Back to the BOAP Web Page

Sermon delivered at the funeral of Ephraim Marks at Nauvoo, Ill. on Saturday April 9, 1842
Source: Wilford Woodruff Journal

9th The Saints in Nauvoo assembled at the house of President Marks at an early hour in the morning to pay their last respects to the Body of Ephraim Marks son of President Marks who died on the evening of the 7th A large procession formed two by two & walked to the grove a larger concorse assembled

Solemn Time - Contemplate our Lives

President Joseph Smith spoke upon the occasion with much feelings & interst among his remarks he said it is a vary solemn & awful time I never felt more solumn it calles to mind the death of my oldest Brother who died in New York & my youngest Brother Carloss Smith who died in Nauvoo; It has been hard for me to live on earth & see those young men upon whom we have leaned upon as a support & comfort taken from us in the midst of their youth, yes it has been hard to be reconciled to these things I have some times felt that I should have felt more reconciled to have been called myself if it could have been the will of God, yet I know we ought to be still & know it is of God & be reconciled all is right it will be but a short time before we shall all in like manner be called. It may be the case with me as well as you

Joseph has no Lease on Life

Some has supposed that Br Joseph Could not die but this is a mistake it is true their has been times when I have had the promise of my life to accomplish such & such things, but having accomplish those things I have not at present any lease of my life I am as liable to die as other men 1 I can say in my heart that I have not done any thing against Ephraim Marks that I am sorry for & I would ask any of his companions if they have done any thing against him that they are sorry for or that they would not like to meet at the bar of God if

We Should be Ready to Die

so let it prove as a warning to all men to deal justly before God & with all men then we shall be clean in the day of judgment When we loose a near & dear friend upon whom we have set our hearts we can never feel the same afterwards knowing that if we set our hearts upon others they may in like manner be taken from us President Smith made many other interesting remarks & left it for President Rigdon to close.

Notes

1. Compare 27Aug43 and for example.

Copyright © 2000, 2007. W. V. Smith and the Book of Abraham Project. All rights reserved. Files in The Parallel Joseph may be read at this site, but may not be copied to reside anywhere else. They may not be printed or distributed in any manner without written permission of the copyright holder.