Wilford Woodruff Diary[1]

Joseph the Seer arose & read a Chapter in the New Testament containing the parable of the vine & its branches & explained much to our edification [2] & said, "if we kept the commandments of God we should bring forth fruit & be the friends of God & know what our Lord did, "Some say Joseph is a fallen Prophet because he does not bring forth more of the word of the Lord" [3] "Why does he not do it" are we able to receive it No (says he) not one in this room, he then chastized us for our wickedness & unbelief knowing that whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [4] & scourgeth every son & daughter whom he receiveth & if we do not receive chastizements then are we bastards & not Sons. On revelation he said "A man would command his son to dig potatoes, saddle his horse but before he had done either tell him to do something els this is all considered right["] "But as soon as the Lord gives a commandment & revokes that decree & commands something els then the prophet is considered fallen &c" [5] Because we will not receive chastizment at the hand of the Prophet & Apostles the Lord chastizeth us with sickness & death "Let not any man publish his own righteousness for others can do that for him." sooner let him confess his sins & then he will be forgiven & he will bring forth more fruit when a man is chastized he gets angry & will not endure it. The reason we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us is because we do not keep them but reveal them, [6] we do not keep our own secrets but reveal our difficulties to the world even to our enemies then how would we keep the secrets of the Lord Joseph says I can keep a secret till dooms day He spoke of love what greater love hath any man than that he lay down his life for his friend [7] then why not fight for our friend untill we die & many other things of interest was spoken.

—19 December 1841

Notes

[1] See History of the Church, 4:478-79, and Teachings, pp. 194-95. The Wilford Woodruff Diary is the source for the entries in History of the Church and Teachings.

[2] John 15:1-8.

[3] D&C 82:4. See 5 October 1840, note 24.

[4] Hebrews 12:5-11.

[5] D&C 58:30-33. See also D&C 56:1-7.

[6] Alma 12:9-11; Ether 4:1-7.

[7] John 15:13.