(President of the Raft River Stake

(President of the Raft River Stake of Zion.) ¶

My dear brothers and sisters: There may be some in this audience before me who do not understand what "priesthood" means. It is the power of God delegated to man. Man cannot act for God, and it be approved of God, unless he have power from him so to do. Joseph Smith, the prophet, had first to receive the priesthood before he had the right to act for God. ¶

I want to quote a simple scripture here. We have heard and read it a great many times. But I wonder if the force of it appeals to us. The Savior said, "Ask, and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you, seek and ye shall find." If Joseph Smith, the "Mormon" prophet, had not sought, had he not knocked at the door, God the Father, and Jesus his Son would never have come from the portals on high in answer to his seeking; this dispensation would never have been opened, had it not been for that prayer. My friends, and brothers and sisters in the world, if you want to know God, seek him : he does not push his work upon you, he will not force his work upon you—but you must seek him. Very much contrary and opposite is the work of the evil one — he forces himself upon us — we do not have to ask; give him half a show and he will take a whole show — that is the difference. It illustrates that beautiful law of free agency. If you want what is good, seek it, go after it, get the development and the experience— evil comes of itself. ¶

On the 15th day of May, 1829, as recorded in the revelations written by the prophet, we find these words in answer to prayer: "Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of the Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron." What a splendid thing was there given ! God showed it was necessary to deal in first principles — consequently gave that power to Joseph Smith and his associates, so that they could act in things pertaining to godliness; and in the beginning of this great work, consequently, they received a portion of the power of God — but not all of it. ¶

What was the Priesthood of Aaron? In the days of Aaron it dealt with the priest's office, things pertaining to the temple, pertaining to the consecrated material things. But this priesthood also holds the keys and has the right to certain spiritual blessings : it holds the keys of the ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance. Joseph Smith, like you and me, had no right even to call men to repentance until God gave him the right, and that right came through holding the priesthood. This priesthood holds the power to the keys of the ministering of angels, preaching the gospel, and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins ; and it shall never be taken from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering in righteousness. ¶

Brethren and sisters, do we want eternal life? Do we want a place in the kingdom of our Father? If so, we ought to seek for and honor the priesthood. Now this may seem peculiar to our friends in the world, but it is very plain — no man can enter where God the Father dwells, unless he holds the priesthood, and he must hold the higher priesthood. If we read the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we find there defined three distinct but general classifications of the children of men. We sing about seeing God, being with our God, but there is something required first, the power that is the means in our hands to reach God, to know of his ways — and that power is the priesthood delegated to man, which God has given in this dispensation. ¶

I pray, my brethren and sisters, that every man will know what that power means. Does it mean anything to you to be able to rebuke the influence of the adversary? If so, it requires that you ¶

possess the Melchizedek priesthood to rebuke that influence. ¶

If any of you wish to call your neighbor or your friend into your home to assist in administering to any member of your family, and through the power and the right that you have through that priesthood, ask God to heal your wife Or son or your daughter — is that worth anything to you? If so, the priesthood is valuable to you in that respect. You cannot do without it. ¶

Is it worth anything to know that you can carry a message of truth to the nations of the earth? If so, you must hold the priesthood, or the power of God, to act. ¶

Is it worth anything to detect the power of evil, the adversary? If so, that priesthood will help you to discern more quickly than any other way. Hence, my brethren, you should desire to hold the priesthood. ¶

In other words, is it worth anything to you to have at your command and in your possession the means of reaching God and knowing his desires concerning you? If so, the priesthood is valuable to you, and is that means within your command. ¶

It is useless to say, or sing, or preach that we shall dwell with God the eternal Father forever and ever, and then lie idle. I had an experience at one time as bishop of a ward. Someone came to my home quickly and said, "Will you come and administer to my wife? She is very low." And I asked the nearest elder I could get to accompany me. He was a seventy, but had not been very active in the priesthood. He came with me, and I asked him to anoint the sick. He did so, but said nothing. "Brother," I said, "say, 'I anoint you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.' " He said it. We administered to the sister, and she was restored. I had a good chance to instruct the young man afterwards, and he saw the need of knowing what the uses of priesthood were with which God had entrusted him. ¶

We hear of men being ordained elders to go through the temple to be married for time and eternity — and the object of some of our boys seems to be the bride; but the greater purpose in being ordained is to receive the marvelous power of the priesthood. Without it you cannot receive the blessings of that sacred place ; but some of our brethren seem to want that power only because, it is necessary to enable them to go through the House of the Lord. They little understand the obligations they assume. I believe it is the duty of every man who holds this God-given power to learn its uses. ¶

Brethren and sisters, the power of God is upon the earth. I hope that men holding the priesthood of the living God will learn its uses. Then the keys of the ministering of angels will mean something to them, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God will mean something to them. I hope that the time will come very quickly when our boys who hold the lesser priesthood will consider it a privilege to go into the homes of the people to exhort them to live right and to pray, to expound the Scriptures to them. When this great conflict is over that we are engaged in, I believe that men who hold the full power of the priesthood will be needed to carry the gospel message to the nations of the earth. I have always been a believer that what God ordained for a certain purpose should be used for that certain purpose. Teachers should be used for teaching the people at home; priests should be used as ministers at home. When the lesser priesthood comes into its own, I believe that ward teaching will be no trouble I believe there will be no difficulty in it, and men who hold the higher priesthood will be carrying the message of life to the souls of men. ¶

God bless the Latter-day Saints and the work they are doing. I rejoice in the fact that I am a member of the Church. There may be men and women within the sound of my voice who wonder why it is that we testify concerning Joseph Smith. Well, briefly, this power of which I speak, this priesthood which the Latter-day Saints have in their possession, without which man cannot legally act for God, came through Joseph. No one represented God the Father on earth. In fact, men denied revelation, they did not want it. Joseph Smith says that the door of heaven was opened through prayer. God the Father appeared, he brought with him his Son, and he said, "Joseph, this is my beloved Son, hear him." That was the first introduction of his Son since the days of the apostles of old, that God had given to any man. And thus this great work began. It was followed up by this priesthood being restored to men upon the earth. And Joseph Smith was the instrument in the hands of God. He was what the world may call a lucky man, but he was lucky because he went after luck, and he received the answer to his prayer. Brethren and sisters, Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. President Joseph F. Smith said (I believe in the November number of the Improvement Era,) concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob : "They live, they are prophets as they were prophets, they are patriarchs as they were patriarchs. They live, and so does Joseph Smith ; he is a prophet today, as he was a prophet." He lives, my brethren and sisters, and this work is going forth. He was the instrument of the Lord to begin it in the last days, and it will fill the immensity of space ; truth shall reign on the earth, wickedness shall cease, and the world shall know that God lives, I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶