Eliza Roxcy Snow

“ Pray diligently for this spirit of philanthrophy, this expansion of thought and feeling, and for power and ability to labor earnestly in the interest of Messiah's kingdom.
We came into the world for a great purpose, the same as Jesus, our elder brother, to do the will and works of our Father; in this there is peace, joy and happiness, an increase of wisdom, knowledge and the power of God; outside of this are no promised blessings. Thus let us devote ourselves to righteousness, help each and all to be better and happier; do good to all and evil to none; honor God and obey His Priest- hood ”

“ Let them be hailed as the heroes of the age, as the pioneers of the civilization, and the founders of the com- monwealth that is destined to arise and flourish in this free and God-blessed land, and that, in time, is to extend its pro- tecting regis over the whole earth. Let the men and women who have evinced this moral courage occupy the chief place and position to which they are justly entitled, and let the bachelor and the confirmed monogamist make way for them! Let their children and children's children, even down to the latest generation, rise up and call them blessed! ”

“ Prophetic record tells us, "as a tree, In time to come, the life of man shall be."
The eternal fiat had been sealed on high, Adam a law had broken he must die. Long centuries with him had multiplied, He fain would bless his offspring ere he died
In Adam-Ondi-Ahman, where, he dwelt, Where at a sacred altar oft he knelt, On which he oft had offered sacrifice, But knew not why till from beyond the skies An angel came and gave the reason why God thus commanded: 'twas to typify The sacrifice of God's beloved Son, Which was to be in time's meridian. ”

“ And standing at the head Of all the generations that shall tread This nether earth his duties to fulfil In prompt obedience to the Father's will, The new-born earth he labored to adorn, And unto him were sons and daughters born. ”

“ Be ambitious to be great, not in the estimation of the worldly minded, but in the eyes of God, and to be great in this sense, "Love the Lord our God with all your might, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." You must love mankind because they are your brethren, the offspring of God. ”

“ And we will join in the new song of praise, extolling our Redeemer, whose blood atoned for our sins, and who redeemed us out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation; and who shall make us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. ”

“ But it was not Lorenzo, it was not his wisdom that wrought this marvelous change, but the Lord our God. You, my children, should keep in lively remembrance that you are the fruits of my obedience to the law of plural marriage that it is your duty to honor and magnify this law as you may have opportunity. I trust your mothers will employ no influence on the minds of their children to cause feelings to grow up in their hearts against these principles. ”

“ Remember, children, to honor and obey your parents, that you may be entitled to the promise, "That your days may be long in the land." Treat your father's wives kindly and respectfully. God has called them to be associated with him through time and eternity, to assist in his duties and responsibilities and share his glory and dominion.
This is the last family re-union we have reason to expect this side of the spirit world. ”

“ And as we follow in the straight and narrow path, the path of our fathers, the Gods the path of exaltation and glory, so shall we, according to the golden rule, the higher law, witness our posterity, or, at least a fair percentage of them, following after us. And thus honor will be added to honor, and glory to glory, for endless will be our increase and eternal our pro- gression in the grand science of life, in all that is noble, intellectual and Godlike; extended will be our authority and power, enlarged will be our rule and dominion, even beyond the capacity of our frail comprehension. ”

“ If we but had the power to draw aside The mystic veils that all the future hide, And bring the noble deeds and lives to view, The greatly good of friends and kindred too How long they fought, how firmly kept their place, How fierce the storm, how toilsome was the race But it was ran, they won the prize at last, And all their sorrows were forever past. ”

“ On earth exist two counterpoising firms, And each proposes its peculiar terms. Two, only two exist. 0, then, be wise Know for yourselves in which your interest lies; One, only one, will stand the trying test, In this your all you safely may invest. ”

“ Inasmuch as we are considered worthy to feast with our father on earth, may we prove ourselves more worthy to feast with him in eternity, when this earth shall have passed into its glorified state, and when our father will be surrounded by multitudes of his noble posterity who have obeyed the first commandment of multiplying and replenishing the earth. ”

“ The pyramid of Cheops, which now stands A bold historic problem for all lands, Has long the wasting power of time defied, And stands erect in architectural pride. Good men had time their skill to gratify, And wicked ones their impudence to ply, As they on Shinar's plains in wrath essayed To climb to heaven without Jehovah's aid. ”

“ And, in conclusion, allow me to say, that as sure as the sun shines and the works of our God are one eternal round, the day will come when the age now living will do you and yours justice. But, as with all true reformers, it will be after you have passed away. ”

“ Nations, like men, have from the beginning lived and died; but it is the design of God now to establish "the king- dom" spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, which is to stand the test of time and live forever. This He has already commenced to do; and as marriage lies at the foundation of society, He revealed to His Prophet, Joseph Smith, the celestial order of marriage, which secures eternal unions. ”

“ This is left to be produced by "the wise," who stand in mute admiration of the wisdom of God, who, having subdued and relinquished their own will, are ready to exclaim, All Thy ways are wise, Lord! All Thou doest is for the good of those that truly love and serve Thee. ”

“ Then centuries defined the age of man Which now is measured by a narrow span. The course of time, long ebbing downward low, The Gospel fulness soon will cause to flow; All ebbing tides must to progression bow Upward and onward is the watchword now ”

“ In rising to address my honored father in the presence of my several mothers, my brothers, sisters, and the family in general, I will commence by saying that this is one of the most honorable positions I have ever had the privilege of occupying. ”

“ Our father, like unto Abraham of old, sits as a great High Priest, surrounded by his family on earth, which now numbers over five score and ten, and like the ancient patri- archs, is waiting the time when the Lord will call him up, to become a God in eternity, not merely to reign over hundreds, but thousands and tens of thousands. ”

“ You may expect, if your lives are spared to the common age of man and womanhood, to encounter obstacles in the path of life, which will task to the uttermost your best reso- lutions, and some of you may be tempted to swerve from the path of truth and honor, and, like Esau, feel to relinquish the glories of eternity for a few passing moments of gratification and pleasure; then, my dear children, seize your opportunity to emulate the example of our Savior when offered the glory of this world, if he would stoop to an act of folly ”

“ As sure as an overruling Hand led the Pioneers to this land, and as they have been the means of producing what we now behold, God will bring to pass all that He designed from the beginning. He will raise up a great and mighty nation, whose God shall be the Lord. ”

“ I regard this family re-union as important in many respects; not only have we come together for the purpose of eating and drinking, but that we may receive our patriarchal blessings, and that our hearts may be the more firmly united together. ”

“ I recently asked one of my older brothers why he had not increased his family, when he replied that the Scriptures say the time will come when seven women shall take hold of one man, and he thought, at least, that one-fourth of the blame rested with the fair sex in consequence of leap year, and considered it would not be amiss should we have seven, instead of one leap year out of the four. ”

“ It is your right by vir- tue of the family ties you have formed, and the holy Priest- hood you hold and honor, to stand at the head of your pos- terity it is your privilege to call them together to instruct them, and to place your hands upon their heads and bless them; and it is their privilege, through their worthiness, to receive blessings at your hands. When the government of God is fully established on the earth, the patriarchal order will be recognized and will obtain among the Saints. ”

“ It has been truly said, before a man can attain to the position of ruler, he must first learn to govern himself, and we may add, before he is competent to govern his own family organization, he must submit to family government he must practice obedience he must respect authority. ”

“ You and your co-laborers will then be recognized as the friends of man and protectors of women. You will be acknowledged as living martyrs for unpopular eternal truths affecting the amelioration and uplifting of all mankind Christian and heathen. ”

“ Mothers of men mothers in Israel, too, True to themselves to sacred cov'nants true. This life's beginning points to where it ends; The first direction up or downward tends; Hence, on the mother's impress much depends. ”

“ Where is there a wife, a son or a daughter, that would not feel proud of the beloved and honored parent that has been instrumental in bringing into the world the numer- ous posterity those who now sound forth their praises to the great Jehovah for having been permitted to come forth upon the earth and receive their bodies through such an honorable parentage? The honored parent to whom I refer is our aged father, who now sits in the midst of his numerous posterity. ”

“ There is a reason for this aversion to saving truths, which is deep hidden from the world, and cannot be divined by the philosopher, alone and unaided it cannot be understood by man's wisdom. The operations of the Holy Spirit on the mind, mysterious as they may be to us now, alone can pre- pare the way for the reception of such truths. ”

“ And as Abraham was tried and proven in the offering up of his son, before he could be counted worthy to stand at the head of the dispensation he inaugurated, and before he could hold the keys of the Gos- pel, called after his name, even the Gospel of Abraham, we, in order to be worthy of the founders of this new civilization, must endure what appeals to our natural feelings and worldly pride as sacrifices. ”

“ Were it pos- sible for man, by his own wisdom, to fathom the plan originated in the councils of heaven for his salvation, which plan is eternal, being the same through which the peoples of all worlds and planetary systems have effected their redemp- tion and exaltation were this possible, he would be inde- pendent of his Creator, and as a matter of course would assert his independence, amounting to no more nor less than rebel- lion the sure forerunner of destruction and death; all of which would be incompatible with the divine economy affect- ing the fall and redemption of man. ”

“ And by living in accordance with this celestial law, whose special office is to jealously guard and protect the issues of life, by heeding the "words of wisdom" which God has given for the promotion and preservation of health, together with the natural benefits arising from this healthful and mountainous land, which He in His wisdom selected for our occupation, we can, from a philosophic standpoint, augur the results. ”

“ It was ever the case that great truths, especially such as involved the salvation of humanity, had to struggle for recog- nition among men. This is especially significant when it is remembered that the most enlightened ages are not excep- tions. Even Jesus, the Redeemer of our race, to whom was given all power both in heaven and earth, upon whom was bestowed the Spirit, even that of intelligence and truth, with- out measure, who was purity personified, in whom His bit- terest foes found no guile, and who spake as never man spake ”

“ How well it describes the wealth of the Patriarch, the man chosen and ordained of heaven to stand at the head of a numerous family! It was the kind of wealth, because it was the very choicest, that was promised to Abraham after he had been tried and proven. It is the heri- tage of all good and great men. It is the principle that enthrones God Himself, reigning as He does over His own posterity, as you now preside over yours. ”

“ The patriarchal is the only form of government that can guarantee the full degree of liberty that God, in the begin- ning, designed for His children; and this is in keeping with man's development from his low to his high estate. ”

“ Then let honor be conferred on the Patriarchs, with Father Adam at their head! Let blessings for ever and ever be on the heads of the men and women of our own day, the noble spirits who have dared to brook the traditions of the age who conquer the prejudices of their own feelings in the ”

“ I am now looking upon the tenth generation of Snows since the arrival of our forefathers upon the shores of the New England States. They have ever held an honorable place and untarnished name among men ”