Mormon History, Mar 4, 1849

[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] {4th Sunday} The United States is without A President to day. President Polk went out last night. President Taylor is installed to morrow. Hence there is no president to day.
I met A Congregation of Saints And many strangers at Brother Birds for A meeting At 2 oclok. Elder Whipple from the Valley of the Salt Lake was present. Elder J. P. Haven from the Bluffs Also And A vary full House.
I Addressed over one hour & had much of the Spirit of God resting upon me And bore A strong testimony unto the People. Preached the first principles of the gospel And spoke of the general Bare-ings of the work of God in the present Dispensation. In speaking of the body of Christ And members in particular I told them I had seen men in my travels without Arms, legs some without eyes, &c but I had never seen A man going about without A head. And As A natural body without A head would dye so the Church without A Head would die.
Br Whipple followed me & made some vary good remarks And edefying. He said notwithstanding the Jews had Apostitized the right of the kingdom belonged to them & Jesus came & set up the kingdom among them. They rejected it. He took the kingdom from the Jews. Gave it to the gentile. All that were in the kingdom went to the gentiles with the Kingdom of God. The Gentiles in like manner have Apostitized And have not continued in the goodness of God. Still they have A right to have the kingdom of God set up among them in the last days And Joseph Smith being warned & commanded of God has recieved the gospel from the hand of an Angel, preached it to the gentiles set up the kingdom for the last time among them. They have rejected it. It will now again be taken from them & given to the Jews & all in the kingdom will go to the Jews with it & many will come from E. W. N. S. & sit down with Abram &c while the /gentiles/ Children of the Kingdom will be cast out.
Brother Haven followed with interesting remarks in explaining the principles of repentance by A figure. If A Mother set two little children at work, they should leave it & go to play & dirty their clothes. And when the Mother Came [she] find they had not done the work but been disobediant but promised forgiveness if they would go wash their face change their closes [clothes] & do the work. One goes & do as she is required. The other follows her Mother & crys all day & pleads with her to forgive her. When night Comes one has cryed all day for forgiveness but has not done the thing required. The other has done the things required which is most justifyed? The one that obeyed the Mother. So with Man. It is not evry one [who?] says Lord Lord, that shall enter into my Kingdom but He that doeth the will of my father who is in Heaven.
I Administered the Sacrament And Confirmed two persons And Blessed three Children, And dismissed the meeting. We had A good time.

[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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