Wilford Woodruff on Journaling
I said I fell to say a few words. We have had a good exertation from Brother Joseph Young. He said some had thought that we should have the privilege of coming to these rallies & setting down & resting but he thought that we had as much to do as ever. I think so to. I am thoroughly Converted to the faith that we shall never arrive at that period of existence when we shall not have something to do. I believe our work will increase throughout all Eternity though we may not have to gain our bread by the sweat of our brow neither shall we always have to Cultivate the soil in the midst of thorns & briers. Our Father in Heaven is always busy. His kingdom & works are increasing & I believe it will be the same with us throughout all Eternity if we are saved.
There is another subject which I wish to speak of. Brother Hunter said that He wanted the clerk to keep a record of their meetings as it would make a good History. This is a subject I have always felt interested in & as there are many branches in the kingdom of God so there should be some persons engaged in each branch. I have often spoken upon this subject & I have often thought that to many it was dry and uninteresting to many. I mean the subject of Journal writing & keeping a history of what transpires with us from day to day. I was deeply impressed with the importance of this subject today while reading the History of the organization of the quorum of the Twelve and the remarks of the Prophet Joseph upon the subject. He said “I have for myself learned a fact by experience which on reflection gives me much sorrow. It is a truth that if I now had in my possession every decision which has been given upon important items of Doctrine & duties since the rise of this Church they would be of incalculable worth to the saints. But we have neglected to keep a record of such things thinking perhaps that they never benefit us afterwords which had we now would decide almost any point that might be agitated. And now we Cannot bear record to the Church nor unto the world of the great & glorious manifestation that have been made to us with that degree of power and authority which we otherwise Could if we had those decisions to publish abroad.
Since the Twelve are now chosen I wish to tell them a course which they may pursue & be benefited here after in a point of light of which they perhaps are not now aware. At all times when you assemble in the Capacity of a Council to transact business let the Oldest of your Number preside & let one or more be appointed to keep a record of your proceedings & on the decision of every important item let it be what it may let such decision be noted down and they will ever after words remain upon record as LAW Covenants & doctrine. Questions thus decided might at the time appear unimportant, but should they be recorded & one of you lay hands upon them after words you might find them of infinite worth not only to your brethren but a feast also to your own souls.”
“Should you assemble from time to time & proceed to discuss important (Subjects) or questions & pass decisions by & by upon them & omit to record such decisions by & by you will be driven to straits from which you will not be able to extricate yourselves & not being in a situation to bring your faith to bear with sufficient perfection or power to obtain the desired information. Now in Consequence of a neglect to write these things when God revealed them not esteeming them of sufficient worth the spirit may withdraw & God may be angry and here is a fountain of intelligence or knowledge of infinite importance which is lost. What was the Cause of this? The answer is slothfulness or Neglect to appoint a man to occupy a few moments in writing.”
“Here Let me prophesy. The time will Come when if you neglect to do this you will fall by the Hands of unrighteous men. Were you to be brought before the authorities and accused of any crime or misdemeanor and be as innocent as the angels of God unless you can prove that you were some whare else your Enemies will prevail against you. But if you can bring Twelve men to testify that you were in some other place at that time you will escape their hands. Now if you will be Careful to keep minutes of these things as I have said it will be one of the most important & interesting records ever seen. I have now laid these things before you [for] your Consideration, and you are left to act according to your own Judgment.”) (See record of the Twelve Historians office) /and History of the Church February 1835/.
I have thus referred to some of the words of Joseph to the Twelve Apostles at their organization. This Shows the feelings of the Prophet Joseph upon this subject. I have had this same subject upon my mind ever since I have been a member of the Church. I have been inspired & moved upon to keep a Journal & write the affairs of this Church as far as I Can. I did not understand why my feelings was exercised so much at the early age of this Church, but I understand it now. I seldom ever heard Brother Joseph or the Twelve preach or teach any principle but what I felt as uneasy as a fish out of water until I had written it. Then I felt right. I could write a sermon of Josephs a week after it was delivered almost word for word & after it was written it was taken from me or from my mind. This was a gift from God unto me, and I have kept a Journal of almost every day of my life for the last 24 years.
I could tell each day what I had done, what Company I was in & what was transpiring around me and any teachings or councils from the presidency of the Church except where I knew that reporters had written there discourses & I have urged this same Course upon the Twelve & all the Quorums of the Church to keep a record of their meetings & the dealings of God with them & for all men who bear the Priesthood to keep a record of their lives especially of all their official acts in the Church & kingdom of God.
You may say that this is a great deal of trouble. Very well. It has been to me in one sense It has occupied nearly every leisure moment of my time for 24 years. But what of it? I have never spent any of my time more profitably for the benefit of mankind than in my Journal writing for a great portion of the Church History has been Compiled from my Journals & some of the most glorious Gospel Sermons truths & revelations that were given from God to this people through the mouth of the Prophets Joseph, Brigham, Heber & the Twelve Could not be found upon the Earth on record only in my Journals & they are Compiled in the Church History & transmitted to the Saints of God in all future Generations. Does not this pay me for my trouble? It does.
In many instances in this Church men have been appointed Clerks to write for the church. They have kept the records instead of delivering them to the President of the Church where they belonged & some they would apostatize. Then they would insult the Church by offering to sell them their own records at an enormous price. I have deposited my records & Journals in the Historians office where I hope they may do some good.
We have had a very interesting time this winter during the reformation among the Latter-day Saints. The Spirit & power of God has been poured out in a wonderful manner & many glorious truths have been revealed through the presidency Twelve & others & in the various quorums meeting. Now should not there be a record kept of these things. In the commencement of these meeting the Clerks took quite full reports but thinking it too much trouble they now take them vary short & we can hardly get an outline of the real facts of our meetings & the power of God & the dealings of God with us.
Evry man should write a brief history of his life his parentage, His birth his religion when he was baptized & by whom when ordained what to & by whom give a brief sketch of all his missions & of all his official acts & the dealings of God with him. Then if He was to die & the Historians wished to publish his history they would have something to go by. Many may think this a dry subject & unimportant, but it is not so to me.
I am now trying to get up a history of the Twelve Apostles as first organized. Half of them are now out of the Church & scarcely any record left whereby I Can get a correct knowledge of their ministry or work & some of those who remain & are labouring to build up the kingdom of God have not kept a record of their missions ministry official acts & decision upon important subjects & the gifts graces & dealings of God with them sufficient to give a true & Correct History of their lives.
Their are but few aside from the presidency of this Church who felt the importance of this subject sufficient to put it in practice. It may be considered by some not important to write or keep a record of our work or the work of God but I believe it is. Otherwise the Prophets would not have been moved upon to exhort us to faithfulness upon this subject. The Lord has told us that what we seal on Earth shall be sealed in heaven & what we record on Earth shall be recorded in heaven & what is not sealed or recorded on Earth is not sealed or recorded in heaven. Therefore it appears to be vary important that we do keep a true & faithful record in all things.
While walking in a rapid stream we cannot tread twice in the same water neither can we Spend twice the same time. When we pass out of that door the work of this meeting will be closed to us forever. We shall never spend the time of this evening again. Then should we not keep a record of our work teachings [p.39] & council which we give in this meeting? We should.
Again Elders go forth upon missions to the Nations of the Earth. They have to Enter into a regular warfare. The Lord pours out his Holy Spirit upon them & they war with the world the flesh, & the Devil, with kings, princes, Lords, Presidents & rulers. He is Cast into prison. The Lord delivers him. The Devil enters into some of his Converts & He lays hands upon them & he Cast them out. The saints are sick & he heals them. He prophesies in the name of the Lord & his words come to pass. Rulers declare that He Shall not preach to the people on pain of death. He preaches the word of God & many believe obey & rejoice in the Lord & he is protected by the power of God.
He goes upon the Sea. The storms rage & he calms the water & wind in the name of the Lord. He is shielded & guarded by angels of God all the day long & he knows the power of God is with him & reveals unto him all the evils that lie in his path. And yet he does not view these great & important things of value enough to make a record of them to spend a short time in writing them & the circumstances & history of those blessings unto him are lost both to the present & all future Generation.
Are these things wright? I do not believe they are. I do not believe a man is Justified in neglecting to record these things.
Now as an example Should the Ten lost tribes of Israel suddenly Come pouring down upon us in the Land of Zion Led by the Holy prophets of God what would be one of the first inquiries we should make of them? It would be where are your records & history & the revelations & dealings of God with you since you were lead away under Shalmanezar king of Asyria? O do let me see them & read them & do let me [read] the Journal of your travels from the North Country to Our land of Zion.
And what would be our disappointment should the prophets & Elders Say O we have not got any history of the dealings of God with us nor any Journal of our travels. We used to hear our Fathers say that there have been great & mighty things done in the Land where we lived. The savior come & taught great & marvelous things & we had a glorious time in coming here. We smote the rocks & the mighty mountains of Ice fell down with a great noise & great miracles were wrought but our Fathers had so much to do & we have had so much to do that we never had any time to write any thing about it & we did not think that any body would have any interest in it but ourselves & so we did not write.
Would we not be awfully disappointed? We should & so with them should they ask for our records & say that Jesus & the Angels had told us that you was building up Zion & doing a great work in the Earth & that great & glorious things were revealed unto you & we now wish to read these things & Should we tell them that we had done as they had that we had not kept a record of any of these things they would be like ourselves much disappointed.
But if they & ourselves Should both keep a Strict record of all that is useful then it would add great Joy to both of them & us. Then let us lay these things to heart & keep a true & faithful record that we may be Justified before God.
Comments
Post a Comment