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DISCOURSE

Delivered by President Wilford Wood-
ruff at the General Conference, in
the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Mon-
day Morning, April 6, 1891.

I have a few thoughts and reflections
I would like to present to my friends,
the Latter-day Saints. Fifty-two years
ago the twenty-sixth day of this month
I stood upon the Temple Block in Far
West. Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith,
Parley P Pratt and others were in
prison. The Lord had given a reve-
lation and commanded us, as the Apos-
tles, to go there upon that occasion to
lay the foundation of that Temple. He
appointed a day and a date on which
we were commanded to perform this
work. Then all was peace in Caldwell
County, where we dwelt. The Lord
perfectly understood what would take
place before that time came. When
the time came to fulfil this revelation
the Latter-day Saints were in Illinois,
they having been driven out of Missou-
ri. The spirit of opposition was so
great that our lives were in jeopardy in
returning there to perform the revela-
tion. When the day came for us to go
there our Prophet was in prison for the
Word of God and testimony of Jesus.
When we conversed with our patriarch
and leading men, they said the Lord
would take the will for the deed. They
did not think it was wisdom for us to
go; for Missourians had sworn by all
the gods in existence that if all the
other revelations and prophecies of
"Joe Smith" had been fulfilled, that
this one should not be, because there
was a day and date to it. After hear-
ing the views of Father Smith and
others of the brethren, Brother Brig-
ham Young asked the Twelve what
their feelings were with regard to this.
We told Brother Brigham that the
Lord God had spoken and we were
ready to obey, and leave the event in
His hands. We did. We went there.
We arrived at that place, according to
that revelation and commandment, on
the 26th day of April, 1839. We laid
the corner stone of that Temple, with
Father Cutler, who had been appointed
to oversee that building. After that
stone was laid we knelt upon it, and
Brother Geo. A. Smith and myself,
who had been called by revelation to
fill the places of some who had fallen,
were ordained Apostles under the
hands of Brigham Young, Heber C.
Kimball, Orson Pratt, John Taylor
and John E. Page. There was a num-
ber present. But they are all today in
the spirit world, excepting myself, so
far as I know. I name this, because I
wish to say here to this congregation
that during these fifty-two years that
are past and gone I have had the op-
portunity of bearing my testimony to
many of the nations of the earth
and islands of the seas and
to the Latter-day Saints. And
as I know not how long I may
still have this privilege in the flesh, I
feel it my duty to bear my testimony
today to this people upon a few princi-
ples, and one is the subject upon which
I treated a little yesterday.

There are a few people who profess
to believe that the Church has not had
the living principle of revelation from
heaven and the blessings of God with
it since the death of the Prophet
Joseph as it had while he lived. I want
to say to these Latter-day Saints that
I traveled with Joseph Smith a thous-
and miles in 1834 for the redemption of
our brethren in Missouri. There are
perhaps half a dozen men in this con-
gregation today who were in that camp
-[Zion's camp.]- We were with that
Prophet of God. We heard his testi-
monies. We saw his revelations ful-
filled. I was with him when he re-
ceived that revelation given on Fish-
ing River. Of course, we know that
he was a Prophet of God, and that he
held the keys of the kingdom of God.
We knew the inspiration of Almighty
God was with him, and that when he
prophesied it came to pass. Those who
are here today, Brother Gates, Brother
Noble, and perhaps others, who were
present on that occasion, will remem-
ber the day that Joseph Smith called
the camp together. We were all well.
There was no disease nor sickness in our
camp. But he told us what awaited us.
He gave us to understand that there
was to be a chastisement visit our
camp. He told us the reason. He
had given counsel to the brethren with
regard to many things, and a number
of them had disobeyed that counsel.
They did not understand and appreci-
ate fully his position and standing as a
Prophet of God. "Yes," says he, "you
think of me as a boy, like the rest of
you, but you will understand soon that
I occupy a position where God governs
and controls me." Those who were
present know the feelings that we had.
There was not a dry eye in camp. He
stood upon a wagon and told us the
judgments of God would visit our camp
and we would be chastised. These
things came to pass. The day that we
landed the destroying angel visited our
camp, and, of course, there was sorrow.
I do not know the number that went
to the grave, but somewhere about
fourteen, I think. Then we understood
that we had a Prophet in our midst.
We knew very well that what he said
would come to pass. Well, everything
that was done in that camp, going and
returning, a record of it, in a measure,
has been kept. During that thousand
miles journey the word of the Lord was
given unto us, and we fully understood
we were being led by a Prophet of God.
We realized that all the way through
that mission.

Now, I want to say that I have
traveled with Joseph Smith a good deal
in my day. I was associated with him
more or less from the spring of 1834 to
the day of his death. I know, as do
my brethren who were associated with
him, that he was a Prophet of God—
one of the greatest prophets God ever
raised upon the earth. As I said
yesterday, he received revelations
upon every subject necessary for the
organization of the Church—the organ-
ization of the Twelve Apostles; of the
Seventies, of the High Councils, of the
Bishops, etc. The Lord gave revela-
tions upon all these things, until we
had the pattern set before us. He laid
the foundation of a great work in this
the greatest dispensation God ever
gave to man. So much in testimony
of Brother Joseph Smith.

In 1847 I likewise traveled one
thousand miles with Brother Brigham
Young, the man who was called to
lead Israel after the Prophet Joseph's
death. There is a number in this
house who came in the pioneer com-