This Mortal Life I have been interested today listening to these testimonies. I would rather hear the testimonies of a few humble Elders than a great long sermon of some flowery speaker?something that touches our heart. I have been asked lately, especially since they lost that baby down in Short Creek, so many questions about that, that I decided I would read from Brigham Young a sermon that will answer nearly every one of the questions they have asked. They have asked, ?Would the baby go on?? and this, that, and the other. The sermon was given over Sister Aurelia Spencer, one of Orson Spencer?s daughters that died when she was a young lady. Now we can understand, my brothers and sisters, why the poet says, ?Grave where is thy victory; Death, where is thy sting?? It isn?t to the Latter-day Saints. We don?t mourn for our children, nor for those that have passed away like the world does, because we have a little sprinkling of knowledge and know this earth is a preparation for the next existence. We woke out of one room into another, into a higher sphere, into a better place. If we have kept the commandments of God here, we are prepared to go to that other place. If not, we cannot go on to our exaltation, for we haven?t lived up to the measure of our creation. I think we have had a right good meeting, but I wanted to read to you because there were so many questions asked about children that die. ********** Priesthood is God unto us. Priesthood is the thing. If we follow and keep close to the Priesthood of God, we are sure to get an exaltation. If we fight the Priesthood of God, we fight ourselves and we don?t get it. May God bless you and keep you in the hollow of His hand, and watch over and protect you, and keep you going on and on to that goal which we wish to get to, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 1948 Short Creek, Arizona, March 25, 1948. Reported by Marjorie Holm, Funeral of Zavenda Allen Steed Brothers and sisters, I have only known this lady about two or three years, but I have known the Steeds all my lifetime. I knew Brother Walter Steed; I know Thomas Steed. I knew their grandfather, and I have known them all my lifetime. They lived in Farmington and we lived in Bountiful not very far apart. They were informing to know. We met quite often. This sister here came over here on a mission of charity, and she fulfilled it to the letter. I was with her when she first took down and I administered to her. At that time she didn?t have pneumonia, but she took a back-set. She took the flu, and we called in the Elders and we did all we could. We even sent for drugs and things. She wouldn?t take a drug. She said, ?If I can?t be healed, then the Lord wants me there.? I am sure that the Lord did want her. Within the last two weeks there has been four of the good sisters here at death?s door. And right at the time she was taken sick, the other nurses that were here in the town were taken sick, too, and we didn?t know which of them were going for awhile. I was positive one was going. I was positive she was going when I left Brother Steed the other night. I told him to be prepared because I knew that she was wanted. We have heard quite a few things told today about why we are in this work?why we are doing this. I want to tell you here that I was one of the most bound-up men in the Church that you could find anywhere. I thought what the brethren said was law and Gospel. But the Lord gave me a vision. I saw and knew for myself that we must comply with the laws that God has laid down if we got the blessing. Do we realize, brothers and sisters, that every Latter-day Saint is a defier of the law? When the Edmunds Law came out, it was in direct opposition to the laws of God. We either had to defy the laws of God or the laws of the land. If we defied the laws of the land we would go to prison. That is what I found out I had to do. But on the other hand, the Lord said this: D. C. 131 1. In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; 2. And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; 3. And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. 4. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase. Now then, we can defy the laws of God if we want to, and that will be the result; or we can defy the laws of the land and maybe get killed or go to prison, or some other thing. Every Latter-day Saint is going to take one of the courses. When there is a law of the land in direct opposition to the laws of God, we must comply with one or the other. I went on a mission, and while there I supposed this thing was all done away with. I came back and what did I see? I saw the President of our Stake?and by the way, the President of our Stake was a brother to Brother Grant?and I saw two of his counselors, and all of them had taken plural wives. I thought to myself, ?What is the matter here? There is something wrong somewhere. I am going to find out.? So I commenced praying to God. I got the answer. I got it very, very plain. I might relate a little bit to you how it came about. I knew that this was going on, but who was doing it I didn?t know. I was sure it was going on, for I had a brother that had gone into it, and Brother Thomas Steed and Walter and a great many others had gone into it, and I knew they were good men. So I got a chance. A young lady came to my home and was ready to go into it; so I went to Salt Lake to find out what to do. I approached half a dozen or more to find out what I should do. Finally, one said to me, ?Think of the man that bore the strongest testimony you ever knew.? I did. He lived out of town. I went to the depot and took the train to where he was. When I got there, he was standing at the depot waiting for me. I started to tell him what I wanted. He said, ?Hold on, I will tell you what you want. I was out ?Ward teaching? and God told me to come and meet you.? I was going to tell him what I wanted, and he said, ?I will tell you what you want.? He explained to me the whole thing?how it was and what they were doing. This is how I came to get in this work. Then after I found out it was right and could get it done, he said, ?I will be downtown Thursday, or Tuesday, and I will take you to a man that can do it.? He took me. I said, ?How did you get your authority?? It was perfectly explained satisfactory to me. After he did it, he said, ?Now, have your wife go get her endowments.? So I went back, and she got a recommend and we all went to the temple. We fasted and prayed for three days, and the morning we went to the temple, I was called up first to stand in the prayer circle. I was called to take that woman through the veil. After that, I was patted on the shoulder and the brother said, ?Be careful, Brother Barlow. I knew it the moment you stepped in here. God bless you. Be careful!? That was one of the greatest testimonies to me. Since then, I have had ever so many testimonies. I know that this dear sister had a testimony, because I talked to her. You know we cannot get very far unless we get a testimony of our own. We might listen to what others say, but until we get a testimony for ourselves and know these things are true, we can?t get very far. I am proud to speak over her bier. I will say this much, I was stricken with this flu, and my wife was stricken with the flu; and this sister came, and with her knowledge of how to handle it she broke it up on my wife, although my wife was so near to death?s door that her son came to her, and she wanted to go, but he told her to stay, for her mission was not yet filled. Sister Zavenda saw us through and then she was stricken. I have been right there with her all the time. Although my health has been very bad this winter, my heart hasn?t been beating just the way it ought to. I haven?t been able to do much or say much. But I want to bear you my testimony that I know the things that Joseph Smith revealed are true. I was just reading what President Young said in the Journal of Discourses, volume 1: ?Joseph never left a thing undone that ought to have been done. He told them many times, ?Brethren, I have done everything that I can do,? and he left a law that would take us back into the presence of God; and every man and woman can get eternal exaltation if they will follow in his path.? God bless you, amen. Ozumba, Mexico, April 6, 1948, (From the Sermons of President Leroy S. Johnson Vol.7 Page 17), Reported by Marjorie Holm, Must Obey the Law to Get the Blessing; Get and Keep the Spirit of God My beloved brothers and sisters, it is with pleasure that I stand before you and tell you concerning the plan of life and salvation. We have driven many miles, something like, I think, five thousand. Hearing from Brother Johnson of you people here, and how you wish to be blessed and receive the fullness of the Gospel, I practically got out of a sickbed to come down here; but I feel well paid. I hope what I may say to you will sink deep into your hearts. We are living in a day and age of the world when men are doubting, and many of them in the Church today are turning away from the higher principles of the Gospel. President Young said that the fullness of the Gospel was United Order and plural marriage; and we all know, in reading the Doctrine and Covenants, that whenever we receive a blessing, it is by obedience to a law. He says that every blessing is predicated upon law, and whenever we receive a blessing, it is by obedience to that law. I have been in this work since I was born. My grandparents came down through all the persecutions of Nauvoo and through that country. My father was born in Nauvoo, and we have been with the saints and with the Church ever since. We read from the Book of Mormon that the time would come when men would turn from the fullness of the Gospel and then the fullness of the Gospel would be taken to you people. In fact, they mentioned the House of Israel, and it looks to me like the time is close at hand. Now, if you brethren and sisters prepare yourselves and get ready in receiving these high ordinances, it is either going to uplift you or else it will damn you. Whenever we receive a high blessing, if we fail to live it, if we fail to keep the commandments of God, we go down that much more. I can see in the eyes of you people here that you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I truly hope that you will receive every blessing that is necessary to exalt you. I won?t say much tonight, as I feel a little shaky. I will say, God bless you, and in the authority of the holy Priesthood which I hold, I do bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. ********** (At the end of the meeting, Brother Barlow spoke for a few minutes again.) My brothers and sisters, some years ago while in Short Creek, lying in my bed, the Spirit of God spoke to me and told me to go tell the people to get the Spirit of God and keep it. He said that we will need it, and He explained to me why we would need it. The Spirit of God spoke to me just like I am talking to you now. I went up and told our people. Some of them took heed; others went on just the same. Today, you can go pick out the men?the very ones?that listened t