FIFTY-FIRST SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE. PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF Read a revelation through the Pro- phet Joseph Smith to Orson Pratt, given November 4th, 1830, as fol- lows: "1. My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer; 2. The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not; 3. Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God: wherefore you are my son, 4. And blessed are you because you have believed; 6. [5.] And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel, 6. To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry re- pentance unto a crooked and perverse gene- ration, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming; 7. For behold, verily, verily I say unto you, the time is soon at hand, that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory, 8. And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble. 9. But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turn- ed into blood, and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great de- struction await the wicked: 10. Wherefore lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost; 11. And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come: 12. And verily, verily, I say unto you, I come quickly. I am your Lord and your Re- deemer. Even so. Amen." [Doctrine and Covenants 34:1-12] Brother Woodruff said if he was to express his desires to the Lord it would be, O Lord, give us grace that we may be able to accomplish the work required of us. But O, the chains that bind this immortal spirit! Sometimes he felt, O that he could break the bands of mortal- ity and open his eyes in the spirit world to receive that which Orson Pratt is now enjoying. But we must be patient and be willing to abide our time. It would be impos- sible to give the history of that great man or to depict the glory that awaits him. It would take the trump of the sixth angel to do that. He had been associated with Brother Pratt many years; the first testimony he ever heard from him was in a house in Kirtland, in April, 1834. He went with him to Mis- souri, in Zion's Camp. In traveling a thousand miles with the Prophet, those who were in that company re- ceived an experience that they can never forget. Men were reduced to mere skeletons with the cholera, and many died. Bro. Pratt, while suf- fering from its effects, manifested that indomitable will which has since been many times ex- hibited. He struggled with death and overcame by faith in God Brother Pratt had lived longer in this Church, traveled more miles and preached more sermons than any man in it. He had baptized thousands, and fulfilled the revela- tion just read. His garments were clear from the blood of this genera- tion. He had studied and written more upon the gospel and upon sci- ence than any man in the Church. He had now gone home. It was all right. This event the speaker had expected for some months. Before he left on his late visit to St. George he laid his hands upon Bro. Pratt and blessed him. This was record- ed in his journal which the histori- ans could read after the speaker's death. If Bro. Pratt could speak to this assembly, after meeting with the Prophet Joseph and his breth- ren in the spirit world, he would say to the Apostles, the Seventies, the High Priests, the Elders, the Lesser Priesthood, and the Saints, can you afford to spend one hour in neglect of this great work, upon the things of this world?" The spirit of Bro. Pratt is alive to-day and will live as long as our heavenly Father lives. His testimony is closed, his voice is hushed in death, but it will not be a great while for some of us before we hear it in the spirit world. Let the living work while the day lasts. Bro. Pratt makes the ninth Apostle that had left us who came through Emigration Cañon in 1847. This enjoined us to be also ready; to be faithful to God and the responsibility resting upon us. The speaker thanked God for the Gospel and Priesthood revealed and exhorted all to be faithful as saviors on Mount Zion, "Sleep on Brother Orson, then with thy quo- rum thou shalt meet in the bliss and spend eternal day. Amen."