Wilford Woodruff

“ I would rather follow a thousand Apostles and Prophets to the grave and see their lifeless remains deposited in the dark and silent tomb, than see one man who has tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, make shipwreck of his faith, lose his crown and go to perdition. I have had more sorrow in seeing men, with whom I have traveled and preached the Gospel, turn from the truth, commit wickedness, and lose their standing in the Church, than over all the faithful Latter-day Saints I have seen laid in the tomb. ”

“ You live in the day and generation when the God of Israel has set His hand to perform His work, His strange work in the latter-days. You live in the age in which God will bring to pass the fulfilment of that flood of prophecy and revelation which has been spoken by all the prophets since the world began, which stands recorded in the sacred books of divine truth; and the fulfilment of these revelations will involve the destiny of the whole world, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, high and low, saint and sinner, Babylon and Zion. ”

“ Have we ever stood in the path of any man, sect or people with regard to their religion? No, we have not. We have been willing at all times that men should preach their doctrines and believe them, unmolested by us, and I would say, to express my own feelings, that if a man believed he had to climb a cottonwood tree three times a day, for salvation, I would never hinder him. No, this liberty, this freedom, especially under the American Government of all nations under heaven, ought to become universal. No man or set of men should attempt to hinder their neighbors from enjoying their religion. ”

“ I know that Joseph Smith was a good man, a Prophet, a Seer, and Revelator, and that he sealed his testimony with his blood, that the nation that was worthy might receive their reward. There is no principle revealed in this generation but those which are known by the Almighty to be for the salvation of his creatures. The spirit of warfare that is manifested in these days has existed in all ages when the Priesthood was upon the earth. There was always a war between light and darkness, God and the Devil, Saint and sinner, correct principles and false doctrines. ”

“ I have never believed any man was qualified from the days of Father Adam to our day to go forth among the inhabitants of the earth with the declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in a way and manner to convince them or teach them the Gospel in its truth and purity, and in the power of God, only by inspiration. I have never believed that any man was qualified in any age of the world to build up the kingdom of God, or do the will of God only upon that principle. ”

“ We have everything to encourage us. The Latter-day Saints should be faithful. We should live our religion and be true and faithful to our covenants. We should magnify our callings as Apostles, Elders and Saints, before God, angels and men. We have but little time to work, and we should work while it is called to-day; by and by night comes when no man can work. When the vision of my mind is opened and I gaze abroad upon this generation, I many times feel to mourn in my spirit to see the darkness and unbelief and the carelessness of man with regard to his future and eternal state. ”

“ It appeared to me that the God who revealed that principle unto man was wise, just, and true—possessed both the best of attributes, and good sense, and knowledge. I felt He was consistent with both love, mercy, justice, and judgment; and I felt to love the Lord more than ever before in my life. I never was satisfied with the doctrine taught by the sectarian world upon this subject in my life, and hence I felt to say hallelujah when the revelation came forth revealing to us baptism for the dead. I felt that we had a right to rejoice in the blessings of Heaven. ”

“ And the spirit of wickedness is increasing, so that I no longer wonder that God Almighty will turn rivers into blood; I do not wonder that he will open the seals and pour out the plagues and sink great Babylon, as the angel saw, like a millstone cast into the sea, to rise no more for ever. I can see that it requires just such plagues and judgments to cleanse the earth, that it may cease to groan under the wickedness and abomination in which the Christian world welters to-day. ”

“ If the eyes of the Gentiles were opened one moment to see the things of eternity, and the judgments which await this generation, they would not wonder that the servants of God are moved upon to cry aloud to the nations of the earth. I tell you that the judgments of God are at the door of both Zion and great Babylon. Great Babylon has come in remembrance before God, and His sword is bathed in heaven and it will fall on Idumea and the world. Who can stand before the hand of Almighty God? No man, no nation, nor set of nations on the face of the earth. ”

“ We are not to blame—we are merely the creatures used by the Almighty in doing his bidding. The work is his, the plan of salvation is the creation of his superior wisdom, not ours.
Let me say to my brethren and sisters, our responsibilities are great, far greater than the outside world who reject the Gospel. We have received the light, the knowledge of God; we are under sacred covenants to stand by the truth, and by one another in righteousness. If we are found traitors to the cause, crucifying the Son of Man afresh, great will be our condemnation. ”

“ Remember, O Lord, Thy covenant people in the north country; hasten the day when they shall come in remembrance before Thee, when their prophets shall smite the rocks and the mountains of ice shall flow down before them. May the highways speedily be cast up in the midst of the great deep, that they may come over dry shod. May the everlasting hills tremble at their presence and their enemies disappear before them. May they come forth unto Zion and bow the knee, that they may be crowned under the hands of Ephraim, Thy servant. ”

“ I believe it is the best human form of government that was ever given to the human family. Now, I say if our rulers and governors become corrupt and attempt to trample those principles under their feet; though the nation itself might go to pieces, yet it is beyond the power of man to destroy the principles of the constitution. They may destroy one another, yet the principles contained in that instrument will live, and the God of heaven will maintain them until Jesus Christ comes in the clouds of heaven to set up His throne in Jerusalem, and to reign on the earth a thousand years. ”

“ Call upon the nations to repent, both old and young, both bond and free, saying, Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord: for if I, who am a man, do lift up my voice and call upon you to repent, and ye hate me, what will ye say when the day cometh when the thunders shall utter their voices from the ends of the earth, speaking to the ears of all that live, saying, Repent and prepare for the great day of the Lord! ”

“ This is a great day, an important time—a time in which great events await the world—Zion, Babylon, Jew, Gentile, saint and sinner, high and low, rich and poor. Great and important events will follow each other in quick succession before the eyes of this generation. ”

“ What will a man give in exchange for his soul? When he comes into the presence of God he can't buy it. This is the position of the world. There is none of us going to live but a little while; we shall all pass away soon, and our eternal destiny depends upon the few days, weeks, months or years that we spend here in the flesh. Do you not think it will pay a man or a woman to keep the commandments of God? It will, and when we enjoy the Holy Spirit, when we are trying to live our religion here on the earth, we are the happiest people on God's footstool, no matter what our circumstances may be. ”

“ I feel that I am yet in my alphabet, and feel sometimes that I am incapable of teaching this people, when I realize they are in the road which leads to celestial glory —to eternal life and eternal exaltation. ”

“ I do not believe myself there ever was a man lived in the flesh on the earth, in any day or age of the world, no matter what his position, calling, name, or age might be—I do not believe any man ever had the power to do the work of God, to build up his kingdom or to edify the souls of men, without inspiration and revelation ”

“ Our religion embraces every truth in heaven, earth or hell; it embraces all truth, the whole Gospel and plan of salvation, and the fulfillment of the whole volume of revelation that God has ever given. We have not power, men have not language, to show forth the eternal truths of God in all their fullness and beauty; all we can do is to warn the children of men, and the Lord has chosen the Elders of Israel for that very purpose. That has been one fault that men have found with the work of the Lord. A man asked me awhile ago—"Why did the Lord choose Joseph Smith to build up his kingdom? ”

“ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of the water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This is the principle that has been connected with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every dispensation of the world. ”

“ I was driven from Missouri by force of arms under the exterminating order of Governor Boggs. I have always been a peaceable citizen, yet there is scarcely a crime that can be committed that is not laid at the door of Joseph Smith. I have been dragged before the courts time and again on charges that were false and every time I have been acquitted. As often as God sees fit for me to suffer I am ready, but I am as innocent of those crimes imputed as the angels in heaven. I am not an enemy to mankind, neither am I an enemy to Missouri, its governor, nor its people. ”

“ Who art thou, O man, but dust! and from whom dost thou receive they power and blessings, but from God! Then let the Twelve Apostles and elders of Israel observe this key, and be wise: Ye are not sent out to be taught, but to teach. Let every man be sober, be vigilant, and let all his words be seasoned with grace, and keep in mind that it is a day of warning, and not of many words. Act honestly before God and man; beware of sophistry, such as bowing and scraping unto men in whom you have no confidence. Be honest, open, and frank in all your intercourse with mankind. ”

“ He is living in you, every one. May you live true to Him as our honorable President has done. He is ninety years old, and it is because he has kept himself pure and unspotted from the world, that he has lived in the world and yet not of the world, in himself and with God, as His Prophet, that he is honored now. May God preserve his life to these children here, and may they from generation to generation observe his counsel. May every blessing be with the honorable President of this great movement; and I hope that our President will live long, and that God's love will rest upon him. ”

“ At this point I will ask upon the subject of religion, what are the rights of men upon religious subjects? I do not know that I can do better than to quote Brother Joseph Smith's remarks before thousands of people at a conference in Nauvoo, when there were many non-Mormons present. He said, 'If I were the emperor of the world and I had power to control the whole human family, I would sustain every man, woman, and child in the enjoyment of their religion.' Those are my sentiments today. I believe every man—Jew, Catholic, Protestant, or anything—has a right to enjoy his religion unmolested. ”

“ Elder Woodruff, when counsel came to him, never quibbled, never doubted, never stopped to ask his file-leaders the whys and the wherefores. He was like Adam when the angel said to him: "Adam, why dost thou offer sacrifice?" And he answered, "I know not save that God has commanded me." He was also like Nephi of old who uttered the memorable saying: "For I know that the Lord giveth no command unto the children of men save that He shall prepare the way for them to accomplish the thing which He commandeth them." ”

“ It was just 10 o'clock when the body of President Woodruff was borne into the confines of the square and thence carried down the north aisle of the Tabernacle to its central position on the dais before the stand. As the procession entered, fully ten thousand people with uncovered heads, rose in respect, as the casket passed along its way, and so quiet was the rising that it seemed like the gentle rustling of autumn leaves. ”