Inspired Prophetic Warnings To All Inhabitants of the Earth

WORLD WAR OF 1914 SHOWN WILFORD WOODRUFF (continued)

President Woodruff was filled with the power and influence of the Holy Ghost on this occasion, so much so that it not only thrilled his own voice, but shook the hearts of his hearers. He began his remarks by saying: "I should not try to speak to this congregation tonight, as I have spoken twice before today; but there are duties resting upon me that I must attend to. And I want to ask this congregation a question: When I have the vision of the night opened continually before my eyes, and can see the mighty judgments that are about to be poured out upon this world, when I know these things are true, and are at the door of Jew and Gentile; while I know they are true and while I am holding this position before God and this world, can I withhold my voice from lifting up a warning to this people, and to the nations of the earth? I may never meet with this people again; I cannot tell how that may be. But while I live and see these things continually before my eyes I shall raise my warning voice.

Now, the question I wanted to ask you is this: We have fourteen hundred million people on this earth, and over them there hangs a cloud of darkness almost entirely upon their shoulders. Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? I'll tell you. The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. They are the only mortal beings. No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely. They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah. And none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury. God has held the angels of destruction for many years, lest they should reap down the wheat with the tares. But I want to tell you now, that those angels have left the portals of heaven, and they stand over this people and this nation now, and are hovering over the earth waiting to pour out the judgments. And from this very day they shall be poured out. Calamities and troubles are increasing in the earth, and there is a meaning to these things. Remember this, and reflect upon these matters. If you do your duty, and I do my duty, we'll have protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and in safety. Read the scriptures and the revelations. They will tell you about all these things. Great changes are at our doors. The next twenty years will see mighty changes among the nations of the earth. You will live, to see these things, whether I do or not.

I have felt oppressed with the weight of these matters, and I felt I must speak of them here. It's by the power of the Gospel that we shall escape. We are having many men come to us with pretended revelations, Josephites and Strangites and other men; one man came to me and said he had had revelations to lead this Church; I am willing to leave all these things in the hands of God. Where has the power of God been since the death of Joseph? With this people. They say, these apostates, that Brigham Young organized the endowments and originated the principle of plural marriage. They're liars, every one of them, and the truth is not in them in so far as this matter is concerned. There's Sister Bathsheba Smith; she and I both had our endowments under the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I had my second anointings and sealings under his hands. There is not a single principle in this Church that he did not lay the foundation for; he called the Twelve together the last time he spoke to us, and his face shone like amber. And upon our shoulders he rolled the burden of the Kingdom, and he gave us all the keys and powers and gifts to carry on this great and mighty work. He told us that he had received every key, every power and every gift for the salvation of the living and the dead, and he said: "Upon the Twelve I seal these gifts and powers and keys from henceforth and forever. No matter what may come to me. And I lay this work upon your shoulders. Take it and bear it off, and if you don't you'll be damned."

I don't feel justified in contending with these apostates and such men. There is too much work to be done. And these things are true, and if such men don't find it out here, they will hereafter. There is an anxiety in the spirit world concerning this people. The angels of God are with us, and they will assist us in this work. God bless you and all this people. I felt that I had finished my work when that Temple was finished; and the doctors said I could not live. But my life was spared because this people were putting up petitions in my behalf continually before God. I feel to bless you, my brethren and sisters. May He help us all to do our duty, and be prepared for the great events coming upon this earth. Amen.

Report written by Susa Young Gates of the Temple Workers' Excursion. Young Woman's Journal, August, 1894, Vol. 5, No. 11.

On the morning of November 28, 1939, he (Joseph Smith the Prophet) and Judge Higbee arrived at Washington, and on the following day they went to the White House, the residence of the President of the United States. They were soon shown into an upper apartment, where they met President Van Buren and were introduced into his parlor. There they presented their letters of introduction to him. As soon as he had read one of them, he looked upon Brothers Joseph and Higbee with a kind of half frown, and said, "What can I do? I can do nothing for you! If I do anything I shall come in contact with the whole State of Missouri." But the brethren were not to be thus intimidated; they demanded a hearing and constitutional rights, when the President finally promised to reconsider what he had said, and observed that he felt to sympathize with the Saints because of their sufferings.

Van Buren did not make a favorable impression upon Joseph, who describes him as a small man with sandy complexion, ordinary features, a frowning brow and an ill proportioned body; "and to come directly to the point," he adds, "he is so much a fop or a fool (for he judged our case before he knew it), that we could find no place to put truth into him." After their interview with the President they visited the members of Congress from Illinois, and delivered the letters of introduction which they had for them. These members were generally disposed to favor Joseph and the Saints, and this was not without cause. The Saints who had moved to Illinois were numerous, and the men and party in whose favor their votes would be cast at an election would be sure to win, as the two great political parties in the State were about equally divided as to number at that time. The members of Congress knew this, and as politicians it was to their interest to do what they could for the Saints. Consequently they met together and decided, after discussing the subject, that a memorial and petition should be drawn up in a concise manner, and that Judge Young, who was senator from Illinois, should present the same to the Senate. It was expected that the matter would be referred to the proper committee with all the accompanying documents, and be printed. But all of Joseph's exertions, as well as the testimonies, affidavits and other documents which they laid before Congress, failed to have any effect. Neither the President, nor the Senate and House of Representatives would do anything to call the State of Missouri to account for the inhuman wrongs which her people had inflicted upon unoffending free-born American citizens.

The Church had appealed to governors and judges, and now, through its President, it appealed to the Chief Executive of the nation, and the Congress, in which every State in the Republic was represented--the highest authority in the land. There was no redress to be obtained from them; nothing further could be done, therefore, but to leave them in the hands of the Lord, who, in his own due time, will plead the cause of His people.

It is interesting to read Joseph's views respecting the men he was thrown in contact with at Washington. "For a general thing," he said, "there is but little solidity and honorable deportment among those who are sent to represent the people; but a great deal of pomposity and show. There is such an itching disposition to display their oratory on the most frivial occasions, and so much etiquette, bowing and scraping, twisting and turning to make a display of their witticisms, that it seems to us rather a display of folly and show, more than substance and gravity, such as becomes a great nation like ours. However, there are some exceptions."

In the latter part of January, 1840, Joseph left Philadelphia accompanied by Brothers Rockwell, Higbee and Foster, and again visited Washington. Sidney Rigdon joined Joseph at Philadelphia, but was still sick, and had to be left there. On his second visit to the capitol Joseph had another interview with President Van Buren who treated him very insolently. He listened very reluctantly to what Joseph had to say, and in reply uttered that sentiment which has obtained such a deservedly widespread notoriety among the Latter-day Saints: "Gentlemen, your cause is just but I can do nothing for you; and if I take up for you I shall lose the vote of Missouri."

Respecting this interview, Joseph remarks: "His whole course went to show that he was an office-seeker, that self-aggrandizement was his ruling passion, and that justice and righteousness were no part of his composition. I found him such a man as I could not conscientiously support at the head of our great Republic." Joseph also had an interview with John C. Calhoun, senator from South Carolina; but his treatment of Joseph was such as very ill became his station. While conversing with him concerning the persecutions of the Saints, this renowned statesman said: "It involves a nice question--the question of States rights; it will not do to agitate it." Henry Clay, another prominent senator, whose assistance Joseph also sought, coldly remarked, in alluding to the Saints: "You had better go to Oregon."