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It is wonderful the power of the Spirit and testimony that has rested upon the brethren at this conference. We have felt that God has been with us by His power, and also that it should be manifested unto the world that the Priesthood of the Son of God has been restored to the earth and those who bear it enjoy the light and the power of God that was promised unto those who would bow in obedience to the commandments of God. It has been manifested at this conference by several witnesses that we are living in the dispensation of the fullness of times; that the Lord has restored to the earth apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ, that we may come to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God.
We know in our experience that those who have offered unto the Lord the acceptable offering of the broken heart and the contrite spirit, who have repented of their sins, seeking earnestly at the hands of the Lord for their sins to be remitted, and have submitted to baptism at the hands of a servant of God, that they have known their sins were remitted, that they had received the sanctifying influence of the blood of Christ, that they received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that God Himself revealed to them by His Spirit that they had embraced the Gospel which has been restored to the earth.
The Prophet Isaiah predicted the judgments of Almighty God upon the world. John the Revelator saw the angel fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those on the earth, crying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come. If we would study these scriptures that have been given unto us, we should be enabled to understand by the revelations of God the day and age in which we live, and the hour in which we live.
As I understand it, I have no right to be an Elder in Israel and to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood unless I have offered unto the Lord the acceptable offering of the broken heart and the contrite spirit. The Lord wants an intelligent obedience. When we go down into the waters of baptism we make a solemn covenant with God that we will serve Him and keep His commandments. And in our service, under whose direction do we move? Do we not move under the direction of that Priesthood that God has restored to the earth?
"He that receiveth My servants," saith the Lord, speaking to the Priesthood, "receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth My Father; and he that receiveth My Father, receiveth My Father's Kingdom; therefore all that My Father hath shall be given unto him." Have I any right to accept the office of an Apostle unless I have offered this acceptable offering unto the Lord, and I am willing to use my time, my means and my talent for the building up of the kingdom of God and the establishment of His righteousness upon the earth? Am I forced to be an Apostle? Do I not accept of this with my own free agency? And do I not understand that we move under the direction of the Presidency of the Church? Is there any man so weak and with so little understanding that he does not understand this proposition? Is there any man holding the Priesthood of the Son of God that does not know that the Apostles move under the direction of the Presidency?
I am often invited by my brethren to attend conferences. I tell them I will be very glad to attend their conference if I am so directed. When we meet on the Thursday with the First Presidency we receive our appointments. We are subject to their direction because we have offered unto the Lord the broken heart and the contrite spirit. We have accepted of the conditions of His salvation, and I never have had more happiness than I have had since it has been my privilege to associate with my quorum. For many years I have been a traveling minister. I accepted of my appointment to Mexico. I accepted of my appointment to the European Mission. I accepted of my appointment to continue in Mexico in building up those settlements; and I accepted my appointment when they told me that it was enough--I could come home and travel in the stakes of Zion and hold meetings with the Priesthood. I come and go and do and say as I am directed. And I have accepted of this intelligently. It is not blind obedience. I know what I am doing.
I want to bear testimony that I know that Wilford Woodruff is a prophet of the Most High God. When he was President of the Twelve Apostles he laid his hands upon me and appointed me to my mission, and the promises that he made me were literally fulfilled. I knew that he spoke by the power of God, and that he had the spirit of prophecy. I know that the spirit of prophecy is in the Church.
I know of the labors of my beloved President, Lorenzo Snow. We love him because we know that he is a man of God, that he is filled with the inspiration of the Almighty; and he has labored incessantly, and truly and faithfully to bring us to that unity which exists today, because he loves us. He has taught us how to love each other; and how to be in harmony with each other. He has taught us our duties, and has explained the principles of righteousness, till we have rejoiced before the Almighty.
We are in union with the First Presidency. We love these our brethren, and we sustain them with all our hearts by our faith and prayer, and by being willing and obedient, to come and to go as may be necessary. All that we have belongs to the Lord. We are the Lord's, and we hold all that we have subject to Him simply because He has illuminated our minds by the power of His Spirit and given us the living testimony that we have. And we love each other.
We love our brethren of the Presidency of the Stakes, and their counselors, and the High Councilors, and Patriarchs, and Bishops, and the various officers of the Church, with the Relief Societies, the various organizations of the young people, and the Sabbath schools. We sustain them by our faith and prayers. We set them apart for their duties, because we love them, and we love the work of God, and want to see the establishment of His righteousness. We endeavor to be meek men, teachable, and loving and kind to each other, esteeming our brethren before ourselves, and feeling little in our own sight. The Lord knows, we are little in our own sight.
I tremble many times for fear that I should make a mistake, or that I should say or do anything that would not be consistent in the sight of God; for I do desire with all my heart to serve Him and keep His commandments. I do desire to be redeemed back into His presence. I do desire to be associated with my beloved ones in the morning of the first resurrection, and to have the privilege of the thousand years with Christ on this earth. I do desire the glories of the resurrection. I do desire an invitation at the marriage supper of the Lamb. I do desire to be associated with this eternal Priesthood.
I do not think I would be kind to myself if I did not, nor to my wife and children. I do not think I would be kind to my beloved brethren if I did not; for I want their good feeling and to be associated with them. It is my delight to be associated with them today, and I look forward with a great deal of joy to the time when we shall be ourselves, not subject as we are today. Subject to what? Why, we are subjected intelligences--subject more or less to these spirits that we have been instructed about. A man gets a false impression, and then he becomes under the influence of the adversary; and we are liable to these false impressions.
I bear my testimony that God lives; that Jesus is the Christ; that Joseph Smith was a true prophet sent of God; that Brigham Young was his proper successor, and John Taylor, and our President today, Wilford Woodruff. I received this Gospel in 1852. The Lord brought me from London, England. He reached out his hand and led me into the Church, and I have never been able to express my thanksgiving to Almighty God for His goodness and kindness to me in giving me the privilege of being a member of His Church, to be adopted into His royal family, and to have the living witness that has been given unto me.
I desire also to testify to the truth of that that has been said concerning our Brother Moses. I love Brother Moses Thatcher. We were together in Mexico, and I esteemed him as one of my best friends. It was Brother Moses Thatcher that laid his hands upon me and blessed me when I went to undertake the mission to Europe. I have plead for him, and all the Apostles have plead for him, and that is the reason no action has been taken. We wanted him to have plenty of opportunity for repentance; that he might come with the broken heart and contrite spirit, and say, Brethren, forgive me for all my wrong-doings; let me be one with you, as I have been in times that are past. That is what we have patiently waited for.
We have plead before the Lord that He would touch and soften his heart, that he might see his position as we see it. Do you think that we are all under a false impression? Do you think that this body of men, who live near to the Lord, and whom you sustain as prophets, seers and revelators, are all wrong, and he is right? I pity anybody that entertains such an idea. It is rather untenable. It is not so. The reason there has been so much leniency is because we have loved him. We hear that he is increasing in health and strength, and we look for him to come with the broken heart and contrite spirit, and be associated with us. If there is anybody that loves him more than we do, I would like to know where you find him.
I am thankful to bear my testimony concerning this work, because I know it is true. I know that these principles we have received at this conference are true. We are the representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, or we are not. And we can be tested; for we tell the people that if they will repent and worship the living and true God, and if they will be baptized by a man having authority, they shall receive the remission of their sins, and they shall know through the gift of the Holy Ghost concerning the doctrine; for the Lord will reveal it unto them. That is our promise to all the world, because we know that the Lord has spoken, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I pray that the spirit of unity which exists between the Presidency and the Apostles may never be any less, but that it may increase until we shall become one with Christ as He is one with the Father, to His eternal honor and glory.
And herewith ends the talk as I have found it, with nary an Amen.
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