Succession and False Claims

My beloved brethren and sisters: I have enjoyed this meeting so far, and in the remarks I shall make I hope I may be blessed with the inspiration of the Almighty. And while I do not desire to detract in the least degree from the gospel discourses and the practical advice from former speakers, to which we have listened, yet I desire to add something in the nature of testimony, perhaps out of the ordinary way. I desire to do this with a view to strengthen us in our most holy faith and make us understand better than before, if possible, that God is with the true Latter-day Saints ' and that those who have enlisted in his service and who remain faithful and true to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and to those who rule in the midst of Israel, ¶

will always be in the right, and consequently prosper, while those who are disobedient and rebellious will fail. ¶

I have lately returned from a special mission to the Republic of Mexico and to most of the Latter-day Saints missions in the United States, during which I have traveled about 20,000 miles and have had occasion to visit many places which I never visited before. I had already visited many foreign lands and nearly all the foreign missionary fields of the Church, but it so happened that my historical labors in the United States, so far as the missions here are concerned, were left until the last. In traveling through our American missions, as I have now done, I found myself repeatedly standing on what we sometimes term "sacred ground," because the places seen were closely connected with the early scenes of the Church, and I was brought face to face with many things of a historical nature which I did not experience on my travels to foreign countries. ¶

There are two things which deeply impressed me, while on this special mission — something that I cannot dismiss from my mind upon my return home. One of these is the predictions contained in the Book or Mormon concerning the Indians, or Lamanites, the aborigines of this western hemisphere. On my sojourn in the! Eastern States mission I had occasion to stand upon the hill Cumorah, as I had done upon two former occasions, and also had the privilege of spending a night in the old Smith home, near Manchester, western New York, where the angel Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith that memorable night between September 21 and 22, 1823. ¶

I have always been interested in the Book of Mormon, having read it over and over again since I was a boy, and while visiting old Mexico, together with Prest. Rev L. Pratt and others, on my late mission, I began to study with greater interest than ever before the predictions contained in the Book of Mormon regarding the Lamanites and the possible fulfilment of these predictions. The remnants of the house of Israel, now known as the North American Indians, have so far disappointed us to a certain extent. We have had missionaries among the Indians since the beginning of 1831, and some of the very best and most faithful elders in the Church have devoted the principal part of their lives endeavoring to learn the various languages or dialects spoken by the several tribes of Indians in the United States. But after all their efforts in that regard they have only been able to reach a few people, and their labors have resulted in bringing a still smaller number of Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth, and of those who have been baptized quite a few have not been faithful to their covenants, but have returned to their old habits and uncivilized ways and thus rendered the Church very little assistance. On this account we have been inclined to attach but very little importance to our Indian missions, or even to the mission established many years ago in our sister republic on the south, the Mexican mission. For compared with some of the missions among white people in our own country, and in foreign lands, the fruits or results have not been satisfactory. In view of these facts, some of us have ¶

been led to query: How shall the predictions of the Book of Mormon regarding the Lamanites be fulfilled? And will they ever become a white and delightsome people and assist the so-called Gentiles (who shall be converted, to build up Zion and establish truth and righteousness upon the earth? Those of us, however, who have accepted the Book of Mormon as an inspired record will not concede for a moment that the words of the Lord will fail ; hence, we naturally extend our vision and researches to other tribes of Indians, besides these once powerful tribes within the boundaries of the United States. ¶

We, therefore cast a glance southward into old Mexico and through the great countries beyond — down through Central America and South America, where there are millions and millions of Lamanites, direct descendants of Father Lehi. We read with mixed feelings of sadness and joy about the Spaniards, who many years ago conquered the Aztecs of Mexico and the powerful tribes in South America, and who compelled the natives, at the point of the sword, to abandon their idols and paganism and accept that kind of Christianity which is represented by the Roman Catholic Church. We deplore the methods used to bring this change about ; we shall always sympathize with the great Aztec Chief Montezuma and his people, when we read of the tyranny and oppression practiced . upon them by Cortez and his soldiers. But there is one redeeming feature connected with all this Spanish warfare and bloodshed. The conquerors taught the inhabitants of Mexico, Central America and South America the Spanish language, which language is now spoken by nearly all peoples in these lands. Consequently, when our elders (at the present time are sent to labor in the Mexican mission, and they succeed in learning the Spanish language, they can preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ to many millions. This fact stands forth in great contrast to the activities of Jacob Hamblin and others who labored as Lamanite missionaries in the United States, who could only reach a few small tribes after studying as hard, and perhaps worked harder to learn a local Indian dialect than our missionaries do in learning the Spanish language. I therefore look for the M'exican mission, now by many considered of but little importance, to flourish by and by, and become one of the best and most important missions of the Church, and I would further suggest that whenever the time comes that these Lamanites in the south shall embrace the Gospel, there will be a sufficient number .of them to fulfil every prediction contained in the Book of Mormon concerning the Lamanites, and justify every expectation that we have had in regard to the help which these remnants of the house of Israel shall render in building up Zion in these last days. I desire to present this matter to you as my testimony and my faith in all that God has ever spoken through the mouths of his holy prophets. Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of that which God has spoken will ever fail. Every word of prophecy contained in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, and perhaps many others not contained in these four standard works of the Church, will surely be fulfilled in the own due time of the Lord. ¶

The other matters, which attracted my attention and created special interest in my mind, while traveling recently in the United States, were certain facts connected with the several factions of apostate organizations which have broken away from the Church since it was first organized, a departure from the true order of the Church commenced almost immediately after Joseph Smith began his divine mission upon the earth. Ever since that great Anglo-Saxon Prophet began to receive glorious visions, converse with angels and obtain the gifts of translation, the devil has tried to counterfeit everything the Lord has done, and that, too, with considerable success, by deceiving people through impostors or tools who were willing to be used for that purpose. Through these emissaries the evil one has attempted to confuse the minds of mankind by introducing into the world through his agency and inspiration all kinds of imitations to deceive the very elect, if possible. Thus, if a servant of the Lord prophesied in the name of the Lord, the devil would do the same thing and claim that he also did it by the power of God, when in reality it was inspired by the powers of darkness and deception, ¶

Soon after Joseph had received the gift of translating sacred records by the gift and power of God, other men were influenced to translate by soma, power which they themselves perhaps did not understand, and while some of these efforts seemed at first to be somewhat successful time proved them all to be failures. The Prophet Joseph in his history records as early as September, 1830, that Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, had in his possession a certain stone by which he obtained certain revelations concerning the upbuilding of Zion, the order of the Church, etc., all of which were entirely at variance with the order of God's house, as laid down in the New Testament, as well as in modern revelation. The Whitmer family and Oliver Cowdery were among those who believed in some things brought forth through this stone. So Joseph, the Prophet, enquired of the Lord and received the revelation which constitutes the 28th section of the new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. And at a conference held soon afterwards Bro. Page, as well as all members of the Church who were present renounced the said stone and all things connected with it. ¶

In February, 1831, a woman, who professed to be a prophetess of the Lord and who believed the Book of Mormon to be true, made "pretentions of revealing commandments, laws and other curious matters," so it became necessary for the Prophet once more to enquire of the Lord and in answer the 43rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants was given, in which the Lord plainly said that "there is none other was given unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he [Joseph Smith] be taken, if he abide in me," etc. ¶

Soon afterwards, when the Saints began to congregate in Ohio and there became quite numerous, they were blessed with many of the gifts and powers of the gospel ; but almost at the same time, according to the statement of Parley P Pratt, "some very strange spiritual opera* tions were manifested, which were disgusting, rather than edifying. ¶

Some persona would seem to swoon aw&y and make unseemly gestures and be drawn and disfigured in their countenances. Others would go into ecstasy and be drawn into contortions, cramp, fits, etc. ; others would seem to have visions and revelations which were not edifying and which were not congenial to the doctrine and spirit of the Gospel; in short a false and lying spirit seemed to be creeping into the Church." The question was referred to the Prophet Joseph, who enquired of the Lord, the result being a revelation given in May, 1831, in which the Lord explains the difference between the manifestations of the power of God and the manifestations of the power of evil. (See Doc. & Cov. Sec. SO) ¶

According to the historian, Geo. A. Smith, the first attempt to establish an apostate Church, was made by one Wycam Clark, in Kirtland, Ohio. This Mr. Clark was baptized about the same time as Sidney Rigdon and, in company with Northrop Sweet and four others, seceded from the Church and said they would carry the whole world with them by preaching "Mormon" principles. They had two or three meetings and then the society broke up. ¶

Geo. A. Smith also says : "Another species of apostasy took place in the neighborhood of the forge at Kirtland. A man named Hoten seceded from the Church, denounced the Book of Mormon and the Prophet and established himself under the name of the Independent Church. A man named Montague was made bishop. This church got to number about ten members. They pretended under the order of the New Testament to have all things in common. In a few weeks the bishop, who' had charge of the temporal things, made a charge on the president for visiting his pork barrel, and the president charged the bishop with visiting his wife, and that broke up the society." (See Deseret News, Vol 7, page 364). ¶

Bro. Smith also mentions a man by the name of Hawley, who was attacked by a spirit of revelation, somewhere in the state of New York, while he was plowing, and it took him in such a hurry that he had no time to put on his boots, but traveled barefoot to Kirtland, some 600 miles distant, to warn Joseph that he was a fallen prophet, that God had cut Joseph off and placed in his stead a man by the name of Noah, and the reason why Joseph was cut off was that he had suffered the men belonging to the Church to wear cushions on their coat sleeves and the women to wear caps. He went through the streets of Kirtland with a dismal howl, crying: "Woe, woe, to the people." On one occasion, about midnight, Brigham Young went out and took with him a cowhide and said to Hawley: "If you don't quit annoying the people with your, noise, I'll cowhide you." Mr. Hawley then considered that he had suffered persecution enough for his Master's sake and shut up his noise. ¶

After the selection of the first quorum of Twelve apostles, in 1835, and after the dedication of the Kirtland temple, the spirit of apostasy became more general, and one of the First Presidency, several of the apostles, and other prominent men in the Church, were all carried away in this apostasy; and one of their number, namely, ¶

Warren Parrish, who had been a traveling missionary in the Church in the Southern States, and known as an eloquent preacher, undertook to organize those elements into & Church. They were going to renounce the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and take the "Mormon" doctrines to overthrow all the religions of the world and unite all the Christians into one great religious band — they to be its great leaders. This apostasy took place in 1837 and 1838. When Heber C. Kimball, while filling a mission in 1844, was crossing Fox River on a ferry, he encountered Warren Parrish as a grave-looking man — a straitjacketed fellow, dressed in black, with a white handkerchief ground his neck. He spoke to Elder Kimball, slaying: "Elder Kimball, will you have the goodness not to say to the people here that I was a 'Mormon !' I am a Baptist minister and am preaching in that meetinghouse at a salary of $500 a year. If they find out that I have been a 'Mormon,' it would hurt my influence very much indeed." The question arises : Where was the big church he had tried to build up. He had tried pleading law, but failed, and he had been peddling bogus money, which also failed, like the big church speculation. George A. Smith in explaining the origin of the Warren Parrish movement says : I recollect waking up late one evening when I was quite a young man and hearing my father and one of the brethren talk. Being a little disposed to listen, I learned that there had been considerable of a difficulty between Parrish and one of the brethren. This was when he was in good standing in the Church. He had been too kind with the brother's wife. Then I learned the commencement of his apostasy. ¶

At the breaking up of Far West, Mo., in 1838-39 Isaac Russell, one of the missionaries who first brought the gospel to Great Britain, undertook to lead the Saints into the wilderness. He gathered some twenty followers, but did not succeed. He afterwards suffered much persecution in Missouri and died in Richmond Sept. 25, 1844. ¶

David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, like all the witnesses to that sacred record, remained faithful to his testimony regarding the Book of Mormon, but otherwise he fell into darkness and allowed himself to be influenced by a number of apostate leaders, such as James J. Strang, and later Wm, E. McLellin. And when he became an old man, he undertook to organize a church of his own, claiming that inasmuch as he had been ordained and set apart by Joseph Smith to preside over a stake of Zion organized in Clay county, Mo., in 1834, he had as much authority as the Prophet himself. He obtained a few followers in Missouri, but not enough to make a complete church organization. He presided over his little church until he died in 1888, and when I visited Richmond, a few months later, his nephew John C. Whi+mer, a son of Jacob Whitmer, had succeeded him as president of the Whitmerite faction. There is a very small remnant of that church left yet. ¶

Mr. Francis Gladden Bishop, commonly known as Gladden Bishop, and his brother I H. Bishop, also started ^ church of their own, which became known as "Gladden Bishopites." Mr. Bishop believed ¶

that the valley of the Colorado was the place of refuge for the Saints at the time they were expelled from Nauvoo. He had joined the true Church in 1832, (and after being ordained an elder did considerable missionary work for the Church ; but he fell into darkness, and, under the influence of a delusive spirit, he organized a new church, as stated. He was on trial as early as 1842 before the High Council at Nauvoo (Joseph the Prophet being present) on complaint of having received, written and published or taught certain revelations and doctrines not consistent with the doctrines and covenants of the Church. At first Mr. Bishop refused to present the written revelation, but finally read portions of it to the council. The purported revelation appeared to be the extreme of folly, nonsense, absurdity, falsehood and bombastic egotism. Joseph the Prophet explained the nature of the case and gave a very clear elucidation of the tendency of such prophets and prophesying, and then delivered Mr. Bishop over to the buffetings of Satan until he shoidd learn wisdom. The council then disfellowshiped Mr. Bishop. It was after that that he organized a church of his own. ¶

Oliver Olney, who joined the Church at an early day and had presided over the Teachers in Kirtland was disfellowshiped in Nauvoo, 111., by the High Council of that place for setting himself up as a prophet. Later (Feb. 10, 1843) Oliver Olney was tried before a court in Nauvoo for stealing goods. He declared before the court that he had been visited many times by the Ancient of Days, that he had a mission from him to the four quarters of the world, that he had visited them all except one in the south, that he had suffered much for two or three years for want of clothing, that he despised a theft except to clothe himself, etc. Joseph the Prophet declared that Olney had never seen the Ancient of Days, or anything like him, but that he was under the influence of a wicked and delusive spirit. ¶

William Law acted for a while as second counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, 111., and while on terms of intimate friendship with the Prophet he was, Judas-like, plotting with his enemies to destroy him. His treachery was found out ,and he was dropped from his position and excommunicated from the Church. But so strongly did this base man profess to believe in the doctrines of the Church that after declaring Joseph Smith to be a fallen prophet he actually attempted to organize a church of his own. He put himself at the head of it as a prophet, chose two other apostates to act with him as counselors, and proceeded to select twelve men to be his apostles. This movement of his and his confreres was the height of impudence and hypocrisy, and of course it failed. ¶

When Joseph, the Prophet, was martyred the members of the Church were placed in at position which they had never before experienced. Nobody had looked for Joseph Smith's early demise (he being only 38 years of age) although he had hinted at it several times. But the people seemingly did not understand him, no more than the disciples of old understood Jesus the Christ when he talked to them ¶

of his early death. Not until he arose from the grave did the apostles and disciples of old understand. The Church in our day did not understand the principles of succession of the presidency of the Church, in 1844, as well as they do now. Sidney Rigdon who had acted as first counselor to Joseph the Prophet came forward after the martyrdom of Joseph and wanted the Church to accept of him as the Guardian of the Church. He had not been true to the Prophet Joseph for several years, and after his case had been investigated by the apostles and high council at Nauvoo, he was excommunicated from the Church. He then went to Pennsylvania and organized a church of his own, which had some following for several years and did not altogether cease to exist as an organization until the death of Sidney Rigdon, in 1876. ¶

William Smith, the Prophet's brother, who had succeeded to the position of Presiding Patriarch of the Church, also tried to organize a separate faction, but most of his followers subsequently left him to follow James J. Strang, another pretended leader. ¶

James J. Strang had joined the Church shortly before the death of the Prophet. He claimed to have received a letter from the Prophet Joseph appointing him to preside over the Church, in case the Prophet should die, and he made further assertions to the effect that he had seen an angel, received revelations, etc. Fie tried to organize a stake in Voree, Wisconsin, with two or three hundred followers, and afterwards moved his headquarters to Beaver Island, in Lake Michigan, where he founded a town called St. Jlame,s and had his followers anoint him a king, to preside over the kingdom of God, claiming at the same time that Joseph Smith had only been president of the Church. For a short time King James reigned apparently with a degree of success, but after a while he became overbearing and tyrannical in his ways, and on a certain occasion he had some of his disobedient or rebellious followers whipped in public. This so exasperated the parties thus punished that they improved the first opportunity they could find to assassinate James J. Strang. This took place in 1855 on Beaver Island. This was the end of "King James," but strange enough some of his followers continued to adhere to' his false doctrines and really believed that he was called of God, that he had received revelations and was the true successor of the Prophet Joseph. About twenty years ago one of the Strangite apostles visited Utah. There may be half a dozen Strangites yet alive. ¶

On my recent visit to Texas I became quite well acquainted with the career of Lyman Wight in that country. Lyman Wight was a strong and influential man in the days of the Prophet Joseph, and had acted for several years as one of the twelve apostles, but when Joseph passed away Lyman Wight claimed that he would not follow Brigham Young or any other man in the Church. Hence, when it was decided (at the time of the exodus from Nauvoo, in 1846) that the Saints would seek a new home in the Rocky Mountains, Elder Wight refused to go into that desert country, having perhaps forgotten that Joseph Smith had predicted that the Saints should become a ¶

mighty people in the Rocky Mountains. So, instead of working in harmony with the other members of his quorum, he led two or three hundred people, members of the Church, first into the Indian Territory and later to that part of Texas where Austin, the capital of that state, now stands. There, in a beautiful galley, he built a mill and endeavored to establish a colony but failed. He tried three other localities but failed again in regular succession, until many of his followers left him and he himself died as a drunkard, in 1858. Lyman Wight remained true to the first principles of the gospel and tried even to practice the rules of the United Order, or something similar, in which the members of his church should be equal in temporal as well as spiritual things ; but while he was colonizing in one of the best districts of country and should have met with great success, he entirely failed, as stated,, while Prest. Brigham Young and the Twelve who remained true to the Church proceeded in the successful establishment of settlements of the Saints in the Rocky Mountains, though that part of our great country which is now Utah was at the time of Lyman Wight's departure for the south a desert and desolate country as compared to Texas. ¶

George Miller had been one of the presiding bishops of the Church in Nauvoo and had led one of the leading camps of the Saints westward into the wilderness. But he became disaffected and with a small faction, over which he gained influence, he also went down into Texas, where he for a short time affiliated with Lyman Wight, but fell out with him and left for the north, afterwards to become a follower of James J. Strang. ¶

Alpheus Cutler, who joined the Church at an early day and was quite active in Missouri, was chosen a member of the High Council in Nauvoo, Illinois, and afterwards acted as President of the High Council at Winter Quarters, Neb. When Prest. Brigham Young left Winter Quarters, in 1848, on his second trip to the Valley— with a large emigration Alpheus Cutler remained in Iowa, where he for some time was identified with the Silver Creek branch, but he was disfellowshiped from the Church at a conference held in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, for exercising an influence against the migration to the Valley and for advocating the building of a temple, etc. At a general conference held in Salt Lake City, in 1850, Father Alpheus Cutler, as he was generally called, was excommunicated from the Church. After that he organized a church of his own. According to the statement of Bishop Abraham A. Kimball Alpheus Cutler changed his residence from Pottawattomie county to Manti, Fremont county, Iowa, where he organized a church and constituted himself as its leader, calling it "The true Church of Latter-day Saints," and presumed to officiate in the ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as baptisms, endowments, etc. He also energetically denounced polygamy and the law of tithing, and taught his followers that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, but that Brigham Young was not his successor, but an imposter and that he (Alpheus Cutler) was the true leader and held the authority to carry on the Latter-day work. ¶

This pretended "true church" was organized with Alpheus Cutler as president, Edmund Fisher as first, and Chauncey Whiting as second, counselor, and Grandfather Fisher as patriarch. ¶

It so happened that Heber C. Kimball had married two of Alpheus Cutler's daughters, but when Heber C. Kimball, in 1848, took part of his family to the Valley, these two Cutler girls, who each had a son, remained in Iowa. The two young women subsequently died, leaving the two sons of Heber C. Kimball (Abraham A. and Isaac) who subsequently were told of their real parentage, which had been kept from them by their grandfather. Abraham A. Kimball (afterwards Bishop of Kanosh, Millard county, Utah,) became identified with his father's family in Salt Lake City in 1862. The next year he was called on a mission and sent east to get his brother Isaac to the Valley, in which he succeeded. On this trip Alpheus Cutler, who had now become an old man looking toward the end of his journey, confided to his grandson as follows: "I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and I know that Brigham Young is his legal successor, and I always did know, but the trouble with me was that I wanted to lead and could not be led. I have run my race, and sealed my doom, and I know what I have got to meet." He then, addressing Abraham;, his grandson, said : "Let what may turn up, never yield the point (never leave 'Mormonism'), for it will save and exalt you in the kingdom of God." He wept like a child after saying this, and then continued, speaking to his grandson: "One favor I wish to ask you, namely, that you will not divulge this confession to those whom I lead, while I live." Shortly after this Alpheus Cutler died and the church which he had organized ceased to exist. ¶

In 1848 a man by the name of James T. Brewster associated himself with Hazen Aldrich (at one time a president of Seventies) and organized a church, June 26, 1848, on the pretense that the Lord had rejected the original Church, and he (Brewster) having received a commission of the Lord to call together all the pure in heart to establish anew the Church. Brewster also claimed the extraordinary gift of reproducing under the inspiration of the Almighty the lost books of Esdras, as a continuation of the First and Second Book of Esdras, which are known among the apocryphal writings of the Old Testament. There are still a few Brewsterites in existence. ¶

Granville Hedrick is the founder of a sect now known as the Hedrickites ; they are the possessors of the temple lot in Jfackson county, Missouri, and claim to be a branch of the original church organized in 1830, but reject all the revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith later than 1834. ¶

The Josephites, or so-called Reorganized Church, came into existence as a real organization, in 1860, when young Joseph, a son of the martyred Seer, accepted the leadership. The original membership of this Church was to a great extent made up of Strangites, Wightites, Wm. Smithites, Cutlerites and remnants of other factions by means of whom the followers of that organization are trying to bridge over the interim, 1844-1860. The "Reorganites" ¶

represent the only faction of apostate organizations which at the present time, so far as numbers are concerned, can claim any consideration. ¶

Joseph Morris, an early convert to the Church in Wales, was severely hurt in his youth from being hit in the head with a lump of coal, while working in the coal mines of Wales, and after joining the Church, and while doing missionary labors, he showed repeated signs of insanity, and finally a delusive spirit took possession of him after his arrival in Utah, and he organized a church and established himself on the Weber river as a prophet, in 1861. He pretended to receive a number of revelations which have since been published in a book, but he came in collision with the territorial authorities in 1862 and was killed together with a few others of his followers. His organization known as the Morrisites was broken up, yet there are even now a few alive who still believe that Joseph Morris was a prophet. ¶

William S. Godbe was once a prominent man in the Church, but when co-operation started in 1868, he, as one of the merchants of Salt Lake City, rebelled, withdrew from, the Church and organized with others what was called the "Godbeite movement," which, however, flourished only for a short time. ¶

There are a number of other factions which might be mentioned, but time does not permit, such as the Bickertonites ; also the Modern Brewsterites (a movement set on foot by one F. R. Brewster, who called himself the Seventh Angel, the Captain of the Lord's Host, etc., early in the '80's in Salt Lake City). An organization made by the late John E. Forsgren, who established himself in a tent east of Salt Lake City with twelve women, representing the twelve tribes of Israel and others could be mentioned. In fact I could mention altogether some thirty attempts made by apostates or seceders from the Church who claimed to succeed to the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith. We have the history of all these factions at the Historian's Office, and are gathering additional information about them from time to time. ¶

President Young said at the important meeting held in Nauvoo, 111., Aug. 8, 1844: "If an man thinks he has influence among this people to lead away a party, let him try it, and he will find out that there is power with the apostles which will carry them off victorious through all the world" (Mill. Star, Vol. 25, page 216). ¶

This prediction on the part of President Brigham Young has certainly come true, and in my remarks I have only endeavored to show this great fundamental truth, that where the Priesthood of God is exercised in righteousness, there is success and happiness, while the dissenters and apostates have always met with failure and disasters. The' history of the Church affords us abundance of proofs to establish this fact. It all goes to show that when we do what the Lord wants us to do, when we say ¶

what the Lord wants us to say and go where the Lord wants us to go, we will prosper. By doing this we will gain the victory over every species of evil, and, if we remain faithful to the end, be saved in the kingdom of God. ¶

May ^ God help' us to be true to him and to ourselves, and to the principles which we know to be true, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶