"Now, before I close, I will again bear my testimony that this work is of God. This Tabernacle that you are in today was seen by the Prophet Isaiah and other prophets, and they spoke of it, as well as the temples that are built in the Valleys of the Mountains. All have been pointed out by the prophets of God, and the Lord revealed to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many other prophets, our day, our history, our lives, our position in this immense barren desert which has been occupied by the Latter-day Saints, and is as we see it today through the blessings of God. I will bear my testimony to the world, to my friends of the Church and the State, and to all men under heaven, that this is the truth of God. The Lord Almighty has set His hand to accomplish this work. Joseph Smith was raised up by the power of God and the revelations of Jesus Christ to organize this Church and kingdom in the dispensation of the fulness of times. His life was short, as was the Savior's. But it was a great work that he performed in the flesh. The Savior lived about three and a half years after He entered the ministry. Joseph Smith lived some fourteen years from the time he received the plates and translated them into the English language. He laid down his life, as did Christ and His Apostles, for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. He will rise in his glorified celestial body and meet again with his brethren the apostles and elders of Israel, and will stand in days to come as the leader among us in celestial glory. I feel to bear my testimony to this. It matters not about the unbelief of men. They cannot turn away the work of Almighty God. The Lord has set His hand to carry out these great principles which He has revealed, the establishing of the Zion of God and the preparation for the coming of the Son of Man. What has been said about the mountains of Israel will have its fulfillment. The judgments of God will follow in the earth in fulfillment of what has been said, and no power on earth can stay them. I am anxious, although my life has been preserved to this great age, I still am anxious that we as a people may do our duty, may live our religion, may keep the faith, may so walk before the Lord that the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion to lead us in the days that lie before us. This is my prayer and my desire, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
The choir and congregation sang, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," which was followed by a short address by President Lorenzo Snow.
President Snow bore testimony to the truthfulness of the remarks of President Woodruff. He had been acquainted with him sixty years, commencing in Kirtland. President Woodruff was a man who had always acted in harmony with the leaders of the Church, never taking exceptions to the instructions promulgated by those who were in authority. The Church had never acted in hostility to people of outside denominations. It had always encouraged settlement in our midst and had attempted to treat all with fairness and respect. The audience to which he spoke was one made up of nearly all classes of people. They had gathered on invitation in order to participate in honoring President Woodruff on the ninetieth anniversary of his birth.
All people had a perfect right to worship whom they pleased, but they should do so conscientiously. They could take a lesson from the example set by President Woodruff, as he had lived a life of purity and holiness, always trying to make the world better for his having lived.
Held's band, under the direction of Professor John Held, rendered in fine style a medley of beautiful airs.
President George Q. Cannon addressed the assemblage. He said that in standing before such a vast audience one was led to feel keenly the insignificance of man. The assemblage recalled to his mind an occasion of great joy which took place here in 1849, the purpose being to celebrate the advent of the Pioneers into this Valley. At that time feasting, dancing, etc., was indulged in, and thanks was given to God for the bounteous blessings He had bestowed upon His people.
A great change had taken place since then. The inter-mountain country, then a barren desert, had been quite thickly populated and now blossomed as the rose through the efforts of the sturdy, God-fearing men and women who first settled this Valley, coupled with the blessings of the Father. President Woodruff had been a husbandman in his day, and to him belonged the credit of planting the first potato in the Valley. This was a most momentous period, and through the ninety years of President Woodruff's life, he had witnessed many scenes and had seen a great many changes take place. The gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ, had made great strides in the years of its organization, and it would continue to grow and flourish in the earth until God's purposes had been accomplished. It was destined to revolutionize the whole world, and, if lived up to by the people of the earth, would make mankind happier, and give them a hope and a knowledge of that which would greet them in the life to come.
The entrance of the Pioneers into this Valley would be dwelt upon more and more as the years rolled on. The day would come when it would mark an epoch in the world's history, and one of the central figures thereof would be President Woodruff, who was being honored to-day. A more honest man it would be hard to find. Always quiet and unassuming, he held a love in his heart for all his fellowmen, and his love had been reciprocated by the many friends which he had made while on this mortal sphere.
The speaker felt that the sound of President Woodruff's voice should be engraved upon the cylinders of a phonograph, that in after years the young and rising generation might enjoy its sweet and loving vibrations. He was a man of the utmost integrity, and as such he would forever be held in loving remembrance.
President Cannon, in conclusion, felt not to praise too highly mankind, for he feared that the Saints by so doing would almost become man worshipers. But the words which had been spoken concerning President Woodruff were true, and his devotion and fealty to the work of God brought out a desire among the Saints to do him honor. He was the only living apostle that had acted in such capacity with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and as such he was looked upon as a rare treasure. The speaker's desire was that God would spare President Woodruff's life among us, that he might live many years more to be a comfort and a consolation unto the Latter-day Saints. This, said he, would undoubtedly be the prayer of all the Latter-day Saints upon the earth.