The Prophet and Brigham Young

The Prophet and Brigham Young By Susa Young Gates

Joseph Smith fulfilled in every particular the promise made to him by the angel who told him that his name should be held for good and for evil throughout the whole earth. Few men have been so hated and so loved as was the Prophet of the nineteenth century. Among all his devoted associates none were more loyally attached to him as a man and as a leader than was Brigham Young, his successor and friend. Those who knew Brigham Young intimately heard from his lips in nearly all his private life and public discourses references to this affectionate bond between the two great men. After the death of the prophet, Brigham Young took up the work laid down by his leader and, humbly yet faithfully, carried out the purposes and plans of the prophet under the direction and inspiration of the Almighty. As a striking evi- dence of this close union between the two, the following account given by Brigham Young in his private journal is noteworthy and most interesting. January, 1847, at Winter Quarters: "I told the brethren I dreamed of seeing Joseph the Prophet, last night, and conversing with him; Joseph appeared to feel extremely well, was sociable, and laughed heartily, conversed freely about the best manner of organizing companies for emi- gration, etc. "I related the following dream while sick and asleep about noon-day on the 17th inst. I dreamed that I went to see Joseph. He looked perfectly natural, sitting with his feet on the lower round of his chair. I took hold of his right hand and kissed him many times and said to him, 'Why is it that we cannot be together as we used to be? You have been from us a long time, and we want your society, and I do not like to be sep- arated from you?' "Joseph, rising from his chair and looking at me with his usual, earnest, expressive and pleasing countenance, replied, *It is all right.' "I said, 'I do not like to be away from you.' "Joseph said, 'It is all right, we cannot be together yet, we shall be, by and by. But you will have to do without me a while, and then we shall be together again.' "I then discovered there was a hand rail between us. Joseph stood by a window, and to the southwest of him it was

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very light, I was in the twilight, and to the north of me it was very dark: "I said, 'Brother Joseph, the brethren you know well, bet- ter than I do, you raised them up and brought the Priesthood to us; the brethren have a great anxiety to understaond the law of adoption, or the sealing principles, and if you have a word of counsel for me, I should be glad to receive it.' "Joseph stepped toward me, and, looking very earnestly, yet pleasantly, said, 'Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord, and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the still, small voice, it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can distinguish the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits: it will whisper peace and joy to their souls: it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts, and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the king- dom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right. Be sure to tell the people to keep the Spirit of the Lord, and if they will, they will find them- selves just as they were organized by our Father in heaven be- fore they came, into the world. Our Father in Heaven organ- ized the human family but they are all disorganized and in great confusion.' "Joseph then showed me the pattern, how they were in the beginning; this I cannot describe, but I saw it, and saw where the Priesthood had been taken from the earth, and how it must be joined together, so that there would be a perfect chain from Father Adam to his latest posterity. Joseph again said, 'Tell the people to be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord, and to follow it, and it will lead them just right.'

The Swedish Star Shines Again From President Theodore Tobiason, of the Swedish Mission, we have received No. 1, volume 43, of Nordstjarnan, October 1, 1919, the organ of the Latter-day Saints in the Swedish mission. For some reason, the magazine was discontinued on the 15th of June, 1918, and this is the first number published since that date. President Tobiason assures his readers that the magazine will continue to be of special value to the Saints and their friends whj are learning the principles of the gospel. The contents of this number are a comprehensive but brief review of the Church annual conference held in June, the greeting of the new president to the Saints in Sweden, and the farewell address of the former president, Elder A. P. Anderson. The Era welcomes the little publication and trusts that it may not falter on tl.e way which it has so faithfully kept in the past in pro- viding spiritua r food for the Saints in the land of Sweden.