I desire to read to you a testimony

I desire to read to you a testimony regarding the first man who occupied the position as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. This testimony was given a short time before the death of the late beloved President of the Church, Lorenzo Snow, and will be found in the current June number of the Improvement Era, in an article written by his son, Elder LeRoi C. Snow. He said, referring to his father ¶

"His work on earth was nearly done, his mission was almost finished; he was about to return to his Maker, and with all the remaining strength of his soul he testified concerning the divinity of the work in which he and the Prophet Joseph Smith commenced their life's work when young men: ¶

" 'A word or two about Joseph Smith. Perhaps there are very few men now living who were so well acquainted with Joseph Smith, the Prophet as I was. I was, with him often-times. I visited him in his family, ate at his table, associated with him under various circumstances, and had private interviews with him for counsel. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God; I know that he was an honorable man, a moral man, and that he had the respect of those who were acquainted with him. The Lord has shown me most clearly and completely that he was a Prophet of God, and that he held the holy priesthood and the authority to baptize people for the remission of their sins, and to lay hands upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, that they might receive a knowledge themselves in relation to these things. I am one who has received from the Lord the strongest revelation concerning the truth of this work. That manifestation was with me powerfully, for hours and hours, and whatever circumstance may occur in my life, as long as memory lasts this perfect knowledge will remain with me. ¶

As to the testimony that Lorenzo Snow, the Prophet of the Lord, in later years had, in this same article his testimony is recorded. ¶

"About, three weeks after his baptism, Lorenzo Snow received a wonderful vision which he tells in his own language, in his journal, as follows: ¶

" 'I had no sooner opened my lips in an effort to pray than I heard a sound, just above my head, like the rustling of silken robes, and immediately the Spirit of God descended upon me, completely enveloping my whole person, filling me, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and O, the joy and happiness I felt! No language can describe the almost instantaneous transition from a dense cloud of mental and spiritual darkness into a refulgence of light and knowledge, as it was at that time imparted to my understanding. I then received a perfect knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and of the restoration of the Holy Priesthood, and the fulness of the Gospel. It was a complete baptism — a tangible immersion in the heavenly principle or element (the gift of) the Holy Ghost; and even more real and physical in its effects upon every part of my system than the immersion by water; dispelling forever, so long as reason and memory lasts, all possibility of doubt or fear in relation to the fact handed down to us historically, that the 'Babe of Bethlehem' is truly the Son of God; also the fact that he is now being revealed to the children of men, and communicating knowledge, the same as in the apostolic times. I was perfectly satisfied, as well as I might be, for my expectations were more than realized, I think I may safely say in an infinite degree. . . . That night as I retired to rest the same wonderful manifestations were repeated, and continued to be for several successive nights. The sweet remembrance of those glorious experiences from that time to the present, bring them fresh before me, imparting an inspiring influence which pervades my whole being, and I trust will to the close of my earthly existence. ¶

Confirming Testimony of Many Others

I have listened to the testimony of all of the apostles who have lived, in these valleys of the mountains from Brigham Young to Joseph F. Smith, and have heard them tell of their personal acquaintance with the Prophet Joseph Smith. The testimony of Joseph F. Smith was the testimony of one who as a child knew the Prophet and loved him. The testimony of Brigham Young, Jr., was in the same class; but all the other testimonies were those of men of experience, men of power, men of individual determination, men who had wills and minds of their own, men who could not be led by a man who did not teach the truth. ¶

The testimony of Brigham Young, of John Taylor, of Lorenzo Snow, Wilford Woodruff, Erastus Snow, George A. Smith, Heber C. Kimball, and of others who have held the apostleship, who have held the priesthood of God and who knew the Prophet Joseph Smith intimately ; of every true Latter-day Saint, man and woman, including the testimony of my own dear departed mother, than whom no sweeter, purer, nobler soul ever lived; the testimony of Eliza R. Snow, Zina D. H. Young, Bathsheba W. Smith, "Aunt Em." Wells, and others too numerous to mention. — was of their individual knowledge regarding the uprightness of the life of Joseph Smith, regarding the integrity of the man, regarding the inspiration of the living God that attended him in all of his labors. ¶

The Transfiguration of Brigham Young

I have the testimonies from George Romney, from my mother, from other relatives of mine and from scores of people, that, upon the day when Sidney Rigdon endeavored to steal the Church of Christ and to become the leader, God manifested to the people upon that occasion, by the transfiguration of Brigham Young — so that he appeared as Joseph Smith, so that he spoke as Joseph Smith — and thereby the testimony came to the Saints that Brigham Young was the man to succeed Joseph Smith the Prophet of God. ¶

Personal Testimony Concerning President Brigham Young

I became acquainted with Brigham Young when I was a little child six years of age ; from that time until the day of his death I was. intimate with him. I was as intimate with one of his boys — the late Feramorz L. Young — from the time that we were little children until he left to go to Mexico — as any two boys ever could be. Perhaps no three young men were ever more intimate than Heber J. Grant, Feramorz L. Young and General Richard W. Young. We grew up together. We slept together. We played together. We attended Sunday school together. We attended day school together. ¶

I was almost as familiar in the homes of President Brigham Young as I was in the home of my own mother. In one home, that of Aunt Emily Partridge Young, if I was hungry I felt as free to go in and ask for something to eat there as in my own home. I have spent hours and hours, as a child, in the rooms of Eliza R. Snow, listening to her counsel and advice, and hearing her relate incidents in the life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and bearing witness of the wonderful blessings of God to Brigham Young. As I say, I was familiar with the Prophet Brigham Young. I knelt down time and time again in his home in the Lion House at family prayers, as a child and as a young man : and I bear witness that as a little child, upon more than one occasion, because of the inspiration of the Lord to Brigham Young while he was supplicating God for guidance, I have lifted my head, turned and looked at the place where Brigham Young was praying, to see if the Lord was not there. It seemed to me that he talked to the Lord as one man would talk to another. I can bear witness of his kindness, of his love to me as an individual, of his love of God and of the inspiration of the Lord that came to him as he stood where I am standing, when I had the privilege of being in the audience and listening to his inspiring words. ¶

Revelation to President John Taylor

I was called into the Council of the Twelve Apostles by a revelation of the Lord to President John Taylor, and from the time that I entered the Council of the Twelve, two years after John Taylor was made President of the Church, until the day of his death, I met with him, week after week, in the Endowment house, and I know that he was a servant of the living God ; I know that the inspiration of the Lord came to him : and I know that upon all occasions, whenever he said : "This is what the Lord desires," and his associates in the council of the apostles sustained his position, that upon every occasion he was vindicated and the inspiration of the Lord to him showed that his wisdom by the power of God, had been superior to the wisdom of other men. Several times I have gone to meetings in the old Endowment house, knowing that a certain matter was to be discussed and my mind was as perfectly set upon a certain position on that question as it is possible for a man to have his mind set. I believe I am as decided in my opinions as the majority of people. I have heard it said that there is nobody as stubborn as a Scotchman except a Dutchman : and I am Scotch on my father's side and Dutch on my mother's (laughter). While I have gone to meetings in the old Endowment house determined in favor of a certain ¶

line of policy, I have willingly and freely voted for the exact opposite of that policy, because of the inspiration of the Lord that came to John , Taylor. Upon every such occasion the servant of the Lord, President Taylor, was vindicated, and his superior judgment, by the inspiration of the Lord, asserted itself in favor of those things that were for the best good of the people. ¶

I could relate circumstance after circumstance when the apostles have been sent out to accomplish certain labors under the inspiration of the Lord to John Taylor, when they thought they could not accomplish the labors, they have returned and been able to bear testimony that by and with the help of the Lord they had been able to accomplish the labor placed upon them by President Taylor, the Prophet of the Lord. If time would permit, I would like to relate some of these incidents, because they are faith-promoting, but I have not the time. ¶

President Wilford Woodruff a True Prophet of God

I can bear witness that Wilford Woodruff was in very deed a servant of the living God and a true Prophet of God. Wilford Woodruff, a humble man, converted and baptized hundreds of people in a few months in Herefordshire, England. In eight months, as I now remember it, he baptized between fifteen hundred and two thousand souls. I believe that no other man who ever walked the face of the earth was a greater converter of souls to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a man of the most wonderful and marvelous humility ; a man who had never been engaged in any great business affairs ; a man who had devoted himself to farming, who had been engaged in raising fruits and cultivating the soil ; a humble man, of whom I had heard many people say that he lacked the ability to preside over the Church of Christ. But I want to bear witness to you that, under the inspiration of the Lord, and because of the humility of the man, because of his godlike life and because God loved him, he was blessed upon more than one occasion with wisdom that was superior to all the wisdom of the bright financial minds in the Church. ¶

Beginning of the Sugar Industry in Utah

President Woodruff announced that the Lord would like the great business of manufacturing sugar established in our midst, and a committee was appointed from the directorate of two of the largest Church institutions, two of the most substantial in all Israel, to look into the matter. They investigated the advisability of establishing the beet sugar industry in this State and unanimously reported adversely. President Woodruff was not satisfied. Another committee was appointed. I was on the first committee and he appointed me on the second committee. I begged to be excused, because I had already formed my opinion, had already signed my name to a report, but he would not listen to my request to be excused. We went into the matter again, thoroughly and carefully, and the second committee reported adversely. President Woodruff said : "Never mind the report. The inspiration to me is to establish the sugar industry." ¶

I was called upon a mission, and a letter was given to me in connection with other members of the Council of the Apostles, and we were sent out to ask men to subscribe for stock in the Utah Sugar Company. I took individual letters to different men asking them to subscribe. I delivered a letter to the late David Eccles, than whom I never met a clearer-headed business man in my life, and I have met men who draw their hundred thousand dollars and more every year in salary. He had a comprehensive grasp on business affairs which to me was superior to that of any man I ever met. David smiled when the letter was presented to him, signed by President Woodruff and his counselors, asking him to invest five thousand dollars, or seven thousand five hundred dollars. He said : "Well, I would like to get off at the lowest figure. You can put me down for five thousand dollars." Then he added: "I hope they will buy lumber from me, so I may make a profit on a part of the five thousand dollars; and after I get the stock, if you can find someone who would like to buy it for twenty-five hundred dollars, I will be much obliged to you if you will come and get the stock." Years later, when he put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the sugar business, I don't know whether or not he felt to give credit to that humble man, Wilford Woodruff, for the inspiration of the Lord, whereby this great industry was established. ¶

But for the inspiration of the Lord to Wilford Woodruff I doubt if we would have any sugar business in this state or in Idaho, today, that would amount to very much. I am inclined to think that the Great Western or some other company would have established the business in Utah and Idaho, and that the people of these states would simply have been working for them instead of owning the majority of the stock in our great inter-mountain factories. ¶

After we had let the contract for the building of the sugar factory at Lehi, the panic of 1891 came on. There was a provision in the contract that before the machinery was shipped by the Dyer Company, if we would pay a forfeit of fifty thousand dollars the contract could be cancelled. I had been sent to New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia. San Francisco and other places, by the Presidency, to try to raise the money necessary to build this factory, but it looked like an impossibility to get the money. It was the opinion of business men and others that we should pay the fifty thousand dollars forfeit and abandon the enterprise ; but when the recommendation was presented, Wilford Woodruff's answer was this: "From the day I received a knowledge of the divinity of the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, from the day that I went out as a humble priest to proclaim that gospel, although it looked like death in front of me, if the path of duty that the gospel required me to tread called me to face death, I have never turned to the right nor turned to the left ; and now the inspiration of the Lord to me is to build this factory. Every time I think of abandoning it, there is darkness ; and every time I think of building it, there is light. We will build the factory if it bursts the Church." ¶

We did built it and it did not burst the Church (laughter) ; and it and subsequent factories have made for our people and for the Church millions of dollars. ¶