July 2, 1839

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Sermon delivered on July 2, 1839 (Tuesday) at the Brigham Young Dwelling, Montrose, Iowa Territory¹ Source: Wilford Woodruff Journal

July 1st I wrote a letter to Sister Sarah Milliken & made some boxes &c.

2d THIS was an interesting day. The First Presidency Joseph & his Council Came across the river to Montrose to spend the day with the Twelve to bless them & their families before they left for other Nations.

In the fore part of the day we rode four miles down the river to see the place called Blefens point whare the Saints expected to build a town. Joseph pronounced it good & we returned. The whole company dined at my dwelling Consisting of about Twelve persons. After dinner we all assembled at Elder Brigham Young house for meeting.

President Hiram Smith opened the meeting by prayer after which the Presidency lade their hands upon my head & sealed a blessing upon me President Rigdon being speaker. They also sealed a blessing upon the head of Elder's George A Smith & Turley, Also upon the head of Sister Young Sister Tailor & my wife. If we were faithful we had the promise of again returning to the bosom of our families & being blesed on our mission & having many Souls as seals of our ministry.

After the blessings were bestowed Brother Hiram Smith arose & gave The Twelve Some interesting advice and Council Considering it best to say nothing but repentance to this generation or at least to preach the first principles of the gosepl as that was as much as this generation could endure & many other things he said of interest.

Then Joseph arose & presented some precious things of the kingdom unto us in the power of the Holy Ghost, yea precious principles that ought to be engraven upon our hearts & practiced in our lives, some of which are as follows:
Then Joseph arose & presented some precious things of the kingdom unto us in the power of the Holy Ghost, Yea precious principles that ought to be engraven upon our hearts & practiced in our lives. Some of which are as follows.

Forgiveness - Mercy
Ever keep in exercise the principles of mercy & be ready to forgive our brother on the first intimations of repentance & asking forgiveness & should we even forgive our brother or our enemy before they ask it our heavenly father would be equally as merciful unto us.

Complete Confession Necessary
& also we ought to be willing to repent of & confess all of our own sins & keep nothing back,

Competition in Spiritual Matters
& let the Twelve be humble & not be exalted & beware of pride & not seek to excell one above another but act for each others good & honorably make mention of each others name in our prayrs before the Lord & before our fellow men, & not backbite & devour our brother. Why will not man learn Wisdom by precept & example at this late age of the word & not be oblieged to learn every thing we know by sad experience. Must the new ones that are chosen to fill the places of those that are fallen of the quorum of the Twelve, begin to exhalt themselves untill they get so high that they will tumble over & have a great fall & go wallowing through the mud, mire, & darkness Judas like to the buffatings of Satan as several of the Twelve have done, or will they learn wisdom & be wise (O God give them wisdom & keep them humble I pray)

Never Take Credit for Inspiration from God
When the Twelve or any other witness of Jesus Christ stands befor the Congregations of the earth & they preach in the power & demonstration of the Holy Ghost & the people are asstonished & confounded at the doctrin & say that that man has preached a powerful discourse a great sermon then let that man or those men take care that they do not ascribe the glory unto themselves but be careful that they are humble & asscribe the praise & glory to God & the Lamb for it is by the power of the Holy Priesthood & the Holy Ghost that they have power thus to speak. What art thou O man but dust & from wholm dost thou received thy power & blessings but from God,

Beware in Dealing with the World
then O ye Twelve notice this [a drawn key appears here] Key & be wise for Christ sake & your own souls sake. Ye are not sent out to be taught but to teach let every man be sober be vigilent & let all his words be seasoned with grace & keep in mind that it is a day of warning & not of many words. Act honest before God & man beware of gentile sophestry such as bowing & scraping unto men in wholm you have no confidence be honest open & frank in all your intercourse with mankind

Do not Betray the Restoration

¶ O ye Twelve and all saints, profit by this important Key [another key here] that in all your trials troubles &, temptations, afflictions bonds imprisonment & death See to it that you do not betray heaven, that you do not betray Jesus Christ, that you do not betray your Brethren, & that you do not betray the revelations of God whether in the bible, Book of Mormon, or Doctrine & Covenants or any of the word of God. Yea in all your kicking, & floundering see to it that you do not this thing lest innocence blood be found in your skirts & you go down to hell. We may ever know by this sign that there is danger of our being led to a fall & aposticy. When we give way to the devil so as to neglect the first known [indecipherable] but whatever you do, do not betray your Friend.

Willard Richards "Pocket Companion"

Items. from Joseph to the Twelve

The following important items and plain & precious principles were delivered unto the Twelve from Joseph in Montrose, Ioway, Territory July 1 1839

Notes 1. The Joseph Smith diary under this date reads, "Afternoon, met with the twelve & Some of the Seventies who are about to proceed on their mission to England, the nations of the earth, and the Islands of the Sea. The meeting was opened by singing and prayer after which The Presidency proceeded to bless two of the Twelve, who had lately been ordained into that quorum viz: Wilford Woodfuff & George_^^A Smith & one of the Seventies viz Theodore Turley after which a blessings were also pronounced by them on the heads of the wives of _^^{Some of} those about to _^^go abroad. - I - (President Joseph Smith Jr.) then addressed them, and gave much instruction calculated to guard them against self sufficiency, selfrighteousness & self importance, touching upon many subjects of importance & value to all who wish to walk humbly before the Lord, but especialy teaching _^^them to observe charity wisdom, & fellow feeling with Love, one towards another in all things & under all circumstances."

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