Below you will find Prince’s research excerpts titled, “Temples, 1874.” You can view other years here.
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TEMPLES, 1874.
1874: 14 Jun.: Jackson Co. Temple in this generation.
“God said, in the year 1832, before we were driven out of Jackson County, in a revelation which you will find here in this book, that before that generation should all pass away, a house of the Lord should be built in that county, (Jackson County), ‘upon the consecrated spot, as I have appointed; and the glory of God, even a cloud by day and a pillar of flaming fire by night shall rest upon the same.’ In another place, in the same revelation, speaking of the priesthood, he says that the sons of Moses and the sons of Aaron, those who had received the two priesthoods, should be filled with the glory of God upon Mount Zion, in the Lord’s house, and should receive a renewing of their bodies, and the blessings of the Most High should be poured out upon them in great abundance.
This was given forty-two years ago. The generation then living was not only to commence a house of God in Jackson County, Missouri, but was actually to complete the same, and when it is completed the glory of God should rest upon it.
Now, do you Latter-day Saints believe that? I do, and if you believe in these revelations you just as much expect the fulfillment of that revelation as of any one that God has ever given in these latter times, or in former ages. We look, just as much for this to take place, according to the word of the Lord, as the Jews look to return to Palestine, and to re-build Jerusalem upon the place where it formerly stood. They expect to build a Temple there, and that the glofy of God will enter into it; so likewise do we Latter-day Saints expect to return to Jackson County and to build a Temple there before the generation that was living forty-two years ago has all passed away. Well, then, the time must be pretty near when we shall begin that work.” (Orson Pratt, 14 Jun., 1874; JD 17:111)
21 Jun.: Origin of rebaptism/baptism for dead.
“We were driven from Missouri after Joseph went up there, and we came to Nauvoo, and the Twelve went to England. While we were in England, I think, the Lord manifested to me by visions and his Spirit things that I did not then understand. I never opened my mouth to any person concerning them until I returned to Nauvoo. Joseph had never mentioned this, there had never been a thought of it in the church that I knew anything about at that time. But I had this for myself, and I kept it to myself, and when I returned home and Joseph revealed these things to me, I then understood the reflections that were upon my mind while in England. But this was not until after I had told him what I understood. I saw that he was after something by his conversation, leading my mind along, and others, to see how we could bear this. This was in 1841; the revelation was given in 1843, but the doctrine was revealed before this; and when I told Joseph what I understood, which was right in front of my house in the street, as he was shaking hands and leaving me, he turned round and looked me in the eye, and says he–‘Brother Brigham, are you speaking what you understand, are you in earnest?’ Says I–‘I speak just as the Spirit manifest to me.’ Says he–‘God bless you, the Lord has opened you mind,’ and he turned and went off.
About this time came a revelation concerning baptism for the dead. I know that in my traveling and preaching, many a time, I have stopped by beautiful streams of clear, pure water, and have said to myself–‘How delightful it would be to me to go into this to be baptized for the remission of my sins.’ When I got home Joseph told me it was my privilege. At this time came a revelation that the Saints could be baptized and re-baptized when they chose, and then that we could be baptized for our dead friends, but at first it was not revealed that a record should be kept of those who were baptized; but when he received an additional revelation to that effect, than a record was kept. Hundreds and thousands, I suppose, were baptized before any record was kept at all, and they were baptized over, and a record kept of the baptisms and the names of the administrator, those who acted for the dead, and of the dead, and of the witnesses. You can read in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants the letter that Joseph wrote when he was away from home in regard to having witnesses at these baptisms. I relate this to show you that the Lord did not reveal everything at once; but I need not dwell on this any longer.” (Brigham Young, 21 Jun., 1874; DN 23(22):340, 1 Jul., 1874)
23 Jun.: Origins of baptisms for the dead.
“About this time came a revelation concerning baptism for the dead. I know that in my traveling and preaching, many a time, I have stopped by beautiful streams of clear, pure water, and have said to myself, ‘How delightful it would be to me to go into this, to be baptized for the remission of my sins.’ When I got home Joseph told me it was my privilege. At this time came a revelation, that the Saints could be baptized and re-baptized when they chose, and then that we could be baptized for our dear friends, but at first it was not revealed that a record should be kept of those who were baptized; but when he received an additional revelation to that effect, then a record was kept. Hundreds and thousands, I suppose, were baptized before any record was kept at all, and they were baptized over, and a record kept of the baptisms and the names of the administrator, those who acted for the dead, and of the dead, and of the witnesses. You can read in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the letter that Joseph wrote when he was away from home in regard to having witnesses at these baptisms. I relate this to show you that the Lord did not reveal everything at once; but I need not dwell on this any longer.” (Brigham Young, 23 Jun., 1874; JD 18:241)
28 Jun.: Sealings of no effect on the unrighteous.
“For us to think that we have an inheritance on the earth is folly, unless God has declared, and sealed it upon us, by revelation, that we shall never fall, never doubt, never come short of glorifying him or of doing his will in all things. No person, unless he is in the possession of this blessing, has the least right to suppose that he has an inheritance on the earth. For the time being we have our wives, children, farms and other possessions, but unless we prove ourselves worthy, what we seem to have will be taken from us and given to those who are worthy, consequently we need not worry with regard to the defects of one another. I say to the brethren, you need not have the least concern in the world about meeting a man in the celestial kingdom that you, if you are worthy and are so happy as to get into the celestial kingdom, can not fellowship; and if you should happen to be the one that is in fault and you cannot pass the sentinel, and your neighbor or brother does, he will not see you there, you need not be concerned in the least about being joined to any person by the holy sealing power, that will not do right in the next world. I say to my sisters in the kingdom, who are sealed to men, and who say, ‘We do not want this man in eternity if he is going to conduct himself there as he does here’–there is not the least danger in the world of your ever seeing him in eternity or of his seeing you there if he proves himself unworthy here. But if he honors his Priesthood, and you are to blame and come short of doing your duty, and prove yourself unworthy of celestial glory, it will be left to him to do what he pleases with you. You will be very glad to get to him if you find the fault was in yourself and not in him. But if you are not at fault, be not troubled about being joined to him there, for no man will have the privilege of gathering his wives and children around him there unless he proves himself worthy of them.
I have said a number of times, and I will say again, to you ladies who want to get a bill of divorce from your husbands, because they do not treat you right, or because you do not exactly like their ways, there is a principle upon which a woman can leave a man, but if the man honors his Priesthood, it will be pretty hard work for you to get away from him. If he is just and right, serves God and is full of justice, love, mercy and truth, he will have the power that is sealed upon him, and will do what he pleases with you. When you want to get a bill of divorce, you had better wait and find out whether the Lord is willing to give you one or not, and not come to me. I tell the brethren and sisters, when they come to me and want a bill of divorce, that I am ready to seal people and administer in the ordinances, and they are welcome to my services, but when they undertake to break the commandments and tear to pieces the doings of the Lord, I make them give me something. I tell a man he has to give me ten dollars if he wants a divorce. For what? My services? No, for his foolishness. If you want a bill of divorce give me ten dollars, so that I can put it down in the book that such a man and such a woman have dissolved partnership. Do you think you have done so when you have obtained a bill of divorce? No, nor ever can if you are faithful to the covenants you have made. It takes a higher power than a bill of divorce to take a woman from a man who is a good man and honors his Priesthood–it must be a man who possesses a higher power in the Priesthood, or else the woman is bound to her husband, and will be forever and ever. You might as well ask me for a piece of blank paper for a divorce, as to have a little writing on it, saying–‘We mutually agree to dissolve partnership and keep ourselves apart from each other,’ &c. It is all nonsense and folly; there is no such thing in the ordinances of the house of God; you cannot find any such law. It is true Jesus told the people that a man could put away his wife for fornication, but for nothing short of this. There is a law for you to be obedient, and humble and faithful.” (Brigham Young, 28 Jun., 1874; JD 17:118-119)
“President Young spoke 47 Minuts. In speaking of giving divorces He said when he sealed a woman to a man he asked nothing for it burt if they asked for a divorce I charge him $10 for his folly for it is no better than a peace of white Paper. For when I seal a woman to a man it takes a higher power then I am to take her away. Some women say I do not want to live with my Husband in Eternity. They need not trouble themselves about it for she will not be troubled with him in Eternity unless he keeps the Commandments of God & if He goes to the Celestial Kingdom & she is not worthy of it, she will not be troubled with him for she will not go there. One man will say I do not want to go to heaven if such a man goes, but no one need be troubled about such matters for they will not go to Heaven themselves unless they are worthy & they will not meet any one there that is not worthy.” (Wilford Woodruff diary, 28 Jun., 1874)
19 Jul.: Concerning the promises of the 2nd anointing.
“It is not a strong assurance or hope that the Latter-day Saints have, that they will receive these blessings in the eternal worlds; but when the promise is sealed upon their heads that they shall come forth in the morning of the first resurrection and be crowned with glory, immortality and eternal lives, there is a testimony from God, our eternal Father in the heavens above, which rests down upon them and confirms the truth of these words upon the soul of a faithful man or woman, and they know, when words are pronounced upon them by a man who has the authority, sealing upon them blessings, keys, thrones, principalities, powers and exaltations in the eternal kingdoms of God our Father, I say they know, by the testimony of the Spirit of God which rests down upon them at such times, that these words are not the words of men, but that they are the words of the Spirit of God inspiring that man, and that God takes a record of that ordinance in the heavens, and that it is sealed upon them and upon their children, and that they will actually come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, according to the promise, hence, there is no fear of death in the minds of the Latter-day Saints. If the stake was standing before us, prepared for our execution–if we had that faith that we should have, and which animated the Saints of God in ancient days, we would walk as calmly to that stake and be bound to it as we would walk to eat a meal of victuals, knowing that God, our heavenly Father, will bestow all the blessings that have been sealed upon us.
This was the faith which animated the ancients and sustained them in the midst of persecutions, and this is the faith that we should cherish and cultivate as a people and as individuals. Woe to the man who has lost that faith! Dreadful is his condition if he has not that faith living within him. Woe to that man, for his condition is far worse than his first condition, that is before he had these blessings sealed upon him.” (George Q. Cannon, 19 Jul., 1874; JD 17:137-138)
Aug: Temple to be completed by April, 1875.
“To The Bishop and the Board of the United Order in Your Ward:
It is very desirable that work on the Temple being built at St. George, be prosecuted to completion by the 1st of April next, if possible; therefore we solicit you to learn who, in your ward, you can fit up to start for St. George on or about the 12th of October next, and send with them such portions of their families as they may wish to assist in household labors until about the 1st of April next . . .
Your brethren in the Gospel,
Brigham Young, George A. Smith, Daniel H. Wells”
(UHQ 28(1):54, Jan., 1960)
2 Sep.: Temple missionaries to work on St. George Temple.
[Teachers Meeting] “Bp. Sheets spoke of sending 2 or 3 men to St. George to work on the Temple, and that the ward should sustain them while there.” (8th Ward Minutes, 2 Sep., 1874)
7 Oct.: Why there weren’t baptisms for dead in Jerusalem.
“Jesus introduced the Gospel, and if the people would have received and obeyed the principles which he taught, the kingdom of God would have been established, the dispensation of the fullness of times brought in, and in the Temple at Jerusalem the baptisms for the dead would have gone on, and the redemption of the living and the dead would have proceeded. But the people could not receive the teachings of Jesus. Here was a dispensation different from any of the others.” (John Taylor, 7 Oct., 1874; JD 17:208)
7 Oct.: Temple work for all the people who ever existed.
“We are commencing to build Temples, and hence, as I said before, our dispensation differs from others which have preceded it. It is kind of a time for settling up accounts. You know when a man goes to work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he keeps account of what he does, and when Saturday comes it is a kind of settling-up day. It is so with us, it is so with the world, our day is a kind of settling-up day. The Elders have been forth and gathered together a few of the people to whom they have preached; others are gathering, and now we, at home here, are engaged in building Temples? What for, for ourselves? Yes. For somebody else? Yes. For our friends who have lived? Yes. For other people’s friends who have lived? Yes, and to feel after all nations who have lived, for we are interested in the welfare of all the peoples who have ever existed on this earth, and like God, we are feeling after them with a fatherly, kind, generous and philanthropic feeling. That is why we are building our Temples, that is why men are called upon to labor upon these Temples, for we desire to enter therein and to officiate and administer for the living and the dead.
‘Well, but it takes a little money.’ Oh, does it? Never mind, the gold and the silver are the Lord’s, the cattle on a thousand hills are his, and we shall get a little of his gold and silver, and in using it in building temples to the name of the Lord we are taken into partnership with him, we unite with God, and with the angels, and with the spirits of just men made perfect, with the priesthood that existed anciently and with the Gods. We all unite together for the accomplishment of God’s purposes, and we will feel after the Inhabitants of the earth. If people are foolish around us we cannot help that; let them go on and exhibit their folly, God will take care of us, he is as much interested about us as we are, and a good deal more, and he is as much concerned about the rolling forth of this work as we are, and a good deal more. The ancient Nephites who lived on the earth, those men of God who, through faith, wrought righteousness, accomplished a good work and obtained exaltation, are as much interested in the welfare of their descendants as we are, and a good deal more; and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and those ancient men of God who once lived on the earth, and who yet live, are as much interested in the accomplishment of God’s purposes as we are, and a good deal more. Well, then, what have we to do? Why to fulfill the duties devolving upon us as they come along day by day, and to introduce every principle that is calculated to save the living and redeem the dead. We are not alone in these things, others are operating with us, I mean all the men of God who ever lived, and they are as much interested as we are, and a good deal more, for they know more, and ‘they without us cannot be made perfect’ neither can we be perfected without them. We are building temples for them and for their posterity, and we are going to operate in these temples, as we have done heretofore, for their welfare and for the welfare of their posterity. And then they are operating for us behind the vail with God and the intelligences which surround his throne; and there is a combination of earthly beings and of heavenly beings, all under the influence of the same priesthood, which is an everlasting priesthood, and whose administrations are effective in time and in eternity. We are all operating together, to bring about the same things and to accomplish the same purposes.
Well then, what shall we do? We will build temples. And don’t you think we shall feel a little better while we are diong it? I think we shall, for while we are so doing we shall have the approbation of God our Heavenly Father, and of all good men who have ever lived, and we may need this by and by when we get through this world. These Gentiles do not need anything of this kind, they are all going to heaven anyhow; but we want to make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail they may receive us into everlasting habitations. I want friends behind the vail. I want to be the friend of God and God to be my friend; I want to help to roll forth the Kingdom of God and to build up the Zion of the Most High, and I want to see my brethren engaged in the same work, and we will do it. In the name of Israel’s God we will do it.
We talk about the Order sometimes, well, we will do that too. What, would you? Yes, to be sure I would, or anything else that God wants of me. I am on hand, that is my feeling about these things. Well but, is there not a good many weaknesses to see? I think there is, don’t you think there is about you? Just examine yourselves and then answer the question whether you have not a good many weaknesses. I think there are a great many things among us that we ought to be ashamed of. We are covetous grasping and grinding; there is not enough human sympathy, brotherhood and kindly feeling among us. Every man in Zion ought to feel that in every other he has a brother and a friend, and not a ravenous character who would grasp everything that he has and grind him to the dust of the earth. I want liberality, generosity, kindness and the love of God within us, and flowing around us like wells of water springing up unto everlasting life. These are the principles by which we ought to be actuated and governed. Let the potsherds of the earth strive with the potsherds of the earth, God will take care of his own affairs and manage them his own way. Zion is onward, her progress can not and will not be retarded, I will prophesy it in the name of Israel’s God. It is onward, onward, onward, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished, until the towers of Zion shall arise, until her temples shall be built, until the living shall be saved, until the dead shall be redeemed, and until ‘the knowledge of God shal cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.'” (John Taylor, 7 Oct., 1874; JD 17:212-213)
9 Oct.: Temple ordinances revealed in a stepwise fashion.
“We are called upon once in a while to take a new step in this great work. At one time it was polygamy, at another it was baptism for the dead, then it was building Temples, then certain endowments, then the sealing of our children to us, then certain promises made to ourselves, such as God made to Abraham in former days, and now it is that we must get a little closer together, and be more united in regard to our temporal affairs.” (John Taylor, 9 Oct., 1874; JD 17:177)
9 Oct.: We must save 50,000,000,000 people.
“We should pray to the Lord for everything else that we stand in need of. Then we should go to and do our duty in building the Temples of our God, that we may magnify our calling and be saviors on Mount Zion, for the living and the dead. In the seventeen hundred years which are past and gone, over fifty thousand million people have gone into the spirit world who never saw the face of a Prophet or of an Apostle, and never heard the words of an inspired man, for during the whole of that time no man was called of God to build up his kingdom on the earth. Whatever the Christian world may think, these things are true. When the Apostles were put to death the Priesthood went from the earth, and the Church went into the wilderness, or, in other words, there was a falling away among the Gentiles, as there had been before among the Jews. Those generations are in the spirit world, shut up in prison; they have got to be visited by men who held the Priesthood in the flesh, that they may preach the Gospel unto them, the same as Jesus did when he went to preach to the spirits in prison during the three days and nights when his body lay in the tomb. This is our duty. And I will here say that every Elder of Israel who lays down his life, whether he dies in his bed, or is put to death by the enemies of truth, when he goes into the spirit world his works follow him, and he rests in peace. The Priesthood is not taken from him, and he has thousands more to preach to there than he ever had here in the flesh. But it depends upon the living here to erect Temples, that the ordinances for the dead may be attended to, for by and by you will meet your progenitors in the spirit world who never heard the sound of the Gospel. You who are here in Zion have power to be baptized for and to redeem your dead. The resurrection and the coming of the Messiah are at the door. The signs of heaven and earth indicate the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fig trees are putting forth their leaves in the eyes of every man who has the faith of the Gospel. Let us, therefore, try and do our duty. Let us attend to the ordinances of the house of God, and unite ourselves according to his law, for Jesus will never receive the Zion of God unless its people are united according to celestial law, for all who go into the presence of God have to go there by this law. Enoch had to practice this law, and we shall have to do the same if we are ever accepted of God as he was. It has been promised that the New Jerusalem will be built up in our day and generation, and it will have to be done by the United Order of Zion and according to celestial law. And not only so, but we have to keep that law ourselves if we ever inherit that kingdom, for no man will receive a celestial glory unless he abides a celestial law; no man will receive a terrestrial glory unless he abides a terrestrial law, and no man will receive a telestial glory unless he abides a telestial law. There is a great difference between the light of the sun at noonday and the glimmer of the stars at night, but that difference is no greater than the difference of the glory in the several portions of the kingdom of God.” (Wilford Woodruff, 9 Oct., 1874; JD 17:249-250)
11 Oct.: Quorums of Priesthood to be organized in Temple.
“Then let our hearts be lifted to him in prayer that this work may continue, that we may be protected from the wrath of our enemies and from the vengeance of the wicked one, and be able to complete this Temple and dedicate it, that the glory of the Lord may rest upon it, the various quorums of the Priesthood be organized within it, and that we and our children may be permitted to enter its sacred precincts, and receive the ordinances of the Priesthood and the blessings of the Gospel of peace which can be received only in a Temple of the Lord.” (George A. Smith, 11 Oct., 1874; JD 17:162)
25 Dec.: Reminiscences of Kirtland and Nauvoo Endowments.
“On Friday, Dec. 25th 1874 at 10.30 a.m. pursuant to appointment, the workmen from the North engaged on the St. George Temple, together with the local workmen engaged on that building, and a goodly number of the Saints met in the basement of St. George Tabernacle. . . .
He [George A. Smith] spoke of the Solemn Assembly which convened in Kirtland nearly forth years ago, and of the great blessings poured out by the Lord on that occasion. He felt glad to see present her to-day perhaps forty witnesses of what then took place. He alluded to councils which had been held in Nauvoo, and to the fact of Joseph the Prophet calling the Twelve together, and, as contained in Rev. no. Sec. 103, Doctrine & Cov., placing Brigham Young as President of the Twelve. The speaker stated that the Prophet and the Patriarch Hyrum, in one of those meetings with the Twelve, had administered to Brigham Young what is known as the Second Anointing, and instructed him to administer in like manner to his brethren of the Twelve; which he did to the nine of the Twelve then at home. The Twelve were then instructed to administer in the Ordinances of the Gospel for the dead, beginning with baptism and the laying on of hands. This work was at once commenced. It soon became appartent that some had long records of their dead, for whom they wished to administer. This was seen to be but the beginning of an immense work, and that to administer all the ordinances of the Gospel to the hosts of the dead was no light task. Some of the Twelve asked Joseph if there could not be some shorter method of administering for so many. Joseph in effect replied: ‘The laws of the Lord are immutable; we must act in perfect compliance with what is revealed to us. We need not expect to do this vast work for the dead in a short time; I expect it will take at least a thousand years.’
President George A. Smith in the foregoing recital incidentally remarked that Elder Sidney Rigdon had never received the Second Anointings nor the keys pertaining to Baptism for the Dead.
The speaker warmly and most earnestly exhorted the people to energetically prosecute the work on the St. George Temple so that President Young and the Twelve may have the opportunity of going therein to communicate the Keys of Knowledge and power which the Prophet Joseph had conferred upon them, and which can only be conferred on others in a Temple.” (George A. Smith, 25 Dec., 1874; Annals of the Southern Mission, Book B, pp. 512-514)
“On Friday, Dec. 25th, 1874, at 10:30 a.m., pursuant to appointment, the workmen from the north engaged on the St. George Temple, together with the local workmen engaged on that building, and a goodly number of the Saints, met in the basement of the St. George Tabernacle, President George A. Smith presiding. . . .
He [Geo. A. Smith] spoke of the Solemn Assembly which convened in Kirtland nearly forty years ago, and of the great blessings poured out by the Lord on that occasion. He felt glad to see present her to-day perhaps forty witnesses of what then took place. He alluded to councils which had been held in Nauvoo and to the fact of the Prophet Joseph calling the Twelve together, and, at a meeting called for that purpose, of Joseph and Hyrum the Patriarch administering to Brigham Young, then President of the Twelve Apostles, what is known as the Second Anointing, and instructing him to administer in like manner to his brethren of the Twelve, which he did to the nine of the Twelve who were then at home. He stated, that the Twelve were then instructed to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel for the dead, beginning with baptism and the laying on of hands. This work was at once commenced. It soon became apparent that some had long records of their dead, for whom they wished to administer. This was seen to be but the beginning of an immense work, and that to administer all the ordinances of the Gospel to the hosts of the dead was no light task. The Twelve asked Joseph if there could not be some shorter method of administering for so many. Joseph in effect replied: ‘The laws of the Lord are immutable, we must act in perfect compliance with what is revealed to us. We need not expect to do this vats work for the dead in a short time. I expect it will take at least a thousand years.’
Bro. George A. Smith, in the foregoing recital, incidentally remarked that Elder Sidney Rigdon had never received the Second Anointing, nor the keys pertaining to baptism for the dead. The speaker warmly and most earnestly exhorted the people to energetically prosecute the work on the St. George Temple, so that President Young and the Twelve might have the opportunity of going therein to communicate the keys of knowledge and power which the Prophet Joseph had conferred upon them, and which could only be conferred on others in a Temple.” (DN 23(50):799, 13 Jan., 1875)
“On Friday, Dec. 25th, 1874 at 10.30 a.m., pursuant to appointment, the workmen from the north engaged on the St. George Temple, together with the local workmen engaged on that building and a goodly number of the Saints met in the basement of St. George Tabernacle. . . .
President George A. Smith . . . spoke of the solemn assembly which convened in Kirtland nearly forty years ago, and of the great blessings poured out by the Lord on that occasion. He felt glad to see present here today perhaps forty witnesses of what then took place. He alluded to councils which had been held in Nauvoo, and to the fact of Joseph the Prophet calling the Twelve together and as contained in Par. 40. Sec. 103. Doctrine and Covenants placing Brigham Young as President of the Twelve. The speaker stated that the Prophet and the Patriarch Hyrum, in one of those meetings with the Twelve, had administered to Brigham Young what is known as the Second Anointing and instructed him to administer in like manner to his brethren of the Twelve which he did to the nine of the Twelve then at home. The Twelve were then instructed to administer in the Ordinances of the Gospel for the dead, beginning with baptism and the laying on of hands. This work was at once commenced. It soon became apparent that some had long records of their dead, for whom they wished to administer. This was seen to be but the beginning of an immense work and that to administer all the ordinances of the Gospel to the hosts of the dead was no light task. Some of the Twelve asked Joseph if there could not be some shorter method of administering for so many. Joseph in effect replied: ‘The laws of the Lord are immutable; we must act in perfect compliance with what is revealed to us. We need not expect to do this vast work for the dead in a short time; I expect it will take at least a thousand years.’
President George A. Smith in the foregoing recital incidently remarked that Elder Sidney Rigdon had never received the Second Anointing, nor the keys pertaining to Baptism for the Dead.
The speaker, warmly and most earnestly exhorted the people to energetically prosecute the work on the St. George Temple so that President Young and the Twelve may have the opportunity of going therein to communicate the Keys of Knowledge and power which the Prophet Joseph had conferred upon them, and which can only be conferred on others in a Temple.” (JH 25 Dec., 1874)
31 Dec.: St. Geo. Temple must be completed so I can give the keys to others.
“Copy of a Letter from J. F. Steck in St. George to James
Wareham here in Manti.
St.George Dec. 31st 1874.
Pr. G.A. Smith had asked Brother Brigham Young, why he was in such a hurry to see the Temple in St. George completed. Prs. B. Young answered, ‘What will you do if I die before the Temple is completed, the candle is nearly burnt out, and can not last much longer; therefore I want to see this Temple completed before I die, that I can give the Keys to others.’
Last Sunday George A. Smith was preaching about the persecutions that the Church had undergone in the past, and he said ‘if the Gentiles oppress us much more, & drive us from here, we will send 10 or 15,000 Elders through the States [p. 160] and we will take the Government from them whether they like it or not, So help me God.’ a loud and deep Amen! arose from the assembled congregation.”
(Jans Christian Anderson Weibye Daybooks; CHO; Daybook #3, pp. 159-160; December 31, 1874. J. C. A. Weibye born Sept 26, 1824; died Feb 28, 1893. [Typed as in the original without use of sic.])