[This is a long quote, but it is especially fitting today, and I think it will be worth your time. -- rw] I believe that Brother Orson Pratt is the only man who dwells in the flesh, who is in the church, who was organized in the first Quorum of the Twelve. Brother Taylor and myself remain of those who were organized in the second organization. But Brother Taylor and myself and Brother Pratt and a good many others will not tarry a great while here. We shall pass on to the other side of the vail, and join those who have gone before, as will many who are in this congregation. This is not our home, but we will dwell in the flesh until we pass through a change. We are apt sometimes in our reflections to marvel and wonder why the Lord has taken away so many men who have been called as Apostles and prophets and Elders of the Zion of God into the Spirit world. The Lord has had his motive in these things… … How long did [Joseph Smith] tarry here in the flesh? Only fourteen years after he organized this church and kingdom, the church and kingdom of God, the church of Jesus Christ. We felt as though we could not live, could not exist, without Joseph. We felt a good deal as the Apostles did when Jesus told his disciples that if he did not go away the Comforter would not come… … Joseph Smith remained with us about fourteen years. He remained until he had received all the keys of the kingdom of God which were necessary for the establishment of this church and kingdom, and which were necessary for those men who followed him to have those keys upon their shoulders, that they might continue to build upon the foundation that had been laid; but as soon as Joseph received the keys of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood, as soon as he received the keys from Moses for the gathering together of the House of Israel in the latter days, and from Elijah to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children and children to the fathers when Joseph received all these keys, and had power to seal them upon the heads of other men, the Lord called him away. Why did he call him into the spirit world? Because he held the keys of this dispensation, not only before he came to this world and while he was in the flesh, but he would hold them throughout the endless ages of eternity. He held the keys of past generations of the millions of people who dwelt on the earth in the fifty generations that had passed and gone who had not the law of the gospel, who never saw a prophet, never saw an Apostle, never heard the voice of any man who was inspired of God and had power to teach them the gospel of Christ, and to organize the church of Christ on earth. He went to unlock the prison doors to these people as far as they would receive his testimony, and the Saints of God who dwell in the flesh will build temples unto the name of the Lord, and enter these temples and perform certain ordinances for the redemption of the dead. This was the work of Joseph the prophet in the spirit world. Now, I believe in my own mind that every Elder of Israel who has gone into the spirit world, who has been faithful in the flesh, has as much to do on the other side of the vail as we have to do here, and if anything more so. This is my view with regard to the labors of the Elders of Israel. The Lord hath need of some on the other side of the vail. He preserves some to labor here, and he takes home whom he will according to the counsels of his own will; this is his manner of dealing. Those of our brethren who have passed away have got through the labors of the flesh; we are left here to labor a little while on the earth. -- Wilford Woodruff 1880 General Conference
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 23:57:58 +0000
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