Below you will find Prince’s research excerpts titled, “Temples, 1871.” You can view other years here.
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TEMPLES, 1871.
1871: 31 Jan.: First mention of possibility of St. George.
“The possibility of a temple in St. George apparently was first introduced on January 31, 1871, when President Young and three of the apostles–George A. Smith, Erastus Snow, and Brigham Young, Jr.,–met in council at the home of Erastus Snow (the Big House). Snow had been confined at home for some time with sciatica; hence the meeting at his dwelling. The stake presidency was present and also members of the high council and several bishops with their counselors.
Bleak says:
‘At the Council President Young asked the brethren what they thought of building a Temple in St. George.
The bare mention of such a blessing . . . was greated with: “Glory, Hallelujah.” from President Erastus Snow, and all present appeared to share the joy. The brethren unanimously voted in favor of the measure. . . .’ (“Annals [of the Southern Mission],” Book B, pp. 81-82)”
(Footnote in Charles L. Walker diary, Vol. I, p. 329)
“Council in President E. Snow’s House in St. George, Washington Co., Utah.
Tuesday, January 31st. 1871.
. . . .
At this Council President Young asked the brethren what theyn thought of building a Temple in St. George.
The bare mention of such a blessing from the Lord was greeted with: ‘Glory!! Hallelujah!!’ from President Erastus Snow, and all present appeared to share the joy.
The brethren unanimously voted in favor of the measure; after which the Council was dismissed, benediction by President Young.”
(Annals of the Southern Mission, Book B, p. 131-132)
16 Feb.: Girls to have endowments by age 14.
[Teachers Meeting] “[Counsellor J. D. T. McAllister presiding and conducting.] [Counsellor McAllister] wished the Teachers to find out who had not had their endowments in the ward. Said that girls ought to have their endowments at the age of 13 or 14.” (8th Ward Minutes, 16 Feb., 1871)
5 Apr.: St. George temple to begin after October.
“On April 5, 1871, President Young wrote to Erastus Snow that the Temple was to be commenced soon after the October Conference (i.e., in Salt Lake City). This was the letter read in the School of the Prophets meeting mentioned by Charles L. Walker on April 15, 1871. Letter on file in the HDC.” (Footnote in Charles L. Walker diary, Vol. 1, p. 329)
6 Apr.: Each stake to have its own temple.
“President Geo. A. Smith made a few preliminary remarks. . . . Measures will probably be taken to build a Temple at St. George. The time will come when each stake of Zion will have its Temple.” (General Conference Minutes, 6 Apr., 1871; DN 20(10):112, 12 Apr., 1871)
8 Apr.: We are first to have all the keys of salvation.
“We have had a few words with regard to temples. We are going to build temples. This law is given to the children of men. I will carry this a little further, and say to my brethren and sisters and all present, that the law of the celestial kingdom that is introduced here upon the earth in our day is for the salvation and exaltation of the human family. Previous to the coming forth of this Priesthood and code of laws, there was no law on the earth that we have any knowledge of whereby a man or woman could be sanctified and prepared to enter the presence of the Father and the Son. This may sound in the ears of many like strange doctrine. But pause a moment; do not let any of your hearts flutter, not for a moment. If you and the world generally knew all that we know, I do not believe that there is a wicked man on the earth, unless he be past the day of grace, but would say, ‘Thank you, Latter-day Saints, God bless you! I will help you to carry on your work, for you have the keys of life and salvation committed to you for this last dispensation.'” (Brigham Young, 8 Apr., 1871; JD 14:95-96)
8 Apr.: We shall officiate for millions.
“We are trying to save the living and the dead. The living can have their choice, the dead have not. Millinos of them died without the Gospel, without the Priesthood, without the opportunities that we enjoy. We shall go forth in the name of Israel’s God and attend to the ordinances for them. And through the Millennium, the thousand years that the people will love and serve God, we will build temples and officiate therein for those who have slept for hundreds and thousands of years–those who would have received the truth if they had had the opportunity; and we will bring them up, and for the entire chain, back to Adam.” (Brigham Young, 8 Apr., 1871; JD 14:97)
8 Apr.: The building of temples.
“This labor appeals to us in a very peculiar manner. There is no people or community on the face of the earth to-day, except the Latter-day Saints, who think of rearing unto the Lord of Hosts a temple upon the same principle and for the same objects and ends that the temple was reared in Jerusalem. Already we have completed two temples, and laid the foundation of five. The Saints are all familiar with the history of the building of the temple of Kirtland, whether they were there personally or not; they are also familiar with the blessed results which followed its erection. They know that God did manifest himself to his servants and people in a very peculiar manner, and poured out upon them great and precious blessings; many ordinances which had been lost to man, or of which he scarcely knew anything, and for the administration of which there had been no authority upon the earth for generations, were restored, and men and women received ordinances, promises and blessings which comforted their hearts and encouraged them in the work of God. And not only were these ordinances administered, but additional authority was bestowed upon the prophet of God who stood at the head of this dispensation. And so also the completion of the temple at Nauvoo brought many blessings; that is, so far as it was completed, for the enemies of God’s kingdom did not permit us to complete it entirely; but so far as it was completed God accepted the labor of the hands of his servants and people, and great and precious blessings were bestowed upon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the faithfulness and diligence of its members in rearing that house.
I have often thought of the shortness of the period, after the death of Joseph, which was continued in building that house. He died, as you well know, or was murdered, on the 27th of June, 1844. Before 1845 had passed away the Saints were receiving their endowments in that house. The walls were completed, it was roofed, the spire finished, and the upper story so far completed that the Elders could go in and administer in the ordinances of God’s house–the sealings, washings and anointings, and in the performance of those ceremonies and ordinances which were necessary for our growth, increase and perfection as a people; and when it is recollected that all this was done in a very short period over one year, it bears testimony to the zeal of the Saints and the mighty exertions they made to fulfil the word of God and the requirements he made of us as a people, that we and our dead might not be rejected. But we were not permitted to enjoy that house, we were not permitted to continue receiving blessings there; the enemies of God’s kingdom were upon us, and we were compelled to abandon it and our homes, and it fell a sacrifice to the wickedness of the wicked and it was burned with fire–probably a better fate than to have it stand and be defiled by the wicked.
We have not wo commence again the erection of another temple. For many years the foundation of one on this block has been laid, and the Saints have labored upon it to some extent; but it has not been pushed forward with very great rapidity. There have been reasons for this–good and weighty reasons. It is desirable when we build another temple that it should not fall into the hands of the wicked, as those we have already built have done; but that it should stand as an enduring monument of the faith, zeal and perseverance of the Latter-day Saints, in which the ordinances of God’s house and kingdom may be administered through all coming time. There seems to be a spirit now resting upon the servants of God to push this house forward to its completion; and I doubt not that this spirit will be received and cherished by the Saints throughout Utah Territory, and throughout the world. Judging by my own feelings on this subject and by the expressions of those who have alluded to it, I confidently believe that a spirit is resting upon the people to receive the counsel that is given concerning it, and to carry forward the work to a speedy completion.
There are many reasons why we should to it. It is true that God, in his mercy, has permitted us to build another house, which we call the Endowment House, and in which we have received many ordinances and blessings; but there are several which cannot be attended to in the Endowment House; they must be postponed until a temple is completed, in which the Elders and men of God who bear the Holy Priesthood, can go and administer the things of God, and have them accepted by him. This, of itself, is sufficient to stir us up, as a people, to exceeding great diligence in pushing forward this work.
When David announced his intention to prepare the means for the building of the house that should be erected by his son Solomon, he accumulated everything that could be prepared beforehand, so that when Solomon should come to the throne after his decease, he might be full-handed and have abundance wherewith to commence the labor of building. To accomplish this, David called upon Israel to come forward and exert themselves, and they did so, so we are told, and had exceeding great joy in contributing of their means for the erection of that building. Of course there is no objection to the Latter-day Saints doing the same; still, that requirement is not made of us at the present time. All that we are required to do is to obey the law that God has given unto us, that is, to pay our tithing. It has been said, and I do not doubt the correctness of the statement, in fact, I may say I am fully aware and conscious of it, that if this people would pay one-tenth of their tithing this temple could be pushed forward to completion verry speedily. As a people we have been very negligent in paying our tithing; there are doubtless many exceptions, but as a rule we have not complied with that law with the strictness which we should have done. Now, however, there is an opportunity for us to compensate for our shortcomings in the past, and to go to with zeal and energy to rear this house, so that there may be a temple of God in our midst in which ordinances can be administered for the living and for the dead. I fully believe that when that temple is once finished there will be a power and manifestations of the goodness of God unto this people such as they have never before experienced. [NOTE]. Every work of this kind that we have accomplished has been attended with increawsed and wonderful results unto us as a people–an increase of power and of God’s blessings upon us. It was so in Kirtland and at Nauvoo; at both places the Elders had an increase of power, and the Saints, since the completion of, and the administration of ordinances in, those buildings have had a power they never possessed previously.
If any proof of this is needed let us reflect upon the wonderful deliverances that God has wrought out for us since we left Illinois. Up to that period or up to the time that the temple was partly finished and the blessings of God bestowed within its walls, our enemies to a very great extent had triumphed over us. We had been driven from place to place; compelled to flee from one town, county and State to another; but how great the change since then! We started out a poor, friendless people, with nothing but God’s blessing upon us, his power overshadowing us and his guidance to lead us in the wilderness; and from the day that we crossed the Mississippi river until this day–the 8th of April, 1871–we have had continued success and triumphs. God has signally delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and when it has seemed as though we would be overwhelmed, as though no earthly power could succor or deliver us from the hands of those who sought our overthrow, God has done for us as he did for his ancient covenant people, when he caused the waters of the Red Sea to separate, that they might pass through and escape the destruction their enemies threatened. So have we been in as remarkable a manner delivered from, apparently, overwhelming difficulty and danger.
Whence, I ask, my brethren and sisters, has this power come? Whence has it been derived? I attribute it to the blessings and the power and the authority and the keys which God gave unto his Saints, and which he commenced to give in the Temple at Nauvoo. The Elders of Israel there received keys, endowments and authority which they have not failed to exercise in times of extremity and danger; and clouds have been scattered and storms blown over, and peace and guidance, and all the blessings which have been desired have been bestowed upon the people, according to the faith that has been exercised. Others may attribute these things to other causes; but I attribute them to this, and I feel to give God the glory; and I trace these deliverances to the power that the Elders received in that temple and previously. I fully believe also, as I have said, that when this and other temples are completed, there will be an increase of power bestowed upon the people of God, and that they will, thereby, be better fitted to go forth and cope with the powers of darkness and with the evils that exist in the world and to establish the Zion of God never more to be thrown down.
I know that there is a feeling in the breasts of many people that this sort of thing is fanaticism. This is characteristic of the age of unbelief in which we live. God, in the minds of this generation, is removed far from them. He dwells at an illimitable distance from man, and is not supposed to interfere with his affairs. Man, they think, is left to work out deliverance and salvation according to his own wisdom; and there are a great many people, and it may be said, a great many nations, who do not believe that God interferes at all with matters on the earth. They think of and speak about him; but it is mere form and tradition with them; very few believe that he interferes directly with thea affairs of men. Of course when such a belief is prevalent, or rather when such unbelief prevails, the idea of building a temple or temples to the Most High God, in which ordinancs shall be performed for the living and the dead, strikes the people as something strange and fanatical. But, let me ask, what was the object of building a temple in the days of Solomon? What was the object of rebuilding it after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar? Why was it that Ezra and the Jews who were [with] him in Babylonish captivity were strengthened to go forth to rebuild the temple of God at Jerusalem? We read in the Scriptures that God’s blessing rested upon them. Their enemies, it is true, harrassed them and did all in their power to check their labors, but nevertheless they were exceedingly blessed, and God accepted their work and bestowed choice and peculiar blessings upon them.
When Jesus came the temple still stood in Jerusalem, but it had become defiled. He was so angered on one occasion on this account that he took a scourge of cords and beat out the money changers and others who had defiled it, and upset their tables, and in this visible manner showed his anger at the defilement of his Father’s house.
We read in the revelations that the time will come when the tabernacle of God will be with men on the earth. How shall we, as men and women, prepare for this? One of the prophets says, ‘And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple,’ showing that there will be, at some period or other, a temple or tempoles built on the earth to which God will come.
I have often thought, in reflecting on this subject, how careless mankind are in relation to the future. We are born on the earth, where family relationships that are most desirable are formed. Parents have their children whom they love beyond expression. These children grow up and form associations in life and raise families, and these relationships are the most tender known to the human heart. There is nothing so much calculated to make life desirable as the relation of parents to children and children to parents, husbands to wives and wives to husbands; and many a amn when he loses his partner, loses all the hope that he has; his heart sinks within him, and he feels as if life was undesirable; and instances are not rare of men, through grief on this account, having their lives shortened. And so with the other sex; sometimes through the loss of a husband a woman’s heart will break and she does down to an early grave. And yet, in the midst of the world where all these tender ties and emotions exist there is no preparation for their perpetuation. The people do not believe that they exist beyond the grave. Imagine, if you can, a state of things where all these relationships are utterly destroyed and all mingle in one common herd!! This is the kind of heaven that many people believe they are going to. I have heard ministers say, ‘O, I will not know any relationship between myself and my wife hereafter; she, then, will be no nearer to me than any other woman, nor I to her than any other man; our children will be no nearer to us than any other children, and we will live in this condition throughout the endless ages of eternity.’ This is a dreary prospect for any human being who has the affection of a husband, wife, parent or child–a dreary prospect for that endless eternity to which we are all hastening. . . .
We build temples and we administer and submit to ordinances and perform those things within them which will prepare us to dwell eternally with our God, with Jesus and the Apostles in the heavens. There each man will have his family and kingdom. It is said that God is Lord of lords and King of kings; but how can he be King of kings unless there be kings under him to give him homage and pay respect unto him and acknowledge him as their Lord and their King? When God led forth Abraham and told him that as the stars of the firmament were innumerable so should his seed be, he proclaimed to him the greatness of his kingdom in eternity. He told Abraham that he should be a king over this innumerable host; for if Abraham were not to be king over them, of what use or glory would his posteriy be to him? When God pointed Abraham to the sand on the sea shore and told him that as it was countless so should his seed be, he told him in accents that could not be mistaken of the future glory of his eternal kingdom. And if all mankind attained to the same promises as Abraham, they also would have an innumerable posterity to reign over. As the prophet says concerning our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, ‘To the increase of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ It shall go on increasing with every cycle of eternity, as long as time endures. There shall be no end to the increase of his kingdom. His glory consisted of this; and the glory of God consists in the number of his posterity; and as generation succeeds generation, until the earth is filled and glorified, other worlds will be rolled into existence, upon which the posterity of God, our heavenly Father, shall increase throughout the endless ages of eternity.
As it was said to Abraham and Jesus, so it will be said to the faithful sons and daughters of God; hence the Latter-day Saints believe in the eternal nature of the marriage relation. When we marry there is a power here to bind on earth and it is bound in heaven. Men and women are married to each other for time and for all eternity; not as it is in the world, ‘until death shall them part;’ but that tie shall be as enduring as eternity itself, and there shall never be a time when it shall be dissolved; and to their increase there shall be no end, for this is the glory of God, and this is the blessing of God upon his faithful children. The godlike power has been given us here on the earth to bear and perpetuate our own species; and shall this power, which brings so much joy, peace and happiness, be confined and limited to this short life? It is folly to talk about such a thing; common sense teaches us better. It teaches that we have been organized, not for time alone; that we have been endowed as we are, in the image of God, not for thirty, forty, fifty, seventy or a hundred years, but as eternal beings, exercising our endowments and functions for all eternity, if we live faithful or take a course that God approves. Therefore there is great sense, beauty and godliness in the idea that God taught Abraham with respect to his posterity becoming as numerous as the stars of the firmament.
The Latter-day Saints live for this. We look upon this life as a very short period of time. We have suffered and are likely to suffer as the Saints of God did anciently; and this life is a state of probation–a short period filled with sorrow. Difficulties, thorns, briars, brambles, and obstacles of various kinds beset our pathway; but, as was said yesterday, we look forward to a heavenly city, whose builder and maker is God. We look forward to the time when this earth will be redeemed from corruption and cleansed by fire; when there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, and when the Saints shall possess their native inheritance purified from sin, redeemed from corruption, with the power of Satan curtailed, and when we shall be able to increse and multiply and fill this earth, go to other earths and carry on the work of emigration through the endless ages of eternity.
This is a little of the heaven that the Latter-day Saints look forward to. It is not a heaven where all distinctions are abolished–where parents and children are mingled with the common mass, where wives and husbands are undistinguishable; but where all these ties exist and are preserved and perpetuated, and man goes forward on that heavenly career which God, his Heavenly Father, has assigned to him, and which he designs that all his faithful children shall walk in. These are some of the reasons why we want a temple built. There are innumerable reasons why we should go to with our might and rush forward this work. Let us push it to its completion as speedily as may be required, and God will bless us; he will make our feet fast in these valleys; he will give us increase and make of us a mighty nation. Already he has set his seal upon us; already he has given us the glorious privilege of bearing his name. Let us rear a house uopn which his glory shall rest, and that shall be called by his name. This is required at our hands; and that God may help us to accomplish it, and keep us faithful to the end, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.” (George Q. Cannon, 8 Apr., 1871; JD 14:123-129)
9 Apr.: Worthy to see face of God in the Temple.
“He [Orson Pratt] spoke of the glorious promise given to the pure in heart, that they should see the face of God, and of the promise of the Almighty that when a house should be built to His name, providing it should not be defiled His power should rest upon and be manifested in it, and that He should visit it. He referred to the blessings that were received in the Temple at Kirtland, and said that the time would come when all that were pure in heart who should enter the Temple of the Almighty, which should be built in the ‘tops of the mountains,’ would see the face of God.” (General Conference Minutes, 9 Apr., 1871; DN 20(10):113, 12 Apr., 1871)
9 Apr.: Temples in Kirtland, Jackson Co., Jerusalem.
“What high privileges and great blessings were conferred upon those former-day Saints! They had been enabled by their faith to come up before God and claim, not only those common spiritual gifts that are imparted to the church for the mutual edification of its members, but they were also permitted to rise still higher, by virtue of their faith, and gaze upon the heavenly Jerusalem, to come unto mount Zion, to the city of the living God. They could behold the face of God, the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the faces of an innumberable company of angels,–the church of the First Born, and mingle themselves, as it were, in their society. All these things were obtained through obedience to the laws and institutions that God had made manifest in the midst of his house.
When the Lord commanded this people to build a house in the land of Kirtland, in the early rise of this church, he gave them the pattern by vision from heaven, and commanded them to build that house according to that pattern and order; to have the architecture, not in accordance with architecture devised by men, but to have every thing constructed in that house according to the heavenly pattern that he by his voice had inspired to his servants. When this was complied with did the Lord accept that house? Yes! They having complied with the order and built the house according to the pattern, the Lord condescended to grace that house with his presence. In that house the veil was taken away from the eyes of many of the servants of God and they beheld his glory. In that house the Lord Jesus Christ was seen by some of the Elders of the Church in heavenly vision standing upon the threshhold of the pulpit, proclaiming himself to be Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Great I Am, &c. And he gave keys of instruction and counsel and authority to his servants, declaring unto them that he accepted that house at their hands, and inasmuch as they had been faithful in the performance of their duty in building a temple to his name, he blessed them therein. He also proclaimed unto them that from that house his servants should go forth armed with the power of his priesthood, and proclaim the Gospel among the various nations, and that many people should come from the uttermost parts of the earth and praise the name of the Lord in Zion, and in the midst of his house. Thus did the Lord, when we fulfilled on our part, fulfil his promises on his part. So, in the latter-days, when the Lord our God shall permit us to build that house of which he has spoken in the paragraph just quoted from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, it shall come to pass in that day that all who are pure in heart that enter into that house shall see God. Thus we perceive that the Lord chooses to have a house built unto his holy name, wherein he shall manifest his glory and power.
When Moses reared a tabernacle in the wilderness of the land of Egypt according to the pattern that God gave unto him did the Lord acknowledge it? He did. Did he show forth his power and glory in that house? He did. Did a cloud rest upon it by day and a pillar of flaming fire hover over it by night? Yes! It was done according to the pattern and according to the heavenly order and commandment of the Great Jehovah. So, when the servants of God in the last days shall build a house in the tops of the mountains, he will acknowledge it if they build it according to the pattern which shall be revealed from heaven, on the spot that the Lord shall designate by his own voice, and in the time and in the season, proclaimed by the Almighty. It shall come to pass in that day, also, that the Lord will show forth his glory in that house, and the fame thereof shall go forth to the uttermost parts of the earth: all people, nations, languages and tongues, kings upon their thrones, and many nations will say, ‘come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us of his ways.’ That is, that he may inform our minds concerning the order and laws that pertain to his house and kingdom, that everything may be done by law and authority, that what is done here on the earth may be acknowledged and recorded in the heavens, for the benefit of those who believe.
I have about five minutes more. We read in the scriptures of divine truth that the Lord our God is to come to his temple in the last days, as was quoted yesterday by Elder Penrose. It is recorded in the 3rd chapter of Malachi that ‘the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple.’ This had no reference to the first coming of the Messiah, to the day when he appeared in the flesh; but it has reference to that glorious period termed the last days, when the Lord will again have a house, or a temple reared up on the earth to his holy name. ‘The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, but who shall abide the day of his coming? Who shall stand when he appears? For he is like fuller’s soap. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver upon the sons of Levi; that they may offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in days of old and as in former years.’ The Lord intends to have a temple not only in Zion, but, according to this, in old Jerusalem; and he intends that the sons of Levi shall receive their blessings–the blessings of their priesthood that were conferred upon them in that temple; and he is determined that the ministers in that temple shall be purified as gold and silver is purified, and he is determined to sit as a refiner’s fire in the midst of that temple. So it will be in the temple in Zion, for behold in the last days the Lord will rear up Zion upon the American continent, and he will also rear up Jerusalem on the eastern hemisphere. Zion on the western continent will be the place where the Lord will also purify and cleanse these two priesthoods,–the priesthood of Levi and the priesthood of Melchizedec–the lower and the higher priesthood,–and they will be filled with the glory of God uopn Mount Zion in the Lord’s house.
Let me read a few passages in the Book of Covenants. Thirty-nine years ago a revelation was given, a passage or two of which I will not read; ‘A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith and six Elders, as they united their minds and lifted up their voices on high. Yea the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken again by the mouth of his prophets, for the gathering of his saints, to stand on Mount Zion, which shall be the city of the New Jerusalem, which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot which is appointed by the finger of the Lord in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.’
I now notice another prediction: ‘Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city of the New Jerusalem shall be built up by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation, for verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.’
We will now read an item from the sixth paragraph: ‘The sons of Moses,’ that is, those that pertain to the two priesthoods, ‘the sons of Moses and the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be established in this generation upon the consecrated spot, as I have appointed; and the sons of Moses and of Aaron,’ that is, those who receive the two priesthoods, ‘shall be filled with the glory of God uopn Mount Zion in the Lord’s house, whose sons are ye, and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church; for whosoever is faithful to the obtaining of these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the mangifying of their calling are sanctified by the spirit unto the renewing of their bodies, that they become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom and the elect of God,’ etc.
Here then we see a prediction, and we believe it. Yes! The Latter-day Saints have as firm faith and rely upon this promise as much as they rely upon the promise of forgiveness of sins when they comply with the first principles of the Gospel. We just as much expect that a city will be built, called Zion, in the place and on the land which has been appointed by the Lord our God, and that a temple will be reared on the spot that has been selected, and the corner-stone of which has been laid, in the generation when this revelation was given; we just as much expect this as we expect the sun to rise in the morning and set in the evening; or as much as we expect to see the fulfillment of any of the purposes of the Lord our God, pertaining to the works of his hands. But says the objector, ‘thirty-nine years have passed away.’ What of that? The generation has not passed away; all the people that were living thirty-nine years ago have not passed away; but before they do pass away this will be fulfilled. What is the object of this Temple? The object is that the Lord may, according to the order that he has instituted, unveil his face to his servants, that those that are pure in heart and enter into that temple may be filled with the glory of God uopn Mount Zion in the Lord’s house; and, finally, whatever we may be called upon to do, whether it be building temples, cultivating the earth, organizing ourselves into co-operative companies to carry out the purposes and designs of Jehovah; whether we are sent abroad on missions or remain at home, it matters not, all things must be done in order, all things must be performed according to law, so that they will be acceptable in the sight of heaven, and be recorded there for the benefit of the people of God here on the earth. Why? Because God is a God of order; he is a God of law. God is that being that sways his scepter over universal nature and controls the suns and systems of suns and worlds and planets and keeps them moving in their spheres and orbits by law; and all his subjects must comply with law here on the earth, that they may be prepared to do his will on the earth as his will is done by the angelic hosts and those higher order of intelligences that reign in his own presence. Amen.” (Orson Pratt, JD 14:273-276, Salt Lake City, 9 Apr., 1871)
10 Apr.: Sealed to eternal life.
“A Blessing given under the hands of Elders Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Franklin D. Richards (bro. Woodruff, mouth), on the head of Elder William C. Stains at the Historian’s Office, Salt Lake City, April 10th, 1871, previous to his departure, on a mission to the States, as Emigration Agent. . . .
We seal upon you these blessings, and we seal upon you strength, and we rebuke every weakness that may rest upon your tabernacle, and we command the same to stand rebuked. We, also, seal upon you every blessing sealed upon you on your former mission, therefore, we say unto you, go forth trusting in the living God; call upon His name; let your prayers ascend to the Lord on behalf of His work, and for the work of emigration, and the Lord will open your way and you shall return again in peace and joy, and you shall have reason to say, that the blessings of God have been over you.
We seal you up to Eternal Life, with every gift and grace, and every blessing necessary for the work of the ministry, and for your labors as Emigration Agent. . . .” (LDS Archives, Ms d 7071)
15 Apr.: Announcement of St. George Temple.
“This P.M. I went to the School of the Prophets. A letter was read from Br Brigham stating that the time had come that the Saints could build a Temple to the most High in St George. A thrill of joy seemed to pass over the assembley of Elders present, at the announcement. It is to be built of Stone plastered inside and out. The length 196 feet, width 142, and 80 feet high, two storis with a large Hall in each story with room on each side [note the similarity to Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, and no provision for the progression of rooms for the endowment which was seen in later temples], and a Baptisma Font in the basement. Br Brigham and Geo A Smith will be down next October to comence the work and give directions concerning its erection &c. Br Ed Bunker, Jas G Bleak, Robt Gardener and Br H Harriman spoke on great Blesings the Saints would receive in the Temple in administering for their dead and attending to other ordinancs pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Charles L. Walker diary, 15 Apr., 1871)
“Saturday, April 15th., [1871] The regular meeting of the School of the Prophets was held at St. George Hall, and after opening exercises a letter, dated April 5th, 1871, from President Brigham Young at Salt Lake City to President Erastus Snow at St. George, was read, giving the dimensions and description of the contemplated Temple to be erected in St. George.” (Annals of the Southern Mission, Book B, pp. 139-140)
29 Apr.: Salvation of human family vs. Darwinism.
“Two volumes haved just been published in the East which were written by an English philosopher named Darwin. He tries to prove in these books that men are descended from monkeys, and he has got many learned men to believe that this is the case. Did you ever hear of such folly! What an idea men must have of themselves when they think of their forefathers being such creatures as we see in our Menagerie! Yet this is the wisdom of the world. Any man who thinks that he would like to have a monkey for an ancestor is welcome to the thought, but to us, such an idea is revolting. It is a great comfort for Latter-day Saints to know that they are descended from God, that He is their Father, and that if they are faithful, they will be like Him, and dwell with Him eternally. It is a great consolation also to know that we can be baptized for our dead friends, who died in ignorance of the gospel, and that they can be saved with us, until the whole race, from the present generation back to the days of our father Adam, will be united. There is something godlike in this reflection; a very different thought to what it would be if we imagined that after we had gone back a certain number of generations, we would gradually reach a tribe of monkeys.” (George Q. Cannon, JI 6(9):68, 29 Apr., 1871)
10 Jun.: Appropriation of tithing for St. George Temple.
“On June 10, 1871, the High Council at St. George was informed that President Young had delegated authority to President Erastus Snow to use all the tithing of Beaver Ward and those wards southward to complete the Tabernacle and for building the St. George Temple. See Bleak, ‘Annals,’ Book B, p. 103.” (Footnote in Charles L. Walker diary, Vol. I, p. 329)
25 Jun.: Many mansions.
“I will read the fifth paragraph of the seventh section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. On referring to that place you will find the following words:
And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom. For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom, cannot abide a celestial glory; and he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory; he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom, cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
These words set forth the fact to which Jesus referred when he said, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ How many I am not prepared to say; but here are three distinctly spoken of; the celestial, the highest; the terrestrial, the next below it; and the telestial, the third. If we were to take the pains to read what the Lord has said to his people in the latter days, we should find that he has made provision for all the inhabitants of the earth; every creature who desires, and who strives in the least, to overcome evil and subdue iniquity within himself or herself, and to live worthy of a glory, will possess one. But, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions,’ says the Savior; he has prepared places for his children; but the Saints, we who have receive the fullness of the Gospel of the Son of God, or the kingdom of heaven that has come to earth, are in possession of those laws, ordinances, commandments and revelations that will prepare us, by strict obedience, to inherit the celestial kingdom, to go into the presence of the Father and the Son.” (Brigham Young, 25 Jun., 1871; JD 14:147-148)
1 Aug.: If not received in Nauvoo, then elsewhere.
“I heard Joseph the martyr say, at a public meeting in Nauvoo, that there was an endowment laid up for the faithful saints, and if they did not receive it in that temple, in that place, that they should receive it in some place that would be prepared, that they should not lose their reward.” (Thomas Carrico, “Endowment of the Saints,” Saints’ Herald 18:465, 1 Aug., 1871)
4 Oct.: Ivins sealed to eternal life in Pat. Blessing.
“You will assist in building up the New Jerusalem the city that shall be paved with pure gold.
You will see that Holy Temple finished off and be there at the dedication.
There you will see your Redeemer; you will be caught up to meet him with His Holy Angels and return with Him to His holy Temple. There you will see Joseph and Hyrum and many of the Latterday Saints with their Ressurected bodies.
You will be a strong pillar in the House of the Lord, there you will do a great work for yourself and your dead.
It will be common with you to see the graves open and the dead come forth.
You will witness the return of the Ten Tribes. And I seal the blessings of life, health, and strength upon your body, that you may do all this work with a single eye to the glory of God.
And I seal you up to Eternal Life, and seal upon your head a crown of Celestial Glory.” (Patriarchal Blessing given by William G. Perkins to Anthony W. Ivins, 4 Oct., 1871; in Anthony W. Ivins Journal)
6 Oct.: Gen’l Conf.: Concluded to build St. George Temple
“We held a Meeting at Candle light in the old Tabernacle. The House was Completely filled with the priesthood. The Speakers wer John Sharp, Edward Hunter D H Wells & Elder W Woodruff Each of whom spoke with Great Power imparting valuable instructions regarding the building of Temples & kindred subjects. It was Concluded to build a Temple in St George and if possible to Complete the Mason work during the Coming winter.” (Wilford Woodruff diary, 6 Oct., 1871)
8 Oct.: St. George temple to distract Adversary.
“He [George Q. Cannon] next spoke of the erection of temples. Steps were being taken to push the one in this city to completion. The railroad south would make the work easier, as the rock to build it would be more readily obtained. It had been concluded to build a temple at St. George. This was a great necessity, as it was too much of a labor for the people to travel from there to this city in order to receive the holy ordinances of the gospel. It would also have the effect of dividing the attention of the adversary.” (General Conference Minutes, 8 Oct., 1871; DN 20(36):418, 11 Oct., 1871)
8 Oct.: Law of tithing to build temples.
“Men would be wanted to go to St. George to erect the house there, and men would also be wanted to work on the temple in this city. The Lord did not wish to depend upon the spasmodic offerings of His people for the carrying on of such work; He had instituted the law of tithing for that purpose, and the people therefore should promptly pay their tithing, a tenth of their increase.” (George Q. Cannon, General Conference Minutes, 8 Oct., 1871; DN 20(36):418, 11 Oct., 1871)
29 Oct.: The whole human family needs to be saved.
“Sunday in meeting, I gave an account of my travels & visit to Salt Lake & a sketch of the doing of Conference which consisted of four days good preaching from the first Principles of the Gospel–even to the Baptism for the dead, the confirmations, Endowments, sealings & adoptions, so that all that will, for the whole human family may be saved.” (John Pulsipher diary, 29 Oct., 1871; LC Collection)
5 Nov.: Temple can be finished in two years.
“We can finish the Temple in two years, if we have a mind to do so.” (Brigham Young, 5 Nov., 1871, Southern Mission General Conference; Annals of the Southern Mission, Book B, p. 180)
9 Nov.: Dedication of St. George Temple site.
“I went to the block on which the Temple is to be reared to witness the ceremony of dedication. There was about 40 Carraiges and wagons and a large concourse of People congregated on the South East corner of the site. The choir sang an anthem, and Br Geo A Smith knelt and offered up the Dedicatory Prayer which was full and powerfull. The choir sang again, then the Santa Clara Brass Band played a tune, after which Br Brigham said this is the spot where the foundation stone will be laid, and where the records will be placed in a suitable stone made for that purpose, and also near the top of the building in this place. After a few remarks he said (taking the shovel and uncovering his head) we will now proceed to break the ground. He took the shovel and dug a few shovels out near the south east stake, then gave the shovel to Geo A Smith who did likewise. Then Erastus Snow did the same, after which Jos W Young, Jacob Gates, Herriman, Levi Hancock, Jas G Bleake, Wm Fawcett, D D McArthur, and quite a number of the Bretheren, myself with all, threw out a few shovels each. The congregation then sang the ‘Spirit of God like a fire is burning’ after which Br Brigham standing on a chair instructed the saints how to make the Salutation. We raised our right hand to Heaven and smote our left at the same time exclaiming hossana! Hosana! to God and the Lamb. Amen! Amen! and Amen!! The congregation were then dismissed By Br Brigham. At 3 o clock men and teams were busy digging out The foundation. At night I was round the ward getting men to work on the excavation.” (Charles L. Walker diary, 9 Nov., 1871)
“Bleak’s ‘Annals,’ Book B, pp. 125-131, gives a detailed account of the proceedings relating to the dedication and ground-breaking for the St. George Temple, including the dedicatory prayer by George A. Smith. Among many other things he said: ‘Hasten the redemption of the Center Stake of Zion on this land; overule the discovery of minerals in this land for the good of thy people; control the President of the United States, and those in authority, who purpose evil against thy people. . . .'” (Footnote in Charles L. Walker diary, Vol. I, pp. 335-336)
“Thursday, November 9th [1871] Presidents Brigham Young, and George A. Smith, of the First Presidency of the Church, Elder Erastus Snow, President of the Southern Mission; Elder Joseph W. Young, President of St. George Stake of Zion, and a goodly number of the Priesthood and people assembled on the Temple Block at St. George, for the purpose of dedicating it, and for the breaking of the ground on which the Temple is to be erected. . . .
And, at the request of President B. Young, [George A. Smith] delivered the dedicatory prayer . . .
May thy servants be united in building this house, that in it thy laws may be revealed, that the ordinance of marriage may be administerd according to the laws of Heaven, and that the sealing may be according to the laws of Heaven. . . .
Hasten the redemption of the Center Stake of Zion on this land; overrule the discovery of minerals in this land for the good of thy people; . . .
Cause that thy power may be in the house; that angels may enter therein and minister to thy servants. . . .
[Following the groundbreaking]: President B. Young referred to the shouts of hosanna used in the Kirtland Temple; and led the shout of hosanna, and in the clapping of hands, the people following, as follows:
Hosanna! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna to God and the Lamb! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna! (clapping hands.)
Hosannanana! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna to God and the Lamb! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna! (clapping hands.)
Hosannana! (clapping hands.)
Hosanna to God and the Lamb, forever and ever! (clapping
hands.)
Amen! (clapping hands.) Amen! (clapping hands.) And Amen! (clapping hands.)
President Brigham Young said,–‘Brethren and Sisters, you are dismissed in the name of the Lord.'” (Annals of the Southern Mission, Book B, pp. 181-191)
“I was present for the dedication when President Young broke the first ground for the temple. There was a lot of people there but no real great things happened.” (Interview given by Martha Canfield, ca. 1934; LC Collection)
3 Dec.: Baptism for the dead.
“There was an anxiety among the people in this church for many years, in relation to what would become of their ancestors and the world at large who were not acquainted with the Gospel, until the Lord condescended to give a revelation in which this doctrine was explained. By turning to the first epistle to the Corinthians, you will find there that the Apostle Paul, in reasoning upon the resurrection, advanced an idea which is not generally understood. In the 15th chapter and 29th verse of that epistle the Apostle uses this language: ‘Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?’
Now, among other arguments which he brought forth to convince the Corinthians that there was such a thing as a resurrection he appeals to the fact that there was such a doctrine as baptism for the dead in the Church and practised by the former day Saints, and to enforce the doctrine he uses the words I have read, one of the most powerful arguments that he could adduce in favor of the resurrection. How useless it would be for men and women to be baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all; but the dead do rise, and the Saints are baptized for them. I might paraphrase his words and reason upon them in this way. The dead are baptized, for we are baptized for them, and they do rise or else all our labor would be in vain in going forth and being baptized for them. Now, here is a doctrine that has been hidden. True, it is only a slight allusion, but it is sufficient to show that there was in the ancient Church such a doctrine believed in and practised by the Saints of God.
‘Oh,’ but says one, ‘how can the dead be born of the water and the Spirit; suppose that Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison, and among the rest to the thief who was on the cross when he got to paradise, as you explain the Gospel, how could he, in the spirit world, be born of the water and of the Spirit?’ A very serious question, but here is the explanation: those who are alive in the flesh can go forth and be baptized for them. ‘What! Be baptized for the dead? And will that stand?’ I would ask those who object to this, how is it that the death of Jesus,l the Son of God, affects our salvation? He acts for us vicariously; by his vicarious atonement he redeems us from the effects of the transgression of our first parents. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Death came into the world by Adam. Adam did not die to redeem the world, but Jesus came forward, vicariously, as the Savior of the world, and died to redeem us from Adam’s sin. Through his death Adam’s sin is atoned for. In like manner, Malachi says, in speaking of the Prophet Elijah coming before the great and terrible day of the Lord: ‘The hearts of the fathers shall be turned to the children.’ What for? Because the children can act vicariously for them; ‘and the hearts of the children shall be turned to the fathers,’ because the children will feel after their fathers; they will search for their genealogies, and learn of their ancestors, and they will go forth and perform ordinances in the flesh for their dead, which the dead can not perform for themselves, and act vicariously for them, and so fulfil the saying of the Prophet Obediah, where he says, ‘There shall be saviors in the last days on Mount Zion.’ They shall stand as ministers of salvation. There shall be saviors in the last days, acting in a lesser capacity, it is true, but still somewhat in the capacity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for their dead. Not atoning for the original sin, not shedding their blood, but going forth and being baptized for them and receiving the ordinances of salvation in their behalf.
I know that this doctrine is new, and to many startling; it comes in contact with all their prejudices. But I would ask the Christian world how mankind are to be saved? Can you substitute anything better than this? How are the millinos of heathens who have died in ignorance of the name of Jesus to be saved? How are our ancestors to be saved, who, living and dying in the long night of darkness which prevailed through Christendom, never had the privilege of hearing the Gospel in its fulness? ‘Oh,’ says one, ‘saved by the goodness of God.’ Yes, but how shall we elude the words of Jesus where he says, ‘Except a man be born again he can not see the Kingdom of God;’ and ‘Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the Kingdom of God?’ It is very easy for men in their traditions to say; ‘Well, our way suits us, because we have been accustomed to it.’ But if we accept these traditions as binding, how shall we set aside the words of him who spoke as never man spake, of him who was without guile and whose words were truth and holiness? How shall we set them aside? We can not, and rather than attempt to do so I would accept them as true and divine, and practise them, even though it required the sacrifice of my traditions and prejudices. To my mind there is something godlike in the Gospel of salvation. I can see beauty, and the power of God in it. I understand from this that there is a space between death and the resurrection, during that space the spirits of those who died without the Gospel can be preached to, and can receive the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, though they died in ignorance of it.
A great many have wondered how it is that the Latter-day Saints are so anxious to have temples built. We built a temple in Kirtland, and after we had built it we were compelled to leave it and flee to Missouri. We laid the foundations of two in Missouri, one in Jackson County, the other in Caldwell County. That in Caldwell was not laid until after we were driven from there. A revelation was given through Joseph Smith, I think on the 11th of July, 1838, that on the succeeding 26th of April, the foundation stone of the temple should be laid in Far West; and the Twelve Apostles should take their departure from that corner stone, and cross the ocean to preach the Gospel in Europe. Now, said the mob, ‘There being a date fixed to this revelation, if Joseph Smith never was a false prophet before, we will make him one now,’ and they turned and drove the Latter-day Saints from Missouri, and made it worth a man’s life to go back there, if he was a Mormon. They drove every one out of Missouri, under a ban of extermination, in the winter previous to the time set for the fulfillment of this revelation. That was in the winter of 1838-9; and there were but very few left, and they were in peril of their lives all the time. Joseph, Hyrum and several of the leading Elders were in prison, and it seemed as though the words of Joseph would fall to the ground that time, at any rate. President Young was then President of the Twelve Apostles; he with others had to flee to Quincy, and he proposed to his fellow Apostles that they should go up to Missouri, to fulfil that revelation. Father Joseph Smith, father of the Prophet, thought that the Lord would take the will for the deed, and it would not be necessary. He felt as though there would be great danger in the undertaking, and that the brethrens’ lives would be in peril. A good many of the other Elders felt the same, but the Spirit rested upon President Young and his brother Apostles, and they determined to go, and they did go, and, according to the revelation, they laid the corner stone in the town of Far West. They laid it in the midst of their enemies; they sang their songs, ordained two of the Twelve, and if I recollect right, two of the Seventies, and then shook hands with the Saints there, bade them adieu, and took their departure for Europe, thus fulfilling the word of God given nearly a year previously through the Prophet Joseph, and which the enemies of the Kingdom of God said should never be fulfilled.
That foundation stone was laid, and the Saints, as I said, fled into Illinois, and there laid the foundation of a temple at Nauvoo, Illinois, the finest building then in the western country, and the admiration of everybody. The Saints erected it in the midst of poverty, destitution, sickness, death, and, I may say, with the sword or rifle in one hand and the trowel in the other, their enemies surrounding them on every hand. They had slain Joseph and Hyrum, and attempted to destroy others of the servants of God, and they were continually burning and destroying the houses and property of the Saints, and were determined to expel them from the State. But in the midst of these tribulations the Saints continued their labors until that temple was roofed in, and until within its walls they could attend to the ordinances for the living and the dead.
Again they were driven, and again they took up their line of march, and they came out to this desert country, and again we laid the foundation of another temple, a few hundred yards from this building; and this winter we have laid the foundation of another at St. George, in the southern part of this Territory. The masons and laborers are down there endeavoring to push it forward to completion as fast as possible.
Why is it that we are so anxious to build temples? It is that we may attend to ordinances necessary for the salvation of the living and the dead, that we may be baptized for our ancestors who died without having the privilege of hearing and obeying the Gospel. We not only believe that we should be baptized for them, but we also believe that where our fathers and mothers have died, having been married only according to the practice of the world, they should be married for time and eternity; and, in the temples erected by the Saints to the name of the Most High, we shall act for them in this respect also. We believe, not only, that we should be married for time and eternity, but that they should be also. We believe in the eternal nature of the marriage relation, that man and woman are destined, as husband and wife, to dwell together eternally. We believe that we are organized as we are, with all these affections, with all this love for each other, for a definite purpose, something far more lasting than to be extinguished when death shall overtake us. We believe that when a man and woman are united as husband and wife, and they love each other, their hearts and feelings are one, that that love is as enduring as eternity itself, and that when death overtakes them it will neither extinguish nor cool that love, but that it will brighten and kindle it to a purer flame, and that it will endure through eternity; and that if we have offspring they will be with us and our mutual associations will be one of the chief joys of the heavn to which we are hastening. If I have loving wives and children, who could contribute to our happiness so much as we could to each others’, they to mine, I to theirs? Shall we be separated and I be no more to them and they no more to me than strangers? How unnatural the thought! God has restored the everlasting priesthood, by which ties can ben formed, consecrated and consummated, which shall be as enduring as we ourselves are enduring, that is, as our spiritual nature; and husbands and wives will be united together, and they and their children will dwell and associate together eternally, and this, as I have said, will constitute one of the chief joys of heaven; and we look forward to it with delightful anticipations.
Brother Woodruff, in his remarks this morning, spoke of the blessing that the Lord promised Abraham, that as the sands on the sea shore, or the stars that bespangle the firmament are innumerable, so should his seed be. How is this to be effected? Why, by the eternal union of the sexes, by the eternal union of Abraham with those who were his family in his life. Strange as this doctrine may seem, it is nevertheless amply sustained by these divine Scriptures in which Christendom all profess to believe.
Now we rear Temples in order that we may be baptized in the fonts which will be in those Temples, for our dead, in order that we may go forward and act vicariously for them in the ordinance of baptism and in the laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost, and then in other ordinances, which shall prepare them to dwell with us and us with them eternally in the presence of God.
If you read the 20th chapter of the Revelations, you will see that the Lord revealed to John that there shall be a thousand years’ rest, a millennium, or millennial era, when the earth shall rest from wickedness, and when knowledge shall cover it as waters cover the deep, and when one man shall not have to say to another, ‘Know ye the Lord?’ but when, according to the words of the Prophet, ‘all shall know him, from the least even unto the greatest;’ when God’s will shall be written in the hearts of the children of men, and they will understand his law. The Prophets have spoken of such a day, and in the chapter to which I have alluded, the 20th of Revelations, the Lord speaks of it in plainness to his servant John the Revelator, setting forth that there shall be a thousand years’ rest on the earth, during which Christ shall reign in the midst of his Saints, and when there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy in all the holy mountain of the Lord; when the lamb will lie down with the lion, the cow with the bear, and when the whole animal creation will dwell together in peace, when swords shall be beaten into ploughshares, spears into pruning hooks, and when the nations shall learn war no more, men shall plant and eat the fruit thereof, build and inhabit, and when none shall deprive them of the fruits of their labors.
I quote these passages as they occur to my mind. You are all familiar with them. They will be fulfilled, and there will be a thousand years’ rest, during which period Satan will be bound, and when the seed of the righteous will increase and cover the land. In that glorious period everything on the face of the earth will be beautiful; disease and crime, and all the evils that attend our present state of existence will be banished; and during that period, as God has revealed, the occupation of his people will be to lay a foundation for the redemption of the dead, the unnumbered milliions who lived and died on the earth without hearing and obeying the plan of salvation.
We believe, further, that every man who dies belonging to this Church, and having the right to officiate in the Priesthood, will be engaged, while awaiting the resurrection of his body, in a work similar to that in which Jesus was engaged, namely, preaching the Gospel to those who are ignorant of it. He will proclaim the plan of salvation to those in the spirit world who have died in ignorance of the name of Jesus and of the character of his redemption. For, let me tell you, there is no name under heaven whereby men can be saved, except the name of Jesus Christ, and if the dead ever are saved, it must be through the name of Jesus and through the redemption he has worked out. This is the gospel and the plan of salvation as we believe it.
Men say that the Latter-day Saints are exclusive and uncharitable; but they know nothing of the doctrines that we believe in. Our hearts swell with exceeding desire for the salvation of our fellow creatures: we want all saved. We would, if we had arms sufficiently long, enclose them all, and shed around them the halo of love. We desire and yearn for their salvation; we pray for it, and we expect to spend our days, both here and hereafter, in accomplishing. It is the chief labor that occupies our attention, and we expect to rear temples in which we can attend to the ordinances necessary to work it out. There are men already who spend the chief portion of their time in attending to these ordinances, forgetful of their worldly interests, devoting themselves almost exclusively to these labors, and we expect to save all that will accept the plan of salvation. I say we, I mean God and the authority that he has established and restored to the earth.” (George Q. Cannon, 3 Dec., 1871; JD 14:318-322)