Sunday 12.

Attended special meeting held at home of Brother Baldwin in East Mill Creek, and attended generally by those in sympathy with plural marriage. Nearly two hundred people were present, yound{g} and old. Among the speakers were Patriarch Brown of Waterloo, D. R. Bateman of West Jordan, John and Israel Barlow, W. D. Livingston, Bro. Burt, and a number of others. The meeting lasted about six hours. (Heber Bennion and Bro. Hall from Springville) also spoke. All the speakers manifested a real live spirit and an unshaken faith in the Gospel. There was no spirit of complaining or criticism, but the feeling prevailed that great and momentious things are about to transpire.

Brother Bateman related his experience in the presence of the late President John Taylor while hiding in Davis County. He (Bateman) was a guard and stableman and was frequently in close relationship with Pres. Taylor. He said a "manifesto" similar to the one finally signed by Pres. Woodruff, was urged upon Pres. Taylor and George Q. Cannon, John T. Caine, By. Hyrum Clawson and others. That on the night of Sept. 26–27 1886 John Taylor received two visitations from the Prophet Joseph Smith and one from Jesus Christ, and he received the revelation which follows bellow. Pres. Taylor came out of his room and seemed suspended about four feet above the floor, and his face was so radiant with light that he (Bateman) could scarcely look upon him for brightness. He said "I will suffer this right arm to be severed from my body;—sanction it? never! I'd suffer my tongue to be torn from the roof of my mouth before doing such a thing." President Taylor further said the day will come when your brethren will handle you for trying to serve the Lord and keep His commandments for which we are in hiding today. He said the time would come when half the people would apostatize over this principle, and "I am not sure but that one half of the remainping half will also apostatize."

If by apostacy is meant the going back on a divine principle, I should say that practically one half have already done so, and surely many more will before the end comes.

Bro. Bateman told of Pres. Woodruff making the remark after the Manifesto was signed, that "the year never has been nor never would be, since the revelation on plural marriage was given, when children would not be born in this order."

REVELATION TO PRES. JOHN TAYLOR SEPT. 27–1886.

My son John, you have asked me concerning the New and Everlasting Covenant and how far it is binding upon my people; thus saith the saith the Lord, ALL COMMANDMENTS that I give must be observed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority; and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, BUT THEY STAND FOREVER. Have I not given my word in great plainness on this subject, yet have not great numbers of my people been negligent in the observance of my law and the keeping of my commandments, and yet have I borne with them these many years and this because of their weakness—because of the perilous times, and further more: It is now pleasing to me that men should use their free agency in regard to these matters; nevertheless, I the Lord do not change and my word and my covenants and my law do not, and as I have heretofore said by my servant Joseph, all those who would enter into MY GLORY MUST AND SHALL OBEY MY LAW. And have I not commanded men, that if they were Abraham's seed and would enter into my glory they must do the works of Abraham. I HAVE NOT REVOKED THIS LAW, NOR WILL I, for it is everlasting and THOSE WHO WILL ENTER INTO MY GLORY MUST OBEY THE CONDITIONS THEREOF. Even so. Amen.

Wife Ellis was at the meeting with me. She enjoyed it. I would that all my folks had been there.