Show AN EPISTLE to the saints scattered abroad greet ing DEAR BRETHREN I 1 feel desirous to express myself upon the crogent condition of zion aud and its inhabitants the bior history which we are makiej making as lat ter dy day ay saints la is strictly in of the revelations of god as ab given through the mouths of prophets and inspired men to the inhabitants of ef the earth in every dispensation when god has hadan bad an acknowledged people OU on theearta the earth the god of heaven who created this earth and placed his children upon it gave unto them a law whereby they might be exalted and saved in a kingdom of glory for foi there is 18 a law given unto all kingdoms and all things are governed by law throughout the whole universe whatever law ewt 3 keeps he is preserved by that law lawi jAd lie he receives whatever reward that law aw guarantees unto him it is the will of god that all his children should obey the iii highest heat law that the they may receive the highest glory that Is ordained for all immortal im morial beings but god has given all his children chil dien hn agency to choose what law they will keep these two principles do exist good and evil god and the devil whatever leads to good and to do good goodie is of god whatever leads to evil and to do evil is of the devil god has labored from the creation of man to lead him to kaep the celestial law that he may inherit a celestial glory and partake of eternal life the greatest greate bt of all the gifts of god to man the devil with all the fallen angels has labored from the creation to lead man astray to lead him down to the perdition of ungodly men tuat teat he be may have dominion over him aim these two principles have governed and controlled the me sets acas of all the children of men and laid the foundation borall for all the history of the whole world for the last six thousand years or from the creation of man this power of the devil and of all the fallen angels who are represented to have been one third part of all the hosts of heaven who were cast down from heaven to earth has been at war against god sad and his christ and ana against every prophet and apostle and inspired man whom god has raised up from the creation of the world to the present day the first arst man adam under the influence of the devil transgressed a law by which death came into the world god the eternal father gave his only begotten otten son as a great rest shed wis his blood to redeem man from death for as in adam all d die ie even so in christ shall all be made alve alive the god of heaven whom nhom dewor we worship Is represented as the father the son and the holy ghost the father and son bon ha calr tabernacles and they created man after theirl own image but the holy ghost is a spirit and a witness and a testimony of the father and the son this rely holy ghost and witness are promised unto all men who will obey the law of the gospel which god has revealed to the human family this holy ghost rested upon adam when he blessed his posterity in adam ondi ahman abman three years previous to his bis death gave many of his sons tb the e holy kriest priesthood hood whereby they could administer in the ordinances of the gostel gospel of life and salvation the lord has as raised up men in every dispensation when ile he has had bad a people on earth unto whom hu ho has given the priesthood sad and all people have been blessed when they have hearkened to the voice of the lord on the other hand when the inhabitants of the earth have become wicked and have transgressed the law lav of god they have been chastised and when they have become ripened in iniquity they have been cut off from the earth as in the case of noah and as it was in the days of noe so shall it be also in the days of the son sen of man the righteous were saved while the wicked were destroyed the whole history of the shorn apal dealings gs of the lord with man has shown the bene benefits tits and blessings of obeying the lord and akee keeping his cormana ments the history annleal of 0 the dealings of the lord with ancient israel shows chows that shift he blessed the righteous and cursed the wicked and brou drought ht his judgments upon lapon them whee whenever ever israel hearkened to the teachings of moses and the prophets they prospered and nd their enemies were a prey unto them but when they departed from the lord and set up altars to bail baal and committed sin the lord forsook them stiem as in the case of judah and jerusalem in the days ot of zedekiah the king he forsook the lord and led the people astray they were lull full of blood aud and mur murder derand and whoredom and all manner of abominations and the lard warned them through his prophets isaiah jeremiah and ezekiel these prophets told the king and the people what judgments would come upon them slid and tile the lord said by ezekiel unto the king and to the people ale what I 1 have spoken shall be done now all that these prophets said came to pass not one jot nor tittle fell unfulfilled the jews put to death the savior and the apostles and relec rejected ted the lord and the gospel and all that moses jesus the apostles and the prophets bloke concerning israel J udah judah and jerusalem came to pass to the very letter all AH the prophets and apostles who have written since roan nian was placed upon the earth have bave seen our day and have prophesied of the events which were to take place on the earth in the last dape dispensation bation and fullness of times th they 1 Y b have seen en the church of god the zi cidh of god and the kingdom of god established on the earth and the gathering of the people from all nations to build them up and the judgments of god which were to rest in the last days upon all nations who should fight against mount zion and the people of god now I 1 wish to ast ask the latter day saints if they can cantor for a moment think that the loi loid d will fail in these days in fulfilling his promises anymore than he has in other dis sensations no he will not in fulfillment of his sayings through the mouths of those ancient apostles and prophets the lord has set his hand band once more for the last time to prune une 1 his vineyard and to establish gi his s church and kingdom upon the earth to be thrown down no more forever he laas has raised up his prophets and apostles and revealed unto them the falness of the everlasting gospel and given unto them the everlasting Priest hoods of aaron and of melchisde dek joseph smith was raised up p by the power of god and the administration of angel sand he brought forth the book of mormon the record and stick of joseph in the hands of R Kp braim as spoken of by the prophet czekiel ezekiel in t the e chapter ibis prophet of god joseph smith had bad power to or the church of jesus christ of latter day saints according to th the e ancient order of 06 pheoh Charch arch ot christ with apostles and prophets evangelists bishops pastors pastora and teachers and the church has been led continually by living oracles awl and the revelations of god from heaven until the present day it has BUS now stood fifty six years since its organization and its history is if before the heavens and the earth the prophets and apostles and many elders have gone forth and preached the gospel ot of jesus christ to many nations and tens of thousands of the inhabitants of the earth have embraced the gospel been baptized for tie t ie remission of their sins have received the holy ghost by the laying on of hands and have bave been gathered home to zion from many nations uati ons in of the ancient prophets Prop nets who spoke as they were moved upon by toe the holy ghost earth and I 1 hell have been combined to stop slop the little stone from rolling roiling and from froin becoming a mountain ari and bilting jilting the whole earth as daniel said it should in the last days joseph smith his brother hyrum with several of the apostles and elders and many saints have already sealed their testimony with their blood and today to day lay prisons are crowded with the elders of israel for keeping keepin 9 the commandments of god and many others have been driven into exile for the same cause many of the inhabitants of the land are stirred up aud and are desirous to destroy the church and kingdom of god from off the earth but they know not the thoughts of the lord neither understand der stand they his ways the gentile or christian world today to day can no more commit sins bias and be guilty of lying stealing blasphemy whore whoredom doin or murder or commit any abominations and escape the wrath of god thau thai could sodom and gomorrah or toe the antediluvian world or ancient israel the word of the lord lias bus been proclaimed against the gentiles and all the a I 1 an 0 e ear in a tee e last ast days ays who commit sin and it will as assuredly be fulfilled as in ancient days the lord has a controversy with this generation era tion and he will judge the inhabitants according to the deeds done in the body and none can stay his hand I 1 want to say to the saints of god who dwell in the flesh today to day that the fifty six years which have bave passed away since the organization of the church of 01 jesus christ of latter day saints baic taken into the spirit world all our oar prophets apostles elders eldera and saints who wh have finished their testimony in ake flesh their voice is hushed in death and their testimony is closed they are mingling with the spirits of the righteous and waiting fr for the great eat day of the coming of the son of man an when jesus christ will come in the clouds of heaven to reward every man according to the deeds done in the body but though they have passed away is the work of god finished on the earth verily no has the warning voice ceased to be heard by the inhabitants of the earth it has not all of ft us who remain in the flesh are under as much obligation to lift the warning voice and reap while the day lasts as were those who have passed gassed away the lord skid to ezekiel 1 I have made thee a watch watchman nian unto the house of ef israel when ben I 1 say unto the wicked thou sure lydie and thou div st him not warning nor speak est to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man sh shall alidie die in his iniquity but his blood will I 1 require at thine hand yet if thu thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his bis iniquity but thou hast bast dell deli vered thy boul 11 this is precisely our condition today to day As apostles seventies high priests and elders we and all men who bear any portion of the holy priesthood are watchmen uvon buon the wails wa ils of zion and messengers to all the inhabitants of the earth and all of us will be held responsible if we do not improve our time and lift the warning voice as far as we have opportunity port unity and warn this generation of the judgments of god which await them I 1 know the judgments of god are very nigh unto the door of this nation and this generation ana they will overtake the world before it is prepared fur that time even the coming comine of the son of man is nigh and he will come as a thief in we the night who is in prepared to abide the day of his comina co miny it is our duty to labor and reap then every man should be diligent in that sphere in which he is called to act that his garments way may be clean from the blood of all men I 1 do not believe there was ever a genera generation tiou of men who inhabited the earth who were more wicked or who were practising practicing rester greater abominations or who were if sinning fining against greater liht light and knowledge or who had bad a greater flood of judgments proclaimed against them by the word of the loro lord than the generation in which we live as saints of the tae living god who bear the holy priesthood we shall be under condemnation if we do not lift up the warning voice against i the evils and abominations which ex aist so 80 far as we have opportunity how many woes boes the prophets and apostles have proclaimed against those who fight against Zion woe unto all those who discomfort my people and i drive and murder them and testify against them saith the lord of hosts A generation of vipers shall not esl cape the damnation of hell behold mine eyes see and know all their works and I 1 have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof for th them emall all por for there is a time appointed for every man accod ding as his work shall be I 1 will say to the apostles our responsibility is very great the prophets who organized the church and laid the found foundation ution of this last dispensation with a whole quorum of apostles have finished their testimony and gone into the spirit world we have been called to take lake their places what manner of men 0 ought we to be the whole earth is ripening in iniquity and the zion of god should be prepared for the coming of the bridegroom we ble ourselves before the lord and bf be in a position to be filled with the spirit of our calling with the holy ghost and with the revelations of jesus chi that we may know the mind and will of god concerning us and be prepare pared d to magnify our calling and bring to pass ri s I 1 and be valiant la in the testimony of jesus christ to the end of our pilgrimage here in the flesh the prophets Prop hety apostles aud and all the heavenly hosts axe are watching over us there never was a time when the work ot god required a more faithful testimony and labor from the apostles and elders than today to day I 1 would say to the seventies who stand connected with the quorum of the twelve apostles as messengers to the nations of the earth it has fallen to your lot to go forth and assist to prunette prunet be vineyard once more and for the last time before the coming of the son of adan the lord said fifty seven years ugo age that the held field was white tor for the arvest harvest and ana ile he had set his hand band to prune prane toe the vineyard once pore more and for the last time the el ders were commanded at that day to thrust in their sickle and reap while it was called today to day tor for soon night would come when man could reap brethren it is ranch much nearer night now than it was seven years ago the savior said ut at that day that the angels were cryans day and night for the privilege to go aorta and aad reap down the earth ile he informed them they must wait a little season until the harvest arves was fully ripe the e as nations ions must be warned zion must ewt be established and the wheat or the saints saint 1 be gathered tinto linto the garner then the angels go for forth t h and reap the tares gather them in bundles and prepare them for the burning since that day many thousands of the saints have been gathered to zion from the nations of the earth but you are called upon at this late day to still go forth and wain the gentiles gamiles with tile the proclamation of the gospel therefore bret brethren haen you who are called to go into the vineyard whether apostles high priests seventies or elders do not be weary in well doing remember Se member you vou are messengers of salvation keep yourselves pure pare and spotless before god and all men seek to bring to pass righteousness and save the souls of men labor faithfully that your garments may be clean aiom the blood of all nien men and that the nations maybe may be left without excuse in the day of goda judgments upon the wicked which is nigh at hand and those judgments will be poured out without measure all the messengers in the vineyard should be righteous and holy men and call upon the lord in mighty prayer in order to prevail it is in the privilege of every elder in israel who is laboring in the vineyard if he will live yip to his privileges to have dreams visions and revelations and the holy ghost ass as a constant companion eon spanion that he be may be able |