work of God
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But their has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation it has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn doger for a wedge & a pumpkin for a beetle; even the saints are slow to understand I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the saints prepared to recieve the things of God, but we freequently see some of them after suffering all they have for the work of God will fly to peaces like glass as soon as any thing comes that is contrary to their traditions, they cannot stand the fire all at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law & go through & recieve their exhaltation I am unable to say but many are called & few are chosen
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when God sends a man to do a work all the devils in hell cannot kill him untill he gets through his work. So with Joseph He prepared all things gave the keys to men on the earth and said I may be soon taken from you.
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The spirit of God is like leaven in the midst of these Islands of the sea. the solemnities of Eternity is resting upon the People, the word of God is like a sharp two edged sword in the hearts of men I am now preachi -ng & Baptizing almost daily. O may the Lord roll on his work amid the Islands of the sea and give me a rich harvest of souls.
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THUS ends the year of 1837 and the 1st VOL of my Journal. I now find myself upon one of the Islands of the sea in defence of the word of GOD and for the testim -ony of JESUS CHRIST, in company with (PHEBE) my companion whom God hath given me for a bosom friend & a helpmeet. I marvel & can exclaim like one one of old, "great and marvelous are thy works "O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY" when I consider his ways with the children of men, esspecially when I consider his dealings with myself.
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I found on my ariveal to Boston puite [quite] an excitemet through the country concerning affairs in Nauvoo & reagions round about saying that the whole country was rising in arms in mob to exterminate the saints most of the inflamatory speaches and excitement was got up by the warsaw message and St Louis papers they desire to exterminate the saints from of the earth, but the work is in the hands of God and he will direct all things aright
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President Joseph Smith spoke upon the occasion with much feelings & inter est among his remarks he said it is a vary solumn & awful time I never felt more solumn it calles to mind the death of my oldest brother who died in New York & my Youngest brother Carloss Smith who died in Nauvoo. It has been hard for me to live on earth & see those young men upon whome we have lean- ed upon as a support & comfort taken from us in the midst of their youth, yes it has been hard to be reconciled to these things I have sometimes felt that I should have felt more reconciled to have been called myself if it could have been the will of God, yet I know we ought to be still & know it is of God & be reconciled all is right it will be but a short time before we shall all in like manner be called. It may be the case with me as well as you. Some has supposed that Br Joseph could not die but this is a mistake it is true their has been times when I have had the promise of my life to accomplish such & such things, but having accomplish those things I have not at present any lease of my life & am as liable to die as other men
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Uppose this work & it will roll over you, when did this work ever stop since it began never. The ownly thing the saints now want to know is what does the Lord want of us & we are ready to do it. Well then build the temple of the Lord keep the law of God ye saints
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though I had a mission & a message to the Inhabitants of London & stood in there mids[t] ready to deliver it as soon as God opened my way yet I was as little unknown by them, as Jonah was to the citizens of Niniva while in the whales Blelly & I clearly saw & realized that notwi- thstanding this great display of talent, Power & Policy, to send missionaries to the heathen they as much need an humble messenger of God to teach them the first Principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Niniva Did a Prophet to cry repen tance unto them
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Many Elders seek to build them- selves up & not the work of God. But when any one does this no matter who he may be he will not prosper even if it was one of the Twelve
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The power of God is among the People the Lord is making a short work in this part of the Land. the Churches in this part of the vineyard now number more than 500 souls whare a little more ^less^ than four months since ther was not one to be found or the fulness of the Gospel herd. Praise the Lord O my Soul for all his goodness to the children of men, Prase ye the Lord O his Saints
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Excerpt:November 25, 1836 ~ Friday Nov 25th Took the parting hand with Elder Sherwood I then set out in company with Elder S^m^oot on foot in a hard snowstorm for Kirtland We came in sight of the Temple of the Lord before we reached the village & I truly felt to rejoice at the sight as it was the first time that mine eyes ever beheld the house of the Lord built by commandment & Revelation We soon entered the village & I spent one of ...Dates:November 25, 1836 -
Excerpt:June 8, 1837 ~ Thursday June 8th We took the steemboat at 8 oclock at Kingstons mills to go up the canal we passed through a swamp of about 12 miles in length which abounded with fir such as muskrat, auter beaver, &c. from Brewers mills We passed through Crambary marsh to Jones's falls where the boat passed through four locks which were built by the British government & supposed to be the most splended works in America they cost four hundred thousand ...Dates:June 8, 1837 June 9, 1837 June 10, 1837 -
Excerpt:long mission I conclude it best to take my family with ^me^ according to the Council of the Twelve so this day is spent settleing accounts taking inventoriey of Goods and Chatels left, packing up goods, recieving letters, bid[d]ing friends farewell blessing the Saints, which continued untill midnight [FIGURE] At 12 oclok at night in company with Mrs Wood- ruff, Br A. O. Smoot, Sisters Smoot, and Hannah Ells, we walked to the Temple of the Lord in Nauvoo ... -
Excerpt:formed against him has been broaken. He has had rising of thirty law suits to pass through & yet he has overcome & no accusation has been susstained against him, but he will lay a plan to speculate as large as Ancient Joseph did, what Elder Young said is good, and even now we want you to take that course that will save you. Build up a city & Temples & enjoy them & do as the Lord tells you & harken to Council. we have a -
Excerpt:March 28, 1835 ~ Saturday March 28th Travled from Mr Jacksons to Raleigh from thence to Mr John A Logwood Fayette Co. Distance 32 miles 2 signers to petition March 29, 1835 ~ Sunday 29th Attended meeting on Sunday 2 miles March 30, 1835 ~ Monday 30th Travled from Mr Logwood to Sommersville & on to Bolivar. Spent the night at the house of Esq. Hardamand Amid ...Dates:March 28, 1835 March 29, 1835 March 30, 1835 March 31, 1835 April 1, 1835 April 2, 1835 April 3, 1835 April 4, 1835 -
Excerpt:April 21, 1838 ~ Saturday April 21. I wrote two letters one to Mrs Woodruff & the other to Elder Nathaniel Holmes & spent the night with Capt Benjn Coombs 2 miles April 22, 1838 ~ Sunday 22 I preached to a large congregation of Gentiles that were filled with unbelief hardness of heart & manifested malace against me & the cause which I advocated but notwithstanding their indignation I bore my last tes- timony unto them of the fulness of the everlasting gospel that God ...Dates:April 21, 1838 April 22, 1838 April 23, 1838 April 25, 1838 April 26, 1838 -
Excerpt:May 12, 1838 ~ Saturday May 12th I spent the fore part of the day in visiting different parts of the city I saw many curiosities and vanities from different parts of the world...... I visited south Boston in the afternoon & spent a part of the day in writing. We again met the sisters of the church at the house of Sister Vose on Myrtle street No 9 to speak unto them the words of life we had an interesting time & felt refreshed by the spirit of God. I ...Dates:May 12, 1838 May 13, 1838 -
Excerpt:the way was open she concluded to undertake it She called for the Elders of the Church, & Elder J. Blakesley prayed with her & anointed her with oil & she was carried on board of the ship with her three children. No sooner than they hoisted sail & put to sea it seemed as though all the Elements were ingaged to destroye her, so rough a voyage the Capt never knew, in his life, they had 35 days voyage & 12 hours fair weather, for 15 nights in succession it was one continual flash of ... -
Excerpt:before we get our salvation secure for thei[r] is so many fools in the world for the devil to operate upon it gives him the advantage often times. The question is freequently asked can we not be saved without going through with all thes ordinances &c I would answer no not the fulness of salvation, Jesus said their was many mansions in his fathers house & he would go & prepare a place for them. House here named should have been translated Kingdom & any person who is exhalted ...
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Excerpt:& reorganized the Church but it left the Church in no better situation. Elder Young reproved Elder Page some for undoing alone what three of the quorum had done together. He also spoke of the instruction that Br Joseph spoke of ie to be gentle & mild in our teaching & not to Battle the Sects any more at present but win the affections of the people, we had a good time to the people together we met in the evening atDates:July 29, 1843