Biography and family record of Lorenzo Snow/Chapter LXII
CHAPTER LXII.
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 465
CHAPTER LXIL
Our father's birthday. Prose address by F. H. Snow. Poem by M. D. Rosenbaum. Prose address by G. F. Gibbs. Poem by O. W. Snow. Prose address by A. H. Snow. Poem by E. R. S. Smith. Closing address by Lorenzo Snow.
GRAND RE-UNION AND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. PART
SECOND.
'HIS chapter of addresses opens with "Our Father's Birthday/' which we composed for the occasion. The prose addresses are epitomized the poems given in full.
OUR FATHER'S BIRTHDAY.
We fain would decorate this day
With garlands choice and sweet; Of rich ambrosia we would lay
A tribute at your feet. But nobler gifts we now impart,
Embellished with our love, And trust the incense of the heart
May not unwelcome prove.
CHORUS. Hail, hail, all hail to your natal day!
May it many times return; And your life-lamp, glowing fresh and gay,
With health and vigor burn.
Long may you live our lives to bless,
And our young steps to guide, Until with Zion's righteousness,
Your soul is satisfied
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Till you fulfil your great desires,
In your life-labors done; When up to all that God requires
His people shall be one.
CHORUS.
Hail, hail, all hail to your natal day!
May it many times return; And your life-lamp, glowing fresh and gay,
With health and vigor burn.
ADDRESS BY FRANK II. SXOW.
In rising to address my honored father in the presence of my several mothers, my brothers, sisters, and the family in general, I will commence by saying that this is one of the most honorable positions I have ever had the privilege of occupying. Where is there a wife, a son or a daughter, that would not feel proud of the beloved and honored parent that has been instrumental in bringing into the world the numer- ous posterity those who now sound forth their praises to the great Jehovah for having been permitted to come forth upon the earth and receive their bodies through such an honorable parentage? The honored parent to whom I refer is our aged father, who now sits in the midst of his numerous posterity.
Our father, like unto Abraham of old, sits as a great High Priest, surrounded by his family on earth, which now numbers over five score and ten, and like the ancient patri- archs, is waiting the time when the Lord will call him up, to become a God in eternity, not merely to reign over hundreds, but thousands and tens of thousands.
While the members of this family now look upon our honored father, we, his children, all, with one accord, feel to say, Father, the many silvery locks that adorn your venerable head number thousands, but your many noble deeds number tens of thousands.
It has often been remarked that children should excel their parents in goodness and noble deeds; but I say, may we,,
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the sons and daughters of this, our aged father, make for our- selves as honorable record as that of his, and have before us, at the age of three score and ten years, as great a testimonial as surrounds him on this grand and glorious occasion.
Inasmuch as we are considered worthy to feast with our father on earth, may we prove ourselves more worthy to feast with him in eternity, when this earth shall have passed into its glorified state, and when our father will be surrounded by multitudes of his noble posterity who have obeyed the first commandment of multiplying and replenishing the earth.
I pray the Lord to pour down blessings upon each mem- ber of the family, and that in his declining years our father may look with as much pride and cause for gratitude upon a noble posterity as he does on this grand occasion.
ADDEESS BY MORRIS D. ROSENBAUM,
SON-IN-LAW OF LORENZO SNOW.
I've come, responsive to your call, dear friend, And heartfelt tribute cheerfully extend On this, your seventieth anniversary, And gladly honor this, your jubilee.
I fain would cherish all men's noble de?ds, Without regard to nations or their creeds; I'll never harbor malice in my heart From truth and virtue I will not depart.
In the grand cause of truth and human right,
You've labored long you've worked with all your might,
In aiming Zion's children to unite;
The Lord has blest you with unrivaled light.
You've traveled much abroad o'er land and sea The Gospel standard raised in Italy; Journeyed in Asia's far-off sunny clime, And testified to men in Palestine.
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A sacred record, by the ancients written, You once presented to the Queen of Britain; In various ways you've worked for Zion's cause, Withal assisted framing Utah's laws.
You long have known that truth alone will stand; You know God's kingdom yet will fill the land; You sec it rolling forth in might along, And yearly in these mountains growing strong.
You've bravely toiled through many joys and fears,
Until your age o'erreaches seventy years;
On this occasion I rejoice to see
You thus enjoy your well-earned jubilee.
Since nightly rest is unto labor given, And one day set apart in every seven, 'Tis right that you should have a jubilee Of rest, and bless your own posterity.
I wish a thousand blessings and good cheer
To you, with all your family now here,
For what you've done and what you've suffered too,
With life So pure, and with a heart so true.
In fervent prayer I ask the God of grace
To smooth your pathway in your onward race;
And unto you may special grace be given
To help you walk the "narrow way" to heaven.
May many years of true prosperity
Be added on to your past seventy,
With peace and plenty in your mountain home,
Is the wish of your friend,
M. D. ROSENBAUM. ADDRESS BY GEORGE F. GIBBS.
Much Honored Sire: Thankful for the opportunity, I cheerfully respond to the programme and offer a few senti- ments on this highly interesting occasion.
Family gatherings are time-honored customs. The pres- ence of a man's children (especially when his family is
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numerous) around the old homestead, besides affording social pleasure, administers to his manly pride a characteristic marked and deep-seated in the hearts of all men worthy the appellation of Patriarch. But the present gathering is unique; its counterpart has been entirely unknown for many generations.
Your wives, children, and children's children, numbering in all one hundred and twenty souls, have assembled to do you honor on this, your seventieth anniversary, and to receive a husband's and father's blessing.
The position you occupy in relation to your family is strictly and emphatically patriarchal
a position which has
been lost sight of for centuries past. It is your right by vir- tue of the family ties you have formed, and the holy Priest- hood you hold and honor, to stand at the head of your pos- terity it is your privilege to call them together to instruct them, and to place your hands upon their heads and bless them; and it is their privilege, through their worthiness, to receive blessings at your hands. When the government of God is fully established on the earth, the patriarchal order will be recognized and will obtain among the Saints.
The patriarchal is the only form of government that can guarantee the full degree of liberty that God, in the begin- ning, designed for His children; and this is in keeping with man's development from his low to his high estate.
It has been truly said, before a man can attain to the position of ruler, he must first learn to govern himself, and we may add, before he is competent to govern his own family organization, he must submit to family government he must practice obedience he must respect authority. He that humbleth himself, God will exalt, and he that exalteth him- self, God will abase. How admirably this principle is illus- trated in the life of our great Prototype; He was the servant of all.
As we may naturally expect the well-trained, obedient
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child to do honor to man's estate, we may admit that the well- governed family, in which the members make life and its object their aim and study, will, in time, assume the propor- tions of a mighty kingdom, reflecting the wisdom of the Gods, to whose increase there will be no end.
To the principle of plural marriage, revealed by the Lord in our day, you are indebted for the extraordinary scene that now presents itself to our gaze. When that principle was first whispered in your ear when it came trembling, as it were, from the Prophet of God, you must well remember how it struck deep against your traditions and prejudices, even as the axe is laid against the root of the tree. It was hardly pos- sible in that early day for you to look into the future only some forty years and imagine these the results of your obedi- ence and faithfulness. Beholding, as we do this day, what God has wrought through you in so short a time, let us ask ourselves, What pen can write, what tongue tell the outcome? This is left to be produced by "the wise," who stand in mute admiration of the wisdom of God, who, having subdued and relinquished their own will, are ready to exclaim, All Thy ways are wise, Lord! All Thou doest is for the good of those that truly love and serve Thee.
It was ever the case that great truths, especially such as involved the salvation of humanity, had to struggle for recog- nition among men. This is especially significant when it is remembered that the most enlightened ages are not excep- tions. Even Jesus, the Redeemer of our race, to whom was given all power both in heaven and earth, upon whom was bestowed the Spirit, even that of intelligence and truth, with- out measure, who was purity personified, in whom His bit- terest foes found no guile, and who spake as never man spake; who came to redeem a fallen world, which none but a God could ransom even He and the great truths He taught were cruelly treated and rejected, very few receiving Him and accepting them.
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There is a reason for this aversion to saving truths, which is deep hidden from the world, and cannot be divined by the philosopher, alone and unaided it cannot be understood by man's wisdom. The operations of the Holy Spirit on the mind, mysterious as they may be to us now, alone can pre- pare the way for the reception of such truths. Were it pos- sible for man, by his own wisdom, to fathom the plan originated in the councils of heaven for his salvation, which plan is eternal, being the same through which the peoples of all worlds and planetary systems have effected their redemp- tion and exaltation were this possible, he would be inde- pendent of his Creator, and as a matter of course would assert his independence, amounting to no more nor less than rebel- lion the sure forerunner of destruction and death; all of which would be incompatible with the divine economy affect- ing the fall and redemption of man.
Nations, like men, have from the beginning lived and died; but it is the design of God now to establish "the king- dom" spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, which is to stand the test of time and live forever. This He has already commenced to do; and as marriage lies at the foundation of society, He revealed to His Prophet, Joseph Smith, the celestial order of marriage, which secures eternal unions. This law, or order of marriage, appeals to us, not so much on our own account because of immediate results, as to the good that will come to posterity. As the Puritans of England, our Pilgrim Fathers, were inspired to come to this far-off laud, to found a new nation, so the Lord permitted us to be driven to these moun- tain vales, to become the founders of a new civilization which is destined to arise in this land. And our "peculiar institu- tion," the plural or patriarchal order of marriage, comes to us from God as the true and sure basis upon which to build society; as the means by which humanity shall be healed of the deplorable afflictions that have been transmitted from generation to generation, in consequence of the sins of the
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fathers. And by living in accordance with this celestial law, whose special office is to jealously guard and protect the issues of life, by heeding the "words of wisdom" which God has given for the promotion and preservation of health, together with the natural benefits arising from this healthful and mountainous land, which He in His wisdom selected for our occupation, we can, from a philosophic standpoint, augur the results. As sure as an overruling Hand led the Pioneers to this land, and as they have been the means of producing what we now behold, God will bring to pass all that He designed from the beginning. He will raise up a great and mighty nation, whose God shall be the Lord. He will make honorable His name in their noble and manly frames, and their superior intelligence and knowledge; and He will place His name upon them, and in time give into their hands the rule and government of earth. And as Abraham was tried and proven in the offering up of his son, before he could be counted worthy to stand at the head of the dispensation he inaugurated, and before he could hold the keys of the Gos- pel, called after his name, even the Gospel of Abraham, we, in order to be worthy of the founders of this new civilization, must endure what appeals to our natural feelings and worldly pride as sacrifices. But as the results of Abraham's trial of faith, and as the results of the so-called sacrifices of the first Elders of the Church have since proved only to be blessings in disguise, so will be the continuation of their works by us. And when we shall get ready to go down with gray hairs to the grave, we will look upon the fruits of our labors and have joy therein, as you, honored sire, this day behold the fruits of your obedience and faithfulness; and at last we, with you, through continued faithfulness, shall be counted worthy to mingle with the great and the wise, the noble and the pure of every age, to rejoice together and to perpetuate the works of our God.
I congratulate you, Father Snow, in having sought and
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obtained the beginning of true riches, even the riches of end- less lives. How well and truly has it been said, in defining true wealth, that it consisted in the number of things a man loved and blessed, and the number of things that love and bless him. How suggestive! How well it describes the wealth of the Patriarch, the man chosen and ordained of heaven to stand at the head of a numerous family! It was the kind of wealth, because it was the very choicest, that was promised to Abraham after he had been tried and proven. It is the heri- tage of all good and great men. It is the principle that enthrones God Himself, reigning as He does over His own posterity, as you now preside over yours. And as God our Father is blessed and glorified in your exaltation the con- tinuation of His works by you, so will you, in time, be hon- ored in the continuation of your works through us. And as we follow in the straight and narrow path, the path of our fathers, the Gods the path of exaltation and glory, so shall we, according to the golden rule, the higher law, witness our posterity, or, at least a fair percentage of them, following after us. And thus honor will be added to honor, and glory to glory, for endless will be our increase and eternal our pro- gression in the grand science of life, in all that is noble, intellectual and Godlike; extended will be our authority and power, enlarged will be our rule and dominion, even beyond the capacity of our frail comprehension. And we will join in the new song of praise, extolling our Redeemer, whose blood atoned for our sins, and who redeemed us out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation; and who shall make us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
Then let honor be conferred on the Patriarchs, with Father Adam at their head! Let blessings for ever and ever be on the heads of the men and women of our own day, the noble spirits who have dared to brook the traditions of the age who conquer the prejudices of their own feelings in the
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interest of the dispensation now being ushered in. Bless them, say I, for doing this in all patience and fortitude and in the fear of God, and for teaching their
children to do like-
wise. Let them be hailed as the heroes of the age, as the pioneers of the civilization, and the founders of the com- monwealth that is destined to arise and flourish in this free and God-blessed land, and that, in time, is to extend its pro- tecting regis over the whole earth. Let the men and women who have evinced this moral courage occupy the chief place and position to which they are justly entitled, and let the bachelor and the confirmed monogamist make way for them! Let their children and children's children, even down to the latest generation, rise up and call them blessed!
And, in conclusion, allow me to say, that as sure as the sun shines and the works of our God are one eternal round, the day will come when the age now living will do you and yours justice. But, as with all true reformers, it will be after you have passed away. You and your co-laborers will then be recognized as the friends of man and protectors of women. You will be acknowledged as living martyrs for unpopular eternal truths affecting the amelioration and uplifting of all mankind Christian and heathen. And you will take your place with Joseph, our head and front, with Brigham, and John, and a noble company of brave men and true women, at the very vanguard of this the greatest of all dis- pensations, to continue the work of redemption under the direction of Jesus the Mediator, our presiding head, until all is finished.
ADDRESS BY ORION W. SNOW.
This day, kind friends, with pleasure here we meet,
To see, to hear, as we each other graot;
To talk, to sing, in this our social band,
With all the pleasure? mutual hearts command.
And yet, though happiness will rule tie hour,
One sober thought persistently will lower
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That this glad meeting possibly may be The last on earth of all this family.
But now we're gathered here from o'er the land,
To form this large and cheerful household band;
From many a different work and place we come
Some from the city, some from country home,
Some from the school room, some from shop and store,
From many places I could mention o'er.
But some are absent; far away, they've gone
To distant climes, and nations not our own;
But to their friends their memory ever dear
Is just the same as though they all were here.
Full many a pit and many a dang'rous snare
Are strewed within our pathway, here and there;
Where'er we go, whatever way we turn,
There is no royal road that we can learn,
But steadily we all must plod along
Shun all the bad and make the better strong.
I wish the future of us all to be
As good and great as we can hope to see.
If we but had the power to draw aside The mystic veils that all the future hide, And bring the noble deeds and lives to view, The greatly good of friends and kindred too How long they fought, how firmly kept their place, How fierce the storm, how toilsome was the race But it was ran, they won the prize at last, And all their sorrows were forever past.
The fate of every living soul shall lie
In burning letters which they can't deny,
Wrote down by their own deeds, both good and bad,
The last to fear, the first to make us glad.
This is a maxim and a well tried fact,
Think twice think thrice before you speak or act;
Let all our thoughts be firm and actions true;
What though in number they arc but a few?
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This pleasant time we mutually enjoy,
This social happiness without alloy.
When we return unto our homes once more,
Resume the duties we performed before,
When weeks and months and years have rolled away,
In looking back on this re-union day,
We'll muse and wonder at the mighty changes
That have occurred within our family ranges,
And see the course we one and all pursue,
Which we desire may be both good and true.
ADDRESS BY ALPHONSO H. SXO\V.
Father, and Members of the Family:
I regard this family re-union as important in many respects; not only have we come together for the purpose of eating and drinking, but that we may receive our patriarchal blessings, and that our hearts may be the more firmly united together. The occasion is not dissimilar to that of the Patri- arch Jacob, when he assembled his family around him, saying, "Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days."
There has been considerable said about the young men of father's family, who have not, as yet, entered into matri- monial bliss; even at the table we were singled out, placed in a conspicuous position, and oft referred to as the "bachelors." Now, it is my candid opinion that the reason why we have not married before, is in consequence of our native modesty and bashfulness. [Laughter.] At one time I thought it a good plan should father intercede in behalf of his sons; but recalling to mind a circumstance that is reported to have occurred in the south, i. c., a certain young man, from timidity procured the assistance of his father to "pop the question" to his lady-love; when the old gentleman was so favorably impressed with the excellent qualities of the young lady, he proposed for himself, was accepted, and carried her off in triumph. [Laughter.] Especially have I looked upon this course of procedure with suspicion, since I heard a young
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lady of good judgment declare, emphatically, that she would rather, to-day, marry Brother Snow (my father), than any of his sons. [Laughter.]
I recently asked one of my older brothers why he had not increased his family, when he replied that the Scriptures say the time will come when seven women shall take hold of one man, and he thought, at least, that one-fourth of the blame rested with the fair sex in consequence of leap year, and considered it would not be amiss should we have seven, instead of one leap year out of the four. [Laughter.]
I am now looking upon the tenth generation of Snows since the arrival of our forefathers upon the shores of the New England States. They have ever held an honorable place and untarnished name among men; our grandsire was enlisted under Washington. The Snow family moved to Ohio in an early date heard the Everlasting Gospel, embraced the same, and with the Youngs, Kimballs and Pratts, were worthy instruments in the hands of Providence in rolling on the Kingdom of God. While standing here and gazing upon this numerous posterity of our worthy sire, two pictures present themselves to my view; on the one side I behold a man who has fought bitterly against the truth; on the other hand I see a man whose whole matured life has been spent in furthering the work of truth. The first, a bereaved man mourning the loss of his only daughter, and, as was remarked yesterday, "man's wealth consists in the number of beings and things he loves, and the number of beings and things that love him," then this man is poor indeed. And when he dies, though he may have great pomp and pageantry at his funeral, still, speaking relative to his family and kindred ties, he will go down to his grave
"Unknelled, uncoffined and unknown."
This, the opponent of truth, is Mr. Edmunds.
Look you now upon this picture, and behold a man with
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hundreds of kindred who love him, wives, sons and daughters to comfort him in his declining years, and scores of kindred to mourn his loss when he passes beyond this mortal state. He is truly rich ! The subject of this picture you now behold, past his three score years and ten, honored and beloved by all who know him, and whose snow-white hairs surround his head as areolas of light.
Then let us, his children, imitate his virtues, and accept all that is good and noble in his life; bearing in mind the uncertain tenure and shortness of our earthly existence, it behooves us to so shape our conduct as to be worthy a place with him in eternity, and that we may there participate in a similar family re-union. Would we could exclaim with the poet:
"Oh that our lives which flee so fast,
In purity were such, That not an image of the past
Should fear the pencil's touch."
Let us, then, give honor to our noble sire, who came forth and embraced an unpopular doctrine that which he believed and knew to be true honor to him who, for nearly half a century, has battled against the prejudices of ages, stood in the breach, and had the manhood to practice what he believed to be true in theory, and as it always happens to those who step forth from darkness and advocate new and true principles, viz., that they seldom, if ever, become popular during life, but whose names are often handed down to their posterity as a rich legacy, so will it be with father, whose name will go down to future generations, and be held in honored remembrance by all the good and noble of the earth, and whose praises will bo sung in "states unborn and accents yet unknown !"
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ADDRESS BY E. R. SNOW SMITH.
MY BROTHER DEAR, AND FAMILY:
We're told
In holy writ, the Patriarchs of old, When full of years, moved by parental love And by a holy unction from above, Convened their offspring God-given heritage, Increased to multitudes thro' lengthened age, And by the right the Priesthood's powers invest, Their children and their children's children blessed.
1
Adam, alias Michael, won his place As prince and founder of the human race. By the great Ruler of the earth and heaven The first commandment unto Adam given Was "multiply." And standing at the head Of all the generations that shall tread This nether earth his duties to fulfil In prompt obedience to the Father's will, The new-born earth he labored to adorn, And unto him were sons and daughters born.
We read that Abel, Adam's son, was slain
By
his aspiring, jealous brother. Cain;
And Cain was cursed; and yet he wears his "mark"
As seen by David Patten, he was dark,
When, pointing to his face of glossy jet,
Cain said, "You see the curse is on me yet."
The first of murderers, now he fills his post,
And reigns as king o'er all the murd'rous host.
And time moved on, and Adam's seed spread forth,
Erecting cities on their Eden earth.
Then human life was long, and not as now,
When man comes forth in haste, and makes his bow
Upon the stage of life, and then is gone,
While death, the porter, drops the curtain down.
Once men built pyramids that now defy The crumbling elements of earth and sky.
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The pyramid of Cheops, which now stands A bold historic problem for all lands, Has long the wasting power of time defied, And stands erect in architectural pride. Good men had time their skill to gratify, And wicked ones their impudence to ply, As they on Shinar's plains in wrath essayed To climb to heaven without Jehovah's aid.
Then centuries defined the age of man Which now is measured by a narrow span. The course of time, long ebbing downward low, The Gospel fulness soon will cause to flow; All ebbing tides must to progression bow Upward and onward is the watchword now; Prophetic record tells us, "as a tree, In time to come, the life of man shall be."
The eternal fiat had been sealed on high, Adam a law had broken he must die. Long centuries with him had multiplied, He fain would bless his offspring ere he died
In Adam-Ondi-Ahman, where, he dwelt, Where at a sacred altar oft he knelt, On which he oft had offered sacrifice, But knew not why till from beyond the skies An angel came and gave the reason why God thus commanded: 'twas to typify The sacrifice of God's beloved Son, Which was to be in time's meridian.
Abroad to all the cities on the earth A royal proclamation issued forth. Responsive, lo! their numerous offspring come To mother Eve's and father Adam's home. Clothed with the Priesthood's power, the Patriarch stood And blessed the reverent, waiting multitude, In Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Eden's mart, Zion's metropolis and priestly court.
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With retrospective pride we're wont to praise Illustrious characters of former days, While here, the fact can never be ignored, The ancient order is to its restored; For here, a father standing at the head, Treads the same path as did the ancients tread.
While age is tracing furrows on his cheek,
And silver locks increasing years bespeak,
As Adam, Noah, Abra'm, Jacob, blessed
Their offspring then, he now has been impressed
To call together all his kindred line,
To instruct and bless by right and power divine;
And Time's historic pages yet will know,
As Patriarch, our own Lorenzo Snow.
In coming generations yet unborn
Shall mighty men of God his line adorn ;
Pure, noble minded men, who shall possess
The sterling worth that lives mankind to bless,
Who, through obedience and sacrifice,
Will to the glories of the Godhead rise.
And holy women, full of faith and love, Who'll train their offspring for the courts above; Mothers of men mothers in Israel, too, True to themselves to sacred cov'nants true. This life's beginning points to where it ends; The first direction up or downward tends; Hence, on the mother's impress much depends.
And may his sons and daughters ever 'be Unrivaled samples of integrity, Clothed with the power true Gospel faith imparts, To .heal the sick and cheer despondiug hearts His sons be numbered with the valiant ones, Who fought the fight of faith and won their crowns; His daughters filled with wisdom, truth and grace, Do saintly honor to their noble race.
All hail to Brother Snow ! Long life and cheer, With blessings multiplied from year to year.
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May his posterity, increasing, be
As numerous as the sands beside the sea,
"And as the stars of heaven for multitude."
The well-wrought model of his life shall be
A-motive guide to his posterity;
A monitor to which, if they give heed,
To endless increase, endless lives will lead.
And yet his life, with conscious wrong unspotted,
Is more or less with imperfections dotted.
No morjpl man, though staunch in that direction,
But faila to reach the zenith of perfection.
His organizing skill has brought to bear
The strength of union potent everywhere.
With these* good brethren, working side by side,
Through mighty effort he has changed the tide
Of narrow, individual policy,
For the broad base of conjoint unity
To make the Saints, in temporal interests, one,
And independent of old Babylon.
You've proved the possibility; the fact
Which you've developed will remain intact.
And yet the Order lives! 'Tis truly so,
Its healthy breathings and pulsations show;
And late transpiring indications tell
The Association's heart is beating well.
It operates, though on a smaller scale
Than ere O. J. H. did its rights assail.
Long-waiting Justice now comes boldly on, And vetoes what aggressive force had done Shows up the assessment in a fitting light, Affirming B. C. Oo-op. scrip was right; Bids "Uncle Sam" retrieve the cruel blunder, By paying back, with interest, all the plunder.
And now, Lorenzo's children, just a few Of my reflections I address to you.
Members of the Council.
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The powers of darkness now arc all astir;
"Be wise to-day, 'tis madness to defer."
Choose well your parts mark where true valor lies,
And set your stakes to win the highest prize;
Honor to whom 'tis due, be prompt to give,
And in return, you honor will receive.
Rein up your courage, boldly stem the tide
Of worldly folly and of worldly pride.
Let love and union, your fraternal pledge,
Bolt every passage from the severing wedge.
Pursue no object when it downward leans
Trust no result to sanctify the means.
Beware of jealousy, the green-eyed elf,
That makes the food on which it feeds itself;
And scorn hypocrisy, the infernal bane,
That prays like Abel and performs like Cain.
On earth exist two counterpoising firms, And each proposes its peculiar terms. Two, only two exist. 0, then, be wise Know for yourselves in which your interest lies; One, only one, will stand the trying test, In this your all you safely may invest.
Who seeks for happiness in worldly gain
May be successful, yet succeed in vain,
And prove the adage sadly true, in which
"Our very wishes give us not our wish."
Search o'er the world; you'll find the happiest hearts
Are those who most of happiness impart.
The key to happiness is well expressed
In these few words, "!N BLESSING BE THOU BLEST."
Review your father's life since first he took Upon himself the Great Redeemer's yoke. From duty's post and God's eternal law, No threat can drive him, and no bribe can draw; Whether at home on missions, or abroad, "Tis all the same with him the work of God. His wise example unto you will be A rich behest A ROYAL LEQACY.
484 BIOGRAPHY AND
LORENZO SNOW'S CLOSING ADDRESS TO HIS FAMILY.
In the various meetings of the family, and in the capa- city of Patriarch, while engaged in conferring blessings upon its members, much fatherly counsel, instruction and admoni- tion were given by Brother Lorenzo to his wives, sons and daughters.
After explaining the object of the re-union, and express- ing his pleasure and gratitude to God that he now enjoyed the happiness of beholding the pleasant and smiling faces of his large family, and the good he anticipated would result from this re-union, he said:
About forty years ago I was an unmarried man, and to this day would have remained so, had I not received an understanding of the law of celestial marriage its object and necessity in securing eternal glory and exaltation. My heart and soul all my energies and ambition were enlisted in the service of God, and I thought I' could not better please or serve Him than by employing my entire time, unburdened by family cares, in the great field of missionary labor. Joseph the Prophet, in a private interview at Nauvoo, on the banks of the Mississippi, gave me a full explanation of the principles of celestial marriage, and pointed out to me clearly my duty and privileges in reference to that law. This numerous, intelligent and honorable famity assemblage is the result of my conformity to the knowledge, advice and counsel received in that important interview.
Peculiar feelings and reflections are naturally aroused in contemplating the past and the singular circumstances in the providence of God, which have brought about this wonderful change in my present condition and prospects. Forty years ago, a lone bachelor of some thirty years, under the influence of erroneous views on the subject and necessity of marriage, its eternal blessings and crowning glory; no loving wife to say, "Dear husband ;" no child to lisp the endearing words, "My papa;" and now surrounded by and in the midst of
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wives, a host of children and grandchildren. What a grand and glorious transition! My heart is filled to overflowing with warmest feelings of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for these marvelous blessings. And let me say, my dear chil- dren, that your lather's obedience to this sacred law of celes- tial marriage, at that day, was attended with embarrassments and dangers of no ordinary magnitude. We were surrounded by our- enemies, and in our midst were many half-hearted, ignorant Saints, and some of the most wicked apostates, seek- ing to betray us into the hands of our bitter foes. When I look upon this extensive family intelligent and gifted sons and daughters, half a score or more of the former having been called,
sent forth and performed many years of arduous
missionary labor among far-off nations, and upon distant islands; and also behold many of my daughters honored wives and mothers in Israel, surrounded by healthy and happy children, and feel that all this is through the mercy and kindness of God, and the work of the Great Jehovah what shall I say? Language is powerless to express the deep feelings of my heart for this holy and sacred opportunity on this the celebration of my seventieth birthday, of standing here and beholding this glorious and heavenly inspiring spectacle.
But it was not Lorenzo, it was not his wisdom that wrought this marvelous change, but the Lord our God. You, my children, should keep in lively remembrance that you are the fruits of my obedience to the law of plural marriage that it is your duty to honor and magnify this law as you may have opportunity. I trust your mothers will employ no influence on the minds of their children to cause feelings to grow up in their hearts against these principles.
Allow me here to express my gratification in the consid- eration that most of you, my dear family, observe the Word of Wisdom, and no one is in the habit of using wine or strong drink, nor guilty of the filthy practice of using tobacco, and
486 BIOGRAPHY AND
that you are accredited with the reputation of living moral, upright and honorable lives; and I trust it may always be truthfully said that you sustain this reputation. Remember, children, to honor and obey your parents, that you may be entitled to the promise, "That your days may be long in the land." Treat your father's wives kindly and respectfully. God has called them to be associated with him through time and eternity, to assist in his duties and responsibilities and share his glory and dominion.
This is the last family re-union we have reason to expect this side of the spirit world. May the God of our fathers help us to keep His laws, live honorable lives, preserve inviolate our virtue and integrity, listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, and seek diligently to purify ourselves, that not a single member of this family be lost by deviating from the straight and narrow path, but may we all prove ourselves worthy to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, crowned with glory, perpetuating in immortality the family union, and continue to increase down through the endless ages of eternity.
You may expect, if your lives are spared to the common age of man and womanhood, to encounter obstacles in the path of life, which will task to the uttermost your best reso- lutions, and some of you may be tempted to swerve from the path of truth and honor, and, like Esau, feel to relinquish the glories of eternity for a few passing moments of gratification and pleasure; then, my dear children, seize your opportunity to emulate the example of our Savior when offered the glory of this world, if he would stoop to an act of folly; he replied to his tempter, "Get behind me, Satan!" Try, keep trying daily and hourly in all your avocations, in all your walks of life, in all your associations, to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. Be upright, just and mer- ciful, exercising a spirit of nobility and godliness in all your intentions and resolutions in all your acts and dealings
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Cultivate a spirit of charity, be ready to do for others more than you would expect from them if circumstances were reversed. Be ambitious to be great, not in the estimation of the worldly minded, but in the eyes of God, and to be great in this sense, "Love the Lord our God with all your might, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." You must love mankind because they are your brethren, the offspring of God. Pray diligently for this spirit of philanthrophy, this expansion of thought and feeling, and for power and ability to labor earnestly in the interest of Messiah's kingdom.
We came into the world for a great purpose, the same as Jesus, our elder brother, to do the will and works of our Father; in this there is peace, joy and happiness, an increase of wisdom, knowledge and the power of God; outside of this are no promised blessings. Thus let us devote ourselves to righteousness, help each and all to be better and happier; do good to all and evil to none; honor God and obey His Priest- hood; cultivate and preserve an enlightened conscience and follow the Holy Spirit; faint not, hold fast to what is good, endure to the end, and your cup of joy shall be full even to overflowing, for great shall be your reward for your trials and your sufferings under temptations, your fiery ordeals, your heart yearnings and tears; yea, our God will give you a crown of unfading glory, and make you kings and queens in the midst of your posterity, to rule in righteousness through the countless ages of eternities.