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WILL ZION BE MOVED OUT OF HER PLACE?


Compilation of quotations relating to Zion not being given to another nor of the Church apostatizing, by Matt Roper (FARMS) with additions by Stan Barker (SHIELDS) and Elden Watson.  New quotes will be added periodically.


QUOTATIONS ON THE DESTINY OF THE CHURCH

Mosiah 29:26-27   Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law -- to do your business by the voice of the people. And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

1830s

"Therefore, thou [Joseph Smith] art blessed from henceforth that bear the keys of the kingdom given unto you; which kingdom is coming forth for the last time. Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come; Nevertheless, through you shall the oracles be given to another, yea, even unto the church.1

JOSEPH SMITHS TESTIMONY CONCERNING MEN BEING ORDAINED BY ANGELS, 
DELIVERED IN  THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS,  IN KIRTLAND, OHIO, IN THE WINTER OF 1832-33.
     The occasion which called forth his testimony upon this matter was as follows:-One Francis G. Bishop, an Elder in our church, was very anxious to be ordained a High Priest, but he was not considered a proper candidate to fill the office at that time; and his urgent solicitations to be promoted to the High Priesthood, confirmed the Saints in the opinion that he wanted a high station without meriting it, or without being called by the Spirit of God to that work.  He was sent forth into the world to preach in the capacity and calling of an Elder; but he was not long out before he declared himself to be a High Priest--and that he was ordained by an angel from heaven.  This made much stir in the branches of the church and also in the world.  But when the news of his proceedings reached the prophet Joseph, he called Bishop home forthwith.  He was introduced into the school of the prophets, and there closely questioned upon his course.  He said he was ordained by an angel to the High Priesthood; yet, on a more close examination, he crossed his own testimony and statements--became confused, and blushed with shame and guilt--he fell down upon his knees and confessed that he had lied in the name of the Lord--begged to be forgiven and cried aloud for mercy.  We all forgave him, but we could not give him our confidence, for he had destroyed it.  Elder Sidney Rigdon was present at that meeting, and though he has since fallen, still he knows that my statements are correct.  Zebedee Coultrin was also present, and many others that I might name.
     Brother Joseph observed to Bishop that he knew he had lied before he confessed it; that his declarations were not only false in themselves, but they involved a false principle.  An angel, said Joseph, may administer the word of the Lord unto men, and bring intelligence to them from heaven upon various subjects; but no true angel from God will ever come to ordain any man, because they have once been sent to establish the priesthood by ordaining me thereunto; and the priesthood being once established on earth, with power to ordain others, no heavenly messenger will ever come to interfere with that power by ordaining any more.  He referred to the angel that came to Cornelius and told Cornelius to send for Peter; but if there had been no Peter with keys and power to administer, the angel might have done it himself; but as there was, the angel would not interfere.  Saul was directed to go to Ananias for instruction and to be administered to by him; but if there had been no Ananias with power and authority on the earth to administer in the name of Christ, the Lord might have done it himself.  You may therefore know, from this time forward, that if any man comes to you professing to be ordained by an angel, he is either a liar or has been imposed upon in consequence of transgression by an angel of the devil, for this priesthood shall never be taken away from this church.
     This testimony was delivered in an upper room, in the south-west corner of the White Store and dwelling-house, formerly occupied by Whitney and Gilbert, situate on Kirtland Flats.
[MS 9:138-139, November 20, 1846] (emphasis added)

"He also impressed it upon the minds of the saints to give heed to the revelations of God; the Elders especially should be careful to depart from all iniquity, and to remember the counsel given by those whom God hath placed as counselors in His Church; that they may become wise stewards in the vineyard of the Lord, that every man may know and act in his own place; for there is order in the kingdom of God, and we must regard that order if we expect to be blessed. Elder Young also stated that Elder Jonathan Dunham had received previous instructions not to call any conferences in this state, or elsewhere; but to go forth and preach repentance, this was his calling; But contrary to those instructions, he called a conference in Springfield, Illinois, and presided there, and brought forth business which he had to transact; and his proceeding in many respects during the conference was contrary to the feelings of Elder Wilford Woodruff and other official members who were present. They considered his proceedings contrary to the will and order of God."2


1840s

"When did this work ever stop since it began?   Never!"3

"We will build up churches and establish Zion and her stakes. This is a fire which, cannot be put out: it has spread far faster than ever it did before. If you kick us and cuff us, we will turn the world upside down, and make the cart draw the horse."4

"He [Joseph Smith] conducted us through every ordinance of the holy priesthood, and when he had gone through with all the ordinances he rejoiced very much, and says, now if they kill me you have got all the keys, and all the ordinances and you can confer them upon others, and the hosts of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom, as fast as you will be able to build it up; and now says he on your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest, for the Lord is going to let me rest a while.5 [emphasis added.]

"If the people will let us alone we will convert the world, and if they persecute us we will do it the quicker."6

"The Saints will increase, and continue to increase, and virtue, love, holiness and all good principles, will continue to spread and spread, and will rule the nations of the earth, and who is there that can stop its progress? None, but it will roll until there is no room for the devil; then he will be bound and shut up. The principles of the kingdom of God will prevail, from city to city, from nation to nation, until the devil shall be bound and there is no place for him. They killed the prophet Joseph for fear he would spread this principle, but it will go and fill the whole earth; this is true and will come to pass as the Lord lives. Amen."7

"The Lord God has reared up this kingdom thus far, and overruled and controlled all things to its advancement on earth, and he will sustain it, until all things are consummated and the Church becomes triumphant."8


1850's

Let me tell you it is the truth of the Lord God Almighty, and if a man will not do right, God will remove him out of his place forthwith.
I never was afraid of Joseph, although many would falter and feared Joseph would go astray.  I did not serve Joseph, but I patterned after the doctrine the Lord has revealed through him.  There was no possibility of Joseph leading the people astray.  If I thought that God would suffer a man to lead a righteous people astray I would not serve him, I would leave him and seek another; I serve the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers; he has called Joseph and will never let him lead this people astray, but when he has done his work he will take him to himself.  I never was afraid of my friends, and you need not be; the Lord Almighty will never suffer his people to go astray, unless they as a people want to follow iniquity; never, no never, no never.
(Brigham Young, MS 12:275-276,  April 6, 1850)

Brigham Young, 15 September 1850, DNW 1:114
Pres't Young said, "you can read in the Doctrine and Covenants, when members of this Church are tried, they can appeal from one Court to another, until they attain the highest Court, which is the Conference, and that is the end of all controversy; for it is impossible to get any thing that is wrong passed through any Conference; so long as the majority of the people are righteous, and that is a principle, that will stand for ever and ever; there is nothing that is sanctioned by the people, but what God will own.

"This Church and Kingdom will never fall"9

"The Lord Almighty will exalt "Mormonism" and sustain his Priesthood. Will he sustain wickedness? No. If we are wicked, we are wrong. We should abstain from everything that is unholy--that is unrighteous; that is the character of a true Latter-day Saint. Have we persons among us who are degraded? Yes. As I have before told you, "Mormonism" can beat the world as to the knowledge of God. The Saints know more of God and godliness than all the world: they also know more of earth and earthly things. Many are living so as to be saved in the celestial kingdom, while all who do not embrace the doctrine of full redemption will come short of attaining that glory. On the contrary, if you want to see the principle of devilism to perfection, hunt among those who have once enjoyed the faith of the holy Gospel and then forsaken their religion. We have the best and the worst. Why the worst? Because the Devil prompts men and women of the meanest and lowest grade to embrace the Gospel and get a foothold in the kingdom of God to destroy it.

"Will he destroy it? He will not: that is beyond his power. Can you destroy a true religion by persecuting it? No. What destroyed the Priesthood of the Son of God from the earth in ancient days? Was it persecution? No. The Emperor Constantine embraced it and sent out a decree for all his people to embrace it. Let this people be prospered and all persecutions cease, and then every description of characters would hasten to join this Church. The Lord so orders and overrules as to cop out a share of them, though he suffers some to enter the temporal fold. We understand the root and trunk of the tree of wickedness and we have many of its branches--more than we want. The Lord desires a pure people--a people that he can own and exalt--that he can bring into his presence; and that is what the Priesthood of God is designed to accomplish. I would to God that the people would live so as to receive the blessings of the Priesthood, increase in all godliness, have their eyes open to see, their ears to hear, and their hearts to understand, instead of falling away.

"At times, seemingly good men falter in their feelings, and turn away from their God and their religion to take the road that leads to destruction. This makes my heart mourn.  But those who are faithful will come out triumphantly, for God has established his kingdom on the earth, no more to be thrown down. It was thought by our enemies, in the days of Joseph Smith, that if they could kill him, that would be the end of this fanaticism, as they called it, and of this fanatical race.   But did that murder in the least shake this great Latter-day Work?  No, brethren and sisters,--no. What did it effect?  The Church and kingdom of our God has risen from an individual family to a great people, and we have been looked upon as a nation by our neighbours, independent of all other people on the face of this earth; and in their dealings they have dealt with us as such. Not that we desire it, but it is so in the providence of our God. They are determined, though they know it not, that they will make the kingdom of God triumphant on the earth; and all the powers of earth and hell cannot prevent it."10

At the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph, the Saints were being gathered and were building a Temple, baptizing for the dead, etc., which work unceasingly has been kept up by those who under the leadership of the Twelve came to the Rocky Mountains notwithstanding the various factions which have separated themselves from the true Gospel tree.  The writer (Elder Stevenson) heard the prophet say on a stand at the east end of the Nauvoo Temple, that the time was coming when there would be many dissensions from the Church.  "But," said he, "I now see the time which I have long desired to see.  Let me go where I may, the Gospel tree is planted never more to be rooted up, for there are those present who are prepared to carry on the Gospel, whatever may become of me."  He also said: "I will give you a key by which you may never be deceived, if you will observe these facts:  Where the true Church is, there will always be a majority of the Saints, and the records and history of the Church also."
(Infancy of the Church p 5)


1860's

The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be led astray if you are found doing your duty.  You may go home and sleep as sweetly as a babe in its mother's arms, as to any danger of your leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord would quickly sweep them from the earth.  Your leaders are trying to live their religion.  I ask these Elders who are near me every day, do I not live my religion as far as I am capable of doing so?  Yes I do.  The power of God is with me continually and I never mean to live an hour without it." [Brigham Young, Deseret News Weekly 11:354]10m

In Kirtland there were manifestations of evil spirits in high places, which might have been considered more dangerous than the manifestations in the early establishment of the Church. Sidney Rigdon, on one occasion got up to preach, and commenced by saying that the Church and kingdom was rent from them and given to another people. Joseph was absent, when he came home he found Sidney almost like a mad man. He labored with him and with the Church, and finally succeeded in convincing him that he was under the influence of a false spirit."11


1870's

Now I look around this congregation, and contemplate that there are, perhaps, some ten or twelve thousand persons, and it may be more, I do not know, there is a very large number; then when I think that numerous as we are here we are but the representatives--not more than a tithing of those left behind, of the same stripe, it reminds me of the words of Joseph the Prophet, when he said, "Brethren, remember that the majority of this people will never go astray; and as long as you keep with the majority you are sure to enter the celestial kingdom." 
(Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses 13:367, May 5, 1870)

"The speaker who addressed you this forenoon, referred to another book, that is called the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. I will select a few words from that book this afternoon--a part of the 8th paragraph, of the 21st section, being a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in September, 1831. The word of the Lord to the Prophet reads thus: "For behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her, and she shall be an ensign unto the people, and there shall come unto her out of every nation under heaven. And the day shall come when the nations of the earth shall tremble because of her, and shall fear because of her terrible ones. The Lord hath spoken it. Amen."12

"A great many have supposed that there must be a great lack on the part of the Latter-day Saints, because spiritual knowledge is not all the time being poured down from heaven, like a flood in their midst; some become doubtful and feel to murmur and complain one to another, carrying the idea among the people that God has forsaken Zion, that God has, in a measure, withdrawn his spirit from us: saying, "Where are the revelations such as were given in the days of Joseph? The Lord then poured out upon us of his spirit continually; we then received record after record, book after book, etc." The reason is clearly defined here; the Lord, in his own time, will fulfill and accomplish his purposes, and he was determined, not only in these days, but he had the same determinations some fifteen centuries ago, when he talked with Mormon the Prophet, that a people who should live on the earth in the last days, should have just about so much information, and no more, as far as sacred records and books are concerned. Do not misunderstand me by this expression, and carry it to the other extreme, and say, that God determines to give about so much, and then shut down the gate and give no revelation at all. But he intended, so far as the great principles of the Gospel are concerned, the fundamental principles of salvation, that we should have the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Then he determined, still further, that there should be a sufficiency given from year to year, during the life-time of the Prophet Joseph, to know how to properly organize the Church. These further revelations were published in the Doctrine and Covenants. These having been given as a pattern, for the commencement of the organization, the Lord has seen proper to withhold, for the time being, the giving of additional sacred records, that the Saints might show their faith. "I will try the faith of my people, I will see whether they will be obedient to my commandments, and the laws which I have revealed to them. If they will be faithful--if they will practice upon that which I have given, then shall the greater things be made manifest to them. But if they will not do this, they shall be withheld from them, to their condemnation." There will be a point, in the history of this people, when they will be counted worthy to receive all that knowledge and intelligence which the Lord has held in reserve for them, from before the foundation of the world. Such is the glorious destiny of this people, to be realized in due time. But our present work is to comply with that which God has already given, and which he may hereafter give, through the living oracles that he has placed within our midst."13

"Apostates have asserted that there was not the power in the leaders of the Church which there should be. They said so during the life of the Prophet Joseph, asserting that he was a fallen prophet. After his death they made the same statements respecting President Young, his counselors, and the Twelve Apostles. And, if I am not mistaken, there are some members of the Church who have appeared to think that there has been some power lacking, and have manifested a feeling of restlessness, anticipating the rising of some one who should have greater authority than at present exists. While I would not wish to detract from the reasonable expectations of my brethren and sisters upon this or any other point, my view is that the apostleship, now held in this Church, embodies all the authority bestowed by the Lord upon man in the flesh. Yet I believe that the power of God will be increased among us, that we will have manifestations of his power such as we never have before witnessed. For the day of God's power in the redemption of Zion will come. But I do not expect that to come upon us all of a sudden. I expect that it will be the natural result of the natural growth of the people in the things of God. I expect that we will go on step by step from one degree of knowledge, and of power, and of faith to another, until we shall be prepared to receive all the Lord has in store for us and be prepared to enter into that glory promised to the faithful Saints. The Lord has given unto his people and to his church every gift and every qualification and every key which is necessary to lead this people into the celestial kingdom of our father and our God. There is nothing wanting. When the Lord restored the Apostleship to the earth he restored all the power that was possible for a human being to hold in the flesh. When he restored the keys of the holy priesthood unto his servant Joseph, when he gave unto him the sealing powers, when he gave unto him the endowments and the keys of the holy priesthood associated therewith, when the Prophet Joseph received the keys from Elijah, and from all the prophets that had existed upon the earth from the beginning down--each one, as he says himself in one of his epistles--each one in his dispensation coming forward and bestowing upon him the authority pertaining thereto, there was embodied in him all the priesthood they held, and he bestowed upon his fellow Apostles all the priesthood he exercised and all the power and authority bestowed upon mortal man to exercise here upon the earth, so far as the present is concerned; that is, all the keys of the priesthood and everything that is necessary in this preparatory state, and to make man a fit subject for the celestial kingdom of God. By the command of the Lord he conferred that authority upon his fellow servants to bind upon earth and it should be bound in heaven, to seal the children to the father and the mother, and to seal the wife to the husband, and to weld all the links necessary in order to complete the salvation of all the children of men from the days of Adam down to our day, and also to prepare men and women for the future that lies before us, the millennium to which we are all hastening. Who can conceive of any power that was lacking? Who had power to promise unto man that they should be kings and priests unto God? And in addition to that, who had the power to seal upon them the actual kingly and priestly dignity and confirm upon them the fulness of it, and also to give them promises respecting the Godhead that should be fulfilled upon them, and if faithful, to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection? Now, there was nothing lacking, and there was no power, there was no gift, there was no authority, there were no keys lacking, and these keys have been handed down through him. Others may have claimed to have had them. We have had Strang, John E. Page, William Smith, Gladden Bishop, and a host of others; each has claimed to have received that authority, either through Joseph Smith or from some other source. Some have claimed that Joseph was a fallen prophet; and some have set up one claim and some another. But the fact remains that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as it is organized in these mountains, has had the apostleship; that the men who have stood at our head, President Young and the Twelve Apostles, whose President at the death of the Prophet Joseph he was, actually received under the hands of the Prophet Joseph, every key, and power, and authority that he himself possessed, and that they actually did take hold and complete the temple he started, and endowed their fellow servants therein with the same authority and the same priestly and kingly dignity that they had received from under his hands. And from that time to the present this work has gone forth with might and power, and the power of God has attended the labors of his servants who have been sent forth by these apostles, chosen by revelation to take charge of this work; everything they have done God has blessed. They have gathered the people together, they have led the people, they have been delivered by the mighty power of God when it seemed that they would be overwhelmed by opposing influences. They have gathered the people together from the nations of the earth in fulfillment of the predictions of the holy prophets. Not only that, but they have laid the foundations of temples here; one temple, at least, has been completed while three others are in process of erection, which we hope will soon be completed, into which buildings the Saints of God can enter and receive their endowments, receive their washings and anointings and sealings and ordinances, and have the keys of the holy priesthood bestowed upon them, which they can exercise in the right way for the building up of the work of God.  And this is the work of God, although men may say there has been so supernatural manifestation of power, such as some suppose ought to attend his work. This work has gone forth with a rapidity and impetus that has been irresistible, and there is no power able to stand against it. It has gone forward to the fulfilment of all that has been spoken thus far concerning it, that is as far as we have gone. And the people have received the Holy Ghost, they have been filled with it, they have been filled with the spirit of revelation. The same spirit of revelation that Moses had, concerning which God speaks through the Prophet Joseph Smith, has rested upon men that have held the keys of this kingdom, whether it was during President Young's life or at the present time--that same spirit of revelations rests upon him who holds the presidency as senior apostle in the midst of the people of God. The apostles of this Church have all the authority, they have all the keys, and it is within the purview of their office and calling to have all the spirit of revelation necessary to lead this people into the presence of the Lamb in the celestial kingdom of our God."14


1880's

"`When they get rid of their polygamy they will be a good people.' I have sometimes thought that in the providence of God he suffers such things. At the same time it is operating upon our own people. Our young men are led on to smoke, to drink, and to do wrong. At the same time, trials are necessary; we must be tested, and when we emerge from these trials we will feel better and stronger. Has the Lord forgotten Zion? Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can you mothers forget your nursing babies? When you do, which is not very likely, then the Lord may forget Zion. His eye is upon Zion. His hand is over this people. His hand has overruled all things for the good of this people and their salvation. Will Zion be redeemed? Yes. Will you be redeemed? That is for you to say. Will I be redeemed? That is for me to say. We need have no fear about the welfare of this work; we need not tremble and think there is danger. Congress may pass laws, attempts may be made to overthrow this work; but we need have no fears: Zion will be redeemed. Many will fall by the wayside, many will lose their faith, many will be led away by false and seducing spirits; but there will be those who will be saved and exalted, and all of us who are here to-night have this privilege if we will accept of it; we can be saved each of us and crowned with glory in the presence of God and the Lamb."15

"I pray God to bless you, and to pour out his spirit upon my brethren of the quorum of the Twelve, that we may walk in the light and be guided aright in all our ministrations. And I tell you again; God will not disappoint you; this kingdom will never go backward, neither will it ever be given into the hands of another people; but it will rest upon the shoulders of our sons and daughters when Christ comes in the clouds of heaven."16

"ANOTHER TESTIMONY. I feel to bear my testimony to this work. It is the work of God. Joseph Smith was appointed by the Lord before he was born as much as Jeremiah was. The Lord told Jeremiah "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." He was commanded to warn the inhabitants of Jerusalem of their wickedness. He felt it a hard task, but ultimately he did as he was commanded. So I say with regard to Joseph Smith, he received his appointment from before the foundation of the world, and he came forth in the due time of the Lord to establish this work on the earth. And so it is the case with tens of thousands of the elders of Israel. The Lord Almighty has conferred upon you the Holy Priesthood and made you the instrument in His hands to build up this kingdom. Do we contemplate these things as fully as we ought? Do we realize that the eyes of all the heavenly hosts are over us? Then let us do our duty. Let us keep the commandments of God, let us be faithful to the end, so that when we go into the spirit world and look back upon our history we may be satisfied. The Lord Almighty has set his hand to establish his kingdom never more to be thrown down or given to another people, and, therefore, all the powers of earth and hell combined will never be able to stay the progress of this work. The Lord has said he will break in pieces every weapon that is raised against Zion, and the nations of the earth, the kings and emperors, presidents and governors have got to learn this fact. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. It is a fearful thing to shed the blood of the Lord's anointed. It has cost the Jews eighteen hundred years of persecution, and this generation have also a bill to pay in this respect."17

"God will not raise up another prophet and another people to do the work that we have been appointed to do. He will never ignore those who have stood firm and true from the commencement, as it were, of this work, and who are still firm and faithful, inasmuch as they continue faithful to their trust. There is no question in my mind of their ever proving themselves unfaithful, as a body; for if any of them were to become unworthy in his sight, He would remove them out of their place and call others from the ranks to fill their positions. And thus his Priesthood will ever be found to be composed of the right men for the place, of men whose backs will be fitted for the burden, men through whom He can work and regulate the affairs of his Church according to the counsels of His own will."18

"If any man in that position [President of the Church] should become unfaithful, God would remove him out of his place. I testify in the name of Israel's God that he will not suffer the head of the Church, him whom He has chosen to stand at the head, to transgress His laws and apostatize; the moment he should take a course that would in time lead to it, God would take him away. Why? Because to suffer a wicked man to occupy that position would be to allow, as it were, the fountain to become corrupted, which is something He will never permit. And why will he not suffer it? Because it is not the work of Joseph Smith; it is not the work of Brigham Young or of John Taylor. It is not the work of man but of God Almighty; and it is His business to see that the men who occupy this position are men after His own heart, men that will receive instructions from Him, and that will carry out the same according to the counsels of His will. You may depend that he will see to it, and risk nothing upon this head."19

Once in Nauvoo I heard the Prophet declare to the people how they might always know where to find the true Church.  He gave it as a guide for them ever afterwards, and said the day would come when they would need it.  He said:  "Factions and parties will arise out of this Church, and apostates will lead away many.  But in the midst of all this, keep with the majority, for the true leaders of God's people will always be able to have a majority, and the records of the Church will be with them.  Keep with the majority, for where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
(Lyman O. Littlefield, Millennial Star, 45:389)  


1890's

"He does remember Zion, and the promises he has made to Zion will be fulfilled, and there is no power on earth nor in hell that can prevent their fulfillment. God has said, and it will be fulfilled, that this work will go forth from land to land, and from island to island, from one end of the earth to the other, until all His purposes are accomplished."20

"And you will see that this work will continue to roll forth notwithstanding the efforts of the wicked who are arrayed against it; and you will see the schemes of conspiring men overruled for the good of Zion, and they themselves crumble in the dust and perish unless they repent; for it is destined of God to go forward....Yet notwithstanding all that has been done and all that is being done, it's march is onward and will be irresistible; it's progress is not, neither will it be retarded in the least; for God has decreed that his purposes shall be accomplished and his word fulfilled."21

"He, with His supreme wisdom and with His Almighty power, and with His eternal providence, is caring for all it's interests, is watching over every detail, and is controlling all the labors of His people, the counsels and instructions of His servants, and even the acts of the wicked themselves, for the accomplishment of His purposes and the fulfilling of His great designs. This is a constant consolation which God gives unto His people."22

"That Gospel is here, and it's power is here, and it will continue here, gradually fulfilling it's high destiny until these evils under which the human family so groan shall be abolished and removed from the earth, and the love of God will reign supreme in every human breast. This is no dream, no imaginary thing. But it is that which will be realized, for God has said it shall be fulfilled."23

"So it was in the days of the primitive Christians, and they did assimilate with prevailing views to some extent. The Apostles and Prophets were cut off until there was not a man left who could say, `Thus saith the Lord.' But this is not our condition today, neither will it be our condition. God has spoken concerning this, and His word cannot fail."24

"I want to say in closing, you need not be afraid of the enemy hurting you; there is no power on earth or in hell that can hurt this people; we can only hurt ourselves, and the danger of hurting ourselves lies in our taking a wrong course. Remember this, and let it be a consolation to you."25

"In going through Zion you hear the Saints speaking against those who are placed over them; they are finding fault with the policies of the leaders of the church. The Lord has but one man on the earth at one time to lead His church. It is the duty of the Saints to listen to his counsels and not to oppose them. The word of the Lord comes to the people through that man. If the people accept this word they will be blessed. These leaders are expected to call presidents of stakes and bishops. These men so called become the anointed of the Lord and if the people reject the words of these servants it will be held against them as much as if they rejected the words of the president of the church. The man or woman who raises his or her voice against these men is sinning against the Spirit of God. The Lord will not look with favor upon you if you speak evil of your bishop or president. If your bishop had done wrong you should go privately to the proper authorities and not speak of it publicly."26

"We must learn one lesson, that God is at the head of the work and he will control all for our best interest. Though the waves and the storms may beat against the house which he has constructed, still that house will stand. You and I may fall but the kingdom of God will prosper."27

"This gospel will purify itself; it is a stream running over a pebbly bottom; it becomes pure and clear, and so we, in being run over the pebbles and rocks of adversity, will become purified."28

"I do not think the church will ever again be moved, for that little stone, Zion, will roll forth and continue to roll till it fills the whole earth. I do not think that we will again become exiles, for God has said that He would establish His kingdom on the tops of the mountains."29

"The Lord will not fail the Latter-day Saints; He will not fail in His work, in the gathering of His people; He will not fail the seed of Abraham."30

"Let us cultivate the Spirit of God, and not set up our own wisdom against that of the Almighty, or the counsels of His servants. Apostasies may occur in the Church, as they have before--men in high places may fall; but the fact remains that the Church of Christ will stand, and this great work will go on despite all the obstacles and difficulties which may beset it."31

"My testimony is that God has established His work upon the earth and will carry it to a successful issue; that this is the kingdom as was predicted, and that we will see the Lord fulfill His promises to the Saints. We have nothing to fear; and as President Woodruff told us this morning, we need not be troubled. God is at the helm and will steer the good ship Zion into a safe harbor."32

"As has been said, there need be no fears regarding the fate and destiny of the work. With regard to individuals it is different. Men are liable to step aside from the path of duty. The mission of the work of God, however, cannot be prevented in it's accomplishment. We are called to be laborers in it. We are on the good ship Zion. It will reach a safe harbor, but before it's arrival in the haven, many may be washed overboard."33

"The testimonies that have been borne that the kingdom of God shall not pass from the hands of the Saints or be given to another people are true. They are borne by the Spirit of God. This work is built on a sure foundation, being founded on the rock of ages. How can such testimonies be overcome seeing that they are facts? Can they be confuted? Can any people say that it has been revealed to them from the eternal worlds that these testimonies are not true? They cannot....No matter who are lost by the way and make shipwreck of their faith, the Church will go on."34

"I obtained the first testimony of the Holy Spirit to the truth of this great work in the midst of what is called the grand prairie in Missouri....Right there in that lonely place it was that the blessings and glory of God shone around me, and it was shown to me that we would have them [Joseph and Hyrum] again; it was the work of God, it could not be destroyed, it could not be broken up, it could not be impaired."35

"God knows everything connected with this work, from the beginning to the end....He knows that Zion has been founded, never to be overthrown. He has told us this will be the case. The gates of hell will never prevail against the Zion of God. No matter what we may go through, no matter what we may have to endure, this is the infallible promise of the Lord Eternal which is made to us. Though we may go through the deep waters, though we may pass through the fiery furnace, though we may endure severe trials, God knows them all, and He has prepared for them all by His wonderful providence. He will overrule them for His glory and for the salvation of His people."36

"I want to say for the comfort of the Latter-day Saints, that God is not going to fail anybody. He has carried out His purposes in every age and generation of men."37

"It is my duty to have power with God. And when I have this, then my counselors should stand by me and with me. We should be of one heart and mind in all matters, temporal and spiritual, that come before us in the labor of the Church and kingdom of God. And I am thankful to say that this has been the case since I have been called to this position, or since the organization of the Presidency of the Church. Standing connected with us here are the Twelve Apostles. It is their duty to be of one heart and one mind. They have no right to be otherwise. They cannot be otherwise and prosper before God. They should be one with us, and we one with them. They have their rights; they have their agency. But when the Presidency of the Church say unto them, `This is the word of the Lord,' or, `This is right,' they should take hold and work with us. The law of God requires this union at our hands."38

"Many suppose that the Lord, when he wants a thing done, sends His angels to tell us what to do. He may do under certain circumstances. But the guide that God has given unto the Presidency of this Church, and unto the Apostles, and unto all who stand in responsible stations, is the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. It is by it's guidance and by the light which it gives this Church is led. And it is obtained by waiting patiently for the Lord to make known His will and preparing ourselves for it, asking him to give it. It comes then in power. It comes with the clearness of the light of the sun. It comes overpoweringly, so that there can be no doubt left in the mind as to the correctness of the course. In this way this Church has been led from the beginning. It is being led in that manner now, and it will be led in that manner until Jesus himself shall come."39

"The testimony of brother Moses Thatcher is true. The Lord is with President Woodruff. The Lord is with his Counselors. The Lord is with the Apostles. He will sustain and preserve them, if they will keep His commandments. If they transgress the laws of God, they will fall, one and all; but if they are faithful and devoted to God, they will be honored, loved, and respected, as they are today."40

"We ought to become so well acquainted with the Spirit of the Lord that we could not be deceived. We should understand it, and it should dwell with us. When we hear the words of counsel that come from those who have a right to give counsel to the Church, every Latter-day Saint ought to know it in a moment, and ought to recognize the voice and counsel of the Lord through His servants."41

"He has established His work in the earth to remain, and it will remain."42

"God is with His people, and He will continue to be with them; and if we will do that which He tells us, He will never desert us, nor turn His face from us."43

"President Woodruff is the only man upon the earth who holds the keys of the sealing power. These Apostles all around me have all the same authority that he has. We are all ordained with the same ordination. We all have had the same keys and the same powers bestowed upon us. But there is an order in the Church of God, and that order is that there is only one man at a time on the earth who holds the keys of sealing, and that man is the President of the Church, now Wilford Woodruff. Therefore he signed the document himself....He is the only man on the earth that has this right, and he exercised it, and he did this with the approval of all of us to whom the matter was submitted, after he had made up his mind, and we sustained it; for we had made it a subject of prayer also, that God would direct us."44

"God will give no revelation through His prophets but what can be tested by the faithful among the people, to whom the channel of communication with the heavens is open."45


1891

"I am glad to feel and to realize that there is no decrease of the Spirit of the Lord among us, but on the contrary. I feel inclined to say there is more of it manifested now than formerly; and it is a testimony to me and should be a testimony to all of us that the Lord has not turned away his face from His people. He has not forgotten us, and is not slow to hear our prayers...If there is any apostasy, and I suppose there must be some, on this account, it is good to know that it has not been extensive. I am aware that there is a disposition on the part of a few, to make comparisons between things past and things present, to the disadvantage of things present; and to conclude that the Church is gone astray, that it has been allowed to drift without the guidance and power of God. The manifesto has been a stumbling block to some, and other things have tried the faith of the Latter-day Saints in varying degrees, but I think they should not."46

"I can testify that the Lord makes known his will and pleasure continually, and every step taken in the general conduct of affairs in the Church is by His direction; and He will continue to lead His people and love and bless them, whether any one man lives or dies."47

"He has given the keys and powers of His holy Priesthood to His servants on the earth, and has promised that they shall never be taken away from now until the Savior come. We who have received His precious gifts and been entrusted to perform His work, may expect many tribulations and difficulties, much opposition and reviling, but the Lord has spoken, and this word will be fulfilled to the very letter, His kingdom will grow and prosper, and His work will go on...Thus God will continue to raise up and inspire suitable men so that we shall never be without an efficient leader. When He sent his holy angels to ordain and prepare mortal man for His service, He promised never to take that priesthood away from the earth again."48

"When the Ten Tribes come, according to His word, as they surely will, it will be no more marvelous than this gathering which has been accomplished only through the bestowal of the keys of gathering upon Joseph Smith, and by Him upon His successors. They will remain in this Church until all things foretold by the mouths of all the holy prophets have been fulfilled to the uttermost. Let me repeat: We may be afflicted, imprisoned, deprived of our property and of our political rights, for these are things within the power of man; but man has no power to thwart the purposes of God, or even to hinder His work; and His kingdom will triumph."49

"This work of God will spread and prevail."50

"Some people have predicted that the destruction of the Church is near. A greater error could not be made. Those who take this view have not read aright the history of this community...The Church will not diminish in power, but will increase in every gift and grace and in the power of salvation from this time forward."51

"We have to trust to our God for the results. He has laid the foundation of this work; He has carried it forward to the present time, and He will take care of it in the future."52

"When we were back in the states the nation tossed us like a football, and every time they rolled us over we were bigger than before."53

"The spirit of revelation has been a constant flowing stream to the President of the Church, the Apostles and the members. The stream has never ceased to flow from the days the Church was organized down to the present time. There never has been a minute of cessation of the stream of revelation since I have been in the Church and I do not think previous; not been a minute during which the spirit of God has ceased. That is as true as God lives and that I am now speaking to you. There never has been a moment that the voice of revelation has ceased in the Church whether in the days of Joseph, Brigham, John, or Woodruff. To those who tremble today I will say to you: Let not your hearts be troubled. The Lord is presiding over His work and will continue to. He has not withdrawn His power and never will. Some fear at what happened at the late Conference. It was not done for policy or that we might get along with man, but to carry out the designs of God."54

"If Brother Woodruff, or Brother Cannon, were to do wrong, would that try your faith? They are not the gospel; they have been chosen as the mouthpieces of the Lord. Our faith should be pinned to no man's coat sleeve. The Lord having given us a testimony, will hold us individually accountable for it's use. Though all others should turn away from the Truth, let us remain true; but let us watch ourselves and don't let us imagine that everybody has apostatized but ourselves."55

"The Latter-day Saints should not get the idea that the Lord has forsaken His people, or that He does not reveal His mind and will; because such an idea is not true. The Lord is with us, and has been with us from the beginning. This Church has never been led a day except by revelation. And He will never leave it. It matters not who lives or dies, or who is called to lead this Church, they have got to lead it by inspiration of Almighty God. If they do not do it that way, they cannot do it at all."56

"I do not want the Latter-day Saints to understand that the Lord is not with us, and that He is not giving revelation to us; for He is giving revelation, and will give us revelation until this scene is wound up."57

"We have, as President Woodruff says, the voice of revelation in our midst, and God will not take it away from this Church. He has restored His everlasting Priesthood. It will remain on the earth. It will exercise the power that God has given it, until He comes whose right it is to reign. God has great blessings in store for the Latter-day Saints."58


1911

"The Church shall stand, and thrive, and increase in its numbers, and shall never diminish. We are only just beginning; we are but forming the nucleus of a great and mighty organization that shall grow as fast as it can absorb new members, and it shall increase in its absorbing, and shall yet be numbered by millions of the children of this generation. This is my testimony, and faith, and I may say, I speak it with knowledge."59


1912

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919


1920

"This work will abide. It was so destined by the Almighty when he revealed it. When he appeared with his Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he ordained and declared that this organization should remain on the earth, and should not be broken to pieces, nor given to any people except to the Saints of the Most High, and they should continue the work and possess the Kingdom until it should spread forth under the whole heavens....It is a joy to my heart to realize and know this, that the work shall not be broken up, shall not be given to another people, but this Church and Kingdom--for the terms are used almost synonymously--shall continue and stand forth and overcome every opposition of every kind that may come against it."60

"For this is God's work, it is not the work of man. It is the work of the Almighty, and he will take care of it, and it will never fall, no matter what its enemies may hope and pray to the contrary."61

"We are still safe in saying that `Mormonism' is only singing, as it were, on its first verse. So much having been accomplished during the past one-hundred years, what will not be witnessed in the next hundred years to come? For as a Church we are here to stay and grow until our influence for good shall be felt to the ends of the earth. Let us remember that it has cost some of the best blood of the nineteenth century to accomplish what has already been done."62

"This work has been understood and comprehended more or less, by the prophets in all dispensations. It has now been revealed according to the promise of the Lord God of heaven for the last time. It has been established by his wisdom and by his will, with the promise that it shall endure forever and forever, and so it shall be, as the Lord God Almighty lives."63

"I know that God lives; that Jesus is the Christ; that the gospel is true; that his Church is established, no more to be destroyed; that the elements of preservation and continuity are in it, and will continue, and it will enlarge; it will grow stronger; its foundations are laid broad and deep, and it will remain in the earth to function for God in the work of salvation for the children of men, its glory increasing, its power enlarging, until it shall deliver such a message to this world for God, that it will lead to the redemption of the human race. In these things, my brethren, I rejoice with you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."64

"He has delivered his message unto mankind, he has delivered the record of the forefathers, the Nephites and the Lamanites, and the work is established again here upon the earth with the promise that no other people have ever enjoyed, and that is this, that it shall never be taken from the earth nor given to another people. This is the knowledge that Latter-day Saints possess today, that this gospel which is here never will be given to another people--though we have no particular promise that you and I will remain faithful; that depends upon our own works, our own acts, whether we remain firm and true or not."65


1921

"We must never allow ourselves to grow misanthropic or fear concerning the outcome. The success of this work is assured. The triumph of Truth is inevitable. The clouds may gather, the billows rage, the tempests burst in fury; but the unerring Pilot is at the helm, and the Ship steered by Him will weather every storm."66

"I testify to you in the name of the Master that I know, as I know I live, that this work in which we are engaged is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it was restored to earth through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that it will fill its mission and destiny in the earth, and that no power under high heaven can stay its progress. God hath spoken it, and he will not be mocked. It will go forward until it shall fill the whole earth; men and women in every clime will recognize in it the truth of heaven."67

"The promise made to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the very commencement of the work that he was called of the Lord to establish in the latter-days, was that notwithstanding the persecution and the opposition that should be waged against the cause that he was called to advocate in the world, the work would survive; that the Church to be established or set up, and the gospel of the Kingdom that should be preached in the world as a witness before the coming of the Messiah, should never be overcome, that the Church to be established should never be given to another people."68

"I have felt today a renewal of my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true; that this great work, the Church of God, has been established never again to be taken from the earth or given to another people."69

"These questions lie close to the hearts of the Latter-day Saints because of a belief they have in their destiny enduring mission in the earth. They believe they represent the Kingdom of God on earth, which Kingdom `is never to be thrown down or given to another people.'"70

"We stand in that day, when the favor of Almighty God shall be poured out upon his Church in greater abundance than it has ever been. We shall make progress which shall far excel the progress and advancement of the past, if we serve our heavenly Father and do not desert him. And all the promises he has made from the earliest day until this time, concerning the redemption and establishment of his righteousness in the world, are to come to pass not only by this power upon his people, but by reason of his chastisement that shall be upon those who do not serve him."71

"Great as have been the achievements of the past, they are but the beginning of the glorious things that shall be sung of Zion. Notwithstanding the glory of the past, the future is more splendid than the past possibly could have been, because this work, the work of God, is to roll forth until its power, its glory, its influence, shall fill the whole earth, and not be confined to a few valleys up in the tops of the mountains."72

"Brethren and sisters, we are not to be absorbed. The Lord has decreed it. He knows how to keep us where we ought to be, and when we get straying off the track he knows how to bring us back, for he will not desert this people. His promise was that this work should never be overcome nor given to another people. He may chastise us, he may correct us, but he will not let us go astray. If we, therefore, keep his commandments, we not only shall escape chastisement, but we shall come into out glorious heritage, and the light of Zion shall continue to rise, for behold, her day has come, her light shall shine, the glory of it shall be reflected to the uttermost ends of the earth, and the men of all nations shall come and say, `Let us go up to the mountain of the house of the God of Jacob, so that we may learn to walk in his paths,' and the attention of the angels of heaven shall be called to the earth, and unto this people; and behold, the King shall come and he shall receive his people and reign with them a thousand years."73

"I am sure that the Church of Christ in the earth is stronger today than it was yesterday, but that it will never be weaker than it has been in the past, but that it will grow; and as the days come and go, the strength of the Almighty will be manifested in greater power upon the children of men than it has ever been before, until he comes."74

"I bear record of the truth of the promises of God, in relation to the development of his purposes and the triumph of his work."75

"In connection with the rise of that great work of our Father in the last days, he declared a new thing, a thing that never was declared to any other dispensation from the days of Father Adam, namely, that the work of God in that day should not fail; it should not be overcome; neither shall it be left to another people. Two wonderful promises. I recognize that in the dispensations that have preceded our own, men have hoped and dreamed that there would be established in might and power, the work of God, but in sorrow they had to see the power of evil triumph in the world. But that shall never be repeated again, for this work has been established to roll forth, and it shall not fail. You may fail; I may fail, but this shall not fail. I rejoice to know that while some of us may falter and hesitate, this people shall not be rejected. The Lord said to Daniel that the work should not go to another people; and that the Lord has indicated that in a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. You find it in the closing verses of the ninetieth section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants."76

"It is well enough to read the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; but to sit at a table of spiritual feasting, to dine with the Lord on a few of the things that you know have come from heaven direct is worth all the scriptures, valuable as the scripture may be; and if you have not had that, and if your testimony has not been added upon and added upon, I beseech you to turn the door that Heaven may speak to you in your work and in your life, so that you will have no doubt that God has established his Church never to be thrown down."77

"This is our Father's work. He has pointed out the way whereby we may gain an exaltation. He has organized his Church. He has instituted the authority of this Church in his own way, and all the wisdom of the world cannot change it, and all the opposition of this world cannot overthrow it."78

"With this Latter-day work, we know God raised up a prophet and followed him with other prophets, men to lead, to guide, to instruct his people; and when this work commenced, it was the work of God, and though it has been opposed for one hundred years, though it has been fought against, though the people have used their mightiest weapons and the best brains of the world have combated it, it stands today and will stand a monument to Almighty God. It will continue to grow, and ultimately it will triumph, for it is the work of God."79

"As we see the work today, we have a living evidence of God's power that is in this work, and with his people. We do know that the truth will ultimately triumph, that this Church and kingdom is established never to be thrown down or to be given to another people."80


1922

"This work is strong, and it will continue to grow. It must go on. The good ship Zion has set sail, and if any man wishes to jump overboard, he must take the consequence. The good ship will go on. God help us to remember that, and to be true to our covenants."81

"Though the Church has been persecuted, and men have heaped upon it all manner of opposition; yet after ninety years, it stands unimpeached and unimpeachable, because it is the work of Almighty God. Its destiny is to fill the earth; its mission is the preach the gospel to all mankind; its purpose is to prepare the human family for the coming of Jesus Christ to reign as king of kings and Lord of Lords."82

"Do I fear for this Church that has been established...? No. But I do know that this Church was established in these last days on the rock of revelation, and it will go on to its success....I am perfectly positive and sure that the Church will go on to its ultimate success and triumph. The only fear I have is, will I be able to stay with it? Will I be able to keep myself unspotted from the sins of the world? And next to that, will my children, surrounded as they are by the evils and temptations of the world, be able to keep themselves pure and clean and unspotted from the sins of the world, and triumph with the work of God? And, next to that, will you, and particularly your children, be able to do likewise? That is the concern I have for Israel."83


1923

"I am not afraid, so far as the Church is concerned, as we enter this great conflict. As the testing time approaches I have no fear, because the Lord himself has decreed that this work shall stand. To Daniel he made it known. Daniel saw our day, and this work, that it should roll forth until it should fill the whole earth, and that it should not be thrown down nor be left to another people. I have absolute confidence, therefore, in the outcome of this work and the fulfilment of that promise."84

"I know that this work will go on and I know that it has prospered, in this respect that I am about to mention, and will go on in the future. The Lord promised that all that is formed against Zion shall not only prosper, but is shall be turned to the welfare and benefit of Zion. Now be assured that this will be the case; that the present efforts being made by those who are not of us, but who are against us, that whatever they may do, whatever they may say, will be turned around in the sequel, to the glory of God, and the salvation of men, through and by this Church and its priesthood. That is as sure as that the sun rises in the morning after it has appeared to set at night. This work will go on and on, and we will see it, if we live long enough on the earth, and I suppose we will if we get away. I don't know how much we shall see when we get out of the body, but we will see a good deal more than we can while we are in the body. But we will see that this promise is fulfilled. All these schemes, these plots and plans, and all these ridiculous efforts that are being made will show up to be so ridiculous, so feeble, so false, that they will turn around to the good of this work in which we are engaged, to the glory of God and the salvation of men. So do not be discouraged by anything that may be said against the Church or its leaders. It has been said from the beginning, right from the start. Before Joseph Smith got even direction to organize the Church, he was assailed by the most religious people in his vicinity. But the things which they said against him eventually turned around to strengthen him in the minds of decent and reasonable and religious people and so will it be in the future. We need not be concerned about that. Only let us be concerned with our own lives and labors, and the performance of our duties."85

"God lives, Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and living God; and this work called `Mormonism' is the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and is the plan of life and salvation; and all the disbelief of the world, all the opposition of all the world cannot stop it, God has established it and it will go on and on until it has fulfilled its destiny!"86


1924

"This work is onward and upward, and it will be forever and ever. It will not be taken away from the earth again, it is here to stay. It will abide. It will prevail. It will overcome all its foes, all its obstacles, all its difficulties, and the Lord will inspire his servants, as he raises them up for the peculiar and special work in which they are to be engaged, and he will give them success therein as he has done with our brethren who have passed away, and our brother who has spoken to us this morning."87

"I know that this work will go on conquering and to conquer--not with worldly but with spiritual weapons; that nothing can stand against it to impede its progress; and that it never will be smaller or weaker than it is today. Like the little snowball from the mountaintop, gathering as it goes, it will yet become a mighty avalanche, sweeping all evil before it, and fulfilling what the Prophet Daniel spoke concerning it. For it is `the stone cut out without hands' which is destined to grow into `a great mountain' and `fill the whole earth.' God speed it on its way! Amen."88

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized for the last time. It is the kingdom of God that has been set up in the last day never to be thrown down nor given to another people. It is that organization that was made plain to the great king of Babylon through the instrumentality of the Prophet Daniel; that is the last days the God of heaven should set up a kingdom likened unto a stone cut out of the mountains without hands, that it should smite the great beast which the king saw and break it in pieces, and this stone should roll forth and fill the whole earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that kingdom of God which has been set up never more to be thrown down nor given to another people. It has not come from men of earthly power or from any earthly or man-made organization. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has neither father nor mother in the earth, for it has not come out of any organization in the earth. It has come in the manner predicted, as a stone cut out of the mountains without hands, for the power, the keys, the authority and all the privileges that come to us to serve in the name of the Lord have come from heaven, through heavenly powers and heavenly messengers....This is God's work and not the work of man or men, and it will roll forth even as Daniel declared when he interpreted the great king's dream that it should in time fill the whole earth."89


1925

"There may be, of course, and are, those among us who are not faithful, who do turn from the footsteps of their fathers. It has always been so. We may expect that in some cases it will continue, but so far as the Latter-day Saints are concerned, the majority of them will not turn from the faith of their fathers. It is not destined that such should be the case, for when this gospel was restored the Lord declared through his servants who came from the heavens with the message of salvation, that the gospel was restored for the last time, and that it must grow and increase and the knowledge grow and spread until it shall fill the whole earth. That is the destiny of the thing the world calls `Mormonism.'"90


1926

"Of all the churches in the world, it is the Church of Jesus Christ. It is founded upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. It has been established under his immediate direction and by revelation from him. It will endure and carry out the purposes which the Lord has in view for the accomplishment of righteousness, truth and liberty in the earth, and the preparation for the coming of the Son of man to reign in righteousness here."91

"These are the days, too, in which, as Daniel says, `the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.' That kingdom is located here, and in the language of Daniel, `it shall not be left to other people, and it shall endure forever.' This is the place, this is the kingdom, and Jesus of Nazareth is the King."92

"`Mormonism' will never die, for it is the work of God, and will be consummated in the coming of Jesus Christ the Lord, who shall come to reign as Lord of lords and King of kings. The young men of Israel are today filled with the same faith that filled the breasts of their fathers, who adopted this work and who have successfully carried it on; and it will never wane for the lack of faith on the part of the young men and women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."93

"There is nothing so precious as this; there is no truth so certain as this; there is no institution, there is no purpose of Almighty God, against whom none can prevail, so certain as the triumph of this work known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."94


NOTES: 

1. Doctrine and Covenants 90:2-4 

2. History of the Church (Hereafter as DHC) 3:283-84 

3. Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, P.163 

4. DHC 6:321-22 

5. Times and Seasons (Hereafter as T&S), Vol. 5, P. 651 

6. DHC 7:307-8. 

7. T&S 6:953-57. 

8. Brigham Young, The Man and His Work, 117. 

9. Heber C. Kimball, September 19, 1852, Journal of Discourses (Hereafter as JD) 2:356. 

10. JD, Vol.7, p.145 - p.146, Brigham Young, May 22, 1859 

10m.  The talk was given in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Feb 23, 1862 (as can be seen in the JD 9:289 reprint), but the title in the DNW adds the information that it was in the p.m.  The publication date in the Deseret News Weekly is Wednesday, May 7, 1862, Volume 11 No. 45 pp 1-2 [page 1 would be 11:353, and page 2 is 11:354.]  Information supplied by Elden Watson.

11. JD, Vol.11, p.4 - p.6, George Albert Smith, November 15, 1864 

12. JD, Vol.14, p.343, Orson Pratt, March 10, 1872 

13. JD, Vol.19, p.11 - p.12, Orson Pratt, May 20th, 1877 

14. JD, Vol.21, p.268 - p.269 - p.270, George Q. Cannon, November 2nd, 1879 

15. JD, Vol.22, p.107 - p.108 - p.109, George Q. Cannon, July 25, 1880 

16. JD, Vol.21, p.301 - p.302, Wilford Woodruff, August 1st, 1880 

17. The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p.281 - p.282 

18. Joseph F. Smith, June 21, 1883, JD 24:189. 

19. Joseph F. Smith, June 21, 1883, JD 24:192. 

20. George Q. Cannon, Jan.12, 1890, in Collected Discourses (Hereafter as CD) 2:8. 

21. George Q. Cannon, Jan.12, 1890, in CD 2:9. 

22. George Q. Cannon, Feb.23, 1890, in CD 2:10. 

23. George Q. Cannon, Feb.23, 1890, in CD 2:14-15. 

24. George Q. Cannon, Feb.23, 1890, in CD 2:16. 

25. George Q. Cannon, Feb.23, 1890, in CD 2:19. 

26. Abraham H. Cannon, March 2, 1890, in CD 2:20. 

27. Abraham H. Cannon, March 2, 1890, in CD 2:20. 

28. Abraham H. Cannon, March 2, 1890, in CD 2:20. 

29. Abraham H. Cannon, March 2, 1890, in CD 2:22. 

30. Wilford Woodruff, April 4, 1890, in CD 2:24. 

31. Abraham H. Cannon, April 4, 1890, in CD 2:26. 

32. Anthon H. Lund, April 4, 1890, CD 2:27. 

33. John Henry Smith, April 5, 1890, in CD 2:32. 

34. Lorenzo Snow, April 5, 1890, in CD 2:34-35. 

35. Franklin D. Richards, April 6, 1890, in CD 2:56. 

36. George Q. Cannon, April 27, 1890, in CD 2:76. 

37. Wilford Woodruff, August 3, 1890, in CD 2:85. 

38. Wilford Woodruff, Aug.3, 1890, in CD 2:85-86. 

39. George Q. Cannon, Aug.3, 1890, in CD 2:92. 

40. Francis M. Lyman, Oct.4, 1890, in CD 2:109. 

41. Francis M. Lyman, Oct.4, 1890, in CD 2:110. 

42. Francis M. Lyman, Oct.4, 1890, in CD 2:112. 

43. George Q. Cannon, Oct.5, 1890, in CD 2:116. 

44. George Q. Cannon, Oct.6, 1890, in CD 2:132-33. 

45. Abraham H. Cannon, Oct.6, 1890, in CD 2:140. 

46. George Q. Cannon, February 15, 1891, in CD 2:175. 

47. George Q. Cannon, February 15, 1891, in CD 2:176. 

48. George Q. Cannon, February 15, 1891, in CD 2:176-77. 

49. George Q. Cannon, February 15, 1891, in CD 2:177. 

50. Charles W. Penrose, March 22, 1891, in CD 2:191. 

51. Abraham H. Cannon, April 4, 1891, in CD 2:203. 

52. George Q. Cannon, April 6, 1891, in CD 2:214. 

53. Franklin D. Richards, May 3, 1891, in CD 2:227 

54. George Q. Cannon, July 26, 1891, in CD 2:257. 

55. Joseph F. Smith, October 25, 1891, in CD 2:280. 

56. Wilford Woodruff, November 1, 1891, in CD 2:287. 

57. Wilford Woodruff, November 1, 1891, in CD 2:287. 

58. George Q. Cannon, November 1, 1891, in CD 2:295. 

59. Melvin J. Ballard, Conference Report (Hereafter as CR), April 6-9, 1911, 94. At the end of 1911 there were 407,291 members of the Church. 

60. Charles W. Penrose, CR, April 4-6, 1920, 26-27. 

61. James Duckworth, CR, April 4-6, 1920, 49. 

62. Andrew Jensen, CR, April 4-6, 1920, 79. 

63. Joseph W. McMurrin, CR, April 4-6, 1920, 150. 

64. B.H. Roberts, CR, April 4-6, 1920, 160. 

65. Jonathan C. Cutler, CR, October 8-10, 1920, 141. 

66. Orson F. Whitney, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 35. 

67. John M. Knight, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 71. 

68. Joseph Eckersley, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 85. 

69. E. Frank Birch, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 87-88. 

70. Nephi L. Morris, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 94. 

71. Melvin J. Ballard, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 108. 

72. Melvin J. Ballard, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 163. 

73. Melvin J. Ballard, CR, April 3-6, 1921, 170. 

74. Samuel O. Bennion, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 56. 

75. Joseph W. McMurrin, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 77. 

76. Melvin J. Ballard, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 99-100. 

77. James Gunn McKay, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 157. 

78. George Albert Smith, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 162. 

79. Winslow Farr Smith, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 172. 

80. George F. Richards, CR, October 6,7,9, 1921, 184. 

81. Hugh B. Brown, CR, April 6,7,9, 1922, 108. 

82. Winslow Farr Smith, CR, April 6,7,9, 1922, 114. 

83. Rey L. Pratt, CR, April 6,7,9, 1922, 123. 

84. Melvin J. Ballard, CR, April 6-8, 1923, 56. 

85. Charles W. Penrose, CR, October 5-7, 1923, 15-16. 

86. Heber J. Grant, CR, October 5-7, 1923, 161. 

87. Charles W. Penrose, CR, April 4-6, 1924, 17. 

88. Orson F. Whitney, CR, April 4-6, 1924, 40. 

89. Hyrum G. Smith, CR, October 3-5, 1924, 15-16. 

90. Joseph Fielding Smith, CR, April 4-6, 1925, 74-75. 

91. Sylvester Q. Cannon, CR, April 4-6, 1926, 94. 

92. Richard R. Lyman, CR, April 4-6, 1926, 104. 

93. John G. Allred, CR, April 4-6, 1926, 155. 

94. Junius F. Wells, CR, October 3-5, 1926, 70.