Time will not permit me to multiply proofs any further, although I have
only presented a few of the many that might be cited. But in the fact
of the evidence already adduced, I claim positively that no one has the
right to denounce Joseph Smith as a false prophet, for in the light of
the key given by Moses, he must of necessity be a true prophet, as the
things spoken by him in the name of the Lord have come to pass. Even
his most bitter opponents have failed in one solitary instance to prove
his prophetic utterances false. Add to this the consistency of his
life, his almost unparalleled zeal in bearing testimony of the things
the Lord revealed to him, and this in the midst of the most trying
persecutions, sufferings, imprisonments and trials to which he was
constantly subjected, during his entire life, and finally his martyrdom
in Carthage jail for the sake of the testimony he bore and the
principles he advocated. And I would ask, What more proofs does mankind
{118} want to establish the fact that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of
the living God? If the divine calling of any Prophet in any age and
dispensation of the world has been proven, then I claim Joseph Smith's
prophetic calling has been established beyond dispute. The proofs for
this are so numerous, clear and positive that they ought to convince
every honest soul.
And now, in conclusion, I will bear my own testimony, which is, that
I know by the inspiration of the Almighty, by the power of the Holy
Spirit, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and that the doctrines
he promulgated are also true; for desiring to know the "will of the
Father" I sought unto God to know whether "the doctrine was of God"
or whether Joseph Smith "spoke of himself," and the result was the
testimony that I bear here tonight, and that I have borne to thousands
both in this land and in Europe. I ask God to grant to every honest
soul, who desires salvation and exaltation in the Kingdom of God, the
same testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
_"By a proper observance of the Word of Wisdom, man may hope to
regain what he has lost by transgression and live to the age of a
tree, that as the sun's rays in springtime gladden all nature and
awaken life and hope, the Word of Wisdom given of God may remove
the thorns and briers from our pathway and strew the same with joy
and peace."_
_Wilford Woodruff_.
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