[Apostle John Henry Smith Diary] Salt Lake City
I bid my mother and son good bye for the present and returned to the City.
I went to Prest. Taylors office and received the following:
Blessing pronounced upon the head of Apostle John Henry Smith under the hands of Presidents John Taylor, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith. President J. Taylor was mouth.
Brother John Henry: In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, we lay our hands upon thy head and set thee apart to go and preside over the European mission. And to this end, we pray that the spirit and power of thy mission may rest upon thee from this time forth; that the spirit of God may flow into thee, directing thee in all things pertaining to this mission and the interests thereof and pertaining to those over whom thou shalt preside, over all the Elders in that Country, that is, in England, in Scandinavia, in Germany, and in Switzerland, or wherever thy mission shall extend in that part of the world; that thou mayest be filled with the spirit and power of the Apostleship and be able to discern the spirits and actions of men, that thou mayest have wisdom given unto thee at all times to enable thee to act intelligently and carefully in managing all the affairs of thy mission; that thou mayest be as a father unto those over whom thou shalt
preside. And seek unto God and obtain from Him revelation to direct thee in everything thou shalt engage in, that thou mayest have wisdom to direct and appoint men to those places in which they will be most serviceable and where their talents shall be most usefully employed, not only in England but in other parts of Europe wherein they shall labor; and pray that the spirit and power of God may rest down upon thee at all times, that thou mayest be enabled to act intelligently in all thy doings.
And we say unto thee seek unto the Lord to enable thee to do whatever devolves upon thee, and thou shalt be blessed, and in the transaction of business, in making appointments, and in all matters pertaining to the interest of the Church and Kingdom of God in that part of the Lords vineyard, seek unto the Lord to know just what is best and what is calculated to benefit the people over whom thou shalt preside.
And we ask that thy health and strength may be adequate to the labors to be performed in this mission, that thy system may be preserved from disease, and that thou mayest be enabled to accomplish a good work even according to the desire of thy heart, and see the work of God roll forth in that part of the land where thou shalt preside.
And we say unto thee, go in peace, and God shall bless thee in thy journey upon land and across the Ocean, and in thy labors in that part of the world, and thou shalt return, after accomplishing a good work, to the bosom of thy family and to the association of the Saints.
We seal upon thee all of these blessings and set thee apart to this mission, and ask that the spirit and power of God may rest down upon thee from this time forth. We seal all these blessings upon thy head by virtue of the Holy Priesthood and Apostleship in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[Source: Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith]
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