry carny carry out any of th the counsels counsel given by those who ara iro are ara called to direct all these thing things Bless you souls if you lived here here in the tiie flesh a thousand years year as long as father fattier adam and lived and labored all your life in poverty and when you got through if by your acts you could secure your youn wives wires and children in the morning of the first resurrection to dwell with you in the presence of god thavone that one thing would amply pay you for the labors of a tha thousand usand years sears 3 ears eans what is anything we can do korsur or suffer to be compared with the multiplicity of hing king kingdoms dorns thrones lles ries and principalities that god has revealed to us well weil behave we have got the kingdom and wemusa we mut bear it off it wont pay you nor me to apostatize but then there is this danger you know brother joseph used to counsel us iii in The moment you permit br yourselves to tolay bolay lay aside any duty that god calls calis you to perform to gratify your own desires the moment tou sou you permit yourselves e ves to be come careless you lay a foundation apostasy for be careful understand you are called to a work and when god mui mul requires res you todo to do that worn do i A another 0 t her thing he said in lri all ail your tour trials tribulations and sickness iii in all ail even unum unto death be careful rou you dont betray god be careful you dont betray the tiie priesthood be careful you dont dout apus because if you do you will be fuorry for it we received a great deal of or that ki kind ind of counsel and I 1 have remembered it from that day until t the c present p arsent but I 1 do not wish to detain you 1 I felt to backup back baek up the testimony brother taylor has given I 1 lakeit to myself ican tean I 1 can ean make mahe nothing baneg by neglecting any duty JL I 1 have never committed a sni sin in this chur church ch and kingdom but what it has est cst c st me a thousand times more than it was worth we cannat sin sih with impe i anity we cannot neglect any counsel with impunity but what whai it will viii bring brin sorrow and the only safe wa way y is to round up our rhoul shoulders deM deh and arida do 0 our duty and thus bear t he the kinoff kingdom aib one ne of u us s b have a ve I 1 a I 1 long ong tle tie time to stay htay here when I 1 look abou arou around pd andre audre and reflect flee up upon my nay n nty ay brethren that are gone I 1 ask where are they where are they gone here is brother taylor myself ana and others athers who form p part of the early organization of this quorum who have traveled with the tiie church for a great many years but brother joseph smith and others have been gone for fon a long iong time timp gone goue go nenito into the spirit world while I 1 thes these 0 things I 1 often ask what are their views towards us how does the lord jook upon us as a people I 1 consider the lord and the heavenly host hosts sare are w watching atch ingus ingul ua know they manifest great inheres interesting inte t in our vol voil l fm NO eli anin enin iii ill 09 m WP pursuer i do not riot want to miss salvation I 1 lantto go w where here brother joseph la Is I 1 want to go to my heavenly father and to his son jesus christ and to the old prophets who lived in their generations let liet us try to live our religion let us ua seek for the holy spirit that it may dwell in our bosoms day baday by day bless your soul soui swe have all we want of this world goods who ever saw a people sowell so well weli oft as the people of utahan utah i a these valleys of the moun morn bains who has bas given us these thin things gs our heavenly father |