When this meeting was dismissed, President Young made an appointment with the brethren to assemble at two p. m. that day. There were present among the assembled multitude, President Young, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, and George A. Smith. The various quorums were assigned to their respective places around the stand. {217} After the opening exercises, President Young arose and said: "Attention all! This congregation makes me think of the days of King Benjamin when the multitude was so great that all could not hear. Let none complain of the size of this congregation, it was necessary to call you together. For the first time in the history of our lives, for the first time in this dispensation of the gospel, we are without the Prophet Joseph in our midst. I step forth, therefore, to act in my calling in connection with the Quorum of the Twelve, the Apostles of Jesus Christ of this generation--Apostles whom God has called by revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith and who are ordained and anointed to carry the keys of the Kingdom of God unto all the world. "Hitherto the people have walked by sight and not so much by faith. We have had the Prophet as the mouthpiece of the Lord; now he is gone. He has sealed his testimony with his blood. We are called for the first time to walk by faith. Now that our Prophet and Patriarch are taken from our midst, in behalf of the Twelve I submit to the people this question: Do you want someone to guard, to guide, to lead you into the Kingdom of God as a guardian, spokesman, or something else? If so, signify it by raising your right hand. (There was no vote). "When I came to this stand I had peculiar feelings and impressions. The faces of this people seemed to say: we want a shepherd to guide us through this world. To all who want to draw apart from the Church I say, let them do it if they choose, but they will not prosper. They will find that there is a power with the Apostles which will carry the work off victoriously and which will build up and defend the Church and Kingdom of God in all the world. What do the people want? I want the privilege of weeping and mourning for thirty days at least, and then rising up and shaking myself and telling the people what the Lord wants of them. Although my heart is too full of mourning to launch out into business transactions and into the organizations of the Church, I feel compelled this day to step forth and discharge all those duties which God has placed upon me.