These things are true

I sincerely trust, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord will bless me upon this occasion, that I may be able to say something that will instruct you who have come here to learn the ways of the Lord. ¶

I have one thought in my mind at present, which has come to me while our brother has been speaking in relation to the organization of this Church. While he was enumerating to us the different personages whom the Lord has sent from the kingdom above to restore unto his people this great organization, this great Church and Kingdom of God in which we are members. When we refer to the fact, that our kind eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, condescended to come to earth in answer to prayer, to deliver unto that boy the message which was essential at that time in order to prepare the way and to lay the foundation of this great work,—when we speak of the Lord Jesus Christ whom the Father introduced on that occasion to the boy Prophet as his Son, "My Only Begotten Son, in whom I am well pleased,"—the question comes to me, who was that Son? It occurs to me that this same Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and the Son of God, to whom the Father introduced the boy, was the same Jesus Christ who lived upon the earth during the meridian of time; that he was the same Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal father. He lived upon the earth for a short period of time, for about 33 years. He entered upon his ministry; he organized his Church with apostles, and evangelists and so on. In time he gave up his life for the sins of the world, that all the children of our Father in heaven who live today, and who lived at the time of the Savior, or who had lived upon the earth before his day, or shall live after we have passed away, might be saved through obedience to his laws. He gave up his life as a ransom for us all. My brethren and sisters, the Savior who talked with Joseph Smith the boy prophet was the identical Savior, the identical Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary, who was crucified upon Calvary's hill, whose body was laid in the tomb, and arose from the tomb on the third day and appeared to his friends and brethren. That identical Jesus Christ who was baptized in Jordan, appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him the necessary instruction for the founding of his Church in our day. ¶

Our brother referred to the fact that John the Baptist had appeared and laid his hands upon Joseph and Oliver, conferring upon them the priesthood of Aaron, and had given them instruction as to how to go forth and labor in this great ministry, and how to organize the Church of Christ. Who was this John? After that messenger had delivered his message to the prophet and had conferred his priesthood, he said, "My name is John, the same who is called John the Baptist in the scriptures." He was the same man who baptized our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the river Jordan, and none other. ¶

Who were Peter, James and John who laid their hands upon those two men, and conferred upon them the holy Melchizedek priesthood? It was the same Peter, and the same James, and the same John who were left as the Presidency of the Church by the Savior of the world at the time he ascended to heaven. They held the same authority, and conferred that authority upon Joseph in the day in which we live. ¶

Then we know of other visitations. We know that Moses appeared. We know that Elijah appeared. We know that Moroni appeared, and who was Moroni? He was the identical person who was entrusted with the care and disposition of the plates, the records from which the Book of Mormon were taken, and the identical person who placed those plates in a secure place, where they were when he revealed them to the Prophet Joseph Smith. And it was his duty, his prerogative and privilege to come back to this earth in his resurrected form, with that same body and that same person and stature, at the proper time, and to the proper one. These are the facts that have been passing through my mind while I was listening to the discourse of my brother. We know that these things are true. ¶

We know of a surety that there will be a resurrection of the body of every child of God. These things are not a mystery to us. We have been blessed with the revelation of God. We have been blessed and favored with a visitation of these great men who have come in their resurrected form, and restored these things. And these things are true, my brethren and sisters. There is absolutely no delusion about them. True? Why, of course they are true. How could they be otherwise? How could all these things have transpired, how could this Church have been organized, and how could it have attained to its present standing and accomplishment? How could all the work that is being accomplished by this Church, for instance the establishment of the missions that have been spoken of, to carry this truth to the nations of the earth? How could all this be carried on with zeal and that same attainment, if it were not true? ¶

You and I would have faltered long since if these things had been a delusion. But these things are true and faithful, and we have this knowledge. God has descended to reveal it unto us, to all his children. ¶

We have this advantage over the children of the world. We have been willing to accept of these precious things, and the Lord has been merciful unto us. Through the direction of his Spirit he has permitted and enabled our leaders, the men whom he has chosen, to establish this work. Where would we have been if it had not been for this Church? God has blessed this work and prospered it till it has grown to the proportions which it has, and all these things have been brought about, my brethren and sisters, through the obedience of his people to the things he has revealed for their guidance. ¶

All these things, these blessings, which we have received, have been ordained of God, and brought about by his power. We may go out into the world to preach the gospel and testify to the nations of these truths which we have accepted, but we cannot force them to accept of them. It is not our privilege so to do. The Lord does not expect it, but he has commanded that we carry this message to the world, that we use our means and our efforts and our talents as he shall bless us from time to time, in order that all of his children who live upon this earth may have the privilege of enjoying the same blessing and the same testimony and the same knowledge of things that we as a people enjoy. ¶

We cannot afford to falter, my friends. The work of the ministry is great, and we are called and appointed each one in our place to perform a certain labor. My brethren and sisters, let us attend to that. Let us see to it that we are found in our places, that we are performing the work that the Lord has designed, in the way that he has revealed for his servants and his handmaids to follow. Let us see to it that we keep the commandments. Let us see to it that we attend to our prayers. Let us see to it that we attend to our work that he has called us to perform. Let us see to it that we attend to our worship, that we partake of the sacrament upon the Sabbath day, and that we do all things that will have a tendency to bring us together and to make us more faithful and more appreciative of the things that the Lord has done and is doing for us as a people. ¶

May God bless us and help us appreciate his blessings, and may they be increased unto us. May we grow in wisdom, in knowledge, and understanding. May we continue to be so faithful and true that the Lord will be pleased to own and bless us, as his people. May we be able to enjoy every blessing, privilege and gift which he has in store for his faithful Saints. Nothing short of this, my brethren and sisters, will be satisfactory to you and me. May God help us in our weaknesses, that we may be able to overcome with his strength, and make us equal to every occasion, that we may not falter, but that we may ever look forward to the promises which he has made. May we have the testimony burning in our hearts to know that Jesus is the Christ, to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet; to know all that he received, and all the visitations that came to him, and all that has been revealed and restored to the earth, and know that these things are true, that we may not falter in the least, but continue to be faithful in good works, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶