2. Apostolic power
”Turning to me President Snow said: ‘Brother Clawson, will you anoint her,’ which I did. We then laid
our hands upon her head and the anointing was confirmed by President Snow, who blessed her and
among other things, used this very extraordinary expression, in a commanding tone of voice, ‘Come
back, Ella, come back. Your work upon the earth is not yet completed, come back.’”
After President Snow had finished the blessing, he turned to my wife and me and said; ‘Now do not
mourn or grieve any more. It will be all right. Brother Clawson and I are busy and must go. …’
“Ella remained in this condition for more than an hour after President Snow administered to her, or
more than three hours in all after she died. We were sitting there watching by the bedside, her
mother and myself, when all at once she opened her eyes. She looked about the room, saw us
sitting there, but still looked for someone else, and the first thing she said was: ‘Where is he? Where
is he?’ We asked, ‘Who? Where is who?’ ‘Why, Brother Snow,’ she replied. ‘He called me back.’”
3. Apostolic sacrifice
“Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the
sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the
faith necessary unto life and salvation. … It was through this
sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should
enjoy eternal life. … When a man has offered in sacrifice all
that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life,
and believing before God that he has been called to make this
sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most
assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and
offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain.
Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith
necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life” (Lectures on Faith)
4. When Joseph left for Carthage he turned back twice.
Premonition? Did he remember his own words?
Sacrifice all things, even your own life...
What will be required of you?
What challenges? Labrum,Howe
5. ”When the Prophet had ended telling how he had been
treated, Brother Behunnin remarked: ‘If I should leave
this Church I would not do as those men have done: I
would go to some remote place where Mormonism had
never been heard of[,] settle down, and no one would
ever learn that I knew anything about it.
6. “The great Seer immediately replied: ‘Brother
Behunnin, you don’t know what you would do. No
doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you
joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When
the gospel was preached good and evil were set
before you. You could choose either or neither. There
were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them.
When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve
God. When you did that you left the neutral ground,
and you never can get back on to it.’
8. The Sabbath Day
The importance of a sacred day for man to rest from his temporal
labors, contemplate the word of the Lord, and assemble for
public worship is a major item in person’s spiritual development.
Furthermore, a decay in the national religious life always follows
any tendency toward carelessness in the matter of Sabbath
observance. The existence of a weekly holy day is a most
important safeguard; it leaves a constant reminder to the
individual of his need for spiritual sustenance and his duty before
God, and serves as a witness to the world that there is such a
thing as revealed religion. (Bible Dictionary, Sabbath)
