The congregation have seen manifested the determination of these
brethren who have been appointed to go on their respective missions.
If it be the minds of this assembly that all of these brethren whose
names have been read shall fulfil their several appointments, you will
manifest it by the uplifted hand. [The manifestation was unanimous.]
I will make a few observations by permission. When I see so many of my
brethren feeling a desire to go to the nations—to different parts of
the earth, it truly is a cause of great rejoicing to my heart. When I
read, occasionally, letters and communications that are published in
the Millennial Star, in regard to the spread of the work among the
different nations, it is a joy to me which is indescribable. And when
I see the brethren going forth to the different nations, I almost feel
as though I wanted to go to all these different places at the same
time myself—to go with my brethren and be instrumental with you in
trying to build up this kingdom among the nations. There is certainly
no work in which the servants of God can be engaged that is so
pleasing and joyful to the mind as to be engaged in the work of the
holy ministry—in trying to persuade the honest in heart among the
nations to receive the truth.
This generation have been calling a long time for miracles; but one of
the greatest miracles in the last days, in my estimation, is the fact
that scores and hundreds of the missionaries of the Latter-day Saints
are traversing the globe, going from nation to nation, upon the
principle that the ancient Apostles traveled—namely, without purse or
scrip. Is not that a miracle? Has there any such thing happened before
for many generations as people traveling over the whole earth,
starting from their homes without purse or scrip? If you should go
upon your own business, and the Lord had not a hand in the matter, it
would be nine chances out of ten if you did not perish before you
returned; and, perhaps, nine chances out of ten if you ever obtained
means to accomplish your journey and pay your passage from place to
place. But where is there an example of any faithful man in this
Church, since the year 1830, that has gone forth trust ing in
the Lord God of Israel, with mighty prayer, but what has been
sustained, upheld, and preserved to return again in honor, unless he
has fallen, perhaps, by sickness, or has died a martyr in testimony of
the truth?
We find, then, that the Lord has actually wrought miracles in scores
and hundreds of instances, in sustaining his servants among foreign
nations—in foreign lands, where it would be almost impossible for
people that were on their own business to have accomplished anything
or to have traveled among them. What has the Lord said upon this
subject? He commands us, in a revelation given September 22nd, 1832,
as follows—"Therefore, let no man among you, for this commandment is
unto all the faithful who are called of God in the Church unto the
ministry, from this hour take purse or scrip, that goeth forth to
proclaim this gospel of the kingdom." This was a command given twenty
years ago this next September. Says one, That looks rather hard. It
does not look hard at all; for that same God that gave the commandment
is able to bear you up: he is able to sustain you. Perhaps this might
have had reference, more particularly, to those who are actually in
their fields of labor. This may be the case; for traveling to your field
of labor is one thing, and laboring in it is another. There may
actually be instances where an Elder is obliged, circumstances being
such, to take some means to assist him until he shall arrive at his
field of labor; but when he gets there, then depend upon the Lord God
of Israel and the people to feed and sustain him. I am not going to
say but what it will apply in traveling to the field of his labor.
At any rate, I would not be afraid to trust the God of Israel to
assist me in going to my field of labor, as well as to assist me
after having arrived there.
What would be the best thing, then, for these Elders who are going
forth? As a general thing, I would say to them, if you have any cash,
leave it with your wives and children, to comfort their hearts, to
support them in your absence, and be a blessing to them. And if you
can get mules and horses to carry you from here to the States, when
you get on the frontiers, sell them, and they will bring you in a
little cash to carry through the mobocratic divisions of the country.
[A voice in the stand: "Send that back."] The Lord will always provide
some way to get along; and the faithful servant of God has nothing to
fear, only his own weakness and his own imperfections and follies:
these are the things he has to fear the most. If an Elder gets
unfaithful when he is abroad, he is sometimes apt to get into strait
places; but if he is diligent in prayer, in doing the work of the
Lord, striving in faith to live humbly before him, setting a proper
example before his brethren and the people among whom he labors, he
will find that the Lord will bear him off victorious; his power will
be upon him; and when he administers in the words of life it will be
by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. When he administers in the
ordinances of the Church, the blessings of Jehovah will follow. When
he says to the sick, Be thou healed in the name of Jesus Christ,
behold, it is done. When he commands, the lame will leap like a hart.
The power of the Lord God of Israel will be made manifest through his
faithful servants, and they have nothing to fear.
Brethren, I will prophesy that the power of the Lord God of Israel
will be with you to a far greater extent than what has been poured out
in days that are passed; and the way will be open before you, and the
Lord will visit the hearts of the people before you arrive among them,
and make manifest to them by visions and dreams that you are
the servants of God, before they shall see your faces. And you will
receive heavenly visions to comfort you, and dreams to give you
knowledge of the things of God, if you prove faithful before him. I
will prophesy this in the name of the Lord God of Israel; and you will
find that his power will be more conspicuously made manifest through
your administrations on these missions than has ever taken place since
the rise of this Church.
How often have I reflected upon the words of the Savior, which were
given expressly to his servants: they were not given to the whole
Church, but to his servants who were engaged in the work of the
ministry. He said, "Take no thought for the morrow, what ye shall eat,
or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. Consider
the lilies of the field: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet
Solomon, or the kings of this world, are not arrayed like one of
these. And if God so clothe the grass, which today is, and tomorrow
is thrown into the fire, how much more shall he clothe you, if you are
not of little faith. Therefore, take no thought for these things." You
will find, brethren, if you go forth trusting in the Lord, that
whatever you need, it will be ministered to you in the very moment;
and you will return again with your hearts filled with joy, and your
bodies comfortably clothed, and means in your pockets to assist your
families when you return to them, and with souls as seals to your
ministry, with whom you shall rejoice in time and in eternity.
I have oftentimes thought of another saying in the Book of Mormon,
concerning the parable of the vineyard, delivered by one of the
ancient Prophets. He said that "The servants of God shall go forth and
labor for the last time;" and the prophecy says, "Behold, they were
few, and the Lord labored with them." Among all the servants that had
labored in previous dispensations, the parable does not condescend to
say that the Lord labored with them, although he no doubt did. But
here it is expressly said that the laborers were few, and the Lord
labored with them. And after the vineyard was pruned, and was no more
corrupt, he called up his servants and said, Behold, you see I have
done according to my will, and ye shall have joy with me in the fruit
of my vineyard. This truly seems to be characteristic of the way and
manner this Gospel is going to the nations. It does not go according
to the will of man, neither according to his inferior judgment, but
according to the will of God. It breaks forth on the right hand and on
the left, and the servants of God are sent forth by his will and
authority; and if they are faithful, he has ordained them to labor in
his vineyard; and the prophecy says, They will be faithful, and they
shall keep the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
Try to have this prophecy fulfilled upon your heads. Keep the
commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things, that his
blessings may be upon you, that when you set to your hands with the
pruning-knife, to prune and train up the branches of the trees of the
vineyard, and dig around their roots, the power of the everlasting God
may rest upon you and the vineyard where you labor. Keep the
commandments of the Lord in all things, that you may have joy with him
in the fruits of the vineyard when the work is finished. May he bless
you as he did Abraham and his servants of old, that you may do the
work he has appointed to you in faith, and prayer, and perseverance,
that you may bring home your thousands and rejoice in the midst of the
mountains.