Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow / One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

by Eliza R. Snow

But the fact that the work still continues and increases, and that the last words of the dying Saints to their children and friends are, "I know by the revelations of God that this work is true," is strong presumptive proof of its absolute truth.

If you Saints here do not know this work is of God, it is your duty to rise up and declare you have been deceived, acknowledge that the Spirit of God has not been given you, and that the declaration of the Elder who promised it is entirely false; and thus try to correct the error which you have been guilty of propagating. At once leave the "Mormon" Church, and you would resume a position that would be more consistent: then get a testimony from on high that some other church possesses the system of salvation—get a testimony that the Book of Mormon and Book of Doctrine and Covenants are spurious, and just the moment you get that testimony, where are you? Where are the words of the Apostle Peter? "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost." Where are the words of the Lord Jesus? He says, "It (the Holy Ghost) shall lead you into all truth, and show you things to come." Where are the words of the Apostle Paul? "Let this same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who, finding himself in the the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Where are the words of John? "We know that we are the sons of God, and it does not appear what we shall be, but we know that when He (Jesus) shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is: and every man that hath this mind in him, purifies himself, even as God is pure." Throw these doctrines aside; let them pass and go to a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Quaker or Shaker, then where is your Bible, and of what account?

I testify before this assembly, as I have testified before the people throughout the different States of the Union, and throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Switzerland and France, that God Almighty, through my obedience to the Gospel of Jesus, has revealed to me, tangibly, that this is the work of God—that this is His Gospel, and that this is His kingdom which Daniel prophesied should be set up in the last days. I prophesy that any man who will be humble before the Lord—any man who will, with child-like simplicity, be baptized for the remission of his sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost, which shall lead him into all truth, and show him things to come: he shall receive a knowledge from God that His kingdom has been established in these latter days; and that it shall never be thrown down, or be left to another people.

In saying this, I say no more than every man could say, and has said, who had a dispensation of the Gospel. I would not have traveled over the face of the earth, as I have for the last thirty-five years, unless God had revealed this unto me. I have already said, nothing but absolute duty ever prompted me to travel and preach this Gospel; but I received a dispensation from the Most High, and I could say, and do say now, as the Apostle Paul said: "I received not this Gospel from man, but I received it by revelation from God." I say that any man who will humble himself before God, and be immersed in water (after repentance) for the remission of his sins, shall receive, through the laying on of hands, the Holy Ghost. Can I give him this? No. I, as a messenger of the Lord, to whom authority has been delegated, administer immersion for the remission of sins—I simply immerse him in water, having authority so to do. I simply lay my hands upon him for the reception of the Holy Ghost; then God, from His holy presence, acknowledges my authority—acknowledges that I am His messenger, and confers the Holy Ghost upon the individual. This is the Gospel; this is what constitutes a man a savior of life unto life, as Jesus told His disciples they were.

Talk about this kingdom being destroyed! Talk about, reason upon, lay plans here and there, by the combined wisdom of governments, to destroy the kingdom of God! Why, you might as well try to pluck the stars from the firmament, or the moon and the sun from their orbits! It can never be accomplished, for it is the work of the great I AM. I advise every man who has a disposition to put forth his hand against this work to hold on and consider. Take the advice of Gamaliel, the lawyer. Said he: "If this is the work of God, ye can do nothing against it; if it is not, it will come to nought."

Well, now, they say that the "Mormons" are fanatical. If so, it is very good fanaticism. We have philosophy, science, truth, the power of God and the testimony of good men on our side. I can select twelve men, with whom I have been acquainted during the last twenty-five, thirty or thirty-five years: I have known them under varied circumstances, in which their hearts have been proved, their feelings tried, and their honesty and integrity tested. Have I confidence in these men? I have just as much as I have when I read in the New Testament about Twelve Apostles. I know nothing about Peter, James, or the other Apostles, but these men I know something about—I have seen their honor and integrity tried under various circumstances in life. Have I not a right to believe their testimony? Most assuredly I have, and I will prophesy of them—No, excuse me, I am not in the habit of prophesying: I will say here, that in generations to come, the doings of these men will be read—the account of their labors in preaching the Gospel to the nations of the earth—what they have suffered for the cause of God; the imprisonment, contumely, drivings from Ohio, Missouri, Jackson, and the northern counties of Missouri, and from Illinois, and how they have passed through all this and almost everything in the shape of suffering that can be imagined; and have still adhered to, and borne their testimony to the the truth. Their works will be read, and in generations to come, people will have just as much confidence in these men as Christians (so called) now profess to have in the Twelve Apostles whose doings are recorded in the New Testament. They are just as good men, we have every reason to believe.

As to the truth of what the Apostles, whom we read of in the New Testament, said, I know nothing, only what I experience, through having observed the same system they preached. They received the blessings pertaining to it, so have I received what they promised should be conferred upon those who, in their day, received that system. Therefore, we who have received a like experience are the only witnesses to the truth of what those Apostles said; we are the only witnesses of the truth in respect to what Jesus said. Jesus said, "He that will do the will of my Father, shall know of the doctrine." We are witnesses that Jesus told the truth.

The Apostles said that those who receive the Gospel by baptism for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost. We are witnesses that they told the truth. Can the Methodist or Presbyterian ministers witness to these facts? No: they know nothing about them. They received their diplomas and endowments at college—they trust in the wisdom of man—to the knowledge of science; we trust in the power of the Almighty. Perhaps it may be said to us: "For ye see your calling, brethren; how that not many wise men, after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are."

Well, I do not feel materially concerned about anything that regards the advancement and prosperity of the kingdom of God. It is a matter that I have not contrived, nor my brethren: it is the Lord's affair. Thus far He has done this work. We never came to these valleys through our own designs and wishes: the Lord our God brought us here, and when He wants us to leave, we shall be better prepared to go than we were to come. We simply do what our Heavenly Father commands. God loves His offspring, the human family. His design is not simply to create happiness for the few called Latter-day Saints. The aim and scheme He is now carrying out is for universal salvation—not only for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints, but for the salvation of every man and woman on the face of the earth: for those also in the spirit world, and for those who may hereafter come upon the earth. It is for the salvation of every son and daughter of Adam. They are the offspring of the Almighty; He loves them all, and His plans are for the salvation of the whole, and He will bring all up into that position in which they will be as comfortable and as happy as they are willing to be.

Our mission is to the world, and not simply to carry the Gospel to the people, but to establish plans and lay foundations for their temporal salvation. Our object is as much for the temporal as for the spiritual salvation of the people. The time is approaching when the nations will be broken up, on account of their wickedness. The Latter-day Saints are not going to war against them—they will destroy themselves with their immorality and abominations. They will quarrel and contend one with another, State with State, and nation with nation, until they are broken up; and thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands, will, undoubtedly, come for protection at the hands of the servants of God, as much so as in the days of Joseph in Egypt, when he was called upon to devise a plan for the salvation of the house of Israel.