| Show REMARKS made by president precide nt wilford woodruff at cache stake make conference Conje rence hold held at a lagan sunday afternoon november let 1891 REPORTED BY ARTHUR WINTER I 1 would like to talk a little to the latter day saints who have assembled here this afternoon if I 1 can get the faith of the saints and the spirit of the lord to assist me this morning before coming to meeting I 1 studied with a good deal of interest some paintings at brother mones thatchers christ before pilate 20 and christ on calvary 02 I 1 thought to myself in looking atthe at the m that the savior as brother joseph F smith had said certainly descended below all things he came down here to earth was born of woman in a dispensation appointed of tle the father and in the flesh see him travel from the manger to the cross onward through blood to the throne of grace appointed unto him in poverty and in affliction never handling any money that we have any account of think for a few moments the short time that he labored in the flesh after his appointment by the father three years and a half look at the suffer suffering ipg that he went through the labor he performed the organization of the church of god the appointing ot of twelve apostles of seventy apostles and a few disciple bisci clefe who followed him during that period then reflect that not only he himself was con can damned and crucified shedding his blood for the redemption of the world but every one of his apostles was put to death for the word of bod and testimony of jesus christ excepting john the revelator they could not kill him the lord having appointed him to live otherwise he would have been slain with the rest while looking at the savior nailed to the cross a jew through the loins of abraham anu and david condemned by the jews as well as aa the gentiles I 1 thought of our own condition in these mountains behave we have passed through sixty years as a people and why have you got the presidency with you today why have you apostles living in your midst walking walkine your streets in freedom after sixty years beart why do you have upwards of two hundred latter day saints gathered together in these valleys of of the mountains in the midst of a generation of sixty millions million rj of people these are questions which fah should be answered in the minds of the lat ter day wats there is a meaning brethren and sisters to all these theme things we live in a different dispensation and under a different order of things in one sense to what the savior and the apostles did I 1 hat was a day of sacrifice those holy men who bore the apostleship in that day were ready to lay down their lives with the savior and their lives were short compared with the history of the church of JOIA god in our d day y the they y were all BIR slain i 13 with one exception and god ged took them to himself he also took the priesthood brombe earth and it remained in the hands of god the father and his son jesus christ until 1829 long centuries passed away millions of human beings were born dwelt on the earth died and went into the spirit worl dand not one soul of them so far as we have any knowledge had power to go forth among mankind and administer in the ordinances of the gospel of life if and salvation there were doubtless millions illions EQ of good men who acted up to the best beat light that they had there were such men as john wesley martin luther wickliffe zwingli Zwing ji merano thon and thousands of others who came forth in their day and reached preached the gospel according to the light liet which they possessed but they did not have the power to administer in one ordinance which had any force after death they did not hold the holy priesthood now in our day and generation we have arrived at a point in the history of the world worl I 1 when this priesthood is restored the lord raised up joseph smith he came forth ferth in the proper time he organized a 4 church who was joseph smith was he a lawyer was he a doctor of divinity was he what is called a great MUD mn a learned man no he was waa but a youth the world would say an illiterate ignorant youth he was an lin unlearned learned youth in the things of the world but he was a pure man he came forth through gil the lineage of abraham lame isaac and jacob he was prophesied of fay by the ancient patriarchs and pro kroph oh ets eta the book of mormon gi gives ves his n name ame jose joseph ph smith was moved upon by the holy ghost and he was ad administered min unto in answer to his prayers by the father and the son and the father said baid to him this is my beloved son hear ye him t he list ened strictly to the words of jesus jefto christ and continued to do so BO until he like the savior was put to death though he was not cruci crucified flod because it was not the custom of the day I 1 may say that it seemed strange to me at that time why the prophet and his brother hyrum were permitted to be taken out of our midst but joseph smith by commandment of god and by the power and revelations of heaven was ordained and laid the foundation of this great dispensation and anaf falness of times he ele was brought into the world and ordained to organize this church of christ for the last time upon this earth to prepare it for the coming of the son of man after his death on reflection I 1 became convinced that he had been ordained to die to shed his hie blood as a testimony to this dispensation but that does not take away the judgment from those who put him to death cit ia must needs be that offenses offen sea come but woo woe to that tha man by whom the offense cometh cometa 12 As I 1 have 0 said mid joseph smith was an illiterate man but afterwards his 18 xa teachers and instruct instructors tors were angels apostles Apost lea who had dwelt in the flesh in the days of jesus he was in a condition conditi oll where he received testimonies and teachings from men that the world did not receive and he had power to organize the church in a manner that all the C christian world combined could not do why be cause a mang man no matter how wealthy or how learned cannot give a thing that he does not possess they had not pc power to organize this church be cause fairee they did not bossems the priesthood but joseph smith hold held that priesthood and had power to organize the church from that day until the present this church has continued to grow in the midst of persecution in the midst of dr ivings and afflictions in the midst of death and destruction millions of fallen spirit tp with millions of the hue human ban family have been arrayed against this church but they have not had power to destroy it why because god almighty has ordained it stand the lord ha has ordained to t 0 zion to be built up he has proclaimed this through the mouths of inspired me men L who as they were moved ubon by the holy ghost and today who are here in this tabernacle in you OU cogan are testimonies of this before heaves heaven and earth this is in the ceason why whir the presidency can visit you to day it is the reason eason why brother thatcher and brother merrill can dwell in your midst and why 7 the tee other apostles can visit you without being destroyed were it not in the t dispensation of the almighty to carry out this principle you would not have an apostle to visit you they would be put out to death the same game as those in other dispensations have been but the lord has haeff granted ranted this privilege to you lat ter day saints I 1 feel to thank god that we live in such a day when we have power to build up zion and fulfil fulfill the words odthe of the prophets the inhabitants of the earth have to be warned this Is the relman why we are here why whir brigham Brig hain young john taylor tend and the twelve apostles that have filled their missions have been able to lie down in their beds surrounded by their wives and chi children kiren and give u up p the tee ghost trost leaving their bodies in the hands or of their friends to carry to the tomb thew these apostles and elders thousands alad thousands of them who are 11 in the flesh biesh in this day would just ae readily lay down their lives as did peter and the apostles in the days of christ if called upon to do so for the word of god and the testimony of jesus christ but god has ordained otherwise the lord has chosen the weak things of the world to lead this people peo P le joseph smith was but a young man when he died not forty years of age he lived nearly fourteen years after the organization of this thia church president brigham young fol followed lowel him who WAS brigham young he was a painter and glazier he was a humble man but the lord called him to lead this people you know brigham you know what he be has done and khz the spirit that was with him the lord was with him and he continued to lead this people by the power of godana god and by the revelations of jesus christ he laid the foundation of a great rest work in these mountains of israel many strangers who have recently visited us have marvelled marvellee marvel led and wondered at salt lake city being laid out in the manner it was I 1 have told them that I 1 helped brigham young layout city in the midst of sage bsh brush in 1847 there was not a w white ite mans house then within a thousand miles of us what was john taylor he was a wood turner and he led the church for quite a time wilford woodruff was a miller and a farmer that was about the high est ambition he ever arrived at as far as this world was concerned ahat iu Is about the way the lord has chosen these men why did he not choose these learned and great men main As I 1 have often said he could not handle them god has always chosen the weak things of the earth he showed abraham in his day the spirits that dwelt in his presence and among all these were many of the noble and great onee Y and god said unto abraham these I 1 will make my and he said mid unto me abraham am thou art one of them thou wast chosen before thou wast born abraham stood at the head of israel in the beginning he is our great pro genitor god raised up the savior through the loins of abraham the latter day saints should not get the idea that the lord has forsaken his people or that he does not reveal his mind and will because such an idea is not true the lord is with us and has been with us from the beginning this church has never been led a day except by revelation and he will never leave eave it it matters not who lives or who dies or who is called to lead this church they have got to lead it by the inspiration of h ty god if they do not do it that way they cannot do it at all the lord will not fail in these last days and he will fulfil fulfill all that he has promised through his prophets and apostles until zion arises in its glory and the bride the lambs wife is prepared for the coming of the great bridegroom I 1 made some remarks last sunday at brigham city upon this same name principle revelation read bead the life of brigham young and you can hardly find and a revelation that he had wherein he said thus athus saith the coall lord but the holy ghost was with him he taught by inspiration and by cevela bior but with one exception he h did not give those revelations in the form that joseph did for they were not written and given as revelations and commandments to the church in the words and name of the savior joseph said thus saith the lord almost every day of his life inlaying in laying the foundation of this work but those who followed him have not deemed it always aldaya necessary to say thus saith the lord yet they have led the people bythe by the power of the holy ghost and it if you want to know what that is read the first six verses of the section of the book VI of doctrine and covenants where the lord told orson oraon hyde luke J neon lyman joanson and william me mc lellin to go out and preach the gospel to the he people as they were moved upon by the holy ghost and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the holy ghost shall be scripture shall be the will of the lord shall be the mind of the lord shall be the word of the lord shall be the voice of the lord and the power of god unto salvation it is by that power that we have led israel by that power president young presided over and led the church by the same power president john taylor presided over and led the church and that is the way I 1 have acted according to the best of my ability in that capacity I 1 do not want the latter day saints to understand that the lord is not with us and a nd that s he is not giving revelation to UP for he is giving us revelation and will give us revelation until this scene is wound up A I 1 have had some revelations of lateA late rw and very important ones to me and f I 1 will tell you what the lord has hag said to J me lot let me bring your minds to what f is termed the manifesto the lord has i r told me by revelation that there are many members of the church tb through h L out zion who are sorely tried in their hearts because of that manifesto and also because of the testimony of the presidency of this church and the apostles before the master in chance ry since I 1 received that revelation I 1 have heard of many who are tried in these things though I 1 had not heard of any before that particularly now J the lord has commanded me to do one thing and I 1 fulfilled that command the conference at brigham city last sunday and I 1 will do the same here today the lord has told me to ask the latter day saints a question quention and he also told me that if they would listen to what I 1 said to them and answer anaver the question put to them by the spirit and power of god they would all answer alike and they would all believe alike with regard t to aa this thia matter the question is this the which is the wisest course for the f latter day saints to pursue to coni dinue to attempt to practice plural t i marriage with the laws of the nation against it and the opposition of sixty millions of people and at the cost of the confiscation and loss lose of 0 all the temples and the stopping of all the ordinances therein both for the living and the dead and the imprisonment of f the first presidency and twelve and the heads of fand families lies in the chure church h and the confiscation of personal prop erty of the tee people all of which of themselves would stop the practice or after doing and suffering buffering what we f have through adherence to t thi his principle to cease the practice and submit to the law and through doin doing so leave the prophets apostles ana and fathers at home so that they can in the people and attend to the duties of the church and also leave the temples in the hands of the sainto saintel so that they can attend to the ardt nances bances of the gospel both for the liv ing and the dead the e lord showed me me by vision and jt revelation exactly what would take place if we did not stop this practice if we had not stopped it you would I 1 have had no use for brother merrill for brother Edle edlefsen feen for brother I 1 Roa roskelley kelley for brother felshman Lel or for any of the men in this temple at logan for all ordinances ordinance a would be stopped throughout the land of zion confusion would reign throughout i israel and many men would be made prisoners this trouble would have come upon the whole church and we should have been compelled to stop the practice now the question is whether it should be stopped in this manner or in the way the lord has manifested to us and leave our prophets and apostles Apo apostles sties and fathers free men and the temples in the hands of the people so that the dead may be redeemed A large number has already been delivered from the prison house in the spirit world by this people and shall the work go on or stop this to is the question I 1 lay before the latter day saints you have to judge for yourselves I 1 want you to answer it for yourselves I 1 shall not answer it |
