In the whole history of the world I have never read of any man whom God has called to stand as the head of His work, who has not sought the Lord while in that position; and the Lord has been with him. It is my faith that the Lord will never per- mit any man upon whose shoulders He places the authority and power to lead Israel, to go astray, or to lead the children of God from the path of duty. The Lord would re- move such a man from his place.

In the whole history of the world I have never read of any man whom God has called to stand as the head of His work, who has not sought the Lord while in that position; and the Lord has been with him. It is my faith that the Lord will never per- mit any man upon whose shoulders He places the authority and power to lead Israel, to go astray, or to lead the children of God from the path of duty. The Lord would re- move such a man from his place.

When the Prophet Joseph organized the Quorum of the twelve Apostles, he taught this principle of union to them. He gave them to understand that they must be of one heart and one mind, and they must take upon themselves fully the name of Christ; that if God commanded them to do anything they must go and do it

Under the celestial law of the Kingdom of God men must unite together; men must love one another; men must stand by this Holy Priesthood and maintain the powers of it while they dwell in the flesh, in order to honor God and to be prepared to receive their inherit- ances in the world to come.

I do not believe there ever was a man, save Jesus Christ, that was more closely united and associated with God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, than the Prophet Joseph Smith. The power of revelation was with him from the day that he was called to receive the Priesthood up to the time when he was martyr- ed.

No man can receive this Apostleship; no man can bear this Priesthood; no man can be called to this important calling, and then turn from it, with- out condemnation or being cursed by the hand of God. It matters not what sacrifices God requires at our hands in the building up of His kingdom, we have got to meet these things and trust in Him.

Joseph Smith laid the foundation of this work. He holds the key of the Kingdom today, and will to the endless ages of eternity.

It is my duty to have fellowship with God, as weak an instrument as I am in the hands of God. It is my duty to have power with God. And when I have this, then my counsel- ors should stand by me and with me. We should be of one heart and mind in all matters, temporal and spiritual, that come before us in the labor of the Church and Kingdom of God. And I am thankful to say that this has been the case since I have been called to this position, or since the organization of the Presi- dency of the Church. Standing con- nected with us here are the Twelve Apostles. It is their duty to be of one heart and one mind.

So, brethren and sisters, with every organization in this Church. There should be union. There should be no discord, no dis- union. If there is, the Lord is not pleased with it, and we are hindered in our work.

Now, brethren and sisters, we should all be united. Unless we are one, we are not the Lord's. I wish to exhort the Latter-day Saints to observe this principle. Our aim is high. What is that aim? It is the Celestial Kingdom of ourGod. We have been called out of the world, from almost all nations under heav- en, in fulfilment of the revelations of God. We have been called unto these mountains of Israel. We are fulfilling revelations that were given thousands of years ago. The eyes of Jeremiah, of Ezekiel, of Daniel, of Isaiah and of the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets beheld our day. They saw our Zion. They saw our temples and our tabernacle, built "for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of ref- uge, and for a covert from storm and from rain."

Why do we have this warfare that we are passing through? Because it is the Church and Kingdom of God; be- cause we are the people of God. No man can live godly in Christ Jesus without suffering persecution. This is your legacy. It is the legacy of all the Saints of God in every age of the world. Therefore, I say to the Latter-day Saints, let your hearts be comforted. All is right in Israel, as far as we make it right, and as far as we do our duty.

I know that this is the kingdom of God. I know this is the people whom He has raised up. They have been kept, as I have often said, in the Spirit world the last six thou- sand years, to come forth and stand in the flesh in this day and build up this Church and kingdom and warn this generation of the judg- ments which await them. We occupy this position before the Lord. Then let us not betray our trust.

There is not a man that breathes the breath of life today on the earth, who holds and honors that Priest- hood, but has power with the heavens, and he can go before the Lord and have his prayers heard and answered.

God holds your destinies, He holds the destinies of this nation and of all men in His own hands. He governs and controls them. And His angels are ready and waiting to go forth and reap down the earth. But the Lord will fulfil His promi- ses.

we have got to be humble. We have got to be prayerful. We have got to have faith in God, and to be united, and carry out those princi- ples which the Lord requires at our hands.

We have been called as Saviors upon Mount Zion, while the kingdom has been the Lord's. These are glorious principles. To be saved ourselves, and to save our fellow- men, what a glorious thing! What is gold and silver; what are the riches of this world? They all perish with the using. We pass away and leave them. But if we have eternal life, if we keep the faith and overcome, we shall rejoice when we go upon the other side of the veil.

There is hardly any princi- ple the Lord has revealed that I have rejoiced more in than in the redemption of our dead; that we will have our fathers, our mothers, our wives and our children with us in the family organization, in the morning of the first resurrection and in the Celestial Kingdom. These are grand principles. They are worth every sacrifice.

Brethren and sisters, am I glad to meet with you, and to have the privilege of bearing my testimony. This is the Church of God. The Lord has a good people here—the sons and daughters of Abraham, whose lives have been hid with Christ in God, and you have known it not. The Priesthood has been handed down from Father Abra- ham, through the lineage of our forefathers, unto us in this last dis- pensation and fulness of times. Then let us be true and faithful; let us honor God; let us try to keep His commandments; let us remember our prayers and do our duty, and especially be united—united to the Lord, united to the Holy Ghost, united to one another, that we may carry out the principles in our day and time; which may God grant, for Christ's sake.