Remarks

I wish to read for our instruction a few verses which will be found in the first chapter of John’s Revelations, as follows: ¶

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven gold candlesticks. ¶

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. ¶

His head and his hairs 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 shineth in his strength. ¶

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last; ¶

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. ¶

In connection with this I wish to read from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, 110th 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 of pure gold in color like amber. ¶

His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white like the pure 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 am the first and the last. I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I 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 hears of all my people rejoice, who have with their might, built this house to my name. ¶

For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. ¶

This vision was seen by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3rd, 1836. ¶

Here are two testimonies concerning Jesus Christ. That which I first read was given about 1800 years ago, the other about 59 years ago. I suppose there are millions that believe in the first testimony which I 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 of people who believe in the first testimony. In reference to John, who bore testimony to the Son of God, I never was familiar with him. Indeed I never saw his face; I never heard his voice; I never had the pleasure of shaking hands with him. But Joseph Smith I was familiar with: In the year 1832, if I mistake not, I first saw him and hear him preach. And from that time on, with the exception perhaps of a couple of years, I was intimately acquainted with him. I have conversed with him many times. I have sat at his table at various times. I knew him to be a man of God, full of the spirit of his 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 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 was partially acquainted with him I 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 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 plainly manifested to him. But like some others who were prominent in the Church in 1836, and before and after that, he got dissatisfied, he got jealous of certain parties, and after a time he apostatized, and remained in that condition for many years; but just previous to his death he came forward and requested to have the privilege of being rebaptized and become again a member of the Church. Yet during all the period of his apostasy, so far as I understand he always maintained the truth of this testimony which he bore in regard to the truth of the principles of Mormonism and the various manifestations which he received of the Lord. Now, I bear testimony of the good character of Brother Joseph Smith, of his honesty, his fidelity, his faithfulness, his generosity and benevolence, as a man and as a servant of God. This is why I have read these testimonies. ¶

Now, there are several thousand Latter-day Saints before me, and there is not one but has a work to perform. We did not come into this world accidentally. We came for a special purpose, and it was undoubtedly through certain arrangements in the other life where we dwelt that we came into this life. Well, in the Temple we are accomplishing a great work in reference to our kindred dead. We have from time to time important manifestations that God approved of this labor that we are performing in our Temples. Most extraordinary manifestations have been experienced 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. I wish to speak of a few things in reference to the importance of this work and of individuals being engaged in it. As I said, 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 there in this life, and most likely they arise because of certain relations that existed in our previous 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. It was of 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 fulness 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 having kept our first estate, we had the privilege of coming into this estate, in order to pass through the 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 come 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 things that might be imagined for a young man to start out, not having had any experience, to go to a land and among a people that he knows nothing at all about, and in many instances does not even understand their language. He realizes that he will have trials, troubles 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 not a pleasant thing to contemplate altogether. He is selected for this divine mission and holy labor because of his faithfulness and his 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 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 direction, and were not worthy to come into the world. They do come sometimes, but they have to borrow bodies, not having any of their own. We, however, are here because 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 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 of men. He desired to get him a wife and to raise a family. That desire is a proper desire. It is obeying the first commandment. Well, he married a wife, and he raised a family; but he never had the privilege of receiving the Gospel, as you and I have. However, he taught his family the principles 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; 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 respect 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 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 every man and woman’s mind to come into our Temples 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 for their exaltation and glory we shall not feel very happy and it will not be a very pleasant meeting. We ought not 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 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 nothing. And we welcome the brethren and sisters when we see them in this Temple. 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 and glory; and where individuals have lived when the Gospel has not bee 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 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 we stand, it is pretty secure; but it may not be to everyone within the sound of my voice. No 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 have been reading to you are actually of God; that Jesus, the Son of God, actually appeared in 1836 to some of the sons and daughters of God that were acquainted with Him in the other life. There is 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 for themselves; but I 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 of Jesus. Amen. ¶