| Show DISCOURSE DeS DeA vered by president wilford woodruff at al the tae general Confer conference enoe in VW the salt lake my city monday morning april 6 1891 I 1 have a few thoughts thought aad sand reflections I 1 would like to present to my friends the latter day saints fifty two years 0 ago 0 tee twenty sixth day of this mouth month 19 1 6 stood 1 upon the temple block in par far west joseph smith hyrum smith parley P pratt and others were in prison rhon the lord had given a revelation me and commanded us as the apoe ake to go there upon that occasion to lay isly the foundation of that temple he api appointed a day and a date on which we won were commanded to perform this work then the all was peace in caldwell county where we dwelt the lord perfectly understood what would take place before that time came when the time came to fulfil fulfill this revelation we the latter day saints were in illinois they having been driven out of missouri the spirit of opposition was so go gre great that our lives were in jeopardy in returning there to perform the revelation when the day came for us to go there our prophet was in prison for the word of god and aad testimony of jesus when we conversed with our patriarch and leading roen men they said the lord would take the will for the doe dee i 1 they did not think it was wisdom for us to go for missourians Missour lans ians had sworn by all me the gods in existence that if all the other revelations and prophecies of joe smith had bad been fulfilled that this one should not be because there was waa a day and date to it after hear ing the views of father smith and others other of the brethren brother brig ham young asked the twelve what their feelings feeling were with regard to this we told brother brigham that the lord god had spoken and we were ready to obey and leave the event in his hands bands we did we went there we arrived at that place according to that revelation and commandment on the day of april 1889 we laid the corner stone atone of that temple with father cutler who had been appointed to oversee that building after that stone was laid we knelt upon it iti and brother geo A smith and myself who had been called by revelation to fill the places of some who bad fallen were ordained apostles under the hands bands of brigham young heber C kimball orson pratt john taylor and john E page there was a number present but they are all today in the spirit world excepting myself far as I 1 know I 1 name this because I 1 wish to say here to this congregation that during these fifty two years that are past and gone I 1 have had the opportunity port unity of bearing nty my testimony to many of the nations of the earth and islands of the seas and land to the latter day saints and las as I 1 know not how bow long I 1 ayaay still have this privilege in the flesh I 1 feel it my duty to bear my testimony today to this people upon a few principles and one to is the subject upon which I 1 treated a little yesterday there are a few people who profess to believe that the church has not had the living principle of revelation from heaven and the blessin of f god with it t since the death alethe of the prophet joseph as it had while he lived I 1 want to say to these latter day get sainto ants that I 1 traveled with joseph smith a thousand miles in 1884 for the redemption of our brethren in missouri there them are am perhaps half a dozen men in this congregation gre gation today who were in that camp zion Is camp calap we were with that chat prophet of god we heard his monies we saw his revelations fulfilled 1 I 1 was with him when he received that revelation given on fishing river of course we know that he wm wan a prophet of god and that be held the keys of the kingdom of god we know knew the inspiration of almighty god was with him and that when he prophesied it came to pass those who are here today brother gates brother noble and perhaps others who were present on that occasion will remember the day that joseph smith called the camp together we were all well there was no disease nor sickness in our camp but he told us what awaited us he gave us to understand that there was to be a chastisement visit out our camp he told us the reason he had given counsel to the brethren with regard to many things and a number of them had disobeyed that counsel they did not u understand and appreciate fully his bis position and standing as a prophet of god yes say mys she be you think of me as a boy like the rest of you ou but you will understand soon that I 1 occupy a position where god governs land and controls me il those who were present know the feelings that we had bad there was not a dry eye in camp ile he stood upon a wagon and told us the judgments of god would visit our camp and we would be chastised these thaw things came to pass the tb day that we landed the destroying angel visited our camp and of course there was sorrow I 1 do not know the number that went to the grave but somewhere about fourteen I 1 think then we understood that we had a prophet in our midst we knew very well that what he said would come to paw pass well everything that was done in that camp going and aa returning a record of it 3 in a measure has been kept during chat thousand miles oo 00 lies journey the wora word of theford the lord was given unto us and we fully understood we were being led by a prophet of god we realized that all the way through that mission now I 1 want to say that I 1 have traveled with joseph a good deal in my day I 1 was associated with him bho more or low less from froan the spring 0 of 1864 1834 to the day of his death I 1 know as do my brethren who were associated with him that he was a prophet of god one of the greatest prophets god over raised wo upon u toe the earth As I 1 said yesterday he received revelations upon every subject neo necessary essary for th the organization of we the chucci the organ leion of the twelve apostles of the seventies of the high of the bishops etc the lord gave revelations upon wl all these antu antil we w bad the patten set before us he laid the foundation of a great work in i jhb the greatest dispensation god glad over ever gave to man so aioo in testimony MORY of brother joseph smith in 1847 1 likewise traveled woe ons thousand miles with brother brigam young the man who was called to lead israel after the prophet josso josephs is death there to is a number la a this bouse who beame in the ach pioneer eom pany we had bad in zion zions a camp two hundred and five souls we had in the pioneer camp one hundred and forty five I 1 believe and I 1 can testify before god angels and men that the same power and the same spirit of revelation were manifest in his work up to the day of his death as were manifest in the work of the prophet joseph it is true joseph smiths life was short the savior labored only three and a half years after he entered into the ministry before he was crucified the prophet joseph labored fourteen years before he was ma martyred marty byred red president brigham young lived longer he led this church quite a number of years I 1 was with him when he came into this valley I 1 was in the same carriage with him he was taken sick on the weber A number of the cam camp were eafen sick caused no doubt cy by the change in coming to these mountains from the region we had left he began to recover from the hour that he entered into this valley he came here and what did he do I 1 will name a few circumstances he pitched camp some distance southeast of here the next morning he and the twelve who came with him took a walk he had been quite feeble but he was then able to walk with the assistance of his staff we walked along until we came to this temple block it was covered with sagebrush there Ther ewas was no mark to indicate that god ever intended to place ace waiving anything there but while walking a long along 11 brother brigham stopped very suddenly he stuck his cane in the ground and sald said right bight here will stand the great temple of our god 11 we drove a stake in the place indicated by him and that particular spot is situated in the middle of the temple site one of the first things president young did after he got here was to order the preparing of a block down here called the old fort where the camp could gather father to this country then was very desolate covered with wild sage and that pretty near dead too there was hardly anything here with life owing to the excessive dryness we went to work and surrounded this ten acre block to preserve ourselves put aroble walls on three sides and log cabins on the east side this was the wisdom displayed by president brigham young all his bis life hib care and caution and safety for the people he then went to work and laid out oui this city there was waa not a living soul seul in this valley except ne a few indians indiana who would eat roasted crickets for their dinner he laid out these streets these sidewalks these blocks he laid out this temple block here A number of councils were had with regard to it brother george A smith was very anxious that we should have forty acres instead of often ten so eo much so that there was a vote taken to lay forty acres out afterwards president young thought ten acres in a city of this kind was all that should be devoted to an interest of this character so brother george A smith surrendered his big views and we all voted for ten acres when the city was laid out and these other arrangements made we returned to winter quarters where president young got his family and returned with them and some of the saints and two or three companies followed the same se season iason I 1 name these theae things for the benefit of those who consider that there has been no growth in the church and K kingdom of god since the death of the prophet joseph president young laid the foundation of four temples in this territory three of these temples are now in operation and the other is being built right here the latter day saints have gone to work and labored in these temples by the commandment of god for the blessing of the living and redemption of their dead and a million of men and women whose bodies are returned to dust and whose are in the world have received the benefits of the gospel by the power of god and the work of the elders under the direction of president young la Is this a loss lose of prestige re Is there no hand of goti god in this Is there no progress in this these things certainly were not accomplished in the life of joseph smith although joseph smith received revelations with regard to temples and the ordinances and endowments dow ments afterwards administered in the temple at nauvoo he also built the first temple in kirtland and many blessings were revealed in that temple and this work was continued while he lived as far as he bad the power I 1 remember well the first time I 1 read the revelation given through the prophet joseph concerning ingae afe redemption of the dead one of the most glorious principles I 1 had ever leeome acquainted with on earth to think that I 1 and these latter day saints could go forth into the waters of baptism and redeem our fathers our mothers and those that have gone before us inthe in the lineage of our fathers house and they come forth and receive a part in the first resurrection well might the prophet say god has fulfilled his promise that in the last days he would raise up saviors upon mount zion and the kingdom should be the never did I 1 read a revelation with greater joy than I 1 did that revelation I 1 have often re ire ferres fera to the course we pursued in connection with that joseph smith himself many of you may recollect the time went into the mississippi river one sunday night after meeting and baptized a hundred I 1 baptized another litins hundred red the next man a few rods from me baptized another hundred we were strung up and down the mississippi baptizing for our dead but there was no attended to this ordinance without waiting to have a proper record made but the lord told joseph that he must have recorders present at these baptisms men who could we see with their eyes and hear with their ears and record these things of course we had to do the work over again nevertheless that dues does not say the work was not of god well the lord manifested a great work in the labor of brigham young he filled these mountains here for a thousand miles under his direction with cities towns and villages he gave counsel in all these things brigham young was the architect of this building the tabernacle he was the architect of the temple that we are building here I 1 say to the latter day saints that god was with him he was with john taylor he has been with wilford woodruff he will be with those that follow me for the lord will never permit this people to be led only by the revelations of jesus christ he will be with th these e apostles of the lord and will continue with them until the coming of the son of man these theme things are true zion will arise and grow and flourish the glory of god will rest upon her and the lord almighty will fulfil fulfill all the promises that he has made concerning his work in the last dispensation and fullness of times the spirit of inspiration was with brigham young from the day that he entered into this work till he laid aid down his life here upon his bed I 1 bear my testimony to these things there never has haa been a time either in these temples or anywhere else but the lord has made manifest his will on any point on which light was desired to my certain knowledge the lord gave revelations in st george temple to his servants there upon points of doctrine we did not understand president young was there I 1 was there brother mcallister Allister Mo and others labored there and we knew these things so I 1 say there is no man that goes into these temples to labor or goes into the vineyard of the lord to labor who if he will live his religion and do his duty will fall fail in receiving the mind and will of god yes the lord has raised up saviors upon mount zion and the kingdom isabe is the lords it is his work and we have the great power as latter day saints to go into these temples and redeem our dead and attend to ordinances for them that they never heard of in their day and generation what will be the condition of these saviors upon mount zion these saints of the lord will hold the keys of salvation to their fathers house to the endless ages of eternity there never will be a time when that power will be taken from them we ought to realize these things and we ought to prize the blessings which god has put in our hands I 1 had a great desire when that revelation was given for the redemption of my fathers house father smith was the first patriarch to the church he was a literal descendant of joseph who was sold into egypt when he laid his hands upon mens heads the spirit of blessing and of prophecy rested upon him he told me that I 1 should bring all of my fat fathers herPs house bouse into the church I 1 dwelt upon that with a great deal of interest and the first time I 1 visited my fathers house although it was several years after this I 1 baptized him into this church and my stepmother and my sisters and everybody that was in my fathers house even a methodist class clam leader who was boarding there I 1 organized a branch of the church in farmington connecticut and almost all of the members were my relatives I 1 afterwards brought my father up here where he be died and his body lies in the cemetery there are a great many things connected with these matters that I 1 feel to rejoice in the more light we have the more revelations of god we have the more we shall prize these privileges it is a great blessing that we stand in the flesh in this last dispensation and foulness of times and where we can open our hearts to understand these blessings all of us will labor as far as we have opportunity to |
