Smith Diary | Woodruff Diary | Clayton Diary |
Sunday Morning April 16. 1843 Meeting at the Temple. A. M. 10. o. C Joseph read Bro Pratts letters to the Editors of "T. & Seasons" concerning the death of Lorenzo Barns. & remarked he read it because it was so appropriate to all who had died in the faith.-- Almost all who have fallen in these last days, in the church, have fallen in a strange land, this is a strange land. to those who have come from a distance. ¶ we should cultivate sympathy for the afflicted among us. ¶ If there is a place on earth. where men should cultivate this Spirit & pour in the oil & wine in the bosom of the afflicted it is this place. and this spirit is manifest here= & although he is a stranger & afflicted when he arrives, h finds a brother & friend ready to administer to his necessities.-- ¶ another remark, I would esteem it one of the greatest blessings, if I am to be afflicted in this world, to have my lot cast where I can find brothers & friends all around me. |
President J. Smith Addressed the assembly of the saints at the temple of the
Lord upon the subject of the |
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but this is not thing I referred to it is to have the privilige of
having our dead buried on the land where god has appointed to gather
his saints together.--- & where there will be nothing but saints, where
they may have the privilege of laying their bodies where the Son will make
his appearance. & where they may hear the. sound of the trump that shall call
them forth to behold him, that in the morn of the resurrection they may come
forth in a body. & come right up out of their graves, & strike hands immediately
in eternal glory & felicity rather than to be scattered thousands of miles apart.
There is something good & sacred to me in this thing. the place where a man is
buried has been sacred to me.--this subject is made mention of In Book of Mormon &
Scriptures. to the aborigines ¶
When I heard of the death of our beloved bero Barns it would not have affected me so
much if I had the opportunity of burying him in the land of Zion. I believe, those who
have buried their friends here their condition is enviable. Look at Joseph in Egypt how
he required his friends to bury him in the tomb of his fathers.- see the expense &
¶
I have said, father, I desire to be buried here, & before I go home, but if this is not
thy will ¶ I will tell you what I want, if to morrow I shall be called to lay in yonder tomb. in the morning of the resurrection, let me strike hands with my father, & cry, my father, & he will say my son, my son.,- as soon as the rock rends. & before we come out of our graves. ¶ & may we contemplate these things so? Yes, if we learn how to live & how we die ¶ when we lie down we contemplate how we may rise up in the morning and it is pleasing for friends to lie down together locked in the arms of love, to sleep, & locke in each others embrace & renew their conversation. ¶ would you think it strange that I relate what I have seen in vision in relation this interesting theme. Those who have died in Jesus Christ, may expect to enter in to all that fruition of Joy when they come forth, which they have possessed here. ¶ so plain was the vision I actually saw men, before they had ascended from the tomb, as though they were getting up slowly, they took each other by the hand & it was my father & my son. my mother & my daughter my brother & my sister when the voice calls, suppose I am laid by the side of my father.-- what would be the first Joy of my heart? where is my father - my mother - my sister. they are by my side I embrace them & they me. |
he said he should have been more reconciled to the death of Elder barnes Could his bodey
have been laid in the grave in Nauvoo or among the Saints, he said he had very peculiar
feelings relative to recieving an honorable burial with his father he Considered Nauvoo
would be a burying place of the Saints & Should he die he considered it would be a great
Blessing to be buried with the saints & esspecially to be buried with his father yes he
wanted to lie by the side of his father that when the trump of God should sound & the
voice of God should say ye Saints arise that when the tomb should birst he could arise
from the grave & first salute his father & say O my father! & his father say O my son!!
as they took each other by the hand he wished next to salute his brothers & sisters &
then the Saints & he said it was upon this principle that the ancients were so particular
to have an honorable burial with their fathers as in the case of Joseph, before his
death he made his kindred promise to carry his bones to the land of Canaan & they did
so they embalmed his body took it to the land of Canaan & buryed it with his fathers
their is a glory in this that many do not comprehend. It is true that in the resurrection
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Heard Pres. J preach on the resurrection shewing the importance of being buried with the saints & their relatives in as much as we shall want to see our relatives first & shall rejoice to strike hands with our parents, children &c when rising from the tomb. |
¶ It is my meditation all the day & more than my meat & drink to know how I shall make
the saints of God to comprehend the visions that roll like an overflowing surge, before my ¶
O how I would delight to bring before you things which you never thought of, but poverty & the
cares of the world prevent. but I am glad I have the privilige of communicating to you some
things, which if grasped closely will be a help to you when the clouds are gathering. & the
storms are ready- -to burst upon you like peals of thunder. lay hold of these things & let not
your knees tremble. nor your hearts faint. what can Earthquakes |
He wished all of the saints to be comforted with the victory they were to gain by the resurrection it is sufficient to encourage the saint to overcome in the midst of evry trial trouble & tribulation though thunders roar & earthquakes bellow, lightnings flash & wars are upon evry hand yet suffer not a joint to tremble nor let not your heart faint for the great Eloheem will deliver you & if not before the resurrection will set you eternally free from all these things from pain sorrow & death. I have labored hard & sought every way to try to prepare this people to comprehend the things that God is unfolding to me | |
all your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection provided you continue faithful. ¶ by the vision of the almighty I have seen it.-- ¶ More painful to me the thought of annihilation than death. if I had no expectation of seeing my mother Brothr. & Sisters & friends again my heart would burst in a moment & I should go down to my grave. The expectation of seeing my friends in the morning of the resurrection cheers my soul. and make be bear up against the evils of life. it is like their taking a long journey. & on their return we meet them with increased joy. ¶
God has revealed his son from the heavens. & the doctrine of the resurrection also. &
we have a knowledge that these we ¶ Then let them sink down; like a ship in the storm. the mighty anchor holds the storm so let these truths sink down in our hearts, that we may even here begin to enjoying that which shall be in full hereafter. ¶ Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna, to Almighty god that rays of light begin to burst forth upon us even now. ¶
I cannot find words to express myself I am not learned. but I have as good
feelings as any man. O that I had the language of the archangel to express my feeling.
once to my friends. but I never expect to ¶ when others rejoice I rejoice. when they mourn I would mourn-- ¶ to Marcellus Bates. let me administer comfort, you shall soon have the company of your companion in a world of glory-- & the friend of Bro. Barns.--& all the saints who are mourning. this has been a warning voice to us all, to be sober & diligent & lay aside mirth & vanity & folly.-- & be prepared to die tomorrow. (preached about 2 hours)
¶ . . . Presst. Joseph said as president of this house I forbid any man's leaving this house just as we are going to close the meeting. he is no gentleman who will do it. I don't care who it comes from.--if it were from the King of England. I forbid it.-- |
In speaking of the resurrection I would say that God hath shown unto me a vission of the resurrection of the dead & I saw the graves open & the saints as they arose took each other by the hand even before they got open while setting up & great Joy & glory rested upon them. |