Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints / History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily Journals

by Wilford Woodruff

Again, months before he made the above request, while delivering an interesting address before the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, he said, as he had this opportunity, he was going to instruct the Society, and point out the way for them to conduct themselves, that they might act according to the will of God. He said that he did not know that he should have many opportunities of teaching them, as they were going to be left to themselves; that they would not have him to instruct them; that the Church would not have his instructions long; that the world would not be troubled with him a great while, nor have his teachings; that he would deliver the keys to others; and that, according to his prayers, God had appointed him elsewhere.

The Prophet called the Quorum of the Twelve together several months before his death, and informed them that the Lord had commanded him to hasten their endowments; that he did not expect to remain himself to see the Temple completed; that he wished to confer the keys of the Kingdom of God upon other men, that they might build up the Church and Kingdom according to the pattern given. The Prophet stood before the Twelve from day to day, clothed with the spirit and power of God, and instructed them in the oracles of God, in the pattern of heavenly things, in the keys of the Kingdom, in the power of the priesthood, and in the knowledge of the last dispensation of the fulness of times.

In his last charge to the Quorum of the Twelve, he rose up in all the majesty, strength, and dignity of his calling, as a prophet, seer, and revelator, out of the loins of ancient Joseph, and exhorted and commanded the brethren of the Twelve to rise up, and go forth in the name of Israel's God, and bear off the keys of the Kingdom of God in righteousness and in honor in all the world. They were instructed to walk in all holiness, godliness, faith, virtue, temperance, patience, and charity; to do honor to the cause of God in this last dispensation and fulness of times; and when their work was finished, to follow his example by boldly sealing their testimony with their blood, for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, if necessity required it, that they might be prepared for the reward, which is beyond the veil.

Those who were present on those occasions cannot forget the teachings that fell from the lips of that noble, but now martyred Prophet of God. Though his body sleeps in the tomb, his testimony lives, not only in the hearts of men, but is on record and will remain in force, while his persecutors will reap a just reward for all their works. And I hereby bear my testimony unto all men into whose hands these lines may fall, that I have been acquainted with Joseph, and Hyrum Smith, the Prophet and the Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; have attended their private and public counsels from time to time, during the last ten years of my life; and notwithstanding their enemies have caused the earth to be deluged, as it were, with lies, slanders, and fabrications, with the intent to injure their character and destroy their influence among men; that I have never heard either of those men teach, counsel, or advocate, or practice any principle that was contrary to the word of God, virtue, or temperance, or unbecoming men standing in their high and holy calling. On the contrary, I have been astonished at the patience, forbearance, long-suffering, philanthropy, and charity manifested in the lives of those men. I have been filled with joy by the beauty, order, knowledge, principles, intelligence, and glory manifest in the teachings, counsels, and revelations of Jesus Christ given through those servants of God, for the benefit of the children of men in this last dispensation.

Soon after the Quorum of the Twelve received their endowment, according to the counsel of the Prophet, they left Nauvoo (except two) on a mission to the Eastern States. They had not been long gone ere the persecutors of the Saints were exceedingly mad against them, and sought to find accusation against the Prophet, that they might put him to death.

At length the Governor and officers of the State of Illinois having pledged themselves to protect from violence the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum, the latter gave themselves up in answer to the charges of their enemies.

They took the parting hand of their aged mother, bid adieu to wife and children, and left in the lovely city of Nauvoo a circle of many thousands of friends who were ready to lay down their lives in the defense of their leaders. They went without either warrant or officer, accompanied by two of the Twelve, and a few other friends. They rode nearly twenty miles into the camp of their enemies, to the town of Carthage.

Before entering the town, the Prophet exclaimed: "I go as a lamb to the slaughter, I am innocent of the crimes whereof I am accused, I die with a conscience void of offense towards God and towards men."

I need not enter upon the details of the horrible tragedy committed against our lamented brethren, as you have had all the particulars laid before you; suffice it to say that then fell two as noble men as ever dwelt in flesh in this generation; thus were broken the pledged faith and the honor of the Governor and of the State of Illinois; thus were the laws and institutions of America disgraced in the eyes of the nations of the earth; and the cup of her iniquity filled that she might be prepared for judgment.

When the report of these things reached the Quorum of Twelve, most of whom were in the Eastern States, some fifteen hundred miles from the city of Nauvoo, we came together in the city of Boston, and made preparations for an immediate return to our homes in Nauvoo. Any portion of a veil that remained over our eyes concerning any sayings of the Prophet about his being taken away from us, etc., was now taken off, and we not only saw clearly, but felt deeply in our hearts, the meaning of many of his sayings, while in our midst. We started together, and in about twelve days, we were again on the soil of Nauvoo. But how great the change, now many thousands of the Saints were in mourning for their lost friends, who had as it were, laid down their lives for them; and even the heavens over our heads seemed brooding with gloom over the spilt blood of the Prophets. We ourselves would have been glad of the opportunity to set our houses in order, to mourn for the martyred Prophets for thirty days, as Israel did for Moses, and then to rise up, wash our faces, anoint our heads, and go about our Master's business. We were even deprived of that privilege; for aspiring spirits, who are ever ready to rise up on such occasions, were already active. The most conspicuous was Sidney Rigdon. The history of his claim you have already had laid before you in the Times and Seasons, and in the Star. His course was such that of necessity we had to commence Church business the day following our arrival in the City.