Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-16

| tndl ne retained MS luli puMtlF VI nAhu
TO the last l left him at o'clock on
| Friday afternoon 10 return TO SAT-
Lake City, and he looked at me,
and I could read In his eyes, "Oh.
how | wish | could talk W it'll you, and
speak the feelings OF my heart to you
before you 20 away" When bidding
him good-by he pressed my hand and
chung to It, and ne looked with his eyes
exactly as II he We're talking. l could
see in them that he wanted 10 say
something TO me In my taking leave OF
him.
God has taken him TO himself. We
have nothing to regret. We mourn his
loss; but / do feel thankful that ! have
been associated with this man all the
days that have lived upon the earth.
feel thankful to God. beoaose looked
upon him as l looked upon my father,
as | looked upon the brethren who have
been our leaders all these years. so
many oe whom have passed away and
gone TO their rest Their bodies are
resting but | doubt not their spirits
are active. Franklin d. Richards
stands before me as a pattern OF u
! Latter-day Saint, and a perfect gen
tleman. Every Latter-day Saint who
appreciates that title and lives up TO II,
| Is a perfect gentleman or a perfect
lady | congratulate the Latter-day
| Saints that they have had his associa-
ton In this State for so many years.
He has been a blessing 10 me and mine,
10 this people, and to all with whom he
associated. / have travelled with him
great deal in this country and In
Europe. We have been asso-
eiated together in missions In
Europe, and | found him precisely
what you have found him, man OF
God, with the interests Of the Church
Of Jesus Christ in his heart. Our Fa-
theirs will it was the pleasure of Bro
! Their Franklin 10 do, both day and
night Wherever he was he loved his
religion, and was in perfect harmony,
as far rs | ever knew, with the Spirit
Of the Lord.
Brethren and sisters. God help us.
God bless this family, and bring these
sons and daughters to the front, where
their father stood. Emulate his ex-
ample, live as he lived, and win
crown similar to his. and what JOY
| there VIII be when we meet him and
the others that have gone beforei This
takes away the sting Of death from
me. | mourn the loss Of his society,
| buA Auf AifiiilN vi Ithlii II hNl itlts ANV
spirit Of death is with me. because 1t
is light, IL is beautiful, It is glorious
! to know that he has won this fight. /
pray that God will comfort us, that he
will buoy us up and strengthen us, that
we may be stronger in carrying out our
desires TO build up Zion, not weakened
by his loss, but strengthened by his
example. That God may be merciful
unto us and give us power to I'LL
up our creation as he has done, is my
humble prayer, in the name OF Jesus,
| Amen.
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW.
Brethren and sisters, / do not intend
to occupy but a short time, but | VISA
to mingle my voice with those of my
brethren who have talked here, in ref
! erence TO President Franklin ID. Rich
ards Perhaps / was as Familiarity ac-
! qualnted with him. or more So than
| anyone that has spoken this afternoon,
| but | do not think ought to take time
to relate the various interesting
scenes, private and public, that |
have experienced with Franklin d,
| Richards.
over fifty years ago he and / We're
ordained Apostles In the Quorum Of
the Twelve At that time there were
together all the Apostles then living,
! with President Brigham Young and his
! two counselors Brothers Willard Rich
ards and Heber 9. Kimball There
| were four vacancies to fill. Brother
| G. G. Rich iilted one OF those vacan-
cies ] filled another, Brother Erastus
Snow filed the third, and Brother
Franklin ID. Richards filled the fourth,
and was the youngest Apostle then.
| Every Apostle that was present at
that time. and President Young and
his two counselors, have passed away
into the spirit world. Brother Rich
ards and myself were the only ones
| left of those Apostles and Presidency.
/ Three Apostls, | think, that have been
ordained TO fill vacancies since then
are dead also. Brother Richards,
| whose remains lie here in this casket,
has outived four Presidents OF the
! Church-President Joseph Smith, Presi-
dent Brigham Young, President John
Taylor and President MILFORD Wood
RUIZ Therefore, no one ought to COM
plain and feel that injustice in this
! respect has been done to President
Richards, since he has outllyed these
Presidents Of the Church, and most OF
their cOunselors, and so many OF the
| Apostles. And certainly this long
period OF his life has been filled with
good works that he has accomplished.
All that has been said In reference
to him by my brethren this afternoon
has been well said; and all perhaps
that really need to be said anyway, Is
simply this: Did Franklin ID. Richards
discharge the obligations that he took
upon himself before he lett the spirit
world? Has he accomplished this
since he came into life, according 10 the
best abilities that he had, and accord
ing to the light OF the Holy Spirit that
was given to him from time to time?
/ doubt not that every person who has
been at all acquainted with President
Richards can say they. believe, most
perfectly, that he has accomplished
the labors for which he came into this
life. He was intimately acquainted
for years with President Joseph Smith
He has testified OF him as being ser
want Of God; that he knew by the
manifestations Of the Holy Spirit that
Joseph Smith was servant OF God,
sent into the world for the salvation OF
the honest In heart. that ne had q
divine right to baptize for the remis-
Sion Of sins. and lay on hands for the
reception Of the Holy Ghost, and that
he conferred this right upon others
He testified OF this from the day the
knowledge was revealed to him from
the Lord until the day that he passed
out OF life. so far as he had physical
ability to do so. He has accomplished
the business for which he came into
life. and has gone back covered with
eternal and everlasting glory.
That which we most should think OF
Is in reference TO ourselves. Here Is
an example well worthy Of our imita-
ton. and we should follow H. All
perhaps that We need to say TO the
large family Of President Richards is,
that they have blazing example be-
fore them Of good man, noble man,