Minutes of a discourse, preached by the Prophet Joseph Smith, on Sunday 12th. of May 1844
The Savior has the words of Eternal life— nothing else can profit us— there is no salvation in believing an evil against our neighbor— I advise all to go on to perfection and search deeper into the mysteries of Godliness— a man can do nothing for himself— the last time I spoke it was on the resurrection of the dead; when I promised to continue it— I still feel a desire to say something on this subject— let us this very day begin anew. and now say we will be righteous— I shall read the 24th. ch of Matthew and give it a litteral rendering & reading, and when rightly understood will be edifying (he translated it from the German) I thought the very oddity of its rendering would be edifying any how— “And it will preached be, the Gospel of the Kingdomin the whole world, to a witness over all people, and thenwill the end come”. I will now read it in German— (several persons said he translated it correct) the Savior said, when those tribulations should take place, it should be committed to a man, who should be a witness over the whole world, the keys of knowledge, power, and revelations, should be revealed to a witness who should hold the testimony to the world; it has always been my province to dig up hidden mysteries, new things, for my hearers— just at the time when some men think that I have no right to the keys just at that time, I have the greatest right— the Germans are an exalted people, the old German translators is the most correct, most honest and therefore I get testimony to bear me out in the revelations that I have preached for the last 14 years— the old German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew all say it is true, they cannot be impeached, and I am in good company— all the testimony is, that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys to a witness over all people— has the Gospel of the Kingdom commenced in the last days, and will God take it from the man, until he takes him, himself, I have read it precisely as the words flowed from the lips of Jesus Christ— John the Revelator saw an angel flying thro’ the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, &c. the Scripture is ready to be fulfilled when great wars, famines, pestilence, judgments &c are ready to be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth— John saw the angel having the priesthood who should preach— God had an angel, ordained, & prepared for the that purpose in the last days— Woe! Woe! be to that man, or set of men, who lift up their hands against God and his Witness in these last days—— for they shall deceive almost the very chosen ones— my enemies say I have been a true prophet— & I had rather be a fallen true prophet, than a false prophet; when a man goes about prophesying and commands men to obey him, he must be either a true or false prophet— false prophets always arise to oppose the true prophets, and will deceive almost the very chosen ones— the doctrine of eternal judgments belong to the 1st. principles of the Gospel in the last days— in relation to the Kingdom of God— the devil always sets up his Kingdom at the very same time— every man who has a calling to the world, was ordained to that very purpose in the grand Council of Heaven— I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that grand Council— it is the testimony that I want, that I am God’s servant, and this people his people— in the last days the God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom & the very time that was calculated on, this people was struggling to bring it out— he that arms himself with Gun, sword, or Pistol will some time be sorry for it— I never carry any thing bigger than my Pen Knife— when I was dragged before the Cannon and muskets in , I was unarmed, God will always protect me
I calculate to be one of the Instruments of setting up the Kingdom of Daniel, by the word of the Lord, and I intend to revolutionize the whole world— I once offered my life to the Mob as a sacrifice for my people— and here I am— it will not be by Sword or Gun that this Kingdom will roll on— all nations will be under the necessity of obeying the Gospel— the prediction is that army will be against army— it may be that the Saints will have to beat their Ploughs into Swords [p. [1]]