"I wish to say a few words to you. I can see that in a few years from now I shall not be with you; therefore I pray for the Spirit of the Lord to be with me, to lead my mind to write such things as will be for your good. I hope that you and your children will carry them out in your lives, and that the same spirit with which I write these few lines will give you to fully understand them; for when my tongue is stilled in death, these words will live in my posterity.
"I bear my testimony to you, that this is the work of the Lord, and I ask you to teach it to your children, and teach them to pray, and keep the commandments of the Lord, so that they may be free from sin.
"Teach them to understand their calling in the priesthood, and impress it upon their minds, that it is of God, and not of man.
"Teach them to read good literature, for trifling reading begets trifling thoughts, and trifling thoughts beget a trifling life; for bear in mind, that impressions firmly fixed on the mind, and long cherished, are not easily erased. Then, oh, how important it is that these impressions are good ones. Teach them that foolish spending is the father of poverty. Teach them never to be ashamed of work, however much learning they may be able to acquire. See that they are proud, but let their pride be of the right kind. Teach them self-reliance, and to never give up, without conquering every difficulty that they may be called upon to pass through in life.
"Teach them to be too proud to wear clothes that they cannot afford; too proud to be in company that they are unable to keep up with in expenses; too proud to lie, to cheat or steal; and also too proud to be stingy to the poor, sick or afflicted, or widows, and to fatherless and motherless children.
"Always have kind words to give, for they are as refreshing to the troubled heart, as rain to the parched ground. Bear in mind that little drops of rain brighten the meadows, and little drops of kindness brighten the world.
"My Children, my heart is full of love for you all, but I cannot write the blessings that the Lord has in store for you if you are faithful. I hope you will preserve these few lines, and read them over as often as you can, also the 5th chapter of Alma, and live up to it, for it is the word of the Lord in these latter days, as well as in those days. And when I am in my grave, you will look upon these lines, and say that I am not forgotten, for I tell you my children, that some great things are about to transpire, that the world knows nothing of; but be of good cheer, and be humble and prayerful, and watch as well as pray, that you may stand the day of trial, for it is coming, and it is near to our doors, and so is the coming of the Son of Man.
"Never give up, but stay on board the ship; she will take you safely through.
"My children, for this cause I left my native land; that you may make good and valiant soldiers.
"The Savior said to Peter, 'Lovest thou me?' Peter answered, and said, 'Yea Lord, thou knowest I love thee.' Then the Lord said, 'Feed my sheep.' And again he said the same words to Peter, and then, 'Feed my lambs.' And now, my children, try to realize that you have both sheep and lambs in your charge; and remember you will be called upon to give account for them. And if you can say, on the last day, 'I have done the best that I could, Father; I have fed them, and clothed them, and when the wolves were howling at them, I have watched over them night and day; and now Father, none of them have I lost,' it will be well. But if, on the other hand, you have been careless, and He should say to you, 'Where are the sheep and the lambs that I gave you,' and you are unable to give a strict account of them, you must draw your own conclusions as to the result.