| Show DISCOURSE delivered at the general conference OV of the church in the tabernacle salt lake city saturday april ath 1895 hy by PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW REPORTED BY ARTHUR WINTER I 1 wish to 10 read farour for out instruction a few verses which will be found in the first chapter of johns revelations Revelation sas as follows and I 1 turned to see the voice that with wih me and being turned I 1 saw seven seve n golden candlesticks I 1 and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the son ot man clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the with a golden girdle his head and his haire hain wore were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters and he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword and his countenance was as the sun chineth in his strength and when I 1 saw him I 1 fell at athis bis feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not I 1 am the first and the last I 1 am he that liveth and was dead and behold I 1 am alive for evermore amen and have the keys of hell and of death in connection with this I 1 wish to read from the book of doctrine and covenants noth section the vail was taken from our minds and the eyes of our understanding were opened we saw the lord standing upon the breast work of the pulpit before us and under his feet was a paved work ol of pure gold in color like amber his eyes were as a flame of fire fir the hair of his head was white like the pure ww snow his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters even the voice of jehovah saying I 1 am the first and the last I 1 am he who liveth I 1 am he who was slain I 1 am your advocate with the father behold your sins are forgiven you you are clean before me therefore lift up your heads and rejoice let the hearts of your brethren rejoice and let the hearts of all my people rejoice who have with their might built this house to my name for behold I 1 have accepted this house and my name shall be here and I 1 will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house this vision was seen by joseph smith and oliver cowdery on april 3rd ard 1836 here are two testimonies con concerning cervin jesus christ that which I 1 first reab read ws was given about 1800 years ago the other about 59 years ago I 1 suppose there are many millions that believe in the first testimony which I 1 have read in relation to the son of god as described by john the revelator this second testimony about the same personage the son of god is believed but by a very few compared to the great number ot of people who believe in the first testimony in reference to john who bore testimony to the son of god I 1 never was familiar with him indeed anever I 1 never saw his face I 1 never heard his voice I 1 never had the pleasure of shaking hands with him but joseph smith I 1 was familiar with in ila the year 1832 if I 1 mistake not I 1 first saw him and heard him preach and from that time on with the exception perhaps of a couple of years I 1 was intimately acquainted with him I 1 have conversed with him many times I 1 have heard him preach many times I 1 have sat at his table at various times I 1 knew him to be a man ot of god full of the spirit of ars abts calling a man whose integrity could not be disputed and who was honest in all his endeavors no one that was as intimately acquainted with him as I 1 was could find any fault with him so far as his moral character was concerned As to the second individual here that bears this last testimony oliver cowdery I 1 was partially acquainted with him I 1 heard him preach and talked with him and while he was engaged in promulgating the principles of the religion which he espoused the same that you and I 1 have espoused no fault could be found with him at that time he was a good man and always bore a faithful testimony to these things which god had I 1 manifested to him but like some others who were prominent in the church in 1836 and before and after that he got dissatisfied he be got jealous of certain parties and after a time he apost apostatized adi zed and remained in that con for many years but just previous to his bis death he came forward and re quested to have the privilege of being re baptized and become again a member of the church yet during all the period of his apostasy so far as I 1 understand he always maintained the truth of this testimony which he bore in regard fegard to the truth of the principles pits of mormonism and the various manifestations which he received of the lord now I 1 bear testimony of the good cha character ratter of brother joseph Smi smith of his honesty his fidelity his bis faithfulness his generosity and benevolence as a man and as a servant of god this is why I 1 have read these testimonies now there are several thousand latter ay day saints belore before me and there is not no 04 one out but aws ws a work to perform we did not come into dentally we came for a spean and it was undoubtedly through h C certain e ertain arrangements in the other life where we dwelt that we came into this life well in the temples we are accomplishing a great work in reference to our kindred dead we have from time to time important port atit manifestations that god approved of this labor that we are performing in our temples most extraordinary manifestations have been experienced perien ced by individuals that are laboring for their ancestry it is a mighty work that we are accomplishing thousands of persons have been baptized for their dead during the progress of our labors in the temples j I 1 wish to speak ot of a few things in reference to the importance artance of this work and of individuals 90 being eing engaged in it As I 1 said saia we have not come into this world accidentally it is my opinion that there has been an inspiration to bring about certain relations that we are forming here in this life and most likely they arise because of certain relations that existed in our previous s lile life we respect those relations As president woodruff told us at our last conference but one in speaking on this subject we respect the relations that were formed years and generations ago when the gospel was not among the children of men one of the first commandments that god gave when he introduced the human family upon this little globe upon which we dwell was that they should multiply and replenish the earth that was a matter of the highest importance or god would never have given that commandment man dment it was of toe the utmost importance that the earth should be peopled with the sons and daughters of god circumstances were of that nature that men and women never could be exalted and receive the aulne falness ss of glory unless they passed through this ordeal they had to come to the earth which was called the second estate we had a first estate in which we dwelt moved and had a being we knew one another there and in consequence of hiving having kept our first estate we had the an privilege lege of coming into this estate in order r r to pass through the he ordeal and get that necessary experience and education that should prepare us to sit upon thrones and govern and control our posterity worlds without end we came here because we were sent here and because we were willing to co come me in this life we send our missionaries into the world we select our young men and give them missions to travel among the nations it is not one of the most pleasant I 1 adapt things that might be imagined U tor a young man to start out notha not having biag had any experience to go to a land an and among a people that he knows nothing ix at all about and in many instances does not bot even understand their language he realizes that he will have trials tr and difficulties to cope with and many things of an unpleasant character in one sense of the word he parts with his friends unpleasantly but it is an important duty that he feels now called upon to perform and there will arise from the performance of these duties honor and eventually glory and exaltation he is well satisfied in regard to this point but the mission is 6 not a olea pleasant sant thing to contemplate altogether he is selected for thip thi divine mission and holy labor because of his faithfulness and his bis purity of conduct in like manner we come into this world because we kept our first estate in the midst of all the trials and difficulties in theother the other life it was not all of the family of god that preserved themselves in their first estate one third part of the host of the children of god his offspring traveled in a different u ui i and were not worthy to come into the world they du come sometimes but they have to borrow bodies not having an any 0 of f their own we however are here ge because cause of our worthiness in the past as elders are sent out among the nations because of their worthiness at home now in our temples we allow persons to come in after they have traced their ancestry no matter how far back and to be baptized for their dead father grandfather and great grandfather and so on just ps as far as they can trace their line then we allow them to have the wives sealed to their husbands all along the ancestry line as far as they can trace it take the case of a virtuous young man who lived before the gospel was introduced to the children ot of men he desired to get t T him a wife and to raise a family ith that at desire is a proper desire it is obeying th the first commandment well he married a wife and he caiseda ra iseda family but he never had the privilege of receiving the gospel as you and I 1 have however he taught his family the principles ot of morality and he was affectionate and kind to his wife and children what more could he do he should not be condemned because he did not receive the gospel lor for there was no gospel to receive he should not lose his wife because when he married her he could not go into a temple and have her sealed to him for time and eternity he acted according to the best knowledge that he had and she was married to him for time according to the custom of the country we re that marriage solemnized according to the laws of his country we do not think it would be right to take that wife married to this man under these circumstances and seal hir her to any other man or the children either As president woodruff explained we seal children to their parents and wives to their husbands all along the line now it should be an object in in every man and womans comans mind to come into our temples tempa is and to perform this labor it is a great labor and an important one too when we go back into the other life and find our dead friends living there if we have not performed the labor that is necessary lor their exaltation and glory we shall not feel very happy and it will not be a very pleasant meeting we ought not to wait for opportunities to be pleasant and agreeable always but we should strive even if it takes a little sacrifice on our part to put ourselves in a condition to perform this labor we have in the salt lake temple between sixty sixth and seventy persons that are employed continually for the purpose of waiting on brethren and sisters who come there to do this labor and they perform their service cheerfully very few indeed receive any pay they give their labor for noth pg and we welcome the brethren and sisters when we see them in this temple itis it is the same in all the other temples we desire anxiously that the brethren and sisters should not neglect this important work do you know what will be the main labor during the thousand years of rest it will be that which we are trying to urge the latter day saints to perform at the present time temples will be built all over this land and the brethren and sisters will go into them and perhaps work day and night in order to hasten the work and accomplish the labors necessary before the son of man can present his kingdom to his father this work has got to be accomplished before the son of man can come and receive his kingdom to present it to his father every son and daughter of god will have the opportunity necessary for exaltation and glory either by themselves or by their friends for there is but one way by which exaltation and glory can be secured we have to be baptized for the remission of sins and have hands laid upon us for the reception of the holy ghost these and other ordinances are absolutely necessary for exaltation al and glory and where individuals have lived when the gospel has not teen accessible these things can be attended to by their friends we have come into the world now in order to do these things at least it is one of the chief objects of our coming we cannot cannat lay too great stress upon the importance of this work well brethren and sisters offspring of god everything before us is encouraging our prospects are just as great and glorious as any imagination could possibly anticipate and we should strive to fit ourselves to receive these blessings As to the foundation upon which I 1 we stand it is pretty secure but it may not be to everyone within the sound of my voice ND man should be satisfied until he has secured a perfect assurance that this is the path of exaltation and glory that joseph smith was a prophet of god that these things which I 1 have been read reading liag to you are actually of god that jesus the son of god actually appeared in 1836 to some of the sons and daughters ot 01 god that were a acquainted c q u a i anted with him in the other life there here is s no question about this in my mind and there are tens of thousands of latter day saints that can testify to the truth of this work they know it lor for them selves but I 1 fear there are too many that have not secured that assurance that is absolutely necessary because every man and every woman will be tried to see how far he or she has an understanding in regard to these principles may we be blessed in all our labors may we understand the things that are required at our hands and perform them faithfully and be successful so that when we have finished our second estate we may go yonder and there rejoice and receive the fullness of exaltation and glory this is my prayer in the name djesus oJ of jesus esus amen |
