[1] 10 A. M. at the Temple Stand. Hymn by the Quire. Read 23 Matthew. P. P. Pratt Prayed. Singing.—

Matt. 23. 37. Subject presented me since I come in this house.—I a rough stone, the sound of the hammer & chisel was never heard on me. nor never will be. I desire the learning & wisdom of heaven alone. Have not the least idea but if Christ should come and preach such rough things as he preached to the Jews, but this Generation would reject reject him for being so rough. I never can find much to say in expounding a text.

never is half so much fuss to unlock a door if you have a key or when you have not. or have to cut it out with a jack knife.—

O. Jerusalem. &c. whence are in the curse of Allmighty God that was to be poured out upon the heads of the Jews? That they would not be gathered. because they would not let Christ gather them. It was the design in the Councils of heaven before the world was that the principle & law of that priesthood was predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the world. Jesus did every thing possible to gather the people & they would not be gathered and he poured out curses upon them Ordinances were instituted in heaven before the foundation of the world of in the priesthood, for the salvation of man. not be altered. not to be changed. all must be saved upon the same principle. [2]

that is only your opinion Sir—say Sectarians.—when a man will go to hell it is more than my meat & drink to help them to do as they want to. [3]

where there is no change of priesthood there is no change of ordinances says Paul. [4] If god has not changed the ordinances & priesthood, howl ye sectarians, if he has where has he revealed it. have ye turned revelators? then why deny it?

Men have thought many things insoluable, in the last days, that he should raise the dead. Things have been hid from before the foundation of the [world] to be revealed to babes in the last days.

there are a great many wise men & women to in our midst to wise to be taught. & they must die in their ignorance and in the resurrection they will find their mistake.

Many seal up the door of heaven by saying so far god may reveal & I will believe.—heirs of God. &c. upon the same laws ordinance &c of Jesus Christ. & he who will not have it all will come short. of that glory if not of the whole.

ordinance of the baptism. [5] God decreed before the foundation of the world that this baptism should be performed in a house prepared for the purpose.—

Spirits of prison.—the Holy Ghost reveals it. Spirits in the world of prison Spirits.—which Jesus went to preach to. God ordained that he who would save his dead should do it by gathering together as with the Jews—It always has been when a man was sent of God with the Priesthood & he began to preach the fulness of the gospel, then was thrust out by his friends.—and they are ready to but[c]her him if he teach things which they had imagined to be wrong. Jesus was crucified upon this principle—

I will turn linguist. Ma[n]y things in the bible which do not, as they now stand, accord with the revelation of the holy Ghost to me.—

Ponder. "this day thou sha[l]t be with me in paradise." [6] Paradise. Modern word. dont answer to the original word used by Jesus.—find the origin of Paradise—find a needle in a hay mow.— here is a chance for a battle ye learned man.—Said Jesus. for there is not time to investigat this matter. for this day you will be with me in the world of Spi[ri]ts. & then I will teach you all about it. & Peter says he went & preached to the world of Spirits. [7] so that they would receive it could have it answered by proxey by those who live on the earth &c.

gathered you for baptism for the dead washing anointings, &c.—said Jesus to Jews. At one time God obtained a house where Peter was[hed] and ano[inte]d &c on the day of pentecost. [8] criticise a little further Hell, modern term. burning lake of fire and Brimstone. I would make you think I was climbing a ladder when I was climbing a rainbow.—who ever revealed it. God never did. Hades. I will hunt after Hades as pat did for woodchuck. Sheol—who are you? God reveals. means a world of spirits.—I dont think so says one. go to my house I will take my lexicon—&c—a world of departed spirits. disembodied spirits all go.—good bad & indiferent.—misery in a world of spirits is to know they come short of the glory others enjoy—they are their own accusers [9] one universal heaven.—& hell. & supose honorable & virtuous & whoremonger—all hudled together.—judged according to deeds done in the body. [10]—shame shame—thus we can mint & anise & cummin and long prayers. but touch not the law, as Peter tells us— [11]

Paul says caught up to 3d heaven, & what tell that Lie for Paul. [12]—Sun Moon & Stars [13]—many mansions [14]—all one say Sectarians.—They build hay wood & stubble, build on the old revelations without the spirit of revelation or Priesthood. if I had time I would dig into Hell. Hades. Sheol. & tell what exists.—

Heaven of Heavens could not contain him. he took the liberty to go into other heavens.—I thought—Father—Son & H. Ghost all stuck into one person.—I pray for them, father that we may be one [15]—All stuffed into one God—a big God:

Peter [16]—Stephen saw the Son of Man. Saw the son of man standing on the right hand of God. [17]—3 personages—in heaven who hold the keys.—one to preside over all.

If any man attempt to refute. what I am about to say after I have made it plain let him be accursed. as the father hath power in himself so hath the sun [Son] power in himself to lay down his life [18]—

the son doeth what he hath seen the father do. &c [19]—take his body & stuff it into the father.

Gods have an ascendency over the angels angels remain angels. [20]—some are resurrected to become god. [21] by such revelations as god gives in the most holy place.—in his temple. [22] let them who are owing tything pay it up. & bring stone.—

What did Judge Higby [23]—if those who are owing would bring stone we could get the walls to the roof this fall as easy as to let it down."

closed about 12—

Wilford Woodruff Diary

A large assembly of Saints met at the Temple & were addressed by President Joseph Smith He took for the foundation of his discourse the words of Jesus to the Jews how oft would I have gatherd you togetherd as a hen gathereth her chickens under wings But ye would not &c. [24] He then asked what was the object of Gathering the Jews together or the people of God in any age of the world, the main object was to build unto the Lord an house whereby he could reveal unto his people the ordinances of his house and glories of his kingdom & teach the peopl the ways of salvation for their are certain ordinances & principles that when they are taught and practized, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose this was purposed in the mind of God before the world was & it was for this purpose that God designed to gather together the Jews oft but they would not it is for the same purpose that God gathers togethe the people in the last days to build unto the Lord an house to prepare them for the ordinances & endowment washings & anointings &c. one of the ordinances of the house of the Lord is Baptism for the dead, God decreed before the foundation of the world that that ordinance should be administered in a house prepared for that purpose. If a man gets the fulness of God he has to get [it] in the same way that Jesus Christ obtain it & that was by keeping all the ordinances of the house of the Lord. [25] Men will say I will never forsake you but will stand by you at all times but the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of God [26] that are retained in the heavens and are to be revealed to the children of men when they are prepared, They will be the first to stone you & put you to death. It was the same principle that Crusified the Lord Jesus Christ. I will say something about the Spirits in prision, theire has been much said about the sayings of Jesus on the Cross to the thief saying this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. [27] The commentators make or translators make it out to say Paradise but what is Paradise it is a modern word it does not answer at all to the original that Jesus made use of, their is nothing in the original in any language that signifies Paradise, But it was this day I will be with thee in the world of spirits & will teach thee or answer thy inquiries. The thief on the Cross was to be with Jesus Christ in the World of Spirits he did not say Paradise or heaven. The doctrin of Baptism for the dead is clearly shown in the new testament [28] & if the doctrine is not good then throw away the new testament but if it is the word of God then let the doctrin be acknowledged & it was one reason why Jesus said how oft would I have gatherd you (the Jews) together [29] that they might attend to the ordinance of the baptism for the dead as well as the other ordinances the Priesthood Revelations &c. This was the case on the day of Pentecost these Blessings were poured out upon the deciples, on that occasion. [30] Their has been also much said about the word Hell & the sectarian world have preached much about it but what is hell, it is annother modern term it is taken from hades the greek, or shaole, the (hebrew) & the true signification is a world of spirits.

Hades shaole paradise, spirits in prision is all one it is a world of spirits, the righteous & the wicked all go to the same world of spirits but says one I believe in one hell & one heaven all are equally miserable or equally happy, but St Paul informs us of three glories [31] & three heavens he knew a man caught up to the third heavens, [32] & Jesus said their were many mansions in my fathers Kingdom [33] Any man may believe Jesus Christ is good & be happy in it & yet not obey his commands & at last be cut down by his righteous commandments A man of God should be endowed with all wisdom knowledge & understanding in order to teach & lead people, The blind may lead the blind & both fall into the deatch together; [34] Their is much said concerning God the Godhead &c the scripture says their is Gods many & Lords many, [35] the teachers of the day say that the father is God the Son is God & the Holy Ghost is God & that they are all in one body & one God Jesus says or prays that those that the father had given him out of the world might be made one in us as we are one, [36] but if they were to be stuffed into one person that would make a great God, If I were to testify that the world was wrong on this point it would be true Peter says that Jesus Christ sat on the right hand of God [37] any person that has seen the heavens opened knows that their is three personages in the heavens holding the Keys of Power. [38] As the father hath power in himself so the Son hath power in himself, [39] then the father has some day laid down his body & taken it again so he has a body of his own—so has his son a body of his own so each one will be in their own body. Many of the sects cry out O I have the testimony of Jesus, I have the spirit of God But away with Jo Smith he says he is a Prophet But their is to be no Prophets nor revelations in the last days; But stop sir the Revelator says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy [40] So by your own mouth you are condemned.

But to the text why gather the people together in this place For the same purpose that Jesus wanted to gather the Jews, to receive the ordinances the blessings & the glories that God has in store for his Saints. And I would now ask this assembly and all [41] the Saints if they will now build this house & receive the ordinances & Blessings which God has in store for you, or will you not build unto the Lord this house & let him pass by & bestow these blessings upon another I pause for a reply

Levi Richards Diary

attended Meeting at the Temple weather vary fine moderately warm. heard J. Smith preach from Math "Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem &c, how oft would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings & Ye would not, behold your house is left unto you desolate &c [42]

Pres. J. Smith bore testimony to the same saying that when he was a youth he began to think about these things but could not find out which of all the sects were right he went into the grove & enquired of the Lord which of all the sects were right he received for answer that none of them were right, that they were all wrong, & that the Everlasting Covenant was broken [43]==he said he understood the fulness of the Gospel from beginning to end—& could Teach it & also the order of the priesthood in all its ramifications [44]==Earth & hell had opposed him & tryed to destroy him, but they had not done it==& they never would.

Franklin D. Richards "Scriptural Items"

Joseph said The reason why the Jews were scattered and their House left unto them Desolate was because they refused to be gathered that the fulness of the Priesthood [45] might be revealed among them which never can be done but by the gathering of the People also also The Order & Ordinances of the Kingdom were instituted by the Priesthood in the council of Heaven before the World was The words Prison Paradise & Hell are different translations of the Greek Hades which answers to the Hebrew Shaole the true translation of which is "The world of spirits where the righteous & the wicked dwell together.["]

Eliza R. Snow Diary

Last sunday I had the privilege of attending meeting and in the forenoon listening to a very interesting discourse by Pres. J. Smith He took for his subject the words of the Savior to wit. "O Jerusalm thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto you! How oft would I have gatherred you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not!" [46] He beautifully and in a most powerful manner, illustrated the necessity of the gathering and the building of the Temple that those ordinances may be administered which are necessary preparations for the world to come: [47] he exhorted the people in impressive terms to be diligent—to be up and doing lest the tabernacle pass over to another people and we lose the blessing.

Willard Richards Diary

Meeting all day Joseph P[reached].

—11 June 1843

Notes

[1] See History of the Church, 5:423-27, and Teachings, pp. 307-12. The original source for the reports of this discourse in History of the Church and Teachings is an amalgamation of the Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards, and the Wilford Woodruff Diary. The accounts of Levi Richards, Franklin D. Richards, Eliza R. Snow, and Willard Richards (personal diary) are here published for the first time.

[2] D&C 130:20-21. See 21 May 1843, note 30.

[3] The Prophet had said in an earlier discourse, "I have no enmity. I have no desire but to do all men good. I feel to pray for all men. We don't ask any people to throw away any good they have got. We only ask them to come and get more" (22 January 1843, Woodruff report). He, however, never was interested in engaging in bitter struggles while contending his position. He expressed this idea in another way in his final doctrinal discourse. "When things that are great are passed over with[ou]t. even a tho[ugh]t, I want to see all in all its bearings & hug it to my bosom—I bel[ieve]. all that God ever rev[eale]d. & I never hear of a man being d[amne]d for bel[ievin]g. too much but they are d—d for unbel[ief]" (16 June 1844 (1), Thomas Bullock report &).

[4] Hebrews 7:12.

[5] That is, baptism for the dead. See 5 January 1841, note 10.

[6] Luke 23:43.

[7] 1 Peter 3:18-20. See also 1 Peter 4:6.

[8] Apparently Joseph Smith believed that the place where the apostles received their endowment on the day of Pentecost was a house dedicated to the Lord for the performance of the washing and anointing ordinances. This is not explicitly stated in Acts 2:1-13.

[9] The Book of Mormon expresses this thought best—as, for example, in Mosiah 3:25-27. See also Revelation 6:14-17. See 8 April 1843, note 4.

[10] Alma 5:15. Cf. Romans 2:6.

[11] Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42.

[12] 2 Corinthians 12:1-4.

[13] 1 Corinthians 15:41 (40-42).

[14] John 14:2.

[15] John 17:9-11; see also verses 20-23.

[16] See note 37, this discourse.

[17] Acts 7:55-56 (54-60).

[18] This is John 5:26* as amended by John 10:17-18. Except in the cases of the 5 January 1841 discourse (at note 9 &) and the Samuel W. Richards account of the King Follett sermon (7 April 1844, at note 119 &), all other reports have the Prophet, when he quotes John 5:26, substituting the word power for the word life.

[19] John 5:19.

[20] This is a confirmation of a part of the revelation to Joseph Smith first recorded a month later and now designated as D&C 132:17.

[21] Confirmation of D&C 132:19-20.

[22] Confirmation of D&C 132:7, 19-24.

[23] Judge Elias Higbee. A member of the Nauvoo Temple Committee Higbee had served as a judge in Caldwell Count, Missouri.

[24] Matthew 23:37.

[25] Undoubtedly the Church historians decided to amplify this statement based on D&C 124:28, and their knowledge of the Prophet's teachings on temple ordinances: "If a man gets a fullness of the priesthood of God he has to get it in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, and that was by keeping all the commandments and obeying all the ordinances of the house of the Lord" (Teachings, p. 308; changed words italicized). The essence of the Church historians' amplification, which is confirmed by the Franklin D. Richards report, is additionally supported in the following statement of Brigham Young in the Nauvoo Temple which includes the Prophet's teachings on the highest ordinances of the Temple:

Those who come in here and have received their washing & anointing will [later] be ordained Kings & Priests, and will then have received the fullness of the Priesthood, all that can be given on earth. For Brother Joseph said he had given us all that could be given to man on the earth (Heber C. Kimball Journal kept by William Clayton, 26 December 1845, Church Archives).See also 27 August 1843, note 30.

[26] See 5 October 1840, note 24.

[27] Luke 23:43.

[28] 1 Corinthians 15:29.

[29] Matthew 23:37.

[30] See note 8, this discourse.

[31] 1 Corinthians 15:40-42.

[32] 2 Corinthians 12:1-4.

[33] John 14:2.

[34] Matthew 15:14.

[35] 1 Corinthians 8:5.

[36] John 17:9-11.

[37] Wilford Woodruff gives us enough context for us to know that Joseph Smith referred to 1 Peter 3:21-22 in support of the concept of separate beings in the Godhead. See text of this discourse at note 16.

[38] For example, Acts 7:55-56.

[39] See note 18, this discourse.

[40] Revelation 19:10.

[41] Note that both men and women would receive temple ordinances.

[42] Matthew 23:37-38.

[43] Isaiah 24:5. This is the only diary reference to the only known public address in which the Prophet bore testimony of his First Vision. It is here published for the first time.

[44] Cf. 29 August 1842, note 11.

[45] D&C 124:28.

[46] Matthew 23:37.

[47] Never during the Kirtland period of the Church's history (1831-1837) was it taught that temple ordinances were essential to salvation.