Assembled together as we are this morning, it is very necessary that we ask the Lord for His Spirit, the spirit of inspiration, to rest upon us as speakers and as hearers, that we may be enabled to comprehend what may be spoken, and that it may be adapted to our individual needs. It is impossible to progress in the principles of truth--to increase in heavenly knowledge, except we exercise our reasoning faculties and exert ourselves in a proper manner. We have an instance recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants of a misunderstanding on the part of Oliver Cowdery, touching this principle. The Lord promised him the gift to translate ancient records. Like many of us to-day, he had misconceptions in regard to the exercise of the gift. He thought all that was necessary for him to do, inasmuch as this gift had been promised him of God, was to allow his mind to wait in idleness without effort, until it should operate spontaneously. But when these records were placed before him, no knowledge was communicated; they still continued sealed, as it were, for no power to translate rested upon him. Although the gift to translate had been conferred, he could not prosecute the work, simply because he failed to exert himself before God, with the view of developing the gift within him, and he was greatly disappointed; and the Lord in His goodness and mercy informed him of his mistake, using the following language: "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you when you took no thought, save it was to ask me; but, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right; and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you," etc. So in regard to us respecting the things which we are undertaking. If we expect to improve and advance in the work immediately before us, and finally obtain possession of those gifts and glories--coming up to that condition of exaltation we anticipate, we must take thought and reflect; we must exert ourselves, and that too to the utmost of our abilities. The text given us by President Young yesterday, and to which we, in our prayer this morning, asked God to direct our remarks, was the work pertaining to our present wants and necessities, in which we are now immediately concerned. The question here arises, How shall we regulate affairs so as to qualify us to perform the duties and obligations devolving upon us to-day, and secure to ourselves the blessings of eternal life? On this subject, so far as the Lord will give me His Holy Spirit, through the exercise of your faith, I wish to speak this morning. I desire, however, to confine myself more particularly to the subject relating to our financial union--uniting ourselves together as brethren who have entered into the everlasting covenant of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, expecting to dwell together in the presence of God in the celestial world.