The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and ReturnWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and Return
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
Verily, I say unto you, a commandment I give unto mine handmaid,
Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay
herself, and partake of that which I commanded you to offer unto
her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did
Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand by
covenant and sacrifice; and let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive
all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are
virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have
said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God; for I
am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my
servant Joseph, that he shall be made ruler over many things, for
he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will
strengthen him.
And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto
my servant Joseph and to none else. But if she will not abide this
commandment, she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord, for I am the
Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law: but
if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant
Joseph do all things for her, as he hath said; and I will bless
him, and multiply him, and give unto him an hundredfold in this
world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and
lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the
eternal worlds. And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive
my servant Joseph his trespasses, and then shall she be forgiven
her trespasses, wherein she hath trespassed against me; and I, the
Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart
to rejoice.
And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph put his property out of
his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him--for Satan seeketh to
destroy--for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant; and
behold! and lo, I am with him, as I was with Abraham thy father,
even unto his exaltation and glory.
Now, as touching the law of the priesthood, there are many things
pertaining thereunto. Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as
was Aaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that sent me,
and I have endowed him with the keys of the power of this
priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law,
and by my word, he will not commit sin, and I will justify him.
Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph, for I will justify
him: for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands,
for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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