The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-07-27

Will
On the 18th of August, we bid
farewell 10 the few left in the val
ley, a portion of whom belonged to
the Mormon Battalion, and, being
sick, were left behind by the Bat
talon.
When we arrived in this val
lev we found it n barren desert, and
a very desert it was. There was no
mark of the white man. We found
a few naked Indians, who would eat
a mint of roasted crickets for their
dinner. But a great change has
come over this desert. n generation
has passed. Eight of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles who were
then living, and most of them
among the pioneers, are now IN the
shirt world. OrsOn Pratt, Erastus
Snow, and myself are the only ones
living, who were among the Plo-
neers and in the Quorum Of the
Twelve at that time. Truly then
we found a barren desert. To-day l
stand in a tabernacle filled with
some ten thousand of the Latter
day Saints who have followed the
pioneers into these valleys OF the
mountains. When we cast our eyes
over these valleys, then desert, to-
day they are teeming with the in
dustry of 10000 of the sons and
daughters of Zion, who have been
gathered 10y the commandments OF
God and the proclamation of the
Gospel of Christ. We, as pioneers
and as the people of God, are fulfil
ling prophecy and making his
tory. This tabernacle in which
we are to-day, is the very taber-
nacle that Isaiah saw in vision
800 years ago, that should be
as q shadow in the daytime
from the heat, and a covert
from the storm and from the rain.
We are also building the temple of
our God, upon this block, which the
prophet saw was to be built IN the
last days upon the mountains of the
Lords house, and be established on
the tops of the mountains, for all
people to flow unto. Isaiah ii, ,, 3.
And many people shall so and
say, Come ye, and let us go up to
the mountain of the Lord, TO the
house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, and we
will walk in his paths; for out Of
Zion shall so forth the law, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem"
Our whole life, history, and travels
have been pointed out by the ancient
prophets. AS the pioneers came in
to this barren desert and the Saints
nave followed them to fulfil the
prophecies to make the desert bios
som as the rose, to sow our grain be
side all small streams and still
waters, and to use the fir, the pine,
and the box, to beautify the place of
Gods sanctuary and to make the
place of his feet glorious, and as
there is but remnant Of Us left as
Pioneers, or Battalion, or lions
Camp, let us magnify our calling
md hI,ild up the Zion and kingdom
of God until it is perfected before
the heavens and the earth, and not
disappoint those who sent us, nor
those who have seen us by vision
and revelation, but let US finish and
fulfil our destiny to the satisfaction
Of our heavenly Father, his angels,
and all good men.
At the close of these remarks,
which were res 9Onded to with loud
amen from the vast Assem- bly,, the
Union Glee Club stepped forward
and sang Il martial song entitled:
Comrades in Arms" and were in
their turn rewarded by well deserved
applause.
Elder Orson Pratt delivered thefol-
lowing speech concerning the RestO-
ration Of the Everlasting Gospel and
its progress among the nations:
CHRONOLOGICAL STATISTICS.
In the Spring of 1920 the Father
and son appeared in vision to Joseph
smith, Jr., in the town of Manches-
ter, Ontario County, New York.
Joseph was a youth of the age of IA,
and in this vision received a promise
that, ii faithful, further light should
be revealed to him.
In fulflment of this promise on
the morning of the end September,
1927, an holy angel permitted this
youth to take from the hill CumO-
rah, in the township alluded to, an
Gent records, which, by the COM
mand Of God, he translated through
the aid of n sacred instrument, an
GENTLY called the 'Urim and Thum-
MINI" In 1929, these metallic'plates
and sacred things We're shown to
three witnesses by an angel from
heaven, and confirmed to many
others who saw and handled the
plates. Five thousand copies of this
inspired translation We're printed
and bound early in the year 1890.
On the 18th of May, 1929, John,
the fore runner of Christ, appeared
in glory to Joseph Smith, Jr. and
Oliver Cowdery, and laying his
hands upon their heads, ordained
hem to the Aaronic priesthood,
with authority to baptize for the re-
mission of sins.
And in the same year three of the
ancient Apostles, Peter, James and
John, ordained Joseph Smith Jr.
and Oliver Cowdery to the apostle
ship, with power to confirm by the
laying on of the hands, for the re-
ceptiOn of the Holy Ghost.
On the 9th of April, 1880, the
Prophet Joseph Smith being COM
manded of GOD, organized the !
Church of Christ, consisting of six
members. This infinitely i'm
portant event took place in Fayette, !
Seneca County, State Of New |
York.
Thus the gospel, and the Church |
with divine authority, We're restored |
from heaven to earth. Angels were
the fir: missionaries. Men, inspir-
ed from on high, carried the mes
sage to our own nation. The
saints, in 1881, by Divine command,
began to gather, first to Ohio, and
then to the western boundaT-
les of Missouri. Prosecuted,
robbed and murdered, they fled to
and built the city of Nau-
VOC. In 1916 they were driven by
armed mobs, and compelled to flee
west of the Rocky Mountains, and
sought refuge in the great American
desert, then q Mexican province.
SPREAD OF TIE GOSPEL.
american Indians.
In the autumn of 1880, Elders Oil
yea Cowdery, Farley p. Pratt, Peter
Jr., Ziba Peterson and
G.. Williams, were sent as
to the Indians, west of
the State of Missouri, thus opening