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DISCOURSE

Delivered by President Wilford Wood-
ruff at the General Conference,
held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake
City, Sunday morning, April 6,
1890.

-[REPORTED BY ARTHUR WINTER.]-

I feel that every heart in this
congregation should be filled with
gratitude to God for the blessings
we enjoy this morning, that so
many of us have the privilege of
meeting in this Tabernacle in peace
and quietude to worship God.

I want to say to this large assem-
bly that the President of the Church,
or his Counselors, or the Twelve
Apostles, or any other man who
dwells in the flesh, has no power in
and of himself to instruct or edify
the Latter-day Saints; he can only
do so by the power and blessings of
Almighty God. In this respect I
am as weak as the least member of
this Church and Kingdom. We are
all dependent upon the Lord; and I
feel this morning that I stand in
need, not only of the faith and
prayers of the Latter-day Saints,
but of the blessings of God and the
Holy Spirit to assist me to declare
unto the Latter-day Saints the word
of the Lord.

I will say another thing. The
Saints of God in every age of the
world—prophets, apostles and reve-
lators—have been in such a position
that they have had no chance to be
lifted up in the pride of their hearts,
or to boast of their power and
strength to do the work of God
among the children of men. [##3 Nephi 16:10##] Every
man who was acquainted with Jo-
seph Smith and those who followed
him, knows full well that this was
their condition while they dwelt
among us. Joseph Smith was a
humble man. He was one of the
weak instruments in the hands of
God. He was raised up in this last
dispensation and fulness of times to
lay the foundation of this great
Church on the earth. He was taught
by the administration of an[g]els from
heaven. He knew full well that his
strength lay in God and not in him-
self. That is our condition at the
present time. We have no chance
to be lifted up in the pride of our
hearts with regard to the position
we occupy. If the President of the
Church or either of his Couselors or
of the Apostles, or any other man,
feels in his heart that God cannot
do without him, and that he is
especially important in order
to carry on the work of
the Lord, he stands upon slippery
ground. I heard Joseph Smith say
that Oliver Cowdery, who was the
second Apostle in this Church, said
to him, "If I leave this Church it
will fall." Said he, "Oliver, you
try it." Oliver tried it. He fell;
but the Kingdom of God did not.
I have been acquainted with other
Apostles in my day and time who
felt that the Lord could not do
without them; but the Lord got
along with His work without them.
I say to all men—Jew and Gentile,
great and small, rich and poor—that
the Lord Almighty has power with-
in Himself, and is not dependent
upon any man, to carry on His