Discourse 1880-04-11
ELDER WILFORD WOODRUFF
then took the stand, to make a few
remarks concerning the work of
mutual improvement. He looks for-
ward to great and important results
to be derived from these organisa-
tions in which the Lord has a hand.
Great responsibilities are resting up-
on the young men of Israel; they
will have to take the kingdom of
God on their shoulders and bear it
off. Hence they ought to lay to
heart the grandeur of their future
destiny.
The literary publication of this so-
ciety, the Contributor, edited by Elder
Junius F. Wells, is a good paper, ad-
vancing correct principles. The
speaker then contempates the ne-
cessity imposed upon each and every
one of us to maintain his own iden-
tity among the immense number of
human creations, the 1,400,000,000
constituting mankind. No man
should try to imitate any other, but
maintain his own identity. All the
Twelve have each his own original
life. So every one else should do.
Treasure up knowledge and informa-
tion, obtain revelations and divine
principles to guide you through life.
Be careful in not contracting any
evil habits, as it is so hard to get rid
of them. Take good, wholesome,
godly reading and eschew the evil
influence of the falsehoods and sick-
ly imaginations contained in those
imported story papers, novels and
similar enervating stuff which leads
the minds astray and fills them with
incorrect, unrighteous impressions.
Let us read history, learn of things
and events that are true and real;
but especially devote some portion of
our time in reading the revelations
of the Lord, so as to be armed
with the principles of righteousness.
A useful study are the lectures of
rhetoric by Prof. Blair of the Edin-
burg University, full of learning and
erudition, still, if our elders are filled
with the spirit of the Lord, they will
speak to interest all mankind, we
think, even possessing all those rules
of oratory. Above all these things
let us obtain revelations, the princi-
ples of the Almighty. In our church
every man is a priest, a prerogative
denied all other generations of man-
kind to this extent. Every man has
some influence, especially the Lat-
ter-day Saints, and as far as we live
our religion, the blessing of the Lord
will attend us. The speaker is anx-
ious to see all the young members
become and remain righteous, virtu-
ous, true, temperate. Whenever he
feels moved upon by the spirit of
God to contemplate the great task
before us, he sees how the whole
spirit world, all the holy men who
ever dwelt in the flesh, are over us,
witnessing our doings and are lean-
ing on us. Great works are required
from us; so to build temples where to
receive sacred ordinances. Unfor-
tunately, some of our elders are dis-
regarding the word of wisdom, and
addict themselves to strong drink
which places them in an unpleasant
light before their heavenly Father.
We want to so inculcate such principles
in our families that we can be blessed
by reuniting with them in the morn-
ing of resurrection. We must pre-
pare ourselves to be strong enough
in the impending day of judgment
when God will pour out the full
measure of His wrath over the wick-
ed. The speaker closed by praying
the Lord to help all of us to lead
lives worth of eternal reward in His
holy presence Amen
