Look you now upon this picture, and behold a man with hundreds of kindred who love him, wives, sons and daughters to comfort him in his declining years, and scores of kindred to mourn his loss when he passes beyond this mortal state. He is truly rich! The subject of this picture you now behold, past his three score years and ten, honored and beloved by all who know him, and whose snow-white hairs surround his head as areolas of light.

Then let us, his children, imitate his virtues, and accept all that is good and noble in his life; bearing in mind the uncertain tenure and shortness of our earthly existence, it behooves us to so shape our conduct as to be worthy a place with him in eternity, and that we may there participate in a similar family re-union. Would we could exclaim with the poet:

"Oh that our lives which flee so fast,
In purity were such,
That not an image of the past
Should fear the pencil's touch."

Let us, then, give honor to our noble sire, who came forth and embraced an unpopular doctrine—that which he believed and knew to be true—honor to him who, for nearly half a century, has battled against the prejudices of ages, stood in the breach, and had the manhood to practice what he believed to be true in theory, and as it always happens to those who step forth from darkness and advocate new and true principles, viz., that they seldom, if ever, become popular during life, but whose names are often handed down to their posterity as a rich legacy, so will it be with father, whose name will go down to future generations, and be held in honored remembrance by all the good and noble of the earth, and whose praises will be sung in "states unborn and accents yet unknown!"

ADDRESS BY E. R. SNOW SMITH.

My Brother Dear, And Family:

We're told
In holy writ, the Patriarchs of old,
When full of years, moved by parental love
And by a holy unction from above,
Convened their offspring—God-given heritage,
Increased to multitudes thro' lengthened age,
And by the right the Priesthood's powers invest,
Their children and their children's children blessed.

Adam, alias Michael, won his place
As prince and founder of the human race.
By the great Ruler of the earth and heaven
The first commandment unto Adam given
Was "multiply." 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.

We read that Abel, Adam's son, was slain
By his aspiring, jealous brother, Cain;
And Cain was cursed; and yet he wears his "mark"—
As seen by David Patten, he was dark,
When, pointing to his face of glossy jet,
Cain said, "You see the curse is on me yet."
The first of murderers, now he fills his post,
And reigns as king o'er all the murd'rous host.

And time moved on, and Adam's seed spread forth,
Erecting cities on their Eden earth.
Then human life was long, and not as now,
When man comes forth in haste, and makes his bow
Upon the stage of life, and then is gone,
While death, the porter, drops the curtain down.

Once men built pyramids that now defy
The crumbling elements of earth and sky.
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.

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;
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.

Abroad to all the cities on the earth
A royal proclamation issued forth.
Responsive, lo! their numerous offspring come
To mother Eve's and father Adam's home.
Clothed with the Priesthood's power, the Patriarch stood
And blessed the reverent, waiting multitude,
In Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Eden's mart,
Zion's metropolis and priestly court.

With retrospective pride we're wont to praise
Illustrious characters of former days,
While here, the fact can never be ignored,
The ancient order is to us restored;
For here, a father standing at the head,
Treads the same path as did the ancients tread.

While age is tracing furrows on his cheek,
And silver locks increasing years bespeak,
As Adam, Noah, Abra'm, Jacob, blessed
Their offspring then, he now has been impressed
To call together all his kindred line,
To instruct and bless by right and power divine;
And Time's historic pages yet will know,
As Patriarch, our own Lorenzo Snow.
In coming generations yet unborn
Shall mighty men of God his line adorn;
Pure, noble minded men, who shall possess
The sterling worth that lives mankind to bless,
Who, through obedience and sacrifice,
Will to the glories of the Godhead rise.

And holy women, full of faith and love,
Who'll train their offspring for the courts above;
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.

And may his sons and daughters ever be
Unrivaled samples of integrity,
Clothed with the power true Gospel faith imparts,
To heal the sick and cheer desponding hearts—
His sons be numbered with the valiant ones,
Who fought the fight of faith and won their crowns;
His daughters filled with wisdom, truth and grace,
Do saintly honor to their noble race.

All hail to Brother Snow! Long life and cheer,
With blessings multiplied from year to year.
May his posterity, increasing, be
As numerous as the sands beside the sea,
"And as the stars of heaven for multitude."
The well-wrought model of his life shall be
A motive guide to his posterity;
A monitor to which, if they give heed,
To endless increase, endless lives will lead.
And yet his life, with conscious wrong unspotted,
Is more or less with imperfections dotted.
No mortal man, though staunch in that direction,
But fails to reach the zenith of perfection.

* * * * * * * *

His organizing skill has brought to bear
The strength of union—potent everywhere.
With these[[1]] good brethren, working side by side,
Through mighty effort he has changed the tide
Of narrow, individual policy,
For the broad base of conjoint unity—
To make the Saints, in temporal interests, one,
And independent of old Babylon.
You've proved the possibility; the fact
Which you've developed will remain intact.
And yet the Order lives! 'Tis truly so,
Its healthy breathings and pulsations show;
And late transpiring indications tell
The Association's heart is beating well.
It operates, though on a smaller scale
Than ere O. J. H. did its rights assail.

Long-waiting Justice now comes boldly on,
And vetoes what aggressive force had done—
Shows up the assessment in a fitting light,
Affirming B. C. Co-op. scrip was right;
Bids "Uncle Sam" retrieve the cruel blunder,
By paying back, with interest, all the plunder.

And now, Lorenzo's children, just a few
Of my reflections I address to you.
The powers of darkness now are all astir;
"Be wise to-day, 'tis madness to defer."
Choose well your parts—mark where true valor lies,
And set your stakes to win the highest prize;
Honor to whom 'tis due, be prompt to give,
And in return, you honor will receive.
Rein up your courage, boldly stem the tide
Of worldly folly and of worldly pride.
Let love and union, your fraternal pledge,
Bolt every passage from the severing wedge.
Pursue no object when it downward leans—
Trust no result to sanctify the means.
Beware of jealousy, the green-eyed elf,
That makes the food on which it feeds itself;
And scorn hypocrisy, the infernal bane,
That prays like Abel and performs like Cain.

On earth exist two counterpoising firms,
And each proposes its peculiar terms.
Two, only two exist. O, 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.

Who seeks for happiness in worldly gain
May be successful, yet succeed in vain,
And prove the adage sadly true, in which
"Our very wishes give us not our wish."
Search o'er the world; you'll find the happiest hearts
Are those who most of happiness impart.
The key to happiness is well expressed
In these few words, "IN BLESSING BE THOU BLEST."

Review your father's life since first he took
Upon himself the Great Redeemer's yoke.
From duty's post and God's eternal law,
No threat can drive him, and no bribe can draw;
Whether at home on missions, or abroad,
'Tis all the same with him—the work of God,
His wise example unto you will be
A rich behest—A ROYAL LEGACY.

LORENZO SNOW'S CLOSING ADDRESS TO HIS FAMILY.

In the various meetings of the family, and in the capacity of Patriarch, while engaged in conferring blessings upon its members, much fatherly counsel, instruction and admonition were given by Brother Lorenzo to his wives, sons and daughters.

After explaining the object of the re-union, and expressing his pleasure and gratitude to God that he now enjoyed the happiness of beholding the pleasant and smiling faces of his large family, and the good he anticipated would result from this re-union, he said:

About forty years ago I was an unmarried man, and to this day would have remained so, had I not received an understanding of the law of celestial marriage—its object and necessity in securing eternal glory and exaltation. My heart and soul—all my energies and ambition were enlisted in the service of God, and I thought I could not better please or serve Him than by employing my entire time, unburdened by family cares, in the great field of missionary labor. Joseph the Prophet, in a private interview at Nauvoo, on the banks of the Mississippi, gave me a full explanation of the principles of celestial marriage, and pointed out to me clearly my duty and privileges in reference to that law. This numerous, intelligent and honorable family assemblage is the result of my conformity to the knowledge, advice and counsel received in that important interview.

Peculiar feelings and reflections are naturally aroused in contemplating the past and the singular circumstances in the providence of God, which have brought about this wonderful change in my present condition and prospects. Forty years ago, a lone bachelor of some thirty years, under the influence of erroneous views on the subject and necessity of marriage, its eternal blessings and crowning glory; no loving wife to say, "Dear husband;" no child to lisp the endearing words, "My papa;" and now surrounded by and in the midst of wives, a host of children and grandchildren. What a grand and glorious transition! My heart is filled to overflowing with warmest feelings of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for these marvelous blessings. And let me say, my dear children, that your father's obedience to this sacred law of celestial marriage, at that day, was attended with embarrassments and dangers of no ordinary magnitude. We were surrounded by our enemies, and in our midst were many half-hearted, ignorant Saints, and some of the most wicked apostates, seeking to betray us into the hands of our bitter foes. When I look upon this extensive family—intelligent and gifted sons and daughters, half a score or more of the former having been called, sent forth and performed many years of arduous missionary labor among far-off nations, and upon distant islands; and also behold many of my daughters honored wives and mothers in Israel, surrounded by healthy and happy children, and feel that all this is through the mercy and kindness of God, and the work of the Great Jehovah—what shall I say? Language is powerless to express the deep feelings of my heart for this holy and sacred opportunity on this the celebration of my seventieth birthday, of standing here and beholding this glorious and heavenly inspiring spectacle.