Show D DISCOURSE I 1 S C OU RS E ny by ELDER EIDER WILFORD WOODRUFF DELIVERED at the adjourned general conference in the nem new Taberna tabernacle dc salt sall laie laic city friday mommy may ath 8 1874 nE 1113 PORTED BY DAVID W EVANS W vo had bad a request given to us at the opening of the conference yesterday morning by president young to give ere evidences lor lon and rind the united order of zion I 1 do not know that 1 I should be a very able advocate against it I 1 have heen been looking over in myown my own mind the arcu ments which he be brought against it and there arc a few things I 1 will name if we were to undertake to fo unite according to the spirit and jetter of tois toia order it would in one sense bense of the word wor d deprive us ns of having hair half a dozen candidates at elections ns as is the custom generally generall v in the hristian world it would in a ceasur measure deprive these candidates of the opportunity of spending a month ing to get the votes of the people then when the election came of paying for two or three barrels barneis of lad had whiskey to ta treat those who are going to vote for them then it might deprive alderman clinton or soone sooae other justice of the peace of the chance of collecting two or three hundred dollars as dinzil nines from those who had committed a breach of the peace it might deprive de pr ve the benedicts and other 1 ur 0 of r the opportunity of collect collecting collection in 9 nive five fl ellin hundred or a thousand dollars for mending broken arms and legs got jn in free fights probably it boull deprive the people of the opportunity of spending fifty or a hundred thousand dollars a year in importing mustard into this territory and require the farmers to collect and use that which Is now noir a nuis nce on their fields it might also deprive us ns of the privilege of paying a hundred thousand thou thon sand collais for fon imported brooms and require us to plant two or three hundred acres of f broom corn these are about the only objections that I 1 can think of against st the order though yon you might lt c carry arry it out in detail perhaps a v rood good gd d deal deai al lurther lurth cr but with regard to the tile benefits arising from it they are so FO numer numen ous that it would take a long time to enumerate them I 1 do not think it requires a great deal of argument to prove to us that union Is in strength and thit that audited it united people have power which a divided people do not possess I 1 am very glad that I 1 have lived long enough to see pee a the hearts of the people can he be united so as to carry out these things while they alo al o act upon their own agency in receiving and obeying them we have lieen iwen a good many years preaching in up the necessity of the latter day saints being ont out in temporal as well weli as in spiritual spi epi ritual thinas things and I 1 have felt fora forn for a long time t me in my own mind that that thab there must lie i a L change among us UP the way we have been drifting has not seemed to have haye a tendency as a general thing thin to carry earry out the purposes of the lord and to prepare us as a people for those events which walt wait us in our spiritual labors we have been leen uni t ted led d in a measure and in bome some things thing per haps hapa in a temporal point of view now for instance the calle calf I 1 referred to in regard to our elections I 1 do not think that for the twenty four years we have resided in these valleys any man hag has ba ever steven paid it a sixpence in order to obtain any osce office to which he h c has been elected by the votes voles of the people whether as Delegat delegate oto cio to the congress of the united states stated governor of the iho territory member of the legislature probate judge or any other office I 1 do not think that any man who has been n office has ever even asked for it lu in any shape or manner so far as this Is concerned we vve have hen heen united and we have one consolation in regard to our officers I 1 do not believe there has ever been a tingle single defaulter among mem them in the whole territory so PO far as dollars and cents are concerned in any ollice office in this respect then we see the advantage of being united there ara are very many advantages that will accrue to us if we unite oun oan hearts feelings lalois la lors interests property and everything that we are arc made stewards over one thin thing is certain we cannot c continue in the co course urse urbe that we have pursued in regard to temporal matters it is suicidal for any people to import ten tea dollar dollars worth alworth of products while they cx export ort only one and it is a miracle and a wonder to me that bellave we have lived as lons ions arwe as we harriander this order of things we have sent senk millions of dollars out or of the territory every year for articles for while wo we have exported but very little hence I 1 say that the establishment and success of this new order orden among us will bring about our temporal salvation salvat 16 we occupy a different position from the rest of the world we belle vein rein eions of jesus christ contained in the bible as well as in the record or stick slick of joseph in the hinds of Ephr ephraim alm the book of mormon which gives a history of the ancient inhabitants of this continent we also believe in the book of revelations which vero veme given through the mouth of joseph smith the prop prophet ket to the latter day saints and to the inhabitants of the earth inasmuch then as we believe thee hese thial s we if we carry out our faith must of nce nee necessity t it go to and prepare ourselves for this thib the f ul ua ament of the of god when we veo arc are in poe lou iou Jou of me ille spirit of god we understand that there Is a c change ange at the door not only for us but for all the world there are lre certain c tents events awaiting the nations of the earth as well as zion and when these events overtake us we will bo be preserved if we take the counsel that Is javen iten iven us na and unite our time labor and mean means sand and pr 0 duce what we need for our own use aei but tain ourselves and we shall suffer loss and inconvenience thereby I 1 am satisfied that As aag a people pursuing the course we have purged hitherto we are not prepared for the zion ot of enoch or the kingdom of god there was au an order carded carried out anciently by iby the people of this continent and by the people of the city lity of enoch wt wherever creter creyer that was located which was tery very lerent different dlf dif from the practice which has pre prevailed TaIled among the saints of latter days and as far as such a system being bein any injury to us I 1 can 9 see none in the world I 1 can gee gec no injury that can overtake the latter day enines by their uniting together according to the law of god and producing from the elements clements that which they need to cat drink and wear and I 1 feel as though the time has come for such an order to be instituted and the read ness tims with which the people receive e elve eive the teachings of the servants a of god in regard to this matter is a testimony that ibe the time has come to favor zion the spirit of god bears witness to the congregations of the saints of the importance of the les ies which have been given ven ten unto us up and hence their readiness flo to receive them from the commencement of this work to the present day the labor has been ben harder with the servants of god to get the people prepared in their hearts to let theford the lors lord govern and control them in th ir tem temporal or labor find and means than in regard to matters pertaining to theli theio the eternal salvation it was hard work for joseph smith to get the mindi of the people prepared even to receive the gospel in his day but the lord opened the way the gospel was preached and the church was organized in its purity and in the order in which it ech existed ted in the days of jesus christ and the apostles and wherever tile gospel has been sent ahe cars car of the people have hate heen been more or less opened and a portion of them hare bate been ready to receive it if this gospel has been preached in every christian nation under heaten heaven where the laws would permit and people from these various nations havo hate overcome their traditions cofar so far as to obey it but as I 1 remarked before it has work for the latten latter day saints to bring themselves to such a or of mind as to be willing for the lord to govern covern them in their temporal labors there Is something strange bout about a this but I 1 think probably itis llis in consequence of the position that we occupy there Is a yali yail between man moan and eternal things it if that val vall lva iwa was taken staken ON away and we were re wuie able to bee bce eternal things ns as they are before the lord no man moan would be tried with will regard L r ard to gold silver or this worlds goods gools and und no ne man n their account would be ba unwilling w I 1 ili iii n to let iet the lord coutt conti ol 01 him authere hul bul here 4 we hman have an agency and wearn we an in a probation tl on au and d there Is a yail tail between us and eternal t eg t things bol boi tween between us and our heat beat enly eniy father and the spirit world and this for a wise and proper purpose in the lord our god to prove whether the children of men will abide in his bis jaw or not net in the lit sit it nation in which they are arc placed here lat ter d day saints reflect upon thesa these things we ly have q been willing with every feeling or of our hearts that jo joeph eph smith president young and the leadem leaders of the people should guido and direct us in rezard recard to our eternal interests and aud the blessings scaled sealed upon us ns by their iut hut authority hority rese reach h the other side of the tall vali and are in force after aften af ter ten death and they affect our destiny to t 0 the tile endless ages agres of eternity men in the days of abraham isaac and jacob and of jesus and the apostles had blessings sealed upon them kingdoms tb thrones rones principalities and powers power with all the blessings of the new aud and everlasting covenant the question mav mar ma r be asked are these earnal blessings of interest to us ns they are or hould should be are these bless biess ines ings worth our earthly wealth whether wo we have little or much Js saIT saly salvation Atlon Is ten life worth a yoke of cattle cattie a house a hundred acres of land or anything that we vve possess here herein in the flesh if it is we certainly on ought glittone glit tobe to be as ready 16 6 permit the lord lora to govern and control us in all alf our temporal labors as we are in our spiritual labors again when a man dies he cau can not take his cattle horses houses or lands with him he goes to the grave the resting place lace of all ali r I 1 nier fier flesh h no man escapes it the law law of death rests u ox all in adam all ali a 11 die while ir in christ N all ali are made alive we all understand that death has passed upon all men but we bone none of us know when air turn will come though we know it will not be a great while before we v L shall be called to follow the who have preceded us when we reflect upon these things I 1 think we all should be willing to let iet the lord guide us in temporal temp bral brai matters in the book of mormon wo wf learn leam that the ancient who dwelt oa this continent entered into and continued inthis order for nearly two hundred years they were werd wealthy and ha happy appy and the lord blessed them they had no poor among them they were united in heart and aud in spirit and the blessings of the lord rested upon them themi its it la true they occupied a different position in one sense to what we vve do they entered into this illis order just after tha iha lord ford had bad whole nation natron on account of their wickedness wl kenness and many of the wicked had been heen destroyed their cities had bad also been destroyed and it was while bumbled humbled by these judgments that tiley they entered the united order but bat a rn relan of peace and prosperity erity rested upon them and continued until they brol broi arole e the order and began to go every man for himself and the devil for them all then utter destruction soon overtook them it is dlf dif lerent with Us we aro are entering in this order before the wicked are de st royed we commence it to prepare us for the great events which are at the d doon door I 1 ut lor if the Judgments of god eter ever were at the thedoor loor of any generation it Is this the of scripture points these things ot ott to us in plain language and end sli all the of the inhabitants of the earth will nom hom r 10 iter ten lter ter the be fact it A will wili wili ni not change the liand liana god nor stay basja d 9 ments which are aret arel amel the door of great agi COQ coe q in remembrance god andge will hoa boa a controversy with the nations hs his sword alun unsheathed sheathed and it will fall on idumea humes the rid and who can stay hla his hand band these things hangs have been proclaimed by almost every prophet who has his ever spoken since the world began begin they point to our day and their words must hate have their thein fulfillment over oren forty years the gospel ot christ has been proclaimed to this generation nd and to the whole Christian world as far as we have hate had bad opportunity light has come into the world but men have rejected it because their deeds arc are evil hence the judgments of god will rest upon the nations of the earth in fulfillment of his word through the prophets tue tae lord hag has called ailed u upon n us to unite together and take hold hoid of ott oft thia this ia work and to prepare ourselves to for fon the great events which are at hand that when the destroying angels go forth to reap the earth beginning at the sanctuary they need not destroy any man upon whom Is the maric marll set by the writer with the inkhorn who cried nind and mautner mccause of the abominations done among men the tile prophet in seeing the T vision aslon of these mugs in the last days daye saw saw baw that 1 1 the earthia earth was vas 8 reaped and the reapers readers began at the sanctuary and the wicked were cut off by the fhe judgments ments 13 of god the world now g do not believe this any more than they believed in the days of noah and lot and they are no more prepared for lt it and they are growing wicked er and wickeder wic keder every day of their lives litis wickedness is increasing for the devil has great dominion over the hearts of the of men the lord is trying to direct and dictate his saints and I 1 fee that it is oui our duty as a people to knitel our interests together also our time tali auts lamorand lab iab labor orand and all that we are stewards over that as men who haye have falth faith in god we may be prepared for those thin things go which await awalt us and for the coming of the I 1 son of man we are observing the signs elpis of the times and we can readily understand abe necessity fIty of entering into this order I 1 think thinie we can all ece see this if we arjo enjoy an any portion rt on of the a spir r t of our re religion and t the e wor work of the lord ord which we pro profess a to be engage engaged in I 1 can see eveny every t thing ng in fator favor a or but nothing ot anz against the united nit orden order these hese teachings chino are of the lord the servants of god have been moved to can dall upon the people and the lord has moved upon the people and thel their hearts are heinz heing touched ty IT the II 11 light of the holy spirit and they are entering moth int organization and my uny feeling is that it if you and 1 I who profess to be the friends of god and lna have hate entered into a covenant with him withdraw our hearts from |