eternal truth and the revelations
which God has given through his
servant Joseph, or the things which
he has revealed during the past
winter through the mouth of his
servants unto the inhabitants of this
city, or those which he has revealed
unto the inhabitants of the earth,
then they are prepared to be benefitted
by those blessings which are poured
out upon them. Any of you that have
experienced this blessing—and I pre-
sume that all have at times—have been
astonished at certain periods of their
lives that there has been such a
difference in their minds. I know
this is the case with myself, and I
presume it is with others. There have
been times that the vision of my mind
has been opened to comprehend the
word of God and the teachings of his
servants. The vision of my mind has
been opened and quickened by the
power of God and the gift of the Holy
Ghost, so that when I have sat here
and heard the Presidency and the
servants of God teach the principle of
righteousness and the word of God
unto us, I have felt the force, the
power, and the importance of these
eternal truths which they have pre-
sented unto our minds, while at other
times the same truths may have been
taught, but they have passed off
without making the same impression
upon my mind.

We have, as brother Franklin says,
spent an interesting time the past win-
ter. Much truth has been spoken:
men have been inspired by the gift
and power of the Holy Ghost to teach
us the things of God; and this I
consider to be a matter of great
importance to the people. I consider
it important that we labour to obtain
that Spirit, to have it increased upon
us, and carry it with us, that when we
hear teaching our minds may be
prepared to receive it. Why is it that
this Gospel of the kingdom has been
preached to the world for twenty-five
years, and that there are but so small
a number of the children of men who
have received those truths, been
governed by them, and suffered them
to govern one single act of their
lives? It is because their minds
have been darkened and have not
valued the Gospel, or considered the
consequences of rejecting it. It is
true we have a large congregation
here to-day, and that there are a
few thousands in these valleys and
throughout this Territory. Yet com-
pare them with the masses of mankind,
and how few they are. I am not
capable of making a calculation to
say whether there is one to five or ten
thousand who have embraced the
Gospel. One of the old Prophets said
that there would be one of a city and
two of a family. This has been fulfilled
in many instances. When the Elders
proclaimed the Gospel unto you, those
of you who are here received that
word, meditated upon it, so much so
that you have been willing to forsake
all that you possessed and come to
Zion. The seed has produced good
fruit; it has caused you to come to
Zion; but there are millions of the
masses who heard the Gospel, but they
have hardened their hearts and dark-
ness has taken hold of their minds,
and hence they have rejected the
Spirit of God which has striven with
them: they, in acting upon their
agency, have given way to seducing
spirits and rejected the Gospel of
Christ, and consequently the Spirit of
God has been withdrawn from them;
and because of this the Lord has been
taking his Spirit from the nations of
the earth. We see the fruits of it. It
needs no argument to prove a truth
so visible.

I will now say that inasmuch as
many of us have received the Gospel
and gathered with the Saints of God,
it is important that we labour to-day—
that we live under the influence of
that Spirit, that it may continue to

INSPIRATION AND TEACHINGS OF THE SPIRIT.

eternal truth and the revelations which God has given through his servant Joseph, or the things which he has revealed during the past winter through the mouth of his servants unto the inhabitants of this city, or those which he has revealed unto the inhabitants of the earth, then they are prepared to be benefitted by those blessings which are poured out upon them. Any of you that have experienced this blessing—and I presume that all have at times—have been astonished at certain periods of their lives that there has been such a difference in their minds. I know this is the case with myself, and I presume it is with others. There have been times that the vision of my mind has been opened to comprehend the word of God and the teachings of his servants. The vision of my mind has been opened and quickened by the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost, so that when I have sat here and heard the Presidency and the servants of God teach the principle of righteousness and the word of God unto us, I have felt the force, the power, and the importance of these eternal truths which they have presented unto our minds, while at other times the same truths may have been taught, but they have passed off without making the same impression upon my mind.

We have, as brother Franklin says, spent an interesting time the past winter. Much truth has been spoken: men have been inspired by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost to teach us the things of God; and this I consider to be a matter of great importance to the people. I consider it important that we labour to obtain that Spirit, to have it increased upon us, and carry it with us, that when we hear teaching our minds may be prepared to receive it. Why is it that this Gospel of the kingdom has been preached to the world for twenty-five years, and that there are but so small a number of the children of men who have received those truths, been governed by them, and suffered them to govern one single act of their lives? It is because their minds have been darkened and have not valued the Gospel, or considered the consequences of rejecting it. It is true we have a large congregation here to-day, and that there are a few thousands in these valleys and throughout this Territory. Yet compare them with the masses of mankind, and how few they are. I am not capable of making a calculation to say whether there is one to five or ten thousand who have embraced the Gospel. One of the old Prophets said that there would be one of a city and two of a family. This has been fulfilled in many instances. When the Elders proclaimed the Gospel unto you, those of you who are here received that word, meditated upon it, so much so that you have been willing to forsake all that you possessed and come to Zion. The seed has produced good fruit; it has caused you to come to Zion; but there are millions of the masses who heard the Gospel, but they have hardened their hearts and darkness has taken hold of their minds, and hence they have rejected the Spirit of God which has striven with them: they, in acting upon their agency, have given way to seducing spirits and rejected the Gospel of Christ, and consequently the Spirit of God has been withdrawn from them; and because of this the Lord has been taking his Spirit from the nations of the earth. We see the fruits of it. It needs no argument to prove a truth so visible.

I will now say that inasmuch as many of us have received the Gospel and gathered with the Saints of God, it is important that we labour to-day— that we live under the influence of that Spirit, that it may continue to