Note During the month of January, 1880 I was at Sunset, Arizona, with Bro. Lot Smith and the brethren with him who were trying to establish a branch of the United Order at that place. At this time the Government, through its officers, was using every means in its power to enforce the Edmunds-Tucker anti-polygamy law with the evident intent on the part of the officers, to break us up as an organized community. Being away from President Taylor and my Quorum, I felt deeply distressed in mind Concerning our condition as a people. While thus exercised I went into "the Wilderness," a region of Country called by this name situated about forty miles west of Sunset, and while there I stopped with two young men who were herding Sheep belonging to the people of Sunset. I remained with them ten days reading the revelations of God as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, and praying fervently unto the Lord to reveal to me His mind and will concerning Zion.
On returning to bed on the night of the 25th of January, 1880, I found myself wrapt in vision, and the next morning revelation was given to me of the Lord which I wrote at the time:
... I the Lord have spoken and will be obeyed. My purposes shall be fulfilled upon this nation ...
... I the Lord say again unto my apostles, Go ye alone by yourselves, whether in heat or in cold, and cleanse your feet in water, pure water, it matters not whether it be by the running Streams or in your closets; but leave these testimonies before the Lord and the heavenly hosts; and when you have all done this, then gather yourselves together in your holy places, and clothe yourselves with robes of the holy Priesthood, and there offer up your prayers according to my holy law. Let him who presides be mouth and Kneel at the holy altar, and there let mine apostles bring all these testimonies before my face and before the heavenly hosts, and before the justified spirits made perfect. And thus saith the Lord unto you, mine apostles, when you bring these testimonies before me, let them be presented by name as far as the spirit shall present them unto you,—the presidents of the United States, the Supreme Court, the cabinet, the Senate and Houses of the Congress of the United States, the governors of the States and Territories, the judges and others sent unto you, and all men and persons who have taken any part in persecuting you or bringing distress upon you or your families or who have sought your lives, or sought to hinder you from keeping my Commandments, or from enjoying the rights which the constitutional laws of the land guaranteed unto you.
And what I the Lord say unto you, mine apostles, I also say unto my servants the Seventies, the high priests, the elders, the priests, and all my servants who are pure in heart and who have borne testimony unto the nations. Let them go forth and cleanse their feet in pure water and bear testimony /of it/ unto their Father who is in heaven.
.... I have also ordained you to sit upon thrones and judge the Gentiles and all of the inhabitants of the earth, unto whom you have borne testimony of my name in the day and generation in which you live.
... You each of you have power to unlock the vail of eternity and hold Converse with God the Father, and his son Jesus Christ, and to have the ministrations of angels. It is your right, privilege and duty to inquire of the Lord as to his mind and will concerning yourselves and the inhabitants of Zion and their interests. And whenever any one of you receives the word of the Lord, let it be written and presented in Your councils. And whatever, by united consent, you deem wisdom to be presented unto the people, let it be presented by the president, my servant John Taylor, as the word of the Lord....
Copied by Geo. F. Gibbs, May 27, 1895
Wilford Woodruff [Signed.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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