Thus may we come up into the holy place
with our hearts free from guile and our souls
prepared for the edification that is promised!
Thus shall our supplications, undisturbed by a
thought of discord, unitedly mount into the ears
of Jehovah and draw down the choice blessings
of the God of Heaven!
As your brethren, sustained by your vote
and in your faith as the First Presidency of the
Church, we have this to say to the Latter-day
Saints, in our individual as well as our official
capacity: If there is a single member of the
Church who has feelings against us, we do not
wish to cross the threshold of the until
we have satisfied him and have removed from
him all cause of feeling, either by explanation
or by making proper amends and atonement;
neither would we wish to enter the sacred por-
tals of that edifice until we have sought an ex-
planation, or amends, or atonement, from any
against whom we may have either a real or
fancied grievance.
In now announcing this course for ourselves,
we say to all the other officers of the Church
that we desire them to follow our example. We
wish them from the highest to the lowest and
throughout all the Stakes and Wards of Zion to
take heed of this counsel. Let them invite all
who may have feelings against them to come
forward and make them known; let them then
endeavor to correct any misapprehensions or
misunderstandings which may exist, or give re-
dress for any wrong or inury that may have
been done.
We say the same—and when the officers have
taken the course indicated we wish them to say
the same—to the individual members of the
Church. We call upon them to seek to have the
fellowship of their brethren and their sisters, and
their entire confidence and love; above all to seek
to have the fellowship and union of the Holy
Ghost. Let this spirit be sought and cherished
as diligently within the smallest and humblest
family circle, as within the membership of the
highest organization and quorum. Let it per-
meate the hearts of the brothers and sisters, the
parents and children of the household, as well
as the hearts of the First Presidency and Twelve.
Let it mellow and soften all differences be-
tween members of the Stake Presidencies and
the High Councils as well as between neighbors
living in the same ward. Let it unite young
and old, male and female, flock and shepherd,
people and Priesthood, in the bonds of gratitude
and forgiveness and love, so that Israel may feel
approved of the Lord, and that we may all come
before Him with a conscience void of offense
before all men. Then there will be no disap-
pointment as to the blessings promised those
who sincerely worship Him. The sweet whis-
perings of the Holy Spirit will be given to them
and the treasures of heaven, the communion
of angels, will be added from time to time, for
His promise has gone forth and it cannot fail!
Asking God's blessing upon you in your
endeavor to carry out this counsel, and desirous
of seeing it take the form of a united effort on
the part of the whole people, we suggest that
Saturday, March 25th, 1893, be set apart as a
day of fasting and prayer. On that occasion
we advise that the Presidencies of Stakes, the
High Councils, the Bishops and their Counsel-
ors, meet together with the Saints in their
several meeting houses, confess their sins one
to another, and draw out from the people all
feelings of anger, of distrust, or of unfriendliness
that may have found a lodgment; so that entire
confidence may then and there be restored and
love from this time prevail through all the con-
gregations of the Saints.
Wilford Woodruff,
,
,
First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
Thus may we come up into the holy place
with our hearts free from guile and our souls
prepared for the edification that is promised!
Thus shall our supplications, undisturbed by a
thought of discord, unitedly mount into the ears
of Jehovah and draw down the choice blessings
of the God of Heaven!
As your brethren, sustained by your vote
and in your faith as the First Presidency of the
Church, we have this to say to the Latter-day
Saints, in our individual as well as our official
capacity: If there is a single member of the
Church who has feelings against us, we do not
wish to cross the threshold of the until
we have satisfied him and have removed from
him all cause of feeling, either by explanation
or by making proper amends and atonement;
neither would we wish to enter the sacred portals of that edifice until we have sought an explanation, or amends, or atonement, from any
against whom we may have either a real or
fancied grievance.
In now announcing this course for ourselves,
we say to all the other officers of the Church
that we desire them to follow our example. We
wish them from the highest to the lowest and
throughout all the Stakes and Wards of Zion to
take heed of this counsel. Let them invite all
who may have feelings against them to come
forward and make them known; let them then
endeavor to correct any misapprehensions or
misunderstandings which may exist, or give redress for any wrong or inury that may have
been done.
We say the same—and when the officers have
taken the course indicated we wish them to say
the same—to the individual members of the
Church. We call upon them to seek to have the
fellowship of their brethren and their sisters, and
their entire confidence and love; above all to seek
to have the fellowship and union of the Holy
Ghost. Let this spirit be sought and cherished
as diligently within the smallest and humblest
family circle, as within the membership of the
highest organization and quorum. Let it permeate the hearts of the brothers and sisters, the
parents and children of the household, as well
as the hearts of the First Presidency and Twelve.
Let it mellow and soften all differences between members of the Stake Presidencies and
the High Councils as well as between neighbors
living in the same ward. Let it unite young
and old, male and female, flock and shepherd,
people and Priesthood, in the bonds of gratitude
and forgiveness and love, so that Israel may feel
approved of the Lord, and that we may all come
before Him with a conscience void of offense
before all men. Then there will be no disappointment as to the blessings promised those
who sincerely worship Him. The sweet whisperings of the Holy Spirit will be given to them
and the treasures of heaven, the communion
of angels, will be added from time to time, for
His promise has gone forth and it cannot fail!
Asking God's blessing upon you in your
endeavor to carry out this counsel, and desirous
of seeing it take the form of a united effort on
the part of the whole people, we suggest that
Saturday, March 25th, 1893, be set apart as a
day of fasting and prayer. On that occasion
we advise that the Presidencies of Stakes, the
High Councils, the Bishops and their Counselors, meet together with the Saints in their
several meeting houses, confess their sins one
to another, and draw out from the people all
feelings of anger, of distrust, or of unfriendliness
that may have found a lodgment; so that entire
confidence may then and there be restored and
love from this time prevail through all the congregations of the Saints.
Wilford Woodruff,
,
,
First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.