PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS AND THEIR FULFILLMENT--PREDICTIONS IN MY OWN
BLESSING--GOLD-DUST FROM CALIFORNIA--TAUGHT BY AN ANGEL--STRUGGLE WITH
EVIL SPIRITS--ADMINISTERED TO BY ANGELS--WHAT ANGELS ARE SENT TO THE
EARTH FOR.
The duty of a Patriarch is to bestow blessings upon his posterity and
the children of men.
In a revelation (_Doc. and Cov_., sec. 107) the Lord says that "Three
years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan,
Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch and Methuselah, who were all High Priests,
with the residue of his posterity who were righteous into the valley of
Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessings. * *
And Adam * * predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the
last generation. These things are all written in the book of Enoch, and
are to be testified of in due time."
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were patriarchs, and blessed their posterity.
All that Jacob said and sealed upon the heads of his twelve sons has
been fulfilled to the very letter, so far as time has permitted.
We also have patriarchs in our day. Father Joseph Smith, the father
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was the first Patriarch of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He gave a great many blessings
unto the Saints, which are recorded, and many of them have seen their
fulfillment.
When he put his hands on the head of a person to bless him, it seemed
as though the heavens were opened, and he could reveal the whole life
of that person.
He gave me my patriarchal blessing in the Temple of the Lord at
Kirtland, on the 15th day of April, 1837.
Many marvelous things which he sealed upon my head, for which I could
then see no earthly chance of fulfillment, have already been fulfilled
to the very letter.
One or two instances I will name. He said I should have access to the
treasures hid in the ground to assist me in getting myself and others
to Zion.
When in Cambridgeport gathering up the Saints, in 1850, Alexander
Badlam went to California on business, and the Saints who were digging
gold filled a little sack with gold dust and sent it to me to assist me
on my mission.
By the sale of this treasure from California I was enabled to emigrate
myself, family and a number of others to Zion in the mountains.
He also said I should have power to bring my father and his family into
the Church. This was fulfilled when I visited them during my mission to
the Fox Islands, as previously related.
My father gathered to Salt Lake City with the Saints, and he died
there, aged 83 years.
The Patriarch also said that I should be wrapt in the visions of
heaven, and an angel of God should teach me many things. This was
literally fulfilled.
Again, he told me I should be delivered from my enemies (who would seek
my destruction) by the mighty power of God and the administrations of
angels. This was marvelously fulfilled while in the city of London
in 1840. Brothers Heber C. Kimball, Geo. A. Smith and I went to
London together in the winter of 1840, being the first Elders who had
attempted to establish the gospel in that great and mighty city.
As soon as we commenced we found the devil was manifest; the evil
spirits gathered for our destruction, and at times they had great power.
They would destroy all the Saints if they were not restrained by the
power of God.
Brother Smith and myself, were together, and had retired to our rest,
each occupying a cot, and but three feet apart.
We had only just lain down, when it seemed as if a legion of devils
made war upon us, to destroy us, and we were struggling for our lives
in the midst of this warfare of evil spirits until we were nearly
choked to death.
I began to pray the best that I could in the midst of this struggle and
asked the Father in the name of Jesus Christ to spare our lives.
While thus praying three personages entered the room, clothed in white
and encircled with light.
They walked to our bedside, laid hands upon our heads and we were
instantly delivered; and from that time forth we were no more troubled
with evil spirits while in the city of London.
As soon as they administered unto us they withdrew from the room, the
lights withdrew with them and darkness returned.
Many other sayings of the Patriarch Joseph Smith in my blessing have
been fulfilled in my experience, but I have said sufficient on this
subject. All the blessings that are sealed upon our heads will be
fulfilled, and many more, if we are faithful and live for them.
In closing my testimony I wish to say that I do not think that the Lord
ever sends an angel to the earth to visit the children of men, unless
it is necessary to introduce a dispensation of the gospel, or deliver a
message, or perform a work that cannot be done otherwise.
It required an angel of God to deliver the gospel to Joseph Smith
because it was not then upon the earth, and that was in fulfillment of
the word of the Lord through John the Revelator (_Revelations xiv_.
6). And so in regard to the administrations of angels in all ages of
the world; it is to deliver a message and perform a work which cannot
otherwise be accomplished.
End of Project Gutenberg's Leaves from My Journal, by Wilford Woodruff