Apostle Joseph Smith's Speech
Given After His Ascension Ceremony In The Kingdom Of God
December 24, 2,000
Midnight, Salt Lake City Time.

I stand before you not because I am a great leader, I had no trouble leading at all. I simply did whatever God told me to do, even if it was not appreciated by man. Where God told me to go, I went. What God told me to say I said. And this takes no greatness at all. It merely takes the most basic of common sense. Learned men called me a fool, and insane, and, a fraud. For their wisdom would not let them see the simple truths that I was teaching. No, I do not stand before you because I was a great leader, for God was my Leader, and I simply did His Will.
I stand before you because you are great followers, because you would hear when no one else would hear, because The Truth, because justice, and, honesty was more important to you than any other thing. You, like all in The Afterlife, heard the cries of your loved ones that dwell in the flesh. "Oh, we have such a great president! He's such a wonderful man! He keeps us so prosperous. His small faults should be forgotton. Surely God would forgive me. It does not matter that he cheats and he lies. Let us keep him as our leader." But while you heard these voices from your living loved ones, you heard another voice...The Ruler Of Heaven, cry "No! All this evil that is being done does matter! There is Darkness in this man's soul, and he is unfit to serve. Put him out!" And though others weakened and disobeyed, you stood fast, and you said "Jesus is Lord! He is Master Of Heaven, and what He says is! If He says this one should be put out, then this one should be put out. And I will do all in my power to fulfill The Lord's wishes." And when others stumbled, when they went astray, you were Heaven's foundation. You stood strong, and you kept the stones in place. And through these dark hours, through your strength has Heaven prevailed.
Now you have been given dominion over others, for They do not trust those who lead them any more, and They have cried to The Lord to give them leaders They can trust. And you have been put in positions of great authority. And the praise of you is known far and wide, for The Voice Of God tells the living what you have done. And because I taught you, and because you listened to me, I have been risen up to this High Place, and given this great honor. I do not stand here because I led well, I stand here because you followed me. May God bless you forever and ever, and all your descendants, for you were a part in the saving of Heaven, in bringing back The Lord.
The struggle is not yet over, but you have proven your worth, and you have glorified us in the doing. Do not think that you have done this alone! God forbid! For many have stood with us. But a short time ago every voice in The Afterlife joined in the cry to give us back Jesus. The Lord, in His Infinite Wisdom, some time ago saw the necessity of combining all The Realms of The Afterlife into one effective Force, of combining the loose Confederation that we had before into a Grand Alliance, so that we could concentrate, each of us, on taking care of our own. And The Lord's Wisdom in these dark hours has been proven again. For had we not been unified, had not all worked as one, had the old hostilities not been forgotten and cast aside, and all worked as one to bring The Lord back to us, we might well have failed.
Sing The Lord's praises now and forever. For His Wisdom is beyond our understanding. We were jealous, we were angry because He let others share the glory that we thought was ours, alone. That He extended His friendship to Those outside His Realm, and renewed old friendships from the beginning of time. We were angry with this, but how wrong was our anger when The Lord's Judgment was proven so right? We are not perfect but He is perfect. He sees beyond and prepares us for every struggle, and we should never, ever question in the slightest way again.
True, we did not betray. All of us stood fast, but there is no doubt that some of us questioned. We are mortal Souls, and have not yet reached Immortality. But we have seen The Glory Of God, and now understand His words better than ever before. The Word Of God can never be silenced. It can never be quieted. It can never be stilled. For when Those who are supposed to speak refuse to speak, when none among the living who are supposed to follow God will not utter His words, God will find a Voice, God will find someone to speak The Truth, who will not worry what man thinks, who will not care what man desires, but will do The Will Of God.
I have been much perplexed, and have asked Peter on more than one occasion "How can those that unless they are speaking for someone else will not even say God, speak so elequently for Him, and carry forth His battle more strongly than those who are SUPPOSED to speak for Him? How can such an incredible thing be?" And Peter has only smiled at me and said "Because They love him. Because he is the greatest of friends to Them, and has taught the people to love even your enemies, those who are different from you, those who do not look at things as you look at them, who have bitter memories of a time long passed when a People that said they were of God, abused and murdered. Of a time when there was sorrow beyond belief. Their memories of this time are so strong, are so bitter, that the thought of God is beyond Them. But They still love The Light and love Those who Bear The Light. And to do good is Their greatest purpose. They say that They have no God, yet as The Lord bitterly taught me one day, They know The Lord far better than we. You think this matter perplexes you now, wait til you have been one with Jesus, and know all things, and these things will perplex you even more. For there are things in this matter that I know but I cannot say. "

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