Discourse 1891-10-05 [D-90]

President Wilford Woodruff

said he felt very much gratified in meeting with so large a congregation of the Latter-day Saints upon a working day. It spoke well for Zion and for the Saints themselves. He had made up his mind before Brother Thatcher spoke to occupy a few moments that afternoon in expressing his views upon temporal things, and Brother Thatcher had certainly opened the way leading to that opportunity.

After dilating upon the work of God in the beginning of creation, and showing how our Heavenly Father placed temporal matters in the hands of men, the speaker remarked that the Lord did not call upon their enemies to build their Temples and habitations. The circumstances attending the building of Solomon's temple were referred to, and, turning next to the organization of this Church, President Woodruff observed that when the pioneers came to

this valley in 1847, they found it a barren desert, without a single mark of the Anglo Saxon race. The Latterday Saints upon their arrival here set to work and did the best they could to change its condition. They plowed, planted and watered the ground, built cabins and other habitations, and so went on until that Tabernacle, the Temple adjoining it, and three other temples were reared in the midst of the people. It had taken millions of dollars to rear these holy places, and, he asked, who had to do it? Why the leaders and Elders in Israel—the Latter-day Saints, the Relief Societies and the women of Zion; all had contributed of their substance which God had given them. Did they call upon their enemies—those who were opposed to them and seeking their destruction to help them in their work? No, and they would not have responded if they had. Was it wrong for the Latter-day Saints to engage in these things? It was not; they could not carry out the purposes of Almighty God unless they did.

He would say before the Lord that he believed in his heart there was not one among the Presidency of this Church, or among the twelve Apostles, but who, if required to do so, would lay down his life willingly for the Gospel's sake. Moreover, there were thousands among this people who would be ready to do the same. Of course, we should not set our hearts upon the things of this world, nor suffer them to turn us from our duties.

With regard to their position temporally, their history was before the whole world. The United States government required their property—what was called Church property—and receivers were appointed to take it. They delivered it up to them, according to their demands, and property that had already been sold and the proceeds of the sales used for the benefit of the people had been included in the seizure.

He thought there was no particular harm in his naming this. President Taylor delivered into the hands of the various Bishops throughout this Territory a certain quantity of wheat and other grain as trustee-in-trust. It amounted to considerable; but all this with the other property was required at their hands. The authorities went to work and had to give their notes to the amount of about $300,000 in order to satisfy the government. They still trusted in God; but it took some money to discharge the demands made upon them. They had to borrow some money to meet those notes; and still they owed something with regard to them.

President Woodruff alluded to the many thousands of dollars which it had also been necessary for the Church to expend in order to help the people in some of the settlements, in the erection of school houses, meeting houses, to supply the wants of the poor, etc.

What was the cause of this great gathering of the people? he asked. They heard the Gospel of Christ proclaimed by His Servants, and believed it. They came to Zion without counsel from anybody, because they had the spirit of gathering within them, and it was this that had made Utah what she was today.

Let them be patient, faithful to their covenants with God, full of charity one towards another, and all would be well. He counseled them to go forward in the good work which they had begun, and they would assuredly conquer and overcome the obstacles which beset their path. God would be pleased and soften the hearts of men towards them; hundreds and thousands would yet visit Utah, to behold the work of the Latter-day Saints, and see they were in earnest and meant what they said.