"I need not say unto you, that it would have afforded me very great pleasure to have been with you on the present occasion, and to have saluted you personally, as I know it would have been very gratifying unto you. But, through the dispensation of an All-wise Providence, things are not in a position that we would desire to have them; they are in accordance, however, with the design of our Heavenly Father, who ordains all things in harmony with the dispensation of His providence towards the children of men.
"Some people suppose that persecutions and trials are afflictions; but sometimes, and generally, if we are doing the will of the Lord and keeping His commandments, they may be truly said to be blessings in disguise. When our great Redeemer was on earth, He said to His disciples: 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'
"Although for the time being, these things may be painful, yet if properly comprehended and realized, we should look at them in another view, and feel as Paul said to the saints in his day: 'For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal,' and will lead us to reflect in most instances even as John Wesley sang:
"'Shall I be carried to the skies,
On flowery beds of ease;
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas!"'No; I must fight, if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by thy word.'
"The foregoing are my sentiments, which I express from the bottom of my heart; and I would state further, that if we expect to be united with the hundred and forty-four thousand of which John speaks; who are clothed in white raiment, and who were gathered together from every nation, kindred, people and tongue, and who had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (therefore were they next the throne and serve their Maker day and night); we must pass through the same ordeal they did.
"These people who were so honored of God, and of the Redeemer, and the heavenly hosts, were those who had come up through much tribulation; and we are further told in late revelations which God has given us through the Prophet Joseph, that 'After much tribulation cometh the blessing.'
"I was very sorry to learn, in the midst of other things, of the sickness of my wives Jane and Sophia, and my heart has gone out in prayer for them, accompanied by my brethren, that they may be healed, and I am pleased to learn that there is some slight improvement in the health of Aunt Jane, and also that there are some reasonable hopes of the removal of the terrible affliction that has overtaken Aunt Sophia. I would here remark that in speaking of these strokes, I have been making careful inquiry about them since her sad affliction, and learned that it is no uncommon thing for people to be healed of this kind of disease. A lady of about her age that I conversed with quite recently, said she had had two strokes of that kind, and she is now quite well, hale and hearty. I mention these things in hopes that it will afford some consolation to Aunt Sophia and to you, her friends.
"I am pleased to be informed that the health of the family is generally good, and that the disposition and feeling of both wives and children is to fear God, to work righteousness, and to yield obedience to His laws. For if we expect to obtain a celestial glory and exaltations with thrones, principalities and powers in the celestial kingdom of our God, we must abide a celestial law. For it is expressly stated that we can only inherit such a kingdom, such glory, and blessings as we prepare ourselves for, by yielding obedience to the laws thereof; whether it be a celestial, or terrestrial or telestial.
"We are engaged in a great work, and laying the foundation thereof—a work that has been spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world was; namely, the dispensation of the fullness of times, wherein God will gather together all things in one, whether they be things in the earth, or things in the heavens; and for this purpose God revealed Himself, as also the Lord Jesus Christ, unto His servant the Prophet Joseph Smith, when the Father pointed to the Son and said: 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him.' He further restored the everlasting gospel; together with the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthoods; both of which are everlasting as God is; and in the interest of humanity sent forth His gospel to the nations of the earth. I am happy to say that I have been a bearer of this gospel to several nations, and have been the means of bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; among which are some of you, my wives. We have been gathered together, according to the word of the Lord, and the order of His Priesthood, to our present homes, our lands and our possessions. We have had the privilege of assisting in building temples to the Lord, and administering therein. The principles which have been developed for the progression, the happiness and exaltation of the faithful in Christ Jesus; and some of you, my sons, have been favored with the Holy Priesthood, which is after the order of Melchisedek, after the order of the Son God and of God the Eternal Father, and after the power of an endless life. We expect and have faith, that this earth will yet be renovated and purified, the wicked will be rooted out of it, and the righteous inherit it; and we further look forward to the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; and a new Jerusalem, wherein the Lord God and the Lamb will be the light thereof, and you, my wives, and also my children who have come to years of maturity, will have the privilege, if faithful to your covenants, of entering into and partaking of the most exalted, glorious, and eternal blessings, which any men or women on earth have enjoyed in this world, or in the world to come; and will eventually be associated with the Gods in the eternal worlds.
"We are here gathered together in this land of Zion for the purpose of purifying, instructing and building up the Church of God; and also building up a Zion of God, and establishing the rule and government of God on the earth, and fulfilling that which is spoken of by the Prophet: 'The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.'